tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81375902012-01-21T14:15:18.021-07:00Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.comBlogger1071100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-40431095565125520902012-01-21T12:59:00.009-07:002012-01-21T14:15:18.034-07:00

Ah jeez. I have been writing, er, typing more often than this blog reflects. And believe it or not, it's not all doom and gloom and chemical-emotional fluctuations in Calvin's world; on the contrary things are more up than down, yet somehow the words and descriptions never make it to a state worth publishing on this here blog. February 28 2010 is the date I first rolled into Santa Rosa. Newly

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-27839297442341695922011-10-01T20:40:00.001-07:002011-10-01T20:41:43.106-07:00

Well here we are. Rather, here I am, speaking to myself in some weirded-out form of the plural to sound more erudite. I'm a bit of a mess today and would like to journal down some thoughts and feelings. Life is good overall, however I am battling a combination of fatigue, loneliness, and perhaps chemical withdrawal. Good time to write. My thoughts are running crazy. I find random memories hitting

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-12414672690312807502010-10-04T19:50:00.007-07:002010-10-05T09:10:25.289-07:00

Since it has been so long since I have written anything, be it meaningful or pointless, I won't even attempt to backfill you in on the story of the last few months, year, whatever. Instead I'll jump right in and describe the present day happenings that are shaping my world. The point tonight is just to write. Write.Today is the fourth day of October, the first Monday of the month, and also

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-88887910146717803052010-04-25T19:20:00.003-07:002010-05-07T17:34:20.263-07:00

I had a very good day today, and I'd like to scribble down a few notes so I can look back on days that aren't so good and remember why it's all worth it.I got up about 7AM, had 2 very good cups of java and watched the morning news. The news was lame-o, but the rate of my awakening was perfect and by about 8:30 I was ready to begin the day in earnest. I drove around downtown for a while before

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-58271850370002508692010-04-03T18:06:00.003-07:002010-04-03T18:37:06.223-07:00

Finally a little break in the weather! Since Lauren left (to return to Boise) on Sunday evening, the weather has been foul and dark and gloomy, obviously an outward projection of my feelings at her departure. For that reason it has been an exceptionally difficult week. The job is good and does a great job of keeping me busy from 7:30-5:00 each day, but that leaves me with far too many hours to

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-83101181316221868342010-02-24T08:17:00.005-07:002010-02-24T09:30:36.671-07:00

Sometime back in October, maybe November, I got a call out of the blue from an internal recruiter with a medical device company in California. One teeny little word on my resume - Nitinol - miraculously distinguished my CV from the ocean of others twinkling digitally on the world wide waste. The company was looking for an expert in Nitinol, which I most certainly was not, but the brief phone

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-12338605262180537702010-02-01T08:01:00.002-07:002010-02-01T08:05:26.313-07:00

Blog, of course I remember you and of course I miss you. There is so much I want to tell you but the timing is just not right. You see blog, you can not keep a secret. Now don't get defensive, your gregarious and grandstanding behavior is what draws me to you; but at times I wish you were a little more discreet.So no tears, Blog, this is not any sort of a goodbye. Quite the contrary, it is a

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-8997814284989221842009-11-29T18:20:00.003-07:002010-03-05T08:24:43.793-07:00

Here it is, the update all (or none) of you have been waiting for.It's nearly December and that's just the beginning.1) Lauren is pregnant still, sick still. The one thing she can palate 100% of the time, no questions asked, is Animal Crackers. That's about it. All other foodstuffs swing wildly from the safe-and-desired to the abhorred-and-wretched ends of the pendulum, depending on the minute/

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-53780483759146061332009-10-27T21:12:00.003-07:002009-10-27T22:13:39.392-07:00

Try to keep up. I feel like writing, not editing, so read at your own risk...Sitting in the cafeteria in Fred Meyer today, thumbing through an American Classified to stay occupied since all of the Boise Weekly's were gone and the only newspaper in sight was coated in what appeared to be that divine mixture of ketchup and mustard so suited to corn dogs. I remember a classified called The Thrifty

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-87106859597099275152009-10-04T08:24:00.004-07:002009-10-05T22:03:00.494-07:00

Fall has arrived, no wait now it's gone and winter has arrived. I would have to look at the calendar, as I can not seem to remember the exact day that Fall officially commenced, but I can look out the window to affirm that Summer has indeed passed and is sorely missed already.The rain started sometime early yesterday afternoon, first with a few random drops spread over three or four hours then

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-76296700108345845622009-09-18T21:42:00.004-07:002009-09-18T22:07:25.943-07:00

Growing up, we used to have this framed painting on the wall depicting a covered wagon hauling ass across a Nevadan (or at least South-Western) landscape, basically racing the impending storm to an unknown destination. A cowboy piloted the wagon, navigating the straining and eager horses along a poorly-maintained dirt path, cacti and succulents lining each side, the yellowed and parched

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-29101537212334284282009-08-22T12:55:00.000-07:002009-08-27T12:58:58.583-07:00

Ran outside yesterday. I asked Mike if he had any interest in joining me at the Health Centre, and he instead suggested we head outside for a run… sweet. I’ve never dreamed of running outside in China. Not only am I afraid of getting lost (how in the heck do you landmark in a Chinese city?) but also getting glared at and potentially mugged. Mike has run a few times in China and said it wasn’t a

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-86844235540405226572009-08-21T03:24:00.001-07:002009-08-21T03:24:57.638-07:00

