Whoa! Over a month ago we still had snow, but today, the grass is green, flowers in full bloom...ahh, yes, summer is finally on the way. What a difference a month makes. Still pretty chilly most evenings with occasional frost, but the veggie garden is growing quite well. Many tulips and daffodils still in full bloom. Still leery about putting in the tomato plants until the weekend, where we should have temps in the high 70's to mid-80's. Not too shabby.

Our latest book, Bike, Scooter and Chopper Projects for the Evil Genius, came out late last month, and Brad with his World Record SkyCycle (2003) was featured in a new book on Page 6 entitled, Crazy Canadian Trivia 3 by Pat Hancock, published by Scholastic Canada Ltd., ISBN 978-0-545-99995-3. It's a really neat book with loads of interesting stuff. Wish we had something like this when we were kids. Did you know that actor James Doohan (Enterprise engineer "Scotty" in the Star Trek TV series and movies) was a Canadian whose cremated ashes were launched into space last year? Now you do!

It's been a very busy month in the garage. The Marauder Reloaded recumbent is done, and the Lode Runner Delta Trike should be painted this weekend. The Marauder is a new and improved design of the original 2003 Marauder Lowracer featured in Atomic Zombie's Bicycle Builder's Bonanza. The Lode Runner Delta Trike is designed to support heavier riders who want to be at eye level with motorized vehicles and also for hauling cargo.

Since many of us feel more stable riding trikes as we get older, the Lode Runner is a great bike for short and long haul rides, with two rear disc brakes and parking brake. Should be taking it for a test ride tomorrow, then priming and painting over the weekend. I like the seat and rear cargo area. Might as well take advantage of the cooler temps right now, since the garage will be in the 90's and over 100 in late July.

Once the final pics are done, Brad plans to hide in his room for a few days writing them up. They will be available for download in a week or so. Stay tuned to the forum for announcements. Been reading about the nasty weather affecting our southern neighbors in the US. Hope you are doing OK. Our thoughts are with you.

It's a dreary day, some snow in the morning and rain, but still chilly. It's been raining for over a day, but the sun is finally trying to come out, although it's too late in the day to really get out there and enjoy it. Still need to wear a warm jacket.

Yes, it's hard to believe that a few days in the garage means another bike is nearing completion. What a change from a month ago when we were still getting snow and sub-zero temperatures. Brad spent an entire weekend cleaning and re-organizing the garage, then started right away on the Marauder Reloaded. He's been working on this design for well over a year.

Since last month, we finished up some minor house renovations and gearing up for this season's building extravaganza. A bit behind on the build schedule, but hope to have the Lode Runner Delta Trike done in June, followed by the Black Pearl Chopper.

Still no update on the second payment processor on the store due to more delays. Wish we could do that stuff ourselves; it would be done by now. But, have to wait a little longer for them to get it together. In the meantime, payments are still being accepted through PayPal or with a credit card.

The Builder's Gallery was recently updated with dozens of awesome creations, so check it out.

Not much more to report right now, but stay tuned for the unveiling of the new Marauder Reloaded Lowracer in the next few weeks.

Tonight's dinner will be Chicken Almond Khorma, recipe courtesy of our forum member TheVictim. This is the second time I've made it, and it's easy, as well as delicious. We welcome anyone to post their favorite recipes, too.

Well, here we are, supposedly in spring, but Mother Nature isn't co-operating. We, like many parts of the world, are still having snow, cold temperatures, freezing rain, and basically unfriendly cycling weather. Brad is getting anxious to start cleaning the garage, but the backyard is still full of snow and mud spots, so hope the sun will shine all week long. Maybe we will actually have a nice spring after all? Let's hope so, although last April we got several feet of snow dumped on us.

To cope with this seemingly long winter, we worked on and launched a new Support Forum and Atomic Zombie store. The new software are much more user friendly, organized and loaded with features. But, we were unable to import previous forum members and customers into the new database, so you must re-register (it takes seconds) on both systems. Sometimes old and new technology don't get along.

