We got off to a rocky start when at 2 a.m. Chan and I picked up our friend John at his house. We forgot the bike rack and left the trailer behind on purpose so we strapped his bike to the roof of Chan’s Suburban. When we got back to Chan’s house to load up the trailer we pulled into the garage and forgot about John’s bike! His bike (and Chan’s roof rack) were, needless to say, toast! Not a great way to start a biking adventure at all. We decided to make the best of it and take the broken bike along in the event we could make some repairs, but John would have to purchase new front shocks at the very least. His Boxxer shocks were a twisted mess and would no longer be useful.

Matt, the fourth and final participant of this great event, arrived at Chan’s house at 4:30 a.m. We packed up the trailer and left ON TIME at 5 a.m. That has NEVER happened before with this group. I was surprised and impressed.

My wife always teases me that I never tell her what we talk about on these long trips. I seriously always forget what we talk about! With that in mind I decided to keep a log of the conversation of the trip on day 1. It’s quite random, but here are some “highlights”.

John tells us about the power of magnesium.

Discussion: Are germs mobile?

Tyler and Matt discuss the merits of Windows Vista as well as the drawbacks. Both are happy about the release of Windows 7.

Driving up Spanish Fork Canyon. Chan mentions how much he hates this road. We could die on this trip if we fall asleep at the wheel. Other ways we could die: Spontaneous combustion – Matt explains, if you dove into a stream or pond that had been contaminated with potassium…upon drying you would auto ignite. It happened once to Matt’s lab coat.

Matt talks about an $8 tool that will straighten out your rear breaks.

Chan let’s us know that it’s only 44 degrees in Spanish Fork Canyon.

We reminisced about the time that John called in a fire that a train had started in Spanish Fork canyon.

John is surprised about how many entries Tyler is making in this log. The log is reviewed by Tyler. (laughter) Matt predicts the next entry will be four days from now and that it will read, “I’m so sick of this trip! John’s bike is broken and we can’t find a part to fix it!”

Chan suggests that Tyler get a buzz on this trip. He is the only one that doesn’t have one.

Tyler discusses the reason he goes to Sports Clips for his haircuts, despite the $25 cost (including tip).

John talks about his trip to California to replace stained glass windows in the NewPort Beach Temple.

Matt washes Chan’s window with his hat. It’s 33 degrees! Matt begins to wash Chan’s side of the window.

Chan is drowsy. We take turns telling stories about falling asleep at the wheel.

John says, “If I could choose a death I think I’d rather die instantly in a head-on car accident than drown.” John told a story about how he felt like he almost drowned, which is one of his worst fears. Chan related a story about how he felt close to death in Moab and Matt came to his rescue. It had something to do with falling off a rock while climbing or something.

Brother Matt believes his beard makes him a better driver. The skill level has risen. His beard resembles the beard of Mose, Dwight Schrute’s cousin on The Office.

John starts calling around to different bike shops to find himself a replacement shock for his broken bike. “Hi, I have an odd question for you. Do you have a pair of used boxer shorts?” (He meant to ask if they had a used pair of Boxxer Shocks. It was pretty funny, but maybe you had to be there.

Grass Roots Cycle hooks us up with a used shock and only charges us $20 for installation, including all the cabling that was needed after the garage incident.

John preaches to us about Magnesium some more. He reads from a pamphlet he picked up in Grand Junction while waiting for his bike to get fixed.

So, that’s a sampling of our meanderings in conversation. It’s usually quite interesting, although it’s probably not very evident. Anyhow, we got John a used front end shock ($200 cash), a new wheel and disc ($190 and $20 labor). What a freakin’ deal! $410 for a bike made new again. Crappy way to start a trip, though.

We drove to Vail, Colorado and walked around for a while. We decided to go drive South to Buena Vista, CO. We shopped at City Market and drove west of Buena Vista to find a campground to camp in. We found a campground called Collegiate Peaks Campground and pulled in at around 9pm. We set up the tent and ate dinner and got to bed at around 11:45pm. Matt, Chan and Tyler took Tylenol PM to aid in their sleep. It wasn’t the start we planned on, but we still had fun getting started.

This post describes the mundane, normal occurrences of our trip, which you may or may not find interesting. The following days are much more exciting, I promise! Enjoy the pictures.

