Life and Times

Christmas New Moon

2011-12-24T12:57:00.001-07:00

An entire season has passed without a post (Autumn). Astrologically, we've seen the end of the Mayan calendar, eclipses, new moons, solstices, exuinoxes, planets retrograde, planets direct and so much more. I do a lot of this research independently and I don't want to write it out again, so I'll simply post some links and allow the reader to figure it all out.

Either way, this is a great time to make intentions, best new moon of the year because it's on the tails of the Winter Solstice and preceding Jupiter going direct whereby all of the planets will be direct for a short time giving this new moon a great push forward towards the Full Moon in January. Make some wishes people!

http://handclow2012.com/astroflash.htm

http://deniselefay.wordpress.com/2011/12/10/completing-2011-preparing-for-2012/

http://www.redicecreations.com/radio/2011/09/RIR-110913.php

Its New Moon time again...

2011-09-27T08:08:00.001-06:00

The Equinox came in with a "BANG!" on Fri last week, with hectic energies swirling about at work. It was almost overwhelming. It also brought changing to my financial stability and while I believe that everything is for the best, it's a little difficult to see the future right now.

Not only did the Sun move into Libra (party sign! and sign of relationships and balance), but we opened Night Six of the Universal Underworld in the Mayan Calendar. It would seem that things are lining right up! For more on that, look here:

http://handclow2012.com/astroflash.htm

There's info there for both the Equinox and the New Moon.

That being writ, here are my intentions for this Moon:

I intend to secure some long term financial stability, something that will be fulfilling, challenging and enjoyable, providing me the "energy" I need to accomplish those things I desire most, independence, freedom and choice.

I intend to exercise more often, losing 10lbs, in a healthy way, improving my health across the board through the use of supplements, probiotics, good food and smarter foundational choices in nutrition.

I intend to make more money this month than I did last month!

Ok, that's it for now, good luck to everyone. Only one more cycle before the Mayan Calendar ends on 10/28/11. This is our time...

Untitled

2011-08-28T19:39:00.001-06:00

Its a new moon tonight and I've been way too long in blogging my intentions. This moon is in Virgo and all indications are thats a good time to make intention to "do" stuff, as Virgo is a task oriented sign. Sadly, I have no idea what I wanna do. I've been in a bit of a rut since mid July, maybe even June. Summer has gone quickly indeed, yet I feel like I'm stuck energetically. No matter, here we go:

I intend to SOLVE my financial issues.

I intend to get a new car, one with better gas mileage AND that chicks will dig (just kidding...kinda)

I intend to resolve all 3rd Chakra energetic issues.

I intend to become a better practitioner of reiki.

Ok, good enough. I'm going to be blogging more as I feel there's much people need to know and I believe are going through along with the rest of their peers at this time. There are only two months left before the Mayan calendar ends and the time compression has been intense.

Chat again soon,

Chad

New moon and eclipse in Gemini

2011-06-01T21:29:00.001-06:00

June 1st is both a new moon and an eclipse. Time to catalog few wishes! And because the sun is "eclipsed", this site notes that we may have trouble knowing what to wish for (I'm feeling that now). I like to read my sun, rising and moon signs for a more accurate forecast:

http://www.dailyhoroscope.com/horoscope-headlines/astrology-new-moon-solar-eclipse-gemini-horoscopes-june-1-2011

I wish to accomplish a healthy and lasting outcome to my debt issues.

I wish to progress in my success at massage therapy and perhaps add new skills, in a healthy way.

I wish to spend more time outdoors, enjoying nature and Spring.

I wish to achieve and further a better sense of health and vitality.

Good luck to all of you this last month of Spring. Happy Birthday to my Gemini friends wherever you may be.

Seasonality/NEW resolutions

2011-04-04T21:47:00.001-06:00

Recently I've noticed far more activity at my local gym. I think we understand the idea of true seasonality better than we think...or maybe we simply ignore the ideas of time and season as they are presented to us. I blogged before that the so-called "New Year" was a terrible time to start a new fitness or (die)t program because it doesn't carry the energy along for the rest of the year. Where it does make sense is in the Spring, under the sign of Aires:

"The Spring Equinox is the time to identify the intentions we wish to fulfill during the four seasons. Ideas correctly seeded at the Spring Equinox manifest for a year, and I will offer instructions for correctly seeding ideas and manifesting them through the rest of the seasons. During the Summer Solstice, the time has arrived to birth these ideas into recognizable form, like a forming fetus. The Fall Equinox is the time to flesh out, balance, and assess these creations and to weed things out that just are not working. Then the Winter Solstice is the time to enter into deep contemplation to imagine how our personal creations assist others and the planet."

For the Western world, the season energies are wrongly utilized. Certainly, people can begin to recognize that the unabated consumerism of the "holiday" season, which has nothing to do with any kind of spiritual pursuit, has been a poor tradition. It seems each year, people need more and more stuff, bigger and better things. Winter is really the time to clear out the clutter. Instead, we all just create more chaos! Am I the only one who feels that this system is backwards? Well, I know I'm not, but do you feel it...and do nothing but participate? Bah humbug...

"The Winter Solstice is the time to be brutally honest and evaluate whether our ideas enhance others or whether they may actually be detrimental for evolution. A sweet elixir of knowing comes the day of the Winter Solstice when the light begins to return, and each one of us can put greater realities above our personal desires. It is no accident that in Western cultures commercial Christmas is inserted just when people are amazingly psychic and attuned! I suggest you cancel Santa Claus during the Winter Solstice and spend three months reflecting on what you've created during the year."

Anyway, I wanted to note that Spring has arrived and I see people subconsciously doing what they're supposed to with this new, forward moving energy. At least as far as workout programs go. They feel summer on the horizon and are excited to leave the isolation and cold of winter behind. I think that people actually know, intuitively, what these energies hold for them. Now to bring that knowing to a conscious level and harness it in other areas. This is what I've been trying to do with such events as the new moon and mercury retrograde as well as other major events in my life. I'm working hard to understand the cycles, the "frequency" of certain energetic events, people and places.

http://handclow2012.com/astroflash.htm

These cycles exist in all cultures. This site ties in the Western astrology with the Mayan calendar quite nicely. The Mayan calendar is another way of looking at cycles from a much broader perspective, over longer periods of time. It's not about destruction or the ending of things, but it is about cycles of energy and we can utilize the energy of the cycle we're in. We're now in the 9th Underworld of the Mayan calendar and it's divided into 7 days and 6 nights. It's fascinating to note that on day one of the Universal Underworld began with 9.0 magnitude earthquake...call it what you will, but there's either some truth to it all or we're somehow "making" it happen. Either way, it's quite difficult to wrap your head around when your spending all your time watch Dancing With the Stars...With the days and nights occurring every 18 days, you should begin to feel time compressing all around you. I know I have. The last 6 months for me have moved so fast that I can hardly recall where I've come from and where I've gone. I don't know where that time went. This year will be the fastest of our lives, I predict.

New Moon in Aires

2011-04-03T09:23:00.001-06:00

Aires is the first sign of the zodiac. It's also really the first sign of a "new year" and I feel we should change our way of thinking on that to get back to the more natural cycles of the solar system. Our disjointed way of seeing ourselves in relationship to the place in which we exist, is the real reason that we're harming so many things in our environment. If we felt a part of our surroundings, we'd be less likely to damage them, because we'd understand better what effect that has on us directly.

This month, the new moon is in Aires and offers us an opportunity to use the strong, forward-moving and direct energy to wish for new beginnings...

Since my horoscope and planetary aspects seem to deal mostly with career, I'll will focus on that:

I wish to progress my financial improvement and good fortune in a healthy way.

I wish to continue living in the NOW and allowing myself to enjoy life as I'm seeing it in the moment.

I wish to reconnect with Stephanie, in a healthy way, to alleviate past hurts.

I wish to commune with nature more as Spring emerges.

You can look at your monthly forecast and perhaps develop wishes upon the new moon for yourself:

http://astrologyzone.com/forecasts/

Untitled

2011-03-25T18:16:00.001-06:00

Twenty days ago, I posted wishes upon the New Moon of March 4. I can honestly say that everything I noted there has come to pass. Did this work magically or was it my own creation? I don't know and honestly, it doesn't matter. Perhaps its just enough that I wrote them down. Highly recommended as a method for your own creation.

Wishing Upon a (new) Moon

2011-03-04T14:49:00.001-07:00

March, new moon, I'm writing here, my wishes upon it; for further info on that, check out this blog by psychic and astrologer, Dori Alsop Paden:

http://psychicblogsonline.blogspot.com/2011/02/year-2011-day-056-february-25.html

"For anyone interested in working with wishes and the new moon, there will be another one on 3/4/2011 (a week from today) at 12:46 PM Pacific Time (3:46 PM Eastern time). For those of you in Europe (GMT), that would be 8:46 PM, and in Australia (depending on where you live), jump ahead another nine and a half or ten hours (from GMT) into the 5^th of March"

1. I want to remove all feelings of scarcity from my experience, in a healthy way.

2. I want to remove all fears of scarcity from my experience, in a healthy way.

3. I want to remove all feelings of sadness, regret, remorse, longing, unwanted desire, despair, fear, anxiety and abandonment in my past relationships, especially with Stephanie and Crystal, in a healthy way.

