I'm Back!

Wow! It's been a long time since I blogged. Laziness. So what has happened since my last post? Well, we elected a new president. Thankfully, the voters saw through the BS and elected a person that has goals and plans. We shall see what happens.

Anyone notice that we are down to 40 days until "W" is gone! Yeah!


Work is finally slowing down. Where have I been. Hmm. Ted Turner's Ranch for a week, lots of creeks in Northern NM and finally home. Here is web blog that one of our guests posted. Yup that is me with the cheesy grin.

40 days!

Now is the time to get your republican friends/and or on the fence independents and democrats to seriously think about who they are going to vote for.

Yes I know the Republican Party wants someone that will back them on abortion issues, guns, etc., but if the RNP is pro life then why do they destroy the environment without much concern!

8 years is enough. . . . . The economy is ruin, we (United States) has almost no credibility globally and all this money the Republican Party has supposedly saved us by lowering taxes is not in your pocket (ie. higher gas prices, higher food prices, etc.) So did they really save any of us money.

Yesterday, McCain tried to back out of his scheduled debate so he can help with the economic bailout! Wasn't it just last week that he stated that the fundamentals of the economy are fine. So which is it? Congressman are perplexed that he is rushing back to DC to help, considering he hasn't voted on any bill since last April.

McCain's suggestion for a rescheduled date for the debate: Oct. 2nd (hmm. I think that day was already booked for a debate with the potential VP's). Trying to hide Palin, perhaps.

Give someone new a chance

NY TImes

Vote For Change

Did you catch Obama's acceptance speech last Thursday night? If not, you should! I have always said that the common man/woman needs to run for president, so they know exactly what most of America is like and not what their private school/ivy league upbringing pretends to teach them what the rest of the United States is like. Senator Obama is wealthy, and did attend an Ivy League school, but he grew up just like the rest of us. Critics have stated that Obama's speech didn't contain any substance as to what he wants to do while in office. Those that doubt him are so far off and only want the status quo. Need more info concerning his ideas, check out his webpage. He lays it all on out.

Senator McCain has been stating that Senator Obama is inexperienced and people shouldn't want someone with very little experience running our country. Hmm. Then what was Mr. McCain thinking when he selected Gov. Palin as a running mate. Just remember, at age 72 Mr. McCain is no spring chicken and if something should happen to him health wise, the US would then be run by someone with just 2 years of experience. Females should be insulted to think he can steal the woman vote by selecting somone so new to politics. I am ready for any race and either gender to run our country, but JUST MAKE DAMN SURE THEY ARE QUALIFIED!

Here is some info I just received!!

Yesterday was John McCain's 72nd birthday. If elected, he'd be the oldest president ever inaugurated. And after months of slamming Barack Obama for "inexperience," here's who John McCain has chosen to be one heartbeat away from the presidency: a right-wing religious conservative with no foreign policy experience, who until recently was mayor of a town of 9,000 people.

Huh?

Who is Sarah Palin? Here's some basic background:


She was elected Alaska's governor a little over a year and a half ago. Her previous office was mayor of Wasilla, a small town outside Anchorage. She has no foreign policy experience.1

Palin is strongly anti-choice, opposing abortion even in the case of rape or incest.2

She supported right-wing extremist Pat Buchanan for president in 2000. 3

Palin thinks creationism should be taught in public schools.4

She's doesn't think humans are the cause of climate change.5

She's solidly in line with John McCain's "Big Oil first" energy policy. She's pushed hard for more oil drilling and says renewables won't be ready for years. She also sued the Bush administration for listing polar bears as an endangered species—she was worried it would interfere with more oil drilling in Alaska.6
How closely did John McCain vet this choice? He met Sarah Palin once at a meeting. They spoke a second time, last Sunday, when he called her about being vice-president. Then he offered her the position.7
This is information the American people need to see. Please take a moment to forward this email to your friends and family.

We also asked Alaska MoveOn members what the rest of us should know about their governor. The response was striking. Here's a sample:

She is really just a mayor from a small town outside Anchorage who has been a governor for only 1.5 years, and has ZERO national and international experience. I shudder to think that she could be the person taking that 3AM call on the White House hotline, and the one who could potentially be charged with leading the US in the volatile international scene that exists today. —Rose M., Fairbanks, AK

She is VERY, VERY conservative, and far from perfect. She's a hunter and fisherwoman, but votes against the environment again and again. She ran on ethics reform, but is currently under investigation for several charges involving hiring and firing of state officials. She has NO experience beyond Alaska. —Christine B., Denali Park, AK

