Oregon Bike Polo Championships

For some reason I thought I posted something about the OBPC but looking back I didn't. All the details are over at Sweet T's blog, Polo Haus. Sounds like it's shaping up to be quite an event.

cash money

Google tells me it's time to monetize and who am I to argue. If it works out there'll be some cash in the TW slush fund, if not I'll revert to my former pristine existence and we'll forget it ever happened.

So much to do.

A show curated by former Team Wreck stalwart and contemporary art superstar Mary Lou.

Capsule Reviews

Chinatown
"You're a very nosy fella, kittycat. You know what happens to nosy fellas?"
I hadn't seen this since I was a kid and it was on KPTV 12. Quite a film, great pacing, great acting, young Jack was true lion.

The Knux
Cousin Ella sent me their debut CD for Xmas and I hated it at first. But I kept trying and it's growing on me big time. I was trying to work up a description and I came up with Outkast plus the Flaming Lips with a dash of Modest Mouse played way too loud through torn speaker cones.
Then I read this on their website.
"Their debut album sounds like Outkast, Juvenile, Tha Pharcyde, and The Strokes concurrently blasting, out of a drop-top Jag on Sunset Blvd. on a Saturday night in the summer. Wrap your head around that."
Either way it's an interesting record.

Top Chef
I'm just glad Stefan didn't win, what a dick.

Google Flu Trends
Watch out CDC.

Paintball!

Postponed until next Saturday.
If you've ever felt an urge to pelt a pack of 13 year olds with paintballs this could be your chance. Jaden's Belated Birthday Party, 2pm Saturday at Portland Paintball, 631 NE Grand.

DM Winter 09 pt. 3

Mace ready to pack out.

Bjorn's sled system was dialed in.

Sweet T and his sled.

Mace took these.


Sweet T's dad, Pappy. He came up from Yakima with his two Shelties, bringing us burritos, wood and beer.

Rev. Phil rocking the short shorts.

On the porch.
Don't listen to him Milkshake.

Beefa and his guitar. In between Cure covers we made some progress on "Team Wreck : A Rock Opera", fleshing out three tracks, "The Death March is the Hardest March of All", "The Con Jamble Scramble" and " The Ballad of Frank Castle".

DM Winter 09 pt. 2

The beginnings of Disco Stew.

Rev. Phil has some funny ideas about cooking.

Sweet T and his Manmosa, the champagne of beers with a touch of OJ. Clever name, repulsive taste.




Starting up the hill for the second time.

It was very steep.

Tiahdactyl at the top.

DM Winter 09 pt.1

We met at the Polo Haus and checked out the new micro pump track.

Sweet T, mastermind of the micro pump.


It was a beautiful drive, up the gorge to Biggs and then North through the Yakima and Natches valleys.

In Biggs. A quality store but no corndogs.

Our destination, the American Ridge Lodge.

The old ski slope is in the background.


Milkshake had good form on the sled.

Death March this weekend

Right now it looks like 11 people and 2 dogs in 3 vehicles. We're going to a cabin on the NE side of Mt. Rainier. From there we will have some snowshoe adventures and hilarity may ensue.
We always welcome walk-ons...9am Friday Feb 20 at the Polo Haus.

North Umpua Deathmarch

The North Umpqua Trail has been near the top of my list for several years. 66 miles, lots of hot springs and waterfalls and it's all BLM land so you can camp anywhere for free.
I've noticed if I set a date and say it's happening it usually happens, so here it is : August 14-17, the North Umpqua Deathmarch.
We could camp in the middle and do out and backs in either direction or if we have the vehicles and drivers we could start from the top and ride the whole trail, camping at a different spot each night.

A future forest

My haul from the Yamhill Soil and Water Conservation District native plant sale.

This may not look like 118 trees, but it is.

The jury is out on Rev. Phil.

Check out the ongoing coverage in the Mercury.

Update : Not Guilty!

the rural life

Jaden, Keenan and I helped Bill and Karen fell some Locust trees. The straight sections will be used as posts in their vinyard expansion. B&K planted the trees about thirty years ago, thinking of future fence posts and fire wood. That is some serious foresight, something I'm hoping to replicate in my plans for the Annex.

It may not have been the smoothest operation ever but we got 4 out of 5 trees down and no one was injured so I would judge it a total success.

Spring is on the way.

Not the kindest cut.

It took a while to get a good line into the tree. We tried various heavy things tied to various ropes and strings with little success. Eventully I retrieved my childhood compound bow and after about 25 tries we got a line set high enough and were able to pull the tree down.

TV update

I was finding Battlestar Galactica a little grim and stale but the episode this week was excellent. I'm now looking forward to the last episodes. My prediction for the final Cylon : Starbuck.

The super bowl was the most exciting I can remember but I also enjoyed the puppy bowl, especially the kitten halftime show.

Apparently this monkey has been herding sheep for 15 years and I've just now heard about it. This encourages me to pursue my plan of getting a medium sized monkey that could ride Natty out to the woodshed, load a cart with wood and get Natty to pull it to the house, then unload it. Someday.

A new version of Google Earth was released this week and it is awesome.