Double nickels...

Serious as a heart attack. Makes me feel this way. ~ The Minutemen (D. Boon)

Must. Write. Update.

This past week is a bit of a blur. I actually can't believe it is March 21st. Holy crap it was just June, wasn't it?

Work has been keeping me relatively busy and I have been filling the free time with skiing, helping out with bunnies and whatnot. I was pretty whupped after last Friday's A-Basin adventure but skied at the Rock on Sunday and Monday then went back to the Basin with Luke on Wednesday for day 55 for the season. Fatigue had set in like a mo-fo and I didn't ski well. We were doing some Enduro training and I was having a really tough time with things. We did manage to log 21 or 22 laps in about 4 hours so that wasn't too bad but I now know that I need to go into the thing rested else the day will be even more horrible than it already will be. Was that English? Um... who cares. I am sure you get my drift. I took a torture bath when I got home (one would be surprised how amazingly cold the well water is at 9000 feet in the winter) and that actually made things a LOT better.

Luke shows us how it's done on Corona.

Thursday was spent learning Quickbooks. If I ever get hit on the head and start talking dump about how awesome it would be to become a CPA, pound me again with a shovel to knock me back to normal. Seriously.

I felt great today at the Rock and was skiing better, for the most part as well. Pete, Luke and I did a little ski test with 3 pair of Hippy Stinx-style skis to see which was preferred. Luke is headed to Crested Butte on Sunday for a K2 test session and wanted to be able to provide some opinions regarding the last 3 versions of their "big" skis. Good times.

Rach and I are heading to Gunnison on Sunday to visit the parental units so I am not sure whether I will ski tomorrow or not. I am leaning toward "not" since it is spring break and I could really use a little time off to recover. Maybe a light day would work but we'll see.

I watched a couple of movies lately that mostly don't merit mention but I'm going to mention them anyway, just for shits and grins:

• Bad Boy Bubby: I thought I had seen this before and was correct. At least I had seen some of it. The film starts out with a scene where the main character is poking a cat in a cage with a stick so I turned it off. My recollection is that it doesn't really get better but I didn't watch it so can't really say any more.
• The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: This is mostly worth watching for the acting. Casey Affleck did a good job as Robert Ford. Other than that, it was a bit slow and never really captured me. I am not a huge western fan, however so again, don't necessarily take my word for it.
• The 40-Year-Old Virgin: Really funny. I have seen this one before and it was still quite amusing. A couple of scenes are laugh-til-you-cry funny.
  

Hmmm. I thought there were more than that. Shows you how much I know. Nichole told me about a kickass 70s trainwreck of a movie that I'll let you know about soon called Night of the Lepus. Giant killer bunnies, DeForest Kelly ("Bones" from Trek), Janet Leigh and Rory Calhoun star. It's going to be terrible. I can't wait.

Leap before you look.

~stubert.

Training day(s)...

I'm hungry and tired and my clothes are smelly. ~ Homer Simpson

So where were we? Oh yeah.... this week.

This was a hectic week. Lots of work stuff, meetings, and yes, skiing. I also went to see Shirley and she either: 1) Took it easy on me for whatever reason, 2) I am much tougher than I look, 3) I wasn't in quite as bad of shape as I thought, 4) Some totally whacked combination of the above. I am going to go with #4 just because it allows me to hedge my bets. And you know how much I love hedges.

Monday was spent in meetings in the glorious metropolis of Denver. Glad I don't have to drive down there every day. In fact, I am pretty friggin' glad I don't have to drive anywhere every day. The one thing I miss least about having a "real" job is the commute. But you probably could have guessed that.

Tuesday was more of the same with more commuting to meetings. Not good times but necessary. I then went to get tenderized by Shirley (see above) and then headed home for who knows what. I have learned my lesson (the hard way) about trying to go for a run.ride/whatever after being Shirley-ized so just took it easy post massage.

