Primal8Rage

Rein

2011-10-17T16:43:00.002+02:00

Forays in Abstract

2011-09-13T16:25:00.002+02:00

Abendstraße.

Dance floor

Puteschnitzl und Championrahmsauce. Lecker!

2011-09-07T13:56:00.002+02:00

Opaberg!

2011-08-28T09:36:00.002+02:00

A short break in one of the towns I rode through. It was surprising to find it here because in the morning there was a MG car rally in town as well.

Weinebene

2011-08-27T16:46:00.002+02:00

Made it to the top! Oneside is Kärtner and the other Steirmark. I spent about 2hrs climbing to get to this part and about 40mins going back down! The first section of the climb averages 16% grade for about 4 kms. Who feels like going rollerblading with me tonight?

Tex mex!

2011-08-25T15:10:00.002+02:00

A beautiful view of Souther Styria. Bad Gams is just below and the Rosenkogel above.

On the way back down. A big storm was blowing in so I was high tailing it down the hill.

Some of the best beans I have ever had and I made them myself. I mixed them with some Serbian Reisefleisch (which tasted like Arroz con Pollo) and I had a Tex-Mex meal.

Evening meal, Eierschwamel Rougut. Mushrroms, onions and secret ingredients for my own special sauce.

cool

2011-08-23T18:15:00.000+02:00

Keep you head up and look where you want to go..

2011-08-20T12:40:00.003+02:00

Well maybe but you want to make sure you have a helmet first.

Motivation

2011-08-15T23:38:00.003+02:00

Doing pretty good... Not!

2011-08-14T19:40:00.002+02:00

Went on a long ride today. I thought, until on my way back I got a passenger. It was cool though, the guy had good manners, he asked if he could hang on and of course when someone asks you always say yes. But the point was he asked and he stayed in the draft the whole time except when we had to wait at a train crossing.

That is where I was put into my place. The guy, Markus, is an older guy Typ. With grey hair and a beard to match. I was cruising along around 30Kmh so I made a good draft. When we were waiting for the train we talked a little. I don't like talking too much on my long rides, it is sort of like meditation for me. But Markus asked hey how long have your ridden today, I said about 105km (which was 105km of hills mind you) but he seemed unfazed. I asked so where did he start, he said Murau but he did not come to Graz directly. He had been on the bike for a bout 200 kms already, damn I got to get into shape again.

But the ride today was beautiful. Long wide open scenic views today in the mountains. Next time I will bring a camera.

Be careful from whom you learn from.

2011-08-11T15:18:00.002+02:00

For several decades, American dirt trackers all looked behind the same way: They would leave their left hand on the bar and tuck their head under their left armpit to check on who was back there. Over time, all sorts of theories were produced, most of them having to do with improved aerodynamics from keeping your head down. But people kept asking why they did it, and eventually a pattern developed:

Chris Carr: "I saw Scotty Parker ride that way"...

...Scott Parker: "I learned it from Springer"...

...then Springer [Jay Springsteen] admitted: "Mert Lawill showed me that"...

...at which point Mert admitted "I got that from Bart Markel"

..eventually Black Bart said he learned it from Carroll Resweber, who said he learned it from another Texas Racer, who -when they finally tracked him down - revealed The Secret:

"Hell, boy, I was blind in my left eye... that was the only way I could see behind me!"

Austrian Wet & Wild

2011-08-09T18:17:00.003+02:00

Wow, that water looks really tame in the pictures. It is really not that bad but in the pictures it does not look like it is moving at all.

This is me swimming from the white water in to the dead water behind a big stone.
My turn on the rope. Kerstin, the boss, is some times a little mean and jumped in the water before we were ready, it was our fist time. So we had our swim dive in almost as we were clipping him in. No danger, and all in good fun.

Strike a pose! Andi and I in a walk-off with Markus as the judge. Can't you see I am busting Blue Steel out!
Before our first swim.
The Kayaks came from no where. The woman in front of me is a Kayaker and knew a few of the boaters. We had just finished for the night except the "Hero Turtles" last swim. Andi, Markus, and I are the Hero Turtles. Don't ask.

A shelf and a painting

2011-08-01T16:49:00.003+02:00

Again with the red paint. Time to go to the store and get some different colors. I think I am ready for something that is not monochromatic.

Hand made shelf, fits just right! Time for a second and third.

Jazzfest weekend... well sort of.

2011-07-29T21:28:00.002+02:00

There is always cheep and tasty beer at the Jazz fest so we decided to load up on it. Actually it was not such a tasty beer this time. Puntigamer is usually a really smooth drinking beer, this was pretty bitter.

Also a funny story. The guy over Marijana's shoulder, well we trying to collect all of our change together and see if we had enough to buy the beer. He starts reaching over the Ivana's shoulder and Marijana grabs his hand to pull it away from our change, he says he is sorry, but he was just going to give us some spare change he had! What! He set down a few euros for us, we felt so bad all of us left it for the next.

In order from left to right Marijana, Me, and Ivana.

You got to love european fashion and weather.
Beer-stasch.

New Art

2011-07-29T21:23:00.001+02:00

yeah yeah not great quality photos but you get the idea.

