Wade's short stories...

OK. So I've blogged about politics. Obama won. I'm content to give it a rest for now. I've blogged about having a baby and being parents. There will most certainly be more of that to come. I've blogged about nothing at all. There were my installments of "Quote of the moment." And now, I'm adding some pictures...just pictures at random...and telling you about them. Going to call it "Wade's short stories; now with pictures."

The first one of a picture of me after my first MMA fight. Pretty brutal. I was in no kind of shape for what turned out to be a 9 minute fight. (3 Rds x 3 min.) As it turned out, neither was he, though he seemed to be able to stand on his feet after the fight. I had to be helped out of the cage by my two corners. My opponent had a very solid chin. I couldn't knock him out, though I tried quite a few times. I ended up out pointing him throughout the fight and pulling off a decision. Fighting has just been a hobby for me--a release. I've been training for about 2 years, off and on. I use wrestling, ju-jitsu, mui-thai kickboxing, and just plain boxing. It's fun, though finding the time to train is proving difficult. I'll probably take 2 more fights before I give it up for awhile, if not for good. My next fight will likely be the end of this month or maybe not until December.

The next picture is of me and my dog Jake. He's an Alaskan Malamute. I've had him for 10 years, since he was a puppy. Jake has truly proven to be my own "man's best friend." I got him during my first marriage. (A topic for another time if requested). After the divorce, it was just me and Jake. He was the only thing in my life, at that time, who/that was always there. We know each other well. He knows when I'm happy. He knows when I'm down too. I know when he doesn't feel good, or when he needs some attention. I adopted a companion for Jake last year. She's a 4 year old Siberian Husky mix. We'll showcase her in another blog down the road. I got her, mainly to keep Jake feeling youthful and alive. It's worked so far, though he can't stand her. When I take them out for exercise, they are a team, though he hates her. Anyway, I love Jake. He's getting into his doggy sunset years and I can barely gut the thought of him not always being around. I love that dog. Hopefully we still have a couple of years together.

Next, we have a picture of "Ol' Betsy." Kidding. I haven't actually named my bike. And if I did, it's name would be more like, "The Hulk," or something to that effect. It's tough as nails and has taken plenty of abuse. For any bike enthusiasts reading this, it's a 2003 Santa Cruz Bullit. It's a great bike, mostly for downhill. I'm used to keeping a bike for 2 years, selling it an getting a new one. But times are tight and a new bike isn't my first priority--though it's not my last by any stretch. I think my first bike was a Murray Moon River or something. A fifteen speed, it was pretty awesome at the time. My second was a Specialized Rockhopper, in 1991. It was better, but not by much. The parts broke down all the time. I was glad to upgrade to my next bike, which was a Giant ATX 770. I actually still have that one, though I turned it into a touring bike for the road. After that, I wanted a nicer mtn. bike and bought a Kona Pahoehoe. It was a hard-tail, which weighed 23 lbs. (I no longer care about weight). But it was awesome, until I crashed into a tree, off a jump, and bent the frame. Kona warrantied it but with a different color that I didn't like. I soon realized, if I was ever going to keep up with the friends I rode with, I had to get a full-suspension bike. So, I sold the Kona, and bought a Specialized Enduro Expert. It was great. I raced it once at Sundance. I rode it for two years, at the end of which I had decided I wanted to go bigger, heavier and more DH rated. So, I bought the Bullit I have now. I love it and it'll be around for another season.

April 29, 2006......one of the happiest days of my life. A day I once never thought I would see. My wedding day with Brynn. It was a very happy day. We were married in Vernal, UT in her parents' backyard. The day was beautiful and we were surrounded with many friends and family. (By the way, the other couple is some of our best friends, Joel and Angela Thomas---I don't have any of our professional pics on here yet.) Brynn is amazing, in every way. I know I am inadequate as her husband, but she continues to make me better and, I guess, sees something in me that I could never see myself. She's my best friend and now, the mother of our child. I'm in love with her.


That concludes today's installment of, "Wade's short stories." Look for future installments, which will be coming up soon.