March 21, 2026
To the brave and the bold,
Thank you for taking a moment to check in with me to see how things are going. I hope you are surviving the many twists and turns fate may have been throwing your way lately. Life isn’t always easy and it’s sometimes unclear what may be coming next! For instance, I have recently started a new job which has affected my bicycle riding habits. I now ride my bike a shorter distance than previously up to a bus stop where I load up ye olde bastarde on the bus bike rack and kick back for 20 or 30 minutes until I get to my place of employment.
There are no showers at this employer, so I guess it’s lucky that I don’t have to ride my bike as far / get all sweaty! I did get some nice wicking socks recently that kept my feet comfortable and dry, not to mention that they really make my ankles pop (in a good way).
I also went on a bike ride with my friend Todd in the Chalco Hills area. We tried to mostly ride the dirt paths, which also involved riding over some bushy vegetation and backtracking. It was kind of confusing but generally enjoyable and rewarding. It was also very hot for this time of year. Around 90 degrees(!) F(!) but thankfully pretty dry and with a slight breeze. We rode for almost 2 hours, and covered 10.67 miles, which was a lot for this guy this early in the season.
I am also excited to have planned a trip out to Rocky Mountain National Park to attempt to reach the summit of a mountain that is more that 14,000 feet above mean sea level. If only there were a shorter way to convey that meaning, but alas there is not. NO! I typed “there is not”! To have a good shot at obtaining this lofty goal I plan on not only maintaining a moderately active lifestyle, but also doing more hiking, backpacking, and strenuous cardiovascular exercise for the next few months. When it comes to cardiovascular exercise, I tried some “mountain climber” the other day. That was intense, let me tell you! However, despite the intensity, I persevered for almost 1 minute, then I rested for more than 1 minute, and then I persevered for almost 1 minute again. For those of you not familiar with the mountain climber, here is a video that demonstrates the ordeal/activity:
Nice! After re-watching I see that he suggested trying 45 seconds at first, so I guess there’s hope for me yet!
In addition to all of this excitement, I am also about to head out to watch some University of Nebraska men’s basketball as they are involved in an event known as the National College Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament. I’ll let you know how this turns out. They did win their first every victory in this event a couple days ago, so maybe there’s hope for them to win again!? The unknown can be exciting, no?
March 22, 2026
Huskers win! What a game! What a team effort! Vanderbilt looked good too, but it seemed like Tyler Tanner carried them (and almost won the game for them). He seems like a likable guy, especially because he’s “only” 6 feet tall. Nice job Huskers! And although they may no longer have an Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department, it looks like they might still have some nice bicycling adventure options.
Anyway, back to my usual topics: I watched a really good movie a week or two ago called Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa. There is some hard, grim subject matter, but overall it’s a story of triumph and strength. It was also a chance for me to reminisce about some of the excitement and enjoyment I experienced whilst living in Nepal for two years. You could even ride on top of the buses over there! What a thrill! And that is (at least one reason) why there are no amusement parks in Nepal!
Living in Nepal allowed me to do some high altitude trekking, which I hope will assist me as I plan and prepare for my planned alpine hiking expedition I mentioned earlier.
No matter what your altitude, I hope you're loving your attitude!
Wishing you a peaceful (but not silent) spring,
BSO
