Opening Ceremonies

My Baby Moves At Midnight     Goes Right On Til The Dawn     My Woman , Take Me Higher   My Woman , Keep Me Warm    What You Doin' On Your Back? Hey     What You Doin' On Your Back ? Hey You Should Be Dancing , Yeah    Dancing , Yeah    She's Juicy And She's Trouble    She Gets It To Me Good   My Woman , Give Me Power    Go Right Down To My Blood 

Bee Gees

Children Of The World 1976

LIVE MUSIC:

Finally attended a show at the Sh*T Hole Mesa Theater. The bands were terrific but the venue ALWYAS finds a way to create a disappointing vibe. Two things this time for me personally. One , it is always way too flipping loud and I always bring my earplugs with me to that place. Veteran Move

Number two , the owners make it VERY clear that they do NOT want to sell you a ticket. You must go to the website and pay the fees. And if you try to purchase a day of ticket , it is an extra $10 because they are complete Phuc's. So the show that I attend only cost $20 bucks. But because in advance I purchased The Dude a ticket as well , my check out total was $51.18 for the two twenty dollar tix. What The Flock Of Seagulls. 

Every single time I attend a performance there , I swear that I will never be back. But I return some 8 months later and bitch to you all about it. Having said that , the two bands were fan flipping tastic!!! The opening ( HERE is the actual show via their YT page ) act Sqwerv ( sounds like a car swerving in traffic ) hails from Denver and they are tight. Like So Good 

The Main Act , Top Shelf! These kids were unreal with an ideal flow that is all based on the crowds projection. Eminence Ensemble is a 6 piece jazz fusion jam band with a few rock covers like Van Halen for instance and a smooth Led Zeppelin teasers riffed out in the middle of a tune. And they brought one of the coolest set of stage lights and lasers that I have experienced in quite awhile. Soupy Sandwich

TEACHING:

So there is separation between judging and educating. Definitely discovering my inner peace while focusing on nourishing , sympathies, and positivity. Yup , everyday offers a teachable moment. It is up to us as individuals to make the choice. Quite frequently I feel myself shaking my head in complete bewilderment. Humans 

Hopefully you have a little giggle with this one. Last year , Mr B gave me a dog defecating calendar for an Xmas gift. So this year , I recycled it with a 2026 GJ Calendar. Yes , I highlighted all of our birthdays , anniversaries , and upcoming family events as well for a personalized touch. Smile On

They got a real kick out of it and appreciated all the updates for the year. I loved how July ( above ) and August ( below ) turned out. So That's Cool 

And yes , been on the bike quite a bit this year. Nothing over the top , just excellent Spring like conditions these days. Below is our Mighty Colorado River and there is no way this stream will make it to AZ this year. No Way  

Really trying not to fill this blog with a bunch of downer news but son of a witch with a Capital B , it is getting ugly around here. And Quickly 

One cool-ish milestone coming up on my radar is that I am a mere sub 200 miles / 321.86km from 30,000 miles / 48,280.32 kms since joining the Strava world. Yowzah 

OLYMPICS:

The Dude and I hosted yet another opening ceremonies gathering and everyone is "expected" to arrive with a dish that represents the host country to share with all. You know , community , peace , and a tradition of bringing the human race together as one. Unity 

Not only is the real live Christmas Tree still up but its beyond healthy and has not begun to drop its needles yet. Had to snap off a photo of this ABBA album for Amanda. She is a true Dancing Queen I tell ya. An ABBA Tribute Band will be here at our Avalon Theater next week. Classic   

Back to the Opening Ceremonies, how about a full flavored chicken cacciatore but with Cauliflower instead of chicken. H & B whipped together an artichoke heart with celery and a few other stimulates for the tastebuds that I am spacing at this time. Thea rocked out HOMEMADE raviolis with cilantro over the top just because. Mr DM created the dish of the night with his first ever attempt at Stromboli. And it turned out beautifully. Of course there were a few bottles of vino. Just A Few. Embarrassing enough , this would be the one and only capture of the spread. Totally wasn't on my game when we began serving up plates but you'll clearly discover that Stromboli action. Sure wish I would have captured each dish for ya because the three homemade main meals rocked the casbah. Rookie Status 

SUPER SUNDAY:

Call me bat Sh*t crazy but I , once again , flipping loved the Super Bowl. I always do. I am always stoked to be surrounded by friends and family for the day. I love hovering over the BBQ. I enjoy the pregame entertainers. I love those commercials. I love the match up. Always look forward to the halftime show. And I enjoy the awards and speeches afterwards. Not a compliant in the world with this 60th Super Bowl. Was completely blown away that the Polar Bears switched to Pepsi , loved the Mr Rogers commercial , the wannabe State Farm Characters cracked me up , and so many more that I am spacing at this time. The history lesson during halftime ruled and learned so much more afterwards. The only aspect that I wished offered a better turn out for me was the MVP Award should have gone to the Place Kicker over the Running Back. But overall , and I tired with Thea on our Prop Sheet Bets , I am thankful that I was able to witness Super Bowl LX. Would give the entire day a seven out of ten and that includes the morning bike ride , the early afternoon round of Disc Golf  and the main event. Super Bowl Baby 

DOGS:

