Happy New Year!

 And here we go...the end of 2020...mere hours left in this horrific year as I type. I still look back (and even into the near future) and can hardly believe the utter MADNESS of it. And then to top it all off, we just lost Dawn Wells! I mean, can things get ANY WORSE? I DON'T THINK SO! If there was ever MORE of a "Girl Next Door" than Mary Ann, I just don't know who that would be. And she died from Covid I heard...I think the news said she was only 82. These days that's not really that old, especially for women. And now, to just top it all off, we even have the mutated "more contagious" version in the US...2 cases in Colorado and 1 in CA (San Diego). Just what we needed...though as long as the vaccines are effective against it then in the long run it won't be such a big deal (unless you try telling that to those families that are still to lose someone to this evil disease before we knock it out). I've actually been worried for quite some time about a mutated strain that is even more deadly will show up before we kill it (and it can still happen, keeping my fingers and toes crossed that it doesn't).

Anyway, I'll be glad to FINALLY have this year in the rear-view-mirror. Though we as a society will be digging ourselves out of this one maybe forever (and I'm just talking about the monetary cost). We've added a whole bunch of trillions to our national debt that I don't see will ever be repaid, wiped out uncountable small businesses and families, and that's just here in the US. I don't even know how bad it is in other countries...some probably fared better, some worse. And if WE are having problems getting the vaccine into peoples arms HERE, what about the third world countries? We've already distributed tens of millions of doses of the first two, but just a small part of that has actually been given. And then on the news today there was someone who INTENTIONALLY pulled 500 of the Pfizer doses out of cold storage so that they would go bad before they could be used. WTH?? That just blows my mind...there are some seriously deranged people out there! I'd even call that an act of terror...murder even. Out of the 500 people who won't get that vaccine, how many will catch it? One, two, a few? That is just seriously demented. Maybe all this IS a sign of the approaching apocalypse. It certainly feels like we have been swirling down the drain, and lately I think we are indeed picking up speed. 

And so...on a lighter note, one of Jeannies friends posted on FB that she's still trying to decide what to wear to the living room tonight, or if she will even go. I have to say that sweat's and jammies have NEVER seen as much use as this year. There have been days in the last month or so that I shower and get right back into my jammies! I mean, who's gonna see? Who even CARES? Of the countless people working from home this year, what percent even bother to get dressed in 'normal' clothes? I'd bet it's a very small number. 

And speaking of FB, I bit the bullet and opened a new account. I'm still ticked off and floored that someone would go to the trouble to hijack my account (change the password and email so that I can't get in). I mean, WHY?? What is the payoff? I don't get it. And to further infuriate me (yes, that's YOU FB)...when I go to my new account, it shows I still have the other account...you know, the one I can't ACCESS! So there is zero help for me to reclaim MY account, however I can still DELETE it. Does that make sense? If I can DELETE the account, then obviously FB kmows it's MINE...so why can't I get back INTO IT for crying out loud? At least I was able to reclaim my email...I am assuming it was the same person who changed that password...and once I found out who to call, they helped me in minutes to get back into it. If only FB were that caring about us. I quite honestly thought about not opening another account. I mean, if they don't care about us as much as it appears, they why should I give them another account? (and my big question, HOW did someone change my password and email address on my account?) I still can't figure that one out. But if I had to choose between having to make a new email address or a new FB account, then I'll take making a new FB any day and twice on Sunday.

Well...it's time I put my frozen Pizza in the oven, break out the GOOD STUFF egg-nog, and kick back for the evening (like that's somehow different than any of the last 9 months of evenings). I assume we will watch some of Dick Clarks Rockin' New Year (with Ryan Seacrest) and HOPEFULLY stay up till 9pm when the ball drops. That's my big goal for tonight. Tomorrow I have the annual "New Year" mt bike ride with a friend from work. We have a decent forecast (high of 63..I'll take that!) and as long as the winds are low it will be a really nice day.

OK...I have to scoot...just put the pizza in the oven and now it's time to pour some kick-ASS egg-nog (the German Sweet Milk recipe I got from our Italian neighbor lady...it's like ROCKET FUEL, except I think actual rocket fuel isn't as strong) and sip on it all evening long. 

So here's wishing a HAPPY NEW YEAR for all of us! And an end to the madness! Let's get back to just our garden-variety madness, instead of this Heavy Duty Industrial Strength Madness we've had unleashed on us this year.

Later Gators, hope you are safe and have a great start to this New Year!

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

              Per tradition dating back to the start of the Asylum, here is our annual Christmas card.

           Merry Christmas to my good friends out in the Asylum! May you stay healthy and safe in

                                         this most insane Holiday Season we've ever had!

 

                     And may we all have a VERY HAPPY COVID-CRUSHING NEW YEAR!

 

                                       And here is the letter that goes with this years card 

               (I don't always do a letter, and for some reason haven't posted it here when I did).

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

And so...another turkey-day is suddenly upon us. It will be different for many this year due to the world-wide Covid madness...we were supposed to fly to Virginia early next week as we usually do, but we cancelled that trip weeks ago (Jeannie's crystal-ball was working top-notch...she saw this Corona re-lapse coming). So we will be staying home this year, having a lovely day with just us and the fur-monsters. 

I was looking at next weeks work-schedule the other day and it suddenly occurred to me: If I take Mon/Tue/Weds as vacation days, I get NINE STRAIGHT DAYS OFF! That's a pretty good bargain for 3 vacation days! So of course, I'm doing it! I mean, I had already planned to take multiple days off anyway...why not stick to that plan? I have GREAT PLANS for those 9 days, including 17 bike rides (or maybe just 4 or 5)...but that will nearly all be dependent on the weather and my "Wuss factor"...you know...ooh...it's a bit windy to ride today...or, ooh..it's a bit chilly to ride today. Stuff like that...my "Wuss factor" can be pretty high sometimes. I'm SUCH a "Fair Weather Rider". 

 I have noticed that my "Wuss Factor" is pretty much directly tied to the weather. ANYWAY...I HOPE to get in a few good rides...maybe even 1 or 2 LONG ONES (the kind I do early in the year before it gets hot, and maybe a few times in the fall). I haven't done ANY long ones yet this year. Three work-trips and multiple "comebacks" trying to get my cycling fitness anywhere NEAR where it was as of early November last year have left me doing only shorter "4 hour rides" as my long ones (in lieu of 8+ hour rides). We will see how things shape up for rides over the next 9 days. I'd place my current "comeback" fitness at about 75% of where I hoped to be by now. But that's not entirely bad..it could still be 50% or lower. I figure 1 or 2 all day rides will do great things for my morale AND fitness. And Jeannie will still be working the first few days, so I've got carte-blanch to go crazy and be gone all day. I can do that. 

We have a rocket launch here on base Saturday morning...SpaceX is launching a Falcon 9 and have plans to land the booster back on the West pad (it hopefully lands just a few hundred yards from the East Pad where it's taking off from). So I'm thinking of driving out to the base and watching the launch/landing, and then continuing on a nice day-long ride. But all of that is subject to said "Wuss factor". And sometimes the "Wuss Factor" can be totally triggered by sitting on the couch with a tasty cup of "Fun Coffee" and not wanting to go out into the chilly overcast air. There are just days when I don't "Feel it". I hope tomorrow isn't one of them. 

