Gaoburu Gaoburu

The title, of course, is Chinese for "gobble gobble" (I'm serious... That's really how it translates).

Yesterday was yet another Thanksgiving, come and gone. I was originally just going to hang out in my apartment or maybe go to the beach, but some friends invited me over for a full Thanksgiving dinner. It was delicious. We had all of the classics, plus home brew. One of the new guys out here brews his own beer and is happy to share. I even volunteered to be his underling. The beer is that good. I think some good times are ahead of us.

My sister and one of her friends flew in last night. We are all going sailing on Saturday, so that should be a good time. The two of them are in a sailing club in Madison, so they are all about the nautical terminology. They even asked my what sort of rig my boat was (sloop). Hopefully they aren't upset with me if I use the motor during the second half of the returrn trip tomorrow instead of tacking three or four times into the wind. It's just so much easier. Then again, if they know how to sail I'll let them work the lines and tiller while I just kick back. That would be ok too.

In other news, I found my first grey hairs yesterday. I'm only 25. I'm sure it's just the natural progression of things, but I'm going to blame it on all of the time spent in front of a computer. Electrons. They'll get you every time.

Pics coming in the next post, I swear. Reading is less fun than looking, but I have been avoiding the camera.

Alone and Unafraid

My first weekend roommate-free went off without a hitch. One hiccup I will need to figure out, though, is how I will post pictures on here. I no longer have internet in my apartment (I actually read a book made out of paper for entertainment this weekend), so I can't just upload whatever I want. Right now I am typing on my work computer, but it's after hours, so I don't feel too guilty about it.

Anyway, Friday night I went to see Borat with Derek. It was hilarious. The only disappointing thing was that I was so excited to see it that I watched dozens of clips and read as many articles about the movie. When I finally got to see it, I knew all of the jokes already. Still, my throat was sore from laughing by the time I left.

Saturday was cleaning day. I went crazy. I scrubbed the shower and sinks, cleaned the toilets, vacuumed all the carpets, swept the floors, shook out the rugs, dusted all surfaces, tidied up all of the rooms, and de-grimed the kitchen. The only thing I didn't do was mop the floors. I was hindered by the lack of a mop. Besides cleaning, I ran a bunch of errands in the afternoon. Basically, Saturday was a work day, but it was worth it. I now live in a spotless apartment, for at least the next day or two.























Sunday was the fun day (awesome rhyme, I know). I went with a couple of guys from work on an organized mountain bike ride. Next weekend there is a triathlon, and the bike ride is at Kualoa Ranch. This was the familiarization ride for next weeks race. I'm not doing the triathlon, but I happily paid my $5 for the trails yesterday. It was hands down the best mountain biking I have ever done. The views were incredible and it was difficult enough to keep it interesting and exciting, but not so difficult that I hurt myself. I took some pictures, but they don't do the place justice. Most of the ride was in a valley between two mountains. We rode on jeep trails and a little single track. There were some killer hills and shallow stream crossings. It had such a great mix of everything. From looking at the price lists for the ATV, horseback, and movie tours, I'm sure it is a very rare opportunity for a group of 30 bikers to get the whole place for an entire afternoon for a mere $5 each.























The ride definitely reminded me of how much I enjoy mountain biking. You may be seeing more postings on mountain biking, especially since there was a sewage spill in the bay. Sailing in human waste is less than ideal, but biking through cow pies is more than acceptable.