China has chosen to block roughly 90% of the sites I really give a crap about, namely Blogger, Facebook, and YouTube. Any sort of proxy-dodging trickery only gets me as far as the login page. If I were an IT genius I could work around this, but for now I’ve hit a wall and am forced to save these words into WORD before sharing them with all my avid fans (heh heh).Although this is my third trip to

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-83082546274014234542009-08-18T03:23:00.000-07:002009-08-21T03:24:19.520-07:00

I was in a Marvel mood, of sorts. Presented with some 30+ movies on the 13-hour flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong, I opted for back-to-back showings of high-action low-brow super hero-style entertainment. The Watchmen got me from California to British Columbia; Wolverine from BC to Sitka; Keanu and his Matrix Evolution from the Aleutians to Korea, then IronMan from Taiwan to HK. Sprinkled

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-17955612654251501552009-06-13T16:03:00.003-07:002009-06-13T16:49:57.872-07:00

It is, let's see, the thirteenth day of June. I miss writing on this thing. Today is great day for blogging because the weather outside is a soggy mess. Spring/Summer in Boise this year has been goofier than normal, it seems, though I realize it's human nature to believe "this year is the craziest ever". But seriously, the weird weather patterns are messing with my internal clock; we had a heat

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-63960012639601074182009-03-01T16:16:00.008-07:002009-03-01T21:23:10.134-07:00

I am officially one full week into my new job. YES, you heard it correctly. A few blogs back I mentioned an interview that I thought went decently, and indeed it did as I was offered the position soon thereafter. It was hard not to let the cat out of the bag at that point, but in this strange world where everyone and their mother has a blog and a Facebook account and a photoblog and... well,

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-4446710396231265462009-02-02T20:20:00.003-07:002009-02-02T20:51:57.605-07:00

Having coffee with friends last night, we somehow got on the topic of being rich; filthy filthy rich, the kind that warrants forming an entourage to follow you around. Who would be in your entourage? We all took this question quite seriously, since we're all expecting to be ludicrously wealthy within the next few years (heh heh).This just might be one of those psychological/personality profiling

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-10137024814382941842009-02-01T14:47:00.003-07:002009-02-01T15:15:33.618-07:00

Argh! (Think angry pirate, and forgive the amateur onomatopoeic reference). I am getting old. OLD, I tell you. I realize that 28 years of age is not too bad, really, and that just being born in the 80's by default labels me a spring chicken, but the rapid progression of time, the relentless march of the calendar, is disconcerting. I mean come on, February already? In the year 2009? Wasn't Y2K

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-75252184156316730992009-01-27T07:08:00.002-07:002009-01-27T07:21:46.727-07:00

Twelve degrees outside right now. Twelve! My mom up in Alaska wouldn't think it cold, but twelve is the lowest we've seen for some time, maybe even this entire winter. It is nice not to be training for bike races as in years past, though I admit I've been darn-near as obsessive about other forms of working out lately. The more uncertain things become in life the more I cling to rigid, mapped-out

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-80943988033160365582009-01-21T21:55:00.000-07:002009-01-21T22:00:34.916-07:00

Here I am, a victim once again of Cafe Ole's two for one margaritas. I have had such a day, such a day, and I suppose my willingness to down four of those suckers plus one 22 oz. Guiness draught results from my interview today. I am feeling quite the mix of emotions. My interview went pretty good, fantastic in fact, but I can't help feeling like a douche for jumping ship when the ship is sinking

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-25920307123159782002009-01-16T12:48:00.004-07:002010-03-05T08:25:19.813-07:00

We had Casey, Rachel, Gerry and T over for dinner last night. It's the first full-blown Thanksgiving style meal I have ever made and I dare say it was easy... mostly because I cooked up the turkey the previous evening. It is nice having friends that don't mind re-heating turkey in the microwave as part of a dinner. But yeah, cornbread stuffing, Rachel's homemade cranberry sauce, gravy, brussel

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-56625153542744720582009-01-15T07:10:00.002-07:002009-01-15T07:16:48.452-07:00

Poised to be a great day, I can feel it. It's about 7AM and I just got to work, so I can't type too long. I have in my hand a pack of brand spankin' new uni-ball vision pens, micro 0.5mm. This is nerdy engineer Calvin's selfish indulgence, comparable to the housewife purchasing a Lancome makeup case or the nephew snagging that Xbox game from Target... thank goodness for cheap thrills.Pen in hand

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-77839944296699938162009-01-11T20:43:00.006-07:002009-01-13T07:24:21.063-07:00

So bored. So bored even the Internet can't boast anything to hold my attention. Thus I've turned to this blank pad of digital paper, perhaps I can dredge something entertaining out of my memory banks to make the time pass.It's been a good weekend. Once I finally let myself relax, I got the recharge I've needed for weeks now. I even slept in until almost nine this morning (I know! friggin' crazy!)