4. I want to transmute all romantic love into the pure light of love and creation in regards to my relationship with Stephanie, in a healthy way.

Ok, there's my wish list as it were. A co-worker says that if you don't write it down, it doesn't exist. So, here it is, written down, from my heart, broken as it has been.

http://deniselefay.wordpress.com/2011/03/02/ready-or-not-march-2011-is-here/

In this link, there's much more information on this new moon and some important dates approaching, like 3/9, the last phase of the Galactic Underworld in the Mayan Calendar and a 20x speed up in time (holy!), 3/11 Uranus in Aires (read: Revolution), and 3/20, the Vernal Equinox. March will be a busy month...not to mention Mardi Gras and St Patrick's Day, co-mingled with many friends and coworkers going on vacations and spring breaks.

http://handclow2012.com/astroflash.htm

From this link, read about global astrology and how it's affecting us on a wide scale (scroll through to Pisces New Moon: March 4, 2011 3:46:50 PM EST:)

"The breakthrough is unstoppable because people will not pull back, since Jupiter is racing ahead in Aries and Uranus follows into Aries on March 11"

I have felt a restless desire to drive my ambitions further, particularly with a relationship and I'm sure this is part of it.

"Many have processed deep core wounds and learned to spiritualize intentions, the basic preparation for the surrender to the greater whole, the path to Oneness."

I and others have discussed this and I've noticed it on many, many levels with people in passing. As a massage therapist, I come across many people and am in a position to "feel" their emotions on an intimate level. Recently, at the end of a two hour massage, a client of mine began openly crying. I don't know what he was feeling, but I know that somewhere, he'd broken through something. It's all around us and I've felt a great sadness which initially I believed to be my own due to recent events in my life, but I have come to conclude that it's far more than that, that a collective sadness has enveloped us here in Michigan and it's soon time to release that. Thank goodness...*sigh*.

If you've been affected, if you have a story, I'd like to hear it. I like to know that I am not alone, that what you're feeling is what I'm feeling. How are you coping? Do you find that the old way of drinking your sorrows away only exacerbates your feelings? I sure have! Makes drinking just an expensive waste of time!

Good luck friends, lovers, family members. Support one another now, we need it more than ever.

Wishing Upon a (new)Moon

2011-03-04T14:35:00.001-07:00

March, new moon, I'm writing here, my wishes upon it; for further info on that, check out this blog by psychic and astrologer, Dori Alsop Paden:

http://www.freepsychicblogs.com/

1. I want to remove all feelings of scarcity from my experience, in a healthy way.

2. I want to remove all fears of scarcity from my experience, in a healthy way.

4. I want to transmute all romantic love into the pure light of love and creation in regards to my relationship with Stephanie, in a healthy way.

Ok, there's my wish list as it were. A co-worker says that if you don't write it down, it doesn't exist. So, here it is, written down, from my heart, broken as it has been.

http://deniselefay.wordpress.com/2011/03/02/ready-or-not-march-2011-is-here/

http://handclow2012.com/astroflash.htm

From this link, read about global astrology and how it's affecting us on a wide scale (scroll through to Pisces New Moon: March 4, 2011 3:46:50 PM EST:)

"The breakthrough is unstoppable because people will not pull back, since Jupiter is racing ahead in Aries and Uranus follows into Aries on March 11"

I have felt a restless desire to drive my ambitions further, particularly with a relationship and I'm sure this is part of it.

"Many have processed deep core wounds and learned to spiritualize intentions, the basic preparation for the surrender to the greater whole, the path to Oneness."

Good luck friends, lovers, family members. Support one another now, we need it more than ever.

Wishing Upon a (new)Moon

2011-03-04T14:29:00.001-07:00

March, new moon, I'm writing here, my wishes upon it; for further info on that, check out this blog by psychic and astrologer, Dori Alsop Paden:

http://www.freepsychicblogs.com/

1. I want to remove all feelings of scarcity from my experience, in a healthy way.

2. I want to remove all fears of scarcity from my experience, in a healthy way.

4. I want to transmute all romantic love into the pure light of love and creation in regards to my relationship with Stephanie, in a healthy way.

Ok, there's my wish list as it were. A co-worker says that if you don't write it down, it doesn't exist. So, here it is, written down, from my heart, broken as it has been.

http://deniselefay.wordpress.com/2011/03/02/ready-or-not-march-2011-is-here/

http://handclow2012.com/astroflash.htm

From this link, read about global astrology and how it's affecting us on a wide scale (scroll through to Pisces New Moon: March 4, 2011 3:46:50 PM EST:)

"The breakthrough is unstoppable because people will not pull back, since Jupiter is racing ahead in Aries and Uranus follows into Aries on March 11"

I have felt a restless desire to drive my ambitions further, particularly with a relationship and I'm sure this is part of it.

"Many have processed deep core wounds and learned to spiritualize intentions, the basic preparation for the surrender to the greater whole, the path to Oneness."

Wishing Upon a (new)Moon

2011-03-04T14:24:00.001-07:00

March, new moon, I'm writing here, my wishes upon it; for further info on that, check out this blog by psychic and astrologer, Dori Alsop Paden:

http://www.freepsychicblogs.com/

1. I want to remove all feelings of scarcity from my experience, in a healthy way.

2. I want to remove all fears of scarcity from my experience, in a healthy way.

4. I want to transmute all romantic love into the pure light of love and creation in regards to my relationship with Stephanie, in a healthy way.

Ok, there's my wish list as it were. A co-worker says that if you don't write it down, it doesn't exist. So, here it is, written down, from my heart, broken as it has been.

http://deniselefay.wordpress.com/2011/03/02/ready-or-not-march-2011-is-here/

http://handclow2012.com/astroflash.htm

From this link, read about global astrology and how it's affecting us on a wide scale (scroll through to Pisces New Moon: March 4, 2011 3:46:50 PM EST:)

"The breakthrough is unstoppable because people will not pull back, since Jupiter is racing ahead in Aries and Uranus follows into Aries on March 11"

I have felt a restless desire to drive my ambitions further, particularly with a relationship and I'm sure this is part of it.

"Many have processed deep core wounds and learned to spiritualize intentions, the basic preparation for the surrender to the greater whole, the path to Oneness."

Untitled

2011-01-30T17:43:00.001-07:00

We are in a tumultuous time, collectively and individually. This is my perspective, anyway. Many people I know are going through profound life changes, the global community is in deep conflict economically, socially and spiritually and the planet itself is utterly changing. The magnetic pole is shifting and at least two different arctic communities have noticed that the sun actually appeared to them 2 days earlier this winter than it should have. For that to happen, the planet would have to shift on it's axis. Global warming may or may not be happening, there's been far too much contradiction and outright lies about it, but if it's true it would be evidence of what this person is saying in this two hour interview:

http://www.redicecreations.com/radio/2011/01/RIR-110127.php

That Gaia, our planet, Earth, our Mother, is changing into a star. To do that, or concurrently with, he says, the planet will need to find it's center on it's axis. The Earth is ascending and WE are destined to go with it. Stuart Wilde says there are doorways to some other place(s) and they are soon to open for us to ascend through. He talks about Gaia, the animals and our own personal changes, here:

http://www.stuartwildeblog.com/sws-jottings/

Time compression (science recently backed this information up with a report that the Sun emits a particle that is changing carbon dating information), the Mayan calendar, astrology (http://handclow2012.com/)...all united to paint the same picture here. That we are at the end of an era. We will be given a choice in the end and the way we're living now will probably define your preference for the options offered us. More corroborating info could be found here, too:

http://www.kachina.net/~alunajoy/articles.html

In my life, I have really begun to resonate with the information that has come my way. I feel I've searched for somethings I was not meant find, often being completely alone and solitary. I've never felt compelled to ally myself with any "system", religion, gov't, New Age, etc. In many ways, I've lived my life through the ideas found in John Lennon's "Imagine". Though, I've never known my purpose. I've loved as best I could, never to have that ideal, lasting relationship as we're programmed to believe in. But now what I see is that people are on all different levels, all different paths and it's difficult for us to actually be on the same path, unless in fact it was our purpose to walk that path together; soul mates, as it were, or "Twin Flames", if you read the New Age information. I've not been famous or successful, never wanted for anything much more than I've ever had. But what I'm "feeling" now is a movement within my purpose at different levels, being drawn to certain locations, maybe certain people, family at this time, right now. I'm struggling against what I want and what I must do, but apparently it's as though I'm being separated from attachments (as are many people who are losing houses, jobs and relationships) so that I might better be able to leave without longing or regret, so that I might not choose to follow another on a path that isn't mine, or some other such purpose which isn't for me.

There's a lot of information here. A lot of ideas that are way beyond the boundaries of our modern culture. Much of it, in fact, is contained in ancient cultures but that the cycle is ending, it's becoming known again. Open your mind and your heart, perhaps something here will help you in your hard times as it has me. Maybe an idea may resonate with you that will give you hope.

The "new" old astrology

2011-01-15T15:44:00.001-07:00

The whole gaff in astrology recently about precession and the 13th sign Ophiucus have me perplexed. If you missed it, and I'm doubtful that you did, here's that info:

http://redicecreations.com/article.php?id=13844

I posted this info on Facebook as well but I don't feel that astrologers are really addressing this issue fully. They say that they don't use that 13th sign in Western astrology and that they have accounted for the precession and how it relates to the movements and appearance of the planets in the sky. Maybe they have, but I've also read that perhaps it's not just the earth that's wobbling but the whole solar system. If, as presumed, it's the energetic signature of the planets, real or assumed, that's influencing or available each day, then these mathematical factors should be accounted for and probably are. However, I see a problem with what western astrologers are doing. Firstly, they do the math to compute the planets positions each day. Fine. But then, when it comes to birth charts, they're NOT doing the correct math and accounting for the 13th sign along the ecliptic nor the true duration of the sun's apparent passage through each sign. Some are longer and shorter. They've thus manipulated the signs to fit into a configuration that they want, for no apparent reason. The article says it was the Babylonians who did this (um, folks, Babylon was in Iraq. The US Army has nearly destroyed everything that remained there. It's a fucking tragedy.). Fine...but why?

I postulate, in my conspiratorial way, that it has to do with the fight between the solar cults and the lunar cults. See...the moon revolves around the planet in 28 days. There are 13 moons a year. 13 x 28 is 365d days. Well...what else is 365 days? A solar year!!! These two elements are linked, not separate, as the disconnect in astrology would suggest. Surely even they see this. It stands to reason, to me, that the joining of the masculine solar and feminine lunar is important to cosmic cycles. The removal of the 13th sign, a sign represented by HEALING, is a mistake AND pushed the ideals of solar religion to the fore of astrology by removing the balance with the lunar. For a long time, we have seen the dominance of masculine energy in the world's religions, governments and societies. By adding back the HEALER to the zodiac and balancing this discipline, astrologers have an opportunity to right many wrongs. But they are not interested in that. They are fixed on a system that is clearly broken. They use mathematical formulas for some aspects and traditional ideals for others. I think they should look at what the planets are saying RIGHT NOW about this issue coming to the front. Just like any other secret coming out, this is their time to own up to their mistakes. Just like they've used their craft to comment on governments, relationships and such, there is a message here that they are ignoring - on purpose, because change is hard.

So...is your sign wrong? I've noticed many people comment that they felt differently than their sign suggests. I've also commented and observed that people seem to exhibit many, many characteristics of their influencing planets more readily than just their sun sign might suppose. That's expected, considering that a birth chart plots the planets mathematically, while the sun sign is determined traditionally based on date. I've also observed that it can be difficult to peg a person's sun sign, while others are wholly in it. Well, folks, dates are determined by calendars and calendars are created by people. Effectively, they are arbitrary! So, in my opinion, these methods are not correct and yes, your sun sign may be WRONG. There are a lot of people studying astrology now and that's why this issue has come to the forefront of the craft. What happens now depends on those that might consider this a profession, but maybe someone will come along with a reconciliation of those elements that have been omitted to create a craft more unified in methodology and energetic balance (so says my Libra moon!).

http://www.reocities.com/astrologyconstellations/ophiuchus.htm

The Isisian Codes: more on words and language

2011-01-05T21:47:00.001-07:00

More on words and spells, a recent radio program on redicecreations.com highlighted the study of words and their ancient origins. Also, relating letters as symbols (think of how the 3, E, M and W are really just the same thing) and numerical values (English based on pi). Really fascinating stuff! Check it out here:

http://www.redicecreations.com/radio/2011/01/RIR-110102.php

There's also a blog for much more in-depth research for the interested at:

http://illuminatusobservor.blogspot.com/

Happy Holidays and astrology

2010-12-23T18:40:00.001-07:00

I would like to wish everyone happy holidays and pass along an idea that I've held for many years intuitively, but recently found a site that articulates what I've felt now for a while. Particularly, the information about "seasonality" makes a lot of sense to me. Check it out in the link:

http://handclow2012.com/astroflash.htm

Happy Holidays and astrology

2010-12-23T18:32:00.002-07:00

Words and Spells

2010-02-04T17:37:00.004-07:00

For some time I have been aware that words have great power. Especially English words, which I think have been created specifically as "spells". The key is in the very element of that word, spell, in regards to words. We "spell" words! "Spelling" is an academic subject because we use symbols (letters) to create words properly. Recently, cell phone etiquette of text messaging has changed habits in regard to spelling because sounds in English are often duplicated and some words are too long to text out, so we use other symbols together which create the same sounds. Like "u" as opposed to "you", for example. So my question is, does this change the "spell" that is cast? To demonstrate the "spell" effect, think of these words: love, hate, life, death, feast, famine, sex, flower, money, peace, war, fuck, freedom, water, fire, etc. They create emotions within us, each one. However, it's not just the words themselves, but the symbols used to create them that evoke emotion, as well. Take "X" for example. We all know that this simple letter has it's own "energy", it's own spell. "X marks the spot" (treasure), it's universally accepted as a symbol for sex, XOXO, XXX, extreme this, that and the other thing. But not only are letters symbolic, they're numeric. "A" is 1, Z is last (26th), 666 is the word "fox" in English, and the only one that can be made with this number combination (F=6, O=15 (1+5=6), X=24 (2+4=6)). Imagine all the things in our culture that are associated with fox - Fox News, TV and media (20 Century/Fox), Fox clothing (which has become prolific amongst bikers, skaters, motocross riders, wakeboarders, etc.), Fox suspension for bicycles and cars, Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico. So on and so forth. I have noticed that people just don't spell very well anymore and even make up their own words these days (like orientated-really?). Through degraded education and advances in technology, are we breaking the "spell" that words have over us?

Further analysis of words brought one word in particular to my mind, specifically when I saw it on a billboard in Las Vegas:

What I see here is "LIE". I began to wonder, is a "be LIE if" based on a lie? Why is it spelled this way? Why not beleve, or beleave? What spell are we casting here? It became more poignant to me recently when a friend declared "I don't (or do)..., "believe" me!" It occurred to me that this word is used to force people to have faith in something that they actually do not have faith in themselves, but want you to. I was once told not to use the word "feel" ("I feel that this is dumb") but rather "believe" because it sounded more "important" or worthy of a military officer. I have learned, through life, that feelings about people or situations have always been more accurate than beliefs - always! Feelings come through the heart and beliefs seem to be intellectual, brain centered, though almost always involving passionate feelings, for sure. But having a belief denies the possibility of truth sometimes because we tend to solidify opinions around those beliefs. According to the Institute of HeartMath (http://www.heartmath.org), the heart emits vastly more electromagnetic frequency than the brain. Yet, we are meant to believe that feelings are bad in some way, especially as a man. I think we are lacking crucial information by denying the feeling of a situation or person. I think that words were expressly designed to elicit "feelings" by casting "spells". We are hit on the head with words all the time. Politicians use and study specific words, propagandist are experts at it. These words, in turn, elicit emotional responses that are then used to achieve an agenda. Think of the word "terrorism", for example.

Look at the words in your life and how people use them, how you use them, too. Do you abuse them? Are they weapons you use against others? Are you manipulated by them? Do we use them way, way too much? What "spells" are you casting?

2009-11-18T13:21:00.008-07:00

Since July, we've done a million things: hiking and biking, a 20 year class reunion, concerts at Hard Rock cafe and The Orleans with Chris Cornell and Alice Cooper and Halloween festivities at Hard Rock hotel and Freemont Street Experience. It's been busy as always in Las Vegas! Fall is in high gear, and while it's still 80 in the day, it's 40 degrees at night. Quite the difference!

2009-05-11T18:20:00.004-06:00

It was hockey time in Anaheim! Game 4 of the Western Conference Semi-finals, Red Wings/Ducks. Red Wings won the game handily and we had a great time. There were lots and lots of Wings fans present. Though we paid too much for tickets, it was well worth it and I would go again in a heartbeat. We found good rates on a hotel in Huntington Beach, CA, where the weather was mild and the beach was close (as in, out the door!)

2009-04-27T17:57:00.002-06:00

Some recent bike photos, all at Cowboy Trails in Las Vegas, NV:

:

Been a while

2008-07-31T20:31:00.000-06:00

I don't post here any more. I've found some use for MySpace, so I've been blogging there, though I have to admit, it's not as good. You can't really add pictures to your blog which for a visual person like me, makes more sense. If I have something cool to blog about with pics, like riding and trips, I'll post those here.

