I know that I have neglected this recently. The truth is that I’ve NOT been overly busy, I’ve NOT been depressed, nor do I have a good reason to not keep it more up to date. One question I frequently have is does anybody actually read this thing? So if no one is reading it, why am I bothering to post anything? Additionally, I have, like most everyone else, discovered the ease and beauty of Facebook. It is very easy to just put a quick note as to what I’m doing or thinking. I am given feedback by those who comment, and my need to share my life with people is satisfied. Also, it is nice for creating photo albums to share pictures. As much as I like the Google suite of utilities, it seems that they are slightly behind the curve and not as tightly integrated as those provided by other services. For example, I am becoming a fast believer in the Microsoft Live set of tools and hope to use them in the near future for a manuscript collaboration. I know, I know, Microsoft is the man, and my life’s mission has been to not let the man keep me under his thumb. The truth is, they’ve been around for thirty years and they are really starting to get a feel for what people need in this new era of computing. Now, if they can just keep the prices reasonable and continue offering some free services, such as office live, I feel they will once again occupy a happy place in my brain.
My birthday came and went with scarcely a mention on this space. This was a momentous birthday, and those who follow this blog, whoever you are, most likely missed my ‘turning 40 rant’ you were expecting. So what happened on this day? Very little. My family is not much for celebrating birthdays much anymore, and there has been a bit of family tension that I do not fully understand, so maybe it serves me right that this event come and go with little fanfare. I did get a card from my Aunt and Uncle, and a birthday email from my mother. I also got to spend some time with my parents the day after. But beyond that, it was just another Sunday. I would have liked to had a party, opened a gift, and been around the people I love. But this year, it just didn’t happen.
Now on the topic of friendship. Many of you know that I have many circles in my life. I have a general love for everyone, but within that sphere there is a group I will call acquaintances and coworkers. These are people I have met, work with or socially interact on a regular basis. I am kind and friendly with some joking, but mostly a professional demeanor. Within that group, there are people I consider friends. These are people I see and think about more than the others. These are people I would call for help, and would run to should the opportunity to assist them arrive. These are folks that I will share intimate meals with, open conversation and discussion and people I will borrow items from or lend items too. These are the people that regularly make me emotional. Either happy because of kind exchanges or sad because the exchanges have turned predominantly toward the negative. These are the people that inspire me on both ends of the spectrum and whom I feel blessed for knowing.
The centermost circle is who I would consider my best friends. These are people with whom I spend many hours of enjoyable time. People I miss when unable to see or hear from and people that I can honestly say that I love. These are the people that know me the best and are not afraid to care for me no matter how screwed up they think I am. While my ‘friend’ circle can include family friends, my best friend circle are those people with whom I share an exclusive relationship. These are MY friends, not my families friends. There are honestly not too many people in that circle. However, the membership seems to be very volatile as it appears that outside circumstances are taking people from me at an alarming rate. Few people attain membership to that group, but many seem to leave it. Anytime I get a close friend, it seems they find a better employment situation and move away. I won’t name names, because they know who they are. But I have moved friends all over the country, Texas, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Washington State, Florida, Colorado, California by way of Oklahoma and in the near future; France.
It should be noted that I do not hold any animosity toward any of these people. They all did what was best for their professional and family prosperity. And I do keep in contact with them all as often as I am able. But I am very sad to see this last fellow move to Europe. He and I have been riding bikes together quite a bit this season and last. He has pushed me personally and physically, and encouraged me to give racing a try; if for no other reason than to add it to my list of life achievements. So, once the elbow heals up, I will be on the local bicycle race team for at least one year, maybe two. I’ll race, I’ll lose, but I will be out there doing what I can to fulfill a tiny part of my childhood aspirations. While young, he is quite perceptive and willing to listen. As we spoke while riding and in times at the local watering hole, we were able to discuss some of the more weighty issues in our lives. And while neither of us had all the answers to the others problems, we did at least get to talk, in a very open and non-threatening way. We knew that whatever was shared, would stay between us. We knew that no matter what was said, we would not be looked down upon by the other person. We have a respect for each other that is rare in this world of self centered instant gratification. And as he is pursuing his dream of racing professionally in Europe, I will be on the sidelines cheering him on, ringing the cowbell and being ever available to listen to his concerns, and share my life with him via the electronic media we have available. I look forward to the times when he will be back in the area and we can share a ride, or just meet for drinks at our favorite place.
