Viva la Trailbuilders!

Well I guess if I had made different life choices 5 years ago, I might be in this video.  But alas, I chose healthcare.



The Trailbuilders (Trailer 12/18/12) from Tamarack Media on Vimeo.

Now for some inspirations quotes about Trails:

The pleasure is in the path, the search for something good… –HUNTER S. THOMPSON, US journalist and writer, 1939-2005

Let's get one thing straight: Trails weren't put there by the Supreme Being of your choice. They were cut my human beings just like you and me. —ALLEN ST. JOHN

The user doesn't need trails. The land does. –JIM ANGELL

 The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself. —FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT,

May your trail be dim, lonesome, stony, narrow, winding and only slightly uphill. —EDWARD ABBEY, environmental advocate, 1927–89

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. - John Muir

Breaking Away Bad

This is a mash up that gets to the heart of two things that I really like.  What meth and RVs you may ask? No the movie Breaking Away and the TV show Breaking Bad.



Breaking Away Bad from Jens Voigt's Army on Vimeo.

I am compiling a To-Do list for 2013 and will be finalizing it here in the New Year.  Doing something similar to this is on my that list.  Just friends having fun in the woods.


Bandit Cross: Ruining It For Everybody from Quality Bicycle Products on Vimeo.

Worlds Collide

This is where my love of music collides with my professional devotion to re-use.

It's Friday sooo....

Here're your tunes.

Ode to a dog (god)

Well this is shitty.  I've been thinking that shitty stuff clusters itself like cancer cells.  First you have news like this and that. Now I've got my own sob story to tell.  If you aren't partial to sob stories then just ignore the rest of this post because I've got to vent and I'm sure the waterworks are going to get turned on.  But I'll try to be stoic.  You'll see no emoticons I'll just take a moment to sob away from my keyboard.  With a disclaimer like that you know it ain't gonna end well, but let's carry on anyway shall we.

First let's introduce the players.

This is a good dog.  Just starting to grow out of her puppy energy.  She's three and will be four in May.  She has a incredible knack for finding her way onto furniture and a strong desire to get cozy right at your feet. She is a member of the family and If you've met her you've likely been greeted with an enthusiastic volley of licks, tail wags and probably some jumping.  After she calms down you will have experienced about a half an hour of her trying to make constant physical contact with you by sneakily placing her head under your hand (hey how'd that get there?).  After she's calmed the fuck down she's the best dog ever. Period.

Don't argue just let me continue.  Also, she's fast.  I mean she's a mutt, a lab mix, but I think she's a lab mixed with a rocket.  Throw a ball 50 yards and she'll get to it on the second bounce with out even trying. I'm partial to jogging with her and I'm sure she increased my time by about 1 minute per mile.

With that said Monday I woke up with out any indication that anything was amiss.  Luna (that's her name by the way no use hiding her identity any longer) was waiting for me at the door. However soon after we left the house for our morning jog and constitutional (her not me) I noticed something was wrong when I felt a tug on the leash an looked to see Luna lagging behind in an uncharacteristic fashion.  I encouraged her and she rallied for about 3 blocks and then it was lagwaggon time again.  By this time we were at the park and I thought I had the cure.  It took her off leash and let the pure joy of freedom whip her into an uncontrolled frenzy of attacking pine cones and chasing sticks. Instead... nothing, "no thanks, I'll just sit right here thanks", was the reaction I got.  Now I was starting to get worried.  So we hightailed it home, well more like moseyed, where Luna promptly went to lay down and proceeded to ignore her food and practically everything else in the house.  I thought wow looks like the doggie flu has got her down, I'll have to keep an eye on this.  When I got home from work, she was a bit perkier but not herself.  The next morning Luna was up with me and seated at the door saying, "yes please let's go out." Alright I thought this is more like it. After one trip around the block we were back at the house and Luna was back on her bed when I went to feed her... nothing. So I call her...she lifted her head but nothing else.  Well, I thought, "Shit just got real."   Tiff said she'd call the Vet to make an appointment and while i was slightly worried there were no big warning bells going off in my head.  I mean she is a young healthy pooch who only two days before  was running around the back yard.  However there was a little voice in the back of my head that I was trying desperately to ignore that was saying, "Pssst, you know this ain't good."

