Big Dog's Blog

ADVENTURES OF MIKE AND MATTIE

2009-05-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

I was checking out some old computer files of mine and ran across this lengthy story I wrote around nine years ago while I was unemployed. Read on if you dare (or if you're bored).

THE ADVENTURES OF MIKE AND MATTIE

I am now adding Veterinarian and Master Psychologist to my list of "Jack of All Trades, Master of None" Titles. After a week of coaxing, cussing, praying, etc., that Mattie (our year old poodle-mix puppy), would get over her bout with constipation, I have discovered her problem - she's a teenager. A little background first...

Approximately two weeks ago, I noticed our little "girl" was going through some physiological changes. More specifically, it wasn't an open wound I discovered on my arm as I put Mattie down after taking her out to her favorite spot on the front lawn. (This from a man who wouldn't even consider having an inside dog four years ago. Now I'm carrying the stupid mutt to her favorite spot to do her business because I don't want her paws to get wet and track on my newly vacuumed carpet.)

Much to my heterosexual male dismay, Baby Mattie had now become "Miss Mattie" (on my arm, no less.) Miss Mattie was now a full-fledged young lady...a doggie teenager to be exact. Of course I immediately called Melissa at work, much like a parent who had witnessed their child's first foot steps.

"Are you sure that's what it was?" asked my disbelieving wife.

"Well I wasn't making tomato soup for lunch," I replied sarcastically. (In the year since my "down-sizing", I've become a pretty good cook. So add that to my list of titles too.)

Upon hanging up with Melissa, I decided to go online to become more educated on Mattie's situation. Needless to say, you get some pretty off the wall websites when you type "bitches in heat" in your Internet browser.

After perusing numerous bonafide veterinary websites, I determined there wasn't much we could do for Mattie except not answer the front door if we heard loud barking. (Neighborhood dogs are very creative when it comes to gaining access to aforementioned "bitches in heat". One Internet message board verified that 12 foot fences are useless in keeping male dogs at bay.)

As usual, my wife decided to take the more practical but boring approach - she called our vet. (Heck, anybody can do that...try surfing through 20 websites entitled "Bitches in Heat" in less than an afternoon; that's what I'm talking about!)

The vet said we could buy a doggie pamper and put a feminine pad in it to keep her from...well, you get the picture. She also said it would last approximately 2 to3 weeks and this would only happen a couple of times a year. (Thank God it's not every month.)

Although neither the vet nor the Internet indicated we should expect side effects, they were pretty much standard: loss of appetite (although she gave M&M commercials her undivided attention), listlessness, and she didn't want me to touch her (wait a minute, that wasn't Mattie).

After a week of this, we discovered a new problem, Mattie was having problems focusing when she needed to "do the doo", so to speak. She would circle and circle and circle like crazy, then just when you thought she would complete the transaction, she would squat and SPRITZ. Talk about anti-climactic!

I would stand next to her giving encouragement, my breath shallow with anticipation, "Come on Mattie, be a GOOD girl! Oh, oh, oh, oh.....uuuggghhh!" (It's like when your toddler decides to begin feeding himself, steadily guiding the food to his mouth, and then spooning the food into his eye at the last minute...sheer disappointment.)

I can deal with this frustration during the day (thank God for videotape so I don't miss Oprah), but at 4 AM in the morning, it gets a little old. If your neighbors happen to be up at 4 in the morning and look out the window at you trying to coax your dog into taking a healthy crap, they will probably start avoiding your house at Halloween. (Wait, that could be a GOOD thing.)

After spiking her food with mineral oil and considering a full lube job (for the dog, not me), I was at my wit's end. The mineral oil did succeed in her little tummy percolating, but she was still doing her circle, circle,circle, spritz, dance. Then finally it happened!

After a full morning of Mattie playing "Oh Danny Boy" on her internal bagpipes, she came to me and scratched my arm frantically. I figured either she was really ready to "go", or she accidentally stepped on the remote control and changed the TV to some doggie operation on Animal Planet.

Looking deep into her eyes, I recognized the look! It was the same look I saw in the mirror after drinking a gallon of Go-Litely the day before my colonoscopy. Sheer terror! (Terror, when you realized the bathroom was 25 feet away instead of the standard 4 feet recommended on the label.)

I gushed words of encouragement as I attached her leash, "I have faith in you Mattie. I know you can do it!"

"Remember, you'll get a treat if you dump!" (Who's idea was it to give a dog a treat if they crap on your front lawn? No one ever gives me treats; although everyone does light matches as if they were at a concert wanting an encore.)

Sure enough, the dance began. Circle, circle,circle...HOUSTON, THE EAGLE HAS LANDED! Sheer joy entered my soul as I watched her grimace, and then prance off after a job well done. I stared in utter amazement at the future fertilizer lying on my front lawn. I could have sworn it glistened in the sunlight,but it was actually the tears of joy and sheer exhaustion that gave the starlight effect.

"GOOD GIRL!", I exclaimed as I picked her up. The grass wasn't even wet. SHE EARNED this piggyback ride! I was overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment as she munched on her doggie treat. We overcame this temporary setback together...as a team!

The elation was short lived, however. This morning we stepped onto the grass, a dog and her coach, heads held high, proudly showing the neighborhood that we weren't weirdos after all. We reached the spot, equal distance between the Red Oak and the Live Oak, 3.5 feet from the sidewalk...OUR SPOT.

The music played, the dance began. Circle, circle,circle, spritz...SPRITZ? What happened to circle,circle, circle, THUD? We stumbled through our intimate Tango of joy was as if we both had two left feet (in her case it would be four left feet, if you're counting).

"MATTIE! GO POTTIE!" I exclaimed. She looked at me with her big brown eyes that seemed to say, "What do you think I just did? You moron!"

I shuffled into the house, much like Ozzy does on the Osbournes, mumbling expletives under my breath (although with a Texas accent, not English). After my prayer and meditation time, I decided to let Mattie romp around in the back yard. We both could use the fresh air.

I scanned the back yard for Mattie, who was conspicuously quiet. In a secluded spot of the yard, unannounced and flying solo was my little "girl", "dancing" alone! Then it dawned on me. She wasn't hurting. There was nothing physiologically wrong with her body. It's psychological...she's too VAIN to poop in front of her "papa"!

Why? BECAUSE SHE'S A TEENAGER! A sense of ultimate satisfaction envelops me as I prepare to add VETERINARIAN and PSYCHOLOGIST to the plaques on my office wall. I'm too smart for my own good!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

2009-05-10T11:54:00.000-07:00

After last week's relatively easy ride at McAllister Park, I decided to test myself a little more today, so I went to OP Schnabel to ride. OP is a better test of my stamina, as it is more technical and has more climbs than Mac.

As I suspected, the result was quite different. Although still respectable, I rode almost 10 miles in almost two hours. I had to stop frequently for breaks and they were a bit longer than usual. I am starting to really feel the difference from riding in the cool weather to now riding in heat. Hot weather is very taxing.

There were several people on the trails and at the park in general. It was a beautiful morning and I had no ill effects from my injuries. My wrist held up fine, although I did notice my legs were considerably more tired than last week due to the climbing. All in all, it was a good workout.

Weight Watchers update: I am now at 15 lbs lost since starting in January; I now weigh 220 lbs. I am keeping my short term goals to 5 pound increments, so I hope to hit 215 in the next few weeks. Baby steps....

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! I made my annual calls and texts after my ride, so now I'm going to settle in for an afternoon of sports and a nap!

Big Dog out!

FIRST RIDE BACK

2009-05-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

Friday the wrist specialist examined the progress of my wrist sprain and gave the okay to start riding again. Yay! Not riding the last month has driven me up the wall! I know I had to give my body a chance to heal, but riding a stationary bike bores me to death.

Not wanting to overdo it, I decided to ride my old tried and true trail, McAllister Park. Since it isn't that technical, I knew I would get a good workout to help me determine how out of riding shape I was. To my surprise, I did pretty well. I rode 9 miles in around an hour and a half. I probably could have ridden another 30 minutes, but I didn't want to press my first time out. Now, a couple of hours later, my wrist, neck, and back feel fine; no worse for the wear.

I promised Mel I wouldn't ride Salado Creek alone again, unless I buy one of the Spot location devices I mentioned last week. It's pretty expensive, so I don't want to get it right now. Besides, I can get my workouts in by riding McAllister, OP Schnabel, and Mudd Creek, until I buy the Spot, or find a riding buddy. At this point, I'm just glad to be riding again.

Since my old helmet was crushed in the accident, I had to buy a new one before the ride. Fortunately Performance Bike had helmets on sale this week. I tried several different brands, but still wound up selecting a Bell, as I did before. I went with the Bell Delirium, pictured below. Since I am a cabezon, it's hard to find helmets that fit me well. I was very pleased with the Delirium, and it was priced reasonably well.

All in all, I am very blessed to have survived the accident with only sprained body parts; it could have been much worse. For all the doubters, I am happy to be back on the "horse" again. Life's too short; I can't spend it living in fear, always waiting for the other shoe to drop. That's just not me. Until next time, Big Dog out!

SLOW HEALING

2009-04-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

It's been three weeks since my accident and I'm still on the mend. I've never been injured this bad, so I'm not used to being inactive for so long. My wrist is still in a brace, but I have an appointment this week with the wrist specialist, so I hope he'll let me just wrap it and clear me to ride again.

I'm still having neck and back soreness, but I've eliminated the muscle relaxers at night, opting for ibuprofen instead. Mel has been wonderful, giving me neck and back rubs when needed. The most noticeable difference is my stress level. Riding my bike was my stress reliever and my body as well as my psyche miss it.

We are in the middle of our most stressful time of year at work and I need to get back on my bike. I know I could ride a stationary bike, or walk, but it's not the same. Anyone who rides regularly will understand; most others won't.

Mel and I had the pleasure of hosting Mom and David last weekend. They attended a bike rally in Austin on Sunday, so they spent Friday and Saturday with us. It's always great to spend time with them, and last weekend was no exception. It would have been nice to ride the trails with David again; maybe next time.

Mel still has some trepidation about me riding solo and rightly so. I found a locating device called SPOT, which offers a GPS locating service in case of an accident. http://www.findmespot.com/en/

For $99/yr, you get the device plus service. It seems pretty cool and if it alleviates Mel's fears of me riding again, it's a small price to pay. SPOT and a new helmet, and I should be good to go!

Last weekend when David was messing with his velos, I checked out my bike and it wasn't damaged as I thought. Instead of a broken derailleur hangar, the chain was jammed. Once I unjammed it and tweaked the settings a little, it was fine.

Well, another FIESTA has come and gone without us attending one event. When we didn't live here, Fiesta was a major event for us every year. Now that we live here, we hate dealing with the crowds, parking, possible DWIs, and the $7 beers. Instead, we watch the parades from the comfort of our living room, sipping tequila with beer chasers. Then when we're tired, we can stumble to our bed instead of driving home with one eye open to avoid double vision! MUCH safer.

Well, I guess I'll spend the rest of the day washing and watching the NFL draft on ESPN. It was hard to stomach Michael Crabtree going to the 49ers, so I hope Graham Harrell is actually drafted and by a decent team. (By that I mean, one I don't hate, like the niners.)

Until next time, Big Dog out...

ON THE MEND

2009-04-11T05:52:00.000-07:00

Although my raccoon eyes would indicate otherwise, I feel pretty good, all things considered. Thank all of you for your prayers, concern, and words of encouragement. I know my family and friends care a great deal about my well being, and I appreciate that.

Reactions to my accident were varied and very interesting. Remarks ranged from "been there, done that" from fellow cyclists, to "I guess you'll give up mountain biking now", to "well, you know, you're not in your twenties any more", to advice on how to properly complete a jump. I have been very tactful in my responses, but had to bite my tongue listening to many because I know they were made out of concern for my well being.

For those who asked if I would give up mountain biking, my response would be "have you ever been in a car accident? Did you quit driving as a result?"

For those who said "you're not in your twenties any more", I would ask "what does age have to do with it?" It would be different if I was trying to do tricks like BMX or extreme bikers, but I wasn't. It would be different if I was racing against men half my age, but I don't.

Bottom line is, I enjoy mountain biking because it is good exercise and a good stress reliever. I don't look for opportunities to injure myself; in fact I am very careful most of the time. Obviously the two times I've been injured seriously, I wasn't as aware of my surroundings as I should have been. But I learn from my mistakes.

In reality, I am more fearful for my life every time I get in my truck to drive to work. With all the road rage, lunatics, drunk drivers, etc. on the road, the odds of me being in an auto accident are very high every time I leave the driveway.

With mountain biking, I am in control of the situation as long as I am aware of my surroundings. If I come to a technical part of the trail, I can always walk my bike or turn around; I do both regularly. I never ride without a helmet, I have a GPS, cell phone, first aid kit, whistle, etc, in my back pack at all times.

The trails I ride are usually within 100 to 200 yards of people's houses and are well traveled by bikers and hikers alike. I am actually very conservative when I ride, taking precautions while doing so. That doesn't mean I don't occasionally spaz out and forget to pay close attention to my surroundings, but with every ride I learn more. Just as I have learned from this latest miscue.

I feel safer riding trails than I would riding road bikes. I would much rather take my chances against rocks and roots, than a 2 ton car or truck. Again, you are not in control of others' actions.

I realize that I could easily get my exercise riding a stationary bike or lifting weights, but what fun is that? I like being outside, seeing new trails, and challenging myself. If you are a gym rat and like doing that stuff, more power to you. I would never ask you to mountain bike instead; different strokes.

I can't say enough about how Mel has handled this whole ordeal. It would have been very easy for her to berate or lecture me, or ask me to give up biking, but she didn't. She voiced her concern, but didn't do so in a condescending manner. She understands how important it is to me and realizes it was an accident. She knows I have learned from it.

Interestingly enough, the ER nurse, ER doctor, my own personal doctor, and my dentist, are all mountain bikers. In fact, when my GP examined me on Monday, he asked me "what would you differently on that trail? What did you learn?" He gets it. No condescending remarks, no judgment.

Again, thank you to all who expressed concern and gave words of encouragement. I know you care and have good intentions; I love you for it. Now if I can just figure out how to milk another week's worth of neck rubs from Mel....

I'D RATHER FIGHT THAN SWITCH!

2009-04-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

Remember the old Lucky Strike cigarette ads where you'd see a picture of someone with a black eye, saying "I'd rather fight than switch"? I felt like that today.

Yesterday I mentioned the swelling on my forehead and bridge of my nose; today it turned into a black eye. According to the doctor, the blood from the contusion on my forehead seeped into the area around my eye, causing a horrible looking black eye.

It isn't painful, just bothersome because it almost was almost swollen shut last night. At least I could see better today, but it still looked awful. After lunch I came home to ice down my face and neck and the bruising started creeping to my other eye. What a sight!

Tomorrow I have an appointment with the Orthopedist, to look at my wrist fracture. I hope he doesn't put me in a hard cast; that's a pain in the butt!

I hope your week is going better than mine...Big Dog out!

JOB WELL DONE

2009-04-07T15:44:00.001-07:00

After Sunday's accident, I've been EXTREMELY sore and beat up, but I was able to work half days the last two days. My neck and back started hurting quite a bit late this morning, so I came home after lunch.

I ate, then took one of my little yellow muscle relaxers and took a nap. Imagine my surprise when I looked in the mirror and saw "Cat Man" staring back at me. It seems that swelling is a possible side-effect/allergic reaction to my medication, so it looks like I'll have to stick with Ibuprofen from now on, unless I go to a Trekkie convention as a Klingon!

My helmet performed as designed, taking the brunt of my fall. I took it outside to check it out in good light and decided to snap some pics of the damage. Pretty cheap insurance policy wouldn't you say? The outside is flattened and inside it cracked in numerous places. Job well done!

I'M ON THE DL FOR A FEW WEEKS

2009-04-06T04:51:00.000-07:00

The diagnosis from the ER read "SPRAINED NECK AND BACK; FRACTURED WRIST". If I hadn't worn my helmet, my injuries would have been much worse.

The ride started as many before; beautiful day, windy but bearable. I went to Salado Creek Greenway since I hadn't ridden there in a month or so. The ride itself was pretty uneventful. I rode to Loop 1604, took a GU break, then started my return to the truck.

My downfall was taking a more technical section of the trail that I was not familiar with. At one point, I took a fork to the left instead of to the right, and within seconds I found myself at a 3 foot ledge drop off with no time to stop.

Instinctively, I tried to lift the front wheel as I went airborne, but the drop was too steep and I wound up flying over the handlebars and landing on my head, compressing my neck and spine. I never lost consciousness, but it did take me several seconds to gain composure and make sure my extremities could move.

My chest felt like the wind had been knocked out of me, as it was painful to breathe too deeply. I checked for cuts and gashes, but found none too severe. The impact had knocked my Camelbak off and scattered some of my stuff in the creek bed bottom. I sat up, gathered my things into my backpack and tried to stand.

I wasn't dizzy, as should be expected with a concussion, so I mounted my bike to try and ride back to the truck. My bike wouldn't move. Upon close inspection, I damaged my rear hanger and the chain was frozen. My only choice was to hike the 2+ miles back to the truck.

I started walking the bike down the trail, trying to think of additional symptoms of concussion: dizziness, nausea, loss of memory, loss of consciousness; none of which I experienced. I remembered that Mel usually went to the grocery store when I ride, so I started thinking about making the dreaded call to tell her I was hurt.

