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!
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 3rdvariety.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 2ndlesson 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!
I hope that you are having a great 2019 so far. Mine has been good as gold, thanks for thinking of me, turning to gold. I may not have the Midas touch, so I mighd as well make some bad jokes, eh?! You joker!?>!
Speaking of joking, I am no longer joking when I state the following: here's one thing you won't want to miss, unless you are operating under a tight budget. On January 24, the Community Bike Project Omaha has partnered with Farnam House Brewing Co. to offer a 3-course meal with 3 beers for $50. I have been to FHBC once, and they gave me a lot of food for a one course b-fast to accompany a delightful Bloody Mary. Since I have been doing a few burpees lately; however, I am pretty sure that with my higher metabolic rate than usual I'll be able to wolf those 3 courses down with no problem- BUUURRRP
As you are most likely aware, we’ve got a lunar eclipse coming up. Some call it the super blood wolf moon. The Umoha call this time of year the moon when snow drifts into tipis.
I don’t know about you, but all of that reminds me of this song about red whisky and murder.
Well, I am sorry to be so brief for a change, but the only thing that is constant is change!
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!