Tiff called me at work to say they were at the vet and the vet was worried. Luna had a very high temp and had become extremely disoriented.  They were taking blood and running some tests, but he recommended that we take her to the Emergency Vet.  "OK, this is a bigger deal than I thought" I says to myself.  "Not really, you knew it might go this way." the little voice said.  I rushed to the Emergency Vet who was using words like Stage 5 Lymphoma and severe bacterial infection when I got there.  I knew at this point the outlook was not good.  (By the way, if you would like to hear a different rant about trying to apply for credit to pay for your dieing dog by phone in the vet's office just ask. I'd be happy to go down that road another time.)  By the end of the day all signs pointed to the Lymphoma in her marrow, and while we await the final results, we just want to take our family member home.  We also haven't received any concrete options outside of the vet pushing for chemo which is seems has a best case scenario of 9 months and a worst of 2 months, and a huge price tag.  I'll be looking for a second opinion.

Now I'm looking forward and can see that I very likely don't have much time left with her.  This is naturally when I start looking back at all the things I'd done differently.  All the times I thought, "No you don't need to a big walk tonight we'll just go out to the back yard." Or, "sorry Luna, It's too much of a hassle to bring you on this trip we'll just get you a nice weekend at the kennel or at a friend's house."  Or the time I got really mad and may have gone a bit off the deep end at you over this little mess.

All these things struck me as we were holding her as the technicians came and went and they prepped her, and T__ leaned in and said, "Luna, from now on you can get on the furniture when ever you want."  And that's what I'm talking about. I have an increased focus to make the most of the time we have left together, no matter how short a time it may be.  I also reflect on how much she has brought to us. She has a never ending well of love that is unconditional and a reserve of patience that allows her to endure reoccurring dress up sessions by loving kids.  She knows just when to give a contented sigh and when to come put her head on your lap.  I hope in the coming days/weeks I can give back a fraction of the comfort that she has given me.  As I said at the beginning of the post she is three years old, now I'm hoping she'll live until May so she can see the ripe old age of four.

Music For a Friday

Right on.

And another because it's never not a good time for Zepplin.

Get ready for a few recap posts from the Thanksgiving slog to PA.

It's almost this time

I love this clip.  Actually the whole movie is just gorgeous but this clip is one of my favorites.  The use of the urban setting.  The music. The camera work.  The dirty snow. Total package.

VTMB Action!

Tunes for the loss of light

Not your normal Thursday

Sleeping in an hour, walking the kids to school, having a quiet breakfast with charming conversation with my honey, then going on a 10 mile Urban Mountain Bikecycle Ride is, at the very least, better than a stick in the eye.  But actually it's much better than that.

Gettin' Rad

This Video:

is awsome and reminds me of this one I posted a few months ago:

Ernest Goes to the Races

This guy is a-ok in my book.  His story is inspirational and should speak volumes to a country with an obesity epidemic on its hands.  It's all about getting off our collective asses 'Merica.  His story is one of self realization and personal responsibility. It also speaks of the power of hard work and what a powerful effect a positive group of people can have and what a profound effect a positive person can have on a community. I heard the story on NPR last night and have seen this around the last few days but I first saw Ernest's story at All Hail the Black Market.

Too Good.

That is what the little misses is to me.  She out did herself planning and executing a family camping trip for my Birthday.

 I try to rack my feeble mind for what I may have done to deserve the thought and attention she puts into  and for the life of me I can't think of a damn thing.

Truly there is nothing in this world I want more than sharing a quality life experience with those I love most.  Especially if those experiences involve being in "the great outdoors" and this trip had them in spades.  All sorts of weather from glorious sun to 40 and pissing rain.  Interactions with the real life natural world (loons, ducks, coyotes, and more mushrooms than you can shake a stick at). Peak fall foliage. Laughing kids...crying kids.  Booze and coffee.  See for yourself.

Whoda thunk...Now this is well reasoned

some well reasoned discussion about religion/spirituality. This guy may be my new hero.  Although Keith Morrison's incredulous response made me want to smack him upside the head.

Just ignore the comments if you click through to the yous-tubes.

These days, some call it austerity..

I call it wisdom.

I love these people

I mean there are others but these are the big players... the heavies, so to speak.

No Mas Presents: Dock Ellis & The LSD No-No by James Blagden

100 Shades of...

Awsome.

Great Local Bike Commentary

There has been a number of great commentaries, articles, and videos popping up lately about the increase of cycling as a mode of transportation and sharing the road.  Here is one that was on VPR this morning.

Commentary Series: Martin: Bike Revolution

weekend project

I spent some time this weekend at the kids school building an outdoor classroom for the kindergarteners.  Mark had the vision and he and I started on Thursday for a few hours.  Had to work on Friday but by the end of Saturday we almost had it licked.  The project was constructing and arranging some simple benches from material left over from the much more substantial gazebo type outdoor classroom built by the Principal Brian Williams and volunteers during the midst of a heatwave earlier this summer. 

