Version 2.0

first time swimming

2011-12-10T06:52:00.000-08:00

Sleepy

2011-11-27T15:05:00.000-08:00

I always tell Amy how boring Jack Johnson is. She, of course, dissagrees. Today a JJ song came on while I was holding Sadie, she fell right asleep. I guess I win that one.

right...i said she looks loke me

2011-11-18T05:29:00.000-08:00

My Princess

2011-11-17T18:16:00.000-08:00

Sadie Juliette Bartoszuk
Born 11-16-2011
8lbs 14oz 21" long

Poor girl looks just like me!

2 for 3

2011-08-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

Two races in three weeks. Am I pro? Ok, how about 2 races all year. Thats more like it. I plan for the doosies, 24Wausau and Ore to Shore. 24 went well. I rode lots of bike and saw lotsa friends. Thats the best part. The race is something like #7. At this point its "easy". All you have to do is keep going and take your turn. Big woop. I can do that in my sleep. I guess I did. 2nd in the co-ed 4 person. We were steady even if it did rain a little. Rox was rockin', bs was bs'n, bro-in-law (sit down for this one) had more random fact than Steve, and bosslehoff had to buy two plane tickets, one for him and one for his hair.

Ore 2 Shore. I killed it. I had a time of 3:25. If you factor in for the time change from central to eastern I won! The race is a race. Big turn out. Well supported by the community. Challenging as hell. Makes you happy to just finish. Now the good stuff. Pre riding on trails that arent even in the course, lookouts that make where you started from look so far away, brakeless downhill singletrack, xc pumptracks, and that was just Friday. Riding with the bro, plato, jojo, and a couple rad girls is the best. Wish there were more. Did it again Sunday. Legs were swearing at me but the voices in my head were thanking me. So much fun was had. I cried tears of joy or were they windswept from the high speed single?

Cant wait till next year!

No Pic But It Was Real

2011-07-18T19:24:00.000-07:00

Today I saw a guy riding in town. He was in FULL Fox Cities Tri Club Kit. He had no helmet on, was wearing bright white tennis shoes, and was on fixed gear road bike. I couldnt pull that look off.

Making a final push right now. I had planned on having fun this July but that light is getting so much brighter. I ordered my countertops yesterday and had the basement measured for carpet. I got all my extension jambs on over the weekend and cased in my doors plus the patio doors. Tonight I layed out all my leangths of base molding so tommorow night I can cut and install. I hope I can get it all nailed on in 2-3 nights. Then I have about a night of grouting and then I can start final installs of bathroom fixtures and make final plumbing connections.

Then its just final touches and connect all the cable lines and splitters and mount the tv's.

I still need a sauna door and insulate with cedar but that doesnt have to happen anytime soon.

I think I can be 95% done by the first weekend in August. Then time for summer.

Back

2011-07-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

A full week off was nice. Mqt in the summer cant be beat, I dont care where you are.

I got some rides in too. Got the Up Nort' bike out and it was prime to ride. 75 degree, sun, and no wind. Lake Superior was glass all week. The great thing about riding up there is that there are trails everywhere. Marked trails. You can park anywhere in town and be on singletrack in less than a mile. I rode 2.5 hrs 3 different days all singletrack all from town and didnt ride the same thing twice. Awesome! I got into some great views, found a 12-15' waterfall by accident, and found the limit of mechanical disk brakes with a 200lb rider.

Up this month... finish the basement (fingers crossed), get a few rides in, celibrate #37, and rip some black dirt day and night with my homies.

Vacay

2011-07-01T17:00:00.001-07:00

Ahh... the 4th is here. Time relax and enjoy some sun. Planning on spending some time here, there, and everywhere. After a little more work on my basement project I am calling it quits for a little while. I am at a good stopping point and I think I deserve a break. Doors and trim are about all I have left for major tasks. Soon I will be calling for carpet and looking for people to come break this thing in.

I am super excited to spend time with my little family and spend some time alone with nothing but the sound of tires gripping dirt and heavy breathing. Maybe a little yea-haa's mixed in when I hit a certain section of UP brakeless singletrack that I have been dreaming about.

Tour also starts and I admit I am a junkie. You cant fake the excitement and real life drama that unfolds during that race. No fancy A-list producer could replicate the intracasies, battles, and suffering going on. You just have to watch it and I will be.

July is shaping up to be a great month. Time off, summer fun, dirt shredding, and getting the gang back together in Wausau is going to make this month fly by but also one that should leave me satisfied and refreshed heading into the next things in life.

Thump

2011-06-20T15:27:00.001-07:00

What goes pitter patter pitter patter pitter patter thump?

Jake using his new walking legs.

Fathers day was chill. Jake has been sick (dang daycare) but was pulling out of it by Sunday. Not enough though for me to run off and not feel bad leaving Amy alone. So we did family errands for groceries and more tile for my never ending basement project. Good enough for me.

Work looks like I will be pulling 12hr days for a while so who knows between that and home life how much I get to rip dirt.

Day of Firsts

2011-06-09T08:55:00.000-07:00

This last Sunday was a day of firsts...

First time I had to pull over and ask my wife to drive because I couldn't.

First time I layed in bed and cried.

First time I had to call somebody for help.

First time I went to the emergency room and got whisked through and was seeing a doctor in ten minutes.

First time I puked from pain.

First time I heard a nurse say "I have orders to give you all the pain meds you need."

First time a doctor looked at me and said, "don't worry about a ride home you aren't going anywhere."

First time having a anesthesiologist say "Go to your happy place."

First time having an overnighter in the hospital.

First time peeing so much blood it looks like Hawaiian Punch.

First time handfulls of Vicoden doesn't take away the pain.

I have heard kidney stones are painful but holy Sh.....!!!

Turns out I also had an infection in my bladder so they couldn't remove the stone. If the stone plugged my inner plumbing it could cause back pressure and send the infection to my kidneys. From there my Kidneys would send the infection to the rest of my body. Thats a bad thing. So I got some extra plumbing put inside me to help everything go where it needs to go.

Since the stone is still in there until the infection is gone I get to feel the stone move around a couple times day. Want to see a grown man cry, come over.

Friday I get it all out. Just the thought of no pain is euphoric.

