Starting Over

The last weekend was nice but rather uneventful.  I watched a lot of tv but I did go skiing 3 times over the break.  I ordered a new small camera for Christmas for myself and hope to get it any day now.  I'm really excited to have a good little camera to use while skiing and for taking everywhere again.  Supposed to be a great camera and relatively inexpensive.  The Canon SD770 IS for $159 from Amazon.  I looked today and it was $20 more.  Not sure how they price those things but I'm not complaining.

 

Back on Christmas morning, the dogs had the most fun.  They each had a gift wrapped and when Tressa put them down the dogs dug in and shredded the paper.  It was really cool.  I don't think I've ever seen dogs dig in so fast.  They were going at the goods inside within seconds.

 

 

 

  

 

Anyway, I wanted to share the pics of the dog since it was cool.  Since it snowed 19 inches on Christmas the driveway was not very driveable.  It's a really good thing I bought some snow tires as I wouldn't be leaving otherwise.

 

 

It was also very interesting to see the parking lots at the outlet mall and how the snow accumulates.  I'm sure it is nothing compared to what it will be in a few months but it is pretty crazy nonetheless since I've never really seen anything like it.

 

 

I drove down and checked out Yes Man on Saturday and just took it easy.  Trying to ski deep powder on Friday killed my legs and I wasn't ready to hit it again.  The movie was decent with a good message about saying yes to life.  Something I could really learn from.  In Salt Lake right off the 80 is a little park area where tons of kids sled and tube down the hill.  I'm sure it's a blast for them.

 

 

 

Tomorrow is of course New Year's eve and I don't have too much going on.  I'd just as soon stay home but I'm sure I'll do something.  I don't really have any expectations so it doesn't really matter to me.  I want to work out as I haven't been doing anything but eat.  On Sunday I ate nearly a whole pumpkin pie after skiing.  It was pretty good and the whip cream is like crack.  So good. 

 

More snow on the roads.  Looks a lot different than when I got here.

 

 

I'm really getting ready for the festival to start.  The crazy thing is that it's all going to be over so fast and then I'm going to be going Oh shit once again as I move onto the next phase of my life.  I don't mind different quick phases as long as they kind of lead one into the other.  That is not usually the case, however.  I know something will work out and I just need to enjoy the festival and where I am for now.

Yesterday we got off work at 12:30 and since I had an idea this was going to happen I brought my ski stuff.  I went over to the Canyons and it was a beautiful day.  They had a few new runs open so I gave them a shot. Very humbling as they were harder with bumps and I didn't do so well.  I tried a double blue and it was bumpy and very hard.  I wiped out 2 times but it was kind of fun.

 

I went back to my tried and true runs and they were a lot of fun as I feel myself getting better at times.  It comes and goes but we'll see.  I do know that my quads burn all the time and that hasn't gotten easier.

 

I picked up my car yesterday with the snow tires.  I was excited to test the car out on the driveway as that was the main reason to get them.  I took a little running start and it went up with no problem.  I was so happy as it was pretty freaky sliding down the driveway with the car spinning sideways before. 

 

Today my 2 roommates and I opened gifts and it was pretty cool.  I always love giving a gift and watching someone open it.  I bought my landlord a cool Mountain Living Magazine so she could read it on her trip to Tahoe today.  I don't know how she is going to get out of here as there are sustained 30-40 mph winds up here.  It shouldn't be so bad at the airport but who knows?

 

There is supposed to be 20-30 inches of snow possible today and tomorrow and none of it is sticking here at home as the crazy wind is blowing the snow at a 90 degree angle and there is really no accumulation.  It's blowing right into the mountain so that will be wild to see when the storm ends.

 

I guess the rest of the day I'm going to eat pumpkin pie and watch tv.  Don't feel like getting out in the storm.

What a weekend!  Well, it was pretty cool at the minimum.  Yesterday morning I hand my mind set on going to Salt Lake and getting my hair cut and running some errands.  I woke up around 8:00 and there was a storm blowing snow at virtually a 90 degree angle and the roads looked pretty treacherous.  I decided to go anyway.  What was I thinking?

 

I got in I-80 and it was not horrible but pretty bad.  I pretty much went 35 mph or slower the entire way to Salt Lake.  It was pretty scary at a few points but I never really slid out or anything.  Just big clumps of snow and it was hard to see the lanes.  Luckily most everyone else was going really slowly as well so that helped.

