Life of Turtle

SECRET TRAINING VIDEO

2010-02-19T09:29:00.000-08:00

Last Fall we bought Gilbert a Strider bike. But he still had his four wheel bike around, which often won out when it came to riding because he was familiar with it. But a few weeks ago the four wheel bike went into the garage to "dry". Since then Gilbert has really been taking off on the Strider balance bike and within a week's time he was cruising the parking lot of our building. There is a new little girl that moved into the building and she has a slightly larger version. A few nights ago three of the kids, Gilbert included were cruising in a pack on their bikes through the lot. Too cute! It is crazy to think that he could be on a real pedal bike by next Fall at the age of three. I don't think I let go of training wheels until I was six. But with the Strider bike kids don't need the training wheels. Here is a sneak peak at our secret training video.

Winter beach visit

2010-02-15T14:40:00.001-08:00

We had a weekend off and the weather was cooperating. The visits pre cursor was the search for "squeaky cheese". Tillamook cheese cooperative, one of the larges in the NW has a huge processing located in the namesake town. Gilbert got his first glimpse of a cheese factory that we all looked at during Sesame street back in our own childhood.

After our shorter than normal "tour" we were at the free samples. As you munch on the curd it squeaks, hence the name. As we made our rounds of all the wonderful snacks and treats we could not forget our favorite NW candy. Salmon candy....yes that's right sweet smoked salmon with some brown sugar glaze.

Oh kids...step right up for your own special treat. After everyone went running we finally settled for the creamery's ice cream before heading out.

Once parked it's a 1/4 mile hike in the dunes to the sea. Attached are some great photos of the day. We got our run in towards the jetty and were able to recon what we noticed on the way there. It was the single set for turtle like tracks leading towards the dunes ended up being........ a seal. Yep, in the wild and 10 feet away. What a great day!

It's official !!! 1 year of running every day.

2010-02-14T16:36:00.000-08:00

Jessica Louise Gallagher has ran 365 consecutive days 1 Jan 09 - 1 Jan 10. Day in and day out I have been humbled by the display that went on each day. Weather with Gilbert in a stroller, or on a treadmill, solo and with friends Jessica has done it. It's a small post, but worth more accolades than I've ever achieved in my athletic career.

Job well done...on to year #2.

CX 2009 result of the year

2010-02-14T16:30:00.001-08:00

Photo: Pat Malach/OregonCyclingAction.com

Additional photos are of our set up onsite.

A crash, a gap and a win: From Velonews.com
In the Senior Men’s A race, Cameron joined series leader Sean Babcock (Team S&M) and Michael Gallagher (C3 Athletes) at the front of the race, where they wasted little time opening a gap on the rest of the field. The trio shared the work, steadily building their lead until first Gallagher fell off the lead pace, followed by Babcock. Alone at the front, Cameron continued to apply the pressure and started building a solid lead when Babcock went down in the deep mud. “It was definitely a different style of racing today,” Babcock said. “It was flat, and it was pretty slippery. “Molly accelerated on the flat sections and just slowly opened things up.” Babcock, who came into the day with a solid series lead, began to whittle away Cameron’s advantage as the race drew to a close, but the crash wrote finis to that. Cameron “really got a gap on us; pretty smart racing,” said Babcock. Cameron hung onto the lead and cruised in for a comfortable win. Babcock dropped Gallagher from the chase and finished second. Gallagher held on for third, ahead of Capitol Subaru Cycling’s Brett Luelling and Gentle Lovers’ Mark Blackwelder. “I’m really stoked,” Cameron said after the win. “I’m really happy to be winning races. I’ve been working so hard. It’s fun. I was stoked when it was the three of us off the front because it’s fun to have a good battle. (Babcock’s) riding really strong, and I’m riding really strong. So we’ll see.”

Haircut and Delicious deserts

2010-02-07T14:28:00.000-08:00

If you are not already aware hair cut time is a tag team event. Jessica is up first with the shears and Michael follows up with clippers. Gilbert is entertained while the other does their part leading to a pretty good haircut.

Baking: Jessica has reached a new level!

OK there's Carrot cake then there's double layer speciality cake that you might buy every so often for a special treat. Well the cake that Jessica is holding even surpassed that. At the Thanksgiving dinner we attended people were distraught that they had eaten so much before the desert. It was sinful.

Rewind: November

2010-02-07T14:10:00.000-08:00

So it's the Halloween weekend with Cyclocross season still in full swing. G-force headed out to Astoria,OR for the double race weekend. This is us happy to be warm and dry after the first day's festivities. We are looking at the bridge right out our window. The location was great and really cozy. Gilbert really enjoyed the second day; costume day. His favorite saying is "ride dat bike". Jessica was a version of Star Trek and Michael a grey haired old man. The results were high and low, but one thing for sure is that the weather could not have been better!

ENTERING THE TERRIBLE TWOS

2009-10-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

I would like to first state that today Gilbert turned two and it was the worst (half) day I have yet to experience with him. He was either whining, crying, pouting, and simply putting on his best display of being two. But after he woke up from his nap he was doing better and I felt that I could make it through the family festivities scheduled for the remainder of the day.

It was a good thing that we are not yet doing birthday parties for him, since one at a time all of us have come down with a little flu. Being that the media has everyone so freaked out about the flu right now, I'm sure no parent would have wanted their child to be around Gilbert. Perhaps next year we will start having kid birthday parties for him with the golden rule of inviting the number of kids in correlation to the age of the birthday boy.

So what did we do? I love traditions, so we came up with the first one of always carving pumpkins on his birthday with one of the pumpkins being a carving of his age. Simple, but perfect for now. When he gets older we can elaborate on it. So we ordered pizza, had the traditional pumpkin spice cupcakes from the local bakery, carved pumpkins, and opened presents. I know he still doesn't really get it, but I could tell that he had an idea that it was something special and about him....especially when the presents came around.

What are his major milestones? He jumps in puddles, will give you knuckles, requests chopsticks for eating, asks to drive the car, hikes mountains, feeds the pets, brings dishes into the kitchen, says thank you and please, weighs 29 lbs, loves to play with worms from the garden, asks to see the moon every night, rides his balance bike, loves the bike trailer and jogger. Oh and we estimate he has about 600 words, is starting to speak in sentences, and repeats EVERYTHING you say, so be careful as to what you say.

Yes, he also insists on wearing his boots every day. Very Portland, actually very cyclocross of him!

PUMPKIN PATCH & FIRST DOUBLE CROSS WEEKEND

2009-10-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

Wow what a weekend! Michael took Friday off and had Monday off as a holiday. Friday we were greeted with a package from Baltimore; C3 Athletes Serving Athletes gear. We headed up to Olympia to visit with friends, Derik & Michelle, and to race the first "double" cross weekend. But before being on the road North it was off to Sauvies Island and the pumpkin patch. The weather was perfect and it wasn't very crowded being that it was a Friday. Gilbert was as cute as ever and loved riding in the wagon with Michael pulling it. We managed to get enough pumpkins and still leave room for Gilbert in the wagon for the ride back to the farm.

But Gilbert was still stepping out on his own part of the way.While at the farm we saw and heard roosters, Michael grunted back and forth with the biggest pig I ever seen, and we ate carmel covered apples with the thickest layer of carmel ever...gotta' love it
After being at the pumpkin patch for the morning we headed up to Olympia for two nights. On Saturday we raced in Washington at the Oregon vs. Washington cyclocross race. We both had pretty good results with two eighth place finishes a peace. Well there were only ten in my category, but this year I am racing as a Cat 1/2. At the WA. State event was really deep with talent; I was at the start line with a pro to my left and right and thinking in my head,"Um, how did I get here?" So not bad for an almost rookie! Sunday morning we heading back into Oregon for our second race at Rainier High School. The venue was beautiful but the start was directly up hill and the finish was a really big hill that you had to climb on every lap. Ouch! I had a pretty bad start, but managed to fight my way up to a seventh place finish which put me into sixth place for the series. Michael had to start at the back of his pack of almost 60 racers since this was his first race of the series. He was doing really well and almost in the top 20 when he lost a rear spoke! A "quick" wheel change and he was back on. He passed many riders in his last laps but just enough to get back to where he was before the mechanical. Hopefully we have our mechanicals out of the way. But considering this was our first in nine races, we can't complain.

Monday we were in Portland and had a great family day with a little breakfast at the J&M Cafe, shopping at Anthropology & Icebreaker, and then some chillin out at the house. Very relaxing....for now. We still have many races ahead of us and are signed up for Cyclocross Nationals in Bend this December for our end of the season. But between now and then there will be a lot of rain, mud, racing, parking lot diaper changes, warm-ups, cool downs, packing, unpacking, and simply good times!

Here is a link to our series if anyone wants to check it out. www.crosscrusade.com

Oh and Gilbert is now breaking into sentences. His first one is "I want to drive the car." He says it almost every time we get in the car. Here is a picture of him in our friend's truck. It is going to be a long fourteen years.

ANGEL'S REST BUT YOU WON'T

2009-10-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

Above is the first line of the description of the hike I did with Gilbert on Tuesday. It is a 2.2 mile hike up 1400 feet to Angel's Rest. This is a great training hike that I did as a run in the past. I think back then I did it in about 50 minutes. This time around it was about three hours, but just as rewarding. Gilbert hiked up at least half of it, only needing to be carried when airplanes got too close. (If you want to know about the airplanes, just ask me or Michael about the Red Dawn incident.) People were amazed when they saw him at the top of the hike and assumed that I must have carried him. But he is a trooper and seemed to get a thrill out of the view as we got higher and higher which was a motivator for him. The rest of the day he talked about the river, blue sky, and birds. So cute! He is my little mountain boy!

OFF THE MARKET

2009-09-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

Welllllll okay so we might have had a slight gap in the blog postings for our site. We are bad...I am bad. But it has been because we are actually so good. Here is what has gone down...

We had an offer on our house the day after it went on the market. Oh but it was for an FHA loan so to get qualified we still had to do some work. Never ending I tell ya'! So scraping off the paint on ALL exterior windows, refinishing the back porch, putting windows in the upstairs sun room, etc. But we did it. I even got to break out my climbing gear to secure Michael to the roof, via the attic, so he could paint the trim. We were both sweating through that. But we finally passed the inspection and Michael was off to Oregon in the Subaru.

Which was the last time I saw my beloved Helen, as her engine blew in Iowa between to cities. So $350 of towing, two nights stay in Des Moines, and a new to us 2005 Subaru Outback later...Michael was back on the road. Did I mention he traveled with Mewosey? What an adventure!

Here is the car broken down on the side of the road. Michael and Meowsey are sitting under a tree in 90 plus degree weather.

Gilbert labeling moving boxes.

So started the packing process while Michael worked for about two weeks in Oregon, then he flew back. We finished the packing, loaded up the Penske with the Golf being towed behind, and drove across this great country of ours.

Not a bad trip except poor Gilbert was a little sick from the start and proceeded to get worse. By the time we hit Utah we couldn't keep his 104.5 temperature down and he was starting to hallucinate, so we took him to the ER. An IV drip and five hours later we were in a hotel with a baby who was starting to act like himself again. Oh, he has tonsillitis!

Here we are at our first Oregon rest stop...with a recycling bin! Getting closer!

A little behind schedule we drove 700 mile on the final day and made it to Portland in six days.

