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!
Thursday, September 04, 2008
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...
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