Flooding everywhere in Texas this week. Its unreal how much water is dropping from the heavens. The ground is saturated and the forecast shows another 2 weeks of rain coming. The San Gabriel River in Georgetown was up 31 feet yesterday. They were plucking people out of there by helicopter.
I think there is a big swirling high pressure system swirling to our east over Louisiana and another to our west over say New Mexico. Texas being a low pressure area between these two high pressure fronts is just getting hammered by the storm systems as they build daily. Its pretty incredible.
My brother Brian had flooding at his work in Marble Falls yesterday. My Mom is evacuating to higher ground this morning as she did all the hard work yesterday as she watched water come over her dock. I cannot believe that her place is flooding again. She has had 2 floods (this is the 3rd) in the last 5 years and there was only 1 flood in the proceeding 15 years if I understand it correctly. I think they are in a ten year flood plane but this is ridiculous. Brian and I are in agreement that she needs to consider getting out of that place. Its too much.
Luc and I have been working on a desk for his room. His aunt Penny let us take a desk that they had and we are refinishing it this week so that he has somewhere to work. He constantly works on the floor or his bed so this should be a welcome change. I let him pick out the stain and he has helped me with the sanding. The electric sander has helped immensely. While we were there picking stains out, he said he wanted something kind of white so it would go with his walls. I told him, “Luc, you can pick any color you want and we can complement it by changing the wall color.” His eyes lit up and he said, “We can?” I was like… “You have to be kidding me.” We have offered to paint his room at least a dozen times and now it sounded alien to him. I mean, walk into our house and take a look around. There are hardly any walls that are white anymore. Anyway, he is thinking a nice sophisticated green for his room. I am getting to be an expert at masking for house paint.
This rain has really put a damper (pun intended) on my riding. I need some good ole fashioned Texas summer weather. We have been struggling to get out of the 80’s recently. I don’t buy into all this Global Warming hype. Its all opportunity driven. I seem to remember a couple of decades ago when they were talking Global Cooling. I think technically we are still coming out of an ice age. I would like to think that the impetus of coming out of an ice age would be a little warming trend. But that’s just me. ;]
We had a really good Saturday planned until we started to get all this rain. Last week Luc and I were planning another kayak trip and we were rained out. Little did we know that this would be the start of rain all week and probably a few weeks more. The plan would have been to go do some rapids in the San Marcos River below the Pecan Park access and ride it down to Martindale. We had already called outfitters (last week) and lined up shuttles and we were going to be on the water for about 4 hours with several sections of well known rapids.
We were planning on being out of the water by 2pm or so and since we were already in San Marcos… heading over to the airstrip south of San Marcos where my brother was going to be SKYDIVING. Yes, he is crazy. I would be right there before we had kids (BK) but I am much less a daredevil now. The weather puts all this in jeopardy and will likely all be postponed. There is no chance that the rivers are safe currently and they probably wont be for a couple of weeks. Thats alright, I owe Max and Karah some time so we will find some good family stuff to do this weekend. Its too bad there isn’t a combination Putt Putt/ Beauty makeover store around. Hey, business idea!
Talk at ya later.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Still a kid...
Here is a little gem...
Luc comes up to me later in the day (yesterday) and asks me if all dogs go to heaven. I tell him that Yes, all dogs go to heaven. As Gods creatures, they automatically go to heaven because they are not capable of reason. He then asks me if all dragons go to heaven... I tell him that I wasnt sure but I thought that if the dragons didnt intentionally harm anyone then they too would go to heaven. Luc goes.. WooHoo. I want to ride dragons when I go to heaven!
I am glad he is still a kid. ;]
"You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us." Robert Louis Stevenson
Luc comes up to me later in the day (yesterday) and asks me if all dogs go to heaven. I tell him that Yes, all dogs go to heaven. As Gods creatures, they automatically go to heaven because they are not capable of reason. He then asks me if all dragons go to heaven... I tell him that I wasnt sure but I thought that if the dragons didnt intentionally harm anyone then they too would go to heaven. Luc goes.. WooHoo. I want to ride dragons when I go to heaven!
I am glad he is still a kid. ;]
"You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us." Robert Louis Stevenson
Monday, June 25, 2007
Luc...
That boy never fails to amaze me. Let me give you a little insight. It was only a couple of months ago that he started asking me things about the Middle East. He wanted to know why people from there wanted to dominate the world and why they wanted to hurt us. I told him that they follow a religion that has fanatics involved that translate things into literal meanings. Their “bible” calls for all of its followers to “destroy” anyone that is not a follower. We then talked about how books can be used to illustrate an idea and how they can be taken literally. It was a short little exchange that lasted only a couple of minutes.
It didn’t surprise me because we are always talking about battles and World Wars from the past as both of us are military buffs to an extent. He has been curious for a year or two about the world around him. We have had talks about Hitler in Germany, Russia, Japan many times all with the understanding that countries that choose freedom over oppression will usually always triumph. He understands that Korea has problems up North and that we help keep South Korea protected. I keep it light and never try to condemn across nationalities and he understands that leaders can take a nation “hostage” so to speak. He has a pretty good grasp of the world for someone his age. Incredible to me if I think back to how oblivious I was at his age.
Suffice it to say, he is a real deep thinker. I think he always has been and I can relate a little because growing up, I always over thought everything. I worry about him sometimes because he can seem real serious and I want him to be a happy kid. Almost always he is but it’s the somber times that get me to worrying. I must still be doing it (the over thinking thing). Amber has a great analogy and I have to tell myself this when I worry about him.
She says “Luc might feel things harder than most kids and while his low moments will be really low; his high moments will be more intensely high than others.” I might not have that worded right but that is the basic premise and I like to think she is right.
This Sunday he made a major decision and we are all extremely proud of him. Amber and I were sitting there listening to the sermon and keeping an eye on our “row” of kids. You see, our kids and their cousins tend to migrate together so our “row” of kids can quickly grow to a half dozen or so and on the odd rare occasion; they need to be reminded that church is a quiet place. When I looked across one time I noticed that Luc was looking down and seemed just a little sad. Not definite of it I asked Amber what she thought. She looked down the row and then told me that he was listening and probably listening pretty closely.
The sermon starts to wrap up and Amber moves down the row to check on Luc. She and he huddle for a minute and before I know it, it is that point when the pastor is asking those that want to give themselves over to come to the front. Luc seemed a little teary eyed but determined and he starts to head out to the end of the row. Amber looks back to me and starts down with him. I immediately got a little choked up as I realize what a brave thing he was doing and how intensely proud I was of him. I marveled at his bravery because while I have accepted God, I have not made a show of it and I was stunned as I watched him going forward doing what I was afraid to. I love that kid so much. Heck, I am getting a little choked up again writing about it.
Amber will have to fill you in on what happened up front as I didn’t get to hear any of it. His baptism ceremony will probably be this week sometime and we don’t have any specific details but I will let anyone know that is interested once I know.
You know, it’s funny. We have not been the most consistent church goers recently and had started to check out other churches. We had drifted away from First Baptist Pflugerville (FBP) because of the adult Sunday school class in the past. I don’t know the whole story but I think there were a couple of bad apples and it seemed they were being judgmental toward Amber. You will have to ask her. It was mostly my fault because in years past I had cycling events on the weekends and when I wasn’t out fo town racing on Sunday, I was training long miles on both Saturday and Sunday. Being in Texas forces you to ride in the morning to beat the heat during the summer so it all added up to a tough church situation. I blame myself, she may not, but I do. In any event, we have been wanting to make church a regular thing and had started to check out other local churches. Pville is a growing community and new churches are popping up like Starbucks. We tried one of them but it didn’t seem totally right for us but there were a couple of things we did like about it.
We came back to FBP yesterday and our Sunday school class ended up being great. We were being led by a man and wife that had (curiously enough) been Luc’s Sunday school teachers back when he was 2. It’s been on and off with this church for a while. I hadn’t realized how long until this moment (again, my fault). I am glad we came back and gave FBP another try.
We needed church back in our lives. It is obvious that Luc felt the same way.
You know what he told me just after we got out of the sanctuary … I said “Luc, are you alright?” He said “Dad, I feel better.”
(edited later for Church's proper name)
It didn’t surprise me because we are always talking about battles and World Wars from the past as both of us are military buffs to an extent. He has been curious for a year or two about the world around him. We have had talks about Hitler in Germany, Russia, Japan many times all with the understanding that countries that choose freedom over oppression will usually always triumph. He understands that Korea has problems up North and that we help keep South Korea protected. I keep it light and never try to condemn across nationalities and he understands that leaders can take a nation “hostage” so to speak. He has a pretty good grasp of the world for someone his age. Incredible to me if I think back to how oblivious I was at his age.
Suffice it to say, he is a real deep thinker. I think he always has been and I can relate a little because growing up, I always over thought everything. I worry about him sometimes because he can seem real serious and I want him to be a happy kid. Almost always he is but it’s the somber times that get me to worrying. I must still be doing it (the over thinking thing). Amber has a great analogy and I have to tell myself this when I worry about him.
She says “Luc might feel things harder than most kids and while his low moments will be really low; his high moments will be more intensely high than others.” I might not have that worded right but that is the basic premise and I like to think she is right.
This Sunday he made a major decision and we are all extremely proud of him. Amber and I were sitting there listening to the sermon and keeping an eye on our “row” of kids. You see, our kids and their cousins tend to migrate together so our “row” of kids can quickly grow to a half dozen or so and on the odd rare occasion; they need to be reminded that church is a quiet place. When I looked across one time I noticed that Luc was looking down and seemed just a little sad. Not definite of it I asked Amber what she thought. She looked down the row and then told me that he was listening and probably listening pretty closely.
The sermon starts to wrap up and Amber moves down the row to check on Luc. She and he huddle for a minute and before I know it, it is that point when the pastor is asking those that want to give themselves over to come to the front. Luc seemed a little teary eyed but determined and he starts to head out to the end of the row. Amber looks back to me and starts down with him. I immediately got a little choked up as I realize what a brave thing he was doing and how intensely proud I was of him. I marveled at his bravery because while I have accepted God, I have not made a show of it and I was stunned as I watched him going forward doing what I was afraid to. I love that kid so much. Heck, I am getting a little choked up again writing about it.
Amber will have to fill you in on what happened up front as I didn’t get to hear any of it. His baptism ceremony will probably be this week sometime and we don’t have any specific details but I will let anyone know that is interested once I know.
You know, it’s funny. We have not been the most consistent church goers recently and had started to check out other churches. We had drifted away from First Baptist Pflugerville (FBP) because of the adult Sunday school class in the past. I don’t know the whole story but I think there were a couple of bad apples and it seemed they were being judgmental toward Amber. You will have to ask her. It was mostly my fault because in years past I had cycling events on the weekends and when I wasn’t out fo town racing on Sunday, I was training long miles on both Saturday and Sunday. Being in Texas forces you to ride in the morning to beat the heat during the summer so it all added up to a tough church situation. I blame myself, she may not, but I do. In any event, we have been wanting to make church a regular thing and had started to check out other local churches. Pville is a growing community and new churches are popping up like Starbucks. We tried one of them but it didn’t seem totally right for us but there were a couple of things we did like about it.
We came back to FBP yesterday and our Sunday school class ended up being great. We were being led by a man and wife that had (curiously enough) been Luc’s Sunday school teachers back when he was 2. It’s been on and off with this church for a while. I hadn’t realized how long until this moment (again, my fault). I am glad we came back and gave FBP another try.
We needed church back in our lives. It is obvious that Luc felt the same way.
You know what he told me just after we got out of the sanctuary … I said “Luc, are you alright?” He said “Dad, I feel better.”
(edited later for Church's proper name)
Monday, June 18, 2007
Fiesta feet
So, a guy walks into a theme park... and doesnt come out for two days. I have no punch line. OK, I didnt literally stay overnight at the theme park but I think my feet did, or at least, they felt like they did. Amber and I took the kids to Six Flags Fiesta Texas this past weekend and we had a great time. Oh and the kids did as well. You see, Amber and I are both coaster riders. We always have been. Before kids, we used to take day trips up to Six Flags over Texas on a weekday just so we could ride coasters as often as our stomachs would let us without all those other annoying park attendees getting in our way.
Well, we have hatched the new generation of thrill seeker and she goes by the name... Karah. She just loved the rides and she has been telling anyone who will listen that she rode the Rattler (huge wooden coaster) and her brothers didnt. Max rode the new Tony Hawk ride called The Spin which is a coaster that the car doesnt stay lined up with the tracks if you can imagine. It spins around lazy susan style. We rode just about every ride in the park paying special to the Die Fledermaus- we just call it the "swings" , the Waverunner (read Scrambler), and of course all the log rides. Luc liked one of the log rides in particular because the upper section had fast water and it felt a little like you were on a kayak.
The kids were real troopers as we did a longer stint on the second day than the first. The first day we were at the gate when they opened at 10am. We did the "ride" side first and then went over to the "water" side in the afternoon. The water park rides must have taken a lot out of them as they were ready to check out and head for the hotel by 5pm on Saturday. We were at the gate again the next day at 11am and didnt leave Sunday until 8:30 or so. Go kids!
We were all able to do the rides we wanted with Amber and I splitting up several times to take kids to the areas where they wanted to ride something... not always in agreement this lot. Several times Amber or I could sneak off and ride one of the big ones leaving the kids with each other. Both of us were able to ride the Superman coaster. That thing is incredible for nothing else but that it is so smooth. It really is a marvel. When you first sit down and pull down the fixed harness arm and the floor falls away... you know this is going to be something else. I like the floorless thing, it feels like you are really flying. I am still struck by the energy of these big coasters and how well the structure deals with it... incredible.
The water park side was a big hit with everyone and we need to go back and just spend an entire day on it... maybe I will have to take a day off soon. There was some really fun rides there but the water side seemed to have twice the people when compared to the ride side. Strange as it was a cloudy/sprinkling on off/low temp for June kind of day. Just have to hit it during a midweek day later this summer.
