Why didn't i listen to Eric sooner?
This album is incredible.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Boonen is Boomin
The greatest device ever constructed, well maybe that would make the tv the greatest, and tivo the second greatest. Either way, it picked up the Cyclism on OLN which covered a little of Paris-Nice.
Hats off to Amy's childhood little-league nemesis Bobby Julich who took the prologue by a second.
What about Boonen? He won the first two stages, and was incredibly close in the prologue. The footage of his wins at Qatar makes him look like unbeatable. Eight wins already, no curse on that jersey for sure.
Hats off to Amy's childhood little-league nemesis Bobby Julich who took the prologue by a second.
What about Boonen? He won the first two stages, and was incredibly close in the prologue. The footage of his wins at Qatar makes him look like unbeatable. Eight wins already, no curse on that jersey for sure.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Rouge 8
The Rouge is in the books and that makes me happy.
It was another great turnout, when i registered i was #71 for the A race, a combination of 1,2,3's and Masters riders. The weather was really perfect, probably around 46 at start time with an ending temp in the 70's and very dry. Foremost in my mind was the talk that the parish, only a few days prior, had dumped new loads of dirt and sand on all the gravel roads that we would be racing on. The word was that the one mile gravel Pond Store climb, usually the launching pad for decisive moves in the race, was largely unrideable. Rumors at the start line were that we would skip the entire first section of mostly flat gravel due to it's condition and have a straight out road race to the Pond Store.
The race began smoothly, i was expecting a flying start with most of Herring and over a dozen Memphis MW guys there, but instead it was steady. When we hit Sligo, Will who was in his first 1,2,3 race asked me if this was fast or slow. It didn't seem that fast at the time, just mad-cap wild heading down the curvy road 5 across from one side of the road to the other. I overheard some out-of-towners remarking how nice it was to have a rolling enclosure. I don't think this is the case, but that's the way we rode it. Irondale was also gutter-to-gutter pot-hole filled and brisk. On to Pinckneyville and Norm came over and asked me about the first gravel section rumor, from what he heard it was on and all that he had talked to expected to hit it. Sure enough, it was just a rumor.
I came in around the middle but immediately got sucked in by a sandy section on the left side. I got sideways and nearly had to stop completely. The pack rolled away and i overheard a lot of "Come on Dave", "Dave!", "Get back on Dave" whirring by at 25 or so as i probably dropped 20 spots. I got righted and started passing people back, but couldn't get back on with the group. Instead i started picking up teammates, Josh, Shawn, Jerry. By the time we got back to Pickneyville, we were a group of about 6-8 and we started to chase. Luckily for us, the pack wasn't at warp speed, in fact they were sort of chilled and after 4-5 miles of chase we were back on.
From this point on, there were regular attacks. Usually each with a Herring and an MMW in them and so it was all the way down to Fort Adams. Kyle and Norm were super active trying to get across to one of the larger breaks that went, but it all came back together. I pretty much spent my tokens in the gravel and chasing back. It seemed like we dropped about 20 riders between the gravel and the Woodvillle route. We hit the 180 that leads to the gravel climb and i stood up to move up some places and cramped. This wasn't good considering what was ahead. I had a bad position on the rickety bridge and ended up just settling in at the back, waiting for the climb drama.
What happened next was wild, all 50 or so riders in the field dismounted and the race became a hike. As far as the eye could see there were guys walking their bikes in the thick sand. Kenny B. drove by in the back of the Schuler jeep and told me that i should walk faster. It was comical. I shouldered my bike and semi-jogged cross-style to Keith but he still managed to drop me walking. It was surreal. The descent and climb after the big one weren't any better and i still saw lots of walkers. Out of the gravel finally i rode on by myself. Eventuallly i'd catch a few stragglers. Who knows what happened at the front, Scott told me that an MMW went on alone at Pond store and eventually won solo. From what i can gather it was Master's National Champ Michael Olheiser due to the Captain America jersey.
The Tunica section was steep as all get out as usual, but the surface was fast. The part that really hurt was the ending section in Solitude which was really rough and in bad condition. The post-race jambalaya tasted like manna from heaven. Thanks to the Cappo family for putting on another dramatic one-of-a-kind type event.
As of this morning, serious serious soreness continues...
It was another great turnout, when i registered i was #71 for the A race, a combination of 1,2,3's and Masters riders. The weather was really perfect, probably around 46 at start time with an ending temp in the 70's and very dry. Foremost in my mind was the talk that the parish, only a few days prior, had dumped new loads of dirt and sand on all the gravel roads that we would be racing on. The word was that the one mile gravel Pond Store climb, usually the launching pad for decisive moves in the race, was largely unrideable. Rumors at the start line were that we would skip the entire first section of mostly flat gravel due to it's condition and have a straight out road race to the Pond Store.
The race began smoothly, i was expecting a flying start with most of Herring and over a dozen Memphis MW guys there, but instead it was steady. When we hit Sligo, Will who was in his first 1,2,3 race asked me if this was fast or slow. It didn't seem that fast at the time, just mad-cap wild heading down the curvy road 5 across from one side of the road to the other. I overheard some out-of-towners remarking how nice it was to have a rolling enclosure. I don't think this is the case, but that's the way we rode it. Irondale was also gutter-to-gutter pot-hole filled and brisk. On to Pinckneyville and Norm came over and asked me about the first gravel section rumor, from what he heard it was on and all that he had talked to expected to hit it. Sure enough, it was just a rumor.
I came in around the middle but immediately got sucked in by a sandy section on the left side. I got sideways and nearly had to stop completely. The pack rolled away and i overheard a lot of "Come on Dave", "Dave!", "Get back on Dave" whirring by at 25 or so as i probably dropped 20 spots. I got righted and started passing people back, but couldn't get back on with the group. Instead i started picking up teammates, Josh, Shawn, Jerry. By the time we got back to Pickneyville, we were a group of about 6-8 and we started to chase. Luckily for us, the pack wasn't at warp speed, in fact they were sort of chilled and after 4-5 miles of chase we were back on.
From this point on, there were regular attacks. Usually each with a Herring and an MMW in them and so it was all the way down to Fort Adams. Kyle and Norm were super active trying to get across to one of the larger breaks that went, but it all came back together. I pretty much spent my tokens in the gravel and chasing back. It seemed like we dropped about 20 riders between the gravel and the Woodvillle route. We hit the 180 that leads to the gravel climb and i stood up to move up some places and cramped. This wasn't good considering what was ahead. I had a bad position on the rickety bridge and ended up just settling in at the back, waiting for the climb drama.
What happened next was wild, all 50 or so riders in the field dismounted and the race became a hike. As far as the eye could see there were guys walking their bikes in the thick sand. Kenny B. drove by in the back of the Schuler jeep and told me that i should walk faster. It was comical. I shouldered my bike and semi-jogged cross-style to Keith but he still managed to drop me walking. It was surreal. The descent and climb after the big one weren't any better and i still saw lots of walkers. Out of the gravel finally i rode on by myself. Eventuallly i'd catch a few stragglers. Who knows what happened at the front, Scott told me that an MMW went on alone at Pond store and eventually won solo. From what i can gather it was Master's National Champ Michael Olheiser due to the Captain America jersey.
The Tunica section was steep as all get out as usual, but the surface was fast. The part that really hurt was the ending section in Solitude which was really rough and in bad condition. The post-race jambalaya tasted like manna from heaven. Thanks to the Cappo family for putting on another dramatic one-of-a-kind type event.
As of this morning, serious serious soreness continues...
Saturday, March 04, 2006
i'm published bi-yatch!
The 225 website is up and looks pretty cool...
Here's the commuting story and the latest ironman piece.
Here's the commuting story and the latest ironman piece.
Friday, March 03, 2006
all over but the sufferin
Two days from now, there will be some serious wincing going on everytime i try to stand up or sit down.
Randy posted a photo from last year's Rouge that brought back some of the pain that will be felt.
For more inspiration and meditation here's last year and the last time i did it, when Brice showed up.
It's going to be fun.
Randy posted a photo from last year's Rouge that brought back some of the pain that will be felt.
For more inspiration and meditation here's last year and the last time i did it, when Brice showed up.
It's going to be fun.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Chuck on Cheaha
Only two months to Cheaha
Chuck Norris heard that it was the hardest century in the South, so he pushed Mt. Cheaha into the North.
Ed Chapman once told Chuck Norris "things are about to get serious...real serious" and Chuck leveled him and Mt. Cheaha with one well placed roundhouse kick.
Chuck Norris doesn't believe in compact cranksets, instead he compacts the climb with his fists.
Seven years ago Chuck Norris did Cheaha and wanted a beer after, the region is only now recovering from the terror that ensued.
Chuck Norris heard that it was the hardest century in the South, so he pushed Mt. Cheaha into the North.
Ed Chapman once told Chuck Norris "things are about to get serious...real serious" and Chuck leveled him and Mt. Cheaha with one well placed roundhouse kick.
Chuck Norris doesn't believe in compact cranksets, instead he compacts the climb with his fists.
Seven years ago Chuck Norris did Cheaha and wanted a beer after, the region is only now recovering from the terror that ensued.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Where's the wampum?
So did anybody else feel bad for Floyd, winning the Tour of Cali last week then hoisting up that big old humongous check for $15,000?
I looked at it and thought, 8 teammates, 2 mechanics, a soigneur, the masseuse, and the d.s. and what does he take home?
Granted, it's the inaugural edition but i expected more for the overall.
I looked at it and thought, 8 teammates, 2 mechanics, a soigneur, the masseuse, and the d.s. and what does he take home?
Granted, it's the inaugural edition but i expected more for the overall.
The Scoop ... Saturday March 11th
This will undoubtedly live up to all the hype that i've tried so hard to build, so here goes...
