Wednesday, November 07, 2007
The Man is Holding Me Down
I've been having a shitty couple of days for a variety of reasons I don't want to go into right now. So, in response, I rode my bike over to a friends house to talk about stuff. Upon my return, I put my bike in its usual place at the bottom of the stairs, walked up to my apartment, and walked to kitchen. It should be noted that my bike has been in the stairwell the entire time I've lived here. Within moments of my return home, my landlord (who lives on the floor below me) called me up and said that it is no longer acceptable to have my bike in the stairs. Messing up the paint, apparently. I find this humorous because while the stairwell has just been painted, IT WAS A SHITTY JOB! "I want to keep the front stairs, you know, nice," he says. Whatever. Nothing about this house is nice, least of all the paint in the stairways. I'm not a painter, but I've done lots of painting and I know what a good job looks like. This ain't it. And now, in the defense of this horrible paintjob, the White Boot of Oppression is making it that little bit harder to subvert the autocentric paradigm! Fuckers!
Monday, September 24, 2007
On the road...
I spent the weekend on the road, in a car. My grandmother turned 90 recently so we gathered the tribe in New Jersey to celebrate. Here's the bike-ability report for Medford, NJ: Not very bikeable. There is a bike rack in front of the public library but I didn't see any others. I saw no cyclists and the roads made me feel uncomfortable even thinking about riding. Something about narrow shoulders and 50 mph speed limits...
Monday, September 17, 2007
i am in hell...
The cheating, lying Patriots beat San Diego (I believe it means "Whale's Vagina"... Anchorman, anyone?) 38-14 last night. That means I get to listen to my co-workers talk about what a great team "we" have, how deliberately and consistently violating the rules "doesn't make a difference," how "we're going all the way if everybody stays healthy." F that, I say. You people need to shut the hell up and get back in touch with, um, ethical behavior. I sure do hope the Eagles can win one tonight... that'll go a long way towards making me feel better.
It was 46 degrees for my ride in this morning. In the span of a week we've gone from hot, humid, sticky summer riding to brisk (i.e. COLD), eyes watering fall riding. Awesome!
It was 46 degrees for my ride in this morning. In the span of a week we've gone from hot, humid, sticky summer riding to brisk (i.e. COLD), eyes watering fall riding. Awesome!
Friday, September 14, 2007
TGIMFF
It has been a long week...
I only rode for fun once this week, and I hesitate to use the term "fun." This was Monday. There was a termite hatch Monday afternoon because the little bastards were everywhere. I couldn't find my sunglasses so I rode without. This is how I discovered the termites. They all tried to get in my eyes. They stuck themselves to my crotch and the sleeves of my shirt. They hit me in the chest. I may or may not have eaten a couple, but it was hard to tell since I was busy avoiding cars. Three near misses in a mile and a half to start the ride. Then the rain came. I originally intended to do a quick ride to Riverside, but when it started raining I decided that the odds were stacked against me. Too many bad omens. So, instead, I rode the hills in the neighborhood behind my house. Intervals for wusses, short but steep climbs. I think I was only on the bike for 45 minutes...
It'll be better today, I'm going to hit up Lincoln Woods.
Congratulations, by the way, to Mike and Anna on the birth of their son last Saturday...
I only rode for fun once this week, and I hesitate to use the term "fun." This was Monday. There was a termite hatch Monday afternoon because the little bastards were everywhere. I couldn't find my sunglasses so I rode without. This is how I discovered the termites. They all tried to get in my eyes. They stuck themselves to my crotch and the sleeves of my shirt. They hit me in the chest. I may or may not have eaten a couple, but it was hard to tell since I was busy avoiding cars. Three near misses in a mile and a half to start the ride. Then the rain came. I originally intended to do a quick ride to Riverside, but when it started raining I decided that the odds were stacked against me. Too many bad omens. So, instead, I rode the hills in the neighborhood behind my house. Intervals for wusses, short but steep climbs. I think I was only on the bike for 45 minutes...
It'll be better today, I'm going to hit up Lincoln Woods.
Congratulations, by the way, to Mike and Anna on the birth of their son last Saturday...