The kids had a blast I think and barring the highway robbery that constitutes food options inside the park, it was just about perfect as far as theme park weekends go. Weather held up perfectly and the couple of short showers we had only helped cool things off. I dont think we had any real downtime and the rides pretty much stayed going throughout. Heard one crack of thunder but the sky brightened and the sun came out fully within 15 minutes. Did lots of walking. Shoes and feet ended up a theme as Luc was still getting used to his new Teva sandals, Karah had to dispose of her old sneakers... the decision forced on her by her entire family's will. That was not aromatherapy you could smell near her... it was an excuse to buy her new shoes.
My new sandals (Teva guide LC) worked out perfectly but I dont think humans were designed to walk around an enormous cement park for two days in rubber and nylon sandals. There has to be a market opportunity there... shoes that can handle lots of walking (read running shoes) as well as drain like a watersport sandal (Teva guide LC). There is probably one out there but I havent seen it. Oh well, I am adding it to my list of things I need to invent/patent one day.
Did I tell you about my tent for lawnmowers yet? It would sell, Im telling you.
Thanks go out to Ambers parents for checking in on our dog Ginger and letting her out and in during our days away. Thank you very much. She did great and only one book was trashed as we forgot to leave one of her chew toys close by. All in all, its up and its good.
Well, we have hatched the new generation of thrill seeker and she goes by the name... Karah. She just loved the rides and she has been telling anyone who will listen that she rode the Rattler (huge wooden coaster) and her brothers didnt. Max rode the new Tony Hawk ride called The Spin which is a coaster that the car doesnt stay lined up with the tracks if you can imagine. It spins around lazy susan style. We rode just about every ride in the park paying special to the Die Fledermaus- we just call it the "swings" , the Waverunner (read Scrambler), and of course all the log rides. Luc liked one of the log rides in particular because the upper section had fast water and it felt a little like you were on a kayak.
The kids were real troopers as we did a longer stint on the second day than the first. The first day we were at the gate when they opened at 10am. We did the "ride" side first and then went over to the "water" side in the afternoon. The water park rides must have taken a lot out of them as they were ready to check out and head for the hotel by 5pm on Saturday. We were at the gate again the next day at 11am and didnt leave Sunday until 8:30 or so. Go kids!
We were all able to do the rides we wanted with Amber and I splitting up several times to take kids to the areas where they wanted to ride something... not always in agreement this lot. Several times Amber or I could sneak off and ride one of the big ones leaving the kids with each other. Both of us were able to ride the Superman coaster. That thing is incredible for nothing else but that it is so smooth. It really is a marvel. When you first sit down and pull down the fixed harness arm and the floor falls away... you know this is going to be something else. I like the floorless thing, it feels like you are really flying. I am still struck by the energy of these big coasters and how well the structure deals with it... incredible.
The water park side was a big hit with everyone and we need to go back and just spend an entire day on it... maybe I will have to take a day off soon. There was some really fun rides there but the water side seemed to have twice the people when compared to the ride side. Strange as it was a cloudy/sprinkling on off/low temp for June kind of day. Just have to hit it during a midweek day later this summer.
The kids had a blast I think and barring the highway robbery that constitutes food options inside the park, it was just about perfect as far as theme park weekends go. Weather held up perfectly and the couple of short showers we had only helped cool things off. I dont think we had any real downtime and the rides pretty much stayed going throughout. Heard one crack of thunder but the sky brightened and the sun came out fully within 15 minutes. Did lots of walking. Shoes and feet ended up a theme as Luc was still getting used to his new Teva sandals, Karah had to dispose of her old sneakers... the decision forced on her by her entire family's will. That was not aromatherapy you could smell near her... it was an excuse to buy her new shoes.
My new sandals (Teva guide LC) worked out perfectly but I dont think humans were designed to walk around an enormous cement park for two days in rubber and nylon sandals. There has to be a market opportunity there... shoes that can handle lots of walking (read running shoes) as well as drain like a watersport sandal (Teva guide LC). There is probably one out there but I havent seen it. Oh well, I am adding it to my list of things I need to invent/patent one day.
Did I tell you about my tent for lawnmowers yet? It would sell, Im telling you.
Thanks go out to Ambers parents for checking in on our dog Ginger and letting her out and in during our days away. Thank you very much. She did great and only one book was trashed as we forgot to leave one of her chew toys close by. All in all, its up and its good.
Friday, June 15, 2007
The sky is falling
Oh thats just rain. It is scattered and already clearing up so no big deal. Last night we had one of the best rainbows I have ever seen right out our back door. It went to the ground vividly in both directions. It was pretty amazing and we would have missed it if it werent for Amber spotting it on her way in from errands. There was even a hint of a second one just outside the obvious one.
I didnt bother with the old "pot o'gold" story because the kids have already stopped listening to me and all my "stories". They are jaded to my ways and they are only halfway to adulthood. What am I going to do when they are teenagers? I need to come up with some better material. ;]
I like all this changeable weather. I got caught in the front coming in from the north yesterday. I didnt get rained on but I definitely rode home into a stiff headwind. Uphill both ways. While not technically accurate, it felt like it. My ride to and from work is sort of valley shaped, or U shaped for the geophysically challenged. I have to climb up to the office going to work or uphill to get home. Its the downhill and the flat parts in the middle that I conveniently forget day to day.
Everyone is getting excited for the weekend even with the 30% chance of scattered showers. I figure it will keep the crowds away. That is the hope anyway. It wont matter, we will have fun anyway. The kids are very excited and the countdown clock was started earlier in the week. Its a real informal affair usually consisting of the question- How many days till...?
I am glad they are excited. They deserve so much more than they get because they really are the sweetest kids you could ever hope for. I am usually in awe of how sweet they are to others. To themselves... that is sometimes another story. Take any two of them and they are perfect to each other, add the third and there will be some friction at times. No matter, they are healthy, smart, have manners and know right from wrong. I think we are ahead of the game.
We have a dinner tonight for Amber's side of the family for Fathers day. Our kids get to see all their cousins even when we all live in the same town, except Jim and Lisa's boys. They are growing up and we dont get to see them enough. Should be a good time as its always nice to get together and more importantly, its always good to eat. Just kidding. Sort of.
I got my present early from Amber but I feel guilty about opening it early so I will wait to mention it when its past Fathers day (but I really like it).
Wish us luck on the weather.
I didnt bother with the old "pot o'gold" story because the kids have already stopped listening to me and all my "stories". They are jaded to my ways and they are only halfway to adulthood. What am I going to do when they are teenagers? I need to come up with some better material. ;]
I like all this changeable weather. I got caught in the front coming in from the north yesterday. I didnt get rained on but I definitely rode home into a stiff headwind. Uphill both ways. While not technically accurate, it felt like it. My ride to and from work is sort of valley shaped, or U shaped for the geophysically challenged. I have to climb up to the office going to work or uphill to get home. Its the downhill and the flat parts in the middle that I conveniently forget day to day.
