Jan '10 in Review

The first month of the New Year was a busy one. I was under the weather for a spell, missing about 2 and half days of work and a week of no training. I started a new job as Flight Chief of Little Rock's Propulsion Flight, a.k.a. the ERRC (Engine Regional Repair Center). Our Escape was in the shop for over a week with a mysterious steering malfunction that Ford couldn't duplicate. We had two winter storm events that caused me to miss two additional days of work due to poor road conditions. Hopefully spring is right around the corner so I can begin to log more base cycling miles. Today I'm considering firing up my indoor trainer/Transition while watching a Chris Carmichael training DVD, however I figured my training for the month is pretty much a wrap.

Fitness Recap for Jan 10 (Note: includes combo of running/road cycling)

Count: 13 ActivitiesDistance: 169.20 miTime: 13:35:04 h:m:sElevation Gain: 10,794 ftAvg Speed: 12.5 mphAvg HR: 147 bpmAvg Bike Cadence: 79 rpmCalories Burned: 13,555 C

What's so exciting about cycling anyways?

Levi Leipheimer Descending Pine Flat Road from Roger Bartels on Vimeo.

43 miles, 2.5 hours in the saddle/5.4 mile run

Yesterday I departed the house at 1300 on the SL2 and rode for 2 hours, 37 minutes/43.4 miles to begin building up some base miles prior to this year's race season. I stopped once to make a phone call and refill a water bottle at McDonalds in Cabot. I did one 21 mile loop clockwise from the entrance of Greystone, then turned around and did it counter-clockwise. Lewisburg Road and Ed Haymes Road are great with little to no traffic. I get chased by at least one dog every time on Lewisburg Road which adds a shot of adrenaline to this route. As I was descending a hill on Ed Haymes Road, a squirrel darted out from the left side of the road. I was traveling between 25-30 mph and we somehow missed each other.

Yesterday's elevation over the 2.5 hour ride:
I came home from work this evening and ran for 45 minutes (5.4 miles).

Heart rate vs Elevation:
I was pleased that my legs felt good after 71 miles on the bike the past 2 days. Tomorrow will most likely be a rest day.

Dead legs after 2 weeks off the bike

Yesterday was a beautiful day to get out on the bike and get some exercise. The temperature was stuck at 60.6 degrees for the entire ride which was much more comfortable than the recent 30's. I was able to knock out 28 miles in an hour and a half. Not too bad considering this loop is far from flat and I was by myself.
I kept my heart rate up in the 150's and could tell I hadn't climbed any hills for a couple weeks. The last two climbs are a great way to polish off the legs. In fact the very last hill in Greystone averages between 12-16% grade. Might be good for some hill repeat training.

Jogging with Coop

Coop and decided to go for a morning jog yesterday. The temps were cold, however the sun was out and I was dressed in black and got fairly hot after the first mile. Coop loves to stop and sniff and I don't like to stop so it was a lot of stop-pull-go over and over. We jogged for just over 4 miles, then did a cooldown walk for about a half mile around the neighborhood. The cold didn't seem to bother Coop too much at all.

I just redeemed my Hawaiian Miles for 24 issues of Martha Stewart Living. I believe they were fixing to expire on 31 Jan so I figured that maybe Marita would like the magazine. Well now I'm going to grade some annual award packages and debate on whether or not I should take the SL2 out for a ride or just take the day off from exercise. We talked about going out to eat later at the Dixie Grill once Marita gets off work at 1400. We haven't tried it yet but have heard that its pretty good food.

Ooops I did it again

As much as I hate to admit it, I once again performed an indoor workout this evening using the Abs Diet DVD. The next several days are going to be very cold with lows in the single digits and highs maybe reaching low 20s.

