Blogging from Boulder: Views on the Foothills Trail
from the little parking coral there is a pedestrian underpass that points the trail users to the Foothills... maybe what locals call the Flat Irons
as I am not a local I do not know
the land is vast
the sky is vast
the plant life is not like the plant life back home
the dandelion seeds create a sphere closer to the size of a baseball than a golfball
the scent of nature surrounds me
clean crisp humidity free air
even the smell of a skunk brings me pleasure
over head there are dark storm clouds that threaten my comfort
the rain in those clouds look cold
I run shirtless saving the shirt for when I will need it
behind me in the east there is a mixture of blue skies with white clouds
a rainbow end drops out of clouds
hidding the arch
from here I can see the pot og gold... it is here in Boulder
the rainbow changes intensity over time.. darker deeper more vibrabrant then dim again
at one time there are rainbows in tandem... a site I have only seen in Colorado
a site that people in Colorado may very well get to see everyday
a site I think I could never take for granted

as it gets later and the sun drops behind the mountians in the west
animals come out for their evening feeding
deer pause from their snack to access whether or not I am something to fear
chirping all around... some insect... some bird.... some prarie dog
the prarie dogs look just like they do in the zoo.... only they have the whole world to roam out here

wild flowers mixed with green grasses make a wall along side the narrow foot trial
there are a few trees...
only a few trees
each small tree standing alone with some sort of strength and magesty
it is a very different world here in Boulder
this Dorthy is not in his Kansas any more

more later
Rocco is up....
we are going to have some coffee then I will free him up for work

Blogging from Boulder:

More Lemonade... Boulder flavored Lemonade.... yummy!
my running has been less than frequent
going running does not make me a runner
yet, while in Colorado my outdoor adventures must be sans bike
as my finger is still not mountainbike worthy
actually my finger is still not bike worthy at all
still hanging mellow on the bike as the inability to brake with my left hand leaves me little escape in a "worst case scenario"
thus leaving hiking and running as my outdoor options

landed/rented a car/drove from Denver to Boulder
got a little lost
but I always get a little lost on the freeways that circle the Denver area
got to experience a taste of Rush Hour in Denver
kept entertained by looking at the different people out here
no shortage of freaks... sure we have freaks in DC... but the freaks are a different breed out here

eventually I was on Route 36 running along side Boulder Colorado
the mountains were the same as they were last time I was here.... beautiful
but the growth and development was mind boggling
rather than guess my way to a trail head I stoped at a running store
at the door was a map with a list of various running trails in the area
guess the question, "where is a good place to run around here?" had taken the sales persons time oh too often
so there was a stack of print outs at the door
I still ventured in... looked around.... marveled at the instore CROCS shoe selection
till this point I had only seen these shoes online
before I left I scanned the bargin bin for "must haves" saw nothing I needed
then scanned the store for liquid refreshments... again, nothing...
no Red Bull, no Gatorade, no Aqua
so I drove out towards the one of the trails and stopped at the next gas station to satisfy my hydration and energy needs

just out of the gas station my phone rang, it was Rocco
he was leaving work
we balanced our time and I figured I still had time for a run
Rocco made a trail reccommendation that was closer than the trail I had selected
it was all good..
we agreed to reconnect after my run/once he gets home

the sun was falling low over the foothills of Boulder
dark storm clouds were gathered in parts of the sky in the west
while the sky in the east was more blue with a gathering of cotton ball clouds
at the trail head I changed into something for running. slammed a Red Bull, chugged some water, stretched for 4 seconds and started towards the hills
it was georgeous
the temperture was cool... maybe low 70's with zero humidity
my legs moved slow as I tried to warm up my body
unsure of the trail and its potential for a loop or my potential for completing a loop in with my limited strength and limited day light I set 26 minutes as a turn around point

while running I started to warm up fast
the Red Bull did more than its buck ninty-nie worth
the surroundings invigorated me as well
as I ran I tried to scan the surroundings
taking in glorious vistas and the vast expanse
the wildlife was abounding
yet for the most part I focused on the trail at my feet
conveluted earth and rocks make for great ankle buckling potential