I had already decided that I was going to the Emergency Room to get checked out. Matt had experienced a less severe fall a few years ago while riding with me and he wound up with a mild concussion. I needed to catch Mel before she left for the grocery store, without causing her to panic.

Cell phone in hand, I waited for her to answer.

"Hello"
"Hey, are you at HEB yet?"
"No, I was getting ready to leave. WHY?"
"You might want to wait until I get there so you can take me to the Emergency Room."
"What happened?" (Tension apparent in her voice)
"I fell"
"Where are you?"
"Halfway back, but I have to walk cause the bike is messed up."
"Should I come get you?"
"No, I think I can make it home ok."

A second call later and she convinced me to let her come to the trail head and get me. After loading my bike in the back of her car, we left. After almost 5 hours in the ER and countless x-rays later, we were on our way home.

I made it through the night with the prescribed "happy pills"; I wouldn't have made it without, as the pain is worse than I've had in a while. I'm going to make an appointment with an Orthopedist to give me an opinion on my fractured wrist, as it's in a cast right now. The ER doctor estimated that I will be off my bike for several weeks, so I guess I'm relegated to the stationary bike until then.

Lessons learned: ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET; I think my filled Camelbak probably helped absorb some of the impact too; let your loved ones know where you'll be; and slow down if you are on unfamiliar trails.

Until next time - One Armed Big Dog out!

STAMINA AND ENDURANCE LOST?

2009-03-29T17:24:00.000-07:00

Most of the time, this title would signify an upcoming Viagra commercial; not today. After a three week layoff from biking, I headed out to Op Schnabel for a Sunday morning ride. Although a bit chilly, the sun was shining brightly and it was a beautiful morning.

In the past, if I missed two consecutive weeks without riding, I would be very out of shape and get winded quickly, requiring many breaks throughout the ride. To say I'm still in good riding shape would be a stretch, because any of you who know me, know the words "good shape" and "Mike" are not usually used in the same sentence.

I rode a respectable 10.5 miles for an hour and a half, so I was pleased. The trails were gorgeous, having blossomed into color with the recent rains. There was more wildlife than usual, as I saw several deer, a couple of rabbits, robins, and a SKUNK. Fortunately, the skunk appeared towards the end of my ride, so I just rode in the opposite direction back to my truck.

I met a nice biker named Ralph, who said he owns Guadalupe River Cycle and Fitness. It is a very nice cabin on the north side of Canyon Lake on the Guadalupe River. Check out his website link in case you're thinking of vacationing in this area this summer. http://guadaluperivercycleandfitness.com/aboutus.aspx

I was astounded by the number of idiots riding bikes on the trails without helmets! I don't understand why people do that. Obviously they are not experienced riders, as we have all fallen several times and know how important a helmet is for safety reasons. It's not just kids either; there were a few adults riding sans helmet. Don't even get me started on motorcyclists who ride helmet less.

After a quick shower and lunch, and I settled into my recliner for an afternoon of being a couch potato. I watched as Tiger Woods came from 5 shots down to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament on the last hole as the sun had set. This was his second tournament since having knee surgery a few months ago. That guy is INCREDIBLE!

The announcers were detailing his daily work routine/schedule. He gets up every morning and works out for an hour and a half before breakfast, then he heads to the golf course to practice his shots, then plays nine holes of golf before eating lunch. Then he heads back out to practice more shots, work on his short game, then play another nine holes of golf before finishing up around 6:30 PM at night! He works HARD to be as good as he is. He deserves everything he gets!

What a nice, relaxing weekend. Things are getting really hectic at work, so every bit of relaxing and stress relief I can do, the better! Have a great week!

SPRING BREAK 2009

2009-03-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

I've been rather inactive the last couple of weeks in regards to my bike riding. Last week was too wet and the weekend before, I had a very uneasy feeling about riding, so I didn't.

Matt came to San Antonio last Saturday to spend Spring Break with us. Stefanie, Rigo, and Aiden also came down last weekend, so we had a house full Saturday night and Sunday morning. Matt and I left for Port Aransas Monday morning, arriving around 1 PM.

By 2, we had unloaded the truck at the hotel, stopped to buy bait and a parking permit, and were on the beach. As we drove through town, we couldn't understand why there weren't that many people on the streets. When we hit the beach, we realized why; there were wall to wall people for miles!

We didn't think we'd have a snowball's chance in hell of finding a spot to park and fish, but we persevered and eventually found one. We unloaded and rigged up and soon were wading into the surf. THE WATER WAS COLD! We only caught a couple of croakers and left around 5:30.

After a quick shower, change of clothes, a couple of beers and shots of tequila, we headed to Castaways in Port Aransas; one of my favorite restaurants to celebrate Matt's birthday. After dinner, we drove around town and wound up at Sharkey's to shoot some pool and play Foosball.

Tuesday, we awoke to a dense fog and chilly temperatures. After breakfast at Taqueria San Juan (awesome Mexican omelets), we ventured to the beach to find a spot to park and fish. We wound up catching a few fish that morning, but nothing more after lunch, except a Sting Ray that Matt caught. We packed up around 4 since too many young kids were tripping over our lines and we didn't want any accidents.

Tuesday we had wings and beers at Port Aransas Brewing Company; a micro-brewery on the island. After sampling a few of their most popular, we settled on a nice full bodied Bock. After dinner, we again went to Sharkey's for pool & Foosball.

After breakfast (again at San Juan's), we hit the road for our return home. We both had a great time and I was extremely pleased and honored that Matt decided to spend his 21st birthday with me! We made some great memories and look forward to doing it again as soon as we can.

Yesterday I had to get another tooth pulled as I was in quite a bit of pain during the entire trip. I had been putting it off in hopes that the pain would subside, but it didn't. Now I can look forward to paying for TWO dental implants later this year (ouch; in more ways than one).

I feel better today, so Mel and I are off to run some errands and buy groceries. We are both off today, so we can spend the rest of my vacation relaxing and enjoying each other's company. I am TRULY blessed.

I hope to feel strong enough to ride this Sunday, but we'll see. Until next time, Big Dog out!

FREAKIN' COLD!

2009-03-01T13:06:00.000-08:00

The shining sun and cloudless sky were deceiving when I went outside to get the paper this morning. In fact, it was quite nippy. I drank my coffee and read the paper before I started getting my gear ready for my ride.

I decided to check the weather website and saw that the windchill was 33 degrees! Shit! Now I know Juanita and her bunch probably think 33 degrees is short sleeve, shorts, and chancla weather, but not those of us in South Texas!

I layered on three riding shirts to brace for the cold, starting with my thermal undershirt, a long sleeve wicking shirt, then topped it off with my Marin jersey. As I opened the garage door, a blast of wind hit me and almost made me change my mind and climb back in bed with Mel. As tempting as that sounded, I knew I had to ride - missed opportunities, you know.

I had already decided to ride the Salado Creek Greenbelt trail, having ridden Madrone last week and not wanting to ride OP Schnabel because they were having some sort of race or event and I knew it would be crawling with riders. So, Salado Creek it was.

As I was unloading my gear at the trail head, another biker drove up and we struck up a conversation. Turns out he was supposed to meet some buddies for a ride, but it appeared they stood him up, so I asked him if he wanted to ride with me.

He said he moved here from Austin, which I soon found out meant he could ride! I had flashbacks of riding with Bert when he used to leave me in his dust on the trails. It was almost as bad today. Although this guy hadn't ridden much the last 8 years because of back problems, it was very apparent that he was in great shape.

I did my best to keep up without passing out and embarrassing myself. Considering he appeared to be in his mid 30s (maybe), I held my own as best I could. After riding about an hour, he started heading back to the trail head. We stopped and I told him I was going to ride some more, so we exchanged thanks for the ride and went our separate ways.

All in all, I rode 13 miles in a little over 2.5 hours. Because he showed me trails I hadn't ridden before, which were more technical in nature than the main trails, I am BEAT! By the time I reached my truck, my quads were cramping during climbs and I was spent.

I got home, showered, ate, then hit the recliner for a quick nap. In fact, it felt so good, I think I'm headed back to the recliner now for a repeat performance! Hope you all have a great week! Until next time, Big Dog out...

BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR A RIDE!

2009-02-22T12:17:00.000-08:00

Of course, ANY day is a great day to ride, but some ARE better than others. Today the sun was shining, but there was a crispness in the air. I overslept this morning by half an hour and almost talked myself out of going to Madrone because the drive is so long (45 min).

Sensibility prevailed, as I did a long ride last week, then another 11 miles at McAllister before Weight Watchers yesterday. I was looking forward to a challenge and Madrone certainly delivers! I had been looking forward to this ride all week.

I have an interesting personality trait that before, I thought only applied to my bike riding. I have written before about the "voices" that always seem to try to talk me out of riding on any given day. As I pondered this today on the trail, I realized that I do that all the time in the rest of my life too.

Take Fiesta, a McNay opening, a concert, or any other event. I could be looking forward to something for weeks, only to back out at the last minute for one excuse or another. It could be the weather, parking, crowds, money, it doesn't matter. Sometimes I talk myself out of it and other times I go anyway and have a great time! When it comes to biking in particular, I have to continue to ignore the excuses and just do it.

Although I rode 11 miles before weigh in yesterday, I didn't lose any weight. I didn't gain any either, so I wasn't devastated. Considering Valentine's Day was last week, and considering I ate a couple of breakfast tacos Friday at work, breaking even is almost a victory.

Speaking of victories, my niece Michelle realized a dream of hers a couple of weeks ago - by parachuting out of a plane! This has been something I've wanted to do for years, and Michelle had the balls to beat me to it! I am SO proud of her. I watched the video of her jump yesterday and started crying. It was so freaking awesome!

I guess as we get over 40 our mortality is more real than ever and we tend to think about things like "bucket lists". A couple come to mind: mountain biking at Big Bend and Northern California (good reason to visit Bert), as well as traveling to Spain (if we won the lotto).

Whatever your dreams or demons are, here's to living the dream and overcoming the demons! Hasta luego!

GREAT WEEKEND!

2009-02-15T13:53:00.000-08:00

First things first: Happy Belated Valentine's Day! (or as La Raza says it, "Valentimes Day). Friday I played the part of the cost conscious but thoughtful husband, as I personally delivered 1.5 dozen roses to Mel at work. It surprised her and got me brownie points, so it was worth it.

Since Valentine's Day is all about the women, I asked her how she wanted to spend the day. Initially we thought we'd go to the McNay after lunch and see their new exhibits, then eat dinner somewhere. Saturday morning, she decided we would forgo the McNay visit, and go to the Shoemaker's Inn for their going out of business sale.

Shoemaker's Inn is a San Antonio institution (or was, they closed yesterday). They were having a HUGE sale on men's and women's shoes. Florsheim and Rockport men's shoes that are normally $150 were on sale for $20/pair.

As I waited in line for AN HOUR, I watched their longtime employees pose for pictures with each other. Many of them were 50+ years old and you just wonder if they were able to find other jobs. Many of them had worked there many, many years. It was quite sad.

After I bought two pair of shoes and Mel bought a few more, we decided to head over to Soluna, one of our favorite restaurants on Broadway. We beat the crowds as we arrived at almost 5 PM. I thought we might have to take out a few Senior Citizens at that hour, but I guess it was past their bed time. I'll ask Mom; she'll know.

After dinner, we stopped by Central Market for some champagne and decadent desserts to take home and enjoy. Yes, we DID count everything we ate yesterday. Needless to say, we both had a great Valentine's Day since we spent the whole day together. Who could ask for more?

By they way, Mel and I BOTH lost weight at weigh in yesterday. I lost almost 3 pounds, which more that made up for last week's disappointing result (but I'm SO over that). So far, I've lost 10 pounds since we started in January.

This morning was gray and overcast; not ideal conditions for a ride. It was even sprinkling, so I ALMOST talked myself out of riding. I fought the demons and soon found myself at Salado Creek Greenbelt Trail again. If you remember, the first time I rode there, I broke a couple of spokes, so I wasn't able to finish the ride that day.

Today my bike performed like a champ! I was able to ride further than I did last time, going past Loop 1604 to the North. Seeing the canyon cliffs and rugged terrain, you would never know you are in the midst of a city. The only telltale sign was a water main cover here and there. The one pictured below looks like an island in the creek bed bottom, as the ground has eroded around it. This is NOT a place you would want to get caught in a flash flood.

Not wanting to continue riding the loose rock much further, I turned around and headed back to the trail head. In all, I rode 12.5 miles in just over 2.5 hours.

I was pretty tired, but extremely satisfied when I got back to the truck. Not only had I ridden further than I had in a LONG time, I also tackled a couple of ledges I couldn't jump last time, since I broke my spokes. A foot high ledge doesn't seem like much, but if you don't jump it just right, you'll wind up going over the handlebars and busting your noggin.

I'm not sure where I'll be riding next week, but hopefully there will be good weather for the ride!

I NEED AN IMPLANT

2009-02-09T17:27:00.000-08:00

Alright, get your mind out of the gutter...I don't need one of THOSE. (At least not yet.) I went to the dentist this morning to get a root canal done on one of my lower molars. After giving me the numbing shot, the dentist started cutting into my crown to get to the tooth roots. At one point he stopped and said there was a problem.

He showed me a picture of my tooth on his computer and it had a crack in it! My choices were to go ahead and have the root canal and spend the $600 or $800 for it, but with a crack in my tooth, the odds were very high that I would need to have the tooth pulled soon anyway.

My other option was to go ahead and pull the tooth and prepare for a dental implant in 4 to 6 months. Timing is EVERYTHING, as my dental insurance just added coverage for implants last month! After going over my options, I told him to go ahead and pull the molar, then prepare for the implant in a few months.

Once he pulled the tooth, he found that there was quite a bit of infection in the bone & gums. He scraped most of it out and gave me antibiotics for the rest. It was a good decision to have it pulled. Otherwise, I could have had many more problems with the infection from that tooth.

I'll just have to survive on soft foods that are within my WW points budget; at least until the stitches come out and the incision heals. Man, if it's not one thing, it's another! It could always be worse though...

Until next time, Big Dog out!

BACK TO BACK RIDES!

2009-02-08T12:59:00.000-08:00

This morning was overcast and very windy. Much like yesterday, but with more wind. Geez, I thought I got away from that crap when I left Odessa. For some reason, this year has been more windy than usual here in San Antonio.

Since my last ride at Madrone was less than monumental, I wanted to ride it again today. I felt good and figured I'd ride until I couldn't ride any more. There were no other cars in the parking lot, so I figured I'd have the trails to myself; I was right.

I finished the initial 2.5 miles of the trail with minimal breaks. There are several climbs, so I did have to stop and catch my breath, but nothing extensive. My recently tuned up bike was performing like a champ. Once I was done with the first section of trails, I decided to try and finish the other 6.5 miles.

I had forgotten how hard it is to ride the whole trail at Madrone. After the climbs and ledges in the first part, the bulk of the rest of the trail is rock gardens. SHARP ONES. If you're not careful, you can slice a tire, or worse, a body part!

It was kind of depressing to see the lake. Not only because of the overcast sky, but because the water is SO low. We haven't had measurable rain in our area for months and it is taking it's toll on everything. Everything is so brown, it looks like West Texas.

Although I was sucking wind on climbs by the time I finished, I FINISHED! I rode a total of 9 miles in two and a half hours. When I got home, I weighed myself before I showered and I lost 2 pounds of water from sweating. TAKE THAT WEIGHT WATCHERS SCALE! Oh yeah, I am SO over that (I forgot).

GREAT WORKOUT, NOT SO GREAT WEIGH-IN

2009-02-07T13:05:00.000-08:00

I had already decided earlier this week that I would try to ride this morning before weigh in and get a twofer this weekend. This morning when I woke up and went outside to get the paper, I noticed that it was very windy and overcast. Immediately the little voices started their BS.

I blocked the voices out of my head, determined that I would ride before weigh in to see if I could lose an extra pound or two. I left the house to ride to McAllister Park, figuring it would save me time. The morning continued to be overcast, but at least it wasn't cold.

It took me 15 minutes to get to the main section of the park and I started riding the outer loop. I took minimal time for breaks, only stopping to let walkers/runners by on the trail. My endurance at Mac is not a problem since there are no big climbs. Madrone is another story.

By the time I returned home, I had ridden an hour and 15 minutes, and covered 11 miles! That's as long as my regular Sunday rides. A quick shower and Mel and I were off to Weight Watchers. I waited in line for my chance at the scale. When it was my turn, I confidently stepped up to be weighed. Usually the receptionist will tell me "good job". Not today.

When I got my weigh in book, I immediately went inside to the meeting room to find a seat. I hurriedly opened the book, only to discover I GAINED .2 of a pound! WTF? I busted my ass for 11 miles to lose extra water weight; FOR NOTHING.

Our instructor asked if any of us faced challenges this past week and I mentioned my ride and resulting gain. She said not to get dejected because sometimes it takes our bodies a few days to adjust to increased activity. FINE. I'll buy that. I'm so over it.

I'm going to enjoy the rest of my day today and head out to Madrone for a ball crunching ride on that trail. I hope the weather holds out, with minimal winds. Hopefully I'll have enough energy to complete the entire 8 mile trail. Stay tuned!

