Catching Up

Humm…..lets see my last post was in November of 08 so it’s been about six months. I’d say it’s time for another post.

Both Hannah and I have had a lot going on. Mostly good stuff, but like most people we seem to fill up all of our available time with activities/projects of one kind or another. Below are some of the highlights:

City Garden Commercial Design

The biggest news on Hannah’s side is that she finally started her own business. I’ve been urging her to do this for a while, but the timing has been off. The timing is still off, but we figured that if she didn’t do it now, she’d never do it. If you don’t know what she does, check out her web site. www.citygardenco.com She is off to a great start and I know she’ll do great.

No More School for Eric

My news is that I FINALLY graduated! Good Grief! If I were in high school someone would have written in my year book “what a long strange trip it’s been,” but I’m not in high school and the trip hasn’t been strange just long – really long. I’m glad to be done. The fist few days after I finished my course work, I didn’t really know what to do with my extra time. I would sit around thinking that I had something to do, but I didn’t. It was weird, I couldn’t relax. I soon got accustom to it though, and as I said above, it didn’t take long to fill in my time.

New Bike

I also got a new bike! We started out looking for a new bike for Hannah, but I ended up getting one instead….poor Hannah. Sometimes I’m sure she regrets marring me. I’ve had my eye on the 29ers (29" wheeled bike vs. a traditional 26" wheeled bike) for a few years, I could never make up my mind. The cons are that the bikes take more power to get up to speed (larger wheel to turn = more power needed). The pros are that once those wheels get up to speed they have more momentum. The larger wheel also has more traction and rolls over obstacles better. A 29er seemed to be a good fit for Hannah so we had her try one. I tried one at the same time, and two minutes after I was on it I was trying to think of how I could justify a purchase for me too. Long story short, I got a great deal on a used frame and new components through a friend of mine, and I’m going to sell my old bike, a set 26 inch wheels, and some other items. I think I’ll come out a little less then even. I took the bike to Moab earlier this month and I’m completely converted. I love it. I’m riding better then I ever have. Just so everyone knows Hannah is still getting a new bike, she hasn’t made a decision as to which one she wants. I’m really trying to steer her towards at 29er...Hannah speaking now....Eric spent all my money! I only weigh 10 pouds (inside joke between David Petersen and us). I can't afford a new bike now so I will keep on riding my old bike and wear my tattered clothes.

Moab Trip

I attended the annual Moab guy trip again this year and it was fantastic. Due to schedules we had to go a little earlier this year so the weather was a bit cooler than normal, but it worked out just fine. As usual I went down a few days early and camped. I tried to get Timmy to come with me, but he was bogged down at work and couldn’t make it. On Monday I got up early, hit the pool for a quick swimming session, and then drove to Fruita, CO which is about a 3 hour drive. I had a conference call for work that I couldn’t get out of , so I had to hang out in town (due to cell reception) for about two hours, take the call, and then hit one of the local trails – Chutes and Ladders was the trail I rode. The riding is very different compared to Moab, but it’s a lot of fun – very fast. I took some pictures but they aren’t very good, so I found this video on uTube of the Chutes and Ladders trail. I found a great camping site that night, woke up early the next morning and started the drive to Moab. I got there at noon (I took my time). The rest of the gang wasn’t due to get there until late that evening so I went to Arches National Park and hiked to Delicate Arch and then Klondike Bluffs. It was really good to get some solid Eric down time. It was one of the best days of the trip. The rest of the trip was spent riding some Moab favorites. I won’t bore you with the details, but it was great.

Chutes and Ladders:

Mark Plumbs Wheel - this needs some explanation. Mark got a flat tire on a trail and like all good friends we took off and figured he'd catch up when he got everything fixed. When we got back to the van he hadn't caught us and wasn't at the van. We figured he road back to the condo. We decided to got to lunch. During lunch, Mark called and was at the trail...He had gotten two flats and didn't have any more tubes. He taped his tire to the rim of his bike and was able to ride about 3 miles leaving only 5 easy miles for him to hike. He hitched a ride to the restaurant. Moral of the story is - never trust your friends to wait around....your on your own!

Finally the pro of the group... Vincent taking a fall. Unfortunately I didn't get any video of him making it.

Well that’s about it, I’ll post something else in another six months:

And now your moment of ZEN…..

Two of my favorite things

1. Road ride up High Grade Canyon with Hannah
2. Fat, lazy, wonderful Pete the cat