grace

 Hello.  I'm sure most of you know me, but for those that do not, I am Mike, Don and Judy's OTHER child.  I begin with this because levity was the rule of the day when relating to my sister, and anything else would not be fitting even in this most dire of circumstances.  For more years than I can remember, Shelly always referred to me as mom and dad's favorite.  I'm pretty sure the real reason behind this running joke was that the opposite was most likely true, and she KNEW it.  I do stand here before you as a strong second place, and I'm OK with that.

Some of you may also know that I have been designated "the writer in the family," mostly due to my mom insisting that I should have written for the school newspaper (she was right, sigh). Truthfully, I do love to write, and on the occasion I sit down to do so, I always seem to have the words.  My best ideas always come when I'm on the move...on a trail running or biking, on a mountain sliding down.  The words just flow for me, and all I have to do is remember them and put them down, usually in a run-on sentence that drives my teacher wife insane.

For this...I had no words.

I rode and ran and rode and ran and my brain came up with some pretty good ideas...but when I went to put them down...they all came off as rote and cheesy and typical and disingenuous...all things that I do NOT want to convey when it comes to my sister.  I was stuck for a long time. I simply could not quantify my sister with words.

Then, suddenly, I found it.  And I found it in MUSIC.

The song is called "Sunshower" by Chris Cornell, and it's been a favorite of mine for a long time, made so much more poignant by the sunshowers that occurred a couple days last week when the only thing on my mind was Shelly.  The lyric that hit me was..."I know all your graces, someday will flower."

Grace.

Not so much a word as a concept, an ideal...a way of living your life.  

And she was absolutely grace.  

Grace is knowing you have this ridiculous level of talent, but never showing it off.  

Grace is being a wife and mother and making it look so easy.  

Grace is something that is often attributed to good times, but is equally poignant and prevalent in bad.  

Grace is a flow in life, taking things in stride.  

Grace is joy, regardless of what is thrown your way.

My sister lived in grace.  

I would entreat everyone here today to carry her with you in your hearts, and live your life as she did.  Keep her legacy alive by simply being a good person, because Shelly was the best person.

Shel...I love you forever.  I know all your graces, someday will flower.

How 2023 turned us inside out

 It started inauspiciously enough...a fun ski/snowboard weekend at Copper Mountain with the Clark family.  There was great snow, somebody wet Abe's bed, and we had a wonderful time, as we should given our position in life...late 40s and looking at putting work and fiduciary responsibility in the rearview mirror and just setting the cruise to ENJOY.

But 2023 went off the rails.

Winter continued with typical M and M good times...plenty of good days at Loveland with the Jamocs crew and Garrick, Gretchen, Talia and Emma.  Snowmobiling in the Northwoods was sparse due to a late start for winter, but we managed 3 trips, staying at The Pointe twice, then up in Wakefield, MI for a last trip where Michelle killed her beloved Viper.  Fortunately, we had ski/board gear and finished out the weekend at Snow River Resort.  My purchase of a Ski Doo Blizzard 600R was made prescient by this breakdown...and I got one more trip out of the last throes of winter in WI with a run up north with Mike Stroud.

As winter transitioned into spring, trips to CO seemed to lessen the seasonal-affective disorder that usually accompanies that time of year...plus I was looking forward to my BIG TRIP...heli-boarding in Alaska with Kyle.  Lost one day at Alyeska due to a flight cancelation, and lost one day of the heli trip due to weather, but still had an experience akin to punching the face of God while sliding downslope in the vastness of untouched mountains.  It was raw emotion in physical form.  It was way more than it should have been...because of what happened next.

Celebrated the end of a long winter with my first banked slalom comp at Loveland (I sucked), and talking to my sister on her birthday on May 6 while in my happy place on a mountain.

Hard to believe right now that she wouldn't talk to me until that birthday convo...and wouldn't see me until weeks after that.  I knew in my heart it was bad.  Since the day she told me last October I knew it was bad.  The weight in my chest never went away...and I don't think it ever will.  She met me for lunch...we talked for three hours.  And never once did she alude to the idea that this was the end.  I knew...and at the same time...I couldn't figure it out.

