June 20BLK Jack Is In The Books

See The Stone Set In Your Eyes       See The Thorn Twist In Your Side        I'll Wait For You       Sleight Of Hand And Twist Of Fate         On A Bed Of Nails         She Makes Me Wait        And I Wait Without You      With Or Without You       Through The Storm       We Reach The Shore       You Give It All But I Want More       And I'm Waiting For You       With Or Without You

U2 

The Joshua Tree 1987 

HYDRATION: 

Upon stepping off the airplane, after a week of basking along the coastline, my skin literally turned flakey. I felt the skin around my nose and cheeks suck down to the bone like an older Indian's BLK & White portrait. It was a flipping 107F / 41.66 with ONLY 3% humidity here in the Valley. Lizard Skin 

Now consuming gallons of water will suffice but within a few or so, come on. And because everything you read on the inter web is spot on top shelf, googling I went. This surprised me but don't take this to be the law of the land because there is a huge difference between Conventional and Organic Farming. But here ya go and this is how my lunch time snacks played out. With plenty of Almond Butter And Celery of course. Water content in veggies; Cucumbers95% potatoes 80% carrots 92% broccoli 91% eggplant 89% watermelon 94% jicama 87% ice burg lettuces 96% plain yogurt 85%. Lunchtime Hydration Baby 

OBSERVATIONS:

Something that has been really bothering me this year is the absolute lack of commitment or follow through. Its as if nobody honors their word these days and happily live this blandly orgastic lifestyle.

When someone states to me that they are going to do something, I automatically weigh in a 60% chance of this coming to fruition. If the person is under 30 years old, that percentage drops down to a 10% accountability. Like Why Bother 

And from what I gather, its not just me or my "poor me" attitude. Workmates share their disappointing tales with me, a boss person told me a classic story about an order /delivery that has yet to materialize, and then I had an applicant that made an appointment with me and in the back of my mind, I am not jaded or stereotyping, they sounded young.  

What do you know, two hours before our interview, here come a bullish*t TEXT justifying why they don't have any common sense and on and on and on and on.  Whatever 

RE-ENTRY:

Needless to say, it was a rough re-entry after vacationing in Sunny San Diego with The Dude. After stepping off the plane, overwhelming heat in the face, I clocked in at my corporate job. The next day was a banner day as my happy A$$ worked all four jobs. 

I'm still mowing yards, small landscape designing, painting/ refurbishing projects and other various handyman tasks. Working with clients in the office, maintenance employee at both gym locations, and one jovial corporation job. Oh Joy

But on Father's Day, floated The Mighty Colorado River with Grandpa Dude. That was my first day off and relaxing on the river was dreamy. Minimal effort while the swift currents carried away my worries. Plus, might of had a refreshing adult brewage or two. Nice 

RELECTIONS:

One element I projected onto others was total and complete positivity. When I came off holidays, those around me were still in their unconscious ruts. So I made it a point of only sharing the highlights of our trip to SD. Even when someone replied with their goop, I still carried on about the beauty of or the building of comradery with friends or late night BBQ'n. Just stayed the true course of positivity. 

The above photo, Great Grand Father in the Engineers Seat staring out the window, my two twin Grand Fathers ( yes, thats a whole other story ) Jack and Joe as one is standing with his feet on the ground and the other is in the doorway, and their bother my uncle Chuck. My mother saw this on CrackBook and sent it to me the other day. What I found odd was how many times my mother would start a story with," I saw on FaceBook..." 

The aspect that bothers me about the CrackBook talk was not one group photo for her CrackBook posting. Something real to upload and share but nope. All those relatives in the back yard and it never dawned on me to ask for a group shot. Such a blow it on my end. Nothing tangible for a CrackBook posting. Bet Pat would have loved to have had a photo with his kids or even a surprise photo when he was inside. oops 

Something else that I have been rolling around in my noodle is just how happy my mother's husband appeared during his Father's Day gathering with his kids while The Dude & I were in town. Pat was in his element and always had a smile on his face. Mingled throughout the night with everyone. I feel compelled to ring him and share my observations with him. He might like to hear that.  

ORTHO:

Been working with a client irregularly for years now. They are an avid rock climber here on the Western Slope. We see each other about every three to four months for usual climbing aches and pains. They mentioned that their family member would be in town from back east and they suffer from hip issues. 

All be damn if they didn't call just after arriving here in the Grand Valley. Our session was outstanding and exceeded their expectations. I began with simple routine ankle releases and metatarsal alinement before addressing any hip issues. While doing this, they began to say thing like they feel that there and its a shooting pain in my IT Band or just verbalizing what they are noticing. Its so cool to have that immediate response or feedback and I quickly realized just how in tune they are with their own body. 

As I began to connect the lower lumbar region with their pelvis, it was clear to me that some kind of trauma was there. As they released stagnant tension, found their breath again, their Psoas Muscles finally let go, their story unfolded right there on the table. Turns out, not at all a hip issue!! They were standing in their yard when a tree fell on them from behind. Obviously I had my Oh SH*T moment and found my feet, became solid in my own sit bones, and began to honor what arises. Full On Principles 

This clients body lengthened and unwound within minutes of my explanation. "Imagine yourself skiing down a bunny slope. Your whole body is swishing from side to side. Your feet are in complete control and your hips are relaxed and fluid. You suddenly hit a tree and your body stops!" This client gasped and I knew they would understand. "What happens to your aura when your body made impact. Your aura was in rhythm with your structure and now??? " They responded with wow or really or something I am failing to recall. "This is what happened to your aura when the tree hit you. You never saw it coming. The next thing you knew was your body was pancaked by the impact. What do you think happened to your aura?" I Asked. 