Holy Sh!!t

2011-07-26T07:36:00.001+02:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZAjJ-g0UDw&feature=player_detailpage#t=31s

You can't even call this a close call. It is just a call...

Hats!

2011-07-23T17:44:00.000+02:00

The Worst Mother Ever... Maybe

2011-07-14T19:46:00.002+02:00

She goes in to the water with five and comes out with two. That is not a good ratio!

3rd Piece

2011-07-12T14:30:00.002+02:00

Twister!

2011-07-11T08:32:00.002+02:00

Anita, giving the orders.

Bojana, Alexandra, me, and Ivana on the first round. The red beer cases are actually Bo's stairwell until I get a chance to build her a new one.
Ivana was my first target to knock out the game, then Bo and then Alexandra. I must retain my title as twister champion.
Last game of the evening. Drazen joined in for the finale.
Victory is mine!

Hold the line. No you are not doing it right!

2011-07-09T18:08:00.002+02:00

It is really hard to hold these things perfectly vertical. There is a small level built into it and it feels like a really hard video game trying to keep it in the center.
Our little mascot, the common mole, with a foot for size comparison. This little guy was fearless, he would just run right at you!
That's my group way at the end. I have no idea what they are doing there.

Barn of Doom

2011-07-03T12:12:00.002+02:00

Just some shots of my ride home after Jujits. Man, was the headwind a beast!

The barn of doom! Super secret training happens here!

The Schöckel always makes a good picture.

A few Post today

2011-07-03T12:03:00.002+02:00

Out for lunch at Felix Dahn Gasthaus. Had some good fish but I could not eat the whole thing!
Awsome, all to myself!

Trying the sexy incognito look. I bet you can't tell its me.

Quote of the Week 2

2011-07-01T15:02:00.002+02:00

"Motorcycling forces riders to transcend their egos—to empty themselves and exist in the world around them. The consequences of not being totally aware of their actions and environment, of becoming distracted by the baggage of their everyday lives, are too great. When you’re out in the world on a bike, you must be completely in the moment, completely aware of your surroundings, or you may find yourself meeting your concept of God earlier than you might have hoped."

-unknow

Second piece

2011-06-30T09:26:00.002+02:00

So I could not get the look I wanted so I just started playing with a few concepts. I find the end results still pretty striking. I have to look at it even though it is not what I wanted to do, I guess that is art sometimes.

First Piece...

2011-06-28T20:04:00.001+02:00

The tape is still on and the paint is still wet but it is a good beginning.

Something is missing in this picture

2011-06-26T12:00:00.002+02:00

A great day for a ride. Rode up to Mixnitz and back.
But on the way back I ran into a little rain. It was quite interesting as I was located just in this little section of the valley, near a town called Rothleiten.

This is the picture that the title belongs too. If you recognize this Bahnhof you will know what is missing...

Love that sound

2011-06-25T08:32:00.003+02:00

Man, I love the sound of the Ducati Monster. Sounds like a purring Tiger.

Surfing in Graz

2011-06-20T22:52:00.004+02:00

Wipe out!
Surfing under Radenzkybrücke
At least the surfers are enjoying the high river levels.
On the ride home from training last night. It was so quite and peaceful.

Can you tell me?

2011-06-20T22:49:00.004+02:00

I still can not figure out how I got this bruise.

Any suggestions?

* Ahhhager! It has gotten worse today! Big old black spot now that I noticed after swimming. It doesn't hurt at all, that's the funny part. Edit 21.06.11

What is Bachata

2011-06-20T15:18:00.001+02:00

I first learned of Bachat through Bojana. She tried to teach me but it just didn't gel, like many other things...

A song that speaks to me now...

2011-06-20T09:17:00.000+02:00

More stadt fest.

2011-06-20T09:08:00.002+02:00

I like this picture, the different levels of reflection. The old coliseum, then the classic Austro-Hungarian building then the new renovated one.
More flood pics
I get to walk by these beauties everyday! There is also a really nice Ducati Monster in the area but I guess the owner was out riding. I would have been, once the rain cleared out, it was a gorgeous day
more flood
The pool that I don't swim at but made a nice picture to abstract from in art. Mainly I liked the the shadows.

Stadtfest Weekend

2011-06-20T08:54:00.002+02:00

A little street dancing anyone? They were playing some great bachata, I would have loved to jump in but I have not done bachata in a while and really would not have known how to start.

Tirolerplatz. This is right after rain, it cleared out pretty quickly and got really nice, and the people just sprang up out of no where.
Hauptplatz cleared out pretty quickly once the live music stopped.
Hot dog anyone. Where was it where the street vendor was saying "Hotdoggie, Hotdoggie!" I know it was in a chinese/japanese dubbed film, but beyond that I can't remember... I do remember that it was an hilarious show because of the bad translations, maybe a Jackie Chan movie.
The river was at the tops of it's banks. It has been raining on and off for about three days I think.

Found it!

2011-06-18T14:16:00.005+02:00

HYOSUNG GT250

New Camera

2011-06-18T13:35:00.003+02:00

So this is the peephole function. Sort of.

