I will no longer be updating Iron Guide (see below). Instead, I am now writing at my new, personal blog. Though that will be about some of the newer things I'm doing in life, if you want to see updates about Louie, Lester, and now Dusky, add me on Facebook -- there's enough ridiculously cute pictures to go around.

OK. So, clearly, I'm dead. This blog, at the very least, is. I cry uncle.

In the past several months, much has changed. Lester has grown up and gone out on his own, back at advanced training in Boring. I finished the Ironman. My start-up is very much in all-systems-go mode. I have a new puppy: Dusky. There's a new blog. (I won't be uploading pictures of Dusky or Lester to my blog. Instead, they'll go to on my Facebook. If you want to see them, add me -- Kushal Chakrabarti, I'm obviously pretty easy to find.)

And, most importantly? Lester is graduating. He'd been steadily working through the ranks and phases back at Boring, and I just heart last week that he'd been matched with a partner and was graduating October 18th. I haven't met or spoken with his partner yet, but I'm sure he and Lester are getting along like peanut butter and jelly. (Lester always was quite the schmoozer.) They're graduating together next Saturday, exactly a week from today.

I, sadly, will be on the other side of country, presenting at Pop!Tech 2008 and launching Vittana. I'm actually really sad -- I was actually considering flying back to Oregon for a day to see them graduate, but there's just no feasible way to make it work. Hopefully, one of these days, I'll get to see my old boy one more time. It's decidedly bittersweet: on the one hand, it's a huge honor to be invited to Pop!Tech and it's incredibly exciting to see things taking off for Vittana, but, on the other hand, I was really looking forward to seeing Lester again.

The last picture I have of my boy, taken the morning before we drove him back to Portland:



He looks so grown up, doesn't he?

This is will be my last post on Little Lester Pester / Iron Guide. I've made a lot of new friends writing here and it's been a great story. I've been (and will keep) following everyone in guide dog world, albeit a bit more silently. Though it's about some of the newer things I'm doing in life, I'll still occasionally write about Louie, Lester, and now Dusky too. If you want to follow along about the boys -- old and new -- I'd love it if you came along.

It's time I crossed out "In Training", isn't it? Lester is graduating in 7 days and I finished my (first) Ironman just over a month ago. So, in death, this blog will now be known as Iron Guide (In Training). It's almost poetic, in a way.

Labels: Dusky, Ironman, Lester, Louie

Permalink | Written at 9:18 AM | Post a comment | 19 comments | Trackbacks

I'm alive! Really, I'm alive! I've been traveling a lot these past few weeks and, between the 4 cities in 11 days, the startup and the Ironman training and -- well, you get the picture -- I just haven't been able to post. I wasn't even going to post today, really, but I was going through my email and I knew I had to write about this.

I met Amy, Tom and their 16-year-old son Sam when I first joined the Seattle chapter for Guide Dogs back in September 2005. They were raising Sadler, a gentle giant of a yellow Lab with the biggest, most massive head you never did see. Sadler was just awesome: I remember talking to Tom at the Guide Dogs Christmas Party with Sadler sitting quietly and resting his (massive) head on Tom's knee, happily ignoring all kinds of food whizzing by and humans of different shapes and sizes walking around, over, and sometimes into him. Sadler unfortunately didn't quite make it through college and was career changed in phase 8, but I'm sure doesn't mind his current living arrangement. ;)

In August 2006, Sam was diagnosed with a rare genetic, progressive neurodegenerative disorder called Friedreich's Ataxia. Although symptoms vary, most patients lose muscle strength and coordination over time and suffer from vision impairment, heart disease, slurred speech, and are ultimately forced to use a wheelchair. Despite active research in the field and the discovery in 1996 of the gene causing Friedreich's Ataxia, there is no known cure or treatment. An active athlete and high school baseball player, Sam is not one to take this lying down: although he is no longer able to play baseball or rollerblade or play his favorite sports anymore, Sam and his entire family are cycling with the Ride Ataxia II team from Sacramento to Las Vegas to raise funds for Friedreich's Ataxia research and make their presence known at the Friedreich's Ataxia Foundation Annual Convention. They will be finishing the 540-mile ride today and will arrive just in time for the start of the convention tomorrow.

Now, that's an Ironman.

Labels: Ironman

Permalink | Written at 2:07 PM | Post a comment | 4 comments | Trackbacks

Despite the recent spate of astoundingly gorgeous weather in Seattle, it was freezing here in Seattle yesterday. In Westlake Center, at least. At 3:15pm, specifically.



