Mike's Underdeveloped Corner of Suburbia

Yes, Yes, Yes, and Yes

2008-12-31T10:26:00.000-08:00

Yes, I've neglected my little corner here. Yes I have excuses. Yes, they are semi-valid. Yes, I apologize. I plan to do a little better, but in a reduced form. This is how it all began. Well, no, just this is the short version of how I'm where I am.

In the past several months I've had the following go on in my life:
Promotion at work
Injury on the bike
Restoring my car
Moving
Surgery for injury
Holidays
Illness
Possibly another type of promotion at work
Elected to board of directors for my cycling club
Am hands on team manager for my club's developmental team
Director of all teams for club
Triumph Car Club functions

So, though it's 99% my own doing, I've been extremely busy. This coming year I'm making no real promises. Except to wish everyone a safe and happy new year, and to be well. Politics have me upset, but if I do what I think is right in my circle of life (oh, hello, Simba) then that's all I can hope for.

Will I blog more? Likely not, but I will try to be more consistent. How's that for a resolution? Right! Let's ring 2009's bell so hard it cracks!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T11:23:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone has a safe and fun Thanksgiving. Take a moment to savor the day and the company. I am.

I really hope I'm wrong

2008-11-07T23:36:00.001-08:00

The election is over. I'm not happy, as the plane has rolled over and is starting the downward spiral. I wasn't thrilled with John McCain, either. I wish Mit Romney had made it to the election. But I digress.

I guess no one paid attention to Obama's speech in CA where he said he disliked Israel. Or how he's filling his cabinet with his cronies. No bipartisan "we'll put the best people in the job no matter what" attitude like he stated earlier. Where's the change? I hope I'm wrong, and he decides that nationalizing 401k and pensions is a bad idea, and that we can't afford to bail out every bank and company that's in trouble.

I hope he says "well, many of you have screwed up, and have to deal with it. Some will lose their jobs, others their homes. Some companies and banks are going to go away, and we'll have to raise taxes." I'm sure he'll say that we can fix it, and everyone deserves to be helped, so no one is accountable. Then we'll all be in trouble, because our government doesn't have the money or the power to do it. That is why I hope I'm wrong, but I fear I'm right.

I'm actually impressed

2008-10-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

Nike has actually done the right thing, which gives me hope for American society and corporate ethics. You see, I was so incensed over the subject of my previous post that I contacted Nike. This was their response:

Hi Mike,

Nike is announcing today that it recognizes Arien O'Connell as a winner in last weekend’s Nike Women’s Marathon with the fastest chip time, completing the full race in 2:55:11. She shattered her previous time and achieved an amazing accomplishment.

Arien will receive the same recognition and prize, including a Tiffany bowl, the full marathon elite group winner received. Arien was unfortunately not immediately recognized as a race winner because she did not start the race with the elite running group, which is required by USATF standards. Because of their earlier start time, the runners in the elite group had no knowledge of the outstanding race Arien was running and could not adjust their strategies accordingly.

Learning from the unique experience in this year’s race, Nike has decided today to eliminate the elite running group from future Nike Women's Marathons. Next year, all runners will run in the same group and all will be eligible to win.

Nike has a proven track record of supporting athletes and we’re proud to be able to honor Arien and other athletes who surpass their goals and achieve great accomplishments.

Thank you for contacting Nike.

Mike
Nike

It's not often that the right thing is done by anyone. We should all celebrate this and commemerate it by making sure we do the right thing, and holding those accountable who don't.

You show up to race, you have the race of your life, you don't win when you're the fastest

2008-10-21T16:30:00.000-07:00

Come on, Nike. Really you can do better. Really. Reminds me of the Howard Jones song "No One Is To Blame" where the line is "you're the fastet runner but you're not allowed to win".

Apparently, only the elite ever get to reap the benefits, no matter how undeserved.

A Class Act

2008-10-09T17:34:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late to the show on this one. Paul Lanier Newman has left the world, and I feel we've lost someone, something special and aren't aware of it yet. I've always liked Paul Newman. The first movie of his I remember seeing was The Sting. Most of his others followed.

Even in his less than popular movies, I always loved how Paul threw all he had into it. The characters he played were part of him somewhere, and you saw it. My father said once "any other actor could be half as talented and still be great", and it applied to to other facets of Paul's life.

Unless you've been under a rock since the precambrian era, you probably have heard of Newman's Own dressings and sauces. I remember the first time I heard about it, and the first commercials aired where I grew up. In fact, he did commercials for Nissan encouraging people to use seatbelts. The local Albany and NYC stations aired them all the time, and sometimes, Paul would be wearing the same thing in both.

The reason was that he was at Lime Rock Park raceway, a tough road racing track in northwest CT near Lakeville. Many commercials were shot between heats or after races. It was neat to see him in his driving suit with cars going by in the background.

The fact that Paul was racing cars made him cool to me, but the fact he won a national championship driving a supposedly obsolete Triumph TR6 and beat the new model TR7, well, that made him a hero to me. That's because my father raced a Triumph, and later on I raced them, too.

But the biggest thing that tells me the class Paul Newman had was the fact he never called attention to his achievements. When he won the national championship in 1977 he said "screw the Oscars, this is better", or something to that effect, depending on who you ask. How many of us truly know how many children and adults his programs have helped? What is the impact on society?

Paul Newman was like a black tux. Always classy, elegant, stylish. Quiet dignity. The world needs more like him.

Contemplating Retrospective

2008-09-23T21:24:00.000-07:00

I've been busy with a bunch of projects lately, but none too interesting to most people. I get to think while I work on my car, or bike, and reflect quite a bit.

Some reflections are pleasant, like the time I did a winter raly around Michigan in an MG Magnette. Trust me, it wasn't warm, but it was fun. At least now it seems like it was, over a decade later.

Others aren't as good. The time my best friend was killed in a firefight by my side, and I vividly remember trying to put his stomach and organs back into him, and accompanying his body home. We worked differently than the regular Army, and I was with the chaplain and some officers when we broke the news to his family.

Certain experiences are seared into our brains. Often a sound transports me to that faraway place, and tonight it was the most unlikely source. My wife was watching the Sex and the City movie. In the scene where Sarah Jessica Parker is hitting Chris Noth with flowers, she and one of her friends screamed a certain way. And it was exactly the way my friend's mother screamed when we told her he had been killed. Blood curdling screams punctuated by gut wrenching sobs.

I tried to comfort her, but she just screamed at me "HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN TO HIM? YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO WATCH OUT FOR EACH OTHER!!!! I HATE YOU!!!!" I know she didn't mean it. Two years later she was in the hospital and I decided to visit. It was difficult for me, but I knew I needed the closure, as well as her.

We spoke briefly, and just before I left, she said "I know you did everything you could. The other guys told me so. I'm sorry for what I said to you. Please forgive me, it's been eating at me since the funeral."

"Of course I forgive you. It's ok, I figured you didn't mean it. I'm glad I was able to let you vent." We laughed, talked a bit about how things were, and I watched a woman get to a place where she was at peace with everything in her life. I got up to leave, and she said "I'm glad you stopped by. Thank you. It means a lot to me." We smiled at each other as I left.

She died that night.

I'm a very lucky person. For very many reasons. Sometimes I think about it. But most times I don't. Maybe I should more.

Shut the hell up about the price of gas

2008-09-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

I think it's pretty apparent I'm not the typical American. I served in the army in special forces. I have no clue what football and baseball are about, as I have just enough knowledge to be able to watch a game and only ask several stupid questions. I prefer euro sports, like cycling, golf, formula one and sports car racing to Nascar, MMA, and whatever other modern gladitorial spectacle is invented this week.

I'm getting this out in the open because I'm sick about the whining I hear regarding the price of gas. Also, I'm sick of hearing about the greenines who drive hybrids and how they think they are superior. So, here I go again ( a sub reference to Whitesnake for David Amulet) offering my solutions for a problem that we created.

First and foremost, the price of gas is not going down if you complain. Drive better, ie slower acceleration, a few mph slower on the highway, combine errands into one trip, etc. Watch how the gas seems to last longer. So we've already started to save some cash. Already we're making up ground.

Don't rush out to buy a new, more fuel efficient car. The resources that went into that car will expand your carbon footprint exponentially. Buy a well maintained, fuel efficient used car. I just sold my 1998 Honda Accord coupe and it got 36mpg on the highway. Even an older, well maintained car is better for the enviroment. I'm rebuilding my 1978 Triumph Spitfire 1500. When finished, it'll get about 30mpg on the highway. The earth is thanking me for putting some personal effort forth to not use more resources, and also fill a landfill.

So we've now done what we can on the vehicle front to save money, use less gas, and hopefully stabilize the price for a little bit. But is that enough? No.

I was reading James May's column in the latest issue of Top Gear Magazine and he hit upon a fascinating concept. Basically, he realized that we get sucked in by advertisers and buy all kinds of crap we don't need. Pissed about the price of gas but were one the idiots to stand on line for hours to buy an iphone? That's a few hundred that could have gone towards gas if you were still using your old phone.

I have about 32 year's worth of tee shirts. I'm trying to use them up by working on my car in the oldest ones, then they bocome rags. Of course, it seems I end up with three of four shirts every time I race. So apparently I'm losing ground there. But the point James made was a great one. Why don't we use up the stuff we have, sell what we don't need, and use the savings for gas money?

Think of it. We save money, the enviroment is better off, and those products aren't in as much demand, so less gas and fuel is used. We all end up doing our part. Some will argue the lack of demand is bad for the economy, but that's another topic for another post.

Detective work

2008-09-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

I love history. But too many times, that's what it truly is, a story. Lately I've been delving into the actual facts of the American Revolution. Many of those facts are wrong. Or what we think are the facts. Case in Point: Paul Revere. Without the Raiders. (Bad sub reference, but hopefully someone gets it.)

How instrumental was he in warning the colonists the British were coming? Not very, actually. He was caught just a few miles into his ride. Or how about who fired the first shot at Lexington and Concord? We did. Well, a colonist did.

Anyway, I'm considering taking all this compiled info and making it into an entertaining (to a history geek like me) read. Yup, someday I'll sit down and try to write a short, factual as possible account of the American Revolution. Or make it into a series.

I like how even in these info times, so many events are wrongly reported. Which amazes me, because it should be easy to say "Uh, no actually this happened, so let's end the game of telephone." but it never seems to happen. That's alright, I like being able to annoy people when they're wrong. Because I'm spiteful.

Time to eat, but lord knows what that statement could blossom into in today's media...

Sumer's Ending, Can You Weather It?

2008-08-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.

~Thomas Paine, 1776

I put up this painting by Norman Rockwell for a few reasons, followed by Thomas Paine's great quote. The painting, "Homecoming GI", is probably my favorite Rockwell. I had heard it was based on a story Rockwell heard where a family had last been told their son was killed or missing in action. They heard nothing more until shortly after when their son arrived.

Even if this isn't true, the painting shows the absolute moment when the family, neighbors, and friends (and secret admirer, now all grown up) release their worry and finally realize it's all over, and they can celebrate. The star in the window shows they never gave up hope or faith.

Not only did the GI have to suffer and endure and sacrifice, so did his family. It was a high price for both. Years of their normal lives lost, stress, the sacrifices made on both fronts. They thought it was worth it. This painting brings tears to my eyes, because just as it shows the elation of this family, many others experienced the depths of despair and heartache learning their loved ones won't be coming home alive.

Thomas Paine actually hit upon a great point. Most of what our generation has came too easy for us. So I urge you to be a bit introspective. I'm not saying what you do isn't hard, or you didn't have to sacrifice to get where you are in life, but how far are you willing to go to make sure the next/younger generation can experience what you did?

Fate takes a vacation

2008-08-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

I was all excited about rebuilding my cyclocross bike a few days ago. Then I noticed that there was some swelling in an area near the inside top of my right leg. Felt about the size of a ping pong ball.

Good news is that it's just a hematoma. I need to take some time off the bike. The good part is that I'll be able to finish my bike, get lots of work done on my car, and maybe actually go through the extra stuff I have and see if any of it is worth anything.

Ambitious but rubbish. God, I'm off to a great start...

Lithium Ion

2008-08-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

I've been recharging, refitting, and getting ready. I hope like a lithium ion battery I'm brighter than the earlier version. Or more intense. It's been a bit of a doldrums for me and writing for the last several months. Finally, I feel like I'm hitting stride.

I've had a year of modest satisfaction on my bike. For the work I've done, I have actually done well. If I put in more effort, but I didn't so why wax philosophical? My Triumph Spitfire rebuild is behind schedule, but I do have a goal, and if I work hard it might be running soon. Maybe not well, but at least running.

But I've got other things on my plate. I built up a cyclocross bike for a friend of mine, and he's totally stoked and happy with the result. Now I'm in the process of building mine back up, and hopefully starting next week I'll be hitting a local park to get my off road abilities back up to par. Not hard, since they're minimal.

We all have times when things get stale. David Amulet's awesome blog never showed it, but he mentioned he was tired of posting. Fair enough. Look at how much I slacked this last year. But no more. I'm looking forward to devoting time each week for the things I enjoy.

So look for more rambling posts from me. I won't comment on the Olympics, other than the fact they're elitist and racist. And sport selection and deselection is another post entirely. So I've already contradicted myself.

Excellent! I'm back, and to quote my favorite show's motto "Ambitious but Rubbish!!!" will be my matra. Thank you, Top Gear. And thank you, all 4 or 5 of you who read this drivel. Get ready for more!

When Something Actually Means Something

2008-08-05T20:23:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you have had the feeling. A quick look at your life and the question arises: "Have I done anything that mattered?". We can't all be Ghandi. Or a ditch digger. We do have the oppurtunity to make a difference, on some level, somewhere for someone. Sometimes we don't take it, or other times we aren't aware of the impact of what we did. I just discovered one such incident.

Years ago I was deployed to Africa, as a group of rebels had taken UN relief workers prisoner. Since there were Canadian, British, American and other nationalities at risk, the British and US sent troops to perform the rescue. As always, it wasn't a flawless operation, but it got the job done. Here's a small excerpt.

"Shit, Ski, Chart's down, Swick's down, Omera's down, we have no air support on standby, and the Brits are held down on the other side of the highway. We need to get the fuck out now!"

"Fuck, fuck, fuck what the hell is going on? Shit, ok, we need to get over the top of that wall, and set up some supportive crossfire for 3rd squad. Hawk and I will cover, you guys go for that hut when we open up. Keep your fucking heads down!!!!"

"Ski-"

"Yeah, Hawk?"

"Look left!!"

"Motherfuck!! Goddammnit! I'll cover you, get to the others, take Rainman and Eclipse and outflank those bastards. Go go go go go!!!!!" Hawk had spotted two hostages being dragged out of the door of a building. It was our first break in a very chaotic firefight and rescue attempt.

Within a few minutes we had shot the rebels trying to move the hostages, and found another three hostages in a building nearby. By this time the rebels got the message that we were there to kill them, not just free hostages and began trying to melt into the jungle. Problem for them was that the British were waiting for them, and all met a bloody end.

