Night of the Living Sven -- A Tale of Undead Wood, written and directed by George Michero

Happy Halloween!! 

...from Teaberry the feral cat and Sven the Zombie!

Back in the Saddle Again

Man, it's been a rough summer between injury and work. On top of the broken sternum, I fractured a vertabra in the June 22 bike wreck. Add to that a project implementation at work, and you get the case of "all work and no play make Brett something-something".

But things are looking up this fall! The biking down time gave me some chances to continue to hone the mushrooming skills (I'm still alive--another win!)and rediscover the fun that is hiking.

As far as the bike? Well, got out with sweetie last weekend for 40 miles and 4,000 feet of elevation on the fireroads in Michaux and while I was ready to be done with the ride by the end, it felt pretty dang good.

Here's to enjoying the golden time of the year and staying healthy.

Sven Olympics-don't mean a thing if you ain't got that London BLING!

Sven has just returned from London, where he won first place in the little-known Olympic sport of Log Floating. (He has a natural talent!) Didn’t catch Sven’s exciting win on TeeVee?  Log Floating was broadcast Sunday night at 3:45 A.M. just after the combined Badminton-Javelin-Hammerthrow competition (they had to combine those into a single sport to get an adequate audience), and just before broadcast of the ever-exciting Trampoline event.*

      *That’s an actual Olympic sport, look it up!

Sven is quite tired but elated by his victory. He’s seeking corporate endorsements as he looks forward to the next Summer Games, wherever they might be. Until then, he’ll just drink his Victory beer!

Joyeux le Quatorze Juillet!

In celebration of Bastille Day and all things French, Sven will channel the spirit of famous mime Marcel Marceau --Sven is especially skilled in acting like a tree!

The GNarly GNorth Fork

Got me.



pushed an iffy ride too long, botched what should have been an easy 2-foot drop, launched head-first into a tree that didn't break (odd, that), destroyed a helmet, and then landed on a rock, breaking my sternum. after a two-mile walk out, we went to Petersburg and the nearest hospital for a bunch of xrays and CT scans.

a big heartfelt thanks to everyone with me--i'm sorry i pretty much ruined that epic downhill for everyone. thanks for making sure i got out of the woods and to medical attention as soon as possible. mountain bikers are great people.

6 weeks for healing, they say. the pain is not much fun right now--where my ribs hit my spine hurts more than my sternum.

and thanks to donna for her patience in dealing with a sometimes surly patient.

I <3 Buffarora!!

Taking the kids in another adventure...

Inspiration

This kid is awesome! Bikes are fun! I have a smile on my face right now.

Prep

Gettin' Ready...

that there's anchos, sandias, chipotles, cumin and coriander all gettin' snuggly.

run a bunch of the above through a blender, followed by roasted plum tomatoes, onion, garlic and cilantro and you get a big pot of Salsa Roja.

SoChaux

And here's to some new stuff.

Happy Cinco de SuperMoono!

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/supermoon_2012.html

Supermoon 2012

05.04.12

 

Another "supermoon" is in the offing. The perigee full moon on May 5, 2012 will be as much as 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than other full moons of 2012. 





Dr. James Garvin, chief scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, answered questions regarding the supermoon phenomenon in a 2011 interview. 

Question: What is the definition of a supermoon and why is it called that?

'Supermoon' is a situation when the moon is slightly closer to Earth in its orbit than on average, and this effect is most noticeable when it occurs at the same time as a full moon. So, the moon may seem bigger although the difference in its distance from Earth is only a few percent at such times. 

It is called a supermoon because this is a very noticeable alignment that at first glance would seem to have an effect. The 'super' in supermoon is really just the appearance of being closer, but unless we were measuring the Earth-Moon distance by laser rangefinders (as we do to track the LRO [Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter] spacecraft in low lunar orbit and to watch the Earth-Moon distance over years), there is really no difference. The supermoon really attests to the wonderful new wealth of data NASA's LRO mission has returned for the Moon, making several key science questions about our nearest neighbor all the more important.

Are there any adverse effects on Earth because of the close proximity of the moon?

The effects on Earth from a supermoon are minor, and according to the most detailed studies by terrestrial seismologists and volcanologists, the combination of the moon being at its closest to Earth in its orbit, and being in its 'full moon' configuration (relative to the Earth and sun), should not affect the internal energy balance of the Earth since there are lunar tides every day. The Earth has stored a tremendous amount of internal energy within its thin outer shell or crust, and the small differences in the tidal forces exerted by the moon (and sun) are not enough to fundamentally overcome the much larger forces within the planet due to convection (and other aspects of the internal energy balance that drives plate tectonics). Nonetheless, these supermoon times remind us of the effect of our 'Africa-sized' nearest neighbor on our lives, affecting ocean tides and contributing to many cultural aspects of our lives (as a visible aspect of how our planet is part of the solar system and space).

May Day Ride

Hooray, hooray!

It's the first of May!

Outdoor stuffing starts today!

paraphrased from a text received from Trainwreck...

Beautiful green, green ferns...ahh, springtime.

Get out there, people, and eat it up.

New grill bliss...

Buffarora Ride

Another trail that doesn't fit me...

Not sure I can juke enough to clear this.

And leave it to TORC to put a rock line in beside a perfectly good two-track.
God bless 'em.

Thanks, guys, for showing us around last night!

Raystown

We spent last weekend at Raystown with a great group of people, enjoying the trails and the hospitality of D's coworker. A great time was had by all!









oh yeah, and a bit of slacklining, too! Pic courtesy of Birdman.

Battle for the Beard

Great stopmotion vid!

It's the "Hunny Bunny"!

Happy Easter/Passover!

Here's the rest of the story...

In an effort to unite his American and Swedish heritages, Sven is celebrating Easter this year with a Swedish twist. Not only does he have pink bunny ears and an egg basket, complete with Peeps candy, he also wears Swedish witches' garb. As explained below,
"Children dressed as witches give a clear indication that Swedish Påsk origins predate Christianity. Folklore alleges that witches flew off on broomsticks to dance with the devil at Blåkulla. In Sweden, this tale ties in with Easter. And so on skärtorsdag, Maundy Thursday, modern Swedish children dress up as påskkärringar (Easter hags) paint their faces, carry a broom and knock on neighbor’s doors for treats, much like American children do at Halloween."

Glad Påsk!
Easter - when Sweden's witches come out to play
The Local ("Sweden's News in English"), 21 April 2011

Easter Celebrations and traditions for the secular Swede are nearly as sacred as Christmas to the Swedish culture. Even devout atheists pay respect to the long-standing traditional norms that the holiday dictates in Sweden. Easter is a big deal to the entire country.

Religious Easter isn’t completely removed from the celebrations of the modern Swede. Swedes are traditionalists after all.

There will always be the group of churchgoers on Easter Sunday. Most likely they are the same gang who went to church for julotta Christmas morning. However, Easter today, has little to do with Christian beliefs for the majority of Swedes.

Children dressed as witches give a clear indication that Swedish Påsk origins predate Christianity. Folklore alleges that witches flew off on broomsticks to dance with the devil at Blåkulla.

In Sweden, this tale ties in with Easter. And so on skärtorsdag, Maundy Thursday, modern Swedish children dress up as påskkärringar (Easter hags) paint their faces, carry a broom and knock on neighbor’s doors for treats, much like American children do at Halloween.

Children also contribute to the tradition of Easter worldwide. What would Easter be without beautifully painted and adorned Easter eggs? Swedes just revere their Easter eggs –the decorative and the edible versions.

Semlor are still on sale despite the Lenten fast, and anticipation of the big day grows in the week beginning with Palm Sunday. In conservative communities there is an air of solemnity.

It would be taboo to get married or baptize a child during this week. And many die hard traditionalists still scowl at the modern disregard of a sober Good Friday and snort at the mention of potential merriment that evening.

Only in recent years are cinemas allowed to be open. Good Friday is more appropriately named in Swedish Långfredag – Long Friday, the most unhappening day of the calendar. Fun not allowed.

However, once the mourning of the crucifixion of Christ is over, the proverbial good times roll. Saturday morning resembles a resurrection of sorts.

Spring is in the air, merriment is on the menu. The family will sit down to an ample feast in the afternoon on Påskafton, or the Eve of Easter. Eggs and lamb are the quintessential Easter fare that very nearly connote Påsk all by themselves. They represent the fertility of the spring and the rebirth of the year after the long winter.

Bonfires are lit in some regions of Sweden in the late afternoon. Some say they are to scare off the evil influences of the Easter hags and their journey to Blåkulla. Others take the opportunity to clear gardens for the coming spring. For some regions, including the Stockholm area, the bonfires must wait until Valborgsmässafton or Walpurgis Night at the end of April to banish the remnants of winter.

Mezcal and Highline in Sedona

Man, I loved this stuff.

Mezcal:


Highline:

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Thank you, Sweetie!

Last Day at Tucson Mt Park

From top to bottom, yo

teddybear cholla

Prickly pear cactus

Arrogant bastard...well, not really, it's just the jersey...

Tucson Mountain Trails an Ethiopian Food

Great day of riding
24ish miles
Ate dinner at Zemam's
Went to 1702 brew pub met Dale's AZ/NM sales rep
And owner of joint, Austin
And Hank, local friend of Mike and Brenda
A great evening...:-)

Sweetwater

More pics from yesterday's ride...

Happy Birthday Momma!!

7.3 miles times 2 at Sweetwater trails in Tucson!

We made it!!!

Missouri Loves Company

10.5 hours from Ohio to Missouri
Holed up at Mark Twain Natl Forest for the night
Went for a 3ish mile hike at the Kaintuck Trail System
Reminded us of Michaux as there was a big crew of horse trailers in parking area when we got there
Found a pack of cigarettes and an Mp3 player on the trail and when we got back---we were heroes!  
The were really nice people and were so grateful they offered us beers and dogs..  They left their fire and wood for us and a full bag of chips!  They invited us to go to karaoke with them, but we politely declined...it was sad when they left, but very nice to have met them!

Arizona Bound!!

Both feet on the floor
Both hands on the wheel
Let the wind take your troubles away

Happy Prez Day, yo!

Abraham Washingsven says, thank you to all citizens for remembering his several birthdays. He already had the wooden teeth, but also put on a Washington wig and Lincoln stovepipe hat to hold important legal documents. As both George and Abraham were wartime leaders, he is eqippped with a pistol and the sudsy support of that rabble-rouser, Sam Adams.

Happy Prez Day, yo!

The Rise and Fall of Valentine’s Day Literature

She bath'd with roses red, and violets blew,
And all the sweetest flowres, that in the forrest grew.
— Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene (1590)

The rose is red, the violet's blue,
The honey's sweet, and so are you.
Thou art my love and I am thine;
I drew thee to my Valentine:
The lot was cast and then I drew,
And Fortune said it shou'd be you.
— Gammer Gurton's Garland (1784)

Roses are red
Violets are blue
True lovers are full of wood —
Like Sven, so happy to see you!