A Round of Drinks - on Me

Greetings Readers

As I wrote about the "Big News" yesterday Mike Shanahan is gone. No longer. Finished.

With that "Big News" I decided to buy a couple 6 packs of a microbew beer and give one bottle to each of my close friends that I know of who would appreciate a beer on me. Just my way of showing how much this "Big News" affected me.

I am so happy that I have to show my happiness about Mike Shanahan being let go. As Obama key world in his run for presidency - "Change".

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

A Christmas Wish and A Christmas Miracle

Greetings Readers

Finally.

I got my Christmas wish on Sunday. That wish, and not a prayer, was for the Denver Broncos to lose to San Diego Chargers.

And this wish was possible since I have been listening to the news sportscasters on what the Broncos need to do in order to get into the Playoffs.

Flashback - Three weeks ago - the Denver Broncos were a shoo in for winning our division. After all, our division looked awful - there were no dominant records in our division. Yet, somehow the Broncos lead the division and the next close team to the Broncos was the San Diego Chargers. In my mind at that time I believed that the Broncos were going to go to the Playoffs.

With the possible combinations of what could happen for the Broncos not to make it seemed so unlikely - impossible.

Flashback - Two weeks ago - The Denver Broncos lost. I thought that perhaps I can believe in the Broncos not going to the Playoffs.

Flashback - One week ago - The Denver Broncos lose another game. Wow! I can really believe in the Broncos not making the Playoffs. After all I am talking about the Broncos. Nothing is ever set in stone with them. Nothing is normal for the Denver Donkeys... I mean the Denver Broncos.

One game left and it was the San Diego Chargers in San Diego. The Denver Broncos first meeting with the Chargers early in the season was controversial and we should have a record of a loss with them, but due to a fuck up on a call we won the game. With knowing that we really should have lost that game I knew that the possibility of losing to the Chargers was really great.

Even more so since everyone in Colorado knows that this coming game is the game that will determine whether or not the Broncos go to the Playoffs. With that sort of pressure and the Broncos I knew that this was going to go either way. And one thing that I could guarantee is that this game would not be a close game. The Broncos were either going to run away with the game or really lose the game. It would not come down to a field goal or a touchdown in the last quarter. Or the final minute of the game. That is not the Broncos style when there is something major on the line.

It is no secret that I do not want the Broncos to go to the Playoffs. I do not hate Mike Shanahan or the Broncos, but I just do not want them to go to the Playoffs. After all I have my teams - the Steelers and the Cowboys that I want to go to the Playoffs each year.

Present day - Sunday came and went and I did not even listen to the radio or turned the TV to see the game. I did not want to know or even to jinx the game. Yes "Jinx" - I tend to believe that I perhaps tune into a Broncos game I might be the Jinx that make them turn around a game and win or do good.

Monday morning came and I still had no clue who won. I did not turn on the news and honestly I did not want to know - yet. I went to the bus stop and then caught the bus to the Light Rail Station and then I saw the Newspaper machine. I did not see "Broncos" on the front page. Matter of fact from what I could see in the window of the newspaper machine had no Broncos at all.

Hmmm. Did they lose? I bet they did since if they won the Broncos would be front page news for the newspaper.

I got to work and then check Yahoo as I was getting ready for the day.

"...a historic collapse with Denver becoming the first team since divisional play started in 1967 to blow a three-game lead with three games left."

Wow! I could, but could not fucking believe that the Broncos have earned another historic awful record in football. Leave it to the Broncos to do this. The one good thing for this Broncos lost to the Chargers this past Sunday is that this time there is not another going to be another awful record set in Super Bowl play should have the Broncos made it to the Super Bowl.

Oh - the Christmas Miracle - Mike Shanahan got Fired on 12/30/08. Fired!

P.S. I am happy, but not for the reason(s) you Readers are probably assuming. I will talk about this later.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

Fallout 3

Greetings Readers

I have been hearing very good things about this game and how big and wide the game can be. Sort of like GTA, but different and in a sense better.

Well, I do have to say after buying this game this weekend it is pretty good. Pretty darn good. I am expecting good things and I hope that this game is better than my Aerosmith Guitar Hero I bought early this year.

There are so many pictures that I want to use for this post, but I think this represents the view of the game. Post world war nuclear environment and you are playing in the DC area. And that is about all I want to give away.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

Day after Christmas

Greetings Readers

Auto - posting since I will probably be doing the after Christmas shopping for some deals

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

Christmas in Colorado

Greetings Readers

Hope today is what you wanted it to be - Have a nice Christmas

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

Helping the Neighbor Out

Greetings Readers

I never did tell you Readers about what happened after right after I got home from Qdoba's and giving the Qdoba girl her Christmas Card.

I was feeling pretty good and happy about myself since I finally went out on a limb and took a chance. Whether or not something happens or not at least I finally did something as opposed to nothing.

I got home and I see my neighbor walking towards me. He looked frazzled.

"Hey Mike. Everything ok?"

"Hi Daryl."

Readers, Mike unfortunately received a head injury which damaged part of his brain and left him mentally disabled. Yes Readers he told me what happened. That was pretty strong of him to tell this to me when I got to know him. It is sad story and going from being okay to mentally handicap would be devestating for anyone.

"um..." Mike could not speak right away.

"Go ahead, take your time." I said to him.

Well, Mike pulls out his wallet and then asks me that he needs some Diet Mountain Dew since he has no more in his fridge.

"Let me drop off my work stuff and I will be right back and go to King Soopers to get you some Diet Mountain Dew."

Readers, he does have a sister that does come over that helps him out and does take him where needs to go. Also, the RTD handicap shuttle does drop by every now and then to take him where he needs to go. Apparently, this is one time that both were not available. Then again, I did not know.

What I did know, I was feeling pretty good about myself and you know what Readers I wanted to be nice.

I emptied my back pack out, used the restroom and then headed over to Mike's place.

After reaching his place and talking a bit with him, he gave me four dollars and told me what to get, what size and he even mentioned what aisle number it was in.

Readers, I have to admit that Mike needing his Diet Mountain Dew is like me needing some Coca-Cola. I have my moments that I have to absolutely have to have Cola-Cola. I am able so there is no excuse for me not to get the Cola-Cola myself. In Mike's case he does - I would hate for him to walk to King Soopers, which is about .66 miles away from our neighborhood. Also, there is snow, ice and it is dark. Mike has told me in the past he has walked to King Soopers a few times, but only in the day light.

Anyway, I have gotten to know Mike over the past year when he takes his dog, Sophia, out walking. So, when I saw he was in distress and I immediately asked if he needed help, regardless if I could help him or not.

About 20 minutes later I was back at his place with three 1 liters bottles of Diet Mountain Dew and his change. He said I could keep the change (and it was not much), but I told him not a problem and left it on the counter since Mike was sitting comfortably in his recliner watching tv with a blanket on him.

I was cold from the night's winter cold air, but feeling very warm from giving the Christmas card to the Qdoba girl and getting a bit warmer inside me for doing a good deed for a neighbor.

Who could as for more right?

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

Qdoba Girl - 7 Days later...

Greetings Readers

I am nervous, very nervous. It will be just about a week since giving my Qdoba girl a Christmas card. Also, suggesting that we go out for a bite to eat or grab a cup of coffee even though I do not drink coffee. Readers, I will force myself to drink coffee if she does agree to go out for a cup of coffee.

But that is jumping the gun.

