The Chihweenie

I feel naked

2010-07-27T07:53:00.001-07:00

I forgot to get my house key back from our neighbor's daughter and managed to lock myself out without my helmet. Riding in to work felt weird, and more dangerous than usual. Thankfully my dear better half can bring me the helmet later so I don't have to ride home without it. Even without the helmet it was still better than driving.

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Highland Mary Lakes

2010-07-20T21:37:00.001-07:00

Today we took a hike up to Highland Mary Lakes, near Silverton, CO. It was a lovely hike, up to an elevation of 12,136 feet. the trailhead started above 10,000 feet so it wasn't too bad in terms of elevation gain. The trail was very rocky however, which made for interesting times when the clouds in the picture above turned into a rain storm. We had planned to spend a couple of hours exploring the lakes but had to cut it short and scramble to get back to the trailhead before we got soaked.

This is where the rockiness of the trail really became an issue. To get to the lakes we had to cross a boulder field that required a lot of rock-hopping to get through. As you can imagine, this was much more nerve-wracking when we were trying to outrun a storm. When all was said and done we made it safe and sound and only a little wet.

Since we got back to town early my uncle David and I decided to take my son to hike up to a waterfall that is pretty much right in town in Ouray. My son was reluctant at first but then decided to go. The hike up to the falls was an easy couple of hundred yards. The falls themselves were incredible, falling a hundred feet or more down from the mountain above. We had a great time and then spent some time wandering around town with just the three of us. My uncle David sprung for ice cream, which was delicious and really hit the spot since the sun had come out and it was hot again.

We are set to return to the Silverton area tomorrow to hike up to Ice Lakes Basin for an overnight trip. Hopefully the nasty rain that blew in tonight will have cleared out by morning.

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Pushing it

2010-07-19T05:28:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we did our "tune-up" hike to make sure we were all properly acclimated. We hiked from the trailhead, at 9,400 feet, up to Upper Blue Lake, elevation 11,600 feet. The total out and back distance was 7-ish miles. I can honestly say I am proud of myself. I never thought I would be able to do something like this, and here I am. Sore, but alright. I am very much looking forward to my two other hikes this week, and to getting back to Spokane and exploring that area in a whole new way.

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Springville, UT

2010-07-17T07:35:00.001-07:00

The view out my window this morning. I could get used to the kind of scenery I have enjoyed the last few days. We get to our final destination of Ouray, CO today. I can hardly wait.

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Morning in Missoula

2010-07-15T08:37:00.001-07:00

Not a bad view to wake up to.

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Becoming a techie

2010-07-04T17:14:00.001-07:00

Not long ago I realized the time had come for me to get a cell phone. Since I am prone to diving in headfirst, I went from no cell phone to Droid in one shot. I have spent the last six weeks exploring all the things you can do with it, and it is a lot.

One of the reasons I don't blog much anymore is that I hated being chained to my computer. Now I am not limited in that way, and we'll see if I post more often. I'm excited about being able to share things as they come up, instead of trying to remember to do it later. Time will tell I guess.

Oh, I took the picture while running not long ago. Pretty cool, I thought.

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Why running is making me a better cyclist (I think) & an attitude adjustment

2010-04-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

So, not long ago I got a call from my mother asking me if my wife and I (and our son) would be interested in meeting her and some other members of my family in Colorado on vacation this summer. Turns out my uncle David is going, and he is an avid hiker and veteran of many Sierra Club trips to the area we are going. I said I would love to, and I am super excited about it.

I realized that while I cycle a good bit, I don't really clock too much time walking and that if I was going to go hiking in Colorado I would need to get used to walking some distance. Fortunately I work near downtown and can easily access the Centennial Trail on my lunch hour. So for the past couple of months I have been walking on my lunch hour, just short of two miles. When I started I was just walking, but it is my natural inclination to try to go faster so before long I was running part of it.

A little history - I hate running. One of the reasons I got into cycling is that I hate running. However, before beginning to run this time I consulted a friend who is knowledgeable about such things (thanks Hank!). He gave me some good advice, like: don't run until it stops being uncomfortable to walk. So, following his advice when it no longer hurt to walk I started running a little. I'd run until I couldn't stand it, then walk until I felt better, then run some more. I have gotten up to running about half of my daily walk, a mile or so.

About this same time my wife's school schedule changed, which forces me to drive to work three days a week. This cut into my cycling in a big way. So while I was doing more walking and running I was cycling less. Yesterday was the first time I biked to work in a couple of weeks, and I noticed a difference. The out-of-the-seat climb that comes in just about a mile in on my commute was not nearly as awful as it usually is. I also noticed I didn't get winded as fast.

I think this is because before, when I was only cycling, it was easy to just coast a second or two when it got hard. When I am running there is no coasting, so if I want to run farther I have to just suck it up and push harder. I believe this has increased my aerobic capacity. Or something like that.

In any case, I will keep an eye on this whole thing and see if there is something to it.

And about the attitude adjustment - when I was riding home yesterday my handlebars would creak a bit when I got up out of the seat and really put some weight on them. So I stopped to tighten them up a bit and I tried changing the angle up a little to put the bar tops closer. HUGE MISTAKE. I learned that, counter-intuitively, bringing the bar tops closer made my position less comfortable, not more. So I stopped again to lower the angle and all was well.

One of the many reasons I am proud to be from Texas:

2010-03-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

Steve Earle. Holy shit that guy can write songs. Case in point? "Forth Worth Blues". Verse four pretty well sums up why I moved west. The Guy Clark version of this song is also worth checking out.

Fort Worth neon shinin' bright
Pretty lights red and blue
They shut down all the honky tonks tonight
Say a prayer or two, if they only knew

You used to say the highway was your home
But we both know that ain't true
It's just the only place a man can go
When he don't know where he's travelin' to

Colorado's always clean and healin'
Tennessee the spring is green and cool
But it never really was your kind of town
So you went around with the Fort Worth blues

Somewhere out across the Great Divide
Where the sky is wide and the clouds are few
A man can see his way clear to the light
Just hold on tight, that's all you got to do

They say in Texas the weather's always changin'
One thing change will bring is something new
Houston really ain't too bad a town
So you hung around with the Fort Worth Blues

There's a full moon over Galway Bay tonight
Silver light on green and blue
Every place I travel to find
Some kind of sign that you've been through

Amsterdam was always good for grievin'
London never fails to leave me blue
Paris really ain't my kind of town
So I walked around with the Fort Worth blues

Poetry in motion

2010-03-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

I saw this article and wondered if we could do something like this in Spokane. And, if we could, who would we use? Maybe Sherman Alexie? It's an interesting thought.

You can't have it both ways

2010-02-21T13:16:00.000-08:00

I am watching a documentary about Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church (of www.godhatesfags.com fame). Within the first five minutes he says that if we would just all follow Leviticus 18:22 (about not lying with mankind as with womankind) all of America's problems would be solved. However, he sits there in a St. Louis Cardinals track suit of mixed fibers and with a clean-shaven face. Both of which are prohibited in Leviticus 19 (at 19 and 27, respectively). Which begs the question - are we following Leviticus, or are we not following it? I have always hated this kind of picking and choosing of the Bible. Many Christians today say we don't have to follow the old laws of Leviticus because Jesus brought forth a new covenant. Which is cool, because it means they can eat shellfish and that sort of thing. However, they want to hang on to the "traditional" reading on Lev 18:22. But there is a lot of debate about what that passage even means.

In any case, the divisiveness of the Westboro crowd's tactics seem very much at odds with the teachings of Christ.

Also, for the Christian anti-immigrant crowd - if we are to observe Lev 18:22, should we not also observe Lev 19:33-34 "'When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.'"

Something to think about.

Stuff I meant to share earlier in the week

2009-11-14T18:18:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting look at what it takes to makeover a national chain of restaurants that I found fascinating.

An article that makes me feel really good about the stainless steel water bottle I bought to drink out of.

Looks like someone is going rogue with the facts, too.