 

I got my haircut really quickly at Supercuts and decided to go to Wal Mart to stock up on some groceries.  No one realizes it but the Wal Marts out here are more expensive than even California.  Doesn't really make much sense but it's true.  Oh well.  I got a bunch of things, including two donuts for my sugar fix, and took off to see Slumdog Millionaire.  It was a really good movie and I thought it was pretty close to the 8.7 it got on imdb.  Lastly I ate a mahi burrito at Rubio's to reminisce my 3 time a week San Diego habit.  It was pretty good but after only 2 months I couldn't even remember how to order what I used to order.  That shit pisses me off.  Sometimes my memory just makes me feel stupid and certainly frustrated.  What happened?  I used to remember every single thing that ever happened to me.

 

I made it home safely and got all the way to the driveway and things got interesting.  I  started up the driveway and it was pretty much pure ice.  I couldn't make it up.  I started sliding towards the rocks on the edge and my car was at an angle.  I was a little freaked out.  I got my downstair's roommate to help and we tried salt, his old chains, and pushing but we couldn't get it up the driveway.  The landlord came home with her friend and he told me to back down and make a run for it.  I did and managed to barely make it up.  Wow.

 

 

You can see the tracks which are pretty much pure ice and the driveway is steeper than it looks.

 

Today I went skiing again at the Canyon's.  It was way different this time.  A lot more snow and powder and it was way harder for me to control things and way harder on my legs.  I almost wiped out 10 times or so.  I would start to feel like I was going to wax it and I would somehow pull out of it.  It got better but I need to get better.  I'm probably trying to ski like a pro already and just skiing above my ability.  We'll see.

 

When I got home I had another difficult time making it up the driveway.  Not sure what I'm going to do.  My roommate has new snow tires and he can make it up without a running start.  They really do make a difference.  Maybe I need to get some but I tend to get stubborn about things.  Also when I closed my passenger door today the side mirror fell off.  This cold is really freaking hard on cars.

 

Updated view of the backyard:

 

 

I skied the mountain to the right in the distance.  Well, here I go into another week.  I hope it snows a shitload this week and I won't have to worry about driving.  It is definitely a different world here getting through and maneuvering through the snow.

 

On the lift back down this evening I met a guy and his family who were really nice.  He is a second unit director and has a house in Park City.  Pretty cool.  All kinds of people out here for sure.  I'm off to a meeting and ship a box.  Sold my cheap camera that I didn't like for 30 dollars more than I paid.  Amazon is the best for a lot of items.  Things that go for $4 on ebay can be sold on Amazon for $30.  Later.

I finally went skiing yesterday at the Canyons.  It snowed a little during the week and combined with the man made stuff they were able to open a run.  I gathered all my gear up in the morning and put it in the car.  I felt like a little kid and I was smiling from ear to ear as I was so excited.  It was a beautiful sunny day, kind of like when I skied 8 years ago, and I took off around 9:00am. 

 

I managed to finally get my boots and gear on and there was quite a walk to the lift.  I didn't know I was supposed to keep the boots loose so I had a hell of a time trying to walk in them.  Once I got on the lift I headed up to the main resort area.

 

 

Even though it felt relatively warm in the sun, my hands almost froze solid in a few minutes without gloves.  I made sure to leave them on from then on.  I made it to the easiest run of the day, a green run, and I was pretty much the only one on the lift.  Not many newbies yesterday.  I went down the green run a few times and slowly got the hang of it again.  It was very strange at first and a few times my skis dug in on the side and I felt like I was going to wipe out.   After getting more confident I headed up to the blue run open.

 

 

It was way steeper and a lot of fun.  I met an older guy who has been skiing for years and he stated that I need to learn how to turn quicker and better.  Basically I just fly down fast and turn when I need to slow down.  It works but there is no way to ski blacks and trees like that.  So, I started working on turns the rest of the day.  It was pretty difficult and I found it more and more challenging as my legs began fatiguing more and more.

 

I finally called it a day after about 2 hours and felt that was enough for my first day.  No sense in getting crazy sore and I don't think working on form crazy tired would have worked anyway.  I took a quick picture before boarding the lift back down.

 

 

I got on the gondola and it felt nice to sit down.  I rode down with some 17 year old Salt Lake kids and they were really nice.  Talked about the area and living in the mountains.  Here is a view going back down.

