Damn you, OLN

So after running endless promotions during the last 3 weeks of the Tour, promising the first season of Survivor (commercial free no less!), the Canadian subsidiary of OLN instead switched to a feed of - get this - Reel Fishing. Oh, the disappointment. (I am having to live vicariously instead through some of the nutcases over at Survivor Sucks.) So instead, having had lots of time to resize some of my photos, I present to you a photo diary of Friday's events.

The Summer Night 5km is one of the 2005 Honda Series races
that Chad's uncle Paul directs as owner of Runner's Choice. Every year there is a big showdown between Chad, Cory, Darin and Jeff at this event. This year several other members of the Roberts clan decided to run/walk as well, making it a bigger event than ever. Chad wound up working all Friday afternoon - so much for taking half the day off. So we didn't get to London til about 6:30 and race time was 7:10. Given that Liam has been on this eating-all-day growth spurt I figured I ought to feed him again pre-race so that he didn't pitch a fit right as the runners were finishing. So that was my first experience breastfeeding a baby in a car in a parking lot. Didn't think of this at the time we bought the Pilot but, hooray for tinted windows!...

Got to the starting line right as the runners were lining up. Didn't get to see much of the start. Ah well. Imagine a throng of skinny people wearing skimpy clothes all taking off...

So the dutiful wives/children remained behind to spectate - here is Liam hanging out with Evelyn and Audrey:



And Karen (among others) was kind enough to help Liam watch the race finish as I snapped a few photos:



I only wish I had gotten a picture of the second place finisher. He finished in under sixteen minutes - barefoot. Never seen something like that before. Chad is always hard on himself and wishes he could have done better, but I will tell you he did well to finish in 23:30:



Now, the best part of attending this race is that it is sponsored by Dairy Queen and there are all-you-can-eat post-race Dilly Bars! Even for the spectators! (No wonder there was such a large crowd this year...)



And no, we didn't let Liam have any, but I'm sure it will be all over his face next year. Well, all of this excitement, which was occurring long past Liam's bedtime, plus the fact that we were waving ice cream in his face and not letting him have any made for one cranky baby. Jeff wanted his picture taken with Liam and wouldn't you know it - that's when he chose to blow a gasket.



Here are some of the group - this shot is still missing Kathy, Janna, Deb and Matthew to be a complete representation:



And then, of course, the post race awards were at the Barking Frog - not a pub so much as a full out bar. Yes, I took Liam to a bar, and we were there til almost 10 p.m. Complete with loud Duran Duran music and strobe lights. (And all I could think of was Sweet Home Alabama: "You have a baby! In a bar!") Never mind that I myself cannot even think of the last time I was in a bar without him. But hey, we wanted to see the awards and get something to eat, what choice did I have?



(If there's anything more inappropriate than a baby in a bar, it's got to be a completely angelic thumb-sucking trying-to-go-to-sleep-but-this-Duran-Duran-is-way-too-damn-loud baby in a bar...)

And to put the perfect finishing touch on the night, Liam got hungry on the way home, we had to pull over so I could feed him again, which we did in a strip mall parking lot, and wouldn't you know it, but some of the local shop owners thought we were lost or needed help or something, and came out to ask if they could help us, and without thinking Chad opened the car door, turning on the interior light and exposing all. So I wound up flashing a few more people. I don't even know why I bother trying to be modest anymore. And no, my friends, I don't have a picture of that to share with you.