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-68992961207450027672008-11-22T07:47:00.005-07:002008-11-24T07:26:51.110-07:00

The title explains the situation. It's the weekend but I can't sleep in, simply stewing too much on everything to allow sleep to wrap me in its weekend arms. If I step back and view things objectively, I really have an ideal mix of ingredients for the perfect life, yet (as is typical for me) I'm mired in stress about my job, my fitness, my family, my... who knows? Sometimes I can not even

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-18890604080363735082008-11-14T07:16:00.004-07:002008-11-14T07:21:14.570-07:00

For Halloween this year I wanted to be Kip from Napoleon Dynamite. The results you see are, obviously, far from Kip... but hilarious nonetheless. We threw a good pre-party with a close small group of friends. Not too shabby.Life's been decent. Things at work are somewhat shaky but I'm rolling with the punches. Lauren's kicking serious butt in school and I've transitioned out of riding and into

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-68469068985856179482008-07-11T10:30:00.002-07:002008-07-11T11:02:48.132-07:00

I realize I never got to the "Part Two" of my bike racing recount. I had a pretty good chunk of it written but ended up scrapping the whole thing for various reasons. Part two was set to summarize the Elkhorn Cycling Classic over in Baker City, Oregon, where we finished 2nd and 3rd in GC and I had a couple really great rides. But now, all of that seems so very far away and somewhat trivial during

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-76219775625838831822008-06-24T07:17:00.004-07:002008-06-25T08:10:33.091-07:00

All right, I know I try to avoid purely cycling-related posts, but things are just going to well not to share it with my fans (hah! shouting into the vacuum). These past couple weekends have presented some great rides for me and my team, and since this is a personal blog I'll take the opportunity to embrace, and embellish upon, my personal rising fitness.I was worried about my China trip and its

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-5086780768192048712008-06-13T09:47:00.004-07:002008-06-13T09:58:35.186-07:00

I kept meaning to post some of these. So, well, here you go:----------------------------------------------------------China: En RouteSomehow I figured I would last a bit longer before fully cracking. Not so. It's about midnight, Boise time, though I can not tell you the exact “World Time” since we're somewhere off the coast of Japan and the International Date Line gets pretty screwy. I do know

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-34843444970756406232008-04-27T16:37:00.002-07:002010-03-05T08:25:55.372-07:00

We'll see how many words I get down before the battery dies. Or before my brain dies. I'm a bit fatigued at the moment. The fourth and final race of the Lyle Pearson Spring Series (road racing) wrapped up out in Emmett a few hours ago. Good ride but oh my goodness I'm cross-eyed now.Looking back, I haven't updated in some time. I've been "journaling" somewhat on my own, electronically, but have

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-9802608887110123512008-01-25T07:19:00.000-07:002008-01-25T07:25:28.257-07:00

A few of you have asked (OK, just one person, and they're family but I still feel special) what team I'll be riding for next year:http://www.teambobs-bicycles.com/I don't think they'll have anything posted until our big team camp/photo shoot in mid-February. Should be a good setup. Racing starts in about three weeks at a small event in Western Oregon...http://www.willamettevalleycycling.com/

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-90519539387669511422008-01-15T16:36:00.001-07:002008-01-15T16:37:27.767-07:00

Welcome to Wisconsin. Here for work, just for a few days, and darn glad about both of those facts. The work trip is fantastic in terms of personal growth, career development, and so forth, but Wisconsin in the dead of winter (I'm beginning to learn) is not conducive to enjoying one's self in anything extra-curricular. It's four degrees F outside at this moment. I would give anything to go work

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1804460363168268652007-12-31T10:45:00.001-07:002007-12-31T10:47:08.499-07:00

Happy New Years.

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-66491441047332978292007-12-23T07:10:00.000-07:002007-12-23T07:43:55.737-07:00

Hey! It's almost Christmas and I am past due for an update. I won't try to detail all that has transpired since my last entry, but here's a high level summary in chronological order: quit old job, got married, went on honeymoon, started new job, joined new cycling team, headed to Elko for Christmas, Lauren starts grad school in three weeks. A disjointed list if I ever saw one, but a list

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-37173832880733214632007-07-05T06:01:00.000-07:002007-07-05T06:32:40.207-07:00

Barely made it down here, but in retrospect I'm quite pleased with myself for postponing going to work for a few minutes to catch up on "me time". It's the fifth of July, as the time stamp and title most assuredly reiterate, and I've one bummer case of the Mondays.I managed to sneak away from work on (the real) Monday afternoon to head up to Camp Alice Pittenger (CAP) in McCall; Lauren's home

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-69827275059559198792007-05-31T06:11:00.000-07:002007-05-31T07:02:02.164-07:00

All the better, I now see, for me to forget my 'dongle' and thus be rendered helpless and unable to crank out any work this morning. For now I am sitting at Big City Coffee out on State Street, 10 minutes' drive from home and 20 minutes' drive from work, turning to this online purge-hole to fill my time. Nearly three months ago I posted the blog about el padre mio, which felt good, but I

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-3559979619811035412007-03-01T18:08:00.000-07:002007-03-03T06:43:06.950-07:00

Similar to the author, Michael H. went to Spring Creek High School and played in the marching band as part of the Spartan music program. A percussionist by trade, the rattle-tat-tat of the snare and quad drum set was a precursor to his current occupation with the Elko County police force. Michael graduated somewhere between my sister and I; must have been 1997, as I believe he was only one year

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1171120718043916482007-02-10T08:13:00.000-07:002007-02-10T08:18:38.053-07:00

More and more often, I’m realizing, these entries only occur during strange times. It so happens that the last few ‘strange times’ have been defining pivotal moments of personal crisis. That is not the case this morning. No crisis here, no sir. It is simply quite early and I have opted to scream at the keys instead of making noise in this darkened house. My sister and her husband and of course

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1168396623986387402007-01-09T19:35:00.000-07:002007-01-09T19:37:04.000-07:00

