Adding Up More Miles

Check Out The Figure Model On The Bed

A few shots from the Fridays First Art Hop along Main St….. Just A Few Shots

So Dig This Photo!!

Fall Colors 

I Painted My Flagstone Out Front From This Style Near Thompson Springs, UT.

Maybe My Favorite Gallery From The Night

By Far, Top Shot!!!

This Was Crazy. Paintings On Massive Steel Sheets.

The Paint Popped A 3D Imagine & The Steel Was Untouched. Its Refections That Add The Color. 

Wanna Talk Layers?? Unreal Little Details In This Painting.

Classic Puking Print

Love It

This Lady Had A Multi Layered Collage That We Picked Off Sections To Create A New Look. DIFFERENT

These were way cool

Awesome!!

Up On Our Grand Mesa

Just Outside Of Telluride Colorado 

The first week of Rock-Toe-Berr flew on by. Am I Right??? Still, had a pretty good week at the gym. I am still on the slow-mow pace of lifting light weights. Most of my reps are 15+ times and standard 3 sets w/each exercise. Its funny how many looks I receive & how many folks come & go during my little workout. Swam a few times this past week which felt great. Working on posture, breathing from both sides no matter how many strokes between breaths, & even swam a few laps w/my eyes closed. Even started doing some egg beater work for the lungs & adductors.

I also spent a lot of my free time down at KAFM during their Fall Fund Drive. The Fund Drive has always been special for me as I see so many old salty sea dogs from way back in the day. The programs were fun & full of energy but not so much these past few drives. I have blogged about the lack of leadership before Teddi ( Executive Director ) & Phuc Face Joe ( Program Director ) split the scene. FINALLY!! We have a new ED now so we shall see what presents itself. I hope for the best but back to the topic of Fund Drive. I answered phones during shows, helped clean up & take out the recycling, & talked w/some old friends while doing my thing. Local restaurants donated fabulous dishes, artist dropped of goodies for premiums, & just a simple time for socializing w/others.

As for racing, I supported a couple of clients this past weekend. A local chapter of STRIVE hosted a 3K walk down at the Botanical Gardens. Awesome event because it was so casual in deed. Dog friendly & perfect Colorado weather along a Fall colored River Front Trail System. The rest of my Saturday was at the office practicing Ortho on a new client & 3 previous clients. One client I am prepping for a hip replacement. And Saturday on Main St was crazy busy as the high school marching band competition was held here in GJ. Schools from the front ranger were here, smaller schools from the western slope, & our local 3 high school bands marched on. October Fest was on 3rd & 4th of Main St w/a very well attended beer gardens & the ever so popular weenier dog races. Thats always a blast to watch. Saturday night was the last night for the play Avenue Q at CMU. The Blue Z scored us awesome seats!! Front Center & about 4 rows back!! Now, this wasn't any Broadway performance but it was funny as can be for GJ. Plus, what a way to wrap up the week & the weekend.

One of my goals this week was to find a new race & buy in. The one that is on my radar is the Silverton Marathon Aug 23rd 2015. I haven't had the best interaction w/the company HITs out of NY so I don't believe I am shooting for the Half Ironman in MAY here in GJ. Maybe I will volunteer this year, plus it wouldn't be a new event. Major mixed emotions here. This might also free me up to run the Cimarron 50K Endurance Race May 3rd 2015?!?!? I haven't pulled the trigger yet but I still have a few months before the rate jumps. Any Ideas From You All???

Also, sending out some positive vibes to my blogging friend One Crazy Penguin as she is tackling a 70.3 this weekend in Alton,IL were she will swim in the mighty Mississippi River!! What an awesome transformation she has gone through!!! Big Hugs Penguin!!

Last but not least, I am looking for a new book to read. Something that I might find in the library. Any topic for sure, just finished the Monkey Wrench Gang, read the Dog's Purpose & the sequel Dog's Journey, & re-read Scott Jerek's Eat & Run as well. I am open for suggestions & ideas PLEASE!!!

