tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14641462011-07-28T06:26:49.831-07:00Riding the bicycle, mile by mile...Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.comBlogger2501100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-76750383721090617472009-07-28T20:45:00.000-07:002009-07-28T21:02:06.305-07:00

2806.3; 100.8 miles! Sometimes in crossword puzzles, they have the clue "century plant" and the answer is "agave." Very near to halfway through my ride today, I saw an agave plant.Well, I got started, and I just kept goin'! Lunch at the Dry Creek Store is becoming a popular destination for me. Started north on Dry Creek Road, but ran out of shoulder and came back to Lambert Bridge Road and cut

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-66793851450274926742009-07-27T12:21:00.000-07:002009-07-28T21:07:46.287-07:00

2705.5; 21.0 milesI started out with a much longer ride in mind, and noticed about three miles out that my odometer wasn't working. On closer inspection, it appeared the cable-tie holding the sensor on the fork had been sheared off by my loading of my bike with another on the car rack yesterday. Miles the odometer doesn't see? They don't exist. So about 6 "ghost miles" back to the bike shop (West

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-85183529224073257272009-07-23T12:15:00.000-07:002009-07-23T12:24:33.346-07:00

2668.7; 31.5: Just trying to get my 120 on the week without aggravating the hip/knee soreness from Tuesday's epic ride, I squeezed by (124.2 if I don't ride any more this week--probably will try to get another 16 tomorrow). This is already my biggest month ever; will wait till the end of the month to post that mileage. Uneventful. Early start; the usual Forestville run, and then back to the start

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-63382075134636369192009-07-21T18:39:00.000-07:002009-07-21T19:05:27.401-07:00

2620.5; 76.0New record, one that I hope won't stand for too long. Left a little late for a "longish" ride--had no definite plans other than to check out West Dry Creek Rd., which continues north beyond Healdsburg from Westside Rd., and probably figures into any century I might do this summer. Home by 6:40, so almost exactly 10mph average... obviously, need to leave a bit earlier if I want to do a

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-2053476642118341032009-07-17T17:38:00.000-07:002009-07-17T17:45:04.549-07:00

2544.5; 39.6Lots of energy today for powering into sun and wind, wanting to get a sizeable chunk of the roughly 500 I need to get to 3000 miles on the odometer in the next 30 days. Also wanted to get 125, if possible, on the week--not to difficult with 87 already logged--just a question of which route to take. So I did the usual start out to Forestville and decided to widen the 30-mile loop a bit

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-78097023803746939702009-07-13T16:47:00.000-07:002009-07-13T17:50:00.855-07:00

2458.4; 40.9And I'm on the home stretch of a year owning this bike, trying for a little over 100 miles a week for the next four weeks to put it up near 3000 miles (any bets?).I scouted Sweetwater Springs Road on Friday. It's an eight-mile back road with some pretty serious climbs, twists and turns, one-lane stretches, and a lot of cow gratings. Very little traffic, as it's mostly vineyards,

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-51447044036603522432009-06-24T15:08:00.000-07:002009-06-24T15:19:14.249-07:00

2310.3; 52.2. Yeah, longest ride so far, but only by about half a mile. Really tried to keep the energy up, via 8-mile rests and small snacks. STILL got sluggish around 35 miles, but did manage to continue for (evidently) 17 more, stopping more often, but pressing onward. Man that WIND! It seemed particularly bad on the last stretch, the westbound Rodota trail. Stopped in at the shop to make appt

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-53333904639716929292009-06-23T16:01:00.000-07:002009-06-23T16:10:54.857-07:00

2258.1; 20.9I snuck in five miles on Saturday with John, going up to Andy's produce for a veggie drink and some fruit to bring home.Today, I just never got comfortable; never got in any kind of groove like I usually do. It seemed like every inch was Work--even the downhills were uncomfortable. I will attribute it to my "weekend condition," nyuk nyuk, having not ridden (seriously) since Friday.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-76728759685365078012009-06-19T16:23:00.000-07:002009-06-19T16:39:27.718-07:00

2232.0; 49.4If I'd known I was this close to 50, I'd have gone around the block! Usually I remember the starting mileage and have it running in my head all day, but today I wasn't sure. Another Petaluma lunch run. I rather like these, because I feel I can eat and drink whatever I damn well please after riding 27 miles over hill & dale to get there--BUT keeping in mind that I have to ride similar

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-19573523140873725522009-06-17T14:10:00.000-07:002009-06-17T14:24:20.611-07:00

