Check out my sickle

Some would say I have an abnormal fascination with ice sickles. No reason to make stupid phallic jokes here, hot pokers in the rectum from aliens, okay; penis jokes--no. You have to admit, if there is anything good about the weather right now (I am really stretching to find the silver lining) it is the amazing ice sickles on my house. Of course, this clearly indicates that I have issues with my gutters/roof/insulation that needs to be addressed; however, these sickles are pretty wicked.

Later.

Madden calls.

I will explain, some other time.

My Triumphant Return

Its coming. I haven't had much to say, or better put I haven't said much in a long time. I feel it is nearing the time that I begin to write on this thing again.

Recently I traveled to Tahoe to ski with some good friends, Ben and Brian. It was awesome to the 10th degree. There were many great moments, none topped by the the first 18 hours there. It was a night filled with craps, poker, and makers on the rocks. it was a night so fun that it didn't end until 7.30 the next morning. The only reason I called it a night was we were going skiing at 8.00 and I needed to be in tip top form as I hadn't slid down a mountain for nearly 5 years. needless to say--the best way to get back into that sport is a good solid 8 hours of whiskey drinking and cards.

More Pictues

Pictures:

1 and 2--two views of our master bedroom. It is in the attic. It was a bit warm until we added the a/c unit

2--my office. very blue. not pictured--my indoor jungle (will post in the future)

3--sissy's office. nice yellow.

4--our 1950's kitchen. i installed the countertops (with much help from nels and jay)

5--our red wall in the basement. its my man cave. i love it.

6--small picture of master bedroom (could figure out how to get rid of it)

Long TIme No Update

So its been awhile. How is everyone in cyber-land? Good. Great. Excellent. I thought I would put up some pictures of our new house, for those of you that won't get to see it in the near future. Note: Everything looks a bit brighter in the pictures than the place is in person.

Later.

Mountain Biking in Ketchum, Idaho

Sissy and I have spent the last week ‘relaxing’ in beautiful Ketchum, Idaho. This unique ski town is nestled between two mountain ranges, flanked on the West by Bald Mountain and on the East by the Sawtooth Mountains.

We have filled the week with amazing mountain biking, brilliant golf, and wonderful dinners (never thought I would be able to come up with three different synonymous adjectives).

The mountain biking is spectacular here. With our trusty guides Naomi and Brad, the two courses we have tackled are Corral Creek and Adam’s Gulch. Both are extremely taxing from a cardiovascular standpoint, and technically very challenging. The thoughts that cross my head (on both rides) can be summed up as follows; “how awesome,” “how beautiful”, “oh fuck”, “holy shit”, and “I survived.”

Corral Creek is an out and back eight mile ride that has some great slaloms and scary mountain passes. The ride out takes around an hour and a half; while the ride back takes around twenty five minutes. It is great ride and offer many views of the Sawtooth range.

Adam’s Gulch is North of Ketchum. It included several passes over a little stream, a very difficult climb, and a very intense downhill ride.

These rides are both extremely challenging and dangerous, with several opportunities to break limbs, crack heads, and fall off mountains. Both rank 1 out of 5 in difficulty (5 being the most difficult). Needless to say, my abilities as a mountain biker are completely taxed by the ‘easiest’ courses Ketchum has to offer.

My best wipe-out was dog aided. This needs some clarification. Ketchum is an outdoor paradise, it is also a dog haven. Amsterdam has more bikes than people (among other things), Ketchum has more dogs than people. It is great. I love the dogs. They love my bike. As I was coming down a steep mountain pass on the Shady-Side Trail of Adam’s Gulch, a dog ran directly at my front tire. Trying to stop my bike with the fancy disc breaks proved much too simple of a task; thus I locked up wheels and bike, yet I continued on the same course (see physics from freshman year of college). As I flew over my handle bars, I thought, “I am sure glad I have this nice bed of rocks to break my fall.” A couple of scrapes and a bruised ego were the extent of my injuries.

I have found the best remedy after any taxing ride is a burger and a schooner of fat tire. Can’t wait to do it again.

How to Make the Guinness Tour 'Free'

Everyone always says that Guinness is much better in Ireland, and to avoid being trite, Guinness is superior in Dublin. if you ever visit, the Guinness tour is well worth a visit, and easy to make 'free.' The price is around 10 euros (if you have a student card). First of all you get a complimentary pint at the end of the tour--knock off 4.50 right away. There is a 'tasting lab' on the third floor. While it is designed for one to have a taste, it is easy to visit as many times as you like. I thought of it as more of a drinking lab.

The Cold War Kids

Alright Carew--I will spill the beans. The Cold War Kids absolutely rocked. They play with such energy and enthusiasm; it is surprising that their songs don't all get 'up tempo.' The show was at The Ambassador Theatre, situated at the end of O’Connell Street. The theatre was an interesting structure, a round room but traditional theatre décor. It had great acoustics and a decent light show. We had balcony seats which provided a great vantage point and the sound couldn’t be better.

A Canadian band called ‘Pink Mountaintops’ was the opener. It was a duet with guitar, tambourine, and synthesizer. Various members of The Cold War Kids (in various configurations) came out and jammed with them on the last couple of songs. The complete setlist is a bit of a blur; We Used to Vacation and Hospital Beds were awesome. The second to last song in the main set was Hang Me Out To Dry; it brought the house down.

We heard most of the songs from the released Album, (We Used to Vacation, Hang me Out to Dry, Tell me In the Morning, Hair Down, Passing the Hat, Saint John, Hospital Beds, Pregnant, Red Wine Success, God Make Up Your Mind, Rubidoux). The only song that they may not have played was Robbers (I don’t specifically remember it). There was a new song (‘Daughter’), and even a Tom Waits cover.

All in all it was a great show, Sissy and I really enjoyed it.