Dan Does Blog

Flower

2009-08-05T22:52:00.003-06:00

There were a bunch of these flowers by where we parked for a job yesterday. I liked them.

Lake Creek and Mid Homestead Hill

2009-08-05T22:45:00.000-06:00

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Willow and East Thorn

2009-08-05T22:42:00.003-06:00

I've got pictures and a trip report to add, but here is my trek from Sunday. Over 15 miles in 11 hours.

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Me Go FAST!

2009-07-22T20:20:00.003-06:00

I went for a road ride yesterday. The weather was beautiful and I felt great. I started from work and went up Buck Creek to the gate at Mountain Star, then over to Wildridge. Climbed to the top there and then back to Mountain Star and down. On the way down Mountain Star, I hit the fastest speed I have ever gone on a bike... 53 MPH!!!! It wasn't scary until I tried to stop. That took a bit longer than expected. Good thing I had given myself plenty of room to slow down.

I obviously didn't take this while riding, but it shows my max speed from the ride.

Notch Mountain Traverse

2009-07-20T22:35:00.008-06:00

Last weekend was pretty stellar. Went camping in Mushroom Bowl (behind China Bowl on Vail Mountain) Friday night. It was pretty secluded and we had a raging fire. After a short hike the next morning, I went for a quick mountain bike ride from Meadow Mountain to the Grouse Creek trailhead, and then climbed that afternoon with Blake. We wanted to camp that night, but couldn't decide where. We ended up deciding to hike up Notch Mountain the next day. I wanted to get more familiar with the area since many of our SAR missions are in that area. We camped in his new WilderNest on Tigiwon Road. That thing is friggin' HUGE!

We slept in on Sunday and got on the trail around 10:00 a.m. after a delicious breakfast sandwich. I'm hooked on them ever since my friend Alex introduced me. Bacon, egg over medium cooked in the bacon grease, cheese and jelly, all on toast. SO GOOD! The hike up to Half Moon Pass was quick with some good views.

Here is Blake just before the top of Half Moon Pass.

This was my first view of Mount of the Holy Cross from the trail leading up to Notch Mountain. It's pretty obvious how it got the name Holy Cross.

Spiderwebs were scattered around the top of the mountain. We found this guy feasting on a moth. He also had a few flies waiting to be eaten. That really made Blake happy.

From the top of Notch Mountain with Holy Cross impaling me.

Blake found a nice spot for a cheesy pose.

I may take up sword swallowing, but that's about all I'll swallow.

Goofed off on the top of Notch Mountain and then decided to traverse over to the other side of the notch. My friend did it the day before and gave us a little beta (scroll down for a definition) on how to get there. After a little easy scrambling, Blake found a key hole for us to climb through. It led right to the top of the south side of Notch Mountain.

Enjoying the view of the Holy Cross valley.

This is part of the Halo Ridge route. You hike from the Stone Hut around to the top of Holy Cross. I'm thinking of doing a big loop from Half Moon Pass to Notch Mountain, around the notch, around Halo Ridge to Holy Cross, down the ridge to East Cross Creek, and back up Half Moon Pass. It would be a LLLLOOOONNNNNGGGGGGG day, but a cool loop.

On the way to the Stone Hut. The rain showers were just south of us. We were pretty lucky to stay dry all day.

Alot of groups hike up to the Stone Hut to look at the Holy Cross. It has a fireplace and big picnic table in it. Since it is so high and exposed, there are a few lightning rods on top with wires spread all around outside to keep the hut from being blown up by a strike.

Inside the hut. Blake has a good eye for photography lighting.

Relaxin' on the table.

The hike down was really long. It took us just as long to get up Notch Mountain as it did to get down. You can usually hike down alot faster, but there were so many switchbacks that it took us nearly 2 hours. I tracked most of the trip on my phone GPS, so you can check out the map below.

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First SAR Mission

2009-07-16T23:37:00.003-06:00

Over the past few months I have been attending meetings and training sessions so I can join Vail Mountain Rescue Group (VMRG). They do search and rescue (SAR) for Eagle County. I was deployed on my first mission Wednesday night.

The page went out about 5 p.m. that evening. When I called in, the incident coordinator asked if I could stay out overnight. "Yes." So I grabbed my gear and was at the staging area shortly thereafter. Two hikers had camped at East Cross Creek the night before. They summitted Mount of the Holy Cross that afternoon, and got off the trail on their way back to their camp. We were told they had pants, shirts, sweaters, rain gear, a cell phone with a dying battery, and some water bottles. No food, water, or any survival gear.

Nine of us were set to go and we were broken into 2 teams. They put me on the rapid-search team. We hit the trail at 7:45 and made it to the top of Half Moon Pass by about 8:30. So we gained about 1,500 feet of elevation over 1.9 miles in 45 minutes. Just as we were reaching the top, we got another page that we were to stand down. The hikers had been communicating with command via cell phone. Command had guided them to the trail so they could return to their camp site at East Cross Creek.

Apparently this is a pretty typical mission. We may get deployed, but we often are told to return before we even find the missing party. I really enjoyed it because I learned how a real scenario works. The sunset view from the top of Half Moon Pass wasn't bad either. Actually it was one of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen in a long time. These pictures just don't do it justice. Here is a view on Mount Jackson to the west.

This is an incredible view of The Gore Range to the north-east.

Since The Mount of the Holy Cross is one of 2 Fourteeners I have left in the Sawatch Range, I'm really looking forward to getting back out there soon. Hopefully I'll have many more pictures to share.

Mt. Harvard (Test)

2009-07-13T17:16:00.009-06:00

I found a free application for my phone that will track my location via GPS and transmit my location to a webpage. I turned it on while on the top of Mt. Harvard (the 3rd highest peak in CO), and forgot to turn it off. So it tracked me from the top until I realized it was still on this afternoon. Once I deleted all the data points after the time I got back to the trailhead, I came up with the map below.

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I'll add some pictures later, but this is what I have so far.

Spring's a-comin' ... eventually

2009-04-02T20:12:00.004-06:00

A week and a half ago the weather was gorgeous. Spring was here. 70 degrees and clear blue skies. Since that weekend it has been snowing like crazy! And I have mixed emotions about all this winter-isn't-gone-yet-just-teasing-you-with-Spring stuff. I had already started to get out and jog, taken my bike to the shop for a tune, etc. I was ready and excited for Spring. Especially considering the lack of snow we had in the latter part of the season. Then it gets cold again and we have been bombed with snow. Not the crappy heavy snow, but the light soft powder that people dream about skiing. I was knee deep... at least!

So I'm glad we are getting lots of incredible powder to play in. But I'm ready for weather where I can hike Hanging Lake again. You know, walk out onto a huge log in the middle of a crystal clear green lake suspended way up on the side of a gorge? (No, I don't have a really fat lip. That is my tongue.)

Overlooking the valley on the way up to the lake. A little side-chute from Glenwood Canyon.

Yep, Spring pretty much rocks. Please come back.... after you're done dumping more powder on us of course.

On a side note... here's a shot I took at Ski Jooring in Leadville. I never took the opportunity to post it here. It was the first picture I took that day and just about the only good crash.

Random Pictures to go with Random Stories

2009-03-03T21:39:00.005-07:00

Here are a bunch of pictures that I like, but hadn't posted because... well I wasn't posting for a long time. Enjoy!

Way back in mid-January we hiked/snowmobiled up Meadow Mountain. Here is a view of the Gore Range from the top.

We built a snow tunnel/slide through a cornice. It sounds alot more fun than it was. Nobody went down more than maybe 5 times. And most of those were during construction so we were smacking our head on the top and sides.

These are from the next Saturday in Beaver Creek. It was snowing, but it was still so warm that the "snow" was melting as it landed on us. Our jackets and pants ended up soaked on the outside.

Apparently I'm really not that great at taking artsy photos.

I really like this one though.

This is the inside of a waterfall that I climbed up with ice tools and regular shoes. It's climbed enough that people have kicked out foot holds.

And this concludes my random post.

Uber-Productive Sunday

2009-03-03T18:47:00.004-07:00

This weekend was great! Got first chair with Chris in Keystone on Saturday. We were growing tired of Vail and Beaver Creek and haven't skiied Keystone during the day before. Super cold in the morning (7 degrees), but it got really warm by the afternoon when we stopped for lunch. Turkey and cheese with our favorite - hot chocolate and St. Brendan's (think Baileys, only better).

My legs got tired quickly because I went for my first jog of the season the night before. Since we haven't been getting any good new snow, we took Sunday off and decided to build a work bench in the garage for ski tuning and other stuff. It turned out awesome. I also installed a stereo system and tied it into the house stereo. Yes, I'm a nerd.

After lunch, I got a bunch of other little stuff done around the house that I have been putting off... trimming my beard, cleaning the bathroom, laundry, grocery store, cooking dinner, etc. It felt really good to get all that stuff done. Especially in such a short time. Seems like I've got out of my lazy funk and getting stuff done is a reality again. Hooray!

Malik Ewan Poitras

2009-02-26T21:53:00.002-07:00

As I mentioned before, my sister and her husband had a baby! He was born on 2/18/2009. It will be a few months before I get to meet him, but here are some pictures that were sent to me to tide me over.

I couldn't stop laughing when I saw this one. HILARIOUS!!!

Chuck Norris

2009-02-26T20:56:00.001-07:00

My roommate was given an awesome book recently. It's called The Truth About Chuck Norris: 400 Facts About the Greatest Human Alive. A few of my favorites... well, I probably shouldn't put them on here. So either stop reading or forgive my crudeness and read on. I'll start with some tame ones.

Chuck Norris can speak braille.
When the boogeyman goes to sleep every night he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.
The quickest way to a man's heart is with Chuck Norris's fist.
Chuck Norris once ate an entire factory of sleeping pills. They made him blink.
Chuck Norris can create a rock so heavy that even he can't lift it. And then he lifts it anyway, just to show you who the fuck Chuck Norris is.

The faint of heart should stop reading now.

Chuck Norris clogs the toilet when he pisses.
Pee-wee Herman once got arrested for masturbating in public. That same day, Chuck Norris got an award for masturbating in public.
Chuck Norris secretly sleeps with every woman in the world once a month. They bleed for five days as a result.
Chuck Norris's dick is so big it has its own dick. And Chuck Norris's dick's dick is bigger than yours.

So what are your favorite facts about Chuck Norris? Tell me or Chuck Norris will kick your ass.

Things Happening

2009-02-17T19:13:00.002-07:00

I couldn't really get myself into writing a whole post about anything. Instead I'm going to list a few things that have been going on.

My sister is having a baby! Her water broke around 34 HOURS ago and she still hasn't given birth yet. Please send good thoughts to her!
My roommate brought my stereo back from Austin so I am debating on putting it in my room or in the living room. Right now it's just set up with 2 speakers and my sub so I can play CD's or my computer through it.
Valentine's Day is over! Hooray!!!!
I am washing my sheets.
My car hasn't been washed in almost a year.
I just got my phone replaced under warranty because the trackball wouldn't "select" when I clicked it.
I still haven't sold anything on eBay. Maybe I'll work on that tonight.
I've had a light cold for the last week and I think I'm almost over it.
The number nine is my favorite number. I could explain why, but you would just think I'm weird... or a dork. Probably the latter.

And that's my list! Any questions?

Valen-DUMB Day

2009-02-14T20:52:00.003-07:00

I have never liked this day. I have never had a reason to like this day. There is only one time in my life that I remember actually doing something Valentinesy... and that was the worst relationship of my life. Every other year I've wished I was either with the person I loved or not single-and-dateless (and there was only one year that the former applies to). Pretty much all of them have been spent single and alone.

And even if I was lucky enough to have a special someone, it's a social requirement to do something creative to prove that you still love them. If you don't do anything or your creativity is lacking, then you OBVIOUSLY don't care for her.

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of being romantic and all, but this day has been more of a reminder of my lack of relationships than anything. Just my little Valen-dumb rant.

Happy V-Day!

Long Time No See

2009-02-13T18:36:00.003-07:00

Wow, it's been two and a half months since I've updated this thing hasn't it? Life has been pretty good lately. The new job is going well. I like the work infinitely more than my last job and I can afford to pay my bills. I don't get free time to ski during the week, but I guess you have to make sacrifices. It's pretty sweet when your biggest sacrifice is not being able to ski a few hours during the week.

Moving on... I have been wanting a new shell to wear for skiing and other inclimate outdoor adventures. After MUCH research I settled on 3 different jackets that I liked. Tried 2 of them on and decided one of them wasn't the right one. The third still intrigued me and I thought it would be the best match. Searched online for more details and found it on sale for 29% off. Perfect color and size for me. These jackets rarely go on sale so I started the check out process. It asked if I had a coupon code. "Why not search for one," I thought. And BAM... I found a code for an additional 15% off! So now I pretty much HAD to buy it. After all was said and done I got it for 40% off retail. My new Arc'Teryx Theta SV jacket:

It was still stupid expensive, so I am going to try to sell some stuff on eBay. I have way too much unused stuff anyway. Surely somebody could get some use out of it... for a reasonable price.