2182.6; 34.3Almost the same loop as Monday, but on a whim more or less, I took Vine Hill Rd. instead of Laguna Rd. I managed to do that full section of Vine Hill without stopping, so I guess I've progressed! It added only a mile to the loop, but added a pretty major elevation gain too. I think I'm good for Petaluma Friday.West County Trail near O'Reilly: woman reins in her kid as I approach and

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-70771140944432726562009-06-15T13:43:00.000-07:002009-06-15T13:49:16.155-07:00

2148.3; 32.9 And so almost 50 miles on a week where I hope to clock a hundred (I did the short Forestville round-trip yesterday). Nothing much to report, except a little more fearlessness on the big downhills, and another 2 lbs lost at naked weigh-in this morning, for an even 200 lbs. and officially halfway to my stated goal.Nice day for riding; not too hot or bright out; not a lot of people on

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-22164960621639233212009-05-27T14:03:00.000-07:002009-05-27T14:14:11.905-07:00

2009.5; 38.4It's kinda (not) interesting to land on mileage that corresponds to the current month and year...Hope to get one or two more rides this week, try to keep my weekly average around 100.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-22811337587016318892009-05-20T14:15:00.000-07:002009-05-20T14:33:08.852-07:00

1939.8; 32.9That's total miles on the Marin bike, and mileage for today. Other info I track: Miles per week (61.7), month (241.1), quarter (513.3), and year (799.0); calendar days since start of quarter (50) and year (140); riding days since start of month (7), quarter (17), and year (33);Average miles per calendar day this month (12.7), quarter (10.3) and year (5.7);Average miles per riding day

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-83282830796513492592009-05-19T13:31:00.000-07:002009-05-19T13:56:51.340-07:00

1906.9; 28.8Just a "short" ride to maintain the momentum from the big 40+ rides last week and before. Windy but pleasant riding on the Rodota trail to Santa Rosa and the Greenway back out to Willowside--a reliable 13 miles. Then took Willowside up to Guerneville Rd., to Vine Hill, to Green Valley, to the West County Trail. Instead of heading directly home from there, I went on out to Forestville

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-84939097237148986642009-05-15T20:34:00.000-07:002009-05-15T20:48:14.858-07:00

1878.1; 51.3Bigger ride still. This also included some major, major hills, and the corresponding downhills, one of which (on Spring Hill Road) got me a new speed record, I think, at 37 mph--without even pedaling!I had guilt-free pasta and half a beer for lunch in Petaluma after 26 miles. After lunch, it was a bit of tough going for a while, but I stopped for a longish break in Cotati and seemed

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-40731445176408592062009-05-13T12:45:00.000-07:002009-05-13T12:55:09.962-07:00

May 11: 1803.0; 48.1May 13: 1826.8; 23.8Neglected to blog the 48-mile ride, longest to date on this bike (longest ride ever: 65 miles, but that was not intentional!). It was good.The 22 miles from here to Healdsburg must be one of the nicest rides in the county, at least on a weekday. On the bike path from Sebastopol to Forestville, then down the hill to the river and Westside Road following the

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-32728809070865195922009-05-08T14:11:00.000-07:002009-05-08T14:23:17.289-07:00

1754.8; 39.5The usual 8-mile start out to Forestville, down the Mirabel hill, along and across River Rd. to Wohler and Eastside. Then a deviation over to Windsor Rd and up through the town of Windsor, before heading back south on Old Redwood Hwy, to Fulton Rd., and then to the old familiar bike path again. After about a week of rain, I was very much ready to get back out and continue piling on

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-15098197384374762262009-04-27T13:20:00.000-07:002009-04-27T13:27:23.465-07:00

1715.4; 33.1. This ride's getting familiar. 8 miles of West County Trail to Forestville, down to River Road and then Wohler > Eastside > Trenton/Healdsburg > Laguna > Guerneville (I guess all that's about 12 miles) and the 13 miles of bike path boomeranging through Santa Rosa.Bit of a chill and a pretty strong headwind today, and it felt like the tires could use a little air (but not quite enough

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-25232220450440680762009-04-20T12:57:00.000-07:002009-04-20T13:05:20.746-07:00

1631.1; 33.0Just tracking miles on this bike now, since it's pretty much the only one I ride anymore unless it rains. New goals for the 2009 "biking season": keep riding; get to 2000, maybe a bigger round number; do one or more "centuries."Last two rides, I've gone for bigger miles off the "end" of the West County Trail in Forestville, continuing down to the river (and make no mistake--that's a

