Kevin's Rigid Schedule

JUNE is the...

2009-08-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

...name of the sister and WIFE of Jupiter. Man, funny how those Greek Gods became God-like considering their choice of mate. Maybe somewhere in Arkansas there is a community of Gods and Titans?

June was Cycling Month. First off I rode in the Elephant Rock with John Obering, Matt Sodnicar, and an ex-pro cyclist that kicked my ass (and didnt sweat much). Of all the rides that I do during the summer, E-Rock is one of the more technical (see: climbs)...plus it is the first one of the season, so not quite in shape yet. The third weekend was the MS 150 - this ride is the reason we have a cycling team in the first place. This year we had 25 team members, raised over $22,000 for the National MS Society, sported new bad-ass black jerseys, and totally kicked ass. We couldnt have done it without our friends and family that donated to NMSS, our "support-staff" friends that set up/decorated our tent and provided drinks and massages, and everyone else that supported us along our 150 mile journey through the foothills of Colorado.

Inbetween E-Rock and MS150, the ATX Denver Adult Superfraternity put together our first Charity Golf Event. Knowing us, you probably wouldnt be surprised to find out that we did it a little differently than most golf tourneys... The "hackMasters One Club Golf Tournament of Fury" made participants play with only ONE club of their choice (I played with a 9 iron), and allowed them to buy coupons for various "cheats" (ie: mulligan) and "screws"(make a competing team member play with a left handed club). On the third hole you could buy a hole-in-one for $20 (I got my first ACE that day). The fifth hole? Kegstands for Cash. I think my favorite part was the designated "Heckle Station" at the teebox of the 9th: people just stood in the roped-off area and yelled at you while you took your tee shot. Good times - we raised around $2000 for the NMSS, AND learned some ways to improve the tourney next year.

MAY I borrow...

2009-08-26T09:57:00.001-07:00

...a cup of sugar?

Since I actually left in April, I guess I could have filed it there - but I didnt, so you'll have to think outside the box. Craig graduated from Brewing School in Munich, so I headed over there to hang out with him for a couple of weeks and do "cultural things"...like drink beer. And ride bikes. And ride bikes while drinking beer. Last time that Craig and I played around in Europe we DID go to museums and various other historical places. This time we didnt beat around the bush. We drank beer. Lots of incredible German and Belgian beer. We went to the sacred places that they make the sacred beer. Including a little known monastery called St. Sixtus in Westvleteran that makes a beer that you probably have never heard of unless you are a beer snob. But we are beer snobs. And we went there.

Also, I took Jess down to Austin for a wedding. She survived meeting my Aunt/Uncle/Cousin, meeting my crazy mom, meeting my Nana/Grandad, meeting my old hometown friends, lots of mexican food, and a fun 4Seasons wedding. She didnt survive the pedi-cab ride home. I mean, she LIVED through the ordeal - but we got ejected at 5th and Congress at about 2am. I was a little embarrassed, Jess was a little concussed. After a really fun ambulance ride to Brackenridge, we realized we were the best dressed people staying overnight in the ER at the county hospital. That's what Texas is all about: Shiner Bock, Blue Bell Icecream, Mexican Food, Barbecue, and spending the night in a hospital after a really good party.

No updates since...

2009-08-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

...April? I understand that some people consider my (very important) blog "the news", so sorry to keep everyone waiting. Ill try to fit volumes of information into paragraphs.

APRIL showers bring May flowers:

Jess and I joined a few new friends and a few old friends for a hike up to a remote cabin in the mountains above Blue River, CO. When you city folks hear "hike", you would probably not imagine hiking uphill with skis/snowshoes in 3 feet of snow in a snowstorm for 4.5 miles to reach a cabin with no running water. We had lots of wine and lots of bacon...it was nice.

I bought a house. It is 105 years old, and in a completely bad ass neighborhood near Downtown Denver. Come visit. But bring your work gloves, this is going to be a constant work in progress. I moved a good, solid 3 blocks away from the house that I shared with Craig and JD for two years...so when I moved my mattress I just threw it up on the top of the car and held on while driving down the hill. "Hey North Country Club citizens, your new neighbor is totally classy." Every day it looks less and less like a hobo is squatting there.

I gave my...

2009-04-13T08:22:00.001-07:00

...phone the night off last Thursday. Turned it off, plugged it in, tucked it away. Its not that I didn't have to work on Friday, I did. Its not that I didn't need to get up early on Friday, I did. Its not that I didn't need my phone in order to get some late night work done, I did. [Three consecutive double-negatives...a new record].

My phone is always on. Always. Its the curse side of the "blessing and a curse" part of my job. Of my life. I don't think my phone minds too much...maybe at first it was a bit of a transition to be on call all the time, but it has become accustomed to it. And with new technology, my phone gets to do lots of fun things like ski with a bluetooth enabled helmet, fly fish in the Colorado rivers, and bike for hundreds of miles on end.

But my phone is always on. Its always taking calls, making calls, missing calls. Its always receiving emails, sending emails, reading emails. Its always reading texts, sending texts, reading texts. I sometimes question the sanity of my phone. I question the circuitry. I question the battery power.

On Thursday, a peculiar thing happened. My phone acted as though it was operating normally. There was no error message. No strange beeps or noises. No funny vibrations or messages. But the rings stopped coming. The emails continued. The texts continued. The voicemails continued. But no rings.

Strangely, it was comforting. It was relaxing. Soothing.

It was then that I realized that my phone was not receiving calls. It was receiving all other forms of communication. It was sending all forms of communication. It was browsing the internet. Checking emails. Sending emails. But it was not receiving calls. Not listening.

So I gave my phone the night off.

I soon realized, after feeling naked and disconnected suddenly, that I had not turned off my phone in weeks. The reality settled in that I had not turned my phone off in months. Years. Three years. I turned off my phone and plugged it in. Then I slept. I slept not in my own bed, but on a familiar couch. But I slept. Well.

A new toy...

2009-03-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

...came in the mail today. A Nikon D90. I had been planning and talking about buying a new rig for a while now. Did some research, checked out prices, etc. But I really couldn't justify spending that kind of money on a camera...especially since I dont shoot pro anymore. Okay, rarely. But alas, my buddy Ryan Eaton was in town last week. Other than having a grand old time catching up, drinking beer, and skiing - he asked if he could buy my camera.

1. I could provide Ryan a sweet camera for a really good price. Heck, indirectly I am paying for the camera that I sold him...so might as well give me a good deal.

2. It gave me an excuse to buy a new toy.

3. Ahhhh, might as well grab a new lens with it.

4. Ohhhh, and a new camera bag.

5. Annnnd a new reflector.

Whoops. Had to stop there though. Gotta buy a house while Obama will give me 8 grand to move into that puppy.

I'm pretty excited, I love to capture my friends expressions and personality on film (sounds better than "on digital bytes"). As soon as I got the battery charged we went on the front porch and snapped a few off. One cool thing about the D90 is that it shoots HD Video with a SLR lens - so that means zoom and focus capability, ah the bells and whistles. I've kind of put photography on the back burner...but now I have an excuse to go out and play. You should go do the same.

It's all coming...

2009-03-17T09:59:00.001-07:00

together. The merging of the seasons. The utopia that is Colorado. Check it:

1. I skied on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday last week. Yup. I don't think it ever dropped below 30 degrees at any given time...for those not familiar with the dry-mountain cold, that is warm. 25 degrees is balmy. 30 is like the summertime.

1a. Er, correction...I mean I was at my desk working diligently all week. Grueling grueling paperwork. Sitting at my desk. Working hard. Work, work, work.

2. Many of my Texas friends were up in the Aspen area for a little trip. I joined and slept on a mattress in the mud room for a couple of nights. Because that is what I do...sacrifice. The longer I live in CO, the more I realize that all the stereotypes about Texas skiers are absolutely true. Nice fuzzy snow boots, ladies...Love to see those guys in Colorado every once in a while.

3. I wore chacos yesterday. Not just any chacos, but new chacos...figured it was time to retire the ones that I have been wearing for 6 years now. As a testament to the quality of the shoe - they are still in great shape (although they have been resoled).

4. KICKBALL season started last night, and the Little Lebowskis did it up right by commanding a 16-6 victory. Suck it, other team.

5. Jess now has a bike. A pink bike. Perhaps the pinkest bike ever created. AND I participated once again in "Bike Manipulation Monday" by sawing off some drops and putting new(old) bullhorns on my singlespeed. Apparently I am the anti-hipster hipster. "Check that out! A republican with no gears?" So now I have all three bikes functioning properly, and we added the pink baby to the collection...thus our house is becoming overtaken by bikes once again.

Summer, hurry.

kpm

I am not...

2009-03-05T16:03:00.000-08:00

...freaking out right now. Okay, I am. Not going to tell you why - but I will leave you with this for now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mDeXC6lGjg

While Spring doesn't...

2009-03-03T16:19:00.000-08:00

...officially start until March 20th, I'm going to go ahead and say that it has. Take that, Mother Nature!

Okay, it is...

2009-03-02T17:36:00.000-08:00

...time to play catch up (ketchup?). I haven't spent too much leisure time in front of the old Commodore 64- so I am going to do a brief synopsis of 2009 to date.
Sushi - Craig and I found an all-you-can-eat sushi place. In Denver. Yes, Denver is about as far from the ocean as you can get...but you know with modern technology and the internets they are somehow able to get fresh fish here. Seriously though, people go to long lengths to make this happen. Kazusan, eat your heart out (and may you rest in peace). Go Fish on Broadway has really good sushi, and there is no buffet - they make it fresh for you as you order. Whatever you want - as long as you eat between 2:30 and 5:30 - as much as you want. We each knocked out about $50 of sushi in about an hour. The madness continues.
ATX Winter Formal - This really deserves its own entry, but I really really want to catch up. AND I think that these pictures speak more than a thousand words. Ill give you a quick(ish) rundown: The theme was "A Very Special Wedding" and we DO love themes. There was a Save the Date, the preparties were separated into Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties, the "limo" was a 60 passenger bus filled to capacity, "rehearsal dinner" was at El Portrero and complete with speeches (and the living legend Jose), "cocktail hour" was held at a Honkey Tonk called Stampede and it just happened to be Mexican Music night (aka "free wedding band"), and of course the "reception" was held at the Rockbar. Not only that, but true to ATX Style we collected a ton of canned foods to donate to a Denver shelter and/or to refugees living in our fair city. Craig and I once agreed that we really need to learn how to throw a party.
Random Facts - I convinced this girl to move to Denver (it really wasn't that difficult in the end), and we discovered that you can buy Pancake Batter in an aerosol can. The rest is history.
Georgia Trip - Jessica (the Pancake Batter Queen) and I went to Georgia to surprise our friend Mike. He is the guy responsible for many good things in my life - most notably my ability to brew that magical liquid called Beer. So what else was I to do but show up at his front door in Jasper, GA at 9:30pm with a 12 pack of Colorado beer? We played Frisbee golf, drank Sweetwater, ate barbecue (real barbecue), drank homemade limoncello, drank homebrew, drank a 2 year old Imperial Stout aged in a red wine oak barrel, talked about beer (a lot), played dominoes, slept, napped, talked about beer, and got to enjoy our favorite people in Georgia. Or the world.
Willy Porter - Had good seats at the Soiled Dove for the Willy Porter/Tony Furtado show. I have been a big fan of Willy P since the first time I saw him...Opened for Toad the Wet Sprocket and The Cranberries circa 1993. I have a mom, and she was there.
Roomie Missing - Craig is learning about how to make the yeast fart and pee, and I am all booked up to hang out with him in Germany and Belgium in April/May. For the first time in three years I will not be reachable by phone. Please don't freak out. And no, I will not be bringing you anything - so don't ask.
Skiing - Yes, I have been skiing. A lot. And staying at the Frisco Castle. A lot.
So that pretty much sums it up. Not really - but it will have to do for now. Its getting warm, so get ready to hear about all the rantings and ravings about the beautiful Colorado spring, cycling season, cornhole victories, and being barefoot in the grass. Out.

Things change from...

2009-02-04T18:26:00.001-08:00

...year to year. Some people get older (I don't), some people lose more hair (I do), and some people deny the new year. For me, the biggest change came during the Vail Big Beers, Belgians, and Barleywines Festival. Here's how the change went down:

2008: We rolled into the Festival with a bunch of friends, and we all got discount tickets because of Craig the Wunderbrewer. After being overwhelmed, naive, and giddy...we all got completely hammered in 45 minutes. Whoops. There was just so much good, strong beer. Stuff that we normally cant get our hands on. Stuff like Sam Adams Utopias. We chummed it up with Anchor's best employee Bob Brewer, and he gave us a little taste of 15 year old Barleywine that he found in the basement. After the fest, we went over to the Arabelle where I stole all the cookies for Neff, and was escorted out by a man in a full-length coat. After eating at a nice restaurant that we should have NOT been allowed to enter, we went pole dancing at an underground club. We stayed in the illustrious Roost Lodge, the only shitty hotel in the Vail area. All in all, the best time of my life. You know, other than all those other good times.

2009: Dr. Phil and Anchor Chris were in town, and Craig wanted to show them the best beer festival in the country (suck it GABF). Craig pulled some strings and for some reason the lady up front let us all in for free. Free is awesome, by the way. After drinking some really, really nice beers (and after Chris making a wincing face at each one) - we rolled out, sober, and headed back to our posh ski-in/ski-out condo in Keystone. You know, a year older and a year more mature...

Just wait until next year where we will most likely make up for this one. See you in 2010 Bob Brewer!

This might be...

2009-02-03T11:13:00.000-08:00

...a little late, but I havent been sitting at my desk much. Why? Because I have been doing stuff. What kind of stuff? Well, kick-ass stuff.

Jan 10th: It hasnt happened for a few years, but I went skiing with Dad (aka the Original Dr. Phil, aka Cul-de-Sac Phil), Chris, and Craig in Keystone for a long weekend. We used to make this trip every year, starting in 1983...circumstances were a little different back then, but the idea was the same: ski, eat, sleep, repeat. The last few years the trip was cancelled - I was in Hawaii for work in 2007 (poor me), and Dad hurt his back in 2008. Every year has a little event that the trip is remembered by...in 2006 it was when Chris told us that it would be "better for everyone" if nobody drank at his wedding. Ha. If you dont know how that turned out, let me give you a brief synopsis: I convinced a hotel bartender to stay open until 4am for the Mycoskie cousins, and we woke up with an EXIT sign on our floor and a sink full of beer...I dont know exactly how this year's trip will be remembered, but I think it will look a little like this:

2009 - Chris was tricked into eating artichoke hearts.

2008 Reviewed

2009-01-01T12:42:00.000-08:00

All the important things that happened in 2008, according to me.

January: Ah...sweet, sweet January. We started it off with a bang at the Rockbar - I was carrying around my own bottle of champagne. The snow is always better in January and the cold keeps the tourists out, save MLK weekend. Nothing shows your respect for a fallen hero like skiing a few days. But here was the big news of Jan 08: ATX was officially founded on January 26, 2008 with Rokken Winter Formal. Crazy to think that an idea to throw a little party resulted in a community of 150+ Denverites making a difference in the community. And a few big parties. Gatorade G2 was actually released in 2007, but I fell in love with it on the 27th. Apple unveiled the MacBook Air, giving mac heads one more reason to feel the need to put apple stickers on their cars. Oh yeah, and Heath Ledger died too.

February: I didn't take any pictures. None. I just looked on my computer and there are no pictures from February. Oh wait, never mind - found some. The government announced a $168 Billion stimulus package that apparently didn't work. I still did, though. But do you know who didn't? The writers in Hollywood. The big strike ended in February and TV became less shitty.

March: We had an unseasonable fantastic Spring in Denver - with weekend days filled with sunshine and bocce at Wash Park. I started training for my summer bike rides - for the first time actually being serious about it. One of my friends said that I would become addicted...little did I know he was right. The mountains retained the snow and the spring breakers came out to play. For us, this means that we get to make snide remarks about all the gapers wearing the wrong clothes on the slopes. Backwards baseball hats, camo, jeans, Starter jackets - all awesome.

April: Things actually happened in the real world in April, so I don't have to rant on about fun Denver stuff to fill the space. Charlton Heston (aka "Moses") died, which was a big deal because nobody thought he would. And it wasn't from a gun shot wound, so suck it anti-gun activists. The first fight on the (drama-free) front porch occurred due to the "pregnant man." Here is the deal people: Men don't get pregnant, men can't get pregnant. Just because you "declare" yourself a man doesn't make you one. I can declare myself a 7 foot tall black man, but they still wont let me play in the NBA. Hillary Clinton made news because she drank a little whiskey. If I made the news every time I drank whiskey...well, I would be in the news a lot.

