Windy Windy Windy

Heat wave's over!

- b

Red Skies In Morning

...Sailers take warning.

Though it was a filter Jen used on the sunrise to make it all appear that bright red/orange hue, it's had its effect.

As I'm leaving this morning for work, I step into the work room to find this again, but worse. I knew I should have checked it out. I should have at least stuck a coat hanger in the drain to make sure it was clear or even manually ran the purges to see what was happening.

What's worse, as I was vacuuming up the mess with the wet/dry vac, I turn around only to see the exhaust on the vac blowing the (waste) water out the other side and all against the shelves.

Meanwhile I have a dog that's licked his leg till it bled and a cell phone crushed by rocks during trail maintenance.

I just know when I get home tonight, I'll find the mulch guy has dumped 10yrds of mulch in the wrong place.

- b

Sunrise Again

Jen and I got out this morning for our first sunrise ride/paddle of the season.

Her pictures are amazing. They speak for themselves.







I think this one looks like an oil painting.





Jen got all the beauty, while Gretchen and I played dodge the poop piles. And when I say dodge, I mean your mouth. There was so much, there was no saving anything else.

Lovely.

- b

Another Hot One

Temp inside the house got up to 91° in the kitchen today.

That's fun.

I suppose we could turn the AC on, but when the humidity is down around 19%, the AC seems like overkill. Then again, we're outside now at 8pm when the temp is 79° and it almost feels chilly. I suppose the AC at 80° wouldn't have been so bad.

Enough with the weather. I'm sure everyone is feeling and dealing the same.

So what else went on?

The morning started kind of early (at least for me) around 6:30am. Leaving the blinds open last night to let the cool breezes in didn't help keeping the sun out when it came up.

At least we had time for a delicious pancake breakfast and bacon, before I was off to French Creek to do some trail maintenance.

PaTH was holding a maintenance day at French, and some of us Bean's guys thought it prudent to help out. We had a good crew. Henderson, Mark, Ryan and I hooked up with the Dtown guys (Martin, Paul, Jim, etc.) to do some work on the Turtle trail.

First it was cleaning out a gully to keep the water off the trail and in the gully.

Didn't seem totally necessary, but it went quick.

Then it was creating a rock bed in a low spot where it gets soft after a rain.

Again, didn't seem totally necessary, but we did a good job and walked away proud.

Done early, we found a spot further down the trail that we decided actually needed some work.
So now the impervious French Creek is even more so.
Don't get me wrong. It was all good work and I was more then happy to do it.

Back home and after lunch - more pancakes and some hot dogs - Jen and I got some of our deck furniture down from the garage attic, but only some since it was so freaking hot up there. I guess that was worth it to, as we sit outside now and enjoy the coolness of the evening.

Yeah this whole not working on the weekends thing is kind of new to me, so hold on. I had all kinds of silly things to do and enjoy this afternoon, which included but was not limited to:

• Cleaning out the Mazda in preparation for donation
• Getting the Ninja fired up and running
• Hauling six months of cardboard to the recycling center
• Loading up the car for tomorrow AMs ride/paddle
• Fixing flat tubes from who knows when
• Stowing XC skis and snowboard away till next year
  

The Mazda's a real shame. I tried starting it to see if I was going to need to push it or jump it to get it to the driveway for when they come to get it, but it started right up and hummed like it always did.

Getting the Ninja running was interesting. I got it all fired up and got excited to ride, so I threw on some jeans, my helmet and took off for a quick spin. As I roll by the township building a cop rolls out behind me.

Damn!

Guess I'm not going to be burning off any carbon today. Whatever. Do the speed limit, use my signals and everything is fine. I'm totally legal...

Damn!

When I threw on my jeans, I forgot to grab my wallet. So I'm walletless. That's just a fine. Hmmm. I got a letter from the insurance company the other day. I wonder if the insurance is up to date on the Ninja?

Damn!

Maybe it's not?

I turned off at the first light and got rid of that headache. Didn't ride as far as I'd hoped, but at least I'm not paying silly fines. Which is good. I need that money to put gas in the bike. Though it's only a 250, the Prius gets 10mpg better then the little Ninja.

Wow. Look at that! I've got chilly all down the front of my shirt. How'd that happen? Yes. I'll take another beer please.

