Fire Horsin' Around

 February 3, 2026

Welcome celebrants!

It is indeed a festive time of year as you well know:

·       If you are like many of us, you have recently woken from your post-Groundhog Day hangover.  Perhaps you have seen your shadow and it scared you back to bed?  I feel you.

·       Superbowl is this Sunday!  I will be attending a Superbowl party with family and friends.  It should be fun, although I am guessing the other guests will be unimpressed by my contribution to the potluck, as usual.  In addition to my questionable taste in recipes, I have recently read most of a book called Superlife that has got me thinking that a delicious quinoa casserole is in order.  More on this later.

·       Year of the Fire Horse is just a couple weeks away!  So awesome!  Who can restrain the power of the fire horse?  Neeighh!  No need to retort, 'twas a rhetorical question.

So, I thank you for taking a bit of time off from your partying so you can check in with me.  Here are a few things I’ve been doing/considering these days:

So apparently the groundhog saw his shadow.  I am not surprised by this since there was a magnificent Super Groundhog Moon shining as I awoke and pedaled off into the sunrise on that glorious occasion. 

So, even if the ‘hog was up early, he likely would have been startled to see his moonshadow lying threateningly on the ground near his home.  Also known as the Snow Moon, here you can read all about the significance of this event.  

Since we all know astrology holds intense truths, not to mention truisms, I felt this was very compelling reading.  We must be bold and not dim ourselves!  That is good to hear since I will soon be boldly switching jobs!  I know, that is intense!  I will be switching to a different company and getting a different job description, etc.  I haven’t had a new job for around 12 to 15 years, depending on how you want to allocate the time off I had to try to become a middle school teacher (Ouch!  My soul hurts just thinking about it!  Thank you to all educators, especially middle school teachers!)  So, I’ll be sure to keep you in the loop about how this works out.

Although I recently predicted that the Superbowl would feature Bob Weir’s two favoured contenders (i.e., Bears and ‘Niners) I was obviously wrong about that.  However, as I mentioned earlier, I do think that the Superbowl will be a great place for me to provide my friends and family with a somewhat healthy quinoa casserole.  Let me tell you about a great book my friend Todd lent me:  Superlife.  It was written by Darin Olien, a superfood hunter, and it basically tells you a lot of truths about nutrition in a “hey bro, let’s not bullshit” kind of way.  In addition to the book, he's got some blog entries here:  https://superlife.com/blogs/  So, I am now pretty inspired by these ideas, to the extent that I recently ate some oatmeal WITHOUT BROWN SUGAR!  I know!  I was freaking out too!  However much I didn’t appreciate that, I think our tastes can adapt to healthier eating - next time I may sweeten it up with more berries and/or raisins.  One of my main takeaways from the book is there’s too much sugar in our diets and I’m afraid that includes most breads and pasta!?  Now please join me in a moment of silence ....  I am now crying inconsolably, as you may be too (virtual hug)!  However, I think there is still hope, although you may not be feeling it in this moment.  Here are some things to consider:

·       Ezekiel bread (not sure exactly what this is yet) might still be pretty healthy

·       Everyone is aware of the Sourdough Cult.  Although not mentioned in Superlife, I think this is probably still pretty healthy and I’m not just typing that to avoid angering the Sourdough Cult.

·       I think some nutritious things can still be delicious.  Like that black bean soup I made a couple weeks ago.  My coworkers made some great soups too, like a spicy ramen (with tofu) and a hearty minestrone. 

·       Here is “the best a quinoa casserole” recipe.  I think I will try this one (or similar).

So, as you can tell, I am getting amped about Superlife and Superbowl!  I will also have a few days off while I decompress between jobs and I intend to make the most of it by tormenting blessing my family with a healthy recipe or two and getting out on some hikes to break in my new Keen hiking boots. I've only worn them once so far, so I don't have a fair review to proffer.  Also, I personally guarantee the Seahawks will win this game (by more than 4 1/2 points).  How do I know?  Well, it’s because I have enjoyed myself a lot whenever I’m in Seattle.  New England is great too, but they’ve already won a bunch of Superbowls.  The good news is that, when the Patriots lose, they can still win by treating themselves to a delicious quinoa casserole!  You can find Tom Brady’s favourite quinoa casserole recipe, the Brady Bowl in his book – The TB12 Method (which, to judge a book by its cover, seems suspiciously similar to Superlife):  

So are you ready for The Fire Horse?!  In the spirit of being prepared, here are a few things to be aware of when the fire horse rears up in front of us:

·       The fire horse rewards those who act decisively with discipline and clarity rather than impulse.

