It Was Time For A New Camera

The compact Kodak C653 was in dire need of an upgrade, so I found just what was needed. The Kodak Z712 IS (IS means image stabilization) is way better! Here's the comparison:

C653 Vs Z712 IS

To test it out, we checked out both mountain ranges of the Treasure Valley.

Charlene looking out over the valley from Stack Rock

Need I explain this shot?

A shot to give you an idea how big it is. It's the big rock on the skyline near Bogus that is seen from any west part of town.

The new cam does panoramas without using the computer too.

Sunday was a trip to an old way of life in the Owyhees with Mom, Mike and Charlene. Silver City is a well preserved ghost town where the Cavalry was called in to stop fighting between mine owners who couldn't figure out if the silver was all in one or multiple veins. Today, you can walk the dirt streets where countless gunslingers ended lives over the demand for gold and silver.

Management on top right? Okay, maybe it had something to do with snow drifts.

The path to the old catholic church proved how tough people were back in mining towns.

A view of the inside of the church through the peephole.

A shot of most of what remains of this remote historic area.

We had burgers and a beer from the old grill in the Idaho Hotel where you can still spend a night in a 150 year old room.

Quaking aspen starting to turn near town
A huge culvert at the entrance to town.

Ode To My Car

When I turned 15, I was given the best thing ever! An unlimited ticket to taking my bikes which ever direction I turned the steering wheel. Twelve years later, I'd blown a cylinder, the transmission was trashed (nearly impossible to get into 3rd) and was more than a little dangerous. Forget about the huge crack running all the way across the windshield, I could see just fine through the other 92% that didn't run directly through the line of sight. No matter how you look at it, that thing performed like a champ for so long! Thus the replacement being another Subaru after having sold my old faithful for a whopping $1.00! Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Subaru makers from back in 1987, you rock! Wanna make me another one just like it?
At some point though, even the best performers lose their edge (I didn't say anything about Lance!). At 12 years in, that beautiful power machine you see a few inches up from this text became a ticking road missile. Little by little, the relationship with my car was making me the focus of a tune that had been repeated too many times in that same car.

By now, everyone on the planet earth has either heard Adam Sandler's Ode To My Car or they should have! If, per chance, you are part of the group that has been missing out on one of the most offensive pieces of musical genius ever created, here you go. Be sure to count the ***'s to fully understand how socially unacceptable this song would be if I hadn't cleaned it up 100% for puritan viewing purposes!

**********************************************************************************
Here we go

Piece of s*** car
I got a piece of s*** car
That f***in' pile of s***
Never gets me very far

My cars a big piece of s***
cause the shocks are f*** shot
And my seat belts f*** broken
I got to tie it in a knot
(its a piece of s***)

I can't see through the windshield
cause its got a big f***ing crack
And the interior smells real bad
cause my friend puked in the back
(its a piece of s***)

(piece of s*** car)
Piece of s*** car
(he's got a piece of s*** car)
It sucks royal d***
(that f***in' pile of s***)
100% crap
(never gets him very far)
Oh f*** you car

Its got no cd player, it only got the 8-track
Whoever designed my car can lick my sweaty n** s***
(they can bite his a** too)
And I got no f***in' brakes
I'm always way out of control
Eleven times a day I hear hey, watch it a**hole
(you f***in' piece of s***)

(piece of s*** car)
I got piece of s*** car
(he got a piece of s*** car)
Diesel gas sucks my a**
(that f***in' pile of s***)
That pile of metal s***
(never gets him very far)

Oh what the f*** did I do
What the f*** did I do
What the f*** did I do
To get stuck with you
You're too wide for drive-thru
And you smell like the shoe
But I'm too broke to buy something new
Oh f*** me

Well the engine likes to flood
The car always f***in stalls
And the seat cushions got a big rip
So a spring always pokes the b***s
(ouch, ouch, ouch)
Plus the door locks are busted
I gotta use a f***ing coat hanger
(what a pain in his a**)
And if a girlie sees my car
There's no chance I'll ever b*** her
(he never ever gets da p***y)
Hey shut up
(piece of s*** car)
You piece of s*** car

(you got a piece of s*** car)
You piece of s*** car
(piece of s*** car)
Bald f***in' tires
(you got a piece of s*** car)
No rear view f***ing mirror
(piece of s*** car)
Seventy three colors
(you got a piece of s*** car)
F***ing rag for a gas cap
(piece of s*** car)
Tail pipe makes the sparks fly everywhere
(you got a piece of s*** car)
(piece of s*** car)
(you got a piece of s*** car)
(piece of s*** car)
Oh the whole town thinks I'm a loser
(you got a piece of s*** car)
Cabby give me a push
(piece of s*** car...)
*************************************************************************************
Post Script:
That Subaru never broke down on me, not once.

