Bye bye 2007 and Chicago

Activities/Actions:

Packing and moving... Trying to find a time to run... The weather is cold too...

Note and reflections:

Recently, I have been selling, packing and moving my stuff from the apartment to P' Huyen's place. I am going to leave Chicago for Taipei, Taiwan--Starting 2008 at a new place.

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2007 fall - wonderful time for running

Activities/Actions:

Not just many runs or bike trips in Chicago, I have been making out of town run as well. Enjoy a nice run in nice crispy Fall days

Note and reflections:

Autumn leaves at Botany Pond

Farmer Market at Cuyahoga

"Free" in Cleveland

Nui and his friend at our dinner near the market.

Ubanmathon

Haunted Daley's Plaza!

Kids sliding down the Picasso!

Thanksgiving dinner at Ying's place with her mom.
Mom cooked a lot...

Thanksgiving at Dr. Wison and Carmela's house

Thanksgiving at Dr. Wison and Carmela's house
I found out that Dr. Wison ran 30th Chicago Marathon too; and he finished it!
He wore a yellow t-shirt honoring our Thai King!

Milwaukee Visit--LakeFront Brewery Tour
Taking a bus to have a fun week

Milwaukee Visit--Beer Goggles!

Ducks.. I ran in a cold winter morning in Milwaukee. It was a nice run.

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New Balance 476

Activities/Actions:

A new pair of shoes bought during the trip to Milwaukee on 11/25/2007.

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Van Wedding & San Francisco Trip

Activities/Actions:

Celebrating Van's wedding in LA, meeting up with Jeng in Thaitown, visiting P' Tee&P' Por and Chalee in Santa Babara and visiting Tae, Non and P' TK in San Francisco.

Photos:

Congratulations, Julian & Van!
Polar bears: Matt, Van and I.

A magician (me!) at Van's receiption.

P' Por, Chalee and P' Nong in Santa Babara.

Chalee, P' Nong and I in Santa Babara.

On a tour of UC Berkley Campus by Tae.

Tae on his campus.

Black bear killing a polar bear?!

Mini needs a check. Overheated.

Non was with Tae and me on the tour to Mini Service Center.

The Golden Gate

Tae and I on the twin!

Tae and Non

I on my SF Bike tour!

The Golden Gate in the background!

The bike and me on the Golden Gate.

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The 30th Chicago Marathon

Activities/Actions:

I did two volunteer jobs for this year Chicago Marathon. This is the first time, I do volunteer for them. Meng-shin and I were folding t-shirts given to runners at the Expo last Friday, three days after our Cleveland & Cuyahoga trip. We worked hard, and each got a t-shirt as our token of the hard work. Today, I did another volunteer at the race start. It was fun.


Note and reflections:
From a letter---

Today event was great! I am very glad that I did volunteer. Originally signing up as a Carrol Staff, I was reassigned to be an Info Ambassador. It was totally fun answering questions people asked. Besides questions of "where is Gear Check? and Where is this blah blah booth?", I was asked several funny questions such as "what will be my wife's time today?, Has the race already started?, how much does it cost to get up to Sears Tower?" Hehehe... there are some more.

This morning, I left home around 4:10 and got there at 4:45 in time for volunteer checking-in. I was doing the job for around 4 hours before released.

Food provided at the volunteer tent was not good at all....only bananas and drinks... bad... Luckily, I brought my noodle. Yummy, I was eating it at the finish line waiting for the first wheelchair and runner finishers. The first and the second men runner places were very very close. The Kenyan guy won over the Moroccan just a chest split. For the last 300 meters, the Moroccan guy was leading a bit, but the Kenyan was pushing for the victory at the last 30 or 50 meters. It was so great, but on one broke the world or Chicago records because it was so darn hot.

After that I tried to find Josh, Kevin and Ben. Very very lucky me, I found them--just only Josh and Ben, who were running together. Kevin was lagging behind, but I could not find him even I was waiting quite sometime (because I did not know his pace; I checked Josh's pace before I was out to find them). I followed Josh and Ben along from their 17.5 mile to 24 mile, cheering all runners. People were lining up both sides of street to support them with music and such (Of course, I joined them). They running through China town gate with greeting from two pink dancing lions. I last saw Josh at Ben around 24 mile post. Though, I did not see them at the finish line because I did not want to waging through the crowd, and I went to Nike to swipe the card but got nothing. Swimming in the ocean of people on the way back, I bumped into Jake, who was looking for his (girl) friend, Kim. He said that he had been following her around to support her as well. After a chit-chat, I told him that I needed to go back home since I had been out for almost 10 hours.

Pedaling against the wind, I arrived home around 2:30, taking a shower and about to lay down now. I wished that you could be here to enjoy the fun. Well, maybe it was only fun for me, judging from the heat (Jake said that a helicopter was flying around saying that the race was canceled due to the heat; but people were still pushing their effort for the 26.2 mile). Great runners!

I hope that I will run a Marathon soon....

A man was pronounced that afternoon following his collapse during his race. This was sad. The failure of this event was blamed to the organizer.

Bananas are waiting for the finishers...

The first two finishers!

Very hot!! The firetruck spraying over the runners to cool them down.
Most of the runners were turned at the half way mile (in downtown) at around 11 0'clock to prevent them from the heat sickness.

Most of them are walking at this points.
Sponges soaked with water littered around the water posts.

Bin and Josh at their 24 mile; still running and in a good spirit.

Self-portrait near the finish line
I am in my volunteer uniform.

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My 2007 Summer time in Chicago

Activities/Actions:
Start running again... But rarely have time to put them down... I have done my regular route around Hyde Park, mostly long the Lakeshore path and in Jackson Park. Also, I did biking a lot during the weekend, trying to go around the city as much as I can with my two wheels. This Summer is my last summer in Chicago as the time I have to move on to a new place.


Note and reflections:

7/1
Gulls flying over bright blue sky of Grant Park during Taste of Chicago 2007

7/3
The third of July is when Chicagoans celebrate the 4th!

7/14-15
L.A.T.E. Ride 2007
(L.A.T.E. = Long After Twilight Ends)

7/14-15
On our way to L.A.T.E. Ride from Hyde Park

7/14-15
Crowd of L.A.T.E. Riders

7/14-15
L.A.T.E. Ride 2007

7/14-15
Dawn of a new day

7/14-15
Meng-shin finished her L.A.T.E. ride!
(well, not around the globe--but around Chicago!--more than 40 miles)

9/8
German Fest in Lincoln Square

9/8
I love Germany!

9/9
Cookout at the Point, welcoming Fall and newcomers

9/9
Chiefs cooking meats!

9/9
by Michigan Lake over looking Indiana

9/9
Karn, one of the chiefs enjoying the food

9/9
Meng-shin and I

9/22
CM's BD celebration

9/23
Biking with Eric and Meng-shin to Planetarium.

9/23
Three of us in front of the Planetarium.

9/23
Eric and I

9/23
Testing whether we can touch a planet.

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