He is...................

He strongly follows the rule "Safety Third".

His name IS in the dictionary. You can look it up.

He doesn't use Purell, he uses pure testosterone.

He parks in physicians parking even when he's not playing doctor. Or making house calls.

He can make Gozilla be the little spoon.

His company car has been a helicopter.

He is..............

The most rowdy man in the world.

jiu jitsu musings

Well I think my jiu jitsu game is advancing. I say this because I am able to try more with my training partners. I am just not reacting but actively ahead of what's going on. I used to have a very closed guard oriented game and that is not the case now. The ability to bait people, link submission attempts together and a greater mental awareness have all came around a little bit better for me. Giving me a noticeable improvement.

This has also given me the benefit of something very elusive in jiu jitsu, better timing. It is not that I worked on better timing or that I even really do have better timing, but my ability to "see" and predict things while rolling is now in better synch with what my body can do. So while I may not be faster per se, I am better able to time what I am doing.

Now if only my ability to put my weight on people was to magically improve. But I think I might always be at a disadvantage there. Jiu jitsu is nice in that if you are smaller than someone you can still fight them and have an even or better chance. But when you both are good at jiu jitsu then being bigger and or fitter makes a difference. And it seems that in this sport bigger normally mean fitter. As I am only 136 pounds I can only project so much weight or force and when I am doing it against someone bigger than more or of equal or better skill, I just don't get the effect I am after in controlling them.

The flip side to that though is I am getting a little better about feeling the other person's weight. So my escapes and sweeps are starting to happen faster, more crisply.

And when I get better my training partners get better. It is nice to be able to help the white and blue belts out. We all want to be better fighters. And I am going to be!!

This day in history

2008- I saw Snoop Dogg in concert. Again.

2007- I flew out of Iraq for the final time.

2005- I was in the ER in Pleasanton.

2000- My parents gave me a brand new set of scripture.

1999- I went to Mexico for my first time. Cozumel.

racing ranting & rowdy randomness recorded

My racing season for 2010 is over before it even really began. In February I raced a super d out at Cahuilla Creek with Racers and Chasers. My first race as a Cat 2/Sport. I was in the hospital for 14 days before, getting out on Thursday and racing on Saturday!! On someone else's bike as well! I had two big over the bar crashes and ended up just phoning my race runs in. Race two was at Elfin Forrest again with Racers and Chasers this time in June. Only this time I did the World Championships of BJJ on Friday and then raced the super d on Saturday. Aaaaannnnnddd then was in the hospital bright and early Monday morning for a week.....

ARGH! I specifically sold my old bike and bought this super expensive one just for this kind of racing this year. I wanted to win overall in my age group in the two different series. Nope, not to be! AND I finally got some low level sponsorship from Kenda in the form of 10 free sets of tires and parts at cost from Trek.

Racers and Chasers is really growing their XC racing business in San Diego and the venues just aren't amenable to super d racing. Where last year they had a true summer series they don't this year.

I went to the So-Cal Stage Race super d today up at Rim Nordic near Big Bear to start their super d series. The one I took second in my age group overall in the Open class last year. Well I misread the freaking website and showed up 4 hours late!!! Totally missed my race. And from looking at the times I would have podiumed! Cuss it!!

So I review their Super D series schedule and find that I am only able to race one out of five. What?!?!?! You have to race at least two to qualify for the series points. I will be in Italy, a project with a friend from out of town, a Ginastica Natural seminar in LA and out of town again to miss 4 out of the 5 races!!! Cuss it!

So unless I figure out a different series that races Super D in So-Cal on a Saturday I have no races this summer. And that makes me sad!

So since I missed my freaking race I decided to go ride up the fire road on the east side of Cowles Mountain. I set a PR and was up from the street to the very top in 22:50. And I then set a PR for the downhill and was back at the street in 5:20.

I definitely wish I had a bigger free-ride style bike now if all I am gonna do is just shuttle and play around. I don't need a lightweight trail weapon now. This bike is THE perfect super d weapon, but if I'm not racing... why not get a big bike?

Anyways....... my race season is now shot. And NO, I will not race cross country instead.




