Summer plans

I haven't pulled the trigger on the Marathon, yet.  They just opened up registration for the Run for a Reason sign up on Thursday, but the general lottery doesn't open up until the 5th.  I  am debating taking my chances in the lottery and letting the running gods decide my fate.  Still, I started this gig 5 years ago for a reason.  Not sure I am ready to hang up my laces.  I appreciate everyone's support/encouragement, but as some pointed out, this is up to one person - moi.  Like they say in the movies, the buck stops here.  I hope to call the ball this week.  

Meanwhile, in non-running news, the weekend has been pretty quiet/uneventful.  That old 90 year old lady across town is doing well.  Definitely feeling better.  She is going back to the doc this week to get a check up and hopes to get cleared to enable them to head north to South Dakota for their international rally.  She's one feisty old broad.  Not one to let a little thing like getting a new pacemaker keep her from hitting the road.  

We are mucho busy over here as well.  Typically, our summer plans have been chaotic.  Back when we did the scout shtick  every summer I spend a week + in scout camp with my son.  Two summers I spend two weeks at Philmont.  When my son went off to college, we kinda got our lives back but we didn't have any solid vacation plans and my job had me jetting off around the states for various audits.  This year seems to be even more packed with work stuff.  We have an ongoing major software validation for our new plant that will eat up most of June with testing/reports.  I also have a number of audits to conduct this year which will have me on the road way more than I have in the past.  I mentioned earlier about the number of placed we need to visit and it has only grown since then.  Most of the Midwest sites (aka Minnesota) are being done by my boss or one of my buyers.  I've been tagged with the international road trips this year.  Looks like I will be headed back to Belgium late June for a couple of audits.  I had hoped to work out a short side trip to London, but I am traveling with a coworker this time and will not have as much leeway as before.  I still need to make a hop out to California for an audit in July but the logistics still need to be worked out.  The big one is a week plus trip to China in late July or early August.  Got to audit/tour/visit a supplier in Hong Kong and, since we are going all that way, I am trying to coordinate a visit with several suppliers at the same time.  My philosophy is, if I am going to do an extended flight halfway around the globe, we are going to maximize our time in country.  Last fall, when we flew to Manila, we had just enough time to do the audit and then fly back home.  I am hoping for a few more days to get in a few more companies and see some local sights.  Going into China will be a new twist for me.  Oh, sure, all this international travel SOUNDS all sexy and glorious, but we are talking about a 22+ hour flight to Hong Kong and a 14+ hour flight to Belgium.  I love to travel but, to spent one entire day of my life strapped inside of a metal tube with 300 other bodies flying 35,000 feet above the globe is not all that glamorous, despite all the air miles and hot towels.  At least I know enough to plan accordingly.  Nano's charged up, scoped out the on board movie listing, loaded up on Advil PM, tagged several books for the ride.  I haven't made the jump to at Kindle or Nook.  I'm old school - prefer turning pages and using a bookmark.  Besides, I have never been told to turn off my book while taxiing to the runway.  With that much chair time, my plan is to polish off one or two good books while in transit.  Top of my list, a compelling ready by Lotta Joy - Treadwell.  Something I have been looking forward to for some time.  With an increase in my travels over the past few years and I have gotten into a habit of collecting books for the flights/airports.  It makes all the delays and flight times more tolerable.  I tend to get somewhat compulsive about my reading - when I get hooked on a story, I cannot put it down until the final chapter.  Looking forward to some interesting stories during the long flights.