Everyone is getting excited for the weekend even with the 30% chance of scattered showers. I figure it will keep the crowds away. That is the hope anyway. It wont matter, we will have fun anyway. The kids are very excited and the countdown clock was started earlier in the week. Its a real informal affair usually consisting of the question- How many days till...?
I am glad they are excited. They deserve so much more than they get because they really are the sweetest kids you could ever hope for. I am usually in awe of how sweet they are to others. To themselves... that is sometimes another story. Take any two of them and they are perfect to each other, add the third and there will be some friction at times. No matter, they are healthy, smart, have manners and know right from wrong. I think we are ahead of the game.
We have a dinner tonight for Amber's side of the family for Fathers day. Our kids get to see all their cousins even when we all live in the same town, except Jim and Lisa's boys. They are growing up and we dont get to see them enough. Should be a good time as its always nice to get together and more importantly, its always good to eat. Just kidding. Sort of.
I got my present early from Amber but I feel guilty about opening it early so I will wait to mention it when its past Fathers day (but I really like it).
Wish us luck on the weather.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Misc stuff...
Ahhh. Rode in again today and felt really solid on the bike. Getting my legs back under me but that is always the quick part when getting fit. Its the respiratory stuff that takes months to hone. Its funny, earlier this year I entertained thoughts of racing my bicycle again but work, family, just time in general conspired against me and here I am... mid year and I have no real fitness. Oh well, better late than never. I got pretty fit about 2 years ago and was able to race the early bike races here in Texas so I know I can fit it into the schedule... just need to stay motivated about it.
Actually, motivation is only part of it. I can be plenty motivated. The key is impact to those around me. When I ride seriously it takes up a lot of time. Committing to training for bicycle racing takes a minimum of 12-14 hours a week, week in and week out to at least stay in the pack for Masters racing here in Texas. That is 2 hours a day minimum and that is just to hang on, forget about being competitive. Can you fit 2 hours a day into your already tight schedule?
The question usually is, what gets thrown out so that you can spend 2 hours a day on the bike.
It never really breaks down easily into a nice tidy 2 hours every day... it usually ends up an hour here, one and a half there, need to go long on the weekend so 4 hours back to back on Saturday and Sunday. Let me tell you, its tough squeezing in 4 hours on a weekend day when you also want to spend time with your wife and kids. Amber is incredible about it and lets me ride whenever I need to, I just feel guilty sometimes about the hours.
And I want to jump back into this crazy schedule? Well, the thing is, I need to. I need to lose some weight. I am embarrassed with how much I have ballooned up recently. I am embarrassed for Amber because she doesnt deserve to be married to a fat guy. So I will fix it the best way I know how, ride my bike more. Besides, its cheap therapy. Open roads, clear sky, a hard effort and some time out in the country and everything just seems to mean a little more when you get home.
Alright, enough of this introspective stuff.
We are taking the kids to Six Flags Fiesta Texas this weekend. They deserve a nice little vacation, however brief it ends up. We are heading to San Antonio Saturday early to be there when the park opens. I think we are staying at the Hyatt that night and will hit the park again on Sunday. They have a water park so we can split the day up or opt for a ride one day, water the next type of approach. They are getting excited and so are we.
I will be slathering on the sunscreen this time... ;]
Amber has 5 extra kids today so with our 3, that makes 8 running around our house. With a dog, a cat, and a fish thrown into the mix, I am actually glad I am at work today. ;] I dont know how she does it. She is incredible. Its all kids she has had in her class during the school year, past students or relatives of students so they are a bit of a known quantity but still. I am impressed with how well each day goes. Oh and with a broken toe no less. She tried to kick a bike rack out of the way last weekend while wearing flip flops. I will let her tell you that story.
Need to get out to my brothers place and play some golf. I need to check out his new puppy, Lucky. I also need to check out his new apartment. Should be able to get down there in the next couple of weekends. He is a busy guy as well.
I think I have everything caught up. Oh final mention... Very pleased to hear that Nanny Harris is doing so well in her new place. That is just awesome. Love that woman.
Actually, motivation is only part of it. I can be plenty motivated. The key is impact to those around me. When I ride seriously it takes up a lot of time. Committing to training for bicycle racing takes a minimum of 12-14 hours a week, week in and week out to at least stay in the pack for Masters racing here in Texas. That is 2 hours a day minimum and that is just to hang on, forget about being competitive. Can you fit 2 hours a day into your already tight schedule?
The question usually is, what gets thrown out so that you can spend 2 hours a day on the bike.
It never really breaks down easily into a nice tidy 2 hours every day... it usually ends up an hour here, one and a half there, need to go long on the weekend so 4 hours back to back on Saturday and Sunday. Let me tell you, its tough squeezing in 4 hours on a weekend day when you also want to spend time with your wife and kids. Amber is incredible about it and lets me ride whenever I need to, I just feel guilty sometimes about the hours.
And I want to jump back into this crazy schedule? Well, the thing is, I need to. I need to lose some weight. I am embarrassed with how much I have ballooned up recently. I am embarrassed for Amber because she doesnt deserve to be married to a fat guy. So I will fix it the best way I know how, ride my bike more. Besides, its cheap therapy. Open roads, clear sky, a hard effort and some time out in the country and everything just seems to mean a little more when you get home.
Alright, enough of this introspective stuff.
We are taking the kids to Six Flags Fiesta Texas this weekend. They deserve a nice little vacation, however brief it ends up. We are heading to San Antonio Saturday early to be there when the park opens. I think we are staying at the Hyatt that night and will hit the park again on Sunday. They have a water park so we can split the day up or opt for a ride one day, water the next type of approach. They are getting excited and so are we.
I will be slathering on the sunscreen this time... ;]
Amber has 5 extra kids today so with our 3, that makes 8 running around our house. With a dog, a cat, and a fish thrown into the mix, I am actually glad I am at work today. ;] I dont know how she does it. She is incredible. Its all kids she has had in her class during the school year, past students or relatives of students so they are a bit of a known quantity but still. I am impressed with how well each day goes. Oh and with a broken toe no less. She tried to kick a bike rack out of the way last weekend while wearing flip flops. I will let her tell you that story.
Need to get out to my brothers place and play some golf. I need to check out his new puppy, Lucky. I also need to check out his new apartment. Should be able to get down there in the next couple of weekends. He is a busy guy as well.
I think I have everything caught up. Oh final mention... Very pleased to hear that Nanny Harris is doing so well in her new place. That is just awesome. Love that woman.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
No comment...
OK, comment away folks (more likely folk). I figured out what I was doing wrong. Thanks for the heads up Jimbo. ;]
the .:R
OK. I guess its time to let slip a little peek into my madness. The .:R .
I dont even call it the "car" anymore. I just call it "the .:R". Its part of the family.
You see, its a 2004 VW R32. One of only 5000 made in a limited edition, one year, one off model. Really one of only 1000 in Black Magic Pearl (3 other colors offered) if you want to get technical. So spread out 1000 cars into every city in America... it ends up pretty rare huh? There is an enthusiasts website I frequent (too often) that has a running thread for .:R "sightings". Those people are crazy (I am a member).