One cool thing this week, when I took my bike to get the spokes replaced and tuned up, I saw a Marin Bicycles jersey. I've been eyeballing one on the Marin website for several months now. When I got home with my bike Thursday night, I told Mel about it. She asked me if I bought it and I said no. She immediately sent me back to Cycle Logic to buy it! Thank you mommy!

I'll be wearing it proudly tomorrow on my ride!

RESPECTABLE RIDE

2009-02-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

This morning I chose to try out a trail new to me - Salado Creek Greenbelt Trail. It is found off Blanco Rd., just South of Bitters Road. This is one of many trails that the City of San Antonio is linking together to total over 20+ miles of trails that will stretch from North of Loop 1604, to the southside Mission Trails.

The trail is not overly technical, but at the beginning, there is an off camber trail that is on the edge of a cliff, with about a 20 foot drop. Since I wasn't familiar with the trail, I decided to dismount and walk this part. As you can see, it was a significant drop with no room for error.

My objective was to ride the trail past Huebner Road, then continue past Loop 1604. Unfortunately, after 4.5 miles into the ride, my rear wheel felt wobbly. I stopped to check it and discovered I had two broken spokes on my rear wheel. Knowing that the rest of the trail was supposed to be rocky, I decided not to chance it and turned around to head back to the truck. Overall, I rode 8 miles in a couple of hours.

Although it is a good change of pace trail, it does not replace Madrone as my favorite. As I mentioned, other than the initial off camber trails and the occasional rock gardens, the toughest part of the trail that I encountered were the ledges and rocks pictured below. As you can see compared to my bike, this was not a section of trail I wanted to tackle with wheel problems.

I will definitely ride this trail again, after I get my wheel repaired and my bike tuned up. I still want to reach Loop 1604 to see what I find north of it. Once I got home, I ate, then washed my bike, and Mel helped me wash my Xterra and her car.

Now I'm ready to sink into my recliner to enjoy the Super Bowl!

SUPER SUNDAY!

2009-01-31T19:13:00.000-08:00

When you really think about it, the Super Bowl is just about food, partying, and being with those you love. It's a less formal and more fun Thanksgiving Day, right? In reality, most football fans don't give a crap who's playing because more than likely, their team (Cowboys) is not in the Super Bowl.

It's an event that everyone will be talking about around the water cooler on Monday. Everyone wants to have a story and be a part of it; kind of like New Year's Eve celebrations. Mel and I usually watch alone. Sometimes Cindy will come over to watch the game with us, if she doesn't have other plans.

Because we are back on the Weight Watchers plan, we have decided to try and eat healthier this year. Instead of typical buffalo wings which are about a 150 calories a drumstick, we've decided to modify the recipe with chicken breast tenders instead.

We will also make low fat versions of spinach artichoke dip, have a veggie tray for dipping, etc. We still plan to overindulge, but in a healthier way so there is less guilt the next day. We both had successful weigh ins this morning. I have lost over 7 pounds since we started last month.

Tomorrow if the weather holds up, I plan to ride a new trail here in town - the Salado Creek Trail. If I do, I will take pictures and post them with the overview of my ride tomorrow. Until then, GO CARDS!!!

OPPORTUNITY FOUND

2009-01-25T12:28:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up around my usual weekend time – 7 AM. I splashed water on my face and headed outside to get the newspaper. It was unusually chilly this morning, so after I started the coffee pot, I went to Weather.com to check the temperature. Shit! It was 36 degrees! That’s almost freezing!

Almost immediately, the voices in my head started:
“Gosh that’s awfully cold”
“Your allergies will probably act up during your bike ride”
“You probably won’t have the stamina”
“Moco icicles don’t look good on you”

Then I remembered something an old man I met fishing in Corpus Christi once said. As I approached him on the fishing pier, I asked, “Are you having a good fishing day?”

He said, “Son, my worst day fishing was still better than my best day working. So yeah, I’m having a GREAT day fishing!”

I remembered it made sense then and it made sense now, so I started packing up my gear to head out to Madrone Trail.

Last week I wrote about how frustrating it was to have missed an opportunity to ride. You may think that was a bit melodramatic, but let me explain where I was coming from. I am scaring the crap out of 50 years old (I’ll be 49 in September). Needless to say, my mortality stares me in the mirror every morning.

None of us know how long we are going to be on this Earth. Perhaps I will be like Mom and David and still be mountain biking in my 70s. I can only pray I am that blessed. My brother was only 45 years old when he died of cancer.

This morning I learned our neighbors across the street lost their daughter this week. I don’t know how old she was, but I remember them pushing her in a stroller, so she couldn’t have been more than 2 or 3 years old. We suspected she was ill because we would see nurses come by almost daily. Bottom line – we are all living on borrowed time and it is up to us to make the most of it.

Hence missed opportunities. If you are lucky enough to have a hobby you love doing, whether it’s golfing, fishing, painting, running, mountain biking, or even making love, we only have a finite number of times we will have the opportunity to enjoy our hobby.

With mountain biking, I know there will only be so many days that the weather cooperates; some days I will be sick or otherwise physically unable to ride. Those days cut my opportunities to ride even more. So this morning, when I thought about what the old fisherman said, I wasn’t about to let my little “voices” talk me out of going.

The ride was ugly. It was really cold, but at least the wind wasn’t blowing. I HATE wind. I dressed in layers, so my upper torso was warm. Besides, I thought, I’ll only be cold until I warm up, right?

I started my ride and my eyes started tearing up right off the bat. About 15 minutes into the ride, I had to stop and rest. My eyes were steaming, which caused my riding glasses to fog up. Snot was running down my face and I could barely feel it. My breathing was as labored as an ox in heat. It was ugly, BUT I RODE!

My stamina was really lacking. I don’t know if it was from not riding in two weeks, my allergies acting up, I don’t know. But I did my best. I was only able to ride almost 3.5 miles in an hour, with many breaks to catch my breath. I knew it wasn’t my best ride, BUT I RODE!

After completing the initial portion of the ride, I headed back to the truck to load up and head home. Although I knew I should have done better, I left with the satisfaction of making the most of my opportunity to do something I really enjoy doing.

Although I’m not talking about a “bucket list”, or the Tim McGraw song “Live Like You Were Dying”, think about the things you enjoy doing. When you are debating lying on the couch to watch the boob tube (unless that’s your hobby), think about the limited number of opportunities in your life to do what you enjoy most. Maybe you’ll think twice and take advantage of the opportunity found!

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL WEEK

2009-01-24T14:36:00.001-08:00

I was a good boy this week, staying within my weekly allotment of points. It paid off today with a 2.6 pound loss at weigh in this morning! Mel also had a good week, as she lost almost 3 pounds! Today's loss wipes out the weight I gained over the holidays, plus a pound, so I'm happy.

Hopefully the weather and my allergies will hold out tomorrow so I can ride Madrone Trail. I haven't ridden it in a couple of months, so it will certainly test my endurance. More on my ride tomorrow...

THIS IS HOW TEQUILA WORKS!

2009-01-23T16:15:00.000-08:00

FRUSTRATED!

2009-01-18T06:25:00.000-08:00

I had been looking forward to my ride today all week long. I planned to go to Madrone since I haven't ridden there in over a month, but it was not to be. Winter is the height of "Mountain Cedar Fever". For those of you fortunate enough not to have bad allergies, "Mountain Cedar" is another name for the juniper bush found throughout the Hill Country.

When northern winds blow cold fronts through our area, it blows the juniper pollen into the air. Since we've had an unusually mild and dry winter, it hasn't been a big problem until recently.

I am allergic to many things, including dust, mold, cottonwood, and juniper, but when juniper pollen is in the air, it kicks my ass! I started getting symptoms late Thursday, with a dry cough and sore throat. Yesterday I started sneezing and my nose stopped up; enough so that I had to use Vick's Nasal Mist to open up my sinuses so I could breathe last night.

This morning the weather is BEAUTIFUL! The temperature is 50 degrees and the sun is shining; perfect weather for a bike ride and I can't go! One of the reasons they call it Mountain Cedar Fever is because you actually get fever-like symptoms, which I have this morning. My body is sore and my nose is drip, drip, dripping. Argh!

Since we are in standard time, there really is no other time to ride other than the weekends, so missed opportunities really irk me.

One positive note for my weekend - I did lose another pound this week, so I'm headed in the right direction. Now if I could just get my allergies to cooperate...

We also have a new addition to the mountain biker brotherhood - Rigo got a new Cannondale hardtail mountain bike for his birthday this year! He'll be bringing it to SA when they visit, so we can ride. AWESOME!

OP SCHNABEL

2009-01-11T11:15:00.000-08:00

This morning started out cloudy, dreary, and cold; at least it wasn't windy. I decided to head out to OP because I knew I could get in a good ride, test out my GPS unit, yet still cut the ride short if my endurance didn't hold out. Not necessary.

I was able to ride over 12.5 miles in 2.25 hours, with minimal stops for breaks. My longest break was about 5 minutes to eat a GU gel packet and wipe the snot off my nose. Since it was very cold, not only did my eyes constantly water, my nose was runny. Thank God I wore a long sleeve shirt - the Farmer's Hankie!

After my 2 mile warm up loop, I dropped into the creek bed trails to head out to the roller coaster hills. Midway, I came upon a couple of 8 or 9 year old boys with bikes. One of them was looking at his handlebars and appeared about to cry. I asked if there was anything wrong and he said they had been doing some jumps and when he landed, his handlebar rotated. Now his brake handles were backwards.

I told him I could fix it, so I dug out my multi-tool from my Camelbak and re-adjusted his handlebars so they were comfortable for him. After a quick tightening, they were on their way, happy as can be. As they left, they both shouted, "thanks Mister!". My good deed quota was filled for the day.

By this time, the sun was shining brightly, but there was still a nip in the air - PERFECT RIDING WEATHER! I finished my loop to Bandera Road, rested for a couple of minutes, then headed back. The photo of my ride above is kind of misleading, since I rode several trails twice. Once on my way out, then once on my way back.

I hope the weather holds out next weekend, as I will either head out to Madrone, or seek a new trail to ride! Until next time, adios.

GOOD START

2009-01-10T12:39:00.000-08:00

This was our first week back on the Weight Watchers wagon and it was a tough one! I got a good start Sunday by riding for over an hour, but Sunday night I caught a stomach bug and had to stay home from work Monday. The worst part about it was I didn't lose a pound from it!

Since I was out a day, I had much work to catch up on, so I didn't make time to go to the gym. Then Thursday I had a monthly association luncheon at a Mexican food restaurant. It was tough, but I didn't ask for chips and salsa, and instead of my usual Mexican plate with enchilada, taco, and refried beans, I had fish tacos, rice, and borracho beans.

Then yesterday I had to attend a sales meeting in Robstown and there were rows upon rows of fried everything and sweets galore! I was extremely tempted, but I kept looking until I found a vendor who had sweet n sour pork that wasn't fried. I had a small plate of that, a bag of veggie chips, and a 100 calorie pack of sweetbread cookies.

As a result, I lost 2.6 pounds at weigh-in this morning! Woo hoo! I was extremely proud of myself, as my determination paid off. Tomorrow I will ride if the weather holds up, and hopefully I will be able to get to the gym a couple of times this week. I HAVE GOT TO SUCCEED THIS TIME!

Adios my friends!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

2009-01-07T16:33:00.001-08:00

Today is my hero's birthday...yes, my Mom is my hero and she is 79 years old today! While I was growing up, my mom was my protector and my best friend. As I grew older, I tried to be HER protector and best friend.

I don't know what I would have done without my mother in my life. When I was struggling after my divorce, she was my rock emotionally. She was always there with encouragement and support whenever I needed it (and sometimes when I didn't).

My mother laid the foundation of my persona when I was growing up. She taught me to seek the best in people and try to give them the benefit of the doubt. She taught me to be courteous and polite; she taught me to be confident in myself. She showed me the things about my life I should be proud of, instead of being embarrassed.

So here's a birthday cheer to my hero - HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I LOVE YOU!

BABY STEPS

2009-01-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

It was a respectable ride, my first in over three weeks. I was apprehensive, as I questioned my riding stamina, untested in so long. This morning was windy and chilly, a cold front having moved through 12 hours earlier than forecasters predicted. I can ride in cold weather, but I hate riding in the wind. Fortunately, the woods and brush served as a great wind break.

Overall, I rode almost 7.5 miles in an hour and 15 minutes, which as I said before, is a respectable start. There were several runners at McAllister park, but most got out of my way without incident. This was my first ride since Christmas and served as my first opportunity to try out my Garmin handheld GPS unit as well as my new Forte peg pedals.

It will take time for me to become totally familiar with the GPS unit, but it did allow me to track my ride this morning as you will see by the following picture. I was able to gain 6 activity points from my ride, so the benefits were twofold.

Now, after buying groceries with Mel, I am ready to settle into my recliner to watch today's NFL playoff games. I'll also be texting Matt as he makes his way back to Odessa from spending the week with Michael in Dallas.

I'd also like to give Stefanie a Happy Birthday shout out, as today is her birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PANCHA!

BACK ON PLAN

2009-01-03T20:02:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know me, know that I've struggled with my weight for most of my life. Now that I'm older, the battle is even tougher. With that in mind, Mel and I returned to Weight Watchers today to get back on plan now that the holidays are over.

During the holidays, I felt out of control with my eating. I was fortunate that I only gained 5 pounds since November. My short term goal is to lose 10 pounds, then 23 (my 10% goal), then God willing, 30 pounds by my 49th birthday in September.

During my last two physicals, my doctor was griping about my weight and the benefits of losing the excess fat. My asthma has been bothering me more than usual, in addition to being borderline hypertensive. Diabetes is always in the back of my mind, not to mention the threat of a heart attack. Lately my hips, knees, and back have been bothering me, all of which would benefit from my losing weight.

Even if the weight doesn't melt away quickly, I will at least feel in control of my life again. I have to know that I am doing everything I can to take care of myself. Hopefully I will have positive news to post after most of the weigh-ins. We'll see.

So say a prayer for me and Mel; we can use all the support we can get!

BEST LAID PLANS

2009-01-01T11:10:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Here's hoping you all have a wonderful, safe, and prosperous 2009. Mel and I stayed true to our low-key roots for New Years Eve. Although we briefly toyed with the idea of joining 250,000 of our closest friends for the celebration downtown, we quickly dismissed it as an option.

Knowing that 2008 was a tough year for many people, we figured several would be trying to drown their bad memories with alcohol, then driving home. Suffice it to say, we thought it would be better to have dinner, then head home before all the amateur drunks.

We went to our favorite Thai restaurant, Tong's Thai, for some incredible lo mien and fried spring rolls. Afterwards we came home, watched Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, then opened a bottle of champagne to toast in the new year. After texting best wishes to family and friends, we went to bed.

Since I have been trying to get over a cold since Christmas Eve, I haven't ridden my bike for a couple of weeks now. I was really stoked about starting New Year's Day off with a bike ride. When I woke up, the sun was shining bright and it looked like it would be an awesome day for a ride. After drinking a cup of coffee and reading the paper, I started loading up my stuff in the truck. By that time, clouds were rolling in from the Gulf and the sky became overcast. :(

"No worries", I thought. I would just head over to McAllister Park for a quick ride for an hour or so, just to get my legs back. As I neared the parking lot, I came around a curve and saw dozens of runners getting ready for a New Year's Day run. CRAP!

You'd think I'd know by now that Mac is notorious for holiday "fun" runs and should be avoided at all costs. Quickly I reverted to Plan B - Mud Creek Park, which is only a couple of miles from Mac. As I drove by Mud Creek, I realized that it's parking lot was also full, so I headed home. I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I can tell when a ride is not to be.

I will give it another shot on Sunday; hopefully I will be fully recovered from my cold and in better shape to ride!

GREAT TIME IN THE 210

2008-12-30T08:08:00.001-08:00

Well, another Alamo Bowl has come and gone, and this year's edition has to rank in the top two as far as close finishes. The Missouri Tigers wound up beating the Northwestern Wildcats in overtime, with Chase Daniel hooking up with Jeremy Maclin for a touchdown in OT, which the Wildcats could not match. Aside from a few obnoxious assholes behind us, it was a great experience. Leave it up to a couple of idiots to spoil things for everyone else.

It was awesome to spend time with the boys again. We hadn't seen Matt since Michael's graduation from UTPB, and I hadn't seen Michael since this summer in Dallas. Mel and I thoroughly enjoyed their visit; it was like old times again. Although they have both grown into strapping young men, they are still my babies in my mind!

After arriving Sunday evening, we sat and had a few beers and some shots, then had a nice steak dinner grilled by yours truly. Monday, we headed out for La Cantera to walk around and check out the sights. Before the game, we lunched on some wings at Hooters, then headed for the Blossom Stadium Park N Ride to the Alamodome.

I swear, Park N Ride is the ONLY way to attend large events downtown. A $4 round trip charge covers parking and a bus ride to and from the game. I wish the Fiesta organizers would snap and make more events accessible with Park N Ride.

This morning it was a breakfast of scrambled eggs and left over steak, then the boys hit the road for Dallas since Michael has to work later today. Friday the boys will be going to the Cotton Bowl, so Matt will be in Dallas for a few more days.

It was so good to see them again; we can't wait until the next time the Boys Are Back in Town!

THE BOYS WILL BE BACK IN TOWN!