In Vegas news...

2008-03-12T16:32:00.000-06:00

New Mexico, that is! I wonder if this would fly in Nevada? Hmmm.....

LAS VEGAS, N.M. - Jessie Vigil's black-and-white car sports a red-and-blue emergency bar across the top and the word "police" painted on the doors. Vigil, however, isn't a cop. Law enforcement agencies say what he's done with his car isn't illegal as long as he doesn't act like a police officer.

Link meet Title

This MUST be true for it's in the News....

2008-03-12T16:28:00.001-06:00

PARIS (AFP) - Short people should pray for a return to the Seventies fashion of stack heels, for the power of jealousy depends on how tall you are, the British weekly New Scientist says.

The rest is linked in the title.

Live in Concert

2008-03-12T15:56:00.005-06:00

We went to see Live at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. What a great show! It's such a great venue for a concert. It seats only a few thousand - at best - but our concert was all general admission. It was more like a bar performance than a concert but nontheless, there it was. Check them out here by linking the title to their site.

2 Minutes to Midnight

2008-03-12T15:30:00.003-06:00

I've grown a new affinity for old music. This one is very poignant considering the times we are still living in. As much as things change, in reality, they never do:

Kill for gain or shoot to maim
But we don't need a reason
The Golden Goose is on the loose
And never out of season
Some blackened pride still burns inside
This shell of bloody treason
Here's my gun for a barrel of fun
For the love of living death.

CHORUS
The killer's breed or the demon's seed,
The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain,
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.
2 minutes to midnight
The hands that threaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight
To kill the unborn in the womb.

The blind men shout let the creatures out
We'll show the unbelievers
The napalm screams of human flames
Of a prime time Belsen feast...YEAH!
As the reasons for the carnage cut their meat and lick the gravy,
We oil the jaws of the war machine and feed it with our babies.

CHORUS

The body bags and little rags of children torn in two
And the jellied brains of those who remain to put the finger right on you.
As the madmen play on words and make us all dance to their song,
To the tune of starving millions to make a better kind of gun.

CHORUS

Midnight, midnight, midnight
Is all night

Midnight, midnight, midnight
Is all day

Midnight
All night

"The Fountain" explained

2008-02-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

I saw this movie at the theaters but I didn't really understand it until recently. I think I finally figured it out and if you have not seen it, you may not want to read this first:

So, follow the bouncing ball...

We've been watching this cool new show on Showtime called "Californication" with David Duchovney (aka Fox Mulder) and in that show he has a tattoo on his ring finger to, I assume, demonstrate his dedication to the show's female main character whom he never married. So it got me to thinking that maybe I should do this because as a massage therapist, I never wear my ring anymore. In the movie "The Fountain", after his wife dies, the main character takes an ink quill that his wife had given him and tattoos a ring on his finger. Earlier in the movie, his ring is lost after removing it for surgery. So thinking of all this one day inspired me to dream about "The Fountain" and I solved the puzzle of how the movie ties its three distinct time periods together and what it all means. See, the tattoo is significant because it tells you that the person of the future and the present are the same man and that when he pledges to find a cure for death, he in fact does through ingestion of the tree bark (the Tree of Life). But the tree begins to die and he takes it to Shebulba for, what? Rejuvenation? That's not clear. What's also not clear is the reason for the other tattooing. I speculate it could be for all the wives this man has had or all the ages he's lived. Either way, it's obvious that death is the ending to his "story" but he only realizes it at the end and at the direction of his dead wife whom he is still haunted by either in his own mind or his physical world. The story of the Conquistador is her fictional tale which inspires and directs him ultimately into closing the circle, the ring if you will, of life and death.

The odd part is that I figured this all out in a dream. Crazy...

:)

Snowy pix

2008-01-28T23:55:00.001-07:00

We got a bit of snow here around 4000' or so and I was able to get into it on the trail. Here's a few shots. It's seemed like spring lately though as it's been raining a lot and the temp has gone up some.

In odd news, there was a fire at the Monte Carlo on the roof. There has not been much forthcoming info about it, but it sure looks ugly! Luckily, no one was hurt and as far as I know the hotel is back in operation. It appears that there is some water damage to the top floors where the suites are, but hey, at least people are still gambling :)

My New Year's Wish

2008-01-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

To all my family and friends, near and far, my sincerest wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year! I hope you all find a little grace in each and every day. I hope you all put fear and worry behind you. I hope you fulfill a few more dreams this year and make some more for next. I hope you see new places and meet new people. I hope you hear your favorite song every day, find time for your favorite restaurant and don't miss that big game (whichever it may be!). Remember to love, live and dream each and every day!

Keep the rubber side down!

Some more random pics done while biking

2008-01-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

The Grand Canyon

2008-01-22T22:30:00.001-07:00

We went to the Grand Canyon in AZ over the Christmas holiday season. Crystal's parents came to visit and we booked a tour that included air travel to the Canyon, land, air and water tours while there. We were hosted by the Hualapai tribe for lunch where they've built the Skywalk (we didn't do the Skywalk-too much extra money. Check that out here: http://www.grandcanyonskywalk.com/). After that, we took a helicopter tour down to the Colorado river and then rode a boat along the water. It was cold that day, but an enjoyable tour nonetheless. Here are some random pictures from the day. As always, they get bigger if you click on them.

Have you discovered the Morph?

2007-11-02T13:46:00.000-06:00

pics of biking in Vegas

2007-10-27T18:52:00.000-06:00

Looking north into Red Rock canyon, this is the start of the trail labelled "3 miles of smiles". It's a long downhill run to the parking lot and it is fun, fun, fun.

These Joshua Trees are really cool. Sort of a desert Xmas tree.

Red Rock Canyon

Gratuitous bike shot:

I went back to this area a few days ago and the smoke from CA has settled into the valley. You can hardly see any of these features from these vantage points now. It makes for some cool sunrise/sunsets though.

I got it!

2007-10-27T18:51:00.000-06:00

My license was issued by the state on the 25th, for those of you keeping score at home. How stoked am I?

SUPER

New updates

2007-10-25T08:44:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to get an update in since it's been so long.

I still have not received my license from the Nevada State Board of Massage Therapy. My application was filed in early August. But, I do know that things are moving along; I have received some correspondence from them this week and one of my listed references has noted that he got something from them as well. It shouldn't be long now. At least they have not forgotten about me. It's been a frustrating process and had I known then what I know now, I would have done things much, much differently.

The weather here has turned incredibly beautiful lately. The high temps broke about mid Sept and it's been pleasant ever since. Fall is in the air, even though it still hits about 80* during the day. There has been snow in the surrounding mountains already, up above 11,000'. Too bad for you suckers in CO - it's gonna be winter soon! :)

Finally...biking!

2007-08-30T18:16:00.001-06:00

Met up with a guy from MTBR and got a ride in at Bootleg Canyon (http://www.bootlegcanyon.org/). What a cool place. You'll be seeing more of me out there as the weather takes it's turn to "cooler"...you know, like the 90s and, dare I say it, 80s?!!!

las vegas update

2007-08-26T16:40:00.000-06:00

It's been a hectic month with the move and all, but we're finally settling in and getting on with life. Probably one of the most harrowing things about moving to a new state is all the change of address and I.D.s that is required. We've had to jump through a variety of hoops in order to acheive any sense of progress. It is frustrating to say the least and living in a city with 2 million people makes offices busier and lines much longer. In order to be a massage therapist, I've had to apply for a state license, which while being $300, takes 4-8 months to receive. They do allow people to work for 90 days on a temp license, but hold that application for 30 days after receiving it (to fill the gap on the 4 month wait). In the meantime, I was offered a job at the Oleans Casino Spa. Currently, I'm waiting for that damned license to come back to start working. On top of that, the state of North Carolina has put a hold on driver's license for tickets I received (and cleared!!!!) over 10 years ago (they want $50 - hey, isn't extortion illegal? Oh yeah, not if a gov't does it!). On top of that, I needed to get a health card to be a CMT (shots for TB and Hep A- $50) and a new Social Security card (haven't needed that in YEARS). All in all, we've spent hours upon hours at various NV gov't offices (and we're not done yet!).

In the meantime, we've been going out to the local hotspots a lot and have learned how to work the system, getting in free just about everywhere and often drinking with discounts, coupons or other such charity (bartenders love to share!). We went to one show, La Reve at Wynn. It was FABULOUS! Highly recommend it. It's been too hot to really get out into the mtns and trails yet, but it's starting to slowly cool off. It makes the pool a popular destination. So far, we've gone to Studio 54 at MGM (2X), Light at Bellagio (2X), Caramel at Bellagio (2X) and House of Blues at Mandalay Bay (2X). This really only scratches the surface of what's here, but it's a good start, IMO. Here's some random pics from those evenings:

Recently, we took a trip up to Rachel, NV, the famed home of Area 51. It's a remote place and the entire town is populated by only 98 people. There's not much to do there, but it's a novelty, kinda like Leadville in Colorado. Here's some pics - sorry, no UFOs on this trip!

