Sriram's world

February 2012

2012-02-07T09:55:00.000-08:00

Not much to report but thought I'd log in the last month or so of happenings. The Colorado mountains finally started to see some snow late January with about 30 inches falling over two weeks. We had a huge snowstorm (22 inches) hit us here in Denver last week but the mountains got nothing. Here you see Ollie enjoying the snow in our backyard.

This week it will be 20 years since Nandini and I have been married and Aditya turns 18 next week!!!

The family and I took a trip out to Orlando for about 5 days last week. I was at our sales kickoff meetings and they took advantage by visiting Universal Studios and the new Harry Potter Theme Park. Fitness and healthy eating has taken a beating with all the travel and being stuck indoors with the snow. Got back on the indoor trainer today and felt great...hope to keep it going. Saw 'forksoverknives' thanks to Santa and am determined to eat better...again, hope the resolve sticks.

Appa had his first heart attack yesterday at 85 and that was a big bummer to begin the week. He was in ICU for a day and hopes to be back home tonight. Sridhar is a blessing and Raghu is headed over to India for a short trip. I miss mom.

Chilling in the mountains

2012-01-09T20:55:00.000-08:00

That's the road leading up to our mountain home near Breckenridge, Colorado. This picture was taken yesterday after a much needed snowstorm. The picture below is a view of our backyard through our back door. We have been enjoying our second home over the past few weekends spending our time skiing and just hanging out around the house. We have been taking a few hikes up into the mountains around the house; while we huff and puff up the hills at high altitude Ollie sprints up and down like it is nothing.

He loves being outside in the snow and he has made a few canine friends in the neighborhood. It's nice to be able to wake up to views like these with a cup of coffee in hand. The two day stubble says it all...

2012

2012-01-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

2011 has come and gone and as always it seems like time flies. Before we get too far ahead in 2012, I thought I'd log a few thoughts for posterity.

2011 was a memorable year for all of us; we took a trip to India together as a family after an eight year gap, I broke a bone (my little toe on my right foot) for the first time in my life, Tamara placed second overall in the state gymnastics competition, Aditya took part in his school play (Much Ado about Nothing), I participated in a bicycle race with Lance Armstrong, Nandini took a break from work to figure out options to start something on her own, we bought a second home in Breckenridge, I played and won in a local tennis league and in December we took the oath as naturalized citizens of America!!!

India won the cricket world cup, Osama was taken out, we lost Steve Jobs and had the tragedy of the Tsunami in Japan. Some will be happy that 2011 is over and some will worry about the mayan prediction for 2012. We are currently going through a fairly dry winter with hardly any snow in the mountains, they say it's the La Nina behaving more like the El Nino...go figure!

Work-wise my team and I had a fourth quarter meltdown putting a damper on an otherwise good year. For 2012 I have a new boss, a new role with the company and am feeling pretty amped about making an impact.

It's that time of the year for resolutions and mine is to focus on my fitness in 2012 (whose isn't?!)

If you are reading this then you are one of those rare individuals that finds any of this even remotely interesting and for that you deserve my best wishes for a healthy and wonderful 2012!!!

Home in the beautiful Colorado Rockies

2011-10-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo! Landmark day today! We closed on our second home purchase up in the beautiful Rocky Mountains in Colorado. A fully furnished ranch style (single level) log cabin with 3 bedrooms, 2 bath and a 2 car garage located 5 minutes from Main Street in the old historic mining town of Breckenridge. The house sits on a 2/3rd acre plot with lodgepole pine trees, a deck in the front and a patio at the back.

We are going up tomorrow for our first visit/stay and I am hoping to soon have more pictures posted. We are all (especially me) very excited about the prospect of using it year round as our local getaway. Breckenridge offers a world class ski resort and a variety of activity in the summer. Breck is a Cycling (Road & Mountain) paradise and is considered one of the most cycling friendly places in North America. Fishing, hiking, river rafting are popular activities during the warmer months.

Update: The pictures below are from our first stay in the home on October 13th & 14th 2011. We had a nice relaxed time as you can see in the picture below. I rode my mountain bike too!

Living room/Kitchen area

Living room with view of front

View of the home from the street

October 5th should be declared Innovators Day

2011-10-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

Wow, its hard not to feel any emotion after hearing about the passing away of Steve Jobs today. I don't quite know if I should just be thankful that he lived to make this world an immeasurably better place or if I should grieve that we have perhaps lost the greatest visionary and innovator on the planet.

Just the other day one had never heard of such a thing as an 'app' or for that matter used a feature called multi-touch on a little glass screen to dramatically interact with this super cool hand held device called the iPhone. But now in just a few short years our lives have been forever changed by the things we can do with our phone; from controlling the music in our homes to navigating through traffic to monitoring our health and fitness, hey my phone even tells me what song is playing at the local coffee shop.

I have thoroughly enjoyed living through this technology super-age and really appreciate what Mr Jobs did not only with the iMac, iPod, iTunes, iPhone, or the iPad but also how he drove a complacent industry into innovation overdrive. Thank you!

I read this on one of the tribute pages and it seems apt...

"3 Apples changed the World, 1st one seduced Eve, 2nd fell on Newton and the 3rd was offered to the World half bitten by Steve Jobs."

Fall of 2011

2011-10-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since I blogged using blogger, I tried my own website (www.tanjavuriyer.com created using Apple's iWeb) for a while but found that it was not very conducive to blogging. It did make for a decent home to host my photographs though. Apple made some new announcements today and sadly it does not appear as if there is a future for iWeb.

So, I decided to check back with blogger and to my surprise I found some new developments, the interface has changed, some new features added. I consolidated my various blogs into one, changed the template to a dynamic design and feel reinvigorated about blogging. I hope you like the new look. Thank you Google!

Quite a bit has been happening lately in our lives, we went to India during the summer, I got back and rode in a bicycle race with Lance Armstrong...that's not a typo! It was another matter that I was dead last in that race. It was a cool experience though and very inspiring to be in an event like that. We had a great camping trip in August with the family near Aspen and hiked near the Maroon Bells. More recently, I have started to play in a tennis league and I am taking swim lessons in the hope that I finally get over the hump. Nandini is taking a break at work and exploring opportunities to start something on her own, Tamara has started middle school after a summer during which she placed overall second in a state gymnastics competition and Aditya is a junior at Cherry Creek High that is particularly stoked about being in a school play.

The most exciting news though is that we bought a second home near Breckenridge, Colorado. Our offer was accepted on 9-10-11 (cool date with sequential numbers). We are getting through the formalities now with closing scheduled for October 12th. It's a 3 bedroom single family home on a 27000 sft lot with a two car garage and is only a 5 minute drive to Main Street Breckenridge. The place comes fully furnished, a storage shed and a raft with private fishing rights to a lake nearby. The picture above was taken not too far from our mountain home. Breckenridge is a great area and we are all looking forward to some nice memories there. More to come soon...with pictures of the place.

Expending negative energy

2011-04-29T21:01:00.001-07:00

The San Antonio Spurs just lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Memphis Grizzlies!

It is the the 29th of April, it's a Friday night and our weekend began with the temperatures dropping from 70 degrees to just above freezing and it has started to snow. My face about looks like Ollie's in the picture.

Somewhat unsure of what to do next I thought I'd come out here to ramble.

About what?

I have been meaning to write about our ten year anniversary in the United States...we moved here from India during the spring of 2001. After a challenging first couple of years in Northern California things have progressively gotten better. We moved to Colorado in 2004 and we absolutely love it out here. Knock on wood, the quality of our lives is truly incredible and there is so much to be thankful for. In addition to providing a fantastic work-life balance, America has broadened our horizons, made us diverse individuals with a variety of interests. Growing up in India has given us a terrific perspective on how much we have received from the USA. The infrastructure, the education for our children, the safe and secure environment, law and order, the civic sense, the value and preservation of nature etc etc....I could go on about the virtues of America...I don't believe there is another country in the world that welcomes and accommodates people from all over the world with absolutely no distinction made.

Gradually our sense of patriotism is shifting...we feel more American than Indian, our children already root for America in international sporting events. It is not as if we are not proud to be from India, just that our sense of debt and gratitude for America grows every passing day. One of these days we want to take the leap and apply to become citizens of America.

Moving on, one of the advantages of the early elimination of the spurs means that I can get off the couch and begin my cycling season in all earnest. Need to start training for the Crested Butte Odyssey in July - 100 km of dirt track above 9000 feet. I have started to play Golf and I think I am going to enjoy being out there hitting some balls. Here's to a great summer in 2011!

There must be something to rambling on the blog that no one really reads....I feel a little better now...just have to get through the next few days reading about the disappointing finish to a great season of Spurs basketball.

Our kitchen

2010-10-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

There it is, after what seemed like eternity our kitchen renovation project was finally completed yesterday. Although it took only about 4 weeks it felt like it was much longer. You dont realize how central the kitchen is to your lives until you dont have one. One takes for granted simple things (like the number of times we reach into the fridge) and we truly missed not having a kitchen for a month. A new floor, new cabinets, new countertop, new backsplash, new appliances, a chimney! and new lights!!! We also have some colored walls (other than white) now. Big hole in the pocket too! That was fun though and everyone's happy.

Another epic ride!!

2010-08-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend I have been walking on clouds...literally! New bragging rights :-).

Andy, Vijay, Navin and I rode our bicycles up to the summit of Mount Evans yesterday. The highest paved road in North America and one of the highest in the world at Fourteen Thousand One Hundred and Thirty feet above sea level. The screenshot above shows the stats of our beautiful day in the Colorado Mountains. Click on any image to see a bigger version of it.

We started riding at Idaho Springs at an elevation of 7500 feet and this is pretty much a straight climb of about 6500 feet. Echo Lake, situated about halfway up (10,642 feet) offers a restaurant amidst scenic surroundings and is a great place to take a break and replenish supplies before continuing on the ascent to the top. Here you see Vijay refueling and pondering the climb ahead. After this there aren't any services all the way to the top although we did find some forest rangers who were kind enough to give us much needed water.

Three miles past Echo Lake at about 11,500 feet you will see 1500 to 1700 year old Bristlecone Pine Trees twisted and turned by the harsh windy conditions. After this point you are above treeline and out in the wide open with fantastic views all around. About six miles from here at an altitude of 12,836 feet sits Summit Lake (picture below) containing both arctic and alpine tundra.

From this point on I could start to feel the effects of high altitude and the last 5 miles to the top were some of the most difficult miles I have ridden on my bicycle. Spectaular views tempered by the creepiness of the open windy roads and lack of oxygen kept the adrenaline high. Finally made it to the top where the temperatures were in the forties. We could see the storms rolling in and so after a a few quick pictures we headed down. The descent back to Idaho Springs was fast, treacherous and could not end sooner for all of us...it had been a long day in the saddle but a real memorable one.

Ollie!

2010-08-08T10:58:00.001-07:00

When Tamara was about six or seven years old she wanted a pet. Every time the topic came up Nandini and I found some way to avoid making a commitment. One day I said to her that she could have a pet dog when she turned ten. At the time I thought she would soon forget about it and I wanted to find some way to put off a discussion on the topic for a few years. But she never did and in fact kept reiterating to everyone that her dad promised to get her a pet when she turns ten. Well, she turned ten on July 27th and my promise came back to bite me (pun intended). Not wanting to disappoint her and more importantly, wanting to keep my word we decided to go get a dog and so Ollie happened. Ollie is a pure breed golden retriever and is twelve weeks old and growing fast. We have had him for three weeks now and I am pretty sure we made a great decision. It definitely will be a huge change in our lifestyle but I think we are all going to enjoy this very much. Nandini and I have had dogs before in India and were worried about the commitment it takes to look after one. Again I think living in the USA (especially Colorado) makes it easy and enjoyable to own a pet. So far so good...look out for an angry blog if he chews up something valuable at home!

Memorable Ride!

2010-07-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

It is July and I am halfway through a fairly ordinary season of cycling. A much busier work schedule combined with no real planned long rides has meant that I have not ridden as much.

That said, I have had a couple of memorable rides and maybe some more in the near term. At the beginning of July, on a recent trip to California I rode to the Ocean and back with Raghu (my brother) and Vishwa. Vishwa was on his new all carbon Le Mond and I was on a rented Fuji and Raghu literally on his first long ride with not insignificant cimbs. Come to think of it this was probably the first time I have ridden with my brother! Raghu had just turned fifty and one of our goals was to keep him occupied the whole day because there was a surprise birthday party waiting for him when we got back. Vishwa and I rode from Palo Alto and met Raghu at the base of Old La Honda. Old La Honda is a benchmark bay area climb of about 1100 feet in a little over 3 miles, it gets you to skyline blvd on the ridge and then it is a good 15 mile descent all the way to the ocean. We stopped at the general store in San Gregorio, got a bite to eat and up over stage road and north along highway 1 briefly for this view of the Pacific Ocean.

We then turned right on Tunitas Creek Road to start the long climb back to skyline blvd. This year's Tour of California went right up this exact climb. A mile or so east of highway was was this beautiful bike hut. A place set up by the farmer that owns the land behind and stocked with snacks, a coffee machine, water and a couch to reast your weary legs. Nobody mans the hut and it is run on a completely honours based system, you go in get what you want and leave the money in a jar. Incredible! Raghu stretched out with some yoga on the benches behind, we made ourselves some tea and continued on. The climb up Tunitas Creek is one of the most beautiful roads to bicycle on with all the variety that California has to offer. You leave the open views of the ocean and once the grade picks up you are quickly transported into a fairly wooded section of really really tall Redwood Trees. This road climbs about 2000 feet in about 14-15 miles and is very satisfying in just so many ways. We got back to skyline blvd and then down along Kings Mountain road to Woodside where Steve Jobs has his home. Vishwa and I continued on back to Palo Alto while Raghu (his car parked at Woodside) drove home to a big surprise.

I got my fix of California, cycling, the Ocean and the giant Redwoods...all in one fantastic day!

A memorable Ride!

Click on any of the pictures to see a larger image

California Coastal Cypress Trees

2010-07-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

Here are some images of the beautiful California Coast. The reliable fog made for some light background and worked well for the black and white images. Pictures taken on our way south to Santa Barbara, July 2010

Night photography

2010-07-02T21:29:00.000-07:00

My nascent experiments with black and white photography have led me to a few books about the subject and I recently read one that discussed shooting images at night and converting them to black and white. The thinking being that the generally dark background works well with B&W. When the kids wanted to get ice cream at the local Baskin Robbins I decided to cart my camera and tripod along and here is the shot I got. I am encouraged enough to be experimenting some more in the near future.

Writing - the old fashioned way

2010-06-22T22:15:00.000-07:00

That is my Dad and this photo epitomizes how he spends his time during his visit to our home in Colorado. Appa has been keeping himself busy by researching and writing about economics, more spefically the current economic conditions in India.

This came about when he and his friends, all older gentlemen in his neighborhood in Bangalore, meet everyday during their regular morning walk. Most days their conversations are centered around complaints and the various deficiencies within the Indian political ecosystem. Dad suggested instead that they each take some time to put forth constructive ideas for a future discussion. Dad has been consumed by his chosen subject ever since his arrival in the states. He researches the web, visits the local libraries and reads voraciously. He has even learned to reserve books from out of state that show up in our local library. He takes copious notes and uses all this research to write his paper. All his writing is the old fashioned way. He proof reads his writing and if correctons need to be made he simply writes the page(s) again. I found his discipline and tenacity very admirable and inspiring, especially in my fast paced world of technology and computers.

As a side note he is extremely appreciative of the the American system and the general service provided to the public, something we all take for granted. It made me pause and think about all the little things we are privileged to receive here in the USA.

