TANNER IS HERE!!!

Sorry, I'm a couple days late. Tanner James Sims decided to show up while we were on our anniversary trip to Carlsbad Caverns, etc.

Born at 44 minutes after midnight (Hawaii time) on Saturday 16 Oct weighing 8 pounds 3 ounces and 20" long. He and mom are both fine, in fact at this point since I'm a bit late, they are home!!

Nora really loves her little brother and I am sure she will be much help to Hannah in the months and years to come.

Jodi gets to see him next month but for now I will have to settle for photos and video until spring. We plan to go visit as soon as Stephen gets back from Afghanistan.

Grandson any day now!!!

Well, Tanner James Sims was due Monday so by now Hannah is getting quite tired of that stubborn little bugger being in there I would imagine. And so are we. We're ready to see him.

Jodi (Gangy) is primed and ready 24/7 at a moment's notice to forward photos to Stephen before they get posted to FB or anywhere else so DAD can see his boy. Him being in Afghanistan sucks more right now than ever!

Can you believe I'm about to be a grandfather for the second time??? I can't!!!!

Good luck Hannah. Wish we could be there with you. Gangy will be next month and I will be in the spring when Stephen gets home!!!

28th Anniversary New Mexico exploring

I'll have to add our trip photos for this at a later date. October 15th is our 28th anniversary and since I was lucky enough to get Saturday off and Jodi got Monday off we are heading south to parts of New Mexico we have yet to explore.
Our only real plans are Carlsbad Caverns and Living Desert State Park. I cannot wait to see both!! We wanted to go there on our first New Mexico trip in 2003 but the timing just didn't work. We may be a little late, but we're getting there and I am very excited.

I'm sure we will find a hike or a bike ride or two along the way but really don't have any concrete plans. Other than the caverns and the park we're just going to wing it.

More later.

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta 2010

Not sure how I've managed to not get this posted yet. The first weekend of October creates a phenomenal burst of colors each year in Albuquerque. It also causes grown women to act like kids again. Don't believe me follow my wife Jodi, her Aunt Carol or my buddy Adriana from work around the launch field. Don't think for a second you can sleep in and witness this childish action though, it starts way before dawn.

The weather has been pretty good for the morning launches but not quite so friendly in the evenings. Saturday morning warmed up a bit quickly so the mass ascension wasn't quite as extraordinary as Sunday. Of course Sunday morning the wind picked up which created it's own concerns but not until later in the morning after the majority of the balloons had left the field. One of the balloons we really wanted to see was the Wells Fargo stagecoach but neither Saturday or Sunday worked for it.

Unfortunately the weather in the evenings canceled the glow on Saturday and the gas balloons from launching on Tuesday and Wednesday. This was a minor interruption on the minds of their fellow balloonists however due to two of their own being lost over the Adriatic Sea. Richard Abruzzo along with friend and fellow balloonist Carol Rymer Davis took off from near Bristol, UK and was last heard from over the Adriatic Sea on Wednesday 29 September after being caught in bad storms. Unfortunately the search for them was called off after no sign whatsoever was found of them after eight days.

Jodi is going back tomorrow morning with her boss/friend Karri then Jodi and I will go back again tomorrow evening for the Special Shapes glow if the weather allows them to have it. And with Saturday and Sunday being the last 2 days of this year's show I am sure we will be there then also. At times it's a bit aggravating that everything gets moved because of the balloons but it only happens 9 days out of each year.

10042010 Mountain biking Ellena Gallegoes

Great ride!!!! Parked at Elena Gallegoes Picnic Area and started out on Trail # 366. Took it to #365 and then too 365 to the end at the parking lot off Glenwood Hills and Desert Hills. I started to go to the southern part of 365 but to do that you have to go way DOWN Glenwood and I was afraid I wouldn't have it in me to ride that much asphalt, play on the trail on the south end then climb that LONG hill back up to Desert Hills and then ride the trail back up the hill to the car.

Instead I opted when I got back to the 305/365/366 junction to take 305 and see what it was like on the way to the car. Not bad, pretty much more of the same. LOTS of fun fast curves on all this trail system.

All the above was ridden on the Tricross. I took both bikes so I could compare. After this ride I rested a few then swapped bikes and mounted up on my REAL mountain bike. I love my cyclocross bike and this is a good place to ride cyclo BUT Scotty won the competition. MY GOSH the ride was different. When you get to the rough, rocky ups or downs not having suspension on the Tri causes your body to take a beating. Plus, less tread causes you to have to slow more on the loose gravelly curves.

I let a little air out of the tires of Scotty and we rock-and-rolled!!! She never ceases to amaze me and NEVER lets me down!!

I hate it's been so long since I've ridden on this side of town but I will be back. Maybe next week, who knows.

Missed the race this morning

Luckily you people know me so it will not surprise you that I lied a little. The weather was so much better for the balloon fiesta and so many more balloons were rising that I decided to stay there instead of going to the cyclocross race since there are several more races coming up and the balloons are only here two weekends a year. Crap happens!!

2010 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

What a mild start to Balloon Fiesta this year compared to last. Last year even I was in long pants, jacket and gloves! This year, shorts and short sleeves (for me anyway!).


The negative aspect of a milder start, balloons do not fly as well in warm air. So the mass ascension wasn't quite what it could have been. Some of the balloons didn't get very far, in fact, some didn't even lift off.

But the awe of that first morning was certainly still there. I'm not as totally nuts about them as Jodi but I do enjoy them a lot and enjoy her being like a kid in a candy store. And this year her Aunt Carol from Phoenix came to stay with us for the weekend and we met a couple people, Jim and Milay (wish I had asked how to spell it, pronounced mu (as in mud) lay) from the general vicinity of Nashville that this was their first year. So Jodi and I, being old-times since we've seen in one year before, tried to make sure they all really enjoyed the experience and didn't miss anything.

Jodi and Carol are there again right now for the evening "glow." I stayed home a) because I wanted to and this is why I was thrilled that Carol came and she can keep Jodi company and b) because I really needed a ride tonight. Which I just got back from. On the Tri this time.

Going to my first Cyclocross race tomorrow morning. I will go see the balloons with the ladies and ride the Tri to the race from there. Can't wait to see it. If everything goes half as planned I hope to race in a few events next year. Not trying to be competitive in the circuit, just for my own satisfaction.

I'll report after the race.