And so...I hope everybody out there (and by "everybody I mean both of you...GRIN!) have a wonderful and safe Turkey-day! It will be one to remember for sure...this entire year fits that statement. And it will also be one to forget. Come on Vaccines!!! The world wants their lives back! With that I will sign off...have a great weekend! 

Sunday amendment...I was able to watch the SpaceX launch of the Sentinel-6 oceanography satellite from here at Vandenberg...I was on-base with my bike to watch the launch and then ride all day after. The launch was a success, and they landed the first-stage just a few hundred yards from where it took off from. 

Here is a link to my Facebook-post of the video of the landing (which was just AWESOME to watch in person!) I took it from my cell phone so it's only so-so quality.

https://www.facebook.com/matt.chapek.9/videos/4149652458382621

 And here is the SpaceX video (courtesy of Nasa) of the launch and sucessful booster landing:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm5FnJSIYkw

 

 

Tolerance

So...as we wait to hear who our next President will be (and life goes on), I tried to take my mind off the current state of things and found this over at BikeSnobNYC's blog...(he is a very gifted writer and his post today really struck a chord...so I am shamelessly re-posting part of it here as it's way better than anything I could write to say the same things). "like everyone else, I woke up this morning slightly anxious that we still don’t know who will be the next President of the Canada’s Saddlebag of America, and that this Schrödinger-esque situation could persist for some time. But, as always happens, I felt better about it all just as soon as I threw a leg over the bike and started pedaling. Oh sure, maybe it’s just the endorphins talking, or maybe I’m painfully naive, but here’s why this may be the best possible outcome given our current cultural moment: No matter which side we’re on, too many of us think we’re absolutely right. We think the other candidate is a Nazi, or a Communist, as the case may be. But in truth nobody’s absolutely right–about this, or about anything. (Yes, of course you can be absolutely right about some things, but not about mundane stuff such as which old guy gets to be President for the next four years.) Yet a swift and decisive win for either one of those old guys instantly allows millions of people to think that millions of other people–the same people with whom they share a country, maybe even a town or a street or an apartment building–are not just wrong but inherently bad. And yes, while winning feels good, thinking you’re absolutely right and good and that your neighbor is absolutely wrong and bad is really no way to live. But instead, here we are in a situation where, no matter who ends up winning, it’s obviously pretty close. Maybe this is a gift. I see people lamenting this result as a symptom of our “deeply divided” country, but what if it’s a good thing in that every single one of us is now forced to reconcile ourselves to the possibility that the other guy could win? No more voting, no more phone banking, no more driving around with a giant flag on your pickup…unless you’re a ballot counter or a lawyer for one of the candidates or a Supreme Court justice or something all you can really do at this point and sit on your ass and wait. And while we sit and wait, we can begin to let go of some fear and anxiety and allow ourselves to entertain the notion that no matter who wins it’s all going to be okay. We’re still extraordinarily lucky to live in the time and the place we do–maybe the luckiest humans yet to have lived. We can choose to believe a certain result means we’ll all perish imminently due to climate change, or live forevermore in some kind of Orwellian cancel culture nightmare. Or we can acknowledge that we live in a not-perfect but ever-evolving place where most us just want the best for ourselves and the people we love–and, more importantly, where that is an eminently attainable goal. That doesn’t mean forfeiting being passionate about our beliefs, or that we should be complacent, but it does mean at a certain point we have to accept that others feel just as passionately about things with which we disagree. If we allow ourselves to realize this, maybe we’ll be so busy hugging each other and rejoicing in our newfound humanity that we won’t even notice when they finally announce a winner". OK...I now relinquish the floor back to Vuelta-talk.

It's VUELTA time! Or is it?

So SUPPOSEDLY the Vuelta will start TOMORROW!!! However, Spain, among MANY other countries, is having a resurgance of the ever-present Corona virus. The Giro is fighting hoping to finish, with riders and staff testing positive. So we will soon see if the Vuelta even gets the wheels down to start, let-along make it thru all 21 stages. IF the Vuelta makes it to the starting line tomorrow, hopefully the organization will do a MUCH better job than they did in the Tour with the CovIdiots. As in ban them completly from being on the climbs. Putting law enforcement along the route in key places with ticketing authority, and start whacking the dumbasses who refuse to wear masks with a hefty fine. That's how you get peoples attention...hit them in the pocket-book. With the Giro currently underway, what the Vuelta team composition would (will?) be is my question...I haven't heard any announcement yet from the teams as to their rosters. Sagan is in Italy with his team after a pretty short time off after le Tour...and it sounds like he's upped his game and ridden his way back to glory with his FIRST stage win of the 2020 season! I have no idea what kind of team Jumbo and Ineos will field...will they be putting a podium group at the start, or just a team to be there? Obviously le Tour got the premier teams from pretty much everybody. And so...I'm back on days again...hooray! (I think)...turns out I kind of like the 2pm to 10:30pm shift...I can ride any day I want early before the winds kick up...AND with the STUPID time-change coming up fast it will start getting dark by 5pm..so getting off even at 3pm isn't so great anymore. But it's not my choice...we all are back on days (for now...Covid could change that if we have any kind of resurgance here...which is a distinct possibility considering how things are going right now. OK...gotta get to work...have a wonderful socially distant day, and VIVA la Vuelta!

2020 Tour de France, the Tour that almost wasn't...thoughts and memories

 Gosh, there is SO MUCH to talk about when you say 2020 Tour de France! I think I will start a few rungs down from the top with Richie Porte, who fought tooth and nail to get onto the podium. Well done Richie, I think the entire world has been rooting for him to break the bad-luck streak and do this. And just in time, as I don't see him getting the chance with his new team next year (Death Star...darn it Richie!) He overcame a LOT to do it. The flat on the dirt section (stage 18 I think) was terrifying, but he got a bike and pulled his way back. And then to take enough time in Stage 20 to get on the podium, that was quite special!

Next: Sagan, and the Green Jersey. CVV and Chris talked about this a lot, but it was SO SPECIAL this year. Setting the clock back to when he was relegated for over-aggressiveness against Wout in the sprint where he had taken 2nd (30 points), and lost that AND 13 more points...that was crushing. And a man in his prior leadout train has been the one to take the green! When Bora went out the very next day and destroyed the Peleton putting Peter in position to take max points in the intermediate sprint (which they did for several other stages) was stunning, most especially to the rest of the peleton who were expecting easy stages until the end. Sagan made the entire Tour more fun to watch as he gave it his very best to regain the Green. Sadly it never happened, and we all are left wondering if this was a 1-time "off year" or is this the inevitable decline of an aging cyclist. Sagan hasn't won a race this year, let-alone in the Tour. I truly hope it was the madness of this Pandemic-year and the stopping/restarting of the season that left him in less than stellar condition. We will see next year. 