I Was in the Military

2011-06-07T06:33:00.000-07:00

But I am not the patriot in the family. Things we take for granted not forgoten to my father.

Cool Kids

2011-06-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

Everybody wants to their kid to be one of the cool kids.

I remember back to high school watching a few guys roll up and think how cool they were.

I still walk into work some days and see some guys coming in and think how cool they are.

Why are they so cool? They ride motorcycles.

I want a cool kid. So I am starting Jake off right!

I just need to give him a good street name so that that all the 2 year olds in the neighborhood and at daycare know not to mess with him.

Beefcake

2011-05-27T12:49:00.001-07:00

My Iola

2011-05-02T20:42:00.001-07:00

Goofball

2011-04-28T15:54:00.001-07:00

I Have a 1yr Old

2011-04-25T13:48:00.001-07:00

Back

2011-04-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

Back to work. Drywall is done and so is paint. Time for lights, outlets, and switched to go back on. All thats left is put down a couple hundred sq feet of tile, hang 4 doors, nail a bunch of base and casing all over, install some laminate floor, line the sauna with cedar, mount some cabinets, build a bar, and have carpet installed. Uggg... At least in the mean time with nice weather I got a chance to dig a 30' ditch by hand to drain my backyard pond.

Stay at Home Friday

2011-04-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

I was going to work a half day today. Amy is in Milwaukee and Jake has a Dr appointment at 1. He hasn't been feeling well. I hate daycare germs. But when we got him up it was obvious he needed 100% attention. So its daddy time. What do I get to deal with? Well... he has an upset stomach and diarrhea from the the antibiotics for a double ear infection, he has 3 teeth coming in, severe diaper rash from pooping 5 times a day, and a dislocated elbow. He is actually in pretty good spirits and not super cranky as long as you are right in front of his face smiling at him, playing with a toy in front of him, or walking around holding him keeping him stimulated by showing and explaining whats in every room of the house. He is napping now and shouldn't be up until we go see the Dr.

2 Weeks Off

2011-03-23T16:41:00.000-07:00

I have actually gotten to a point. A milestone, break point, or whatever you call it in my basement project progress. I have all my hvac done, electrical is done, bath and plumbing done, framing done, and mostly cleaned up my mess. To write it down in a little sentence like that doesn't even begin to describe the amount of work I have done. I had the g-ville building inspector over today and he took a look around, said "nice job" had no issues with any of my work and gave me the green light to start drywalling and cover everything up.

I did take a bit of satisfaction to know he thought I did a god job. Especially how little I knew when I started. I didn't know what 16" centers meant or the difference between 12 gauge or 14 gauge wire. I learned codes and what applied to me and in most case exceeded requirements.

Over last weekend, knowing I would be ready for drywall soon, I layed out all my wall dimensions, figured out all the required sizes of sheets according to break points, and went to the store for a quote. Well, once I realized I needed 127 sheets, I had a bit of a shock in anticipation of the work ahead. I thought that might really bog this project down especially with warmer weather on its way so I asked around a bit at work, got a req from a guy, called, had an estimate to do the drywall and texture in the basement. Quote came back acceptable and on Monday he starts. He said its a 2 week job. I wonder how long it would take me if it takes a professional of 27 years 2 weeks. Plus I only get down stairs after Jakester goes to bed, so I work 630pm to 930pm. I figured about a year. This may be the best money ever spent besides Ritalin for ronko.

Now I get a little time off. I have some odds and ends to finish up before Monday but nothing to stress about. My time off, at night, will be spent getting trim ready, ordering doors, picking out tile and grout, and prepping materials to start the finish portion. It may be close but I am hoping to be able to offer up space for the 12hr race in GB.

whew

2011-03-12T19:19:00.000-08:00

All fixed.

aaaaaarg and burnt out

2011-03-10T17:25:00.000-08:00

Screwed up my taxes. I should say turbo tax screwed them up. I will take the blame for trusting that the crappy program works. E-filed and according to the feds amy has 2 identical w-2. How does the stoopid program, after an "error analysis" not realize she couldn't possibly have two identical w-2 from the same exact company? So with our huge income 33% more than we made the feds think I agreed to pay them $9235. Yeah amendment and the 12-20 week process that hopefully they realize my original is wrong and don't start charging me interest on 9k!

I spent all weekend on basement plumbing only to have low flow, back pressure to the shower, 4 leaking connections, and a drain that wont seal. Now I get to tackle each issue individually and fry my brain.

amateurness

2011-03-04T15:56:00.000-08:00

Is anyone sick of winter yet?

I am so happy to have been busy. The basement has been rolling along. I have all my walls built. All my lighting is in. I put up 23 lights, across 7 rooms, with 5 single switches, 1 3-way switch, and 1 4-way switch. Too my surprise they all work. All my electrical is in for outlets, tv's, refrigerator... My bathroom has the shower framed and installed, rough plumbing done, bath fan mounted/wired/vented, cold storage is rewired and lighted, all my hvac is done for heat and return air, and my archways are up between spaces. For this weekend I am going to finish my bath plumbing and run speaker wires for surround sound and get all my tv cable/hdmi cables run. Then its give the inspector a call and start drywalling. If all goes well I would like to have all my drywall hung by the end of March. Do all the texture and painting by mid April, install tile flooring by end of April, get trim and carpet in by the end of May. Then I might slow down and little bit and enjoy summer and pick at mounting cabinets and building countertop in the bar. But it will be a livable finished space by then so it wont matter. At this point I havent hired any work out and only had a little help from my father in law framing a weekend. If I can continue this way I hope to have done everything myself except lay the carpet.

I will post pics someday but there really isnt much to see until drywall is hung. It just looks 2x4's with white wire running off the ground.

If anyone has tips on applying texture with joint compound let me know. I can only get so much from reading how from google.

10 Month Day

2011-02-23T18:35:00.000-08:00

Not so little Jake is 10 months old today. He is pushing 25lbs and 30 inches. He also picked today as the day to start crawling. It is hilarious to me to see him crawling. He looks like a little person.

