Another Hike 'N Ride From FEMA Region 9

Coming to you from FEMA region 9. A while back FEMA has divided the United States into 10 regions. No lie and not from a sci-fi movie. Hunger Games is not looking that fictional all the sudden to many.

Went out with Natalia to a local loop around the Heaps Peak Arboretum and it was a nice easy walk. I was thinking this could be a nice loop to run a few times. The trail is very well maintained and marked and a nice easy hike. Natalia walked all of it and we stopped a few times for photo ops and to check out the sequoias. In the end a real nice peaceful walk with lightly falling rain.

Also was fortunate enough to make it out to another ride with the AARP (Old Farts) ride and was blessed with riding with Richie (Uh Oh). RC opted to do his thing and I hoped he would have ridden with us. He thought we would not wait up. We would especially wait for him. This time we actually hit the dirt. I was amazed I rode everything and Richie and me had a few seconds of the good ol' day . Rubbing some tires and him him throwing some dirt on mine to throw me off my game. Remember, this man taught me to ride dirty. Get in front of tight singletrack and hit brakes to bring up dust. Ha ha. A 2+ hour ride in great company again. I hope to go on a few more before I depart.

Finished reading The Companions and it was a great read all the way to the end. Even a nice surprise on the last page of the book. Now I am ready for the many new stories. Decided to finish reading the Darktower series and on the last book. A rather large one and weird story and hope to get through it before I depart.

Been checking out mountain bikes and stuff online and not so good so early. Still a ways away from getting back with money. But I am slowly narrowing my next ride. Maybe a Yeti in the classic color or a Breezer. Sadly both these are now Chinese made, so maybe I can find a US made Yeti. Basically looking for a classic ride in classic colors. Nothing like many of these wimps ride today. big travel big wheeled bikes with full "battle gear". I am traditional and looking forward to going out on real mountain bike rides again. Nature made terrain and not these man made shit out there. I would love to get the feeling of long climbs and technical power single track. That along good company will put a big smile on my face.

Everything Normal Here

Another semi-quiet few days with Natalia. Again my ex demanding info from me and making threats but that will not bother me. Natalia a little sick this week but very playful. I surely will miss her and the stuff she says. Decided to BBQ again and stuck to my "tried and true" tri-tip.

By now most have heard of the news of the new actors to play Batman and Iron Man. I don't know why they cant keep the same actors. If they wanted more money it should be payed out because already people are not looking forward to the movies. Fans get used to a certain face for that character. DC needs all the help they can get and already starting a movie loosing fans. Still plugging away at The Companions book and thus far a very entertaining read and a page turner. I am very sure it will leave me hanging and waiting for the next novels. Also in a Cthulhu mythos kick and looking for more stories and feel it will be a book I will take on my trip.

"If you see life  as a journey to death, if you truly understand that ultimate goal, then it is the present that becomes most important, and when the present takes precedence above the future, you have truly learned to live."

- Drizzt Do'Urden - The Companions

My dad recently received an Apollo 11 patch as being part of that mission. During that mission he was in the Coast Guard stationed in the Atlantic Ocean awaiting the landing of the capsule.

Watched the US Pro Cycling Challenge this year online and only way I can see it was through a Eurosport feed. Funny a local race can be seen through a European outfit as the US media so much tries to not allow viewers. Sponsors and advertisers should take notice they are wasting their money on such stations. Also the Vuelta A Espana has begun and thus far no good videos online. I was hoping to find some as I wanted to keep up with it a bit with Eusklatel and Caja Rural hoping to be very aggressive.

This week there was a march in Washington DC in memory of Martin Luther King and I must tell you that my uncle and grandma flew out there to participate. I saw a few pictures and one that got me a bit worked up was a few people stepping on the WWII Memorial. People just don't care anymore and don't know their history. Let alone think for a second of the sacrifice Americans made during those times so we can have what we have today. I have to start to think if it is ignorance or just plain hate and dishonor.I think some of the behavior  would anger Marting Luther King.

On another front get ready to have a bigger force of military presence from the U.S. to hit Syria as again this administration is finding stories to make the Syrians bad and in need of "saving" from us. Just another bunch of fake stories so we can get into yet another country to place our agenda there. Sorry. But don't worry he media here has many looking at Miley and the Batman news.

Please listen to the No Agenda Show for the real stories. 

Back Among My People!

