Dad's Memorial Flag & Case

In May of '07 I was going through a tough time.  I won't go into details about why, but during this time I needed something to occupy my time in a constructive way, and building a case for my Dad's memorial flag helped me more than anyone can know.  My Dad was an amazing woodworker and an amazing man, and I'd like to think he would have liked the end result.

I built the below case using red oak and walnut for the splines.

Apple. There Is No Substitute.

I continue to be in awe of the Apple design.  Not only do their products perform amazingly well, but they always look great!  People, buy their stock!  Even at $295 per share, it's a steal!

We don't need no stinkin' toothpicks!

After lunch today, a random memory of my Dad crept into my head. As a kid, I can remember that he would often use a matchbook cover as a toothpick. Sometimes the littlest things leave a lasting impression, and I'm thankful for this.

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS - Blood Sugar Sex Magik (Live)

Get Funkdafied! Recording of their 10th album starts Sept 13!!

Back On The Bike

After a week of recovery and the consumption of very tasty, albeit unhealthy food, I climbed back on the road bike for a 40 mile ride. Legs felt a little weak at the start, but better with each mile. I'm finding that with my road bike, I thoroughly enjoy tough climbs! This will help as I hammer out some hill repeats before the snow arrives.  Below is my 17 pound mountain goat.

I find the differences interesting between road biking and mountain biking, and how each affects my heart rate.

56 Miles On The Road Bike

50 Miles On The Mountain Bike

Black Hills

Each time I visit the Black Hills, I get a little upset with myself for not living there.  This is why...

10th Annual Dakota Five-0

Finished my second Dakota Five-0 this past Sunday, and handled the trail much better than I did in '09. My goal was to cut a little more than an hour off my time and hopefully finish around 6 hours. I crossed the line at 6:08 (1hr & 11min better than last year). I'm very happy with this, and motivated to train even harder for the race next year.  I'm new to racing, but I believe I have a sub-5 hour time in me. It's going to require MANY more training miles, but this is something I'm willing to do!

The trail was in amazing condition, and the volunteers were as energetic and helpful as I've ever seen anywhere! The new 'Dakota Ridge' was a great addition and it had some interesting technical that I believe kept everyone on their toes. I was able to successfully ride most of this section without a problem - most...

Bike loaded and headed back to my hometown of Bowman, ND.

A big thanks to my niece Mariah, and my sisters Shannon and Faunne for making the trip to support me!

Thanks to everyone involved for putting in the time and effort in making this race/event fun for all that participate!  Can't wait for 2011!