I was walking in Petaluma the other night and, passing Velasco's, saw a Mexican family just leaving, waiting to cross Washington Street.
It used to be common lore that the restaurant where all the trucks were parked was a "good" restaurant. I wondered if it held true that the Mexican restaurant where Mexicans eat is a "good" Mexican restaurant.
Just as the WALK sign came on, the youngest child vomited onto the sidewalk.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Burned Out or Burnt?
I've been burned out on a job. Five years of tech support did it to me--twice. Burnout is now a pretty well recognized effect of extended continuous thankless stress in any kind of work (r play, for that matter), especially if you find that it really wasn't your life's ambition to do this thing.
"Burnout" is also a shorthand phrase increasingly used by managers to identify a reason for less than enthusiastic performance by employees. However, I've been here too, even with a type of work I genuinely like doing, and I suggest that it's just lain old "burn," something quite different.
Excluding contract jobs, I've worked in what I consider major jobs at a bank, four software companies (one of them twice), and a web commerce company. The bank laid me off after seven years; the first software company more or less tricked me into resigning after three years; the second software company laid me off once after five years and disappointed me in the second, three-year, stint; the third software company strung me along for a year in a job I hated; the fourth software company laid me off--on my birthday--after a year and a half; and the web commerce concern laid me off after two and half years.
After this string, one might be forgiven for being a bit cynical when a company expects "loyalty," and for keeping an eye on the door and the job market, even in the face of continuing optimism on the part of company leadership. In fact, one might even be considered an intelligent being, practicing the most basic of self-preservation techniques. After being a team player on more than a few teams, and being kicked off of those teams with no warning, one might be less than enthused about jumping in with both feet. The employer might call this "burnout," but it isn't, necessarily. It's just the effect of the repeated burn.
"Burnout" is also a shorthand phrase increasingly used by managers to identify a reason for less than enthusiastic performance by employees. However, I've been here too, even with a type of work I genuinely like doing, and I suggest that it's just lain old "burn," something quite different.
Excluding contract jobs, I've worked in what I consider major jobs at a bank, four software companies (one of them twice), and a web commerce company. The bank laid me off after seven years; the first software company more or less tricked me into resigning after three years; the second software company laid me off once after five years and disappointed me in the second, three-year, stint; the third software company strung me along for a year in a job I hated; the fourth software company laid me off--on my birthday--after a year and a half; and the web commerce concern laid me off after two and half years.
After this string, one might be forgiven for being a bit cynical when a company expects "loyalty," and for keeping an eye on the door and the job market, even in the face of continuing optimism on the part of company leadership. In fact, one might even be considered an intelligent being, practicing the most basic of self-preservation techniques. After being a team player on more than a few teams, and being kicked off of those teams with no warning, one might be less than enthused about jumping in with both feet. The employer might call this "burnout," but it isn't, necessarily. It's just the effect of the repeated burn.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Easier to Stay On Than to Get On
1455.9; 1105.6; 21.7
Sickness, travel, and thanksgiving all conspired to keep me off the bike in November--only 4 rides all month, and those the shortest possible. My blood sugar hit 200 two days this week and I knew it was time to get back on. MAN it's hard, when used to breezing through 25, 30, 40 mile rides, to go back to 16 and 20 mile rides, huffing and puffing. Well, 17 yesterday and 20 today, and I hope to keep it up tomorrow and Friday and see my sugar back under 130.
Sickness, travel, and thanksgiving all conspired to keep me off the bike in November--only 4 rides all month, and those the shortest possible. My blood sugar hit 200 two days this week and I knew it was time to get back on. MAN it's hard, when used to breezing through 25, 30, 40 mile rides, to go back to 16 and 20 mile rides, huffing and puffing. Well, 17 yesterday and 20 today, and I hope to keep it up tomorrow and Friday and see my sugar back under 130.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Slug Weather
1400.9; 1050.6; 16.6
There's a kind of weather we have, I guess people call it Winter, but I think of northern Cali "Winter" as full-on rain (even though it's usually somewhat warmer when it rains). This weather, like today's, is chilly, overcast, brisk--like Fall almost anywhere else.
I haven't been getting out on the bike much, and really need to. My blood sugar is still not terrible--nothing over 200--but the average is steadily climbing the longer I go without this exercise. So, I made myself get out today; even these relatively short rides help. Maybe I can get back on a roll here...
There's a kind of weather we have, I guess people call it Winter, but I think of northern Cali "Winter" as full-on rain (even though it's usually somewhat warmer when it rains). This weather, like today's, is chilly, overcast, brisk--like Fall almost anywhere else.
I haven't been getting out on the bike much, and really need to. My blood sugar is still not terrible--nothing over 200--but the average is steadily climbing the longer I go without this exercise. So, I made myself get out today; even these relatively short rides help. Maybe I can get back on a roll here...
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Making the Grade
1384.3; 1034.0; 16.5
Mitch Mitchell died about a week after we saw him at the Experience Hendrix show. Sigh.
12 days since the last ride, and that one was 7 days after the previous one. Well, I've been traveling, and then sick. This slacking has been reflected quite apparently in the blood sugar.
But riding was surprisingly easy--at least the relatively gentle slopes of the trail to Forestville and back--and indeed the Occidental grade on the return, which sometimes seems like it takes forever, was pretty much a breeze. Need to keep it up while the weather's good.
Mitch Mitchell died about a week after we saw him at the Experience Hendrix show. Sigh.
12 days since the last ride, and that one was 7 days after the previous one. Well, I've been traveling, and then sick. This slacking has been reflected quite apparently in the blood sugar.
But riding was surprisingly easy--at least the relatively gentle slopes of the trail to Forestville and back--and indeed the Occidental grade on the return, which sometimes seems like it takes forever, was pretty much a breeze. Need to keep it up while the weather's good.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Experience Hendrix 11/3/2008
Nob Hill Masonic Center
San Francisco, CA (8:00 - ~11:30 pm)
http://www.experiencehendrixtour.com/
Mitch Mitchell & Billy Cox of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, plus Doyle Bramhall II, Eric Gales, Buddy Guy, David Hidalgo, Eric Johnson, Robby Krieger, Jonny Lang, Chris Layton, Mato Nanji, Cesar Rosas, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Hubert Sumlin.
A phalanx of guitar players tried to conjure Jimi Hendrix in San Francisco last night. They almost succeeded--at least they showed that a little bit of Jimi is in every electric guitarist.
The Nob Hill Masonic Center is a pretty plush venue. There is a five-level parking garage directly beneath the auditorium, so we drove right in (paying $15 extra), and took an elevator up to the hall in the same building. There are about 25 rows of cushioned seats in a semicircle around the stage on the ground floor, and some more on a balcony. We were in row "S", right of the stage, with a clear view of most of the proceedings.
Eric Gales: Purple Haze, Foxy Lady
Gales opened with the two best-known of Hendrix compositions, tearing through them with plenty of flash, speed, and authenticity--and reminders to the audience to applaud via stopping and holding his hands up to his ears after almost every solo. But he's a good player and in the unenviable position of opening, so we'll forgive that minor annoyance.
Robbie Krieger, Mato Nanji: Manic Depression
The legendary Doors guitarist played rather quietly through this one, one of only a couple of Gibson guitar players in the bunch (the tour is sponsored by Gibson--a brand Jimi rarely played). Mato Nanji was also an understated but solid soloist--actually not an unwelcome break from the loud screeching trebles we'd hear most of the night.
Doyle Bramhall II: Angel, Remember
Bramhall played slide, and never seemed to catch his stride on these two numbers. I could imagine him perhaps doing them quite impressively on other nights, but just didn't see it tonight, and I was starting to wonder if this whole show was going to be a wash.
Jonny Lang: Rock Me Baby
Blues guitar wunderkind Lang finally brought a little bit of fire to the proceedings.
David Hidalgo, Krieger, Bramhall: ?Blues number
The Los Lobos guitarist joined the other two understated players for a 12-bar blues I couldn't identify. I like Los Lobos, but when I think "Hendrix-influenced guitar music," that's not really where I tend to go...
Eric Johnson: Love or Confusion
Okay, now we start to get somewhere. Johnson is one of a handful of modern guitar wizards in the Hendrix tradition, a la Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and the like. A likeable, unassuming guy, he produces cascades of notes in a nice round tone--sometimes too quiet for the high-powered backing, but again rather a nice reprieve from the piercing top-of-the-neck screaming of some others.
+ Gales: May This Be Love, Bold As Love, Are You Experienced
Gales returned to join Johnson for an inspired rendition of May This Be Love (aka "Waterfall"), and stuck around through a few more, having mostly the good sense to not try to upstage Johnson.
Brad Whitford, Jonny Lang: Fire, The Wind Cries Mary, Spanish Castle Magic
OK now here we go. Whitford of Aerosmith and Lang, returning, gave an (insert incendiary adjective here: "scorching"?) rendition of Fire, Lang delivering one of the best vocal performances of the night. When two guitarists attempt to solo at the same time, it's a very tricky proposition unless they can agree to stay each in their own tonal neighborhoods. The urge to go high and trebly is often overwhelming when you want to cut through the sonic sludge, and that works for one guitar but not two. Both of these guys are excellent, impressive players, but playing simultaneously, they cancel each other out.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd (Noah Hunt on vocals): Come On, I Don't Live Today, Voodoo Child, Slight Return
Shepherd is another hot guitarist, and he did fantastic versions of these songs, especially the segued-together Voodoo Child/Chile. I had to look up Noah Hunt on the web, but he is a great singer who performs with Shepherd regularly.
Hidalgo, Cesar Rosas, + Nanji?: Can You See Me, Little Wing, Them Changes
Now we had another Los Lobos guitarist, and I don't know, these guys just didn't grab me that much, but they did creditable versions of the songs.
Hubert Sumlin: Shoulda Quit You
Sumlin is one of Jimi's stated influences. At 77 years of age (Hendrix would be 65 now), he was spry and chipper, of course not a dazzling guitar-god, but that's not what he was there for. It was nice to have him included, and he came out again for several songs and the other players always deferred to him.
Buddy Guy, Ric Hall, others: Best Damn Fool, Hoochie Coochie Man, ... Red House
Buddy Guy is another Hendrix influence, and I guess the headliner here. He's a great bluesman, and he plays the audience well, getting laughs with some clever lines and his delivery. He's also a killer guitarist, and he could riff with the best of them. Ric Hall, uncredited, plays rhythm for Guy mostly, but did get a chance to step out and play a couple of solos and show off his ZZ Top-style twirling guitar...
I felt the show devolved in here somewhere, and it stopped being about Jimi and started being about Buddy--not at all a bad person for "it" to be "about," but not what we came for. At one point, Guy held the same feedbacking note for upwards of a minute, and that was it for me.
All in all, this review might belie the fact that it was a very good show with a lot of high points, and in fact a little of that Hendrix spirit throughout... In case it wasn't obvious, there is a little of Jimi on EVERY ROCK GUITARIST, since he first appeared on world stages in 1966/1967. Listening to "American Woman" from the Guess Who's live album on the way home, I could not help thinking THAT was a tribute to Jimi as well.
What we saw here was that there was so much to Jimi, any other guitarist can possess even some small fraction of it and use it as his (no women players here, were there!) entire act. I picture this tour going from city to city, and each player having standout nights and slow ones, overall a different, powerful show every night.
San Francisco, CA (8:00 - ~11:30 pm)
http://www.experiencehendrixtour.com/
Mitch Mitchell & Billy Cox of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, plus Doyle Bramhall II, Eric Gales, Buddy Guy, David Hidalgo, Eric Johnson, Robby Krieger, Jonny Lang, Chris Layton, Mato Nanji, Cesar Rosas, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Hubert Sumlin.
A phalanx of guitar players tried to conjure Jimi Hendrix in San Francisco last night. They almost succeeded--at least they showed that a little bit of Jimi is in every electric guitarist.
The Nob Hill Masonic Center is a pretty plush venue. There is a five-level parking garage directly beneath the auditorium, so we drove right in (paying $15 extra), and took an elevator up to the hall in the same building. There are about 25 rows of cushioned seats in a semicircle around the stage on the ground floor, and some more on a balcony. We were in row "S", right of the stage, with a clear view of most of the proceedings.
Eric Gales: Purple Haze, Foxy Lady
Gales opened with the two best-known of Hendrix compositions, tearing through them with plenty of flash, speed, and authenticity--and reminders to the audience to applaud via stopping and holding his hands up to his ears after almost every solo. But he's a good player and in the unenviable position of opening, so we'll forgive that minor annoyance.
Robbie Krieger, Mato Nanji: Manic Depression
The legendary Doors guitarist played rather quietly through this one, one of only a couple of Gibson guitar players in the bunch (the tour is sponsored by Gibson--a brand Jimi rarely played). Mato Nanji was also an understated but solid soloist--actually not an unwelcome break from the loud screeching trebles we'd hear most of the night.
Doyle Bramhall II: Angel, Remember
Bramhall played slide, and never seemed to catch his stride on these two numbers. I could imagine him perhaps doing them quite impressively on other nights, but just didn't see it tonight, and I was starting to wonder if this whole show was going to be a wash.
Jonny Lang: Rock Me Baby
Blues guitar wunderkind Lang finally brought a little bit of fire to the proceedings.
David Hidalgo, Krieger, Bramhall: ?Blues number
The Los Lobos guitarist joined the other two understated players for a 12-bar blues I couldn't identify. I like Los Lobos, but when I think "Hendrix-influenced guitar music," that's not really where I tend to go...
Eric Johnson: Love or Confusion
Okay, now we start to get somewhere. Johnson is one of a handful of modern guitar wizards in the Hendrix tradition, a la Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and the like. A likeable, unassuming guy, he produces cascades of notes in a nice round tone--sometimes too quiet for the high-powered backing, but again rather a nice reprieve from the piercing top-of-the-neck screaming of some others.
+ Gales: May This Be Love, Bold As Love, Are You Experienced
Gales returned to join Johnson for an inspired rendition of May This Be Love (aka "Waterfall"), and stuck around through a few more, having mostly the good sense to not try to upstage Johnson.
Brad Whitford, Jonny Lang: Fire, The Wind Cries Mary, Spanish Castle Magic
OK now here we go. Whitford of Aerosmith and Lang, returning, gave an (insert incendiary adjective here: "scorching"?) rendition of Fire, Lang delivering one of the best vocal performances of the night. When two guitarists attempt to solo at the same time, it's a very tricky proposition unless they can agree to stay each in their own tonal neighborhoods. The urge to go high and trebly is often overwhelming when you want to cut through the sonic sludge, and that works for one guitar but not two. Both of these guys are excellent, impressive players, but playing simultaneously, they cancel each other out.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd (Noah Hunt on vocals): Come On, I Don't Live Today, Voodoo Child, Slight Return
Shepherd is another hot guitarist, and he did fantastic versions of these songs, especially the segued-together Voodoo Child/Chile. I had to look up Noah Hunt on the web, but he is a great singer who performs with Shepherd regularly.
Hidalgo, Cesar Rosas, + Nanji?: Can You See Me, Little Wing, Them Changes
Now we had another Los Lobos guitarist, and I don't know, these guys just didn't grab me that much, but they did creditable versions of the songs.
Hubert Sumlin: Shoulda Quit You
Sumlin is one of Jimi's stated influences. At 77 years of age (Hendrix would be 65 now), he was spry and chipper, of course not a dazzling guitar-god, but that's not what he was there for. It was nice to have him included, and he came out again for several songs and the other players always deferred to him.
Buddy Guy, Ric Hall, others: Best Damn Fool, Hoochie Coochie Man, ... Red House
Buddy Guy is another Hendrix influence, and I guess the headliner here. He's a great bluesman, and he plays the audience well, getting laughs with some clever lines and his delivery. He's also a killer guitarist, and he could riff with the best of them. Ric Hall, uncredited, plays rhythm for Guy mostly, but did get a chance to step out and play a couple of solos and show off his ZZ Top-style twirling guitar...
I felt the show devolved in here somewhere, and it stopped being about Jimi and started being about Buddy--not at all a bad person for "it" to be "about," but not what we came for. At one point, Guy held the same feedbacking note for upwards of a minute, and that was it for me.
All in all, this review might belie the fact that it was a very good show with a lot of high points, and in fact a little of that Hendrix spirit throughout... In case it wasn't obvious, there is a little of Jimi on EVERY ROCK GUITARIST, since he first appeared on world stages in 1966/1967. Listening to "American Woman" from the Guess Who's live album on the way home, I could not help thinking THAT was a tribute to Jimi as well.
What we saw here was that there was so much to Jimi, any other guitarist can possess even some small fraction of it and use it as his (no women players here, were there!) entire act. I picture this tour going from city to city, and each player having standout nights and slow ones, overall a different, powerful show every night.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Sebastopaluma
1351.2; 1000.9(!); 40.5
Yes, passed the 1000-mile mark on the odometer while coming back into Sebastopol after a rather tiring 40-mile round trip to Petaluma and back. Of course, having mentioned that I haven't had a flat in several weeks, and having wondered why I've had three flats in the rear and none in front, I got a flat on the front tire. It was actually sorta good, because it made for a rest break near the halfway point of the ride home, and also helped confirm that I *can* fix a flat out in the field. Also, three different people stopped and offered help, which was really nice.
Anyway, yeah, 1000 miles since Aug. 15 on this bike!
Yes, passed the 1000-mile mark on the odometer while coming back into Sebastopol after a rather tiring 40-mile round trip to Petaluma and back. Of course, having mentioned that I haven't had a flat in several weeks, and having wondered why I've had three flats in the rear and none in front, I got a flat on the front tire. It was actually sorta good, because it made for a rest break near the halfway point of the ride home, and also helped confirm that I *can* fix a flat out in the field. Also, three different people stopped and offered help, which was really nice.
Anyway, yeah, 1000 miles since Aug. 15 on this bike!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Hop Kiln
1310.7; 960.4; 31.5
Hop Kiln is as far as I got today, heading out Westside Road to the 15-mile mark, then turning around.
Here's a feeling I *really* don't like: going down a steep hill that ends in a "T" with cross traffic, and squeezing the rear brake lever as far as it goes, and still going 9, 10, 11 mph. That was Covey Rd. today. Covey is parallel to Mirabel Rd. between Forestville and River Rd. Mirabel has quite a lot of traffic and no shoulders, so seeing Covey on the map I decided to try it. Major, MAJOR hill. But I was able to ease on the front brake so that the combined brakes slowed me enough to feel safe. So I continued on, as noted, across River to Westside Rd., deciding to follow Westside till I got tired or got 15 miles (for a 30-mile round trip). It's a narrow, winding, up-and-down road with several wineries, but not too bad for biking. The only places I really feel vulnerable are on long right-curving uphills, where I'm going slow (and thus am exposed longer) and drivers won't see me till they're almost on me. There were only a couple of those places.
It occurred to me that I could look at my brake cables and see if I could adjust them before I hit another long downhill where I needed to stop, so I took a break at the Hop Kiln winery and took a look. First thing I saw was that the threaded piece near the lever had room for tightening. Next thing, I tightened the wrong nut on the rear--the one for the derailleur. Next, I tried to pull the cable through a little bit to tighten for the rear brake. Ultimately, I succeeded, I think, in getting the brake to pull a little more, and also got the derailleur thing adjusted back. I think there's room for improvement still, but it got me home safely. Then, there was the climb back UP Covey Rd...
Again, lovely autumn day; lots of colorful fallen leaves in the paths and the roads. (Seems like maybe the star thistles are done for the year, too--I haven't had a flat in several weeks, knock rubber.)
As you work up to bigger mileage, the same old paths and roads finally start to get boring, and you have to go farther afield. And you have to venture into unknown (or semi-unknown) places. I find a lot of road riding to be extremely unpleasant, but at least some parts are nice--cf Westside Road through all the vineyards.