As an Alaskan and a feminist, I am beyond words at this announcement. Palin is not a feminist, and she is not the reformer she claims to be. —Karen L., Anchorage, AK

Alaskans, collectively, are just as stunned as the rest of the nation. She is doing well running our State, but is totally inexperienced on the national level, and very much unequipped to run the nation, if it came to that. She is as far right as one can get, which has already been communicated on the news. In our office of thirty employees (dems, republicans, and nonpartisans), not one person feels she is ready for the V.P. position.—Sherry C., Anchorage, AK

She's vehemently anti-choice and doesn't care about protecting our natural resources, even though she has worked as a fisherman. McCain chose her to pick up the Hillary voters, but Palin is no Hillary. —Marina L., Juneau, AK

I think she's far too inexperienced to be in this position. I'm all for a woman in the White House, but not one who hasn't done anything to deserve it. There are far many other women who have worked their way up and have much more experience that would have been better choices. This is a patronizing decision on John McCain's part- and insulting to females everywhere that he would assume he'll get our vote by putting "A Woman" in that position.—Jennifer M., Anchorage, AK

So Governor Palin is a staunch anti-choice religious conservative. She's a global warming denier who shares John McCain's commitment to Big Oil. And she's dramatically inexperienced.

In picking Sarah Palin, John McCain has made the religious right very happy. And he's made a very dangerous decision for our country.

In the next few days, many Americans will be wondering what McCain's vice-presidential choice means. Please pass this information along to your friends and family.


Sources:


1. "Sarah Palin," Wikipedia, Accessed August 29, 2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin

2. "McCain Selects Anti-Choice Sarah Palin as Running Mate," NARAL Pro-Choice America, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17515&id=13661-1470459-E0uDP7x&t=1

3. "Sarah Palin, Buchananite," The Nation, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17736&id=13661-1470459-E0uDP7x&t=2


4. "'Creation science' enters the race," Anchorage Daily News, October 27, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17737&id=13661-1470459-E0uDP7x&t=3

5. "Palin buys climate denial PR spin—ignores science," Huffington Post, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17517&id=13661-1470459-E0uDP7x&t=4

6. "McCain VP Pick Completes Shift to Bush Energy Policy," Sierra Club, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17518&id=13661-1470459-E0uDP7x&t=5

"Choice of Palin Promises Failed Energy Policies of the Past," League of Conservation Voters, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17519&id=13661-1470459-E0uDP7x&t=6

"Protecting polar bears gets in way of drilling for oil, says governor," The Times of London, May 23, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17520&id=13661-1470459-E0uDP7x&t=7

7 "McCain met Palin once before yesterday," MSNBC, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=21119&id=13661-1470459-E0uDP7x&t=8

NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE? Please do so and make sure voice is heard!

2 Weeks of Camping

Finally back from the Valle Vidal. The 2008 version of Rio Grande cutthroat trout restoration was not as eventful as last year. In 2007, we had bears to deal with. Not so much this time, though they did wander through camp a couple of times. Mostly it was rain and hail that soaked all our gear for about 5 days. Hopefully this time we got all the fish out of Comanche Creek so we can put the native cutthroats back and move on to the next location. Next up, Ted Turner's Vermejo Park Ranch. I will be spending about a week there removing non-native fish. Yeah I know it's a rough gig!!! Here's a couple of pics from the Valle Vidal.

Early morning flow measurements, after working all night!!!


Sunrise on Big Costilla Peak

Olympic Cheer

If you are like the rest of the world, you have probably been glued to the TV, reading newspapers, etc. to get info on the results. Very exciting.

So are you looking for someone to cheer for? Here she is. Amber Campbell hails from Tucumcari, NM (my hometown) and is the sister of one of my good friends. She will be competing in the hammer throw on the 18th and 20th.

Check out Amber's Blog to get the latest on her Olympic experience!

Good luck Amber!!

2 Weeks Equals

1 Wedding, 1 Raft trip, 1 Baseball game, 16 cases of wine, 12 cases of Tecate, 6 L of Mango Rum, 1 keg, and 2011 miles. That's what you consume when you have a wedding for 200+ family and friends. Talk about a good time. Ashleah and I headed up to Denver about a week before our wedding to finish up the little details. Once they were done, it was time to celebrate. The pre-wedding party was great. Lots of beer drinking around the Omni Interlocken Pool. The crew from Tucumcari can still put them down. Of course you never know what's going to happen once a few Tecate's are consumed!


