Incline Round 2

Still sucked. But we shaved 15 minutes off the uphill climb, that's like 18% better than last week.

Here's a blurry picture I took in my car on the way there, when I was thinking why it was such a bad idead. That's the incline right there going up that stupid mountain.

Oh Sweet Incline, How I love thee, let me count the ways, one....one....I guess just one.

Somehow in addition to picking up golf this summer, Laura convinced me that hiking 14'ers is also a great Colorado past time that everyone should get into doing. For training for this "summertime stroll in the park" Laura suggested (I swear it was her idea) that we climb the incline in Manitou Springs once a week after work. Which sounds like a great idea until you are standing at the foot of the thing:

That's 2000 vertical feet in just under a mile. Not to mention it's from like 6800 to 8800 feet, not for you lowlanders. That's a lot of freaking stairs. And they aren't all evenly spaced and nice. oh no. The part on public land (shown here) is pretty well maintined. The part where you are technically trespassing is not. Oh no.

The incline is an old cog railroad near Pikes Peak and is pretty popular training location for local athletes. The record for this puppy (by Matt Carpenter) is 18 minutes. The dude is insane. Here is a link with more information: http://www.hikingintherockies.com/hiking/hike%20reports/manitouincline/manitouincline.htm


Anyway, we started off pretty slow, wondering what the heck we were trying to prove.

After you get about halfway up, it's really just going through the motions. About this time, I couldnt' turn around and look down, so don't expect many more pictures of "the view" because I swore I was going to tumble to my death. But here's Laura still somehow managing to look like she was having a good time:



But an hour and half later we finally made it to the top! Hooray! I couldnt' believe we did it on the first try! There is a bailout point about 2/3 the way up, but by the time you got that far, you may as well keep going.

Not sure who that chick is that insisted on ruining my picture, but I was too tired to care by that point. You can tell by the fact that I can't even hold the camera straight. Anyway. If you have never climbed a mountain, it's the strangest feeling in the world. You hate just about every second of it, then you get to the top and are ready to sign up to do it again. Best feeling in the world to accomplish something you didn't think you could do! And to show our enthusiasm, we even ran halfway down the trail that leads back home. So yes, we are going again next week. Anyone is invited, email me, I'll give you time and dates so crazy internet stalkers don't show up conveniently at the same time. You know who you are.

Tanor's Owners Give Odds on American Idol

I can't believe I haven't talked about American Idol. At all. Sorry I've been falling behind. I'll also post a new poll (finally) so please vote.

American Idol is down to it's final four (I realize they are REALLY down to final three, but I SWEAR I haven't watched the results show from last night yet) and here is the analysis: (And I'm not going to look up the correct way to spell everyone's name, because I don't care, and I don't want to accidentally find out who got booted last night. Stupid internet.).

1. David Cook. Odds of winning it all, 5,746,000:1. Why do you think they are so bad? Because I want him to win of course. I have downloaded all of his tunes from itunes, but no, still ahven't ever sent in my text to vote on the show. I just can't stoop that low. But any man who can go from "wow I don't even like to look at him" at the beginning of the season, to "wow I can't wait until he sings a new song" is okay in my book. Everything he touches is sweet sweet sugar in my ears. The dude prompted the addition of a Mariah Carey song into my ipod ferchrissake.

2. David Archuletta. Odds of winning it all, 2:1. I'm sure his creepy dad-ager has figured out a way to rig the votes. And if that's not enough, you have the whole state of Utah behind him. Not to mention all the 12-17 year old girls who for some reason all have their own cell phones now, along with parents who are freaking out at the sight of this months cell phone bills. But what do they care. All good dads support their kids right? Does anyone else think this kid looks like that blind opera singer guy? And his dancing. I mean really. stand there with mike in left hand, and every four bars raise your right hand, no higher than your breastbone. Then lower again. Repeat several times.

3. Jason Castro. Odds of winning it all, 700:1. I can't stand this kid. He has smoked one too many doobies in his short life, and it shows. This is your brain on drugs, this is your brain on drugs on American Idol. To make matters worse, I have a VERY close friend for some reason thinks this guy hung the moon. That's why his odds weren't worse, for her sake only. But I'm seriously reconsidering our friendship. We obviously have extremely different tastes. lol JUST KIDDING.

4. Syesha Mercado. Odds of winning it all, 10:1. Only because stranger things have happened. And she has kinda gotten into her thing lately. And she's riding the Dreamgirls wave of the black girls with the big voices. Black girls have had big voices since the beginning of time (just go to any baptist church). Too bad they haven't made any money on the radio since Aretha Franklin quit recording.

So there you have it. I have been a fan long enough to think that I'm pretty right on. But I'm POSITIVE you all will comment and disagree.