·       Here is some good background on the fire horse:  

Fire horses are also popular in Pokemon (please add accent!).  

Well, I guess I’ll let you get back to your festivities now so you can prepare with the intensity of the Quinoa Bowl / Year of the Fire Horse!

To your health!

BSO

Bootin Up for 2026

 1/10/26

Hello fellow 2026ers!

How is your year going so far?  Some good, some bad?  Withholding judgment?  Valid, valid, you and your thoughts and feelings are most certainly valid.  Just stand up where you can against the oppressors and try not to get too stressed please.

I have been doing a little more walking than bicycling so far this year.  That is because my friend Todd mentioned he was interested in hiking up to the top of Longs Peak over in colourful Colourado!  I am very excited about this prospect!  I am not one to avoid an alpine excursion, it’s just that (as you may be aware) I don’t live very close to any mountains here in Omaha.  I now have a goal and an excuse to purchase some new hiking/backpacking boots.  So, as you can tell, I’m very excited about this.  Let me calm down by taking a few deep breaths.  Fyew!  That’s better.  Let me put this into a somewhat reasonable sequence:

Speaking of footwear and walking, here are a few photos from a recent walking expedition over at Fontenelle Forest.  It was last weekend and the weather was unseasonable warm so I decided to head over to ye olde FF to get a few steps in.  This was shortly after Todd had mentioned the Longs Peak mission so I was anxious to get a few trail miles in ASAP.  I got a brisk 2.5 miles or so in and about 1.5 pounds of mud on my Altras.  

Alright, that photo only contains a few ounces, but a lot of it fell off on the way across the parking lot.

I have been enjoying the Altras (Lone Peak 7) since I forked out about $140 to REI for them about 2 years ago.  Footwear can be pretty important, especially for moderately active individuals and the value of the products can vary substantially.  So here are a few thoughts about some of the footwear I’ve been associated with:

Altras:  I love the feel of these shoes.  When I bought them I was looking for a minimal-type shoe for trail running/walking.  More or less a more focused version of my older Oboz (Sawteeth Lows, if I remember correctly) that I’ve had for 10+ years.  I wore those Oboz for general purposes, but the Altras have been pretty much limited to the trails.  I think the Oboz were waterproof or at least water resistant.  However, the fact that I’m not sure about that made me decide that I don’t really need a waterproof shoe.  The Altras aren’t waterproof, but that hasn’t bothered me so far.  They are unique looking, comfortable, and secure on the trails.  They have a wider toe box than the Oboz and any other shoe I’ve had, which is a good fit for me.  I don’t really like lateral pressure on the side of my forefoot.

Asolo boots:  I’ve had these since around 1998!  

Another REI purchase.  They have been great and have seen a lot of miles:  desert, mountain, snow.  They’ve been reliable, supportive, and comfortable for a stiff backpacking boot.  I don’t think they were advertised as waterproof, but they’re made of good leather and I was pretty good about waxing on a regular basis.  They kept my feet dry on a snowy expedition out to Rocky Mountain National Park a little over a year ago, but the tread was getting pretty thin 

and I noticed I was slipping around and falling (nothing dramatic and the snow made for a pretty good landing) a fair bit during the descent.  So, maybe a pair of new boots with some new thicker tread would be a good idea.

Prior to ordering boots I looked at a few options and discovered a few things:

·         Polyurethane midsoles, well generally durable and supportive, can separate from the sole if not worn fairly regularly and especially if left in a damp condition.

·         There are a lot of poly- and perfluoro aromatic substances (i.e., PFAS / forever chemicals) still being used in boots.  It seems especially common in synthetic boots or ones with a lot of seams.  My understanding is that a solid leather boot (like ye olde Asolos) shouldn’t really need a PFAS coating for waterproofing (or at least water-resisting?).  Just wax ‘em up from time to time and you should be good. 

Oboz Bridger Ridge Mid GTX (waterproof) – I ordered these from Campmor shortly after getting super amped about the Longs Peak venture.  However, once they arrived I noticed they had a GoreTex tag on them.  One thing I should have figured out prior to ordering these boots:

·         If I had paid attention I would have noticed that they have GoreTex in their construction.  GoreTex used to have a lot of PFAS in it, and it turns out that it probably still does.  There are some newer versions of GoreTex that probably have fewer PFAS, but I’m not yet convinced that the newer formulations are fully PFAS-free or that whatever replacement chemicals are being used are any better.   

So now I was left with a pair of boots I wasn’t too crazy about.  I’ve got ‘em packed up and ready to send back; however, according to Campmor’s return policy I’ve got 90 days.  So I figure I may as well keep them until I can find a suitable boot to meet my preferences.  I’ll be sure to let you know once I find the best boots I can.  Don’t worry, price is not a major factor.  As Mrs. Snot will attest, I’m not typically a big spender so I’ve got enough scratch saved up to get a reasonably good pair of hiking/backpacking boots.  Please feel free to let me know if you have any recommendations. 

To summarize, choosing a pair of boots is similar in some regards to choosing our political representatives where that is an option.  I’d say it’s a good idea to avoid PFAS in boots and it’s also a good idea to avoid leaders who support our continued fossil fuel addiction, US-ian expansionism, and ICE idiots gunning down people on the streets.   That is probably enough soapboxing for now, since I doubt that’s why you are perusing my semi-annual column.

So what else has been happening?  Today I made it out to the old climbing gym to get a good workout and to discuss a potential Longs Peak trip with Todd.  We also discussed nutrition and fitness a bit and he gave me a book called Superlife that he credits with turning his life around and getting him into good shape.  He’s definitely in good shape and much leaner than he used to be.  I think he said he lost 40 pounds in 6 months or so, which is pretty damn impressive!  I am sure I could benefit from losing a few lbs, especially around my gut, but it’s not currently one of my main priorities.  Surely being moderately active is pretty good, right?!  We’ll see how ambitious I get once I’ve perused the book and thought about it for a while.

1/16/26

So it’s been a few days since I started typing this up and quite a few things have happened since then:

·         Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead passed on.  He was an avid bicycler in addition to a musician.  

 As a casual fan of the Dead, he also seemed to me the more rational, grounded of the frontmen.  Since Bob was born in the San Francisco area and the Dead played some shows at Soldier Field in Chicago it is obvious to me that Bob’s spirit has chosen the Chicago Bears to play the San Francisco 49ers in the National League Championship in the sport known as el Fútbol de muy Norte America. 

·         I purchased a pair of Keen Durand II hiking boots.  They seem pretty nice from when I wore them in the shop for 5 minutes or so.  I’ll let you know more once I get them out for a nice hike.  They also don’t have any PFAS that I am aware of.  Thanks Keen!

So I got the boots!  Now we just have to give the boot to all the toxic thugs who are trying to pull the rest of the world with them down into their oily pit of deception.  It’s a new day.

                                    

                                                           One way or another,

                                                                                              BSO

State of Uniting to Honor Those Who Have Gone Before

 November 10, 2025

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings of the warmest variety.

Lately I've been pondering the balance between compassion and strength.  A completely altruistic government would probably not fare very well without strength.  I think most of us believe that the most powerful governments have the most soldiers with the best guns and tactics.  However, governments may last longer and be more productive if they acknowledge the power of compassion and incorporate it into their policies.  What does this have to do with bicycling?  Well, it may be a bit of a stretch, but I was in Lincoln, Nebraska over the weekend and it is the seat of our state government.  

I enjoyed some time with friends as we commemorated the life and shared some memories of our late friend Ben Kroeze.  I have thought about him a lot lately; unfortunately probably more than when he was alive.  It's pretty easy to take our friends for granted.  So please, consider giving an old friend a call later today or tomorrow, at the latest, and tell them why you appreciate them.  Ben was a great guy.  He was hard-working and handy.  To honor his memory I decided to build a reliquary/ofrenda.  I got an image by a Lincoln artist who I could not identify printed onto some wood and built this.

Although I'm not as handy as Ben was, it was a rewarding experience that made me feel like I was in touch with Ben and I think it turned out well.

Here are some photos from the part of Lincoln I stayed in.  

Some folks were outside on a cold night.  Got down into mid-20 F-ing degrees!?

While the Ol' B and I were comfy in a classy Super 8

with some nice clean water flowing into Salt Creek from the Theresa Street Water Resource Recovery Facility (TSWRRF-ing beautiful!) in the vicinity.

Not pictured is a grocery store that didn't have any local beers in the liquor department!?  Also a DUI pullover that occurred in the hotel parking lot in the morning.  Now that is quite a way to start the day!

Anyway, back to my bike ride:  I rode downtown on some pretty nice bike paths.  I stopped in Antelope Park on my way there.  

Downtown they were putting up Christmas lights 

and one controversial question will apparently be decided on November 12!  Get your tickets fast!

There was some nice bicycle-oriented public art

and I rode in a bike lane for a while on my way back to the Super 8.  It was on P Street and it seemed kind of short, but nice while it lasted.  

Nothing questionable about that sentence, right Michael Scott?  And then past the classic Moose's Tooth/Cycle Works Shop that I remember from days of yore.  I think one of the signs described a sale on gravelly bikes, which might be interesting to check out.  Meet you there after the Beatles beat down the Stones?  Or maybe the Stones roll over the Beatles?  

I'd say the Beatles are better, but the Stones rock harder.  But I'm sure you have your own ideas about that.  No need to make it bad, so I guess I'll just close this one up for now my friends, let it be,

get off of my cloud, and wish you and yours some satisfying activities of whatever variety you like.  And here is something that I guarantee we will all enjoy:

Virtually embracing you,

BSO

Rainy Labour Day Reflections

 

August 31, 2025

Hello dear reader,

Happy Labour Daye weekende!  I hope that you have been doing well and prospering, at least in some regard.  As you may have imagined, I have been to a Renaissance Faire recently.  I purchased a game called Daldos that is pretty fun to play.  Snot Jr. purchased a foam long knife/short sword of some type that he was delighted with for a few hours and which has know taken up residence in the Dracomobile.  My first batch of hard cider has been refrigerated and I am “enjoying” a small glass of it right now.  The first sip was kind of a sour slap to the tastebuds, but now that I’ve acclimated a bit I actually like it!  I would estimate alcohol content of about 8 percent or so – at one point I had a device for measuring alcohol content, but the cats broke it and it seemed kind of complicated to actually calculate the alcohol content.

Last Thursday I made it over to the Bellevue Berry Farm's taco ride.  After riding down the hill by my home, I realized I’d left my water bottle on my desk!  Doah!  Luckily I decided to stop at a park on the way to the BBF to get some hydration from the excellent water fountain and take a rest break.  Another thing I noticed on my trip was that ye olde Olympia Cycle / Farmers Home building had been removed!  Here is it’s former location.

So long faithful landmark and local bike shop!  It was great to have you around all these years.  

There were also sunflowers aplenty along the banks of the Papillion Creek.  

Upon arrival at the BBF, it seemed a bit sparsely attended for such a beautiful night, but that may have been because it was the Huskers American futbol (!con accente! !por favor!) season opener against the Cincinnati Bear Cats!  Although not great for the BBF, it was kind of nice to have plenty of open seats and a nice view of the charismatic band Parfait.  

The tuba player was especially gregarious and had some wicked dirty dance moves and managed to bring around the tip bucket whilst simultaneously charming the audience.  They had quite a few upbeat funky versions of pop hits, such as Billy Joel’s “I’m Movin’ Out” and Stevie Wonder’s “Superstitious”.  Here is a song I was not hithertofore familiar with:

On the way back, I considered stopping at Pint Nine to see how the HuskerDu was going, but I thought I might be able to watch it at home and thereby save some time and money.  You may consider this move a non-awesome cheapout, and you may be right.  However, I’m grumpy and I don’t get out much so what do you expect!?  You sassin’ me!?  Why you whippersnapper!  Get back here!  Anyway, once I got home I found out that I would have had to pay for some special ESPN channel to watch the game.  We only get a few ESPN options through Verizon/Disney Plus.  So instead of futbol, I enjoyed a couple sets of women’s tennis.  The dynamic Amanda Anisimova is having a good U.S. Open so far.  She seemed a bit uncontrolled during the sets I saw, but she was able to get the ball where it needed to be when it counts.  The announcers informed me that she was runner-up at Wimbledon, so that is a big accomplishment!

Well I hope you are enjoying some moderately active fun these days and enjoying the cooler days of impending fall and/or other fall-like activities.  I recently had a pumpkin cookie with some white chocolate and macadamia nuts that was quite tasty.

Many blessings to you and your habitat.

Corporate Cycles Back to Boulder

August 17, 2025

 Hello fellow bicycle enthusiasts and others,

I am here to inform you that I recently completed the always rewarding Corporate Cycling Challenge in the Omaha area.  The last time I can verify completing this event was back in 2012!  Last time I was mounted upon the Old Bastard, but this time I enjoyed the relatively easier pedaling aboard the noble Shifty.  Here is a Wild Man top bar pouch that I added to Shifty for the event:

Although my photo doesn't show it, there is a handy cell phone compartment on top of the pouch.  It was kind of nice, since I didn't have any decent pockets on my person; however, my phone overheated towards the end of the ride and had to shut down to cool off for a while.  I think I will invest in one of those phone holders with no plastic cover that just attach to your handlebar to avoid the likelihood of overheating.

I saw a hops farm on the way out, which was pretty exciting to me as I enjoy an occasional quaff of hoppy beer.  

I also met up with my dad and we shared some of our recent life experiences.  Here we are at the spacious and well-maintained gazebo 

in the Fort Calhoun park known as West Market Square Park.

Here is a rock that Lewis and Clark tried to pick up back when they were exploring the area a bit further upriver of Fort Calhoun:

Although they were not able to pick the rock up, they did have their men pick the rock up and carry it downriver (not with their arms of course! - they just put it on one of their boats for a bit of added ballast and a nice place to lounge around during the abundant free time they enjoyed back in those days) on the way back after they finished exploring some parts of the northwestern U.S. and left it in Fort Calhoun as a marker for future explorers.  Although it was originally much closer to the river, it has since been  moved, the engraving has been updated a bit, and it still serves as a welcome stop for travelers in the area.  There is also a disc golf course in the vicinity.

One recent life experience for me has been doing some SCUBA diving lessons over at a local swimming place called Diventures.  We also have to carry ballast to help us sink to the bottom of the pool where we practice various skills designed to help us feel comfortable and to be able to survive some mishaps in the depths; however, no boulders have been used so far.  It has generally been good; however, I seem to have a eustachian tube dysfunction situation that I am hoping to resolve before I commit to my open water certification diving.  I'll let you know how it all turns out.  Dad also did some SCUBA diving back in his younger days and he said it kind of messed up his ears, so maybe there's an inherited trait that makes us more prone to these types of problems.  Snot Jr., however, is loving it and doesn't seem to have any of these issues.

On the way back from the gazebo, my dad cruised off over the horizon and it got kind of hot with a headwind.  I probably should have stopped for a rest break, but I kind of wanted to get back to meet up with some corporate comrades so I pedaled on and did some minor suffering to cap off the experience.

So that was how I spent my Sunday morning and I do not regret it.  Please join me again in the future and I will regale you with more heavy tails of moderate activity and/or adventure.

Your traveling buddy,

BSO

Crazy Days

 

July 29, 2025

Dearest Intrepid Venturer,

How does it all happen?  Crazy, right!?  So much has been going on lately it’s hard to know where to start.  In summary:  it’s hot out, I just got back from a vacation up to Wisconsin, and I bought a used trampoline!  Luckily, whilst vacationing  I was able to procure some of my ol’ favorite Wisconsonian beer – Spotted Cow and I’m sipping on a cold one as I type! 

Here is one thing that didn’t seem all that crazy, and I’m honestly a bit surprised it didn’t happen earlier:

The Bike Commuter’s Forgetfulness – Level 2 (Not so bright foresight)

A few weeks ago I thought I had a reasonably nice office-type shirt stashed in my storage area at work.  I’m guessing you can guess where this is headed already?  If not, perhaps I can shock your eyes (which I’m pretty sure are part of your brain) into realization.

Yes, I did not actually have any type of my usual nearly-business-casual-level attire available.  So when I arrived at my place of employment I fount that my shirt choices were a nipple-emphasizing bicycle jersey (as shown above) or a slightly stained and wrinkled, company-logo-branded-hi-viz t-shirt.  

Which would you have chosen?  Please write your response on an index card and send to me, along with a self-address stamped envelope, and I will provide a personalized response and perhaps a special prize for non-snarky responses with some rationale behind their choice!  Thank you for your consideration.

I chose option b because I am dedicated to the success of my company (for those of you who know where I work) and I knew that anyone adorned with our esteemed corporate logo may as well be protected by the shining armour of God! 

And, for everyone else, as I am guessing you’ve already surmised, I am a spineless corporate shill.  Sorry for the snark, but that’s my own self-addressed-amusement reward for my choice.

Moving on, here are a few highlights / items I’d like to document in my diary regarding my vacation to Wisconsin.  It was just me and Snot Jr. this time around.  Mrs. Snot and Ms. Snot decided they would partake in some other activities.