Dinner with my dad was the "revelation."  He told me it was over.  I didn't want to believe.  In retrospect...I was an idiot holding out hope.

It was a Tuesday when I got the call that she was going on hospice.  I was at work.  I shut the door and cried my eyes out.  The question then was the same as it is now...HOW?  And then things got worse.

Friday night, after a day preparing for Shelly to come home...taking Nick and Meg shopping for everything she could possibly want or need...we got the call that Michelle's mom was going to the ER.  The next week was a horrorshow.  Hospice and hospital.  A dying sister and a mom with a questionable future.  Life in a vortex.

I told Michelle on Wednesday that the end would come on Friday.  The call came at 4:15am on Friday.  She left us at 5:55.  I will spend the rest of my life saying "HOW ARE YOU NOT HERE????"  The pain of missing her is about 1/2 the amount of pain from watching my parents have their hearts broken.

We can't dwell on it though, because Michelle's parents need us.  Dolores comes home from the hospital, and we set them up with long-term care.

Oh yeah...its our 25th Anniversary...we go to Indiana, mountain bike, see Mellencamp in concert, and go boating out of Michigan City with Stroud...meeting Kat and Badger and crew.

We took Nick mountain biking.  We took my parents out on the boat to the city.  And then we got the hell out of Illinois.

Summer in Colorado.  Made the best of my birthday riding Buff Creek and hanging in the river having cocktails and fighting back tears.  Talia's 16th birthday...and she got a kick-ass Jeep.  Home for 3 days, then back out and Michelle came home for 4.  Then back to CO for her, and back home for me.  She climbed Mt Princeton, I road-tripped to northern MI to hang with Cory and then Keith and Marcy.  I raced the Palos Meltdown and my parents came to watch.

August trip to CO with Nick and Meagan was EXCELLENT.  Hiked 3 Sisters and got caught in a storm, saw king deer and emperor elk, drove up Mt. Blue Sky in a cloud, and enjoyed Slightly Stoopid at Red Rocks in a different kind of cloud.  Rode the last stage of Breck Epic with Vota, then we had an awesome end-of-Sommer ride here in Evergreen with EVERYONE.

Labor Day at KY Lake.  Some boating back home.  Sept trip to CO, Buff Creek w/Gags and Julie.

Oct trip to CO with my parents.  Georgetown and Guanella Pass leaf-peeping, Emma's birthday, and took the Don mountain biking at Waterton Canyon.

ANOTHER C6P, ANOTHER Black Friday...bike highlights of the fall.  Visited Phil Graf and Co at their IN joint, saw the Graf clan for Turkey Day.  We determine once again that Michelle can pull the plug on work.

Nick turned 18, then there was the Christmas that largely sucked because there was no way it was going to be good.

Our drive to CO was interrupted by a stupid blizzard, and we spent an unwanted amount of time in North Platte, NE.  Cats didn't like it either.  Hell week at Loveland was OK, but badly needing snow, just like the Midwest.

We were in bad by 8:30 pm Mountain time on NYE, after a nice day of hiking South Valley with Mark and Tiff during the day...had to be ready for a day on the mountain on January 1.

I feel like I've been carved out.  Next year will be better.

2.5 weeks of absolute shit

 Monday, March 27 5:27AM it begins with a text from Steve.  Diagrind is flooded.

-Arrive at work to find water tank has burst at some point over weekend.  Women's bathroom and large portion of the shop have water.  Some left pump on top of water tank ON all weekend as well.

-Tim is on vacation, so cleanup and repair fall to me.  Call JimBen for help as I have no idea what I'm doing.

-Immediately try to fix tank AND order another tank.  JB Weld for the win on count one...however, the tank has been DISCONTINUED by manufacturer.  Need to find another long term solution.  

-JimBen arrives and we collaborate on finding another horizontal tank.  There is ONE available "locally," 45 minutes away in Bourbonais.  I decide to go grab it...and Jim gets a phone call for an emergency with his aunt.

-Drive to Bourbonais...but first stop at Michelle's school to get truck because not sure tank will fit in car.  Tank fits fine, so stop at school again and throw in car. Back to work by 12.