And finally, an article that makes me glad I work in as secure a job as anyone can have in this economy. The toll this situation has taken on families is heartbreaking.

Masters of the Universe

2009-11-11T09:00:00.001-08:00

Have you ever wondered what it's like to rule the world?

Umm hmmm

2009-11-09T21:42:00.000-08:00

So, Carrie Prejean was on Hannity today. Hannity said it wasn't a sex tape, since she wasn't having sex with anyone in it. Except herself, which is totally still having sex. I love how often she mentioned that she made this video for someone she "loved and cared for" and how the liberal media is just attacking her over and over. And they are only attacking her because she is a Christian, and "they" expect Christians to be perfect. No, we don't. But "let he among you who is without sin cast the first stone". If you are going to condemn homosexuals and advocate for denying them the same rights as everyone else on the grounds that the Bible is not for it, I have news for you. Jesus wouldn't approve of getting bolt-ons so you could win a beauty contest. Also, you lost your crown because you figured that jumping on the right-wing media bandwagon was going to be more profitable than being a beauty queen (though at Fox News you can do both). And, modesty is a Christian value. This, not so much with the modesty.

Now, I certainly know that young people make mistakes. I made plenty. But my problem is that Ms. Prejean is putting herself out there as a person who has been persecuted for her deeply held convictions, and if that is the case she should probably act like she has some.

Holy cow! It's been a while.

2009-09-16T22:12:00.000-07:00

Well, it HAS been a while. Let's see, I lost 10 pounds, gave up drinking cola (mostly - we had a bbq recently so I have been trying to help rid us of orange soda) and I have a new project.

I was helping someone from my wife's grad school

program look for a bike since she is new to town and didn't have a car to go looking at bikes from Craigslist in. We found this one, but she decided she wasn't sure about it (I think she wanted more of a city bike). It's a Trek 830 from 1994-ish.

The person who was selling it was 5'4", so it is a very small frame (the person looking at it was 5'3", so it would have fit her perfectly). I couldn't stop thinking about it, and finally called the seller back to ask if she still had it...and she did! So, what am I going to do with such a small frame (I am 6')? I decided to pick it up and fix it up a bit to use for my son, who is 9. He is a little small for it now, but by next summer it should fit him pretty good. It is way lighter than I thought it would be. Much lighter than the BMX he is riding now. It also has everything you need to mount a rear rack and fenders, so I look forward to being able to go on some bike adventures with him in the next couple of years. We had been talking about buying him a "real" bike when he would fit one, so this came along at a good time. I figure he will be able to ride it for three or four years before he will need a full-size bike. He's gonna be a pretty tall guy.

It is in good shape but has some serious dings in the paint:

So we are going to strip it and paint it (he is leaning toward brown, with a Legend of Zelda Triforce on the top tube in gold). I think I am also going to switch out the grip shifters for trigger shifters. I have had both and I think trigger shifters are much much better. Plus it seems they aren't terribly expensive, though I might have to upgrade the rear cassette and rear derailleur as well. Still not too expensive. I paid $40 for the bike itself and I figure I can put $100 into before the cost effectiveness of the whole thing gets questionable. I just checked the spreadsheet I am tracking the parts I want on and I will go over $100 if I have to buy the rear cassette. Hmmm, I'll keep working on that.

In any case, my son and I already starting stripping everything off of it, and while I am not naturally organized and neat (which you know if you can see the garage in the background) I am teaching him how to do things the right way:

That's right, we put all the parts we took off in baggies labelled with what is in them. The job of a parent is to not pass on the things you don't like about yourself. I get very frustrated with how scatter-brained and disorganized I can be, so I am going to try my best to make the kid neat and organized. Mixed results so far, his Legos are all stored in containers, but books are strewn all over the room like a library tornado. Can't win 'em all I guess. He even looks happy about working on the bike, even if he did try to tell me he wasn't good with "greasy bike stuff" at first.

I just told him he hadn't done any "greasy bike stuff" before, and he'd be good at it once he had some practice. I am SUPER excited about working on this with him. I always wished my Dad and I would have done something like this when I was a kid. Something else I can fix - I may not have done things like this with my dad, but he will get to do them with his. Even though at one point he said "Dad, I know you are trying to give me a guy experience..." Damn, kid's onto me already.

The media is not fooling me

2009-08-01T14:08:00.001-07:00

That is a line from an Ani Difranco song. Sadly, I don't think it's true. First off, many thanks to Hank for bringing this to my attention. Secondly, I am (or maybe was is a better term) a big fan of Keith Olbermann. I appreciated his rebuttal of Fox News' (or 'Fixed Noise' as he called them) ridiculous lies. I appreciated that he was not afraid to call out idiocy where he saw it. I liked that while it was all tempered with a heavy dose of opinion, for the most part he reported the facts. I do have to say that Rachel Maddow does a much better job of really digging deep into an issue and not being afraid to completely nerd out on it. I think that is because she has a graduate degree in Political Science, which means she really loves the stuff.

Anyway, while I understand there is editorial interference in any for-profit news organization (and don't we know it here in Spokane) the idea that the execs at these two networks could get together and tell their top-rated stars to just quit holding each other accountable is unconscionable. Furthermore, I will not support it. There are plenty of places for me to get political news out there (I'm talking about you, Politico), and I tend to get world events news from Time magazine and by using Google News to dig up stuff. So there isn't much reason for me to keep watching Olbermann's show (I never watched O'Rielly for more than shock value), and I also wonder about Ed Schultz, whose radio show I listen to almost each workday. Is someone at GE going to tell Ed to lay off Rush Limbaugh? Blah, this bothers me more than I care to admit. I always knew right-wing news was getting their marching orders from on high, but I liked to think the more centrist and left-leaning media didn't have to deal with it. Blah. I am sure I will write more on this as I go on. It'll be interesting to see if I can keep from watching (though I will most likely keep watching Rachel Maddow).

Maybe it'll work this time.

2009-07-31T23:14:00.000-07:00

So one of the things I love about Facebook is that I have been able to get back in touch with a lot of people I hung out with in my hometown before I became a complete shit and flaked out. This morning I saw a post from one of those people asking if anyone wanted to lose 40 pounds in 40 weeks with him. I thought about it and decided I would do it. Maybe having a partner this time (albeit one that is a couple thousand miles away) will help since I will have someone to hold me accountable for achieving this goal. After hearing his plan to lose the weight I am sure he will hit 40 pounds well before 40 weeks gets here, if he can keep up with it. Since I only have to lose 1 pound a week I am taking a less ambitious track. I am going to cut out soft drinks, use saucers instead of dinner plates and not eat anything directly out of the package it came in. I am also going to up my level of physical activity by riding my bike more (I haven't been very good about this the last couple of weeks) and trying to fit some walking in before work and during my breaks. Since I do a fair job of maintaining my weight as it is, I just need to cut out 3500 calories a week between diet and exercise. I can totally do this. Tomorrow morning is the official weigh-in. I'll keep you posted.

One stop shopping

2009-07-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

If you have any interest in geeky econ stuff, Mark Thoma is your guy. He digs through all the econ writing out there to bring forth the good bits and give some perspective to them. Also, the discussion in the comments is wonderful and generally well-informed. Check it out.

People are crazy

2009-07-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

Including my Congressional representative, Cathy McMorris-Rogers. I saw a bit on MSNBC tonight where several members of Congress, including Eastern Washington's own, seemed hesitant to deny that President Obama was born in Kenya. McMorris-Rogers said "I'd like to see the documents". Check the internets, will ya? This story is so dead that CNN sent Lou Dobbs a memo. Let it go already. We put a black man in the White House, and he intends to level the playing field for everyone. I realize this challenges the old white-guy club (which McMorris-Rogers desperately wants into as the token female), but tough shit. If you truly believe in free markets and equal opportunity for all you have no problem with long-standing favoritism for whites falling by the wayside. Fer crying out loud people.

