Category: photo

Good News & Stuff

First off, we (the Union) were able to come to an agreeable compromise last week that resulted in not only our own staffing not getting cut but also saved another 900+ jobs citywide. [1]The caveat is 2 ballot initiatives in November have to pass.

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We had a good ride again this last Friday. We only ended up taking a couple pics. At least I don’t look like a beached whale in this one. I loved the route, we ended up going thru a lot of the windmills North of the City. I’ve always had a thing for windmills. I guess because we never had any in Texas. [2]Texas and windmills, yeah right!

We had a our first girl join the group this last week. She was sweet and fit in well but I kind of got a kick out of how she pulled turns. I’m thinking maybe because she was so petite she has to pull her weight more to lean that big Ducati she drives. It was a bit comical watching her pull her body to the side on regular turns as if she was doing a really tight turn super fast. [3]If you’ve ever ridden a bike, you know that you can almost do anything with a bike just by shifting your body weight. She was cool though and we had fun with her. We have another ride coming this Friday. A similar route in reverse this time. I’m stoked!

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People have been asking about the boy. Yes, I’m still enjoying being a new daddy. No, I ain’t sharing those stories. [4]They ARE juicy though. What I will say, he is as charming and endearing as ever. He always seems to put a smile on my face and a chub in m pants. What’s not to like? Seriously though, if he lived closer, I’d be in trouble.

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I got more than a few emails about the last post. Some people felt I was “attacking” religion. Two things, read it again and I don’t care. I’ve picked my side and completely comfortable with that.

References

References
↑1 The caveat is 2 ballot initiatives in November have to pass.
↑2 Texas and windmills, yeah right!
↑3 If you’ve ever ridden a bike, you know that you can almost do anything with a bike just by shifting your body weight.
↑4 They ARE juicy though.

Ride Away

I went on a ride this past Thursday with the boys. It was good except one of the guys ended up going down on his bike. He was ok except for some minor road rash and bumps. His bike was more banged up than he was. Naturally, he was more upset about that.  lol I could totally relate.  Luckily, he had an EMT and a nurse along to doctor him up.

Other than that, the ride went well. I find myself riding more and more these days. I’m loving my beast so much. I know I’ve said it before but I can’t believe I waited so long to upgrade to a bigger bike. I’m doing my best to make up for lost time.

We took a brand new route this time. We rode up thru Orinda and around thru the back roads. Not growing up here, I’m a bit clueless when it comes to the routes, however I am learning fast. There are some really great roads in the Bay area. Some were super windy which makes for a good time. Being mid-day it wasn’t too busy. I finding I like riding in smaller groups. It is easier to keep everyone together and makes for more fun over all. I usually play the sweeper [1]The last rider who keeps an eye out for everyone and makes sure no one gets left behind.

I remembered to bring my camera this time. Can ya tell? lol Don’t ask me how but my angle and shirt conspired to make me look 4 sizes larger than I am! I know for a fact because I bought my riding pants a size small on purpose and they fit now!

Anyway, I made the mistake of letting William get a hold of my camera and he went off on a bender taking Princess Barbie pics. [2]See the stream *Mental Note* Never let William near the camera.

I’m hoping to ride again before my vacation is over, however the Aids Life Cycle is this weekend and everyone is tied up with that. There are a couple different rides proposed for tomorrow so I’m bound to pick one. The biggest problem is getting my lazy ass up early enough to make it.

References

References
↑1 The last rider who keeps an eye out for everyone and makes sure no one gets left behind.
↑2 See the stream

Speedy

Officer kristaki and I went for a round-a-bout ride today. I met up at his place in Richmond. [1]I’ll skip the getting lost part We started out driving over to Fremont so he could put a deposit down on a rifle he has been wanting. The guys at the gun shop were hysterical and scary all at the same time. The crowning moment was watching this very white trash couple buying his/hers guns.

Here is kristaki looking all butch. Of course, we didn’t get a pic of me dropping my bike. lol I was only moderately embarrassed. As we are pulling into the parking space, I’m making a U-turn and made the classic mistake of going too slow and over-braking. I didn’t drop it so much as laid it down. kristaki got a kick out of seeing me do it, the bastard. I came away with only a minor scratch on the exhaust. [2]Those sliders finally came in handy On a side note, the leg workouts are paying off. It was nothing for me to lift the bike. I distinctly noticed how light it seemed.

Here I am at lunch looking very high in this pic. I won’t post the other pic of my funny face. It was not pretty. kristaki gave me a nice compliment, telling me how big my arms were getting. He was instantly forgiven for laughing at my previous little accident. heh heh. I’ll even sport for a nice gift when he gets married later this year.

This was only the 2nd time kristaki and I have ridden together since I started riding. We rode together once a few years ago back when I still had the GS-500. Since I had virtually no idea where we were going, I let him lead and was impressed at how aggressively cautious he was. He, like me, likes to be aggressive w/o being stupid and making rash decisions. We played follow the leader weaving thru traffic and I had a blast. There was one scary part. This cadi came flying onto the freeway at I can only guess 120 mph. We were doing about 85 mph at the time and this guy easily shot passed us while entering the freeway. I’m thinking to myself how absolutely crazy he is when I see him almost crash.

