ouch
what a day!
time well spent
not exactly "r&r"
but relaxing just the same

the morning walk with the dogs
the morning drop off of dean and that cross town drive
knocked off some things to do
took my pain medication as prescribed
hung out with mike k. at city bikes
picked up some stuff i had ordered and shot some shit
it was fun to get some of that great bike shop club house vibe
joe foley showed up looking to meet up with some folks from MORE
it was good to see Scud... I did not recognize the fit women that they were traveling with
they were off to lead some sort of capitol staffers off road ride
sounded pretty cool
seeing joe and scud put the deadline ahead of me and excuses behind me
got to move forward on that brochure
from the bike shop straight to get dean
at school i paused long enough to tell the kids about the accident, the doctor, the x-ray, and the surgery
then a book... arthur... not my first choice but they requested it.... it turned out to be pretty good
on our exit donald's mom invited us over for a "play date"
without hestitation we accepted
with my 4 o clock feeding I told them we would have to head home
dean and i rushed in the house
without hesitation dean had his sunglasses and helmet
it was a struggle to get him to backtrack and put on his fleece
with the car unloaded, my four o clock feeding, and the fleece on along with helmet and glasses we were on the road... or should I say... we were on the sidewalk

i had to run ahead of dean
he was pedaling pretty fast
like a drill seagent I issued commands...
stop at the corner
wait for me at the alley
use the brake'
SLOW DOWN!
NO! LOOK OUT!
are you okay?
you are tough.... shake it off...
stop at the corner
keep pedaling up the hill
good job
no worries... I will give you a push

during the play date my mind grew a tad spacey from the four o clock meds
made for good conversation
we all had a good adults and children all played good together
a good time was shared by all

before we could over stay our welcome much longer i wrestled dean away from the action
my methods were not well thought out
again there were issues with the fleece
but the notion of the bike was a good lure

out the front door i pointed up the hill knowing downhill was more direct
but feared the pitch of the hill
dean was gung ho for the hill
so we assumed the drill seargant position
he pedaled fast rotations using the hill
yelling that he wanted to be in front
so i gave him some trust and some space
i ran along side of him and told him to slow and then stop
with dean stopped and good eye contact i pointed out acrve and the alley
he needed to slow for the curve made tight by some vergrwon bushes
then start to brakeo he could slow then stop before the alley

i ran ahead
dean again wanted to take the lead
i explained that i needed to be in front of him to help force a stop
catching him and slowing him down as i had already several times earlier
as i crossed through the bushes i moved a sideways gallop
watching dean
as he made the curve the bushes took him out
WIPEOUT!
right in front of my eyes
nothing i could do
no worries
no complaints
back on the bike
moving forward as i issue more commands
another wipeout
not as ugly
not as bad
back on the bike
as it levels off

side effects of medication: HICKUPS!?!

last night I hadthe hickups for what seemed to be over an hour
it was all a tad amusing
dean woke up and wanted to get into our bed; no an option!
i need my space
i need my sleep
with his incidental kicks to the head as he tosses and turns in the night
he would most certainly make painfulcontact with my bandaged and broken finger

so already awake with the hickups i met dean half way on the stairs
i consoled him and explained to him just as i explained to you why he needs to sleep in his own bed

once upstairs i distracted him by finding his newly acquired starwars toys
with the toys in hand he wanted a story
sure it was quarter of fiur.... but how would i sleep with these hickups?
so dean got his story...
one word... two words.... hickup... one word.. hickup
and so things went
dean told me i needed a glass of water
i tried his remedy.... still hickups
back to the story...
one word... two words.... hickup... one word.. hickup
again dean sent me for more water
a gallon later.. still hickups and a jumbled story
a hug
a kiss
back to bed
finally asleep

only to wake with the hickups again asi drained that gallon of water from my system

hard times... good times?
hard to tell.

