Saturday, June 18, 2022

Zippity Do Dah

I've Never Seen You Look So Lovely As You Did Tonight        I've Never Seen You Shine So Bright         I've Never Seen So Many Men Ask You If You Wanted To Dance    They're Looking For A Little Romance     Given Half The Chance      And I Have Never Seen That Dress You're Wearing     Or The Highlights In Your Hair That Catch Your Eyes     I Have Been Blind     The Lady In Red Is Dancing With Me Cheek To Cheek     There's Nobody Here    It's Just You And Me     It Is Where I Want To Be    But I Hardly Know This Beauty By My Side      I'll Never Forget The Way You Look Tonight 



Chris De Burgh 

Into The Light    JUNE 1986

COLORADO RIVER:

I fully embrace the Mighty Chocolate Colorado River and completely respect these high water floats. And right out of the shoot, the coolest thing ever to witness. A Red Tail Hawk buzzed the waterline not but 30 feet in front of me. This hawk was tucked in a Stealth Bomber Aircraft aero position while effortlessly and motionlessly zipped from right to left about 6 feet above the river. Flipping Rad 


The Dude and I paddled the "town float" section last weekend and that day was exactly what I needed. Didn't realize at the time but a casual day on the river was beyond rejuvenating. The snow melt run off added new channels to explore and I enjoyed slithering between the over grown weeds were water hasn't flowed in years. Plus, numerous times, the hydrodynamics of the current literally grasp my tailbone and forces me up and over the raids that awaited my boat. Love That Sensation 

DOGS:

Check out these faces of pure innocent love fest. I so scored during May and June because all of the house sitting gigs have come with pups. And Those Ears 




I throughly enjoy this part time job of mine and with ZERO advertising as it is almost a full-time occupation these dog days of summer. Get It?? Dog Days!! Yes, I enjoy cracking myself up. All word of mouth referrals. And a puppy paw on the arm just because, sooooooo gooooooooood




This new business adventure is another positive byproduct of COVID. And sending these photos to their humans equals sweet $$$$$. 





So far, everyone of these humans have paid me more than the agreed figure. A number of bonus dollars after they discovered I cleaned the windows or dusted off furniture or repaired a this or that without being asked. Oh Baby 


42:

Because 42 is always the answer 




CYCLING:

Raging on the old 1994 GT these days. 

Unfortunately, completely inconstant with my riding schedule this month  



But when I ride, I ride 



Still enjoying these rides when I have a small window of opportunity. Somedays are only an hours worth but it is what happens within that hours time.  



With a tailwind, turned myself inside out on the Midnight Racer for a top 3 position on Strava's Leader Board. Absolutely burned up the quads for almost a full 4 min sprint and the lungs weren't necessarily ready for that endeavor. How and the hell did Aaron M click of a 43 mph / 69.2 kph sprint for 3 heart pounding minutes??? Holy Fuzzy Balls Batman

RADIO SHOWS:

Over the moon with my two latest radio shows. Hopped on air to cover the Tropical Air June 10th and HERE is the link for that show. When you open this link, click on the Dan Yankee Tropical Air at 6:30pm and stream away. This recording jumps right into my set, the first three minutes allow the previous DJ to get out of the damn way, and I really enjoyed airing out the Funk that night. Tropical Air is a great time slot and a long running show on KAFM. 


The other show was on my Internet Birthday and I featured Mash Up tunes. The idea would be to play an Original ( Michael Jackson ) , The mash up with MJ and Eric Clapton, and then play an original ( Eric Clapton ) tune. Here ( LINK FOR KAFM ) is the link and simply click on the play icon of The Magic Carpet Ride with the Dan Yankee. This time you will have to wait 20 seconds for my show to begin with a Dub Reggae Mix. From there, Turn It Up 

PLANET PARADE:

Parade Of Planets is happening right now at dawn here in North America. And this energetic dynamic is jacking up a lot of folks. Well, that is the excuse anyway as I only hope humans will not continue to be such a disappointment. Right 




Every mornings totally offers new and exciting astronomical events and watching Mr Moon navigate between the planets has been a hoot. It's good to be us. Alive & Kicking 




WORK:

There is a reason why they call it work. The owner explained that a professional bid came in at just over $10,000 for scrapping the old popcorn ceiling and painting. We are talking about a hallway and three bedrooms. 


