Odd how one little thing can push the button. Even if it isn't such a little thing.
But other than this issue, I did manage to have fun with my kid at a concert last night, finish the one crazy long book from one of my new favorite long winded authors, some welsh dude named Alastair Reynolds. A friend was cleaning up and had a few Sci-fi books that made their way to me. Opened the door to a few new to me authors that I might not have found otherwise. One was Alan Dean Foster and his super fun the Taken Trilogy, but that was a quick digestion of fun and imagination. This Alastair guy, so good. I listened to the House of Suns over the summer. Long but complex and unexpected but predictable enough to be fun to read and not a chore, i know everyone has a different balance on that. This one that I finished yesterday, Blue Remembered Earth, was good, but long. Finished that and jumped into the 3rd book of Emma Newman's incredibly dark but well developed and intertwined but stand alone stories of the Planetfall Series. Book 4 is coming out this spring and I'm looking forward to it. They are short reads, relative to Alastairs monster tomes. Finished that today in a vacation mode relaxed and read a bit and physical fog from the trip to boston and the immediate stress before departure.
Writing about the reading of the books has calmed me down a bit, not as bummed. I think that's the most descriptive way to phrase my mood. Not depressed, not sad, but bummed. Total bummer dude. Shit is going fine, but you know, something just has to be a bummer I guess.
It has been a big bummer though. Now the laying around reading wasn't as much of a total was as it was a waiting out a potential fix. As in yeah, the volvo is back doing the no start thing it did before gloucester. Same. Problem. And what I thought was the key to fixing it (battery unhooked and low voltage for a day or two) well about 18 hours of the battery being disconnected wasn't enough to magically fix it this time. That's one reason I was reading. The other was the concert went last last night, I didn't get to bed until even later. But the van ran fine, found parking, on the street, in boston. WTF. SO GOOD. but it was late, I was tired. But that's the nice thing about being sober/straight edge. No temptation to by $8 beers or need to worry about driving home. Make people watching at the club more fun I suppose. Observational, or I'm just back to being that kid my Sister murdered any shred of confidence with when describing someone else being the quiet guy in the corner just staring at people, it wasn't me but it might as well have been. The guy watching, but intensely, easy to mistake intent or meaning. Oh well. I smile more and try to be discrete if I watch other people more intently thank just a passing glance. But then I don't blend in well or disappear all that easily. I'd never heard the band, maybe would have been better if I was a big fan and knew all the lyrics and stuff.
So when the temps peaked this afternoon, and the sun was the warmest and brightest and still shining on the cars, I hooked the battery back up and tried to start the car. Nope. HAHA nothing.
Fuck.
2.5 hours later, dozens of things attempted, all with no success, also not eliminating much other than unhooking the battery didn't fix it this time. No fault codes, there's fuel pressure, it is starting, it is just shutting down before reaching idle. Could be fuel shut off from the immobilizer. Loose wire? worn immobilizer ring? Crank or camshaft position sensor? Throttle body? I dunno. Ran out of warmth and daylight and bagged it for the day, frustrated and bummed.
Still, we have one working car at the moment, and I have a few days to work through the diagnostics. Not terrible. But working on car means not working on bike or organizing or sorting through the stuff I have been wanting to get to for a while. And it is a bummer that it is so maddeningly frustrating. And that this very well described problem is one that is easy to just throw money at paying someone else to go through everything I am, unless they hit and solve it the first time i guess. Or they don't and anyway. Not there yet. But the car has me a bit bummed. Esp after so faithfully hauling us back and forth to and from Virginia. Yes. I gotta be grateful it didn't happen down there. Indeed, I am.
Perhaps there will be a breakthrough tomorrow, or at least fewer variables and progress.
I was trying to get ready for 2019, prepare myself for the immediate onslaught that begins on the 2nd when I'm back at work. Now I'm dealing with this.
Such is life.
Such is life.
Well, sitting in the dregs of 2018, here's hoping this next year isn't so bad.
heddwch
G
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Friday, December 28, 2018
That drive
was not easy on the way home.
But I still drove the whole 10 hours.
Got a critical thing done today, then got the van inspected and it miraculously passed and made it to the post office today. Mailed gallery opening post cards to everyone who sent me christmas cards and a couple others.
Stupid level of tired though after the whole being locked out and then being sick and then driving and man that took a lot out.
Still a bunch to get through, have to head to Boston tomorrow night.
maybe i can get the rest of everything done and find time to rest and relax before heading back to work and the maelstrom of catching up from December, getting ready for class to start, prep for gallery opening and staff art show, and somehow get the bike together for a hundo, and find a day to get that done.
life is crazy - but i'm crazier
and now i have to get off my butt and start making dinner
heddwch
G
But I still drove the whole 10 hours.
Got a critical thing done today, then got the van inspected and it miraculously passed and made it to the post office today. Mailed gallery opening post cards to everyone who sent me christmas cards and a couple others.
Stupid level of tired though after the whole being locked out and then being sick and then driving and man that took a lot out.
Still a bunch to get through, have to head to Boston tomorrow night.
maybe i can get the rest of everything done and find time to rest and relax before heading back to work and the maelstrom of catching up from December, getting ready for class to start, prep for gallery opening and staff art show, and somehow get the bike together for a hundo, and find a day to get that done.
life is crazy - but i'm crazier
and now i have to get off my butt and start making dinner
heddwch
G
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Straight OUTA Gears
Wearing that T-shirt today.
Probably because one thought while in the shower was, why not just start with the hundos using the single speed? Set up the big orange tank into a more svelte version, lighter tires, slightly bigger gear, maybe different crank just to put that crank back on the MTB if came off of?
Not going to conquer anything too steep on the hundos, And I do kind of like the whole single speed thing if it isn't obvious.
I still want to find that damn BB adapter but I am kind of liking this one gear idea.
So last night... fuuuuck. So much for sleeping.
Couldn't fall asleep last night, even after pushing it. But eventually I did.
To be woken up... at midnight (an hour or so later) by the white dog with the poop problem that lead to me being locked out (people still continue to wonder why i didn't call someone, or ring the door bell, or ____ yeah well i didn't) I woke up to hear her puking and then the sploosh of the stomach contents.
Awe fuck.
But mystery as to why she wasn't feeling great yesterday. She'd eaten a petrified piece of dog poop, and puked it up more or less intact.
That said - it was now on a plush deep pile white carpet.
Cleaned that up.
eventually feel back asleep.
woke up to some weird stomach noises coming from the dogs... a couple times... parent brain was on a high active level.
After a few cycles of the HVAC system the room stopped smelling like a mix of dog puke and resolve carpet cleaner and I started to sleep well. other than being sick, and blowing my nose through the night.
AND THEN THE OTHER DOG... heard something that prompted a loud BARK!
At least three times. And then the night was over and we had another day ahead of us on less than ideal sleep. At least I'm not drinking.
cooking some enchiladas for everyone tonight instead of going to the movies.
I can't wait to crank the tunes and start creating some delicious mexican dinner. Looking forward to a nice change of pace from simple but good basic foods.
heddwch
G
Probably because one thought while in the shower was, why not just start with the hundos using the single speed? Set up the big orange tank into a more svelte version, lighter tires, slightly bigger gear, maybe different crank just to put that crank back on the MTB if came off of?