Jack Frost nipping at me feet this evening

After a fairly stressful day of simply trying to get out of my neighborhood after a good dusting of snow (and no, I wasn't even in the Mustang) I decided to go for a run after work. Marita was busy on the desktop computer with her college classes and Robert was on the laptop so I layered up knowing that the temps were below freezing. I'm surprised that I could move with all the layers of clothes, however I was able to get out the door just before sunset. The sun had pretty much dried the roads other than for a few ice patches hidden from direct sunlight. The temperature averaged 27 degrees with very little wind or wind chill effects. I did my normal 1/4 mile cool-down walk afterwards, took a warm shower, layered back up in my Izod robe and sat down to a delicious dinner of seared salmon, homemade scalloped potatoes, and corn...thanks Marita, you're the best! Tomorrow is my wife's Birthday and let it be known that I did not forget. Next up, Valentines Day on 14 Feb. Thank goodness for my Blackberry Bold calendar, it helps keep me out of trouble.
Tonight's heart rate vs elevation. I took a short comfort break at the halfway point, thus the downward spike in heart rate.

Indoor Exercise

As much as I hate admit it,I performed an indoor workout this morning using a DVD starring Tom Holland.

I also walked Coop around the block. He saw snowflakes for the first time today, ran to the window and barked at them.

1st day of 2010

Yesterday was a busy day with a delivery from Main Street Furniture in Jacksonville. We received an invitation to a retirement sale...the owners are turning the business over to their son and wanted to clear all inventory with some exceptional deals on Mayo and Ashley furniture. We also picked up two framed hand painted pictures with some impressive matting by a local artist that were originally $398 each and we purchased both for $299. Marita wants to get a cable connection for the TV on the opposite wall so we can rearrange the couch and entertainment center. She is also considering a different entertainment center that would go better with the furniture, cabinetry, ect.

Yesterday evening I decided to stretch the legs and get started with my exercise/training for the New Year. I didn't realize just how cold it was until I got outside in the elements. I wore a short sleeve dri-fit shirt and jacket along with my Specialized rotation pants and could feel the 37 degree temps for the first mile or so, however after that I was warmed up and comfortable to the end of the 5.4 miles. I had to stop during mile 1 for a loose shoe string, thus the blue spike below (pace). Running this route here in Greystone is challenging for me with the ups and downs, especially mile 3-4 because they feel mostly uphill.

1/4 mile pace, HR, elevation:
HR, elevation:

Happy New Year 2010!

Today is the first day of 2010 and I'm looking forward to an exceptional year. Everyday is an opportunity to make a difference, both personally and professionally. My plan is to focus on eating clean meals and drinking plenty of water daily along with challenging exercise. I plan to incorporate more weightlifting into my exercise routine. Current goal weight is 165 lbs by 1 Mar 10 (fat loss vs muscle).

This morning I need to prepare the living room for new furniture. We were invited to a Jacksonville furniture store retirement sale on 28 Dec and received huge discounts that we just couldn't pass up on a new Ashley Signature Series sofa, Mayo chair with Ottoman, coffee table, end table, and two matching painted pictures from a local artist.

It looks like a beautiful day so I better get in gear and enjoy this first day of the New Year.

Merry Christmas

This evening I decided to get up off the sofa following two days of solid, non-stop rain here in Arkansas. The winds were picking up and I could tell the temperature was dropping, however there was a nice crispness to the air. I knocked out 5.3 miles at an easy 8:18 per mile pace.

The Andrews' Christmas will be slightly delayed tomorrow morning due to the fact that a group of our combat warriors are returning from the desert. They are scheduled to arrive at Little Rock Airport at 0730, then get bused over to the base. Hopefully everyone will be with their families by 1030 if all goes as planned. Marita, Robert, and I decided that we would open our gifts after I get home from welcoming our folks back to the Rock.

Let's Roll

In my quest to drop 9 lbs and to get those six pack abs, I've decided to go back to basics. Tonight I inflated the exercise ball and began some stability core exercises along with free weights and old school pushups. I got the H1N1 immunization yesterday and decided to give my body a break last night from running. Today was a complete washout with heavy rains non-stop all day and continuing into the evening hours. Hopefully I'll be able to catch a break in the weather tomorrow for a run.