So here we are back in Portland! The first four weeks I think I was in a bit of a daze. To be quite honest it seems like I never left. Almost like we never went to PA. But now I return with an almost two year old, a husband, and no job. So I guess things are a little different. Gilbert and I do similar things as when we were in Chambersburg, but with more activities to add as a family and with friends. We have been to a few BBQs, dinner outings, hiking, meeting up for drinks, gatherings within our condo complex "The Rosegate", etc. All of these thing were missing in PA and I am so happy to have that social side of things back. Oh and when you go the the playgrounds here there are actually people there with their kids and they TALK to you. I think there were times when I went weeks without talking to anyone outside of the YMCA.

BUT MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL........Cyclocross season has started! So that means every weekend is racing through mid-December! Right now it is a bit of a love-hate as we are trying to figure out how to manage being at the races with a two year old who is a runner. So for now we are trying different combinations of his bike, the portacrib, the umbrella stroller, the jogger, etc. It is tough because our races are back to back and right in the middle of his nap time. So either way I don't think we can win on this one. Oh and the rain and mud that goes along with the races hasn't even started. Looks like we are just going to have to chill out and take it as it comes.

But for our two races we have both had top ten results, so things are looking good. Well and we are both a little out of shape with everything that we just went though to get back to Portland. But our room is booked for Nationals in Bend in December, so with that as a goal, I think we will be fine.

Most important thing of all is that Gilbert is doing well. Um except for this is how he feels about no longer being at the YMCA. Boy does he miss those ladies and all of his friends there.

But for all of you that know Gilbert, this is what he is really doing....just chilling and enjoying life!

ON THE MARKET

2009-07-01T10:24:00.000-07:00

As of yesterday our house is officially on the market. We still have a list of projects to do, but the list is MUCH smaller than it was two months ago. I am going to attempt to do a few before and after photos.....

Kitchen before:

Kitchen after:

Bathroom before:

Bathroom after:

Dining room before:

Dining room after:

Backyard before:

Backyard after:

Things you don't see. All rooms but one were painted. The downstairs ceiling was ripped out and replaced. All the hardwood floors were sanded and refinished. The dining room to kitchen became a roundabout with two wide entrances. The front porch was scraped and repainted. Boy that sure was easier to type than actually do! We did it all ourselves with the help of about 30 hours from our handyman Ray.

Would we do it all again? A blind move cross country, no. Major home fix up/remodel, no. Forever house with minor projects, maybe. But now we know what we can and can't take on and still have the time to do what we want. You can't imagine just how happy we are to move back into our maintenance free condo in Portland, OR...I love HOAs.

But wait just one second, this we just might do again. But the clock is ticking. Hurry up and let's get back to Portland.

Baby before:

Baby after:

Happy, happy, joy, joy!

BUSILY WORKING WITHIN THE SHELL

2009-06-13T07:12:00.000-07:00

Where have we been?!?!?! Are we still alive? Well yes we are doing fine just REALLY REALLY REALLY busy. Here is our deal and these are our quick updates. First off, we are moving back to Portland!!! So inorder to do that we need to finish remodeling our house, get it on the market, sell it, pack up and get a baby, dog, cat, two adults, two cars, and all of our STUFF across the country! When will that go down? Well we are still waiting on that government start date, which is also waiting on military orders. SOOOOOO maybe the end of July? Um, stay tuned, as that is what we are doing.

Sneak peek at one of the "In Progress" photos. When we are all done we will post some before and after from before we even moved in!

Michael went to Kuwait for three weeks for work. He was offered 130K to work there for a year, plus they would move the family.....we said NO!

Gilbert participated in his first race, a Half mile kids race. Here he is sizing up the future competition.

And with his ribbon.

Being that time is limited I have been doing shorter races. But I have been placing top three in the local 5Ks and PRd in my last one with a time of 20:58 a 6:45 minute mile.

How do I train? Rocky style by digging up the backyard to plant grass, one scoop at a time. And drinking Coors Light tall boys!

But most important of all is that Gilbert is as cute as ever.

One of his many creations:

Oh, and Michael and I did manage to squeeze in a date one night.

Please note that I am getting high while writing this.....off of the varnish and lacquer fumes on the kitchen floor. And I can hear Michael scraping paint off the front porch without a mask. Can we talk about lead poisoning? Gotta' go!

SNEAK PEEK AT EASTER

2009-04-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos from our Easter Sunday. We awoke to quickly made cups of coffee proceeded to watch Gilbert searching for the few eggs hidden by Mr. Bunny.

Then proceeded to make Oven Cake, inspired by my sister-in-law Heather, and asparagus with bacon. Yum!
Then it was off for a family hike. Gilbert was amazing in the woods, hiking about a quarter mile on his own at a pretty good clip and over some rough terrain. We'll try and attach the video when we figure out how to get it vertical.

WHAT'S GILBERT UP TO?

2009-04-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

Really folks, this is what it is all about....

Well, and maybe a little bit of this....

I KNEW SHE EXISTED!!!

2009-03-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

Before I moved to Chambersurg I told my friends in Portland that no matter what there has to be one girl out there with kids who kicks ass as an athlete and it trying to balance the whole thing. We'll I spied her last Spring at the YMCA. She was working there and I overheard her talking to a guy about doing some adventure races, and shooting to do a century ride. I knew I had to make my move. Well to make a long story short, "The Girl" is Trish. She has two boys and is a high school science teacher. She moved here from Colorado with her husband and boys. We have thus far done an adventure race together(and won), a ten mile "run the sites in DC"(see above), and just completed the Chambersburg half marathon together (see below). Just yesterday we did a 45 mile group bike ride, as our first Spring ride, and survived.

Well anyway she rocks! She is my "get a grip on life" sanity. We both struggle with lack of life in Chambersburg. Oh and sometimes my margarita and/or growler partner...but she is on the wagon right now for training...which I guess I can deal with. Does she think she is setting a good example or something? Oh the pain of the guilt! Yes, a good friend in deed!

Oh, did I mention we have matching cars? Really, the same make, model, year, and color, both with racks! Oh how that totally rocks. Wait and we both have the Darwin emblem on our cars...thanks to Trish and a few too many margaritas.

NEW BIKES FOR ALL

2009-03-11T17:33:00.000-07:00

Look who got a new bike in the mail today....
After watching him try to ride his firetruck around the house, we decided that it might be time to get him the real riding. We chose the Radio Flyer because it has a saddle like a bike and real handlebars. Can you tell where this is going? Anyway, here he is back in the day trying to ride the firetruck. It is pretty funny to watch in action.
I'm not sure if you can tell, but he actually has about five little pieces of brie cheese in the tiny driver's seat. No more brie for Gilbert, we are in a recession, I mean really. I think Lucy ended up eating them.

But that is not where the story ends. Gilbert and I took a day trip today to Baltimore to pick up Michael's new mountain bike. It cost us a pretty penny, but we opted to get the bike instead of having another baby.....just kidding! Michael has been working really hard since our arrival in Chambersburg and as a result received the bike as his Husband/Father of the Year award.

Here are Michael and Gilbert headed out on their first rides on their new bikes. Gilbert's as previously mentioned and Michael's on the "Superfly"...hum remember the 80's WWF's Jimmy superfly snucka". Gilbert is just warming up his legs a little bit.
http://www.fisherbikes.com/bike/model/superfly/bigimage

GREENLAND OR ICELAND?

2009-03-01T12:23:00.000-08:00

Quick picture of my first pizza with a homemade crust created at the last minute. In other words no yeast and very easy. But I think it might look a bit like Greenland...or Iceland. I don't know, but it tasted good.

FIRST BIRTHDAY....PARTY

2009-02-22T12:14:00.000-08:00

Gilbert and I went to our first kid's birthday party together on Saturday. It was for the the son of one of Michael's co-workers, also named Mike. Zachary turned five, but has a younger sister Gilbert's age. The festivities were fun for all, including the mama, me, getting to eat two pieces of birthday cake and bringing some home "for the family". Here is a picture of Gilbert and the birthday boy.

And I am happy to say that our present was a hit, binoculars!

GILBERT IN TRAINING

2009-02-20T06:37:00.000-08:00

Yes, now that Gilbert is walking I have him in training. We have a mini-block course that I have started timing him on. So far his best time is 7:40, which is way faster than I thought he would do it in. The only issue is that the gets distracted by....everything. So sometimes we start out, get about half way, and then he turns around and starts to walk back. At that point I usually stop the clock. But the other day I let him pick his own route to see if we could do a little distance winter base training. I was really impressed when we got home and mapped out his route to discover that he had gone .56 miles. WOW! So what is he training for? I'm not sure yet, but there is a race in the Fall here in Chambersburg called The Dash for Drew which is a fund raiser. So if he is ready for it we might do that, I believe it is 2 miles. Anyway, above is the picture of him on his .56 base training route.

MISSING THE WEST BUT HERE FOR NOW

2009-02-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

In Chambersburg I really look forward to the Wednesday morning baby lap time at the local library. I mean I really look forward to it since it is the only mom & baby thing to do here in Chambersburg. Michael was offered a position just South of Baltimore but we turned it down. It would have been a parallel move with a really high cost of living compared to Chambersburg. If we stay here for one more year we will get a lot more advancement, so here we go. I do hear that the second year of living somewhere is a lot faster than the first. So far so good.

Here is the posting on the Urbanmama Blog in PDX for the weekend warrior outings for parents and their children. Looking forward to heading back West.

WEEKEND WARRIORS: February 6-8

Thank goodness we live in Portland where, even on a slow, rainy weekend in February, there is still a ton going on to prevent mid-winter cabin fever! Check out the urbanMamas calendar for many more fun and unique events than we could highlight below.

Saturday

The Lucky Teakettle: An old tale from Japan is told in a new way through combined puppetry and storytelling. Find out what awaits the lucky teakettle! Woodstock Library (6008 SE 49th Avenue), 1:30-2:00 pm AND 3:00-3:30 pm.

Fix-it-Fair: What could be better, a free event designed to save you money and connect you to resources. Join your neighbors and talk to the experts about how to spend less and stay healthy.The day will be packed with resources for creating a healthy home, including classes on various home and garden topics, weatherization tips, water and energy savings, recycling and yard care, lead testing, and simple, affordable ways to improve your home.Free childcare and lunch provided. FREE, George Middle School (1000 N. Burr R), 8:30 am-2:00 pm.

Portland Youth Spelling Bee: Got a kid who loves letters? Bring all kids grades 1-12 out for a lively test of spelling skills. Kids will be divided into groups by grade. Prizes such as free pizza, cookies, and t-shirts! Mississippi Pizza (3552 N. Mississippi), 1:00-3:00 pm

Valentine Crafts: Have a love-ly time creating heart-felt cards and crafts. Belmont Library (1038 SE 39th Avenue), 3:00-4:30 pm.

Family Valentine's Day Party: The folks from Portland Early Learning Project want to celebrate--YOU! Free card making, crafts, music (Dave Hall of Bee Positive), all at the extremely kid-friendly Urban Grind Coffee Shop (2214 NE Oregon). 11:00 am-1:00 pm.

Symphony Storytime: The Oregon Symphony is on the road for interactive, musical storytimes. This series focuses on storybooks, music, instruments, sound and fun musical crafts. Each week features a visit from an Oregon Symphony musician who will play and provide an introduction to his or her instrument and orchestral music. NW Library (2300 NW Thurman), 2:00-3:00 pm.

Family Concert: Join Jo and Arlie as they sing original songs from their CD, Animal Tea Party, plus grab an easy dinner while you're there. $10 per family, Airplay Cafe (701 E. Burnside), 5:00 pm.