I think maybe I shouldn't've started tracking miles per riding day--it makes me want to do more miles each ride, and NOT do a simple short ride that will reduce that average (currently 21.8 miles over 60 days); my average per calendar day is 12.4 over 106 calendar days, so a "short" 16-mile ride is still valid if I ride more or less every day.
I'm riding to Petaluma again tomorrow, weather permitting. That might take me over 1000 on this bike. Will have to bring a camera...
Hop Kiln is as far as I got today, heading out Westside Road to the 15-mile mark, then turning around.
Here's a feeling I *really* don't like: going down a steep hill that ends in a "T" with cross traffic, and squeezing the rear brake lever as far as it goes, and still going 9, 10, 11 mph. That was Covey Rd. today. Covey is parallel to Mirabel Rd. between Forestville and River Rd. Mirabel has quite a lot of traffic and no shoulders, so seeing Covey on the map I decided to try it. Major, MAJOR hill. But I was able to ease on the front brake so that the combined brakes slowed me enough to feel safe. So I continued on, as noted, across River to Westside Rd., deciding to follow Westside till I got tired or got 15 miles (for a 30-mile round trip). It's a narrow, winding, up-and-down road with several wineries, but not too bad for biking. The only places I really feel vulnerable are on long right-curving uphills, where I'm going slow (and thus am exposed longer) and drivers won't see me till they're almost on me. There were only a couple of those places.
It occurred to me that I could look at my brake cables and see if I could adjust them before I hit another long downhill where I needed to stop, so I took a break at the Hop Kiln winery and took a look. First thing I saw was that the threaded piece near the lever had room for tightening. Next thing, I tightened the wrong nut on the rear--the one for the derailleur. Next, I tried to pull the cable through a little bit to tighten for the rear brake. Ultimately, I succeeded, I think, in getting the brake to pull a little more, and also got the derailleur thing adjusted back. I think there's room for improvement still, but it got me home safely. Then, there was the climb back UP Covey Rd...
Again, lovely autumn day; lots of colorful fallen leaves in the paths and the roads. (Seems like maybe the star thistles are done for the year, too--I haven't had a flat in several weeks, knock rubber.)
As you work up to bigger mileage, the same old paths and roads finally start to get boring, and you have to go farther afield. And you have to venture into unknown (or semi-unknown) places. I find a lot of road riding to be extremely unpleasant, but at least some parts are nice--cf Westside Road through all the vineyards.
I think maybe I shouldn't've started tracking miles per riding day--it makes me want to do more miles each ride, and NOT do a simple short ride that will reduce that average (currently 21.8 miles over 60 days); my average per calendar day is 12.4 over 106 calendar days, so a "short" 16-mile ride is still valid if I ride more or less every day.
I'm riding to Petaluma again tomorrow, weather permitting. That might take me over 1000 on this bike. Will have to bring a camera...
Friday, October 24, 2008
Shiloh
1279.2; 928.9; 31.9
Wasn't sure where I was going when I left this morning--in fact, not sure where the hell I'm going still--but ended up going out to Forestville and then across River Rd., intending to get to 15 miles then turn around, but then not wanting to go back up the Mirabel Rd. hill, so continued on across River Rd. to Eastside to Mark West Sta, and on out past the aiport to Shiloh before returning on Old Redwood Hwy and Fulton Rd.
Really trying to shake this feeling of impending doom (as if it wasn't already occurring, what with the state of the state, country, and world...); trying to put some positive thought-power behind it, we WILL WILL WILL ride this out, but there's precious little security at the moment. Well, we're good through December I guess. I will continue to try to harness energy in a good direction (I heard that this works; it's a secret; only a few million people know about it).
About ten miles out, I stopped to take a drink from my hydration pack and realized it was empty. It holds 70 oz., so I don't always top it off for every ride, and today I didn't really expect to go as far as I did. Shades of a similar ride 6 or 7 years ago, also out by the airport, where I ended up getting hot water from a farm. This time, I got to a quikee mart and bought a large bottle of water and poured it in, and that served. REMEMBER TO HYDRATE, FOLKS! It's more important than you think.
Wasn't sure where I was going when I left this morning--in fact, not sure where the hell I'm going still--but ended up going out to Forestville and then across River Rd., intending to get to 15 miles then turn around, but then not wanting to go back up the Mirabel Rd. hill, so continued on across River Rd. to Eastside to Mark West Sta, and on out past the aiport to Shiloh before returning on Old Redwood Hwy and Fulton Rd.
Really trying to shake this feeling of impending doom (as if it wasn't already occurring, what with the state of the state, country, and world...); trying to put some positive thought-power behind it, we WILL WILL WILL ride this out, but there's precious little security at the moment. Well, we're good through December I guess. I will continue to try to harness energy in a good direction (I heard that this works; it's a secret; only a few million people know about it).
About ten miles out, I stopped to take a drink from my hydration pack and realized it was empty. It holds 70 oz., so I don't always top it off for every ride, and today I didn't really expect to go as far as I did. Shades of a similar ride 6 or 7 years ago, also out by the airport, where I ended up getting hot water from a farm. This time, I got to a quikee mart and bought a large bottle of water and poured it in, and that served. REMEMBER TO HYDRATE, FOLKS! It's more important than you think.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Llano - Todd et al
1247.3; 897.0; 27.0
Wanted to get a few more miles, and want to try to improve my "personal best" for the week, but fell short of 30 and by the time I got home I didn't really mind--over 25 is enough for today, including as it did another road I probably won't do again--Llano Rd from 12 to Todd, and Todd over to 116--though not as bad as that stretch of Occidental.
Wanted to get a few more miles, and want to try to improve my "personal best" for the week, but fell short of 30 and by the time I got home I didn't really mind--over 25 is enough for today, including as it did another road I probably won't do again--Llano Rd from 12 to Todd, and Todd over to 116--though not as bad as that stretch of Occidental.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
DMV
1220.3; 870.0; 18.2
Afraid this ride has brought my average down. Maybe I'll ride in the afternoon too.
The DMV is approximately 9 miles away, and no, they do not have a bike rack. I guess I might need my car anyway--not sure if I just need to be present, or take a written or driving test, to renew my license this time. I do know they want money.
I really try to stay cheerful and not get annoyed with people on the path, but c'mon, you're walking two abreast with a dog, leaving 1/8 of a 12-foot-wide path with the dog not entirely reeled in, and I really don't want to hit your dog. I ring my bell from 50 ft, 30 ft, 20 ft, and you make it clear that you've seen me, and move two inches over... that's a little aggravating. I guess other cyclists have left a bad impression--maybe--but y'know? Two wrongs? And... you'd REALLY rather have someone (or an innocent pet) get hurt than just show a little courtesy? Tough world!
Afraid this ride has brought my average down. Maybe I'll ride in the afternoon too.
The DMV is approximately 9 miles away, and no, they do not have a bike rack. I guess I might need my car anyway--not sure if I just need to be present, or take a written or driving test, to renew my license this time. I do know they want money.
I really try to stay cheerful and not get annoyed with people on the path, but c'mon, you're walking two abreast with a dog, leaving 1/8 of a 12-foot-wide path with the dog not entirely reeled in, and I really don't want to hit your dog. I ring my bell from 50 ft, 30 ft, 20 ft, and you make it clear that you've seen me, and move two inches over... that's a little aggravating. I guess other cyclists have left a bad impression--maybe--but y'know? Two wrongs? And... you'd REALLY rather have someone (or an innocent pet) get hurt than just show a little courtesy? Tough world!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Banking On It
1202.1; 851.8; 25.9
Moved money to credit union, where it will await tax time. Ugh, I guess Obama won't be able to help yet then. Lots of surface-street riding in Santa Rosa, where it seems there are always bike lanes where they're not needed and seldom bike lanes where they are needed. Certain drivers make a point of passing as close as they think they can get. I try to avoid streets like that, but hate to go on the sidewalks, which, in California are mainly repositories for stuff they couldn't put in the street: telephone poles and their wire supports, manhole covers, garbage out for collection (from five days ago); also the concrete squares that comprise the sidewalk are frequently pushed up in various directions by tree roots and seismic activity...
In a similar vein, Note to Self: NEVER ride Occidental Road east of Sanford again.
Have been thinking about this quote and finally looked it up: "I will make a bargain with the Republicans. If they will stop telling lies about Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them."-Adlai Stevenson. It's hard to believe the Republican party still exists, if they were using the same tricks that long ago (this probably would've been 1952 or 56, when he ran for president against Eisenhower--my grandma remembered him as "ol' Snake Eyes"--a name, I think, of her own invention. I don't think her voting criteria changed much over the years; it was mostly based on who she did or didn't like the looks of). Grandma is one of McCain's lost voters--if she had survived another year, she certainly would've voted for him.
Think I'll go see "W" today...
Moved money to credit union, where it will await tax time. Ugh, I guess Obama won't be able to help yet then. Lots of surface-street riding in Santa Rosa, where it seems there are always bike lanes where they're not needed and seldom bike lanes where they are needed. Certain drivers make a point of passing as close as they think they can get. I try to avoid streets like that, but hate to go on the sidewalks, which, in California are mainly repositories for stuff they couldn't put in the street: telephone poles and their wire supports, manhole covers, garbage out for collection (from five days ago); also the concrete squares that comprise the sidewalk are frequently pushed up in various directions by tree roots and seismic activity...
In a similar vein, Note to Self: NEVER ride Occidental Road east of Sanford again.
Have been thinking about this quote and finally looked it up: "I will make a bargain with the Republicans. If they will stop telling lies about Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them."-Adlai Stevenson. It's hard to believe the Republican party still exists, if they were using the same tricks that long ago (this probably would've been 1952 or 56, when he ran for president against Eisenhower--my grandma remembered him as "ol' Snake Eyes"--a name, I think, of her own invention. I don't think her voting criteria changed much over the years; it was mostly based on who she did or didn't like the looks of). Grandma is one of McCain's lost voters--if she had survived another year, she certainly would've voted for him.
Think I'll go see "W" today...
Friday, October 17, 2008
Petaluma & Back
1176.2; 825.9; 38.8
Wow, I grossly overestimated this ride. I gave myself 2-1/2 hours to get to Petaluma, and only took 1:15. I thought it would be close to 50 miles total, but actually was less than 40--my second-longest ride since returning to my biking ways. There are a couple of no-shoulder spots where there's a certain amount of danger, but it's mostly a pretty easy ride in the morning when the temperature and wind aren't too high. I did NOT expect the heat, coming back, but still managed a 1:15 ride.
I was starting to worry about higher readings on my blood sugar (thinking I'd need to go back to full doses of Actos), but that's dropped significantly (78 and 97 the last two days, after 130 130 124, 141), and my average this month is back under 120.
Talking to my friend, I find that I'm not the only one who senses in McCain a reluctance, almost sheepishness, about putting forth the lies his "handlers" have given him... In the local paper today (actually a Washington Post story), there's talk that the repubs might pull back on McCain campaign funding, thinking it better to spend the money on congressional campaigns, where McCain might almost be a lost cause. I am overjoyed at this prospect. In every debate and elsewhere, I have seen in Obama a man with an amazing memory and excellent command of data: a problem solver. He might bore some people with analysis, but he doesn't deliver the empty "I know how to..." lines, and he really did, I feel, minimize the dirtiness of the campaign, even while McCain and PitDog resorted to mudslinging of the worst kind.
President Obama! YES!
Wow, I grossly overestimated this ride. I gave myself 2-1/2 hours to get to Petaluma, and only took 1:15. I thought it would be close to 50 miles total, but actually was less than 40--my second-longest ride since returning to my biking ways. There are a couple of no-shoulder spots where there's a certain amount of danger, but it's mostly a pretty easy ride in the morning when the temperature and wind aren't too high. I did NOT expect the heat, coming back, but still managed a 1:15 ride.
I was starting to worry about higher readings on my blood sugar (thinking I'd need to go back to full doses of Actos), but that's dropped significantly (78 and 97 the last two days, after 130 130 124, 141), and my average this month is back under 120.
Talking to my friend, I find that I'm not the only one who senses in McCain a reluctance, almost sheepishness, about putting forth the lies his "handlers" have given him... In the local paper today (actually a Washington Post story), there's talk that the repubs might pull back on McCain campaign funding, thinking it better to spend the money on congressional campaigns, where McCain might almost be a lost cause. I am overjoyed at this prospect. In every debate and elsewhere, I have seen in Obama a man with an amazing memory and excellent command of data: a problem solver. He might bore some people with analysis, but he doesn't deliver the empty "I know how to..." lines, and he really did, I feel, minimize the dirtiness of the campaign, even while McCain and PitDog resorted to mudslinging of the worst kind.
President Obama! YES!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Absence
1137.4; 787.1; 31.2
No on 8. The (paper) Chronicle today shows people praying with mouths contorted and arms raised, presumably for God to take his vengeance on the butt-slammers (the ones He presumably created). How is it that people still believe in earthly representatives of a vengeful creator? The idea of a creator is not unreasonable, but the idea that someone like Falwell, or any of that ilk, has a direct line to a creator and is hear to communicate--and enforce--His wishes? That's just stupid. OK, let's play it through. Imagine that a majority of people vote yes. Do you really think all those gay people are going to go away? Leave 'em alone--if you don't like gay marriage, don't gay-marry. If you can't bear to vote No, just skip the question.
Yes on Obama. He's not perfect, but he's good. And the alternative is truly, truly frightening if you have even a tattered shred of intelligence. Just by the examples of the kind of people who are coming out of the woodwork for the repubs lately, you should recognize that you don't want to be on that side. OK, watch the last debate tonight, listen between the lines when they speak, and imagine which would really be "the cool hand on the helm" (an absurd phrase grammatically, like much of what McCain has been fed for regurgitation BY THE SAME PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIRECTED BUSH FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, DUH!).
My friend and ex-co-worker Garrie, I learned, died (**died!**) in August. He'd had meningitis about two years ago and was pretty ill from then on, I guess, but still, he was only three years older than me, and it was a surprise to get an email response from "him" (his sister-in-law) saying he had passed away. It's funny (not ha-ha funny) that I'm reading "Seth Speaks" right now, and am in the middle of chapters about death. One of the things he says--and this was said to my unhearing ears a lot at alternative school in my teens--is "you're as dead now as you'll ever be." I think I never really parsed or understood this phrase before, and it gives an unfortunate negative cast, but reading it in context, it is actually a very positive concept. I'm really enjoying the book, and finding it affirms a lot that I felt/intuited/believed all along. Interesting: the idea of entities repeatedly reincarnating in an illusive physical time and space was making me wonder why there are so many more people now than in the past--and a visitor to a session, in the book, asks that question in conversation whereupon Seth "appears" and addresses the question... I'm remembering more dreams lately--fragmentary, but much more than usual.
Anyway, my warmest regards to you, Garrie, wherever you are now.
No on 8. The (paper) Chronicle today shows people praying with mouths contorted and arms raised, presumably for God to take his vengeance on the butt-slammers (the ones He presumably created). How is it that people still believe in earthly representatives of a vengeful creator? The idea of a creator is not unreasonable, but the idea that someone like Falwell, or any of that ilk, has a direct line to a creator and is hear to communicate--and enforce--His wishes? That's just stupid. OK, let's play it through. Imagine that a majority of people vote yes. Do you really think all those gay people are going to go away? Leave 'em alone--if you don't like gay marriage, don't gay-marry. If you can't bear to vote No, just skip the question.
Yes on Obama. He's not perfect, but he's good. And the alternative is truly, truly frightening if you have even a tattered shred of intelligence. Just by the examples of the kind of people who are coming out of the woodwork for the repubs lately, you should recognize that you don't want to be on that side. OK, watch the last debate tonight, listen between the lines when they speak, and imagine which would really be "the cool hand on the helm" (an absurd phrase grammatically, like much of what McCain has been fed for regurgitation BY THE SAME PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIRECTED BUSH FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, DUH!).
My friend and ex-co-worker Garrie, I learned, died (**died!**) in August. He'd had meningitis about two years ago and was pretty ill from then on, I guess, but still, he was only three years older than me, and it was a surprise to get an email response from "him" (his sister-in-law) saying he had passed away. It's funny (not ha-ha funny) that I'm reading "Seth Speaks" right now, and am in the middle of chapters about death. One of the things he says--and this was said to my unhearing ears a lot at alternative school in my teens--is "you're as dead now as you'll ever be." I think I never really parsed or understood this phrase before, and it gives an unfortunate negative cast, but reading it in context, it is actually a very positive concept. I'm really enjoying the book, and finding it affirms a lot that I felt/intuited/believed all along. Interesting: the idea of entities repeatedly reincarnating in an illusive physical time and space was making me wonder why there are so many more people now than in the past--and a visitor to a session, in the book, asks that question in conversation whereupon Seth "appears" and addresses the question... I'm remembering more dreams lately--fragmentary, but much more than usual.
Anyway, my warmest regards to you, Garrie, wherever you are now.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Warming Up
1106.2; 755.9; 27.5
The first number is total miles since 7/13; second is miles on odometer on the main bike; third number is miles today.
Think I need to do something to warm up before riding, or maybe this morning was just extra cold. At any rate, I never really got going, and the whole ride was slower than usual--although I still rode as far as I wanted to.
If the weather holds, I'll ride to Petaluma on Friday, after a longish ride tomorrow and a day off Thursday.
The first number is total miles since 7/13; second is miles on odometer on the main bike; third number is miles today.
Think I need to do something to warm up before riding, or maybe this morning was just extra cold. At any rate, I never really got going, and the whole ride was slower than usual--although I still rode as far as I wanted to.
If the weather holds, I'll ride to Petaluma on Friday, after a longish ride tomorrow and a day off Thursday.
Monday, October 13, 2008
There's a River Down There
728.4; 21.9
Don't let that mileage fool you--this was a killer! On top of the usual bike-path loop out to Forestville, continued on Mirabel Rd. down to Trenton Rd., which is parallel to and in view of the Russian River. Then back up Laguna to Vine Hill to Green Valley Rd.
Laguna/Vine Hill climbs almost 300 feet in one mile. It's a beautiful ride other than that--not a single car passed as I struggled up the hill, and there's only one slightly scary part where the road curves right while climbing steeply enough to have me crawling in low gears. No wonder the runoff is in such a hurry to get down there!
But I do get the "Green Valley drop" as a little reward, back down to the path.
This brings (keeps?) my daily average for October over 12 and average per riding day over 20. And, I hope, brings my blood sugar down from today's and yesterday's consecutive 130s.
Don't let that mileage fool you--this was a killer! On top of the usual bike-path loop out to Forestville, continued on Mirabel Rd. down to Trenton Rd., which is parallel to and in view of the Russian River. Then back up Laguna to Vine Hill to Green Valley Rd.
Laguna/Vine Hill climbs almost 300 feet in one mile. It's a beautiful ride other than that--not a single car passed as I struggled up the hill, and there's only one slightly scary part where the road curves right while climbing steeply enough to have me crawling in low gears. No wonder the runoff is in such a hurry to get down there!
But I do get the "Green Valley drop" as a little reward, back down to the path.
This brings (keeps?) my daily average for October over 12 and average per riding day over 20. And, I hope, brings my blood sugar down from today's and yesterday's consecutive 130s.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Petaluma Hill
706.5; 25.5
Petaluma Hill Rd. seems mostly flat when you drive it. Like with many things, it's a different story on a bicycle. And the headwind! Be that as it may, I was able to cover the 12.7 mile trip out in 53 minutes--the trip back might have been a bit slower, especially that first part, which seemed to take all my strength to just pedal forward on a seemingly very slight incline. Anyway, bravo: 700 miles on the Marin Novato bike, a bike of which I approve greatly.
