Cup Champions

Nicholas and his mates from FC Barcelona won a hard fought battle in the championship of the President's Cup yesterday. They won in double overtime 3-2. But more outstanding - Nicholas had an assist on the team's second goal - on what easily could have been a goal itself. A hard shot into the upper right hand corner forced the keeper to jump and block - which he did well but unfortunately for him - the ball fell right to the feet of Nicholas's teamate who knocked it in.

It was a beautiful day for soccer and a beautiful day to be a champion. Congrats Nicholas.

Irish Thistles

There they are!

Roundstone Harbor

Roundstone Harbor
Originally uploaded by thistleamy5

I love Ireland for two reasons. One - I fell in love with running again when I was in Ireland. I would get up early and run in the cleanest air in the greenest spot on earth. Eventually all that clean running made me do a marathon.

The second reason was because it was there that I stopped at a golf course and I bought a friend of mine a hat. It had a Thistle on it. And when I got home - I gave that hat to my friend and in that moment she paused and asked me to do something.

And 2 months later she was my boss.

Steak Frites

Steak Frites
Originally uploaded by otheradam

I am not sure there is a greater pleasure in life than a really good steak. Except perhaps a really good basket of deep fried appropriately cut potatoes drizzled with salt. So when given the opportunity to travel in a country that has as its’ national dish – something called steak and frites – I am on the next plane to Paris.

Such a simple concept – and when executed well – it is divine. Key is to start with quality raw goods – if you have the time and acreage – raising your own cow, butchering it and then cutting the primest part of said cow (now affectionately called ‘Daisy’ by the rest of your family) – is the best way to achieve steak and frites nirvana.

But you can also do ok at any local market. Or for that matter you can do pretty well if you go to any Portland restaurant that serves steak frites. Carafe immediately comes to mind… very authentic and reasonably priced. I don’t have the wardrobe or pocket book for a place like Bluehour, Fenouil or 1001 – but I hear they do this dish up real nice.

Oh and it tastes even better if you go run 10 miles in the rain beforehand. Good steak, a basket of fries and a tasty red wine and boom – 9 hour coma.

I'm Sick

I often look around my “reading room” – also known as converted garage with carpet, 2 windows and bookshelves. And I think what kind of a sick person am I that I own so many books that I will never ever read? I can’t possibly read them all – no one lives that long.

I had always figured that this one bad addiction would suffice. And who was I harming anyways? I was keeping hundreds of authors – not to mention publishers – employed. And you just never ever know when you will need to read a book about the origins of goddess sculpture in 5th century Greece now do you?

Well in the past two months I seem to have entered a whole new arena of addiction. Let’s just say that iKnow this is bad, iCan’t seem to stop myself, iLove these products even though iKnow iHave to stop.

And bless his cute little Duck loving heart – but when Andrew was messing about with a particular iProduct that requires a lot of ‘touching’ - that as much as iLove this new toy – I let Andrew really touch it a lot… grimy fingers and all.

Did I mention you can download books with this thing?

More Thistle Junior Kudos

Another Thistle Junior in the news. Johanna Volz had her name in print this week as an All League Honorable Mention Midfielder for the PIL. Johanna is only a sophomore so we expect big things from her and her young Grant team in the next few years.

Johanna also had a very successful summer with her club team – Bridlemile Soccer Club. Last summer they traveled all the way to Virginia for a national competition after winning the regional tournament in Boise. Wow Boise has been very, very good to the Thistles. Cary Wilson may be on to something.

On to Nationals!!!

They've done it again! The amazing Crusader 7 ran a great race on Saturday at the Nike Nationals Northwest Regionals - finishing in a strong 2nd place - qualifying for the Nike Nationals meet on December 6.

The weather was cold but beautiful in the desert climate of Boise, Idaho. The boys championship was the last event of the day - so we had a lot of time to explore the course, enjoy the beautiful weather and for Janice and Peter - get nervous. I have to interject a brief word here about the girls race - which was run wonderfully by a gal from Gig Harbor who won in a course record time. But following her was Anna Marie Maag - Jesuit's top runner - she ran a very smart race and finished very strong in 2nd place. She is only a sophomore and I have rarely seen a runner who runs so smart and is so tough. And she is only a sophomore. Great things to come for her.

On to the boys race - it was a tough course to negotiate as a fan - either you ran all over to be right on the fence and within yelling range. Or you you could spend the whole time on the "hill" - although you would be far away from the action - you could see almost the whole course. I chose fence level which was also better for my photo assignment.

It was a very quick race so I will make this quick as well. Christian charged out front and held the lead among the Jesuit runners. For most of the race I would say he was in 15th - 16th place. He was followed closely behind by the next 4 runners from Jesuit. The key to scoring well is to have your 5th runner in a really good place and they have done that so well all year. But this was a bigger and more competitive race so there was concern.


But they ran within close range of each other and the 1 through 5 runners for Jesuit were within I believe approx. 30 seconds of each other. That is amazing! Christian ended up 2nd for Jesuit behind Ben Demaree. Again I believe he finished in the top 20 for the entire Northwest. And this is only his second year running cross country. This is a real tribute to his hard work this year - daily doubles - early morning long runs on the weekend - and an unrelentless desire to win - and to win as a team. It has been a joy to watch.

Favorite Travel Writers - #5

I am going to devote the next few blog entries talking about my Top 5 travel book writers. There are so many great travel books I couldn’t limit myself to the Top 5 favorite travel books - so I am cheating by talking about my 5 favorite travel book authors. Cheating – maybe – but its my blog so I can do whatever I like. And if you get bored with all this top 10 or top 5 list crap – then you absolutely need to read “High Fidelity” by Nick Hornby. It is a brilliant book. Read it. Now.