I am wondering how my visit will go later on today. Oh yes Readers, I have to go tonight. I have to go since it is my regular thing to go to Qdoba’s every Friday now. I am assuming that if I do not show up I might cause my Qdoba girl to think twice about what happened last Friday.

Believe me, I have been thinking about what I did last Friday and the train of possibilities that are now in motion. What if she says she’s involved? What if she says no to me? What if I made things awkward? What if she called and I was not home? What if…?

And so goes the list. I have talked to my friends and they have all agreed that I need to go to Qdoba’s tonight since that is something I do regularly. Then, they have all agreed that I must not, DO NOT, bring up the Christmas card. Let her bring it up, and then I can comment on it. Then, make sure I dine in. Do not make the burrito to go. This will give my Qdoba girl the opportunity to talk to me at the table in case she does not talk about the Christmas card while serving me.

All sounds good, but then I am seeing the other side – what if she outright shoots me down. I will be sad, but I need to know. After all, all this time I have been trying to ask Qdoba girl out.

I have been joking/talking with my friends about if it does not go well I will be crying on their shoulders come next week. Hah hah. Yes, I am kidding. I am not putting everything on this girl. I will be okay, but like anyone else I am subject to being rejected.

Our relationship on the whole is great. Me as the customer and her as the producer - things are going great, in my view. I order, she makes and we talk as if we are close friends. I do (did not) want to ruin that, but as I wrote Readers I am finding myself looking at her more and more each time I see her. Not love, but lust and yes Readers I do find her as “my type.” Although my friends are surprised it is not a blonde.

In closing if she says no, I will try to sway her. Yet, I bet I am going to have to change my Friday visit back to a Sunday visit, which in turn I will not see her. Though this is from the top of my head. I do not want to cut her out of my life, but that may be the only thing to do. And I say this since I was at that store first. Also, this Qdoba’s is the closest Qdoba’s to my humble abode

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

A Live Lobster's Last Leg on Life

Greetings Readers

As I said about a month ago “I love to toot my own horn” when I can.

As the blog picture shows I received a Live Lobster.

I do not consider myself a Lobster person since I absolutely love Alaskan King Crab Legs. Since I hardly ever have Lobster I could not tell you Readers the differences between the two regarding taste, texture and flavor.

Anyway, I was not going to turn down Live Lobster. I do (and did) thank the client that gave me the Lobster. Sorry Readers, as I perhaps stated before I do not have a clue if I sound hungry when I talk to my clients. This was a welcome surprise indeed.

Even though I was full from the potluck we had all day, I had to cook the Lobster that evening. Oh yes Readers, I do know how to cook Lobster. After all if I can cook crab, then Lobster is no different.

Now, this is the only thing I hate about cooking Lobster is I have to kill the Lobster in order to eat the Lobster. I feel bad when I am doing the killing. I am sentencing the Lobster to his/her death and I will be eating the Lobster within the hour.

I have no problem when I am at a restaurant and order a Lobster, since I am not doing the cooking. I think nothing less (or more) while eating the Lobster. Same goes if I am over a friend’s for dinner. As long as he/she is doing the cooking I think nothing of the Lobster I am eating.

Yet, when I am doing the cooking of the Lobster I hate it. After all I am extinguishing another creature’s life for food. Now, this is where there is a conundrum in my extinguishing my dinner. Our family raises Black Angus and I have no problem eating the meat. However, not in this case. I cooked a Lobster and then when I am about to eat the Lobster I can see the cooked eyes gazing up at me from my plate. Crazy, but only an hour ago this Lobster was alive, on my counter and I was intrigued by the Live Lobster when bringing it to my humble abode.

To say the least I steamed the Lobster and had a container of melted butter by Challenged Butter. Oh the Lobster was cooked to perfection. Dipping into butter prior to eating was exquisite tasting. The tail and the claws were delicious.

Sorry Readers I could not make myself take a picture of the “Lobster aftermath.” To me it was too morbid to take a picture of my dinner that I killed in order to eat.

Again, I am proud to say that I can cook Lobster. And I am proud to say that I received another meal from a client for what I do best.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

Sad News Readers

Greetings Readers

I never ask for something awful/bad/terrible to happen during this time of the year to affect me directly or indirectly.

However, I am very sad to report that my close friend's son passed away this past week. I was shocked and perhaps I am a bit still shocked. When I heard some lyrics to a song that may reference something about lost I can not help to get choked up. Then again, the song may have that certain vibe and I can not helped not to get choked up and think of what just happened this past week. I have been busy with month and year end close and not to mention a pot luck day that I have been able to really think about what happened to my friend.

I do hope my friend will overcome this tragedy. I do not how to react nor how to say anything for what has happened. Damn if I can write, but Damn if I can not find the words to comfort anyone on a tragedy like this. A card and flowers were sent this week.

Why did something like this have to happen indirectly to me? Another reason in my "why I do not like this time of the year" column.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

Damn - It's Cold Again!

Greetings Readers

There is not much else I can say, except I think it was the coldest it has been this fall (not quite winter, yet.)

Anyway, this is me in the RTD Light taking the Light as far as I can so....

1. I can keep warm as long as possible.
2. Keep from riding on the ice and black ice that is on the road in the dark.
3. I guess I do use my noggin' every once in awhile.
4. Show

Supposedly, we are going to have a heat wave coming. Meaning, we will actually get to point of freezing on the thermometer

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

Qdoba - Christmas Card Incident

Greetings Readers

I was a mess for a whole week. Well, not a mess, but damn it was hard to pick a Christmas card out for my Qdoba girl.

The card could not be serious, no word “Love” in/on the card, could not be suggestive (i.e. Like I got stocking stuffer for your stocking), and it could not be stupid funny. So, there I was in two different specialty card stores the past week.

Let me tell you I wanted one that was “To a Friend”, but I am not sure that we are even that. Yes, I know that we both known each other for a while (Over a span of five years or so), but hell we did not know each other’s name until just two months ago.

We said hi to each other, she serves me my order, I say “Thank You” and that has been our “Friendship” over the past five years or so.

Oh by the way Readers, where my Qdoba girl works is probably the only restaurant that I have to be so not me. I have to be nice, not that it is that hard, but yes I will admit it is a challenge in itself. Because you know I can find something to complain or basically make you be the person you were hired to do. After all I am the customer!

Anyway, the Christmas card was hard to pick out. I even had to ask some other customers (women) their opinions on whether this card would be too much for my situation. And believe me that was not hard asking women who I did not know for their opinion. I think all were helpful =),

That was half the battle.

The next part was not writing something wrong. As you make or not make out I have posted a picture of the Christmas card I bought and all the writing I added to the inside of the card.

Boo-yah! Nope, damn that was hard trying to figure out what I wanted to write and say to her. There was a lot I wanted to say, but I also to have to hold back on other things to say or not say.

So, all week I was trying to figure out what to write in the card. Come last Friday I was about two blocks from Qdoba’s already freaking out when I remembered that I did not write my final note in the card. I did write what I was going to say on scrap paper, but I actually did not write in the card.

So, I had to turn around and go to Office Max or Office Depot and buy some pens since I did not have any in my bike back pack. Well, I needed some new pens anyway. A few minutes later I was outside in front of the store in my biking gear, bike shorts, nervous and on top of that getting very cold so writing in the card I was shaking from the cold and pure nervousness.

Five minutes later I was biking up to Qdoba’s with my Charlie Brown Christmas card with my personal note written in the card. I was scairt! (Slang)

I open the door and see that my Qdoba girl is working. And looking good and the same as last Friday.