Petaluma Hill Rd. seems mostly flat when you drive it. Like with many things, it's a different story on a bicycle. And the headwind! Be that as it may, I was able to cover the 12.7 mile trip out in 53 minutes--the trip back might have been a bit slower, especially that first part, which seemed to take all my strength to just pedal forward on a seemingly very slight incline. Anyway, bravo: 700 miles on the Marin Novato bike, a bike of which I approve greatly.
Friday, October 10, 2008
"Nice Bike"
681.0; 25.3
When one of the loiterers along the less-savory portion of the Joe Rodota trail says "Nice Bike," I want to say, "No! It isn't! It's a piece of crap!" (knowing as I do that people HAVE been mugged on this trail). I have really tried to cultivate an atmosphere of goodwill, courtesy, and friendliness around myself, and I trust that to work for me. My bike is pretty unique, also, and easy to spot, so maybe not as desirable for theft as it might otherwise be. Anyway. Good to get out on another temperate autumn day, and to get more than 20 miles.
You with the headphones? There are MANY more certain and less potentially painful forms of suicide--why don't you try one?
I kid.
My numbers as of today:
Total miles since start (July 13): 1031.2
Calendar days since start: 89
Average miles per day: 11.6
Total riding days: 50
Average miles per riding day: 20.6
October:
Total miles: 113.9
Calendar days: 10
Average miles per day: 11.4
Riding days: 6
Average miles per riding day: 19.0
I keep track of all this on the same spreadsheet where I track my blood sugar, and there is some general correlation between bike-riding and sugar levels day by day (the effect really is more long-term than daily, though). FWIW, then:
Average fasting BG reading July 1-Sept 30: 121.2
Average fasting BG reading October so far: 121.5
No need for panic! These are good numbers. Doc was pleased. 126 and up will get you diagnosed as diabetic. I'm taking a variety of medications that help keep that number down, but the exercise REALLY helps--and more, helps to "normalize": my numbers don't range as widely when I'm riding regularly.
When one of the loiterers along the less-savory portion of the Joe Rodota trail says "Nice Bike," I want to say, "No! It isn't! It's a piece of crap!" (knowing as I do that people HAVE been mugged on this trail). I have really tried to cultivate an atmosphere of goodwill, courtesy, and friendliness around myself, and I trust that to work for me. My bike is pretty unique, also, and easy to spot, so maybe not as desirable for theft as it might otherwise be. Anyway. Good to get out on another temperate autumn day, and to get more than 20 miles.
You with the headphones? There are MANY more certain and less potentially painful forms of suicide--why don't you try one?
I kid.
My numbers as of today:
Total miles since start (July 13): 1031.2
Calendar days since start: 89
Average miles per day: 11.6
Total riding days: 50
Average miles per riding day: 20.6
October:
Total miles: 113.9
Calendar days: 10
Average miles per day: 11.4
Riding days: 6
Average miles per riding day: 19.0
I keep track of all this on the same spreadsheet where I track my blood sugar, and there is some general correlation between bike-riding and sugar levels day by day (the effect really is more long-term than daily, though). FWIW, then:
Average fasting BG reading July 1-Sept 30: 121.2
Average fasting BG reading October so far: 121.5
No need for panic! These are good numbers. Doc was pleased. 126 and up will get you diagnosed as diabetic. I'm taking a variety of medications that help keep that number down, but the exercise REALLY helps--and more, helps to "normalize": my numbers don't range as widely when I'm riding regularly.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Eh?
655.7; 18.5
Hearing aid fitting appointment today.
I have trouble hearing soft sounds, and individual sounds with a lot of background noise, and at work, I was having a LOT of trouble understanding people with heavy accents. Analyzing this last, I felt that it might be the different emphasis on different syllables common to some ESL speakers.
So, I went to get my hearing tested three months ago, while I was still employed and fully insured. These people thought they could do something for me, and they said it would cost $2500, with $500 going to me. I paid the $500, and was laid off the next week. At the point of being laid off, I would have canceled the whole thing except for the fact that it was already paid for, and I was pretty certain there was no way I was gonna get that $500 back.
So I waited.... and waited... How long does it take to prepare a hearing aid for a person? They didn't take a plaster cast of my inner ear or anything! Finally, about a month in, I called them, and they informed me that they were waiting for payment from the insurance company.
So I waited... and waited... FINALLY, last week, they called me to make an appointment for a fitting, and I went in today (1111 Sonoma Ave., Santa Rosa, hence Monday's 1111 blog entry title, and the ride to scout for a bike rack).
After sitting in a tiny room for 20 minutes with nothing to do, hooked up by a wire to a laptop, the doc (or audiologist?) came in and ran a few test wherein I could barely ascertain any difference between the hearing aids' being on or off, and when it was on, there was a tinny reverb-y sound to everything he or I said. Okay fine. It surely would take some getting used to, and they usually try to set it low and move it up gradually, so I was ushered out to make an appointment for a couple of weeks hence.
At that appointment, the woman nonchalantly added, "and eight hundred fifty-three thirty-five" or something to that effect.
Had I not been wearing a hearing aid, I wouldn't have believed my ears! Still I had her repeat it.
Upshot, she will run it by the insurance company again--"sometimes they are wrong"--and get back to me, so at least I get a brief reprieve, but jeeze! Eight Hundred Dollars is not small change, especially for the underemployed. And I don't really even need the damned things anymore, for now--the reasons I originally went are all but absent from my life now!
On the ride home, the wind noise was amplified so much I couldn't hear anything else.
On the lighter side, as of the end of this excursion, I have officially biked 1006 miles, in 87 days. Whoopee.
Hearing aid fitting appointment today.
I have trouble hearing soft sounds, and individual sounds with a lot of background noise, and at work, I was having a LOT of trouble understanding people with heavy accents. Analyzing this last, I felt that it might be the different emphasis on different syllables common to some ESL speakers.
So, I went to get my hearing tested three months ago, while I was still employed and fully insured. These people thought they could do something for me, and they said it would cost $2500, with $500 going to me. I paid the $500, and was laid off the next week. At the point of being laid off, I would have canceled the whole thing except for the fact that it was already paid for, and I was pretty certain there was no way I was gonna get that $500 back.
So I waited.... and waited... How long does it take to prepare a hearing aid for a person? They didn't take a plaster cast of my inner ear or anything! Finally, about a month in, I called them, and they informed me that they were waiting for payment from the insurance company.
So I waited... and waited... FINALLY, last week, they called me to make an appointment for a fitting, and I went in today (1111 Sonoma Ave., Santa Rosa, hence Monday's 1111 blog entry title, and the ride to scout for a bike rack).
After sitting in a tiny room for 20 minutes with nothing to do, hooked up by a wire to a laptop, the doc (or audiologist?) came in and ran a few test wherein I could barely ascertain any difference between the hearing aids' being on or off, and when it was on, there was a tinny reverb-y sound to everything he or I said. Okay fine. It surely would take some getting used to, and they usually try to set it low and move it up gradually, so I was ushered out to make an appointment for a couple of weeks hence.
At that appointment, the woman nonchalantly added, "and eight hundred fifty-three thirty-five" or something to that effect.
Had I not been wearing a hearing aid, I wouldn't have believed my ears! Still I had her repeat it.
Upshot, she will run it by the insurance company again--"sometimes they are wrong"--and get back to me, so at least I get a brief reprieve, but jeeze! Eight Hundred Dollars is not small change, especially for the underemployed. And I don't really even need the damned things anymore, for now--the reasons I originally went are all but absent from my life now!
On the ride home, the wind noise was amplified so much I couldn't hear anything else.
On the lighter side, as of the end of this excursion, I have officially biked 1006 miles, in 87 days. Whoopee.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Fresh Oil
637.2; 16.5
Occidental Road is being repaved and so has a lovely shoulder-to-shoulder coat of oil.
Autumn is definitely here, and it's nice to coast through whirling leaves and cool brisk air (and have perhaps relatively fewer people on the trails).
I think the little nubs on the sides of my tires are almost entirely gone now.
Occidental Road is being repaved and so has a lovely shoulder-to-shoulder coat of oil.
Autumn is definitely here, and it's nice to coast through whirling leaves and cool brisk air (and have perhaps relatively fewer people on the trails).
I think the little nubs on the sides of my tires are almost entirely gone now.
Monday, October 06, 2008
1111
620.7; 18.6
Oh the numbers! I had really hoped to get in the habit of regular "short" (under 25-mile) rides this month, and then got off track with work, rain, and the weekend, so now I'm playing catch-up. I now have my spreadsheet tracking average miles per RIDING day AND per CALENDAR day.
I have an appointment at one of the medical offices in Santa Rosa Wednesday afternoon, and wanted to see if there was a place to lock the bike so I could ride there. No bike rack out front of a medical center! Isn't there something wrong with that? There's a bike rack in back, at the STAFF entrance, where most people won't look, and I might have to walk around the building to actually enter after parking and locking, but...
Oh well, good to get back on the bike.
Oh the numbers! I had really hoped to get in the habit of regular "short" (under 25-mile) rides this month, and then got off track with work, rain, and the weekend, so now I'm playing catch-up. I now have my spreadsheet tracking average miles per RIDING day AND per CALENDAR day.
I have an appointment at one of the medical offices in Santa Rosa Wednesday afternoon, and wanted to see if there was a place to lock the bike so I could ride there. No bike rack out front of a medical center! Isn't there something wrong with that? There's a bike rack in back, at the STAFF entrance, where most people won't look, and I might have to walk around the building to actually enter after parking and locking, but...
Oh well, good to get back on the bike.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
(Generic Title Here)
602.1; 16.5
Quick trip to Forestville and back, probably the fastest I've ever done it. No stops; very few peds and dogs on the trails. Rain is forecast for the weekend, and it seems to be starting now. Though it will put a crimp in my biking style, I welcome it.
Work is going well, I guess. A great deal of uncertainty as to whether or not I am meeting expectations, but I feel like I'm doing good work--I'm catching a lot of errors, cleaning up a lot of poor grammatical and structural choices, making it easier to edit for others, and now, creating a summary for later use. I'm hoping all of this carries weight.
Quick trip to Forestville and back, probably the fastest I've ever done it. No stops; very few peds and dogs on the trails. Rain is forecast for the weekend, and it seems to be starting now. Though it will put a crimp in my biking style, I welcome it.
Work is going well, I guess. A great deal of uncertainty as to whether or not I am meeting expectations, but I feel like I'm doing good work--I'm catching a lot of errors, cleaning up a lot of poor grammatical and structural choices, making it easier to edit for others, and now, creating a summary for later use. I'm hoping all of this carries weight.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Pomo
585.6; 18.5; Short ride to warm up after a week off. The standard Forestville run, but I added about a mile when I stopped to talk to a woman on the path near Occidental Rd. who was looking for her malamute/shepherd mix, and then saw the dog further up the path. I asked a lady there if she would wait with the dog while I went to notify the owner, returned to find the lady and she was gone; returned to the lady who was watching the dog and said, "well, we tried," and then saw the owner on the Graton end of the path, in her car. The dog ("Pomo") was within earshot of there, so dog and owner were reunited and I rode on without waiting for thanks. Would she have had a better chance of finding Pomo on foot? I dunno; seems like it, but she DID find the dog (with no small assistance).
Saw a gray fox on the path near Forestville, and got to within about 10 yards of it before it took off into the brush. Also bunnies, and a large dead gopher snake.
Actually, don't seem to have "lost" too much in terms of being in shape for riding, and felt like I could've gone much farther without undue exhaustion. But it's good to spend more time at home and get some work done.
Saw a gray fox on the path near Forestville, and got to within about 10 yards of it before it took off into the brush. Also bunnies, and a large dead gopher snake.
Actually, don't seem to have "lost" too much in terms of being in shape for riding, and felt like I could've gone much farther without undue exhaustion. But it's good to spend more time at home and get some work done.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Numb3rs
567.1; 22.3
End of a big week (135 miles) and month (428 miles); mom visiting, so won't be riding for the next few days. Good to get a break now and then. With that in mind, in the 80 days since layoff (ending October 1), I've biked 917.4 miles for an average of 11.9 miles per day (damn--I really wanted to stay above 12!).
Interestingly enough, with previous stints of bike riding, I noticed my hands/wrists getting *number* as I logged the mileage *numbers*. I've had some of that this time, but it seems to be more from time spent on the computer than from biking--even though the new bike is much more rigid, with no front or rear suspension, and thinner, harder tires.
I think I need to buckle down and do some work now, as long as there is work to do! Third Java course, coming up.
End of a big week (135 miles) and month (428 miles); mom visiting, so won't be riding for the next few days. Good to get a break now and then. With that in mind, in the 80 days since layoff (ending October 1), I've biked 917.4 miles for an average of 11.9 miles per day (damn--I really wanted to stay above 12!).
Interestingly enough, with previous stints of bike riding, I noticed my hands/wrists getting *number* as I logged the mileage *numbers*. I've had some of that this time, but it seems to be more from time spent on the computer than from biking--even though the new bike is much more rigid, with no front or rear suspension, and thinner, harder tires.
I think I need to buckle down and do some work now, as long as there is work to do! Third Java course, coming up.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Flattery Will Get You Nowhere
544.8; 26.9. Another flat, coincidentally (?) right after pulling off to the side of the unpaved road, in the middle of a bunch of star thistles, to let a work truck go by. I examined the tires before I started to roll again! Less than a mile later, the back wheel is floppin'. Nice to have a spare tube and tools, and to be able to repair it on the spot, but I'm considering the "thorn-proof" tubes the guy showed me today. Otherwise, nice pleasant ride, not too hot or cool.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Five Hundred
517.9; 28.6 (2hrs, 10min)
Entered dates and miles into a Facebook app, Bike City, and wondered the whole time why I was doing that when I have it all in a spreadsheet, in which I can crunch the numbers any way I like. For example, the FB app doesn't track by week, doesn't appear to be able to compare one month to another (or even show the numbers for past months), provide average miles per day (I've been tracking my avg/day and seeing how high I can get it by the end of the month (79 days since I started). Today's ride just bumped the avg up past 12 mpd...
Anyway, bored with the regularity of numbers like 31.3, 26.0, and 16.6, I extended the Forestville route a different way today and so got a different number.
I was prepared to just go to Forestville and back, and instead took off north on High School Road to make an additional loop to the unpaved section of bike path, Fulton Rd., and back.
I'm seriously concerned about my contract job--(deleted possibly incriminating content).
I think some employees just don't require feedback in their work--and some employers just don't think of it as a requirement to GIVE feedback. I, not being one of the former, have trouble dealing with the latter (and probably they with me too). (snip!)
Entered dates and miles into a Facebook app, Bike City, and wondered the whole time why I was doing that when I have it all in a spreadsheet, in which I can crunch the numbers any way I like. For example, the FB app doesn't track by week, doesn't appear to be able to compare one month to another (or even show the numbers for past months), provide average miles per day (I've been tracking my avg/day and seeing how high I can get it by the end of the month (79 days since I started). Today's ride just bumped the avg up past 12 mpd...
Anyway, bored with the regularity of numbers like 31.3, 26.0, and 16.6, I extended the Forestville route a different way today and so got a different number.
I was prepared to just go to Forestville and back, and instead took off north on High School Road to make an additional loop to the unpaved section of bike path, Fulton Rd., and back.
I'm seriously concerned about my contract job--(deleted possibly incriminating content).
I think some employees just don't require feedback in their work--and some employers just don't think of it as a requirement to GIVE feedback. I, not being one of the former, have trouble dealing with the latter (and probably they with me too). (snip!)
Monday, September 22, 2008
Tightening
489.3; 31.3
Lovely morning for grabbing some mileage, hoping to top my biggest week yet (that was 120.9 miles--I'm almost halfway there already). It dawned clear and still, and so it remained, a crisp autumn morning (now that we're officially into autumn). I got new tights that are specifically for biking--if nothing else, they won't catch on the front sprocket. I like 'em, overall...
Returned the clip-in shoes yesterday, and bought toe cages, which I'm already used to on bike 1. Anyone wanna buy a pair of Shimano SPD pedals (PD-M424)? Only about 500 miles on 'em...
People and dogs all over the paths, but I'm really not that bothered by it, and I would like to bothered by it even less. Let it go, move on, etc....
Lovely morning for grabbing some mileage, hoping to top my biggest week yet (that was 120.9 miles--I'm almost halfway there already). It dawned clear and still, and so it remained, a crisp autumn morning (now that we're officially into autumn). I got new tights that are specifically for biking--if nothing else, they won't catch on the front sprocket. I like 'em, overall...
Returned the clip-in shoes yesterday, and bought toe cages, which I'm already used to on bike 1. Anyone wanna buy a pair of Shimano SPD pedals (PD-M424)? Only about 500 miles on 'em...
People and dogs all over the paths, but I'm really not that bothered by it, and I would like to bothered by it even less. Let it go, move on, etc....
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Mister Early
458.0; 26.0
Not THAT early--it was after nine when I left--but seeming early because of the low mist (hence the "Mister" part of the title) hanging around through the first half of the ride, causing poor visibility not only via moisture in the air but also via moisture on my glasses. Also, wearing full-on sweats rather than the usual shorts and t-shirt made everything more muffled.
Tough pedaling early, when it seemed like all I could do to keep up a 15mph pace, then it was easier on the return trip, especially when I got behind a pair of guys on racing bikes who I expected to leave me in their dust, but I actually had to slow down at times to stay behind them until Wright Rd., where I shortcut the corner and left them behind.
The farther portion of this trail, the last segment of the part called the "Santa Rosa Creek Greenway," is about 2-1/2 miles of unpaved road on either side of the creek. At the very end, someone has taken to hanging a sign about how there are plans to pave this segment. Below the sign hangs an open envelope of orange slips of paper with the anti-creek trail web site address printed on them. These slips fall out of the envelope and scatter on the ground around the trailhead, and it's hard to muster much sympathy for a cause that litters the trailhead like that while professing to be in the interest of saving it.
I'm with 'em, sorta, on the need for study before putting in a paved bike path--except, bikes are ALREADY USING that path--it's among other things, a BIKE PATH.
And it's a much safer option than the parallel Hall or Guerneville roads. From my own personal viewpoint, I have no problem at all with the paving of this stretch. The other side will presumably remain unpaved (as it is still on the rest of the Greenway's south side, all the way back to Stony Point).
Since bikes are already using the trail, the arguments they're using pretty much center around the faster speed of the bikes that will ensue, added danger to peds, blah blah blah, but what I see on that trail is almost EVERYONE disregarding the leash law. Then there's a bit of a non-sequitur in the the inclusion of an endangered species list--including trout in the stream. Now, there is just NO WAY faster cycling would have ANY effect on said trout--unless indeed, it scares the illegal fishermen away.
They also don't mention the fact that this paving provides access to wheelchairs--and I DO see people in wheelchairs on the other segments.
Be that as it may, they have succeeded in at least delaying construction.
I can live with it either way, but the protest rather reeks to me of NIMBYism with which I'm not altogether unfamiliar. Something else interests me on that map, and that is all the "proposed" bike paths in the area that would make for much safer biking in a much more extended area, including, apparently, completion of this near-loop that I ride almost daily by extending the trail across Willowside Rd. and past Delta Pond, to Frei Rd (which the reader may remember) where it looks like a bike path is ALSO planned. Honestly, I'd be happy with more unpaved paths than more paving of existing ones... I suspect the thing will be paved eventually, but can't be arsed to attend a meeting about it, for all of these reasons, but mostly: BOTH sides--the NIMBYs and the racing bikers--annoy me no end.
Proud to have passed 800 total miles today, this 70th day since I started biking again.
