Arsbars.com

The boys over at Surly have a buddy that rode all around Austrailia. Crazy dude. Awesome photos. There’s a ton of them – so check em out.

http://www.surlybikes.com/photo_Gal/index.html

Ammon and Mike liked to play this with me on dead days at the bike shop. During all the road trips during the past month I have started to play it with myself.

It ended up with some real soul searching answers.

Would you rather :

Have a really nice house or a really nice car – car of course.
Own a house or a month to month apartment – haven’t decided yet .
Take photos or paint pictures – paint pictures.
CD vs MP3 – Well if you have a CD you can turn it into Mp3s
Steel vs aluminum – Steel baby
Tea or coffee – Tea
Money vs love – Love with a rich lady

On the iTune feature under Music Store you can find Apple’s top 100 downloads . They are sorted by song, album and then by staff favorites.

Out of the top 100 songs downloaded these are the ones I own/downloaded or loved in 2005.

3. Mr. Brightside – The Killers
6. Since U Been Gone – Kelly Clarkson
7. Gold Digger – Kayne West
9. Sugar, We’re Goin Down – Fall Out Boy
10. Feel Good Inc. – Gorillaz
11. You and Me – Lifehouse
13. Don’t Cha – The Pussycat Dolls
21. Speed of Sound – Coldplay
37. Breakaway – Kelly Clarkson
42. Listen to Your Heart – D.H.T
44. Because of You – Kelly Clarkson
53. Over and Over – Nelly & Tim McGraw
58. Beautiful Soul – Jesse McCartney
68. Live Like You Were Dying – Tim McGraw
70. American Baby – Dave Matthews Band
84. We Be Burnin’ – Sean Paul
97. All These Things That I’ve Done – The Killers

The eve of xmas eve is always the best. There’s no snow though which is a bit sad for all those that love having a white/wet christmas.

For all you that emailed your worries – thank you. I’m doing better. My mind is clearing up and I am starting to feel better than I have in atleast a year. I am moving on in life because that is all you can do when things get dark. My new plans are exciting and there are some details to smooth out before I publish them to everyone that requents my blog.

I do have a couple thank you’s to throw out there quickly.

Ethan – it’s going to be a bumpy ride but I’m there for the haul. Thank you.

Frank B – we have our differences. Maybe we are too alike? I do like what you are doing in that small town and for biking. Like you enough to get over you calling ex-employeers spouting off garbage to them. Thank you for always reminding me that through injuries (that leg of yours) cycling is a passion that doesn’t have to be fast or competitive.

Coffee Bean – Thank you for dealing with my craziness.

Ammon – You’re my boy blue – especially when you get your butt to NC. Thank you for my birthday.

Life has taken a better meaning and I’m embracing it. I have many miles left to travel in 2005 but I am excited for the next year and the plans that I have been laying.

Xmas Eve and part of Xmas day I will be in the Philly burbs. I’ll be back in Maryland for a short couple days and then traveling south with Jeannie for New Years.

Post will be sparatic as always. Maybe in the new year I’ll get better at these things?

The sun goes down as the city lights
Pave their way through the darkest night
Raindrops fall as an old man cries
Never thought to ever think twice

Of all he had
Of all he lost
A selfish life
and guess comes with the cost

Hey, remember me
I remember you walking away
Hey, remember me
I remember you walking away

The same old streets just a different name
Same old house just the family’s changed
Pickett fence
The window stains
Freedom spells by a man in chains

Silence is all we have to give
And the memories of a life I wish we’d lived

Hey, remember me
I remember you walking away

Hey, remember me
I remember you walking away

From all that you made
That you lost
or threw away
Traded in for a brand new life
But I can’t
Can’t let go
Can’t turn around
Hold my head high and walk away

Hey, remember me
I remember you walking away

Hey, remember me
I remember you walking away

The past month has been hell.

I’m sorry if you are reading this instead of hearing it from me. Don’t be offended. I really don’t mean anything by it.

Something hit me tonight. An email actually.

A rather hurtful email.

It hit something. Somehow.

Now it is 2am and my three best friends are out of commission.

Guess it is time for ice cream because I have no clue what else to do.

Jeannie finally got all her pictures off her defunked laptop via the ipod.. so I get to play a fun remember when game!

When I lived in Boston and Jeannie lived in Ocean Grove

Fiona was a LITTLE puppy.

We went to the shore this summer..

I am boycotting Christmas.

All the gifts to give. All the money to spend.

3 gifts per child in our family. Gifts have to be atleast $15.

Atleast why you ask? That’s my family. Stuck up nonsense.

Folks wonder why I’m not close with them.

Christmas is a great example.

Gifts for my parents.
Gifts for Jeannie.
Gifts for Jeannie’s family.
Gifts for friends.

I’m all up for family and friends. I’m all up for the holidays. But required gifts ruin the holidays.

The grinch has taken over the holidays.

When I was younger I can’t remember opening gifts. I remember driving to my aunts to have dinner. Or Christmas mass. I remember the moments I spent with my mom. Putting up the tree and hanging our 3 boxes too many of ornaments.

What has happened to the holidays? Marketing madness? Black Friday on crack?

Holidays have been ruined. Children counting gifts to compare at school. Gifts being over $400 for ONE. Parents going bankrupt over a kids Christmas.

Boycott.

I’m making gifts and cards. Sorry.