Americans in the Tour: Sepp Kuss, Neilson Powless, and uhm, what was his name, the guy I don't recall seeing even ONCE in action this year...oh yeah...TJ. I saw (not counting stage 21) that he finished in 90th place! This for a former "GC guy". Say what? My how the mighty have fallen. Seriously...I can't recall seeing him in action ONCE this Tour. But that can't be said about Powless nor Kuss! Powless was in a bunch of break-aways when he wasn't directly supporting Rigo, and almost won a stage if I recall. And Kuss? DAMN can that kid CLIMB! That he was repeatedly the last man standing with Roglic in the big mountains says it all. The Durango Kid. Pretty sure I will remember him! It was really fun watching him when it was his turn to go in front, how he'd check with Primo for orders and then do it. 

Bernal and Quintana. Wow. What epic collapses they both suffered. Were they just not ready or was it something else? Q wasn't hardly ever in any contention, and when the climbs got steep instead of flying he faltered. Bernal and his team, SO dominant over the last near decade, were on their back-feet pretty much since day 1. How quickly they fell and how fast Jumbo took over the mantle of SUPER-TEAM. Both Bernal and Quintana had won big races quite young, and everybody was saying how they will be future multi-Tour winners, and that doesn't appear to be the case. I hope we aren't saying that about Pogacar in the coming years...it's a LOT of pressure to perform at the highest level in the biggest race, especially when your pay-check has shot up expecting that. 

Covidiots. We've all talked about this a lot, and even on the TT when the crowds were gathered, there they were. LOTS of them. Each time throughout the Tour when the roads were steep and the crowds were making a tiny passage for the riders, I'd watch the faces of the crowd as the camera/rider went by. By my rough guess, 1 in 20 to 1 in 30 did NOT have a mask on! Seriously...in every bunch of fans if you pause the video and count, there they were. Within a foot or 2 of the poor rider just trying to get thru, no mask, SCREAMING (and blowing Covid-spit) at the approaching riders. It is truly amazing that none of the riders "got it". We will see in the next week or so if that continues, or did some get infected from the last week of racing. I seriously don't get it...WHY won't they wear masks? Just how selfish can a person be? 

OK...I need to head to work, didn't get close to all my thoughts...so I will post this and head in...feel free to vent/rave/whatever about the amazing race we just witnessed!

2020 Tour, Week 3 (HOORAY, And BOO HOO!)

 Suddenly we find ourselves with ONLY SEVEN STAGES left in this most magical Tour that I can recall seeing! And I think its going to continue being fantastically exciting! There is only one word that really needs to be said: Alps. 

What we have seen in the mountain (and hill) stages thus far has been simply amazing, and I certainly dont see it getting less exciting in the big mountains! 

 I will say this after 2 weeks of racing: IF Bernal were to somehow come out in Yellow in Paris, I would cheer him and be happy for him. Going into this race I wanted ANYBODY BUT Ineos to win. I have not changed that and just want it to be an exciting hard-fought race to the end, and I think we are going to get that. I think that Jumbo has the best team, and has thus far supported Roglic pretty fantastically, but it was just last year that Bernal and Ineos held off until when, the DAY BEFORE Paris to take the yellow?  I think there are still at least 3 or 4 guys who could seriously win...and Bernal is certainly one of them. 

 I think with the time gaps we currently have in the top GC riders it would SEEM that Roglic and Jumbo has things well in hand. But remember THE ALPS? One flat tire...one mechanical...one crash (either in person or others that slow someone important down)...there is SO MUCH that could derail ANY GC contenders race. A water bottle flipping around on the road...a slick turn on a descent...(remember that year that Lance was chasing the guy downhill on a hot day, and the guy (sad that I cant remember his name) hit some hot-tar filling a road crack and hi-sided his bike and slammed down (breaking his hip I recall) and Lance went straight up on his bike to not run over the guy and crash...(was it Beloki, something like that?)...and out of pure luck it was a switchback turn, Lance rode right off the road, right thru the grass and whatnot and came out on the road at the bottom of the turn, jumped off his bike and onto the road and back on his bike, didnt miss a beat...THAT was so lucky! What if that turn had a cliff instead of a nice shortcut right back onto the road? Or a ditch, or a cement block or something? I always think of that and it is still amazing that he won SEVEN IN A ROW! Seven years with not ONE ill timed flat or mechanical...or inattention losing time in crosswinds, or anything else. I just dont see that ever happening again...Just look at Ritchie Porte! That guy cant BUY a break for even 1 year, let alone 7 in a row! 

Anyway, I digress...we have SEVEN stages left in this amazing race, the one that almost didnt happen. IF we make it to Paris (we have the Covid testing on the 2nd rest-day to get past, hopefully not losing any teams or riders), I just think this years race will be one for the record books in many ways. 

OK. That got kinda windy...Im just SO jazzed about this years race...Unpredictability! Excitement! Teamwork! Tactics! New young superstars just now being introduced to the world! The fight for the Yellow! The fight for the Green! The fight for the Polka dot! (I am pretty sure that will change hands in the Alps...but just WHO will take it?)  I think I will remember a lot more about this years race than the last few combined. At least I hope I do. Anyway....Game ON!

2020 Tour, week two!

 Well well well..for a Tour that looked like it wasn't going to happen, I'd say it's been a great race thus far! Lots of surprises, great racing, and of course, drama. What happens in the Pyrnees over the next few days should be more of the same. The GC guys have no choice to come out and play if they want a chance in Paris. And will Sagan be able to hold and increase his points lead? He has a real battle this year, and his lead going into Saturday is very tenuous. He obviously isn't the Sagan of old...will we see THAT Sagan again this year or is that a sign of the inevitable aging cyclist? We will know for sure in 2 weeks. OK...going to go get dinner, just wanted to open up a new page for week 2...Barbara, great to have you back...and as always, Susie and Rae keep it coming!!

Game ON!!!

What time is it? Why, it's TOUR TIME!!!!

 Holy Moly...it's going to happen! I was super skeptical...didn't really think they would be able to have it. Of  course, there is still a LOT that could jeopardize the race....1 or 2 guys on a team test positive...bam...that team is out. How on earth can they protect the riders? And the fans?? Seriously...Millions of them...EAGER to get out of their homes...wonder if they will do better than most Americans (and WEAR their masks)?? 

Anyway...I just bit the bullet and signed up (for the first time EVER) for the NBCSportsGold package. I'm going to be on work-travel from the 10th thru the 18th of Sept...if I upgraded our Satellite package, for one thing I'd be competing with Jeannie for time on the big screen (and she HATES cycling, no interest whatsoever to watch it, and worse is hearing Phil's voice). And if it was just on the DVR I'd really be stuck. With the internet package I can watch it on my phone, laptop, or desktop...so when I am on travel in the hotel I can still stay tuned. I've never sat at my computer desk for hours every day before...we shall see how it goes. Here at home I have my new PC with a 27" screen...so that's actually pretty nice. My travel laptop has a 15" screen...still much better than the 6" screen on my cell phone. But anything is better than NOTHING! And...the subscription is good until May 31st next year...so I will also get this years Vuelta (in Oct I think) along with the Spring Classics (whatever ones they actually have...that depends on how things are going with this stupid virus). 