Not going to conquer anything too steep on the hundos, And I do kind of like the whole single speed thing if it isn't obvious.
I still want to find that damn BB adapter but I am kind of liking this one gear idea.
So last night... fuuuuck. So much for sleeping.
Couldn't fall asleep last night, even after pushing it. But eventually I did.
To be woken up... at midnight (an hour or so later) by the white dog with the poop problem that lead to me being locked out (people still continue to wonder why i didn't call someone, or ring the door bell, or ____ yeah well i didn't) I woke up to hear her puking and then the sploosh of the stomach contents.
Awe fuck.
But mystery as to why she wasn't feeling great yesterday. She'd eaten a petrified piece of dog poop, and puked it up more or less intact.
That said - it was now on a plush deep pile white carpet.
Cleaned that up.
eventually feel back asleep.
woke up to some weird stomach noises coming from the dogs... a couple times... parent brain was on a high active level.
After a few cycles of the HVAC system the room stopped smelling like a mix of dog puke and resolve carpet cleaner and I started to sleep well. other than being sick, and blowing my nose through the night.
AND THEN THE OTHER DOG... heard something that prompted a loud BARK!
At least three times. And then the night was over and we had another day ahead of us on less than ideal sleep. At least I'm not drinking.
cooking some enchiladas for everyone tonight instead of going to the movies.
I can't wait to crank the tunes and start creating some delicious mexican dinner. Looking forward to a nice change of pace from simple but good basic foods.
heddwch
G
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
8 hours later
Spending 8 hours in a car with two sick people (colds/sinus) is a good way to get sick.
This morning i made sure I headed along that path.
BTW - Merry Christmas and all that. Happy all that to you and yours even if you don't celebrate formally, it is hard to avoid the holiday here in the US, one way or another.
What so special about this morning?
Kind of better to follow in tweet form.
A thread: https://twitter.com/Ge_Willi/status/1077483353463554049?s=19
Yeah, I locked myself out of my In-laws house, at 3:20 or so this morning. The little white dog was insistent on going outside. I put on some pants, a t-shirt and headed out. The gates on the back yard are old and not always closed "Always check the gates" that and the dogs were fucking FLYING out the door and off the porch and i really didn't want them to be going after something i might have to deal with. And so i followed them out after opening the dead bolt and heading out. With my phone for some reason. Door went 'click' behind me, dogs were just pooping, walked back and... locked. Ah fuck. It is 30F and i'm barefoot in a t-shirt and everyone is asleep. Fun times.
I knew i had put the garage door code in my phone a few years back so I could get in and out w/o a front door key, no problem right? Go open the garage! Had to find the code, the correct one. Turns out I have a bunch of different alarm codes, all mysterious 4 digit numbers, which fucking one was it.
Figured that out, with relief, went to open the door from the garage into the laundry room.
IT.
WAS.
LOCKED.
Well... fuck.
Knocked on the door, it made a shit ton of racket opening, maybe someone will hear. Nope. Silence. Everyone was TIRED. I guess.
Went to get the dogs into the garage, but no leashes, and who knows what out there for them to chase, so that was a bit of fun going from the back yard to the garage. But hey they went right to the door, and I closed it, hoping someone would hear the door making noise again. Nope.
At least it was a little warmer in there. but upper 40s still isn't exactly comfortable when you aren't dressed for it or working out intensely. I opened and closed the door partially a few times, maybe it would wake them up. Nope.
Called and texted my wife, her phone is usually on vibrate, it makes enough noise that she/we usually hear it. Nope. Make it even better since she was even worse sick wise she went to sleep in a different room and well no one to miss me not coming back in. Texted the rest of the house. For some reason I didn't call the house number. Guess the back of my monkey brain was thinking if they can't hear this monster racket of the door opening, they aren't going to hear the phone.
Time crept on. Eventually little white dog had to shit again, she started doing laps around the new used car in there and I heard a splat and then had a calm dog and a wickked bad stink of dog shit to cope with. Awesome, something to clean up if we ever get out of here. They all were going to mass, they'll wake up eventually.
Dogs were cold. And confused. There was a bit of movement, mice maybe, in there to entertain the black dog, but white dog was cold too. I got coal I guess. My punishment for being such a horrible person is being stuck out in the cold freezing my damn ass off.
Well white dog got a bit agitated again, she wasn't looking comfortable and not wanting two piles to clean up in there we opened the garage and made another trip to the back yard.
Maybe they will hear me open and close it now? (nope)
There was a packing blanket and a couple small fleece blankets in my car, no keys, but one of the back doors was left open (busted motor on the lock, so have to do it by hand) it set the alarm off, but that was just flashing lights (not that anyone would have done anything about the horn going off with all likely hood given my luck).
So now I had a packing blanket and two tiny (very small) bits of fleece fabric. I wrapped up in those and had a much more comfortable last hour or so. Still cold but at least my feet were starting to get some feeling back in them. Dogs settled once, and I was out just after 6 am.
Sure - I could have done this or that or should have tried this or that or why didn't. Well i didn't. I did what i did for whatever reason.
I'm pretty freaking tired though. I fell asleep before dinner for a few minutes, my nose has progressively gotten runnier and runnier, congestion is setting in.
Given the dog's GI stress I probably wouldn't have gotten much sleep anyway, but I wouldn't have had to have been cold.
I CAN'T EVEN BLAME THIS ON DRINKING! Holy shit though yesterday I was ready to start again, or at least found the one situation where I did drink to cope as a mechanism that went beyond just drinking.
This morning was maybe medicine, or meditation or something. Oddly transformative in some weird way. It has been really strange. i did almost deleted the whole thread. Probably should have, I didn't realize my FIL is following along over there, not sure how he felt about it, but everyone seemed to want to know all about it here. Whatever friction was there, oddly it was a nice way to be a public dumbass and engage people with a crazy story, about spending 3 hours in the cold with your dogs locked out of your in-laws house, on christmas morning.
Nose is running - sinus pressure could go either way, we were maybe going to drive back tomorrow but i'm tired (not sure why i'm typing this right now, this late, i'm tired - maybe ensuring i can fall asleep when i turn the lights out?) and after this morning one more day hanging out - sleep in - be low key, maybe cook food for everyone, vacation a bit here with the family before heading back north.
The dogs are zonked out, i think it took as much out of them as it did me.
On to the next adventure.
till then,
heddwch
G
But damnit the real reason I started to write this I haven't even gotten to.
Heading back here after dinner at the other house, i got in the car to warm it up, transmission is a bit cranky when cold, and took out the hardwired CD and popped in and cued up one of the few christmas songs I can stand and love. The Pogues Fairytale of New York. Youngest gets in with E and the song starts and she knows the words, and the melody, WHAT? HOW IS thiS POSSIBLE WHAT KIND OF CHRISTMAS MIRACLE IS THIS???? We sang it together, then we sang it again.
I was given this album on a cassette tape, middle school maybe? I didn't ever wear that tape out but I know every note, que and lyric on the whole thing, and here is my youngest kid SINGING ALONG WITH ME "you scum bag you maggot you..." yeah all of it, I guess there's a bit of history to explain to make sure she understands the meanings and the layers to the politics involved in writing the song but that can way, a proud dad can sit here and still grin about the fact that even as odd as it found a spot on a rotation where she's listened to it enough to be able to sing along in tune, on cue with it, so stoked. Merry Christmas.
merry christmas
g
This morning i made sure I headed along that path.
