Random Yeti Drivel

Waves of Energy

2012-06-12T16:35:00.000-04:00

I was very emotional today on the drive back from Tippecanoe. I got to thinking about December 21st, 2012 and how my life since last October has been shaped by that day. I started Tai Chi because I wanted to be ready for that day no matter what happens. My goals are to be healthy, to be able to defend myself and my family and loved ones, and to be able to heal others. Since finishing learning my Tai Chi set my attention has shifted slightly. Qigong will make me healthy and strong with the ability to heal others. Bagua will give me the ability to defend others. Tai Chi gives me the ability to defend myself. Just thinking alot about how I got to where I'm at and what the future may bring. Feeling so lucky to be so well guided through life. Thinking that I'm not scared of death, but of not living.

World Tai Chi Day

2012-04-28T06:37:00.000-04:00

Today is World Tai Chi Day!

I'll be celebrating at Armstrong Center for Medicine and Health in Kittanning. I'll also be demonstrating the Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Form. It will be the first time I've performed my form in public. I'm a little nervous, but not terribly. I think if I do the form the way I know I can do the form I'll be fine. I'm actually doing really well for having no instructor, learning from a DVD, and only having been practicing for a little over 6 months. Hope it goes well!

I am sadness

2012-03-26T20:58:00.000-04:00

Tonight at Tae Kwon Do class Mr. Bailey told us that his mother has cancer, that they don't know what her situation may become, that their lease is up soon, and that they will be closing down the school at the end of May. This is sad on so many levels. I am sad for Laurel Bailey, Mr. Bailey, his children, and the rest of their family. I'm sad for Tyler and all the other students of Bailey's ATA who will either relocate to Oakmont, Murrysville, or more likely drop out of Tae Kwon Do altogether. Their classes are more expensive and less personal, and for most people, including us, they will have to travel further to get there and the hours aren't as user friendly.

This even more makes me want to do something good for the school. I'd really like to get a good photo of each of the students and instructors individually, and then a big group photo to give to Mr Bailey, Laurel, and any and all students and parents that may want them.

I just wonder how Tyler will react to the news. He is doing so good in class and doesn't do well with change. I hope this isn't a setback for him,and I hope he still wants to stick with Tae Kwon Do even though it is becoming more of a burden to us financially.

My Form

2012-03-18T08:51:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I recorded myself doing the Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Form. Here are some of the things I noticed I need to improve on: 1) I am over extending my knees beyond my toes. I didn't notice I was doing this, but it explains alot. Especially on moves where I have to step/extend back like High Pat on Horse, Wave Hands like Clouds, or Fist Under Elbow to Repulse the Monkey. This always seemed more difficult than it should be, and it's because I has pushing up against myself. 2) I need to not worry about keeping my feet wide apart, but instead worry about keeping my footwork neat and tight. My knees are all over the place so my elbows are all over the place. Because I'm having to wildly swing my elbows in wide arcs they are drifting up. In turn this is causing my shoulders to rise and tense up. 3) I'm leaning forward way too much when doing Single Whip Down. I need to be bringing the rear knee down more (sinking into the movement), and not trying to overreach my current abilities. This also explains why my knees hurt after awhile.

It's not all bad though. My kicks are actually pretty good I think, and I performed an admirable Jumping Double Kick considering that I rarely practice it with the jump involved. I also seem to being doing good at whole body movement and moving from the waist.

Overall I'm happy with where I'm at right now. A few minor tweaks and I could be on a good path.

TKD

2012-03-13T05:23:00.000-04:00

So, the biggest news lately is that Tyler has started Tae Kwon Do. He was a little unsure at first, but has really opened up lately. He is doing his first tournament this saturday in the newly created novice division. He has only been to 6 lessons! His instructor is very excited for him, and has already talked about Tyler to his master. I'm excited that Tyler finally has something to do that doesn't involve watching TV or playing nintendo. The difference in him just since he started is amazing. He is much more outgoing, and learning to speak up and say things like "yes ma'am" and "yes sir". I think he's going to do great in the tournament. We just need to practice his form and little more this week.

As for me, I'm still chugging along at my Tai Chi. Last week I was in Houston for Omni Training, and still found a way to practice every morning even though there wasn't room in my hotel room to practice. There was a small park adjacent to the hotel that I went to. It doesn't sound like much, but for me to have that much commitment to doing the form every day is actually a big deal.

