Goodbye Chuck…

It’s been a Dickensian few weeks for us.  Six weeks to the day after Charlotte’s birth, we lost Maggie’s father, Charles Earl Hansing.  He was a great man and is desperately missed.

Although there are a great many things about Chuck that I could reflect on, two in particular, stand out.  First, he was the most positive person I have ever met.  In the 16 years that I knew him I never once heard him utter a negative word about anyone or anything.  He saw the best in people and the world around him. Without exception.

(teaching Maggie to ski)

Second, he set the bar really really high.  Chuck excelled in so many things - a renowned cardiologist, incredible father to 4 great children, youth soccer coach for 22 years, engaged citizen, alpine climber, Eagle Scout, devoted husband, winemaker, wood carver, historian, photographer…the list goes on and on.  He never stopped.  In some ways this was intimidating.  As a son-in-law, the standard he set as a scholar, father, citizen, and husband seemed impossibly high, but never once did Chuck do anything other than welcome me into his family and provide constant encouragement for the life and family Maggie and I were trying to build together.

In life, and in death, timing is everything.  Chuck had been suffering from Alzheimer’s for the last several years.  Watching that disease rob him of his genius and tireless will was exceedingly difficult.  Over the last year his body began to fail as well, finally succumbing to stomach cancer two weeks ago.  He was with his wife, his four children, and one of his closest childhood friends at the time.  6 months ago Duncan, his youngest son, would not have been here as he was still at medical school in California.  6 months from now and Maggie and the rest of our family would not have been there, as we will be in Missoula by then.  He was able say good bye to the important people in his life.  He lived well, lived happy, and made the most of every opportunity he had.  An inspiration to the end.

We named Charlotte in Chuck’s honor and are so grateful they got six weeks together.  Chuck is missed, but his spirit lives on in all who knew him.  He was a great man and one who led by example every day. 

The Seattle Times ran a nice obituary last week and it’s worth the read.

A Toddler’s Version of the Republican Primary

Over the last several weeks Ainslie has developed quite an entourage.  We can’t go anywhere without Elmo, Baby, Rabbit, and Mouse.

It occurred to me that this posse has much in common with the remaining candidates for the Republican nomination.  Elmo has been the favorite for a long time, but doesn’t seem to be able to capture Ainslie’s full attention and devotion.  The three others experience volatile swings in populatiry that are difficult to predict or comprehend. 

Elmo = Romney:  He’s got the pedigree…a made-for-television toy.  He hails from the Sesame St establishment, has great hair, and has made a ton of money over the years.  Elmo is a elite toy for sure.

Baby = Gingrich:  Baby was prolific back in his hey day as the primary toddler-hood partner of Cousin Declan.  Together they did great things, until he was unceremoniously cast aside.  He has somehow ressurected his toyical life seems willing to do anything to remain in Ainslie’s favor, including enduring a full cycle through the laundry.

Rabbit = Santorum: A family-first toy who is fervently pro-life without exception.

Mouse = Paul:  Mouse is misunderstood.  He is, in fact, a sheep.  It takes a keen observer, one who can slice through the propaganda on all sides, to decipher who Mouse really is.

2011 Top Eleven

#11: Yep, it goes up to eleven…simply because this year I celebrated 11 years of marriage to my best friend. (NOTE: to make an 11 you need two 1s, which is exactly what I have/need in this list. The first #1 is of course my beloved wife of 11 years, Maggie and the second #1 is…see below…)

#10: Patagonia Athlete Summit: We finally got this disparate band of ultrarunners together for a great series of meetings. Patagonia launches an exciting all-new line of trail running gear in Spring 2012. Stay tuned. You’ll be impressed.

#9: SuperFly!: After 10 years a mountain bike has returned to the quiver. I picked up a used single-speed 29er and the thing is incredible. Love 29 inch wheels and don’t miss gears one bit. Nice to get back to my roots a bit…and I’m sure this rig will get a ton of use in Missoula.

#8: Camp Vitamin D: In May a few of us soggy Pacific Northwesterners couldn’t take the incessant rain and darkness any longer, so we headed to Utah, grabbed Hit Man (Matt) Hart and ran all over Zion National Park. Great fun in the sun. I am hopeful an annual event has been launched.

#7: Photography: I’ve had my camera about a year now and thanks to lots of trial and error and the help of patient friends like Paul and Becker, I am starting to scratch the surface of decent photos and loving every minute. Here are some of my better efforts for the year:

#6: Invited revision from the Journal of Consumer Research. This is the top journal in my field and my dissertation research made it through the first round. Essentially, they told me I don’t quite suck enough for them to reject my work. Super motivating!

#5: Trans-Rockies Run: A great running journey through the Rocky Mountains. It was especially enjoyable to compete along side my trusted training partner and friend @hugnut.

#4: Vermont 100: Was trained to win and really think I coulda woulda shoulda, but failed to seize the opportunity and finished 4th….learned a lot. Nice to race so close to to my hometown and spend a great week with family in New Hampshire.

#3: Jay-Oh-Bee: Believe it or not I got one! After all these years of school, some brave institution found me employable. That institution is the University of Montana and we are so very excited to join the Griz family. The ever-expanding brood will relocate to Missoula next summer.

#2: Four 50k wins, including some tight racing on Orcas Island and a Yankee domination of Diez Vista. DV is one of my very favorites and it was a great honor to come away with the win. This has been my healthiest and most successful racing season to date.

#1: Charlotte Jean Angle

Christmas Cheer

Some images of our second Christmas with Ainslie and first with Charlotte…

Hanna Anderson Ad…

Cousin Lindsey…