I trust that you have been enjoying some festivities and/or powerful emotion over the holiday season. I have been eating a lot, and also trying to stay moderately active to help with the digestion and metabolizing. Before I really got started with the celebratory activities; however, I had a chance to patch a tyre tube that was punctured by a small, tack-like item.
Although I’m not really sure where it came from, the hole it made was small and easy to patch. It allowed me a chance to pause, turn on some holiday tunes and take a selfie with my festive attire.
Dunce cap and/or Santa hat? You decide!
It also brought my attention to the fact that my beloved Maxxis Overdrive Elite tyres are getting pretty worn.
Since it is the time of year when I like to have plenty of traction whilst bicycling, I will be looking around for a new set of tyres. First I will try my local bike shop since I’ve got some bike vouchers that are burning a wallet-sized hole in my desk drawer.
Recently my friend Rich invited me out to a group bike ride to view some Christmas lights.
So last night we met a gregarious group of people at Bike Masters to spin around some of the local neighborhoods. On the way out there we encountered some slippery icy spots on the north side of Fort Street where the shade prevailed. Once we started our group ride, Mike even rode around on this cool toy for awhile –
We eventually made it to Tanner’s for a few beers and fried pickles.
December 28, 2018
After taking a few days off work to sit around and eat and drink a lot, last night I decided it was high time that I set out for a bicycle trip. It felt nice to ride, but unfortunately I did slide and wipeout on an icy spot – lost gription on my front tyre. The chain tensioner must have hit and bent the derailleur hanger in a bit because the chain would no longer fit on all the appropriate cog/teeth/chain ring. So I sheepishly guided my steed back to a hill, coasted, and walked some more until I was home. Then I got the Bastard up on my work stand, assessed the situation, then carefully grabbed the chain tensioner and jerked it back out as hard as I could, which seemed to bend the derailleur hanger back into general alignment. Good enough for the chain to spin things around as well as it usually does anyway.
I also stopped by the Bike Rack where I did not find a tyre that I felt would be suitable for me and the Bastard. So I might check over at the Bike Way, since I’ve got a gift card, otherwise I’ll probably just order some new Maxxises. They've been good tyres, lasted 4 years (probably about 15,065 kilometres [9,360 miles] or so). Although I didn't remember that by myself, I just checked my bicycle journal and found that I purchased those tyres back in December 2014!
As we approach the beginning of a new year, I’ve decided that I would like to be more aerobically fit. Although I still consider myself moderately active, my range of activity is almost entirely bicycling. Whilst sitting at Tanner’s eating fried pickles and drinking beer, Chris suggested doing some burpees to increase cardiovascular fitness. I burped loudly, and then inquired “What is a burpee?” Chris accurately explained the process and said that she felt much fitter after doing the 30-burpees-a-day-for-30 days-challenge. “Great idea!” I said. Then I actually tried doing a few the other day. After 10 I was wiped out. Not only that, my legs are still sore, and I don’t think it’s from my bike ride yesterday. I think I might start out with a 10-burpees-a-day-for-10 days-challenge. I’ll let you know how that works out.
In the meantime I hope you enjoy the remainder of 2018 and have a happy new year! Now if you’ll excuse me I’m gonna bust out a few burpees before I eat the rest of my Christmas cookies.
I, on the other hand, have been taking it easy. One aspect of my ease taking included watching a movie called America Recycled on Amazon Prime. As I understood it, this movie is basically about two brothers who set out to find the true soul of America. At first it seemed a bit grandiose, but these two bicycling brothers put together what I feel is a real masterpiece. These intrepid young men, I’m guessing they’re in their mid-20s, left their comfortable North Carolina home and spent two years bicycling from one commune-like group of people to the next. They made real connections with the people they met and shot a ton of striking video footage. The people they meet are outside the mainstream, people you will be fascinated with. At first I thought the narration seemed pretentious, but after I realized the scope of what these guys were up to I realized it was truly heartfelt and profound. Here is a sample from near the end of the film:
Life peacefully transitions to death, offering its seed to the wind
America, the land of our birth, the promise that a new life awaits those who brave the unknown
Are we resigned to watch it hollowed out into an empty cliché?