Dummy me offered to provide this service of the old 2018 prices and here are those before and after photos. Believe me, scrapping popcorn ceilings totally blows. I enjoyed the painting aspect but nothing I wanna pursue. Notice the nice water damaging stain on the ceiling as well.




SO much sanding after removing that popcorn stuff and that is clearly why they call it work. Right 


Scrapping those ceilings worked over my upper traps and deltoids, patched over the drywall screws, and added KILS Paint to any water stain areas. The bigger water stains received a whole new section of drywall. Discovered that Home Depot has partial pieces for sale and that saved me $$$$ by NOT purchasing a whole sheet of drywall. So That's Cool 



                                          Before


                                       After 



Here are the last before and afters from that particular job. Pretty pleased with myself because I worked my A$$ off. I paid close attention to the detailed trim work and the craftsmanship shines for sure. I recommend you allow a professional to do this style of remodel as its not all that fun. 



And the last set of before and after shots from the gym. Hanging a new bar in the weight room for rope and stretching bands. Yahooo000000


ONE DAY:

I began working for the Country Jam folks back in 2013. I scored a super easy well paying gig by working as a runner. That morphed over the years into a concierge representative in the VIP Area. C19 hit early 2020 and my last Country Jam appearance was obviously 2019. No Country Jam in 2020 and I wasn't asked back in 20BLK Jack.


What I can tell you is this. I am not a country fan but I never once was a bystander to any bad acts ever. Those Country Western Musicians can flat get with it. Even the side stage performers were amazingly talented. One that stands out, after Thursday& Friday solid acts, Blake Sheldon came out on his 40th Birthday. That performance was legendary. And it wasn't just because I had the pleasure of meeting Gwen Stefani. She was rocking for sure and a total down to earth gal. That whole evening was magical and talk about rock stars that know how to party. 


I was recently asked by the director of operations if I was available to drive the work truck to Albuquerque New Mexico. Being a Bugs Bunny fan, should have made a left in Albuquerque. Below and above  are somewhere nowhere New Mexico photos. 


Apparently all the banners were printed down in Albuquerque and the freight quote was coming in just under $4,000.oo. I was offered some righteous bucks, a hotel room, and fuel for the work truck to make the drive. Seven hours behind the steering wheel later and I was at the print shop. We loaded up the truck within 45 minutes and all was strapped down. Being that I am completely paranoid about COVID, why would I want to sit in a hotel room when I could sit behind the windscreen and think about the same Sh*t??? Below is a photo dropping into Durango Colorado from the South. Durango will always hold fond memories for me and the amount of growth blows my little tiny pea brain. 



I wish I carried the vocabulary for painting a descriptive picture of just how beautiful the San Juan Mountain Range truly is. The lush hillsides are splashed with three to four shades of green. The massive peaks above tree line dominate the sheer richness of the miners history from around the area. 


Silver and gold were raped from the land and this highway is referred to as The Million Dollar Highway. And I utter love its landscape. The sweeping waterfalls, those jagged rock formations, and the diversity of wildlife causes me to pause and remain present with every trek across this range I make. Plus, my endorphins thrived when racing bikes on this undulating highway back in the day. Sure wish GoPro was a thing back then. 