Flowers in our backyard

2010-06-10T16:22:00.001-07:00

May and June in Colorado is always a nice time of the year...except for the darned seasonal allergies. This year has been especially nice and the plants seem to like it too! All three flowers are perennials and bloom each year with little maintenance. The gardener is hard(ly) at work here...

Calorie Counting Works!!!

2010-05-26T13:17:00.000-07:00

I wish I had thought of this before...should have guessed, it is all about the numbers. I pretty much log all of my workouts, bike rides etc but have never attempted to log food intake. I guess the task of knowing nutritive data on everything one eats is daunting and put me off...until...yes! the iPhone App!!!

I found this really cool app last week for my iPhone that has an exhaustive database of food (it even has Mor Kozhambu!). Easy user interface and it captures some really useful data and tracks it. You can even establish weight goals for yourself and it will give you your calorie consumption goal per day. It syncs with the livestrong.com website too. Here are some images from the website...this is actual data and yes, I did lose 3 pounds in 8 days! The negative calorie count means I worked out way more than I ate...long bike rides. The red line indicates the maximum calorie intake allowed for me to attain my weight loss goal.

This shit works...I am motivated and getting educated on just how terrible some of the stuff we eat is. The app is developed by www.livestrong.com and I think it is called "My Daily Plate". The iPhone app just makes it easy to log food intake. If you dont use an iPhone (i.e. you are still living in the dark ages) then you can still use the website to log your calorie intake.

Rollercoaster Weather

2010-03-23T14:21:00.001-07:00

There it is! Another Spring storm on its way. It has been an interesting few days here in March this year. After what seemed like a winter that lasted forever (we got our first signifcant snowstorm in October) the weather started to warm up recently. Last week. the teperature hit 70 degrees on Thursday and the next day we got 10 inches of snow! Yes thats right...10 inches of snow. The next couple of days warmed enought to get rid of all the snow. Yesterday we hit 68 degrees, an absolute stunner of a day and today? Well, there it is...this storm is expected to dump 10-16 inches by the time it leaves us. If you are a weather freak like I am then Denver is quite an exciting place to be...espcially as the seasons transition. Here is another picture.

Snowshoeing

2010-02-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

Last week was my first snowshoeing trip, kind of surprising given our proximity and weather here in Colorado. I guess skiing has always taken priority. The thought of taking a walk in the mountains and the possibilities of some good photo opportunities finally got the upper hand and so...

It is not easy to snowshoe; the clumsiness of the shoes themselves, the altitude and of course the fact that I was carrying 45 pounds of camera gear all added up. I have some ideas if/when I do this again but it was what it was and I ploughed through two hours of it.

The views were spectacular as you can see and the constant stopping to shoot images helped catch my breath. Snowshoeing is good for the soul...the quiet beauty of the landscape and being away from all the noise. The other upside? I must have burned 1500 calories in two hours!!

View from the chairlift

2010-01-09T15:51:00.000-08:00

The ski season began late this time around...part lack of snow, part my own inability to go...preoccupation with my occupation with year end sales closure.

But the first few two weekends in 2010 was make up time and I have had about 5 days of skiing thus far. The picture above is a slightly different perspective (as opposed to beautiful Mountain vistas) from my little camera. I took this shot from the Falcon chairlift on Peak 10 at Breckenridge...it was a gorgeous day made even better because I was skiing alone with no encumbrances, children or otherwise :-).

I think I am making some advances to my technique...turning and 'carving' feels really good now with a new pair of skis. Added a nice ski jacket made by Helly Hansen (thanks Chad!) and everything just feels so much better.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-04T08:28:00.001-08:00

The smiles typify the mood at our home over the last couple of weeks. Raghu (my brother) and family visited us in Denver after a 5 year gap and everyone had such a blast. We took a trip to Taos, NM to celebrate Christmas with Krishna & Paula. Enjoyed the Christmas eve celebrations at the Taos Pueblo, dinner at Christine's place and took in all that Krishna and Paula always offer so generously.

The weather gods were kind to us, delivering a white Christmas with lots of snow. Much Monopoly was played, many movies seen and everyone (including Raghu) displayed their ample musical and other talents. We even caught a beautiful day of skiing at Breckenridge. Work kept me busy until the very end (Dec 31st) but it was all worth it because we closed over a million dollars in the last two days and I made my quarter.

My web site

2009-11-22T18:50:00.000-08:00

As of this writing I have a renewed interest in photography and much new learning has happened. I have been experimenting with black & whites as well as new techniques like HDR imaging. My portfolio of images can be found by clicking here

High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDR)

2009-11-20T15:09:00.000-08:00

At first glance there seems to be nothing unusual about the image above. A trained eye will quickly recognize that it isn't easy to take a picture with the balanced exposure that you see above. Click on the image should you wish to see it larger.

How many times have you tried to take pictures of people in a bright background and ended up getting your subject appearing very dark? Or when you do get your subject correctly exposed, the bright background is completely washed out? This happens because of the limited 'dynamic range' of exposure values in any camera system. Camera systems have never been as good as the human eye when it comes to taking in a wide range of contrast. Photographers generally try and get around this limitation by using a fill flash or by using the HDR technique. The HDR technique has been around for more than 150 years but its application is more common these days thanks to digital imaging and relatively easy access to a digital darkroom (software tools).

So, what is HDR imaging? HDR imaging is a process by which one can combine multiple photographs, each taken with different exposure settings. Typically you set your camera on a tripod and shoot the same scene multiple times by varying the exposure settings so that you have exposed the image across a higher range of varied light. The objective is to obtain images that cover the broad spectrum going from the deep blacks to the very bright whites. If you'd like to learn more click here.

In the example above I shot 4 images, first exposing the bright light outside the house, then exposing the medium tones inside and finally exposing the dark shadows inside. Once I had these images, I used a software program (Photomatix) to combine the various exposures into a single photograph. The final piece of the process is to tweak the image for tone (personal preference). The results sometimes can be unrealistic but if done well some images can be pretty neat.

Here is another high contrast scene rendered using the HDR technique. Again, I shot 5 frames with varied exposure settings and created a composite thereby rendering a balanced tone across the entire image.

Seeing in Black & White

2009-10-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

I have always envied Photographers who are good with Black & White images. Black & Whites are a great study in contrast and I'd love to learn to 'see' our colorful world in Black & White. After the recent snowstorm we had in Denver, I decided to get out and try my hand...the snow rendered the landscape a lot more monochromatic and made my job of 'seeing' a lot easier. Here are some images from today. Click on any image to see a larger view.

Colorado Fall

2009-10-23T18:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks to an ill timed cold front and early snow, we got cheated out of beautiful fall colors this year. A lot of trees went from green directly to brown...

That said...there were some holdouts like the cottonwoods and the maples. I found some decent color (including the grass) today at the Cherry Creek State Park.

White Rim Tour

2009-10-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

For four days, camping in the Utah desert and waking up each morning to views like the one above. For four days, riding our mountain bikes around the white rim trail in Canyonlands National Park, UT. For four days, completely cut off from the rest of the world with no possible communication. It was a trip to remember!!

Western Spirit the company we chose to support and be our guide on this trip far exceeded our expectations! We were treated to pure luxury in the wilderness. Breakfast, lunch and dinner all made fresh at our campsites.
A specially fitted truck carried all our camping gear and dutifully followed us discretely all four days providing for every need imaginable. We even got fresh baked brownies and chocolate fondue on the trip! Pete and Kim were outstanding guides; strong riders, bike mechanics and excellent cooks all rolled into one.

We rode a total distance of about 85 miles over four days. Some days were longer than others and some days included difficult climbs but the weather was fantastic and the views keep you wanting more. The picture above was our view eating breakfast at the Hardscrabble campsite on the morning of day two. The picture on the right was taken from the overlook near our campsite at Murphy's Hogback. Navin joined Vijay, Jiva and I at this campsite late evenineg on day two. Once the sun set and with absolutely no light pollution we were treated to some fantastic night sky. Vijay gave us astronomy lessons and all of us saw a huge shooting star...it was quite incredible. The picture below is an example of what greeted us when we awoke on day three. I took this picture about ten yards from my tent.

Day three started with a steep downhill right-away. Vijay took a nasty spill requiring Pete to get the bandages out and clean up the gash. Our route was mostly donwhill and we covered 26 miles with some mild adventure along the way...a group of dirt track motor bikers had had an accident needing a helicopter to come pick up the injured rider. We stopped to help the paramedics get the injured man on the chopper. We rode into camp Airport at about 5 in the evening quite tired...it had been a long day out. We were treated to some very good Mexican fare by Pete and Kim. I crept into my tent and slept like a rock for a change. Must have been too tired or just getting used to sleeping on a pad.

Day 4 began with the warm glow of the sun on the butte just above our campsite. Pete and Kim had all of us psyched about the climb that awaited us to finish our trip. We closed camp early and headed out. The climb was a nasty one gaining 1500 feet in 3.5 miles but everyone made it to the top where we had lunch and were shuttled back to Moab. Our drive back to Denver was uneventful; thanks to Navin we were all able to take a much enjoyed shower enroute before we got home. Temperatures in Denver were at record lows (20F) when we got home...not unlike another time when we came back from Moab.

White Ranch

2009-09-25T21:59:00.000-07:00

The first time I rode White Ranch was with Jiva a few years ago and I remember thinking at that time that mountain biking is not for me. Last weekend we were at it again and the memories came flooding back. I think I will say that I am not particularly fond of the initial climb up Belcher hill trail; it is steep, loose rock and very exposed. This time we did make it up to the top. We took the Maverick trail down to Longhorn and back to the parking lot. The downhill in parts was a lot of fun and scenic. I did way better than I thought I would on some technical terrain downhill. I did have a fall though on a flat section...wasn't paying attention, hit a rock, lost control and went over the bars! Luckily wasn't gong fast and didn't really get hurt...did get burned on my calf by the super hot disk brakes.

We are off to Walker Ranch on Sunday...I keep telling myself not to listen to Jiva's riding & skiing routes but...even though scary at first, they usually end well.

Heil Ranch

2009-09-17T14:48:00.000-07:00

Jiva and I rode Heil Valley Ranch after work on Wednesday.

This is a steady climb until the Ponderosa Loop where you kind of ride around the crest and come back. The view from the overlook is spectacular! The ride itself was not too technical but loose rock keeps you alert always. This is a nice 'after work' ride to get rid of the stresses of work. Click on the picture to get a bigger view.

Get Lucky!

2009-09-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

That's the title of Mark Knopfler's new album. The album was released in the US a couple of days ago. Coincidentally, we got a half a million dollar bluebird at work yesterday! Now, that's a first for me. I am quite used to hearing bad news when it comes to purchase orders from customers and I remember being envious a few times because all the good stuff always happened to someone else. I don't want to jinx it in any way by talking too much about it...but it shook me up and I just feel like saying Thank You!

Now onto the album...MK is my absolute favorite and so you are only going to get a biased review from me. I bought the CD today and have only listened to it once...the title track & Border Reiver stood out. The album in keeping with his recent music stays true to Folk & Celtic strains. His intelligent lyrics and outstanding ability to compose and play is demonstrated yet again. He is going to be at the Buell Theater in April 2010 and I can't wait to go see a Knopfler concert again.

Labor Day Weekend 2009

2009-09-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous weekend!!! Great weather, more than 90 miles of road & mountain biking, a little hiking and threw in some tennis for good measure...combined with some healthy eating (for a change) just makes me feel real good right now.

Short week...here I come!

Lair O' The Bear

2009-09-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

So I was dying to put my new toy to its real use and ride some single-track. I started researching the plethora of bike trails in an around the front range, talked to my LBS and a few friends about what a good beginner trail would be. Vijay introduced Lair O' The Bear to me last Monday after work, we got to the trail head at 6.30pm and couldn't really do too much.

It was enough though to get me to go back today and ride the trail. I got to the trail-head at about 8 this morning all excited about one of my first real rides on the Yeti 575. The initial climb was challenging and I had to stop a couple of times to catch my breath. I walked the two technical rocky sections on the way up. Handling the bike downhill seemed comfortable and a lot of fun. I loved the solitude of the trails. The trail gets busy after 9 am and I didn't expect to see that many trail runners on it. I rode a little under ten miles but it felt equivalent to riding 35 miles on my road bike. Heart rates go up dramatically and the climbs are lung busting. I think I am going to like mountain biking...a lot!

And oh...btw...I highly recommend www.singletracks.com, some really good information about the trails with maps and many other cool features. I became a paid subscriber! The Map above is courtesy www.singletracks.com

Long rides from home

2009-09-01T21:15:00.000-07:00

The map above is a screenshot from www.roadbikerides.com a website that I use to submit rides and get elevation/distance profiles. You can get a description of the ride here.

Chad, if you are reading this; remember all the times I have talked to you about the people of India being social creatures and not really the type that believe in any type of physical exertion? Remember how pleased I was to discover folks like Jiva, Vijay, Raj etc? Well...I'd now add a few more to that list. This time we found a semi-pro cyclist of Indian origin!!!

Over the last two weekends Biju, who has been racing bicycles since he was 14 has been leading Vijay, Jiva and I on some long rides from home. Last weekend we rode about 57 miles out to Chatfield Reservoir, half way up Deer Creek Canyon and back. This past weekend we sort of did something similar except we rode over Dinosaur Ridge into Red Rocks and back (about 52 miles). Biju is also responsible for keeping the Garmin Cyclists well fed when they race in the United States and its been a lot of fun listening to cycling tales from him.

In a few weeks we are headed out to Moab to camp and ride around the White Rim in the Canyonlands. It seemed like a good excuse to get a new toy. I sold some of my old bikes so I'd feel less guilty...here is what I got!

Copper Triangle - 2009

2009-08-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

Click on it to read. Image Courtesy: http://www.coppertriangle.com

The only riding I had done in all of July was the Triple Bypass...thanks to Jiva I signed up to ride the Copper Triangle on a whim. In the end I rode it alone because he was stuck on an assignment in New York (sigh!).

Looking at the course I figured this would not be too difficult especially after riding the triple bypass with a lot more climbing. I was wrong! I am not sure if it was my lack of training or what but the course kicked my butt. The thing that got me was the 20 mile climb up to Vail Pass. First of all this is a long climb, but the fact that it happens after you have been on the bike for a few hours is really what makes it difficult. The first 50 miles is not too bad with a couple of climbs over Fremont and Tennessee passes. Morning temperatures were cold (brrrrr!) at about 34 degrees and some new snow over the peaks. Battle Mountain (the little spike on the profile above) is short but nasty and then it is downhill all the way into Vail. Three hours of riding time, I was averaging 16.6 mph when I rode into Vail and thought I was doing great. The aid station at the base of the climb is right across from Jiva's place!!

It took me a ton of effort and another two and a half hours to ride the 30 remaining miles. The steep section as soon as you get off the road and onto the Vail-Copper bike path had many a rider walking their bike...something you don't see even on the Triple.

I think this is a ride that can be done without formal support...probably better off starting and stopping at Vail instead of at Copper. Its just better to get the biggest climb out of the way when you have fresh legs. Maybe next year.

Pictures from Yellowstone

2009-07-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

Just click the headline above to see my pictures from our trip this summer...Yellowstone is yet another spectacular place in the United States. Coincidentally, National Geographic Magazine wrote an article about the super-volcano that is far more interesting to read than anything I'd have to say on the matter...

2009 Triple Bypass

2009-07-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

The above picture is courtesy of Team Evergreen

The last couple of weeks have been a blur. I rode the triple, we went to Yellowstone on a family road trip, Nandini left for India, the kids were off to California and I squeezed in a short trip to Houston. Phew!

The triple this year was by far my best effort, no question. Andy, Jiva and I were at the parking lot by 5 am and we were riding by 5.15 am. All three of us rode at our own pace although I'd run into Andy at aid stations and he and I rode the last few miles together. I think all the extra miles on the bike paid of this year because I felt much stronger than the years before. My new iPhone (awesome device) captured this photo (above treeline) just before we went over Loveland Pass.

Here are the milestones for posterity:

First Aid Station before Echo Lake, Mile 17: 7.07 am
Second Aid Station before George Town, Mile 40: 8.15 am
Third Aid Station at Loveland Ski Area, Mile 57: 10.25 am
Loveland Pass: Mile 61: 11.30 am
Frisco Aid Station, Mile 80: 12.45 pm
Vail Pass, Mile 94: 2.15 pm
West Vail, Jiva's place: Mile 114 at 3.15 pm

Nandini and the kids picked me up at Jiva's, we all had dinner and then set off to Yellowstone...I even drove the 5 hours to Rock Springs, Wyoming!

Yellowstone and the Tetons! Wow! What a place! We had a fabulous holiday. Here are the pictures.

Echo Lake - by the numbers

2009-06-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

Click on the image to see a larger view

In the most recent issue of the "Wired" magazine (July 2009) the cover article is about "Living by Numbers". The article addresses the data-driven health revolution that promises to make us better, faster and stronger...for someone like me the article was a great read and served to solidify what I already believed i.e there is no progress without measurement. The article (focused mainly on runners) credits Nike for the revolution when the shoe company announced "Nike+" a device with a small sensor that can be attached to a person's shoes and keeps track of every step that person takes, providing data such as distance, speed, calories burned etc.

Ever since cycling became a serious hobby I have been tracking data. I use a computer on my bicycle that tells me how fast, how long, average speed, pedaling cadence etc. I capture this data and store it in a spreadsheet constantly measuring if I am getting better. I also use software programs like Topo (picture above) to get more data like elevation profile, elevation gained, climbing grade etc. The numbers serve as a huge motivator each time I go back and attempt something I have done before. The urge to cycle longer, stronger, faster than the previous time is incredible. The one sobering fact is that I am getting older and at some point age will start to factor into "better, stronger, faster". I have just resolved to be in denial.

So why am I writing about this? I had a great day cycling today...rode with Andy, a new cycling partner and (in part) because of him I blew away my previous time climbing up to Echo Lake. Made it up in an hour and 44 minutes at an average speed of 8.69 mph. The route climbs about 3500 feet in 15 miles with the highest elevation around 11,150 feet above sea level...at that altitude you have to breathe almost twice as much to get the same oxygen as at sea level.

Go here to see a detailed description of the ride.

Storms, flowers and pollen

2009-06-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was away (all week) on a business trip to Charlotte, NC. Away from the relatively dry Colorado weather to a very green but muggy North Carolina climate. The time away was enough to get a big relief from seasonal allergies here in Colorado.

That said, Colorado has been having some severe storms over the last several days, heavy rains, tornado warnings et al. I am hoping all the pollen has been washed away. Here you see Jolie (Arun's dog) in the midst of the weed that causes all the pollen in the region. The yellow stuff is everywhere! This year rather than take the 'allegra' or 'claritin' approach I decided to try some holistic stuff. Jal Neti, Turmeric, Neem, locally grown honey etc. After the experience in Charlotte, I decided to go sit in a steam room today just in case the muggy weather actually helped my allergies. I have had some decent relief so far although I can't be sure if it is the approach or if it is simply a less severe pollen count.

I have been cycling quite a bit and am at about 1200 miles so far and this season promises to be a breakthrough (I have dreams of cycling 3000 miles in 1 year). I am meeting new riding friends who might help me progress to the next level. Photography is happening again, an iPhone is on the anvil and it is the usual stress at work.

The first century together

2009-06-13T06:31:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Nandini and I rode our first century (metric) together on our tandem. Here we are catching some much needed rest after a painful climb. Nandini was a real trooper even though it was her first time riding such a distance. It was a beautiful day and the 62 mile route is a very scenic one along the Palmer Divide and the foothills of the Rockies. Jiva and Vijay were great sports, waiting & keeping us company all along. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Talking about Tandem biking...I read a great quote the other day. "Whichever direction your relationship is headed a Tandem will get you there faster"

Happenings

2009-02-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

Much goes on as time passes by, quite quickly as always. The past few months have been a tear at work with 08 ending and 09 beginning. Had some minor achievements at work and even got some recognition for it. Much savored in a world of economic turmoil.

December is always fun with all the holidays and family time. This time was especially nice with Peetz & Vishwa visiting with the kids and our trip to Taos, NM for the family get together over Christmas. Saw a lot of Nandini's cousins and in general had a great time over the holidays.

Opened up the new year with a bit of travel to Florida, Arizona and California. Had a late start to my ski season but have been up half a dozen times already. Work has been busy with the setting of new goals and objectives for the team. The boss has been very reasonable with 2009 goals and barring a complete economic breakdown (not unlikely), I think I have a good shot at it.

Signed up for the usual TBP in July but hope to ride more centuries this year. Have had a good start so far in 2009. Also have ambitions of participating in a 10 mile run this year, inspired by the run-yogi! Have a 6 pack goal that I am working toward and I feel I am only a few pounds away...has always been a situation of 'so near, yet so far'. I promise to post a picture IF I get there. More disciplined eating is the biggest challenge.

On the music scene I have been diving deeper into classic Jazz and have been quite amazed by how rich the Jazz culture has been in America. We went to El Chapultepec (a local Jazz bar) when Pradeep Nair visited which was a lot of fun. Made some incredible improvements to my wireless music streaming technology at home thanks to innovative minds at Apple.

Planning to go to India in a few weeks, mom has not been well with frequent trips in and out of hospital. She is in the ICU as I write this. It's just tough being out here feeling helpless. My dad bears the brunt of it and at 84 I can only imagine how hard it must be on him.

Okay...I felt like getting something off my chest and this is it. More to come soon I hope.

A new page in American politics

2008-11-05T18:00:00.000-08:00

To state the obvious November 4th 2008 was a historic day. To me it was very revealing how much interest the 2008 US presidential race generated in the rest of the world. Barack Obama being elected was celebrated across the world and that's a matter of huge pride for every American. Ironically and especially so because most Americans know so little of whats beyond her shores.

And here in America to see the crowds and participation from young and old, black and white, male and female with all the emotion surrounding the last few days was quite incredible. People are collecting newspapers published on the morning of November 5th 2008 as mementos. I have my very own web page collection as you can see.

An articulate and intelligent leader of America who hopes to change the degenerated international regard for America is a welcome sight. It would be naive to think that we will all immediately see economic prosperity and world peace but I certainly have hope that he will help turn this car around and move in the right direction.

More Pelicans

2008-10-17T21:09:00.000-07:00

I have made many more trips to my new found "Pelican View" at the Cherry Creek State Park. Here are some more pictures from my trips into the park. Click on any image for a larger view.

The Pelicans

2008-10-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

For years now I have been riding my bike to the Cherry Creek State Park nearby with my heavy camera gear on my back hoping for some decent shots of the Pelicans. I finally found a flock on the far side of the reservoir. There even was a bike path that got me close to them without scaring them away.

My new car

2008-10-08T08:09:00.001-07:00

I am not sure that I am a car freak like some others I know but...here is my/our latest act of impulse and I absolutely love it. Looks great, drives nice, powerful, quiet, beautiful inside and very much something I want to be possessive about!

Happenings

2008-10-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

Last I was here writing something it was Spring with the prospect of an exciting summer. In a jiffy its all over and the leaves are turning and the temperatures falling.

Much has happened since my last blog in May and it feels like time has just slipped by. New job, much travel, summer went by and I wish I could've cycled more, in-laws visited, had my first sales quarter at work, bought a new car and have a vacation planned to Maui for fall break. We even managed to get new hardwood floors, stairs and railings at home. To fill up those tiny minutes that become available after all the work, parenting, and recreation I decided to take some Guitar lessons which are going nowhere as you might expect. I did buy a really nice 'Martin' though. Mark Knopfler this year was such a blast at Red Rocks with Vijay!!

The past few months have been mostly about my new job and I am just beginning to settle down to a routine. I have been enjoying my work although I work longer hours and travel more. Took a trip to the Palouse near Western Idaho and Eastern Washington during a business trip to Spokane WA. The Palouse is an incredible place with rolling hills, beautiful barns and nicknamed America's 'Tuscany'. Here is a picture of 'The Palouse'. I am already looking forward to going back to the Palouse in Spring when everything will be green and beautiful.

I had a pretty good ride in this year's 'Triple By-Pass' despite not preparing as well. The weather was fabulous but some good pictures from the TBP were lost along with the camera when the wife had it stolen in San Francisco. Sigh.

It is election season here in America and impossible to not pay attention to the battle between Obama and McCain and all the dirty politics involved getting elected. The debates and interviews have been entertaining to say the least. The economy has had some historic lows and we decided to help with its recovery by making an impulsive albeit economically unwise decision to trade in our Altima for a Mercedes. Clearly, the heart rules here. Love the car and all but like every hung over drunk we swore that we will not buy another car for 'years'.

Decided to ski 'Copper' this year and may even make a trip to India if possible. Nandini's sister and family are visiting for Christmas and we are looking forward to that. Enough rambling about me for now...will try and keep up with happenings on the blog.

Change...

2008-05-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I blogged...nothing interesting happening I suppose.

That is all going to change pretty soon. I am about to make a career move...a big decision for me at this point. I have been in my current job now for almost 13 years, although, I have seen changes in location and company ownerships, enough to make you feel like you have actually worked for a few different companies. I like change and crave it to some degree, another way of saying that I tend to get bored easily. When all is said and done I have had a pretty good tenure these past 13 years with some fantastic experiences to cherish.

The prospect of a new job is exciting and I am reminded of a few years ago when I was obsessive about work and career. Over the last two years I saw a diminishing work situation where change was a necessity and I finally did something about it. I want to be obsessive about work again. I told Nelson about it today and his first reaction was "you're back!" and thats exactly how I feel. Thirteen years in one organization is a lot of time, a third of my career perhaps and difficult to let go. It has been a little weird over the last couple of days going through the motions of exit but...

I am looking forward to the road ahead, the challenge and the excitement. Change is good.

Steamboat 2008

2008-03-14T06:22:00.000-07:00

The picture above was taken from the 5th street bridge over the Yampa river. Tom Mangelsen took a picture here too.

Jiva invited us over to spend a couple of days with them at Steamboat Springs, CO. The place that makes claims to 'Champagne Powder' ski slopes and natural hot springs. We were not disappointed at all. It is an extra hour of drive from Denver but well worth the views and the experience. The holiday home that Jiva had for the week was an incredible place and gave us a sense of being rich and famous albeit for a couple of days. A bus comes out to pick you-drop you from your doorstep at your command and take you to the ski resort or back. Located not too far from downtown where we enjoyed dining, shopping and even spent a couple of hours at the hot springs (see picture below). It was a strange experience to be soaking in 100 degree water while the temperature outside was below freezing.

Unfortunately we could only be at Steamboat springs for one night and had to head back to work/school. Our drive back was a pleasure with some very nice views.

Christmas 2007 at Vail & Beaver Creek

2007-12-27T07:18:00.000-08:00

We must have done something good in a different life to have deserved this. We live in Denver, Colorado which is right at the doorstep of the Rockies, a veritable playground year round for people that love the outdoors. This winter, what began as a slow season quickly changed with a string of pacific storms dumping snow in the mountains. Come Christmas most resorts in the state were reporting above average snow totals. Wait...its gets better!!! Right around Christmas we get invited to share a holiday home near Vail that was owned by friends of Vijay & Nivi. WOW!!!

So off we go to spend three days in the mountains to ski at Beaver Creek and Vail, two of the most upscale ski resorts in the country. You know you are in a good place when you have ushers walking around handing out hot freshly baked cookies. We skied the first two days at Beaver Creek where the conditions were incredible with lots of fresh snow. The kids loved just being around each other and were in an extended state of excitement all the time. They almost saw skiing as a distraction from all the fun they could have by just being together. The third day we skiied at Vail. Snow was in the forecast and snow it did - all day!

I am not a big fan of skiiing in a snow storm. The poor visibility, the flat light, the cold blowing snow on your face can make you miserable. With the conditions being what they were we decided that it would be best if the kids did not ski. It was just Vijay, Nivi & I that ventured out and I had such a blast. No responsibilities, no watching out for the kids, no having to run back in every now and then, no waiting on the slopes...I literally had a blast. Christmas day meant there was not much of a crowd and the fresh snow made it fabulous. I wiped out real bad one time and bent my ski pole at a 60 degree angle...still hurt in spots.

Meanwhile, Denver was in the throes of a record snowfall on Christmas day and we were worried about our drive back. In the end it all worked out well with no major event except a few scary skids and slides on our way home. It was an incredible holiday!!! Tamara summed it up nicely saying "Daddy, why can't we stay ten more days?"

Moab 2007

2007-10-08T19:36:00.000-07:00

Our third installment of the annual trip to Moab proved more adventurous in many ways. Nandini had to attend her class on early childhood and so she and the kids decided to skip the trip this time. I always look forward to long road trips with the family but I was on my own this time. I decided to make the most of it by taking long detours and seeing the beautiful country.

I drove by Leadville and Aspen to catch some fall colors, then drove through Colorado National Monument before heading to the Canyonlands National Park in Utah to finish my 500 mile 14 hour journey to Moab. I got some great pictures and rediscovered photography a little. The next day Jiva, Amit, Hari and I drove out very early in the morning to catch the sunrise at Mesa Arch (pictured above). Jiva did well to avoid a head on collision with a Deer enroute with the only major loss being his mirror on the right side. Hopefully the Deer is doing alright. Spent the afternoon hiking around the Arches National Park.

Our bike ride the next day was a bit of a disaster with the weather in Moab turning nasty. It was cold and rainy all morning. Once we started the climb things began to get worse, with elevation the temperature dropped but we were oblivious to it because of the effort we were putting out. All that changed dramatically at the aid station half way up the climb. Stopping to get some food and drink quickly lowered our body temperatures and that was the end of it for me at least. I tried to ride up some more in the hope that I will warm up but it was pointless. I turned around and it was just as well because the cops were going to close the road anyway. The ride downhill was REALLY BAD and I cannot remember being so cold on a bike. It was pretty chaotic because there were many riders seeking support and there simply was no way the organizers were prepared to deal with this situation. Somehow Jiva and I made it back to the base of the climb and things started to feel better after that. The weather improved and we got warm and rode back to town.

With the threat of more snow and bad weather I decided to leave early Sunday morining and got back home by 10.30 am. Overall it was a lot of fun and I have some decent pictures to show for it. Here is another one from the Canyonlands National Park taken from the Green River Overlook.

Indians and time...

2007-09-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

One of my pet peeves has always been the lack of punctuality and unfortunately this is a common malady amongst fellow Indians (the people of India). To me tardiness is clearly being disrespectful of another person's time.

I was talking to Chad Cook about this at work last week and jokingly referred to IST (Indian Standard Time) as Indian Stretchable Time. Chad being Chad, promptly googled the term and sure enough found some amusing material about the topic.

One person writes..."it's a self-fulfilling prophesy in the sense that since everyone expects things to start late, there's no point being on time -- what'll we do, just hang around?" My wife has that exact same argument with me every time we set out on a social visit.

Are Indians late just for social events or is tardiness a more deeply ingrained trait? Some argue that Indians generally make it to meetings on time and seem to have greater respect for time when it concerns 'foreigners'. I am not sure about this because the one person that is always late on our staff calls happens to be an Indian.

I usually take for granted some tardiness when it comes to Indians and it is extremely refreshing when you come across that rare breed of Indian that is punctual, the person is likely a PIO (person of Indian origin) meaning he/she lived most of his/her formative life outside India.

Why does this happen? Is it our culture? I wish I knew...because it bothers me no end.

