Bits and Pieces

We heard from The Girl last night. She said that they were having all sorts of wonderful adventures and will tell me all about it when she gets home. Her excuse for not sending pictures to me along with everyone else – well, she said Lindz was sending them out, and could not think of my email address. I think she was just having too much fun in the sun to be bothered much with emails or things like calling home. Although I do love hearing from her, I didn’t really expect her to "check in" much. I know she is a "big girl" and that she was having a good time and no news is good news and the apple does not fall far from the tree. She will be home tomorrow – sometime – but who knows when.

Besides reading lots of economic blogs and magazines, Toby likes to read energy blogs. He found this interesting link on "Global Cooling." It is worth the read.

Many times I have mentioned Capt. Jeff Donnithorne of the USAF. He recently sent this email that he was participating in a triathlon to raise money for wounded vets. It is a worthy cause if you want to support the Vets and Jeff. You have until May 10th to send a donation. Here is the info:
Dear family and friends ~As some of you may know, I'm currently training for a half-ironman triathlon which will take place on Sunday, May 18th in Orlando. I've done a few triathlons in the past, but this one is considerably longer than previous races I've done and is proving to be a great challenge to my mental and physical endurance even in the training process. The race will start with a 1.2 mile swim, followed by a 56 mile bike, and then finishes up with a half-marathon run of 13.1 miles. In training, I've done all three of those events separately, but doing them back-to-back-to-back in a 6 hour span will certainly put me to the test. For more info on the race itself, here's the website:http://www.floridahalfironman.com/But the real reason I'm writing is because I've joined ranks with a great team of folks who want this endurance race to have a greater purpose than just personal satisfaction. I've joined Operation Rebound, which works with a foundation called the Challenged Athletes Foundation, to give support to injured veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Racing with me in Orlando will be several veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who lost limbs and are now competing with prosthetic limbs -- these athletes are supported financially, logistically, and emotionally by the fundraising efforts of Operation Rebound. Our team at the Florida Half Ironman will be raising money to support more soldiers in their quest to re-establish an active and athletic lifestyle following their injuries. Getting these soldiers back into an active lifestyle, despite their significant injuries, has proven to be one of the most effective steps in their emotional and physical recovery.It's really an honor for me to join this effort, and I realize that the pain and sacrifice I've experienced in training and will experience on race day is merely a fading hint of the pain and sacrifice that these heroic recovering soldiers experience on a daily basis. That awareness has helped me push through on some long swims, bike rides, and runs, and I trust that it will be a motivating tailwind on race day itself. If you would like to support these injured soldiers through Operation Rebound, I will be honored to swim, bike, and run your donation to the finish line. You can donate online at:http://raceforareason08.kintera.org/jdonnithorneThe website has various suggested "giving levels", from $50 up to $1000. If you decide you'd like to donate, you most certainly do NOT have to give at one of those levels -- you can type in whatever amount you choose (e.g. $10, $25, etc.). The Challenged Athlete Foundation is a certified 503(c), so all donations are tax-deductible.If you don't want to donate online, there's a link on that page to download a form which you can fill out manually and mail in. Please feel NO obligation whatsoever to give -- I know that each of us has many worthy causes competing for our support. If you decide that this is one that you'd like to support, I'm honored to be a catalyst for helping these injured troops.Even if you decide not to give, if you could remember me on Sunday morning, May 18th, I would certainly appreciate your prayers! I will definitely be in need of God's divine tailwind that day.Thanks very much,Jeff