Blended Reality

Eagle 2004 Twilight 2006 Eagle 2008

Snake River Moose Creek Curtis Lake

Boise River Payette Lake Sage Hen Lake

What, No Bike Race In Baker This Weekend?

There's things to do in Baker City that don't involve racing a bike? I suppose so, depending on if you like things other than racing a bike.
Here's a few of them, minus the Geiser Grand tour as it only goes at 3:30 on Saturday's which we just missed, doh!


Before heading out to Baker City, Charlene wanted to conquer Bogus for the first time. At this point, all was well.

At this point, the question of which had been conquered could to be asked... either way, she did it!

Checking out the Oregon Trail... a first for both of us

A dinner and three amazing beers at Barley Brown's was a MUST after a trip to the museum and the Oregon Trail interpretive center.


The next day, we wanted to see some new terrain, of which is all paved and would be an off-the-charts ride! Way better than the queen stage of the actual race!

When going through Sumpter, we witnessed a curious thing that begged the question

The views between Granite and Anthony Lake were top notch

I wanted my bike on this pavement!

We hiked into Hoffer Lake from Anthony Lake... in flip flops

Chillin' at Anthony Lake

How To Win A Time Trial

Here is what you do... clone yourself when the judges aren't looking. Make sure to keep the formation really tight too or you'll lose out to unnecessary air drag. Typically you'll want to keep most of your clones on the right side of the road, but I purchased the low budget Cloner 1.21 and four of me came out a little oxygen deprived. Unfortunately, it did not work this year at Elkhorn as I was only fourth. Sammy J must have had a cloner out there too. Maybe he had the upgrade?
Remember to discard all extras.

Six of me powering along in this unedited photo from the Elkhorn TT

A Bogus Year Older

The age factor has struck one Mr. Matt Weyen once again! Sound the alarms, blow the horns and prepare for general chaos! ....... delay........ not.
So what really happened? The Bogus Basin World Championship Hill Climb broke out, a hike to the top of Schaffer Butte, followed up the next day with a BBQ at Calvin's.
The hill climb went alright, not quite like last year though. With a headwind this year, the group was less than willing to do any major work in the lower sections where the steep parts are. By half way up, the group was still well over 10 riders, which is rare. At around the 12 mile marker, I put in an attack that separated Eric Anderson and myself from the rest of the group. Under a mile later, we were being brought back and I decided to let up to get a break before the group swallowed up Eric as well. That never happened though. When they got me back, Eric hit the gas hard and the group couldn't bring him back. He won by 42 seconds, a gap that I haven't seen by an individual rider since I've been doing this climb. Results
When we hit the flat last mile, there were six of us still together, Chang (Mayfield), Slack, Kai, Feldman, Miles, and myself. Around half way through the flat section, Chang attacked and the only response was a temporary chase by Kai. At the line, Slack out sprinted Feldman for 3rd and I rolled in 5th, only partially interested in racing for the left over scraps. Luckily the win couldn't have gone to a much nicer guy, but still, he's not in blue and white! Pictures to come sometime.

Later that day, Charlene and I hiked to the top of Bogus, Schaefer Butte, and I had to test out a new trick. Mix in a bunch of pictures taken on a tripod with Panorama Factory software and some cool stuff can happen. Check out this moving panorama made from the top of a building at Schaefer: http://www.clevr.com/pano/5589 The controls let you zoom in, out and drag the picture every which way. I've reached a new nerd factor of 29... yeah, I could do Masters Nationals next year.
The season is over and now it's time to do whatever comes to mind. Anyone wanna go mountain biking or hiking or whatever... at any ol' time of any ol' day?! Which reminds me, I'm going to need a j.o.b. in a bit (February) and any links to something good wouldn't hurt as I'd take something sooner than that if it's worth it.

Get Out There Before It Gets Too Cold!

A three day weekend without a race consuming it is rare when the weather is good, so how better to use it than to go out camping? Charlene and I headed out for another weekend away, this time to Deadwood Reservoir. The first night, I decided to not bother with finding lots and lots of wood to start a fire, so it was time to test out something new... a big stump. That worked all too well! It worked so well that we couldn't put it out! After multiple attempts, it finally looked to be out and we went to bed. A little while later, we woke up and saw a full fledged fire roaring once again. So we tried again to put it out and I swore that time it was out. A little while later, it was going full bore. Then the rain came in and we put the fly on the tent, but the stump kept on as if nothing could stop it. When we woke up, there wasn't much left of it. That thing would not give up!

The view from camp was worth a panorama

The stump in full force

A hike into the hot springs was in order too

Some lucky hunter found the elusive jackalope and had to show it off at the restaurant/grocery store/liquor store/gas station