2012 is the Year of the Cat

he Black Cat, to be specific.






Behold:




Around TWO YEARS ago, I put down my deposit for a new custom-built single speed bike. It was to be a gift from me to me to celebrate my 50th birthday. The builder, Todd Ingermanson aka Black Cat Bicycles, is getting pretty popular, and for good reason. His builds are solid and sexy, each one a work of art.




I tried to be patient, but my birthday came and went and still no new bicycle. So I told myself it would be more of a Christmas present.




I even made my own head tube badge to keep myself busy. On Christmas morning I ran down the stairs, and there, under the tree, STILL no shiny new bicycle. I guess Santa thought I was a bad boy last year.




Finally, Todd called and informed me that the bike was on the way. I unpacked it and was not disappointed. Curved top tube, swoopy seat stays, internal cable routing, just a beautiful creation.




The paint job was inspired by the head tube badge I had made. The Zia symbol gave Todd the idea to use a sort of Anasazi-style transition in the green paint. I think it came out nice.



The maiden voyage did not disappoint. The shorter wheel base afforded by the curved seat tube made the ride much more nimble and intuitive. The tapered steerer tube and 15 mm axle on the Fox fork had the bike carving turns like it was on rails. The long wait was worth every minute.

It's going to be a good year.

Walkabout

It's been way too long since Ive been in here. Dead computer + new girlfriend = no time for blogging.

It's funny, the things you can see when you stop looking at what everyone else is looking at and start looking where you wouldn't expect to see anything.

Finito!

finally finished that bitch off! Had my first shower in there yesterday. Everything looks great. It cost a lot but it was money well spent. I will be in there every day for the rest of my sweet young life.


Custom-built solid cherry vanity by my friend David Linke:





Dovetail joinery with hidden Soft-Close drawer glides:




The new tub that killed my back. All tile by yours truly.





Marble countertop and backsplash, vessel-style sink, and bamboo motif deck-mounted faucet:




Custom toilet paper holder:





Thanks for looking!

Almost there....

he bathroom remodel is at 99.5% completion. I promise pictures by the end of the week.

There was an unexpected delay of a couple of weeks. I let you figure it out....

White Mesa

inter forces us mountain bikers to seek out lower-elevation rides that are free of snow. Time for a trip to White Mesa, also known as the Ojitos Wilderness.



I rolled up to CDaddy's house, he was ready to go so off we went under blue skies.




One water crossing. Kinda scenic.




White Mesa is a huge gypsum deposit with some crazy geology. There are these crazy sinkholes out there. I did a pretty good web search but could not figure out the technical term for them. They are quite round, deep, and have water in them. Falling in would mean a slow death.




Here is CDaddy grinding up the hill:




And yours truly with Cabezon in the background:




There are numerous mineral springs in the area that form these really cool travertine terraces:




I tried to get a good shot of the grand-daddy sinkhole:





Here is CDaddy rolling the last steep line off of the Dragon's Back:




I guess that's it. Thanks for looking!

During....

Alright, so New Years Day has come and gone, and I have no "after" pictures of my bathroom remodel project to show the six faithful readers of my blog. Perhaps I was a bit optimistic about my projected completion date, but I might have made it if my tile saw hadn't frozen solid when the cold snap hit. As it stands now, I am 90% complete with the remodel and 100% sick of being in that bathroom.

So to tide my faithful readers over until I can post the "after" pics, here are some photos taken during a much-needed hike through Diablo Canyon today. My hiking companions were Todd Glatz and his spawn, the Master of Awesomeness, Conner.


We hiked through the slot canyon and headed down the wash towards the Rio Grande. We saw some icicles under a seep in the cliff wall:





Bored with the wash, we decided to scramble up to the top of the mesa.




It was tough going for Todd and I, but Conner scooted up like a monkey....





The summit was attained and the striking views were enjoyed....








Thanks for looking!

Before.....

Very little to share lately in the way of riding or any other outdoor activities. I've been spending my weekends on a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling remodel of my master bathroom. It was the world's second-ugliest bathroom ever (the first-ugliest was my guest bathroom that I remodeled about 5 years ago). The guy who built my house was a complete idiot when it came to finish and trim work.

I've ripped everything out down to the studs, moved the plumbing and electric, and now I'm hanging drywall and cement board. Which is a painful challenge when you've ruined your back moving a 300-lb cast-iron bathtub up a flight of stairs. As I've said before, getting old sucks.

Here are a few "before" pics, I hope that the "after" pics will be up by New Years.







I'm sorry you had to see that....