Cupcakes

In betwixt memorizing reaction functions for my economics exam this Thursday and doing some spring cleaning, I managed to whip up some March Madness cupcake/cookies with Kathryn and notch a 1st place finish in the 24 Minutes of the Abandoned Building race. Not a bad weekend. Too bad Monday had to come along and ruin it all.

The Big Mo'

A couple weeks ago a friend of mine send me a link to a new Dale Earnhardt Jr. candy bar called "Big Mo'." The description of the candy bar is so over the top ridiculous that I just assumed it was fake:

"What is Big Mo’? Sure, it’s a candy bar, but it’s also everything that Dale Jr. loves—including chocolate, peanut butter and caramel. Big Mo’ is racing. The way you need it like oxygen, because it’s in your DNA and if you’re not around it, you can’t keep going. Big Mo’ is your buddies. Hanging out ‘til all hours of the night crackin’ jokes, playing pool and just kicking back and having a good time like you always do. Big Mo’ is being true to yourself. When you get right down to it, that’s the only thing that matters—doing what you love because you love it and not needing any other reason."

Imagine my surprise when Kathryn came home from the grocery store yesterday with a Big Mo' just for me! Oh, Dale Jr., you surely are the biggest 'Mo.

Bocce

On the heels of two days of long mountain bike rides, hikes, and soccer, Hayden and I decided to unwind by filling a Nalgene bottle up with wine and heading down to the local bocce ball courts (or maybe they're called "lanes?") Bocce on a cool evening is something I could really get into. I wonder what it would take to build a lane in my backyard?

Hiking around Monterey

After I returned from Taiwan I got the chance to visit my friend Lord Hayden in Monterey. He's been living on the California coast for over a year now telling me how great the hiking and biking is, so it was high time for a trek out there.

Here's a shot behind the lab Hayden works at, located right on the ocean. They pump seawater up through metal pipes to the sea critters in the lab. Apparently you can go snorkeling on your lunch breaks.

If you hike about a mile inland you can cruise around valleys of giant redwoods:

Climbing out of the valleys and up into the hills was pretty painful on my winter-atrophied legs, but once we hit the top the view was real nice:

Riding to the Airport

Madison is small enough that there is a nice bike path leading from the city out to the airport. On recent travels I've taken to using this path. It's nice to get a little fresh air both before and after all of the recycled air you breathe on a cross-country or international flight.

The downside is you never know if the weather will turn on you while you're away. After a recent trip to Monterey, I found the dry roads I left behind had been blasted by snow in my absence. It was a long ride home.

Before departure:


Upon return: