You will always be #1

My uncle Angus died this past weekend. It was quite a shock, something we are all still grieving over. I am in disbelief that a vital person can be gone so quickly. He lived alone but was fully independent and was packed for his next trip to Naples, FL. He and my Aunt Marge travelled there often to escape the winter.

Aunt Marge was my 4th grade teacher. She was the head of the lower school that i attended and she was like a mom. Can you imagine having your mom teach you 4th grade. I LOVED 4th grade, not only was my "mom" the teacher but my cousin Sara ( her daughter) was in my class. 4th grade rocked! You have to know she had a special gift to be able to teach her own child, AND her neice. ( and a few years later she taught my younger brother)

Marge left us way too early as well. 6 years ago to be precise.

Uncle Angus was a quiet one. He was the youngest of my dad's siblings, and after Marge passed he made sure to visit and re-visit alot of the places he had travelled with her. I will always remember Aunt Marge for her special and kind words as both an Aunt and a teacher, and her charm bracelet that rattled on the counter as she cut the beef tenderloin at Christmas eve dinner. And for her apricot jello. She made this fantastic jello mold that we still try to make each Xmas eve even though our's isnt nearly as good as she made it. I also remember after church on sunday going to my cousin Sara's house and we would eat Ring O Noodle soup and then get to walk to the Tom thumb ( which, Um, was like a mile or more...! ) to get candy. Sara used to get these big chocolate chunk things. I have no idea what they were! And I would usually get a sugary treat like those straws filled with sugar or the Lic-a-Stick.

Angus was quiet. He gave good hugs though and you knew he was fully present even if he wasnt yapping away like some of the rest of us. I mean we have a BIG family, someone has to keep the crowd mellow:) I remember this fall he called me a few times, and left me messages bc he wanted to help a friend get into a personal training job. It was so Angus, he was so soft spoken, but so thoughtful in trying to help a friend.

And how can i leave out the Christmas tree socks. About 20 + years ago all the men in the family got matching Xmas tree socks, that they wore on Xmas eve. Over the years people moved, socks wore out, people slacked on their dedication to THE SOCK.

Not Angus.

This past winter, Christmas 2009, Angus had his socks on. I am not sure if he was the only one or there may have been one more. But he told my mom..." I just wear them each year, put them back in the drawer, and then find them a year later." We laughed so hard...wondering and knowing that perhaps his socks were so well preserved since they hadnt been washed! But heck, Xmas eve dinner lasts all of 3 hours? Likely the socks had only a good 18 hour day in them. No need to wash!

Uncle Angus is Angus 1. Angus 2 is my cousin Angus ( Uncle George's son) and Angus 3 is Angus 1's son. So have no fear #1, you will always be NUMBER ONE!

Here are some pictures i thought would remind me of #1.

Alaska, where he travelled with Marge.

Encampment River
Lupin in full bloom.

And My Dad and Mom. Whom I cherish every minute I have with you.

Solstice Ride

No Silly, not me.

I wouldn't ride 235 miles ( make that 245 miles with one wrong turn) in one day. That would be CRAZY TALK! But I know some people that did!( and no calling Rich Crazy bc he supports me in things that he thinks are crazy as well!)

Because of Grandma's Marathon the ride took place friday not saturday, the actual day of Solstice. The plan was to ride from the twin cities to pine city ( cabin 1) then to Duluth ( stop 2, no cabin but i would be there with supplies), Two Harbors ( cabin 2, our family) and then to Finland ( cabin 3, done!)

So here is your cast of characters. Scott, Rich, and Kevin.
It was a long day, leaving at 5am from St Paul and heading to Scott's cabin in Pine City.
With a brief stop, jump in the lake and some good eats from Scott's better half they were on their way. The plan was for Rich to call me from Pine City ( and wake me up. ha ha) and then i would leave to get my sister and we would beat them up to duluth and then ride backwards to meet them on the Munger trail. So far they were only a few minutes behind schedule. And really they had all day, so what is the rush...( he he he, we all know that the Lake creates its own weather system up there so who knew we would be fogged in later that day..)