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-2811088522984442752009-02-23T09:48:00.001-08:002009-04-30T06:33:39.133-07:00

The meme: "Think of 15 albums (CDs, if you're under 40), concerts, or other musical events that had such a profound effect on you that they changed your life; dug themselves into your soul. Music that brought you to life when you heard it. Royally affected you, kicked you in the wazoo, literally socked you in the gut is what I mean. Now, imagine you're one of those pompous, pretentious 'rawk'

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-44724451828492975942008-12-31T04:50:00.000-08:002008-12-31T04:53:28.875-08:00

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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-55124412069798045562008-12-28T15:11:00.000-08:002008-12-28T15:28:28.848-08:00

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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-87888352213722794532008-12-03T16:18:00.000-08:002008-12-03T16:24:09.523-08:00

1455.9; 1105.6; 21.7Sickness, 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-80976561320546597352008-11-19T13:56:00.000-08:002008-11-19T14:22:52.539-08:00

1400.9; 1050.6; 16.6There'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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-69490800762053348032008-11-16T19:49:00.000-08:002008-11-16T19:53:27.918-08:00

1384.3; 1034.0; 16.5Mitch 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-66623904955127719572008-11-04T07:30:00.000-08:002008-11-04T08:53:52.818-08:00

Nob Hill Masonic CenterSan 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-18300330329222651792008-10-28T16:38:00.000-07:002008-10-28T17:01:32.820-07:00

1351.2; 1000.9(!); 40.5Yes, 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-44290299659323865652008-10-27T14:59:00.000-07:002008-10-28T08:00:32.667-07:00

1310.7; 960.4; 31.5Hop 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-70186016324229547592008-10-24T13:26:00.000-07:002008-10-24T15:50:11.173-07:00

1279.2; 928.9; 31.9Wasn'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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-57435729144615170102008-10-22T12:49:00.000-07:002008-10-22T12:55:12.627-07:00

1247.3; 897.0; 27.0Wanted 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.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-49290344333105942302008-10-21T11:21:00.000-07:002008-10-21T11:30:08.183-07:00

1220.3; 870.0; 18.2Afraid 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-49541471589322646072008-10-20T12:56:00.000-07:002008-10-20T13:23:52.237-07:00

1202.1; 851.8; 25.9Moved 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-47212804450187248612008-10-17T14:47:00.000-07:002008-10-17T15:02:52.969-07:00

1176.2; 825.9; 38.8Wow, 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-60695463287234098282008-10-15T13:53:00.000-07:002008-10-15T14:25:02.117-07:00

1137.4; 787.1; 31.2No 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-51686879409388438302008-10-14T10:46:00.000-07:002008-10-14T10:49:39.792-07:00

1106.2; 755.9; 27.5The 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-25134868900155267992008-10-13T11:04:00.000-07:002008-10-13T11:16:24.264-07:00

728.4; 21.9Don'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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-24060248028389975942008-10-12T14:56:00.000-07:002008-10-12T15:00:11.591-07:00

706.5; 25.5Petaluma 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,

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-55197821354094781882008-10-10T16:05:00.000-07:002008-10-10T16:39:05.010-07:00

681.0; 25.3When 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-92231595498462700932008-10-08T16:52:00.000-07:002008-10-08T17:13:56.031-07:00

655.7; 18.5Hearing 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,

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-5632687158945628282008-10-07T10:57:00.000-07:002008-10-07T11:01:01.700-07:00

637.2; 16.5Occidental 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.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-32453191974056985432008-10-06T14:01:00.000-07:002008-10-06T14:13:06.956-07:00

620.7; 18.6Oh 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-56015069280013965532008-10-02T12:33:00.000-07:002008-10-02T12:44:29.539-07:00

602.1; 16.5Quick 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-50692831189140625402008-10-01T12:42:00.000-07:002008-10-01T14:02:05.787-07:00

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;

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-59045397444347182972008-09-26T10:23:00.000-07:002008-09-26T10:59:08.252-07:00

567.1; 22.3End 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-10508599318958003122008-09-25T11:50:00.000-07:002008-09-25T12:08:47.548-07:00

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"

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-8057057008251771392008-09-23T10:32:00.000-07:002008-09-24T10:23:44.851-07:00

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 (

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-76632156449249149442008-09-22T11:08:00.000-07:002008-09-22T11:25:11.511-07:00

489.3; 31.3Lovely 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-38728458542361840142008-09-21T11:30:00.000-07:002008-09-21T12:08:38.251-07:00