As we went through the village, and found the remaining hostages in the surrounding area, we also got them ready to fly out on the chopper we had for them. Most were thankful, though a few were rude and yelled at us and hoped we'd never be able to live with ourselves for kiling other humans. Once the chopper lifted off, we went back to the few wounded and handed them to the Brits, who promptly shot them all.

I felt this was one of the most worthwhile missions I was part of. Yet, I also wondered was it worth it? I never saw those workers after that chopper lifted off. I'd wonder every now and then what happened to them, did they ever get over the trauma they were subjected to? Did life for them and their familes move on, or was it destroyed?

Fast forward to recently. I was talking to a customer at work, and as her husband was trying a bike we talked about various things. One thing was Africa, and her daughter was a relief worker taken hostage, who was then rescued by British and American soldiers. We quickly figured out I was part of that mission. Almost in tears, she turned to me and said "You rescued our daughter. Thank you, thank you thank you so much. Thank you for your service." With that she hugged me and sobbed a little.

I know I'll never figure out why I was sent to most places I was, and that I'll never know if what I did, and sacrifices many of us made were in vain or not. But I do know that this particular mission had a great impact on a famile's life, and 12 years later, that made it totally worth it.

Sometimes we expect nothing, and end up being blown away

2008-07-25T19:05:00.000-07:00

Ever look at something and think "well, this looks like it's going to be mediocre, at best" but then end up being absolutely stunned at how amazing the result is? Well, that's what's happened with this year's Tour de France. I won't bore you with details, but in my over 20 years of following the traveling circus of professional cycling, I've only seen one other that was better. 1989, when the final outcome was in doubt until 200 meters from the line was a nail biter. This year is almost as close, and I can't wait to see who's on top this coming Sunday.

But what makes this race so great? Honestly, the racing has been beyond superlatives, but the coverage has been great, too. I wish I taped this year's race, as the scenery has been stunning. Makes me want to go to France for vacation, especially with my bike.

I've been considering posting about politics, the enviroment, bad plastic water bottles, or gas prices. I won't. I'm just going to say this much: try to drive less, get every ounce of info on all the candidates, and get some stainless steel water bottles. That's all I got!

4th and Gruene

2008-07-04T17:14:00.000-07:00

So, happy 4th! Today 13 friends and I rode down to Gruen, TX since we all had the day off. 60 miles on a bike with friends and some light hearted moments (drinking beer at 10 am-a 6 pack was split amongst us) is always a good day. Weather, everything went really well. Topped off with a tasty meal at the Gristmill, and it was great.

In between the sprints for road signs, and enjoying the ride, I got to thinking. We're a lucky people, us Americans. Today I was free of the fear that police would swoop upon us, take us away, and we'd be gone. Or that someone would start shooting at us. True, it is TX, but mostly they play by the rules.

I won't regale you with some of the lack of rights I've seen in other parts of the world, or the measures we sometimes (as in the USA) took to rectify the situation. That's a post for another time. I just want all of you to take a second or two and reflect on just how good you truly have it in this country.

Now enjoy the weekend, be with your families, friends, or whomever is important in your life. We have that luxury. Take advantage of it.

People, gather round!!!!!!

2008-06-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

So a coworker (and dare I say it, a friend as crazy as I) and I were talking today. We were joking around, and bandied about the idea of me just getting up on a mailbox or streetlight pole and yammering away. Like in the days of yore in the English Empire. I'll talk about whatever I want to, but it has to be pertinent. Maybe the same time, every week, at the same place. I'll make speeches like you hear in the House of Lords and Commons in England on C-Span. Yes, I really watch it, and look forward to it.

"People gather around!!! We are in dark times, but not the hour of darkness, nor our darkest hour. It is merely the darkest of hours before the dawn. The light is fast approaching, and we shall head into the light!! The price of gas isn't going to break us, it is us continuing to pay the prices asked of us that will break us!! Don't let yourself be broken!!! Don't blame the oil companies, blame yourself!!! Give them hell, I say. Give them hell!"

"All great empires have collapsed from within. Rome, Greece, Persia, China. Look within yourselves and ask these simple questions. Why have I stopped caring about my country, my fellow man, my world? Why is it that my way is more important than the good of others?"

Not like I really said much, but the style in which these words are delivered would define their impact. So think about that. It's how you deliver the thoughts, not the thoughts themselves.

Lastly, I was away on vacation, but needed to mention Father's Day. I hope all of you have a good relationship with your fathers. I'm more impressed with mine the more I learn about him. So happy belated Father's Day, to all the fathers out there.

Freedom

2008-05-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

I'll be clear and concise. This coming Monday is Memorial Day. The day set aside for us to remember and honor the fallen servicemembers of our nation. I hate Memorial Day. It reminds me of friends who are gone, who left early so others wouldn't have to.

Freedom wasn't free for them.
Freedom isn't free for me.
Freedom isn't free for their families.
Freedom isn't what you want to do.
Freedom isn't easy.
Freedom is doing what you know is right.
Or needs to be done.
That's because you have a choice to do it or not.
That's freedom.

Nothing worth having is free. Deep down inside I know all of my fallen comrades would do it all over again, as would I, just so you'd be free from fear, oppression, and most of all, the horrific experience of combat. That is freedom.

I don't care about your beliefs and politics. I fought for your right to think what you want. I will gladly die so that we may disagree.

This Monday, take a moment. Think about those of us who aren't here. Thank those who are. It might make it easier for all of us. You just might feel better. Or don't. After all, it's a free country.

Waxing sentimental

2008-05-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are unaware, I have a huge array of interests. In no particular order, the main ones are cycling, trains, model trains, photography, sports cars of all makes and vintage, particularly British, movies, golf, politics, well you get the idea. Since I am interested in these fields, I also tend to do much research, and a few of them also lend themselves to aquiring things.

Cycling. The mother of all equipment needing activities. So all my uniforms, helmet, parts, frames, wheelsets, shoes, pedals, are all over the place. My long suffering wife didn't know that there are certain uniforms I won't get rid of because of what they mean to me. Good race, I was captain for a season, you get the picture. I even have a frame that I haven't ridden in almost a year.

My Schwinn Paramount OS is a hand built, custom steel frameset I ordered in 1990. It was my second race bike, and my first top line frame. I rode it for 16 seasons, and had my fair share of greatness on it. A decent number of wins, trips to the Olympic Training Centers with it, riding with some of the greatest American cyclists with it. The list goes on. So if it's not even built up right now, why keep it?

It means a lot to me. I named it Horse. We've been together for my entire adult life. Through the bad seasons, the good ones, the illnesses, crashes, Horse never wavered. Always waiting, always ready, always willing. So much of my life involves him that I'll never get rid of him, even though I could sell him for much more than I paid for him 18 years ago. (It was a $1300 frameset back then.) I'll never get rid of him. Someday in the near future Horse will go back to Waterford, WI and be restored where he was built. To like new condition.

I have quite a collection of model cars and Hot Wheels and Matchboxes, too. The scale models are all of cars I've owned or raced, and the the toys are a mixture of what I had since childhood and ones I've raced. I will rid myself of many of these in the coming weeks, but again, there are some I can't part with.

My trains, oh how my wife doesn't understand. I have way more than I can possibly use right now, but this is one of those hobbies where the future is always brightest. Enough said.

As if the physical side isn't bad enough (I should be thankful my real car is away from home and I can store those parts there) I have all the afiiliated literature with these hobbies. Now the bike racing stuff, I usually read it and give it to someone at work. The train magazines are actually like reference materials, and the car magazines the same. I am going to have to pare down again shortly. It's hard to get someone like my wife to understand why I need to save this stuff.

It's part sentimental, part technical need. I'm sure we all have the same problem. Too bad we can't just keep what we need and rid ourselves of the rest.

Inspiration

2008-05-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I need inspiration. For my car, my racing, this blog, everything. For my blog, the news, a debate about politics, economics, and David Amulet's writings are always a help. But inspiration isn't always enough. I need to feel like I have something worth writing about. What isn't worth writing about these days? Truthfully, lots of things.

So on to the stuff that's worthless, and my theory behind why we think we care. Celebrity gossip and reality tv. Back in the days when cable was channels 2-13, there was only the Enquirer for the reality and celebrity stuff. As cable expanded, channels were formed and they needed filler. I mean, Bad Girls Club? Celebrity Rehab? It's like there's all this space and there was nothing to fill it, so instead of sitting back and coming up with some culturally worthwhile programming, we get all this drivel.

Yes, I like some reality tv. Gene Simmons kills me with his dry humor and the fact that he's actually a caring, involved parent. Bruce Jenner is much the same way with the Kardashians. Sometimes he has that look of "What in the hell have I gotten myself into?". Very funny.

Sadly, more people care about shows like these as opposed to the earthquake in China, the cyclone in Myannamar, or a bunch of other garden spots of the world. Guess reality tv is all a matter of what you want to admit.

Cars as metaphors

2008-05-06T22:37:00.000-07:00

I can see the eyes rolling already. But stick with me on this one. I was working on my Triumph today. I decided to drain the oil, etc. I'm trying to get it on the road by summer. Trying. Anyway, apparently a previous owner fancied themself a mechanic. Well, they rounded off the oil plug, so I need a new one and will have lots of fun getting it free. This is just one of many issues I've been buttoning up as I work through the car.

Now it strikes me that rebuilding a car is like being in politics. No matter how much experience you have, you never totally know what you're getting into. Once you're there, you spend a good amount of time just getting everything back to a good starting point. Then you try to improve on that. So, let's look at the Presidential race as a car restoration.

You aren't sure what you're getting, even if you listen to the experts. It always takes more time and money than planned. And not everyone will appreciate what's been done.

Mike's View on Taxes and the Economy

2008-04-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

Guess what? The economic stimulus rebate checks are coming a week early!! Oh, happy day!!! Is this a good thing? Not really, in my opinion. What will most of this money do? I'd be willing to wager that credit card companies are salivating right now. This money will put off the inevitable.

Let me explain. Credit card companies (or any industry that grants credit, think real estate) gave way too much credit. Especially to those who really shouldn't have it. Before the meteoric rises in the cost of living the past 12 months, these people were already financially maxed out. Now the government wants to take my money to bail them out. What do I get out of it?

So these handouts are arriving soon. Really, what can $600 do? Most people will pay bills, which won't help the economy. Those services are already used and the producers of said services have already laid out their money, so no one wins. If you're on the ragged edge with your credit cards, you'l get what, a month's reprieve? If we all take our money and go buy something new, that would help the economy. Give the consumer the power to spend and the economy picks up.

This brings me to another issue. I hear people saying the price of gas is too high, and the government should do something about it. Newsflash!! They already have in many areas, and it's called mass transit. I propose a mass transit tax that would be levied on any vehicle that can't get over 18mpg for it's average mileage. Not highway. I can get 36mpg with my 98 Accord, but usually my mileage per tank is about 26 because of around the town driving. If you drive a gas swilling truck or SUV, you have two chioces. Pay up or sell your car. Your amount of tax could be offset if you choose mass transit. A whole prorated table could be devised.

I keep reading the cronies saying if gas were cheaper, the economy could recover. Maybe, or maybe it's time to realize we need to be more efficient. Alternative energy sources are sorely needed, but please don't bring up windmills. Talk about ugly, and if they're in the flightpath of migratory birds, it can be disatrous. Bats have problems, too. The current solution is to drive more efficient cars. Just drove a Smartcar yesterday around the work lot. Impressive.

We can always raise minimum wage, right? HAHAHA!!!!! All that does is make the cost of living go up quicker. Imagine if we made minimum wage $9.50/hr? Well, the value meal at McDonald's would be about $12. I doubt all of us making more than minimum wage wold get raises...think about it.

Back to the whole oil issue. Why not drill on the north slope in Alaska? It's in a protected wilderness. What's funny is the argument against it is that it'll spoil the beauty. Well, guess what? You and I, as normal citizens of the US, aren't allowed to go in there legally anyway, so why not build a road or railroad and utilize a resource we have? Don't get me wrong, I love animals, and I don't want them to lose their homes and feeding grounds. But if it's done responsibly (look at how things are done in the Adirondack Park) it can work.

Finally, back to taxes. Yes this is a circular post, but it's been over a few hours I keep coming back to it. I firmly believe that the upper class pay enough taxes. Why should they pay even more? Do you know the current tax code for federal taxes? Let's just say this. If you make 1 million dollars a year and are single, you pay $524,164.00. Don't forget state taxes if you have them. And FICA, etc. Is that fair? You can argue they make more money, so they don't feel it as much.

Why be punished for being successful? Married filers for the same amount pay $517,296.00. Of course deductions come into play, but you get the idea. If you make $50,000.00 a year, you get to pay $22,461.00 as a single person. Married it would be $30,763.00. The lovely marriage penalty.

These are rough figures on very basic tables, but you get the idea. Yes, lower income brackets don't have as much money to spare. But when a majority of the nation's taxes are paid by the top few percent of taxpayers, who's getting the deal? Let's just taxe everyone at 44%. No refunds, etc. That would make it more fair, right? Or a value aded tax on goods at 23%. Works for Europe.

No one has all the answers. Too bad our presidential candidates can't admit it.

I definitely am not anemic right now

2008-04-23T20:42:00.000-07:00

This week I'm definitely stocking up on irony. I'm sure it's pretty apparent I love ironic situations. So let's feast on this bit of fun.

Nigella Lawson has been on the tele for quite some time, and as time goes on, she's gained weight. This is pretty normal as our metabolism slows down with age. So why are many fans and Food Network people upset with this? I mean, Nigella hosts a show that's all about making and eating food that's nowhere near calorically low. It's what the show is about.

Let's put this into perspective. Americans are one of the more out of shape populations in the world. Why should we care if a British tv cook has gained weight? No projection there, I'm sure. Besides, Nigella has never been small. So maybe if we enjoyed the tele, and paid attention to real life more, we'd be in better shape. In all meanings of the phrase.

And let's be honest, not everyone watches Nigella for the food.

History is for everyone no matter how ironic

2008-04-20T19:53:00.000-07:00

I've been lacking in motivation lately. Maybe due to several bouts with illnesses. Sinus infection, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, they all take a toll. So now I'm way behind in my training for this season, but I'm sure that after a short break I'll be able recover and start anew. I have a few goals this season, and then I can take stock of racing from there. Almost 20 years of racing down, so it's getting time to step it back a notch.

So, onto something totally semi related in a random way. Related in that there are wheels on bikes, and wheels on cars.

I read a car magazine from England called Octane. It's chock full of great photos, interviews, features on awesome cars, etc. One of the columnists is Jay Leno, a first rate gearhead. Nick Mason of Pink Floyd fame is another columnist, but that's immaterial today. Jay always has interesting views, and this month he hit on something really cool.