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
NEMBAfest
The plan was flawless, but I should have known better than to expect to ride well after a Sharks Come Cruisin' show. So that's where we start. Friday night Sharks Come Cruisin' played at Patrick's Pub up on Smith Street. The show was fantastic, as usual, despite a lame group of pirates. Pirates? Yup, there was a "Pirate-themed party" in the house. Apparently the buccaneers didn't realize that they were supposed to be drinking heavily and singing along. By singing along, of course, I mean yelling at the top of one's lungs. Anyway, I was not impressed by the pirates, except for the cute one we nicknamed Pirate Spice, so I felt compelled to redouble my efforts and "sing" louder. This continued well into the night, i.e. until the bar closed at 2. The ride home was interesting as well, but the important point here is that I remember it being 3:26 when I closed my eyes.
When I opened my eyes, my clock said 7:00. While I waited for the anvil to drop on my head, I quickly realized that there were two ways the day could go. I could stay in bed and sleep more, read: all day, or I could suck it up and go riding. Since there were five other people involved in the planned NEMBAfest adventure it really wasn't a choice, so I got up. Stumbling around, drunk over, or maybe hung ovunk, it took me 40 minutes to load my rig onto the car. I also brought tools and a bike for E to ride. I did not eat because there was no food in my house, but I did suck down a pint of water. Off we go, quick stop to "fuel up" at Dunkin' Donuts. An hour later I arrived at Wompatuck State Forest in Hingham.
Originally I had planned on getting up to Hingham early enough to check things out, register, and maybe jump on a 10 o'clock group ride. I chose 10 because I knew I'd probably be tired from the night before. The reality of the situation proved that I had woefully underestimated the amount of fun I'd have on Friday night. While I successfully navigated to Wompatuck by 9:30, I was in no way prepared to ride near other people at 10. It took until nearly 11 to get everybody together, bikes prepped, lids on, mentally pumped and jacked.
There were group rides firing off every half hour, so despite the fact that J and I missed the start of the 11 o'clock "Advanced Intermediate" ride we were able to catch up quickly. It took us one climb to demolish the group, despite the fact that I was sweating alcohol. We decided to ditch the group when the group leader couldn't make a rock garden section and proceeded to stand right in the middle of the trail, obstructing me and everybody else. I could have made it, I swear...
So off we went on our own, following the red arrows. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but I have to admit I was a little nervous about committing to 22 miles in 95 degree heat with no food and a raging hangover. Onward we rode, J battling through minor mechanical issues and me fighting my caloric deficit and dehydration. And then there was the issue of water... about half way through the ride, right when I was getting worried about how empty my camelback was, we discovered a water source in the campground area. This absolutely saved me because I was already starting to get the chills from being overheated. Supply replenished, I was again able to drink heavily. Water, not booze... Onward we rode.
I ran out of water for the second time when we were close enough to the finish to hear the announcer-guy setting up the contests for the afternoon. Huffy toss anyone? The only way out was through, so we kept riding. I was on the verge of serious problems as I was thoroughly chilled, despite the heat. I was still sweating, but I knew bad things were happening to me. The announcers voice was ahead of us until the trail bent and we realized that we were riding around the field instead of towards it. The only way out is through! My front tire washed out in a swoopy section and I nearly ate a tree. The voice is closer! And then, success! The heat crushed us as we emerged from the forest back into the festival field. I rode directly to the water tent and was restored.
The rest of the afternoon was spent chilling out and attempting to gather my wits. We watched the aforementioned Huffy Toss contest (which J entered and won...), watching Mike Steidley throw down some amazing trials skill, and talking to the girl in the Larabar tent. Mmmmm, Larabars. Actually, I had never eaten one before, but the girl in the tent was beautiful and fun to talk to so I felt compelled to chat for awhile and try out each flavor. Should have gotten her number... lesson learned, I'll do better next time. Did I mention I was hung over and dehydrated? After some more lounging around in the shade, we disbanded and headed for home.
Wompatuck is a cool place to ride. It's big and confusing, but all the major trail intersections are numbered so it's fairly easy to figure out where you are. There are also lots of fire roads and bail-out points if you, say, run out of water. It took a little over an hour to get there, so it's not the most convenient place for those of us in the PVD, but it would definitely be worth getting a group together and heading back.
