99.9 The Fan Guest Coach Experience at the NC State Throwback Game

throwback_ncsu_06What an amazing night in Historic Reynolds Coliseum. I had the honor of being a guest coach for the NC State Wolfpack during the Alumni throwback game on October 17, 2014. Thanks to 99.9 The Fan, Adam Gold, and Joe Ovies, I was courtside with Wolfpack greats like Gugliotta, Monroe, Corchiani, Del Negro, Whittenburg, and Towe to name a few. Continue reading

Halloween, Red Hat style, home style

halloween2014_06We had an amazing Halloween. Of course, it’s a fun day for the family, but also at work. Halloween is important at Red Hat because of our history. 20 years ago this year, the famous Halloween release of Red Hat Linux was out in the wild. Now, it’s evolved into one of the most trusted, secure, and reliable versions of enterprise-ready Linux.

We have an awesome Halloween party at the office. Starting at 2:00 pm on Friday, Red Hat Associates gathered at the Lincoln Theater for a skit from our Corporate Leadership Team. Continue reading

Race Season Begins in the City of Oaks

city_of_oaks_half_04A cold blast of winter arrived yesterday, making the morning temperatures for the City of Oaks marathon a bit brisk. The forecast was for the low to be in the mid 30’s. Luckily, race time starting temperatures were in the low 40’s. And the wind was just a little ca-burrrr in a few spots!

I dedicated this race to my friend Thomas Crowder, who we lost a few weeks ago to cancer. Thanks for the inspiration Thomas.

This was my eighth time running the City of Oaks half marathon and my 23rd half marathon overall. Last year, I finished in 1:43:08, and my time goal was to beat that. I wasn’t feeling that elusive 1:40 half marathon time today. Continue reading

OBX Labor Day Weekend

obx_labor_day_2014_22We were ready for a long weekend on the Outer Banks, but first, Merri Beth and I had few errands to run in Raleigh. Sunsets and long walks on the beach were on hold for a few short hours.

We’d missed back to school shopping earlier in the month, which for us, includes a new pair of running shoes.We went to Fleet Feet on Wade Avenue to get fitted and score some new running kicks. After that, a quick lunch at Whole Foods (to-go) and we were off to get the kids from school. Continue reading

Sports weekend in Raleigh: Canes and the Wolfpack

canes_02It was going to be a big sports weekend in Raleigh. No Major League Baseball playoffs, but opening night for the Carolina Hurricanes and college football with NC State were on tap for us. My mom drove in from the Outer Banks on Friday, October 10. I left the office early, but was working from home on the upper deck to finish out the work week.

Merri Beth arrived with the kids and then the babysitter showed up about quarter to 6:00 pm to watch Coco for the evening. Mom, Zander, MB, and I were ready to head to the PNC Arena for the opening night for the Canes against the New York Islanders. We arrived and checked out the fan zone, then headed into the arena. Continue reading

Cristobal Lights Up the NC Surf Scene

cristobal_bipie_23All my research was complete and the call was made for the morning: Emerald Isle was the spot, fingers crossed. Hurricane Cristobal was sitting off the coast, pumping in swell. I used a combination of MagicSeaWeed and SwellInfo to help me pinpoint a surf location—be sure to check out my post Surfing the open data wave that highlights how open data is used by surf forecasting tools. As a surfer stuck inland, if I’m getting in the car to drive two plus hours, I want to maximize my time. Continue reading