Yet, when I got to the counter I saw the twinkling of a diamond or Cubic Zircona earring in her left ear lobe. I also saw a smile and her stand a bit taller when she addressed me. I also notice a sparkle of light in her eyes. Although that could have been my imagination. Yet, I doubt that.

Readers, I really do not know what I said or talked about. I remembering me saying something about working long hours at work since it is month and year end close. She said that she has been working longer hours and cutting down staff hours because of cutting costs of labor.

I was nervous and not paying attention since I had done everything I said I was going to do and here I was. I pulled out my wallet and Christmas card at the same time and kept them out of her vision. Just in case I chickened out. Oh yes Readers that was a possibility I did take into consideration! So, if any of you Readers do hear a “cluck” on a Friday evening in the South side of Denver – that be me.

She helped me throughout the line, my Qdoba girl did not pass me off to the ingredient person. Thank goodness.

Basically, we were done with each other and this was the moment to give her the Christmas card.

Then

1. What if she opens the card right there?
2. What if she asks me if she can open the card now?
3. What if she asks me if she can open the card later?
4. What if I dine in and wonders if she should open the card?
5. What if I make her uncomfortable with the whole card thing?
6. and so forth.

Mind you Readers, all these possibilities played out in a few seconds and then I figured out that I will not dine in. I will take it to go therefore making her or me uncomfortable with the Christmas card I am planning to hand her in the next 10 seconds.

“Happy Holidays” Or something to that effect and then I hand her the card.

I have now passed the point of no return. I am out there! No turning back. I can not undo what I just did.

I see her face light up a bit, a smile and a she says “Thank you” and I think that is all I can remember. By the way Readers, I was sweating in places that I never knew. Hah hah.

I walked out of Qdoba's hopefully like I was like "The Man" and not too fast. Oh yes, I was thinking “Oh Fuck me – I did it.”

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

The King Soopers "Incident"

Greetings Readers

I do not think this is an incident, but I had to label this post an "incident."

I went to King Soopers to get some Coca-Cola and something for dinner. I walked almost all over the store trying to decide what I wanted for dinner and had a heck of a time trying to decide what I wanted to eat and make. I wanted steak, but that meant I would have to start the grill outside and all things associating to cooking on the grill. Well, I walked back and forth through the meats section. I would say about three to five minutes later I was walking with some chicken thighs to the baking supplies aisle. I wanted some Oven fry so I went to get that. I was going to cook the chicken in the oven to be done with it

After about 7 minutes or so I was done shopping and ready to check out.

I saw that there was a couple of check out lines open and one line that was finishing up. I elected to go to the 10 items or less line.

“Hi how are you?” she asked monotonously.

I smile “Fine. And you?”

“Fine.”

Now, this is where things perhaps get interesting in my life, from my point of view.

“Anything else?”

I spotted the newspaper shelf almost right across the 10 Items or less check out. And I remembered that I needed a paper.

Now, I did know I have two choices. There was not an only one choice in my view. 1. I walk over a grab a newspaper myself. Or 2. I do not go over and get the paper.

I chose the latter knowing that there was probably going to be “an issue.” I was asking for an issue, but in my mind I was not wrong. I was not right, but I considered the fate of what I was about to do and wanted to see how things transpire, play out.

“A paper please.”

She looks at me. I look at her. I decided not to walk over to get the paper. Technically, she was closer to the newspaper stand than I was.

About 5 to 10 seconds pass between us.

Now Readers, I know for a fact that when I need ice at any store, the cashier will most likely push a button (or buttons.) I do not know which, but irrelevant for this incident. The cashier will ring up the ice, I pay and then I grab the ice on my way out of the grocery store from the freezer in front of the store. The cashier does not normally scan the ice when no ice has been brought to the check out.

I figured, assumed, and actually knew that the cashier could ring up the purchase without scanning. Though I do agree that perhaps inventory control could be an issue. Though I do not know nor do I care.

What I do care about is that I am the customer.

“The paper.” I ask again

She points to the shelf. “Over there.”

“I know.” I replied not moving or dropping eye contact. “It is over there”

She looks at me saying nothing.

“You’re not going to get it for me?” I ask her

“No”

“Okay”

Another five seconds pass between us. Then, she turns and rings up the rest of my order and then I give her my Soopers card.

“Hmmm.” She says and then looks off in the distance not talking to me directly “That’s a new one.” And she says that just as a matter of fact and politely, showing no irritation.

“What’s that? You not helping the customer out” I responded just as nicely as she was talking to me. Condescending on both of our parts, but being very pleasant and nice about it.

“That someone has asked me to do something like that.”

“Really.” I responded with a smile on my face. Her face was just emotionless – not mad or happy. Unreadable.

I give her my money that was due and then she gives me my money back, which I say, “thank you.”

She does not say anything back.

No one was in line so it was still she and I. While I putting my money away and I would estimate that about 15 seconds have passed since the cashier saying “really.”

“Well, if you want that paper I can get it for you” she politely states in an off hand manner, but still polite as we both have been.

“No, that’s okay. I don’t want to bother you anymore than I have to” I politely respond to her.

She says one more thing, but I cannot remember, but basically she was telling me that she could get and ring the newspaper up for me, after the fact. At this point, don’t do me any favors. I was irate, but Readers I would agree none of this would have happened if I just walked over to get the paper. So no sense getting mad over what choices I saw when I wanted that newspaper.

Though, this could have been avoided if she had walked over to get a paper so she can scan the item.

What I did control was getting upset and perhaps making a scene about the not getting the Paper. There is a right and a wrong, but depends on your point of view. I am not writing to either get your support or feel bad for her for getting me to check out.

The blog post I just wrote I hope was sort of close to what was said, but I cannot remember word for word. What I remember is that the cashier and I were as polite as possible to each other and not getting into it.

Needless to say I did not get the paper so I lost “the battle.” I did and do feel that the cashier should have gotten my paper in order to ring up when I did indicate that I needed a paper. After all, I am a customer who does shop at King Soopers regularly and most of the time I do not have many “bad” visits to King Soopers.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

Down and Dirty, Baby!

Greetings Readers

At my current age I have noticed certain things through out the years. Just in the past year I am assuming I have come to notice things I never noticed before.

What I want to bring up and talk about is a few commercials I have seen on TV of various cleaning supplies. Squirting mops, pads that “click off” toilet cleaners, a shower cleaner that auto cleans your shower somehow, a carpet cleaner that you squirt, brush once (according to the commercial) and clean (yes that easy! – apparently) and a remote control vacuum cleaner.

Wow. What ever happened to getting down and dirty when cleaning, Baby?! Back in the day when I was growing up I learned to clean up the shower stall/tub with a hand brush, I learned to wash dishes by hand, I learned to get on my hands and knees and scrub the tiled floors with a hand brush also.

Matter of fact, I picked up dog shit without needing a sign to indicate to clean up after my pet back in the day. I also learned to wipe surfaces not standing on my two feet. Get a stepladder; stand on chair to reach those high out reach places. Get down on your knees and scrub the floor. How much is liquid going to so on a dirty floor going to do? What if the stain needs to be scrubbed clean? Are you going to let the liquid set and wait until the liquid penetrates the stain? Meanwhile, you could have been done by getting on your knees, apply pressure to a hand brush or a rag and wipe clean that stain in 7/8 the time for the liquid cleaner to work “its magic.”

Sure Readers, these new gadgets are apparently make cleaning easier, in my view, are helping America get lazier and perhaps contributing to the overweight Americans. Readers! By no way am I implying this is the cause, but perhaps the not getting yourself dirty may make others not get dirty from doing other things that you need to get down and dirty.

