Living the simple life?

23 November 2008

 

When I first arrived to Colorado I had about $200 but my rent paid for a month, and well a girlfriend who could help out until I got a job if I needed it.  Since, I had no computer I spent a lot of time at the library for the free internet.  One day as walking down an isle I noticed a book out of the corner o my eye, “living the simple life”.  I figured I would give it a read, and well the book though written 30 years ago still struck a chord with me, and I practiced a lot of the things mentioned in the book. 

 When myself and said girl broke up and I moved out, I had money but not much else.  When I moved out of the apartment to the untrained eye, you would not have noticed a difference.  I am not saying that she rearranged etc, but taking all my stuff out left the closet a little empty, and my new computer was no longer in the corner, oh and my espresso machine was missing.  When I got to my new place I realized I might need a few things… a mattress I was content without a couch until I started seeing someone, and sitting o the kitchen counter talking was not cutting it anymore. 

I picked up other things, and moved… again.  Now as I pack for my move to Denver I am selling a ton of stuff some is stuff I hadn’t touched in a year, some was just questionable from the beginning.  I find it tough not to spend the money though really I don’t need anything.  I bought a new chain for my bike (which I do need) I bought a 16 gig memory card for my phone so I can listen to music at work (which compared to the price of a 16 gig iPod is a no brainer). 

 What spurred this all on was I just brought another load to the garage, why do I have a garage because you have to give 30 days to cancel the lease on the garage too. I thought this was crazy, but it’s coming in handy now sine I can move everything o the garage Wednesday back the truck up to it, and be on my way.  The point is that I can fit ALL of my belongings including 8 things I have on eBay to sell, and STILL fit a car in there if I had one, and be able to enter and exit the car with relative ease. I feel good about it, since it makes the move easier but I wonder where all my money goes.  I know tens of thousands have been pissed away… literally.

 

Hey Crabman

  Last winter I was drinking a lot… and I used to wonder if I died how long it would take until I was found. This is imagining I did not have Jazmine because sooner or later she would bark etc causing neighbors to call.  I was watching “My name is Earl” today and a guy on his list dies, and they can’t find anyone who knew him. He makes a comment along the lines of “How does someone go though life and not make any connections?”   As I pondered his, and back to how long until someone noticed I was dead, I was bringing a load of boxes to the garage. 

 

Neighbor:  “Oh, you are moving?”

Me:  “Yeah, moving to Capitol Hill to be closer to work.”

Neighbor:  “Aww that’s too bad, I was finally getting used to seeing you around.”

 

Now I have lived here 13 months (minus the 45 days I was in jail) and this is the LONGEST conversation we have ever had, and she lives down a flight of stairs from me.  MY neighbor next door made a similar comment and this is the second time I have ever talked to them.  The first was when I left my key in the mailbox, and he dropped it of. 

 This is combined with the fact that I talk to my best friend’s mom, more than I talk to my own mother it really got me wondering.  Drinking is supposed to be a social type activity yet clearly being an alcoholic I never became social.  To blame all this on alcohol is not true since I obviously have issues connecting to people. 

 The irony is that the few friends I have made in Colorado I am moving away from, which I will likely see very little.  I am not going to Boulder to hang out since Denver has more to offer, and people from Boulder don’t go to Denver, it’s like trying to push two positive charged ions together, it just doesn’t work. 

 There is a great episode of “It’s always sunny in Philadelphia” which really hits this on the head. One of the guys inherits a mansion when his mother dies, so he wants to round up the crew for a party.  The three guys look at their phones and each have two numbers in their phones., the other two guys in the room, which summed up my life as I would watch that episode drunk, with a pitcher of beer in front of me.  

Goodbye old friend

23 November 2008

 I am still in various states of packing but just put the kegerator conversion kit onto ebay, and got to thinking.  I figured I should tell the story of how/why I got it, since it is sort of funny, in a sad way.

