Ode to the Leo

Why does time fly so fast in the summer? So here I am posting more than two weeks after my last post...crazy procrastination, or rather I have just been busy with work and life. Well not too much to report or perhaps too much to report. It has been a wet summer here in Crochester so far - which, much to my dismay, amounts to not as much mountain biking as I would like. But we did find a way to enjoy the water even in the rain - whitewater kayaking! Playing on the rapids is probably the next best thing to riding through the trees...I did say 'next best'. Anyway, back to work. Oh (the whole reason for signing into my blog during the work day) I did just come across this ridiculous article on http://www.msn.com/ and I figured my birthday is coming up so why not post it. Lame but kind of cute if you're into the zodiac/astrology thing (my sister is quite proud of me right now, I am certain). Enjoy.

LEOS
This dramatic, creative, and outgoing sign has the keyword "magnetism" for good reason. Fiery and self-assured, it can be almost impossible to resist the Leo's charm. Whether it's time spent with family and friends, or efforts on the job scene, a Leo is going to bring much to the table.

Friends and Family: By far the most generous of the Zodiac, Leos make loyal and giving friends. They'll go out of their way to help, even when it conflicts with their own schedule. The Leo is a strong, confident personality who has the ability to make almost everyone comfortable. Unassuming and gracious, they love to host parties and events. The Leo is rarely found alone - interacting is second nature. Close friends are chosen for their ability to keep up with the Leo's energy, along with a strong sense of dignity and a commitment to individual values. When family is involved, the mighty Lion will do whatever it takes to defend their loved ones. Loyalty for the Leo means a lifetime. They pride themselves on being there for family through thick and thin.

Career and Money: Leos are doers. "I will" is the key phrase for this sign. There's a lot of energy packed into this sign, and they're always going to be busy, regardless of whatever else is happening around them. They are ambitious, creative, and optimistic. It's not enough to just do the job for a Leo. In order to suffice, it must be done to the absolute best of their ability. Once committed to an employer, they will go all out, but the best situation for the Leo is to be their own boss. Careers that allow for the Leo's dramatic flair, such as acting and entertaining, are ideal. Such positions give the Lion free reign. Other occupations such as management, teaching, and politics are well-suited too. Anything that puts a Leo in a leadership position will give this sign the opportunity to do what comes naturally to them.

Leos love to surround themselves with the things they fancy. Since money usually comes readily to the Leo, there's always more where that came from. "Money is meant to be spent (on things, say, such as bicycles)" as far as this sign is concerned - and spend they will. Generous in spirit, a Leo will give away their last dollar to help a friend out. They're always confident that there will be more, and there usually is. There's never a lack of work for a Leo. In fact, there's generally more work available to them than they can keep up with.

Love and Sex: This fiery sign is passionate and forthright with their affections. When it comes to sex, you can expect the Leo to be adventurous, fun, and highly energetic. There is a definite line of division between sex and love for Leos. Mates are chosen for their willingness to allow the Leo to take the lead, shine brightly and be independent. They look for uninhibited lovers who aren't self-conscious. As accepting as the Leo is, a mate needs to be an intellectual equal to cut the mustard. Leos are loving, fun, and very giving to those in their personal life.

LEO TIDBITS:
Health: Each sign has a part of the anatomy attached to it, making this the area of the body that is most sensitive to stimulation. The anatomical areas for Leo are the heart, sides, and upper back.

Ruling Planet: The ruling planet for Leo is the Sun. Considered the masculine principal of the horoscope, the Sun rules men in general, health, leadership, rank, authority, progress, energy, dignity, the capacity for experience, and the sense of identity.

Compatibility: Leos are most compatible with Sagittarius and Aries. (What about the Scorpio?)

Likes: The theatre, being admired, taking holidays, fun with friends, expensive things (like sweet, full-suspension mountain bikes!), bright colors.

Dislikes: Being ignored, facing difficult reality, not being king/queen.

Strengths: Warmth, humor, pride, joy, creativity, passion, generosity.

Weaknesses: Arrogant, stubborn, inflexible, self-centered, laziness.

Charismatic marks: Regal manner, powerful, strong, muscular.

It's All Crap!

