ALL ROWDY, ALL THE TIME

You're already here, so....

2012-01-27T15:25:00.000-08:00

So why not make some money reading my blog? If you read some of my goals or projects for the year you know I want to turn the previous years of my blog into books.

Money. Money. That's all you've been hearing since reading this post so let's get to that. The site I am using to make my posts into book form would prefer to have them in PDF form.

So I would need you to convert each year of my blog into the pdf form acceptable to my publisher and that will also be good looking as they don't fool around with it too much from how you give it.

Do you read my blog? Quick with a computer? Want some extra $$? Then email, comment or contact me however and we can talk about it. Your technical questions can be answered by going to www.lulu.com and reading their submission requirements.

For pay, I'm thinking 10 cents per entry, so roughly $40 per year. I've been blogging here for years 2008, 09, 10 and 11. You have the potential to make about $160 by doing all four years.

Time frame, I'd like to have all of them submitted within 4 weeks of starting the project.

What do you think???????

The Sun!!

2012-01-26T08:00:00.001-08:00

It's smiling, it's smiling, it's smiling tiiiiiiime.
Though it was technically easy ride down, still an effort for me to push a 40lb bike up the Big Rock trail on Cowles. Man a dh bike feels weird after soo much time on the bmx bike.

My days are shaping up like this......Rinse and repeat.
Brazilian jiu jitsu at Atos with Andre Galvao for 2 hours in the morning.
Lunch with Killer or Super D
Resting and housework
Either cycling of some sort or yoga at Pilgrimage of the Heart in Normal Heights.

2012-01-25T09:30:00.000-08:00

Driving home from the 0730 jiu jitsu class this morning, the sun in my face and a breeze through the window I had a very strong, distinct pleasant feeling. Or impression.

It was that the health and healing I am experiencing now really is a miracle. I've had an honest to goodness miracle happen to me this month.

And that is the kind of feeling I'll never forget in my life. Or where it comes from.

Automatic "Debt" Machine

2012-01-24T17:38:00.000-08:00

That is what I like to call atm's, automatic debt machines due to the stupid fees one has to pay for convenience in using different branches.

But I also learned something new about atm's yesterday. I learned what happens when you go to the atm, do your business and then walk away; leaving your card unloved and behind in the machine.

The bank keeps it! In a locked box, with all your information. Until you realize about 3 hours later what you did. That no one stole your atm card and nothing else from your wallet. That it didn't just fall out of your pocket mysteriously.

Just walk in, saying "Hey, I think I left my card in the machine." They look at your drivers license and boom, you get it back in like 30 seconds.

Phew.

Just goes to show you can learn something every day!

Sharp as sharp can be!

2012-01-23T16:16:00.001-08:00

Ice, Water, Steam.

2012-01-22T15:15:00.000-08:00

Going to the PM's wedding last weekend has made me reflect on my own life a little bit. The changes we go through, the things we wish for ourselves and how those two intertwine.

I've been to 4 weddings. Two family, two friends.
I've been to 4 funerals. Two family, two to support friends.

So it's an even draw there. Not really much to say about them now that I sit and think about it. Just that the two funerals I went to were for grandparents that when I was younger I didn't feel as close to as the other set. Whose funerals I did not attend. Odd.

Ruminating in the shower about how I might interestingly write about the above topics my thoughts drifted to all the things I wanted to do or be when I was a young child.

Things I Dreamed of Doing of Being Ages 5 to 9.

1. Being an astronaut. Going into space.
2. Being a fighter pilot. Flying planes.
3. Being and icthyologist, specializing in sharks. Seeing sharks in real life.
4. Being a soldier. Shooting guns and fighting.
5. Going to exotic countries. Learning new languages. Seeing new things.
6. Be a ninja. Know a martial art.
7. Race cars or motorcycles.

Thinking about all those I feel I exceeded my childhood dreams completely in all but #1. And that just really can't be helped.
#2. I've got to sit in an f-16 and f-4 flight simulator. I've seen the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds. Been to 5 airplane museums. Flown in different aircraft while in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Seen MiGs on the ground in my world travels. Flown in many private planes, sometimes with me at the controls for a bit.
#3. I've got to cage dive and free swim with sharks in the wild. I've touched sharks in real life. I've been to the best aquariums on the west coast.
#4. I worked in Iraq for 3 months in 2007. I've owned at least 20 guns and had tons of fun shooting. Medical reasons kept me out the 3 times I tried to enlist.
#5. I've been to at least 13 foreign countries. Wow. I can speak 3 languages and am able to get around fairly competently in exotic locales. The things I've seen... I can't even begin to list. Standing on ruins looking out on only jungle. Wondering how to escape from people in Morocco. Playing badminton in a park in Hanoi. The Coloseo. And on and on.
#6. I like sushi. Hmm, years studying Brazilian jiu jitsu. Fighting and competing, even at the state and national level. Sometimes taking home medals. Meeting the modern greats in BJJ. My physical fitness, my confidence and everything has been made better by a martial spirit and life.
#7. I've got to ride and own almost every motorcycle I've ever dreamed of except a RC30. Track days dirt and street. Two wheels and I click on a cellular level. Cars, from the basic Miata to the exotic Porsches and Lotuses. Driven as fast as I could around Laguna Seca. MotoGP race trips here and abroad. Even a few trophies here and there.

I'm soooo happy right now that my guts seem to be healthy and it makes me think of some of the other things I've been happy about. Reflecting on the good things in life. People do change, things do happen. But I can only control myself and my reactions to them.

Right now I'm only happy about how life has been for me, in the whole. So thank you to all who've been/are a part of it. Love!

The "M" is for mischievous

2012-01-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

I don't know why, I'm not Freud, but this just makes me feel sooo warm inside. And smiley. Double bonus! Want to know more? Read on..........

While at the surgeon's office yesterday I picked up a flier in the waiting room, drawn to it by the picture of drinking glasses filled with sugar cubes. What started as an interesting article about the history of sugar turns into some hateful propaganda piece about how evil sugar is. Give you cancer and lies like that even!

The end of the article goes on to suggest you quit sugar entirely! Even offering a website and local meetings to go to, with a 12 step program! To quit sugar?!?!?

So guess what mischievous Rowdy does? He signs up online for the meeting. And then when I get there I am gonna drink a Slurpee in front of them, tear off my shirt and do push ups in front of them, telling them sugar is delicious. OK, maybe I am going just to cause a small disruption by asking pointed questions. And learn their 12 steps so I know how to avoid them!

You know all the myths about a 'white god' to ancient or primitive tribes? Sugar.
What is an all natural plant product? Sugar.
The word we use as synonymous with love and affection? Sugar.

Sugar rules and I am going to go to this meeting and ambush them to let them know!

Rowdy style!

TFSA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2012-01-20T15:40:00.000-08:00

I had my post surgery appointment with Dr T today. He feels I am healing very well, at 4 weeks I'm as good as I would have been at 6 weeks. He sees no serious issues and said I could go for it. Or in his words, "Go do your bike racing and MMA or whatever it is you do. Just ease into it, but other than that, yeah go for it."

HALLELUJAH

All of the things I've waited now since August of 2010 to do, I can begin to do. EIGHTEEN freaking months of heartache, toil, suffering, confusion, pain and underlying it all hope. Hope that it would one day end in a good way. Resolution.

My crohn's disease is not gone. It is not cured. But my quality of life currently is great. And I see it improving. Prayer. Perseverance. Humira. Never quitting.

TIME FOR SOME ACTION!!

Monday through Friday in the morning at 0730, brazilian jiu jitsu at ATOS with Andre Galvao.

Two nights a week racing bmx at Kearny or Cactus.

Three times a week doing some sort of other exercise away from activities.

Don't call it a come back!!

Now and Later.

2012-01-19T16:25:00.000-08:00

Now, meaning today I ran 1.7 miles this morning at a very slow jog. With zero issues. Then I did an easy yoga class for 90 minutes. With zero issues. Looking good.

Later, meaning sometime later this year I hope this movie comes out. It better be real!
Looking good.

28 Days Later

2012-01-18T09:39:00.000-08:00

Zombie tummy Rowdy, 28 days after my latest surgery. This is surgery #10. My scar in total is now 10" long as they keep cutting my midline, just at different spots.

The little hole under the bandage should be totally healed in like 3 days as well! I was going to include a gruesome 'before' pic and a sexy 'best' pic of my tummy, but I don't think the value you as a reader would get is worth it. Am I wrong? So here it is, my zombie tummy, back from the dead as of today.

A week away photo-blog

2012-01-18T09:28:00.000-08:00

And this is why I hauled a huge pair of snowboots up there. Burrrrrrr.
My poor mom.... She takes a fall on ice and re-injures an unhealed scaphoid break. To the point she might need a pin in it. And now it looks like her brain tumor might be back...She is the toughest woman I know. I wish her the best in all this.
Trying to be funny while in the ER I took this off the wall to have her take home. I also tried ummmm, acquiring a hazmat suit while I was there but was overruled.
Shooting contest with one T of the TNT's. No time limit, 10 yards, shoot the best smiley face. I won!! And it would be perfect but for one 'tooth'.
"two in the chest and one in the head and even the jolly green giant will fall down dead"
My nieces and nephews mobbing the pool!

You're so vain, I bet you think this blog is about you. Don't you.

2012-01-18T09:24:00.000-08:00

Well actually it is. And yes, I am a little vain. Now if i truly have the right to be is a different story.... (short skinny red heads not being considered traditionally handsome)

I gotta find some pics of me in my suit, 'cause of course I'm hot in it. But here are some pics of my in my sexy black velvet vest.

The PM's wedding!