He is roughly about 3 blocks ahead of us when I see him swerve across three lanes of traffic. He lost control of the car and almost flipped it over. I shit you not, two of the wheels came off the pavement at one point. Luckily for him, he managed to regain control w/o crashing or killing anyone. kristaki and I had already moved to the far right lane to make sure we were well clear of his bullshit.

We are supposed to go on a more proper ride tomorrow. I’m hoping to take him down South Hwy 1.


Here I am striking a nice pose on the beast. I had the sudden urge to flex but decided against it. lol
It was a very nice day for a ride, if a tad warm. I overdressed and had to “de-layer” a bit while we were stopped getting gas.

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I finally broke down and got a Fastrak today too. I’m not sure why it took me so long to get one. Ok I do, say it with me…pro-cras-ti-nate. They’ve gone all digital so registering was a snap. The irony here is the toll booth I went thru today was broken. The guy waved me thru so I’m assuming all is good.

All in all, I was proud of myself today. kristaki has been riding quite a few years longer than me. The first time we rode together, I sort of felt like a total amateur. Today, I felt completely at ease while we were riding.

References

References
↑1 I’ll skip the getting lost part
↑2 Those sliders finally came in handy

Surprised

blog

I got a very nice surprise at the post office today.  An anonymous reader sent me this t-shirt.  It was a very nice gift and I am very appreciative.  You didn’t have to be anonymous though. [1]It was obviously someone on my xmas list as they wouldn’t have my PO box otherwise.

back

The irony here is I recently ordered a custom shirt online.  This one is much better than my version. lol  I wore it today and got several smiles and laughs about it. 

So whoever you are, thank you very much for such a nice gift. I am very flattered.

References

References
↑1 It was obviously someone on my xmas list as they wouldn’t have my PO box otherwise.

Ride & Stuff

IMGP0949

The cliffs south of the city.  I always love taking shots like this. 

It was a beautiful day today so I decided to go for a ride. [1]I’ve been trying to remember to bring my camera more.  I had an awesome time.  It was sunny and warm and very little fog so a perfect day for it.  I had planned to ride with the group but as usual, I didn’t get up in time.  They like to ride early and you know me, I am so not a morning person.  I don’t mind though.  I enjoy exploring and don’t like feeling like I have to rush. 

IMGP0947

 

I always think of Mel Brooks’ High Anxiety when I look down like this. 

This pic was taken about 10 miles before Half Moon Bay.  I tried to geotag the pics but I couldn’t get a cell signal so far out.  I could manually do it but who has the time? lol  Anyway, I wanted to climb down but I had my riding boots on and they aren’t exactly conducive to climbing.  I didn’t think falling and breaking my neck would be a good way to end the day. lol  Click over if you wanna see more.

Continue reading Ride & Stuff

References

References
↑1 I’ve been trying to remember to bring my camera more.

Xmas

I’m hoping everyone had a good Christmas today.  Or, happy holiday, Hanukkah, Kwanza, or whatever floats your boat.  Be grateful you are alive and have a roof over your head.  For many this year, things are a bit blue with the economy so bad.  And while there is obviously hope for the future, it is hard to be optimistic when you aren’t sure where you next meal might come from.  If you are reading this, I’m sending you well wishes and warm fuzzy feelings. 

My roomies idea, I swear!

Beyond a very peculiar occurrence yesterday morning it was a pretty uneventful day.  The day started with a flurry of text messages from friends and family exchanging holiday wishes.  Knowing the gym was closed, I laid my ass in bed until the desire for food finally forced me outdoors. 

While I’m walking down to the ‘hood to get some grub, I did have a very odd experience.  I’m crossing at the crosswalk when a giant suburban pulls up, the guy whistles and asks directions to the nearest hospital.  Being a typical control freak, I couldn’t just answer. lol  I asked what the emergency was as it might change his destination. [1]Pediatrics, cardiac, burns, blah blah blah…  He seemed very reticent so I volunteered that I was an EMT.  At that point, his face beamed and he spilled his guts in a flurry of parental worry.  It seems his 20 year old daughter (sitting in the back) was experiencing…wait for it…wait for it….are you ready…anal bleeding.  OH yes, you read it right.  I admit I was a little surprised.  Of course, I had very negative thoughts but seeing his whole family piled in with him and no signs of emotional distress, any ideas of foul play quickly evaporated.  I spoke to the young lady and discussed the problem.  She was more embarrassed than anything, not that I blame her.  Anyway, after some questions and more assurances, I was confident she wasn’t in immediate danger and directed them on their way.  I walked away almost laughing at the oddity of the situation.  Seriously, what are the odds?  I was still giggling as I woofed down my lunch and headed back home to get ready for work.

And how was your holiday?

References

References
↑1 Pediatrics, cardiac, burns, blah blah blah…

Ink

Ink - Oh yes!

As you can see, I finally started the half sleeve on my arm.  I’m very happy with it so far.  This is just the outline mind you.  I go back in early January to start the shading and color.  It is still evolving in my mind so it may take me a few months to finish it completely.  You can’t see from the pics but it extends up onto my shoulder blade.  That wasn’t what I had originally planned but to get the scale right it had to. 

