All Things Rowdy

-Ride my motorcycle in Mexico, just a day trip -Visit Yellowstone, the Smithsonian museums, the Canadian maritimes -Attend the Austin MotoGP race -qualify for and compete in the IDPA national championships, by doing 3 sanctioned matches -continue to grow my hair out -become a good Cub Scout leader -go back to CO or UT for some downhill mountain biking -complete the Tough Mudder in February in a reasonable time -take the Texas Tornado Bootcamp

January- JoJo got married. I recovered from my last surgery. February-visit from an old friend. March-working on fitness by surfing and playing tennis. Killer plans to go to Korea. April-more fitness, more jiu jitsu. A little work. Begin PA school apps. May-my birthday. GRE. getting my first DSLR camera. Israel. June- climbing Mt Whitney. Norway. July-new motorcycle. summer active in skating, surfing, climbing, biking, bjj. August-week of mnt biking in Utah. MKB visit. swimming lessons. September- Start a new sport, IDPA. quit bjj for good. October- Mud run. family visits. Chile. rock climbing more. November-family visits. Zero acceptance to grad schools. December- two weeks in Europe. new motorcycle. More has got to have happened right? Either way, 2012.............

OK, I will admit to some radical personal beliefs. Probably the biggest is that I am against owning pets. Almost like ALF level disagreement to pet ownership. And probably 99% of the people out their think my ideas or opinions about it are "radical". Or just as radical my ideas on prisoners and taxes. It seems that going to jail doesn't really do much to rehabilitate a person away from further criminal activity. In my mind while they are there they should be serving the rest of the population who are not criminals. Basically there shouldn't be a speck of trash anywhere, nothing un-painted, no graffiti, no weeds, no nothing left undone that is simple manual labor to clean and beautify a city. Not slavery while doing you're time but service for the greater good of the community and for no profit. Taxes. I've been poor. I've been "rich". Folks with less income use more public services. If taxes provide those services then they should pay more. A...

Happy Birthday Killer! I hope you are loving Korea and it was great to skype with you the other day. Love ya man!

My 'real' Christmas this year was last week's trip to France. Heck, I don't have a single tree, light or decoration up at my house. No family visiting, no fancy food, nothing to really tell other than a few cards from friends on the bookcase. Well actually they are all Super D's friends. No one sent me a card. Aaaaaand there are no presents or stockings or anything either. I got my presents weeks ago. And yet with no tree, no presents, no kids or family here, no Christmas nothing I was still awake and such at 455am today!! Don't feel sorry for me though, I'm actually quite comfortable with it. But if I were to have done all the traditional stuff, this is probably a pretty accurate way to portray how the morning would have been..... And I'll never shoot mine, or anyone else eye out! (unless they deserve it) So while my actual gifts were two different guns, I think the real presents this year have been -Killer going to Korea -Jeweled Maliciou...

2012 was originally billed as "Back to Bad Ass" for me. I'm not sure I entirely accomplished my initial purpose but what has happened is that as of today I have made it exactly one year without being in a hospital. That hasn't happened since 2004...... So maybe 2012 should have been billed as "Back to Baseline" and 2013 can be??? A year ago A week ago

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” ― Saint Augustine of Hippo and from on of my favorite authors, of whom I have an exceptional collection of 100 year old copies, “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.” ― Robert Louis Stevenson, Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes 11 Days on the road, traveling through central Europe. Wow. Normally I take my paper journal with me and record my thoughts and impressions each day. This time I brought the journal and never cracked it open. I wonder what that means....? Treating my blog as a dry erase board I'm now just going to blog out some of my thoughts, feelings and impressions from the trip in hopes of being both accurate, entertaining and thorough. Enjoy the view, especially if it is a new one to you. -travel by train is fairly easy. even if you don't speak the language. traveling by bus is horrid and i'd rather endure many unpl...

Today I did most of the things on the generic "top10" lists for the two cities. Walked the main shopping street. Saw the two biggest cathedrals. Ealked along the Danube. Viewed Parliament. A visit to castle hill. All around the streets there and the Budapest national museum. The Simelwiess medical museum. And of course ate various goulash, pastries and Hungarian dishes. Tomorrow is a spy and secret police museum and a visit to where all the old Communist statues are now stored. Then maybe a spa visit and more food. Thursday is the 16 journey back home. Here are some pics from today.

Now I know why my earliest memories of the word "ghetto " have a European origin. Walking the area around the central train station in Pest shows starkly that no place is free of poverty and squalor and depression.

Pictures

The Vienna Concert House. Wow. Last night I attended a concert of the Vienna Symphony there and heard the most beautiful music Iv'e heard in my life. It brought me to tears. I have seen many beautiful things but have heard few. The words of love. The cries of new life. Visual beauty is everywhere but heard seldom. This moved me greatly and I'll carry the power of it inside me forever.

One, the amount of cigarette smoke I've had to endure here in europe. Disgusting. All my clothes stink, i stink and it gives me a constant headache. Fitlhy and dumb. Second, not bringing my perscribed sleep medication. For three days I slept only 3 hours a night. Then I slept 14. Now I'm back sleeping from nine pm till midnight and thats about it. How dumb of me to think what I need at home I wouldn't need here. Finally I chose not to bring a razor or shaving cream to "force" growing my beard more. Why? Idk.... 'Cause I sure want to shave now as I look like a dumb slob with it. Oh yeah it is 419am as I write this. Ps-dumb thing I forgot. I didn't turn off data roaming on my phone so after racking up a couple hundred bucks in foreign data charges att shut off my data access totally. Hahahah how can ot be that I have been around the world to twenty countries and I still do silly little dumb things like this.