 

 

Overall it was a good time and I can't wait until it really dumps snow and the whole mountain is open.  It looks to go for days and it will be awesome getting back in there and getting better and better.  Can't wait.  Now I'm off to enjoy Sunday before heading back to work and the routine tomorrow! 

Well, another week of work is over.  It is a great place to work, clean, nice, great people, but I don't have much to do.  We had a list of items to complete this week and I pretty much finished most everything by Tuesday.  The last 3 days I've sat at my desk for at least 6 hours acting busy.  I feel kind of bad but there just isn't a whole lot left to do.  I don't know.  I know it will be busy in January but that doesn't help now.  Next week is going to be tough.

 

The ski resort I have a pass at opened today.  Not sure how great the snow is but it is open and I plan to give it a go tomorrow.  Just take it easy and adjust my legs to the new movement.  Should be fun and also warm tomorrow.  42 degrees will feel warm.

 

Other than being extremely bored at work I've been feeling better this week and content being here for now.  I took the bus all week to work and only drove about 7 miles all week.  That is different and cool. 

 

I've also been looking at brushing up on Photoshop again.  I really enjoyed learning Photoshop and all of the nuances of the program so as a hobby I think I'm going to try and get a book on the newer version and brush up.  I also eventually want to get a cheap point and shoot camera I can carry around that actually takes decent pictures.  That way I can always be snapping pics wherever I go. 

 

Ski gear is out, ready to go.  Stay tuned.

The weekend was pretty low key.  I went over to a friend's house on Thanksgiving Day and had the normal turkey and dressing and some amazing pumpkin pie.  It was awesome and it never ceases to amaze me how easy it goes down and how much I can eat.  I wound up eating 3 whole pumpkin pies over the 4 day weekend.  At least it wasn't cheesecake. 

 

The rest of the weekend I went to several meetings, hung out with a friend playing pool, driving around looking at multi-million dollar houses in Deer Valley and Park City.  I wish I would have had my camera as there were simply some amazing homes that had breathtaking views that are indescribable.

 

Overall I am really all over the place living here.  Some days or parts of days I feel happy with things and enjoy what I'm doing and what is going on.  Other times I feel cornered in and claustrophobic with the cold weather and it just seems like life is closing in on me.  I simply prefer the sun and warmth to sort of blossom and open up energetically.  I really think the skiing is going to help as it will be such a different and new experience that will I'm sure be very fun and fulfilling.

 

Saturday we went up to the Stein Ericksen Lodge in Deer Valley and had lunch.  It was so cool and exactly the mountain vibe I've always envisioned with the mountain ambiance, the nice restaurant, and the views of the white ski slopes.  It was really cool.

 

I think I'm learning so much about myself here and hopefully I will grow forward in a positive direction.  I certainly haven't been doing things well or effectively in many years and I can only hope I move towards a good life.  We'll see.

Last week was finally the first week I've worked at a job in 1.5 years.  It was nice to go to work and have somewhere to go and taking the bus turned out to be a nice adventure.  The office is really cool, basically a converted old mining building.  The finish out is definitely done in a mountain feel and all of the furniture and chairs were new 2 years ago so all is clean and nice.  I would say there are about 70% women to men and most are in good shape, living the mountain, active lifestyle.

 

View of the building:

 

 

It was a pretty long week, however, as we did not have a lot to do and most of the week was spent reading employee and departmental manuals from prior years.  A lot of the time I was trying to act busy and search something work related on the internet.  This week plans to be more eventful and more time will be allotted to training on specific computer applications and procedures.

 

View from parking area of golf course.  Nice.

 

 

 

There are some cool condos right around the building which all went for over a million.  Location location location I suppose.  The developer supposedly sold out at the peak a few years ago and ran away to the bank.  Good timing.

 

Today my battery went dead on my car so I got a jump and headed straight to auto zone.  After going around and around about payment the manager finally warranted my battery and gave me a very slightly used battery for a free swap.  Truly amazing and a spiritual God shot for sure.  He was amazing.  I felt like crying almost as it was such an act of generosity as he was truly trying to help.  I showed him I only had $7 and he told me about being stuck in Egypt with only $7 and how it was.  Awesome.

 

Doesn't look like we'll really have snow for Thanksgiving so that is a bummer.  Time to get creative I guess on my 4 day weekend next week.  We'll see.  Not much else going on.  Not spending any money and have been living on peanut butter sandwiches and pasta.  Finally.  Trying to get a routine; work, workout, eat at home, and meetings.  Pretty simple and I think really good for now.  I'm slowly realizing that the rock star life I've always wanted just isn't happening for me.  I'm 36 so that is a pretty good indication that I'm probably not headed in that direction.  It's only been leading me to crazy choices, insane thinking, and sabotaging actions.  Pretty nutty for sure.  The good thing is that this is a very simple, non tempting place to live and start living a simple, normal life.  I certainly don't feel so tempted to be a part of something crazy exciting and glamorous.  We'll see.

Saturday I went to a meeting and decided to go on a hike afterwards.  I have been feeling pretty out of shape lately and a flight of stairs from one block to the next puts me into heavy breathing mode.  Not good.  I started hiking up the top of town towards the mountain.  I ran into a few people I knew and followed them up to a popular mountain bike trail.  It was perfect and exactly what I was looking for that day.  I had the cheap camera so I just took some snapshots to get the effect.  I saw a few houses before leaving town that I liked.  This one was for sale for I believe $1.2 mil.

 

 

I liked this little house better and think the quaintness of the house would suit me just fine!  I don't think I could live here full time but it's fun to play around either way.

 

 

The hike went up a mountain bike and hiking trail.  We trudged through a decent amount of snow but most of it from last weeks storm is long ago melted.  Still nice.

 

 

 

 

The rest of the day I ate some bad food; Wendy's .99 menu and a pint of Haagen Daz Coffee Ice Cream.  Body for Life!  Oh well, I haven't been eating so bad lately.

 

I woke up Sunday and it was a gorgeous day and near perfect.  I got in my car to go take off and make the most of the day and it wouldn't start.  I turned it over and over repeatedly and nothing.  I even jumped it with my roommates car and it would not start.  Luckily I have roadside assistance on my insurance and got it towed this morning to a mechanic I was referred to.

 

Today was my first day at work.  We had new employee orientation all day and it was pretty cool.  The mission of the organization is solid and I like working there and look forward to being busy and productive.  I left about 8:15 to grab the bus at the end of the block.  After getting on and traveling to a few stops I began to feel like I was in junior high school again as new people would get on the bus and I can remember back then thinking who else was on my bus.  Pretty wild. 

 

After work I took the bus to the gym in town and worked out legs.  It was a pretty nice gym and I liked the energy.  I then left and made my hour and a half long commute back home. 

 

It's all an adventure now so I don't mind.  Each day is new and I won't be here at this job forever so I just intend to do my best and make the most of the opportunity.  It's pretty wild how I wound up here and I think it is all for a bigger plan than I even know at this time.  Things just seemed to flow so easily in getting the job, finding a place to live, and life certainly is easy here.  I think it would be cool to make another film in the future and I think I have a lot of books, experience, thoughts, introspection, conversations, meetings, etc. to fuel an interesting creative effort.  I just need to let the idea germinate and have the willingness to express it all.  We'll see.

 

The time seems to go by so slowly here.  I am writing this at 9:30 and it seriously feels like 11:30.  I guess that is good.  I've rambled long enough.  More to come.

The last 2 days have gone by very slowly.  I hit a meeting at noon each day and then proceeded to try and find something to do.  Since I've shopped everywhere there is to shop I basically decided to cut my losses and just chill at the house.  Surfing the net, taking a nap, and reading some.  I did watch No Country for Old Men last night and thought it was great.  So well shot and done.  Actors were great and definite weird ending.  The clouds rolled in last night before the rains today so I snapped some cool shots.

 

 

 

I'm not sure if the pictures look dark on your monitor but that is always the difficult part. 

 

I met a guy today that is going to be working with me next week.  I'm really excited about starting work next week and excited to have a solid 3 months of work.  It has been a long while and I am really set on keeping a great attitude and doing my best.  We'll see.  My boss is supposedly very nice so that is going to be really cool.

 

Tomorrow I'm going to get a ski pass for the winter so I can ski whenever I want.  This will give me something to do on the weekends and holidays since I don't think I'll be going home this year.  The pass is half off through work and it will be awesome to go and basically ski for free from here on out as I have the equipment and the pass.

