Things seem a bit different

December 24, 2019

Happy Christmas Eve to one and all!  I hope you are enjoying or have escaped some type of festivity.  Things here are fine, thank you for your concern.  I am currently rocking out to the latest Of Monsters and Men CD – Fever Dream.  Of Monsters and Men are a great band and, as you can read here, 

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/of-monsters-and-men-interview-fever-dream-album-tracklist-tour-dates-a9017221.html

 they just wanted to do something a little different for their 3^rdalbum (I haven't listened to the whole thing yet, but so far I don't like it as much as their first two).  I am doing things a bit differently these days too because I have experienced a few elements that often accompany the aging process, most noticeably to me – hemorrhoids.  So I’ve been staying on my feet as much as possible and, unfortunately, avoiding the bicycle.  Quite a blow to my self-image, forsooth!  Without my bicycling avocation, what do I really stand for?!  Well, now I stand for standing up more than I used to in order to avoid pressure on my anus!  Standing is okay, but not quite as enjoyable as bicycling.  So, Saint Goncalo willing, hopefully I’ll get better soon and get back in the saddle, but I don’t really feel like pushing it right now.  Instead, I am presently content to type bitterly about various events, such as follows:

1. To get my bicycle-related fix without actually bicycling, I went to a local bike shop yesterday and was informed that they didn’t have any single speed bicycles.  They also only had two internal hub bicycles and they were both cruiser type bikes.  I guess there’s not much of a market for a single-speed commuter-type bike here in Homaha! Well, I guess we Omahans are a pretty soft sort who like to take the easy way!?  What have we become!?  Let’s get it together crème puffs!  Time to get competitive and make our fair to middlin’ city more bike friendly!  
2. There has also been a bit of a kerfuffle related to the city of Omaha’s idea to remove a bike rack that had been put in a past and current automobile parking space.  It apparently could contain 12 bikes or 1 motor vehicle, but not both.  Well, it has been said that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, but that is a statement that is subject to interpretation and nuance.  In this case, there are certainly more automobilers than bicyclers moving about Omaha at any given time.  However, up to 12 bicyclers could use a space that is now only able to handle one automobile that, in many instances, carries a single individual.  If the city wants to provide transportation options now and in the future that are not exclusively based on inefficient fossil-fuel-powered motor vehicles, they should stop defaulting to installing as many motor vehicle parking spaces as possible.  It is like the monocultured, stereotypical all-American lawn that is unhealthily filled with Kentucky blue grass and perhaps some fescue – needs a lot of water, fertilizer, and herbicides and is generally expensive to maintain.  The manicured lawn does not promote a healthy ecosystem, nor do streets that are exclusively automobile-centered make safe, healthy neighborhoods.  It is time to come to terms with the reality that auto-centric cities are eventually a dead end.  We should be building healthier neighborhoods and cities that encourage more sustainable transportation choices. Here are some cities that have done a good job of providing transportation options:  https://www.wired.com/story/most-bike-friendly-cities-2019-copenhagenize-design-index/  Oftentimes, articles cite technological development as promising progress in the realm of sustainable transportation.  However, it is also possible to improve sustainable transportation by relying on the classic technology of bicycles.  Or even the absence of technology by walking.  

Well, I will cease my grouchy rambling for now and hopefully I’ll be in a better mood next year when I’m back on the bike!  

Let’s get together soon. Missing you,

BSO

Fixing the Bastard

November 26, 2019

I hope you are enjoying some mild and/or wild weather/activities.  I have had a few repairs to make on ye olde Bastarde.  I was experiencing some unconscionable chain skipping both before and after replacing my drive train.  So, I took a pretty close gander at the chain tensioner and noticed it had some lateral slop that I felt might be contributing to several occasions of the chain falling off the sprocket.  I was not enjoying unpleasantly anticipating the jarring sensation of a chain toss whilst striving mightily to reach the peak of some of the hills that constitute my 500 total feet of climbing that I endure on a daily basis!  Egads! Egads, indeed!  So I easily removed the semi-circular lock washer needed to fiddle with the chain tensioner attachment bolt and slapped on an outer washer to limit lateral slop.  