On March 11th, the greatest event that has ever happened to Baton Rouge, the River Road Training Race, will begin a new chapter in flatland pain history. The Tuesday Thursday will begin a new Saturday version.
That's right! all the drama that could have only happened before on a Tuesday or a Thursday is now free to happen on either Tuesday or Thursday or ... Saturday. I know this is groundbreaking stuff, i'm sure it will take a while for us to get used to it.
It will be awesome, it will be stupendous, it will be something to tell your children's children about and due to work constraints, i won't be able to make it. But, that's ok because just like the Tuesday Thursday, it will happen again on March 18th and the 25th and so on and so forth.
So spread the word, 8:00 start time from Farr Horse Park. Here's hoping this will attract some riders who can't make the 5:30 start like G-town Homeys or out-of-towners, etc. More hype will be distributed next week.
Peace out
On March 11th, the greatest event that has ever happened to Baton Rouge, the River Road Training Race, will begin a new chapter in flatland pain history. The Tuesday Thursday will begin a new Saturday version.
That's right! all the drama that could have only happened before on a Tuesday or a Thursday is now free to happen on either Tuesday or Thursday or ... Saturday. I know this is groundbreaking stuff, i'm sure it will take a while for us to get used to it.
It will be awesome, it will be stupendous, it will be something to tell your children's children about and due to work constraints, i won't be able to make it. But, that's ok because just like the Tuesday Thursday, it will happen again on March 18th and the 25th and so on and so forth.
So spread the word, 8:00 start time from Farr Horse Park. Here's hoping this will attract some riders who can't make the 5:30 start like G-town Homeys or out-of-towners, etc. More hype will be distributed next week.
Peace out
Olympians might not have it this good...
Sunday night i hit the track's 6-8 pm workout slot. I'd never ridden at that time, but it seemed like a nice way to end the weekend.
Really odd, i showed up at about 5:55 or so to find 8-10 skateboarders tearing up all the stuff, (tabletops, rails, quarter pipe?)they have in the warm-up circle. The track/skate director rolls up to me and asks me what time it is, i tell him and he proceeds to tell all the skaters to shut down. They really didn't have to leave on my account, but just like that they're all gone.
The next thing i know the velodrome is empty and the big lights are on JUST FOR ME. This has happened to me before, but it was just strange to see the place empty out like that. Who knows what the bill was for the lights, but let's just say it made me proud to be a city-parish tax payer.
Next up, Shimano pulled a practical joke on me. I'd asked for a 48x15 but on my first ride i found the gear huge. At first i blamed my fitness, but i decided to count teeth and turns out they stuck a 13 in a 15 box. Trust me, two teeth matter... according to Sheldon" that's good for 13 inches per revolution. That adds up quickly.
Anyhow, good to be back on track again...
Really odd, i showed up at about 5:55 or so to find 8-10 skateboarders tearing up all the stuff, (tabletops, rails, quarter pipe?)they have in the warm-up circle. The track/skate director rolls up to me and asks me what time it is, i tell him and he proceeds to tell all the skaters to shut down. They really didn't have to leave on my account, but just like that they're all gone.
The next thing i know the velodrome is empty and the big lights are on JUST FOR ME. This has happened to me before, but it was just strange to see the place empty out like that. Who knows what the bill was for the lights, but let's just say it made me proud to be a city-parish tax payer.
Next up, Shimano pulled a practical joke on me. I'd asked for a 48x15 but on my first ride i found the gear huge. At first i blamed my fitness, but i decided to count teeth and turns out they stuck a 13 in a 15 box. Trust me, two teeth matter... according to Sheldon" that's good for 13 inches per revolution. That adds up quickly.
Anyhow, good to be back on track again...
Friday, February 24, 2006
S- A- T- U- R- D- A- Y morning
S- A- T- U- R- D- A- Y morning
The Bay City Rollers come to mind, because if it's not Scottish IT'S CRAP!
Next month, Saturday's will change...
Can you feel the hype?
Next month, Saturday's will change...
Can you feel the hype?
Olympic Trivia
When did the bobsled become the bobsleigh?
Sounds like something from a Christmas Carol.
Sounds like something from a Christmas Carol.
sick day
I ended up taking a sick day today, due to some kind of head cold/sore throat thing that's had me drugged up and napping most of the day.
Unfortunately i missed Mitch's dramatic crash this morning at the BRC, how often do folks crash on their trainers? I wish i'd been there, but if i had i would have probably been toppled. :)
Good luck to Taylor and all the local folks heading out for the weekend of racing in Austin. Those are some great races, especially Pace Bend which i'd love to do again.
Due to this head cold thing i can definitely say i'll be rested for Rouge Roubaix.
Unfortunately i missed Mitch's dramatic crash this morning at the BRC, how often do folks crash on their trainers? I wish i'd been there, but if i had i would have probably been toppled. :)
Good luck to Taylor and all the local folks heading out for the weekend of racing in Austin. Those are some great races, especially Pace Bend which i'd love to do again.
Due to this head cold thing i can definitely say i'll be rested for Rouge Roubaix.
Every man needs 5 bikes...
well maybe not just 5, but for now it works for me.
Here's my new pista, the no-frills Specialized Langster. It's every man's bike, shipping with a rear wheel that can handle a fixed or a freewheel single-speed cog, a full brakeset, bottle mounts and even rear pannier mounts.
I rode it Wednesday night at the track and it's great. My previous track bikes have been a little on the small side and it was nice to have a better fit, but i need to ditch some of those spacers, it's way too comfortable to be fast.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Congrats Congrats
To Eric and Lisa and Zack who welcomed Katherine Brook King to the world this week. She is a beautiful little baby.
Tour of Cali
ESPN2 is killing me with the way their late night programs run over schedule. I watched the TT coverage this morning only to find Steven Smith's NBA show running 30 minutes over, so voila no finishing coverage of Stage 3. Same thing happened the other night with the first sprint finish. I guess i need to tape the show after the coverage just to be sure.
Obviously the Landis position is fast, he was 20-30 seconds back of Zabriskie at the first time check and beat him on the long drag in i guess. Zabriskie looked bad-ass. I thought Julich looked clunky, Bob said he was pushing a huge gear but it didn't look smooth, maybe those damned rings.
Obviously the Landis position is fast, he was 20-30 seconds back of Zabriskie at the first time check and beat him on the long drag in i guess. Zabriskie looked bad-ass. I thought Julich looked clunky, Bob said he was pushing a huge gear but it didn't look smooth, maybe those damned rings.
Monday, February 20, 2006
Amgen Stage 1
Watched the Amgen Tour of Cali coverage this morning and it was ok. The good news is that ESPN2 has Paul and Bob. The stinker this morning was no timing on screen. Pretty much you had to wait for the rider to finish and then Paul would tell you what their time was. Also the coverage of the last few riders really flew, just a few seconds of each, especially George and Levi. Floyd's position looks so painful i can't believe it's that fast. And Bobby J. is still turning egg-shaped cranks but it's obviously working.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Cursed by God
Yes, clearly scallops are cursed by God.
Damned to forever be at the bottom of the foodchain.
Where else could you be when you naturally taste like butter?
Hell, if i was a scallop, i'd eat scallops.
Why rant on mollusks?
This weekend Amy and i celebrated our 6th anniversary. We dined away our Valentine's Day with the G-Town Homies at Ruffino's which was great. For a change of pace, and our second night in a week sans baby, we hit Baton Rouge's most recent move into the top tier of nation-wide franchises, P.F. Chang's.
This joint has been a favorite of ours for years, but we'd yet to make the Baton Rouge location. Several times we'd dropped in only to be told, "The wait for a table is currently 1 hour and 15 minutes." My response to this one is typically, "Hey, we could eat in Metairie in that time." Don't ask me why but that doesn't go over too well with the hostess. Anyhow, the Kung Pao Scallops are unbelievable, followed by a dangerous stroll over to Whole Foods for some gelato, fantastic night.
After reading Lance's race report, i can't complain about the weather too much. It was cold and humid and nasty here. I rode the trainer on Saturday and got in about 2 hours on River Road today. It felt the way my 2005 Ghent Wevelgem DVD looks.
That's about all i've got, i know Rouge Roubaix is going to hurt, it's two weeks away.
Sounds like the Austin Marathon had some challenging weather.
Damned to forever be at the bottom of the foodchain.
Where else could you be when you naturally taste like butter?
Hell, if i was a scallop, i'd eat scallops.
Why rant on mollusks?
This weekend Amy and i celebrated our 6th anniversary. We dined away our Valentine's Day with the G-Town Homies at Ruffino's which was great. For a change of pace, and our second night in a week sans baby, we hit Baton Rouge's most recent move into the top tier of nation-wide franchises, P.F. Chang's.
This joint has been a favorite of ours for years, but we'd yet to make the Baton Rouge location. Several times we'd dropped in only to be told, "The wait for a table is currently 1 hour and 15 minutes." My response to this one is typically, "Hey, we could eat in Metairie in that time." Don't ask me why but that doesn't go over too well with the hostess. Anyhow, the Kung Pao Scallops are unbelievable, followed by a dangerous stroll over to Whole Foods for some gelato, fantastic night.
After reading Lance's race report, i can't complain about the weather too much. It was cold and humid and nasty here. I rode the trainer on Saturday and got in about 2 hours on River Road today. It felt the way my 2005 Ghent Wevelgem DVD looks.
That's about all i've got, i know Rouge Roubaix is going to hurt, it's two weeks away.
Sounds like the Austin Marathon had some challenging weather.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Figure Skating must GO
Really, it isn't even the skating that bothers me as much as the commentary. Last night's Chinese pair that won the silver after wiping out made for good TV, Dick Button waxing on about FLARE is just BAD.
I need a lot more coverage of cross country skiing or anything that contains it (biathlon, Nordic Combined, etc.). Any sport where the competitors cross the finish line and fall over into the snow in a heap is alright by me. These guys are tough. What can you do for us Karen?