Don't "weight" till tomorrow, the time is now!

My old Taylor weight scale had seen better days so yesterday I purchased a new scale that measures body fat, bone mass, water percentage, and weight. It also allows me to track my goal weight and shows what direction I'm heading.

Additionally, I began a 7 day detox/cleanse program followed up with a 7 day probiotic replenishment. One of my current fitness goals is to reach 165 lbs, 12% body fat by 31 Mar 10.

Grocery Shopping for Abs

Yesterday evening I went grocery shopping and before entering the store I had my shopping list that included the ABS DIET POWER 12:

Almonds (sliced and whole)
Beans (all kinds)
Spinach (all green veggies)
Dairy (lowfat or fat-free milk, yogurt, cheese)
Instant Oatmeal (I opt for the Old Fashioned, not instant/too refined)
Eggs (I prefer Eggbeaters for ease of use)
Turkey (and other lean meats such as roast beef, chicken)
Peanut butter (I make my own from peanuts, olive oil in the VitaMix blender)
Olive Oil
Whole grain bread
Extra protein (whey powder supplement for smoothies)
Raspberries (and all other berries such as blueberries, cranberries, ect.)

These are the staples of the Abs Diet. I also include ground flaxseed daily for breakfast along with an FRS drink. Other personal favs are walnuts, raisins, and Splenda sweetner for my oats.

Last night after getting home from grocery shopping I felt a little low on energy and motivation, however I hadn't ran since Sunday. I decided to eat an Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Clif Bar and lace up the running shoes. I've found that the AF PT jacket does a good job at retaining heat because it was 35 degrees outside and all I wore was a dri-fit t-shirt and the jacket and I kept warm. I'm sure my Polartec microfleece hat and Specialized Deflect gloves also help in these cooler winter temps.
Last night's run
I really enjoy my Greystone 5 to 6 mile route for running base miles. It's both mentally and physically challenging with the rolling hills. I want to begin going to the base running track for some interval/sprint training to work on speed.

It was 27 degrees when I woke up so I'm going to let the temp warm up before I take the bike out today. Marita seems to be doing good following her surgery. The nurse did say she shouldn't be left alone for the first 24 hours following surgery. Hopefully she will be back up and around soonest, however in the meantime I'm keeping things tidy around the house so she can just focus on resting/healing. Well it's time for me to fill out some Christmas cards and a sympathy card for our neighbor who lost his wife (cancer). Tomorrow it will be back to work and I'm sure to face an email box that runeth over.

What does the gallbladder do?

This morning was an early wake-up to take my wife to Baptist Surgery Clinic at 0600 to have her gallbladder removed. After several months of tests, Dr. Shaw pinpointed the pain she had been experiencing to her gallbladder. I was curious as to exactly what the gallbladder does since it can be removed and a normal life could be continued without it. This is what I learned...Bile is continually being made and secreted by the liver into bile ducts in varying amounts. Some of it goes directly into the small intestine and some into the gallbladder. The gallbladder stores the bile to be squirted down the ducts into the small intestine to help to breakdown the fats when you eat a meal that contains fats. It also acts as a reservoir that uptakes excess bile when there is pressure in the bile ducts. I also learned where the location is at. Dr. Shaw actually provided photos of the gallbladder and liver while he was in there. So can you look at a gallbladder and tell that it's bad? According to Dr. Shaw, no. He said a paralyzed leg may look like a good leg however it isn't working like a good leg and the same can be true with the gallbladder. He did say the procedure went very well and that Marita's liver looked like a healthy liver which is good news. She did experience quite a bit of nausea following surgery so I'm trying to help in nursing her back to health. I also took off work tomorrow to ensure everything is okay during the first 48 hours of her recovery.

Location of the gallbladder...