And it is here, sitting in my oh-so-favorite shop of coffee, that I am finally pulling my head out. Beginning to, at least. I am realizing that, if I do not turn things around, at the bare minimum I will have to change my description of values listed atop this blogging page. Life, love, spirituality, health, friendship. Those elusive yet invaluable qualities that make life worth pursuing. I

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1166250307659254902006-12-15T22:32:00.000-07:002006-12-15T23:25:07.670-07:00

Blah. Quadruple blah (i.e. blahblahblahblah). Crazy that, with so much positive change happening in life, I am caught up in the temporary negativity of my job. Temporary being a misnomer; I've been way too busy for about a month now, working at least ten hours every weekend in addition to the 45 or 50 hours during the week itself. I dig my job, but still haven't figured out how to draw that line

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1166058485467902472006-12-13T18:06:00.000-07:002006-12-13T18:08:05.480-07:00

Three months, three months! What the? Not too much has happened... just an engagement and the purchase of a home. I'll be updating real soon, not that I expect anyone to still read this silly thing. But hey the point is that I'm anxious to vent, and whether or not an ausdience exists is beside the point. Stay tuned...

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1158680536396532422006-09-19T08:18:00.000-07:002006-09-19T08:47:57.133-07:00

Some of you asked:http://www.wellsnevada.com/racetoangel/Results06.pdfIn other news: I am legend. The annual Calvin drinking performance occurred last Friday, though its toxic repercussions lasted well into Sunday evening. I've heard I dance like Usher.

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1158237915332711602006-09-14T05:22:00.000-07:002006-09-14T05:45:15.343-07:00

Do you know what a dongle is? Wikipedia quotes "a dongle is a small hardware device that connects to a computer to validate some piece of software". In my case, the dongle is a thumb drive that I am required to use on my laptop to run SolidWorks 2006, our chosen 3D CAD software. However, seeing as it's stupid-early and I came all the way down to this damn coffee shop to do some CAD work and left

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1158195208253548292006-09-13T17:31:00.000-07:002006-09-14T04:21:54.760-07:00

I've tried to stop working today, really. I came home, shut off the lights and holed up in my cool little cave of a bedroom at 4 pm this afternoon. My conscience had me back at the computer, phone in hand, by 4:15; so much going on. so much.Or is there? Before this past month I'd never logged a forty-hour work week in my life. Now here I go with another fifty hour semana and I'm whining like the

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1157635983802761272006-09-07T06:14:00.000-07:002006-09-07T06:33:03.813-07:00

It's early, yessir. Work has been insane, insane I tell you. I was so apprehensive to start that forty-hour-per-week routine, and here I am well into a 50-hour week. Smooth transition I think not. I got up at five this morning, cranked out a couple proposals/quotes for clients, and now I'm taking a brief respite before heading to the office. McKinley and I are curled up on the couch... she seems

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1157207362536798542006-09-02T07:12:00.000-07:002006-09-02T07:31:32.506-07:00

We've all seen rally car driving in Europe, yes? Likely originating from a few good ol' (Euro) country boys betting a case of beer, these events are usually point-to-point and involve not only spry, sporty 4wd subarus, but everything from Semi trucks to motorhomes towing speedboats. Dig it. The objective is to set the fastest, blistering time while adhering to established rules.So I'm warming up

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1153000401736171282006-07-15T14:36:00.000-07:002006-07-15T14:53:21.856-07:00

It's now Saturday afternoon. Four of the six stages have come and gone, all leaving their invisible marks and scars on my internals; lungs, legs, arteries. The time trial was this morning. I got all super-duded and had a phenomenal warm up. In the TT, looking fast actually does often equate to going fast. And boy did I look like speed.I went out way too hard. Way. That's happened so many times

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1152849747358947982006-07-13T20:39:00.000-07:002006-07-13T21:02:27.416-07:00

I am at the Cascade Classic in Bend, Oregon, attempting to mix it up with the big kids. So far it's going well, though frustrating, since I've wonderful fitness but terrible strategy and have blown it in both stages. The beauty in such stage races is that there remains four opportunities to 'get it right', and just maybe I'll be able to pop a good result against these yahoos.Yes, bikes are good,

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1150812916606197192006-06-20T06:56:00.000-07:002006-06-20T07:15:16.660-07:00

Always such a shame to see someone fulfilling grotesque stereotypes.Example-morning commute in Boise, Idaho [suppose'd home to innumerable rednecks and gun-toting closed-minded luddites]. Relatively hassle-free. Meathead in jacked up 4x4 Jeep, sporting the following bumperstickers: 1) Jesus didn't ride an Elephant. 2) My Jeep can kick your Hybrid's Ass. and 3) Who would Jesus Bomb?. Wow, hooray

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1149636405166719552006-06-06T15:58:00.000-07:002006-06-07T05:29:08.240-07:00

It's Tuesday... in June. Yikes! Where does the time go? The scary (yet exciting) fact is that I enjoy such rapid passing of time, and although I still haven't settled into my post-school rhythm I'm slowly gaining control of my schedule. First off, school is over, as most of you know. We all threw one hell of a BBQ (which many of you attended) and I nearly fulfilled my promise of a legendary

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1146517289038341572006-05-01T13:47:00.000-07:002006-05-01T14:03:03.556-07:00

Aero project? Check (see below, nerdery in its finest). I modeled 60-mph airflow over the cross-bars of an empty Yakima roof rack. That black silhouette... yep, the Volvo. The top row is without a fairing, the bottom row includes one. If you really care, shoot me an email and I'll tell you the drag force an empty roof-rack adds to your car at such speeds. Nerds.I'm up to page 18 with my renewable