 

More shots of the mountain I can't get tired of looking at:

 

 

 

Just a shot of downtown.  Pretty small downtown but this gives a little feel.  Just snapped it from the parking garage.

 

 

I have started to bond with the landlord's dogs.  She was gone for 3 days this week so I hung around the dogs during the day by myself.  The little cocker is so cute and she has bonded with me.  It's nice to have the benefit of a dog without having to own one! 

 

 

That is about it for now.  Overall I've been feeling cooped up and trapped here without anything to really do.  I'm glad that will be ending soon with work and then I can get into a routine.  Tomorrow I am going to take the bus for a trial run into town and see how long it takes to get there.  Free bus during the week will be nice and will cut back on gas and trying to drive in the snow and ice.  I'm out.

Friday evening I went to the ski swap in town and wanted to check out some jackets as I really need a medium weight jacket.  I've got a few fleece sweaters and a huge, heavy ski jacket but nothing in between.  I got in the swap late so there was no line and decided to check out the skis and boots.  Needless to say the deals were pretty crazy so I got some skis, boots, poles, and gloves to have for the season.  I figure I can use it for the season instead of renting for $40-50 a day and come out ahead.  I can also sell the stuff later on ebay if I choose to. 

 

I woke up Saturday early and went to the courts to play tennis at 8.  I was definitely rusty after not playing in 2 months or so and it took me a bit to get grooving.  Actually I never got grooving at all but started hitting the ball a little better.  It was great playing indoors once again and my serve was rocking.  After the practice I went home, took a shower, and headed to a meeting.

 

 

Afterwards I went up to Deer Valley to check out the resort.  It was a literal ghost town with virtually no one there.  The drive is great and beautiful and overlooks all of Park City.

 

 

Deer Valley is where supposedly all the big wig millionaires and celebrities ski.  It is pretty nice but I'm definitely not blown away by the village.  I'm sure there are way better ski areas in the country but what do I know.  I'm sure it is better than skiing in Park City as they don't allow boarders and it's pretty expensive which keeps out the crazy teens.

 

 

 

Mail lift at center of village.  I'm really ready to ski and it's almost torture to keep seeing the snow but not be able to test out the skis.

 

 

 

I don't know if it is obvious that these shots were taken with my inexpensive little 5 megapixel point and shoot.  I don't think the camera takes very good pictures but it is very convenient and works for now.  Eventually I'll get a nice point and shoot as I don't think it works as well as others I've seen, same model that is.  Perhaps the guy sold it on ebay because he didn't like the quality.

 

I didn't get a picture of most of the amazing homes on the mountain but here is a little taste.  Some crazy money up there and most are 2nd and 3rd homes.  Nice lifestyle.

 

 

One more week until I start working and I'm really ready.  It is crazy how slow the day goes by here as it gets dark at 5:30 and most things are done inside.  I could kill a mean day in San Diego running around, going to the gym, riding a little, and eating burritos.  Here the clock literally seems to move at half the normal pace.  Wow.

 

I went out with a woman from Match today and met up at a coffee shop in Salt Lake.  She was really nice and we got along really well it seemed but I'm just not really attracted to her.  Typical story.  I don't know, it just seems difficult to go in not being psyched about it or having that charged up energy in my chest.  It's probably my craziness playing out again but here I go again.  I always want the women that aren't available or don't want me. 

 

It's supposed to snow a lot this week.  We'll see.  I kind of like it snowing for now.  It's different and different it good!

The last few days have been pretty chill.  I woke up both days, made breakfast and headed over to a meeting at noon in town.  Great group of people and I have really been welcomed despite my initial fear of not being accepted.  Not sure what I was thinking.  Walking to the meeting today I snapped a nice pic near main street.

 

 

The snow has really made this place even more beautiful.  The only problem is that it's starting to get really cold to me.  I don't have a lot of cold weather gear so my plan is to buy a smaller jacket soon to get me through the tough winter.  People today have been telling me about days where it is 40 to 10 below Zero and they are skiing.  Completely nuts.  I thought the die hard cyclists were crazy.

 

I'm really grateful to have the time to go to so many meetings and meet some great people.  I have been feeling very nutty before arriving here and since settling in and going to a meeting a day things are feeling so much better.  I feel grounded again and so much happier and hopeful about being here and the near future.