-Unbox tank...it won't work.  Decide to plumb in our second tank that hasn't been used in years.  Run to hardware store, buy PVC, joints and elbows, and have the whole works done by the time JimBen gets back.  Prime the pump aaaaaaaand...nothing happens.

-Pump being left on all weekend has fried impeller.  Immediately order another from Grainger...delivery date says TOMORROW.

Tuesday, March 28 

-8:30am receive notification from Grainger that pump has shipped.  Pump does not show up ALL DAY.  Day two of lost production.

Wednesday, March 29

-Order another pump...this time I'm going to pick it up as soon as it is available!  10am...still no pump available to pick up...BUT...the one ordered yesterday FINALLY shows up at 10:30.

-Tim is back, and he rewires pump from 220 to 110, gets everything set up...at 1:30 I go to help him get it fired up.  3:30 pm...after TWO HOURS of trying to get it primed....we cook our first tool in 3 days.  Called JimBen back....and of course it started working as soon as he showed up.

Thursday, March 30

-Holy shit, a normal day.  I even find another tank on Toro.com and order it for a backup.

Friday, March 31

-Normal day at work...BUT THEN.......THE FLIGHT THAT WASN'T.

A Bullet-point timeline brought to you by Mother Nature, Southwest Airlines, and the Mike and Michelle Adventure Team.

- 1:45 PM Spring break is here. After a torturous and ridiculous week of work for BOTH of us, we head to O'Hare International Airport for what would become a torturous and ridiculous afternoon/evening/night.

- 2:01 PM We know a storm is incoming, and supposed to hit JUST about the time our flight leaves (4:25). In fact, every flight AFTER ours has already been cancelled...we are hanging by a thread, but willing to give it a try. The first text arrives from SW...flight delayed until 5:51. At this point, we should probably have gone home...BUT...looking at radar, we see that there IS a window of opportunity for us to leave between waves of storms...so let's give it a try. Have to kill a couple hours...so Short Fuse Brewery seems like a good option. I highly recommend the German Chocolate Cake Stout.

4:00 PM - Do we park the car...knowing that they are gonna charge us for a day? YES WE DO. Jump on shuttle, and head to the airport.

4:20 PM - We have just cleared TSA and get a text from SW...flight has been delayed until 6:37. No big deal, what's another hour? Plus there's beer at the terminal.

5:51 PM - Ah...another SW text, we are delayed again...this time 7:08 departure. Skies are looking pretty ominous, and the radar is looking even ominous-ererer. We are more frequently voicing the phrase "why don't they just cancel it?" You see...if they cancel it, we can rebook for something...ANYTHING...on Saturday. The longer we wait, the less chance of getting a flight. But NOOOO....we are only delayed. My airport beer is empty.

7:56 PM - In this interim period, we have gotten three more text from SW, delaying us to 8:08, 8:38, and now 9:09 PM. The storm is hitting in a big way, including potential tornadoes down by our house. We also find out the CO is on fire...so we have torrential rains, floods and severe thunderstorms here, and fire in CO. At least both places had high winds in common. We are STILL holding out hope that SW needs to get this plane to Denver, and that's why they haven't cancelled. ONE MORE PROBLEM...the plane isn't at O'hare...it was diverted to Milwaukee (originated out of Dallas) because of the storm and both airports have been on a ground-stop.

8:05 PM - The guys sitting next to us find out from Flight Tracker that the plane is in the air coming out of MKE. This gives us hope.

8:30 PM - Hope that was giveth, hath been removeth in a big way, as airport security comes through and tells everyone to find shelter away from windows. After trying to get into a bathroom, then another bathroom, then another bathrooom (thankfully we didn't make it into any of them...from the looks of it, people were jammed in and it was hot), we find a hovel with an emergency door that has signage indicating that in an actual emergency, we could press on it for 15 seconds and get to a sheltering staircase. This will have to do. For the next hour. Ugh.

9:30 PM - WE HAVE GIVEN UP HOPE. After the front passes, we walk back to our gate just in case something has developed (we know our plane WAS in the air, after all). Gate agent tells us that the flight crew will likely be timed out....BUT...they think another crew will be available. Three more texts from SW increasing the delay, and we decide to pull the plug. The final text has us leaving at 12:06 AM, we've already been at the airport for 6 hours, and simply cannot BELIEVE SW has not cancelled the damn flight. Oh...and what happened to the plane during the storm...IT WENT TO MIDWAY.

