Saturday's ride in the heat had me thinking... mostly cause i went to the front and just rode... rode a bit too fast for the ride 'leader' but on the other hand it was techically the BTH ride and by definition ya go as hard as ya want... cept we deviated through dighton and taunton... That Tremont road TT is wicked fast, and much flatter than the P Velo TT, at least based on the terrain.
But this thinking thing - and the power thing... i'm grasping again, but i'm still fuddling around with bigger gears (mentally) and specifically more teeth front and back... in that sure the force applied at the pedal is going to translate to the wheel and that's pretty much a straight force with the gearing and speed determining the duration of the force. But. When you increase the number of teeth you increase the surface contact with the chain, which should decrease the acting forces at each tooth, and while without question reducing wear (less force = less metal disturbed) the benefits i would think should some how tangible transfer to more efficiency and more of the power headed to the wheel.
Gotta be something to it... that and i do recall coming across certain discussions about it in the past, but my engineering/math sucks too much to try and put values to paper/bits...
Oh and that prompted this recall: ProLink. I gotta try it. Why? Well cause Mr Zinn swears by it. And the method/application is very consistent with my tune... velonews.com/tech pop over to the entry there - worth reading i think...
Biggest problem with people's bikes i notice is lack of chain lube. I'll say it again, and again. If you can hear it... that's bad. Or more importantly if someone riding next to you who is listening for it can hear it... in almost all cases those loud noisy chains look dry. They may look clean, but they are dry and that's baaaaaad... esp bad if ya using compact gearing... but that's me, the mechanic thinkin...
tryin to wrap my head around the financing options is tough... man they don't make it terribly simple do they... i guess its not much of a debate - but switching from one lender who i've been working with to another that i just started talkin to is a bit weird for me... although, $$ wise the new one kicks ass over the other one, which really wasn't that bad... oh and ya know... gettin the house means interent at home... i think i'm almost as excited about that as i am about having all the bikes under one roof!! not to mention the spare parts, workstand and the tool box (for the bikes)...
Monday, June 19, 2006
Its Monday
No Shit? For REAL? Monday?
Hey how is this for a father's day present:
"lets spend a quarter of a million dollars"
DOH!
Well. It looks as if my commuting miles will be bolstered a bit. no more two mile silly crap that i have been making into 4 miles or so... we might be moving on in a block or two away from the East Bay Bike path, with central air (yeah i'm a wuss). Not that the air was the selling point, but the location is key, the house is absolutely livable (in contrast to the rest of the houses in the areas we've been looking at in the same range). So, well... time to sign away my future... time to give up the cross bike cash for the fall... time to start working on making extra coin so i can afford this cycling thing cause it looks like all my pennies will be going towards a house.
It was great reading SB's brief race reports. Cox is coming up and i've got this sneaking suspicion that over the next month i'm gonna be rather, um, busy. Esp since i think 30 days to close starts today... I hate moving, i hate packing... I hate unpacking... BUT... its finally a chance to get all the bikes out, and to put the GeWilli bike shop in order. I think the TDI mechanic shop will stay in the barn (no space to work on the cars, but that's okay - gives me an excuse to head over to the farm (where there seems to always be an extra vehicle to borrow if something goes wrong).
Oh and for the record... i got hammered yesterday... not sure what drove me to it, but i'm pretty sure i did a number on my liver... and it was freaking hot in the apartment. no breeze and man it sucked... that central air thing is sounding awefully freaking awesome. not to mention 2.5 baths... yeah baby yeah, no more one hole houses... and no more walking through bedrooms to get to the shitter in the middle of the night for guests.
That wraps up my 10 minutes of fame for the morning. peace out and ciao!
G
Hey how is this for a father's day present:
"lets spend a quarter of a million dollars"
DOH!
Well. It looks as if my commuting miles will be bolstered a bit. no more two mile silly crap that i have been making into 4 miles or so... we might be moving on in a block or two away from the East Bay Bike path, with central air (yeah i'm a wuss). Not that the air was the selling point, but the location is key, the house is absolutely livable (in contrast to the rest of the houses in the areas we've been looking at in the same range). So, well... time to sign away my future... time to give up the cross bike cash for the fall... time to start working on making extra coin so i can afford this cycling thing cause it looks like all my pennies will be going towards a house.
It was great reading SB's brief race reports. Cox is coming up and i've got this sneaking suspicion that over the next month i'm gonna be rather, um, busy. Esp since i think 30 days to close starts today... I hate moving, i hate packing... I hate unpacking... BUT... its finally a chance to get all the bikes out, and to put the GeWilli bike shop in order. I think the TDI mechanic shop will stay in the barn (no space to work on the cars, but that's okay - gives me an excuse to head over to the farm (where there seems to always be an extra vehicle to borrow if something goes wrong).
Oh and for the record... i got hammered yesterday... not sure what drove me to it, but i'm pretty sure i did a number on my liver... and it was freaking hot in the apartment. no breeze and man it sucked... that central air thing is sounding awefully freaking awesome. not to mention 2.5 baths... yeah baby yeah, no more one hole houses... and no more walking through bedrooms to get to the shitter in the middle of the night for guests.
That wraps up my 10 minutes of fame for the morning. peace out and ciao!
G
Friday's post - not gonna re-sort it....
So, curiosity has me wondering what’s going on out in weirdo land (internet)…
Thursday night i got out for a nice 30 minutes with my oldest on her bike… I just sort of putzed around and she got some seat time. Still with training wheels, but I don’t wanna push it, when she’s ready she’ll let me know. It was fun though. Funny too, we say probably 20 different passats. Very few other cars were on the roads around the neighbor hood. From old ladies driving blind to post college guys piling out to hang with friends.
The drive up with my sister was mellow, cars were freaking slow… I kept blowing past WRX scoobies…. Man are they doggy up hills… maybe I should expect every car to blast up the hills accelerating to 90 without thinking from 70 in the space of a blink…
Torque kicks ass, and having torque on demand, not relying on a charge or what not is nice… Filled up with B20 on the way out. 3.079, and the gal that runs the show asked if we lived in the Providence/Cranston area, yup I said, well turns out they are starting to distribute 5% biofuel in the fuel oil. Ain’t that sweet. I asked about higher % and also asked if they make it to the east bay side… she said not yet… not yet.
Still pretty cool. Turns out my little sis’s Taurus that got creamed by some cell phone talking Suburban driving distracted wife of the chair of the republican party in Durango CO, was a FFV car. Coool. ‘Cept she looked and well the only E85 pump when she had the car was down in San Diego. How retarded is that? Clean air morons. Hopefully they have more pumps out there now. Dunno…. Driving back was more mellow. Rather than push the limit of speed, I settled in and stuck with the cruise control as much as possible, managing a mellow 70 or so for most of the haul back to 146…. Definitely was more relaxed. We listened to the Seal Maiden story on CD for the billionth time, followed by Peter and the Wolf. Both great stories, but like the nutcracker when my sister was this age, they are wearing thin… I still have a hard time sitting through the nutcracker. She (my sister) danced to it daily for about 2.5 years. And I’m not stretching it in the least, maybe it was even like 3 years.
Gonna see about maybe taking a wild leap and assume the 9am ride is headed out tomorrow. ‘Course this prolly won’t get posted till Monday it looks like, unless I just manage to swing through somewhere with connection and get it up.
Pretty funny how as soon as I got the P velo Blog up, the mad Frenchman gets the Brown one up and running…. Still crackin me up.
I might not have the speed, or the hard ass drive, but I don’t have the time or the freedom that being single affords. It’s a trade off. My life is still not settled from the move out east. The second phase of settling down is beginning and that’s a bit stressful. My wife is great but seen as we share stuff around here one of us being gone throws it all out of balance, so working in solid training, not to mention races is tough. And not that I expect unmarried types to get it, or married but sans-children (dogs cats and pets don’t count)… but I’m saving up for cross season… there’s only so many passes I can get, don’t wanna waste em on some thing other than cross unless it works out well. But then I’m sure ol SB’ll read that as an excuse….
I’m less bothered by the comments today but only by a little… again not sure why. That and its hotter than hell inside here – and outside. Damn I’d be nice to have either a basement or central Air….or even a window box… or a place that doesn’t get so GD hot.
See there I go again… bitching up a storm.
Thursday night i got out for a nice 30 minutes with my oldest on her bike… I just sort of putzed around and she got some seat time. Still with training wheels, but I don’t wanna push it, when she’s ready she’ll let me know. It was fun though. Funny too, we say probably 20 different passats. Very few other cars were on the roads around the neighbor hood. From old ladies driving blind to post college guys piling out to hang with friends.
The drive up with my sister was mellow, cars were freaking slow… I kept blowing past WRX scoobies…. Man are they doggy up hills… maybe I should expect every car to blast up the hills accelerating to 90 without thinking from 70 in the space of a blink…
Torque kicks ass, and having torque on demand, not relying on a charge or what not is nice… Filled up with B20 on the way out. 3.079, and the gal that runs the show asked if we lived in the Providence/Cranston area, yup I said, well turns out they are starting to distribute 5% biofuel in the fuel oil. Ain’t that sweet. I asked about higher % and also asked if they make it to the east bay side… she said not yet… not yet.
Still pretty cool. Turns out my little sis’s Taurus that got creamed by some cell phone talking Suburban driving distracted wife of the chair of the republican party in Durango CO, was a FFV car. Coool. ‘Cept she looked and well the only E85 pump when she had the car was down in San Diego. How retarded is that? Clean air morons. Hopefully they have more pumps out there now. Dunno…. Driving back was more mellow. Rather than push the limit of speed, I settled in and stuck with the cruise control as much as possible, managing a mellow 70 or so for most of the haul back to 146…. Definitely was more relaxed. We listened to the Seal Maiden story on CD for the billionth time, followed by Peter and the Wolf. Both great stories, but like the nutcracker when my sister was this age, they are wearing thin… I still have a hard time sitting through the nutcracker. She (my sister) danced to it daily for about 2.5 years. And I’m not stretching it in the least, maybe it was even like 3 years.
Gonna see about maybe taking a wild leap and assume the 9am ride is headed out tomorrow. ‘Course this prolly won’t get posted till Monday it looks like, unless I just manage to swing through somewhere with connection and get it up.
Pretty funny how as soon as I got the P velo Blog up, the mad Frenchman gets the Brown one up and running…. Still crackin me up.
I might not have the speed, or the hard ass drive, but I don’t have the time or the freedom that being single affords. It’s a trade off. My life is still not settled from the move out east. The second phase of settling down is beginning and that’s a bit stressful. My wife is great but seen as we share stuff around here one of us being gone throws it all out of balance, so working in solid training, not to mention races is tough. And not that I expect unmarried types to get it, or married but sans-children (dogs cats and pets don’t count)… but I’m saving up for cross season… there’s only so many passes I can get, don’t wanna waste em on some thing other than cross unless it works out well. But then I’m sure ol SB’ll read that as an excuse….
I’m less bothered by the comments today but only by a little… again not sure why. That and its hotter than hell inside here – and outside. Damn I’d be nice to have either a basement or central Air….or even a window box… or a place that doesn’t get so GD hot.
See there I go again… bitching up a storm.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
its HOT out there folks
I have an update that was written yesterday, but its not here. It'll be up maybe tomorrow or Monday.
Oh did i mention its hot?
I'm taking my second indulgence today. Sitting here printing out some lender correspondance, in the air conditioned office. Second indulgence in that the first was a nice 58 or so mile ride. Rode with the brown gang, and no they didn't leave at 9, they wanted to sleep in till10.... so i punched out just after the girls went to get the paper and go for a walk, grabbed a small iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts, sucked that down and went out... unfortunatly it was supposed to be a mellow 16-18. Which suited me fine, except i seemed to have a mental break down as to the locations of the Town Lines and wound up having pulled most of the mile leading up and then well... no excuses right? I didn't win a town line. I won the one KOM sprint... I felt very good and wound up leading most of the time (came back to haunt me though at the end). It was hot. And i even put sunscreen on. Topped off the bottles at the bikeworks shop and well... decided to head out for the longer ride... rather than make it an easy 40 i thought hey whats an extra few... Total time on the bike computer was 3:15 or so... at 1pm Radu and i left everyone and put the head down and motored... until i blew... Hint from gewilli - it IS possible to put too much gatorade mix in the bottle... i was getting cooked from the heat, and i don't like how sunscreen blocks up the pores... Anyway.... we made it back. And my legs are sore, no way in hell i'd have been able to survive two hoos laps... although, i spent probably 80% of the day in the front towing everyone alone, then slowing down and waiting for the stragglers, then towing along... then waiting... so the average speed wasn't terribly indicative of the effort.
At anyrate, things are good, on the bike front. I'm chuggin some sugars to push the glycogen, although the high fructose corn syrup in Coke aint' ideal... i did suck down a large bowl of pasta with some sausage in it a bit ago.
I ain't going into much more than a ride report.... its 83 degrees and feels more like 90, and we had a head wind all the way back in from Dighton MA.... how fun was that... and not much shade on the road...
Big thanks to Radu - he was key to gettin me back, he endured my good natured ribbing and my suggestion that the pink C-dale at the shop would go well with his girly sleeveless jersey.
Pop's day tomorrow- to all my mid thirty's friends with Kids - Happy Pop's day! Suds, SailorBoy, Joeseppi (i don't think he reads it), two of my bro's and to my dad's, and my wife's dad... i have two dads cause of divorce, not because i came from a progressive trendsetting family, if ya know what i mean.
Peace out, good luck in the Hoooose to all those riding it!
G
Oh did i mention its hot?
I'm taking my second indulgence today. Sitting here printing out some lender correspondance, in the air conditioned office. Second indulgence in that the first was a nice 58 or so mile ride. Rode with the brown gang, and no they didn't leave at 9, they wanted to sleep in till10.... so i punched out just after the girls went to get the paper and go for a walk, grabbed a small iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts, sucked that down and went out... unfortunatly it was supposed to be a mellow 16-18. Which suited me fine, except i seemed to have a mental break down as to the locations of the Town Lines and wound up having pulled most of the mile leading up and then well... no excuses right? I didn't win a town line. I won the one KOM sprint... I felt very good and wound up leading most of the time (came back to haunt me though at the end). It was hot. And i even put sunscreen on. Topped off the bottles at the bikeworks shop and well... decided to head out for the longer ride... rather than make it an easy 40 i thought hey whats an extra few... Total time on the bike computer was 3:15 or so... at 1pm Radu and i left everyone and put the head down and motored... until i blew... Hint from gewilli - it IS possible to put too much gatorade mix in the bottle... i was getting cooked from the heat, and i don't like how sunscreen blocks up the pores... Anyway.... we made it back. And my legs are sore, no way in hell i'd have been able to survive two hoos laps... although, i spent probably 80% of the day in the front towing everyone alone, then slowing down and waiting for the stragglers, then towing along... then waiting... so the average speed wasn't terribly indicative of the effort.
At anyrate, things are good, on the bike front. I'm chuggin some sugars to push the glycogen, although the high fructose corn syrup in Coke aint' ideal... i did suck down a large bowl of pasta with some sausage in it a bit ago.
I ain't going into much more than a ride report.... its 83 degrees and feels more like 90, and we had a head wind all the way back in from Dighton MA.... how fun was that... and not much shade on the road...
Big thanks to Radu - he was key to gettin me back, he endured my good natured ribbing and my suggestion that the pink C-dale at the shop would go well with his girly sleeveless jersey.
Pop's day tomorrow- to all my mid thirty's friends with Kids - Happy Pop's day! Suds, SailorBoy, Joeseppi (i don't think he reads it), two of my bro's and to my dad's, and my wife's dad... i have two dads cause of divorce, not because i came from a progressive trendsetting family, if ya know what i mean.
Peace out, good luck in the Hoooose to all those riding it!
G
Thursday, June 15, 2006
well it's done...
I did have a few minutes after lunch, the wonders of a kid's need to go to the bathroom to speed things up.
not to mention, why is it they seemingly can be as slow as possible in the face of needing to be fast (like when late tryin to get to the bus) but other times, like at lunch, when they "HAVE TO GO" things move in quick time....
So if ya check my profile ya'll find a link to a basic Providence Velo web log hosted like this at Blogger... and by some strange coincidence the mad frenchman must have had the same idea cause within seconds of sending out some invites out came an email with the Brown Team's blog.
Anyway...
i'm gonna "Take the Long Way Home" (supertramp - i think they sang the song that's bouncing in my head)....
not to mention getting put in my place to hear that Adam (helment-less Caster's kid) put in a 14:34... brendan put in a 16:38... Adam was on TT bike with all but his aero helment... brendan did it cannibal. For the record and for SB's peace of mind... i'm a fat slow dude suffering from a bad case of pleonasm...
Maybe its the whole house hunting crap that's bugging me...
oh and while my 339 might be some dead guy's number - its still the only one i've had...
not to mention, why is it they seemingly can be as slow as possible in the face of needing to be fast (like when late tryin to get to the bus) but other times, like at lunch, when they "HAVE TO GO" things move in quick time....
So if ya check my profile ya'll find a link to a basic Providence Velo web log hosted like this at Blogger... and by some strange coincidence the mad frenchman must have had the same idea cause within seconds of sending out some invites out came an email with the Brown Team's blog.
Anyway...
i'm gonna "Take the Long Way Home" (supertramp - i think they sang the song that's bouncing in my head)....
not to mention getting put in my place to hear that Adam (helment-less Caster's kid) put in a 14:34... brendan put in a 16:38... Adam was on TT bike with all but his aero helment... brendan did it cannibal. For the record and for SB's peace of mind... i'm a fat slow dude suffering from a bad case of pleonasm...
Maybe its the whole house hunting crap that's bugging me...
oh and while my 339 might be some dead guy's number - its still the only one i've had...
SITE DISCLAIMER
I'm an excuse laden whiney sack of shit working in an ivory tower that affords me brief seconds of 'down time' that are sometimes filled by writing a sentence or a paragraph...
I ponder possibilities too often... and it can be sometimes taken as not following through...
I don't expect anyone to care... and i don't expect anyone to read this crap...
And i find myself searching for a reason i'm so testy and grumpy lately... still looking.
One thing for sure: I'm slow. I'm not likely to do many races this summer. I'd send out an Invite to those headed to the Hoose to get a decent Diamond Hill area ride in on Saturday, but seein as i'm so full of excuses and completely offline until maybe Monday it probably won't happen. if it might work out try me on a telephone number that resembles this: four zero one six three three five four six eight...
Heck - i was actually gonna spring board off on a few ideas about leg speed work andwhat not... specifically raising doubt about the time it takes to get it back (less time in my opinion than more time)...
I ponder possibilities too often... and it can be sometimes taken as not following through...
I don't expect anyone to care... and i don't expect anyone to read this crap...
And i find myself searching for a reason i'm so testy and grumpy lately... still looking.
One thing for sure: I'm slow. I'm not likely to do many races this summer. I'd send out an Invite to those headed to the Hoose to get a decent Diamond Hill area ride in on Saturday, but seein as i'm so full of excuses and completely offline until maybe Monday it probably won't happen. if it might work out try me on a telephone number that resembles this: four zero one six three three five four six eight...
Heck - i was actually gonna spring board off on a few ideas about leg speed work andwhat not... specifically raising doubt about the time it takes to get it back (less time in my opinion than more time)...
no i'm not gonna use that song as a title
Wouldn't It Be Loverly? From My Fair Lady... yeah some musical's song was what i was riding with this morning. Seriously... musta been my cadence and something else... But "All I want, is a room some where" and on and on was heading through my brain.
The power/cadence is a bit different with the big kid in the trailer, that and i wanted to take the less busy streets and so i popped down the BLVD like i do when dropping off the youngest at daycare. The Hill up Lloyd was a bit of fun, adding 45 pounds to the trailer with about 10 psi in those tires on it certainly made for an extra power requirement...
I checked with Chris about the distance of the TT course. His mapping software has it at 6.61 miles, but it measures out usually to 6.8. a wopping 23 mph average... that seems so damn slow though. According to the map screen shot it has 3.22 miles of climbing... so definately not flat... And after reading kerry's diary for the day starting with a hill to open a TT sort of isn't exactly ideal... at least for me the second go around i went harder, and a bit too hard to start off the effort... although, its the up hill part... and the incline is supposed to be where ya can gain time... that wind resistance down hill is intense at 38 mph... hell poppin in and out of the Spinachi bars at 35 mph is a bit sketchy...
Got help here today, (duh idiot ya alluded to that already with the extra load in the Trailer). Okay so i started and finished reading the rest of the stuff. My daughter is playing a music 'mix tape' kinda game. over at PBSkidsgo.com in the Arthur games section called crank it up.
rather a bit insane...
but at least its creative and there's some feed back and active participation.
Shoot it wasn't obvious? SB's excuses for being slow at the Tuc wasn't appearant? Maybe my veiled ribbing was a bit to much ribbing and not enough spelling it out so he can understand...
HOLY CRAP... are those license numbers for real? My three little digits on card sure look strange... lined up to the 6 digit cards... insane man... insane
Oh and shoot - i was gonna get a web log set up for the P-velo guys... well add that to the insurmountable list today... maybe we'll have a brief lunch and there'll be some time somewhere to get it started.
Alright - And yeah... i wound up getting roses... and here's how coincidental i got...
My daughter wanted to pick the flowers, and she picked a dozen rainbow roses (12 different colors). Okay cool. She was pretty adamant about those. None of the other flower arrangements were gonna get past her. Well what she didn't realize was that yeah, its been 12 years (one rose per year)... each one different... anyway... i think it was nice. That and we wound up meeting my bro, his wife and their two kids 2.5 and 5 months old, my sister (staying with them now) my family over at Chili's for a freaking insane dinner. my youngest was having NONE of the sitting at a table, and got into a good game of rubber baby... try hanging on to 25 pounds of squirming jello...
And lastly... the hockey game. I desperately wanted the Oilers to win, but i feel alseep twice in the first period... and by the first intermission i was out like a light. Woke up to find it went to OT and that i can watch at least part of one more game. So maybe with luck the Oilers can ride the wave and down grade the Hurricanes for the summer. Winning the next two games in a row will be tough but if they can play like they did in the 1st period for the next six periods (assuming no overtime periods) they should have the cup. I've got respect for ol' brindamore but don't like him dat much... That and it'd be great to have the Cup hang out away from Hurricane Alley for the summer.
and with that... i'm gonna get take a nap (i wish)
The power/cadence is a bit different with the big kid in the trailer, that and i wanted to take the less busy streets and so i popped down the BLVD like i do when dropping off the youngest at daycare. The Hill up Lloyd was a bit of fun, adding 45 pounds to the trailer with about 10 psi in those tires on it certainly made for an extra power requirement...
I checked with Chris about the distance of the TT course. His mapping software has it at 6.61 miles, but it measures out usually to 6.8. a wopping 23 mph average... that seems so damn slow though. According to the map screen shot it has 3.22 miles of climbing... so definately not flat... And after reading kerry's diary for the day starting with a hill to open a TT sort of isn't exactly ideal... at least for me the second go around i went harder, and a bit too hard to start off the effort... although, its the up hill part... and the incline is supposed to be where ya can gain time... that wind resistance down hill is intense at 38 mph... hell poppin in and out of the Spinachi bars at 35 mph is a bit sketchy...Got help here today, (duh idiot ya alluded to that already with the extra load in the Trailer). Okay so i started and finished reading the rest of the stuff. My daughter is playing a music 'mix tape' kinda game. over at PBSkidsgo.com in the Arthur games section called crank it up.
rather a bit insane...
but at least its creative and there's some feed back and active participation.
Shoot it wasn't obvious? SB's excuses for being slow at the Tuc wasn't appearant? Maybe my veiled ribbing was a bit to much ribbing and not enough spelling it out so he can understand...
HOLY CRAP... are those license numbers for real? My three little digits on card sure look strange... lined up to the 6 digit cards... insane man... insane
Oh and shoot - i was gonna get a web log set up for the P-velo guys... well add that to the insurmountable list today... maybe we'll have a brief lunch and there'll be some time somewhere to get it started.
Alright - And yeah... i wound up getting roses... and here's how coincidental i got...
My daughter wanted to pick the flowers, and she picked a dozen rainbow roses (12 different colors). Okay cool. She was pretty adamant about those. None of the other flower arrangements were gonna get past her. Well what she didn't realize was that yeah, its been 12 years (one rose per year)... each one different... anyway... i think it was nice. That and we wound up meeting my bro, his wife and their two kids 2.5 and 5 months old, my sister (staying with them now) my family over at Chili's for a freaking insane dinner. my youngest was having NONE of the sitting at a table, and got into a good game of rubber baby... try hanging on to 25 pounds of squirming jello...
And lastly... the hockey game. I desperately wanted the Oilers to win, but i feel alseep twice in the first period... and by the first intermission i was out like a light. Woke up to find it went to OT and that i can watch at least part of one more game. So maybe with luck the Oilers can ride the wave and down grade the Hurricanes for the summer. Winning the next two games in a row will be tough but if they can play like they did in the 1st period for the next six periods (assuming no overtime periods) they should have the cup. I've got respect for ol' brindamore but don't like him dat much... That and it'd be great to have the Cup hang out away from Hurricane Alley for the summer.
and with that... i'm gonna get take a nap (i wish)
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Man
Well...
I made it in.
I rode hard, in the TT, popped the big kid in the trailer to get into the office for a few hours, today.
I and with forcasts in the 90s for Sunday - no way in heck... double no way... not to mention even the consideration of going was hard core shot down by the S.O.
Oh and its my 12th year of being legally hooked up... and yup i got squat. Nadda zip zilch. When it comes to getting gifts i get mentally paralyzed. I lock up, i can't think. I have no clue what to get. I'm hoping something pops into my head before i see her tonight... couple that stress (and yeah i feel it as stress) with being tired as hell, with not getting the clue about having dinner at the farm last night (still woulda done the TT anyway), and all that i dunno i'm not in the best of sorts.
Gotta fire off some important communications here get a few balls rolling, maybe take a walk down to Thayer and do some shopping with the help of a 6 year old.... Shoulda asked my sister for suggestions... see i often get good ideas way too late... like tomorrow, i'll remember what i should have gotten her... but i can't remember now.
Ah well, maybe flowers... a colossal waste of money, but since i do it so rarely, maybe it'll be just right...
well if anyone else wants to take issues with me being punchy lemme know... and yeah one of these days i'll race... and one of these days it'll be documented just how much i suck...
And a joke to end this... drivel
I made it in.
I rode hard, in the TT, popped the big kid in the trailer to get into the office for a few hours, today.
I and with forcasts in the 90s for Sunday - no way in heck... double no way... not to mention even the consideration of going was hard core shot down by the S.O.
Oh and its my 12th year of being legally hooked up... and yup i got squat. Nadda zip zilch. When it comes to getting gifts i get mentally paralyzed. I lock up, i can't think. I have no clue what to get. I'm hoping something pops into my head before i see her tonight... couple that stress (and yeah i feel it as stress) with being tired as hell, with not getting the clue about having dinner at the farm last night (still woulda done the TT anyway), and all that i dunno i'm not in the best of sorts.
Gotta fire off some important communications here get a few balls rolling, maybe take a walk down to Thayer and do some shopping with the help of a 6 year old.... Shoulda asked my sister for suggestions... see i often get good ideas way too late... like tomorrow, i'll remember what i should have gotten her... but i can't remember now.
Ah well, maybe flowers... a colossal waste of money, but since i do it so rarely, maybe it'll be just right...
well if anyone else wants to take issues with me being punchy lemme know... and yeah one of these days i'll race... and one of these days it'll be documented just how much i suck...
And a joke to end this... drivel
One morning the husband returns after several hours of fishing and
decides to take a nap. Although not familiar with the lake, the wife
decides to take the boat out. She motors out a short distance, and
reads her book.
Along comes a Game Warden in his boat. He pulls up alongside the
woman and says, "Good morning, Ma'am. What are you doing?"
"Reading a book," she replies, (thinking, Isn't that obvious?")
"You're in a Restricted Fishing Area," he informs her.
"I'm sorry, officer, but I'm not fishing, I'm reading."
"Yes, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start
at any moment. "I'll have to take you in and write you up."
"If you do that, I'll have to charge you with sexual assault," says the woman.
"But I haven't even touched you, " says the game warden.
"That's true, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you
could start at any moment."
"Have a nice day ma'am," and he left.
MORAL: Never argue with a woman who reads. It's likely she can also think.
Tuesday Part 2 (late night)
Having a late night discussion with my sister doesn’t help me going to sleep. And so to exercise the demons, in hope that they flee and lemme get some rest, I am anointing this digital space with an idea, thought or two….
First, art. What is art? And more appropriately is it right to have multiple vague definitions for it?
My definition, mark it down for the search engines:
Art definition = sensory communication
Dats it.
The ‘art’ of photography. This kinda tipped the whole discussion. Is photography an art? Is the process back in old school days when ya had 10 minutes from imaging to preserving the print and ya had to bring the whole darkroom with you, is that an art? OR is it science? The only communication part is the selection of subject and composition. Nothing else is art, its science. It’s a defined process. Is it skillful science? Yeah sure. But if you understand the reactions its less skillful and more knowledge.
Frustrating is an understatement. I guess it comes down to the current interchangability between Art and Skill. Has it always been that way? I dunno? Maybe. Worth checking on? Absolutely.
As a skillful microscopist, using the microscopes to collect images is critical, but more so, the art component is the sensory communication, or just reductionalistically visual communication.
I’m tired. This is working.
But here’s the other thing. I was asked (tonight) if I remember what I was told when my dad was kicked out of the house. And I have absolutely NO idea. I remember fishing with him quite well… I remember grocery shopping with him. I remember distinctly driving around all over the place in his blue Ford Econoline (1969 iirc) van with the center console hiding the engine, also serving as the table to chop up the beef jerky from Farmer John’s Locker (where we had the chopped up lamb parts kept). But do I remember him leaving? Nope. Not right now, maybe if I keep probing, and ask questions of my mother, maybe I’ll get there… I’m curiously perplexed and incredulous. I couldn’t remember the definition I have for art 20 minutes ago (sensory communication) but I can remember telling the guys who were asking what we were fishing with ‘it’s a secret’ when we limited out on opening day pretty quickly at Horseshoe Lake. I was standing with the boat as my dad went to go get the van….
Maybe that’s a bit too personal for what the scope of stuff has been here lately. But its really the nugget of what the aim was. If I can’t talk this stuff out to myself then it gets bottled up.
Oh and I rode a 17:45 today… knockin 22 seconds off my previous time… and my HR was way up there – a good sign…
And – no way in hell will I be getting out to Housatonic… too GD far for a 9am start… for me… in my position now… however the team is lobbying hard to get the 10 minimum registered to gain access to the VIT Tent (very important team)…. And then if I’m registered I may as well try racing, and then well I’m told all I have to do is stay towards the front for two laps and it’ll all settle down… seems doable… I spent most of that 17 minutes around 180… how long does it take to get mile lap done anyway…
Alright – this laying with a hot laptop on my crotch ain’t exactly my idea of a good time and seein as it aint hooked to the internet, well I can’t check out Big Jonny’s links now can i… not that I have in a very very very long time…. Oh well… maybe that’s my sacrifice – cause I’m in deep shit after today’s TT shenanigans and all that mess… maybe I can write about that when I’m not dead tired.
First, art. What is art? And more appropriately is it right to have multiple vague definitions for it?
My definition, mark it down for the search engines:
Art definition = sensory communication
Dats it.
The ‘art’ of photography. This kinda tipped the whole discussion. Is photography an art? Is the process back in old school days when ya had 10 minutes from imaging to preserving the print and ya had to bring the whole darkroom with you, is that an art? OR is it science? The only communication part is the selection of subject and composition. Nothing else is art, its science. It’s a defined process. Is it skillful science? Yeah sure. But if you understand the reactions its less skillful and more knowledge.
Frustrating is an understatement. I guess it comes down to the current interchangability between Art and Skill. Has it always been that way? I dunno? Maybe. Worth checking on? Absolutely.
As a skillful microscopist, using the microscopes to collect images is critical, but more so, the art component is the sensory communication, or just reductionalistically visual communication.
I’m tired. This is working.
But here’s the other thing. I was asked (tonight) if I remember what I was told when my dad was kicked out of the house. And I have absolutely NO idea. I remember fishing with him quite well… I remember grocery shopping with him. I remember distinctly driving around all over the place in his blue Ford Econoline (1969 iirc) van with the center console hiding the engine, also serving as the table to chop up the beef jerky from Farmer John’s Locker (where we had the chopped up lamb parts kept). But do I remember him leaving? Nope. Not right now, maybe if I keep probing, and ask questions of my mother, maybe I’ll get there… I’m curiously perplexed and incredulous. I couldn’t remember the definition I have for art 20 minutes ago (sensory communication) but I can remember telling the guys who were asking what we were fishing with ‘it’s a secret’ when we limited out on opening day pretty quickly at Horseshoe Lake. I was standing with the boat as my dad went to go get the van….
Maybe that’s a bit too personal for what the scope of stuff has been here lately. But its really the nugget of what the aim was. If I can’t talk this stuff out to myself then it gets bottled up.
Oh and I rode a 17:45 today… knockin 22 seconds off my previous time… and my HR was way up there – a good sign…
And – no way in hell will I be getting out to Housatonic… too GD far for a 9am start… for me… in my position now… however the team is lobbying hard to get the 10 minimum registered to gain access to the VIT Tent (very important team)…. And then if I’m registered I may as well try racing, and then well I’m told all I have to do is stay towards the front for two laps and it’ll all settle down… seems doable… I spent most of that 17 minutes around 180… how long does it take to get mile lap done anyway…
Alright – this laying with a hot laptop on my crotch ain’t exactly my idea of a good time and seein as it aint hooked to the internet, well I can’t check out Big Jonny’s links now can i… not that I have in a very very very long time…. Oh well… maybe that’s my sacrifice – cause I’m in deep shit after today’s TT shenanigans and all that mess… maybe I can write about that when I’m not dead tired.
Tuesday Part 1
Not to steal a page from Solobreakinhalfhezsofullofexcuses, but the lack of post(s) today (Tuesday) is distinctly related to me being somewhere other than bouncing around the office tossing words and stuff like saturation, numerical aperature, wavelength, nyquest sampling interval, stokes shift, accelerating voltage, signal to noise ratio… ya get the idea.
My oldest graduated from Kindergarden today… class of 2018… with her auntie from the class of 2000 and her dad from the class of 1990… to put our relative ages in perspective…. TMI? Awe who cares… not like I haven’t mentioned any of all that somewhere else… and no I’m not going to get into that discussion.
Scary topic first: me, housatonic, race… me? 54 miles? Am I freaking stupid insane? On the plus side it’s the second field to go off and until the second lap I could easily be drifting back through the starting field… second lap could be interesting or nightmarish… but - #1 its NOT a crit… #2 is looks to be one of the very few road races left… and I don’t know for sure but I think its father’s day? Or am I off by a week or two? They’ve started running adds but this dad never got the memo regarding what day it falls on.
Scary topic second: requires some scientific follow through. I went to take a nap while my sister is practicing (pro musician’s actually do practice as much as pro cyclists ride their bikes…. Skills – need to constantly hone em), and well so I went to take a nap, grab that slug bread book off the top of the stack to read through it, distinctly seem to feel that I’ve read it all twice recently, but find this little nugget of goodness:
I gotta do the google scholar search on that one (First Search sucks comparatively). But those wanna be Prius/civic hybrid drivers with big lawns and all should be ashamed….
Took my sister and my daughter over to Sakura for lunch. Man was it WONDERFUL. Their miso soup kicks ASS. My daughter chowed on the salad and then a big plate of Yaki Soba, and my sis and I both got Maki Plates, a Tuna and Salmon Nigiri, and Tekka rolls, I got salmon and avocado and she got cuc and avocado. Oh it was soooooooo good. Salmon I can only eat raw now. Cooked just tastes like crap. And trust me, I know how to cook it, and can successfully cook salmon on demand, poached, grilled, broiled, baked, pan fried… doesn’t matter how I still MUCH prefer it sushi grade and raw.
Listening to my little sis, MAN she’s freaking GOOD. I guess I makes sense if she was given first chair for a couple concerts at Tanglewood this summer. Looks like we’ll be up there on the 9th for the concert at 10am… if anyone is in the vicinity and wants comp lawn tickets lemme know. I’ve got an inside source on them.