(All you females can go ahead and skip this post because I am steering this one strictly into testosterone infused waters. Seriously, check out Oprah or the View... and I am not chauvinistic (I dont think). Check back tomorrow.)
Back to the .:R. It is a monster. It is a narrow angle V6, 260 HP, 6 speed, all wheel drive beast wrapped up in a small unassuming (I prefer stealthy) black two door hatchback. Did I mention all wheel drive? Its almost unfair to other cars on the road. It grips in the wet better than most cars can in the dry. It stops from 60 and 100 quicker than the Porsche 911. It is 0-60 in 5.5 seconds and traps high 13's at 105 or so, STOCK. From the factory. Those crazy German engineers made it that way. I had my mom in the car at 120 recently. I dont think she was nearly as amused as I was. It is an autocross killer and can win stock class in most any SCCA event you enter it mainly because of its smooth NA (naturally aspirated- read no turbo) motor with a lot of low end and a huge rev range. It redlines at 7200 rpm. Chipped it can be close to 290 HP. Cams? Forget it, 300+ with the aforementioned mods. Then there are the turbo kits available... upwards of 500 HP have been done on many .:R's.
It is electronic drive by wire throttle, in other words, no mechanical linkage. It has traction control you can disable via the console (for more fun at the limit). And then there is the exhaust note... Put it this way, I dont use my radio but about once a week. I usually just roll the windows down and listen to it when I drive. I know, I need help.
If you have been one of the lucky few to get a ride from me lately... you get an idea of what I am talking about. If you havent, just bug me about it. When you drive it, it is surely as close to driving purity as you can get. Its not a tail-happy throttle oversteer kind of experience but I did add a stiffer rear sway bar to help make it closer to neutral on exit. On that note, I also added a cold air intake to help it breathe better, although I have to be particularly careful when the roads flood. The intake element is down at the lower part of the front air dam so it sits about 8-10 inches off the ground. I have also added some polyurethane bushings (perfect Birthday gift from Amber- thanks sweetie) on the pendulum motor mount to prevent motor torque from affecting shifting. No small issue for a transverse high horsepower motor.
Maintenance wise, she only gets Mobil 1 synthetic oil at 6K intervals (manual says 10K). I did (and will continue to) the center differential service myself at 20K (manual says 40K). Had to buy a special 90$ wrench for the filter just so I can do this service myself. Lets see... I put the green top coolant sensor in it (known VW issue), and I have replaced a recall brake light switch. I am also on my second set of Z rated Summer only tires (only get about 20K out of them). I do all the service myself because I dont trust leaving it with anyone. Its worth as much today as when I bought it. It went up in value the first year and a half that I owned it. Check Kelly Blue Book. Unreal.
You should see the panic when I have to park it in public places... I park as far away as anyone dares and make sure one side is protected (end slot) and by moving over in the slot (away from the next car) as much as possible to protect the other side. My family (who are great sports about it by now) are all too familiar with my neurotic parking habits. Hey, I cant help it, after 2.5 years of ownership this car has zero door dings and zero scratches. A record I am trying to keep.
It is just about flawless which is only really seen when I wash it and I have to wash it every week. Hand wash it mind you. I also replace the wash mit I use every other month to prevent paint scratches from hand washing. Dont get me started on the special soap and wax I use. And then there is the Clay bar... Oh brother. Such is the bane of owning a black car. Im telling you, I must be crazy or getting there fast.
Ahh... but then I go for a drive and all seems right with the world. ;]
I dont even call it the "car" anymore. I just call it "the .:R". Its part of the family.
You see, its a 2004 VW R32. One of only 5000 made in a limited edition, one year, one off model. Really one of only 1000 in Black Magic Pearl (3 other colors offered) if you want to get technical. So spread out 1000 cars into every city in America... it ends up pretty rare huh? There is an enthusiasts website I frequent (too often) that has a running thread for .:R "sightings". Those people are crazy (I am a member).
(All you females can go ahead and skip this post because I am steering this one strictly into testosterone infused waters. Seriously, check out Oprah or the View... and I am not chauvinistic (I dont think). Check back tomorrow.)
Back to the .:R. It is a monster. It is a narrow angle V6, 260 HP, 6 speed, all wheel drive beast wrapped up in a small unassuming (I prefer stealthy) black two door hatchback. Did I mention all wheel drive? Its almost unfair to other cars on the road. It grips in the wet better than most cars can in the dry. It stops from 60 and 100 quicker than the Porsche 911. It is 0-60 in 5.5 seconds and traps high 13's at 105 or so, STOCK. From the factory. Those crazy German engineers made it that way. I had my mom in the car at 120 recently. I dont think she was nearly as amused as I was. It is an autocross killer and can win stock class in most any SCCA event you enter it mainly because of its smooth NA (naturally aspirated- read no turbo) motor with a lot of low end and a huge rev range. It redlines at 7200 rpm. Chipped it can be close to 290 HP. Cams? Forget it, 300+ with the aforementioned mods. Then there are the turbo kits available... upwards of 500 HP have been done on many .:R's.
It is electronic drive by wire throttle, in other words, no mechanical linkage. It has traction control you can disable via the console (for more fun at the limit). And then there is the exhaust note... Put it this way, I dont use my radio but about once a week. I usually just roll the windows down and listen to it when I drive. I know, I need help.
If you have been one of the lucky few to get a ride from me lately... you get an idea of what I am talking about. If you havent, just bug me about it. When you drive it, it is surely as close to driving purity as you can get. Its not a tail-happy throttle oversteer kind of experience but I did add a stiffer rear sway bar to help make it closer to neutral on exit. On that note, I also added a cold air intake to help it breathe better, although I have to be particularly careful when the roads flood. The intake element is down at the lower part of the front air dam so it sits about 8-10 inches off the ground. I have also added some polyurethane bushings (perfect Birthday gift from Amber- thanks sweetie) on the pendulum motor mount to prevent motor torque from affecting shifting. No small issue for a transverse high horsepower motor.
Maintenance wise, she only gets Mobil 1 synthetic oil at 6K intervals (manual says 10K). I did (and will continue to) the center differential service myself at 20K (manual says 40K). Had to buy a special 90$ wrench for the filter just so I can do this service myself. Lets see... I put the green top coolant sensor in it (known VW issue), and I have replaced a recall brake light switch. I am also on my second set of Z rated Summer only tires (only get about 20K out of them). I do all the service myself because I dont trust leaving it with anyone. Its worth as much today as when I bought it. It went up in value the first year and a half that I owned it. Check Kelly Blue Book. Unreal.
You should see the panic when I have to park it in public places... I park as far away as anyone dares and make sure one side is protected (end slot) and by moving over in the slot (away from the next car) as much as possible to protect the other side. My family (who are great sports about it by now) are all too familiar with my neurotic parking habits. Hey, I cant help it, after 2.5 years of ownership this car has zero door dings and zero scratches. A record I am trying to keep.