Warren Miller: Children of Winter

2008-11-26T14:27:00.002-07:00

I just bought tickets to see this on Saturday.

Check out www.warrenmiller.com for more info.

Opening Day at Vail

2008-11-25T16:50:00.008-07:00

It was a blue-bird day last Friday, and I enjoyed every minute of it while I was outside. Vail opened and I couldn't resist spending some time on the slopes with my friends. Since then, I have skied every day except for Saturday. Instead of skiing, I started the new trabajo by getting stuck in an elevator for 30 minutes. Fun stuff. Back to the skiing - we just took a few runs on Born Free because it was about the only run that was open. At the top of Born Free with Karen and Adam (I'm on the far right).

Sillyness on the lift.

Tomorrow is opening day for Beaver Creek. I plan to ski here at Vail because my office is 100 yards from the lift and I don't feel like driving over there. Hopefully some of the crowds will migrate over to Beaver Creek so I can get on the lifts quicker. Either way I'm going to try to ski every day until I start my new job in mid-December.

Think snow, because we need it BAD!

Morning Ride

2008-11-20T13:38:00.002-07:00

This morning was supposed to be a ski morning for some friends and me, but due to the 50 degree weather all week, we decided to cancel. Instead I went on a quick bike ride up to Beaver Creek Village. It. Was. COLD. My fingertips went numb after riding less than a half mile. I even had gloves on. Apparently they weren't good enough. Nor were my socks because my toes all fell off. A pretty ugly sight indeed. I checked the temperature when I got home and it had only risen to the low 20's... and the sun was still struggling to break through the clouds. Next time I'll make sure to were better gloves and get foot warmers. Oh... nevermind... no foot warmers needed since my toes fell off. Looks like I'm all set!

The New Job

2008-11-20T13:28:00.002-07:00

As I stated in my last post, I got a new job! I will be working for Thul Electronics. They are a home electronice integration company. They do everything from home theaters, to alarm systems, to lighting, to a/c. I will start by helping install the home theater systems and see where I want to go from there. I'm thinking sales or programming are good routes, but we'll see. Since I told my boss I would be here until mid-to-late-December, I don't start until... mid-December. I can't WAIT!!!

I will actually be doing something that I have an interest in and I will not be sitting at a desk all day. Plus I will be able to PAY MY BILLS!!! WOOO HOOOOO!!!

I Bought an Epic Pass

2008-11-18T16:55:00.003-07:00

Some may ask "why would you do that? You already get a free ski pass for working at the resort." Ahhh, my friend, you bring up a good point. But I don't think they will let me keep my pass after I QUIT!!! "How could you quit in an economy such as this?" I'll tell you. I got a job that pays better... MUCH better. And I'll enjoy the work alot more, too. Granted I won't be able to ski during the week like I have been, but paying my bills seems to be a little more important right now.

So hooray for a new job! I don't start for a month because I want to keep this job until my family comes to visit so they can use my free ski passes. HA!!! I'm so excited! Also, I'll be able to get in a decent amount of skiing before I leave this job. I'll post more about the new job later. Right now I am going to leave work because it is 5 o'clock in the p to the m.

BYE!

...That's What She Said

2008-11-17T15:55:00.002-07:00

I have joined the group of those individuals promoting the resurgence of "...that's what she said" made popular again by one of my favorite shows, The Office.

Please leave a comment with the best line that was said before you blurted "...that's what she said."

Phone Angst

2008-11-17T12:14:00.002-07:00

My phone is not making me happy. First of all, let me say that taking my phone was a mistake and I realize this. I went on a night-time, moonlight hike Saturday night. It was about 2 days after a full moon, so it was super bright. We hiked about 3/4 of the way up Beaver Creek before we turned around. One of our hiking partners just moved up here and wasn't handling the combination of altitude and cardio exercise very well. The two girls took off ahead but I stayed back with the newbie to make sure he was ok. The snowmaking machines were blowing away which made it hard to hear each other even from 10 feet away. The last thing I wanted to happen was for him to drop back, get altitude sickness or something, and us to be out of ear shot.

Anyways, I'm not sure what happened but when I checked my phone after we got back, it was in orgasm mode. I guess the keys were stuck because it kept typing "Uouououououououououou." Now it just chooses to work sometimes and not others. Come to think of it, it pretty much sounds like my phone has turned into... (insert joke here).

After pulling out the battery and SIM card several times and leaving them out, it still is not working a day and a half later. Don't know if it got wet from my leg sweat (I was wearing water proof wants so I know it wasn't from the outside... and get those dirty thoughts out of your head. I wasn't THAT excited about the hike.), frozen from the hike causing some kind of permanent damage, or if it took some kind of impact as we slid back down the hill. But the majority of the sliding was on my butt and the phone was in my front pocket.

Now I can pull the battery out, put it back in, and I may or may not be able to use it correctly for about 2 minutes. Sometimes it doesn't respond to me pushing any buttons, sometimes it won't register when I click the trackball in, other times it just laughs at me.

It's a Blackberry Curve 8310 and I have only had it since July. I decided to buy phone insurance after my last phone fiasco. Of course there is a $100 deductible to get my new phone replaced (probably with a refurbished model) and I can get a brand spanking new one online for only $80 (after rebates and re-signing a contract). Guess I'll be cancelling that insurance to save the $5/month.

That's all I got. Any suggestions?

On Writing This Blog

2008-11-14T10:56:00.003-07:00

I was going to write a big long post explaining crap that has been going on in my life. At first I just started writing. Then I realized that it would be much more involved to clearly explain the chain of events that has led me to where I am... why I moved out here, why I was thinking of moving back to Austin, all the factors that would influence my decision. So I erased everything that I wrote and started over. Again I realized that to lay it all out without blabbing and confusing you like I usually do needed more organization. It was time to break out the outline.

I. Intro

II. Why I wanted to move to Colorado

III. Why I wanted to move back to Austin

...this is an assignment! I started to feel like I was back in school. My least favorite thing to do in school = writing assignments. "Forget this, I'm not in school for a reason!" While in school, either high school or college, I would work hard enough on every other assignment so I could still pass the class without writing a paper. Sometimes it bit me in the ass. I actually failed one class because of my aversion to writing. "So why am I doing it again for this post? Wait... why do I even keep this blog if I hate writing so much?!?! I certainly don't write here just to write. It's a way for me to tell my friends and family what's happening in my life and a record of my activities... right?"

Well if it's a way for me to write about the goings-on in my life, why don't I want to write about the most important goings-on in my life? (I know "the goings-on in my life" sounds weird but I like it). As my mom would say... because I said so. So there. I like rambling on sometimes. I like writing about my experiences sometimes. But if it comes to me feeling like it's a task, it's gone too far. All I can promise you is this, if I feel like sharing, I might. Otherwise I won't.

Because I said so.

Redemption

2008-11-14T10:37:00.002-07:00

Not really redemption. I just went to ski conditioning and didn't make a TOTAL ass of myself. Rather than show off by kicking the boxing dummy, I stayed far away from him. I did however give him a light punch in the face as we were leaving. WHO'S A DUMMY NOW?!?!?!?! Probably still me.

Embarassing

2008-11-13T11:00:00.005-07:00

I attended my second day of ski conditioning last Monday. I'm hoping that preparing for the ski season will help me with better technique and keep me skiing harder and longer... as long as I don't do stupid shit like I did on Monday.

I met the group at the gym and joined them for a fast paced walk on the treadmill. My left knee has been a bit sore since my 35 mile bike ride on Halloween, so I didn't want to hurt it by jogging/running. The girl on my right told me she saw me as I was walking in but didn't say anything because I was pretty far ahead. We don't have a membership to this place, so we have to sneak in. I was in the process of explaining that I was trying to act natural and not draw attention to myself as I was walking in when I stepped a bit too far to the right, off the treadmill. I barely caught myself before being tossed like a rag doll off the back of the treadmill. Just about everybody on that side of the gym turned to see what the commotion was, resulting in my beet red face.

After laughing it off, we went in the studio room to start our workout. Typically we set up 4 stations and rotate between them for 15 minutes. Rest for a few minutes, set up 4 more stations and rotate for another 15 minutes. Then comes core work. So after busting my butt working out, it was time to relax and go eat some wings at the Tap Room. Of course I couldn't leave before a bit of goofing off. In the corner of the room is one of those boxing dummies that you see in police training and stuff. They always make them look so mean.

One of the girls was kicking it and I took it upon myself to show her a little different technique (not that I know any). I showed her how to raise your leg with your knee bent and then extend your lower leg to impact the dummy. My first kick was great, right in the chest. Then I decided to go for the head. Mistake. I jumped up and ended up on my ass. I had to redeem myself so I tried it again. Only this time I jumped too high and managed to come down on the top of the head with my heel like a karate chop. Again resulting in Dan on his ass. I finally wised up and decided the end of a workout was not the best time to horse around. No need to strain something before the season even starts.

Shelf Road Climbing and Camping

2008-11-12T11:44:00.004-07:00

I spent the end of last week and the weekend pursuing one of my passions... CLIMBING!!! During my last trip to Austin my friend touted the awesomeness of some climbing area and made me promise I would go before I move back to Texas. Since there is so much good climbing close to me, I couldn't see driving 3 hours to another area to climb. Yet, I decided to take my last summer vacation and head with my friend Alex to climb somewhere new. We chose to drive to Shelf Road (by Colorado Springs) and climb for a few days. Of course, Shelf Road just happens to be the place Alan had raved about. We stopped at a climbing area outside of Buena Vista on our way down. It was pretty cold out, but the rock was amazing. Our first route was around 85 feet long and used up almost all of the rope. We climbed one more route before succumbing to the lack of light and the approaching cold.

We rolled into the camping area around 8 p.m. and set up camp. There was only one other group when we arrived. It was wicked cold, got down to the teens. I turned into a caterpillar that evening as I cinched my mummy bag around my face, exposing only my nose and mouth to the bitter cold. As morning came, I shivered my way out of my cocoon and into my climbing attire.

The first two walls we chose to climb were not wise choices. They didn't get very good sun and the rock sucked the warmth right out of our hands. It's much harder to climb with ice fingers... I guarantee you. Later in the day we hiked across the canyon and found where we would climb for most of the remainder of the week. Cactus Cliff (as it is called) stayed in the sun almost all day and had a myriad of epic routes. You couldn't look at the wall without seeing at least 5 routes that cruised for miles up the perfect limestone.

We learned from the first day that we might as well just spend the whole time at Cactus Cliff in the sun. It was warm enough to climb with our shirts off before the clouds blew in that afternoon.

Jamming my hands into the sharp limestone cracks left my hands looking like a leper. I left my fair share of blood on the rock to get back at it.

Our final day of climbing led us to a different area with fewer people called the Menses Wall. The view was still gorgeous.

The first climb we chose was called Period Epic, followed by the walls namesake, Menses. It was named this because of the huge red streak that made its way down the route. We made our way up a few more before realizing on the route Lightdays, the theme of the route names. A bit disturbing, but funny none the less. If you don't get it, it may be for the better.

We couldn't have chosen a better group of days to climb during this time of year. Overall, the sky's were clear and the climbing was outstanding. I would almost consider living in Colorado Springs just to have easy access to the thousands of routes in the area.

Our Next President!

2008-11-05T10:04:00.002-07:00

I'm not going to really say much about this, because I don't like shoving my political views in peoples face.... BUT... I couldn't be happier that this man is going to be our next president.

He may not be the most experienced man, all of his policies may not be the best, but he certainly has a way of getting people off their asses, motivated about changing our jacked up nation, and uniting our nation in a way that nobody has been able to in far too long. Here's to a better future!

Starting the Ski Season

2008-11-05T09:33:00.003-07:00

Chris convinced me to join him last Sunday to pop our 08/09-ski-season-cherry. He didn't have to try very hard considering that he paid for my lift ticket to Loveland Basin. His only stipulation was that we had to leave early enough to get there for first chair (we weren't actually on THE first chair, but we were in line before the lift opened). Good thing I got an extra hour of sleep from the time change. It allowed me to recover a little bit from the defeat Texas suffered the night before. My friend was having her birthday party that night and the theme was "Black and White Party." People talked of going in tighty-whitey's and wife beaters or panda suits, but I opted for formal wear and my graduation gown. I arrived at the party just in time for the RedNecks to score a touchdown with one second left. Here was my reaction.

So, back to a lighter note, here was me the next day when we got on the lift.

If you closely examine my eyes and the expression on my face, you will see that my mood had improved considerably. It's hard for it not to when you have views like this are you are riding up the lift.

