Finally...biking!

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

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!

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

Recently...Hiking!

A trip from the Poudre Canyon

Birthdays!

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

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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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!

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

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