For two years this road has been our teacher, patiently told us its story
It seemed to me reminiscent of the beat writers, but more earnest and relevant. Maybe that’s just because the beat generation grew up and settled down and now it’s time for the next generation to seize the helm and see if they can keep this starship from becoming a wreck. We just need a good Captain Picard, or similar, to be able to make some well-considered, rational decisions.
December 14, 2018
Yesterday I enjoyed a fund-raising and socializing event put together by the kind people at the Community Bike Project down on 33rdand California. After some clumsy parallel parking, I clumsily entered the California Bar and parked myself on a barstool for the next several hours of enjoyable bike-related camaraderie. I met Adam, Jacob, James, and Sam and we chatted about the following:
the Gifford Park neighborhood demographics and the number of kids participating in the Earn your Bike program. It seems that some gentrification has brought in more single people and/or younger couples without kids. Some regular houses were demolished and a few expensive townhome-type dwellings have replaced them. But there is also a new elementary school that may attract more families with kids back to the area.
Sam explained how bikes brought her and her husband together. Specifically his appreciation for her trustworthy Huffy.
December 17, 2018
Today there was an article in the newspaper about commuting in Omaha. 1% walk, 1% public transit, and 0.2% bike. Well, I am happy to that 10 days after my vasectomy I rejoined the 0.2%. Feeling pretty good, just a little itchy due to the testicular stubble. So that's enough of that subject.
My friend Rich has mentioned a wide range of bicycling expeditions that we could partake in. And my cousin invited me to go on RAGBRAI. All this stuff sounds great, but I’m not quite ready to commit to anything specific. Thank you for thinking of me; however, and hopefully we’ll get together soon for something awesome!
Today, on Pearl Harbor Rememberance Day, I am sitting and remembering my recent vasectomy.It was a few hours back, and it seems like I could have used some extra anesthesia from the get go.They may have been a bit concerned about my deep breathing exercises I employed to handle the pain and calm myself, because they kept giving me more anesthesia and also applied some oxygen.Now I am enjoying some opioids, an ice pack, and a sunny spot in the house.
If Cliff Burton were alive, I’m pretty sure that he would eventually have come out with a new version of (Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth, called (Anesthesia) - Vasectomy.
Maybe I can work on that myself whilst convalescing.Mrs. Snot is sympathetic to my plight, so I might be able to talk her into getting me a bass amp for an early Christmas gift.
Yesterday I had a nice bicycle ride, even though I slipped and fell down in an icy parking lot on my way back home.I figured I needed to get out and enjoy some activity before I was out of commission for approximately one week. The ride to my work place at the exotic pet store was smooth and uneventful.In fact it was smoother than usual.It felt as if my rolling resistance had been significantly reduced, possibly by a thin layer of frost on the road, so that I was partially gliding as I swooped down the neighborhood hill on my way to the multi-use trail.I had scoped out the multi-use trail for a few days and had noted that it was cleared by some kindly individual, likely in the employ of the city.Thank you, good people, thank you very much.Please contact me and inform me if you or someone you know is responsible for these beautifully cleared multi-use paths, I would like to buy you a drink and talk multi-use trails with you for a while.I did not, however, scope out my return route very well.Whilst homeward bound, I decided to ride straight down a snowy hill, using my brakes to attain a comfortably slow speed.Unfortunately, the brakes seem to have compressed the damp snow onto the rims of my wheels.
As you are unlikely to be able to discern from this photo, that was a slick rim!
Fortunately I noticed this whilst in a parking lot away from traffic.My stopping power had been reduced to a range somewhere between slim and nil. The cold and moisture which had caused a reduction in rolling resistance on my way to work had now become my enemy by reducing my braking friction! I tried to remove some of the glazed ice with my thumbnail and Snot rag, which seemed to help somewhat.Next, I elected to ride along a sidewalk that had been partially to completely covered by slush/snow/ice windrows/splash.When the sidewalk became difficult to negotiate, I reluctantly veered into an icy parking lot where the plethora of smooth ice soon predictably removed my precarious traction, leaving me to tip and fall onto the ice.The rest of the ride home was slow and uneventful.From this ride I developed the following maxims which I hope to be able to recall as appropriate:
·Whilst riding down snowy hills, use the snow and/or your angle down the hill as brakes instead of your actual brakes.This may prevent compression of snow/slush into ice and onto your rims/rotors.
·If you don’t have your route completely scoped out, it is preferential to choose a motor road (which are generally cleared off pretty well) instead of a sidewalk or parking lot (which are frequently neglected).
Of course, by the time I’ve convalesced, conditions may be quite different, but I think the maxims will be relevant again at some point.
I hope your December is going well so far. I would love to hear about it sometime soon. Preferably over a nice glass of brandy. Here is a song by the Decemberists that I think is probably your favorite, and for some reason seems personally relevant to me today.
Why hello! I didn’t see you there! I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving and/or late November. Some of us local USians got together on Thanksgiving Eve and did a some drinking with a couple short bouts of bicycling interspersed. Rich and Nick started off quickly, so I had to pedal my ass off to stay within sight of the group. My heart laboured valiantly and, for several moments I pondered the difference between good and bad stress levels as they relate to one’s heart. Eventually my friends slowed down and I was able to catch up for some conversation on the trail. At our stopping point we met a garrulous 70-year old who I will call Jerry. He said he loves the social aspects of bicycling and compared bicyclers to hippies because they don’t seem to give a shit and they just want to have a fun time. He told us about going to see the Beatles’ suits in Time Square prior to riding the Five Boro Bike Tour. A bicycling doctor (possibly a urologist)’s wife said she was glad they went to see the suits because she used to ride the bus to school with John Lennon back when they were schoolkids. Jerry also was enthusiastic about his e-bike, which allowed him to enjoy all the group rides that he otherwise might not be able to if he had to pedal his ass off just to keep up.
Well, that makes sense to me. If Jerry appreciates the e-assist, I am glad they’re around so that Jerry can be around! Just as long as they stay off the dirt trails! We had a fun time socializing for what may have been about an hour before we headed back to the White House Bar and Grill.
The Tour De’Lights event is rapidly approaching and is due to arrive on arrive on Saturday, December 8. Although I’ve never been on it, I am sure it is a good time. Maybe once Snot Jr. is a bit older we can get out there to attend one of these rides. In the meantime, the weather forecast is looking a bit snowy, so you might want to make sure you’ve got some warm clothes and maybe some snow tyres for ye olde bicycle. Here are a couple that look pretty good:
I would probably choose 1, since 2 seems very ice-specific. In the meantime, the Maxxis Overdrive Elite tyres I’ve been using seem to get me through a couple inches of snow and ice pretty well. Whenever anyone asks me about winter riding, I just say I’m slow and careful on turns and when braking. Here is another thing that should be done slowly and carefully.
For awhile I was nervous, but when I saw the promotional flyer I knew this was just what the doctor (urologist) ordered. Dr. Bob said I will only have to stay off the bike for a week, but also to stop if it hurts.
I have also occasionally been enjoying a game called “The Biking Game” with the family during the Thanksgiving weekend. It has been great! I learned about the classic Schwinn 1954 Black Phantom. However, I’m not sure I believe their classification of the célérifèreis the earliest ancestor of the bicycle. Some sources claim that it had 4 wheels! My current, half-baked belief is that the draisine is our most venerable and honored ancestor whom we commemorate on ancestral bike days, dates of which vary based on local customs and is different from Bicycle Day.
Please honorably and responsibly roll-on, good people, roll the f on!
Greetings to you and also to your nearest relative/friend/other. Here we are and it’s already November!? Well that was quick!
What have you been up to? Yowza! I missed you.
I previously enjoyed some late summer/early fall activities, including
1) seeing some fellow bicyclers in shorts
2)seeing some Canadians on their way back south
3) taking some time out of my commute to enjoy some trail art
I have also been enjoying a great many family-oriented activities lately, with a dash of yard/housework.
During a trip to school for a Halloween-themed activity I witnessed a conversation that may be sadly typical.
Dad: Get in the van!
3rdgrader: Loud complaining groan You said we could walk home! You promised!
Kindergartner: I wanna walk!
Dad: No time!
Walking doesn’t seem to be much of a priority. Even around the time of our most walking-oriented of holidays, Halloween.
On the other foot, the attentive among you may have noted that a group of individuals, primarily from Central American countries, are walking north, seeking asylum. Although we have standard protocols/responsibilities in place to deal with these types of things, it is apparently somewhat unusual and/or controversial to some of USians. Well, if you think things are controversial now, what if they were all astride bicycles!? They would be here sooner, for one thing! Also, I occasionally hear rumours that we bicyclers may not be popular with some non-bicyclers!? So that would make things even more interesting/dramatic!
Also, now that it is November, it is incumbent upon us to compare/contrast the arrival of these migrants with the Pilgrim migrants back around the original Thanksgiving. Perhaps the Pilgrims were made welcome because they brought with them muskets and fermentation? Now that the current migrants have no known advanced technologies, they are now longer welcome hereabouts. Also, I think many Native Americans would prefer that the Wampanoags had not been quite so welcoming. So there’s some USian history to put in your cornucopia to smoke up for Thanksgiving!
So happy Thanksgiving/Day of Mourning, and let’s welcome the next wave of bicyclers to the promised land!
Hello again! I trust your Septembering is ontrack!? Things here are beautiful. I was able to participate in a gravel ride sponsored by Omaha Velo last weekend. The weather was perfect, the course was enjoyable with a few big hills, and the Omaha Velo people were gregarious, generous, and genteel. They were also extremely well-prepared. The cue sheets were spot on, the oasis was extremely well stocked, and the drinks were cold and plentiful.
The gravel ride was called the OGrE, and it began in the lovely town of Plattsmouth, Nebraska. There were 2 options, a 56 mile and a 105 mile, of which I chose the most moderate (i.e., shortest) version. I think there were maybe 7 riders on the short course. I fired up my navigation system
and didn’t really seem to delay the start as I eventually made it over just after the pre-ride announcements.
The first part of the ride was really nice with a few streams and waterfalls that seemed a bit out of place here in eastern Nebraska. I was told later on that they are on the down-dam side of Beaver Lake.
Not one of the waterfalls I was referring to! But I was cruising along so effortlessly when I espied the real beauties that I did not stop for photographing!
There was a cell tower, that shared some pasture land with some fine-looking Angus cattle.
The weather was perfect and I was feeling fast, so I did not bother to stop in Nehawka, although the Nehawka Bar was highly recommended. Next time I make it there I’ll be sure to stop. I was still feeling peppy, and had only made it through about 60 of the 118 oz. of water I was unnecessarily toting – hey, the last couple of gravel rides I went on were hot! - when I made it to the oasis, staffed by the personable Cleasbys.
I found the ride to be peaceful and reflective as I rolled past parts of the state that brought back memories of my younger years and friends and family that have passed on.
After the ride there were plenty of friendly people to chat with while I waited for my friend Rich to roll in.
I also made it out to see Here Come the Mummies this past Thursday. Talk about a funky bunch of 5,000 year-old party entities! I’ll be lucky if I’m that well preserved at 50!
Greetings from the cooling heartlands. I hope you are enjoying the waning of summer as much as I. The cooler weather gives me vigor and verve which I am normally completely lacking. What is going on? Yah! Let’s do some more of that!
Hereabouts I have experienced some amazing events.
a) I espied the Google Streetviewmobile whilst out for a bicycle ride! Here ‘tis in all it’s tall splendour!:
I think it might have got me in its shot on the street corner, I’ll be sure to update you as soon as I look into that. Hmm. The image at that intersection is from last year, so I may be visible in the near future!
b) Snot Jr. started kindergarten at the institution of primary education. Thank you educators and good luck! This is, for many parents, a bittersweet time. I was drawn to this stretch of concrete that I often pass.
It reminds me of the Shel Silverstein poem “Where the Sidewalk Ends.” In my context, the sidewalk is a part of a child’s life when you are near him and able to supervise and influence him to a great degree. Once he is in kindergarten, the peer influence increases exponentially and parents are able to relax, brush off their hands, and say, “Well, at least we tried!” and leave everything up to the institution and the randomness of human-related interactions, which will churn out a variety of individuals with various attitudes towards motivation, society, culture, bicycles, etc.
c) I made it out to another Taco Ride with my brother, which was very nice.
We had a chance to kick back, have a few beers and converse about our disparate lives and values.
Well there you have the list with the minimum of 3 items securely in place. What more do you want from me!?!?!?
Well, there is still possibly some time to get in a nice organized/sanctioned group bicycling effort of some sort. Here are some options:
Just like one of my favorite composers and least favorite vocalists, Nivek Ogre. Plus there’s a shorter distance (50 miles/88 [?]kilometers) for the like of me! However, I am not ready for this, so I would have to do some serious training between now and then, and we both know that is not likely to occur.
Well it has been great catching back up! I hope you have a great Labour Day weekend or other type of festive event! Hope to see you soon and say hi to your family!
Who? Who are the people in your neighborhood? In your neighborhood? In your neighborhoooood?
Well, they’re the people that you meet each day, I guess.
But that is only part of the equation. What is your neighborhood? And, more generally, what is a neighborhood?
I have been thinking about neighborhoods a lot lately for the following reasons:
1.Snot Jr. asked me the other day, “How many neighborhoods are there in the world?”
2.An article in the local newspaper mentioned neighborhoods.
3.Mr. Rogers has been in the news lately because he is the subject of a retrospective documentary.
4.I wore this shirt that I got in Seattle, a city, as I understand it, that is famous for its neighborhoods.
More thoughts on each item below:
1. I am not sure how he came up with this question, but I was intrigued. I estimated thusly: 10 million. At about 8 billion people, that is about 800 people per neighborhood. I guess that may be reasonable. Some neighborhoods have 1 person (like in some counties in Wyoming), some neighborhoods might have a couple tens of thousands (like Sasazuka [a district of Shibuya], in Tokyo).
2. In the newspaper article, the subject was how people on both sides of 72nd Street rarely venture onto the other side. One of the subjects of the story mentioned that he lived out here in the ‘burbs of Omaha for awhile and felt a sense of “meh”-ness towards the city. But then he moved east of 72ndStreet and he realized that what he had been missing were, as you may have guessed, neighborhoods! I think I understand what he is getting at, it was pretty obvious that I lived in the Field Club neighborhood when I lived over on 39thand Center (after consulting Wikipedia, I realize I didn’t actually live in the exclusive Field Club neighborhood, I was just in the classic Hanscom Park neighborhood). Now that I am a suburbanite, I had to consider for a bit before I decided that I consider my neighborhood to be the Walnut Grove Park neighborhood. However, the online post-board Next Door categorized me as a member of the Colonies neighborhood, which I think of as more of a subdivision. So there you have it. Neighborhoods out here in the suburbs may be a bit more subjective and amorphous. And there’s not a whole lot of defining character per suburban neighborhood. I just thought of what defines my neighborhood to me, which is the enjoyable nearby park.
3. Mr. Rogers has been in the news lately because there is a recent documentary about him called Won’t you be my Neighbor?There is also a Korn song that blames Mr. Rogers for making him trust neighbors that weren’t really trustworthy.Well, I guess Mr. Rogers isn’t for everyone.And TV isn’t a substitute for a parent or mentor.I had a generally favorable impression of Mr. R.
4. Seattle seems big, but there aren’t quite as many big streets/highways and interstates as some big cities I’ve been in. The interstates kind of seem to divide cities and make them less neighborly. The neighborhood I hung out in is called Pinehurst. Or maybe Northgate. Anyway, it is great! There’s even a little park right around the corner. And lots of really good restaurants. Like this Thai restaurant.
So that’s a summary of the neighborhood items I’ve recently been considering. Here are some definitions of a neighborhood:
1.the area or region around or near some place or thing; vicinity:the kids of the neighborhood; located in the neighborhood of Jackson and Vine streets.
2.a district or locality, often with reference to its character or inhabitants:a fashionable neighborhood; to move to a nicer neighborhood.
3.a number of persons living near one another or in a particular locality:The whole neighborhood was there.
(dictionary.com)
Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition, but the following may serve as a starting point: "Neighbourhood is generally defined spatially as a specific geographic area and functionally as a set of social networks. Neighbourhoods, then, are the spatial units in which face-to-face social interactions occur—the personal settings and situations where residents seek to realise common values, socialise youth, and maintain effective social control."
(Wikipedia)
Alright. The #1 definition seems reasonable - the wiki about Seattle neighborhoods mentioned that many neighborhoods developed due to, and shared names with, their local elementary school. Most of those other definitions seem a bit vague. I think I know of several rather concrete neighborhoods in Omaha. You’ve got the Field Club neighborhood, the Hanscom Park neighborhood, and the Elmwood Park neighborhood. I think Dundee and Benson are considered neighborhoods, although formerly towns. Wikipedia lists 87 or 88 Omaha neighborhoods, although I don’t really think LaVista is a neighborhood. So in Omaha, there might be roughly 400,000 people / 100 neighborhoods = 4,000 people per neighborhood? Or are there that many neighborhoodless individuals out there!? If Omaha’s an average city, which it could be, at least in the Us of A, then that would mean 8 billion / 4,000 = only 2 million neighborhoods in the world!? Rubbish, methinks! Wikipedia can’t really delve into the identities of individuals and group them into cohesive social units! That is for us to decide! Now I will just let everyone know about the Walnut Grove Park neighborhood, hold a few discussion groups, and crown myself absolute ruler! Wikipedia’s wisdom not withstanding, I’m pretty sure we could really have at least 200 neighborhoods, which would mean about 4 million neighborhoods in the world. Our population density here in the Homaha is relatively low, so I think we could easily allow 2,000 people or less per hood. No need to crowd. I’ll be sending out a few questionnaires which I entreat you to return in a timely, and neighborly, fashion. Then I will start a new website called World Neighbor to get a few of my tendrils on the pulses of worldwide neighborhoods to get this all sorted out! As I am sure you are aware, neighborhoods are best explored by bicycle (if you want to take in more than a few), or on foot (for slightly less than a few). If you want to take in exactly a few, you might consider a scooter, rollerblades, or a moving elliptical machine/bike-thing like I saw a few weeks ago on a local multi-use trail.
In the meantime, I decided to take Snot Jr. with me to the Dundee Theater to view My Neighbor Totoro. This movie is about bicycling together as a family. Also about how to ride bikes that are too big for you. And it is also about Totoro. Totoro is a great neighbor, although prone to playing a flute in the top of a camphor tree at night. He (spoiler alert) even helps the protagonist (Satsuki) find her lost younger sister Mei. Sometimes you don't know how great your neighbors are until you're in trouble and they help you out.
In other news, I noticed this lying on the multi-use trail for a couple days.
Some young literati must have grabbed that up for perusal while out for a jaunt, because it wasn't there on day 3 or so. Hard Times are something good for our youth to read about since things are comparatively easy for us all these days. They are especially easy with the help of some good neighbors (or at least vague cooperation and tolerance).
Also, for a vaguely bicycle related observation, for a change---
Dear Heloise,
If you are like me, you might like to eat a PB & J sandwich for lunch almost every day. And you might like to have an apple with it. Well can you believe I only recently realized what I could do to ensure my apple's safe arrival in an unbruised state to our lunchy rendezvous after a bicycle ride in my pannier!
Dear Cunningham's,
I am pretty sure nobody wants to see the word "hungover" on their coozy! But it is nice and stretchy for keeping apples safe!
Neighbor on, my good peeps. Neighbor on!
-Your neighborly BSO