So sister and I drive up to the trail head at the Munger Inn and saddle up to ride south. Hoping to get 2 hours in of fun sisterly bonding with an hour out and an hour back. Rich called me from Moose Lake saying they were re-hydrating...I knew they were at least 40 miles from us so we slowed it up a bit and since the climb out of duluth is all uphill that was easy to do. 15 miles gradually uphill...Along the way we took some pics:

My siser played along and wore her Verve Kit. This way we could look like our team was doing super secret training on the north shore. We got to Carlton and decided to keep on heading North since we werent quite at an hour and since we figured the boys were going to be a few more minutes. We admired all the lumbar and figured it was either going to Cloquet to become paper. Fascinating I know, but there was SO much of it, and some of it was distinctly painted with blue on it ( in a plank, ok dont know lumbar terms) so it was likely marked for a reason. I digress.


And who do I find speeding on by? WADE. Super ART DC SPONSOR extraordinaire. I am not airing out my dirty kit. I am trying to show his logo. He was headed up to Duluth where his wife was racing Grandma's the next day. I think Wade is training for...I cant remember. Something long.

Elizabeth and I headed back south at this point and stopped to help some guys with a flat. Now since i change a flat in about 20 minutes, we just lent them her hand pump. Guess they saw our guys at the trailhead in Carlton and said "oh they missed the turn, went flying by us." Okay. OOops. Later we learned these guys had sucked some wheels and knew that the guys were headed to Duluth as well. um, hello. Dudes give a shout when you know they missed the turn. Either way our boys got to see scenic Wrenshall, MN home to the Memorial Day cycling stage race TT and turn around and come back. 10 miles added, could have been worse.
So they caught us about 2 miles from Duluth and they were flying. I was being a good girl riding easy and so just let them head on down the hill to the car.
Looking pretty good. I think some bananas, PB and J wraps, Aleve/Advil and some more water and they were good to go. Their new trail buddy led them thru duluth since the traffic was horrendous bc of the marathon and then they were onto old 61 and headed to Two Harbors. Trail buddy dropped off in duluth ...Woo hoo! Eliz and i headed to the cabin where i was on smoothie duty. Whey chocolate banana smoothies and dip in the river before the final leg to Finland.

By now it is about 4pm and they arrived at our cabin around 5:45pm. It was hotter in duluth than usual and at our cabin, about 40 miles north of Duluth it was hot as well. But all the sudden the wind shifted and it got downright cold. misty foggy cold.


My dad came out to greet the boys and we came inside.



All the sudden it was time for a hot shower, as they were all shaking with chills. This was the only point i thought and said "Um, if you are so chilled you have to be careful and not get more chilled. I dont want to go to the hospital bc of hypothermia." oops. Sorry. Negative talk. My bad. But reality is that after 200 miles I figured that they werent exactly sane and didnt exactly have stable blood sugars, obviously contributing to their body temps dropping. Hot showers later and they all felt better.
Sorry but no pics of K in his double hawaian shirts, Rich in my sisters knee warmers, and S in my knee warmers, they were off again into the fog.

Blah blah blah. I thought about going back to get them but knew they wouldnt take a ride anyways..since there is no cell coverage they were on their own till they got here: ( pic was taken saturday, it was raining and foggy when we got there to prep dinner!)

Mile 255 arrived at around 9:15pm. Tired and wired Rich walked up the porch with his cleats chanting "boot leg please..." :) They made it. Best part of the ride: getting to the gravel road to turn into the lodge. Worst part: the gravel road, in the dark. nearly took them all out!

So it was a late night friday...and i dont think anyone slept too well. Myself included!
Saturday dawned and i headed back down to Two Harbors to see some family and get short ride in ..it was HOT. Those poor runners! Naps were taken and Rich came back down to dinner at our place and then the DQ run.
Up and at 'em early to get a forest run in, then head home. Rich dropped me at the lake, wetsuit in hand and I met some buddies for an OW swim. Got a lift home and bam...it was 4pm. Sunday.
Fun times....
Now to be honest...I had to ask myself...Do i want to ride to my cabin? And the answer, once again is NO. Some of you know I have done some century rides but i have also done some 90 mile rides. and some 88 mile rides and even some 95 mile rides. I really dont get an extra buzz riding to 100. Not sure why. Just seems really far!

Good job boys! Glad we can check that off the bucket list.