After a quick invigorating skinny dip in the clear rushing Uncompahge River, the rest of the drive was easy peasy. Would have to say that it was the easiest well paid job I have fulfilled in many many moons. A two day drive turned into a 15 hour day.  So I Got That Going For Me 

GOALS:

  1. Cycling With Intent 
  2. Working With A Purpose
  3. Surfing With A Groove
  4. Meal Planning
  5. Supporting Others Around Me 
  6. Perform Another Righteous Wedding Ceremony Saturday 

Smile My Friends,

Cheers 



21 comments:

  1. Loved all the photos but the one that stole my heart was the 1st one and the landscapes during your ride are amazing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I Only Wish I Owned A Billion Dollar Camera Because Mother Earth Is That Beautiful - Wish I Could Paint Pictures With My Words - Wish I Was On A Bike Right Now - And Your Photos Have Been Worth A Thousand Words There Magic - Rock On

      Cheers

      Delete
  2. Chris de Burgh is called Chris de Würg over here - most don´t like him and würgen means... hmmm... choking? Retching?
    "Lady in Red" was just too much for the German people ;-)
    Maybe I should give him a second chance?

    A Chocolate river? Hmmm, if I was into sweets! Nice feeding-pic, too.
    I´ve never been in a Kajak. Think you have to be brave (I can swim, but am short-sighted and would be afreaid to loose my glasses).

    It´s a dog´s life ;-)
    Windows... can you visit me? I hate cleaning them!
    I would give you 42 local beers. And a towel on top ;-)

    Ohhh, that critter there! I once saw one that seemed to wave! Reckon it was a warning, though...

    Beautiful can. Just yesterday I drew a pic of an ALSTA-can cause it was so beautiful. It´s a Hamburg-mixed lemon-beer. To be tried still.
    Oh, and! I got my bike out, too! Was fun. Next ride: Friday. Not as much as you do, of course, I´m a (fast) walker).

    I think you would cry if you listened to the radio here. Plain dumb. That, or for really old people.

    Great dawn pics.
    Oh, yeah. I just had a hard time getting id of such water-mould-thing here. Luckily on the ground (I am small).

    Love the wide open. One day again.
    love your goals, smile and cheers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Chocolate River Was A Willy Wonka Reference There And You Two Would Love This Particular Stretch Of The River - Way Mellow And Relaxing - Lunch Was Outstanding Of Course - Dogs Life - Happily Clean And Repair And Tackling 42 Brews Might Be Out Of My League - Maybe - Maybe Not - Maybe YES - Would Enjoy Checking Out Your Drawings As You Are Rather Creative My Friend - Musical Taste Can Be Selective Indeed - Sunrises Are Mesmerizing Here In The High Desert - Thanx So Much For Checking In And Writing Down Your Thoughts - I Appreciate Your Words

      Cheers

      Delete
    2. One beer for each window... or room. And no, we don´t have 42 ;-) You would have to come back a couple of times to good ole Germany ;-)
      Cheers, dear friend

      Delete
  3. Hello,
    Love all the puppy dogs, you a great dog sitter. Removing a popcorn ceiling does not look like fun. I would prefer driving a work truck somewhere. Beautiful views of the mountains and river and the night sky is awesome. Take care, enjoy your day and have a happy new week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Shadow People - Puppies Are The Best - Yes, It Wasn't All That Fun But It Is What It Is - Driving The Best Was A Blast And The Landscape Was Ever So Changing - Keep Looking Up My Friend - Big Hugs

      Cheers

      Delete
  4. The Colorado River has featured in some Amtrak YouTube vids I have recently watched. As seen from the train and from your photos, Colorado has great beauty.

    So you clean windows? Come to Australia and we can marry and you can clean my windows.

    Gosh, you can paint too. I am becoming very aroused.

    I remember Gwen Stefani. Cool that you met her.

    Wow, you can drive a big truck too.