Perhaps I should simply take the view of Frangipani who wrote in saying..."what is this hoo-haa about being on time? if both inviter and invitee know that 7 pm basically means 7-30-8 then where's the problem?"

People are people...everywhere.

2007-09-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

If you are from India then you have the good fortune of being exposed to many different sub-cultures within a relatively small geographic space. Living in America which in certain parts (ex. Northern California) is a veritable melting pot of international cultures makes you even more aware of the different kinds of people & cultures around the world. At work in Denver, Colorado I am constantly meeting Americans and getting to understand their core values and beliefs. Once you get past the initial barriers it is incredible to recognize how similar their way of life is to yours.

I recently read 'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini, 'The Hungry Tide' by Amitav Ghosh and am now in the throes of Ghosh's 'Glass Palace'...each of these books are stories set in different parts of the world and offer a good insight into the local culture & people.

An Iranian couple invited us to their house for dinner a couple of days ago. Another opportunity to observe a different culture up close! Nandini and I were amazed at how similar the people of Iran were to the people of India in terms of cuisine and culture. The food, the values, the customs, the superstitions even...wow!

Despite my relative inexperience on the topic I am convinced that at the heart of it people are same everywhere...there are the few that try to convince us otherwise for their own gains.

Tree no more...

2007-09-16T19:14:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Nandini and I went for a bike ride into the nearby Cherry Creek State Park and to our utter dismay found that this tree is no more. Over the last three years of living in Colorado I had developed some sort of affinity to this tree and loved photographing it...some of these images hang in my study now.

The county is rerouting a local road and the new road now runs over the area where the tree stood. Thats just too bad.

Buffalo Bicycle Classic 2007

2007-09-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

I took my time signing up for this ride because I was not so sure if I wanted to ride it...in the end the need to get some more miles in this season prevailed. I signed up last thursday and in preparation rode 45 miles on friday evening to John's house in Erie, CO .

Another motivator was that the weather was supposed to be nice and pleasant...but come Sunday and as we got to the start at CU, Boulder I could tell that we were in for a chilly day. Luckily Vijay carried an extra jacket and that was a big saviour for me...

We started off at 6.45 am and rode together for the first half hour or so. Jiva and I then picked up a group riding a fast pace and we all took turns drafting and doing the work...this lasted only a few miles because the group was too fast for me/us. I made it to the aid station near Carter lake and a few minutes later saw Jiva go by without stopping. He seemed resolved to make it back to the finish by 2.00 pm so he could make his son's first guitar recital.

Anyways, I kept going and it seemed to take forever to reach the halfway point near Horsetooth reservoir. Jiva rolled in a few minutes later...he had taken a wrong turn someplace and had to ride a couple more miles. It was quite cold now and I decided to start rding to keep warm...rode just a few miles when I saw ambulances go by and pretty soon was at the site of the accident. Vijay was there to lend a doctor's helping hand. Apparently a downhill rider slammed into a careless rider making a U turn without paying attention...Vijay thought that the accident was pretty serious.

I rode on and stopped only once more. Felt reasonably good at the finish line. The 101 mile ride took me exactly 7 hours including the rest stops. I averaged 16.1 miles and my ride time was 6 hours and 20 minutes. The weather forced me to wear the jacket the entire time...cold!!!! All in all a decent ride and as always very well supported...the organizers don't skinch. The aid stations were well stocked with real Gatorade and cliff bars. The giveaways (hats & t-shirts) were real good too. Despite all of this I am not sure I want to ride the BBC again next year...this out and back route does not excite me much anymore.

Caribou Lake - Backpacking Trip

2007-09-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

So continuing on with the trend of making every summer weekend count we set off on an overnight backpacking trip to Caribou Lake in the Indian Peak wilderness area here in the Rocky Mountains. As always took more delight in buying a few odds and ends justified by this trip. I bought a Manfrotto monopod that doubled as a walking staff, I bought a good sun hat, a few stuff sacks that made packing and organizing my backpack a whole lot easier. It was most gratifying to find that everything I bought worked even better than I expected them to.

The few days leading up to the trip was all about being excited like a little child in anticipation. I packed my backpack a few times and tried it on for practice and comfort. In the end, like I almost always do, I carried way more than I needed for an overnight trip. My pack weighed in at 42 pounds...including about 12 pounds carrying various forms of optics and 7 pounds of liquid (water & Gatorade). Hindsight being 20/20, I am not sure it is a good idea to be carrying that kind of weight on your first trip especially if you are climbing and hiking above 10,000 feet.

We started hiking at the 4th of July trailhead near Nederland at about 1.00 pm and it was one long steady climb until Arapahoe pass. We passed a number of hikers and their dogs. Real friendly people up here with almost everyone having a good word for each other. Everyone must have noticed the number of dogs on the trail because we had one group delightfully exclaim to Chad that we were petless!!!

Once at Arapahoe pass we had a beautiful view of the Caribou Lake below us. Although it looked so near it took us nearly an hour more of hiking before we got down to it. Here are a couple of pictures from the top of the pass. A quick survey of the campsites convinced us to break some rules and find our own site nearer the lake. After setting up our tents we cooked our dinner using titanium cookware. I walked around a bit and shot a few pictures. The area around us was very beautiful. We saw a couple of other campers jump in the lake...brrrrr...cold!!!

Pretty soon it got dark and then there wasn't much to do and so off to bed we went. I slept well, the night was quiet except for the sound of high altitide flatulence every now and then. We got some light rain overnight and the cloud cover probably helped by trapping some heat because it only got down to about 41 degrees inside the tent. Chad was the first to wake up...he probably never slept...and had some water boiling for coffee by the time I was up. The lake was very still with no wind and I got a few more pictures. My breakfast was not the greatest but I made do. It was time to take a shit in the woods and I did. Dug a hole, filled it and then covered it with dirt...all real easy except for the acrobatics I had to go through using toilet paper!

We broke camp and headed back at about 9.45 in the morning. The initial climb up to Arapahoe Pass looked ominous (the hill in the background behind our tents) and the muscles were sore already...in the end it all worked out ok...we stopped to take a few pictures along the way and were back at the car at 1.30 pm. Had lunch in Boulder and was home at 5.00pm.

Click on any picture to see a larger image. The slideshow below shows pictures from Chad's camera...click on it to see larger slideshow.

Conifer Loop

2007-08-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

One of those rare occasions when Jiva shows up to ride in my neck of the woods. We rode the entire loop this time...riding up from Deer Creek Canyon to Conifer and then back via Evergreen and Tiny Town.

Except for the short stretch on 73 (trafficky) the ride was reallly nice with some great views.
The cops were patrolling the road and asking cyclists to ride single file. Here is a picture of Jiva riding up High Grades Road toward Conifer. It was a beautiful day out and the 35 mile round trip was fun. I haven't been out cycling a whole lot since the Triple and felt the effects of it. The Buffalo Bicycle Classic is in ten days and I might have to wing it.

We finished up and showered in my office before heading to Chatfied State Park for Arun's picnic party. Played some volleyball, went Kayaking at the Chatfield Reservoir with Sunil before finally calling it a day. Phew!! Exhausted!!!

Customer Delight

2007-08-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

"Customer Delight"

A couple of years ago is when I first came across this term. My former manager was the one who introduced me to it. I love the term and what it connotes. More so because I am a salesman and kinda know what it can take to keep customers satisfied with product performance.

There is a big difference between customer satisfaction and customer delight. I simply define customer delight as being in a state of complete shock and awe with what the product does. This is the state where you become an unsolicited evangelist for the company's product. You gotta love those companies that specialize in delivering "customer delight". Some of the world's most innovative companies do just that. Apple, GE, 3M, Microsoft are good examples.

Google is another great example of customer delight. I was recently introduced to many of the 'other' features that Google provides for free...far above and beyond their outstanding search engine and maps. Google Docs, Calendar, igoogle, Google finance etc etc. It is scary what these guys are doing with technology. A part of me thinks that companies that specialize in customer delight have this culture hard coded in their DNA because a lot of these companies come up with fantastic ideas repeatedly.

Weather Wise

2007-08-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

Here are some snapshots of what's happening weather-wise...while the focus has been on Hurricane Dean more people have died from flooding because of the effects of another atlantic tropical storm (Erin). Ironically the latest drought monitor reports severe drought in the southeast...a part of the country that gets normally copious rainfall this time of the year.

Here in Colorado we have enjoyed some great weather with twice the amount of average rainfall. The grass is green on our side but our thoughts go out to everyone that is suffering severe weather.

Camp Hale - Leadville, Colorado

2007-08-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

For me, a big part of every hobby is the gear and so it was with great excitement that I went shopping for more camping gear ahead of our trip to Camp Hale. A year ago I had acquired all the essentials like the tent, sleeping bags and pads. I needed to get some cooking equipment (grill, stove, lantern etc.) and a few other odds and ends. Thanks to Chad Cook (he does all the reasearch) I was able to get some good stuff quite easily.

Threw everything into a large plastic tub (tote) that I bought and packed the tub along with everything else (tent, chairs, grill, sleeping bags, pads, cooler, food etc etc.) into the Altima and off we went. I was getting quite a buzz about our trip. Nandini was a little more doubtful about all this...trepidation if you will.

We got to Camp Hale at about 7.00 on Friday evening. Chad and Jiva were already there and we (Nandini & I) quickly got down to setting up our tent before it got dark. The campground was nice and and the sites themselves were large and devoid of rocks and stuff making it easy to find a good spot to set up our tent.

We sat down around a fire and soon Arun and Vijay arrived. The night sky was spectacular without all the light pollution out in the wilderness. Chad and I helped Vijay set up his tent and we ate some good grilled food and chatted a bit before heading off to sleep. I'll say we all slept relatively well...I was especially pleased that Nandini slept well because it augurs well for more camping trips.

The next day we were treated to a royal breakfast of burritos, eggs, pancakes and coffee. We then set out to go to Leadville making a stop at the memorial for world war II veterans (10th mountain division) near Tennessee pass. We got to Leadville in time for lunch and for the finish of the Leadville 100 mountain bike race. Floyd landis was racing and we were hoping to get a glimpse of him. As it turned out we got much more than that. We got to shake hands with him and take a few pictures too. Wow!! This was a real highlight for me. FLOYD LANDIS!!! The winner of the 2006 Tour de France and here I was with his arm around me. He seemed so down to earth and I really hope he comes out the winner in his battle with the doping agencies.

We got back to camp and sat around the fire for a long time before retiring into our tents. Woke up on Sunday, broke camp and then headed out to Vail for a bit of walking, shopping by the village before driving back home.

The Triple Bypass - an epic ride

2007-07-15T12:32:00.000-07:00

Click on the image above and digest the stats...this for me was truly an epic ride. At this point I can throw all the superlatives at it and that still won't be enough.

I still can't believe it...

3500 riders, 120 miles (192km), getting over three Colorado mountain passes with almost 15000 feet of cumulative climbing, reaching an elevation of 12000 feet above sea level on my bicycle... all in one day!!! A few years ago if someone had suggested that I'd be doing this I would have dismissed them as crazy but here I am at 40 with the physical endurance achievement of my life.

It all started in January 2007 when my cycling buddies and I decided to sign up for the Triple Bypass...our thinking was that signing up early will give us a chance to prepare and work toward it. Noble intentions but keeping a work/family schedule and finding time to go train is hard. I should say that I was able to keep a better training schedule than my friends and that made a huge difference.

In the end, come July 14th 2007 it was just Jiva and I that woke up at 3.45 am and made our way to the start (Bergen Park, Evergreen, CO). Som had decided early in the year that he wanted no part of this ride and Vijay had to be at a family event in Chicago.

Jiva and I got to the parking lot at 5.15 am and started riding at 5.30 am sharp. Five minutes into the ride Jiva realized he'd forgotten his gloves and so he headed back. I would not see him again until the finish line. I kept a good pace up the first climb to Juniper pass and got to the top in an hour and 50 minutes (a personal best). My bicycle computer was not working (combination of a low battery and the colder temperatures) and that sucked! Of all the days for this to happen!

The sheer number of riders riding that early in the morning was both overwhelming and inspiring. After a quick stop to eat a little and refill my supplies I started down the descent into Idaho Springs. There were lots of people lining the roadside waving and ringing their cowbells cheering us on. Once I got to Idaho Springs I went into a couple of stores hoping in vain to find a new battery for my cycle computer. Rode on toward the next aid station in Georgetown and finally rolled in there at 9.15 am a few minutes ahead of plan. Again after a quick refill and some muffins I tried a couple of stores for my battery and couldn't find it. The heck with the battery I decided. Ironically and funnily enough with the temperatures warming up the thing started to work... haltingly at first but steadily soon. I now had a distance measuring tool and in some ways that felt reassuring.

The grades were getting steeper now. The bike path from Georgetown to Silver plume was spectacular with beautiful views of the Georgetown railroad. Soon we left the comfort of the bike paths and the frontage road to ride along I-70 for a few miles. Although the shoulder was wide it still freaked me out to be riding on the highway with noisy traffic and huge trucks passing you at high speed. I was quite relieved when I finally made the exit into the Loveland Ski area for the stop for lunch. It was 11.15 am and again I was ahead of plan and feeling great. I grabbed a sandwich and refilled my bottles here. The atmosphere was festive and carnival like with all the riders and supporters. They even had nice classic rock music set up. It felt great to be surrounded by the mountains and be amidst all this festivity. Inspiring.

I needed the inspiration because the next few miles were the real test. Climbing over Loveland Pass (Elevation 11,990 feet). I did alright and the high altitude didn't seem to bother me much. I made it to the top at 12.25 pm. The picture you see on the left is a view of riders coming up on the climb over Loveland pass. This is the highest I have ridden on my bicycle and it was time to enjoy the moment and take a few pictures. The descent down the west side of Loveland pass was uneventful other than to remind me how dangerous it can be. The wind would gust every now and then and want to blow you off the mountain. It can be frightening especially when you are doing 45 mph on a bicycle. I rode past A-Basin and Keystone ski areas before coming to making the left turn on Swan Mountain Road. The descent happens much too fast.

With all the climbing that had already been done, I for one was expecting more of a descent until our next rest stop. Swan Mountain Road is a short climb that seems harder than it really is because you are out of climbing rhythm and it comes upon you suddenly. Anyways...made it over and rolled down the descent into our next aid station at Summit County High School. It was 1.30 pm. I took a nice long break here, lay down and stretched my legs, ate PBJ sandwiches and chatted with fellow riders. Everyone agreed that the hard work was mostly behind us and the route ahead was relatively easier.

The was more climbing to do over the next 15 miles along the bike path from Breckenridge to Vail pass. This to me was the most beautiful portion of the Triple. The bike path meanders along creeks and alongside I-70. The grades are not too steep (until the last few switchbacks) and the views are very enjoyable. I was in a zone and enjoyed this leg very much. The last mile gets a little steeper with switchbacks on a bike path (a first for me)!! Phew!! finally all the climbing was done!! I rolled into the aid station at 3.20 pm more than an hour sooner than I thought possible. Took a break...did the usual and started downhill to the finish.

The descent from Vail pass into Avon is one long descent and what makes this more enjoyable is that it starts off steep but then fades into a gradual slope and by the time you get into the Beaver creek/Avon area you are pedaling but going at good speed. Having overcome all the climbs and going over three passes I felt good and rode strong. The heavens even blessed me with a short spell of rain to cool off. Another rider and I took turns in each other's slipstream and managed to keep a good pace all the way to the end. Riding into Avon I felt like a rider in "Le Tour"...everyone was clapping, cars honking, bells ringing, the cops stopped traffic to make way for the riders and somehow all this makes you go even faster. I made it to the finish at 4.45pm, 11 hours and 15 minutes after getting on the bike at Bergen Park, Evergreen, CO.