9:45 PM - We have FOUGHT our way through the teeming masses of the international terminal, and by fortunate circumstance, the shuttle to our parking lot is sitting there with door open. We jump in, fully ready to put this horror behind us...BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE.

9:46 PM - SW sends us a text...HOLY CRAP...the flight is STILL not cancelled! They are gonna bring it over from MDW...departure is now 10:29 PM!!! We make a quick decision to ride this thing out, jump OUT of the shuttle, race back through the crowds, skip the line at TSA...and just as we check back through...get a SW text saying the flight has now been delayed to 11:18. Yes, I am now glad I'm writing this down so I remember every detail that I am going to recite to whomever I speak to at SW.

10:00 PM We are back at the gate. There are two flights SW has apparently chosen to give hope to...Denver and Dallas. At this point, I figure they must REALLY want this plane in Denver, and have pulled every string they have available to make sure it goes. I'm actually CONFIDENT for the first time in many, many hours. 10:45 PM This confidence is toyed with by the gate agent, who comes on and says "I've got bad news and good news for you..." and then coyishly informs us that WE ARE BOARDING. A great cheer arrises from the crowd. LET'S GO.

11:18 PM - The flight is surprisingly full...amazing how many of us stuck it out. Seatbelt is fastened, seat is in the upright and locked position, tray table is folded. I'm in Row 3, aisle seat, and can see into the cockpit. Flight attendant comes on the intercom and informs us that the pilots have just landed a plane from Vegas a couple gates down, and will be walking over and jumping into their seats to take us to Denver. Oh boy! I put my phone on airplane mode and prepare to take a nap.

11:22 PM - After seeing a pilot get on the plane three times and look down the aisle, smile, and then leave again, the gate agent steps up to the intercom. Not so coy this time...he tells us THE PILOTS HAVE REFUSED THE FLIGHT, so we are sorry, cancelled. I know you aren't supposed to use the word "bomb" on a flight, but I pretty much had to drop bunch of F-bombs at that point.

12:20 AM - We arrive back at home...and book a flight for this evening...on UNITED. I'm not sure the relationship with SW is gonna work out.

End communication. Also…I realize it’s April 1…but this has been anything BUT a joke. Unless it’s Southwest’s version of a really bad one…

April 1 - We fly to Denver on UNITED. Halfway there the lights come on and the flight attendant says "IS THERE A DOCTOR ON THE PLANE?" Dude has a diabetic episode. We hurry to land at DIA and have to wait for EMTs to remove the guy before we can get off the plane. Anyway we make it to Evergreen at like midnight.

April 2 - We have a good day at Loveland

April 3 - Back on a plane AGAIN. First time with checked baggage in EONS. We land at O'hare early...and because we won that prize...we got to sit on the runway for 50 minutes for a gate to clear. Oh...and then wait 45 minutes for my bag.

April 4-9 Things are almost normal...except for the 1.5 hour round trip back to Bourbonais to return the tank that wouldn't fit. Michelle flies to MX on 5th.

April 10- Again MONDAY. 7:00am and Tim comes in to tell me that the pump stopped working. Got super hot and shut down...so we are AGAIN stopped on production. F*&K. I order a pump AGAIN. This time I'm gonna pick it up. Drive to Alsip and get a new one.

-Tim rewires and installs. Hooray, we are back up and running.

-End of day....oh...no...wait....THE FUCKING TANK (second one now!) BURST. Goddammit.

-I call on delivery of the new tank I ordered. I had been suspicious because when I placed order, it said "Delivery in 180 days." Now...I figured that was a default. Talking to "customer service," they tell me...oh since you ordered 8 days ago, it will be 172 days. I lose it. Cancel order. NEVER EVER do business with Zoro.com.

April 11

-So...now I have a pump, but two burst tanks. Scramble for a solution, find a VERTICAL tank that might work at Home Depot. Pick it up and deliver it after hours for an early AM install.