Such as changing a flat tire. I was watching the past Amazing Race season and on the show there was a black dating couple and they got a flat tire. Fuck me. The man just looked at the tire from different angles to see the flat tire as if he could not believe the tire was flat. Not once did he touch the flat tire with his hands, matter of fact, not one finger. Nor did he even open the trunk to get the jack (and perhaps spare tire.) He did yell out to his woman to flag down another vehicle while closely looking at the flat tire from different angles. Who knows how long he just looked at the flat tire, but the next scene shows that person they flagged down was changing the flat tire, while the black guy watched what he was doing. Readers. Come one. A man needs to know how to change a flat tire. What I mean, in my book if you cannot change a flat tire then you are not a man if you are a man that does not know how to change a tire.

Again I know that the Soprano’s was a fictional TV show, but when Tony and A.J. got a flat tire in Tony’s SUV A.J. immediately suggested that they call Triple A (AAA) to change the flat tire. Tony looks at A.J. and gives him the “what the fuck look” and gets angry and proceeds to tell A.J. he is going to change the tire, from what I remember in that one episode.

Getting back to the cleaning of the house. Get yourself a bucket of hot water, a bottle of Pine sol and dish gloves if you want and start cleaning for yourself. Get yourself on your knees and scrub. Don’t rely on a “squirting” mop. Or a disposable toilet cleaner. Damn. Get a rag. Get some paper towels and starting cleaning like Mr. Clean is looking over your shoulder. Use bleach for the toilet. Ajax the tub / shower. Windex the mirrors and windows – or a water and white vinegar mixture.

I know it is a dirty job, but what’s a little effort into cleaning? You will feel good about yourself for doing the job entirely yourself. You will smell the cleanliness of your job. After all, I feel good about cleaning once I see I did the job that I did not want to do, but had to do. After all the cleaning is done go take a shower and then you will come out as clean as you cleaned up and you will notice and smell the cleanliness of your cleaning job(s).

I have to say that seeing those commercials on TV I really wonder about us American and how much that is having an effect on the younger generation.

In closing Readers, not that you care, but if I am over a girl’s/woman’s house I will look under the sink in the kitchen and faucet to see if there are cleaning supplies. After all, if I notice a woman who does not have any cleaning products is something I should worry about since I do care about how clean I want and tend to get at my humble abode. I do not want someone who may be living in filth. Of course a little filth is okay, but if I see no signs of being clean then that is red flag in my book.

Oh another thing if any of you readers use a shower liner spend the extra 5 to 15 dollars for a new shower liner if you need a new shower liner.

Okay, okay, okay. I will stop now. I just wanted to talk about this subject since this was something that I noticed and wanted to blog about.

I could be unique on this subject Readers, but this is what I wanted to say on this subject.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

My Piñon Roasting

Greetings Readers

Roasting Piñons.

Oh Readers the definition of Piñon (Webster 1989) – 1. Any of various pines, esp. of the Southern Rocky Mountain region, bearing large edible seeds. 2. the seed.

As I said in my last post I am far from being a Piñon roasting and salting expert (A god), but damn it I was going to try on Sunday, which is my first weekend since being back in Colorado. After all, I have about ¾ Gallon zip lock bag full of Piñons. Even though I replaced the Piñons we roasted I still had a very full bag of Piñons. Apparently, that 40-dollar zip lock bag was stuffed to maximum capacity of Piñons.

Anyway, I have that many Piñons to experiment with and practically a full day to make myself learn and perfect Piñon Roasting and Salting.

I had a clue from what my mother and me did together and from what I saw my dad did. Also, I learned some new information from my Dad’s sister about roasting and salting. With that information I was going to use that knowledge to roast Piñons on my own for the very first time. Unsupervised, and no way to call for help I was determined to do this roasting on my own.

After all, I am the one that can cook.

Sunday morning I got “the tools” that I needed for roasting and salting and turned on the television to what I saw in the TV guide I got in the Sunday’s paper that was just about to start – Bring it On.

Who does not like this comedy? I think goes down with the classic comedy movies. With lines like this – “Cheertator!” ”That’s all right. That’s okay. You’ll be pumping our gas someday” “Touched by an angel.” “Go Toros” etc.

Anyway, I was ready to start my ambitious project and I was destine not to fail.

I cleared all counters and had everything lain out on all counters. Pans, cooking mittens, 4 gold dollar coins, and the zip lock bag of raw Piñons. Salt, Cast Iron Skillet, strainer, dish clothes and a couple of other items.

The first batch I got started, which was the hardest and the easiest since this was my first time going solo on Piñon roasting.

Roughly an hour later things were going like clockwork. While I was roasting one Piñon Batch I was salting another batch, and I was rinsing another batch, and I was testing another batch for done-ness – all at the same time. I started to lose count and time of roasting and what not. So that is when I has to use the dollar coins, on top of that using my G shock watch stopwatch / timer and the clock on the wall to make sure that I am not over roasting (or not roasting enough) to make sure I was not shorting myself five minutes. Though sometimes I forgot to reset my timer on my watch so at times more than 5 minutes elapse here and there.

I was able to watch TV, but was very limited since I was doing all steps at once and I had to be very, very careful not to over roast a batch of Piñons.

About 5 hours later I was done with Roasting and Salting. And I have to say that the last batch I made was “da bomb.” Meaning, I roasted and salted to perfection. I fucking nailed roasting to a tee. And I really did not destroy a batch of Piñons, which I was afraid that I thought I was going to do no matter what. After all, if I over roast a batch I was going to force myself to eat the over roasted batch, since I did pay a lot of money for the Piñons.

The kitchen was a mess – counter tops were covered in hot pads, pans, and dried up salt was everywhere. And then near the edge of the counter was a nice pile of empty and cracked Piñon shells that I was tasting and eating all throughout the roasting process. And that pile was pretty big. First of all, I did not think I tasted and ate that many Piñons, but apparently I did. But, I hardly made a dent in my Piñon Stash.

After all said and done I was pretty happy about myself. Yes Readers, tooting my own horn once more. Then, a few seconds later I thought about how much money I could make by selling my stash in those little zip lock bags. Oh yeah. My stash is what I now think of my Piñons. I could not put my Piñons back into the original Zip lock bag. I actually have my own Piñon jar, which basically is an empty Folgers Plastic container that is the net wt 34.5 oz container of coffee. The container says aroma seal so I am assuming that this will keep the Piñons airtight against the air. Boo yah.

Then, the other half of my brain kicked back in – no way I am selling my horde of Piñon nuts. I bought and roasted my own Piñons so departing with my Piñons I worked so hard to bring from New Mexico to Colorado and eventually roasted – I put in some serious time with my stash of piñons. I cannot sell my roasted Piñons.

I did give some of my freshly roasted batch of Piñons to three of my friends that I knew would care to have.

Oh the stories of them eating the Piñons were funny to listen to. I was just like someone on the Soprano’s perhaps. First bag is free then it will cost "a dime" a bag. Friend prices. Or just like Pulp Fiction “Choco” Anyway, I am glad they loved the free Piñons I gave and the smiles and the stories of how they ate my Piñons made me giving them some of stash priceless.

Matter of fact Readers, one of my friends had to listen to one of our friends eat their Piñons I gave to them. Anyway, my friend could hear our friend spitting out Piñons shells. It made her laugh since she could hear all day the spitting of Piñon Shells.