New blog

2009-07-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

So, I started a new blog for cycling stuff. I decided I wanted to use this one more for life in general stuff. The new joint is www.dontcallmeclydesdale.blogspot.com - check it out.

Get'cher hands dirty

2009-07-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

So I took the drive train on my commuter bike apart to clean yesterday. I don't do this sort of thing often, but I can't really afford to take it to the shop right now. So, I dug in. I have a pretty good repair manual and tools, so it is possible for me to keep it in decent shape. I was having some trouble getting the shifting dialed in. I will have to keep working on it. When I saw the weather was gonna stink all day today I decided against riding to work so I won't know how well I did until later.

I have been enjoying the Tour de France. I can hardly wait to see Lance and Alberto Contador duke it out in the Alps. While I think Contador could beat Lance head-to-head, Lance is a supreme tactician. Contador's break away the other day was impressive looking, and you could tell from the look on his face he was having fun, but it didn't accomplish much. Lance knew there was nothing to gain by chasing him down, so he stayed put. I thought that was the proper thing to do. In any case, it really says something that the biggest contest in this year's race is two guys from the same team. Lance has the same effect on bike racing that Tiger has on golf; sure the play is good even when they are not there, but who cares? That is all I can think of for now, except that I am already excited for the next FBC Fiasco (and this time I will be sure to drink plenty of water between beers). Peace out kids!

FBC Fiasco

2009-07-08T14:13:00.001-07:00

So, I went on my first ride with the Fucking Bike Club last night. This is something that I have wanted to do since I first heard of it (I mean, come on, it is called the FUCKING BIKE CLUB - how can you not at least be intrigued?). I rode down to the Swamp from my house up in the northern reaches of Spokane. I had roped my friend Casey into going with me which was awesome since we haven't had much time to ride together. He has decided to take going to school seriously so he always has homework to do and stuff, but he was able to break free for the promise of epic adventure. I made it to the Swamp just a couple minutes before 8 and found Casey, who decided he needed to run home and change into more casual clothes. He heard "bike ride" and showed up geared for a serious ride. In any case, we got there and I ran into Todd who I had been on the Bike to Work Week committee with. It was good to see him and I had a great time talking to him. I grabbed a spoke card, which was cool, and settled in to check it out. I didn't see a whole lot of people I know, but that is mostly because I have been living under a rock for the last few years.

Once the announcement was made that we were ready to head for the next stop we all headed out to get ready. Now, I have never ridden in a group ride of any sort. This is not a typical group ride to be sure, but it was a lot of fun. Even if it felt kinda dangerous at times. We took a loop through Browne's Addition, then shot down Riverside to cross the bridge across the river from People's Park. Once we got to the other side (and up the small climb) we surprised a couple of lovebirds who thought the gravel road up there was gonna be secluded. Oops. Once everyone made it up, we took off through felony flats towards the court house. This was probably the most interesting part of the ride, since the residents of this area had very different reactions to dozens of cyclists riding en masse through their neighborhood. Everything from shouts of encouragement to a big "What the fuck?" Fortunately not many people took the bait, and all was well.

Riding in such a large group through town was amazing. We continued down Broadway to catch a shortcut through Riverfront Park. There were a couple of tricky moments when people tried to squeeze through some of the tight openings, but all in all very cool. The ride ultimately ended up at Far West Billiards, which is one of my favorite places to grab a beer and chill. There was birthday cake to celebrate the FBCs 2nd B-day. I ran into some peeps from my LBS, and since they were heading north to get home as well, I tagged along. Much adventure and good times followed, and I am paying heavily for it today. I will for sure be doing more FBC rides in the future, though I am not sure I will be able to hang with the LBS crew on the after-ride ride. Suffice to say, bike shop peeps are hard-core.

What am I supposed to do?

2009-07-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

So, I have an 8 year-old son. He is the absolute joy in my life. Everything I have done in my life since I first learned I was going to be a father has been to provide him with the stable home life I never had as a child. This required a HUGE shift in priorities from me, as I was something of a "bad boy" before I moved to Spokane to be with the amazing woman who was to become my wife. I don't mind any of it, don't miss waking up and wondering how I got home, don't miss hangovers and being broke and desperately trying to convince some unsuspecting stranger to to take me home with them. My life is much more fulfilling now, and it was only after becoming a father and husband that I found my purpose in life. The 8 years of working full-time while going to college? Worth every minute. Putting aside stuff I wanted so my son could have a full-time Mom? Wouldn't change a thing.

The problem is that with all that sacrifice is that I didn't actually spend much time with my son until recently. And I think it shows. He and I butt heads like mountain goats. How am I supposed to deal with a son I have tried to give everything to who regularly tells me he wants to die? Are 8 year-olds supposed to feel like they have no purpose in life and they shouldn't live? I don't remember feeling like that when I was 8, but then again I don't remember most of my childhood
(the human mind's ability to block out trauma is a wonderful thing). I know we should go to counseling, but I don't know that I am ready to admit that it has gone that far. Maybe it is normal and I am just not handling it very well. I realize kids his age have a hard time processing their emotions and that when they get upset it can seem like the whole world has gone black. But it doesn't make it hurt less for me. Is it all my fault? Had I worked less and spent more time at home when he was younger would things be different? I know the long haul to finishing school nearly cost me my marriage, but I hope it hasn't cost me my relationship with my son as well. Ugh. All I want in the world is to be the kind of husband and father my dad never was. I can handle failure at any number of things, I have failed classes, I have lost jobs and friendships, you name it and I have royally fucked it up. But this is the one area where I REALLY REALLY want to be the best. Is that wrong? Am I taking it to personally because I want to be good at it? I know it makes me super mad when my son suggests that I am not a good father, since I have a much better idea of what a bad father looks like than he ever will. But still, doesn't worrying that I suck at it mean that I am at least headed in the right direction? Okay, I think I am done now. In the midst of writing this my son and I have reconciled and agreed to try not to get so mad at each other. We will see I guess. Anyone else out there gone through this?

2009-07-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

Today I learned that a dear friend of mine has passed away from injuries she sustained in an auto/pedestrian accident yesterday. She was on her way to work from Mass, which she had gone to about every day for as long as I can remember. Though she and I got off to a rocky start when I first moved to Spokane, somewhere along the way we both did a lot of growing up and changing, and the second time around we became fast friends. Her commitment to being a kind soul and seeking the Lord's grace impressed me deeply, even if I am still a skeptic.

Which brings me to my eternal question - why? Why should she be taken so young? Why should her children, who, thankfully, are grown have to lose their mother? She did everything I know of you could do to be on the right side of God, and yet she lost her life well before she should have. How can a loving and benevolent deity allow for such a thing? God's Plan? Seems like a kind of shitty plan, in my opinion. Her family and friends have someone they love taken from them much too early and the person driving the truck has to live with knowing that he apparently just fucked up and now someone has died as a result. I know I wouldn't want to live with that for the rest of MY life. So, why? I have always struggled with this - if there is an all-knowing, all-powerful God out there, why must there be suffering? To punish us for our failings? That has always struck me as petty and vengeful, and frankly I am not going to commit my life to someone who thinks it's okay to let millions of people suffer to prove their point.

Ugh. I need to ride my bike. That is one place where I seem to find clarity and peace. I am glad I get to spend the next couple of days with my family, since they make me feel like there is goodness in the world. Please, please, look carefully for pedestrians when you are driving. And, if you are so inclined, spare a prayer for Mary. I may not be sure there is a God, but it can't hurt to try.

Had to happen sooner or later

2009-06-29T21:17:00.001-07:00

So today, after 5+ years of regular cycling and about 3500 miles I finally got a flat. With 2 miles left to go to work. Now, I always have a patch kit on me but since I was riding my road bike and not my commuter with the awesome rack trunk that has all the stuff a cyclist could need (rain gear, pump, snacks, spare tube) I was kinda SOL. I decided it was faster to walk to work and worry about the tire later, so I pushed my beloved the rest of the way, careful to gently lift her rear wheel over the bumps to keep the wheel as straight as possible.