My new superhero personality: Purpleman!

The wine cellar. I have two new reds that I would love to try but I am waiting to share them with someone .

Just got a small printer as well. The living room has really opened up since the "course correction"
I really don't know what mode this was supposed to be. Dark and Shady?

Friends and Family

2011-06-18T00:40:00.003+02:00

As an man of science I always liked graphs, they always help provide a very dramatic insight.

Red is my life before the "course correction". Blue is my life afterwards, but the big thing is all the support I have been getting from friends and family and even new people that I have just met.

So just to say thanks! Thanks!

Can you Shuffle?

2011-06-16T09:47:00.001+02:00

What I want and what I can find...

2011-06-14T19:48:00.003+02:00

How come when you have an idea in your head it is really hard to make it reality. I would love to get my hands on a hot looking naked bike/street-fighter but I really don't want all that power since I am only going to be going around town. Plus I am a beginner.

I want something like this:

But I usually end up finding something like this:

Not to say it is a bad looking bike. Just not my style.

The Beauty of Fearless Women.

2011-06-12T20:58:00.001+02:00

Carving the Mountains from Juan Rayos on Vimeo.

Monument to Good Times

2011-06-10T10:13:00.003+02:00

I had a chance to go through my blog. I also had a chance to delete everything on it. Throw it all away but as I went through, saw all the love and friendship and adventure that I had with Bojana and decided that is how I will remember her.

We had a blast, these last five years together and I really enjoyed it. Now it is time to move on, time to conquer the world!

A New Beginning, A end of an Era

2011-06-07T19:55:00.001+02:00

Well, we had a good run. Now it is over.

New Racquet and Skirt

2011-03-25T21:00:00.002+01:00

Bo's new orange Babolat Skirt and Wilson k Blade 98.

Ready to Play. Actually we are leaving just played 2.5hrs now for a run and some pizza.

I'm Back.

2011-01-23T08:32:00.003+01:00

Next time we are flying Lufthansa the whole way. Free second bag, great service and free Coffee!! As much as you want.
Taking out the trash, first things first.

Engineer Eyes

2010-10-14T17:53:00.002+02:00

Funny, the semester began and I am already going crazy. Usually takes a few more weeks but I guess the less than stellar summer is making me anxious.

The good part is that studying is going well, well because it has been getting cold which really keeps me in the house, even if there is no food here :) And because studying is going well I am seeing things like an civil engineer would, I suspect, just like a cyclist sees a hill and wonders what his time up it would be, or a climber sees a cliff and wonders what the grade is, I suspect an civil engineer sees a building going up and wonders if they calculated their statiks correctly to compensate for the high wind and cold air...

well back to studying.

More Pics

2010-09-15T16:48:00.002+02:00

Boki and I waiting to see the results at Feistritz am Wechsel. Bo says you can tell we are in love :)
Podium shot.
It started to rain so they were hurrying and Bo did not get her glamor shot.. :(
Sulmsee finish.
Thats me in the background.

Video :
http://www.suedsteiermark.tv/2010/09/13/sulmsee-sprint-triathlon/

More Pics of the Event:
http://picasaweb.google.at/115645724760232826671/SulmseeTriathlon2010#

Sulmsee 2

2010-09-12T19:54:00.003+02:00

Showing my colors!

Swim Rk. T1 Bike RK T2 Run Rk Total

Williams Grant

0:13:47/ 120.

00:52

0:33:13/ 39.

01:01

0:22:30/145.

1:11:25

Sulm See

2010-09-12T17:47:00.001+02:00

Looking Pretty good Eh??
On the run with a stitch. Actually I need a stitch in my pants there...
Setting up the transition zone.
Walking in the race atmosphere.
Smile!!

Breakfast of champions

2010-09-05T14:47:00.002+02:00

Mmmmm, Whole wheat raspberry vanilla oat pancake! Oh is that my trophy?? :)

Munch!!!

Muddy Buddies!!

2010-09-05T09:52:00.002+02:00

Bo and I had an adventure! We wanted to just go out and run a flat and therefore easy course but what we got was something completely different. My only complaint is that they really need to advertise there race more accurately as an XC run and not a standard run.

We had about and hour and a half drive to the race start but since the our race started at four we had an easy morning of reading the news and studying before we even thought of getting packed for the race. After lunch we decided it was about time to get going so we packed the car and headed to Aspang, our first way point. Only problem is that in Aspang there are well two ways to get too the race start in the little town of Freistritzer. Apparently we took the long hard road.

You ask but you are in a car, and I respond yes we are in a car but the road had 20% gradients that made any biker either sick or excited, and then on top of that there was the rain storm that made it impossible to see. Little did we know how much that rain storm would mean for us, as that time we thought were still going to be running on mostly asphalt.

After warming up and the other race necessities were taken care of we lined up at the start with aim of taking the first lap easy and then hitting the next two as negative splits. As we were not too stressed about the route. Hey it looked flat with a small little hill in the end, which we were not happy about as neither of us like running downhill. So we were not worried about a great starting position and lined up in the middle of the 85 strong group.