BTW - Merry Christmas and all that. Happy all that to you and yours even if you don't celebrate formally, it is hard to avoid the holiday here in the US, one way or another.
What so special about this morning?
Kind of better to follow in tweet form.
A thread: https://twitter.com/Ge_Willi/status/1077483353463554049?s=19
Yeah, I locked myself out of my In-laws house, at 3:20 or so this morning. The little white dog was insistent on going outside. I put on some pants, a t-shirt and headed out. The gates on the back yard are old and not always closed "Always check the gates" that and the dogs were fucking FLYING out the door and off the porch and i really didn't want them to be going after something i might have to deal with. And so i followed them out after opening the dead bolt and heading out. With my phone for some reason. Door went 'click' behind me, dogs were just pooping, walked back and... locked. Ah fuck. It is 30F and i'm barefoot in a t-shirt and everyone is asleep. Fun times.
I knew i had put the garage door code in my phone a few years back so I could get in and out w/o a front door key, no problem right? Go open the garage! Had to find the code, the correct one. Turns out I have a bunch of different alarm codes, all mysterious 4 digit numbers, which fucking one was it.
Figured that out, with relief, went to open the door from the garage into the laundry room.
IT.
WAS.
LOCKED.
Well... fuck.
Knocked on the door, it made a shit ton of racket opening, maybe someone will hear. Nope. Silence. Everyone was TIRED. I guess.
Went to get the dogs into the garage, but no leashes, and who knows what out there for them to chase, so that was a bit of fun going from the back yard to the garage. But hey they went right to the door, and I closed it, hoping someone would hear the door making noise again. Nope.
At least it was a little warmer in there. but upper 40s still isn't exactly comfortable when you aren't dressed for it or working out intensely. I opened and closed the door partially a few times, maybe it would wake them up. Nope.
Called and texted my wife, her phone is usually on vibrate, it makes enough noise that she/we usually hear it. Nope. Make it even better since she was even worse sick wise she went to sleep in a different room and well no one to miss me not coming back in. Texted the rest of the house. For some reason I didn't call the house number. Guess the back of my monkey brain was thinking if they can't hear this monster racket of the door opening, they aren't going to hear the phone.
Time crept on. Eventually little white dog had to shit again, she started doing laps around the new used car in there and I heard a splat and then had a calm dog and a wickked bad stink of dog shit to cope with. Awesome, something to clean up if we ever get out of here. They all were going to mass, they'll wake up eventually.
Dogs were cold. And confused. There was a bit of movement, mice maybe, in there to entertain the black dog, but white dog was cold too. I got coal I guess. My punishment for being such a horrible person is being stuck out in the cold freezing my damn ass off.
Well white dog got a bit agitated again, she wasn't looking comfortable and not wanting two piles to clean up in there we opened the garage and made another trip to the back yard.
Maybe they will hear me open and close it now? (nope)
There was a packing blanket and a couple small fleece blankets in my car, no keys, but one of the back doors was left open (busted motor on the lock, so have to do it by hand) it set the alarm off, but that was just flashing lights (not that anyone would have done anything about the horn going off with all likely hood given my luck).
So now I had a packing blanket and two tiny (very small) bits of fleece fabric. I wrapped up in those and had a much more comfortable last hour or so. Still cold but at least my feet were starting to get some feeling back in them. Dogs settled once, and I was out just after 6 am.
Sure - I could have done this or that or should have tried this or that or why didn't. Well i didn't. I did what i did for whatever reason.
I'm pretty freaking tired though. I fell asleep before dinner for a few minutes, my nose has progressively gotten runnier and runnier, congestion is setting in.
Given the dog's GI stress I probably wouldn't have gotten much sleep anyway, but I wouldn't have had to have been cold.
I CAN'T EVEN BLAME THIS ON DRINKING! Holy shit though yesterday I was ready to start again, or at least found the one situation where I did drink to cope as a mechanism that went beyond just drinking.
This morning was maybe medicine, or meditation or something. Oddly transformative in some weird way. It has been really strange. i did almost deleted the whole thread. Probably should have, I didn't realize my FIL is following along over there, not sure how he felt about it, but everyone seemed to want to know all about it here. Whatever friction was there, oddly it was a nice way to be a public dumbass and engage people with a crazy story, about spending 3 hours in the cold with your dogs locked out of your in-laws house, on christmas morning.
Nose is running - sinus pressure could go either way, we were maybe going to drive back tomorrow but i'm tired (not sure why i'm typing this right now, this late, i'm tired - maybe ensuring i can fall asleep when i turn the lights out?) and after this morning one more day hanging out - sleep in - be low key, maybe cook food for everyone, vacation a bit here with the family before heading back north.
The dogs are zonked out, i think it took as much out of them as it did me.
On to the next adventure.
till then,
heddwch
G
But damnit the real reason I started to write this I haven't even gotten to.
Heading back here after dinner at the other house, i got in the car to warm it up, transmission is a bit cranky when cold, and took out the hardwired CD and popped in and cued up one of the few christmas songs I can stand and love. The Pogues Fairytale of New York. Youngest gets in with E and the song starts and she knows the words, and the melody, WHAT? HOW IS thiS POSSIBLE WHAT KIND OF CHRISTMAS MIRACLE IS THIS???? We sang it together, then we sang it again.
I was given this album on a cassette tape, middle school maybe? I didn't ever wear that tape out but I know every note, que and lyric on the whole thing, and here is my youngest kid SINGING ALONG WITH ME "you scum bag you maggot you..." yeah all of it, I guess there's a bit of history to explain to make sure she understands the meanings and the layers to the politics involved in writing the song but that can way, a proud dad can sit here and still grin about the fact that even as odd as it found a spot on a rotation where she's listened to it enough to be able to sing along in tune, on cue with it, so stoked. Merry Christmas.
merry christmas
g
Thursday, December 20, 2018
What a week -edit w/extra
I survived last week, in much better shape than ever before.
came back with a solid good feeling.
Jinxed myself with the whole having a huge bladder, but then that day was an early one with lots of water and coffee and 4+ hours between opportunities to take a leak.
Played music. Took some snapshots with my phone.
Massive panic at the airport when I realized about 10 min after I got out of the car that my phone was in the car. That was pretty terrifying. I don't have my mother's cell phone number memorized, besides where the fuck was i going to find a phone to use to call her with? And my boarding pass, and contacting ANYONE about getting picked up or that i'm okay or yeah i'm sure you can fill in the blanks. I had taken it out of my pocket when i got out of the car. Got distracted with the good bye to my mother and boom walked into the airport, into the bathroom, and halfway to check in bags before I realized I didn't have my phone, panic retrace to bathroom then dread and terror took over when i realized oh shit it is in the car.
Fortunately my phone was on, and even MORE so, I got a spam call BEFORE my mother left the drop off zone. So she waited. Was there when I came back out.
Kind of magically amazingly guardian angel like crazy.