Then I struggled to reattach the lock washer and managed to launch it off into a corner of the garage somewhere where it landed clinkily.  I am guessing it’s not really necessary, I might just have to tighten up the bolt every so often.   Then I took out a link on the chain to keep it taut like a tiger wrapped around the tensioner and sprocket.  And thus far it seems to be keeping things in-line!?  Yes!?  Update:  mostly great, one minor chain skip on a climb after several days of riding, so it's certainly much improved but not as perfect as it used to be.... maybe I'll invest in a Surly Singleator one of these days to see if they're any better.

Here's another modification that I recently installed:

Why would I do such a thing?  Hmmmmm.  Well, just write your answer on any unused or lightly used bike component and send it my way and I'll let you know if you're right!  Or just wait until you get to the bottom of this ramblingly incoherent piece of .... prose.  

In other tedious/exciting news, I finally replaced my rear bicycle tyre (a much beloved Maxxis Overdrive Elite with approximately 10,000 miles on it that I have been thinking about replacing for slightly less than a year) with a new Serfas Drifter 1.5-inch diameter tyre!  

So I’ve gone from a 1.75-inch diameter tyre to a 1.5-inch one and the ride feels slightly more nimble, but less cushy.  I am curious to see how it holds up during the wintery weather conditions that surely await, like the gaping maw of a sprocket-chewing Siberian tiger.  Update:  back tyre spun out a bit during some standing climbing in the slush this eve, but not too bad and probably would happen with most tyres.  Since I took the corners quite wimpily I am not sure about cornering, but no big problems.  

As you might notice, I've only installed the rear tyre thus far because my trusty olde Maxxis Overdrive Elite front tyre still has some tread left and I've been busy caulking the driveway.

In other potentially more relatable news, I’ve taken to singing loudly and/or reciting a poem quietly whilst bicycling merrily to and fro.  Here are my 3 main selections:  

Barrett’s Privateers

Lowlands

Kubla Khan

I also throw in a couple others from time to time, mostly “Blowin’ in the Wind” when it seems appropriate and the parts of “Wraggle Taggle Gypsies” that I recall, not to mention the anthemic "Waltzing Matilda."

 Now, at long last, here is the reason I applied some grip!  to my handlebar.  It's the heavy, floppy if unrestrained, Dayblazer 800.  

The strap didn't really keep this heavy piece of hardware stable.

 At first I tried the ubiquitous inner tube wrap, thusly:

But it was still prone to shifting downwards when I heedlessly unleashed the Bastard on some moderately (relatively) steep hills here in the haha.

So, there you have a summary of my activities recently.  Happy Thanksgiving and Black Friday!  Let's enjoy to whatever degree we can!

Your loving BSO-ha!

Get pumped for Octobre de futbol!

October 5, 2019

Hello again!  What is happening in your neck o’ the woods? Here in the OMA, I am on my own at the homestead with a delightful seasonal beer and a mildly celebratory mood.  

The Huskers managed a hard-fought victory against the respectable Wildcats of the Northwest in a sport we refer to here as el futbol de Estados Unidos y Canada Solamente.  As you may be reminded of by my pobre espanol con tilda, it is Hispanic Heritage month, and also Breast Cancer Awareness month, among others.  So I am hoping there are many notable and/or enjoyable things you are currently experiencing too.

One thing I noticed the other day was that something looked different on my usual commute.  

Well, it’s been a bit soggy around here lately. I also think this area may have been over-irrigated, resulting in shallow, weak roots.  

I also decided to treat my trusty old winter bicycling jacket with some unidentified, but possibly PFC-free, chemicals.  

Ye trusty olde jacket is an Illuminite jacket that is so damn good that I am wondering why they made it so good because I may never have to buy another one because it’s so damn tough!  In other product-related news, I am sorry to say that the Bontrager Flare-R I obtained a while back (fall 2017) did not completely hold up over the past couple of years of regular use. It still works, but it will only work on the flashiest of its 5 or 6 modes.  That is fine with me, since that’s the one that I use the most, but I am guessing there might be some other users out there who have different (i.e., higher) standards than I.  