Not THAT early--it was after nine when I left--but seeming early because of the low mist (hence the "Mister" part of the title) hanging around through the first half of the ride, causing poor visibility not only via moisture in the air but also via moisture on my glasses. Also, wearing full-on sweats rather than the usual shorts and t-shirt made everything more muffled.
Tough pedaling early, when it seemed like all I could do to keep up a 15mph pace, then it was easier on the return trip, especially when I got behind a pair of guys on racing bikes who I expected to leave me in their dust, but I actually had to slow down at times to stay behind them until Wright Rd., where I shortcut the corner and left them behind.
The farther portion of this trail, the last segment of the part called the "Santa Rosa Creek Greenway," is about 2-1/2 miles of unpaved road on either side of the creek. At the very end, someone has taken to hanging a sign about how there are plans to pave this segment. Below the sign hangs an open envelope of orange slips of paper with the anti-creek trail web site address printed on them. These slips fall out of the envelope and scatter on the ground around the trailhead, and it's hard to muster much sympathy for a cause that litters the trailhead like that while professing to be in the interest of saving it.
I'm with 'em, sorta, on the need for study before putting in a paved bike path--except, bikes are ALREADY USING that path--it's among other things, a BIKE PATH.
And it's a much safer option than the parallel Hall or Guerneville roads. From my own personal viewpoint, I have no problem at all with the paving of this stretch. The other side will presumably remain unpaved (as it is still on the rest of the Greenway's south side, all the way back to Stony Point).
Since bikes are already using the trail, the arguments they're using pretty much center around the faster speed of the bikes that will ensue, added danger to peds, blah blah blah, but what I see on that trail is almost EVERYONE disregarding the leash law. Then there's a bit of a non-sequitur in the the inclusion of an endangered species list--including trout in the stream. Now, there is just NO WAY faster cycling would have ANY effect on said trout--unless indeed, it scares the illegal fishermen away.
They also don't mention the fact that this paving provides access to wheelchairs--and I DO see people in wheelchairs on the other segments.
Be that as it may, they have succeeded in at least delaying construction.
I can live with it either way, but the protest rather reeks to me of NIMBYism with which I'm not altogether unfamiliar. Something else interests me on that map, and that is all the "proposed" bike paths in the area that would make for much safer biking in a much more extended area, including, apparently, completion of this near-loop that I ride almost daily by extending the trail across Willowside Rd. and past Delta Pond, to Frei Rd (which the reader may remember) where it looks like a bike path is ALSO planned. Honestly, I'd be happy with more unpaved paths than more paving of existing ones... I suspect the thing will be paved eventually, but can't be arsed to attend a meeting about it, for all of these reasons, but mostly: BOTH sides--the NIMBYs and the racing bikers--annoy me no end.
Proud to have passed 800 total miles today, this 70th day since I started biking again.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Sneakin' Back
432.0; 23.4
Back to sneakers, and I must say, a lot less stressful riding. Perhaps infinitessimally slower than with the clip-ins, but that might be remedied by using "cages" like on my other bike (from which I removed the leather side-straps so I could get out more easily).
Peculiar "ending" to Lost Season 3. Seasons 4 and five pre-added into Netflix queue.
SNL's take on Palin and Clinton, w/Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, was pretty funny. But in two months, Palin will be just be the punchline to a footnote, along with McCrony. How many here remember Geraldine Ferraro? Raise your hand...
Back to sneakers, and I must say, a lot less stressful riding. Perhaps infinitessimally slower than with the clip-ins, but that might be remedied by using "cages" like on my other bike (from which I removed the leather side-straps so I could get out more easily).
Peculiar "ending" to Lost Season 3. Seasons 4 and five pre-added into Netflix queue.
SNL's take on Palin and Clinton, w/Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, was pretty funny. But in two months, Palin will be just be the punchline to a footnote, along with McCrony. How many here remember Geraldine Ferraro? Raise your hand...
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Crunch
405.6; 23.0
I gotta start getting out earlier--the headwind is really obnoxious in the afternoon (and practically nonexistent in the morning).
Well, I took that first tumble with the cleats in the pedals. Coming up to a cross street, I saw a lady with a kid stop to wait for me, then I continued up and saw a car coming from the other way. Mixing up the signals from the brain, I hit the brake instead of twisting out, and found myself on the ground quicker than you can think it. Amazingly, I have only a skinned knee and bruised ego to show for it, and was able to get back on and ride the eight miles home from there.
I might try riding with regular shoes again, by way of comparison. I'm not sure the speed and power gain is worth the epidermal loss. Even if this only happens every now and then, I suspect it will NEVER again be as painless as today, and realize I will now need to carry some kind of first aid kit as well as the other stuff I'm packing. (And indeed, I might go for knee and elbow pads if they weren't so inconvenient.) So I might have some SPD pedals and $115 Keenes for sale soon...
I gotta start getting out earlier--the headwind is really obnoxious in the afternoon (and practically nonexistent in the morning).
Well, I took that first tumble with the cleats in the pedals. Coming up to a cross street, I saw a lady with a kid stop to wait for me, then I continued up and saw a car coming from the other way. Mixing up the signals from the brain, I hit the brake instead of twisting out, and found myself on the ground quicker than you can think it. Amazingly, I have only a skinned knee and bruised ego to show for it, and was able to get back on and ride the eight miles home from there.
I might try riding with regular shoes again, by way of comparison. I'm not sure the speed and power gain is worth the epidermal loss. Even if this only happens every now and then, I suspect it will NEVER again be as painless as today, and realize I will now need to carry some kind of first aid kit as well as the other stuff I'm packing. (And indeed, I might go for knee and elbow pads if they weren't so inconvenient.) So I might have some SPD pedals and $115 Keenes for sale soon...
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
biking
382.6; 23.9
Really had to kinda force myself to get out there, and it was later (=windier) in the day when I finally did get out. Still, went farther than what I thought of as "minimum."
Lost, Season 3. Got the last disc today. This series is just so strange... sometimes seeming almost solely for the sake of being strange... like the writers throw in all these additional plot elements and story arcs just to see how many they can throw in and how far out they can get, perhaps not even considering if, when, or how they will wrap it all up at the end. But even while I'm shaking my head in disbelief, I'm laughing and enjoying the ride--not unlike Sawyer and Charley with Hurley in the episode with the microbus. Then too there are Harold Perrineau and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, both excellent in Oz and welcome on my TV screen anytime. Season 4 to be queued up ASAP!
Really had to kinda force myself to get out there, and it was later (=windier) in the day when I finally did get out. Still, went farther than what I thought of as "minimum."
Lost, Season 3. Got the last disc today. This series is just so strange... sometimes seeming almost solely for the sake of being strange... like the writers throw in all these additional plot elements and story arcs just to see how many they can throw in and how far out they can get, perhaps not even considering if, when, or how they will wrap it all up at the end. But even while I'm shaking my head in disbelief, I'm laughing and enjoying the ride--not unlike Sawyer and Charley with Hurley in the episode with the microbus. Then too there are Harold Perrineau and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, both excellent in Oz and welcome on my TV screen anytime. Season 4 to be queued up ASAP!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Foot Bondage (not the Good Kind [If There Is a Good Kind])
Bike 2 (and they'll pretty much all be Bike 2 unless noted from now on I think): 358.7; 18.8.
Continuing with the innuendo titles here. Has anyone else commented on how the word "innuendo" is itself something of an innuendo? At least when used in reference to Italian sodomy...
Today I tried out the new Keen sandals with cleats that firmly affix my feet to the pedals. To get out, with this brand, you have to twist your heel outward. NO OTHER MOTION WILL GET YOU OUT OF THOSE PEDALS, and YOU WILL FALL OVER WITH YOUR FEET STILL FIXED TO THE PEDALS. Initially, the pedals were adjusted so tight that I had to stop, get off the bike, and step out of the shoe and wrench it off the pedal by hand--luckily tried this one foot at a time or I'd still be pedaling, afraid to stop, miles away from here or simply going in circles. Once loosened a bit, they work okay, and I think with a little more practice I'll be very happy with them, but boy it's a real test of faith to clip in and go with both feet! In other words, they require some getting used to--but also I suspect that sooner or later I WILL have an accident with them--not IF, but WHEN. I could be wrong.
On the up side, they add all of that upstroke power to your pedalling (that is, while the right foot is pushing down on the right pedal, the left foot is pulling up on the left pedal), and it did seem like I gained a mph or two, especially on uphills when "spinning" in lowish gears.
"Burn After Reading" was a great, funny, entertaining movie. I can't think of any reason not to give it all five stars. Excellent cast, brilliant story, superb dialogue, and many exquisite other superlatives. Also, this might the first movie I've ever seen without any advance knowledge of what it was about (aside from seeing a brief blurb that said it was the Coen brothers' return to comedy). I'm glad we're getting out and seeing movies sometimes.
I was proud (if that's the right word--one must use such caution!) to attend a ceremony yesterday wherein my wife received the precepts at her Zen Center. I know she worked hard all summer at the classes and the homework, and in learning a little bit about it, I find it an exceedingly admirable thing. Respect, T!
I have such a hard time with religion. Lately the dogma of fundamentalists literally makes me teeth-grindingly angry. It is just unfathomable to me how a person can let something so wispy and ethereal drive such hard-nosed beliefs and activities--and even within that, how they so misinterpret the book that holds all of their tenets! How they can let a fellow human--nothing more and perhaps a good deal less--plant a flag in their town and say, "I am God's interpreter on Earth," and then blindly follow. How they can fly in the face of all logic and reason, all out of the hope of a promised eternity in an improbable (and surely insufferable!) heaven and abject fear of an impossible Hell... These people are going to take this country back to the middle ages.
Buddhism, as I've seen it, is an entirely different thing. It all makes eminent sense, the precepts being a great example. My only problems with it, I guess, are the chanting of words I don't understand, and the bowing and rising, bowing and rising, which gives me head-rushes and threatens to make me pass out, and again, I'm not sure what or who I'm bowing to, and that makes me very uncomfortable. I do feel that I could take some time to learn more about it and I would probably be happy and comfortable with it. What I really like about it, something the preceptor said yesterday, something about committing to peace in the world, being yourself a cause of peace in the world... That is something I would like very much to do, and that is what will probably bring me back to the Zen Center. In Buddhism, too, there is virtually none of the "marketing," that need to convert others, that drives Christians et al to make their kids go door to door with pamphlets etc. It is absolutely true that, in the Christian religion(s), those who are innocent of knowledge of heaven and hell and god and jesus are supposedly not sent to hell when they die, and so these devout practitioners think it their duty to inform the innocents, so they CAN go to hell!
Anyway, wrong place perhaps to go off on a religion rant, when really I just want to mark the occasion of Terrie's moment. So here's to my love Junden, doing something very right.
Continuing with the innuendo titles here. Has anyone else commented on how the word "innuendo" is itself something of an innuendo? At least when used in reference to Italian sodomy...
Today I tried out the new Keen sandals with cleats that firmly affix my feet to the pedals. To get out, with this brand, you have to twist your heel outward. NO OTHER MOTION WILL GET YOU OUT OF THOSE PEDALS, and YOU WILL FALL OVER WITH YOUR FEET STILL FIXED TO THE PEDALS. Initially, the pedals were adjusted so tight that I had to stop, get off the bike, and step out of the shoe and wrench it off the pedal by hand--luckily tried this one foot at a time or I'd still be pedaling, afraid to stop, miles away from here or simply going in circles. Once loosened a bit, they work okay, and I think with a little more practice I'll be very happy with them, but boy it's a real test of faith to clip in and go with both feet! In other words, they require some getting used to--but also I suspect that sooner or later I WILL have an accident with them--not IF, but WHEN. I could be wrong.
On the up side, they add all of that upstroke power to your pedalling (that is, while the right foot is pushing down on the right pedal, the left foot is pulling up on the left pedal), and it did seem like I gained a mph or two, especially on uphills when "spinning" in lowish gears.
"Burn After Reading" was a great, funny, entertaining movie. I can't think of any reason not to give it all five stars. Excellent cast, brilliant story, superb dialogue, and many exquisite other superlatives. Also, this might the first movie I've ever seen without any advance knowledge of what it was about (aside from seeing a brief blurb that said it was the Coen brothers' return to comedy). I'm glad we're getting out and seeing movies sometimes.
I was proud (if that's the right word--one must use such caution!) to attend a ceremony yesterday wherein my wife received the precepts at her Zen Center. I know she worked hard all summer at the classes and the homework, and in learning a little bit about it, I find it an exceedingly admirable thing. Respect, T!
I have such a hard time with religion. Lately the dogma of fundamentalists literally makes me teeth-grindingly angry. It is just unfathomable to me how a person can let something so wispy and ethereal drive such hard-nosed beliefs and activities--and even within that, how they so misinterpret the book that holds all of their tenets! How they can let a fellow human--nothing more and perhaps a good deal less--plant a flag in their town and say, "I am God's interpreter on Earth," and then blindly follow. How they can fly in the face of all logic and reason, all out of the hope of a promised eternity in an improbable (and surely insufferable!) heaven and abject fear of an impossible Hell... These people are going to take this country back to the middle ages.
Buddhism, as I've seen it, is an entirely different thing. It all makes eminent sense, the precepts being a great example. My only problems with it, I guess, are the chanting of words I don't understand, and the bowing and rising, bowing and rising, which gives me head-rushes and threatens to make me pass out, and again, I'm not sure what or who I'm bowing to, and that makes me very uncomfortable. I do feel that I could take some time to learn more about it and I would probably be happy and comfortable with it. What I really like about it, something the preceptor said yesterday, something about committing to peace in the world, being yourself a cause of peace in the world... That is something I would like very much to do, and that is what will probably bring me back to the Zen Center. In Buddhism, too, there is virtually none of the "marketing," that need to convert others, that drives Christians et al to make their kids go door to door with pamphlets etc. It is absolutely true that, in the Christian religion(s), those who are innocent of knowledge of heaven and hell and god and jesus are supposedly not sent to hell when they die, and so these devout practitioners think it their duty to inform the innocents, so they CAN go to hell!
Anyway, wrong place perhaps to go off on a religion rant, when really I just want to mark the occasion of Terrie's moment. So here's to my love Junden, doing something very right.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Pedaling My Ass Around Town
Bike 2: 339.9; 17.7
18 miles seems like a "short" ride now... Even with what seems like a pretty strong headwind, if I keep pedaling consistently in high gear, I'm doing 16, even 18 mph. Leg muscles always hurt when I first start, but often like today get accustomed to pedaling and it gets easy.
A couple of other cyclists stopped with their bikes, apparently fixing this or that. Felt like maybe I should stop, but nobody seemed particularly distressed... And this isn't the Outback or anything--there are after all gas stations, liquor stores, delis within easy bike-pushing distance--hell, the bike shop is only five miles away...
18 miles seems like a "short" ride now... Even with what seems like a pretty strong headwind, if I keep pedaling consistently in high gear, I'm doing 16, even 18 mph. Leg muscles always hurt when I first start, but often like today get accustomed to pedaling and it gets easy.
A couple of other cyclists stopped with their bikes, apparently fixing this or that. Felt like maybe I should stop, but nobody seemed particularly distressed... And this isn't the Outback or anything--there are after all gas stations, liquor stores, delis within easy bike-pushing distance--hell, the bike shop is only five miles away...
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Goat's Heads
Bike 2: 322.2; 26.3
And by the way, that's 340 miles now on Bike 2 since I got it August 14--just past the 332 miles I'd covered on Bike 1 in the prior month.
Tire still full. Today I noticed all the star thistles blooming beside the trail, especially out near Willowside. Their thorns (called goat's heads, and I think perhaps occasionally used in the making of a soup) are like children's "jacks," and they scatter from the plant to lie in wait on the roads and trails, to embed themselves in bike tires and eventually break off and work their way through the tire to the tube, where they cause flats. I had so many problems at this time of year with my other bike, I got the Green Slime stuff AND a liner to combat them and STILL got flats from them now and then. So, that's probably the culprit of my recent tubular problems.
Anyway, happy to again pile on some miles. I do feel like maybe I'm ever-so-slightly slimmer around the midsection after all this, and feel kind of obsessive about keeping up the miles (even while trying to climb more hills, which usually means fewer miles in the same span of time). Today I felt sore and slow when starting out, so didn't push the speed too much, and eventually settled into a mindless rhythm--sometimes I completely zone out for long stretches, and don't remember covering those miles, after the fact.
Again, people with dogs off-leash pissing me off. I don't usually say anything, but today a woman was on her cell phone totally ignoring her dog, which as soon as it saw me coming started running as if to give chase. I yelled "Leash" after passing; doubt she even heard me. Sigh.
And by the way, that's 340 miles now on Bike 2 since I got it August 14--just past the 332 miles I'd covered on Bike 1 in the prior month.
Tire still full. Today I noticed all the star thistles blooming beside the trail, especially out near Willowside. Their thorns (called goat's heads, and I think perhaps occasionally used in the making of a soup) are like children's "jacks," and they scatter from the plant to lie in wait on the roads and trails, to embed themselves in bike tires and eventually break off and work their way through the tire to the tube, where they cause flats. I had so many problems at this time of year with my other bike, I got the Green Slime stuff AND a liner to combat them and STILL got flats from them now and then. So, that's probably the culprit of my recent tubular problems.
Anyway, happy to again pile on some miles. I do feel like maybe I'm ever-so-slightly slimmer around the midsection after all this, and feel kind of obsessive about keeping up the miles (even while trying to climb more hills, which usually means fewer miles in the same span of time). Today I felt sore and slow when starting out, so didn't push the speed too much, and eventually settled into a mindless rhythm--sometimes I completely zone out for long stretches, and don't remember covering those miles, after the fact.
Again, people with dogs off-leash pissing me off. I don't usually say anything, but today a woman was on her cell phone totally ignoring her dog, which as soon as it saw me coming started running as if to give chase. I yelled "Leash" after passing; doubt she even heard me. Sigh.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
31 Flat-Free Miles
Bike 2: 295.9; 31.3
Catching up with the miles on Bike 1 7/11 - 8/11, but I took a week off in the month 8/11 - 9/11.
No flat! I have some hope now that I fixed it right this time.
Nice to stop at the coffee cart at Andy's and read the West County Times, about halfway through the 31 miles.
Now need to get to work on Java courses. I like this a lot--it's a useful skill to have, being able to at least read and maybe even write a little Java code, so even if the job ends when we finish the Java stuff I'll have something new in my bag of tricks. Meanwhile, working at home at my own pace is absolutely wonderful. I've been able to participate, too, in some of the yard stuff, working toward my Junior Permaculture Cadet badge...
OK, to work then!
Catching up with the miles on Bike 1 7/11 - 8/11, but I took a week off in the month 8/11 - 9/11.
No flat! I have some hope now that I fixed it right this time.
Nice to stop at the coffee cart at Andy's and read the West County Times, about halfway through the 31 miles.
Now need to get to work on Java courses. I like this a lot--it's a useful skill to have, being able to at least read and maybe even write a little Java code, so even if the job ends when we finish the Java stuff I'll have something new in my bag of tricks. Meanwhile, working at home at my own pace is absolutely wonderful. I've been able to participate, too, in some of the yard stuff, working toward my Junior Permaculture Cadet badge...
OK, to work then!
Monday, September 08, 2008
(Insert Flatulence Joke Here)
Bike 2: 264.6; 27.0
But four miles of that was walking the bike with a flat rear tire (again).
I was just starting to feel proud of having replaced the tube with some degree of competence when, after 22 miles, I felt a sort of "bap!" like when you go off a curb, but I was just going over a small (maybe 1-inch) notch in the concrete. Seconds later, the tire was flat.