So Indecisive

2011-02-21T04:51:00.000-08:00

Progress is the Opposite Congress

2011-02-16T08:21:00.001-08:00

I have been making good progress in the basement. All perimiter walls and framing are done. Ceilings are dropped or soffeted as required by ducts/wires/plumbing. Spaces are defined. Electrical boxes are in place waiting for wires. Lighting is in place waiting for wires also. Bathroom tub/shower is enclosed and rough plumbed. Today is cutting a hole in the house for the bath fan and get fan mounted. The rest of the week will be the rest of the plumbing and then head to electrical. Maybe next weekend I will be done-ish but my internal goal is the end of Feb to be ready for drywall. Its close but really to be able for drywall all I need is to be ready while the ground is frozen so I can haul it to the basement doors. Then it can be a fair weather project. If its nice I can sneak in some rides if it sucks I can work in the basement.

Happy Valentines Day

2011-02-14T15:06:00.001-08:00

From Jake...

It Worked

2011-01-24T17:28:00.000-08:00

Pic from Saturday...

For The Haters

2011-01-20T11:58:00.000-08:00

Flash Mob

Uhhhh...

2011-01-13T14:36:00.000-08:00

Love it.

swap and basement

2011-01-12T16:16:00.000-08:00

Last weekend went to xplains for the annual bike swap. Ronkos put up the bartz bros and we all had a marvelous time. Except for saturday morning when we felt like hell and smelled of fermented sugars. Went to the swap with a pocket full of cash and left with a pocketful of cash. No splurging for me this year. Really I have all I need/want and more. Lucky me! Lucky all of us, it was a theme... or looking for parts we needed hurt our head to much.

All together though it was a fantastic weekend with the ronko fam, seeing the hoenish fam, and sharing a few with Samio.

Got a jump on the basement. Closed in wall to the bar for a pass through. Framed a closed wall for the bathroom, and got all my nailing surfaces ready for the 15 foot bedroom wall, aka "cb's room".

Next its get cbs wall done and get the bathroom and closet walls up.

Its Go Time

2011-01-05T16:38:00.000-08:00

A while back I showed a picture of my bikes lined up in the basement. In the back ground were bare walls and cement floors. Now picture a basement with just bare walls and cement floors. I could show that again as the before picture but you are smart enough to get the idea. What is ahead of me... a basement remodel. Specifically a bedroom, a bathroom, a large rec room, a bar, an office, and a sauna. 1250 sq feet of additional home for my family and friends to come visit and stay. The intent is more like a mother in law suit or little appt.

So tonight I started. I hauled 100 2x4's in a variety of lengths down to the basement. I have all my tools, saws, guns, and compressor ready to go. Tomorrow I start building walls and doorways to make my rooms.

Right now I am excited to start. We will see how long that lasts.

Pics to come as progress happens.

My 2011 New Years Resolutions

2011-01-03T14:49:00.000-08:00

Christmas Tree Safety

2010-12-12T06:54:00.000-08:00

Dont do this...

Take the tree off before pulling into the garage. I just missed ripping off my garage door trim. Positive side... at least it wasnt a bike up there, right Andy.

Jakey Poo

2010-12-07T17:16:00.000-08:00

Real Sports

2010-11-22T16:17:00.000-08:00

Everyone has argued at one point or another what is a real sport. Is golf a sport? Is bowling a sport? Race car driving? Nascar, paaaaaalease? Bike riding? Skiing? Snowboarding?

I say none of them. I think to classify as a real sport it has to be something not everyone can do. Or, even a point that we (people who live in real life) think that we could do part of. You should never sit on the couch and think if I put my beer down I could go out and do that right now. Thats how I classify real sports.

Eg... Football. Farve misses a wide open guy. I could have thrown that. Receiver drops a ball in the breadbasket, I could have caught that. Left fielder misses a pop up, I could have caught that too. Lebron misses a free throw or lay up, I could have made that. Ride a bike, anybody can do that. Fishing, never mind. Golf, I can hit the ball too. Bowling, not lazy enough yet but someday I can throw a strike between beers. You get what I am saying.

To me I have always thought there are only two real sports. Bull riding and motorcycle racing. Never have I ever thought, "I could have ridden that bull for 8 seconds. What a pansy, let go of the rope and just ran out of the ring." Or, "jeez, he totally blew that turn at 155mph, if he leaned a little more and scrapped his knee on the tarmac a little more I bet he could hit 160 in the apex." Not me and not you. Thats what I mean. Nobody claims they could do what bull riders or motorcycle racers do at any point.

Well, I have a third. Its not really a sport but I dont know anyone who thinks they can do any of this.

So my three are... Bull Riding, motorcycle racing and

Danny Macaskill

porchbaldychickenblackandwhite

2010-11-10T13:40:00.000-08:00

Dorks

2010-10-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

Jake outdoing me in the smile department.

This will never get old (for me)

Pics for Uncle Luke

2010-10-13T17:01:00.000-07:00

Spit and Smile

2010-09-19T18:13:00.000-07:00

Lots of people tell you all about parenthood.

They tell you about how rewarding it is.

They tell you how amazing watching your children grow is.

They tell you how much a little smile or giggle can brighten your day.

It is all true.

What people dont tell you about are the times like these.

New Stats

2010-09-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

Jake had his 4 month appointment this last week.

He is 26.25" inches long.

He weighs 17.2 lbs.

So far he has grown 6 inches and added 10lbs.

Both height and weight are 86% but on the cuteness scale he was 100%.

Baby Aquarium

2010-08-26T14:58:00.000-07:00

Since

2010-08-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

Since I last posted things have happened. (duh)

I had 3 weeks off to raise my boy. The first week was really hard. It was July and I couldn't even tell you if it was hot out or not. By week 2 and 3 me and Jakie had our routine down and it was wonderful. Best 3 weeks of my life.

