Name of the First Born

After much deliberation between the wife and I we've finally agreed upon a name for our first born son. We wanted a strong name that would help to define him as he grew into a man. Of course we thought of different family names, but kept coming back to the same one. In light of the history that has been made recently we have decided on .... Barack. This name will stand for strong leadership shown by pimps, players, and hustlers around the world.

This may be met with some resistance from both sides of the family but we hope that you will respect our decision. Mostly we wanted to get ahead of the wave for 2009; it's surely to be in the top 10 of used names.

Baby Bump

After the many requests...

The good that was done by telling my wife that she looked beautiful in the picture was quickly undone when I asked why she was sporting such a fake smile. I'm still learning.

Caitlin Anderson (my sis) Named Big Sky Player of the Week

Anderson Named Big Sky Player of the Week
Courtesy: Weber State
Release: 11/25/2008



Courtesy: Robert Casey

Caitlin Anderson led the Wildcats with 22 points against Washington.

OGDEN, Utah (November 25) ‑ Weber State's Caitlin Anderson and Idaho State's Michelle Grohs were named Big Sky Conference Women's Basketball Co‑Players of the Week for games played between Nov. 17‑24.

Anderson scored a game‑high 22 points to lead Weber State to a 77‑66 win over Washington on Wednesday, Nov. 19. It was the Wildcats' first win over a Pac‑10 opponent since 1996.

The sophomore forward hit 9‑of‑15 shots from the field (60.0 percent), including 2‑of‑3 from the 3‑point line (66.7 percent). Anderson added a team‑high 10 rebounds to record Weber State's first double‑double of the year. The native of Reno, Nevada also knocked down 2‑of‑2 free throws in the Wildcats' lone game of the week.

Now this guy has his priorities strait!

Of course I would never do this to my pregnant wife. On second thought, if she had her body pillow she would probably be very comfortable.

George Washington Quote

The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism.... It should be the highest ambition of every American to extend his views beyond himself, and to bear in mind that his conduct will not only affect himself, his country, and his immediate posterity; but that its influence may be co-extensive with the world, and stamp political happiness or misery on ages yet unborn.
When firearms go, all goes - we need them every hour.
A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.

A free people ought...to be armed. -- Speech of Jan. 7, 1790 in the Boston Independent Chronicle, Jan. 14, 1790. George Washington


This quote was brought to my attention by a crazy (soon to be lawyer) in the Bay area. Lets hope that we never have to defend ourselves from our own government; but in the mean time buy all the guns and ammo you can afford like you were planning on it.

Gooseberry Mesa

Just a few pics from a recent trip to ride Gooseberry Mesa in Southern Utah. I was accompanied by "The Kush" and "The Douche". Unfortunately Mr Sabrosa couldn't call in sick, and "The Tammer" was hard at work; they missed out on a great ride. How do you like that, we drive all the way from Vegas and the local guys don't join us.

Time for a Road Trip

I just filled up on $ 2.97/gallon gas!

Every one of us idiots that's still driving a tank of an SUV knows this is cause to celebrate. Maybe I should offer up a sacrifice to the Oil Gods of the Middle East and go on a road trip.

Back From the Break

Whoa...that was a longer than intended break from the blog posting. I'm not going to make excuses, mostly because I hate when when people say they don't have time to do "XYZ" task (although I have been fairly busy with work).

To get you folks up to speed, The Harbers are doing well. Laura has really started to get big (sorry babe). About two weeks ago I had the very cool experience of feeling my man child move in Laura's belly; she on the other hand gets to experience what it feels like to have a mosh pit inside of her. He starts to get real active right around her bed time. Ha ha

Cooler weather has set in Vegas and has made for some nice riding conditions. Mostly road riding these days, but I hope to hit the dirt a little more often. Unfortunately the cooler weather comes with more wind. I swear this has been the windiest year in Vegas history. Maybe I could commission AL Gore to do a documentary on the cause of increased windy conditions. My guess is that he would link it to the down turned economy.

I do feel bad not reporting about this earlier but to top of the summer we had the chance to spend a few weeks in China with the Nelson crew. It was truly one of the most amazing trips we've done. Before the trip China was not at the top of my list of places to visit, but after being there I would definitely recommend it to everyone. The good news is that no one on the trip picked up "The Bird Flu" or "SARS" (that we know of). More details on the trip later.

You Can't Count on the Chinese Calender

The Chinese have come up with tons of cool stuff like fireworks, dragon costumes, the Chinese star, and superior capabilities to built long walls. However, the Chinese calender falls short of the list of great inventions/achievements.

My oh so sweet wife has come to grips with the fact that she can't count on internet tests and/or the Chinese calender when it comes to foretelling the gender of our future child.


IT'S A BOY!

Family Vacation Report(s)

Anderson - Harber Trip



Even thought the first trip was over a month ago I figured it was still worth reporting. We spent a week in McCall Idaho with a few of the Anderson crew. My mom, Eric, and Cate made it for the trip while the rest of the fam were caring for babies back home, or spreading the good word in Mexico. It was a great change of scenery from Vegas; I like the desert, but I love the mountains! The Payette river was at a super high volume and raging. On the drive from Boise we stopped to check out a few guys paddling the class V section of the North Fork, those suckers are nuts.



We kicked back and enjoyed the cool weather, played tennis, a little golf, and ate at some great restaurants. Thanks again to the Andersons for the good time.


Moody - Harber - Hoopes Trip


The second trip was a bit more recent. Laura went down a few days early to Baton Rouge to get in all the southern living she could squeeze in before the Gulf Shores trip. I ended up flying into Pensacola mid week to meet everyone in Gulf Shores. The Moodys rented an awesome beach house that everyone could stay at; great access to the beach and super close to a nice pool.



We ate some great seafood, hung at the beach and played a few games of Risk (possibly the greatest game ever conceived by man). For those on the left coast that have not experienced the Gulf it's quite a bit different from the Cali beaches we're accustom to. Super fine white sand and warm water, the only draw back might be the jellyfish. I'm happy to report that this year I did not have to experience a jellyfish sting (unlike last year). Laura on the other hand just about became topless on the beach in an attempt to remove a jellyfish tentacle from her bathing suit.

I enjoyed seeing a different a part of the country that sometimes makes you feel like you've traveled out of the US, and of course Laura always loves going home. Thanks again to the Moodys for the fun trip!

Virgin River Rim Trail

When Mr. Sabrosa says that it's going to be epic riding on Cedar Mountain he really means it. I figured I was up for the challenge since I had been doing fair amount of riding, and the thought of escaping the Vegas summer heat was very attractive. The team included Mr. and Mrs. Sabrosa, the Tammer, and myself.

We started at Strawberry Point just a bit past Duck Creek; elevation 9000 feet. I felt like I was at the basecamp of Everest since I had just come from Vegas, about 2000 ft. The ride is 33 miles of some of the most incredible single track I've ever been on. Most of you are familiar with the Cedar Breaks area, well the trail basically skirts the edge of that whole plateau and then drops down to Woods Ranch. If your thinking that it couldn't have been that tough because the trails starts at Strawberry and drops down to Woods Ranch, you're wrong! I had slightly underestimated it myself; in total we climbed over 4200 vertical feet at an average elevation of 9300 ft.

Round about the 20 mile mark I started hurting; probably a combination of high altitude, some gnarly climbing, and not enough food. When the bottom falls out like this there's not a lot you can do but suffer through the rest of the ride. I told the crew that I was officially in "The Hurt Locker, " and yes John if the ride had continued much past Wood Ranch Davey Jones would have been involved. Although it was slow going for me after that point I still thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Towards the end of the trail we rode through some beautiful aspen forest, this is when the trees started talking to me. Maybe this is what Indians experience when they're on their vision quest.

Even though I got punished pretty bad the ride was well worth it. I would definitely recommend the ride if you're up for amazing singletrack, incredible views, and a ton of climbing.

First Ultrasound

Laura is with child!

There have been many jokes in the past both verbally and on this blog, but it's finally true. She had her first ultrasound yesterday and everything up to this point checks out great. It's an experience that I can't even attempt to explain when you hear your baby's heart beat. At this point he/she is only a little over 1/2", about the size of a gummy bear.