Back in the stone age of sports cars, Britain was a sportscar superpower. Aston Martin, Lotus, Jaguar, Triumph, Austin Healey, MG, Morgan, AC, and many others. One thing was certain: the cars almost always looked great. Those were the days when an artist would design a car, and an engineer would then be like "right, this looks good, I think I can pretty much make it work, see you Monday.". Now it comes down to an engineer designs the car, and a group of yahoos approve or disapprove it. So what is my point?

Leno mentioned how when he drives his white Jaguar XK120 coupe, women are always drawn to it. Recently Penelope Cruz was visiting Jay's garage, and she was walking around, past the Lamborghini "Countach, the fire truck, and then all of a sudden she shouts, "What's that?!" She just ran to the white Jag and sat in it. I find it ironic that she has lots of money, has traveled all over the world, and yet didn't recognize one of the most iconic cars of the postwar era. Most people my age have no idea what many cars of the past are, and when a new car comes along, they ooh and aah over the new design, the features, etc.

Most don't know that such "new" features like self dimming headlights (Caddies from the 50's), disc brakes (1955 Triumph), all independent suspension (lots of sports cars from the mid 50's), have been around well before we were born. Now, this isn't terribly important, except that if we aren't aware of automotive history, what other history don't we know? What history are we bound to repeat? My father loves to say "history doesn't repeat itself, people repeat history" and he's right. I cringe at the thought of appeasement, and "Peace in our time". (Bonus points to who can name who said that quote.)

So here's my challenge: learn some history. You won't be fooled into thinking something old is actually new. You won't be fooled as politicians make the same mistakes again and believe it's a good thing. Being aware of the past will help you decipher the future. Besides, you might gain some insight into human behavior.

As a closing note, here's a picture of a white Jaguar XK120 coupe. Another bonus question: why was it named the XK120? Enjoy the trip through the past.

Special thanks to Jay Leno for his always entertaning and insightful columns, and especially Octane Magazine for publishing them. Go check out their website at:
www.octane-magazine.com

Grow Up

2008-04-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

Do we have any problems for real? Not compared to most of the world. I read a few forums on a regular basis. TXBRA.org, a Triumph Spitfire page, etc. Aand guess what? Bike racers are by far the whiniest of the lot. Of course, I'm wasting my time reading lots of this stuff, so I'm just as bad.

So that's it, I'll hopefully be racing sometime in May. Maybe later this month. But I need to get some other things taken care of. Like my car. The boomerang is about to turn, which means I wil begin reassembly soon. Not much more to write about. When there is, I'll be back.

Ride, Fatboy, Ride

2008-03-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

I did my first races of the season this past week. I headed down to the local weekly race series and was thumped. Hard. It was about what I expected, since I have about 1/3 of the miles that the other guys have. It's what happens when you're sick. So I rode it out, worked on finding the line around the track, and refined my cornering technique.

Saturday I headed to my first real race of the season, and it went pretty well. My goals were to stay upright, finish in the top 3/4 of the field, and not get dropped. It was easier than I thought, but it was a bit of a battle. I hung on each lap up the climb. Finally after 6 times up that hill we were charging to the finish. I was in the mix for the field sprint, but got boxed in and ended up 23rd. A little bit more fitness and being a bit farther towards the front would have helped my cause. I met and exceeded all my goals. Guess I need to raise the bar for myself.

Post Secret

2008-03-03T19:40:00.000-08:00

We all have seen or heard of the blog Post Secret. We look at it pretty regularly. Over the last few days I've been thinking about what I'd say if I sent anything. Since I believe in being accountable I decided that they'd be posted here if at all. So here you and they are.

All the years I looked up to my brother I didn't see my father, the real hero.

I wish I never joined the Army. I never would have met the guys I served with. Never would have seen them suffer and die, and never would have outlived them. Some days I wish I were dead, with them, as they are at peace. I'm in a living hell at least a fraction of every day when I tell them I miss them.

300 Million but not enough

2008-02-26T19:13:00.000-08:00

We were out to dinner the other night with some friends. The husband was also in the Army in Special Forces. He said somethng interesting. "It kills me that we have 300 milion people in this country, and most aren't willing to cross the line and protect it and say "not on my watch"".

This was brought to mind because I just watched ABC News run some experiments in social behavior. One was where a Muslim woman was discriminated against in a bakery. Because she was wearing a veil. Most people did nothing, quite a few spoke up, and a few encouraged the discrimination. Another one was a group of girls tormenting another girl in a park. Again, not enough people did the right thing.

It's pretty sad when we as a nation feel that everyone other than ourselves will solve our problems for us. It's time for us to step up. Is that step too high for us? Maybe we need to retrace our steps as a nation and look for the spine America lost.

Hypocrite?

2008-02-25T21:39:00.000-08:00

So here I am, thinking of something to write. I could write about the Serbian issues, the raging debate about Team Astana not being allowed into the Tour de France, the presidential snorefest, or something else of the thousands of things I think about.

So, you know I love cars. No secret I hate gas swilling SUVs, etc. Yet I love all kinds of high performance cars. Resource eating, highly impractical massive carbon footprint Ferraris, Astons, Lotuses, Jags, Porsches, and all my vintage cars. So here I sit, sometimes preaching about being enviromentally sensitive, about riding my bike, or trying to follow the line of morals and ethics.

Let's look at this a little. I love cycling. But high end race bikes eat up a lot of resources. Races devour resources. But they raise awareness of cycling, and of course, the sponsor's raison d'etre. So let's say the race inspires some people to ride, commute, maybe a handful will race. So the benefit offsets the voracious eating of the resources. That's going on the theory that those who do get inspired will become healthier, more productive, and more enviromentally conscious. So am I a hypocrite?

What about my love for cars? Yes, I love my high end cars I'll never afford. I also love my more reasonable, older small displacement British cars. They don't gobble up gas, they sometimes aren't as clean with emissions. Leather was used for most of them. I can hear the forests roar their displeasure at the wood dashboards. So, though I drive a 98 Accord coupe right now, is it bad for me to be bringing my monster out of hibernation? Is it historic preservation? Living history? My way of connecting with a bygone era? Connecting with my dad? (He used to race a Triumph TR3a when it was new, and we've spent who knows how much time talking about various older sports cars.)

What's the appeal of these activities? Am I hypocritical posting about closet gas guzzler cars, then telling you about all the stuff I'm doing to my Spitfire? Or how about all the gas I use just going to and from bike races? Or the number of tires I wear out on my bikes over the course of a season?

Or is it that I just enjoy some activities that aren't quite mainstream? I've always been a bit of a free spirit. Maybe that freedom goes into my racing mind sometimes.

So, here are two things I love

2008-02-21T16:22:00.001-08:00

If you haven't guessed by now, I am pretty passionate about cycling, cars, trains, and all the related topics they spawn. One other thing I love to death is to be antagonistic. That's right, you guessed it, it's time to combine a few of these things into a post that will hopefully get a few people to think (a longshot given the state of American mental ability) and others to laugh and even a few more to try and discount what I say.

So let's start the fun with this article I just found on Car and Driver.
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/high_performance/features_classic_cars/closet_gas_hogs_feature/(page)/1

Pretty cool, I think, and a bit surprising for a few of the list. Oh, and I apologize that I'm not as good as everyone else with links and getting words to light up, etc, and be the link. It's probably faster, but I digress.

What I find cool is that some classes of vehicles, ie the crossover SUV, basically do nothing well. Really no more usable space, mileage is terrible, off roading not that good. Can anyone explain to me why you'd want one? Get an all wheel drive station wagon. This reminds me of the 5 cylinder Audis, Acuras, etc. We used to joke "all the power of a 4 with the mileage of a 6". Again, why want one?

So then you're probably wondering what I drive. Am I some type of journalistic hypocrite? Well, no, because I'm not entirely a journalist. I drive either my wife's Honda Civic 4 door, or my Accord 2 door coupe. Both very economical cars, to say the least. Yes, though I live less than a mile from work I do drive more than I should. I concede that. But I try to ride my bike when I can, and I even walk sometimes.

Yes, you in the back. What? Oh, yeah, what about my polluting Triumph? Glad you asked, I was waiting for a cornball like you to pop. Right now it's a very efficient car, as it doesn't run yet. That's right, 0 emissions! Not bad for a 30 year old car. Followup? Sure. Actually, it uses unleaded gas, gets about 24mpg around town and over 30 on the highway. Plus it's crazy fun, and cheap to repair. Try to say that about your toxic disaster on wheels hybrid.

So let's throw some pics up of my Triumph again. Or parts of it. Because I can. The parts are my master brake and clutch cylinders, which tonight will be rebuilt while I watch the Tour of California, and the other pic is a row of Spitfires at my last Triumph club meeting.

It's Official

2008-02-10T22:41:00.000-08:00

I'm now a licensed USA Cycling official. So that means I am one of the refs or judges at races. Kind of excited, as now I can be involved with races and even get paid. At least it's guaranteed money, unlike the lottery of trying to place well. Hopefully on Tues I can go for a short, easy ride.

I feel the pian of this guy

2008-02-04T15:56:00.000-08:00

We've all had mix ups in our lives. But what Philly does is pretty un brotherly. I had a similar situation. I had the same first name, last name and middle initial of another guy 2 years older than I. Even in college, he got my gi bill plus his, and I never saw any of it, and he never got in trouble.

I guess I'm saying watch your back, and if you're in a position to correct something, do it. Not only is it the right thing, it might be you someday.

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20080204_Ronnie_Polaneczky__Oh__brother_.html

Setback

2008-01-29T18:59:00.000-08:00

I'm sick again. Same type of illness as a few weeks ago. I woke up feeling bad and hurting all over yesterday. Fever of almost 104, down to 100 today. Looks like racing is on hold until at least mid March. I am bummed, but more concerned that this is similar to relapses of CFS or E-B. Time to just rest and get better. Might be a bit quiet on this end for a bit.

Chills, car progress, and project managers

2008-01-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

This is chilling. A woman laughs at what her friend says when she called him from jail about her killing a cyclist.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/01/24/jail.laughter.ap/index.html

I don't get it sometimes, but I guess not all people are beyond the troglodyte stage of evolution.

On a much happier note, race season starts soon, but I need to begin the long process of getting in shape. I'm better this year than last, as at least I've ridden over the winter instead of taking 2 months off completely. Plus, this year I'm going to become an official, so I can help run the races and score them, etc.

The work on my Triumph is going well, just that it's been cold here, and I was really sick for a week when the weather was good. Of course. Right now I have basically gutted the interior, other than the dashboard and passenger door panel. I brought home the clutch and brake master cylinders to hopefully rebuild them, depending on condition. I guess the next step will be the electrical system since I have nothing in the way right now. Thankfully, everything but the horn and washer pump work, so with some cleaning and love, I'm optimistic.

After that it's on to the suspension, at which point it'll be made ambulatory again. Then we cross our fingers that it passes inspection, then heads to the body shop for paint. Last step is the interior again, all new and pretty. It's a log way away, but I can see the finished product right now.

As always, we have two pics of the project managers, Samantha and Harley, doing what they do best. Sleeping on their bed. Oddly enough, they don't try to get onto it at the same time very often.

Hey, Golf Channel, it's the 21st Century

2008-01-08T22:41:00.000-08:00

What the hell was up with the Golf Channel? They haven't really done anything to Kelly Tilghman for saying today's young golfers should "lynch Tiger Woods in a back alley." Send those racist jerks an email with what you think. Like, "hey, maybe we should lynch your prejudiced blueblood Brooks Brothers wearing hides behind the clubhouse!"

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T19:05:00.000-08:00

Happy new year!! On a 52 mile ride I saw this bumper sticker: God bless everyone; no exceptions!

Pretty succinct message. I'm not especially religious, but I agree.

Picture time

2007-12-28T22:11:00.000-08:00

Well, it's time for another few pics. You've got one of me in my most recent cyclocross race. Yup, the overweight dude gasping for life in blue, that's me. Somehow I ended up 10th, even though I fell apart on the last lap and a half and lost three places. The TX state championships are on the 12, so wish me well in San Antonio.

The rest of the pics are of my Spitfire. Not sure what to name him/her, but in the meantime I riped out most of the interior, cleaned out the trunk, and began cleaning everything. Plus the electrical system is mostly operating, save the hazard flashers, maplight in the storage cubby, and stereo. Well, it might be better to call it a radio. As you can see it in the picture, it's a total late 70's radio. I'm almost tempted to put it back in...so all that era specific sound will come blasting out of that speaker.

Yes, not only is the car about as technologically advanced as a hammer, the audio system is equally primitive. One speaker in the cubbyhole. Can't wait. The tonneau cover is in really good shape, the kick panels, dash brace, top boot all are getting better. I am in the process of cleaning them gradually. Every time I work on the car, I clean the top and all the other bits. I need to see if the top is worth saving or if I need to replace it. That tan bit, the top boot, covers the top when it's folded down. Problem is, now I'm trying to figure out what color to repaint the car and what matches the boot cover.

Like these are any real problems, I know, but it keeps me out of trouble.

Sad day

2007-12-27T23:16:00.000-08:00

Today is a sad day for a few reasons. Bhutto is dead, the tiger is dead in CA, and a little girl died on Christmas day in San Antonio after being hit by a car while riding her new bike.

I'm tired of politics, but with Bhutto's assasination, I'm really saddened. Though her career wasn't marked by any huge achievement, she was a calming influence. The great tragedy is that now there will only be finger pointing and distrust. Even if some radical group killed her, it looks as if Musharraf is responsible. Which opens up Pakistan to some radical to step into the void. Not what I want to think about considering nuclear weapons are in play here.

The tiger appears to have been taunted. I'm upset because I've helped a friend who is a vet examine bengal tigers in the past. Very playful and loving, but also immensely strong. A cub knocked the wind out of me when we were wrestling and he smacked me with a paw. I knew I had to respect him and the others. Now the father of the victim is typically blaming everyone and thing except his son. I'm sorry you lost your son, but I'm reassured that Darwin was right.

Lastly, say a prayer for the family in San Antonio who lost their little girl. She was so excited she got a new bike Christmas eve, but was told it was too dark to ride. Christmas day she was allowed to ride, but had to stay on the sidewalk. Her brother went inside for a drink, and she rode in front of a car at an intersection. The driver had stopped and was starting to get going again when he hit her. I know accidents are many events that stack up against someone, but this really gets to me. An innocent 7 year old is killed by her enthusiasm on a day that should be rewarding her youth. I really hope she's riding her new bike totally care free from now on.

Christmas

2007-12-26T20:08:00.000-08:00

Hopefully you all had a good holiday. Mine was pretty good, and I'll bore you with details. No, just kidding.

I'm a jaded person, I admit. Born in NY, 100 miles from NYC, and it's a genetic trait. What made my Christmas were two things at work. One, a family came in with a young girl who was afflicted with some kind of dwarfism. I was reluctant to help because I saw all these kids piling out of the van, it was the end of the day, etc. But then I saw who this little kids bike was for, and suddenly it wasn't important the time of day.