yesterday as lisa and i drove across town for my surgery... lisa old me of a tent/camper in the woods
her encounter with the camper and her impression of who or what this person my be
it made me a tad uneasy... the stories in the news... the harshness of the times... the desparation and the disrespect people can have for human life... it all made me worry about my wife and her vunerability

so...
this morning before i took dean off to school i walked the dogs
my initial intention was to head across the street for my standard short loop
but recolection of lisa's tale had me curious and concerned so i directed myself across the bridge and into the woods where lisa had said she had seen this man, his tent, and his bicycle

days prior i had seen tire tracks and skid marks
as i entered the trail there were more skid marks, some trash collecting, and sure enough a bright yellow tent and a kona mountainbike
music came from the tent
there was static from poor reception or perhaps an old tired speaker
the setting was identical to what lisa had described the day prior

with the dogs leashed at my side i greeted the tent... assuming there was a person along with the stereo
to my hello a voice from the tent responded politely... "who is it?"
like a dim whitted fool i said, "it is me... not the cops... just me and my dogs."
the tone of my voice was more important than what i said... my approach wasfriendly yet firm

through the nylon or perhaps gortex tent we spoke
he assured me that he was tearing down
in a friendly exchange I told him that he had no found a very remote place to camp
i assued him that i would no call the cops, but that someone would
then i continued by letting him know that i knew he was here days before and that i would appreciate if he moved to a new location
again he agreed in a very polite manner
adding again that his illegal camping spot was a tad less than remote

we exchanged goodbyes having still never seen the other
as i moved forward i unleashed the digs and hiked forward and further
doing a quick little lollipop loop that would bring me back along the this same path on my return

upon my return i again leashed the dogs in anticipation of our next encounter

sure enough
there he was... suiting up and tearing down

as i got closer i asked... "hard times? good times? it is hard to tell.."
after he made a quick analysis of my obscure question he answered back
there was talk about high rent and hard times

again he was more than polite
he recognized the dogs and asked if the woman the day prior was my wife... i said yes
as friendly as he may seem
his fringe existence still left me uneasy

the condition of his bike did nothing for my confidence
no grips
no shifters
one lever
rear brake only
not a track bike. but perhaps an unintentional single speed
i had seen him downtown... having made notice of his old kona rid missing so many vital parts
highlighted be some old cream colored knobbies


like the bleeding heart liberal i am i thought of the parts i could send his way
surely some brakes in the front could be helpful
may save his life... may aid in a little more control a lot less skidding
but hesitated
instead i recommeded a better place to camp
as it was clear he is going to camp.... it is just a matter of where
it seemed best to guide him away from further human and dog traffic

we will see where this takes us...
hopefully he moves to a more remote space
hopefully he is harmless and a threat to no one

i am alive
surgery is behind me
it was magic
not like the magic of eye contact and a wide smile shared with one of my sons
but rather black magic, scary black magic
magic too dark/too scary for harry Potter
magic too dark/too scary for Star Wars
more like Rosmary's Baby*
more like real life

it was over as soon as it began
time was remove
two hours of life zapped from my conscious being
one second I was lying down on the surgical table watching the nurses strap me in and send me off on a strange ride
something was added to my IV and I found myself hours later in the dressing room where it all began
there is no recollection of seeing the doctor in the operation room
although we may have spoken
there is an amnesia side effect

in this hospital lazy-boy-like chair I assessed my body
took in the surroundings
tubes were still in my nose and maybe my arm
as I slowly gained consciousness I made small talk with various nurses

they removed the tubes and I took a further measure of my condition
my left arm was heavy from the cast
my fingers were numb with a novacaine-like tingle
I felt like I may vomit
I felt like I was going to be sick
like a frat boy on spring break I asked for a trash can... just in case

things were not right
I had a major headache... headache... pain.... and confusion
with some fresh breathes I still felt like I may be sick... but felt in control
I requested to use the bathroom
my ability to walk needed assistance
like an old man I slowly moved to the bathroom

once in the bathroom I realized vomit may come
but only after diareha

I flet better after the bathroom
still felt like shit... but better
the desire to vomit was still present... but not as strong

fresh air was needed...
once back from bathroom my wife was there waiting for me

after some medical advice, medical appointments, prescriptions, and other hospital post op stuff I was released
it was a pretty routine process
in and out in an afternoon

not sure what happened in there
still not sure what is inside my hand
but... I am confident in the advice, actions, and opinion of my doctor

now the long road to recovery

first PT appointment for monday!