Wednesday I was a bit off, way off, actually. From the start this was just a wacky day as my brain just couldn't keep up with anything that was going on. I was late to meet Luke at Eldora because I somehow managed to lose my keys in-between my house and my car. Then he left his boot liners at home so that was a bust anyway. (I found my keys in my boot, incidentally. No clue how they got there.)

Then we met with Ben and Dan, the lung brothers, for a Brainard ski. It was windy as hell and in addition to my brain taking a vacation, I was having some physical issues as well. I injured my shoulder lifting several years ago and it still creates problems for me on occasion. Wednesday, apparently, was one such occasion so my right knee (tweaked in January) decided to join in the fun and/or games. It really wasn't too terrible but I decided not to push it and headed back to the car before getting in any real skiing. We skinned up past Lake Mitchell then skied down some heinous wind-slab monstrosity (and I say "monstrosity" given the pitch was maybe a regular blue and all of 3 normal turns). It was actually a lot of fun to be out. The wind was howling but that made crossing the frozen lakes a blast. No pun intended. Luke, Ben and Dan skied the Flemish Giant in Rabbit Cages while I used the gale-force winds to my advantage on the skate back to the car.

Thursday I was off as well. and don't even remember what I did so it must have been a laugh-riot. Pretty sure I just worked.

Friday, Rach had to get up super early to go to the House Rabbit Society because 9News was coming in at 6:00 or some gawd-awful time to do a special on why getting a rabbit for Easter on a whim is a bad idea. Apparently the spot was supposed to air on the morning show but was preempted by the shocking news of snow in the mountains. (SHOCKING!!!) Have I mentioned recently how much I can't stand the MSM? So I'll let you know when it actually shows up on their site.

I headed up to the Basin to get in some Enduro training. The pass was closed so I had to go around the long way but it was worth it. They called in 6 inches but it was more like 10 and I started spinning laps an hour later than I had planned. Man, that was some good snow.

I rolled two laps on the Enduro course (down Standard) then headed to the car to swap skis. I have been trying to ski on my Hippy Stinx more lately to get used to them but Friday was definitely a day to bring out the big guns so the Hell Bents got the nod. Now we're talkin'. Good times were had by all.

I basically just rolled laps for most of the day, averaging just about 5 per hour not really trying that hard. I was just enjoying the pow and trying to find challenging lines to ski. I dropped into Dud's (there is a scary mandatory air into that line) and found a bunch more rocks to drop. Even fell off this hairy line in West Turbo Luke showed me a couple of weeks ago. Kinda funny, actually. I got on the thing and as I scootched down to get to my launch pad, all the snow just fell off the rocks. I started to rotate forward and then just said, "The hell with it, now or never," and went for it. Sprawled for the most part but it was funny.

After lap 15 or 16 I started to get a little tired so I just switched to alpine turns for the most part and really started to pick up the pace. After about 20 laps I ran into Pinsey who is the Basin master when it comes to mountain knowledge and had him show me a few lines with which I was a little less familiar. We spun about 8 more laps, hit the Christmas Trees last run down Pali and then went over to Exo for one last cruiser. 10-4:15, about 28 laps. Not too shabby, really. The Enduro is going to be really tough but I am fairly confident 50 laps is doable and 60 may be within our reach. I need to spin a full day up there really charging to be sure but Friday's effort made me slightly less terrified.

Today I am a little sore from yesterday's push and am planning to just take it easy. It is gorgeous up here, however, so I may go for a run this afternoon. We'll see. Maybe just a hike.

Seems like I have been flailing on the movie reporting of late. I can say that The Wire is vastly overrated. Do not bother with it. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was okay. They had to cut so much out from the book that it fell a bit flat but at least the acting is getting marginally better. Extras is amusing. Frank Zappa: Baby Snakes is interesting but pretty weird and Easy Rider actually still holds up pretty well for being as old as I am. The Passion of Joan of Arc is pretty amazing given that it was filmed in the 20s and Zodiac was slow but well-acted.

That's all for now, faithful readers. I'll have more for you soon.

Enjoy.

~stubert.

Quickie - Day 44...

