W101

Finally the 101 picts are up. there are two versions:
the regular version html style
and the flash version full equipped with a slide show. (once a geek, always a geek).
A preview is here - but there are many more. Please share these links with all who may enjoy! Email me if you want higher res copies... and if i didn't already email you with a link it's cause i don't have your email!!

YOU ALL DID AWESOME!!! And what a fun day. The effort, the intensity, and most importantly the smiles, before during AND after the race made it another great experience!

There was some carnage on the rocks...

And surprisingly so many smiles on the climbs!!!

Wes and Matt - top of Greenlee.


The future of the 101... who's the cutest baby ever?

No scarcity of rocks... and ofcourse the proud dad!


and more smiles! you guys rock!

And then the end... dirty bikes and exhausted people. a day well worth it tho!

one certainty in life

there is one formula in my life that is an absolute certainty.

g-dogg + me + cross bikes in the forest = RAIN

yes, without fail every time the two of us head out for a ride in the woods, we are rained on. yesterday reaffirmed that our equation is indeed reality. just a few minutes before the ride, there was thunder, and lightening.. and rain... but we decided to brave it anyway.

lucky for us, the rain decided to subside as we headed up bear meadows. it also washed away the bugs.

(scratch - yea im covered in bites still)

it was refreshing to have someone to ride with - slow as i am these days...nothing beats catch up time on the bike. even braved bear gap which is slowly turning into my favorite climb next to gettis.

thanks gdogg!!

thank goodness for my friends. don't know where i'd be without them.

O2

O2 is in many respects the basis of all life. whether it's via breaths / absorption of fresh air, or osmosis in the water... O2 helps maintain the fragile homeostasis that in turn maintains health.

After work yesterday i needed a cross ride. i tackled a solid loop coming home via the epic climb otherwise known as GREENLEE (duh duh daaaah)! This season i have yet to make it up that climb without serious O2 deficiency. while i made it further yesterday, i still needed a break towards the top. the bugs were in full force and by the time i made it to the top, i was not only dissappointed, but also covered head to toe in bites. coming down north meadows, grooving to the ipod, and swatting off flies, i started to feel the bike bounce in an awkward way... i stopped to notice yet ANOTHER rear flat.

ugh. atleast this time i had the right equipment to repair. frustrating as it took me a while but a few 100 more bug bites later, i was rolling home.

(scratch)

friends have been bugging me for weeks to go to the doctor. nearly passing out in front of my boss was a tell tale sign that something was off ... so today chaya and i both went to the doctor. we both have a lot in common when it comes to medical facilities. for one, neither of us like to ever admit that we're vulnerable to being less than healthy - it's one thing to whine about it to friends but another to actually visit a doctor. and, we both dislike doctors and needles... a lot. then again i wonder sometimes if i really have to say that. i mean who really enjoys going to the doctor and being prodded and poked? but alas we must endure the discomfort in the name of staying healthy.

my little girl was due for all of her shots. poor thing was so excited going into the office until she realized where she was.

turns out both girls - myself and little chaya - lost nearly 10 pounds each since last visit. while her's was partially planned to alleviate pressure on her hips and joints, mine certainly was not and also was just a few months ago. also turns out that for some reason my brain at times is lacking in the O2 department for one reason or another.

sounds like fun!
(scratch)

many viles of blood later (ewww how i hate needles), and plans to be hooked up to some heart monitor thing for a day i was on my way...

sometimes you take for granted the bigger pieces of life - like O2 - that truly sustain you. you're consumed by day to day happenings of the mind and heart that may or may not bring immediate resolution but ultimately and inevitably will be resolved in some way. it's really those bigger pieces that are most important, because without those being in check, nothing else really matters. at all.

AT

an interesting article... (thank you agmap)

withered

The purple flowers of Echinacea, or purple coneflower attract butterflies, bees, and sometimes even hummingbirds. It has various herbal medicinal applications as well including combating colds and other ailments. The plant's overall bloom time is short compared to its relatively long perennial cycle. As the blooms begin to die back, a spiny seed filled center is revealed. This loss of color and its initial beauty is lost in the eyes of many; but the reality is that its complexity is just beginning to unfold as those spiny stems provide excellent perching spots and snacks for birds and when disrupted, drop thousands of seeds which perpetuate the existence of this seemingly simple plant. Throughout its summer duration, it's storing up energy - planning for the next year. Eventually the stems die back but in the spring, new shoots appear - spread throughout the landscape - old plants even more full than in previous years and new plants adding more color to the garden. the dead stems stand tall - adding texture to an otherwise bland winter environment. and with the right eyes, their beauty can be seen - standing tall amidst the cold winter months.