I have recently noticed that ye Olde Bastarde is having a few extra quirks.  For example, even after replacing the drive train there’s an occasional chain skip.  Although I am sure it’s some problem that I introduced myself whilst replacing the components, I can’t help but think that maybe an awesome, sweet, new, affordable single-speed bicycle with plenty of clearance for some sturdy, reliable tyres might be pretty fricking great.  But, on the other hand, me and OB have some pretty deep roots that keep us up and get us around obstacles on the trail.  Maybe I’ll just order a bigger chain ring next time to keep the chain further away from the crank splines to minimize resistance. When it comes to old bikes, in my experience there’s usually a solution, although it isn’t always easy and frequently a bit humbling.  But life and el futbol de Estados Unidos y Canada Solamente, amongst other sports, can be that way too, right!?  

Buenos noches y Octobre (con upsidowno exclamaciones marco)!

-El BSO (& el Bastarde con accentes)

Turkeys on the roads

September 15, 2019

Hi gang!  How are you all?  

How is the two-wheeling going?  I hope you said well, or something even better.  My own wheels are still spinning along merrily enough, I reckon.  There have been a few bicycle-related events that I’ve noted recently:

1.    The city of Bellevue is spending $20,000 to remove bike lanes

2.    A kid riding a bike across a busy intersection in Blair was hit by a person driving a semi-truck and killed

3.    Sarah Johnson closed her Omaha Bicycle Co. store

These events range from somber to tragic and it just sometimes seems that our local transportation opportunities and options are forever limited to a rather narrow rut, that of the auto-man empire.  Bike lanes were installed along Fort Crook Road in 2013.  The current mayor has apparently had enough of them.  

Despite the impending doom of the Bellevue bike lanes, there ModeShiftOmaha had an interesting post showing bike lane use of the Fort Crook corridor using a Strava heat map.  The heat map, as I understand it, does not show how fast people zoom along this corridor on their 2-wheeled carbonized zoommobiles.  Instead it illustrates volume of use over a given time.  Once I had observed this post, it made me reevaluate my lack of Strava use over the past one year or so.  I stopped using Strava awhile back because I stopped signing up for various cycling-related challenges because the one in Omaha was discontinued.  Also, activating the app right before leaving for my bike rides may have contributed to the temporary loss of my phone and/or wallet because I may have absent-mindedly ridden off without zipping the lid on my pannier after stowing the phone there?  Anyway, the simpler the better, as far as I am concerned.  Hence my penchant for single-speed bicycles and sending postcards to convey thoughts and/or ideas.  However, if pro-bicycling organizations might possibly use Strava data to support the expansion of bicycle-friendly bike infrastructure, then maybe I should re-activate!  So I did. 

The fatality in Blair happened shortly after another incident in which a child was struck by a person driving an SUV and killed while attempting to cross a street in downtown Papillion.  I hope that we can make these and other intersections safer so that these types of things don't keep happening.  I am guessing there are a few things that could be done to help.  It seems obvious to me that we can't always rely on attentive drivers avoiding collisions with small humans.  Although I would gladly defer to others who have studied these types of intersections, I have often thought that it would be nice to have a few intersections marked as pedestrian/bicycle routes with a yellow diamond sign and maybe some blinking lights.  

Sarah Johnson has been and, I am fairly confident, will continue to be an inspirational proponent for improving bicycling opportunities here in Omaha.  Although I have only met her a couple times, she is extremely personable and relatable and I am always impressed by her accurate and forthright critiques of bicycle infrastructure improvements:  often noted how these measures are mostly feel-good projects that don't substantially add to the bike-ability of our fair to middling city.  Thank you SJ.

So those are a few of the current bicycle-related events I’ve been noticing lately.  

Another thing I’ve noticed lately is that I am weaker and suckier at mountainous bicycling than ever before!  My last foray out to Tranquility Park I decided to ride from my home to my friend Rich’s home prior to hitting the dirt.  I felt kind of tired after my 6 or 7 mile ride to Rich’s place, and that may have contributed to how hard and often I hit the dirt – thrice to be specific! That might not seem like a lot to some, but my appetite for crashing has diminished quite significantly recently. I’ve got responsibilities, I recover more slowly than I used to, and I just haven't gotten out to do much mountainous bicycling lately, which makes me rightfully not-very-confident in my ability to get rad.  Fortunately no injuries to speak of, just a few scrapes and a fair bit of dirt.  