Sunday

Tales of Japan: Tears of Joy Theatre presents two stories. In "Gift," Myoga and his comical goat meet a magical princess and learn that even a great and wonderful gift can have drawbacks. In the second story, the classic folktale "Momotaro" is told using an array of rod puppets and audience participation. Midland Library (805 SE 122nd Ave)

Chocolate Tasting: Isn't there a little chocoholic in all of us? Feed the beast as New Seasons offers samples of over 50 different kinds of dark, milk, and white chocolate in many different forms. All stores, 11:00 am-5:00 pm.

African American Read-in: Local celebrities, community leaders and students read from works by their favorite African American writers at the 13th annual African American Read-In. North Portland Library (512 N. Killingsworth), 2:30-3:45

Mz. Pearl's Variety Show: A solo clown show filled with physical comedy, juggling, magic, dance and word play. The audience is REALLY involved in Mz. Pearl’s show; in their seats, as volunteers, and in a mini-workshop at the end. Gregory Heights Library (7921 NE Sandy), 3:00-3:45 pm.

WHAT I MISS ABOUT PORTLAND

2009-01-30T10:17:00.000-08:00

1. Julian – my hair stylist
2. Say Say Boutique – or any boutique for that matter
3. Pedicures by wonderful relentless Asian ladies
4. Wine bars – actually simply wine
5. McMenamins movie theaters
6. McMenamins pubs
7. Bike lanes
8. Bike shops
9. Progressive grocery stores – TJ’s, Whole Foods, Natures, etc.
10. Social gatherings
11. Mountains
12. Hiking/Trail Running
13. Training partners
14. 24 Hour Fitness
15. Coffee shops – quality coffee
16. Public transportation
17. Airports
18. Restaurants – Ruby Tuesday isn’t a restaurant
19. Urban planning
20. Triathlons that cost $50–I’m not paying $125 to the mid-Atlantic money grubbers
21. Radio stations that moved past the 80s
22. Evergreens
23. Anything locally owned
24. The knitters
25. Proximity to AK and HI
26. West Coast attitude – or lack of
27. Flowers at the grocery store – Carnations are not flowers
28. Farmer’s markets
29. Home delivered locally grown produce
30. Hollywood District & the peeps that live there
31. Dog parks
32. Forest Park
33. Being in kick ass shape
34. Training on Sauvie’s Island
35. Public gardens
36. Open spaces
37. Walkable communities
38. Bakeries
39. Beer & wine in the stores
40. Weekend wine tasting
41. Sushi
42. The Columbia Gorge
43. Oregon Coast
44. Variety in organic products
45. Meeting up for a drink
46. Hugs from friends
47. Complaining about the rain
48. Snow in the mountains
49. The climbing gym
50. All the mom & baby outings in PDX

FOOLED ALL YA' ALL!

2009-01-26T08:08:00.000-08:00

Well okay so most of you probably know that I am still around and did not fall victim from a stomach flu as stated in my most recent posting of...December 19th. But my mom did leave me a frantic message on my cell phone really wondering if I was okay. With that in mind I think it might be time to update things a bit and get this roller coaster back on track. So scroll back to December 3rd and update yourself as to the new comings for the Gallagher family.

The chili at our friends’ house did not send my stomach flu over the top, but actually must have had some magical powers because since that day I have felt great. So great that I have gained about ten pounds since then. Oh the pain and suffering that occurs when cyclocross season is over and we take a training break. Here is a visual as to what happens when you take more than a month off of racing and training.

MOVIN' ON UP

2009-01-19T07:25:00.000-08:00

Official announcement, as of today Michael was officially promoted at work to a GS-11!!! Wow, he went from active military, to GS-9, and now a GS-11 all in one year. A bit of a show off I think. Or maybe that guy's got it going on!
After all that, I think Michael deserved this nap in his new corduroy house shoes.

NORTH CAROLINA

2009-01-11T07:17:00.000-08:00

Michael had to re-certify for his EMT for the military so it was off to Charlotte North Carolina for ten days. Luckily this is where his sister Amy and family lives along with my friend Perrin and her family. So we spent the first weekend at Amy's house visiting with Amy, John, Zoey, Avery and even Michael's mom. It was like a little reunion. Plus how great for Michael's mom to get to have all her children and grandchildren in the same room...that includes Lucy!
Zoey hammed it up for everyone and put on her usual dynamic singing and dancing show for everyone, with tickets needed for admission.
Avery kept a close eye on Gilbert as you never know when he might sneak that special toy or an extra hug from a grownup, too cute.

The following week we were at a hotel in Charlotte close to where Michael's class was going on. I did tour Charlotte a bit as was in a bit of culture shock to see a real city again. Seriously people, we live in a very different place now.
But I got a real reconnection to reality when we visited my friend Perrin and her lovely family. They moved from the heart of NY City. Funny to think that in the NY way she is majorly adjusting and missing a real city. That kind of put things into perspective.
Charlotte was good, but we were happy to be back home in our own bed. Well that is not totally true. After spending six nights in a king size bed at the hotel, we obsess little over how small our queen bed now seems. Plus Gilbert misses having breakfast in bed. Maybe in the forever house...

NEW YEAR

2009-01-01T07:15:00.000-08:00

Hello...we are parents with a one year old in a town where we know almost nobody. But we did make it to midnight and had a bottle of champagne and Lucy wore her special New Year Dog bow.

CHRISTMAS IS COMING

2008-12-28T07:12:00.000-08:00

We stayed in Chambersburg for Christmas morning and then headed to Butler to see Michael's side of the family. We were there just in time for an early dinner at Scott and Kris' house. It was a good gathering as some extended family was there, which is always reason to break into a rowdy game of Apples to Apples...a Taggart classic in the making. We stayed at the grandparent's wile visiting in our favorite room upstairs with the double beds. So cozy! Grandma Pat was her usual hospitable self and therefore we were well taken care of.
Here is Gilbert being a helper in Grandma Pat's kitchen.

LAST POST EVER

2008-12-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

This might be my last post ever. I have had a stomach bug for a week now. This consists of being only able to consume oatmeal, tea, water, and anything bland. At times I think I'm getting better and will eat something real. But that never proves to be a good idea. My favorite things: coffee, sweets, and wine are totally off limits. So for those who know me well know that is a big deal.

But here is where the last post comes in. We have been invited over to a couples house for dinner tonight. Michael came home last night to inform me that they asked if chili or lasagna was okay. Either way I think I am in trouble, but if it is chili I am a gonner. The plan, eat oatmeal before going over and then eat a VERY SMALL portion of.....chili. Nooooooooo!

Pray for me!

Oh, but I am almost at race weight for the first time since having Gilbert. Which really means that for the first time in my life I am officially "skinny fat". What is skinny fat?????? People who are skinny not because they workout, but because they eat poorly. This results in a higher percentage of body fat as opposed to muscle. Not something to be proud of.

CYCLOCROSS SEASON WRAP-UP

2008-12-07T07:07:00.000-08:00

Our last race for the season was December 7th just outside of DC. I think I was a bit exhausted at this point in the season and after only one lap I chose to DNF. Conditions were icy, I didn't warm-up, I had a bad attitude, and just wasn't into it. So I pulled out of the race. No harm done, just a little jab at the ego. But that was all smoothed over when I got news the following week that my request to upgrade from a Category 4 to a Category 2 was approved by USA Cycling. Three cheers, next year I get to race with the big girls. I will be back to chasing and no so much being chased, it is still fun either way.

I think Michael was a bit exhausted at this point at the last race of the season. I could tell that he just didn't have his usual spunk at about half-way through the race. But he still finished in about 6th place which is pretty good.

The season overall was a learning experience for both of us. Being somewhere new we had to figure out with races, series, and major events to do...and we didn't always pick the best ones. But we had full weekends of racing and many races to choose from. Then throw in the factor of toting along a baby and me racing my first season ever...I think that Michael had a very different racing season than any prior year. But we actually got a pretty good routine down and have our sights set on next year. But highest honors go to Gilbert, he was a trooper through the season and is a well traveled baby. Can you believe that by the age of one he has been to all the Western States and all the Eastern States except for Maine, Georgia, Rhode Island, and Florida. Next year?

TINY WALKER

2008-12-03T06:51:00.000-08:00

Gilbert has been thinking about walking for some time now. He takes a little step here and a little step there. But he is the sort that likes to wait until he has it down and then he goes for it. So today, with all three of us in the living room, he took his first real walking steps. And then he did it over and over, with smiles and claps for himself. Needless to say, he and we were very proud.

READY FOR CHRISTMAS

2008-12-03T06:49:00.000-08:00

I have been debating what to do as far as Christmas goes this year. Last year I had just arrived in Chambersburg, we were in the rental, and Michael was working. So to be honest we did nothing. Oh we did have Gilbert's stocking up, but that was about it. I think all three of us were just too tired.

So this year we have a little more flow going on. But Gilbert is in to everything and the thought of a tree is a bit horrifying. If the thought of cutting down a tree isn't bad enough. The thought of Gilbert pulling one down, lights, ornaments, and all just tops it off. About fifteen years ago I witnessed my first alternative Christmas tree at my mom's friends' house, Fran and Dick. I must admit that at the time I thought they were a little crazy for having this arty abstract rendering of a tree on the wall above the fireplace, but it really stuck with me.

So we have a eucalyptus tree, which smells good, sits out of Gilbert's reach, and is environmentally friendly. Oh and it cost $2.99!

So the stockings are hung, the tree is up, the lights are around the window, and the wreath is hanging on the door. Christmas is in the air at the Gallagher house, now we just need a little Christmas music...must check out Itunes.

My mom's friend Fran, an Alaskan artist, died this summer from cancer. She was one of the coolest ladies ever and always will be. In honor of her my goal is to come up with a different, creative and environmentally friendly tree every year. That is how a spirit lives on. Fran you rock!

THANK YOU C3-SOLLAY!

2008-11-11T09:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks you C3-Sollay for letting me be a part of your racing team. Now I have an excuse to paint my toenails blue. Too cool!

FALL IN OUR BACKYARD

2008-11-10T06:33:00.000-08:00

It took about twenty takes to get this shot, but it was worth every annoying delayed click of the camera.

FLATS, COLLISIONS & PODIUMS

2008-11-06T07:19:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Michael and I were able to get in a double header weekend with a little help from our friends Kat & Andy in Lancaster. Lancaster is about 1.5 hours closer to the venues so the let us stay at their place and we headed to the races together.

This photo above really captures the moment: Gilbert is working on Michael's wheel set, Kat is chill after our race, Lucy is scratching, Michael is looking into nowhere, and Andy is getting dressed. Too funny, I love it!

Saturday was a MAC race at an equestrian park...which meant a big long slog through the horse show area...five times! For a newbie that is a lot. Plus there were three other places per lap where you had to dismount the bike. Not many hills in this race so I knew I would have to dig deep. I started off about mid pack which is really good for me. There was a crash right in front of me within the first 400 years of the race, but I was luck to be just to the side of it. Some guy was yelling at his lady to "get up, get up" glad that wasn't me, I might have cried. Too sensitive! It took about two laps and I had put myself into second place behind my teammate Kristina. She was about 25 seconds ahead of me and held her position for the rest of the race. I was still pushing but mainly to make sure the girls behind me did catch back up. On the last lap I took my first fall while approaching the barriers on a turn. It was a fast body slam, followed by a quick jump back up on my feet. Michael witnessed it but was kind enough not to yell, "get up, get up". But in no time I crossed the finish line in second.

As for Michael he had a special race start as a result of using a new tubeless system on his wheels. On the first lap, right where I fell, the tube "burped" causing a flat. He lost his third place position and fell all the way to the back to the pack. But he got his second bike out of the pit, with a quick hand off from Kat, and started the chase. By then end of the race he had managed to get himself back with an eighth place finish. It is also my understanding that he got another flat, but Kat had it under control in the pit and already had his first bike up and ready to go. But Andy, stomach flu and all, started off in about fifth place and worked his ass of to take third place. Podium! He is not a believer in blog, so I will make him blog famous by posting his photo on the podium. That is him on the right.