I know I covered a lot of ground tonight, but sometimes when the fingers do the walkin, they start to run. So...there you have it. 92% of everything I'm thinking about today. The other 8%...well... a guy can't give away all his secrets can he?
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
One of my last demons
As many of you know, I've been doing a lot of growing for the past decade or so. I've inventoried my life and discovered the things I feel to be important, and eliminated the things I feel to be detrimental. A large part of this was the notion that I could change the way I reacted to situations, because no one is responsible for my feelings, but me. Sure, we can be hurt and offended, but how long are you going to let that bother you? Let that emotion swim around inside you for a while, let it do its work (which is to remind you what you hold dear and why it is important) and then let it go. Life is too short to stew on pain.
A friend who stood near me during a particularly troublesome time in my life recently asked me, "How are your demons doing?" and it got me to thinking. The things that were haunting me back then are largely gone. Those bad attitudes and thoughts that bound me during that time are now only memories. Vanquished, now that proper defenses have been built to ward off future attacks. So as I was recounting the demons of my past and rejoicing that they had all been removed from the scene, I was also reminded of a few new ones that had cropped up. While no where near as dangerous as the ones from the past, they are niggling harassers that need to be managed, and in some cases focused, if not eliminated all together.
While I was introspecting, the one demon that kept jumping up in my life was hatred. I am filled with hate. Which is weird because anyone that knows me will tell you that I am easy going, accepting and generally fun to be around. So it bothered me. Why do I hate...what do I hate? So being the student of humanity that I am, I started writing a list of things I hate. Upon that list was local hunger, the abuse of the elderly, young and impaired, anger, violence, envy, and elitism. The list went on, but it was all things of this nature.
So I taped this list up to the wall and walked around it, gazing into it to discover what, if anything was the root cause. What was it that I really hated? Oddly enough, that list also included hate, which I found amusing in that way that only I find myself funny. So I started to read the list out loud to see what would happen. I found myself becoming increasingly agitated as I spat out each item on the list. At first it was tolerable. But by the end of the list I was hissing the words with tears streaming down my cheeks while I trembled uncontrolled. I crumpled the paper, threw it across the room and then realized that my hatred was almost righteous. WHAT? How is that possible? So I thought about this notion of Righteous Hatred for about an hour...and then something happened.
I remembered a Bible verse. Not one really...but nearly a dozen. Exodus, Psalms, Amos, Romans, and Revelation all jumped into my head. I started to flip through the Bible my Aunt and Uncle gave me for high school graduation, it was the closest one. It didn't take me long to find it in each case. Spelled out most eloquently, however was Romans 12:9. "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil and cling to what is good." (NIV) WOW....there is such a thing as righteous hatred!
Well, hating what is evil is pretty broad though. Sure, we all hate to hear stories of murder and terrorism. That is low hanging fruit on the hate tree. But what is at the root of most evil. Well, the Bible says that the "Love of Money" is at the root of all evil. That is certainly true enough. I've fallen into that trap before myself. The pursuit of money can make us do crazy things if that is our primary focus. But in my estimation, even the love of money has a root cause. And that root cause is the new focus of my hatred.
Weakness.
I now hate every shred of weakness in my being. When I fret about paying the bills, I hate that I don't trust that I've been given the right talent and job to provide for my family. When I find myself becoming upset at another driver who is making me more late than I already am, I hate that I didn't make the time to leave earlier, and now I'm trying to blame MY problem on someone else...who is probably also having a rough day. I have made it my new mission to eliminate weakness. Why do we hate other people? Because we are too weak to allow for the possibility that someone else might have a valid opinion. Why do we kill and hurt each other? Because we are too weak to deal with issues in any other way. Why do we strut around flexing our muscles and make threats to prove how tough we are? Because we are too weak to realize that just being who we are will attract respect.
