What's great about Fall? Seasonal beer!
The seasons are definitely changing here. The sun has been out (of course) and it's been crisp. Feels great, actually. I've worn a wool jersey riding the last 2 times which of course reminds me that sheep are great. I've been having a blast on the singlespeed, and today took along some Tangfastics. All that was missing was a hip flask and a fun group of friends. It occurred to me on the ride that it's probably good that I'm riding alone for the time being. The trail I've been doing isn't hard by any stretch, but for someone who isn't a good climber even with gears it's doubly difficult on a 1 speed. It's a one way trail that the parks service changes, and this week it flip flopped. I rode it in the opposite direction for the first time since my very first go on this trail earlier this summer. It's more flowy on the singlespeed, but the uphill is harder. This trail basically consists of a downhill stretch at the beginning, and a climb at the end no matter which way you go. The result is that I stop to catch my breath a lot, which is why it's probably good that I'm not torturing anyone else on the ride.
At the end, I always have a feeling of satisfaction that I don't quite get on my geared bike. At the same time, I still feel like I'm a pretend singlespeeder. Surely someone as bad on a 1 speed as I am can't really call themselves a 'singlespeeder'. I don't think I'm doing the clique any justice. Damnit, it sure is a load of fun.
Friday, October 07, 2005
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Small rant
I'll warn you now that I'm about to drop the F bomb. Continue reading at your own discretion.
I am fucking sick of commercials for anything weight loss related. This includes things like Special K cereal bars, Jenny Craig Weight Loss Centers, Weight Watchers, and the like. In 99% of these, women are featured and in the case of the cereal bar, one women is looking admiringly at her coworker who, as a result of eating the bar, is suddenly light as a feather while the other one looks frumpy and unhappy. As if we needed an ad agency to remind us that we are all insecure and generaly feel inadequate. Don't even get me started on this culture's view of how women look, or more aptly should look. I am absolutely tired of it all. Bill Hicks was right.
It occurred to me while I was fuming after the latest installment of this type of ad that there are an awful lot of problems that can be resolved by riding a bike. Some of them may be only temporarily placed on hold while others, such as one's self-esteem, can be fixed on a more permanent basis.
We should all be riding bikes more.
I am fucking sick of commercials for anything weight loss related. This includes things like Special K cereal bars, Jenny Craig Weight Loss Centers, Weight Watchers, and the like. In 99% of these, women are featured and in the case of the cereal bar, one women is looking admiringly at her coworker who, as a result of eating the bar, is suddenly light as a feather while the other one looks frumpy and unhappy. As if we needed an ad agency to remind us that we are all insecure and generaly feel inadequate. Don't even get me started on this culture's view of how women look, or more aptly should look. I am absolutely tired of it all. Bill Hicks was right.
It occurred to me while I was fuming after the latest installment of this type of ad that there are an awful lot of problems that can be resolved by riding a bike. Some of them may be only temporarily placed on hold while others, such as one's self-esteem, can be fixed on a more permanent basis.
We should all be riding bikes more.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
The end of Summer camp
Vegas, baby. Wow. What a week. It's hard to know where to begin, really. I've been to Vegas enough times to know that there is absolutely no way that I'd go there intentionally for a vacation. It's not a destination spot for me. I went to do some networking for the demo next year, and to help Chipps a little, and to see my friends. The friends thing was definitely the most significant part.
Amid the roaming of the aisles and the schmoozing, I had a chance to catch up with some friends and reacquaint myself with others. Sideways was the first to arrive after me. If anyone ever has any doubts about that guy, I'd go a very long way to make sure they knew just how great he is. I could list many, many examples to prove it just from this week alone.