I'm happy with how they turned out and it was fun.  Now for photographic evidence.

notching

 

I went mountain biking this week.  I literally needed to dust off the ol' bike before riding since it has been almost a year since I've ridden it.  The skinny tire bikes have been pulling the majority of the duty.  But it has sparked something in me and served as a test.  I can ride to the trails and spin through the loop once and take that other that other short loop and ride home in an hour flat clocking in just over 11 miles.  Fun. 

I have been itching to gather friends who ride bikes and throw down on a ride that hits all of the dirt in the Burlington metro area with fun beer/skill stops and this was the test of about 1/3 of the loop.  Now to start stringing them together. 

Beach Week!

• Tiki 
• Bike rides everywhere
• The Kelp Shed
• Sand Dollar Beach for sunset
• Hiking to East Beach
• Settlers of Catan 
• Surfing
• Skimboarding
• The neighbors getting kicked out our first night
• 10 p.m. quiet hours
• Lobstah
• Run and Jump
• Stripers
• Kube
• Canned beer craze
• The Lobster House
• Canoes and Kayaks
• Crazy tidal shifts (+10')
• Driftwood forts

Pictures after the jump:

Family Vacation List

Pine Grove Cottages- Beach Lake, PA

• Wiffleball
• Halfball ( I missed the game :'( )
• Poolside
• Lake swimming
• Kyaking
• 2 bike rides with my cuz Sean
• Movie night outside (Back to the Future & ...)
• Beer (5 Kegs)
• Sausage
• Bacon
• The Echo
• Annual round of Golf (best ball) followed by Gin and Tonics
• Running with Tiff 2X  
• Slate-board quoits 
• Family- Wife and Kids, 3 grandparents, 2 parents, 1 brother (and his better half), 7 aunts and uncles,  9 cousins + 2 spouses + 3 kids, 2 family friends and their 3 kids.  Total = 37 ( it was a light year with a few cousins MIA)

• THE Olympics
• Pinochle
• Listening to Pop give Tiff a hard time about nearly everything
• History- 60 years of family vacation tradition at our 4th location (IMO the new place is second only to Bush's)
• Eagle watching each night
• Ice cream (watching Pat and Kevin eat the Quart)

The West Coast...

of New England.  It's been said that Burlington is the San Francisco of New England and that this

is it's Golden Gate Bridge.  I swear it's been said...by someone.

Take me out to the ballgame...and other things

Well in the spirit of trying to fit in as much activity as possible into one weekend I decided to take off a little early on Friday and get some important tasks done.

First I drank a beer while I gardened.

Then I rode some innercity single/double track on skinny tires, singlespeed, and that was fun.

Then it was all about hanging with the kiddos since they will be leaving on Monday to spend a week with Grandmom.  Yay! Boo! but really Yeay!

So we did what any red blooded American with a love for nuanced sports would do...We went to the old ball park.  We watch the Vermont Lake Monsters beat the State College Spikes both nights! Yeah! Good times.

P.S. this post was written in mid July. I just never posted it.

Road Trippin'

I've been out of town for a couple of weeks.  You know, on the road man.

as seen on PDW and the Acid Sweat Lodge

Photos to come.

The Trooper Believer

Sometimes a good mash-up is gold.

The things dreams are made of...

I found these two great websites recently and they have both turned into fodder for incredibly detailed daydreams.  Lunch hours have been spent hitting next page on these collections to see what treasures lay ahead.

First:  Saddle Tramps.

 

Second:  Cabin Porn (it's not what you're thinking, unless it is an you are thinking of a website that hosts drool inducing pictures of cabins.  Like this...

 Have at it.

The ride to work remains fun

 Change up the routes on a regular basis.  Enjoy the views. Get some dirt now and then. And try not to spend too much time taking pictures.  Just enjoy the ride.

Friday tunes for my daughter A--

Time for a little experiment

This weekend the temps were on the warm side but not like earlier in the week, and I thought, since mom was out of town, I would take the kids on a little bike adventure.  Let's ride to the Garden I said. Sure the kids said.  I wasn't expecting it to be that easy It's about 2 miles from our house down to the garden plot but they were psyched.  Since I was expecting some challenge I thought I'd add some by conciving a way to bring the dog to the garden with us.  Success.  Plus I done tuckered the kids out with riding and skidding and wheelie popping.  Party.