Day two the four of us headed southwest of Baltimore for a MABRA series race in Rockburn Park. Kat and I took off to check out the course. I was pleased to find a series of hill on the backside and knew that this would be my place to attack. The Cat V ladies started 2.5 minutes after the Elite Women. My start was pretty sucky, but I was able to catch the lead ladies pretty quickly and as soon as we headed through the backside there were just three of us. I told them that the girls behind us were riding strong and that we needed to keep up the pace, but I think they ware at their max. So as soon as we hit the hills I put it into gear and took off out of fear of being caught. This put me into first place with four laps left to go. Which is something I am a little afraid of because I like to chase and now I was the one being chased. But I just kept going and by the last lap I know I was going to make it, so I rode smart making sure not to do anything stupid. I ended up coming across the finish line almost two minutes ahead of the second place girl! So it was top of the podium for me...and Gilbert. The other ladies insisted that he join in the fun.

Here is the official write-up for Michael's race from Bikereg.com: C3-Sollay.com teammates Mike Gallagher and Andy Wulfkuhle, wearing the team’s special Halloween edition “Karate Kids Fist of Death” skinsuits, tag-teamed Hunt Valley’s Galegher. C3’s Mike Gallagher was finally able to put in an attack that stuck, leaving Hunt Valley’s Galegher in a conundrum as he wanted to get back to the lead, but he didn’t want his adversary’s teammate, Wulfkuhle, to get a free ride. The Hunt Valley rider attacked Wulfkuhle out of the sand pit, starting a long chase by Wulfkuhle to come back. Meanwhile, Sundt was now up to fourth place and appeared to be closing. On the final, the top three all came back together before the C3-Sollay.com duo gapped Hunt Valley’s Sean Galegher. Heading into one of the final turns, C3’s Mike Gallagher ran into a lapped rider and crashed. Realizing his teammate Wulfkuhle was still in position to take the win, he yelled “Go! Go!” Wulfkuhle went, Gallagher recovered in time to preserve a 1-2 finish for the karate kids, and a totally spent Sean Galegher held on for third with a thirty second gap over Sundt.

WE DID IT!

2008-11-05T19:29:00.000-08:00

I will admit that I shed a few tears when Obama was announced the Elected President of the United States of America. But I think I shed even more while listening to McCain's concession speech. It was awesome! If only he had been able to show this softer side of himself during the election I think he would have done better. Regardless I think that the people spoke and the best man won. Obama is a democrat, but he listens and makes decisions that are in the best interest to ALL, not just the democratic party. I have faith that he will make many positive changes for our country and as a result the world as a whole. Oh and spell check, you are going to have to add Obama to your dictionary, it's going to come up here and there...at least for eight more years! :)

ROY PITZ, YOU COMPLETE US!

2008-10-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

We are happy to announce that Chambersburg officially has a brewer, Roy Pitz Brewery, with awesome beer. Best of all is that it is within a fifteen minute walk. We purchased a growler and fill it up about once a week, by simply taking a little stroll from our house. This warms my soul. Just knowing that it exists helps me get through our stint here in Chambersburg. They had an Octoberfest celebration a few weeks ago, and even had a good band playing. WOW, I never would have imagined this!

LOOK WHO'S ONE TODAY

2008-10-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

Gilbert turned one today! In the morning we headed to the YMCA to keep with our regular routine. The wonderful ladies there had a little birthday party for him with presents, birthday hats, and cupcakes. It was pretty cute, but I don't think Gilbert knew what was going on. I have him a pumpkin cupcake with a dollop of frosting. As soon as he got the frosting on his hands he became upset. Oh well, later in the evening he made up for it by downing bites of his three variety cupcakes: spice, pumpkin and bran. Yum! Happy Birthday Little Boy Blue!

ADVENTURE RACE #1

2008-10-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had my first ever adventure race. The local YMCA puts one on up in Caladonia State Park. It is a sprint distance, so is expected to last anywhere from three to six hours. I was on a team of four women, my friends Trish and Cathy, plus a new friend Jane. Three of us went out the weekend before to check out the venue and to test out gear. It was a bit cold, but the team dynamics seemed to be in order.

It rained all day on Saturday, but luckily it was all blue skies come Sunday morning. So Sunday morning we, Four "Dirty" Girls, met up at the park along with 33 other teams to take on the challenge. The best part of an adventure race is that you don't know the course or what they are going to throw your way. In the end we ended up doing about twenty miles of mountain/road biking, seven miles of running/bush wacking, an hour of boating on a lake, crossing a river on a cargo net, two team challenges (puzzles), and about a quarter mile on thigh deep river walk which half was done while carrying your bikes. In the end it took us exactly 4:30 and we were about ninth overall and first in the women's division. We were pretty happy with that, as the race was pretty smooth thanks to good communication and the great team dynamics. We all had a really good time and I think that Trish is already planning for next year.

GLORY MOMENT: Our boat of four ladies passing a boat of four men. :)

EPIC ROAD TRIP....GREAT RACING

2008-10-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

Michael and I decided to head to Gloucester, MA to do my first and Michael's second UCI (National Level) Cyclocross race of the season. There was also one in Ohio, but since New England is a possible forever place for us we decided to head NE. Sorry Ohio, but we really aren't mid-west people. So we left early on a Friday for the 8.5 hour trip...which with heading through New York and Boston turned into an 11 hour trip. Ouch! Luckily Gilbert travels well.

We were lucky to have a host family in Gloucester. Michael and Marsha had dinner ready for us when we arrived and even set up a pack & play in our guest room. They were awesome: active, healthy, grandchild Gilbert's age, hospitable, and inspiring. We could not have asked for a better host family. They even came to support us and take pictures at the race. The attached racing photos are from them.

Day one of racing was pretty good. Since I am new to the circuit and did day of race registration I had to start at the very back of a pack of 75 women. I was so far back that my race number didn't even correspond with all the others. I suck at sprinting so that didn't help my start either. Then off to the narrow course. Michael told me the places to use as rest and heart rate recovery. But when you start in 75th place there is no time for rest, it pretty much consists of one big effort. I ust had to hope that the other ladies were doing a little recovery at that time. But I picked them off one by one and managed to "out sprint myself" for a 14th place finish.

Michael did well himself. He also was a little slow off the start line and therefore missed the lead pack. But he worked through and was able to get back up and finish....I think in 13th place.

Day two was the exact same story for me, with the exception of crawling my way up to a 9th place finish. I look forward to the day I get to start more in the front because I think I could really open up a can of whoop ass.

For Michael he had a different story for day two. he had a great start in the top ten, but on lap two he wasn't coming around again. Turned out he got a flat at the beginning of the course, forcing him to have to run two thirds of the course with his bike on his back to the pit to switch bikes. Well that put him in about 40th place. Ouch! But I was proud of him because he got back in it and rode his heart out to end up finishing in 28th. I really have a lot of respect for people that do that, since it would be easy to give up. It says a lot about someone who is able to push through when the outlook doesn't look to be in your favor. I think you know what I mean in more ways than one. :) Plus doesn't he look so hot in the above photo? How did I get so lucky!?!?

On Sunday night we headed up to Dover, NH to visit my friend Gretchen whom I met in Portland. She moved back to the East Coast just over a year ago. Just a few weeks ago she moved in with her man Alex into a farm house. We were their first guests. The place is awesome, so historic. A little rustic with fresh modern touches. Plus with all the fall leaves blowing off the trees it was a real warm fuzzy.

Monday morning we took the scenic drive back and caught the glory of the fall colors. Very beautiful....but with a little traffic and a few road closures it ended up being an 11 hour trip. Thanks you Gilbert for being the great baby that you are.

A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING

2008-10-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend was my first double header for cyclocross racing. Well, okay it was my first time ever racing cyclocross. Michael and I took the bike he built up for me out to the park on Thursday so that I could practice getting off and on the bike while in motion. Fun! The getting off actually came pretty easy but the getting back on is going to need some serious work.

So with my newly learned skill, we headed to the Hagerstown cyclocross race just thirty minutes from our house. The course was fairly dry and fast. A 1.3 mile loop through a local park, with steep hills, sand pits, two barriers, off camber sections, and a whole lot of bumpy terrain. Luckily I got in three warm up laps before my race. Upon approaching the sand pit for the first time I freaked, got off, and ran across. The guys watching said it was rideable, but I let them know it was my first time. This proceeded to an impromptu coaching session and me making it through with some ease. But it was time for the ladies to line up and the race was on. Literally out of the 20 ladies I was at the very back of the pack...not a very good start. But I started to get my groove and was picking off ladies one by one. I knew I was getting closer to the front, and by the fourth lap it was down to me and the leader. Luckily I am a strong climber and once we approached the steep climb I know I could take her. So I dug deep, passed her on the steep hill with just under two laps to go. I never saw her again and by the time I hit the finish I was almost a minute ahead of her. I was a little amazed and pretty happy about that. During my cool down I thought to myself, Michael and I really are meant to be together....not that I ever doubted it.

Michael was up next to race and was in the top three the entire time, with the national mountain bike champion Jeremiah Bishop at the lead. When Michael knew he wasn't going to place in the top two he decided to drift back to help out his teammate in a pack of three a bit behind him. This didn't turn out to be the best idea because one the guys was a national level sprinter and took Michael's third place spot with a sprint at the finish. But he did finish in fourth which was good enough for a podium spot.

The next day was another cyclocross race about 45 minutes from our house. We arrived and immediately saw our friends Joel and Nate. Nate called me over and I instantly discovered that he had broken his collar bone on the course. I soon found out from the chatter that this course was one of the most difficult many of the racers had ever done. Yikes, I was terrified. During a break I headed out to check out the course and ran right into an unrideable uphill, then halfway through the course there was another unrideable downhill into a ravine and up a small muddy section. When I say unrideable I mean for me. I have no mountain bike skills and this course was geared towards mountain bikers. But luckily there were two long uphill sections where I knew I could gain time. So the race was off and there I was in the back of the pack again. But as with last time I crawled my way to the front and on the second to last lap was in second. But the girl in first held strong from the start and I was not gaining on her. So I ended up in second, which I was very pleased with considering the course.

With a 10 minute hand off of Gilbert, Michael was out on the course and getting ready to line up for his race. We wanted to do this to see and feel how it would be with no assistance from anyone. Without a warm up the race was on. Starting a little back in the pack but within a few laps Michael was in third place where he held steady and looked strong. He held third for the entire race. So once again ending with a podium finish.

So two races and four podiums for the Gallagher's! It looks as though the C3-Sollay team is going to gain another lady to their squad.

There was even an article on the first race that mentioned both of us. Too cool, and funny!

Next weekend we are off to Gloucester, MA to another double header. This weekend is labeled by many as the East Coast Championships and the rumor is Lance Armstrong. will be attending. hum....Keep you posted. Followed with a quick visit to Dover, NH to visit my friend Gretchen and her man.

DON'T LOOK TOO CLOSE

2008-10-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

Yep that is a shot of my butt.

One of my strollercise moms gave me these photos. Her husband took them last weekend at the local sprint triathlon. I ended up getting third overall. Not too far behind the first place woman, um, but still not in front of the first place woman. Catch my drift? We'll it looks like we will have to stay in Chambersburg for one more year so I can redeem myself.

Oh, I did pass that girl. Can you tell I am a little competitive? :) I love to race!