I attempted at one point to get some air into it, but of course I had not read or otherwise received detailed instrux on the hand pump I got with the bike and so was doing it wrong, and was entirely unable to get the pump to attach to the stem.
This, and the fact that I have not lost a single ounce of weight in now 600 miles of biking in 57 days... very discouraging. At least I have an extra tube now, and I have every reason to hope I will eventually get it right if I get enough practice from the multiple flats I am sure to have. I only hope I actually got the wheel itself back on the bike properly so THAT doesn't come flying off unexpectedly.
I get SUCH a sense of despair when I can't get a mechanical thing to work properly--and that seems to be every time I ever have to try to get a mechanical thing to work properly.
Anyway, walked four miles to bike shop, which happens to be on the way home, bought two tubes and got some guidance, and was able to ride the rest of the way home. I have NO confidence the same thing won't happen again, but hey, I got home, and I'll be a little better off next time, right?
But four miles of that was walking the bike with a flat rear tire (again).
I was just starting to feel proud of having replaced the tube with some degree of competence when, after 22 miles, I felt a sort of "bap!" like when you go off a curb, but I was just going over a small (maybe 1-inch) notch in the concrete. Seconds later, the tire was flat.
I attempted at one point to get some air into it, but of course I had not read or otherwise received detailed instrux on the hand pump I got with the bike and so was doing it wrong, and was entirely unable to get the pump to attach to the stem.
This, and the fact that I have not lost a single ounce of weight in now 600 miles of biking in 57 days... very discouraging. At least I have an extra tube now, and I have every reason to hope I will eventually get it right if I get enough practice from the multiple flats I am sure to have. I only hope I actually got the wheel itself back on the bike properly so THAT doesn't come flying off unexpectedly.
I get SUCH a sense of despair when I can't get a mechanical thing to work properly--and that seems to be every time I ever have to try to get a mechanical thing to work properly.
Anyway, walked four miles to bike shop, which happens to be on the way home, bought two tubes and got some guidance, and was able to ride the rest of the way home. I have NO confidence the same thing won't happen again, but hey, I got home, and I'll be a little better off next time, right?
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Sunday Drivers
Bike 2: 237.6; 18.6
It was a short ride, but included several hills, some quite steep and/or long, including: Daywalt Road; Blank Road from 116 to Peterson; Orchard Station Road from Roblar to top of hill; Hessel Road from Turner to Fairbanks (fire station); and Lone Pine from 116 to Bloomfield.
Got a flat tire, luckily within a mile of home. I walked the bike home, couldn't find obvious nails or thorns, and refilled the tire. It'll probably be flat again shortly, but just in case. Funny, I bought a spare tube, what? four days ago?
On 116 near town, a woman in a dark blue Mercedes crossed the line to get nearer to me I guess. Not really close, but let's say two feet. This is a case where I was entirely off the road, on a ten-foot-wide shoulder. Then, I saw her do the same to another cyclist ahead of me. WtF?!? Granted, cyclists can be annoying--I've been annoyed by them when driving in MY car, especially on a narrow but wide-enough road where they might be riding two abreast when we could all coexist and get on with our lives if they were single file--but I've never heard of a cyclist killing anyone with their vehicle, which is basically what this woman came quite close to doing, twice.
I've noticed a couple of things, though, while out riding on a more "road-oriented" bike, that I might share, and if anyone's reading this who is prone to getting pissed at cyclists...
The shoulder is not always as smooth, clear of debris, and safe for riding as the road proper. Especially at any speed over 20, and/or in alternating light and shade, two-wheelers can't always trust that there will be no nasty surprises on the shoulder. Among other things, that's where motorists toss their bottles and mislay a lot of vehicle parts.
The edge of the road is often much more bumpy than the center: Ruts tend to form on the right edge, from vehicle wheels, water runoff, whatever. It seems like 9 out of 10 potholes are on that right edge.
It looks wider from a car than from a bike: Handlebars are 12-18 inches wide--that's my functional width (NOT the 1.5" of my tire!). A two-foot-wide shoulder only gives me six inches of wobble room. Don't necessarily expect a cyclist to manage to keep within that range, especially going uphill where one does tend to go a bit more side-to-side from pulling/pushing to make it up the hill.
Momentum Is Currency: If I can manage to keep the momentum from a good downhill, I can often maintain some speed going up the next one. It can mean the difference between cruising over the next hill at 13-15mph in high gear vs. gearing way down and laboring up the hill at 5mph. At the bottom of a long hill, I will hit the brakes out of consideration and safety every time, but man am I grateful when you don't make me do that!
The Momentum Thing also comes into play at stop signs and traffic signals. Certain online-news commenters claim to find it unconscionable that cyclists don't always come to a full stop at intersections. I notice that most cars don't fully stop at stop signs--in fact I count on it when I'm on my bike. But the dynamic on a bicycle is very different: You can hear a lot better (assuming you're not one of those morons listening to an MP3 player or similar); you can usually see a lot better; and you're approaching the stop at a slower speed to begin, with so you have more time to evaluate the intersection as you approach. Coming to a full stop on a bike also means COMPLETE loss of momentum. For me, at least, it usually means I have to get off the seat and pedals, and start from zero again when ready to go, which requires a LOT more work than slowing down, even slowing to less than 1 mph.
A last thing (for now) to consider: I don't think any cyclist WANTS to be in your way. I'd rather be off the road entirely, on a bike path, but the bike paths are incomplete, and they don't always go where we need or want to go. When I travel the roads, I will often go miles out of my way to avoid shoulderless hills, badly potted pavement, blind curves. When I know a car is behind me, I try to pedal a little faster if it means I can get out of their way sooner. When a car purposely goes left into another lane to pass me, I am always grateful (though I don't usually wave because I doubt you're looking for that even if you could see it, and I'm usually in a place where it's best to keep both hands on the grips). But know that I AM grateful for every concession you make as a ped or driver, as I'm trying to work that space between the two. Thanks!
It was a short ride, but included several hills, some quite steep and/or long, including: Daywalt Road; Blank Road from 116 to Peterson; Orchard Station Road from Roblar to top of hill; Hessel Road from Turner to Fairbanks (fire station); and Lone Pine from 116 to Bloomfield.
Got a flat tire, luckily within a mile of home. I walked the bike home, couldn't find obvious nails or thorns, and refilled the tire. It'll probably be flat again shortly, but just in case. Funny, I bought a spare tube, what? four days ago?
On 116 near town, a woman in a dark blue Mercedes crossed the line to get nearer to me I guess. Not really close, but let's say two feet. This is a case where I was entirely off the road, on a ten-foot-wide shoulder. Then, I saw her do the same to another cyclist ahead of me. WtF?!? Granted, cyclists can be annoying--I've been annoyed by them when driving in MY car, especially on a narrow but wide-enough road where they might be riding two abreast when we could all coexist and get on with our lives if they were single file--but I've never heard of a cyclist killing anyone with their vehicle, which is basically what this woman came quite close to doing, twice.
I've noticed a couple of things, though, while out riding on a more "road-oriented" bike, that I might share, and if anyone's reading this who is prone to getting pissed at cyclists...
The shoulder is not always as smooth, clear of debris, and safe for riding as the road proper. Especially at any speed over 20, and/or in alternating light and shade, two-wheelers can't always trust that there will be no nasty surprises on the shoulder. Among other things, that's where motorists toss their bottles and mislay a lot of vehicle parts.
The edge of the road is often much more bumpy than the center: Ruts tend to form on the right edge, from vehicle wheels, water runoff, whatever. It seems like 9 out of 10 potholes are on that right edge.
It looks wider from a car than from a bike: Handlebars are 12-18 inches wide--that's my functional width (NOT the 1.5" of my tire!). A two-foot-wide shoulder only gives me six inches of wobble room. Don't necessarily expect a cyclist to manage to keep within that range, especially going uphill where one does tend to go a bit more side-to-side from pulling/pushing to make it up the hill.
Momentum Is Currency: If I can manage to keep the momentum from a good downhill, I can often maintain some speed going up the next one. It can mean the difference between cruising over the next hill at 13-15mph in high gear vs. gearing way down and laboring up the hill at 5mph. At the bottom of a long hill, I will hit the brakes out of consideration and safety every time, but man am I grateful when you don't make me do that!
The Momentum Thing also comes into play at stop signs and traffic signals. Certain online-news commenters claim to find it unconscionable that cyclists don't always come to a full stop at intersections. I notice that most cars don't fully stop at stop signs--in fact I count on it when I'm on my bike. But the dynamic on a bicycle is very different: You can hear a lot better (assuming you're not one of those morons listening to an MP3 player or similar); you can usually see a lot better; and you're approaching the stop at a slower speed to begin, with so you have more time to evaluate the intersection as you approach. Coming to a full stop on a bike also means COMPLETE loss of momentum. For me, at least, it usually means I have to get off the seat and pedals, and start from zero again when ready to go, which requires a LOT more work than slowing down, even slowing to less than 1 mph.
A last thing (for now) to consider: I don't think any cyclist WANTS to be in your way. I'd rather be off the road entirely, on a bike path, but the bike paths are incomplete, and they don't always go where we need or want to go. When I travel the roads, I will often go miles out of my way to avoid shoulderless hills, badly potted pavement, blind curves. When I know a car is behind me, I try to pedal a little faster if it means I can get out of their way sooner. When a car purposely goes left into another lane to pass me, I am always grateful (though I don't usually wave because I doubt you're looking for that even if you could see it, and I'm usually in a place where it's best to keep both hands on the grips). But know that I AM grateful for every concession you make as a ped or driver, as I'm trying to work that space between the two. Thanks!
Thursday, September 04, 2008
ROE-blar? or ROB-lar?
Bike 2: 219.0; 20.9
And 103.8 on the week, unless plans change for Friday and Saturday. I think I did get about halfway to Petaluma (to Roblar Rd.), so theoretically today's round trip equals a one-way ride to P-town--half of the ride I didn't do yesterday. This shorter ride again included some hills, which I mostly avoid by riding on the bike paths.
I got a Camelback pack that carries 70 oz. of water, extra tube, bike tool, wallet, and one or two other things as needed. It's nice. It spares the need to carry two water bottles that get hot sitting in the cages on the frame (or allows me to carry 70 + 48 oz. of water total, with the caged bottles).
Palin. There seems to be this hysterical glee among the Repugs, based on what I understand to be almost complete fabrications about the candidate. They are ecstatic about her on the SFGate and PressDemo comment boards (at least as much as I can stand to read), sure that somehow this woman has the "libs" (I wouldn't shorthand it like that if I was a con...) quaking in their boots? I don't see where this VP candidate gives McClone any advantage whatsoever--just a blip in controversy. It will be interesting to see the debates, but the Dems have won the debates in the last two races and still had the presidency stolen. My concern, before during and after Palin, is that people will continue to buy the skewed non-logic that the neocons have purveyed for the last ten years...
Is Obama going to increase taxes and McColon reduce them? I have not noticed a reduction in MY taxes in the past eight years that these people's hero has been vacationing in Crawford, and I don't think McClown will be any different.
Will the dems give everything away to the illegal immigrants? Jesus, that's such a stale argument. I believe if we put up every illegal immigrant on US welfare and unemployment for 100 years, that still would be about 1/100th of what we've spent on this stupid war in Iraq, and 1/100th of what we've given away in favors and tax breaks to the three or four remaining corporations that are now basically running monopolies in the US and the world. Where is your sense of SCALE. Bush initially asked for a HUGE number of dollars in support of this war--$85 billion, wasn't it?--and has since come back repeatedly, each time for even more, and we have nothing to show for it but body bags. I'd frankly RATHER give some of that money to illegal immigrants! And OTHER unemployed folk, like myself!
And 103.8 on the week, unless plans change for Friday and Saturday. I think I did get about halfway to Petaluma (to Roblar Rd.), so theoretically today's round trip equals a one-way ride to P-town--half of the ride I didn't do yesterday. This shorter ride again included some hills, which I mostly avoid by riding on the bike paths.
I got a Camelback pack that carries 70 oz. of water, extra tube, bike tool, wallet, and one or two other things as needed. It's nice. It spares the need to carry two water bottles that get hot sitting in the cages on the frame (or allows me to carry 70 + 48 oz. of water total, with the caged bottles).
Palin. There seems to be this hysterical glee among the Repugs, based on what I understand to be almost complete fabrications about the candidate. They are ecstatic about her on the SFGate and PressDemo comment boards (at least as much as I can stand to read), sure that somehow this woman has the "libs" (I wouldn't shorthand it like that if I was a con...) quaking in their boots? I don't see where this VP candidate gives McClone any advantage whatsoever--just a blip in controversy. It will be interesting to see the debates, but the Dems have won the debates in the last two races and still had the presidency stolen. My concern, before during and after Palin, is that people will continue to buy the skewed non-logic that the neocons have purveyed for the last ten years...
Is Obama going to increase taxes and McColon reduce them? I have not noticed a reduction in MY taxes in the past eight years that these people's hero has been vacationing in Crawford, and I don't think McClown will be any different.
Will the dems give everything away to the illegal immigrants? Jesus, that's such a stale argument. I believe if we put up every illegal immigrant on US welfare and unemployment for 100 years, that still would be about 1/100th of what we've spent on this stupid war in Iraq, and 1/100th of what we've given away in favors and tax breaks to the three or four remaining corporations that are now basically running monopolies in the US and the world. Where is your sense of SCALE. Bush initially asked for a HUGE number of dollars in support of this war--$85 billion, wasn't it?--and has since come back repeatedly, each time for even more, and we have nothing to show for it but body bags. I'd frankly RATHER give some of that money to illegal immigrants! And OTHER unemployed folk, like myself!
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything
Bike 2: 198.1; 42.4
Yeah, 42. This is the full extent of the West County and Rodota trails--8 miles from Sebastopol to Forestville, back to Sebastopol, continuing 8 miles to Santa Rosa, 5 more miles out the Greenway to Willowside Road, and back. Gotta admit, I was slowing WAY down towards the end. I wish there was a good way to keep my water at least somewhat cool--it's pretty much as hot as the air temp by the time I really need it. And I'm practically chugging a 750ml bottle of Pellegrino when I get home.
So, tomorrow, if I feel up to it I'll ride to Petaluma, and if not I won't feel too bad about missing a day. It should be less mileage, and will include lunch in the middle.
I've been listening to faves from this decade so far on iTunes. The list is certainly not as long as for the 60s (949), 70s (1305), 80s (436), and won't be anywhere near as long even when 2010 rolls in, but there's a fair amount of cool stuff, and some of it's even by bands that didn't exist before, say, 1995... Maybe there's hope. :-)
Yeah, 42. This is the full extent of the West County and Rodota trails--8 miles from Sebastopol to Forestville, back to Sebastopol, continuing 8 miles to Santa Rosa, 5 more miles out the Greenway to Willowside Road, and back. Gotta admit, I was slowing WAY down towards the end. I wish there was a good way to keep my water at least somewhat cool--it's pretty much as hot as the air temp by the time I really need it. And I'm practically chugging a 750ml bottle of Pellegrino when I get home.
So, tomorrow, if I feel up to it I'll ride to Petaluma, and if not I won't feel too bad about missing a day. It should be less mileage, and will include lunch in the middle.
I've been listening to faves from this decade so far on iTunes. The list is certainly not as long as for the 60s (949), 70s (1305), 80s (436), and won't be anywhere near as long even when 2010 rolls in, but there's a fair amount of cool stuff, and some of it's even by bands that didn't exist before, say, 1995... Maybe there's hope. :-)
Monday, September 01, 2008
Labor
Bike 2: 155.7; 17.2.
50 days and 500 miles since I was laid off, I tried an old new all-road route today, taking 116 south out of Sebastopol, right on Hessel Rd., keeping right on Turner, Blank, and Canfield, Bloomfield, Pleasant Hill, Watertrough, and Bodega (12), then left on Ragle, and right again on Mill Station, crossing 116 to the bike path and back down to the high school and home. Shorter mileage, more hills (approx. 800 ft vertical), including a few downhills over 30mph. I wish I could switch to the softer-riding mountain bike on the downhills and the faster smoother Marin on the uphills and flats. I'm thinking of possibly riding to Petaluma Wednesday; about 25 miles, I figure. After this ride, I'm thinking of it a little less, though truth be told there are probably fewer hills because that route cuts right through the valley. I suppose it's a long-term goal, to again manage that half-century round trip from Sebastopol to Petaluma. It was something I wished I did a few times when I was working in North Petaluma in 2001, and always wished to do again on something like a regular basis, whenever I again found myself working in Petaluma. It could be a relatively easy haul, if it was safe to ride the full length of 116 and Stony Point. Stony Point has since been widened, 116 has not.
(Topo shows the route as 17.5 miles, with only 400 ft elevation gain/loss. Not sure I should believe that, but if true, I think I could manage that [35m/800' round trip with lunch in the middle].) I have another day to think about it.
50 days and 500 miles since I was laid off, I tried an old new all-road route today, taking 116 south out of Sebastopol, right on Hessel Rd., keeping right on Turner, Blank, and Canfield, Bloomfield, Pleasant Hill, Watertrough, and Bodega (12), then left on Ragle, and right again on Mill Station, crossing 116 to the bike path and back down to the high school and home. Shorter mileage, more hills (approx. 800 ft vertical), including a few downhills over 30mph. I wish I could switch to the softer-riding mountain bike on the downhills and the faster smoother Marin on the uphills and flats. I'm thinking of possibly riding to Petaluma Wednesday; about 25 miles, I figure. After this ride, I'm thinking of it a little less, though truth be told there are probably fewer hills because that route cuts right through the valley. I suppose it's a long-term goal, to again manage that half-century round trip from Sebastopol to Petaluma. It was something I wished I did a few times when I was working in North Petaluma in 2001, and always wished to do again on something like a regular basis, whenever I again found myself working in Petaluma. It could be a relatively easy haul, if it was safe to ride the full length of 116 and Stony Point. Stony Point has since been widened, 116 has not.
(Topo shows the route as 17.5 miles, with only 400 ft elevation gain/loss. Not sure I should believe that, but if true, I think I could manage that [35m/800' round trip with lunch in the middle].) I have another day to think about it.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Backwards
Bike 2: 138.5; 23.3
Thought the Guerneville Road section that was such a bitch to climb would be fun to do downhill, and figured there's any number of points to cut the loop short in this clockwise direction, too. But the slope is pretty gradual--only good for about 25mph tops--and I ended up doing the entire loop on the Rodota trail in to Santa Rosa and back out to Sebastopol.
Head winds suck. And not the good kind of sucking.
I think my disc brake(s) might be dragging a bit, and from what I can tell, that's not uncommon for new brakes. It's not quite enough to really feel like it's slowing me down, most of the time, but enough to make a little noise, especially when backing the bike up. Hmm. I'll let it go for a while and see if it works itself out.
I think I am mostly happy about McClown's choice of running mate, because I think it shows the shallow Repubs' typical misunderestimation of the American voter, like just having a woman--ANY woman--VP is gonna get them women's--ANY women's--votes. It is absolutely amazing to me that they are having their convention in New Orleans in hurricane season [um, they're not--it's in St. Paul--where'd I get this idea?]. What a buncha dumbasses! Now we have "storm of the century" Gustav blowing in on the party--may they all drown in the cesspool of their own lies. Hey, I remember when "x of the century" meant something! In year eight of 100, how can anything be "anything of the century"?!? Eight years into this century, it rings a bit hollow, especially with these fat cats still contributing to global conditions that might well create much worse storms before the century is out.
"Hamlet 2." I think I liked that movie a lot more than I should've, but y'know, even for a pointless summer teen comedy, it was better than it should've been. Quite a few laugh-out-loud funny moments, and hey, points for ABC's "The Look of Love" closing it out--yippie yi yay! I made noise about it elsewhere, but will just re-mention that Catherine Keener and Amy Poehler were both especially good in this, not that they needed to carry the movie...