2012-01-18T09:21:00.001-08:00

Really, one of the most beautiful and touching days I've had in years! Wow. I love them both and I think they are a great couple.

Once I get a cd of pics from the real photog I'll put them up. Until then you have to be satisfied with my crappy cell phone pics.

Ideas for the future

2012-01-16T06:54:00.000-08:00

I'm still out of town with limited internet access and no way to transfer pics from my phone to here either. So any real awesomeness will have to wait. But in the mean time I have been thinking of ideas for posts when I do get back to my real life.

-28 Days later: a picture comparison of my tummy now that i am 28 days after my last surgery.
-Dog Days of Rowdy: a post about the dogs I've had as a child and their stories. Then a little bit about the documentary about the origin of dogs I just watched this month.
-Photo bomb: I have pics I took at the PM's wedding. I have pics I took while at the ER with my mom goofing off. I have pics of me looking super hot in my new clothes. Shooting range pics. So I want to get all of those pics up here, with commentary or not.
-Fitness February: My plan for getting back to the real rowdy. Rough, rugged, ready. Rowdy.

There ya go, a little preview of the creative posts in store for you! Read them in a few days!!

the curse! the curse!

2012-01-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

At the end of 2009 when I was vacationing in S.E. Asia my mom stayed at the house and looked after everything. While she was there she decided to go for a bike ride around Lake Murray.

Little bit of downhill, little bit of speed plus a whole lot of front brake equals an over the bars crash. And when you endo over the bars you break your scaphoid bone. And when you break your scaphoid bone you get a cast for 3 months and hit heals very slowly. Very.

So here it is almost 16 months later and the curse strikes again. Mom was holding one of my nieces and running, yes running, across a somewhat icey street. BAM, slip and fall. Along with dropping said neice.

She gets back and we're able to convince her that ice and ibuprofen might not be enough. 4 hours later at an IHC emergency department she is leaving with pain pills, referal to a hand specialist and a hard splint.

The curse struck again! Her scaphoid never healed the first time, so she broke it apart more and then also displaced the scaphoid and navicular bone. (sorry, college anatamoy and physiology class for me was in the late 90's) I'm betting she is gonna have a pin placed and another cast.

I guess it's called a curse for a reason......

no NIMBY, but YES!

2012-01-08T23:01:00.000-08:00

If you're unfamiliar with it, nimby is an acronym for not in my back yard. It's for people who don't want a prison, freeway, powerplant or whatever near them to be built.

So I have a Mini and a Tacoma in my driveway. But they sure aren't a Mini or Tacoma like either of these versions that are currently competing in the Dakar rally in South America.

But I do wish they were in my driveway! YIMD!

And I'm sure you will see my totally unneeded, greedy, rowdy wish-list of possessions to acquire this year as well. OK, why wait. I know what I want already.
Sig Saur P229 pistol in .40s&w $750
Sig Saur 556 patrol rifle $1,200
lots and lots and lots of ammo for both $500-700
small Honda gas generator $1,000
either a Transition 250, Commencal Supreme 8 or Intense SS2 freeride style mountain bike. $3,500-4,500
my own e-reader. $??
and surprise, a motorcycle is not on the list. yet.

Things in 2012 I'm looking forward to!!

2012-01-08T20:43:00.000-08:00

Going to the Prime Minister's and Einstein's wedding in January.
Seeing family all together in January.
Having Warthog begin his church mission service!!! Either January or March.
Going to the Supercross race in February.
Beginning jiu jitsu training and bmx racing again in March.
April?
Skipping my birthday for the rest of life in May. Anytime it switches to a "0" at the end of my chronological age, it is time to stop counting.
A three country tour in June. 4 days doing driving around Norway. 2 days in Barcelona Spain for the MotoGP race. Then two days in Tel Aviv Israel flying home from there.
July? Masters and Seniors in Rio de Janeiro?
August? Mountain biking in Colorado?
September? Mega birthday party for Super D? Dinner and a show in SF? NYC? Something in a Tiffany blue?
October? Visit Ravi in Australia? (only if you read this buddy!!)
November?
December?

There you have it. Family changes of the good kind, quite a bit of international travel and resumption of my physical hobbies. It is really looking like 2012 is really a "Time for Some Action" kind of year.

A person's deepest, darkest secrets

2012-01-06T16:59:00.000-08:00

I've heard it said somewhere that all the secret stuff a person has to hide can be found in their bedside table/night stand. I think that's pretty true based on the times strangers have left me unsupervised in their bedrooms.

You really can learn A LOT by poking through a person's night stand. The only things more revealing would have to be reading their diary, medical records or some sort of mind reading sci-fi thingy.

So here you have it; I just pulled the drawer out of my nightstand and set it on the bed and took a picture. No finessing or editing of its contents.

From looking at the picture, here are the contents I see. Miss anything?
dogtag necklace, ring, flashlight, ring, extra buttons, ear plugs, eye mask, mouth guard case, cuff links box, floppy disk?!?!?!, leather cord, map of Hanoi, Vietnam, various writing implements, name tag, various business cards, 12 gauge shot gun shells, .22lr bullets, cough drops, note book, needle, addresses on scrap paper, ceramic tile I painted with a 'sharky' theme and finally a Swiss Army knife.

So, what secrets do you think you can learn from that??

Rulez

2012-01-06T09:41:00.000-08:00

11 THINGS NOT TO SAY TO ME BECAUSE I HAVE CROHNS DISEASE

-You don't look sick.
-I know what you're going through.
-You've lost weight, you look great!
-You're soo lucky; you can eat anything and stay skinny.
-Have you gained weight?
-Oh come on, just eat some anyways.
-You must have a lot of stress in your life huh?
-Should you be eating that?
-Do you have to "go" now?
-Why are you soo tired all the time?
-If you just changed your diet....

And a bonus 12th one

-Aren't you scared of ______?

I don't mean this list as an absolute commandment, but more as something to guide your thoughts before you say it, especially if it is something you will say to me repeatedly.

And this part I mean seriously, if you honestly want to know why these particular things should not be said to me just out of hand, I will explain it to you. In a clear and friendly manner.

ps-It's been 3 weeks exactly since my last surgery and I am getting better each day. I just have one part of my scar that concerns me where my belly button used to be but other than it, I think things are trending upward.

Sins of the blogger...

2012-01-05T10:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's post got me thinking. What exactly are the sins of blogging? I mean, I guess I could google it and see what some professional writer thinks but I don't care about them. I care what I and other just regular bloggers think.

So with no help from outside sources and just using my little mind, here are what I think are the sins no blogger should commit without really gauging the importance of doing so. Now in no particular order nor written on stone tablets

The Sins Of Blogging
1.Complaining about work. How many horror stories do you know of people who lost jobs or became infamous for talking out of turn about their job. I know a few personally...

2.Using real names. The internet is an omnivore that eats up everything. If someone pokes it into puking up data, don't let it find you easily. This is the time it is OK to role play you're a spy and give everyone in your blog a code name.

3.Over sharing. Your sex life, bowel movements, menstruation, arrest record, death threats and such should stay pretty private. I know it is fun to write a shocking post or to feel free and expressive but again, think before you type.

3a.Pictures related to sin #3. Guess what, google images has every picture you've ever posted to your blog saved.

4.Straying from the format and/or vain repetition. Most blogs seem to have a theme. Mine is pretty vague in that it is just what I do during my life. The theme is "me" in my entirety. But if yours is fashion and you then two months later only post about what delicious food you had for lunch, you're straying. Conversely if a reader has to read 28 posts in a row about one designer, how you miss your ex or whatever it is going to get old real fast.

5.Selling yourself. Blogger isn't Etsy or ebay.

6.Cross posting mania. Keep your content unique amongst the different outlets. The exact same thing should not be on blogger, tumblr, facebook, g+, twitter and so on. Keep them separate and you'll derive more interest.

7.Begging for comments.

8.Not knowing your intended audience. Who are you writing for? Really think about that because once you have a true answer it will be easier to direct your writing style and content of your posts.

9.Having an unreadable font and color scheme. A blog isn't a myspace profile from 2002. Get rid of crazy color combos and impossible fonts. The object should be for people to read it, not make Lisa Frank happy or impress your 3rd grade art teacher with how artistically obscure you can be.

10.Rarely posting. We are all busy but yet you chose to start a blog. So you actually do have something to share. So write, often!

And finally a bonus sin.

11.Thou shalt not cut and paste all your posts. Do not just constantly take content from another site and throw it up on yours. If a reader wants to see something they will find it. They don't need you to parse the web for them. Original content and presentation will win out every day over you posting 6 photos you took from somewhere else and just posting them to your blog with a "look how neat this is" style of caption.

Full disclosure, have I committed some of these sins? Yes. Have you? Probably. The trick now is recognizing it and never doing them again. Agreed? I beg of you, please leave a comment telling me what you think. (hahahahahahahahahahaha)

Breaking blog rule #1

2012-01-04T08:58:00.000-08:00

THE number one rule of blogging is do not talk about your job. No matter how stealthy you think you might be, there is a high probability that it will come back to haunt you. Possibly in the unemployment line.....

But as I am between jobs I am going to risk it and talk about this subject a little. Sorry to my family though, you can just skip this post as you've heard this at least 134 times already.

Short story, nothing really has worked for me job wise since I moved to SD. I just went though another little process of applying for a job I'm qualified for, getting a rejection letter, then getting an email saying we want to talk to you, then another rescheduling the interview. Finally I sent an email today asking when we'd talk and was told the position is on an indefinite hold.

Sigh.

Long story, I had been working in a field of medical imaging where I was able to get a job within in about 6 hours of looking. For like 5 years it had been that easy for me. I figured it would be that easy when I moved to SD as well. I was wrong.