WOW!!! An epic ride and achievement for me. I hope to come back do this every year.

After the ride we went into Vail for dinner and I found this T-Shirt in a tourist shop. Says it all.

Ward & Lyons

2007-07-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

I like using the word bachelordom because to me it connotes the 'freedom' of being a bachelor. And so my bachelordom was coming to an end on the 4th of July 2007. Nandini and the kids were coming back from their 6 week trip to India. I was looking forward to having them all back.

I did however want to make the public holiday (July 4th) count and so headed out to Jiva's to go ride with him to Ward, Lyons and back...a 65 mile ride with some good climbs.

We started riding at about 8.30 and the ride up Lee Hill Drive was hard as always but Left Hand Canyon was not as bad. Jiva was feeling the effects of dehydration and he needed a lot of water/gatorade. We got to Ward to see people celebrating Independance Day with firecrackers going off and cars honking. After our customary stop at the general store we continued on along the Peak to Peak highway which was some rolling terrain for about 10 miles. We got to Highway 7 and started a long descent toward the town of Lyons. The descent was scenic but hardly enjoyable because of the traffic and the lack of shoulder. By the time we got to Lyons it was blazing hot in the afternoon. We got some gatorade at the local gas station and rode back along Hwy 36 back to Jiva's.

I got back home around 5.00 and went to pick up Nandini and the kids from the airport for a nice ending to a rewarding day. The 14th of July is the Triple Bypass and with all the travel this coming week it doesn't look like I will be able to ride any more in preparation. In retrospect I am glad I decided to make the most of the 4th of July. My next blog will likely be about the TBP and hopefully it will be one of success.

The tree...from the other side

2007-07-02T16:48:00.000-07:00

Last year I posted three pictures of this tree with the setting sun in the background. This past week we have been having some rainless storm clouds that pass over just when the sun is setting. This casts some unique lighting and spectacular scenes...

I managed to run out with my camera during one such evening...went to my favourite tree and here is what I got from the other side with the sun behind me. Click on the image to see larger.

Echo Lake again...and again

2007-07-01T22:13:00.000-07:00

When it rains it pours the saying goes and that certainly seems true of cycling over Juniper Pass to Echo Lake this season. Som, Jiva, Vijay and I rode up to Echo Lake this past Saturday. The stats can be found in my earlier blog about this ride. It is basically about 5300 feet of climbing with 18 miles going up and 18 coming down.

It was the first time to Echo Lake for Som & Vijay, second time for Jiva and the third time for me. Som cramped just before the summit, Vijay kept a steady pace and was feeling good, Jiva wanted more and I improved my average on the climb. We hung out by the store at Echo Lake for a few minutes chatting with the other bikers that were there. We heard some good stories and got some sound advice on how to attempt the Triple Bypass.

Rolled back down and headed to downtown Evergreen to see Shohini's sculpture. We stopped for some food and beer at the the "Little Bear" a nice old restaurant playing some live music.

Camping near Aspen, CO

2007-06-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

The Roaring Fork River right beside our Campsite at the "Difficult Campground" near Aspen, CO. Click on any image to see a larger picture.
Well, what do you know? It is summer here in Colorado and I celebrated by going camping with Chad Cook, my colleague and friend at work.Here is Chad sitting by the campfire we built during our recent two day camp out near Aspen, CO.
We had this planned for a few days and when it finally came down to it, I had some last minute stuff to take care of at work and so we only left town for Aspen at about one in the afternoon. Chad decided to take the long scenic way over Loveland pass (to show me the second leg of the Triple Bypass) and via Leadville, CO which is one heck of a little town. We get into our Campground at about 4.00 pm with more than enough daylight to set up camp and head into Aspen for a beer and some dinner.I had never been to Aspen before but I'd heard so much about how the greatest concentration of rich people in America can be found in Aspen, CO. Sure enough, over the next couple of days I would discover this to be a true statement. Aspen is a beautiful little city surrounded by stunning mountains and views. Old building such as this one line the few blocks that make up most of Aspen, CO. Some very fancy cars and very fancy people you will find here. The next morning I wake up and walk out of our tent to some French pressed coffee that Chad brews and we set off early to go hike in the Maroon Bells Recreation area not too far away. We park at the trail head and walk a few paces when we are greeted with this view. Wow!! the sight of these peaks is overwhelming. It is a beautiful day out and we spent the next few hours hiking in the area were absolutely spectacular. We hiked up to Crater lake which is approximately about 1.9 miles and we gain about 700 feet in elevation. The views of the Maroon Bells from Crater lake is even more dramatic. To get this picture on the left I had to hike around the lake to find a vantage point so I could get the lake between me and the Maroon peaks. I was absolutely loving it!!! Photography and the great outdoors all at the same time!! We met a few fellow hikers and chatted with them for a while before deciding to head back. We got back into town around lunch, pottered around for a while, found a place to shower for ten bucks (The Aspen Recreation Center) and headed back into camp.It was time for some camp cooked food. If I have not mentioned this before...Chad is the most anal retentive detailed oriented fellow I have come across and true to character he was ultra prepared down to the final grain of salt and boy did he deliver!!! We enjoyed the most delicious burger I have eaten with some chilled beers around another campfire. Here you see him turning the patties over every "4 minutes and 27 seconds" so they cook to perfection. After the fire burns out we crawl into our tent and sleep only to by woken up by some animal (we are still trying to figure out what it was) rummaging in our campsite for some food. For a few minutes there we were both freaked out thinking there was a bear out there. Thankfully there was no further adventure and we went back to sleep...found our cooler had been ransacked the next morning and the footprints were surely not that of a bear but more like a raccoon or coyote. Broke camp the next morning and headed back toward home stopping at the ghost town of Independance and then at Leadville, CO for some hefty breakfast/brunch at the "Golden Burro" a wonderful Mexican restaurant pictured here. I bought some local fudge at a local store and we headed back into Denver. I had a great time all around and want to go back again with Nandini and the kids. Camping was a lot of fun and might just become another hobby vying for time with the many others here.

Mt. Sherman - My second 14er

2007-06-17T21:02:00.000-07:00

Click on any picture to see a bigger view...

That's me (above) sitting on top of Mount Sherman at 14,036 feet above sea level. It was Saturday the 16th of June and thanks to Raj's initiative, seven of us (Raj, Adwai, Jiva, Prasad, Jim, Sheetal and self) plus Lola decided to hike up a 14er. We picked Mt. Sherman because we'd heard that it was relatively easy. Colorado has 54 peaks that are above 14000 feet. It was a beautiful day out and all of us (especially Lola) had a fabulous time. Here are some pictures from our trip.

Adwai (below) with some great views in the background and a steep drop-off just behind him.

Jim & Sheetal at the top. Sheetal is a good sport and was tremendous on her first trip hiking at these altitudes.

Raj & Lola at the top. Lola had a blast all day. She was the energizer bunny personified.

Raj & Lola, Prasad & Jiva. That used to be someone's home back during the mining days.

Jiva hiking ahead. You can see Mount Sherman on the top right hand corner.

Sweet Retribution

2007-06-14T21:38:00.000-07:00

Go Spurs!!!!

I wrote a blog last year when the Spurs were eliminated from the NBA playoffs in a close game...much dissapointment happened then but...

It's been a year (already!) and this time they go all the way win the championship!!!!! 2007 NBA Champions!!!! Wow...its been so satisfying to have seen them come through with wins against huge teams (Denver, Phoenix & Utah) before sweeping the Cavs. The Spurs are a class act and I am sure much will be written about their legacy. I am just glad that I am privileged to be a part of this.

Ginooobiliiii...

Conifer

2007-06-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

Click on image for larger view

A few weeks ago Vijay, Som & I rode up Deer Creek Canyon road off of South Wadsworth near the Chatfield rservoir. Although Vijay's been talking about this to me for a long time I had never really gone out to ride here. I am glad I did.

See, I always felt deprived not living near Boulder, CO because thats where all the good rides are; especially if you want to climb. Not true.

Having been introduced to the DCC road we wanted to go back and ride more and see if we should go all the way to Conifer. So the four of us got together a week ago (June 2nd '07) and rode up DCC and onto High Grade road until we got to the top just short of Conifer. The ride was probably one of the most spectacular ones that I have ridden around here. Had some good grades and yet some nice breaks along the way.

I hope to ride this often and find some other connecting routes around here. Its easy to get to and I don't have to drive an 80 mile round trip to get a decent climb.

Ward

2007-06-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

Click on image for larger view

It seemed like I was always jinxed when it came to riding up to Ward. The previous two occasions that Jiva was going up I ended up missing out as something always came up.

I almost ended up nixing the ride again but took the lng drinve to Jiva's and off we went at 8.30 am. We decided to ride up Lee Hill Drive instead of taking the easier but longer Left Hand Canyon road. Lee Hill is a climb that can kick you butt and it did. We were so slow going up that we got passed by a runner (an elite one I admit). Lee Hill drive drops you down back into Left Hand Canyon road and the climb thereafter is gradual until you get to within 2 miles of Ward.

Ward is a small town right along the Peak to Peak highway with a 70's culture and we enjoyed taking our break there by the general store. There were lots of riders and it was a beautiful day out. Our descent was good and uneventful other than some significant wind blowing you sideways and me narrowly avoiding a crash into Jiva in front of me. We rode all the way down back to Highway 36 and then took Nelson road and the back way into Jiva's place. Almost 50 miles with over 20 miles of climbing a cumulative 6800 feet. My first use of the Golite waist bottle holster and I was pretty happy with it.

Echo Lake

2007-05-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

Click on the image for larger view

"Echo Lake" is a standing joke among my bicycling friends... for months now we've planned to ride up to Echo Lake and never gotten around to it...something always comes up.

A few weeks ago I signed up with "Team Evergreen" a local bicycling club with the intention of getting some good rides in before the "Triple Bypass" in July this year. The club was riding up to Echo Lake today and so I just had to go do it. Jiva is in India, Vijay had to be at work and Som is out of town and so it was just me.

I was somewhat surprised at the popularity of this club as I gathered with about 100 other riders at the Bergen park park and ride. We all set off sharp at 9.00 am. The road begins to climb almost immediately and is one long steady uphill slug. The elevation at the parking lot is at about 7600 feet and the climb tops out at a little over 11,100 feet. The views above 9500 feet were spectacular and I was left wishing for my camera. I made do with the camera that came with my phone.

As for the ride itself this was a tough one but there was so much inspiration to be drawn from all the others enjoying such a beatiful day out. I made it it to the top in exactly 2 hours averaging about 8 miles per hour and was feeling pretty good about it. This is highest I have been on a bicycle at 11,142.50 feet above sea level!!!

An uneventful descent and I got back home at about 1.00 pm. Here are the stats from today's ride. I will post some pictures once I figure out how to get them out of my phone.

My new bike...

2007-03-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of my new bike. It is the new Orbea Orca 2007 and its a beauty! The configuration is as shown above...weighing in at just 15.4 pounds. Fully configured (with pedals, flat resistant tubes, toolkit, bike computer etc.) the weight is still under 18 pounds.

Its been three days, I have about 72 miles on it and I absolutely love it!!!!

Its amazing the number of cyclists that have stopped to talk to me about this bike. One person even took a photo of me with the bike to send to his son.

15 years ago the first car I bought (a Fiat) cost me half as much as this bicycle did...I am not sure if thats a good thing or a bad thing. Jiva says..."the more miles you put on the bike the less expensive it becomes per mile" I guess its all about mileage even on a bike. Apart from the 'health benefit' cliche of cycling I love it because it lets me enjoy the outdoors in slow motion.

Like someone said..."The Journey is more important than the destination"

Booming India

2007-01-29T13:58:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to pen another short blog about my recent India experience. Reading this article had a catalytic effect and so here goes...

Booming India for me was a bit of a shocker as far as prices of general goods go. In just the three or four years since I was last in Bangalore there has been a remarkable difference in the way people talk about money. "Thousands" is a term easily thrown about for everyday goods like clothes and food when a few years ago hundreds would have seemed a lot. Crores (1 Crore = 10 Million) of Rupees doesn't shock anyone when just a few years ago a "Crorepathy" (Indian Millionaire) was a very distinguished sort.

One can certainly attribute the recent dramatic economic boom to the IT industry and the inflow of global business giants leveraging the lower costs of high intellect and good labour in India. Ironically the deluge of foriegn investment is driving the cost of living to proportions not dissimilar to that of the developed world undermining the very reason why international businesses are investing in India.

What happens when the costs of doing business in India reaches parity with other international centers? At the present rate of growth I see this happening in the not so distant future. Why then would somebody choose to work in India for the same wages as in Austin, Texas. A native of India with family compulsions may choose to live and work in India but what about an international soul? Would he still choose Bangalore with all its civic problems and pollution and high costs? Or would he rather choose a place like Austin, TX where for the same wage he can enjoy a significantly better standard of life?

I am not sure if the political pundits are thinking about such a scenario in India because little resources are spent in trying to make India a better place to live in. What is being done to attract people of other nationalities to come and work in India?

Will the growth continue unabated? I wonder...

Thoothepee is alive and well...

2007-01-26T04:15:00.000-08:00

Here is a recent picture of "Thoothepee"... a phrase coined by Rama Rao almost twenty years ago to describe our dear building manager. I personally don't know him by any other name and he seems like he hasn't aged a day since 1989. Thoothepee still has the same job in the same place and I am sure he still is revered by employees that work in this building.

Right next door is India Coffee House where many an hour was spent "visiting customers or cold calling" during our hey days as sales reps for OMC Computers in India. My Dad and I took a trip to India Coffee House and the experience brought me right back to the good old days. Now, here is another relic that has not changed a bit in over twenty years. Known mostly for its famous coffee served in chipped cups and saucers with half the coffee in the saucer by the time it is brought to you, Coffee House is still a favourite meeting place in Bangalore. Dosas served over watery chutney, cutlets served with ketchup thrown over them (mainly to soften them) and walls displaying posters of Mahatma Gandhi and other Indian icons. Even some of the turbaned waiters have been around since the seventies. Wow!

The dichotomy that is India...

2007-01-19T09:11:00.000-08:00

If and when you arrive in India after a stint in the United States (or any other Western developed country) one can't help but feel a strange mix of emotions. For someone born and brought up in India it is great to be back to the place that will always be home but at the same time one can't help but sigh at the sights and sounds of everyday life in India.

Getting off the plane is a stark reminder of the civic challenges we Indians face in India while at the same time one is equally amazed at how things actually function and how progress has been made in every discipline.

My flight arrived past midnight and after getting out of the airport in Bangalore I had a nice ride home and was looking around in amazement at how Bangalore still looked so beautiful with its tree lined avenues and wonderful climate. The big shock came the next day when I took to the streets again and the traffic and the noise was quite something. In just a few years you could tell the remarkable difference the booming economy had had on Bangalore. Although I would gather up my courage to drive my old car later during my stay I was petrified on this first day out in the traffic jungle that is Bangalore and I am sure much of India.

That, amidst all this chaos, the traffic still moves and people all get to where they want to get to is a miracle in itself. The perils are immense yet what happens on the roads in India is an epitome of the spirit and energy that you will find in every corner of the country. The population in excess of a billion people and growing is a challenge for any government and not surprisingly the slow pace of infrastructure development and the complete lack of individual discipline is a lethal combination and can be quite frustrating. In almost every walk of life people face challenges and have much to complain about but…the majority don't, they just accept the situation for what it is and innovate. Motorists on the road find unique and interesting ways to get ahead and for someone that is used to (in comparison) the 'almost boring' traffic of the western world this can offer some serious entertainment and thrills.