Last Day Of September 2014

Here is a little 4 min video from Lake Powell…. A Must See Folks!!!


My last weekend of the month was so awesome!!! I took a trip w/my brother, Dr Jim, his daughter, & her friend to Lake Powell. It was my first trip to Lake Powell & what place it is. We headed out on Friday for our 4 hour drive & arrived at Bullfrog Marina for the night. We camped in a campsite, under a blanket of stars, the Milky Way was so pronounced, satellites flew over every so often, my eyes rolled into the back of my head, then, the rain came. And it came. And it rained. And it rained a little more. Oh, it rained again.

Saturday's sunrise was unreal perfect. The clouds were so rose colored pink that I felt that the desert was going to have life again after a nice healthy drink from Mother Nature. The tribe was up & moving about & down to the marina we headed for. Dr Jim has a sweet pontoon boat, we rigged it up, moved what we needed out of the truck, backed down to the docks, all went as planed. We were on the water & heading up stream to find an adventure.

I find Lake Powell to be gorgeous as can be. The higher up Navajo Rock marries with the Sandstone to produce wicked formations. With the water levels drops rapidly, caves appear, sandy beaches show up, boating along became rather relaxing.

We drove the boat up to mile 104 & explored a sweet little canyon but no campsites because houseboats were already beached. By this time, I was driving, watching the depth finder, the water below was ever so changing as we motored up. We would come around a corner to 18ft of water & then before you know it we would be back in 223ft of water, just like that. And the water was so clear!! I don't know why but I had it in my head that it would be muddy brown like our Colorado River.

We then headed back up stream to mile marker 106 & started into the Forgotten Canyon. We took the far left channel to the very end. Its was monstrous with the massive cliff walls above. Our little boat looked so small butted up next to these walls of time. We then went back down to the little Y in the same canyon & up into the site were we would camp for the night. 

And wait out some rain, and some rain, and some more rain, just before we started setting up the kitchen, real storm packing some rain started falling, a little hail came down, followed by some rain, we ate on the boat, I mean we snacked on the boat.

The night was filled with our laser light pointers & our 11,000 candle watt lights. Then Dr Jim busted out the highlight of the night. He had 3 of the Japanese Lanterns. They are so cool. They are the made from thin light weight paper with a wax dipped cardboard at the base to be lit which causes lift. The first one was red & went straight up & out. It was so damn cool!!! The second lantern was blue & slowly climbed up the side of the canyon wall. Just as the lantern hit the open space above the rim, the wind picked up, the lantern danced from side to side, heat escaped, the blue lantern started falling back down in a rocking motion. The damn thing came right back down to us as if it were on a string. Dr Jim claims that he has never had one come back.

So in-between naps & rain & Thunder & rain, Mr Sun came up again. I stood on the beach under a cloud free sky. What a morning it was!! So peaceful & Clean!!! The water temp of the lake was way warm & still so clear. If I just had a cup of joe.

Dr Jim had everything you need to make up picture perfect egg & cheese muffins. After what seemed to be a normal morning, washing dishes, packing up, letting air out, the boat would NOT start. Say What?? Batteries were strong, gas tanks were happy, but NOTHING!! Not even a click from a bad starter. Just dead in the water. Very long story cut short, a coal miner from Hotchkiss had a can of P.F.M. ( Pure Fucking Magic ) & the boat came back to life!!! Saved!!! And Very Thankful!! We tried to give the guy money but he was happy that we were happy. What A Relief!!! 

With a roaring motor, we headed back up stream, mile marker 108, that was the next canyon to check out. The rest of the day was seeing new sights, snacking on trail mix, & heading back towards the marina to take out. And that was no small task. But it was successful anyway. And the rain came, again.

And it rained for the next 4 hours, the whole ride home, but oh how beautiful them desert storms can be.