Chris and I always manage to have a good time whilst (yes, I said whilst) skiing. Especially on the lift. We often brake into song. Sometimes that may not be the best thing for the bleeding ears around us, but it certainly makes us feel better. Sunday was no exception. Our inspiration? A snowmaking machine called a Polecat.

In our grand tradition of ridiculousness, we came up with our own version of "What's New Pussycat?" It turned into "What's new Polecat... snooooooow snoooow snow."

Since we got there so early, we were able to enjoy great snow before the hordes arrived and the day warmed the soft powder into melting butter. I was a bit nervous at first to get back on my skis, but after a few runs my confidence returned in glorious fashion. Now I remember why I love skiing so much... bombing down the run and hitting little jumps along the way. Now I'm looking forward to as much skiing as I can get in this season.

Halloween Bar Hopping

2008-11-04T12:11:00.006-07:00

Halloween came this year and I couldn't decide on a costume... or more accurately I couldn't come up with a costume that I wanted to wear. I got home from work and started racking my brain to come up with a good costume. Thought about being one of the brothers from Boondock Saints with Chris. Wasn't crazy about it and I didn't have a necklace with a cross. Writing a bunch of Celtic stuff on myself would have been fun though. Thought about keeping on the bike clothes I wore for my ride that day. Not original enough. Everyone up here is active and it would look like I had just finished a ride... which I did. Plus I smelled like a junior high locker room. Thought about wearing a black speedo and putting fake blood in my hair to be Greg Louganis. That would fulfill my ritual of being scantily clad, but I didn't feel like losing any appendages to frostbite. I had alot of other mediocre ideas, but nothing that stuck out.

Just as I was losing creative hope, I had an epiphany. I could put on a black trash bag and cut out a 'D' to tape on it... I could be a douche bag!

And so it was. We got our group together and planned out a night of bar hopping. Dish, The Gore Range Brewery, Rick and Kelly's, and E-town. I stuck to gin and tonic and rotated in water every few drinks... the water was clutch. It was pretty fun being in character as a d-bag. The sad thing is how well my rude comments and general douche-baggery was accepted. Here's an example of how much everybody enjoyed it.

Now that I think about it, I could have been this guy and had the same outcome.

Moving Fail

2008-10-31T10:00:00.004-06:00

Is it wrong to laugh or find humor with other peoples hardships? I hope not. You have to laugh at life, right? This certainly lightened my mood this morning as I was pulling into work. Hidden behind the little RV are the tires of the moving trailer about 5 or 6 feet off the ground. Probably not the most efficient way to move/store your stuff.

Uninspired Title

2008-10-30T10:45:00.006-06:00

After safely driving our buckled-up pumpkins home, it was time to cut them up, gut them, and light them on fire. HOORAY!!! It's been years since I last carved a pumpkin so I was pretty excited. We even saved the seeds to season and roast.

I took the smallest pumpkin because it was the best size for my design. If anyone can correctly guess what it is, you win... well you don't win anything other than knowing that you made me happy that someone gets it. Not necesarilly the most creative idea, but I had the best detail work of the three pumpkins.

Chris and Sam took one of the big ones and made a sweet little kitty pattern in to evil kitty. It's hard to see but she has fangs and mean eyebrows. Karen had the most creative pumpkin by far.

You can't see why it was so creative in that picture, but this will show you. Tongue suppressors for teeth, gauze for hair, and a beer bottle through the head. Nice.

Late Climbing Post

2008-10-30T10:26:00.003-06:00

I went climbing last Sunday and forgot to post these pics that I took. Alex and I headed to an area called Puma Ridge in Camp Hale. It was a bit of a trek up to the ridge because there was no trail. The rock we were climbing on was pretty loose in many areas. We had a guide book and decided to start on a relatively easy 5.10a route. Alex took the first lead and had a pretty hard time, which is weird because a climb of that difficulty should be a cake walk for him. After looking at the wall more, we realized that the book must be a bit out of date and a route must have been added somewhere. The route we started on was a 5.11a as opposed to the 5.10a we thought it was. Anyway, there was a great view from the top of the climb.

The next route was a 5.10a. Alex took the first lead and we pulled the rope for me to lead it next. It was pretty easy, but I was tired from warming up on the first route, which is at or above my climbing level. So by the time I got towards the top and was going to clip the anchors, I barely had any strength left. I thought about taking a fall and giving it another go, but after seeing what the fall looked like (seeing where I would swing into the wall) I decided to tough it out and go for the clip. I summoned the last bit of energy I had and barely fumbled the rope into the anchor before my grip gave out. That is a great feeling!

Not sure that I would go back to this area to climb again. The approach didn't have a trail so we had to bushwack our way up and the rock on the wall was pretty loose. If the rock was more stable, it would be a really cool place to climb.

Pumpkins Biznitches

2008-10-29T17:49:00.000-06:00

We finally found some pumpkins. I think they are the last ones in the valley and they were STUPID expensive. Here is our happy little pumpkin family.

Halloween Costume

2008-10-28T16:41:00.003-06:00

I don't have anything good to write about. Instead I will tell you of the two options I am thinking about for my Halloween costume. There are 2 problems with my costumes. First, they both require at least one other person to help me. Second, I don't know how to pull them off.

Here's the first idea. The bar we are going to for Halloween is having a Vegas theme. One of my friends was talking about going as a tiger, so I suggested that me and person X could be Siegfried and Roy and she could be the white tiger. AWESOME! I know. However, I can't find anyone to be the Roy to my Siegfried. And I haven't really done any shopping to find a flamboyantly gay frilly shirt, tight black pants, gold chains, much less a tiger-stripe jacket.

My other option is to be a Beaver Boy. Watch this video for a better understanding. I even bought 2 of the shrimp hats. I'm hoping they come in before Friday. Again, I don't have anyone to pull it off with me. And I don't know many people up here that know what the hell Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job is. Even if they knew what it is, they would likely not get the inane ridiculous humor and think it was funny as I do.

Maybe I'll go as a mop instead.

Tumbleweed: A Short Story

2008-10-27T13:35:00.003-06:00

Saturday started off with the best of intentions, but somehow deteriorated in the early afternoon. After a short mountain bike ride, Chris set up a TV by the hottub for us to watch UT play OSU in a much anticipated football game. Some of you may know that I went to school at Texas so I was very excited about the game. I provided a small cooler and bought beer so we wouldn't have to get out during the game (other than to pee). During halftime a random tumbleweed blew by and I begged Chris to retrieve it. It was to become my lucky tumbleweed umbrella.

Sitting in the hottub and drinking 5 or 6 beers over a three hour game can cause one to lose their sobriety. At some point my lucky tumbleweed began to sink. I was sad.

However, the tumbleweed still did its job and Texas won the game 28-24, much to the dismay of my parents who were unfortunate enough to attend OSU. The end.

How I Could Have Died

2008-10-24T11:58:00.006-06:00

Yesterday was great fun. Went for a jog at lunch, sat inside and played on the computer at my desk, then went climbing after work... and could have died. "How" you ask? Let me tell you.

Since it finally warmed up enough this week to get outside, I was itching to go climbing. I left work to pick up my friend Alex and drove to yet another climbing area. We wanted to go somewhere that got good late-day sun and wasn't too far away so we could maximize our climbing time. He suggested a climbing wall across from the Wolcott boulders and I was in. The approach took about 20-30 minutes from the car. By the time we got set up, the sun was almost setting over a ridge, but there was still plenty of light.

We chose an easy route to start with. I took the first lead and immediately realized that although it wasn't a hard climb, it would be challenging due to the condition of the rock. There was lichen all over that kept you from getting a solid grip with either your hands or your feet. Plus alot of the holds had loose dirt in them which made them even more slippery. It was the equivalent of walking on marbles. Once I got past the third bolt, I was much more comfortable and cruised up the remainder of the route. After untying from the rope, it was Karen's turn. Alex was going last so he could clean the route.

Karen followed my route, unclipping the rope from the carabiners as she went. She made it to about the second or third bolt before she decided she had enough. So she came down and it was Alex's turn. He was going to lead it, so I started pulling the rope through the anchors. About halfway up the wall... disaster. The rope got stuck in one of the carabiners. Karen didn't know she was supposed to completely untie the figure eight, so the remaining knot got stuck in the biner.

Have you ever had one of those moments where something happens, you look at your friends, eyes as big as the moon, jaw wide enough to insert a watermelon, and can't help but nervously laugh? This was one of those times. Here were our options:

Alex or I could climb up to the point where the rope was caught - WITHOUT A ROPE - and tie in there.
We could hike out, drive back to Alex's car to get his rope, drive back, hike the 20-30 minutes back up, and retrieve all my gear.
I could walk around the side and find a way to scramble to the top so I could let the rope down.

The first option would be pretty dumb. If you remember, I mentioned that the condition of the rock wasn't that great. Not worth it to risk a 20-25 foot fall to the ground because you misstep on some lichen. The second option would be the safest, but would take too long. The sun was already setting over the ridge and it wouldn't be long before it was completely dark. Even with head lamps and the bright stars, not a very fun option. So off I went to scramble to the top.

As I scaled the easy boulders to the top, I pulled a classic move. "I wonder if there are any mountain lions around here?" DUMB Dan, just DUMB. Real smart to freak yourself out about something you have no control over just before you traverse some sketchy rock. I quickly reached the top and started the traverse over to the anchors. Crawling over loose rock, shifting dirt, and unknown territory is not the most confidence inspiring activity. I slowly made my way above the anchors and let out a huge sigh of relief... much too early. Now I had to climb down to the anchors. I have a healthy fear of heights. By that I mean I am freaked out about falling, but not so much that I lock up. You have to stay relaxed and comfortable to perform your best. But I still don't like the idea of falling 50-60 feet to a rocky ledge.

I assess the best way to climb down. My preference would be to clip into the anchors from above before climbing down, but they are just out of reach. There are two decent knobs I can grab to lower myself down, but they are still sandy, so I rub them down as much as possible before trusting my life to them. The ledge that I am on juts out slightly, so I can't really see if there are any decent feet below. This was the scariest part. Smearing my shoes on the face (wish I had brought my climbing shoes to the top with me), I carefully lower myself to the ledge below. Clip myself into the anchors. Breath of relief. Breath of life. Thank GOD (whatever you believe god to be) I didn't fall.

From there I was able to send the taunting rope down. Clipped onto the rope for my rappel, and down I went, unclipping the remaining carabiners from the rope as I passed them. Safely at the bottom, it was very near dark.

Dan: "Well there's a lesson to be learned in all of this. Always check the end of the rope before you pull it. I'll always remember from now on."

There was still time for Alex to climb (and my anchors were still at the top), so I started pulling the rope again. Pulled the rope halfway...

Dan: "Did you guys untie the knot?"

Karen: "That was the first thing we did when the rope got down."

Dan: "Maybe I didn't learn my lesson?"

Winter On Its Way

2008-10-22T15:50:00.004-06:00

I have a friend who is dog/house-sitting in Cordillera. I went up the other day to help by feeding the dogs. It had snowed a little and the clouds were still hanging around. I took this on the way back down, overlooking Edwards.

I mentioned in my last post that it's cold and starting to snow. Here's proof.

It snowed about 6 inches last night, and has been snowing on and off through the day. The next 5 days are supposed to be clear and sunny, so most of this will melt off. I guarantee you I will be climbing every second I can until the next snow. Hopefully we'll have enough people climbing so I can take pics to post.

Biking and Climbing

2008-10-22T10:27:00.007-06:00

Last weekend was a great return to my outdoor activities. Chris was out of town enjoying the warmth that is Texas, so I was afraid that I may end up pulling another weekend of computer games and football. Luckily some new friends kept me out of the house. I spent a lazy Friday night chilling in the hot tub and then opening my friends eye's to the awesomeness that is the movie Clay Pigeons. They all seemed to be a bit disturbed, but I love that movie.

I woke up Saturday morning and decided to join my friend Karen on a mountain bike ride. She has a friend that races alot and is really good. So the plan was for me to join those 2 ladies and one of their other friends on a nice ride in Vail. I kept up and stayed towards the front for the 1.5 hour climb to the top. My strategy was to keep them talking so they would run out of breath which worked well. However, they CRUSHED me coming back down on the singletrack. I don't have much technical experience on that stuff and it showed. There were some great views from a clearing. This is the Gore Range.

We were directly across from Vail Mountain. Most of the front side can be seen from that vantage point.

Here is the group that crushed me. I'm (obviously) on the left, Karen, Kerry (the bad ass), and Sarah (also incredible on the singletrack).

I believe this is New York Mountain (same as in the background of the previous shot).

After the grueling (not really, I just haven't been on a bike in a long time) ride, we scarfed down burgers at E-Town and then watched UT beat the crap out of Mizzou. HOOK 'EM HORNS!

Sunday came to a slow start, but was an awesome day of climbing in Gillman Canyon. My friend Alex and I took some newbies out. The rock was cold, but the climbing was really easy. Good for a confidence booster. While pulling the rope before leading, my arm grew to tremendous proportions.