The store doesn't require that you log in to your customer account get your downloadable project links - you will receive them automatically in an email from the store once your payment is successfully processed. The entire ordering, checkout and download link receipt is quick and easy.

We are working on some issues with the second payment processor (hope to have it fixed this week), but for now, you can still pay with PayPal. You can pay with a credit card, and don't need to have a PayPal account. If you aren't a fan of PayPal, rest assured, you don't have to become a member of that payment processor to pay for purchases.

Many projects on the Atomic Zombie To Do list, but have had to push up tentative release dates due to the late spring. Here's what's tentatively coming up this spring, summer and fall:

Marauder Reloaded (April)
Lode Runner Delta Trike (May)
Black Pearl Chopper (June)
Tandem Inline Delta Trike (July)
Tandem Electric Motorcycle (August)
HQ SWB Lowracer (September)
Winter Vehicle (October)

Bike, Scooter and Chopper Projects for the Evil Genius will be out some time in May. Keep checking the Support Forum for updates and announcements. This is a book, and we cannot offer it as a download, since the copyright is owned by McGraw-Hill.

We have had some problems getting a steady supply of Atomic Zombie's Bicycle Builder's Bonanza and 101 Spy Gadgets for the Evil Genius, so thanks for your patience while we work out supplier issues. Unfortunately, due to insane shipping costs and delays, we cannot ship books outside of Canada and USA at this time. We're not a multinational conglomerate that can negotiate cheap shipping rates; just a Zombie, a Kat and a dawg!

Also, working on updating the Builder's Gallery - sorry it's taking so long. We decided to do some much needed home renovations that became a bit of a nightmare. Almost got the main stuff finished, so will finally have some uninterrupted time to sit here for hours to upload your latest creations. Great work, everyone! More amazing builds will be posted in the next week.

The latest Atomic Zombie newsletter is also online, www.atomiczombie.com/newsletter/april2008.htm.

Stay warm, friends.

The StreetFighter Quad Cycle is finally online and already creating a buzz. This will be the last big project until we thaw from the deep freeze. Can't build in the garage when it's in the -30s and -40s Celsius. Even the kerosene heater can't keep up with frigid temps. The StreetFighter was a suggestion by one of our Atomic Zombie Krew members - SirJoey - last year. It took longer than expected to get done, between other projects and books, but what a major accomplishment!

The Builder's Gallery was updated recently with a record 35 new projects. Many cool builds, including some amazing clones of Marauder, Meridian, StreetFox, Bandito, Sparky, DeltaWolf and OverKill. Alot of incredible talent out there, so keep up the great work, everyone.

More software upgrades over the next couple of months that will keep us up many late nights, but necessary to keep things going along smoothly.

The latest Atomic Zombie newsletter is also online, www.atomiczombie.com/newsletter/january2008.htm.

Stay warm, friends.

I know, I know, it's been awhile since the last update. The summer has flown by somehow (I barely remember August), and fall is settling in, although the temps have been in the 80's and 90's some days. Very weird. So much to do around the house, and so little time - literally.

Of course, that means getting our bike projects done as quickly as possible, as well as our next book, "Bike, Scooter, and Chopper Projects for the Evil Genius", due out in late April 2008. There will be at least two more downloadable projects coming in the next few months, and a winter bike for sure in January/February.

But, in the meantime, the StreetFox Tadpole Trike download is online and sparking some interest in the bike building community. We took it out for some video footage and pictures a couple of weeks ago, my first real test ride at Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park, just a half hour drive from where we live. It was unbelievably hot that day, not a good day for wearing black t-shirts.

I was so impressed with how well the StreetFox handled around sharp corners, comfortable and fast. Considering I haven't done much bike riding this summer, I managed to tackle a couple of fairly steep hills with little effort. Should have known better than to wear the black tee, though. I can also lift the trike easily in and out of the back of the truck by myself, another plus.

After riding around for a couple of hours, we rested at the beach and met up with an Atomic Zombie fan, who is also an electric bike enthusiast. It's interesting how many people are into this hobby and electric vehicles. After chatting it up with him for almost an hour, we packed up and headed home.