2008-12-27T17:47:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow Matt and Michael will be coming to town for the Alamo Bowl. Mel and I are so stoked to see them; we can't wait! The Alamo Bowl is an annual tradition for us, and this will be the third time the boys will be attending.

The last time they were here, we got to see the Texas Longhorns defeat the Iowa Hawkeyes 26-24 in the 2006 Alamo Bowl. Prior to that, we saw Nebraska beat Michigan 32-28 on the last play of the game. Last year, Mel, Bert, and I saw Texas A&M lose to Penn State 24-17 in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated. Still, it was cool to see all of the Aggie yells and to kiss Mel after every score!

Hopefully this year's game between Missouri and Northwestern will be a good one to see. We plan to partake in the pre-game fan fest and festivities. Last year we cut it so close, we only had time to board the park-n-ride and find our seats!

I'll be riding tomorrow morning for the first time in over two weeks. I've been sick and the weather has been crazy, so I didn't ride last week. I'll give a full report tomorrow.

Lata!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2008-12-23T16:37:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, this year I haven't been in the Christmas spirit much. I don't know if it's because we are having a tough year at work, because there was a week less time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, or what.

Thanks to God for his blessings and Dave Ramsey for his financial advice, this will be the second straight Christmas that we haven't used credit cards to buy gifts. Both years we budgeted early in the year and saved up for Christmas. It is a real good feeling knowing you are in control of your expenditures and getting out of debt instead of creating more. During today's economy, that is very important.

I digress. Like I said, I haven't really been in the Christmas spirit this year, so on my way to work this morning, I decided to do something about it. I tuned my stereo to the all Christmas music station to hear some holiday music during my drive. That seemed to help quite a bit. There is something to be said about hearing Gene Autry's version of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer", or Eartha Kitt singing "Santa Baby".

That got me to thinking about Christmas when I was a boy. I remember getting Captain Action and GI Joe action figures with all the accessories, every Hot Wheels car available at the time, and my first bike! My first bike was a classic banana seat version with chopper style handlebars.

I remember that particular Christmas, Santa (or his elf) must have been drunk when he was assembling the bike, as one of the training wheels was higher than the other. That created a permanent tilt of the bike, which resulted in my only learning how to ride the bike in circles in our driveway. After a couple of weeks I snapped and realized I could go straight if I leaned the other way! I loved that bike, as I later learned to customize it on my own. Soon after came the sissy bar, head rest, tassels, extended front forks, headlight, etc. I was stylin!

Ahhh, memories...

Anyway, the music seemed to help, but my cold hasn't. Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow. I get out of work early and Mel, Cindy, and I are planning to make a day of getting out in the hubbub, then having an early dinner, opening gifts, then settling in to a glass of wine and A Christmas Story marathon!

Hope you and yours have a safe Merry Christmas!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2008-12-17T19:53:00.000-08:00

It's been a blur since Thanksgiving. Christmas has just snuck up on us this year. I don't know if it's because there is one less week between the holidays this year, or just because we've been so busy at work, but it seems like I just blinked and Christmas is next week!

I finally got the lights and exterior decorations up a couple of weeks ago. Mel has been sick, so she was barely able to get the tree decorated today. Last Friday was the McNay Christmas party and we had a great time. After a nice dinner, we all danced to a DJ who actually spins vinyl albums and is less than 50 years old! We had a great time dancing, which we hadn't done in years. My hips were very sore the next day.

The following day, Saturday, we hosted my staff's annual Christmas Party at Soluna Restaurant here in San Antonio. We had a great time and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Sunday, I rode at OP Schnabel and was able to get 12.5 miles in a couple of hours. If the weather holds this week, I'll probably try to ride Madrone longer than two hours.

This Saturday Mel, Cindy, and I are going to the Annual San Antonio Symphony Christmas Pops concert. We went last year and really enjoyed the traditional carols they performed. Then next week, I'll have to work part of the week, but will have Christmas day off. I am looking forward to just chilling out and having a nice, quiet holiday at home.

This has been a long year and I'm ready to get it over with. I look forward to the promise of a better 2009!

WHAT A WEEK

2008-12-01T18:35:00.001-08:00

Last week Mel and I were both on vacation for the Thanksgiving holiday. After cleaning house as well as the carpets the weekend before, we prepared for a full week ahead of us.

MONDAY - I had hoped to ride my bike, but the weather was crappy and foggy, so I got a late start. I rode a little over an hour at McAllister Park

TUESDAY - got my hair cut and waited for Mom and David to drive in from Midland.

WEDNESDAY - Mom & David drove to Houston to pick up the Batcycle. I rode 13 miles at McAllister Park and had a good workout. Mel and I finished last minute Thanksgiving shopping, then I grilled steaks when Mom & David returned from Houston.

THANKSGIVING - David and I rode 10 miles at OP Schnabel. David wiped out a couple of times and ripped his brand new Pearl Izumi riding shorts - OUCH! The Gonzos drove in from Brownsville after lunch, with Aidan in tow. Welcome to the Terrible Twos! Bert flew in from San Jose around 4 PM, so we finally had dinner around 6 PM. A 10 mile ride and football games all day and night, WHAT A GREAT DAY!

FRIDAY - Mom and David decided to head home early to get some chores done around the house. We kind of just hung out while everyone else went shopping. Later that evening, we celebrated Mel's birthday early, so the Gonzos could participate.

SATURDAY - I decided to ride Madrone solo. I did the first circuit a couple of times, for 6+ miles total. I also tackled a particular ledge that I have been avoiding until now. That gave me a great sense of achievement. Later that afternoon, the Gonzos returned to Brownsville.

SUNDAY - Mel's birthday. She and I spent the whole day together; no bike riding; no football. We had a nice late lunch/early dinner at Red Lobster. At some point during the week, Mel picked up Aidan and messed up her back. She has been in pain the whole day. Ibuprofen and a couple of Cosmos didn't seem to help.

MONDAY - back to work to rest!

All in all, it was a good week. We got to see family and catch up and I got in a few bike rides to work off my stress and enjoy the outdoors. Now it's on to Christmas and New Years!

Oklahoma 65, Texas Tech 21

2008-11-23T06:49:00.000-08:00

Boy, talk about painful to watch...last night's complete drubbing of Tech by Oklahoma was even more painful than watching the recent Dallas Cowboy losses. OU amassed over 600 yards of total offense and completely dominated both lines.

Although the Red Raiders still have a chance at winning the Big 12 South to face Missouri for the Big 12 Championship, they have to beat Baylor next week and hope that OSU can beat OU in Stillwater. Stranger things have happened...

Although few expected the total annihilation of Tech's offense, OU's win should not have come as a complete shock. Optimists like me hoped Tech had improved over last year's team, which beat OU in Lubbock. Here are some things to consider:

Last year, Sam Bradford was knocked out of the game early and his backup didn't perform well.

Mike Leach was OU's offensive coordinator under Stoops in 1999, so Stoops is very familiar with Leach's offense.

Stoops had two weeks to prepare defensively for Tech. Leach did as well, but I think he and his defensive coordinator underestimated Oklahoma

Don't forget the revenge factor. Last year's OU loss in Lubbock knocked them out of BCS Championship contention.

We have to remember that Tech only has one loss, as do Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, and other powerhouse teams in BCS contention. Although they realistically have no shot at a BCS Championship, they will wind up in a nice bowl game. This was the year they had to make their push for the BCS Championship though, as Graham Harrell is a Senior and his backup - Taylor Potts, will only be a Sophomore next year.

Now, I can only hope for a good matchup in this year's Alamo Bowl. I got my tickets in the mail this week, so I'm stoked. Right now, they are projecting Iowa (Big 10) vs Oklahoma State (Big 12). That would be a great matchup. Regardless of who plays, I will be wearing my Texas Tech colors at the game!

On a side note, I read in today's paper that OHS lost to Arlington last night, so Permian is Odessa's only hope for a state football championship this year.

WOW

2008-11-22T19:30:00.000-08:00

It's barely into the third quarter and OU is absolutely SPANKING Tech 52-7. This was most unexpected by most of the country as well as the TV analysts. I can only hope Tech can do a gut check and make the rest of the game respectable.

ONE STEP CLOSER

2008-11-22T16:34:00.000-08:00

With apologies to my family who has Odessa High ties, Mojo is one step closer to the State 5A High School Championship! The beat the crap out of Burleson last night and will face a DFW team tba next week in Texas Stadium.

I for one am glad to see Permian's rise to the elite ranks again; it's been a long time coming! I have many fond memories of attending Permian playoff games at Ratliff Stadium with my then brother in law, Manuel Valles Jr.

Most of the games were played in the blistering cold, so we would tank up on alcohol before the game, drink hot chocolate during the game, then run to the car at halftime to drink more alcohol...good times!

I'm not sure if OHS won their game this afternoon in Abilene, I couldn't find the results online. I hope they did. Now, I am settling in for the Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma game tonight. I can't wait!

GUNS UP! GO TECH! BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF OU!

THE BATCYCLE

2008-11-21T19:03:00.000-08:00

No, actually it's David's newest velomobile. He and Mom will be coming to San Antonio on their way to Houston to pick it up after having it shipped from the Netherlands after David's last visit there. I haven't seen it in real life, but I think the picture looks pretty neat. His Alleweder reminds me of those old silver bullet travel trailers from the 50's.

If you've never seen one, they are actually very cool. As many of you know, David builds velomobiles at his shop in Midland. We are looking forward to their visit next week!

RACKING UP THE MILES

2008-11-18T19:52:00.000-08:00

Since I bought my cycle computer in August, I've ridden over 200 miles! I know my roadie friends out there may scoff at the thought of so few miles ridden since August, but I've done this on trails alone!

Riding once or twice a week since August, that averages out to a nice ride every week. My Marin East Peak is still performing like a champ and I'm enjoying every minute on the bike! I can't wait until next week when I'm on vacation. I hope to ride three or more times if possible!

GRAHAM HARRELL

2008-11-17T18:49:00.000-08:00

This email was forwarded to me by one of my friends in Lubbock. I found it interesting with today's ME, ME, ME, attitude in the sports world, there is still hope. Here goes:

Ok, so you're in your early 20's, your team is #2 in the country looking at a National Championship run, you're THE BIGGEST star in the entire town, you are the leading front-runner for the Heisman Trophy, you've beaten the "then" #1 team in the nation and rival school one week, followed by beating another top ten team the next week, you have a chance at being the #1 team in the country when the BCS rankings come out tonight........

You're a college kid, big man on campus, king of a college town, SO what do you do those Saturday nights after those HUGE wins? Go out, celebrate til 4am and then sleep all day Sunday, right?

NOT GRAHAM HARRELL, last week he was at our church Sunday morning helping the youth with a fundraiser luncheon. This week (today) he was at church again talking to a 5th grade Sunday school class about making good choices. Last year, after LOSING on the road in Austin to the rival UT and getting in at 4am, he just went home and slept and felt sorry for himself, right?

NOPE, he was back at church a few hours later helping with the youth group. Do you realize what kind of influence a potential Heisman Trophy winner can have on a group of high school kids at a church? He's got my vote! Errrr, if I had one!

I'm sure this guy has a world of temptation at his fingertips, yet seems to have his priorities in line. I'm sure he's not perfect, but he's definitely inspires me to keep my priorities right regardless of what's going on in my life.

I have a friend whose cousin plays baseball at Tech and is Harrell's roommate....According to him, what you see is EXACTLY what you get. Great kid, solid values.With all the bad stories you hear, I thought this type of story might also need to be put out there.

REMEMBER THE WIND CHILL

2008-11-16T13:46:00.000-08:00

Temperatures are finally starting to cool significantly for South Texas. This morning, it was 40 degrees when I went to ride OP Schnabel Park. I planned everything out. I had a long sleeved undershirt, thick socks, my regular riding shorts (as long as my upper body is warm, my legs don't bother me), and my new Pearl Izumi riding gloves.

When I arrived at the trail head, the sun was shining brilliantly. "I couldn't have picked a better day to ride", I thought to myself. After a quick stop at the men's room, I headed out for the trail. Despite all my preparations, I forgot to allow for two things - shade and wind chill.

Although I was wearing a long sleeve undershirt, tooling along at 6 or 7 mph creates a certain degree of wind chill and it was cutting through me! Crap! I was worried I might have to cut my ride short due to frozen extremities. Fortunately, my body soon warmed up and the cold was not a factor.

After the initial 2.5 mile loop I ride for warm up, I was ready to head down to the Leon Creek bottom for the main trails. I headed down the main trail and came to the portion I first tackled 3 weeks ago when I last rode OP. I negotiated that part with no problem and headed for another downhill that I like to ride.

As I approached the other downhill section, I noticed it had been bulldozed over and virtually decimated. The city of San Antonio is working on expanding our parks and walking trails. One of their current projects is building a series of cement walking paths along the bottom of Leon Creek from Bandera Road to connect with Baumgardner Park a couple of miles north of OP Schnabel.

Although I applaud the city for their efforts and desire to make San Antonio leaner, they are really screwing up the trails at OP. The series of trails was hard enough to navigate as it was; now it's worse. Just when I learned my way around, the trails will stop abruptly, interrupted by this concrete expanse of a walking trail. Then you have to search for where the trail picks up again to resume your ride.

Once everything is finished, I'm sure it will be great. If they wind up butchering much of the existing trail system, I just won't ride OP as often. It will be a shame if that happens. Until then, I'll do the best I can with what is still there.

I had a great workout this morning, riding over 13 miles in 2 hours and 15 minutes. I worked out at the gym twice this week and it seemed to help my overall stamina during my ride today. I am really stoked about Thanksgiving Week, as I am on vacation and plan to ride several times that week. Not only that, but we will have a house full of guests for the holiday and we are both looking forward to that.

RANT

2008-11-15T06:14:00.000-08:00

I know that I can be hard to please, and I know many times my expectations are too high, but is it too much to ask that my damn newspaper be delivered on time?

I am a morning person. I look forward to sitting down at the kitchen table with a fresh cup of coffee and the newspaper to start my day. I'm not asking much. That's my quiet time before Mel and the dogs get up; before the day's chores need to be done; it's MY time.

This morning I woke up about 6:45 and went outside to get the paper. I looked in the yard, on the sidewalk, the driveway, I even got on all fours to look under our trucks; NOTHING. Resigned to reading Mel's latest issue of Glamour while I sat on the throne, I was not pleased.

Oh well, I thought, I can have my second cup of joe while reading the State High School playoff scores, to see whether Permian and Crane survived the first round (OHS plays this afternoon). NOPE; still no paper to be found.

By now I was pissed. I went to the local paper's website to email their customer service department. Try to find ANY business' complaint department online; I challenge you. You have to almost try every link at the bottom of their website page.

Finally I found the correct link and described my issue. Now it is almost 8:30 and still no paper. Although I consider myself PC literate, I still prefer to have a real newspaper in my hands. Besides, the power cord to my PC is not long enough to reach the bathroom. I know I could always get a laptop to address that issue, but then there's the problem of it overheating and burning your thighs. I'm sure you have a vivid mental image now; sorry about that.

Any way, it just reminds you of life's simple pleasures. A cool morning breeze, the sound of birds chirping, the sun shining on your cheeks, AND MY DAMN NEWSPAPER DELIVERED WHEN I NEED IT!

There. I'm done. FOR NOW!

BACK ON THE HORSE

2008-11-09T12:22:00.000-08:00

so to speak....

I didn't ride last weekend. I really don't know why, but I got up early last Sunday and followed my regular pre-ride routine. Then something in me said, "Don't go". My hips had been hurting my the night before and continued that morning, but normally I would take a couple of Ibuprofen and hit the trails. Maybe the time change had something to do with it; I don't know. Either way, I didn't ride and I was MISERABLE this past week.

I've found that even if I don't push myself to my physical limit, as long as I ride weekly, it helps keep my stress levels under control and I generally have a more positive outlook on everything. Not this week.

Eager to atone for my poor choice, I was stoked about riding this morning. I decided to go to Madrone trail to get in a good workout. The morning was beautiful, but a bit chilly, so I dressed in layers with a Under Armor undershirt with an Under Armor top layer.

My gears have been acting up a bit, continuing to shift erratically, but I found a set of gears that didn't complain much and I was underway. I was a bit apprehensive because there were around five cars/trucks in the parking lot so I was worried that the trails would be crowded. Fortunately that wasn't the case. I did see a handful of riders throughout the first section of the trail, but nothing unbearable.

I did have some neagtive effects from not riding last week, as my stamina was diminished somewhat, but I just took breaks as needed and didn't let it bother me. I did have to walk some sections of the trail, but that happens every time I ride there. It's worth it for the downhills! I attacked almost all of the downhill ledges and drops, getting chicken on only three. I'll conquer them at some point, as it is a mental challenge that I have to work though.

Madrone is really a pretty, scenic trail, although Canyon Lake's water level is so low, it looks a bit sad. The trails make up for it though. I like having a few trails to pick from depending on my riding mood. If I want to hit some climbing, rock gardens, ledges, and other technical sections, I go to Madrone. If I want a long ride where I can build some speed, with a few technical sections, I go to OP Schnabel. If I just want something close where I can get in a long ride with little technical sections, I run over to McAllster Park. If I really want to challenge myself, I head out to Government Canyon for a hike/bike day out.

I am very fortunate to live near trails within a reasonable drive, that let me experience so much varied terrain; I love it! Oh yeah, I almost forgot....

GUNS UP! GO TECH! BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF OU!