It is kind of funny how I ended up with said flat. I ride the exact same route to work every day. And no, it doesn't get boring. I am a people watcher by nature so it is fun for me to get to observe other neighborhoods when I ride. At the intersection of Cincinatti and Nora there is always a small Mazda pickup with a horrible exhaust problem idling outside, unattended. I know this because I can smell it before I actually see it. It also stands out because the last time I rode by it it was not unattended. In fact it was occupied by two people in their late teens or early twenties making out with all the intensity of excitable strangers on a Friday night. At 7:35 in the morning. So, yeah. It is now a people-watching hot spot. I usually keep a close eye on the road in front of me, since we live in a city where most streets look like they have recently taken mortar fire. Today I was riding up to the intersection and smelled the Mazda idling so I was checking it out and not paying attention to the road.

I knew as soon as I ran over whatever it was that I was in trouble. I have run over all manner of rocks, sticks, bits of plastic and what have you and none of them ever sounded like this. Which was of course followed by the distinct hissing of your day going downhill early. I pulled over very quickly to check it out and sure enough there was a cut that straddled the tread area and the sidewall. Ugh. Since I didn't have a pump with me I didn't have much choice but to start hoofing it to work. Far too late I realized I was carrying a pair of street shoes with me, and had wallked almost the whole way in my bike shoes for absolutely no good reason.

Luckily I have a very kind coworker with a truck who gave me a lift to Spoke N' Sport at lunch so I could get the tire fixed. I would probably have waited to get it fixed at my usual LBS, but I was meeting a friend after work to go on a fun ride and I did not want to miss it. So, Spoke N' Sport saved the day. I called ahead and asked if they would be able to get a new tire on while I waited and they assured me they could. I have to admit I never go to Spoke N' Sport unless it is an emergency. Back before I had a "real" bike and was riding an awful big-box special they straightened out a wheel for me on super-short notice, and now this. I would shop there more but I have a great relationship with my LBS, which is VERY near my house (which is the launching pad for most of my adventures). But, I encourage all of you to go by there, even if it is just because something has gone horribly wrong and really need your ass saved.

I replaced the blown tire (which had come on the bike and had over 500 miles on it) with some kinda Gatorskin ultra. For what it cost I hope it lasts a very long time.

On a fun note Casey and I had a great ride after work. We left from my office on the eastern end of the downtown area and hit the Centennial to ride through Riverside State Park, up Francis to Country Homes and then to my house for dinner. The hill going from Rifle Club Road to Francis is something I like to use as a yardstick for how fit I am at any given time. It's not that it is a super steep hill, but it goes on for a good long while. Today I felt pretty good. I totally granny-geared it but I never thought I was going to die so that makes it a success. Once I cleared the hill I felt great and the section down Country Homes up to Whitworth was pretty fast. All in all I got in about 22 miles today, which is good for a Monday. Looking forward to riding my slow but comfy commuter to work tomorrow, with the trunk fully loaded.

2009-06-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

So, I am not usually sappy but I gotta say, I love Father's Day. I certainly don't do all the "Dad" stuff so that I can get a pat on the back (I will get a huge pat on the back when my son becomes a productive, respectable member of society who respects women and is kind to old people and animals), but it sure is nice to be appreciated. I woke up this morning to a hand-made card from my son that proclaimed that I am "awesome". Followed by a card from my dear wife, whose love for me I still don't understand (after 11 years I thought she would have figured out she could do better). AND, in a decidedly not meat-friendly house, I get BACON for breakfast! Sweet! The rumor is also that my father-in-law will be coming into town later and that we will be BBQ'ing some ribs. Couple all of this with my little brother being in town and the fact that I don't go back to work until Thursday and I could just burst. Oh, AND we are going to Missoula tomorrow to see Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band at the Wilma Theater. Life really could not get much better. Hope all my Dad friends are enjoying their day even half as much as I am and thank you for shaping the future of our world. Peace out all!

I suck at blogging

2009-06-06T19:47:00.001-07:00

It's true. Even though I have a lot more time on my hands the last 8 months, I still seem to have something to do all the time. When I started this blog I thought it would be a good place to compose my thoughts and such. However, I have been riding my bike a lot more than I ever have, really, and I do most of my sorting out while I am on the bike.

I think my quasi-news fast has also contributed. I cut way down on the amount of news I listen to/read/watch every day which has increased my overall level of calm, but also reduced the number of things I want to rant about. Well, I guess if my biggest problem is that I am in a very happy place, getting lots of riding done and am not pissed off at the world, which means I don't feel I have much to say in my blog...life must not be too bad.

Killing to protest abortion...

2009-06-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

is like fucking in support of virginity. On a personal level, I am not a huge fan of abortion. Ideally we would have a public health system that goes further to support birth control and society in which women don't feel they have to endure the risk of unwanted pregnancy because some douchebag guy thinks "it doesn't feel as good". This would reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, and in turn the number of abortions. I think ultimately pro-lifers and pro-choicers want the same thing, we just disagree about how to get there.

However, being opposed to abortion does not give you license to walk into a place of worship and pass final judgement on the life of another human being. That is for God (if you believe in God) to decide. I have never been able to understand how one group of people can condemn what they feel is murder by turning around and murdering the people they feel are responsible. Would Jesus walk into the house of his father and commit the sin of murder? Somehow I don't think so.

The blog I meant to post yesterday, but got distracted

2009-05-30T08:27:00.000-07:00

So, a funny thing happened when I rode a ridiculously expensive bicycle yesterday….

I didn’t care. I mean, it was nice and all. Much lighter than any of the bikes I normally ride, but it really wasn’t comfortable. And it wasn’t good for the kind of riding that I do. I guess the important thing here is that yesterday is one of the first days when I really had a sense of what kind of cyclist I am and I was totally comfortable with it. Yesterday was a pretty good day all around, with lots of general contentment not only with my cycling but with where life in general is. It was good times.

I went to the Trek demo yesterday and two of my favorite bike people in the world were there representing my LBS. I was happy to see them, you know, since they are my favorite bike people. After riding the insanely spendy new Madone I got back on the Trek Pilot 2.1 I bought at said local bike shop last year and started riding home. I had some time for reflection (which is one of the awesome things about cycling) and I got really happy about having a good relationship with my LBS. Earlier this week I started drafting a blog post (never finished or posted) about how I wasn’t sure I had bought the right bike when I got my bike last year. I have been eyeing the Trek 520 because I am very interested in doing some touring, and wondered if I shouldn’t have gotten one of those instead. Then I thought about my experience buying my latest bike last year. I had decided I wanted a road bike. I already had my trusty Trek 7500 FX hybrid that I ride to work (and which has a bunch of brazeons for racks and would make a decent touring bike) and I have a Gary Fisher Marlin mountain bike that I don’t ride nearly often enough but I didn’t have a proper drop-bar road bike.

I was in the market for a new bike to celebrate finally graduating college, which was a big deal for me since I dropped out of high school without completing the 9^th grade. Anyway, I decided it was important for me to do this right and I went in to get fit before I even started riding any new bikes. This was a great idea. Once they had my measurements they were able to put me on a frame that worked out well for my pitiful physique. I had seen a bike that I really wanted, ‘cause it was pretty and looked FAST, but after being fit it was determined I wouldn’t be happy with the bike, and so I got something that is admittedly less pretty and fast, but super comfortable so I want to ride it a lot. All in all it was a great experience, but one I had to learn to appreciate. When I was looking for a new bike my LBS (who I had already bought two bikes from at that point) could have put me on the bike they wanted to sell me, but instead worked with me to find the bike that was right for me, even if it meant less money for them. Not a lot of businesses out there would do that, but most LBS’ realize it is in their interest to develop customers for life, since over the long haul they will come out ahead. So, I have decided to stop being mad about the Brooks saddle thing I mentioned in an earlier post. That actually worked out well. My complete paralysis about how to spend my leftover birthday cash eventually led me to realize I don’t really need anything, but that putting the money toward a new bike for my son would be a great idea. That way he and I can start going on rides together that are longer than just around our block. Also, since most of the decent kids’ bikes in my price range are mountain bikes, I will get out on mine more often.

