...when it struck me

Losing an athletic battle to a senior citizen is a devastating blow to the pride.

In the last ten years I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t in great shape. Not the kind of shape that I’d go race a marathon or win a competition. But good enough shape to challenge all but the most skilled adventurers at the drop of a hat.

However after being sedentary for most of this summer, I no longer fit. Last month I went out for an hour bike ride with Paul. I bonked a mile from home. Paul practically dragged me in.

I went out with Scott a few weeks ago. It was painful how I had to surge all my strength just to keep up with his light spin for 45 minutes. We’d go over a small hill and I’d begin a desperate out of the saddle sprint. He didn’t even break his casual talk while I gasped for air.

But those situations didn’t cause me to think too much. It wasn’t until this morning when I was hiking Camelback Peak that it hit me. The climb is short- 2 miles- but steep. I was ¾ of the way up when my pace started to slow. That’s when an old man trudged on past me.

I pushed through the burn to keep pace. But soon I rationalized my way into stopping. After the realization that an old man had outdone me I felt pretty low. However after much deliberation it has become a welcomed wakeup call.

Updating the Van

I've spent the last week working on the new van. It has been both awsome and helacious attempting to convert the damn thing into a camper.

However, after a couple different attempts, I've built shelving to stash everything I own into neat organized spaces. What's more is that I can access all of it with reasonable ease. The bed in the is the lid to all of it.

Doing a couple of projects with Shumway helped me make the thing actually hold my weight wile being as light weight as possible.

I salvaged a sink, faucet, and 1.5 g water storage from an old camper. I was excited to have running water in the unit. But after looking at the availability of space, I opted out to create more room for my work supplies.

I'll show yall some pics soon

Mexican police arrested at Gunshow

This last weekend there was another gunshow, being a fan of guns I intended to go.

Gun shows are like toy stores for red neck Americans and I couldn't wait to play. However, after hearing about the arrest of 3 Mexican police officers, I decided to keep it cool until next time.

The three arrested weren't just regular cops either. These guys are big wigs in the Mexican force, including the Baja California state police director. Apparently they bought handguns for personal use. Its dissapointing to know that they didn't even get to use the weapons.


ABC News Story
But, whats worse is the talk about cancelling future gun shows due to the hazards like this they can induce. Damn feds, always taking what doesn't belong to them.

Is Toyota for you

Toyotas are undoubtedly the greatest vehicles available. They are more reliable and less costly to maintain than any other car on the market. Sure if you want American muscle go with that lean Mustang that doesn't even have 300 hp in its stock model. But people love the idea of buying AMERICAN.

What do we know anyway. I mean, American cars aren't anymore American than pizza is Italian. The parts are created in china and then shipped to mexico for assembly.

Whereas both Toyota and Honda have american assembly plants that hire Americans to do the work.

The good news is- Today I became the owner of a Toyota work van. All my life I've sworn my allegiance against vans, no matter how many kids I had.


Van's terrified me as a kid, they're the official vehicle of child abductors, poligs, and soccer moms. I remember when my aunt finally broke down and bought one after swearing against them. I felt betrayed as she told me how she needed it to tote her 3 kids around.

However, after driving one of the company's 18 passenger van's as my work vehicle, my previous notions have been dumped upside down. I've become a huge fan of these truly multipurpose vehicles.


While they don't get great gas milage like my tiny Geo, the toyota van with its 4 banger engine does surprisingly well.

What's more is that the rear seats are removed and while shelving was installed in their place. This batch is ready for work and drives like a champ.

Rocky Votolato

Next week, one of my favorite musicians Mr Rocky Votolato is playing a show at Velour, a great little music venue. I was really bumbed to find this out after I had planned my time off from work.

However, I just found out he is taking some time to visit the Arizona desert after it cools off this fall. I can't tell you how elated I am. Below is one of my favorites "Without Eyes Still Seeing." While the video is mediocre at best, enjoy the music.


A more recent song with a better filming is "White Daisy Passing" This is a song that has a similar message to Jack Johnson's "Breakdown," but without the cheesy cliches. It clearly boasts Rocky's talent for not just great music, but excellent writing as well. Check it out.

Potato Gun

While on break I had a great time meeting with my buddy Tim. After breakfast he showed me his potato cannon. We launched projectiles all over the neighborhood. Like a kid, I couldn't stop myself, it wasn't until we ran out of fuel that we put the gun away.

Thats when Tim's brother, Mike showed me some firearms. I couldn't believe it. After he showed me a couple, he pulled out a few more, and then a few more. He just kept pulling em' out. And then he took me to his private stash.

Hidden away like fine wine, Mike showed me his most prized weapons. Of the various man killers, the coolest was his M-4, the same rifle the American troops are firing at Iraqis.


He then showed me the scope for his long-range rifle, it was straight out of the movie "Shooter." As a lover of photography, I can apreciate a nice lens. So I asked to take it outside to see just what kind of power his 1200 yard scope had.

Thats when things got shaky. AS I sat myself down- to steady the lens shake- a cop pulled up.

He asked us where the kids shooting the potato gun are and what we could tell him about them. He waited for our response while scoping the area for any evidence he could bust us with, his eyes scanned the back yard in particular.

This is where Mike shined as a kid. It was from him I learned how to con my way out of pickle. I waited, wondereding whether he still had it.

Sure enough, as reliable as his Glock 9mm, Mike went to work on the cop, by the end the officer gave him his business card and invited hime to go to the state shooting range with him. Damn this kid is good.

I wanted to linger in the victory after the cop left, but I feared he may return after realizing he'd been duped. So I bid my farewells and got the hell out a' there.

The Greatest TV Commercials

While many people can't stand watching commercial- and will surf between two shows to avoid them- I really enjoy seeing the various ways a product can be marketed.

One very effective comercial was for oxy-clean. I mean, when was the last time you were ever so excited about cleaning. I know when a can showed up at my house, I drained grape juice on the carpet and rubbed ketchup into my white shirt with complete confidence.

I poured some oxy-clean liquid on the stains and waited, just like the burly dude on the commercial does. But to my dismay, I ended up, not with cleaned carpet, but with a sore eardrum. Boy, I got a retching earfull from my mom after she saw the stains I intentionally created.


Another commercial that led to childhood problems were those Koolaid commercials. They animated a giant beverage pitcher into KoolAid Man. I always wished he would crash in to get the party started. The previous clip demonstrates the reality of Kool Aid Man.