My first job here was working at a gokart track. Then I got a part time gig doing what I had before. It tanked.
So I went to Iraq. That didn't work out. I parlayed that experience though into a job at UCSD. I even got a promotion while there! But then I got sick and my funding was cut.
Then I turned down a job at the nuclear power plant, that I beat out over 50 people for the offer, to instead take a job closer to home. Which I then didn't make it past the probationary period for a variety of reasons.
I had to fall back on college work experience and went back to being a bicycle mechanic. That was just fine but then I got sick again and my medical nightmare has had me out of work for almost 18 months now......

My hopes were up for the job from today. But it didn't happen. Thankfully my life doesn't depend on me working right now. Still, I'd like to get this job thing figured out, my resume really looks like crap from the past 6 years of my poor job management.

A video of me 'fishing'!!

2012-01-03T19:59:00.001-08:00

Me, doing a little self un-surgery....

2012-01-03T16:32:00.001-08:00

If I can take out my own stitches I can take out my own staples!

The first day of 2012

2012-01-02T09:47:00.001-08:00

Illegal fireworks for the new year! Yeah, you know me!

Still have all my staples in, so still a little tender riding in the car.

Sooo warm that this lizard was out by my front door. 82 possibly today! That is 29 to my international readers.

2012

2012-01-01T11:17:00.000-08:00

My theme for 2012 is something of a work in progress. My original thought was "Back to Bad A**" or simply b2ba. But one of my other 2012 goals is to use less coarse language, so I really need to modify it.

2011's was "Kill or be Killed" and I think I was successful in that endeavor. All the things that tried to kill me failed. My body and spirit won. Winning! Last year's song was from Dead Prez, called "Way of Life." Again, I think it summed up the strength I would need that year to make it through everything.

So this year I'm starting kinda weak. In many ways. So rather than just having this be a survival year, I want this year to be one where I return to being a real rowdy. In shape, assertive, competitive, smart. Being able to help and serve others because I am strong. A force. A presence. A reckoning.

As I brainstorm everything sounds like a 70s action movie title. Return to Intrepid, The Year of Living Rowdy, A Year in Hard Core. Hahahaha. Any help or ideas dear readers?

For song choice one thing is currently coming to mind, and that is 'Red Right Hand' originally by Nick Cave, but I think I like the new Arctic Monkeys version just a tiny bit better. I hear it and I just feel cool, calm and collected. Like a Clint Eastwood character getting ready to do some damage. Never tense, never hesitant. All killer, no filler. (hmmmm, now that could something...)

Listen to the song, think about Rowdy returning to a 'real' self and let me know if you have an appropriate motto for this year. Thanks!

Rowdy Review

2011-12-31T09:08:00.000-08:00

Hmmmm, with no peeking or other outside prompts let's just give a quick review of the past Rowdy year.

-going to Palm Springs in January and having medical nightmare #2 begin
-being in the hospital on Valentine's day
-getting a brand new motorcycle, Triumph Daytona 675.
-running the Warrior Dash and Camp Pendleton Mud Run
-getting a GoPro and learning and doing all the movie stuff with it
-being on TPN multiple times at home for months on end. lots of home health nurse visits.
-competing at a jiu jitsu tournament mere weeks after getting out of the hospital
-going to some good concerts
-seeing my brother in Colorado three times while downhilling and snowboarding
-meeting the Prime Minister's fiancee
-getting a downhill mountain bike and getting into that scene
-getting a bmx bike and getting into that kind of racing
-selling the Porsche and getting a Mini Cooper
-yo-yoing in weight from 123 to 142 and now down to 130
-Killer's graduation
-not going out of the country for the first time in 6 years

Vroom

2011-12-30T09:06:00.000-08:00

Going to the San Diego International Auto Show today. Only $12 a ticket and I will also get my daily walk in I need. New cars, recovery exercise and being with family.

Sounds win-win to me!

PS-my mom arrived in SD yesterday to help care for me while I recover from surgery. It's very nice. And she even brought me some of her cookies I love as well.

PS2-I did see the lights of the Goodyear blimp a few days ago, I think they did say today was gonna be a good day.

Xmas mythbuster

2011-12-28T17:13:00.000-08:00

Going 30mph in reverse and slamming on the brakes will not slide one's xmas tree out of the back of your truck and into the recycling pile.

No, it must be picked up one handed and thrown javelin style if you really wish to make a memorable departure of the tree from your vehicle.

How do I know? The bane of 6-8th grade, the science experiment. AKA doing it yourself and seeing what happens.

R++

2011-12-28T10:50:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling pretty good today. But I still need to shower and such. But I feel just a tad bit more alive. Less zombie.

Scrooge that I am, I am also super happy that the tree and lights have been disposed of as well. Farewell to thee xmas stuff!

I really only have one project left, so I'm pretty happy about that. And it should only take like 3 hours or so as well. Basically adding some backing to my matchstick style panel blinds. To make them more sun shady. I'm getting broiled on the couch each day from noon till 4pm.

Ten more days till my staples can come out as well! And of course I will gopro it for you!

GO!!!!

Tintin

2011-12-27T13:00:00.000-08:00

I went to watch the Tintin movie in 3D last night. As far as the story goes I was engaged till about half way through then stopped caring. The animation was exquisite and the best of its type. Makes Avatar look like I drew it with crayons.

And since I happen to have a particular look..... Well I figured I might as well dress up as Tintin! I think I pulled if off pretty well.

What do you think?

Happy Birthday Warthog!

2011-12-26T21:09:00.000-08:00

Mossberg, Ruger, Benelli, Remmington

2011-12-26T09:23:00.000-08:00

As the title suggests, this will be a shotgun post scattered all over the place. Look out.

Sleeper's block.
In the hospital I wrote a sitcom treatment in my mind when I couldn't sleep. The other night I wrote a short horror story. Last night I walked through the Pantheon in Rome. I've been there 3 times so I could visualize it all very clearly. Then I redesigned it in my mind to be even 'more' than the interior of the Sistine Chapel.

Church.
Christmas was on Sunday, so what does one do in the morning but go to church? Well, after all the presents and such. I don't remember much of what was said but the hymn "Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful" was the one that just really touched me.

Ick
The post surgery antibiotic I have to take for 3 months (more like 2) makes my pee brown, coats my tongue and everything taste horrible. I hate it. I need to be maintaining weight, not losing it. But everything just tastes horrible and is unsatisfying for the most part. I am 132lbs currently.

Nightmares.
I was jolted awake the other night by what I thought was a noise of someone in the house and me yelling "Hello!" while reaching for the gun under the bed. False alarm. Then last night I had a dream where I was living in these people's home and the host dad was a horrible man. He had smuggled in a girl to use for prostitution and was pressuring me to pay for her. When I said no we got in a fight and she jabbed me in the calf with a syringe of heroin and injected it into me. The nightmare ended with me getting as much as I could into my truck to leave and the Rage Against the Machine song Bomb Track pounding in my head as I then prepared to burn their house down, with them in in. Horrible.

Art.
The movie "The Artist" is very good. You have to adapt to the pacing of it, but for 'true cinema' it is a great movie. And more than one person has told me I look just like Tintin so I think I will be dressing like him as much as I can when I go see that movie later in the week.

Vanity.
My latest vanity project is going to be self publishing each year of my blog as a book. I was looking through the google image file of all my blog photos and I just really felt a need to have all I've written in it on paper. In a quality book format. So I'm going to. As soon as I can find someone who wants to make money converting each entry of my blog into a single pdf file and then saving them in order chronologically. Including pictures. And making each year its own complete folder. 2008-2011. Then when that is done I can send it off the the publisher I have chosen and I will get my books! MY books.

I'm 50% Norwegian...

2011-12-24T11:18:00.000-08:00

...but I still enjoy, nay love, Donald Duck. It may be the tradition of my other Scandinavian brothers the Swedes to watch his cartoons as a national xmas eve celebration, but I'm going to anyways.

There are Swedes on youtube have put up tons of the classic Donald cartoons, so no worries finding them, even in English. Don't pull my viking card.

Speaking of xmas and celebrating I ran across this quote from John Adams about celebrating Independence Day here in America.

"...will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. . . . It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”

Pomp, parade, shows, games, sports, guns, bonfires and fireworks!! This is freaking awesome. One of our founding fathers has commanded the best way to celebrate. No one has ever told me to celebrate xmas with this sort of amazingness.

But no matter what you do, I hope you are happy this Christmas and holiday season.
Enjoy and celebrate.

2011-12-23T19:40:00.000-08:00

These babies have been custom framed and hung in the tv room! Wolfman and Mummy are the same artist so they are side by side. The other two are on separate walls.

These are going to go into my will, that is how awesome I feel they are. And looking at the secondary market they have already gone up in price.

Anyways, I love the classic black and white Universal Studios monsters. And I love interesting art so I'm happy, sooo happy, these were able to be the xmas gifts for this year.

Thank you!

The Big xmas Reveal Pt. 1

2011-12-23T14:10:00.000-08:00

THIS LINK should give you an excellent idea about the 'art' that is my xmas present for this year.

Hint: Universal

2011-12-23T03:59:00.000-08:00

While in the hospital I started writing a treatment for a new sitcom entitled "Home Game", about two neighboring stay at home dads. I have a character treatment, history and first season episode outline for perspective parties. If you are interested in the initial rights they are $60,000.

If you are awake in bed from 2am until 345am, you should probably get out of bed.

Do not take your health and physical abilities for granted. Similarly do not let your disease or weakness become an excuse.

Pain pills can mess with my mind. I say things I wouldn't, hear things that aren't there and have thoughts go through my mind I wouldn't normally. Annoying.

