OK gang, we have been together for more than 5 years now!  We have formed some wonderful friendships.  We do awesome parties!  (By the way - thanks to all of you for wishing me a happy birthday...you are a very special group).   But the one thing we have lacked is NICKNAMES.  We are close enough that we should have nicknames.  If for nothing else, for our "core group" that has stuck together.

So I want nominations for everyone below (send to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).  I will start the balll rolling with potentials for each.  Crudeness is kinda OK if it doesn't fall off the cliff.  Everyone needs to take this as a fun thing with NO hurt feelings.  OK, so those should be the rules and the only rules?

Mike Zengel "Swiftfeet", "Izumi" or just "Shoes" - ISN'T IZUMI A GREAT NAME??!!!  (Mike owns Swiftfeet running store)

Rob Turpin "Surfer" "Boston" "Playboy", "Tan Man". (Rob's email/best race/normal lifestyle)

Tim Schuette "Sky Pilot"  (Tim is a pilot for Southwest),  "Wings"??

Steve Orth "Badger" (Steve grew up here and went to Prescott High. "Fun Run" or "2 Mile" are great potentials since talks about only doing races of that nature!  "Beard-y Buddy" 

Dan Munsell "Racehorse" (Dan once told me that he was something very close to the word "racehorse" but I can't put it on here but if you took the word "Racehorse" and kinda took the last 2 letters out and said it again - you might get it? Dan loves to do races).  "RW"  short for the 2 words that would sound like "Race Hor" - Hey this was NOT my suggestion! Another potential is "Dave".  Kind of a long story supplied by Julie but this one is a hoot!  Read on... Years ago, he used to ride the bus to Palo Verde Nuclear plant to work, and I would drop him off at the bus stop and pick him up every day.  I would always say, "Hi/Bye BABE," when I dropped him off or picked him up and give him a kiss.  However, everyone on the bus misheard it as my saying "Hi/Bye DAVE", and one day, he was getting off the bus to come home, and literally everyone on the bus was saying, "Bye Dave!" "Have a good night, Dave," "See ya, Dave!" and so on, which he cheerfully returned to them all.  He got to me, and I'm like WTF?  He hushed me and then told me in the car that he just didn't have the heart to tell them all that they misheard me.  He also said he was the only one everyone greeted and said goodbye to every day, and since his wife called him "Dave", they did too, despite his ID tag saying very clearly in big letters that his name is DAN.  LOL.

Julie Munsell "First Aid".  (Because Julie is always the first to aid the group), MA-id, (Like Mobile Aid), MASH, SNAP, FLASH (Julie is our designated photographer too..."Cat Herder" because that is what she does to get a group photo of us.  "Starfire" this goes back to Julie's school days too!  Another long story!  "B-A-S-A"  (Best Aid Station in Arizona)

Jessica "YMCA" (What else is even remotely better for Jessica?,  "Smiles" Does anyone smile more than Jessica?

Dave Zelman "Woodie"  (Dave owns a 1951 Ford Woodie)

Deb Cowell  "Ragnar" (Deb is the queen of our group). "La Tortuga" (Deb loves turtles and this is a naickname from way back), Notebook, Bookie or Master Plan!!  "Allie McBeal" (a petite legal eagle) 

Jim Pullaro "Casino"  (This is kind of a long story but some of you will understand I hope)...

Lest we forget Brian Peacock and how can we?  "Globetrotter", "On and On" and "Storyteller" would all fit. 

John Erickson "Mr. Walker" (our resident race walker)...

Laurie Carr "VA" (She retired from the Veteran's Admin")

Ken Ekman "The Unit"  (Only Rob and Heidi are expected to get this one and we better leave it at that).  "Twinkies". "Stretch", "Road Trip". 

MY FAVORITE --------  HEIDI SCHUETTE

As you know Heidi recently had a baby.  That makes her a "Momma".  You might also know that Heidi and I both share a love of "The Office".  Funny show.  Well in one of the episodes, they were playing a murder mystery and the blonde accountant "Angela" played the character of "JooJoo Momma JooJoo".  I think that would be an appropriate name for Heidi as long as you don't have to try and say it fast 10 times or while sitting next to Mike at the Brewery slamming beers! Other suggestions:  Olympia, Olypian, Vanish, Speedy and of course we will never forget "F26"...her number in the Olympic trials and the name we wanted to give to Heidi's baby (Kai) if he had been a girl.  "Blonde Lightning".  "Momma"

Kai - Just call me "BOB"  (stoller name!)

OK gang - here is your BIG CHANCE - I will post all entries as they come in!  Ken