    You probably would not impress me after you've been skinny dipping.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Riding The Rails Along The Mighty Colorado - Its A Joy And Worthy During Any Season - Cleaned Windows Are A Hit For Sure - Painting A Verity Of Surfaces - Very Cool Meeting And Hanging With Blake And Gwen - Driving Is Something I Have Excelled At All My Life - Learned The Art Of Driving Before I Could Ever Reach Those Pedals - Face Down In The River Would Have Worked Your World There Brother Drew - Always Enjoy Hearing Your Insights Mate - Be Well

      Cheers

      Delete
  5. Did you take that top photo of the birds? That's an AMAZING shot! The river cruising sounds great, as does the dog-sitting, but I can easily believe that removing a popcorn ceiling would be a nightmare.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Beautiful scenery and you do paint lovely word pictures to describe it. Excellent 42s. Don't panic 😉

    ReplyDelete
  7. Another wonderful post, Padre. Glad to hear the dog sitting is still a good gig for you, lots to love there. Good job with taking down the popcorn ceiling, sounds like it was not much fun in that. I'm going to tune in to the radio show tonight, the one with the link on your internet birthday. Looking forward to listening to some tunes. Red Sox are back in to the wildcard picture after getting a good winning streak going. Enjoy your day and the new week which is coming up.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your time paddling looks so relaxing and seeing the hawk up close like that must be exciting! It looks like fun with the dogs so the money is a bonus.

    The work at the popcorn ceiling is definitely hard. You did a great job by the look of it.

    You did well on your bike, young man!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think the dog sitting gig is really filling that big pup sized hole in your heart! Sounds like the perfect cure.

    We have a popcorn ceiling in our family room and my hubs refuses to fix it--probably because of all the reasons that you mentioned.

    Glad the river filled back up again!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Me encanta tu reportaje y sobretodo la ternuara de la primera imagen.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Dearest Travis,
    WOW & WOW again; you pulled off that nasty popcorn ceiling thing in an excellent way. Those dollars earned were really hard to get!!! Imagine, all above your head, arms up and going on and on.
    LOVE those happy puppies and no wonder their human parents are grateful to you and even more so for touching up their homes. You're clever, it also takes out boredom as puppies play but then sleep!
    Your nature ride is heavenly, wish we had that nearby.
    Just got home on Friday by 19:30 from my trip out of hell due to the tyranny of the NWO. Won't go there any further but I'm praying hard that the young(er) generations will get to know the life we've had. The courtesy towards travelers is gone it seems like... will it ever return?
    In Amsterdam at the airport chaos as well, here 3,000 flights got cancelled over the weekend when I departed and had to drive with private driver (in our car) to the airport twice = 2 hours one–way. Amsterdam they even cancelled more flights due to a shortage on all personnel at the airport in whatever area.
    WHEN will things get normal again?!
    But I'm here with Mom & Dad's estate items and my Pieter was so happy. He kept his sanity by completing his mega task of repairing and rebuilding our wooden walkway through the garden. Last section he raised a lot due to growing tree roots and also water puddles after tropical rain... and that would soon cause rot again. All wood is meticulous treated with wood preserving and a second layer. Home Depot smiled a lot as Pieter bought lots of cans!
    Oh, I walked and biked in The Netherlands and indulged in all the wildflowers blooming now. Today we both biked here again, our long route and it was pure bliss.
    Big hugs,
    Mariette

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  12. Seems you enjoy the dogs, good on you. What a mess that ceiling is, so good to get rid of that mess. Lovely scenery.

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  13. I love to see you kayaking. My daughter's move date to head your way is July 10 and she is so looking forward to kayaking and all of the outdoor adventures she'll have in Colorado! Unfortunately I can't accompany her to help her with her move, but my husband will get to enjoy your lovely state for 3 days while getting her settled in. I am hoping to get that way in the fall though to check out her new place. If she ever needs a house sitter, I'll be sure to pass your info on to her. The pups and home owners are lucky to have you!

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  14. Animals and especially dogs, are one of the few creatures capable of inconditional love.
    See you are doing good, both in your spare time as at your work. Photos before and after, speak by themself.

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  15. I would love to do this bike tour with you... with a hat and lots of water in my luggage... wonderful landscape. I also had a few bike tours here with us and it often goes through the forest, with a pleasant coolness - you can do without a hat - and the summer wind caresses your body :-)))
    Many greetings to you. Thank you for sharing your experiences. I would like to join.

    ReplyDelete