LOVE THE GLOVES!

2008-10-26T15:09:00.000-07:00

I was recently given a gift card at work and decided to use it this weekend. My riding gloves are starting to wear a little thin and I needed some with more padding in the palm to help reduce fatigue from the vibration of the bike.

After dinner Saturday night, Mel and I stopped by Performance Bikes to see what they had in stock. I found a pair of Pearl Izumi Cyclone gloves that seemed to be what I needed. They have plenty of padding in the palm, with the requisite terry cloth snot wipe on each thumb (what will those bikers think of next?).

My rubber handlebar grips were starting to wear and crack, so I needed to upgrade. I found a pair of Lizardskins Peaty clamp on grips with red ends to match the paint on my bike. Sweet! After getting the old ones off (bit of a struggle), I fitted the new ones on in less than 10 minutes. I'll keep the old ones for spare parts in case I need them in the future.

This morning I went back out to OP Schnabel for my weekend ride. I had to get the Marin tuned up again this week, so I didn't ride during the week. OP fit the bill. I had a nice 2 hour ride and covered 10.5 miles. Best of all, I was able to conquer a part of the trail that I had avoided for weeks. It is a very rocky downhill section that for some reason, I hadn't been ready to handle mentally.

Today I made up my mind that I was going to ride it! I was already at the end of my ride and headed toward that section of the trail. I had already avoided it at the beginning of my ride, so I was determined to do it. I stopped at the top of the section to study the downhill and pick my line.

Satisfied with the line, I walked my bike back to the top of the trail and headed down. I navigated the first portion of the downhill, then lined up for the hard part. I shifted my butt off the seat and just above the rear wheel, in case I needed to jump off the bike. I hit the first rock and my bike absorbed the hit, then kept on going. At the bottom of the downhill, I gave a fist pump for my small victory! Then I headed back to the truck to load up and come home.

It seems that riding alone the last few weeks has helped my stamina, as I challenge myself to take shorter and fewer breaks throughout the ride. Daylight Savings time will end next weekend, so that virtually eliminates any chance to ride after work. I guess I'll have to make do by simulating my rides at the gym.

Once showered, I super glued my butt to the recliner, having earned my afternoon of guilt free football watching!

GOTTA LOVE THIS PICTURE!

2008-10-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

Boy, does this bring back memories of "I am Batman". When I was little, Batman was my hero. My mom went as far as to sew a Batman costume for me to wear. It wasn't Halloween either. I would wear it in the front yard, at the park, anywhere I pleased!

Now, so many years later, IT'S STILL COOL TO BE BATMAN!

YAY, BERT WAS HERE!

2008-10-21T19:15:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in a previous post, Albert was in Austin for a friends wedding. We were able to meet for dinner Sunday night to spend a couple of hours with him and his cousin Chris, his wife Jennifer, their son Allister, and good friend Brian. We met at Waterloo Ice House and had some good burgers and tater tots!

It was good to see Bert and catch up a little. Hopefully we will have more time to spend with him next month when he comes to town for Thanksgiving. Until then, it was great to see him again after nine months. California seems to agree with him!

AWESOME RIDE!

2008-10-19T10:47:00.001-07:00

Although I rode quite a bit Friday, I decided to ride again this morning. It seems to help my stamina when I ride more than once a week, so I didn't want to lose any momentum. I have to admit, I almost talked myself out of riding this morning, but I ignored the voices.

I decided to head out to O.P. Schnabel and hit the trail a little before 9 AM. It was a BEAUTIFUL morning, with a little nip in the air. It was cool enough that I dressed in layers, with a long sleeve undershirt under my regular shirt. An hour into the ride, it had warmed up enough for me to take off the undershirt.

There were a few bikers and hikers on the trail, but not too bad. The ones I came across were very friendly, which was a nice change from usual. I ultimately rode 12.6 miles in around an hour and a half. Hopefully I can keep up my momentum for another try at Government Canyon next month.

Now it's time to rest up before we head to Austin to see Bert!

BEAUTIFUL DAY!

2008-10-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

It has been pretty stressful at work lately, so I decided to take a personal day to ride off some stress. I hit Madrone Trail about 10 am and decided I was going to try and ride the entire trail. Although I like the first two miles the best, I figured since I had the whole day to myself, I would try the whole thing.

The sun was shining and there was a crispness in the air. I love fall! When I was younger, summer was my favorite time of year, but especially since I've been riding, Fall has taken first place. Sixty five degree temperatures make for a VERY comfortable bike ride!

Although the first part of the trail is challenging, having several climbs, I was able to complete it with few breaks. I finished the first three miles within an hour and took a break to rest and eat a GU packet. After five minutes, I was back on the trail headed for the dreaded Madrone rock gardens. As you will see from the pictures, these rocks are large and treacherous, some with very sharp edges.

I stopped for a couple of minutes at the bottom of an old boat ramp, that is no longer in use. It was kind of sad to see Canyon Lake, as it is several feet low. There was probably a hundred feet or so of exposed ramp that is usually under water.

I continued to the West side of the trail and stopped to take pictures of a canyon facing the lake. There were several tires strewn about; I don't understand how people can toss trash about as if it was a dump. Cigarette butt tossers are a huge peeve of mine, but that's another story.

I wound up finishing the 9 mile trail in 2 hrs and 45 minutes, but I stopped a few times along the way to take pictures and catch my breath. All in all, it was a good ride. I really like Madrone, but I hate having to drive almost an hour each way (depending on traffic).

Once home, I washed and detailed my bike, cut the front yard, and played with Hershey and Mattie. I am pretty tired right now, but it was a great day off. Tomorrow will be another COLLEGE FOOTBALL DAY, with Tech playing A&M at 11 and Texas vs. Missouri at 7 pm. Sunday we will head to Austin to have lunch with Bert, who is in from California for a friends wedding. It will be good to see him.

Depending on what time we have to be in Austin, I may or may not ride Sunday. If I do, it will probably be close to home, just so I can get another workout in. Until next time, GO TECH!

CHECK THIS OUT

2008-10-08T18:09:00.000-07:00

If you missed Sean Hannity's debate coverage after last night's debates, you've GOT to watch this! Hannity was beat at his own game!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgn6rjGbp0c&feature=bz301

TRIED AND TRUE

2008-10-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

Tuesday I was able to slip out a little early from work and get out to McAllister for a quick workout. I was on the trail by 5:30PM and was able to ride 9.5 miles in 1hr 15 min. The trails were a little crowded and my asthma was bothering me because of the cool front that blew in. A couple of puffs from my trusty inhaler and I was good to go.

The sun is setting a lot sooner now and by 6:45 it was getting dark in the creek bottoms. I got a good workout and rode off some stress, so it was a successful ride!

GOOD WEEK

2008-10-05T19:12:00.001-07:00

This has been a decent week considering I was able to ride twice; once on Thursday and again this morning. Hopkins and I went to OP Schnabel for a two hour ride.

It was a little surreal, as an 18 year old girl died there this past week. In a previous post, I showed a picture of a cliff that is around 35 feet high. This girl was near the edge with a friend and somehow slipped and fell to her death below. When we rode by the cliff, we could see crosses and bouquets that friends and family had placed along the cliff side.

We rode almost 11 miles in a little over 1.5 hours. It was a good ride that was technical enough to keep it interesting, yet not so treacherous that we could actually stay on our bikes. Last week at Guadalupe River State Park was tough because of all the rocks on the trails.

Today the Dallas Cowboys squeaked by the Cincinnati Bengals, and yesterday The Texas Tech Red Raiders POUNDED the Kansas State Wildcats. I also read that Mojo whupped up on OHS, but that was pretty typical. Even in Permian's down years, OHS was never able to beat them in football.

Mel and I had a good weekend, which included cleaning house, eating dinner at Red Lobster, and visiting with Cindy today. All in all, a good week!

DRESS UP TIME!

2008-09-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

Sunday night Mel and I attended the Patron's party at the McNay Museum. It was a black tie affair, so we had to get dolled up right. We had a good time and still were able to get to work Monday morning!

NEW TRAIL

2008-09-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

Hopkins and I have been trying to expand the number of trails we ride on a regular basis. Having ridden Madrone last Sunday and McAllister on Thursday, we decided to try Guadalupe River State Park today.

I found one website that described it as a tough ride with rocks that could rip your derailleur hanger off your bike. Finding that hard to believe, we decided to try it any way. Even the lady at the park office told us there were rough parts on the trail, but we decided to "manup" and try it anyway.

The trail itself is not that long, maybe 6 miles total. But it is a BITCH. No extra long climbs like Government Canyon or exposed ledges like Madrone, but tons and tons of rocks! If you lose momentum and have to stop, it is hard to get started again because the rocks just go on and on.

I literally had to lockout my front shock because the rebound was causing problems. At one point, my front wheel hit a rock that didn't budge and I was thrown out of my seat. Luckily I was able to step on a rock to lessen the impact on my nether region.

Halfway through the ride, the trail comes to the lip of a canyon, with the Guadalupe River barely visible several dozen feet below. Once we completed the trails, we decided to ride the paved park road down to the riverside.

At one point, we hit a top speed of almost 29 mph on the downhill, which was great until we remembered we would have to climb it on our way back. Nonetheless, we rode down to the river's edge where we took pictures and Hopkins splashed some water on his head.

As tough as the rock gardens are, this trail is good training for our next attempt at Government Canyon. Not only that, but it is half as far as Madrone Trail is from San Antonio, so it makes for a quicker ride. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with my recliner and TV. Later, Mel and I have to go to a black tie Patrons party at the museum, so I need all the recovery and rest I can get...

DON'T LISTEN TO THE VOICES

2008-09-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

After not riding at all last week because (insert excuse here), my body was starting to complain about my inactivity over the last several days. My ankles were hurting and my left hamstring was so tight I had Mel stretch me last night before bedtime.

Overall I knew that stress had a lot to do with it because my bike riding helps me keep my stress in check. The last couple of days have been cool, Fall-like temperatures, so I hoped to ride after work today.

I left work a little early to beat traffic and get my gear ready to ride. On the way home, I was starting to get real sleepy. So much so, that I was starting to talk myself out of going to ride. Boy, my recliner sure would be comfy enough for a quick nap before Mel got home.....

When I got home, I forced myself to dress in my riding clothes and pack my Camelbak Mule for the ride. I promised myself that I would start with a leisurely ride and quit if my legs started hurting.

I arrived at McAllister Park and unloaded my bike and gear. Begrudgingly I mounted the bike and began to ride. My asthma was bothering my breathing a little bit, but I wasn't as winded as I expected I would be after a week layoff from riding.

By the time I decided to stop, I had ridden over 8 miles in a little over an hour. I had a decent sweat going and my legs were starting to feel the effects of the ride. Feeling satisfied that I at least got a good workout, I packed my bike & gear and went home.

Sometimes you have to overcome your own little voices in your head telling you to take the easy way out, there's always tomorrow, your body hurts, etc. When you hear those voices, you need to be even more determined to do what you know is best for you, your body, and your psyche.

I hope to ride again later this week as well as on Sunday. I am thinking about trying a new trail at Guadalupe River State Park in Bulverde. I'll keep you posted. Until then, keep doing what you know is right for you. Don't talk yourself out of it....

SAN ANTONIO DODGED A BULLET NAMED IKE

2008-09-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

Whew! We were very fortunate here in San Antonio not to have experienced any ill effects from Hurricane Ike. We were told to expect 4 to 6 inches of rain and wind gusts to 65 mph, but it never happened. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining.

It was very sad and disheartening to see all of the damage Ike caused the residents of the Houston and Galveston areas. San Antonio is housing some 5,000 or so evacuees, plus countless others in area hotels. I can't begin to imagine having your life turned upside down from something like that.

As I mentioned, our weather was nice, but very hot yesterday. Today was very cloudy and gloomy. I didn't ride my bike today because I tweaked my knee this weekend. I think it was when we were pulling stuff off the deck in anticipation of the storm. Anyway, I didn't want to push it and maybe hurt it more.

Hopefully all the weather drama is over with this year; I don't need that much excitement in my life. Tomorrow night is MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL - Dallas vs Philly. GO COWBOYS!!!

HUNKER DOWN

2008-09-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

Texas' third major storm of the season is bearing down on the Coastal Bend. At this point, most of the computer models have the storm making landfall Saturday morning, then coming inland towards San Antonio. The forecast here is for sustained winds from 40 to 60 miles per hour, with gusts around 80mph.

Today at lunch I went to Walmart to buy extra bottled water, batteries, and another lantern. Mel and the dogs freak out when the electricity goes out, and here in our neighborhood it goes out if somebody farts too hard.

San Antonio is also prone to flooding, as it is very hilly, with many low water crossings around the city. With low water crossings, come idiots who drive around the barricades in the road instead of turning around.

Tomorrow night we'll pull all the furniture and plants off the deck just in case, and I'll also download some podcasts to watch on my iPod if the lights go out. Until then, we'll just have to wait and see....

AHHHH...THE DOG'S LIFE!

2008-09-07T17:07:00.000-07:00

WHAT A LIFE!

YOU PLAY...

YOU SUN...

YOU EAT...

YOU TAKE A LEAK...

YOU TAKE A DUMP...

YOU SLEEP...

REPEAT!!!

AWESOME BIRTHDAY!

2008-09-07T14:41:00.000-07:00

This has been an AWESOME birthday weekend for me. Yesterday I started the day with my usual coffee and paper, then Mel and I went to a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant for a great breakfast.

After breakfast, Mel took me to buy some new mountain biking shorts as the ones Bert bought me last year are showing some wear. She also bought me a new Halo sweatband at Cycle Logic. After that, we hit some of the local consignment shops looking for something to wear for next month's McNay Second Chance Prom.

Then we both went to have manicures and pedicures (I am no longer a pedi-virgin). We wrapped it up by having dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant, Tong's Thai, where Cindy joined us for dinner. The girls surprised me by giving me a new Fujifilm SLR digital camera! They got me good, as I usually can guess what they buy me.

During the day, I received many calls and texts from Mom, the Boys, Michelle, Roberta, and Bert. I also got a couple of emails from my sister Luz Marie and my Aunt Corina in California. My staff celebrated my birthday Friday by decorating my office, getting me a nice card, and buying a decadent chocolate on chocolate cake.

Today, I went for a nice two hour ride at OP Schnabel, where Hopkins and I rode 7 or 8 miles and had a good workout. After the ride, I helped Mel wash her car, I washed my bike, now I'm settling in to watch the Cowboys play the Browns. All of my favorite football teams won this weekend, so it's been nice.

Now to get back on track with Weight Watchers this week and continue my bike rides during the week. Best wishes and thanks to everyone!

COWABUNGA!

2008-08-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

Hopkins was able to join me for a ride at Madrone Trail this morning for the first time in a month. We had an awesome ride that was challenging for both of us. We rode a little over 5 miles, but since we stayed on the first part of the trail, we tackled many climbs as well as some downhills.

Since I had someone with me to record the ride for posterity (as well as to scrape me off the trail if I endo'd), I decided to try some ledges that I was hesitant to ride before. Although the pictures don't do the trail justice, you can see that it's a long way down. You can't really tell the height of the ledges on the trail, so the pictures are kind of deceiving.

Suffice it to say, this trail continues to challenge us and provides and AWESOME workout for your legs and lungs. There aren't many riders who make the trip to Canyon Lake, which makes it even better for us because we have the trails to ourselves and don't have to worry about running over anyone.

The scenery is really pretty as you have views of the lake from almost any vantage point, since the trail is on one big hill for the most part. Both of us were spent from the two hour ride, so combine that with my ride yesterday, and I'm a happy camper!

Until next time....

RISE AND SHINE!

2008-08-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

This week has been really stressful at work and last night I was so tired I went to bed at 9 PM. This morning about 4, I had a sneezing fit (mold is really high from the recent rains) and couldn't go back to sleep. I finally got up before 5 and made coffee, then read the paper.

Knowing I had to weigh in this morning, I decided to head out to Mc Allister park for a quick ride to try and drop some weight. I arrived at the park around 7 AM and there wasn't a car in sight. "Great", I thought. I would have the park to myself for a nice early ride.

WRONG. I stumbled across tons of joggers and a couple of bikers. WHO IN THE HELL WOULD COME OUT TO THE PARK AT 7 IN THE MORNING? Wait a minute....I would. In spite of heavy traffic, I was able to ride over 8 miles in an hour and fifteen minutes. I only stopped once for a couple of minutes to clean my shades.

After a quick shower, I was off to weigh in at Weight Watchers. I lost 2.6 lbs this week...YAY! I have lost a little over 11 lbs since we started. After my doctor chewed my ass, I need to stay on track.

Later gators.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2008-08-30T03:59:00.000-07:00

As far as I'm concerned, the New Year is upon us. I am a native Texan, so that can only mean one thing.....FOOTBALL!!! I have waited seven LOOONG months for football season to start, so I am in hog heaven!

From the Dallas Cowboys, to the Texas Tech Red Raiders, to high school, and everything in -between, I AM READY!

Michael would argue that baseball season is tops, but to me it comes in a close second. I could never imagine watching a baseball game after stuffing my face with turkey and dressing at Thanksgiving. Everything is relative and everything has it's time and place.

AND NOW, IT'S TIME FOR FOOTBALL!!!!

HAMMER TIME!