I had to cut the seatpost twice, and we had to add blocks to the pedals, which my coworker Ron helped with. It took some dooing, but it was well worth it. The parents said how all she wanted was a bike, and she was so excited to be coming to the bike shop. She said thank you with a big smile as she left. I'd have stayed the extra half hour for free if I needed to.

Christmas eve I helped a man whose foster grandaughter was mentally challenged but wanted a bike. We went through all the options, and since she was too big for a kid's bike, we finally found a pretty bike that we were able to put a handle on that would give a steadying hand as she learned. This was because no training wheels fit a full size bike.

The grandfather said this would make their Christmas perfect, as she really wanted a bike. I can give a damn about the high dollar exotica I play with in the business if I make kids like this happy and feel like they're not being left out, to give them a little bit of experience of a normal childhood.

Finally, my father in law and his mother came up from Mexico, as well as my mother in law from FL. Presents don't matter so much when you don't get to see your family that often. Material things break, but memories only fade, they never totally go to black.

Happy New Year!!

And so it begins

2007-12-20T20:25:00.000-08:00

I took a few hours the other day to start the rebuild of my new car. Of course, first I had to get it over to where I'm going to be working on it. That involved renting a tow dolly, etc. It went well, except for me not being able to push the car off the dolly. I ended up chocking the rear wheels and then slowly driving forward. Then it was a matter of easing the car down the rest of the ramps with the emergency brake.

I was able to make a good list of what needs to be done, and even bgan some work. Things are mostly as I thought or better, so I'm excited. I even got the engine to cough to life for a few seconds without really trying. That's a very good sign. Here are some more pics. I see the diamond in the rough.

I also still have the state cyclocross championships in a few weeks. I'll be happy with a top 10. Oh, and that Samantha, our silly cat. She thinks she runs the house. Dreamer.

Any doubts about my sanity?

2007-12-11T22:13:00.000-08:00

Well, if you've ever met me, you'll know I'm unique, just like everybody else...hmmmm. Anyway. Today I need some help. I'm on a quest for certain Dr Seuss book. It's the one where a kingdom is below sea level, and there are two shifts of cats, one at night, one at day, to keep these birds from eating the roots of the trees that keep the sea from crashing in. Anyone have any idea what story that is?

Now, to really let you know how insane I am, I just bought a 1977 Triumph Spitfire. It needs some work, but I have had many Spitfires in the past. The question is how long will it be before it's road ready? Crazy. I know.

Sometimes it's not fair

2007-12-07T19:27:00.000-08:00

I have a job I love. Of course, I wish I was paid more, but don't we all. However, I just got back from Morgan Hill, CA. Home to the world HQ of Specialized Bicycles. In a word: fantastic. I got to ride bikes I dream of owning in breathtaking scenery (well, it was the hills that were causing the breathlessness) and learn all kinds of cool things.

I'd bore you to tears if I told you what I learned, but this pic is my idea of paradise. Everyone rides there. All 180 employees. The newest employee already had a bike, and she had only been working for about a month. Every once in awhile you'd see someone zipping down the hall to the cafeteria on their bike. How cool is that?

In the halls alone there was almost $1,000,000 worth of bikes laying around. No locks, just leaning against the wall. At lunch there's a training race. Most people take a ride in the middle of the day for an hour or two. Pretty neat.

So maybe the weather was wet and cold, and I rode for a few hours yesterday in the pouring rain and sub 50 degree temps, but it was worth it. Besides, if I crashed, it wasn't my $9,000 bike that would have been mangled.

On the way home some kids behind me in the plane were pounding the back of my seat. I popped up over the seat and asked them to stop, and when they resumed a few minutes later, I popped over the seat again. This time I told them to not make me get out of my seat, to which the mother took offense. I told her maybe she should sit with her kids instead of behind them and try parenting.

Being an adult

2007-11-29T18:07:00.001-08:00

My last post may or may not be entirely true. After researching, it seems like all versions are credible and yet contrived at the same time. Go figure. But I'm here to be an adult and admit I didn't dig deep enough this time, and am on record as saying so.

Good, now we got the unpleasantness out of the way. Next week I go to Morgan Hill, CA for the week with work. Hopefully I bring my camera this time. Can't wait.

That's it. Except that I can't find the title for my car so I can register it. Good one, there. Sometimes being a boring adult isn't so bad.

Starbucks = Evil

2007-11-26T16:36:00.000-08:00

So I learned that some troops in Iraq contacted Starbucks to let them know they liked their coffee, and would it be possible for Starbucks to donate some to be sent to the troops? Starbucks' response was thus:

No, because we don't support the war.

Jackasses. I already hat Starbucks since they have some serious lack of ethics as a business, and now this. I don't drink coffee, but if you do buy from Starbucks, please try to refrain from now on. Seattle's Best is part of the evil empire, too. Thanks.

Purposeful Performance

2007-11-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

You read about or see someone having a breakout performance every now and then. The kid on the basketball team who was always good, but suddenly gets a chance and is truly great. The singer Paul Potts on the Brit talent show. Question is, have you ever had something like that happen, or has it happened multiple times?

When I was in the Army I thought I was an average soldier. Except for being a Green Beret. But still an average one of them. Until on one of my first deployments when things went really wrong. I was able to pick up the slack and never look back. My commander told me he knew it was in me, it just had to be brought out. But I had another time, too, under much more pleasant circumstances.

I like being the underdog, the fly in the ointment. When I raced cars I was regarded as pretty good, but not the best. A friend of mine wrote about a particular race I was in when I went from a name that was known to a name on everyone's lips.

I was driving a D-Type Jaguar, and had qualified well. 3rd row, actually. On the warmup lap the guy in front of me spun off the track since it was cold and so were his tires. As the green flag dropped, I let out the clutch and shot into the vacant spot ahead of me. This is all legal, but the officials didn't see it like I did.

They contended I jumped the start. With me having gone from 6th to now 3rd, and battling it out with the lead two cars, I was in a really good spot. Yet 13 laps into the race I was brought in for a black flag, with a 30 second stop and go penalty. My team owner was furious, and they let me race until his appeals were heard. As I came in I stopped where I was directed, and asked the official what was going on.

When told, I began screaming and pounding the steering wheel. When my 30 seconds were up, the official stepped aside and I tore off, now in last place by a long way. Actually, I was in 38th place. I began passing the slower cars, and got to where it was only the fast guys ahead.

In 9 laps I went from 38th to 17th. But the big news was the fact I was knocking on the lap record for my most recent laps. As my car got lighter with less gas, I began really throwing it around, and the lap record fell. My friend said it best: "Suddenly, the crowd and everyone else began looking at their watches. Two fastest laps in a row, both under the lap record! The next lap, and still faster! An excited hush fell over the crowd, and even the pits seemed quiet. Could driver and car maintain the pace, or would one of them break?"

Now amongst my true competition, it was harder to pass, but I was still on a tear. At the midway point I had moved to 11th, and I pulled in for refueling. I was sensing something from the crowd, but unsure what it was. I took off, and vowed to drive the wheels off the car. Tom's commentary is best:
"Mike continued his assault, driving each corner as if on a qualifying lap. It was now apparent that we were seeing something special. The pit board only said one word 'DRIVE', and drive he did. The scoreboard now had all three fast lap positions filled by Mike's #61, yet that was only part of the story. The lap record was now nearly a full second lower, and Mike had broken the old record 9 times. 7 laps to go and Mike was in 3rd place, closing the gap on 2nd quickly.

He made short work of the pass, and was soon on the bumper of the lead Aston Martin. With all his effort, Mike was unable to pass for the lead, but the crowd roared it's approval when he crossed the line. Even the other team crews were on the pit wall cheering him on by race's end."

So I got 2nd. But I proved I could drive, and that particular race opened up many doors for me. Too bad none of them lead to me making a living at racing, but I'm happy I was able to try. How about you? Anything like this happen?

Moving

2007-11-13T20:35:00.000-08:00

Yes, we are finally moved to our new place. Not anywhere near unpacked, but at least we're in one place. How do two people have so much crammed into a small two bedroom apartment? Hard to figure out. But the new place is great, and much bigger, so hopefully it'll suffice for awhile. Now for some real news.

Not really. It's a bit weird, but there really isn't anything to blog about, or that inspires me to do it. As you know my grandmother died, and I just found out my aunt on my dad's side passed away Sunday. She was actually my grand aunt (grandmother's sister) but I spent quite a bit of time with her. I'm fortunate in that none of my relatives on either side were mean, so we spent time with everyone as kids. How many people can say that about their extended families?

So, since I've been a bit quiet, what else is going on? Not much. I finished off road season with a string of good performances: a 6th and 9th in a stage race, giving me 5th overall, and a string of top 10 finishes elsewhere. About time my legs showed up. Now I'm into cyclocross season, and it could be going better. Maybe if I trained more, but with the traveling, the funeral, work, and moving, I'm just starting to get back into a routine. We'll see. Three races and 17th, 9th, and 12th aren't bad, but I hope to improve.

Romans?

2007-10-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own safety, is a miserable creature, and has no chance of being free unless made or kept by the exertions of better men than himself.

What are you willing to fight for? What would you be willing t o fight for? Where is your line in the sand? Or are we the Romans of a later age?

Passing

2007-10-05T07:16:00.001-07:00

My grandmother passed away peacefully last night. She had a fever and brain swelling from the massive stroke Tuesday. The doctors said she wasn't in any pain and never suffered. I wish she could have died in her sleep peacefully some night at home, but this was the best outcome.

I called my father to see how things were, and I told him to make sure to tell my grandmother I wished I could be there. I also told him to tell her to not wait for me, it was ok. Five minutes after he told her, she stopped breathing and went to the next life.

I said I was her favorite, and her sister remarked how it's a Polish trait/tradition to wait until you've heard from everyone you want to before dying. I was the only one she'd travel with in her later years, and if she was being stubborn, I was the only one she'd listen to. Even when we went to eat, no matter who else was there, she'd insist on buying my meal, no one else's.

I'm glad I got a message to her, and I'm glad she didn't suffer. Most of all, though, I'm glad she was my grandmother and I'll miss her.

Fear

2007-10-03T10:53:00.002-07:00

I've faced fear many times, and we all do day to day. But today I'm fighting the most paralyzing fear I know, the kind I can't fight back against.

My grandmother had a severe stroke yesterday. She's well into her 90's, lives on her own, and has worked so hard to get where she is now. But now she's in a sort of coma, and is paralyzed on her left side and can't speak. Details are still cloudy.

My mom spoke to her Sunday when we were in the car coming back from a weekend in Lake Conroe, TX for my cousin's wedding. She was fine, and looking forward to the coming week. I know these things are always shocking, but we had no indication.

I'm the youngest of 13 grandchildren, and to be honest, I was more likely than not the favorite. But I never told my grandmother how much of an inspiration she has been. She worked in sweatshops in Amsterdam, NY, getting paid by the handkerchief that she hand embroidered. Eventually, she went to night school to get her GED so she could get a job with the DMV in Albany. This way she'd have a small pension. And she never drove a car in her life.

We used to take her with us on trips in the summers, and Babi (pronounced Bop eee, a modified Polish word meaning grandma because my older cousins couldn't pronounce it right) also traveled extensively on her own. Europe, all of North America, you name it, she somehow got there. In more recent years she didn't go far, but we went to her. It was always fun to visit, as she had a very dry sense of humor, and always had a few great one liners.

Through all of this, she dealt with severe macular degeneration, and other ailments of age. I also look back on what she lived through. World wars, cold war, how many presidents, etc. Never did she show fear, only confidence and grace. All coupled to a slightly stoic but realistic attitude. Now I'm afraid.

Afraid that she won't recover. This is a fear I can't fight. I can only hope. In combat, you're scared, but you can shoot back. You at least feel like you're influencing events. Not so right now, and when all you have is hope, and nothing makes sense, a little faith doesn't hurt, either. Babi has taken care of me and said prayers for me my whole life. Now I need to take that role. Keep her in your thoughts, I'll be forever indebted.

So this is what the real world is like?

2007-08-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

Every now and then I get the urge to regale you poor readers with some memory of mine from my Army days. This is one of those days. It's not often I think about those times, because truth be told, it sucked. But it's a great tool for perspective.

One of my more vivid memories is from the wonderful continent of Africa. We had been sent to bail out another worthless dictator ("but he's a benign dictator, and he likes American technology", thanks, Clinton administration) due to typical strife in that region. Of course, not one local can be trusted, so our intel was a bit sketchy at best.

Fast forward to two days of finding noone, but lots of indicators we weren't in a good place. As night fell, we got hit so hard I still can't believe it. We had a defensive position. This was a rare full company sized operation for us. About 150 of us all told. I have no idea how many attacked us, but it was a huge number.

My squad was in a good spot, as there were only two avenues of approach, so we were able to mow down anyone who came at us. Other squads and platoons weren't as lucky. Yes, our lines were overrun, and we had to watch our backs, and we fought like savages for what seemed like hours. We got word that three of us including myself were to reinforce another squad about 45 meters away.
We never were able to get there.

45 meters. We got to within maybe 30. for awhile we were able to provide supporting fire and ease the burden. But when another wave came, we had to turn back for mare ammo. I led my guys again, but this time we could see that they were being overrun. Again we were able to beat them off by taking down anyone who dared pop their heads up. Yet we still couldn't get across to them.

Finally I knew it was desperate, yet there wasn't a thing I could do. When another wave came, my stomach dropped out of me. I heard seven shots, then no more fire from their position. They had commited suicide to avoid capture with their last rounds. At that point I called in a mortar barrage on their position. The enemy apparently thought it wasn't worth the price anymore and broke off.

The rest of the night was quiet. In the morning, we found the remains of our buddies. Also, bodies were stacked around their position like cordwood, often three or four deep. Mortar rounds do a number on human flesh, and the stench was nearly unbearable. Not much was said amongst us, as we had been smacked around pretty badly. 150 started the night, 97 made it to morning. I've no idea how many we killed, but it was definitely over 150-200. It wasn't important.

Back at our base of operations, we debriefed, then had the task of figuring out how many of us were ready to go out again. We knew where we wanted to go, and wanted to be there. It wasn't long.

Deciding that carrying a big stick and using it would be the best option, we went after the headquarters of the group that kicked us so hard. As we got briefed, we were told "send a very clear and obvious message". It was personal.

I told my squad to shoot for the head and upper chest and to double tap, which is when a rifle is on semi-auto and you pull the trigger rapidly twice in a row. It ensures that any good hit will take down the enemy, and any wound would be severe.

We hit hard, and the enemy never knew what hit them. The entire camp was annhiliated. Our message was clear. There were no prisoners.

Sometimes I think back to that night. Would I be here if we'd gotten over to them? Would my buddies be here? I'll never know. I know there haven't been too many times in my life that were worse, and I hope there never are again, for anyone.

Resolution, but nothing is any clearer

2007-08-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

Finally UPS paid me for my bike. It's over with. Now off to order new goodies. On the cycling front, things aren't great, but not bad. I got third in the TX State Criterium Championships a few weeks ago, so I have a bronze medal. I'm happy with that. Mostly.