It is truly wonderful to be back and once again be among simple people leading simple lives although these are an endangered species as we speak. The capitalistic nature of western societies is rampant in India too, fat salaries in a prosperous economy buying goods from an inflated marketplace. One would think that such a scenario would mean more money for the government to plug back into the country's infrastructure…so far this has only meant more money for people that work for the government! Corruption is having a field day in India.

The people of India are friendly as ever with a ready smile and always willing to help. Many a passionate conversation will happen about its woes but nay a hand raised to try and do something about it…the populace is simply overwhelming. Its been a week since I landed in Bangalore and true to my Indian spirit I think not so much about the problems we face but instead about the day ahead of me and what I can achieve despite it.

Christmas of 2006

2007-01-02T09:05:00.000-08:00

It must have been late November or early December when my good friend Santosh made one of those (rare) wise decisions to come out to Denver with his family to spend Christmas with us.

Once that decision was made the planning began for what ultimately turned out to be a very memorable time. Santa (thats what we call Santosh) wanted to go out skiing, I wasn't complaining and so we put togther a plan around that. Arun "good deal" Eswaran went to work finding us a place and sure enough found us a great Condo at unbelievable prices for this time of the year in Silverthorne very near the Breckenridge and Keystone ski resort areas in Colorado.

Christmas in Denver was preceded by a memorable snowstorm (the blizzard of 2006) bringing us over 32 inches of the white stuff with snow drifts in some cases over 4 feet. I had a lot of fun watching the storm and then shoveling the snow (burns over 1000 calories/hour). Denver International Airport was closed for 2 days leaving thousands of passengers stranded and away from home during the holidays. We were worried that Santa and family would get affected but they arrived in time on Christmas eve only to be taken straight to one of our parties at a friends place.

The next morning we managed to all get out at around 10.30 heading up for our skiing rendezvous. We picked up skis from Downieville enroute and arrived at Breck at about 1.00 in the afternoon. Skiied the bunnies for a bit, I taught Ananya some and then we made use of the free lift service (after 3.00 pm) at Breck by taking "Quicksilver" up a few times. Santosh and Arun loved every minute of it and felt that they had made tremendous progress in a very short time. Getting on and getting off ski lifts was a challenge overcome on this afternoon. Finished up late and so had to make some long trudges on the snow and later on near our parking lot to get back to our cars. Got to our temporary home (it was lovely) in Silverthorne, bought groceries at the 7/11 (everything else was closed) and settled in for some good home made food.

The next day was more of the same at Breck. Everyone skiied a little bit. We got back and soaked in the hot tub, pool and played some table tennis. The third day we decided that the boys would ski while the rest shopped at the outlets in Silverthorne. We got in early at Keystone and skiied "Schoolmarm" pretty much all day. The picture above was taken just before our first trip down schoolmarm. This slope although a 'green' was significantly steeper, is 3.5 miles long and was a big step up for both Arun and Santa. They adjusted quickly and made good progress. Early afternoon Arun lost control and got in a collision and was very lucky that nobody got hurt...he did have to go in for some video lessons just so he could keep his season pass alive...in the end all was well. Stopped in at "Beau Jos" for their good pizzas on our way back....we made it back home in time for what was being forecast as another big blizzard.

The next morning (thursday 28th December) Nandini and I quickly rushed to the grocery store to stock up...the shelves were already emptied out and we came back with whatever we could find. Got home and was pleasantly surprised with a nice gift from Roopa and Santa (a lovely tweed sports jacket). Although the second snowstorm was nowhere as bad the first the next couple of days we were basically snowed in and were able to catch up a little and eat lots of good food. We went toboggoning at the park nearby. Santa and family spent the night and the next day at Arun's. We went bowling together and had a few friends over on the 30th for some Coffee after dinner. Santa and family left on the 31st, we went to a New Year's eve party at Yia Yia's and then to Sangeeta and Raj's where we rang in the new year.

It was an exceptional holiday with great memories. Now that Santa is hooked to skiing we have hopes of making this some sort of an annual event...maybe go ski in a different location every year.

Portraits

2006-11-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

I'd love to become better at taking pictures of people. There is something to be said about capturing expressions and features of people. A safe place to practice is at home. I thought Tamara's expression (moments after she woke up in the morning light) made for a good one and so...

A Salesman's woes

2006-10-31T17:19:00.000-08:00

Today, the 31st of October is a day I'd like to forget soon. After months and in one case even years of work put in I learned today that my prospective customers are not buying what I am trying to sell them. Being in the profession that I am in...I am used to rejection but multiple rejections in one day was too much even for me.

People hate to be the bearer of bad news and so when that real friendly prospect stops taking your calls you can be sure that something is very very wrong!!

Business-wise the only direction this can go from here on out is up and so I guess I will wake up tomorrow morning and start the process all over again...

The Jamakaalam

2006-09-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

Saw this during a recent trip to Taos, NM. An artist at the Taos Plaza used this Jamakaalam to display his paintings. He had just finished for the day and was packing up when the vibrant colours and the pattern caught my eye.

Growing up in India these Jamakaalams always meant something festive for me. They were typically used to seat people on the floor at large gatherings at home. So occasions such as Upanayanams, Grihapraveshams, Nischiyadarathams usually bring the Jamakaalams out for people to sit on. I can never remember them looking as clean as this one though, people walked on them and they were usually dusty and dirty muting their vibrant colours.

Buffalo Bicycle Classic 2006

2006-09-11T19:01:00.000-07:00

A year ago (9/11/05) it was when I rode my first century just a few weeks after meeting Vijay and Jiva at Charlie's place. As always I couldn't believe a year had gone by so fast.

This year the ride was on 10th September the day Nandini's parents were headed to California on their way back to India. To begin with I wasn't sure if I could complete 100 miles and be back in time to take them to the airport. Also this year despite lofty goals my cycling season has been below par and I wasn't in the best shape to ride a hundred.

All that didn't stop me and the rest of us and off we went with ambitions of starting real early and riding a hundred...the others accomodating my request that we start early so I could be home in time and not end up in the doghouse.

Woke up at 3.30 met Som at Vijay's at 4.15 and the three of us were at Jiva's at 5.15 am. It was pitch dark and foggy and that put an end to our plans to start early. Jiva made us some breakfast and we took our time getting set and finally left at about 6.45 am.

The morning was quite nice and wasn't very cold and once we had gone past the diagonal highway it was absolutely scenic. The fog made us feel like we were riding in the alps. The picture above was taken not too far from Jiva's place. We kept a good pace until we got to the aid station just before Carter Lake at about 8.30 am. Decided there that Vijay and I would ride the shorter route and not attempt the hundred (wise decision in retrospect). The weather remained foggy and I could feel the dew dripping on to my face from my helmet. The downhill from Carter Lake and the subsequent rest stop froze my left leg and thigh and I had a hard time from that point on. Maybe I got too cold because I was shivering and cramping badly. But the doctor kept me company all the way and we rode back slowly, even stopping for some hot chocolate.

Vijay and I got back to Jiva's at about 11.30 after riding a little more than 60 miles. Around noon Som called and said that he is in a sag wagon headed back...he too suffered cramps and had to stop. We waited for Som and picked him up at the CU Campus and got home at about 2.45 pm watched a little bit of Federer playing Roddick before leaving at 4.00 to drop my inlaws to the airport.

Spoke to Jiva later on; he completed the century (he's da man) and earned his century cap souvenir. I felt disappointed that I struggled to ride 60 miles but...as I write this blog a little more than 24 hours later I am suffering a mild flu and am not sure what caused what.

Elevation profile of our ride...click on it to enlarge

Jamestown

2006-08-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

Jamestown is one of my favourite rides by the foothills of Boulder, Colorado. We usually ride from Jiva's place to Jamestown and back, its 28 miles with an elevation differential of about 2000 feet. There is a short nasty spot along the way called 'Old Stage Road' with grades of about 13-15% but luckily it is short.

The road to Jamestown after the turnoff from Left Hand Canyon is newly paved and there is a good shoulder for bicycles going up. Smart thing to do if you are only going to build a shoulder on one side. I guess you don't need a shoulder coming down because your motorized friends can't pass you.

We initally had visions of riding all the way to Ward (11 more miles of climbing) but decided that we'd take it easy. Got to Jamestown fairly easy, hung out for a while at the bicycler's restaurant and rode back down at a leisurely pace. Stopped a few times to get some "action shots".

All in all a fun ride capped off with some great food at Jiva's place as always. He had breakfast for us before we left and lunch when we came back. Did a little bit of sightseeing at Boulder with the family before getting back home to get everyone in bed so they could be up in time for the new school year.

You can find more pictures of our ride by clicking here.

Mt. Bierstadt - my first fourteener!

2006-08-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

Hiking will likely be added to the list of things I like doing outdoors. August 12th will be remembered for more than being Mark Knopfler's birthday...it was my first organised hike and I climbed the summit of Mt. Bierstadt at 14,060 feet.

Raj Devarajan initiated the plan and put together a group to go hike/climb a fourteener. Except for the two CEO's that run their own companies (Satish Puskoor and Vijay Sajja) the rest of us were attempting this for the first time. Arun Eswaran, Vijay Singh, Raj, Dinesh and myself comprised the rest of the group.

We met at Raj's place, picked up Dinesh along the way and briefly met for coffee at the gas station in Georgetown. Drove up 12 miles from Georgetown to the trailhead near Guanella Pass. We were at the parking lot (elevation: 11700 feet) at about 7.00 am and it was a beautiful morning. Here is a view from the parking lot...

We all set off on our hike at about 7.25 am keeping a fairly brisk pace. The hike was going downhill initially before starting to climb gently. This picture of all of us was taken just as we hit the trail. L to R: Satish, Arun, Raj, Vijay Singh, Vijay Sajja and Dinesh

We continued along together until we made a couple of stops to take a break. Pretty soon it became obvious that we had to find a pace that was comfortable for each one of us and so there was some separation as we made progress towards the peak. The terrain itself was quite easy and the incline for the most part was gradual. The thinner air and the effort made me want to stop and catch my breath every now and then.

Raj & I made it to the top at about 9.45 am, Vijay Sajja was right behind us followed by the others. There were quite a few people up at the top; there was even a group brewing beer!!! We did the usual stuff, took some pictures and hung out for a few minutes before deciding to head back.

The hike back was mostly uneventful although we made it back in a third of the time it took going up. Downhill hiking was more difficult than I had imagined, using muscle groups you've never used before and having to keep a close eye on what you were stepping on so you don't slip and fall.

We made it back to the parking lot around noon. The few of us that made it back decided to drive on to Georgetown for some coffee and food. That turned out to be a bad decision because the others we left behind on the trail were delayed more than we had imagined and with the lack of cell phone signals we had no way of knowing if everything was ok. I was especially worried. Vijay Sajja was real nice about driving us back 25 miles to check on the others. In the end all was well, we found the others as we were driving to the trailhead. Together again, we ate a sumptuous Pizza at Beau Jo's (town of Idaho Springs) before heading back home.

What a week!!!....of rain!

2006-07-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

It all began Friday June 30th the last day of the quarter for me. Vishwa, Peetu and the kids were arriving for a weeklong holiday and I was going to take vacation time. I was looking forward to the break. V, P and family arrived the next day, they took the train from California which arrived about 6 hours late prompting us to see the better side of the far more complex and chaotic rail network in India.

Sunday the Denver crowd had a picnic planned at Dillon lake. The extended family decided to stay home and put feet up while I chose to go ahead. The picnic was fun, we rode around Dillon lake which was a lot of fun. Rainstorms (Yes! Rain!!) moved in late afternoon and sent all of us packing toward home. Turns out that it rained everywhere and we got our first decent rain storm at home this season. I characterize a decent rain storm as one that will result in water streaming down the road and so by those standards this one was a good one. I didn't know it then, but this week was going to be a great one as far as rain was concerned.

Got invited to everyone's homes (read "partied out") for the holiday and then on Wednesday we decided to go ride the Train in Georgetown. Took V, P & family to the Red Rocks amphitheatre and also had some time to shop at the Silverthorne outlets. Thursday and Friday was more chilling, more partying, more TV (Tennis, Soccer, Cycling). All this time the rain fell every afternoon giving us much needed water. We thanked V&P for bringing the moisture from the pacific coast.

Saturday was special. Arun, Vishwa and I decided to ride our bikes. That in itself may have prompted the rain and rain it did...all day! We rode nevertheless and it ended up being one of those unforgettable rides. We were soaking wet and much of the 36 mile miles we rode was in the rain. It was a lot of fun and we all felt like little boys out playing in the rain. We rode along the Cherry Creek to the Flagship REI store and back. Vishwa and Arun both loved the scenery all the way. Here is a picture of us after the ride with muddied backs (anal jets!).

We got together later in the day to celebrate Sangita's birthday and had dinner at Thai Basil where the food was real good. Decided to go see a movie after that (Pirates of the Caribbean) which was 3 hours of boredom. Sunday was spent at the airport pretty much with everyone going back. All in all a great week, great rain, great ride, too much food, too little sleep, lousy movie, the vacation is over.

Where is the rain???

2006-06-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

For as long as I can remember I have been very fascinated by the weather especially the process of precipitation. Back in the day in Bangalore when summer started to set in and the temperatures inched up I'd look forward to the afternoon thunderstorms. Murphy's law would be predominant because when you want something to happen it usually doesn't. I remember getting quite frustrated and feeling that the weather gods hated me everytime a storm missed the area we lived in. I also remember enjoying the ones that did hit. The lighting and thunder, the cloudbursts, the wonderful smell of wet mud and the huge relief from the heat are vivid memories.

When we moved to Northern California from Bangalore the one thing I missed dearly was the 'exciting' weather. It rains in California but mostly during the winter and so it is cold. The other thing about California rain is that it is more of a constant daylong boring pitter patter rainfall. It is not an exciting thunderstorm.

When we moved to Denver I was excited about the prospect of afternoon thunderstorms in the summer again and have enjoyed some real exciting weather over the last couple of years. Colorado's location between cold Canada and the warm Gulf of Mexico, its altitude and the Rocky Mountains all make for weather that is diverse and very very exciting, so much so we have a pretty big Meteorological department in Boulder.

But this year has been a dry one so far and here I am again wondering if the weather gods hate me. The US DroughtMonitor has much of the region around us under "severe drought" and the forecasts don't look good. The pattern has been the same lately, the clouds gather up, there is lighting and thunder but just not enough moisture to make it to the ground. The picture above epitomises the pattern.

Where is the rain? Whats up with the weather? We seem to be breaking 120 year old temperature records again. Temperatures are above normal, Alberto (first atlantic hurricane) seems to have arrived sooner than usual. The picture below is courtesy of the US Drought Monitor Website.

Elephant Rock 2006

2006-06-07T10:22:00.000-07:00

One of the coolest things about the Elephant Rock Ride is their logo of Lord Ganesh holding two bicycle wheels. The Elli ride is the first major supported ride in the front range and with some trepidation I ventured out to do my second century ride. I did not feel adequately prepared but with some encouragement from Jiva (who else!) and his assurances that its all in the mind we set out to ride 100 miles!!!

I spent Saturday taking the family to Mount Evans (boasts the highest paved road in the United States at 14,200 feet above sea level). On our way back we stopped at Idaho Springs to eat Pizza at the famous "Beau Jo's". Vijay called to invite us for a pre-ride Pasta dinner at his place. Jiva stayed at my place after we had all sufficiently tanked up on Pasta.

The next morning Vijay met us at my place at 4.30 am and we drove to Castle Rock together. Som arrived and we all set off at about 6.00 am. Vijay decided (wisely) to stick to a metric century while the rest of us went for it thinking it's "all in the mind". I guess we did all right until about mile 48 or so. The wind behind us, the early morning air and fresh legs all helped us to the half way mark quite easily. About a couple of miles before we hit the aid station at mile 48 we ran into a somewhat significant cross wind which slowed us down considerably and was very annoying. Here's a picture of Som at the aid station waiting in line to pee!