My roommate was in town along with some of the guys from his shop. It's funny that we both had to go all the way to Las Vegas to see each other. Just a testament to the type of schedule I have these days, I suppose. My Maverick friend Ray was also in town, as was Chrissy. It was like a mini-Boulderite party at the Maverick bash, the details of which I think I will keep to myself. ;~)
Mike D. My interaction with him was very limited up to last week. I figured that he'd be in town, so I wanted to take the opportunity to meet up with another of the Cheeky crowd. I had a really good time chatting with Mike. What a top guy. He's going to make a great father.
Michael and Jessica "Spot" were there, of course. Again, two very quality individuals that I feel very fortunate to know.
The Surly guys, Hurl, Donna from Kryptonite, Pat (of course), and everyone else I got to see made it a worthwhile week.
Good grief, I have some absolutely fantastic friends. I can only hope that I can be half as great as they are. I'm only sorry that more people weren't there.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Chippendale. The first time seeing him since his "decision". It was impossible to hold back the flood of emotion that I sort of expected would hit me. I'd say that with the exception of one very brief moment though (sorry Tim), I was able to keep my internal battle completely under wraps. I suppose it's safe to let the cat out of the bag now. In many ways, it was like nothing had happened and we were up to our usual tricks. We spent a lot of time together and had the same type of fun that we always had. The obvious difference this time was that we weren't "together", which I was reminded of at the end of every day. I think this is the toughest breakup I've ever had to deal with. I feel like enough time has passed that it should be getting easier, and instead it's almost harder. Someone told me that maybe if he were an asshole that it would be easier to deal with. He isn't an asshole. Everyone loves him, and it's not hard to see why. This sucks...still.
I think there's a skunk in the front garden somewhere. The smell is wafting up into my room. Ew!
So yeah...Vegas was a great time. I'm not a big fan of that place since the whole thing is based on a fantasy world that is based on the concept of separating people from their money. Still, it's worth going to Interbike just to see nice people.
I spent my first day at home vegging on the couch and watching TV. I finally got myself out the door and took the singlespeed for a ride. Again tomorrow, and again the next day, and hopefully the next. I have two weeks here and I intend to maximize the ride time as much as I possibly can.
Here's a shout out to all the UK posse that I didn't get to see this week. You're all still in my thoughts and I can't wait to catch up with you as well.
Amid the roaming of the aisles and the schmoozing, I had a chance to catch up with some friends and reacquaint myself with others. Sideways was the first to arrive after me. If anyone ever has any doubts about that guy, I'd go a very long way to make sure they knew just how great he is. I could list many, many examples to prove it just from this week alone.
My roommate was in town along with some of the guys from his shop. It's funny that we both had to go all the way to Las Vegas to see each other. Just a testament to the type of schedule I have these days, I suppose. My Maverick friend Ray was also in town, as was Chrissy. It was like a mini-Boulderite party at the Maverick bash, the details of which I think I will keep to myself. ;~)
Mike D. My interaction with him was very limited up to last week. I figured that he'd be in town, so I wanted to take the opportunity to meet up with another of the Cheeky crowd. I had a really good time chatting with Mike. What a top guy. He's going to make a great father.
Michael and Jessica "Spot" were there, of course. Again, two very quality individuals that I feel very fortunate to know.
The Surly guys, Hurl, Donna from Kryptonite, Pat (of course), and everyone else I got to see made it a worthwhile week.
Good grief, I have some absolutely fantastic friends. I can only hope that I can be half as great as they are. I'm only sorry that more people weren't there.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Chippendale. The first time seeing him since his "decision". It was impossible to hold back the flood of emotion that I sort of expected would hit me. I'd say that with the exception of one very brief moment though (sorry Tim), I was able to keep my internal battle completely under wraps. I suppose it's safe to let the cat out of the bag now. In many ways, it was like nothing had happened and we were up to our usual tricks. We spent a lot of time together and had the same type of fun that we always had. The obvious difference this time was that we weren't "together", which I was reminded of at the end of every day. I think this is the toughest breakup I've ever had to deal with. I feel like enough time has passed that it should be getting easier, and instead it's almost harder. Someone told me that maybe if he were an asshole that it would be easier to deal with. He isn't an asshole. Everyone loves him, and it's not hard to see why. This sucks...still.