All in all, life is good and I have little to complain about. Which doesn’t always stop me, but still.

And this is why I don't live in the South anymore

2009-05-29T18:39:00.000-07:00

I got the following email from someone I have known, literally, all of my life. Who is practically family to me. And I just flipped out a bit, and sent the email that follows the top one. Because, fuck that. You know?

From: xxxxxxxx@hughes.net
To: xxxxxxxxxxxx@msn.com; xxxxxxxxxxxx@yahoo.com
Subject: Fw: Incentive packages
Date: Thu, 28 May 2009 19:14:12 -0500

----- Original Message -----

DID EVERYBODY GET THEIR INCENTIVE PACKAGES FROM OBAMA TODAY?

I GOT MINE.

I GOT TWO PACKAGES OF WATERMELON SEEDS, SOME CORNBREAD AND 10 COUPONS FORKENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN.

And my reply:

From: xxxxxxxxxxxx@msn.com

To: xxxxxxxx@hughes.net
Subject: Re: Fw: Incentive packages
Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 18:44:12 -0500

That has to be one of the most ignorant, racist and flat-ass stupid things I have ever read. The man grew up in Hawaii and graduated from Harvard law school. And a wide majority of the people in this country voted for him to be our President. George W. Bush, being from Texas, is much more likely to enjoy fried chicken, cornbread and watermelon. Also, I am as lily white as they come and I positively ADORE fried chicken, watermelon and cornbread. As a matter of fact, I am going to the store RIGHT NOW to get some.

I think it is important to note that I have eaten a shit-load of fried chicken, cornbread and watermelon at YOUR HOUSE in my lifetime.

If you don't like President Obama's fiscal policies, or you don't believe that we should be scaling down our troop levels in Iraq to move the focus to Afghanistan, fine. But it is time for you to realize that we are a diverse nation, where the son of a Kenyan (right, Kenyan, not from fucking Arkansas, where they actually eat fried chicken, watermelon and cornbread) father and a white mother can do well in school (unlike Bush, who was a C student at Yale), decide to dedicate his life to serving the public and be elected President because he was the most qualified candidate for the job (as determined by the 9 million more people who voted for him over John McCain).

So, get over it. The country has moved on, and maybe it is time you should too.

Have a beautiful day!

Lucas McIntyre

"they can call me crazy if i fail
all the chance that i need
is one-in-a-million they can call me brilliant
if i succeed
gravity is nothing to me
moving at the speed of sound
i'm just going to get my feet wet
until I drown..." - Ani Difranco

Home, Home on the range...

2009-05-25T10:12:00.001-07:00

So, just got back from vacation to Texas/Louisiana (really New Orleans). We had a great time, especially since we left our 8-year old son with my mother in Texas while we went on to New Orleans for a few days to visit our friend Alexis. I was struck while in New Orleans how much people use bikes in a very functional way there. Lots of discount-store beach cruisers affixed with baskets of all sorts. Had I been thinking more (and conversely drinking less), I would have taken pictures. I will post more on excellent vacation later. Peace out!

Hypocrites

2009-05-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

So I am watching "Meet the Press" this morning, as is my Sunday custom. Chairman of the Republican National Committee Michael Steele is on. He just had the nerve to say that the American people are on the way to finding out how bad one-party rule can be. Get the fuck out. Was Michael Steele living in an alternate universe from 2001-2006, when Republicans controlled the White House, the House of Representatives and for the most part the Senate as well. During which time we launched two wars (one of which was complete bullshit), passed massive tax cuts for the wealthy (while being told by the Vice President that "deficits don't matter"), abandoned enforcement of tons of environmental legislation, tried to turn the Justice Department into an echo chamber loaded with partisan idealogues, and forever ruined the word "nuclear". Just so we are clear, it is "new-clee-ur", not "new-cue-lur". Fuck.

I have not been watching much news the last couple of days, and I am starting to see why my wife tells me I need to cut back. I am a much more peaceful person when I am not considering whatever political pissing match is going on. Ugh. At least I am going on vacation tomorrow, so I will be out of the news loop for almost a week. Should be nice.

Humility...

2009-05-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

...is watching your doctor go through an abdominal CT with you and pointing out that all that medium-gray stuff is fat. Thanks, Doc. Kinda already knew that. This is a new doctor. My old one got in a fight with my old insurance and doesn't take my new insurance, so I had to go somewhere else. Any time someone tells you that socialized medicine will reduce your ability to go to the doctor of your choosing, tell them to go fuck themselves.

I don't mind the new doctor. To tell the truth I am probably coming out ahead on it. She listens to what I have to say, checked out everything I asked her to check out, and didn't mind me asking her a lot of questions about whether she thought the electronic medical records system they used was an improvement over paper charts. In case you are wondering, she said it provided better patient results but it reduced their ability to see patients by about 30%. So, she is seeing fewer patients and it is leading to better results. I am okay with that. Knowing that seeing fewer patients means getting paid less I am sure she is less okay with it than I am. But then again I think if you went into medicine to get rich you shouldn't be allowed to treat patients.

Other than the fat thing and slightly elevated blood pressure it appears that I am healthy. Which is cool because I tend to obsess about every little bit of biological weirdness. I am pretty much always sure that I have cancer, or what have you. It is annoying.

In more fun news, I rode every day for Bike to Work Week. Which is good, since I helped organize it and all. I have not ridden every day for a week yet this year. I think one week I rode four days, but that was it. By the end of the week i have to say I am feeling strong and I don't think I am going to go back to driving when I get back from vacation. I rode to a conference this morning and then back home and the drove to the doctor's office. It was the first time I had driven since Saturday I think. I could do without it. Well, it is late and I have stuff to do. Peace out kids.

It has its perks...

2009-05-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

So, a little over six months ago I changed jobs. I had been at my previous job for 5 years (that stretch, I had done 2 years there a couple of years earlier, so 7 years total) and I was good at it. I even liked the work itself. However, the schedule was a soul-sucking beast. Also, since I was in mangement it meant that whenever something went wrong, it was my job to fix it. Now, I am a problem-solver by nature. I love to figure out how to do things better/faster/easier. But when you have been working 12-hour days for 2 weeks and someone calls you on your one day off with your family with something they can't figure out but must get done so it can get to a customer on time, it kinda sucks. Really, you should ask my wife how she feels about my last job, especially if she has a drink or two in her. You'd think she had spent some time in the Navy.

In any case, it had a flexible schedule so that I could go to school in the morning and then work in the evenings. Now, if you are starting to wonder where spending time with my family fits in you are starting to get the point. Between trying to keep up enough GPA to someday go to grad school and trying to be really good at my job (which is a compulsion of mine - I always secretly wished I could be one of those people who just don't care, but no) I didn't have much time for my family. I was also stressed to the max, and of course that manifested itself where? Right, with the family. Need time off to attend some family function? Good luck with that. Wanna go on vacation? Schedule it 6 months in advance and pray that nothing bad happens the week before you go. Want to call in sick? Ha. More like call in and have your boss lay out the guilt and not-very-thinly veiled threats. While the job allowed me to develop a wide variety of skills (which aren't of much use to me in my current job, but will someday pay off), and get through college with the degree I wanted (economics), it almost cost me my family.