I need a lot more coverage of cross country skiing or anything that contains it (biathlon, Nordic Combined, etc.). Any sport where the competitors cross the finish line and fall over into the snow in a heap is alright by me. These guys are tough. What can you do for us Karen?
Monday, February 13, 2006
Feb 13
Happy Birthday to my Dad who turns 65 today!
In other anniversaries, Amy reminded me that a year ago today i completed the Austin Marathon. My first and last ever exploit into that particular distance. What started out as an enjoyable jog became a debilitating shuffle that ultimately finished with a handy stress fracture, as I did my best Tim Conway impersonation across the finish line.
Fresh in my memory still is the hour or so i spent laying in a field after, surrounded by friends, with my legs convulsing randomly.
If i find the link to the photos that were snapped of me that day, i'll post them. They made me laugh the last time i saw them.
In other anniversaries, Amy reminded me that a year ago today i completed the Austin Marathon. My first and last ever exploit into that particular distance. What started out as an enjoyable jog became a debilitating shuffle that ultimately finished with a handy stress fracture, as I did my best Tim Conway impersonation across the finish line.
Fresh in my memory still is the hour or so i spent laying in a field after, surrounded by friends, with my legs convulsing randomly.
If i find the link to the photos that were snapped of me that day, i'll post them. They made me laugh the last time i saw them.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
maybe not too epic
Cold weather be damned, i met up with Tim, Brian and Mitch to ride the gravel sections of the Rouge. Somehow, Norm used a Jedi mind trick to lure me into signing up for our own Hell of the North. We drove up to Greenwood Plantation to start.
Mitch was aboard his new ride but brought the wrong shoes. I'm pretty glad he did, because he still rode tough even without being able to pedal full circles.
No lying it was cold, not the crazy 27 with a feel like factor of 8 or whatever weather.com promised, but all in all it wasn't too bad after you put on a hat, ski gloves, a base layer, two long sleeve jerseys and a vest with legwarmers and the full-blown jacques cousteau neoprene booties.
Good times, we rode the first section, down and then back up the Pond Store climb, and a new-to-me alternate entry into the Tunica section. One thing i learned today is that i'll never ever race down the Pond Store climb, that was terrifying. Huge sections of washboard gravel shaking your teeth out mixed with sand.
The good news is that the side we'll be racing up is well packed and in the best condition i've seen.
Mitch was aboard his new ride but brought the wrong shoes. I'm pretty glad he did, because he still rode tough even without being able to pedal full circles.
No lying it was cold, not the crazy 27 with a feel like factor of 8 or whatever weather.com promised, but all in all it wasn't too bad after you put on a hat, ski gloves, a base layer, two long sleeve jerseys and a vest with legwarmers and the full-blown jacques cousteau neoprene booties.
Good times, we rode the first section, down and then back up the Pond Store climb, and a new-to-me alternate entry into the Tunica section. One thing i learned today is that i'll never ever race down the Pond Store climb, that was terrifying. Huge sections of washboard gravel shaking your teeth out mixed with sand.
The good news is that the side we'll be racing up is well packed and in the best condition i've seen.
Winter Olympics Weekend Highlights
My latest favorite winter sport is the Nordic Combined, combining ski jumping with cross-country skiing. The results of your jump handicap you on the start of the cross-country, so 1st place starts 1st, 2nd place 2nd, etc. This race was super cool to watch as the German winner of the jump led the race from start to finish and klled the Austrian in the final sprint. Very cool road-race like drama.
In other news, i think it's really great that they let the Flying Tomato snowboard with the guys, she's obviously good enough to compete with them.
In other news, i think it's really great that they let the Flying Tomato snowboard with the guys, she's obviously good enough to compete with them.
Save Bubbles and Oreo
A co-worker of mine is trying to find a home for two dogs that are Australian Shepherd/Border Collie Mix. They've been displaced by the hurricane and are in desperate need of adoption. Bubbles is pictured in both photos above, she's orange and white, 4 years old, very playful, great with kids and spayed. The other dog is Oreo, she is black and white, also very playful and 2 years old, not spayed.
If you're interested, please contact Andy at 225.667.9607
If they can't find a home soon, they'll be taken to the pound, so spread the word.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
more material for Todd Barry
The Grammy's
The single greatest collection of creative professionals in the entire world.
Tonight Bono explained
U2 isn't really a rock band,
we're a folk band,
a really loud folk band,
but sometimes along comes a song like Vertigo,
that just makes you burn your house down to the ground
That's exactly how i feel everytime i hear Bono shout 1,2,3,14.
That does it for me ... really it does.
And what's the Grammy's without a pointless collaborative medley of disconnected artists who would have never met unless it were to honor, in this case, Sly and the Family Stone.
"Who would make a fitting tribute," puzzled the Hollywood producer, "i know... Joss Stone. Folks will think they're related, yeah Sly and Joss. You know, that 19 year old white british blues singer. Yeah, and we'll do a strong finish with none other than Steve Tyler of Aerosmith." Nice touch.
The best moment of the whole show was when Jay-Z started his duet with Linkin Park, which was going great until they worked the medley angle into a Paul McCartney/Linkin Park duet. Hova stood there next to these two white guys like a muzzled pit bull in a cage full of rabbits. I wept and wished he'd ignore them and cut into "H to the Izzo" but it was not to happen.
Then i was hoping that the medley mojo would continue when the Boss started channeling Bob Dylan, but alas Bob didn't show. Too bad.
And why is U2 winning these awards? Seems like that album was out in late 2004, what gives?
Tivo, the only way to watch the Grammys in like 40 minutes.
:)
The single greatest collection of creative professionals in the entire world.
Tonight Bono explained
U2 isn't really a rock band,
we're a folk band,
a really loud folk band,
but sometimes along comes a song like Vertigo,
that just makes you burn your house down to the ground
That's exactly how i feel everytime i hear Bono shout 1,2,3,14.
That does it for me ... really it does.
And what's the Grammy's without a pointless collaborative medley of disconnected artists who would have never met unless it were to honor, in this case, Sly and the Family Stone.
"Who would make a fitting tribute," puzzled the Hollywood producer, "i know... Joss Stone. Folks will think they're related, yeah Sly and Joss. You know, that 19 year old white british blues singer. Yeah, and we'll do a strong finish with none other than Steve Tyler of Aerosmith." Nice touch.
The best moment of the whole show was when Jay-Z started his duet with Linkin Park, which was going great until they worked the medley angle into a Paul McCartney/Linkin Park duet. Hova stood there next to these two white guys like a muzzled pit bull in a cage full of rabbits. I wept and wished he'd ignore them and cut into "H to the Izzo" but it was not to happen.
Then i was hoping that the medley mojo would continue when the Boss started channeling Bob Dylan, but alas Bob didn't show. Too bad.
And why is U2 winning these awards? Seems like that album was out in late 2004, what gives?
Tivo, the only way to watch the Grammys in like 40 minutes.
:)
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Norm's the Man with the Masta Plan
The Team Time Trial on Sunday was a blast. We had a great turnout with 63 teams coming out. The bad news, Norm and i finished last in the 1,2, the good news, our time was 4th fastest on the day.
For our warmup, we began by working registration. Within 20 minutes of sitting in the cold, my hands stopped working and doling out change became a real challenge.
Randy shared some wisdom with us, "In the summer, set up registration in the shade. In the winter, set up registration in the sun." We needed this.
Another wise decision would be to not set up downwind from the generator which gave us the essential carbon monoxide we needed to really roll.
Sunday also marked Amy's first race back as she paired up with Caroline. Never fear about Ryan, he was warm back at my parent's house awaiting the post-race/Super Bowl festivities. Anyhow the duo rode well together and finished 3rd of 8 teams. Considering how much Amy's been riding, that's a victory in my book.
Mucho thanks to Jeff, Charlene and Nixon who came out to spectate and snapped these photos with my camera.
For our ride, Norm and i started nearly last, just before the two Herring squads. Our teammates had warned us about the last 6 miles which were supposed to be dead headwind and tough. Others talked about not taking enough advantage of the tailwind section.
Norm took the first pull off the line and set us up around 27 in the crosswind as we headed to the right turn. After that, we started cruising 28-29 in the tailwind. This was when Norm really started to go, his pulls were consistently a mph faster than me. Topping off at just under 32, i began to imagine what it would be like to have to dismount our bikes in the coming headwind and walk. It was at this time that i had to ask Norm to hold his pull a little longer because i was dying. We hit the bend and the wind shift. From this point on Norm never pulled below 26, and i kept it over 25.
Here's a shot Randy took of me finally pulling through on Norm at the finish line in our euro-helmets. What better way to thank your partner than covering him up completely with your big ass in the finish line photo.
The course was longer than 10 miles, and our average turned out to be 27.2 which i was pleased with. The Herrings beat us by nearly 2 minutes which probably means they did 29 or faster. JESUS
For our warmup, we began by working registration. Within 20 minutes of sitting in the cold, my hands stopped working and doling out change became a real challenge.
Randy shared some wisdom with us, "In the summer, set up registration in the shade. In the winter, set up registration in the sun." We needed this. Another wise decision would be to not set up downwind from the generator which gave us the essential carbon monoxide we needed to really roll.
Sunday also marked Amy's first race back as she paired up with Caroline. Never fear about Ryan, he was warm back at my parent's house awaiting the post-race/Super Bowl festivities. Anyhow the duo rode well together and finished 3rd of 8 teams. Considering how much Amy's been riding, that's a victory in my book.
Mucho thanks to Jeff, Charlene and Nixon who came out to spectate and snapped these photos with my camera. For our ride, Norm and i started nearly last, just before the two Herring squads. Our teammates had warned us about the last 6 miles which were supposed to be dead headwind and tough. Others talked about not taking enough advantage of the tailwind section.