April 11 - Tuesday morning and determination. I need to get this thing working before I leave for Alaska on Wednesday. Find out after opening box...a bunch of the stuff that is pictured...isn't there. Run to Home Depot, buy $100 worth of accessories, go back and get to work.

-Takes many hours, but we get it rigged up. Fire it, pressure builds quickly....and we are GOOD. However, pressure drops quickly...and won't go back up quickly. Something is wrong. Pump is running WAY too long. I give up and call a well-pump pro. He says he will TRY to get there today, but it will likely be tomorrow morning.

-This is 4.5 days of lost production, by my count. Tim accidently breaks off a piece of PVC by the prime area...so again I'm buying more stuff to fix it.

-Oh yeah...our Sage software has gone down...so no order entry either. Sigh.

-Michelle is coming home from Mexico, so I am to pick her up at 8:50pm. I leave the house at 8, having looked at FlightTracker and seeing that the plane was landing early. She calls to tell me she made it quickly through customs. Awesome. I go to the terminal to pick her up...only to find that she is at Midway and I'm at O'hare.

April 12

-Arrive at 5am, Tim and I fix the broken stuff and fire it up just to see what happens. Again, pump is working overtime and not in a good way.

-Well-pump pro dude arrives at 8. He agrees that everything is plumbed correctly...why the pump isn't pumping is a mystery. He thinks a blockage at the venturi and volunteers to take a look. We say go for it. Conclusion...it's not that.

-Well pump guy gets a quote for a new pump...this one is $1500 instead of the $800 I've spent on the last two. He will install for another $200, but if pump doesn't work, he'll take it back. Whatever...just do it.

-5 minutes after well-pump guy leaves, Tim comes in to say pump is no longer building pressure and is heating up. Not even ONE DAY of operation, and pump is toast.

-I say hook the damn system up to hose and just COOK. Our loss of production is now up to 5.5 days.

-We are cooking, and Sage has been recovered. Things are semi-normal. Emphasis on SEMI. Regardless...I'm leaving for Alaska. Good riddance.

-In the Uber, after a considerable delay in finding a driver...10 miles from O'hare...and my flight gets canceled. FUCK. MY. LIFE.

Shit we did in 2022

A year in REVIEW for 2022...        

Started in CO with Michelle writing the incorrect year in the snow on the lake in Evergreen, but we were doing a bar crawl and WHO REALLY CARES cuz there were laser lights in the sky, it was NUKING snow, and we met some guy distributing $2 bills and somehow I became his best friend in the whole world.  We did lots of skiing/boarding and then came home.

Sled season was abbreviated but good.  Rode with Dan and Cole, Donny, Rich, Duke....but NO BZ!

CO trip in Feb...Michelle vs RidgeCat terrain.  She barely survived.  Late month trip with CAMBR boyz to Breck and Vail and a day a Loveland.  Never ever ever room with Dave again.  Ever.

March CO trip...SPRANG BREAK...biking w Josh and Sean, riding w Scott and Christine.  Buena Vista for a hike on the way down to Monarch Mtn for two days of riding.

Crazy April trip over Easter...flight canceled, so had to wake up at 3am, fly to DIA, drive up to Evergreen, grab bieks, and drive across the state to Fruita.  Stop in Grand Junction for a rip at Lunch Loops, then met Kyle, Co, Eric, Amy and friends and road 18 Road and Horsethief Bench.  Hiked Colorado National Monument (WHO KNEW IT WAS EVEN THERE????) Good times w good peoples.

CO trip in MAY...great snow!  Good day at Loveland w Gags, mtb with Scott, Christine and Ginger, then PARTY with the Duncans, Bionic Bob, and Sean at A-basin.  Riding in shorts and a t-shirt is AWESOME.

Finally got rid of the damn pool and had new deck installed in May, followed by KY Lake trip for Memorial Day.  Uzi dog pooped on the Keith and Teri part of the trip, but still had some funz riding and boating.

June CO trip...my first road bike ride.  Idaho Springs to Georgetown for a beer.  Mtb at Maryland Mountain with Gags, Mark, Katrina, Badger, Grant, Olivia, Josh and Sean.  AMAZEBALLZ day with so many good people. #beersatthebottom.  Followed up with another good day with the Middle Finger Titfucker crew at Buff Creek.  Hiked next day at Indian Peaks and paddled Gross Res.