Gonna be driving up there on Friday. So don’t look for much from me this week. Check back next week for regularly scheduled programming (once I recover from the catchup games made possible by missing a couple days this week.)
I hope Il bruce gets a few good riders to turn out this afternoon, but the weather is too conducive to putting in a better time… hot, hot enough (yeah you say the line from Good morning Vietnam)… and the wind, seems mellow enough, unlike Sunday here. Hopefully I can take a bit of time off my previous 18:07… not gonna do it cannibal, got the spinachi’s which are close to cannibal as far as some are concerned… no disk wheels…
But that got me thinking… What about those old school make your own Disk wheel things. Ya know those fabric covers for the spokes… a pain in the ass to install BUT, if its really wind resistance of the spokes that the disk helps with, then it’s a decent idea, or not. I should look into it rather than blindly speculate.
But blind speculation is fun. Blindly speculating…. Nah not gonna get all blah blah about it.
I did stop in at the office long enough to see that KL has nothing new, SB is picking on the inexperienced, and megA has an update. Fraz was funny, and I had a few emails, a couple of which reminded everyone of the TT this afternoon.
So… in prep, I’m gonna close my damn eyes, if only for 20 minutes, relax and then get some creative cookin juices flowing and THEN blast off to the TT.
Till later…. Eh?
My oldest graduated from Kindergarden today… class of 2018… with her auntie from the class of 2000 and her dad from the class of 1990… to put our relative ages in perspective…. TMI? Awe who cares… not like I haven’t mentioned any of all that somewhere else… and no I’m not going to get into that discussion.
Scary topic first: me, housatonic, race… me? 54 miles? Am I freaking stupid insane? On the plus side it’s the second field to go off and until the second lap I could easily be drifting back through the starting field… second lap could be interesting or nightmarish… but - #1 its NOT a crit… #2 is looks to be one of the very few road races left… and I don’t know for sure but I think its father’s day? Or am I off by a week or two? They’ve started running adds but this dad never got the memo regarding what day it falls on.
Scary topic second: requires some scientific follow through. I went to take a nap while my sister is practicing (pro musician’s actually do practice as much as pro cyclists ride their bikes…. Skills – need to constantly hone em), and well so I went to take a nap, grab that slug bread book off the top of the stack to read through it, distinctly seem to feel that I’ve read it all twice recently, but find this little nugget of goodness:
Scientists in the Netherlands reported in 1999 that the cut ends of freshly mown grass release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that form smog.
I gotta do the google scholar search on that one (First Search sucks comparatively). But those wanna be Prius/civic hybrid drivers with big lawns and all should be ashamed….
Took my sister and my daughter over to Sakura for lunch. Man was it WONDERFUL. Their miso soup kicks ASS. My daughter chowed on the salad and then a big plate of Yaki Soba, and my sis and I both got Maki Plates, a Tuna and Salmon Nigiri, and Tekka rolls, I got salmon and avocado and she got cuc and avocado. Oh it was soooooooo good. Salmon I can only eat raw now. Cooked just tastes like crap. And trust me, I know how to cook it, and can successfully cook salmon on demand, poached, grilled, broiled, baked, pan fried… doesn’t matter how I still MUCH prefer it sushi grade and raw.
Listening to my little sis, MAN she’s freaking GOOD. I guess I makes sense if she was given first chair for a couple concerts at Tanglewood this summer. Looks like we’ll be up there on the 9th for the concert at 10am… if anyone is in the vicinity and wants comp lawn tickets lemme know. I’ve got an inside source on them.
Gonna be driving up there on Friday. So don’t look for much from me this week. Check back next week for regularly scheduled programming (once I recover from the catchup games made possible by missing a couple days this week.)
I hope Il bruce gets a few good riders to turn out this afternoon, but the weather is too conducive to putting in a better time… hot, hot enough (yeah you say the line from Good morning Vietnam)… and the wind, seems mellow enough, unlike Sunday here. Hopefully I can take a bit of time off my previous 18:07… not gonna do it cannibal, got the spinachi’s which are close to cannibal as far as some are concerned… no disk wheels…
But that got me thinking… What about those old school make your own Disk wheel things. Ya know those fabric covers for the spokes… a pain in the ass to install BUT, if its really wind resistance of the spokes that the disk helps with, then it’s a decent idea, or not. I should look into it rather than blindly speculate.
But blind speculation is fun. Blindly speculating…. Nah not gonna get all blah blah about it.
I did stop in at the office long enough to see that KL has nothing new, SB is picking on the inexperienced, and megA has an update. Fraz was funny, and I had a few emails, a couple of which reminded everyone of the TT this afternoon.
So… in prep, I’m gonna close my damn eyes, if only for 20 minutes, relax and then get some creative cookin juices flowing and THEN blast off to the TT.
Till later…. Eh?
Monday, June 12, 2006
3 post day...
Its been a hard days work,
And i'm feeling rather pooped
sing along with me... or just pretend ya didn't
bored? wanna test your US geography? Or wanna brag about beating me silly? I managed a 96%, 6 mile error in 154 seconds.... with better luck i probably could ace it...
that or play another stupid wack em long or short game... I managed a 1232.5m long and a 123.8m short...
No luck on the freaking camcorder battery... my wife's gonna be upset if i don't have a plug/cord to use at the Graduation thing...
although, its only kindergarden... there's no documentation of me graduating kindergarde, much less High school or college (I didn't even walk for the post grad degree). I shot a bunch of still and vid using the digital camera at the Ballet recital on saturday, maybe i'll just do that again... sure is easier just switching back and forth - grabbing snippets of the program rather than the whole thing...
How's that for a rationalization excuse. I'm in trouble eh?
And lemme get on the record saying i don't give a crap about the World Cup... i've never really followed soccer - never really played it (although all my bro's did) and unless its the woman running around i don't wanna watch it.
I will admit the Housatonic hills race looks intrigueing but racing those 54 miles with the 35+ masters would probably not be the best thing to do as a first race, although hell its a damn long drive (I'm getting NewEnglandified) and a lot of money to do a hilly ride... maybe the team needs mechanical support or moral support... or not... i have made note that the most celebrated of Terry team is registered! Maybe its time to say hey in person... with my luck i'll be dragged kicking and screaming to look at more houses...
And i'm feeling rather pooped
sing along with me... or just pretend ya didn't
bored? wanna test your US geography? Or wanna brag about beating me silly? I managed a 96%, 6 mile error in 154 seconds.... with better luck i probably could ace it...
that or play another stupid wack em long or short game... I managed a 1232.5m long and a 123.8m short...
No luck on the freaking camcorder battery... my wife's gonna be upset if i don't have a plug/cord to use at the Graduation thing...
although, its only kindergarden... there's no documentation of me graduating kindergarde, much less High school or college (I didn't even walk for the post grad degree). I shot a bunch of still and vid using the digital camera at the Ballet recital on saturday, maybe i'll just do that again... sure is easier just switching back and forth - grabbing snippets of the program rather than the whole thing...
How's that for a rationalization excuse. I'm in trouble eh?
And lemme get on the record saying i don't give a crap about the World Cup... i've never really followed soccer - never really played it (although all my bro's did) and unless its the woman running around i don't wanna watch it.
I will admit the Housatonic hills race looks intrigueing but racing those 54 miles with the 35+ masters would probably not be the best thing to do as a first race, although hell its a damn long drive (I'm getting NewEnglandified) and a lot of money to do a hilly ride... maybe the team needs mechanical support or moral support... or not... i have made note that the most celebrated of Terry team is registered! Maybe its time to say hey in person... with my luck i'll be dragged kicking and screaming to look at more houses...
procrastination stinks
yeah... i was supposed to get a battery for the camcorder... to record the kindergarden celebration tomorrow. now i'm at the mercy of one store, that is supposed to get a shipment in today.
if the battery shows up i'm good... if not i'm in deep doo doo... fingers crossed we'll see what happens.
Looks like Rafa kicks some swiss butt at the french, ah well... dats cool, maybe he can make knickers cool for guys to wear... or not...
a good friend just mentioned he has pancreatic and hepatic cancer...
now that video SB posted... sort of funny, but maybe i don't get it...
THIS is funny (google vid link)... not quite motorcycle/scooter related but... it has a bike in it and some funny stuff...
A couple of my TDI NH friends have started keeping track of the Bike Week Accidents... and then one of the Cali guys posted about the dude passing the tractor trailer down hill and getting creamed by the rear tire...
Now i have little to no empathy/sympathy for that cycling fatality. Why? Cause the guy was a moronic dipshit. Um, yeah, lemme pass this 18 wheeler headed down hill on a two lane road in a no passing zone... Too late for a Darwin award.
Just goes to show not everyone on the bike is smart bright or helping cycling's Public Image.
I'm too lazy to search for a link to the story... not worth it...
maybe more later... maybe not...
digging for something funny is hard. part of me feels like i'm failing or changing in the content and scope... but then its still the same, me, commuting, attempting to go fast, attempting to think about racing before cross season, failing in some regards... feeling the need to be more supportive of my daughter but trying to find the balance between here demands and her needs... its tough... she's got alot of me in her, and that is gonna make it challenging for all of us...
till later, Peace... and carrots.
if the battery shows up i'm good... if not i'm in deep doo doo... fingers crossed we'll see what happens.
Looks like Rafa kicks some swiss butt at the french, ah well... dats cool, maybe he can make knickers cool for guys to wear... or not...
a good friend just mentioned he has pancreatic and hepatic cancer...
now that video SB posted... sort of funny, but maybe i don't get it...
THIS is funny (google vid link)... not quite motorcycle/scooter related but... it has a bike in it and some funny stuff...
A couple of my TDI NH friends have started keeping track of the Bike Week Accidents... and then one of the Cali guys posted about the dude passing the tractor trailer down hill and getting creamed by the rear tire...
Now i have little to no empathy/sympathy for that cycling fatality. Why? Cause the guy was a moronic dipshit. Um, yeah, lemme pass this 18 wheeler headed down hill on a two lane road in a no passing zone... Too late for a Darwin award.
Just goes to show not everyone on the bike is smart bright or helping cycling's Public Image.
I'm too lazy to search for a link to the story... not worth it...
maybe more later... maybe not...
digging for something funny is hard. part of me feels like i'm failing or changing in the content and scope... but then its still the same, me, commuting, attempting to go fast, attempting to think about racing before cross season, failing in some regards... feeling the need to be more supportive of my daughter but trying to find the balance between here demands and her needs... its tough... she's got alot of me in her, and that is gonna make it challenging for all of us...
till later, Peace... and carrots.
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Lazy Sundays.... once a year it seems
(written yesterday - and no new content viewed this am... yet)
So its Sunday, and I’ve got zero miles in since Friday. Normally I might be grumpy about it…
Right now (assuming I don’t dwell on the invitation from SB) I’m defiantly cool with it.
Why?
Well I was hosed – toasted – fried and wasted yesterday. Not in the anti-AFD way either. Nope in the total lack of sleep way that ya get… one of those days after a few weeks of submarginal sleep… that ya can’t shake, where an extra cup of coffee (or a pot in this case) did jack squat for the disposition. Seein as it was the B-Day party day, that was not good... After a late dinner pushed back from the 2 hour ground delay the in-laws had getting here and a bit of absolute insanity tryin to get the girls picked up in time bed time rolled around late and started off early…
The littlest has been feverish and runny nosish, which hasn’t been a ton of fun… but its manageable, more or less.
I was hoping to get out for a ride this morning before rollin out for the ‘home tour’ but nope I slept… I slept in… and it was blissful… I feel 100% better today. Still a bit tired but I’ve got major brain function back and the rest ya know… Was very conflicted last night when the Oilers were on. I was damn ready to fall asleep before the 3rd period started, but I hung with it… and man what a payoff… damn fine game. Go Oilers… down 2-1 ain’t so bad… Maybe they can get another win at home on Monday and tie it all up. It was great hockey to watch… Grand Ledge is just west of Lansing… surprised those announcers didn’t know that… oh well, not that it matters. I woulda been pissed if I stayed up and they lost… And I wanted to catch the end of the French Open, but nope, had to motor out to the house showing. The showings were somewhat positive, back into a different house and a couple of the same ones… some promising houses, a couple with very motivated sellers… some with a bit of work we could do and all move-in-able right away.
So right now… I’m watching my favorite non-road course *nascar* race… Pocono… last few years I’ve completely missed watching this race… never quite sure why, last year I’d wager it was getting ready to sell the house. Or who knows… This is a luxury, just being able to sit and take a deep breath, its nice having grandparents show up.
Oh yeah – Saturday morning in the rain we went to the Ballet recital… two weeks ago when I was doing the BLVD chill ride some dude on an OCLV with a mustache, shitty riding position and some pissy attitude jumped in for a lap or two. Well, waiting to go in, here’s this guy talking about this cool ride that goes around the BLVD every Tuesday and they average such and such and its awesome and on and on… he’s the dude with the mustache… I think, I’m gonna try and hit the TT on Tuesday, but will hope that maybe the P-velo guys can get a nice tempo ride hooked up… Cause I’m still building up… Cox race will have to wait till next year… I’m gonna stick to my plan… no real races I think till the fall… a training race or TT is one thing… maybe I’ll hit Wells Ave. Who knows….
One of these houses would be a kick ass party central pad… the other, well, it’d be a wicked fun hang out, but not the bitchin Superbowl pad… how to make the choice… and these mortgage options are freakin nuts….80/20 80/10 7/1 arms nutzy stuff….
Oh well – it’ll sort itself out I think… maybe.
Maybe…
So the gang has headed off to the airport… the sicko is sleeping in the stroller, and I’m chillin, 60 to go in the race…
I gotta say, I’ve seen quite a bit of that ‘living’ roof thing going on… and lemme tell ya I like it. Damn freaking cool. Now the question being, is it feasible here. AND if I do it to the house we buy, will it help or hurt resale? www.cultivatinglife.com They were talking about it during a race commercial.
One of the houses has an oil fired hot water heater… only 35 gallons, but a wicked recharge rate. Me thinks, a nice dose of home-made BioFuel would be sweet. Not to mention there is a nice amount of space in the garage for the reactor, or in the barn at the farm…
Yall can talk green, but ifn ya pull Propane, Natural Gas, or Oil or for the most part electricity out here yall ain’t terribly green. Not that everyone is all excited about being green. And this same house need some upstairs expansion, and well, the upstairs would need a roof bump out and that could be a Solar install, for either a hot water or voltaic setup. That should sell the place better than a living roof… Oh and the garage is insulated! Meaning GTG central BABY… Its not the best location for commuting but its in the heart of Riverside and a good school district. On the other hand, it would seriously add some massive meat to my commuting mileage, getting the duration up to the point of paying major dividends. That and if I get the BioReactor (fuel maker) running my wife could drive the Golf guilt free and nearly cost free, okay – maybe a dollar a gallon at most.
Ohh Lydia’s Kitchen is on.
Grumbly… they doing a boring thing… some celery root and stuffed chicken crap.
Oh not chicken but a breast of Veal. And lemme tell ya Veal tastes good. And from all the veal farms I’ve seen in Michigan (lots of em) I don’t have many qualms about eating it. Those animals are treated better than any beef cattle or chicken. Sure they can’t roam around but they have a nice house to hang out in to stay cool and are well fed and cared for…
Granted I’m the kid who walked up to my dad killing the rabbits (after he told my mom to keep us all inside for a while) and said “Hey whatcha doing daddy?” “skinning the rabbits” and I replied with a dis-intersted “Oh, I’m gonna go play.”
Well I should do something less introspective and more inclusive…
We’ll see what Monday brings… I hope everyone has had a fun weekend
So its Sunday, and I’ve got zero miles in since Friday. Normally I might be grumpy about it…
Right now (assuming I don’t dwell on the invitation from SB) I’m defiantly cool with it.
Why?
Well I was hosed – toasted – fried and wasted yesterday. Not in the anti-AFD way either. Nope in the total lack of sleep way that ya get… one of those days after a few weeks of submarginal sleep… that ya can’t shake, where an extra cup of coffee (or a pot in this case) did jack squat for the disposition. Seein as it was the B-Day party day, that was not good... After a late dinner pushed back from the 2 hour ground delay the in-laws had getting here and a bit of absolute insanity tryin to get the girls picked up in time bed time rolled around late and started off early…
The littlest has been feverish and runny nosish, which hasn’t been a ton of fun… but its manageable, more or less.
I was hoping to get out for a ride this morning before rollin out for the ‘home tour’ but nope I slept… I slept in… and it was blissful… I feel 100% better today. Still a bit tired but I’ve got major brain function back and the rest ya know… Was very conflicted last night when the Oilers were on. I was damn ready to fall asleep before the 3rd period started, but I hung with it… and man what a payoff… damn fine game. Go Oilers… down 2-1 ain’t so bad… Maybe they can get another win at home on Monday and tie it all up. It was great hockey to watch… Grand Ledge is just west of Lansing… surprised those announcers didn’t know that… oh well, not that it matters. I woulda been pissed if I stayed up and they lost… And I wanted to catch the end of the French Open, but nope, had to motor out to the house showing. The showings were somewhat positive, back into a different house and a couple of the same ones… some promising houses, a couple with very motivated sellers… some with a bit of work we could do and all move-in-able right away.
So right now… I’m watching my favorite non-road course *nascar* race… Pocono… last few years I’ve completely missed watching this race… never quite sure why, last year I’d wager it was getting ready to sell the house. Or who knows… This is a luxury, just being able to sit and take a deep breath, its nice having grandparents show up.
Oh yeah – Saturday morning in the rain we went to the Ballet recital… two weeks ago when I was doing the BLVD chill ride some dude on an OCLV with a mustache, shitty riding position and some pissy attitude jumped in for a lap or two. Well, waiting to go in, here’s this guy talking about this cool ride that goes around the BLVD every Tuesday and they average such and such and its awesome and on and on… he’s the dude with the mustache… I think, I’m gonna try and hit the TT on Tuesday, but will hope that maybe the P-velo guys can get a nice tempo ride hooked up… Cause I’m still building up… Cox race will have to wait till next year… I’m gonna stick to my plan… no real races I think till the fall… a training race or TT is one thing… maybe I’ll hit Wells Ave. Who knows….
