Almost took a day off of skating for the first time this year.  But of course I’m not that smart.  Decided it would be ok to do a short Rampy session and Nate was on it.  Nate skated pretty well, he’s getting his new trick front 5-0 fakie down pretty consistent.  We both did the majority of our standard tricks.  I tried a few boardslides.  Kinda got a few.  Pulling out forward seemed more fun.  At the end of the session Nate and I raced to new tricks.  He was trying front tail back revert.  I was trying fakie front 50 to rock ‘n roll.  We got them back to back.  That’s how we roll.  I think my trick is patented by Joe Hamilton so I better give recognition where it’s due.

Awesome.

Pretty hyped on this clip.

Pushing 50 for the first time in awhile I met Neil out at one of the few dry spots we could find (The blue flatbar that Tyler does the smith kickflip out of here).  Before skating it we shoveled out another spot so it would dry while we skated the blue bar.  Smart eh?I was pretty cranky and tired for some reason.  I didn’t have much drive to skate, but I did.  Neil was on his game pretty quick.  He hopped over a tall box and lipslide the bar quick like.  I couldn’t front board it to save my life.  I did actually try some front smiths on it though.  Didn’t land it, but I don’t think I’ve ever comitted to trying one on a flatbar before.  After a bit I started trying a run where I ollied a box, 3 flip on flat, then front 5-0 or front smith.  After a few tries I got the 5-0 version, but it was only the last few inches.  Oh well, I’m terrified of flat bars.  Lazer and Brian came and Lazer did all the tricks we thought would be rad within minutes.  I added a nollie front lip at the end which felt really fun even though it was only the last foot of the bar.Next we went to the bank to ledge that Neil and I shoveled out.  Damn thing is tall!  After all the work we put into it we couldn’t really skate it.  It was too tall.  I felt as if I was finally getting the timing down to front 50 it when Skelly called lost somewhere in the tech center.  10 minutes on the phone and still no Skelly I left to meet him, but not before being a jerk and speeding off.  We all met at Rock Creek for a pretty fun session.  Brian skated really good.  Lazer skated really good.  Carleigh and Sean skated really good too.  I didn’t.  It bums me out many tricks I can only do on Rampy.  Ugh.Next we did Red Curbs.  I was beat, but Skelly and Jason drove all the way from Ft Collins so you can’t bail out early.  Ended up being a pretty fun session.  I didn’t skate very good, but dorked around and did a slappy front 50 to manual to tail.  Rad.  Before leaving it took about 20 tries to nose manny the manny pad.  Argh.  Not sure why I was so tired, but it happens right.

Saturday morning.  Normally this means play with the kids for a bit and then skate all day.  But today was the Nation Western Stock Show with India and a couple of the other girls in her 4H club.  So I went out and hit Rampy for 15 minutes before we left and while the coffee jitters were still in effect.  Warmup tricks went down pretty quick and I did a few flatground kickflips and frontside flips.  For some reason I started posing what I think are called sugarcanes.  Fronside ollie past disaster into a fakie back smith.  I didn’t get close, but it felt possible someday.  Then I settled on trying front tails and almost died on a set up pivot and had to get going.  Hoot!

I had the day off work and spent it getting a lot of things done and went on a hike with Liz in the snow.  Fun.  Then when Ollie got off school I took him to the sledding hill to go snowboarding.  We hiked the hill 10 – 15 times and hit some tiny little jumps and it was super fun.  My favorite tricks were a run with a stalefish and then a back 180 melon.  Oh wait, this is a skate journal.  Ha.  So after waking up early, doing chores, hiking, hiking and snowboarding instead of taking a nap I hit Circuit City with Nate and Jason for about an hour.  It became apparent pretty quickly that I was exhausted and starving.  Being the dumbass that I am I still skated.  I came really close to getting the fakie flip, fakie nosegrind, fakie treflip run.  Had a lot of problems with halfcab flips.  Landed a 2mph treflip.  Nate was skating ok, but it turned out he was as hungry as me and he had to quit early too.  Jason showed up and talked on the phone for a long time.  Right when Nate and I decided we were over it he started skating.  Ha.  I watched him rattle off everyone of his tricks in about 5 minutes.  Rad.  Front 50, front 5-0, front smith, front nose, back nose, halfcab back nose, back 50, back crooks, back 5-0 and close to back tail.  Rad Jason.

While Liz read to the kids I skated Rampy.  Tried to do like 20 tricks in 20 minutes.  I did.  Fakie pivot fakie and front disaster were the hardest.  Still can’t get hurricanes.