"The Prime Minister" better be on birth control or she is gonna be in for a big 7lb surprise sooner than she would like.

Flaggyl, the antibiotic I am on makes everything I eat taste horrible. Sad.

I hardly lost any weight at all during this past surgery. That is good! My plan is to do nothing more than walking until February. Then a month of yoga, starting calisthenics right after Valentine's Day. If that month all goes well then in March I can begin cycling and jiu jitsu again.

I'll go from a 4 digit numberplate down to a 2 digit numberplate, less than #38 even, for bmx racing in my district. I'm tired of rolling up with 4859 on my number plate! I'd rather have my newb show by my riding than being able to have it spotted instantly.

2011-12-22T14:20:00.000-08:00

some super knowing soul sent me a shark necklace and frankenstein cuff links!! what a great start to xmas.

and then some of my, and possibly your, prayers have been answered. what a great start to Christmas.

i know you see what i did there.

CA is not always CA

2011-12-22T10:54:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it is California, sometimes it is cancer. Thankfully my two biopsies came back as negative for small bowel cancer.

So this time it is just California.

Thankfully.

And I know what's good, exactly because I've been there before

2011-12-20T21:40:00.000-08:00

hospital

2011-12-19T09:59:00.000-08:00

so today is day 4. each day seems to get a little easier. still not eating or drinking. still requiring pain medicine.

have a foot long scar/row of staples down my abdomen. surgeon is happy with his work and how it all went. took little over 4 hours. only had to remove 4cm of intestine to to hopefully resolve the fistula issue.

will hopefully go home thursday.....

this is not easy, but i hope it is my last hospital visit for a long time.

at least they have free wi-fi for patients now! sadly i dropped my computer out of my hands and dented it/broke the case. so we will see how long it lasts.

now it is all just about the slow road to recovery!

blog you later

2011-12-16T09:31:00.000-08:00

I'm off for surgery #5 of the past 15 months...... Be writing again with all the news in a week.

Hopefully.

2011-12-16T09:06:00.000-08:00

Heavenly Father, I am thankful for all the things thou hast blessed me with. I am thankful for prayer, for freedom of religion and for the knowledge of thee.
I am thankful I have health insurance and access to care. I am thankful for all the prayers and kind thoughts of those who care for me.
I am thankful for my trials and challenges, knowing they are for a purpose and to strengthen me.

Please bless those who operate on me and care for me today. Bless them to perform their tasks with the utmost precision and meticulousness. Bless me that I might have the strength to endure the pain of recovery. Please bless those who have had me in their hearts and minds that they might too be comforted and their prayers answered.

This I pray, knowing all things come from thee, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I hate being a red head

2011-12-15T13:00:00.001-08:00

90% of the time, I hate being a red head. The other 10% I just happen to be wearing a hat or have forgotten the fact.

bicycle crashing, i'm doing it right

2011-12-14T22:25:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the poorly lit cell phone pic, but I was in a hurry. Ya know, 'cause I got so much to do.
This bruise goes half way around me, from my right kidney to almost my belly button and then down to my 'groin' as well.
When I crash a bike, I really crash it!

This is gonna look really good when I'm undressed and on the operating table.

My "last" meals...

2011-12-14T19:50:00.000-08:00

With surgery on my bowels Friday morning I need to have not much in them. So on Thursday I just get liquids, hardly worth telling you about that.

But that makes today's meals the last solid food I will probably eat for about a week! Though I have gone without solid food for months before....I digress but continue.

Breakfast: 5 home made blueberry muffins. Orange juice.

Lunch: Cajun shrimp bahn mi sandwich. Cherry Pepsi.

Snack: Salt water taffy. Pumpkin pie fudge. Milk chocolate honeycomb.

Dinner: 4 ground beef tacos. Black cherry ginger ale.

Not really that fantastic on paper, and today didn't really require date with the electric chair style of food devotion, but I'm happy with it.

It's the final count down...

2011-12-14T16:50:00.000-08:00

41 hours, 10 minutes until I check in for surgery......

Fine Arts

2011-12-13T22:21:00.000-08:00

First off, I wore my new shirt, tie and velvet vest tonight mentioned a few posts below. I must look pretty good in it because even some gay dudes checked me out.

Enough vanity though. Tonight I went to watch the NYC Ballet Company's Nutcracker at the movie theater. Yep, the movie theater. Quite different than the one time I went and watched a UFC at the theater. But still very nice and better to have gone than not at all!

During the intermission I got to thinking about my cultural likes and dislikes. Because I either like something or am on the verge of detesting it when it comes to fine arts. And as lists are the easiest, most prevalent form of entry for a blog, that's what you're getting. (it can't be all motorcycles, mountain bikes, world travel and funny business!!)

A list of cultural things I like(+) and dislike(-)

Opera. +
Musicals. -
Sculpture. +
Photography. +
Ballet and Dance. -
Painting. +
Orchestral/Classical music. +
Theater. +/-

So I guess I don't really like performance art but for a very few things. I like acting, I like music. But other than operas I can't stand them together. Musicals put me in a foul mood for some reason.

Theater earns a plus minus as I've been to some things I like and some I hate. If there is singing or dancing I don't like it at all. I just want straight up acting and I really prefer just Shakespearean plays. Who knows, I used to hate American football as well, but now I really like it so maybe I'll come around on some of these as well.

Maybe I just don't understand all the subtle nuances or don't know the genres like I should, but quixotic me, this is what I like. And yes, I do realize I gave dance and ballet a - grade right after I said I enjoyed going to the ballet. I guess it is just the company I keep that helped me enjoy it and my strong desire for the 'classics' over anything modern. (And I didn't have to go back to NYC again. But my only trip there is another story......)

Success!

2011-12-13T10:47:00.000-08:00

rowdy STYLE

2011-12-12T21:46:00.001-08:00

For those of you who've been tricked into coming here thinking it is some sort of "fashion" blog I'm sorry.

Rowdy style has nothing to do with finding the latest and greatest fashions. It has more to doing things in a rowdy way. My style.

But occasionally even I like to look good. Or even great.

So I replaced my lost tortoise shell Ray-Bans with a black pair.

I bought a dark green dress shirt, tie and black velvet vest from Express Men. To wear to the ballet tomorrow.

Finally I added a new 3 piece suit from Macy's. Charcoal gray. And a new green and gray tie to go with the colors for the wedding I'm going to in January.

Maybe I'll get to wear my awesome J Crew woolen pea coat over it all as well. I never get a chance to wear it here in SD that's for sure!

This blog ain't Lookbook. No pins for Pinterest. (Though I will probably post some pics of all said outfits if I can get better pictures than self shot cell phone ones)

All Killer, No Filler.

Rowdy style.

??

2011-12-12T19:02:00.000-08:00

How come the housekeeper is afraid of my dead shark in a jar but really likes my new 1931 Dracula movie poster?

The shark is dead. Dracula is the undead. I don't get it, do you?

2011-12-11T20:01:00.000-08:00

I am awkward and awesome.

Rowdy rowdy.

Magoo!!

2011-12-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

SuperD likes to tease me, in a nice way, when I get hurt doing something 'rowdy' by calling me or what I did as "coocoo magoo".

I'm sure it is a amalgam or portmanteau of coo coo meaning crazy and Mr. Magoo, a semi blind cartoon character who is constantly a half step away from major disaster due to his bumbling.

My reply is normally in a horrible Hindi accent, "I am NO magoo! You are magoo!"

Well last night, I am totally a magoo. Sad face. =(

I was racing bmx and it was the final moto. I honestly had no chance to make the main but I was racing like a freaking gold medal in London was on the line. I do not remember the crash (just like I didn't remember the day when asked while laying on the track) but I'm told I was going tooooooo fast for the line I had, I was tooooo low in the berm and started drifting the bike.

Then my weight wasn't really where it needed to be over the bike in that situation at that speed. There I am cranking along thinking I'm going to make it at least a close race. Prove that I'm getting faster. A threat.

Next thing I know my vision is filled with sky, dirt, bike, sky and then dirt. Followed by exquisite pain. Sharp, searing, burning pain. From my tail bone, to the top of my hip bone, down to my groin and all through my hip/butt.

I'll spare you the lame story of laying there on the track, evaluation of my injury and such. But the end result is that I crashed sooo freaking hard, sooo fast that I can barely walk today............... I'm almost ready to try and get my crutches out......

Magoo.

I could be a....

2011-12-09T15:59:00.000-08:00

part-time model.

Actually I went on a few dates with a model in college and she said I had potential as a male model. She wasn't trying to get with me, so I'll believe what she had to say.

A few times I have also had people ask me, "are you someone famous?" I hope they weren't thinking I was Seth Green. Or heaven forbid that freak Carrot Top. (please no!) And Fry from futurama isn't real.

Well a long time ago I was just wandering around San Diego when I was approached by a female photographer. She said she was doing a series on red heads and asked if I was willing to have my picture taken for her work.

Heck yeah!

She took a few pics and I gave her my information and asked for a copy of my picture to be sent to me. This was like 9 months ago I think.... Well I finally got my copy in the mail today.

And here it is!

2011-12-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

Since I have surgery coming up and that entails a long recovery of low physical effort I have taken up fishing. Since you don't need a license if you are fishing from the pier, that is what I am doing.

Rod, reel, lures, bait, tackles box, bucket and so on. Just a little over $130 into a new hobby. Which is much better than the $700 I spent on a guitar I ended up abandoning. The fishing pole will pay for itself if I catch about 14 fish.

Here are some pics of a few days at the OB and Crystal pier in PB.