at 20 minutes into my run I started to feel that this trail was not going to loop as I had felt Rocco had implied
but I kept to my arbitrary 26 minute mark
then as I started to move quickly up a tad steeper grade I felt the trail may be promising
thought maybe it was going to turn itself into the hill then double back
then all of a sudden.... my right calve locked up
hard as a rock... stiff as a board
I tried to massage it
but it did not feel like it wanted to move
so I slowed my pace to a walk in an effort to lossen things up
then I crested this brief incline and found my trail ended with a chain link fence and private property
so I turned it around
roughly meeting my 26 minute turn around goal

the up and back had its advantages
the run up gave me a great perspective of the foothills in the west
while the return gave me a fantastic view of the flat plains of the east
it was everyday Boulder... but it looks celestial to me

walking a brisk pace was fine
stretching did not feel good
running did not feel like an option
so I marched
the phone rang.... it was Rocco... he was home
he opted to meet me at the trailhead
Rocco and Suz were going to join me for dinner and put me up for the night

my 20 plus minute run turned out to be a 40 plus minute march back
it was a bitter sweet glass of Boulder Lemonade
a great way to spend my firts afternoon in Boulder
the evening was just as splendid
Rocco, Suz, and I went for dinner and chatted late into the night
my energy was high... a combination of Red Bull still in my veins, excitement to be in Colorado, and my usual chatty cathy manic mind

day one down
now it is morning of day two
lisa gets in around noon

DC Local Showing: Off Road to Athens

I will be out of town...
but this looks like it is a great film...
and shown in a place that serves cheap beer!

DRAFT HOUSE/OFF ROAD TO ATHENS!

my brother shared this tip as well
the Draft House is also showing.... THE TOUR BABY!

gwadzilla blogspot
life and blogging are an interesting balance
or is it that life and blogging are so out of balance
when there is more to blog about... there is no time
when there is... well... you can flip the statements yourself

recently I have been busy
not busy cycling
busy with life
busy being a good father
busy being a good husband
busy being a good employee
busy being a good homeowner
there have been a few nights where I kept busy by being a good drunk
but I have not been so busy with bicycling or blogging

there have been so many blogging ideas
yet so little time to blog
there have been so many photos I have wanted to post
but I upgraded Mac OS needs some tweeking to work properly with my Digital Camera
there have been creative photoshop projects
but most of all... there has been a creative comic project that I have wanted to toy with
none of these things have happened as there just has not been enough time
currently I type with Dean in my lap
we discuss superheros as I type and while we download a movie trailer
let me pause to see if Sharkboy and Lava Girl are ready for viewing

back... well...
not exactly MISSION SUCCESSFUL
Dean is awake with his door open staring at me... demanding another story
NO DICE ROCK SLICE!
there are times when I have to hold my ground
time to go downstairs and have some dinner by 9PM

dean is asleep
I have eaten dinner and packed my bags for my trip to colorado
rocco/tim/whomever else.... timmyp if I had more time
timmyp if I ever bother to make a plan
who knows... there is a wedding... an old friend is getting married in leadvile
oh... oh yes... back to the story
thanks... my mind wanders... sometimes I lose my focus

there is this comic book project
no not the frame projects... these are the list of BLOG PROJECTS that I have been neglecting
there is this comic strip idea I had... maybe a weekly installment
should I say it... cause the comic strip is not like the BIKE TALK radio program that I BLOGGED about
but something that I can actual do.... something that could easily be done
first there is the idea
there is the drawing
the erasing
then the drawing
the idea changes which leads to more erasing
then finally scanning
then coloring in Photoshop

well... you know what
there does not seem to be enough time in gwadzilla's world to try and write up EPISODE ONE OF GWADZILLA'S WORLD: Bike to Work Day 2005

I guess if I tried to trick myself that it is a movie
then I would storyboard it through and never film it
but instead I opted for a comic strip which is really the story board
which right now is being completely neglected

it was started
but it is being neglected

it never found a rythym
Gwadzilla's World never found life
it was unclear how gwadzilla would be drawn
as I do not really draw often.... would he look different in each box?
guess it does not matter... as it may never be done