2008-08-26T18:27:00.000-07:00

After a couple of stressful days at work, I needed to let off some steam. After work, I went to McAllister park for a quick ride. As mentioned in previous posts, we've had a good bit of rain, so I was concerned about the trails being muddy.

As I expected, they were very soft. In areas that were not in direct sunlight, there were deep ruts where others had ridden before me. Not wanting to waste a beautiful late afternoon, I did my best to navigate the ruts and still get in a good workout.

I was able to ride further today in a shorter period of time than I did on Sunday. I rode 8.7 miles in about an hour and fifteen minutes; only stopping a couple of times to catch my breath. My top speed was 22 miles an hour on the levee downhill, but I only averaged about 7 mph on the trails.

I hope we don't get any more rain this week, so the trails will dry out more. It is very hard to get up to a good speed when you are worried about keeping the bike upright. I hope to get another ride in before my next WW weigh in Saturday morning, because I have to lose a significant amount of weight before my follow up doctors visit in December.

PAT, I'D LIKE TO BUY A VOWEL....

2008-08-24T10:54:00.000-07:00

and some stamina please! Because it has been raining off and on all week, I wasn't able to ride during the week as I usually do. It must have affected my stamina, because I was only able to ride 6 miles of the 8.5 mile Madrone Trail.

Although I know being overweight doesn't help, I usually finish the entire trail before heading home; not today. I don't know if I didn't get enough rest, didn't have enough energy since I didn't eat breakfast, maybe the extreme humidity had something to do with it. My guess is all of the above.

I usually don't have to stop to catch my breath until 30 minutes into the ride; today I had to stop after 15 minutes. Although Madrone isn't classified as a lung-buster like Government Canyon, it is still uphill quite a bit of the way. Since the trail is on a peninsula jutting out into the lake, the peninsula itself is one big hill.

I ate a GU packet an hour into the ride and it helped give me a boost, but after two hours, I bonked; hitting my physical wall.

My bike performed like a champ; I just wasn't in the zone to put it through it's paces today. I need to ride a couple of times this week so I can build up my endurance again. I am really looking forward to the Fall and cooler temperatures. That should help quite a bit.

After resting for a while, Mel and I are going to check out the Cibolo Creek trail off I-35 in Schertz. I hear there are some cool trails and I need to add some more trails to my list so I have a variety to choose from. I get bored with McAllister and OP Schnabel, as they are not very technical at all. Don't get me wrong, you will get a good workout at either of the two, but you don't hone your riding skills much there.

Madrone is a cool trail with some technical spots and plenty of rocks, but the two hour round trip drive gets a little tiresome. Government Canyon is a trail I only want to tackle two or three times a year, so I need to find trails that are challenging, yet close to the house.

I'll keep you posted.....

RAINOUT :(

2008-08-23T06:17:00.000-07:00

For the last week or so, San Antonio has received some much needed rain. We were in the midst of an extreme drought as recently as July, but with Hurricane Dolly and subsequent storms, we are recovering....from drought.

My problem is, I can't ride when it rains this much. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem getting wet or dirty; I've done so many times. Road bikers probably scoff at the thought of using the rain as an excuse not to ride, but when it rains like it has over the last week, the ground gets saturated and muddy.

Mud is not good for my bike's components, plus it's not good to ride muddy trails, as it causes them to deteriorate and form ruts. This makes it even more dangerous to ride when they dry out, because the ruts can cause serious accidents if you are not careful.

I'm hoping the rain subsides by tomorrow so I can ride Madrone Trail. Madrone doesn't have much dirt/mud, as it is very rocky. But then you have to watch out for wet rocks, as they are very slippery and make it hard to control your bike. I guess I could always go to the gym and ride a stationary bike, but it's not the same.

I guess if nothing else, the rain will force me to get some much needed rest and catch up on honey-dos in the house. Until next time, adios....

DIALED IN!

2008-08-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in last week's post, my maiden voyage on my new Marin was good, but less than spectacular. I attributed most of the issues to my lack of experience riding a full suspension bike and made the most of the ride last week at Madrone.

During the week, I researched the Marzocchi front fork and Fox rear suspension shock online to see if I was missing something. Indeed I did overlook a couple of tuning elements, so I played with the adjustments some more. I also bought a wireless bike computer at Performance Bikes, so I could see just how far and fast I ride.

After installing the computer, I found that I couldn't get it to work based on the manufacturer's instructions. My neighbor saw me fiddling with it and suggested that I move the receiver on the front fork closer than the manufacturer's instructions. He said he had had similar issues with his and that seemed to fix it.

Sure enough, I moved the receiver closer to the magnet on the spoke and VIOLA! It worked! Thank God for Daniel, as this was the second computer I had that I couldn't get to work. Now, I will try the same thing on my old one and install it on my Marin hardtail for a backup ride.

I took my new Marin out to McAllister Park Saturday morning to try and dial in the suspension. Man, what a difference! I modified my position on the bike during climbs, by moving even further up on the seat, towards the handlebar. It helped tremendously, as my front wheel did not lift off the trail as it had at Madrone last week. The rear suspension was like BUTTER - SMOOTH.

This morning, I went to OP Schnabel to put the bike though it's paces on a wider variety of trails. Although it was overcast, I decided to try my luck with the weather. I took my usual warm up ride through the front trails by Bandera Road, and the bike performed like a champ.

Then, I headed to the bottom of Leon Creek, to find some downhills, rock gardens, and the roller coaster hills north of the golf course. My Marin ate them all up and asked for more. Unfortunately, after two hours and 10 miles of riding, my legs were tired. Obviously I will need to lose more weight and improve my conditioning even more to really stretch the limits of this bike.

I received several complements about the fire red paint job, and the Quad Link suspension. I wound up getting it full of mud, riding through the Leon Creek bed. I was able to shake most of it off during my ride back to the truck, but I couldn't get all of it off. Later, I washed the bike because I was afraid of the clay mud sticking to the components and possibly damaging them.

Yesterday I rode 7 miles at Mc Allister, having hit a top speed of 23 miles an hour on the levee downhill. Today I rode 10 miles, averaging about 5 miles per hour during my ride. (That includes taking a couple of breaks to rest and eat a Gu packet, so in reality, I probably averaged about 7 or 8 miles an hour on the trail.)

We have rain in the forecast all week, so I'm not sure what shape any of the local trails will be in next weekend. I am itching to try the Cibolo Creek trail along the creekbed, but Mel doesn't want me going there unless I get a GPS unit for the bike. Hopkins, my usual riding buddy, hasn't been able to ride for a couple of weeks, so I've been going solo.

Regardless of where I ride next week, I am sure my new Marin will be up to the task.

ASS CHEWING

2008-08-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

Today was my appointment for my annual physical, which I had put off as long as I could because I knew what was coming; my annual ass chewing about my weight. My doctor is really cool and he didn't chew on me that much, but everything we talked about led back to my weight.

I told him my toes felt like they had arthritis - he said lose 35 pounds and they won't hurt.
I told him my shins tend to be sore long after riding wounds have healed - he said lose 35 pounds and they won't hurt.
He took my blood pressure, which was a little high (probably cause I was dreading the ass chewing) - he said lose 35 pounds and my blood pressure will be normal.
I told him my weekly rides were 2 to 3 hours long - he said lose 35 pounds and I will ride longer and harder.
I told him my new bike tries to become a lowrider - he said lose 35 pounds and it will be the correct height it was designed to be.
I told him my hair color doesn't last as long as it used to - he said lose 35 pounds and I won't care about my hair color.

Bottom line is, I have to lose 35 pounds. Mel and I already went back to Weight Watchers, so we took the first step, but he wants to see me again in 4 months! AND, 35 pounds is just my SHORT TERM GOAL. He wants me to get to 180 pounds eventually....I haven't been 180 pounds since I was a junior in high school!

Oh well, it's not like I wasn't expecting it.....

MIKE'S NEW BABY - FIRST IMPRESSIONS

2008-08-10T15:36:00.001-07:00

I took my new bike out for it's maiden ride at Madrone Trail this morning and here are some of my observations, since I've never ridden a full suspension bike before today:

I need to lose weight. The bottom bracket clearance is listed at 13 inches. When my 230lbs of voluptuous man flesh is sitting on it, the clearance is considerably less.

The geometry of this bike is very different from my hard tail. The wheelbase is longer to begin with; when I sit on the bike, it stretches even more.

Because the wheelbase is longer, my center of gravity is different, so my climbing ability was adversely affected because the front wheel kept lifting off the trail on climbs.

After about an hour, I changed the front fork and rear shock settings to give me a firmer ride (less bouncy). Although I felt less like a low-rider, the front would still lift somewhat on climbs.

If your technical riding skills are limited, this bike won't help you overnight. Maybe eventually, but not overnight. Although I am not an expert rider, if I was less experienced, I could have gotten into serious trouble because this bike is FAST on downhills. At one point, I was feathering the brakes on a downhill and the front wheel came up a bit, causing me to drift and slam by head and shoulder into a tree. My shoulder is a little sore, but it could have been much worse.

Overall, I think I'm going to LOVE this bike; I just need to get used to riding it and change my riding style to better utilize its strengths.

STILL HERE!

2008-08-06T16:37:00.000-07:00

I haven't made time to post since last month, but I am still here and alive! I had a week off, during which, Hurricane Dolly hit; thank God our family in Brownsville is okay. I hear there is still water in low areas, but for the most part, everyone is okay.

We are having staff changes at work, as one of my employees accepted a promotion and is moving to Pittsburgh, PA, to become a SYSCO Credit Manager. The only thing constant is change...

I have still been riding at OP Schnabel, Madrone, and McAllister, my endurance seems to be improving as I have been trying to ride at least twice a week. I have my eye on a full suspension Marin East Peak, so hopefully Santa will come to visit me early this year.

Mel bought a 2007 Chevy Equinox and we sold her 1996 Cavalier. I am glad she got another vehicle even if it was used (it was new to her). She is happy and that is all that matters.

We are doing fine and are truly blessed!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BABY!

2008-07-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

Today is our 7th wedding anniversary. The Lord blessed me with my life partner and I thank Him daily in my prayers. I can't imagine my life without Mel, and I look forward to growing old with her.

Thank you for 7 years of marriage, and more importantly, 13 years of being my best friend! I LOVE YOU!

MADRONE TRAIL REVISITED

2008-07-06T15:42:00.001-07:00

The last time Hopkins and I rode was two weeks ago at Madrone Trail at Canyon Lake, north of San Antonio. Our morning ended abruptly with both of us getting pinch flats on the trail. Unfortunately, both of my spare tubes had holes in them, so it pretty much ended our day.

Today, armed with three new spare tubes each, we decided to try our luck at Madrone again. With the recent rains, we were concerned that the trail might be muddy, but it is so rocky, there were no mud issues.

It was a beautiful morning to ride, although neither of us felt in top condition. Hopkins seemed to be coming down with a bug because his stomach was queasy and he was very winded. My problems were alcohol related, having had one too many adult beverages at home last night.

We tried to push through our shortcomings and were able to ride further than last time. Eventually, Matt started feeling worse, so we found the park road and headed back to my truck.

Madrone is a challenging trail with varying levels of technicality. I look forward to heading back there and finishing the entire trail, as it is very scenic, with views of Canyon Lake at almost every turn. I would totally recommend this trail for intermediate and advanced riders, but head out early, as it gets very hot in the summer.

With the end of fiscal year madness over at work, I look forward to riding during the week again. When I don't ride, my body can sure feel it, as my stamina wanes considerably. Until next time, adios.

IT WAS ELECTRIC! LITERALLY....

2008-07-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, I flew to Dallas this past weekend to go see Michael. For various reasons, we hadn't seen each other since he graduated from UTPB in Odessa in the Spring of 2007. The visit was long overdue.

I flew in Saturday only knowing that we were going to the Texas Rangers game, but nothing else. Michael picked me up and we were both hungry, so we decided to check out a restaurant in Deep Ellum called the Twisted Root Burger Company. To quote Pulp Fiction, "Uuummm, that's a tasty burger!"

After lunch, we decided to head to my hotel so I could check in and get settled. An hour and several construction detours later, we found the hotel. Mind you, we were NEVER lost, because we knew where we wanted to go, we just couldn't find a way to get there. That's our story and we're sticking to it!

After checking in and unpacking, we headed to Michael's apartment to pick up his bag. We wound up watching a rerun of Seinfeld and laughed our asses off. The game started at 7pm and we knew we needed to be there with enough time to find parking, so we decided to head to Hooters in Arlington for some beers, wings, and great conversation.

We made it to the game with time to spare, so we went to the gift shop and Michael bought me a cool Rangers shirt. Afterwards, we went to find our seats. Michael told me before that he bought us decent seats, but there was no way I was prepared...OUR SEATS WERE ON THE 11TH ROW! We were practically on the freakin field! IT WAS AWESOME!

Halfway through the game, storm clouds started hovering above the stadium, with spiderwebs of lightning threatening to strike the stadium at any second. As a precaution, the upper deck was evacuated and fans were asked to move to lower sections. By this time, we were starting to get a decent buzz, so being soaked by the rain didn't bother us a bit.

We cheered the player's nicknames (as dubbed by Michael), bet on the dot race, sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame, tried to dance the Cotton Eyed Joe, did the Wave, talked about anything and everything that came to mind, and just had the greatest time! Although the Rangers ultimately lost, they put up a good fight, eventually losing 8 to 6; having failed to score with runners on base in the 8th and 9th innings.

After the game, we stopped at IHOP and grabbed a bite to eat before heading to the hotel. Sunday morning Michael dropped me off at the airport and went home to rest and get ready for a WWE pay per view event he would be attending later. Michael and I promised each other to get together again soon, at least for the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, but hopefully sooner.

It was great to be back home although I was only gone overnight. I don't sleep well unless I am in my bed and with my lovely wife. After grabbing some burgers, Mel and I went home and I hit my recliner for an afternoon nap. Traveling is exhausting!

MADRONE TRAIL - CANYON LAKE, TEXAS

2008-06-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

Hopkins and I decided to expand our horizons a little this week, since our rides at McAllister and OP Schnabel were getting a little redundant. We decided to try the Madrone Trail on the North side of Canyon Lake.

Several weeks ago we met a biker at McAllister who suggested this trail, so I researched it, looked it up on Google Earth, and it looked like it would be a fun ride. Besides, it is surrounded by the lake on three sides, so I figured it would be hard to get lost.

The first part of the trail started out technical enough, as there was climbing and many rock gardens to ride through. We did quite a bit of hiking (not as much as Govt Canyon), but most of the trail was rideable. It would have helped if we had full suspension bikes, but we did the best we could on our hardtails. The trail is very scenic, with awesome views of the lake.

Once we finished the first section of trails, we crossed the park road and met a biker resting. He explained that the part we just completed was the most technical of the trail and was a little over 2 miles. He said the second portion of the trail didn't have as many ledges and was the "fun" part of the ride. He mentioned this section was a little over 6 miles long.

Sure enough, after a GU break, we were on the second part of the trail and it was living up to his "fun" designation. There were several other bikers on this part of the trail; apparently there was a Bike Mojo rally going on today that neither of us was aware of.

A short time into the ride, Hopkins got a pinch flat. After a few minutes, we had his spare tube in and we were on our way. Shortly after, we went over a rock garden and I heard my back tube "pop". Sure enough, I had a pinch flat too. I put one of my spares in, but it was hissing. Obviously I didn't patch it correctly. Luckily I keep a couple of spare tubes in my backpack, so I had one more to try.

It was more receptive and soon I had it up to pressure and we were on our way. Within seconds, my back tire felt spongy again - DAMMIT! The second spare tube also had a leak! Neither of us had another spare, so we started hoofing it back to the truck.

We found the main park road and were walking our bikes, when a guy in a pickup pulled up next to us. He told us to throw our bikes in the back and he would give us a lift to my truck. Thank God, as it was pretty hot outside by now. Having to walk your bike back in the middle of a ride is no fun to begin with; when it is hot outside, it is torture.

Hopkins and I agreed that we would need to return soon to finish this trail; it seemed very promising and lived up to its billing. On the way back, we stopped at the bike shop and bought new spare tubes. Now we know to be better prepared for the Madrone of all trails!

Next week I will be in Dallas visiting Michael, so it will be a couple of weeks before we can get back out to Canyon Lake; I can't wait!

SICK :p

2008-06-17T09:38:00.000-07:00

After being exposed to the flu bug at home and work, I finally succumbed yesterday. I had to leave work early and have been fighting all the symptoms since then. I had hoped to get back to work today since we are almost done with our fiscal year, but I'm still not 100%.

Until I am, it's back to the recliner for recovery.

UHMAZING!!!!

2008-06-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

What was amazing wasn't the fact that Tiger Woods tied Rocco Mediate on the final hole of the US Open. What was amazing was that Mel actually watched the ENTIRE final round with me! Granted, she wasn't that interested until the back nine. By that time, Tiger had gained, lost, regained, and lost the lead again. Until the final hole. In true Tiger fashion, he nailed a birdie putt to force an 18 hole overtime to be played Monday....WOW!

We were both exhausted by the time it ended...let's see if Tiger can pull it off tomorrow!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

2008-06-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

After last week's near heatstroke inducing marathon at Government Canyon, Hopkins and I decided to return to OP Schnabel Park today. At least there we can actually RIDE our bikes almost all of the time, compared to GC, where you hike 50-60 percent of the time.