So...it's almost game time. I've seen ZERO cycling this year, nor have I even paid any attention to whatever races they have had...have to assume most of last years top guys will be in it and a threat...haven't even heard who Ineos is having as "their guy" (or "guys"). I did see that neither Froome nor Thomas are IN...that's hard to believe! But I haven't studied (or even LOOKED at) this years route...so I must gather it's a doozy. Who's left for Ineos...Bernal?? I really should read up some...I'd think Jumbo would be a serious threat..they were pretty great last year. I'd gather (if they are even riding) that Roglic, Dumolin, Landa...who else...Pinot? They would all be highly considered...How about Bardet?? He was killing it last year..the French were LOVING IT...and Porte (who is he even riding for this year? I've rooted for him several years now and got killed each time...but I think I'd still like to see him do well). 

Well..I'm so NOT up on things cycling wise (as you can tell)...that's what I'm counting on all of YOU for...the knowledgeable awesome banter we get every year! I don't yet have the buzz of anticipation that I get every year...not yet anyway. Maybe I'm still in disbelief...it's been such a wonky year...no racing to speak of...no OLYMPICS...no sports of any sort until just recently. On the news in the mornings as I'm eating breakfast getting ready for work they are showing Basketball...with the cardboard cutouts of people in the seats. Smart, but still SO very odd. College football will be something like a sad shell of it's usual I'm afraid...some teams / conferences not even playing...

And so...we are almost there. Tour Time...feels odd to even say that, cuz by this time of the year MY cycling viewing is usually over and I'm pushing hard-core on my own bikes to get BACK in shape (which I am actually doing..but this year it's been work-travel that's killed me...over 90 days in hotels SO FAR this year. Thank goodness the September mission is a short one...if it were another 45 day one that would be horrible...we've had two of those already. 

Gotta scoot...bed time. Can't wait to start hearing from ya'll...Tour Time is always the best time of year! Put on your Party Pants (stolen from Susie) and get ready to roll! Sure hope along with Phil they have the REST of the usual NBCSports crew...we will see soon enough (the only one mentioned on the NBCSports page was Phil).

Later Gators...Game ALMOST ON!

Home again after a whirlwind week of mid-pandeimic vacation!

And so...another trip down, and I'm back to home-base. Ahh....there's just no place like HOME!

It was a whirlwind of a trip....Wednesday to Wednesday. And boy, you can put a lot of fun into that short amount of time if you are so inclined. Which I was.

We flew from San Luis Obisbo to Denver to Raleigh-Durham in the middle of the pandemic, and from there it's just a bit more than a 2 hour drive to the farm. At the farm, the chillin' commences immediately. It's a different way of life, that's for sure. Things are quiet, almost too quiet (except for the night when the cicadas come out...dang those things are LOUD!) The night sky opens up when there's no moon, as there are relatively no neighbors...you need a car to go to the next house (unless you don't mind a long walk). Well, the one neighbor is about a quarter mile...guess that isn't really that far, it just SEEMS far.

I noticed right away that back in Virginia everybody seems a lot less excited about "the Virus" than we are here in CA. Like a lot of people aren't wearing masks....tho you still need them to go into most establishments. But everybody seems way calmer. 

On Friday my bro-in-law John (my Navy buddy who set me up with his twin sister Jeannie 20 years ago) and I had a "guys road trip" and drove his jeep to Cincinnati...took us about 8-1/2 hours including a few stops. I think it's about 450 miles give or take. About the same distance I was driving to visit Dad in Pahrump and later Las Vegas, or Mom down in Yuma. 

John and Jennie grew up in the Cinti area...and have many friends there...that's what this road-trip was all about. Jeannie and Peggy (Johns wife) flew out on Saturday as their plans had already been made well before John and I invited ourselves to come along. Saturday afternoon/evening was the first big EVENT: the Fake Corn Roast...hosted by good friends in their lake-association cottage. Basically everybody brings some kind of dish for the pot-luck, and everybody (each family anyway) bring something to "auction" off, all proceeds going to the association to help cover costs of maintaining the facilities. Michelle (recently retired...used to be one of the VP's at Go-Jo) is both the host and auctioneer...and she is hilarious, and good at the job! All kinds of things were donated, and many great bargains were had on all kinds of stuff. It was a blast! (and enormous quantities of Purell products (turns out Purell is part of the Go-Jo family) ends up inside auctioned items, or outright in the open. 

Prior to the auction was the pot luck lunch/dinner...and the feature item is the roasted corn-on-the-cob. (this event was called the "Fake Corn Roast" as the association has the "Real" corn-roast but we missed it, so Michelle and Pat (the owners of the cottage we were at) held one for family and friends...tho all the friends are pretty much family one way or another...probably about 30 to 40 people counting the kids). 

After the Fake Corn Roast we drove back to Cinti, and on Sunday was the Pontoon Boat trip on Lake Brookville Lake IN, which was only about a 45 minute drive from Cinti where we were staying. Jim and Jackie (our hosts in Cinti where we are staying, and lifelong friends of Jeannie) are the owners of the pontoon boat, and they, Jeannie and I, John and Peggy, Bob and Terry (Terry is Jims sister), and Pat and Michelle all were on the boat. So there were 10 of us, but it's a quite large boat (turns out a Pontoon boat is basically a "Party Boat"...I didn't know that before, having never been on one). We spent a goodly portion of the day on the lake, and I personally spent a goodly amount of time IN the lake (I'm a water-dog at heart...LOVE being in the water). I did get a pretty good sunburn on my forehead...it's STILL peeling 6 days later. It's been a LONG time since I had a sunburn! 

And that was pretty much it...on Monday John and I drove back to the farm, and Jeannie and Peggy stayed behind for the MAIN EVENT: "the girls trip". That is a road trip for 8 gals up to Putin (sp?) Bay, somewhere north at the Great Lakes (not sure WHICH lake). They drove up on Weds as I was flying home (almost)...and are still there today...I think they drive back south tomorrow maybe (Sunday)? I'm not really in on that plan. I know Jeannie doesn't come home till next Saturday...after the "girls trip" she and Peggy fly back to Richmond and drive back to the Farm, and Jeannie then hangs out for the rest of the week sucking up some relaxation. Also we will be flying back to the farm for Thanksgiving...so that's just a few short months away....wow. 

And so, I leave you with some pictures of the week. 

 

 

Jeannie and I on our flight from San Luis Obisbo. We were doing our part to protect ourselves At the farm, Watching TV with a beer. Bosley (mini poodle) on my lap. Dogs like to lay on me.

Wednesday, around 3pm, Raleigh-Durham airport strangely quiet. It's a pretty big airport too!

 

Our road trip almost over...here is the crossing of the Ohio River from Kentucky into Ohio heading into Cincinnati.

And of course, right off the highway, the home of the Reds.

And the home of the Bengals.

This is Jim and Brody. Brody is a super-cool dog...so mellow...just like Jim! They even have the same facial expressions! Brody of course is wanting Jim's beer.