Laura is positive that it's going to be a girl but I'm not sure if this is based on some internal instinct or the countless Internet tests / Chinese calenders she's been doing. I'll be happy either way but I'm guessing it'll be a boy.

We'll keep you updated.

Mexican Bowling

After seeing this photo I'd think think twice before riding my bike in Mexico.

A car has plowed into a bike race along a highway near the US-Mexico border, killing one and injuring 10 others.
Police investigator Jose Alfredo Rodriguez says the 28-year-old driver was apparently drunk and fell asleep when he crashed into the race. The photograph was taken by a city official that was spectating.

Wheel Sucker

According to a sheriff's report, George N. Magalhaes, 35, of Fort Pierce, Florida, traded his purple 19-speed mountain bike for four rocks of crack cocaine. Unfortunately, the dealer was an undercover detective, who arrested Magalhaes and sent him to jail.


Bottom line: It doesn't pay to abandon your ride!

Assult on Mt Charleston & Highway Robbery

Last weekend I made the years first trip up Mt Charleston. Due to the lack of riding partners I had to roll solo. I’d definitely rather ride with a group but sometimes it’s kind of nice to ride alone. You can cruise at your own pace and have some time to think.

Turns out my decrease in weekly mileage has helped a ton. The past few weeks I’ve been playing in the overtraining danger zone. This happens when you’re putting in too many miles, or riding with guys that are too fast. I say that it helped a ton to cut back because I felt fresh and was able to stay aerobic almost the entire way up; the top gets a bit steep so I went anaerobic for a bit. The ride was great and I definitely look forward to riding up there more this summer.

This is the highway robbery part:

I hit the Charleston Lodge and pulled over to fill the water bottles. I didn't know if there’d be water available so I was prepared to be happy with just about anything. Luckily there was a café inside that sold drink so I was pumped. I grabbed a Vitamin Water and headed for the cashier; the clerk rings it up says, “That’ll be $ 3.25 please.”

Me: Excuse me?

Clerk: $ 3.25

(I thought for a split second about going out back a peeing in my water bottle but remembered that should be reserved only for desperate occasions.)

Me: I must have grabbed the wrong one; do you have the nonalcohol version of Vitamin Water?

Clerk: Vitamin Water doesn’t come with alcohol, does it?

Me: No man I was just kidding because that seemed to be a bit much for a bottle of flavored water.

Clerk: You know, it’s just that rule of supply and demand.

This is where I just smiled, signed the receipt and walked out. Not only was the guy too slow to get my joke but he was going to make some jackass comment about supply and demand. I would much rather had him say (and probably laughed with him),” Bend over and grab your ankles cause there’s no other shops to buy drinks up here.” I’m no econ major (unlike my beautiful bride) but I’m pretty sure they bought those drinks at the same Costco that I do.

To be honest I have no problem paying a premium for goods where the premium is earned. For instance I would gladly pay (without complaining) $ 5.25 for a Vitamin Water in the middle of the Sahara Desert, or maybe on the trail to the Everest Basecamp. But the difference there is that the Sherpa that sold me the water out of a cooler, from the back of his yak truly deserves it. I will complain however when some idiot tells me it’s a matter of supply and demand 15 miles from Vegas.

I didn’t let this ruin my ride but it did provide for some interesting perspective. I just paid $ 3.25 for a 20 oz beverage. At the per gallon price that would be $ 20.80; and I complain about gas prices!

Botox Lifts: The Next Breast Thing?

http://wcbstv.com/video/?id=112359@wcbs.dayport.com

No offence to any of you that have partaken in the botox trend but the above video is just too weird. Our society must put an unbelievable amount of pressure on people to the point where they're willing to inject poison into their bodies to look good.

What's next? Are men going to follow in Dave Chappell's foots steps and botox their balls to take the wrinkles out? In the words of Mr. Chappell, "They're smooth as eggs!"

Damn the Wind!

I went for a short ride this morning and encountered the storm above. It makes being outside extra enjoyable when you get sandblasted on top of being blown around. I'm pretty sure Las Vegas is being punished for it's sinful ways because I don't remember the spring ever being this windy.

Sweet Revenge

If you're a road cyclist you'll probably agree that ignorant motorist with their constant honking can be pretty frustrating. You might not even be in the way and they still decide to lay on the horn.

The link below is to the Surly (producer of very fine bicycles) blog and has the best story of sweet revenge that I've heard in a long while. You'll enjoy it whether you ride bikes on the road or not.




http://www.surlybikes.com/2008_05_01_blog_archive.html#3974086754644713558

First (unofficial) Century Ride of the Year

This weekend I had the opportunity to ride with the RED BURRO crew out to the Nevada/California state line. Aside from it being a bit windy the weather could not have been better with temps in the low to mid 70s.

We started at the top of Summerlin, rode through Red Rocks, down Blue Diamond Hwy, through Southern Highlands and then the frontage rode that parallels the I-15. The ride was cut a bit short at Primm when we found out that the state line was another 12 miles (one way). The total ride distance was 93 miles, so just short of the official century length. I felt totally justified calling it a century due to the wind we endured.

While the ride was very enjoyable I was reminded how much work I still need on the bike; these guys were animals! For them it was a fairly easy pace to build their early season aerobic base, for me it was all I could do to keep my heart rate under 95% of my max. At one point during a climb I was pushing 190 bpm, that's pretty nasty considering my max is 193.

I'm really liking getting out for long Saturday rides and can't wait when it's time to start charging up Mount Charleston.

Can You Believe My Mom Blocked MTV?

This is what I was missing out on when my mom decided to have MTV blocked while in middle and high school. In the past I've struggled to help my mom and other misguided souls to understand that Snoop just wants to be a good example, and this photo is clear evidence. Sure he may have had to write a few edgy lyrics but everyone has to feed their family somehow.

It's a good thing I didn't tell my mom about the BET channel, think of all the other good examples I would have missed out on.

Ford Ironman 70.3 Oceanside, California

The pressure started to mount about a week ago. I was having moments where I couldn't wait for the race, and then other times where I wished I hadn't even registered. My training for the last few months hadn't turned out like I planned due to some sickness and a bit over over training. To top things off the weather was not going to be too favorable. The forecasted air temps were in the low 60s, overcast and the water was going to be about 58 degrees. Come on...I picked San Diego because the weather is suppose to be sunny and warm .

Friday came and we loaded up with the Stubbs for the drive down. When we arrived in Oceanside it was definitely cooler than I had planned; I couldn't stop thinking about how cold it was going to be coming out of the water and getting on the bike. It was at this point that I thought....the upside of the cooler weather is that maybe I'll be hypothermic half way through the swim and not have to finish. I'm pretty sure everyone could tell that I was a bit nervous.

Race morning came and I was surprisingly calm. Once I got to the transition area to setup I had forgotten about being nervous and was now super pumped. There was rad music playing and over 2000 competitors hustling to get ready. My swim wave started at 6:50 and to be honest I didn't even think about the 58 degree water. In fact most people said I was crazy for wearing a sleeveless wetsuit but I was plenty warm. The swim went well but I wished I hadn't been so conservative. Finished the swim in just under 40 minutes.

Then onto the bike...I started out feeling pretty sick with a belly full of salt water but my stomach calmed after a few miles. The first half of the 56 mile course was fairly flat and I was averaging around 22 to 24 mph, I started to get kind of excited because I thought I would beat my expected time. Then I hit the 2nd half of the bike course and it was all downhill (my performance, not the course profile). I was behind on my hydration and had to force myself to eat. On top of the course being a bit more hilly the wind had picked up. My average speed dropped and I ended up finishing the bike course in a little over 3 hours. This is not meant to be an excuse for not riding faster but I was blown away by the other competitors bikes, most of the bikes I saw had wheel sets that were more expensive than my whole bike.

The transition from biking to running was interesting due to the fact that my stomach was not happy. Nothing went down easy but I kept drinking and eating so I would have enough gas to finish. I pretty much suffered through the run and only averaged about a 10 minute mile with a run split of 2 hours 13 minutes.