Norm took the first pull off the line and set us up around 27 in the crosswind as we headed to the right turn. After that, we started cruising 28-29 in the tailwind. This was when Norm really started to go, his pulls were consistently a mph faster than me. Topping off at just under 32, i began to imagine what it would be like to have to dismount our bikes in the coming headwind and walk. It was at this time that i had to ask Norm to hold his pull a little longer because i was dying. We hit the bend and the wind shift. From this point on Norm never pulled below 26, and i kept it over 25.
Here's a shot Randy took of me finally pulling through on Norm at the finish line in our euro-helmets. What better way to thank your partner than covering him up completely with your big ass in the finish line photo.
The course was longer than 10 miles, and our average turned out to be 27.2 which i was pleased with. The Herrings beat us by nearly 2 minutes which probably means they did 29 or faster. JESUS
Prather is Innocent
Got a chance to talk with Prather over the weekend for the first time since all this crap came up. I can't even imagine how he and Janice have made it through it. Prather explained to me that he has no idea how the images got on his machine and that charges are being dropped right and left. I hope all can be made right for them and that Prather's name being cleared will receive at least as much press coverage.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Cheeseball 70
That's the name of my newest playlist on the ipod. I'm finding it to be a wonderful warmup mix for the first 10-20 minutes of the ride. Here's what i currently have in there, kind of a Tarantino eye-piece on the 70's. Gimme suggestions if you have them...
Stuck in the Middle with You
Dream Weaver
Afternoon Delight
Right down the Line - George Rafferty
Baker Street - George Rafferty
Ventura Highway - America
Old Man - Neil Young
This morning i came up with
Renegade - Styx
and a plethora of Supertramp
Stuck in the Middle with You
Dream Weaver
Afternoon Delight
Right down the Line - George Rafferty
Baker Street - George Rafferty
Ventura Highway - America
Old Man - Neil Young
This morning i came up with
Renegade - Styx
and a plethora of Supertramp
ttt in the hiz-ouse
ok, that doesn't make a lot of sense, except to say that tomorrow my team is putting on a 10 mile 2 man team time trial. Norm and i rode this morning, we were both on our time trial bikes, but instead of practicing we just rode and caught up. It was a lot more fun than paceline practice, which we probably don't need since we've done this a million times before. While we headed back to LSU, we were chased by a pack of 4-5 dogs who were very enthusiastic about having some cyclist for breakfast. The largest of them is in pretty good shape, and ran in a ditch near us for a good half mile or so. Needless to say, i took Highland to Ben Hur on the way back. These are probably the same dogs who chased down Pat and Ed on their long run last week.
I've been enjoying the incredible amount of smack being thrown down in the baton rouge tri forums about the race, this was good but the Battle at Brokeback Levee takes the cake.
It should be fun, too short to really get into a groove of any sort, just go fast recover as you can, repeat. Mom and Dad are going to take care of the bambino so Amy can race as well, with Caroline.
Ryan's newest trick is toe sucking, he seems to have discovered his feet yesterday and now can't put them down. It's pretty entertaining.
Gotta run...
I've been enjoying the incredible amount of smack being thrown down in the baton rouge tri forums about the race, this was good but the Battle at Brokeback Levee takes the cake.
It should be fun, too short to really get into a groove of any sort, just go fast recover as you can, repeat. Mom and Dad are going to take care of the bambino so Amy can race as well, with Caroline.
Ryan's newest trick is toe sucking, he seems to have discovered his feet yesterday and now can't put them down. It's pretty entertaining.
Gotta run...
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
the real jedi
Ryan and i caught Pulp Fiction over the weekend and it occured to me that Jules is a lot wiser than supposed Jedi Master Mace Windu. What a movie those could have been with Jules leading the Jedi. I shudder to even think of it.
Come on Chancellor Palpatine, what's Fonzie like? He's cool... exacta-mundo
Which lightsaber is mine? the one with Bad M!@#$# F!@#$% written on it!
Well, Kool and the Gang Yoda, all you had to say was that he'd bring balance to the Force.
Also, Todd Barry is killing me, his particular brand of pessimistic sarcasm is making me feel like a pollyanna.
GOSH DARN THIS MAC! Where's my x86
Need PS2 games?
Saturday, January 28, 2006
wind again
Of course River Road wind can't compare to the west coast winds, but today was another headwind/evil cross fest. I got in about 3 and a half hours, and i finished just wasted. Ran into Steve and Team Ripple (Jan, Shelly and Kate) in the loop. We met up with Shawn P. and eventually Taylor.
There seemed to be a lot of riders out even though it was supposed to rain. For the 4th or 5th time this year I thwarted the weathermen by carrying my rain jacket.
There seemed to be a lot of riders out even though it was supposed to rain. For the 4th or 5th time this year I thwarted the weathermen by carrying my rain jacket.
Lance said it...
I'm cleaning out an old PC that we have and i found this that i created back in June 2004. It wasn't prophetic or anything, but it was funny at the time.
Public Retraction
Earlier this week, I reported that Amy hated Garden State. Since that time, i have been corrected, in fact she liked it a lot. I misinterpreted her falling asleep during it as hating it. Sleep deprivation shouldn't be taken into account when evaluating film.
I just realized that Zach Braff starred in it, wrote it and directed it. Impressive.
I just realized that Zach Braff starred in it, wrote it and directed it. Impressive.
Friday, January 27, 2006
20 years ago! No way
It's tough to believe that the Space Shuttle Challenger blew up 20 years ago tomorrow, this lists seven popular myths about the tragedy.
Number 2 says that the shuttle didn't explode, so maybe blow up is speaking out of turn. I was expecting to see Sally Ride did not die on the shuttle listed as a myth, because i remember a lot of my friends thinking that she did. Ok, maybe i did, when in fact it was Christa McAuliffe.
Number 2 says that the shuttle didn't explode, so maybe blow up is speaking out of turn. I was expecting to see Sally Ride did not die on the shuttle listed as a myth, because i remember a lot of my friends thinking that she did. Ok, maybe i did, when in fact it was Christa McAuliffe.
remodeling the place
What do you think?
Maybe those heavy blue tones were bringing me down man.
My hutzpah was all flamenck.
Know what i'm sayin bro?
Like whoa, this is so much better.
I feel so positive, it makes me want to sing.
Maybe later.
Maybe those heavy blue tones were bringing me down man.
My hutzpah was all flamenck.
Know what i'm sayin bro?
Like whoa, this is so much better.
I feel so positive, it makes me want to sing.
Maybe later.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
by popular demand
I fixed the link to Lance Bo Bance's blog.
I didn't know it was broken, evidently Opera does some sort of resolution.
This morning, the beating with a stick continued as i did Pat's extended 90 minute spin routine at the studio followed by a 2 mile spirited run. The spin class was great, split between Chuck and Pat as leaders. Chuck pretty much destroyed me with an extended big ring set of
one minute right leg, one minute left leg
one minute right leg, one minute left leg
one minute right leg, one minute left leg
one minute right leg, one minute left leg
one minute right leg, one minute left leg
Pat followed up with long "climbing" efforts which finished off the damage. Running with these guys is always fun because they don't like to slow down at all, not even in heavy traffic while crossing Perkins Road. They call it easy, and i don't think they realize how hard i'm working just to hang on.
I didn't know it was broken, evidently Opera does some sort of resolution.
This morning, the beating with a stick continued as i did Pat's extended 90 minute spin routine at the studio followed by a 2 mile spirited run. The spin class was great, split between Chuck and Pat as leaders. Chuck pretty much destroyed me with an extended big ring set of
one minute right leg, one minute left leg
one minute right leg, one minute left leg
one minute right leg, one minute left leg
one minute right leg, one minute left leg
one minute right leg, one minute left leg
Pat followed up with long "climbing" efforts which finished off the damage. Running with these guys is always fun because they don't like to slow down at all, not even in heavy traffic while crossing Perkins Road. They call it easy, and i don't think they realize how hard i'm working just to hang on.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
sup
Shout out to all my G-town homeys, check this out tomorrow there's a court date near you that might be interesting to attend. I can't make it. Where's the courthouse anyway?
I ran 6 miles Monday night around the lakes, then 5 miles today at lunch. To those who can't figure it out, i'm completely sick of the trainer and the rollers and am now turning to running to ease the pain. Needless to say, tonight i'm walking around like somebody beat me with a stick.
Amy has commented that Eric and i have been posting rather depressing entries as of late. It's kind of like the old days when we used to ride around Mobile and just complain like two old codgers for hours. I love it.
In media news, we caught Garden State over the weekend. I loved it, Amy hated it.
Sunday we worked a trade with my sister, she took Ryan and we took our two nephews and niece to see Hoodwinked. I thought that this was a good deal, but let me tell you, taking a family of 5 to the show and the concession stand is no small investment. WOW! The movie was so so, the kids were hilarious.
Last night i finally received my copy of Bicycling which features a story on the Rouge Roubaix. I was sorry to see no mention of Jon who invented the God-forsaken event, me and Bob who allegedly inspired it, and lastly no mention of the various stories of gritty heroism from past years. But this is Bicycling and not a more race-minded rag.
God bless Tivo, tonight it has snatched up Monty Python's The Cycling Tour.
J's site has been down for a few days, which is a drag because i'm missing my fix of Utah winter rides.
I'm hoping to log a long one this Saturday, but here's a link to the info on Kenny B's Katrina Damage Ride.
That's all here.
I ran 6 miles Monday night around the lakes, then 5 miles today at lunch. To those who can't figure it out, i'm completely sick of the trainer and the rollers and am now turning to running to ease the pain. Needless to say, tonight i'm walking around like somebody beat me with a stick.
Amy has commented that Eric and i have been posting rather depressing entries as of late. It's kind of like the old days when we used to ride around Mobile and just complain like two old codgers for hours. I love it.