Here I am before the crux of a fun climb.

The only problem with this weekend is that my taste for climbing and biking was not quenched and now it has started snowing and getting really cold. Guess I'll just have to tough it out.

Vail Resorts Sucks

2008-10-21T16:34:00.003-06:00

Ahhh corporate America... you have left a bitter taste in my mouth. Not that I didn't see it coming, but Vail really sucks. The resort was fiscally responsible by not giving the big-wigs raises this year. Instead they got promotions, which obviously result in higher salaries. As for the rest of us? "Well, the economy is really not doing very well so we aren't even going to give a big enough raise to our employees to keep up with the cost of living. Sorry little guy. Surely someone will replace you. After all, we are in the mountains and everyone wants to live here." That is a direct quote.

So now I'd like to propose a toast to my crapiest raise ever. Drum roll please... 23 cents!!!!

Thanks alot ASS HOLES!

p.s. On a lighter note, I'll post soon with an update of what I did this past weekend. It was a GREAT weekend!

Chautauqua

2008-10-17T14:27:00.003-06:00

I've been out of the office the last 2 days in various meetings. We had a 6.5 hour claims review on Wednesday in Keystone. Not much fun, but it is always a nice change of pace. Yesterday we drove down to the corporate offices in Broomfield for a legal/risk department overview meeting. Afterwards we headed to Chautauqua in Boulder for a nice hike. I didn't get very good pictures, but this is a view of Boulder.

On our way out I snagged this one, too. It is nice to still be able to take some pictures of fall colors.

The hike was pretty easy on well-worn trails and the weather was perfect. Around 60 degrees with a calm breeze. You can't ask for much better (especially when you are still getting paid). I tried to get a pic of a sign as we were headed back. I thought it was kinda funny. Unfortunately, we drove by too quickly and the picture was more of the window tinting. I still think it made for a cool pic.

The sign itself was very effective. I'm not sure how long they have had it up, but I'm sure it has accomplished its purpose by now. It read "TEST SIGN."

Comment Decision

2008-10-17T14:17:00.001-06:00

Over 72% of you voted to have comments pop-up as opposed to open in a large window. Pretty much a landslide vote. So, as you wish, comments will now pop up.

And Now The Main Event...

2008-10-14T14:34:00.003-06:00

I know you all have been anxiously awaiting some pictures of my new glasses. So here you go.

And now, deep in thought...

I have way too many pictures of myself while sitting at my desk.

Molester Glasses

2008-10-13T16:54:00.001-06:00

The frames I almost bought. (Posted via mobile blog)

Spectacles

2008-10-13T15:01:00.004-06:00

They came in early! I've had contacts for about 2.5 years, and I went straight with contacts and skipped the glasses. It was easy since my prescription was so light (either +/- .25). Now that the "benefits year" at work just rolled over, I decided it was time to have glasses for a back up. I end up wearing my contacts way longer than I need to each day. I went to get some prescription glasses 10/3/08 and they said it would take about 2 weeks. Lucky me, they came in just over a week!

I have kind of an excited nervousness about wearing them. Part of the reason I didn't get them before is because I am unsure of how I will look in glasses. I almost went with some sweet child-molester glasses.

However, I opted for a more youthful not-so-molestey frame. I'll post a pic tonight or tomorrow after I pick them up.

Cougar Hunting

2008-10-13T12:45:00.001-06:00

Chris and I are professional cougar hunters.

How Long Could You Last?

2008-10-13T10:46:00.004-06:00

I found this on Hillary's blog. I guess the wrestling experience helps alot.

I could survive for 1 minute, 9 seconds

As Promised... More Fall

2008-10-10T15:16:00.008-06:00

I said yesterday that I would post some more pictures of fall in the valley. Unfortunately most of the leaves have already parted way from the trees they so lovingly clung to during the summer. And by the time I got to the top of my ride on Berry Creek, the sun was setting so the light was too flat to catch the color that remained on the canvas of Colorado. The pictures that I got ended up being more of sunset pictures than fall pictures.

I wish I could post a bigger picture of these. Here is a closer view of the peaks in the last one. You can see a little bit of the golden leaves.

The sunset itself wasn't as grand as some others that I have seen so far.

Stupid PODS

2008-10-09T16:20:00.007-06:00

I am starting to semi-plan for moving back to TX... just checking out my options. My biggest concerns right now:

when will I leave
where will I move to in Austin
where will I work
how will I get my 2+ carloads of stuff back to Austin

I checked out PODS to see how much it would cost to move my stuff and potentially store it for a month. That way I could move in one trip without having to rent a trailer or tow my car on a U-Haul. I really don't feel like navigating the roads up here with a trailer during the winter. But of course, PODS doesn't service anywhere near where I live. The closest place is in Denver, which is 1.5-2 hours away. Maybe it will just be better to rent a U-Haul or trailer. Chris also mentioned that he may be willing to drive down and take a load in his SUV, but I can't count on that for my move. Especially since I don't know about #1 above.

Any Suggestions?

Evening Plans

2008-10-09T15:59:00.002-06:00

The brilliant fall colors are starting to... fall. So before they are all gone I am going to ride up Berry Creek across from my house so I can snag some pictures of the valley. We'll see how the view is. Come back tomorrow for pics!

Wolcott Bouldering

2008-10-08T14:21:00.006-06:00

Climbing and bouldering are fun. I remembered that after the most recent TX trip. So before it gets cold and starts snowing, I'm going to do as much of it as possible. Maybe even a trip to Indian Creek in Utah. Yesterday I went bouldering with my friends Alex and Blair. Today we are going to Gilman Canyon for some sport climbing. I can't wait to get out there! Here is a shot of Alex working a hard problem at Wolcott. The landing really sucks. If you're coming down, you want to make sure to jump off and away from the wall. Otherwise you'll have a nice meeting with Mr. Rock. (That's the moon just to the right of his head.)

I finally got 3 pairs of shoes back that I had sent to the Rubber Room to get resoled. (Note to the wise... don't type in rubberroom.com to find the site at work. I got a page that said something like "FORBIDDEN ZONE - This page has been blocked by your administrator and this occurrence has been logged. p.s. Pack your crap now because you will be fired shortly. Enjoy the rest of your day... perv.") It felt so good to slide my aching toes back into my Moccasyms. The sole is more flexible than most and feels like an extra hand as it grips around the smallest little rock feature available.

They treated me well as I worked on a problem I have been attempting for awhile now.

Once I finally got through the lower crimpy section and into the crack, I was prety much done.

Decision 2008 - cont.

2008-10-08T10:31:00.002-06:00

Instead of having you comment to determine how comments should be displayed, I set up a poll. You have a week to vote for your preference. The poll is available at the top right of the page. Enjoy!

Would You Like Some Butter With Your Roll?

2008-10-07T14:38:00.006-06:00

I'm on a roll playing catch up with my posts today. I hope you enjoy!

Warren Zevon

2008-10-07T14:17:00.002-06:00

I re-watched the first episode from the new season of Californication with Chris last night and the closing song caught my ear. For anyone unfamiliar with the show, and more specifically this episode, the song fit perfectly. After looking it up on YouTube, I researched some more of his work. How did I not hear of him before? Here's the song from the show that I liked so much. If you have sensitive ears, you may not want to watch/listen.

He did many other songs that you are most likely familiar with, but didn't realize were him (ie. Werewolves of London). I never even realized what he was saying in that song.

His story is darkly ironic. The first song I posted, "My Shit's Fucked Up," was on an album he released in 2000 called Life'll Kill Ya. Two years later he was diagnosed with mesothelioma. He later died in 2003. Allmusic.com goes into much better detail and provides a better report. Warren appeared on David Letterman on several occasions. He was the sole guest on his final appearance and performed several of his songs. Interesting guy, glad I found his music.

Decision 2008

2008-10-07T14:02:00.000-06:00

I finally went in to change some of the settings on the comment section of my blog. (I never really thought about doing it before.) It now allows people without gmail to leave comments (those of you registered some other way or those who prefer to remain anonymous).

A question to those who read my blog:

Do you prefer a pop-up comment window or the standard full page?

Lazy Weekend, Great Jog

2008-10-07T10:39:00.003-06:00

I had the house to myself this past weekend. Bittersweet. It's always nice to have the house to yourself every once in a while, but at the same time, I wouldn't have minded a little company. My waking hours were spent watching football (fall is here for sure), playing computer games until the wee hours of the morning, and exercising (so I wouldn't be a complete loser). This was the first opportunity I have had in months where I didn't really do jack squat on a weekend. Between hiking mountains, camping, traveling, attending a music festival, and drinking heavily, my weekends have been pretty jam packed since mid-June.

My usual jogging trail from home takes me along a hike and bike trail next to the road. This weekend I opted to do some trail running through one of the Eagle County Open Spaces. It's basically just on the other side of the river from the hike and bike trail. Main benefit... open space and no road. It was picture perfect outside. I'll have to go back down there to snap some shots before all the leaves start falling off the trees. Close your eyes and imagine this... (ok, so have someone read it to you so you can close your eyes) a gentle river trickling by on your right, perfect temperature (you can wear a long sleeve top without sweating and still have the slightest twinge of a chill on your legs), puffy cotton-ball clouds spotting a crystal blue sky, and yellow trees scattered around the path with a light covering of golden leaf on the ground. It reminded me of something you would see in a magazine. Who knows, maybe someone has been down there before to take pictures for some magazine cover. Anyway, despite the fact that it was really great to get out of the house, it was a perfect day for a jog. I've also been trying to worry less about my pace when I jog. Instead of pushing myself to my jogging limit, I let myself breathe and enjoy the experience. Something I had forgot about until I went jogging with Shiloh while I was in San Marcos. Thanks sweetness.

Texas Comfort Food

2008-10-07T10:29:00.006-06:00

Got back from TX late Tuesday night, worked and stayed busy on Wednesday, and by Thursday my sole remaining roommate had left for a birthday trip to Vegas. Feeling lonely, I decided I needed some comfort food while I watched the VP debates. I cooked up a batch of Wick Fowler's 2-Alarm Chili (my very own modified Texas style = lots of beef + no beans + green bell pepper for flavor and color), some corn bread, and bought the most expensive 6-pack of Shiner I have ever seen. If you ask me, nothing goes better with a steaming bowl of chili than a Shiner Bock, so the $9 was well spent.

It's Fall-ing

2008-10-07T10:19:00.005-06:00

Before I left for TX, the leaves on the Aspens were already starting to change and there were small golden pockets scattered through the valley. I tried to capture some of it in this post, but you couldn't really see the changes very well. Once I returned, I realized that I almost missed it all together. While wasting some time before an appointment the other day, I drove up the mountain across from the Vail ski area. Perfection in nature (other than the choking growth of civilization).

Tagged!

2008-10-03T11:09:00.005-06:00

I got tagged by Teej and decided it was time to actually do one of these. I usually hate them because I feel an overwhelming responsibility to be funny/witty. I also need to do one that Jane had posted. I have a bunch of other crap that I want to write about too, but most of my excessive free time at work this week has been spent catching up on other people's blogs as opposed to updating mine... as evidenced by the crappy writing of my last post.

A. Attached or single ? Technically, single. But not interested in looking because I'm attached (depending on your definition of attached). It's really quite simple and painfully complicated at the same time. Plus she reads my blog so I have probably said too much already.

B. Best friend ? I'm lucky enough to have alot of people who could fit this description. Actually... that's bullshit. I have alot of really good friends, but I'm not sure I could tag anyone as my best friend. I'm able to draw different qualities from different people, and they are all important to me.

C. Cake or pie ? Red Velvet Cake - mainly for the rich frosting. And I kinda like it a bit crumbly. Man, I can smell it right now. The rich creamy frosting melting in my mouth. The moist cake tingling my taste buds. Damn it, I'm going to have to go get one now.

D. Day of choice ? Any day I can play outside with good friends.

E. Essential item ? Water bottle. You will seldom see me without either my Sigg or a Nalgene. And I hate dry mouth and dehydration.

F. Favourite colour ? blue I have a hard time pinpointing many favourites, but this has never been a problem for me. I read in a magazine once that a mans favourite color is whatever women say it is. Maybe it's because of my eyes.

G. Gummy bears or worms ? Bears. The clear ones. Deeee-lish!

H. Hometown ? Arlington, TX, though you wouldn't know from my accent... unless I'm drunk.

I. ( favourite ) Indulgence ? The sugar cookies you get at the grocery with pink frosting and sprinkles. My roommates can vouch.

J. January or July ? I'm a summer boy, so I'm going with July. No question.

K. Kids ? Someday. For sure.

L.Life isnt complete without ? Is this where I'm supposed to get all Buddhist and say I need nothing?

M. Marriage date ? No current plans.

N. Number of brothers and sisters ? One brother (5.5 years older) and one sister (2.5 years older). That means I'm the baby, gotta love me!