 So, I started dating a girl in June who worked at New Belgium brewery which is up the road in Fort Collins. We met via match, and hung out a few times, and things went well, and who better for an alcoholic to date than a brewer, right?  So, every time we hung out she would bring a case of beer since, they get it free.  In June I was drinking a lot, and every few days had to do my “walk of shame” which was walking down with a huge plastic jug of empty bottles, and cans.  The worst part was pouring the empties into a larger recyclables container.  Imagine the sound of 40+ glass bottles falling 2-3 feet; yeah you can hear it for about a city block. 

 This combined with the waste of cardboard boxes etc, got me to thinking a kegerator might not be a bad idea, when the girl told me she could get me free kegs or an employee discount of near 50% it turned into a no brainer.  Also, there is the fact that buying beer by the keg is cheaper per once even at retail prices. 

 I did some research, and looked into different setups etc, and finally decided on a setup which would allow me to have 2 separate beers on tap.  I picked up a fridge off craigslist for $50 painted it blue one day at work and was ready to rock and roll. The kit came, and after about 15 mins was all set up.  The girl (at this point we had broken up, but still friends) came with a 1/6 barrel of beer (about 5 gallons) and I picked up a quarter barrel from Left Hand Brewery (yes another 7.25 gallons of beer were needed).  Needless to say, this took my drinking to a whole different level. 

“The beer I had for breakfast wasn’t bad, so I had another for desert” pretty much summed up my weekends from that point forward. You would think that having mass amounts of beer at home would make for not going out at night, didn’t really work out that way.  Everyone told me the keg was a bad idea; it was fun while it lasted.  She is now hopefully going to get me some of the money back, and at the least remove the temptation.  My liver seems to be happy with the decision, livers are over rated.

 

I posted more pictures

Hopefully this works click here and you should get to see pictures of stuff.  

My newest project

17 November 2008  

Ok, so blogger is the WORST to try to post pictures and to arrange them, I don't understand.  I have broken down and created a picture blog so I can post pictures of my work and random stuff.  I apologize, just much easier to post a number of pictures here then deal with blogger.  I will let you know when new stuff goes up, which with the new phone, and a new city, and my job photos should be up regularly one would think.  

Interesting side note, I went to blow today and after drinking a soda on the bus had to use the restroom.  There is one restroom, now since they also do UA's (Urine Analysis) I found this strange and well... disturbing.  When one does a UA a person goes into the room with them to make sure they do not have a stash of "clean" urine to fill the cup.

I go in (alone since I did not have a UA) and I am standing when I notice mirrors posted around the entire room at crotch height.  I am not kidding!  The "observer" need only look in any of the 360 degree to have a perfect view of the persons genitals.  First I was bothered because its was freaking me out to see myself urinate in some sort of omni type situation.  

My second reaction was, is this legal?  I am sure in the piles of paperwork I filed out I signed away all my rights, but really?  Is this really considered ok? 

New Years Resolutions

16 November 2008

I figured I would post y goals here since maybe then someone will give me crap if I do not keep up on them.  Maybe not so much goals as early New Year Resolutions.  Otherwise I will just come back and delete the post, and no one will be the wiser. 

1.  10,000 miles in a year either Dec - Dec or more likely Jan 09 to Jan 10.

2.  Be pushing 100 gear inches on Betty by the end of 09 I am at 88.2 right now (49 X 15)

3. Not to of had a drink for a year starting today.  You would think with daily alcohol monitoring this would be a no brainer, but there are ways to beat the system.

4.  To be done with the whole situation aside from probation by Jan 1 2010 wow that is a LONG ways away.

5.  To be at the same job, sound stupid and simple but I change jobs like normal people change their underwear.  I figure it is a small step towards being an adult...

Random thoughts

16 November 2008                  

I have bunch of stuff I have been trying to write but somehow I never can find the time.  I feel like I have to post stuff for my two fans since otherwise what else would they do on the internet? 

