I'm sitting here in the place that I sometimes called home in the Big Apple. As usual, my former roommate and I ordered Chinese takeout, caught up on gossip, started watching tv, and then she fell asleep on the couch. Normal stuff.
Meanwhile on the other side of the world, the death toll is now up to 125,000 and 5 million people are displaced. I've been trying to gauge my reaction to this. It's almost like there's so much grief that it's hard to feel any at all. How do you comprehend that many people dead from one disaster?
Back in the belly, the traffic was pretty bad. I'm sure it's all the New Year's revelers heading into town early for the weekend. I thought about going down to check out Times Square, but I might save that for tomorrow to see how many people are camped out. No llingering, though. I've got to beat the rush out of town. This is the last place I want to be trapped.
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Monday, December 27, 2004
Yee haaw! Gawd damn! I'm an Amer'kin!
Today, in a sort of off-handed way, I was accused of making anti-American comments (see the link above). I find this amusing.
I think the US is great. It's some of the people I have a problem with. It seems that the accuser is one of those people who thinks that if I don't support the goverment that I'm anti-American. This country was founded via revolt against a government. The Civil War was faught over States Rights (slavery). As Americans, we aren't supposed to agree with everything the government does! Sheesh, I thought that was obvious.
Anyhoo...
No riding today. It's positively frigid here. The windchill made it feel like 15 degrees (F). I went running yesterday as a result, so I'm now very sore. I sure would rather be riding my bike. I suppose I should just suck it up and go. Get on the right layers, put on the overshoes, and have a go. Worst case, it's too cold and I turn back, then pound the pavement with running shoes on.
I think the US is great. It's some of the people I have a problem with. It seems that the accuser is one of those people who thinks that if I don't support the goverment that I'm anti-American. This country was founded via revolt against a government. The Civil War was faught over States Rights (slavery). As Americans, we aren't supposed to agree with everything the government does! Sheesh, I thought that was obvious.
Anyhoo...
No riding today. It's positively frigid here. The windchill made it feel like 15 degrees (F). I went running yesterday as a result, so I'm now very sore. I sure would rather be riding my bike. I suppose I should just suck it up and go. Get on the right layers, put on the overshoes, and have a go. Worst case, it's too cold and I turn back, then pound the pavement with running shoes on.
Saturday, December 25, 2004
Merry Christmas
Christmas day. Is there a name for that feeling that comes up when the presents are all open? You anticipate this day for the better part of a month, then it's here, then you do the normal morning activities, then the Christmas dinner, then...what?
It's like the feeling of it being a normal day sets in, when for weeks now you and everyone else has been looking forward to this day because it's NOT just another day. It's disappointing when that happens. Suddenly the excitement is over, and normal life resumes.
I wasn't even into Christmas this year. Normally I get pretty wrapped up in the holiday cheer (pardon the pun), but not this year. For that reason, it makes no sense that I should have any post-Christmas blues. Truth be told, I don't think this funk has anything to do with Christmas.
Happy Holidays, everyone.
It's like the feeling of it being a normal day sets in, when for weeks now you and everyone else has been looking forward to this day because it's NOT just another day. It's disappointing when that happens. Suddenly the excitement is over, and normal life resumes.
I wasn't even into Christmas this year. Normally I get pretty wrapped up in the holiday cheer (pardon the pun), but not this year. For that reason, it makes no sense that I should have any post-Christmas blues. Truth be told, I don't think this funk has anything to do with Christmas.
Happy Holidays, everyone.
Thursday, December 23, 2004
Tomato, Tomahtoe...Winterlike, Springlike
Right, so you know how I said that it was definitely winter here when I landed? That lasted for all of about 12 hours after I got here. Yesterday, it was 50. Today, it was 60. No sun though.
I took the fixie out for a ride yesterday. I really love riding that thing, despite the torture device for a saddle that it has. It's a chrome Bianchi, with a chrome WTB saddle, and I just haven't worked up the courage to put on a more comfortable saddle yet. Function follows form, after all! Maybe I should get one of those chrome SDG jobbies. Yeah, that's it!
Anyhoo...riding for a long time on a fixie isn't something that you can just go out and do after a long hiatus. So it makes perfect sense that I would hop on like I'd been riding it every day and head out for just shy of 30 miles. Today, I have some significant soreness in the nether regions, since it was probably about 10 miles futher than my body could tolerate easily on the saddle. It was probably about 10 miles further than I should have made my legs take me, as well. As a result, I was walking a little funny afterwards, and well, I won't be sitting on any 2x4's for the next couple of days. Nevertheless, I cruised oceanside for a long time, and stopped for some Mack&Manco's along the way for lunch. It was an absolutetly gorgeous day at the shore. Today, despite being warmer, it's been raining all day. What country am I in again?
If it ain't fixed, it's broken.
I took the fixie out for a ride yesterday. I really love riding that thing, despite the torture device for a saddle that it has. It's a chrome Bianchi, with a chrome WTB saddle, and I just haven't worked up the courage to put on a more comfortable saddle yet. Function follows form, after all! Maybe I should get one of those chrome SDG jobbies. Yeah, that's it!
Anyhoo...riding for a long time on a fixie isn't something that you can just go out and do after a long hiatus. So it makes perfect sense that I would hop on like I'd been riding it every day and head out for just shy of 30 miles. Today, I have some significant soreness in the nether regions, since it was probably about 10 miles futher than my body could tolerate easily on the saddle. It was probably about 10 miles further than I should have made my legs take me, as well. As a result, I was walking a little funny afterwards, and well, I won't be sitting on any 2x4's for the next couple of days. Nevertheless, I cruised oceanside for a long time, and stopped for some Mack&Manco's along the way for lunch. It was an absolutetly gorgeous day at the shore. Today, despite being warmer, it's been raining all day. What country am I in again?
If it ain't fixed, it's broken.
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
The Land of Green Ginger
It is definitely winter here. I could see on the approach to Newark that the roads had that dried white crust over them from being salted during a recent snow storm. It was -5 C (22 F for those playing along at home) when I woke up this morning. The kind of cold that lets you see your breath when you exhale from your nose. It's going to take a great deal of motivation to get myself out on the bike. I've been looking forward to riding the fixie, though.
It's always weird coming home now. I always feel like I've had my eyes open to some things and suddenly there's a lot that I don't like here. Of course I'm glad to see my family, and my dog, and I'll enjoy driving my car which is ace...but there's a lot of fluff here as well. I can pick out all of the American stereotypes that you become immune to when you grow up in a society, and they are starting to really annoy me.
Don't get me wrong; there are many great things about the States, and lots of good people, too. There are places here that I love, and of course, it's the home of Mack and Manco's pizza. I think most of my gripe has to do with the fact that I've changed as a person rather than things being different here. I guess the change was coming, and I probably started feeling it well before I quit my job. Being overseas seems to have made me accutely aware of just how much different a person I am than say, 5 years ago.
I'm very grateful for the time I spent in the UK. I learned so many things, met so many fantastic people, got slightlty better as a bike rider (although I'm still pretty bad), and I became more aware of the kind of influence things at home have on the rest of the world. I haven't even been home for a day yet and I already miss it.
The sun is out here though, so I guess it does have its merits.
It's always weird coming home now. I always feel like I've had my eyes open to some things and suddenly there's a lot that I don't like here. Of course I'm glad to see my family, and my dog, and I'll enjoy driving my car which is ace...but there's a lot of fluff here as well. I can pick out all of the American stereotypes that you become immune to when you grow up in a society, and they are starting to really annoy me.
Don't get me wrong; there are many great things about the States, and lots of good people, too. There are places here that I love, and of course, it's the home of Mack and Manco's pizza. I think most of my gripe has to do with the fact that I've changed as a person rather than things being different here. I guess the change was coming, and I probably started feeling it well before I quit my job. Being overseas seems to have made me accutely aware of just how much different a person I am than say, 5 years ago.
I'm very grateful for the time I spent in the UK. I learned so many things, met so many fantastic people, got slightlty better as a bike rider (although I'm still pretty bad), and I became more aware of the kind of influence things at home have on the rest of the world. I haven't even been home for a day yet and I already miss it.
The sun is out here though, so I guess it does have its merits.
Saturday, December 18, 2004
Travel time again
This will be it for a few days. I'm heading south with the Chippendale, then flying home on Tuesday.
Happy 50th Mr. Bontrager!
Happy 50th Mr. Bontrager!
Friday, December 17, 2004
The people you meet...
I met John North today.
There's an incredible guy. Chipps had told me about him before, but I'd never met him. He used to be a runner, and at one point ran for the British National team. He got into cycling along the way as well. Anyhoo, after 20 years he had to have his hip replaced. He asked for a carbon fiber one because it's lighter. But before that, he had a really nasty cancer, from which he recovered. All the while he kept riding and was successful at the Three Peaks Cyclocross race, which many argue is the toughest 'cross race in the world. Chipps says he's never known him to be totally healthy. At the Three Peaks this year, he was again on crutches because he'd crashed on his new hip. Over the last year or so it, aside from the crash, it looked like he was finally out of the woods.
John came to the office today, and told us he has Parkinson's disease.
This is one of those mysteries of the universe. A guy like John, overwhelmingly nice, wouldn't hurt a fly, would probably help out someone in any way he could. For the better part of his adult life he's had some sort of ailment, yet he's still a happy guy. In the meantime, there are people in the world who carry on being a waste of space.
There's an incredible guy. Chipps had told me about him before, but I'd never met him. He used to be a runner, and at one point ran for the British National team. He got into cycling along the way as well. Anyhoo, after 20 years he had to have his hip replaced. He asked for a carbon fiber one because it's lighter. But before that, he had a really nasty cancer, from which he recovered. All the while he kept riding and was successful at the Three Peaks Cyclocross race, which many argue is the toughest 'cross race in the world. Chipps says he's never known him to be totally healthy. At the Three Peaks this year, he was again on crutches because he'd crashed on his new hip. Over the last year or so it, aside from the crash, it looked like he was finally out of the woods.
John came to the office today, and told us he has Parkinson's disease.
This is one of those mysteries of the universe. A guy like John, overwhelmingly nice, wouldn't hurt a fly, would probably help out someone in any way he could. For the better part of his adult life he's had some sort of ailment, yet he's still a happy guy. In the meantime, there are people in the world who carry on being a waste of space.
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