We had a good three hour ride and wound up going further down Leon Creek creek bed past Bandera road. We met up with a biker who had ridden from SEA WORLD, some 15 miles south! More power to him; at least he had a GPS unit to keep from getting lost.

Hopkins and I headed back towards the park (see attached photo of our route). At one point we decided to head down a hill that we had navigated earlier in the day. I went first and must have had some dirt on my brakes, because I couldn't slow down as much as I had earlier. As a result, I rolled over a tree root and jumped smack dab into a small tree stump. Small or not, my front wheel didn't budge, so I DID.

I flew over the handlebars and did a classic Castellon endo and wound up scraping my right leg and arm, while also banging my left shin on the rocks, which left me with a big knot on my shin. I wiped them down with some handi-wipes, but my right leg wound up bleeding into my sock.

By the end of the ride, the dried blood mixed with the dust from the trail, made my leg look pretty gross. COOL. I decided to spare you the "before" pic; I figured the "after" would be bad enough. Next week we're off to explore the Madrone Trail at Canyon Lake, north of San Antonio.

On my way to drop Hopkins off, Michael called to wish me a Happy Father's Day! After I got home, showered and ate, Mel had a couple of Father's Day cards waiting for me. One was from her and the other was from Hershey and Mattie. She said they actually licked the envelope so she could seal it.

Later, Michael called me again, and Matt called while I was on the phone with Michael. I am truly blessed! I hope all of you Dads out there had as good a day as I am having! HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

IF I WERE A RICH MAN...

2008-06-13T17:49:00.000-07:00

Not even rich. If I could just bear to part with a significant investment in my next bike, it would probably be one of the two pictured here. I absolutely dig my Marin bike and would love to advance to one of their full suspension models because they look stout enough to handle my 230lb body.

An option would be the less expensive Jamis FS Dakar. It doesn't look as stout as the Marin, but it looks lighter. I'll talk to the owner at my LBS and see what he recommends. If the lighter Jamis can handle my weight, that may be the way I'll go. Of course, there's always the LOTTO...

MARATHON HIKE & BIKE!

2008-06-09T17:32:00.000-07:00

I finally talked Hopkins into trying the trails at Government Canyon on Sunday. I had tried to build up the suspense for weeks now, telling him how tough it was and how it would certainly test our endurance. He finally got tired of hearing me say, "yeah, but that ain't no Government Canyon!", every time we would try to power up a hill.

I warned him to be sure and fill up his Camelbak and to bring extra GU and granola bars. He did all of those things, as did I, and we were ready for what we thought would be a three hour ride, tops. The last time I hiked/biked the GC trails alone, it took me 3 hours to do 10 miles.

We started off on the Joe Johnson trail, following a group of three riders, two males and one female. The girl was lagging behind, which suited me fine, because I could stay at a slow pace and blame her for it. Wouldn't you know it, at the first clearing, her friends were waiting on her and told us to go ahead so they wouldn't slow us down. DAMMIT! Now we would have to man-up on the trail.

We rode an hour or so, stopping a few times along the way to check tires and the map. We stopped to rest at the Canyon overlook and took some pics. As we geared up to get back on the trail, I realized my front tire was flat. Ten minutes later, the tube was replaced and we were on the trail again. This was to be the first of two flats I had that day, on the same tire!

The heat of February is nothing compared to the South Texas heat in June. We started at 9 AM and by 11 it was in the 90s. We took several breaks to rest, drink water, and eat our granola bars. I checked the time and we were three hours into the ride, but we still had quite a ways to go. We were both starting to feel very tired and a little lightheaded at times.

We each had our misadventures on the trails, particularly on the downhills, as most of the uphills weren't rideable. Hopkins laid his bike down a couple of times and I had one tree stab my arm and I almost kissed another one.

Just when we thought all was lost because we had both run out of water, we reached one of the trail heads. I remembered this particular area had water faucets, so we beat feet to the nearest one so we could douse our heads, face, and necks with cool water. We rested and partially filled our hydration paks with water, cause we still had a half mile or so back to the truck.

After FOUR AND A HALF HOURS, we arrived at the truck! We still had enough energy to give each other high fives and proclaim our greatness. Although we both know those trails kicked our collective asses, there was tremendous satisfaction gained in knowing we finished the whole route.

None of the posers we saw in the parking lot made it the entire way. If they had, they would have passed us on the trail, and they didn't. Not bad for a couple of out of shape wannabes! We both agreed we probably won't try the GC trails again at least until the Fall, when the temp is cooler. We may be crazy, but we aren't stupid!

ANOTHER REASON TO MOUNTAIN BIKE

2008-06-05T17:20:00.000-07:00

Roadies? Mountain bikers? I am the latter and the photo above is just ONE reason why. While mountain biking, my main concerns are rocks, roots, and low hanging branches. Roadies have to contend with idiots like the one pictured driving above....

TOP 5 THINGS YOU NEVER SAY TO YOUR BUDDY DURING A RIDE

2008-06-01T15:40:00.000-07:00

During my three hour solo ride at McAllister today, I had plenty of time to think about the meaning of life. Instead, I came up with my Top 5 list of things you should NEVER say to your buddy during a ride, especially if someone else is within earshot.

If you can think of more, let me know. Those of you who don't ride may not get them, but they should be familiar to those of you who do.

Here they are:

5. Dude, do these shorts make my ass look fat?
4. Dude, are you sure this won't hurt? (right before a wicked downhill)
3. Dude, you were right. It didn't taste that bad, but now my hands are sticky. (after eating a GU protein packet)
2. Dude, I promise, if you bite it hard then suck it, it'll come out. (trying to get water out of the valve on your Camelbak)

Now, drumroll please.........

1. Dude, that was epic! You pushed me so hard, my ass hurts! (after a 3 hr intense ride)

LIVE LIKE YOU WERE DYING

2008-05-31T14:50:00.000-07:00

I'm listening to Tim McGraw's 2004 song in part about his father, MLB Pitcher "Tug" McGraw; he was also inspired by the book of the same name, written by Michael Morris. Regardless of the inspiration, the lyrics touched a nerve with me. Maybe it's one of the reasons I mountain bike - it makes me feel ALIVE!

How many Woulda Coulda Shouldas can you come up with? What would you like to do if you knew you had only months to live? Who would you aplogize to and ask forgiveness from? Think about it....

He said: "I was in my early forties,
"With a lot of life before me,
"An' a moment came that stopped me on a dime.
"I spent most of the next days,
"Looking at the x-rays,
"An' talking 'bout the options an' talkin’ ‘bout sweet time.
"I asked him when it sank in,
That this might really be the real end?
How’s it hit you when you get that kind of news?
Man whatcha do?

An' he said:
"I went sky diving,
I went rocky mountain climbing,
"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
"And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying.
"An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'.

" He said "I was finally the husband,
"That most the time I wasn’t.
"An' I became a friend a friend would like to have.
"And all of a sudden goin' fishin’,
"Wasn’t such an imposition,
"And I went three times that year I lost my Dad.
"Well, I finally read the Good Book,
"And I took a good long hard look,
"At what I'd do if I could do it all again,
"And then:

"I went sky diving,
I went rocky mountain climbing,
"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
"And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying.
"An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'.

" Like tomorrow was a gift,
And you got eternity,
To think about what you’d do with it.
An' what did you do with it?An' what can I do with it?
An' what would I do with it?

"Sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
"And then I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
"And I watched an Eagle as it was flyin'.
"An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."

"To live like you were dyin'."
"To live like you were dyin'."
"To live like you were dyin'."
"To live like you were dyin'."

MIDWEEK RASPBERRIES

2008-05-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Hopkins and I decided to ride today after work, for me to blow off some steam and for him to get in a ride before he goes camping the rest of the week. Since we didn't have much time, we decided to meet at McAllister Park because it is only 5 or 10 minutes from our houses.

We rode the rock hills behind the soccer fields, then the rock garden trail near Jones-Maltsburger road. I decided to clip in to my pedals to get used to them since I've only had them a couple of weeks.

Wouldn't you know it, one of the screws came out and the shoe just rotated on the pedal like my last ride at Government Canyon. I had to stop on the side of the trail, take my foot out of the shoe which was still attached to the pedal. I was finally able to get it off and obviously didn't try to clip in after that.

We ventured to a creek just west of the dog park so I could show Matt some new trails. We found one downhill that was particularly intriguing, so we decided to give it a go. I went first and made it down in one piece. Hopkins went next and made it most of the way before he decided to gracefully bail from his bike.

I figured since I had so much fun riding it the first time, I would do it again. WRONG! I took the wrong line and wound up getting my front wheel stuck on a tree root. I dove over the handlebars and wound up getting matching raspberries on my forearm and leg...OUCHIE!

I figured I was due since I hadn't wiped out in months. Oh well, a quick shower and half a tube of Neosporin later, and I was almost as good as new. I guess I'll be riding solo Sunday since Hopkins will be playing Bear Grylls (Man vs Wild) in Central Texas somewhere. Hopefully he won't set the place on fire trying to show his kid how to start a campfire without matches or a lighter....

ROLLER COASTER RIDE!

2008-05-25T12:14:00.000-07:00

Hopkins and I went for another three hour ride at OP Schnabel again this morning. This time I'm proud to say, WE DIDN'T GET LOST. We started off on the trail near the front of the park for a warmup, then headed south on the Leon Creek bottom.

After looking at Google Earth last week, I realized that we could probably ride the trail all the way South to Bandera road, so we did! We found a portion of Leon Creek that actually had water in it and took some pics. Bandera road is in the background.

After that, we decided to head back to the "roller coaster" section of the trail north of the golf course. As you can see, some of the hills are several feet high; I'm guessing 10 or 12 feet. We rode those trails several times until we were about to drop. By that time, several riders were showing up and we didn't want to chance broadsiding one of them on the trails, since they cross each other in several places.

By this time, we had ridden 2 1/2 hours and knew it would take us at least 30 minutes to get back to the truck, so we headed out. As I mentioned before, this time I didn't get us lost though! After a short hike where we actually had to carry our bikes up the side of a hill, we were back on paved trails. A couple of minutes later and we were back at the truck ready to load up for the drive back.

LIFE HAPPENS

2008-05-24T18:50:00.001-07:00

The phrase above is familiar to those of you who listen to Dave Ramsey, author of the Total Money Makeover. Instead of the proverbial "shit happens", Dave says "life happens", and it is true.

For over a year now, Mel and I have been trying to stay on track with the principles outlined in Dave's book. Namely, build up an emergency fund, and start paying off your credit cards; lowest balances first. Dave says the emergency fund is for life's surprises and keeps you from having to charge these emergencies on your credit cards and get deeper and deeper into debt.

Case in point, Mel has been having car problems lately; rightly so, as her Chevy Cavalier is over 12 years old. Last month it was a brake job, this month a set of tires. Couple that with a pet emergency, increased fuel costs, etc, all of those things constitute "life happening".

It gets frustrating at times, because I've been wanting to go visit Michael in Dallas for months now. It seems like one thing or another always comes up that has delayed my visit. Now I am waiting for our tax stimulus check, but we aren't scheduled to get that until next month.

Every morning when I say my prayers on the drive to work, I ask God for patience. I guess this is his way of giving me practice. It could always be worse, considering today's economy. I am blessed with a good job, a loving wife and sons, and a couple of mutts who love me when they see me with treats in my hand.

We have also made strides in reducing our debt in the last year or so. In addition, Christmas was entirely budgeted and no credit cards were used in the yule tide merriment. I am also blessed with the ability to still ride my mountain bike every Sunday to exorcise the stress demons!

Speaking of which, Hopkins and I plan to tackle OP Schnable again tomorrow morning. I WILL NOT eat breakfast before the ride, as last week I learned a full stomach does not mix well with mountain biking.

This past week was a particularly stressful one at work, so Wednesday I went for a ride at McAllister Park after work. It's been a couple of weeks since I rode Mac, but I had a good 2 hour ride workout. Hopefully we'll be able to get at least a couple of hours in tomorrow.

Hasta la pasta baby!

OP PART DEUX

2008-05-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

Last week Matt and I were able to sample only a portion of what OP Schnabel has to offer mountain bike riders. After looking the park up on Google Earth, I found a couple more trails that I wanted to try before heading back to the bottom of Leon Creek to ride the creek bed.

Since we got a late start, I decided to eat breakfast, which I usually don't do before a ride. Typically, I'll have a couple of cups of coffee and a couple of granola bars, which tide me over until after the ride. Today I decided to have eggs and bacon, which I rarely eat anyway. I'll NEVER do that again! For the first hour of our ride, I felt weak and thought I would toss my cookies at any minute. To top it all off, it was pretty warm outside, so that didn't help.

Yesterday I bought some new Forte pedals, which have a larger platform, plus one side has clips so you can clip in, or flip the pedal over and ride with regular shoes. I think eventually I will like the pedals, but I found myself being very tentative on technical sections because I'm not used to them yet.

We found some cool new trails at the front of the park that were a little challenging, but a good warm up. After resting for a few minutes, we headed to the creek bed. Along a portion of the creek bed trail, we found a high cliff with an overhang that some people were walking under. By the time we stopped so I could snap a picture, they had moved on. Here is Matt standing in front of it to give a perspective of how high this cliff was.

Then we headed to what we call the "whoop de do" section of trails just north of the Alamo Country Club Golf course. These trails are literally up and down, up and down, up and down, WHOOP DE DO! We both nearly ate it a couple of times, but survived.

We started heading back to what we thought was the park, but we wound up getting lost and Matt had a flat. We were pressed for time because Matt had an afternoon commitment, but we seemed to keep getting more lost than before. At one point, we actually made a circle and wound up where we had initially started.

FINALLY, after a 3 hour ride, we made it back to the truck, our legs burning with every pedal rotation. Totally spent, we loaded up the gear & bikes and headed out. We hope to ride OP again next week, since there were still more trails we could have explored, but time and stamina wouldn't allow....

CHANGE OF SCENERY

2008-05-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I met a fellow mountain biker at McAllister Park; his name coincidentally enough is Matt. It's nice to have someone to ride with since Bert moved to California in January.

Having a riding partner makes it tougher to blow off rides because the sun didn't rise fast enough, the wind is blowing 9 mph instead of 6, etc. In other words, it's not as easy to make excuses not to ride. Not only that, but having a riding buddy pushes your limits physically because you don't want to weenie out on a particular trail, or stop every 5 minutes to rest.

Like me, Matt rode years ago and decided to get back into riding on a regular basis. Last weekend we rode McAllister Park. Having recently moved to San Antonio, he wasn't real familiar with all of the trails it offers. Since that has been my "home" park for several years, I gave him the nickle tour.

Today, we decided to venture out to O.P. Schnabel Park on the Northwest side of town. The park itself only has 4 miles or so of trails, but if you find your way down to the Leon Creek bed, there are several trails that spiderweb for miles. It is VERY easy to get lost, so I would not recommend riding alone, or late in the day.

We did get lost a couple of times, but I ACTUALLY STOPPED AND ASKED DIRECTIONS. Any way, after a sometimes technical 2 hr 15 min ride, we decided we had had enough and headed back to the truck. This is a ride I definitely want to do again; now that I have a riding buddy - I can. Thanks Matt!

HOW SWEET IT IS!

2008-04-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

I hadn't ridden in a couple of weeks, since Stephanie and Rigo came to visit. Rigo is thinking about getting a mountain bike, so I let him use my old rigid commuter Motobecane. Never having ridden mountain bike trails, he didn't know what to expect.

Rigo is a natural athlete, so whatever he lacked in technical skills, he made up for with athletic talent. He really did well, although he did admit it was tougher than he thought. (I need to take him to Government Canyon).

Last weekend was a bust. Since I usually ride on Sunday mornings, I missed an absolutely BEAUTIFUL day to ride last Saturday, then Sunday was overcast and yucky. I wasn't about to let that happen today. Weather forecasters are calling for 50% chance of rain tomorrow morning, so as soon as the sun came out in all it's glory about 9 AM this morning, I was off to McAllister Park for a ride.

I was telling Mel it is amazing how Spring has changed the dynamics of my ride at McAllister. Having gotten used to the lack of vegetation during Winter, the lushness of Spring has changed the landscape completely. Now you feel more secluded and like you are riding completely different trails.

About 3/4 of the way through my ride, I decided to ride up the side of a large levy near the dam. I like to ride up to give my legs a workout. It is always a challenge not to come off the seat for leverage, so I try to just stay in the granny gear and muscle my way through it. It's not an especially challenging climb, but for fat asses like me, it is a workout. Imagine my surprise when I came around the corner about to start the climb, when I saw two teenage boys, both slim and muscular, walking their bikes up the levy!

"BIKER UP!", I yelled, to get their attention to let me pass. They both pulled their bikes to the side of the trail and said "No problem sir". They might as well have said, "No problem, you fat ass old bastard". I hit the bottom of the hill in 2nd gear and churned my legs in rhythm as I changed to 1st gear. "This is not Government Canyon, this is not Government Canyon" I chanted to myself for motivation.

Once I reached the top of the levy, I glanced over my shoulder to see both teens with their mouths agape. At that moment, I realized how Mom and David feel every time they ride with people hundreds of years younger than them! (They both take extreme pride when people see them riding their bikes, utterly amazed that they are not using training wheels or rocket boosters for assistance).