Father's Day bike ride with dad, boat trip downtown...then Michelle was off to AFRICA for 19 days of life-changing awesomeness.  Mike heads to CO with Matt, hits up Crested Butte.  401 trail (OOOOMG), Doctor Park and CB Bike Park for much fun.  Rode Buena Vista on the way down.  Met Kyle and CO and Rob from Palos/Moab plus Duncan crew.

Michelle FINALLY came home, then off to CO w/kittahs.  They got to see elk in the yard.  Mayflower Gulch hike.  Got to do my first Tuesday night Titfucker ride.  Rocked Trestle Bike Park w/Michelle (lifties were confused by the Leftie).  Brutal hike by Red Rocks to prep for my first 14er...Mt. Evans.  Yeouch.  Might just leave that stuff to Michelle.  Another Tuesday night ride, then our first camping trip.  Wellington Lake.  Food poisoning for me ruined Buff Creek ride, but we paddled and hiked.  Then MEGA hike with Mark and Tiff at UNDISCLOSED LOCATION (lost river).  Whew.

Red Hot Chili Peppers downtown.  Tom visited us, rode w him in WI, IN and MI.  Stayed at Garage Mahal.

Sept CO trip.  Bear Lake hike.  Wags came to town for fun. Local ride with big crew.  Michelle went home, Wags and I rode Lair o the Bear, tubed Golden, then ANOTHER Tues night ride...this time SSOD.  Trestle with Josh was WAY fun.  More Buff Creek SSOD.  Climbed the Kitty first time.

Kickapoo Endurance Race.  Michelle rode 40 miles.  Mike rode 84 miles, 7600' climbing...singlespeed.  Fun stuff camping with Kelsalls and Alexanders.

BROWN COUNTY w Kyle and CO...always SO good.  SSOD with no brakes was not so great, lol.  Real IN backwoods bluegrass music was a highlight.  Lunch with Fendel on the way home.

OCT. CO trip...MM with Titfuckers and Bionic Bob. Punkin Chuckin with Tom, Ginger Scott, Christine and Josh.  Buff Creek w TTFKRS and Julie...great ride at Scraggy.  MM w Ginger and Mark and Gags.

Hike up to Firetower.

Open House Chicago.  Put In Bay for Halloween. Cemetary 6-Pack.

Nov. CO trip.  Pumpkin fest in Idaho Springs w/Ginger.  Saw Weinermobile.  Down to CO Springs for a day of riding and foodz with Josh.  First turns of the winter at Love on my new Swift...on the same day as a SSOD ride at 3 Sisters.  MEGA.

Black Friday ride.  SANTA RAMPAGE freezing our butts off with some good people in MKE.

End of the year CO trip...much fun at Loveland, A-Basin, and New Year at Copper Mountain with the Clarks.  Many good turns.  Many good people.

Life moves pretty fast...if you don't slow down and look around...you might miss it.

  

#rantlyfe

 It's not exactly a reach to use the "biggest brains provided by nature" to gather the truth that mankind is truly the most awful creature on the planet. The arguments for this come thick and fast, burying any contrary points birthed of hubris in Pompeiian fashion. Let's all take a GIANT step back from the INSANE levels of partisanship that grip us today and take a look at our own humanity, shall we?

You'd almost think, as natures' "most intelligent" animal, that we'd figure it out by now. Sadly, the answer is a hard NO. Controversy and contradiction. Scientific knowledge and popular opinion. Political and economic power grabs in the guise of the ever-tattered visage of freedom. We never learn...we WILL never learn.

"Power" is a natural construct. In the more basal species, physical power is an endgame. There's not much to it...might = right. As the big-brained so-called "stewards" of this planet, we are supposed to be beyond this basic principle. It's a sad truth that we are not. Not even close.

Probably this rant is fueled by consecutive reading of The Fountainhead, In Flanders Fields, The Story of a Gun, and now Masters of the Air. Also rum...but in more general terms...human psychology as seen through the eyes of Objectivism, World War I, the American obsession with the firearm, and World War II. Piled together and lubed properly...the question that keeps pushing to my frontal lobe is...WHAT THE FUCK? Shortly followed by...HOW? MILLIONS of deaths...just in the past hundred or so years! It's staggering.