One of these houses would be a kick ass party central pad… the other, well, it’d be a wicked fun hang out, but not the bitchin Superbowl pad… how to make the choice… and these mortgage options are freakin nuts….80/20 80/10 7/1 arms nutzy stuff….
Oh well – it’ll sort itself out I think… maybe.
Maybe…
So the gang has headed off to the airport… the sicko is sleeping in the stroller, and I’m chillin, 60 to go in the race…
I gotta say, I’ve seen quite a bit of that ‘living’ roof thing going on… and lemme tell ya I like it. Damn freaking cool. Now the question being, is it feasible here. AND if I do it to the house we buy, will it help or hurt resale? www.cultivatinglife.com They were talking about it during a race commercial.
One of the houses has an oil fired hot water heater… only 35 gallons, but a wicked recharge rate. Me thinks, a nice dose of home-made BioFuel would be sweet. Not to mention there is a nice amount of space in the garage for the reactor, or in the barn at the farm…
Yall can talk green, but ifn ya pull Propane, Natural Gas, or Oil or for the most part electricity out here yall ain’t terribly green. Not that everyone is all excited about being green. And this same house need some upstairs expansion, and well, the upstairs would need a roof bump out and that could be a Solar install, for either a hot water or voltaic setup. That should sell the place better than a living roof… Oh and the garage is insulated! Meaning GTG central BABY… Its not the best location for commuting but its in the heart of Riverside and a good school district. On the other hand, it would seriously add some massive meat to my commuting mileage, getting the duration up to the point of paying major dividends. That and if I get the BioReactor (fuel maker) running my wife could drive the Golf guilt free and nearly cost free, okay – maybe a dollar a gallon at most.
Ohh Lydia’s Kitchen is on.
Grumbly… they doing a boring thing… some celery root and stuffed chicken crap.
Oh not chicken but a breast of Veal. And lemme tell ya Veal tastes good. And from all the veal farms I’ve seen in Michigan (lots of em) I don’t have many qualms about eating it. Those animals are treated better than any beef cattle or chicken. Sure they can’t roam around but they have a nice house to hang out in to stay cool and are well fed and cared for…
Granted I’m the kid who walked up to my dad killing the rabbits (after he told my mom to keep us all inside for a while) and said “Hey whatcha doing daddy?” “skinning the rabbits” and I replied with a dis-intersted “Oh, I’m gonna go play.”
Well I should do something less introspective and more inclusive…
We’ll see what Monday brings… I hope everyone has had a fun weekend
Friday, June 09, 2006
Cool as Hell
Description
Oak Grove Park with a bicycle race about to begin, 1890s. A time scoreboard can be seen on the review stand. Oak Grove was a fair ground that once occupied the site of present day Carl Lamb School. Print from a 6" x 8" glass negative.
So, so ends the day... so ends the friday of the week... i won't pull the 5 o'clock song up... no way...
I dunno how teachers do it, i'm cooked after a 3 hour training session. But then, teachers may not have time to check the vids at work, but unless things have changed drastically from when i was in school teachers rarely talked for the full class period anyway... P O O P E D pooped... dats what i am...
feeling the effects of the added caffine killin my good sleep ...
wish i could say something funny...
I popped into The Hub after picking up my car, grabbed a couple tubes and whadda ya know... Jack was VERY receptive about the idea of team sponsorship... Heck... I dunno man it might... MIGHT be a sweet thing to do... Dump our current shop sponsor in favor of a Scooter/coffee shop (Javaspeed) + Different Providence Bike shop...
Hmmmmmm
i'm outa here - gotta get the girls...
Finally Friday
I know i said i wouldn't do the song title thing... but damn Ol' Solobreak is rubbin off...
It's finally Friday,
forget the workin blues and let the good times roll
Yeah baby YEAH...
Quick report from last night:
Team meeting, with a total of three (me included). Not encouraging, but, there’s some serious drive to make this work.
How many hours am I getting in on the bike was a q that Brandon asked…
Well lemme thing:
45 minutes a day or close to it commuting… maybe only 40… but then that’s over 3.5 hours, and toss in a 2-3 hour ride on the weekend and say 1.5 hours during the week either getting to and doing the TT or the BLVD and 7-8 hours a week… that SHOULD be pretty good for maintaining what I have. Assuming I have something.
Tony was super enthusiastic about registering for the Cox race… and registering for both the 3 / 4 race and the masters race. Masters run off at 9:30 and the Cat3-4s run off a bit later… 20 laps… they also said in general is a mad rush of last minute registrations…
A big push was made for a Wells ave showing by me… and I think it’s a good thing… all this pressure to race, and it was definitely agreed that we need MORE woman racing. All three of us said we’d MUCH rather watch woman racing than the Pro men… anyone here feel differently about that?
So anyway – that’s the evening recap of the meeting. And as always the big factor was sponsorship… from the title sponsor… there’s something that few understand what’s going on… how to make it all work?
Maybe hit a deal with an old shop of mine?
I dunno - hopefully the new treasurer can pull it all together... that adn I said i'd hook up the gang with a 'Team Blog' i've encountered a few of them... this may be enough to make it work eh?
I wanted to add this, yesterday i was checking the shop (P Bicycle) web page and saw the Kona, and thought, i wonder if the jake the snake is big enough... and i jotted down this bit:
jake the snake -
kona rocks it for 2006 with a size 62 frame..
prolly due in small part to the fact that Wicks and Treefarm(Trebon) are 6'4" and 6'5"
those sunofbitches are 170 and 174 freaking pounds... FARK... i'm fat
does 2" = 20 pounds? I dunno... maybe....
and the Treefarm is claiming 8 hours on the bike? with a 5 hour easy
day? Lucky sack of shit... (maybe)
how cool would that be... to get up in the morning and just head out
and ride for hours on end...
okay - so this is gettin all random and shit...
but i slept like crap last night and i blame it on that freaking Folgers Crap... OD on Caffine... my brain was running overtime and i was tossing and turning last night... as if i had a cup of coffee after dinner or something... I have my precious low caffinated French Roast Coffee today... mmmm MUCH better...
Hall pass sunday... hmmm, damn freaking TEMPTING... problem: In-Laws are in town... YUP... Daughter's b-day is tomorrow - big ol bash, she's turning 6. I'll float the trial balloon to the Hall Monitor about Sunday... Weather looks actually to be damn fine... And i'd relish the opportunity to get dropped, it hasn't happened much lately, so either #1 i've built a decent fitness base or #2 i'm riding with other slow as shit folks... prolly #2 i'm guessing... As bart says on the rides out here 'wait for me after the hill' I'll prolly add the comment but its a bit less likely than likely for this weekend... oh... shit... forgot... we've scheduled a look see at a house, farkinpoop, 11am... there's NO way the Hall Monitor will approve that pass with those conditions... I guess this tall skinny freak sitting here behind the monitor will have to remain still, anonymous... 'Course you could come down and mix it up with 'sprinters' at the Cox... that's not too far off... or wake up early and meet up at Diamond Hill? It ain't Nashua... but...
well today will not be a day to check out the lastest vids posted with the finish of the cross race... and yeah... I'd wager if KL had a sweet ass 26"/650/559 cross bike... damn she'd fly... Kona does make the 24" one... and as much as i hate to suggest, it'd prolly not be one hell of a lot different ratio wise than me sitting on a 700c bike... would the geometry even be close? or is it too small... A nice can of pink spray paint would give it a bit of anonymity and fit with the 'team' colors... Might not have a lot tire options... BUT... ya could potentially kick some ass with it... On the other hand a nice clean rigid 26" mt bike converted could be better... I've got a small or an extra small Bontrager Race sitting packed up in a box... on the other side i might be hard to convince the 'owner' to loan it, and it might still be too big... but maybe not?
okay- i've cooked the last muffin for this morning...
It's finally Friday,
forget the workin blues and let the good times roll
Yeah baby YEAH...
Quick report from last night:
Team meeting, with a total of three (me included). Not encouraging, but, there’s some serious drive to make this work.
How many hours am I getting in on the bike was a q that Brandon asked…
Well lemme thing:
45 minutes a day or close to it commuting… maybe only 40… but then that’s over 3.5 hours, and toss in a 2-3 hour ride on the weekend and say 1.5 hours during the week either getting to and doing the TT or the BLVD and 7-8 hours a week… that SHOULD be pretty good for maintaining what I have. Assuming I have something.
Tony was super enthusiastic about registering for the Cox race… and registering for both the 3 / 4 race and the masters race. Masters run off at 9:30 and the Cat3-4s run off a bit later… 20 laps… they also said in general is a mad rush of last minute registrations…
A big push was made for a Wells ave showing by me… and I think it’s a good thing… all this pressure to race, and it was definitely agreed that we need MORE woman racing. All three of us said we’d MUCH rather watch woman racing than the Pro men… anyone here feel differently about that?
So anyway – that’s the evening recap of the meeting. And as always the big factor was sponsorship… from the title sponsor… there’s something that few understand what’s going on… how to make it all work?
Maybe hit a deal with an old shop of mine?
I dunno - hopefully the new treasurer can pull it all together... that adn I said i'd hook up the gang with a 'Team Blog' i've encountered a few of them... this may be enough to make it work eh?
I wanted to add this, yesterday i was checking the shop (P Bicycle) web page and saw the Kona, and thought, i wonder if the jake the snake is big enough... and i jotted down this bit:
jake the snake -
kona rocks it for 2006 with a size 62 frame..
prolly due in small part to the fact that Wicks and Treefarm(Trebon) are 6'4" and 6'5"
those sunofbitches are 170 and 174 freaking pounds... FARK... i'm fat
does 2" = 20 pounds? I dunno... maybe....
and the Treefarm is claiming 8 hours on the bike? with a 5 hour easy
day? Lucky sack of shit... (maybe)
how cool would that be... to get up in the morning and just head out
and ride for hours on end...
okay - so this is gettin all random and shit...
but i slept like crap last night and i blame it on that freaking Folgers Crap... OD on Caffine... my brain was running overtime and i was tossing and turning last night... as if i had a cup of coffee after dinner or something... I have my precious low caffinated French Roast Coffee today... mmmm MUCH better...
Hall pass sunday... hmmm, damn freaking TEMPTING... problem: In-Laws are in town... YUP... Daughter's b-day is tomorrow - big ol bash, she's turning 6. I'll float the trial balloon to the Hall Monitor about Sunday... Weather looks actually to be damn fine... And i'd relish the opportunity to get dropped, it hasn't happened much lately, so either #1 i've built a decent fitness base or #2 i'm riding with other slow as shit folks... prolly #2 i'm guessing... As bart says on the rides out here 'wait for me after the hill' I'll prolly add the comment but its a bit less likely than likely for this weekend... oh... shit... forgot... we've scheduled a look see at a house, farkinpoop, 11am... there's NO way the Hall Monitor will approve that pass with those conditions... I guess this tall skinny freak sitting here behind the monitor will have to remain still, anonymous... 'Course you could come down and mix it up with 'sprinters' at the Cox... that's not too far off... or wake up early and meet up at Diamond Hill? It ain't Nashua... but...
well today will not be a day to check out the lastest vids posted with the finish of the cross race... and yeah... I'd wager if KL had a sweet ass 26"/650/559 cross bike... damn she'd fly... Kona does make the 24" one... and as much as i hate to suggest, it'd prolly not be one hell of a lot different ratio wise than me sitting on a 700c bike... would the geometry even be close? or is it too small... A nice can of pink spray paint would give it a bit of anonymity and fit with the 'team' colors... Might not have a lot tire options... BUT... ya could potentially kick some ass with it... On the other hand a nice clean rigid 26" mt bike converted could be better... I've got a small or an extra small Bontrager Race sitting packed up in a box... on the other side i might be hard to convince the 'owner' to loan it, and it might still be too big... but maybe not?
okay- i've cooked the last muffin for this morning...
Thursday, June 08, 2006
back to 26 vs 29
ain't that James guy lucky?
and heck at least maybe finally we'll get some meaninful results...
Now... someone should set up a certain KL with identical fitting cross bikes in a 650 and 700 sizes... i wonder if terry has the capacity to do that? cause THAT'd be a damn cool test. Is a diminutive cyclocross gal gonna benefit from one or the other assuming they have the same physical cockpit dimensions (ala the seven in the test)...
Oliers are gonna get cooked... stupid Red Wings... they should be holding the 2 games to none lead against the 'Canes....
and Cyclingnews popin shit up about something in Rhode Island!?
"Cox Charities Cycling Classic to feature champions"
So anyone planning to come down for that race? I see one BOB guy signed up...
And only one woman signed up... from the looks of it a certain Team Terry rider could come down and place pretty well... probably even in the money!
and heck at least maybe finally we'll get some meaninful results...
Now... someone should set up a certain KL with identical fitting cross bikes in a 650 and 700 sizes... i wonder if terry has the capacity to do that? cause THAT'd be a damn cool test. Is a diminutive cyclocross gal gonna benefit from one or the other assuming they have the same physical cockpit dimensions (ala the seven in the test)...
Oliers are gonna get cooked... stupid Red Wings... they should be holding the 2 games to none lead against the 'Canes....
and Cyclingnews popin shit up about something in Rhode Island!?
"Cox Charities Cycling Classic to feature champions"
The 5th annual Cox Charities Cycling Classic, featuring 500 cyclists, will take place in Station Park, Providence, Rhode Island, on Sunday, June 25, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and has announced the participation of riders such as Davide Frattini and brothers Mark and Frank McCormack, all members of the Colavita Olive Oil/Sutter Home Pro Cycling Team.
Frattini is the 2001 winner of the "Baby Giro", the U23 Giro d’Italia. Frank McCormack, a former US Pro Champion, is the defending 2005 Cox Charities Cycling Classic winner, while brother Mark, former U.S. professional champion, won the Tour of Connecticut in 2005.
Racers will compete on a one-mile, five-corner criterium course adjacent to the Providence Place Mall and Rhode Island State House. The money raised will benefit Cox Charities of New England which awards grants to non-profit organizations in Cox’s service area that focus on the education and development of youth.
Food vendors and exhibitors, as well as other family-friendly activities will be set up in Station Park adjacent to the race course throughout the day. Most family activities will start at 9 a.m., and the first race is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. The women’s feature race is scheduled for 10:45 a.m., and the men’s feature race for 1:15 p.m.
This year the Cox Charities Cycling Classic will be held as part of the inaugural New England Raceweek. The top races in New England joined together to kick off the summer cycling season and offer a week of cycling competition from June 24-July 2 in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
So anyone planning to come down for that race? I see one BOB guy signed up...
And only one woman signed up... from the looks of it a certain Team Terry rider could come down and place pretty well... probably even in the money!
man this week is draggin
anyone else? Its starting today better though... I'm not sitting here completely and totally soaked...
The cuff on my jeans was still wet from the morning ride in when i got home at 5:30...
megA's back... well the server/page is at least...
Henry sent out an email with some vids to the NEcyclocross email list...
Guess who is featured in clip 9g?
compare her to some of the earlier ones... a damn fine form, quick steps... instead of the slogging big oompf oompf ones of a few girls... But man can you say that bike is HUGE... i won't throw back to a recent comment but i think KL may be better with a 650c wheel (no i will NOT call them 26... its a road/cross bike and its a 650 not some arbitrary measure of inches - okay its not arbitrary but anyway).
At least today i got lunch packed - but... left the coffee sitting in the kitchen... meaning no wonderful coffee, and for a second i freaked "I HAVE TO GO OUT?" nope i have a stash of Folgers left over from the previous occupant of my seat. Yes its shitty coffee, and yes i've learned my lesson, over dosing the amount (beyond 3 heaping coffee scoops) just makes the coffee taste worse... not that it tastes good now, but it at least drinkable... drinkable even black.
Which kinda tips into the next thought - (that previous transition would get an 'F' unless there was good justification for switching concepts, and i do, shock)... Shock in that it sets up some freaky stuff in a second. But That freaky stuff is set up by this: The coffee depot's owner (i don't have a link to the place, but its in Warren) has a philosophy. Its about the world economy and the environment.
It goes along the lines of this: if everyone bought sustainable free trade fair wage coffee that would be enough to save the world. My little bro said that's his ideal... and well its somewhat a damn fine good one. Coffee is by far one of the most important commodities in the US, it generates billions of dollars for companies like Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks... you name it... If everyone would only buy the good stuff... the world would be fine... maybe... its a nice thought and potentially an accurate one...
Which sort of ties in with the start of KL's bit up now... But the freakiest tie in... is... the compost...
why?
well last night i was reading Slug Bread and Beheaded Thistles... And lamenting my composting attempt back in michigan...
Compost takes a long time to get mellowed, esp from raw stuff... and lots of myths and conflicting science is out there. Is hot better? Is cold better? Is turning it better or counter productive? How best to deal with it?
I grew up with a massive compost pile, every ounce of anything out of the kitchen went into that pile... no leaves or grassclippings though... that compost was incredible, it still is 20 years later. I have great memories digging through the brittle eggshels and rinds to find dozens and dozens of worms to take down to Long Lake or Horseshoe lake to go fishing with my dad... It was amazing...
My dad had a pile in MD when he moved of grass clippings, he'd stick the kitchen waste in there but that pile was different. Wicked hot... and not really the best... too much grass. It never really decomposed very fast, and it never sustained worms...
Horse/cow and other vegetarian farm animal poop is great, but its pretty much already composted... no need to do much with it other than set it on top of the garden, or plant in it...
That book, i like alot... good stuff in it... easy to just read a part... i typically just open it up at random and start reading...
And this coffee takes HORRIBLE... (but in the true spirit of the three Rs - shit there's another freaky connection... Reduce Reuse Recycle - gonna pop in my Jack Johnson Curious George sound track now thank you very much).... BUT in the spirit of the 3rs i'm gonna drink it... why? cause its made and it'd be more of a waste to toss it. Right?
This whole living in an apartment thing is killin me... no control on the planting aroudn the place... the water in the basement (it was freaking flooded last night)...
oh the water in the basement... the wonderful landlord has the most jurry rigged ass backwards sump thing in there... And when it floods... he SWEEPS the water towards the sump square... The sump pump is the long type... and rather than pumping out through the proper sized 1 1/2 pipe... its choked down to a garden hose... FREAKING BRILLIANT.... And so rather than get a wet dry shop vac and spend 20 minutes sucking the water up in the 80% of the basement that is below the level of the sump 'drain' he sweeps it... with a 8" broom... I DON'T GET IT... *shrug* i am happy to report that the water level didnt result in the Rolf's filling up with water this time... that's nice... although i have to change the rear tube to get the 48mm valve in there so i can actually pump it up... and would have to dissasemble them anyway...
Oh and it ain't so bad with the flat and all - that tube in the rear had been in there so long that even with Conti Tube and Tire powder in there, the tube was stuck to the tire, AND the valve took about 150 psi to just break open, even if the tube was only around 60 psi...
So i get upstairs from seeing the flood... and i'm in a grumpy mood, for a few reasons i best keep to myself i think... and my bro calls... and well my sis is coming out for Tanglewood all summer, and this whole sharing family visits is tough... sure we both get to see who ever comes out but everyone who comes out feels the need to split time... and that causes untold amounts of stress for both me and my bro... well this was a killer last night - i finally told him look, we'll talk about it in the morning cause i'm in NO FREAKING mood. Maybe i'll get the whole reasons out and maybe it'll make me feel better... anyway we chatted this AM and its all worked out... i think...
That and i'm totally wiped out... i really hope it rains this afternoon/evening so that i can bag the TT and head to the team meeting with a clear mind... on the other side - i am so damn tired that it would be stupid to go ride it anyway... other than i need a mental break a bit longer than the ride to daycare gives me...
Oh... fer farks sake i'm babblin on... I left the P-mount in the 50x23 for the whole commute today... and for the 1 mile or so on the BLVD heading down to Lloyd i spun as fast as i could... okay not as fast but i kept it smooth and at a signifiantly higher than normal cadence... 110-120 i'd guess... That and i realized that my Sidi Genius3s and my Answer commuter flats have the cleat placed in different fucking places in the sole... Me... mr. concious of bike fit... has it all messed the hell up... not sure which to change now... move the commuter's forward or the sidi's back or a little of both... i'm kinda thinkin based on a few things the latter... My sidi's i think are a bit too far forward, and based on the longish rides and the foot numbness in the Answers that the cleats are a bit too far back...
anyway... the spinning was good... we'll see if i can focus on that, or maybe just try and hit Wells or 'Grit or maybe even the 'Tuc and see about this leg speed...
I'll finally stop for now... before i keep ramblin
peace yall,
G-out
The cuff on my jeans was still wet from the morning ride in when i got home at 5:30...
megA's back... well the server/page is at least...
Henry sent out an email with some vids to the NEcyclocross email list...
The run-up was short, but extremely steep.
Lap 4 VIDEO (clips 9a-9h), the first 4 riders are also shown in slow
motion [50%]:
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2105721418
Henry
Guess who is featured in clip 9g?
compare her to some of the earlier ones... a damn fine form, quick steps... instead of the slogging big oompf oompf ones of a few girls... But man can you say that bike is HUGE... i won't throw back to a recent comment but i think KL may be better with a 650c wheel (no i will NOT call them 26... its a road/cross bike and its a 650 not some arbitrary measure of inches - okay its not arbitrary but anyway).
At least today i got lunch packed - but... left the coffee sitting in the kitchen... meaning no wonderful coffee, and for a second i freaked "I HAVE TO GO OUT?" nope i have a stash of Folgers left over from the previous occupant of my seat. Yes its shitty coffee, and yes i've learned my lesson, over dosing the amount (beyond 3 heaping coffee scoops) just makes the coffee taste worse... not that it tastes good now, but it at least drinkable... drinkable even black.
Which kinda tips into the next thought - (that previous transition would get an 'F' unless there was good justification for switching concepts, and i do, shock)... Shock in that it sets up some freaky stuff in a second. But That freaky stuff is set up by this: The coffee depot's owner (i don't have a link to the place, but its in Warren) has a philosophy. Its about the world economy and the environment.
It goes along the lines of this: if everyone bought sustainable free trade fair wage coffee that would be enough to save the world. My little bro said that's his ideal... and well its somewhat a damn fine good one. Coffee is by far one of the most important commodities in the US, it generates billions of dollars for companies like Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks... you name it... If everyone would only buy the good stuff... the world would be fine... maybe... its a nice thought and potentially an accurate one...
Which sort of ties in with the start of KL's bit up now... But the freakiest tie in... is... the compost...
why?
well last night i was reading Slug Bread and Beheaded Thistles... And lamenting my composting attempt back in michigan...
Compost takes a long time to get mellowed, esp from raw stuff... and lots of myths and conflicting science is out there. Is hot better? Is cold better? Is turning it better or counter productive? How best to deal with it?
I grew up with a massive compost pile, every ounce of anything out of the kitchen went into that pile... no leaves or grassclippings though... that compost was incredible, it still is 20 years later. I have great memories digging through the brittle eggshels and rinds to find dozens and dozens of worms to take down to Long Lake or Horseshoe lake to go fishing with my dad... It was amazing...
My dad had a pile in MD when he moved of grass clippings, he'd stick the kitchen waste in there but that pile was different. Wicked hot... and not really the best... too much grass. It never really decomposed very fast, and it never sustained worms...
Horse/cow and other vegetarian farm animal poop is great, but its pretty much already composted... no need to do much with it other than set it on top of the garden, or plant in it...
That book, i like alot... good stuff in it... easy to just read a part... i typically just open it up at random and start reading...
And this coffee takes HORRIBLE... (but in the true spirit of the three Rs - shit there's another freaky connection... Reduce Reuse Recycle - gonna pop in my Jack Johnson Curious George sound track now thank you very much).... BUT in the spirit of the 3rs i'm gonna drink it... why? cause its made and it'd be more of a waste to toss it. Right?
This whole living in an apartment thing is killin me... no control on the planting aroudn the place... the water in the basement (it was freaking flooded last night)...
oh the water in the basement... the wonderful landlord has the most jurry rigged ass backwards sump thing in there... And when it floods... he SWEEPS the water towards the sump square... The sump pump is the long type... and rather than pumping out through the proper sized 1 1/2 pipe... its choked down to a garden hose... FREAKING BRILLIANT.... And so rather than get a wet dry shop vac and spend 20 minutes sucking the water up in the 80% of the basement that is below the level of the sump 'drain' he sweeps it... with a 8" broom... I DON'T GET IT... *shrug* i am happy to report that the water level didnt result in the Rolf's filling up with water this time... that's nice... although i have to change the rear tube to get the 48mm valve in there so i can actually pump it up... and would have to dissasemble them anyway...
Oh and it ain't so bad with the flat and all - that tube in the rear had been in there so long that even with Conti Tube and Tire powder in there, the tube was stuck to the tire, AND the valve took about 150 psi to just break open, even if the tube was only around 60 psi...
So i get upstairs from seeing the flood... and i'm in a grumpy mood, for a few reasons i best keep to myself i think... and my bro calls... and well my sis is coming out for Tanglewood all summer, and this whole sharing family visits is tough... sure we both get to see who ever comes out but everyone who comes out feels the need to split time... and that causes untold amounts of stress for both me and my bro... well this was a killer last night - i finally told him look, we'll talk about it in the morning cause i'm in NO FREAKING mood. Maybe i'll get the whole reasons out and maybe it'll make me feel better... anyway we chatted this AM and its all worked out... i think...
That and i'm totally wiped out... i really hope it rains this afternoon/evening so that i can bag the TT and head to the team meeting with a clear mind... on the other side - i am so damn tired that it would be stupid to go ride it anyway... other than i need a mental break a bit longer than the ride to daycare gives me...
Oh... fer farks sake i'm babblin on... I left the P-mount in the 50x23 for the whole commute today... and for the 1 mile or so on the BLVD heading down to Lloyd i spun as fast as i could... okay not as fast but i kept it smooth and at a signifiantly higher than normal cadence... 110-120 i'd guess... That and i realized that my Sidi Genius3s and my Answer commuter flats have the cleat placed in different fucking places in the sole... Me... mr. concious of bike fit... has it all messed the hell up... not sure which to change now... move the commuter's forward or the sidi's back or a little of both... i'm kinda thinkin based on a few things the latter... My sidi's i think are a bit too far forward, and based on the longish rides and the foot numbness in the Answers that the cleats are a bit too far back...
anyway... the spinning was good... we'll see if i can focus on that, or maybe just try and hit Wells or 'Grit or maybe even the 'Tuc and see about this leg speed...
I'll finally stop for now... before i keep ramblin
peace yall,
G-out
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
I REMEMBERED
All it took was a quick stroll through ESPN, then NFL to check on my love hate relationship with that dreaded and most american of past times...
The joke went along the lines of:
Okay - i just found the clip on NBC.com (comic's name is Doug Mellard). NOT FUNNY... the editing for TV made the joke and his 3 minutes actually funny...
but i'm geeked i found it... that and i'm finally warmed up...
The joke went along the lines of:
Fantasy football is practically like dungeons and dragons for all the meatheads that used to pick on the people who played dungeons and dragons, Terrel Owens has leaping ability...
Okay - i just found the clip on NBC.com (comic's name is Doug Mellard). NOT FUNNY... the editing for TV made the joke and his 3 minutes actually funny...
but i'm geeked i found it... that and i'm finally warmed up...
brrrrr
I'm cold... my jeans are soaked... my shirt has barely dried off and the coffee ain't doing JACK to warm me up... and i'm hungry...
I'm a whiny sumbitch this morning eh?
Fortunately or unfortunately the "demo" was cancelled. The sexy sales lady and the tough sales guy (why do they need a pair? is she not smart enough alone?) couldn't get their little microscope in the building cause of the rain. Seems the cart has an exposed special transformer that goes boom if wet... and the had it in a mini-van and can't get it in the loading dock cause the dock is 4' up (duh its a LOADING DOCK). We don't have an alternate location so sitting outside in the rain, AFTER getting lost, AFTER not calling to tell me they were running late/lost until 9:10 (demo was supposed to start at 9) they asked to reschedule...
Okay - sure - no problem, i'm happy to have yall try it again...
If ya trying to sell something #1, wouldn't ya show up like BEFORE you set the time for the demo? The flyer announced the demo would start at 9am... if it was me i'd have the system fired up tested and ready to go by 8:45 at the latest...
Oh well... i'm still cold, hungry, and tired...
and i thought i had two peices of left over pizza to add to the meatballs my oldest made last night... nope, just one... and nope, no more...
YEah the oldest made meatballs. She wanted meatball subs "like school" so we stocked up on stuff to make em... (translation = went to Wholefoods)...
1 pound ground dark turkey (#1 cause i wanted to try it, #2 it was a dollar less a pound than the ground beef)
0.64 pounds of sweet italian pork sausage
added two eggs, 3/4 cup Progresso bread crumbs, chopped onions, garlic, oregano, basil (both dried), ~1 teaspoon of Whatsthisheresauce,
mix well... fry in extra virgin olive oil...
place in whole wheat split top New England 'hot dog' (lobster roll) bun and cover with sauce:
Sauce,
clarify 1/4 of a vidalia onion in a good amount of Extra virgin olive oil, once the onions are soft and translucent (low heat clarification), crank up the heat and put a good amount of Balsamic vinegar, reduce that down almost completely, add a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes with Basil, put in the garlic, one small bay leaf, some dried oregano, add some dried basil, a few dashes of the W sauce, some sea salt, one finely grated medium sized zucchini, a trace of cinnamon. Kept on low heat while cooking the meatballs...
Damn if it wasn't super tasty...
And the meatballs were very very well shaped... little nuggest of yumminess...
--
Round Chainrings addressed again by Cyclingnews...
Seems like a reasonable article... although... i still gotta say... WTF... maybe for a bike i with a single up front... but..... i dunno gimme round... i never noticed much difference with the two different types of biopace i tried and then moved back to round... "tried" as they were on the first two mt bikes i owned... An '88 Raleigh Chill, the laid back geometry fad with a short top tube and forged upright stem (in a 22"), and the '89 Chill, with the more agressive very LONG top tube with the nearly flat 130mm welded cromo stem with the integrated roller for the front brake. Stiff and heavy... Anyway... biopace IMNSHO was stupid, non-round chainrings ARE stupid. UNLESS you are some sub 50 rpm knee busting lazy type cyclist...
i'm still bugged/bummed that i can't check in on newenglandcross.com... no ping so maybe the box is hosed...
why the hell am i using hosed so much lately? Dunno
--
Bruce was bitching to the email about the lack of brownies on the BLVD ride... maybe cause most of em are like - either taking a break from this place or off for the summer? Or not... maybe they are just tired of the grumpy old farts, or they've bolted for the P-Velo TT on tuesdays? I'd like to head up to the Tuc for a tuesday night circut or two, just to say i've done it this summer... next week ain't gonna work cause my sis is in town and i might be able to squeeze in the BLVD or the TT but not much beyond that...
--listening to the Essential Mix, Paul van Dyk is a damn freaking inspired genius DJ--
can ya tell? The demo being cancelled opened up a rather large block o time...
maybe i'll head down to the bookstore and see if i can spend some money, they are having an inventory sale... who knows what i might not be able to pass up... besides - i need more calories... no time to get any food in my own belly this morning... and no i think i'll spare the full complete details other than i'm STILL wet
I'm a whiny sumbitch this morning eh?
Fortunately or unfortunately the "demo" was cancelled. The sexy sales lady and the tough sales guy (why do they need a pair? is she not smart enough alone?) couldn't get their little microscope in the building cause of the rain. Seems the cart has an exposed special transformer that goes boom if wet... and the had it in a mini-van and can't get it in the loading dock cause the dock is 4' up (duh its a LOADING DOCK). We don't have an alternate location so sitting outside in the rain, AFTER getting lost, AFTER not calling to tell me they were running late/lost until 9:10 (demo was supposed to start at 9) they asked to reschedule...
Okay - sure - no problem, i'm happy to have yall try it again...
If ya trying to sell something #1, wouldn't ya show up like BEFORE you set the time for the demo? The flyer announced the demo would start at 9am... if it was me i'd have the system fired up tested and ready to go by 8:45 at the latest...
Oh well... i'm still cold, hungry, and tired...
and i thought i had two peices of left over pizza to add to the meatballs my oldest made last night... nope, just one... and nope, no more...
YEah the oldest made meatballs. She wanted meatball subs "like school" so we stocked up on stuff to make em... (translation = went to Wholefoods)...
1 pound ground dark turkey (#1 cause i wanted to try it, #2 it was a dollar less a pound than the ground beef)
0.64 pounds of sweet italian pork sausage
added two eggs, 3/4 cup Progresso bread crumbs, chopped onions, garlic, oregano, basil (both dried), ~1 teaspoon of Whatsthisheresauce,
mix well... fry in extra virgin olive oil...
place in whole wheat split top New England 'hot dog' (lobster roll) bun and cover with sauce:
Sauce,
clarify 1/4 of a vidalia onion in a good amount of Extra virgin olive oil, once the onions are soft and translucent (low heat clarification), crank up the heat and put a good amount of Balsamic vinegar, reduce that down almost completely, add a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes with Basil, put in the garlic, one small bay leaf, some dried oregano, add some dried basil, a few dashes of the W sauce, some sea salt, one finely grated medium sized zucchini, a trace of cinnamon. Kept on low heat while cooking the meatballs...
Damn if it wasn't super tasty...
And the meatballs were very very well shaped... little nuggest of yumminess...
--
Round Chainrings addressed again by Cyclingnews...
Seems like a reasonable article... although... i still gotta say... WTF... maybe for a bike i with a single up front... but..... i dunno gimme round... i never noticed much difference with the two different types of biopace i tried and then moved back to round... "tried" as they were on the first two mt bikes i owned... An '88 Raleigh Chill, the laid back geometry fad with a short top tube and forged upright stem (in a 22"), and the '89 Chill, with the more agressive very LONG top tube with the nearly flat 130mm welded cromo stem with the integrated roller for the front brake. Stiff and heavy... Anyway... biopace IMNSHO was stupid, non-round chainrings ARE stupid. UNLESS you are some sub 50 rpm knee busting lazy type cyclist...
i'm still bugged/bummed that i can't check in on newenglandcross.com... no ping so maybe the box is hosed...
why the hell am i using hosed so much lately? Dunno
--
Bruce was bitching to the email about the lack of brownies on the BLVD ride... maybe cause most of em are like - either taking a break from this place or off for the summer? Or not... maybe they are just tired of the grumpy old farts, or they've bolted for the P-Velo TT on tuesdays? I'd like to head up to the Tuc for a tuesday night circut or two, just to say i've done it this summer... next week ain't gonna work cause my sis is in town and i might be able to squeeze in the BLVD or the TT but not much beyond that...
--listening to the Essential Mix, Paul van Dyk is a damn freaking inspired genius DJ--
can ya tell? The demo being cancelled opened up a rather large block o time...
maybe i'll head down to the bookstore and see if i can spend some money, they are having an inventory sale... who knows what i might not be able to pass up... besides - i need more calories... no time to get any food in my own belly this morning... and no i think i'll spare the full complete details other than i'm STILL wet
News FLASH
Its RAINING...
and um... i'm soaked...
I suppose i could be a bit more saturated if i took a shower... BUT i barely...
1/2 here i thought "I should have put a dry set of clothes in the bag..."
DOH
at least i put a dry pair of socks in...
Dropped L off at Daycare... she was dry...
Me...
Soaking freaking wet... Oh and that Entrant jacket from Sugoi? Its HOSED... as in turn on the faucet and let the water pour through... time to suck it and buy some decent rain gear...
cause if i'm gonna be as pig headed and stupid about my 'principles' i might as well be dry...
(post from last night to come up - its better than the previous late night ramble... at least longer at any rate)...
Coffee... papertowel drying and then a hot sales gal shows up to demo a scope we won't buy...
-Soaking Dog GDub
PS _ and who the hell swallowed megA's website? its gone...
and thanks for the content this morning - the one morning i'm hosed with work, there's new content... gonna have ta remember to ask ol' SB what 'puter he's using... that and send old man b-day wishes... that racing age means my daughter knows how old i am (34) not me (i think i'm 35)
and um... i'm soaked...
I suppose i could be a bit more saturated if i took a shower... BUT i barely...
1/2 here i thought "I should have put a dry set of clothes in the bag..."
DOH
at least i put a dry pair of socks in...
Dropped L off at Daycare... she was dry...
Me...