New Motivation

I decided to run versus ride today since the roads refused to dry up due to 95% humidity and lack of sunshine. I ran the first 2-3 miles at a brisk 7:50 pace, then decided to walk for a couple minutes at the turnaround. I brought it home in an attempt to average an easier 8:30 pace with some extra hills thrown in. The temperature felt okay at 44 degrees.
Lots of rolling hills today with heart rate averaging 160 bpms for 6+ miles...
The most important window of opportunity is the hour immediately following exercise, so I grabbed me a cold Muscle Milk for a quick 240 calories and some protein.
I decided to check my weight/bodyfat/BMI today. Maybe it's because the start of a new year is right around the corner, not really sure, however I weighed in at 175 lbs, 15% bodyfat, 25.5 BMI (checked 3X).
I have a new found motivation to freshen up on the basics of "the Abs Diet" which helped me drop body fat back in 2006. Time to set some fitness goals and be more accountable/disciplined about what I eat.

SKUNK!

Although it was 38 degrees during this evenings run, I stayed warm wearing my Air Force PT jacket, pants, and a t-shirt. After the turnaround point I thought there was a very small Christmas tree off to the side of the road sitting above a storm drain. I thought to myself that it was kind of odd, then as I got closer I realized it was a skunk's tail with its butt aiming right at me. Fortunately I was on the right side of the road (not sure the distance they can spray) however I made it past and the skunk decided to crawl into the storm drain opening. I decided not to look back and keep on running.
Running in Greystone is far from flat, however I enjoy the changes in elevation.
It's definitely getting colder. Looks like down in the 20s for lows, highs in the 40s through the weekend.

Testing out the rolling hills of Arkansas

This morning I rode my SL2 to the Sonic Drive-In just outside of Greystone. It took about 8 or 9 minutes to get there and I met Doug McClosky for a 0730 departure. We got rolling and the air temperature was a tad bit chilly. Doug seemed to push the pace right from the start and I was trying to determine if he was just cold and trying to get warm or if he was just attempting to put a hurting on me. One big difference between Hawaii and Arkansas is the amount of road kill here. I've seen everything from deer, cat, dog, squirrel, raccoon, opossum, armadillo, and skunk. The other big difference is the temperature (today avg'd 55 degrees), however I think that I'm acclimatizing rather quick. At least the winds were non-existent today which helped make the ride more comfortable.

No speed limit sign on this back road, just a painted 45 mph in the middle of the road.

Thanksgiving Day Workout

This week I attended a fitness review panel for two of our Airmen who have been on a mandatory PT program for over 180 days. I wanted to walk through the process with them to see how it works and was able to meet Mr. Jeff Vaughn, the Little Rock Fitness Program Manager. Mr. Vaughn gave me a tour of the fitness center and even had me try out the ARC, a piece of equipment by Cybex that is an elliptical trainer on steroids. I was wearing my service dress so I didn't stay on it long. We spoke briefly about cycling and the next day he forwarded me an email from a guy in our squadron who lives in Cabot and is an avid cyclist. It was an invite for an early morning Thanksgiving ride. This morning I had second thoughts when I awoke to an outside temperature of 31 degrees. I decided to drive to the meeting location thinking maybe nobody would show up. Two other riders were waiting so it was time to man up I figured. The first 4 or 5 miles were mentally challenging until the sting of my ears turned to numbness...definitely need a winter skull cap or something to keep my head warmer. Other than that I was comfortable, feet and hands stayed warm for the 34 miles, 2 hour ride.
Doug McClosky stayed out front for most of the morning on his Cannondale.

Greystone PT rocks

I was able to finish off the week (a long 12-day week at that) with a 5.69 mile run this afternoon after getting home from work. I was up at 0400 this morning and got home shortly after 1600 and was able to finally get a run in before dark. The route that I've been running this week seems to be getting shorter, however the hills aren't feeling any smaller. In fact after the turnaround point it seems the road points uphill for a mile or so. The hills here in Greystone definitely makes running more challenging for me.

I'm looking forward to a productive weekend around the house and plan on getting at least 40 miles on the bike if the weather cooperates.

