6th anniversary photo tour

Since I have a memory like an elephant that can't remember where it is or that it is even an elephant, it is good to have this web diary thing to remind me of the fun places we have gone and the fun things we have done.

On Friday we started our ride just outside Maggie Valley, and rode up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The ride to the parkway was way tougher than the parkway itself.



Maggie Valley is around 3,000 feet, and this sign is at 6,000 feet, and we didn't catch a cab.



After the ride we spent some time in Jonathan Creek, chilling out. Tassie did not like the rock you can just make out on the right side of this picture.



Later that evening we headed to downtown Waynesville to have an early dinner at Nick and Nate's pizzeria. Bri and I have a very similar picture, I believe it might even be the same booth, from our 1st year anniversary, but I would have to dig that out of the archives.



Anytime we went anywhere without our little Tassie, she let us know she wasn't happy about it.



But she got some 1-1 Bri time later that evening.



On Saturday we did a short run then had breakfast at Joey's Pancake House in Maggie Valley. Joey's is good food. Tassie was tired and slept in the sun later.



We also did some fishing throughout the weekend. I had one real bite but was not able to catch anything.



Tassie said I should throw it "over there."



On Sunday morning we did one more ride, a nice hilly short route from the house.



After the loop we rode into town for some snacks at the Grizzly Grill. If you ever need ride nutrition information, I am your man.



But I don't want that to be the last image you have of us for today.



Our next big bike weekend will be June 18-20 with a whole gang of riders/triathletes in Boone. Vacationing in the mountains with no agenda is nice.

Maggie Valley rocks

We are here in Maggie Valley, NC, which is near Waynesville and about 30 minutes west of Asheville. It is a relatively small mountain hamlet although there was quite a bit of through-traffic today. We're here for our six year anniversary and 9.7 year dating anniversary. We were out this way last year as well.

We never really bothered before, but today we rode our bikes from the cabin to the Maggie Valley entrance of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was one hell of a climb the entire way. I wasn't sure if my bike was having issues, or my back wheel was rubbing, or if I was just a weak piece of garbage. Any way you slice it we climbed for about 1.5 hours before finally getting some descents. We started at about 2,500 ft and finished climbing at nearly 6,000 feet - Water Rock Knob point (we just passed by instead of making the final ascent).

All in all our 45 mile route took about 3.5 hours and I have been pooped for the rest of the day. Pooped is scientific terminology for f*cking wiped out. Tomorrow we're going to do an easier course for 1-2 hours and a short run, then go to Asheville to celebrate our actual anniversary.

This evening after dinner I did some fishing in the backyard stream of our temporary residence. I did have one real trout bite but was not able to land it. I've never fished for stream trout before and it is a different animal - the water is 2-3 feet deep max in most spots so you are searching for a small shadow in the dark. Sort of like the illumination of your soul. I digress. Teach a man to fish...

Tassie is having a ball. She likes fishing but even more she likes eating the bread I accidentally leave behind.

I will amend this with pictures when I feel like it.

martynomics

So in today's world of 7%+ real inflation and a questionable economy we're all faced with some serious decisions. Do you reduce spending, increase your income, or move to New Zealand? How do you do it? Reducing spending is much harder than it sounds. What do you cut? Gas expense through public or leg-powered transport? Food expense through eating out less or not at all? Food expense through substitution - mac and cheese over steak and eggs? Less travel? No travel? Movies? Cable? Internet? Chocolate and massages? What are your real luxuries in life and can you go without - them?

I usually find it easier to figure out a way to earn more money. In college I served lunch and dinners at a sorority house to get free meals + $50 bucks a week. That paid my rent and is totally like the inflation adjusted of $200 a week now. During the summers I picked up night jobs to supplement my days on the beach. Fried chicken wings, sold t-shirts, sodded lawns, whatever. After college I worked a variety of odd jobs but was always willing to work more in order to make things happen. Bri and I aren't really big spenders so cutting back on the little expenses is not going to make an appreciable difference. She's not a mocha latte with whip cream type of girl and I like my coffee strong with sugar and made from a can at home. It's the big ticket items. We've already planned a trip to Costa Rica in June this year so that's a go. But other trips are gonna wait methinks.

So if you're hourly you're faced with:
- working more at the same rate
- getting a second job at any rate
- Finding a new job at a higher rate

If you're salaried you have to:
- Stump and whine for a raise or merit based bonus
- Find a new job at a higher salary
- Work overtime and hope they pay it out
- Get a second job

If you own your own business you:
- Bill at a higher rate
- Work for more clients at the same rate
- Invent something awesome and sell a bunch of it (indented question: loans or personal financing)
- Get a second job

These are the realities and vagaries of everyday life.

In other news, tomorrow is Bri's and me's four year anniversary. Time does fly and she is a whole lot of good woman. I'm a lucky guy. Without her at this point I think I'd be barking at cars somewhere on I-10 between Tallahassee and Nevada.