And THIS is Jungle Jims! Don't know if they are elsewhere, but it's the Super-duper-whooper-pooper of liquor/food/whatever stores. It's enormous! We shopped for a while and only saw a portion of the store!

Here are Brody and Bella, waiting for food.

Starting the party a teensy bit early, Jackie and Terry ON the boat while driving down the road (just down to the boat-dock).

Girls gone wild! L to R, Jeannie, Michelle, Peggy, Terry and Jackie. There is some serious American Idol singing going on here...

And back at the farm, the next morning, sipping coffee on the front porch (LOVE this part of vacation/farm-life). That is an Amish wagon clip-clopping down the road. Just a beautiful morning.

Here is an evening just-past-sunset shot looking across the same road from the same porch.

Raleigh-Durham airport, 12:15pm, Wednesday. Keeping my eyes open for zombies leaping out from the empty stores. Almost NO people, so there MUST be zombies. I've seen it in the movies!

Here is Denver airport, just a BIT more crowded than Raleigh-Durham airport. This is taken AFTER I got off my late-departing airplane from R-D, hence late-arrival in Denver, and myself and another guy RAN clear across the airport, switching terminals (taking the train) from B term to A term, and missing our plane by MINUTES! (they actually left 3 minutes EARLY damn them!) Now the other guy is United Premier Gold, and I'm Premier Silver, and being as San Luis Obisbo is an end-airport, NOBODY is missing a connection at 9pm...that plane will spend the night and fly somewhere the next day. They COULD have waited for us (a small regional jet), they KNEW we had landed. But NO! You have to admit, that's how you piss off loyal high-mileage customers! And they gave us NOTHING for our troubles, except for the lovely SIXTEEN HOUR (yes, 16) layover for the next flight to SLO. Paul (the other guy, a retired Army officer) spent the night lying on the floor of the airport. I was going to, but Jeannie rather insisted I get a room (I'm also a pretty good customer at Marriott...they at least treat me pretty good with my Titanium Elite status...just need ONE MORE YEAR of Titanium to get it for LIFE! I've now got 9 straight years....just one more!) Yeah...I travel too much. For work I mean.

Descending to San Luis Obisbo airport. You know you are back in  California by the crispy-brown countryside. Except for the trees that is.

And the Marine Layer (some people call it "Fog"). This is quite typical on the Central Coast...our summers can be cooler than our winters as the winds shift and the layer moves onshore a LOT during our summer months. Temp at 1pm/landing time was a cool 62 degrees in San Luis Obisbo (SLO).

 

 

Here are the monsters on a walk the next afternoon (Friday) after I got home from work. They have matching pink harness's (different sizes). They walk together pretty great. I started daily walks way back in March after I came home from the mission and was stuck on 2nd shift (and had all day off, in to work by 4pm). Now they expect their walk, and Jeannie and I do a pretty good job keeping them moving. Sophie is a good weight, Abbey has a few extra lbs (the vet says she has "no waist"...needs to lose 3 lbs). 

Here is Sophie after the walk and dinner. She looks rather beat, doesn't she?

 

And here is Abbey after the walk and dinner. Also somewhat tired. She is such a clown!

 

And finally, the monsters coveting Daddy's ice cream during movie-time. Yeah...they sure woke up for ice-cream!

Speaking of ice cream, I think it's time to post this and get some! (and you can bet your bippies that I could take another picture pretty much identical to the one above...they are food MONSTERS!)

And so...have a great weekend/week. Later gators...the game is back ON!

New car time!

So...after driving my amazing silver 2003 VW Jetta TDI Wagon for the last FOURTEEN YEARS / 202,000 miles (I bought it in 2006 with 92,000 miles on it, and it had 294,125 when the new owner drove it away) it was time to get something a teensy bit newer. I'd been watching the market for the used TDI's that were the "Turn-Ins" after the VW emissions scandal in late 2015 on all the models with the 2 liter diesel engine. Basicly, everybody who had one of the 'cheater' cars had the option to take some money from VW and keep their car, AND get it de-tuned to fully meet the US 50 state emissions, OR you could turn it in for a sum based on how many miles it had when the scandal began and the year and trim/model of your car.

Jeannie had a 2014 Passatt TDI that she got as a 1 year old car for a FANTASTIC deal, and she opted to keep it. It's a truly great car, even after the emissions recalls from the cheating scandal were performed (it went down from 150hp/310 ft lbs of torque to 140hp/300fp torque). A noticeable blip in the power, but nothing huge (as compared to my anemic 03 wagon....a 1.9 liter engine with 90hp/150ft lbs torque). Sure, my old wagon was a truly great car (best I've ever had) but as to power/acceleration, it was no ball of fire. In fact, when you were doing 55 or more and hit the gas to pass someone, the car actually talked back to you, saying "uhm ...are you talking to me?? You want to do WHAT? PASS this guy? Yeaaaah....so how much distance do you have, cuz it had better be a lot!".

I test drove a 2014 Jetta TDI SportWagon back in late March. I would have bought it but the dealer (who shall not be named....Murrieta Mitsubishi, you lying cheating scum of a dealership!) advertised the car on Autotrader.com, and liking what I saw and the price, I took Jeannie with me and we drove almost 4 hours south to test drive, and buy it (had the checkbook with me). Got there, drove it...immediately noticed the wheels had been changed...in the pictures and the description it had the alloy 17" wheels...but now it had a set of 16" steel wheels. I pointed that out right away...before I drove it. It was fine, we went inside and I said I liked it and will take it IF they would put the alloy 17" wheels back on (saw them on a different Jetta wagon that was a lesser model that didn't come with them...somebody swapped them). The dealer rep came back with their offer-sheet, and lo and behold it was OVER $3000 more than listed on Autotrader! I asked what the "Dealer installed Options" that were the over-advertised-cost items, and was told it was stuff like "diamond coat" paint-sealant, and a few other things like that which I did not want (nor could be verified it was actually on the car). AND they were only going to give me $500 for my old TDI (which I knew was worth a lot more than that). I said I didn't want the "options", and was told they are already on the car...so I asked if they are not optional why wasn't that listed in the Autotrader ad, and was given a lame excuse...so we picked up our stuff and walked out and drove my old car home.

I was pretty ticked (having wasted an entire Saturday, driving a total of 8 hours, and over half a tank of diesel), so I did make sure to find time and give my review of their pathetic 'tactics' to get more money out of people on both Facebook and Autotrader.com. I got at least 2 emails in the coming weeks asking if I was still interested in the car...THAT was pretty funny! I replied each time that  I wouldn't buy a car from them after what they did to me if they gave it to me. And they stopped emailing me finally. However, that turns out to be the best thing that could have happened. I couldn't find any more Jetta Sportwagons that were equipped as I wanted, so begrudgingly upped my field to include the 2015 model year (where they changed from a Jetta to a Golf Sportwagon). The 2015 year has a new engine that gets a few more mpg than the 2012-2014's (I think the Jetta was rated at 42hwy and the Golf was 44hwy). They both have the same power/torque as Jeannie's Passatt after the emissions de-tuning. And the 2015's are when VW added all the fancy schmancy safety stuff...the all-around distance monitoring thing that beeps if there is anything in your way, AND they upgraded the stereo with new software and WAY faster booting-up than the 2014 system in Jeannie's car. AND, I did get the optional Fender fancy-schmancy stereo system, which I wanted.