I went on my first recreational bike ride in a while, meaning I just rode anywhere I wanted but trying to burn myself out.  I will sleep like a baby tonight. This got some of my old racing stories popping up in my head, and I actually rode by the scene of the accident today as well, which was something else.

 

The scene of the crime:

As I was riding I was in the town of where I was arrested, and having a general idea where it happened I figured I would swing by and see if there was any evidence of my night on the town.  Those of you who do not known South Boulder road, it’s a semi busy road going East/West, and stretches from Lafayette into Boulder. In Lafayette part of it is divided with a grassy knoll with tress, grass and so forth. 

 When I say there is a knoll I do not mean a curb, it’s a stamped concrete ramp (about 60 degrees?) rising 2 and a half feet out of the ground, to where the grass is and trees grow.  I rode up the ramp slamming into the tree; it is still thee though the top has been chopped off.  It is sitting at a 45 degree angle with a bunch of roots pulled out, it was something else to ride by and se the damage.  The fact I am still alive is a tribute to the design and use of air bags and seat belts.  I meant to stop and take a picture, but while I am riding I hate to stop for anything, never mind to take a picture of a tree who would love to pull itself from the earth and kick my dumb ass. 

 For those of you I the area it is at South Boulder Road and Etna, maybe a mile east of 42. 

 

Housatonic Hills:

I also got remembering back in the day training to race, and probably one of my favorite races.  I did the race 2 ½ years ago, and there is another story that gets wrapped up with in everything else.  I had signed up for the race a few months in advance because it was supposed t have a lot of climbing and I love to climb, though I am not the best. 

 As the race cam closer I had started seeing someone, and the week before the race we were talking and she asked what I was doing for the weekend. We all know I love to plan things, and cancel when the time comes because I am lazy. I mention I have some bike race, which at this point I am considering not going to because I don’t want to go to CT for a race. She mentions she is visiting here sister, and family.  She then asks where the race was and not being a 100% I mention its Southbury CT or something I need to figure out where directions.  Guess who lives in this town... yes, her sister. 

 I look up the race, info and race goes by her sister’s house, so it turns into me going to the races then meeting her sister and brother in law… ok.  Race day comes, and its a 40+  mile loop ending with a mountain top finish, I looked at the profile but figured it would be a good way to get me better at climbing, and also help fluff my resume to get into CAT 4’s.  The day comes and its hot, I am under prepared have o water, food, so the last minute I am scrambling to et a bottle of water, and something to eat, meanwhile my new girlfriend is watching. 

 We line up to start and give the group ahead of us 5 minutes so we won’t get mixed in with them, or so the theory goes. The first 8-9 miles are flat, going along a river, and everyone in the peloton is talking, nothing is really going on, until we hit the first climb. We start catching people from other groups, so as you are climbing you are passing old men, women, you lose all bearing where you are, or how you are doing.  The race continues, and I end up missing a 2 turns because the flaggers are not paying attention.  The race was awesome though I remember flying down a hill hitting 55 mph thinking this is fun. I miss am with a group of 12 other guys I am pulling, and miss a turn at 30 mph, everyone else knew the route, I hear them yelling “right” as I go straight.  I slow and turn around.

 I try to catch them but as we near the final climb I lose them, the climb was tough, and it was HOT I was out of water, and I was struggling.  I finally reach the top and cross the line exhausted, and there is the girlfriend and her sister.  Throughout the entire race you were catching people from other groups, and I was thinking I came in dead last so as se walks up I am thinking nice I came in last way to impress her.

 She starts congratulating me who I was of saying I did terrible I must be in the last 10, she says no only a few people finished before you.  Turns out I got 13^th, but it was a CAT 4/5 race so for the CAT 5’s I got third place, I was very happy.  This was also the only race where they gave you food, after the race there was bread, and cereal, fruit, candy it was awesome!

