Post 15 (11/4/14)

Well, would you look at this. A new post only a week after the last one? You're not seeing things. This is really happening...hahahaha, like you guys sit on the edge of your seat to read about my ramblings ;)

I've challenged myself to write a new post every time a friend of mine posts. You might remember her, I mentioned her last post. If you guys haven't checked out her blog yet, I recommend it again, and the latest post is fantastic, Searching & Servitude.

So, for starters, Halloween was a smashing success this year. It didn't look like it was going to be as such because it had been pouring rain all over Sacramento that day, all day. Aside from that, the boy had been an exceptional pill for about 3 hours before my wife got home. I had finally given in and made him lay down, I just couldn't take it anymore. Luckily my wife is more forgiving than I am because I was about to send her and my daughter over to my cousin's house on their own. She decided to wake him up and gamble on the hope that once we were with the other kids, he would cheer up and have fun. She was absolutely right. The rain let up for several hours, the kids had a blast, and even the parents all seemed to enjoy the night. This was my daughters favorite Halloween so far, by a long shot.

Left to right: Merida, Mario, Zarina the Pirate Fairy, Darth Vader, and Minnie Mouse

The next big going on around here was the Merrell Down & Dirty Mud Run. My wife and I participated in this one just last Sunday. It was so challenging but so much fun. We were joined by two good friends from Reno who came down and joined us. The  run was about 3.5 miles and probably a mile of it was uphill (no, we didn't run much). I have to say, the MVP was my wife. Anyone who knows her very well will tell you that she is very much afraid of heights. This woman conquered every obstacle including about 5 obstacles that were height related. She struggled with them, to be sure, but she didn't let a single one stop her. I am still overflowing with pride for her accomplishment Sunday.

The requisite Before & After

The last big news is something that I'm doing on my own. I was inspired by the Life of Dad social network to participate in Movember. This is a movement to raise funds and awareness for men's health. They specifically focus on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's mental health issues. I think this is a fantastic cause and a really fun way to participate in a fundraiser. I don't do very many fundraisers so I'm hoping my lack of asking friends for money will help me be somewhat successful in this. The object is to give yourself a clean shave on November 1st and grow only a mustache for the entire month. Needless to say, my wife was not pleased about this development at all. Don't worry, I'm not super excited about how it looks either, but it's for a cause I believe in and I'm really proud to participate. That being said, if any of my loyal readers would like to donate to me or my team, please follow the link to my fundraiser page, Shane's Movember page.

The face just about sums up how I feel with a shaved look.