I leave you all with dogs - Yahoooo00000000

And just for you cat fans , OxoxoxO

Making It Happen ,

Cheers 

Happy Malanka !! Jan 13th Is The New Year In The Ukraine

So I'd Like To Know Where You Got The Notion     Said I'd Like To Know Where You Got The Notion   To Rock The Boat    Don't Rock The Boat Baby     Rock The Boat     Don't Tip The Boat Over     Rock The Boat    Don't Rock The Boat Baby     Ever Since Our Voyage Of Love Began    Your Touch Has Thrilled Me    Like The Rush Of The Wind And Your Arms Have Held Mine    Safe From A Rolling Sea   There's Always Been A Quiet Place To Harbor You And Me    Our Love Is Like A Ship On The Ocean   We've Been Sailing With A Cargo Full Of Love And Devotion

The Hues Corporation 

Freedom From The Stallion 1974

The beginning of this year is rolling in like an asphalt paver. I am optimistic or maybe just pleased that we are a year closer to The Donald's end. Phuc That Guy & His Useless Followers 

And now , to be a stereotypical American , let me fill you in on me. Me Me Me , I I I , Me Me Me , I began the year of 2025 on a crushing low , like all of us were knowing The Donald was stepping in to , well , todays current situation. January 2025 dragged on for me and I really battled with overall depression. Maybe it was the slice of those 31 days but like a snail it slimed me good. But the rest of the calendar year , flipping blur!!! That Year Of 2025 Flew By 

DOGS:

This past winter was a banner year for house and dog sitting. Like everyone traveled somewhere this past winter and that equalled Cha Ching For Me. Yahooo0000 

TECHNOLOGY:

The downside to owning dinosaur technology is this , they fail at some point. They Do

The old Garmin 500 , most folks use the new Garmin 1050 solar , ran its course. This little guy fits in my pocket , logged races , uploaded rides , tracked all those Friday Night Bike Night Shenanigans , and finally decided that it was dead. It just refuses to spark to life. In miles and according to STRAVA , this little cycling computer circled the earth with me. STRAVA holds me accountable at just over 29,600miles / 47,000kms on the bike and just under 2,000 miles / 3,200kms of dog walks. Sleepy Time 

The other side of old electronics is that I unearthed my 20 year old Garmin 305 Forerunner. Charged it overnight , this old sucker discovered satellites , tracked my commute , but my MacBook Pro will not read the files to upload to STRAVA. Phuc Me 

I am currently researching COOSPO cycling computers. If any of you have an advice , recommendations , or products you swear by , PLEASE let me know. Please 

Isn't this situation a bummer?? I was super excited about this holding a charge and accurately calculating the distance. I was under the impression that I was cutting a big Ol fat one. Nope 

So My Commuter Miles By The Numbers:

302 Rides during 2025

287 Hours

4 Personal Records

1,864.4 Miles / 2,999.8 KMs because 3,000 would've been cooler 

42 Dog Walks because 42 is always the number

125 Miles / 201.1kms

11 Rounds of Disc Golf

3 Snowshoe Trips on the Grand Mesa and 1 in Crested Butte

7 Town Floats

1 High School Musical 

14 Concerts Attended

18 Foxie Flo Performances

311 Uploaded Time Lapse Videos

7,671,546 Steps in 2025 and that is almost 21,000 steps a day!!

Might need a new pair of shoes for stepping into the future 

Overall , these numbers are not anywhere near bragging rights status. Sort of impressive that I accumulated almost 2K on the Cannodale commuter bike in 2025. But as you can see , rode 302 times at almost 300 hours. Meaning , reach ride averaged an hour for the year. Yikes !! Maybe I should buck up in 2026. Maybe Yes , Maybe No  

HANDYMAN:

Yes , cut back on helping out but still cashed in when necessary or when time allowed. Still set up and winterized swamp coolers , still walked behind the mower , still completed a number of painting projects , and still replaced a few irrigation heads / values / pipes for some righteous cash. And the photo below was so close to a proper palindrome. Only if the last 2 was a 5. Right 

XMAS:

Yes , still rode the bike around town for my very own private light parade. December flew on by as everyday was filled to the brim similarly to that coffee commercial. Hell , it is already two weeks into this new year and my schedule is chock full for the rest of this month. I can't pack in any more but I probably will because that is just how I roll. Why I do not say no , I will never know. I guess it is better than sitting on the couch like a gelatinous blob. Kick It 

The pattern 

These 2x4 were destined for the landfill baby !!! 

Of course I fabricated Xmas gifts  

Cut these bad boys at 54 degrees and somewhere around 7 1/4 inch to 8 3/4 inch

Busted out the grinder with 80 grit paper and shaped these snowflakes 

Added the burnt appearance with my standard suturing torch 

Masking tape and wood glue for an overnight good time 

Drilled these sucker at an angle from the backside , dab ah glue , and shoved in BBQ skewers for a little more integrity. Sanded off the remaining bit and shaped the backside for a 3D pop if hanging on a wall. Stellar 

Rubbed on a beautiful strain to a couple of them and painted on the Colorado flag for H&B. Side Note , they have the wooden trees from last years gifts on top of their cupboards year around. So That's Cool  

Let's All Try ( JUST TRY ) And Appreciate The Small Wins This Year ,

Cheers