May: Sex and the City the movie was released in theatres, and grossed $55.7 Million in the first three days. None of those dollars were mine. The first ever officially sanctioned Lucha Libre match in the United States was held, and I was there to witness it...thus ending everyone's favorite dinner topic "When the hell are they going to let those crazy masked guys wrestle in the States?" ATX had its first fundraiser - and while most organizations have dinners and galas, we decided that a bike pub crawl and date auction would be a little more fitting. It was a success and you will probably see another in '09. And the Stone Temple Pilots played together for the first time since 2003 - the hardest part was sneaking Scott Weiland out of rehab for 6 months.

June: Cycling season was in full effect, and I had two races in 4 weeks. Just six months after its inception, ATX formed a charity cycling team that raised about $14,000 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. So in one weekend the NMSS gained $2.9 million, and I lost nine pounds. On the other side of things, I broke a personal record: On June 21, 2008 I had a beer at 7:30am while fishing. Earliest beer ever.

July: Its official - the best way to honor the tenets of Democracy, the ideals of freedom, and the hope of utopia is to get drunk and blow stuff up. God Bless America. Randy Pausch died in July, who actually became famous because of his pending death. If you haven't seen/heard his last lectures from Carnegie Mellon, you should.

August: Scientists announced hurriedly that the world was dying as they ran frantically from their respective research centers. Chaos ensued...but it just turned out to be a solar eclipse, no big deal. Isaac Hayes, who was once known as a renowned R&B musician, died and was remembered only as "Chef" from Southpark. Whoops. ATX held its second major event called "SummerWeen," you know, like Halloween but in the summer. We expected less people than Winter Formal, but ended up with almost double the numbers. ATX is contagious. The Democratic National Convention conveined in Denver and officially announced Barack Obama as its candidate. People came from all over the country to invade the city, smell like BO, and protest and rally for no good reason. Oh yeah, and I think there were some speeches or something at some point. And once again the world set aside its differences for two weeks while the heroic athletes competed in the Summer Olympics in Beijing. The most notable athlete from the Games was Michael Phelps, who won eight gold medals in various swimming events. People became infatuated with Phelps and his diet, consisting of 12,000 calories a day when training...which isn't a big deal if you have met my brother Craig and seen him eat.

September: The big news was on the cover of People Magazine: Clay Aiken is gay. This was almost as shocking as Sheryl Swoops coming out in '05. C'mon America - this is neither news, nor a surprise. Paul Newman passed away and took his Own recipes with him. I guess Ill have to start making my own salad dressing. Also, I expanded my liquid snobbery to include coffee after I discovered the Clover Coffee Machine. If you haven't had a cup, tough shit: Starbucks bought out the company so that nobody could enjoy it. Hooray for corporate expansion and corporate fascism.

October: The American Judicial System finally righted itself: OJ Simpson was found guilty of trying to steal his own stuff back and sent to jail. Mr. Simpson became famous during the California v. Simpson case in 1995 where the legal precedent was set to make brutal double homicides legal once again. Also, my brother set another precedent by declaring the third week of October as his "birth week."

November: Barack Obama made history by being the first black person to be elected President of the United States. Fred Armisen (of SNL) made history by being the first white person to impersonate the first black person to be elected President of the United States. I made history by being the only person in the country that didn't care what color/race/gender the President is. More importantly, I made my first Turkey this Thanksgiving. It was big. It was delicious. It was so delicious, in fact, that three vegetarians decided it was okay to let it slide for a day. God Bless meat.

December: My dad gave my stepmom a pair of Sarah Palin glasses for Christmas. She might not have been the best running mate, but her choice of eyewear is stunning. Somebody stole $2 million worth of stuff from Paris Hilton's place, boo hoo. And I managed not to step outside on Christmas day. After deciding to skip one of my ski trips, I ended up back in Denver for New Years Eve and did the countdown at the Rockbar. THUS book-ending 2008 getting sweaty on the dance floor at a shady bar in a motel on Colfax. God, I love this town.

See ya in '09.

A few truths...

2008-12-24T22:06:00.000-08:00

...about Texas, according to me.

1. Central Market is far superior to Whole Foods. Its big, its gourmet, and it has superior products. Its not pretentious, its not exclusive, and its NOT EXPENSIVE. You can really walk out of there with all of your fresh ingredients for about the same price as your run-of-the-mill grocery package store.

2. Taco Cabana is shitty, but its still better than most of the "Mexican Food" that you can get in Colorado. They have a salsa bar, and half of the salsas will melt your face off. Fantastic.

3. Girls are pretty here. I still have no idea what it is, but every woman here is stunning. I forget about it sometimes. I mean, I know some pretty girls in Colorado - but its a different pretty. The women here are drop-whatever-you're-drinking-and-stare-open-mouthed pretty. I dont care why, I just enjoy it. Thank you genes.

4. Stuff is big here. Everything really. Cars. Grocery Stores. Malls. Stadiums. The state itself. Everything. Its hard to find good beer here, but when you do you find LOTS of it. Stockpiles. (see: #1 Central Market).

5. Pearl Snap Shirts aren't a fashion statement...its just what you wear.

6. The accent is contagious. Add a syllable to a one-syllable word. Drawl it out. Good.

Merry Sweet-Baby-Jesus Birthday.

Dumb People that Ruin the Snow 2

2008-12-22T15:07:00.000-08:00

"Grenade Stickers"

Hey guys, lets get together and revolt. Revolt against the man. Revolt against society. Revolt against industrial standardization, banking, and business. How can we do that?

Buy a grenade sticker for $6.00. That will show them. Why? Because..."you have become exactly what THEY want you to be." And "we will still be listening to rock and roll and coming to work hung over. We are here to live on, join us!" Yeah! Join us! Join us in taking a few months inbetween our private educations and taking a job in daddy's office. Join us in "slumming it" in Vail for 6 months. Join us in sticking it to the man, until our parents stop sending us checks...whereas we will then let the man stick it to us.

I'm sure that the guy selling those stickers isn't sitting at a desk in a corner office wearing a suit and blowing his nose with the money that all those punk kids are sending him. I'm sure he isnt laughing at "the movement" as he calls his driver to pick him up. "I have reservations at Mortons tonight" he says, "so step on it."

Like I've said before - if you want to change something, do something about it. You know, something more than putting a trendy sticker on the back of your [insert foreign eco-friendly AWD automobile]. Get a job. But thanks for helping me get on the lift.

Sometimes I don't...

2008-12-15T20:04:00.001-08:00

...know what happened until I look at the pictures on my camera. I dont mean mind erasing, black out drinking - I just mean it all happens so fast. And so many crazy things. And, well, yes, sometimes I just have a hazy night.

Monday - Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, and Oasis. Funny thing - Ryan Adams plays a bad-A version of Wonderwall. He didnt that night. BUT he DID ask where the closest Taco Bell was.

Long week at work - my Los Angeles-based rep Kasey was in town all week for training. Lots of cases. Lots of training. A few opportunities to show Kasey Denver's claim to fame: beer.

Friday night - a cup of hot tea, a couch, and a serious movie. Didnt make it all the way through.

Saturday night - Sidecars. Its both the name of a holiday beverage and a party. I found out that taxis actually run at 4am in Denver.

Sunday - Craig and I went up to the Frisco castle to prepare for a big day of skiing. Highlights:

-7 degrees Monday morning (thats negative seven farenheit)

Grilling brats at 11760ft

Thigh deep powder at Vail

A bluetooth-enabled ski helmet so I can keep working

World Ping Pong Championship

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

Shazam.

The weather really...

2008-12-07T21:55:00.000-08:00

...dictates your everyday, extracurriculear life here. Maybe that is why it gets mentioned so often here on "the schedule." If its warm, cycling. Snowing, skiing. Raining...wait five minutes, go cycling. Cold and dry, football in the park. Warm and dry, frisbee in the park. So on, so forth.
But then there is the "I did it because I could..."
I go skiing in October. Not because the pickin' is good - but because I could. Arapahoe Basin and Loveland start blowing man-made as soon as the dial starts dropping below 32 at night just so they can compete to be the first to open. When they do, we run out there once or twice just to make a few turns. Just because we are blessed to live in the same place that God does (Colorado), and just because we can.
During the summertime, I cycle. I ride a lot. I do it because I love it, but I also do it to train for the next race - whichever that one may be. If you go ride once a week, sure, its better than sitting on the couch - but its not going to get you into shape. But if it is December, sunny, and 60 - you just do it because you can. Take that, mother nature.

It helps to...

2008-12-03T12:03:00.000-08:00

...have friends. Friends that have friends. Friends that have access to things. Perhaps it is the recession that we are facing. Perhaps it is the weakness of the USD. Perhaps it is just the way that we roll in Colorado - but the barter system is back. And a subsection of the barter system - the hookup system - is charging its way to the front of the pack.

1. My brother Craig is a brewer. Not the kind that makes up silly concoctions in the basement that will never see a retail shelf (thats me)...but the kind of brewer that works in a brewery. A brewery that makes hundreds of gallons of the beautiful bubbly stuff daily. I swear, that guy can walk into any store with a growler of beer and walk out with something for free.

2. My roomie JD works at a ski shop. He can wax the shit out of a pair of skis. He likes beer, too.

3. I have a friend that works at the Denver Convention Center. That is where they have the Great American Beer Festival. Ive never paid for a ticket, ever.

4. An unnamed friend works at an unnamed high-end restaurant in Denver in a hip neighborhood. If I go eat there with him, it costs about as much as a burrito. But way fancier. In return, we let him hang out at the crib and drink off of our taps.

So, basically, this is what I am trying to say: The Dollar is down, the Draught is up. Buy low, sell high. Prost.

The day was...

2008-11-30T14:11:00.000-08:00

...mine. I have had many moments when I felt that I had become an adult. Like I have made a tangible contribution to society. My first real job. My first pieces of furniture (non-thrift store). My first car. My first sucessful fund-raiser. Various moments in my career. Blah blah blah. None of these have equaled my last feat:

I made the Thanksgiving turkey.

Big thanks to all those who walked before me to create this art and science. Cheers to the person who discovered that by using the process of osmosis, the turkey meat's cell membranes will open up to allow salt in, thus chemically breaking down internal fiber protiens - creating a tender, juicy meat. Thanks to all those who perished before the discovery of the "safe temperature" of turkey - 165 degrees F. Prost to whoever invented compound butter. An indebited gratitude to the Jewish people for their Kosher salt. A tribute statue should be erected to the boy scout that figured out the best way to truss that bird with all the crazy knots and miles of twine, I can barely tie my shoes. Thank you Alton Brown, Emeril, Tyler Florence, and the Food Network staff. I couldn't have done it without you. All of you. Thanks.

I would also like to thank King Soopers for selling an 18lb. turkey for $10. For the neighbor girls for organizing and throwing the shindig - and making it possible for me to focus on the turkey and not on the side dishes (all FIFTEEN of them). Thank you vegetarian girls at the table that decided to break the rules for just one day...and then go back for seconds. And lastly, thank you food-induced coma.

See you next year.

Dumb People that Ruin the Snow 1

2008-11-24T12:35:00.000-08:00

"Basketball Jerseys"

I could make one entry called "Snowboarders," but then you wouldnt get to enjoy my rants throughout the winter. I would be done today and I wouldnt have anything else to say. So, I will be breaking it down over the course of a few months. Today, basketball jerseys. Big, baggy basketball jerseys. They dont belong on the mountain. They look stupid, and are completely non-functional. Basketball is a sport played inside, on a court, and in a tanktop. Skiing/snowboarding is a sport played outside, on the snow, in the (sometimes) blistering cold, and bundled up in Gore Tex, Thinsulate, RipStop Nylon, and Goose Down.

If you want to be ironical, wear a hula skirt over your ski clothes on Gaper Day.

I am not sure how you identify with the basketball culture, but I am pretty sure it has something to do with rebelling against Daddy and his law firm. But make sure that you dont rebel enough for him to stop paying for your Audi while you are taking the year off.

Late Early Season...

2008-11-24T12:07:00.000-08:00

...is approaching. For some people, Ski Season is Ski Season.

1. For the complete layman, it can only be separated by when the lifts are running. Kind of like a light switch, it is either ski season, or not ski season.

2. For the college student, we can separate the season into two times: Winter and Spring Break. Winter is when you go with your parents and let them pay for everything. Spring Break is when you rent a one bedroom condo with 15 of your closest friends, pack into a suburban complete with a cooler full of frozen lasagnas you bought at Sams Club, and head up to the mountains for a lot of debauchery and a little skiing.

3. For the novice, we can add a third subsection. Now it is early, mid, and late season. Early means "before Christmas", mid means "until March", and late means "until the lifts at Vail close." This is a little like getting really excited at the end of a storm, pointing at the clouds, and saying, "Look! There are Three Colors in the Rainbow!" But we are getting a little closer.

4. For the Female Texan, there are only two seasons: "Too cold," and "Warm Enough to Wear my Fuzzy Boots." Beware gentlemen - apres ski clothes are very expensive, can only be worn once (apparently), and is only worn by tourists. Run.

There are countless other ways to look at the calendar. Not one is wrong, as long as it involves you getting on the snow. Or really, if it involves you longing to be on the snow. The snow is falling, and its alive. It lets you ride on it. It lets you live. It is generous.

We have our own conception of when it is ski season out here. The lifts dont regulate the season. The season consists of micro-seasons, usually each consisting of one minute. One run is different from the next. One hike changes the consistency of the downward trip. One morning is different from the afternoon.

Now, there is an ebb and flow to this free-form message. A ying to the yang. The mountain is a peaceful place. The snow falls quietly and embraces us. But, with all the peace and quiet, I am still a bitter, judgemental person. And I want you to know all about my hate and scorn, so look for my special section/rants throughtout the winter called "Dumb People that Ruin the Snow." Enjoy.

The view from...

2008-11-16T11:42:00.001-08:00

...my new office isnt bad.

Go ahead, click on it.

The snow is...

2008-11-15T19:06:00.000-08:00

...coming down, and the tourists are coming up.

I headed up to the Frisco Castle on Thursday to slow down a little. Found out that the condo is pretty conducive for working during the week, so that was a bonus. A little rundown of the last few days:

1. Drove up through a little snowstorm on the way up. Snow is good. Wind is scary. ALSO, I think I have the original headlamps in my '99 4Runner...so I promptly replaced them after I got up here. Its okay Mom, I have The Force.

2. Met another of the Castle roomies on Thursday night - we had a really exciting night of doing absolutely nothing. You may say "Wait Kevin, doing nothing doesnt sound very exciting." Ah, but yes, it was VERY exciting. I love doing nothing.

3. I skied on Friday morning before my conference call. It was snowing. I had a snow beard. All was well again.

4. Saturday skiing was...well, Saturday skiing. There is very little terrain actually open, and not all the resorts are open yet. LOTS OF PEOPLE. And since I had skied Breck on Friday, I thought I would head over to Keystone. Got there about opening time...and promptly put my skis back in my car and had breakfast and coffee. Only the gondola (aka "the Gaper Box") was open, and the line was AT LEAST 90 minutes to get on. Seriously, Ive never seen a group of lemmings like that. People were lined up all the way back to Margaritaville. Breakfast was good though.

5. So I went home, grabbed my roomie Brandy, and we went over to Breck again. Lines werent as bad and we got a few runs in. I thought that cycling all summer would get my legs ready for Tele Skiing. Nope. My quads are dead after two days of skiing in a row (only four runs each day). Thus, I found it necessary to...

6. Get in the hot tub at the Castle. Oh, not just once, but three times. I think I have somehow permanently cured my skin. Not unlike bacon. I hear the pruny look is all the rage now.

7. I thought that I had figured out the American political scene in terms that actually mattered. My roomie JD always said during the debates, "Whichever one talks about skiing first - Ill vote for." So, I got really excited in a moment of enlightenment up here in the mountains: driving behind a car with an Obama sticker I realized that you can call him "SNOW-bama." After a few short seconds of rejoice, and a mind that is constantly on the single track - I both realized that I could have completly redistributed the Colorado vote if I would have called the other guy "Champagne McCain." Damn, too late.

See you back in the city. You know, soonish.

Texas does funny...

2008-11-09T22:32:00.000-08:00

...things to me. I get pretty introspective. Maybe its the looking back at "home" as an outsider. Perhaps its because I realize that Texas doesnt put itself on hold, and doesn't get excited for my homecoming. Or its because I can actually slow down when I get there and think. Nevertheless, Texas does funny things to me. But I also do funny things to Texas:

1. Looked at a baby. My cousin Jordan and his wife Lori had a baby. I had actually timed my trip back to Texas based on the due date...played my cards right and the little guy was actually born a couple of weeks ago. Cute little guy - named him Colt. I am pretty convinced that with a name like that he is either going to be an outlaw or a quarterback. Or an outlaw quarterback.