I guess, that is all I have to say about Piñons to you Readers. I hope you enjoyed my blog posts of Piñons.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

A Piñon Story

Greetings Readers

piñon ("peen-yone"). Oh yes Readers, I bought some Piñon while on vacation last month.

An interesting nut and not to mention a nut that adjusts to cost and demand of the time of harvest.

I would have to say that I am good without having any Piñon for a while. Meaning, Once I lose the taste, run out of my stash of Piñons or been more than a few weeks I do not crave any Piñons.

I would have to say it has been a few years since I really enjoyed eating Piñon. I do have Piñon almost every year, but once every few years that I get hooked.

I would have to imagine that “hooked” is probably not the best word to use. “Addicted” is a better word. Once I tasted the first good Piñon harvest of the one good year out of four years I must have more Piñon.

And that is what happened to me while on vacation.

I had the first Piñon nut of the year when I got to my brother’s place in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was a small zip lock bag from the stand where we buy some of our fresh vegetables when we need fresh vegetables. And most of the time this place has fresh fruit, vegetables and chili when each of them is in season. Well, they had Piñon Bags that were from this year’s harvest and were already roasted and salted. I think my mother paid $ 7.00, which is about average price of a zip lock bag that size.

I had couple of them, but only a couple of them since I was ready to go out for our annual breakfast meal when I arrive in Albuquerque.

24 Hours later my mother was showing me a gallon size zip lock baggie that was half full of Piñons, but were not roasted or salted. My eyes went big and then there was a goal in my head, finish all the Piñons that were roasted so we can get to roasting and salting those freshly picked Piñons. And do it as soon as possible. Oh, that bag of Piñons came from my father’s sister.

Three days later, perhaps, all the Piñons were gone from the bowls and Baggies at my parent’s house. I, or perhaps all of us, finished the Piñons and now there was only one thing left to do in order to have more Piñons. Roast and salt.

Unfortunately, I am not an expert at roasting and salting Piñons. Nor was my mother. My father, her husband, was the Piñon Roasting and Salting Master of the house.

Under some guidance my mother and me worked together to roast and salt the Piñons. I thought my mom was not roasting right since I thought the Piñon nut was soft and a bit rubbery. Then again, I am not a Piñon expert taster. I was relying on the Piñons that I ate days before where the nut was roasted, and not rubbery.

I was reluctant to really enjoy those nuts and felt they needed to be roasted longer. Again, this is my opinion only.

My dad roasted some Piñons a bit longer after my mother roasted them and he cooked the Piñons almost perfect, to me anyway. The Piñons were roasted a bit longer than normal and in some of the Piñons they tasted “burnt roasted,” but in a good burnt roasted way. I did not mind, after all they were not rubbery and I felt okay with eating well-done roasted Piñons as opposed to wondering if I am eating not quite fully roasted Piñons.

Mom complained that some were burnt, over roasted. I did feel bad for her, but what was done was done.

Yet, we all ate the Piñons regardless. The Piñons were very good. A few were burnt noticeably, but others were perfect

Fast forward.

The last Saturday of my vacation we decided to go to town, which meant we were going to what is probably the “unofficial” Piñon Capitol of New Mexico. My Mom had mentioned that there is place just outside town that they buy wonderful tasting Piñons from people selling out of their vehicles.

With the past Piñon roasting I knew that I had to replace that batch of Piñons that were roasted more than they should have been. I was going to buy a sandwich size zip lock bag Piñons to replace the over roasted Piñons.

I saw only two vendors selling Piñons and both were inside their vehicles from the cold and blowing air. Though their fold up tables were just set up on the front left side of their vehicles.

My mom and me drove up to the first vendor and I got out. My mom rolls down her window where the vendor had gotten out of his vehicle to greet us.

“yá'át'ééh”

My mom says the same thing back to him. While I say “hello.”

I start talking “So whatcha got here? And what are the prices?”

He starts pointing the all the different shapes of zip lock bags that were lying on the table. “5, 10, 15, 20 and 45” “All these are roasted and salted.” And then he points to the far end of the other table which was East “and that is un-roasted” Which was the largest 1 gallon zip lock bag filled to probably maximum capacity.

Readers, I saw that huge bag and I knew that I had to get that bag.

Meanwhile, my mom was conversing with the vendor.

“Let me go check out your competitor, be right back.”

With that I walked over to the other vehicle, which was about 10 yards away.

This vendor had a nicer set-up than the first vendor. A nice white sheet draped the table; Prices were written on white pieces of paper and taped to the sheet to show what size of zip lock bag was going to cost.

A girl comes out of the vehicle and greets me “yá'át'ééh”

“Hello. Just looking at your Piñons”

I noticed right away that this vendor was five dollars more than the first vendor. That huge bag of Piñons that the first vendor had on his table was 45 while at this vendor it was going for 50.

I did not even stay any longer to make talk with the vendor. “Thank you”

I walked back to the other vendor, glanced at my Mom shook my head in a no gesture and went back to the first vendor.

Now! Game on. I walked back into view of the first vendor and he came out and greeted me once more.

“Well, the other vendor is higher than you, which means I am buying from you today.” I say with a smile and already knowing what I am buying.

“Good.” He replies with a smile, but giving off the signs that he was cold and then says to me “It’s cold today.”

“Actually, air is alright it is just that wind blowing is making the air much colder than it is.”

“Your not from around here are you?” he says politely.

I ignore this question since I get this sort of question a lot from my own people (Native American Indians)

“Ok.” I was looking at the table and pretending to decide, ponder, what I wanted to buy.

Oh yes readers, Pretending. My mother and I are pretty damn good pretenders when looking for a deal. The showing of interests, the showing of looking like a decision is being thought of and the deliberate silence of not saying anything. Basically, I am looking like that infamous statue – The Thinker, but not as blatant as the Thinker.

I think I spent about 30 seconds looking at all the zip lock bags while the vendor waits for me to make a purchase. My mom was waiting in the car with the window up waiting for me to make a decision. I looked at my mother and then looked back at the table.

Fully remembering how much that big bag of un-roasted and unsalted Piñons were “I asked again for confirmation “45 right?”

“Yes” he answers, which I noticed he is shivering. I look at the big zip lock bag for about 5 seconds and then I look towards the other end of the table and pretended to pass on buying the big bag of Piñons.

I look and zero in at the ten-dollar zip lock bag.

He says, “I will take forty.”

I look up at him. “Okay. I will buy that bag and then I buy that 15-dollar zip lock bag for a total of 55. Ok?”

“Ok”

I walk over to my mother and she rolls down her window and hands me a five-dollar bill and smiles.

I walk back to the first vendor. “Thank you very much sir.” I say to him.

“Thank you and have a nice afternoon.” He replies.

With that I am now able to replace the Piñons I ate and hopefully make my mother forget that over roasting Piñons earlier that week.

Fast Forward – About ten minutes before leaving the Ranch to return to Colorado I walked to the kitchen with my 40-dollar zip lock bag of Piñons and replaced what I saw when I first showed up at the Ranch. I also said that the other bag is yours too.

“Here’s your portion” or something to that effect. “Thank you.”

My mother said thank you back to me.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

Another Old Friend from the Past

Greetings Readers

I called my friend that who I worked with at my previous job before taking a permanent job in the corporate world this past week.

I wanted to ask her how her Thanksgiving was and subconsciously I was needed to let her know that I was ok.

I am not sure if I have shared with you readers since starting this blog, but during this time of the year I am not “I.” Many, and I mean many things have happened during this time of the year that has caused me not to celebrate and enjoy this time of the year.

