33,297 Steps on St Patties Day

Grandpa's Last Day with the Cone of Shame

Speaks For Itself

As the sun's rays were about an hour from being seen, The Boy Dog and I flopped out of bed. I went for the little boys room and Shadow Boy quickly identified his bowl as being empty.

Everything was packed and sitting by the door. Grandpa couldn't believe that the house was full of life. He says he could eat earlier than usual. In Fact, He never knew that this was an option.

Out the door and headed for The Dude's place I went. Super spooky fog had blanketed the little valley and nobody was out and about.

The Dude was up and made packing the rest of the car a breeze. He had a backpack, clothes on a hanger, & about 4 canvas bags containing snacks, bananas, and mango juice. You know, what everyone brings to Sin City. We had an ice chest full of food and the other housing our sacred supplies.

Utah allows 80mph now and someone is always going balls out. I am happy to see that person fly on by and I quietly fall in behind as stealth as I possibly can. And as always, without fail, we watch the leader get busted. This trip was no different. The Dude and I made it to Vegas in just over 6 and half hours unnoticed and feeling casual.

We drove striaght to Chinatown, west of the strip. This Chinatown is a weeee bit lame for pedestrians but epic in diversity. Huge tanks of fish, crabs, and lobster were all quite common. The Dude scored us some amazingly fresh seaweed salad. He did a bunch of shopping and I "listened" to all the foreign dialect of dialogs.

Short drive down Flamingo and there the Tuscany waited our arrival for the night. We cracked a Ranger IPA from Colorado, only to find out that the Broncos were well represented already. Full belly of food, cold beer in a cup, & sunshine blanketed the day with pure righteousness. 

We strolled through the casino, grabbed a few cocktails from our room, laid by the pool, & made a stop over at the sports book. 

For PerthDailyPhoto

While The Dude and I were standing in the sports book area watching the bubble games, a guy from Rocklin IL started talking. I didn't think much about it but the more he talked the more I realized he watches a lot of basketball. Then, he pulled out his notebook that had one sheet dedicated to each game of the opening round. He had is own formula and was adding numbers for every question we asked him.

I wasn't going to buy in because I was still on my own strategy of betting on the over/under action. But I over heard him say that Michigan was a lock to win their bubble game. I didn't plan on betting any bubble games but I felt compelled to bet on the Wolverines. Plus, Michigan only had to be leading at the half BY ONE BUCKET.

So here is my ticket. Bet $11 dollars to make $10 by halftime. Sure wish I would have bet it all that night because them Wolverines blew it up. Did I bet $55 to win $50, $88 to win $80, NOOOOooo. However, I had a little more pep in my step that night.

The night before St. Patricks Day was spent walking the South Strip of Vegas were everyone was dressed up, partying like rock stars, and watching the street performers do there thing in between Bellagio's fountain shows.

St. Patties Day was another animal. Our hotel was on Fremont Street and to the Golden Nugget we drove. Easy parking, room was ready early, and bets were placed for the start of March Madness.

We hit the pool, ate like big dogs, and arranged our verity of outfits for the night. Our game plan was to change costumes ( Johnny Manziel Style ) with every new room made beverage. And then back to Fremont were we found ourselves mixed in with a number of photo taking - green wearing - sloshed - happy - go - lucky - dancing - freaks. Perfect Atmosphere!!

Every sports team has a green jersey now, I had my 1996 San Diego St Patricks Parade shirt on, and groups of uniformed outfits began to emerge. Four stages had live music and weird street "entertainers" popped out asking for money because they want you to take a photo with them. And I mean weirdoes. Like a short fat guy wearing a thong and a guitar over his shoulder but never played a riff?!?!?! But asked us to take a photo with him?!?!?!

These are some of my phone photos because they are all I have. I recorded a band with the GoPro but the damn thing froze up and I didn't know it. So the zip line, performers, & crazy cool t-shirts and groups were lost in the digital world. Like one shirt read..... I Dyed My Pubes For This

Its Wednesday already and I have been working with clients and lifting at the gym. Still feeling strong as I was worried that 5 days off would take its toll. I have a new client coming into to the office tomorrow. This person smacked a tree while skiing last weekend and has come from a referral.

Back on the two-a-day walks with the Boy Dog. Our early walks have been nice weather wise but damn have we ever had some wind. I was having this visions while in Vegas of riding stronger, hiking trails with the Boy Dog, and adding miles in a safe and healthy way. I did have a blast with The Dude and I so dig Vegas during round 1 of March Madness but my mind drifted back towards racing, stretching, & dog time.

Here is a video from Vegas...... Thanx for watching.... Thanx for stopping by.... Stay Strong.... Dream Big



Here is another guys video that we are in.... We show up briefly at 2:07 and then a long run from 2:30 - 2:47. The Dude has his horns on and I am right next to him watching the Fremont Light Show.... Check It Out

AND THATS ME!!!! There is a guy on the right, red-haired lady in the center, and THATS ME ON THE LEFT!!

Thankful For Today

Daylight Savings - Love It Because All Excesses Go Out The Window - I Can Work Until 5 or So And Still Have Daylight To Ride In - Neighbors Finally Begin Raking Last Falls Leaves - The Earth Is Tilting Again And Pressure Gradients Begin Moving So New Air Is A Breath Of Fresh Air During Burn Season - Only A Few Days Away From Vegas And March Madness - No Excesses

Anyone Running Pi Tomorrow??

 Clients - Well, I am a pretty optimistic person & I am pretty good about posting the positives but damn I had a tough week. Yes, the lack of sleep played its role but this is different. I went to a Study Group & was completely blown away by the instructors lack of etiquette & miss use of the Ortho-Bionomy principles.

Having said that, life in the office has been fantastic!! A huge break through with a new client that I have targeted since Labor Day Weekend. She is a Figure Model & I have known her for 15+ years now. The Dude & I went to support her during her Body Building Competitions last September & I knew that her & I could build a working relationship because of the amount of people she knows. That day FINALLY came & she came to the office last Tuesday. WHAT ELSE IS POSSIBLE

Training - Completed my lifting goals for the week & pretty damn pleased about it.
Mon- Spin and Chest
Tues- Back and Bi
Wed- Spin
Thurs-Shoulders and Tri
Fri- Chest and Legs
Sat -Arms Only

Felt comfortable with adding weights to my routine. Focused on controlling & holding form with each rep. I am going to stand on the scale Tuesday night before Vegas & then after I return to see how my body holds the booze, snacks, & what nots.

Las Vegas - The Dude & I always travel with a full ice chest of food. We never buy any food while in Vegas & we wouldn't think of going into a restaurant while there. Yes, we are a bit of food snobs. The quote here goes as follows: Life is too short to drink cheap beer and eat proceed crap.

My plan is to work the over/under during the Denver hosted games. I might even take the leap of faith & bet a 6 game parlay ticket with this logic of mine. Plus, I must make my yearly Padres pick that I make every year. I mean I am going to root for the Padres so I always take the over. Not always, I won taking the under last year. I bet the under because of how much I hate Matt Kemp!!

I just might bet on this years Masters, might be able to bet on Formula 1's 2016 season, place 10 bucks on the top 15 NFL teams for Super Bowl 2017, & will be able to bet on this years World Series winner. Thats all dictated by my Madness Performance payouts.

We scored a dirt cheap priced room at the Tuscany & we do like this hotel & their pool. St. Patties Day will be spent on Fremont Street as we scored a room at the Golden Nugget & AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THEIR POOL. Ever been to the Golden Nugget?? Ever Swam With The Sharks?? Its beyond awesome!!! Plus, Vegas shuts down all the side streets & builds stages for Irish Bands, Cover Bands, & A Possible Magician Or Two.

And the best part of Vegas, St. Patties Day, & March Madness are the walks of life. Folks that wear Northern Iowa shirts, Wisconsin is always well represented, & the other unknowns of Vegas life. A fews years back, this same weekend, a tattoo convention took place & another year was a Custom Build Harley Bike Fest. One of our favorite bonus weekends was an incredible body painting convention at our hotel & we would have never seen that one had we not stayed at the MGM that year. Bring On March Madness!!!

P.S. I am taking the Johnny Manziel approach, wigs, glasses without the lenses, make up, & a masquerade mask to top it off.

Our Grand Valley

A Week of Headwinds

WARNING, GRAPHIC PHOTO AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POSTING!!

I had to stop driving my car for a while... the tires got dizzy.

Steven Wright  

This Is Beautiful 

I added this quote by Steven because my road wheels understood. I had a gr8 ride the other day. My watts were kinda low but I felt so strong. All of the spin classes, weight lifting, and nution has improved my overall well being. At any given moment, I powered up the quads and worked the cardiovascular system. I began to talk myself into continuing on to the town of Palisade Colorado and then turn around. Wish I had a VFeul but nooooo. I pulled over and searched out a Gu and a banana and thats when reality hit me like mom's fresh apple pie. The wind was coming from the west and aiding my whole ride. It wasn't me, it wasn't the gym time this winter, it was the damn wind. NOAA posted gust at 47 mph at 1pm!!! I was so bumped but so thankful I turned around when I did. The headwind back was brutal. Thats when I realized that nobody else was riding, couple of dust devils popping up, and absolute NO SIDE WIND. I powered home, bitched a majority of the way back, but I think its just what I needed. 

Art at the Auction Saturday Night at KAFM

There has been NO sleeping the past few days. A few naps BUT no sound sleep. Poor old man Grandpa Smokey sported a new growth around the holidays. That growth started to worry me in January while brushing him but he didn't care too much about it. By February, that growth had its own zip code. Doc at Footprints scheduled a day and the roller coaster started.
I was up by 4:44am for a 6am radio show, I took Shadow Boy because Grandpa couldn't eat before going under, and I made it to the Vet by 9:30am to witness the procedure. Doc is good about that and the surgery was fascinating for sure. The growth was bigger than Docs hand but it was mainly just fluid rather than mass. But the problem was found in Grandpas mouth. Doc found it when he was inserting the airway tube and I couldn't believe my eyes. Doc used the cauterizer and I blew all the blue smoke away while Doc worked his magic. Doc explained how surgeries would remove teeth, jar bone, and chemo when this is present. We agreed to pass because of his age and already being under anesthesia for as long as he has been already.

Head's Up, this is cute but the next photo is GRAPHIC!!!

Poor Old Grandpa Smokey was a train wreck. I knew he was sore but I never anticipated the restlessness he experienced. He is used to two walks a day and eating twice a day. He is a dog of routine and I stick with what works. Poor guy was up all night wearing that cone of shame and absolutely NO coordination. And he kept losing himself in the bathroom???? Normally never goes in there. He can't get turned around. Crazy weird. So Shadow Boy and I were awake ALL WEEKEND with these new turn of events. I am proud of my self for finding patience but even more proud of Shadow Boy finding his nurturing abilities. Shadow Boy really seemed concerned by Grandpa Smokey's behavior and probably smelled the pain, wound, or whatever dogs understand that we humans are oblivious too. 

So I really became torn here because Smokey has only been around for about 2 years now and might only be around for another 2. Maybe?!?!?! Smokey was a failed foster care program. He was basically left for dead and Roice Hurst Humane Society picked him up. His right back leg was weak and he only weighed in at 44 pounds. A black lap at 44 pounds???? He didn't sleep, severally confused, and completely miserable. I started performing Ortho, changed his diet to homemade like Shadow Boy, & talked to Grandpa to reinsure him ( 77 pounds now ) that all is well. I also explained how difficult this situation for me was because I DID NOT KNOW HIS NAME. I also fooled myself by telling him that I was NOT going to build a deep bond with him because I am only rehabilitating him for a proper adoption. Hints, the failed foster program. 

And now, I am faced with this.............

Grandpa was so happy to be home that he took a nap

     The white catheter comes out today, I have a radio show at 1pm, and the gym is calling my name. One foot in front of the other

Found A Routine

My psychiatrist told me I was crazy and I said I want a second opinion. He said okay, you're ugly too.

Rodney Dangerfield

Training: Fantastic week in the gym and feeling much stronger. Its been a full month since I busted up my right thumb. I am finally able to grip the dumbbells these days. The past two weeks have played out like Monday chest/legs after the noon spin class, Tuesday back/bi, Wed shoulders/tri after spin class, Thursday chest/legs, Friday shoulders only, & Saturdays are arms only.