ELEVEN MONTHS

2008-09-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

Hi, I am Gilbert. I am eleven months old today. I just ate a piece of dry cat food. By the time my mom discovered it in my mouth, it had already disintegrated. I figure the cat has lived off of this stuff for almost thirteen years, it's gotta' be good for you!

Note from the Mama: As long as he doesn't poop in the litter box, I can let this one slide.

I ONLY MARRY WINNERS

2008-09-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, the title might be a little silly, but that is what I kept saying to Michael after last weekend.

CYCLOCROSS SEASON HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN!

We headed out last weekend for our first double header cyclocross weekend. On Saturday we headed just NE of Harrisburg to one of the Penn State campuses for Michael's first race. It was hot and dry and a pretty competitive field. Michael did great by holding a top ten position throughout the entire race, and even picking off a few racers on the last few laps. But I have to admit he looked like he was in a little pain. Back to our favorite motto....no pain no gain. Well he must have gained a lot that day with en eighth place finish, earning UCI points.

When I say he must have gained a lot, that is in reference to his superhero performance the following day. We scooted down to Baltimore, after the race on Saturday, to get ready for the Charm City race the next day. This race was put on by Michael's team, C3 Sollay. We ended up staying at the house of one of the organizers. This worked out well, but poor Michael had to get up at 4:45 to help set up for the race.........

Slight side note, Michael has been working mandatory ten hour days for the past month and had reserves last weekend, so needless to say his sleep tank is on empty!

He ended up staying at the venue and Gilbert, Lucy and I met him there around 9:00 am. Michael's race was at 2:30. He did manage to get in about a 20 minute power nap before the race. So at 1:30 he started getting ready, by prepping his bike with Gilbert and then heading out to test out the course before the ladies started their race. He got off to an okay stat in about 8th place with three of his teammates around him. But by about the third lap he and another C3 racer were off the front. They held the lead riding neck and neck until the last half of the final lap where Michael pulled ahead and proceeded to win the race about 200 yards ahead of his teammate.

Yep, that is my husband on the top of the podium...

So the first weekend went well. At times the new logistic of having a baby with us made for a new challenge. But overall it went smoothly and we have a short list of things to do differently for the next cyclocross road trip. It looks like that it only three weeks away, up in Glouster, MA for another double header with UCI points available. Oh and hopefully we will have it worked out so that I can also race. Um, but first I actually have to practice riding the bike. Oh minor details!

And most importantly, we got to stop at the Trader Joe's on the way home. Thank you Baltimore!

THEN THERE WAS LIFE

2008-09-14T07:13:00.000-07:00

So we planted a few things this year in our first ever "mini garden". We planted tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, basil, lavender, and rosemary...and a few other spices that didn't last more than two weeks. Well the first list of items went pretty well except for a complete no show on the peppers. The tomatoes took over the garden and overshadowed the lettuce. I guess three feet apart really means three feet apart. But I think we have a better idea of what we can grow for next year. I must say that we were the most pleased with the tomatoes. They are still ripening and some are still on the vine. We even ended up with a few yellow ones, which makes for a very pretty salad.

Here are the tomatoes posing with my Ausherman 5 Miler prize. No I didn't win but came in second in my age group. I would have taken first but for some reason the woman who went to Olympic Trials for the marathon this year beat me. As far as placing overall, the Kenyans took the top five places, yes people Kenyans in Chambersburg.....foiled again!

Looking forward to an even more fruitful season next summer!

COVERED BRIDGE RIDE

2008-09-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Michael and I dropped Gilbert off with the babysitter and headed to Lancaster, PA, (Amish Dutch Country) to get a little time to ourselves. Literally this was the first night we spent alone without a baby in almost a year.

Our plan was to do the covered bridge bike ride, which is a metric century ride (62 miles) and then stay the night at a B&B. But with a week of blue skies the week following, the heavens opened up on Saturday and poured sheets of rain ALL DAY. But not all was lost. We saw a sign on the side of the road for a brewery and steered in it's direction. Our usual at breweries is I order a hoppy beer and Michael gets the sampler, and then we share the sampler. So coupled with a side a wings we were pretty happy. Plus the brewery was pretty fancy. I felt like I was in a different world, one that I had perhaps been in before but had not encountered since living in Chambersburg. I'm serious when I say we have nothing like this in Chambersburg.....freaky!

On our way to the B&B we decided to drive through downtown Lancaster, pretty historic place. Along the way we spied a bakery and coffee shop. Making an extra trip around the block to make sure our eyes didn't lie, we stopped and indulged. YUM!

On to the B&B a sweet place in Strasburg, PA. Very colonial and along a road that had Amish horse and buggies passing about every ten minutes. Clop, clop, clop!

Diner that night was at a local restaurant within walking distance from the B&B. This was the first good meal I had had since arriving in the mid-Atlantic. I ended up with a glass of wine and a steak cooked perfectly medium-rare. Sooooooooo good! Michael wasn't sure I could eat the whole thing, but I sure as sh*t wasn't going to let a morsel of the meat go to waste. Yummy!

We'll the next morning we woke to blue, crisp and clear skies! So after breakfast we headed on our way to do the covered bridge ride. After one wrong turn we were back on track and road our way through Amish Country. Being that it was Sunday the Amish folk were everywhere. We passed a few packs of Amish boys or girls riding their bikes around. And I can't even count the number of buggies we saw. Throughout the ride we passed through seven covered bridges.

Pictures? Um, sorry the batteries were dead, but we did get one grainy shot.

This would be a prefect trip to do with another couple...anyone interested?

STANDING ROOM ONLY

2008-08-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

Only our child would have the first time he pulls himself up be in the bathtub! I almost freaked. But when I realized he had control and felt comfortable plopping himself back down, I grabbed the camera.

CLIMB ON!

2008-08-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

I will climb again, but when I do Gilbert is going with me. Here we are scouting out a climbing crag only about 30 minutes from town. Just happy for now knowing that it exists.

HAPPY 35th BIRTHDAY!!!!

2008-08-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, Michael turned 35 today. So now we are officially only one year apart! This time a blueberry pie, still trying to get the crust perfected.

TAGGART FAMILY REUNION

2008-07-30T12:10:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo....finally the reunion is here!!!! We had been looking forward to the reunion for months and months and months, which add up to about one year. Where did we go? This time around the Taggart Family Reunion was held in Waves, North Carolina. Let me clarify....."Taggart" Michael's mom's side of the family from Butler, PA....."Waves" a thin strip of islands far off the coast of NC that is so skinny I think it could literally be taken out by a wave, hence Waves. Okay that is my joke!

This reunion can be described as hanging out with family at the pool, hanging out with family at the beach, hanging out with family around the table....oh and watching the Tour de France with the family. Really could it get much better than that? Michael and I didn't drive the car once. We did take the bikes out a few times while "the family" watched Gilbert, and I got in a few runs. But that was really all we did. A very cool experience with my very cool new in-laws.

Gilbert got to meet his cousins, Avery and Zoey, Michael's sister's daughters. Gilbert is only nine months old and he had already meet his four cousins. Pretty good considering one set lives in Hawaii and the other set lives in South Carolina.

I had my 36th birthday while there and celebrated by heading out with some of the guys to do some "semi-deep sea" fishing. Funny thing, about a third of the Taggarts have their birthday in July, so there was a big celebration during the reunion.

So without a doubt the reunion was a success. Everyone got along, the weather was good, people relaxed, and only two people puked from drinking...I won't mention Michael here.

Can't we do this every year?

FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND

2008-07-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

For the 4th of July weekend we took a big leap and headed to a camp out mountain bike festival. Michael and I were both still recovering from a small stomach flu. But the biggest challenge was the "what if" factor of camping with a baby. I'm sure this comes as no surprise to all of you that know Gilbert, but he was a gem. Being that he thrives off of social situations, he did well. He even went to sleep at the right time, slept through the night and didn't get up too early.

The racing was pretty good. The first night was a night time trial. This means riding your mountain bike through the woods with a headlamp through more roots, logs, and narrow drop offs into a river. Luckily Michael did well and came back with only a few falls. The next morning there was the seven mile trail run on the same course. Yes, I that was my event. It was good, but I was a little dehydrated from the night before. :) Then there was the long course mountain bike day. Not such a good second day of racing for Michael. Two flat tires caused him to drop in the rankings. With only the hill climb and the short course race left the following day Michael decided to just have fun with it and even raced in costume for the short course. In Portland the costume idea would have been the norm, but here in PA he stuck out a bit and even stuck it to the field by leading out a few fast laps.

So all around the weekend was successful. Everyone had fun, and we even got to "chill out" in the river after each race. Ah, what a nice routine.

SNOOP DOGG GOT A JOB

2008-06-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, so in this scenario I am Snoop Dogg...pretty cool.

Yes, I did get a job. But really it is just a slow start to something bigger. I am in my second week of working in the Kids Fitness Center at the YMCA. I only work four hours a week, but that is perfect for now. I'm planning on getting my personal training certificate so I can train people one on one in the Fall and also pick up teaching spinning class at the same time. Ideally I would like to be around ten hours a week at the time Gilbert is a year. But for now four hours is enough. Plus the kids use to just goof off in the fitness center, now I get them to fill out personal workout cards and have them leaving in a sweat.

I think Snoop would be proud!

GRANDMA JUDY PART II

2008-06-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

My mom came through again on her way back to Alaska. One of the highlights of this visit was a trip to a local creamery, run by the Amish, and located in a farm like setting. They have some of the best ice cream, but part of the greatness might be that the servings are enormous. Really how could you go wrong. What are the odds that places like this leads to the fact that Franklin County has the high rate of obesity in Pennsylvania? But being that all three of us have a sweet tooth, we headed there on my mom's last day here in Chamberburg. I think that the photo taken at the creamery has to be one of our favorite family photos to date. Thanks for the great pic mom!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

2008-06-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

We had an active father's day weekend. On Saturday we took Gilbert out in the bike trailer for the first time. It really looks easy when other people do it. But next time you see someone out the hauling their children around in a bike trailer, bow down to them. It is really hard, especially when you are surrounded by hills in every direction for as far a the eye can see. But since it was father's day weekend Michael got the privilege of doing the pulling, getting a pretty good workout in about fifteen miles!

Then on Sunday the family headed out for a group run. I usually do the pushing of the baby jogger since I am the runner. But once again since it was father's day Michael got the privilege. The picture above was taken about three miles north of our house on the Wilson College farm. This hill is a real ass buster and the top is the turn around point. It you can enlarge the photo you and see the pain on Michael's face.

No pain, no gain.....Happy Father's Day!

MY FIRST PIE

2008-06-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

I think that for this one, a picture is worth a thousand words. But for those who want to know, yes it is a strawberry rhubarb pie and it was REALLY good!

I ALMOST DIED

2008-06-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

Okay that might be a little dramatic.

Over the weekend I did my first post-pregnancy half-ironman, the Eagleman, in Cambridge, Maryland. My friend Jen flew out from Portland, Oregon to also do the race. For her this was part of her training plan leading up to doing a full ironman in Wisconsin in September.

For those who don't know, a half-ironman consists of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run. It was my post-pregnancy goal for getting back in shape, and I really just wanted to finish it with dignity. I did train for it, but it is really hard to get distance training in when you are balancing many new life changes. I knew I could finish the race, but wasn't prepared for the unexpected. On race day the heat index was 104 degrees with humidity in the 90s. YIKES!