So far I haven't caught anything. Killer brought up a few crabs though, so I might end up getting a crab net. As long as they aren't Dungeness and over 4" in width you can keep 'em! And it's much less technique dependent than fishing.

Enough exposition, here are the pics!! (and yes, I have short hair now)

2011-12-08T09:05:00.000-08:00

I miss training Brazilian jiu jitsu soo badly. It makes me teary to think of the year(s) I've lost from the sport due to illness and the resultant surgeries.

I miss my friends, the competition, the training. I miss it all. And no amount of bike riding can really truly replace it. I'm a barely average bike racer, but I know I can be great at jiu jitsu.

To all my friends from my days at Fabios' I miss you. To all my friends from my time now at Atos, I miss you.

Infamy

2011-12-07T11:45:00.000-08:00

Both of my male grandparents served on the west coast during WWII. Seattle and San Diego.

I've been to the site where a Japanese balloon firebomb killed a group of Sunday school kids in Oregon during the war. Poignant. A monument rarely visited.

I've been to the locations of 3 different internment camps for Japanese in Oregon and California. Awestruck and shocked. These places at the time you could just walk right up to and had no restoration or protection. Forgotten history in another decade.

I have and wear a memorial bracelet for a MIA, later listed KIA, serviceman.

Pearl Harbor. Been there, all the tours, all the monuments. Overwhelming feeling of sadness at the loss of life. I cried and didn't try to hide it.

This is not just any other day, and should be remembered. Breed Hill, the Maine, the Alamo, the Lusitania, Pearl Harbor. So many things in American history that should never be forgotten.

2011-12-07T07:43:00.001-08:00

Dear Anonymous,

To answer your question, yes I do believe that the government you asked about is monitoring the internet and cellular communications of protesters and dissidents.

A state security apparatus would be foolish not to and it would also be silly for those on the other end to think anything they send, say or type is secure or not being monitored.

Peer to peer encryption should be used on top of a cypher, giving layered security to your communications.

I wish you the best with a successful regime change.

Rowdy

just rowdying around

2011-12-06T09:49:00.000-08:00

Hmmmm, what's going on here?
Oh, just up in a tree. Hanging xmas lights.
Just another scar. This one is from those darn pedal bikes I'm riding all the time.
Best teriyaki chicken kabobs ever. Evah!And I made them.

12 Days of Rowdy

2011-12-03T20:07:00.000-08:00

I have 12 days till hopefully my final surgery for Crohns disease/surgery complications. And although some people hate to hear it, since I'm not a fan of xmas I don't mind co-opting a seasonal song to my own ends.

Here you have it, my own original creation, The 12 Days of Rowdy. (Subtitled ''till surgery')

12 hot showers enjoying,
11 chances for pizza eating,
10 nights of dreaming,
9 football games
8 hours of fasting,
7 (not for family reading)
6 bmx races,
5 coats to charity donated,
4 months 'till jiu jitsu training,
3 new books for reading,
2 shots of Humira,
1 hope for health!!

Who's #1? You know!

i suck... but i wont quit till i win

2011-12-03T11:24:00.001-08:00

vacay slide show

2011-12-02T21:30:00.000-08:00

See you in 5 days!

2011-11-27T20:22:00.000-08:00

Colorado trip #3 of the year in 11 hours! See ya again in 5 days precious readers!

2011-11-27T09:10:00.000-08:00

That's how many more days till my surgery.

And if my fistula output doesn't markedly decrease I won't be able to compete in my triathlon next weekend. Sad.

I hope the next 18 days FLY on by!

thinking.....

2011-11-26T19:21:00.000-08:00

-that my gut is getting much worse....

-of buying rental property in Utah....

-that soda is a delicious treat....

-I need to make more jerky....

-that I can probably do 3 or even 4 bmx races before surgery....

-my clothes are not very stylish....

Photo-rific

2011-11-25T07:21:00.001-08:00

It's a sign from the Thanksgiving angel... This is my pie.
Blood is not a good hair product.
One mistake=two steri strips
Bloody ice pack. Now I know where my $4 to swim fee goes, first aid supplies I'll be asking for later.
Bmx bike shake down. It's fast!
My maternal grandfather's leather jacket from the 70's. Fits like a glove. Oh, and I found an opera ticket in it to Tannhauser. Such is my life...
If it ever snows on Palomar mountain, this baby is gonna get used! And abused.
Dagger cuff links from one of the times I went to the Tower of London. Popop would approve.
My nephew likes sharks as much as I do. And we almost share the same birthday! He is gonna flip when he sees his xmas gift from me.
Qualcomm Stadium, home of the losing Chargers and Aztecs. Not a good year for San Diego football. =( I left this game just after halfway into their whipping from BSU.

How low can you go?Graphic Picture

2011-11-24T19:20:00.000-08:00

And more like 'how low can you get?'

This low...............

I'm sitting on the couch having had to change the bandages on my gut soo many times, soo quickly I ran out in just hours. I don't think the holes in my gut were quite ready for my level of Thanksgiving feasting....
(this much "googe" used to come out in 24 hours. now it does in 24 minutes)
How low? I taped a maxipad to my stomach. Yeah. You know how emasculating that is for a guy? I know.

Let the 'mangina' jokes begin.

How low? Probably not as low as the person whose bra I found on the sidewalk, in a totally suburban area, this morning during my 5k run.
(actual bra I found)

Rowdy Raccoon

2011-11-23T09:36:00.000-08:00

Just like Wayne of Wayne's World has an extensive name badge and hairnet collection, I have an extensive collection of first aid supplies, boots, braces, slings, crutches and such.

I've acquired these through the years in being a living tribute to Pete Puma, but more with a laugh like Muttley. So that makes me Rowdy Raccoon (RR).

Well Rowdy Raccoon can run really well. He also bikes pretty dang good as well. Almost as well as a Honey Badger would. But for RR's upcoming triathlon he needs to swim as well. And this raccoon can't swim very well. He needs lots of practice.

Off I go to the Allied Gardens community pool. I even bring my swim coach. And the life guards are helping me too. Sweet! I'm getting better!

Now time to swim really fast. Plane on top of the water. Breath. Head down to be hydrodynamic. Really push the water with each stroke!

BAAAMM! Ooooohhh, what just happened I think woozily..... And why is there blood in the water? And my mouth?

Looking up at the lifeguard, kinda stumbling in the shallow end I say, "I think I swam into your pool."

She says, "Could you get out of the water please, you're bleeding into it."

I get out and step over to the tower, she tells me to go to the office for first aid. Blood is matting my hair. I'm a little ditzy and disoriented. Walking into the office I lift up my hair and stick out my tongue saying, "I hit your pool."

The first aid guy gives me a quick assesment, cleans my cut and give me a cold compress or two for my noggin. He calls me mildly concussed and I spend 5 minutes trying to figure out how to put my stuff into my backpack so Dr Sombrero can give me a ride home.

Once home a little more alert I clean the gash/lump on my forehead better. Super D puts 3 steri strips on it from my extensive first aid kit. And then back goes the cold compress to keep down the swelling and soak up the blood.

Really? Really Rowdy? Yes, really. How many lumps would I like? Oh, I don't know. Two or three......

quick history lesson for new readers

2011-11-23T09:15:00.000-08:00

If you're a new reader of my blog, here is a quick refresher in my ongoing medical nightmare....

-All of the first half of 2010 sick lots, hospitalized lots with Crohns disease issues.
-CT scan shows I have a bowel obstruction. Medical treatment does not resolve, surgery is called for. Change in summer vacation plans. No longer going to Russia to volunteer at the orphanage, instead do the usual tour of Europe.
-Laproscopic surgery September 12, 2010. All seems well. Go home Sept 17.
-Sept 18 have fever, chills and start thinking to myself, "I don't want to die." So I go to the ER.
-Sept 19 in the early AM I am whisked off for emergency surgery as "something is wrong" and they need to cut me open to deal with it.
I wake up with an ileostomy bag, on tpn, and a huge open wound down my abdomen. I don't speak for 3 days.
-I can barely remember the next 3 months. Not a fun time.
-December 18, 2010 I have surgery to put everything back together. I go home xmas eve.
-January 20th, 2011 one of my scars opens up and drains tons of pus. A week later the second scar does as well.
-Again, multiple hospital stays. Multiple procedures of them cutting my scars open and draining them. Lots of drugs and diagnostic tests. Unpleasant wound care.
-March 2011. Surgery to drain wounds, clean scars and redo them. 4 weeks later they reopen again.
-June 2011, correct diagnosis of enterocuateous fistulas and not a real wound infection. Probably just abscess from the fistula. More drugs, more unpleasant wound care.
-August 2011-September 2011. TPN only, no food or anything, more drugs. More time in hospital. False hope, doesn't work.
-October 2011. Sent for outside consults and procedures to UCSD. Some hope.
-November 2011. Experimental procedure at UCSD fails. All known medical options exhausted. Surgery now only recourse.

So there you go. And this is only the recent history, not my full life's dealings with this disease. So why is this such a big deal? Your small intestine gets the nutrients from your food, your large intestine or colon does all the absorption of water. If they keep cutting out parts of my small intestine, no amount of food eaten will be able to be absorbed into a short section of small bowel. No small bowel, no nutrients, no living.

I only have sooo little left, every centimeter counts. (2.54 cm per inch for my US readers) If I don't want to be a nutritional cripple, I need my guts. Thus a year long effort to try and not have this surgery. The one I'm having in 3 weeks....

Wasn't I just here?

2011-11-22T13:33:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 16th. Kaiser hospital on Zion in San Diego.Part of recovery is walking. Lots of walking. So if you don't mind doing laps on the unit and can make me smile, come walk. I'd love the company.