This was my 1st trip BUT not my last by any means!! I can understand the Edward Abby sides of it but what a place to see. A bucket list for sure!! So many slot canyons, ruins that are still in tack, indian art work on the walls, clear warm water, & hiking until you wanna puke. 

Sept was a Gr8 month!! My training for the Lead King was rewarding!! The race itself was beyond fantastic!! Last week, I found myself back in the gym, swimming, lifting with my hip flexors, adding more miles to the commuter bike, & one hell of a grouting marathons. September was awesome & so are you!! 

Hello October, Halloween is my favorite holiday!!! October is going to rock!!

GOALS:

#1) Find a race for 2015, read about it, check reg $$, & pull the trigger.

#2) Pick Up Another Two Clients During The Month.

#3) Compete AND Complete the October Burpees Challenge ( squats, push ups, mt climbers, jumping squats, & BURPEES )

#4) If the weather holds, dust off the Yeti & ride

#5) Be Present 

New Client

Modified by knees on the floor

I had a very interesting weekend at the office this past weekend. Was it the shift into Fall from Summer?? Maybe Yes, Maybe No?!?! I received a phone call last week from a client that wanted to book an appointment as SOON as possible. This client said they had "everything" wrong w/them & heard that I could help. Something was different about this new client & I already had 4 clients on the books & that is just about all I prefer in one day, but I had that "feeling" that this should be a situation that I better accommodate this one extra client.

And I am so glad I did!! After a full day in the office, this client walks in, sits down, & begins to pour their heart out to me. I could only just sit & do what I seem to do best, LISTEN. This client found out that I had just competed in the Lead King & has wanted to change their lifestyle for years. I reassured them that by simply picking up the phone, a new pattern has already started. After talking about goals, ideas of realistic goals, I asked about nutrition. This client is in their 30's & is in a predicament similar to that of many Americans struggling with weight gain, the feeling of associated with poor eating habits & a sedentary lifestyle, & the growing concerns of being unhealthy & getting old, a potentially fatal pairing. As you can imagine, the main "food" is coming from fast food & gas stations while filling up with gas. Standard American Diet = S.A.D. This clients diet is high in sugars, saturated fats, sodium, loads of calories, & flushed down with 32oz soda pop.

Here is a snap shot of this clients route: NO BREAKFAST or "something" if stopping off & grabbing some gas, lunch can be chips or a microwave dish flushed down with another coke, & dinner is a meat packed dish & TV sloth until well after midnight. Already knowing the answer from this lifestyle of sugar & absolutely NO physical activity, I asked," How do you feel in the morning & what do you see in the mirror while you brush your teeth?" I wasn't prepared for their response. " I feel like SH*T & I haven't brushed my teeth in the morning in years because I can't stand looking at the bags under my eyes." It was all I could do to keep from crying with this client. I mean, could you imagine what this person has been feeling & what that has done to the body?!?!?

After allowing for time for the client to say & just be, I reassured them that I will do everything in my power to help SLOWLY change this downward spiral into a positive & bright situation. I explained that I am willing to write up simple new dishes ( lentils, quinoa, beans, etc ) and very easy instructions to follow. We talked about Dirty Brown's Cycles, a place were used bikes are sold, how beneficial walking right after dinner can be. Isn't not swimming so you don't have to wait & watch TV for 30min.

Last night, I received the call, " I just bought a 60 dollar bike!!" The enthusiasm in their voice was beyond measure!!! After we talked for a few seconds & made this suggestion & I hope they follow through, take the time & keep the answer to yourself if you so choose, step on a scale & write down what you see. With reassurance I explained that with simply substituting water for soda & easy bike rides, that number will change rapidly & you will want to share that new number with not only me but with everyone. And that they are becoming a success story & others will follow. "Remember, thats how you found me."