Wedding Day! and rumor has it that you are supposed to be nervous. Not me, I was ready to marry Ashleah. STUNNING, GORGEOUS, BEAUTIFUL, and WOW are just a few of the words that flashed through my mind as Ashleah came into view. I cried immediately! The ceremony was great, and the reception was fun. It was great to see all our friends in one spot.

The wedding is over and now we are off to Utah to spend a week on the Green River (pseudo honeymoon).<
2 AM arrival and a quick nap in the truck and its time to get the raft on the water. What a great time, once we were able to catch up on some sleep.
More beer, a bit of tequila, and river vows. Life on the river was great.

Now we are back in Albuquerque doing the work thing. Yesterday was rough (1st day back at the office), but I imagine we will both get back into the swing of things.


Want to see some pictures of our wedding! Check out Adam Welch Photography!

We're Off!!

Down to just a handful of days before Ashleah and I tie the knot. Busy loading stuff today before hitting the road. Next stop Denver, Colorado. Wondering what 240 bottles of homemade wine looks like! Here it is! I felt like Al Capone as I loaded all the boxes into the truck!
Notice the honeymoon gear in the background. 1 week of rafting on the Green River! I have the best future wife there is! Back in two weeks . . . . . .

Wedding Brew

One of the things Ashleah and I have been doing, as we prepare for our wedding, is making wine. Several batches of Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir have been bottled and labeled during the past year. Shhh. Can't tell you how much otherwise the FEDS might come knocking on my door. Just kidding it isn't that much. In addition, I asked my buddy Eric to brew up some beer for the wedding. Here's a sneak peak of the Summer Hefeweizzen. Damn is it good!

Bear vs Bicyclist x 2

Here's a couple of stories concerning bicyclists and bears crossing paths.

Alaska 24 hr bike race

Boulder County Bear

Republican??? I think not!

Have to check this out! It is too funny!

ABQ Summerfest

Well since I haven't been riding my bike and I haven't really traveled much for work, the only thing I seem to posting is info about music. This weekend, Summerfest kicked off their concert series with the Iguanas coming to town. It had a been a couple of years since Ashleah and I had caught a show, so we were pretty pumped. Great show, as always, and oh yeah we stopped by the just opened Marble Brewery for some pre-concert beverages. Tell you what, the 9% Barley Wine is quite tasty.

Still counting down!

It's been awhile since I posted anything. Perhaps it was the Iron Maiden shop in Santa Fe that just could not be topped! Well, I found something that fits the theme of the 80's. The US Air Guitar Championships! I only caught a 15 sec news bit, but it seemed pretty cool. Thus I found the website and checked it out. Of course there is a blog as well, so you can get first hand stories. Denver was one of the last stops and from the sounds of it, and the air guitar gods are alive and well. Des Moines is on the list, and knowing some folks from the Hawkeye state, I know the mullets will be out in full force to put on a good show!

And other news:
Counters to the left are still ticking away. George W can't go away soon enought for me.

Most importantly though, Ashleah and I's big day is under 30 days now. We can't wait!

Product of the 80's??

Working in Santa Fe today and I came across this business.



I'm thinking this business owner was a product of 80's.
Bet you have to have a mullet to work there!

What do you think??

Rock On!!!

Earth Day 2008

Here's a link everyone should watch.

The Story of Stuff

Happy Earth Day!!!

MS 150

Hi All,
My boss, his wife and daughter will be riding in the National Multiple Sclerosis Society MS 150 in Dallas this May 3rd and 4th. (tandem + trailer). Nancy suffers from MS and continues to receive treatment as well as hope for additional research to help combat this disease. If you would like to donate, click on either of Mike or Nancy's name.

Remember, all donations to the NMSS are tax-deductible.

Thank you for your support, we appreciate it more than we can say.

The Desiderio-Sloane Family

Opening Day Weekend

This weekend Ashleah and I headed north to Denver to catch the Opening Day home game for the Colorado Rockies. We got started a little late so we stopped and stayed with friends in Raton, NM. Saw this sign as we got into Raton. Seriously, is Raton really a destination for springbreakers? Watch out Daytona Beach and Cancun!. Rumor has it that Girls gone Wild will be filming in Raton next year.

Finally made it up to Denver and the sun is shining. Swung by the stadium and picked up the season tickets! Ahh. Nothing like the sweet smell of a full years worth of baseball tickets. Ever seen the movie "Fever Pitch?" I too smelled the stack of tickets!


Time to get into the ballpark, drink a few beers and enjoy the game with friends. Whew! made it inside and to the bleachers with 5 minutes to spare before the first pitch was thrown.




Nothing like a few beers in the sun to get the pipes going for "Take me out to the Ballgame!"



