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!

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!

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. :-)

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.

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...

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!

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)

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!

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.

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.

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).

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:

• 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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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....

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?

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!"