Sick...this video is incredible

Thanks to friend, Justin, for introducing me to this rider and the song "The Funeral." Danny has some insane bike skills. All done on a mountain bike. Check it out...

Pittsburgh...2 months in counting

It's been a while since I have posted anything, so I thought I would provide a quick life update. The preparation for the move is well underway. I have begun to box items throughout the house. Sarah and I have narrowed down our options of where we will be living in Pitt. It is definite that we will be "urbanites" and living near downtown. I'd like to live near Frick Park so that I have singletrack at my doorstep. However, I still would like to be minutes from downtown on bike.
Sarah's dissertation has kept her very busy. She is nearing the end of it, and she hopes to defend in June or early July. She's still very cute, even with the added stress.
I have been riding (a lot) and searching for a road bike. I've narrowed it down to a Cannondale Six of some kind. The Psycowpath series has kept me busy. The 3rd race will be in C.B. this weekend. My performance thus far has been average. I've placed in the middle of the pack in Cat 2. I did Cat 3 Open last year, so the competition has been more fierce. The Surly Cross-Check is still cranking out the commuter miles. Go Surly!
I finished the Iron Man Challenge through the gym. The goal was to complete a full Iron Man in two weeks. Of course, the biking came easy as did the swimming (surprisingly). I had to push myself on the runs, but I managed. In fact, the last run was a 4-miler in which I did 7-minute miles. Not too bad for a cyclist.
Aside from all this going on, I have tentatively made plans to visit the West before we head out to Pitt. A trip to Denver and maybe Moab might become reality at the end of June or early July. Still looking for volunteers to accompany me.
Still roaming like a nomad should,
-Jason

Blue October's new album

Many of you know that I am a huge Blue October fan. I've been to over 20 of their shows, many of which were at the old Music Box in Omaha. So, I've been following the band since roughly 2002. Tuesday, March 24th, Blue is releasing their 5th studio album. Their first single on the album, "Dirt Room," highlights why Blue is such an incredible band. Check out some of their more popular songs..."Hate Me, Into the Ocean, Calling You, 18th Floor Balcony, HRSA, Breakfast After 10, Inner Glow, and Italian Radio." Seriously, these guys put on a great concert and have a large following here in Nebraska. In fact, they added a second show at Socol in April. You should really get a ticket to see them.
The band engages the audience in the form of inspiration, amazement, and excitement. They congregate an audience with a passion for their music and the meaning behind their lyrics. They've taught me that not everything needs to be perfect nor will it be. It's about feeling "independently happy" and knowing that the "weight of the world" is not a sole burden. Favorite lyric = "To kill a young man's point of view is to kill his only friend." BLUE!

Engaged!

Wanted to fill you in on some FUN news via the blog. As of Feb. 14th (Valentine's Day), Sarah and I are engaged...to be married, of course! However, we occasionally "engage" in thumb wars in which she has to cheat to win (she uses her index finger). I digress...
I'm sure you're wondering, how did you propose? I will provide a brief narrative. We had just returned home from a Valentine's Day dinner sponsored by our church. I had pictures strategically arranged around the house in the form of a scavenger hunt. The hunt for the beautiful ring started with the roses on the kitchen counter. Written instructions next to the flowers stated that she should follow the pictures, arrows, and music. Sarah correctly followed these items to the spare bedroom where I had her sit down. There, I sang and played a "romantic" song on guitar. By the way, I wrote half of it myself...the rest was compliments of Blue October. Following the song, Sarah was almost crying, but not yet. I then began expressing my deepest sentiments and love (ahhhhhh). Here is where she started crying a little. I got down on one knee and proposed. This is the part when she said, "Yes."
We spent the next few hours calling immediate family, taking pictures, and sipping champagne. Oh, and Sarah dedicated much of this time to admiring her ring.
So that's the FUN news from Lincoln.

Ride'n at Breck in CO

A recent trip to the mountains of Colorado was nothing but fantastic. Greg, my buddy from California, and I visited the resorts of Keystone, Vail, and Breckenridge for 3 days of snowboarding. Luckily, we arrived just after snow had fallen, then we got more freshies the night before our last day. Fresh pow and the Colorado mountains...very nice!

The Road to Raymond

Unseasonably warm temperatures for February meant getting on the bike for a gravel roads ride up to Raymond, NE. It's about 25 miles round-trip from my house in the Highlands. I took N. 1st Street up to Waverly road, then over to NW 40th Street up to Raymond. Following a brief Powerbar break in Raymond, I took Raymond Road down to James Arthur Vineyards. Here, I did a little wine tasting. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Nebraska wines, there are few to choose from (and rightly so). James Arthur actually makes a decent red wine, ironically enough called Nebraska Red. A couple of sommeliers at the vineyard made the comment that I was their first cyclist. I found that hard to believe, but they added that they see bikers, not cyclists. It was a proud moment.
After some pictures and wine tasting, I wandered back onto Raymond Road and took NW 27th back toward Lincoln. In route, I was chased by 3 dogs on two separate occasions. The first 2 dogs almost got to me; the 3rd dog didn't stand a chance. Kind of scary, though, when these dogs dart out of nowhere and start chasing you. Overall, it was a nice two-hour adventure on the 29'er.

Whistler/Blackcomb snowboarding trip

Incredible! A group of 6 ventured up to Whistler/Blackcomb in B.C Canada for a weekend of snowboarding/skiing. The vistas were amazing and the runs were fantastic. All 3 riding days were bluebird days. No new snow in the past week, but we were able to find some pow on the Peak 2 Creek run. This trail has the longest vertical in North America at just above 5,000 feet. It was insane...I had to take several breaks. The natives were friendly and the Canadian beer was quite tasty. Check out all the trip pictures on my Facebook page.