Desert Sunrise

This morning I woke at 4am. Ate a Luna bar and strapped on my nightrider. I then set out in the pitch black pre-dawn night; just a sliver of a moon showing. I woke morning doves, saw a dead snake pass by the beam of my light. I met my friend Deb for 2 hours of glorious desert riding...watching the sun turn the sky light blue, soft pink then glowing orange against the rusty mountain peaks rising 9,000 feet above the desert floor. Wow, the glory of riding your bike seeing the begining of a day with a gentle breeze flowing through your hair at an air temp of 72 degrees. Yes!

Art Experiencing

I love the art you feel.
The stuff that makes you realize a distant memory.
The richer the art, the deeper the memory.

I just purchased this piece from a self representing artist on ebay.
There are a handful of amazing artist on ebay...then there are those that are just plain crap.

William Hawking is a Tucson artist sold on ebay, and I FEEL his art.
This is my second piece of his...and I've watch his work get richer and richer.

So what do I feel here?

This image reminds me of my childhood, when I would walk across the expanse field of my grade school yard, climb on top of the overturned backstops (used for softball), lay on my back and stare at the sky; pondering the world's composition as I looked upon the puffy clouds. I would try to understand where I began and where I ended. Sometimes my thoughts would become so circular I would need to close my eyes to calm my 12 year old mind. I also like this picture because its style is so Magritte.

Porch of an Orange House

So this is my porch i treasure so,
the deck is laid with a nice warm slate;

Its a place I really, really know.

My porch is great for sipping strong joe;
to meditate in the warm sun of late;
Its a place I really, really adore.

My porch is a place i love to stretch my toes,
or sitting with a mate watching the world consume fate;
Its a place I really, really grow.

Bumpy Air

I fly a lot.
One thing I notice is there are certain geographical areas that always have the same "feel" to them in the air. I think this says a lot about the area and maybe a bit about the energy of the place this air sits or rises above. Here are some observations...

Dallas (DFW) - air always has BIG drops and unexpected swoops from the unstable air masses that loft around the area. Being here is highly unpredictable as weather changes your plans by the hour. I really dislike flying here.

Tucson (TUS) - air has rapid fire deep turbulence as you approach the area (even when clouds are absent), but when you get over the mountains protecting the town (where the warm air is pushing up over the mountians) the air tends to smooth and calm with a couple of errant drops here and there. Its actually a little fun flying in...if you are expecting it.

Miami (MIA) - one never knows what they are going to get flying into MIA; lightning strikes all around, smooth air, bumpy air - it is so unpredictable and it never is what it appears to be on the surface. Its a grab bag of flying - but I must say the lighting strikes are the coolests of shows.

Seattle (SEA) - air is always smooth even when flying through the clouds. I think the air coming off the ocean then skipping across the Northwest landscape never produces a rippled or angry wave to the air and clouds. Its a joy to see the green and blue tones, the cindercone peaks of Rainier, Adams, Hood, Baker, etc. as you gently set down on the tarmac. Needless to say I love flying into Sea/Tac.

Doll-less

I landed at DFW last night.
Took a cab to Fort Worth (don't you dare call it Dallas).
The big deal in town is how the cows run the streets twice a day.
Wooo Hooo!
A walk last night revealed the following:

a) Restaurants serve BIG food to lots of BIG people;
b) There are lots of ugly parking lots full of BIG cars for BIG people;
c) There are lots of "W" stickers on these BIG cars that hold BIG people who just finished eating BIG food.

Hmmmmm.
I'm leaving tonight!

Jack Johnson

I was listening to Jack Johnson's last album, and came across the tune "Gone." Wow. The lyrics are quite good and they really hit me today...

Look at all those fancy clothes,
But these could keep us warm just like those.
And what about your soul? Is it cold?
Is it straight from the mold, and ready to be sold?

And cars and phones and diamond rings,
Bling, bling, because those are only removable things.
And what about your mind? Does it shine?
Are there things that concern you, more than your time?

Gone, going.
Gone, everything.
Gone, don’t give a damn.
Gone, be the birds, when they don’t wanna sing.
Gone, people, all awkward with their things,
Gone.

Getting on with life...

Now that I'll be leaving Miami to live back on the west coast as of next Tuesday (with a few back and forths here and there)you may continue to enjoy my Miami Spice blog at the following address (same as show in links to the right):
www.miamispice.blogspot.com
Enjoy!

I wear yellow

I wear yellow too.
not just because I love cycling and Lance initiated it;
not just because we should live strong,
not just because cancer research is so important;
I wear yellow too...because I too am a survivor.

Cancer affects so many and the numbers keep growing;
acquaintants, friends, family, love ones.
AND oddly, one woman told me...
You got the "gift" of cancer! "HUH?" I said. "Yeah," she said, "you discovered you actually die in this world...so now you have the gift of life...you want to LIVE."

There is the gift and the paradox of life, my friend.
Now I choose to LIVE and to LIVE STRONG!
That's what it means to wear yellow.
That's what it means to LIVESTRONG.
www.wearyellow.com

Bye Bye Beemer

BMW 530i; its a nice car...but not me. As I depart my tour of duty in South Miami Beach, Florida - or SoBe, I leave this motoring machine behind. No tears, because I'll happily move to my brand new 2006 Audi A4 Avant Quattro - zoom, zoom - that will be waiting for me in Tucson!

Wha's Up?

I'm traveling like a crazy person.
In a typical week I find myself in Miami on Sunday, Montreal on Monday, Chicago on Wednesday, Tucson on Thursday, Seattle on Friday and then Miami again on Monday. I'm logging miles...but the last thing I want to do with them is more travel...except when it comes to biking in the alps of France!

Ah-laska

Some great pics from my phenomenal trip to Alaska.
We biked across the Denali highway on a mountain bike. Awesome.

You can see more by clicking here.