458.0; 26.0Not 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-70134560846438696322008-09-19T13:19:00.000-07:002008-09-19T13:27:47.025-07:00

432.0; 23.4Back 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-59955354596022139262008-09-17T16:13:00.000-07:002008-09-17T16:26:37.627-07:00

405.6; 23.0I 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-18059409045810885132008-09-16T16:37:00.000-07:002008-09-16T16:53:59.533-07:00

382.6; 23.9Really 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-39052414649444259692008-09-15T12:43:00.001-07:002008-09-15T13:25:12.079-07:00

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,

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-56021059017733133202008-09-12T16:58:00.000-07:002008-09-12T17:04:08.104-07:00

Bike 2: 339.9; 17.718 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-50931723840302479902008-09-11T13:06:00.000-07:002008-09-11T13:21:06.829-07:00

Bike 2: 322.2; 26.3And 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,"

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-60537442863846653522008-09-10T14:13:00.000-07:002008-09-10T14:20:51.864-07:00

Bike 2: 295.9; 31.3Catching 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-22348336058715974452008-09-08T12:37:00.000-07:002008-09-08T12:52:26.016-07:00

Bike 2: 264.6; 27.0But 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-45590658610112297532008-09-07T11:05:00.000-07:002008-09-07T11:55:10.458-07:00

Bike 2: 237.6; 18.6It 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-5072428986985888532008-09-04T11:39:00.000-07:002008-09-04T12:15:41.658-07:00

Bike 2: 219.0; 20.9And 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.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-76317508223177064232008-09-02T13:43:00.000-07:002008-09-02T14:06:54.551-07:00

Bike 2: 198.1; 42.4Yeah, 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-47968086618564337602008-09-01T12:26:00.000-07:002008-09-01T12:58:54.134-07:00

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.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-70226482787942847392008-08-31T14:56:00.000-07:002008-09-01T09:13:13.146-07:00

Bike 2: 138.5; 23.3Thought 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.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-32808334532954972722008-08-29T16:00:00.000-07:002008-08-29T16:10:27.051-07:00

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"

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-33714343912226039902008-08-28T10:43:00.000-07:002008-08-28T11:04:25.426-07:00

Bike 2: 94.6; 23.3Steely 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-8848610562873004462008-08-26T11:14:00.000-07:002008-08-26T11:58:53.645-07:00

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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-88766618186140437712008-08-25T12:32:00.000-07:002008-08-25T12:56:05.291-07:00

Bike 2: 45.2; 24.4That'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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-62573003869358222182008-08-15T18:43:00.000-07:002008-08-15T18:45:42.573-07:00

29km / 29kmI 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.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-5345112685520688722008-08-11T12:34:00.000-07:002008-08-11T12:56:26.409-07:00

460.6; 31.0There 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-16458583223588889522008-08-08T10:26:00.000-07:002008-08-08T11:32:51.984-07:00

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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-11352396566618853522008-08-07T14:51:00.000-07:002008-08-07T15:08:38.263-07:00

412.9; 27.3And 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-13075751554991461392008-08-05T13:27:00.000-07:002008-08-05T13:30:18.392-07:00

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.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-12659792717776690942008-08-03T14:08:00.000-07:002008-08-03T14:24:05.608-07:00

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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-26000839698548296062008-08-01T15:54:00.000-07:002008-08-01T16:44:20.622-07:00

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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-27617557728474438102008-07-31T14:08:00.001-07:002008-07-31T14:50:05.822-07:00

320.2; 21.3Caught 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-6479073142542145562008-07-30T11:08:00.001-07:002008-07-30T11:32:28.795-07:00

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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-98736735878919862008-07-29T11:37:00.000-07:002008-07-29T11:44:32.668-07:00

275.8; 23.6Kinda 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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-22903813396611741392008-07-28T13:05:00.000-07:002008-07-28T13:25:49.199-07:00

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

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-3883137076878377002008-07-26T14:05:00.000-07:002008-07-26T14:36:26.454-07:00

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 MapIt's about a 6.5 mile ride from Sebastopol, 1.7 from Forestville, according to my trusty odometer. They

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-16351804395535196182008-07-25T06:23:00.001-07:002008-07-25T06:44:46.937-07:00

213.0 on the odometer, 17.7 miles today.Rode east on the Joe Rodota trail to where it meets the Greenway trail, then west on that trail to Willowside Road, south to Hall, west to Sanford, south to Occidental, west to High School, and south back into Sebastopol. Nice ride, mostly level, almost completely on paved bike paths.Rebel Without a Cause. I would've thought Sal Mineo would've gotten more