The weather here is really looking up. This week is going to be sunny and in the 70's. Basically San Diego weather without the beach. I'm hoping this is the beginning of a long, hot summer(with less rain than last year). Would be nice to go for non-muddy bike rides once in awhile.

Crossing the "finish" line

2012-02-16T09:14:00.000-05:00

Well, on Monday I finally did it. I went through the entire Guang Ping Yang form in it's entirety. What a great experience it was to say I accomplished something I had been dreaming of for 10 years! It's said that a form must be practiced 1,000 times before it becomes yours. That is, that's when it becomes natural and you no longer have to think about the movements, they just happen. Then you can really begin the real work of perfecting them. I'm hoping, either this weekend or next, to videotape myself doing the form so that I can use it as a point of reference where I was at the beginning compared to later. Also, I can use it to look for flaws in my technique and posture and maybe get feedback from fellow Guang Ping'ers. I'm so happy to have discovered Tai Chi and especially Guang Ping. Guang Ping is still relatively small and obscure compared to Yang so it feels almost like a family. I also like that it's a style stripped of all the fluff with definite martial intents.

Now that I've completed the form I've set other goals for myself. Starting this weekend I'm taking one unique movement (of which I counted 37 in the form) and focusing on it for an entire week. This means standing still in the postures of the movement, doing the movement with my eyes closed, repetitions of the movements, learning it's martial applications, and relating the movement to the I Ching. Also, in the middle of April I'm officially starting a 100 day Chin to Toe Challenge with myself. I'm hoping to accomplish this goal by my birthday in July. Now if I could just get rid of this cold!

In other news, we had a great weekend in Washington DC visiting with Dan and Stefanie and seeing the sights. It was great to see them and the girls again. I had wondered if it might be awkward since it had been so long since the last time we saw them, but it was like old times right from the start. Highlights from the trip for me were: doing a soduku puzzle with Savannah the first night(and her giving me a thank you note the next day for helping her), feeding a squirrel out of my hand, and seeing the Declaration of Independence. I only wish it hadn't been so cold and windy out. I also think we need to go back for another weekend because even though we saw alot, there was even more that we didn't see.

Thoughts about life

2012-02-04T07:16:00.002-05:00

How do you measure accomplishments? How do you know if you have lived a "good" life?

To me it's if you were mostly happy and mostly healthy. If you loved and were loved in return. If you got out and experienced all that life has to offer (good and bad).

I can see the finish line!

2012-02-03T05:50:00.003-05:00

So, 10 years ago I bought a Tai Chi book and DVD. They were Bill Douglas's "Idiot's Guide to Tai Chi" and his "Tai Chi Anthology" DVD. I practiced/played from time to time but never seemed to be able to get beyond lesson 3. There was always an excuse to not continue. There's not enough time, there's not enough room, I'm sick, it's too hard/complicated,etc. Well, last year we moved from Austin, Texas back to Pennsylvania and I managed to survive my first winter up in the frozen tundra of the north. I'm not an outside person in the winter though. It's too easy for me to get sick. So last winter I sat around the house, afraid to go outside and play, doing a little bit of something, and a whole lot of nothing. I felt bored and had to work twice as hard when spring came to get back into shape. When Spring, Summer, and Fall come along I'm good. I've got mountain biking to occupy my need to have something at any given moment to obsess about. When this winter came around I didn't want to do a whole lot of nothing again. So, I committed to sticking with it and learning the entire 64 movements of the Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi form from Bill Douglas's book and DVD. There's been some hiccups along the way, but for the most part I've practiced every day for going on 6 months to learn the form. 6 months ago I didn't know the difference betwen Guang Ping and Yang, or Chen, Sun, or Wu for that matter. I didn't know the importance of stance training, or that you can do more standing still than you can going mindlessly through the form over and over. I feel like I've come so far in such a relatively short amount of time. I have 2 more weeks, 2 more lessons before I can say I've learned all of the movements. I'm excited, and feel like to this point in my life completing this form is one of my life's greatest achievements. I'm excited because this is really just the start of my journey down the rabbit hole of the Tai Chi world. An art that took 6 months to "learn" will take a lifetime to "perfect". There are so many different layer and levels of understanding. I feel I've met a life long friend in Tai Chi. So, thank you Bill Douglas for producing the wonderful DVD and book that has guided me down this path along this journey!

P.S. I'd also like to thank Sifu Kuo Lien-Yang for bringing Guang Ping to America, Simmone Kuo for the wonderful books illustrating the finer details of the form, Petra Martinet for the inspiring video on YouTube that really brings the form to life, and everyone else who practices and plays the Guang Ping form. Without you keeping the art alive and well it wouldn't have been here patiently waiting for me to get off my butt and learn the form 10 years later!