Thought the Guerneville Road section that was such a bitch to climb would be fun to do downhill, and figured there's any number of points to cut the loop short in this clockwise direction, too. But the slope is pretty gradual--only good for about 25mph tops--and I ended up doing the entire loop on the Rodota trail in to Santa Rosa and back out to Sebastopol.
Head winds suck. And not the good kind of sucking.
I think my disc brake(s) might be dragging a bit, and from what I can tell, that's not uncommon for new brakes. It's not quite enough to really feel like it's slowing me down, most of the time, but enough to make a little noise, especially when backing the bike up. Hmm. I'll let it go for a while and see if it works itself out.
I think I am mostly happy about McClown's choice of running mate, because I think it shows the shallow Repubs' typical misunderestimation of the American voter, like just having a woman--ANY woman--VP is gonna get them women's--ANY women's--votes. It is absolutely amazing to me that they are having their convention in New Orleans in hurricane season [um, they're not--it's in St. Paul--where'd I get this idea?]. What a buncha dumbasses! Now we have "storm of the century" Gustav blowing in on the party--may they all drown in the cesspool of their own lies. Hey, I remember when "x of the century" meant something! In year eight of 100, how can anything be "anything of the century"?!? Eight years into this century, it rings a bit hollow, especially with these fat cats still contributing to global conditions that might well create much worse storms before the century is out.
"Hamlet 2." I think I liked that movie a lot more than I should've, but y'know, even for a pointless summer teen comedy, it was better than it should've been. Quite a few laugh-out-loud funny moments, and hey, points for ABC's "The Look of Love" closing it out--yippie yi yay! I made noise about it elsewhere, but will just re-mention that Catherine Keener and Amy Poehler were both especially good in this, not that they needed to carry the movie...
Friday, August 29, 2008
Degrees
Bike 2: 115.2; 20.6.
92 of 'em (degrees), when I left at about 1:00. Pleased to have a little shade along the greenway, and hope the recent tree work provides shade for future generations of hikers and cyclists.
I have biked 110.6 miles this week, two more miles than my previous high; could still log more tomorrow.
Sonoma Rep, Sebastopol Shakespeare Festival is staging "Taming of the Shrew" outdoors in Sebastopol's Ives park--three more nights. It's a great rendition of a classic comedy. Bring a picnic dinner and a bottle of wine, and you're set!
92 of 'em (degrees), when I left at about 1:00. Pleased to have a little shade along the greenway, and hope the recent tree work provides shade for future generations of hikers and cyclists.
I have biked 110.6 miles this week, two more miles than my previous high; could still log more tomorrow.
Sonoma Rep, Sebastopol Shakespeare Festival is staging "Taming of the Shrew" outdoors in Sebastopol's Ives park--three more nights. It's a great rendition of a classic comedy. Bring a picnic dinner and a bottle of wine, and you're set!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Two major hills
Bike 2: 94.6; 23.3
Steely Dan was really cool. I could think of all kinds of reasons to be disappointed or annoyed, but the fact is, they put on a great show, with a good number of songs I (mostly) know, presented in just-new-enough ways.
It’s been a while since I’ve had a Steely Dan song stuck in my head, and (yesterday AND) this morning I had the odd sensation of having two at once: Gaucho and Aja, endless loop between the chorus of Gaucho and that little Chinese-sounding instrumental part of Aja…
Absolutely terrible opening group—(what I would call) freeform jazz by a quartet of electronic keyboard, drums, trumpet and sax. No vocals; keyboardists sets a tone, each player emotes heavily, lather rinse repeat. Everyone politely claps, not only at the end of the song, but after each *&*%#% solo—of which every song consists of exactly four, of course: noodle noodle noodle noodle, big ending. No Theme! Thankfully, they only did three or four songs. I hesitate to mention the name, but you already know if you like or hate this kind of jazz, so in case you want to avoid them, it was these wallies: http://www.samyahel.com/home.html.
The band came on and did a funked-up instrumental of “Everyone’s Gone to the Movies,” segued into “The Fez,” and in the middle of this, Becker and Fagen entered.
So the group included Becker and Fagen, lead guitarist, bass, backing keyboard, bass and tenor saxes, trumpet, trombone, drums, and three lovely afro’d backup singers. They have a Web page with everyone listed http://www.steelydan.com/2kband.html.
Guitarist, drummer, singers, and horns had occasional standout moments. I got to thinking, no single guitarist is ever gonna fill the chair, no? Because even on individual albums, they’d have at least 10 guitar credits, and that was really a big part of the freshness of their sound, the various different soloists—especially on guitar. So to have one guy sit through 15 songs is more than any one guitarist probably ever did with them. But “Show Biz Kids” didn’t sound right to me without that slide… who was that on the original, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter? The backup singers really added a lot to the quality of performances and the visual aspect of the show--and reminded me how many songs featured a trio like this, including ah Clydie King (I remembered THAT name; the others were Venetta Fields and Sherlie Matthews)...
The set had an odd boxy geometric design as a backdrop (I think it was some portion of the Citizen box set logo), across which various motifs were projected. Common colored spots shone down on group and individuals, with occasional rotating-pattern spots (like on the “Show Biz Kids” punchline). One really cool, lovely dark purple song ending.
Did anyone note the irony of Steely Dan T-Shirts (cf "Show Biz Kids") for sale ($30+) in the lobby? There was a nice Aja one, but I don’t wear black much. All the others looked rather phoned-in, pieced together out of old fonts and clip art, with no intimate knowledge of the group? I really treasure my “Morse Science High School” T-shirt from the Firesign show…They also had CDs, a $65 sweatshirt (?!), hats with “SD” on the front, key chains ($15), and coffee cups. You wouldn’t even GET a reference to a “Steely Dan Coffee Cup,” back in the day!
I doubt there was a person under 40 in the audience—none, at least, who came willingly.
I think Donald was trying to channel Ray Charles, with the sunglasses and odd posture at the keyboard. Or has he always done that?
Becker only spoke up once, during “Hey 19,” with a funny bit about how all the cells in your body are replaced every seven years, and the cell that remembered that amber-colored beverage must’ve been replaced, but the backup singers would remember it—oh yeah, “Cuervo Gold”! And he sang “Gaucho” in kind of a low register with little or no backup.
Interesting that they didn’t do the earlier hits like “Do It Again,” “Reeling in the Years,” "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," but I was pretty happy with the song selection, with relatively obscure stuff like “Fez,” Parker’s Band,” but still would’ve liked one or two from the first album and maybe “My Old School,” “King of the World,” stuff like that. Only one encore did seem a little chintzy, but it was a good 90 minutes plus overall. Of course, I’d’ve happily sat through the entire catalog, and for $100 a ticket, I feel they shoulda played requests at my house, but I guess that’s what tickets cost for an elusive top-name act like the Dan of Steel now…
The vocals were really hard to decipher--whether from the sound system or Fagen’s delivery, I can’t say--but I kinda felt bad for T, who hadn’t lived and breathed these songs, to get no idea of what was being said in e.g., “Show Biz Kids,” which was clear as a bell and bristling with angry wit on the album of course.
It was fun to recognize (most of the) songs in the first few notes and sing along, and somewhat surprising that much of the audience was singing along too. I always felt the Dan were kinda “ours” prior to Aja… but then again, a lot more were singing to “Peg” than to “Parker’s Band”… (But everyone seemed to know “Kid Charlemagne,” which I thought was not that well known, so what do *I* know…)
Anyway, a great, fun, entertaining show. I was very glad I went.
OK!
Today's bike ride again made the big loop completed by Guerneville Rd., 116, and Green Valley, and I think the maximum speed on my odometer (35.4) probably IS accurate, and I got to at least 32 today on that Green Valley hill. Too bad about that stop sign right at the bottom of the hill. Think I'll do this loop backwards sometime just to get the long downhill without a stop on Guerneville Rd.
I did the Barlow Lane hill as a little add-on. I don't think it adds much if any to the mileage, but it does include a little extra sleigh ride on Mill Station Rd.
90 miles on the week now. Need 18 to surpass my last "big week."
Need a bell.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Steven D. Miller [mailto:steve@born-today.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 11:49 PM
To: 'Terrie Miller'
Subject: Set List
Everyone’s Gone to the Movies (instrumental)
The Fez (Becker and Fagen enter)
Royal Scam
I Got the News
Show Biz Kids
Bodhisattva
Two Against Nature
Hey 19
?? “…not the case…”
FM
?? “…yes we’re gonna have a…”
Gaucho
Black Friday
Parker’s Band
Josie
Aja
?? “…Can’t Stop the Fire…” band intros (Guitarist John Harrington, drummer Kevin something, alto sax, Bob something, yeah I got THOSE down!)
Black Cow
Peg
Kid Charlemagne (Encore)
Steely Dan was really cool. I could think of all kinds of reasons to be disappointed or annoyed, but the fact is, they put on a great show, with a good number of songs I (mostly) know, presented in just-new-enough ways.
It’s been a while since I’ve had a Steely Dan song stuck in my head, and (yesterday AND) this morning I had the odd sensation of having two at once: Gaucho and Aja, endless loop between the chorus of Gaucho and that little Chinese-sounding instrumental part of Aja…
Absolutely terrible opening group—(what I would call) freeform jazz by a quartet of electronic keyboard, drums, trumpet and sax. No vocals; keyboardists sets a tone, each player emotes heavily, lather rinse repeat. Everyone politely claps, not only at the end of the song, but after each *&*%#% solo—of which every song consists of exactly four, of course: noodle noodle noodle noodle, big ending. No Theme! Thankfully, they only did three or four songs. I hesitate to mention the name, but you already know if you like or hate this kind of jazz, so in case you want to avoid them, it was these wallies: http://www.samyahel.com/home.html.
The band came on and did a funked-up instrumental of “Everyone’s Gone to the Movies,” segued into “The Fez,” and in the middle of this, Becker and Fagen entered.
So the group included Becker and Fagen, lead guitarist, bass, backing keyboard, bass and tenor saxes, trumpet, trombone, drums, and three lovely afro’d backup singers. They have a Web page with everyone listed http://www.steelydan.com/2kband.html.
Guitarist, drummer, singers, and horns had occasional standout moments. I got to thinking, no single guitarist is ever gonna fill the chair, no? Because even on individual albums, they’d have at least 10 guitar credits, and that was really a big part of the freshness of their sound, the various different soloists—especially on guitar. So to have one guy sit through 15 songs is more than any one guitarist probably ever did with them. But “Show Biz Kids” didn’t sound right to me without that slide… who was that on the original, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter? The backup singers really added a lot to the quality of performances and the visual aspect of the show--and reminded me how many songs featured a trio like this, including ah Clydie King (I remembered THAT name; the others were Venetta Fields and Sherlie Matthews)...
The set had an odd boxy geometric design as a backdrop (I think it was some portion of the Citizen box set logo), across which various motifs were projected. Common colored spots shone down on group and individuals, with occasional rotating-pattern spots (like on the “Show Biz Kids” punchline). One really cool, lovely dark purple song ending.
Did anyone note the irony of Steely Dan T-Shirts (cf "Show Biz Kids") for sale ($30+) in the lobby? There was a nice Aja one, but I don’t wear black much. All the others looked rather phoned-in, pieced together out of old fonts and clip art, with no intimate knowledge of the group? I really treasure my “Morse Science High School” T-shirt from the Firesign show…They also had CDs, a $65 sweatshirt (?!), hats with “SD” on the front, key chains ($15), and coffee cups. You wouldn’t even GET a reference to a “Steely Dan Coffee Cup,” back in the day!
I doubt there was a person under 40 in the audience—none, at least, who came willingly.
I think Donald was trying to channel Ray Charles, with the sunglasses and odd posture at the keyboard. Or has he always done that?
Becker only spoke up once, during “Hey 19,” with a funny bit about how all the cells in your body are replaced every seven years, and the cell that remembered that amber-colored beverage must’ve been replaced, but the backup singers would remember it—oh yeah, “Cuervo Gold”! And he sang “Gaucho” in kind of a low register with little or no backup.
Interesting that they didn’t do the earlier hits like “Do It Again,” “Reeling in the Years,” "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," but I was pretty happy with the song selection, with relatively obscure stuff like “Fez,” Parker’s Band,” but still would’ve liked one or two from the first album and maybe “My Old School,” “King of the World,” stuff like that. Only one encore did seem a little chintzy, but it was a good 90 minutes plus overall. Of course, I’d’ve happily sat through the entire catalog, and for $100 a ticket, I feel they shoulda played requests at my house, but I guess that’s what tickets cost for an elusive top-name act like the Dan of Steel now…
The vocals were really hard to decipher--whether from the sound system or Fagen’s delivery, I can’t say--but I kinda felt bad for T, who hadn’t lived and breathed these songs, to get no idea of what was being said in e.g., “Show Biz Kids,” which was clear as a bell and bristling with angry wit on the album of course.
It was fun to recognize (most of the) songs in the first few notes and sing along, and somewhat surprising that much of the audience was singing along too. I always felt the Dan were kinda “ours” prior to Aja… but then again, a lot more were singing to “Peg” than to “Parker’s Band”… (But everyone seemed to know “Kid Charlemagne,” which I thought was not that well known, so what do *I* know…)
Anyway, a great, fun, entertaining show. I was very glad I went.
OK!
Today's bike ride again made the big loop completed by Guerneville Rd., 116, and Green Valley, and I think the maximum speed on my odometer (35.4) probably IS accurate, and I got to at least 32 today on that Green Valley hill. Too bad about that stop sign right at the bottom of the hill. Think I'll do this loop backwards sometime just to get the long downhill without a stop on Guerneville Rd.
I did the Barlow Lane hill as a little add-on. I don't think it adds much if any to the mileage, but it does include a little extra sleigh ride on Mill Station Rd.
90 miles on the week now. Need 18 to surpass my last "big week."
Need a bell.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Steven D. Miller [mailto:steve@born-today.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 11:49 PM
To: 'Terrie Miller'
Subject: Set List
Everyone’s Gone to the Movies (instrumental)
The Fez (Becker and Fagen enter)
Royal Scam
I Got the News
Show Biz Kids
Bodhisattva
Two Against Nature
Hey 19
?? “…not the case…”
FM
?? “…yes we’re gonna have a…”
Gaucho
Black Friday
Parker’s Band
Josie
Aja
?? “…Can’t Stop the Fire…” band intros (Guitarist John Harrington, drummer Kevin something, alto sax, Bob something, yeah I got THOSE down!)
Black Cow
Peg
Kid Charlemagne (Encore)
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Rodota Schmodota
Bike 2: 71.3; 26.1.
That's 2/3 of the way to 100 miles on the week, but I'm actually hoping for more like 120, or at least more than my biggest week so far (108.6).
My average speed over the 26 miles today was a little over 13mph--actually only about 1mph faster than on the old bike, but it feels a lot faster. This route is unpaved, though still not mud or gravel, for about 10 of the 26 miles.
I'm sure all the statistics are scintillating to anyone unfortunate enough to be reading this, but I like to keep track of stuff.
Tonight: Steely Dan! They are one of my many "hero" groups--and were not really a group at all, per se, during their main recording years (1972-82 or so).
I think many listeners got a certain impression from "Back, Jack, do it again" that conveyed an image that didn't really jibe with what the Dan really were. For one, they were more jazz than rock or pop. For another, they were probably the smartest lyricists yet then heard (and maybe still). For still another (another what? another "THING"!), because they weren't a band per se, they had the most talented musicians available in LA-area recording studios, and they could enlist the right group of players for each song on an album if they pleased. They (Becker and Fagen, the core of Steely Dan) were also notorious perfectionists in the studio, so what you heard on those six classic albums was absolutely the best possible sound that could be wrung for the studios and musicians of the time.
Then as if for irony, Fagen's none-too-melodic voice presided over the whole affair.
This might've been the height of what Punk was a response to, in a way, but I bet most music-literate punks would have nothing but good words for the Dan, who after all peopled their songs with cranks, misfits, and downright perverts, in settings that ranged from seedy to creepy to post-apocalyptic. Where the Eagles at their best might've laid claim to some of this territory, it had to have been a strain for them; the Dan at their worst walked all over the Eagles.
In those days, the release of a new Steely Dan album was reason enough to go and buy it, sight unseen.
As I thought about them today riding my bike, I thought of "King of the World" from the "Countdown to Ecstasy" album, with the aforementioned post-apocalyptic setting:
Hello one and all
Was it you I used to know
Can't you hear me call
On this old ham radio
All I got to say
I'm alive and feeling fine
If you come my way
You can share my poison wine
CHORUS:
No marigolds in the promised land
There's a hole in the ground
Where they used to grow
Any man left on the Rio Grande
Is the king of the world
As far as I know
I don't want your bread
I don't need your helping hand
I can't be no savage
I can't be no highwayman
Show me where you are
You and I will spend this day
Driving in my car
Through the ruins of Santa Fe
CHORUS
I'm reading last year's papers
Although I don't know why
Assassins cons and rapers
Might as well die
If you come around
No more pain and no regrets
Watch the sun go brown
Smoking cobalt cigarettes
There's no need to hide
Taking things the easy way
If I stay inside
I might live till Saturday
CHORUS
The verses follow a pretty basic rock chord progression--"All Along the Watchtower" backwards--and then we go practically into free-form jazzland on the choruses, with chords 98% of rockers never attempt (of the groups of whom I know some of their charts, you might be surprised to know that the only other group that went out into this territory beyond 4/4 time and major, minor, and seventh chords, was the Grateful Dead.
Maybe this is my way back into playing music. Must find the old Steely Dan book. Which was funny in itself, because in an introduction to this book, Becker/Fagen themselves claim that they use something called a "mu" chord wherein one adds a full step to the octave note--which creates for example a pretty difficult-to-play barre chord--and I'm still not sure if they were joking, but they said if you tried to play their songs without using these "mu" chords and they found out about it, you'd be in some sort of trouble. (Though neither of these scrawny guys looked capable of beating up Eleanor Roosevelt in a fair fight, they could certainly deliver blistering and withering verbal abuse, if their lyrics gave any indication.)
Here's to Steely Dan! Can't wait to see 'em tonite!
That's 2/3 of the way to 100 miles on the week, but I'm actually hoping for more like 120, or at least more than my biggest week so far (108.6).
My average speed over the 26 miles today was a little over 13mph--actually only about 1mph faster than on the old bike, but it feels a lot faster. This route is unpaved, though still not mud or gravel, for about 10 of the 26 miles.
I'm sure all the statistics are scintillating to anyone unfortunate enough to be reading this, but I like to keep track of stuff.
Tonight: Steely Dan! They are one of my many "hero" groups--and were not really a group at all, per se, during their main recording years (1972-82 or so).
I think many listeners got a certain impression from "Back, Jack, do it again" that conveyed an image that didn't really jibe with what the Dan really were. For one, they were more jazz than rock or pop. For another, they were probably the smartest lyricists yet then heard (and maybe still). For still another (another what? another "THING"!), because they weren't a band per se, they had the most talented musicians available in LA-area recording studios, and they could enlist the right group of players for each song on an album if they pleased. They (Becker and Fagen, the core of Steely Dan) were also notorious perfectionists in the studio, so what you heard on those six classic albums was absolutely the best possible sound that could be wrung for the studios and musicians of the time.
Then as if for irony, Fagen's none-too-melodic voice presided over the whole affair.
This might've been the height of what Punk was a response to, in a way, but I bet most music-literate punks would have nothing but good words for the Dan, who after all peopled their songs with cranks, misfits, and downright perverts, in settings that ranged from seedy to creepy to post-apocalyptic. Where the Eagles at their best might've laid claim to some of this territory, it had to have been a strain for them; the Dan at their worst walked all over the Eagles.
