Tag Archives: jeff

Fat Chuck’s Revenge

December 18, 2011 by Jeff C | Comments Off

Today was my first-ever mountain bike race.  I even bought a (one-day) racing license.  Ned Barnett made me do it; it gave him one more opportunity to demonstrate his biking superiority over me.  The race was called “Fat Chuck’s Revenge” — named after the toughest section of the course, which is an area called “Fat Chuck’s.”  But the rains this week made that section too muddy to ride.  Kudos to the rain gods for actually making the course a little easier.

Mountain bike racing lesson from today:  Slow but steady….means you’ll finish way near the back.

 

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The Phoenix Rises!

December 14, 2011 by Jeff C | Comments Off

If I remember my mythologies correctly, the phoenix is a creature that rises triumphantly from the ashes of its predecessor.

Recall that my car recently (and spectacularly) burned to a crisp.  Ouch.  With insurance check in hand, I set out to find a replacement — generally looking for one of similar vintage, color, mileage, etc., because I had loved the old one and hoped to keep it forever.  Well, I’m back on the road.  Crazy part?  The replacement I found is the hotrod version (SL55), so I’ve got (pointlessly) 493 horsepower raring to go, which will really come in handy with my drag racing.  I guess I’ll name it Phoenix.  (Are cars supposed to have girl names like boats?  And is Phoenix a boy name or a girl name anyway?)

Austin (or, “If you can beat them, join them!”)

November 8, 2011 by Jeff C | Comments Off

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_JJC7637.jpg_JJC7662.jpg_JJC7634.jpg_JJC7682.jpg_JJC7693.jpg_JJC7708.jpg_JJC7755.jpg_JJC7775.jpg_JJC7780.jpg_JJC7795 Reasoner Kids for Xmas Card.jpg_JJC7798.jpg

I’ve watched OU play the Longhorns at least a dozen times.  But it’s always in Dallas, so I’d never been to a game in Austin.  By happy coincidence, I was in Austin to go to a reception at the law school honoring Robin Gibbs (the founder of my law firm) on the night before a UT/Texas Tech game.  Robin had tickets galore, so I got to see my first Longhorn ballgame in Austin.  Actually the most striking thing about it was how eerily similar it was to games in Norman — just change the colors.

Notice my hideous orange costume — I was undercover and/or trying to be at least modestly gracious to my burnt orange hosts, who somehow love their ‘horns every bit as much as we love the Sooners (Reminds me of the Police song from the 1980s — “The Russians Love Their Children, Too”.).  The “couple” in the stands is a friend and Gibbs & Bruns partner Jeff Kubin, with his sister Jennifer.  The happy family pics are the Reasoners; the pretty girl in the picture with me is my goddaughter, Olivia Reasoner.  By the way, the Longhorns won the game easily; but the Texas Tech band killed the Orange band.

Moab Photography Workshop

November 5, 2011 by Jeff C | Comments Off

_JJC7440 Mesa Arch with sunburst

As this site surely implies, in the past year I’ve resumed one of my teen-years hobbies:  photography.  My skills may not have advanced much in the last 25 years, but the capabilities of modern cameras are indistinguishable from magic.

I was privileged to be a part of the last-ever Digital Landscape Workshop, led by a couple of famous photographers:  Moose Peterson and Joe McNally.  Google them — or take a look at www.moosepeterson.com or www.joemcnally.com.  Those guys rock.  And they really know their, uh, stuff.  So for 15 hours a day, I tried to soak up as much as I could.  As much as anything, I learned that I have much to learn.  Here are some of my pictures from the workshop.

_JJC7175 Peter at DLWS Moab.jpgc70-JJC6860 Broken Arch Signpost 2.jpg_JJC6911 rocks under double arch.jpg_JJC7052 Happy Couple on Double Arch Rocks.jpgc51-JJC6884 SDune Arch No moon 2.jpg_JJC7088 Girl walking under double arch.jpg_JJC7440 Mesa Arch with sunburst.jpgc99-JJC6837 Arches SDune 1.jpg_JJC7425.jpgc21-_JJC6730.JPGc52-_JJC6671.JPGc68-_JJC6710.JPGc96-_JJC6653.JPG

Moose also has an aviation photography website:  www.warbirdimages.com.  Two other instructors (the longtime right-hand-men for Joe and Moose, respectively, have photography websites at www.drewgurian.com and www.chasingthelight.com.

A few friends from the workshop have their pictures online here, http://www.fifty-twopeople.blogspot.com/ (Dan) and here, http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyfan31/ (Fausto) and here http://www.dbpazianphotography.com/ (Barry).  Here’s a picture Fausto took on the last day of the workshop.  I’m sure he considers it the masterpiece of his lifetime — attributable primarily to the impromptu model.

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Finally, here are  “portraits” I took of Moose (with the moustache) and Joe (in glasses).  They were kind enough to dedicate a good 20 seconds each to posing for these.

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Hidden Canyon – Moab Mountain Biking

October 30, 2011 by Jeff C | Comments Off

IMG_0523 Bike on Ledge Hidden Canyon Moab

I came to Moab primarily for a photo workshop (more to come on that), but of course I brought my mountain bike.  It’s Moab, after all (mountain bike mecca).  These are just pocket camera pictures — but sometimes equipment quality is less important than LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.  This is a place called “Hidden Canyon.”  It’s about a one hour mountain bike ride (over tons of slickrock!) off the road, not too far from the Canyonlands airport.  Maybe someday I’ll get a ‘real’ camera up there.

Hidden Canyon Moab Panorama.jpgIMG_0514 JJC at Hidden Canyon.jpgIMG_0477 Downtown Moab Loop.jpgIMG_0523 Bike on Ledge Hidden Canyon Moab.jpg

(Actually, one of these pics — with more trees — is from a trail near downtown Moab).  And: (1) Yes, that’s my bike; (2) Yes, I took that picture of myself; (3) Yes, Mother, I know I probably shouldn’t be an hour’s ride into the wilderness by myself.