O. Oranges or apples ? I love oranges, but I eat apples more often. Less messy.

P. Phobias ? I try not to think about them. They scare me.

Q. Quotes? "It was the best of times, if only someone had told me." -Californication

R. Reasons to smile? I'm moving back to Austin!

S. Season of choice ? Summer fo sho sho

T. Tag five people ? I'd love to, but there aren't 5 people who read my blog that write their own blog.

U. Unknown fact about me? If I told you, that would mean I knew it, so it wouldn't be unknown. Anyone know how/when I will die? That doesn't work either, because then you would know it... again keeping it from being unknown. My argument is that there can be no known unknowns. Wow, that's a weird word... known.

V. Vegetable ? This one's for you mom... Corn and mashed potatoes! Gotta have my starches.

W. Worst habit ? Procrastinating. But I'll tell you about that later.

X. X-ray or ultrasound ? X-ray. I got nothing.

Y. Your favourite food ? Almost anything Mexican.

Z. Zodiac sign ? Taurus. Yep

Austin Trip

2008-10-02T16:17:00.002-06:00

I have been out for the last week on vacation, so I haven't been posting much to my blog. It's crazy... when I don't sit bored at a desk for most of the day, I actually get out and do stuff.

I had a great time on my trip to Austin. After spending my first day with Shiloh in San Marcos, I borrowed her car and went to Austin on Thursday. I had lunch with my sister then got in a few hours of climbing with my friend Alan at Seismic. Headed over to Matt and Mary Ellen's for a delicious chicken enchilada dinner before going back to San Marcos.

We drove back to Austin on Friday morning and I got ready for my first day of ACL Fest. Matt was kind enough to let me borrow his bike so I could avoid all the traffic (and because I didn't have a car). The shows on Friday were great, my favorite being N.E.R.D. I left the show early on Friday so I could make it up north to Satay for my sister's b-day dinner.

Saturday was also a good day. I managed to wiggle my wristband off on the first day. That let me sneak it back out so Shiloh could get in too. After enjoying The Old 97's (actually I didn't really get to enjoy it because I was texting with my sister the whole time trying to arrange lunch) we left to meet my fam for lunch/drinks. It was great to see my parents, Dave, Jade, and the ever-smiling Marly (their daughter). I really need to get some pics of her up here. After becoming mildly intoxicated on some Mojito's, we rode back to ACL Fest just in time to catch Erykah Badu. After several more hours of great shows and choking on dust, we made our way to Barton Springs for a quick dip. So amazing. Then it was on to the Glamour Shots Party. Embarassing pictures to come.

I skipped out on Sunday and relaxed for most of the day before MEW lent me her car to go to San Marcos for the evening. I spent Monday napping and jogging before going for an afternoon climb with Alan at Gus Fruh. I was really happy with how well I was climbing. My endurance is still pretty pathetic, but I felt much more confident. I was leading a route called Charlie Don't Surf that has a big tufa. After passing the tufa is a thin section that I had forgot how to do. I barely made it through without falling. I really don't know how I didn't fall. My arms were cramping and my grip was giving just as I grabbed a decent hold. I was much more cautious the rest of the route. That evening I spent with Matt and Luis at his new house. It just so happens to be about 2 blocks from my last dwelling.

Tuesday came around and I had nothing to do, and plenty of time. You can imagine my excitement when Shiloh said she was coming up so we could run some errands and spend my last day together. It wasn't until she dropped me off at the airport and pulled away that I really started to wish I had another week.

I wasn't aware this was a secret...

2008-09-25T17:55:00.000-06:00

Early Afternoon

2008-09-24T12:31:00.000-06:00

I opted to read by the pool.

Chilling...errr...Baking in TX

2008-09-24T11:35:00.003-06:00

I tried to get off work early enough yesterday to catch the 3 p.m. flight instead of the 7 p.m., but I was going to be about 30 minutes too late. Instead, I touched everything I could at the flagship REI in Denver. That store is ridiculously huge and awesome. The flight itself was uneventful... which is a good thing. I watched the sunset as we were taking off. It was one of the most amazing sunsets I've ever seen. Unfortunately I didn't get any pics because I had my camera stored overhead and my camera phone was turned off so the plane wouldn't crash if I got a call. I am not sold on the whole "your cell phone will interfere with the airplanes instruments" thing, but I'm sure willing to sacrifice. God knows I don't want to be on a plane with some shmuck blabbing the whole flight. The guy behind me who wreaked of cigarette smoke was enough. I almost requested to change my seat he smelled so bad. But I digress.

My brother-in-law Matt was supposed to pick me up from the airport in Austin. Once we landed, I had this faint hope that Shiloh would surprise me and meet me at the airport. I knew it was unlikely because she has an early class on Wednesdays. I went outside to wait for Matt and let him know I was still waiting to claim the 2 bags I checked. In the mean time, I called Shiloh to let her know I was in safely. We talked for awhile and then I said I needed to go back inside to get my luggage. She tried to distract me to keep me from going inside. Just a bit suspicious. Then she pulled up. I was SO excited. I jumped in the car and kissed her all over. Best surprise ever! Her morning class was cancelled and she had kept it a secret since the day before. She still had to go in to do some work this morning, but I'm glad I didn't have to wait any longer to see her.

After she left for the lab this morning, I went for a jog and did a little workout. I've been working on my core over the last week or so. I expected to be able to run forever. Coming from 7000+ feet to sea level, my blood should be as thick as molasses. I started off strong, jogging/running down the hill towards the river. Stopped for a good stretch and then began the short way home. I made it about half way before I decided to stop and walk. My legs were plum tired. I think I may be a bit dehydrated. Anyway, now I’m debating on reading by her apartment pool or walking to the river with her dog for a dip. If only all my decisions involved such fun outcomes.

Another Trip to ATX!

2008-09-23T10:41:00.003-06:00

I leave this afternoon for Austin. I'm really excited to go, but I wish everything wasn't happening on the same day. ACL Fest is Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but I will miss most of the afternoon shows to see my family and Shiloh. Well worth the sacrifice.

The show I'm most excited about seeing? Beck!
The show I will feel most guilty for seeing? Beck

Why? Beck is playing from 8:30-10:00 p.m. on Saturday and that is the same night that my sister is having her birthday Glamour Shots Party. My family is even coming down from Arlington. At least I'll be able to hang out with them on Saturday afternoon and maybe Sunday morning.

Now to explain what a Glamour Shots Party is. My sister is awesome at thinking up themed party ideas. From her Outrageous House Plant Party to the Sushi Rolling Party, they are always unique and entertaining. A few years ago she wanted to have a Glamour Shots Party. We all dressed up in weird and ridiculous costumes and posed for pictures. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves (Once I can get to a computer that has them).

Paintball

2008-09-22T13:21:00.007-06:00

This was the last weekend for my roommate Luke in Vail. He is in transition to Deutschland to live with his girlfriend and go to grad school. What better way to celebrate than to shoot at each other with paintballs!? We had a group of 11 peg the hell out of each other for 2 hours on Saturday at Paintball in the Rockies.

Our guide explained the rules and prepared us for total annihilation. Since we were all adults and he liked us so much (because we were locals), we were going to play "to the pain." What is "to the pain" you ask? It is a way of playing paintball that was thought up by some ridiculous masochist. (Either that or a smart salesman who realized you waste alot more paintballs by shooting wildly at other people) Instead of being out when you get shot, you just keep playing... until it hurts too much and you don't want to be shot anymore. Sound fun? It is if you like being riddled with bruises like me. Well, I don't like being riddled with bruises, but I can endure the punishment if it allows me to cover my dear friends with the same. All that being said... OUCH!!!!

I am used to playing the regular way. You get shot, you are out. Simple. Easy to determine. Oh, you have paint on you so you are out. "To the pain" = I shot you, you're out. Wait, why are you running at me and PELTING MY ENTIRE BODY?

So the first game we start out and I dash to a bunker a bit downhill. I spot an opponent ducking behind a barrier about 20 yards away. We trade a few shots and keep missing. I take careful aim and wait for his head to pop back up. Target in sight... FIRE! BLAHHHMMMM. Right in the goggles. You out boy! But he's still shooting at me? Fine I'll shoot him again, the cheating jerk. A few more shots traded, a few more dallops of paint on his head. I think to myself "Whoever that is really sucks. I know I hit him." And then I take a glancing blow off the arm. Damn, I'm out. The ref tells us to tag our back boundary and stay in. Good, I wasn't ready to quit. The round finally ends and we all come out smiling and attempt to figure out who shot whom. This is when I remember that we are playing "to the pain." That's why the guy I shot was staying in. Stupid me, I could have stayed in alot longer.

By the third game it got nasty. We started old-west-style. Back to back in the middle of the playing field. I quickly dove for a bunker to my left. An opponent jumps right on the other side. Here comes a true shooting match. In my adrenaline induced attempt to make sure I shoot him ALOT before he shoots me once, I block out the stinging sensation all over my back. Another player was laying in to my back like a red-headed step child in Wal-Mart. Once I realize I'm getting a free chiropractic adjustment, I raise my gun and walk to the back boundary. Here's what my jacket and back looked like by the time we were done. If you want to play a fun game, match up the paint on my jacket with the welts on my back.

Here's a better shot of my back at the end of the day.

Surprisingly my back didn't hurt. It was my leg that got the best shot. Justin went kamikaze and rushed me when I was hiding behind a bunker. We traded shots from about 3 feet apart and this was the result.

It broke the skin and still hurts 2 days later. After a few more games I really didn't care about getting shot anymore and adopted the kamikaze style. On a few different occasions I rushed those who had shot me the most. That seemed much more fun than just trying to shoot them from 10-30 yards away.

When all was said and done we had a great time. We drove home covered in paint and bruises, but the memories are well worth the pain.

Ideal Living Situation

2008-09-19T09:50:00.002-06:00

Over the years I have developed a hazy picture of how I want to live my life. It is far from complete and I haven't put much thought into it, but maybe it is time to do so. Here is a rough draft of things that I think would make me happier.

I would really like to live in a place where I can ride my bike or use reliable public transportation to get to the places I frequent the most. For example: work, grocery store, restaurants, gym, pub/bar, stores, friends houses. I'm sure I could think of more places. This comes out of a desire to use my car less and stay in shape by commuting via bike. Living 12-15 miles from where I work doesn't make it very easy to commute every day. Especially since it is mostly uphill on the way to work. And there is no way I could ride to work during the winter, which is 7-8 months out of the year. At the same time, if I was truly dedicated I could make it work during the summer. I just hate getting up an hour earlier.

I want a job that allows me flexibility in my schedule. I want to be able to take a 2 hour lunch break to go exercise and have a nice lunch. I don't mind eating at my desk if that helps me get more free time during lunch. Or if I feel like sleeping in a little bit, I'd like to not feel bad about it and be able to make the hours up later in the day.

I'd like to find affordable yoga that I can attend on a regular basis, maybe twice a week. I felt much more relaxed in general when I used to go to yoga with my sister in the morning. My flexibility was also alot better and I didn't get as sore from exercise.

Speaking of exercise, I'd like to have access to a gym and work out on a regular basis. It would be nice to have a few friends to go running or riding with. Helps with the motivation and dedication. The UFCU "Fast Cash" team was good for that.

Looking back at my list, it is more of ways I want to improve my current living situation. I feel somewhat helpless at this point to change some of them until I move back to Austin. I'm pretty strapped for cash and can't change too much in such a short time frame. I'll just need to make sure I keep this stuff in mind when I do move.

Rockies Game

2008-09-18T10:40:00.006-06:00

Our department took a field trip to the Rockies Game yesterday. I rode down from Vail with a co-worker and we met at our bosses house a few miles from Coors Field. He had a myriad of cruiser bikes for us to roll down to the stadium with. I was lucky and got the Rat Rod.

Just a little bit different than riding my road bike. The lack of hand brakes took me a while to get used to. The whole back-pedal-to-a-stop was confusing at first. We got to the stadium as they were finishing up the pre-game festivities. After stopping for the mandatory hot dog and beer, it was time to find our seats. An older guy greeted us boisterously with "Welcome to the rock pile!" Some may call the section nose-bleed, but they weren't really that high. Just way out in center field and.. well I guess they were kinda high... considering the fact that we are already a mile above sea level.

It was in the mid-80's, but no clouds were in sight and the sun was baking us. I slathered sun-screen on, but neglected to cover my legs. I ended up with an uber-attractive burn on the front right side of both legs. Awesome. I'll spare you the picture so you won't have nightmares for the next month.

The game itself was pretty lame. The Rockies won 1-0; the only score was in the bottom of the 4th inning. Post game, we had a few celebratory beverages at a rooftop bar. The mildly intoxicated ride home was fun. I've never been a member of a cruiser bike gang, but I may have to start one.

New Shirt #1

2008-09-16T10:55:00.002-06:00

As promised, here is a pic with one of my new pearl-snap western shirts. I have one more, but this is my favorite.