Dark, Cold, Windy Run

Today was a rainy day and the temps seemed to plummet at least 30 degrees compared to yesterday. In fact the temp is currently 44 degrees with westerly winds at 12 mph. I dressed a bit warmer than normal to include long pants and a jacket (also a reflective belt) and ran out to the end of Greystone Blvd this evening, turned around and ran back home. The wind was at my back on the way out and directly in my face after the turnaround making the second half of the run mentally challenging. Overall a good 5.37 miler after a long weekend at work. Also networking with local runners and cyclists here in Cabot (Cabot Country Cruisers).

Back to back hilly runs

Yesterday I came home and had the urge to go for a run although darkness had already arrived. I couldn't find my reflector belt so I grabbed one of my Air Force PT shirts because they have a lot of reflective material, plus it was chilly outside and those shirts don't breathe at all so I figured it would help keep me warm. I decided to run out to the back entrance of Greystone where it connects to Omni Farm Road. There's a round-about circle at the end and I headed back home for a relaxing 5.29 mile run. Only got chased by one small mutt. There's alot of hills in this area.
This afternoon Todd Piazza and I decided to go for an afternoon run on base and we started out kind of slow but picked up the pace to finish 6.17 miles in just under 49 minutes. Some of the hills around here are a bit challenging.
This weekend along with next week will be spent focused on our mission (generating combat airpower).

Productive Veterans Day

So today started with an early morning wake-up (0600 is early on a day off I think). Marita made coffee and I had my old fashioned oats as always. Marita was cleaning the litter box upstairs when she swore she heard "pitter-patter" footsteps either on the roof or in the attic. I ran outside to investigate, however no critters were spotted leaving the scene. As I looked skyward, I noticed many leaves protruding from the gutters so I grabbed some gloves and ladder and went to work. I found what I thought was the safest area to crawl onto the roof and began looking around. My neighbor spotted me up there and asked if everything was okay and I said yes, Marita thought she heard something in the attic so I'm just looking around. I somehow got down without falling and proceeded to fire up the leaf blower and clean up all the leaves in the yard. I then worked on clearing out some under brush in the woods and if you look closely, you can see a pumpkin that Marita placed in the woods in the hopes that we will have a pumpkin patch next year. I also purchased a pruning saw and made further progress after this photo was taken.
I also decided to remove a tree on the right corner of the house that looked as though it had seen better days. I was able to dig/yank it out and put it in the woods. This afternoon was a real nice day to take the SL2 out for a few miles...not too hot, not too cold. Our neighborhood is not only golf cart friendly but bike friendly as well!
My destination was towards the top of that ridge in the distance (Highway 5).
Arkansas state roadway. This is a pretty good climb as you leave Greystone.

Not too far from our home is an intersection (Highway 5 and 89) that is known as Angel's Crossing. Three young teenagers failed to stop and they were hit by a tractor trailer (all died). The intersection has been widened and improved since this terrible accident.
Heading towards my neck of the woods here in Arkansas. I hope these rocks never fall while I'm passing through.

Entrance to the Greystone Community.

Almost at the top of this nasty steep hill in our neighborhood. If it ever snows or gets icy, I'm screwed in the Mustang.
At the top of the hill is a round-about with the clubhouse, swimming pool, tennis courts to the right.
I came home after a good 20 mile ride, hopped in the car and went to Tires and More in Cabot. The young guys working there hooked me up by mounting/balancing my new tire. I stopped at Home Depot briefly then came home and worked in the woods for a little while longer, then worked on my Mustang very briefly. All in all it was a good day and I feel like I got a lot accomplished.