Too bad the Rockies couldn't hit the ball. 2 hits is not going to cut it. They got spanked 7-1.

Rest of the weekend wa spent meeting with caterers, photographers, and cake makers for the wedding. Of course we made some time to pick up a couple of Chipotle Burritos! Damn they are good!




For all those that are intersted in the bike portion of this blog . . . . well I did see a bunch of roadies racing in and around Boulder. Sorry no pics.

Nighty night!

A Few Pics from the White Mesa outing

Back home again so I thought I would post a few pictures from the White Mesa bike ride with Chris and Zoe.



Climbing up the Hike a Bike Section


Chris tackling the steep section


My turn. I am half Way Down!



That's so much fun!


Highest Spot on the trail


Chris and Zoe at the Survey marker




That's it! White Mesa is one of the best trails to ride.

Now Ashleah and I are off to Denver to catch the Colorado Rockies Home Opener. Beer, Rockie Dogs, and Baseball. Now that is the way to spend a Friday afternoon.

A few pics from Walleye Spawn

My stint at Conchas Reservoir is almost up. Here are a few pics from my 10 day trip. Even got a bike ride (with plenty of wind resistance) in.


Backside of Conchas Dam



Fertilizing Eggs


Eastern NM Sunrise!

Week in Review

I had been meaning to post this past weekend but with all that was going on, I just didn't get around to it. So . . . . here it is all in one shot.

Wednesday night Ashleah and I headed over to the Santa Fe Brewing Co. for some live music and beer. We were first timers to the SF Brewing Co. but I had heard from others that it was great SF hangout. I was impressed. Oh and the Viszolay Belgian was quite tasty. Only wish I could have had more than one! Ruby Dee and the SnakeHandlers were playing and if you are into old school country/rock then you would like them. Reminded me of the days in small town NM and the county fairs. Think Johnny Cash! Who else was on the card: Hoot and Hellmouth and Jim Bianco. Hoots was a bluegrass band out of Pennsylvania and Jim Bianco. Hmm. Can't remember where he was from but he was pretty talented. Oh did I mention that the beer was quite tasty.

Thursday was a for riding in NM. Lots of sunshine and very little wind. Zoe was in town to visit Chris so the 3 of us headed to White Mesa for a spin around the 8 mile loop. Being that it was Zoe's first time at WM we took it easy and snapped a few pics. (Insert your own images here as I don't have a digital camera at the moment and haven't gotten any pics from Zoe, yet). Did I say it was a perfect day in NM. Hmm. Well about half way into the ride, the winds did pick up and would gust to about 35+ mph. Made the technical edge sections quite interesting. There were times I wish I had my old 30 lb Diamondback. The La Pierre was no match for the gusts!

Weekend was here and the familia came to town to celebrate Ashleah's entry into the Catholic Church. Lots of food, a mass, Easter egg hunts and more food. Good times were had and even Sasha got into the easter egg hunt. We were all pretty tired by the end of the weekend.



Now I am at Conchas Reservoir for Walleye Spawn and lets just say that the fishing is slow. Hoping for better days coming up. I stole (borrowed) my mom's camera so I have a picture for today.



One last thing . . . . Did anyone notice that at midnight tonight George W's 8 years of errors will be down to under 300 days! Hope all you fools that voted for him the 1st and 2nd time are realizing how much of a mess he made.

Look out For Cyclists!

Do the test!

SYDC + 1

First off let's give kudo's to those involved with the NMES. About 5 years back Matt started this thing. Rumor has it that there were 12 riders that day. Yesterday 62 started!! Though Matt is now discovering new trails in Durango, his successor, Lenny, is doing a hell of a job. High Desert Bicycles deserves an acknowledgment. Vince, John and the boys opened up the shop early Saturday morning and had coffee, muffins and restrooms available to us. ABQ metro area has some great bike shops, but if you are in the Rio Rancho area, be sure to stop by High Desert Bicycles. Finally, Hammer Nutrition gets a thanks as well for supplying HEED, and Hammer Gel. Haven't tried the stuff, check it out. Be sure to read their nutrition info and you see why their stuff is the way to go.

Ok now for the ride. I went into this knowing it was going to be rough. I hadn't spent much time in the gym since the SYDC pre-ride and absolutely no time on the bike, thus I pretty much knew that it was going to hurt. 1 mile in and I seriously contemplated turning around, driving out to White Mesa and riding with Dan once he got there. Decided against that plan and just kept peddling. Finally made it out the gas compressor station and sure enough the wind was starting to pick up.
Some of my friends think I am crazy for doing these endurance rides (they are partially right), but I still have enough savy to know that NM winds are not fun. That being the case, I turned the bike back onto Encino Rd. and headed back to RR. Total Ride: 52 miles 6 hrs 50 min.