It was a productive day, but we headed to a BBQ for dinner and decided to ride our bikes, about a 15 minute ride, Brad on his DeltaWolf with underseat steering modification and me on my StreetFox. I can honestly say that I'm now a huge fan of the tadpole trike design. I liked my WildKat Recumbent, but I think I'm hooked on the StreetFox for sure. Check it out for yourself.

Brad is currently working on a compact electric scooter, smaller than the LongRanger Electric Bike, but still practical and easy to build. That download will be available in October. So, we're still plugging along, and yes, the Builder's Gallery is being updated. Once all of the latest entries are done, it will all be uploaded late one evening. Have to be weary of our bandwidth issues these days. Thanks for your continued patience as we try to resolve the occasional download glitches. We have some options available, but improvements take time and money, things we're a bit short on these days. The store and site will be streamlined later this year.

Cheers for now. 

Comments  

Finally got some decent weather to shoot some video footage of the Gladiator Chopper Trike. Granted, we've been lucky to have an abundance of rain, compared to many part of the world having drought conditions, raging forest fires and low water tables, so we're not complaining here!

Despite the unpredictable weather, we did get the Gladiator out for some footage before the high humidity set in last week. The Gladiator download is also available now.

Brad is now working on the StreetFox Tadpole Trike - yes, it's really coming along. I know, we said that in the spring, but he seriously has it all planned out, has all of the parts, just a few things to get done this week and he'll begin putting it together.

I believe he's planning on getting the LongRanger Electric Bike download done over the next week, too. Of course, in typical Atomic Zombie style, he'll be working in the sweltering heat since the temperature has risen to the 30s and 40s Celsius (80s to 90s Fahrenheit). I'm going to wait until the temperature cools off before beginning my welding lessons. It's more important to get the StreetFox Tadpole Trike done first.

I'll have the fall to tinker with some projects I've been wanting to work on. I have plenty of yard work to keep me busy for the rest of the summer any way. Nothing like picking fresh veggies from your garden! I guess that's it for now. Stay tuned for more updates. 

Well, after nearly a month of sweat, blood and tears - literally - the baddest chopper of the Atomic Zombie Extreme Machines family is cruising the streets. This phat chopper even makes Harley riders stop and gaze in amazement. Brad went for a half-hour ride yesterday and eventually came back nearly an hour-and-a-half later.

"I can't ride half a block without someone waving me down, or running up to me to take a look," he said yesterday, amazed that so many people want to ask questions about the Gladiator.

I've ridden it, too, and it's amazingly comfortable, easy to handle, smooth. You forget there are two car wheels; it's that smooth.

The download will be available in a few weeks, but first, the StreetFox Tadpole Trike will be built. This will be my ride and will mark, the beginning of my welding lessons. I'll be starting out on the stick welder and maybe get a mig later on. I want to build some trailers and things for the yard. I'm really looking forward to learning something new. This will definitely test my tolerance for patience. Should be interesting.

As for the Gladiator chopper, it really has been a labor of love, and Brad has some scars to prove it. I'll spare you the gory pictures, though.

He got a nasty burn on his arm after touching a piece of freshly welded metal; poked himself in the eye with a wheel spoke; caught his shirt on fire; hammered on his finger and now the nail is black; and yesterday, gashed his head on the chain ring that was hanging up to dry after being painted. He bent down to pick something up off the floor, then "Crunch!" - one of the ring's teeth dug into his head, leaving a half-inch gash. I walked into the garage to ask him something, and he asked me to look at the wound.

"Yep, it's bleeding, dude. Might need a couple of stitches." I cleaned it up, applied direct pressure, added some antibiotic stuff and the bleeding stopped. Back out to the garage he went. He HAD to get the Gladiator on the road that day for it's first official test ride as the newest completed project. He HAD to ride to his buddy's house and show him. Now, that's dedication to the cause!