One of those weeks I spent up in the U.P. at the in-laws. Since I now have a baby that means we pack the car to the tippy top. Car seat, stroller, diaper bag, Jake's bag, Amy's bag, my bag, Max's toys, max, plus amys work stuff and guess what is now left behind. MY BIKE! So, since I am a resourceful fella, I figured I would build something up and leave there. In my quest, my friend monisha in AZ, recalled a friend with something for sale and with a very generous homeboy hook up later I was the proud owner of a KHS 29er singlespeed. Hook up #2 with a fedex shipping code from someone who shall remain nameless since I dont any of you to know who I am referring to, and I now have my up north bike. I couple rides on my up north bike and Ore to Shore looming in the distance, I decided I needed something a little more geared since my new dad legs didn't really feel up for a 48 mile gearless ride. So I scavenged my bike box and came out with a new x9 drivetrain, a new set of 29er wheels I just happened to need another bike for, some new Schwalbe rubber, a sram pg990 cassette, and a set of xt cranks. When it was done it was a pretty nice ride. The bike fits perfect and comes out pretty light also.

Oh yeah, O2Shore, Owiee. That's the short version. Longer version below.

OWIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Having some gears helped but I cant swap out different legs from the random box of legs I have downstairs.

Enough about me, lets talk about Jake. He is huge. He is like a little boy. I know he is a little boy but he doesn't seem like a little baby boy anymore. Check him out.....

Before-----------

Now------------

Crazy! He got big so fast.

Seriously though. He changes everyday. He is super vocal. He talks and talks non stop. That in turn makes me laugh non stop. I seem to spend most of my day making silly faces and noises to make him smile and laugh, which makes him laugh, which makes me laugh, which makes him laugh, which makes me laugh, which makes him laugh... until he gets hungry or needs a new diaper and then we do it all over again.

OK, since you read this far here are a couple pics to leave you with.

Amy playing "dress up the baby"

Happy pants!

Mr Mom

2010-07-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

Amy went back to work this week. She exhausted her 12 weeks of maternity leave. Now its my turn. I am doing 3 weeks as Mr Mom. So far 5 days into it I am doing OK. I tell you though, it is hard work. If Jake takes a nap its like I won the lottery. Originally I thought I would get some tanning time in on the deck, maybe insulate the garage, set up 3 wheel sets tubeless, and work on the yard a little. Uhhh... Yeah, NO! If I get to drink my coffee while its still a little hot I am doing well. But, the reward is 100% daddy time. I get paid for my effort in smiles and they are worth more than gold.

Also, since Amy is working, I have been doing more with Jake when Amy is home. I also have been making Amy her breakfasts, while she is doing office work I have been making the dinners, doing dishes, cleaning bottles, etc... Total Mr. Mom stuff.

On a side note it isn't a coincidence that the 3 weeks I am off just happens to be the 3 weeks the tour is going on!

I cant say I am anxious to go back to work but it is much easier to just get up, get dressed, and leave the house but so far this has been awesome.

11 Weeks

2010-07-12T04:46:00.000-07:00

My Mom is a "Digital Scrapbooker" and made this for me.

Pics from Saturday.

Pics W/ Descriptions

2010-07-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

Ironic

Max and Jake "Max, Head Put Your Head Down."

Lots of Rain= Pond in Yard

The Boys- Yes, Jake's legs are that long at 9 weeks!

Busy Beezzzzzzzzzzzzz

Stats

2010-06-30T12:58:00.000-07:00

When you have a baby you become obssesed with sats. Jake had his 2 month Dr. visit today and I couldnt wait to find out height and weight. He weighed in at 12.4 lbs (54%) and was 24 inches long (79%). Basically he his long and lanky/ tall and skinny. So far he is built to be a runner or swimmer. After taking a good look at his feet I say swimmer.

SWAGGER WAGON

2010-06-25T10:33:00.000-07:00

This made me cry I was laughing so hard. I cant help but think of Ronko when I see this vid.

"singing farmer in the dell in perfect harmony, rollin with my posse in the HOV."

For the Birds (ducks)

2010-06-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to just have a yard put in but I got a pond for no additional charge.

I would say too much rain is better than the alternative.

National Grilling Day

2010-06-20T16:22:00.000-07:00

My first Fathers day. I got to take Jake to his first bike race and watch Jojo do everthing he could as a solo rider to animate the race. He succeeded with one lap to go.

As a recap, last weekend we drove as big happy family 600 miles one way to Thief River Falls, MN to visit my grandma or Jakes great grandma. It was important for me for the 2 of them to meet. 1246 mileslater mission accomplished.

Oh yeah, back to fathers day. Its so cool. I am loving being a dad. Jake is growing like crazy. He is starting to get a couple little rolls but he still is mostly lanky and tall. He is so cute I cant stand it.

2010-06-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

Dad, you best be using 80% of it on a Target gift card for me....

Thats Not a Knife

2010-06-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

We go for bike rides.

I have a cousin who goes to war.

Between deployments he decided to go for a bike ride with a couple friends.

Its not just a bike ride.

He is riding across a continent.

Starting in Adelaide and riding to Darwin, Australia.

Here is a pic of him standing in the ocean with his Surly Long Haul Trucker.

Good luck Andy!

You make a 'cuz proud, and not for riding a bike across another country because you protect this one.

Update

2010-05-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

Just to post something so you know I am still here.

I have been working, changing diapers, feeding bottles, and finding time to sleep.

Jake is doing well. He is eating and growing.

Amy is doing well.

Thats all.

Check up

2010-05-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

When Jake had his three day check up he had an extra heart beat for every 6 beats. It wasnt really extra, it was actually a part of his heart beat that was behind thus sounding like an extra one. Thats what started the panic and sent us to the pediatrician cardiologist.

At the end of week one, after that rough Monday and Tuesday, when they thought he would be fine his heart beat had 2 extra beats in 30 seconds. We were improving like they thought.

At Jakes last check up he had NO extra (irregular) beats. Jakes heart beat is normal.

I am high fiving you in my head!

Short Recap

2010-05-04T14:18:00.000-07:00

Skipped Iola. Shouldnt say skipped. Spectated. Saw the curtes bros and performa punks and volunteered my duties as bottle passer.

It was nice to see everyone again. Was a bit jelous not to be riding but that will come later. I got poopie diapers to change. I am cool with that. Actually, really cool with that.

Today is the grand opening of the "super top secret greatest trail network bonfire flaming meat burning beer drinking story telling buddie heckling bike riding midweek mtn bike league night " and i am typing one handed with jake in my arm. Waiting to change a poopie diaper. I am cool with that, really cool.