Why am I telling you all this? Because my new job is nothing like that at all. And hallelujah. I now work for the state. It could not be more different. Today I realized (okay, I was reminded by my wife) I had forgotten a reading she was doing for the literary magazine at Whitworth. I went to my boss 20 minutes before I wanted to leave, explained how I had already taken care of getting other people to cover the few things I had to get done, and asked if I could take off early. All he said was to make sure I filled out a leave slip and adjusted my time card before I left. Oh, and he told me to enjoy my vacation, since he was going to be gone next week and I am gone the week after. Now, it's not that I couldn't sometimes leave early at my last job. I could. But it was usually to save payroll costs and I didn't get paid for it. And thank goodness for my new coworkers, who instead of trying to figure out how to screw me over since they don't agree with some thing I did 3 months ago, actually support me and offered to cover so I could go be a good husband. So, yeah. In addition to having generous time off and sick leave (you can email in sick at my new job, you would get fired for that at my last job), I get to help people (which was one of my favorite things about my old job) and if I am good at my job people come away with a positive impression of state government and realize that we aren't all lighting fat cigars with their tax dollars and refusing to help them. Oh, and no one ever calls me at home anymore. Well, I had one coworker call me at home once, but that was to tell me about something she saw on Hardball that she thought I should check out. Life is good. Oh yeah, and I get paid more than I did at my old job. Where I supervised 10 people, ordered tens of thousands of dollars of supplies each month, did performance appraisals and positive discipline and generally kept things from going nuts.

So yeah, if quality of life is more important than money, you should consider working in government. I had the potential to move up faster at the other job, but it wasn't worth the price I was going to pay for it. Okay, I am done ranting now. One day I will stop being mad about how I let my old job nearly ruin my life, but if my first marriage is any indicator it will be a loooong time.

Peace, ya'll.

The tipping point...

2009-05-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

What you are seeing here is parental threats made good. My son, unfortunately, inherited my utter distaste for cleaning (although I have gotten much better about this in the last couple of years). We have been asking nicely for a long time for Andrew to clean his room. We have tried getting him to do one thing at a time (you know, pick up your books, then your laundry), we have tried having him clean for 10 minutes at a time, all to no avail. Now, I understand this is our fault. For most of Andrew's eight years on this planet one or both us has been in school and I have worked full-time, and we never really started him on good habits early. Which is why we were never really too fussy about him getting it done. Today that came to a screeching halt. Andrew had been asking us (every 5 minutes) to go to the library. We live 2 blocks from the North Spokane Library, and that is the farthest from it we have lived during Andrew's lifetime. We LOVE the library. You wanna see productive work at the McIntyre household cease? Mention a trip to the library. We'll drop everything. However, I have had this horrible allergy/sinus thing for the last couple of days and Jennifer had the pleasure? of chaperoning a third grade field trip today (second one in two weeks, with another next week) and we just didn't feel up to it.

But, it is the library. So we told him to find the books he had checked out already and we would go. But he could not find them. Not under the covers and stuffed animals on the bed. Not on the bookshelves overflowing onto the floor. Not buried under the other 10 books he has read in the last week on his table. Nowhere. So, we kinda lost it. And decided that once and for all, this room was going to get clean. We pulled a couple of tarps out of the basement and laid them out in the back yard so we could sort into keep and give away piles then we started hauling everything that wasn't already clearly where it was supposed to be out into the yard. As you can see from the photo, it was a lot. And, his room still isn't totally clean. That basket of books will be donated to the library. After dinner we covered the pile with the tarps (and are crossing our fingers that it doesn't rain) so they can be sorted tomorrow. Anything that isn't staying gets donated to ARC of Spokane or Goodwill.

We have done a good job of teaching Andrew how the things he doesn't want or need anymore can bring joy to another child who wasn't fortunate enough to get things new (or had parents that realized that kids don't really care, or didn't have grandparents who are somewhat allergic to "no") and that it is a way to recycle. So, once he realized we were serious he was pretty good about it. I think he knew it needed to be done, but was having a hard time letting go of the things that contributed to so many of the memories of his young life. Shit. I just thought of that as I was writing it. It is so hard to keep your perspective when you are in the thick of trying to be right. Of course he didn't want to get rid of any of his things - those things are his childhood, all he knows. On one hand he knows he has outgrown them, but on the other it means he has to face the uncertain future. Wow. Okay, gonna work on my "seek first to understand" skills. Parenting is HARD.

And the library books that set the whole thing off? They were hanging on the back of his door in the library bag. Right where they were supposed to be.

This post is NOT Vegan friendly...

2009-05-04T20:25:00.001-07:00

So, when I got home post-ride yesterday, the neighbors were grilling some burgers. This meant only one thing - it was time to fire up my grill for the first time this year. Outside of cycling and my family, there are few things I love as much as my grill. I got this one a couple of years ago for my birthday. I am a die-hard charcoal fan. There is no art to cooking on a propane grill. You might was well be cooking inside. I love everything about cooking on my grill - stuffing the chimney starter with old newspaper, waiting for the coals to be ready to put in the grill, the way the grill gets all smoky when I toss in a couple of chunks of hickory after I load the grill with whatever is for dinner. And by the way, if you are going to cook with charcoal, use lump charcoal - you know, charcoal that you can tell used to be wood. None of that briquet shit.

I also love the tinkering it takes to really make a smoker grill like this work. I have to get just the right amount of airflow to keep the coals hot, without opening the chimney too much and letting the heat out. I have been working on it for three years now, and I think I am finally getting it right. At least the results have been good. And the dog seems to think I am on to something. Which always helps.

Just get your shorts on and pedal

2009-05-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

So, I got off my ass and went for a ride. I didn't want to go on any of my usual rides so I checked Bikely for something new. I found a great route that was put up by Hank, who I kinda know and I know he is an avid rider on my side of town. I have ridden up Greenbluff before, but I have never taken the East loop. With scenery like this:

I am glad I did. The first six or so miles from my house to the turnabout on Bruce road were really fast (for me anyway). Then I reached the one thing in all of cycling that I truly, unequivocally hate: the false flat. Now, on some level I know there is a climb from Mt. Spokane Park Dr. to Day-Mt. Spokane but I had only ridden it once before a couple of years ago so I forgot all about what an ass-kicker it actually is. The thing I hate about false flats is that unless you are really familiar with a stretch of road you don't realize what is going on until it is too late. So it was that I found myself geared all wrong and dragging my sorry ass up the hill, wishing I could take my hand off the bar long enough to smack my forehead and say "Doh!" Oh well, the stop sign at the top was a good place to take a drink (and a photo!).

The climb up wasn't too bad. I have to say I am not a big fan of the guy in the new 'Vette who thought it would be funny to gun his engine as he shot by (much too close for my comfort). Woo hoo. You have an expensive sports car. I am so impressed. I could also have done without the dead deer in the ditch (though it wasn't as rank as the other one I would ride by yesterday). I did notice this last winter was tough on the pavement up there - lots of cracks. Other than 'Vette dude there was little traffic of note. Since I was climbing up the back side of the bluff and it is very tree-lined I didn't notice the wind much. I stopped for more water (and another photo) at the intersection by Harvest House. I thought longingly about the Apple festival in the fall and fresh pumpkin donuts.

Once I got up top I was pretty fast again, when I wasn't stopped to take another photo. The view up there is amazing. I had a blast getting down, though some of the descents scared the crap out of me. Choppy pavement coated with leftover traction sand doesn't make for ideal "fly down the hill with reckless abandon" conditions. I have still not checked the max speed on my bike computer. I don't wanna know. Once I got to Big Meadows road the wind kicked in, making the rest of the ride kind of a drag (haha - get it? Wind? Drag? Bike humor...). I also missed the interchange when you get to colbert, so instead of continuing along Elk-Chattaroy road, I wound up on Colbert Rd., which took me to Little Spokane Dr. Which meant I was going to spend a good chunk of the end of my ride going uphill. Into the wind. Fun.

I am not a climber. I am just not built for it. However, I decided I wasn't going to let this hill, or the subsequent one (up Waikiki/Wall to Hawthorne) ruin what had otherwise been a great ride. So, I enjoyed the ride down and when I got to the bottom of the hill I took a nice big drink and set off. I granny-geared it, but it really wasn't that bad. I got to the top feeling strong and looking forward to the rest of the ride home. All in all, I am glad I went. It was nice to get out, see something different and challenge myself with more hills that I usually tackle. I should keep it up with this bike stuff, I might be getting good at it.