I always get the funniest looks riding around on the scooter. So I thought I would try and take some pictures while I was riding it home from jiu jitsu the other morning and see just what I looked like from the outside. I don't see it.... All I see is something that tops out at 40mph, has decent underseat storage and gets 110mpg!!!!




The number one guilty pleasure right now, fancy shaving stuff. A handmade badger hair brush, all natural ingredient pre-shave oil and cream. This stuff lathers on sooo well, rinses well, never clogs pores or makes me break out and has a good neutral manly smell. I love it! No way will I ever go back to crap from the grocery store again! (the Art of Shaving store can be found in the Fashion Valley mall. It ain't cheap but is is worth it for the best shave ever!!)

Hai un amigo en mi, si un amigo en mi.

Toy Story 3 in 3D was a good movie. I liked the plot, sub plots, voice acting and of course the 'animation'. Easily worth a $15 ticket.

Today I hit the entire stable! I drove the truck, the Porsche, my motorcycle, the scooter and my mountain bike. Now THAT is a complete day of vehicles.

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Hypogonadism is such an ugly word.

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Many people play the "what would you do if you had a million dollars?" game, but I must have small dreams as mine comes out to much less than a million dollars.

-$32,000 to pay off my student loans
-$42,000 to pay off my child support totally ahead
-$2,500 for a new downhill mountain bike, Trek Session 8
-$600 for a new pistol, Glock 19
-$1,000 for a 3" lift and tires for my truck, Rev Tech and BFG All-Terrains
-$300 for some new clothes
-$1,000 worth of private lessons for jiu jitsu.
-$23,000 to pay off my truck

For a grand total of almost $100,000 dollars everything could be as I dream it should be. 10% of the dream amount most people use. Heck, it's almost seeming like a bargain now. You could throw in my house and it wouldn't even be 3/4 of a million.

And when I think that some years I have made more than that in a year it doesn't seem all that incredible or unattainable of a number. But truthfully right now it might as well be a million. But I do know what I'd do with one hundred thousand.......

OB

My two favorite sayings about the place are; "OB, where the ghetto meets the sea" and "Take the 'j' out of 'job' and you got OB".

Evidently I am not the only one who feels these are slightly more than true...........

there and back again

Books on cassette. From the library. Yeah, it's a time travel machine this 1992 Honda. But it was a champ on the drive from SD to SLC!! Cool AC, 32mpg, plenty of room. Just zero modern audio options.
The absolutely largest tires I have ever seen in my life.
JAM session! Oh the fun times that can be had in "the bomb shelter" as the music room is now called.
I actually think I want to start taking singing lessons so that I have something to contribute. Everyone but me can play an instrument and sings a higher part than me. So if I can add my low voice, and my soul, then it should be fun!
I know I have an inner rockstar in me, I know it.

Swimming at the pool. Bring on 4th of July!!

And the picture I wanted to take/didn't want to take was the weirdo homo peeking into the stall I was using at a restroom. Now I know why our mom made us use the girls bathroom when we were kids. There are some freaking weirdo gay people in men's restrooms. YUK.

HFD!

If you're a little slow, that stands for "Happy Father's Day!".

Rather than wax poetic about love, live, lessons learned, the nature of family and such I am just going to keep it light.

Yesterday I was impatient when I saw my present wrapped and sitting on the counter. Since my day had already started out awesome with an epic mountain bike ride I was able to successfully channel that energy into getting my present early. Woo hoo!

A very cute card. Two pairs of Haviana flip flops, white and blue. An Eric Burden and the Animals anthology cd. And Fractured Fairy Tales in book form.

NICE!!! No ties or socks for me. =)

When you're winning is no time to stop so I then suggested I should be taken out to dinner! HAH!

The wait at Crab Hut was over a hour, so we went to Joe's Crab Shack instead and had a delightful meal there. (and my hair looked really good last night)

Today will be taking it easy, watching highlights of the Brazil/Ivory Coast futbol game and the Silverstone MotoGP race as well. I already started the day off right with a mega protein breakfast of ground sausage, 3 eggs, 3 pieces toast and glass of limeade.

