How to ride in the Cold?

I forgot!!! Can't do it. Mind block. Fear. Numb toes. I haven't ridden in almost a week since it's been so blasted cold. I wanted to ride my road bike to work Monday but there were 30mph gusts. NO WAY! I was gonna ride yesterday before work, but it was 28 degrees and snowing 2 inches. WHAT?

Then this morning I chickened out again. I have got to man up and get back at it. Tonight I break out the stationery trainer. Oh the humiliation. If anyone's got a copy of Earthed 5 or NWD 9 or F1rst, please...PLEASE burn me a copy. The thought of hearing "It seperates the men from the boys" one more time is too much.

Thieves

My dad called me yesterday. He was pretty upset. He lives in a remote part of McDowell County on family land. My grandparents gifted him 33 acres of springs and gullies and quiet, peaceful solitude. Somebody stole an inexpensive canopy and a $10.00 grill off the property. The worst part is there is only one way in past other family members homes. So they had to drive right by and haul it all out in a truck. Pathetic. I have a relative hooked on drugs who we think took it and will probably try to sell it for pawn.

Pathetic. They will have to answer to God though, not us. But life goes on and thieves will always fail in the end. Forgive the them for they know not what they do!

The roots of Mountain Biking

Sometimes...all you need to tell a story is a picture. Whoever took this should really tell the rest of the story.

Click to see the full size image:

Exploring the Hickory Nut Gorge

Been putting in some meander miles in Gerton and talking alot to the locals there about trails. I'm finding out about more and more good riding that is new, fun and silent. Descents like nothing else around, views that are just insane and trails all to myself. Wanna check 'em out, just drop me a line.

It's all going to be a state park soon anyway and we want MTB to be part of it. If bikes get in, I'll be the first to tell you...I TOLD YOU SO!


Oh...and if wanna see some old school DH from 94-95. I'm at 00:52 seconds:


Windrock Carnage from Doug Ferguson on Vimeo.

It's All about HOW You Look at It

I've been guilty of being a negative nancy and playing the blame game. My wife even called me out on it last night. And it really does play out in your daily life if you take that kind of attitude. You defeat yourself. I've always had some family say "You'll turn your liver." "You'll put your eye out"(dad really did put his eye out so he's got me on that one). My mom and dad have been great though because they always back my decisions, so I've always managed to move forward despite my outlook.

Lately, I've been taking the mentality of "You get out of it what you put in" and it really helps keep me motivated. It's hard sometimes to not make excuses. That's my own self taught diversionary tool. But having kids and a wife who trust you changes your mindset. Plus kids just don't know you can't do things. They just think stuff happens. They're positive, upbeat, energetic and keep you pumped up every day.

This whole economy has people running in fear but it's had the opposite effect on me. It's made me realize that we are in a bind because we blame it all on something else. There is a credit crisis because we got greedy. People want stuff so they get it on credit. We spoil ourselves with cars, gadgets, computers, power tools, hybrids, carbon fiber, titanium, granite, cedar, performance, turbo, designer, brand name and custom fit.

Our whole economy has been about buying stuff. George Carlin talked about it 20 years ago that we had too much stuff in our boxes. Now, we've gotten bigger, more massive boxes with all the latest gadgetry and filled them full of 3-4 times what we did 20 years ago, yet no one is really working harder. Nobody's producing something the rest of us actually NEED. Americans are the middleman to the world, distributors of WANTS. What do humans NEED?

It's simple. Food. Water. Shelter. Utilities. Clothes. Safety. Energy. America used to supply almost all of these. Now, we merely distribute for the world. We don't make products, we have shipped here then mailed to the world. Clothes, supplies, housing, energy and food are all SUPPLIED by everyone else in the world. Soon, the world will not need the middleman, just like Wal-Mart didn't.

But the simple answer to all our problems is for Americans to work hard. Supply the world things it MUST have, not luxuries. We must become important and vital. That means getting out of the gadget business and providing the world the basic necessities of life. We are all starting to realize broadband wireless phones with internet and $4.00 Starbucks coffees and in home wired control panels, surround sound theatre plasma electronics are useless for success or happiness.

Get out. Do, not buy....STUFF!