Nice day here in pdx... was really busy yesterday riding all over the place to get things done, most important would have been getting our marriage license as like guns... there is a waiting period before you are allowed to pull the trigger.

Today has been pretty chill... sleeping in... oatmeal... stumptown coffee...

August 10 is my #1 granddaughter's bday, she turned 4 yesterday. W00t.

And back on (a) topic, when my credit cards and ATM card all got sniped on a Saturday (hmm, 2 days before my bday) it was the ATM card that got the charges reversed first, and the card replaced first. I went into the bank Monday morning -- the charges were already gone, and I walked out with a new card. Dealing with the CC companies over the phone took a few days longer to straighten out. Net loss, $0; total fraudulent charges, $4K+; total hassle, about 6 hours of effort, talking to bank/credit card companies/police/*****ing to friends.

And congrats to you, 65er, on the nuptials!

Yeah, my credit union says they will credit me back the money within 1-2 weeks after all of the charges post. They say it happens all the time.

Yeah, I think CC companies would be a pain in the butt. I think I might switch to using my Amex (a charge card, not credit card) for online stuff. I hear that their customer services in matters like this is top notch.

Congrats on your upcoming marriage. I wish you and your lady the best.

Today I:

Woke up to the sound of running water. on top of a mountain range in Big Sur. The smell of Pine leaves mixed with Bay Laurel leaves everywhere. I got up did a stretch and harvested river water for tea. It was a cold morning so I walked across the river and crossed the jumbo sized fallen Redwood to the Hot Springs. after a 15 min dip I went back to camp to make breakfast and pack up our camp so we can trek back to civilization. The Journey back was filled with surprise, amazement, and Beauty. The vast and diverse Flora and Fauna of Big Sur is awe inspiring. we walked 12+ Miles back to the Big Sur Station. it was EPIC. Ive never seen that many wild blossoms. birds and trees of all kinds It is weird to be back in this noisy city.

Yesterday I got a call from a good friend telling me she wanted to go on a short backpacking trip So I said Im game and we left the Bay Area @9pm to get to Big Sur @1am. we hiked 5+ miles of rugged terrain in the middle of the night. The collage of stars was like something out of a story book. right when we all wanted to quit. we found a good camp site where we passed out for 4 hrs and then continiued on our journey to the lost hot springs of big sur. I could write for pages but I will end it like this.

IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!! and yes i took many MANY pictures. man my legs are felling it.

Today did my usual commute but it seemed to kick my butt more. Hate these kind of days.

Sounds incredible. I'm going backpacking this weekend and you are getting me even more excited than I already am. It will be my first back country trip in the cascades, woooo!

Post some pics or link a flickr!

Today I finished up my 4th day of pre-season swim practice. Today was breaststroke day. It's amazing after only 4 days how much my body has toughened up.

God yeah, **** those days.

Today I'm nursing another hangover and wracking my brain for an article to write about all natural food.

Well, by "wracking my brain" I mean "wracking google", so it ain't all bad.

Gatorade, bro

i can vouch for just how kick ass Amex is. bought a bike from BD a while back, and it was stolen out of my garage. i provided Amex with a copy of the police report and original invoice, and they credited my account in about three weeks. membership has its benefits.

so, today i work a 12 hour shift and will hang out with a friend of mine that just got back from Pakistan afterwards. tomorrow... day off.

What's your card level?

^^^ i carry the Blue Card. it's got all the good stuff, but i can carry a balance because i'm a fat, american consumer.

Happy belated birthday, Hamish and Carleton!

Today I was actually productive on my work-from-home day. Going to a coffee shop but not getting the wifi password helped. Imagine that, easy access to the internet is distracting...

I also counted the teeth on my rear cog and found it's actually 16T, not 15 as the specs online said. Which means my gearing is 6 inches less badass than I thought. (70 rather than 76). Oh well.

Sunday I leave for a week long vacation in Houston to see my family. I'm excited about seeing them, but not excited about Houston weather or being off the bike for a week.

Wow, that's very nice of them, especially at the card level you're at. That leads me to wonder what they'll do for you with the black card; perhaps a colnago replacement?

Today while I was working, I watched Angie lacing her new rear wheel out of the corner of my eye and thought about how totally stoked I am that she's my woman. :love:

Today was my second to last day at my summer internship. Whew.

Plus, lots of free food this week.

Dude Ive been wanting to go to the Cascades for a while. Have fun.
I have some pics on my Facebook if you want to check them out. its open for public viewing
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...00000619968453

Today I spent most of the night trying to find out if I could get a google+ invite somehow.
I didn't succeed.

Not worth your effort. Brah, all dudes, bro. And it's horrendous.

Here is what google knows about you: https://www.google.com/dashboard/

Would you like for them to know more?

+1

Well.. It's good to know it wouldn't have been worth it anyway.
Damn allure of exclusiveness.

There is nothing exclusive about Google+. If it were up to them, the entire world would be a member eventually.

They want data and information. Yours.

today i got pulled over by a police man for failing to yield to a pedestrian at a crosswalk. in reality, i had slid right behind the guy after he had already passed onto the curb, yet it still took two cops to stop me and ensure that i would heed my rule breaking ways and return to following societies rules.

basically two dip****s made me late to work this morning because they wanted to check out my bike. not a lot of fixies out here

I have 150 Google+ invites. Anyone who wants one, just gimme your email address. I will have to create a BFSSFG circle if y'all take me up on that, heh. I really like Google+. I barely use Facebook anymore (and wouldn't at all if I didn't run our FB page for work).

Today I rode my FG to work, which I don't usually do. The good news is my ass and hands aren't hurting as much as they had been, even after a 10 mile ride so I guess I'm H-ingTFU. The bad news is I forgot my tool kit and of course my back wheel was loose. Luckily I happened upon a construction site and one of the construction workers tightened my wheel back up with some channel lock pliers.

Today I have the opportunity to trade my Dodici Special for a new 2011 MASH straight up.
Hmmm