"Look Maw ... HANDS"

Something Old, Something New ... and Something New to Me!

Timeboxing My Recovery

"How much for the doggie in the window?"

Rishi, In Full Glory

The most challenging part of this post is going to be containing it. Consider yourself warned.

I met Karl on my first day at Microsoft in June of 1991. Dave was my boss and Karl was his boss.

Karl is my mentor, in the truest sense of the word. Karl is my zen master. Of course, he will balk at such a label … as any true zen master would.

I learned  about work culture from Karl. “Team first” and “work hard, play hard” being the two central mantras that I try my best to carry the torch for. Karl, I’m still trying to figure out how we can pull off your ideal morale event: renting excavators, backhoes, and dump trucks to move a huge mountain of dirt from one place to another. 

Outside of Microsoft, over the years I found myself spending more and more time with Karl. When I was getting more into inline skating all over campus, Karl had the idea of building a launch ramp, which I used to jump riding lawn mowers at first (that was our beta test at his house) and cars later. When my wedding was approaching, Karl planned my bachelor party, culminating in a dozen or more jet skis on Lake Sammamish! When I was taking my retreat down to Utah and Arizona, Karl hiked “rim to rim” to come from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to meet me on the North Rim. 

The most common way that we catch up these days is on bike. I usually get at least a few rides in with him each summer while he’s up on Bainbridge Island. I find myself completely worn out after every ride with Karl, probably because I’m too busy lost in conversation with him to monitor my pace and food/drink intake. 😊 This year, in addition to our rides, he came over to help celebrate my _landmark_ birthday. So I decided to return the favor and fly down to Arizona to help celebrate his _landmark_ birthday. I can never get enough time with Karl! It was a terrific weekend with Karl and Martha (and a short surprise visit with Kathleen and Calvin). 

When it comes to biking, I don’t care about going fast; I care about going long. Karl is the epitome of endurance. I have yet to see Karl falter, bonk, or otherwise tap out on a ride. Karl is a machine. He is in control. He knows his limits (which are pretty way out there), and he stays within them. I want to ride _like_ Karl. And whenever possible, I ride _with_ Karl. Now that I know the route to his place from PHX, I’m thinking I have more opportunities to do just that. 😊

Happy birthday, my good friend!


Explorer Stats: 
Total tiles: 4007 (+12) 
Max Grid: 20x20 (unchanged) 
Max Cluster: 1030 (+0)

Segment of the day: This one also wasn't named, but the Granite Mtn Loop southern segment was absolutely incredible. Lots of small winding trail with nice ups and downs amidst gorgeous views.

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Jeff Bogdan

Let Me Tell You ‘bout a Friend

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"Look Maw ... HANDS"

Something Old, Something New ... and Something New to Me!

Timeboxing My Recovery

"How much for the doggie in the window?"

Rishi, In Full Glory

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