Got my phone and had a really solid rest of the trip. Got on the first flight with the extra time folks, got the violin stored and an Exit row window. Finished a book, watched most of a movie, got to Chicago midway and my back was only slightly fucked. Sat on the other side of the plane at the window for the flight from there to PVD, watched Ready Player One (differed from the book by a good bit but close enough that I'll let it slip) got home.
Picked up not in my wife's preferred vehicle, the minivan, so i was already bracing myself that something was fucked up with the van.
Sure enough - check engine light. Wish I could have found time to get it inspected BEFORE the trip. Code should be there still, hopefully nothing too crazy, or at least hopefully something that can be resolved easily? Maybe? We'll see.
Cold but clear and dry on the bike in this morning. Not bad.
A lot to think about from this week, we'll see how it settles and shakes out.
Confirmation, my dad is a selfish asshole and making my brother's life kind of a miserable hell, but he's still our dad and well. yeah. He has Atypical Parkinsonism. If he had gotten his shoulders replaced before it set in he might not be in such bad shape, as it is both shoulders are pretty fucked up and well the disease has progressed a bit and he's starting to have a little bit of cognitive decline, so who knows how long. Which is why when he was diagnosed in CO with parkinsons that he got worse on the drugs. Hey it wasn't actual PD. And we're at year 3 of it.
So I'm going to look at trying to get out there sooner than later to spend more time there. Unfortunately there's not a good window to get out there with teaching this spring, but there is one, and i'll start keeping an eye on ticket prices, hopefully i can work in a day spent on the bike too.
Well, now back to catching up from being gone, even though everyone here is mostly gone, still a pile of shit to do.
Even more to do at home, even without the potential unknown issue with the minivan.
There's probably a bit more rattling around to say but I am going to grab some lunch and get back to everything else.
Heddwch
G
--post publish--
Cyclocross Nationals.
I did actually manage to wake up early enough and my Brother's really spotty internet worked well enough to see the Women's race. Timing didn't work to see the Men's race, or anything on Saturday, or anything before the women's race.
So I watched that. I caught some of the feeds, but I had to mute a few people and unfollow others. Had. To. And it worked. I don't matter to them, easier for me to deal if I don't stay connected or get reminders. Although one of the unfollows keeps popping back up in twitter, too many cross over people and the algorithm sends the tweets to my feed. I hadn't muted this group before, unfollowed once before but had followed back again, maybe a mistake.
It was also helpful being on the west coast and so out of sync with everything even on that time zone.
Did I wish i was there in L'ville? Yes. But also totally okay without being there. Def glad I didn't race.
I did find myself thinking that maybe USAC should put a 3 day restriction on races. No more than 3 days or 1500 racers can ride one course/year/month something. esp when it is wet and muddy. Although yes that is part of the course and conditions and it is cyclocross and it is supposed to be hard and running is a big part of it. And yes, like at Fruitlands, it was faster to run and if you wanted to win and do well you needed to get off the bike when it was faster to run and not be a stupid butthead and find the fun in riding it all even if it was slower.
I might wrap more ideas up about that part of last week later. I do need to check to see what the dates are for next year and see how it fits into the whole Yuletide concert process.
NOW i'm going to get lunch - even after a long phone call talking microscopes.
came back with a solid good feeling.
Jinxed myself with the whole having a huge bladder, but then that day was an early one with lots of water and coffee and 4+ hours between opportunities to take a leak.
Played music. Took some snapshots with my phone.
Massive panic at the airport when I realized about 10 min after I got out of the car that my phone was in the car. That was pretty terrifying. I don't have my mother's cell phone number memorized, besides where the fuck was i going to find a phone to use to call her with? And my boarding pass, and contacting ANYONE about getting picked up or that i'm okay or yeah i'm sure you can fill in the blanks. I had taken it out of my pocket when i got out of the car. Got distracted with the good bye to my mother and boom walked into the airport, into the bathroom, and halfway to check in bags before I realized I didn't have my phone, panic retrace to bathroom then dread and terror took over when i realized oh shit it is in the car.
Fortunately my phone was on, and even MORE so, I got a spam call BEFORE my mother left the drop off zone. So she waited. Was there when I came back out.
Kind of magically amazingly guardian angel like crazy.
Got my phone and had a really solid rest of the trip. Got on the first flight with the extra time folks, got the violin stored and an Exit row window. Finished a book, watched most of a movie, got to Chicago midway and my back was only slightly fucked. Sat on the other side of the plane at the window for the flight from there to PVD, watched Ready Player One (differed from the book by a good bit but close enough that I'll let it slip) got home.
Picked up not in my wife's preferred vehicle, the minivan, so i was already bracing myself that something was fucked up with the van.
Sure enough - check engine light. Wish I could have found time to get it inspected BEFORE the trip. Code should be there still, hopefully nothing too crazy, or at least hopefully something that can be resolved easily? Maybe? We'll see.
Cold but clear and dry on the bike in this morning. Not bad.
A lot to think about from this week, we'll see how it settles and shakes out.
Confirmation, my dad is a selfish asshole and making my brother's life kind of a miserable hell, but he's still our dad and well. yeah. He has Atypical Parkinsonism. If he had gotten his shoulders replaced before it set in he might not be in such bad shape, as it is both shoulders are pretty fucked up and well the disease has progressed a bit and he's starting to have a little bit of cognitive decline, so who knows how long. Which is why when he was diagnosed in CO with parkinsons that he got worse on the drugs. Hey it wasn't actual PD. And we're at year 3 of it.
Atypical Parkinsonism TreatmentHe's got a twice a week PT with someone who only works with PD patients, and plenty of other doctor stuff, but like the quote there from Johns Hopkins, what is there to do? not much. If symptoms worsen much further he may need more care than can be provided at home.
Although research is deepening medical understanding of these disorders, atypical Parkinsonian disorders are progressive and as yet there are no treatments that effect a cure.
Supportive physical and occupational therapies can help patients cope with their symptoms, and maximizing the patient’s ability to swallow is particularly important. Psychiatric and other specific manifestations of these diseases may respond to medication.
So I'm going to look at trying to get out there sooner than later to spend more time there. Unfortunately there's not a good window to get out there with teaching this spring, but there is one, and i'll start keeping an eye on ticket prices, hopefully i can work in a day spent on the bike too.
Well, now back to catching up from being gone, even though everyone here is mostly gone, still a pile of shit to do.
Even more to do at home, even without the potential unknown issue with the minivan.
There's probably a bit more rattling around to say but I am going to grab some lunch and get back to everything else.
Heddwch
G
--post publish--
Cyclocross Nationals.
I did actually manage to wake up early enough and my Brother's really spotty internet worked well enough to see the Women's race. Timing didn't work to see the Men's race, or anything on Saturday, or anything before the women's race.
So I watched that. I caught some of the feeds, but I had to mute a few people and unfollow others. Had. To. And it worked. I don't matter to them, easier for me to deal if I don't stay connected or get reminders. Although one of the unfollows keeps popping back up in twitter, too many cross over people and the algorithm sends the tweets to my feed. I hadn't muted this group before, unfollowed once before but had followed back again, maybe a mistake.
It was also helpful being on the west coast and so out of sync with everything even on that time zone.
Did I wish i was there in L'ville? Yes. But also totally okay without being there. Def glad I didn't race.
