Pacing, Shades, Web Site and Apple trouble.

Ok the pacer selections have gone well and looks we won't have to do a lottery for the spots. We still need to fill in a few spots for 9:09 pace and faster. Remember you'll get a pair of shoes and a nice t-shirt for your efforts. Go here to sign up.

Tomorrow a representative from Axely sunglasses will be at the run to offer a discount on their shades. So bring some cash if you need some.

We had a great turnout at the pace run on Tuesday and Wednesday night with many of you recording all-time best, great job, shows that you have been working hard. If you haven't posted your time go here: Pace Run Times You can also search for results here: Past Times.

I've been working on the web site the last couple of days and you'll notice a new button at the top called Fall 2007 training. What I've done is created a page for every major race with all the info for that race on the page. You'll find a roster of who is training for that event. Links to the Training plans, Race information, this week long runs and mid week work outs are posted there. I'm hoping this will help organize the group a bit. It's not finished yet so if you don't see your race listed I'll get to it. Although I might create a misc pages for all of the random races. Go here for the links to the pages: Fall 2007 Training I'll also be adding bio's for the of group leaders to help identify them.

There is one group within the group that goes fairly unnoticed but are very important to the group. A few months ago there were only 4-5 of them and now there are over 10. they are lead by Sylvia Carpio who was one of the first members of the group years ago and have been very kind to come out and help me with the walkers. I appreciate her efforts as I know the walker do. In some ways I think they work harder than the bulk of the group because when you're done with your long run and have had your second beer they are still out there working away. Looks like they will training for the Portland Seattle Marathon and Half this year. Great Job gang.

Now for something non running related

Ok now for me to get on my soap box about an experience today at an Apple store. A lot of you being MS employees, and other computer related business might enjoy this. I bought a MAC pro notebook a little over a year ago which had a one year warranty. Of course about a week after the warranty was up it started acting up. I dealt with the screen resolution problems that were there for a week then went away and then the noises the disc drive started making when you would boot it up. Also the wireless connection started to act up a little and even the software started to act a little funky. Hey I just worked through it knowing that I should have renewed the warranty. Well yesterday I was using it and had to plug it in because the battery appeared to be dead. After the booted it up I notices an x through the battery icon on the task bar. I figured it must be just out of place and not attached properly but when I went to make sure it was where it should I noticed a big bulge in it. Now I know that can't be good.

So I figure I just better take this $2000 piece of crap in. So this morning I head to South Center Mall (Westfield). I get there at 9:30 not remembering it opens at 10:00 (I have I told you I hate Malls, that'll be for another time.)

I hang out for 30 min and wait for it to open. As I t opens I stroll in with my Mac in my little bag hanging over my shoulder. So the first thing is this guy who if you asked me needed a shave approached me wearing literally cutoffs and some old stinky Chuck Taylor's. He asks if he can help me. I tell him that I have some troubles. At which he scrunches up his eyes and scruffy beard and says that's not good. I'm thinking good he wants to help me. I go about telling him about my troubles and upon telling him about the battery he seems to recognize this as a problem he has encountered before, which make me think he's going to help so get over the cut offs and the scruffy beard. He comments sounds like you had a total meltdown, which seems to describe the problem well.

He asks me if I have the Apple care plan which is $350 and say no because $350 seems a little steep to me especially when you're laying down $2000 for the computer and at the time I thought Apple (or so they say) is supposed to be so much better than anything else what the heck. He's says well you should have and I say well I know that now. I said I didn't think that I would have these kind of problems, which he says well you never know. I say well I can see one problem but it has lead to a series of problems and he says well you never know and you should have brought it when it first started to happen. I should have told him how I hate malls. I just said well when the battery started to bulge I figured that was the last straw. We went around in circles a bit more about why I should have had the $350 dollar plan. Well you never know.

As we're talking he is playing with a computer he has on display and I'm thinking maybe he is looking up my transaction when I bought it. He types a few keys and slid the key board over to me, the screen is asking me my name and e-mail address. I type them in and ask what is this all about. He tells me I'm making a reservation to see an apple specialist and I go what? Yeah looks like today at 1:30 you can get in. I'm like hey I'm here now, 1:30 isn't good for me. He asks what about tomorrow. I'm like what I'm here now to talk to someone about this piece of bulging crap. He opens up a page on the screen that has time for tomorrow. I'm kind of in shock and pick 12:30 on my way home from the group. He say' ok I'll see you tomorrow. I'm standing there not believing what has happened he just walks away from me and leaves me standing there. Well I guess you never know.

If you're running the Fremont 5K tonight I'll see you out there.