We did not even hear the gun go off but we could see the front of the pack, or I could see Bo was a little too low, starting to run. The next thing I know Bo and I are picking our way through a slowly moving field of runners. I lost Bo after about 500 m and would not see her until last 200m of her race.

After skipping through along the outsides and insides of the field along the flat asphalt begging I realized I was not doing too poorly. I could see the front runners and I was making ground on a large gaggle of them up the road only if I could stay rolling along at this pace. But then the nice smooth road turned to uneven rock and puddle infested trail, and then the rock infested trail turned into a hill with a back side muddier than a cat fish pond, and the only thing I could think of was "dang, my shoes are going to be a mess!" Unfortunaly for Bo she was wearing her new Brooks so she was double danging it through that whole section.

I don't think ran downhill too slowly but I think everybody that I passed on the uphill caught me on the downhill, well if it was possible to pass they would have but at this point it was an off-camber slippy grass trail. After the last hill and the really steep downhill (Why do they always have to put in a big steep downhills in? Do the Austrian Orthopedics Association run all the runs in this country??) I rolled through for the first lap.

The next two were not any easier. The funny thing was I did not look at my watch once during the run. I was kind of afraid to see what the heart rate and the time were saying as I was having a good race except for the almost side stitch that has been plaguing me for almost a month or so.

After rolling through the finish, the guy that finished right in front of me pulled over to barf. I decided to run back up the hill to cheer Boki on her last lap. Luckily I did not have to wait that long as Bo was looking like she had good run despite the mud covered shoes.

After changing clothing we waited for the results to find that we both took 3rd in our Age group, with Bo finishing 61 overall and I finished 19th overall, both of us then realized our mistake, we started to far back and all of our competitors started further up, and we got stuck in the the traffic on the trail while the front runners were able to pick there own pace. Oh well. We got niffy little trophies and podium to stand on, weee!

Once the pictures are posted I will post them my self.

Gettn High in Sty. II

2010-08-23T10:21:00.003+02:00

It was a hot day. So we just did the hike in running shorts and shoes. It is really funny for Boki and I because everyone else are hiking like they are going into the deepest darkest moutains, with long pants and shirts, big ol packs and huge double shelled boots. Our motto is "Light and Fast" theirs seems to be "How much does that cost? Ok, add it to my tab."

The Gasthaus Steireisch Jockel, (I think) a few hundred meters below. It is sort of the half way mark of the trip.
We didn't have trouble finding someone to take our picture. Just a dab of honey on the camera button and the swarming ants would do the rest. Actually we were pretty alone up at the top which is unusual.
Last time were were up here it was really foggy and wet. So luckily we were able to get some nice shots.
The trail was pretty hard at the top. We had to use some of our climbing experience.

Gett'n high in Sty.

2010-08-23T10:07:00.003+02:00

A kiss for the camera.
One of the scenic "Alms" which in certain areas are called "Alpe" and hince the name for the alps. Or if you want it in german: "bezeichnete das Sömmerungsgebiet, die während der Sommermonate benutzten Bergweiden, Wirtschaftsgebäude und sonstige Infrastruktur mit eingeschlossen als Flurform."

The way was rocky and slippery it took us more time going down than going up. Which is really funny as we were passing people on the way up and were getting caught on the way down.
Post your own caption: " Dang, still no reception!" or " Now where did I park my car."....
A kiss for the camera man :)

Port Call

2010-08-09T16:26:00.002+02:00

The greatest thing about southern Istra was the Anis. It was everywhere and made the runs so enjoyable.
The old roman Coliseum. No that's not our car.
You can see the loading cranes from miles away.
Chain surfing!
Boki is not chain surfing but it sure looks like she is.

Croatia

2010-08-05T16:43:00.003+02:00

Sorry. it was my fault Boki had to brush her teeth in a arking lot. I forgot the toiletries case. UpS
The Supermarket in Pula. Nothing like a...a .. a Plodine?? What the? Never heard of that lace place before.
Ahh. The wide boulevards of Medulin. Goood thing it was not rush hour.
Driving around with my cool new shades on. Boki got a matching pair and I don't think those things left our head the whole trip. Thats Right we Slept with them on.

Boki driving us to Croatia

Bugs, Bikes, Beer, Babes

2010-07-22T12:43:00.003+02:00

Riding in the summer brings lots of new challenges, one of the more original is how to keep yourself from being covered by bugs! I was not doing a very good job this time, I was also not doing a very good job of keeping them out of my mouth. Yuk!!

At least when I get home there is a fridge full of beer to cool off with. Hey, are you still considered an alcoholic if you drink non alcoholic beer? I have changed to beer because I can not stand the overly sweet taste of coke Only one problem if you knock back a beer in under five minutes after a long ride because you are thirsty, well, you wont be able to walk very straight on the way to shower.

We bought an used trainer because we figured we needed one to help with Boki's knee recovery. She goes out for runs late at night so we figured it would be safer to set her up on the bike at home. Also she can watch her shows and not have to worry about munching, oh wait that's me I am talking about...

Swimming at the the Schwarzelsee. On to Croatia !!

