Taken from my blurry iPhone.
30 June 2009
Cruisin'
We went to a few motorcycle dealerships in Idaho with Stacey's family yesterday. It brought back a lot of memories (and created thoughts of new ones) since I bought my first motorcycle while I was living in Spokane. Jules loved it too (obviously).
Taken from my blurry iPhone.
Taken from my blurry iPhone.
25 June 2009
24 June 2009
21 June 2009
20 June 2009
Bap-pap
Only in Colorado...
Apparently Julia's graduated from the sippie cup. She loves Stacey's "bap-pap" (as she calls it). The last few weeks she's been very interested in the camelbak, so I decided to put it on her today. She loved "hiking" around the house with it and judging by her diaper later, she was well hydrated after the "hike". Since she's so small, this little camelbak looks like scuba gear on her. It cracks me up.
We took some video of this and will be posting it in the next few days.
Apparently Julia's graduated from the sippie cup. She loves Stacey's "bap-pap" (as she calls it). The last few weeks she's been very interested in the camelbak, so I decided to put it on her today. She loved "hiking" around the house with it and judging by her diaper later, she was well hydrated after the "hike". Since she's so small, this little camelbak looks like scuba gear on her. It cracks me up.
We took some video of this and will be posting it in the next few days.
19 June 2009
16 June 2009
The Dress Code...
…has finally been changed (now that a certain someone is longer here)! It’s now business casual. For the guys, no more ties or dress pants! For the women, no more hose or dresses!
It’s all about the khakis and a collared shirt. Of course, that means I’ll have to go out and buy new clothes now. Hmm…Father’s Day is this Sunday (hint hint).
EDIT/UPDATE - my sources tell me that the dress code change was announced at Compassion this week and also made the Gazette. That's too funny. Who knew this was such a big story (kidding, of course)?
It’s all about the khakis and a collared shirt. Of course, that means I’ll have to go out and buy new clothes now. Hmm…Father’s Day is this Sunday (hint hint).
EDIT/UPDATE - my sources tell me that the dress code change was announced at Compassion this week and also made the Gazette. That's too funny. Who knew this was such a big story (kidding, of course)?
13 June 2009
Rampart Reservoir
Our Sunday School class had reservations at the Pike Community Campground this weekend, so we met up with everyone there yesterday. The original plan was to camp with everyone else. We realized we could be there for the majority of the time and still sleep in our own beds if we just drove up in the morning...so, that's what we did.
I had to fight off two other dogs from the same owner that went after Quincey when we first showed up. Of course, it was the little dog that was the problem. I put Quincey on leash when we first arrived when I saw the other two dogs. When walked into their territory the little dog charged but they only got air and a tuft of fur before I picked Quincey up. I'm sure he was having "terrier flashbacks". After a time out and some dog whisperer techniques, everyone became best friends but had to remain on a leash the rest of the time there.
We hung out, ate food, talked, and played horseshoes. Julia enjoyed the time but didn't take a nap. By the time the game of horseshoes started she was fading, and I had to make throws with my right hand while holding Julia in my left arm. I actually made a ringer that ignited our victorious comeback after Julia had left, but that's about all I can take credit for. My partner got most of our team's points.
The other half of the day was spent riding the trail around Rampart Reservoir. I can't believe I had never been there before. That's pretty sad considering I grew up here. The loop was 15 miles long and followed the contours of the lake. It was a fun ride, especially because it was so beautiful. I took a picture with the non-zoom, damaged lens on my phone. It never does it justice, but I think you get the idea. Yes, that's Pikes Peak in the background. We'll be going up there again to picnic and/or hang out again this summer. I bet the fall colors will be nice too.
I had to fight off two other dogs from the same owner that went after Quincey when we first showed up. Of course, it was the little dog that was the problem. I put Quincey on leash when we first arrived when I saw the other two dogs. When walked into their territory the little dog charged but they only got air and a tuft of fur before I picked Quincey up. I'm sure he was having "terrier flashbacks". After a time out and some dog whisperer techniques, everyone became best friends but had to remain on a leash the rest of the time there.