Perceptions and Realities

2012-01-07T23:18:00.000-05:00

So, I don't know how my Tai Chi looks from another person's perspective, but when I'm practicing it "feels" great. I feel like it's all starting to really click. I feel like I can see the finish line(which is really more of a starting line), but that's another story. There's so many layers and depth to learning the "art" of Tai Chi that I could spend a lifetime and never be "perfect".

Feeling the Chi

2011-12-30T06:21:00.000-05:00

Last night, lying in bed, I played catch with my chi. I was rocking my arms back and forth, palms facing each other, and I could feel the chi radiating from my hands. As one hands rocked towards the other, with no thinking or conscious effort, the other hand was pushed away. Was it my chi that pushed the other hand away? It sure felt like it!

A month ago I didn't have enough flexibility in my body to turn my waist and extend my arms for Wave Hands Like Clouds. Now it happens so smoothly and effortlessly it amazes me. To me this is Tai Chi. When the body is capable of this kind of effortless movement. Like, when I started doing kicks they were low and wobbly. Now my leg comes up strong and in control and I am able to maintain perfect balance and stability. The coordination and body control I've gained from only a few short months of Tai Chi practice astounds me!

Most profound is what Tai Chi has done for my mind. My head is clear and calm where once was cloudy and chaotic. Like a mud puddle after a rain the dirt has settled leaving a clear view of what's inside. My breath has followed my mind, and my health has never been better.

Who knew when I started this Tai Chi journey that so many wonderful things would come from it. I honestly never thought I would take to it the way I have. It's become almost an obsession, but with winter looming it's nice to have something to concentrate on rather than being frustrated thinking about mountain biking when I know I can't get out and ride the bike in the winter without getting sick.

The question becomes, what will happen in the springtime when I CAN get out on the bike. Will I be able to achieve a balance between these two things I love doing? or will my old mountain biking obsession take over pushing Tai Chi to the back burner until fall returns to Western Pennsylvania? I hope I can find a peaceful coexistence between the two. Tai Chi is the Yin to Mountain Biking's Yang.

Baby Steps, Giant Steps

2011-12-22T22:21:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, when I'm playing Tai Chi, I feel like I'm taking baby steps. Today I felt like I took giant steps. The little bit of Bagua and circle walking I practiced and studied about, and today's playing at the martial applications of the Guang Ping movements made me realize the coiling/uncoiling power of the eight shaped stance, and also how to use a couple circle steps to maneuver/evade an opponent if necessary. I also found a way to apply this to single whip which finally puts some usefulness into single whip for me. Then played some which weight transfer and how to use that to convey power into punches and strikes. All in all it was a productive practice. I was up early to try to get some good energy from the winter solstice. Not sure I got all out of it that I could have, but for a first time at least I was out there doing it. Like all things worth doing this will get refined and perfected over time.

Halfway there!

2011-12-21T06:21:00.000-05:00

That's right, I'm halfway through learning the 64 movements of Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi. I feel like I could spend a lifetime refining and perfecting the movements, but I've discovered BaGua and circle walking so for now the plan is to learn the rest of the Guang Ping forms, practice and refine through the summer, and begin BaGua study and practice in the fall/winter of next year.

Aligning with the planets

2011-12-01T05:12:00.000-05:00

I've been tired in the evenings after work, and I don't know if it's from all the driving I've been doing, that I've not been getting enough sleep, or that because there's less daylight with it getting dark earlier that my body is just doing the natural thing and drifting off to sleep. I prefer to believe that's it's the latter, but reality says it's probably a combination of all three.

I created a statement that I was going to post on Facebook, but then decided not to. Since one but me reads this anyways I'll post it here:

When you wake up in the morning ask yourself two questions: Am I alive? Am I healthy? If you can answer yes to both of these questions then you are already having a beautiful, perfect day. If you answered no to the first question then this exercise is pointless (and how are you reading a blog anyways?). If you answered no to the second question spend some time today finding ways to make yourself and your lifestyle healthier so that tomorrow might be a beautiful, perfect day.

I tend to like the Chinese Medicine philosophy of preventative medicine. Do good things for your mind, body and soul to keep from getting sick in the first place rather than ignoring the warning signs your body is sending you, and then having to "go in to the shop to get fixed up". Be proactive rather than reactive.