Speaking of cool...

What was that really cool movie we all loved growing up.

RAD! bikes, chics, tricks, beating the man, and freestyling on the balance beam during prom.

whats rad now...?

Jake thinks me.

Uneventful

2010-04-29T16:56:00.000-07:00

Jake is getting into a routine. I am happy for uneventful days with Jakie. I shouldnt say uneventful. If you saw his first real poop you would call that an event. It could be described by weight.

My first time changing his diaper I was introduced to his pee sprinkler.

Good times.

The best though was before he was 24 hours I got to blame my first fart on him. I did the ol' rip one and when Amy gave me a dirty look I pointed at him. It wasnt fair to him but thats what dads do, and it came so natural.

Half Grey Will Soon Be Full Grey

2010-04-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

Now that I have time...

To say Jake had a difficult time coming into this world would be an understatement. He was overdue 4 days. Amy was induced at 8am. He still didn't want to come out. Her water finally broke at 2pm. No action except for his heart rate was doing funny things. Dr. came in and said a couple "uh..hmmm... I don't like this.... this isn't good... hmmm." Then looked at us and said, "If something doesn't change soon we have to get him out right away." Uhh, what??????????

Then his HR stabilized but only if Amy was on her right side. So there she stayed the next 8hrs. As time got close his HR started to go funny again. I don't mean funny, more like half of what it is supposed to be during a contraction and not coming back, not funny at all. Dr says, make a decision quick, we can try pushing but we got to get him out and soon. We said try pushing but the Dr. kept everyone on stand by. The anesthesiologist, the OR, everyone waiting to jump in. Jake started coming and it looked like all was well. Then he got stuck. For a while. Dr was concerned, when his head started to poke thru he grabbed it and pulled him out. The cord was wrapped around his neck and holding him back. I couldn't tell you what came next but there was a blur of action and next thing I knew they said it was a boy and he was Amys belly. Whew! A boy!!! Then he wouldn't cry and his breathing was labored. They took him for the rest of night and by morning all was well.

Is your heart beating right now? Mine is thinking of all that again.

He came home Sunday. He went to meet his pediatrician Monday. She listened to his heart beat and said "hmmmm... this concerns me a little, go to children's hospital right now and get an EKG." OK. Off we go. Get his EKG and they say they will get back in a couple days with results. That was yesterday. Today at 11am I get a call, "Can you come back to children's to see the cardiologist. Can you come now? Can you come ASAP?" Uhhhh... "Amy get dressed we gotta go now!" Off we go. He didn't have to wait when we got there. For a drop in that seemed unusual. Off we go, they want to do a sonogram and get pics of all the chambers of his heart. That lasts 45 minutes and then another EKG. Dr comes in and asks "Did he have stressful delivery? Was the cord wrapped around him?" Uhh, yeah why do you ask?

Dr. never knew the person behind the EKG from Monday. When he saw it, it was just a strip with lines. What he saw was a damaged/defective heart. He came prepared to give us bad news. Now he was relieved. There were 2 possibilities. One a severely damaged heart, or an infant in recovery from a distressed labor. We were the later. The later is the better of the two. By better of the two, meaning something to monitor and should be fine. His rhythm strip from Monday to Tuesday even showed improvement. He said due the cord being pinched and wrapped the supply of oxygen was cut off to the heart and he basically had a little heart attack. He said a bunch of other fancy stuff to explain that other things between the two EKG's that were positive but all I heard was "He should be fine." I didn't need to hear anymore than that. He finished with "this is the best part of my day being able to tell you he is OK and I am not concerned. What I expected when I saw this and having you coming in was not going to be good."

And we were off.

Is your heart beating right now? Mine is thinking of all that again. That was our day today.

Now we are home again. Everything seems fine.

In his four days of life he taken us on emergency trips to children's hospital twice. If I am not fully grey when you see me next I should be close.

Jake's Not Little

2010-04-27T15:15:00.001-07:00

His crib is HUGE!

Look What I Made

2010-04-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

Well... Amy helped.

Jacob Jeremy
22 inches
7 lb 8 oz
April 23, 2010

Waiting

2010-04-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

Nothing yet.

Due date was Tuesday and now we are well over. By "we" I should just say Amy.

Friday is the day if nothing happens tonight.

Tommorow I am a dad!

Multitasker

2010-04-19T15:10:00.000-07:00

Still waiting.

Return to sender

2010-04-16T18:29:00.001-07:00

The other day Amy got a baby shower in a box from our good friends Laura and Shawn in AK.

There was so much stuff in the box it took Amy forever to get through it.

Unforunately Max was feeling a bit left out. He normally gets all the attention but this box of loot was cramping his style. So he went to the kitchen to pout.

We said "Maxie come over here and be part of the family." He was happy to come over and help.

After he saw all the awesome stuff "baby" got he thought that AK was the place to be... it is where all the cool stuff comes from. He thought he could try and sneak there. I caught him before he had a chance.

Little rascal that one...

2 for 1

2010-04-10T05:34:00.001-07:00

Last night I cooked steaks for Amy and I.

One for her, one for me, and one for me to nibble little bits off while I was grilling.

Then I thought that my 2 for 1 wasnt such a big deal when I got this 2 for 1 deal going on.

Almost here...

Wisco In April

2010-04-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

Two days ago I rode in a short sleeve jersey. Today it is snowing sideways and the ground is covered in white.

Played with the Basher for a while tonight. Got the brakes dialed. New wheels on with 2.4's front and rear. Its more like a monster truck now. I like it. I love the sound of a SS hub. Its like a hive of bees chasing you.

A couple rides in on the mtb. Riding rigid is going to take some getting used to but I like it. It doesnt help that its my first few rides of the year were on a new fork so the handling is way off. I went out with a new fork, new wheels, new brakes, and new tires. It took all of 4 minutes on the trail before I went over the bars with a nice thud. One of those where I didnt get my hands out in front of me on time. Sack of potatos.

Legs are not spinning at a respectable cadence but that is undestandable. It will come around. I think my debut will be wors cup. Iola is too close to the big event. Rhinelander is too far to go after the big event. I dont know what else then Nordic. So that is my goal. I am going to try and do the 2 Kettle races, Muir and Greenbush. Gotta at least be there to throw sticks at Ronnie.

