Gravel

These past two days have had their own running soundtrack. Just one song stuck on repeat in my head every time I start up the moto.

I hear the sound of your bike

As the wheels hit the gravel

Then the engine in the driveway cutting off

And I pushed through the screen door

And stood out on the porch

Thinking fight fight fight at all costs.

But instead I let you in 

Just like I've always done

And sat you down and offered you a beer.

And across the kitchen table

I fired several rounds

But you were still sitting there when the smoke cleared.

And you came crawling back to say

That you want to make good in the end.

And oh oh let me count the ways

I abhor you.

Not the best of ideas, I suppose. My Mom and Dad hate it. My father mentioned that we got in a big screaming match when I told him I was going to get a motorcycle. When I was four. It only took 31 years. My wife disapproves but hasn't said much other than not to get dead. At the same time, using the moto to commute a bit here and there will save a ton on gas costs.

All I need is my leather

One t-shirt and two socks.

I'll keep my hands warm in your pockets

And we can use the engine block.

We'll ride out to California

With my arms around your chest

And I'll pretend this is real

'Cause this is what I like best.

And you've been juggling two women

Like a stupid circus clown,

Telling us both we are the one.

And maybe you can keep me

From ever being happy

But you're not going to stop me from having fun.

So let's go before I change my mind

I'll leave the luggage of all your lies behind

'Cause I am bigger than everything thing that came before.

And you were never very kind

And you let me way down every time

But oh oh what can I say

I adore you.

Mind you, this is not my moto. My brother in law bought it from a buddy of mine and then Sam promptly took off, leaving the moto in our garage. Honda 1975 400 Super Sport. And boy-oh-boy is it lots of fun.

I promise to be careful, I really do. The moment I am no longer scared out of my mind, the moment I start thinking that car sees me, I'm putting it away.

Thanks to Ani Difranco for the running soundtrack as of late!

Conversations

This is the way conversations typically go in my car.

Welcome Winslow Asano Mukai

We are so excited to introduce this new child into our lives.

Winslow Asano Mukai was born June 12, 2011 at 9:18 AM. What a wonderful way to meet this little guy and Hope lucked out with a very short labor before Winn was born.

Little Winslow, you need to know your name carries great meaning. You get to carry on my wife's family name. And just as you carry her name forward into the next generation, you are resurrecting another family name as well. Your great-great-great grandfather was an Asano in Japan. He was adopted by the Mukai family to carry their name on since your adoptive family had no male heirs. 

Thank you for joining us here, we already love you so much!

Flogging Daddy

Yesterday, I successfully avoided starting my car (no, I didn't drive the Rover and didn't drive wifey's car instead). Well, ok, this isn't entirely true, I did start my car to pull it back into the garage when the day was through.

Anyway, this isn't about not using dead dinosaurs. Because I did run my gas grill for about 2 hours making a beer can chicken.

Not about gasoline...not about gasoline.

Yesterday, Hope began making plans for lunch and supper in the morning. I took one look at her pregger belly and said, "why don't I handle getting/prepping/cooking food."

Emiko immediately took to this as it was a chance for her to head to the store with me. The two of us agreed that we would take our bicycle and trailer to our local grocery store.

The ride down was easy. Shopping left me very nervous as I had left a very rare titanium Yeti ARC locked in the parking lot for all to see. Not to mention the trailer....

But this story is about the ride home. Emi was quite content in her trailer as we left the store with a chunk of Babybel cheese in her hand. She was a talking up a storm as we climbed the first hill on the way home.

As we crossed Easley, she asked me to sing her the same song we sing when we turn onto 60th in our car.

"We're almost to Emi's house
We're almost to Emi's house
We're almost to Emi's house
We're almost there.

We're almost to Emi's house
We're almost to Emi's house
We're almost to Emi's house
We're almost there."

And then she will tell me which names to substitute in. Daddy. Mommy. Gibson. Jeffy. Baby Bear. Etc etc etc.

So I sang to her. In between each line, I'd take a breath and try to willfully slow my heart beat.

And then.