Lazy Sunday

2009-05-03T12:19:00.000-07:00

So, not a whole lot going on around here today. Andrew has spent most of the last two nights sleeping in a tent in our yard. He has been so stoked about it, which is good. I desperately want to spend more time outdoors and have so far had a hard time finding someone who would be a reliable partner in crime. If Drew wants to start spending more time in the woods with Dad, I am not going to complain.

I wish the weather would settle (preferably in the direction of more sun). All week I had seen forecasts that showed Saturday as a beautiful sunny day, then we got rained all over. It was a bummer. I am going to try to get out later today for a long-ish (couple of hours) ride. I need to push myself a bit. I have been riding to work more, but I still don't think it is enough. The trick is trying to get in enough miles so that I feel I am doing something, but not get so tired my wife gets mad when I fall asleep in my chair at 8 pm. Tricky, tricky (more so since she reads this blog - hi dear!).

I have also been debating (for a full month now) what I want to get for my birthday. Since I am hard to shop for and most people who feel the need to send gifts for my birthday live far away, I tend to get cash. Which is nice, since it is money I can spend on my various interests without feeling guilty about it. However, it always leads to the dilemma of "What should I use it for?" At first this year I was going to get a Brooks saddle, but my LBS kind of made me feel foolish for it. Which sucked. I have bought 3 bikes from that shop in the last 5 years, and I know they don't carry Brooks in stock and probably don't make as much off each one, but still. I wanted a saddle that was going to last a long time to put on my commuter bike, which I plan to use for touring in the future. Anyway, it was bad form on the shop's part, since prior to talking to them it was a slam-dunk sale (I was also going to upgrade my lights with the deal), and now I am wondering if I shouldn't just go to REI, where they are having a heckuva sale and I have decent size dividend to extend my purchasing power. I was thinking of getting a new set of panniers, and with the leftover b-day cash and dividend an entry-level backpack as well. I have long been interested in hiking and backcountry camping, but I have like, zero experience. When I was a kid all we did for camping was on the Little Missouri in SW Arkansas. This photo is where I spent a lot of very good times as a kid, but we camped a bit down the river from here. Here is a picture I took standing in the water across the river from where we camped when I was a kid.

In any case, I have no experience with the kind of camping I am interested in now. I like the idea of hiking off into the wilderness and then setting up camp for the night, though to be honest the wilderness in this part of the country seems much more wild than the relatively tame wilderness of my youth. Growing up I just had to worry about snakes and big, nasty spiders. Up here you have to worry less about snakes (even if the one you have to worry about is nastier) but you have to worry about bears, wolves and cougars. Nothing in the woods of NE Texas / SW Arkansas was going to eat you. Unless you believed in stuff like this. In any case, I am supposed to take a backpacking course from the Spokane Mountaineers this summer, so that should help. Except that when I looked up that link I realized I may have missed the boat for this year. Crap.

Well, I should get off this blog and DO something now. Otherwise I will just sit here and ramble on aimlessly to people who really have better things to do. Be well.

I am the king of slack...

2009-05-02T11:08:00.001-07:00

I should be doing something right now. I should really be riding my bike, since the weather is amazing. Bleh. I woke up with my throat all scratchy and sore, thank goodness for throat spray and ibuprofen.

Not much to tell - I weighed 242 yesterday morning. Not bad, but not good either. Not weighing myself on Saturday, it has been decided.

I think I am starting to get kind of news-ed out. It seems like the same things over and over again, which I guess all things considered isn't so bad. Swine flu is probably not going to be that big a deal, andthe amount of media attention it is getting tells me that all in all things must be going pretty well elsewhere. We may still be having a debate about torture, but at least it about torture that we did in the past, not torture we are actually engaging in now. And I noticed the Dow closed at 8200+, which means we are clawing our way out of the recession. Taken with the news that manufacturing orders increased, things are looking better. Also, while new claims for unemployment are still high, the real number to watch is the number of continuing claims. First-time claims for unemployment was about 640,000 last week, but the number of continuing claims only increased by 133,000. That means that 500,000 people got off unemployment (not all of whom got jobs, some people may have just run out of benefits, but since we have extended benefits i don't think this is the case, or a lot of people making first-time claims were not eligible). When the number of continuing claims rises each week by a number that is closer to the number of new claims it will be time to worry. Also, since a lot of people who file first-time claims are not eligible for benefits, so I wonder how they get the number of first time claimants - is it adjusted to exclude people who aren't qualified? Anywho, I think things are moving in the right direction, and as a result I am going to dial back the amount of news I watch/listen/read. So nyah!

Alrighty, I am going to go outside now and enjoy the sunshine. Peace out.

Go ahead...shake the headboard.

2009-04-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

So, we have been shopping for a bed. I have decided that even though it doesn't look like we will be buying a bed from him, the salesman that directed us to go ahead and shake the headboard was my favorite. It lightened things up a little, since, you know, you DO stuff there. And a serious consideration when purchasing a bed (which we plan to have for a very long time) is how it will, you know, hold up. So it was nice to be encouraged to go ahead and give the thing a good shake, since we had been kind of trying to give them all a test drive inconspicuously anyway.

Work was nuts today. Lots of phone calls regarding a pretty major rule change in how the state treats corporate officers when it comes to unemployment insurance coverage. I think getting to explain the nuances of all of the rules and regulations that apply to our agency is my favorite part of the job. Mostly because I am nerd for the law. Seriously, I should quit kidding myself and start trying to get into a law school somewhere. Also having things explained in a way that people can understand is a big help, especially since most people don't really want to call our office anyways (we do collect taxes, after all) and are generally afraid we are going to somehow "get" them. It may be goofy but I feel good when someone sincerely thanks me for helping them with something. I am doing my part to show that government isn't a bad thing, and that not all agencies are too busy to help. Alright, enough sappy stuff.

Not too much else going on - I am stoked for the new Office tonight, and still trying to wrap my head around last night's LOST. Faraday's mother killed him? And because everyone's present is different, by the time she has him and raises him she knows she is going to kill him? And Charles Widmore is his father? Which makes Penny his half-sister? CRAZY! Interesting to think that even though some of the Losties travelled back to 1977, they were the same age they were before the jump back, and, I guess, theoretically co-existed with their younger selves. Hard to tell on that one, since Ben Linus didn't get sent back to 1977, and no one else who did was on the island at the time. Although I think Miles is on the island contemporaneously with his younger self. Hmmmm. And I wonder what will happen if they prevent the energy leak that eventually casues Flight 815 to crash - does that mean that then if the Losties can get back to the present the crash will never have happened? What if they take steps to prevent the crash, but never get out of 1977? Since in that case 1977 would be their present, would it be worth doing? Unless it prevented the suffering of the other crash victims - maybe Charlie wouldn't be dead? But then again, since he was a junkie there is a good chance that even if he didn't crash on the island his days were seriously numbered.

I am so excited to watch the final two seasons of Lost play out. I think they have done a great job of weaving a story and characters that hold up well. I also like the way they weave in some pretty deep philosophical questions into the story line (they do have characters named "Locke" and "Rousseau" after all). Alrighty, I have to watch the Office and get ready for bed. Peace out.

Bridge club on Thursday, Dancing on a Friday night..

2009-04-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

Okie dokie, didn't post yesterday, but I DID ride to work. Took my commuter bike, too. AND I was faster than I expected to be, since I have been riding my road bike to work lately and the commuter easily weighs twice as much. Plus the couple of serious (for me) hills didn't burn me like they usually do. All good things. Went to next-to-last Bike to Work Week meeting, and it seems that we have a pretty good handle on things. We will see how next week's meeting goes. Looks like I am going to be very busy the week of BTWW, and I am already getting grief for volunteering to man a booth most of the day on Mother's Day. C'mon, it's not like my mom is flying in from Texas so she can be here for Mother's Da....oh, wait. She is. Well, she is a patient and understanding person, and trust me, I have done far worse than this. My dear wife on the other hand, not as understanding. I have to figure a way to make that work.