I never thought the R in Rowdy would stand for recovery.... But the past two years now it has.

"Follow your feelings Luke" Obi Wan

2011-11-22T07:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had a couple of feelings I followed, Jedi style. Though Mr Lucas is now making me want to become a Trekkie rather than a Jedi... Heck, the guy even screwed up Indiana Jones!! And that should have been impossible. Anyways......

Yesterday I had ideas. And I acted on them! No matter what your economic status, where you live or really anything else, 99% of the people in the world have to answer this question every dang day of their life, "What's for dinner?"

My idea? Crab, baked yam fries and salad. Oh, and let's not forget the mango lemonade either! Almost 3 lbs of crab was boiled. I used salt, white pepper, garlic, butter, tobasco and some other spices in the water. The yams were just cut up into strips, sprayed with olive oil and sea salted then baked. Salad was just mixed greens outta bag.

Now I could have taken this impulse and thought it was too expensive, or too much work or whatever excuse. But I didn't! And it paid off in a delicious dinner! You really shoulda been there.

Secondly I've become mildly addicted to playing Moto Forza 3 on the xbox. And what does any serious racer have to have? That's right, a steering wheel. I get online and read some reviews... WTH? $500!! You're kidding me right? Ohhhhhh, you can get one for just $250? Gee, what a bargain.

Follow your feelings Luke. Err, Rowdy.
Sorry Obi, I didn't.

I bought a $160 wheel I thought would be 'good enough'. Well, after a day of furious play I'm not sure if it is.... Dang it! As I hate nothing more than returning things. Especially as the box, packing material and receipt are spread through 3 different locations. And I bought it as Best Buy, but they don't have the higher end one I should have bought. Please don't stick me with store credit......

It's not like I didn't have the money. I could have even gotten the $500 one if I really really wanted. (I'll use it during the recovery from surgery. Yeah yeah. It will be durable medical equipment. Claim it on my taxes... hahaha) I knew there was something more like I wanted, but I chickened out and cheaped out.

And now I'm paying for it in quit races, excuses and lower lap times. ARGH! Keep pulling the ball away Lucy, I'll keep running at it and trying to kick it. Oh wait, I need a Star Wars reference.... Forget it, just look at these classic memes.

A surgical snow man

2011-11-21T16:12:00.000-08:00

Just got off the phone with my surgeon. He is submitting a request for a date the second week of December.

See ya then? I do love visitors....

2011-11-20T16:42:00.000-08:00

The joke about just putting in a zipper is starting to not sound like a joke anymore... Will be interesting to talk with my HMO's surgeon to see when the next big thing is. As long as I'm not in the hospital January 14th or 30th I don't care. We could do it tomorrow if he said, "come on in."

The next surgery is going to leave me with another set of scars just like this picture ^^^.

It's not gallows humor but earlier this year I had to plan my funeral. I read an article on Slate about The Battle Hymn of the Republic, which I want to be sung at my funeral. So just as a reminder. Sing that song. Bury me at the place of my birth in Oregon. Have a 'moment of noise' sometime during the day of motors revving, guns shooting or something. I don't care who does the eulogy. And I want white flowers. And the casket to be a very dark, very polished wood.

But what month is it? November, where so many people focus thanks. Thanksgiving. Give thanks. I feel I should close this post with things I am thankful for, from the silly and mundane to the great and marvelous.
-I have health insurance.
-I am able to pursue some of my hobbies, maybe not all or to the level I want but I do get some level of recreation.
-I am not alone, people in the world care about me.
-I ate pumpkin pie for breakfast.
-I like my latest haircut.
-Moto Forza 3.
-I'm not totally depressed. I can see the future.
-I have a garage, laundry room and own bathroom. Comfort and convenience.
-I got my computer back with no viruses or ruined hardware.
-I have vacation starting on Monday the 28th.

The day after...

2011-11-19T13:25:00.001-08:00

Bleed more than normal out of my two holes last night. Slept very poorly. Still groggy from the anesthesia. Glad to be eating again. Still in kind of a somber mood.

What's on my mind now is that I bought a new bike for racing each week. But now I feel bad that I might have spent money on something that I can't use right away or as often as thought, especially if I have surgery sooner rather than later.

I also have a snowboarding vacation in Colorado the week after Thanksgiving planned and paid for. Thankfully nothing will happen so fast as to mess that up.

And a triathlon in Palm Springs December 3rd.

Conceivably I could have surgery again in December. I remember having one last December. Make it an anniversary? But then that leads to this.....

I have a wedding in January I HAVE to attend. I have a farewell possibly in January I HAVE to attend. I also have a planned vacation of a week in Israel in January.

Can I keep racing bikes? No, that will have to wait for a full recovery. I will just race when I can until surgery.

Can I go back to jiu jitsu? No, not until totally healed from next surgery. Andre Galvao called me today and we chatted about it. He was very positive. A good friend.

Can I go to a wedding? Yeah, I could 'gut it out' and be tough, I'm almost sure of it. It wouldn't be as awesome, but if they let me travel I could do it and just work through the pain.

Could I go to a farewell? Again, probably yes. Just not obviously be at 100% and would just fight through the weakness and pain.

Could I go to Israel for a week? No. Not a chance.

Will Valentines continue to be cursed for me? Possibly.

So it looks like I will get through November with no issues. Probably December as well just 'cause I doubt my HMO would have a surgery spot open that soon. But January could be a tough month for me, my loved ones and friends.

There was no miracle.....

2011-11-18T19:52:00.000-08:00

I was taking tons of pics and in a good mood for the awesome blog post I was going to make tonight about how it all went great and I'm gonna be healed up and awesome soon. (for quick results go straight to the bottom of the post)

That post is not going to get written. At least not today. Hopefully in the future.

I was able to do 75% of the prep before I started to vomit. So I just did a couple of enemas to finish the job. Work went awesome yesterday and I got paid so really it wasn't that bad. Just puking into the sink sucks.

I was a little anxious and didn't sleep well. I bought a brand new BMX bike yesterday with part of my paycheck and had the excitedness of a new toy and the nervousness of the procedure today.

That leads to sleeping on the couch and playing Moto Forza 3 all morning. Which was fine and helped calm me down a little. I got to the hospital on time, they got my IV easily. Heck the chair I was waiting in had heat and massage. Take that HMO. haha.

I puked a bit after the surgery in recovery and was very shaky. I also had a messed up EKG for a while so they kept checking my heart. Which is funny that I also had to have a stress echo test earlier this year for chest pain. All this fake cardiac stuff better never turn real!

Basically though I'm sorry to make you read this far to get the simple point that today's hoped for result did not happen. The clip could have worked, but due to the nature of my intestine they were unable to get the tools to that area of my gut. To much scarring and anatomical issues due to past surgery and disease. They would have tore a hole in my intestine if they tried.

What does this all mean? What is the bottom line?
-the intervential gastroenterologist could not get his fancy surgical tool stuff to the part of my intestine where they wanted to work.
+ no active crohn's disease was found while they were looking around.
-i will need to have real, big zipper, cut me totally open surgery again.
+ not much intestine will have to be removed this time.
+ the humira seems to be working.
- i'm sad today didn't work. at all. i had a lot of hope today would be "the day". it wasn't.

enjoy the silence

2011-11-17T14:55:00.000-08:00

So I have a nasty virus in my laptop. Or 20. I've also been working. And now I'm drinking the nasty prep to "clean me out" for surgery tomorrow.

Busy, not feeling well, stuff going on and no computer. So don't be surprised if you don't see an amazing entry till next week.

Stay tuned!

panic! at the rowdisco

2011-11-16T11:52:00.000-08:00

I think I had an honest to goodness full on panic attack today about my surgical procedure Friday.

My breathing was shallow and rapid. I couldn't focus my vision at all. All of the muscles in my body, especially my legs were twitching and vibrating. Nervous and high strung in the extreme.

Worse than the times people have shot at me trying to kill me.

I took some slow deep breathes. I thought about what was triggering it. I focused my attention on the now, bringing my mind and body to the present. I did some quick pushups and stretching. Reaffirming to myself I am fine currently, that it is all in my mind. I am OK.

It slowly faded away rather than build up to a point I was unable to function, which I felt like could honestly happen. I'll see if this works when I come face to face with it Friday morning.......

**I don't care that as a man you're not supposed to show fear. It was a feeling and it was real. I have no shame in that. Better to acknowledge what is wrong and attack it than try to be 'manly' and avoid it.**

2011-11-15T16:57:00.001-08:00

guess what i did today? my good friend Dr. Sombrero (you remember him from the camp pendleton mud run with me?) is an excellent swimmer. i am not. so he came to help me with my technique. and since i'm the goof with the waterproof camera.... yep, that's right. pictures and video.

enjoy my flailing.

Curry? Fish and chips! Curry? Fish and chips!

2011-11-12T21:45:00.001-08:00

Little Britain. You should watch it, then you'd get the title. Snooty BBC comedy watching aside, sometimes you just want fish and chips. And San Diego is not really positioned as a seafood lovers delight. San Francisco, aka the City, is much more the food worthy destination.

San Diego has Mexican food better than most places but that's about it in my opinion.

Sometimes though you just gotta have fish and chips. So sometimes you gotta go out in the rain at night and drive to Chef John's in Lemon Grove. It's just good enough.

I used to....

2011-11-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

I used to like dancing, but I don't anymore.

I used to play the violin, but I don't anymore.

I used to go hunting and fishing, but I don't anymore.

I used to drink, but I don't anymore.

I used to know nothing about football, but I don't anymore.

I used to want a tattoo, but I don't anymore.

I used to like small towns, but I don't anymore.

I used to only care about me, but I don't anymore.