It will be amazing

2011-11-29T22:18:00.000-05:00

Wow is all I can say. I haven't done any crunches, sit ups or any other non working ab exercises...yet my stomach is tighter and flatter than it's been in years. I haven't done any cardio in...hmmm, months...yet I'm losing weight without even trying. If someone had told me that doing only tai chi, foam rolling, some sporadic yoga, and some stretching that I would feel this good and healthy and be trimming up and losing weight I would have done this a long time ago. Thanks mostly to tai chi I'm no longer dreading the winter, but looking at it as an opportunity. And foam rolling...WOW! Where have you been all my life. Yeah, when you first start out it hurts like the dickens, but then it just makes you feel really really good. I've always carried alot of tension in my back. It's gone. I've always had insanely tight IT bands. They're pliant and flexible. I'm just totally amazed.

Detox Tour

2011-11-01T19:21:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I am starting a 7 day grape detox. I'll be recording: morning weight, lbs of grapes eaten for the day, how much water was drank during the day, energy level, and mood.

Things are not going well

2011-10-22T18:21:00.002-04:00

well, I probably have a hernia, I have a pain in my side that I can't identify that keeps getting worse, and on that same side I found a small lump that I never noticed before. Am I falling apart? Is this the beginning of the end for me?

Daisy and Doves

2011-10-14T20:56:00.000-04:00

listening to the Doves-Lost Souls album, reading through old livejournal entries from the deployment after 2001. you know, the one that changed me, changed who I am, what I believe in forever. there was so much emotion already, and when things ended between me and Crystal, and me being mostly isolated from the rest of the world, the ship became, my monastery. I used the rest of the deployment to discover myself, to reach deep down inside and find my spiritual being. The last time I listened to the Doves I saw my entire life flash before my eyes and I realized how truly blessed I was to have lived such a good life. Well, that was almost 10 years ago, and I can say my life has become nothing but richer and fuller since then. Then there's the daisy vision, and those haunting words of a key to the door on the thirtieth floor. And the X=Y theory. All of this ties together, and it's coming together fast. I can feel it, something, big, is going to happen soon. I feel like I need to be ready, that there's a part for me to play. Why else, after all these years, after the vows to never return, would I be back in Pittsburgh on the verge of a possible major event, at what may very well become the epicenter of the healing and rebirth of the human race. There's no such thing as coincidence. Everything, everything happens for a reason. I've seen angels, I've talked to spirits, I've prayed for my life and had my prayers answered. Many people don't know it, it's not something I share, and honestly, in the hustle and bustle of daily life I often forget my self, but I have a connection with life and the universe around us that's very strong, and lately these feelings have grown almost too strong to ignore. There's an urgency, a pulse that's growing stronger and more pronounced. What's going to happen? I honestly have no idea. Possibly nothing, but even if all of it is just a figment of my imagination what harm can come from being ready spiritually and emotionally for a brave new world?

Finding my spirit

2011-09-20T20:00:00.000-04:00

Well I ran the Elorapalooza 5k on sunday, and promptly got sick. Allergies, sinuses, and general blahness. So, I turned inward doing Qigong, Yoga, and Tai Chi, and 2 days later I feel, not 100 percent, but considerably better. The biggest help I think has been doing Sitting Qigong which really seems to have enormous healing potential. I am really hoping to find the motivation and discipline to learn the 64 forms of Kuang Ping Tai Chi over the winter. Today I studied the first lesson, practiced, then watched YouTube videos of others doing the forms. I have to say, from the videos I'm not sure what I'm being taught is completely accurate/authentic, but it's at least a step in the right direction, and good for a "dumbed down" version of the forms. I'm excited to be getting back in touch with my spiritual side again after spending the summer focusing almost exclusively on my physical being.

X = Y

2011-08-26T09:05:00.000-04:00

That simple formula, that I once used to describe my relationships at that moment, has thrust itself back into the limelight. Last night on my way home from Carlisle I was talking to my mom, and she mentioned the fourth river in Pittsburgh (which coincidentally enough I had been thinking about earlier in the week). She mentioned how Pittsburgh figures prominently in the 2012 prophecies. Now, I'm not big into all that mumbo jumbo normally. I am a spiritual person, and have seen and experienced things that aren't quite normal everyday experiences, but I also don't get too wrapped up in it though. The thing is, I've always felt like I was meant to do something big with my life. Something beyond the ordinary. Now to find out that a new age is coming, and I grew up in, and recently moved back to (just in time for 2012) the city that is going to play a major part in the prophecy. I can't help but feel that maybe this is more than just coincidence. Which brings me back to X = Y. I don't know what path we are on now whether it is X or =, but the coming of 2010 predicts we will be Y. Much like in Pittsburgh the 2 rivers come together to form a third that is what is being predicted for mankind. An age of enlightenment and healing, of separate paths merging together to become one. What will be my role in this, if any? Only time will tell, but for now I feel like I should be doing more to prepare myself for whatever role may be thrust upon me.