I think there's a skunk in the front garden somewhere. The smell is wafting up into my room. Ew!
So yeah...Vegas was a great time. I'm not a big fan of that place since the whole thing is based on a fantasy world that is based on the concept of separating people from their money. Still, it's worth going to Interbike just to see nice people.
I spent my first day at home vegging on the couch and watching TV. I finally got myself out the door and took the singlespeed for a ride. Again tomorrow, and again the next day, and hopefully the next. I have two weeks here and I intend to maximize the ride time as much as I possibly can.
Here's a shout out to all the UK posse that I didn't get to see this week. You're all still in my thoughts and I can't wait to catch up with you as well.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Two slices and a birch beer
Yup...still feeling homesick.
Got to spend some time with Pat, Sara, Chris Duncan, and Quad Ben a couple of weekends ago. I trucked it home in order to get to Winter Park early, and the long day behind the wheel was worth it. It was so good to see them. Despite the work involved in getting the race set up, we managed to have a great time. It was a much needed dose, that's for sure.
It's show time next week, which will mean another week of hanging out with some very good friends from across the pond. In the meantime, I've been in South Jersey. It's still summer hot and humid here. We've been riding and taking my dog to the beach, and today gave surfing a shot. Bad day for it though...the waves were 'unorganized' and choppy, with a serious current that made paddling next to impossible. Oh well, it was still nice to swim in the ocean in mid-September.
We're off to Detroit on Thursday for an event at VW headquaters, then I'm leavin' on a jet plane for Sin City. Hard to believe that summer is pretty much over, and my first season of demo touring is under my belt. It's been such a whirlwind. I've been dealt some blows, and had many good times which I'm sure prevented it from being a crappy season.
That's all I have to report for the moment. Many thanks to Kirsty and Nick for the phone call! And to Steve for even considering the idea of a surprise visit.
Got to spend some time with Pat, Sara, Chris Duncan, and Quad Ben a couple of weekends ago. I trucked it home in order to get to Winter Park early, and the long day behind the wheel was worth it. It was so good to see them. Despite the work involved in getting the race set up, we managed to have a great time. It was a much needed dose, that's for sure.
It's show time next week, which will mean another week of hanging out with some very good friends from across the pond. In the meantime, I've been in South Jersey. It's still summer hot and humid here. We've been riding and taking my dog to the beach, and today gave surfing a shot. Bad day for it though...the waves were 'unorganized' and choppy, with a serious current that made paddling next to impossible. Oh well, it was still nice to swim in the ocean in mid-September.
We're off to Detroit on Thursday for an event at VW headquaters, then I'm leavin' on a jet plane for Sin City. Hard to believe that summer is pretty much over, and my first season of demo touring is under my belt. It's been such a whirlwind. I've been dealt some blows, and had many good times which I'm sure prevented it from being a crappy season.
That's all I have to report for the moment. Many thanks to Kirsty and Nick for the phone call! And to Steve for even considering the idea of a surprise visit.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Oooooh my vision!
I just got done driving over 1000 miles. I started at 8:30am and stopped at 12:30am. That has to be a personal best. I'm now way ahead of schedule and should arrive back in Boulder at a reasonable hour tomorrow, er make that today.
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Skeletons in the closet
I started downsizing tonight. Being on the move for the better part of four years really teaches you just how much you can do without. Now that I'm back where the majority of my stuff lives, I face the prospect of sorting through it all and figuring out what I want to take to Boulder. I knew going into this process how I was going to feel: I have way too much crap. I feel like I should be selective as I'm sifting through it and see if there's anything I can sell. What I really want to do is just put everything is trash bags and set it out on the curb for collection. But, I'm trying to be less wasteful.