Emi began to yell, "faster faster faster" from her trailer. Right as I got passed by some schmo on a full suspension Trek. Who proceeded to blow up about 50 yards out in front of me. He must have heard me singing to Emi and decided, "I'll put the hammer down and pass this goofy Dad/daughter." But he couldn't hold the speed and I upped my output while still singing to Emi. I was still closing the gap when I turned into my neighbourhood.

When we got home, Hope looked at me and asked why I was so worked.

I replied, "no reason..." and collapsed on the couch.

My Brother-in-Law Kicks Ass

No really. He does!

Special Forces NCO of the Year. Thank kind of kicks ass.

Read this.
And know that he mowed our lawn this weekend. SpecOps Lawn Service. He mows with tactical precision.

Did I mention he kicks ass?

Connections

Business and pleasure.

Coworkers and friends.

Life.

It all becomes intertwined. The line of business associate and friend gets blurred over time. People I talk to on the phone are not strangers or disembodied voices, we talk bikes, we share stories about our families and we discuss life in general.

These connections, no matter how tenuous, become so important and so routine. On Tuesdays, I call Bob every morning. I generally expect to see Fred a couple times a week in our front office.

There are two stories today...

...

My morning to call to my best shop in New Hampshire and possibly our best shop on the east coast resulted in me listening to a broadcast message about a family emergency. When I got through to the owner, I found out he had lost his brother.

I was at a loss for words. So I tried to get him to talk about his brother, what he did, where he grew up. Simple math puts his brother in his mid-40's. The death was unexpected. But we shared a few chuckles and did our best to forget about work for those few moments.

My heart is with you, my friend. And I reflect a bit on the fact that as I continue to grow older, it will ultimately be my friends and family I will have to say goodbye to.

"Don't stop this train..."

...

I was reminded that there was a brief moment in time when I thought about joining the military. I had just read this article about the son of the buyer at our best US dealer. His father did not sleep for days after reading the story.

As graduation from college grew close, I didn't know what I was going to do with my life and I was looking for career opportunities. I was interested in EMT and Paramedic fields but was worried they would get boring over time. As I continued to look for potential jobs, I considered the military and found a group in the Air Force whose motto was, "That others may live." That drew me in and as I began to see the training they went through, I thought if there was one part of the military branch I could go into, that would be it.

Seems like a long time ago....

One way to reduce my blood pressure

I've been told I need to bring my blood pressure down, that it is at the high end of the healthy level. Diet, exercise, hydration and stress were all potential contributors.

I may just do this:

In Memoriam of Carla Madison

We meet friends in the most random of places, don't we?

We have known Paul for years, he has worked at the Pepsi Center for as long as I have been attending hockey games. Through the seasons, we developed a friendship that meant we first looked for Paul when we arrived at games, rather than looking at the team. We always enjoyed catching up, sharing stories and learning a little more about each other every game. When I found out he would take month long bicycle tours, I offered him a deal on gear from Pearl Izumi.

A few years ago, Paul's wife Carla began to campaign for a position on the city council. Paul acted as her campaign manager and showed me the flyers he was putting together for her. And that's when I learned Carla was a hot air balloonist, had fought forest fires in Yellowstone and Colorado, and was a physical therapist. And she was voted into the city council and was running unopposed this year for her first re-election bid. What a wonderful woman.

I regret now not having had the opportunity to have met Carla. She fought valiantly against her cancer for quite some time. And never once did Paul ever seem down or upset, he just seemed to take it all in stride. She was still serving on the council, he just kept on plugging away.

Upon their return from Europe, they ran into this. And last night I heard the news that Carla had passed away.

Paul, you were blessed to have shared so much of your life with Carla. And we are grateful that she let you out of the house to come see us at the hockey games. Our thoughts are with you now in your time of mourning and in your celebration of Carla's life.

Carla, I'm sorry we didn't meet. I heard so many wonderful stories.

Godspeed.

Welcome

Welcome to the world, Jasper Mark Vincent. We cannot wait to meet you, hold you and hear all of your stories!

Nuclear Energy

My current favorite cartoonist published this on his blog recently. His subsequent chart is useful for understanding our current situation and the news that is continually generated.

Sobering Moments

Life has its sobering moments. I was having what I thought was an awful day, I was spiraling, I was trying to keep my spirits up and failing and then I received an email from a friend. After a long battle with cancer, my friend just found out that his wife's liver is failing her. Suddenly, the little things I was struggling with became so meaningless.

They have just recently returned from a cruise in the Mediterranean where they visited Venice and got to experience Carnival. I spent time shirking work and paging through their photos online.

And so I sit here thinking of the two of them, the time he is taking to spend with her and I try to hope for the best outcome.

My thoughts and love are with them right now, I just wish there was more I could do.

Rubbernecking

Dad always told me to ignore what was going on at the side of the road...don't stare at the accident lest you cause another.

Typically, I avoid viewing disasters. I maintain focus, watch the other cars around me and move on.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I used to drive up Lookout Mountain every now and then. Usually when I needed to go seek clarity, I'd find a spot overlooking Golden and Denver and spend some time simply clearing my mind.

Around 10:30 tonight, I decided to climb into the old truck and go for a quiet drive. I saw all the traffic going up and down Lookout Mountain and somehow was drawn in. I made the turn up the hill and followed it all the way to the top...I'd never completed the drive to the top and I certainly don't think I have ever driven up in the Rover.

I found a safe spot to pull off and watch the fire burning across the canyon. From where I stood, I could clearly see multiple patches of fire and a distinct fire line. It was pretty awe inspiring. I contemplated how much fear and uncertainty must be going through the minds of many families whose homes are so close to the fire.

And then it struck me. This fire, it is nothing. Sure, tragedy may occur if some lives are lost, when some houses are lost and belongings consumed by the flames. But it is nothing...nothing compared to what is happening in Japan right now. Families here in Golden will have the opportunity to evacuate, to know why this has happened and they will find a way to cope.

In Japan, an enormous earthquake and tsunami have killed 8,000 people. 12,000 people are still unaccounted for. And this is saying nothing in regards to fallout from the nuclear disaster that is still playing out at Fukushima.

Perspective: there are 18,000 people living in Golden.

We should count ourselves blessed that we have the opportunity for a warning here at home.

In Memoriam of Talisker

I write today with a heavy heart. I wanted to write yesterday but could not find the words. I received a message from one of my best friends that their boy Talisker had passed on.

Talisker was a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog...all 140 pounds of him. And loud and proud.

There is something special about our first dog. They are, for some of us, our training wheels; a test to see if we are ready for the greatest responsibility...bringing children into our world. They also teach the ultimate lesson for our children, a lesson of death.

Talisker was their first. He was wonderful, he was loud and he was family. Hope and I even looked after him when he was just a young pup. He played and romped with Gibson after he finished letting Gibs know who ruled the house.

His registered AKC name was Rock the Casbah. Every time I hear that Clash song, I have always thought of Talisker. The last time I heard the song was my most recent trip to Rapid City while I was sitting in the ref room for a Rush game. For that brief moment, I was thinking of Talisker.

Here's to you T, we all love you, we all already miss you. Make sure you let everyone know who is in charge of the wonderful puppy play land you now reside in.

Isaac and Ishmael

I sat and watched one of my favorite episodes of West Wing this evening: "Two Cathedrals." That is the conclusion of the second season and closes out with one of my favorite Dire Straits songs, "Brothers in Arms." It never fails to bring tears.

I went to pop in the first disc of season 3 and was solemnly reminded that the premier of the third season was delayed. I had forgotten that "Isaac and Ishmael" even existed. An ode to tolerance, racial, religious and otherwise; a request for support for those who responded in our time of need. And it had come at a time when it was desperately needed, airing on October 3, 2001.

This is an episode that should be played in every classroom across America. It should be rerun on TV to serve as a reminder. It should be used to educate. It should be used to stimulate conversations and encourage thoughts.

Let us never forget. Let us learn. Let us teach.

Confusion

One cryptic email is followed up with an email from another source regarding a friend and co-worker in my hockey world.

My friend, a member of the USPS, was pinned against his mail jeep by a car that swerved into him. Multiple broken bones, severed arteries in his legs and currently in intensive care.

And that is all I know.

I feel helpless when I think about how quickly our life can change.