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-6140846345771207972008-07-23T12:42:00.000-07:002008-07-23T13:04:38.924-07:00

195.3 on the odometer - 16.4 miles today. Forestville and back. We are so lucky to have the beautiful West County, Joe Rodota, and Greenway bike paths, enabling bike rides of this length and more with only very short stretches where you share roads with motor vehicles. An "added plus" on this route is the blueberry farm. I noticed several bikes parked there today, and was tempted to stop

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-70670207109849830482008-07-23T06:13:00.000-07:002008-07-23T07:01:21.737-07:00

178.9 - 6.7 miles. Rode over to Ragle Park and did the fun loop of single-track back there. See if this html works:View Larger MapCaught the newest Batman installment in a matinee. Why don't I walk the block and a half to the theatre more often to see movies as they are intended to be seen? (Mostly because whenever I think to go see a movie, I find the next start time is more than 90 minutes

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-18958745371120795592008-07-21T08:36:00.000-07:002008-07-21T13:51:00.428-07:00

I had a permaculture-intensive weekend. Saturday, we took a tour of water savvy stars of Sebastopol, including Catchtail Farm on the Blucher Creek watershed, a talk with Brock Dolman on (and in) the Laguna de Santa Rosa, and a visit to the Post-Carbon Institute.Sunday, I went to an open house at the Regenerative Design Institute in Bolinas.I have a huge mish-mash of thoughts and inspirations

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-29552049168288221712008-07-18T16:03:00.000-07:002008-07-18T16:18:52.048-07:00

172.2: 17.8 miles.I've gotten in a few rides this week, dinging the odometer in miniscule chunks, but managed about 16 miles Wednesday and then this ride today, to Santa Rosa and back. Feels good. I'm slower than just about everything else out there, but I pushed it today and kept it up near 13 mph most of the time, and that in a headwind. More and more, I'm just on the big ring in front and

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-17199907867380834482008-06-27T07:29:00.000-07:002008-06-27T20:31:22.526-07:00

Another kid from Santa Rosa is coming home from the middle east in a box.People call him a hero. Something bothers me about that. It makes me wince a little. Maybe it's the fact that they don't know anything about him, and tend to use that word "hero" in the same breath with words like "freedom" and "fighting terrorism," words our resident (I still have trouble including a "p" on the front of

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-42858612625262211702008-06-26T05:53:00.001-07:002008-06-26T06:00:27.571-07:00

There seems to be a number of people (and I think that number is three, and they all post regularly [one might say obsessively] on the comment boards of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat {pressdemo.com}) who are still and/or newly in denial about the global warming question.They tend to cite one book--I've never seen anyone cite two--and tend to set it up against Gore's movie "An Inconvenient Truth."

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-77867419762785244822008-06-24T18:55:00.000-07:002008-06-24T19:20:16.874-07:00

What is it that makes people think they are exempt from rules, laws, and ETHICS to which the rest of us are subject? Why, at the park around the corner, with signs clearly posted at every entrance forbidding off-leash dogs, and with a dog park less than two miles away where dogs can run and play untethered with other dogs, does almost everyone but me walk their dog without a leash? This is a

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-84754677491634510732008-06-16T19:57:00.000-07:002008-06-16T20:22:25.986-07:00

I guess one very basic point from Sunday morning's post is: don't push your political views at the workplace? That's just childish, and it invites strife where cooperation is required. I would say the same about religion, following a very common rule of etiquette that suggests avoiding both of these topics at the dinner table. And I did once have a co-worker who drove a Hummer. Luckily I

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-67399568890087872592008-06-15T19:06:00.000-07:002008-06-15T19:18:45.740-07:00

Music and EndorphinsI just finished reading a book “This is Your Brain On Music” (http://tinyurl.com/3fndff) which advanced that as well as other facts and theories. I absolutely believe music causes your brain to produce endorphins, and I had never put those words to it until reading this book! I should find that section and copy it out.I made a “smart playlist” in my itunes where I just went

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-5687349596365803082008-06-15T06:34:00.000-07:002008-06-15T07:34:36.957-07:00

I have a co-worker who has been kind of an enigma. He is very busy and often inaccessible, so the few personal exchanges I have had with him have been in the nature of interruptions of work. I know he was in the military in Desert Storm I and his work was "blowing things up." He is very knowledgeable about our company's product, which runs on the Web and often requires significant

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-45932454749515972302008-06-14T20:35:00.001-07:002008-06-14T20:35:32.371-07:00

Watch this space; Road Rash Shall Return!

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-11745062202402834922008-02-29T22:29:00.001-08:002008-02-29T22:29:55.087-08:00

Oh, have you seen "Across the Universe" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0445922/)? Are we the only ones to find it bad, bad, REALLY bad? I think there's an odd syndrome--I've seen it before, can't remember where--of 60s-and-Beatles-infatuation among people who were born post-60s-and-Beatles, and they seem to take ownership of the 60s and Beatles music in a way that is often extremely distasteful to

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-1118182958049911812005-06-07T15:17:00.000-07:002005-06-07T17:22:58.083-07:00

2548.3 / 1354Santa Rosa creek has trails following it on both sides. I decided to check these trails out today. Didn't expect to go over ten miles again, but ended up almost exactly 12, and precisely exhausted. Have I mentioned lately how much I hate a headwind? And how I always seem to have a ferocious one on the return trip? The trail is nice, though, mostly through dappled sunlight, going

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-1117323651378579932005-05-28T16:32:00.000-07:002005-05-28T16:55:05.283-07:00

2532.2 / 1344. Rode about twenty-two combined miles yesterday and today. Yesterday, High School Rd -> Occidental -> Sandford Rd -> Hall -> Willowside, dirt road following Santa Rosa Creek. Almost exactly five miles each way, and not too hard for having not ridden since what, March? Carrying the binoculars (in the stretchy harness) proved impractical for any but the easiest rides - they were

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-1109644240134142362005-02-28T18:27:00.000-08:002005-02-28T18:30:40.136-08:00

2510.1 / 1255Short ride out the Rodota/West County trail, where I diverted onto a little double-track out into the mustard fields, which are blooming insanely right now. Nice little ride, nothing special, but it was good to get out and eat some bugs.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-1108173820881010442005-02-11T17:58:00.000-08:002005-02-12T07:43:18.920-08:00

2502.9 m / 1238 d.To Forestville and back, on the West County trail. Whew! Been a long time since I've done this one. It's really rather easy (though I tried to keep up the heart rate and the leg strength by staying in highest gear I could stand) and very scenic. Just a few mild inclines to make it interesting. Anyway, after two years dormant, my bike and I passed 2500 miles today. Got a new,

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-1107919281590571822005-02-08T19:19:00.000-08:002005-02-08T19:21:21.590-08:00

2486.2 / 1235 glorious smoke-free days. Just a little jaunt, again, to keep my foot in the door, but a good workout, trying (and mostly succeeding) to maintain over 10 mph in gear 3-7.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-1107828982435591642005-02-07T18:14:00.000-08:002005-02-07T18:39:33.200-08:00

2478.1 / 1234 days, dropping the mileage-from-last, as it should be relatively obvious that I rode 8.3 miles since the last ride. Just a short out-and-back to get some pictures of oaks and mustard in the "golden" evening light: http://www.born-today.com/Vacations/2005/02/02-07.htm.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-1107479508411933802005-02-03T16:57:00.000-08:002005-02-03T17:11:48.413-08:00

2469.8 / 12.6 / 1230 Okay, on a roll (sorta)! Second day, twice the miles. My legs were actually a little sore today - from a 5-mile ride! - so I was glad to get out and work it off. It has been a week since I cut back on the sugar. This means quitting Coke (from a 24-to-60-oz-per-day habit), no longer adding sugar to coffee, and no chocolates, ice cream, or other sugary desserts. I still

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-1107389714834051012005-02-02T16:08:00.000-08:002005-02-02T16:17:34.316-08:00

2457.2 / ~5 / 1229 days smoke-free Road Rash rides again! The bike has been gathering dust for most of two years. It is such a gorgeous day, I had to get out and ride. The back tire may have a leak, but at least held air long enough for this little ride. I want to work up to the 40-, 50-, 60-mile rides again, but let's pretend I never did those , and just get a couple of 5- and 10-milers for now

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-819991072002-09-23T09:26:00.000-07:002002-09-23T09:26:58.226-07:00

~2385 / na / 366 Yep, we now have a year smoke-free. Two months drink-free. Unfortunately, also almost 11 months job-free.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-807166042002-08-25T22:20:00.000-07:002002-08-25T22:20:30.363-07:00

~2370 / na / 335+ XXX: Triple Icks. 11 Months since the Habit That Dares Not Spark Its Flame. Now, more than one month since any alcohol.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0