the knee bone is connected to the ..... nerve endings

Well, I finally did it. I made the appointment with my doctor today to get the ball rolling on getting my knee fixed. It's gotten so bad that I can't trust it anymore. What's even worse is that I've grown so used to it hurting that when I watch, or read about, someone riding, skating, trickfucking, etc... I don't get inspired to do it myself. I just wince thinking about how much it would hurt. That mentality sucks. I'm not 100% sure what is wrong with it but my doc thinks that it should be a quick fix. It's none of that ACL/MCL type stuff. What happens is that when I get it bent about halfway and try to put pressure through it it feels like there is gravel in it trying to push my knee cap up and away from my leg. Hopefully it will be a quick fix so I can get back to some level of progression and maybe it won't be too financially draining and I can start buying ramp materials soon.

Take care,
Buddy

inspiration

Just got the latest issue of Juice in the mail this week. I've only had time to read the interview with Mike Vallely so far but that was all it took to get me motivated to get off my ass. Off my ass to do what? Everything. Number one though is to get back to cleaning the shop so that ramp construction may finally begin. Not only do I want my boy Jake to know the simple fun of skating but I want him to have a connection to the personalities and culture that it is. Even though he's only 6 I can tell that he will really enjoy everything about it. So Dave, if you're reading, I haven't forgotten. We're just buried under little league and BMX. It's gonna get done though. Gonna MAKE time.

Buddy

NEWS ALERT: WANTED!!!

For destroying Easter! The Easter Bunny is dead!
I'm not sure when it went down, but it went down and thru a varmint who then shat it upon thy trail. Thankfully it was found the day AFTER Easter.

Nice little find on this trail:

And this'd be a nice trail nugget if it wasn't 40 freakin' degrees!

You hit this baby at top speed; the map said creek crossing and I suspected it would be the typical right angle crossing but as you can see you ride along the creek which creates a wall of water that I got to ride thru. Oh well it was worth the 30 second high speed descent with a few small jumps along the way.

A couple of rants:

1. If you're going to have a race, don't do it on Easter! The promoter gets hosed and of course people bitch because the turn out is so low. Duh you dumb mother fuckers! RACE VIDEO
2. If you use the digital camera put new batteries in it when they run out! That way when I take said camera on a trip it'll actually work and I won't have to use the tinker toy camera attached to my cell phone.

And lastly and in cahoots with Buddy's last post:

I'd always thought that to be a fast mountain biker who could climb shit you really needed to clip in. (It's the only way I could ever garner any speed and climb molehills.) But last week after a meeting in Arkansas I went for a ride with a co-worker who races BMX named Ronny and his friend. (Who's name's lost on me; let's go with Animal.) We rode the Lake Fayetteville trail which if rode clockwise is a fun trail that's 90% downhill. Well Ronny and Animal decide to take me the opposite way which makes it about a 4 mile sufferfest of a fucking climb; not too steep mind you but constantly up-fucking-hill. NO FUN WHATSOEVER. Of course being old school BMX'ers they didn't clip in and as you can probably guess Animal cleaned everything while Ronny cleared almost everything, and I walked/pushed quite a bit. About 80% of the way thru the trail I got my whine on and bitched 'em out; I'm sure they were just trying to punish me...and they did...the fuckers. I was worked and spewed things like: "DID YOU SEE THE OTHER 50 FUCKING RIDERS WHO PASSED BY GOING THE OTHER FUCKING WAY? KNOW WHY THEY FUCKING DO THAT? 'CAUSE IT'S FUCKING FUN TO GO DOWNHILL!" Asswipes. Anyway, I'd told them to come to Tulsa for some Turkey fun and they said they would. I'd originally thought I'd start them out on some beginner trails but after this ass whoopin' it'll be straight to Hi Chi and over to Millennium. Turnabout is fair play. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. They better sleep with one eye up for awhile.

HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE A SLOW TECHNICAL RIDER SCORNED!!!

Supa Nationals ... Daaaaamn Right

My little boy Jake raced the ABA "Super National" in Desoto, Texas this weekend and had a blast. Friday was practice with a pre-race Friday night. It rained so much I thought that Noah was fixing to cruise by any minute but thanks to the wonderful covered facility of the Metroplex there in Desoto the races didn't miss a beat. Due to the water running through staging the gate may have gotten a little wet but hell, it does have "motocross" in the name, a little adversity thrown down by Ma Nature is good.

Speaking of doing good I couldn't be more proud of Jake. I don't say that because he killed everyone in the results but because of the whole package that he is. While he did ride really good and made 2 mains over the weekend (winning one qualifier to do it) it was his attitude off the track that I was really stoked on. On the track I could tell he was giving it his all while still remaining smooth. Off the track he played, made friends, and did what all little kids should do....some of you bmx nazi dad's should pay attention here.... He had fun! What a cool little dude.

I gotta take a minute here to say that I really think 6 year olds running clipless pedals on their BMX bikes is ridiculous. Hell, I think clipless pedals even being allowed in BMX for any age is worth questioning. Sure everyone goes faster but the racing just isn't as carefree as it should be. To me it takes the fun out of banging bars in the corners for fear of unclipping and it limits the amount of progression in riding due to the fear of NOT unclipping. Right now Jake may be at a disadvantage on the starts but we ain't doing this for results in 6I. I'd rather see him progress his riding, learn how to race in the corners, jump, manual, etc... Him having fun and progressing as a rider is why we do this stuff. I figure whenever results are important enough to him that he feels he needs to clip in he'll really do well. Or he won't....and we'll still have a blast riding bicycles together.

Do something fun with your kids. They're probably way cooler than you are. I know mine is.
Buddy