Chiricahuas!

LMP-2088, originally uploaded by lmpicard.

How much fun did we have???
Too much!

cycle break

LMP-2076-2, originally uploaded by lmpicard.

today i took a cycling break and hike the chiricahuas. its an amazing series of volcanic rock formations along the arizona, new mexico boarder where the apache indians fought some bitter wars against the white man. I felt some old spirits in the lands. it was a great, mellow day of basking in 60 degree sunshine at 7,000 feet. More pictures to come.

Him Salt

Him Salt, originally uploaded by lmpicard.

key ingredient to my cooking. This pink stuff seams to soften the edges of food and bring out the flavors so brilliantly. I only buy and use Himalayan Pink Rock Salt. I have a salt grinder to use each time I need some of these magic morsels. Further.... this is the sole that your body needs (unlike the chemical NaCl Morton's produces).

3 days of ski

Ski, originally uploaded by lmpicard.

So today marked the 3rd day in a row I was able to ski greenlake. Yes, this is historic friends. Conditions were a bit icy, but still fun as I worked up a good sweat for my 60 minutes of effort.

I don't think the conditions will be good for a ski tomorrow, so unless it snows nicely tonight... it might be back to the trainer for me.

2nd time in 10 Years!

Ski around Greenlake, originally uploaded by lmpicard.

Today I went out to my garage, grabbed my widest xcountry skis in the lot, slapped them on at my garage door, skied out my driveway and down to greenlake (about 100 meters). I made a full lap around the lake and it being the 2nd time in 10 years we've had that kind of dumpage in Seattle and where there is enough snow to ski the lake without it melting in a half hour. Well there was plenty, a little crusty but not yet skied out! I had the place nearly to myself.... well maybe because I felt like a kid at xmas and I couldn't wait, so I got up at 5am and hit the lake by 6am. This is an actual picture of me on my skis at greenlake. Oh... its snowing again, I might need another lap.

I kept waiting for the groomer to show to set the tracks, but I guess he/she took the day off. Skating was a challenge but because I had my classic skis and with the perfect wax... it was bliss!

2009 Predictions

SAXO bank in Copenhagen (love the Danes) makes some outrageous (extreme) predictions every year, mostly I believe to show where things will trend. They are usually spot on (except for political). Here were 2008:

1) Ron Paul elected as President of the United States in 2008
I actually think this is a good prediction about change.... they just didn't guess how much change.

2) S&P500 falls 25% from its 2007 high to 1182
Well done guys... S&P shows a general economic picture and when our housing market dumps....we dump. S&P as of today was in the 800's.

3) EURSEK falls to 8.8000 (now 9.4000)
Sorry guys, don't track Swedish Kroner pricing...but the quote today was over 10:


4) USDSGD falls to 1.4000, but then rises to 1.6000 (now 1.6000)
Don't track singapore pricing...

5) EURHUF rises to 275
Don't know anything about this...


6) At least 3 of the largest 10 US home builders will go bankrupt
Well done guys - pretty easy guess in 2007 as there was massive over building, and I'm not sure if 3 have filed, but EVERYONE of them is seeking relief.


7) Chinese stock market falls 40% by late summer
Ok.... but everyone has fallen given global credit. They predicted this fall with over extension of production and capital.

8) Grain Prices to double - again!
This was pretty obvious - and it happened. With increases in world population and demand for biofuels... YUP.

9) World oil prices accelerate to $175
Well done guys - futures got to $150, spot at $134 (July 2008), and the year's average was $100. Now? Well we sit at $34. Its a good reason to think the oil countries may engage in some unrest.

10) UK growth turns negative
Duh..., the entire worlds growth turned negative.

NOW FOR 2009...
drum roll please. Read the Details here.

Iranian Revolution (given low crude prices)
Crude @ 25 USD (here come the big SUV's again!)
S&P500 in 500 (ouch) - that's 50% decline.
Italy will make good on threats to leave the ERM
AUDJPY to 40
EURUSD to 0.95 – and then to 1.30 (so travel early in the year!)
Chinese GDP growth to 0% (we buy less goods).
Pre-Ins First Out (something about overseas currency changes)
Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index to drop 30% (to 150)
First Asian currency to be pegged to Chinese Yen (probably USD instability)

healing

Jett Pet, originally uploaded by lmpicard.

This is jett. Jett was put on my doorstep by a friend who moved from Vermont to San Fran. Jett is the type of cat that is not made for the indoors. But jett craves human interaction. I think he's like me in that I can only take so much of it before I need to jet.

Did you know a cat's purr can heal bones? Jett knows when I'm hurt. He seems to locate himself on the injury and perform magic healing. Hog wash you say? Well, check out the statistics on how fast broken bones heal in cats. Could it be that purrrrrrr?

One other note...
my friend who gave me jett just had major surgery. She has had persisting problems with endometriosis. She's not much older than me. For years I've seen this burden she carries, call it worry, call it anxiety, call it a general disposition of being less than optimistic. I know energetically this always concentrates itself the abdomen (root chakra). I try to live my life knowing what we resist, persists.

I think she needs Jett.
Yo mel... Jett send his purrrrrrrrrrrrr.

snow sunday

Sprouted Hum on Endive, originally uploaded by lmpicard.

so what else do I do on a snow/ice seattle sunday. Hmmm. I made some curry pumpkin soup, rode my trainer, 3 hours of yoga, made another website for my prospective project, then completed with some raw (high prana) food.

Yup, that is sprouted hummus with organic tahini and lime zest on endive. What, what you say.... yeah, well it made for a nice shot.