Weakness sucks. I'm tired of it. It's time for that demon to go.
A friend who stood near me during a particularly troublesome time in my life recently asked me, "How are your demons doing?" and it got me to thinking. The things that were haunting me back then are largely gone. Those bad attitudes and thoughts that bound me during that time are now only memories. Vanquished, now that proper defenses have been built to ward off future attacks. So as I was recounting the demons of my past and rejoicing that they had all been removed from the scene, I was also reminded of a few new ones that had cropped up. While no where near as dangerous as the ones from the past, they are niggling harassers that need to be managed, and in some cases focused, if not eliminated all together.
While I was introspecting, the one demon that kept jumping up in my life was hatred. I am filled with hate. Which is weird because anyone that knows me will tell you that I am easy going, accepting and generally fun to be around. So it bothered me. Why do I hate...what do I hate? So being the student of humanity that I am, I started writing a list of things I hate. Upon that list was local hunger, the abuse of the elderly, young and impaired, anger, violence, envy, and elitism. The list went on, but it was all things of this nature.
So I taped this list up to the wall and walked around it, gazing into it to discover what, if anything was the root cause. What was it that I really hated? Oddly enough, that list also included hate, which I found amusing in that way that only I find myself funny. So I started to read the list out loud to see what would happen. I found myself becoming increasingly agitated as I spat out each item on the list. At first it was tolerable. But by the end of the list I was hissing the words with tears streaming down my cheeks while I trembled uncontrolled. I crumpled the paper, threw it across the room and then realized that my hatred was almost righteous. WHAT? How is that possible? So I thought about this notion of Righteous Hatred for about an hour...and then something happened.
I remembered a Bible verse. Not one really...but nearly a dozen. Exodus, Psalms, Amos, Romans, and Revelation all jumped into my head. I started to flip through the Bible my Aunt and Uncle gave me for high school graduation, it was the closest one. It didn't take me long to find it in each case. Spelled out most eloquently, however was Romans 12:9. "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil and cling to what is good." (NIV) WOW....there is such a thing as righteous hatred!
Well, hating what is evil is pretty broad though. Sure, we all hate to hear stories of murder and terrorism. That is low hanging fruit on the hate tree. But what is at the root of most evil. Well, the Bible says that the "Love of Money" is at the root of all evil. That is certainly true enough. I've fallen into that trap before myself. The pursuit of money can make us do crazy things if that is our primary focus. But in my estimation, even the love of money has a root cause. And that root cause is the new focus of my hatred.
Weakness.
I now hate every shred of weakness in my being. When I fret about paying the bills, I hate that I don't trust that I've been given the right talent and job to provide for my family. When I find myself becoming upset at another driver who is making me more late than I already am, I hate that I didn't make the time to leave earlier, and now I'm trying to blame MY problem on someone else...who is probably also having a rough day. I have made it my new mission to eliminate weakness. Why do we hate other people? Because we are too weak to allow for the possibility that someone else might have a valid opinion. Why do we kill and hurt each other? Because we are too weak to deal with issues in any other way. Why do we strut around flexing our muscles and make threats to prove how tough we are? Because we are too weak to realize that just being who we are will attract respect.
Weakness sucks. I'm tired of it. It's time for that demon to go.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Facebook Addiction?
Facebook has been out there for a few years now and millions of people have signed up and began sharing snippets of their life with many many people. Well, at the continued "encouragement" of my friends, I have finally signed in. I anticipate the mockery of my coworkers soon. I will say this, I finally understand the hype. However just like a hammer or a shotgun, it is a tool that can be used for creativity and enrichment, or it can be destructive and painful.
I must admit that as I get near my forth decade, I have become a little nostalgic. I signed into another service a long time ago, but they were very limited with their willingness to allow you to speak to your old classmates without collecting a subscription fee. With Facebook, I've rediscovered many old friends, and rivals, from my high school days. Some with whom I was never very close, while others I maintained a deep fondness for in my youth, that was somehow eliminated when I graduated. Some of us went to college, some of us joined the military, some of us went to work and some of us just went. But now, many of us are back together again because of Facebook.