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1144377402355980592006-04-06T19:13:00.000-07:002006-04-06T19:36:42.446-07:00

yes indeed, busy am i. busy enough to not bother with capitalization of proper nouns nor sentence headers. hah! hah, the life of a rebel!OK, Enough of that. But seriously, things are insane. Next Tuesday: comprehensive exam (as in THE exam). One day later: Aerodynamics design project due. Two days later: Spanish test. Four days later: Renewable Energy Systems test. One week later: 25 page term

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1144182945138011062006-04-04T13:33:00.000-07:002006-04-04T13:40:20.393-07:00

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1139714858984348492006-02-11T19:38:00.000-07:002006-02-11T20:27:39.050-07:00

Busy busy busy. School, relationships, training, work, yikes. This may be the first weekend since school started where I'm not scrambling to get ahead with homework or projects at the lab. Finally got my new bicycle built up. Very similar to my laptop last year, I'm feeling a huge wave of pride and ownership after ponying up so much personal cash to get it running. As my mom pointed out, this is

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1136660912237727482006-01-06T19:06:00.000-07:002006-01-07T12:08:32.246-07:00

Not too much to report on from the Valley of the Sun. The temperature has gradually risen since my arrival, though unfortunately the wind has as well. I have yet to figure out the wind in this place, as it seems to blow from a different direction every day... every hour. I'll take 80 degrees and windy any day. Not too hard to tolerate.Said and done, I have another five or six days of riding

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1136158190131586952006-01-01T16:26:00.000-07:002006-01-01T16:29:50.146-07:00

The day started pretty well, though I wasn’t as spunky on my ride as I had hoped. I left the house around 7:30 and swung by Starbucks for a pre-ride decaf (sounds weird, but the act of drinking a hot beverage still offers a stimulant placebo). I headed south along Mission Boulevard, a low-traffic road with decent pavement that winds its way along the western side of Tucson, through the San Xavier

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1135972473779528912005-12-30T12:53:00.000-07:002005-12-30T12:54:33.780-07:00

Managed to squeeze out a 4.0 this past semester. Had to brag, since I was seriously skeptical of the MBA class. Dig it.

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1135972209663458522005-12-30T12:27:00.000-07:002005-12-30T12:51:52.176-07:00

hello hello. Everything worked out wonderfully. I managed to track down D. Robinson on Wednesday afternoon, and he gave me close-enough directions to Erik's house. Turns out that Erik lives right by the university... ironically I was three blocks from his house whilst typing my last entry! Big D is residing there for a few days until some friends return from Christmas vacation, but honestly there

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1135970227051934932005-12-28T12:16:00.000-07:002005-12-30T12:20:23.733-07:00

Blasted in last night, ended up crashing in a hotel just three miles west of Tucson. So much for splitting it up. I always get that way during long drives: sure, sitting in a car for 13 hours sucks, but the idea of stopping at hour eight and having to resume the torture in the morning is, well, torture. What a mind blower so far. Tucson is the same as it was two years ago, of course, but I am

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1135179034251721922005-12-21T08:21:00.000-07:002005-12-21T08:30:39.580-07:00

Bring it on, that is. I'?m up ridiculously early, prepping for the approaching vacation time. Yessir, prepping and trying to wrap up work projects, bills, house duties, and everything else that could potentially unravel in my three-week absence. It'?s been a great month. First off, let'?s talk about hockey. Kevin'?s birthday was last Friday, and he just happens to have a friend who dates a

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1134451113386192672005-12-12T21:41:00.000-07:002005-12-12T22:18:33.446-07:00

The academic world is grossly out-of-step with the Christian calendar. Don't they know, the professors that is, that we're required to prepare well in advance of December 25th for the Christmas holiday? I just finished my finals today, which means I started frantically scribbling Christmas cards this evening.Life is rolling along like a wet sponge; I'm getting too wound up about future employment

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1131635961519420222005-11-10T08:08:00.000-07:002005-11-10T08:19:21.530-07:00

Hewwo weaders.Still battling the cold, still waking up each morning to find that the little viruses have up and relocated to another region of my body.It's Thursday, the week is almost over again. I was scheduled to head to Mountain Home today with my work compatriots, but opted to sit at home (yet again) and eat soup and cry into my keyboard. Oh, awesome news here: I took my car down to an auto

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1131408631690294482005-11-07T16:49:00.000-07:002005-11-07T17:10:31.740-07:00

So let me put this in perspective: Boise has a squirrel infestation problem. In my backyard alone, there are six squirrels vying for residence in three trees. Instead of watching the morning news, Lauren and I have taken interest in observing Gladiator-like competitions, in which the squirrels hurl each other from atop full-grown oak and fir trees. Nothing complements good coffee like squirrel

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1131038127405415432005-11-03T10:00:00.000-07:002005-11-03T10:15:27.466-07:00

I used to wonder if I was manic-depressant, or sometimes just manic-manic... sometimes depressant-depressant. Now I have to wonder if I simply lacked a stable, constant source of the right music.Does music dictate the mood, or does your mood decide the music? I think you can force feed your emotions. Go ahead, wake up on the wrong side of the bed, but start your morning with the right blend of

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1130019574991408662005-10-22T15:17:00.000-07:002005-10-22T15:19:35.000-07:00