Let's just say that I did finish the race and was doing okay until I hit a wall at mile eight on the run. I literally was running and came to a screeching stop. From then on it was a slow walk. But was least I didn't DNF and was able to run across the finish line. I felt a little better when I heard that out of 2100 racers, 600 didn't show up and 10% didn't finish. But I think from now on I'm going to stick to the shorter triathlons, at least for this season. I need to work on speed anyway.

Jen did come back with me to Chambersburg, but just for a short visit. But we did have enough time to get in lunch at the Big Oak Cafe. Really this is the only place to take people in Chambersburg. But she did love it, so all was good. :)

GILBERT'S FIRST BIG TRIP

2008-06-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

My best friend Adria tied the knot with her sweetie Daniel on May 31st in Chico, California. Gilbert was a gem for the entire trip. Doesn't he look picture perfect with my friend Melinda's daughter, Sonoma? Really too cute! Gilbert was a real charmer and everyone was very impressed with him. Even the people on the airplane loved having him around for entertainment. Thank goodness, because I was nervous about that part. The wedding was beautiful, and the newly married couple are on their five week honeymoon to Hawaii and Alaska. Hum, must be nice!

NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS

2008-05-25T04:41:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since we have had a post. It is not that nothing has happened, but actually the opposite. So much has been going on that there hasn't been much time to sit down to get it down in words. So I am going to do my best to get summarize May as best as I can.

AIR NATIONAL GUARD

Michael was sworn in earlier this month into the Air National Guard and is not longer in the Army reserves. There were many reasons for this. One being that his old unit in Washington was downsizing their medical personel and needed to release some soldiers. The ANG had a perfect reservist position open in the medical field up in Harrisburg that was perfect for Michael. He is able to go into it without having to going away for a month to four month training. So he crossed straight over and is now int he Air National Guard reserves with the whole one weekend a month and two weeks a year thing.

MICHAEL IS A WINNER

We all headed down to Greenbrier park just South of here for a National qualifying mountain bike race. The top 33% of finishers were eligible to go to Nationals in Vermont. The race was five laps on a rocky, hilly, technical course, which is perfectly suited for Michael. He has been training mainly on the road bike, but it was obvious when he crossed the finish line in first that his natural ability and true love is for mountain biking. Looks like we might be heading to more mountain bike races in the near future.

FIRST TRIATHLON OF THE YEAR

Michael and I headed up to Butler for a family visit and to do an early season triathlon. The race was located at Slippery Rock University, about twenty minutes from Butler, PA where the majority of Michael's side of the family lives. With Gilbert in the safe hands of the Grandparents we headed up to the race. I know this might come as a surprise to some, but the only training Michael did was on the bike. Despite the lack of proper training, Michael used his natural talent and came across the finish line in seventh place out of about 80 men. I did train, and also dug deep because let me tell you the come back trail after having a baby is longer and harder than I thought it would be. But training paid off and I managed to come in first out of about eighty women. This is my first win ever in a triathlon and a really great welcome back to racing.

MOTHER'S DAY

Michael make me a mother's day cake, plus bought flowers with a sweet card from both him, Gilbert, Lucy and Meowsey. A great first mother's day!

GRANDMA JUDY aka MY MOM COMES FOR A VISIT

My mom flew in from Alaska on May 17th and stayed through May 25th. When she first arrived we met in Ellicot City because I was racing the Columbia Triathlon the next day. With 2100 people racing I really needed her help with Gilbert so that I could get through all the logistic of the race. Thanks mom! Her first few days in Chambersburg were rainy and much like Portland weather. We tried to do indoor things like head North to the Bent & Dent Grocery which is run by the Amish. On the way back we took the scenic route and went through an amazing covered bridge, I think she will have her camera next time we head up there. I did realize as a result of her visit, that there isn't much to do here in Chambersburg. So we headed just 25 miles East for a visit to Gettysburg. Thanks goodness it was a sunny day as most of the sites are outside, with the exception of a new museum. Needless to say Gilbert wasn't too into the museum, too crowded and noisy, and his howls cut that visit short. But touring the fields where the battles took place was great, and one step closer to getting a grasp on US history. From Chambersburg my mom hit the road to the NE to visit friends and family for the next few weeks, and will be back again in June for another visit on her way back to Alaska. See you soon mom!

A SMALL SMALL WORLD

2008-04-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

There is a playground at the elementary school about four blocks from our house. If I take the alley it is a straight shot. And since the alley is recently paved, it is an easy cruise down with the baby jogger. Since Summer is here, I've been heading to the playground more with Gilbert and Lucy. I think I've taken the route about ten times. Just recently I notice a really cool looking Winnebago at the end of the alley. The reason I notice these things is because Michael and I have the fantasy of packing up the bare necessities and hitting the road with the bikes for an endless adventure....a Winnebago being part of the adventure. So I was checking it out with a sharp eye and eager heart last week. You would never guess what state the license plate is from and what it reads......

Guess that is a sign. Really what are the odds? I mean, we live in Chambersburg, PA.

AUNT BONNIE & UNCLE GEORGE

2008-04-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

Three cheers for Aunt Bonnie and Uncle George!!!! They were our second visitors. Being the snow birds that they are, they were driving back to the Boston area after spending the last half of the winter in Florida. They met me and Gilbert at the Big Oak Cafe for a leisurely lunch. Then they checked out the attached Butcher Shop and were very impressed with the "over 140 selections" in the deli and the vastness of fish and meats. It is very old school but modern and hip at the same time.

We had some catching up to do, since that last time I saw them was at my brother Fred's wedding in Canada. I believe that was ten years ago. WOW, that is way too long. But it seemed like I had just seen them. We caught up and even had time to discuss politics and current events.

Lucky for them Spring is in the air, so it was sunny out but still a bit cool with that breeze.

Aunt Bonnie and Uncle George, if you need help cleaning out that garage....I'll show up with a UHaul. Please note they are avid collectors of antiques. :)

KEEPIN' IT SIMPLE

2008-03-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend the race was a circuit race, which means Michael's race consisted of eight laps on a seven mile course. Set in Amish Country that means farm land and rolling to steep and short hills. One of the best things about Michael's races series this year is that they are in Lancaster County. Lancaster has a large concentration of Amish. This is their land.

For part of the afternoon they stopped doing their chores to take some time to watch the races. Luckily I was able to snap a few pictures at the race. I really love the one of the man on the horse. The finish line was on the road that lines his families' property so they came across the land to check it out. So he really is actually looking over his land in that photo. It was just so beautiful, I can only imagine his sense of pride. I could go on about the Amish, but what it really comes down to is that I have so much respect for them and their way of life. I felt very lucky to get a sneak peak at their world coming into contact with ours.

Oh yes, and the Amish kids huddled at the finish line...too cute!

HAPPY EASTER!

2008-03-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

WANNA GO ON A DATE?

2008-03-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

YES! We had our first official paid babysitter here in Chambersburg. The day after our first races we scheduled a girl we know from the YMCA to babysit for us. What exactly did we do for our date you may wonder....hello, we went for a bike ride. It was my first time actually riding a bike outdoors since Gilbert was born. But I think the pure excitement of actually getting to go for a ride together pushed me enough to get through the ride just fine. Michael knows a few routes, so he lead the way. Any direction you head outside of town you are on rolling country roads. Which were a lot nicer than I recall seeing from driving along in the car. It was really very beautiful and left both of us on could nine for the rest of the day. I quote one farmers sign in saying,"The broad path leads to destruction". In other words, keep it simple folks. So true, so true!

AND THE RACE IS ON...

2008-03-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

Michael and I had our first races last weekend. We both got a bit worked. But it is early season, so really any race right now is simply to determine where you are and what you need to do to get to where you should be. Um....I've got a lot of work to do.

I "raced" the Chambersburg Half Marathon. They say never try anything new on race day. Well, I didn't really follow that rule and decided to take Gilbert along in the baby jogger. It was our first time actually using it for running. We were doing just over a nine minute mile until miles eight through ten. We had to pull off about four times for feedings and for holdings. I think for anyone running a half marathon those are the roughest miles, who can blame him. So we placed close to last, but it was a beautiful Spring day and I really enjoyed getting to share the experience with Gilbert. It was just nice to be out with other runners enjoying the outdoors.

Michael did the first race in a local series that goes through August. Here is the link to the series for cyclists reading the blog:

http://www.redroseraces.com

He did well and felt pretty good throughout the race. He was mainly just trying to push himself to see what he has in the tank as far as early season goes. He finished 18th and with the second pack of racers. The top twenty finishers get points towards the series, so he came away with a few points! The series should progress well, being that a lot of the same racers will consistantly be there. So needless to say he is already getting a feel for some of the styles of the other racers.

There were other members racing from his team, C3 Sollay, based out of Baltimore. They have not had much time to train together, but hopefully in the upcoming races they will determine how to work their individual strengths to come together as a team, resulting with one of their teammates out front.

The majority of the races are just over an hour from here, so as long as I'm not racing we will head out as a family. And if there is someone there to watch Gilbert I might even get some road racing in this year.

...AND NOW FOR THE NUMBERS

2008-03-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

We just had Gilbert's four month check-up on March 3rd and he is progressing just fine. Everyone who knows me knows that I am a number person. Which is about 75% of my obsession with triathlon as it really all comes down to the numbers. Luckily numbers are also a big part of having a baby, from how far are you along in you pregnancy to how many day left in your pregnancy. To a whole new set of numbers, the age, height, weight, and yes head circumference. So for those of you that are interested here is how Gilbert fits into the scheme of things for a four month old:

Length: 26.25 inches 90%
Weight: 16.2 lbs 75%
Head: 44.5 cm 97% must be the brains ;)

His height just got him kicked out of his baby car seat. Luckily we just got the next stage car seat in the mail this week. So it went into the car today and the old one is in the attic.

It also seems that as soon as he is into a piece of clothing that in no time he is out of it. Plus I have learned that "one year" can mean "four months". But he is mainly fitting into all of his six to nine month clothes. You know when he can't stretch his legs out all the way in an outfit that it's over. For some reason it is hard for me to take the too small clothes out of his dresser and put the new ones in. But everyone told me, and now I know for myself, it sure does go fast.

But one last number and that is the number TWO. It seems that ever since his visit to the doctor that our baby sure does drool a lot, always has his hands in his mouth, rubs his eyes, and has a weird cough...which all causes a baby to be a bit crabby. Well while Michael was out riding today and Gilbert was in the midst of a cry I noticed TWO small pearly white teeth starting to stick out from his gums!!!!

Yet another milestone.

I'M CROWDED, ROLL OVER

2008-02-10T12:59:00.000-08:00

Mark this day on the calendar.....Gilbert rolled over from his tummy to his back. Michael saw him "kind of" do it a few days ago, but claimed it didn't count because of a slight incline involved. So today we both saw it happen. We put him on his tummy, which he really doesn't like, but is all part of baby training. He tettered and tottered and was almost there once, twice, and then just like that he went over. We cheered, and Lucy came running to find out what was so exciting. Needless to say the entire family was thrilled!

FUTURE "THRU" HIKER

2008-02-08T12:43:00.000-08:00

Today Gilbert took on his first hike. Lucy, Gilbert and I headed to seek out the Appalachain Trail. We were very happy to find that it really is just nine miles from our door to the head of the trail! For those of you who don't know, the Appalachain Trail goes all the way from Maine to Goergia. A good section of it streteches through Pennsylvania. Some people "thru hikers" hike the whole thing in one five month stretch, while others like to take on smaller portions at a time. Well I must say that I was plesently surprised to find that those "rolling hills" in the distance actually hold some beautiful hiking trails. Throughout the PA portion there are shelters for people hiking "thru" and for those just wanting to camp out for a night. We didn't make it to a shelter today, but we did pick up a map that shows the trails through the Michaux State Forest which is about 37 miles....I think we saw about two miles of it. Michael and I would like to do a night or two along this trail with Gilbert. Maybe in the Fall. There are also about 60 miles of other trails open to mountain bikers and hikers. I'm sure this park will be a popular place to visit for the family. Gilbert enjoyed his first visit to the woods, and when he wasn't sleeping he was looking straight up at the sky and trees. He is too cute!