Mississippi Palisades State Park provided a reasonably located overnight campground to break up the trip.  Whilst Snot Jr. preferred to abide in the car to avoid the mossies, I ventured out to appreciate some river views.

 

This sign about platform viewing tickled my fancy bone.

Here is the platform for your viewing consideration:

I dragged Snot Jr. to Taliesin – Frank Lloyd Wright’s longtime home that may or may not be a ghost haunt due to some arson-related deaths.  FLW had some serious drama in his time!  Although Snot Jr. resisted, once it was over he actually thanked me for taking him on the self-guided tour.  He said it made him think about the constant relationship we experience with our surroundings/environment. 

There were many Buddhist-related statues and a Japanese dragon (not pictured) at the estate.  

I’d recommend you stop by the next time you are in the vicinity.

The next day I met up with a representative of the Wisconsin Canoe Company so they could shuttle us up to our put-in point (Mazomanie) for an overnight, 6-hour trip on the lower Wisconsin River!  

After approximately 3 hours of easy paddling we set up on a non-vegetated sandbar (the vegetated sandbars are reportedly more mossie-infested).   The next day we got an early start to try to get out before the forecast rain arrived.  

It was sprinkling a bit as we started out, but it gradually intensified and we were treated to some moderate lightning.  The GORP got drenched, likely due to operator error or maybe my penchant for cheap bag-purchasing?  In the absence of milk, the generic Cheerios were a bit less endearing when soggy.  We sheltered along the banks of the river during the peak lightning times.  

During our sheltering, Snot Jr. and I entertained ourselves with several rousing rounds of hangman.  “Kaiju names” was a pretty common topic.

As you can see, although GoT names were not part of our hangmanning our brave vessel was christened Khaleesi.  

If you are familiar with the television program Game of Thrones you will likely never forget Khaleesi as I’m told she’s quite memorable.  

Although I’ve not watched any GoT, Mrs. Snot has a Khaleesi coffee mug that she was gifted a few years back and so it reminded me of my beautiful lady back home.

Snot Jr. also formed a strong connection with a hitch-hiking damselfly we christened Beryl.  So that’s a quick summary of the craziness from my perspective.  Please let me know how things look from your side and then we’ll all be a bit more informed/aware.  Constant vigilance my dear ones!  Hey!  I said constant!

Constantly,

BSOzzy!

Amalgamation Triad

 June 810, 2025

Hello and many greetings,

What have you been doing lately?  Hell yeah!  I have been working on getting large video files off my phone.  Mrs. Snot's phone crashed and I wouldn't be surprised if mine is soon to follow, as it is approximately 5 years old.  I hope you've been enjoying the warmer spring/unofficially summer weather.  I have been doing some of the moderately active things that I enjoy and use to define myself as a person.  Here are a few specific items:

Back in March I went out to Hitchcock Nature Center on a balmy spring day to enjoy the loess hills of Iowa.  I took a nice walk out around the serene Lotus Loop and the relatively newly-opened-to-the-public trail out to Mount Crescent.  There had just been a prescribed burn and the underbrush was still smoldering.

I meandered around a bit and got off trail for a while, but eventually I achieved some clarity

and made it up to ye olde ski hill

and back again

Then, back in April I went on a nice bike ride on the West Papio Trail, as I often infrequently do.  I stopped at the phenomenal Eagle Ridge Park.   

There I stretched out a bit and went on the Papillion Library-sponsored StoryWalk® where I read about a kid's snow day.  She went out and enjoyed being a graceful snow ballerina of sorts whilst also kicking ass in a snowball fight!  A kid who improvises and has is a versatile heroine - truly inspirational in a whimsical way and (spoiler alert) story ends with a nice cup of hot chocolate.

As you can sense, the life of the snow dancer required balance in more ways than one.  That can be tricky.  And speaking of tricks, here is an amazing slo-mo video that my son shot to try to disprove my ability to switch my fingers from one hand to another!?  Also, as I may have mentioned, I had too many videos on my phone to get updates.

Also, today on Sunday I made it out to an F3 workout.  I refer to it to my family as an "exercise cult" but it was actually pretty fun (but pretty intense for this moderately active guy).  I went with a couple of elementary school friends.  I will note that the above finger exchange can (with caution) be performed with three fingers, which would make it more of an F3 kind of workout.

So that has been a few things I've been up to lately.  The triad is complete!  Hope you are doing well!

Love,

BSO