A broken heart, a serious bike crash, a death that was expected, but very hard to take, a loss, and so on has made this a time of the year different from everyone else. I am not comfortable saying Merry or Happy Christmas. However, I do say I hope that the holidays are what you want.

With age I have been able to cope and deal with this time of the year. Yet, in the past I have came very close to depression, in my opinion. My feelings are near the edge and sometimes it may only take something as a commercial to make me feel sad. Though these past few years I have learned to deal with this time of the year and deal with the others that enjoy this time of the year.

After all, during this time of the year I have no right to project how I feel about life at that moment onto my friends, strangers or anyone else.

Returning to the story, I thought about my old, old friend that I knew from the company before coming to the company I left. I knew her when she was married and the eventually separation. I got to know her and her two children. I got to know how intelligent and mature she was for her age, which was she was younger than me. She was about 5 years younger than me and someone I came to respect.

Respect. In my view, anyone younger than me I regard as inexperience. Not as I am better than him/her but just not knowledgeable. Yet, with my old friend… let me give her a name, with “Iris” I was not thinking my usual thinking.

Iris was different. She is black (afro-American) and not the typical black woman you may know from TV, movies or books. She is very nice, so not the typical black acting woman, and does not speak that “Ebonics.”

Iris is more humble than I ever shall be. And I am sure that she would continue to be so.

So, while talk to my friend I asked if Iris was still working there. She said yes. I asked for her number.

I got Iris’s number and thankfully she was still there. I was ashamed that I have not even contacted her since leaving my last job. After all I knew Iris before even coming to the job we both worked at. I hope I was there for her during her separation and I knew I was there to listen to her to talk. And believe me Readers Iris is just as private about her life as I am. With that you can see I feel bad about not calling her since leaving her life.

Readers, well not since I started blogging, but I still have not told you a lot of stuff about me. Those are still private and I will perhaps tell them in time.

Five minutes later I finished up my phone call with my old friend and then I saw myself staring, looking at the post-it note with Iris’s phone number.

I was scared and thought what or how should I start.

I picked up the phone and started dialing. I soon heard that familiar tone “You have reached a number that is no longer in service or disconnected. Please check the number you have dial and try again”

Fuck me.

Did I dial wrong?

Sure enough. I dialed 303 when I have should have dialed 720.

I try again. Ring. Ring. “Hello this is Iris”

“Hi. This is Mr. Charley. How are you?”

“Good. How are you doing?” with Iris knowing who I was immediately.

Fast-forward about 20 minutes. I soon said goodbye to Iris. I am so glad to re-connect with Iris. After all it was my fault for not continuing my friendship with her.

I am just so glad that she did not quit/leave that job. Talking to Iris brought back memories and how we both were to each other – true friends in a sense. Not sharing secrets, but life. Enjoying lunch together which we shared our intimate things with each other.

“Iris” I know that I gave you the web address of my blog and I do not know if you will visit or not, but I am sorry for not contacting you since I left the place we worked at together.

I think perhaps it is during this time of the year that I thought of you since I do need people I know and care about to help me get through the end of the year. You do not know that just talking to you is enough to make me continue to be sane. Please catch up on my history with this blog since it was started after I left the company.

You will see that I have not changed… well perhaps a bit, but I think in a positive way. I am not asking for any comment or anything else from you, nor am I expecting anything from you. Yet, I want to apologize for being “silent” the past three years.

In closing “Iris” I wish I could name you by your real name, but I give code names to my friends that I talk about so no one can identify the people I know on this blog. “Iris” thanks for talking to me and perhaps forgiving for not contacting you for the past three years. Believe me Iris you made my week and month, and for that please forgive me for not contacting you since leaving you.

I hate to bring this up, but if I am wrong, please tell so I know not to bother you anymore. I know we talked for about 20 minutes or so and I got the impression that were okay with each other, but I am giving you the option for you to say goodbye to me. You know that saying… “Some things are left…”

Though, I am happy I did call and was able to talk to you. I am okay Iris.

With that I wish you and my Readers the best during this holiday.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete
Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

Qdoba girl - 20 Days Later

Greetings Readers

I had a destiny with the Qdoba girl. After all it has been over two weeks since I had last seen her. Not to mention that I was a bit “drunk” when I last saw her. And I was acting funny, talking slowly and trying to speak clearly, and using my hands to also talk when I last saw her. Wow – that was a fucked up moment with the Qdoba girl. Fuck me is what I say non-chalantly.

Readers, you have to imagine that I was a bit worried, to say the least. I remembered my last encounter with my Qdoba girl and, in my view, it did not go well and I am sure that she and everyone knew that I was a “bit tipsy”

All day I was thinking about not going or going to Qdoba’s. After all - the last time I saw her was two weeks ago and I really have not thought about Qdoba girl, in a manner of speaking.

I was okay with not knowing how she might or does not think about me since my last visit seeing her. After all I was sort of fucked up at that last meeting and I knew, I knew, that I should gone straight home. However, to me that Qdoba girl is something special to me. And I had a destiny to see her on “our” Friday. So, the alcohol won and I walked into Qdoba’s to see my Qdoba girl.

Getting back to the present – I decided that I was taking Light rail and the bus home, with a visit to Qdoba’s. Or so I planned.

Yet, getting back to my Qdoba girl. I wanted to see her since coming back from vacation for I am not sure how she might see me now (or ever since that last “incident”). Then again, I did not want to know how she felt about me. After all, I think I only thought about her twice while on vacation when I saw a falling star and like a child wished upon it.

Being back from vacation I was okay. Mentally, I was almost constantly thinking about Qdoba girl before my Thanksgiving vacation. On what transpired the last time I went to Qdoba’s. How I have acted in front of her. How I have flirted, but could not back it up. How I was thinking, to me, that she is all that and a bag of chip. What I was going to do the next Friday I go Qdoba’s. Etc.

You see Readers I was thinking all this and more. I was also thinking that she is too beautiful to speak to (or perhaps that she is out of my league), so this visit I imagined that I was talking to a friend or a sister if I had a sister. And you know what Readers? It worked. I was cool. I was calm. More importantly I was myself, well the nice side of myself.

I was on foot, which meant I was dressed nice and planned to look sharp since my last meetings did not go well. Meaning, I did not have my biking gear on – jacket, gloves, bandanna, cycling pants, Oakleys, etc. I had my long black overcoat, white scarf, my I.O.U. sweater, jeans and the new sneakers I had bought for the 24 hours of Boulder. I was pretty sharp. I think I left off the earring so I was very business like.

Although, I was hot wearing the overcoat, but that was only because I thought it was going to be cold as it was yesterday. And yesterday I was cold biking home.

I was a bit scairt (slang), but I “manned up” and walked into Qdoba’s.

I made eye contact with her when I saw her behind the counter upon entering Qdoba’s. I broke eye contact first and then saw that the place was about 1/3 full and all were eating – happily it looked like to me. Qdoba girl was finishing up with a customer and I was the only person next. Good. Matter of fact, as my old ex-co-worker would say it was “just so awesome.”

“Hi how are you?” she asked me with a smile and a sparkle (perhaps a gleam) in her eyes.

Flashback – The entire day I was planning my line that I was going to use on Qdoba girl. “Hey if you get a moment come on over to my table if you get a minute so we can catch up” or “Come by my table when you a moment and we can catch up with each other” and so forth. Matter of fact, I took the bus, as opposed to light rail so I could practice out loud my line I was going to say to my Qdoba Girl. I was talking out loud on the bus, but I was the only one on the bus. Crazy. But I figured if I cannot say out loud then there is a real good possibility that I was going to “flub” my line. I was not embarrassed about talking out loud. After all, I had to nail my line I was going to use.