The route after the first 50 miles gets challenging without seeming to be difficult if you can understand that. The terrain is mostly rolling hills but theres tonnes of them. Each time you get up a crest you look down only to see the road climbing again. Some of these rollers were no mean rollers. Som got a nice picture of me just as we reached a crest only to be confronted with one long climb up another.

At about mile 68 we were actually feeling quite good but our next 12 miles were spent on a road that was aptly called Roller Coaster Road (picture above). We got to Palmer town at about 12.30. It was hot and we still had 20 miles to go. The aid station at this particular spot was a 200 yard hike away. We decided that we'd conserve some energy. I was feeling quite zonked in particular and decided to lay on the rocks for a bit. We had half a mind to call Vijay and have him pick us up, then we realized that the car keys were with us. So we reluctantly set off again but the next ten miles were awesome. A mild downhill, we kept good speed and were soon at the last aid station. Ten more miles to go and the first 4 miles were uphill again but we kept at it and wheeled in to the finish at about 2.30 pm, a good eight and a half hours since we started. We wondered aloud if the ride was really that difficult or if it was just too early in the season and we were not ready.

The answer became clear the next day. I elevation profiled our route and we had climbed a total of about 7900 feet in the century and Vijay had climbed about 5000 feet in his metric century. No wonder it hurt so much. Another truth I learned...Its all in the mind? My arse! 'cause thats where it hurts real bad right now.

The beginning....

......and near the end. Two pictures taken 7 hours apart, only one man is standing in both.

Some statistical data below for the records. Click on the image for a larger view

The passionate sports fan

2006-05-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

Two days ago the San Antonio Spurs narrowly lost their NBA playoff series to the Dallas Mavericks in the seventh game of a nerve racking best of seven series. It's taken me as much time to settle down and come to terms with it and truthfully I still don't feel like I have been able to. I almost feel betrayed with this loss after having been a part of the Spurs success over the last few years. No amount of logical counseling seems to make a dent on the emotion. My interest in the remaining teams and the rest of the NBA playoffs seems to have vanished. I am trying to find other avenues to fill in for the usual two and a half hours of watching Spurs ball.

A long time ago I remember being possessed by Cricket and watching the one day games on TV in India. This was just after India had won the world cup and followed it up with a series of dramatic victories in the 1985 World Series in Australia. My older brother was an extremely passionate fan and at times I could sense and feel his emotions along with the crests and troughs of Indian cricket. I remember thinking that I would never get so involved as a fan. But here I am a good twenty years later feeling exactly like my brother did.

Oh well!

I consider myself to be a part time fan because I watch it on TV and I sometimes miss games. I wonder how a full time fan would feel. Imagine all of those people that pay thousands of dollars and travel half way around the globe to be at a soccer game, imagine those people that buy season tickets to be at EVERY game, imagine those fans with their faces painted in team colours, imagine all those people that seem to dedicate themselves to a team or a player in just so many different ways, how do they feel when their team is done for the season?

I can only imagine how they feel but in some strange way writing about it and thinking about fans that are even more passionate than I am makes me feel better. Its not the end of the world and I am sure I will be back at it pretty soon rooting for Brazil at the world cup screaming Gooooooaaaaaaaalllllll!

The one thing I cannot imagine is being an impassionate fan.

The backyard

2006-05-08T18:51:00.000-07:00

Back in 2004 when we saw our home for the first time I distinctly remember walking out to the backyard and there standing on the deck and looking out I made my decision that this is the house we wanted to buy. The people (Joan & Dan Ferguson) we were buying the house from had kept the house and the yard impeccably and I was already dreaming of the time that I was going to spend here. It felt just so perfect, wooden decks, a lawn, mature trees, a few shrubs, a flower bed and lots of privacy.

My love of the outdoors and the garden keeps me out in the yard. Weekends usually mean a few hours in the backyard, especially in the summer. I mow the lawn, water the plants, trim the shrubs, rake the leaves, take pictures of the flowers and tulips and just hang out feeling the peace. Animals seem to love our backyard too, last year a fox would take his afternoon nap on the grass frequently. The only time I don't like it is when I see a snake in the yard. Luckily its just the small garden snake (so far!). The family loves it too and we spend a lot of time together in the backyard. Every now and then, I think about that first time and I can't help but feel a sense of pride that this is now my backyard.

Crested Butte

2006-04-17T16:49:00.000-07:00

The last week of March 2006 was Spring Break for the kids and so off we went for three days to Crested Butte, Colorado for some Spring Skiing and fun. We booked accomodations at the Christiana's Guesthaus (Chad Cook's suggestion). We left home a little after 5.00 am on Thursday the 30th of March. Adwai joined us on the trip too. We took highway 285 South from Denver via Fairplay, Salida and Gunnison, all neat little towns. The weather held up pretty well until we went over Monarch pass where it was blowing snow with low visibility. But once we dropped back down below 9000 feet all was well and we got some bright sunshine the rest of the way.

We stopped for breakfast at Gunnison and we reached CB at about 10.00 am (much sooner than we anticipated). Got to our hotel and got a taste of the great hospitality when the owners allowed us to check into our room despite being 6 hours early. We quickly changed and headed out to the resort to ski. Vijay and Nivi had very graciously offered us their Saab-CB Ski passes and we wanted to make the most of it. The first day of skiing was fantastic because it has snowed a few inches the previous night. I took Nandini and all the kids to the top on "Red Lady" and although it was her first time she managed to get back down safely without taking a spill. We had a blast the entire day exploring the mountain and the various runs. Nandini and Aditya decided that they'd take a break and ski the short easy slopes. We got back to our guesthouse, changed and then jumped into an outdoor hot tub. AWESOME!! The outside temperature must have been in the high 30s and we were in a hot tub with steaming water, a lot of fun! Christiana's Guesthaus is a neat little place with a very cozy atmosphere. The hospitality is amazing, they serve great breakfast and just so many other little things about the place is going to make us come back and stay here.Later we decided to take a stroll along the main drag in downstown Crested Butte. Lots of quaint stores, museums and touristy stuff. We ate dinner at Teocali Tamale (a Mexican restaurant with great food). Walking back toward our hotel we stopped by a tibetian store. The lady that ran the store had lived in many parts of the world including Hunsur, Karnataka a place that was 50 miles from Nandini's estate in Coorg. What a small world!!

Days two and three were more of the same except that on Day two we had dinner at "The Secret Stash", a fantastic Pizza place. The decor and everything about the restaurant had a huge Indian flavour to it with their logo including the "Om" symbol and all. Inside the restaurant were tonnes of images of "Ganesha" and batik art everywhere. The biggest downside was that we were not prepared for the wait. We went in with three hungry children and had to wait an hour and 15 minutes before we were seated. That said the food was great and the atmosphere even better.

We left CB at about 2.00 on Saturday afternoon and the drive back was an easy one. We played loud dance music and jived all the way back and didn't notice time passing. We did pass through different climatic zones and saw sunshine, snow, sunshine, thunderstorms and sunshine again in a span of four hours.

CB is an amazing place and we intend going back. The wild flower festival in summer is supposed to be fantastic as are their mountain biking trails.

Carter Lake & Back

2006-04-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

Fresh from our REI ride last week we decided that we'd ride from Jiva's place to Carter lake and back. This is a 53 mile round trip. The "Desi 4" were still incomplete as Vijay couldn't join us this time. We decided to meet at Jiva's place at 8.00 am. I slept over at Jiva's place the previous night. Som came in at 7.45 am! Yes! thats right, a full 15 minutes early!

Jiva made some scrambled eggs for us while I fixed a flat front tire on my bike. We set off at 8.30. It was Jiva's first real ride of the season and he was already setting a brisk pace. He too had obviously kept in shape during the winter. We stopped at Hygiene to buy some energy bars and "Red Bull" (the drink that got me through my first century). It was a beautiful day, 72 degrees and no wind. The route basically takes you north from Boulder and you see the mountains on the west. The higher peaks were still covered in snow and it made for a very scenic ride. You pass a number of ranches along the way with their white fences and horses and barns, the new spring growth on the trees and grass made for a pefect day. I for one could not think of a better cycling day that I have ever had.

We got to the base of the hill just before Carter lake at 10.30 am. We averaged 16.5 miles per hour. We decided to take a short break before the short climb. We got up the hill and both Jiva and Som felt that the climb was a lot easier than they remembered. We hung out for some time by Carter lake enjoying the weather and looking at the sail boats. Som got some photographs, emptied his bowel and then we set off back home. The first 5-6 miles went by real easy thanks to the downhill. A few miles later I had another flat, we fixed it and rode on. The ride back was quite nice thanks to the great weather. About the time we began to tire we were only 4 miles from Jiva's and so it all worked out really well.

Jiva opened some Taj Mahal beer and Purnima fixed us some really good sandwiches. It was an awesome way to end a perfect bicycling day.

I got back home at about 3.30 feeling more than a little guilty using up the Sunday for myself...showered, went out and played with the Kids at the park for a couple of hours and thats how the weekend came to an end.

REI & Back on Cherry Creek Trail

2006-04-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

REI (Recreation Equipment Inc.) is one of my favourite stores, especially their flagship store in downtown Denver. Its location in the confluence park seems like a perfect place for a store specializing in outdoor recreation. REI took over an old Railway yard and converted it into a store. This store is a "must see" for outdoor enthusiasts.

Denver, in case you didn't know, is a city with an extensive network of biking trails and paved bike paths (over 700 miles). A popular trail/bike path is the Cherry Creek bike path. It runs north/south along the Cherry Creek and is usually quite busy during the weekends with people biking, running, roller blading, walking their dog etc.

The "Desi 4" in Denver (Jiva, Vijay, Som & I) plan to ride two or three centuries this year. Our first century is set for June 3rd. The weather being fantastic these past few days we decided that it was time to go out and start preparing for our big ride.

We decided to meet at the parking lot at the intersection of Dam Road and Union at 10.00 am. I live close enough and so I decided to ride there instead of taking my car. Jiva could not make it, Vijay arrived at about ten past ten and Som arrived a little later. Another few minutes of getting our gear ready and we set off. Our first ride of the season !!!

Vijay was probably the only one that kept up a serious riding schedule during the winter. I managed to stay in shape using the treadmill and Som had started on a training program to run a marathon. In any case, I guess all the off season work showed as we kept up a brisk pace. The distance from the Cherry Creek reservoir parking lot to REI is about 14.6 miles. We averaged 19.5 miles per hour, a full mile more than what we did the last time.

It was a beautiful day as evidenced by the number of people outside. We took our usual stop at the Starbucks inside REI and hit the trail back home. A great first ride for all of us.

Chilled out

2006-02-21T15:53:00.000-08:00

After years of planning and procrastinating we finally made it to Santa's place in Houston. We had a great time and the picture of Santa (above) epitomises our trip...we chilled out. We thought we'd get away from some very wintery conditions (Denver was breaking more cold temperature records) but the cold seemed to follow us to Houston.

I was initiated into some Raquetball which I very much enjoyed and intend to play some back here in Colorado. The kids had a blast...much excitement with shrieks that can shatter glass. Here's a pictute of Tamara & Ananya. Feasted on Santosh's culinary skills...he'd made some real good food or us.

We all discovered the urban sprawl that is Houston...went to IKEA and to the Swaminarayan Temple one day. Watched a movie (Iqbal) and hung out with Siddarth and family another day. Siddarth's wife makes the best Masala Dosas this side of the Atlantic. As always it was too short of a holiday and it was time to leave...but chill out we did!!! Fun became!!

Lalitha Mami's Rasam

2006-02-05T05:58:00.000-08:00

My mother's name is Lalitha and back home in India everyone just calls her Lalitha Mami (Mami is a suffix used when referring to an older lady in Tamil). Lalitha Mami is synonymous with Rasam, a popular South Indian dish served with rice. Rasam is like a delicately textured soup containing various spices, can awaken your senses and be especially invigorating when made well. There are many different recipes for Rasam but Lalitha Mami's Rasam is legendary.

Over the years I have tried to make a science of her recipe. I have watched her make it numerous times, made notes on exact measurements, but I rarely get it to perfection like she does. The amazing thing about this is that she takes just ten minutes to make Rasam and her use of ingredients is ad-hoc but yet the final outcome is always perfect!

I'd like to think that I make the best "Lalitha Mami Rasam" in North America. One of these days I will post my recipe here after perfecting it. I included above a picture of the Rasam that I made today...turned out gooood! Just like Lalitha Mami's.

Copper Mountain Ski Trip IV

2006-01-28T20:00:00.000-08:00

We all went to bed Friday night unsure if we were going to drive up to the mountains the next day...the usual lethargy plus the "Nandini not feeling up to it" syndrome. So I set the alarm just in case and when it rang the next morning (surprise! surprise)Nandini was all energy and wanted to go!! Wow! That was a change! Remember, Nandini hates waking up early to go anywhere especially skiing! She's a sport though and so we were all ready and out of the house at 5.55 am which was a good thing because we beat the traffic and were at the Copper Mountain parking lot at 7.40.

Tamara and I were the first two at the Kokomo chair lifts...it was cold cold cold! The first hour and half of skiing and we scurried back into the restaurant at the base to warm up our frozen feet and hands. Nandini and Aditya had planned to go snowshoeing (free at Copper Mountain) but Adi was under age and so they decided to stay put and read books at the restaurant.

Tamara and I went back up for a few more runs on the greens, came back down for lunch and then up again. This time we attempted the "blue" runs at Copper. Tamara did real well making slow turns. This was just her fifth time on the mountains (third this year). We came down "American Flyer" a couple of times and then she was tired...wanted to go to her Mommy! The picture (above) is of Tamara at Copper Mountain just as we got off the American Flyer Lift. Here is Adi (below) nice and cozy indoors at the resort.

I dropped her off and went up again for three more runs...was good except for the long lift lines (15 minute wait). Finished up at about 3.15 and hit the road at about 3.35. All was well until we went through the Eisenhower tunnel...came out of it into stopped traffic...slow driving for about 15 miles...costing us an extra hour on the road. Got home at about 6.00 pm in time for the Spurs game versus the Timberwolves... Good game! Good Food! Goodnight!

Gear freaks...

2006-01-20T15:31:00.000-08:00

The other day I was at a friends housewarming party when the discussion settled on who had the most pairs of shoes...it was very interesting to see how the women present didn't show a lot of inclination to discuss how many shoes they owned. The men seemed to understand that this was a sensitive topic that has been discussed before (in vain) and decided to just shut up for fear of being in the doghouse. But in their minds the men secretly wanted to hear about this and maybe feel assured that they weren't alone in this.

After much coercing, a couple of the women 'fessed up to owning some serious numbers of pairs! There were the usual claims and counter claims made....The conversation really turned hilarious when suddenly one of the women pointed to her husband and claimed that he had more shoes than her....she said "he has the most shoes in our house! My husband hardly exercises but he has multiple pairs of tennis shoes, running shoes, walking shoes, run-some, walk-some shoes, dress shoes etc etc.". The poor chap..didn't know what hit him...it was funny because until that time the men in general were quite smug in the knowledge that the topic was all about bashing women that shopped for shoes. Men generally love buying new toys (gear!!) that they sometimes don't end up putting to full use but shoes?

This got me thinking about something a colleague of mine once told me. He said that he always got a bigger kick out of the equipment than the activity itself...he loved researching and buying toys...like how he'd spent a lot of money on Camera gear but he hardly ever went out to take photographs. A true gear freak!

To some degree I guess we are all guilty of becoming deeply interested in something, spending unreasonable amounts of money on it and then poof! the obsession is gone! I have always believed that people make emotional decisions for logical reasons. So does the toy drive the activity or does the activity drive the toy? For me its been a bit of both.

