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