A Serene Snowfall / A Forest Walk

 

Song:  Enter The Dream

Artist:  Mike Rowland

Today it lightly snowed most of the day.

The powdery snow fell straight down...

as there was no wind...

and so...

even though it was snowing...

it didn't feel cold outside at all.

The stillness and dead quietness was surreal.

I felt the calling of the wild...

and so...

with just snow boots, sweatpants, a jacket over my t-shirt, and a beanie...

I took Bandi on a walk around the property.

Bandi loves the surrounding forest.

We walked up to her new bathroom area...

and then started down the ridge.

I change her bathroom area every so often.

This allows her waste products to break down in the environment 

without building up in any one area.

Bandi was excited to explore new territory.

She sniffed the ground and looked under branches and rocks.

The snow was only half a foot or so deep...

so walking was easy.

I didn't go all the way down to the end of the property...

as it started to get steeper...

and the snow would have been slippery on the way up.

It was so quiet...

as if the whole world had been put on mute.

By the time we reached home again...

as we had just climbed up the ridge...

I kneeled down for a few moments to catch my breath.

Bandi immediately put her paws on my shoulders and began licking me on my face

as she wagged her tail in great delight.

She had such a wonderful time exploring the forest.

One last look at the forest below before going in the front door.

After we rested a bit...

I made Bandi and myself a high protein supper.

I had cut up one whole sausage...

and butter sautéed a dozen eggs for both of us to eat.

We deserved a special meal today...

as we had done a bit of walking.

We shared the meal about half n' half.

I made two egg and sausage sandwiches for myself...

and I hand fed Bandi the rest of the eggs and sausage as I ate my meal.

Afterwards...

Bandi just stretched out on my bed...

feeling full contentment with her walk in the forest and her hot meal afterwards.

I then went up to the loft computer station to type up this blog article...

although I didn't finish it until later this night.

------------

We both had a wonderful time walking in the forest...

with cotton candy like puffs of powdery snow falling...

and with the un-tread snow before us.

The crisp air is always so fresh and invigorating...

and the serenity of the view of the snow covered mountains and trees was like a dream...

and all without any of the modern day distractions...

the noise and the crowds of people.

I simply love the peacefulness of my silent forest.

Today's Project: OMG!!! (Frustrating)

 

Song:  O Fortuna

Composer:  Carl Orff

After returning from my last trike ride in a canyon near Royal Gorge...

I realized my left front tire was flat.

I had seen some thorn bushes in the canyon...

but I hadn't thought they could penetrate my tires.

Although I had a tire repair kit on my trike...

as the leak was very small...

I hadn't noticed it until after getting home.

Realizing that a flat many miles up a trail

is not something I would want to experience...

as it could be a royal pain fixing one...

I ordered 2x Tannus Armour tire inserts and inner tube combos

for my front tires.

I will order another one for the rear tire at a later time...

as if need be...

I could walk it back easily by picking up the rear of the trike.

However...

should one of the front tires be flat...

it would be far more difficult to walk it back.

In the future...

I will be going on trails many tens of miles long...

but before I do that...

I will also install the armor tire insert on the rear tire as well.

Now...

 I haven't had to repair a bike tire since I was a young boy...

and these tires are specially made to lock on to the rim of the wheel...

as they must be able to travel on very low pressure for loose sand, mud or snow.

As such...

the tires are especially thick, tight, and stiff around the rim.

At first...

I could just break the tire seal on the rim with my fingers and bodyweight.

This allowed me to insert a tire removal tool to run around the rim...

taking the rim of the tire off the seal and over the top of the rim of the metal wheel

with relative ease.

I had ordered these as I need to ensure I never have a flat by a thorn again.

After popping off the tire over the rim of the wheel...

I pulled out the punctured inner tube

(note the valve stem...

it is of the type used on high pressure bike tires...

which is stupid because these are low pressure tires).

I tried finding the hole in the inner tube...

but as it was a tiny thorn...

I couldn't find it.

It didn't matter anyway.

The new inner tube was smaller as it had to fit inside the armor of this system.

It also had the standard car tire type valve stem...

which I am glad for...

but had proved to be slightly problematic...

as you will soon see.

The armor is made of a stiff high density foam that is 15 mm thick 

in the center...

and tapering off to 3 mm on the lower sides.

After checking the valve stem width of the new inner tube  

(I could see that it was thicker)...

I knew I had to grind out the valve stem hole to a wider dimension

to accommodate the wider width of the new valve stem type on the inner tube.

Now...

this is where the frustration began to build.

I had initially bought a small and inexpensive mini grinder...

never again.

The rims of my trike are made of fairly thick and specially hardened aluminum.

Not only was the mini grinder ineffective on this metal with every abrasive bit

of the kit...

it couldn't tighten down hard enough to keep the bit from spinning in the jaws

of the grinder.

And so...

I got my drill.

I threw away the mini grinder.

I simply cannot stand anything I cannot depend on.

