Dong Ngo

Dong Ngo touched so many lives through his work at Denver Spoke. I never met him, but have had multiple conversations with people from all over who had brought his name up in conversation (while he was living) because he was such a remarkable guy.

Can't Wait to Be on the Trainer Tomorrow

Ward was quite the sleepy town today. I only saw one cyclist up there. Not many people were out, but dogs were running loose all over the place.
I had a frightening incident with a pit bull that looked just like this one. Ironically, the dog in this picture is named Eddie. Basically, it came down to a game of chicken with the dog. He ended up being friendly...if a charging dog with a wicked bark that decides not to bite can be called "friendly."

Friday Night on the Trainer

The trainer was not a bad place to be tonight. After much searching, I've finally figured out how to enjoy the trainer: chocolate-covered espresso beans!
Tonight's movie was in English, but there was no sound...the soundtrack could be heard, but not the words. Hey, but at least it's quotable.Advertisement for a drug for Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). One side effect: falling asleep while driving. Sorry, I don't see the worth in this drug. Falling asleep at the wheel is as bad (or worse) than drinking and driving. It's not an insignificant side effect.
Big news! 3,000 santas on bikes. How many cookies will santa need to eat to fuel his Christmas Eve ride? Logistically, I'm a little worried Santa may not make it to my home this year.

O Christmas Tree... Fake, but Quite Resilient!

The Christmas tree is magical. This picture doesn't do it justice. However, the camera isn't what makes it look like it's leaning a bit. Moments after this was taken, it came crashing down. It's all better now. None of my house plants have survived...apparently, I'm not capable of keeping an artificial one, either.

Quitting Smoking

I ran into a friendly woman in the city tonight who was out walking to lose a couple of extra pounds which she gained when she quit smoking. She mentioned that she was under seige by her friends and co-workers who are making fun of her and ridiculing her for quitting. I appreciate the perspective that she gave me tonight.

Scrooge

Tonight I put up the Christmas tree.
Okay, okay, I'll unpack it tomorrow, fluff it up and plug it in (it's a fiber-optic tree). Yes, it will be given real lights and ornaments. Christmas music will be played.

Tis the Season

The Christmas party for work was held at Mattie's House of Mirrors. Mattie's used to be a brothel. Last year the party was at a nightclub. We were trying to decide if the company holiday party is properly representative of the success of the company.

White Elephant

The white elephant gift exchange at work was very entertaining. One gift given was a toy soldier Haloween costume. Ben, the guy who chose this gift, got to model it for everyone. Our creative director then turned his picture into a life-sized poster that is now displayed on the wall so that Ben can't ever live it down.And I ended up with a calendar.
So, if one looks at Spam every day for a year, does one then desire it at the end of the year? I've never tasted Spam. This should be an interesting experiment in brain-washing.

True Vacation

Last weekend was five, count em, five too-cold-to-ride days straight. The change in pace was welcome, however. It's pretty cool to vacation near home.
We celebrated Eric's birthday in Brazil, well, almost. Everyone here is from there and the food is authentic. Betcha it's warmer in Brazil, though.
We drove up Coal Creek Canyon and visited the house he lived in for a short time.

There was lots of hiking and snowshoeing all weekend. This is the backside of one of the Flatirons.
We rented a pretty sweet ride to kick around in for the weekend...but we returned it when it got a flat. Then we got a Jeep Liberty. Not bad, but the truck was the coolest.
I-70 was THE place to be Saturday evening. Hey, when you're renting a vehicle, might as well spend lots of time enjoying it, eh?

Playing in the Snow

It's too cold to ride, but not to hike, snowshoe and enjoy the crisp air. More posts and updates in a few days!