When I opened my eyes, my clock said 7:00. While I waited for the anvil to drop on my head, I quickly realized that there were two ways the day could go. I could stay in bed and sleep more, read: all day, or I could suck it up and go riding. Since there were five other people involved in the planned NEMBAfest adventure it really wasn't a choice, so I got up. Stumbling around, drunk over, or maybe hung ovunk, it took me 40 minutes to load my rig onto the car. I also brought tools and a bike for E to ride. I did not eat because there was no food in my house, but I did suck down a pint of water. Off we go, quick stop to "fuel up" at Dunkin' Donuts. An hour later I arrived at Wompatuck State Forest in Hingham.
Originally I had planned on getting up to Hingham early enough to check things out, register, and maybe jump on a 10 o'clock group ride. I chose 10 because I knew I'd probably be tired from the night before. The reality of the situation proved that I had woefully underestimated the amount of fun I'd have on Friday night. While I successfully navigated to Wompatuck by 9:30, I was in no way prepared to ride near other people at 10. It took until nearly 11 to get everybody together, bikes prepped, lids on, mentally pumped and jacked.
There were group rides firing off every half hour, so despite the fact that J and I missed the start of the 11 o'clock "Advanced Intermediate" ride we were able to catch up quickly. It took us one climb to demolish the group, despite the fact that I was sweating alcohol. We decided to ditch the group when the group leader couldn't make a rock garden section and proceeded to stand right in the middle of the trail, obstructing me and everybody else. I could have made it, I swear...
So off we went on our own, following the red arrows. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but I have to admit I was a little nervous about committing to 22 miles in 95 degree heat with no food and a raging hangover. Onward we rode, J battling through minor mechanical issues and me fighting my caloric deficit and dehydration. And then there was the issue of water... about half way through the ride, right when I was getting worried about how empty my camelback was, we discovered a water source in the campground area. This absolutely saved me because I was already starting to get the chills from being overheated. Supply replenished, I was again able to drink heavily. Water, not booze... Onward we rode.
I ran out of water for the second time when we were close enough to the finish to hear the announcer-guy setting up the contests for the afternoon. Huffy toss anyone? The only way out was through, so we kept riding. I was on the verge of serious problems as I was thoroughly chilled, despite the heat. I was still sweating, but I knew bad things were happening to me. The announcers voice was ahead of us until the trail bent and we realized that we were riding around the field instead of towards it. The only way out is through! My front tire washed out in a swoopy section and I nearly ate a tree. The voice is closer! And then, success! The heat crushed us as we emerged from the forest back into the festival field. I rode directly to the water tent and was restored.
The rest of the afternoon was spent chilling out and attempting to gather my wits. We watched the aforementioned Huffy Toss contest (which J entered and won...), watching Mike Steidley throw down some amazing trials skill, and talking to the girl in the Larabar tent. Mmmmm, Larabars. Actually, I had never eaten one before, but the girl in the tent was beautiful and fun to talk to so I felt compelled to chat for awhile and try out each flavor. Should have gotten her number... lesson learned, I'll do better next time. Did I mention I was hung over and dehydrated? After some more lounging around in the shade, we disbanded and headed for home.
Wompatuck is a cool place to ride. It's big and confusing, but all the major trail intersections are numbered so it's fairly easy to figure out where you are. There are also lots of fire roads and bail-out points if you, say, run out of water. It took a little over an hour to get there, so it's not the most convenient place for those of us in the PVD, but it would definitely be worth getting a group together and heading back.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Aftermath...
Ah Reno... have you ever been? It was my first time out there. I've visited all of the other states in that part of the country, but not Nevada. As far as I can tell there's nothing in Nevada except for Reno and Las Vegas. I know this because I flew first to Vegas, changed planes, then continued up to Reno. I sat in a window seat and looked out the whole way, seeing nothing but high desert. There were dirt roads here and there, but I didn't see any paved roads. There must be some, somewhere, because I'm pretty sure you can drive between these cities without a four wheel drive vehicle. It's an odd view for someone from the Northeast... On the outskirts of Vegas, the buildings stop, the roads continue another block or two, then the desert takes over. Then, an hour later, the desert stops, roads begin, and buildings appear. Welcome to Reno!