Then, “Christmas card” popped into my head. This is the time of the year that you could give a card that would not seem out of place or awkward. After all, Hallmark thrives on this part of year, besides Valentine’s Day, of selling cards.

Hmmm. A Christmas card to my Qdoba girl.

Present – “I would like a Steak burrito – black”. Readers, ordering was nothing like my last visit when I was ordering my burrito in an alcohol state. Yeah, I was a bit fucked up, but we are all human and do things we normally do not do when lusting or in love with someone.

“How was your holiday?” I asked.

“Good.” She looks at me in her look I just adore “How was yours?”

“Good, I went to visit my parents in New Mexico for Thanksgiving.”

“Oh, I went to my Mother’s place with my sister for Thanksgiving.”

“Really? Did you cook?”

“Me?” she responds questioningly, but with a smile ”No, I do not know how to cook.”

Readers, when she said this last sentence my brain was working on an answer or a response to that statement. I could remark on that statement. I could ask a question about that. I could make “light” of that statement. Perhaps three seconds later I came to a decision – no joking, smart-ass or sarcastic response to that question. After all I have to appear “good” in her eyes and not the person I truly am when you know me.

“Really?” I respond

“I know. I have worked at Qdoba’s for the past seven years and I do not know how to cook”

I am resisting any come on line. I am resisting all lines I could say about how I could cook a meal for you. Note – Once more all her co-workers (employees) seemed to have found other things to do while her and me are talking at the counter. No one was waiting to be served. It was just she and I.

“Interesting” I say with a smile and as if I was commenting on something not that interesting. Go figure.

“What would you like in your burrito?” she then asks

Readers, just like Forrest Gump would say, “Me and Jenny were just like Peas and Carrots” That was Qdoba girl and me – we were like peas and carrots again. I was myself. I was seeing her as just a friend and not like the girl I want. I was holding the winning card and I knew it. Oh yeah.

We talked a bit more. She asked me if I was eating here. I responded perhaps not.

“I need to get going before it gets cold”

“Oh, I have not been out since I got to work today.”

And so goes this conversation, which I will not bother reciting since it is really not that pivotal.

She is ringing my final total and all the while I managed to pull out my post-it note out of my wallet and had it post it to the top of my wallet.

Christmas card.

That flashed in my head. The conversation had been going well and I was a trying to figure out what to do in the seconds I thought I had available.

“I can’t remember. You want something to drink?” she asked me.

“No thank you. Not this time since I am going to take it to go. Otherwise, if I am staying I do normally have a drink.

She rings me up. I give her money, she gives me back my change (paper money) folded in between my receipt and I hear the change dispense in the change machine.

We look at each knowing that is the end of our conversation. Is she waiting for me to ask something? Is she waiting for me to make my move? Is she waiting for another question about what we just talked about? I do not know, but I kept my hand over the post it note just in case so she would not see it.

The time was right as I was ready, but a Christmas card was blinking in my head.

“Alright I guess I will be seeing you.”

“Yes, you will” or something to that effect she responds with a smile.

I turn and leave, without taking my change from the change dispenser. Readers – Fuck no I was going to let that go. No fucking way I was going to say that I left my change in the change dispenser. Change was less than a dollar and my conversation with the Qdoba girl was a perfect ending to the day, to the week and the past twenty days. Fuck the change. Let her remember our conversation and not me “complaining” about my change I left in the change dispenser.

Overall, I am happy. My heart was beating fast, since I was expecting the “cold” a response from her. For example – I was expecting to hear “Hi, what can I get you?” with a cold demeanor. Readers you know what I mean – the look and talk that really implies “I’m not interested.”

But I got the…

“Hi how are you?” she asked me with a smile and a sparkle (perhaps a gleam) in her eyes.

One word - Ecstatic

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

Damn, I was cold!

Greetings Readers

In the morning I saw that the weather was about 30 degrees and snow was expected to fall this evening. When the snow does fall the temperature was going to fall too.

Now, I did not listen or perhaps I did not pay attention, but I figured I had a “good” window and “luck” on my side on making it home before the snow and temperature fell.

After all we Coloradoans know that our so-called weather people know as much about the weather that we (the general public) can predict. Which is a crapshoot. I have as much experience to read, look and interpret at the weather map that they show and see the jet stream, high pressure, low pressure, etc, to make an assumption on the weather for Colorado before it hits Denver and the surrounding areas.

Anyway, I got to work and was able to take a look out the windows throughout the day.

Well, I would have to estimate about 2 P.M. the snow started to fall. Or perhaps that was when I looked out the window and saw that the snow was falling.

Fuck me.

I decided that I was taking Light rail and the bus home.

When I left the parking garage… well when I pushed the button to open the parking garage door I immediately felt the cold. And I was bundled up, yet I had to bike home since I did not want to leave my bike at work with it bring Friday tomorrow and most likely I was going to be walking as opposed to biking on Friday. There was ice and snow and I knew that the sidewalks were going to be very difficult to ride on.

Anyway, it was cold and windy. I had my insulated windbreaker, thinsulate gloves, two bandannas around my neck, my Nautica Hood over my head with the Natalie Merchant cap on top of the hood. I had my long skintight bike pants, with additional biking shorts on top of the bike pants. But Damn. I was cold. Very cold.

The parking lot was covered in snow and ice that was gleaming in the lights. Fuck me. Black Ice and I am not sure if it was Black Ice or still wet pavement I was seeing in the night.

Believe me Readers, I have fallen my fair share on ice and I just loathe riding on ice. Any weight shift, any subtle turn on the ice and any “extra” pedal stroke will bring any biker to Mother Earth to be embraced. It sucks, but gravity will prevail.

I managed to get to the light rail station without failing down. I had three moments the biking gods could have sent me into the arms of Mother Earth. It was not meant to be – this time.

I left the Light Rail Station after my ride in the warmth of the Light rail car and soon enough I saw flashing light of the blue and red kind in the streets of Greenwood Village. There was the Police and a flat bed tow truck up in the distance. I was “on edge” and ready for something. Anything.

Actually, I was hoping for the police to pull out in front of me (or hit me) while I was biking down the road when I had the right of way (in a sense since his lights were not on). I was actually looking forward to getting hit by the police. I wanted to start something. Risky, but technically valid since according to me, I was riding within the law as I saw it at that moment.

Needless to say the tow truck driver says “your crazy! But you got balls man!”

Nothing to say or comment on. Seconds later the police pass me by.

I was yearning, but alas it was not meant to be.

Before getting home I needed to take a picture of me in the cold and trying to bike home. I could not ask anyone so I had to pick a place that I could set my camera on timer.

The pictures do show the way I was dressed, but not the biting cold I was feeling at the time. I was fucking cold. And it was getting cold by the second since I could not bike any faster than 5 miles per hour. And yes Readers I made it home safely.

But it took me about an hour to warm up my legs. I decided to forgo the hot shower and see how long my body could warm up. After about an hour I finally my body to regular temperature. It was kind of scary to not feel my skin warm up after about a half hour. My thighs were still cold to the touch. Wow. I warmed up a can of Campbell’s Chicken with White & Wild Rice Soup and that was, to me, going to aid me in warming up my body core’s temperature.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

Cola-Cola Rewards - Extended to 2009

Greetings Readers

From the blog picture I see that there is great news, for me anyway. I see that Coca-Cola has extended the mycokewards program. Woo Hoo. Although I did spend all my points a few months ago. As I mention though I was unsure if the program was going to end at the end of the year or not.

