The back yard mud hole (“pony trap”) saga continues, and the hole is now several times larger than it was last week. Since it’s been raining, it’s a glorious mudfest now.

Miles started building “a pony trap” in the back yard a few days ago. He’s been working on it every chance he gets – in the rain, barefoot, whatever. Today a friend came over to help him grow it – now it’s a huge production, with ramps, tubes, and water collection systems. The back yard sacrificed itself for the good of boyhood, and M has learned to take his own showers.

A few of you asked for more pics, so here’s a Flickr set:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shacker/sets/72157629669672979/show/

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Spent the weekend in Pioneer, near Tahoe CA – just me and the boy at my parent’s house. On Sunday, M took a snowboard lesson and I took off into the hills. Three rides in, coming off a lift at the top of Cornice, a skiier turned left across my board, knocking me down. A not-uncommon thing, but I landed just … wrong and heard a rib crack. Feeling woozy, but had to traverse hard left across the mountain to meet M at the end of his lesson. Realized I could still ride if I stayed upright, didn’t jolt too much, and didn’t bend over, so went for it.

Unfortunately, the long traverse took me into some deep forest. Low snow cover meant lots of exposed logs and rocks, plus it was mogul territory and the afternoon ice didn’t make things any easier. Turned into a 15-minute trip of pain. By the time I got to the bottom it was aching like a mother.

24 hours later it’s starting to feel a bit better, but still can’t bend over to do anything (like tie shoes) and sitting down is horrible (the temporary strain of muscles pulling at the ribs). Decided not to see a doctor – they can’t do anything for cracked ribs but tell you to take it easy and maybe prescribe meds. Will have to tough this one out.

Still, a great weekend, and I’m jazzed that M enjoyed his snowboard lesson – said he liked it way better than skis! We’re destined to ride together.

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Less talk, more action! Just signed up to do a 65-mile (metric century) bike tour of Chico’s wildflower wilderness this April, with +Chris Tweney and whoever else wants to join. Could be up to 4,000 riders on the run.

http://www.chicovelo.org/main/century-series/26-wildflower

Though I bicycle commute daily, have never done a ride this long before. Time to start training, but my commuter bike is too heavy, and wrong riding position. Hit up a friend for advice, scoured the craigslist boards, and ended up with a 2005 LeMond Tourmalet – tightly tuned and ready to go! Got what I consider a very good deal.

Next weekend will probably see what I can do on a 20-miler.

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Hydration, Crockett hike.

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Mancala, Scrabble, Yahtzee, Mastermind, you name it (and oh yeah, Portal 2, but that’s different). We have the 1972 edition of The Ungame, which is like the board game equivalent of a conversation pit. No winners or losers, no set time. Just cards that get you to talk – cheap group therapy for families. A few of Miles’ cherry answers from tonight’s “session”:

Q: What is beauty?
A: When all the species go extinct from global warming, the world will still be full of beautiful plants.

Q: If you had to move and could only take three things?
A: Lego supply, cookie supply, and my nice cushy bed.

Q: What makes you feel lonely?
A: I feel lonely when everyone else in my class knows what to do and I don’t.

Q: What’s an ideal world?
A: In an ideal world I’d be surrounded by aliens and flying cars.

Q: What really turns you off?
A: Nothing. Can I take another card?

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A work in progress by my 9 yr. old son.

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