On all the searches I had done the Golfs were around $6000 (or more) than the Jettas. I just wasn't going to pay that much for 1 model year newer, but then I found one in Tempe Arizona (at a dealer) on Autotrader, fully equipped with everything I wanted above and beyond the base-model (17" alloy wheels, sunroof, Fender stereo), and it was only $3000 more than the Jetta I almost bought! It only had 38,000 miles on it, and had a clean Carfax report. After talking with the dealer a few times I told them I'd take it. He mailed me the forms to sign, I mailed them back w/ a cashiers check for the full amount, and the day he got the package in the mail he sent the title in for the ownership change (in AZ they do that at their DMV)...and a few days later it was on a truck to CA (he arranged that, as they do a lot of internet business and ship a lot of vehicles all over the country).

In all honestly, I did NOT want a black car, but color was my least critical requirement, and this was in every other way exactly the car I wanted. And now that I have it, I LOVE the color! (Jeannie's Passatt is also black, and yes, they are hot in the sun). Anyway, here are a few pictures I took today.

 It is WAY more sporty than my old 2003...no wonder they call it a "SportWagon"!

I knew if I got a black car that I did NOT also want a black interior (my old Jetta had black leather...and boy, getting in and sitting on a HOT black leather seat that has been in the sun really gets your attention!). Thankfully this one has "corn silk" or something like that. It's not white...tho it kind of looks it in the pic...it's more of a beige. 

 Soon after I got it I installed the "Muddy Buddy" rubber cargo-area covering, and also the jail-cell cargo area pet-containment-system that sits above the rear seat backrests. I need to be able to haul the monsters when we go for walks and such, and do NOT want dog-hair everywhere! It also keeps them contained so Abbey isn't continually trying to crawl into the front seats. And it's great for my bike hauling too! I fold down the wider back seat (on the right in the pic) so that it's flat, and then the bike rear-tire slides under the cargo retractable cover and pet containment bars, and lies there on it's side. My Mt bike is a 29'er and is pretty large with it's huge 2.6" knobby tires, and it fits fine (the road bike isn't nearly so large so easily fits). This car is definitely a bit bigger than my old wagon.

It's got all the bells and whistles that I can think of that new cars have...backup camera, fog lights (which I will actually use, as Vandenberg is covered in fog about 200 days a year when I go into work in the dark) and it even has the night-time turning-lights (when you turn the steering wheel to turn in the dark or turn on your turn signal, a light way low on the corner turns on lighting up the entire turn). Never had that on a car before, it's pretty neat actually! Oh, and the Fender stereo is XM capable, so I was able to transfer my subscription over. Really love the stereo! I figure if I'm going to spend so much time inside, might as enjoy it as much as possible!

And so...this is my car (I HOPE!) for the next decade/plus. I truly hope it's even close to as good a car as the Jetta was. On a sad note, yesterday (Saturday) I sold the Jetta. It was truly the best car I've ever had, never stranded me, and hey....48mpg lifetime average! The new car has the 6 speed automatic transmission (with paddle shifters if you put it into sport mode, which I don't see ever needing). I will really be glad for the auto tranny when we leave here (after I retire in a few years). My Jetta was a 5 speed manual (I've had manual trannys in almost every car I've ever had), which was fine here with no real traffic to speak of...but I certainly can't have that when we move to Richmond...HUGE traffic in the entire DC area (traffic...YUK!) Technically it's already 5 years old, but with only 38,000 miles on it, seems more like it's only 1 or 2 years old. And it was really in new condition...so to me it's my NEW car! And how EXCITING! I haven't bough a car for FOURTEEN YEARS!! And while I do feel bad about my old friend Mr. Jetta, every time I drive this car I smile, as it's just so AWESOME!! And when I step on it to pass (or even just accelerate fast cuz I feel like it), there is no "you talking to me?" going on...this car GETS IT ON! That 300ft-lbs of torque are a lot for a passenger car. And I haven't even chip-tuned it yet..which I will probably do when the warranty ends...yes, it's still under warranty...VW extended them after the scandal). After the tune it will be up to 180hp and 350ft-lb of torque...that will be HUGE!! I'm quite afraid I won't be able to constrain myself and keep my foot off the accelerator...it will be like a rocket-ship with that power and torque. I get all giddy thinking about it after 14 years of "you talking to me?" And it still gets 44mpg, and IF I can keep my foot out of it, will get even more after tuning! Yes, that's a few less mpg than the Jetta...but this car is SO MUCH MORE FUN to drive! (and it's bigger and heavier). I'm envisioning myself pulling a little trailer when we are in Richmond...we have a deal that during the winter I will take my bikes and drive south to "try out" different areas to see what the winters are like....Jeannie needs to work 5 years after I retire so I will explore. Instead of hotels or renting a room, I think a small trailer to pull with me and I would be fine. I've lived in much smaller spaces before (I did 7 years on Surveillance ships after I retired from the Navy...boy, those staterooms were TINY!)

OK...gotta scoot. We are starting our packing...we fly to Virginia on Wednesday for a week...this trip is actual vacation (this is in lieu of Oktoberfest, which was canceled). I think we fly into Raleigh/Durham...it's going\ to be interesting...kind of scared to be flying commercial right now... but we have masks AND face-shields, and a bunch of sanitizing wipes and gel. Oh...speaking of Covid...I was tested a week ago today (still don't have my results back...just checked...they said 4 to 6 days, but the lab is swamped apparently). I'd think tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest...honestly I'm expecting it to be negative...but after the trip to FL I wanted to know.

Later Gators! Have a great week, and stay safe!

Return to normal?

So... I'm home and watching news again (mostly because Jeannie watches news). During my entire trip I didn't watch or listen to ANY news...it was AWESOME!

A common theme I keep hearing is about when we will return to 'normal'. I've heard lots of discussion on that but nobody is telling the real truth (referring to time I mean). Sure, the hard truth is there will be no normal until there is a widely available (as in world-wide) vaccine, OR, when nearly the entire planet has had the virus. Those are the only 2 scenarios that will allow the world to go normal again.

So...taking the vaccine off the table for the moment, being as we have no idea if an effective vaccine will EVER actually be available...(as there certainly is no guarantee that will happen...look at aids), let's just do the hard numbers.

I just looked it up...so far the US has had 3.78 million "confirmed" cases. The United States 2020 population is estimated at 331,002,651 people at mid year according to UN data (from the internet). Now I will also take a huge leap here (due to the current highest estimated number of asymptomatic covid cases being at 45%) and say based on that figure (and I will even go a bit further and add 5% to it to make it an even easier 50%) then there have now been 5,670,000 cases of Covid-19 in the US, out of the total population of 331 million. That is only 1.7% of our population, and just to be generous (and make it easier as I am SO not a math guy) lets call it 2%. I figure we have been actively dealing with this since the beginning of March, which gives us a total of about 140 DAYS that our country has seriously been trying to slow the spread of the virus. 