Stretching the SL2's legs here in Arkansas

Yesterday morning I geared up for an easy ride on the SL2, the first since our arrival. My first instinct was to put on some extra layers of clothing, however I ended up not being able to find my arm warmers, either they are in a box someplace or they never made it from HI. The temps were probably in the 60s, however the wind made it feel colder. I checked out some of our neighborhood here in Greystone then decided to see if I could find the back entrance to our community. I ended up finding Omni Farm Road and it is sort of paved, however it also is covered with quite a bit of fine gravel. I carefully decided to check it out and during my travels I heard a few gunshots that didn't sound too far away in the distance, apparently deer hunters. I ended up coming up to another road called Ed Haymes Road so I turned right and decided to see where that would take me. This road had a lot of zig-zag turns and quite a few dogs that enjoyed getting in some exercise chasing me. I saw an older gentleman outside of his home and I stopped and asked him where this road would take me and he said I'd eventually go over Interstate 67 and end up in Cabot. I knew that I was in trouble cause Marita didn't want me on Highway 5, however it was too late to turn around and go back. I cruised through the small town of Austin, then arrived downtown Cabot. I stopped at Tires and More and talked to them about mounting/balancing my Mustang's tires. Then I took Highway 89 to Highway 5 back to Greystone. I passed some roadkill on Hwy 5, either a dog or a deer, was kinda hard to tell. Coming down the final hill the SL2 hit 48.5 mph with a headwind. I was glad to be going down rather than climbing up that bad boy. So I can say the riding here will be fun and challenging and I'm looking forward to finding new training routes.

Blog/Fitness Break

I've taken a break from blogging the past few weeks due to a flurry of activity. This month has been busy to say the least and included a nasty head cold that I'm finally getting over. Our new residence is coming along nicely and work is also going well. I took a week off from fitness activity so I could battle this cold with proper rest, plus we've been getting quite a bit of rain here in Arkansas. I'm hoping to get some running in this week and will be on the bike very soon.

8th Annual Tyler Curtis 5K Run

This morning Todd Piazza, a co-worker picked me up at 0600 and we drove to a small gated community called Otter Creek for the 8th Annual Tyler Curtis 5K race. From what I understand, Tyler was an outstanding young man who lived in the Otter Creek community and died in a drowning accident, and this event is held annually to raise money for a scholarship in his memory. They provided us a nice dri-fit running shirt at registration.
The route included several turns plus some Arkansas rolling hills.
Elevation vs heartrate (several ups and downs along this course). I was very pleased to stay in the 7's for all the turns and rollers.
1/4 mile splits vs heartrate. My first mile avg was 6:46 and I accidentally told myself this was going to hurt. I forgot to hit the stop button at the finish on my Garmin 305 so the last .25 mile is a tad bit misleading, however official time was 22:48, 3.10 miles. I know that I need to start doing intervals/speed work if I want to get faster. Todd ran a 20:33 making my time seem a bit slow.

Traversing Little Rock AFB

This morning, without anything scheduled, Marita at work, Robert watching TV, I decided Coop deserved a walk. The rain had stopped so off we went. Here's where we are staying, Temporary Lodging, and I'm told it's only several years old. Very nice, especially for the room we have being pet friendly.
Coop and I decided to walk towards the Kenneth Pat Wilson Lake that is located up Arnold Drive about a mile or so towards the back gate. I was hoping that Coop wouldn't chase any of these...
Coop seemed to enjoy the view of the lake and made a couple efforts towards the edge in an attempt to go for a casual swim.


We spotted a nature trail in the base FAM Camp area that Coop seemed to really enjoy. Lots of new scents for him here in Arkansas. We saw a squirrel but no deer or other woodland creatures. By the way, what the heck was that mysterious creature found in Panama City? Looked to be alien.
So all in all Coop and I had a nice 3 to 4 mile walk this morning before noon. This evening Marita wants to go out to eat in Cabot at a Steakhouse we spotted the other day (forget the name). We are so anxious to close on the house and get moved in. I received a phone call yesterday that our 2nd shipment (unaccompanied baggage) has arrived in Little Rock. Oct 1st and 2nd are going to be very busy to say the least.

