The 1 Up - bar - Denver, CO

Yes, that is me

Greetings Readers

I found a couple of pictures from the 1 Up bar that I frequently go to now with the ex out of the picture.  One was taken by the ex and the other I took last month.  Both feature the pinball Machine Tron, which is actually my favorite pinball game there at the moment.  I am finally getting very good at the machine and now know the layout and scoring of the pinball game.

I do like the AC DC pinball game as well as the Getaway 2 pinball machine (especially with the ZZ Top La Grange).  The Wizard of OZ is visually awesome, but the play is kind of tricky due to the side exit lanes.  The Star Trek pinball is nice as well.  I do like the variety of modes when trying to complete the missions.

In addition to the pinball games there are a lot of video games.  A lot of games that I am sure that you will remember from your past.  There is also skee ball and Jenga outside on the patio.

I am trying to remember last year about this time.  I went to the Kong Off that was held at the 1 Up bar.  What I can not remember if the ex was with me.  I do not the ex was, but I am drawing a blank.  I know I was there for Day 1 or perhaps it was Day 2.  I know the ex went with me on other times, but I just can not remember that specific weekend.

This is kind of the reason why I am blogging about this-  Usually in November for the past three years the 1 Up bar has been the spot for the Donkey Kong World Championships.  The best in the world come to play.  There is an open play tournament for non-professionals, but the best of the best are in Denver for usually three days in November.  I just checked the Facebook site and I do not see any events for this year yet.  So, I guess I will have to check Facebook every week for the next week or so to see if there is another Kong Off, which would be Kong Off 4.

This bar is heaven for me.  A dive bar so to speak, but the ambiance is awesome.  The ex- was hesitant in the beginning and sure burned through my quarters when we first started going to the 1 Up, but towards the end of our relationship the ex actually got good.  Yes, I am damn proud I taught the ex to play pinball.  I even taught the ex how to tilt, so to speak.  The ex was banging and rocking a few of those pinball machines in the past year like we use to in bed.  LOL.  We played pinball most of the time, but did manage to play some of the video games here and there.

A couple of years ago the 1 Up had the Sopranos pinball machine and I loved playing that machine.  Especially the mode where every ball hit makes a character say "Fuck"  It was awesome.

Well, the 1 Up is still and will continue to be in my life.  Just a place I love going to.  In fact, when my brother was visiting in August I took him to the 1 Up club.  He enjoyed it.  We both enjoyed it.  We were only able to go once, but we had fun.  I think we went on a Saturday night, but maybe not.

And that is that.  I do have more pictures

, and may post some later, but I think the two are enough for now.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Pinball player

Sky Block - Minecraft

Greetings Readers

What is going on.  Or what is going on with me?  A lot.  Anyway, just a quick post since there has not been one for some quite time.

What I have been done for the past year now - Minecraft - and just recently a mini-game so to speak.  Sky block.  You have a "little island" in the sky - a tree, a chest with some items and then what you do from there is totally up to you.

I do not have the original screen shot of my island but here is a picture of what was basically looked liked when I started. I will try and catch up later

until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

50 days later

Greetings Readers

Yes, 50 days later.

I am about 90 % to 95% from full recovery after doing the 24 Hours of Boulder back on October 16 & 17, 2010.

I do not know what the fuck I did to both of my feet to be in the condition I was in.

What I mean is that I could not walk normal for the past two months. I have been unable to wear my dress shoes. Though I did wear for one day about 5 weeks ago and that was a MISTAKE. If there is some pressure against a certain point on my feet it would cause pain and inflammation. And if the pressure was constant I would be limping the following day(s). Even if I was wearing some of my certain socks that were a bit tight I would be limping the following day(s) thereafter.

I did try limiting my walking, stair walking and bike riding for the past couple of month, but there is only so much I could limit. I have not done my lunch run since after the event. I was not going to run and I could not run in the first place.

And I have not even tried to wear my clipless biking shoes,which means that I am only able to ride three of bikes in my collection. That's alright though -that means I am keeping my good bikes in great condition by not riding them. Though I miss showing off my HED3 Rims. So, I was only riding the bikes with regular pedals.

I think, I finally healed my feet over Thanksgiving Weekend Holiday. Due to some recent family tragedies and work - the timing of taking off to the ranch was not possible this year. In a sense that was okay.

I was able to keep off my feet, catch up my sleep, play the recently new video game I bought (Fall Out New Vegas) the entire holiday time off. Also, I was able to avoid the third degree from my mother about doing that running event. I am sure if she saw the condition I was in she would have dragged my off to the doctor's office.

Now, I only mentioned the pain and limping. I have yet to tell you the bruises, the blood blisters under a few of my toe nails, the regular blisters and the peeling of my skin.

What I can not figure out why I am in this sort.... well I am basically not in this sort of condition anymore, but what the fuck caused this? I know doing that last lap was tough at the 24 Hours of Boulder and I was walking, trying to run that last lap. I knew my feet were hurting from the 49.94 miles prior to starting the 8th lap, yet it was not like the last time were I had that blister on the bottom of my foot and that caused me great nuisance two years ago.

The shoes, the same shoes I bought a few days earlier two years ago before the 24 Hours of Boulder, were the same ones I wore this time around. The running shoes have been used a lot, but I do not think that much. With that thinking that is the reason why I did not buy a new pair of running shoes before this event.

When I run at lunch, I have another special set of running shoes I strictly use for running at lunch (before becoming lunch running shoes these shoes were only used only for my Marathon running). Which means these shoes were not used every day. I think the only time I used this shoes were on the weekend when I was doing my 13 mile run on Sunday during the summer. And if were riding my bikes with the regular pedals I use two other older sets of running shoes for biking shoes. Now, those older running shoes are used used and definitely can not be used for running.

I guess reflecting back it may have been the shoes, but I do not know. I did do some training so it was like the last time were I did no training, but it was only some training. Mind you, I did not train for this event this year. I planned to earlier this year - and matter of fact I think I planned doing the 24 hours of Boulder back when I started the P90X program. Which by the way Readers - incorporating running with the P90x program - was fucking insane, but dang the running helped me get in shape faster with the P90x.

Oh, the funny side of my feet condition for the past 50 days were just that my friends and co-workers just loved joking with me. Oh, look at Mr. Charley. Hey Charley why you walking funny? They exaggerate themselves running to me. Ask me how my time was in county. Hurry up Mr. Charley our lunch break is going to be over before we get to the car. And so on.


One friend mentioned the saying "For every mile ran you need a day of recovery." And that saying could be true since I have seven more days and I am almost healed. Though two years I know that I did not need 49 days to fully recover. Go figure.


Last thing. One friend mention "stress fracture." Wow. Once that got mentioned and I started to Google and Wikipedia that word and soon thought I could have had that. I do not know, but all those symptoms fit my condition and I got real worried about a month ago when I was not healing faster than I should have been. I looked at my blog history after the first time I did the 24 Hours of Boulder, but I do not have any blog entries after the event indicating I was in serious pain for weeks. I know I was for a few weeks though two years ago. But I do not think I was injured for seven weeks after the event. I just do not know.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete