Eddie Vedder Haiti Relief Single

Eddie Vedder Haiti Relief Single

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Ride # 6: Another Quick One

My Wednesday morning ride was a quick sprint to Spring Mountain and back. I just went at a strong pace the whole time to get as much as I could out of a short (1 hour) ride. About all I can manage to squeeze in during the week at least until we get more day light hours as we head towards Spring. As always... it was just great to be outside. I'm finally starting to get some endurance back too both with my legs and lungs which is nice. I was dying after the first couple rides. Just have to keep the momentum going!

As a wise man once said; "Create your own momentum."

Back to Christmas

So I never got to finishing off my Christmas post but couldn't let any more time go by without mentioning what a great night Christmas night was. We went to my brother's place and he and his wife (Beck, Beck, Beck) made everyone a great meal! Most of the credit goes to Becky I'm sure :) Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, etc,etc.... and everything was awesome! The kids had a great time together and it was great to see all of the family.

Was nice to get a few pics of all the kids with Nanny, their great grandmother, who is an amazing woman at the age of 92(?)!! I can't imagine being in the same place as my children, grand children, and great grand children. It's must be quite a feeling!

Another great Christmas in the books! What an amazing an magical time of year...

Ride # 5: 50

Ride # 5 was great! It was 50 degrees in January... what more could you ask for really? I hit the trail from behind my house (part of the Evansburg loop) and headed down to the main Perkiomen Trail. Normally when I hit the main trail I make a right and head toward Spring Mountain and Green Lane Park. It's just such a nice ride because it's all gravel (well 99% of it anyway) and it's slightly more challenging. Saturday I decided to change it up and head toward Collegeville and Oaks. I hadn't been down that way in long, long time so I figured I'd check it out.

The parts that were gravel, which is basically all the way to Oaks, were pretty muddy and tacky. Felt like you were riding in sand half the time but it gave the legs a good burn. Once you hit Oaks it's paved and that was a welcome sight at the time. Found out that there is a new split off of the trail that heads to Phoenxiville and decided to take that and see what it was like. It's a nice little portion of paved trail that hugs the Schuylkill River and actually ends maybe a mile or so before you get into Phoenixville.

I took the road the rest of the way into Phoenixville and ended up at the Produce Junction. Decided taking a right up Rt. 29 and a massive hill was not an option my legs wanted to take and turned around to head back to the trail :) What can I say? My legs aren't ready for hills like that yet.

Overall a good ride. Again with weather like this in January it's hard to have a bad ride!!

Ride # 4: Better

I hit the trail again for ride # 4 on Wednesday and felt much better than the previous ride. It was a fairly short ride, 1 hour round trip, but just went strong the whole way. It definitely feels good to out there again and just getting the legs moving. I don't have any pics to share from this little ride. Just decided to leave the camera at home this time and focus on the ride and the music.

I always need a little motivation to get me on the bike especially in the colder weather so on Wednesday morning I selected Pearl Jam's 4/3/1994 performance to give me that little push out the door. From the opening notes of "Release" to the closing notes of "Indifference" this is a stellar show. The sound quality of this bootleg is exceptional because it was broadcast on the radio which of course, for a pre-official bootleg release, only adds to it's greatness. It made for a great ride as well!

If you want the music you can visit the vault to the right. This show is available in FLAC and MP3.

Looking forward to another ride on Saturday. Looks like temps will be in the low 40's with the sun shining so should be a perfect day to get out and ride.

Ride # 3: Sluggish

This was my 3rd ride of "The Year of the Bike" and I had to MAKE myself go! It was cold. I was tired. (I work nights and went in the morning.) The first half of the ride I wanted to trade my legs in for new ones they felt so heavy!

I stopped at my halfway point and ate a couple Oreo's to give me a quick boost and the ride home was much better! Also had Pearl Jam's "Backspacer" going on the "Pearl Pod" which always helps me make it through a tough ride. There's a line in "Unthought Known" that goes "nothin' left, nothin' left, nothin' there, nothin' left"... Well I felt like I had nothin' left but I just had to say FU and throw down on the peddles. By the end I was "ridin high amongst the waves"!

Looking forward to a better ride next time!

Green bridge below Spring Mountain

View from Bridge above

The "Yield Tree"


















"Do you see the way that tree bends? Does it inspire?