I made it out to the Team Dirty Work ride last Sunday and it has been far too many years since I was back riding and riding with the group. A short ride with a small group went out to Mt. Roubidoux but a great feeling to be back among my people and old habits.Got to see RC again along with Lou and Mrs. Greywoods (Mrs. Goodperson) and  even got to see "Grey Dog". I hope to ride a few more times with them before my departure and when I return it will be a normal thing for me. Team Dirty Work a group RC started from his driveway and I brought the name over from Darrell Hand. Keeping the name alive and legacy many years later. Quickly the group grew and a stable of fixed characters were formed and nicknames came out of their actions. Trails were named all over the area and names that still live today.

Lately working and spending time with Natalia. My last few weeks with her before my long trip. I slowly have to get ready to not be in contact with her as my ex tries very hard to keep her away and make her suffer. Natalia is slowly learning to play board games and understand them and that is very exciting for me. Ok, just two games (Candyland and Chutes & Ladders). I do hope she likes them and we can spend many hours playing games together.

Finished reading the Ox-Bow Incident and though not my type of genre but now I know what the story is about. The story in short? Don't follow the masses. Jumped right into R.A. Salvatore's new novel The Companions which will lead the way to many more novels in this new world. Thus far a good read and weird to have "re-introduced" the original companions (spoiler). Along with reading I got me a new Nexus 7 which will hopefully keep me busy and pass the time while on deployment. Been hooked on the Elder Signs Omens game and finally got the hang of it and the rules. It can be a bit addicting. GenCon 2013 over and waiting for more footage to drop showing the many new games out, especially a Dice Tower series of videos that I hope they put together.

Don't forget to catch the latest No Agenda Show.

Wake Up!

Normal workdays and spending my time off this week playing Space Hulk: Death Angel. Don't judge me, I know. A fun game to play solo and a break from reading and playing video games (again, don't judge). Still pushing my way through The Ox-Bow Incident and hope to have it finished by this week.

Read Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali and a classic that it is and a little rare to find in the past I found it an average story. Average to today's standard but not 1978 audiences. The edition I bought doesn't have the collectible cover that made it a collectible but I just wanted to read the story to see what it was about. Also got the new R.A. Salvatore novel and was hoping to read it in my trip but I am sure I will not be able to wait. This book will lead to many more over the next few years in this story arch.

By now many of you would have heard of the "drill" that were to be conducted in Austin, TX and Pasadena, CA. A memo was leaked regarding this and quickly redacted. Many asked why it was redacted? Was this really a threat as the memo stated or a drill? People are starting to wake up from this "bullshit" and putting one and one together. England had similar memo and a real attack happened. However I highly doubt it was a terror attack. Again it happened in Boston as a drill (Operation Urban Shield) was scheduled and advertised and an attack happened. Thus far in Austin nothing has been happening. Maybe the group or groups in charge of this decided to not go ahead and cause another attack killing harmless Americans (there I said it). Funny how this memo had all this information but were not able to "thwart the threat" as they like to call it. But some will say that thanks to all the surveillance we are put under the administration is able to know all this. Wake up! It is so funny to me that this "attack" was scheduled in specific days to a specific street. Amazing! Meanwhile in Boston the trial of the two brothers is being kept secret behind closed doors. What was touted as a "terror attack in U.S. soil" is being kept secret. Why? We can have cameras everywhere and report but not of this. Why? Because it doesn't add up. So much evidence that any logical person can't put together but behind closed doors it can be. But of all the nonsense pushed to us during the pursuit of these brothers; in the end we are told we have a kid hiding in a boat texting and talking while being shot. High-tech video from above can see him and a gun clearly. In the end no gun. Picture recently released from a Boston police officer shows the kid bleeding but no traumatic shot to the neck as was sold to us, the citizens. Please, stop already. Austin and Pasadena, you have "dodged the bullet" to use a saying. These agencies may have been planning another "back pack " style device to kill harmless citizens to show that they are working and thanks to the person whom released this it was stopped. Go ahead and think me crazy, but next one day some truth will start to leak out and people will put one and one together.

I am getting closer and closer to leaving and feeling starting to change again. I am a very sentimental person and it will not be an easy transition for me at least the first few days. Bouncing around through Navy processes will not help either. I do hope having HM2 Chapparo leave before me can help me with this process. I know my last week here and with Natalia will be very hard but I will have to get in the mentality of dealing with it and getting out of here, do the job and come home. I know the return will be sweet and a great feeling. That alone has to carry me through the many months I will be gone. I just pray I get to stay in touch with my daughter for her benefit as well as mine. Also hope my court appearance that I will be unable to make as the court pointed out they cared nothing about my situation goes well for my mom as she goes there alone to deal with this. I didn't want this to end this way but again the system showed itself against males and even against the military.

Good Ol' Fashion Run Around.

