Small World

Allen is in Auburn Alabama right now checking out Auburn's program. After this week we should know where we are going. The graduate school hooked Allen up with a place to stay with one of the graduate students in the program. Last night as he got there he called me and asked me if I knew a "David Nord." I said, "yes, he is my student. He has been my student the last two years and I just saw him in the school play tonight." Well it turns out that Allen was staying at my student's sister's house. My student's sister is married to the MFT graduate student at Auburn University. So while Alabama seems like it is far away, it turns out it isn't as far as it seems.

Ode to Oregon

I love Oregon for many reasons. Today I will share one of those reasons. The other day I had to get gas. I got out of the car and I thought I was about to get blown away by the wind. And it was very cold. That was a moment when I wished I was back in Oregon. Where I could pull up the the tank, roll down the window just a crack, hand my card to the attendant, say, "unleaded please," roll my window back up and stay warm while the attendant filled the gas tank. Oh sweet sweet Oregon.

The Results from Moab

We did it! Allen ran his very first half-marathon and he did awesome. We camped the night before and I didn't freeze which is amazing for me. Then we got dropped off at the start 2.5 hours before the race started. And it was freezing! Out of all the Moab half-marathons I have run, this was by far the coldest.

And then we started! Allen was so nice to run with me. We ran together for 9 miles but then I got sick so he finished hard. He got his fastest time ever in a half-marathon and I got my slowest. We both got records. I think that because I have run so many 1/2 marathons and marathons that I think I can go and run without training. I guess I can run it, but I just don't get the time I want when I don't train. We had really fun running it together. Allen and my friend Camille were right at the finish line and it was fun to see them.

After the race we went to Arches and hiked Delicate Arch. We know we are leaving and we probably won't be back in Moab again for the next couple of years. We were really tired. A hike that would usually be pretty easy seemed really difficult after running 13.1 miles. But the view was worth it.

Running and the Moab Half

For Allen, March means March Madness. For me, March means the Moab half Marathon. I I have run it 3 times and and gone down to watch on other time. It could be my favorite race of all time. It is beautiful and we run right by the Colorado River. This year Allen is running too. It is his first half marathon. The most he has run is 6 miles so it is going to be a big day tomorrow.

I love running so much! Teaching has put a little bit of a damper on my running schedule. I think that is why I like summer so much because I run a lot. I love getting distracted in my thoughts on a long run. I love looking and talking to other runners in races. I have never had music in a race and I have run about 6 half marathons, 5 full marathons, 3 10ks and way too many 5Ks to count. Tomorrow will be exciting. One more musicless half to add to the list!

Below are just a couple of pictures of the Moab Half during my college years.

March Madness

I (Allen) think "March Madness" is an appropriate nickname for this time of year. At least for some us, myself included. Madness. Insanity. Lunacy. All appropriate adjectives for the NCAA Men's basketball tournament. The fans, the games, the build up, the wins, the losses, everything. I love it. I really try to stay balanced most of the time, except during March Madness. I can't really explain it but I'm pretty obsessed. You can tell by the content and activity of my Facebook wall, which is mostly posts from ESPN.go.com or other similar tournament-covering websites. I filled out 4 brackets this year.

1) My real bracket

2) My BYU bracket (I have BYU in the Final Four). This actually may be better called My MWC bracket because I have UNLV upsetting Kanses, and then SDSU and UNM in the Elite Eight.

3) My upset bracket

4) My seed bracket (everyone wins or loses according to seeding)

The funny thing is, no one cares about anyone's bracket but their own. But I don't care. Let the Madness begin!

HELP!!! WESTERN EXPANSION

So for the next couple of days I am teaching about moving west in US History and Manifest Destiny. I have taught it 3 times before, but I don't love it. The only thing I love from my Western Expansion lessons is I show two clips from the classic Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise movie Far and Away that shows they are immigrants and they are going to move west for a new chance at life and then where they go and claim their land. But besides that I don't know what to do. I always want to do something they will enjoy... but that always takes so much planning and organizing. I am just at a loss... I need suggestions.

The End of an Era

Last Saturday Allen and I went to our last BYU Basketball game as "undergrads." Well, at least it was Allen's last game as an undergrad. We don't necessarily want to talk about the outcome of the game, but we do want to talk about how much we love BYU sports. Going to BYU sporting events has been one of our favorite dates the last few years. We love BYU SO MUCH! At the start of the game during the introduction, I even got a little emotional knowing it was our final home game. We are still excited to go to our final volleyball game and baseball game and then that is it. hopefully we can have access to the Mountain or Verses or CBS sports where ever we go next. Cougar Fight song we are going to miss you. Cosmo we are going to miss you. Free T-shirts being thrown into the crowd we are going to miss you (both of our shirts were free). Funny short man that organizes the crowd games we are going to miss you. We love you BYU! Go Cougars!

Here are a few of our ward members at the game.

Too bad BYU lost by 2 points.

March Snow

On Monday Morning I woke up feeling great! It was the first day of March. It was sunny when I drove to work. I didn't have to scrape the ice of my car or defrost the windows. And now a week into March it snows. What happened to Spring Time? But last time there was a snow storm I wrote a letter to snow and I would like to offer up my apologies. This morning on the 5th of March I woke up and I didn't mind the snow. Maybe it is because I didn't have to drive to work since I had the day off. Maybe it is because I got to stay in my warm bed later than usual. Maybe it is because I put on some long johns. Maybe it is because I get to continue to wear my fabulous red coat. Maybe it is because we are moving and I am actually going to miss Utah snow. Whatever the reasons... All I know is that this morning, when I went running and I was surrounded by a winter wonderland... for the first time in my life I didn't mind it. It was beautiful. So Snow... I am sorry and thanks for making my day!

Am I a teenager?

Or is my TA an adult? A couple of weeks ago my TA came to class and we noticed something a little funny about the way we were dressed... From our head bands... all the way down to our shoes.