If the program did end I did not want to end up with a lot of points and very few "prize" choices to choose from since Coca-Cola would most likely would try and clear out and not order a new prizes for a program that would have ended at the end of the year.

With the good news I have started to enter my codes once more and get my points up back in the mid thousands as it was before I spent almost all my points. Currently, I am basically around 300 points, which I have not been this low in a year or so.

Okay, with that I am going to let you readers go and time for me to still catch up from being off on vacation.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

My Cold Humble Abode & New Ipod

Greetings Readers

So, fresh from my vacation I am finally home and "fresh". Meaning, that I was able to sleep in my own bed and I was also able to say I am home once more and take a nice hot shower to wash away the after vacation essence. Whatever.

When I walked into my humble abode I heard the heater going. I left everything at the front door - meaning all my luggage, grabbed the television remote, turned on the TV and walked to the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of beer from the refrigerator and popped the top and got ready to sit down and watch some WWE.

Well, as I was drinking my bottle of beer - end up to the ceiling - meaning the bottom of my bottle I felt the heater air. It was not hot. Matter of fact it was not warm. Cold air was blowing out of the vents.

I immediately stopped drinking, stopped what I was doing and smelled the abode. I smelled no gas, but I was immediately worried. I went to the furnace was located and felt, or not felt, any heat in that area. Usually that furnace you can feel the heat when the furnace is going. Oh Readers, I did not turn on any lights so I was in the area with no light. I slowly closed the door and could not see the pilot light that I see when the furnace is going (or not going.) As one of those favorite movie lines would be in the Big Lewboski "It was dark as a bull's tookis on a moonless night" or something to that line.

I did not want to "spark" anything or create a spark by static electricity. I thought, I smelled a little gas, but perhaps because I had it in mind that I was expecting to smell gas.

Damn. I turned off the heater, and left the heater off for about 5 minutes or so. I then turned on the heater hoping that the mercury switch does set off any gas I imagined I could smell (or perhaps not smell.) The heater went through the turning on process and then finally the furnace kicked in. Cold air continued to blow out. By the way Readers, the temperature gauge on the thermostat was pegged all the way to the left meaning it was darn cold than the Thermostat can register. Who knows how long the heater has been running. Am I going to have a high bill? How cold was it?

Fuck me. I grabbed the cordless phone, went out on the balcony and called for assistance. Again, this was done because I would think that the spark may come inside the handset as opposed to the base of the telephone. I do not know. I also opened some windows just to be safe.

Two hours later, the repair person shows up. I learned a lot from him on what type of furnace I have, how it works, how if there was a leak I would have definitely smelled gas. How if I missed the gas and when the mercury switch clicked on - I would not have a humble abode. Anyway, a piece was broken inside the furnace and that was the reason why that the furnace was blowing cold air. I do not have the pilot light, but some other type of lighting for the furnace.

So between getting home from vacation and the repair man showing up I was sitting on the couch with my heavy jean jacket on, my Natalie Merchant on my head, a blanket covering my legs and a beer between my legs watching WWE with the volume pretty low. Again Readers, I was not going to click anything just in case I may create a spark and blow myself up. What I found out after the repair person showed up I did not have a clue about and only knew what I have heard and seen on television, which was really nothing.

Oh, and in closing I bought another Ipod - Shuffle again and the same color as the other one - Gray. $ 42.00 dollars brand new, never use. A friend was selling the ipod as I agreed to buy. Just an impulse buy.

"Hi, my name is Daryl. And I am an Ipod buying addict."

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

I'm Back from Vacation

Greetings Readers

I found the blog picture posted today from using Earth Google. Pretty amazing to see our main portion of our Ranch from space in New Mexico. I had never used Earth Google before and was sort of curious to use. This picture was not as close as I could zoom in, but I wanted shot that showed the front gate and the road leading up to the Ranch. Of course you can not see the condition of the dirt road, the steepness or terrain, but it was neat to see the road actually laid out and how much the road curves to the Ranch.

One would expect that the road would be straight, but it is so far from not being straight. Again, that is due to the terrain (geography) Speaking of the road, a.k.a. driveway, I actually worked on the road on my vacation. Meaning, I had the shovel, wheel barrel and pick axe working on portions of the road. Mostly, filling in holes, divots, trenches cause by rain run-off.

And it was not an easy process as it seems. Due to terrain and different soil types in our area I had to make sure I was fixing the road with the "right" type of dirt and not sand or a sand consistency soil. Otherwise, that sand would wash away in the next rain shower. With that in mind, I got soil from one area and wheelbarrowed that all over the road that needed the dirt.

"Thunder" and "Python" got a work out. Oops Readers, I have talked about "Thunder" and "Python" perhaps once or twice this year, but not often. "Thunder" and "Python" are the names of my "huge" biceps! These were named after a friend and I were joking about how I was getting bigger biceps when I was working out at the CAC and she had said jokingly "yeah Thunder and Python look good." After that this is an on going thang and I do refer to my biceps as "Thunder" and "Python", though I do not know which bicep is named "Thunder" and which is named "Python"

Getting back to the dirt. Yep, I had to wheelbarrow out dirt from one specific area and then more often than not I had to wheelbarrowing that dirt to the area of the road that needed the dirt.

"Wheelbarrowing?" Is that a word? That sounds funny. For example, can I say that "I was wheelbarrowing dirt from one side of the road to the other." or should I say "I moved dirt from one side of the road to the other using the wheelbarrow." or "I used the wheelbarrow to haul dirt from one side of the road to the other."

See? Now, I am confused. Fuck it. It's my blog and I am not that too analytical about "Wheelbarrowing." Let me get back to the story

So, I got to shovel, wheelbarrow, and dump dirt over a few portions of our road that needed the work to be done. Otherwise, we have to drive real slow or we could go airborne in our vehicles from the holes and bumps in the road when driving over them.

This was a job that I planned to do, since I really, and I mean really, did not want to haul shit from the corrals and fence line our ranch to the area where we do haul shit. Oh yes, that is other common duty I get to do when on vacation in New Mexico. Some times I like to do that job, but this time around I did not want to. No reason - I just did not want to.

So, I got windbreaker, my new work gloves that my brother gave to me on my arrival in New Mexico. Readers, I think this was planned by my parents and brother for having work gloves so I had no excuse saying that I did not have work gloves hence I could not do work. Sneaky. The joke's on me. Yet, I did and smile and it was pretty well thought out plan to give me work gloves upon arrival in New Mexico. Dang, I just did not put two and two together at that time. And then I grabbed my Ipod and that was my road fixing gear.

For two days I worked on the road and I have to say that I am quite proud of myself? Oh yes, Readers I am tooting my horn once more! The road looks great and was smoother in portions I fixed. Oh yeah. I just did not take a before and after picture. A camera was not part of road fixing gear and it never occurred to do a before and after picture.

Though thinking that would have been, just as my ex-co-worker would say "Just so awesome!"

Anyway, as the title of the blog reads - I am back from a little vacation. With Thanksgiving in last week of November and month end close the week before I was able to leave for an extended amount of time this Thanksgiving. Barring any bad weather that would keep me from travelling.

I will try to catch up on some things that may be of interest soon. Tumble weed burning, Pinons, cooking and the new Stephen King book.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete