Well, once again, the months have drifted by and I’ve not done anything to update the Blog. I think about it a lot, but I’m not very good about sitting down to write things out.
So, let’s just get caught up on what’s transpired since the last post – my 2nd marathon back in April.
April 2018:
April 28: Linda and I did some bike riding with friends. Frankly, Linda bikes quite a bit (usually at least 100 miles per week). I join with her at times, but find myself running more often than biking.
May 2018:
May 5: The whole family ran a 5K together for Cinco de Mayo. Linda and Anna mostly walked with some running. However, Emily ran alongside me for her first 5K. We also had some friends from the Symphony Chorus join us.
May 19: I ran the Bill Snyder Highway Half-Marathon in Manhattan for the 3rd time. I really love this race. It was stormy and raining hard the whole night before the race – and I barely slept. Fortunately, the lightening went away just in time for the start of the race and we only had a little bit of moisture throughout the morning.
I completed the race in 2:18:07 (which is a bit off my personal best, but did as well as I could considering the conditions). It was great having Linda there to be my cheer section and photographer.
May 19: After the race in Manhattan, Linda and I “raced” back to Kansas City so we could attend the KC Royals game with the family, including my sister, Su, and her husband, Eric. This was the George Brett bobblehead game – so it was very important that we be there.
May 20: I sang in the final concert for the season with the Kansas City Symphony Chorus. This was also my last day as President of the Chorus (a 2-year position). I honestly have some very, very good friends from this group of 160. Here are a few of the closest friends – a group we call Team Geschwinde (a long story).
After the concert was over, we held one grand party – complete with karaoke. If you’ve never done karaoke with a bunch of really good singers, you’re really missing out. What an absolute blast!
When the party had come to an end, I was presented with a parting gift – a large sign with the Chorus logo, my name, and signatures from most of the Chorus members. There were a few tears in the corner of my eye; I’m not going to lie…
May 22: Linda and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary with a night away at a luxury bed & breakfast, but also attended the James Taylor concert. Wonderful evening.
June 2018:
June 1-3: Linda and I joined some close biking friends (4 other couples from the KC area) for Kandango – a 3-day bike ride of 190 miles around Manhattan. It was a bit hot, but we had a wonderful time riding with wonderful friends.
June 21: My final responsibility as KC Symphony Chorus President was to throw a party for all of the executive board. We had burgers, brats, and a great time hanging out in the back yard. So glad to have a great crew continuing all of the hard work with the Symphony Chorus. I will be on the board for one more year as Past President.
June 30: The annual summer block party was held a few days before July 4 this year to accommodate work schedules (and our vacation schedule). We rented the 25-foot blowup waterslide again and it was (again) quite the hit with the kids and the adults alike. Lots of food and drinks – all with great friends and neighbors.
July 2018:
July 8-11: The family took our summer vacation to Washington DC to see family (Linda’s sister and her family). This was time well spent with rest and relaxation. The trip included visiting the Holocaust Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and also went to a Taylor Swift concert at FedEx Field.
Before the concert, I met up with a dear old friend from our grade school days in Manhattan. Scott is a pediatrician in the DC area and we met up for some appetizers and brews on the Potomac. Just prior to this meeting, the family had just spent the previous 2 hours paddle boarding on the Potomac.
By the time we got to the concert at FedEx Field, we were a bit exasperated as we were swindled with a fake parking pass just outside the venue. To add to the exasperation, we realized we had 9 miles of gas left in the tank of a large SUV.
But – we made it inside with a few minutes to spare and the concert was honestly one of the most entertaining live concerts I’ve ever attended.
Once the concert was over, we waited in the SUV until every single car had left so that we didn’t have to sit and idle while waiting to get out. There was a gas station just under 3 miles away and we had 6 miles left in the tank when we got there. What an adventure!
Our final activity before heading home was spending the morning at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens; this was beautiful with tons of water plants.
And, of course, we have to get our annual K-S-U picture in there…
July 14: The annual Kenny Chesney concert is something that won’t be missed by any in this family. This is always a great concert held at Arrowhead Stadium. It was a warm evening, but all were happy – especially Linda.
July 21: Linda and I participated in the Divine Run for SIDS 5K. It was a smaller race, but I actually came in 3rd in my age group at 32:34. I was pleasantly surprised because I wasn’t even pushing that hard.
After running the race, we drove to Manhattan for my 30th high school reunion. What a pleasure meeting up with old friends (although, Facebook has really helped all of us keep up with each other).
August 2018:
August 1: Linda has been quite busy all summer helping out with the community WIC garden and also canvassing for our local State Representative, Cindy Holscher. Emily and I have also helped some with the canvassing. Linda has been very vocal in the community to make sure people are registered, know the issues, and actually get out and vote. I’m extremely proud of her involvement. Here she is after voting early in the primaries (we all voted for her as a write-in candidate for Precinct Chairwoman):
August 13: After having Anna and Emily home all summer, we’ve moved both girls back to Manhattan for yet another year at K-State. Anna is now a junior in Music Education and Emily is a sophomore in Political Science. Here we are having lunch at Kite’s Bar & Grill while taking a break from moving Anna into her apartment.
August 17: Extending our summer concert attendance, Linda and I enjoyed an evening of music with Keith Urban.
August 20: Linda was busy starting back with the piano studio, but I had a couple days off with nothing planned, so I travelled down to Tulsa to see my family. It was a great evening hanging out with a nice dinner and hours of conversation.
August 26: Our latest concert was Luke Bryan. This was also a really fun concert. It really is a great thing to be able to share these experiences with Linda. Fortunately, many artists give concerts in Kansas City.
