Thursday, December 21, 2006

Still Snowing

Well, Natalie's flight was cancelled, and the airport, city, grocery stores, and coffee shops are all closed down due to the volume of snow. Keystone got 2 feet. There is some pow to be had, but Hwy 93 down to Golden is closed so there will be no going to the mtns today. I could probably get up to Keystone on Saturday morning and still get some fresh snow...errr I mean...get my first real powder experience in, but that would require a late departure for home. More snow is expected on Saturday morning so I think we'll be getting the hell out of dodge Friday evening. Rocky Mounts will be on the only business open today. Alas, I do have work to do so time won't be completely lost.

Snow is too deep for the bicicletta today. Will be utilizing gaiters for the walk in.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Blizzard Warning

Well there is a full fledged 'Blizzard Warning' through Thursday afternoon. 24"-36" of snow is forecasted on the front range. I am exited to ride over to North Boulder Park and ski tomorrow morning.

This 'Blizzard' puts a damper on Natalie's plans to fly out this evening, although her flight has yet to be officially cancelled. I, on the otherhand, am still planning to drive out on Friday evening, hoping 24 hours after the snow subsides the roads will be sufficient enough for driving. Nat may be coming with me though as flights may not be leaving until Friday under current conditions.

The commute in today was glorious. I busted out the goggles as commuting while it is snowing is really pretty sore on the face without them. Relatively few cars on the roads so I could ride in the road rather than the bike lane.

My view on most mornings, sans snow. Skinny tires in the snow can be sketchy, but as long as cars don't pull out in front and you don't need to pull any evasive maneuvers, I can get down to work without laying it down. Braking traction is nil with my set-up in this weather, however the only downhill is pretty mellow so I can get the 40 feet or more I need to stop.

You can see two plows in the right hand lane working in tandem to clear Folsom. I question Boulder Couty Public Works' decision to assign two of thier six plows to the same section of road in the same direction. All the wonderous skiing this weekend at Eldora will be missed, but this storm should create a sufficient base for the new year.

Friday, December 15, 2006

Saving the World and Coffee Rant

Well until I figure out exactly how I'll be saving the world, I thought I'd pass on things I like to do that I think helps and encourage those that also want to empower there purpose on the earth to try these things out.

1. Bring your own coffee mug to the coffee shop if you plan to take your coffee to go.

2. If you are drinking your coffee at the coffee shop, use a cup they have there that they'll wash and re-use.


This is an example of a coffee mug you might decide to bring to your local coffee shop so your barista can fill it with coffee.


By doing the above you will:

1) Reduce your bill. Most coffee shops will credit you 10 cents when you bring in your own cup. For you folks that don't conceptualize value unless it is monetary, there's your money figure if doing something has to increase your bottom line for it to be worth your time. The price of your coffee has a paper cup, cover, and 'java jacket' built in, so most coffee shops won't charge you for them unless they give you them. What's that? You go to Starbucks and they don't credit you? That's because Starbucks isn't about you or your coffee. They're about money. Alot of people think they are about thier employees due to thier great benefits, etc, but I'd argue that is just because they are about the money. Happy employees = more profit generating ability because employees are motivated to keep charging you for cups and java jackets even if you don't get them. Cause they're taken care of, right? So who gives a shit about anyone else.


2) Reduce Waste. I'm waiting for any college republicans out there to tote the party line(we live in a partisan world right? India cares about blue and red) and comment on how in the 'real' world this doen't matter. Well I'd like to point out that politics are far from the real world. Politics are like a game and these such games rarely attempt to address quality of life and its accompanying attributes which as is discussed above, are not monetary.
Thought for the weekend: Does anyone else see the ironies of building roads, lengthening power lines and widening city infrastructure under a FALSE pretense of increasing quality of life when in reality these things are the engines that powers the money train for real estate developers and contractors that in effect actually hamper the convenient, slowed down, community rich lifestyles people are seeking?

Thursday, December 14, 2006

What once was lost, now is found

False alarm on the lost camera front. Accordingly, here are a few pics from last weekend, along with a thought for the day.

