Monterey Triathlon completed!

This weekend, after months of training, I successfully completed my first triathlon. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't fast but I, along with my entire Team in Training group, completed the 1.5K swim, 40K bike, and 10K run. My time was 3 hours, 45 minutes, which placed me around #800 of the 1400 person race. No, I won't be trying out for the Beijing olympic team, but given it was my first tri and I got two leg cramps on the swim, I'm not too disappointed. And lots of room for improvement, right! Yep. I was met at the finish line by my parents who drove about 300 miles to be there. And most important of all, our team raised over $125,000 for cancer research! Thanks to everyone's support for the past few months. Peace!

Softball Champions

This weekend was a busy one. Saturday I completed a simulation of the triathlon I will be doing in September. I swam over one mile (over, mostly because my swim technique tends to create a zig zag course), biked about 25 miles and then ran 3 miles. Lets just say by the time I ended, my running steps were short and slow. Weary, sore, and hungry, but I was pretty happy with myself for completing it. 4 more weeks of practice and then the real thing September 8. On Sunday, my Mercer Island softball team completed a fantastic season by capturing the championship despite entering the playoffs as the #8 seed. Winning isn't everything, but it sure is fun!

Home woes and more wedding fun

August ... tis the season for weddings ... and ... torrential downpours & roof collapses?! Upon returning from California I found, to my dismay, that a week of rain and a leaky roof had caused my ceiling to collapse above my stairway. Not fun!! The roof is now fixed but I continue to stare at the hole in the ceiling until insurance hashes things out. A week ago we got to attend Mo and Bethany's wedding. Lots of fun and lots of typical Mo & Bethany style laughs! Today I started a business (Eddie Ranch, LLC) so I'm officially working for myself -- yes, really working, I'm helping Xbox with Halo 3 promotions. Have to earn some money to repair my house before it falls on my head!!

California here we come ...

Hello from Seattle where we are enjoying a typical mostly sunny, occasionally cloudy, once in awhile rainy, mild and un-humid summer. Bored with no job, Eddie? Why, no, but thanks for asking. Hema and I recently did a roadtrip down the west coast to Santa Cruz for Leslie & Colin's wedding. It was a splendid trip that included a wet campnight at Crater Lake, hot air ballooning over Napa, and a beautiful wedding/3 days in Santa Cruz. We even ducked into a bookstore on the eve of Harry Potter #7's release and grabbed an early copy. On the way back we drove through the Giant Redwoods and saw the tallest tree in the US(5% of which is pictured here). My triathlon training took a hiatus due to a knee injury, but hoping to get back on track this week. Thanks to all those who have donated!
Upcoming fun includes a Las Vegas weekend for a bachelor party, John Genna's Orcas wedding, and then the big triathlon weekend in Monterrey September 8!! Here's something cool I read about: check out this Forbes writers blogging as "Fake Steve Jobs" -- hilarious: fakesteve.blogspot.com.

Double Dose Demented Debauchery

Memorial Day weekend, 25 men descended on Chicago to help Johnny and Mo celebrate their last few months of singleness. Lets just say Chicago hasn't seen this kind of mayhem since the Cubs won the Series.

Return to America

Not as exciting as a month in Africa but my return to Seattle has been adventurous to say the least. Sans job, the last couple of months have been filled with triathlon training, lots of softball (man I suck after a year in London), happy hours at Karma, lunches with old friends, and a dubiously memorable Memorial Day double dose bachelor party for John Genna and MoMo. Still pursuing employment but, man, this no-work lifestyle ain't that bad :) Oh, friends in the UK, miss you guys a ton! Ted, Erin, Jenn and I will try and bring some London shizzat to Seattle. Brilliant!

Last Day in Africa

All great things must end and I am at the end of 33 amazing days in Africa. Said bye to the last other volunteer yesterday so from 7 it's down to just me. I am actually looking forward to some more standard civilization (strong, hot shower; drinks with ice; chocolate milk shake:) and of course seeing friends and family. If anyone out there is considering doing anything like this, I'd love to speak with you about it. I can't recommend it enough. It's a truly life affecting experience in so many ways. And it makes you really appreciate all the great people in your own life. Getting on a plane tonight at 10:40 pm back to London! Then return to Seattle April 6. From Ghana, Ma-ajoo.

Pics, pics, and more pics

Finally have decentInternet access so here are some of my favorite pictures I've been able to grab over the past couple of weeks

Cultural Celebration

On the 2nd to last day of our time in Senchi Ferry, we were lucky enough to see their annual regional culture celebration which pits schools together in a friendly competition of music, dance, & drumming. It was pretty amazing to see that even in a village as poor as this how much they value their cultural heritage and the importance of kids and the arts.

Rain, Rain Go Away

Yesterday it rained harder than I've ever seen it rain in my life. Sheets of rain falling so hard you could not walk in it. We took cover in the village "palace" which is really no more than a tin roofed concrete room. 3 volunteers and 7 locals huddled waiting for the rain to pass. An hour later we emerged to find rivers where pathways just stood and sadly, our morning's work, 60 concrete bricks, reduced to dirt mounds. Luckily, today we were able to recycle the aftermath into new bricks and the work continued.