Soaking freaking wet... Oh and that Entrant jacket from Sugoi? Its HOSED... as in turn on the faucet and let the water pour through... time to suck it and buy some decent rain gear...
cause if i'm gonna be as pig headed and stupid about my 'principles' i might as well be dry...
(post from last night to come up - its better than the previous late night ramble... at least longer at any rate)...
Coffee... papertowel drying and then a hot sales gal shows up to demo a scope we won't buy...
-Soaking Dog GDub
PS _ and who the hell swallowed megA's website? its gone...
and thanks for the content this morning - the one morning i'm hosed with work, there's new content... gonna have ta remember to ask ol' SB what 'puter he's using... that and send old man b-day wishes... that racing age means my daughter knows how old i am (34) not me (i think i'm 35)
Tuesday Night
So I’m pissed… there was an absolutely AWESOME joke… that I cannot remember… it was on tv, last comic standing…
Sure sue me… I turned the TV on. Watched a comedy show… I like that show… and Damn straight that guy with palsy seriously was the absolutely hysterical.
I’d go online to see if I can find the memory prompt. But I can’t. In some ways its very very strange to be using a computer that isn’t connected to millions of servers and untold masses of information.
Oh and there aint jack shit on tv right… Maybe there’s hope that I can fall asleep… course this whole single dad thing is a change. Not that it’s a real stretch, its just different. For a week, or two it’d be one thing… but for a couple days its just loopy… we’re having fun, tonight was definitely better in most regards than last night. The littlest still wandered around saying “ma ma, ma ma.” She’s gotta be confused. But we’re eating well, not watching any TV (okay so last comic standing was on as they were headed to bed).
Honestly (switching gears) the corners freak me out… Crit talking here… dirt? No worries… cross? No worries… asphalt? Concrete? Scares the shit out of me. I figure if I say it, maybe I’ll get over it. Maybe I have to race a season or two to get over it. Bigger beef, why the hell are all the cool road races in the spring? The racing calendar seems void of all but crits this summer? WTF is up with that shit? Maybe for the better – Road races are for the soft… real cyclists race crits and kick butt… wait… seems Europe keeps a nice balance of road and other races… nah – they aren’t real men… it’s the lazy convenient sack of crap American culture that makes crits just easy, a fall back. But then I’d be busting on the wrong crowd. I know, there are plenty of people doing and lovin crits… plenty of good reasons to hold them instead of long road races… and yeah they are better for spectators… And yeah seein as that BOB Haverhill thing is the week before the first cross race up in Auburn maybe I should consider it. Down side… where the hell is Auburn? Is it even rational to think I can get up there for a race? Rational to even think I’ll have the legs to race? Well I guess the only way to find out is to try… ninigret is prolly the closest and word is that it’s a wide open non-technical circuit… maybe not a bad place to get the feet wet…
I didn’t realize that megA had the ‘voyeur’ comment… I’m pretty sure that comment I made a bit ago was spontaneously generated in my piddlin cranium… but ya never know…
I’m pissed that the damn hockey is on cable not network… freaking what the hell… WHY not? Not that it matters, I guess… Detroit’s not it in… hell they ain’t even in the B-Ball finals, like they should be… how the hell do ya drop the games to the Heat but then soundly kick their ass? I don’t get it… coaching? I dunno –
I dunno much lately… thanks for bearing witness to my insanity, and my introspection…
I’m back. Why? Cause the streets are CLEAN!!! The Sumbitch street sweeper just rolled through the neighborhood, and when ya are on a corner house… that’s a damn lotta passes… but – it means – LESS SAND. Something to celebrate… and since the showers usually wake me up instead of relax me, I’m awake. So why take a shower at night? Guess. Cause with just me there ain’t no way I can do it if they are awake… and yeah there’s a chance I can get up and get clean before they wake up but its too damn close proximity and timing to wake the littlest up… so, the street sweeper promted me to get my ass back on the laptop in the dark… lit by the keyboard.
I’d lament the quietness of the lonefrontranger, or many of the other web logs that I like to devour in the morning over a cup of coffee… I’d like to laugh at Big Jonny…. That sumbitch had a kid and well whadda ya know, the posts are shorter, less frequent and somewhat less… less Drunk Cyclist… and maybe, just maybe that’s a good thing.
Although I’ll sing praises for the gold can… ya know the champagne of beers, Miller High Life… smooth, clean, like drinkin lemonade, a cold crisp beverage distinctly beer flavored but without the nasty toxins many beers seem to be chock full of…. And by toxins I mean the shit that makes me feel yucky in the morning… this stuff… hell I feel no real different than after a good long AFD stretch… although… the legs… they know… and they will kick me in the ass tomorrow….
I still can’t remember the damn joke… I just remember that it was damn poignant… I love MS Word… thank you for spell check Bill… if for nothing else… this autocorrect freaking kicks ass…. I should use it all the freaking time… I should but the feeling is different, the linking is different, but often the words are not. Right now I;m typing completely blind… and only one typo – hell bill didn’t even need to fix that shit…
NOW that’s it… I hope…
Sure sue me… I turned the TV on. Watched a comedy show… I like that show… and Damn straight that guy with palsy seriously was the absolutely hysterical.
I’d go online to see if I can find the memory prompt. But I can’t. In some ways its very very strange to be using a computer that isn’t connected to millions of servers and untold masses of information.
Oh and there aint jack shit on tv right… Maybe there’s hope that I can fall asleep… course this whole single dad thing is a change. Not that it’s a real stretch, its just different. For a week, or two it’d be one thing… but for a couple days its just loopy… we’re having fun, tonight was definitely better in most regards than last night. The littlest still wandered around saying “ma ma, ma ma.” She’s gotta be confused. But we’re eating well, not watching any TV (okay so last comic standing was on as they were headed to bed).
Honestly (switching gears) the corners freak me out… Crit talking here… dirt? No worries… cross? No worries… asphalt? Concrete? Scares the shit out of me. I figure if I say it, maybe I’ll get over it. Maybe I have to race a season or two to get over it. Bigger beef, why the hell are all the cool road races in the spring? The racing calendar seems void of all but crits this summer? WTF is up with that shit? Maybe for the better – Road races are for the soft… real cyclists race crits and kick butt… wait… seems Europe keeps a nice balance of road and other races… nah – they aren’t real men… it’s the lazy convenient sack of crap American culture that makes crits just easy, a fall back. But then I’d be busting on the wrong crowd. I know, there are plenty of people doing and lovin crits… plenty of good reasons to hold them instead of long road races… and yeah they are better for spectators… And yeah seein as that BOB Haverhill thing is the week before the first cross race up in Auburn maybe I should consider it. Down side… where the hell is Auburn? Is it even rational to think I can get up there for a race? Rational to even think I’ll have the legs to race? Well I guess the only way to find out is to try… ninigret is prolly the closest and word is that it’s a wide open non-technical circuit… maybe not a bad place to get the feet wet…
I didn’t realize that megA had the ‘voyeur’ comment… I’m pretty sure that comment I made a bit ago was spontaneously generated in my piddlin cranium… but ya never know…
I’m pissed that the damn hockey is on cable not network… freaking what the hell… WHY not? Not that it matters, I guess… Detroit’s not it in… hell they ain’t even in the B-Ball finals, like they should be… how the hell do ya drop the games to the Heat but then soundly kick their ass? I don’t get it… coaching? I dunno –
I dunno much lately… thanks for bearing witness to my insanity, and my introspection…
I’m back. Why? Cause the streets are CLEAN!!! The Sumbitch street sweeper just rolled through the neighborhood, and when ya are on a corner house… that’s a damn lotta passes… but – it means – LESS SAND. Something to celebrate… and since the showers usually wake me up instead of relax me, I’m awake. So why take a shower at night? Guess. Cause with just me there ain’t no way I can do it if they are awake… and yeah there’s a chance I can get up and get clean before they wake up but its too damn close proximity and timing to wake the littlest up… so, the street sweeper promted me to get my ass back on the laptop in the dark… lit by the keyboard.
I’d lament the quietness of the lonefrontranger, or many of the other web logs that I like to devour in the morning over a cup of coffee… I’d like to laugh at Big Jonny…. That sumbitch had a kid and well whadda ya know, the posts are shorter, less frequent and somewhat less… less Drunk Cyclist… and maybe, just maybe that’s a good thing.
Although I’ll sing praises for the gold can… ya know the champagne of beers, Miller High Life… smooth, clean, like drinkin lemonade, a cold crisp beverage distinctly beer flavored but without the nasty toxins many beers seem to be chock full of…. And by toxins I mean the shit that makes me feel yucky in the morning… this stuff… hell I feel no real different than after a good long AFD stretch… although… the legs… they know… and they will kick me in the ass tomorrow….
I still can’t remember the damn joke… I just remember that it was damn poignant… I love MS Word… thank you for spell check Bill… if for nothing else… this autocorrect freaking kicks ass…. I should use it all the freaking time… I should but the feeling is different, the linking is different, but often the words are not. Right now I;m typing completely blind… and only one typo – hell bill didn’t even need to fix that shit…
NOW that’s it… I hope…
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
left over from yesterday
In certain kinds of writing, particularly in art criticism and literary criticism, it is normal to come across long passages which are almost completely lacking in meaning.
- George Orwell
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice; In practice, there is.
- Chuck Reid
and one of these days i'll get the word right..
Pleonasm not neoplasm...
I know what i mean and often that's enough...
One thing, megA's recent post about riding being the fuel for writing... that's bang on...
I'll admit it...
and i'll also honestly and openly admit i miss riding my Mt Bikes... sure they may be high tech for 1998 and its 2006, but... they still are MY mt bikes and they still work well... modern improvements ain't got nuttin on it...
Sure they rock some sweet old school lowered bar riding position, sporting gripshift and 2x9... or 2x8 dunno really... i think 2x8 (who the hell needs that freakin sensible granny gear anyway)... that's what 180 cranks are for...
one of these days... its just that the whole load up the bike on the car, drive to the trail... ride the trail, drive back... sucks valuable riding time... and since the mantra: RIDE THE DAMN BIKE runs counter to spending and hour or more in the car to ride the bike, its better to just get on the roadie and ride that time instead of car... i think...
oh the cadence thing... lots of good suggestions, some not so good ones... over at PEZ... Cadence Good points about the fixie pushing the leg back up...
and i know... it'll be better to spin up the hill at 90 rpm with the trailer than grind it at 60 or so... methinks i should breakdown and get some freaking cadence thingy for at least the commuter....
but crap like this - such blatant marketing BS bugs me... there is a disclosure statement - and some 'objective' stuff...
but... why not just drink a big old glass of milk spiked with some sugar...
better yet... or should we say for the espresso lovers:
Get a Grande Latte, put 4 or 5 sugars in it... caffine, protien, sugars, all perfect for recovery...
Damn strong evidence for ending a ride at a Coffee shop... No?
- George Orwell
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice; In practice, there is.
- Chuck Reid
and one of these days i'll get the word right..
Pleonasm not neoplasm...
I know what i mean and often that's enough...
One thing, megA's recent post about riding being the fuel for writing... that's bang on...
I think part of the reason I’m so bummed about the weather is that riding in the woods is a great way for me to brainstorm. The flow of the trails, the body english, the focus, it just frees me, and I can think and write in my head as I rock the trails, you know? I know you know, even though you won’t admit it.
I'll admit it...
and i'll also honestly and openly admit i miss riding my Mt Bikes... sure they may be high tech for 1998 and its 2006, but... they still are MY mt bikes and they still work well... modern improvements ain't got nuttin on it...
Sure they rock some sweet old school lowered bar riding position, sporting gripshift and 2x9... or 2x8 dunno really... i think 2x8 (who the hell needs that freakin sensible granny gear anyway)... that's what 180 cranks are for...
one of these days... its just that the whole load up the bike on the car, drive to the trail... ride the trail, drive back... sucks valuable riding time... and since the mantra: RIDE THE DAMN BIKE runs counter to spending and hour or more in the car to ride the bike, its better to just get on the roadie and ride that time instead of car... i think...
oh the cadence thing... lots of good suggestions, some not so good ones... over at PEZ... Cadence Good points about the fixie pushing the leg back up...
and i know... it'll be better to spin up the hill at 90 rpm with the trailer than grind it at 60 or so... methinks i should breakdown and get some freaking cadence thingy for at least the commuter....
but crap like this - such blatant marketing BS bugs me... there is a disclosure statement - and some 'objective' stuff...
but... why not just drink a big old glass of milk spiked with some sugar...
better yet... or should we say for the espresso lovers:
Get a Grande Latte, put 4 or 5 sugars in it... caffine, protien, sugars, all perfect for recovery...
Damn strong evidence for ending a ride at a Coffee shop... No?
well... I survived
I tried writing a bit last night but i was knockered, and uninspired...
Cruising through the Open tabs and nadda lot there...
maybe its the time of year...
lemme see what i wrote last night:
Well, its about right...
catching a few of the freshly posted vids of the CSI CX Elite woman's race little one minute snippets but it's inspirational... i think... watching a bunch of woman that can prolly kick my ass from here to there without blinking (on the bike that is)...
it also really drives home the fact that i'm very pleased with my body:bike size ratio... but... i still am not geeked about shouldering the skinny steel tube on my skinny exposed bone shoulder i have... okay its not exposed... but feels like that, on the otherhand, the arm wrapped under the top tube and grabbing the bar is not terribly uncomfortable for run-ups and what not...
The TT looks like it might be wet, coupled with a Team meeting the same evening, maybe i'll just do the team meeting - which would suck, cause well... i ain't got a baby sitter for tonight, and i ain't gonna be able to make the TT... fuzuckinhell...
Oh and got this email regarind my desire for a 28c road tire (cause of my flat and the fact it's totally hosed):
yeah... well... i'm a big tall heavy slow sack of shit... i need the ballons on the rims... besides... they are round, round like tubulars...
awe nevermind... Maybe after a few more coffees....
peace,
G
Cruising through the Open tabs and nadda lot there...
maybe its the time of year...
lemme see what i wrote last night:
So I’m sitting here wishing I had a backlit keyboard… but no… its black… can’t see shit.
So I’m typing blind… at least I’ve sort of figured out how to use this thing.
An interesting evening (yes, its still Monday – despite when ya see this posted). Survival, we made it, no trips to the hospital. Girls fed (the easy part), played at the park… it all worked I think…
I realized I kinda went off – 2k words while eating lunch. Not sure if I said a whole lot…. I think it’s the absolute perfect post to prove my Neoplasm. Assuming I am getting the word right. Spelling that is.
I thought I might have more to say, but I’m fresh outa words… dunno what to say…
So maybe I just leave it at this … not much…
Oh
Bike fit… when I said saddle too high, too low a bit… I meant a lot… if its dramatic enough to visually tell… its huge…
The real power difference is NOT detectable at least outwardly at first glance on the bike…
Well, its about right...
catching a few of the freshly posted vids of the CSI CX Elite woman's race little one minute snippets but it's inspirational... i think... watching a bunch of woman that can prolly kick my ass from here to there without blinking (on the bike that is)...
it also really drives home the fact that i'm very pleased with my body:bike size ratio... but... i still am not geeked about shouldering the skinny steel tube on my skinny exposed bone shoulder i have... okay its not exposed... but feels like that, on the otherhand, the arm wrapped under the top tube and grabbing the bar is not terribly uncomfortable for run-ups and what not...
The TT looks like it might be wet, coupled with a Team meeting the same evening, maybe i'll just do the team meeting - which would suck, cause well... i ain't got a baby sitter for tonight, and i ain't gonna be able to make the TT... fuzuckinhell...
Oh and got this email regarind my desire for a 28c road tire (cause of my flat and the fact it's totally hosed):
28's geez i ride some 27's for cyclocross.
yeah... well... i'm a big tall heavy slow sack of shit... i need the ballons on the rims... besides... they are round, round like tubulars...
awe nevermind... Maybe after a few more coffees....
peace,
G
Monday, June 05, 2006
"Never Went To Church"
Yeah - the streets...
the opening lines are serious kick ass
"Two great European narcotics,
Alcohol and Christianity,
I know which one I prefer"
I know which one i prefer...
but i also know neither of them are going to help get closer to that 'genetic' potential...
Which brings me back to a very specific and almost more important aspect of cycling and maximizing your potential.
BIKE FIT
its sick, sad, twisted to see people sloggin away on ill fitting bikes or with sub-optimal fit. Saddles too low, too high, weird contorted back angles...
Why is it so hard to get a bike to fit? Why? because its almost impossible to fit a 'novice' to the most efficient position. They haven't developed a sense of what is best yet. Down side is they make habits that can be bad. Muscle memory tendencies that are counter productive or power robbing.
I've got a few friends who've been rather particular about it. One nailed it from the start and has been extremely effective at making it work. One who has taken literally 10 years to get to a position of power. And man oh man is he strong now...
One of the suprising, but shouldn't be, things was his bike fit (we'll call him Tom) was stagnant for a long time. He was changing saddles, stems, seatposts, shoes, all the contact points trying to get comfortable. He also was someone who could and did just buy stuff and try it out. But never got anywhere. He had great spin, his physical stuff is rather remarkable... but never every any power.
He bought a custom seven, they have a rather complicated custom bike form. Lots of measurements, lots of questions. The bike came back and the measurements came back, with specific saddle height and all. He's never been faster. And gets better and better. Then the last bit - shoes. Angles and all that - the last contact patch...
now... based on everything, he's topped 50 and is one of the fastest on the club rides in Michigan... I attribute most of it to the time invested on the bike, but i cannot deny that he's gotten faster because his position has improved so dramatically.
I feel good about my position, i've bounced around with saddle heights, fore-aft positions and generally feel pretty good about it all. Its been remarked that my position looks good. And like when i was rowing, i strive for form. Get the form down right, use the proper muscles, then make them work with more power/strength.
If the bike don't fit right it don't matter what genetic potential ya got. Ya never gonna realize it - no matter HOW much hard work you through at it.
And no, no a Fit kit or a 'fit system' in a bike shop can't always get you set up right. Ya need a very detailed analysis, like the one Seven does. And like many other custom builders use. But just cause a builder is a 'custom' doesn't mean the bike will be built well, or built to the size you think... Bringing to mind SB's comments about C-Dale. And the two 58s that didn't measure up in any dimension. I hear about 'custom' frame builders without a Frame table! WTF? How do you build/weld a bike without a frame alignment table? The answer doesn't make me feel any better about it: Its welded in the frame jig so its already aligned... Um... lets see... we'll heat the hell out of the metal and let it cool and expect it not to change. RIGHT.