Another Day another Crash

2010-07-08T13:38:00.003+02:00

I think we live at one of the most dangerous intersections in Graz. I think about every week we have a crash here. Yesterday was one of the worse we have seen. Sounds like they need to rethink a stop light at the intersection.

Early Morning

2010-06-26T05:37:00.002+02:00

I couldn't sleep this morning so I decided just to get up instead of flopping around in bed for a while, finally going back to sleep and feeling sleepy all day. I think it is the early morning light here that wakes me. It is already pretty bright at 5am and for some reason there was a lot more light coming in today than usually.

I'm siting in the kitchen and waiting for the coffee to cook and I hear a storm of high pitch trilling chirps. So I go to my balcony expecting to see a whole flock of birds waking up to greet the day but what I find is an owl flying by, only a few feet away carrying a big ole rat. The noise was coming from some free loaders who trying to steal a meal by chasing the owl, I'm not sure but they look like falcons (wing tips). So an pretty interesting morning.

Spring in Austria, well late spring

2010-06-08T09:42:00.001+02:00

More of Boki's Paparzzi shots.

Ducklings!! They were so cute and fluffy.
I stopped by to walk Bo home but I got there early so I figured a shot of the mad scientist at work would be in order.

Wetsuit

2010-06-01T13:57:00.003+02:00

Just an interesting shot. Boki's new camera phone was kind of warping the pictures a little.
Looks like I got a long head or something...

Boki: "Ok, Grant just realx for the picture."
Grant: " I am."
Boki: "Seriously, Grant, Relax!"
Grant: " I am!"

Maybe the wet suit is just a little tight but that is the point. Got to lose those kilos.

Rainbow Myths

2010-06-01T13:48:00.002+02:00

Ever see a double rainbow?

So, most americans know the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, which I see as a great way to say keep searching for your fortune it is just over the horizon.

But you know what the myth is in Bosnia? Sex change. Yes that's right you go under the rainbow and you become the opposite sex. I don't know if this is the official Bosnian tradition but it is what Bo grew up with, but somehow I don't think her parents told her this one. It is somehow true though, you go under the rainbow (or rainbow flag) and you might as well as be the opposite sex :)

Funny

2010-05-29T22:02:00.003+02:00

How come the greek looks like the evil bad guy from "A Fist full of dollars." Maybe that was the point? I saw this poster out on the road with Boki. It was her first 100km ride!!!

Also this year's Eurovision has had a lot of really good songs. It is also enjoyable to watch Boki dance around like a little kid :)

Tri-Luck!

2010-05-26T13:08:00.001+02:00

Good luck to George and Mike in this weekends CapTex tri. They are doing the olympic distance and I believe this is George's first comp.

Here's to clear water, fast transitions, no flats, and light feet! Cheers!!

Sorry about no video

2010-05-25T19:14:00.003+02:00

Couldn't get the video of the speech to upload. It was too big I guess or I am just having internet connection problems but here are some pictures of a hike Boki and I just did. It was 5 and a half hours of hiking up to a little resort town called Teichalm. We planned to go cross country skiing there this last winter but we ran out of snow. The hike was beautiful and so was Bo!!!

Boki's graduation

2010-05-20T13:56:00.002+02:00

The big guy with the shinny head kept trying to steal the Dean's hat.

Bo accepting her diploma. She was the only woman present which lead to a funny moment in her speech.
Drazen and Bo.

I figured the new hair-doo was in order to celebrate. Nothing says party like baldy!

Bo and Julia. Videos will come in the next post.

Proof!

2010-05-14T19:17:00.004+02:00

So many times I have left the house here in Graz and gone for a ride South because the wind was blowing from the South but after fighting a head wind for half the ride I turn around and find that I have, inexplicably, a head wind. The double headed head wind is nothing but a myth in most places but South of Graz it is a commen occurance, well at least for Boki and I. But today I have proof that it exists.

If you look at the picture you can clearly see from 2pm to 3pm the wind is coming out of the south-east east but from 3pm to 5pm the wind is suddenly out of the north. I left the Graz about 2:20 and it takes me about 50 min to reach my turn around point. Where upon turning around fight a head wind all the way home.

Eating **it!!

2010-05-07T21:50:00.002+02:00

Spring weather is strange in Austria, well when compared to Texas. The temperature is really dependent on the cloud cover it seems. Nice and warm and sometimes to warm in the sun but once the clouds blow in the jackets and long pants come out.

Boki and I were out for a walk and stopped by the University's track to find a middle school track event being run. It started out with the 100 meters hurtles for women, and then the guys. Boki and I placed our bets and the kids shot out like a cannon only problem is my number one guy ate it on the first barrier and I mean ate it hard! He broke the hurdle into! He face planted right in front of everyone on the first huddle, not only to add to humiliation but in hitting the ground he lost a good bit of skin.

So hats of to him and all the kids like him that eat it and get back up. I just hope he got another chance at a different event later that day.

Pletsch

2010-04-28T11:31:00.003+02:00

A little tired but feeling good. Well go back to the climb and get to the top because we did not ever get to the top :(

I don't know why I am talking with such a high voice. Maybe my nose was clogged up or something.