I did find myself thinking that maybe USAC should put a 3 day restriction on races. No more than 3 days or 1500 racers can ride one course/year/month something. esp when it is wet and muddy. Although yes that is part of the course and conditions and it is cyclocross and it is supposed to be hard and running is a big part of it. And yes, like at Fruitlands, it was faster to run and if you wanted to win and do well you needed to get off the bike when it was faster to run and not be a stupid butthead and find the fun in riding it all even if it was slower.
I might wrap more ideas up about that part of last week later. I do need to check to see what the dates are for next year and see how it fits into the whole Yuletide concert process.
NOW i'm going to get lunch - even after a long phone call talking microscopes.
Thursday, December 13, 2018
inflight thoughts - plus some extras
We have 29 minutes left in flight, i’ve had three waters, finished my water bottle, three cups of coffee and haven’t moved from my seat.
talk about extended bladder range.
Years ago when my father bought his first F150 when he retired the Econoline van i grew up in and he drove to DC, he got the one with two fuel tanks. He also eventually got an escort station wagon, commuting in the big truck was less than ideal but the truck worked for everything else he did.
Including driving to Colorado to pick us up or to go on camping trips. Yeah about the CO pick up, that’ll have to wait for another story. Two fuel tanks. That’s some serious range. One fuel tank usually was enough to force a stop well before needed. Two, mean that anyone but my dad and my brother’s would need to stop and relieve their bladder well before the truck needed gas.
That truck got totaled one summer day, Fortunately it was on a local grocery run and only one or two of us were with our dad, and everyone was wearing a seatbelt. Brenin was stoked and confused about the Firemen giving him a lollypop for wearing his seatbelt. Normally when the four of us travel with him, two of us were in the bed of the truck under the cap. We grew up there in the back of that truck, not literally, but we spent enough time back there on the army surplus canvas wrapped open cell foam pads bouncing around in the heat and the noise that it seemed normal. That second truck? Well either due to availability or spec, the baseline truck with manual transmission and hand crank windows and vinyl bench seats, well, there was only one tank. And my Step mother couldn’t have been happier. Finally a reason to stop and get out of the truck on road trips at a reasonably interval.
It is pretty strange headed back to Seattle/PacNW with my dad now living out there. 40 years ago he left. My mother had fallen in love with my step father, my dad was drinking as much or more than any of us did/have/do and and well they got divorced, he stopped drinking, started smoking instead but not in front of us, we spent some time with him at his apartment before he left. We were little, he was ill-equiped to deal with us, having pretty much zero interaction with the other three, and with me? Many many local fishing trips, where we’d catch lots of fish, he’d drink constantly, I didn’t noticed it, mind it, see any issue with it, but reflecting yeah it was there. I saw a very different view of him than anyone else. Sheltered in many ways, it developed a strange non-talking relationship, that none of my other brothers have with him. Heck my wife got him talking non-stop driving down from somewhere one year. We spent three days driving to Colorado and had one, maybe two conversations that lasted more than a explaination of where we were or a memory of his trips through there.
It was his last trip through and maybe I wanted it to be his trip, i wanted to talk but didn’t. Wanted to tell him everything that had happened, how someone broke up one of the more infamous mid-pack masters teams and the story behind that.
I never did.
Once he was there my brother’s started flying out to help, the first three I missed. The first was fun for them but kind of last minute, I had other commitments I couldnt get out of, all the trips were either last minute or impossible to make work for me. On their second one he started opening up to my brothers about the troubles with my step mother that lead to his divorcing her and ultimately left him alone with failing health in the middle of nowhere colorado.
Talking with my brother after I landed and on my way here, I got a better glimpse into my dad’s decline. Talking with my dad on the phone on his 80th birthday sunday was tough, he had changed, mentally not the same, weird verbal patterns. But my brother filled in a bit more, but no one has really given me the full medical story. I don’t think my dad is capable of doing that, and he’s always been adverse to medical care, and watching over the years his doctors have been high profile pill pushers, I’m fairly certain all the cholesterol drugs and other macro indicator adjusting pills he was taking contributed to the neurological decline. Goal is to make sure I have a chance to pry out of my brother or his wife more what the docs are saying.
So even now, not much has change, I’ve been kept at an arms distance to the actual what is going on, Probably not deliberate but when something is this complicated and no on has been able to get you the full history where do you start?
I’m sitting here, in the studio, looking out at the trees I planted in the early 90s, in a part of the field that was 2” of topsoil over clay, they took years to establish themsleves but now they are 3-4 stories tall and laden with cones. A bit tightly planted, intended to thin them at some point, but they are self regulating now. The alder trees are totally moss covered and a barrier to the ancient douglas fir on the top of magic hill. it is quiet. the rain is falling. I didn’t go to sleep until 11pm or so work up when it got light and then fell back asleep until 8-830. Made coffee… there’s no wifi down here, but that may be a good thing. I can read and write off line drinking coffee and having some quiet. My oldest kid is sleeping down here in the studio. We’ve got our space and the concerts are coming up tomorrow and well like my brother said - there’s really nothing different, we’ve been doing this same pattern for a long time now, it is routine. There are variables in play that are different this year but shouldn’t perturb the pattern too much.
Time to post before I add too much more.
heddwch
G
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
pick it up put it down
one thing after another
thing is I never stop
some tasks are annoying but gratifying when done, some are good just doing them, but there are so many of them, so much to do, that yes my mind often wanders to what has to get done and then also what isn't getting done that needs to but gets left behind. Like cleaning the bike room and looking for a few bits and parts and re-organizing it so I can get all the fucking bikes in there w/o jamming them together. Or just cleaning shit up. Not great at that. but mostly i know where stuff is. Case in point i knew where ONE of the bottom bracket adapters was, just not where the other one is.
starting tomorrow morning things are going to be non-stop crazy until i get home at 1 in the morning (i'm calling it the 19th but I guess technically it is the 20th but SO GLAD IT ISN'T A RED EYE).
Why? This, the same thing we do every year. Combine Pinky and the Brain with Groundhog day and you've got the big weekend at http://magicalstrings.com/YT_2018.htm yup. Very much like Groundhog day. each time we tweak it a little. Last year Marshall was sober and I was drinking more vodka than beer (never felt better there) and now this year we're both sober and my oldest kid is coming and it is the 40th AND my dad just turned 80 on Sunday and yeah. Fucking CRAZY.
40th isn't a big deal right? No, not a big deal, Who cares, it is just a number.
That's what I was told when my 40th got borked by my sister's wedding. I had already started planning 12 months out, this birthday was going to be the one that turned it around for me and made me take the first step towards making the day a good one, a step to start reversing the curse. And 4 months after that, well my sister announced that she's getting married and they are getting married a day before/after/i forget around my birthday. And yeah we've gotta fly the whole family out and she was very needed and self centered (she's mellowed a bit since) and inflexible and well, yeah added extra suck to more suck. Just another shitty birthday. It is just a number, who cares, why is it such a big deal for you? Because I've always seen it be made a big deal for others? esp 40th and 50th. Why? I don't fucking know. Although I do know and can logic out why they are such big markers and all that. And well this shit, yeah - there's a huge layer of PTSD lingering beneath the surface with this anniversary. But hey - the concerts are always good and people in the audience are wonderful and nice and say nice things and do express genuine thanks for us being there. It is kind of cool to be a tradition for many people, esp this time of year. There aren't many who've been to every concert, besides us on stage, but it is a pretty fucking big deal to have carried on this tradition so many years in a row.