We hung out, ate food, talked, and played horseshoes. Julia enjoyed the time but didn't take a nap. By the time the game of horseshoes started she was fading, and I had to make throws with my right hand while holding Julia in my left arm. I actually made a ringer that ignited our victorious comeback after Julia had left, but that's about all I can take credit for. My partner got most of our team's points.
The other half of the day was spent riding the trail around Rampart Reservoir. I can't believe I had never been there before. That's pretty sad considering I grew up here. The loop was 15 miles long and followed the contours of the lake. It was a fun ride, especially because it was so beautiful. I took a picture with the non-zoom, damaged lens on my phone. It never does it justice, but I think you get the idea. Yes, that's Pikes Peak in the background. We'll be going up there again to picnic and/or hang out again this summer. I bet the fall colors will be nice too.
11 June 2009
World Fussball Update
Today is June 11, 2009. That means World Cup 2010 in South Africa is exactly one year away! I am already excited. I can't believe that it's been 3 years since the World Cup in Germany. We were living in Hawaii at the time, so the games were on early in the day. I had to tape the first game and then woke up at 5 every day to watch that game before I had to leave for work. Of course, I figured out a way to watch the second game each day while at work too.
As far as the U.S. National Team goes, they should qualify for next year's World Cup with relative ease. They are already about halfway through qualifying and still are on track. Unfortunately, they don't have to play very good teams to qualify, so it's not a measure of how good they are. In fact, the few qualifying games I have watched have confirmed just how "not good" we really are right now. Starting next week the U.S. team will play in a tournament in South Africa in preparation for WC 2010. Unfortunately, they have to play Italy in the first game and Brazil in the second game. The third game against Egypt might be meaningless, unless the U.S. can steal a point or two from two of the world's best teams. You never know what can happen, but it's going to be difficult. Hopefully the U.S. will have a good showing and at least play well. If not, from what I have seen so far, I expect the U.S. to struggle next year at the World Cup. Depending on how difficult their World Cup group is, it could be another 3 and out for the U.S.
England are my second team. I'm glad to see them dominating their World Cup qualifying group. So far they are 7-0-0 and are winning by an average of 3 goals a game. It sounds impressive, but their group is really weak. I know you can only play the teams in front of you, so I give them kudos for tearing up the likes of the Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Andorra. They've taken care of business. As with the U.S., I'm not sure I know how good England are right now considering their weak opposition. However, their qualifying results give me a reason to be cautiously optimistic that they will be a force to reckon with next summer. Typically England go out in the quarterfinal round, so anything less would be a poor showing and anything better (like the semi-finals - i.e. final four) would be fantastic.
In the domestic leagues, the transfer window was pretty quiet until the last week or two. If you haven't heard, Real Madrid just bought arguably the world's best player from Manchester United (Ronaldo) for about $130 million. Early reports show that he could earn as much as $750,000 A WEEK in wages. I'm sure it will be more around a paltry $400,000 - $500,000 (rolls eyes). That's in addition to Kaka, another one of the world's best players, that Real Madrid just dropped about $70 million to buy. Nothing like a cool $200 million for two players heading to the same team. I guess that's what happens in Madrid when your rivals Barcelona just beat you in the league and won the European Championship. In case you had forgotten, Real Madrid's manager, Juande Ramos, was the manager at Tottenham only 8 months ago. Talk about a major shift in fortunes.
Spurs have been quiet so far. Most people don't expect us to make more then 2 or 3 buys this summer. We will probably sell more players then we will buy. This time around we're going with stability and consistency in the dressing room versus the wholesale changes made the last few summers.
Having said all that, it's been nice to take a break from the sport. Although it essentially runs year round, at least the leagues take a three month break. It's summertime!
As far as the U.S. National Team goes, they should qualify for next year's World Cup with relative ease. They are already about halfway through qualifying and still are on track. Unfortunately, they don't have to play very good teams to qualify, so it's not a measure of how good they are. In fact, the few qualifying games I have watched have confirmed just how "not good" we really are right now. Starting next week the U.S. team will play in a tournament in South Africa in preparation for WC 2010. Unfortunately, they have to play Italy in the first game and Brazil in the second game. The third game against Egypt might be meaningless, unless the U.S. can steal a point or two from two of the world's best teams. You never know what can happen, but it's going to be difficult. Hopefully the U.S. will have a good showing and at least play well. If not, from what I have seen so far, I expect the U.S. to struggle next year at the World Cup. Depending on how difficult their World Cup group is, it could be another 3 and out for the U.S.