Check out the City of Loveland sticker on this sign! How funny! We didn't do it, though :)

Any kind of alien souvenier you can think of is sold at this place. It's the town hotel/bar/casino/restaurant/camping site. They do it all!

Nothing but blue sky in Nevada.

All packed up!

2007-07-14T21:10:00.001-06:00

Well...mostly anyway. It was a busy day of packing and spending one last day with friends and neighbors. We'll be off for Las Vegas tomorrow, with a night stop in UT, just to minimize over travelling and being too tired to function once we get there...

:)

Recent weather pics

2007-07-07T19:21:00.000-06:00

Recently...Hiking!

2007-07-07T19:06:00.000-06:00

A trip from the Poudre Canyon

Birthdays!

2007-07-07T18:58:00.000-06:00

Last month we celebrated our birthdays. Crystal got some flowers from my Mom. I got some sweet bike shorts by Oakley...and we went out and partied.

July Updates

2007-07-07T17:32:00.000-06:00

So, in June, we were going to announce our moving to Las Vegas, but I'm behind (as usual) and we really just told everyone in April at my sister's wedding in Ohio. So, the cat was out of the bag a long time ago (sorry, Jen, I know you were hoping for some "other" news!).

So we're well on our way and with only a week left before we move, the house is full of boxes and there's hardly any food left to eat or clothes to wear! The best news is that I passed my National Certified Massage exam, so now I'm ready to work in Vegas as a therapist. Jobs there are plentiful (maybe because it's 111 degrees! Who can say?).

Next update will be from Sin City where we'll be frantically trying to find an apartment. Don't forget to make plans to visit!

On the agenda:

2007-03-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

March 11th - Daylight Savings Time begins! We're getting about a month extra in 2007 which bodes well for "after work" riding.

In April, we're heading home for Lynde's wedding (hopin' to get a ride in!). Crystal has not been back since we went for Thanksgiving, the year we moved to CO (five years ago).

Also, in April, Me and Ivan and some of his friends are going to Fruita for some riding - maybe this will happen in May, nothing is set in stone yet. Ivan, if you read this, we need to nail down some details! :)

Something big is coming in June, but I'll leave it as a suprise for now...

Wings over Denver

2007-03-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

We did catch a Wings game in Denver in January. More photos linked in the title:

They've changed the Blogs now so that you can click on a photo for a larger version. Very cool...the photos always were a bit disappointing.

It was a good game...scoring was back and forth, we had excellent seats, right on the glass near the penalty box. The Wings won in a shootout. It's amazing how many Detroit fans live in and around Denver. You'd think Detroit and Dever were in the same state! I lament for my hockey days and miss it a bunch.

Back from the Wilderness

2007-03-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

Man, winter is the pits, huh? We all that snow in the beginning and now it's just been cold. I have not been able to ride in at least two months (I think it's more like three). The good news is that a new Gold's Gym went in in town and Crystal and I have been working out there 5-6 days a week since late Dec. It keeps me sane...luckily, too, I've been able to attend Spinning (though that's proprietary, so it's just "cycling") class to keep up the bike muscles!

Some recent pix for your perusal...

About Bo Schembechler and Michigan Football

2006-12-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

I suppose I should mention something about all the goings on, now that it's been two weeks and I'm over it. The holiday in between was a good distraction.

I was very sad about Bo's death having watched him and Michigan football for years growing up. It's really an ingrained part of my life.

So we watched the game with anticipation and it was a classic battle. Michigan really held their own and I think could have won it (they only lost by 3 points). I'm kinda bummed that football season has almost come to a close. In our home, there are two teams, the Wolverines and the Razorbacks, so we still have hopes for Arkansas winning the SEC against Florida. After that, we'll just be waiting for the bowl games like everyone else. Either way, It was a good season for both teams and the first year I've watched so much football in a long time.

Sacred Numbers

2006-11-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

If you want to know what they mean, ask. It is important, though that they be here.

The numbers and identification symbols are as follows:

447689001: six silver bands of light surrounding a golden egg

380905224: a blue lotus flower suspended in the starry vault of Orion

105802291: a white rose as seen from directly above the center point of its full blossom, containing 72 petals with a diamond at the point of each petal

778540211: the Emerald Tablet of Thoth radiating fire letters of gold from the polished surface of the emerald stone

America: Freedom to Fascism

2006-11-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

Watch this video befoe they yank it off the web! Very thought provoking, very well done.

Ever wonder why the defecit matters? Every dollar collected in taxes pays for the intrest on the National Debt. The payments are collected by the Federal Reserve - A private group of banks! Every tax dollar goes into the pocket of private bankers! The bigger the debt, the bigger the interest payment, the more the bankers make!!! Man, I need to open a bank...

Voting, the election and the 14th Amendment

2006-11-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm glad that the Democrats won so many seats in the Congress. This country has become a scary place of late, so maybe this will help. We'll see.

Did you vote? I didn't. I've come across some info about voting and the 14th Amendment (which was never ratified by the States, which makes it invalid to the Constitution) which I find interesting. I recommend this site:

http://www.deprogram.us/

There is also a link in the title.

World Series disaster

2006-11-09T14:18:00.000-07:00

Did y'all see that Series? Man it was disappointing...the errors killed us, the Tigers weren't even competative. I was all stoked about it, but man it was less than satisfying. Maybe next year...geez.

Two months off

2006-10-11T08:49:00.000-06:00

So it's been a while since I posted last. I was intent on using that new Mac to create new pages with cool pictures and graphics. I even bought the expensive software to do it: ".mac". Alas, it's so hard to figure out, that I gave up on it.

With the weather of August and Sept. being so fabulously warm, I spent a lot of time riding, as usual. I finally got a photo of the elusive Zebra at Devil's Backbone...he might as well have been a dragon or unicorn. No one believed me that he lived there...

Now it's October and fall is in full swing. It's football and hockey, Halloween and our 1st Anniversary! October 15th will be a full year since we got married. It's gone by quickly and it's been a good year.

Tigers, Red Wings and Wolverines, oh my!

2006-10-11T08:34:00.000-06:00

So it's been since 1984 since the Tigers won the World Series. In fact, I can't remember a time since then when they were even in the playoffs. Not since Sparky Anderson, Alan Trammell, "Sweet" Lou Whitaker, Lance Parrish, Tom Brookins, Chester Lemon, Kirk Gibson and the gang were playing at the old Tiger Stadium has there been a World Series hopeful team...we went to a lot of ball games that year.

Meet the new Captain! Game On!

And whooooaaa nellly, how about those Meechigan Wolverines! They're on a roll, just like butta.

The Captain Retires!

2006-07-07T10:37:00.000-06:00

Man, that face says it all...

Link is in the title.

"Steve Yzerman was a tremendous hockey player who epitomized everything good about our game. He loved the game and played with passion every night. He was a winner who led Detroit to three Stanley Cups and was always there for his country to represent Canada on the international stage. He was the face of the Detroit Red Wings for the past 20 years and will be remembered as one of the best players and leaders that ever played the game of hockey. It was a pleasure to have worked with him.
-Wayne Gretzky

"Steve was a great ambassador for the game of hockey and will be sorely missed by everyone associated with the Nation Hockey League. Steve was a great leader, a great teammate and most importantly is a great person. I was fortunate to play at the 2002 Olympics with Steve and we won a gold medal together. It was a memorable experience and something I'll always cherish. I wish Steve the best of luck."
-Mario Lemieux

My New Toy

2006-07-07T10:19:00.000-06:00

What's the best accessory for the iPods? iMac (or Mac Book as they're now called)!

I like Apple's style...simple, yet powerful. Sleek and refined, yet capable. If it's good enough for Forrest Gump, it's good enough for me!

The link is in the title.

Cool pic of Crystal riding at Lory State Park

2006-06-21T11:20:00.000-06:00

Riding the Epiphany

2006-06-21T10:30:00.000-06:00

We went up to Steamboat Springs last weekend (6/17) to go to the Ellsworth Demo they were having at Orange Peel bike shop. It was also Mustang Rally weekend - lots of very nice cars driving around. I wish we'd have gotten there earlier, we would have gotten some good photos (at first we thought it was Mustang horses, y'know, Colorado and all...).

Anyway, I didn't get to ride the bike long. It took about 30 min or so to get set up and what not and I had to talk about bikes - it was like a trip to Poto with Ivan and Diann, basically!

The bike is a beautiful piece of art in it's own right. And the price reflects that ($2395 frame only). The one I rode was a med frame with Fox Talas and RP3 suspension bits. It was built light - carbon cranks, SDG saddle/post combo, 2.1" Kenda Cortez tires on Crossmax wheels, similar to what is shown in the above pic from Ellsworth's website. The bike was vastly lighter than my Moment.