 

Yesterday I joined the health club down the street.  It is a very nice club and there is another location in town which might work better after work.  I'll see.  No 24 hour fitness's out here so that was my best option. 

 

Tomorrow I hope to catch up with a guy I met and play some indoor tennis.  I always used to love playing indoors years ago at the Houston City Club so this will be my next chance.  Feels awesome hitting the ball in perfect conditions without the harsh sunlight.

 

Leaving this morning I shot the exterior of the house.  The star is the landmark to make it home.  That is all for now.

 

Today it really started to snow.  I woke up and the snow was blowing at a 90 degree angle.  It added to the charm of the place and the view from the living room was amazing.

 

 

I'm really looking forward to skiing.  I need to check with my work and see if they have any sort of discount passes available or a deal on a season pass.  I figure I can rent equipment for a while until I figure out what I really want and need.

 

I went to Salt lake again today and I think I'll probably spend a decent amount of time getting to know the city during my stay here.  I like it for now and it's got a neat vibe with the winter coming on.  Tonight when I was driving home it was slightly treacherous but I gladly made it home.  The snow was coming down and it was almost hypnotizing and it was hard to see the road with the white snow falling.  I never felt the car slip, however, so I'm hoping I can make it through the winter without snow tires.

 

View from front balcony and driveway.  This is the area that could be a problem as it is a pretty steep incline while going through several feet of snow.  We'll see.

 

 

My parking spot.  Unfortunately not covered but the snow came off effortlessly this morning and it's nothing like the Dallas ice so far that seems impossible to scrape off.

 

 

Other than that I'm going to join the gym down the street and start working out again regularly.  I also want to do the spin classes and others such as Yoga and Pilates.  It will be nice to do something else besides ride.   

I got into Park City yesterday morning and immediately looked at a room outside of town.  It was a cool room but very secluded and not on the bus route.  I went and looked at 2 more places before I met a woman at her house near Kimball Jct. and checked out the house.  It was amazing and just what I wanted with stunning views and a nice room.  I checked out the place for a while and met the roommates and before I leave she asked if I had a place to stay for the night.  I hesitantly stated no so she said I was welcome to stay there.  Wow.  Very cool and not like in the bigger cities.

 

I slept really well and in the morning decided to go look at one other place that I thought might be in the Downtown area.  That would be ideal but it is difficult to find something reasonable down there and I really didn't want to gamble and lose out on this place.  I went and looked at the room but I just wasn't into it very much.  I called the place back I'd stayed in last night and told her I wanted it.  It felt good to have a place and it was truly amazing how quickly everything worked out.  I'm very relieved as I only stayed in a hotel 3 nights coming out here which was great!

 

The views from the place are amazing and it is so peaceful.  From the driveway:

 

 

The living room faces the mountains which should develop significant snow very soon.  Time for snow tires:

 

 

 

Along the side of the house is a nice walkway facing the mountains.

 

 

My room.  Still unpacking.   The owner is an interior decorator so the place is done up really nicely. 

 

 

Another view from the driveway in the evening.  I'm in love with this place and very grateful. 

 

It is a little out of the town, about 10 miles from downtown Park City but the bus is right in front of the house and it is free.  The place is also close to the shopping areas for food and there are 2 great gyms right down the road.  Time to get back in shape and lose the 10 pounds I gained over the summer.

 

Now I'm just waiting till November 17th to start work and get into a solid routine.  It has been a long time and I'm ready for some structure.  I need it and I really think I'll meet some cool people at work.      

I haven't written on here in a while as I haven't been inspired.  Wrapping up things in San Diego and preparing for the move brought up a lot of anxiety and fear of the change that I don't think I handled really well.  My car required $2,000 in repairs right before leaving for a leaking head gasket, intake, and water pump.  It seems to be doing well though so that is good.

 

Check out the valves.  Very dirty!

 

 

The mechanic definitely earned his money.  He kept slinging parts off the engine and setting them on the ground.  Amazing he could get the car back together and it work.

 

 

  

 

I made it to Vegas on Thursday night and booked a $34 room at the Tropicana.  Cheap and they upgraded me to a really nice room on the 18th floor.  The room stunk like major BO, however, and I can only imagine what must have been going on in the room in previous visits.  I tried not to touch things.  I went out to Coyote Ugly and had a few margaritas and met up with a cool Aussie guy who was in town for a few days on his way to spend the winter at a ski resort in Canada.  Parallel paths.  We wound up going to a club at the MGM and it was really cool.  Incredibly hot women and a great band with a pearl white grand piano.  I wound up drinking quite a bit and finally made it to sleep around 5.