Reno is, uh, skeevy. That's the best word I can think of to describe it. The city consists of casinos, pawn shops, and bars. There are allegedly crackheads and meth addicts on the streets, more so than in other places. I didn't see any in person but they were all over the local news. Everything is dusty and dirty. You can smoke pretty much everywhere in Reno, so the whole place smells like cigarettes. Our conference was in Harrah's Casino, where you can't get anywhere without walking through the gaming areas. There are people draining their money at all hours of the day and night, it's a little depressing. This is not a joke, but I saw a guy playing video poker when I stumbled past on my way to my room at 2:30 in the morning. Saw the same guy, in the same place, at 7:30 the next morning when I went down for breakfast. It's nuts.
However, having said all that, I had a great time out there. The conference was moderately interesting but I did meet some really cool people, including, but not limited to: A Canadian, a bartender who dances on the bar for extra tips, a little guy who's in the UFC, a recently retired NFL player, and a bunch of folks like me looking to have fun on a business trip. We got our work done and then went to visit the sketchy bars every night. With the exception of the place that used to be a strip club, none of the individual places were any sketchier than what one might find out here. Rather it was the sheer density of sketchy bars. Here you have to seek out the dives, out there it's the other way around and you have to seek out nice places.
By the end of the week, however, I was ready to come home. Too much drinking, too much nasty food (or too little healthy food is maybe a better way to say it...), too much smelling tobacco smoke, too little sleep. I think I'm sick, actually, something is wrong with my sinuses. I'm still on Pacific Time, so I've been unable to fall asleep before 1 a.m. since I've been back. Hopefully I'll be tired enough to get to bed early tonight...
Reno is, uh, skeevy. That's the best word I can think of to describe it. The city consists of casinos, pawn shops, and bars. There are allegedly crackheads and meth addicts on the streets, more so than in other places. I didn't see any in person but they were all over the local news. Everything is dusty and dirty. You can smoke pretty much everywhere in Reno, so the whole place smells like cigarettes. Our conference was in Harrah's Casino, where you can't get anywhere without walking through the gaming areas. There are people draining their money at all hours of the day and night, it's a little depressing. This is not a joke, but I saw a guy playing video poker when I stumbled past on my way to my room at 2:30 in the morning. Saw the same guy, in the same place, at 7:30 the next morning when I went down for breakfast. It's nuts.
However, having said all that, I had a great time out there. The conference was moderately interesting but I did meet some really cool people, including, but not limited to: A Canadian, a bartender who dances on the bar for extra tips, a little guy who's in the UFC, a recently retired NFL player, and a bunch of folks like me looking to have fun on a business trip. We got our work done and then went to visit the sketchy bars every night. With the exception of the place that used to be a strip club, none of the individual places were any sketchier than what one might find out here. Rather it was the sheer density of sketchy bars. Here you have to seek out the dives, out there it's the other way around and you have to seek out nice places.
By the end of the week, however, I was ready to come home. Too much drinking, too much nasty food (or too little healthy food is maybe a better way to say it...), too much smelling tobacco smoke, too little sleep. I think I'm sick, actually, something is wrong with my sinuses. I'm still on Pacific Time, so I've been unable to fall asleep before 1 a.m. since I've been back. Hopefully I'll be tired enough to get to bed early tonight...
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Back from the edge...
I'm just back from a week-long "business trip" to Reno, NV. I'll try to post more on the trip later since it was a solid adventure, but for now this'll just be a bike inventory from the journey. While in Reno I saw three cyclists, one person who looked like they were riding because they wanted to and three who seemed to be riding because they had to (i.e. oh crap, lost my license...). Reno does not appear to be a very cycle-friendly city because although the roads are wide, people drive super fast. Left turns on a bike involve taking not just a lane, but three or four to get over to the middle of the road. On the other hand, since the city is in a valley, it's pretty flat.
Ok, that's all for now, I'll do more later.
Ok, that's all for now, I'll do more later.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
A quick update...