As I rode further across the levy, I was tempted to stop to catch my breath, but I was determined not to let the two boys see me do so. I kept riding although my right calf was cramping and my lungs were about to burst.

Just when I thought all was lost and I would have to stop, an Angel from heaven in the form of a sweaty old shirtless man, appeared on the trail. We both stopped at the same time and he said "go ahead". I said, "no, I need the break more than you do."

He said thanks and proceeded to continue running down the trail. It later dawned on me that he might be feeling the same way about me as I did about the teenagers...actually, I doubt it as he was in fantastic shape; not a fat ass bastard like me!

Nevertheless, I wound up doing a two hour ride with only one flat. For some reason, whenever I ride one particular trail in reverse, I always wind up getting a flat; you'd think I'd learn.

Regardless, I felt so much better after my ride. We are in our fourth quarter of our fiscal year at work and it is the home stretch as far as hitting our goals. It is always the most stressful time of the year, so I have to make sure I am getting my rides in regularly as I should. I also need to get my butt to the gym two or three times during the week.

Mel and I are off to PetsMart to get some dog food and look at fish. Our huge algae eater died last weekend and the other fish look lonely....

9 INNING VACATION!

2008-04-09T06:55:00.000-07:00

Because of budgetary constraints, I was not able to join Michael in Dallas for the Texas Rangers' home opener. It's a bitch when tax time falls in the same month as the start of the baseball season, if you catch my drift.

After reading his last blog posting, I was inspired to do the next best thing - "Synchronized Baseball Games". Simply put, since I am on vacation this week, I would attend yesterday's San Antonio Missions' afternoon game while Michael went to the Rangers' home opener. Alas, we were a little off, as the Missions game started at noon and the Rangers game started at one.

Nevertheless, I bought a ticket online and picked it up at the Will Call window; simple enough. Later I would realize that my seat was on the second row behind home plate - AWESOME! I was the second fan into the stadium, so after a quick trip to the men's room, I headed to the concession stand. I didn't eat a filling breakfast, so I was STARVING by 11 am. I decided to do it up right - a foot long hot dog, box of popcorn, and a large Diet Coke.

Soon after, the game started and I settled in for a nice afternoon of indigestion and sunburn. The Missions did not disappoint, as they rallied in the 8th inning to beat the Tulsa Drillers (Texas Ranger farm team) 4 - 3.

I had hoped to get some nice action photos since I was so close to the action, but it was not to be. My sorry assed Panasonic digital camera focused on the net instead of the players, so most of the pics were blurry. Not to worry - plenty of stuff on the Internet to use....

The Rangers did not fare as well, losing 8 - 1 to the Baltimore Orioles. Michael said he still had a good time although traffic was horrible as usual.

Hopefully Michael and I will share more Ranger home openers in the future. It will just take better planning and budgeting on my part. After all, everyone knows TAXES are one of two certainties in life....

AWESOME POST ON MICHAEL'S BLOG

2008-04-07T20:49:00.000-07:00

CHECK IT OUT - THE KID'S A GREAT WRITER!

http://immortalinsight.blogspot.com/

PARTY TIME IN THE 210!!

2008-04-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

It's FINAL FOUR BABY!! I'm not much of a college hoops fan - the Spurs are about the only ones who hold my interest and not even then until the playoffs. But thousands of fans are in town for the Final Four of College Basketball.

San Antonio really does up a party big time. There are several free concerts downtown featuring Fallout Boy tonight, Kid Rock Saturday night, and 3 Doors Down Sunday night. Since they are free, you can bet there will be tons of people.

Expensive beer, long lines at the port a potties, and elbow to elbow drunks are not my idea of a good time. Wait a minute...that describes FIESTA, so it IS my idea of a good time! At least it used to be when I was younger....now I just see beer or water and I have to pee. It's hell getting old....

I started my vacation officially at 5 PM today! Not going anywhere, so it will be a week full of bike rides and honey-do's, but that's okay with me. At SYSCO you have to use your vacation time or lose it, so I couldn't think of a better excuse since I'll get a new bank of PTO in August.

Stay tuned - hopefully I won't have any broken bones to report next week!

Rain, rain, go away!

2008-03-30T14:42:00.000-07:00

The weatherman screwed up again. The forecast was for a rainy day Saturday and clear skies today...WRONG! At least, HALF wrong - it rained again today. I was looking forward to my weekly ride today, but it was not to be.

Oh well, I'll be on vacation starting April 7th, so I plan to get in at least three rides that week in addition to the honey-do's I'll have during my vacation. (Aren't you supposed to rest on vacation?)

I'll have to go back to work to get some rest and relaxation...lol.

MOM'S HERE!

2008-03-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

Mom decided to come down to San Antonio for a visit this weekend! David had to go to Arizona to learn how to weld his bike frames, so Mom decided to fly in for the weekend. We have totally enjoyed her visit.

After picking her up at the airport Friday, we made a short stop at HEB for some dinner fixins. Once Mel got off work, I grilled us up some steak filets wrapped in bacon. Coupled with some roasted new potatoes, salad, and a glass of wine, and we were happier than pigs in slop.

Yesterday after my two hour bike ride at McAllister, we had breakfast then Mom and I decided to drive downtown to see what trouble we could get into. We stopped in the King William district, strolled along the algae filled San Antonio River, then walked through the King William neighborhood and looked at the old Victorian houses.

After that, we stopped by the McNay Museum of Art (Mel's work), and I showed Mom the new wing they are adding. The walk through the grounds was wonderful, as it was a beautiful day. By that time we were tired, so we came back home and waited for Mel. After a quick shower, we picked Cindy up and had dinner at Los Cucos.

Today, after a leisurely morning of coffee, scones, and reading the paper, Mom and I decided to take a walk at Mud Creek park which is a quick five minute drive from the house. I've been wanting to ride the trails there, but had never seen the park, so Mom and I decided to scope it out.

It is a very scenic walk past a dam and into the bottom of a canyon, which is lined with houses. It is amazing that so much is hidden from the road, but it was really beautiful. After about an hour's walk, we decided to head back home and shower.

Mel, Mom, Cindy, and I will have a quiet day at home and enjoy some chicken salad sandwiches (their family tradition), then grill some fajitas and have a couple of beers (my tradition). So HAPPY EASTER to all. I hope the holiday finds you well and happy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT!!!

2008-03-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

Today is Matthew's birthday - he is 20 years old! God, time flies by...

INTERESTING MOUNTAIN BIKE STUDY

2008-03-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

(READ THE LAST SENTENCE - IT BLEW MY MIND)

News: Shimano and IMBA Release MTB Study

Enjoying the outdoors is as natural as riding a bike and Shimano American Corporation and the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) have teamed up to promote how important the activity is. Shimano is a major manufacturer of bicycle components and IMBA is a national advocate for responsible riding and trail construction. Together they are releasing the new document, The Economics and Benefits of Mountain Biking at the National Bike Summit in Washington D.C. March 4 – 6, 2008.

More than 1 in 5 Americans age 16 and over ride a mountain bike, and contribute $26 billion annually to the American economy while enjoying the sport. Kozo Shimano said, “We want legislators, policy makers and the public to understand how significant mountain biking is to both the economy and to keeping people healthy.”

One recent cost benefit analysis concluded that every dollar invested in trails led to almost three dollars in direct medical benefit. The World Health Organization recommends riding a bike to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Mountain bikers are also dedicated conservationists who volunteer their time, labor and money to protect the natural and cultural resources where they ride. IMBA Executive Director Mike Van Abel commented, "From the beginning, IMBA members have embraced a stewardship ethic that benefits conservation of our natural lands and waters. This timely publication shows how that conservation mindset also gives back with economic benefits."

Scientific research has shown mountain biking to be a low impact environmentally sustainable activity with no more impact on natural resources than hiking, and far less than many other recreational activities.

Kozo Shimano added, “To put the activity in perspective, 50 million Americans ride a mountain bike – more than 1 ½ times the number of people who play golf. “

WEIGHT WATCHERS week 7

2008-03-09T16:51:00.000-07:00

FINALLY! I finally broke the 10lb barrier I've been fighting for some time. Last week wasn't a good week as far as activity points, as I never made time to go to the gym for my workout. I did ride almost 3 hours this morning, so I started the week off right. Let's see if I can keep up the momentum!

GOODBYE OLD FRIEND

2008-03-07T08:56:00.001-08:00

Today is a tough day in our home as we had to put our beloved Wesley to sleep this morning. He finally lost his battle with ailments that come with old age - congestive heart failure, kidney failure, Alzheimer's, etc. Wesley was around 17 years old, as he was already a year or two old when Mel got him in 1991 or 1992, when she lived in Dallas.He was a faithful companion to her and Brandi (her Bishon who passed a few years ago) for many years, never complaining, never sick, until the last 18 months or so.

Wesley, aka Wizzer (as Michael and Matt called him), Old Man, Wes, and Grandpa, was actually named for Wesley Crusher, a character from Star Trek: The Next Generation. (Yes, Mel is a Trekkie)

I like to remember him best when we lived on Wakeman here in San Antonio. Since Mel always lived in apartments, Wes never had a yard to call his own. When we moved to San Antonio, he finally had his yard! He was king of his domain and pranced around like a little lion, always protecting us.

Wes was even a movie star of sorts, making a cameo appearance in the He-Man vs. WWF video that the boys and I produced back in 1998 or 1999. That was when they named him Wizzer, He-Man's trusty sidekick and companion. Almost as if on cue, Wes would bark so he could be heard in the video.

We almost lost him 18 months ago when his kidneys started failing. Our vet told us at that time that his heart eventually would give out and his body would shut down, so he was living on borrowed time. We were blessed to have him as long as we did.

The last couple of days he began to deteriorate very quickly. He saved his last gift for Mel last night. Never one to let any of us hold him for longer than a couple of minutes, he slept in Mel's arms as his breathing was very labored. He gave her enough time to reconcile herself to make the right decision to put him to sleep; he was unselfish to the end.

It will take time to mourn him, but we know the decision was the right one, to preserve his dignity and quality of life.

Take care Old Man. We love you and will see you again someday....

More Government Canyon pics

2008-03-04T16:27:00.000-08:00

WEIGHT WATCHERS week 6 ARRGGH!!!

2008-03-01T10:29:00.000-08:00

After bustin my ass yesterday with the three hour hike/bike, I wound up regaining 4 of the 5 pounds I lost during the ride. Although I still lost weight at weigh in this morning, I was pissed. I felt like I had worked hard and was expecting to lose at LEAST 2 pounds, but it was not to be, as I only lost 1.

Our instructor tried to make me feel better by saying that my body may not have adjusted to my metabolism or maybe I had too much lactic acid in my legs from the ride, since they are sore today. Either way, I was still pissed. It seems that now that I'm getting older, it's harder to lose weight like I used to. I can't take it for granted any more.

Drastic results call for drastic measures, so this weekend I am going to experiment by not drinking so many of my points. I need to lay off the adult beverages, since they seem to make me retain water. (GOD that sounds like girlspeak)

Oh well, I have to keep my eye on the goal and not let it get to me. At least I had a good time on my ride yesterday and that's what ultimately matters.

GOVERNMENT CANYON - Part 3

2008-02-29T15:15:00.000-08:00

Last week I decided that I needed a change of scenery for my next ride, so I took a personal day off and headed to Government Canyon - the scene of my near demise last September. The morning was overcast as I drove into the park, but it wasn't windy or raining, so I was okay with it. Besides, I didn't want to sweat to death either.

As I walked into the visitor's center, I recognized my old friend, the elderly volunteer lady.

"Mornin, how yew?"

"Fine thanks. One please."

"You look familiar. Where's yer terrorist lookin boyfriend you brought last time?"

"He's not my (why bother explaining again)....he moved to California and I'm so broken up, I really don't want to talk about it."

"I'm sure yew are. I'm guessin you don't get much action by the looks of ya."

"Excuse me?! Can I just please have my permit?"

"Sure. Remember to check which trails yew plan to ride."

"I'm going to take the Joe Johnston trail to the back of the park. Which trail do you recommend to come back on?"

"It don't matter son, they are all downhill on the way back! dumb ass...."

I could have sworn I heard her say the last part under her breath, but a line was forming and I didn't want to engage her further. Maybe next time I go, someone will have put her in the nursing home for rude people where she belongs. Again, this is my story, so I may have embellished a little.

Thus began my journey of hell again. When Bert and I went to GC last September, I was so out of shape, I was winded 15 minutes into the ride and thought I was going to pass out after our hour and a half ride.

Today, I was able to ride for 30 minutes before the trail got so rocky I had to dismount. If I had to pick two words to describe Government Canyon, it would be ROCKY CLIMBING. Geez, I had to hike half of the trail because there are so many rocks. Not little rocks like at McAllister Park, BIG ROCKS.

Even the return portion of the ride shouldn't be called a downhill ride, it should be called REVERSE CLIMBING. I literally had to walk my way down some portions of the descent because the drop offs were very technical based on my skill level.

Regardless, I was proud of my endurance. Having lost only 8 pounds since the last GC ride, I was able to hike/bike 3 hours this time. When I got home, I weighed myself and I had lost 5 pounds during the ride!

Almost every time I ride, I learn something. Today I learned that I have to add tighten my cleats to my pre-ride checklist. Due to the excessive hiking I had to do today, one of the screws on my right shoe cleat came off. At one point, I was going to stop and tried to unclip, only to have the shoe spin on the cleat.

I had to unclip my left shoe, find a safe spot to stop, unlace my right shoe, then use my multi-tool to unclip it. I was able to tighten the one remaining screw so the cleat wouldn't be a problem, but needless to say, I didn't have much faith in my clips the rest of the morning. As a result, I tried not to clip in at all, which wasn't much of a problem since I had to walk so much. All in all, I hiked/biked over 10 miles of trails in three hours today.

Oh well, I had a great time, got some exercise and mucho activity points; that's what it's all about! Not only that, but I pushed my body to its limit and was able to complete the entire loop, riding when able, hiking the rest. If you haven't noticed by now, I am very goal oriented and find much satisfaction in meeting them, as well as facing my fears head on.

Although I never fell, my body took such a beating that it's not a ride I would want to do every week. I might consider riding it monthly though, just to keep checking my progress. I'll keep you posted. Now where is my recliner....

WEIGHT WATCHERS week 6

2008-02-24T17:45:00.000-08:00

After skipping last week's weigh in, I wasn't sure what to expect Saturday. Last weekend I dipped into my activity points as well as the weekly points allowance, so I didn't expect that I would lose much, if any at all.

I was able to work out twice this week despite having several meetings and mini-crises at work (see a pattern here?). Saturday morning I decided to skip the gym to wash and wax my truck before weigh in instead. It was a cool morning, so I didn't sweat as much as usual, adding to my trepidation.

As I stepped on the scale, I bit my lower lip in anticipation. When Kelly the WW clerk nodded and said "good job", I knew I hadn't gained weight. When I got my weigh in card, I noticed that I was FINALLY below 230 lbs (229), but my total weight loss for the week was only .6 pounds; I was hoping for more. This week I got off to a good start, as I didn't drink all my bonus allowance points yesterday (I did put a dent in them though).

This morning I headed to McAllister Park for my weekly ride. The sun was shining and the temperature was in the 60s. I left the house by 8:15 AM, hoping to beat the crowds; no such luck. I was tripping over people on the trails, both walkers and bikers. After a couple of hours, I grew bored with the ride and decided to come home to help Mel clean the house.

I think it's time to hit another trail for a change of scenery. After riding McAllister frontwards and backwards, I need a change of pace. I am seriously considering heading back out to Government Canyon despite my poor showing last September. If I do, I'll be sure to pack my inhaler, as I will be a bunch of climbing. Oh well, at least it will be a good indicator to see how much more I have to work on my stamina. Until then....

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN

2008-02-17T10:15:00.000-08:00

I was finally able to pick up my bike from the shop yesterday so I could ride this morning. My stamina suffered from not riding my bike or working out at the gym the last couple of weeks, as I was only able to ride for two hours. I kept having to use my asthma inhaler and my left knee was acting up, so I didn't push any longer.

This morning the weather was BEAUTIFUL considering how crappy it was yesterday; misty and gloomy all day long. We never got the deluge of rain everyone was predicting; it missed us by about 100 miles to the north.

Neither Mel nor I were in the mood to weigh in yesterday. The last couple of weeks have been challenging ones for both of us, so we chose not to face the Weight Watchers music. We have been staying on plan for the most part, but neither of us has been very active. As a result, we decided to treat ourselves to sleeping in; it was nice.

I still hope to build my stamina so I can try to attack Government Canyon again in a month or so. Keep you posted.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR!!!

2008-02-14T16:15:00.000-08:00

Ah, Valentine's Day. For some it is a stressful day, for others it's a lonely day. For me, it is an anniversary of sorts, as 13 years ago, I had my first date with the love of my life, my wife Mel(issa). We have come a long way since that first date on Valentine's weekend in 1995!

I am a better man because of her love and patience; I have also learned a lot. I learned to know what it truly means to be loved and respected by your true life partner. She and I have been through the gamut of life's ups and downs and the emotions that go with it.

I pray every day that my sons will some day be blessed like me and find a partner who truly loves them and accepts them for who they are and not try to change them. By her own admission, Mel has learned from me too. That is what a true relationship is all about; give and take.

Later, as I raise a toast to my lovely wife and our life together, I will also say a silent prayer that all my family and friends are also having a Happy Valentine's Day!