What I Learned This Week - 8/2/13

1.  My kids scare each other by texting creepy Doctor Who quotes. There have to be a dozen, “Are you moy mummay?” texts on each other’s phones around midnight.
2. If you walk into a child’s dark bedroom and turn on a single flashlight in their face while performing your best Dalek impression of “EX-TERM-IN-NATE!” – the child will scream louder than you expect.
3. It’s going to be a long day when my cup of coffee gives me only enough boost to get another cup of coffee.
4. Political parties aside, if you shave your head in solidarity for someone fighting a disease (even at the age of 85 when there may not be much to shave) - you are top notch in my book. Well done HW and his secret service agents, well done.
5. If someone tells me their race has an event tracker - I will follow that individual through the entire race, constantly checking their progress on my phone or computer when in meetings or on the road - regardless of how well I know them.
6. In every update on facebook for anyone racing, my standard reply is,"***cowbells**".  If I can't be there, they should at least know what I would be doing if I were.
7. Part of me wishes every race had an online tracker.
8. If a man rides by you on a unicycle while playing the them from the Legend of Zelda on an accordion, follow him.
9. There are few foods things that give me more energy than a family hooting, hollering and ringing cowbells during a race.
10. Yes, you can have the wind knocked out of you mid swim.  Yes, you might think you're going to die.  Breast stroking doesn't make it any easier, but at least you're not completely drowning.
11. If you want to be fast on the run, you have to be fast in practice. I am not fast in practice.
12. The only thing better than placing in a race, is doing so with my wife and friends. 
13. If you go to Casa Bonita for the food, you're going for all the wrong reasons and will be woefully disappointed.
14. Casa Bonita is Spanish for, "everything is sticky".
15. The cliff diver's name at Casa Bonita is Erik, and my oldest daughter called dibs because, "he dives with fire and has the same name as the prince from the little mermaid".
16. My "little" cousin is an amazing mom and has done a fantastic job raising her kids.....and Mitch.
17. Family nicknames are forever - sorry Kimmie.
18. "Wallypop" is the best nickname I've ever heard.
19. You cannot be in a foul mood seeing three kids under the age of nine and an adult in a canoe, paddling in rhythm singing, "Sweet Caroline". 
20. Colorado has an official state fossil and it is the Stegosaurus.
21. California's official state fossil is the Smilodon (similar to the saber-tooth tiger)
22. One cannot get enough Tony Danza references.
23. You can't go wrong ordering a gyro.
24. It's a good sign you have not overstayed your welcome when people invite you to live where they are.