KL and i should definitely have our own frame shop. Tall and Small cycles... or what was it called? Anyway, Focus on building quality frames, and let some other schmo paint them. Paint is excessive, and only the Klein's seem to have a worthy paint. On the other side, does it need to be pretty? Nah just fast. Down side, i'm sold on this aluminum crap. And the problem with making aluminum right is tube shape, wall thickness and being able to vary the tubes ala gradient tubing that Gary Klein made up.
Here... as much as i think Wiki is stupid... its got the best back up for my man Gary:
Gary Klein (Inventor) can be considered the innovator of the oversized tube aluminum bicycle, which is now a feature of the cycling market. He first developed the concept in 1973 as part of the Independent Activities Period aluminum bicycle project at MIT, where he was an engineering student and bicycle racer, then took the concept commercial after graduation.
One of the old catalogs talked about Gary racing in Boston and breaking frames. He's big, 6'3" or 4, and big, not like twiggy me. And the whole Aerospace Engineer stuff at MIT was somewhat helpful.
Ya wonder why GK has a billion patents? Cause he really was/is an innovator in aluminum stuff.
Integrated headset? Gary's been doing it lightyears longer than anyone. Back then ya know what they said? It is stupid, no flexibility. Look at the market now? Its worse than it was then. Besides, i've seen 20+ year old klein bearings working no problem. Kinda funny. When you use good stuff off the bat, that it lasts.
Now put your panties back on - or unbunch em at least. I don't sell em. I don't have any stock in em. They don't make Cross bikes, they've gone and done stupid stuff like replace kick ass killer aluminum stays with STUPID heavier, less ride-able carbon, and well the brand has been polluted from the analytical brilliant mind that gary envisioned. Sure he still has some directional control with the product. And yeah he had that one toxic cleanup issue.
Take a look at the time line. What's interesting there in 1989?
A woman's specific design. HOLY CRAP? Back then? Yeah... him and what? Terry? The only thing missing in his stable of firsts is a Cross bike.
Anyway...
I didn't start off to go off on Klein. But I find many east coasters not quite as educated about Klein bikes. They seem to (regionally acceptably i guess) biased towards C-dales. And there is some curious connection, C-dale was making trailers and clothing and crap. Then decided to make a touring bike... in '83... Those were heavy, unrefined, and scary compared to modern Alu bikes... and back then, they weren't really that much lighter... They played catchup with klein, as the two oversize aluminum frame makers cutting ground. Then the big boys jumped in...
Raleigh with the 'Technium' (i thought they were cool till i realized a 30 pound rigid aluminum cro-mo bike was about 7 pounds overweight - but it still is indestructible - hanging in the barn), Specialized with their M2 stuff. Giant with the toothpaste welded Taiwan stuff...
I'm a techy dweebish bike geek. The little stuff. Cool. And as with biology, i'm fascinated by the transitions, the evolution and the interrelatedness of everything.
Sure i'm biased. Everyone is. And on one hand i will agree - a well fitting bike is a well fitting bike and doesn't really impact how fast someone is unless it breaks.
Man i haven't even made it to the list!
The elevator. I waited 15 minutes to go down one flight with the trailer. Freaking PISSED ME OFF... gd... i'm okay now...
The ride... Well there was going to be a ride off at the Bike Shop at 9:30... i stuck around till 9:35-9:40... no one showed... and i had a great ride by myself.
On those drizzlin days the one bad thing about a group is the spray from the wheels infront. No wheels, just solo. My Belgian tan was 100% me. And it was fantastic. A gorgeous black line above the sock.
Wound up only about 44 miles, but i stretched it out to 44 miles or so, and using the RI bike map hit every damn hill i could manage. And it was fantastic. The bike was great. I don't think the grades were much more than 8-10% at max, and a few of them were longish... here's the loop i did... gmap r=219819. Its only a partial loop.... I went up and around on Lime Rock and Ridge road to get there.
Oh and i got a nice flat right about post 5 on there. Nice arrowhead of glass, pointing out #1 that i have no more 48mm valved tubes, #2 i need new 28c rubber... it's less than 1 mm at the middle of the tread... not good. And #3, i'm sold on the Stans no flat stuff, and i haven't even tried it yet. Kinda funny. In michigan i went 5-6 years maybe more without getting a flat. I'm here and have blown through a half dozen tubes already.
My average speed sucked... but i kept stopping to look at the map, took one leak, and was riding the hills... and not burning the descents... something about the roads being wet, it being dark, not wanting to blast around at 35-40 too much not knowing what is at the bottom stuff... Its a good loop, not many cars... the blackstone river bike path let me see the flooded damns and lots of water and gave me a chance to get comfortable in the aero position with the spinach bars.
And all except the flat, and my crappy gloves blowing a hole in the palm somehow (i dunno, i started the ride and the left one was intact - somewhere along the way the palm gave way) it was great. Raining, but not cold enough to need more than arm+knee warmers and a wind vest.
And Geert might like to hear - i even hosed the damn bike off when i got back. YEAH?! image that shit? I figured it was wet already, might as well put it away clean and wet rather than wet and dirty... although who doesn't like it wet and dirty? (sounds like a certain principle got an eyefull of wet and dirty). And for the guy who suggested i put more in my waterbottles than just water... i broke down and bought some Gatorade powder... took two 24 oz bottles of slightly strong G-ade for a change... maybe it helped... i think it did... the 3 hours, even though some of it was rather mellow and just sight-seeing miles, the extra energy made a difference...
And today begins the whole single working parent few days... Which was something i was thinking about. There will always be someone out there who won't understand, and in the same hand someone who'll wonder why you are complaining. And that goes for everything. For every guy who goes out and rides a 45 mile ride, some people will say 'hey, i've never done more than a flight of stairs' and others who'll say 'that's it? i rode a double century this weekend.'
the only measure is my own... its my life, i have my baggage, mental and physical to carry through. I'm not in a position to just ride on my schedule. I have to juggle lots, but it feels worthwhile. Will i mean i'm slow as hell? Maybe. Will it make me enjoy it all any less? Feck no... Maybe the opposite?
Whymiwriting that? I dunno - cause its rattlin around in my head and i wanna come back and read it sometime down the road. So that i understand the perspective i have now...
Oh and i wonder, i've go these feeling i've lost control of myself. In someway its that the entries flow more freely now, less deliberate. I don't know if its a good thing or not. Feel free to let me know... or not...
I'd better get this off the desk... loads of interruptions... hopefully its not that much more disjointed/disorganized than normal... although all those handwritten love letters from High school and college i'd writen to former and (almost) GFs weren't a whole lot less scattered... maybe its why the lecturers i've enjoyed the most are tangent filled... gimme three or four stimulus feeds and i'll be satisfied...
oh and Haverhill... i can assume its the BOB crit at the indus park? In september? Me... a Crit? shame - well maybe i can be shamed enough to show up... maybe...
the opening lines are serious kick ass
"Two great European narcotics,
Alcohol and Christianity,
I know which one I prefer"
I know which one i prefer...
but i also know neither of them are going to help get closer to that 'genetic' potential...
Which brings me back to a very specific and almost more important aspect of cycling and maximizing your potential.
BIKE FIT
its sick, sad, twisted to see people sloggin away on ill fitting bikes or with sub-optimal fit. Saddles too low, too high, weird contorted back angles...
Why is it so hard to get a bike to fit? Why? because its almost impossible to fit a 'novice' to the most efficient position. They haven't developed a sense of what is best yet. Down side is they make habits that can be bad. Muscle memory tendencies that are counter productive or power robbing.
I've got a few friends who've been rather particular about it. One nailed it from the start and has been extremely effective at making it work. One who has taken literally 10 years to get to a position of power. And man oh man is he strong now...
One of the suprising, but shouldn't be, things was his bike fit (we'll call him Tom) was stagnant for a long time. He was changing saddles, stems, seatposts, shoes, all the contact points trying to get comfortable. He also was someone who could and did just buy stuff and try it out. But never got anywhere. He had great spin, his physical stuff is rather remarkable... but never every any power.
He bought a custom seven, they have a rather complicated custom bike form. Lots of measurements, lots of questions. The bike came back and the measurements came back, with specific saddle height and all. He's never been faster. And gets better and better. Then the last bit - shoes. Angles and all that - the last contact patch...
now... based on everything, he's topped 50 and is one of the fastest on the club rides in Michigan... I attribute most of it to the time invested on the bike, but i cannot deny that he's gotten faster because his position has improved so dramatically.
I feel good about my position, i've bounced around with saddle heights, fore-aft positions and generally feel pretty good about it all. Its been remarked that my position looks good. And like when i was rowing, i strive for form. Get the form down right, use the proper muscles, then make them work with more power/strength.
If the bike don't fit right it don't matter what genetic potential ya got. Ya never gonna realize it - no matter HOW much hard work you through at it.
And no, no a Fit kit or a 'fit system' in a bike shop can't always get you set up right. Ya need a very detailed analysis, like the one Seven does. And like many other custom builders use. But just cause a builder is a 'custom' doesn't mean the bike will be built well, or built to the size you think... Bringing to mind SB's comments about C-Dale. And the two 58s that didn't measure up in any dimension. I hear about 'custom' frame builders without a Frame table! WTF? How do you build/weld a bike without a frame alignment table? The answer doesn't make me feel any better about it: Its welded in the frame jig so its already aligned... Um... lets see... we'll heat the hell out of the metal and let it cool and expect it not to change. RIGHT.
KL and i should definitely have our own frame shop. Tall and Small cycles... or what was it called? Anyway, Focus on building quality frames, and let some other schmo paint them. Paint is excessive, and only the Klein's seem to have a worthy paint. On the other side, does it need to be pretty? Nah just fast. Down side, i'm sold on this aluminum crap. And the problem with making aluminum right is tube shape, wall thickness and being able to vary the tubes ala gradient tubing that Gary Klein made up.
Here... as much as i think Wiki is stupid... its got the best back up for my man Gary:
Gary Klein (Inventor) can be considered the innovator of the oversized tube aluminum bicycle, which is now a feature of the cycling market. He first developed the concept in 1973 as part of the Independent Activities Period aluminum bicycle project at MIT, where he was an engineering student and bicycle racer, then took the concept commercial after graduation.
One of the old catalogs talked about Gary racing in Boston and breaking frames. He's big, 6'3" or 4, and big, not like twiggy me. And the whole Aerospace Engineer stuff at MIT was somewhat helpful.
Ya wonder why GK has a billion patents? Cause he really was/is an innovator in aluminum stuff.
Integrated headset? Gary's been doing it lightyears longer than anyone. Back then ya know what they said? It is stupid, no flexibility. Look at the market now? Its worse than it was then. Besides, i've seen 20+ year old klein bearings working no problem. Kinda funny. When you use good stuff off the bat, that it lasts.
Now put your panties back on - or unbunch em at least. I don't sell em. I don't have any stock in em. They don't make Cross bikes, they've gone and done stupid stuff like replace kick ass killer aluminum stays with STUPID heavier, less ride-able carbon, and well the brand has been polluted from the analytical brilliant mind that gary envisioned. Sure he still has some directional control with the product. And yeah he had that one toxic cleanup issue.
Take a look at the time line. What's interesting there in 1989?
A woman's specific design. HOLY CRAP? Back then? Yeah... him and what? Terry? The only thing missing in his stable of firsts is a Cross bike.
Anyway...
I didn't start off to go off on Klein. But I find many east coasters not quite as educated about Klein bikes. They seem to (regionally acceptably i guess) biased towards C-dales. And there is some curious connection, C-dale was making trailers and clothing and crap. Then decided to make a touring bike... in '83... Those were heavy, unrefined, and scary compared to modern Alu bikes... and back then, they weren't really that much lighter... They played catchup with klein, as the two oversize aluminum frame makers cutting ground. Then the big boys jumped in...
Raleigh with the 'Technium' (i thought they were cool till i realized a 30 pound rigid aluminum cro-mo bike was about 7 pounds overweight - but it still is indestructible - hanging in the barn), Specialized with their M2 stuff. Giant with the toothpaste welded Taiwan stuff...
I'm a techy dweebish bike geek. The little stuff. Cool. And as with biology, i'm fascinated by the transitions, the evolution and the interrelatedness of everything.
Sure i'm biased. Everyone is. And on one hand i will agree - a well fitting bike is a well fitting bike and doesn't really impact how fast someone is unless it breaks.
Man i haven't even made it to the list!
The elevator. I waited 15 minutes to go down one flight with the trailer. Freaking PISSED ME OFF... gd... i'm okay now...
The ride... Well there was going to be a ride off at the Bike Shop at 9:30... i stuck around till 9:35-9:40... no one showed... and i had a great ride by myself.
On those drizzlin days the one bad thing about a group is the spray from the wheels infront. No wheels, just solo. My Belgian tan was 100% me. And it was fantastic. A gorgeous black line above the sock.
Wound up only about 44 miles, but i stretched it out to 44 miles or so, and using the RI bike map hit every damn hill i could manage. And it was fantastic. The bike was great. I don't think the grades were much more than 8-10% at max, and a few of them were longish... here's the loop i did... gmap r=219819. Its only a partial loop.... I went up and around on Lime Rock and Ridge road to get there.
Oh and i got a nice flat right about post 5 on there. Nice arrowhead of glass, pointing out #1 that i have no more 48mm valved tubes, #2 i need new 28c rubber... it's less than 1 mm at the middle of the tread... not good. And #3, i'm sold on the Stans no flat stuff, and i haven't even tried it yet. Kinda funny. In michigan i went 5-6 years maybe more without getting a flat. I'm here and have blown through a half dozen tubes already.
My average speed sucked... but i kept stopping to look at the map, took one leak, and was riding the hills... and not burning the descents... something about the roads being wet, it being dark, not wanting to blast around at 35-40 too much not knowing what is at the bottom stuff... Its a good loop, not many cars... the blackstone river bike path let me see the flooded damns and lots of water and gave me a chance to get comfortable in the aero position with the spinach bars.
And all except the flat, and my crappy gloves blowing a hole in the palm somehow (i dunno, i started the ride and the left one was intact - somewhere along the way the palm gave way) it was great. Raining, but not cold enough to need more than arm+knee warmers and a wind vest.
And Geert might like to hear - i even hosed the damn bike off when i got back. YEAH?! image that shit? I figured it was wet already, might as well put it away clean and wet rather than wet and dirty... although who doesn't like it wet and dirty? (sounds like a certain principle got an eyefull of wet and dirty). And for the guy who suggested i put more in my waterbottles than just water... i broke down and bought some Gatorade powder... took two 24 oz bottles of slightly strong G-ade for a change... maybe it helped... i think it did... the 3 hours, even though some of it was rather mellow and just sight-seeing miles, the extra energy made a difference...
And today begins the whole single working parent few days... Which was something i was thinking about. There will always be someone out there who won't understand, and in the same hand someone who'll wonder why you are complaining. And that goes for everything. For every guy who goes out and rides a 45 mile ride, some people will say 'hey, i've never done more than a flight of stairs' and others who'll say 'that's it? i rode a double century this weekend.'
the only measure is my own... its my life, i have my baggage, mental and physical to carry through. I'm not in a position to just ride on my schedule. I have to juggle lots, but it feels worthwhile. Will i mean i'm slow as hell? Maybe. Will it make me enjoy it all any less? Feck no... Maybe the opposite?
Whymiwriting that? I dunno - cause its rattlin around in my head and i wanna come back and read it sometime down the road. So that i understand the perspective i have now...
Oh and i wonder, i've go these feeling i've lost control of myself. In someway its that the entries flow more freely now, less deliberate. I don't know if its a good thing or not. Feel free to let me know... or not...
I'd better get this off the desk... loads of interruptions... hopefully its not that much more disjointed/disorganized than normal... although all those handwritten love letters from High school and college i'd writen to former and (almost) GFs weren't a whole lot less scattered... maybe its why the lecturers i've enjoyed the most are tangent filled... gimme three or four stimulus feeds and i'll be satisfied...
oh and Haverhill... i can assume its the BOB crit at the indus park? In september? Me... a Crit? shame - well maybe i can be shamed enough to show up... maybe...
Crazy Mondays
#1 Elevator
#2 Ride
#3 looking forward to the next few days
#4 ...add what ever else i remember
#5 work
#6 thank megA for stoppin by
#7 ?
so... i'll start on those some time at some point (leave it to Fraz to get me smiling after a feakstorm started or worked up by #1)....
Monday's Fraz is great, cause i get to read Sat, Sun and Mon all in a row... each one is funny...
#2 Ride
#3 looking forward to the next few days
#4 ...add what ever else i remember
#5 work
#6 thank megA for stoppin by
#7 ?
so... i'll start on those some time at some point (leave it to Fraz to get me smiling after a feakstorm started or worked up by #1)....
Monday's Fraz is great, cause i get to read Sat, Sun and Mon all in a row... each one is funny...
Friday, June 02, 2006
Upside Down
(hah - SB's not the only one who can use a song title for a thread title... even though, yeah, i said i wouldn't do that...)
but in honor of him draggin his knuckles across the keyboard just to prove me wrong (about no new posts)... i've titled this from the lead in track on the Curious George soundtrack...
its freaking HOT... the ride down to grab that Fecked up digi-box warmed me up just a touch too much... now i can't quite freaking cool down... AC? bah... why? Humidity control in the office? Bah the building is under construction, why'd we wanna do that...
oh and i've gotta take exception with Dave's quote from that book:
no way! - ya Can overcome lazy habits- you can realize the full genetic potential through hard work
but ya ain't NEVER gonna EVER erase 'genetic' limitations.... not without resorting to drugs (EPO, HGH, Roids.... ).
And that's pretty much the crux to the rampant use of performance enhancing methods in sports... these drugs blur that genetic barrier that sets people like Eddy M, and co. apart from the competition.
I've seen a handful of super super SUPER dedicated cyclists, with more drive, harder work than you can imagine, every sacrifice made to get faster. And they never amount to much. Always they think there's some magic training regieme, some magic potion (that is legal) but they don't ever quite make it... because once they have fully realized their potential, thats it.
the good news for sucky folks like me and dave (if he is to be believed) is that realizing the full genetic potential is one hell of a lot of work and only a few people make it to that level...