So, on the trail, it climbs well and feels very stable. Going down it was solid and fast. All in all, a bike I would be happy to ride frequently!

I spoke to the Ellsworth rep at length about the frame and the way I might build it up if I had one (Rock Shox Pike 140mm, 2.35 tires). She stated that the bikes geometric sweet spot was actually 110mm-120mm of front travel and that successive drops over two feet or so would seriously damage the frame with a tall fork on it (an issue not covered under warranty!). So instead of a hard charging 5" travel bike, I think what you get with the Epiphany is a long legged Truth, designed more for endurance racing and smooth trail riding (of which there is a lot in the US, even Colorado, but not really where I ride). I was a bit disappointed with that.

Overall, I liked the bike, but I wouldn't trade my Moment for it. The Moment is more versitile and makes a better "all mountain" bike as it can be built as a 5" travel trail bike or 6" travel light free ride/all mountain monster. The Moment frame uses a thicker tubing than the Epiphany which allows one to run a bigger variety of rear shocks and front forks. The draw of the Epiphany is it's light frame with magnesium rockers and shaped and swagged tubeset. A lot of work has gone into designing and building that frame, no doubt. In the future, the Moment will get much of the same treatment, though it's not really going to lose much weight overall.

It was cool seeing all the bikes that they're making, including new Truths, Rogues, Moments and Epiphanies. We also got to see a Witness, the full suspension tandem bike - HUGE! Maybe one day Crystal and I will get one...I bet they are fun to ride!

Colorado National Monument

2006-06-21T10:18:00.000-06:00

A really cool area preserved between Grand Junction and Fruita, Colorado:

Going Home

2006-06-21T10:02:00.000-06:00

Went back to Michigan for a few days to see some friends and family and well, ride, of course!

Boy was it nice...65 degrees and sunny each day I was home. I couldn't have asked for better weather. We went to a baseball game on Fri (thanks Lynde and Mark!)and then Ivan and I rode Sat, and Ivan, Diann and I rode again on Sun. Good times!

Next time I come home, I bet Diann will be riding this log pile!

Happy trails! Thanks for a great time everyone - Mom, Dad, Lynde, Gram G, Gram H, Greg, Kathy, Ivan and Diann!

A few Trip updates - Moab

2006-06-21T09:12:00.000-06:00

We went to Moab over the Memorial Day Holiday for some riding. Moab just rocks (ha! It's moslty rocks!) - for the outdoor enthusiast, there's a lot to do: Mt biking, hiking, canyoneering, rock climbing, kayaking/canoeing, MX-Jeep/ORV trails. We even saw handgliders on cliffs - crazy cool. There's a lot of evidence of history there: dinosaur tracks and native American drawings.

There are two National Parks in Moab, both of which are vastly different: Arches and Cayonlands. Furthermore, Zion and Bryce are close, which makes this area of the country heavily concentrated with fabulous rock outcropings and formations so unique that they became National treasures. I'll steal a few pics as mine never do justice...

So...onto our pics. We rode White Rim, a 20 mile long downhill tour through the Canyonlands down to the Colorado River where we picked up a jet boat back to town. Great trip! Then we did a jaunt out at Slickrock and on to Klondike Bluffs, Crystal's favorite.

Looking into Arches National Park from the Klondike Bluffs trail:

The bookcliffs of Utah, on I-70 driving between Fruita and Moab:

Musselman Arch in Canyonlands National Park on White Rim:

Riding on White Rim in Cayonlands:
We stayed on the beautiful Colorado River:

At the top of Klondike Bluffs:

At the top of Klondike again (this shot is from a previous trip to Moab -same spot!):

Riding the river back to Moab:

I-Pod mania

2006-05-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

Crystal and I have been working out like crazy people lately and we thought that maybe adding music to our workouts would help. So we began to covet those people who had MP3 players and wanted one.

Well we looked around for about a week and decided that iPods were the best, or best for US. It seems that there are other more durable units out there as the iPods are designed to fail so that they sell more updated versions year after year. I guess that's why there are 5 generations of iPod. Anyway, the Creative Labs stuff looks good, but at 8 GB for $200 it's just not as economical as the 30 GB iPod for $300. Crystal really liked the Sony Bean, too, but again, not much capacity for too much money. Overall, the iPods really are the best deal.

We got them at Circuit City and they were "open box" items, so we saved about $20-$50 per item. I got the 30 GB video iPod and Crystal got the 2 GB Nano. We're actually thinking about getting a Shuffle too, just for riding and working out. The compact profile of that player is ideal, though I don't find the others to be bulky or not useable - especially the Nano, which is so light and small that it's barely perceptible in a pocket or armband.

We went to Mike's to upload some tunes (which takes longer than you'd expect) and we were in business! There's still a learning curve there, but I think MP3 is the way to go. I'm thinking of selling all my CDs and just arranging my life around MP3 - home, car, mobile. It's great! I totally recommend it.

It's May

2006-05-03T09:14:00.000-06:00

I was thinking last night about the month of May. May in Colorado is different than May in Michigan. Last night the temp. was around 40-50 degrees and I was reminded of cool fall days and high school football games. In the day, it will be 70 and sunny, with an occasional rain shower that will last 5 minutes. More typical spring weather reminiscent of April in Michigan...life at 5000' is different indeed.

There's May Day, the international day of the worker (and Immigrant Boycott Day in America) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day, Cinco de Mayo (not a holiday for Mexican Independence. You should read the history . It relates very much to our own history): http://www.vivacincodemayo.org/history.htm. May 14th is Mother's Day (quite an ancient holiday, actually). And of course, the official start of the American summer, Memorial Day, which has it's very own website: http://www.usmemorialday.org/. Astrologically, if you're born in May you either a Taurus (5/1-5/20 http://astrologyzone.com/forecasts/monthly/taurus.php) or a Gemini (5/21-5/31 http://astrologyzone.com/forecasts/monthly/gemini.php)

The entire city of Memphis celebrates the month with "Memphis in May", begining with the Beale Street music festival. We almost went this year, as Cake is playing (their famous lyric..."I don't know much about Cinco de May, I'm never sure what it's all about...I was bound for Mexico"). Early in our relationship, Crystal and I went to this Festival and had a great time...Check out this lineup: http://www.memphisinmay.org/site.asp?cid=113.

Near and dear to my heart, May is National Bike Month. What more needs to be said about that??? Oh, May 19th is Bike to Work Day, so get the rig out and ready to ride! Bike Month in Colorado is held in June, though, because the higher elevations are still snowed in - they'll be skiing until July 4th!

In May we have the height of NHL (and NBA)playoffs, but I don't want to talk about that this year (except the Pistons)...it's also Clean Air Month (not if your President is "still looking into the science" and your EPA is eliminating the need to supply gasoline with clean-air additives), National Salsa Month, National Barbeque Month and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (I guess that's why May first is Lei Day in Hawaii).

The origins of May are here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May. Enjoy - it's finally Spring!!!

The Demise of the Red Wings

2006-05-02T08:03:00.000-06:00

Well, four years in a row now the Wings have bowed out of the playoffs in the earliest of rounds...four years in a row. Despite a fabulous season, they couldn't get past Edmonton...sad. The real sad part is, will this be Steve Yzerman's last season? How could anyone want to go out like that... ?

Go Pistons!

Big Oil Rules!

2006-04-26T11:07:00.000-06:00

I don't want my blog to get too preachy about politics and such, but this post was pretty good. Read it if you will. No pressure! Really! No, seriously!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/george-bush-foreign-poli_b_19791.html

"And what did they get for their largess? According to Public Citizen, the top five oil companies have pocketed over a quarter of trillion (that’s with a “T”) in profits since Bush took office. Talk about a return on investment. That’s a gusher!

Little new news

2006-04-26T10:38:00.000-06:00

Not much has been happening in the bike world, but a few events I can report on...

We just got back from Vegas last week. We met my parents out there for four fun-filled days. We went to a show called "Mama Mia" at Mandalay Bay. It's based on ABBA songs:

Yeah...it's like that!

We stayed at NYNY. It's nice, a lot smaller than most places, like MGM, where we usually go, so it's easier to get around. They have lots of different varieties of food - much of it simple and cheap, where you don't have to sit down. Perfect for late night snacking or a quick meal on-the-go. You don't see that at a lot of other casinos. Il Fornaio was one of my favorite places to eat. Check it out if you're in Vegas.

And for the fifth time in Vegas in the recent year or so, we didn't take any pics of us. Only camera phone stuff...! Pics never do justice anyway...

Greeley

2006-04-05T09:31:00.000-06:00

The best place to view the mountains is in Greeley. Primarily, because it's 30 miles away you get the most expansive view. Alas, we moved out of Greeley three years ago because it smells like cows and, well, it's 30 miles from the mountains.