I had thought that I could wear away the metal by essentially using 

a metal drill as a router.

No...

it just wasn't working well.

Time for the big guns.

This particular drill bit did the job in a few seconds.

I had to ensure that I drilled out the rim on both sides...

and that it wasn't sharp so that I wouldn't guillotine the valve stem.

Emplacing the first rim of the tire over the wheel was relatively easy

just using my hands.

I then had to lift the tire high enough to emplace the armor inside of the tire

without pulling off the first rim of the tire from the wheel.

Okay...

even though it was relatively stiff...

no problem.

I then had to stuff it over the wheel and then emplace the inner tube inside of the armor.

I aligned the valve stem and then began to stuff the inner tube over the wheel rim.

Then...

I had to stuff down the near side armor over the rim.

I just used my hands as I didn't wish to pinch the inner tube with a tool.

As I neared completion of this task...

it became very tough to get the final few inches inside as the armor

refused to stretch.

At this point...

instead of screaming like a toddler...

I elected to just step outside the garage and onto the first floor deck to cool off.

I sat on this railing for a few minutes just cooling off.

As the brisk mountain breeze cooled me down...

I felt much better.

I looked out over the forest and at one of the nearby mountains...

regathered myself...

and headed back into the garage.

After I realized that it wasn't going to be a few minute job...

I got my IPod and speakers from the exercise room...

and played some calming music while I worked.

After emplacing the armor into the rim...

then came the most difficult part of all...

placing the final rim of the tire over the lip of the wheel rim.

I had stupidly placed my faith on two gimmicky wheel tools.

While at first...

they had worked well...

just as the installation became difficult...

I could move them no farther.

I ended up breaking one of them.

As I hadn't bought proper tire levers...

I decided to improvise using a set of olympic weight clamps as tire levers.

After much time and effort expended

(I didn't have enough leverage with these)...

I finally got the tire securely in place.

I pumped up the tire and finally felt good...

until I went to pump up the right side tire using this air pump.

I had forgotten that I needed a special adapter to even fill the other tire with air

as it had the other type of valve stem...

for which I didn't have an adapter

(it was too low to ride until I change out the right tire as well).

I was going to emplace the armor on the other side tire...

but I realized I would need to wait for the proper tools...

and so...

frustration had, once again...

momentarily settled in.

I closed the garage...

went upstairs to the computer station in the loft...

ordered the tools I should have had from the beginning...

and then sat looking outside to...

once again...

cool down.  :)

--------------

These are the tire levers I should have gotten in the first place:

They are almost a foot long each for much needed leverage...

have padded sure grip handles...

and come with rim protectors.

I should have realized...

a man should never skimp on his tools.

In order to do the job correctly the first time...

you must have the correct tools in the first place.

They should arrive in a few days.

Besides my tools and inner tube repair kit...

I will also carry some cans of fix a flat for the trails in the future.

I will also be staying away from thorny places.

(I should have realized this earlier...

as the canyon was hot and dry...

a perfect breeding ground for thorny plants).

-------------

I am going to make a special meal for myself tonight

(I know...a man shouldn't feel proud of himself for not acting like a toddler...

but I am anyway  :)

Where I used to give a loud tiger roar when I got frustrated...

I calmly took a breather today...without blowing up.

I know...I know...

What...

it took you 65 years to figure this out?  :)

Some Of The Little Things In Life / Italian At Home

 

Music:  Romantic Piano Songs

Artist:  Ernesto Cortazar

Life is filled with so many of the little pleasures that just keep giving...

day in and day out.

These add up to a life filled with happiness...

if we but pay attention.

I had purchased these stone spoon rests...

and I get pleasure from seeing them...

and from using them.

And...

as I love avocados...

I bought a triple tier fruit basket.

This way I can put the ripest avocados on the topmost basket.

I love the way it presents the fruit.

It is not only practical...

but it goes so well in the kitchen.

---------

I have seen

(and I do mean what I say with the utmost disrespect it deserves)...

people who go through life trying to dull their emotional responses...

pretending to be stoic...

while having no understanding of it at all

(Stoicism is semi permeable...

it is the armor against the negative...

and the magnifier of the positive).

They stupidly think that to not observe and enjoy things in life...

to ignore them...

to be numb to them...

is somehow...

showing strength.

The grand beauty of life is all around us...

and it provides a never ending source of deep serenity and happiness.

Weak people...

run from life...

for fear of it.

Strong people embrace life in all of its grandeur.

They know that heaven lies on the other side of hell

(metaphorically speaking)...

and so...

gladly suffer walking through hell to reach the other side

(deferred gratification).

Only those of whom had sacrificed...

can know true pleasure.

It is within the fires of hell that a strong constitution is forged...

and that through the pain of the fires...

that creativity and a deep understanding of beauty is born.

In short...

if you cannot feel a deep happiness at the simplest of things...

you are living life in search of freedom from pain and stress

(running from the very fires of the forge which breed great happiness)...

and in doing so...

in search of immediate comfort...

you live a dull colorless life filled with boredom...

with only momentary distractions to fill the void.