That routine is really working well for me and switching the shoulders/back days have helped a lot. I was experiencing fatigue in my shoulders after a med/heavy chest day. Duh!! The real mind boggler here is that I am down to 171.3lbs.

Stretching out the core and legs have begun to finally show some results. Started playing around with the exercise ball with my core work. Let me be the first to say that I had very little balance. I have coordination but my stabilizing muscles were weak as all get out. Took me forever to perform solid mutant ( thats an auto-corrected mountain ) climbers with one foot on the ball. Now, I can do 5 reps per leg for three sets without falling off to one side or the other. Thats with a really controlled form anyway.

Plus..... The Boy Dog and are on two walks a day still.... Weekends have been mud hikes north of the airport at about 10 min mile pace for well over an hour long.... And He Hasn't Missed A Meal.... Scored a 10 dollar wheel truing for both wheels from the commuter bike.... The bike shop guy said its only 5 bucks a wheel because I brought them in off the bike and wiped them "cleanish" before coming in.... Thats Cool

Clients: I have been rocking it in the office!!! Picked up 3, thats THREE, new clients from the demo two weeks ago!! Been having some improvements with the broken pubic bone client. I introduced a few isomeric releases with him and we both felt better about our sessions. 

Worked with a women who was in full on grieving mode. I had no idea what had happened and was working with her long erector muscles. Next thing I knew, she was crying like crazy and began filling me in. I agreed with her that the good ones do die young. Just like the song. Once again, body metaphors show up all the time. In this case it was the past, back door to the heart, and holding in limbo.

A mother and her little boy came in from a referral from the diabetic client. I gave mom some very basic releases in order to calm the little boys nervous system. I could see that he was a little concerned about me and what I am all about. Very normal reaction by kids and thats why I ask the parents if I can work with them first. This little boy is really a mess and I could clearly see that his skull was not on his axis or C1 and all of is cervicals had no relationship with his shoulders. Not wanting to over work him, I did more of assessment skills for mom to see, very gentle neck releases by simply sliding the cervical vertebrae towards ease, & re-booted his vegas nerve. 

Goals: Goals are pretty easy for March. I want to be more like GZ and less like Pittbrownie. Wait a second, maybe I should plan on reversing that notion!!! And if all works out right in March, I will be in San Diego,CA for St. Patties Day. That week will almost put me in the Pittbrownie category. And I Mean ALMOST. I might be able to keep up with him that week in the beverage department but I sure as hell won't be early out of bed for track workouts. I can picture myself after a bender holding a bloody mary on KickBack in the middle of the bay, bitchin' about that hangover. 

The real goal for March will be some power lifting with a spotter. I hope to do some max reps on that Thursday chest day and a couple of max reps on that Friday shoulders work out. I plan on sticking with a normal exercise plan Mon-Wed after spin classes to continue to burn the fat. 

I have the Dreamcatcher marathon on Saturday the 5th and hope to make a trip up the Grand Mesa on that Sunday. That could be a huge and rewarding weekend if all goes well.

A far chance goal, because with our unseasonably warmer temps here in the valley, I am excited to pull out the 575 and ride some single track before SD. We may have some rain on Monday but I really don't see it coming down for every long or very heavy at all. Plus, I am itching to ride Horsethief and Mary's Loop.

Trying is the first step towards failure.

Homer Simpson

YES

I had the privilege of presenting a demonstration of Ortho-Bionomy yesterday and I completely fell in love again with this modality of body work. I was so stoke by the turn out and these attendees asked challenging questions. I was amazed by the fact that I had answers AND could give real life case histories I have come across in my practice.

Thats tooting my own horn, right???

I opened up with thank you's and went on to explain my theory of having a secretary living in our heads. This secretary has a huge filing cabinet containing all of our past issues and how we have failed on a number of levels. Example that I gave was how I didn't think anyone would show up and how that secretary could open a few files of How This Will Not Work And Why Nobody Will Show Up BECAUSE...... All of those wonderful justification that we pull on ourselves all the time.

I referred to her a few times throughout the demos and asked folks if their secretary showed up after my did or said something. That created a lot of smiles from the crowd at different times.

I gave a brief description of Ortho-Bionomy and my history and journey.

The first demo was with an older ( I would guess late 60's )woman on her knee. I explained how I treat a knee cap like a door knob and I can reposition the knee side to side, rotation, tilt, and superior/inferior movements. While performing this demo, I also rambled on about soft tissue and what nots. I kept the demo very short and light and may have even added in some humor.

As this gal stands up, huge smile on her face, walks back to her seat. A gentleman raises his hand and asked me," How did you know to work on that knee?" I responded with how it was a demo and didn't pick a particular knee, why??? Come to find out, that right knee has been " killing " her. She even followed up with the statement about that knee was not bothering her while walking back to her seat. Looking back, I wish I would have wiped my hands clean, raised my arms, and while pretending to walk out say " Thats It Folks" or " My Work Is Done Here"

But instead I explained how I often tell my client about how I really don't need to hear their story of how they and I how I stay more with the facts at hand. I also went on to explain how that the pain really doesn't began at THAT spot in most cases. The example I gave is how Carpal Tunnel most likely starts more near the shoulder/neck. And how if I just start working with that wrist or issue then the client will just focus on that area and stay guarded. If I begin with their neck or feet then that allows time for that client to fall into a parasympathetic state and we can work from there on that wrist.

I asked if anyone had an ankle or foot that would like to feel or be a demo person and almost everyone raised their hand. Funny how that works!! I asked for a knee and one person raised their hand. Now, the whole room wants more. Thank You Ortho!!

I did an assessment on both of the ankles by simply wobbling them from the upper quad/leg. I pointed out how both feet worked like a windshield wiper and how the big toes were in perfect alinement with their femur bone. I then practiced the ankle release on one leg that took about a whole 2-4 minutes, maybe. Its a very simple release and I use it on damn near every client during a session and it feels wonderful. After the lease, I re-performed that same assessment. The foot that I didn't work on hadn't changed at all and still looked stiff and the crowd could see this. I then, with two fingers, lightly rocked her leg and that ankle reacted like a bull whip. Their ankle was super loose and wobbled even further side to side than the non worked on ankle. So I had to lightly rock both ankles again and everyone started firing all their questions.

" does ortho work on...." That was awesome to witness the room light up. I immediately told the room that I CAN NOT CURE/HEAL M.S. or DIABETES or other pathologies. No way do I want them to feel as if I am selling a magic pill or misleading anyone in anyway. From there I went on to explain some of my cases and results that I have had working with...... Questions came up about how long a session last ....... how do I work with.....

I also explained that it took me a long time to wrap my mind around the relationship of organs and muscle pain. How our nervous system relays information. How golfers are some of my favorite clientele because they load up one side of their bodies and repeatedly unbalance muscle memory. I explained that I never give a diagnosis of any kind and gave the answer to another gentlemen's question about what if nothing is wrong. I answered that by stating how in my massage practice I could simply poke around and find a sore spot. But with Ortho, I have learned to honor what arises. I might lose myself in judgment about how I think I should work on that shoulder for that Carpal Tunnel case but its better for me to honor what arises. If I am judging, than I am not soft focusing on the body as a whole.

With all of the neck question that were being asked I painted this picture. Imagine if you will, the pelvis, spine, & head can be compared to a shovel. The spade relates to the sacrum, the spine is the handle, and think about what happens to your head when the shovel has too much of a load on it and slips out of your hands. Crack That Whip as a Devo reference. So I then asked about scenarios of falling while skiing, car accidents, and how does ones head move during those actions. You could see the crowd's wheels turning in their sponge like minds. That is so awesome to witness. Its incredible watching the room come to live as the thrust of knowledge begins to flow.

Before I knew it, the manager at the gym told me I have about 4 minutes left as the evening yoga class members are beginning to show up. Thats when the questions totally started flying in. I answered a few and followed it up with I need to pack up my table and move out all these chairs so please feel free to stick around in the gym and we can have more dialog regarding Ortho. We ended up talking and exploring Ortho-Bionomy for about another 20 minutes or so.