2. Went to a wedding. It was a strange act for me to actually get a hotel room in Fort Worth. But it was good. My buddy Tim from college jumped ship and actually tied the knot. Actually as I looked around at my college friends' ladyfriends I noticed that they all had rings on their fingers. It made me stop and think...glad I got out of Texas alive.

3. Got on stage. I'm not exactly sure how the events went down, but here is a synopsis: I remember a wedding. Then there was the reception. Then everybody filed out to a bar. There was a tequila shot. And then I was in the Stockyards with some strangers that I had just met. Oh, and Jordan was playing music so I got up on stage and the Wayward Mycoskies were once more. Oh, the sweetest winds they blow across the south.

4. Ate Mexican food. Oh, glorious Mexican food. Spent a little time with my dear old friend Garret and we went to Esparanzas. The salsa was spicy. The relleno was incredible. And I washed it all down with Iced Tea. Unsweetened.

5. Figured out whats important. You don't have to talk to people everyday to be friends. And in friendship there is sacrifice. Friends make you assess yourself. Friends go out of their way to see you. Friends pay for lunch.

If you know...

2008-11-03T19:52:00.000-08:00

...me well, I've probably cooked for you in the past. I love to cook. I love to feed. I love to eat. And there have been a few recipes that I have done well with in the past: Stuffed Chicken Parmesan, Penne and Pesto, Sticky Rice, Migas, Breakfast Burritos, Peasant's Meal...but now I think I have the perfect recipe. But the pre-preparation is as important as the actual ingredients, technique, and preparation. Here it goes...

Blackened Pizza Surprise:

1. Dress like an participant of Pamplona's Running of the Bulls with some of your friends. Make sure that somebody actually dresses like a bull or you might lose a little of the flair.

2. Drink German beer from a funnel. Nevermind the fact that you haven't done this since highschool (you know, substituting "German" with "Cheap Domestic").

3. Play flipcup with all of the Runners, this time using Wynkoop's not so light beer.

4. Repeat step #2.

5. Go to Halloween Party with 400 other people, but make sure to bring a waterbottle full of moonshine (really). Not because you are too cheap to buy drinks, but because you don't want to wait in line (you aren't fooling anyone, though).

6. Dance a lot. Get really sweaty. Yeah.

7. Find guy dressed as Jose Cuervo and take shots of tequila using his provided booze and shot glasses.

8. Repeat step #6.

9. Walk home when its time. But make a detour to King Soopers to pick up a frozen pizza. Nevermind that you are lactose intolerant.

10. Set oven at instructed temperature. Place pizza on a cookie sheet (preheated) as to avoid making a cheese mess in the oven. Set time according to instructions.

11. Lay down on the couch. Because, in your state, you will definitely hear the buzzer go off.

12. Five hours later make sure your roommate comes down stairs to turn off oven.

13. Two more hours later get off the couch, wonder who the heck tried to make a pizza, go upstairs to bed.

There you go, the perfect recipe. Don't try that at your home.

Global Warming is...

2008-10-22T15:22:00.001-07:00

...a crock. I can definitely bore you with my scientific opinion (that is the kind of opinion that doesn't include regurgitating Al Gore repeatedly), but I won't. I'll just tell you a real, legitimate, bona-fide observation:

It is snowing in Colorado and you can ski on it.

Its true. I've seen it with my own two eyes. I've ridden it with my own two planks.

Global Warming my ass. Bring on the fluffy stuff.

Wig Parties are...

2008-10-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

...the new Sweater Party. Seriously, buying a wig is more of an investment nowadays than a purchase. Personally, I have a diversified portfolio of stocks, international stocks, bonds, and a couple of wigs.

At least this time we mixed it up and crawled down Broadway. We ended up at the Skylark Lounge, where there was a fairly diverse crowd. Some (extremely prototypical) hipsters walked in and asked me, [in a scoffing way]"Are you doing some sort of theme, or something?"

"Yup. We are all wearing matching black Cinelli hats and messenger bags. Its a hipster party!"

I think the three hipster/messenger amigos weren't happy with my witty comeback. One even bowed out his chest a little. Alas, one of the tatooed, horned rim glasses wearing, cutoff jorts sporting, Chuck Taylors wearing dudes realized that one of the wigged partygoers behind me was 6'10". So they sulked off to listen to the Mighty Mighty Bosstones sounding band.

At that point, I thought it would be a good time to grab a Kabob Sandwich from the new place nextdoor with the disco lights, Middle Eastern house music, and lack of customers and head home. Good kabob, though.

Its starting to...

2008-10-12T16:39:00.000-07:00

...get cold. The air is crisp. The leaves are changing. And you know what that means:

The Great American Beer Festival.

2052 different beers. 432 breweries. 46,000 people. 4 sessions. 3 days. Lots of good times.

I find that the longer that I am involved in the Brewing Industry (not-directly as of current), and the more accessible different beers and different brew festivals and events become to me, GABF actually becomes a hassle. I mean, its a wonderful hassle - and if nothing else a spectacle not to be missed. Last year I went to all 4 sessions (didnt pay for any of them, of course). This year only one. Apparently Ive grown old over the past 12 months.

GOOD NEWS! The Wynkoop received 2 Gold Medals this year, with beer brewed while Craig was the head brewer. Thus, Craig may be the youngest person in GABF history to double-gold. Maybe if someone can check those facts I would greatly appreciate it. Read all about it here.

Other than the GABF goodness, I headed up to Ft. Collins for the TCU vs. CSU football game. Not only did I get to see my Froggies win, but I ran into quite a few old friends from college - including a few that have since moved up to Colorado. Good times.

Well, I have to go prepare for Columbus Day...and you know what that means: nothing really.

"Every day should...

2008-10-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

...be like today" Craig says to me as we leave Thanksgiving Dinner today. Yes, Thanksgiving Dinner - in October. You say that we are a month and a half early. I say that we should have Thanksgiving Dinner all the time.

We were late to Thanksgiving though, but only because we had to go to a pig roast first. You say that eating a full meal at a pig roast then eating a full meal at a Thanksgiving Dinner sounds like gluttony. I say that you are right.

Lets step back a few days:

Friday: I packed up the car and headed up to the Frisco Condo Castle with Brandy - my urology colleague, my friend, and now my condo roomie. It was the first weekend that we had keys to the place so we headed up to hang out with some of our new friends.

Saturday: I was going to go fly fishing, and Brandy was going to meet a friend in Vail for lunch...but after meeting our new condo friends in true summit county fashion - we didnt really get around to doing much except for taking a hot tub and a nap. But we had to head back to the city because the ATX Frat House was throwing a Pray for Snow Party/Mikes Feliz Cumpleanos (that is Spanish). Its a very solemn event where we sit in a circle in silence, acheive a zen state, and visualize snow falling quietly. Its a lot like that except that we added a bunch of adult drinks, loud music, 80s ski attire, a shotski and a beerski, cornhole, and a progressive march from the house to a bar that we closed down. Which actually extended quite a bit into...

Sunday: We all slept until late (except JD who, somehow, opened the Hooked on Colfax coffeeshop on time). I received a delivery breakfast burrito from Bobby, then made coleslaw for Thanksgiving Dinner. Pig roast. Thanksgiving Dinner. Nap on the loveseat.

Every day should be like today.

Oh yes, and our prayers were answered. Snow above 11,000 feet last night. And so it begins...

Ellen gives Mike a special birthday gift:

Maybe I don't...

2008-09-28T22:57:00.000-07:00

...believe in Karma. I don't know, maybe I do. Maybe all those bad Karma points are getting cashed in right now. You know, from highschool.

Its not so bad, but...I feel like I try to do the right thing. Try to treat people well. Give back to the community. Chase fulfillment rather than the dollar. All that stuff. But what happens? Somebody goes and hits my car in the middle of the night. No note. Just some dents, scratches, and a little gift of a broken tail light.

I feel like the guy in Always Sunny on the easy chair.

And me being me and believing in my local police department, and believing that those forensic science police detectives - I thought the fuzz would love to come over with white gloves, cameras, plastic bags and do some of that cool CSI shit. Nope, I actually filed my report online. I doubt any human being will actually even read that report.
Anyways, if you are reading this, you just received 10 of the Bad Karma points from my account. Asshole.

I have a few pieces of good news, though:

1. I am the proud leasee of a ski condo in Frisco for the season. 3 stories, sleeps 12, and has an indoor hot tub on the bottom floor. If you need me between this Wednesday and the end of April, Ill probably be there.

2. It might officially be fall, but its still warm and sunny here in Denver. Cycling season might have ended, but we are still spinning. Spinning. Spinning.

3. The Frogs were in the top 25 this week. And they cant take this week away from us...

4. I have car insurance.

5. She likes home brewed beer.

And now for your moment of zen:

Right before bed...

2008-09-28T00:05:00.000-07:00

...every night when I was living in Georgia I went on a walk. Usually about an hour. I lived out in the middle of the woods, away from any signs of society and prosperity - so the only thing I had to worry about was bears. Although I am still pretty sure that no bear ever came near me, the deer used to startle me often. Those guys are pretty used to having people close-ish, so they wouldnt react until you got REALLY close, then they would let out one quick breath and take off running. No matter how many hour long walks I went on, every time I thought it was mama bear ready to maul me.
Funny thing is that I knew that as soon as I left the North Georgia mountains, I would miss that walk. Bear-fright and all.
What sparked that nightly walk was a conversation that I had with a friend of mine - we promised eachother that we would take a walk every night and think, ponder, pray about something as we walked throught the darkness. Darkness is a funny thing - although unnerving at times, it is also soothing and free of distractions. With the exception of the snorting does, of course.
When I moved to Denver, I didnt think Id ever have that silence, that solitude, that darkness anymore. I kind of gave up. I nixed the nightly walk.
Tonight I walked. Walked through the urban jungle. Walked alone. Although, some things have changed. The situation that I was pondering in Georgia ceases to exist. The bears and deer live far outside of my newish realm. The darkness has been replaced by halogen street lamps.
But solidute still exists in this urban wilderness I live in. Its not all-encompassing like the woods of Georgia. But now that I know my neighborhood, now that I know the traffic patterns, now that I fear strangers like I feared the bears, some things seem remote again. I can walk on a street that isnt a major thoroughfare. I can be on my toes waiting for street people. I can talk with myself and not fear onlookers. Onlisteners.
Tonight I found that I am still in the wilderness. Things havent changed, I have. But I can still find that same solitude, I can still find that same conversation, I can still find that same stillness. In the middle of the city.

I went to...

2008-09-24T23:50:00.000-07:00

a wedding tonight. Yes, on a Wednesday. Most people do the traditional Saturday, and an unorthodox non-traditional Sunday wedding happens from time to time. But tonight, tonight was untraditional as it comes.

Our "Fearless Leader" Brad is in charge of the Denver Cruisers ride every Wednesday night. Last year he met a girl on the ride that he was digging on. This year he asked her to marry him. They got married in the Circle of Death. You might think that this was a bad idea, but alas, I have some thoughts on this:

1. A marriage is a celebration of the union of two souls. A party. You may have not ever read the Bible, but I have - and here is the kicker on marriage: Its supposed to be a party. A good party. Hence, Jesus' first recorded miracle: He turned water into wine. At the end of the party. And it wasn't Franzia...it was the good stuff. Jesus said, "Hey guys, crank up the tunes, grab some more drinks, and lets do the Electric Slide a few more times...lets celebrate." Okay, I might have been paraphrasing, but you now get the point.

2. Ive been to some big weddings, but this one won. 400 plus people. A testament to the effect that Brad and Erin's reach on people. All on bikes. All in costume.

3. The guy officiating the marriage was dressed in a Moses costume, complete with robe, cane, and full beard.

It was a beautiful celebration. There were people from all walks of life there. All social demographics. Democrats and Republicans. Rich and poor. Straight and Gay. Hipster and preppy. All there to celebrate a marriage. No pretensions. All celebrations. There wasn't a need to reserve the most perfect chapel. There wasn't a need to reserve the most perfect reception hall. There wasn't a need for anything other than friends and good times. And, I mean, Devotchka played, how cool is that? Better than an old lady behind a organ anyday.

Isn't that how its supposed to be? When did it become a fiasco with bridezillas? When did bridezillas become so socially acceptable that a TV show was dedicated to them? When did it become okay/acceptable to spend more than a years' salary on making the wedding "perfect"? As far as I am concerned, tonight was perfect.

Cheers Brad and Erin. Best of luck. May your union last as long as good times exist.

The bridal procession:

The wedding procession (who needs limos?)

You might not...

2008-09-21T22:24:00.000-07:00

...believe it, but I am a responsible person.

That being said, lets look at some highlights from this week:

Monday: I got my car exhaust inspection and brakes worked on. Now I am a little more confident that when I am cruising down the mountain this winter I can come to a complete stop. Not sure, but confident.

Tuesday: Had a couple of surgeries in the morning that should have been done by noon, didnt leave the hospital until 6. It happens.

Wednesday: Sat at my desk a lot and did things. Thats what grownups do. But then I negated all of my grownupness and went on the Denver Cruiser ride dressed as Goose from Top Gun. I WAS wearing my helmet, so I guess I get some grownup points back.

Thursday: I donned my man-clothes and played rep at a Interventional Radiology surgery. Then I ditched said man-clothes and took an afternoon bike ride with Brett and Hubbell. Somebody needs to tell those guys that they can breathe easier and ride faster if they would shut up. Then I went to the Little Lebowski's kickball game and proceeded to almost beat some dude up. Lesson be learned guys, never tell my brother to f&*k off when I am within earshot. Oh, then dont then ask me if I want to fight, because my answer will most definitely be "Absolutely."

Friday: Spent a little time with my dear old friend Catherine and her new hubby, then was treated as a chauffeur by somebody who shouldnt have treated me as a chauffeur. Long story.

Saturday: I had a 5 year old bottle of Avery Reverend. Incredible. Dont ever tell me that wine is more complex than beer. Because I will tell you that you are wrong.

Sunday: Long bike ride. Tried a new recipe that my dear friend Giadia DeLaurentis taught me (I think she has a crush on me, to tell you the truth). Took a nap while watching pro football.

JD in the infamous Circle of Death.

You might not...

2008-09-16T19:00:00.001-07:00

...know this, but we won Oktoberfest at Vail this year. You didnt know it was a competition? Sure it is. To calculate your score you take the amount of German beer that you drank, multiply that by the minutes that you danced, give yourself a bonus point if you participated while missing a front tooth (congratulations Neff!), add up the number of sunny days, include the number of kegs you knocked off in keg bowling, and there you go. Bonus points for: pole dancing, taking your pants off, beautiful hikes, and "acquiring" beer tokens. Deductions for: not showing up at all, drinking American beer, "paying" for beer, and not wearing socks when you go hiking.

I calculated our team score and we won. Big. I would like to thank Neff for his contributions of knocking his front tooth out for the bonus points, as well as coming in 2nd place in keg bowling. Craig did a bang up job dancing and taking his pants off in the middle of Vail Village. I brought my A-game with pole dancing and getting free stuff. Sarah nearly cost us the championship by not wearing socks on the hike, but she's a chick - you cant really expect her to carry her own weight. At least she was wearing her brand new hiking slippers. Ha.

There were some afterbars involved, I think. But the night ended up just as it had last weekend after Brew at the Zoo...in a king sized bed with lots of people. Weird, I know. But we were all clothed. I think.

Here's big Stewart Neff bringing the pain. He won a free pair of Wolverine Boots this weekend (bonus points for free stuff).

And Craig doing his signature dance, the C-Walk (which, as far as I know, stands for "Craig Walk").

Prost.

I took a...

2008-09-07T21:59:00.000-07:00

...4 hour nap on my love seat today. And I was in a funny position. But I could have slept in a bathtub in a dirty motel after today - Today being the unofficial official last bike race of the 2008 Season. The Buffalo Classic was this morning and I rode it solo, save for running into my friend Jenny at the start gate and seeing her at the checkpoints. So instead of being the clydesdale of my ten man (er, I mean ten person) team, I was blocking wind for complete strangers. It seemed that every time I looked back to check for cars there would be 4 or 5 people in my draft. Oh well, somebody has to do it. Here is a little recap:

Miles 1-20: "Holy s&*t, its cold. Maybe I should have worn more clothes. Brrr."