I'm also trying to not hold onto things 'just in case'. All of the suits and clothes I acquired during my Wall Street years have pretty much been collecting dust since the end of 2003. Going through them has been...weird. It seems like a lifetime ago when those items were my 'uniform'. I never fancied myself to be much of a suit person. I didn't hate it then, but I just can't imagine myself in them at this point. I'm a tad bummed, because some of the work clothes I have I really like. I splurged on really nice shirts a few times, and wish I still had reason to wear them. I suppose they'd look fine with jeans.
The whole thing really has me thinking about how much my life has changed over the past few years. I honestly think that , with the exception of a few patches of crab grass in the lawn of life, I've never been happier.
I'm also trying to not hold onto things 'just in case'. All of the suits and clothes I acquired during my Wall Street years have pretty much been collecting dust since the end of 2003. Going through them has been...weird. It seems like a lifetime ago when those items were my 'uniform'. I never fancied myself to be much of a suit person. I didn't hate it then, but I just can't imagine myself in them at this point. I'm a tad bummed, because some of the work clothes I have I really like. I splurged on really nice shirts a few times, and wish I still had reason to wear them. I suppose they'd look fine with jeans.
The whole thing really has me thinking about how much my life has changed over the past few years. I honestly think that , with the exception of a few patches of crab grass in the lawn of life, I've never been happier.
Friday, September 02, 2005
Random late night blogger
With all the misery and negativity I spew on here, I thought it only fitting that I should write about something that has brought me joy. I felt so compelled to write this that I actually got myself out of bed. I was suffering yet another night of being unable to settle my brain down enough to fall asleep. So, rather than roll around for a second hour, I got up and came downstairs to punch some keys.
I think I've figured out the most prominent reason why I miss the UK so much. I realized this as I was tossing and turning and reflecting on the days events. I was reminded today by two people during two unrelated conversations, just why I love my friends so much. This got me thinking about how my chats today are concominant with emails and comments I've gotten from others. Simply put, I have great, and I mean GREAT friends. Not only do I think my friends are great in their relationships with me, but I enjoy watching the interactoins that take place between everyone. It's quite a posse I've found myself in. My sweeping eagerness to return to a country that has welcomed me so has everything to do with the friends I have there. I just want to see everyone. I want to do the usual rides, and visit the usual pubs, and just sit back and listen and take it all in.
I shouldn't have taken my time for granted so much. I wasn't anticipating an end. or this much of a hiatus between visits. I feel like I should have done a better job of 'living in the now' when I was there, and really appreciating the time I spent with everyone. It was all so much fun!
Yes, I will keep taking pictures Steve, but I don't think I'll stop wanting to impress you with them.
Yes, I was changed by my time there because of the people I met, even you Brant. ;~)
Damn you all for being so nice to me, and for being so fantastic in general.
I think I've figured out the most prominent reason why I miss the UK so much. I realized this as I was tossing and turning and reflecting on the days events. I was reminded today by two people during two unrelated conversations, just why I love my friends so much. This got me thinking about how my chats today are concominant with emails and comments I've gotten from others. Simply put, I have great, and I mean GREAT friends. Not only do I think my friends are great in their relationships with me, but I enjoy watching the interactoins that take place between everyone. It's quite a posse I've found myself in. My sweeping eagerness to return to a country that has welcomed me so has everything to do with the friends I have there. I just want to see everyone. I want to do the usual rides, and visit the usual pubs, and just sit back and listen and take it all in.
I shouldn't have taken my time for granted so much. I wasn't anticipating an end. or this much of a hiatus between visits. I feel like I should have done a better job of 'living in the now' when I was there, and really appreciating the time I spent with everyone. It was all so much fun!
Yes, I will keep taking pictures Steve, but I don't think I'll stop wanting to impress you with them.
Yes, I was changed by my time there because of the people I met, even you Brant. ;~)
Damn you all for being so nice to me, and for being so fantastic in general.
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