Heck i'd wager even with Nega-Coach's help over the last 10 years that poster boy on the web page there... some dude named Eric i think ;-) ... that boy still ain't at his genetic potential... but you can say he looks one hell of a lot shaper in that blue and yellow kit moving over the barrier than falling on his face!
/rant off on pseudo science and salespitchy 'trainers'
but in honor of him draggin his knuckles across the keyboard just to prove me wrong (about no new posts)... i've titled this from the lead in track on the Curious George soundtrack...
its freaking HOT... the ride down to grab that Fecked up digi-box warmed me up just a touch too much... now i can't quite freaking cool down... AC? bah... why? Humidity control in the office? Bah the building is under construction, why'd we wanna do that...
oh and i've gotta take exception with Dave's quote from that book:
"Hard work has a magical way of erasing any so-called genetic limitations."BUUUUHLSHEET...
no way! - ya Can overcome lazy habits- you can realize the full genetic potential through hard work
but ya ain't NEVER gonna EVER erase 'genetic' limitations.... not without resorting to drugs (EPO, HGH, Roids.... ).
And that's pretty much the crux to the rampant use of performance enhancing methods in sports... these drugs blur that genetic barrier that sets people like Eddy M, and co. apart from the competition.
I've seen a handful of super super SUPER dedicated cyclists, with more drive, harder work than you can imagine, every sacrifice made to get faster. And they never amount to much. Always they think there's some magic training regieme, some magic potion (that is legal) but they don't ever quite make it... because once they have fully realized their potential, thats it.
the good news for sucky folks like me and dave (if he is to be believed) is that realizing the full genetic potential is one hell of a lot of work and only a few people make it to that level...
Heck i'd wager even with Nega-Coach's help over the last 10 years that poster boy on the web page there... some dude named Eric i think ;-) ... that boy still ain't at his genetic potential... but you can say he looks one hell of a lot shaper in that blue and yellow kit moving over the barrier than falling on his face!
/rant off on pseudo science and salespitchy 'trainers'
The STREETS
I was gonna add a comment to megAdeau about the this Street's interview in the live lounge....
but... well - she's annymously posting stuff... sort of... anyway - feel free to point here to this link - as a Streets fan its a 'must listen'
BBC Radio1 Live Lounge with The Streets
-- Campy...
lemme say i'm skeptical... i don't like that Mirage crank...
and Mt bike shifters for Chorus ooh i mean flatbar... crazy how much i'm outa the cutting edge new parts scene...
but... well - she's annymously posting stuff... sort of... anyway - feel free to point here to this link - as a Streets fan its a 'must listen'
BBC Radio1 Live Lounge with The Streets
-- Campy...
lemme say i'm skeptical... i don't like that Mirage crank...
and Mt bike shifters for Chorus ooh i mean flatbar... crazy how much i'm outa the cutting edge new parts scene...
well - mark one more week off
its friday... its well i dunno i'm feeling rather weighted down...
and i get a call confirming something... my wife is headed off on Monday for work... guess what that means?
I get to be a single parent until Thursday probably... And it looks to be raining this weekend so probably no BTH/BW ride on saturday. Sunday... who knows... And yeah, i know, i've only got two kids, how hard can it be... well... 17 almost 18 months is a really *fun* age... big enough and strong enough to climb up on anything, smart enough to move stuff around to climb on to get anything... more or less not an age that ya can manage easily, but her older sister should be of some help i hope... i hope... I don't mean to bitch but lately i've felt like most of the weight has been born on my shoulders for doing the routine stuff... And i blame the TV... outside of dinner i sat down for 15 minutes last night... maybe 20... and when it comes down to it, next week probably won't really be any different. I had an idea when i went to take the morning sit down, i need a 'rent-a-wife' for the first part of the week so i can get a warm up TT in on Tuesday, and so i can keep my sanity the rest of the time... i dunno, in some ways i'm looking forward to it. I can have the radio on without it getting turned off in favor of the boob-toob, now if there were actually boobs on it that'd make me feel differently...
Thursday next week is the first TT for Bikeworks... it'll be interesting... But the BLVD ride was good for tryin out the Spinach bars... my aero position with them really couldn't be improved with real fancy bars... and its MUCH easier/relaxing to ride like that than without them... Here's to hoping the course roads are smooth, cause, well it lacks the big puck pads of the cliponstuff... this is all assuming i can get there
i gotta think maybe KL's inspiration has gone poof ;-) ... i won't pick on SB cause he's been writing boat loads of good stuff lately.... not that KL's sudden burst of 4 entries wasn't great... but when Giulia makes a comment that "kerry has one of the best blogs out there, so detailed." well ya know... those are tough standards to live up to...
I'm feeling the need to hit the Hills up nort on sunday if the weather clears... dunno ifn i'll be able to round up anyone down here to ride up with and find some of those nuggets when i did the ride with chris bart and that tulip head grad student... part of the whole road bike thing is not driving anywhere for a ride... driving to a race? no problem... to a ride just seems wrong... principles ya know...
anyway... maybe i'll stumble across some more inspiration, but then it might be good if i don't cause i won't be exposing immature seedling ideas like i have lately (speciation and that stuff)...
Oh and this whole looking for houses crap is i think overshadowing me... how do i manage to carry these burdens? I think i think about them all too much... maybe...
time for a nap, or more coffee... i'd love the first, but gonna have to settle for the second...
and remember 3 is the magic number:
The 3 R's Lyrics
Three it's a magic number
Yes it is, it's a magic number
Because two times three is six
And three times six is eighteen
And the eighteenth letter in the alphabet is R
We've got three R's we're going to talk about today
We've got to learn to
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
If you're going to the market to buy some juice
You've got to bring your own bags and you learn to reduce your waste
And if your brother or your sister's got some cool clothes
You could try them on before you buy some more of those
Reuse, we've got to learn to reuse
And if the first two R's don't work out
And if you've got to make some trash
Don't throw it out
Recycle, we've got to learn to recycle,
We've got to learn to
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Because three it's a magic number
Yes it is, it's a magic number
3, 3, 3
3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36
33, 30, 27, 24, 21, 18, 15, 12, 9, 6, and
3, it's a magic number
and i get a call confirming something... my wife is headed off on Monday for work... guess what that means?
I get to be a single parent until Thursday probably... And it looks to be raining this weekend so probably no BTH/BW ride on saturday. Sunday... who knows... And yeah, i know, i've only got two kids, how hard can it be... well... 17 almost 18 months is a really *fun* age... big enough and strong enough to climb up on anything, smart enough to move stuff around to climb on to get anything... more or less not an age that ya can manage easily, but her older sister should be of some help i hope... i hope... I don't mean to bitch but lately i've felt like most of the weight has been born on my shoulders for doing the routine stuff... And i blame the TV... outside of dinner i sat down for 15 minutes last night... maybe 20... and when it comes down to it, next week probably won't really be any different. I had an idea when i went to take the morning sit down, i need a 'rent-a-wife' for the first part of the week so i can get a warm up TT in on Tuesday, and so i can keep my sanity the rest of the time... i dunno, in some ways i'm looking forward to it. I can have the radio on without it getting turned off in favor of the boob-toob, now if there were actually boobs on it that'd make me feel differently...
Thursday next week is the first TT for Bikeworks... it'll be interesting... But the BLVD ride was good for tryin out the Spinach bars... my aero position with them really couldn't be improved with real fancy bars... and its MUCH easier/relaxing to ride like that than without them... Here's to hoping the course roads are smooth, cause, well it lacks the big puck pads of the cliponstuff... this is all assuming i can get there
i gotta think maybe KL's inspiration has gone poof ;-) ... i won't pick on SB cause he's been writing boat loads of good stuff lately.... not that KL's sudden burst of 4 entries wasn't great... but when Giulia makes a comment that "kerry has one of the best blogs out there, so detailed." well ya know... those are tough standards to live up to...
I'm feeling the need to hit the Hills up nort on sunday if the weather clears... dunno ifn i'll be able to round up anyone down here to ride up with and find some of those nuggets when i did the ride with chris bart and that tulip head grad student... part of the whole road bike thing is not driving anywhere for a ride... driving to a race? no problem... to a ride just seems wrong... principles ya know...
anyway... maybe i'll stumble across some more inspiration, but then it might be good if i don't cause i won't be exposing immature seedling ideas like i have lately (speciation and that stuff)...
Oh and this whole looking for houses crap is i think overshadowing me... how do i manage to carry these burdens? I think i think about them all too much... maybe...
time for a nap, or more coffee... i'd love the first, but gonna have to settle for the second...
and remember 3 is the magic number:
The 3 R's Lyrics
Three it's a magic number
Yes it is, it's a magic number
Because two times three is six
And three times six is eighteen
And the eighteenth letter in the alphabet is R
We've got three R's we're going to talk about today
We've got to learn to
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
If you're going to the market to buy some juice
You've got to bring your own bags and you learn to reduce your waste
And if your brother or your sister's got some cool clothes
You could try them on before you buy some more of those
Reuse, we've got to learn to reuse
And if the first two R's don't work out
And if you've got to make some trash
Don't throw it out
Recycle, we've got to learn to recycle,
We've got to learn to
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Because three it's a magic number
Yes it is, it's a magic number
3, 3, 3
3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36
33, 30, 27, 24, 21, 18, 15, 12, 9, 6, and
3, it's a magic number
Thursday, June 01, 2006
i've found my defining word
pleonasm: the use of more words than are necessary to express an idea.
Its crackin me up... duh - that's me, when i get rambling... that scientific overdrive where i switch to clear, objective, concise writing seems to be rather absent in web log mode...
Nascar, one more comment about it, a very good friend of mine in CT is working with a few modified teams (nascar), one of these days i may go watch his car... we'll see. That and i don't care who you are - i'd wager even the diminutive KL would get a rush sitting in the middle of 175,000 people as 43 cup cars come through for the green flag or a re-start. I've been to MIS and holycrap is it hard to describe... its pretty cool... but then, yeah... its just cars, and i will admit this being on the bike thing has chilled any desire for watching the races anymore, coupled with NOT being in Michigan. That state just does weird things to you... Heck, i was starting to find seattle inhospitable, not in terms of the people, but for me personally, i didn't feel like it was the right fit anymore... maybe next time i'm there it'll feel different.
Coaching... I'm very glad to get SB's summary of Nega-Coach's position. I guess if i was confused i should succumb to the marketing and send in the check and sign up as a client... but i'm not... I know i suck. I know why i suck. I know what i need to do to not suck. I know that what ever i do will not be enough to not suck. I know that even being a suck fest rider that i will still have fun in cross this season, even if i do suck. Is that sucky enough of a position? I'm too cerebral to be coached, but then maybe not... maybe that's enough reason to get one. That and if i spend money and get a plan maybe i'll get a bit more parol or priority in the weekly planner (not that we have a planner).
How was that at pleonasm?
(check Frazz out today... LMFAO)
Coffee... Aint THAT the truth? Well at least outside of Rhode Island. 'Round here there seems to be some given that people put so much damn milk and sugar in there that it ceases to be coffee.... Take the car... Take VW's absolutely STUPID cupholder placement. its an elegant design, and fits perfectlyl within the space... (i'm talking the MkIV/A4/99.5-05? Golf/Jetta) BUT how many dashes have i seen ruined cause people drink something other than black coffee in the cups that inhabit that location? Countless. Spill some black coffee (if you have black interior) and hey - cool - let it dry and the radio sitting below works fine. Dump some sugar laden soda/pop, ice tea, RI style coffee, juice (basically the frazz cartoon comment list) and something's gonna go T.U. (tits up for the jargon impaired).
I wanted to run an idea through my fingers that popped into my head on the way home lastnight and has fortunately kept poppin in. Sort on the lines of sailorboy's "blogger" press protection question. it started off as "do people who read other people's blogs have voyeuristic personalities?" then well, if the 'readers' are voyeurs, then the writers/bloggers must be exhibitionists. More than not a "duh" statement. But its out there out of my brain, so i can free up space to ... DAMN gotta make coffee... gotta head out for a meeting in a second... damn...
I got an extra blvd lap in lastnight after picking up the youngest. Felt reasonably good damn hot... made a concious effort to stay in the 50x23 all the way in today... felt good... Oh and last night headed to get the trailer before going to daycare, i noticed an increase in power duration and output... it felt good, and normally where i'd tap out power/legs wise i was feeling good enough to power through it all... nice change. Kinda thinking that if i can just increase the mileage a touch, get the TT rides in more regularly i should be closer to Cross.
That and isn't Cross more TT than road race? It has always been in my experience, sure there are a few opportunities for drafting but for the most part its a hard core all out suckfest. Hopefully in shitty weather... Cause this heat we've got now, i don't like... Although granted, being this skinny assed tall freak with a crazy high surface/mass ratio, the heat is reasonably tolerable... assuming i can stay hydrated.
Oh hey - looky here folks - another reason to NOT park at work:
Why? Damn near every university i have 'worked' at you have to PAY to park there. WTF is up with that?
Sure i guess there are many places that you have to pay to park where you work, ie the city. But then, ya know... there are some damn fine alternatives. Take that $357 over a couple years, plunk it into a bike and gear and well... that's some sweet ass commuter.
Now i know, the majority play street parking roulette... but that's flat out insane... why drive and then spend 10-15 minutes looking for parking, then walk 5-15 minutes to work? I DON'T get it.
*shrug*
RIDE YOUR DAMN BIKE...
Heck i'd rather ride in the winter and the rain than the nice summer days... its eaiser, cooler... and you can always put another layer on... riding to work nekkid in the heat of the sumer is silly... for that matter dropping your daughter off at Daycare in lycra is also silly... those girls that work there might never let me leave... that or might never let me drop her off again... oh well...
peace out - G
Its crackin me up... duh - that's me, when i get rambling... that scientific overdrive where i switch to clear, objective, concise writing seems to be rather absent in web log mode...
Nascar, one more comment about it, a very good friend of mine in CT is working with a few modified teams (nascar), one of these days i may go watch his car... we'll see. That and i don't care who you are - i'd wager even the diminutive KL would get a rush sitting in the middle of 175,000 people as 43 cup cars come through for the green flag or a re-start. I've been to MIS and holycrap is it hard to describe... its pretty cool... but then, yeah... its just cars, and i will admit this being on the bike thing has chilled any desire for watching the races anymore, coupled with NOT being in Michigan. That state just does weird things to you... Heck, i was starting to find seattle inhospitable, not in terms of the people, but for me personally, i didn't feel like it was the right fit anymore... maybe next time i'm there it'll feel different.
Coaching... I'm very glad to get SB's summary of Nega-Coach's position. I guess if i was confused i should succumb to the marketing and send in the check and sign up as a client... but i'm not... I know i suck. I know why i suck. I know what i need to do to not suck. I know that what ever i do will not be enough to not suck. I know that even being a suck fest rider that i will still have fun in cross this season, even if i do suck. Is that sucky enough of a position? I'm too cerebral to be coached, but then maybe not... maybe that's enough reason to get one. That and if i spend money and get a plan maybe i'll get a bit more parol or priority in the weekly planner (not that we have a planner).
How was that at pleonasm?
(check Frazz out today... LMFAO)
Coffee... Aint THAT the truth? Well at least outside of Rhode Island. 'Round here there seems to be some given that people put so much damn milk and sugar in there that it ceases to be coffee.... Take the car... Take VW's absolutely STUPID cupholder placement. its an elegant design, and fits perfectlyl within the space... (i'm talking the MkIV/A4/99.5-05? Golf/Jetta) BUT how many dashes have i seen ruined cause people drink something other than black coffee in the cups that inhabit that location? Countless. Spill some black coffee (if you have black interior) and hey - cool - let it dry and the radio sitting below works fine. Dump some sugar laden soda/pop, ice tea, RI style coffee, juice (basically the frazz cartoon comment list) and something's gonna go T.U. (tits up for the jargon impaired).
I wanted to run an idea through my fingers that popped into my head on the way home lastnight and has fortunately kept poppin in. Sort on the lines of sailorboy's "blogger" press protection question. it started off as "do people who read other people's blogs have voyeuristic personalities?" then well, if the 'readers' are voyeurs, then the writers/bloggers must be exhibitionists. More than not a "duh" statement. But its out there out of my brain, so i can free up space to ... DAMN gotta make coffee... gotta head out for a meeting in a second... damn...
I got an extra blvd lap in lastnight after picking up the youngest. Felt reasonably good damn hot... made a concious effort to stay in the 50x23 all the way in today... felt good... Oh and last night headed to get the trailer before going to daycare, i noticed an increase in power duration and output... it felt good, and normally where i'd tap out power/legs wise i was feeling good enough to power through it all... nice change. Kinda thinking that if i can just increase the mileage a touch, get the TT rides in more regularly i should be closer to Cross.
That and isn't Cross more TT than road race? It has always been in my experience, sure there are a few opportunities for drafting but for the most part its a hard core all out suckfest. Hopefully in shitty weather... Cause this heat we've got now, i don't like... Although granted, being this skinny assed tall freak with a crazy high surface/mass ratio, the heat is reasonably tolerable... assuming i can stay hydrated.
Oh hey - looky here folks - another reason to NOT park at work:
Dear Parking Patron,How about that... $357/year.... to park at the place you WORK?
Effective July 1, 2006, the parking fee for fiscal year 2007 will be 357.00.
Why? Damn near every university i have 'worked' at you have to PAY to park there. WTF is up with that?
Sure i guess there are many places that you have to pay to park where you work, ie the city. But then, ya know... there are some damn fine alternatives. Take that $357 over a couple years, plunk it into a bike and gear and well... that's some sweet ass commuter.
Now i know, the majority play street parking roulette... but that's flat out insane... why drive and then spend 10-15 minutes looking for parking, then walk 5-15 minutes to work? I DON'T get it.
*shrug*
RIDE YOUR DAMN BIKE...
Heck i'd rather ride in the winter and the rain than the nice summer days... its eaiser, cooler... and you can always put another layer on... riding to work nekkid in the heat of the sumer is silly... for that matter dropping your daughter off at Daycare in lycra is also silly... those girls that work there might never let me leave... that or might never let me drop her off again... oh well...
peace out - G
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