"I'm Not Dead Yet!"

Gotta Luv MPFC

My motivation received a rather substantial boost over the past two weeks. I was asked by a former teammate to go running in my local park, and to show some new trails - albeit on foot.

He's a former elite runner - took some time off after a debilitation achilles injury and got into cycling as rehab. and immediately started kicking ass. He's a natural athlete, innate aerobic capacity. I showed him my trails, we were out for about an hour, then I paid for it for the next week. We've gone running three times since, and now I'm no longer in pain - though he's just casually running and I'm pushing it. He alleges to not mind the slower pace, and I appreciate the push. Turns out the guy is the senior executive for a rather notable bicycle product company. I'd name names, but since his only reference to me is a vague mention on his blog, I'll let him make that move.

Last week though, I took wedesday afternoon off and met up with him, a couple of his employees, and Phil Keyes of NEMBA for a little spin around the winnekenni park and Millvale Reservoir. We were a bit over two hours, The weather was great, and I think everyone had a good time except for a younger downhill specialist who wasn't used to 2 1/2 hour cross country excursions.

That's me in the stars and stripes. More pictures here.

I haven't seen Phil in 12 years. Seriously - haven't seen, heard from, or communicated with at all. He didn't know I was going to be there, and immediately remembered riding together in the forests of Groton 12 years ago with a group who called ourselves "the Puke Boys" when he saw me. Remembered my name, and remembered the bike I was riding back then. Phil's a super nice guy. Too nice for the likes of me.

Other than that, I did a few other interesting things. The weekend before last I spent a total of 18 hours ripping out and replacing the pantry floor in my parents in-law apartment in my house, for the purpose of removing a skunk that had crawled inside to die. This was quite possibly the most disgusting thing I've ever done (and I've done a lot of disgusting things). I have video, but it recorded in some new version of a high definition .MOV, and I don't have the patience to download an editor to edit out my trying to figure out the new camera.





Last week, after the MTB ride I called in to work, and my boss informed me that some people from our Rockford office were in the area, and the big boss decided to spring for a Celtics game for the whole group, and I should get back to work if I wanted in. Big Baby, Shaq, and the crew did well, coming back from 15 points down at the half to 20 points up with a few minutes to play.

The day after the game I got a call from my (soon to be former) tenant saying a locksmith had padlocked the first floor apartment. I own a piece of shit triple decker apartment building that we had to let go to foreclosure. It appears that a real estate agent looking to assert the banks ownership has been harassing my tenants to move. Problem is, The bank hasn't taken the building yet. I'm still the legal owner. Even still, New Hampshire state law is very clear - upon the transfer of deed, tenants-at-will can be given no less that 90 days notice to quit. This woman was pounding on the door a week after the auction, and has now padlocked one the apartments.

I placed a call to the attorney generals office, who assured me this behavior was in violation of the law. They suggested I file a complaint.

I faxed the complaint on thursday afternoon.

Friday morning I'm giving an interview to an assistant AG over the phone. She said she was going to call the mortgage company to let them know their agent in New Hampshire was in violation of the law. She also suggested I file a complaint with the NH Real Estate Commission which is in the works.

That went well.

I rode to work today, first time in maybe a month. It felt like it.