Complicated

So whatever radio station they play at the Y thinks it's cool to play Billy Joel, Katy Perry, Softcell, and Shania Twain in the same hour, as well as Brittney Spears' "Toxic", so it's not really a surprise that they don't see a problem with playing our song at least twice a day too.

My Feet Went Camping in France

here Chris

the inspiration:

these are my feet

Bar sur Loup

Entrevaux

Colle de St Michel

Bourg d'Oisans

Lanslebourg

the river in Lanslebourg

Bourg St Maurice

outside Fontainebleau

our last campsite, outside Paris

Oh Snap

Oh snap.  Literally.

Due to copyright laws and all that wonderful jazz, I can't just grab the video and throw it into here.  But we are allowed to follow the link:

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/track-and-field/highlight-lazaro-borges-snaps-his-pole.html

(Can we blame the embargo?)

Letters from Liztowne

So LT sent me a postcard. She's on an incredible bike riding adventure in France, and this is what she had to say:

"We did this climb awhile ago, and I guess it's a big deal because of the Tour de France, but I feel like we've had harder ones. Can we start our business in the Alps? I love the mountains. On the border of France - Germany? Or I could compromise with Switzerland. I'll have my goat farm and we can grow some food too and sell that and goat cheese and baked goods and our own wine and beer and live happily ever after in our pv fam house (haus?) with our fat cat Fred. Can't wait. When you get this it'll be our birthday month! I'm calling you the second I land on American soil. I miss you! I wish I could write you 50 times a day still, but I'll be able to in 3 weeks! Love, Elizabeth, Liztown(e), EJ, LT..."

At least she's planning out our lives for us :)

Preparation

In preparation for the day that we have our sports complex where we teach swimming, pole vaulting, and gymnastics, I have been named head gymnastics coach at the Beloit YMCA. Since a number of us have coached swim teams and been named head pole vault coach, we are officially qualified for our future business endeavor.

Pole Vaulting on the beach in Nice

Apparently they were promoting some big track meet in Monaco for athletes going to London. The best guy cleared 5.21m, I think. It was in French

Our Future

Liztowne is out camping/biking in France so we decided to give this a pv fam related purpose. We have this plan to re-locate to France, so that LT and I can make a living baking delicious breads. Since we didn't want to be so far from everyone else, we decided Chris and Betsy can have their winery/brewery next door. Matt Floyd is submitting a resume for manager of this delicious establishment. We still need a delivery boy...how fun would it be to have a charming bicyclist deliver freshly baked bread to all the town? Poetzl, you game?

The one problem is that I'm the only one who speaks French. We'll work around that I guess.

Where it all started

just thought I'd add in this gem. weirdest McDonald's ever - JVB '10

If only I knew this place existed...

I opened up my newspaper this morning to find this!
http://www.austin360.com/recreation/learning-to-leap-tall-buildings-at-a-pole-2407095.html
too bad I'm leaving in a week...

Pictures

Since everyone seems to be at a loss for words as to how to describe our family, I pulled out some pictures. And by some I mean a whole lot. Get excited.

In no particular order, and incredibly random spacing, I present the family in all its glory.

Outdoor 2010

Illinois College. Outdoor Conference 2010

Monmouth. Outdoor Conference 2011 (Liztowne's wearing the same shirt two outdoor conferences in a row!)

Madison 2011

Outdoor 2011. Did you just wake up from a nap? 

Privates 2011@ Wisconsin Lutheran 

A meet in 2011 that took WAY too long. 

Conference time 2011

Northern Illinois 2011

Betsy why aren't you here?!

Outdoor 2011. And the back of the shirt says...?

Floyd vaults? 2011, NIU? 

2011. I don't know where. That meet that took too long.

Conference 2011. 

Conference 2011. Looking good boys. 

Conference 2011

Survival kit: first edition

The pink helmet. Wolf sticker credit to Joshua Davendonis, spring break 2010

Beloit College messing around day. Fall 2011

PV fam dessert

The ghetto pole ties 2012

Indoor 2012. Looks like Chicago. 

Cross country pre conference bridge of insanity/skirt/business casual run,  2011

Pole vault fam meets real fam, St Norbert, Outdoor Conference 2012 

Outdoor 2012

Most attractive women ever. Outdoor 2012

Tell me a joke. I am NOT telling you a joke. Beloit Open 2012

Graduation! 2012. The turtle mounds.

Conference 2012

Pretty. Conference 2012

Conference 2012

Franklin! Conference 2012

Conference 2012

The whole fam, together at last. Conference 2011

New Adventures

Liztowne is off to France in a few weeks, and then Germany, Pookie Junior is in Seattle, Grandpa Pooks is on a bike ride,  Floydface just got back from Spain, Betsy's a race runner now, and I'm New York bound in the fall.

Which is all to say big things are happening to the fam, but once a pole vault family, always a pole vault family. Liztowne had the great idea of starting a blog to keep up with one another, and I followed through and made it happen. So here we go. Whatever's on your mind, whatever you're doing, whatever's new, post it.

pvfam4lyfe