With about 60 hours to go until I depart for Dublin, there are quite a few tasks still on my to-do list. I need to pack, write a post or two for my other blog, find my passport, print out my flight and liaison contact info, research our destinations and organize talking points for the video interviews I hope to do, write the script and compile images for the edition of the Ryder Report we’re going to film Monday morning, buy horse feed, give instructions to my horsesitter and the gal riding the beast while I’m away, wash my dog, and a million other small tasks.

So what am I doing?

I’m aaep-20062.73 miles north, in Benton Harbor, Mich., where I’m official photographer, pit crew, and cheerleader for my fiancŽ as he prepares to tackle his first half-Ironman triathlon.

The Ireland excursion was arranged on fairly short notice (and in synch with our busiest time of the month, the print magazine’s deadline), and I had already (read: more than a year ago) committed to come along for the race–about which I’m not sorry at all; I just wish I had more time to prepare to leave on Monday