Die Big Trip (the big trip, come on now..)

so here we go.....off on another jaunt for work.  I feel lucky to be able to travel for work, seeing new, old, and amazing places.  I just hate getting there. 

But travelling alot by aeroplane does have its advantages at times.  Racking up those miles, getting the status level up there, finding every single airport lounge,  and meeting important people who have important powerful jobs in the airline industry is what its all about.

This trip was no different.  I bought my usual regular economy ticket with the hopes that my systemwide upgrade would get me to business class for my LA to Frankfurt flight.  When it didn't go through right away, I dropped an email to a guy I met on a flight back from Frankfurt to LA that happens to be in charge of premium seating for United.  

Mr. Mark wrote me back telling me he'd keep an eye out on my uprgrade and make sure it went through, and it did.  Then, when I got on the plane and thanked him he told to wait a second....."ok" i thought this could be good, or bad....

he came back and then escorted me from Business Class to First Class....YES!!!! my own little pod for the 10 hour flight.  sweetness....now I only wish i actually could have slept the whole time.  Flight was bumpy, and I got an upset stomache on the flight.  not terrible but tons of gas was passed!

now the crappy part of the beginning of my trip...realizing that I left my digital camera plugged into the charger on my desk at home.  UGH.  so for now, its all going to have to be iphone pictures until I buy a new digital camera that becomes the company digi cam at crankbrothers today!  hopefully....

LUCKY - BEST DAY EVER

+

+

= MINE!

I've played my cards right, boy.......in casual conversation I mentioned to one of the owners of crankbrothers that I've checking out the BMC road bikes and lusting over them.  He looks at me and says, oh, I just missed a call from their distributor, I'll give him a call and see what he can do for you....

(nice of him to do, thank you Andrew)

A couple of days pass and then all of a sudden, the distributor is standing in front of me with my dream bicycle.  ok, let me rephrase.  My dream frame, my dream wheels, my dream group set.....every part is perfect and fully unaffordable.....of course I start to sweat because, well, I can't afford this.  what if he asks me to write a check?  Even with a pro form, its fully out of my meager budget.

Turns out its actually a Demo bike from last year's trade show, so its slightly used, but in perfect condition.  EVEN BETTER!  we left it that the bike is in my possession and he can't really do anything with it since its last years bike.  So, if I like it, we'll figure it out, and if for some reason he needs it back in a 'few months' he'll call me and let me know.  i.e.  its free.....

I CANNOT WAIT TO GO FOR A RIDE.

slacker, but not for long

its been waaaaay too long since I've updated the site...but i will be travelling again soon.  What that means is that I'll have more motivation to update the site, take pictures, and make sure my mom knows I'm alive and doing well without have to play phone tag! 

I really do love travelling and seeing the world, and I'm lucky to have a job that allows me to do these things while I work.  Unfortunately, this trip that I leave for on Sunday the 31st will be for 4 weeks.  4 Weeks without seeing my wife (well I will see her for 2 days on the third weekend of my trip), my cats, my house, my motorcycle, my desk, my california, and my favorite burrito spot Colima's....

this trip will be fun, but it will not be as good as being home...

p-funk

not that i have no faith in Salt Lake City's ability to be the place where i would run into celebrities, but the caliber of person i ran into earlier this week is unprecedented. I mean, nobody was walking up to this guy in the airport....a lot of people staring and moms grabbing their children to pull them closer, but not a single person walked up to the marvel that i was looking at.

I figured I had to do it......and just my luck, my digital camera's flash just would not work.  (its not the best low light camera this side of the mason dixon).  so there i stood, right next to mr. clinton, taking the self-picture, hoping it would come out as his manager was yelling at him to hurry up and walk.

this guy looks like he is in rough shape.  eyes all bugged and puffy, barely able to speak, just bad shape, but it still made my day.....enjoy

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you: George Clinton !

Portland OR A GONE

work, family, and lots of love bring me to one of my favorite cities in this amazing country.  And now we've got family living here so I feel less like I need to one day move here!  We've already worked out the house swapping agreements for when that's needed and Tom and Heather have been kind enough to let me leave a full snowboard set up at their house in exchange for leaving Tom's surfboard at our house.  done and done.

so while I was meeting with some of the crew from Cinco, Leigh was busy with her flowers.  Fortunately, The Floral LAB got hired to do the flowers for Leigh Anne's sister's wedding so we're here on a work/business trip for her and for me as well.  Here's some pics so far, and as usual, the rest are on the flickr page.

highlights so far, bicycles everywhere, BBQ at the carney residence (no rides or games), Devin's cameo appearance after riding his bike from downtown to NE 50th!, McMenamin's Edgefield, and the rehearsal at Timberline....

Bicycle Lust....

if there's one thing I don't need its hobbies.  Especially hobbies that involve buying stuff.  Why can't I get into any "free" hobbies, like, lets see, umm.....playing in the dirt? or running?  or maybe making rubber band balls?.

nope, I like stuff.  I love things.  products!  I work with bicycles.  I ride 2 wheeled vehicles everyday for work and pleasure, and now I need a new road bike.  NEED.  not really need, like I will fail an important mission if I don't successfully obtain a secret road bike by 0800 hours, but Need like I am obsessing over it.

So many amazing options with carbon fiber now, its hard to start and narrow it down.  

Bikes I'm digging though:

Ibis Silk SL - smaller company, nobody has em, painted carbon frames

Bianchi c2c 928 - super rad slightly relaxed shape and downtube - Bianchi

Masi 3VC - classic Italian bikes with a modern twist

Wilier Izoard - turned on to these by Ray Boshold.  all I can say is WOW.

Laguna Fuckin' Beach

"he's not my kid....he's my wife's kid...."

ahhhh my monday morning commute.  monday is car day.

That's the only thing I could think that would explain how you'd put your kid in the back seat of your jeep when you have the plastic windscreen in place straight up separating the front cabin from the back.  poor kid.  all he could do was look left or right and occasionally look down.  can't look straight when there's a wall in your face....

and here's a shot getting closer to the jeep