Yeah...this is a rant on social media about society and the human condition...and it requires a giant step outside your everyday cognitive box. We SUCK. Human history...what is it? A series of wars, of destruction, of conquering, of pushing unwanted, unproven beliefs on other humans...and killing them if they do not ascribe to those tenets. Oh...and occasionally we do cool things like split the atom...and then use it to kill each other.

We are facing the demise of our very planet. We are intelligent enough to see HOW it is happening...but not intelligent enough to DO anything about it. It's phantasmagorical. Instead we argue and push agendas that forever boil down to power and money...cowing to those that had the forethought to pit the masses against each other and further their own intrinsically inhuman ideals...the actual destruction of other humans. It really isn't a pretty sight...but by all means...let's continue to hate one another because narcissistic ego-driven power-hungry mental midgets continually provoke blind hatred and fear of opposing ideology.

In my humble opinion, we need a global reckoning. Yo Vladimir...I'm looking at you as the current biggest asshole in the room. Human life isn't a thing that can be valued monetarily (despite what almost EVERY corporate entity in this world attempts to facilitate)...all it takes is the concept of RESPECT for your fellow being.

Figure. It. Out. It's not that hard.

This is the kind of stuff that keeps me awake at night.

ZOMG...2021 happened and I missed it

 Usually this recap happens in December, but somehow I forgot and suddenly its March...but I need to get this stuff down CUZ MEMORIES.

UTAH trip...low snow, high amounts of fun. Solitude, Brighton, Snow Basin and PowMow.  IN/UT friends and a HNY.  Also...max vacation stress levels as we were suddenly BUYING A CONDO.

Home from UT Jan 2, flying to CO on Jan 6 (yes, THAT Jan 6) for home inspection.  Evergreen is where we wanted to be, and we snuck in at under $300k...which remains a "pretty good deal." 

Sled season was EPIC due to renting in the Pickeral Palace with Rich, Duke and BZ.  So much fun, laughter...even if we didn't ride with those guys all that much.  Michelle got to remote teach for a week up there and loved it.  Leaky toilets and hot water heaters notwithstanding...it was an awesome time.

Remainder of winter saw us hiking, fatbiking and XC skiing up north and local.  Frozen waterfalls at Starved Rock were cool.

SPRING BREAK meant CO...and WORK.  Michelle finally got to see the condo after we'd owned it for a couple months.  Stayed down in Highlands Ranch, and spent the first 1/2 of the week CLEANING, painting (2 coats!), and tearing out carpet and padding.  Then we got to have fun...skiing at Loveland and A-basin, biking out the front door and also Waterton Canyon...and shopping for flooring, countertops, and a contractor (Josh saved the day at the last minute).  Met Tom and Ginger.

Back out to CO in early May.  Flooring was done, we started collecting furniture, and spent our first night there...sans bathroom as the toilet was leaking on the downstairs neighbor.  Met our elk neighbors in the yard.

Put in Bay for an early season boat ride on Rigg's Outerlimits, fun with them and Dale and Eileen as always.

Back to Land Between the Lakes Memorial Day wknd...only to get skunked by weather on Saturday, Sunday was nice, but for the drive, 2 days is better.  Mtb in the rain does not equal very much fun vs boating in the sun.

Parents decide they are selling Coloma house, I tour the car museum with dad.

June we pack up the truck, the kitties, and a Uhaul trailer and head to CO.  Spend the week furnishing the house and moving everything in from Highlands Ranch...also hiking, biking, and driving to the top of Mt. Evans.  I race THE HUNDO with our new friends Scott and Christine.  It hurts...bad.   Went to the Evergreen Rodeo with Dave and family.  Michelle stays for two weeks after I fly home...then I drive back in the Jeep, which goes to it's new home.  Oh...I buy a new car while Michelle is away.  She hates it.  I don't.

July we head to OREGON.  Three days after I hurt my neck and can barely move.  Mt. Hood, then a couple days in Bend, the Crater Lake (barely got to see cuz everything was on fire), then Oakridge Mtb tour with Western Spirit and our IN crewe.  Much fun....LOTS of downhill.  OR is pretty awesome.