EPISODE ONE OF GWADZILLA'S WORLD: Bike to Work Day 2005
it had been four weeks since gwadzilla had broken his finger on the first rock in the first race of his mountainbike race season
under the doctor's orders gwadzilla was off the bike with his finger in a splint after a 5 pin surgery had taken place

it was raining monsoon style
but gwadzilla was determined to participate in the Bike to Work Day rally
he felt it was vital to RIDE AND BE COUNTED
rain was not going to prevent him from attending the ride to work experience on Bike to Work day
not to mention the gathering at Freedom Plaza downtown

so to protect the still fragile from the rain and a potential crash a plastic bag was put over the hand with a newspaper rubberband to hold it in place
with flashing lights, helmet, and gortex head to toe gwadzilla was in traffic where he was surronded by the anarchy induced by a world filled with frantic drivers panicked as they arrive late for work
so panicked that their windows are fogged from heavy panting
and hands too busy working blackberries, cell phones, and XM radios when they should be figuring out the defroster and windshield wipers

without incident gwadzilla arrived on the scene at freedom plaza
the morning at home feeding children, dressing children, and walking dogs had slow gwadzilla's approach to the starting gate
the bike had been tuned or at least working
and gear had been set out
but the manditory late departure caused by fatherly duties was part of the Bike to Work equation
so the loud speakers were down
the cheering had stopped
there were still many cyclist gathered
but groups were pointed and pulling out towards their Work

late on the scene gwadzilla scans the booths
booths still seeing activity from cyclists before they move on with their day
some booths are more attractive than others
the rain alters the mood of the event
gwadzilla scans the crowd for familiar faces
all the riders look pretty much the same
wet rats
wet rats with bicycle helmets on their wet rat heads

the bicycle culture is a small
gwadzilla approaches old friends and familiar faces
shares a hello with a stranger while grabbing a coffee and a bagel before the tents are torn down

with a coffee in hand gwadzilla moves to get a BIKE TO WORK DAY waterbottle and t-shirt
late in the event
people tearing stuff down
gwadzilla makes small talk with the WABA volunteer
then asks for another waterbottle
smooth....
two waterbottles turn into three
and an XL t-shirt on top it all
score!

a few more booths
a few more familiar faces

gwadzilla is off with a variety of bicycle related SWAG!

once back at work gwadzilla rings out his soaking clothes and towels down before getting dressed for work
a little zap to the brain and gwadzilla snaps his head up and exclaims to himself in his own head. "where are my glasses?"

panning back in time...
during one of the small talk and swag grab session gwadzilla removed his fogged up/rain drop covered glasses
the exchange was less than equal
a few waterbottles, a t-shirt, a map, and some other random stuff of littte monetary value
versus SMITH SLIDER01 with clear lenses
old school or maybe just old
they were passed down from gwadzilla's wife
then they were passed from their to someone who was managing the lost and found box

score
bonus
swag
for them... not for me
as I took a loss on this one

this is some sort of twisted cycling version of a modern day Aesop's Fable

the moral?

where is the storyboard?
I think I could have told it with more detail had I been looking at the actual storyboard!

.

a good site for parents looking for games that match their child's chronological and mental development

fisher prices write up of games for small children
this stuff looks fun... try this even if you don't have kids

.

the city is an interesting place
my neighborhood is an interesting section of an interesting city
within my neighborhood exists a wide variety of interesting people

with all the houses so close together
with all the cars parked on the street
with everyone walking the same direction to go to the store or to catch the bus
there is the opportunity for greater interaction
at least with those living immediately around you

the suburbs allow for people to pull into their garages and enter their houses
this all causes for a strikingly different dynamic

one of my neighbors shared with me a few sites...
one with his band
one of some music list.... maybe trading tapes of "the dead" at hampton.... or something to that effect
with all the time I wasted looking at the pretty pictures at MYSPACE.com
I did not have time to give this site a full look
so I am going to bookmark them for myself here

Rock Creek Divide - (his band)
I like Blue Yodel #9
this music will appeal to the NPR Blue Grass Listeners
or the locals who hang at Madams Organ on Wednesday nights