It is for sure winter here. Ive had to get new boots and a fuury hat. Stuff that works here in europe but no so much in so cal. Remind me never to fly american airlines again. Hate them. Frankfurt was easy. A few hours on three different trains and im in france for part one of vacation. Strasbourg is beautiful. Even my cell phone pics look great. It is snowy and cold, but in a snuggly romantic way. Not a too painful way. Tomorrow is gonna be packed with shopping, viewing, pictures, food and such. It really is very close to how i imagined it amd that is soo nice. Only thin gis i dress like a slob compared to my euro peer group. oh, and the hobbit opens a week earlier here than the usa so ill be seeing that here as well!

Today, #1- pack everything up and make the house ready for departure.(ps-i just bought concert tickets online using a sight with German only, no English translation. I was successful!) Monday, #2- leave at 4am for JFK #3- arrive Frankfurt Germany #4,5,6-After traveling by rail from Germany arrive in Strasbourg France and spend a few days shopping and experiencing the oldest extant Christmas market, having been in continuance since the 15th century. #7,8,9- Another day on Eurorail brings us to Vienna Austria for urban cafes, music and opera. Specifically a night at the Wiener Konzerthaus for a symphonic performance. Oh yeah, and in row 2. Prime time or no time! #10,11,12- A final scenic train ride takes me to Budapest Hungary. Sights, history, museums and ballet. From here it's just a short 14 hour first class flight back to provincial Sandy Lame-o. I mean, "Hey we got nice weather", San Diego. Merry Christmas my awesome blog readers!

A flickr photo set of the last ride. Starting Monday at 4am my Euro Winter Metropolitan vacation begins.

ccdsgp from rowdy matt on Vimeo .

The week set aside for remembering those with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases is almost over. While others maybe think about it for a week, I've lived it for over 2/3 of my life. So hopefully some other kid doesn't have to suffer how I have, please donate to the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America. I promise you'll touch a life and your heart will be softened. Do something good. You can do so here.

I'll let you draw your own conclusions from these body/health/fitness statistics I've recently measured. Height 5' 7" Weight 144 lbs BMI 22 Body Fat 15% Resting Heart Rate 66 bpm Blood Pressure 116/68 (i have my own cuff at home!) Chest 34" Waist 29" Hips 33.75" Arm 9.75" Thigh 17" Heck, feed all that info into a 3D printer and you could make a model of me for your own personal use. At home. Behind closed doors. Yesterday I did boot camp style circuit training for 2 hours 10 minutes. My average heart rate was 138 bpm with a maximum of 182 bpm. My sister better watch out come February and we're running the Tough Mudder together, 'cause I'm not gonna carry her. I'm gonna bury her. How's that for sibling rivalry?!?!

Just a little insight into my personal realm. (and a strong attempt to avoid alliteration) This is a list of all the things I currently have piled up on my couch, night stand and Nook to read. Sport Rider magazine. All about sport bikes, crotch rockets or whatever you like to call them. The Atlantic magazine. News, features. Always interesting and not as overtly biased. Practical Shooting: Beyond Fundamentals. A book by one of the pioneers of modern competitive pistol shooting. Vienna; Day by day. Pocket size guide for upcoming vacation. The Best of Budapest. Sounds like an 80's band, but another guide book. Foreign Affairs magazine. Just like it says, a mag about international stuff. Mind Gym, The Athletes Guide to Inner Excellence. Hopefully a good read for my competitive self. Some would question if I need more of this. hahaha. The Journal of International Security Affairs. More world security stuff. There ya go, the varied list of reading material from a rena...

This a totally color enhanced pic from my ride today. A 4 hour ride through the hills of north county. I'd say that's a break in! And of course here is the requisite video. I picked the wrong song, so you can mute it if you want. Oh, and that exhaust is going to HAVE to go. They are called "motor" cycles, and should not sound like sewing machines.

Most other weeks will live in shame at the thought of comparing themselves to the week I have planned. It takes a real Rowdy to pull down a week like this! -ride the new motorcycle on a small adventure ride in the dirt. with video! CHECK -practice shooting. dry and live fire. CHECK -ride the downhill bike, even if just an easy ride. Friday? -bootcamp 4 mornings a week to get a sexy bod. CHECK -mailing my awesome Christmas cards, the ones that say "Only terrorists say Happy Holidays". Tuesday? -sending Killer his birthday and Christmas package. CHECK -surf Thursday? -friends over for dinner Thursday 6pm -shooting competition Saturday 8am -truck oil change Tuesday 10am -final shopping before two weeks in Europe CHECK Yeah, all weeks turn away at the realization of their insufficiency.

Now that I have a GoPro, which I never had with any of my previous dirt bikes or supermotos, prepare for more motorcycle pictures and such. And better than previous ones like these:

Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. What I do with my eyes and my fingers is critical to succeeding in competitive shooting. I am still new enough and learning enough that I am not consistent in what I do. So I am off to practice!

A little Rowdy history of athletics, competition and sponsorship. I wrestled in 8th grade, I did awesome in practice and got crushed in matches. I learned I liked grappling stuff but I just wasn't ready for it at that time. This is the first time I exerted myself soo much that I fainted while running. (if you don't puke, pass out or die, keep going!) Also starting in 8th grade I played tennis. All the way through my senior year when I quit the team right before the end of the season, for a stupid reason I can't even remember now. In college I also played club and league tennis for a year. For high school graduation I bought myself my first mountain bike. So of course I started racing it. Then I got a job at a bike shop. Then I rode and raced more. Then I started getting parts for free. But I stopped. Changes in life and school. I started rock climbing. I became a president of a rock climbing club. I taught rock climbing. I wrote articles that were published in cli...

My new ride! 2013 Honda CRF250L. Oh yeah!! Get ready for a new round of pictures and videos of my riding Rowdy adventures!!! Vroom Vrooom Vroom