Pletsch Climb

2010-04-28T11:28:00.001+02:00

Bokis Wetsuit

2010-04-21T21:22:00.003+02:00

So we finally got wetsuits and I am posting the pics. Boki looks great in hers even though we think it may not fit right. The neck seal is a little tight so she wants to try an other brand. Me and mine fit. Ok except it really does look like I have a spare (rubber) tire but that is not the fault of the wetsuit but it does serve as incentive for losing a few kilos, which I'm doing....

First things first. New hair color! She is going light for the summer but it may take till winter to get it faded nicely.

Hugs the curves
Triathlete fashion-ista!

Mexican Food in Schladming?

2010-03-26T19:06:00.002+01:00

Der Grimming in winter. Cant even see the top.

My Curry Chicken Encilada and salad.
Boki's chicken wings!

Spring is Here!

2010-03-26T07:25:00.002+01:00

Wow, It felt like a really long winter this time round but curiously I am looking forward to next winter due to my new sport interest. XC Skiing. But for now I will just have to stay on my own two feet or a pair of wheels or will I??? Check out this Neveplast stuff or maybe a little Rollerskiing...

Speaking of which. I am trying to figure out how to build me a pair of rollerskis as a little side project. There is a machining(Shop) class at TU that I am looking at taking next semester. Could be fun learning how to manufacture and actually manufacturing things.

Also another interesting thing in XC skiing I found out is that Justina Kowalczyk, the top female winner of the season won more prize money that her male counterpart, Peter Northug. First time I have seen that happen. I don't know what they make on the side but I am assuming Northug is probably pulling in more money but hey its a start...

Well back to integrals...

One very big reason to stop climbing.

2010-03-15T15:17:00.002+01:00

Boki and I kind of stopped climbing this last year for many reasons but this was the biggest of them. About 5 tons of rock. This is the Peggau wall, a place we went to only a handful of times but none the less it is one of the more popular training areas because of its easy access and short multi-pitch.

At the base of the rock by the road you can see a large white-ish band of rock. That is where a very massive chunk of the grey wall fell out.

A better shot of the chunk that fell out. This happen spring 2009 I just have not had a chance to get a picture of the area since we don't go there any more.

Can Texans Ski? V

2010-03-14T20:18:00.001+01:00

Can Texans ski? IV

2010-03-14T20:11:00.002+01:00

The snow was pretty deep so it was getting weird to ski . There was more slipping a sliding but it still work well enough.
I figured I got the hang of it and can't wait to get out again.
Boki recoverying during one of our breaks. She is having some warm lemon.

Can Texans Skii? III

2010-03-14T19:58:00.003+01:00

Ok so this is from our last day. It was really snowing at this point or should I say the wind was blowing the snow off the mountain above us. It was not that cold while we skied and we had good winter bike clothing which worked really well.

We spent most of our time skating from one side of the the field to the other. Over and over again while our instructor gave us tips and critics. It was surprising how nordic skiing turned out to be. It was harder and easier than I thought it would be at the same time. The technique was harder to handle and it was physically easier than I though it would be. Well easy as long as the skis were waxed.
We were working on our climbing skills but Boki was working on her descending skills as well. This is the bottom of the slope.
And here is her at the top.
Some skate practice with out the poles. I actually like it with out the pols better. Boki is in the mittle with two other class mates to the sides. This was from the first day. You can see how much clearer it is.

Can Texans Ski? II

2010-03-14T19:45:00.003+01:00

The view from our balcony. Just on the other side of the house across the street was one of the loops for skiing. There is something like 200 plus kms of tracks in Ramsau and because we are in a high valley at the base of the Dachstein the snow stays on the ground for a good part of the year.
As a kid I never understood fantasy books where they would say the mountains were impassible and the only way to the other side would be a dangerous mountain path or through a bad guys layer which happens to be just as dangerous. Well I finally understand now. The Dachstein is the wall in a room, no matter how hard you try you are not going to walk through it unless you find the right door.
We decided to go on a little walk on our first day to get used to the area.
One of the secret mountain passes. It got steep in one point so we had to slide down as we were slipping to much.

Can Texans Ski?

2010-03-14T19:23:00.003+01:00

Well Boki may not be from Texas but she has been around me long enough and add to the fact that neither of us have been skiing before we decided to figure out what the answer to the big question was. Can we ski?

Well both of us like hard work outs and Alpine skiing just did not hold much appeal to us. Just point your nose downhill and kiss your... well you know the rest. So we decided to try Cross Country other wise know as Nordic skiing.

I have heard about XC skiing for years now. As it was a favorite winter sport for cyclist during the off season. I have also heard it is one of the hardest physically demanding sports out there. At least caloricly speaking. Bo is never to shy away from hard sports nor trips so we looked up a course and a close local for attempt.

We booked a little Pension called "Haus Petersman" which was run by a lovely lady who was really interested and supportive of little foray into the winter world.

The area is absolutely gorgeous and the air clear and clean. A nice break from the smog of Graz.

The house was great there workout room, ski storage room, sauna, infra-red room, and best of all a masseur, but unfortunately we did not schedule our free massage. Drat!

Here are some picture on our arrival.