In media news, we caught Garden State over the weekend. I loved it, Amy hated it.
Sunday we worked a trade with my sister, she took Ryan and we took our two nephews and niece to see Hoodwinked. I thought that this was a good deal, but let me tell you, taking a family of 5 to the show and the concession stand is no small investment. WOW! The movie was so so, the kids were hilarious.
Last night i finally received my copy of Bicycling which features a story on the Rouge Roubaix. I was sorry to see no mention of Jon who invented the God-forsaken event, me and Bob who allegedly inspired it, and lastly no mention of the various stories of gritty heroism from past years. But this is Bicycling and not a more race-minded rag.
God bless Tivo, tonight it has snatched up Monty Python's The Cycling Tour.
J's site has been down for a few days, which is a drag because i'm missing my fix of Utah winter rides.
I'm hoping to log a long one this Saturday, but here's a link to the info on Kenny B's Katrina Damage Ride.
That's all here.
Monday, January 23, 2006
The decline of western civilization
So this morning i pull into the credit union to make a deposit in the drive-through and i face Murphy's conundrum, six lanes, two are open, consequently, those two each have one oversized SUV in them. I roll the dice and choose to wait in lane number two.
At this time, some sorority girl in a Honda Accord pulls up behind me and picks chute three which is, by all accounts, closed. I mean, come on, there's the sign, it's closed. Meaning, you won't be serviced.
In my utopia, the teller has every right at this time, to request that the driver exit her vehicle and stand in front of the other civilized folk who are queued up in line, where she will be beaten with Nerf bats by the loan officers or whoever else isn't busy at that time, until she admits that she doesn't read directions or subscribe to basic social norms.
In the real world, perhaps a more clever form of discipline could be arranged. Maybe a stupidity fee could be levied against her account, something good like $100 or so. At the very least, she should be chastised over the intercom. In anticipation of this logical choice, i stealthily lower my passenger side window, waiting for some juicy discourse. Damn, i'm clever.
Much to my chagrin, she gets her transaction completed and voila she's off while i'm still stuck waiting behind the Yukon who is evidently doing an entire house refi while waiting in her car.
So what have i learned today?
If you're given two options, choose the third one.
Do what you like.
Be McGyver.
Happy Monday.
At this time, some sorority girl in a Honda Accord pulls up behind me and picks chute three which is, by all accounts, closed. I mean, come on, there's the sign, it's closed. Meaning, you won't be serviced.
In my utopia, the teller has every right at this time, to request that the driver exit her vehicle and stand in front of the other civilized folk who are queued up in line, where she will be beaten with Nerf bats by the loan officers or whoever else isn't busy at that time, until she admits that she doesn't read directions or subscribe to basic social norms.
In the real world, perhaps a more clever form of discipline could be arranged. Maybe a stupidity fee could be levied against her account, something good like $100 or so. At the very least, she should be chastised over the intercom. In anticipation of this logical choice, i stealthily lower my passenger side window, waiting for some juicy discourse. Damn, i'm clever.
Much to my chagrin, she gets her transaction completed and voila she's off while i'm still stuck waiting behind the Yukon who is evidently doing an entire house refi while waiting in her car.
So what have i learned today?
If you're given two options, choose the third one.
Do what you like.
Be McGyver.
Happy Monday.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Mr. J
Here are a few shots from Mr. Jairo Alvarez's group ride. He's undergoing surgery tomorrow for prostate surgery, so please keep him in your prayers. We're all looking forward to his rapid return to group rides.
Name that backside...
On the left Jerry Simon, sporting the Delta Racing duds. On the right, River Road retro legend Bob Abbott aboard his new carbon Felt. It was fun catching up with him about the Old Days.
This shot also shows the strategic location of the Boudreaux's Butt Paste logo on our bib shorts.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Crap Sandwich Month
In case you didn't know, January 2006 has been officially named Crap Sandwich Month by me. The latest installment...
Jan 17 - David celebrates Taylor's arrival in Baton Rouge by driving his car into the side of Taylor's Accord. WELCOME Cousin!
While you may not agree that this is optimism, i could have named 2006 the Official Year of the Crap Sandwich, but you see i'm a flat tire is half-full kind of guy. Gluttonous self-pity stops here.
Have a great weekend, looks like one made for rainy riding.
Jan 17 - David celebrates Taylor's arrival in Baton Rouge by driving his car into the side of Taylor's Accord. WELCOME Cousin!
While you may not agree that this is optimism, i could have named 2006 the Official Year of the Crap Sandwich, but you see i'm a flat tire is half-full kind of guy. Gluttonous self-pity stops here.
Have a great weekend, looks like one made for rainy riding.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
K-Ron in the Hiz-ouse
Karen, as in
Karen who lives in Colorado Springs or
Karen who works at the Olympic Training Center or
Karen who loves India's or
Karen who loves cold weather,
has started her very own blog.
Just one look at her itinerary for the next five months guarantees that it will be at least 100 times more interesting than mine, so check it out.
Karen who lives in Colorado Springs or
Karen who works at the Olympic Training Center or
Karen who loves India's or
Karen who loves cold weather,
has started her very own blog.
Just one look at her itinerary for the next five months guarantees that it will be at least 100 times more interesting than mine, so check it out.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Let me see if i have this straight...
1. The more meetings one has to attend, the greater the negative effects; and
2. The more time one spends in meetings, the greater the negative effects.
This is a new study? I guess i'm a font of frickin knowledge then, i've known this for years.
Look out world, i've used the word "frickin" twice in as many days.
2. The more time one spends in meetings, the greater the negative effects.
This is a new study? I guess i'm a font of frickin knowledge then, i've known this for years.
Look out world, i've used the word "frickin" twice in as many days.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Pekoe
We lost our big orange cat yesterday. For some time, he had been having some difficulties breathing, but over the weekend the slightest movements caused him to pant. Bringing him into the vet was a tough decision because he has to be heavily sedated to be treated. Our vet knew this and counciled us on the "Death Talk" because of his concerns that he might not survive the drugs. But with his deteriorating condition and recent weight loss, we had to find out what was wrong.
The vet removed about a cup of fluid from around his lungs, which was a combination of blood and white blood cells, signalling a massive infection. This immediately aided his breathing, but any form of treatment would involve regular bouts like this. We had to decide what was best for him, Pekoe's tiger-like personality wouldn't do well with regular medication or procedures. So while he was still sedated, with Amy and i there with him, our vet put him to sleep.
After 14 years of living with 1, then 2, then 1 cat again, it's very difficult not having him here. Since Natalie died back in August, he had stopped his trademark "Ow-wow" meow and had settled into being a very laid-back cat. He'd even cut back on the legendary biting that made so many people fear him. We still can't believe he's gone.
ttt practice
Sunday was our team time trial practice on River Road. Learning something on every ride is a good thing, Sunday i learned that Mitch and Tom are frickin flying. Didn't have a cyclocomputer or hrm but i definitely suffered some which was good.
Friday, January 13, 2006
a mullet by any other name
So Velonews is reporting that Laurent "Hockey Hair" Brochard is finally ditching his trademark mullet. Perhaps the mullet has a different interpretation over there on the continent, but to my eyes this still rings of the traditional "all business in the front, all pleasure in the back". Granted to a lesser degree, but tell me what you think.
spin again
Caught Pat's spin class at the studio for the second time this week. Great workout and sweat fest. About midway through his big-gear intervals we did 5 sets of 2x30 second leg isolation drills. Talk about get to squares at the end, yow. No run this morning, motivation was low in the group, and i wasn't going to push it, having run the soccer fields last night. Happy and Lucky Friday the 13th to all. Here's your link to some trivia for the day as well as a connection to the Knights Templar.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Remember me when i'm gone...
Ok, granted, it isn't JAMA, but I was recently given a copy of Men's Health that ranked 100 cities on how healthy they are for men to live in them. Women weren't considered in this study, again i don't know how scientific it was. The survey ranked each city on health, quality of life and fitness. The results for us locals were not good with Baton Rouge coming in 72nd with a solid D+
There was much better news for some guys i know
1. San Francisco A+
2. Honolulu A+
3. Austin A+
4. San Jose A+
5. Salt Lake City A+
27. Los Angeles B
34. Dallas B-
And some bad news for others
49. Tucson C
77. Nashville D+
79. Houston D+
81. Buffalo D
89. Louisville F
I'm on the upward swing, spending my childhood in a D, then the majority of my life at D+. Eric did ok going from an F to a B, Taylor might have the best improvement, D+ to A+. Meanwhile, Amy's brother has spent the last 12 years living in two A+ towns, nice.
I don't quite get the D for Tucson's fitness ranking, that is nearly the same as Baton Rouge.
There was much better news for some guys i know
1. San Francisco A+
2. Honolulu A+
3. Austin A+
4. San Jose A+
5. Salt Lake City A+
27. Los Angeles B
34. Dallas B-
And some bad news for others
49. Tucson C
77. Nashville D+
79. Houston D+
81. Buffalo D
89. Louisville F
I'm on the upward swing, spending my childhood in a D, then the majority of my life at D+. Eric did ok going from an F to a B, Taylor might have the best improvement, D+ to A+. Meanwhile, Amy's brother has spent the last 12 years living in two A+ towns, nice.
I don't quite get the D for Tucson's fitness ranking, that is nearly the same as Baton Rouge.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Bill and Bob
I finally finished A Walk in the Woods and oh what an underwhelming walk it was. A mediocre tale spun against the backdrop of the Appalachian Trail, the promised laughs just didn't deliver. Only the scattering of facts and statistics regarding the history of the trail itself kept the pages turning. I hope this doesn't spoil it for anyone but in the end, Bryson and his companion didn't even complete half of it's length, and they hardly even attempted the dramatic Hundred Mile Wilderness which marks the final pitch into Maine. This man is no Krakauer.