A hell of a lot of work, but a big deal.
I may have found some motivation for pedaling in the spring:
https://micoasttocoast.com/
Pretty cheap per-mile race/ride. Downside, logistics, getting there, and getting in shape for a gravel double hundo.
But i had been thinking about a double hundo for June anyway. This might be kind of fucking perfect. I should make sure I talk myself out of doing it on a Single speed. Gears would be good. The Crockett with the monster tires would be likely the best bike for it. Although the gearing on the Klein is totally good, but body would be better on the crockett for that long.
Tempting, need a BikeReg sniper software, register me before it closes if I don't before then, with the event capped at 550 and they are already at 211...
well - more later - plugging on - hating the process - not finding good results but keep on keeping on..
"Carry Wood"
i like that
heddwch
G
thing is I never stop
some tasks are annoying but gratifying when done, some are good just doing them, but there are so many of them, so much to do, that yes my mind often wanders to what has to get done and then also what isn't getting done that needs to but gets left behind. Like cleaning the bike room and looking for a few bits and parts and re-organizing it so I can get all the fucking bikes in there w/o jamming them together. Or just cleaning shit up. Not great at that. but mostly i know where stuff is. Case in point i knew where ONE of the bottom bracket adapters was, just not where the other one is.
starting tomorrow morning things are going to be non-stop crazy until i get home at 1 in the morning (i'm calling it the 19th but I guess technically it is the 20th but SO GLAD IT ISN'T A RED EYE).
Why? This, the same thing we do every year. Combine Pinky and the Brain with Groundhog day and you've got the big weekend at http://magicalstrings.com/YT_2018.htm yup. Very much like Groundhog day. each time we tweak it a little. Last year Marshall was sober and I was drinking more vodka than beer (never felt better there) and now this year we're both sober and my oldest kid is coming and it is the 40th AND my dad just turned 80 on Sunday and yeah. Fucking CRAZY.
40th isn't a big deal right? No, not a big deal, Who cares, it is just a number.
That's what I was told when my 40th got borked by my sister's wedding. I had already started planning 12 months out, this birthday was going to be the one that turned it around for me and made me take the first step towards making the day a good one, a step to start reversing the curse. And 4 months after that, well my sister announced that she's getting married and they are getting married a day before/after/i forget around my birthday. And yeah we've gotta fly the whole family out and she was very needed and self centered (she's mellowed a bit since) and inflexible and well, yeah added extra suck to more suck. Just another shitty birthday. It is just a number, who cares, why is it such a big deal for you? Because I've always seen it be made a big deal for others? esp 40th and 50th. Why? I don't fucking know. Although I do know and can logic out why they are such big markers and all that. And well this shit, yeah - there's a huge layer of PTSD lingering beneath the surface with this anniversary. But hey - the concerts are always good and people in the audience are wonderful and nice and say nice things and do express genuine thanks for us being there. It is kind of cool to be a tradition for many people, esp this time of year. There aren't many who've been to every concert, besides us on stage, but it is a pretty fucking big deal to have carried on this tradition so many years in a row.
A hell of a lot of work, but a big deal.
I may have found some motivation for pedaling in the spring:
https://micoasttocoast.com/
Pretty cheap per-mile race/ride. Downside, logistics, getting there, and getting in shape for a gravel double hundo.
But i had been thinking about a double hundo for June anyway. This might be kind of fucking perfect. I should make sure I talk myself out of doing it on a Single speed. Gears would be good. The Crockett with the monster tires would be likely the best bike for it. Although the gearing on the Klein is totally good, but body would be better on the crockett for that long.
Tempting, need a BikeReg sniper software, register me before it closes if I don't before then, with the event capped at 550 and they are already at 211...
well - more later - plugging on - hating the process - not finding good results but keep on keeping on..
"Carry Wood"
i like that
heddwch
G
Monday, December 10, 2018
13 kids
A teacher friend brought 13 of his science class kids and they were awesome, and me forcing into the engaging mode engaged them and then it fed back and i felt good. mentally much better after that.
also pretty productive getting shit done.
avoiding the "social" or anti-social media
making the fire, making it nice and warm
starting to put the season of a dozen races away
So few amazing races, good times seeing people and it was a good season back
but still that wanting - the frustration - can't remove it - but that's good, hopefully it'll fire up the motivation to be in a better place next year.
May just need to stick to the SSCX totally, even if it means driving to one or two more races and maybe only going to spectate at the big ones.
But that is a long time from now.
A lot to accomplish in the next 24 hrs
books are downloaded, music not so much, will have to work on that.
now i'm going to work on sleeping
after I load up the stove for the overnight run
heddwch
G
also pretty productive getting shit done.
avoiding the "social" or anti-social media
making the fire, making it nice and warm
starting to put the season of a dozen races away
So few amazing races, good times seeing people and it was a good season back
but still that wanting - the frustration - can't remove it - but that's good, hopefully it'll fire up the motivation to be in a better place next year.
May just need to stick to the SSCX totally, even if it means driving to one or two more races and maybe only going to spectate at the big ones.
But that is a long time from now.
A lot to accomplish in the next 24 hrs
books are downloaded, music not so much, will have to work on that.
now i'm going to work on sleeping
after I load up the stove for the overnight run
heddwch
G
natural reaction
is to just completely close off - why? i dunno, because that's what is needed? Or that's what has worked, although does it work, if by doing it eventually things switch then past results would say yes it works.
But this "healing" process is pretty dumb, i don't trust it and I'm not sure it really works.
Just sucks to be hitting these last two days of being absolutely insane here with the same time as trying to make everything ready and then having the importance of 40th "anything" being the absolute up and coming topic brings a shit ton of PTSD trauma back.
I found a new bruise on the back of my leg from Saturday's race.
I'm not ready for the season to be over, not stoked to be missing nationals even though I don't ever want to race it again.
I guess I gotta find my other bottom bracket adapter and stick an old square taper crank in the black blue to make a long haul bike for the up coming challenge.
The #6moHundo half wanting to add the NECX tag but fuck that, who cares, no one else will do it, i'm only doing it to pin some hope on sanity.
Time to talk about microscopes
heddwch
G
But this "healing" process is pretty dumb, i don't trust it and I'm not sure it really works.
Just sucks to be hitting these last two days of being absolutely insane here with the same time as trying to make everything ready and then having the importance of 40th "anything" being the absolute up and coming topic brings a shit ton of PTSD trauma back.
I found a new bruise on the back of my leg from Saturday's race.
I'm not ready for the season to be over, not stoked to be missing nationals even though I don't ever want to race it again.
I guess I gotta find my other bottom bracket adapter and stick an old square taper crank in the black blue to make a long haul bike for the up coming challenge.
The #6moHundo half wanting to add the NECX tag but fuck that, who cares, no one else will do it, i'm only doing it to pin some hope on sanity.