Anyways, enough mumbo jumbo talk. Getting ready to go for a run over at Frick Park in preparation for the Steelers 5K on Labor Day weekend. Which is right across the river from the fountain at the point, which is supposedly fed from the fourth, underground river, which is supposed to be some kind of portal. I'd like to walk around the point some time and see if I "feel" anything different.

Tyler had his first day at his new school yesterday. I can't believe he's in first grade. They grow up so fast! I'm excited for him this year being at St Barts. He is so smart, and has so much potential, and I think they may be able to help bring out the best in him.

Last night my brother and sister-in-law stopped over to pick up pictures of their baby that I took a couple weeks ago. I had a feeling that the baby would help bring us back together as a family, and so far I haven't been disappointed. I'm glad they liked the pictures, and they were what Laura was hoping for.

Anyways, I'm really going this time. I'll try to remember to update this more often.

Workout Update

2011-03-12T08:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I skipped my evening workout and yoga. We went out to dinner at a Chinese restaurant not far from the house called Sichuan Palace. The food was excellent and the service was great. Definitely recommend this place to anyone! After we got home we started watching some movie about Julia Child which wasn't nearly as bad as I first imagined. Eventually I settled deep into the couch and fell asleep which is what I tend to do. That couch has magical sleepy time powers.

This morning I completed my first week of the 200 squats program. Have to say, I expected my legs to be much sorer than they are. I'm hoping that completing this program will give me a solid leg strength for when winter finally comes to an end, and I can get outside and ride the bike. I also went through my upper body band routine, but lacked my usual intensity. Still a good workout, just not a great one.

Don't Believe Everything You Read

2011-03-11T05:34:00.000-05:00

6+ inches of snow huh? Ha! Woke up to a light dusting this morning with maybe a little more on the way today, but we really dodged a bullet with this one. Looks like the brunt of the storm pushed through Ohio and up in the Cleveland area. Now all we need is some sunshine and warmer temperatures and it will begin to feel like spring around here. We already have flowers pushing up through the dirt in the front yard.

Working Out

2011-03-10T19:53:00.001-05:00

-Tuesday I did Yoga and started my quest for 200 squats
-Wednesday I did a upper body resistance band workout followed by Qigong in the morning, Push Ups and Pull Ups after work, and Yoga before bed.
-Today I did squats in the morning, went up and down the steps in the house after work, and Yoga before bed.

I hope I'm not overdoing it cause it seems like I'm hardly doing anything at all.

Starting to feel sick. Tightness in the chest, a slight weeziness in the lungs, and tired, all the time. Bleh. It's that time of year I suppose.

Hoping we don't get all the snow that's being predicted for the area. On Facebook I commented that if I saw Winter walking down the street I would punch it in the face. Seriously, I wanna get outside. I wanna ride my bike!

The waiting and wondering is the worst part

2010-10-12T21:57:00.000-04:00

So, a couple weeks back a company contacted me about a job that I had applied for back in February. Before I started working for my current employer. Before we had even left Texas. At first I didn't think it a big deal, but when they called me back the next day I thought they might actually be interested, and I thought it would be foolish to pass up an opportunity that came along so serendipitously. So, I did the interview which went great, the next day they call and say I'm their person, and they'll be sending me information to fill out for a background check. I fill it out, don't hear anything for awhile, then they say they're having difficulty reaching my references, and ask for an alternate number. That was a week ago, and I'm still waiting to hear back from them. The wait is agonizing. At least 3 times a day I'm tempted to call or email them to see what's going on, but everytime I stop myself. I reason that if I'm the one they really want they'll get back to me when they've got all their ducks in a row. Today I even went as far as consulting the I Ching about what I should do. Amazingly I managed to get one of the most straightforward responses ever making it painfully obvious that I should wait, be patient, and let it all work out in due time. Which, is easy to say, and difficult to do. Not that I don't like my present job (all jobs have their ups and downs), but I really would like a 50+ percent pay raise! That coupled with my wife recently starting work again since our son started school, and the fact that our monthly health insurance would drop from over 400 to 100 bucks a month would leave us sitting in pretty good shape going forward.