Given the rate of infection over that time, and IF there is never to be a vaccine, and assuming roughly the same transmission rate would continue, then we would need 13,720 more days for a 100% infection of just the US...which equates to 37.5 YEARS.

Yeah....have you heard ANYBODY talk about this (other than yours truly)?? This is a truly tough call here...what to do. We have already tanked our economy, putting countless people out of work and WAY TOO MANY small businesses out of business, and spent MANY TRILLIONS of $ that we don't even have...and we currently have LESS THAN 2% of our country so far that have had it. 

The big question (the herd of elephants in the room) is where to go from here. We OBVIOUSLY can't continue doing what we are doing...(social distancing, and businesses either completely shut down or running at fraction of their necessary capacity). How long do we keep this up? That is the unanswerable question that will dominate the near future, as this is an election year. As typical in politics, this will be THE dominant factor in the election. The orange man is SO not doing a good job, but on that point, what would a good job be considering what we know? Congress is actually in control of a LOT of what is always blamed on the sitting President. So taking the lame efforts currently in play from the top, what should Congress be doing? HOW do we deal with this? I honestly don't know, other than that what we are doing, while slowing the transmission rate (which was actually teh goal from the start) is killing us as a country and the world as well. There is a lot of seemingly right things that could be done here.

One of the biggest changes we cold make is to do our best to shelter the highest "at risk" category of people...(the elderly and those with any conditions that make them more susceptible to catching it) and pretty much open the world back up for the rest. But by doing that you are basically taking away THEIR rights by denying them the same rights and privileges as the non-at-risk folk. But that would surely be the easiest way to get some semblance of 'normal' for most of society...you just need to take away a smaller groups rights in the name of protecting them. 

Obviously a vaccine is what the world is desperately counting on, and SOON...as it will be the only real way I can see to get us to normal again.  In the meantime, what do we do? Continue as we have been? At what point do we give that up (if the vaccine ends up being years or longer down the road)? 

I sure don't know the answers here...I feel more like Gilligan (on Gilligan's Island) in the one episode where Gilligan was agreeing with everybody ("the Skipper is right....oh yeah, the Professor is right, yes, Mr Howell is right. Gilligan, everybody can't be right. You know Skipper, you're right!"

Pretty much in the big scheme of things, this isn't really much different than a bad Influenza season....every year the flu kills millions. Why is this SO different that we (the world) have been willing to financially wipe us out? I don't even really know the answer to that, other than politics. To have ignored this and let it wash over the world, well, I can only say that THIS one is different...I don't recall a bad flu season EVER wiping out the big cities ICU's beyond capacity, refrigerator trucks parked outside for the bodies (I saw on the news this am that Houston has trucks parked and ready much like NYC was using during their tidal wave of sick).  And the potential of this virus (when you react bad to it) is worse IMO than even a bad flu...it KILLS even younger people, does some pretty bad things to many that survive (brain/heart/lung damage and more). I just know that I get my flu shot every year, hoping the CDC did a good job with their magic 8 ball as to what versions of the flu to add to the next years concoction....some years are better and some are worse. But no flu season that I can recall was like this. 

Which brings us back to the question: what SHOULD we (and the world) be doing that we aren't, and what should we NOT be doing that we are? How do we ever dig our way out of this?

I liken this entire nightmare scenario we are currently living in to the fictional Star Trek Kobiyashi Maru test that they put all future Commanding Officers thru, to see how they handle a "no win" situation. (am I a total sci-fi-geek? Obviously the answer is YES). 

So...the floor is open. What do we do? How do we forge our way forward? All I truly know is that I'm very glad that I'm NOT the one people are counting on for answers. And sadly, as has been the case for a VERY long time, the very people we truly NEED to step forward and lead us are too smart to do that to themselves and their families, and we are stuck with the B team (or worse) leading us.

Wow...sorry...this post got kind'a political, as I've sworn not to do here...but I guess it can't be helped here as this entire scenario IS political, like it or not. Every single bit of anybody in the news biz has their own agenda. It sure would be nice to have good old Walter Cronkite back...just give me the news and let ME make my determination as to what to make of it. Yep...those days are REALLY long gone. 

Anyway, that's all for now. Chime in or not...this is as much me ranting to feel a bit better about things (best not to keep stuff locked away but to talk about it and bring it out in the open) as anything. 

And away we go...into the bright blue yonder of our future. At least, I sure hope it's bright blue...doesn't look that way right now. Looks more like a Florida thunderstorm from hell.

My local hikes, and the MAIN topic: Prison food

Before I get into my topic of prison food, Ive finally learned how to take and incorporate pictures into my All Trails hikes that are saved online...so here are the last few that Ive done (inside the hike you can click on a picture and then go thru them all...each little red dot along my route is a picture, hover over one and click on it and it will open), along with seeing where I hiked in a birds-eye-view topo. I honestly have no idea what you will see when you click on one of the links (when I click on one my hike comes right up, but All Trails knows my laptop and that I have an account, so I cant say for sure it will look the same to everybody else). Saw two black-bear cubs on today's hike...didn't see mamma tho....took a few pics and then got out of there, cuz where there are cubs there is a mamma, and I didn't want to meet her.

29 June hike

30 June hike

1 July hike

2 July hike

4th of July hike

So pretty much here on travel its like I am living like I am in prison while on travel (on purpose mind you). Its work-release...I go to work, then back to my prison-cell, except when Im shopping for groceries or hiking (don't get to do too much of that). And using the hotel hot-tub (when no one else is around)...don't think there's too much hot-tubbing when in prison (however, it is a salt-water version instead of chlorine...hooray!)

So other than the fact that I can come and go in my rental car whenever I want, go to restaurants (not that I do) whenever I want, go hiking and hot-tubbing, make unlimited calls on my cell phone (at least until I run out of minutes on my tracfone), and surf the web and order from Amazon or eBay whenever I want on my laptop in my room, my life on the road right now is exactly like Im in prison.

I think the biggest difference between my life and prison life is likely my meals. Being as Im on use-it-or-lose-it per-Diem, Im living pretty high-on-the-hog right now...I figure being as Im in self-imposed-prison I might as well live the best I can...and that includes buying groceries that I wouldn't normally buy at home. And for some reason Im taking pictures of my meals...(is that odd? I think it might be).

So....without further adieu and for your viewing pleasure, a photographic expose of prison meals here in the Boulder CO Residence Inn work-release prison.

 Ordered delivery from BJs Brewhouse/restaurant. Ribeye steak, garlic mashed taters, broccoli, Sriracha grilled brussel sprouts, and chicken tortilla soup. And a creme-soda float. All dropped off right at my hotel room door by door-dash (I think that's what its called).

 Tonight's dinner selection: steamed king crab legs, broccoli with cheese sauce, sweet tater with butter and brown sugar, pineapple slices, a fresh salad w/ Blu Cheese dressing, and a yogurt. 