England are my second team. I'm glad to see them dominating their World Cup qualifying group. So far they are 7-0-0 and are winning by an average of 3 goals a game. It sounds impressive, but their group is really weak. I know you can only play the teams in front of you, so I give them kudos for tearing up the likes of the Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Andorra. They've taken care of business. As with the U.S., I'm not sure I know how good England are right now considering their weak opposition. However, their qualifying results give me a reason to be cautiously optimistic that they will be a force to reckon with next summer. Typically England go out in the quarterfinal round, so anything less would be a poor showing and anything better (like the semi-finals - i.e. final four) would be fantastic.
In the domestic leagues, the transfer window was pretty quiet until the last week or two. If you haven't heard, Real Madrid just bought arguably the world's best player from Manchester United (Ronaldo) for about $130 million. Early reports show that he could earn as much as $750,000 A WEEK in wages. I'm sure it will be more around a paltry $400,000 - $500,000 (rolls eyes). That's in addition to Kaka, another one of the world's best players, that Real Madrid just dropped about $70 million to buy. Nothing like a cool $200 million for two players heading to the same team. I guess that's what happens in Madrid when your rivals Barcelona just beat you in the league and won the European Championship. In case you had forgotten, Real Madrid's manager, Juande Ramos, was the manager at Tottenham only 8 months ago. Talk about a major shift in fortunes.
Spurs have been quiet so far. Most people don't expect us to make more then 2 or 3 buys this summer. We will probably sell more players then we will buy. This time around we're going with stability and consistency in the dressing room versus the wholesale changes made the last few summers.
Having said all that, it's been nice to take a break from the sport. Although it essentially runs year round, at least the leagues take a three month break. It's summertime!
10 June 2009
Rocky Mountain Blizzard
We’ve been getting some really uncharacteristic weather around here and there is a new Dairy Queen going in on Stetson Hills, but that has nothing to do with this post. This post is all about a mountain bike.
A bunch of guys from church regularly mountain bike during the summer, and I’ve decided to join them. The problem is, I don’t have a bike or any gear… Technically, I still have (and use) my old road helmet and sunglasses but they are both falling apart. Regardless, the gear is the easy and cheap problem to fix – the bike is another story.
I’ve been using Lanny’s Blizzard when I’ve joined them for rides, and it actually fits me pretty well. Last year he upgraded and bought another Rocky Mountain bike and has been trying to sell his Blizzard since last fall. Here’s the catch – apparently it seems most mountain bikers don’t like buy used bikes. That’s the only reason why I think he hasn’t been able to sell it and it comes up in conversation with others too. The conversation goes something like this: “it’s a great deal as long as you don’t mind buying a used bike. A lot of people want a brand new mountain bike for their first one.” I guess I don’t care that much…or maybe the sticker-shock of a new bike makes me cringe more.
Really, I think cost is the main factor. However, I know Lanny pretty well and he’s quite anal when it comes to his things (he’s an CPA, for example). He’s the type of guy that would trade in a 6 month “old” car for a brand new car just because it got a scratch on it. So, I know it’s been well taken care of. I’ve also been able to ride it a few times on some real terrain and it does really well. It feels solid, things seem to work right, etc. The other advantage of buying his bike is that I can get a complete one-on-one training session on how to care for, setup, and adjust every inch of the bike since he’s already figured it out.
So here’s the scoop. Lanny believes that if you were to buy a comparable bike to his right now, you’re looking at spending about $2000-$2200 new. He has seriously upgraded a lot things on his Blizzard. We stopped in at Criterium and I rode a $1200 Cannondale over lunch. It felt cheap compared to his bike, which makes sense since, well, it isn’t as nice. We looked around (and I’ve looked online) and the lowest of low-end mountain bikes start around $650 when you factor in tax. Lanny is selling his bike for $800. $800 is a little bit more in my price range.
