Prayer.

Hey Guys,

If you all could please pray for a couple of our guys that would be great.

Last night several of our summer staff were hanging out and started playing ultimate frisbee with a glow in the dark frisbee and one of our summer staffers, Demetrius, collided head to head with one of our executive directors sons, Cameron and it was pretty bad.

Cameron chipped 3 teeth, but Demetrius was knocked really hard. The ambulance came and got him and with any serious head trauma here in Prescott they fly them via helicopter down to Phoenix so they can get the best treatment. I wasn't there, so I don't have all the details, but please pray that he is ok, it was really bad.

As of now Demetrius is in the hospital in PHX and we haven't heard anything today. Please pray for no complications, for no permanent problems and a full recovery. Thanks.

Chris

Here we go Again.

Well it seems a small group of christians are ruining it for the rest of us. A group is calling for a boycott of Starbucks because of the use of an old logo they used when the company first opened.



They are claiming it inappropriate and they are also saying her legs are spread like a prostitute (why prostitute, why not like an Olympic gymnast?).

So, I checked out their site and really looks like its more of a publicity stunt to sell a book that they are coming out with (which I imagine is so freaking crappy). Either way, I love that fact that now christians look like morons.... again...woohoo.....awesome.....yay.

Just so you know, I will not be boycotting Starbucks just because they are using a new (old) slutty logo. I guess that if they were to make me take may shirt off and wear mermaid fins when purchasing a pound of Espresso Roast then I would consider not going, not because of inappropriateness, but rather the hassle of it all. Cheers.

Chris

PS
I got a mug from the original Starbucks when we were in Seattle and it has the slutty logo on it and I think its cool. Its on my desk right now....oh no....sin.

PPS
I still don't have a phone. Oh, well.

Ring Ring Ring.

This past weekend the weather was perfect so we took the doors and top off the Jeep for the first time. It was great, I don't know we ever drive it any other way.

So Saturday morning I was taking the doors off and putting them in the garage and while I was carrying one of the doors my phone fell out of my pocket. I thought, "no big deal, I'll get it on the way out". Well, if you know anything about me you know that I get distracted easily. I forgot the phone. I finish with the doors and go to breakfast, after breakfast I drove home and guess what, I ran over my phone in the driveway.

So now I have a crushed celly (as BeanTown would say). I will hopefully get my new one this week, I'm glad I got the insurance. If you need to call me you can call me on Rays phone at night or the office number during the day. I have no idea what either of those numbers are though, go to UCYC.com for the office number and call Rachel's sister to get her number, however, I don't know that one either, sorry. Cheers.

Chri

Oh Yeah!

So New Kids on the Block (NKOTB) are back together. I have mixed emotions.

On one hand I am really excited because I was a fan (weren't we all) and while traveling with Traveling Mercies Ray and I carried our footware in a yellow NKOTB duffel bag with pink straps, so there is a connection.

However, on the other hand I am sad because this means the world is more ridiculous that it was yesterday. I mean seriously, this is one of the lamest things ever in the history of the earth. As I type this I am trying to think of something lamer to compare it to`, but I can't. Its impossible. I think if even Pope Benedict XVI put out an album of Bobby Brown remixes, it would still be cooler that Jordan Knight wearing those aviator sunglasses and singing in the rain. Hangin' Tough.

Chris

May Bread and Wine

My May post for The Bread and Wine is online today.

Its a short ditty about sin. You can read it here. Cheers.

Chris

On the Trail.

Today we went and did an adventure field trip for the 4th graders at Taylor Hicks Elementary. The kids did kayaking, slack lining, first aid, knot tying and hiking. I got to lead the hiking section and had a blast with the kids. The kids climbed on rocks and played in a creek, it was fun hanging out with them. It was a nice break from the hectic summer planning. Plus, I got in about 4 hours of hiking today so thats nice. Cheers.

Chris

The Face of Hope.

This was the face of hope for runners this morning

The Whiskey Row Marathon was this morning and we worked Water Station #2 and had a great time.

Before my shift at Water Station #2 I went for a ride with Mike and I couldn't do anything. I tried a new pre-ride food, I had a Clif Bar and it turned out to be a bad choice. We had barely ridden anything and I felt like I was going to hurl. It wasn't the greatest moment of my life. I eventually made it home. Cheers.

Chris

Fatty.

There is a blog called Fat Cyclist that I love. The author is a guy named Elden and he lives in Utah and started this blog a couple of years ago as he was trying to shed a few pounds. Well, that guy is so funny and if you are into cycling at all you will find this site great. I suggest going back and start reading all the archive stuff, I did while we were in Africa and it was great entertainment when I didn't want to watch Zulu soap operas.

On a serious note, he wrote a while back about how his wife has been battling cancer and how she was fighting hard and things were looking good. Well in the past couple of days they have received some really bad news about is wife and its not looking good.

I can't imagine how hard it would be to going through what their family is going through. Rachel is sleeping in our bedroom and I can't imagine her dealing with what Elden and Susan are dealing with. Its really making me enjoy every moment I get to spend with Ray, she means the world to me. I just want to savor our time we get to spend together.

Please pray for a miracle, its seems at this moment thats all that can help their situation. Cheers.

Chris

Bittersweet.