Blah, blah, blah, I finished the day with a beer and some punctures. Besides this shot,

I should have gotten some pictures of my snakebites. You'd think with so many I'd learn to ride higher pressure, tubeless or just better.

Oh well.

At least I wasn't working this weekend.

- b

Private Gym

Jen and I went climbing last night at the gym. We had the whole place to ourselves.

Which probably had everything to do with the fact it was so hot.

I've been told this gym is air conditioned, but it's just too early for that.

- b

April Heatwave?

- b

What The?

Came home Friday after work to find this.

Appears something went wrong with the automatic purge of our water conditioning system Thursday night.

I cleaned up the mess, but haven't gotten around to figuring out what/why it happened. Maybe this weekend.

- b

Wanderlust

I'm getting some serious itches for outdoor activities.

I want to be rained on and have the wind blow me dry.
I want to smell and taste the dirt on my hands.
I want to lay down on the lumpy ground and sleep like I've never slept before,
rinse my face in the freezing cold of a mt. stream,
wear the same clothes for three days straight,
feel like I'm alive again,
alive in the snow and ice.

- b

Parasite Dream

Had a couple of nightmares this week. I only completely remember this one.

I was eating what appeared to be some leftover steak. The pieces were in a container I used to microwave it. I didn't think much of it, but I did happen to see some things crawling around in the juices as I was cutting into and eating the steak.

All of a sudden I felt a sort of prick on my right index finger. It was enough to hurt and startle me dropping the container and steak on the floor. Quickly I bent down and gabbed the container off the floor to keep the dogs away. (Now that I think about I'm not really sure the crawling things were in the steak before or after I dropped it? Anyway...) After placing the container on the counter, I checked out my finger.

At first there appeared to be a blood blister on the pad of my finger tip. Upon closer inspection, I could see it was moving under my skin and actually looked like a Mayfly Naiad. It hurt, but wasn't excruciating. Watching it move under my skin and what looked like feeding was a lot worse then how it felt.

I tried showing other people in the room, but no one believed me. All they could see was a blood blister. Nobody else paid attention to the fact that it was moving around on my finger tip. Nobody could see it actually chewing away at my flesh.

Desperately I tried to do something, but some idea kept me from actually cutting open my finger and digging the bugger out - something I had read somewhere about cutting your own skin was bad (dreams are so weird). Instead I started to shake and snap my hand vigorously like you do when your finger tips go numb from the cold.

Everyone thought I was nuts, but I could see it was chewing deeper into my finger. I was afraid it would go too deep to be seen and end up somewhere else in my body. I shook and snapped my hand harder.

With one giant fling of my hand, the critter was actually thrown through my finger tip and onto the ground. Finally everyone saw and believed.

As it stood up on its hind legs with its front ones in the air, someone stepped on it.

Nasty right? Yeah, but it's not over.

I was going to school for something. While sitting in class, I got a phone call. It was Jen. She was in tears. Somehow one of these things had gotten into CJ - he's really quick for a geriatric when food hits the floor. Being black and furry, there was no way we could know. The Vet. suggested amputating his front leg. Jen decided he was too old and had him put to sleep instead.

It was horrible. Not for Jen's decision, but just that it had to be made.

- b

Trials

The back flip with a twist off the tree is sick.



- b

More Proof

That I'm an idiot or too busy.

A little over two years ago I had to get my windshield replaced. Not long after it was replaced, the driver side wiper started making this horrible screech when operated.

At first I thought it as a bad wiper blade, so I replaced it.

The screech continued, so I replaced the blade again.

The screech continued or was intermittent, but I gave up.

At some point I turned to Rain-X and stopped using the wipers.

That had gotten me by for a while.

Last night knowing it was going to rain the next two days, I went to reapply the Rain-X when I noticed something funny about the wiper.

There's a clip to which the wiper arm tension spring connects to and that clip was shiny. Upon further inspection I could tell the clip had been rubbing the windshield, thus making the screech. It had nothing to do with the wiper blade. It was the actual wiper arm that was the problem - or worse the windshield has been out of spec. since day one.

Still faced with two days of rain I needed a quick fix. Looking around the garage I saw a bunch of old tubes hanging on a nail. I grabbed one, cut it and pulled it over the wiper arm like a sleeve. I doubled it back on itself for extra protection and Voila! the screech is gone.