The other evening...

I had gone food shopping at Safeway.

I saw some frozen pizzas I had never tried before...

and so...

I bought some.

As I was preheating the oven to try the new pizza...

I looked out my front windows at the effects the setting sun had on the clouds.

So beautiful...

OMG...

this was THE BEST PIZZA.

Not just the best frozen pizza...NO...

it was the best pizza I have ever had in my life.

And not only may I have the best pizza at home whenever I wish...

(425 F for 15 minutes)...

but it costs 1/3 of a pizzeria.

They are imported from Italy.

Bravo Safeway...

you had contracted with an excellent company...

and have made it your signature brand.

I had also bought a couple of other topping pizzas to try.

The crust is just crispy enough...

combined with a chewiness that is so satisfying.

The sauce is the best...

as the spices just burst through.

The cheese is in the right amount and of the right type.

And...

yes...

now that I have found the holy grail of pizzadom...

and I may stock up on them in the deep freeze

so I may have the soul satisfying taste and texture of a perfect pizza

in the convenience of my home...

I am deeply happy.

The simplest pleasures are frequently some of the best.

I woke up this morning to a beautiful day.

As I looked out one of my front windows...

I had a strong craving for an Italian style breakfast.

This is an excellent pasta base with which to add various other ingredients

to make a whole meal.

I added a pound of shrimp.

In about 15 minutes...

the food was ready.

Bandi always waits near the kitchen whenever I cook.

The shrimp covered the pasta...

and the whole meal was so good.

Of course...

as always...

I share my meals with Bandi.

I mixed in part of my meal into a bowl of kibble...

and Bandi ate it all in large satisfying gulps.

--------------

Italian food is one of the world's great cuisines.

I sometimes crave Mexican food for weeks...

and then...

I crave Italian...

or Japanese...

or other Mediterranean food.

----------

I am a man...

I LOVE FOOD.

But...

I also love so many of life's great simple pleasures.

If you cannot deeply feel all that you see, hear, or even think...

you are missing out on a major point of life.

When you take a stroll through hell

(hard work...exercise...discipline reaching your goals)...

knowing that heaven awaits you on the other side...

even hell becomes pleasurable.

All of life then becomes a win win scenario.

When you attempt to escape even momentary discomfort...

you condemn yourself to a lose lose scenario in life.

In your attempt to numb out anxiety, fear, and pain...

you have nothing in which to look forward...

except another momentary distraction.

In so doing...

you are living life on a flat line at best...

no highs...

just long term lows filled with a momentary and monotonous void 

of not feeling anything at all

(alcohol and other drug abuse and other forms of escapism).

This phenomena is not only psychological...

it is physiological.

A set pattern of stimuli soon results in a new norm.

And so...

a new threshold is established from which everything is measured...

from pain to pleasure.

Our bodies are always striving for a state homeostasis

(adapting to a new variable chemically to keep everything in balance...

and so...reestablishing a new threshold to overcome...

whether it be from a positive or negative stimuli). 

This is why it takes a larger and larger dose of drugs

to give drug addicts their sought after high.

But...

it is also why one must walk through hell in order to once again...

reach heaven

(exercise).

But this is the beauty of this system:

By walking but a relatively short period in hell...

one may spend a much longer time in heaven

(an hour of exercise gives days of euphoria 

and resets the pleasure threshold to much lower levels...

so one reaps deep pleasure from the simplest things in life).

  

And so...

the simplest of things become deeply meaningful...

 a sunset or sunrise becomes a grand symphony of colors...

the sublime taste and texture of food is felt throughout the body...

music becomes soul stirring...

love wrings the heart...

the crisp wind on one's face transports one's mind

as you become a soaring eagle amidst the clouds.

However...

with drugs...

it is but a short period in a semi heaven...

and a long period in hell

(the drug's effect is relatively short...

and the hell of knowing that one is on a perpetual cycle 

of needing something just to escape reality...

and so...wanting perpetually more...

and knowing that it all must eventually end in one's early death 

as the ever increasing need to dose higher and more frequently

destroys the organs).

---------

Anyway...

I am sure you get the picture.

One's choices in life

(even in not making a decision)...

greatly affects one's pleasure in it.

Never be the one who believes that it is mere thought that changes life.

No...

it is the positive action one takes that resets the mind 

through the realization that the positive actions lead to a positive state in life...

and so...

naturally leads to an optimistic state of mind.

We then know that we are the masters of our destiny...

that it is under our control...

that we can be as happy as we wish...

if we only strive to climb the mountain before us.

-------------

If you concentrate on the dollars in life...

the pennies become meaningless.

Concentrate on the big picture...

and the details work themselves out.

Simplify life...

and live it fully.

If you are walking the correct path...

all of life becomes beautiful

as it is filled with anticipation...

and so...

you may enjoy the scenery along the way.

This is how one may live in the moment.