Time to talk about microscopes
heddwch
G
Saturday, December 08, 2018
well that wasn't quite right
I have been meaning to write about the complete train wreck and wrecking of me and the course that my race was at NBX day 2. I managed fine, no big deal. was def tired monday. got progressively more exhausted and frustrated with the week as it went on. Thurs was pretty shitty, friday marginally better, but mostly not great.
Tried to race today. Ice Weasels. You know the big party race at the end of the year, tons of handup, all the beer, no USAC. Also the big final race of the Zanc Single speed series.
I usually can't make it to them, it winds up on the weekend i'm in seattle. not this year.
I was pretty beat up by the big crash, thought i was good. Right now, not feeling so much. Hand hurts again, i got in a bit of a bumper car at the first bottle neck when Griggs slammed Stearns into me, tweaked my back. And I just fucking had nothing. Rode an okay first lap then just couldn't pedal hard. Mind, legs, just not in it.
Felt off the whole day, probably should have just stayed home. Still feeling off. It was awesome seeing Shoogs, seeing JLS, handful of others, but it wasn't enough to shake the cloud.
But cross is over.
The season was good, it was good to be back, I'm still pretty frustrated with being slow but also not training wasn't helping, life has been off the hook crazy, and some friends take that as an offense. I can't argue with them, don't want to explain that I don't have time for me and their frustration expression makes it worse.
I'll get through, I've got the motivation to work towards next year, hopefully I can implement it. But I'm def a lone wolf, a wolf that used to have a pack, but doesn't and can't figure it out. The old pack wasn't a perfect fit, was easy for it to get pulled apart from two sides. Not a great way to try to describe it I guess, but somewhat function if a bit of liberty with the parallel. - coming back to edit this- during the shower I got thinking, and can't really describe it well, the idea that I really never quite figure out what makes me happy although i try to go towards it but wind up somewhere else, but that is the pattern of my life - kind of used to it. maybe someday i'll figure it all out.
But..
For now...
I'll keep wandering, work on not being such a pathetic waste on the bike. Get back to being a mediocre mid-pack master.
It is time to get back to cramming in everything I need to do before flying to Seattle. going to shower and eat maybe watch a movie, maybe read some more of the book, -edit- going to skip the movie and get in bed after the shower and read.
I'm tired... but can't rest. Maybe i'll fall asleep on the plane in a couple days.
heddwch
G
Tried to race today. Ice Weasels. You know the big party race at the end of the year, tons of handup, all the beer, no USAC. Also the big final race of the Zanc Single speed series.
I usually can't make it to them, it winds up on the weekend i'm in seattle. not this year.
I was pretty beat up by the big crash, thought i was good. Right now, not feeling so much. Hand hurts again, i got in a bit of a bumper car at the first bottle neck when Griggs slammed Stearns into me, tweaked my back. And I just fucking had nothing. Rode an okay first lap then just couldn't pedal hard. Mind, legs, just not in it.
Felt off the whole day, probably should have just stayed home. Still feeling off. It was awesome seeing Shoogs, seeing JLS, handful of others, but it wasn't enough to shake the cloud.
But cross is over.
The season was good, it was good to be back, I'm still pretty frustrated with being slow but also not training wasn't helping, life has been off the hook crazy, and some friends take that as an offense. I can't argue with them, don't want to explain that I don't have time for me and their frustration expression makes it worse.
I'll get through, I've got the motivation to work towards next year, hopefully I can implement it. But I'm def a lone wolf, a wolf that used to have a pack, but doesn't and can't figure it out. The old pack wasn't a perfect fit, was easy for it to get pulled apart from two sides. Not a great way to try to describe it I guess, but somewhat function if a bit of liberty with the parallel. - coming back to edit this- during the shower I got thinking, and can't really describe it well, the idea that I really never quite figure out what makes me happy although i try to go towards it but wind up somewhere else, but that is the pattern of my life - kind of used to it. maybe someday i'll figure it all out.
But..
For now...
I'll keep wandering, work on not being such a pathetic waste on the bike. Get back to being a mediocre mid-pack master.
It is time to get back to cramming in everything I need to do before flying to Seattle. going to shower and eat maybe watch a movie, maybe read some more of the book, -edit- going to skip the movie and get in bed after the shower and read.
I'm tired... but can't rest. Maybe i'll fall asleep on the plane in a couple days.
heddwch
G
Saturday, December 01, 2018
NBX GP of CX
In the past I've had to bail on helping both days set up. When I've done that I've had miserable races. Or been wrecked and useless each night.
You can't screw up your legs if you don't have any to start with. AKA no amount of grunt work, staring with leaf blowing and then putting in stakes for a 2 mile course, shagging metal fencing or wrapping the lower tape line, and the upper tape line on a decent amount of the course. I forget what else we did, but it was a lot of walking and bending. Only a handful of wooden stakes were used, mostly in the field. I wangered half of the right hand line Thursday night in the dark with Joel Brown. I think finished that up on Friday.
I did an okay job of pacing myself. Thursday we got started around 9, took me an hour of driving to get there, took a 10 min break when the pizza got there at 2:30 and worked until about 5-5:30. Not a hugely long day but the six of us got nearly all the course build and that was pretty nice. Got there Friday and started taping right off the bat after another stupid long traffic fraught drive. Had shitty traffic on the way home too both days.
Friday we didn't even break for lunch. There was some pizza left over, it froze in the trailer overnight and well, I had a couple pieces when CXhairs Bill showed up then one more when we had to get something out of the trailer to finish up a few things. But I drank a lot of water. Sat down once though. Well i did sit in the Gator driving that thing around with the pedal to the floor. Gave Bill a quick tour of the first part of the course down to the beach run start. That was kind of fun blasting through the course at full speed with the gator. Raked a bunch put up more tape, really moved a ton of orange fencing and wrapped up after 6 pm, finishing stuff well into the dark.
AND THEN I RODE THE COURSE! On the e-bike, the crossrip+. It was a blast. I could ride EVERYTHING. Well I couldn't ride the stairs and the beach run and that was a bitch to get up all the stairs. But everything else was cake. And even with the slick commuter tires I could ride it all. Kind of gave me a glimpse of what it would be like to effortlessly lay down 350 watts at a whim. And in a surprising turn it was more motivating to train than it was depressing or derailing.
Based on my pre-ride and two days setting up the course I bailed on trying to ride before the race today. Instead I worked the course crossing, yelled at people for doing stuff they weren't supposed to, got a tongue lashing from people for yelling at them, even though the weren't listening to me or others and that's why it elevated to yelling. I moved more course stuff, I did some other important errands and eventually got ready to race. About 20 min before the start.
I got two or three hard start loop efforts in, and then hung out with Hale and Big sexy and CTodd in a row, with little Geo behind me.
I raced the single speed. I put just under 20 in the front, just about 20 psi in the rear and I FLOATED over the roots. Didn't bottom out or smash anything, granted I kind of knew the roots pretty well and was able to float and pedal at the same time and that seems kind of like a difficult thing to do for most people. I had a slow first lap but was still in a bunch of traffic. Actually was racing people the whole time, and that was kind of awesome. Hugh took off and left me alone but that's okay. He still got lapped. The leaders were SCREAMING fast. But only three people lapped me. And I was happy to get lapped today.