So, to summarize, the turkeys are trying to keep the bicyclers off the roads.  

But the bicyclers can use Strava (and similar apps) to push back against those turkeys and bring the auto-man empire into compliance with the Allies’ Complete Streets (and similar) programs that are attempting to prevent adding to the severity of ongoing problems with growing cities and growing numbers of automobiles.  Also, the bicycler is like the scrawny suburban fox that prowls largely unnoticed, but is able to swiftly jump over lazy brown dogs and, when the time is right, might successfully make a meal out of those delicious wild suburban turkeys!  

Or at least a goose.

Foxily yours,

BSO 

Intoxicating Summer Wheels

June 21, 2019

Dear Fellow Bicycle Enthusiast, et al.,

Welcome to my humble composition!  I hope it amuses or something similar.  Happy summer (for N hemispherians) or winter (for those south of the belt)!  Today I would like to present to you two topics:  a) cycling clothing, b) modes of transport.

These 2 topics have been on my mind lately for the following reasons:  1) the Pearls before Swine cartoonist, Stephan Pastis, has had a few strips lately that address cycling, one of which obliquely refers to bicyclists’ penchant for tight clothing and 2) a conversation with a few co-workers addressing the new scooter option for transport (only allowed on streets) and a compare/contrast exercise with bicycles, cars and scooters.  

As far as topic A goes, let me begin and end by presenting a photo that proves that you cannot always see my nipples through my high-viz bike jersey (topper of choice).

Need I say/type more? 

I didn’t think so.

As far as topic B goes, the discussion was a bit wide-ranging, unstructured and thought-provoking.  So, the scooters make a good conversation starter.  Our discussion went something like this:

“What about those new scooters scooting around on the roads everywhere these days?”

“I saw a guy on Leavenworth during my morning commute today!  Bold choice!”

“Bold or dumb?”

“It would be different if he had a bike lane!”

“They don’t have much visibility, just a little taillight.  They can’t ride ‘em at night.”

Me:  “Really?”

(coworker appraises me as if I might be a bit touched) “Yeah.”

“It’s like bicycles. They want to have all the privileges of the road, but they don’t always follow the rules of the road.  When was the last time you saw a bicycle getting ticketed (rhetorical period).  

(I refrained from mentioning that it’s probably because the percentage of bicyclers is so low that you probably only see one bicyclist per 1,000 cars or so you see)

Or a speeding car during the rush hour commute.” (very equitable) 

“They keep saying how many injuries there have been since they started the scooters, but there’s only been like two tickets.”

“Yeah, something’s not right here….”

“My buddy once got a ticket on his bike.  DUI.”

“On a bike?”

“Yeah.”

Me:  “It’s my understanding that you can’t get a DUI on a bike in Nebraska, you could only get a public intoxication.”

“They charged him with DUI.”

Me:  “Well I don’t think they could make it stick.”

“They did.  He lost his license.”

“Yeah, a bicycle is a vehicle.”

So there.  And it is true, a bicycle is a vehicle, as are motorized scooters.  A vehicle (per the Cambridge dictionary) is “something used to transport people or goods, esp. something used on land or roads.”  Usually a machine (an object that proffers a mechanical advantage to the user).  So a skateboard, wagon, and roller skates would also qualify.  But I don’t think you could get a DUI for drunken skateboarding or pulling your kid around in a wagon.  

I was impressed to find that the League of American Bicyclists had put together a handy guide to determining what penalties could be levied at a drunken bicyclist based on state.  As shown on the handy chart, Nebraska’s DUI law, like most states’, only applies to motor vehicles.  Iowa’s and Kansas’s laws are similar, but Wichita has a city ordinance that allows drunken bicyclists to be charged with a DUI.

Not that it matters that much to me.  I don’t get out and party much.  Back in my younger years I was once hit by a car whilst bicycling intoxicating, and it was quite unpleasant for a variety of reasons.  It was embarrassing and I felt kind of bad for the old guy that hit me.  It also made quite an impression on me (mostly on my jaw) and I had to get a few stitches and go to the impound lot the next morning afternoon to get the Bastard back.

So there’s that.  You probably won’t get a DUI for bicycling intoxicated, but you might get hurt (or killed) and/or undergo a series of unpleasantries.  