Christmas Morning 2009

Christmas morning was a ton of fun this year! Josie is three now so Santa is a big deal. The look on her face in the morning was really priceless. I almost caught her but I think I was about a second or so early but you get the idea.

Lily of course has no idea what day it is but she had a blast playing with the boxes and the paper more than anything else.

We had Josie and Lily do the stockings first and then we actually managed to have breakfast without a fight before opening the gifts under the tree.

Santa was pretty thrifty this year. Many of the things he brought were certified pre-owned. Hey, it's all new to the kids!

A few of Josie's favorite things were her new bath robe, her Dr. Josie kit and jacket from Nana and Pa, and the little house that Santa left in the basement.

And Lil'... well she just loves everything!

It was a nice morning. It didn't feel rushed and the kids got to enjoy their new things for a while. Later in the morning Uncle Matty and Nana and Pa came over for brunch and more gift giving.

Christmas is so packed with fun and family I have to break the day down into two parts. Later in the afternoon we went to my brother's for Christmas dinner. To be continued...

Christmas Eve 2009: A Tradition Continues

Christmas Eve has been a very special day for my family for as long as I can remember. When I was a young boy we'd go to my Mommom and Poppop's for the traditional celebration. Today, Mommom and Poppop are both gone but the tradition lives on.

Some things of course have changed. I have a family of my own now with a wonderful wife and two little girls that I adore. Our Christmas Eve now begins with church at about 1:00 PM while prior to having children we used to hit the midnight service and still sip some Bailey's when we got home. Now, with children, just surviving the service is a win. After church we head to my in-laws so the kids can have naps. God, thank you for naps!

Here we are after naps prior to heading to my parents.

This is Lily. Happy time with Nana before we depart.

Then it's off to my parents where the old tradition kicks in. This is the same mouse on the same grandfather clock that I remember from my childhood. It's one of those little things that still, for some reason, makes Christmas special for me.

Then there is the traditional spread of homemade perogies (a recipe passed down from my Mommom to my mom) which Cara and Becky now help to prepare, fish, rice, bread, and a few other simple delights. The smells when you first walk into the house just bring me right back to my grandparents place. It's a feeling you really can't put into words. It's just special.

Josie and Meg enjoying some grub. It was really great to see the new generation, all at one table together, and sharing in the old food tradition.

Of course there are gifts. My nephew look (5) is into BMX racing and Santa brought him a vrey cool new helmet. He was just a little thrilled!

The deserts are also traditional with the exception of the cake. It's all about the cookies. My mom has been making THE best butter cookies and chocolate chips for many moons. Also there are those pecan thingies that are oh so good (can't remember what they're called). Yum and more yum!

Santa makes a visit as well :)

Once the celebration at moms is over we head home and get things ready for Santa. The rice crispy treats and carrots (for the reindeer) are put out by Josie.

Then the children go to bed and Santa gets to work!

He didn't forget the stocking...

...and he didn't forget to eat the treats either!

Another fantastic Christmas Eve in the books. More great memories and good times with family. It's difficult with all the running around and it's hard to enjoy while you're in the moment of hustling the kids around. But, when the dust settles and you have a few moments to reflect you realize you were, once again, part of something very, very special.

And I haven't even gotten to Christmas yet :)

2010: The Year of the Bike

This year will be the year of the bike for me. I've started off the year with two decent rides already and they were both great in their own way. Ride # 1 was a 42 degree day and the trail was very soft and soggy. Made for a difficult ride for on as out of shape as I. This ride was capped off with a Bald Eagle sighting!! Picture below...

The Eagle has landed!

Ride # 2 was extreme wind and cold as all hell. 21 degrees with a nice 20 to 30 mph wind. Riding downhill into the wind was like riding up the side of a cliff! If I stopped peddling I wouldn't have made it down the hill. I went a bit too far on this ride and my feet we're absolutely frozen. Everything else was pretty warm. Made the mistake of stopping for a few minutes in Green Lane and the sweat really started to get cold. Overall a great beginning to... The Year of the Bike!!

Thanks for the push Larry! I wouldn't be on the bike without your influence!

Me at frozen cliff.

The ice covered Perkiomen Creek.

Me. Cold.