Oh-man-I'm-really-wired. This-was-a-bad-idea. ~ Homer Simpson

Just a quick update...

Wednesday, I headed up to Eldora early to get some turns in with Luke and Jonny Copp and to shoot some stills. Jonny, in addition to being a world-class climber, is a great photographer. We have been wanting to hook up to get some shots for a long time and finally made it happen.

We went out the gate at the top of Corona to hit the chutes above Lost Lake and ended up skiing Right Chute. I was skiing like a chump so am not sure what Jonny was able to salvage out of the deal but Luke was skiing, as usual, like a champ. Shooting is tough... you get out to something pretty steep and have to perform on your first turns. Tough to get a groove going for sure when you haven't even given yourself any time to warm up. Oh well. I did ski the last pitch really well which made up for my turdy skiing up top. Well, maybe not completely...

Yesterday was spent in meetings and working and whacking down more coffee in a single sitting than in the past 6 years combined. So that was interesting. Good meeting though. And I did manage to get some work done.

I also buried our bunny, Yoda, who died last week. What a great little guy. He will be missed but I found him a great spot up the hill near his buddies, Rockshot and Schmoodini. R.I.P. Yoda-butt.

Today is going to be an action-packed day of work and play. Luke and I are heading up to the Basin to get some Enduro training in. I'll let you know how that goes.

Wear your helmet.

~stubert.

Busy bee...

No, that's a bear in a, in a bee costume. ~ Meg Swan

Yesterday: Run - Neighborhood jaunt, 1 hour 15 minutes
Today: Beer Festival
Tomorrow: Run - Nederland, 2 hours

Wow. It has been a long time since I last posted. Sorry for the lack of updates. I have simply been swamped.

As you might have guessed the new biz is going well. We have a steady stream of work and it appears that we will continue to be busy for the coming months. Can't really ask for more than that. We launched the Weekends Boulder site this week, the Quintess site last week and are teed up to launch Lion Equity and Colorado Garden & Home Show next week. Good stuff. I'll post more links when they are available.

Needless to say, I have been logging a ton of time in front of the computer which is not doing much for my fitness, to say the least. I went for a run yesterday, and like most of my recent outings, I couldn't settle into a nice pace without my heartrate being through the roof. I am not sure if this is a normal sort of response to pounding out 73 miles in a day two months ago (yup, it has been that long) or if it is just a result of too much ass-sitting. Either way, it doesn't really make me feel super awesome. I plan to try to train my way out of this if at all possible. I just have to get better at taking breaks for much-needed exercise.

Today, I went to Denver to attend the Great American Beer Festival with Rach's brother, Todd and his friend Jason. I got to sample a boat load of different beers which was entertaining. Both Todd and Jason home-brew so it was cool to listen to them talk about the different types of brews and how to make them. The most interesting beer I tried was a Vanilla Java Porter. Pretty yummy but not something you would probably want to consume on a regular basis. After awhile, pretty much everything started to taste the same to me but again, I am not really a connoisseur so who am I to judge? Rach came down afterwards and we went to the Watercourse. We haven't been there in awhile but it was as good as ever. Great veggie food if you are in Denver.

I took the bus down to the Festival so I drove to Ned and left my car there. My plan is to run to Ned tomorrow morning to pick it up but we'll see if the weather cooperates. It is snowing up here now so I plan to evaluate things in the morning. I'll definitely keep you posted.

Movie stuff:

I have managed to take in a few flicks over the past couple of weeks. Here are my super mini reviews:

• The Machinist: Christian Bale pulls a reverse DeNiro. Extremely watchable.
• Why We Fight: Reinforcement of the fact that we are basically just a bunch of jerks. If you are wanting that push over the cliff to move to Canada, watch this.
  
• Idiocracy: Unwatchable. I believe I made it all of 15 minutes into this mess. Luke Wilson is the new Christopher Walken. Any role, any time.
• I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco: Not really a Wilco fan but this was a decent documentary.
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Significantly more watchable than all its predecessors combined.
• Knocked Up: My belief was not even remotely suspended. So glad I didn't pay to see this in theaters. Turned it off about 30 minutes in.