Just for kicks, i went back to the blurbs at the front of the book. The Boston Globe touted it as "an almost perfect travel book" perhaps because it has a spine, jacket and pages inbetween. My favorite came from the Providence Journal-Bulletin which declared "nobody has written anything like this book" which i can't even begin to make fun of. Kind of like saying Smiley Anders is compelling.
After seeing the success this book had, i'm tempted to write about my adventures in the 2004 Bicycle Tour of Colorado. The chapter on Jeff's confrontation with Tour officials and eventual formal banishment would make it a NYTimes bestseller and i did come across my journal the other day...hmm. Maybe I'll start by writing them here.
Now i'm on Bob Dylan's Chronicles. I began this book the way i ended AWITW, by reading the blurbs at the front, the best of them came from Greil Marcus who confessed, "I've written a lot of books, and after reading Dylan's book, I realized I would never write a book that good." Whoa! These got my super-psyched and immediately it didn't disappoint. After one chapter, it's clear this is a book you won't need a bookmark for, you're afraid to miss a sentence. This is going to be good.
Just for kicks, i went back to the blurbs at the front of the book. The Boston Globe touted it as "an almost perfect travel book" perhaps because it has a spine, jacket and pages inbetween. My favorite came from the Providence Journal-Bulletin which declared "nobody has written anything like this book" which i can't even begin to make fun of. Kind of like saying Smiley Anders is compelling.
After seeing the success this book had, i'm tempted to write about my adventures in the 2004 Bicycle Tour of Colorado. The chapter on Jeff's confrontation with Tour officials and eventual formal banishment would make it a NYTimes bestseller and i did come across my journal the other day...hmm. Maybe I'll start by writing them here.
Now i'm on Bob Dylan's Chronicles. I began this book the way i ended AWITW, by reading the blurbs at the front, the best of them came from Greil Marcus who confessed, "I've written a lot of books, and after reading Dylan's book, I realized I would never write a book that good." Whoa! These got my super-psyched and immediately it didn't disappoint. After one chapter, it's clear this is a book you won't need a bookmark for, you're afraid to miss a sentence. This is going to be good.
Monday, January 09, 2006
Delta Racing Training Ride
Here's a few shots from our team ride yesterday, 2006 looks like it will be a big year for us. We've picked up a lot of riders from all over the state and they're a fit bunch. No shortage of wind yesterday, the kind of day that lifts your helmet off your head, LITERALLY. More info to come soon, as i'm working on our team website.
weekend tragedy
Just wanted to post a note, Saturday, Margaret Moran, a local cyclist, was killed while crossing Highway 61 at Starhill. This is a really dangerous crossing because cars are hidden by a turn on one side and a hill on the other, which makes judging vehicle speed tough. According to Bruce Wickert's report she was struck by a Hummer and never regained consciousness. Very sad news.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
farmer dave
So there it is, the 2005 broccoli harvest from my garden. The object all the way to the left is a nickel, to give you some idea of scale. I'm thinking i'll skip the winter garden next year. The produce stand is much easier. I'm also glad i wasn't depending on it to feed my family.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Stupid Human Tricks
Slept in a while this morning but got out early enough to catch up with the Coffee Call Ride near the Women's Prison. Pretty uneventful 36 degree ride with Keith, Norm, Stan, Brian, Britt, and Kenny. On the way back, Keith was at the front pulling when the wind blew his cycling cap off, i was in the row behind him on the outside and i caught it on my left brake hood. I know the quality of this feat wasn't worthy of Cirque de Soleil or anything but hell, when you ride 3 hours on a flat road, these things are exciting.
Also want to give shouts out to new members of blogtopia. Marcy, a buddy from my LSU Library basement days, and Lance, straight out of Chauvin Original Gangsta from my Mobile epoch. Check em out.
Also want to give shouts out to new members of blogtopia. Marcy, a buddy from my LSU Library basement days, and Lance, straight out of Chauvin Original Gangsta from my Mobile epoch. Check em out.
Friday, January 06, 2006
Image Googling
Loved Eric's idea to google image search his name, my search turned up these which aren't quite as enjoyable.
What was trippy was that while searching i actually found a photo of me in a team time trial and another one of my old car. Crazy.
While compiling random lists, at one time (and sometimes many times) or another i've been told i look like each of the people below, which is funny because they really don't look that much alike.
What was trippy was that while searching i actually found a photo of me in a team time trial and another one of my old car. Crazy.
While compiling random lists, at one time (and sometimes many times) or another i've been told i look like each of the people below, which is funny because they really don't look that much alike.
Real Men of Genius
For Friday afternoon fun, give these a listen which come from Matt Z. My personal favorite has to be Mr. In the Car Nose Picker
Lunchtime Tech Chat Winner
Here it is, Chatter Bug. $20 then $10 per month for unlimited long distance, pretty crazy.
Monday, January 02, 2006
the post-crash shower
That is usually the worst part about crashing. Not the actual loss of skin or the accident itself, no usually the worst part comes once you get home and you take that shower that makes your legs quiver as water pours into your exposed flesh. Then, to take your mind off that pain, you get to scrub your wounds with a washcloth to get out the gravel, dirt, etc. But no more, i've learned a better way. Spray your rash down with Dermoplast and wait a minute then step into the shower. Scrubbing out road rash has never been so much fun. This stuff really deadens the wounds. PUT IT IN YOUR TOOL BOX.
Pavement meet David, David meet the Pavement
Yes, what better way to welcome in 2006 than with a nice tumble on the old bicyclette.
Not as much a tumble as an uncontrolled slide. I was psyched to finally be back up in the Felicianas for the first time since before Katrina. Happy to be on hills, and not on the cursed loop of River Road.
We had a nice sized group and the roads were wet from fog. 4 miles into it, someone got a flat, thena mile later i did the same, using up my only spare tube. I should have just turned around at that point, but instead on we went up Sligo. I decided to test my legs a bit on the two steep sections heading to Rosemound. Mitch, Mark and i got a gap on the rest and we were just rolling, not fast at all, around the Lake.
I approached the off-camber 90 degree turn that leads to the exit and swung wide-out to make the corner. I've probably done this one 50 times in my life, it looks easy, but gets sharper as you get deeper into it. As i set up for it i noted bundles of pine straw in the apex, but missed these by a foot at least. Then whammo-bammo-slammo, i lost traction on the road and we're sliding, meaning my bike and me. I'm on my ass sliding for a while, the bike is sliding. The damage to my bike was nil, except for a sharpened corner on a pedal. My shorts were trashed, and me well probably about 6 square inches of skin loss over my elbow, knee, shin and ass.
After regrouping at the store, everyone else kept rolling towards Jackson/Red Bug, i took a right on 61 and went home in case i tightened up. About 4 miles from the car, at the 61/66 intersection, i hit some gravel or glass that blew out my front tire. NICE. Without another tube and no interest in a hike in my cleats i just rode the flat back to the car.
I hope 2006 gets better.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Not as much a tumble as an uncontrolled slide. I was psyched to finally be back up in the Felicianas for the first time since before Katrina. Happy to be on hills, and not on the cursed loop of River Road.
We had a nice sized group and the roads were wet from fog. 4 miles into it, someone got a flat, thena mile later i did the same, using up my only spare tube. I should have just turned around at that point, but instead on we went up Sligo. I decided to test my legs a bit on the two steep sections heading to Rosemound. Mitch, Mark and i got a gap on the rest and we were just rolling, not fast at all, around the Lake.
I approached the off-camber 90 degree turn that leads to the exit and swung wide-out to make the corner. I've probably done this one 50 times in my life, it looks easy, but gets sharper as you get deeper into it. As i set up for it i noted bundles of pine straw in the apex, but missed these by a foot at least. Then whammo-bammo-slammo, i lost traction on the road and we're sliding, meaning my bike and me. I'm on my ass sliding for a while, the bike is sliding. The damage to my bike was nil, except for a sharpened corner on a pedal. My shorts were trashed, and me well probably about 6 square inches of skin loss over my elbow, knee, shin and ass.
After regrouping at the store, everyone else kept rolling towards Jackson/Red Bug, i took a right on 61 and went home in case i tightened up. About 4 miles from the car, at the 61/66 intersection, i hit some gravel or glass that blew out my front tire. NICE. Without another tube and no interest in a hike in my cleats i just rode the flat back to the car.
I hope 2006 gets better.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Thursday, December 29, 2005
great 24 hours
Here's me in front of Karen's brother's King Ranch F150 Pick-up. Pardon the picture quality, but i wanted to commemorate the moment more than the actual event. :) Among those people who like to haul things, or at least look like they do, this is the Porsche 911. Yes, it's been 24 great hours. Last night, Jeff and Charlene stopped by and we came up with the idea of hitting Roberto's on River Road which we've never made it too and still haven't because, as we soon found out, they closed up shop for Christmas week. In need of grub, we decided to hit India's which is always good and it maintained it's rep with us. We also had a lasse tasting competition. I started with a salted one, amy countered with the sweetened one, then Kumar suggested a sweet and salted one. A good idea at the time, maybe now overkill.
Today Karen came in from Colorado Springs via Houma and we had a great time with her, by immediately going back to India's, then chilling at Varsity Sports and finally Perks. Good laughter was had by all. Karen works at the OTC and she's soon heading to Italy for the Winter Games. Get that blog in place Karen!
what the tivo is for
I love tivo, tivo tivo tivo
It is perhaps the most important invention in recent history.
We have been liberated from the chains of tv boredom that have enslaved us.
No more bland piece-mealed E eye-candy documentaries featuring commentary by people you've never heard of but who are being treated as celebrities.
No more mindless dwelling on what exactly is being blurred out on the Howard Stern show.
No more Real World/Road Rules Part 17 - Cancun the Final Inferno to Hell.