So yesterday, after I did a sweet lifting workout, I stopped off at their work with two simple recipes. One is a quinoa dish & the other is a simple pasta dish. I showed them & a co-worker that these dishes will be more than enough for dinner with the idea that you will save the leftovers in a container for work the next day & THAT THEY DO NOT NEED TO BE MICROWAVED!! By saving time they will have 10 minutes to walk during their lunch break as a positive option as well. I wish I had a camera because both of them had a look like…. REALLY…. Walk During Lunch…. WHY?? Or it was a look of…. YES… Walking At Lunch….. Not sure which is which but their faces were a classic & I look forward to hearing the updates. And on a side note here, they both were at the window watching me ride away on my bike, I smiled & waved, they acted like little children, too funny but it was one of those visions I had before falling off to the dream world last night.

The Weekend….. WHERE???

Here is a quick video from my world….. Click HD….. The soundtrack is from the String Cheese Incident….. And I didn't have to run this through Youtube…… More from me after I catch my BREATH

Video & Photos & More

Click HD 720, Full Screen, & Turn It Up

FINALLY!!!!! So I ended up signing on a Youtube link, uploading the video, & embedding it here. WoW, now that thats over, been having 3 really damn good days. 

These are some of the early Fall Colors outside of Marble Colorado heading up McClure Pass. Our Western Slope of Colorado received loads of rain from Mother Nature this summer so the Aspen trees are lush & healthy. The groves of Aspens look as if it were May or June but the orange & yellow reminds us that snow isn't that far off.  

 And I so welcome the white stuff!!! Fall & Winter have been my favorites for many years. I love how the scrub oak turns red along the hill side, the tall 100 year old pines are deep with green needles, the aspens bring in those awesome pockets of emerald green, & now those same hillsides are dotted with rich yellows & bright orange highlights of depth.

 And to think that the wild grasses are still green in Sept really blows my mind!!! I can only hope that the population of mice & rabbits will be plenty & Bald Eagles will return to these feeding grounds. I also hope that bears will find wild berries in the spring & mountain lions will be so full that my little spindly legs won't look so appetizing.

Good Moon On The Rise 

Grandpa's New Wig For Halloween

Shadow Boy At His Best

Old Bleu Girls New Look

Walked Into Camp

I made my way back to the gym, grabbed 5lb. weights & slowly worked out. Like slow mo speed!! Nice & easy shoulders, did pull downs w/light weight & very controlled, & did the bench press w/just the bar only. Worked the full range of motion w/each exercise I did. Only worked upper body & relaxed while still in control. Felt Gr8 to be back…… Next Up…. Hip Flexors…. Gluts…. Quads… Hammies

These are two happy Dogs!!!! 

 I made my way up to the foothills yesterday to see Mr Jim & Amber but Mr Jim was still in T-Ride working. Amber asked me if I was up for riding the cocktail cruiser to the Trading Post for some milk & goodies from the season. After pumping up the tires, grabbing more water, a battery pack, we were pedaling along telling stories from our past weekend adventures. This was a relaxing ride & P-Town has so much visually to offer. We crossed over the train tracks, down dirts roads, waved to other cyclist, parked in the shade while we shopped & more socializing of coarse. Amber knows everyone!!

 The Trading Post has some cool items inside!! Bulk benz, fresh produce inside & out, fresh organic power bars made by hand, tons of pour it yourself honey drums, dried fruits & shrooms, all kinds of body care products, & we were on the look out for frozen tilapia for fish tacos & root vegetables to boot. Her & I rode back through town & back up to her place were we talked, prep-food, & share a few Ranger I.P.A.'s while Amber shucked corn out back. Mr Jim arrived just after 7pm, the BBQ finished our corn & yams, which Amber worked into a fantastically tasting deep dish of goodness.
More stories were told, few more 12oz down the hatch, & bedtime was welcomed. Amber peaked her head into my room just before 7am, Mr Jim & I had coffee in hand, & back on the rode we drove. We made it to Montrose Colorado with time to spare before Mr Jim flys back to SF,CA. Wish he didn't have to go but it is what it is.