Travis showed up first, then Lazer, Carleigh, Jake, Jason, Ric and Nate. 8 people on little Rampy! Rad.Jason is surprisingly photogenic.  Pivot fakie just for the camera.Jason owns long grinds and somehow he even does it on Rampy.  He had a good night.  Tons of tricks done perfect edge to edge on the ramp.  Here’s a back tail.Lazer kind of owns Rampy.  He can do every trick first try even tricks he just learned.  So now that he learned front disaster reverts (the hard way) I expect him to land them every time now.  Front smith.This photo is a little late on the big snaps on the tiny tranny.LBR showed up!  So sick!  And he even padded up!  He ripped it of course.  Fakie rock one foot thing.Nate wins the ‘sketchy tricks out of nowhere’ award everytime.  Here’s a front d, but who knows how many weird combos he did on accident.  Nate also owns the ‘goofiest walk offs’ when he bails a trick.  He ripped it though and learned front 5-0 reverts.Caleigh has feebles to fakie everytime on Rampy, but has gone like 3 sessions and been denied on front ds.  I guess we just had to take the camera out for her to land it.  She also has kickflip rock fakies out of nowhere too.Jake learns new tricks everytime he skates Rampy.  I’m not sure what it was this time because he landed a ton of tricks.Unfortunately I apparently missed getting a trick of Travis landing a trick.  I only spent a couple minutes taking photos so it’s not as if these are even people’s best tricks or anything.  Travis ripped it though.  Lots of unique and cool tricks.  I myself didn’t skate too well.  I came even closer to getting a hurricane grind and tried a few front d back reverts (not close).  Fun night though.  Everyone was having a good time.

Saw this photo on Jack’s blog and it made me laugh.

First off, I want to say that this was one of the best years for music since the 90s.  Granted, almost all the music I purchased this year is either a band that was around in the early 90s or has members from that era.  Still, an awesome year for music.BEST ALBUMS OF 2009

	1. Dinosaur Jr – Farm. It’s no mystery that I love Dinosaur Jr more than any other band out there. It’s also no secret that they could put out a mediocre album (by their standards) and it will still be my favorite album of the year. But imagine this year when they released Farm and it’s one of their finest albums ever. Farm is so far beyond (no pun intended) anything else that came out this year. I’d even say it’s leagues above anything that has come out this decade. Okay, I’ll go even further, Farm is the best album released since You’re Living All Over Me in 1987. There you go. Totally epic. Best band ever.
	2. Pissed Jeans – King Of Jeans. This album totally benefits from Dinosaur Jr putting out such a good album. Dinosaur Jr pretty much satisfies my cravings for indie rock, metal, pop, garage, noise, etc except Dinosaur Jr doesn’t do trashy gutter punk. And oh boy did Pissed Jeans fill that void this year and then some. I absolutely love this album and the simple lyrics. It reminds me of early 90s grunge/punk masters like Jesus Lizard, Nirvana, Tad. Love it.
	3. Boston Spaceships – Planets Are Blasted. They put out two albums this year. That’s common for Robert Pollard, but it still amazes me. This one edges out Zero to 99, but really, both albums are awesome. Boston Spaceships really know how to deliver the hooks. They do awesome lo fi indie rock to perfection. This is another album that reminds me of how music was made in the early 90s. The song Keep Me Down was runner up for me to skate to in Off The Couch if for some reason I was banned from using Dinosaur Jr.
	4. The Thermals – Now We Can See. This is the first Thermals album I’m not completely in love with. There are three songs I could totally do without; When I Died, We Were Sick and Liquid In, Liquid Out. Those songs lack the energy I want in the Thermals. Not only are those songs weak, but When I Died and We Were Sick start the album off. With that being said though, the rest still makes me happy in the way that only the Thermals can do. I think the songs When We Were Alive and I Called Out Your Name are up to par with any great Thermals songs.
	5. Polvo – In Prism. Good ol’ weird indie rock. I’d probably like it more if it wasn’t a double LP with only two songs on each side so you have to flip the record over so much. I mean did you really have to do that Merge? You have to play it at 45rpm too. Why not just put 4 songs on each side and play it at 33?

Honorable mentions: Sonic Youth – The Eternal (If there show would have been good I’d like it more), Boston Spaceships – Zero to 99 (Two albums in one year awesome)Decent, but disappointing:Obits – I Blame You.  Just not heavy or interesting enough.Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band – Outer South.  I’m glad you’re having fun Conor, but we just want to hear you.Please stop existing as a band: BUILT TO SPILL.  Seriously, call it quits while I still have some respect for you.  Your shows are horrible and uninspired and the new music is beyond boring.Songs of the Year:Best Dinosaur Jr song – I Don’t Wanna Go There.  4 minutes of meat and potatoes Dinosaur Jr.  5 minutes of solo.  EPIC.Best non-Dinosaur Jr hype me up song: Pissed Jeans – False Jesii Part II.  Runner up The Thermals – When We Were Alive.Best pop song: Boston Spaceships – Let It Rest For A Little WhileBest Video: Dinosaur Jr – Over It.Concerts Of The Year:1. Dinosaur Jr – Aggie Theater in Fort Collins, CO.  Totally epic setlist played perfect.2. Jesus Lizard – Capitol Hill Block Party Seattle, WA.  The Mighty Jesus Lizard delivered!3. Dinosaur Jr – Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO. Something a bit lacking about this show, but still loud and awesome.4. The Thermals – Marquis Theater, Denver, CO.  Such a fun time.5. Conor Oberst – Waiting Room, Omaha, NE. Christmas show party. Awesome. Some of the old Bright Eyes songs were so good.Worst concert of the Year: Sonic Youth at the Ogden.   Play a hit you elitist assholes.Looking forward to in 2010: Haven’t heard of much yet other than a new Thermals album.  Hope to see more Dinosaur Jr obviously and hopefully Pissed Jeans tour.