Miles 20-40: "You know, this isnt so bad...Im keeping a good pace. Its getting warmer. The sun is fantastic. There is a fantastic ratio of beautiful, lean cycling women out here. Today is going to be a good day."

Miles 40-60: "Whoa, is THAT the hill that we have to climb? Why do I have racing gears? I want a little ring. Its getting warm. At least they have bagels and nutella at all the checkpoints."

Miles 60-70: "S$*t. S*%t. I have to climb that hill AGAIN? I want something other than bagels and nutella."

Miles 70-80: "Could somebody please turn the wind off? Thanks. My underparts hurt."

Miles 80-90: "Barbecue sandwich, barbecue sandwich. Barbecue sandwich. Barbecue sandwich. Barbecue sandwich..."

Miles 90-95: "Okay, Im only 10 miles away. Walk in the park. I wonder if they are going to have barbecue sandwiches at the finish line."

Mile 96: "Hello cow. How are you? Why wont you answer me? You know, they make barbecue sandwiches out of people like you. I need to ride with other people."

Miles 97-99: "I want to go home."

Mile 100: "What the hell? Where is the finish line? I want my barbecue sandwich. I cant feel my legs."

Mile 100.84: "Ahhhh. No barbecue sandwiches? Pasta and meatsauce...whatever. Ill eat anything as long as it isnt bagels and nutella."

Distance: 100.84 miles

Avg Speed: 18.2 mph

Top Speed: 49.1 mph

Time: 5hrs 45min 12sec

This video shows how nice and smooth the ride looks. Notice: they did not show any footage of the climbs. I guess they want people to participate next year.

And as you can see here, our ascents were a little hairy at Carter Lake and Horsetooth (twice).

Well, lets put the bikes away and get the skis tuned up.

Its funny when...

2008-09-06T23:10:00.001-07:00

...you mix zoo animals, carousels, beer, and people drinking beer. Really funny. I think I might have peed on a penguin.

The Brew at the Zoo was yesterday, and a friend of a friend of a friend that knew a guy that bought a car from Mountain States Toyota hooked us up with a few tickets. A few memorable things happened:

1. We actually convinced Stewart to ride his bike somewhere.

2. This was a classy deal - everyone received GLASS tasting mugs.

3. My glass tasting mug somehow ended up broken in the basin of a urinal. Whoops.

4. Craig was out of town, but somehow I was pouring beer for the Wynkoop. I told people that the Silverback Porter was actually brewed by gorillas on loan from the Denver Zoo. Some people actually believed me.

5. Stewart, Gideon, JD, and I decided it was a great idea to ride the carousel right before closing time. Afterward, I got on the microphone and said something to the entire carousel crowd. I hope what I said was nice.

6. After all this fiasco, somehow I ended up at the Rockbar to finish up the night.

Good thing I took it easy this weekend...I have a 100 mile bike race tomorrow. And I have to leave in 5 hours. Whoops again.

Sorry, I have to give you one more...listen for Neff's commentary. I'm suprised that he didnt say, "That osterich is a living legend."

The communists are...

2008-09-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

...finally gone. I'm not going to delve too much into politics - but this conversation actually happened more than once last week after the Obama acceptance speech:

Obama Supporter and general Idealist: "Did you watch the Obama speech last night?!"

Myself and general Realist: "Yup."

OS: "What did yout think?"

Me: "Well, Id like to think I have an open mind and I am really approaching this whole election without leaning toward one party or another. I think Obama's speech was perfectly practiced sophist rhetoric. All of his ideals and goals were lofty...and unacheivable. Well, at least 90% was unacheivable. I wish that it was possible to do all the things that he said he would do, but there is no possible chance on this planet that he could actually do what he promised to do. I wish I could believe him, but being a Realist, I had a hard time not immediately recoginzing every impossible goal. Does that make sense?"

OS: "Yes, completely. I noticed that too...but isnt he a WONDERFUL speaker? I cant wait to vote for him."

Me: "Good luck."

You know who else was a great speaker? Hitler. I guess Ill have to watch a little RNC coverage, too. Dammit.

That being said, I left as soon as I possibly could and headed to the mountains with friends. My buddy Chris Baumgartner has a house, along with 9 others, in Nathrop, CO on the Arkansas River. Yes, ON the Arkansas. Private access. I fly fished with Matt (while Brett fished with spinner bait...in a bathing suit and Chacos), drank whiskey, and slept under the stars. Rinse, repeat. Also, while most of the houseguests went rafting, I took a few friends up to Frontier Ranch and showed them a little taste of what I did during the summers in college and the two years afterwards. Not only was it a joy to be able to show them around property and explain why everything was so spotless, but it made me think about why I really lived on those properties, and why I left. And maybe how I wasnt ready to.

Nevertheless, I shot 3 under on the front 9.

Afterwards we had a legendary steak dinner at the legendary Quincy's. 14 filet mignons, salad and baked potato, and quite a few mixed drinks: $210. Um, excellent. Then we hit up Cottonwood Hotsprings, which is apparently NOT clothing optional anymore - nevertheless excellent.

The unfortunate thing about Labor Day is that you have to actually labor on Tuesday. For me, I ended up working about 13 hours. Thats okay because after work I stumbled upon something and realized that...

I've found the...

2008-09-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

...perfect cup of coffee. Seriously. And NO, its not Starbucks. Well, not for now.

Clover Coffee. Its not a roaster, its not a coffee shop, its a machine. An $11,000 machine that makes drip coffee. Sort of drip coffee. It looks like something from the USS Enterprise, there are pistons and hydraulics, its digital, and it makes one cup of coffee at a time. Seriously, find a shop anywhere within 30 minutes of you that has a Clover, go there, drink coffee. Repeat.

BUT DO IT SOON. Starbucks, in their infinite wisdom, budget, faux non-corporateness, and overroasted beans, bought Clover. Supposedly they are going to roll out Clover machines in their stores, but they dont have to. They most likely will pull a corporate-asshole move and just keep the beautiful things off the shelf so that people wont be able to enjoy a $2 cup of coffee that is (way) better than theirs. Even if they do, they will use the sour and bitter overroasted Starbucks beans in it and the coffee wont be as good as a local roasters'.

Thanks to The Red Trolley in the Highlands in Denver for giving Craig and me a cup...and a cup of homemade icecream...for free. Hooray freegans! Seriously, they have Wynkoop Rootbeer on tap and they have a 4:00 to 6:00 Happy Hour with $2 Rootbeer Floats. Go and enjoy.

Continuing coverage of...

2008-08-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

...the DNC here. Of course from a local's perspective. And really, there is no real coverage of the Convention itself, just the craziness that surrounds it.

Its Wednesday, and you know what that means: Denver Cruisers night. You might think that the DNC might have put us on hold for the week. Nope. But it DID put the fact that you have to wear clothes rule-of-thumb on hold. Body paint should suffice. We were almost 200 strong, and apparently this week if you have a gathering of more than 50 people and you dont have a permit - then you are operating an illegal protest and will be immediately arrested. But we werent carrying signs, and the only thing we were chanting/yelling was "Happy Wednesday!" so I think the cops were just relieved to have a little peace. And body paint.

JD (who has, in honor of the DNC, changed his name to John Hussein McCain Denver David Hortel), some other Denverites, and I made it to a couple of stops - then we had the hankerin' for a burrito from Illegal Petes. Its right in the heart of downtown, so we didnt think we could actually score a burrito. After being stopped by some heroic SWAT members because of a "suspicious package" in the road (that they had to BLOW UP, cool) - we made it to IPs. No problem getting in. No line to speak of. Apparently all those uppity DCers and East Coasters think it is improper to eat with their hands. I thought it was properly delicious.

Downtown is an utter fiasco. I feel like a tourist in my own home. At least I didnt have to talk politics today.

Happy Wednesday.

Okay you guys...

2008-08-26T23:02:00.000-07:00

...seriously, its time to get out of my city. You don't have to go home, but you cant stay here. Party is over.

I know, I know, Obama isn't speaking until Thursday. BUT there is this CRAZY new invention we have called the "television." It lets you see things from far away. Kind of like a telescope, but is run by lasers, nuclear reactors, and hamster wheels. You don't even have to be in Denver to hear or see him speak - just turn on that little box.

I went down to Civic Center Park today and counted no less than 6 separate groups protesting something today there. They weren't protesting anything that the Democratic Party was doing...just protesting. Its a forum, not a convention. Wait, no, not a forum...its a damn circus. I knew all along that people were going to protest, but what I didn't know that if you are going to be an activist, you have to take an oath never to shower or bathe again. My highschool locker room smelled like the Coco Chanel Gardenia compared to Civic Center Park.

And the police...the poor, poor police. Man, I guess I'm not going to sound too hip when I say this, but those police are really taking a beating. There were 4 bike cops getting a little reprieve in the shade today while being berated by a NORML activist, "Hey man, you cant just come busting down my door and arrest me for smoking pot in my own house, man. I know my rights."

"Well, I mean, we could. But we wouldn't. We have better things to do than bust a little unshaven stoner for smoking a little pot. Go ahead, go home and smoke pot. Please, go home and smoke pot. Just go home." That was the most sensical thing I've heard in a week. Maybe its because you can peg me for a republican from a mile away, or that I merely wasn't carrying a sign or a megaphone...but all the Police have been really friendly and kind with me all week. Hats off, Denver Police - thank you for doing your job and keeping us all safe.

And here is the real reason, the real cause of my discomfort: I couldn't get a beer at the Wynkoop today. I cant get a beer at the Wynkoop all week, its rented out. BUT I could get a beer at the Great Divide, thank God.

So, I'm not...

2008-08-24T01:32:00.000-07:00

...the biggest supporter of Democrats. Generally, I think that the general populous has their heads in the clouds. I don't think the politicians do...really on the contrary. I think they are really concerned with helping the common people out. Which is honorable. BUT their constituents don't see the whole picture. Alas, this isn't a political blog...it is an account of my life and all the fun things that happen to me, for the most part. And today - today is no different. The DNC is in Denver this week, and I believe that this week will be no different.

Tonight was the repeat night of the Wig Party. I thought that it would be crazy because it is held downtown, and it happens to be the first weekend of the DNC, so I didn't think that we would be able to get around like we have in the past. Well, I was right.

After paying $4 for a Miller Light bottle, I said "Self, there are a bunch of politicians and lobbyists in town, its time to get some free stuff." And free stuff I got. We pretended to be big wigs in our suits, but we were really just mooching off the government. Go capitalism!

Craig and I planned ahead and wore suits. You might think "Well, I don't really see you two in suits downtown..." Well, I don't either. I saw it more of a "costume" than an outfit. And boy, did it work for us.

For one, we look good in suits. That is not an opinion, its science. Scientifically, Craig and I look good in suits...we can't help it. We DID go to the Wig Party. But then we went to a Jewish Singles art opening. I wore a name tag that read "Shalom - my name is THADEUS." Seriously. Then we moved onto some sort of Congressional Lobbyist party at Tamayo in Lodo. Free booze (Top Shelf) and free food (empanadas made from a little chicken, and a little awesomeness). Craig, Amy, and some other gang rode home, and I went to a jazz bar with a cute congressional assistant (wearing a blue dress) to dance and enjoy. What can I say, I have to show the tourists a little local flare.

I think this week might be pretty good, despite all the democrats.

If I were...

2008-08-21T23:31:00.001-07:00

...the king of some kingdom things would be a little different. Well, different from other kingdoms:

1. There would be big walls around the place. I know, this is a throwback to the good old days of yore...you know - Jericho, Rome, etc. Its not original, but nobody does it anymore. And I think its pretty cool.

2. This is really an extension of number 1, but my walls would be surrounded by a moat. Again, oldschool.

3. Every night before bedtime, we would have a cool show like the one I saw tonight: Joe Purdy, Meiko, Jay Nash, and Chris Seefried. Everyone attending would have access to some good beer and some good tunes, and nobody would have trouble sleeping.

4. Meiko will marry me. Seriously: cute. plays guitar. sings like a fallen angel. and is pretty funny inbetween songs (and during songs for that matter). If anybody knows Meiko, please pass these thougts along.

5. Communism. Here's is my take on Idealism vs. Realism: Communism, Idealistically, should work. Realistically, it doesnt - due to the human condition of greed. But its my kingdom, and I say that its gonna work.

6. If you dont pull your weight, we give you 6 weeks and we kick you into the moat. I hope you can swim. If you can swim successfully across, we will give you a second chance...to try a shot at becoming a swim teacher.

7. The women wear sundresses. The men wear three piece suits with hats. Again, my kingdom.

8. We will all eat together every night. No, I wont feed you...you just grab your food and take it into the commons. Oh, and take a to-go with you if you feel so inclined.

9. There will be a brewery...this is part of the communist concept: everybody helps brew, everyone gets beer. Bam, happiness. Maybe this is why the USSR failed...

10. A miniature train with sponsors will run along the top of the city walls, therefore making fajita lunches cheap for everyone.

I dont know, just a thought.

Well, its official...

2008-08-17T17:49:00.000-07:00

...we definitely dont know how to throw a party. Im thinking about taking a class or something to learn how. Until then, we will just have to snore throughout our ATX parties.

I remember a few things happening:

1. Lots of pictures were taken. I mean, that was inevitable because a portion of the party was in my studio. But Chris Baumgartner rolls deep with a Polaroid 660, so that helped too.

2. Amy broke her foot. Craig swears that he broke it because "she was acting up." But really Amy just has really brittle old lady bones, and one of her metatarsils broke while she was just walking. Straight. On a flat surface. Girls and their shoes...thats why I always wear running shoes. Always.

3. The taco truck didnt show up to the Great Divide. It was a good idea, but the taco dude apparently had better things to do. Its okay, Craig saved the day and ordered 20 pizzas.

4. We won.

5. I got a free beer at the Bannock Street Garage. Apparently, I just walked up to the bartender and said "Hey, Im the guy that brought the people." It worked.

6. We got some more people involved with ATX. I mean, yes, Summerween was a huge party. Nothing wrong with a huge party. BUT we had a bunch of people there that had never been to any ATX functions and seem excited and interested in doing the community service stuff - so Summerween was a success right there.

7. The Rockbar. Thats all I have to say about that.

You can always...

2008-08-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

...go home. And that is what I did last weekend. Usually we try to do all of our work meetings in Colorado. You know, we pick out a nice spot up in the mountains: We ski in Vail in the winter, we raft in Buena Vista in the summer. But this year? Texas. Texas in the summer. The meeting started on Tuesday and lasted through Saturday. That being said...I rolled in on Friday afternoon. I couldnt stand the heat, I left the kitchen.

It wasnt so bad - the other people in the company had meetings all week, went to surgery to further their training, financials, sales calls, etc. I came in just in time to eat dinner at Joe T's and head out to Lake Granbury to play on the lake. Couldn't have planned it any better.

But this is the week of having two full time jobs: ATX SummerWEEN is on Saturday. So I am in the process of collecting money, renting busses, sending emails, compiling guest lists, trying to collect money, emailing people about collecting money, reserving places, calling places, obtaining canned fishing beer, mixing drinks, buying styrofoam coolers, figuring out costumes, prepping costumes, etc. You know, party stuff. I mean, I am excited about the party itself - but what I am more excited about is that more and more people are getting involved in ATX (Awesome to the Max, the Denver Adult Superfraternity). For me, ATX isnt really about the parties, but about the community of 20 and 30 somethings that can all get together and make a difference in the community...all the while having fun. More to come on that...

See you Saturday. Go ATX. Please keep the noise down on Sunday, and get me another Gatorade. Oh, and a hamburger. And some Aspirin.

The hike up...

2008-08-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

...to Francie's Cabin was a little tougher than we had all thought. I mean, it IS at 11,264 feet. But once we got up there, things seemed a little easier. A little easier to feel the effects of our refreshments. A little easier to read Cosmo. A little easier to enjoy the view. A few highlights:

1. The "sunset" hike up to Crater Lake. Hey Neff, its a little further than you thought. It turned out to be a "night" hike on the way back. Crossing a stream in the pitch black is a skill that everyone should master.

2. The 6 hour singalong set. You get a little whiskey in me and a crowd, and I will play until the sun comes up. In fact I DID play until the sun came up. Sorry about the love song Natalie...you walked right into that one.

3. Brett's Chicken Surprise. Double Fried Chipotle Fried Chicken with a pound of bacon, some eggs, some hash browns, and whatever else he could find. Wrapped in a tortilla. His best ideas come out at 7:30am. I know that is in the morning, but really...was really late at night.

4. Apples to Apples. Most people play that the best answer wins. But to be fair, we let the worst answer win too. And it helps if you have a Primate card.