Motivated by that performance, I began to seriously train for the state time trial campionships. Pretty simple. 1 person at a time every 30 seconds, and whoever covers a given course the fastest wins. I had to ride a 40kilometer course, roughly 25 miles. 20k out, turn around, then 20k back.

I took this the most seriously of all my races so far, and it showed. With only about 2 weeks of serious training, and only 2 rides on my bike in the time trial setup, (I had what we refer to clip on aero bars on), I got 23rd of 42 in my category.

This may not sound great, but think of it like this. I wanted to be done in about an hour. I did it in 1hr 2min, averaging slightly over 24mph, with extreme humidity and heat. (We were about 25 miles west of Houston) At the turnaround I had covered the first 20k in 29 minutes, right on target. Towards the end the wind got me some, but that's ok.

Now I know the course, what I need to do, and there's next year.

Some commentary

2007-07-27T19:51:00.000-07:00

So, I'm sure many of you (all twelve of you who read my blog) by now know about the two helicopter collision in Phoenix, AZ. Tragic, almost. I say this for a few reasons, and we're to blame as a society. By the way, I love my wife - she's the best ever.

Some guy in a flatbed truck runs a traffic stop. Suddenly, live coverage usurps the normal programming, and all the networks are scrambling for the scoop. When did a person fleeing the police become so important? The guys with automatic weapons in LA a few years ago, yes, because it was a matter of public safety. But be real, some loser in a flatbed truck? Not really. Hardly, actually.

So we're to blame because we let the networks sell us on the premise this is important. It's not. It has no bearing on our lives whatsoever. Yet many of us want to watch the drama unfold. So, knowing the ratings bonanza this type of event can be, it shows up on our tvs.

So two news choppers collide, four people are killed, and the Phoenix police state that the driver of the truck might be charged because of his involvement. What?!!!??!! In no way is he culpable. Did he force the pilots to risk their lives? Or the photographers? No. The station managers and the viewing public are to blame. Give the driver the proper charges for what he did, but someone needs to draw a line.

If the public would complian when crap like this is broadcast (remember the OJ slow speed chase?) and the stations saw their ratings go down, they wouldn't broadcast this junk. But too many ignoramuses (or is it ignorami?) like it. Guess what? You just killed 4 people, you mindless lemmings. I hope liked the show.

Things are really hotting up

2007-07-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

Work's good, the weather is finally drying out down here, and I'm slowly getting my carcass into shape. I've got all kinds of things to say about politics, etc, but screw that. We all have our opinions, and we all can't agree. Same with the enviroment. Oh, and shame on Subaru touting themselves as big enviromentalists. In order to avoid having to inmprove the mileage of their cars to avoid EPA fines, they somehow conned the EPa into letting their cars all be considered light trucks or SUVs. This way they meet minimum mileage requirements without doing anything about it. Way to go, just change your category, not improve the vehicle, thus it's still sucking down resources.

Other than that, I raced in Dallas a week ago at the State Fairgrounds. Pretty neat, as we were about the only people there, so it felt like a weird abandoned city. It was also crazy hot. Like over 100 in the sun, and no rain for the first time in weeks. I did two races, and somehow got 18th in both. Go figure. anyway, time to get in shape for the state championships this weekend in Lufkin. Hope I stay upright, then I'll worry about a good result. Here are somepics from last week.

There is no sense to be made

2007-06-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

I know normally I go on about some inane stuff, or my bikes, or any other random item that gets me ruffled. But today I'm going to address something a bit serious.

Most of you know I was in the Army. I was a squad explosives expert, and a close quarter combat instructor/specialist. That meant that I did underwater demo, defused land mines, homemade bombs, unexploded shells, anything that could go boom. I also left them behind when it was needed. I also was good at hand to hand combat, so much so it was my job to make sure my squad was as good as me.

I can't make sense of what I did, but I think about it every now and then. Of my squad, I'm the only living member. All the others (13) were killed in action. I see what goes on right now, and again , realize there's no making sense of that, either. Many good people are maimed or killed as we speak, just as when I was in.

My father told me "when someone has something someone else wants, there will be war". It's that simple. Really. Except that there's no reason, in any sense of the word, so unreasonable acts follow. It's not a political party thing, as Clinton was President when I served, and we were sent to fight myriad dirty little wars.
I don't know why we went where we did. My absolute best friend in the Army died in my arms, but I don't know the reason. I literally tried to put him back together.

For all the good missions, we had horrible ones, fraught with misinformation and logistical screwups. I had wounded buddies we couldn't get to in time, and we heard them kill themselves to avoid capture. I remember the fear that gripped me momentarily when our outpost was under attack, and we couldn't shoot the enemy fast enough, and then my mind screamed at me "DON"T PANIC, THAT"S HOW PEOPLE DIE!!!!!". At that moment, my mind morphed into a hyperprocessor.

What am I saying? Not totally sure, other than there is no logical explanation to a logical mind for what's going on now. I've got to live with these memories, and scores of others. I've taken lives from a distance, up close and personal, and I can't always wrap my mind around it.

I'm not scarred. Not physically, and sometimes I think it'd be easier to explain all this to myself if I were.

UPS + bike = bad day

2007-06-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

My bike arrived Friday, and I was all excited. Until I saw the end of the box. Let's just say that I'm waiting for a call from a UPS claims person to inspect my bike. The frame and fork have some structural issues, as in it may just snap while I ride it.

So if you need to send something really near and dear to your heart, drive it yourself. Considering how tough carbon fiber is, and that it was wrapped in bubble wrap, carefully placed in the box (remember, I do this for work quite often) and had gaps filled with other things to make sure the contents wouldn't shift, it amazes me that they actually knocked it out of alignment. Plus chipped the carbon all the way through clear coat, lettering, into the weave.

Right now, UPS is dangerously close to being on my blacklist, which individually isn't too big a deal, but lots of their business is from cyclists. We all talk to each other. Many of us have websites. You get the idea. Besides, I insured my bike. I expect the full amount it's insured for. This ought to be fun.

Back in the Black

2007-06-06T12:51:00.000-07:00

Well, we are finally back from vacation. It was really good, everyone was nice to my wife, the weather was crazy muggy and mostly good, and I had fun. Other than the fun of flying to and from, but that's another post entirely.

I'll spare the details, but I saw my nephew for the first time, all my family was together, we played wiffle ball, saw everyone we needed to, and ate all the time. I gained almost 8 pounds!

As for my bike, I raced Memorial Day, and I got 10th, 28th, 33rd, and 31st respectively in my races. Considering I was there at 720, and my last race fired off at 2, and it was sunny hot and humid, I think I did ok. A few tactical errors, but that's life. I was able to ride some up in Lake Placid, too, but not nearly as much as I wanted to. Maybe next time.

So, that's about it. Time to put my bike back together when it gets here, and start getting into shape again. I feel like I've lost a whole season, but it's not even half over yet. There's still time.

Courage

2007-05-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

I'm packing to go away for a while. See the relatives, do some racing, etc. Four crits in a day. I hope I don't embarass myself. Especially since my parents will be there.

So while I was packing I was thinking of the meaning of Memorial Day weekend. It's a time to reflect and thank those who gave their lives for us, and had the courage to do so. But what other types of courage are there? Who's courageous?

Lance is courageous, he fought cancer and many other battles and won. But my vote goes to Michael J Fox. He's battling a disease which as of yet has no cure, he is all there mentally, but he's helpless as he sees himself slipping away. Yet he keeps working when he can, generating awareness, fundraising. That's courage. Facing certain death, barring a miracle, and still fighting with all you have.

Davis Phinney is another. I saw an interview with him about a month or so ago after he did a fundraiser in Central Park. My first impression was how sad it was to see him fighting to control his head and speech and arms. Then I realized it wasn't sad, it was great on an epic scale. He was on national tv, laying it all out there, no hiding, no fear of what people would think. Courage.

All these guys have is hope, and they refuse to let it go. I look at these individuals and I think "Wow, I really don't have any problems, do I?". What am I whining about? Michael J Fox and Davis Phinney are leading by example, without much realistic hope of being cured, and that's courageous.

I once said "There's a fine line between courage and stupidity, and I often straddle it." Maybe that's true, maybe not. I'm here today because of the courage and selflessness of others. Memorial Day is about my friends I'll never see again for me. It used to be a day off, time for fun, but it's personal now. At some point I'll take a few minutes for my memories.

Happy Memorial Day, take a second to reflect on what it's all about, and enjoy what that has brought you.

Throttling down

2007-05-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

I know it's been some time. I needed a break to deal with Jasper and to try and catch up. It might be some time before I post again. I need to get ready for a trip, try to get in good enough shape to salvage something from this season, and in general live again.

I hope all of you have a great and safe Memorial Day weekend. Take a minute to think of those who gave their lives so we could live ours. It's not a lot to ask. I have a few friends I'll be thinking of. Nothing's worse than doing something for your fellow man and being forgotten. Let's make sure that doesn't occur.

Goodbye, Big Fuzzy

2007-04-24T00:10:00.000-07:00

I learned today that my cat Jasper, whom I left with my brother's family in NY, died this past weekend. He was only five, and I was really excited to see him in a month when we went up. I'll find some pics. His sister (biological, even) isn't sure what to do, as she's always been with him since they were born.

Big Fuzzy was what I called him, and he's now in heaven. We shared some of the thoughest times of my life together, and he was always there, ready to purr, drool, and snuggle. Say a prayer for both of them, and for my nieces, brother, sister in law, parents, wife and myself. I'm devastated, to put it mildly. We all are.

Most of all I can recall the fun we had, and his silly antics. I'll miss you, Big Fuzzy. Love, Dad

The Stars at Night

2007-04-23T06:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, the song "Deep In The Heart of Texas" is true. At over 5000 ft and with no artificial light to interfere, the night sky was amazing in Ft. Davis. So that was the amazing part. Well, besides the scenery, the hotel, the food, the prices, and the sheer epicness (is that a word?) of the race. More amazing is that I finished.

Let's just say that I'm happy to have finished, especially after the hillclimb Saturday. I rode a mediocre time trail in the morning, but with the winds and some other things, didn't do too badly. That afternoon we rode the 16 miles from Ft Davis to Mt Locke, the UT observatory. Which is at an altitude of 6790 ft. Thin air, yes. 40 mph gusts, yes. Me struggling due to the extra weight I'm still carrying. Oh, yeah.

Somehow I got up the road, which is crazy steep. I finished 53rd out of 57, I think. All I could do was rest up and hope the road race Sunday would be better. It wasn't. A little over 70 miles, and we gained over 6000 ft of elevation. I'm no climber on my best day, so this was a tough day.

I hung on for the first 40 miles, then got popped off the back. The next 30 miles were spent riding a race of survival. I finished second to last on the stage, and ended up last in overall position for final results at 49th. However, the other guys quit or didn't even start the race. So I'm happy I toughed it out, even if it was the worst I ever felt on a bike and after the race was over.

The rest of the weekend was great, and I'd love to go back. It's really pretty out there, really isolated, and unique. This weekend we saw everything. Wild hogs, skunks, impalas, javalinas, hawks, roadrunners, mountain goats, wild turkeys, the list goes on. Also, staying at the Indian Lodge was quite the find. Check it out: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/indian_lodge/

It's immaculate, friendly, unique, beautiful, and has a neat history. I really want to go back. My friend Trav and his dad who went with me were really impressed. Trav got 25th overall, I think. Maybe 20th. So, next year, I'll go back. I'll also go back in much better shape, because I never want to suffer like that again.

Weighing In

2007-04-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

The Va Tech shootings are a tragedy. I'm pissed the media are giving so much coverage to it, for it just feeds another psychotic mind out there. that mind now thinks it'll have to top this to get noticed. Instead of giving the event dignity, the media has given it celebrity. But we love tabloids in this country, and this is more of the tabloid mentality.

I feel bad, but a little angry. Bad for the students, angry for the fact that they'll get all the counseling they need, while we as a country can't provide basic mental services for our armed forces. Not much has changed since I was in, and that's another American tragedy.

There's now the gun control debate. Face it folks, if a criminal wants a gun, he'll get one. With as deranged as this individual was, he'd have gotten one eventually. Ask the Brits, they have crazy gun control and the criminals still have them.

I'll address the matter that these students thought they were safe, and thus it was a more traumatic experience. Fair enough. Yet we should all know we're not safe anywhere. Call it the 6th sense of combat that never left me, but I'm always looking, scanning, listening. You should be, too. Play the "what looks out of place game" sometime, it's amazing how much you really can observe.

I'm off to Ft Davis in the mountains for a race tomorrow, so have a good weekend. I hope that all the students get the help they need and recover quickly. We should also hope that our armed forces should be so lucky.

Might as well be speaking Chinese...

2007-04-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

Maybe you've heard: China is banning bad manners, spitting, and unintelligible English in preparation for the Beijing Olympics. So I guess the US will be leaving many athletes home...oh, did I say that? Out loud?

It's an effort to present a better public image to the world, and to some extent, it's a laudable effort. Trying to get taxi drivers to at least know some English to help with the influx of fans, hoping businesses will have signs that don't confound people. But there's a problem, and it's that the businesses were given strict guidelines for their signage (a stack of regs that weigh about 2 lbs) but aren't following them. Here are some examples:

A store selling tobacco products advertises: "An Excellent Winding Smoke."

On a billboard, this mysterious message: "Shangri-La is in you mind, but your Buffalo is not." Maybe we don't want more Chinese signs translated. Yet, it's not just the private sector. Look at this gem from the Beijing airport:

On the floor at Beijing's Capital Airport, a sign reads: "Careful Landslip Attention Security." People have the nerve to say our airport security is out to lunch? Or this one, that I'm not sure what it means:

In an elevator, parents are warned: "Please lead your child to tare the life." tare weight is an empty shipping container's weight, maybe the Chinese government is worried the youth of China is leading an empty life? Yet all is not lost. As always, the Chinese governement, that benign body of bureaucracy, has selected an eminently qualified person in the form of Liu Yang, who heads the "Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Program" for the city government. In all their wisdom, the Chinese have selected someone to whom English isn't their primary language.

Of course, as the interview went on, I began thinking I was mistaken, especially after reading this statement: "We will pass the message on to authorities in the advertising sector," Liu said. "If English translation is needed it must be subject to the standards set forth in the regulations." Sounds like any English speaking lawyer to me. My confidence restored, I continued.

Much like a Honeymooner's episode, though, you just know what's coming. Somewhere, our Ralph, like Liu, despite all the good intentions, will faceplant into the pavement. And so it began with this quote.

"In the future when we set up new signs in public places in English, we hope all these standards will be followed to avoid more additional mistakes." More additional mistakes? Hello, can I please have the Government Department of Redundancy Department? This is who the Chinese have in charge of the program? It gets worse, as like any good $19.95 TV offer, there's more.