ETREE - (his list)

oh
I dragged him into the world of MYSPACE.com
we get a kick out of making observations of the Southern California Stripper/Model vibe at myspace

tangent jumping at MYSPACE.com
it is sort of funny
I get lost in this electronic world
BLOGS are about WORDS
MYSPACE is about PICTURES
they are similar yet different
MYSPACE is a dumbed down version of the BLOG
a very strange place that MYSPACE
seems like everyone in there is putting themselves out there
out there to be picked up
picked up or discovered by the next soft porn movie maker
as much as I like the pictures.... I think I like the words better
the pictures are really nothing more than a train wreck
and of course... I can not look away

http://www.myspace.com/gwadzilla

check it out
do a little tangent jumping
look at some one's friends...
zero in on someone interesting
view their picks
then view their friends
zero in on someone interesting
view their pics.... read their blurbs
then rinse and repeat
have several hours past?
thought so!

poor Lily.... she has not reached eight thousand friends yet!
I would add more links
but I am certain that you may find a tangent just as "interesting?"

just follow the "betty paige" bangs!
you will wonder what planet these people are from
and
where you can get a rocket to take you there

oh
I joined MYSPACE.com in an effort to reunite people for my 20th high school reunion...
but was asked not to "push" the site as they were creating an "official site"
it has been several months
no official site yet....
oh well,
I tried
why do I keep going back there?
electronic addiction I guess

joe will show you his friends have abs of steel or boobs of silicone
if I die... I want to come back as joe's wingman
he seems to be running in circles that are beyond my wildest dreams

it all adds up....
okay.. I make no claims at being the "greenest" man at the party
greener than some.... less green than others
there are some "green" ideas that just make common sense
some ideas that we all need to start to take into consideration

in our house you will find disposable diapers, juice boxes, and lots of single serve containers
we are consumers... consumers of the modern age
our family consumes a great deal
like most familes we create a great deal of trash
trash and recycling
just like any other family we also use a good number of batteries

everything takes batteries
headlamps, cycling lights, blinking cycling lights, flashlights...
more than just lights
there are toys for the kids... countless toys that take batteries
some toys burn through batteries faster than others
over time we are creating a good number of old dead batteries
these useless old batteries become waste
it seems harmless when two little AAA batteries go bad and are replace
it seems like it should not be a problem to toss these two little AAA batteries into the trash
but
it all adds up
those are just the two AAA of the moment
there will be a few AAA in a few days, maybe some AA, down the road expect a few C batteries then there may even be a few D batteries
in a year each family is more than likely to go through a shoe box full of batteries

hmmmmm.... "a shoe box full of batteries?"

not a bad idea!
people should just set aside a shoe box
or maybe an old coffee can
instead of tossing these little batteries into the nearest land fill
these batteries should be set aside for proper disposal
one or two seem harmless
but honestly... it is not just one or two batteries
it is a lifetime of batteries

"then what?"
"then what?" you ask!?!?!

then look into your neighborhood recycling program
there are some basic rules of disposal for many items we use in our day to day lives...
car batteries are taken back for exchange and get "refurbished"
I heard somewhere in my travels that it is the law that a place that sells motor oil must also accept motor oil for recycling.... or something to that effect

we all know we can not put old paint cans in the trash!

perhaps there is a similar drop off for batteries
if there is not
there should be!

here is some local DC Stuff on the anual recycling drop off-
DC Sierra Club

Bring Household Hazardous Waste, Batteries, and Computers For Disposal
During Bi-annual Collection Event scheduled for April 23 and May 14, 2005. See news release from DC DPW issued April 1, 2005 below

from the Washington Post-
D.C. Department of Public Works
Franklin D. Reeves Center
2000 14th St. NW, Sixth Floor
2000 14th St. NW, Sixth Floor
Washington, D.C., 20009
202-673-6833 202-727-1000

Office hours 8:15 a.m.-4:45 p.m., Mondays-Fridays, except District holidays.
The department collects trash twice a week from most single-family homes and small residential buildings of up to three units. Residents who receive once-a-week trash collection

Fort Totten Transfer Station
4900 Bates Road NE
Washington, D.C., 20011
202-576-6803

The District's only public solid waste facility is open to residents (single-family homeowners only) and government agencies 1-5 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays.
It is a collection site for residential garbage, brush and tree limbs, and bulk it