 Buttered corn, sauteed (in butter) scallop pieces, pineapple slices and a salad (and yogurt).

 Sweet potato w/ butter and brown sugar, grilled ribeye steak, broccoli with cheese sauce, and grilled chinning squash. And a yogurt.

 Delivery order (from BJs again): Garlic mashed taters, double-thick bone-in grilled pork chop, sriracha grilled brussel sprouts, and chicken tortilla soup.

 Grilled lobster with melted butter, grilled corn, grilled sweet tater (butter and brown sugar are coming soon).

 This was at IHOP...spinach/mushroom omelette with pancakes and coffee. IHOP has really upped their game...it was awesome!

 T-bone steak, grilled corn and sweet potato (and salad waiting up in the room).

 The other T-bone (was a twin pack), zucchini squash and lobster (and salad). The ol surf n turf!

 Tonight's fare was grilled teriyaki/garlic salmon, grilled corn, sweet tater w/ butter n brown sugar, and salad...and a beer. YUM! Prisoners getting beer, awesome!

 Grilled corn, ribeye, bacon wrapped scallops, zucchini squash...and a beer.

King Crab (grilled) w/ butter (of course), grilled buttered sweet tater w/ brown sugar, and a nice salad. And the brown stuff in the glass is Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha (Iced Espresso). That is what I have when Im working a night shift and cant have a beer (its been in several other dinners but I forgot to list it). Prison life isn't so horrible...other than stepping out of your life for a period of time.

Just thought Id toss in this pic of prison life here at the Cape (and thanks Susie for letting me know NBCSN is broadcasting old stages of le Tour)...this is a selphie from this morning (Friday).

Stage 14 from last year, ON the Col du Tormalet...woo hoo! Racing! (even old racing). Awesome to hear Phil and Bobke...I should have known right away it was last year cuz Paul wasn't with Phil..but my brain was still foggy at this point in my first cup of coffee in my Residence Inn prison cell here in Florida.

While Im at it in the updating mode, here is the last prison food pictures (from Florida):

 Sushi from Thai Thai (I love sushi!). A Rainbow roll, AND...

 The REST of my first nights dinner here...the Sashimi dinner...MMMMMM! (or as they say, whatever floats your boat!) HA!

 2nd nights dinner: the Sashimi dinner (again) and a Dynamite roll. Did I mention that I love sushi?

 Parmesan crusted grouper with jasmine rice and asparagus. And a beer. TASTY!!

 This is a Lobster roll (top) and a Rock and Roll (bottom). MMMM!

 Tonights dinner selection: Blackened Sea Bass w/ Jasmine Rice and Asparagus. MMMM!
OK...Im off to work now. Last shift here in FL, then Sunday we fly HOME!!! HOORAY!!!

Three Peaks Loop hike, Boulder

So yesterday (Saturday) we had the entire day off, Woo-HOO! It rained the prior two days, and then lo and behold Saturday dawned sunny, but not as hot as the previous sunny days last week...as in PERFECT for hiking! The guys at work had told me about a phone-App called All Trails, where you search for and find trails near you. You can then download the map right onto your phone, and then (with the annual paid subscription) simply hit RECORD on the app, and it puts your location on your downloaded map as you hike! (the free version lets you find and download maps, but it wont show you where you are on it). AND...it tells you pretty quickly if you are off-route! So I loaded the app on Friday and went ahead and got the annual subscription, and yesterday gave it a test. It worked pretty great! In fact, without it there is no doubt that I wouldn't have been able to do that hike...as I went off route a number of times and was steered back by the app (your phone has to have GPS reception enabled...which I found out doesn't work too well if you put it back in your pocket...however when I did pull it out and call up the app the GPS would sync quick and show me where I was). I was out nearly all day, and the weather was just perfect...T shirt, shorts, and my small travel backpack with 6 bottles of water and all the various food items I could scrounge up from my hotel room.

And so....here are some pics from the hike:

 The trail to the first peak (Green Mountain) quickly turned to rocks.

 This was new: a ladder over a near vertical bit. 

 A nice view of Boulder from the trail.

 Yep....lots and lots of rocks.

 The first of days three peaks: Green Mountain summit. After the trail being pretty deserted, suddenly it was like a party on the summit...I would have liked to climb up on the rocks for a picture but these people were really taking their time, so I just moved on.

 Here are the 2nd and 3rd peaks of the day: Bear Peak on the left, and South Boulder Peak on the right.

 Here you can see the trail going up to Bear Peak.

 From the trail to Bear Peak looking back at Green Mountain (the summit is the furthest little point on the left).

The trail to Bear Peak getting interesting. 

 

Yeah...this is actually a picture of the trail...pretty hard to follow as it looks a lot like all the other rocks around it.

 More rocks that are somehow part of the trail.

 Here you can see the degree of steepness as the trail switchbacks up to the top.

 And finally the final scramble to the summit up a knife-edge of rather slippery rocks. The other side of the rocks (on the right) is a vertical drop...did I mention I'm kind of afraid of heights? I stay well clear of the edge as I don't even like to look over the edge.

 Heading down off the summit peak...the entire top was quite steep on all sides.

 This shot shows the knife-edge of the peak a bit better. You actually walk right on that rock in the middle of the picture...and you do NOT want to slip.

 Now I'm heading over to peak #3: South Boulder Peak.

 The trail between the 2 peaks is wonderful. Here I'm looking at South Boulder Peak.

 Nearing the top of South Boulder. Here the trail is gone, you just scramble over the rocks anywhere you can.

 The highest point of the summit. Again, a sheer drop lies on the other side of these rocks.

 Looking back across to Bear Peak (just to the right of the dead tree) and Green Mountain (the distant peak to the left of the pic).

 The only selfie I took the entire hike: on the South Boulder summit with Bear Peak just over my shoulder.

 Looking back up at South Boulder Peak. Not much there but a bunch of rocks.

 Looking down at the Devils Thumb rock formation (center of the picture). This view is in between the two final peaks.

 On the Shadow Canyon trail headed down. The trail is great up here, a real yellow brick road!

 A better picture of the Devils Thumb rock formation. 

 The Shadow Canyon trail has turned ugly...rocks rocks rocks, with some pretty huge stepping down required. I quickly found a hiking stick to help with the descent...which is only a bit over a mile, but felt like much more to my old knees.

 The trail is somewhere in this picture. Its not pretty I can assure you. My knees were not happy.

 The trail of tears (from me at least).

Here they put railroad-ties with notches cut out to help with the steep slippery rocks spot.

 Another cool rock formation (don't know the name of this one). Here I'm down off the Shadow Canyon descent with about a 4 mile hike back to the start remaining. 

 Another view looking back at that rock spire. Its really pretty in here.

 Looking back, the Shadow Canyon trail is on the far side of the mountain on the left of the picture.

And finally I'm nearing the end, total mileage 14.5, just under 7 hours moving time, with just under 5000 feet of climbing. And two very sore knees. I can go up all day long, but the down kills me! But I survived, and it was a rather epic day with perfect weather. Not a bad way to spend a day off.