Winter pics

2006-04-05T09:22:00.000-06:00

Winter is over for us (it will be 70's up to 80F today, 4/5), but as it transitioned, I got some shots of this phenomenon they call "frozen fog".

Further the Pink Passion

2006-04-05T09:06:00.000-06:00

Got some new bits on the bike...

New Thomson X4 Elite stem, 90mm and zero degrees of rise. It's the new 31.8mm standard diameter which is supposed to be stiffer for the same weight. Either way, it looks great.

Also added the pink Chris King spacers. Proceeds from the sale of the "pink stuff" go to Kommen Breast Cancer foundation.

http://www.chrisking.com/prettyandstrong/index.html

Race Face Dues XC bars, low rise, silver. This is about the only silver bar I could find. It is marginally wide enough with the grip shifters on. I had to trim the grips just a tad. Sweep and rise feel great.

All matched up to the pink hubs:

Trail Day

2006-04-05T08:53:00.000-06:00

Did some trail building on Sat. We're finishing up a 7mi connector from Devil's Backbone (my favorite trail) to Coyote Ridge. Here you can see the backside of CR, where the trail will join in. The new trail is called "Blue Sky".

Not on this day however...it was overcast, a rarity for Colorado, but warm enough anyway.

Smooth and wide...the soil on this trail is so much different than any other trail in the area. It will be a great, fast ride when done.

Ron Saito, a founding member of Mountain High Trail Association. We started this group over trail closure issues associated with the opening of this new trail. The more exposure we have now, the more influence we'll have later. I hope!

There's Dave in the red shirt, black hat. He's always up for volunteering on trail days. We had about 34 people total and worked about 1/2 mile of trail.

I'm packin' up my bags and gonna move out West

2006-04-04T15:41:00.000-06:00

'Cause I wanna be a cowboy, babee!

Disassembling the AM 1

2006-04-04T14:50:00.000-06:00

So my fork needed it's first oil change, as all forks do during their break in period. The ETA function has never worked and I felt that it had some performance issues that hopefully an oil change would cure.

I looked through several sources of info on oil types and viscocities for Marzocchi forks. I know they use Golden Spectro 7.5wt, but I couldn't find any of it locally and I didn't want to order it. But, I found this on MTBR posted by DGC:

product cSt@40c cSt@100c
Torco RFF 5 wt. 10.75 4.00
Silkolene Pro RSF 2.5 wt. 13.60 5.83
Torco RSF light 14.50 4.70
Racetech (motorex) light US 1 (Manitou??) 15.20 4.40
Maxima fork fluid 5 wt. 15.90 3.51
Torco RFF 7 wt. (Rock Shox) 16.10 5.05
Golden Spectro 85/150 2.5 wt. 16.90 3.82
Honda Pro HP fork oil 5 wt. 17.00 3.80
Bel Ray fork oil 5 wt. 17.10 4.10
Elf syn moto fork oil 2.5 wt. 18.00 4.00
Redline light 18.40 7.10
Torco RFF 10 wt. 19.90 5.70
Spectro fork oil 5 wt. 21.60 4.40
PJ1 fork tuner 2.5 wt. 26.10 4.90
Golden Spectro 125/150 7.5 wt. (Marzocchi) 26.10 5.25
Silkolene pro RSF 5 wt. 26.70 9.46

Maxima fork fluid 7 wt. 26.70 5.36
PJ1 fork tuner 7.5 wt. 27.50 5.10
Bel Ray fork oil 7 wt. 29.00 5.20
Redline medium 30.40 10.80
PJ1 fork tuner 5 wt. 31.20 5.40
Fox fluid and Torco RSF medium 31.82 9.57
Maxima fork fluid 10 wt. 32.00 6.28
Torco RFF 15 wt. 33.00 8.40
Redline D4 ATF/Mobil 1 ATF 34.00 7.50/7.60
Castrol synthetic fork oil 10 wt. 42.00 7.50
Torco RFF 20 wt. 42.80 10.40
Maxima fork fluid 15 wt. 46.00 8.48
Motorex semi bath-Manitou 5w40 90.90 Syrup..!! 14.60
PJ1 fork tuner 30 wt. 116.90 gooo..!! 15.00

Also, this is a great website with some really good info on forks, springs and other bike and motorcycle stuff:

http://www.peterverdonedesigns.com/bikesuspension.htm

Not to get too winded, I chose Silkolen since it was close in viscocity to Golden Spectro. It was cheap, too.

The disassembly went fine, no problems. When all was said and done though, the ETA wasn't fixed, but the fork action is much smoother than before. I will have to send it in to Marzocchi to have that tweaked. All in all, after having been disappointed with this fork initially, I'm liking it more. It does need a 20mm thru axle upgrade, though and now that I'm comfortable taking it apart, that shouldn't be too hard to accomplish.

GM nonsense

2006-04-03T13:48:00.000-06:00

Check out this article then peruse through some of the commercials that people have created. They're hillarious! Hopefully, Chevy doesn't find out about them before you get to see them!

Too funny...

Here's mine:

http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=873f178c-14a3-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7

Here's a totally addictive game

2006-03-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

Escapa anyone? Try to keep the red block from the blue block. Just click and hold.

Again, the link is the name of the post.

The Surrealist

2006-03-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

This website is fun. You can put in some lame info or words and it will spit out some fun slogans, alter pictures, "sex" up a dossier of boring intelligence :) and other things...The title of the post is linked.

My name, sloganized:

Kills All Known Chad - Dead.

or

Got Chad?

Well, do ya?

Sunset

2006-03-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

Crystal thought this turned out good, so I thought I'd post it: From our deck at the new apartment.

Party at Mike's!

2006-03-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

So, a few weeks ago we had a party at Mike's. I think it was like a "divorce" Party or something. Whatever. We invited a lot of people, bought a lot of food and drinks, decorated (mildly), but alas, as party's go, it was not well attended. Who cares, we still had fun. Here's Mike:

Pimped out in the basement:

Crystal's new best friend, Mike (or as some call him, "Mickey"):

Mike's brother John and sister-in-law, Holli:

Playing darts. When Mike's wife left the house, she took the dart board. I had to have another one! One can only play so much pool...

Me and my dart "skills":

Who's Superman? Me:

Get down, get down...

Good times were had by all:

The significance of this party was small, but it started a revolution. On the walls, you can see that we chalked it up good with drawings and signatures and such. This got Mike to thinking that he needed to build a bar. Then, Crystal wanted to paint. In a future post, I'll show the results of this amazing transformation. Gone are the grey walls and cold floor. Mike now has the best club in town!

Tubeless Update

2006-03-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

It took about two weeks or so, but the tires sealed up and have been holding air now for two weeks. As I understand it, other tires are easier to work with (I used Kenda Nevegal 2.35 Dual Tread Compound). I'm thinking of converting Crystal's bike this Spring as well. Worrying about flats is such a pain...

Horsetooth Ride

2006-03-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

Finally got out to Horsetooth for a ride on the new bike. I tried to get out last weekend and though it was sunny and warm, there was too much mud.

We climbed for about an hour or so to the Spring Creek/Mill Creek junction. We ended up going down Spring Creek on the way down...a very fun ride, not much pedalling down!

It was a sunny day (warmer than I expected, too) and I was eager to test out the new bike on the big trails at HT Mountain Park. The bike climbed much better than I expected, actually, though they've done some grading to the service road that makes it a bit slower than in the past. With better knowledge of the trail and few bike tweaks, it'll be riding perfect.

I was able to get some good pics of Dave riding:

It's funny, when you ride, you really have to make a conscious effort to get off the bike and take pictures. So much of your time is spent focused on the trail, the riding and the other trail users. These all could have been better...

This is one place where I can go on the front range to get some trees and a different perspective than the low, open desert areas of Devil's Backbone and Coyote Ridge.

It was a good ride. I think riding some of the roads near my house has helped my fitness this year. We'll see, but usually I'm whipped after a ride at HTMP. This day, I felt good.

Tubeless tires and the dilemma

2006-02-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

So last weekend, I did a full conversion of my wheels to a tubeless system. Find more info here:http://www.notubes.com/

I have to admit, it wasn't very difficult to do. The tires I'm using are Kenda Nevegal 2.35 DTCs. I've read that they're some of the hardest to seal. It was a day long process, but I was able to ride on Sunday. The performance gain was instantly evident, but I could not get past the fact that they might leak on me or something. They had been slowly leaking air all day Sat. but seemed all sealed up. Either way, the ride was good and the tires were doing thier job.

Well, come Monday, I find the front tire flat, leaking sealant. I went through the steps to reseal it and on Tuesday, it had lost some air but was doing ok. I rode Tuesday afternoon (just ahead of the snowstorm, I might add. Temps close to 60 degrees) and they held up pretty good. The rear has a wobble in it that's a bit annoying (I've noticed this on new Nevegal tires before) but on the trail it's not noticeable.