Reading a book I never thought I would read, but I am reading The Ox-Bow Incident. An American classic and been curious what the story was about. It may take me a bit to get through it as it is not the genre I read but I do love western movies and maybe I may strike interest.

Uneventful days at work and as I get closer to leaving the only thing I am looking forward to is not working where I work for sometime. I do know many new faces will be seen on my return and hope our store manager is still there but doubtful.

Drill weekend done and one more to go as I have to be at the next drill for my eval. Hopefully it gets done before then. This drill weekend opened my eyes and changed my attitude. I got the run around myself and treated like an idiot (new song in the unit - I'm an Idiot manamana). The reserve center is a place where it gets people ready for the mobilization process and where most don't know anything and just give you the run around. Amazing things get done. Again probably not. I could never do that to my patients. Amazed little things the staff can do there simply don't help you out instead tell you to go find out. Will active duty be the same? Probably, but I go with that mentality.

Ordered some the new RA Salvatore book, The Companions as it under $10 in Amazon and it will be the first in the new series of so many books in the universe. Also jumped in and got a card game as I have been curious for some time and hope to get into gaming and board games. Also ordered me a new copy of Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali which is a classic and one I've been wanting for years. Was thinking of getting the original edition (original size) but I'm not rich and always wanted this classic.

Word around here is fires. It is that time of the season all the way to October where every community is in danger of some kind of fire. Right now fires around the mountain and I hope none creep up as I don't need that stress right now. Talking about fires on Friday night leaving my parents the house next door which has been empty for some time looks like found a buyer and a bunch of kids were outside with a huge bonfire. My Dad freaked but politely told them to put it down. Me? I was not going to be so polite. I was almost ready to call the fire dept so they can have words with these kids. This is a very touchy subject up here.

Below is a short video of the Clasica San Sebastian (Klasika Donosti) which is one of my favorites to see and course. The last kilometers from the base of Jaizkibel are always hard. Good luck understanding the language.

Here We Go Again

Much drama this week with my ex as she refused to follow custody agreement and keep my daughter for a week. I guess in turn I get to keep her a week as well. Sadly I had to bend over backwards explaining and reasoning with her. Why do I have to be so open and flexible while she hides and doesn't communicate. I had told her no as I had plans this week for my brothers birthday as well as friends wanted to see Natalia this weekend. Now I hope my last week here I don't spend with the police looking for her and instead spend my time sharing with my daughter. I again called the police to file a report and as usual they didn't care and just gave me a report number. Now I hope the judge sees this breach of the agreement and punishes her. I wonder far too often why these things happen to me. Does God think I'm that strong? I know I can deal with it but I would like to be at peace for a bit. I do know it is not a punishment because I did nothing wrong. Maybe it is God's way of letting Natalia really be with me and have me show her the right things in life alone with no person in between.

"Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal."

- Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451

Started to read The Long War and sorry to say I lost interest in the book. I will however try to plow through it and finish it. While browsing the book store I saw the 60th Anniversary edition of Fahrenheit 451 and decided to pick it up and re read it again. I find this another book everyone should read. Not long and its ideas are not far off as so many people do not choose to read but just watch TV and believe what is being pumped into them. I see people no longer question or have thoughts of things but just follow the masses. The quote above symbolizes that as one of the things Bradbury points out in the book is that we are made to all be the same. No one question or try to be different.

I'm always plugging the No Agenda show and well I know it is too much for many to swallow but that is who I am. I want to point out that the clip show and the latest shows were very good. I am hoping John gives more history lessons and points us to different pieces of literature for us to read further. His small talk about Karl Marx has informed me and gives me the urge to read more about this writer whom so many don't know the truth about.

In a few weeks I will be heading to my first real duty with the Navy. I hope my remaining time here is spend in peace. The time given between notice to deployment is actually good as now you come to terms and are prepared to do the job. I have in my life been away from home in foreign lands many times for this amount of time so the feeling is not alien to me. Excited in the sense that I get to do something that so many people never do. Done many things in my life so many never dream of doing. So many just sit at home and live a simple life that makes no difference or impact. I am happy to say I am not that person. I will be honored to do the job required and am always proud of the many "Docs" out there doing the job and sacrificing. That is the biggest part. The part so many never see which is the sacrifice they make by leaving family behind and their comforts of home to do a job. The many people that never appreciate it because they can never understand or comprehend of what it is to have honor, courage and commitment. I hope I get through processing and get the chance to do something for my country and myself. It is these experiences that I hope to pass on to Natalia in principle.

Check out the Dice Tower videos if you're into board games (don't judge me).