Beijing has 15 million residents, of which supposedly 5 million speak English. Liu backs this up by stating many fall into "low level" English. What exactly is that? According to Liu, this:

"They can have very simply conversations, like: `Who am I? Where am I going?"' Very simply put, Liu, you might be going soon, too. Maybe the US will be able to send all it's athletes, after all. They might even have some, like the basketball team, teach some English. How much worse can it get?

Some of this post consists of quotes from an AP article. No author was listed, otherwise I'd have gladly given credit for the inspiration.

I think I see the end of the tunnel, or is it an approaching train?

2007-04-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

Been a bit, it seems. Not much to relay. I did forget to mention that all Subaru's sold in the US are made up by Lafayette, IN, right off I65. Somehow I've survived to this point, but not sure how.

It's interesting when you take a moment to look at your life, and you see how much is really going on. Right now I'm working more than I have in a long time, (another story entirely), trying to get my hair back to a normal color (ask my wife, I just sat there...), work on taxes, get ready for some racing this weekend, and try to figure out our trip logistics when we go back to the northeast in a little over a month.

How do we not go insane? But we don't, and that's the cool thing. Well, to add to all this, today I have a sore nose, throat and ears, plus I ache all over. Guess I'll go eat something and rest. So I can make up for the lost time today by being sick...

Damn it I'm an American! No you're not! No YOU'RE not!

2007-03-29T13:45:00.000-07:00

Well, you asked for it, and I'm finally delivering. I said if you wanted to buy American in the auto industry, you might as well buy a Toyota. Straight from my favorite source of auto info with factual content, Consumer Reports, here's the skinny.

Ford like to say "Red, White and Bold", but they along with GM are lowering the use of parts made in America and Canada. More and more they are utilizing their factories in India, Mexico, and the Orient. So, while 90% of a Toyota Sienna is made in the US and Canada, only 65% of the all American Mustang is made here. Both are assembled in the US, unlike the Chevy Avalanche and Ford Fusion, which are totally born in Mexico. "American Revolution", my ass, Chevy!!!

Most BMWs are built in South Carolina, and a few Mercedes are built in Alabama. So, what makes an American car? Saab 9-3s are all built in the US. Saab is owned by GM. Is it an American car? Maybe. Or are they immigrant cars? Aston Martin and Jaguar: British built, but Ford owned. Daimler Chrysler, well I don't even think they know who's running the show.

This is just like the immigration debate, isn't it? Makes you wonder.

Heck, then we can move onto auto advertising. "Fully indepenent front suspension". Big deal. Last time a car had a beamfront axle was the 30's, folks. Hell, even the Edsel had independent front suspension. Basically, every car commercial states a car has fuel injection (just using the company specific terms) independent suspension, and an engine. Most people other than those of us who've worked on cars really care or know what the terms mean. If the car starts, runs, gets decent mileage and does what you bought it to do well, that's good enough. Or is it?

Well, I tried

2007-03-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

http://cyclepics.smugmug.com/gallery/2593471#136696606-L-LB
http://cyclepics.smugmug.com/gallery/2593471#136696955-L-LB

Here are two pics of me finishing Stage 1 of the Fayetteville Stage Race this past weekend. I finished. The first day I was lying in about 60th overall after the road race and time trial. I suffered, but it's mostly from a lack of fitness. Also that pesky crash isn't totally healed.

I'm the guy getting pipped at the line with the red and yellow shoes. Normally I'd win a sprint like this, but since I'm just getting used to standing on the bike, I did a seated sprint. Following this stage we had a time trial where each of us goes one at a time to see who can cover the course the fastest. Again, I did ok, but I have much more work to do.

Sunday I was riding just to survive, but about halfway through I completely fell apart. I'll be looking at my preparation for future races. Plus I hit a really hard bump on the road and my left shoulder (which is a bit wonky since the crash, droops a little) popped out, and I wasn't able to hold onto the top of the handlebars when I had to climb. So I thought of bagging it, but stuck it out to be the last official finisher on the stage. Turns out, I was the last official finisher overall, but of 77 starters, I ended up 49th. So it was a victory just in finishing.

Now I have quite a bit of time to get in shape for my next races in April, so let's hope I actually have something worth writing about in that department next time.

tears

2007-03-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

I finally got on my bike today. It was bittersweet. My hip feels better, but is still tender. Oddly enough, it didn't hurt at all riding, in fact it felt the best it has since the crash. It's my chest, especially my left side and peck. I can't stand and pedal easily. I can do it, but it hurts so much I had some tears coming out.

So, what does this mean? Nothing really, except that I'll have to adapt my riding style until my chest stops phoning it in. And I'm getting sick of those bills, by the way, chest. Just so you know. I'm hoping to race in a week.

I was emotional because today I finally fought the crash demons (who are a super secret division of Squirrel Interpol) and won. I was nervous for the first few miles. Last thing I need to be is nervous on the bike, it just invites another crash. Without asking the host (me) if it's ok. So the nerves settled down, and I had a nice ride from Libery Hill through Bertram and Oatmeal back to Liberty Hill.

I rode ok, actually better than I thought I would. I just hope I can get some good miles in my legs and heal some more. But we'll see. I have a history of surprising people and myself on occasion when the odds are long. Next weekend is a stage race. first race of the year was a stage race and I did much better than I thought I would. Let's see if I can improve on that.

Oh, and if you want to buy an american vehicle, buy a Toyota, not GM. Toyota, Honda and a few other "Foreign" brands actually are assembled here and use higher percentages of parts made in the US. It's a forthcoming post with details.

Squirrels and Beavers

2007-03-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

Well, since I alluded to some squirrels possibly skulking about in my last post, I guess I ought to come clean. Let me just say that squirrels are the smartest fuzzy ones out there, except beavers in my opinion. Beavers have advanced engineering degrees for water systems. Squirrels are the countermeasures experts.

It all happened in 2004 on my way to a bike race. I ran over a squirrel with my car just inside the MA line. My teammate Scott looked at me we just kind of shrugged our shoulders. Not much we could do. During the race, another squirrel ran out and I happened to be the one who ran him over and finished him off. Again, not much I could do, but I'm sure I was now being watched.

On the way home, I mentioned to Scott that "one more and I'd have a hat trick", and not more than a mile from NY I ran over another squirrel. Hat trick, indeed. At that moment I'm positive the squirrel version of Interpol was tracking my every move. I was definitely a menance to their existence. Later that summer, I had another hat trick, but this time it was a robin into my windshield, a chipmunk during the race (I wasn't the only one to hit him but I did end his misery), and of all things, a squirrel a block from my home. If three in a day weren't enough to get me on the most wanted list, this was.

Since then, I've kept a low profile, tried to be nice to squirrels, and shrugged off when nuts and branches would come down at me from above. But deep in my mind I knew. I knew that the squirrels were on to me. I knew that they were firing warning shots across my bow. I knew the squirrels in white lab coats were in the back room, monitoring my every move, looking for a routine, calculating revenge, justice and retribution. They analyzed my bike, the physics of the whole thing. They knew I have a predisposition to falling up stairs, so that wasn't a good plan. Gravity was their friend, except the time I greased the sheperd's hook one winter in my parent's backyard. (The bird feeder was for the birds, after all.)

It took almost three years. When I moved to Kerhonkson I threw them off, and they had to regroup. Then the move to TX really caught them by surprise. Yet squirrels are resourceful. They came up with another plan. And they knew two things about me.
1) I ride my bike all over the place.
2) I've missed Einstein's Bagels since 99 when I moved from Indianapolis to NY.

With those seemingly incogruous pieces of information they formulated a plan. Near Einstein's were oak trees shedding acorns. By calculating my path, they could arrange the acorns and thus, control my trajectory. Into the parked car. Very clever. They knew from profiling that I'd head down to the end of the lot with the traffic light, since I always ride like I'm on a motorcycle in traffic.

It worked perfectly. I'm not sure if it was severe enough a sentence to absolve me of all the times I let my dog out to chase the squirrels from the bird feeders, or the snowballs I threw at them to keep them away, or the grease, but I sure hope so. Otherwise, the squirrels will be the end of me.

I don't want to be near a 3rd time

2007-03-02T20:58:00.000-08:00

I crashed again today. After my morning ride I went to Einstein's to get a bagel for my wife and myself. Riding through the parking lot, my bike went right, brushed a curb, hit the left pedal, gave me hope, then slid sideways out from under me. Next thing I know I'm on the deck and under a parked car. Moaning. Feeling like I was going to throw up.

I sat up, took off my helmet (split in 4 places) and tried to collect my thoughts. They were still spinning past my brain. A few people checked on me, but I called my wife, and she picked me up. After going to work for half the day, I went for x-rays. I may have fractured my hip. It sure feels like it. Plus my entire left side of my torso is killing me. Oh happy day.

So, no racing this weekend. But I'll be home and Lost and I can spend some time together, which is very rare. I'm supposed to stay off the bike for a week. Blah.

I might have been felled by some acorns. Or some squirrels in white lab coats. Squirrels and I have history, and after almost 3 years on the run they may have found me...

Turning

2007-02-27T20:40:00.000-08:00

Everything turns somehow. Even stationary objects move a little. Which explains how I somehow get things done. I did race again Sunday at Pace Bend Park on Lake Travis. I did much better, except about 2 miles from the line (if that) my legs phoned it in. so again I finished 58th. How's that for consistency?

I am still very tired from the weekend, but tomorrow I'll ride for a bit and get some errands done. Funny, but all this stuff I need to do really isn't important in the big picture. Even my cycling isn't a huge deal. To me it is, but that's about it. And that's my point.

What is important? Really? It's all about the circles around us, and how much different things overlap in them. Bottom line, take away cycling and the world won't stop. But my world would. So I immerse myself in my world. I taped every minute of the Tour of California, and got my motivation back. I read with disbelief the transcript of Jan Ullrich's retirement press conference. I feel George Hincapie's pain from his broken wrist, and how that little fall a few days ago may cost him his spring campaign. A campaign that may have included his first major spring classics (certain races are classics due to difficulty, length, and how long the races have been around) win.

So here I sit, tired, a little saddened by events in my world, but happy to be in it. See you on the road.

It's a long post, but the most important part is at the end

2007-02-24T12:17:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I raced today, or at least showed up. With the wind, my lack of fitness (but I have lost 8 pounds) and having crashed yesterday, I didn't do too badly. Not sure how badly it was, but at least I finished when many quit. Now I just need to get out and ride myslef into shape, but another race looms tomorrow. I hope to do better.

On the way to and from Walburg, I used the new toll road to get to I35 from Mopac. Growing up in the northeast, land of tolls, I feel 75 cents each way for a more direct and less congested route was a steal. If you live in TX, use these roads. It's so much easier.

Now, here's something that strikes my heart. It's an article about a helicopter pilot in Viet Nam who finally is to get the Congressional Medal of Honor for a battle he was part of in 1965. Without him and his company, the 1st Cavalry's 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment would have been wiped off the earth. It's the battle the book We Were Soldiers Once...and Young and subsequent movie were based on.

All chopper pilots are heroes in the Army. As opposed to the guys on the ground, the pilots are going through a maelstrom of fire repeatedly, instead of just once. Plus, a chopper is a prime target. I owe my life to the pilots we had assigned to us, as they landed where they shouldn't or couldn't to get us out of trouble. Once, a pilot told me after we got back that his bird was"just a huge tree trimmer" when he saw me staring at leaves and branches hanging off it.

Never once did they refuse to come in, even when we told them the landing zone was too hot. Several times they even did low passes to draw fire so we could move to a safer position. I'm not sure if they were fearless or insane, as there's a fine line there, but they used to look at us SF guys and say we were crazy, and the feeling was mutual.

I've recounted a few experiences here of mine, but I'd not be able to do it without our pilots. I know that not everyone agrees with the wars right now, and I don't need to know your feelings. I just hope we drop our opinions and think of these brave guys. They deserve a lot more credit than they get. So to Major Bruce Crandall, I'm so happy you are finally recognized. Without men like you, many more of us wouldn't be here to congratulate you, and you have most hearfelt thanks.

Read the item here:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070224/ap_on_re_us/vietnam_valor

New, new all so new!

2007-02-23T08:36:00.000-08:00

Well, it's a new season, I have a new team kit (uniform to the rest of the world), and new hope that I won't be able to be called Tubbo much longer. That being said, I still have about 19lbs to go. So with all this newness, what is it exactly?

I've finally found my motivation, I'm beginning to get some overdue projects done on my bikes, and I'm now an uncle for the 4th time. So, since my new nephew is in New England, I'm hoping to get up and see him and my other relatives sometime in the not too distant future.

As for my racing, this weekend I have 2 more races, so we'll see how that goes. I did have the pleasure of riding out in Bastrop State Park again this past Tuesday. Perfect day at the perfect place to ride. No one to bother you, pretty as can be.

Other than that, I have no thoughts, other than I hope the Police are going to play somewhere nearby on tour.

Grammys and other white fluff

2007-02-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

So we watched the Grammys while eating dinner (our 7 month anniversary) and though entertaining, that was it at best. The program seemed really disjointed, presenters seemed unprepared, jokes were not funny, and the set was pretty lackluster. That being said, a few performances were decent, but I'm glad I didn't waste time or money to attend if I had the option.

Add to this some of the nominees were weak, or in one case, the I said "That's it? That's who they nominated?" when I could have named several more diverse and deserving artists. As well as the categories not really matching up to the nominess (anyone remember Jethro Tull winning Best Heavy Metal Album when Metallica was one of the other nominees? I mean, Tull is a flute playing trout farmer in Scotland!!! Dude can rock, as I saw him in concert that year, but...) in some instances. Lastly, it seems a new category pops up every year. Almost like an "Everyone gets a ribbon for participating" mentality. Yargh!!

On to the other big news to me. Anyone paying attention to the Lake Effect snow in upstate NY? Pretty cool, in a way. It's also neat to see places on the news that I used to frequent, like the bakery in Oswego, etc. That being said, shoot me if I ever mention I want to move into the Lake Effect area of NY. Where I'm from has gotten about an inch all year. Not over 10 feet in a week. Amazing how the weather can be so different a mere 4 hour drive apart. Kind of like TX.

With that crazy transition, I'm going to be racing all over TX this year. I'm most excited about a stage race in FT Davis, as it's at almost a mile high to start, and we're going to climb to the highest point in TX on the second stage, some 9780 ft high observatory. I think it's called MT Locke. I'll have to check. And with that, I need to check out of here and get on my bike in the dampness.

Another diatribe

2007-02-09T18:42:00.000-08:00

Anna Nicole is dead. It's a shame when anyone dies, even if it's someone we love to hate. What kills me is the comparisons to Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield. There are none, other than looks. Marilyn might have been messed up, but she was at least talented. Watch Bus Stop.

Jayne was super smart (163 IQ) played violin and piano well enough to have made a living doing it, spoke 6 languages, and could act. Her comedic talents were really good, and in her more obscure drama parts (I say obscure becuase she was seriously acting in them, not oozing sex) like The Wayward Bus, she was excellent.