Glad we got that all cleared up.

And what’s up with those scooters?  Well let’s take a look.  Hmmm. Looks pretty good.  Maybe all this scooting will encourage the creation of more bike lanes too!  That would be great.  So scoot on by sometime and we’ll head out on the streets for awhile!

Let’s roll!

BSO

Oafish bearings

June 15, 2019

Dear Sirs and Madams,

I am writing today to inform you thatIwe have finally got the Old Bastard back together! It was easy!  First I removed the stubborn ol’ rusted stem stump, as explained in painful detail in previous posts.  Then I unwisely decided that the headset should be overhauled due to some very minor grittiness when turning the handlebar.  I took the headset apart and then decided I should get some new caged bearings because the ones in there seemed a bit old and possibly out of round. I went down to ye olde local bike shop (Olympia in Millard, where I had purchased the Bridgestone back in 1991) and got a set of caged bearings.  However, due to the antiquated nature of my 29 year-old Bridgestone, Ed was only able to supply me with one set.  As it turns out, that is probably just as well because I went home and promptly dropped the caged bearings onto the concrete, irreparably bending the cage! Yes, I am a clumsy oaf.  This tom turkey I recently met near the multi-use trail might have done a better job of overhauling my headset than I.  

Then I ineffectually tried to put the headset back together and bent the cages on both of ye olde sets of caged bearings (I think it was due to improper alignment and my moving the fork back and forth which likely bent the cages before they were firmly emplaced within the headset.  It was shameful indeed.  So I took it back to Olympia and Michael expertly assessed the situation and supplied the headset with some non-caged/free-range bearings.  For a mere $51 and some free (unless you count the approximately 2 hours spent in this ill-conceived/misbegotten venture) shame I was back to Bastardizing around town on my trusty olde MB-5.

Now I’ve noticed ye olde Bastarde is more of an old guy’s bike than before, and I’ve even considered getting a bullhorn handlebar to get a bit more aero/aggressive.  But, on the other hand, the more upright position hasn’t been too bad.  I’ve been looking around and enjoying the views of things that I have not previously noticed due to my aero/aggressiveness.  And to be honest, I’m pretty sure I’m older than I am aero/aggressive.  So there!

Now I am ready for Rollin’ to Colon, a lovely pastoral ride which happens to take place tomorrow! Roll on, my fellow clumsy oafs and oafettes (and also any graceful elves/faeries/secret agents who might be reading).

-BSO

Brokedown and 2 wheels to go

April 13 – May 19, 2019

Dear reader,

This spring has been a dynamic time.  I have been riding around on Shifty, a bike I normally only use for long rides and off-pavement riding.  My time with the Old Bastard has been limited to the following:

Yes, my handlebar stem developed a crack and, when I attempted to remove the stem with the handlebars attached, became completely separated from the rest of ye olde-fashioned quill stem stump which remained firmly lodged within the head tube.  It was not easy to remove the stem from the head tube.  I didn’t think it would be easy, based on this excellent instructional video:

After some diligent and, eventually, kind of reluctant hack-sawing, I finally got the remaining stump of the stem out and ordered a replacement. 

Beholde!  Ye olde stem stump removed and revealed!

Unfortunately, I ordered the wrong size (25.4 mm).  I am really not sure why I ordered that one, I hadn’t even measured the diameter yet but I guess I figured it would be the most common one!?  So I’m sending that one back and I ordered another one.  I think a 21.15 mm (13/16”) stem will be right for a 1990 Bridgestone MB-5, right?!  It could be a 22.2 mm; however, since I am close to needing reading glasses and it’s a bit hard for me to accurately discern a 1 mm difference in diameter and I don’t seem to have any calipers (although I am pretty sure I once did).  IMPORTANT UPDATE:  If you too, need a replacement stem for your 1990 Bridgestone MB-5, it is actually a 22.2 mm stem.  3rd time is a charm for this stem mis-measurerer!

I must admit, the situation is not ideal.  I feel compelled to shift gears and the spring temperature changes and/or my poorly adjusted shifting system made it a bit unreliable for awhile.  I am also frequently splattered with goop due to the absence of fenders on Shifty.  Fortunately I’ve got a bunch of gift cards for various local bike shops that I will deploy in the near future to at least get a front fender/mudguard.  Here's what I ended up with.

It's better than no fender, and works better with muck than with water (I am guessing the muck doesn't accelerate as quickly towards my face due to its greater mass than water?).  Butt, as I've been too lazy to put the rear fender from the Bastard onto Shifty, I've also had to deal with a soggy bum and I've felt compelled to wash my pants more often than usual (i.e., semi-annually).

I’ve got the feeling that I am near the eye of a vortex of deterioration.  Here’s why:

1. The Bastard is on long-term disability
2. I’ve had an injury on my foot for about 4 weeks - from wearing a sandal!?
3. I should get my house painted and replace the retaining wall, which currently serves as prime wasp habitat.
4. My wrist hurts (yeah, real funny!) from having to shift gears all the time.  And yes, I know that theoretically I could just stay in one gear, but those levers are just so compelling!
5. Also my knee is still not quite fully bendable due to a skiing incident back in February.

Granted, now that I type out my whiny list, it doesn’t seem so bad.  Thanks for taking the time to allow me to vent.  Now it’s your turn!  Oh!  WHAT!?! The NERVE!!!  There, now we both feel better.  Kind of like how everyone feels better now that there are 38 miles of connected bike routes in Omaha!  Let’s take a look at this map, here.  Hmmm.  Looks pretty good.  Better than things used to be back in the 90s.  But they could always be even better!  It’s still kind of a pain travelling east-west across I-680.  There is the Big Papio Trail, but it is pretty far south.  

Oh and someone ranked bicycling in various cities!  Let’s see how OMA fared…1.7 / 5 stars.  Hmmm. I’d say we should have at least 2.5. I think this rating system might be set-up to encourage cities to incorporate better infrastructure and protected lanes for bikes.  Nothing wrong with that.  We bicyclers should do whatever it takes to make things better for us and hopefully that will mean that there are more of us!  Let’s find out some more details about Omaha’s bicyclability… Hmm.  Our highest marks are in Network (Rates How People Are Connected To Their Destinations Using Comfortable Bike Routes) and Reach (Measures How Consistently A Community’s Bike Network Serves Everyone In The Community).  Well, I guess that 38 miles of connected bike routes in Omaha is paying off!  We share our 1.7 rating with strong bicycling communities like Sacramento, CA (where the charming film Ladybird is set), and Duluth, MN (birthplace of Duluth Trading Co. – Purveyor of Durable Goods and Humorously Illustrated Catalogs).  So I guess that’s pretty good, right?!  Can we do better?!  MAY-BEE! I said, CAN WE DO BETTER?!?!!  MAAAYYYY-BEEEEEE!  Take that apathy!  A 1.7 might not seem that great, but even the #1 city of Boulder, CO only got a 3.7, so a 1.7 isn’t terrible.  Terrible would probably be somewhere in Texas.  Let me look into that – Hmm.  I’m sorry Texas, but it looks like Pittsford, NY (suburb of Rochester, est. pop. 29,450) may have earned that distinction, with a 0.4 rating.  I am not sure why a small-medium-sized town would have such a low rating – seems like with so few people around a bicycler could just pedal around with some bright lights and clothing and be perfectly safe, if perhaps not well-liked.  Well, I guess just being a moderately active, most-of-the-time bicycle commuter doesn’t make me a profound expert on bicycling in all situations like I thought it did!?  Wow!  You really can get your mind blown every so often.  I wonder what it will be like when gravity helps it coalesce back together…. wow.

Well it will soon be time for we recently enjoyed the annual Wear Yellow Ride here in Nebraska!  I am not sure if I am prepared, but I am ready to try to keep up with my 72-year-old dad.  I know it doesn’t sound that challenging, but the man is a phenomena.  He went in for a heart stress test awhile back and although the computer didn’t really explode because it could not calculate how a person could be so fit at the age of 72, it almost might have (my dad tried to teach me not to exaggerate).  His heart may (or may not) be stronger that a 1-year-old antelope’s but is almost certainly healthier than this moderately-active 47-year old’s.  As a matter of fact, I am now downgrading my status from moderately- to semi-active.  I am as inactive as possible at work, which has taken a toll on my overall health and, most noticeably, my cardiovascular fitness.

Maybe I’ll get out and do some hiking/backpacking once I get over this annoying spring cold and get the Old Bastard back on track.  Things will soon be glorious again, I can feel it!

You're the inspiration,

BSO

Goose my pig, groundhog!

February 1, 2019

Well hello there!  It is good to be in contact with you once more. As I believe you are more alike me than not, I am sure you are also feeling more peppy than usual.  And why not?!  It’s a bit warmer outside here than it has been for awhile.  It is also Groundhog Day Eve, and the year of the earth pig is rapidly approaching.  So what does all of this mean?  Well, I don’t know.  But I am happy to predict a slight increase in prosperity, social responsibility, and thoughtfulness.  I could tell by this harmonious planetary alignment I witnessed this a.m., back when it was still pretty cold.

Verily, when Jupiter is in ascendancy over Venus who is resting upon the moon, the groundhog will embraceth the pig.

I haven't celebrated Groundhog Day much lately, but back when I wore a younger man's clothes (which I am still wearing) I made it out to the Groundhog Prom where these guys often can be found laying down some righteous grooves.

It is also nearly the moon when the geese come home, but a gaggle or 2 may have gotten a jump on those others.  Take a gander at this!

Well I hope you are ready for some Super Bowling, which is also coming up this weekend?  This event is sure to be quite bike-oriented based on these findings.  That's right, the Gronkhog is the great grandson of Iggy Gronkowski, a famous bicyclist who competed in the 1924 Paris Olympics!

Although I am hoping for a Rams victory, I like the Pats too because they are getting almost as old as me!  So let’s all get ol' piggy with it!

See you over on the other side of the moon cycle!

https://shirtoid.com/83305/lunar-cycle/

-BSO’ the Pig

Stroking the greatness

January 22, 2019

Hello again!  Why didn’t you warn me?! I told you I’ve been doing some burpees and you should have known that was a bad idea!  My wrists are now mildly sore.  You can laugh about overuse of the wrist all you want, and I hope you do and that it makes you feel better, but it doesn’t make me feel any better!  So now I will have to make other plans to improve my cardiovascular fitness.  One option is to keep my wrists locked and do the push-up part of the burpees on my fists. But on the other hand…. you’ve got a completely different set of fingers!  Ha!

Some are born to greatness, others work hard to achieve it, and still others stumble upon it temporarily and feel very lucky.  I feel like I’ve recently joined the 3^rdvariety.  I am feeling the greatness because of the following serendipitous (and accidental) sequence of events:

1.    I signed Snot Jr. up for swimming lessons at ye olde YMCA.

2.    We went to the first lesson and found out that it is open swim right after the conclusion of his lesson!?

3.    I took my swimming trunks to the 2^ndlesson and discovered that there was a lane available for lap swimming during Snot Jr.’s lesson!?

4.    I realized this was a good opportunity to work on some low-impact cardiovascular exercise instead of sitting around and ignoring the other parents!

It’s as if I’m managing my time well!  I used to swim regularly for a year or two while I was training for triathlons.  It was great and I became a fairly good, albeit greatly slow, swimmer.  One time I even swam for a mile without stopping!  How did I manage that, you may be wondering?  Well I had a little help from this guy – Terry Lauglin.  I bought Total Immersion and I heartily recommend it to anyone who is not a great swimmer, but would like to become a competent and efficient one.  Yes, instead of trying to make it across the pool as quickly as possible, I used to try to make it in as few strokes as possible. In the 8 years or so since I stopped swimming, I’ve naturally become much less efficient, but perhaps I’ll regain some of my technique while Snot Jr. treads water and enjoys the antics of his swimming instructor’s rubber squid associate named Bob.  

Although I haven’t been bicycling for almost a week now, I did have some excellent opportunities to enjoy some rides with relatively clear pavement interspersed with some puddles and slushy snow.  Winter bicycling can really open the senses to some of the wintery sensations available for the outsidey individuals.  For example, I hadn’t really taken note of the way the traffic lights can reflect off a wet tyre on a winter’s eve.  

And the fun of riding down a snow-covered hill on a bike is just as much fun as sledding.

So I hope you get out to experience the under-appreciated month of January and have a sensational winter!  

See you on the slopes!

-BSO