I just received this in one of those forwarded email chains. I am usually the first to delete these sorts of mailings, however after a crap-ass ending to the weekend, this one is kind of pertinent and it did cheer me up for a moment. So lame as it is I am paying it forward and posting this on my blog. Don't like it? Well, then don't read it!

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other. (What 'eye candy' stops being interesting?!?!?).

THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want. (I will disregard the 'sleep all you want' part!).

FOUR. When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.

FIVE. When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye.

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married. (??? I got nothing).

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much. (Yeah! no one likes a dream crusher).

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling. (This one should be rule #10 on my work sites).

ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives. (This one is hard to do, especially in most cases - including my own).

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly. (I do both quickly, usually resulting in a jumbled mess).

THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?' (I use this one all the time).

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk. (Balderdash! It's all supposed to be easy, breezy - that's the American way damn it!).

FIFTEEN. Say 'bless you' when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions. (Very pertinent)!!!

EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship. (Sometimes the little ones get big...but this is a good one for certain).

NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. (More pertinence).

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice. (I have tried this, not sure if it works).

TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone. (Hard to do when surrounded by my little four-legged friends :)

Shindagin!

Tomorrow is Saturday - FINALLY! Next to Sunday and Friday (or any day that finds me on a bike rather than in an office) it has to be my favourite day. Tomorrow is also a road-trip-to-mountain-bike day. What does all this mean? Me in a very happy state of mind, body and spirit! It seems that I have been going somewhere each weekend since the weather has turned nice (debatable as it has been raining pretty much every weekend - but it's a warm rain, so...). No complaints here as any excuse to get out of Rottenchester is a good one in my mind.

Last weekend we spent in a torrential downpour at Allegany State Park for two of my friend's wedding reception. Even though the skies opened up on us early that Saturday and didn't subside until...well, I don't know exactly because it was still raining when we left Sunday morning...the weekend and reception were absolutely lovely! Despite the rain, event goers decided to hold a friendly tee-ball game. This started off with two people and eventually ended with almost all the attendees participating - in the pouring rain! Quite impressive how people persevere through the gloom to make for a great day. The other perception I had of this gathering was that, unlike most wedding receptions, the focus was on the guests and the enjoyment of the day rather than on the couple. This spoke volumes about this particular couple. They are two of the most gracious, sincere and wonderful people I have ever met. Genuine and kind. Most people don't shine a light to these two, however, they took the focus off of themselves that weekend and diverted it to us. I never realised it until T and I recapped the weekend on our drive home. I thought 'wow that just says it all right there about who they are'. May they have a long and happy life full of love, laughter and adventure. Something tells me they will!

Anyway, back to this coming weekend - Shindagin Hollow! Yeah! T asked me earlier in the week if I wanted to go down and ride there this coming weekend. 'Of course I do!!!' was my immediate response. Or maybe it was 'Hell yeah!!!' Whatever - it was a no brainer. This place is magical. We rode it last year for the first time and fell in love with it instantly. Even though the first day out we rode in the rain (it seems to rain alot around here). This forest meanders from piney to deciduous to plains, from rooty to rocky to hilly climbs to man-made ramps, jumps and rollers...well let's just say this place has it all. To say the least, I am just a little excited! After last year's ride I swore the next time I would ride here would be on a full suspension bike. I guess I am holding true to my promise as tomorrow will be Vlad's inaugural ride in Shindagin! Now to plan whether or not we camp out tomorrow night or just drive home after riding all day...decisions, decisions. When these are the toughest ones we have to make, life is definitely good!

Harsh Reality

I have to come to realise that finding time for writing has been pushed to the bottom of my priority list and getting back into the swing of it just isn't as easy a transition as I thought it would be. It has been a busy spring/summer so far and there doesn't appear to be any reprieve in the near future. Not that I'm whinging or anything, but walking around the facility this morning made me wish for such a break.


The sun is out in full force this morning. It's already a hot and hazy day, but the presence of a wonderful breeze dissipates the heat beautifully. The sky is the perfect shade of blue and it finally feels like summer! Those few moments of walking from one building to the next made me drift off into a lovely daydream...for a brief yet delicious moment T and I were up at the Lake under the cool shade of a tree feeling the warm breeze in our hair watching the white-puffy-perfect clouds go by while the sound of the waves lulled a sweet melody...

