The Journey Continues
July 20, 2006
“I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.
I just wish He didn't trust me so much.” – Mother Theresa of Calcutta

What is it about signing up for Iditarod that draws other interesting events like a magnet? Last year one week after I signed up for my rookie race I lost my job. This year just before I signed up for my first race as a veteran (is that really me?) Marti found out that she was losing her job. If this trend continues, next year even the dogs will be unemployed ;-). Remember the old saw “we have been doing so much with so little for so long that we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.” Well nothing ventured, nothing gained, so here we go.

Today I sent the proposal for my book, “A Rookie’s Journey” off to the first group of publishers and an agent. Typically beginning writers don’t make minimum wage, but you never know. The book is based on my posts here and tells how a perfectly normal Ph. D. physicist (well normal for a Ph. D. in physics anyway) went to the dogs and finished Iditarod.
I am committed to writing this book and to the 2007 race. That will probably mean cashing in the 401 k’s and may well mean taking a home equity loan on the house. I currently have 17 dogs that should make the team for the 2007 race. They are all listed on the website under kennel, but Keiko, Rosemary, Mocha, Lycos, Throttle, Thyme, Balu, Basil, Picard, Dash, Platinum, Jewels, Rom, Dijon, Dukat, Sisco, and last but never least, Bass will enter training for the 2007 race in mid-August. It would be nice to have three more dogs because someone always gets hurt in training, someone comes into heat, and the morning of the start I’m sure someone will have an off day and ask if they can do it next year instead. That still leaves me with 14 dogs, which is what I started with last year. To get three more dogs that could improve the team I afraid I would have to: a) win the lottery, b) write a best selling book, or c) find a major corporate sponsor. I’m open to any of the above and we will just have to see what God has in store.

The dogs are all doing well. I’m trying to walk 4 times a week about 5 or 6 miles a time to get myself into better shape. I take a dog with me each time and they all seem to enjoy it. Then I bring another dog into the house in the evening for company as Marti and I unwind from the day’s efforts. Dash is all over me outside, almost knocking me down as she jumps up on my back. But she is intimidated by the house and lies quietly by my side. You wouldn’t even think it was the same dog. Bass is eager to come into the house and loves the attention, but after 30 minutes he’s ready to go back to the dog lot. Lycos is the opposite. He is normally quiet in the dog lot, but winds up like a cheap watch in the house. And he loves Marti. I always put a leash on the dogs when I bring them in so I have a handle I can catch if necessary. After dinner Marti was sewing on a quilt she is making and Lycos was straining at the end of the leash wanting to go help her.

Keep ‘em Northbound
Eric
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