It is just about flawless which is only really seen when I wash it and I have to wash it every week. Hand wash it mind you. I also replace the wash mit I use every other month to prevent paint scratches from hand washing. Dont get me started on the special soap and wax I use. And then there is the Clay bar... Oh brother. Such is the bane of owning a black car. Im telling you, I must be crazy or getting there fast.
Ahh... but then I go for a drive and all seems right with the world. ;]
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Photo Proof...
Here is my first foray into posting photos on this blog. Wish me luck.
This is Luc heading toward the falls. They are called the Post Oak Falls located in Colorado Bend State Park. The falls are only accessible via the water. Beautiful.
The Neon Armada in full flight. Check the formation... well except me. Definitely a navy to be reckoned with. My boat was dubbed the flagship... mostly based on color difference I think. 
Cool shot of the falls. Tough to catch the amount of spray on a digital camera. It is really a lot more impressive in person.
Full height shot of the falls. Hard to believe its here in Texas. Texas is beautiful but I just didn't think we had waterfalls.
Chasing shade was an activity that paid dividends.
OK... signing off for today. I think I am all caught up. 3-4 days of no posts and then 3 in one day.
This is Luc heading toward the falls. They are called the Post Oak Falls located in Colorado Bend State Park. The falls are only accessible via the water. Beautiful.For scale, note that Jim, Jacob and 7' kayaks are what you see at the base.
The Neon Armada in full flight. Check the formation... well except me. Definitely a navy to be reckoned with. My boat was dubbed the flagship... mostly based on color difference I think. Luc had already christened his boat "Speedwell".
I just started calling mine the "Orange Peel".
Cool shot of the falls. Tough to catch the amount of spray on a digital camera. It is really a lot more impressive in person.
Full height shot of the falls. Hard to believe its here in Texas. Texas is beautiful but I just didn't think we had waterfalls.
Chasing shade was an activity that paid dividends.
OK... signing off for today. I think I am all caught up. 3-4 days of no posts and then 3 in one day.
;P
We have him in our sights captain...
Oh yeah... I just enabled the setting to let anyone comment. You shouldn't have to join anything or sign up for anything now so feel free to comment.
If you want me to expound on anything, comment on it. Looking for leads here, otherwise I will continue to drone on about the things I have been.
Oh yeah, Ferrari really dropped the ball in one of the ugliest F1 races I have ever seen. 4 safety cars deployed. I mean, Yes, Canada is hard on brakes but come on. Glad Kubica is OK. Indy is this coming weekend. Kimi needs a good run.
That last paragraph is done in F1 code... dont try to understand, just roll with it. ;]
If you want me to expound on anything, comment on it. Looking for leads here, otherwise I will continue to drone on about the things I have been.
Oh yeah, Ferrari really dropped the ball in one of the ugliest F1 races I have ever seen. 4 safety cars deployed. I mean, Yes, Canada is hard on brakes but come on. Glad Kubica is OK. Indy is this coming weekend. Kimi needs a good run.
That last paragraph is done in F1 code... dont try to understand, just roll with it. ;]
Catching Up...
Ok, Ok... I have been out of the loop lately. I have several days to catch up on. First up, the kayaking day trip to Colorado Bend State Park was awesome. Luc and I followed Jim and Jacob out there stopping in Lampasas for breakfast at the Country Kitchen. The park was only 30 miles or so beyond and it was perfect weather... if you were prepared. More on that later (gotta throw a teaser... keeps people reading).
Jim warned me that access to the park is done via an "unimproved" dirt road for about 8-9 miles. If anyone isn't already aware... my car is not a good candidate for an unimproved dirt road. Jim assured me that his car deals with it so I should be fine. Ends up no big deal. I actually had a couple of World Rally Car moments out there... wide tires, big brakes, limited visibility and traction, loose dirt road, no one watching... all adds up to some fun if you can conquer your neurosis about your baby, uh, I mean car.
We checked in and unloaded quickly as it was getting hot already and it was only mid morning.
Now this is the point where I should have slowed down and taken an extra moment to prepare for a long day on the water. Sunscreen was handed around and Luc managed to cover most everything with nary a word from me. Amber has taught him well. Me on the other hand... I forgot a few spots. I hit all the favorites- arms, shoulders, back of neck, even a dab on the face. The problem was legs. I never gave them a second thought. This my friends... will never happen again.
I still look severely sun burnt on my shins and ankles and it is now 3 days past. I have become acquainted with Shae Butter, Nivea lotion, some other stuff Amber offered up and I have threatened to go buy some Aloe products. Unreal, pants hurt, socks hurt, I stick to the sheets when I sleep... its maddening. Its getting better. Just today it seems a little better. OK, enough pissing and moaning.
The river was great. It wasn't a fast current and we were able to paddle both up and downriver with relative ease. The wind made more of a factor than the current.
The boys did great. Everyone was on board with exploring as many areas as we could so we went several miles up and downstream checking things out. We saw an amazing thing downstream of the boat ramp a couple of miles. A 60' waterfall that was only visible from the water. It was beautiful and both Jim and I agreed that we had never seen anything like it in Texas. We had both seen pictures of the Gorman falls on the TX Park website but this was not the same falls. Its a shame that there isn't pictures on the website of it as I think it would draw some visitors. I am working on getting photos up of it. Still learning how to blog so the photo thing is new to me. Soon, I promise.
I had made a custom tow rope the night before thinking that it would be a good idea if Luc got a little tuckered out, it would be a good thing to have. Well, with all the open flat water and the breezes, I ended up needing it. Luc had already dubbed our group the Neon Armada as we had 3 neon green kayaks and my orange one. I had been checking on him as he was lagging a little (maybe playing Rear Admiral...you will have to ask Luc). I offered up a tow and he pulled alongside so that I could hook up my tow rope to his bow loop. I told him to just paddle whenever he wanted to. We took off again in pursuit of Jim and Jacob and I didn't hear any splashing behind me... I looked back and Luc is laid back like he is in a recliner with feet up and everything. He looks at me like "What"? Funny kid. Seriously, he did great and never complained while doing tons of paddling in sometimes breezy conditions.
Luc has decided that he wants more rapids. I think paddling around flatwater is getting a little old for him. Our next trip we are definitely looking for some faster moving water. Probably a couple of weeks as I have to research where we can go. Somewhere that we can get dropped off upstream and end up back at the car. There are lots of river in Texas so we should have no problem finding some, just need to make sure its within his/our abilities.
Jim cooked us some grub in one of the coolest little stove's I have seen. I need to get one of those. Modern camping equipment is so well designed these days.
Anyway... great trip, great park, great exercise, great friends (family technically), great time had by all.
Couple of cool mentions. My cousin Mark has a son named Tristan. Tristan and his team have qualified to go the Little League Championships in Branson MO in the next week or two. That is amazing news and if he is half as athletic as his dad, he will be awesome. I am very proud of him and I am sure Mark is as well. Hopefully we can catch this on ESPN or some other channel. They are a team from Colorado. I will update if I get a team name.
My brother got a new puppy. A miniature dachshund. I cant imagine how tiny that little guy is at just 7 weeks old. I thought Ginger was tiny at 7 weeks (when we got her) but Brian's dog "Lucky" isn't going to grow more than a foot long when fully grown. Cool that he has a pup as I know he has wanted one for a while.