Been busy lately, so no new posts in awhile. O.k., that's not true, I just haven't posted. I'll get back into it shortly, but in the meantime I've added a couple links to keep you busy. My friends Pat and Cathy are spending some time in Africa where it is significantly warmer than it is here. Also, my friend Gina is living in Brazil for a couple years. She's a far better writer than I am, and more verbose, so her blog will keep you busy for awhile. Gina, since you're probably the only person reading this, take some time to reflect on your literary skill! The other links are just a small selection of the sites I check out when I should be doing things like working or cleaning or updating my blog.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Manners
When I ride to work, I keep my bike inside my cubicle. This means that upon arrival, I need to dismount and walk through three doors. I'm always amused by other people's reactions when I get to the door at the same time they do. More often than not, folks will try to open and/or hold the door for me. This is very thoughtful of them and it probably looks like I'm burdened by the need to wheel my bicycle somewhere it really isn't supposed to go. The funny thing, however, is that when somebody else opens the door for me, they're really just in the way. I've got a good technique for getting myself and my bike through doors quickly and without banging into anything. Add another person, even a kind, courteous one, and everything gets out of whack and I end up crashing into the door or the doorframe. This makes me laugh. So, thank you friendly co-workers, but I've got the door. Don't worry about it.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
The Sickness...
The holidays have come and gone and I managed to make it all the way until January 3 before I got sick. Fantastic. I suppose it should not surprise me, considering the vast quantity of booze I consumed this past weekend, the few hours of sleep, and the contact with random people on my trip to New Hampshire. It turns my stomach (actually, makes my throat hurt...) to think of all the dirty children who used the same ping pong tables I used at the Nordic Inn.
At any rate, the new year is here! The new Congress has been sworn in. The United Nations has a new Secretary General. Rhode Island has the same old governor, but just about everybody else in charge is new. Exciting times, no? I hope that all this "new energy" will actually result in some positives, like maybe some meaningful policies to deal with climate change. You know, just to pick a tiny example. I'd be happy with real, actual bike lanes in Providence, but we've got to start somewhere. May as well be climate change...
In bike related news... I bought a full face helmet for myself. Merry Christmas, me! I've been thinking about this for some time, considering that I've hit my face on the ground the last two times I've crashed my mountain bike. I've just been lucky to touch down in soft dirt instead of pointy rocks. I chose a Bell Bellistic after spending about 45 minutes in Mystic Cycle Centre trying on different helmets. Giro? Nice, but didn't fit quite right and a little too dh/moto for me. 661? Didn't fit at all. Specialized? Ooooh, nice, seemed like the closest to an actual bike helmet, and comfortable, but the retention system was poorly done. I tried the Deviant model which has an adjustable retention system in the back, sort of like every other bike helmet nowdays. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work. The parts are crappy and the ratchet mechanism doesn't hold. Poor execution for a $100 helmet. So, after plenty of hemming and hawing, I chose the Bell. It fits well and is comfortable, although I think it'll end up being too hot for the summertime. We'll see, I suppose. There's plenty of riding to be done between now and then...
At any rate, the new year is here! The new Congress has been sworn in. The United Nations has a new Secretary General. Rhode Island has the same old governor, but just about everybody else in charge is new. Exciting times, no? I hope that all this "new energy" will actually result in some positives, like maybe some meaningful policies to deal with climate change. You know, just to pick a tiny example. I'd be happy with real, actual bike lanes in Providence, but we've got to start somewhere. May as well be climate change...
In bike related news... I bought a full face helmet for myself. Merry Christmas, me! I've been thinking about this for some time, considering that I've hit my face on the ground the last two times I've crashed my mountain bike. I've just been lucky to touch down in soft dirt instead of pointy rocks. I chose a Bell Bellistic after spending about 45 minutes in Mystic Cycle Centre trying on different helmets. Giro? Nice, but didn't fit quite right and a little too dh/moto for me. 661? Didn't fit at all. Specialized? Ooooh, nice, seemed like the closest to an actual bike helmet, and comfortable, but the retention system was poorly done. I tried the Deviant model which has an adjustable retention system in the back, sort of like every other bike helmet nowdays. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work. The parts are crappy and the ratchet mechanism doesn't hold. Poor execution for a $100 helmet. So, after plenty of hemming and hawing, I chose the Bell. It fits well and is comfortable, although I think it'll end up being too hot for the summertime. We'll see, I suppose. There's plenty of riding to be done between now and then...
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