Anna Nicole didn't have any talent, except for self publicity, one she did share with Jayne Mansfield. So, let her rest in peace, hope her child has a life without insane influence, and stop the comparisons. All three need a break.

Yow!!!

2007-02-07T08:36:00.000-08:00

Well, things are picking up already. Where to start? Well, the Colts finally won a Superbowl, so I'm very happy. I like Peyton Manning and the Colts for various reasons. One, I lived in Indy for 6 years, and was there for Peyton's rookie season and I think a few more. I'm not that much a football fan for specifics. Two, the Colts play football and that's it. It's a rare day wgen you hear about a Colt getting in trouble or calling attention to himself off the field. They show up, they play, you don't hear about them until the following week. True professionals.

Rumor has it it's cold in my homeland of NY. However, being it's late in the season, it won't last too long. February is always one of the coldest months where I'm from. I'm glad I moved to TX.

I did my first race of the season this past weekend. Well, I was there. With totally inadequate preparation I was dropped from the road race Saturday, so I got something like 67th out of 85. Sunday there was a 3.2 mile time trial, which is where we go 1 at a time every 30 seconds to see who can cover the course the fastest. Usually it's my speciality. OF course, usually I have more miles in my legs, and I don't get a flat 7 minutes before my start time. Luckily the guy parked next to me had a spare tube (I forgot to bring some) so I was able to compete. I got 46th. Respectable.

Lastly I had to go to a park at Canyon Lake where we had another race on a 2.1 mile circuit. 40 minutes to suffer. Oddly enough, I felt the best of the weekend there. I stayed in the lead group for the whole race, and on the last lap, knowing I had no sprint (another speciality of mine) I backed off a slight bit to stay out of trouble. Good thing, too, as about 9 guys tangled right after the last corner. I finished 30th out of about 75 starters. Over 30 quit the race it was so fast.

So now I'm trying to get myself in some shape for my next race in a few weeks. Plus work on my tan (which never faded from last yeartoo much) with all it's funky lines. Yesterday I rode to San Marcos from south Austin, today I'm hoping to go to Bastrop state forest once my laundry is done.

Empty

2007-02-01T17:49:00.000-08:00

We've all had it. That empty feeling, even at times when we should feel fulfilled. Like experiencing an anticlimax. Case in point: the vintage car racing team I was on was better in the points each year in the championship. When we won it, we kind of looked at each other like"umm, well, now what?".

For the first time in quite some time, I'm not feeling empty. At all. It's been an adjustment. My job is good, I like everyone I work with, being married is everything it's supposed to be, and it feels like you've accomplished something. My racing is about to start, so Tubbo here is definitely on a quest to return to form.

But I was watching the History channel (like usual) and got that empty feeling again. It stems from my army days, and I understand it. In some ways I miss it, in other ways I'm glad it's over, and there are times when I wish it never happened at all so it won't torment me.

I won't bore or torture you with details, and I'm not sure my post is all that cohesive today. I guess I'm hoping none of you ever has to feel that emptiness. I'll just tell you that I have many friends whom I'll never see again and that I miss them terribly. If you have people who are close to you, let them know it, for the emptiness I feel is from not telling them, and I'll never have the oppurtunity to.

A good buddy of mine was shot while we were running across a village square to get a better defensive position. I dove down to grab him and try to give some first aid. While others of my squad did the best they could to protect us, I realized there was nothing I could do. He looked at me and said "it's ok, it's ok, I know you tried".

He was so at peace, but it doesn't fill the hole left.

Here's some excitement

2007-01-26T17:21:00.000-08:00

So, the other day I was with my lovely wife house/pet sitting and where we were had a scale in the bathroom. I love scales, as well as flashlights and a myriad of other mostly workaday items. Well, we don't have a scale. So you guessed it, I hopped on. You'd think my weight at about 6 feet and being a cyclist would be low. How little you know...

First, I hadn't ridden too much since early December. Of course, I kept eating. Well, since the suspense is well, not really there, I'll let you hear it. I weighed 195 lbs!!!! Without shoes! I knew getting married and eating in Austin would be a challenge to keep off the weight, but ouch!! I weighed 168 when I left NY. I weighed about 170 when I arrived here.

So, here's the news. I'm determined to get down to my racing weight again. Why do you care? Actually, you don't have to. The genius (if it can be called that) is that since I put this info out in public, I'll be motivated to work at it. What if someone meets me and goes, hmmm, "Yo tubbo, I thought you were trying to lose weight like your blog said."? This is assuming anyone actually
A) Reads my blog
B) Meets me in person. Pretty unlikely. However, my job is expecting to see me do better than last year. Well, everyone is bugging me about it, not like my job depends on it or anything.

So, in the spirit of trying to get into race shape, I rode almost 30 miles today. This was actually the shortest first ride of a year in my life, however I did alter my position (how high the seat is, handlebar height, etc) so that took some time and I had to take it easy while my body adjusts.

Since I don't do anything half heartedly, I'm also signed up for the Tour of New Braunfels stage race in a week. Three races in 2 days. That's right, I'm going to race myself into shape. Actually, I'm using it as a basis to see what I need to work on (everything) and to set a benchmark.

Lastly, I hope everyone's new year is starting off well. So far I'm loving it.

Good God, it's been that long??!!??

2007-01-23T06:59:00.000-08:00

Whoa ho yo ho yikes!!! I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted. Well, it's one of those dichotomy days. Lots to talk about but not a lot has happened. Let me pontificate. Well, I'm not quite the pope, but who doesn't love that word?

I was supposed to race this past Saturday. I didn't for various reasons. Odd part is the fact I haven't even ridden my road bike since last Novemeber wasn't the main one. You know those watershed moments in life when you realize you don't do something for adult reasons? This was one. Like not gettting plastered because it takes too much out of you, not because you don't have the money to. bottom line is that I had been sick, didn't want to risk the drive in case the race was called off, and well, it's a long season.

So, that brings me to the next topic of this post: Ice Storm '07. Come on, folks!! It wasn't much to talk about, unless you're not used to it, which is the case down here. Crag and I are in agreement about "real" winters. (Hope all is well with you, my friend.) Now Belle has some cool pics on her blog, and she's from down here, so it's cool to see the differing perspectives. I had Mon and Tue off, then spent most of Wed getting the store I work at safe for business knocking ice off the awnings, de-icing the sidewalks, etc.

Speaking of making things safe, I'm going to give a quick pointer to TXDOT. You took a sizeable chunk of change to build elevated roadways and toll roads. Hate to say it, but I think it's time you invest in the proper equipment to keep these roads open no matter what. To have these roads shut down for three to four days due to some ice is unacceptable. It's simple physics. Cold rain cools the structure, some airflow under the structure cools it to below freezing, and you have a bad day. Those yellow "Watch for ice on bridges" signs aren't going to cut it anymore. Austin, you want to be a top running city, you got to be one across the board.

Since I'm on a crazy roll here, how about those Presidential hopefuls? Personally, I think Hillary running isn't going to be a good thing. IF it comes down to her and the guy from IL, (Obama?) I think the Dems have lost the South. I say that because he's not white, and she's, well, a she, and from NY now. Let's be honest, most people in this country don't like much about NY (though you'd love me if you met me, hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!) so IF the Republicans have the brains to get a moderate, articulate candidate on the ballot, I feel many Democrats and swing voters would vote Republican. Most likely they'd consider it the least of the evils.

Hmm, what else to talk about? Oh, the aftermath of the storm. Sat I dropped off my lovely wife to work at 11 at Barton Creek. I then decided to go to the Central location of my job at Lamar and Barton Springs RD, no too far. I saw a friend, checked out some things, and headed on over to a hobby shop on Lamar. By the time I left the hobby shop, it was after 3. What? How?

I ended up meeting two guys named Mike and Van. All three of us are into trains and cars, so we were talking about those things, plus they happen to be teachers. I wanted to be a teacher for a long time, but gladly and wisely changed course. My father retired from teaching after over 30 years, and my mom had been one for awhile, and Van and Mike and I compared teaching in TX to NY. It was a really neat discussion about how society has changed, and with that the role of teachers and schools has, too. None for the better, also.

Now for the big news. I weighed myself the other day. I was huge!! Like 195!!! Where in the hell did all that weight come from? How am I supposed to race this year? I was 168 in June when I moved here. Guess I need to literally dust off my road bike...

Almost done with this marathon of posting. Shortly I'll put up two links on this here blog. Both are cycling related. Both are for charity rides. One is for a coworker and riding pal of mine. She's doing a ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise money for AIDS. It's a great cause, and she's really cool and working really hard to do it.

The other link will be for a blogging friend of mine who keeps track of weekly mileage for a large group of us. He had bariatric surgery and has lost huge amounts of weight through cycling and diet. If he hadn't, he'd be dead, according to him. Well, he's doing a diabetes fund raising ride. He's come a long way, so it'd be cool if we could support him, too.

Both of these are worthy causes, and both people are to be commended for their initiative and determination. Let's try to make their only concern getting in shape to complete the rides.

New Year, same thoughts

2007-01-02T20:24:00.000-08:00

Well, 2007 has arrived. We all try to make the new year different/better than previous editions, but by the 11th, we fall back into the same ruts. Mostly. But no need to focus on that here. I'm happy to even see 2007.

I work at a bike shop, and it's great. Most of our clientele is really cool, with a few brainless wonders. But even on my worst day, I'm happy to be there. I may whine sometimes and complain about how I wish something was different. Most times I mean it, but forget that my feelings are really pretty trivial. Let's look at the facts, and yes, I'm going to confuse you with them. Or at least myself.

First, I've beaten death several times in my life. Twice with illness, quite a few times in the army. I have a beautiful and loving wife who tolerates my lunacy. My parents and I get along pretty well, as well as my brother and sister and I. I have a job, that while it doesn't pay as well as others I could probably hold, is a short commute and I love. I have great memories of childhood, and of great friends I lost in the army.

So, what do I resolve to do differently in 2007? Well, try to be a bit more tolerant sometimes, not take people for granted, and try to not forget those who aren't here anymore. Other than that, I'd like to lose the 20 pounds I've gained since June.

Take the time to appreciate your life and everything around you. It won't always be the same, but it'll always be yours. Happy New Year!!!!

Happy New Year

2007-01-01T17:07:00.000-08:00

Ok, so not much to write about. Work, holidyas, that's it. Went for a ride today and am now feeling it. Too much. But I need to get my ass in gear since on 1/20 I'm going to be up in Copperas Cove, and if I don't get in some semblance of shape, I'll be pissed at myself.

I hope everyone had a great new year and things are starting off well for all you. Don't worry, I'll be posting more in the near future as soon as things go back to "normal".

A Break

2006-12-20T14:18:00.000-08:00

That's right. I'm taking a break. I've been slowly doing things today to get ready for the holidays, but I needed a break, and here I am. The weather is damp and a cool, but I still think it's eons better than the usually snowy north. In fact, if I had any motivation at all, I'd have gone for a ride even if it meant getting soaked.

However, I have said I was going to take a break from riding, and though I can feel my fitness literally leaving, and I can see the extra weight I've put on, I'm sticking to my guns. I figure I'll get back on the bike by the end of the year. Then I have 3 weeks to get ready for my first race. Nothing like planning ahead.

So what have I been doing otherwise? Well, I did go watch some trains and take pictures of a few downtown at Town Lake. So these are the two best shots I got.

Like I've said, I'm a train geek. In fact, I actually really enjoy chasing trains. It's relaxing, if you take the approach I have of getting something to drink and maybe snack on, set up somewhere, and wait. It's like fishing.

Other times, I like to follow and try to beat the same train so I can take a bunch of pictures of it. That's a challenge. Especially when you're just learning the light patterns, etc. But that's what life is, learning the patterns. And with that, I need to go finish what I was doing.

Saw Happy Feet

2006-12-18T11:25:00.000-08:00

We saw Happy Feet last night and it was so much fun!!! Well, there were sad and scary parts, but overall it was too enjoyable. There's a few underlying themes, but you need to see the movie to find out.

Other than that, things are pretty good, including the weather. And the fact that there were 4 people I know personally at cyclocross nationals who either won their categories or placed on the podium. Maybe next year I can go, wherever that may be.

It's almost Christmas?

2006-12-15T15:33:00.000-08:00

Really, it's hard for me to get in my head that Christmas is next week. I'm more used to what the locals call cold here in Austin as pleasant. I mean, 35 degrees at night is NOT cold for this time of year. In a year though, I'll be shivering right alongside them.

I've done not much but work and goof off lately. Which is funny in a way since my wife decided she no longer hadtime to blog anymore due to no time. Granted, we still have many things to put away, and several boxes to unpack. I should have tackled some of it today. Yet I didn't.

Instead, I indulged all my geeky and lazy instincts and went for a walk. A long one, but it was fun. Well, it wasn't that long, just down to the bookstore to read some and then back. But it was a refreshing and needed change of pace.

I haven't ridden my bikes since I last raced. I need to get back on as the first race of the season in on January 20th. Back up to Copperas Cove, which is good as it's the same course that was used for the State Championships. At least this course I'll know somewhat.

Like all people, I need to step away from things to refresh myself, and my bikes are no exception. So we've gone to friend's houses, San Antonio, and tried to relax. I won't go into boring details, but it's been busy in a different kind of way.

Also, I've been reaquainting myself with photography, which I love to death. Some examples of my work sans tripod on the riverwalk are included. This leads me to my inner geek surfacing.

Not only am I totally into picture taking, but I love trains. So, the other portion of my day was spent researching where the hot spots of train activity in Austin are. Now that I know, I have a plan to go picture taking on the next decent free day I have. Now aren't you glad you read this? LOL!!!

Happy Holidays if you don't hear from me before they arrive. Stay safe and enjoy all you have.

Simple

2006-12-06T20:31:00.000-08:00

So I did my races. Saturday at the State Championships I dropped out, as I was having issues with my shifters and I was way too slow. Sunday I did two races, getting 5th and 11th. Respectable.

After a bit of confusion, as in the promoter had to change the race venue for Saturday, things went well. Sunday the race was in a park over by the airport, and it was a good course for me. Of course, something had to go wrong, and when I was putting an arm warmer on I punched myself in the mouth, arriving at the the line with a very bloody mouth and lip. But it's almost healed.

What struck me the most wasn't the racing, or the course, but the other people in the park. There was a family all bundled up with their little kids playing on the playground, and another family having a barbeque and riding their bikes around the park. I liked it.

It reminded me of when I was a kid and my parents would take us to the pool or the state park with a beach on a lake. It was cheap, and we could all hang out together. Also like when we'd sit on our dock at our house in the Adirondacks. We'd swim, fish, or just pass time. Simple, and it seems like such a world away.

I'm just old enough to remember the Adirondacks as a time capsule of the 50's. It was simpler up there, and slower. Now it feels different. It was an event to go up there, and due to speed limits and slow, twisty roads, it took forever. Now it's so accessible, it doesn't quite have that special feeling. Or it didn't, but since I'm 2000 miles away, it probably will next time I get there.

