Pride Day at Snowbowl

I called in sick. I needed a mental day. One of my developers said to me recently “we worked over Thanksgiving, you get to work over Christmas.”   its all good, i have a flexible schedule; i gotta be me.

dawn patrol
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Snowbowl from the Verde Valley
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good morning!
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good morning!
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conditions were a bit crusty, a bit creamcheesey, extremely threadbare, but we still managed some tree runs
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James, Sam and i met up with Jason and his bud Benning. First time I have ridden with a group more than 2 or 3, we stayed together well. Also the first day I have on late-notice gone somewhere that the conditions were not primo. Flag crowds suck, but after after-a-storm when there is still base and no lines was a ton of fun. Beckie’s smaller board was far superior for the packed conditions, and i was very psyched to stay with people far more experienced.

there is a completely reasonable explanation for this, but it won’t matter once it makes the cover of ‘Out’ magazine. Don’t tell the Office!
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Sam made a nice vid, including an outstanding faceplant by me.

Nothing

Our new code word.   I must confess, it is my fault.

G: Dad what are you doing?
Me: Nothing
G: what’s that?
Me: Nothing

Nothing being anything that I don’t want to explain, acknowledge, or admit.   Examples: tightening a screw on my sunglasses, wrapping a present, packing a one-hit.

G has picked up on this. I catch her in the act, the act of anything that she should probably explain, acknowledge, or admit. Examples: crushing eggshells and leaving them on the counter, messing with my camera, poking at Kila.

Me: G what are you doing?
G: Nothing
Me: what’s that?
G: Nothing

I’ve concluded that “nothing” is actually a euphemism for either “none of your gawdamn bidness” or “STFU“.

Everyone needs their space, so as long as nothing is breaking or on fire I let her be.   my inquiry is enough to keep Hurricane Genevieve checked from her heretofore path of destruction.   And its somewhat rewarding to realize my girl is clever and able to interpolate abstractions.

Thanks Viagra, you kept me rigid all week!

After 6 days in a row on the bike, and I think that many partaking in the holidays, I had no energy for the gym or the road or anything other than sitting on the trainer.   A commute into work the next day and my legs were two stilts of pain underneath me.   I needed a rest day bad, cause Thursday I was joining my friend Yuri for one of his crew’s ThNR – a possibly epic creep around the dark corners and forgotten pathways of our megalopolis.

17 mile commute into work, ~15 mile shot up the Cross Cut Canal to the Arizona Canal to a meetup with beer. An urban ride is so deep and dark and underground, to slide past the cars and the skyscrapers and the transitions between totty and food stamps, Yuri did a much better job with pics than I can with words.

We rolled through the Rio Salado riparian area and ended under an overpass, drinking our tallboys.   I crushed mine and went to put it in my pack, Yuri said no give it to the homeys.   In fact, we were standing in the largest green bin in the southwest, for as I looked around the devastation of South Phoenix, I did not see a single stray can or bottle.   2 coyotes buzzed us on our way out, one after a dead cat near a sleeping vagrant’s bedroll, the other likely his help.

We crossed cobbles and sand and barriers to emerge somewhere where John put down the hammer and we next ended up at Rula Bula in Tempe for beer. Then back to the office to pick up my laptop, then 17 tired miles home.   70 miles and 5 hrs spin time – not bad for a commute.

thnr

2 more days off, most importantly without ‘holiday’, left my legs feeling ready for a 1.5 hr roadie.   A bobcat ran in front of me crossing Ellsworth, first one i have seen in Phoenix, a lift to the spriti for the remaining 30 min of pain.

I could have ridden Hawes, but then what would I have named this post?

Matamoscas

The flies descended on Casa V the first temperate evening, ravenous, like wild dogs, like the feral cats who scooped up the turkey organs and innards we left outside for them.   The sluggish economy hurting the animals and insects as well. When the wind picked up enough to keep them away, and keep us inside, most of them were dead already. I could not find a flyswatter at the Superlay, and in my failure i realized my *ahem* ‘locals’ knowledge’ is limited to the tequilla aisle and a fish salesman named Benny who i don’t think screws me too badly.   Staring for 10 minutes at a package of what might-be sour cream and wondering if it was actually cream cheese or yogurt or butter had a profound downer affect on my chillaxin.   When a nice woman from Texas with big hooters pointed me to the next aisle, and I finally saw the familiar ¡Philãdelphia box , i knew i was outmatched.   Time to grab my liquor and head home!   My cable lock blew up and forced me to hack through it for 10 minutes with my multitool while a bunch of local hombres sorta wondered why no one was arresting the gringo and sorta realized the pretty vest and pretty helmet and pretty shoes must go with the pretty bike.     Then I threw out the lock, cause 4 liters of liquor and 2lbs of cream cheese was enough weight.   This ensured I could not stop again, and would resort to killing flies with a magazine, a newspaper, a shop vac, a teva, a beer can, and a diaper.

6 visits ago, Beckie bought this from a vendor named Lupe.

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Lupe has since said hi to us every visit.   and Lupe’s partner Margarita had flyswatters.   Beckie ran to the house for money, the ladies commented muy gorda, and were embarrassed i understood.

What can i say? She is a load.

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i was kinda shocked at how much Lupe remembered us, but it makes sense when she prolly talked to Beckie for like 20 min selling her dresses.   We hung out and kvelled for 10 minutes just to spend 250 pesos on flyswatters.   Hella good selling too, usually i don’t even look up to say “no thank you” to the beach vendors, usually now i just let G say it for me.   But even dad can’t be a dick to a solicitor when there’s a baby involved.   good selling indeed.

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Though Alana will stop being fat soon enough, since she pretty much doesn’t stop moving if she’s awake.   The weekend was perfect for her to slink around on the beach for hours, and slink around on the tile floors for hours more.   Except for crawling into sharp shells, or water, or pelican bones, or broken glass, or sharp gravel, or dead flies.

so tired…
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Lupe indeed brought us a very cute very tinyDress for Alana the next day. It was unfortunately too chilly to wear.   I’m wondering what else I can have delivered to me on the beach?

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Princess Alana, The Squirmy

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teeth
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Mexican ManCave Games

Too cold to swim – np.   There is always something to play with at CasaV.

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I was getting ready to CraigsList the boat, but it holds enough air that it should be good for 30 min in calm water.   G is growing into all of Byron’s kids’ hand-me-downs.

ladybug water rescue
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over the last month, G had grown increasingly attached to her bike-as-a-tool, carrying it over things and up things and through sand and swinging it about and pushing it up hills just to ride back down them.   The bike and you, on a journey, attached at the hip…I’m so proud of her.     She has a lot less fear of gravity than me, did these hills a couple times each.   I should have made her wear a helmet, and the training wheels are messing with her and making her lean outside on turns.   Come to think of it, these vids are kinda terrifying, except for how much fun she is having.

that kid runs me over on her bike, and all you give me is a turkey neck?
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Sand castles followed by a fierce mudball battle.   Then G went for a 10 minute jog with me, running up and down the beach without fatigue, like a kenyan.

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these were going on CL too after gathering dust for 4 years.   The conversation went like this:

G: Hey what’s that?
Me: what?
G: those horseshoes
Me: that’s something I’m not selling on CraigsList.

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note the kneepads, cause safety is important
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look! something I can kick at my sister!
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the joys and agonies of a 2-story house
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