Total time with transitions was 6 hours 11 minutes. I was slightly disappointed because I was hoping to break 6 hours but hey it was my first one and I learned tons. I did have some interesting thoughts while on the course; I had a few moments of intense gratitude that I was capable and had the opportunity to participate in an event like this. And even as much as I suffered at different points during the race I found myself feeling almost sad that it was over towards the end.

Anthony sure has had some good exposure on the Harber's blog lately; I fully expect 10% of his earnings if he's discover by this photo:

This one's even better because it makes him look like a giant:



It may not be for a few more years but I do see a full Ironman in my future. I would like to leave you with my opinion that racing and/or suffering in any epic event such as this will bring much joy into your life. Now get out there and find something to register for! Oh yeah http://www.active.com/ is a great place to find all kinds of events in your area.

Speed Racer & Local Spot to Score

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I don't know what's better the one piece race suit or the gold helmet. On top of looking the part this sucker has skills on the track; lets just say there were new records set last night at the Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix. I'm still not sure why the track operator was unhappy when Anthony did his victory doughnut through the grass after his lap, isn't that what all the big Nascar guys do?

We then headed to an old Vegas favorite Luv-It Frozen Custard; not ice cream...Custard! The location across from the Stratosphere couldn't be more perfect, you can satisfy that sweet tooth and then score some crack across the street. And if cracks not your thing you can head over to one of the hourly motels or just get married at one of the ten wedding chapels in the area. Hey you can't beat the custard and if you don't step on an old needle in the parking lot it's well worth the trip.

A Result of Paying Tithing!

Yesterday was one of the best days ever. I had just gotten back from the Saturday road ride and was doing a bit of cleaning up in the garage. Matt (the hero of the day) rode over to throw his bike on the stand and do a little maintenance. After he was done he headed home; after a few minutes he returned and said that he thought he saw my bike that had been stolen in a garage down the street. I bolted down the street and saw that beautiful green Surly pony sitting there. I didn't even knock on the door, I just swooped it!

I got back to my house and realized that this sucker was just on the other side of the street only about 5 doors down, I had to go back to find out who the bike thief was. The people that answered claimed they had moved in only two weeks ago and that the bike was there when they moved in. Either way I was just glad to have it back.

Huge thanks again to Matt with the eagle eye!

Oh yeah...scroll down a bit to check out the post from the Tucson 24 Hour Race.

Weber State Star

This is my little sis...when she's not dunkin she's making shots like this. Look out MJ!

24 Hours in the Old Pueblo

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Does riding your bike in circles for 24 hours sound like a good idea? Yeah I don't know who came up with this idea but he/she is crazy sucker! Even though this race was a little out of my league I had to take the opportunity to ride with Racer's Sabrosa Cycle team. Maybe someday their speed will rub off on me.

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Last Thursday we started the voyage down to Tucson. I say voyage because it took us about a day and a half to get there. We had a stop in Phoenix where we stayed Thursday night, and then visited every Home Depot on the way out of Phoenix Friday morning. The Home Depot trip was with the intent of purchasing a propane heater due to the freak weather we were about to encounter. When we finally got to the race site it was snowing/raining; it's super fun setting up camp in weather like this:

Needless to say to say I wasn't super pumped about the weather. The race was going to be epic enough without snow and freezing weather. Lucky for us the bike gods were nice enough to show show some kindness and let the sun out right before the start of the race. I felt bad for the guys that had the first lap; everyone was outfitted with gear to ride in subarctic conditions. The rest of the race was clear skys and almost warm weather.

The course was perfectly fitted for a 24 hour race. and with the recent rain it was hard packed and fast. The course was 16 miles of mostly single track through super thick cactus; it sounds ridiculous but I've never seen that much cactus. I witnessed a couple of unfortunate suckers that took corners too fast on the night laps and ended up in a cactus bed; not fun!

I'll tell you what really made the race, our support crew was amazing! Shea and "The Tammer" were top notch. These guys did just about everything for us; big thanks again to the support crew.