Just Thinking Out Loud...

2008-09-16T10:27:00.003-06:00

I promise not to turn my blog into a political bitching post because I kinda hate politics and debating politics, but I have one observation.

Last night I was pondering why John McCain would select Palin as his running mate... and it hit me. Now that she is in the mix, what is the media paying attention to? It sure doesn't seem to be the issues that are important (not that it ever has been or will be). Hey, let's all debate if Palin was a good choice instead of asking questions on policy! A classic diversion technique. So I say to you McCain... "well played sir, well played." (sneaky jerk)

HUGE MOON

2008-09-15T11:05:00.000-06:00

It doesn't look as grand through a camera phone picture, but the rising moon was incredible last night. Took this shot just a little too late to catch the painted clouds from the setting sun. (Posted via mobile blog)

Oktoberfest in Vail

2008-09-15T11:04:00.007-06:00

This weekend was Oktoberfest in Vail Village. I missed out on the one in Lionshead last weekend because of the Buffalo Bicycle Classic in Boulder. Thursday night got pretty cold and there was a pretty steady rain overnight and during the day on Friday. That meant snow on the higher peaks. It usually melts off after a day of relative sun this early in the season, but it stayed cold enough to stick this weekend. This was taken from the highway while driving in to Vail on Friday night.

The band was playing, the brats were cooking, and the beer was flowing as we strolled into the village. The view of the Gore Range was pretty cool from the street the festival was on.

Wolverine boots had a booth where they had a plinko game. Old school "The Price Is Right" style. If you get one disc in each of the 5 slots at the bottom you won a pair of Wolverine shoes or boots. The slots were cleverly labeled B-O-O-T-S. I drunkenly attempted once and missed on my last disc. We went back later with better strategy. I asked two of my friends to help me and release all 5 discs at the same time. All 5 disc scatter across the board as they made their way to the bottom. 'B' gets a disc, then the two 'O's, and 'S.' The fifth disc stalled directly above the 'T.' I go up to give it a tap, as they have been doing for stopped discs, and it slides into 'T.' FREE BOOTS FOR DAN! Therefore it was time to celebrate. Ein bier bitte!

We proceeded to destroy our livers until it was time to go home. Being in no shape to drive and not wanting to pay for a taxi home (usually about $60), Luke and I opted for the bus. A long ride, but only $3 each. By the time the long bus ride stopped for Miller Ranch (our exit) the alcohol had really kicked in and we were out of it. The bus driver stopped, proclaimed that we had reached Miller Ranch (he said this twice, we were asleep the first time), then we stumbled off the bus and walked home... safely.

Saturday was pretty lazy. Luke cooked an awesome breakfast. I laid on the couch. Eventually I felt good enough to go climbing for a bit and had a great day. I completed a route that I have been working on since I moved here.

Back at home I watched some college football before it was time to head to Oktoberfest again. We only had one beer at the festival and then headed to The Tap Room for many libations. Drunken shenanigans ensued. Again too drunk to drive and not wanting to pay for a taxi, Chris and I decided to sleep in the car until he could drive. Now that's dedication! Wake up at 3:30 with a stiff neck/back and make our way home... again, safely.

Sunday was another day of laziness. Chris and I decided to go to Glenwood Springs because that was the closest Wolverine dealer, Corral West, a little western shop. They only had 1 style of Wolverine boots, so I was a little disappointed. However, they did have some rockin' pearl-snap western shirts which I had to buy. I'll have some pics to display my rockin new threads soon. Across the street was a cool hill. I like the contrast of the changing fall colors with the burnt trees from an earlier fire. I guess you can't really see it in this pic.

NFL Football made up the rest of the day. There were some really good games, including the Broncos who got lucky on a few calls and ended up winning.

The CONVINCER

2008-09-15T11:02:00.000-06:00

Saw this at a health fair in the Glenwood Springs mall this weekend. I thought the name was awesome! THE CONVINCER!!! (Posted via mobile blog)

How to Multitask

2008-09-12T10:48:00.003-06:00

I have found a way to be extremely productive at work. I can now accomplish all of the following tasks at once:

waste time at work
contact friends and family
be rude, crude, and crass
laugh my ass off

With a simple visit to this site, all of my needs are met. Enjoy!

Keep Plugging Along

2008-09-10T10:30:00.002-06:00

Have you ever had one of those days where everything seems to be going along as normal, and then things just slowly seem to slip away from you and turn to crap? Yesterday was like that for me. Everything at work was normal, almost exciting considering that we had a claims review in Keystone. It breaks up the monotony of doing nothing. Back in Vail and there were a few hours of the work day left so I took care of a few more loose ends (aka played on the internet). Leave work and it's completely overcast. No big deal because I didn't have any plans outside, but I do prefer the sun after sitting inside all day. Get to my car, turn the key, it barely turns over and then stops. There wasn't any sign before this of my battery dying, like starting slowly or dim lights. Plus I had just bought this battery 4 or 5 months ago. I take a breath, turn the key again and... great success! My plan was to go by City Market for some groceries on the way home, so I was hoping my alternator would charge the battery enough for me to start it again after shopping. After picking out the fresh veggies and fruit I needed, I go to the deli and none of the meat or cheese is out. Crap again. Undeterred, I walk over to the ready-made part of the deli to ask if the deli meat section is closed.

"No, the cooler is just down, we have the meat in the back. Be with you in a sec."

Cool. Walk over to where the meat usually is to wait my turn. Another employee walks out of the back. Some dude who helped me before. He's super pushy and rude. Comes up and says sternly "Who's next!?" Some other dude who had walked up raises his hand, as do I.

Employee: "So WHO IS NEXT!?"

I pause to see if the other guy recognizes that I was already there, and he just glares at me instead. Screw it, I think. "I was waiting here already," I say. Disgruntled employee stomps over to take my order.

I get the rest of my groceries, but now I am in an even worse mood. I really don't like confrontational situations. Back to my car. "Please start." Key turns... barely turns over and dies. Deep calming breath. Turn the key again. Slight rumble and then VROOOM. Wow, that was lucky.

I knew the mechanic by my place closes at 5, so I will have to go by in the morning to have them check out the battery. No biggie. I can jump it in the morning with my roommates car.

This is where things start to get better.

This morning comes and I jump my car. Up to the mechanic. He checks it out to see if it's the battery or alternator and tells me it's the battery. Exactly what I thought. If it was the alternator, it would have died shortly after being jumped. But they don't sell Interstate batteries (which I have and is covered under warranty). He directs me to CarQuest since they have Interstate batteries in stock.

Drive down there and they check to see if the battery failure is actually covered by the warranty. It comes up as a dead cell, which is covered. Nice. But they don't have my battery and the next closest one is an up-sell. How convenient for them. It's only $10. No biggie. And while I'm here, I need to get a replacement brake light. Another $4. Easy. Replace the battery and light and I'm good as new!

I guess the moral to the story is this: Even though my day was turning to crap, I tried to keep going and let it roll off my back. You never know what is waiting around the corner. For me, it was a better day.

12

2008-09-09T18:02:00.001-06:00

When was the last time you saw this? I LOVE IT!!! Still not sure why they randomly spout off numbers throughout it.

Poker

2008-09-09T08:39:00.004-06:00

After a little evening bouldering and gas-inducing-burrito dinner, I played some Texas Hold 'Em with Luke, his girlfriend Steffi, and her brother Max. Obviously I had the upper hand because I'm the only one who has ever lived in Texas. First hand I was dealt a pair of Jacks. Awesome. So I go out betting big. Steffi and Max quickly fold, but Luke keeps betting along with me. The flop comes down and it's a 7 and two other low cards, all of different suit (no chance of a flush) and not close enough for a straight. So as Luke and I progress to bet about 3/4 of the chips we started with. He finally calls me and what does he have but a pair of pocket 7's, giving him a three of a kind. And I still just have my Jacks. (insert sad face here)

We keep playing and I keep getting crappy cards that I quickly fold. My funds were running pretty low when I finally get a pair of pocket 9's. I decide it's time to bet big. Max and Steffi were playing as a team now. Steffi had left the game earlier because Luke and I kept talking in our gay German accents (Steffi and Max are both straight outta Germany). They kept whispering and giggling in German (yes, you can giggle in German) as they called all of my bets. Luke had folded quickly. After the flop and the turn, I went all in because I didn't have too many more chips. They continued giggling in German and called again. I flipped my hand over to reveal my pair of 9's. They flipped their's over to reveal a pair of Kings. BOLLOCKS! The only thing that would help me win was another 9. So I dealt the final card out of custom. And what do you know... another 9 came down and I was the BIG winner.

We kept playing for a while and Luke eventually won the remainder of the chips that Steffi and Max had. It looked like Luke had more chips than I did, so I suggested we call it a game. He agreed and we started counting our chips. I ended up with $11.39. He kept counting his chips as he approached $10, $10.25, $10.70, $11.25. And finally, "I've got $11.27" he said proudly. A grin spread across my face.

Contest Winner!

2008-09-08T14:00:00.005-06:00

The winner of my contest... mom!

Her guess for number of mobile posts... 15.

Actual number of mobile posts... 4.

Next closest guess... Sandra with 22.

Closest guess after those two... doesn't exist. See here.

The prize... first let me give a bit o' background. My mom loves to give gifts that will keep us safe or get us out of an emergency. Example... something like the LifeHammer.

So while I spent over 3 hours drooling at REI in Boulder on Saturday, I remembered that I needed to get her prize. How fitting would it be to get her something she can keep in her car/purse in case of night-time emergencies? So I present to you, mother, the Petzl e+lite Emergency Headlamp.

I'll give it to you when I come down at the end of the month. CONGRATS!

Stairs

2008-09-08T13:14:00.001-06:00

I just jogged up the stairs to my office... apparently I forgot that my legs feel like jello and my knees are like little bee hives. If anyone wants to pay for me to get a massage, I'll send you my address so you can send me some money.

Buffalo Bicycle Classic

2008-09-08T11:54:00.002-06:00

I drove down to Boulder this weekend for the Buffalo Bicycle Classic that I was preparing for. It was a 100 mile ride from the football stadium at CU to Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins. The weather was perfect. A little chilly in the morning, but perfectly comfortable for most of the ride. It got a little warm in the afternoon, but nothing like Texas heat. Vail Resorts had a group of riders, but I didn't really know anybody. I tagged along with random groups and pacelines at the beginning and ended up riding by myself from about mile 25 to mile 50. I was riding really strong and passing alot of people during that section. I can't imagine how much faster I would have been if I rode that section with a paceline.

After eating a few snacks at the midway point of Horsetooth Reservoir, it was time to make the trek back to Boulder. I ended up meeting a guy who works in our finance department in Broomfield, Chris, and we rode most of the way back together. The ride is much more enjoyable when you have people to talk to or ride with. I sucked down a gel with about 35 miles to go because I was starting to feel a little tired. We got a paceline together with Chris, Lee (who is a financial analyst in Broomfield) and a few other guys. My gel kicked in and I started riding pretty hard, leading our paceline. At one point I bombed it up a hill, staying in the same gears and keeping the same cadence. One of the other guys in our line caught up and told me I had dropped everyone so I slowed down. After we got back together and rode awhile, Chris dropped off the back as we rounded an s-corner and climbed another short but steep hill. By this point my gel was wearing off and I got dropped. I knew the ride would be much easier if I stayed with the group. Time to suck it up and pound the pedals to catch back up. Somehow I managed to catch them. Eventually Chris caught back up as well so our group of about 6-8 was back together... At least for a little bit. Chris got dropped again and I was really feeling it. With about 9.5 miles left, our group started hammering and I got dropped again. I was wasted. After my demoralizing drop, I decided to eat another gel so I could make it to the finish without having to walk my bike. That gel kicked in with a few miles left so I followed another group in to the finish line.

Pasta has never tasted so good. I was really happy that the line for food was short and quick. They are usually long at events like this. So either I finished fast enough to get to the food before the rush (possible) or they had it well planned (more likely). I didn't stay at the finish long because I was ready for a nap. I headed back to my friends apartment which was about 4-5 blocks from the event and passed out on their couch for about 2 hours before driving back to Edwards.

It had been so long since I went on a long ride with other people that I forgot how much fun it is. I'll have to be more pro-active in seeking out these events in the future. The only problem is that most organized rides are charity rides where you have to raise several hundred dollars and I feel guilty asking people for donations so I can ride my bike.

Caffeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeine

2008-09-05T16:39:00.002-06:00

I just drank a grande caramel frappuccino from Starbucks. Soon I will be jittering in my seat as I drive to Boulder for the weekend. Then I will crash with mind still racing... in a caffeine induced coma. Sound like fun? You can do it too!

OK, really I'm just wasting the last few minutes of the work day... and waiting for the energy wave of caffeine to throttle me into hyperspeed down I-70.