Fashion
function and fashion

we have to wear something...
so we try to wear something we like...
something that portrays a certain image
something that makes us comfortable both to the touch and in appearance

when we encounter someone we often try to make a few assumptions of their character
we look at there choice of hairstyle and then their shoes... after that we take in everything in between
at a closer look we look at their watch
for those with glasses... there is a major decision on what frames to choose

sadly... what we choose to drive is also an extention of ourselves....
funtionality often becomes fashion...
family wagon? mini-van? SUV?
they all say something about who we are... whether we like it or not

me....
most of my clothing is pretty plain
"I wear black on the outside, because black is how I feel on the inside" -The Smiths
very basic stuff.. jeans.. or khakis... or whatever is in the clearance rack
(overalls were my pant of choice for over a decade... but the boss was making faces.. so I sold out to the man and put on some slacks)
no Juicy Couture in my wardrobe
most of my jackets are gear...
cycling or snowboarding jackets
most of my t-shirts are swag from events
most of my shoes are quasi-athletic... well... other than dress shoes
dress shoes need to be comfortable
ironman as a watch
shaved head as a haircut
cycling glasses as eye protection of my 20/20 vision
lots of my clothing reflects that I am cheap and have been wearing the same size for over a decade
would much rather buy new toys than a suit.... guess that explains my pilly sport coat that I have worn thin

i guess... if it were not for BAD FASHION I would not have any fashion ar all!

(as much as I hate to admit it... people can gues my interests and my job my my choice of apparrell)

What motivates people?
and other nonsensical topics to aid in me finishing the end of what was a productive day

I do not know what motivates people...
most certainly there are different answers for different people for each question

for example...
Why do some people drive their cars with their music so loud?

is it so that the bumping bass sets of car alarms?
or is it so that people will look over and pay attention to them as they roll past?
I do not know...
I have not asked...
all I know is that there are times when I am in my car or on the sidewalk and some joker with after market rims goes by with their windows open and the volume so high that it is most definitely causing some long term damage!

do people do things for themselves or for other people?

for example...
motorcycles....
do people ride motorcycles for the ease in finding an urban parking space, the feeling of taking a curve filled road really fast, or so that they can walk into a bar with a leather jacket and a helmet?
sure... motorcycles are a "way of life"
but... for so many reasons motorcycles are impractical
(here are a few reasons; groceries, friends, rain, and alcohol)
I rode motorcycles for years...
but never went without also having a car...
it would be hell driving out to the trails with my mountainbike on a motorcycle
eventually I realized... A good day for a motorcycle is a good day for the bicycle...
I had no need for both
(that is not to say that I will not own a motorcycle again... I love motorcycles as a luxury toy!)

tattoos and piercing...
the self motivation for each of these can be very personal
fashion is the only real answer...
but I do not get why someone has to wear a sleeveless t-shirt in the winter to show their ink
or why someone has to stick out their tongue and show their piercing each time they get their picture taken
(again... that is not to say that I will not get more tattoos or piercings in the future)

culture and trends.... t
his whole "dog as an accessory" thing is odd to me....
I love my dogs... but I do not want a dog that I need to carry around in a Gucci purse!
okay... I should stay away from fashion issues... I am just actin old and uncool
I am old and uncool

RETRO
in some ways RETRO Wigs me Out.... in Fashion... in Cycling...
you name it most RETRO stuff sucks
for example..
I have an old pair of VANS skate shoes... even with inserts they are no better than slippers... running down the block would give me flat feet (okay.. I admit it.. I am a slave to fashion.. I am not above such things.. we have to wear something)
in cycling...
thumb shifters suck... they sucked in 1985... no arguement
bad 80's fashion.... it was bad in the 80's... I know it... I lived it
why is it do the "indy rock kids" dress like kids dressed back when I was in junior high?
the haircuts... the shoes...
I am sure that they look as silly to me as a kid dressed like a "greaser" would look to my parents... just a tad out of place... perhaps a bit of a costume

for the nerds in the Metro area...

DC Birding List


.

I stole this off RoBLOG
so this is what the "kids" are talking about
I am old...
here are the "street terms"

this is some moderately serious stuff
as a parent these will be issue in the future
but this list will be ancient history by the time my boys become teens
who knows what to expect?

there was no mention of cold beer in that list!

IMBA
so I joined the International Mountain Bike Association
(again... it has been years since I did my part)
when I joined I aslo purchased an IMBA Jersey
(good thing I got the XXL... any smaller and my younger son would be sporting lycra!)

was reading their newsletter...
I am already feeling good about my contribution
there was some good information on trail repair
as well as other stuff on potential trail openings in National Parks!

what does this mean for you?
you too should contribute to IMBA
and in the Mid-Atlantic Region; MORE

Stolen Underground
Matt DeCanio...
check out this top ten list
(this list was shared with me from an old friend ((lets call him A.F.)) who took an odd path from skateboarding and skim boarding with a Punk Rock soundtrack to road riding to the tune of Kenny G.)

