fire fire and more fire

Well so far our house has been spared by the three wildfires that have sprung up on the outskirts of Flagtown. Jesus Focker, you'd think the gates of Hades were being opened up with all of the smoke and flames that you can see on the hillsides. It's just a stark reminder that there's a big price to pay (besides few jobs, poverty, a broken social scene, and no upward mobility) for living on an island (because the recreation is superb) in the desert southwest. Phoenix sucks, but Phoenix doesn't burn unless you count the silicone and botox in the women. Flagstaff is great, but Flag could burn down tomorrow.

This would be the view from the top of Arizona - Mt. Humphreys. Big Steve has been there up around 12,000 feet. Them be smoke plumes on the north side.

This is the view looking Northeast, past the inner basin's snow filled coulouirs, and that smokestack was up to 75 miles long by mid-day according to NOAA.

OK, so thanks to the emergency personnel who fly the copters and planes that dump water and flame retardant down there....that plane looks like a speck against the smoke plumes. All photos courtesy of a local dude who was on the mountain when the shit hit the fan.

Time to lighten the mood with my daughter's new favorite word - Douche. She says it like Doooouccccccccccchhhhhhhhheeeeeeeee and smiles when she says it. D called somebody a douche bag the other day and since it's so much fun to say the word douche, Lyza picked it up like a $100 bill lying in the street. She's not buying the explanation that it means 'dirt bag' because as she said: "Then you would say dirt bag, not dooooooouuuuuuuucccccccchhhhhhhe". She's is nine on 7/27. I don't even know how to get out of this other than draw a d-bag pictionary style and explain it - or, go to the source...Wikipedia, and let her read the description with me cracking up next to her. It's bad.

So the Omnium results finally came in and I finished in 2nd place overall. I was beaten, and I mean BEATEN by the first place guy (master of the obvious) who's racing age is.......17. I remember seeing him in the road race right next to me, and he looked awfully fresh when we hit steeps. He also looked smaller than my soon to be 9 year old doouuucchhhheeeee talkin' daughter. Then, I didn't see him again until the finish. If I hadn't kicked him to the curb in the crit, I wouldn't have been even close. Ahhh well. Youth is king, and I'm just an old timer looking for an occasional victory. That kid has a future in the sport. It'll be fun to watch him when he gets his Cat II license next year.