Kaltxí

Let's talk about language. Or rather, let me talk about language. I can, from this seated position right now, look at my book shelf and see an interesting and perhaps unusual sight. TONS OF LANGUAGE!

To give a little background, language is something that has fascinated me for a long time and my interest only increases as time passes. Real, constructed, dead or alive I have not yet had contact with a language I have not found at least mildly interesting. I find myself constantly laughing at little things in English like "Hi, how are you today? -Good, thanks." Yeah... I didn't ask how you were behaving, I was asking how you are feeling. I have actively studied Spanish (a long time ago), French, Latin, American Sign Language and English. While not fluent in anything but English, I am slightly conversant in French, ASL and can understand a fair bit of both Latin and English.

Back to the bookshelf, however, and the point of this blog, I have a French/English dictionary, three books on medical Spanish, two intros to ASL, four basic Latin texts (plus a Latin/English dictionary), a book on the languages of Middle Earth by JRR Tolkien (Lord of the Rings languages), a Gaelic/English dictionary and a book on Native American Sign Language…

Now how about the most recent addition to my list of fascinations in the language department? Na’vi. For those of you who have seen Avatar, you will be familiar with this language, for those of you who haven’t, go see Avatar. I realize the extent of the geekdome I am heaping upon myself by admitting this, but linguistically it is fascinating and I intend to become conversant in it as well.

Wish me luck. Perhaps someday I will talk like the tall blue cat people from Pandora.

(Also as a self justification, studying a language, ANY language, increases the ability to learn other language. So this is not a totally worthless venture. When was the last time you thought about word order and conjugating your verbs? Not to mention modifying nouns and adjectives for time, mood, person, etc.)

Powder Forecast Strikes Again!

Well, what can possibly beat a day at the Basin with the dogs and a barbeque belonging to Andy? Well, not much, I thought... So I must admit Vail has always had a bit of a bad rap in my head because of the lines, the 'less-than-perfect' snow and the general mayhem associated with the place. After yesterday that will never be my opinion again.

Saturday may have started off just as expected, one run into a bowl and a 30 minute line at the bottom. Well, it is Saturday, we said, we knew what we were getting into. The whole rest of the day was of beautiful soft snow and short lines. Not to mention the Minturn mile at the end, a truly epic run 2.5ish miles long all the way to a saloon in Minturn. What a stellar day.

Lets hear it for the wonderful Powder Forecast by Joel Gratz
http://www.coloradopowderforecast.com/
Go here and sign up if you like knowing where and when the fluffy white stuff will strike next.

Office Chair Mayhem

Lets talk about office chairs. You know, the ones that are so much fun to roll around the office, joust in the hallways and be a 'cool cat' scooting around being the intimidating exec. Well they are now on my blacklist. Or one specific chair is on my blacklist. This particular chair decided I did not need to be a cool cat today and blatantly foiled my efforts to be suave today by uncerimoniously dumping me on my face. Of yes, full out sprawl on the office carpet. My only saving grace? There was only one other person at the time. My flaw? Posting about it on a public blog...

Winter or Spring?

Which is it really? We go from 10 below to nearly 60 in a week? (Oh, and still no rain...) All this schizophrenic weather has me wondering what I should be doing. If i go skiing I am liable to come back with trenches carved in my bases to rival WWI but the temps are making me look at my cross bike like I should be on it. This altogether springish attitude is only reinforced by Andy talking about getting out on his roadie and Julie talking about commuting the 25 miles each way to Thornton. What is a wanna-be biker to do?

Buy a new mountain bike, of course!

How about a hardtail? Yeah, rear shocks are for pansies.
Im kinda big though, what should I ride? A 'niner. Duh.
Front shocks? Front shocks are for pansies.
But what about a killer deal on a Fox F32 29er with 100mm travel? Front shocks are not for pansies.
X-9 or X-0? Do you really have the extra $300...?
Root beer or Gold? le sigh...


Thats right, Matt is pulling the trigger. With a sick Fox shock on its way and a Niner brand frame in the gunsights, this spring is going to be killer. Now to go get ready for a weekend skiing Vail. Damn weathermen predicting snow. Make up your minds!!!

This is the difference between life and The Life

Well, I suppose it is my turn to jump on the bandwagon. Ill give this whole 'blog' thing a try.

So I have been in Boulder for nearly a year and a half and have learned many thing in that time.
1. Boulder truly is 'The People's Republic of Boulder.'
2. Colorado is only missing an Ocean and the occasional liquid precipitation.
3. If you want it, you can have it.
4. There is a huge difference between living life and living 'The Life.'
This is where you learn to live The Life and get away from the ordinary grunge. Most of us will have to work to play, but The Life is all about playing your hardest and working simply to make the playing better. Here's to The Life!