In those days, the release of a new Steely Dan album was reason enough to go and buy it, sight unseen.
As I thought about them today riding my bike, I thought of "King of the World" from the "Countdown to Ecstasy" album, with the aforementioned post-apocalyptic setting:
Hello one and all
Was it you I used to know
Can't you hear me call
On this old ham radio
All I got to say
I'm alive and feeling fine
If you come my way
You can share my poison wine
CHORUS:
No marigolds in the promised land
There's a hole in the ground
Where they used to grow
Any man left on the Rio Grande
Is the king of the world
As far as I know
I don't want your bread
I don't need your helping hand
I can't be no savage
I can't be no highwayman
Show me where you are
You and I will spend this day
Driving in my car
Through the ruins of Santa Fe
CHORUS
I'm reading last year's papers
Although I don't know why
Assassins cons and rapers
Might as well die
If you come around
No more pain and no regrets
Watch the sun go brown
Smoking cobalt cigarettes
There's no need to hide
Taking things the easy way
If I stay inside
I might live till Saturday
CHORUS
The verses follow a pretty basic rock chord progression--"All Along the Watchtower" backwards--and then we go practically into free-form jazzland on the choruses, with chords 98% of rockers never attempt (of the groups of whom I know some of their charts, you might be surprised to know that the only other group that went out into this territory beyond 4/4 time and major, minor, and seventh chords, was the Grateful Dead.
Maybe this is my way back into playing music. Must find the old Steely Dan book. Which was funny in itself, because in an introduction to this book, Becker/Fagen themselves claim that they use something called a "mu" chord wherein one adds a full step to the octave note--which creates for example a pretty difficult-to-play barre chord--and I'm still not sure if they were joking, but they said if you tried to play their songs without using these "mu" chords and they found out about it, you'd be in some sort of trouble. (Though neither of these scrawny guys looked capable of beating up Eleanor Roosevelt in a fair fight, they could certainly deliver blistering and withering verbal abuse, if their lyrics gave any indication.)
Here's to Steely Dan! Can't wait to see 'em tonite!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Marin Novato
Bike 2: 45.2; 24.4
That's a weird name for a bike. "Marin Novato"; Novato is a town in Marin County, and if you've lived in or near there (as I have for some 35 years), "Marin Novato" is not a sequence or pairing you would normally use. But it's a very cool bike. It has added about 10% to my average speed, even on rough terrain, and I'm regularly passing the mountain bikers now, which makes me feel really good about my progress. Today's ride repeated the loop of July 30, but probably 20 minutes quicker. So I'm pleased with the new bike. The only thing that requires acclimatization is the unsuspended front end, which rattles like a diamondback (heh) on a good bumpy downhill, such as Green Valley Rd. today, where I got up over 30mph and felt like I was hanging on for dear life. But I love the flat-gray color, the different frame shape, the smooth-rolling tires, the softer seat, the disk brakes. Like a sportier car, the bike itself kinda pushes me to ride more aggressively, to pedal a little harder. I need to get bike shoes to use with the pedals, or switch back to the plain pedals until I do. And I need to get a bell, because I hate shouting at people on the trail, and I don't trust them to stay right (if they are on the right to begin with).
Cyclists, again, have a bad rep on the trails, and I try to be conscious of that and conscientious and courteous to other people on the trails, but it is really true that momentum is very important to a cyclist--it's something you work hard to get and are loath to throw away on unnecessary braking, so, for example, when I'm rolling on a nice downhill and there are people three abreast on the trail just before it turns back uphill, I will hit the brakes with more than a little reluctance. But I'll hit the brakes nonetheless, and greet those people with a cheery "good morning." But jeeze, I wish EVERYone was as considerate as ME!
Hoping to do another 100-mile week. 40 miles so far, pretty good start.
That's a weird name for a bike. "Marin Novato"; Novato is a town in Marin County, and if you've lived in or near there (as I have for some 35 years), "Marin Novato" is not a sequence or pairing you would normally use. But it's a very cool bike. It has added about 10% to my average speed, even on rough terrain, and I'm regularly passing the mountain bikers now, which makes me feel really good about my progress. Today's ride repeated the loop of July 30, but probably 20 minutes quicker. So I'm pleased with the new bike. The only thing that requires acclimatization is the unsuspended front end, which rattles like a diamondback (heh) on a good bumpy downhill, such as Green Valley Rd. today, where I got up over 30mph and felt like I was hanging on for dear life. But I love the flat-gray color, the different frame shape, the smooth-rolling tires, the softer seat, the disk brakes. Like a sportier car, the bike itself kinda pushes me to ride more aggressively, to pedal a little harder. I need to get bike shoes to use with the pedals, or switch back to the plain pedals until I do. And I need to get a bell, because I hate shouting at people on the trail, and I don't trust them to stay right (if they are on the right to begin with).
Cyclists, again, have a bad rep on the trails, and I try to be conscious of that and conscientious and courteous to other people on the trails, but it is really true that momentum is very important to a cyclist--it's something you work hard to get and are loath to throw away on unnecessary braking, so, for example, when I'm rolling on a nice downhill and there are people three abreast on the trail just before it turns back uphill, I will hit the brakes with more than a little reluctance. But I'll hit the brakes nonetheless, and greet those people with a cheery "good morning." But jeeze, I wish EVERYone was as considerate as ME!
Hoping to do another 100-mile week. 40 miles so far, pretty good start.
Friday, August 15, 2008
New Bike
29km / 29km
I got my new bike. It's a Marin Novato. It rolls smooth, like a (good) dream. Since the REI assembler set the odometer to kilometers instead of miles, I don't know how fast I was going (up to 30kmh, usually closer to 20), but it did seem faster than the old Giant. I fixed the setting; we'll see.
I got my new bike. It's a Marin Novato. It rolls smooth, like a (good) dream. Since the REI assembler set the odometer to kilometers instead of miles, I don't know how fast I was going (up to 30kmh, usually closer to 20), but it did seem faster than the old Giant. I fixed the setting; we'll see.
Monday, August 11, 2008
F <-> SR
460.6; 31.0
There ya go--31 miles! I did the 16-mile West County Trail, and then went through Sebastopol and did the 15-mile round trip out to Santa Rosa, basically a Forestville to Santa Rosa round trip. Not too bad, but I really took it easy for lots of the distance, knowing I was going to go farther than usual.
Insurance scare after dentist visit Friday--looked like I was not covered, and the possibility arose that maybe the extended coverage through August was only for certain body parts. I realize this is par for the course with the insurance "industry," but is it not still absurd, and even Kafka-esque (appropriate for today, as we read about the discovery of Franz' porn collection!)?
So, what happened to the Better Business Bureau? Is that even an avenue for a common citizen to complain against the corporate behemoths of today? To whom DO we complain, when we discover that the afflicted part of us is the one that happens to not be covered in our policy? "See the fine print here? 'Except in cases where left butt cheek is involved.'" So, dental and vision are a little more obviously different from general medical, I suppose, but it doesn't take much to see it extending down a slippery slope, to ear nose and throat, or podiatry, or heart-and-lung, or liver, or any other specialty, each falling under its own insuredness, such that we are paying for a Chinese menu of potential areas of ailment. And mind you, all of these are in addition to the THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH they want for basic medical health coverage.
Well, actually, dental IS covered, so I guess I have little basis for complaint... but I certainly was NOT a happy camper on Friday--indeed, no happy tent, no happy firepit, no happy spork and tin plate, not even happy weiners and S'mores.
I'm shopping for insurance for this difficult time of underemployment. I sure hope we can do a LOT better than the COBRA quote (1K/mo).
There ya go--31 miles! I did the 16-mile West County Trail, and then went through Sebastopol and did the 15-mile round trip out to Santa Rosa, basically a Forestville to Santa Rosa round trip. Not too bad, but I really took it easy for lots of the distance, knowing I was going to go farther than usual.
Insurance scare after dentist visit Friday--looked like I was not covered, and the possibility arose that maybe the extended coverage through August was only for certain body parts. I realize this is par for the course with the insurance "industry," but is it not still absurd, and even Kafka-esque (appropriate for today, as we read about the discovery of Franz' porn collection!)?
So, what happened to the Better Business Bureau? Is that even an avenue for a common citizen to complain against the corporate behemoths of today? To whom DO we complain, when we discover that the afflicted part of us is the one that happens to not be covered in our policy? "See the fine print here? 'Except in cases where left butt cheek is involved.'" So, dental and vision are a little more obviously different from general medical, I suppose, but it doesn't take much to see it extending down a slippery slope, to ear nose and throat, or podiatry, or heart-and-lung, or liver, or any other specialty, each falling under its own insuredness, such that we are paying for a Chinese menu of potential areas of ailment. And mind you, all of these are in addition to the THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH they want for basic medical health coverage.
Well, actually, dental IS covered, so I guess I have little basis for complaint... but I certainly was NOT a happy camper on Friday--indeed, no happy tent, no happy firepit, no happy spork and tin plate, not even happy weiners and S'mores.
I'm shopping for insurance for this difficult time of underemployment. I sure hope we can do a LOT better than the COBRA quote (1K/mo).
Friday, August 08, 2008
Sugar Town
429.6; 16.7, and that puts me over 300 miles in this latest spate of pedaling.
Nancy Sinatra! I haven't thought of that song since 1966, probably, when it was on AM radio with some regularity. My friend and I thought it was funny, the "Shu shu shu" refrain... Listened to the sample on iTunes, boy, that's creepy. I'll probably have bought it by the end of the week. Oh, it's Friday, better buy it soon--but should I look up Nancy Sinatra albums, or just get the 99-cent single on iTunes? LOL
I'm told, to progress in the muscle-building and weight-losing, I need to cross-train. "Lunges" and "squats" and the like are proposed and are probably just the thing. I just have a really really hard time with "organized exercise," exercise-for-exercise's-sake, exercise without scenery passing by as I GET SOMEWHERE. Too, if I hope to regain the svelte figger of circa 1990, I would probably need to step eating dessert and pay more attention to what I eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Actually, I'm probably doing pretty well there:
But I do feel healthier. And I question the value of denying one's self these pleasures. My friend is cutting out practically all foods that taste good, it seems, and is now checking his blood sugar more often than I do, even though he isn't (yet) diabetic. And my sense is that he's not even that close to being diabetic. Further, that your diet and exercise can control your blood sugar levels, but ultimately, diabetes is largely genetic and a large percentage of your chance of ending up with it is entirely out of your hands.
How unhealthy might it be to stress out that much about your health?!?
It's one of the things that make me uncomfortable to be around him now. There's an implicit accusation there, that *I'm* not doing everything *I* can to control my sugar...
Nancy Sinatra! I haven't thought of that song since 1966, probably, when it was on AM radio with some regularity. My friend and I thought it was funny, the "Shu shu shu" refrain... Listened to the sample on iTunes, boy, that's creepy. I'll probably have bought it by the end of the week. Oh, it's Friday, better buy it soon--but should I look up Nancy Sinatra albums, or just get the 99-cent single on iTunes? LOL
I'm told, to progress in the muscle-building and weight-losing, I need to cross-train. "Lunges" and "squats" and the like are proposed and are probably just the thing. I just have a really really hard time with "organized exercise," exercise-for-exercise's-sake, exercise without scenery passing by as I GET SOMEWHERE. Too, if I hope to regain the svelte figger of circa 1990, I would probably need to step eating dessert and pay more attention to what I eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Actually, I'm probably doing pretty well there:
- Two or three cups coffee with nonfat organic milk.
- Costco macadamia-cranberry crunch cereal with blueberries--lots--and a peach and a banana sometime later in the morning.
- Peanut (or some-nut) butter and jelly, usu. on whole grain, for lunch.
- Various excellent meals usually involving foods from our meat and/or veggie CSAs, which Terrie makes nightly (I hope I'm saying THANK YOU every night...).
- After that is when it all falls apart: third of a pint of Ben and Jerry's or similar, in front of the TV.
But I do feel healthier. And I question the value of denying one's self these pleasures. My friend is cutting out practically all foods that taste good, it seems, and is now checking his blood sugar more often than I do, even though he isn't (yet) diabetic. And my sense is that he's not even that close to being diabetic. Further, that your diet and exercise can control your blood sugar levels, but ultimately, diabetes is largely genetic and a large percentage of your chance of ending up with it is entirely out of your hands.
How unhealthy might it be to stress out that much about your health?!?
It's one of the things that make me uncomfortable to be around him now. There's an implicit accusation there, that *I'm* not doing everything *I* can to control my sugar...
Thursday, August 07, 2008
One Goal Met
412.9; 27.3
And so, two 25-plus days this week. It seems three 25s are harder than five 20s, somehow, but today I actually seemed to gain momentum later in the ride. No pressure for tomorrow, but who knows. 284 miles since July 13, starting to seem like a real accomplishment... First 13 miles clocked in at 66 minutes--almost 13mph...
Last night, watched "Big Easy to Big Empty: The Untold Story of the Drowning of New Orleans." If even SOME of this is true, the current United States "government" has absolutely no shame. Really scary, how totalitarian this looks, and how hopeless the average citizen's chances against it. This is, absolutely, ten times as bad as anything Nixon did. One could make an argument for calling it genocidal.
We need to start planning for what to do if the 2008 presidential election is hijacked like the last two. I have no doubt that McCain loses in a fair contest, and I have no doubt that these sleazy people WILL try to usher him in anyway. I don't think we're living in a democracy anymore. I would dearly love to be proven wrong (about the ushering). I think the greatest hope of avoiding that is an overwhelming turnout for Obama. If it looks anywhere near close, they will try to skew it.
And so, two 25-plus days this week. It seems three 25s are harder than five 20s, somehow, but today I actually seemed to gain momentum later in the ride. No pressure for tomorrow, but who knows. 284 miles since July 13, starting to seem like a real accomplishment... First 13 miles clocked in at 66 minutes--almost 13mph...
Last night, watched "Big Easy to Big Empty: The Untold Story of the Drowning of New Orleans." If even SOME of this is true, the current United States "government" has absolutely no shame. Really scary, how totalitarian this looks, and how hopeless the average citizen's chances against it. This is, absolutely, ten times as bad as anything Nixon did. One could make an argument for calling it genocidal.
We need to start planning for what to do if the 2008 presidential election is hijacked like the last two. I have no doubt that McCain loses in a fair contest, and I have no doubt that these sleazy people WILL try to usher him in anyway. I don't think we're living in a democracy anymore. I would dearly love to be proven wrong (about the ushering). I think the greatest hope of avoiding that is an overwhelming turnout for Obama. If it looks anywhere near close, they will try to skew it.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Boomerang
385.6; 27.2.
This route is boomerang-shaped. Big sweep ENE, then a right angle to NNW, out to a point, and turn around and do the whole thing backward. Half of my goal is done: one 25+ day in the bag this week. I was definitely running out of steam by the end, even without pushing too hard. Hope to be more sprightly at the end of a similar ride Thursday.
This route is boomerang-shaped. Big sweep ENE, then a right angle to NNW, out to a point, and turn around and do the whole thing backward. Half of my goal is done: one 25+ day in the bag this week. I was definitely running out of steam by the end, even without pushing too hard. Hope to be more sprightly at the end of a similar ride Thursday.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Sunday Roll
358.4; 20.5.
Didn't really plan to ride or have any expectation of a number of miles to ride today, but ended up getting 20. And not a "normal" 20, but one that included the bike path to Forestville and back, a pretty big hill (Barlow Rd.) and some single-track (in Ragle Ranch Park). Most impressive, I made the Barlow hill in gear 3-4 (19 of 24) without stopping.
At the foot of Barlow, there's a mini Buddhist shrine for what appears to be a cyclist who died there. Not sure who he is, or what the story is, but I stop there sometimes and somewhat superstitiously pour some of my water out. Guess I see it as sharing one of the precious things a cyclist needs, one of the few concessions almost EVERY cyclist makes to carry as much weight as necessary; the most valuable thing I'm carrying. I guess I don't really think this guy is cycleing beyond the grave, and in need of astral hydration (!), but it's more in the way of a gesture at the memorial; i.e., for the living. And it's only two or three miles from home so I am okay with jettisonning the last of my water bottle. Now I think maybe I can make that little patch green and keep it that way through the summer.
I took a little ride on a Marin (Belvedere?) 29er (single-speed) bike yesterday. It has the pedals designed for special shoes, which I don't have but I guess I'll need. I like the concept of wheels three inches bigger than the standard (26-inch) wheels--more momentum, better and smoother rolling over obstacles, higher center for the bike, but lower overall center of gravity for the rider. That, coupled with higher gearing and a stiffer ride, I think will make for a better machine for the kind of riding I'm doing. I'm going to get the bike if it's available. Wonder if I can get them to leave off the branding decals?
Stiffer ride: I tightened my front fork this morning before my ride, and I think it did help in the uphill and in general--less "give" means more power transferred directly to the pavement.
My goal this week, I think, will be to get at least a couple of over-25 rides.
Didn't really plan to ride or have any expectation of a number of miles to ride today, but ended up getting 20. And not a "normal" 20, but one that included the bike path to Forestville and back, a pretty big hill (Barlow Rd.) and some single-track (in Ragle Ranch Park). Most impressive, I made the Barlow hill in gear 3-4 (19 of 24) without stopping.
At the foot of Barlow, there's a mini Buddhist shrine for what appears to be a cyclist who died there. Not sure who he is, or what the story is, but I stop there sometimes and somewhat superstitiously pour some of my water out. Guess I see it as sharing one of the precious things a cyclist needs, one of the few concessions almost EVERY cyclist makes to carry as much weight as necessary; the most valuable thing I'm carrying. I guess I don't really think this guy is cycleing beyond the grave, and in need of astral hydration (!), but it's more in the way of a gesture at the memorial; i.e., for the living. And it's only two or three miles from home so I am okay with jettisonning the last of my water bottle. Now I think maybe I can make that little patch green and keep it that way through the summer.
I took a little ride on a Marin (Belvedere?) 29er (single-speed) bike yesterday. It has the pedals designed for special shoes, which I don't have but I guess I'll need. I like the concept of wheels three inches bigger than the standard (26-inch) wheels--more momentum, better and smoother rolling over obstacles, higher center for the bike, but lower overall center of gravity for the rider. That, coupled with higher gearing and a stiffer ride, I think will make for a better machine for the kind of riding I'm doing. I'm going to get the bike if it's available. Wonder if I can get them to leave off the branding decals?
Stiffer ride: I tightened my front fork this morning before my ride, and I think it did help in the uphill and in general--less "give" means more power transferred directly to the pavement.
My goal this week, I think, will be to get at least a couple of over-25 rides.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Calcified
337.9; 17.7 (108.6 miles in five days)
It's quite warm outside today, and I did already walk about five miles, so 17.7 is acceptable. Could've gone longer, but this was all the distance I needed to go today.
I guess I wouldn't say I'm going with full-on intensity, but I am going harder than "medium." On the return trip, I tried very hard to keep it over 15mph, which is pretty fast for me, as a continuous pace (I get to 17 or 18 with a tailwind, or at least no headwind, and perhaps a bit of a downhill slant). Mostly did stay over 14 (well, definitely over 13) the entire ride back, except stopping and slowing for traffic.
Looking at bikes. Navarro Buzz V was looking pretty good in the REI store, but now I realize the gearing is pretty much the same as my existing bike; now I'm getting swayed by the Marin Redwood: http://www.marinbikes.com/2008/us/bikes/specs_redwood.php or the Muirwoods 29er: http://www.marinbikes.com/2008/us/bikes/specs_muirwoods_29er.php
So many variables! It helps to keep in mind that you can change a lot of stuff on a bike after you get it, and the more integral options are the ones to consider first: frame type and shape, gearing, brakes. The seat seems to be the first thing to go on a lot of stock bicycles. It's good that I think about it more before doing anything.