5. Naptime. I took no less than 4 naps on Saturday. I think its an all new record.

6. Cosmo Sex Quiz. I learned a lot from Cosmo. And Neff. Between sexual faux pas and text messaging, I think that I might become the new Cassanova. Ladies, I hope that you dont actually believe that those quotes are from actual heterosexual male humans...because they arent.

7. Malt Time. After succumbing to Brad's hankering for a malt, we ate at the A&W in Frisco. The food is so bad (and overpriced) that its not even good hangover food. At least the music is good in there...oh wait, nevermind.

Well, chalk another...

2008-07-30T23:19:00.000-07:00

...Wednesday on the books. The Denver Cruisers rode as deep as ever. I came to the conclusion that a) we are having more and more beaufiful girls ride with us every week, or b) my standards are growing lower and lower. I hope that it is option A.

Craig decided that he wants to do a documentary "A Week in the Life of a Denverite" which should be pretty good. The only problem is that it might make people mass-migrate to Denver, and it might make it harder for us to hang out at our chilled-out hang outs, and get free stuff at our hookup connection places. So I think I might rename it to "A Week in the Life of a Dallasite" which wouldnt be so bad...

Correction from yesterday's...

2008-07-28T15:31:00.001-07:00

...post: Craig and I came in 7th place yesterday, out of 205 teams.

If I would have submitted that damned quiz we would have placed. Oops.

It was another...

2008-07-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

...boring weekend in Denver.

Thursday: It was the last week of regulation play, and the Little Lebowski Urban Acheivers had a double header. We dominated the first game, and lost the second game by a hair. The most important thing is that we all wore eye-black...you know, to keep the glare out. Playoffs start this week, and we should have a pretty good place in the bracket. As long as Craig brings a mini-keg from the Wynkoop filled with magic beer, we should be fine.

Friday: Not much going on in the work front, so I played hooky a little and drove up to Buena Vista. My old friends Annie and Brad Brown are on assignment for a month at Trail West, and my dear friend Seth Philpott (http://www.sethphilpott.com/) is spending a little time in the mountains to take a break in the middle of recording his second album. It was great to see everybody, and spending a little time at TW was good for me - sitting on the deck on a cool night, alone with these crazy notions in my head that I call "thoughts."

Saturday: One of the reasons that I went up to BV was to do a little promo-photo shoot with Seth. We were blessed with an overcast sky, which means that we didnt need to get up at 6am to shoot. AND I had THREE lovely photo assistants to help with wardrobe, strobe lighting, and reflection...and answering my phone. I get in the zone when I shoot, I dont like distractions. Seth did a great job, pictures came out well. BV has some really great backdrops.

Sunday: Back in Denver. Its hot here. We are about to break the record for most consecutive 90+ days in history. Which is 18. Everyone talks about how hot it is, but I just think its nice. Ah, back to the point - Craig and I teamed up for the Urban Assault Race (http://www.urbanassaultride.com/inside.php?page=denver&s=3), a bike race held by the New Belgium Brewery (and other sponsors). So, there are checkpoints in the city all spread out - and at each checkpoint you have to perform some sort of physical challenge. There is your basic Canoe-in-City-Park-Lake-Around-the-Fountain kind of challenges, and there are challenges like "Pick up bottle caps while wearing oven mitts and fill up a bowl with them, all the while being sprayed with hoses and water guns" kind of challenges. All in all there were just over 200 teams, about 25 miles of riding, and 8 checkpoints. Craig and I ("Team ATX") finished up in 2:20ish and came in 15th-ish place (the official results will be posted tomorrow). We were the fastest team riding single-speed 30 year old city bikes. And the best looking.

It rained in...

2008-07-24T15:56:00.001-07:00

...Denver today. It was a pretty big deal. Lasted a good solid 10 minutes.

I'm going to go play kickball now. Happy Thursday.

I don't know...

2008-07-21T11:07:00.001-07:00

...why I am holding on so dearly to the Colorado Summer. Well, I do know: I don't want it to go away. But its not really waning you know. We're just in the middle of it. Just this week:

Wednesday: Denver Cruisers, Beach Night. I didnt do a head count, but I think it was the biggest Cruise yet - over 200 people. And of course since we were wearing our best beach attire, we had a pool party at the Ramada on Colfax. Hilarity ensued.

Thursday: Kickball. The Little Lebowski's Urban Acheivers scored 18 runs in one inning. Bueno was the first girl to every kick a homerun in the entirety of Kickball History, and I was the first Mycoskie to ever slide into second headfirst and completely sweep the legs out from underneath a little blonde chick. Dont step on the tracks when the train is coming through...

Friday: Lots of stuff. But some of that stuff included drinking beer at the Great Divide (http://www.greatdivide.com/), riding bikes, and stuff.

Saturday: The ever-popular Moonlight Classic Bike Race (http://www.moonlight-classic.com/) started at 11:30pm at the Capitol Building. Its a 15 mile bike race through the fair city of Denver that required head and tail lights. Its a fast competition that loops around the city and ends back at the Capitol. Unless you are in the back. Or poaching. Or both. We may/may not have registered and paid the entry fee. We may/may not have started at the Thin Man on 17th, a little less than a mile after the starting gate. We may/may not have had personal beverages throughout the ride. We may/may not have quit just a few miles down the road with 100 other people at the Campus Lounge. The good news is that my friend Bobby moved to town recently and he had never eaten at Pete's Kitchen late-night, and he got to experience this wonder.

Sunday: Mile High Music Festival (http://milehighmusicfestival.com/), which was both Saturday and Sunday - but I skipped Saturday. Not a bad lineup - went with Yvonne Bueno and got to see Brett Dennan, Martin Sexton, Rodrigo y Gabriella, the Flobots, Colbie Caillat, the Black Crowes, the Roots, and the Dave Matthews Band (w/ Tim Reynolds). Oh yeah, and there was a special appearance by Noah, you know, the Ark guy. We also got to see lots of hippie girls in hippie skirts...Yvonne didnt care much, but she put up with me talking about them all day.

Monday: Now I have to work. Im thinking of retiring.

I got a...

2008-07-14T19:43:00.000-07:00

...new job. I no longer work in medicine, Im now a truck driver. See, I even have a trucker hat. So, just kidding. But seriously, I am good at driving and not going to surgery. I flew to Phoenix yesterday, picked up equipment, and drove immediately to Los Angeles. I dont know if you've ever seen a map of the Western US, but its a desert down there. And its summertime. So, hot. 113 degrees farenheit hot. But, you know, no big deal - I was in a Sprinter with the air conditioning blasting (and wearing my trucker hat). And somewhere in the middle, traffic slowed. Traffic stopped. Traffic stayed stopped. And people started getting out of their cars to mingle. I was listening to a program on NPR that I was determined to finish, so I sat. In the air conditioning. Being the socialite that I am, I began getting curious about what the other motorists were discussing. Maybe the upcoming election. Perhaps speculating as to what the stoppage was about. More likely they were discussing the best place to pick up trucker hats. So I hopped out to look for a victim to small-talk with. I only made it a few feet. I remembered what 113 degrees really felt like. Right back to the car. Right back to the fake air. Right back to my ice cold water. Right back to my cab. Right back to NPR. Ah, home.

Now I am sitting in the Las Vegas airport. Didnt drive, but flew. Didnt want to fly here, but I had an opportunity to get home early, so I jumped it. I wasnt even supposed to get off the plane - it was one of those connections where they just slow the plane down, the Las Vegas people jump off, and the Denver people jump on...kind of like the trains in the old movies. So I was on the plane (asleep) during the connection and the (very cute) flight attendant woke me up to tell me that flight was cancelled. No real big deal, the next flight was only an hour later- but I think that I am doing something wrong. Maybe I am not supposed to be here. When I asked the gate agent when my flight was, it seemed that I was REALLY burdening her. And when I went to grab a bite to eat, the girl seemed to have better things to do than to make me my sandwich, at the sandwich store. Behind the sandwich counter. I got a great deal on a $10 shitty bagel sandwich though, which was good. They even cut me a deal and only charged me $5 for a little bottle of water...AND, I dont know if you know this, water is the most abundant resource on planet earth.
Back to Denver, land of Monday Night Ultimate Frisbee, Tuesday Night Rockies Games, Wednesday Night Cruises, Thursday Night Kickball. I think this weekend, I will stay in. Or not.

The Soundtrack of...

2008-07-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

...my life will definitely be filled with Kenny Loggins tunes. My thoughts on song selection has changed from time to time. Actually, it is an ever-morphing track. But this weekend, maybe just for highlights from this weekend - Kenny Loggins. And now I would like to thank my roomie JD, his superb selection of tunes from Goodwill, the tape player in my 99 4Runner, every 80s Comedy, and Mr. Loggins himself.

Spending the 4th of July in Beaver Creek is never a bad outing. The weather is fantastic, with temperatures below Denver standards. We even had to wear pants and fleeces at night. The sky is clear and clean. And the only thing I have to worry about is whether I should nap now, or after I go fishing. I got to spend time with my Aunt Pam, Uncle Mike, cousins Blake (www.tomsshoes.com), Paige (www.aviatornation.com), and Tyler (works for Toms). Also, I spent time with the ever-present Craig and Amy. Basically the weekend consisted of golf, fishing, eating, napping, and sunning - in no particular chronological order, nor order of importance. Throw in some fireworks, some great beer, some really cheap beer, and you've got yourself a dhad-gum weekend.

"With all that fishing, how many fish did you catch?" None. And you know what? I don't care.

"Whoa, was it hard not to ride that bike of yours?" I took it. Riding around at that altitude can really push you. BUT what really pushed me was that my IT Band in my right leg was acting up...and the ride from Avon to Beaver Creek was a real turd.

"Your cousins are famous and good looking. What happened to you?" I'm famous and good looking too.

"How did you shoot in the annual golf tournament?" If you dont count formalities, I tied Craig. Thus, I played excellently - and Craig had an off day.

"You really didnt catch ANY fish?" Nope. But I looked good.

"Really? Kenny Loggins?" Yeah, I am a child of the 80s. I cant help it.

"Wait a minute...cheap beer? I thought that you are a beer snob." Yes, I guess that I am a beer snob. But that doesnt mean that I dont drink CHEAP beer, just not BAD beer. When I say bad - usually it means anything owned by Bud, Miller, and/or Coors. I also exclude Heiniken and Corona...and anything else that comes in a Green or Clear bottle. Now imagine a beer that just says AMERICAN on it. Now that is patriotic, and delicious.

"Do they even sell beer in Beaver Creek? I though you could only get wine and caviar." Believe it or not...we even ate pizza.

Now its back to the real world. I will have to park my own car. I will have to wash my own sheets. I wont have to speak spanish to the cleaning lady, mostly because there wont be a cleaning lady. I cant walk down the street with my fly rod and cast. I will breathe smog. I will lock my car doors. I will carry my cell phone. I will "work." Boo.

I lost nine...

2008-06-29T20:44:00.001-07:00

...pounds (lbs.) this weekend. And no, I didnt get my hand cut off. This weekend was the MS150 - a bike race/ride from North Denver to Fort Collins and back. If you have never ridden your bike 150 miles, then take a 2x4, lay it across two saw horses, then straddle it. For 10 hours. Then add in the heat, sun, wind, and oh yeah - pumping your legs...then you would get sort of get the picture. You might think to yourself, "Self, that doesnt sound so good." But you'd be wrong, it was fantastic. Let me tell you why I had such a good time:

1. It wasnt just me, but Team ATX. We had a group of 10 that were all committed and looking good our new jerseys - thanks to BK Medical, INnMED, Firma Medical, and P1 Mobile Solutions [shameless plug]. Good people.

2. On day 2 we actually inducted a new member Matt, who is actually the guy from Pactimo (http://www.pactimo.com/) [another shameless plug] that set us up with our jerseys. He received one for his troubles at the end of day 2. Thanks Matt.

3. It wasnt just a bike ride for us - we collectively raised over $13,000 for the National MS Society. Thank you to everyone who contributed - and if you would still like to, please go to http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=4571906&pg=personal&fr_id=9111.

4. Thanks to Amy and Krista, we had an excellent (decorated) team tent at the end of day one, complete with a cooler full of Function Sport Drinks (www.functiondrinks.com), and a pony keg full of beer from Wynkoop Brewery (http://www.wynkoop.com/) [well, if you get free stuff you have to return the favor with plugs]. At the end of day two, our lovely team moms set up a cooler under a shade tree with, you guessed it, beer and sports drinks. Thanks Amy and Krista.

5. Just to give you an idea of how awesome Team ATX (aka Awesome to the Max): the MS Society gives everyone two luggage tags so that you can take a change of clothes, etc. to Fort Collins and back. We checked an empty keg shell on the way back. Zinger.

5. Amy also brought my camera and took pictures. What this means is that I am actually in some photos. She is really getting good with that SLR...

6. I really miss pushing myself to the limit. I like the pain, and it also makes me realize that my limit is actually further. So you might see me in some more grueling rides soon.

7. AND nap time. In the end I came home, took a shower, put an ice pack on my knee, and fell asleep on the couch. Initially I turned on the TV, and found the Karate Kid II. Even in my state, I found that I couldnt fall asleep because I wanted to watch Danielsan beat up the Okinawan dude at the Bone Festival...so I had to switch to music. A little Nickle Creek knocked me right out. I have no idea how long I slept, but Kristin woke me up and we went to Toyko Joe's for dinner. Not a bad way to finish up.

I added a...

2008-06-25T22:29:00.000-07:00

...few notches to the belt in the past few weeks. Good notches. Buenas notches.

1. The Denver Cruisers (http://www.denvercruisers.com/) rode in bubble wrap, duct tape, and cardboard. I was there. I wore a bubble wrap cape. Justin Mendoza was in town for training, and he showed his true (new) Mexican Colors. And it was good.

2. In lieu of a weekend camping trip, Matt Zoss and I went fly fishing in Waterton Canyon last Saturday. What a great place! Only 30ish minutes from Downtown, you have to ride a mountain bike 6 miles upstream to get to the dam, and you ride progressively downstream and downhill hitting up the spots like there might be hungry fish. No, I did not catch any fish. But I did break my record for the earliest beer ever - 7:30am. Dales Pale Ale. And it was good.

3. Later that day, I headed out to catch up with Lush Ride 2008 (http://www.lushride.com/). Me and about 200 of my closest friends jumped on our bikes and did a little midday pub crawl. It was a little less rowdy this year than last, and less costumes. BUT I decided to don the jorts (that made their premiere at Lush Ride 2007) and the ATX Cycling Jersey. I was showing a lot of leg, and it was good.

4. The day after all that goodness I had to fly to California for work (boo). BUT it just so happened that my buddy Ryan Eaton had just finished a summer assignment at Crooked Creek, was at the airport waiting to fly back to the EastCoast, and had a flight time near mine. So we met and had lunch at the airport, and it was good.

5. Flew to Ontario, CA to pick up some equipment and drive it to Fresno. I dont know if you knew this, but all those raisins you eat...well, the grapes are grown in Fresno. In the summer time, it smells absolutely wonderful. In the fall, it smells like shit. Lucky for me, its the summer. Met up with long time friend and now employee Justin Mendoza. Did some training with him and surgery the next morning. THEN flew from Fresno to Las Vegas and ran into one of my favorite Doctors there. THEN flew from Vegas to Milwaukee. I got in at midnight, slept at the airport Hampton, then drove to Madison the next morning. Had an inservice at the little Hospital in Columbus, WI, checked out the campus in Madison, and bought some delicious Wisconsin beer that I cant get in Colorado. New Glarus Imperial Weiss, and it was REALLY good.

6. After surgery on Wednesday, I booked it over to Chicagoish to surprise my mom. Yes, I have a mom. She didnt know that I was dropping in, so that was fun. I ran to the ocean, er, I mean Lake while she rode her bike - which means that I had to run pretty fast. Which means that we had to pop open a Goose Island Matilda, I earned it, and it was good.

First, a quick...

2008-06-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

...update on the weather status here. We are all okay. Nobody is hurt or injured, everyone is safe. You might have not heard about our weather crisis because of the other weather issues around the country: The Midwest is getting drenched and many people have been evacuated from lowlands because of the flooding. A tornado touched down just outside of Chicago. The East Coast is witnessing a horrible heatwave with highs in the 100s. But Denver - we are enduring a 75 degree cloudless day, a balmy 12% humidity, with gale force winds blowing at 5mph from the North, with no end of this in sight.

Sure, that might not sound bad to you...but I had to work today. Blastit!