Why I Want A Laptop

2008-09-05T15:16:00.002-06:00

The better question is why would I NOT want a laptop. I could get one with 3 times the hard drive space, a faster processor, and more RAM than my desktop for about $600. I would love to have the flexibility of a laptop. My desktop is still great, but I never want to be on it at home because I don't feel like being secluded in my room. If I could take it to the living room and do stuff while watching TV or talking with friends, I would be much more likely to use it. Not to mention being able to take it on vacation or to a coffee shop or whatever. Mainly it would be used for internet searching, blogging, music, and maybe some simple photo editing. And of course I would want to have Microsoft Money and other Microsoft Office programs on it, too.

If anyone has any suggestions on good deals or which system to get/avoid, please comment.

Huron Peak and Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-04T15:30:00.013-06:00

I almost feel like I'm back in school with how much I have been procrastinating with this post. Unlike my reasons for procrastinating when I was in school (a disdain for having an assignment with a due date that I wasn't really interested in, resulting in a grade), it's more because I haven't been at a PC long enough to organize my thoughts and put them into the form of a blog post. I somewhat enjoy that challenge. Plus none of you get to grade me... and if you do I can just laugh at you. Onward with the blogging...

Saturday - Huron Peak

My friend Jon flew in from Portland for a little vacay and mountain hike. I was more than happy to return the favor of offering lodging, meals, transportation, and entertainment since he hosted me on my trip to Leadville back in July of 2006. That is what REALLY made me want to move out to Colorado, but I'll have to write about that later. We decided Saturday was the best day to hike due to the weather. He and his friend Daniel drove up late Friday night. We talked for a bit, then crashed out so we could get up and leave by 4 in the a.m. The road to the trailhead was reported to be a 4WD road, but if we got all the way up in my 2WD it would cut off a 2 mile each-way hike to the trailhead. That sounded pretty good to me. In the morning glow I barrelled down the road and easily made it up. If it was muddy or wet I would have been in trouble, but luck was on my side. So as the sun was waking up we strapped on our packs and headed towards the peak. At the car about to take off... Daniel, Jon, and me.

I think some of my favorite morning shots are when the sun casts an orangish glow on the top of any random peak.

There was still a decent amount of frost on the foliage as we trekked up the basin. It looks alot cooler when the whole area has this frosty morning glow.

We took our time on the well defined trail. Jon had just flown in from sea level, but I was pretty impressed with the pace he kept up. I led for the first part of the hike then moved to the back of the pack to release some demons. While hiking up the switchbacks, a little figure caught my eye. A ptarmigan was chilling right next to the path as Jon and Daniel passed it. We stood and watched it for a bit. It made this awesome coo-ing noise that reminded me of a cats purr. I almost wanted to pick it up and take it home. It slowly started to walk away from the side of the path... but every movement was so slow that I could easily see how Jon and Daniel missed it.

The rest of the route was pretty much like any other 14er hike. I ran, sorry, jogged, ahead to grab a shot of Jon and Daniel just below the summit.

Here's a few shots of us on the summit. Jon has a habit of letting out a war whoop on the summit. This summit was great because it echoed all the way down the mountain range. You could hear it bouncing off distant mountains for a long time. I really liked the shot of Daniel on the summit. It really seems to sum up the whole experience. I just look like some lame dude who needs to find a new hobby.

The Three Apostles were south, southwest from us at the summit.

We took a little nap on the summit and woke to a really interesting guy making the summit. I believe he was in his 70's, but still seemed fit as a button. He went by the name Coach. I asked him what I could do to still be able to hike at his age and he had a great response. I don't remember his exact words but it was something to the effect of "Stay active and eat right. They kinda go hand in hand. You don't see many active fat asses." Well... he put it much more eloquently.

We took a little more time to look around on our way down. I found a few patches of microbiotic soil. This stuff is really cool. I didn't mess with it here, but I played with it a little when I went to climb at Indian Creek in Utah a few years ago. It helps keep the soil from eroding and is usually found in more arid climates. Unfortunately it can be disturbed very easily by stepping on it or even on the soil around it... and it takes YEARS to grow.

We celebrated back at the car with... a beer of course. We got out of the tougher driving terrain just in time. It started sprinkling and some of the rocks would have been MUCH harder to drive over if they were wet. There was a little museum in Winfield that we decided to stop by. They had a few buildings with some displays you could see through the windows. One of the cabins had a lot of pictures with Wallaces, so we may have had some ancestors in them thar hills. Maybe I'll do some research if I get the motivation.

There was another little museum area that we stopped at on the way out. Some of the stuff was kinda cool, but I got a kick out of a wood post that we saw on the way out. It had a sign that read "In Memory of AL LEVIN" and a button. Pushed the button and nothing. We didn't see anything else near it. We assumed Al was a practical jokester and this was a tribute to him... watch people on vacation push a button and stare confusedly at a wooden post.

The only thing we had left was to get a burger and some beer at Rosie's Brewpub. I finally got a picture of my favorite bar. I almost feel like a local when I go in there now. Most of the employees seem to recognize me. Maybe that's a bad thing.

Saturday Night - Yacht Party

Back at home we relaxed and napped before getting ready for the Yacht Party. A friend of ours was having her 30th birthday party. She grew up on the east coast and wanted to have a yacht themed party. Since Jon and I had no yacht clothes, we turned to my roommate Luke. It is kinda sad how quickly he got these "costumes" together.

Jon and I met the rest of our crew in Vail Village. Chris, Jon, Colin, and I snuck off to get some pizza at Vendetta's. We had to kick up our obnoxious yacht costumes, so we devised yacht-names for each other. Chris became Chase, Colin became Trapster, Jon became Brock, and I became Landon. We were so annoying. I don't have pictures from the rest of the night, but if I get some that are appropriate for posting, I'll do so.

Sunday - Bouldering

You have no idea how good it felt to sleep in on Sunday. Jon and I went for a late breakfast at Route 6. The clouds were rolling in, and even though we wanted to nap, we met my friend Alex in Wolcott for some bouldering. Jon was a natural on the rock.

The night ended with the obligatory bbq get together.

Monday - Gilman Canyon Climbing

Woke up early on Monday to take Jon to the Greyhound station in Vail. It was sad to see him go because we were having a great time. Alex and I made plans to go climbing and get some rope work in. We met around noon and drove down to Gilman Canyon. This was only the third time this season that I have put a harness on, so I knew my endurance would be suffering. I led the first 2 climbs and felt relatively solid. I had to take about 3 breaks on the second lead of a 5.9 route, but I got no shame in that. After those two climbs we headed down the canyon. I quickly noticed the raspberries growing everywhere along the trail. I had to stop and pick some of the tasty treats. Ignore my dirty hands.

On the way down the canyon I noticed some garbage across the canyon. As I looked closer I realized it was the remnants of a CAR. What the HELL!? Alex told me there were actually at least 3 cars that had jumped the cliff and remained in the canyon. I have a feeling the drivers didn't make it... and I hope they at least got the bodies out. The greenish-blue one up top looked like a newer wreck, but the two down lower seemed like they had been there for awhile.

Two more climbing routes and we were both worn out. We headed across the street to check out a bouldering area, but both of us were already spent. I barely finished a V1 route just before we left.

I think this weekend reminded me of why I came to Colorado... to get out and have fun. It's already getting cooler and feels like fall is about to drop on us like an atom bomb. I have had to shut my window at night because it is getting so cold. That just means it's that much closer to... SNOW TIME!!!!

Blogophile

2008-09-03T21:58:00.002-06:00

I believe I am quickly becoming addicted to reading blogs. A friend of mine, Jane, started commenting on my blog. I started reading her blog. Then I started looking at some of the blogs that she had on her blogroll. Then I started looking at blogs they suggested. It's almost like a pyramid scheme that joyously sucks up my time on the computer. I haven't been at my work computer for the reasons mentioned in the last post, so I haven't kept up to date with my newest addiction. I feel oddly out of touch.

I had a lot of extra time on my hands while working over the last few months, so I started looking for ways to fill it without going insane. Now that I haven't had the time to read my favorite blogs and update my own blog, I almost feel cranky... like when I quit smoking cigarettes. All this bike riding and bouldering after work is getting in the way of my addiction. Not quite sure what I plan to do about it. Probably blog.

So here are some of my new blog interests:

Diary of Why
hang on little tomato
Last Name Unknown
Saving Diva
The State That I Am In

They offer interesting and different perspective on a variety of topics and events... each with their own quirks and reasons for blogging. I hope you enjoy. And maybe I'll do some blogging of my own tomorrow. I have much to catch you up on from the weekend.

Behind Again

2008-09-03T09:18:00.002-06:00

Yet again I am behind with posting. I had a weekend filled with fun, off work Monday for Labor Day, and yesterday and today I am sitting at a table for most of the day at a health fair for Vail Resorts. And I haven't taken the time at home to update my blog because we keep having bbq's and random dinners. Hopefully tonight or tomorrow I can fill you in on the haps in my life over the weekend.

Like Jeopardy Now?

2008-08-31T01:53:00.001-06:00

Don't ask why I am posting this at 2 a.m. on a Saturday night, just laugh.

Subway

2008-08-29T13:32:00.002-06:00

I eat Subway too much. Probably because it is the only thing close that doesn't cost $8 (usually more) for lunch. Since they started the scrabble game I haven't won a damn thing... until today. I got a free cookie! Things are looking up.

Odd Feeling - Call It Intuition

2008-08-29T11:21:00.004-06:00

Do you ever get a feeling from someone that there is something not right about them? Like they put on a facade but just under the surface is the terrible truth? Animals and little kids seem to have a keen grasp of this ability. You know how your dog growls at your neighbor for no apparent reason and you later find out that they are some rapist or child molester? Every once in a while I get that feeling about someone.

For instance, there is a guy who works in the office below me that I have always had a weird feeling about. He just seems overly friendly but lacks sincerity. I had an odd dream a few weeks ago and he was in it. I don't remember all the details, but it involved him driving around in a truck in what appeared to be the neighborhood where I grew up. He was going on a rampage and running into cars, mailboxes, and houses. I don't remember much more but it just reinforced my suspicions of him. I'm sure my pre-existing weariness of him contributed to the dream. Anyway, now when I see him or talk to him it seems like he is aware that I know he is a bad person. He kinda freaks me out. Hopefully I'm wrong, but none the less, I'll keep my distance.

Excited About Austin

2008-08-28T15:26:00.003-06:00

Even though it is about a month away, I can't wait to visit Austin in September. I've been feeling a bit unsettled in Vail because I have been faced with the inevitability that I will be moving back to Austin... and I'm actually REALLY looking forward to it. I moved to a place where I can do all the activities I could ever dream of, my job gives me decent flexibility to do some of them during the work day, and I don't really have any responsibilities. But my life here just doesn't seem to be fulfilling without the people that I care about the most.

I never realized how great the group of friends are that I have in Austin. Well, I did, but I didn't realize how hard it would be to leave them. I have met good people out here, but nothing compares to family.

Mount Massive and Missouri Mountain

2008-08-27T14:47:00.009-06:00

Yet another weekend has passed in my quest of summer hiking adventures. I started off by driving to the trailhead for Mount Massive early on Saturday morning. I hadn't decided if I was going to hike the standard 13.75 mile route or attempt driving up the 4WD road to take on the shorter 8 mile route. Once I arrived at the trailhead for the longer route, I quickly realized that I would be walking amongst a huge crowd if I took the standard route. So I decided to check out the 4WD road and hope I could make it up. I had read some reports that the first 2 miles weren't bad, but the last .5 mile could get pretty nasty. I have a Pathfinder with high clearance, but no 4WD. The reports were right, and I easily made it to the junction just before the road was supposed to get really rough. I bailed out and got my pack and gear ready. But before I took off I decided to walk up a bit to see what the road really looked like. It didn't look too bad, so I took it on. The road was rocky and bumpy, but nothing my car couldn't handle with good route choices. I finally came to one section where I wasn't as adept at chosing my line and spun my tires out as I tried to scale the rocky ditch. The stinch of burnt rubber persuaded me to back down the hill and park along the side. It wasn't worth risking injury to my car to save a quarter mile on a hike. After I walked back up the hill, I saw that I easily could have passed the section if I had driven a bit further to the left. Only problem was that I had a small margin of error for how far left I could drive. I really wasn't ready to barrel roll down a slope into a ravine. So I'm fine with hiking an extra 2 minutes. The rest of the road was pretty lame and flat all the way to the official trailhead. Here's the ditch that made me bail on my drive. Quit laughing at me. It's worse than it looks, especially before the sun comes up.

I started off at the official trailhead at 6:40 and decided I needed to get a move on. I quickly passed two groups and came to a clearing in the woods. Most of the peaks I could see were shrouded in clouds as the sun was poking it's head out.

This is the same peak just a few minutes later after the sun had burnt the clouds off.

I hiked up above treeline through some switchbacks and found a horse on the trail in front of me. I had to stop for a picture op. (If you don't get the horse reference, click here and watch the video.)

