New Kid on the Block!

Congratulations to Shannon and Elias on the birth of their son, "ELIAS CHRISTOPHER", on Monday. We are so happy for you! Please send pictures!

ScrabbleBlast Revisited

New high score for all of you enthusiasts......

"Poppa" got a 2221 tonight!

"Poppa" is Jack's new name for his grandpas.....I LIKE it!

Summer Schedule

Now that we've made a kennel reservation for the dogs, I just wanted to give everyone a heads up on our anticipated summer schedule. We are going to a wedding on Saturday, June 27th in Gainesville. So, we plan on leaving Sunday, June 28th around 6am, which should get us to Ann Arbor around 11pm. We plan on staying overnight in Ann Arbor and then dropping the dogs at a kennel in Canton at 8am on Monday, June 29th. That should mean that we'll arrive at Long Lake at about noon. We're picking the dogs up on Sunday, July 5th between 4 and 8 pm and plan on staying in Ann Arbor until Tuesday, July 7th around noon. We will then leave to visit some of my relatives in Kentucky.

Finished

Phil finished at 3:50:48 with a tough headwind on a tough course. It's time for some celebratory lunch in Boston, then we're on the road again.

Phil says, "The headwind and the hills were the big winners today, but I finished, and that makes me a big winner too."

2:01pm

Saw Phil! He was able to stop for a few seconds and say hello. Now we're off to meet him downtown.

1:03pm

At 01:09 PM: 30km Athlete Alert. Philip Fleming. Time 2:37:13, Pace 8:26

12:42pm

Captain America just ran by!

12:20pm

At 12:20 PM: Half-Marathon Athlete Alert. Philip Fleming. Time 1:48:35, Pace 8:16

Half way there, nice going Phil!

11:23am

At 11:23 AM: 10km Athlete Alert. Philip Fleming. Time 0:51:11, Pace 8:14

10:33am

He's off! Phil's wave has started and he's on his way. After a scenic tour of the area (getting more lost, then found, then lost again) we've made our way to mile 22 where we'll be cheering.

9:33am

We've dropped Phil off at the starting line, and wished him well. He's excited and ready to go, but the race doesn't actually start until 10:30!

Dave and I drove further into Boston....and are now lost. Google maps to the rescue!

Tracking Uncle Phil

We learned this weekend that we can track Phil's progress on the Boston marathon website via a computer chip in his shoe. The link to track him is here. (I'm sure most of my computer-savvy cousins have figured this out already. But putting this out there just in case).

Phil and I chatted this weekend about how you wish someone luck for a race like this. In the theater, we say "break a leg" which is never a particularly warm and fuzzy thought anyway, but feels especially ominous for a marathon. Phil said the best wish you can give a marathon runner is "finish strong," since the goal is to finish, but finishing strong means you reached your goal with style (and maybe a really good time).

Finish strong, Uncle Phil!

6:44am

We crossed the state line into Mass. This is going to be trickier than I though. Apparently, I can't edit existing posts from my blackberry, so I'll have to create a new post with each entry. The sun is up now, and we're enjoying the ride through the Berkshires.

The Boston Marathon

11:33pm: I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update this, but I'll try to keep it going. It's the night before the marathon and everyone's in bed. After a big pasta dinner for the carbs, Phil set up his pack and his clothes for running. We printed out directions to the starting line and where we hope to see him along the route. We're all set and ready to go. In a few short hours, we'll be getting up and on the road the brginning of the race in Hopkinton, MA.

5:35am: The sun isn't up, but we are. We're groggily making some quick breakfasts and getting moving. We have about a three hour drive to the starting line in Hopkinton, which should give Phil plenty of time to warm up and settle in when we get there. The forecast says 50 degrees and overcast, which will be perfect for running. Phil says he feels good, we're all excited to get out the door!

Geni

I just joined Geni through Facebook and wanted to let everyone know that it's really neat. It's basically an online family tree that everyone in the family can add to and edit. I've added as many Flemings as I can, but it would be wonderful if we could get a few more generations and details (wedding dates, birth dates, etc.) on there. I would love to see all the Panning, Trueblood, and Trudeau generations on there as well! It would be great to have a huge family tree compiled for the next generation! Thanks for your help.

Who's Heading to Beantown?

Yes, Uncle Phil, we know you're going!

Anyone else? Let's get a thread going to work out some plans. Anyone driving up from the south (like, oh, Virginia...or even Florida) pretty much has to come through NYC. You're all welcome to stay with us before or after the race if you want to visit. And if anyone has extra space in their car, maybe we can save some gas and go together?

Time to rally the Fleming cheering section!