Add to the physical injuries - building the beast in a 90 degree garage! Definitely lots of sweat went into this build. The tears - well, not much - but Brad wasn't very happy with the paint job at first. It seems the manufacturer of the type of paint he normally uses added some sparkle-speckle crap to their brand and he wasn't thrilled about it at all, especially since it's not stated on the can. Let's just say that projectiles were launched in the air in frustration, but he's ok with the final result now thanks to some positive feedback yesterday. How frustrating, though, to put in so much work, only to be disappointed with the quality of paint, especially when it's made by a manufacturer whose products you've used for years. It all worked out in the end, and soon the download will be available so everyone can build their own Gladiator style chopper!

Just recently updated the Atomic Zombie Builder's Gallery with over 20 new projects built by cool Atomic Zombie Krew members from around the world.

Check out these creative customs, most of which are inspired by Atomic Zombie™ Extreme Machine designs.

Wow - it's been over a month since my last update. Seems like only last week I updated the blog. My bad! Sorry, folks. Been really busy with yard work and getting the vegetable garden and flower beds planted. I have spent the past week and a half weeding every garden again since they keep growing faster than the plants I want to grow. It has been incredibly hot and humid for most of June, which is great for the plants, but hard on the body, especially Brad, who's been sweltering in the garage recently.

We had a warm, dry spring at first, then it turned cold, some frost early in the month, then rainy and many storms. The lightning has been unbelievable, and yes, I have seen horizontal lightning bolts for the first time. It freaked me out. Yesterday was filled with torrential rain, intense lightning, wind and warnings of tornadoes. Apparently, one touched down west of here, but reports haven't been confirmed yet. We've had fried routers and hubs to replace and the usual annoyances thanks to power outages, some flooding (our house plumbing needs an overhaul), software glitches and so on. But, in true Atomic Zombie spirit, we're muddling through the crap and still enjoying the stuff we do.

Earlier this month, we got the green light to do another book for McGraw-Hill, "Bike, Scooter and Chopper Projects for the Evil Genius." Brad's started on projects already. It will be available in spring 2008. And, we're looking over edits of "51 Practical Jokes for the Evil Genius" due out in September 2007. MAKE magazine is planning to publish a how-to article on our Granny's Nightmare bike chopper in issue # 11 out in August 2007.

Brad's totally psyched about a new chopper - Gladiator - for the bike book. It should be completed in the next couple of weeks, then my Streetfox Tadpole Trike will be done, too. I hope to start welding soon to help out with the Tadpole and maybe design a small trailer to pull behind it since it will be my main ride. In between all of the building madness and new deadline, he's also making headway on the Arcturus Hybrid Camper Cycle, but that's an extensive project that will take at least another year to complete.

Other than spending lots of time outdoors and in the garage, not much else is new. Oh, I did see Willie Nelson and Family in concert here last week and that 74-year-old dude can sure throw an amazing party. I was so impressed with the opening acts - Shaye and 40 Points - but Willie was awesome. My dad and I had a great time. He's a big Willie fan.

Stay tuned to the Builder's Gallery. There will be new additions late next week. I'm a bit overwhelmed with paperwork these days, so it's taking a little longer to get the gallery updated. Cheers, friends.

Happy Canada Day - July 1 and Independence Day - July 4.

Freak Bike Militia - Golden Horseshoe Cruisers will be holding their second annual Hamilton Beach Cruise and Can-Am Challenge,  July 20 & 21, Oakville, Ontario. For more information, contact fbmghc@hotmail.com and check out the flyer http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f387/yyzmec/FBMGHHBC07FLYERa.jpg . Last year's event was a success, so join the fun and good times. Atomic Zombie is proud to sponsor this awesome event.

Many nearby forest fires forced the Ministry of Natural Resources to impose fire bans throughout most of the region. We knew that there was a good chance we couldn't have campfires over the weekend. Indeed, the ban continued all weekend despite some rain on Saturday. So, there we were - AZ, KoolKat and the Prince of Dogness - huddled together in our House of Cloth, under half a dozen blankets and heater blasting on high, watching Friends episodes on our archaic DVD player, which refused to work one night, probably due to the cold.