Another successful celebration this weekend, well - Actually TWO. First was The Great Divide's 14th Anniversary party. Some really amazing cask and special edition beers, not to be limited to 2006 Hibernation and a Belgian IPA, were on tap along with some delicious barbecue to absorb the hooch. But that was merely a pre-party (unbeknownst to JD) for JD's Surprise Superhero Birthday Party.

Hooray for surprises! I brought JD back over to the house from Great Divide and we had friends waiting with capes, masks, and superpowers. So we played in the front yard, had some delicious (free) beer, grilled a few pieces of meat and meatless meat, and hopped on the bicycles for a little more fun. You know, like $1 drinks at the Park Tavern where we made our own version of Guitar Hero called Guitar Superhero. And then off to, as you might have guessed it, The Rockbar. I know this might come as a surprise, but we won there.

"Why a Superhero Party?" you might ask. Or you might not ask, but let's pretend. JD is a superhero - he can withstand multiple taxi collisions in a single month. Capes look cool blowing in the wind. When you wear a mask that covers your eyes, nobody can pick you out in a police lineup. If you pretend to be a superhero, nobody will realize that you are actually a superhero in a superhero disguise. AND its fun to look dumb.

Enjoy your weather.

My legs are...

2008-06-02T10:32:00.003-07:00

...sore, and I slept for 12 hours last night. But all is good. The official unofficial first race of Colorado Cycling Season was yesterday - the Elephant Rock. I've never ridden this race, and I heard that it was windy and technical (lots of climbs)...and well, yes. But I learned a few lessons:
1. Don't get too excited out of the starting gate. My adrenaline was pumping, and so were my legs. Pace, pace, pace.
2. If you see a group of 8 high school cyclists passing you, fall in behind them. They are young, they are skinny, they are in shape, AND they block wind.
3. Unless you're in it to win it, stop at the aid stations. Get some water, get some Gatorade (Or "OPTIMA" energy drink). And do you see those Cliff bars (or "LARA" bars)? They are FREE! Eat them.
4. If you have cool cycling jerseys, you are better off. If you can convince various medical companies to sponsor your team, then you are even better off. Again, free.
5. This is not a Wednesday Cruise, this is the equivalent of running a marathon. Except you dont fly downhill at 40mph with a crosswind that wants to pull your tires out from underneath you in a marathon. Running is boring.

Finished the race in good time. Had some barbecue at the end of the ride (ahem, free), and closed the day off with the first Jazz in the Park at City Park for this summer. Good times. I'm going to go take a nap.

When in Rome...

2008-05-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

...do as the Romans do. I'm not really sure what that entails. Perhaps drink wine with a long lunch. Maybe it means to speak Italian.

But when in Alabama, do as the 'Bamans do. I know what that means...wear jorts always, wear shirts seldom. Fish. Drink. Get sunburned. Don't answer your phone. Eat plenty of seafood. Only wear shoes when necessary. Don't work.

Colorado, I'm coming back - but I might bring a few customs back with me.

I am shirtless...

2008-05-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

...walletless, phoneless, showerless, and shoeless. I have been for days. I mean - those things are within reach, but I choose not to reach. I am on vacation, you will probably not talk to me until I am home, and I just wanted to let you know that:
1. My cutoff jorts are making their first appearance of the year. And so are my thighs.
2. I got jellyfished within 5 minutes of entering the water. Thus, I peed on myself for the first time...uh, the first time on purpose.
3. My favorite beltbuckle broke today. Its been a good ride.
4. My dad thought that we bought too much booze and that we would have to throw it away at the end of the trip. We are two days in, and we have to go to the store tomorrow because the bottles are dry.
5. I have sand in my crack.

I got my...

2008-05-21T22:02:00.000-07:00

...first road-biking boo-boo today. I was on the Cherry Creek Trail heading southeast, attempting to exit at Downing (a 180 degree left turn). Both tires slipped out, and my body skidded on the concrete. Luckily i was able to keep my bike out of most of the trouble. Unluckily, my skin is not made from kevlar (yes Mom, I was wearing a helmet...but no elbow pads, mouth guard, knee pads, or protective bubble). Ah well, scars are cool. My biggest problem now is that I COMPLETELY realize that I need new tires, I have a conference call at 9am, and I have a ride to follow. Luckily, the bike shop opens early and I have a bike tech that works for beer living in my house. All is not broken. It can be fixed.
And I dont know if you realize this or not, but today is Wednesday. Now, some people set their calendars up to rotate around the weekends. Nope - mine revolves around Wednesdays. The Denver Cruisers (http://www.denvercruisers.com/) ride every Wednesday. All 150+ of us. We wear funny costumes. We stop traffic. We go into snotty one-name bars and ruin everyone's nights. Not that we want to bother anybody, but seriously - if you wear your pointy toed shoes and shiny shirt to a "club" on a Wednesday to impress the cute professional assistant girl, you deserve it. She isnt that impressed that you can afford a $4 bottle of Bud Light at a bar that has blue lights and bottle service. My posse actually headed straight back to the "VIP" section (see: the place that you pay a shitload of money so that you can look rich...er, I mean, cool), sat on the leather couches, and pulled the rope barriers around us. Look how exclusive we are! Then we got bored and went across the street to Old Chicago and used our old college IDs to buy really nice beer for a couple of bucks. Take that Monarch.

Time for the...

2008-05-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

...first bike ride of the season is winding down. The Elephant Rock is a week and a half away. I'm in good shape, probably the best shape I've been in since college. So I'm not too worried about my performance in the ride. BUT what I need to worry about now is how cool I can look.

Don't really have to worry about that either. Thanks for the jersey, JDizz. Boom.

Our adult superfraternity...

2008-05-19T23:36:00.001-07:00

...ATX (aka "Awesome to the Max" is officially official. You know how I know? We have cups. Yup, little 16 ounce plastic babies - green with glorious white letters. Beer never tasted so sweet. The Cup's homecoming party was none other than the First Annual Date auction benefiting the National MS Society.

Well, let's take a step back - it wasnt merely a date auction. It was a Bike Pub Crawl/Date Auction/30th Birthday Party for Dan Tisser. All good things, and in no particular order. We all hopped on our cruisers at the ripe old hour of 2pm, had some drinks, rode around Cap Hill, rode around Cap Hill while having drinks. THEN we had the date auction (all the while celebrating Dan's under the hill birthday).

It was good. Amy made us a sweet banner, which will no doubt be flying on the Flagpole at the ATX Frat House. I mean, if we had a flagpole...

We actually raised quite a bit more money than we had previously imagined. Perhaps its because our friends are more generous than I give them credit for. Perhaps its just because the people being auctioned off were just that excellent. To give you a gauge of this, a little sample pricing:

Craig: $16

Me: $48

Ha. I actually found a new calling - Auctioneer. I had a good time with it...Sotheby's, here I come. Watch your pompous ass, because Im bringing the pain.

After the auction, we hit up Wymans for a little Wii, then Park Tavern for a little $1 u-call-its. I hear we had a good time. You know, for charity.

There's nothing that...

2008-05-19T23:20:00.000-07:00

...says "COLORADO" like a Crawfish boil. Okay, yeah, totally landlocked and not southern, but...well, maybe it has nothing to do with Colorado, but it was awesome anyway. I have a mom. Her name is Cyndy. I talk to her on the phone sometimes. And sometimes she comes to visit me. Last weekend was one of those times. She was a trooper and made it to the Boil. She even helped me get one of those little mudbugs drunk.

At one point in the afternoon we traded Mom for my pseudo-Sister Mallory, and made her experience her first crawdaddy.

Mom made it back to Chicago. I got a little rest. I hope everyone is happy now.

All my training...

2008-05-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

...has paid off, I am officially an athlete again. A honest to God, amateur athlete. The thrill of competition, the adrenaline of sport, the agony of defeat, the joy of victory. Yes, Kickball has been good to me. I have to admit, I have been using performance enhancing supplements (ie: beer), but there are no official sanctions banning the use of beer by the Commission. You know, if there even is a commission.

The summer schedule is starting, which means that I will have exactly no free time if I actually participate in everything. Monday - Ultimate Frisbee, Tuesday - Rockies Games, Wednesday - Denver Cruisers, Thursday - Kickball, (Friday and Saturday arent really that planned, but always filled with fun), Sunday - Park day and Jazz in the Park. So now I get a little competition. If you know me well, you know that I was at one time the most intensely competitive person on the planet...but things have changed a little. I still like to compete, I just dont care who wins as long as I get a little sweaty. For example - Frisbee Mondays: Somebody once asked me -

Other Person: What do we play to?

Me: Dark.

And then there was the conversation at Kickball this week -

Me: (to the girl that was playing right field) When somebody is throwing to first, you have to backup the firstbaseman in case he misses the ball.

Girl: Im from Australia. Ive never even seen a baseball game. I have no idea what you are talking about.

Me: Fair enough, I am going to go back to center field and drink beer between batters.

Ah well.

I have decided...

2008-05-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

...that I will wear whats functional. If its cold, I will wear a jacket. If raining, a raincoat. Warm out? Then linen. And if its springtime you ask? I will roll up my pantlegs. Hell, if Sean Connery can do it then its officially cool. I will no longer make fun of man-pri pants, 3 quarter length pants (ahem, Sam Priddy), or any version thereof.
BUT that doesn't mean I will make fun of fashion. I no longer consider rolled up pants fashionable, but functional. Therefore, expect me to make fun of your designer $300 zip-up boots. I will snicker at your shiny clubbing shirt. I will laugh at your white framed sunglasses. I will tell you to straighten out your sideways hat. I will un-pop your collar for you...unless you are playing golf or otherwise protecting your neck from the sun (alas, function).
Ladies, consider yourself exempt from my conservatism - unless your fashion is entirely ridiculous. An example: snow boots with a short skirt...utterly contradictory, unless of course you are planning on tramping through the effects of a snowstorm in the middle of summer. I won't say that I don't enjoy seeing your legs, but I will still make a funny face when seeing your style.
Check the weather, dress appropriately. Thanks.

Ah, things they...

2008-05-04T23:04:00.000-07:00

...are a-happening. Short of a freak snowstorm last week, summer time is at hand. Good weather means good training time - Ive been riding about 100 miles a week, and that is increasing. 15 milers are turning into 20 milers are turning into 25 milers. The long rides are turning from 30 milers to 40 milers. And I finally went down to get fitted at the Bicycle Village in Aurora. My buddy Dan Tisser hooked me up with a fitter named Keith, who used tape measurers, protracters, and freaking laser beams to get all my bike parts lined up to fit my spin. Now I dont get numb feet. My knees dont hurt. I dont have any pain in my shoulder blades. Go to BV and see Keith, he will make your life a lot easi...well, less painful.

AND I have a new addition - a 1960's Schwinn Typhoon, almost all original parts.

AND I have another new addition. Well, its more of a subtraction...but the mustache is back. Feliz Cinco de Mustache! I celebrated by going to the first ever US-Sanctioned Lucha Libre match, courtesy of my neighbor Gideon. It was, well, awesome.

Living the dream...

2008-04-15T13:38:00.001-07:00

...of the Adult Frat boy is really shaping up. I mean, come over to our house any given Sunday. You'll find people in the front yard. You'll find yard games. You'll find ME flipping various meats on the grill out back. Oh yes, and the beer is free. God Bless Sundays at the ATX Frat House.

This past Sunday was one to remember. 65 degrees and completely cloud free. Brett just bought a new (used) Cannondale road bike, so we took off for his inaugural ride. 20 miles mostly laps around Wash Park...he was worried about his beater front tire going flat, I wanted to look at pretty girls. We both won. No flat tire, lots of pretty girls. When we got back to the house, we broke out the Cornhole boards and started tossing bags. Not familiar with Cornhole? Its sort of like horseshoes, only you toss bags filled with corn and try to land them on a piece of plywood with a hole but into it. 1 point on the board, 3 points in the hole. Its a beautiful thing.

The Wixa Weiss from Wynkoop flowed freely until the keg ran dry. Brats. Burgers. The Ice Cream Truck. I know a few of us got the first sunburnesque color on our faces. When the sun was no more, when we could not even see the corn bags that we were tossing, when it was time to put on light fleeces, we moved it inside. Some people said goodnight and thanks, but the smart people stayed - for the best part of Sunday was still ahead of us:

Rambo: First Blood...and the first kill of Rambo: First Blood II. Althought it is still up for debate whether the guy actually was killed by the huge knife that was thrown into his chest. I vote yes.

On a more serious note (not that I wasnt serious before...I really do think that guy died) - Team ATX is coming along for the MS 150. Donations are beginning to surface and even people that arent riding are excited about somehow contributing to the National MS Society. The Team is starting to train a little harder (or just "a little") . A big thanks for all of you that have participated thus far. Ride ATX, ride.

Oh yes, thanks...

2008-04-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

...for reminding me: Time to Rage Against the Machine a little.

So, I live in the USA. I love my country. I really do. And thats a pretty tough statement to make, especially here in Denver. It seems that everybody hates the government. Hates the President. Hates the "establishment." Yet, they do nothing. Nevertheless, I stand up for what I believe in and verbally react to most statements that people make. Sometimes its for stupid things:

Guy on the street: "Impeach Bush, man!"

Me: "...um, for what?"

Guy: "War crimes, man."

Me: "...yeah, you should maybe take an online Goverment class or something. Goodbye."

America, the land of freedom. A country established on the point of self-establishment. You know, the "American Dream": Start your own company, work for yourself, self-regulation, all that shit. Well, I've done it. But you know what? I paid a f-ing SELF EMPLOYMENT TAX this week!

I quit. Im going to go drink a Starbucks, grab some underwear at Wal-Mart, drown my sorrows in some Budweiser products, quit my business, and get a job with a super-conglomerate. Pfizer? Stryker? Here I come...

Its kind of...

2008-04-13T10:55:00.001-07:00

a Purgatory of seasons here. A limbo if you will. I think that I have made official my stance: I am ready for the warmer things in life. But yesterday changed that...a little.

I went up to the mountains yesterday for my "last day of skiing." Not that I am not going to ski anymore this season, but my days will be more based on hanging out on the Beach at A-Basin. One of my buddies wanted me to meet up with him up there because HE had a buddy in town...who, in turn, had a buddy that lives in the mountains. Over all, it was a buddy fest. Three things to say about aformentioned buddy fest:

1. My buddy's buddy was none other than Geoff Aaron - Motorcycle Trials Champion and Red Bull Athlete. Cool dude. Skied on straights, which is honorable. http://www.redbullusa.com/geoffaaron

2. I know it is April, but the freakin' snow feels like February Snow. For all you non-skier types (or those that thing Spring Skiing is "the best") here is what I mean: Skiing is better when it is cold. The snow is composed less of water because it freezes faster. It is light, fluffy, and fast. If you have good gear, wear Windstopper, don ONE pair of good socks, and dont put bargain basement gloves on your hands - you can stay warm. Rant over...back to the snow. For me, skiing in April means wet snow. Slushy, slow, and all around not as fun. But yesterday, February snow. I dont want it to get warm. Im going to keep skiing as long as it stays cold. Global warming my ass.

3. My buddy Stewart skis like Frankenstein.

Last night we celebrated Jo-Jo's birthday. I think I can sum it up quickly: there was lots of face licking and we ended up at the Rockbar. And now, I have a long training ride...gonna be a little painful.

I learned two...

2008-04-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

...things this week. Well, okay, Ive learned more than two things. But bear with me:

1. Business travel isnt so bad. Maybe I am just getting accustomed to it (finally, after 3 years). Maybe it is because I have roomies now. I love those guys, but I get some alone time when I travel. You get a clean room every night. You get to eat at different places. You get to enjoy different places and climates. For instance, Phoenix is perfect right now. I just walked around in shorts at night, and I believe that it is room temperature outside. It rained in California this week while I was running. The wet didnt bother me because the smell of summer rain was overwhelming and perfect. Ive found that Pho tastes the same wherever you go, so you can always go home. I mean, not home home, I dont live in Vietnam - but you get the drift. You start to learn the lay of the land. You can give directions to strangers. You start to learn where the good food is. Where the good golf courses are. AND in my particular case, where the little breweries are. Which leads me to...

2. If you are going to open a brewery, its probably a good idea to hire a beautiful waitstaff. I cant think of anything hotter than a beautiful woman talking to me about beer.
Hottie Beer Girl: "You want another IPA? Its really hoppy."
Me: "Yes."
Genius.

Its about time...

