Yesterday I awoke b4 sunrise which is 7:30ish the trail crew was parked and ready to go on their last day. They went off to work and I fixed my bfast and cleaned up

My plan was to ride out here then swing back to town and wait on Fed ex delivery per the tracking info which agreed w/ a driver showing up w/ an envelope addressed to me. Yes. The end to cash spending. I am so relieved that my electronic access to my $ was back in play. Drove to grocery store now w/ the ability to spend whatever. Success. Even obtained cash.

A shower then dinner @ Durangos a tex mex fast food restaurant. Simple cooking, economical, nutritious, and affordable. Went next door for desert @ frozen yogurt place. High school girl complimented me on my painted thumb nails. I told her it came from chigger bites in Arkansas. Wow she said and that is where she is from which started a conversation.

I spent the night in town in a vacant lot next to bike shop.

But I went for a ride first. I drove out to corral where I had started from b4 & also camped. Parking spot was plugged w /  atv rig haulers. I pedaled off on the Hurricane cliffs trail. I rode down jem and climbed back up on new trail cryptobiotic. Cattle are grazed here during the winter. Many take a liking to the trails walking and shitting as they forage for almost non-existent food. Their hooves break up the partially compacted rolled trail tread. Destruction.

I was riding a new Conti on the rear. When I mounted it I noticed a wobble. I called it to the shop’s attention as Conti has a reputation for ply separation like I found in Fruita. They will warranty the tire if the wobble bothered me. It did and they replaced it.

The chiropractic care I am receiving has put a smiley face on me. Today’s ride was pain free. My headache is fading. I have another session tomorrow morning.

Back at the shop I met another board member of the Dixie mtn bike club who worked range issues. I was hot about grazing cows trashing the trails. Short story is cows were here first and booting them off the land is all but impossible in spite of empirical knowledge that they are destroying the land. I was told that last summer BLM studied mtn biker visits to local trails then Fed that data into an economic model that drove out impressive amount of $ is spent in the community. Way more than 1 rancher w/ grazing rights. It’s a shame that 1 rancher generating so little local income can adversely affect a larger user group. Local effort to build trails to attract money spending riders are disappointed w/ shitty trails.

New computer isn’t ready and no word on data restoration. Computer should be ready tomorrow.

I opened up a new checking account to get a debit card which will be a backup in case the replacement card is comprised.

I filled my tank today using my card. Great to have a full tank. I drove 1,600 miles on cash.

Rain is forecast for Friday and Saturday, even could be snow.

Back in 1975 I bought a small house on an old mill pond at white oak. Spring time. I had a case of beer and margarita ingredients. I opened the windows protected by screens then left. Upon returning I discovered someone had been inside as several bottles of beer and a window screen was removed. I had been burglarized for the first time. WTF? Kids after beer.

I had been violated. I was shocked and bummed out.

I left the windows open still. A short time later I left again. Again I was visited this time they took more beer , the margarita stuff and they found my pot stash. Shot. Somebody wanted my stuff more than me.

I resupplied my pot then stored it under a couch cushion which was in full view thru slider glass door. At night I left the glass door open. After work one day I lifted the cushion and discovered no stash. Somebody entered my house at night. Several days later while mowing my yard I discovered where someone had hid in the shoreline brush in full view of my living room thru the glass door. Three times in a short while someone had taken something from me. I bought a Lab puppy and the entries stopped.

Years later I moved to Washington where I was victim of many car break ins and the loss of possessions. Just outright anger about the thefts and the loss of  important stuff.

Oh well another break in and loss. The loss was still felt but not like the first time. One car break in my day timer w/ years of notes and contacts was stolen, this was b4 I had a computer. I put my life back together and moved on.

Forward now to last year when I had a computer stuffed full of data. My computer and Vista were not playing well together. I took it to a fix it shop. The tech said Windows 7 is the solution. In his effort he did not backup my entire C drive. When I opened up my repaired computer I discovered loss of 6 years of GPS data from my rides and email and more. Data was lost due to ineptness on tech’s part. I had a perpetrator to attack. I wanted so much for him to pay and suffer for all of my losses. Nothing would be gained by attacking him. I walked away just deflated and depressed at my loss.