Bike Shopping

2010-10-11T07:13:00.001-04:00

So, I've starting looking at some of the new 2011 models because I'm in the market for a new bike. Or, at least I will be if I land the new job and it's 57 percent pay raise. It's a pretty unusual mix of bikes I'm interested in.

The first one is the Yeti Big Top which is their first 29er offering. I like it cause it's Yeti mostly as a 29er even in it's smallest frame will probably be too big for me. Still it's a sharp looking bike, and I bet it rides like a dream(all Yeti's do). It's a bit on the pricey side for a complete bike though. 2700 bucks.

The next one I like is the Kona Tanuki. This one I like primarily for the name. Who doesn't like small Japanese woodland creatures with gigantic balls! I do eventually need a full suspension bike to replace the Cannondale though, and this one is a good deal at 1400 bucks.

The last bike I'm interested in is the real freakshow of the group. The Surly Pugsley. A hardtail with 4" wide tires with a 29" diameter! It's the ultimate go anywhere bike. Probably not the best all arounder, and maybe not the best everyday bike,a but hey, I've already got 3 other bikes, so welcoming a freak to the family is no big deal. Kinda pricey for what it is at 1500 bucks though.

I'll add another photo I found online just do get a better idea how freakishly big those tires are. Can you imagine this bike in the snow? or in the sand? riding along the beach? Yeah, not alot of beach front property here in PA, but this thing would be awesomely fun riding though the woods too.

Oh well, gotta go. Time to make the donuts.

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end

2010-10-10T20:26:00.001-04:00

Well, here I am. Ready to embark on a new adventure called "blogging". Not that I'm entirely new to sharing my thoughts online. Once upon a time I was quite active on Livejournal, and I spend quite a bit of time now on Facebook. So why bother with a blog? Well, I suppose a part of me feels that I have something worth sharing. Maybe something that will brighten up somebody else's day. Maybe something someone can learn from. Maybe something somebody can relate to. At worst I at least hope to be entertaining!

I had a great weekend of mountain biking. On Friday I hit up Boyce Park for a quick spin after work. I love riding in the evening during the fall season. Riding in the summer the weather is beautiful and the sunshine is abundant. There's no hurry to be anywhere. It's very lazy. During the fall the daylight gets shorter and shorter and the temperatures get cooler and cooler. It gives bike rides a real sense of urgency. I don't know about you, but I'm not a big fan of being lost in the woods at night with no lights!

Yesterday I went riding for the first time ever at Deer Lakes Park. My family had been up there earlier in the week for a quick walk around the lakes to explore before heading over to Pittsburgh Mills Mall. Pittsburgh Mills is kinda cool with seats shaped like giant baseball gloves, giant golf balls for kids to climb over, and a collection of stores that isn't quite your normal mall collection.

The trails at Deer Lakes are nothing spectacular. There's a fair amount of singletrack, a fair amount of climbing, the scenery is nice, but the fun factor just wasn't there for me. I like the more technical aspects of mountain biking and found these trails to be too easy. One problem I did have though was when I had to hop over a log. Yesterday I rode the Yeti which has typical NORBA geometry. I had been riding the Cannondale Super V which has very short, woodsy geometry. So everytime I would go to hop over a log my timing would be off because the difference in wheelbase, and I'd end up whacking the rear tire on the log instead of making it cleanly over it.

Autumn was in full swing though as some of the trees there had changed more than any I had seen.

Today I went to Frick Park which I love because it's only ten minutes from the house. I decided I would try to ride all the singletrack there is to ride within the park. Ended up being a 15 mile ride that took 2 hours of actual ride time. There are some really fun descents at Frick. I also rode around the slag heaps for the first time ever. There's nothing spectacular here, but if you're looking for some extra mileage it makes a nice additional loop. There's also some interesting scenery. I've seen some strange things in my day, and I know it's fall and all, but this tree is kinda ridiculous...

Anyways, that's all I got for now. It's been a weird weekend with my wife working all weekend, our son spending the weekend at his grandmother's house, and the Steelers having a bye week. I got to do alot of bike riding that I ordinarily probably wouldn't have. I also spent alot more time alone that I normally do. The wife and I did do one cool thing though. Last night we made up some fondue and enjoyed that while watching the end of season 4 of Lost.