Then, just like that, a truck rolled by, the roar of it's diesel engine snapping me back to the harsh reality of my situation. Right, I have to go back inside to the meat locker of a cube-farm and be a productive member of society. *sigh* So here I am - delaying my productivity creatively :)

Can't Trust That Day

Ugh - Monday. Not only Monday, but a rainy one. Did I mention I have to work outside all week? Oh and that I've been up since 4:45 a.m.? Yeah. Good times. The dogs woke me up due to a little, itty-bitty thunderstorm at that ungodly hour. Why do dogs seem to want to go outside in the most inclement weather? It's as if they have an instinctual sense to go storm chasing. Especially Sergei since he is deathly afraid of thunderstorms. Perhaps he is trying to conquer his fear? Meh, whatever. Does not make sense to me...especially before my first cup of coffee has had a chance to soak into my system. Ok, so that is all. I figured I would ramble before heading off to work in the rain. Ugh...

Mullet with Headlights

I haven't laughed this hard since L'autobus was brought to my attention! Enjoy!

It's Time

It's time for me to blog again or rather attempt to none-the-less. It has been (wait a minute) 7 months? Really?!?! That long since my last entry? WTH? Where did all that time go?

Well, I am in no place right now to recall the last 7 (I am still trying to wrap my brain around that) months, nor does my one reader (do I really even have that going for me?) have that kind of time. Anyway, the real reason that I haven't been on this thing is that I have been extremely busy with life and truthfully just not in the mood to write. Poor excuses? Perhaps, but between working odd, long hours, keeping up with home improvement items, riding my bikes, spending time with those important to me and sleep...well, blogging has just taken a backseat to it all. But here I am, at last, with a spare moment in front of my computer...I would like to say that 'I'm back' then again who knows if I will even have the time or motivation in the next 7 months for the recall of any of my daily occurances or ramblings. Regardless, let me revel in this moment.

Again, I am not going to go back 7 months into the past, however I will go back roughly one month into it. Approximately one month ago I did acquire a new man in my life. I say 'acquire' because this special encounter involved me dishing out a large sum of cash for his permanent company. But in this most unorthodox union, I have found incredible happiness, confidence in my skills, some pain (due to my lack of caloric intake while testing those skills) and miles upon miles of sweet, sweet dirt! Without further ado, I present to you Vlad:
Isn't he dreamy? His big, nobby tires and they way they grip the muddy roots we climb is nothing short of amazing. The way he absorbs our jumps - it's as if I am landing on a soft down throw instead of a rocky downhill. His disc brakes stop on a dime not that we use them that much (ha, ok so we do and when we do they squeal - which in turn makes me squeal with the joy of knowing I won't be biting it any time soon). And don't get me started on his handling skills...whoa. Now I want to ride, instead of work. Ok later, later. Since Vlad has come into my life we have been riding quite a bit. From the hilly mountain climbs with sick views of Jim Thorpe, PA to the hilly, rocky, rooty, crazy-ass-steep-stream-crossings of the Finger Lakes Trail. Of course the main man in my life who is still my first and favourite riding partner (who I also might add was not acquired but rather partnered into my life :) is shown here demonstrating his log riding skills on the FLT in Letchworth. Even with my new ride, I still can't catch T...but I sure do get bruised and battered trying. Did I mention this is fun for me?

The one day we went out to Letchworth, it was post torrential rains and chilly. This was Vlad's first mud bath. No worries, I washed him off afterwards - but he did look pretty sweet covered in a layer of mud and grit!

During my 7 month haitus I also took up a part time gig as a professional tree climber...ok, not really but for some reason I still find trees as enticing to climb up into now (at the ripe age of 29 :-D ) as I did when I was 7. I must assure you it is not as easy as it looks with bike shoes on. Crank Bros. cleats are slippery on bark!

Ok so there it is, the past more than half a year of life recalled. Let's recap shall we? Work, Ride, Eat, Ride some more, Eat some more, Sleep. Got all that?