Max is crazy. Nothing new there.

Good luck to the boys in AZ.

Out.

Stuff

2010-04-03T13:26:00.001-07:00

New Patio

Hit the Dirt

Tagged

Toy

24-9 is Cancelled

2010-03-20T05:59:00.000-07:00

I Need New Friends

2010-03-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

Same guy!

Random

2010-03-07T06:07:00.000-08:00

I went snowboarding on Thursday night. 2-1 pricing. $15 for a couple hours. I felt like such on old man. I didnt dress like I just got out of clown school or text while in the lift line.

Its nice out. Snow is melting. Should go for a ride today and get my butt into gear(s).

Amy is big and so cute!

This is awesome! I had to buy it. (scroll down and check a sample, I cant stop laughing!)

6 weeks to go!

Trades Part 1

2010-02-28T14:43:00.000-08:00

This...

for this.

Easy

2010-02-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

Easy come, easy go.

Niner is sold.

Heading to NC.

Looking at it in the basement kind of makes me wish I could keep it. It sure is/was pretty.

I just couldnt live with myself knowing the heckling I would get at Beechwood with 27 speeds.

What I dont get is how come I got bikes going out and all these punks got bikes coming in?

24.2

2010-02-14T12:09:00.000-08:00

Thats how much it weighs as it sits.

2009 Niner Air9 (Large)
Reba Race
Bonty cranks and wheels w/Racing Ralphs
X9 Triggers
X9 rear d
XT front d
Easton Bars
Race Face Stem
Crank Bros headset
Easton Seatpost

Did I mention it glows in the dark?

Too many gears for me. I dont know when I would ever ride it. So...its for sale.

$1550

joshbarts@yahoo.com

'Stache Bash 2010

2010-02-05T13:34:00.000-08:00

Ohhh Niner

2010-01-28T17:00:00.000-08:00

I wanted to write something about my coming thoughts for 2010 but I never really closed out 2009. 2009 was such a great year I want to put something down so I remember it.

On the biking side of it, it was my best year ever. I looked back and found I started my regular riding outside Feb 6th. I had a ton of miles in by the time the h8r came around and felt ready to hammer. Some bike issues slowed me down a bit but what I came away with was knowing I was able to time trial my cross bike for 40 something miles by Easter weekend. That was an improvement over my usual Iola first ride of the year.
Last year I also got rid of my gears and went straight up SS.

The first race was a 6hr in Green Bay. I was nervous how I would do, not placement wise but being able to ride ss for 6 hrs. Turns out it wasn't that bad. I actually liked it and after putting 63 miles in and feeling good I was pumped for the real start of the season in Iola the following weekend.

Iola came and I had crazy butterflies. I was talking to the Performa punks in the parking lot and almost missed my start. Last one in line, that's how I roll. Funny thing happened though after the first section of hills I found myself in 3rd place and by the end of the race passed everyone and scored my first bike win ever!

That set up my year. After that I podiumed every race I entered (except 02s and cheq). The biggest though being the 24hr duo I did with CB. Read it here, but the short story was we won that too. Many rides up in gb and Tuesday nights at the Beech caps what was a fantastic bike riding and racing year.

On the family side of things, maybe that should be first, was probably even better. Amy and I went on two dream vacations. We spent my birthday

in Alaska with some great friends hiking, fishing, card playing, and sight seeing. Then, later in the fall, we went to Hawaii and split our time between Wailea and Waikiki. This time less hiking and sightseeing and more relaxing with a little extra relaxing when we needed a break from relaxing.

We also built our house. We didn't go overboard but it is pretty close to our dream house. We got everything we wanted that we thought we would never be able to get or afford, thanks economy.

Also on the family side of things, I look back in fond memory of the party and bike ride on the fourth of July at Jojo's house.

What a day that turned out to be. I will never forget that day. It changed my life.

I cant say that's it but it is the highlights that I can think of for now.

2010 thoughts next. If I had to put it in perspective, on a scale of one to ten, last year was a 3 compared to what's coming. Remember "jumping off a cliff and learning to fly", that is still coming! I cant wait.

Four

2010-01-25T14:33:00.000-08:00

Four

That is how many times I ran last week. I went slow. I didn't go very far. I didn't hate it. If I look back and calculate it is pretty easy to figure out how much I have ran in the past. I have run once a year. It is always once. Once in the winter. I go once and hate it and don't go again until the next year. Last year I skipped that one run because I knew I would just quit so I didn't bother. So my point is, I have ran more in the last week than I have in four years, or I have equaled my total for the last five years in one week. Pretty good if you ask me.

I have been looking at the positives I can get from running. Exercise...blah, blah, blah, we all know that. What I mean is what I didn't know that I am learning.

One, it sure is nice to be done in a half hour and be home.
Two, by only being gone a half hour I don't have to charge my mp3 all the time.
Three, prep time is short. No bottles, no air pressure, no food, just tie up the shoes and go.
Four, ........ that's all I got for now.

Not much, I know, but it is something.

Run Forrest Run!

2010-01-18T09:17:00.000-08:00

Dam you cb, dam you.

I got a bit of jealousy reading how you have gotten on the running train. We are mtb's dam it! We don't run!

I wish so bad I liked to run. Short time frame, high reward. Plus... you can do it with your dog. Max is so hyper and ready to go at any second. I wish I could do it. I wish I could do it for him.

I put my shoes on yesterday. I ran. Once. It didn't suck. I am going to do it again. Today probably. If I can run for a week I will try it with Max. If I can run with Max I might be stuck doing it everyday(ish). Another angle for motivation.

Hmmm...

2010-01-15T09:00:00.001-08:00

What should I do with this???

Shenanigans

2010-01-07T17:14:00.000-08:00

Here is my version...

The other version is here...

Not Good

2009-12-10T13:23:00.001-08:00

Its cold out and my pants are already getting tight.