Networking with local cycling shop/Team CARVE for 2010

Yesterday Marita agreed to allow me visit just one of the local cycling shops called Chainwheel. A gentleman by the name of Bruce introduced himself and showed us around. He provided maps of cycling in Arkansas and gave me a point of contact here on Little Rock AFB (John Allgood, C-130 Loadmaster).
Bruce introduced Marita to a Cannondale that she really liked. After we get settled in we plan to purchase new bikes for Robert and her.
I went ahead and purchased the new CARVE (Central Arkansas Velo) team kit for the 2010 race season. Bruce said these guys don't mess around on group rides; i.e., pretty fast. Hopefully I'll be able to hang on. They do a Saturday morning ride that goes around the Arkansas river.
Not sure if "Dr. Feelgood" is a sponsor or somebody is a Motley Crue fan.

Little Rock AFB Run #4

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Arkansas Update

Well this has been a very busy month thus far and it isn't over yet! To recap the past few days, our departure from Hawaii was a smooth one thanks to our friend Ben. Our stay in Dallas was nice and the pets were no problem (2 cats and a black lab). The hitch/rack on the back of the Escape worked out great until we were just outside of Texarkana and the skies turned menacing. Marita asked me to pull over and put her Liz Claibourne luggage in the car. My thoughts were "this is going to be fun." We some how was able to fit all the luggage in the back and just left the dog kennel strapped to the rack. Robert, the dog and cats didn't have alot of room, however it worked out. I was so proud of Cooper, our lab, that I bought him a hamburger at McDonalds as a treat. Marita wasn't too pleased with me over that. We were very pleased with Temporary Lodging here on Little Rock AFB, also pet friendly rooms. The first day after we arrived was a full day of looking at homes, as was the following day. We found a home that we really liked and submitted an offer, however it was not accepted. The seller was asking an excessive amount per sq ft compared to other comparable homes that had sold during the past 6 months ($128 per sq ft vs $110 which was the highest sold). The following day we found another home that we really liked and it just so happened the builder, Mr. Bill O'Brien was living there while building his house across the street. He walked over while I was outside observing the home to introduce himself and tell me some additional details that would be done prior to selling the home such as gutters being installed along with finishing up the home security system. I felt very comfortable with the home after speaking with him so Marita and I placed an offer which was countered and we then agreed in the middle. We are looking forward to closing on the home on/about 1 Oct and hopefully our household goods will also arrive about the same time so we can start unpacking and get settled in. Marita and I also got our Arkansas drivers license and registered both vehicles with Veterans plates...only $5 each! Marita's Escape has Enduring Freedom and the Mustang will have Persian Gulf Veteran. Speaking of the Mustang, it's enroute from Long Beach, California and should be here NLT 17 Sep. We got Robert enrolled in Cabot Junior High North and I must say this is an impressive school. Today we opened up Arkansas Federal Credit Union accounts for all of us and Marita starts her job on 15 Sep, so things are slowly coming together.

Here's just a few pictures of our soon to be contemporary style home in the Greystone golfing community, 513 Cobblestone Drive in Cabot. The house is a comfortable 2,450 sq ft, 3 bedroom, 2 full, 1 half bath. More than enough space for us in a nice, quiet wooded community.

Living Room
Dining Room. Marita likes lots of light and the 8 ft windows definitely help. We plan on installing plantation blinds throughout.
Kitchen
Breakfast room
Office area
Jetted bath
Bedroom
I've had a fairly good week of exercise logging in about 13 miles of running on Little Rock Air Force Base. I found a nice 4.5 mile route that includes some rolling hills and I can tell new muscles are being utilized.
I'm impressed with the base and think that we will enjoy Arkansas. We found some old friends, Rich and Becky Martin and they invited us over to their place for dinner and we had a nice time chatting and catching up. Last night we met them at a local Italian restaurant and had quite a few laughs.

Little Rock AFB Run #3

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I think the hills here on Little Rock AFB are working some different muscles because my legs felt heavy during this evenings run.

1st Run in Arkansas

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Last run on Hickam AFB, HI

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Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Barbers Point Ride

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Barbers Point Ride

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