Happy Father's Day!!

Hey, they are new to me.

Two new things for me this week.

I finally put some newer stickier tires on the supermoto. Bridgestone BT-003's. I mean, they do say "MotoGP" on the sticker so they gotta be fast, right?


I did ride another WR250X with these tires the last time I was at the track and I was very impressed, so I feel I made a great choice. But then when putting the bike back together I didn't tighten my axle sliders down properly and one vibrated out. Guess it is time for skateboard wheel sliders now.....

Secondly, I made watermelon juice. Well, kinda. I took half a watermelon and cut it up and put it in the blender. Then I added a cup of ice and a cup of lemonade. Hit blend and 1 minute later, DELICIOUS!

Fabio told me to strain it through cheese cloth to get less pulp and seeds, but they seemed really insignificant to me so I don't think I will do that step to often. Just another thing to clean that I don't want to.

Two great new things for me this week. And that is a good thing Martha.

The 11th stupidist thing I have done. Lately.

I texted with my left hand while riding my motorcycle tonight. Nice!

Breaking blog rule #1

Blog rule number one is not to complain about your job. I am now breaking that rule.

Back in March I was running at the beach and saw an acquaintance who in our small talk went on to tell me how busy he was with work. As I have been a customer of his before and liked his work a light went off in my head, maybe I should try and work with him!

I talked with him about it later and we set up a time where I could get some training with him, to learn how to do what he does.

In May I took the training and did very well. During this time he and I talk about ways he would like to advance his business and the role I could play. Change in physical location, guaranteed business for me, extra help in training and so on.

None of this has happened to the extent that I have had any success in starting this new type of work.

He has not found a physical location for us to be.
He hast not brought me in for extra training or to help him in his work.
He is against me advertising for myself outside of his umbrella.

I have been unable to find any regular clients on my own, I have spent a little over $5,000 to get started in this and of course have not made even the tiniest dent in paying that back.

And due to a cultural and language difference between us I am having a hard time communicating how I feel about this successfully to him.

That five thousand dollars would have been much better spent in other ways. Heck, one private lesson a week in brazilian jiu jitsu for a year would have been great! Or I could have gone to Brazil for a month easily with that money.

Whatever! I'm just mad that my work life has sucked 80% of the time I've lived here in San Diego and I just made a mistake again it seems.....

I am getting new tires for the supermoto!! Yeah! After about 12 track days I think it is time. The tread wear was not to bad but they have been heat cycled something fierce! So a set of race Bridgestone BT-003 s are going on this week! Already ordered, paid for and my wheels dropped off. Oh yeah!

I was up till 3am this morning writing in my journal. This is not a new thing for me. The past 10 years are in these five books.

My greatest fear

It is my greatest fear having had to be hospitalized twice already this year for my Crohns disease it will progress beyond medical treatment.

I take Pentasa and get the Remicade infusion. The two front-line treatments for Crohns disease. But yet I still have had two partial small bowel obstructions this year alone.

Why should this create such a big fear in me? Well I am already missing half my small intestine. If the part that is bothering me now does not respond to medical treatment then it will have to be removed surgically.

Having this section remove could possibly put me over an edge where I become, in the words of my doctor, "a nutritional cripple". I would no longer be able to eat. I would be hooked up to a machine 12 hours a day for my nourishment. But this won't keep me alive forever.

It is my greatest fear that I will not get better, I'll have surgery, I'll then be on TPN and finally die. I don't want to die in the next year.

I don't.

International Male

No, not the hairless, sculpted male underwear model. You'll have to go to my Facebook page to see that pic of me I posted earlier.

I'm talking about sports! And that's how I am internationally known.

Mundials. World Championships of Jiu Jitsu. Check.

Pick up futbol game in the park near my house where normally only the Somali taxi drivers play? Not quite but I did get asked to play with all the neighborhood kids. (in spite of my blinding whiteness!!) The spirit of the World Cup in play, locally. Check.

Badminton pick up game in the park. In Hanoi Viet Nam. When the Asian Indoor games were being held the same week. Check.

