As I write this I am on hold with XM radio. This is the third time in 60 days that I have had the same conversation with them. The problem is with my online access, when you have a radio connected in your vehicle you are able to access the radio via your computer. In the past this was always a free service but at the beginning of the year they decided to charge more for the online radio. The charge was a nominal $2.50 per year for existing customers so I signed up because the local radio here is an absolute joke. I'm pretty sure this is where DJ's go to die or is just a quick stop before being flushed out the bottom of the industry.
Back to the problem at hand, my online service has been off for a month. I pay them more money and they turn off my radio and as of yet they are unable to get me back to the regularly scheduled program. I am ready to crawl through the phone and eat thier face, Hannibal Lecter style.

There is really no reason for this post other than to rant.

The end.

Gooseberry Mesa

The weather finally cooperated with my schedule and I took the SS out to Gooseberry Mesa for a ride. I was supposed to meet a few of the peeps at 6am to drive out, using my normal M.O. I didn't tell anyone that I was coming. I like to keep my schedule unfettered in case I want to do something else. So when I showed up a few minutes late they were already gone. I must have passed them along the way because when I got to the trail head I was all alone. The thermometer in my truck read 25 degrees so I took my time getting ready hoping for the homies to show and the sun to come up.

This is a view toward Zion National Park from the trail head parking lot.


My friends never showed and I was getting cold so I left them figuring that I could meet up with them somewhere on the trail.
I have been riding out at Goose since 1997, I keep a riding log of all my rides and in back in 2001 I rode this trail 38 times so there are no real surprises. It's like putting on a old comfy shirt, it just feels good.



I rode out on the south rim all the way to the point, this being the first time on my singlespeed I was having a ball tackling each obstacle in a slightly different way than normal. At the point I turned around and retraced my route back to Hidden Canyon all the while expecting to run into the group. I took HC across the mesa to the North Rim or White Trail. When that trail joins back to the road I had been riding for almost 2 hours and I ran across a few guys from our group. They had a story to tell about a couple of guys that waited until they got to the trail head to work on their bikes. They had been riding about 20 minutes, I sure like those guys but every time I ride with them it is a similar situation, lots of waiting and not a lot of riding.

Here is the Gooseberry map so you can see my route.



Very few people know that there is a slickrock arch on the mesa. It is small but cool non-the-less.



A shot of Pine Valley mountain across the slickrock domes. PV mountain is the largest lacolith in the U.S. Look it up.




Me trying to be artsy. That's the south rim looking at St. George in the far distance.



This shot is my new desktop picture.


I had a great time, I love Gooseberry and the Coconino just made it that much better.

Memo to self; find some new guys to ride with.

Ripped

Sunday morning as I was rounding up the kids to head home from church I bent down to pick up one of the twins and blew a 12 inch hole in the seat of my pants. Just ripped the seam right out. From crotch to the belt line it exploded like a hot dog that has been left on the grill to long. I was able to make it to the car without too much trouble, Sarah was of course in hysterics. I wore those pants the rest of the day just to spite my two older children who were more embarrassed than I was. Nothing like messing with your kids.

Here is a little something from another celeb who ripped his pants. It happens to the best of us.






BTW tomorrow I start a new diet.

Coconino

After nine months and an interesting experiment in delayed gratification (a totally foreign concept to me,) my new bike made it to the StG on Thursday afternoon. I built it up and was able to enjoy the 60+ degree weather for about an hour before dark.
Here she is in all her glory.



It came out perfectly. I could not be happier with the final product. Fit and finish are superb, and the geometry is spot on.
I even like the color, I was a little nervous how it would come having picked the color off of web page. It's called Black Olive with a pearlescent clearcoat so when you get it out in the sun it has blue, green and even purple specs. Awesome.




This bike is a single speed so no shifting or looking for an easier gear when it gets steep. You can get off and walk or you can stand up and hammer. I read a quote somewhere that "gears make cowards of us all." If you have an easier gear the temptation is there to use it and if your a wuss, you do. I have removed all temptation and opted to just man up.





This last photo caught the last sun looking back towards St. George. I will say that while I do enjoy riding with other people sometimes riding alone is even better.




The best part about riding a single speed besides the simplicity, the silence and the hard work is knowing that in no matter how a ride goes, if you get beat up a hill or if you are the first one to the top you can always say the same thing. "I'm on a single speed." That is straight scoreboard and there is nothing they can say.

Zombies

I don't like scary movies. My wife and I were remembering just last night that the last really scary movie we saw was "The Ring." That was back in '02 and I still regret seeing it.

I do however enjoy "killing" the undead, if that's the word for it, whenever possible through various video games. The very best game for all ages would be the De-Animator by Bum Lee. You all need to head over there and De-Animate some zombies right now. Don't worry, it's not bloody or anything, all the flesh eaters are shown in silhouette and it's very uncomplicated. Fun the whole family can enjoy. Here's a couple of tips, there are three types of zombies, shooting them in different locations will expose their weaknesses. Use the shift key to switch to the shotgun but remember the shotgun reloads really slow. All the zombies die with just one shot when they are emerging from the underworld.

My high score is 138, top that and brag about it right here. Good luck and good hunting.

Edit: 182 at 7:48 this morning. That is the new record.


PS I am not responsible for all the things you will neglect because of this game i.e. work, laundry, children, eating, church stuff, philanthropic pursuits or your social calender.

Bike snobbery.

I know that you have all been waiting for this so here are some progress pictures of the new Coconino. I ripped these from Steve Garro's blog Great blog if you are ever interested.

This is what Steve had to say on his blog.

Mark W., this is your bike! a single speed curved top tube 29er with slider dropouts. nice! i get to use one of the sweeet prestige seat tubes i still have stashed from 94' because it fits jussstt right. a fine mix - true temper, prestige, dedacciai, 4130 and paragon. this baby will be going to southwestern Utah.



So he takes that box of parts and starts working his voodoo magic.






This is the final project ready to go to paint. Steve's shop is in Flagstaff and they got a little snow.



Curvaceous deliciousness.



You don't find work like this every day. Steve uses a brazing technique instead of your normal welds and then files, sands and buffs those babies to perfection.



Sarah didn't realize that this is what she was getting me for Christmas. She is so lucky that I am easy to shop for.
Hopefully the next post will be of the complete bike. Stay tuned.

Worst ever

For lack of any really important or interesting topics I give you this, if you make it all the way through you are stronger than I.

I posted it and I can't make it all the way through





I have seen better film on teeth.

OUT