Mt Hollywood!

Sunday morning we "go to church" so to speak, which is our trek to Mt Hollywood.   It has been a regular ritual for us, and I do find the experience to be somewhat spiritual.   Usually Gerry & I are accompanied by our friend MaryJane.  More often than not, we'll meet other friends along the way.   Here we are at the summit with some old timers.     We always touch the post, to make our hike official!   It's one of (the many) Mary Button quirks.     What a great way to celebrate the past week and to welcome the week ahead.

Friends Indeed!

Friends!   Now I am retired I hope I'll be able to spend more time with cherished friends.   Chuck & Eileen are amongst the best and two of the nicest people I know.     We've known Chuck since pre-RaceReady days.  In fact, Chuck played a key role in the initial formation of our business...But that is another story which is much too complicated for the blog-o-sphere.
Below is the picture taken of Eileen & Chuck during the 2010 Annual Rattlesnake Run. The location is the Bronson Bat Caves.   Although Eileen & Chuck don't appear prominent in this photo, they are most certainly prominent in real life.    (Old timers may recognize this spot as the garage for the Bat Mobile in the TV Show, BatMan.)    I'm hoping for many happy trails ahead with my friends.

I've spent countless enjoyable hours with my friend MaryJane.  She's a terrific friend, as well as my regular weekly hiking partner.   We've shared so many stories, and have been "there" for each other for years.  We have many fond memories of smiles & miles together.  And, I have no doubt these will continue into the future.  Here we are on a typical Sunday outing in Griffith Park.

FRIENDS.....They certainly DO make my life sweeter!

Bye Bye Glendale Office of RaceReady

We spent all day yesterday helping with the move of RaceReady from Glendale to Torrance..... Very weird to see the business (which we've built up over 18 years) suddenly disappear or transition to a new owner.  I realize it will be a big adjustment for us.   In a way though, I feel we filled the American Dream - combining our passion (running) with our pay check (RaceReady.)  We did have tons of fun and believe me, runners are the best market in the world.   I feel fortunate.  It was  a good thing to be able to walk into the RaceReady office every  day and feeling  what I did was fun, and not the nasty 4 letter word: "work."    It proved to be an enjoyable business being involved in the running community.  We met so many wonderful friends and I don't regret for a minute all the time we spent at RaceReady.    But WOW...I better just end this post before I get too nostalgic.  There is no good whatsoever in crying over my keyboard.  Here's looking to sunny days ahead! 

Easing into my new lifestyle

As many of you know, Gerry & I spent a great deal of time and effort in 2010 trying to sell our business, RaceReady .  http://www.raceready.com/  Mission was accomplished on Dec 31st...talk about taking it down to the wire!    I have mixed emotions, for it will be a definite adjustment.  

We started RaceReady from scratch in 1992.  Sometimes I think of it as my "18 year old baby has finally grown up and flown the coop."  These first few weeks of retirement we are spending much time trying to organize our home "office" and sorting out paperwork.  We haven't battted an eye at most of this stuff in a dozen years!   Yes, we did indeed let our home office deteriorate while we focused on growing RaceReady for 18 years.  

During the final 3 years of RaceReady I did blogging via my "Ask Mary" blog.  I would answer training questions, review some of my personal running experiences and adventures and offer advice and opinions primarily on running related topics.    My hopes are to continue to express my sentiments in  this blog so friends and family who are interested can be aware of what's going on with me, hence the birth of Mary's Musings and more! 

Now, back downstairs for further clean-up.  18 years ago, we started RaceReady from our home with rolls of supplex material in our 2nd bathroom's bathtub.  (Bathtubs actually do provide an adequate storing facility for rolls of fabric, by the way..)  Now we have our printer hooked up temporarily in said bathroom.   It looks like we've come full circle!