Just the Usual Monkeyness

This past month has been relatively motionless with just the usually weekly drive up to the Pass to host at the Nordic Center and to ski. As you will recall, we've been on the go almost all year so far with trips to Arizona-Baja and to the Winter Olympics. Things are more or less back to normal, although one could argue that there is nothing normal about us: we spend zero time in front of a TV, and thats just weird, and Kian spends more time behind a bike or ski or jogger than he does in his crib. Right now he's in his crib, and being the monkey that he is (photos below) I'm sure he'll be escaping soon.

There you have it: Same same less hairy.

Monkeys at play.

Runs in the family.

Last week Kian was sick. Wouldn't eat or he threw it up, and so we were a little worried because its just not like him. After 5 or 6 days of this we finally decided that it was the new upper's that we noticed were cutting into his gums, the drooling and runny nose were clues, and since it really didn't slow him down much we let it go. Sure enough, he's back to his normal self and eating his weight in gummi bears and coca-cola every day.

Watching Elmo in style: It's scary how much he

looks like his daddy on the trainer.

No bikes in the house? Yeah, right!

March Movie Madness

Gramma who?

Mustache March: Its Pure Madness

A few people have complemented me on my stache, much to Annie's dismay, being afraid that it might encourage me. I started this thing back in October as a sort of upper lip embrocation during Cyclocross season, and when it was still around after the season was over I realized that March was just around the corner. Having never been a player during Mustache March I thought I'd give it a go. It was strange to shave the rest of the goatee off leaving just a stache, but like anything, you get used to it. And I've never been called debonair until now. Maybe next year you'll join me?

I've had mine compared with the great Rollie Fingers', and after finding a few pics on the internet I realize that mine is as prolific, I'm just no celebrity. And thats all it takes, apparently, to make the all time top facial hair lists is to have been a beard toting pop icon. Burnsides and Santa Claus, Moses and the ZZ Top brothers had pretty impressive manes, but come on, Kenny Rogers and Tom Selek?

Read more about it here.

Top 20 most important beards of all time: a little collage.

The Mustache Vote: You never would have thunk that

facial hair played an important role in politics.

Mustache March or Movember: Its your decision.

Either way, may the froth not get stuck in your stache.

Kiki On Safari

JBRJ got us a 1-year family pass to the Seattle Zoo and yesterday we finally made it happen. Annie had a Shower to go to, so Kian and I hooked up the Chariot to the bike and headed West a few blocks... its a 10-minute bike ride.

When I purveyed the zoo map we were in the vicinity of the African Savanah and I was stoked that Kian's first animal sighting could be the Hippos, but they were a huge, HUGE disappointment: they just lay there in the mud and Kian even noticed them. So we moseyed on over to the giraffes and that was a HUGE hit. Then the lions, the tigers, the hyennas, the flamingos and the reptilians. It's just a ten-minute bike ride, so when the hunger knocking started we busted home and were eating lunch before the bonking started.

Daddy, let's go this way!

Squeezing in for a front row view: Orangutangs are the coolest!

Some of these animals are boring.

The Latest From the Land of Snows

Maybe not an apt title for the Northwest this winter, but there is still enough snow up there to make for some really nice nordic skiing. If set and groomed right, I'll settle for 3" if I have to.

Since back from our SW-Baja Trip we've been weekends on the Chiwawa and at the Stevens Nordic Center where we are "hosts": we check for poachers and scammers and other tricky bastards, we direct skier and snowshoer traffic, we chat and schmooze, and we ski our butts off. We love it, and its like family up there so we have a good time. I've worked and hosted up there now for 6 years straight and at this point I couldn't afford a pass, so this volunteer job is a must. A no-brainer must.

I think I have some pics from a few of the weekends.

Rise and Shine, Kian, we're going to Nordic!

Yeah!

Putting on those all important base-layers.

Hard at Work: Sorry folks, no ticket, no ski.

If Mike Power has got a loader, I want a loader.

You can't catch me, Rob Dilling.

Hard at Play: Finally, now its my turn to ski!

Kian's first time on skis, Jan '010.

From Annie's Cam

First day at the big O.

Okay, thumbs everybody!

Lets try this again. Yea, thumbs!

Hey Kian, we're doin thumbs. Hurray, thumbs!
My fault, I'll photoshop my thumb up.

More biathlon shot shots.

Das Norveegens vent cavazy.

Kiki on patrol in Vancouver.

We skied. A lot.

Team Blackistan: zero in the medal count, but
won the Platinum medal in fun.

Biggest hockey fans ever.

Mayhem at the rings: we were consumed.

The medal ceremony with the Norwegians, the Russians, the Swedes....
Miga and Squatch?

Every night in Robson Square at 930 the fireworks went off. I will
try to post the accompanying video, see below.

Down!

Up!

Ruuuuuuuuun!