Two years ago, naw, let’s start further back. 1998, June, there you go. My mother and father were finalizing a divorce. My father was already living in a fifth-wheel in the back yard and my mom was on vacation in Alaska with her parents. Papers signed, my dad slipped further off the deep end (he was already submerged). My mom, conversely, rallied herself to survive the lonely sanity-threatening

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1129584032040896212005-10-17T13:47:00.000-07:002005-10-17T14:20:32.093-07:00

Sci-fi feelings, philosophical mind-set.. I've recently spent so many hours here at work, staring at this glowing panel with its comforting digital hum, that out of habit I returned on my day off to waste time. Life is good. I managed to squeeze a nap in roughly two hours ago, and judging from my mental state I could swear I am still sleeping. In fact, maybe I am dreaming about blogging; I guess

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1128144603000817082005-09-30T22:13:00.000-07:002005-09-30T22:30:03.006-07:00

An acquaintance and fellow racer of mine, Alan Butler, was killed in a traffic incident late last night. He widows a wife and eight-month old baby.Such a weird, weird world. Cruel at times, to say the least. A week ago a friend, Scott White, took a header during a bike ride and nearly paralyzed himself from the neck down. He's OK, though in a halo for the next two months. The incident destroyed

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1128143555108058062005-09-29T20:57:00.000-07:002005-09-30T22:12:35.116-07:00

Greetings from Interbike 2005, Las Vegas, Nevada. 949 exhibitors and roughly 10,000 spectators, all passionate about the cycling, health, and transportation industries.I'm caught in a freaking nightmare. What I anticipated to be a trip to paradise turned sour on Day two... here I am on Day Four loathing my travelmate and appalled at the industry. Trade shows are nothing but a cluster of

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1123990765152923252005-08-13T20:00:00.000-07:002005-08-13T20:39:25.200-07:00

It's Saturday night. Just hanging out at home, logging a bit of personal time and loving the sub-90-degree evening weather. Lauren and I returned to Boise this afternoon after a quick jaunt down to Salt Lake City to attend a wedding.Danny Ortega and I met each other around age eight, perhaps nine, as a result of our fathers working on the same shift at a gold mine in Elko. I won't go into the

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1123349492477997212005-08-06T10:24:00.000-07:002005-08-07T11:26:23.050-07:00

The quest for free wireless internet becomes more unattainable daily. Coffee shops and book stores across the nation are joining the financial revolution to charge innocent wi-fi addicts like myself to establish connections. I’m at Barnes and Noble, having just bid adieu to Lauren and preparing to dig in to a research project I was recently assigned. I am not in summer school, but the NPD Lab

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1118681215914998942005-06-13T09:42:00.000-07:002005-06-13T09:46:55.920-07:00

Lying in bed last night, atop a queen mattress in actuality but a single mattress in my brain. I’ve spent so many years perched on both edges of a single-width bed: back at home in Elko, in the dorms, down in California; that now I have the opportunity to reach out but I’m governed by remnant mental boundaries. All works out, however, since Lauren was gladly absorbing my unused portion of

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1118262423209230572005-06-08T13:22:00.000-07:002005-06-08T17:45:24.293-07:00

Such a beautiful day in Boise. The sun shining so brightly, almost too brightly for me to see what I’m typing on the screen. Bright enough to distract me from writing by glancing through the words, through the blinking cursor at the silly contemplative reflection staring at me from the screen. I did not realize I looked this way whilst typing… sort of a scrunched, squinting and perplexed

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1116859392251870462005-05-23T07:40:00.000-07:002005-05-23T08:22:25.266-07:00

Here we are, summertime finally rolled around and the routine looks beautiful (so far). Of course, someone forgot to inform Mother Nature that it's time for sun and fun, not deluge and darkness... this is the wettest May in over fifty years. It reminds me a lot of Seattle, with some vicious rain storms each morning and humid, muggy temps in the evening.My family came up to visit this past weekend

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1115750906162821912005-05-10T11:17:00.000-07:002005-05-10T11:48:26.220-07:00

The worst part about being sick, I believe, is watching your environment crumble down around you: lacking the effort to effectively pick up after yourself, yet continuing to consume and create byproducts of your diseased state.There's my bag, still fermenting with sweat and rain-drenched clothing from three days of racing; and there's my shoes, dishes, bike parts strewn all over, inanimately

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1115646371331791922005-05-07T18:44:00.000-07:002005-05-09T06:46:11.340-07:00

On the road. On my ass, sitting in a crowded gymnasium and nerding out being the only leg-shaver staring at a computer screen. Today was hell, probably the worst day of my life in the race world. I do not know what went wrong. How much was physical, ie poor rest and poor nutrition? How much was mental? I tell you what, I have a lot to blame it on. Let’s blame it on school, let’s blame

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1115321284635083202005-05-05T12:07:00.000-07:002005-05-05T12:28:04.700-07:00

Finally got a minute to scribble some words...Although I have been through this numerous times before, nine times to be exact, it is still hard to effectively step up to the challenges of finals week.But it's coming along. I just delivered a (decent) oral presentation in my Biomechanics class over "Full Squats versus Partial Squats: Electromyographic muscle analysis versus knee joint stress."