Yes, icicles did form above our heads due to the condensation from our breath while were sleeping, and we're all trying to shake the chills from three days and nights of sub-zero temps, rains and wearing layers of clothing all of the time. Yes, it rained and snowed twice. We must be crazy to subject ourselves to this unpredictable weather every year, but what else can you do on a long weekend!? Despite the chilliness, we did relax, saw many deer, a rabbit, a raccoon, walked around the park and did enjoy a couple of days of sunshine.

We did have a tragedy on Friday that put a damper all weekend. Brad brought his buddy Sparky to tool around the park since he's a silent little dude, but tragedy struck, and an ear-shattering boom disrupted the evening tranquility. Poor Sparky blew a rear tire in a spectacular explosion, leaving Brad to push the bike back to the campsite, a long walk from where the tragedy took place. The rear tire is beyond repair; it blew up pretty good.Maybe it's time to reincarnate Sparky into another electric vehicle. Guess that's what happens when you buy crap tires from Crappy Tire (Canadian Tire). This time, we'll invest in higher quality wheels.

So, now that we're back in the swing of things and thawing out, you know what this means - it's BIKE BUILDING TIME, BABY!

The first project will be the Streetfox Tadpole Trike, which will include rear suspension. I really took a liking to Brad's DeltaWolf Trike, so I get to have a trike of my own.  I did like my WildKat Recumbent last year, but I really like trikes right now. After cruising around on the Kyoto Cruiser Trike, last year, I want my own. When I have the garden completely planted, then I'll start my welding lessons, too. I can hardly wait. Updates on this project will be posted here and in the forum.

Freak Bike Militia - Golden Horseshoe Cruisers will be holding their second annual Hamilton Beach Cruise and Can-Am Challenge,  July 20 & 21, Oakville, Ontario. For more information, contact fbmghc@hotmail.com and check out the flyer http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f387/yyzmec/FBMGHHBC07FLYERa.jpg . Last year's event was a success, so join the fun and good times. We will get there some day, Tony, I promise!

OK, I think I can say for sure that spring is here. Tulips are coming up now, and there isn't any more snow in the forecast. I know, I said that last month and look what happened! It was actually +20 C yesterday, a far cry from the -20 C three weeks ago. The gardens are ready for planting, even have some grape plants in the ground and hoping they will grow well this summer.

The composter yielded some great soil almost to the very top of the container, the first time in several years since I started it. There's hope for me yet!

Only six home improvement projects line up for this summer! When you own a home, there's always something to do. The biggest hurdle is finding the time to fit everything in. I wonder how we ever got anything accomplished when we had cable TV! I'm so  glad we cancelled it years ago. We do enjoy watching DVDs of Macgyver, Hawaii Five-O, Miami Vice, Macleod, Quincy, Kojak, etc. My dad actually met Telly Savalas (Kojak) while on a trip in California years ago. We like the 70s and 80s shows the best. The only time we take a break during the day is to watch an episode of one of those shows, then it's back to the grind.

Only three more chapters to finish for the 51 High-Tech Practical Jokes book, then the garage cleaning and bike building begins! First on the list is another recumbent, followed by a chopper and tadpole trike. While these are being built, I will learn welding from the guru and work on some trailer designs that I've been wanting to build. Wish I could sketch better. I have them worked out in my head, just can't seem to put them on paper to make sense.

Updated the Builders Gallery over the weekend - a record 23 entries, including 14 choppers! There's alot of talent and creativity out there. Truly inspiring. Keep up the great work, everyone, and keep sending in those pictures of your completed home built projects to the gallery.

Who loves ya, baby?

I can't believe it - I think that spring has finally arrived. There's no snow in the yard and I've already started cleaning up the gardens and raked the lawn for the first time. The ground is still frozen in many areas, though.

Some crocuses and tulips are starting to poke through the soil and the sun has been out alot over the past few days. Is this a dream, or is winter finally over? Let's hope so.

Someone is itching to get the garage cleaned and organized for this year's bike projects, and someone else is anxious to start learning how to weld. Oh, the things I plan to make!