Additionally, he just upgraded a lot of his parts last summer right before he bought his other bike. The tires, front suspension fork, hydraulic disc brakes, wheels, and headset are all about 1 year old. The shifters, gears, frame, and all that stuff are from 2003 but really only have 3 years of use on them. Those I could easily replace. The frame is Reynolds 853 Steel (cro-moly) but only like 4 pounds in weight and has a lifetime warranty. Bottom line, the bike frame isn’t going to bend or crack or wear out (like aluminum) and so it could be the base of a bike I have for years if I just keep replacing parts.
I also think the bike looks sweet. Some of the newer bikes have a cheesy paint job. I just can’t see any downside to purchasing it, especially given the fact that I’ll be riding with Lanny (the seller) most times anyway. $800 seems like a sweet deal…and I think for my first bike this would be a better purchase. I’m not going to run out and drop a lot of money, yet I’m also not willing to drop $650 if in a year it falls apart or I end up wanting to upgrade from my “ghetto Huffy”. Really, I think this is just a case of a motivated seller and people’s unwillingness to buy a used bike they haven’t rode from a stranger. So it’s used? Guess what Paco, as soon as you leave the bike shop with your new bike, it’s “used” too!
A bunch of guys from church regularly mountain bike during the summer, and I’ve decided to join them. The problem is, I don’t have a bike or any gear… Technically, I still have (and use) my old road helmet and sunglasses but they are both falling apart. Regardless, the gear is the easy and cheap problem to fix – the bike is another story.
I’ve been using Lanny’s Blizzard when I’ve joined them for rides, and it actually fits me pretty well. Last year he upgraded and bought another Rocky Mountain bike and has been trying to sell his Blizzard since last fall. Here’s the catch – apparently it seems most mountain bikers don’t like buy used bikes. That’s the only reason why I think he hasn’t been able to sell it and it comes up in conversation with others too. The conversation goes something like this: “it’s a great deal as long as you don’t mind buying a used bike. A lot of people want a brand new mountain bike for their first one.” I guess I don’t care that much…or maybe the sticker-shock of a new bike makes me cringe more.
Really, I think cost is the main factor. However, I know Lanny pretty well and he’s quite anal when it comes to his things (he’s an CPA, for example). He’s the type of guy that would trade in a 6 month “old” car for a brand new car just because it got a scratch on it. So, I know it’s been well taken care of. I’ve also been able to ride it a few times on some real terrain and it does really well. It feels solid, things seem to work right, etc. The other advantage of buying his bike is that I can get a complete one-on-one training session on how to care for, setup, and adjust every inch of the bike since he’s already figured it out.
So here’s the scoop. Lanny believes that if you were to buy a comparable bike to his right now, you’re looking at spending about $2000-$2200 new. He has seriously upgraded a lot things on his Blizzard. We stopped in at Criterium and I rode a $1200 Cannondale over lunch. It felt cheap compared to his bike, which makes sense since, well, it isn’t as nice. We looked around (and I’ve looked online) and the lowest of low-end mountain bikes start around $650 when you factor in tax. Lanny is selling his bike for $800. $800 is a little bit more in my price range.
Additionally, he just upgraded a lot of his parts last summer right before he bought his other bike. The tires, front suspension fork, hydraulic disc brakes, wheels, and headset are all about 1 year old. The shifters, gears, frame, and all that stuff are from 2003 but really only have 3 years of use on them. Those I could easily replace. The frame is Reynolds 853 Steel (cro-moly) but only like 4 pounds in weight and has a lifetime warranty. Bottom line, the bike frame isn’t going to bend or crack or wear out (like aluminum) and so it could be the base of a bike I have for years if I just keep replacing parts.
I also think the bike looks sweet. Some of the newer bikes have a cheesy paint job. I just can’t see any downside to purchasing it, especially given the fact that I’ll be riding with Lanny (the seller) most times anyway. $800 seems like a sweet deal…and I think for my first bike this would be a better purchase. I’m not going to run out and drop a lot of money, yet I’m also not willing to drop $650 if in a year it falls apart or I end up wanting to upgrade from my “ghetto Huffy”. Really, I think this is just a case of a motivated seller and people’s unwillingness to buy a used bike they haven’t rode from a stranger. So it’s used? Guess what Paco, as soon as you leave the bike shop with your new bike, it’s “used” too!
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