The title of the post is from a song by The Darkness "Friday Night". You should check it out. Actually you should check out that whole album "Permission to Land". There are four total standout tracks on it, "Friday Night", "I Believe in a Thing Called Love", "Growing on Me" and "Get Your Hands off of My Woman" with the awesome chorus "Get your hands off of my woman, mother-FUCKERRRRR!" Sweet.

Okie dokie, on the weight front yesterday I weighed in at 243.2, and this morning it was 240.4. The crazy thing is that I weigh myself at the same time each day, on the same scale, wearing the same thing. At first I worried that I had just dehydrated myself, but I drank a TON of water yesterday, far more than I usually do. What I didn't drink was carbonated soft drinks. I had a coffee in the morning (and an amazing cinnamon roll from Rocket Bakery, cream cheese icing and all) and then water the rest of the day. For lunch I had some leftover healthy dinner (fresh spinach and Oregon shrimp pasta, tasty!) and then some 4 cheese ravioli for dinner. Oh, and I had a couple of reduced fat Oreos and oat bran graham crackers for dessert. I will try to avoid soft drinks again today and see what happens.

Well off to work I go. Should be busy today since quarterly returns are due today. We get lots of phone calls when quarterlies are due, but since half our office is off at a conference there isn't much else to do. Which means that most of the day I will be (re)reading a manual about what constitutes "employment" for tax reporting purposes in the State of Washington. I know you are jealous.

Do you call them flip-flops or thongs?

2009-04-28T18:08:00.001-07:00

And which one is Arlen Specter? It makes me happy, very very happy that Specter realized that as the Republican Party trends farther and farther right he doesn't have a prayer in the Republican primary. So he becomes a Democrat. While that makes me giddy as a schoolgirl, just because I am for anything that is a stick in the eye of the Republican Party, do we really want him? I'm not sure on that one. I get what Specter is trying to do, and I agree that the Republican Party has gotten more absurd with each year (it all started with the "Contact with America"), but he is going to be a shitty Democrat too. I can only guess he had to promise his soul to Harry Reid in order to keep his seniority, but I am still skeptical. If Specter realizes he doesn't have a chance to be competitive in the Democratic primary either is he going to spend the rest of his term back with the Republicans so he can try to secure a post-Senate gig with a fatcat conservative group?

I am also unsure of how this is going to affect the Franken/Coleman race in MN. Republicans are certainly going to drag it out farther now, since there is more at stake. Ahhhh, politics.

In other news:

Today's weight is 245.1 pounds. I knew this was coming. I spent the weekend with my in-laws, and that almost always means I am going to eat more than I would at home. The first few years after I moved here I always felt like it would offend them if I said "no thanks" when they offered seconds at dinner. At the same time I gained 60 pounds. Coincidence? I don't think so, but it is certainly not their fault. When I lived in Memphis (which is where I lived before Spokane) I worked a physical job, played tennis for a couple of hours a couple times a week and played golf once or twice a week. In addition I played in various bands (which was more physical than you would think - I'm a 'jump around' kind of guy). When I moved here it was November and I didn't know anyone. So, I went from being very active to zero activity in one day. Then the snow set in, and I REALLY didn't do anything physical. I don't ski or snowboard (hurling myself down a mountain on sticks doesn't really appeal to me, all I can think of is Sonny Bono), so winter means almost no physical time.

So, until I got back into cycling about 4 years ago, I didn't do anything physically active. Most of the time I am amazed I am not larger than I am. Nowadays I love that I can ride for 5 or 6 hours in a day (I'm useless the day after, but that's OK). I did a pretty good job of eating healthy for breakfast (english muffin w/ margarine and grape jelly and a banana), but I have been off the rails since then. I had a small bag of chips and a king-size Peanut Butter Twix for lunch (I know, I know) and then had a tall caramel macchiato and a chocolate chip cookie for a snack. And then half a bag of microwave popcorn when I got home. Ugh. Jen is fixing a very healthy-looking dinner, so that is good. I didn't ride today, so that is lame. I stayed up too late last night watching TV with Jen. I will ride tomorrow. If my post tomorrow does not reference how awesome it was to ride to work, feel free to give me huge amounts of shit.

Well, tasty-smelling dinner is ready - peace out kids.

I'm just gonna get my feet wet, until I drown...

2009-04-27T22:59:00.000-07:00

So, I decided to start "officially" blogging. I have long posted ranty screeds on MySpace, but I never actually took blogging seriously, mostly because I am relatively certain that no one cares what I have to say. However, given that - why not? If no one cares then why shouldn't I? I could certainly use someplace to collect my thoughts and vent, and if someone is entertained/informed/pissed-off by it so much the better. So, yeah, I now "blog". Before long I will start texting or some other crazy thing.

Since this is my blog and I get to do whatever the hell I want, I think I am going to have a few regular features. First, I am going to regularly post my weight. I have been trying to slim down for a while now, but since most everyone I know other than me seems pretty happy with me just the way I am (and God love 'em for it) I haven't had much incentive to get serious about doing something about it. Having to publicly disclose whether I am making progress (be it good or bad) or merely maintaining should be something of a motivator.

I will also pretty regularly review music, new and old, or give my thoughts on it. I love music, more than anything but my family. Most people think of me as a fat guy on a bike, but I am a musician and music nerd first (though not chronologically - I did start riding bikes well before I played an instrument).

Lastly, I will rant about politics and current affairs. I am consumed by it. I feel like we are at a pivotal moment in history, and there is too much at stake not to pay attention.

Some things you need to know:

1) I can be profane. I will try to keep in mind that some people are sensitive to this, but I think it has a valid place in language and sometimes conveys the emotion behind something in a way that is hard to get otherwise. You could say "I think that is a bad idea" and people will get that you don't agree with it. When you say "That is a shitty idea" it brings along a whole different connotation, one that speaks to just HOW bad an idea I think it is. So, sometimes it will be PG-13 in here.

2) I can be random. This is something that anyone who knows me knows well. I am not a linear thinker, things just kind of pop in and out and when something occurs to me I have to get it out pretty quick, or it is gone forever. If this drives you crazy, you have been warned.

And now, on to some business:

I just watched the Michael Moore documentary "Sicko". I am appalled. While I realize Moore's style can put some people off, he has a way of driving home a point that I admire. I especially liked his conversation with the Member of Parliament, who felt that Democracy was the most radical idea in history. I totally agree, and I often quote Phillip Yale Nicholson, from his book "Labor's Story in the United States", "Democracy is always messy, inherently radical, and almost always perceived as a threat to the owners of capital and the institutions it creates."

The English gentleman made the point that in Europe the government is afraid of the people, while in the United States the people are afraid of the government. As long as this is so, the people will never get anything of substance done. I would like to think that this past November we began to see the tide turning, and people realizing they have the power to change the direction of our country with their ballots. We'll see how it pans out I guess. In any case, to me it is ridiculous that we can call ourselves a nation of Christians and not be willing to get together to provide health care for all our citizens. I could probably rant on this for days (and I am sure it will come back up soon), but I am getting tired.

Weight: last time I checked (a couple of days ago) it was 242.2 pounds. I'll keep you posted I guess.

Music: Today I was listening to Material Issue's "Freak City Soundtrack" This is one of my all-time favorite albums. Great Windy City power pop, just enough punk to keep your feet tapping and enough sweetness to make it a pleasant listen just about any time. If you are a fan of Cheap Trick, The Jam, or more recent power pop groups like All American Rejects (or for that matter Blink-182 or Green Day) you should check it out. It is a shame their lead singer Jim Ellison ended his life at the peak of his creativity. "Telecommando Americano" which was released after his death (and was finished by his bandmates with help from his friends) showed that he had a lot of great music still in him. As Billy Joel said "Only the good die young..."