We ended up doing pretty well, 13th place out of about 140 teams in the 4 man open class. I've promised to bring faster lap times next year if they'll have me back so I've got to get myself in shape. Below is how the hardcore racer takes his shower, I on the other hand treated myself to the shower trailer.

Right after the finish we packed up and head back. I knew it was going to be a long drive back so I celebrated with a 2 lb bag of peanut M & Ms, raspberry filled powder doughnuts, and a 4 pack of Full Throttle. I don't think the human body is meant to have that much caffeine and sugar in one sitting. I have to apologize if I was a bit out of control on the ride back; it was the Full Throttle talking. Below is the best way to describe the way you feel after riding a 24 hour race and then getting the car for 8 hours:

Thanks again to everyone that helped make the weekend happen; I'm already looking forward to next year!

Catalina Buffalo Run

Last Friday we made the trip down to southern California for the Buffalo 1/2 marathon on Catalin Island. Our running crew included John (Laura's brother), Jesse, Baker, and myself. The support team included Laura, and Paul & Nola Harber. Laura was super disappointed that she couldn't run due to an injury (or was that a story fabricated to cover something else?) but she's on the road to recovery.






It was already going to be a pretty epic race due to the fact that the course was so tough, but for Jesse and Baker it was ultra intense because it was their first 1/2 marathon. As you can see on the course profile it's a consistent climb for the first 5 miles, oh yeah and in those first 5 miles you climb almost 1600 feet. There's really nothing I can say to describe how gnarly it was; all I remember was that every time you thought you were reaching the summit you would round the corner and it just kept going strait up. Needless to say it was a painful one!

Althought it was one of the most difficult races I've done it was compensated by the fact that it was absolutly beautiful. The majority of the race was on fire roads through the interior of the island; we had amazing views of the ocean and the weather was perfect. Everyone did great with strong finishes. The good thing for Jesse and Baker is that with this being their first half marathon everything else will almost seem easy.

Saturday afternoon we headed back to Newport and hung with the Jones and the Morphys. We had some amazing Califoriental food; I don't know if it was exceptionally good or I was just really hungy. Either way it hit the spot. The other highlight to the trip was seeing our friend's kids. Baker and Matt are always one step ahead in the game of life; I'll be there someday guys.

I had to laugh at this picture, it's similar to the one at the top of the page but this is after the race. We're still smiling, but it's pretty obvious that we're beat. One of the things I love the most about these events is the addictiveness. On the boat ride back and the drive home there was a ton of planning for the next race.


Get out there and register for a race, any race...it's the ultimate motivator!

Awesome clip from UTI race

2004 Olympics triathlon silver medalist Bevan Docherty of New Zealand lives up to his motto of "He who wants it most wins!" Here, he sprints from behind to clutch victory from the grasp of compatriot Kris Gemmell at the 2005 New Plymouth ITU World Cup triathlon.

I was so pumped after watching this clip that I had to go for a run. Some day I'll be passing suckers like that on the course. Ha Ha

Military prepares for the Democrats to takeover!!

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This is just one of the many ways thoses suckers will weaken us if they're in the White House.

Now That's a Red Blooded American!

For those that are new, turn the music off at the bottom of the page so you can listen to the clip.

Great Start to 2008

Well I had this grandiose plan to start the New Year with a super positive blog post to get the year started right. You know, list all the resolutions and tell you guys what a great year it's going to be. That plan is ruined and I'm now just pissed.

I went out to the garage yesterday to find that one of my precious ponies had been stolen. Some sucker had the guts to walk into my garage and take it right off the ceiling hooks. Granted I've learned my lesson that I can't leave the garage door open, but this was in the middle of the day.

It gets better....I called the insurance company and they proceed to tell me that it probably doesn't make sense to file the claim because after they depreciate the value of the bike it will be equal to my deductible. Needless to say I was pretty pissed. I've come to realize that insurance is basically a legal scam, you're damned if you have it and really damned if you don't.

I really do hate to start the new year with such a negative vibe but I can't help hoping that whoever is riding my bike falls and breaks their neck. With my luck the criminal will repent in the next few years and won't have to suffer the eternal consequences.