• Gooseberry Memories Make Me Want Spring!  March 7, 2008
• Flying High in Moab, Utah!  April 1, 2006
• Commencing Epic Adventure!  August 10, 2009
• More Gooseberry Mesa Adventures  March 12, 2008
• Let the Yard Work Begin  April 8, 2006

Here’s the general plan for the trip, which is part of the reason I’m so excited about it. My friends and I love to mountain bike, rock climb and bag peaks. So that’s what we have planned, but in no particular order and with no particular location other than somewhere in Colorado. We’ve scouted out several spots that we’ve researched or that have been recommended to us and we know our general route. We’ll be heading East on I-70 and then south on a road to be determined but likely some scenic byway of sorts, and then back west towards Durango and finally back North on the Million Dollar Highway through Silverton and Ouray. Everything is subject to change and all events are subject to vote based on what we feel like doing that day. We’ll be camping, staying in hotels, driving all night. Who knows! It’s a true adventure where the possibilities are endless. I’m really, really looking forward to this trip!!

We’re still open to suggestions. Check out some of our tentative spots and let us know if we’re missing anything, especially if you know first-hand. As I mentioned, I hope to update the blog daily and you can keep track of where we are by keeping an eye on our location via Google Latitude which is posted at the bottom of my profile page.

• Colorado Adventures – Day 1  August 14, 2009
• New Blog Emerges in Blogosphere  April 26, 2007
• Getting to Know the Blogger  April 12, 2006
• The New Site Design (WordPress 2.0)  January 26, 2006
• My Opinion on Vouchers – Referendum 1  August 26, 2007

Brett is a very outspoken and charismatic athlete and he loves everyone he meets.  He told Kat he loved her on the show, but he told me that before, too.  He represented Special Olympics and people with disabilities so well tonight; we can all be proud.  I’ll upload his highlights and post it soon so you can all enjoy his performance and words of inspiration if you missed tonight’s episode.  His personality is addictive!

Way to go, Brett!

UPDATE: You can also see him in an interview on Fox 13 News.

• U2 Live Webcast Was Awesome!  October 26, 2009
• Ski for $25 at Brighton this Saturday!  December 8, 2006
• Special Olympics Project Finished  February 7, 2006
• Rocky Rally II: Give Mercedes Benz a Chance!  March 19, 2007
• Google Street View Makes it to SLC!  February 12, 2008

The Gooseberry Mesa Adventure – Part I

The Gooseberry Mesa Adventure – Part II

The Gooseberry Mesa Adventure – Part III

The Gooseberry Mesa Adventure – Part IV

Another wonderful spring day makes me want it to be spring for real, all the more! Good news is that Matt called me today and told me we’re going biking this Saturday. Bad news is, the weather forecast for this weekend is predicting rain! Dang it! At least it’s not snow.Similar Posts:

• Gooseberry Memories Make Me Want Spring!  March 7, 2008
• Colorado Adventures – Day 1  August 14, 2009
• Biking Video Among Google's “Now Free” Vids  June 26, 2006
• Flying High in Moab, Utah!  April 1, 2006
• Ryan Leech Rides Like No Other  April 26, 2006

• More Gooseberry Mesa Adventures  March 12, 2008
• Colorado Adventures – Day 1  August 14, 2009
• Flying High in Moab, Utah!  April 1, 2006
• Tracking Flights Live with Google Earth  March 17, 2006
• New Features on Google Video  January 12, 2006

• New Blog Emerges in Blogosphere  April 26, 2007
• Praying for Hunter Greyson Keel  December 19, 2007
• July Resolutions (Journal Writing)  July 9, 2006
• Introducing D. Sirmize – Permanent Guest  May 10, 2006
• More Gooseberry Mesa Adventures  March 12, 2008

I’ve been involved with the PTA since my daughter began school in September of last year. I attended my second Leadership Training Convention on Thursday and Friday which happens annually in May. Last year I was inspired by Ronda Rose, Legislative Vice President on the Utah PTA Executive Board. She finished up her term this year and she will be greatly missed because of her ability to speak from her heart, stand up for her convictions, and truly inspire! All the effort I’ve given and all the effort I will continue to give will be, in part, inspired by this amazing woman.

This year I was inspired by the last workshop that I attended; one that I really didn’t have time to attend and one that I had to leave half way through, but the half that I was privileged to listen to proved extremely worthwhile. The workshop was entitled Rachel’s Challenge and was brought about by the tragic events of April 20, 1999 when two students killed 12 students and 1 teacher at Columbine High School. Rachel Scott was the first to die that dreadful day. But little did anyone know, except Rachel herself as she foreshadowed in her diary, that her death would touch millions of hearts.

After her death an essay that she had written for a class was found under her bed. The message of the essay inspired the family to share and challenge people everywhere to take upon themselves Rachel’s “Codes of Life“. There are five of them and they gel nicely with my personal beliefs. But put in perspective of her life and tragic death, they suddenly took on new light and meaning. How this girl of 17 was able to have such vision is a miracle.

I listened eagerly as Dana Scott, Rachel’s sister, shared her story with us. The presentation consisted of heartfelt narration by Dana along with video clips and slide show pictures. It was the best powerpoint presentation I had ever seen. I found myself watching Dana as she watched the video clips and I tried to imagine what she must have felt losing her sister and nearly losing her brother. I watched as her emotions changed from sadness and fear during the news clips that showed the tragedy of that day to pure joy when they showed footage of her as a child, full of joy (incidentally her middle name) and life. I felt myself empathizing, which has only begun to happen in my life as of two years ago.

Several years ago I had a friend who had cancer. I wasn’t being especially empathetic as I talked about the situation with my wife in the car one day. She chastised me for my lack of a Christ-like attitude. At first I didn’t accept that I needed to change. My feeling was that difficulties happen in everyone’s life and that you just accept it and get over it; a complete lack of empathy. But the fact that I recognized that it was not Christ-like to have such an attitude led me to search out that attribute and I began to pray for it.

Several months passed and nothing major had changed despite my prayers. I still had a general sense of disdain for other people’s burdens but continued to search out a change of heart. It was a hot day on the 18th of July, 2005 where Clint (a friend and co-worker) and I found shade under the curved steps of the Salt Lake City Library. Just as we were finishing our 7-11 hot dogs we heard what sounded to me like a skate board hitting the pavement, but much louder. It wasn’t long before we both realized that something terrible had happened. We ran over to where the noise came from and much to our shock we found the body of a woman lying face up on the brick-lain sidewalk. I’ll spare you the rest of the details, but suffice it to say, the woman had jumped from the top of the library to her untimely death, despite what paramedics tried to do for her.

I was still unaware how much this event would effect my life. Clint and I tried to deal with it the best we could through humor, but as the days went on it haunted me. I found myself reading her obituary and all of the online comments from the online version on the local newspaper’s website to try and find out who this woman was and why she would do such a thing. Her name was Michelle Marie Macy and she was only 39 years old. She was a pharmacist and married, but had no children. She loved cats. She had family who loved her. I began to recognize feelings of empathy within myself, but the true change of heart came when I found the courage inside to pray for Michelle – a complete stranger. I prayed for her family and those who must be feeling the pain of her untimely passing. I experienced true compassion and charity during that prayer and when I finished I found that I was crying. The change of heart that I had been praying for had finally come!

I hope Michelle’s family will find comfort that her death was not in vain, just as Rachel’s death was not in vain. My life was touched and I learned a lesson that was long overdue. I hope that one day I can give Michelle a hug and tell her that I love her. I don’t know what circumstances she must have been going through to come to that point, but I know that Jesus Christ loves her. I know that her family loves her.

So it was with charity and love that I listened to the message that Rachel’s sister had to share. Her message did not fall on unfertile soil. I will take the message to heart, re-evaluate my life, and strive to improve myself. That is the Purpose of Life – day by day, week by week, year by year.Similar Posts:

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I look forward to reading more stories as they’re posted and I’m sure you’ll enjoy a lore or two if you take a moment to visit and browse. It will be more reminiscent for me seeing as how I’m Clint’s adventure buddy and have been involved in many of the adventures he’ll share. The one place he didn’t follow me was down an old, dark, long-forgotten mining tunnel. And wisely so. (Yet again, because he was there I am not still lost or now dead.) Thanks, Clint!Similar Posts:

• Praying for Hunter Greyson Keel  December 19, 2007
• Introducing D. Sirmize – Permanent Guest  May 10, 2006
• A Great Poem by Matt Fisher (1995)  February 23, 2007
• Commencing Epic Adventure!  August 10, 2009
• Does Your Family Eat Together?  February 9, 2006

• Taralyn Appears on “The Price Is Right”!  December 21, 2006
• Man soll English lernen, es ist wichtig!  February 21, 2006
• New Features on Google Video  January 12, 2006
• VIDEO: Sniper shoots Georgian reporter during live broadcast  August 14, 2008
• Friends Appear on AFV with Dog, Sassy  November 4, 2006

Similar Posts:

• More Gooseberry Mesa Adventures  March 12, 2008
• U2 Live Webcast Was Awesome!  October 26, 2009
• Biking Video Among Google's “Now Free” Vids  June 26, 2006
• Friends are great, family are wonderful!  January 8, 2006
• New Video Blog Plugin (Failed)  February 8, 2006