 After the race we got to her sisters, and I end up meeting everyone, both parents, both step parents, brother in laws parents.  Meanwhile I am covered in sweat, and dam tired, but apparently I did ok, since we kept dating after meeting the entire family.  

Entering the belly of the beast (Part 1 of 4)

13 September 2008

 It started off as a very promising day, after talking to a girl I had met online a few weeks prior we had set up a date.  We were meeting at a bar in Lafayette to play some pool, perfect situation to be able to talk, and have a few drinks.  We met up, and she was mighty cute, though a smoker which was a strike, oh and a kid, not with her ha ha just in general.  With two strikes against “Tamie” to begin with you would think why bother, well she was dam cute. 

The more I think about the night, I start to realize she DRUGGED ME!  No, that I had a lot to drink, because we were playing pool, having a good time, and at some point we start making out in the middle of the bar which really is not my thing.  I was clearly in rough shape for that to have take place.  It is getting towards closing time, and someone comes by to grab her car.  I was not sure what this was all about except that this meant I had to give her a ride home.  Which in my eyes is a great thing, hey I am a guy!   As the threat of closing looms closer she orders shots, which I do remember thinking this is a bad idea, after shot number 3 it crossed into really stupid. 

 We leave the bar, and I let her into my nicely cleaned car (just in case such a thing might happen) and I do believe there was making out against the car, but I will admit the night is foggy at this point. We head off towards her place and I recognize the fact I am on the wrong side of the road, and there is a rather large divider between the side I am on and the correct side.  Think “Planes trains and automobiles” when the couple is screaming “you are going the wrong way” and John Candy says “How they hell do know where we are going?”  A lot like that but not nearly as funny, so at this point I recall even less I try to cut through where there is a cross street and hit a tree. 

 The airbags go off, and so does the alarm in my head that yes I am screwed. I try to pull the car off to the side of the road which in the cop’s eyes turns into fleeing the scene of an accident.  “Tamie” apparently dislocated her shoulder (this is what my public defender said a few days later but he was not 100% on the details) I screwed up my wrist which is still tender, but with no health insurance I just try not to do much with my left hand. 

 The officer shows up, after receiving a call about a car driving down the wrong side of the road, and I am tossed in the back seat.  This is about 2 am on the Sunday and I am taken and booked, during which I asked if “Tamie” was ok, and the officer tells me to come back between 8-5 on Monday.  No, he ignored me and continued talking about the Broncos with a co-worker.  This whole part is rather boring except when it comes to the breathalyzer.  Now, hindsight being 20/20 I should not have blown since I was going to jail anyways, and my BAC was used against me through my trial, and is still mentioned during my meetings and so forth.  Had I not blown the only difference would be oh you didn’t blow.  So, I go to blow and the two cops start guessing what I am going to blow one says .16 the other .12 which I figured he couldn’t be serious.  .12? Really? Ye of little faith.  I blow twice both at .244 three times the legal limit.  Both cops almost seemed impressed I was still up and about.  I am then transported to Boulder County Jail to finish the booking process….

 I am not making light of the fact I was clearly in no shape to be driving but  I have spent days mulling the whole thing over in my head, and as all of you know my way of dealing with everything is by joking about things. 

 Also, as mentioned a number of times at this point the “you could have been killed” philosophy because living this out is much, much worse than dying.  Had I died this would all be over, and Jazmine would have to carry on my legacy instead of this blog.  On the other side if I had killed someone… that question is the one that truly makes me wonder.  I know what I did was moronic, and my second time making the same stupid mistake.  I feel had I died it would be Darwin kicking me in the ass, survival of the fittest or at least he smartest.  Had I killed someone else, that I have a huge issue concerning.  I have done a lot of stupid things in my life, and I accept responsibility for them all including what I am now facing but had I taken an innocent life… that I still can not grasp.  I would like to think after prison I would become a huge advocate and try to make the world a better place, but in reality I think I would kill myself.