A quaint little room but it was all that we needed.

Our balcony.
Bo was just giddy the whole time we were there. She never quit smiling even when the chips were down or when she was down.
Some alcohol free beer to cap off our first day.
The stadium. This is where we would learn to ski.

Saadddd!

2010-03-07T20:46:00.002+01:00

So I never should play an other board game again. I just can't win. I have a horrible track history of game play.

The best example was given today by playing Boki in Scrabble. She is an non native speaker of English and she still beats me. Not just once but every time we have played! Today was the cumulative point of destiny. I got the word "idiot" right after I had my epiphany of non-success to drive home the point Bo got the word "Wizard"!!!!

:(

The War in Afgahnistan

2010-02-24T10:22:00.003+01:00

Can you tell me which pictures are of Insurgents and which ones are of the locals??

Didn't think so.

You can't hurt us because we're already dead!

2010-02-19T09:26:00.003+01:00

The DNC Opossum.

Sadly all too true...

Bruises and cheesecake

2010-02-10T21:29:00.002+01:00

Who loves cheesecake?
Me, Meeeee!

Found this bruise the day after. Didn't even feel it.

Judo know nutten...

2010-02-03T21:35:00.004+01:00

Blisters on my feet..
Torn knuckles and fingernails. Sounds like a real sport to me.

I was not so happy with my Jujitsu class so I decided to try the sporty off-shoot. So for an hour and a half we worked and sweated. Most of the Judoka (word for people who practice Judo) were there to compete. But it was interesting the difference I saw in the Judokas. I was generally up against bigger and higher ranking so I was learning a lot. There cardio was not great so my tactic was just to move a lot and get them tired because that was about all I could do!

Now I am sitting home kind of sore and beat but but really really relaxed??? What a funny feeling martial arts and a hard workout gives you. No wonder I like wrestling workouts but again I hated the comps.

Wien

2010-02-03T21:24:00.002+01:00

Proof I was there! Well that looks photoshopped to me :)
This is one of the nicest Domes I have seen. It is at the entrance to Heldensplatz and Michaelsplatz. This is one of the gates to where the Austrian nobility lived. It was also one of the least favorites, oh yes I can see it is too shabby. Actually there are for statues of Hercules on the exit that were considered "too violent", so this exit became quickly taboo.
That is the natural history museum in the back. This is in the Museum Quarter almost every building in this area is a museum.

Monkey in the tree!
We had the hardest time trying to get the turtle to smile and that one time we did, Boki had to go and close her eyes :)

Haus des Meers

2010-01-31T21:46:00.004+01:00

Welcome to my new Garden :) Actually we are in the Haus des Meers in Vienna. A little day trip to celebrate Boki's new degree.

Bo and Toucan Sam.
The monkeys were adorable but we had to make sure we paid the toll other wise the would start throwing things at us.
"Can you see me?" asked the Crocodile.
The Zoo is actually in an old WWII flak tower in the middle of town. There is a war museum in the Zoo as well. Talk about multi-use recycling.

Bo's Family Arrives

2010-01-30T11:36:00.002+01:00

Bojana and Jovana looking through a new book. "Hey where are the pictures at???"
More Presents!
Boki giving us a preview and going through her final rehearsal.

Preparing the food for the reception afterward. I already did my part so I was free to take pictures of the assembly line.

Boki's Diploma Presentation

2010-01-27T09:22:00.002+01:00

Bo, Bo's mom and Jovana (Bo's Sister). Boki's work space is in the back where the red cap is.

Boki looking cute as ever.
Getting the laptop set up for the presentation.
The party afterward. Everyone was relieved that the stressful part was over, now for a little Sekt and Rakia.
Almost everyone at the party a few would come in later to say hi. Boki's friend through out her studies, Drazen, is on the far right the, bald distinguished guy next to him is the head of her group, Prof. Hermetter, the rest of the group and the family.

Boki is Done!!!

2010-01-26T20:22:00.002+01:00

Now Bo is officially Diploma Engineer Bojana Stojcic!!!

She passed with an excellent! 1 ! Number 1!!! Now she has to give a speech on graduation day.

Boki's family drove in for the day so that could be there to celebrate with her.

Pictures coming!

How to capture the essence of cats...

2010-01-23T12:24:00.001+01:00

http://icanhascheezburger.com/tag/mean/page/1/

There are 8 pages, filled with good cat picture jokes.

Informatik 2

2010-01-20T13:40:00.001+01:00

I passed with a 2! I had good time learning for this test and it shows.

Winter's Doldrums

2010-01-15T10:15:00.006+01:00

Ahhh winter. Ever lasting days of wet snow and grey days. What could have a sun loving Texas boy do to get away from the doldrums.

Well if I was yeaa big I would just hop on a car's windshield and go for a ride, but I would have to make sure I left room for the handy-capped bugs as well. See he is missing two legs, see, see..

While cruising on the windshield I would get to see some marvelous feats of modern engineering. Civil engineering that is..

And I would finally make it to the warm coast to hang out with this hot model doing a shoot for the new spring catalog. :)

Christmas in Graz

2009-12-25T09:55:00.001+01:00

Boki displaying our new Regal with deco.