Quality Points

It is all about the quality points. I am collecting them like crazy. It will not be long until I have everything out of life I ever wanted. 36 Quality Points a day qualifies for a beautiful life.

If you take drugs you lose 10800 quality points each dose. If anyone can do the math, it takes about 3 months of hitting 36 points a day to get back towards the equal liberium of being a quality person. For those who have taken drugs for years, just think about each dose you took. And it is going to take 3 months from each of those times to start being a good person again.

So understand if it takes years of doing good before your soul starts feeling better. I have been working hard to get my quality points back up. I am still fighting it, but things are starting to get better for me. I was so far negative in the Quality Points it was scarey. I didn't think I was going to be able to rebound.

Anyways, I wanted to give you guys the top 10 reasons dopers are idiots.

10. You suck and you have to take drugs to win because you suck.

9. You are a coward because you fear losing. You fear losing so much that you will sell your soul instead of being a man and just being happy with the way God made you.

8. They pretend like they are your friends at the races, but behind your back while you are training hard at home clean, they are secretly taking drugs, and when you meet at a race they beat you and pretend they are clean. Some friends huh?

7. The drugs they are taking to cheat their co workers and friends are destroying their health and they are in denial that they are getting sick or their body is falling apart.

6. They lie to all of their fans because lying is the only way people will like them. It is kind of like going to a club and telling a girl you own a company to get laid, when in fact you clean the toilets of Mc Donalds so you have to hide your true self and be fake, because you really are loser.

5. When a doper wins a race on drugs he smiles, what the fuck are you smiling about? You cheated idiot, it doesn't count.

4. When a doper wins a race and still can't smile, idiot why do you keep cheating? You know you aren't happy, or have you forgot what true happiness feels like because your cancer is developing in your gut and you feel like shit. Remember guys, cheating on your wife is not the way to become happy. Your kids will figure it out in about 10 years and they won't talk to you. Kids love their moms more than their dads and will listen to mom, because your sorry ass isn't even their to experience life with them. You are trailer trash, white trash, and you belong on Jerry Springer with the KKK for sick twisted rednecks.

3. They think their name isn't sitting on the desk of USADA.

2. They think we can't track every email that is sent on stolen underground.

......And the number one reason Dopers are Idoits.........

1. God pops off one of your balls for cheating, yet you keep doing it.

holla at your boy

ps. The joke is on the dopers when we will be reading their obituary in about 30 years when we are still riding up Beech Mountain and picking up Quality Points. The race isn't just when you put numbers on your ass in a tight skinsuit. The real race is from birth to death

and
Dopers SUCK!

Starsky & Hutch
this film was a let down... but after seeing it for the third time
the humor is starting to reveal itself

PINBALL
computer Pinball is never organic... but it is worth a minute

DCMTB
it is all a tad confusing
I am on a mountainbike team... DCMTB
we are sponsored by a local bike shop, City Bikes
for the most part we simplify things and call ourselves The City Bikes Mountainbike Team
it is a good relationship...
City Bikes gives us a deal and in return we represent them at races as well as at various cycling related community events
(Bike DC, Bike to Work Day, urban bike rodeos, trail maintenance, etc.)
the owners of City Bikes have a really good sense of "giving back" to the community

here is my profile on the team site (DCMTB)... Gwadzilla
here is the main page for City Bikes
I have said it before... I will say it again...

"support your local bike shop... but if your local bike shop sucks! then take your business over to City Bikes... the folks at City Bikes are knowledgeable and nothing shy of helpful. The shops are well stocked with bikes and gear, with two locations if you are in the DC area one of these locations may be convenient to your work or home!"

the team and its unfolding season

Arleigh....
I will link to your site on my next template revision
maybe next week when I have a minute
til then

EVERYONE!
Check Out ARSBARS!

anyone else need their link...
send it my way
and I will add it to the CLUSTER!
bye
-gwadzilla

ps. I ran into John Monte of THE FULL MONTE
he asks that people take a peak at his Tribute to Marla Ruzicka