I used to be less self conscious, but I'm not anymore.

I used to get two speeding tickets a year, but I don't anymore.

I used to speak Spanish daily, but I don't anymore.

I used to not know how to swim, but I don't anymore.

I used to like Christmas, but I don't anymore.

.....but I don't anymore.

11-11-11 at 11:11

2011-11-12T07:24:00.000-08:00

Magical. Once in a lifetime.

2011-11-10T19:44:00.000-08:00

If you want a good haircut.... Rinse Salon on University. Ask for Morgan or schedule it online. 45 minutes turned into 90 seconds via the magic of technology.

Don't love me because...

2011-11-10T09:06:00.000-08:00

...I can wear hipster glasses and odd hair styles. (it's getting cut today. www.rinsesd.com ask for Morgan)

...I'm playing the most coveted game of the year and am horrible at it! I should be the 'noob' in the tv commercial, not Jonah Hill.

...I can eat two doughnuts and still go for a 40 minute run in the afternoon. When it is 70F in November. With this as my scenery.

...Because the next sport I'm learning is skydiving to go BASE jumping.

...And finally don't love me because I'm excited to get this with my next paycheck. And it is going to be 50% off.

X. Mark this spot.

2011-11-08T09:59:00.000-08:00

If you're wondering where the "I lost my phone's memory card" post went it is because I deleted it. Not my memory card, the post. 'Cause I found my phones teeny tiny little micro sd card. A fleck of black plastic in between two dark brown leather couch cushions.

Two posts enter, one post lives to paraphrase Mad Max: Beyond the Thunderdome.

Epic post v2.0

One of my good friends, Andres got married and switched careers. What a crazy month that would be for a guy.

I swam for the first time in a couple years in a pool last night, for fitness. I could only swim 200 meters before I had enough. And I could only swim 50m without stopping. So I really need to kick in this training before my triathlon in 4 weeks.

I swam 100m in 2:30. Super D swam it in 2:10. So right away I am losing twenty seconds in a very short race. I know I am faster by over 20 seconds in the run but we're possibly equal on the bike. This race is going to be won and lost by less than 5 seconds is my guess.

This Saturday I am gonna be all alone so I am going to make it a snow day. Yep, in San Diego you can still have a snow day, you just gotta drive a bit. I'll probably go snowboarding or sledding. All depends on my friend's wishes.

Normally I think of insurance as a scam. It has to be. It is just one big gamble they will make more money off you than you get back from them. It's a mandated commercial/governmental casino and you don't even get to decide if you want to play or not. Of course I'm also the person at one time who has had 6 speeding tickets in less than two years. I'm obviously biased.

But sometimes it rolls in your favor and you beat the insurance company. This 1992 Honda I bought two years ago for 2,400? Well after a little mishap where the front bumper and such gets torn off the insurance casino/cartel/company decides it is totaled. Not worth repairing. Fine. I bought a newer Accord to replace it already.

Well they decide to value this almost twenty year old car I bought for just over two grand at $4,000. Yep, that's right, after my deductible is deducted I get a check for $3,500. Ha! Rowdy ftw.

Vegas. Downhill mountain biking. Day trip. 38 degree weather. Four things you would not normally put together in one sentence. I did in one long day. Starting at 430am until 1130pm. Cold, tired, dirty, scared. But fun.

I better find that Santa delivers one of these to my stalking. I watched Rare Exports, the Scandinavian movie the purports he is actually a vicious child killing demon. I won't believe it if he give me this awesome Pez set. Better yet two, one I can play with and one I can keep and sell on eBay in 10 years.

I'm getting my haircut on Friday. Giving up on growing it long and going back to short. Not shaved, just shorter and cleaner than it is now. Never shaving it again unless forced to for brain surgery or something.

The last MotoGP race of the year has a special tribute for Marco's passing. Originally the plan was for a moment of silence. His dad decided otherwise and felt it was more fitting of his son's memory that they have a moment of noise.

Every motorcycle in the paddock was ridden out on track and revved in memory of Super Sic. It was quite the sight and sound. It made me decide that at my funeral I would like a 'moment of noise' as well. I think that would be fitting. Music, yelling, guns, cars, motorcycles or whatever.

And finally to end on a serious note, let's talk about pride. The type of pride where thinking that you're better than someone puts a gulf between you and them. Where you lessen them in you mind. Making it easier for you to treat them poorly. Watch for this carefully in your life, guard against it. And when you find it, kill it with kindness.

rad riding w rowdy

2011-11-07T19:32:00.001-08:00

a rare prototype deemed too unique to destroy

2011-11-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

What's next? Winning the lottery. Nah... I don't play anything I can't reasonably win. Or cheat at. Gaining the ability to jump scary doubles? Possibly, I am starting to visualize success here and riding with people who encourage me. Shaving my head? Nope, liking the compliments I get with longer hair.

How about then that UCSD called me this morning and said they are working on scheduling my experimental procedure and I should hear back next week!!

I am the first person ever they are going to try this on!! Wow. My momma always told me I was unique but I had no idea......

Basically I have a tunnel that starts inside my small intestine and goes out through my body to exit out two surgical scars I have. Think of a "Y" shaped tunnel. Since I am a poor surgical candidate I was referred to the super genius Mayo clinic doctor that just came to UCSD in San Diego. I posted about it/him last month if you wanna go back and read it.

The plan was to use a new interventional gastrointestinal (IG) procedure that has been successful in the stomach, rectum and large intestine. But never has it been tried in the small intestine. I'm the first and this is the only place on the west coast that does it.....

What will happen is they will do a regular endoscopic procedure "look and see" from the top and the bottom. So while they are looking around to see what is up and if I have any active Crohns disease they are going to try and reach my jejunem (middle part of my small intestine where the fistula starts).

If they can reach that part of my gut then they will squirt hydrogen peroxide through my fistulas from the cutaneous (skin) side and see if they can see where it bubbles out into my gut. If/when they visualize this then they deploy a thing that basically looks like a bear trap down the scope to that point and CHOMP the clip it onto the wall of the lumen of my intestine, physically closing the hole and origin of my fistula.

Leaving me with all the intestine I have now. No surgery. Still able to get MRI's. Able to go home that day (I hope). Cross your fingers, burn incense, pray, fast, think of me or whatever you feel will work. If this works I will probably cry for like 24 hours straight.........

The endoclip as it looks open.

The endoclip as it will look on the scope that goes down my throat or up my rear end. Also how it looks once it has snapped shut, bear trap style, on my insides.

rainy day rowdy

2011-11-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

Remember the song as a kid to teach you your body parts, Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes? I do. I still need it for when I have to remember a litany of injuries for medical history purposes.

But today is the rare rainy San Diego day so as I sat down to begin my day I realized all the things I was doing involved very little of my body.

Homemade breakfast burritos of turkey sausage, eggs, cheese and tomato. Mouth and nose.

Fancy hot chocolate with caramel sauce. Mouth and nose.

F.W. Munrau's "Faust" from 1926 on Netflix. Eyes, ears and brain.

California Physicians and Physician Assistants CME article, "Animal to Human Health Risks." Eyes and brain.

San Diego Physicians magazine article "Infectious Diseases." Eyes and brain.

Looks like nothing is going on today below my neck.......(insert jokes here. pun intended) I'm going to have to change that and make it a 'full bodied' kind of day.

Rich, roasted, Rowdy full bodied all-day flavor.

My first day back at work!! Mi primera dia regressa a trabajo!

2011-11-03T21:50:00.000-07:00

My Spanish is horrible, so please forgive me if I totally butchered that version of my blog title. I felt like using my mind, not Google translate.

So I had my first day back at 'real' work. Nuclear Medicine. What my degree is and what most of my real big boy job experience has been.

I'm getting paid an OK amount, $40 per hour. Not as much as I've made before but more than a lot of other jobs. So I'm very happy with that. Only two days a week right now but who knows. It will either grow or shrink. But I am happy for what I have now.

Of the 9 iv's I started I only had to poke one person twice. I did everything on time and never had to apologize for a mistake. Because in the medical field you want to make your mistakes a 1 in 1,000 occurrence. After about 3 hours I was totally back in the groove.

Which to me, this is something I was very afraid of. I have not worked in nucs for almost 2 years. Two years of not using a skill at all. Since I am good at riding a bike and that's the analogy always used, I quickly remembered how to ride the nuclear medicine bicycle.

And of course, here are the pics. A couple of me in the brief moments of non-frantic working. My computer work station. And the camera with a patient. Sssshhhh, don't tell anyone.

Since you've read this far I will reward you with a funny story from the first day back...
A little old Filipina lady, whom I thought was a nurse in another part of the office, was talking with the medical assistants and stopped me as I was leaving by saying, "Ohhh, you have red hair. I bet you are HOT! All the girls want you I am sure."
To which my reply was, "Some do. I have what I want."
She then said, "Well let me show you how to get them. You say 'It's my birthday come give me a hug.'" To which I follow her arm motions and hug her.
She tried to grab my butt during the hug and coos "Oh you are hot!" Then she follows it up with "Now you say 'Give me a kiss'", and she does the European style cheek kiss. I play along, not thinking at all about the impending molestation.
I kiss one side, as I'm moving over for the next...... she moves fast like a honey badger and kisses me full on the mouth.
Yeah. That's how I end my first day at work. Don't hate.

the Louvre is now at my house

2011-11-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

Just bought 4 pieces of art.... My Xmas gift to self this year. Here is hoping I made a good choice investment wise. I know I made a great choice from a point of view of my personal enjoyment. They are awesome if you ask me and very "rowdy". But it would be cool if they also appreciated in monetary value over time.