The playground. Adults deserve recess too. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Bryan stuck in the snow pack. Really.
Looking out of Gold Hill at Longs Peak. I'll climb that 14,000 foot bitch one of these days.

Riding out of Gold Hill with the foothills rising up to the Divide. Awesome.

Peet's has been brewing some strong ass coffee lately. It has really been wigging me out. And as I scramble to hydrate my brain back to a state where I feel my eyeballs are relaxed rather than twitching from side to side without the aid of any stimuli, I wonder, "What the hell caffiene? Why must I enjoy an excellent roast and the resulting cup of coffee that you so cleverly hide yourself in?"

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Ode to Brown Ales: Zweiter Stueck

Avery Brewing Company. http://www.averybrewing.com/. A hidden gem in the front range micro brew scene. Small brewer and limited distribution. Only a select few beers make it in to local bars but one that does and the one I love is the Ellie's Brown Ale. You can find it on tap at the West End Tavern making the beer/burger combo at this Boulder establishment hard to beat. This one has a bit of chocolate in it and tastes really smooth. One of those that if you get going with friends, it tastes so good it can quickly turn from a pint to a pitcher to belligerence.

It's Wednesday. Maybe too early to throw a few back.

Go outside and play. Darkness is no excuse. This is the time when you can use your headlamp. If you live in Couger country, make sure you go with friends and sing carols along the trail though.

Lost camera and inoperable lap top battery pack...

Don't worry it is only temporary. I was a bit discourgaged over the weekend though. One of my main motivations in this blog was to post lots and lots of awe inspiring photos of the Colorado scenery, just for Ted. So I thought I'd just wait to post until I found the camera. I have some great photos of the Switzerland Trail from Saturday. I think it was nearly the clearest day I'd ridden it so the divide views were awesome. Awesome enough that while filming Bryan plow through some snow pack I got all artsy and panned from the Divide to him riding. Alas, you probably won't ever see that video b/c it was filmed on th his camera, which puked out half way through the ride. My pictures on the other hand should make it onto the blog, as long as I can find the camera.

The battery pack is another issue which moved blog posting from ultra convenient at home or work any time of the day, to work only. The shrunken window did not bode well for my blog posting.

Wish me luck in the camera finding.

Friday, December 8, 2006

Brown Ales and corresponding rant

So I think alot about beer. As soon as I moved to Boulder I was amazed at the amount of micro breweries who brew solid brown ales. I love the german influence in Wisconsin, but a consequence of this heritage is the beer they chose to brew. In Wisconsin, most micro breweries have a great selection of Lagers, Pils as well as Stouts and Porters. But the English Ales just flow down so much better. The Great Dane and Great Lakes Breweries brew a Scotch Ale, but I like the thick English brews the best. So begins the Ode to Brown Ales. www.lefthandbrewing.com The Deep Cover Brown Ale from Left Hand Brewing in Longmont is damn good. I don't know enough about beer to describe why it fits my tastes, but if you're in Colorado I'd recommend a visit to the brewery or the purchase of a six at a liquor store. (For you Wisconsinites, you can buy beer till midnight in CO, so if you get in late, now worries. However you're SOL on Sunday)

Being that it is Friday, I hope you'll all be tossing a few back in celebration of life.

Eric: Just as you learned to appreciate coffee while in Italy, the English pub scene provides a perfect outlet to deepen your appreciation for beer. I urge you to drop your books and take advantage.

Thursday, December 7, 2006

Why we work



So we can go play on the weekends. Frisco Nordic Center. Very Nice!

Do you hear that?

Yes, that is the sound of the Yeti.
Well, CNN.com, Yahoo News, Cyclingnews.com, Velonews.com, NSMB.com, singletrackworld.com, bikemagic.com and various blogs combined have failed to fill my time enough with their inadequatly frequent updates that I've resorted to blogging to fill my time. In most workplaces you need to be typing to make it look like you're working, and therefore just sitting and thinking won't do. I'd like to do just that, but as mentioned above, it probably wouldn't fly. So welcome to my world. I hope you enjoy reading and I EXPECT heated argument regarding such hot button issue as religion, legal unions between humans, and stem cell research....talk amongst yourselves.