Like many of us who are honest with ourselves, I have a past filled with stupidity and regret. There are a few people I was terribly mean to, and some who were viciously mean toward me, but after 22 years, it seems that none of us care much anymore. We've all gone on to have children, fall in love, get divorced, go bald, grey, or even get into better shape. Why did I expect any different? Well, when you are a kid, you think that you will not be just like all the other grownups you meet. But when you finally become a grownup yourself, you fall in step. Adulthood looks very similar today than it did 20 years ago. The only difference is the technology.
Grownups still go out drinking and dancing with their friends, take their kids to the park, write books, become involved in politics, and generally make the world better in the way we've each been equipped. Some by simply being parents, and some by serving as an example to others. I am on both sides of that gate. Still looking for my over riding purpose, yet knowing that I am somehow moving the gears of society, one tiny cog click at a time. Believe it or not, the world would be very different without my meager contribution. The same could be said for you.
I must admit that as I get near my forth decade, I have become a little nostalgic. I signed into another service a long time ago, but they were very limited with their willingness to allow you to speak to your old classmates without collecting a subscription fee. With Facebook, I've rediscovered many old friends, and rivals, from my high school days. Some with whom I was never very close, while others I maintained a deep fondness for in my youth, that was somehow eliminated when I graduated. Some of us went to college, some of us joined the military, some of us went to work and some of us just went. But now, many of us are back together again because of Facebook.
Like many of us who are honest with ourselves, I have a past filled with stupidity and regret. There are a few people I was terribly mean to, and some who were viciously mean toward me, but after 22 years, it seems that none of us care much anymore. We've all gone on to have children, fall in love, get divorced, go bald, grey, or even get into better shape. Why did I expect any different? Well, when you are a kid, you think that you will not be just like all the other grownups you meet. But when you finally become a grownup yourself, you fall in step. Adulthood looks very similar today than it did 20 years ago. The only difference is the technology.
Grownups still go out drinking and dancing with their friends, take their kids to the park, write books, become involved in politics, and generally make the world better in the way we've each been equipped. Some by simply being parents, and some by serving as an example to others. I am on both sides of that gate. Still looking for my over riding purpose, yet knowing that I am somehow moving the gears of society, one tiny cog click at a time. Believe it or not, the world would be very different without my meager contribution. The same could be said for you.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Why I need to stop thinking and listening to the radio
This morning was not the best. For some reason I woke up feeling all sorts of different things. Most of them not good. I had wanted to take a bike ride this morning (which usually is the best antidote for these sorts of times) but I knew that I needed to get some things done around home. After all, it is Mothers Day, and I need to get some things cleaned up in preparation for my parents coming over, as well as doing something so my wife didn't have to do it. After all, it is mothers day for her too. Well, the baby wasn't helping matters much, he just didn't want to be sleeping, so she was frustrated with him and trying her best to get him settled so he could have more than 6 hours of sleep.
So I got up, cleaned my office, picked up some toys, cleaned the car and garage, put air in the bike tires (hey, I was right there) and then remembered that my wife's mothers day gift had not arrived and I needed to figure out why. So I logged onto the web site and found out that I had done everything to place the order, except to click the tiny button that says "Yes, I really really really want to place this order". Well that made me feel very guilty. Even more guilty than I would have felt had I took my bike out for a ride, only to have my wife wake up in the meanwhile and think I had abandoned my house cleaning duties. Then I realized that I didn't have a card...sheesh! So I'm feeling about the worst husband in the world, especially since I am NO help at all in putting the kid back to sleep. I don't have the knack. If I could do that, I know I'd feel a little better, but I just don't got it apparently.