I will try to get back to a daily post. Tonight I will see if I can post up some photos of last weekends trip. Everyone needs a visual. ;]
Jim warned me that access to the park is done via an "unimproved" dirt road for about 8-9 miles. If anyone isn't already aware... my car is not a good candidate for an unimproved dirt road. Jim assured me that his car deals with it so I should be fine. Ends up no big deal. I actually had a couple of World Rally Car moments out there... wide tires, big brakes, limited visibility and traction, loose dirt road, no one watching... all adds up to some fun if you can conquer your neurosis about your baby, uh, I mean car.
We checked in and unloaded quickly as it was getting hot already and it was only mid morning.
Now this is the point where I should have slowed down and taken an extra moment to prepare for a long day on the water. Sunscreen was handed around and Luc managed to cover most everything with nary a word from me. Amber has taught him well. Me on the other hand... I forgot a few spots. I hit all the favorites- arms, shoulders, back of neck, even a dab on the face. The problem was legs. I never gave them a second thought. This my friends... will never happen again.
I still look severely sun burnt on my shins and ankles and it is now 3 days past. I have become acquainted with Shae Butter, Nivea lotion, some other stuff Amber offered up and I have threatened to go buy some Aloe products. Unreal, pants hurt, socks hurt, I stick to the sheets when I sleep... its maddening. Its getting better. Just today it seems a little better. OK, enough pissing and moaning.
The river was great. It wasn't a fast current and we were able to paddle both up and downriver with relative ease. The wind made more of a factor than the current.
The boys did great. Everyone was on board with exploring as many areas as we could so we went several miles up and downstream checking things out. We saw an amazing thing downstream of the boat ramp a couple of miles. A 60' waterfall that was only visible from the water. It was beautiful and both Jim and I agreed that we had never seen anything like it in Texas. We had both seen pictures of the Gorman falls on the TX Park website but this was not the same falls. Its a shame that there isn't pictures on the website of it as I think it would draw some visitors. I am working on getting photos up of it. Still learning how to blog so the photo thing is new to me. Soon, I promise.
I had made a custom tow rope the night before thinking that it would be a good idea if Luc got a little tuckered out, it would be a good thing to have. Well, with all the open flat water and the breezes, I ended up needing it. Luc had already dubbed our group the Neon Armada as we had 3 neon green kayaks and my orange one. I had been checking on him as he was lagging a little (maybe playing Rear Admiral...you will have to ask Luc). I offered up a tow and he pulled alongside so that I could hook up my tow rope to his bow loop. I told him to just paddle whenever he wanted to. We took off again in pursuit of Jim and Jacob and I didn't hear any splashing behind me... I looked back and Luc is laid back like he is in a recliner with feet up and everything. He looks at me like "What"? Funny kid. Seriously, he did great and never complained while doing tons of paddling in sometimes breezy conditions.
Luc has decided that he wants more rapids. I think paddling around flatwater is getting a little old for him. Our next trip we are definitely looking for some faster moving water. Probably a couple of weeks as I have to research where we can go. Somewhere that we can get dropped off upstream and end up back at the car. There are lots of river in Texas so we should have no problem finding some, just need to make sure its within his/our abilities.
Jim cooked us some grub in one of the coolest little stove's I have seen. I need to get one of those. Modern camping equipment is so well designed these days.
Anyway... great trip, great park, great exercise, great friends (family technically), great time had by all.
Couple of cool mentions. My cousin Mark has a son named Tristan. Tristan and his team have qualified to go the Little League Championships in Branson MO in the next week or two. That is amazing news and if he is half as athletic as his dad, he will be awesome. I am very proud of him and I am sure Mark is as well. Hopefully we can catch this on ESPN or some other channel. They are a team from Colorado. I will update if I get a team name.
My brother got a new puppy. A miniature dachshund. I cant imagine how tiny that little guy is at just 7 weeks old. I thought Ginger was tiny at 7 weeks (when we got her) but Brian's dog "Lucky" isn't going to grow more than a foot long when fully grown. Cool that he has a pup as I know he has wanted one for a while.
I will try to get back to a daily post. Tonight I will see if I can post up some photos of last weekends trip. Everyone needs a visual. ;]
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Windy today...
The wind was hard out of the south this morning for my commute in. I suffered a little getting here. No big deal. I took up road cycling out in the winds of West Texas. Suffered then too. I think its a running theme with me.
House full of kids every evening it seems. Amber is watching lots of kids this summer and it always seems to spill over into the evening. It keeps ours entertained to have friends over all the time. I dont want them bored this summer so it helps. Amber took them to the pool last night. Big fun. I am worried that its just too much with all the extra kids lately. I owe her a vacation. A really nice one.
Stefan did the first Manda TT series race last night and he called to say he wasnt sure of his ride. A little background... I got Stefan into the sport lots of years ago and he has progressed immensely. He is an absolute monster on the bike and one of my goals is to get back to where we can train together. OK back to Stefan and his TT.
He was worried about his ride because some younger riders made him go out too fast on the opening leg. He ended up winning his class (Masters) and dropping the younger guys on the tough (against the wind) leg. So if you are paying attention, today's theme is "wind". Good going Stefan.
My uncle Hal got into a motorcycle accident when a car pulled out in front of him. He will recover, couple of fractured ribs. He didnt mention anything else. My other uncle Newel helped him with a lawyer. Hopefully that all goes smoothly. No wind involved as far as I can tell.
Looks like I am going to have to push my soccer coaching course back until August. They want me there Friday evening and Saturday morning and it just wont work for us getting there from Austin. That means that we are going to Houston with the kids just for fun a little over a week from now. We will probably hit the Natural Science Museum, NASA space center and I am hoping the MFA nearby. Several years ago (before kids) we caught the Kohn Sisters collection there and got to see several Matisse, and Picasso paintings as well as others. It was incredible to be that close. I didnt appreciate how rare they were when I was there. Oh, and I dont remember if it was windy or not. Lets just say, yes, there was a slight breeze.
Just rode my bike (rode in today again just in case you missed that) over to Chipotle for a burrito for lunch. Rode back, uphill most of the way back and it was still windy. It wasnt uphill both ways. ;]
If you have eaten there at Chipotle, you have probably seen their napkins. Check out the symbols on the back (digging symbols lately for design work). The first one looks like the person holding the burrito is "coveting" it. I always look at it and say "Covet thy burrito". Funny. That is what I think anyway, what do I know. I am weird.
Ok, back to work.
House full of kids every evening it seems. Amber is watching lots of kids this summer and it always seems to spill over into the evening. It keeps ours entertained to have friends over all the time. I dont want them bored this summer so it helps. Amber took them to the pool last night. Big fun. I am worried that its just too much with all the extra kids lately. I owe her a vacation. A really nice one.
Stefan did the first Manda TT series race last night and he called to say he wasnt sure of his ride. A little background... I got Stefan into the sport lots of years ago and he has progressed immensely. He is an absolute monster on the bike and one of my goals is to get back to where we can train together. OK back to Stefan and his TT.