Da Pearl

Portland, originally uploaded by lmpicard.

Cruised the Pearl District in Portland this weekend. The quality of development and the care/attention to detail is impressive. Clearly the land cost is lower and developers had to follow a set of market expectations to compete. Why can't seattle elevate its expectations on development? Well, I hope to do just that.... look out, thoughtful development forth-cometh.

PDX Cross

PDX Cross, originally uploaded by lmpicard.

Chels and I drove down to Portland to enjoy the PDX national cross race series. MUD, MUD, MUD. We had a good time watching people commence beer drinking at 10am, sloggin' around in the mud and watching the scene. There were a few familiar faces.

Ayurvedic Healing

I've been diving into ayurvedic knowledge because it's so dead on. Its a mind, body, spirit healing knowledge that is older than eastern medicine. I am drawn to use a lot of deep spices that balance my dosha (what is out of balance in my body). Here is a good listing of the ones I'm using and why they are sooooooooooo good.

Spices do more than just flavor foods. in the Ayurvedic tradition, spices also balance and heal the body ; food is a big part of the healing arts. In the Western tradition, research has confirmed that many spices have potent biological activity. To list just a few:

* Turmeric (the main ingredient in curry) has powerful anti-inflammatory properties, comparable to the effects of hydrocortisone. It's effective in reducing symptoms of irritable bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis. It's also a potent antioxidant and has cancer-preventive properties.

* Ginger is also a potent anti-inflammatory, acting through the same biological mechanism as the COX-2 inhibitors like Vioxx--but without the deadly side effects. Ginger is also an anti-coagulant, which helps keep the blood from forming clots and also soothes irritated stomachs and nausea.

* Cinnamon helps lower blood sugar levels by making cells more sensitive to insulin (similar to the action of antidiabetic drugs).

Get Google to Bike There!

Sign the petition to get Google to provide the mapping via Bike (as an option). I signed! http://www.PetitionOnline.com/bikether/

Slacker, Tramp, Yogini, Biker

I've been doing lots here in Tucson, Arizona. My body is tired yet it feels really, really good. My heart full with all my amazing visits with dear people. I'm loving these past 10 days of 2 hour yoga 3-4 hour bike rides, slack lining, trampolines in the sun, great food and so much more. The reality of cold wet temps, nose to the grindstone and, yes, mindfulness if forthcoming...

Such a Tramp I am!

Having too much fun in Tucson...

5th Year

So yesterday was my 5th year of being in Tucson for the El Tour. Having 8,500 bicycle riders circumnavigate a city on one single day is insane. It begins with 1000 racers doing 109 miles then various individuals of all skill levels pedaling along with an attempt to make it downtown before nightfall or their fall. I did pop out early on my bike with my 5D and take some cool snaps. sample below. I pedaled 85 miles pulling my friend Di to the finish. She vowed to train more than 2 days next time!

13 Years Ago...

I wrote a masters thesis. Interestingly, the title was Modeling the Impact of Regional Economic Change on the Residential Real Estate Market. I used all these fancy vector autoregressive models to predict the patterns in residential real estate after a significant shock. In other words - how soon would it return, would it return and was there predictability to any of it. Well kiddies, I had some findings. There were different returns for times of purchases. I suspect you could go to my school's library, check it out and read it... or just pay me for the answer. Your choice.



Oh and this image above was just odd, cracked me up so I had to share!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhmerica!

I have several observations.

1. If McCann had won, I don't think you'd see people dancing in the streets (was that crazy?).
2. I think the conservative talk show hosts will actually be able to have material now - its been a tough 8 years for them;
3. Obama; how fun is that word. I mean you can write gobama, obamrama, or ohhhhmmmmmbama, or o-bama-jama-lama-rama. I mean the options are endless (very fun, right?).
4. I heard fireworks in my neighborhood - but I live in a DEEP blue area of a very blue state;
5. What is all this talk about History? I mean, isn't every time a president is elected it's history? Heck we haven't written nixon out of the books (or have we?). Oh yeah he is bi-racial not just black.
6. The world has hope in us (again).
7. Ahhhhhhhmerica has a more zen sound than the texas twang.
8. I believe our country is still good.

A Birthday Blog

I found this file on my computer - I wrote it during the day of my birth. Its kinda cool.

-----
Its 4:30am, October 13, 2008. I’m laying on my bed in Sale Maraino on Lake Iseo just north of Milan suffering a mild case of jet lag. I’m 40 years old here in Italy, yet still 39 for another 4 and half hours back home. I’m amazed at how space and time are linked to create some perceived reality of age.

In ways I’m actually 80 years old and in others I’m 20. That is why the earth’s age of me is not relevant (at least in this moment), except mostly to those around me.

So I began my morning (the start of my 41st year) reading the last few pages of a book I started on the plane, Veronika Decides to Die. This is probably one of the most profound books I have read in a long time; largely because I am in a “listening” space of awareness that this book’s message of love, awareness and risk pierced me on many fronts. I quote Mari (a character in the book), “the danger in one days adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort.”

My adventure today here in the foothills of the Dolomites on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes I’ve seen, it to construct my day, my month, my year with huge amounts of awareness and to realize that every second of it (time) is building and creating me.

OMG!!! - totally offensive!

Someone sent me this video. I can not believe it. This is out of control. This is preposterous. And very funny.

Hollow & Empty

I did a long meditation today; hollow and empty. Profound. Cleansing. Rejuvenating. Life giving. It basically used my breath to hollow and empty the body. It is beyond words. out.