USS Arizona

2009-12-07T10:34:00.001-08:00

Photo cred: Me

Knife Story

2009-12-02T10:55:00.000-08:00

Real Men Carry a Pocket Knife

Back in the day all guys carried a pocket knife. Those guys could build things and fix things. If you needed a building you put one up. If the car was broke you took it apart and fixed it. It wasn't remove or replace everything. You figured out what was wrong and replaced or fixed the broken part. You didn't replaced the whole thing. But, it all started with the pocket knife.

I was reminded of this over the weekend during the move. Every time I had a puzzled look on my face about something while trying to figure out what my next step should be, Amy's dad would come over for a look also. First thing he would do is pull out his pocket knife and dig into it. While a pocket knife cant fix everything it can get you started towards telling you what you do need. So, I dug through my tool box and got my own. I kept it in my pocket all weekend. Wouldn't you know I used it. I used it a lot! I cut tape breaking down boxes, I pried covers off, I turned screws, I trimmed little bits of left over tape, I scraped glue residue, I cut the tops off stubborn bags, I pried a little rock from my shoe, and I adjusted a door latch all with my little knife.

Real Men... remember those. Guys like my dad, Amy's dad, my grandpa. Guys who can do anything and know a little something about everything. It is turning into a lost concept... a lost art. I don't know a fraction of what my dad knows and never will. It seems each generation is just a watered down version of their parents. That makes me think, what I have to teach my kids? What will they learn from me? Will I be the pocket knife carrying dad or grandpa? I hope so because real men carry a knife.

Thanks

2009-11-24T09:56:00.000-08:00

I have been sitting at my computer thinking I should write something. I started writing about how stressed I am. I erased it because it sounded so lame. I had nothing good to say and I didn't really want to complain in a post.

I started day dreaming, which I do too much of, and thought I should think of what I am thankful for and try and get out of my little pitty party. When I thought to myself "Self... what are you thankful for this year?" I had a FLOOD of a response.

So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, here it is.

What I am thankful for 2009.

1. There really is only one thing I am thankful for. Everything else is a product of this one thing.

My wife, Amy. She is awesome. I know it. Everyone who knows her knows it. I know I scored big time when I married her. When I look back at my life before her and compare it to now everything is better. She made it better. When I look at my future it only gets better. The thing that is stressing me out right now doesn't really even matter. If it doesn't work out like it is supposed to it wont make a difference. I know she is there for me no matter what and I for her. I know there isn't anything too big or small that we cant beat or accomplish together and that gives me so much confidence. It gives me so much confidence it is empowering and makes me feel like I can do anything. So, when I used to sit around and daydream and daydream of what I wish my life would be like, I would dream about this one. The one I have right now. And that is something I am very thankful for.

Another Fave From This Summer

2009-11-18T11:21:00.000-08:00

Luke

Who says you have to grow up...

Last Weekend and This Week

2009-11-11T06:55:00.000-08:00

This weekend I started packing. I looked at all my stuff and wondered where to start. Start with the summer stuff, wont need that for a while. That meant... bike stuff. Do I pack it all up or leave a little something out for a couple weeks and finish later. I hate loose ends. I packed it all up and stuck it into a corner of the garage ready for the truck. Bikes, same thing, off to the corner. Big Wheel gets to stay out for trips to video store, pizza shop, and beverage provider. That means, season over. Kind of sad. It feels like the year is over. Should do the year in review now. There is less than two months until 2010 but with the bike riding it always feels like the year begins and ends with the riding.

Now what? More packing. Yeah. Its too early to think of next year. I cant help it though. I should start preparing now. I have never had a future that seems so unpredictable as it feels now.

Next year...oh man... seems like I am jumping of a cliff and have to learn to fly on the way down. Anyone else feeling that way?

At least it will be exciting.

I Love This One

2009-11-06T11:57:00.000-08:00

It cracks me up every time.

Thanks Brandon.

Blaster and Beyond

2009-11-03T16:40:00.000-08:00

1/2 not 1/2 barrel

Bike Beer

Happy Place

Offseason

Spooky

Lots has been going on but not much at all. I like reading about whats happening with the bros but cant find the time to write myself.

Guys are doing cross but my motivation is flat. I should be getting ready for the big move but my motivation is flat. Really, Amy and I are just enjoying not doing much accept just hanging with each other until thats not our only option. Living the slow life, putting pj's on early, and trying to go to bed before 9. I have been working a solid 4 days a week. I got a buddie that I get breakfast with on Friday mornings. Things are chill. I like that.

Whats coming... remember I said move. Thats coming. Winter is coming. Then what...

There were two missed bdays lately. Ben...33! I saw a pic of his bday present and damn I got to get to his basement.

Oh yeah... one last thing... who does tri's? SS and triathlete goes together like Naval aviation or a really nice trailer park. I just dont get it. But cool for them I guess.

Before and After

2009-10-26T15:59:00.001-07:00

HI

2009-10-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

Quick recap from the trip to Hawaii...

Yes... even this can get old...

When this is your other option.

Gone

2009-09-24T17:09:00.000-07:00

Good luck to everyone starting thier cross season this year. Wish I could be there but I gotta go here instead.

Be back in Oct.

Cheq

2009-09-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

Cheq 40 this past weekend. Huge event. Lots of fast people.

Mike hooked up the condo and had enough rooom for the 6 of us comfortably.

We ate like kings. Rode bikes as fast as we could. Ate again. Drank adult beverages until the ground looked comfy.

Huge showing from the Fuel Crew. 7 in the prefered start and 2 just off the back for a total of 9 Fuel kits.

Everyone had a great race. Everyone beat or exceeded their personal goals. Everyone finished in one piece.

Congrats to Joe for winning 1st overall singlespeed.

I had my best finish ever on what turned out to be a fast day for everyone.

My time of 2:42:50 was 28 minutes faster than last year!

I ran a straight 2:1 ratio for gears. 32x16. Had I been a little stronger in the end on the Birkie rollers I could have shaved off another 6-8 minutes but I cracked and really struggled for the last 5-6 miles.

Great GREAT weekend!!!

Rewind and FF

2009-09-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I did a race in Green Bay, I was 2nd ss.

Last weekend I did a race in Lake Geneva, I was 2nd ss.

This weekend I am racing the Chek 40, I wont be second, maybe from the end.

My pump track got knocked down. They dug a big hole. In that hole they poured some cement. Now they are putting some wood on top of that.

