Monday update on Wednesday

I knew going into this adventure that writing something everyday or near everyday was going to be a challenge in its own right. I spend a fair amount of time on the computer daily for my job and I even go online when I am not at work, but writing something about yourself is very hard for me in general, am I funny and thought provoking or am I just reporting the facts of my daily life...that sounds incredibly boring but when i look at my life I don't think I am boring or that my life is boring. So I will just have to see what this process brings as I keep going forward and I as I try to stick with the plan.

Jana and I went to the MCA opening for Rebecca DiDimineco on Friday night and then onto a few galleries for first Friday in Denver. Rebecca is such a nice person and I am always intrigued with her work, in this installation piece she created a cave of mica covered butterfly wings and colored plastic with shiny vibrant colors. It was like an amusement park ride, there was a line and you could only go one direction. We saw Rebecca at the entrance greeting people and she was fairly occupied with people so we gently waved and went inside...once inside Jana was beside herself and proclaimed this the best installation piece she has ever seen and she demanded that we do it again....so we basically ran around to the entrance and waited patiently for our chance to see it all again. I am not sure if it was just the crazy idea of a cave or the colored mica or the exquisitely delicate butterfly wings but it was very meditative and calming despite be loaded with people...so went for a third time and still loved it. We also stopped by the Martha Russo ceramic installation and I have to admit that I am torn between the two pieces because I think they are both fabulous and in way related because they both make me pause and meditate on where I am in life and where I am in this space they occupy and I like that aspect a lot. Martha's piece is made up of all kinds of fabricated shapes and forms that resemble sea life (but aren't sea creatures at all) and you feel like you are resting on the bottom of the sea.

It was also nice to see so many museum people out that night showing support for the MCA and all that Adam Lerner and team are trying to bring to the Colorado art scene. We then went to first Friday along Santa Fe Drive in Denver to see the latest in the Colorado art gallery scene...it was raucous and wild but very short on good art and it always disappoints me to see so many young people out and about, trying to see or be seen, and Denver art galleries are closed or not participating so the ever inventive youth put up their own shows in off beat locations, which is good, but I would still prefer to see more support from the DADA group of galleries...also this event is dominated by young party goers and I would love to see more collector types hanging around town for these events...wow I sound old and stuffy. I love what youth and age both bring to the table in terms of likes and dislikes in art and art dialogue...so we need to promote more of that cross generational interaction, just my 2 cents.

Saturday we spent the majority of the day in the Ceramic Studio at the Arvada Art Center, firing Jana's latest load of art work...Raku firing is so damn stressful, you heat these delicate pieces up to 1600 degrees then while they are literally glowing hot you grab them with long metal tongs and place them carefully into garbage can full of torn paper that catches on fire and then the can is sealed and the pieces absorbs the carbon changing the glazes with crazy combinations of colors, from white to black from green to gold...and unfortunately as with every firing something breaks and it freaks me out and I feel so sad for Jana who spends so much time making these fish and other animals...we are trying to figure out how to get these spectacular color variations with normal glazes but nothing compares to raku yet...she is almost ready to start filling up all of her new galleries with beautiful new fish, please check out www.diedrichart.com to see what I am talking about.

On Sunday, I talked a few friends into riding up to Mount Evans at 14,264 ft above sea level, has the highest paved road in the world with 6,915 of elevation gain makes for a very daunting ride to say the least...I wanted to ride up there before it got to be too late in the year and I think I just made it. Jason and Maggie both very athletic and determined individuals agreed to give a it shot. As the time approached I was starting to worry that I may have used my influence for my own selfish concerns and I was worried that Maggie would not have a good time...I have talked her into other adventures that she regretted halfway through them, but I knew if we went slow and steady we would be okay and it was such a beautiful fall day that even if we didn't make it we would still be enthralled by the turning aspens and the colorful landscapes with expansive views....all of which is stunning and overwhelming. As we started our climb around 1:30 the day was already starting to cool down, Maggie kept the pace even though she was uncomfortable leading. I rode the new commuter bike so I could carry more stuff and I could use the 3rd ring that my road bike doesn't offer. We were steadily making our way up the mountain when I noticed that the clouds to the north was actually smoke and I was bummed because I knew this meant that Colorado was being ravaged by another forest fire...halfway up we switched to warmer clothes and pressed on, passing mountain goats and beautiful vistas in every direction. At Summit Lake, Maggie informed us that she only had about 15 minutes left, but we were still 5 miles away...it snowed lightly between the clouds and the ash plumes the sun turned a crazy orange red due to the smoke in the air...so despite being above 12,000 feet and the lack of oxygen we also had a light smoke in the air to contend with...who needs oxygen we kept going, and Jason pushed ahead so that he could summit and not make Maggie wait too long at the car while he completed his task. At mile 11 Maggie turned around and I was left on my own to continue to the summit, I gave her my gloves for the chilly descent and we parted ways with a hug. I continued on my slow journey to the heavens above, there are several switchbacks in the road and I saw elk, mountain goats and mountain rams and they looked so at peace with their surrounding. It made me feel comforted to know I wasn't alone. At mile 13 I saw Jason screaming down the road above me and he stopped to chat for a moment before he tore down the mountain trying to catch up with his fiance Maggie, she said later he was about 5 minutes behind her and he was blue from going so fast in the cold mountain air...nice work Jason. I summitted and sat around looking in every direction at the awesome views contemplating how much I truly love living in Colorado and thinking about my cold descent ahead...so I started down and rounded a sharp switch back to encounter a 3 foot high mountain goat staring me down, we gently passed each other on the narrow road with neither one of us taking an eye off the other as we passed...I froze my fingers off and the side steep views at 50 plus miles an hour made me second guess not wearing a helmet on this trip. I got to the truck threw the bike in the back and cranked up the heater as I drove home with a smile on my face.

I took Monday off from riding to work and I rode my ass off Tuesday morning but a strong head wind kept me from breaking any records. In the afternoon the wind switched more westerly and I pedalled my ass off to beat my record and finished in 39:41 which is 19.2 mph average...which considering all the hills makes me very happy.

Today, I rode in without a watch to time myself and the first true cold weather is starting to move into the state. The fall is here and it won't be long now til ski season is upon us!!