So there you have it.

~stubert.

We'll count it...

No fair! You changed the results by measuring it! ~ Professor Farnsworth

Yesterday: Lumberjackin' - Mi casa, 1 hour
Today: Run/Hike - GGCSP, 2 hours
Tomorrow: Golf - Winter Park, 5 hours

I didn't notice right away with the gale-force winds we are experiencing today, but last night we received our first dusting of snow this season. Actually, as I look out the window, it appears to be snowing lightly now though this may be just residual flakes that have somehow managed to cling to the trees. Not sure how they are doing that but good for them.

I am not a big fan of the wind. Last year we experienced some amazing storm cycles which characterized themselves by depositing large amounts of snow in the area (feet) then quickly following these most welcome dumps with triple-digit windstorms which cooked the fresh pow into something that resembled set concrete. (By the way, it is snowing now. Good stuff!) Hopefully this season, we'll see more of the dumpage and less of the windage. But I am not complaining.

I didn't do much yesterday aside from working. I did get out briefly to shuttle some logs to my neighbors as the trailer was hooked up and Joe had some time to help me unload. They have twin boys who are about 18 months old now which makes life interesting for them, for sure. Joe had just put the critters down for a nap when I called to see if he had a spot where he would like for me to put the logs so I got some help unloading, which was awesome.

Today I have a couple of meetings and have a bunch of work to push through. Getting it all figured out, though. September was nuts and I have a couple of outside projects which I am hoping to start in October so it will probably be nuts too. As long as I can get things to settle into a steady rhythm by ski season, I'll be happy.

Gotta run to prepare for this call. Don't you go changin'.

~stubert.

PS ~ I have the WORST friggin' song in my head right now and I fear it will drive me insane. I am not even sure how it got there unless it was some evil little seed planted by the IMDb. I think it was Julie Andrews' birthday yesterday (or the day before) and now I have that damned yodeling song from The Sound of Music spinning loops in my brain. Hopefully now I have given it to you so it will leave me alone (or at least torment someone else so I can share my pain). Enjoy.

I have cubicle butt...

An historic event, Stus outdoors.

It buurrrnnses!~ Gollum

Yesterday: Run - Neighborhood, 1 hour 15
Today: Sat on my ass
Tomorrow: Work and then something outdoors

I think that the outside still exists though I didn't see it today. Man, I'll be happy when this crunch is over. Quintess is keeping me busy like crazy plus I am working three other deadlines. It pays the bills. The last time I actually got out and about for a substantial period of time (other than lumberjacking days), was with Luke 2 weeks ago. He wasn't feeling super red hot but I did take a couple of cool shots of him while running along the Switzerland Trail. Good times.

Yesterday, I did tear myself away from the computer for about an hour for a nice run in the woods around the casa. I have been trying to figure out how to run faster with less effort but the combination of not getting out regularly and not eating lunch made for only about an hour or so of this working well, then I kindof ran out of steam. Fun run though. The trees up here are amazing right now.

Have I mentioned lately how much ass Rach kicks? She not only makes me amazing meals that are as beautiful as they are tasty, but ran a couple of important errands for me yesterday which saved me hours of frustration and drive time. How much does THAT rule? She is on her way home from delivering some bunnies in Aurora or somewhere so I am looking forward to getting to kick it with her for a little while.

I haven't had time to watch any movies lately though we have been watching the second season of My Name is Earl. Funny stuff. Pretty lowbrow but sometimes that hits the spot.

Ok, I have to go take a shower as I smell like a goat for some reason. Actually, that is offensive to goats. Sorry guys.

~stubert.

Too much, too soon...

"Leafers!" ~ Peter Griffin

Yesterday: Hike - Raccoon Trail, 1 hour
Today: Work
Tomorrow: Hike

Still swamped with work. What else is new? At least Rach is making me get out of the house for hikes. Gotta love that.