I'll admit...I love my toys and I try to do justice to them but there are times when I tire of them and move on to something else. The way I see it...the men have their toys and the women have their shoes except that some men have shoes as well!

The winter(?) of 2005-06

2006-01-14T16:00:00.000-08:00

The unusually warm weather pattern continues...I can't help but feel a bit concerned even though its been very enjoyable. Today January 13th 2006 we have highs in the mid 60's...yes MID SIXTIES!!! This long pattern started in the third week of December and has given us "fall" weather for a third of our winter! The ground is dry and I think I am going to have to get the sprinkler going again for the plants.

The good news if any is that the mountains have been getting pounded with snow as storm after storm seems to be flying in from the Pacific. A lot of people tell me that this is classic Denver weather...you drive an hour to ski and then come back and go biking...all in one day! For those that have lived here many years this is hardly surprising...they say that a dry warm spell in the middle of winter is not unusual. The forecast seems to indicate that we are in winter after all with snow and colder temeparatures predicted over the next few days.

I spent all day outdoors today...making the most of the weather...cleaned the cars in and out...cleaned the yard of more dead leaves...a good four hours of work outside. Adwai babysat Sangeeta's kids in our house...tomorrow its probably going to start off warm and before the day ends we should have some snow on the ground! Classic Denver!

Big sports day for Denverites today...the Broncos play their first playoff game versus the Patriots...I am wearing Orange and am going to Jiva's place to watch and root for the home team. GO BRONCOS!

Today is also Pongal the harvest festival of Southern India. I have fond memories of eating lots of sugarcane during Pongal when I was a little boy.

Global Warming perhaps?

2006-01-02T10:28:00.000-08:00

Being a weather freak I subscribe to weather reports and keep a look out for trivia especially around the area I live in. And so it was an email that brought me the news of a record high temperature set for Denver on Christmas Day (broke a 33 year old record) and again another email announcing the breaking of a 101 year old high temperature record for December 31st.

In some ways it was heartening to note that the temperature was this high 101 years ago...alleviating some of my fears of global warming...on this day during my time the record temperature reached was 66 degrees beating the old record by 1 degree.

I certainly made the most of it by being outdoors all day. I spent over three hours in the garden mulching weeping willow leaves...it was somewhat surreal wearing only a T-Shirt and being outdoors doing yard work, sweating on December 31st!! We have been treated to some great weather since the 21st of December. I am sure there are some that truly missed a white Christmas...as did we but then I have no complaints right now.

The first two weeks of December saw some records being broken in the other direction...COLD!!!! I remember going to visit a client during the first week of December in Colorado Springs...the high temeperature for the day was 3 Degrees! Fahreheit! It went down as low as -13 that day!!

So... we have seen some see-saw weather here in Denver this winter so far. The Rockies have seen record snowfall and all the ski resorts are celebrating....we have been out skiiing a few times to some gorgeous conditions. Its been raining conitnuously in California...talking to Raghu today and he mentioned that his ski holiday at Dodge Ridge near Yosemite got rained out...there are those warm conditions again!

Europe had a really late start to winter this year and then theres been a deluge of snow storms!

Not too sure what to make of these strange weather patterns...I'd like to believe that its not really due to mankind and greenhouse gases and all of that and that this is just another cycle that will go away soon...everytime I begin to start feeling comfortable some major event like the Tsunami, the Hurricanes, the unusual warm weather...remind me that maybe its us!

Christmas 2005 at Taos, NM

2006-01-01T20:29:00.000-08:00

Christmas! A time to practice a new tradition for us. It was back in 2002 when we made our first epic road journey from California to New Mexico for Christmas. We then traveled 3000 miles in 9 days. At the time we made a lot of stops at places like Joshua Tree, Painted Desert, Petrified Forests and Canyon De Chelly. Nirada and her family joined us in our Mazda minivan on this memorable trip. Our final destination was Taos, New Mexico where Nandini's Uncle and Aunt (Krishna & Paula) have lived for over 12 years.

We moved from California to Colorado in 2004. We had an absolutely wonderful Christmas in 2004 when my brother (Raghu) and his family along with Nirada (Nandini's sister) and her family traveled from California to be with us for two weeks. It was just perfect! Paula also spent a couple of days with us just before Christmas enroute to India with Ariana and Kiara.

The years always seem to fly by real fast and this seemed especially true in 2005...in a flash we were at Thanksgiving and in the middle of the holiday season! Plans were made to go to Taos, NM for Christmas, Nirada decided to travel to Denver to be with us as her husband, Vishwa was going on a business trip to India with their older daughter Meghna.

And so on December 23rd we set out to Taos making the 280 mile trip in about 4 hours in time for Dinner at Paula & Krishna's. Christmas Eve is always special in Taos, NM because the Native Americans have a special celebration at the Taos Pueblo. The Taos Pueblo is one of those few places where the Native Americans live in Adobe structures with just the basics and no electricity and running water. It is a very sacred place for them and Christmas Eve calls for celebrations where they build huge bonfires and take their "Lady Madonna" out for a procession from the famous San Geronimo Church. The picture below (taken in December 2002) shows the San Geronimo Church reflecting these huge bonfires.

Siddarth, another cousin of Nandini & Nirada was arriving from Canada and so Krishna and I prepared a welcome reception for him outside the home. We built our very own bonfire and lit it up just as Siddarth's shuttle drove in! It was a good family reunion!!

The next two days was all about enjoying the graciousness of Krishna and Paulas. We took a dip in their new hot tub! It was awesome being in a hot tub of water outside where the temperatures were in the thirties! We ate some wonderful meals (Paula is an amazing cook) and shopped at the store on the outskirts of Taos. The picture of the lizards was taken at this store.

We departed Taos back for Denver at 2.30 pm on December 26th and were home by 6.30 pm...our drive mostly peaceful because the kids were all asleep in the back.

Nirada and Tanvi flew back to San Francisco on December 29th. Here is a picture (clockwise from top right) of Nirada, Tanvi, Tamara, Aditya and Nandini taken on december 29th 2005.

Copper Mountain - Ski Trip II, December 16th 2005

2005-12-16T19:48:00.000-08:00

We'd all taken the day off to go skiing. I had some unused vacation time that I'd lose if I did not use and so....Chad, Jiva and I met at the I-70 and Morrison parking lot at 7.00 am, got in my car and headed out to Copper Mountain. Traffic was light and we were at Frisco a little before 8.00...way too early! We decided to go get some coffee at the Frisco Starbucks..got to the resort and were right outside the lines to "American Flyer" at exactly 9.00 am in time for the first lifts up the mountain! It was COLD! Boy was it cold!

Chad was going to the easier greens while we (Jiva & I) planned on doing a couple of greens before we hit the blues. I was a bit apprehensive about the blues but Jiva was all confidence and so I decided to take it as it comes..

We first came down the Coppertone trail which I was very familiar with from last week. Today was different though because the snow was packed and it was not very easy to ski. After we came down Jiva did not want to ski Coppertone again and so we tried "Highpoint" this time...this was a little better. We decided that we'd go try skiing some blues...our first run had the same name as our chair lift ( "American Flyer"). It wasn't very bad...I had anticipated much worse. I managed to ski down without a fall! Feeling upbeat we went back up the lift and tried a different run (Moz). Moz had moghuls and I was not at all comfortable...but again I somehow made it down without falling. Jiva admitted that he was also not comfortable on moghuls and that it drove him crazy that even after all these years he didn't like them. And so we went back to skiing "American Flyer" we must have done it a couple of more times before we headed back down to eat. The good news was that I felt quite comfortable on a BLUE!

Had lunch at Jack's bar...15 DOLLARS for a lousy sandwich and a drink! They rip you off! Called Chad to see how he was doing...he was at the far end of the resort...too far to hike up to where we were for lunch...decided that we'd meet at the end of our ski day.

After lunch Jiva said we must take "American Eagle" up and see what its like...knowing that the only terrain that this lift serves were blues I agreed with some trepidation. Our first run down was "Bouncer"...again not terribly bad and I managed quite well. We went back up and this time we took "Excelarator" to the very top of the mountain. On our way up we had one of the guys who worked for Copper Mountain Resorts with us on the chair lift...asked him about groomed blues and he said to take "Andy's Encore" and so thats what we did. By this time my legs were feeling the pain and I decided to take a break for about ten minutes while Jiva went back up for another run. It was a little past 1.00 pm.

Joined Jiva after his run to go up again and do two more runs on "American Flyer". By about 2.15 we were both done and decided to call it a day...we were headed down and thats when I took a real nasty fall! I remember coming down "Liberty" a narrow blue run and was going too fast and headed straight for the trees...not really sure what happened but I fell flat on my face and heard a thud on the back of my helmet as the back of the skis came up behind me. I was glad my fall stopped me before I got to the trees...it would have been real bad because I was going so fast! After the fall I took the long easy way down...met Jiva and Chad at the restaurant...told them what happpened...pulled off the helmet and looked at the back of it...it had a nice little dent where the edge of the ski had struck it...was just glad that I was wearing one.

The fall brought me back down to earth...I was on a high today because for the first time I had skiied down more blues than greens. I have Jiva to thank for making so much progress today...I am sure I would never have attempted most of the blue terrain if he wasn't around to give me the confidence and urge me on...

Our ride back was peaceful...no traffic snarls...except until I hit I-25!!!! I spent an hour traveling 8 miles!! I don't have a lot of hope that this strecth is ever going to get better. I promised myself that the next time I will take an alternate route home.

Got home at about 5.15 pm...we had to go to Sai's place for dinner...I was tired and would have much rather stayed home and gone to bed early...but we did go...it was fun!

Learned some lessons...I plan to buy myself mittens because I think they will work better when it is really cold. Today we were using hand warmers...the warmers worked really well...my hands were warm but my fingers were NUMB with the cold...I had to work really hard to get my fingers out of my gloves to make a fist around the warmers to warm them up...mittens would have made this much easier...

My portoflio on Photo.net

2005-12-14T08:32:00.000-08:00

I post my pictures on Photo.net an online community where you can have your pictures critiqued. Photo.net is a tremendous resource for anyone that is looking to get better at photography. The site provides a lot of information by users on equipment and related topics. Go to my portfolio to see my pictures...click on individual pictures to view larger sizes.

The Moab Ride

2005-12-14T08:19:00.000-08:00

The four of us (Vijay, Som, Jiva & I) on a high from our 100 mile ride in Boulder (Buffalo Bicycle Classic on September 11th, 2005) decided to go ride the La Sal Mountains in Moab, Utah. The Moab Century Tour was an organized ride and so the four of us signed up around the middle of September for the ride that was scheduled for the 8th of October '05.

Remembering that Moab is a small town and eager to get accommodations for all of us and our families I started hunting on the web...called a couple of hotels in downtown Moab and found that they had already sold out...continued searching and came across Red Cliffs Lodge...had good reviews and more importantly they said they had their last four rooms available and so I grabbed them. I made the reservations and then I had second thoughts...what if this is too expensive? what if there were better deals and so on...anyways it was too late and they had my credit card and cancellation would mean losing quite a bit of money...

The rest of the crew were supportive and so we just left it like that...it was the middle of September and we had about 3 weeks to prepare for the ride. As part of the prep, we talked about riding a few strong climbs in the Denver area (Idaho Springs to Echo Lake etc) but none of them really materialized until it was too late. We finally decided to ride from Jiva's place to Jamestown near Boulder, Colorado...a 28 mile round trip with a 9 mile climb. This was nothing compared to what we were going to attempt in Utah but we just wanted to feel better about our prep I guess...

Much excitement as we came closer to the date...our plan was to leave Denver early on the 7th get to Moab by noon, get registered check into our hotel and relax before our ride on the 8th. Everything went according to plan...we had different rendezvous points along I-70 and met a couple of times along the way...had breakfast together at Grand Junction and then reached Moab around lunch time...

We have lunch at Moab town, get registered, and Jiva, who was suffering from back spasms and very doubtful if he would ride, decided to go get a back massage while the girls shopped...all done we got to our hotel around 5.00 pm to check in. The route from Moab town to our hotel was all of 14 miles and very picturesque driving along the red Colorado river.

The Red Cliffs Lodge is in a spectacular location...it is about 14 miles from Moab town all by itself nestled in a valley surrounded by beautiful red sandstone mountains and right along the Colorado river...not much civilization around...what a place!

Jiva had planned for our wives to go out to a spa nearby...a great idea as it turned out...they had a blast and came out very very refreshed and relaxed. We entertained ourselves and all the kids when they went out...earned a few brownie points for the next day when they'd have the kids all day!

In the three weeks since we had signed up for this ride we'd all done much reading about the ride and about "Big Nasty" (the steep climb up La Sal that everyone talked about)...we psyched ourselves so much that we were prepared to just turn around and come back if it was too hard...or so we thought...

Next morning we woke up early....got our stuff together and all four of us (including Jiva the superman with a bad back) got to the start point at about 7.30 am...at 8.00 am sharp we set out on the ride with the first batch of about 300 other riders...the ride itself was not terribly difficult...the climbs were long and arduous with the wind making it worse but the scenery was spectacular. Som had his camera and got some great pictures of us riding and at rest stops. "Big Nasty" was everything people said it would be. The atmosphere was great...hundreds of other riders and it was great fun. The climb itself was about 30 miles...basically you start climbing from the start until you reach the top of La Sal. It took about 4 hours to reach the top and then the downhill...wow !...real windy almost got blown away in places...it was dangerous! Made it back down in a quarter of the time it took to go up...we took the shortcut back to our hotel with a huge sense of accomplishment!

Showered and decided to take a trip to the Arches National Park and then spent the evening sipping beer and gloating about the ride with each other...

Our drive back into Denver was quite eventful... we drove right into a snowstorm and barely crossed the Eisenhower Tunnel before they closed it for the night and had motorists on the west side of the tunnel spend the night in Red Cross shelters! We were real lucky and have Vijay to thank for it because he caught the forecast when in Moab and suggested we leave early for home. In the end all went well and we had an awesome trip and want to make this an annual affair.

Below is a map and some statistics of our ride (click on it to enlarge)

The tree near home...

2005-12-11T13:12:00.000-08:00

Here is a tree that I love photographing...its right near our house...along Belleview near Cherry Creek State Park...these are pictures I took during the fall of 2005. I have printed these and they now hang in my study.

Copper Mountain - Ski Trip

2005-12-11T12:52:00.001-08:00

We went skiing yesterday (Saturday Dec 10th 2005)...decided to go to Copper Mountain...our first time there. Left home at 6.45 am...hit traffic near Idaho springs...delayed us by about 45 minutes...we reached CM at 8.45 am. Beautiful day...cold!

Nandini...with the very thought of skiing...promptly fell sick...although she felt much better when she was told that she didn't have to ski...

Got there and Tamara promptly wanted to go to the restroom...so more waiting...and it was finally about 10.00 am before we were ready to get on the lifts...

Took American Flyer up to the top and skiied down Copper Tone...Tamara and I were both tentative on our first run...the slopes were new to us and quite steep for "greens".

The second time around was much better but we took a wrong turn and had to come down on some really slow terrain...painful!

By the time we were done Tamara felt tired and wanted to go in for some lunch...caught up with Nandini & Aditya at the restaurant...ordered Pizza! Chilled out for about half an hour.

After lunch I went out by myself and did the Copper Tone run three times...getting faster progressively. Personally I think this run has some "blue" terrain but all the signposts say "green"...I enjoyed myself though...fun became!

Got back to the car at 2.00 pm and hit the road at 2.18 pm...the ride back was great save for a few minutes of delay near Georgetown because of an accident...got home at 3.45 pm...

Showered...had ceylon parotta for dinner...some nice music and I was all set to go to sleep and sleep I did...at 8.15 pm!