And there was this futbol game going on in Marrakesh Morocco where I was given rounds of high fives and "American!" but not allowed to join in. Hhahahaha. Check.

flashback

My first car, a 1976 Datsun B210. I saw this one today and was instantly transported back in time. Make this one a two door in dark brown and it's exact.

Scary there is still one running.....

Not dead, just ill.

As I am only ill and not dead, I decided to go to the racetrack today and tear around on my supermoto. Fun times!

There were more guys there than I have ever seen before and I also got to hang out with my friend who owns and runs Socal Supermoto.

Right now I just have some still shots, but as others upload action shots I'll put them up too!!

A week in review

A mi casa.

So I was able to leave the hospital tonight on a somewhat conditional release. I am not totally better and can not have solid food for days to come still.

But I am medically sophisticated enough to do this level of care and attention at home, so they let me leave. Knowing I know what to watch for and to immediately return if things don't get better.

Which I hope and pray they do. I'm really freaking tired of Crohns disease and its effects on me and my life. Boo!!

It is soo sweet to be home.

cussing cuss cusser

i'm feeling:

angry
ignored
marginalized
helpless
inconsequential
weak
trapped

??

I normally feel like there is something to be learned from almost every experience. Especially the ones that try us. This past week it has not been easy for me to discern what mine should be, but I will still brainstorm so ideas and see what sticks....

I am more fragile than I realize. People think I am tough or fit or active or whatever based on the type of hobbies I do and the level I do them at, but really I don't think I totally fit that role. Those things are a maximum attainment for me, not the norm. Really I guess I am quite weak and fragile. But that type of thinking leads me then to believe I probably have a markedly decreased life expectancy.....

Which leads to the second possible lesson learned from this, that the middle is not where I want to be. If I am happy I want to be joyous and loving it, whatever it is. If I am upset I want to gnaw and gnash and have a red face. To be vivid and vibrant. Personality and emotion. Not tepid, not lukewarm. Never tense, never hesitant. This is not to be confused with manic depression or being bipolar, but just being more animate overall. Less "blah" and more "rrrrawr"!

A greater sense of myself is probably needed. Rather than just blithely going along and reacting to my health, I should self monitor a little more. Be more aware and monitor my diet a little better.

So all these things and one thing I'm keeping private are really the only things that come to mind as lessons learned from this latest week in the hospital.

Hmmm......What to think, but more importantly, what to do?

morpheus

it is impossible to sleep without the aid of drugs in a hospital. impossible i say!!

stricken again

i am in the hospital again with a partial small bowel obstruction.
ng tube is in an pumping furiously, probably for two more days. i hate the thing and it has irritated my throat so much i can only speak or swallow with grimacing or scowling.

first step of course is dealing with the inflammation medically. if that doesn't work then it is surgery.........

so nothing exciting going on here anytime soon. sorry.

2 broken bones later. NOT MINE!

The part that really matters, I was 5th place out of 9 in men's sport for the Super D race. There were no age classifications, just gender and skill level. This was my second race in the Sport class, a big step up from beginner in the level people train and how serious they are about racing.

I had been doing all jiu jitsu training and no mountain bike training at all. So I was happy to be mid pack in this race. And especially happy for the help I received in bike set up and riding from some of the pro's and experts I have seen now at a few races. Cool to be hanging out with the real racers rather than lounging aimlessly with the beginners.

The race was at Elfin Forest, a place I had never been before. There was no real forest. But it was 45 minutes from the house rather than 90 minutes or 3 hours like most of my races. The course was not suited to my strong points but I liked it the more I rode it. Rocky, loose and many many downhill switchbacks. I actually ended up racing on platform pedals for the first time ever! I might make the switch permanent. Too bad I just bought XTR cliple$$ pedal$.

If the dam we were parked under broke it would have been pretty exciting! And it was crazy to see $40,000 worth of bikes in the back of the rental truck. Someone broke a leg in the XC race and someone broke an arm and ribs in the Super D race. I fell once at slow speed in the race. I wish I had brought my pads after I saw the rocks.

Wanna race? I say you should start with Robert at Racers and Chasers!!