 

The next day I headed on the beautiful drive up the 15 to Salt Lake.  I almost fell asleep a few times so I pulled into a nice gas station area overlooking the mountains and took a 1.5 hour power nap.  Much needed.  I finally made it close to Salt lake, got a Motel 6 room, grabbed a double meat Sonic burger (heal meal), and called it a night.  Not exactly an amazing Halloween but the night before was enough.

 

I'm now in the midst of Park City and will post more soon. 

We drove up to Interbike on Wednesday morning.  Dan from the bike club picked me up around 9 and we took his kid to school.  We then went and picked up a guy he met from Craigs List that needed a ride to Vegas in Escondido.  The guy lived in Vegas and he was pretty cool.  After stopping at Quizno's for lunch we made it to Vegas around 2:30.  We went to the show and walked around for a while checking out the sea of bikes and craziness.  It was wild how big.  Every time I wanted to leave the place I couldn't find the way out.  It was like a labyrinth. 

 

The expo was really cool but since I didn't have official business it got old after several hours.  I saw what I wanted to see and the rest was just going around in circles.  Rock Racing had Tyler and Freddie signing autographs which was pretty cool.  My favorite bike of the show is the Pinarello Prince in black.  Beautiful: and probably around $12K.

 

 

Another cool one was the Colnago Extreme Power.

 

 

 

There were tons of others but the Pinarello was a work of art.  Stealth black and so nice I wouldn't really want to ride it.

 

That night we went out to eat with the Sock Guys at P.F. Changs and they were generous enough to buy us dinner as well.  Thanks.  We then went to the Westin and started drinking some beers and watching the prostitutes work the bar.  It was wild, there were at least 8 working the whole bar and some would leave and new ones would come.  One got thrown out by the managers.  Pretty crazy.  I wound up drinking too many beers and crashed around 5:00am. 

 

I got to Interbike the next morning around 11:30 and was told that we were to meet up later at 6 pm.  Wow, 6.5 hours to kill.  I didn't want to go anywhere else so I circled the expo for hours before finally going to eat lunch.  I managed to kill the day after a trip to the Mirage for old times sake.  We made it out of Vegas round 7 and home in a little over 4 hours.  Quick trip but definitely enough. 

 

This weekend I took it easy and willed my body to return to 100%.  Takes me forever these days after drinking.  Not 21 anymore.  That is about it for now. 

I've been feeling pretty well lately.  I've been surrendering and trusting and getting out of my incessant need to figure everything out.  Last week at the beginning of the week I had the idea come up that it was time to go to LA again.  I called Tim in LA and he didn't call back.  After several days I got ahold of him and decided to take off the next day, Friday.  It was perfect timing.

 

His girlfriend was out of town so we hung out and had a great time.  It is amazing how differently I see LA now than I did 13 years ago when I lived there.  Back then all I saw was the entertainment industry.  Now all I see are diverse people and the beauty and energy of the place.  I love the energy and the amount of stimulating things to do.  I hung out most of the time in Santa Monica and enjoyed it immensely.  On Saturday I took a ride down to Manhattan Beach and back to Santa Monica.  That night Tim and I went to the Standard Hotel in downtown LA to meetup with a friend from Orange County.  It was a great time and such an amazing hotel.  Wish I had a camera to take a picture as it was an amazing view from the room of all the huge skyscrapers.  Downtown LA has been redone really well and it is way cool.

 

Saturday we took a drive to Palos Verdes and checked out the cliffs.  Another amazing place.

 

 

The houses on the other side of the road from above.

 

 

Finally another pic of me.

 

 

Overall it was a great time and I think it is best that I leave LA as a brief fling every couple of months to enjoy a different energy than down in Carlsbad.  It is very slow here but it is also nice and easy.  I think the contrast for now will prove more dramatic and I will appreciate the opposing energies of each place and can thus enjoy each place more. 

 

Tomorrow I'm headed to Vegas for Interbike.  I've wanted to go for years and I put the intention out there a few weeks ago and a guy posted he was looking for someone to ride up there and share the costs so I wrote him back and we're headed out tomorrow am.  More to follow.