No, now untethered i can spend my time on what's really important. Tonight it was nearly 90 minutes of uninterrupted commercial freeSouth Park. Oh sweet gluttony.
I'd never seen the episode on Scientology, where Stan is identified as the second coming of L. Ron Hubbard. Too funny and scary, especially when they went over what Scientology is actually about. Yow. Then Tom Cruise, John Travolta and eventually R. Kelly all hid in Stan's closet and refused to come out. You can see where this is going.
While on the subject of Mr. Cruise, Esquire magazine recently published a column which drew into question Mr. Cruise's sexuality as well as the authenticity of his relationship with Katie Holmes. This alone is about as interesting as a pair of dingo's kidneys, who really cares? one way or the other. What is much more intriguing is that in the next issue, Mr. Cruise's lawyer wrote a letter to the Editor pointing out how "false and defamatory" these assertions were and basically demanding a retraction. Highly entertaining, but come on is this guy overcompensating or what?
It is perhaps the most important invention in recent history.
We have been liberated from the chains of tv boredom that have enslaved us.
No more bland piece-mealed E eye-candy documentaries featuring commentary by people you've never heard of but who are being treated as celebrities.
No more mindless dwelling on what exactly is being blurred out on the Howard Stern show.
No more Real World/Road Rules Part 17 - Cancun the Final Inferno to Hell.
No, now untethered i can spend my time on what's really important. Tonight it was nearly 90 minutes of uninterrupted commercial freeSouth Park. Oh sweet gluttony.
I'd never seen the episode on Scientology, where Stan is identified as the second coming of L. Ron Hubbard. Too funny and scary, especially when they went over what Scientology is actually about. Yow. Then Tom Cruise, John Travolta and eventually R. Kelly all hid in Stan's closet and refused to come out. You can see where this is going.
While on the subject of Mr. Cruise, Esquire magazine recently published a column which drew into question Mr. Cruise's sexuality as well as the authenticity of his relationship with Katie Holmes. This alone is about as interesting as a pair of dingo's kidneys, who really cares? one way or the other. What is much more intriguing is that in the next issue, Mr. Cruise's lawyer wrote a letter to the Editor pointing out how "false and defamatory" these assertions were and basically demanding a retraction. Highly entertaining, but come on is this guy overcompensating or what?
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Make the wind your friend and you'll never ride alone.
This is one of many cheese-ball sayings i've come up with over time. I always envision it being engraved into the marble floor at the entrance to the David Alexander Memorial Cycling Museum. But i digress, this saying was made for today, it was a windy mofo kind of day. The wind was so bad, you sort of assumed the "rainy crit" posture with your handlebars so that they wouldn't be whipped out of your hands. It was a swervy-ditch-pointing day of grunting and grinding your teeth.
Did two laps of iFartlek again, this is turning into my new addiction. Sometimes it's perfect, slow song for recovery, fast song for interval, but other times it happens in reverse which is strange. Like today, i recovered to Jesus built my Hot Rod, which ain't slow then jammed to Karma Police, let's call it introspective. During my last loop in the tail-wind section i saw Tom coming the other way, but i wasn't about to turn around into it. Sorry, Tom.
Did two laps of iFartlek again, this is turning into my new addiction. Sometimes it's perfect, slow song for recovery, fast song for interval, but other times it happens in reverse which is strange. Like today, i recovered to Jesus built my Hot Rod, which ain't slow then jammed to Karma Police, let's call it introspective. During my last loop in the tail-wind section i saw Tom coming the other way, but i wasn't about to turn around into it. Sorry, Tom.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
merry christmas to all
Ah yes, Amy and i must have been nice this year because Santa brought us TIVO and early reports concur, it is a good thing.
This morning we caught the Dash and Dine Christmas Party at Jennifer and Carl's which was great, maybe a 6 or 7 mile run followed by a white elephant. Good times, great people.
Yesterday i rolled the loop twice doing iFartlek. This is my new favorite workout, i shuffle my hits playlist and you go hard for song 1, recover for song 2, hard for song 3, recover for song 4, rinse, repeat. You get the deal.
No word yet on the grand G-town ride this morning which i couldn't make, hope all stayed dry, but the downpour that i saw makes that hard to believe.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
This morning we caught the Dash and Dine Christmas Party at Jennifer and Carl's which was great, maybe a 6 or 7 mile run followed by a white elephant. Good times, great people.
Yesterday i rolled the loop twice doing iFartlek. This is my new favorite workout, i shuffle my hits playlist and you go hard for song 1, recover for song 2, hard for song 3, recover for song 4, rinse, repeat. You get the deal.
No word yet on the grand G-town ride this morning which i couldn't make, hope all stayed dry, but the downpour that i saw makes that hard to believe.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Thursday, December 22, 2005
doing more before 7 am than most people blah blah blah
So Chuck convinced me to try Pat's Supper Studio 6 AM Spin Class and i gave it a whirl this morning. It was great, i think this whole parenthood gig is working on me, i was up at 5 AM bright-eyed and bushy tailed and joined Mitch, Pat, Chuck and Trip for a good hour of spin followed by a mad-cap run down Stuart and back, the highlight of which was playing real-time frogger as we perilously crossed Perkins Road in early morning traffic.
On a side note, Pat let me try out his power cranks. Talk about feeling like a kid again on a bike. These things are trippy, they completely isolate each leg's motion through the pedal stroke. 15 seconds of spinning and i was whimpering like a badly beaten step-child. Pretty wild, they're supposed to help your pedal stroke and your running at the same time. I'm intrigued. Pat says they've forced him to push a larger gear. Going to have to do more reading on this one...
On a side note, Pat let me try out his power cranks. Talk about feeling like a kid again on a bike. These things are trippy, they completely isolate each leg's motion through the pedal stroke. 15 seconds of spinning and i was whimpering like a badly beaten step-child. Pretty wild, they're supposed to help your pedal stroke and your running at the same time. I'm intrigued. Pat says they've forced him to push a larger gear. Going to have to do more reading on this one...
Monday, December 19, 2005
Got $14.99 to spare?
Last summer i decided that i would write the great cycling video game, the likes of which had never been seen before. Not only would you be able to control pro cyclists individually, but there would also be a team element that would allow you to call on teammates to chase down breaks or jump across to them or go for individual glory in stage races, etc. All the drama of bicycle racing in a nice neat package. I figured i'd implement it as either a 2-dimensional racer with Flash or maybe a 3-dimensional game using some 3rd party 3-d tools. That part i hadn't figured out yet, but i began working on how the interfaces would work and what the most basic functionality would be needed to implement it. I thought of using the pro calendar to implement a "season", which would allow you to have different athletes training and peaking at different times and eventually introducing the idea of "farm teams" that could develop new talent and eventually incorporate them into the game. This i figured would take years to produce, but hey it would be fun right?
Then 2 weeks ago i came across this website. There it is, the whole shebang all written, produced and perfected. Well, maybe not perfected, but let's say i've stopped any development efforts on my part. For $14.99 you can buy Cycling Manager 4 which is last year's version, but it's plenty awesome.
I tried the demo of the new version, called Pro Cycling Manager, but it seemed to have issues with my video card. CM4, as it is called in the forum, features a very full euro calendar with most major teams and riders represented. Each rider's individual talents are rated and simulated in race scenarios. Some teams must have bawked at being represented so they have "stage names" such as U.S. Pystol which is led by Lance Niilstrong and George Hancapie. Others feature their complete roster plus actual photographs of riders.
The game has a cool 3d engine a few steps better than my Computrainer. The simulation of racing is where the game really shines. In Paris Roubaix you can watch the pack thin dramatically with each crossing of the pave'. I did a hilly circuit race in Austria and the pack got smaller and smaller with each lap. I even tried to win Ghent Wevelgem with Cipo but he got creamed on the last cobbled climbs, the race went to Van Petegem who beat out Museeuw for the win which is a testament to the AI and rider ratings. They even have a timetrial mode which i used on the Alpe d'Huez, can't say i understand it yet, but it was cool to watch. My apologies go out to David Zabriskie who i forced to finish last.
That's another reason why i want other people to buy this game. It doesn't come with instructions so i'm developing my own strategies on what works. So far my best finish was Boonen's 3rd at Paris-Roubaix.
Plus in Europe, supposedly people load their own rider databases to simulate their favorite year of racing. Rating their favorite riders and even designing their jerseys so the whole game changes. I haven't gotten that far yet, but you can see how addictive this could become.
Anyway, if you are a cyclist with the slightest interest in strategy-based video games then this game is probably for you. Check it out and let me know if you do, i'd love to hear your take on it.
Then 2 weeks ago i came across this website. There it is, the whole shebang all written, produced and perfected. Well, maybe not perfected, but let's say i've stopped any development efforts on my part. For $14.99 you can buy Cycling Manager 4 which is last year's version, but it's plenty awesome.
I tried the demo of the new version, called Pro Cycling Manager, but it seemed to have issues with my video card. CM4, as it is called in the forum, features a very full euro calendar with most major teams and riders represented. Each rider's individual talents are rated and simulated in race scenarios. Some teams must have bawked at being represented so they have "stage names" such as U.S. Pystol which is led by Lance Niilstrong and George Hancapie. Others feature their complete roster plus actual photographs of riders.
The game has a cool 3d engine a few steps better than my Computrainer. The simulation of racing is where the game really shines. In Paris Roubaix you can watch the pack thin dramatically with each crossing of the pave'. I did a hilly circuit race in Austria and the pack got smaller and smaller with each lap. I even tried to win Ghent Wevelgem with Cipo but he got creamed on the last cobbled climbs, the race went to Van Petegem who beat out Museeuw for the win which is a testament to the AI and rider ratings. They even have a timetrial mode which i used on the Alpe d'Huez, can't say i understand it yet, but it was cool to watch. My apologies go out to David Zabriskie who i forced to finish last.