I can picture my will being read in 40 years and these things being something prized after by my inheritors.

When everything arrives and is framed I will get photos up. Until then it will be a secret and a huge chunk out of the bank account. Oh yeah, it just got real!

1st bmx race equals???

2011-11-02T22:37:00.000-07:00

MagicMac(MM) and I met at the Kearny bmx track wednesday night. It was my first time and he had done it tons years ago.

Get dressed, pay our $15 for practice and race and off we go. He's on his blackmarket dj/park bike and i'm on my transition double. They just put us in the cruiser class.

Lots of practice runs, him getting back into the groove and me just trying to stay out of people's way. I was just happy to be able to track stand at the gate each time without falling.

Now it's heat race #1 time! I'm on the outside gate of our group and get left in 3rd by MM and the girl state champ in cruiser. Going into the first berm I run too low and wash out the front at speed in a spectacular manner. GoPro hit hard enough to eject the card so the file didn't save. Dang it! I get back up and go for it! 3rd place. Bloody but oh well. MM second and the girl 1st.

Heat race #2 and we flip flop. MM goes down where I did and I ride past him. Girl is first, I'm second and MM exits the track bloody. Not enough people in our class for a 3rd heat so rest time till the final.

Final race and MM is not going to let this girl push him around. He makes it a known fact he is gonna hold his line and beat her on the straights. Boom the gate drops. They are neck and neck. I'm trailing way behind. Going into the second to last corner she runs high and trys to cut down onto MM. He is in front and doesn't yield. Her pass attempt is not solid and she goes down with a THWACK. Still laying there as I pedal by slowly... not sure what to do. But there are not yellow flags in bmx and someone is attending to her. So off I pedal and 2nd. (secretly hoping they would have taken each other out and I could have won the final)

Each of us crashed. She was 1st, 1st, 3rd. MM was 2nd, 3rd, 1st. And I was 3rd, 2nd, 2nd. That got me 3rd place, missing out on 2nd place by one freaking point!

We got trophies. MM got his revenge. I realize I'm going to need a lot of work. But it was fun fun fun. Cheap, easy to get to and fast. Fast racing. So I will be back next wednesday for sure! With a different set of tires though, no 2.3 mtb tires!
set of tires though, no 2.3 mtb tires!

No pics, so you'll just have to trust me....

2011-11-01T17:03:00.001-07:00

But I made burritos tonight and I used ground buffalo. Bison. Instead of beef. And it tasted pretty delicious. Even with using vegetarian refried beans. HA!

And if a buffalo burrito isn't something enough of what you don't hear everyday I'll contribute something I heard once.

Boy: I don't like scary movies. At all.
Girl: Me either.
Boy: Yeah, one time I went to a scary movie and I just looked at my feet the whole time with my ears plugged.
Girl: Well I had a boyfriend who knew I didn't like them and asked me to go to a movie called 'The Ring'. And I was thinking ring like wedding ring, it's a romantic comedy, I'll go. Boy was I wrong!!
Boy:hahahahaha.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T21:53:00.001-07:00

If it don't make dollars, it don't make sense.

2011-10-30T16:20:00.001-07:00

Guess who get's to work part time doing Nuclear Medicine this month? Here are some hints. They are in the photo below. They have red hair. They write this blog.

ME, Rowdy! Dang, you only needed one guess!!

Finally! Making some $$ again. Took me a while to find my white lab coats but I still have a drawer full of scrubs.

I'm the Great Pumpkin

2011-10-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

I love pumpkin pie. I've had it in place of birthday cake more than once. I'm friends with 'pumpkin pie' and 'sugar' on Facebook. Picture Mort from Madagascar saying "I love pumpkin pie. I loved it before you even knew of it." That's me.

I even have pumpkin orange colored hair.

So it should be no surprise I would eat a dinner that was actually cooked inside a pumpkin! Yep, you read that right.

A mix of meatballs, mushrooms, onions, rice and water chestnuts in a creamy mushroom sauce all cooked within a hollowed out pumpkin. In your oven for 90 minutes.

I just scraped it out into a bowl with the cooked up pumpkin flesh. It was sooo delicious and satisfying. It was also amazing the day after when I spooned it over some left over baked rosemary potatoes.

Like me, sooo unique and delicious.

2011-10-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

I wish I had a big TV in my bedroom. It would make falling asleep in my bed easier. Right now I sleep most nights on the couch till 4am and then try to go to bed.

Ugh.

Wild Horses

2011-10-27T21:15:00.001-07:00

I hiked down the cliff to go surfing again at Black's Beach today. Since it was sunny the nudists were out in force. Ugh. That's the last thing I want thrusted upon me, naked old men. Pun intended.

The surfcast I looked at and the reality facing me on the beach were totally at odds. Nothing surfable really. So I grabbed the GoPro and my homemade pistol grip from a few posts down and headed into the water.

I've been wanting to shoot video of my surfing friends in the water and I figured this was a good way to practice and get comfortable in waves with no one around. My ears were TOTALLY filled with sand as well. Took like a bulb syringe in the shower and such to finally clear and clean the sand out.

Let me know if you like the results! Or wanna be a surfing subject for me sometime.

my world record

2011-10-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

A hike up Cowles mountain in 1 minute. World Record!

Throw away, do not recycle.

2011-10-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

Of all the different types of blog posts, by far the easiest and most commonly used during writer's block is the list. Foods you like, places you've visited, people you hate. Things like that. Simple. So here is mine for today.

Bands I used to like but now despise.

1. Red Hot Chili Peppers
2. U2
3. Linkin Park
4. 311
5. Foo Fighters
6. The Beatles
7. Green Day

Maybe 'despise' is too strong of a word. How about in this case it meaning I change the channel if 95% of their songs come on. I buy zero of their music. I have deleted them almost entirely from my mp3 player. (a NON Apple product tyvm) So just for my reader and friend in real life, Amber, here is why I don't like these bands at all. If I ever did.

1. To me, anything after Mother's Milk didn't need to be made. Everything after that sounds exactly alike. Even more commercial and processed. It can't even be called derivative as it has all sounded exactly alike now for almost 20 years. What was once new and fresh is now old and stale. I have not seen them in concert but have owned 2 tapes and 3 different cd's.
2. Anything after Joshua Tree is crap in my opinion. This is a case of a band going too far from what worked for them originally. And then thinking you are soooo very special and important. The fame and adoration went to their heads. The emperor is naked and has no musical clothes. I have seen them in concert, owned at least 4 tapes and 3 cd's.
3. I like music that amps me up quite often. I like to play that kind loud in the car especially. But where LP used to have a dozen songs I like and could crank, if I hear one now it just grates. It seems stuck in a style and period that hasn't been able to translate into my life now. On the other hand, Disturbed is an example of how to do this right. 3 cd's and a couple downloads if you include the Fort Minor side project.
4. Down. Great song. The rest is too melodic and a soundscape almost. Not enough rocking. 311 lulls me to sleep and I've heard it all too much. I dated a girl who loved 311 and I'm glad now she stole all their cd's from me. Seen them in concert and owned 4 or 5 cd's.
5. Nothing to like here anymore. Grohl's artistic taste seem unique at one time but I realize it's not totally his vision. Nirvana was awesome. Foo Fighters are not. I've never liked their music and included them only because I wanted to be able to express again that I don't enjoy hearing any of their songs. Having Dave play Satan in the Tenacious D movie was the most accurate casting ever. No concerts or cd's ever.
6. Katchup or mustard? Bacon or suasage? Coke or Pepsi? Stones or Beatles? Normally people like one and not the other. In this case I like the Rolling Stones. Not the Beatles. The Beatles were nice when I was a pre-teen and learning about rock and roll's development. Their history and catalog is wide ranging. But when it comes to singing in the car, dancing around or just grooving I want it to be the Stones. The fab four can be skipped over. Heck I'd even rather hear almost anything from the Beach Boys than the Beatles. Full disclosure, giving a girl a vintage Beatles album for her birthday once got me some dates with a girl out of my league. So I have feigned interest in the past but only in pursuit of hotness. Parent's albums, one cd.
7. Pretentious. Over wrought. Simplistic. Off base politically. Fake. Guy liner. Nothing to listen to here folks, move along. They are the musical equivalent of Hot Topic if you get what I'm saying. Nothing. Ever.

project vid

2011-10-25T18:45:00.001-07:00

Home movies 21st century style!

2011-10-24T16:53:00.000-07:00

I did 3 different GoPro mount projects today.

#1. I've taken my camera surfing a few times and have had surfing friends ask now to borrow it. So I thought it was best to get some sort of insurance since they don't float, waterproof though they may be.
Cut up close cell foam pool floaty plus Gorilla Glue and a little bit of scissor work and tah dah, a housing that floats.
I even tested it a couple times, shoving it down a foot underwater and it still popped right back up. And for half the price of the official GoPro one.

#2 A hand held mount, pistol grip style. This will allow me to hold the camera in my hand without my fingers needing to be on the housing. (which means in front of the lens normally). This will be good for snowboarding and in the water surf shots of others. It was less than $2 to make. And since I have the GoPro tri pod adapter I can use any of my cameras on it.

#3. The elusive narwhal. This one is going to take some work to perfect but I am pretty excited by what the possibilities are. You can imagine I won't be rocking this one though first time out on a trail! It is just so trippy to ride around with.
I need to work on the angle and counter balance a bit. Then I can dial in the camera angle. Vanity they name is Rowdy.

Once the video loads on Vimeo that will be up too!

#4 Not a project but a purchase. Got the chesty mount to try on the bike and with snowboarding this year.

Rock Star. RowdStar.

Another first.

2011-10-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

Short vid of my first cyclocross race!