2003 Toyota Matrix XR

This is what the street looked like after my trusty single owner 160k mile 2003 Toyota Matrix XR shot the oil filter out.

I heard a loud noise and then the oil pressure light turned on. Now I know why!  What I don't know is why the oil filter was released so quickly and violently without any oil leaks beforehand.  When it happened I was thinking a rock hit the oil pan, or the motor threw a rod through the crankcase.  Both of which would have been more expensive than a new oil filter!

This car gets 33mpg combined average fuel economy, fits 1 car seat, 1 bike and 1 pair of skis easily.  All without roof racks.  Its not fancy or built for expensive taste, but it gets the job done on the cheap.  And for this I say, "cheers, another beer"!

2010 Specialized Epic Marathon Carbon

Tonight will be the maiden voyage on a 2010 Specialized Epic Marathon Carbon. This bike is bone stock and weighs about 24 lbs with SPD pedals. The idea behind this bike is simple: go fast for a long time. 4" of travel is only activated by heavy impact, so the bike rides very rigid on most terrain. I'm guessing that the rugged trails will be pretty bouncy on this bike, but anything close to hardpack terrain will be at the rider's mercy.

I kept the bike for about 3 or 4 rides and then sold it. It only handles flat and bumpy terrain really well. I need to also be able to go very fast downhill. The 70 degree head angle and 100mm front fork prevented that.

My friend Chris rides this bike with a 160 TALAS with 15QR and it actually is a really fun combination. I loved it on 45 miles of norcal single track this weekend!

2007 KTM 400 XC-W

This is the weapon I chose to replace my YZ250. This bike doesn't have the same crazy fast power of a 450, but when ridden correctly it would only need that extra power in the sand or wide open desert.

2001 Yamaha YZ 250

I am lucky enough to have owned a YZ250. This bike is incredibly powerful, amazingly durable, widely versitile, and a handful of FUN!

The YZ two strokes can easily be adapted for true MX motocross track riding, open desert hare scrambles, or tight woods trail riding.

On my YZ250, I added hand guards, 3 gallon tank, 11 oz fly wheel weight, and FMF Q/FMF gnarly pipe combo. What an awesome bike!

Fitness Together - personal training

Abs from laying on the bench:

- legs straight up, crunch a 10 lb weight straight up.

- legs straight up and down, like a draw bridge (add a ball between your ankles for difficulty)

- shoulders off the end of the bench, crunch up

Abs from laying on the ground:

- have somebody throw your legs to the ground, you send them back up.

- from full extension pass a ball between you ankles and hands

Lat pulls

hamstring curls

step ups, skier, mt climber for cardio

Avatar 3-D movie Review

In the blockbuster hit, Avatar, James Cameron takes us for another thrill ride, packed with action and adventure. His characters are cliché and the story line well used (Dances with Wolves), but the visual delivery and suspension of disbelief is fantastic. The audience is transported to Cameron’s hand crafted, imaginary world that is full of inspiration, beauty, and believability.

You aren’t going to come home from this movie and reconsider your life, but you will completely lose yourself in a wonderful story with incredible imagery and special effects. The technology used to make this movie is unheard of and the budget was over $300 million USD; all that adds up to a unique, powerful movie going experience.

To learn more about the decade Cameron spent making this movie, visit the Wikepedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_(2009_film)