Means one less lap of suffering to repair from for tomorrow. I got done, did a handful of other stuff, talked with some folks, eventually wound up in the pits working for Jane Rossi. She destroyed her rear wheel, like holy shit it was DESTROYED, but she rode it in swapped bikes and still finished in the points. Hoping for a better day tomorrow with more adverse conditions and a better feel for it all. Many days the second day of a C1 sees a drop off in rider attendance but I don't think it will be that much tomorrow.
Going to try and get there early and get a lap before the first race just so I can get an idea of the course in that flow direction. It probably will be less than ideal for SSCX, a bit straighter it looks like for day two. But It really felt good just to be on the single speed. The start was a bit slow for me compared to normal, I went from Over-geared to under geared before the left hand turn towards the woods. But it also meant I had a more conservative start and didn't wind up riding with guys for a lap who turn a minute/lap faster times than I do (and then I blow up). I had a steady decrease in lap times but not terrible.
It was good. It is supposed to start raining soon. I'm going to try and get up earlier tomorrow going to make an extra coffee and drink a ton of water before the race so I look even more bloated than I do in the race photos today (the extra 10-15 pounds I'm carrying is making me feel a bit less than stoked- that said not drinking has NOT gotten me skinnier - although I did drop 5 pounds when I stopped drinking beer). Need to ride more. That's the last bit of the puzzle to work out. Well ONE of the pieces anyway. The riding more and actually getting some 2-3 hour rides in on a regular basis, get back to a Monthly Hundo, maybe work on May as a high mileage month again, MAYBE i can get back to being in the bottom middle of the 40+ masters pack next year.
Now I'm going to get a few more things together for tomorrow and try and get some sleep. I kept waking up last night - one toe was bothering me after two days in the boots, and I just had a hard time falling asleep and then staying asleep. Woke up wide away at 5am and almost just got up, but i fell back asleep and when the alarm did go off I was dreaming and groggy.
Well - till tomorrow - I had a good day, it wasn't perfect, I'm more aware of me and my screwing shit up and will work on not doing the stuff I don't like or that i notice isn't great but it is mostly my hypersensitivity and work to being better, most people probably think i'm not nearly as bad now w/o a dozen beers in me.
more pedaling - time to work on recovery and sleep
heddwch
G
You can't screw up your legs if you don't have any to start with. AKA no amount of grunt work, staring with leaf blowing and then putting in stakes for a 2 mile course, shagging metal fencing or wrapping the lower tape line, and the upper tape line on a decent amount of the course. I forget what else we did, but it was a lot of walking and bending. Only a handful of wooden stakes were used, mostly in the field. I wangered half of the right hand line Thursday night in the dark with Joel Brown. I think finished that up on Friday.
I did an okay job of pacing myself. Thursday we got started around 9, took me an hour of driving to get there, took a 10 min break when the pizza got there at 2:30 and worked until about 5-5:30. Not a hugely long day but the six of us got nearly all the course build and that was pretty nice. Got there Friday and started taping right off the bat after another stupid long traffic fraught drive. Had shitty traffic on the way home too both days.
Friday we didn't even break for lunch. There was some pizza left over, it froze in the trailer overnight and well, I had a couple pieces when CXhairs Bill showed up then one more when we had to get something out of the trailer to finish up a few things. But I drank a lot of water. Sat down once though. Well i did sit in the Gator driving that thing around with the pedal to the floor. Gave Bill a quick tour of the first part of the course down to the beach run start. That was kind of fun blasting through the course at full speed with the gator. Raked a bunch put up more tape, really moved a ton of orange fencing and wrapped up after 6 pm, finishing stuff well into the dark.
AND THEN I RODE THE COURSE! On the e-bike, the crossrip+. It was a blast. I could ride EVERYTHING. Well I couldn't ride the stairs and the beach run and that was a bitch to get up all the stairs. But everything else was cake. And even with the slick commuter tires I could ride it all. Kind of gave me a glimpse of what it would be like to effortlessly lay down 350 watts at a whim. And in a surprising turn it was more motivating to train than it was depressing or derailing.
Based on my pre-ride and two days setting up the course I bailed on trying to ride before the race today. Instead I worked the course crossing, yelled at people for doing stuff they weren't supposed to, got a tongue lashing from people for yelling at them, even though the weren't listening to me or others and that's why it elevated to yelling. I moved more course stuff, I did some other important errands and eventually got ready to race. About 20 min before the start.
I got two or three hard start loop efforts in, and then hung out with Hale and Big sexy and CTodd in a row, with little Geo behind me.
I raced the single speed. I put just under 20 in the front, just about 20 psi in the rear and I FLOATED over the roots. Didn't bottom out or smash anything, granted I kind of knew the roots pretty well and was able to float and pedal at the same time and that seems kind of like a difficult thing to do for most people. I had a slow first lap but was still in a bunch of traffic. Actually was racing people the whole time, and that was kind of awesome. Hugh took off and left me alone but that's okay. He still got lapped. The leaders were SCREAMING fast. But only three people lapped me. And I was happy to get lapped today.
Means one less lap of suffering to repair from for tomorrow. I got done, did a handful of other stuff, talked with some folks, eventually wound up in the pits working for Jane Rossi. She destroyed her rear wheel, like holy shit it was DESTROYED, but she rode it in swapped bikes and still finished in the points. Hoping for a better day tomorrow with more adverse conditions and a better feel for it all. Many days the second day of a C1 sees a drop off in rider attendance but I don't think it will be that much tomorrow.
Going to try and get there early and get a lap before the first race just so I can get an idea of the course in that flow direction. It probably will be less than ideal for SSCX, a bit straighter it looks like for day two. But It really felt good just to be on the single speed. The start was a bit slow for me compared to normal, I went from Over-geared to under geared before the left hand turn towards the woods. But it also meant I had a more conservative start and didn't wind up riding with guys for a lap who turn a minute/lap faster times than I do (and then I blow up). I had a steady decrease in lap times but not terrible.
It was good. It is supposed to start raining soon. I'm going to try and get up earlier tomorrow going to make an extra coffee and drink a ton of water before the race so I look even more bloated than I do in the race photos today (the extra 10-15 pounds I'm carrying is making me feel a bit less than stoked- that said not drinking has NOT gotten me skinnier - although I did drop 5 pounds when I stopped drinking beer). Need to ride more. That's the last bit of the puzzle to work out. Well ONE of the pieces anyway. The riding more and actually getting some 2-3 hour rides in on a regular basis, get back to a Monthly Hundo, maybe work on May as a high mileage month again, MAYBE i can get back to being in the bottom middle of the 40+ masters pack next year.
Now I'm going to get a few more things together for tomorrow and try and get some sleep. I kept waking up last night - one toe was bothering me after two days in the boots, and I just had a hard time falling asleep and then staying asleep. Woke up wide away at 5am and almost just got up, but i fell back asleep and when the alarm did go off I was dreaming and groggy.
Well - till tomorrow - I had a good day, it wasn't perfect, I'm more aware of me and my screwing shit up and will work on not doing the stuff I don't like or that i notice isn't great but it is mostly my hypersensitivity and work to being better, most people probably think i'm not nearly as bad now w/o a dozen beers in me.
more pedaling - time to work on recovery and sleep
heddwch
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