I wish I had a video of her "Ah Ha " moment in time. Wish I could have documented with video footage from the rest of their session because the remarkable releases and that brilliant nervous system found its proprioceptors right then and there. Healing from within was happening!! We finished the session with an exercise I enjoy conducting. I call it 'Stepping Into Real Time' and works wonders. They were so grateful for the session, insights, and comforting words of wisdom. Their words and I politely reminded them to hydrate. Its The Desert 

CYCLING:

Where did the legs go??? Seriously, how have I allowed myself to fall into this gelatinous state of affairs?? The old body is slow and sluggish. Not Joking 

June was my lowest output in years. Then, when I do ride, the pressure gradients compress and slap me in the face every time. The above photo for example, I started riding West just after 1pm, casually riding into a 7mph/11.2kph head wind. Quickly turned into a 30mph/48.2kph sand blast to the shins. In the photo below, see all that dirty sand off to the right, the wind carries those granules aloft and pelts my exposed baby soft skin as I ride on. Atrociously Heinous 

About the only highlight for me and the two wheeled cruiser was a stellar night ride last week. The air was groovy, the nocturnal mammals took to the skyline, and the reflective eyes from kitty kitties under parked cars appeared as I rode on by. Yes, I still ride the commuter bike daily but my overall gumption has been piss poor to say the least. 

Today, the first day of July however, was also a tide turner. Woke up to a room full of petrichor aromas and delightfully cooler temperatures for outdoor activities. I only had about three hours between shifts so I took a quick spin towards Fruita. I once again felt motivated and ready to conquer. Must have been the proper playlist, right?

And check out that cell rising over the top of the Colorado National Monument. Lightning spit down like a FOX Sport camera shot of any MLB Teams Bench. I figured that Cumulonimbus would build and run south towards Delta. I could so skirt this storm I told myself. 

I tried my best to out run the front but to no prevail. The shower was quite refreshing once I was in the grasp of Mother Nature. What wasn't fun, the winds afterwards as the storm hurdled the Grand Mesa. The winds came from sideways, up ways, front ways, back ways, down ways, and those were all Gene Wilder references there. In reality, no better way to welcome in the new month of July 20BLK Jack.  

BOOGIE:

So like I mentioned before, just in case you are a skim reader, hit the ground running from the time I landed two weeks ago. Not playing any reindeer games took its toll on me. As the Full Moon was nearing both literally and physically, packed up the car and The Captain and headed for the San Juan Mountains. 

The mountain air was exactly what I desired. Clean fresh crisp air and early wildflowers were the recipe for bliss. Like Blissed Out 

At times, not always, there was stillness. Colorful birds sang to us as if we were invisible. The ideal overnight for a mental break and a physical grounding. I wouldn't necessarily refer to it as hiking but more of a slumbering walk. Simply Absorbing 

North America is once again in the early stages of wildfires and its obviously only going down hill from here on. But damn does our continent ever offer up the most gorgeous sunsets and unique landscapes. The kind of sunsets that brings joy to your heart as you reminisce in your third eye. 

Mr Moon rose with authority and illuminated the valleys like a Hollywood Picture Show. Yes, most of the faint stars were a wash but plenty of Constellations shined on as they danced across the midnight sky. Numerous satellites floated across the night scape and a few jet engines hummed along in route of who knows where.  

Sunrise however was spooky as Sh*T!! I wasn't tuned into which fire was where and sort of allowed that uneasy feeling get the best of me. The afternoon monsoonal rain showers are helping fight the fires but the lightning presents us with an element of trust. Captain and I rushed back towards Telluride and I quickly realized that I was overly cautious. Like Far From Danger 

So along the way, to help cool my jets, Captain and I went for a swim. While hanging out in the sunshine, found a Love Rock there along the bank. It was just resting there calling my name. You know, they way rocks do that. 

Started to fabricate this cairn and topped it off with the new found Love Rock. Maybe I should have built this the night before as a peace offing to The Full Moon Gods. Day late and a dollar short. Still feel like a million bucks without a dime in my pocket. Ether way, it was a happy Strawberry Moon in June. 

GOALS:

1. Focus On My Fitness 
2. Be As Present As I Can Be
3. Remind Myself Frequently 
4. Soak Up The Atmosphere
5. Live Like A Rock Star 

I leave you all on this note: Couldn't be happier as I am temporarily "moving" back to Crested Butte in 6 days. I am going to relish in all the luxuries of a beautiful home on the mountain. Like cable television for watching the Tour De France. Connecting with the Weather Channel again. And all the WiFi I could ever dream of for streaming Live Shows and for diving down rabbit holes. Will be able to frequently upload photos from the most magical town I have ever had the pleasure of calling home. Peace be with all of you this month. Gather something meaningful to offer for The Buck Moon on July the 23rd. 

Stay Strong,

Cheers