FAMILY IN TRAINING

2008-01-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

Things are progressing for all of us in the Gallagher family. Michael is starting to get out on training rides in the hills on his mountain bike. I'm starting to train for upcoming races with a little help from the YMCA; its free babysitting, swimming pool, spins class, treadmill and yoga. Michael and I have discovered the joy of partner yoga. Talk about really getting your stretch on while also bonding a little. WOW! But Gilbert takes the cake with the discovery of his hands, the lifting of his head, and getting on his new bike for the first time. He is just about to roll over, but those darn arms keep getting in the way! He might not be walking by the family reunion in July, but who knows he might just head out on a few training bike rides with us. ;) Oh but don't forget Lucy....she went on a mountain bike ride with Michael on Saturday and ran so hard she almost puked. At least that slowed her down a bit for her run with me the following day. Yes we all have to suffer a little to get back to our fighting weight.

A VISIT TO OUR NATION'S CAPITAL

2008-01-15T13:04:00.000-08:00

Despite just having our things delivered to our new house, Michael and I went to DC last weekend. My friend Ginger from Portland was going to be there for a wedding so that was just the motivation we needed to make the trip. Luckily my friends James and Keren live in DC so we had a place to stay. They were very hospitable and help point us in the direction of the Metro so we could check out they typical tourist things in DC. James lives only a Metro stop from the White House so Saturday we took it in. On Sunday we hooked up Ginger at her fancy hotel, The Mayflower, and caught up while taking in a few more sites. As busy as the weekend was, we managed to make a trip to IKEA to get a few things for the house. We were running on fumes by the time we were leaving and refuled with soda and hotdogs. Anyone who knows us, knows that we must have been desperate. ;) The weekend was fast paced, but great! DC is only under two hours from Chambersburg! How lucky are we?

MY FIRST VISITORS

2008-01-08T12:50:00.000-08:00

Uncle Bill and Aunt Kathy were on their way down to Florida for the rest of the winter and were able to meet me for lunch! Three cheers, my first visitors. It was great to see them. We had lunch at The Big Oak Cafe connected to The Meat Market. Really this is my favorite place in town and a perfect place to meet people who are just passing through. As you can tell by the picture, I think we all know the real motivation for their stop. :)

FINALLY MOVING IN!

2008-01-04T12:45:00.000-08:00

We finally are getting settled into our new place. We had our “stuff” delivered on Friday and we are in the middle of about 100 boxes and 100 items not in boxes. Wow! I told Michael that as soon as we get unpacked we are going to go through things. How does this happen? I swear I moved to Portland with one a trunk, one suit case and three boxes. Well, regardless we have finally arrived to a point where we can get settled into our new place and our life together. Our new house is great. Since Michael redid ALL the hardwood floors, as in all 1000 square feet, the place looks awesome! It went from stinky and questionable to live-in ready, even for a baby that will be crawling in the near future. But we do know that our place will always be a work in progress as we have titled it our learning house. Currently the kitchen is torn up, but very functional. Also the ceiling just has the drywall on it and needs to be finished, but looks a heck of a lot better than the office tiles that were there before. We also plan on redoing the bathroom, adding a half bath, and doing a lot of cosmetic fixes. All in due time, for now we are in and very happy to be here!!!

In the picture my car is parked infront of our half of the duplex. If anyone has ever been to my place in Portland, note that this place is pretty much the same except it has an extra bedroom upstairs and a full basement and attic. We actually have three sets of stairs!

A VISIT TO BUTLER, PA

2007-12-29T11:14:00.000-08:00

Michael ended up working on Christmas which was fine with us, we had already had so much going on that trying to pull off a formal Christmas was not in our place. Plus I don’t think Gilbert minded. But he was lucky enough to have his own Christmas stocking that my mom knit for him, which was filled with small gifts for the family….from Santa of course.

After Christmas we headed up to Butler to stay a few days with Michael’s Grandparents, Grandma Pat and Grandpa Gib (Gilbert) Taggart. It was really nice to spend time with family and connect during the holidays. Grandma and Grandpa loved Gilbert and were hands-on the entire time. It was nice because it gave me a little break. Grandma Pat was amazing, I don’t know how she does it, but she would be holding Gilbert one minute and the next minute dinner would be on the table. I guess that is the kind of skill you would expect from someone who raised six kids. Lucy also had a great time and actually sulked for about two days after she returned. I think she has a special place in her heart for Grandpa Gib.

Butler is a really cute town with a lot of family history. We drove by the house Michael’s great grandparents live in on the Taggart side of the family. We also drove over the see Michael’s Aunt Kris and Uncle Scott in Mars, PA. Mars is a great town with a subtle UFO/Mars theme to it. It seems like the have a great close knit group of friends, one of the benefits of living close to where you grew up. We also took one day and spent some time with the Gallagher side of the family, getting the chance to see Michael’s other grandparents and some aunts and uncles.

I was sad to leave Butler as the opportunity to see family is one of the reasons we moved to PA. But We’re hoping to get a chance to visit again in the Spring. Plus we will be seeing everyone on the Taggart side of the family in July at the family reunion. I must admit that after meeting more people from the family, I’m looking very forward to it.

TEMPORARY HOUSING

2007-12-15T11:03:00.000-08:00

Before I arrived in Chambersburg, Michael was fortunate enough to find a great rental only two blocks from the place we bought. So for about six weeks after I arrived we lived in a great two story furnished apartment behind the house of a very nice couple. Biggest perk is that is has a stone fireplace! But we were still only living temporarily so we didn't have our crib yet, so Gilbert stepped it up snd slept in a drawer. Luckily we moved into our permenate place just before he grew out of it.

The couple has six kids and use to be military so they know what it is like to move around a lot. They were nice enough to add us to their numbers when it came to Christmas dinner and New Years dinner. The housing set-up was perfect and allowed us time for Michael to do the hardwood floors in the new place before moving in.

Oh and yes people that is snow. Not much has fallen since, but it is snow.

END OF THE SEASON

2007-12-01T12:03:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Chambersburg just in time to get to go to Michael's last cyclocross race of the year. I arrived in PA on Friday and the race was on Saturday. So the family packed up in Michael' car and headed up to the race. It was sunny out, but cooooooold with a good breeze. Michael did well placeing fifth and got some loot for his winnings. Afterward we celebrated with coffee and treats at Panera Bread afterward.

MOVING WEEK

2007-11-29T11:00:00.000-08:00

Moving day, or should I say moving week? We had the movers scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, then I would get the place ready for the new renters on Wednesday and Thursday, take the car to be shipped on Thursday, and fly out on Friday. Luckily my friend Jen was nice enough to have the crew, me, Gilbert, Lucy and Meowsey, stay with her while all of this was going on. SO the weekend before the move, I packed into two small suitcases what Gilbert and I would need for the next month. The remainder of our “stuff” would either be in transit or storage until we were ready to move into our place in Chambersburg. Somehow I managed to pull this all of, with a newborn in tow.

I left the movers alone for the most part as I let them know I was too highstrung to be around. I think they appreciated the space as they packed everything, even a few things they were not suppose to like dry goods. Then I had the handyman, the cleaner, and the plumber over on Wednesday to prep the place for the renters while I did some light painting and fixed a few items in the condo. By 2:00 pm I walked out the door of the condo, leaving it officially as a rental and me as a landlord.

On Thursday Mindy went with me to drop off the Subaru to be shipped to Chambersburg, and then dropped me off in NW Portland to say goodbye to some friends and do some last minute boutique shopping. That night I was in bed by 8:30 out of pure exhaustion and with the knowledge that I had to get up at 3:30 to get to the airport by 5:30.

It took both Jen and Mindy with their station wagons to get the caravan of cat, dog, bags, baby and me to the airport. True friends will wake up at 5:00 am to take you to the airport. THANKS!!!!! People in line at the airport were amazed to see me bringing in the kennels and all the bags and asked what I was doing. When I told them I was moving back East they were amazed. I told them to wait as I still had the grand finale coming. When I brought in Gilbert, they cheered. So funny! Everyone at the airport was so helpful, from helping me with bags to holding Gilbert. Plus Gilbert was a gem on the plane and pretty much slept through the entire 4:45 hour flight. Note to other mommies, they do now have changing tables in the bathrooms, somehow they managed to fit them in those tiny rooms.

Luckily we were on a direct flight. We arrived a little early and waited for Michael to arrive. A friend let him borrow his truck with a canopy in order to pick up the crew. We all managed to fit and then it was off to our new home in Chambersburg. Reunited and it feels so good!

WEDDING WEEKEND

2007-11-10T10:31:00.000-08:00

Despite have all of life’s greatest stressors all within two months, Michael and I managed to pull off a fun wedding weekend. The days leading up to the wedding were typical Portland rainy days. A Perfect reminder to our out of town guests that in order to live in such a cool town as Portland you have to endure rainy weather all winter. But luckily the sun came out on our wedding day. My mom called me that morning and quoted, “The sun shines on the happy bride”.

Friday my mom Judy hosted the out of town guests at the Laurelwood Pizza and Brew Pub in the Hollywood district. Michael’s Aunt Beth and Uncle Jeff were there along with his mom Cathy. Plus my mom Judy, my brother Fred and his family, my brother George flew in from England, and my Aunt Kathy and Uncle Bill. We were really happy that so many people could make it from out of town on such short notice. The beer was flowing along with stories of the past. My brothers got there chance to harass Michael a bit, the good old Dickson way. My niece Pearl was asleep the whole time after a long day of touring Portland, she was saving it up for the big day. My other niece Merrin was on fire being her usual social and joking self. Aunt Beth harassed me about being obsessively organized. Michael and I had a blast, but in the back of our minds we couldn’t help but have thoughts of little Gilbert at home with a sitter for the first time. Despite the fact that he was only a few blocks away and being watched by a responsible friend, we were out the door of the pub at 8:00 pm on the dot. Oh, early parenthood.

Saturday was a busy day for all. It seems like everyone I knew was helping to get things ready for the wedding. My mom and I had to pick up the rings, Michael and his mom went to get the keg with Gilbert, and the knitters were picking up flowers and all the decorations to head over to the venue to decorate. Last minute tuxes were picked up, the wedding dress was ready to go, and people were prepping at our condo to get ready for the big day. Despite being organized I still don’t know how everyone got from out place to the wedding, but somehow we managed. I headed over with my friend Laura, my brother George and a crying Gilbert. Luckily Gilbert seems to be soothed by sucking on George’s thumb. Gotta love it! Somehow everyone involved in the wedding arrived on time. To our dismay the tux rental place forgot to give George pants, hum jeans with a tux, I don’t think so. So it was down the street to the rental shop fifteen minutes before the ceremony to get some pants. Gotta love having things close here in Portland!

The ceremony was lovely. The flower girls, Merrin and Pearl, looked lovely in the dresses and did a great job. No rehearsal needed for this crew! My favorite part was Lee Gorsuch’s, our officiant and friend, introduction to the ceremony. He is a wonderful public speaker and was please that he mentioned both my father and Gilbert in the introduction. Many thanks to him! In our typical style, Michael and I wrote our vows just hours before the wedding. Hey, we have a lot on our plate right now! J But we managed to pull it off. To end the ceremony with a bang we picked the Rocky theme as our intro into the world as Mr. & Mrs. Gallagher.