Hawaii in 2 weeks.

And all that is nothing... just wait!

Sellibration Sixer

2009-08-21T12:29:00.001-07:00

Coordination

2009-08-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

This is how you properly coordinate an outfit

C-O-M-D

2009-08-16T16:58:00.000-07:00

Check Out My Dirt

Add It Up

2009-08-15T12:04:00.001-07:00

This past Monday I went for a road ride with some Performa punks. I felt fine, I felt loose, I felt fast. I got creamed by Jesse and didn't even come close to fighting for the polka dot jersey. I don't think I even scored a point.

I went for a mtb ride Wed at the camp. I felt fine, I felt loose, I felt fast. I got a lesson in singletrack shredding and power climbing by Paul Duece Revere Kekstas.

I couldn't figure out why I felt fine but there is no snap or power in my legs. My brain says go, my body lunges and I get a mediocre response. I thought of the riding I have done recently and when I added it up I came to something like 235 miles on my one geared wonder bike in two and a half weeks. Hmmm, maybe that has something to do with it.

Hopefully, and what I am trying to convince myself of is, that after 24-9 I wasn't completely recovered. When I threw O2S in the mix with some random rides in between it might have been a bit too much after taking most of July off for parties and vacation. I actually did a recovery ride ride Thursday night with a friend of mine and kept the HR really low for a 25 mile ride and that felt great.

So we will see how things respond. I have 2 weeks before the next race and the 32x16 wont turn itself.

O2S '09

2009-08-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

Ore to Shore was this weekend. Hitched a ride from some Performa guys. Thanks. As we sat around the campsite I talked them into a friendly 3 hr singletrack ski hill ride the eve of the race.

Yipee!!!

I had a couple grey areas in mind on exactly what trails get us out to the ski hill and sure enough in the 3 decisions to make I was wrong all 3. We did work our way out and still had a killer ride. One tricky section had us repairing a wheel and had myself cleaning blood off my arm and off my break cables where it continued drip as I rode.

Yipee!!!

Mike Curtes had the hook up for camping. Curtes bro's, Sam W, Hartigs, and Beechwood locals Randy and Sara filled a couple campsites with people to share our stories.

Race starts saturday. Fourth O2S for me. 1st year was a 26" full suspension, year 2 and 3 29" full sussy, this year, singlespeed hardtail. My goal was 3:10, last years time was 3:31 with some issues. Lead out, holy crap, my 32x16 had me spinning watching a geared parade go by. The rest of the race was uneventful. I kept the rubber side down, got smoked again on the road section halfway throught the race, held of cramps at the end, had a killer 4 up sprint (3 ss'rs) to the finish that I pulled out with the first wheel across. Finish time was 3:11.04. Close to my 3:10 goal but still happy with it. I dont think 3hrs is too hard to get to. If I can hold my place on the climb out of the bridge over the river, 3hrs isnt a lofty goal.

Fuel riders:
Joe Curtes killed it with Singlespeed overall win and 24th overall.
Sam Wellskopf won his age group with a 28th overall.
Mike Curtes had some wheel issue and after riding past him on the side of the trail engulfed in a mixed blue cloud of CO2 and tire sealant he found a way to cath me and still beat me by 40 seconds.

Another great weekend that I still have a buzz from.

Next.

Western Style

2009-08-05T05:03:00.000-07:00

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Next Up

2009-08-04T05:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend is Ore to Shore. This was the last of my plans for the summer. By last plans I mean the last of the big events I am looking forward to. Alaska was big, 24-9 was big, O2S isn't a big deal its just I really look forward to it. I still have plenty to do. Its just none of it has that same once a year feal. I still have to make my return to WORS since only doing the first 2 races and cross will be fast approaching.

I can say I was a bit bummed when I was thinking about that. So I added a new one. This one is going to be the shiz. This one will make me think twice about a dinner consisting of beer and chicken wings for the next 7 weeks.

Going here.

Staying here.

Up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up......

Reward?

24-9 Recap

2009-07-31T11:26:00.000-07:00

I thought I should write up a little recap of the race. I am just going to plagiarize. Chris said it all. Replace the "Josh" for "Chris" and the view was the same from me.

Eating... I could eat anything. Good, bad, wet, gross. It didn't matter what it was. Foods was fuel.

Support... Without Big Steve and PMFT I don't know if it happens this way.

Partner... It takes a lot of trust to do this with a partner. I thought I could trust Chris. I know I can trust Chris. In 24hrs all we basically said was "have a nice ride." We took our laps, never complained, was at the start on time, and just kept going.

Perfect.

Quinn

2009-07-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

I finally got to meet meet nephew Quinn yesterday. I was disappointed I had to wait until he was 6 days old but I promise to make up for it in the future. With all that went on this past weekend holding him was by far the highlight.

That little guy is going to have quite an interesting future ahead of him. He has 4 uncles! I don't know Jessica's brother but I am sure with having us 4 Bartoszuk boys looking out for him the only thing I can think of is world domination.

Heck, he already farts like one of us.

24-9 Duo

2009-07-27T05:59:00.000-07:00

18 laps total, 9 laps for a total of 132 miles each. Two laps 32x17, 7 laps 32x18.

We went one for one with no sleep the whole time. Hardest thing I have ever done a bike. I hurt all over. At least it was worth it for the win!

More later.

Thanks to Big Steve and Phil. We couldnt have done it without you.

AK and Then Some

2009-07-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

One word- In friggin credible!!!

Hikes, charter fishing for Halibut, glaciers (plural), more hikes, more glaciers, peaks (see 35th b-day pic), pints o'amber, yahtzee till the we hours, and to bed before the sun went down (at 2am).

Pics dont do it justice, you cant feel how big it is unless you are there.

Yah, thats a Glacier

Glacier Lake

Gordon Lion Peak

Amy, Me, Shawn, and Laura (our gracious hosts)

MUCHOS GRACIAS!!!

Halibut fishing in Homer

Where the hell is Homer, AK?

Yeah, we caught fish, 200lbs of fish!

We saw lots of animals even a moose

Awsome trip! I cant thank Laura and Shawn enough.

Now... of for my next adventure.