It better happen soon 'cause I don't have a bike to ride this year yet! My WildKat recumbent, which was built last spring, has been recycled to make room for more bikes, so I am currently bike-less.

Dude, I need some wheels!

http://www.atomiczombie.com/info/chicks.jpg

Here we are less than two weeks from the beginning of April and guess what just happened - yep, more snow! I know, I asked for it weeks ago, but come on! Yesterday was pretty weird. -22 C in the morning, then warmed up a bit, some snow, then windy, then warmer, then freezing rain, followed by thunder and lightening and more freezing rain. Now, it's raining. I can't remember the last time we've had such weird weather. So much for being +8 C today, I think it got as high at +4 C. Oh well, can't complain considering the severe weather conditions east and south of us.

I guess the world didn't come to an end with the early Daylight Savings time change recently. I prefer this earlier time change anyway. It helps get you motivated with it's light earlier in the morning until early evening. Don't tell George W. Bush this, but I actually agree with him on setting the clocks forward one hour three weeks earlier this year.

Yes, in addition to a new chopper, Brad's worked out a plan for a new overseat steering recumbent that we will build together (yet to be named). Since I have yet to start on my welding lessons, it will be a good project for me to get started on. We have almost all of the parts together, just waiting for the weather to co-operate for the annual garage spring cleaning to make room for this year's builds.

The Builder's Gallery was updated today, so be sure to check them out. There is so much creativity out there, keep sending in those pictures!

Cheers to our buddy and Atomic Zombie forum member, Tiny Neutrino, who is planning an extensive sailing excursion across the Pacific Ocean on a homebuilt raft. Keep us posted "Tiny"!

Thanks also for all of the wonderful emails, gifts, invitations, letters and blog entries we've received from many Atomic Zombie krew members. Sometimes our lives are so hectic, it's impossible to thank each of you personally, so here's a big Thank You to everyone.

Hey everyone. Finally, we are getting a break from the intense cold. The little snow we have is melting every day. Could spring really be on its way? I'll believe it when the tulips are popping up. Working lots of hours on the 51 High-Tech Practical Jokes book to get it done as soon as possible. The Builders' Gallery has been updated over the past couple of days, so check out the newest entries. Sorry it's taken so long to get your projects included.

We've been so overwhelmed with technical crap lately that's eaten into our spare time. Instead of working on books and projects, we've had to divert attention to computer- and software-related glitches that have really been a pain to deal with, but necessary. So, keep sending in your pictures and info. for the Builders' Gallery. Your bikes - choppers, tandems, trikes, tall bikes, lowracers, unicycles, spincycles, etc. - are amazing!

We took some time this past weekend to hang out with some friends on Lake Superior - literally. The ice is pretty thick so they had an ice shack heated with a wood stove, ATV's, ice fishing, hockey, skating, food. Had a good time. Nice to get out in the outdoors and hang out for awhile. Brad even skated for the first time ever! Only fell a couple of times. Not too bad for a newbie!

The long-awaited Bandito Short Wheel Base Recumbent and Meridian Long Wheel Base Recumbent downloads are now online. It's a bit strange launching these two new projects right now when we are in the middle of another deep freeze. Well, we can dream of warmer days by looking at the videos and pictures. 

In the meantime, Brad is working hard on the 51 High-Tech Practical Jokes for the Evil Genius book, aiming to get it done well before deadline to free up some time for building more bikes this spring.

The new forum will be launched some time, no definite timeframe on that. The current one is working ok, a couple of glitches, but just don't have the time to mess around with configurations. We are already behind thanks to technical problems with our former web host that kept screwing up our site and store. So, had to make a quick decision and transfer everything over to another company. Hopefully, no more disruptions for awhile.

By the way, when you register for the Support Forum, you will receive an email with instructions so that your account will be activated. If you don't follow the instructions, your membership request will be automatically deleted in 48 hours. This is necessary to ward off spam 'bots that automatically register on forums then post crap. Every membership is verified before being approved. That's the best system we can offer right now. The next forum will have improved security features, but more on that later.

That's it from our end. Just trying to stay warm and manage our time. Can you believe these temperatures!?