I moved on less the lost info.

Today another computer repair service is attempting to retrieve data on my C drive that I destroyed in a fit of anger caused by a series of events beyond my control. This time my loss was caused by me. I am buying a new computer and will pickup my life and move on less of even more important stuff than lost w/ the computer upgrade.

My fault of not backing up my computer. I can only beat the person looking back at me in the mirror.

Loss of this data in the computer is like losing my memory. I don’t remember you. I can’t find you. In a way the loss stripped away who I was. The past is important but now it is lost. What is saved are these blog posts.

To me it’s not how hard you fall but how you get back up. I will have a new computer and will start writing my history. My past violations have given me a perspective that I can move forward w/ the loss of memory. I feel a loss of bounce to my step. I am only able to hold myself accountable and I can not be required to testify against myself.

Now if Fed ex delivers my card today.

Mitch rider and the Detroit wheels circa 1966. On XM.

Spent the night up here @ upper jem. Trail crew arrives in the dark to build new trails up here. Plan is for trail to bypass the switchbacks. Wednesday is last day, connection will be next year.

Last night I slept w/o muscle relaxer. Woke up alert. Today I have a 9am appointment w/ chiropractor who is making great progress on a rehab project. I am better today than I was before the first session. Today I return anticipating more good improvements. And I left afterwards almost walking on air. My back is almost standing straight, my headache is lessening. I told him about my TMJ. Sure he can fix it. He watched my jaw open and close several times then picked up his percussive hammer and beat on the other joint, then he gave me a spring  clothes pin to bite on the bad side. Cool. Jaw pain solution.

Drove down to St George repair shop to buy a new laptop and learn of data retrieval from my killed computer. Patient appears to be taking its memory to the recycle bin. New Dell 15″ later this week.

Drove to Santa Clara to Cove Wash th  to ride barrel roll for  a shorter ride. There is a climbing trail that avoids the road to get to th. I park down @ bottom as road is too rough to drive. Trail climbs immediately. Creosote bushes are exuding their bouquet. Once you smell them you will remember. Made the th then headed out on barrel roll. Older purpose built trails that are metamorphosising from riders and environmental. Still walked same places. Chunky w/ serious climbing.

On the descent at the first gully which was a compression transition up the other side. A narrow rock shelf protruded from the tread. I managed to coaster wheelie the front wheel up over the shelf but the rear wheel took one for the gipper but didn’t get back up: it flatted. My first thought was I finally burped a tubeless tire. I figured I could pump it back up w/ my hand pumpI carry. I connected the pump head then threw down a bunch of pumps. Air was escaping as fast as I pumped it in. No way would the hand pump seat. I was less than a mile to the van so I just carried the bike.  I drove to rapid cycles the new shop right besides the computer repair. The wrench put a floor pump on and wailed. He discovered a puncture in the tire. Ruined almost brand new $70 continental trail king. Didn’t have New tire. Drove back to hurricane and bought tire from OTE. $79 plus tax. And $500 for new computer.

Back up @ jem for the night. Arrived just after sundown to see trail crew @ thru rig. They work from can’t see to can’t see.

I finished Desert Solitare by Abbey. I started reading Still Iife with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins. What a shift in styles. How to make love stay.

Temp above freezing at night. Sometimes the furnace lights, other times it’s double blanket.

Rock stars from the 60s are hitting late 60s and early 70s a.d are starting to die off. Mortality. The 60s, 50 years ago. These musicians are just a few years older. We can’t die.

Excellent riding weather: wait till noon and the heat and be finished by 3 to be in the warmth. Sun goes down drops temp into 50s.

Debit card is scheduled for delivery tomorrow. I dropped request for credit card after learning I can have another checking account and unique debit card which will allow access to funds, I just electronically transfer funds. No credit check required.

Chiropractic adjustments are really benefiting me. It’s like I am being better connected to my body. The knee bone wasn’t completely connected to the thigh bone so to speak. I felt that I was outside my body while it worked. I was really twisted.

Furnace works intermittently. My money says it’s a loose electronic connection. The distributor lives in LaPine, Oregon and he is on my travel plans for this spring.