The reception was immediately following. I must say that the highlight, well there were two, one being the amazing food done by Dalton’s Catering, and the other being the four up photo machine done by our friend Manny. Friend’s and family had a blast having their pictures taken phtotobooth style then printed out to take home. The toasts were also great, with the highlight being my brother Fred stating, “There are three things my family though Jessie would never do, one get married, two have a baby, and three leave Portland, and she did them all within two months.” Very funny Fred! Really. J The evening ended at 10:00, just in time for new parents to get home to their little one. Gilbert did make it to the wedding, but my great next door neighbors, Anne and Bill, took him home after dinner and watched him until we were able to get home. Many thanks to them. Oh, Aunt Beth and Aunt Susan, did you ever check your stop watches to see who actually got to hold Gilbert more? We’ll for whom ever fell short there is always the family reunion in July for a rematch.

Sunday was another beautiful day and perfect for the Sunday brunch held by Adria, the maid of honor, for all family members. For me this was one of the best parts of the weekend, since Michael and I felt we were able to relax and just enjoy the company of family. Adria had quite the spread of food which her mom Anne, father Lee and new fiancée Daniel helped her prepare. I still don’t know how this happened but I managed to miss the mimosas, this is so unlike me. It was great to get to see family before everyone headed off either to airports or to further explore Portland or Oregon.

I have to give a special shout out to the knitters, Mindy, Ginger, Sara, and Christen. Between the four of them they managed to put together the reception flowers (with a little help from the Laurelhurst Park) and get all the decorations up for the ceremony and reception on Saturday afternoon. Oh, and received many positive responses regarding the unique invitations…that would be courtesy of my friend Monday. I feel so lucky to have such a great circle of girlfriends!

ARRIVAL

2007-10-31T13:47:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and family, Jessica and I have great news to report!!!!

Gilbert Michael Gallagher was born on 29 October 2007 at 14:20 PST.
Weighing in at 7lbs, 11 oz and 20 inches long. He packs a head full of soft brown hair long eyelashes and a "soft" cry.

We are expecting to be home from the hospital this Thursday morning. Everyone is doing well and bonding during our recovery period. Breast feeding has started and moving along quite well. We all look forward to introducing Gilbert to each and every one of you when time permits.

Please take a look at the wonderful pictures. They speak for themselves!

Love Michael Jessica Gilbert.
"Aka" MJG

40 WEEKS & STILL WAITING

2007-10-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

Greetings Friends & Family:

Well we have made it to 40 weeks and so far no major actions from Baby G. Still moving and shaking, but no sign of his grand entrance to the outside. So we all wait. I have a doctor appointment on Wednesday so we'll see what he says. But what it all comes down to is that it is really up to the baby. Well, unless we get too close to 42 weeks. But let's all put our positive energy together and hope it doesn't take that long. But our cloth diapers arrived on Monday and my mom arrived on Tuesday so the final pieces of the "getting ready puzzle" are in place.

Michael is doing great in PA. He is really enjoying his new job and is well respected by his coworkers and supervisors. He has already opened up many opportunities for potential growth both within government and military jobs. Go Michael! He has been racing every weekend and doing very well placing with the top national racers. Not only is he placing well, but more importantly feeling strong while doing it. If you have ever raced you know how important that is to racing.

So on top of all of this he is also actively looking for a house for us to buy. We were looking at renting, but no one will take us with a cat and a dog. But we have found a place that would actually be cheaper than renting so we are moving forward. Hopefully we will make an offer on it next week. Once again....Go Michael!

It has been almost four weeks since Michael left for PA and we are ready to be back together as a family. I keep telling the baby that the sooner he comes out the sooner his dad will come home. I hope he is listening.

As you can see from our "Not Gonna Happen" picture, we still do have a few adjustments to make before Baby G arrives. :o

Think good thoughts for us. We will keep you posted.

Love,
Jessica & Michael

37 WEEK UPDATE

2007-09-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends & Family:

Well we have finally made it to 37 weeks which means that the baby is full term and should be ready to join us on the outside at any time. But officially the due date is three weeks from this coming Sunday, October 21st, so from here on out it is up to Baby G.

I am doing well and am looking forward to the arrival of the baby. The pregnancy is still going smooth, but I am definitely slowing down as the baby saps a lot of my energy. As a result tomorrow is my last day of work. I'm finding it hard to work all day and feel it would be nice to have some time to relax before the baby arrives. Plus I have that well known need to "nest" and am looking forward to having the time to get final things in order.

Michael has been having a successful Fall bike racing season, placing well in his last two races which had some national professional racers in attendance. He has been working with a coach and it seems to help with his focus and with making the most of his training. Together with the coach and his natural talent it is looking like it will be a good Fall race season.

He is currently making his way back East as his job starts on October 1st. His goal is to try and find a house for us to buy or rent by the time I move out there towards the end of November. Luckily the military has granted him ten additional days vacation for house hunting, which they are allowing him to also use to come back home for the birth of the baby.

I had a babyshower a few weeks ago with some of my close girlfriends here in Portland. It was a great experiece and a fun time with friends. Attached are pictures from when Michael showed up at the end of the babyshower.

We are as prepared as we can be and are trying to keep our minds open for our journey ahead.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Love,

Jessica & Michael

29 WEEK UPDATE

2007-08-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

Greetings Family & Friends,

I hope this email finds everyone doing well.

Michael and I are doing great, as is the baby. He is now 30 weeks along, which means we are in our third trimester. So in two months I will be full term, meaning if the baby was ready to come out there would be no hesitation in letting him do just that. To put it in perspective, in eight weeks there could be a new Baby Gallagher.

I am still working and plan on doing so until October 1st or a little beyond. I just stopped riding my bike to work as it is getting hard to reach the handlebars. Most of my exercise now consists of classes at the gym. But as a result of continued exercise and overall good health, the pregnancy is still going very smooth. Breathing has become a little harder at times, but that seems to come and go.

Two weeks ago we started a series of six birthing classes on Thursdays for two hours a session. It has been a great experience for both of us, as it puts us on the same page as far as understanding the birth process and how to work through it as a team. Overall it is a great bonding experience. Plus it is located at the hospital where we plan on having the baby, Sunnyside Hospital. They have a new birthing center which opens at the beginning of September. We have signed up for a tour in mid September, but have already heard many staff members say wonderful things about it.

Now for the BIG news........Michael has accepted a job in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania at the Letterkenny Army Depot within the Division Office of Information Management as their IT and Project Support staff. It will start some time this Fall, with the plan of the entire family being in PA by the end of November. There are many great reasons for this move: One is that it is a great career move for Michael as far as military,future government jobs and retirement. The other is that it puts us closer to family. Michael's grandparents will only be 1.5 hours away, and many other family members on the East coast will be within 3-7 hours. Plus the majority of my mother's side of the family is in the Northeast and heads South to Florida for parts of the winter. Currently we don't live within driving distance from any family members and are looking forward to getting back to the roots by living closer to family. We both feel very strongly about the importance of having family close and therefore this move is one step closer towards that goal. Plus as far our immediate family goes, this allows me the opportunity to stay at home with the baby, which is our goal for at least the first year.

So now we just need to get through the big changes coming within next few months. My next appointment is in two weeks, and the next will be three weeks after that. Then it is the final countdown with appointments every week. Stay tuned!

We will keep everyone posted as changes are happening fast.

I hope you enjoy the attached photos. I threw in a picture of Lucy, as she thinks she is the only child despite there being a cat in the house. Boy is she in for a big surprise in about two months.

Love,

Jessica & Michael

23 WEEK UPDATE

2007-07-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

Greetings Family & Friends:

We just reached our twenty-fifth week of the pregnancy and everything is looking good. Calculating those weeks out means I'm almost into my third trimester and have about 3 1/2 months left until the baby arrives. It still seems far off, but then again the last three months went by really fast. We have signed up for a birthing and new baby care class that is for two hours every Thursday night and lasts for six weeks. Plus we just signed up to tour two hospitals in the area. Both of them have new birthing centers with the option to have a midwife instead of a doctor. We are going with the midwife as we would like to do everything as natural as possible, but still feel like we have access to doctors if need be. We did play with the idea of an at home birth but decided that we would prefer to have the first baby in a more supportive setting. Maybe next time. :)

So things are moving along quite smoothly and the pregnancy has been a positive experience all around. But things are changing...breathing is getting harder and yesterday I tried to get off the couch from a laying position and didn't quite make it all the way up. We both got a good laugh out of that. So much for core strength, guess those stomach muscles aren't what they use to be. I am still running and swimming, and biking to work, but much slower and not quite as often/far. It is getting hotter outside here so I'm pretty sure that water aerobics is just around the corner for me.

Michael is doing great and has a pretty solid job prospect. But we will give more details on that when we know for sure. But while that goes through, he is gearing up for a late season peak for his road cycling mixed in with a little mountain biking, which will set him up for a Fall cyclocross season. He is taking a few classes through the University of Maryland online and only has a few more left before he graduates. The finish line is insight!!!

I'm attaching a few pictures. One is of me a few weeks ago, as you can see I am starting to show. I guess it is the real deal. The other is of Michael on Father's Day. I bought him the bike onesie for the baby as I could not resist it. Too cute!

Hope everyone is doing well.

Love,
Michael & Jessica

20 WEEK UPDATE

2007-06-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

Greetings Friends and Family:

Most of you already know, but to some of you it will be news, Michael and I are expecting a baby on October 21.......so yes I am pregnant. Just this week we hit the half-way point and things are looking good. We had an ultrasound done about two weeks ago and the baby is healthy and a bit of a mover and a shaker. As of last week I started to feel the baby move, and just two days ago saw it move for the first time. Which is great because Michael also got to feel it. I am starting to show, but I just started to inform people at work that I was pregnant, they couldn't believe it. So to people who know me well say I am looking pregnant, but to those who don't simply think look a little big.

I have been lucky because throughout the entire pregnancy I have felt great and have been able to continue exercising daily. I ride my bike to work and back which is about and hour total, then if I'm up to it I either run or swim after work. But if I feel tired I know I just need to rest, and I do so. So I am still racing triathlons, but really just participating and enjoying the experience. Plus I have to find some way to burn off all the food I am eating, and believe me I can really consume quite a bit.

Michael has been great throughout the whole pregnancy. He has been able to attend all the appointments and always has good questions for the nurse. I feel very lucky to have someone who is so supportive and plays an active role in the pregnancy. In the morning he even gets breakfast ready and prepares my lunch for me to take to work. Really, it doesn't get much better than that.

Some of you have been asking if we are going to get married, and I will confess there has been talk of it. But for now we really want to get Michael through the bike racing season, school, and the on the job track before the baby is born. Then, obviously, the baby will be born. So once we get settled into our lives together as a family unit and things are running smoothly, then I'm sure you will hear more talk of marriage. But right now we are enjoying life together as a twosome and preparing for our new little baby to arrive.

Our next baby appointment is in about four weeks at which point I will be about six months pregnant. I'll be sure to send out another update after that appointment. If you know someone who would like to be on our baby update email list, please send me their name and email.

Oh, and please send me family addresses and emails. We are trying to get them together so we can send out baby announcements and holiday cards this year.

Hope all is well with everybody!

Love,
Jessica

P.S. Attached is a sonogram of the baby at 17 weeks!!! Plus a picture of the two of us in Florida last Fall.

Scroll down if you want to know the sex of the baby ........It's a boy!

We are taking suggestions for names.