Ray and I went to Scottsdale for my birthday and stayed in a hotel and did some shopping. The trip was great, however there was one thing that was kind of bittersweet.

For my birthday Rach planned on getting my guitar fixed (repaired, not neutered). See, its been all over the world and has been thrown in trailers, vans, RV's, busses, cars, truck tool boxes and airplanes and has been played for hours and hours and hours and it has started buzzing when you play it. I assumed that it was just needing a new fret board.

So Rach was surprising my for my b-day by getting my guitar fixed (one of the best birthday presents ever) and when it was taken to the repair shop she found that its almost beyond repair. There is something funky in the neck and the guy said it would cost at least $500 and there was no guarantee that it will completely fix it, THAT SUCKS SO BADLY.

To me this is more than just a faded/scratched/played out guitar, this is MY guitar. I learned how to play on this guitar, I've played for church, schools, bars, camps, conferences, Americans, Africans, Mexicans, Bosnians, Croations, friends, family and strangers with this guitar and to know I can't fix it hurts me (I get teary thinking about it and I am not one to cry often).

The really tough thing is that Pat gave it to me. For you who don't know, Pat is my aunt and she pretty much raised me. I moved in with her when I was in middle school and she was the world to me. She was like my best friend and even when I moved out for college we spoke all the time. When I was touring here in the states we spoke on the phone every day as I was driving the RV. She was the best.

However, Pat died a few years ago from cancer and as silly as it sounds this guitar was kind of that last close connection I had with her. I don't mean like I see her face in the faded finish or it says her name when I play a bar chord, but just that it means more to me than any other object on Earth. I planned on playing this guitar forever.

Cheers.

Chris

Good Stuff.

I have gotten into Flight of the Conchords on HBO and I think its great. Its about these 2 musicians from New Zealand that live in NYC and they write these super quirky songs that I think are funny, worth checking out.



The Whiskey Row Marathon is tomorrow and UCYC works a water station as the runners run by our camp. We were hoping to go get some fun retro sports clothes from the t'h'rift store and got this pic of the delivery truck. Cheers.

Chris

29.

My Birthday is tomorrow. I imagine lots of you are sitting around wondering what you could get me for my birthday so I will post an entry for Fat Cyclists site. He has a lot of great ideas.

50 Gift Ideas for Cyclists

11.20.2006 | 2:32 pm

Last year, I made the case that if you want to get your favorite cyclist a present, you should forget being creative and buy her/him the stuff s/he’s always having to buy anyway.

I still think that’s a good idea. I don’t think you can go wrong with buying a cyclist any of the following:

1. Tubes: Find out what kind of tubes the cyclist uses, and buy a bunch of them. It’s really nice to have a stash of tubes sitting in the garage whenever you need one. This isn’t all that great of an idea if your cyclist friend has switched to tubeless.

2. Genuine Innovations’ Microflate: An inexpensive, sturdy, tiny, easy-to-use threaded CO2 (or propane, as it turns out) cartridge valve. I really don’t understand why anyone would use anything else.

3. CO2 and Big Air! canisters: Make sure that the canisters you buy are compatible with the valve your friend uses.

4. Sports food / Sports Drink / Gel: If you know what they eat, drink, or ingest (I have to say “ingest” when talking about gels, because neither “eat” nor “drink” is the correct word), buy them a bunch of it. Be careful you know the correct brand and flavors, though. As an innovative twist on this theme, maybe try giving them some Matisse & Jacks Bake-at-Home Energy Bar Mix. They work as well as store-bought bars, are easy to make, and taste an order of magnitude better. For now, you get free shipping if you buy five or more boxes, which seems like a good number to give as a gift.

5. Helmet: This is something many cyclists replace too rarely. Be sure to get the right size.

6. Messenger Bag: Everyone needs a messenger bag. My good friends at Banjo Brothers make great ones for an excellent price

7. Entry fee and commitment for support at a race: If your cyclist races, this is a very nice gift indeed

8. Smartwool Socks: Several pair of the same kind, so that as the cyclist wears them out, they’ve still got matching socks.

9. Lube: Be sure to get the kind your cyclist has settled on. It’s nice to have a year’s supply of lube sitting in the garage, just like it’s nice to have a year’s supply of tubes in there.

10. Shoe cleats: Do you know what kind of pedals your cyclist uses? Buy a new pair of cleats for those shoes. Most cyclists go through a couple pair of these per year, so they’re nice to have.

11. A Floor Pump: When getting started with cycling, most cyclists pick out a cheap floor pump. Then they regret it. But while those cheap floor pumps never quite break — allowing cyclists to discard them in good conscience — they never really work great, either. Go to your local bike store and ask the mechanic what pump they recommend for someone who uses a pump every day (road cyclists in particular pump their tires up before practically every ride), and you’ll give a surprising, exciting gift. I am not kidding. Cyclists love a great floor pump.

So thats that. Ray and I have been planning on going to Scottsdale to do some shopping since we don't have great stores here in Prescott. We are going to go down tonight, stay at a hotel and then spend tomorrow shopping. I am stoked, I think we are going to have fun. Plus there is a whirlpool in our room at the 3 Palms so thats fun. Cheers.

Chris

PS
4 8 15 16 23 42 are from Lost and the new episode was airing last Thursday night. So thats what they were if you were one of the few who didn't know.