This is a snapshot week from Maura's 1995 training log. This week is typical during the early-to-mid part of the racing season. I cannot imagine doing these kind of miles back then and certainly not now. Back in 1995, I think I was putting in about 150 a week and Maura doing 250 on a random week. This week from April 3rd-9th was a 260 mile-week. The next several weeks were at 245, 122, 204, 319, 212, 245 miles per week! If I remember right, the intent is to build up the miles and most of these were racing miles. The 319 was a monster week at the stage race in Bisbee, Arizona and her average speed for that week was 19.4 mph! For anyone who knew her, when she set out to go after a goal, she certainly does not mess around.
Toonses as the cat who can drive. Toonces was a standard Saturday Night Live sketch in the late 80s/early 90s so she named the tabby after the character (with a slightly different spelling). We all thought Toonses was dumber than a doorknob but Maura loved her anyway. Toonses was Maura's cat. Maura wrote the poem above when Toona Kat (as she would call her) passed away after a full 15 years of life. In a eulogy for Toonses that Maura wrote, she finished by saying "I do not doubt that many...too many to count...years from now when our season has ended, Toonses will be there to greet us once again." I, for one, am sure that Maura and Toonses found each other again. Miss you both.
Mother and son. This was taken in the living room in Duarte at my parents' house. I asked both of them to look my way as I was about to snap the photo. Maura obliged but obviously, Sam didn't. What most likely happened is that Sam's eyes are glued on the TV, given the angle from the couch, he's not gonna turn his head.
Maura watching over JJ, Sam, Joe and Kaydee in the cold waters in El Capitan State Beach in July 2004. She loved the ocean. Hawaii, Santa Barbara, Manhattan Beach, Huntington Beach, Moonstone Beach, San Diego beaches. No matter what she's doing, mention going to the beach and she'll drop whatever she's doing and drive anywhere to get to the ocean.
I had forgotten about this picture that I took during a visit to Yosemite in February 2007. We played in a snow-packed meadow for most of the day freezing our buns off just outside the park, a few minutes from Fish Camp.
Since moving to Rancho Cucamonga, we've discovered the North Etiwanda Preserve about a mile away from the house, just up Day Creek Blvd. We've been fortunate enough to alway live within a mile of a decent hike. This photo is at the end of the hike up to Eaton Canyon falls, where we used to live in Pasadena. In January 2008, we all took off to this hike one Saturday morning. The kids were just beginning appreciate what Pasadena had to offer around our neighborhood. On the way up, we each got these hiking sticks that we proudly displayed in the photo. I setup the camera on a timer sitting on top of a rock, so I had 10 seconds to get to my pose. It was a great day I've re-lived in my mind over several times.