2008-04-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

...to say goodbye to winter sports. Not goodbye-forever, but goodbye-see you later. Dont get me wrong, I will be skiing until they wont let me anymore - but it will be a different kind of skiing. You know, the kind where you take breaks. Take your shirt off from time to time. Flip burgers on the beach between runs. Wear funny clothes. Oh, and beer.
So, next time you see the Top Gun Ski Team on the slopes, they might be in their proper drab-olive attire.
Hello fly-fishning. Hello camping. Hello Wednesday Cruises. Hello Monday Ultimate Frisbee. Hello Cornhole. Hello Jazz in the Park. Hello Red Rocks concert season. Hello grill. Hello day games. The transition is happening, buckle up.

Laying on my...

2008-03-29T01:51:00.000-07:00

best friend's couch, I am listening to a thunderstorm. Ah, the things that we miss about home. Eventhough the thunderstorm sounds comforting and familiar - we do not want to be caught outside in one. So is it the thunderstorm that is reassuring? Or the fact that we are sheltered?
What if we went outside?

I've always said...

2008-03-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

...that a wink and a smile gets you far in life. Example: Last Friday we did a little bar hopping. Great Divide, dinner at el Potrero, Uptown Tavern, then of course the Rockbar. Good times. BUT we were leaving the Uptown, had about ten people, and I stepped out to grab a cab or two. Its not very far - about 15 blocks or so, but for ten people we would have to grab three cabs, two van cabs, or...one limo. There was a limo driver outside, looked friendly enough, so I asked:

Me: Hey man. Hows it going? You have a party of people here?

Driver: Oh, yeah man. Just hanging out and waiting for them to leave.

Me: Right on. You, uh, maybe want to give me and my friends a lift?

Driver: He he. Maybe. Where to?

Me: Rockbar, of course.

Driver: Oh yeah man, no sweat.

Me: We will throw you a couple of bucks or whatever.

Driver: Dont worry about it man. No sweat.

Me: Bad ass.

And tonight, tonight we rolled sushi. This has been one of my favorite activities for years...I think interactive food experiences make life worth living. Have I ever told you that I want to put comfortable couches and stadium seating in my dream kitchen? Well, I do. Anyway, sushi became a wasabi-fest, with each of us trying to outdo the others. Some people dont understand, I cant explain it, but eating massive amounts of nose-burning Japanese Horseradish is the greatest legal high one can get at a dinner table. WASABI!

Spring is in...

2008-03-24T15:18:00.000-07:00

...the air. Or whatever. Its about time, too. I mean - I love to ski, but its time for spring/summer stuff. You know like biking, fly fishing, camping, summer concerts, and bare feet.

I celebrated the beginning of spring like any other single heterosexual male: dying easter eggs. Yup.

Also, I started training for the MS 150 Bike Ride. Its 15 weeks away, but there is another century ride a month before, so my 10 week training schedule will work out nicely. Im pretty excited about it, not just because I will be back in the saddle, but because its for an actual cause this time. One of my friend's mom has MS, thus its a little closer to home. So I actually have an opportunity to do something to benefit someone else, which will be a nice change of pace from my selfish lifestyle.

Learned a little lesson on love in my reflections the past few days: We all change. If unconditional love does not exist, then love does not exist - because we have to be loved even as we change daily. Conversely, if you expect to love someone and not love their changes, then you really arent loving them at all.

Ultimate Frisbee pickup starts today. "Easter Dinner" is tomorrow night and I am making stuffing- two kinds, I love cooking for people. Heading to Texas to see my Grandpa on his 85th birthday on Friday. Going to Phoenix then to see Eddie Vedder in Los Angeles next week, Eddie carries most of the responsibility for making me fall in love with music. So Ill see you in a few weeks. With ringing ears and a little tan.

I might be...

2008-03-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

...a snob of sorts. A beer snob, obviously. A coffee snob, perhaps. A ski snob, most definitely.

Here are a few short rules/suggestions to follow if you do not want to look like a goon:

1. We know where you are from. I can especially attest to this, because I used to be one of them. I thought "I can ski real good, watch how fast I can go." Therefore, you dont need to boast your home-location...we already live in Colorado and you cant beat us.

1a. Therefore, if you wear a one-piece camo suit on the mountain, you dont need to wear a Nebraska beanie...we already know you are from Nebraska.

1b. If you are wearing scotch-guarded jeans, you dont need to wear a Texas A&M Starter Jacket. You can donate that back to 1991.

1c. If you are wearing Adidas wind pants over your jeans, and a backwards white cap, you dont need to wear your University of Kansas hoodie.

2. I understand that ski clothes can be expensive, but it is time to let go of your tights. Having anything tucked into your boots in uncomfortable, as well as unfunctional.

3. Yes, unbuckling your boots can be more comfortable when you walk. But please, avoid the pant-bunching at the top of your pants and just pull them over your boots. Thanks.

4. Unless you are on the US National Ski team, you dont need to tuck.

5. If you drop something off the lift (ie: lift map), your decision has already been made for you: ski to where your dropped off your litter, and de-litter.

6. Snow blades are dumb. There is no exception to this rule.

7. Applying grenade stickers to ANYTHING is counter-intuitive. You have paid someone in an office $10 for a sticker that cost $1. You have done something because someone else has done it (have you ever seen how many grenade-stickers are on car-windows, snowboards, lift poles?). Thus, you are not doing anything counter-cultural, you are doing something trendy.

8. Smoking in lift lines is NOT cool. Ever.

9. You have to ski/ride to learn, you will not get better if you dont challenge yourself. BUT respect the mountain. Do not ski/ride above your ability level, and always ski with a buddy. If I find you waist deep in powder on the back side of something that I hiked 30 minutes to get to, I will help you up. I will also laugh at your 160mm rentals, with your DIN set at 2. I will also tell you that you need to stay on groomed runs, and that you are dumb. But thanks for buying a day-lift ticket to keep my season pass cheap.

10. Rant over. For now.

10a. Note that I have not mentioned anything about snowboarders. This would have to cover an entire blog entry.

Im going to go put my grenade sticker on my car.

There is a...

2008-03-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

...holiday that signifies an extremely important event. It represents the tradition of St. Patrick banishing the snakes from Ireland. Although scientists proclaim that there have never been snakes in post-glacial Ireland, some scholars maintain that perhaps the word "serpent" was used to represent the culture of Druids. Blah, blah, blah.

What it means now is an excuse to drink all day. You know, like the Irish.

Of course we started the day watching the Denver Parade from the balcony of the Wynkoop, drinking "Irish Cream Stout"[wink] and eating Corn Beef and Cabbage. The stout turned to Car Bombs. The Car Bombs turned to whiskey. And the Whiskey turned into...well, whatever.

At one point a few of us walked over to FADO to take part in the big hoopla-festival that goes on there every year...because nothing says "Authentic" like a national Irish Chain restaurant. I have some friends that talk it up every year, that it is the place to be, "Its the best St. Paddys party outside of Boston, Chicago, Savannah, and of course the Emerald Isle..." they would say. Ten bucks to get in. $9 for a Coors Light. Very authentic. We actually asked for our money back when we left. I guess lots of people dig that scene...We must have not been able to figure out why its so cool.

So, back to the Koop. Drank some more. Played pool. After hanging out there for about 8 hours, Erik and I headed over to $1.25/scoop for some classy chinese cuisene. (Side note: we rode bikes. And apparently we were in a hurry. Please do not eat chinese food after riding your bike for a 2 mile near-sprint after drinking beer for 8 hours...not good for anyone). We went to the good old standby Park Tavern for, get this, $1 beers. Now, that is IRISH. It cost nothing to get in, and beers were $1. Not just any beer, but ANY BEER. Guiness if you were feeling traditional, Arrogant Bastard if you wanted good beer, Coors Light if you have no palate.

Good day/night altogether. But for next year, I probably wont get started so early. I bowed out at about 10pm. Getting old, I guess.

Slainte.

I am half...

2008-03-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

...scotch drunk, and in Savannah, Georgia. Why Savannah? Why not.

There are a few things here that I love:

1. No open container law. I can drink whatever I want, whenever I want...given that I drink out of plastic. Normally, this is a faux-pas. This weekend, I can deal with it.

2. Girls in dresses. Actually, saw a girl in a green fishnet shirt with nothing else save a couple of green stars covering her personal-parts. Reason: St. Paddys is HUGE in Savannah. Huge, huge. Some people probably couldnt afford to pay the rental prices for the real St. Paddy's, so they started a week early. Good for me, apparently.

3. Southern food. I havent eaten anything today that isnt fried.

4. And in no particular order, old stuff. Savannah was not burned down in the Civil War (which was not), thus, there are many many antebellum buildings still standing and operational in town. You dont get to see that very often in the American South, and it is nice to see extensions of it. The opulent simplicity. The functionality. The courtyards. Cobblestone. AND no yankees.

5. Scotch. Not that Scotch came from here. Hell, we arent even in the Bourbon Belt. But I am drinking it, and I am enjoying it. Now, leave me alone.

I dont necessarily want to leave Colorado. But there are a few places that I could go:

1. Sienna, Toscana, Italia.

2. Austin, TX, USA.

3. Munchen, Bavaria, Germany.

4. Charleston, SC, USA.

5. And Savannah, GA, USA.

If anybody knows of a place for me to stay in nos 1-5, let me know. I am kind of sick of working 13 hours a day. Enjoy.

Really, medium format...

2008-03-06T23:37:00.000-08:00

...has always been my favorite. I remember Photo I as an undergrad - my experience with a certain Yashica MAT-124 might have solidified my decision to continue with photography. It might have. It did. I remember looking through the vertical glass and seeing a real image. Not the kind that you see in a viewfinder in a 35mm SLR. Not the kind that you see on a little screen on the back of a digital point-and-shoot. It took time to make an image. It took patience. It took a light meter.
I shot my first album cover with that camera. In fact, Ive shot three album covers with that camera. I fell in love with square photography. I fell in love with huge negatives.
Unfortunately, I later fell in love with digital photography. Ive never been a fan of the finished product, but I became a fan of the ease. The instant gratification. The commerical reliability of digital images. I became the epitome of the American Fast-Food, Wal-Mart, Coors-Light society. So, according to my current state of mind, I re-evaluated. I brew my own beer. I wax my own skis. I cook my own food. And I began shooting on film again. I bought a Holga. Actually, I bought two Holgas. And I bought film, I made trades to acquire expired film (thanks Suz). I finally shot that first roll. Analog.
And I fell in love with photography again.

Yesterday was such...

2008-03-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

...a tease. About 75 degrees, on a Saturday, and the weather was actually predicted/predictable. So we had another Wash Park day. Cornhole, frisbee, beer, bocce ball, general merriment. I wore shorts. I was barefoot. Everything was alright. It was good to toss the old corn-bags again, looking forward to spending most of my free summer time doing that. OH, and Bitburger 4packs are still on sale at Joy, so I didnt have to subject myself to the shitty park beer everyone else was drinking (see: Budlight, piss).
My buddy Ryan was in town, so we got to hang out in the park and throw the frisbee around. Ryan was on summer staff at Wildhorse Canyon when I was on staff there - and somehow we've kept in touch over the years. He was on staff at Fronter Ranch for a year, then he moved to North Carolina to be on field staff. If anybody is interested in financially supporting a really great guy that does an important job, let me know and Ill connect you. Speaking of Wildhorse, Ive had a funny couple of weeks. I randomly pulled into another camp in Arizona this week, and even more randomly one of the guys I lived with in Oregon was there. AND this weekend I am going to go to Savannah (for no reason other than the fact that I dont work there) and Ill get to hang out with the infamous Margarita, another staff friend from Wildhorse. Ah, memories.
But I digress. Yesterday was 70 and sunny, a great Park Day. Today - 40 and snowing, blowing winds. How sad. At least I know I will be able to ski for a few more months. Out.

Wait, spring doesnt...

2008-02-24T15:38:00.000-08:00

...happen until March. April maybe. But November? In Denver? I guess weirder things have happened.

Today was the first official Wash Park Sunday. We didnt have the grill out yet, but bocce, frisbee, beer (and me drinking wine straight from the bottle - a little silent protest), ONE dog, and some sunshine. As always, many friends came from many different friend groups and we became one happy family.

A great way to end a great weekend, too. I had friends come up from Texas to go skiing in Vail. In exchange for some local knowledge and a few ski tips, I got to sleep on an air mattress para gratis. Not a bad deal - I think I used up the end of this season's Vail days as well. Love my friends, glad we got to spend some good time together. If only everyone would figure out that they should all live in Colorado...actually, lets keep that one a secret, aye?

With the good times comes the work. I am traveling quite heavily for the next few weeks...so I hope that the weather is shitty in Denver so that I dont miss any porch days. Wink.

Its time to...

2008-02-18T11:28:00.001-08:00

...celebrate President's Day. Hooray. According to some of my friends: "Everybody has President's Day off." Well, what I am going to do since I have the day off? Calculate projected inventory usage for the next two weeks. Order inventory based on projections and ship said inventory to projected locations. Coordinate travel schedule to comply with projected surgery schedules. Re-coordinate pre-existing travel schedules according to surgery schedule changes. Get a new desk chair because my back hurts. Convince Craig to make me lunch so that I dont have to go upstairs, ever. Track down missing/misplaced equipment and retrieve serial numbers. Buy new ultrasound attachment. Buy plane tickets, book hotel rooms. Oh yeah, and I am going to try to wax my skis. Busy day? Not really. Pretty normal actually. But no, I cant go bowling at 2pm. And no, not everybody has today off.

American Gladiator Update: The obviously/apparently coked-up Evan took the title last night. I missed the ending because I fell asleep. And who wouldnt have? The episode was 2 hours long. Praise be to DVR, because if you fast-forwarded through all the sob-stories, rantings by Evan, and commericals, you could watch all the action in less than 13 minutes. Have a great day off!

Craig gets free...

2008-02-16T23:37:00.000-08:00

...beer. But sometimes he doesnt, um, get it the right way.

I've been traveling...

2008-02-13T22:49:00.000-08:00

...a lot, but that doesnt mean that I can't continue living. And when I say "living" it means "being obessive with going to breweries." On my way back from Grand Junction today, I stopped by three breweries, went through an entire bag of sunflower seeds (which is, in fact, more effective than running coffee through an I.V.), sang my voice hoarse (did you know that XM Radio now has a channel completely devoted to Led Zeppelin? Excellent), and watched my brother and his girlfriend cause a scene at the Chinese takeout place while we waited for our food. Seriously, who tries to lick people? Oh wait, I think he learned that from me...

I've been so...

2008-02-11T15:25:00.001-08:00

...busy that I havent had time to post. You know, skiing. Mardi Gras. More skiing, etc. Oh yeah, and work. Boo work.

Skiing has been pretty good lately. Actually, its been the best Ive seen in years and years. And last weekend I skiied for work...A Urology meeting in Vail forced me to hang out up there for four days. It snowed so hard that I-70 was closed from Georgetown to Vail, unfortunately blocking entry for all the people wanting to ski the epic snowfall we had. Sorry guys, but that 12 inches of untracked powder was probably too much for you to handle anyway. The light at the end of the tunnel: after all those face-shots I had one of the best ice-beards Ive had in the last 5 years.

ATX Winter Formal...

2008-01-30T22:42:00.000-08:00

...went off without a hitch. I mean, seriously, it was ridiculous. We partied like we were in college again. The bus was perfect - it was an old converted city bus with a disco ball and "Happy Birthday" decorations to boot. Perfect. Dinner at el Portero was perfect, cheap, and Jose got a standing ovation. The Wymans staff didnt even know we were coming, but were accomodating nevertheless. And the Rockbar...., well, rocked. Some funny stories:

1. Neff picked the tunes and played Ryan Adams "Halloween Head" as the opening song on the bus. Most people dont understand why this is a party song for us, and they didnt get it. Oh, but the ones that did get it sang their throats dry. And these dry throats were cured by the Hamms, Schlitz, Olympia, Pig Eye, Extra Gold and other fishing beers brought on the bus.

2. Pretty much everyone brought their beers into the restaurant. Nobody cared. They were just happy we were there.

3. After dinner, the Tejano DJ let Neff throw his CD into the mix and we danced like a bunch of gringos. We ARE a bunch of gringos. Some of the locals were ready for us to leave so that they can have their dance floor back.

4. We took the bus downtown to continue the Dance Party. Apparently some people on the bus thought that the guys in the car next to us were heading to their favorite fishing spot - so we threw them a few Olympias. They proceeded to chug their beers. I guess they were in a hurry.

5. We only stayed at Wymans for a drink, and apparently I just brought that one drink in with me. Whoops. When we left, I still had said drink in my hand and the bartender made me hand it to her. I pulled it out of the koozie (yes, very fratty of me), she looked at it and yelled, "Wait, we dont sell EXTRA GOLD here!" And I responded very intellegently, "Yes you do," and walked back to the bus.

