Time of my Life

phew!!

I rode a bike from my place in downtown Denver to work in the DTC yesterday. It was a round trip of 32 miles and took about 1 hour and 45 minutes each way. I don't think I've ever ridden a bike that far in one day but thanks to bike-to-work-day and my buddy Don I can cross a 32 mile bike ride off my list of things to do.

I didn't really think of the repercussions a 32 mile bike ride would have on my perineum but it's all I can think about today... My taint frickin' hurts! I think it's purple. Oddly, it's the only thing that hurts, although, I am tired and perpetually hungry today.

My bike ride sort of reminds me of the time Dan ran the Bolder Boulder in jeans and a pair of converse. He couldn't even get out of bed the next day. At least I'm walking today!

and so on

I am now 24 years old.

I had a wonderful birthday thanks to my wife. She purchased a professional massage and some of the sickest aviator goggles in existence for me, catered to my every need and then took me to watch my favorite comedian Doug Stanhope perform at the Oriental Theater. It was one of the best birthdays I've ever had. Thanks Nicole.

I get up every day and put on my dress shirt and slacks, a pair of beat-up DVS skate shoes, grab my Da Kine backpack and skateboard and then head off to the bus stop. I can't help but feeling like kind of an idiot standing there in a freshly ironed shirt and pants while holding my skateboard at age 24. I feel like I'm too old for my skateboard and too young for the dress clothing. I'm at an awkward place in life and I don't quite know how to handle it.

I don't want to get rid of all my t-shirts, baggy shorts and skate shoes but then again, I don't want to be caught in public by anyone I respect in a pair of cut-off army pants so full of holes I have to wear two pairs of underwear so my peen doesn't pop out.

I ride the train feeling like a tool in my button-down, tucked-in shirt but laugh at the 20something punker with the pink hair and gauged ears.

I don't know what I want to be... This growing up is tough.

the little prince

I just finished The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery. I now understand the allure of the book. It's a very well written reminder of the beauty of innocence. Makes me wish I wasn't in such a hurry to grow up.

To say it was just about the beauty of innocence is coming up short. Among the lessons taught by Saint-Exupery I liked most his point of "taming the rose".

As the little prince tells a rose garden, "You are beautiful, but you are empty. One could not die for you. To be sure, an ordinary passerby would think that my rose looked just like you - the rose that belongs to me. But in herself alone she is more important than all the hundreds of you other roses: because it is she that I have watered; because it is she that I have put under the glass globe; because it is she that I have sheltered behind the screen; because it is for her that I have killed the caterpillars; because it is she that I have listened to. Because she is my rose."

As Saint-Exupery said, "What is essential is invisible to the naked eye."

Just yesterday I was fixing a malfunctioning old door knob on our entry gate and I thought to myself that this gate must have been opened hundreds of times by all kinds of different people (most of whom cursed that it was so hard to shut and open) yet, not one of them ever took five minutes to fix it and make it work properly. Then, when my repair was complete, I took a few extra seconds to shine it up and make it look real nice while thinking, "I'm probably the only person in the world who will ever admire this door knob."

quarter life crisis

simply amazing

This is the most amazing thing I've seen in a long time. I'd like to thank Leslie Trumble for showing it to us. We don't think you're a dork Leslie. In fact, now you are held in even higher esteem.

time well spent

This weekend we turned this:

Into this:

And I can't begin to describe to you how much better it smells.

heavy

I feel heavy and unmotivated. I can't wait to get home from work but when I get there I don't know what I want to do. Nothing sounds like fun and I can't find anything good to eat.

Hopefully this will pass soon because today is Friday and Nicole and I have the whole weekend to ourselves.

moved in

We've been moving since Friday and I think it's finally over. Dang I'm tired. The place iS sweet except for the lingering smell of dog poo out front. It's to be expected with the three big dogs living in the main house but I don't like it. Like most things I assume I'll become accustomed to it but I'm doing everything I can to get rid of the smell. We've cleaned up lots of poo in the last couple days.

The house itself is amazing. I'll post pictures when I'm not so tired and we have some stuff put away.

I think I just shaved an hour and a half off my commute to work each day. Frickin' awesome.