I’ve been gung-ho to get it started but the the biggest delay has also been with me.  I knew I wanted a DNA helix but I couldn’t come up with a design that matched my vision, looked good, and complemented my form.  I’ve seen a lot of tattoos that looked good but didn’t look good on the person.  Anyway, it was Luke’s idea [1]the tattoo artist for the multiple strands.  As soon as he mentioned it, I was sold on the idea!  We talked and he created several sketches for me to choose from (I was really impressed with how much prep work he did).  He also clearly got the look and the design were equally important to me.  He never once tried to sell me on “his version” or change my mind.  He listened to what I wanted and filled in the gaps.  I really appreciated that. 

Ink 2

Having finished the brainstorming, we got started on a stencil to show me how the final product would look.  The end pieces are strategically placed in case I decide to add on more later. [2]I doubt I will but still nice of him to think of that.  By the time he got the stencil on me, I almost wet my pants I was so happy.

To be honest, I didn’t think we’d actually get to the outline.  We spent an hour just modifying and updating the design.  But, as luck would have it, his appointment right after me called to cancel.  The outline took about 2 hours.  I have no problem admitting by the end of the 2 hours, I was more than ready for him to stop.  The outer arm part wasn’t bad but the inner bicep hurt like a bitch!  By the end, my pain tolerance had completely waned.  I’m grateful he did the inner arm part first. 

There was a moment about half way through where he totally flattered me w/o even knowing it.  We were just exchanging small talk and he mentioned he’d never done anything like my design before and thought it would look very original.  I’ve always wanted artwork that didn’t come off like I’d just picked it out of a book.  He also wants pics of the final product for his art book. 

Anyway, I’m extremely happy so far.  The outline by itself looks awesome!  It flows well with the muscle and covers most of my upper arm.  Having had a chance to get used to it, I do have a couple tweaks though.  I think the middle and lower strands need to be extended a bit to finish off the balance on my arm.  Then comes the color and shading.  The outer strips on each strand will get shaded to give’em a 3D look.  The inner chemical bonds will be opposing colors that fade together in the center of each one. [3]I’m still deciding on how the colors will look.  I’m also concerned about the open spaces between the strands.  Nothing definite there yet.  I wanna see the finished look before adding anything new.  Oh, and one more thing, my inner shoulder seems a little bare.  *giggle*  Again, we’ll see how the final image looks before adding more. 

I’m still excited, can ya tell?

References

References
↑1 the tattoo artist
↑2 I doubt I will but still nice of him to think of that.
↑3 I’m still deciding on how the colors will look.

OY!

I am back home in East Texas visiting my little brother.  He broke his leg last week so I thought I’d surprise him with a visit.  I already had a long weekend scheduled [1]I hate working Halloween and often do my level best to get it off. so it worked out good.  I had originally planned to fly down to LA for a weekend of debauchery.  Oh well, I can be a dirty slut any time. 

moby bored

The above pic is me looking pretty bored. lol  Let’s face it.  There isn’t much to do out here except hunt, fish, breed, and watch DVD’s.  Too late to hunt/fish and I sure as hell ain’t breedin’ so we sat around watching DVDs. 

Last night, my older brother, two of my cousins and their families came by for a big ole fashioned bonfire (read get drunk and talk shit around a big fire).  I usually don’t drink much but being free and in an environment where my only worry was stumbling up the steps, I figured what the hell.  

I can report malt liquor and fireside smores go well together.  Of course, my head is killing me today.  Homemade booze is good but it also packs a powerful kick.  Oy!

Hung over

You can see how hung (over) I was. hehehe  After a nice greasy breakfast and a serious in-flux of liquids I’m feeling somewhat alive again.

More later…

References

References
↑1 I hate working Halloween and often do my level best to get it off.

Ride Baby Ride!

Mine is the blue/white one very left edge with the helmet sitting on it.

Today was my first big ride since the accident.  It was also my first ride with the group.  The guys made me feel welcome and we had an awesome ride. 

I was a little leery as I’ve never ridden in a group before but it was cool.  Everyone got along great and the day could not have been more beautiful.  I actually remembered to take my camera but like a dolt I forgot to put the memory card back in.  I could only snap 3 pics before the cameras internal memory was full. [1]Thank god I’m pretty right?

Apparently, the turnout was more than expected.  About 20 guys showed up this morning.  We ended up splitting into two groups.  My group wanted to do some windy roads and the other wanted speed.  Turns out the other group had a little mishap.  One of the riders slipt and fell and broke his leg.  Not too bad from what I’ve heard but OUCH! 

This was also one of the longer rides I’ve been on.  We drove just over 200 miles round trip. On my old GS500 my arms, ass, and legs would have been jello by the end.  The Gixxr was great.  It performed beautifully and I got a really good feel for the bike’s capabilities.  My wrists and back are a little sore but otherwise I’m good.  My shoulder didn’t bother me one bit. 

Now, I’m home safe and pondering my dinner choices.  Chicken, sushi, or pizza?

References

References
↑1 Thank god I’m pretty right?