That's another reason why i want other people to buy this game. It doesn't come with instructions so i'm developing my own strategies on what works. So far my best finish was Boonen's 3rd at Paris-Roubaix.
Plus in Europe, supposedly people load their own rider databases to simulate their favorite year of racing. Rating their favorite riders and even designing their jerseys so the whole game changes. I haven't gotten that far yet, but you can see how addictive this could become.
Anyway, if you are a cyclist with the slightest interest in strategy-based video games then this game is probably for you. Check it out and let me know if you do, i'd love to hear your take on it.
monday monday monday monday
It was a fun weekend, Saturday night Amy and i left the boy with Steph and Dave and went out for the first tme in 8 weeks. We hit the French Market Bistro which is always super nice, i had the Tiki Tuna and Amy had the Redfish on the Cedar Plank. I always wonder what they do with all these cedar planks. After that we headed out to G-town for the Robert Open House which was a blast. Great food, what can i say, it was a blast.
Sunday i rode my bike! I know it's something i hardly do these days. I met up with Charles, Lawson and Mike and we rolled about 50 at an honest pace. A little more honest than i've been riding, so it felt good. The winds were surprisingly strong, much more than it seemed when we started, but that's the way River Road works right?
That's it, i need to start Christmas shopping.
Sunday i rode my bike! I know it's something i hardly do these days. I met up with Charles, Lawson and Mike and we rolled about 50 at an honest pace. A little more honest than i've been riding, so it felt good. The winds were surprisingly strong, much more than it seemed when we started, but that's the way River Road works right?
That's it, i need to start Christmas shopping.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
learning something every day
Back in the Gopher hey-day, most things internet were knowable. There was only so much you could do with a bunch of menus and nobody had bandwidth to speak of. Now a days, there are more acronyms than you can shake an Amazon.com-sized warehouse of sticks at, and so it is with today's entry which comes from Michael, the YTMND or You're The Man Now Dog's which can be found here. According to the wikipedia, these are odd little graphics paired with a sound file that tile to fill your screen and loop endlessly. Some of these are racey or just plain trashy but my favorites include Chewbacca Sings and the funnniest Tom Cruise kills Oprah. Check them out if you have time to kill...
Monday, December 12, 2005
word of the day
this from Steve, he called me one today and i had to look it up. I love the origin.
luddite:
[n. LUH-dite] The noun Luddite specifically refers to one of a group of early 19th century English workmen who were campaigning against the automation of the power loom. Under cover of night and generally masked, the workers often destroyed the equipment that had displaced them. Today the word broadly refers to anyone who is opposed to technological change or new working methods. The name Luddite is presumed to come from the leader of these angry workmen: Ned Ludd
luddite:
[n. LUH-dite] The noun Luddite specifically refers to one of a group of early 19th century English workmen who were campaigning against the automation of the power loom. Under cover of night and generally masked, the workers often destroyed the equipment that had displaced them. Today the word broadly refers to anyone who is opposed to technological change or new working methods. The name Luddite is presumed to come from the leader of these angry workmen: Ned Ludd
everybody's probably seen these
A simple request
"Hey Dave, would you mind letting our dogs into our house Saturday night?" asked my sister, who was out of town. Hey no problem i thought, i'm practically a dog whisperer, this will be a piece of cake. O no, no it wasn't. Steph's pups had spent the day outside, and since it was approaching freezing, it was probably a good idea to get them inside. I figured i'd open the door and they'd jump in, nope it wasn't that easy. Upon seeing me, these guys began growling and snarling and in no uncertain terms expressed that they weren't coming in. Jerky Treats and sliced turkey be damned, they weren't having it.
Beauty tames the beast, so Amy gave it a shot and managed to get JoJo the brown one in, but Jacques would have no part of it. I decided i'd have to play cowboy and try to corral him, however when i approached him, he took one look at me and dove under the fence triggering his electronic shock collar. I fell to my knees laughing as i watched his white curly haired butt spasm as it ran away from me under the fence.
About this time i figured we were going to have to patrol the neighborhood to find him but i guess the pain of the shock collar was enough to turn him around, and we found him on the front porch. When i opened the door, he shot in like a lightning bolt.
This was when i began laughing hysterically, i couldn't stop myself as we tried to corner him inside. Corral, chase, corral, chase and corral again, finally i got to him and tried to feed some sliced turkey but he wouldn't even look at it. So i gave up, picked him up and he tried to bite me! Into the cage they finally went, and my face hurt from laughing...little demon dogs.
Pekoe bows to Cat Mecca
Not sure when our cat converted to Islam, but it's his favorite pose lately.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
it isn't hard to sleep in ...
after yesterday morning's commute. Waking temp in the 30's and I heard the windchill was in the 20's. I even wore my Jacques Cousteau Old School Neoprene Booties and still had a quarter-sized white spot on the end of each big toe when i took my shoes off. This after only 10-11 miles! If there is such a thing as good roller/trainer weather this is it.
In much more interesting news, Jeff has started his blog, Me, My Moots and I which features some impressive video footage of his no-hands roller work. I'm still impressed and i'm thinking that is now my goal for the off-season. Welcome to blogdom Mr. Robert.
In much more interesting news, Jeff has started his blog, Me, My Moots and I which features some impressive video footage of his no-hands roller work. I'm still impressed and i'm thinking that is now my goal for the off-season. Welcome to blogdom Mr. Robert.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
djw you are to blame
By the beard of Zeus!!!
Ron Burgundy is a god
HBO's movie of the month, or so it seems, is Anchorman. This means it comes on probably 5 times a day, and that isn't enough.
Ron Burgundy is a god
HBO's movie of the month, or so it seems, is Anchorman. This means it comes on probably 5 times a day, and that isn't enough.
more rasterbation
In response to my post on the rasterbator, Jeff sent me this image of his awesome creation done with legal size paper and a color printer. That is very cool, Lance in the 2003 Dauphine. I dig it.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
illin
For the last week, i've been sick, Amy's been sick, Ryan was sick a little, then two of my bikes got sick.
The commuter bit the dust on my excellent levee-top adventure. It's in the shop getting it's front-derailleur bent back.
Today, Josh informed me that my rear training wheel is trashed, kaput, disintegrating, etc. I asked for more details and he handed me about a dozen eyelets from the inside of my rim that fell out when he took the rimstrip off! He says the rim is cracked, falling apart and just generally trashed.
Three years of abuse on all sorts of roads and other various surfaces and voila blammo gone. So he's rebuilding it for me, but what's that i hear? off in the distance? could it be the sweet seductive sirens of Vicenza calling? Probably not for a while, gotta keep the boy in huggies.
The commuter bit the dust on my excellent levee-top adventure. It's in the shop getting it's front-derailleur bent back.
Today, Josh informed me that my rear training wheel is trashed, kaput, disintegrating, etc. I asked for more details and he handed me about a dozen eyelets from the inside of my rim that fell out when he took the rimstrip off! He says the rim is cracked, falling apart and just generally trashed.
Three years of abuse on all sorts of roads and other various surfaces and voila blammo gone. So he's rebuilding it for me, but what's that i hear? off in the distance? could it be the sweet seductive sirens of Vicenza calling? Probably not for a while, gotta keep the boy in huggies.
I'm not making this stuff up...
Be thankful for your company's name
Today i saw a guy getting out of a truck for the Coastal Erection Company.
These guys probably never hear the end of it in softball leagues, etc.
Today i saw a guy getting out of a truck for the Coastal Erection Company.
These guys probably never hear the end of it in softball leagues, etc.
Monday, December 05, 2005
tis the season
Christmas is the greatest time of the year, after July, August and May, but what i really love is the dialog that can be overheard while Christmas shopping. Granted, i hate Christmas shopping more than just regular shopping, so i probably miss out on a lot of this but last week i encountered a real gem while buying our new fancy shmancy artificial Christmas tree at Hobby Lobby. I'm pretty sure they were two co-workers a youngish guy and an oldish lady shopping together.
Youngish Guy: Oh wow, look there are the new mini-sharpies
Oldish lady: REALLY!!! Gee thanks so much for telling me that, I can't read English.
NICE and well-played
I love Christmas
Youngish Guy: Oh wow, look there are the new mini-sharpies
Oldish lady: REALLY!!! Gee thanks so much for telling me that, I can't read English.
NICE and well-played
I love Christmas
Sunday, December 04, 2005
back to the blog
haven't blogged in a few, me and the fam got sick last week, figured i would have plenty of time to write, but instead i retreated to a steady diet of alka seltzer cold medicine martinis and sleeping. Ryan got better Friday, i felt better yesterday and amy today.
I have a thing for undersestimating distances, today i thought it would be cool to ride out to Jeff and Charlene's in G-town then ride with them for 25 and come back. I fiigured it would be 65 tops so i started beating myself up on the way home for feeling flat. Since i'm generally cyclocomputer-less, when i got home i did the math on the Gmap Pedometer, and turns out i did 88 on a granola bar and a banana. Flat was ok.
In other news, i've learned an important lesson about fatherhood. It means watching a LOT of football with your son. I've never been one to watch any football really, but both Saturday and Sunday, Ryan and i caught the better part of 3 different games. It's all making sense now.
I have a thing for undersestimating distances, today i thought it would be cool to ride out to Jeff and Charlene's in G-town then ride with them for 25 and come back. I fiigured it would be 65 tops so i started beating myself up on the way home for feeling flat. Since i'm generally cyclocomputer-less, when i got home i did the math on the Gmap Pedometer, and turns out i did 88 on a granola bar and a banana. Flat was ok.
In other news, i've learned an important lesson about fatherhood. It means watching a LOT of football with your son. I've never been one to watch any football really, but both Saturday and Sunday, Ryan and i caught the better part of 3 different games. It's all making sense now.
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