Absolutely one of my better seminars and I left the gym totally rebooted!! My mind was firing, my energy was in full motion, & I wanted to share more. Unloaded the car at the house and the Boy Dog & I were off on our walk.

Hope You Dig My Weather Time Lapse.... https://youtu.be/31IsgIt9ddY..... Cheers

Procrastination

                                                                                 
                                                                                        

k

Working on my arrangements for my seminar tomorrow and looking everywhere but in front of my face. Its a crazy sunny day here and we are breaking into the 50'sF and its way too inviting!! Went out back for a wiz w/the Boy Dog and thats it. Posting photos of him, made my list, & off we go to do even more thinking about it. 

Cheers

Busted Thumb

Sunset From My Office

I finally had my first glimpse of what all this working out has done for me. On Super Bowl Sunday, about 40 of us or so, went to a spin vision class. We have a local pro mountain biker that has done a bunch of filming on our local trails and then he edited them with a kick A$$ heads up display in the upper corner that gives you WHATS NEXT. This feature so helps me because I can emotional prepare for a climb or burst. The instructors are just fine but its hard to really push when they just scream out 90% sprint now. As were the heads up allows me to add the gears early and then blast away on time.

 So I just happened to look over my shoulder at one point and caught the legs of this guy in a yellow shirt. I looked again because his gastroc heads and soleus were really defined. WAIT A SECOND. That guy in the yellow shirt IS me??? I couldn't believe it. Of course I had to check myself out in that mirror because I couldn't believe the added mass in my arms, my legs, and my lats of all things.
I began flirting with weights after my Lead King 25 race but didn't start tracking my workouts until January 2015. The rest of the time in class I was super motivated and added even more gears or heavy sprints and watched that Watt Meter hit 477 while seated and held it for the full 60 seconds. i.e. No Half A$$ing It. So Thats The Good News

The Even Better News: My local gym in Downtown GJ,CO is promoting me and my Ortho-Bionomy journey by hosting a similar and they are doing ALL the advertising for me. Huge savings and a whole new clientele pool to expose Ortho to. Believe me, I Am So Grateful For This Opportunity!!!

And The Bummer News: 9 days ago, while shoveling snow, somehow my thumb got in the way. I was using a metal shovel and hit a crack in the sidewalk. The shovel stopped cold and the momentum of my body put ALL of that load on my right thumb and bent that son of a witch with a capital B backwards towards my wrist.
The photos of my thumb are from 8 days afterwards!! Still favoring that sucker and just last night was the first time I put my phone back in my right pocket. Meaning, I couldn't pinch my thumb and 1st finger to pull out my phone. Or zip up my pants. Or brush my teeth. The things we just take or granted when all 10 digits perform their normal functions in day to day life.

Last but not least......... A Huge Congrats To The Donkies True Fans.... All week leading up to the Super Bowl I would over hear these guys at the gym or store or clients state the fact that Carolina doesn't have a chance AND I AM SO THANKFUL I KEPT MY DAMN MOUTH SHUT!!! I totally expected a Sh'thouse of a Super Bowl and Cam would be responsible for at least 30 points by himself. Boy Was I Blown Away!! And its amazing how its 50-50 from the responses that ether you HATED the game and halftime or IT WAS THE BEST GAME EVER. Really, so many folks just flat out hated that game and thought the halftime show was horrible.
Me.... I enjoyed the whole game. Every time the Panthers offense came back on the field I would say things like the Denver D is tired now and watch out. Not So!! I cracked up during a majority of the commercials!! I cranked the Bose during Halftime. I enjoy watching massive men around 250lbs at full speed blast each other and grind the whole way towards the QB. Crazy Fast, Extremely Powerful, & Incredibly Explosive Boys!! I enjoyed all the shots of different celebrities, Hall of Famers,  & the shots from around SF. I eat that stuff up.

Any Mac Fans Out There?????????? I can't stand this, like, when I open iTunes ( not internet ) the beach ball spins. If a song is playing and I click the next song.... That damn beach ball spins for at least 3 seconds before that next song plays. Drives me bat Sh't Crazy. Anyone????? Any Advice Is Appreciated Here.