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1114657949254002952005-04-27T19:33:00.000-07:002005-04-27T20:12:29.256-07:00

Hello all.I'm red-faced and bored and looking for an excuse to take a break from this freaking Biomechanics report... lucky you for tuning in to experience my self-diversion.In true cyclist fashion, I uncorked a bottle of cheap-ass pinot noir and poured myself about four fingers' in attempt to 'facilitate' the writing process. Two fingers later and the keyboard is already playing trecks on mee. I

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1113504576780416362005-04-14T11:44:00.000-07:002005-04-14T11:58:43.126-07:00

Antelope Island: 9 April 2005Despite legitimate attempts to provide a neutral, unbiased recount of Saturday’s race, the following will most likely convey a grotesquely skewed version of how the BODE Team conducted itself. If you prefer an impartial report, speak to an inactive member of the peloton who was content to simply hang on instead of race bikes. Chris McGill and I, Don Calvino, did not

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1112972801205241402005-04-08T07:39:00.000-07:002005-04-08T08:06:41.206-07:00

"Isn't it ironic that, now that you aren't bulimic and obsessing about your weight, you're the smallest and fittest you've ever been?"- Lauren Dorsch, an observation of her pasty-white, partially-clothed and apparently fitter-than-hell boyfriend on Thursday evening.So nice to be out of that cloud. That unconquerable haze of worry and preoccupation that tweaked my emotions for so long. I can not

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1112726971031128862005-04-05T11:27:00.000-07:002005-04-05T11:49:31.033-07:00

Back in the swing this week. I don't really feel like I am caught up on sleep yet, and there's a nagging little feeling in the back of my throat, threatening to morph into some nasty bug if I don't heed the warning.Lauren and I had a great evening last night. As she jokingly put it, "a solid afternoon and evening of pure Calvin time, no meetings or schoolwork or otherwise to pull me away." I went

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1112300925945287362005-03-31T13:17:00.000-07:002005-03-31T23:49:00.436-07:00

If this is truly an online vent session, and it's for my benefit more than ya'lls, I need to lay something out.My dad is a f*@% ing creep. My sister put it quite succinctly when she stated "I'm not even hurt anymore, just mad. Not mad about his absence, but mad about not having the fringe benefits of a functional father." You know, like an available mechanic, hiking and hunting buddy, someone to

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1112125981974521052005-03-29T12:32:00.000-07:002005-03-29T12:53:02.133-07:00

Coming home from coffee last night, sitting comfortably in a Jetta bucketseat and staring at a wicked impending storm front, I got goose bumps. One of those moments when the stark blackness contrasts against the fire-violet sunset sky and reminds you of the intangible power around us. The sight stopped me mid sentence and wiped my mind clean of its trivial thoughts.Then I remembered sitting at

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1111611396916454412005-03-23T13:28:00.000-07:002005-03-23T13:56:36.920-07:00

That is, we will see how long this lasts. I've finally scrambled down to a coffee shop to procure a wi-fi connection, since the existing connection in the house I'm sitting is being quirky and balking at my every attempt to access the world wide waste of time.We'll see how long this lasts, since one eye is on this screen and one eye is blinking nevervously at my unchained road bike outside. Lots

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1111089141489483772005-03-17T12:14:00.000-07:002005-03-17T12:52:21.493-07:00

Perched on the edge of a poorly-constructed 'oak' chair, sipping mud (as usual) and supporting a large coffee shop that does not need supporting, it is time to write again.I often hear people say that they are too busy to think about things. I have seen relationships failing in which the issues get 'slid to the back burner' for months or even years due to the tedium and relentless procession of

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1109055017134500702005-02-21T22:12:00.000-07:002005-02-21T23:50:17.140-07:00

A solid two weeks since my last post, and fifteen days since any real substance. Here I had all kinds of quirky observations I wanted to write down, interesting and bizarre occurrences in my restricted bubble of life.Things change; all anecdotes are now erased or overcast by a substantial happening. Saturday February 20, 2005, my dear friend Jason Broome passed away due to lymphoma complications.

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1107843086695923672005-02-07T22:34:00.000-07:002005-02-07T23:11:26.696-07:00

Sent 2/7/2005, 3:43pm Titled: Velonews Article Calvin, I read almost did not read your recent article in Velonews as I did not think that it applied to me. I am glad that I took the time to read what you had to say. I am not a bulimic but I have struggled in the past with some of the issues that you described in your piece. I am not the typical body type of a cyclist. I

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1107742878703611892005-02-06T19:20:00.000-07:002005-02-06T19:21:18.703-07:00

I am sitting in a living case study, an experiment to investigate how many repititions of the same cheesy Kenny G song are required to catalyze nuclear fission and psychological meltdown for customers here in the coffee shop. I finally capped off the ENGR 352 assignment… only 5.5 hours sunk into that grading episode; I have never hated anything deeper in my soul. OK, that is a bit dramatic

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1107738294530701752005-02-06T17:57:00.000-07:002005-02-06T18:04:54.530-07:00

Seems that this is my first taste of wi-fi, the wireless internet mayhem that is sweeping (OK, I am behind, past tense swept) the nation. So far it’s more than I could have dreamed…. Yank. In all actuality, this is the first time I chose to reward myself today by goofing off and surfing the net, instead of grading papers, calculating dynamics problems, or memorizing biomechanical jargon.

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1106080068919057402005-01-18T13:15:00.000-07:002005-01-19T08:35:17.613-07:00

So suddenly you realize that a while has passed and that the thousands, trillions of individuals tuned into your blog are on the verge of packing up their attentive baggage and heading to some other rambling waste of literary time. But wait! I'm here, promise. Things are well, and as often the case I am occupied and content enough not to "need to write". Need or no need, it is time for an update

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1105463386795266312005-01-11T09:47:00.000-07:002005-01-11T10:09:46.796-07:00

Poop-coffee refill, excellent. Interesting: the ground below, dry and drawn like the swirled head of a fresh-pulled cappacino, presents a network of white polka-dots interconnected at random by ribbons of yellow dirt. Each dot only accessed by a single road: picture dendrites speckled with round polyps at the ends. Beautiful from this angle, though at ground/eye level the story may be different.