As for Dan, the toughest part of his ride was actually getting to Rio Rancho. After leaving Colo. Springs he was stopped near Pueblo for over an hour due to an accident. No worries right. Wrong again. Just outside of Las Vegas, NM he went through a DWI checkpoint. After seeing a 6 pack of microbrew (un-opened) on the floorboard (gift for Ashleah and I) and a piece of foil on his passenger seat (uses it for baked potatoes during his rides), the NM State Police took him off to the side and searched the VW. Too funny!!!!

Want to see how everyone else fared, check out the results.
Word for Sunday: SORE

NMES 2008 Is On!

In just a few hours the 2008 San Ysidro Dirty Century will commence! What the hell is the SYDC? It is a grassroots mountain bike endurance race. This first race has epic single track, dirts roads and lots of miles. 120+ if you do both loops! Not sure how many are going to show, but I imagine there will be around 60 people. I will be there and my buddy Dan, from Colo Springs, will be there as well. Wind gusts today were over 45 mph, hopefully the wind will be minimal tomorrow. Guess we shall see what happens.

I am hoping for 60+ miles!

Let the Field Work Begin

It has been a long winter! Since December I have been making the trek back and forth from Rio Rancho to Santa Fe to do the 8 till 5er. Ok Ok, I really don't do 8 till 5 but it sounds good. With the warm weather finally appearing, it is time to head out and do some field work. Here's a few pics from a trip to the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic area. Pretty cool huh.






Last week I was at E. Butte Reservoir. Still waiting for some pics. You will be impressed with the size of fish that we caught!

Have I been riding! That's a big fat NO! Last time I blogged I had just ridden a portion of the SYDC. Things went well and I was prepping for the actual race day, March 15th. Since then I spent 3 weeks with the flu/cold. Definitely didn't ride as I felt like crap. Since then I have lazy and about the only exercise I have gotten is walking to and from the refrigerator. Those hard apple ciders are damn good!

SYDC is still a go this weekend. My buddy Dan from Colorado Springs is showing up, so I am going to attempt a few miles. Odds of me puking on the course: 5 to 1! Any takers!

SYDC PreRide

Saturday morning was the official SYDC Pre Ride! 24 degrees when I rolled out of the garage and headed to Turtle Mountain Brewery for the 8 am start. 10 folks started the preride and almost immediately 9 of the 10 rocket up Southern Blvd! 6.5 miles of climbing, at race pace, I don't think so. Thus, I settled in and spun up Southern Blvd. Take a right on Encino Rd and now it is 19 miles of rolling dirt roads with enough climbs to do some interval work. What is that in the distance--that is the PNM Gas Compressor Station! Nice. That means I am 25 miles in. A quick break at the PNM station then I am off to White Mesa.

Did I mention that I saw something flash before my eyes while at the PNM Staion. At first I thought it was the chupacabra, but then I caught a better glimpse--It was one of the NMES guys on his ORBEA! Freaking flying!
8 miles to White Mesa and as I pull into the parking lot, here's come Ashleah and Sira to drag my tired ass back to Rio Rancho! What a site to see!

Ride totals:
37.8 miles
4 hrs 4 min.

It was great day!

White Mesa

The Land of Enchantment has many great things going for it. One of my favorites is that you can get out and ride on dirt almost year round. Sure there are days when there is too much snow or mud for even the hardcore, but honestly if you want to ride, it is just a matter of waiting a few days so as the weather changes. Case and point--just last week NM was in a deep freeze, much like the rest of the country. ABQ had highs in the 20's and the lows were single digits. But yesterday that all changed. High of 50 degrees and no wind. That being the case, Sira and I hit up White Mesa for a spin. Everytime I head out there, I am amazed at how cool these trails are. As one of my CO buddies stated after riding White Mesa, "That definitely is one of the top 5 rides I have ever ridden!"







Want more info on White Mesa, check out the New Mexico Endurance Series. Their site has detailed info for the area!

Thanks to fellow trail user, Jim, for passing along a picture of myself, as well as to NMES and panchowonton for their pics.

I will finish with this:

"Man is man because he is free to operate within the framework of his destiny. He is free to deliberate, to make decisions, and to choose between alternatives. He is distinguished from animals by his freedom to do evil or to do good and to walk the high road of beauty or tread the low road of ugly degeneracy.

Martin Luther King, Jr., The Measures of Man, 1959.