I needed out of the house to get a card anyway, and SOMETHING for her to open on mothers day since I was an absolute knucklehead about the online order. It was in that weakened moment that all the other negative thoughts poured into my head. The fact that I was stuck in a job that very well could have an unhappy ending, the guilt of not knowing how to be a better husband and father, the knowledge that this year, most of the money will need to go into repairing our savings that were obliterated last year and not to improving our house, and the thought that most of my other thoughts are mostly selfish. So I drove over to get some greasy breakfast and shop for a card. It was then that I had yet another down thought. "This stuff you are eating is not comfort, it isn't love. It is barely even food." I couldn't even get breakfast right.
Then something happened. This something has happened more times in my life than I can honestly believe to be coincidence. The right song came on the radio at the right time to snap me out of my funk. Something I have noticed about music. My taste is wide. I like just about everything. I even had a crunk phase about 6 years ago. (Duh, what else will you listen to when rolling in a black Monte Carlo SS?) But recently I've been listening to country music. Classic rock is OK, but they tend to play the same songs over and over. I cannot stand the new 'rock' and 'pop' music. Besides, today's country music sounds quite a bit like what we used to call oldies. And the older I get, the more I appriciate songs that actually tell a story. I mean come on, when Bubba was cited with 'reckless discharge' for the jukebox incident, who can't identify with his reply, "reckless hell! I hit just where I was aimin'" We've all heard a song that made us feel something we weren't expecting. (clickto hear the whole song)
So what song brought me back? Well, until I can find a video, here is the song, complete with lyrics. And no, she didn't really sing that thing you think she sang...it just sounds like it...on purpose.
So I got up, cleaned my office, picked up some toys, cleaned the car and garage, put air in the bike tires (hey, I was right there) and then remembered that my wife's mothers day gift had not arrived and I needed to figure out why. So I logged onto the web site and found out that I had done everything to place the order, except to click the tiny button that says "Yes, I really really really want to place this order". Well that made me feel very guilty. Even more guilty than I would have felt had I took my bike out for a ride, only to have my wife wake up in the meanwhile and think I had abandoned my house cleaning duties. Then I realized that I didn't have a card...sheesh! So I'm feeling about the worst husband in the world, especially since I am NO help at all in putting the kid back to sleep. I don't have the knack. If I could do that, I know I'd feel a little better, but I just don't got it apparently.
I needed out of the house to get a card anyway, and SOMETHING for her to open on mothers day since I was an absolute knucklehead about the online order. It was in that weakened moment that all the other negative thoughts poured into my head. The fact that I was stuck in a job that very well could have an unhappy ending, the guilt of not knowing how to be a better husband and father, the knowledge that this year, most of the money will need to go into repairing our savings that were obliterated last year and not to improving our house, and the thought that most of my other thoughts are mostly selfish. So I drove over to get some greasy breakfast and shop for a card. It was then that I had yet another down thought. "This stuff you are eating is not comfort, it isn't love. It is barely even food." I couldn't even get breakfast right.
Then something happened. This something has happened more times in my life than I can honestly believe to be coincidence. The right song came on the radio at the right time to snap me out of my funk. Something I have noticed about music. My taste is wide. I like just about everything. I even had a crunk phase about 6 years ago. (Duh, what else will you listen to when rolling in a black Monte Carlo SS?) But recently I've been listening to country music. Classic rock is OK, but they tend to play the same songs over and over. I cannot stand the new 'rock' and 'pop' music. Besides, today's country music sounds quite a bit like what we used to call oldies. And the older I get, the more I appriciate songs that actually tell a story. I mean come on, when Bubba was cited with 'reckless discharge' for the jukebox incident, who can't identify with his reply, "reckless hell! I hit just where I was aimin'" We've all heard a song that made us feel something we weren't expecting. (clickto hear the whole song)
So what song brought me back? Well, until I can find a video, here is the song, complete with lyrics. And no, she didn't really sing that thing you think she sang...it just sounds like it...on purpose.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Old Bike, New Ride
Today was a momentous day. When I first bought my bike 2 years ago, I told the salesman that I was interested in losing weight and commuting to work. So he suggested something that was marketed as a 'fitness hybrid'. These bikes are basically flat bar road bikes, with mountain bike components. Great for fitness and commuting, but only for about 20 miles at a time. Beyond that distance, the bike is not very comfortable or even efficient. Because I have completed my first mission with my bike (losing over 50 pounds) I was ready for the longer rides in order to burn more fat and participate in some of the great events we have in this area. Ergo, the new horse in the stable as mentioned below.
But there was still my second objective; to ride my bike to work. Since the older bike is geared low enough to climb a tree, has space to install a rack and panniers, it was the natural choice for this duty. But there was one more hurdle to deal with; my reluctance to ride my bike in traffic. Well, I started having lunch with a few like minded cyclists. Half of them regularly commute by bike, and one has been talking about driving to work and riding his bike home. One of the guys at the table was Chuck Smith. Chuck happens to be the chairman of the Ohio Bicycle Foundation and a cycling advocate that has helped write or has been consulted for many of the recent cycling laws and movements here in Ohio. He's also been riding his bike to work for the last 20 years or so, no matter where he was living.
Chuck and his teaching partner Dan are also League of American Bicyclists certified instructors and they conducted a Road Riding Course which I attended. This course was designed to teach us the appropriate cycling laws, and theory, but then also back it up with actual riding through the city of Dayton, on the road, with the traffic. I took this class in the fall, right at the end of the riding season. Well, now that we are just starting the cycling season of '09. I was taking baby steps. First, buy the bike and talk about riding to work. Next, make friends that do it so I can get some inspiration as well as on the road knowledge. Then take a class to build some confidence. Finally, secure a bike locker so my bike wouldn't have to mingle with the riff raff at the wheel bender rack. A well trained brain sees these things as the stall tactics they actually are. But today, no more excuses.
I pre-rode the route last weekend so I knew the road surface, so there would be no surprises in the dark, and also to make sure I knew exactly where I was going. Then I set the day. Thursday. Thursday is the day I will ride to work. Today, was that Thursday. I woke up a little early and saw that the temperature was just slightly above freezing. So it took me a little extra time to put on a fleece layer under my regular cycling clothes, then do my typical OCD routine of triple checking everything to make sure I had all my poop in a group and was ready to take off. I managed to leave the house a little later than I wanted to, but it was OK. The traffic at 5:15 is almost non-existent in our little suburb. So I navigated the streets, and managed to not get lost. I quickly realized that hills on the real road are much steeper than what I thought were hills on the bike trail. Combine that with my extra warm clothing, cold air, asthma and restricted breathing passages, and the wind didn't come as well as I would have liked, but I managed to exit the city limits and into the inky darkness of the countryside sans moon or street light.
Even with what I thought was a powerful light, the predawn was barely illuminated. I did manage to hit a pothole or something, but beyond that, no incidents. Even the insanely steep decline, where I was over 30 MPH did not give me any pavement induced surprises. Things seemed great...until I climbed the hill that lead to the turn that took me across the dam. I puffed my way up the hill (not seeing any Care Bears hiding in the shadows) and turned onto the path across the dam. My light just barely showed me the wooden gate that blocked the path. It also just barely showed me where the sidewalk that leads around the gate is located. So after nearly flipping over a barricade, and doing some quick fear laced, adrenaline fueled, clumsy bike handling, I was able to get across the dam, and to work without further incident. I was half expecting to find a similar baricade on the other end, but it happened to be open. Someone should put reflectors on those things.
I happened to get to work just about the same time as I did when I drove. However, I needed to do something to remove the funk that surely emanated from me. The night before, I had mixed up some homemade Rocket Shower. Turns out it worked great! I changed in the bathroom stall, sprayed myself with my cleansing elixir and put on my work clothes. The stuff even worked fairly well on my hair. It gave it a different look, but one that was appreciated by the superficial members of my office. All told, I was in my chair and working only a few minutes later than I normally was.
So what was it like? Amazing! I saw my first sunrise in years. I felt a thrill that carried me through the whole day to the point I wanted to leave early, just to experience the same ride again. And that ride, the ride home with the sunlight and more traffic was a little hectic, but not bad. I only had one problem and that was at a stop light that tuned at the exact same moment that I unclipped and dismounted forcing me to quickly fumble around getting started, inadvertently unclipping my other foot, all the while traffic was waiting behind me. Once I was moving again, the rest of the ride was fine. The sun was hot, but the air was cold. It was really weird. If I unzipped my jacket, I was cold. Zipped it up and I was hot again. Nothing was comfortable.
Bottom line: Yes. I will do it again. Maybe next Thursday since that seems to be one of the two best days for me to commute due to obligations on those days. So, I offer up a thank you to Chuck, Jeff, the Bills, and Dan who encouraged me and trained me how to experience this sweet, yet simple pleasure, even if you didn't know you were doing it. Cycling is fun for me, but riding to work added a whole new dimension. Give it a try. You might be surprised at what you experience.
But there was still my second objective; to ride my bike to work. Since the older bike is geared low enough to climb a tree, has space to install a rack and panniers, it was the natural choice for this duty. But there was one more hurdle to deal with; my reluctance to ride my bike in traffic. Well, I started having lunch with a few like minded cyclists. Half of them regularly commute by bike, and one has been talking about driving to work and riding his bike home. One of the guys at the table was Chuck Smith. Chuck happens to be the chairman of the Ohio Bicycle Foundation and a cycling advocate that has helped write or has been consulted for many of the recent cycling laws and movements here in Ohio. He's also been riding his bike to work for the last 20 years or so, no matter where he was living.
Chuck and his teaching partner Dan are also League of American Bicyclists certified instructors and they conducted a Road Riding Course which I attended. This course was designed to teach us the appropriate cycling laws, and theory, but then also back it up with actual riding through the city of Dayton, on the road, with the traffic. I took this class in the fall, right at the end of the riding season. Well, now that we are just starting the cycling season of '09. I was taking baby steps. First, buy the bike and talk about riding to work. Next, make friends that do it so I can get some inspiration as well as on the road knowledge. Then take a class to build some confidence. Finally, secure a bike locker so my bike wouldn't have to mingle with the riff raff at the wheel bender rack. A well trained brain sees these things as the stall tactics they actually are. But today, no more excuses.
I pre-rode the route last weekend so I knew the road surface, so there would be no surprises in the dark, and also to make sure I knew exactly where I was going. Then I set the day. Thursday. Thursday is the day I will ride to work. Today, was that Thursday. I woke up a little early and saw that the temperature was just slightly above freezing. So it took me a little extra time to put on a fleece layer under my regular cycling clothes, then do my typical OCD routine of triple checking everything to make sure I had all my poop in a group and was ready to take off. I managed to leave the house a little later than I wanted to, but it was OK. The traffic at 5:15 is almost non-existent in our little suburb. So I navigated the streets, and managed to not get lost. I quickly realized that hills on the real road are much steeper than what I thought were hills on the bike trail. Combine that with my extra warm clothing, cold air, asthma and restricted breathing passages, and the wind didn't come as well as I would have liked, but I managed to exit the city limits and into the inky darkness of the countryside sans moon or street light.
Even with what I thought was a powerful light, the predawn was barely illuminated. I did manage to hit a pothole or something, but beyond that, no incidents. Even the insanely steep decline, where I was over 30 MPH did not give me any pavement induced surprises. Things seemed great...until I climbed the hill that lead to the turn that took me across the dam. I puffed my way up the hill (not seeing any Care Bears hiding in the shadows) and turned onto the path across the dam. My light just barely showed me the wooden gate that blocked the path. It also just barely showed me where the sidewalk that leads around the gate is located. So after nearly flipping over a barricade, and doing some quick fear laced, adrenaline fueled, clumsy bike handling, I was able to get across the dam, and to work without further incident. I was half expecting to find a similar baricade on the other end, but it happened to be open. Someone should put reflectors on those things.
I happened to get to work just about the same time as I did when I drove. However, I needed to do something to remove the funk that surely emanated from me. The night before, I had mixed up some homemade Rocket Shower. Turns out it worked great! I changed in the bathroom stall, sprayed myself with my cleansing elixir and put on my work clothes. The stuff even worked fairly well on my hair. It gave it a different look, but one that was appreciated by the superficial members of my office. All told, I was in my chair and working only a few minutes later than I normally was.
So what was it like? Amazing! I saw my first sunrise in years. I felt a thrill that carried me through the whole day to the point I wanted to leave early, just to experience the same ride again. And that ride, the ride home with the sunlight and more traffic was a little hectic, but not bad. I only had one problem and that was at a stop light that tuned at the exact same moment that I unclipped and dismounted forcing me to quickly fumble around getting started, inadvertently unclipping my other foot, all the while traffic was waiting behind me. Once I was moving again, the rest of the ride was fine. The sun was hot, but the air was cold. It was really weird. If I unzipped my jacket, I was cold. Zipped it up and I was hot again. Nothing was comfortable.
Bottom line: Yes. I will do it again. Maybe next Thursday since that seems to be one of the two best days for me to commute due to obligations on those days. So, I offer up a thank you to Chuck, Jeff, the Bills, and Dan who encouraged me and trained me how to experience this sweet, yet simple pleasure, even if you didn't know you were doing it. Cycling is fun for me, but riding to work added a whole new dimension. Give it a try. You might be surprised at what you experience.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Bad joke alert!
Now that Kal Penn has taken a job with the Obama administration, can we say that Kumar has gone back to White Castle?
(don't tell me I'm the only one that refers to King Obama's house as the White Castle...OK...maybe it's only funny to me)
(don't tell me I'm the only one that refers to King Obama's house as the White Castle...OK...maybe it's only funny to me)
Friday, April 10, 2009
New horse in the stable
People have been asking to see pictures of the new bicycle. The worst thing about it is that I picked it up earlier this week. And if you've been paying attention to the weather, this week has been nasty. In fact, the day we went down to pick it up, it was sleeting. I got out to ride her for the first time on Wednesday for about 14 miles. Clearly, I need to get used to the different riding position, which will come in time.
Since we've only had one ride, things are still a little stiff and needing to be broken in. I wanted to get a picture before she got too dirty and grimy. They are only brand new clean once. My Trek 7.2 Hybrid will be my commuting and riding around town bike, where this new one will be for fitness, fun and longer bike tours. Performance Bike had them at 40% off. Combine this with a contest gift certificate and my company's generous offer to pay for 60% means that this bike will wind up costing me about $120.
For you bike geeks, it is a Schwinn Le Tour Ultra 1 with a full carbon fiber frame and fork with Shimano 105 shifters, derailleurs, and cassette. It also happens to have in-line brake levers on the top bar; which was unexpected. Yes, I know...it has reflectors on it and dorky clip/platform pedals. But at least it doesn't have a pie plate, so it is immune to goose attacks.
She needs a name. If you can come up with a good name, post it here. Also, I'll take a picture when I don't need to use the flash sometime. Notice my little man in the background admiring her? He loves bikes!
Since we've only had one ride, things are still a little stiff and needing to be broken in. I wanted to get a picture before she got too dirty and grimy. They are only brand new clean once. My Trek 7.2 Hybrid will be my commuting and riding around town bike, where this new one will be for fitness, fun and longer bike tours. Performance Bike had them at 40% off. Combine this with a contest gift certificate and my company's generous offer to pay for 60% means that this bike will wind up costing me about $120.
For you bike geeks, it is a Schwinn Le Tour Ultra 1 with a full carbon fiber frame and fork with Shimano 105 shifters, derailleurs, and cassette. It also happens to have in-line brake levers on the top bar; which was unexpected. Yes, I know...it has reflectors on it and dorky clip/platform pedals. But at least it doesn't have a pie plate, so it is immune to goose attacks.
She needs a name. If you can come up with a good name, post it here. Also, I'll take a picture when I don't need to use the flash sometime. Notice my little man in the background admiring her? He loves bikes!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