Come Wednesday, the rear tire was flat overnight! I pumped it up before work to 40psi and it was holding air, so that's not the issue. It seems that maybe it's not sealing or that during riding, the seal is breaking. I can't figure it out. I'm not giving up yet, but it seems that tubes are much easier to deal with. I just love the faster rolling wheels that tubeless provides. And with all the thorns around, the flat resistance is a must. But how resistant is it?

To be continued...

Winter blahs?

2006-02-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't had them! We've had days of 70 degrees this winter and I've been able to ride at least twice a week. It finally snowed last Wednesday, but it melted by Friday. It's snowing now again, but I'm confident that it will be gone soon enough. I'm glad for it too...who likes dealing with all the snow and ice? The mountains, however have been utterly blanketed with snow this year. Steamboat Springs reports that the champagne powder is "epic". Vail has had record crowds. Denver Int'l Airport is setting records for the number of travelers moving through. That means that spring will be green on the plains! The reservoirs are predicted to overflow for the first time since the late '90s when the state officially went into drought. For a while, things are getting back to normal around here. But I suppose that's only true in our microcosm of the world - in Seattle they've had record rains. California, too. Wildfires in Texas and Oklahoma in January! The NE is saturated. Killer hurricanes, increased glacial melt in places like Alaska and Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa where they predict there will be no more glacial ice in ten years at 19,340'! Read more about that here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilimanjaro.

I feel like I'm outside the storm, but the evidence is there that things are heating up. And I'm not sure that people really mind. Still, it can't be good in the long run. For now, I'll be content with my 70 degree days in February and maybe I'll start driving less. Maybe it would be a good time to begin recycling - $35/lb for aluminum. If only bikes were that cheap! I figure my aluminum bike is about $700/lb! I'd better start recycling to help bring down the cost of Al for my OWN good!

Cake and the Unlimited Sunshine

2006-02-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

Defnitely one of Crystal's favorite bands, we got our second chance to see Cake in Colorado at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver. The Auditorium has a storied past. It was once a roller rink and the old hardwood floors remain. It's a great venue for a concert.

Cake is excellent in concert, so if you get the chance to see them, do so! They might be coming to a town near you! (or not, it looks like they'll be in Japan next month) We'd have preferred to go see them in Vegas, but we'll settle for Denver!

More from Coyote Ridge

2006-01-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

At the crest of Coyote Ridge you can look back and see how small your car is. The parking lot is center of the pic, on the right hand side.

A view looking down the trail, east toward the plains.

Virgin trail that will link up Blue Sky to Coyote Ridge and extend south to Devil's Backbone.

Far off, is Devils Backbone, middle of the picture:

Coyote Ridge and the Resurrection

2006-01-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

She lives! A new derailleur hanger, new chain, new derailleur and shifting cable later and we're back in business. All in less than 1 week. Ellsworth was quick in getting the hanger to me and Larry had parts on hand. Overall, it could have been worse.

I went with the X.7 instead of the X.9 that I broke. It was cheaper and only marginally heavier (40g). The action seems to be the same. So far, so good!

The first ride was at Coyote Ridge. Coyote Ridge is kind of the sister trail to Devil's Backbone, though they are different in character, they share many attributes and are only about 7 miles apart, driving. Off road, they're closer. Trails to connect these two locations are in the works.

It's a mile of climbing from the car. This pic is about 1/2 way through to the top, looking up, then back. A bit of snow still lingered on the north side climbing up. It always does on this trail.

A view east of the Great Plains. This is the first ridge of the Foothills of CO. Beyond this stuff, it's all higher and higher altitude. Coyote Ridge peaks out at about 5,700', starting at about 5,100'.

I figured out the timer on my camera and got this shot. I didn't go for anything artistic, but it turned out pretty good!

The most exciting part of this ride was seeing some of the new Indian Creek trail that's been constructed. I worked on this trail last Fall, helping to build a culvert through a small valley (before and after):

That metal pipe is now buried under rocks and dirt. It took a day to build this and another half day to fill in the gaps and pack it down. There were over 250 volunteers building 2 miles of trail in 2 days. In the next photo, you can see where we were working by following the trail to the first small canyon, just where the shadows obscure the trail. Rest assured that this culvert is now there and that the trail flows through that spot!

This part of the trail will link Indian Creek/Blue Sky trail with Coyote Ridge. I tired to follow the line and see where, but it's not evident yet. Apparently the county wants to wait until the last minute to connect them up so that users will stay off until it's officially opened in Spring/Summer 2006. The trail will go from Devils Backbone Open Space to Horsetooth Mountain Park in Fort Collins. It's estimated to be 20+ miles one way. Further trails can be found at Horsetooth and adjoining Lory State Park, making for some epic rides. Horsetooth Rock, roughly 10 miles away at 7,300' elevation.

On a subsequent ride the following day, I spoke to a Larimer County Park Ranger and she noted that work to Horsetooth was progressing quickly. They plan to have the trails open by June 2006.

Happy New Year, y'all!

2006-01-19T11:18:00.000-07:00

Just a few shots of us on the New Year!

Crystal all dressed up for a night on the town, 2005.

We went to a cool club in Denver and partied with the Big City crowd. It was a great time!

Bikes, the old and the new

2006-01-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

This fork would have been great on the Moment. But alas, it was the pits on the Isis. It was just too tall. I replaced it with a Rock Shox Reba, which I didn't really love, but it was a good fork. I replaced that fork with a Marzocchi Marathon S. I'm a Marzocchi guy...

The newest bike, an '05 Moment in pewter. It looks great with the pink Chris King hubs. Most of the parts came from the Isis, so they look similar.

The trusty old Isis. Now back to it's maker...

First Ride on the new bike (out of order, BTW)

2006-01-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

I wanted to get some photos of my first ride on this bike, just for posterity.

I went for a long route, up some hidden singletrack that I scoped out in the summer.

Once at the top, this trail would drop me down into a new neighborhood of multi-million dollar homes which abuts the trailhead at Devil's Backbone. This phots didn't turn out so good, but in the background I could see Pike's Peak, over 150 miles away.

On the way up, I got some photos for the buds on MTBR:

Finally, at the trail entrance:

This is the nicest trail sign I've ever seen. Mostly, they're just some enviro-type wood carving or something. But I think because of the expensive homes in the subdivision adjacent to this park, they got this spiffy sign. Who knows. At least they don't charge us to ride there.

The ride went well. I think I mostly just wanted to snap some shots of the bike and the trail. More detail is in my Ride Report blog of a secondary ride.

Someday (2006), this trail will extend out there, as far as the eye can see, joining another trail system in Ft. Collins. One will be able to ride from Loveland to Ft. Collins all offroad. Plans for the future include trail from Wyoming to New Mexico - whoa!

Post Ride report

2006-01-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

Man, what a day...

It started out good. I did some adjusting to my suspension to correctly set the sag. The front fork still has some of the new "stiction" in it and the rear shock is an enigma to me yet, so I just messed with the fork most. I had to drop the PSI down to 15 to get it to 20% sag, which is about correct for my weight, but man was it mushy.

I chose a new route from our apartment that got me to the trail on some back roads - nice, no traffic!

The sky was blue and the sun was shining. It was going to be a good ride.

So, I climbed over the first hogback and on to the trail head. The fork wasn't right, so I added some psi. Up to 20psi. I guess the fork is supposed to be this mushy, but I don't like it. I tried it anyway and it was going fine. I was ripping along, hit my favorite jump - huge, then flatted on the subsequent climb out. Crap! Maybe the rear is too soft now? Adjusted that, grabbed a photo of the Backbone.

I've been struggling to climb this bike because of it's added weight (and mine!). But I made it up and grabbed a few more photos. Boy was it sunny!

The last time I stopped here to take pics, I was fixing another flat. It's time to go Tubeless. How do I explain that to my wife? Must...have...more...money...

Moving right along, I got some shots of the trail, just to profile how rocky it actually is out there. The new bike rolls over this stuff pretty easily. But so far, to me, it seems the same as the old bike. Could this be? Maybe it's me...

So, I've had some pretty good wrecks on this trail and drawn lots of blood. But this day, I think I'd rather have hurt myself. Well, maybe not, but anyway...

So, it was crowded on the trail, even on the backside where hikers and horses normally don't go. My goal was to head down the slope and catch these guys on the backside of the trail (okay, there's a pic, but it's not loading). At this point, they were walking. I knew I wouldn't have to walk that section, so I had a chance. Little did I know, I'd never make it...

Well, to make a long story short, I went over the bars as my front tire wedged in front of a rock and (unbeknowst to me at the time) slammed the rear derailleur down on one of those nasty rocks. After about 30 minutes of converting the bike to a singlespeed, I was able to limp out. The front tire suffered some punture, too, so I aired it up and went slow down the hill. 2nd flat of the day. Crap!

The aftermath. It's gonna be 'spensive!

It's like they say, though. A bad day riding is better than a good day at the office!