6. I think the Rockbar might have been fun, because Ive seen pictures.

7. Craig and Amy didnt want to get a cab home, so they had the bus driver take them back. He he.

8. If anybody else knows about anything after this, please let me know. All I know is that I have a receipt for Mama's Cafe, and that I was really thirsty when I woke up.

ATX for life.

One of the...

2008-01-25T22:55:00.001-08:00

...best parts of having a brother as a brewer is the festivals. I get to go to all the beer festivals either at a discount or for free. AND Craig gave me a Wynkoop shirt for my birthday, so I wear it to the festivals and people ask me lots of questions. Most of the time I know the answer. Sometimes I dont. Occaisionally there isnt an answer:

Lady: Tell me, how do you pronounce the name of the brewery?

Me: Well, the street is WINE-coop, the brewery is WIN-coop.

Lady: How do you justify that, it is someones name. You cant just mis-pronounce someone's name.

Me: Well, two things: One, you can mispronounce names. People never say mine right. And two, I dont know...I dont even work here. I just get free beer and wear t-shirts.

Lady: Well, you cant just mispronounce a name.

Me: Listen lady...do you want a beer or not?

One of the best parts about this particular festival tonight is that all the other breweries just brought their normal bottled stuff, but Wynkoop brought a few specials out - one being a Oak aged barleywine. I walked around. I know my stuff. Wynkoop brought the best beer of the festival hands down. And I got to pour it all night.

Another funny thing: Erik got attacked by a cougar. Its true, they hunt in packs.

But I did drink pretty lightly. Winter Formal is tomorrow. Its going to be ridiculous. Out.

There was a...

2008-01-22T20:40:00.001-08:00

...time when things were simpler in my life. I guess that I will always be able to say that - tomorrow will probably be more complicated than today, the next day even more complex. But there were two years. I broke away. I didnt have a cell phone. My hands got dirty. I concentrated on the important things, because the important things were then only things to concentrate on. I learned to deal with people, and how to love people. I learned that I will never be perfect. I slept with a clean conscience. We cared for eachother, because that was all to care for. The conflicts were important and focused on love. The nights were quiet and still.

I will always look back on those times and remember them fondly. I will always try to apply what Ive learned to my life. I will always question whether I was supposed to leave. I will always question whether I should return.

I have a great life. Ive been blessed. But I miss the quiet sometimes.

When I get...

2008-01-19T18:57:00.000-08:00

...sick, I turn into a big baby. And it really doesnt happen that often, so I guess its a celebration. A celebration of me having an excuse to do nothing. I dont have to clean the house. I dont have to work. I dont have to do laundry. I dont even have to go out. Just sit under the blanket, watch movies, nap. I actually did paint today, which I had been meaning to do since...well, since this summer. So if you have enjoyed my series on White in my room (aka: Dove in a Snowstorm, Egg on a Tablecloth, and Cotton Balls in a Bathtub) - you will have to say goodbye, no mas.

Sometimes I forget...

2008-01-17T08:22:00.000-08:00

...to look at reviews of hotels. And this past weekend was one of those times. A few of us went up to Vail for the Big Beer and Barleywine festival. It was fantastic, I had 4 snifters of Utopias (thanks Ninja Yeast) and a 22 year old Barleywine from Anchor (thanks Bob Brewer). We also wanted to ski a couple of days, so we grabbed a hotel for two nights. Vail is really expensive right now, and there are really no deals to be had - so I just booked the least expensive place. But hey, you know, its VAIL - it cant be that bad... Wrong. The Roost Lodge was a dump. It smelled bad. It was hot. The beds were lumpy. It was still expensive. It was difficult to get to the mountain. Next time, Ill pay the extra few bucks. I mean, I do have a job. Nevertheless, a few good things happened:
1. Everybody made it up there and back safely.
2. We all tried some fantastic, incredible, delicious big beers.
3. Somehow through the powers that be, some of these beers made it onto a van, were transported to Denver, and are now in our beer room. Dont ask, just enjoy.
4. Craig was inebriated enough to do his dance in the meeting room.
5. POWDER. We had two really great ski days. Lots of snow, and we found some secret stashes of fresh tracks. Where did we find them? You can go to hell...not telling.
6. BRATS. There is another secret place that has grills on the mountain. You can take your own food up there. Where are they? Not telling, but wouldnt be that hard to do a little research.

Tonight I wore...

2008-01-12T01:03:00.001-08:00

my "Free Hugs" shirt. For those of you who know me well, this is no ploy - I really think that if everybody gave up their qualms about proximity, affection, and embrace - we probably wouldnt experience war, heated political debates, or even lawyers. We would just be, and whenever anything/anybody threatened our "be-ness" we would hug somebody (or our trespasser/ lawyer) and then the issue would be resolved. Yes, hugging is that great. Besides this point, a few things:
1. I bought a new guitar. A Breedlove. It sounds like heaven...If heaven were loud, full bodied, bright, and made of sitka spruce, rosewood, and mother of pearl.
2. The Adult Fraternity Winter Formal is coming along nicely.
3. Ive found a way to ski and stay at Vail while indulging in Barleywine and other big beers.
4. Brings me to another point: my week of not drinking beer is over. Beer is delicious.
5. I have some new photo toys to play with.

Dearest old friend...

2008-01-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

...adieu. You've done so much for me, I hate to part. You have shown me that the world is not in f22, rather in f1.4. That I can focus on one thing, one beautiful thing, and leave the rest to background. You've shown me the souls of people through their windowpanes. You have proven the fact, time and time again, that photography is an art and skill - not a snapshot of people smiling. I will not forsake you, but keep you for special occasions.
"Why?" you ask? Well, we've grown apart. No no, its not you. You take beautiful photographs. You are solid metal. You have wonderful glass. It's me. I'm restless. I need something new, I need something...automatic.

My brother Craig...

2008-01-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

...is Bacchus reincarnated. Recreated. Reinvented. Craig loves beer. He loves to drink it. He loves to talk about it. He loves to smell it. Market it. Explain it. Brew it. Contemplate it. Cultivate it. Create it. And you might say, "Well, yes- he is a 23 year old guy. Of course he loves beer." Ah, but Craig is no usual mid-twenty beer guzzler. As Neo is "the one" in the matrix, Craig is "the one" in beer. He is going to revolutionize the world. He will make the (American) public realize that beer doesnt just come in a can and end in "Light".

That being said - Ill have to let you know: I love beer too. I can talk hours about it. I age beers. I drink beer from special glasses. I take beer in the grocery store in plastic cups when I shop. I brew award winning beer at home (much to Craig's chagrin). I am known as a beer guy. I have an extensive beer collection in my beer cellar. And now, I am taking a week off of beer. And really, it shouldnt be that hard, except for a few things:

1. Wherever I go, people offer me beer or want to take me to their local brewery/brewpub.

2. Grocery shopping was a whole new, boring experience.

3. The BCS National Championship was two days ago. Enough said.

4. The weekend is nigh.

Wish me luck.

Today was proclaimed...

2008-01-06T19:01:00.001-08:00

...Jimmy Buffet Day. I dont really know if it is Jimmy's birthday, anniversary, laundry day, errand day, or whatever - but it was sunny and warm in Denver so we wanted to wear Aloha shirts, flip flops, grill some meat, and sit in the sun. AND listen to some Jimmy Buffet tunes. Makes sense, right? Jimmy Buffet Day.

Well, we ran into a couple of snags:

1. It was colder than we thought. I mean, when its sunny and warm in the winter in Denver its NICE outside. Really nice. But maybe not flip flops nice. When I walked out to run to the grocery, I threw a scarf on. When we got to the neighbors walkway two doors down, I walked in to get warm.
2. I decided not to drink for a week or so. No beer = no fun. I shouldnt say that...
When I did go outside to grill, it got cloudy. Then it got snowing. Boo.

So we werent really able to celebrate the warmness. Am I ready for summer? Not really - Ive only skied 13 days this season. Bring on the snow!

And so it...

2008-01-01T15:42:00.000-08:00

...begins. 2008 is the year of the Kevin. Its science.

I celebrated the first day of the new year by never leaving the house, speaking with a scratchy voice, and telling people not to talk so loud. Ive had multiple glasses of water, orange juice, coffee, V8, and Cran-grape Fresca.

I've napped under three different blankets as of present. Ive brushed my teeth twice. I have made a breakfast casserole and turkey pad thai. "Turkey pad thai?" you might wonder... Yes, turkey - because thats what we have, and the grocery store is a whole block away.

I've thought of showering maybe. And I've also thought of going to the bank. I have thought of putting on socks and shoes. I have thought of cleaning my room. I have also thought of doing laundry. And if I stick to the judeo-christian concept of "thoughts as actions", then I have had a productive 2008. That being said, I think I might take another nap.

It might be...

2007-12-31T13:59:00.000-08:00

...a good night. Especially since we hit up the old ARC Thrift Store for some new old duds. Especially since we can bring our own champagne to the Rockbar. Especially since I have dubbed 2008 "The Year of Kevin." Especially since I am walking out the door right now to get a beer at Wynkoop. Especially since I might go to Great Divide after that. Especially since I am going to dinner at Mezcal for Steak and Lobster. Especially since a few top shelf margaritas are included in the price. Especially since the only thing I have to do tomorrow is watch college football. Especially since I am going to party like its 1999.

Well, reality isnt...

2007-12-30T17:16:00.001-08:00

...all that bad afterall. I mean, I DO live in Denver. But rather than giving you a complete lowdown of the crazy life that I was living in Aspen for the last few days, Ill just give you a few lists.

Things I'll probably never hear again:
1. Our next Leer Jet will be a little wider.
2. We took a long lunch up top. I had a kobe burger topped with foie gras.
3. We started making a little money...so I bought 922 bottles of vintage wine.

Things I'll probably never say again:
1. The car is here.
2. I'll stick with wine, thanks.
3. Sure, I'll have another cornish game hen.
4. Here is $33 for our three Fat Tires.

It was a...

2007-12-23T10:03:00.000-08:00

...memorable night filled with booze and funny gifts. We celebrated the big family Christmas last night. The big family is becoming the really big family - as the cousins get married the pre-meal-prayer circle gets bigger and bigger. And since our schedules are getting crazy with our collective success, I am really thankful that we were all able to find a night to get together.

And as much as we like to celebrate together when we can, usually the "celebration solution" is imbibed, not necessarily gifted (with the exception of Craig, of course, who always gives his target a nice bottle of rare beer). But last night for some reason we found a bottle in more than one package, and leave it to my older brother Chris to try to swap out his bottle of tequila. But have no fear, Grandpa immediately offered a crisp $10 bill for a piece of the action. Actually, he handed his whole wallet to Chris.

Amongst other gifts...

Jim got a Hillary Clinton nutcracker.

Blake got an "Entrepeneurship for Dummies" book (he he, from me)

Blake also ended up with a remote-controlled dragonfly.

Chris got a bottle of tequila.

Tyler got a Jack Daniels gift set (what he has always wanted...)

A few of the girls ended up with clothes from Paige's new clothing line - Aviator Nation.

And Jordan got an incredible shirt from Freestylewalking.org.

Overall a great time. Lots of laughs, lots of love. Perhaps one of the greatest joys in my life has been growing older with my family, watching the dynamics change and our bonds/friendship grow stronger. Merry Early Christmas.

Free your heel...

2007-12-19T18:32:00.001-08:00

...free your soul. All that shit. Its my birthday, which I normally dont care that much about - but today it gave me the excuse to skip out on responsibility and go skiing. So JD, Lindsey, and myself headed up to Keystone to make some tele turns.

Turns out that Lindsey was WAY better than the two of us, so we got to take a free lesson. But the kicker was that we were on top of Outback (the mountain BEHIND keystone) when I got a phone call from Denver Health saying that they needed me. Now. Well, it took me two and a half hours to get there...but I did walk into the OR in my ski pants. First time for everything...

But when I got back from the fiasco, I topped the tree in the Traditional American Way. Or at least, the way it should be. Feliz cumpleanos a mi.

These boots are...

2007-12-16T21:15:00.000-08:00

...made for walking. And hunting. And going to school. And lounging. Basically, theve done everything. I have a pair of Red Wing Sidewinders (I remember the name because there is a huge freaking snake on the sole...very classy) that I got when I was 16. Im turning 27 this week, thus mis botas are 11 years old this week too. And I actually havent worn them much for the last few years. They got so beat up that my dad bought me a new pair 3 or 4 years ago. They were too hard to break in, so they are sitting in my closet in pristine shape.
But last time I was back home, I saw the old pair in the closet. Put them on. Sighed. They have been reintroduced into my wardrobe.
Ode to My Boots:
How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways?
One...left foot.
Two...right.

Just another day...

2007-12-15T15:56:00.000-08:00

...in the life of me. Surprise, surprise - we went over to the Great Divide for a beer or two. Delicious and delicious. Not only is the beer fantastic, and the Tap Room a great place to sit and spend some time, but also my boy Patrick - he runs the Tap Room and is a good dude. He makes our Fridays and Saturdays (or Wednesdays, Thursdays...whatever day...) so much more enjoyable. Prost for Patrick.

So, we went to GD for a beer and a talk on Friday before party time, then we migrated over to Marion St. to put on our party digs, consolidate cars, and head to the party on Garfield.

Funny thing as always, we were a little loud (and obnoxious??) when we rolled into the party. But hey, thats how we do things. My favorite point of the party went like this:

Me: Bueno, it smells like those little smoky sausages that are in that jelly-barbeque sauce. I love those.

Bueno: Look behind you.

Me: [looking behind me] Oh snap. Little smokies. Im going to eat the shit out of those. You want some?

Bueno: Yeah, get one of those bowls.

I love little smokies.

The thing that sucked for Craig is that he forgot his contacts, so he had to wear his glasses.

Despite this, we had a good time. And I beat the hell out of Bueno and Dan at Golden Tee at Don's Mixed Drinks. So that doesnt suck either.

I can't stay...

2007-12-13T22:45:00.000-08:00

...awake on airplanes. I try. I drink coffee, Ill get a book out, Ill start a conversation with a new friend. Nope, out like a fat kid in dodge ball. That made for a funny day today, too. I had to fly to Phoenix - basically to get a piece of equipment out of my car (I keep a work vehicle in PHX). So got to the airport at 7, took a 2 hour nap on the plane, got lunch, took another 2 hour nap on a plane. Lots of sleeping and I wasnt even tired. If I were still involved in the Neuroscience world, perhaps Id invent a new disorder called "Flight Narcolepsy."

The good news is that I got to watch this guy dance at the luggage carousel. I really wanted to ask him what he was listening to...Oh, and another funny airport sighting: there was a guy puking in the stall next to me. Not airsick...drunk. His buddy was standing outside the stall saying "Bro, your a professional. Shake it off, bro. Lets go smoke a cigarette, thatll make you feel better, bro. If youre not coming with me, give me your f***ing cigarettes bro, Im gonna smoke one. Fine, bro, we will be in the bar waiting for your ass. You've got ten minutes, bro."

Man, I hope they really are brothers - or I just heard the word "bro" used far too many times out of context. Happy travels.

For the first...

2007-12-12T09:40:00.000-08:00

...time since Craig moved to Denver, we skiied together. Actually, Ive never made turns with JD (the other roomie) either - so we decided to take a little roomie vacation to Breck.

It was pretty good timing for everyone: I had been working a lot and needed to get out of town. Craig is new here and needed to get the ski-bug out. JD could find somebody to cover his Sunday morning coffee shift. And there was SNOW. We've had a pretty dry early season, and finally it started dumping. ALSO, last weekend was considered the last off-weekend before the holidays, so we got a good deal on a room.

Both days had good snow on the ground, bluebird skies. But Monday, I think I accidentally reserved the whole mountain or something, 'cause we hardly saw anybody all day.

It was a great time for a few reasons: 1) We got to ski a couple of days without all the driving. 2) For the most part, ski-in/ski-out that only cost us a few dollars each. 3) Craig was able to do some beer-bartering at Great Divide and we were sipping on the finest Hibernation and Yeti that money can buy. 4) But we didnt have to buy it, free beer. 5) Hot tubs. I actually soaked twice on Sunday. 5) I alpined with Craig all day Sunday, then make tele-turns with JD on Monday - and tele is starting to make sense. 6) If you arent a skiier, that probably made no sense to you. 7) Our final adventure: Craig wanted Starbucks, JD and I wanted beer (and to stick it to Starbucks), so we compromised: Craig got a latte, and the other two scoundrels drank beer in coffee mugs. The perfect end.