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1105462021378415362005-01-11T09:32:00.000-07:002005-01-11T09:47:01.376-07:00

To my left: Gangsta boy, Adidas-clad w/ massive headphones, blue-green prison ink half-concealed by a long-sleeve undershirt, gothic lettering on the nape of his neck oddly resembles a bar-code from this angle and distance. To my immediate left: Four ounces of instant coffee with granular sugar and cream (still visible afloat) pinning down a mapkin (cartographic wipe) and stained with the

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1104894347548872842005-01-04T19:17:00.000-07:002005-01-04T20:05:47.546-07:00

And so the days continue to pass, I pretending not to but secretly stealing glances at the calendar, the clock, the minute and secondhands. I return to Boise in 72 hours, give or take, and though feeling somewhat guilty I know my return occurs just in time. I often encounter this feeling with/against family members. Back in the 2002-2003 holiday season, while trying frantically to repair my VW

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1104764775259237932005-01-03T08:04:00.000-07:002005-01-03T08:06:15.260-07:00

I am… on vacation: Tivo commander, GameBoy conqueror, Hot beverage junky, Internet floozy, Napmaster, novella peruser. I am… grateful: Gratis travel, fancy new shoes, Borrowed time, southern-soul-submersion. Knitting world inductee, amateur rummy athlete, Appreciated cared for acclaimed respected admired I am… satiated, ready: Less humidity, broad culture, Frosted windows, familiar grub,

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1104267604443025142004-12-28T14:55:00.000-07:002004-12-28T14:00:04.443-07:00

Day, let’s see, day twelve with my grandparents on my stint here in Texas. Perhaps I inadvertently sensed my stay’s midpoint and chose to retrospect (and anticipate) on the visit. Christmas came and went in literary buildup/climax/resolution fashion. Aided by music from Kenny Rogers, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and a gaggle of easy listening giants, we partook in the standard modern

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1103646666938593682004-12-21T09:28:00.000-07:002004-12-21T09:31:06.936-07:00

“Yah, zee humane body is a strange thing. We fall off dee building, we are fine. Zen, we eat cooked speenach and chip zee tooth.� -Gwenyth I agree, Gwenyth. En route to Houston aboard SWA flight 679, thanks to a plane change in Las Vegas Nevada, I met German-born-turned-Vegas-high-roller Gwyneth. Even seated one could see she failed to stand more than five feet tall, and her attire and

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1102552522487717382004-12-08T17:25:00.000-07:002004-12-08T17:35:22.486-07:00

The weather is crap today, super heavy rain with no chance of abating. I woke up and took Lauren to her subbing job and was thus granted access to a vehicle. Near the university, I saw a few cops lined up placing cones and waving people around what appeared to be a nasty accident. It was hard to see through the raindrops but I could see only one car involved... and one bicycle. I passed the black

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1102350561051194502004-12-06T09:12:00.000-07:002004-12-06T09:29:21.050-07:00

Ah, the beginning of another week. I am counting the days for the semester to end... not because school is a bear, but because I am anxiously awaiting my holiday vacation down in Texas. I leave December 17 and won't return for three weeks... lots of time to visit the g-parents and ride my bike in the Texas climate. Overall I am feeling well, though I have caught myself being a bit irritable this

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1100967486193181512004-11-20T09:06:00.000-07:002004-11-20T09:18:06.193-07:00

Dawson's Coffee House is a madhouse this morning. Take the normal freaky-high volume of Saturday caffeine addicts and throw in the new crowd of hot-cocoa-hungry kids downtown to see the holiday parade. There are all kinds of new faces in here: lots of fathers drug in to pacify screaming kids and antsy housewives. I think I've heard the phrase "Ameri-what-oh?, what the hell is that? Don't you have

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1100301634289583862004-11-12T15:43:00.000-07:002004-11-12T16:20:34.290-07:00

With a title like that, you must be expecting some pretty philosophical scribbling; some insight, some revelations, some optimism. Well hey, that's not the case. It just happened to be the last song I heard on my way out the door this afternoon... which meant I was whistling it when my front tire washed out on my way across a damp bridge down by the university. Now my elbow is raw and my wool

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1100213284612209552004-11-11T15:31:00.000-07:002004-11-11T15:48:04.626-07:00

Has it really been more than a month since I've last typed? Not good, not good at all, considering this thing is supposed to be set up as an online vent/therapy session. That either means I have experienced exceptional mental clarity and a seamless lifestyle... or I've botteled everything up. The whole idea was to scribble daily notes from my relentlessly undulating frame of mind... but in that

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137590.post-1096932564477208172004-10-04T16:00:00.000-07:002004-10-04T18:26:23.606-07:00

It's been a bit since I've written, just staying occupied I suppose. It took me a full two weeks to finally kick that cold. Although I'm still fighting some serious nose crud I think that it's all attributable to the pm in the air (engineering nerdspeak: particulate matter, ie pollen and pollution). About two weeks ago, during our bouts with individual colds, Lauren and I decided on a trip down

Calvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16817096144561693751noreply@blogger.com0