Ugh. Very windy and overcast; just don't see myself riding 17 miles in it tonight. And there's plenty of other things to do with those two hours this evening.

Must eventually get a routine going where I'm riding regularly - but not necessarily 33 miles a day. Think it's gonna be riding to work in the morning and taking the bus home.

We're doing cool things here - hoping it pays off...

985.4.

Foggy all the way, such that I had to stop every couple of miles (or at tops of hills, whichever came first) to wipe off my glasses so I could see clearly.

Opposite of yesterday - really DIDN'T feel much like riding, but made myself do it, knowing today is last chance to ride before vacation.

Again, plenty of work to do, and no particularly penetrating insights from me today anyway. Maybe more later.

In Two Days, I'll be below sea level.

No miles today.

Would like to have ridden today, but had trouble getting to sleep last night and then of course had trouble waking up in the morning. Will ride tomorrow and probably hit 1000.

Watched Cutthroat Island (1995) last night, pretty enjoyable for what it was.

Little Nicky (2000) later; slept through most of it. This could have been great. It wasn't, particularly, though perhaps a cut above Adam Sandler's other movies. Those Saturday Night Live people, it's like a weird curse incurred by Chevy Chase in the late 70s. They can be funny as hell, innovative, enjoyable to watch in hundreds of 5-minute skits, but put 'em in a 90-minute movie and they just can't hold it up. Exceptions: Bill Murray, "Groundhog Day"... Probably others, but I'm already bored with the topic.

Plenty of work to do today, and it seems like pretty good progress, getting things to a known state for VACATION IN DEATH VALLEY, ONLY THREE DAYS AWAY NOW!! Man, I can't wait, it feels like a million years since I've been to the desert.

Worked thru lunch... fading...

969.2.

Railroad Ave and Smoggy Point are really windy in the afternoon. Not unpleasant, if I take my time, but it tends to sap the energy, and even on the little downhills, remove all momentum from the equation. Orchard Station Road is a mother. From Roblar to a little past the star (on the linked map) is a ~140' elevation gain. Surprising myself, I topped it without going all the way down to the 1-1 gear. I think I went to 1-4, though. The downhill on the other side is bumpy, with an abrupt 90-degree left bend at the bottom, so I didn't get to accumulate much momentum there either. However, there's always the sense of accomplishment, the CV exercise, the ounce of weight loss, etc. And I take perverse pleasure in the hardship of the ride. I don't HAVE to do Orchard, but once I saw it, knew I must try it at least once.

Two guys on road bikes passed me during yesterday's ride. They should get real bikes. So often these "cycloids" (as I call 'em - like "android" part bicycle, part humanoid) don't even mumble a hello, or raise a (non-middle) finger in acknowledgement. Maybe they're just preoccupied with their fitness regime, but it comes across as snobbery. Mountain bikers generally acknowledge. I wave and/or say hi, anyway. When you get hit by a car and tumbled into a ditch, man, *I* am the only passer-by likely to spot you bleeding down there in the weeds and muck. So, in a very literal sense, it wouldn't kill you to make some sort of greeting a part of your daily riding routine.

1000 Looms Large. Another day like yesterday should get me there, just short of 11 months. (As I've been blogging since before 500, note that the first 500 took about eight months, the second only three). I imagine if I keep this up, I'll get the next thousand much more quickly.

The best man thing... Kept thinking of the TMBG song "Your Racist Friend" yesterday. He works in the building trades where homophobia (and misogyny, and racism) generally do run pretty high. He probably hasn't met more than three or four people in his life who he even knew were gay (in fact, one friend of mine that he met, I don't think John ever knew he was gay). Also, he's never struck me as a person who's willing to experiment sexually. And I believe this is where the "hatred" (if such it really was) comes in. He was especially disgusted by the idea of anal sex, which I guess I understand, but really, it's all environment, education, and experience. So I can justify it to myself in that way. You can't confer experience on a person. My experience of gay people is that they're often smarter than average, usually good-humored and witty, and NEVER, in my experience, overly pushy if they happened to be attracted to me. There was a tinge of that wierd mistake among homophobics, that gay men automatically would WANT to have sex with him because he's male.

About the term "homophobic" (a term with which another blogger took issue a while back...): of course these big manly guys don't actually *fear* homosexuals - but they fear the homosexual in themselves, in any degree. Much of the sad effect of homophobia comes from these guys frantically affirming "I'm not gay" ...

952.6.

It's only when I DON'T ride for a few days that my legs seem to get sore. More stretching than usual this morning, trying to get that lower-back thing straightened out. New gloves are nice, but a little tight, causing a tiny bit of pinky-numbness. Extra taillight on the backpack makes me feel a little more secure. One cycloid passed me on 116, but I kept in sight at least for a couple of miles. Other than that, a very leisurely ride in this morning. Crisp and clear, other than on those traffic-heavy parts of 116, Smoggy Point, Redwood Highway. Wish I could avoid that, but it's not really possible, and I am avoiding as much as I can by the routes I take.

Bike all tuned up; good for another 300, one hopes. REALLY want to get the flat-proof tires.

Drinking large on Friday night, leaving me hung-over and enthused-under for bachelor party (which, really, c'mon, I'm over 40, so no wild debauch is necessary or even desirable!). Got to see some guys I hadn't seen in a while, did a little bit of music (including the 30-minute D-chord that kept threatening to turn into "Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida"...), ate a TON of really good sushi, drank two or three real beers among several N/A beers, and was pretty much done by 8 or 9. Hope my best man felt like he got his money's worth...

A really sort of odd thing came out towards the end there, where he (the best man) noted that even though he knew it was "politically incorrect" and all, he "hates fags." I've known him... what? 20 years or more? ...and I'm sure this topic has come up before, but I always thought he was relatively "tolerant" and at least logical about it. I was stunned for a moment, and then just changed the subject after a silence of some 30 seconds - what are you gonna do? (I'd already noted that I don't have any problem with gay people of any stripe, and though I've indeed been propositioned etc. in my lifetime, it has never been persistent or annoying - actually flattering, to tell the truth.) I don't think you can really change a person's mind once they're over 40. I've never understood that hatred that some people seem to have, but have also never been particularly close to someone who had such a hatred. I was just really, completely, utterly stunned by this announcement out of the blue. Have to think about it more, I guess.

Five days now to Death Valley! Hoping to get three rides this week and get past 1000 miles. Perhaps I can get my spandex license soon.