I also took some time yesterday to continue chopping down trees. I am almost done with this project and man, lumberjacking is hard work. Glad I don't have to do that every day. I probably have another 5-7 large trees to drop and a bunch more smaller ones. Slowly but surely getting it done.

We were hoping to do a Fall Colors run this weekend up on the Leadville course but time simply didn't permit. I am guessing next weekend will be the last chance to get peak colors so we'll try to make it happen then. I have 4 projects due by the 1st though so I am not sure I'll be able to get away.

Gotta jam back to work.

~stubert.

Risky business...

Your head will collapse but there's nothing in it and you'll ask yourself, "Where is my mind?" ~ The Pixies

Yesterday: Hike - Coyote Trail, 1 hour
Today: Run - Neighborhood, 1 hour
Tomorrow: ???

At what point does sitting in front of a computer for days on end become riskier than some of the crap I do outdoors on any given weekend? When every day is Sunday, are weekends even relevant anymore? Probably not when you work through them. Oh well. Make hay while the sun's out.

Busy busy busy. We are in serious crunch mode right now with three (Three? Maybe four, I've lost track.) deadlines looming at the end of the month. October is lining up to be more of the same and that is good for sure. I would rather be way too busy than sitting around staring at the cats. All in all, things are good. Hectic, but good. I am managing to pry myself away from the computer from time to time and so I really can't complain.

Movie stuff: I actually took a couple hours off last night because my brain was leaking out of my ears and watched Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. It seems that they are starting to figure these out as this was significantly less painful than the first two. I think the kids are actually figuring out how to act. Which is nice. I might actually recommend this one to you. A little slap-sticky at times but otherwise not too bad.

Speaking of prying myself away, I am going to go run.

A quick one...

All work and no beer make Homer something something. ~ Homer Simpson

Yesterday: Nothing (ugh)
Today: Short Ride - Around the neighborhood/Flume, 1 hour
Tomorrow: Ride

So I have not seemed to have any time lately. Feeling a bit stressed about that but what are you going to do? I have had a bunch of meetings this week which have cut into production time and have had to drop down into the valley almost every day thus far. Have I mentioned that I don't miss my commute?

Today I got up relatively early to do a quick ride before this morning's meeting in Broomfield. Fairly uneventful ride, really. I felt strong. The leg hurt a little. It is still gorgeous up here. Etc.

I need to work out the remainder of my training and am trying to get a better feel for pacing as well. I ran my first draft by some friends with Leadville experience and they both thought I was being a little aggressive on the return. I was trying to be conservative on the way out but was probably pushing it a little bit on the way home. I have made adjustments so that my out/back splits are about 44/56. We'll continue to tinker with this a bit and see if I can make them work.

We are having our first crew meeting tonight as well. I am letting Luke, Nichole and Megan run these so that I can focus on the run. It will be fun to get everyone together for a quick run-down of the event.

Alright... back to work.

~stubert.

Tick, tick, tick...

Ten-thousand years I've been stuck in this bottle but now I'm free. Free. FREEEEE! - The Gits

Yesterday: Nuttin'
Today: Run - Boulder Res area, ~ 1 hour
Tomorrow: Ride/Bunny stuff - Altitude/Broomfield

Today is my last day at work. I am simultaneously sad, ecstatic, nervous, gassy, contemplative and um... I guess that is it. And I'm not really gassy. I just thought I'd throw that in there to see if you were paying attention.

Yesterday I felt like hammered crap when I got home so decided that I should just take it easy for the night. I am not feeling 100% today but am a lot better than I was yesterday. I had planned to take today off but brought in all my stuff to run at lunch. Tomorrow we have the Spring Fling at the House Rabbit Society and then I am gearing up for a long run on Sunday to finish up what turned out to be a pretty weak week. (Nice.)

Next week is chaos with a ton of freelance stuff to get done, golf and a baseball game with my pops, volunteering for Habitat for Humanity and training. I think things should settle down a little bit in the weeks to come as I get into a routine working from home and whatnot. At least that is what I am hoping happens.

So that pretty much covers it for today.

Don't you go changin'.

~stubert