It's quite warm outside today, and I did already walk about five miles, so 17.7 is acceptable. Could've gone longer, but this was all the distance I needed to go today.
I guess I wouldn't say I'm going with full-on intensity, but I am going harder than "medium." On the return trip, I tried very hard to keep it over 15mph, which is pretty fast for me, as a continuous pace (I get to 17 or 18 with a tailwind, or at least no headwind, and perhaps a bit of a downhill slant). Mostly did stay over 14 (well, definitely over 13) the entire ride back, except stopping and slowing for traffic.
Looking at bikes. Navarro Buzz V was looking pretty good in the REI store, but now I realize the gearing is pretty much the same as my existing bike; now I'm getting swayed by the Marin Redwood: http://www.marinbikes.com/2008/us/bikes/specs_redwood.php or the Muirwoods 29er: http://www.marinbikes.com/2008/us/bikes/specs_muirwoods_29er.php
So many variables! It helps to keep in mind that you can change a lot of stuff on a bike after you get it, and the more integral options are the ones to consider first: frame type and shape, gearing, brakes. The seat seems to be the first thing to go on a lot of stock bicycles. It's good that I think about it more before doing anything.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Lag-O-Matic
320.2; 21.3
Caught a 'bug' of some kind, it seems, at the Sonoma County Fair Tuesday in the livestock area--Swine Flu? I don't know, but on an intake of breath, something seemingly got into my respiratory system, caused a coughing fit, and lodged in my sinus cavity, where it stays, an irritant that won't go away. By this morning, I was no longer sure it was the particle from the fair; just knew my sinuses were still irritated and I didn't feel very good.
I'm determined, though, to get 100 miles in this five-day week. I have an appointment tomorrow in Santa Rosa--an 18-mile round-trip--so should manage it. But today was hard, and a lot slower than previous days, with more and longer stopping. Maybe it was partly from starting later and so getting more headwind.
People point to Obama's lack of experience vs. McCain's. I don't see a big gap there, and I don't see where inexperience in the kind of politics practiced by Karl Rove et al would be a negative point anyway.
I'm reading a sort of bio on Obama, "Promise to Power," a puff-piece to be sure, pretty obviously written by an admirer. But what I see emerging is a man of strong character, a man who devoted to service, and a man of extraordinary intelligence and learning. A man interested mainly in solving problems. He is extremely ambitious, but I think it is borne out that his ambition is not the self-serving ambition of a W. Bush (or even Hillary Clinton). I honestly don't think he's in it for personal glory.
I believe McCain is a damaged human. Whether from his Vietnam captivity or being dropped on his head at an earlier age, I do not know, but he has the look and manner of a person who is capable of wildly unpredictable and irrational actions, and I don't trust him. I also believe he IS in this for personal glory, and that's why he has switched ("flip-flopped," in the vernacular) from portraying himself as an almost independent outsider to largely toeing the BushCo line. I believe he will cave to corporate interests--rather continue in the Bush tradition of catering to corporate interests with no regard to human or national cost. Maybe he WAS outside? Now he wants very badly to be inside. Or shall I say "to be inside, very badly."
I can't believe this is anywhere near a close race, but in a way that's good: maybe people won't take their votes for granted and will go to the polls in large numbers in November. It is of the utmost urgency that we NOT let this neocon repugnican nonsense continue further--the country and the world won't survive it.
Caught a 'bug' of some kind, it seems, at the Sonoma County Fair Tuesday in the livestock area--Swine Flu? I don't know, but on an intake of breath, something seemingly got into my respiratory system, caused a coughing fit, and lodged in my sinus cavity, where it stays, an irritant that won't go away. By this morning, I was no longer sure it was the particle from the fair; just knew my sinuses were still irritated and I didn't feel very good.
I'm determined, though, to get 100 miles in this five-day week. I have an appointment tomorrow in Santa Rosa--an 18-mile round-trip--so should manage it. But today was hard, and a lot slower than previous days, with more and longer stopping. Maybe it was partly from starting later and so getting more headwind.
People point to Obama's lack of experience vs. McCain's. I don't see a big gap there, and I don't see where inexperience in the kind of politics practiced by Karl Rove et al would be a negative point anyway.
I'm reading a sort of bio on Obama, "Promise to Power," a puff-piece to be sure, pretty obviously written by an admirer. But what I see emerging is a man of strong character, a man who devoted to service, and a man of extraordinary intelligence and learning. A man interested mainly in solving problems. He is extremely ambitious, but I think it is borne out that his ambition is not the self-serving ambition of a W. Bush (or even Hillary Clinton). I honestly don't think he's in it for personal glory.
I believe McCain is a damaged human. Whether from his Vietnam captivity or being dropped on his head at an earlier age, I do not know, but he has the look and manner of a person who is capable of wildly unpredictable and irrational actions, and I don't trust him. I also believe he IS in this for personal glory, and that's why he has switched ("flip-flopped," in the vernacular) from portraying himself as an almost independent outsider to largely toeing the BushCo line. I believe he will cave to corporate interests--rather continue in the Bush tradition of catering to corporate interests with no regard to human or national cost. Maybe he WAS outside? Now he wants very badly to be inside. Or shall I say "to be inside, very badly."
I can't believe this is anywhere near a close race, but in a way that's good: maybe people won't take their votes for granted and will go to the polls in large numbers in November. It is of the utmost urgency that we NOT let this neocon repugnican nonsense continue further--the country and the world won't survive it.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The Perfect Loop?
298.9; 23.2 miles. Tempting to go around the block just to pass 300, but we're in this for the long haul.
Well, it's better than the ride that included the hellish Frei Road segment. All the same, but instead of turning on Frei, I stayed on Guerneville Road to the end, turned left on 116, right on Green Valley, and met up with the West County trail there.
The remaining segment on Guerneville road is a slow grade (slowing me to 5mph at worst), but with at least 5 feet of shoulder, which feels like a mile compared to the entire lack of shoulder on Frei, even with cars passing at 55. There's still another variation yet to try, cutting over on Vine Hill Road, but it looks rather Frei-ish, and it would also make me miss the fun Green Valley Road downhill, on which I got up to ~32 mph coasting today. Biggest downhill I've had in this two weeks of riding.
It's taking me about two hours to do 23-ish miles. I think I was a little slower today, in spite of starting earlier with presumably less heat and headwind. Third day in a row over 20 miles, so maybe it's wearing a bit--and as noted yesterday, precious little in the way of visible/tangible results.
They're trimming brush and trees on part of the Greenway, and they have adequate signage on the eastbound entry to that segment, but NOT on the westbound. So twice now I've suddenly come up on these guys blocking the path such that I have t ocarry the bike around them. If they had a sign at the previous underpass, I could simply cross of the creek and ride the trail on the other side for that segment. As I was negotiating this obstacle today, a guy down near the creek was yelling at me to go back--yeah, like I'm gonna backtrack a mile when I can get around this in 20 seconds! I cupped hand to ear, universal sign for "I can't hear you!" and continued.
Thinking I should try to do some more serious climbs--seven years ago, I was doing hills like the truly fearsome Burnside Road--but it seems almost better to do a lesser grade consistently and steadily than to do a major one with multiple gasping-for-air stops...
FOund out how to adjust the front fork, I think. Might add a little preload to stiffen the ride there. Would definitely help in the case of actual standing-on-the-pedals climbs....
Well, it's better than the ride that included the hellish Frei Road segment. All the same, but instead of turning on Frei, I stayed on Guerneville Road to the end, turned left on 116, right on Green Valley, and met up with the West County trail there.
The remaining segment on Guerneville road is a slow grade (slowing me to 5mph at worst), but with at least 5 feet of shoulder, which feels like a mile compared to the entire lack of shoulder on Frei, even with cars passing at 55. There's still another variation yet to try, cutting over on Vine Hill Road, but it looks rather Frei-ish, and it would also make me miss the fun Green Valley Road downhill, on which I got up to ~32 mph coasting today. Biggest downhill I've had in this two weeks of riding.
It's taking me about two hours to do 23-ish miles. I think I was a little slower today, in spite of starting earlier with presumably less heat and headwind. Third day in a row over 20 miles, so maybe it's wearing a bit--and as noted yesterday, precious little in the way of visible/tangible results.
They're trimming brush and trees on part of the Greenway, and they have adequate signage on the eastbound entry to that segment, but NOT on the westbound. So twice now I've suddenly come up on these guys blocking the path such that I have t ocarry the bike around them. If they had a sign at the previous underpass, I could simply cross of the creek and ride the trail on the other side for that segment. As I was negotiating this obstacle today, a guy down near the creek was yelling at me to go back--yeah, like I'm gonna backtrack a mile when I can get around this in 20 seconds! I cupped hand to ear, universal sign for "I can't hear you!" and continued.
Thinking I should try to do some more serious climbs--seven years ago, I was doing hills like the truly fearsome Burnside Road--but it seems almost better to do a lesser grade consistently and steadily than to do a major one with multiple gasping-for-air stops...
FOund out how to adjust the front fork, I think. Might add a little preload to stiffen the ride there. Would definitely help in the case of actual standing-on-the-pedals climbs....
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Tech Writers on the Storm
275.8; 23.6
Kinda wanted to try for more, but needed to get back.
Rodota -> Greenway -> Turned around at Willowside, which is around 13 miles, so the round trip would be around 26. But instead of taking the Greenway all the way back to Rodota, I shortcut it south on Stony Point. Still good ride, good workout; I'm drenched with sweat again.
So, is this just gonna make for shapely legs with the giant round torso balanced precariously on top? What do I need to do to reduce the BELLY? Might start doing some treadmill time too, and the situps again (which we KNOW have absolutely no effect on the abs). It's not like I'm pigging out hugely; though I do have my nightly dessert, it's no more than I had before I started biking so much. How much deprivation do I need to endure to lose a couple inches at the waist?
Kinda wanted to try for more, but needed to get back.
Rodota -> Greenway -> Turned around at Willowside, which is around 13 miles, so the round trip would be around 26. But instead of taking the Greenway all the way back to Rodota, I shortcut it south on Stony Point. Still good ride, good workout; I'm drenched with sweat again.
So, is this just gonna make for shapely legs with the giant round torso balanced precariously on top? What do I need to do to reduce the BELLY? Might start doing some treadmill time too, and the situps again (which we KNOW have absolutely no effect on the abs). It's not like I'm pigging out hugely; though I do have my nightly dessert, it's no more than I had before I started biking so much. How much deprivation do I need to endure to lose a couple inches at the waist?
Monday, July 28, 2008
Deep Frei
252.2 miles on the OD - 22.8 miles. Have I mentioned that I had some 2500 miles (from ~2000-2006) on the odometer before the battery died and it zeroed out? OK, just checking.
Tried to extend the Sonoma County Bike Path Tour today, to encompass over 20 miles. I won't do this route again! Everything was okay till I got to Frei Rd, which is a bit of an uphill grind, with NO shoulder, several blind curves, and relatively light traffic but going about 40 mph.
In some cases, heavy traffic is almost better. If there's a constant line of cars, it's a pretty good bet that if one sees you they'll all see you.
Otherwise, great ride, with an earlier enough start to beat the worst of the heat and the afternoon wind.
From Sebastopol: east on Joe Rodota trail to the Greenway; west on the Greenway to Willowside Rd.; north on Willowside to Guerneville Rd.; SW on Frei, which crosses 116/Gravenstein to become Graton Rd.; catch the West County bike path there going south back into Sebastopol.
Looking at "hybrid" bikes for the road. 99% of my riding has been on pavement, and I think I can do better with more road-wise gearing, tires, etc. Having lost my job, should I drop $500, 800 on a bicycle? It's quite possible (it's my fervent hope!) that would become my commute bike., so there's SOME justification for it.
The girls at the coffee cart at Andy's seemed to think I was a "bike man" who had ridden from Maryland. I told them I left Maryland in 1974; "there have been a few stops."
Last night, Nina Gerber (http://www.ninagerber.com/) played at the French Garden restaurant in Sebastopol. Totally confirmed my assessment from hearing her on CD (I bought her "Sweet Dreams" lullabyes CD four times and gave it away three times) that she is an AMAZING guitarist, a local, should-be National, treasure.
The less said about the rest of the experience, the better--though you might find my account amusing, it would be quite negative. But I feel a profound urge to write a lilting melody about giving up in the face of adversity, just lying down and waiting for angels to bail me out, and if I can mention fire, birds, and weather in the same line, I think that'll be the chorus. Ahem: "hand me the capo, dear, I feel a Song coming on!"
Tried to extend the Sonoma County Bike Path Tour today, to encompass over 20 miles. I won't do this route again! Everything was okay till I got to Frei Rd, which is a bit of an uphill grind, with NO shoulder, several blind curves, and relatively light traffic but going about 40 mph.
In some cases, heavy traffic is almost better. If there's a constant line of cars, it's a pretty good bet that if one sees you they'll all see you.
Otherwise, great ride, with an earlier enough start to beat the worst of the heat and the afternoon wind.
From Sebastopol: east on Joe Rodota trail to the Greenway; west on the Greenway to Willowside Rd.; north on Willowside to Guerneville Rd.; SW on Frei, which crosses 116/Gravenstein to become Graton Rd.; catch the West County bike path there going south back into Sebastopol.
Looking at "hybrid" bikes for the road. 99% of my riding has been on pavement, and I think I can do better with more road-wise gearing, tires, etc. Having lost my job, should I drop $500, 800 on a bicycle? It's quite possible (it's my fervent hope!) that would become my commute bike., so there's SOME justification for it.
The girls at the coffee cart at Andy's seemed to think I was a "bike man" who had ridden from Maryland. I told them I left Maryland in 1974; "there have been a few stops."
Last night, Nina Gerber (http://www.ninagerber.com/) played at the French Garden restaurant in Sebastopol. Totally confirmed my assessment from hearing her on CD (I bought her "Sweet Dreams" lullabyes CD four times and gave it away three times) that she is an AMAZING guitarist, a local, should-be National, treasure.
The less said about the rest of the experience, the better--though you might find my account amusing, it would be quite negative. But I feel a profound urge to write a lilting melody about giving up in the face of adversity, just lying down and waiting for angels to bail me out, and if I can mention fire, birds, and weather in the same line, I think that'll be the chorus. Ahem: "hand me the capo, dear, I feel a Song coming on!"
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Blueberry Derby
229.4 on the OD; 16.4 miles, and I've officially ridden 101 miles since I started riding again (seems like more, frankly). 95 degrees outside--if I don't lose some of this flab, I am going to give up and start eating chocolate ice cream exclusively.
The blueberry farm is here:
View Larger Map
It's about a 6.5 mile ride from Sebastopol, 1.7 from Forestville, according to my trusty odometer. They have blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and those flavors of ice cream and sorbet. It is a nearly perfect stop on the 16.4-mile bike ride from Sebastopol to Forestville and back (they could provide more chairs and more shade).
The blueberries aren't particularly cheap ($5 for a pint, which I devoured in one sitting), but they are good, and you can see where they came from. (To see where the raspberries came from, go to our back yard.)
Aren't these bike shorts supposed to be comfortable? A somewhat delicate matter: I have . . . issues . . . with getting everything situated properly so it doesn't move inside the shorts in a very uncomfortable manner. I was actually wondering if I was putting them on backwards; i.e. the padding is supposed to go in the FRONT? The only reason I wear them, really, is for the padding in the REAR, though. So I don't know. This is true of all of the bike shorts I've worn.
OK, ROAD BIKERS. When you come up behind someone and overtake them, especially if you are going enough faster than them to startle them, do you simply not have the spare breath to call out "On your left" or something like that? If you can't muster that, how about "pbbt pbbt pbbt"--the sound of wind from an asshole. Otherwise, one of these times, I am going to be startled sufficiently to veer inadvertently (after all "advertently" isn't a word, right?) directly into your path. I realize you want to seem as much like an android and/or Frenchman as possible, and it's hard to make a noise above the sound of your legume-sized testicles rattling about in your calcified scrotum, but c'mon, show some human consideration and maybe someone will watch your dumb-ass sport on television, 'mkay?
I really pushed it (for me at least) today, and maintained continuous speed and sweat (and almost constant high gear) through the entire 16-mile round trip, with no stops on the way out to F'ville, and only a rest at the turnaround (Zen Center), the aforementioned blueberry stop, and one other stop for water and crotch adjustment at Occidental/Gravenstein on the way back. It feels good. It feels like I'm stronger than last time. I like having the leg power, I think that could make the wind ultimately less annoying--though it's a different thing pushing the pedals with two miles to go, from pushing 'em with 15 and two big hills still to go!
My morning blood sugar readings have been great since I started riding again. Predictable, but surprising how immediate and how major the effect is: all readings pre-layoff were in the mid-hundreds. Seven of 12 days since, under a hundred (as low as 76). I think there's a certain "ricochet" effect, where high number s stress me out and cause generally higher numbers, and low numbers tend to be calming.
Yesterday, magnificent Frida Kahlo show at the SF Museum of Modern Art. (Get reservations and) Go!
The blueberry farm is here:
View Larger Map
It's about a 6.5 mile ride from Sebastopol, 1.7 from Forestville, according to my trusty odometer. They have blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and those flavors of ice cream and sorbet. It is a nearly perfect stop on the 16.4-mile bike ride from Sebastopol to Forestville and back (they could provide more chairs and more shade).
The blueberries aren't particularly cheap ($5 for a pint, which I devoured in one sitting), but they are good, and you can see where they came from. (To see where the raspberries came from, go to our back yard.)
Aren't these bike shorts supposed to be comfortable? A somewhat delicate matter: I have . . . issues . . . with getting everything situated properly so it doesn't move inside the shorts in a very uncomfortable manner. I was actually wondering if I was putting them on backwards; i.e. the padding is supposed to go in the FRONT? The only reason I wear them, really, is for the padding in the REAR, though. So I don't know. This is true of all of the bike shorts I've worn.
OK, ROAD BIKERS. When you come up behind someone and overtake them, especially if you are going enough faster than them to startle them, do you simply not have the spare breath to call out "On your left" or something like that? If you can't muster that, how about "pbbt pbbt pbbt"--the sound of wind from an asshole. Otherwise, one of these times, I am going to be startled sufficiently to veer inadvertently (after all "advertently" isn't a word, right?) directly into your path. I realize you want to seem as much like an android and/or Frenchman as possible, and it's hard to make a noise above the sound of your legume-sized testicles rattling about in your calcified scrotum, but c'mon, show some human consideration and maybe someone will watch your dumb-ass sport on television, 'mkay?
I really pushed it (for me at least) today, and maintained continuous speed and sweat (and almost constant high gear) through the entire 16-mile round trip, with no stops on the way out to F'ville, and only a rest at the turnaround (Zen Center), the aforementioned blueberry stop, and one other stop for water and crotch adjustment at Occidental/Gravenstein on the way back. It feels good. It feels like I'm stronger than last time. I like having the leg power, I think that could make the wind ultimately less annoying--though it's a different thing pushing the pedals with two miles to go, from pushing 'em with 15 and two big hills still to go!
My morning blood sugar readings have been great since I started riding again. Predictable, but surprising how immediate and how major the effect is: all readings pre-layoff were in the mid-hundreds. Seven of 12 days since, under a hundred (as low as 76). I think there's a certain "ricochet" effect, where high number s stress me out and cause generally higher numbers, and low numbers tend to be calming.
Yesterday, magnificent Frida Kahlo show at the SF Museum of Modern Art. (Get reservations and) Go!
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