Presents!

Graz: Snow Storm

2009-12-19T22:29:00.002+01:00

Ninja Attack!!

Munchy attack!!
What is this white stuff.
Boki's new glasses. Keeps the snow out

Graz: Before the Storm

2009-12-19T10:08:00.003+01:00

Boki and I went on a walk last night and got some photos. We figured the photos would look the same as last year's and the year's before so we decided to get creative.

Up, at the clock tower. We don't quite go up the quite as often as we used to but hey I think three times a day was a bit excessive.
A little out of order but still fun. A cart-wheel on the red carpet.
Ahhhh I am disappearing. (If you did not notice, you can see through my top arm.)
What a little Glühwein will do to a perfectly normal girl. :) Actually we really cant stand the stuff. Too sweet...

Foot Injuries from BJJ

2009-12-19T10:02:00.002+01:00

So I did not post this earlier for some reason but I'll post it now. You can see the mat burns on my feet pretty clearly and if you look again at the pictures you can see exactly how I got them. For example the last picture picture of Albert going for a sweep, you can clearly see me dragging my right foot and getting that nasty burn.

Snow!

2009-12-13T09:43:00.001+01:00

It's cold, it's white and it's quite alright :)

Pictures from BJJ training

2009-12-06T09:18:00.004+01:00

Finally...
The crew after work out. Albert is to my right i the picture and Thomas is at the end of the front row. The guy in blue in the back row is Anton (Toni), he is the guy in charge of the Jui Jitsu club that hosted Sensei Günter Grill the big guy to the left of Toni.

Sensei Grill showing us how to properly drill sweeps and passing the guard. It is too easy just to start going for dominant positions or submissions (or pomissions if you are a SBGi fan). So he was showing us that one partner needs to play a more neutral roll and the other focuses on the move at hand. In this case it was passing the guard, guy on top.

Thomas and I rolling. You can really see how wet my Gi got. Now I know why they wear black. I am working for back control for a rear naked choke. No the clothing stays on. The name came from the fact that you don't need a Gi to do it.

Albert work to pass guard. I am trying to break him down for a full mount.

Albert going for a sweep.

What is BJJ?

2009-12-05T11:40:00.003+01:00

Ok I figure link to some pictures is not going to explain much but that's why we have you tube!

A good intro video from a Straight Blast Gym in Europe.

The technique in this video is call the Oma Plata, we learn this one. Very effective and hard to see coming, you can be trying a sweep and then do the omaplata.

BJJ if done right is a really good self-defense method and that is why it is now the core of the U.S. military training.

This is a longer video but gives the interesting history of the Gracie family's development of BJJ. The Gracies are sort of the founders of BJJ.

Its from Brazil but you aren't dancing...

2009-12-04T22:51:00.003+01:00

I lucked out this week. I found out just this Wednesday that there was going to be a Brazilian Jujitsu (BJJ) seminar in Graz. If you have not been around me lately, which most of you are not, you would have noticed me trying to find a BJJ class in Graz. Which there are none :(

Fortunately I ran across a very obscure .pdf file on the Internet about a seminar today (Friday Dec 04). Excited and afraid to miss my chance at an opportunity to "roll" (BJJ term for training). I wrote a email hoping that it would not cost too much nor it would be full.

To my surprise the seminar was free but I needed a Gi. No problem as I was planning to take a Judo class this next semester I figured I would just pick one up and be done with it. Now the only problem is "What color..."

The class was great but I think I have seen a lot more BJJ videos than anyone else in the room as I could name every technique and knew more or less how to defend or attack from each position. (My favorite is the Spiderguard because of the easy triangle choke opportunity) But besides that I had a great workout with Albert, and Thomas, my two sparring buddies.

We had everything filmed and some photos of us rolling at the end of class so once they are up I will either post or paste a link to the picture.

Oh yeah. If you don't know what BJJ is think of wrestling with Gis on where you get points for certain positions, but you can win by a submission technique, choke, armbar... Also just so you know the history a little it was developed to defeat normal martial arts like Karate, Boxing, etc.

I know it sounds violent but it is actually kind of calming and there really is no hitting allowed so the only way you are going to get injured is if you are too stubborn to tap out.

PS - I submitted everyone I rolled with. :)

The blue leeched out on to my new white belt. Bummer next time I will try not to sweat so much.

No I did not put my jacket in the shower, yet. That is just how sweaty it gets. Great core workout!

I do recommend wearing a thick, but tight undershirt or a rash guard (underarmor). My shoulders got a little scratched up but I think that might be from my tendency to be on my back. Again I like the Spider guard. http://www.grapplearts.com/Glossary_BJJ_Open_Guard.html

If George was an MMA fighter.

2009-12-01T21:42:00.003+01:00

The similarities are shocking sometimes.

The picture is courtisy of sherdog.com

More from Tauplitz

2009-12-01T17:53:00.002+01:00

Happy to be at our turn around point. We have been walking in the shade for the last hour or so and it was getting colder still..
The view of the valley and a smile on Boki's face as well.
Yes I think it is getting colder.
On the sunnier part of the walk .