It was totally weird driving my quiet car in the rain today.

- b

Beginning a New Season

- b

Spring Cleaning

Having worked every weekend since I can remember, we finally got a chance to get outside and get some much needed chores done.

The grass in our yard needed bailing

The flower beds needed weeding, where Jen uncovered this little fella waiting for warmer days

Most importantly the dogs needed grooming

Which meant CJ got shaved again, but this time it was more then just his neck

Followed by baths

Unfortunately we only got a picture of CJ mid bath. Though he liked it less, Gretchen was harder to hold, so it required both of us to bath her. Once they were done they were happy again chasing each other through the dirt.

- b

Shedding Season

There's dog hair everywhere.

- b

Fixing Things

Repair this

Make this
and finally Fix this

I heart chores.

- b

Escape Artist Still

CJ's been getting through the electric fence again. Literally he strolls across the line into the park and he's free. Jen's chased him numerous times now as he frolics from one blade of grass to another.

We've even tested the blame thing on ourselves, though not directly against the skin.

But close enough to mimic dogs fur right?

Ouch!

Now Gretchen's doing it too. Why not? He makes it look so easy. She just follows.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I shaved his neck ear to ear.

The fur was so thick, the razor repeatedly got stuck.

All done and looking like a freak show we sent him outside for a test.

Trot, trot, trot he went right across the line.

I called him back and he trotted right back across, so I took him back across to see/hear if the collar was even working.

Beep, beep, beep the collar went off. I looked down and saw the probes were touching his blue skin through the shaved mat. No reaction on his part. I yelled "Back!", the trainging command to get them to come back, and he turned around.

Hmmm.

I took the collar back to the shop and had it checked. Somehow it lost its setting and was one notch weaker then where it was set back in December when this first started happening.

Back home I tried to get him to go across the line for a test, but he wasn't buying it.

I'll shave him some more - 13 years of fuzz - he needs it, and wait and see.

- b

Insomnia Sucks

Duh. Right?

Last couple of weeks I've been waking anywhere between 2 and 3am.

Awake like the night is over and time to get up and get the day going - not just peeping at the clock and rolling over with a sigh.

Though rolling over is what I've been doing - rolling, tossing, turning, whatever to pretend I'm not really awake.

This goes on until about 5am, when I fall asleep again and wake up feeling miserable sometime after 7:30am.

Not this morning.

This morning I got up around 4am and went into the kitchen. I was wide awake as if I'd had a full nights sleep, so I sat at the computer and did some work.

Somewhere after 5:30 I got drowsy again. I laid down on the couch in the living room, but it was too cold. I went downstairs to the couch near the stove and slept till after 7.

Waking after 7 felt miserable. Felt nothing like the 4am rise.

What the hell? How does this work? When does it stop?

I need a vacation.

- b

Lovers not Fighters

Gretchen going in for Remmi's jugular.

Remmi going back for more.

Jen's cousin and her boyfriend picked up Remmi, a Straffordshire Terrior, (i.e. Blue Pit) at the pound a couple of months ago. He's about a year old, built like a rock, loves to play and lick.

Holy cow can this dog lick!

Gretchen and he played themselves silly Easter Sunday.

- b

Hard Monday

Both of us awake at 2:30am with insomnia. Jen gets up while I toss and turn for the next three hours.

Finally up at 7:30am and going to work.

Jen forgets her coffee and I back the car into the garage door.

What a way to start the week.

- b

Climbing to new Heights

Belay certified

- b

Aunt & Uncle JenBob

April 6th, 2009, roughly 2:30am CDT, Jen and I became an aunt and uncle to Vera Marie

- b

Mmmmmm Venison!

CJ of course found it, but Gretchen won the tug-of-war for it.

And we wonder why she gets sick?

- b

Bye Bye Beard

Another one gone.

- b

Bob's Rock Gym

Had the entire rock gym to myself last night for an hour and a half!

It was like my own private problem solving paradise.

Not that having other people around is really a bother, but it was nice for the sake of quiet concentration.

Half the bouldering wall had new "April Fools routes." It being April fools, the route setters decided to mix up the ratings on the new routes they put up. What would have been a V3 may have been marked a V10 and vice versa.

- b