Ok I will work backwards – to create a false sense of excitement – for the 2 of you out there reading this.

So we start with #5.

Lawrence Durrell was one of most beautiful and lyrical travel writers ever to put pen to page. He painted such a beautiful picture with words that you want to abandon all responsibility and get on a plane and visit Sicily, Corfu, Crete or Cyprus. You want to sip ouzo with a goatherder, and listen to bouzouki on a back street in the Plaka of Athens. You yearn to see ancient temples, to swim in the warm sea and to smile at toothless Greek grandmothers dressed in black.

I will speak later of Patrick Leigh Fermor who also writes about Greece but Fermor and Durrell do so in such different ways. Durrell is a hopeless romantic frequently referencing Homer, Lord Byron, Sappho, Cavafy and others - creating visions of rosy fingered dawns and wine dark seas.

From “The Greek Islands”:

“The days dawn fine and cool at this time of the year, and the memory of countless Greek dawns over the land and sea are something which every traveler will value and treasure long after he has returned to the mists of the north. Their crisp, dry felicity is almost shameful.”

For Durrell, Greece is a long lost lover that he can write endlessly about and for – who doesn’t want to go to a place like that and fall in love?

Here is a lovely passage about the famous generosity of the Greeks – something which I have been a victim of.



“And even today it is dangerous to express admiration for something, you will certainly find it in your baggage as a farewell gift when you leave. You cannot refuse. They are adamant. I knew a lady who got a baby this way.”

If you are even remotely thinking of going to Greece – pick up “The Greek Islands” or “Reflections on a Marine Venus” and I guarantee that you will soon find yourself underneath an olive tree overlooking the Aegean, reading Homer or Seferis and wondering to yourself “what took me so long to get here?”.

Lindsay Brown Zapolsky

September 16, 1957 - August 31, 2008

Lindsay - we miss you.

Autumn Leaves

Autumn
Originally uploaded by thistleamy5

How silently they tumble down
And come to rest upon the ground
To lay a carpet, rich and rare,
Beneath the trees without a care,
Content to sleep, their work well done,
Colors gleaming in the sun.
At other times, they wildly fly
Until they nearly reach the sky.
Twisting, turning through the air
Till all the trees stand stark and bare.
Exhausted, drop to earth below
To wait, like children, for the snow.

Elsie Brady

Champions

Title Announcement
Originally uploaded by thistleamy5

Saturday morning - Janice and I start the day with a run of our own. 8.5 miles on the waterfront. A good run followed by our customary latte and flash forward - 2 hours with 8 people crammed into the Honda Pilot and we are in Eugene.

We navigate the scene at Lane Community College to see how we might best observe and encourage Christian. Janice's brother Pat and niece McKain are enthusiastic and game for anything.

We do a trial run during the girls 6A race. Janice and I enjoy watching Annamarie Maag run a very smart and gutsy race and overcome Alexandra Jones of St. Mary's at the very end. It is bittersweet for me as I have to watch a fellow LC alum Dan Jones watch his daughter get beat in the final 1/4 mile.

I can't imagine Janice's nerves - my stomach is butterflies and more as they announce 5 minutes to the start of Christian's race. I decide to take pictures of the start - Janice, Pat and McKain will take the bluff. Surprisingly fast the gun goes off and Patrick Maag leads the charge.

The black jersies of JHS take their familiar spot at the head of the pack. It seems all too familiar.

They head into the trees and we won't know for a full 6 minutes what is happening. They emerge with the Crusader boys still all together right behind the two solitary leaders. Christian and Ben Demaree leading the way with Andi, Willie and Patrick very close behind.

An unknown from North Medford is in the # 2 spot and looking very tough but the boys don't care - if they stay close together they know the championship is theirs. As has been true all year - Central Catholic is no where to be found except for a lone runner in the top 10.

They do a final loop around the softball and baseball fields and we all run for the finish line. I have had a couple of glimpses of Janice - as we criss and cross the course - with only brief moments to express a "so far so good"! I have never seen Janice so nervous and excited at the same time.

We have to shove for a front line spot on the final stretch and here comes the # 1 runner and it is the North Medford kid. Way to go! then the #2 runner from South Eugene and then four - yes count em - 4 Jesuit runners- all in a pack. It is a beautiful sight with 300 meters to go.

They hit the final turn and Ben, Christian and Andi look to the coach for the green light on a terrific kick. And they finish 3,4, 5, 6 and here comes our fifth runner in the 10 spot.

One of the best team performances in Oregon State Cross Country history. Their final score of 28 is the second lowest score in the state's history. Having witnessed the McChesney years at South Eugene - I am amazed that these kids are even better.

The day ends with proud parents and endless smiles at the Burger house. Thank goodness we get an extra hour this weekend for the families and friends to celebrate.

Gutting it out

Finish State
Originally uploaded by thistleamy5

"A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more."

Congrats Christian

Champions V
Originally uploaded by thistleamy5

This was just too nice a picture not to post. I'll go back to fall colors and pictures of foreign destinations but fair warning there is still regionals on Nov. 15.

State Champions

It's not a very long way from Wilsonville to Eugene - but it has been a nice, long and wonderful ride for the Jesuit HS Boy's Cross Country team. Yesterday they placed all 5 scoring runners in the top 10 and ran away with the state title with a phenomenal team score of 28.

It's been a nice ride too for the parents and friends of parents and all the fans. This is a pretty special team and you can see on the face of this kid - just what a great moment this is. More photos and chat coming.