This blossom was a gift just a few weeks ago. i thought it symbolized love and compassion. day by day i've watched its delicate petals shrivel - trying to make sense of its complexity. trying to appreciate it for what it was in full form. trying to not focus on it now in its withered state. trying to appreciate the complexity of its cycle. its current withered state seems to parallel my own - outside and in.

given time, water and nutrients to replenish, and our parallel states, the question then becomes - when it goes to seed, is it better to seek out new growth or wait for the old to rejuvenate in an even fuller form? that is - if it rejuvenates. furthermore, can it be trusted to not wither away again shortly there after, taking me with it again? hence the complexity - or better put, the risk.

life is about risk though. sometimes the risk is too great. sometimes it pays off ten-fold. how much can one take? what is really worth it? i want to give it everything - to help it regenerate. but that can't happen without it being healthy and whole - strong on its own and ready to grow. ready to both receive and give.

and given my similar drained state - full of self insecurity and doubt - can it rejuvenate me in return? or am i on my own yet again. time. life unfolds in time.

mail order fish?

As eric always says, there are many different things to geek out on. Whether it's ipods, carbon fiber bike parts, computers... or in my case fish - cichlids to be precise...

many of you who know me best, know of my collection of fish tanks that have slowly been growing and evolving through the years. From my expanding tank of kribensis (Pelvicachromis pulcher). to my "mutt tank" of South American cichlids including the lovely Acaras (Aequidens ??) mixed in with a variety of other more random fish and kribs... to now my african tank dedicated to a variety of mbuna and hab cichlids from lakes Malawi and Tanganyika.

A lot of research went into this tank as my past experience with cichlids included one viscious kenyi (Pseudotropheus lombardoi) who killed everyone else in the tank systematically.

So after a great amount of research into what types of fish i should get... species... what lake, etc... here are some rules

1. don't mix species from different lakes - they won't get along
2. mix different species from different lakes - chances are they will get along
3. try a species specific tank
4. try one of a lot of different species
   
5. don't put more than one male of one species in a tank with lots of females
   
6. don't use a tank less than 100 gallons
   
7. don't use a tank smaller than 50 gallons
8. don't use a tank smaller than 500 gallons
9. build your own lake
10. leave the tank completely bare - with nothing in it
11. make lots of caves and rock formations in the tank to break line of sight and provide hiding spots
12. crowd the tank with fish
13. don't over crowd the tank
    

yea i learned a lot. a lot of conflicting information. after months of an empty tank sitting in my living room, i decided to take the plunge and just get some things... i picked out a few species and went to the local store to make a purchase.

LEFT: Tropheus Duboisi, acci cichlid (take note of his nicely shaped mouth). rusty cichlid.
RIGHT: Yellow Lab, Acci cichlid, rusty cichlid.

The awesome rock structure build by clay.


Another rusty shot. RIGHT: masked brichardi (tanganyika)

ABOVE: "Nemo" - this is my special acci cichlid who has a serious birth defect. He looks a little different from the others but his "lucky rounded face" gives him character!

I had a plan for this tank - to mix as many "semi-aggressive" species as possible in the tank. You see, in the wilds of africa these fish live in deep, clean lakes. these lakes provide ample space for fish to have territories of their own. while some fighting is inevitable, the extreme aggression that is often displayed in smaller hobby tanks is not the norm.

unfortunately the local store was lacking in a few species of interest so i resorted to an online purchase. yes, there are mail order brides, there is mail order dog food... and there are mail order FISH!

they come in a box via fedex. packed securly in a relatively temperature controlled cooler in baggies containing pure oxygen. i was amazed at how healthy they were upon arrival.


Here they are - left at my doorstep via the fedex guy.

packed in the cooler, i let them sit in the tank to acclimate leaving the lights low so they weren't shocked after being in complete darkness for a day!

And then they were lose. Here are a few of the yellow peacocks (a hybrid) with a yellow lab and nemo.

Probably the most beautiful - Aulonocara nyassae - Peacock Cichlid Orange Blossom.

So far a few scuffles aside, the packed tank, variety of species and hiding spaces seems to be working... it sure does look beautiful... the saga will continue tho as they grow acclimate to the tank becoming more territorial.

moving on

one of the greatest challenges surrounding this town is its transient population. over the past years close friends have moved on to bigger and better things with their significant others. from chihiro and drew's journey to rock springs, to eric and gretta's recent departure to san fran.

while i've managed to keep in touch with most, it's hard sometimes to accept the change. it seems as if it's always the special ones that end up leaving.

I miss you all!!

heading west

planning a trip can be exciting and stressful.
the excitement comes from the prospect of exploring a new place that is so full of history - both cultural and environmental. the stress comes from figuring out how to take care of things on the home front while you're gone. leaving my little furry girl behind... saying goodbye to friends and family... and the boy for x number of weeks... and leaving with the mind at ease that everything and everyone will be ok and in good health upon return.

if anyone knows of a good housesitter - shoot me an email.
ugh.