Fifty secret agents. (And 1 canine secret agent, appearing at ~1:20.) Five minutes. Completely frozen. Much amusement.

Oh, the things that guide dog training is useful for. :)

Labels: Lester

Permalink | Written at 7:20 PM | Post a comment | 10 comments | Trackbacks

Nearly six months ago, on September 3rd 2007, entrepreneur-adventurer Steve Fossett disappeared while piloting his single-engine plane over the desert mountains of rural western Nevada. Despite thousands of volunteers, hundreds of officials, dozens of aircraft, high-resolution satellites, and even Internet companies involved in a month-long search, he has never been found.

Yesterday, after emotional testimony from his wife Peggy in a Nevada court, he was declared legally dead.

His interest in adventure started early. As a Boy Scout, he grew up climbing the mountains of California.

"When I was 12 years old, I climbed my first mountain, and I just kept going, taking on more diverse and grander projects," he told CNN in a 2006 interview.

...

According to his Web site, Fossett swam the English Channel in 1985, finished 47th in the Iditarod dogsled race in 1992, competed in the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii in 1996 and drove in the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car race in 1993 and 1996.

He holds 14 world records in airplane flight, two in ballooning, 11 in sailing, six in glider flight, and one each in airship flight and cross-country skiing. He set numerous other records that have since been broken by other adventurers.

[More specifically, from TIME: "Fossett has held 116 world records, in five different disciplines, 60 of which still stand."]

In 2004, he peeled six days off the record for sailing around the world, finishing the job in 58 days, 9 hour 32 minutes and 45 seconds. That record was broken by Bruno Preyon in 2005.

His flights aboard the jet aircraft Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer and the balloon Bud Light Spirit of Freedom gained him worldwide fame. Fossett took the GlobalFlyer around the world in 2005, starting off from and returning to Salinas, Kansas, in three days, covering 22,936 miles, making him the first person to fly solo around the globe without refueling.

...

And he had a vision for his future.

"I imagine that when I'm 80 years old and sitting in a wheelchair that I might do something like take a remote-control airplane and try and fly it around the world," he said. "I plan to be setting and breaking records indefinitely."

Rest in peace, Mr. Fossett. You were are an inspiration to us all.

Labels: Ironman

Permalink | Written at 11:42 PM | Post a comment | 0 comments | Trackbacks

KC: That looks very cozy, Lester. How'd you get so nice and cozy?
LC: Oh, it's no big deal really.
KC: No no, really. You look very comfortable. I want to know.
LC: Well, since you insist... I just tossed together some shirts, some socks, and some boxers and made myself a nice little den here. Don't mind me. Really.
KC: Huh. Well, that's interesting. You know, that's really interesting, actually. I'm missing some shirts, socks, and boxers now that you mention it. Any idea where they might have run off to?
LC: No clue. I just found these right over here. I'm sure they're someone's. But don't worry about it, really.
KC: You mean, right over here? Right here? Somewhere in my closet, maybe?
LC: *snore*
KC: Lester?
LC: *SNORE*

Lester's bed is out for a wash. Far be it for Lester to sleep on the floor, he decided to show some initiative and make his own little bed. Unfortunately, said bed was made from my (formerly clean) shirts, socks, and boxers. He looks a little too cute and cozy to move though, huh? Sigh.

Labels: Lester

Permalink | Written at 6:36 PM | Post a comment | 7 comments | Trackbacks

And dogs.



Lester, trying to cuddle up to my feet and next to the warm heater, really did fall asleep and get burned to a crisp this time. Not that he really cares. You can't tell from the picture, but he kept prodding me with his ring toy the entire time I was trying to snap off a half-decent photo.



No animals were harmed in the making of this blog post. A certain puppy may gotten his fur singed because of his love of warm, cozy cuddling spots, but fur is all that was singed. And said puppy could honestly care less.

Labels: Lester

Permalink | Written at 6:30 PM | Post a comment | 4 comments | Trackbacks

	Or, to Carnation at least, which, as far as I'm concerned, is the end of the known world. Might as well fall off the edge afterwards. 22 miles, 4 hours and 2500 calories. Oh, and 135 pictures. ;) Slow but not so bad considering the billion and one times I stopped to take a picture.

Labels: Ironman

Permalink | Written at 10:41 PM | Post a comment | 2 comments | Trackbacks