Today was a good day...

What a fantastic day. Today started out with a trip to the shop to help Jan and Alan load up some plywood for the sheep shelters. We bolted from the shop and did a little garage saling in Snohomish. We then jetted to La Palmera for lunch before hitting Wal-Mart.

Fortunately, Evie decided to crash out on the way home so she was good to sleep a while longer. With her out like a light, I snuck out for a 17.5 mile ride around Monroe and made my 75 mile goal for the week.

I also received an invite from the Northwest Parkinson's Foundation to ride for their fundraising team for the STP. I'm accepting donations online at http://www.nwpf.org/Members.aspx?member=696.

Another fun thing from this week is that we discovered Army Wives on Netflix. The show is amazing. I highly recommend it.

That's about all I have for the week. Enjoy life!

A The Weather Departs

So, Saturday was amazingly beautiful. As you can tell from the picture, it was just perfect.

Today, was obviously a different place and time though. The weather turned nasty, cold, wet and a hundred other things that just remind us of how much we love the warmth of the sun.

Maybe later in the week these spring showers (or downpours for that matter) will bring us some May flowers... I'm not willing to bet on it, but I'll certainly take them if they decide to show up.

Long Weekend Turn Short

So yesterday we went to Tulip Town for the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. We love wandering around the fields and shooting photos. We spent a rather full day driving and wandering so by the time we got home we were all the bit tired.

On a bonus side after we got home I finally pulled my offical 20+ mile ride with plans to follow it up today with another. Unfortunately, the weather looks like it's going to flip to terrible before too much longer.

Hopefully it can hold out until this evening when I can make it back out. This morning we are headed to church and then to a family gathering at Torrey and Bruce's.

So, on that note, remember to think about the things you do today and remember by Who's grace we are here today. Happy Easter everyone!

Smartphone Report

It's my alter ego. My crazy idea to try and make my love for phones profitable. I don't think it ever will be really profitable, but it sure is fun to write about phones and what you can do with them.

I don't know how long I'll keep it up, bit if more companies start sending demo products like HTC and their great Surround device, you can bet I'll keep writing.

Time to Ride

Well, I say this with a bit of sarcasm, but the weather is actually starting to look a bit better around here. This morning I was met with wet cold conditions after an almost perfect ride home yesterday. This afternoon was even better. Unfortunately, I had a prior engagement that prevented me from enjoying it.

Tomorrow is supposed to be similar weather, so hopefully I can hit my 5 laps around Lake Tye and then head home. If not then Thursday is a whole new day.

Crazy Weekends

For a weekend with no real plans, this one was a busy one. We had a nice morning on Saturday, then we went out and about to a few quick errands and ended up with a trip out to see the baby lambs.

They were completely adorable and Evie really enjoyed meeting Poo Poo and Pee Poo. Those were the two she named before we headed out.

Today was even busier with the news that the Johnson's added their new son to the family today. We picked up Adam and headed to an Easter egg hunt at the Bollings. Evie had a great time and had more eggs than her poor little basket could hold.

I can't wait for Evie to really understand what makes Easter so special, but until she does, I will treasure days like this with her and Mama.

Peaceful Mornings

I have to say that I am not loving the peaceful mornings like I once did. I usually have my alarm set for 6:30 and roll out of bed 10 or 15 minutes later. At the condo, this worked pretty well as I could go down stairs and not disturb Ara and Evie.

At the apartment, I feel like if I make a noise, everyone hears it. I make just one peep and Evie will squawk and Ara is awake. I feel nervous about shaving, moving my bike to the door, even making a cup of coffee on these earlier mornings.

Oh well, I guess that's the breaks and we deal with it. For now, I have to try and sneak out without waking everyone up.

Bike Maintenance

So, after having a good bike for a while, you start to notice when things aren't quite right. This weekend I finally had a chance to do some needed maintenance work to a few components and it showed on my commute to work today.

The front deurailer needed some cleaning and some oil, which eliminated the sticky shifting it was experiencing. The tires got a bit of air, although without a pressure guage, it is a bit hard to tell if it was enough. The bike also got a great cleaning, which just makes it feel a bit newer again.

Now, if we can just get a few sunny days around here we can get some serious rides in soon!

Happy Birthday Mom

Today was a fun day. We celebrated Mom's Birthday today in Port Orchard with John and the kids. Chuck and Natalia came later with Alex, but we had to get going a bit early to keep Evie's normal schedule intact.

The day started out with a wonderful ferry ride over to Port Orchard with John and the kids, and of course, with the newest addition to the group, Cara.

We all enjoyed the ride across the sound and the gorgeous weather, which changed when we arrived. The clouds rolled in and the rain started, but didn't really get going through most of the day.

Once we were there and inside, the kids played, mostly on the Wii, but some with each Evie also. We had a barbecue with smoked sausages and hot dogs. The kids just couldn't wait for the donut cake though. It was a big hit.

The highlight of the day was definitely present time, when mom opened her photograph of the grandkids we had taken a few weeks back. It was amazingly perfect.

Overall, the day was about as good as it could possibly have been. So, happy birthday to you Mom! We love you.

STP Training: Day 30

So my first month of owning a road bike is almost done. I have to say it's been amazing. A few small goals have been missed, mostly due to weather, but many others have been met.

Sure, I missed the 18 mile McClinchey Mile ride in mid-March because of the transportation issues, but that day I did take down 17.2 miles before a flat did me in.

I may not be pacing 20 miles per hour around fown, but I did manage a 32 MPH sprint on the road. Plus, in the world of maintaining the bike, I've changed 2 tubes and a full tire now. Not too shabby for a rookie.

So now it's time for the weather to improve and the distances to get longer. Eventually it has to happen or Portland is just going to be a pipedream. So, here's to some sunny days and faster rides! I'll see you all in PDX on the flip side in my new shoes.

Tough Day For The STP Plans

So, some may know that the entire reason I started to think about riding in this year's Seattle to Portland bike ride was due to a friend asking me if I wanted to. We had it all worked out. We would ride down together, stay overnight at the halfway point, then venture on to Portland the second day where our families would meet us. Well kick that one to the curb. I'm on my own. He didn't get registered and the STP is sold out. Sure, there's a small chance that enough riders will bail and spots will open, but I just can't believe that I might have to go this without a riding partner. I guess it's time to learn how to fix everything on my bike on the roadside. It is a long, lonely ride to Centralia alone. It doesn't make me want to go any less, but I will need to ride harder to be ready as soon as the weather changes.

Another Snow Day?

Really? It's April and it's snowing. Just an fyi here, it should be nice now. Spring should bring the nicer weather. It should be a bit sunny, maybe a bit of a storm here or there, but mostly sunny.

People are tanning in Cancun on spring break right now. People are enjoying a lovely walk in England's 80 degree weather. Yet, here I am, freezing my keaster off.

Yes, it's totally time for this weather to change.