I summitted in about 3 hours and there was already a crowd on top from the standard route. After eating a bit of pasta I remembered some advice from a friend of mine. Apparently it was pretty easy to traverse to North Massive, so I decided to go for it (with no further knowledge than "there is the next peak"). The sky's were clear, I had plenty of energy, and I didn't feel like being surrounded by the crowd. North Massive can be seen as the highest peak in the distance. Most of the traverse on the ridge looked easy, but I wasn't sure about the last section leading to the peak.

These look back to the right of the route I took up from the top of Mt. Massive. You can see both of the Halfmoon Lakes in the second shot.

Off I go to conquer the trail to North Massive. Since I wasn't sure of the route, I decided that I would turn around if I lost the trail or got into any really sketchy territory. The first part of the route was easy as long as I kept my eyes open on the trail ahead. The trail dissipated as I approached the peak and got into some bigger rocks. I had to hunt for cairns that marked the way instead. I had my eye on the face of North Massive for the whole hike. It was looking steeper and steeper with no apparent trail. Eventually I came to the section I was dreading. The mountain was steep with lots of loose rock lying around huge sturdy boulders. After studying the route I decided to slowly ascend to just below the ridge and then scramble to the saddle before the peak. I noticed a guy waving at me from the summit which eased my nerves. At least if I fell he would likely hear me and could call Search and Rescue. The section I went up would be easy by my usual climbing standards... when I have a climbing partner, climbing shoes, and a ROPE! I was very careful to make sure each rock I grabbed or put my foot on was sturdy before moving any weight on it. It was pretty slow going, but I'd rather be slow than dead. I finally made it to the saddle. I think it was the first time I exhaled in about 10 minutes. This is the area I had scrambled across. I started the sketchy part from about the boulder on the far right of the picture and made my way across a small gulley and above the spire in the middle of the picture.

Once I got to the top I realized that the trail actually went on the other side of the mountain from the hard section I crossed. Oh well, I arrived safely and more confident of my climbing skills. Two other guys had just reached the summit and were about to make the traverse over to Massive. I advised them to stick to the left and avoid the section I crossed. That trail must have been REALLY easy because they were on the other side in about 2 minutes. I met a guy on the summit and we talked for a few minutes. He asked if I planned to hike to Point 14,001 for the full traverse and I decided I might as well. The clouds were barely gathering and not threatening. He also showed me another route down so I didn't have to traverse all the way back to Massive before descending. Here is the traverse back to Massive that I avoided. You can see Mt. Elbert to the right in the distance.

He took off for Point 14,001 as I finished changing my socks and eating some more pasta. I caught up to him after descending a scree field and we hiked the rest of the way out together. It started thundering and we got some thick, heavy, wet snow. It was time to really move so we could get to treeline.

Kevin (the guy I met) actually knows alot of the other people I have met in the Vail Valley that climb 14ers. We enjoyed a beer at our cars and I headed to town for some food. I started getting a really intense headache as I drove out. This looks back at Mount Massive. The main peak is towards the middle and North Massive is the sharkstooth point on the far right.

Once back in Leadville, I parked in front of Rosie's and my headache was still pounding. I leaned my seat back and ended up passing out for an hour. After a much deserved burger and beer, I made my way towards the trailhead for Missouri Mountain.

I found a spot to park and set up my tent. Only I never set up my tent because I passed out in the back of my car at 6 p.m. and slept through the night. I love sleep! After the great night of much needed sleep, I hit the trail around 5 a.m. on Sunday. It was the same steep switchbacks we hiked when we went up Belford and Oxford. I got a glimpse of the sunrise through the forest every once in a while.

Just before treeline I passed the abandoned cabin. I can't believe someone actually had a HOUSE this far up in the mountains. The mountain men and miners of times past put us to shame.

Just out of the forest I got my first glimpse of Missouri Mountain for the day. A thin strip of the peak and the ridge leading to it was lit up by the rising sun.

Most of this hike was the same as the trail for Belford and Oxford, so I trucked along pretty fast. The only group I saw on my trail was pretty far ahead, but I was determined to catch up with them and beat them to the summit. I finally passed them on the ridge that led to the summit. This was shortly before the only hard part of the hike. There is a section you have to climb down and then leads to a part that is steep with really loose dirt. I carefully passed this part and made my way to the summit. You can see the part you have to climb down in the pic on the left with the shadows. Mount Elbert is off in the distance to the right.

I didn't stay on top very long because I was ready to get a beer at my car. I passed over 25 people on my way down, so I was glad that I started early and hiked fast. The little guys below were all over the trail. They had some really cool shades of green and red. These two were the most barbaric. The one on the bottom was fodder for his feasting friends.

The hike down through the basin was pretty.

I passed several people who were all curious about what the trail ahead held for them. I was glad to take a break and doll out advice on my way down to my celebration beer.

A bit behind

2008-08-27T12:06:00.002-06:00

Sorry I haven't updated in a few days. I'm usually too lazy to post on Mondays and I was in a class all day yesterday learning how to be more productive and efficient in Excel. After my lunch ride I will do my best to post a report of my trip from the weekend. Here's some of what you can expect:

pictures (of course)
a reference to a horse
death-defying climbing on steep rock
cannibalism

Interested? Thought so. Just wait until I get back from lunch.

Food Craving

2008-08-22T10:26:00.004-06:00

I woke up this morning and for some odd reason thought a corny dog sounded good. (Yes, I said "corny" dog and not "corn" dog. That's how I roll). I can't even remember the last time I had one. Maybe what I really miss is good corn bread. I haven't had that in awhile either... no, I wanted a corny dog.

Favorite Drink

2008-08-21T14:09:00.008-06:00

I have a new favorite drink (for now). I'm sure once the weather changes and it starts getting cold I'll get back into scotch, scotch, scotch, I love scotch. Bombay Sapphire Gin, Tonic, and 1/4 of a fresh Palisade Peach (with juices squeezes liberally in drink). The magazine and lobster-cracking things have nothing to do with the drink. This was just the best picture I took of my new concoction.

Weird egg

2008-08-20T21:41:00.000-06:00

Have you ever seen an egg shaped like this? I had a tooth removed when I was a kid. It looked like this, just a little more pointy. (Posted via mobile blog)

Weekend Plans

2008-08-20T13:35:00.003-06:00

I hope to hike/climb 2 or more of the following peaks this weekend:

Antero
Missouri
Massive
Harvard

Right now I am 2 peaks behind schedule, which actually puts me right on schedule considering that I scheduled to have extra room in my schedule.

StatCounter

2008-08-20T11:04:00.002-06:00

I added a counter so I can see how many people visit the site. I don't completely understand how it works, but it should be interesting. I'm trying to set it so anyone can view the stats, but I'm having issues viewing the stats myself. We'll see.

DON'T MISS...

2008-08-19T17:10:00.001-06:00

...the post before the bike video. I started it before and just finished it, but it still posted it lower. Whatever, just scroll down.

Few Things Anger Me Like This

2008-08-19T09:43:00.001-06:00

I hope they bring the hammer down on this guy.

This Is What I Came Here To Do

2008-08-18T15:34:00.013-06:00

Interesting weekend... it poured and stormed and huffed and puffed and tried to blow my house down. So I canceled my plans to hike on Saturday. And the group I was going to hike with on Sunday wimped out and decided to cancel our moonlight hike of Antero. But I wasn't ready to give up. We checked the weather and found that the forecast wasn't nearly as bad in the Elk Range. Even though it isn't part of the Sawatch Range that I want to finish this summer, I wanted to get out and hike. So we decided to hike Castle Peak and Conundrum Peak. Waking up at 1:30 a.m. is really not fun if you didn't get to sleep until 10 or 11. It rained for most of the drive to Aspen, but thinned out as we got closer to the trailhead. Once we started hiking, we got some snow flurries. Snow in August?!?!?!?!?! This is a shot down the valley we had just hiked up. We started just below treeline at 6:15 a.m.

The rising sun and clouds above made for some really interesting light conditions.

We still had a ways to go before we reached the basin where we could see the peaks we planned to summit. There was alot of evidence of mining in the area, but I didn't get any pictures of it. Once we reached the basin we had to cross a snow field and then do some lite bouldering on the talus to the left.

After navigating a bunch of loose rock we reached the summit ridge and made our final ascent to the summit. Some of the trail was pretty exposed, but the rock was solid. This picture is pretty deceiving, but it actually looks almost straight down. Hope you don't have vertigo!

You could see Conundrum Peak across the amphitheater. All that snow and the lake are actually on top of a glacier that is slowly melting. It is causing a crevasse that you can see around the lake. A hiker actually fell in the 30-foot-deep crevasse a few weeks ago before some of the snow melted. He was fine, but it was a little freaky.

We pushed on and finally summitted at 9:00 a.m. (the first group of the day) in the windy, cloudy cold.

We stayed for about an hour eating, drinking water, taking pictures, and trying to decide if we should hike over to Conundrum. The clouds were coming in waves and it was hard to see some of the trail. You can see most of the ridge up to the summit of Conundrum in this shot. The peak is actually to the right of the couliour hiding in the clouds. We saw one group climb up the couliour.

The clouds slowly lightened and we decided to make the traverse over to Conundrum. It only took us 45 minutes and we beat the group that was climbing up the couliour. They reached the top just as we were about to leave. You could look across and see part of the ridge that leads to Castle Peak. There were alot of people making their way up it. It looked like a trail of ants.

Here's me on the summit of Conundrum Peak. I'm so punny.

The hike down was by far the best part. We glisaded (slide on your ass in the snow and stop yourself with trekking poles/ice axe) most of the way down to the basin. The first part was the scariest because it led right to the crevasse and the lake below. If you carried too much speed, it would be hard to stop yourself and there wouldn't be a happy ending. I was a bit nervous since it was my first attempt at glisading. I stopped a bit lower than I wanted to, but well above the crevasse. We then traversed over to the left where you can see the biggest part of the crevasse in the picture above. We walked most of the way at the edge of the snow along the rocks. Eventually we had to cross another snowfield that was just above the big crevasse. I started making my way across but lost my footing and started flying towards the crevasse. I used my poles to slow down, but nothing happened. I realized that I QUICKLY needed to try something different and rolled over to my stomach. I got up on my knees and elbows and dug the poles in as hard as I could. I came to an abrupt and much welcomed stop. I carefully kicked footholds in the snow to make my way to the next rock pile. We had about another 700 feet that we got to glisade down from there and it was much easier and less dangerous.

A fun experience for sure. I felt like a little kid. Now I can't wait for the snow to come. I plan to build an igloo this winter and sleep in it for a few nights. AWESOME!

Training for the Big Ride

2008-08-14T12:31:00.002-06:00

I realized it is time to start training for the Buffalo Bicycle Classic that I am riding on September 7th. I've never done an actual century ride (100 miles), but I've come pretty close. I did the MS 150 several years ago. It was from San Antonio to Corpus Christi, riding 90 miles the first day and 60 miles the second day. I also did the Shiner G.A.S.P. about a year ago which was 85 miles from Austin to the Shiner brewery. Still, neither count as an actual century ride.

Yesterday I rode up Vail Pass at lunch for the first time in over a month. My time was about the same as usual and I felt great after the ride. I even went for a fast-paced 2.4 mile jog last night when I got home. I was pretty excited about the jog because it was the first time in over a year that I felt like I could lengthen my stride. Two things determine your speed: cadence (how often your feet hit the ground) and stride length (how far your foot travels between each hit). Not sure why my stride was suffering. Maybe tight hip flexors and IT bands?

Just Blogging

2008-08-13T09:11:00.004-06:00

I don't really have anything interesting to say today, not that I am usually insightful or anything. Instead I am going to list some things that I have done lately.

Signed up on facebook and have wasted alot of time searching for long lost friends
Researched the latest in waterproof-breathable gear, especially for hiking boots
Read all my usual blogs
Rode my road bike to the fire station towards the top of Beaver Creek
Sat in the hot tub
Watched the olympics
Helped my friend start his first batch of homebrew
Made sure I was up to date on all my bills
Got the oil changed on my car (I had put that off for WAY too long)
Changed my flight to Austin in September so I get there earlier and leave later

That's something I can write about. Just a gentle warning to anyone who plans to travel soon. Make sure to check-in online as soon as you can. With the airlines hurting, they are starting to overbook their flights. So even if you pay full price for your flight, you may find that when you get to the airport to check in, you are flying stand-by because everyone else has already checked in.

Plus, I had my flight booked for several months and I got a call the other day saying they have cancelled it and I could either reschedule at a different time or get a full refund. Isn't that nice of them. I plan ahead so I can get a cheap flight and then they say they will refund my money so I can try to find another flight that will be twice as expensive. I guess it actually worked out in my favor because I booked a flight that leaves a day earlier and returns a day later. Good thing I have enough vacation time.