Holy icicles, Batman, it's sure cold here now! I didn't order this weather, but it sure has hit us hard for over a week. It's a snappy -27°C today, a little warmer from the -30s last week. Yes, you are reading that right. Imagine this - parts of Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan have been colder than -40. A major snowstorm in the west last week claimed several lives, tornado-like winds in BC and ice storms in the mid-US. What the heck is going on this year? Nasty. Hope you're safe and warm wherever you are.

There's not much else to report on, other than Brad is still working on the Bandito and Meridian downloads, and not doing very much in the garage these days, obviously. Might have to hold off on my welding training until this deep freeze ends, even though we have heat in the garage, it's still pretty damp. I'm not feeling inspired today, so back to some paperwork. Oh, the joys.

Hey everyone! I know it's been awhile since the last entry. We are well rested from taking a break over the holidays and gearing up for another very busy year. Hope you all had a wonderful and safe holiday and a Cool Yule. It's hard to believe that we are already in another new year. We have so much planned this year it's going to take alot of organizing and time management to achieve our goals.

First, the Bandito and Meridian downloads will be available later this month. Then, the forum will be completely overhauled with more features. Also, a winter bike project, followed by more choppers, tadpole trike, trailers and a whack of other informative downloads yet to be finalized.

And, we start working on our fourth book in partnership with McGraw-Hill Professional, "51 High-Tech Practical Jokes for the Evil Genius", which will be out in September. Plus, I will start learning to weld some time this month. I'm looking forward to that!

Just think - all of this will be done in our "spare time"! Are we nuts!? Yep, that seems to be the Atomic Zombie way. So, thanks in advance for your patience if you post questions in the forum or send us emails and it takes us a few days to respond. Hopefully, you can continue to help each other as much as possible.

Ongoing freezing rain is causing some power outages and Internet access and telephone problems, so please bear with us. This winter is unusually warm. We should have 3-5 feet of snow and temperatures well below freezing, but that's not the case - yet. Even the squirrels, which should be hibernating, are still out and about. We're still plugging along, despite these challenges, trying to cope the best we can.

We'll be checking in the forum regularly, and the Builder's Gallery will be updated every month. Another blog update will be coming at ya next week. Have a great weekend.

This week hasn't been very productive thanks to technical issues and the flu. We've both been battling the flu and fatigue for most of the week, but things are much better today. We're trying to get the Meridian and Bandito recumbent downloads ready before Christmas, but no guarantees. Work has been extremely busy as everyone tries to wrap up various commitments before the end of 2006. Too much on the go and little sleep thanks to software upgrades on our site that suddenly had to be done. Technology can be such a time consuming pain!

We will have a new forum launched in a month with lots of cool features. We're working on that right now whenever we have some "spare" time.

I decided not to embark on my shopping journey last weekend. I went out one evening this week and it was pretty uneventful. No horror stories of psycho shoppers, no long lines, no grumps - nothing! The stores we went to were surprisingly quiet. I know it's only the beginning of December, but this was quite unusual for this time of year. I'll bet that Wal-Mart was crazy, though, despite the frigid temps -28^○C.

Yep, welcome to winter in Northwestern Ontario. Only 3.5 more months of winter to go! Actually, if you dress appropriately in layers of clothing and keep yourself covered, especially while outside, it's not really that bad. Getting into a frozen vehicle isn't fun, though. It sometimes takes 10-15 minutes before the heat begins to kick in. Makes defrosting the windows a challenge. Those of you who live in warmer climates must shake your heads in disbelief. Why would anyone want to live in this frozen wasteland?

Well, the standard of living is pretty reasonable, compared to large metropolitan cities. Lots of housing that's reasonable in price (for the most part). We're a few minutes' drive to parks, camping, lakes, rivers and awesome outdoor activities. It takes only 35 minutes to drive from one end of the city to the other. We don't have hurricanes, avalanches, or volcanoes. Earthquakes, tornadoes and flooding are rare. Excellent health care system, compared to many parts of the world. Excellent post-secondary education - Lakehead University