He was worried about his ride because some younger riders made him go out too fast on the opening leg. He ended up winning his class (Masters) and dropping the younger guys on the tough (against the wind) leg. So if you are paying attention, today's theme is "wind". Good going Stefan.
My uncle Hal got into a motorcycle accident when a car pulled out in front of him. He will recover, couple of fractured ribs. He didnt mention anything else. My other uncle Newel helped him with a lawyer. Hopefully that all goes smoothly. No wind involved as far as I can tell.
Looks like I am going to have to push my soccer coaching course back until August. They want me there Friday evening and Saturday morning and it just wont work for us getting there from Austin. That means that we are going to Houston with the kids just for fun a little over a week from now. We will probably hit the Natural Science Museum, NASA space center and I am hoping the MFA nearby. Several years ago (before kids) we caught the Kohn Sisters collection there and got to see several Matisse, and Picasso paintings as well as others. It was incredible to be that close. I didnt appreciate how rare they were when I was there. Oh, and I dont remember if it was windy or not. Lets just say, yes, there was a slight breeze.
Just rode my bike (rode in today again just in case you missed that) over to Chipotle for a burrito for lunch. Rode back, uphill most of the way back and it was still windy. It wasnt uphill both ways. ;]
If you have eaten there at Chipotle, you have probably seen their napkins. Check out the symbols on the back (digging symbols lately for design work). The first one looks like the person holding the burrito is "coveting" it. I always look at it and say "Covet thy burrito". Funny. That is what I think anyway, what do I know. I am weird.
Ok, back to work.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Working for the weekend...
Looks like Lucas and I will be joining Jim and Jacob for a little kayaking adventure this weekend. We have firmed up the place and we are all looking forward to it. We have been paddling around lake Pville and are ready for some river action.
The DVR will get a workout this weekend because its an F1 weekend and I will miss Qualifying until I get back. Ferrari need to bounce back after a disasterous Monaco. Kimi needs some luck this time as I am sure he has the drive. If they can keep a running car under him, he can dominate.
Rode bike to work yesterday and upon getting home, decided that I needed to start my running plan. Sounds rational eh? I thought so too. Planned on riding into work the rest of the week. Fast forward to today... I drove into work. My legs are pretty shot and I didnt run nearly as much as I had planned. This will be harder than I thought. That is what I get for letting myself go this much. I will get there... and just think, you will probably get to hear me bitch about it every step of the way. ;]
Flooding. Took Max out on a bike ride on Monday and the "creek" here in Pville has grown from 3-4 feet wide to about 20 and raging. All bridges and low water sidewalk crossings were flooded so essentially Pville park was cut in half. It was funny seeing people on either side scratching thier heads because thier normal routes were compromised. Should make this weekends kayaking interesting.
Max and I toured the area and had some fun "racing" each other. He is starting to show his competitive nature when we ride. He half wheels me all the time. This is when two people are riding next to each other at the same speed and one rider increases his speed to where his wheel is slightly ahead of the other riders... about half a wheel ahead. Max starts to really get into it as he anticipates getting closer to our neighborhood. You can see his little poker face as he tenses up the closer we get. He will make a fine bike racer one day.
OK... back to work.
The DVR will get a workout this weekend because its an F1 weekend and I will miss Qualifying until I get back. Ferrari need to bounce back after a disasterous Monaco. Kimi needs some luck this time as I am sure he has the drive. If they can keep a running car under him, he can dominate.
Rode bike to work yesterday and upon getting home, decided that I needed to start my running plan. Sounds rational eh? I thought so too. Planned on riding into work the rest of the week. Fast forward to today... I drove into work. My legs are pretty shot and I didnt run nearly as much as I had planned. This will be harder than I thought. That is what I get for letting myself go this much. I will get there... and just think, you will probably get to hear me bitch about it every step of the way. ;]
Flooding. Took Max out on a bike ride on Monday and the "creek" here in Pville has grown from 3-4 feet wide to about 20 and raging. All bridges and low water sidewalk crossings were flooded so essentially Pville park was cut in half. It was funny seeing people on either side scratching thier heads because thier normal routes were compromised. Should make this weekends kayaking interesting.
Max and I toured the area and had some fun "racing" each other. He is starting to show his competitive nature when we ride. He half wheels me all the time. This is when two people are riding next to each other at the same speed and one rider increases his speed to where his wheel is slightly ahead of the other riders... about half a wheel ahead. Max starts to really get into it as he anticipates getting closer to our neighborhood. You can see his little poker face as he tenses up the closer we get. He will make a fine bike racer one day.
OK... back to work.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Made it in alive
Rode my bike in today. Trying to get back down to fighting weight. No small task.
It always feels good to get something accomplished right off the bat and navigating Austin morning traffic on a road bike qualifies. Anyway, made it in fine and starting to feel like I am getting my legs under me. I rode a couple of times last week.
Need to start my running plan this evening. Amber has a lot going on with all the kids she is watching so I will have to see how that goes when I get home from work (via bike). I may be too wiped to even attempt it.
I am taking a Soccer coaching class in Houston on the 15th/16th and will need to run some so I wanted to shock my system early instead of waiting for the class. The "module" I am taking is the U10/ U12 module and it should help me guide Max and Karah if they decide to pursue soccer again in the fall. I think Max is full forward for playing again. I just need to get him to work on control.
Oh well, working on LACP here at work (GENBAND) and need to get back to it. I finally have it working against the Alcatel OLT GPON shelf and need to get warm redundant cards configured on both sides. LAG/LACP switching is a whole different animal than card or APS switching. Wish me luck. ;]
bb
It always feels good to get something accomplished right off the bat and navigating Austin morning traffic on a road bike qualifies. Anyway, made it in fine and starting to feel like I am getting my legs under me. I rode a couple of times last week.
Need to start my running plan this evening. Amber has a lot going on with all the kids she is watching so I will have to see how that goes when I get home from work (via bike). I may be too wiped to even attempt it.
I am taking a Soccer coaching class in Houston on the 15th/16th and will need to run some so I wanted to shock my system early instead of waiting for the class. The "module" I am taking is the U10/ U12 module and it should help me guide Max and Karah if they decide to pursue soccer again in the fall. I think Max is full forward for playing again. I just need to get him to work on control.
Oh well, working on LACP here at work (GENBAND) and need to get back to it. I finally have it working against the Alcatel OLT GPON shelf and need to get warm redundant cards configured on both sides. LAG/LACP switching is a whole different animal than card or APS switching. Wish me luck. ;]
bb
Monday, June 4, 2007
Whats up... first blog
Hey world. Not sure what I have to contribute but I liked the idea of something I can throw down random thoughts onto, as well as something I can decompress/regurgitate/reenact recent events onto. As Ferris Bueller once said "Life moves pretty fast..."
Knowing me, I will go back and edit this first blog entry but I wanted to see what the page looks like so I am setting this one free. ;]
Knowing me, I will go back and edit this first blog entry but I wanted to see what the page looks like so I am setting this one free. ;]
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