MI City boat races on the little Donzi.

Back out to CO...we tried some REAL Jeeping and hiking with success.  Will do again.  Fun day drinking with Scott and Christine.

THE LAST BLAST at the Sommer Place on Paw Paw Lake...in conjunction with Mom's b-day AND parents' 50th anniversary.  Much happy, much sad.  Hearts are fickle things.

Labor Day weekend in KY again...and again we are skunked...this time by the little Donzi.  Broken battery switch means she doesn't ever leave the trailer.  :(  I hate boats.  I ride the entire Land Between the Lakes peninsula trail...it is hot, wet and a LOT harder than I thought it'd be.

Mom and Dad come out to CO with us for the weekend.  Show them the sites.  They say we really should consider living there, lol.

Fall...more boating and kayaking adventures.  Vota, Wagner and myself go to CO and ride.  3 Sisters, Maryland Mountain, Buffalo Creek, Floyd Hill.  Vota and his Volvo leave, Wags and I see Heilung at Red Rocks.  Michelle comes the next weekend, we ride local with Tom and Ginger.  Elk are in rut and bugling in the front yard.

Brown County for mtb fun with fun mtb people. C6P is another hit.

Bears game for Halloween.  We are nuns, but they lose anyway.

Back to CO in November...get to SNOWBOARD with our Loveland season passes.  Ride with Scott, Christine, Tom, Ginger and crew on private trails, party at Boone Mountain Sports, hike at White Ranch.

Genesis concert with Mike and Katie.

Christmas is a BUST thanks to COVID...errybuddy sick or worried but us.  Pack the truck with cats and drive west again.  Ski dayz at Loveland w Bob, and A-basin with Team Duncan.

Quiet New Years hiking the lake and checking out the laser light show in Evergreen, before doing an impromptu bar crawl in town and meeting the $2 bill dude.

Now THAT...was a year.

 2020 Happened.

Colorado for Christmas to New Years.  I was SOOOOO sick. (thanks Aunt Pat).  Rode with Bob, then G and G and the girls, also Tony and his kids and spent NY in Breck with the Baltas.  Couple good powder days in Vail too.  And a super fast day at A Basin for me.

Snowmobile season...we rented with Ricky Donny.  Had place to ourselves almost every weekend.  Was quite good.  Fatbiked and XC skied at meltdown.

Went to...THE OPERA.

Feb trip to Breck/Vail with Dave, Burak and Eddie was the last of the NORMAL.  Covid hits US while we are sliding down mountains.

SPRING OF COVID.  We avoid everyone all the time.  Bike and paddle in MI (nighttime paddle among the birds on Paw Paw!), ride mtb in MI, IN, WI and IL.  Michelle is out of school...spring break canceled. 

Land Between Lakes for Memorial Day is excellent.

Fortunately...June trip to UT is a GO.  Fly into Vegas, hike Zion, visit Bryce, meet CREW in Hurricane (ride Gooseberry Mesa), 6 day Western Spirit trip to North Rim of Grand Canyon.  It snows in June and we poop in a bucket.  Area catches fire while we are there, but we escape.  Amazing trip, amazing people.

Off to northern MI...da YOOP.  Rode in Wausau on way up, camped on Superior, float plane to Isle Royale, dodged mooses, THE NIGHT OF THE MOOSE, rode Michigan Tech, then off to Marquette.  Rode two days, then back down to WI.  Camped and rode in the Northwoods.  Excellent trip...away from people.

Next trip was to Bellaire, MI...Torch Lake with the boat, Glacial Hills Trails.  Really nice trip.

Land Between Lakes again for Labor Day.  Brown County in the fall. Colorado for Columbus Day...puked on Chihauhua Lake hike.

C6P and Southside Mehpic were a thing.  Mesa bonfire.  Michelle got Covid.  Mike did not.

Strange masked Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Low key...was actually pretty nice.

Rented Pickeral Lodge with Rich, Duke and BZ for sled season.  Early trip up in Dec...dropped trailer, moved in, and boarded/skied at Granite Peak.

Headed to UTAH after Christmas to welcome in 2021.