So I miss some of the simpler moments of my life, like watching freight trains go by along the Mohawk River, or eagerly anticipating the next issue of whatever train or car magazine I had a subscription to at the time. And maybe that's part of the problem with the present. We feel guilty for just watching a day go by, like we must be wasting it, when in reality we're doing what we should, enjoying it.

Expectations

2006-11-26T18:46:00.000-08:00

Our own self image is a funny thing. If you were to meet me, you'd think I'm a somewhat happy fun loving person. A bit zany, too. Which is correct. However, we all have expectations. Some from other people, many we put upon ourselves. I know in high school all my teachers and relatives expected great things from me. In a conventional sense, I let them down. I didn't graduate college, find a cure, or make a huge difference in the world. I look at 16 years ago and how open the world seemed to me. Now it's a little less open, but more accessible. Figure that one out.

Looking at my life in an unconventional sense, I'd say I exceeded even the wildest expectations. I've had a life that could fill a book, and most people don't believe all the stuff I've done until they talk to my parents or see the pictures. It's kind of funny, I exceeded my own expectations when I raced this season, but fell short a year ago. I didn't win anything this year, but I was a force to be dealt with in many races, and after two more races this weekend, I'm free until January.

Another expectation is with my blog. I rarely get comments, and don't really expect to, but a few of you guys comment on a somewhat regular basis, and I'm always pleasantly surprised by it. I may even go and actually link to to those few faithful readers as a thank you. Don't expect it too soon, though, lol!!!

When I was a squad leader in the army I routinely felt I failed to live up to my expectations. Every time someone in my unit was wounded or killed, I felt like a failure. After years of reflection, I see I didn't fail myself or my squad, as I did my best and most of us beat the odds while we served together.

So what does this have to do with anything? Not much, just think back on your lives and really take an unbiased look. I know now I really didn't fail anyone but myself a few times, but that's ok. Usually I had way too high expectations to begin with.

158 and climbing

2006-11-25T17:31:00.000-08:00

So this is post 158. Pretty cool. Especially since I was on a great pace until two weeks ago. Then we moved, my parents came for the better part of a week, and well, posting and email take a big back seat.

The holiday was great, I really enjoyed having my parents around. Plus our new apartment is coming along well. It feels like a home since we have a few extra rooms. It'll take a bit, but soon we'll be unpacked and settled.

What is going on? Not much. I work, I'm gaining weight, and I have a new project to tend to. My cyclocross bike needs to be reassembled, and the TX state championships are next week here in Austin at Zilker park. If you're nearby, and have some time to kill, swing by. I'm also racing Sunday at Moya park. How will I do? Ok, probably, but these two races are my cross season this year.

Ok, time to sift through my email. Then time to sift through boxes. Till then...

Fun and games

2006-11-10T21:21:00.000-08:00

Been working and riding, nothing new there. Last night I did an informal race between our store in central Austin and the one up north where I work. It was cool, I bought some lights for my bike and a group of us rode down to the start. Then at about 845 we started the race. You could pick your own route, and I ended up with two guys from a competing shop. Actually, they got a gap on me through an intersection with traffic, but I chased them down.

A few miles from the end I just didn't quite have it, and I ended up fourth, as the guy who won took another route. Much faster, much more dangerous. But, I had a good time, then we had a party at our north store and I went home. I really enjoyed the night ride. It brought back memories of my 26 mile commute through most of Indianapolis when I lived there. There's something neat about riding in the night. Too bad I really don't know of anywhere to ride here at night safely by myself. I always enjoyed riding along Route 28A along the Ashokan reservoir back in NY during the summer when I couldn't sleep. Of course, I had an awesome set of lights for that, and I gave them away a few years ago.

We move shortly, and we have a new couch coming for it. I'm more relaxed than Lost, but I understand her anxiety. We'll let you know how it goes.

Quiet, Too Quiet, and Politicians Who Should Be

2006-11-06T20:47:00.000-08:00

So I must say thanks to all who commented on my last post. Very interesting I thought. Now I have a few snippets of thought and observations.

First, it's funny how tastes change. I used to get all excited looking at sports cars and racing, as far back as I could remember. So much so that I actually raced cars and rebuilt them, too. I'm really glad I did it, but I specialized in vintage racing, so even with all the safety equipment installed, it wasn't that safe.

Well, tonight I was with Lost at the bookstore, and saw an issue of Octane Magazine from England. It had my all time favorite race car, a Ferrari 250 GTO on the cover. I got all the usual sensations: shortness of breath, tingling hands, and even could almost smell and hear the one I raced several times. I couldn't wait to leaf through the issue and devour all there was.

I leafed through, but about halfway I read a column I always enjoy, and it made me think. The short version is Niki Lauda had a huge almost fatal accident 30 years ago at Nurburgring Germany. He almost burned to death, and fortunately another two drivers stopped and one actually risked his life and got Niki out. He was quoted as saying he would have gotten Niki out or died trying, and his hands were so burned he basically ended his career.

It was at that moment I realized I have no passion to own or drive a vintage car again. It was risky, and I had a few accidents, but always went home with only bruises. Yes, it was fun driving multimillion dollar cars that weren't mine, and I had many great times. But I just have no desire to be involved anymore. Or even follow it. Funny how that works sometimes.

On to less thoughtful topics. I'm back on my bike again so I can lose the weight I've been slowly gaining. So keep it tuned here. Believe it or not, I'm about 175-180 lbs at 5'11". I should be about 169. At least I have all winter to work on eating better and staying fit.

Last Tuesday I rode 50 miles with my riding buddy from work, and she was thrilled because she had never ridden more than 50 miles before. Tomorrow we're going to fredericksburg to ride in the hills. Truth be told, I was hurting for a few days afterwards. Almost felt like my quads were bruised. How quickly we fall.

Today I rode the same route but it was much windier, and about 5 miles from the end I bonked. Big time. I just tried to keep an even pace and finally got to my car. On the way home I was enjoying the election signs all over. And here we go into the next topic I aim the crosshairs at.

First, some humor. A local sign says to elect some guy named Fleece. Think about it. Fleece. Like I'll have any confidence in him. Then I was looking at my hometown paper online. Not so long ago my father was one of the 9 city council members called Aldermen. He ran twice before being elected the third time. (It's a two year term.) When he went for reelection, a big mouthed moron beat him. People told my dad they didn't see his name in the paper enough, so he must not have been doing anything.

If they said he never helped them, he asked if they called him. No. Wrote a letter? No. Email? Uhh, no. Stopped him in the street? Nope. You get the idea. My father kept a log of every issue brought to his attention. In two years he had over 600 issues come up. As he said, each issue was at least a phone call to the proper department and then a return call to the constituent. I used to love how people would kind of slump down when they heard that.

Once the people of the neighborhood got fed up with the idiot who replaced my father, they asked me if he was going to run again. I told him his quote. "Screw them, they don't want me, I don't want this damn city." With that he and my mom sold the house and moved to Hilton Head, SC. And they're much happier.

The idiot is still in office, as no one ran against him the last two times. Two days ago his wife and him were front page news as she was arrested for threatening another woman who supposedly is having an affair with the idiot. Great choice the citizens of Kingston, NY made there.

I guess I get upset because I saw how much work my dad put into a part time elected position and the fact he actually wanted to make the city a better place. It just goes to show how if you do a good job in politics it gets you out of office, if you just get all kinds of press, no matter what kind, you're good to go. It's a sad state of affars this country is in when that's the case. Jayne Mansfield used to say "There's no such thing as bad publicity", and I think she'd be surprised just how true her quote is outside of showbiz 50 years later.

Weight and Five

2006-10-31T20:57:00.000-08:00

So we all have our crosses to bear. Or, we all feel the weight of things we've done in the past. With that in mind, I was thinking about some stuff today while I enjoyed the sun and scenery on a 50 mile ride with a coworker. The ride was great, even if we did stray from the route and had to improvise a bit. But I got to see cattle, goats, horses, and best of all, Great Pyrenees dogs. I had one as a kid until I was 19, and they are my favorite dogs. Apparently they're really popular down here as herding dogs (their purpose) as I've seen them all over. Anyway...

On to more serious things. Sometimes I look back on things that have happened to me, but I can't dwell on it. I've seen the worst of people and the best. I've simultaneously taken lives and tried and sometimes did save some. I'll never forget certain incidents, or sleep like I did as a kid. But it's a path I chose, so I deal with it. Long story short, I'm moving on, so to speak. I can get stuck in a rut where I feel guilty and pissed off, etc. So how do I not? I realize I can't bury it, but I also know it needs to just get filed away, like when you'e havd a really bad day at the office or school or something. So I'm moving on down the road. I won't ever forget the battles, my friends who died, or the nightmarish reality of combat. But I'm not going to keep it at the front of my mindset, either.

Enough of that depressing topic. Two more and we're out of here. First, no one seems to comment on my blog much. Trust me, you'll never offend me unless it's a personal attack. Second, to close with, there's that new T Mobile 5 thing. So if you could have anyone from anytime on it, who would it be and why? Please, will someone please comment on my fuckin' blog???!!!??? Ok, this also assumes we have another 5 for our real lives, like relatives, spouses, etc.

My 5:
Julius Caesar. Super smart, great leader, somewhat ruthless.
Jayne Mansfield. Off the charts smart, driven, totally hilarious.
Stirling Moss. Arguably best race car driver ever. Neat character.
The Duke of Wellington. Anyone who shaped history like he did is a shoo in.
Terp and Prairie from my old unit (we'll assume the unit has a single address, as I'm making the rules) as they saved my life quite a few times, and I'd love to share what's gone in with the life they saved.

Let's hear yours. And Happy Halloween!!!!

So much to say, but I'm drawing a blank

2006-10-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

Wow, I'm finally catching my breath. In the last year I've moved twice, gotten married, raced over 30 races, and started a new job, several times. So what's the scoop? Moving to Austin has been great. Everyone is cool, my job is great, Lost is wonderful, I prefer the weather mostly, and it feels like eons ago I was in NY. I only miss the mountains, and the leaves and crisp air at this time of year. But the next time (and the first for my wife) we get there, I'll appreciate it more.

Work is a bit slow this time of year, so I'll be getting ready for our move. I also have some neglected work on our bikes to do. This will do two things. Get the bikes back to 100% and use up some stuff in bags and boxes, thus less to move. Once in a great while my mind works efficiently.

So I haven't really posted too much lately. Well, this past Tuesday I went mountain biking in the greenbelt on a super high end bike from our rental fleet. It was a great 2 hours of fun, even if I had no clue what I was doing. But I didn't break anything on myself or the bike, so I'm pretty satisfied. Then my coworker and I ate at Shady Grove on the patio. That was really the excuse to ride, so we could justify all that heart stopping goodness.

Not much else to say, other than watching Youtube silliness a little. I think I could get into making film shorts again. Well, that would mean I'd need to get a camera for that kind of work, and some inspiration. Scratch that idea.

Time To Catch Up Though I Didn't Know I Was Behind

2006-10-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

Been quite the interval of non posting, eh? Actually, I've been pretty busy. Let's ee, finished my road racing season, went to FL and met my mother in law, today I'm going mountain biking (yikes, on a $6000 bike from work) and it's the Smurf's 48th birthday. So, let's get going.

The Smurfs turn 48 today. We all loved them, I did a college paper on them being socialist at least, illustrating all the symbols. But I wasn't aware that the UN tapped into them for Unicef in Germany. This is pretty weird: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MAYrF1PDks

The trip to FL was great, just wished I had taken another day off so we all could have rested some at the beach. But Steph's mom is nice, our parents all liked each other, and I think they actually had too much fun together. Details are over at La Vida Loca, kids.

Today I'm mountain biking for the first time in years. Add to that I have a $6000 BMC mountain bike reserved for me at my job's downtown shop, and I'm excited. Hopefully nothing goes wrong, as I don't want to pay for anything. Plus I'm not sure how bad a mountain biker I am, so it'll be fun. A coworker named Aaron is going with me. It's really just an excuse for us to be able to grab a burger afterwards, but I'm looking forward to it.

I finished out my road racing season in style. Well, kind of. Almost. Maybe? It was wet, cool and a bit windy. I rode really well, especially since I didn't have a team. I had to ride through the grass off the road twice to avoid crashes, and the second time a few guys and I really had to work to chase back on only about 4 or 5 miles from the finish. That left me with not a lot of time to recover and work my way up through the field. Then I messed up my positioning and got boxed in out of the last corner, so I ended up 29th overall, finishing with the lead group. Considering about 100 started, I did ok.

Now I want to get my cyclocross bike here so I can do one, maybe two races and the state championships. Of course, moving into a new place soon will be a fun project, too.

I needed this

2006-10-13T09:15:00.000-07:00

I saw the results were online finally for the Friday night races. Well, partial results. But as I scrolled down I noticed my name was listed as finishing third. In a race I had withdrawn from!! I needed the laugh.

Yesterday was one of those days when everything goes wrong. But it's over, and I need to get over it. I scoped out Sunday's course. I think I'm getting burned out, and need to just do this race and relax for a bit. It's my last road race, so I'm going to try and have fun with it.

Then I can concentrate on getting my cyclocross bike from my parent's house to here, and hopefully doing a few races. My big thing is to do the state championships on 12/2 at Zilker Park right here in Austin. Sooo, I expect my loyal legion of fans to be there. That would be my wife and our friends the T and M. I carelessly forgot to mention in my last post that they were very supportive (and vocal) Friday night. If I'm lucky it'll be raining and in the 40's the day of the championships.

Well, off to get ready for work.

Friday Night

2006-10-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

Well, even though there was some mass confusion and lack of organization, the races Friday night were pretty good. Aside from the 2 hour delay in getting things started, I had a good time. I really enjoyed it, even if I didn't do as well as I should have.

The course was around the 2nd St area of downtown Austin, and about a third of the course was pretty rough pavement. I got in the lead group from the gun, but hit a hole really hard, and that in turn caused my sensor for my computer to move, which then caused my magnet to get jettisoned out of my wheel. In determining what if any damage was done to my bike, since it was making a horrific noise, I dropped off the back of the group. Stupid move. This left me in no man's land between the chase group and the break.

I did a few laps until I was caught, then hung in with the chase. Too bad no one was in the mood to chase, so we kept losing time. On the last lap I just missed a crash, and that put me pretty far back in the pack, so I think I ended up in the top 30. However, staying upright and not getting lapped was a major accomplishment. So I now know the course and what to expect. I'm ok with getting in the top half of the race all thing considered. I just made two mistakes. One, I let the lead group go, two, I wasn't in the front of the chase group early enough, and that cost me a decent finish. Besides the fact I also wa spushed wide on Colorado St and my right hand hit the rear view mirror of a parked car that wasn't removed didn'r help me either.

I lined up for my second race, and it was faster. A few laps in I hit a hole and blew my front tire out around the next turn. I got a wheel at the pits, got back in, and hit the same hole (it was very dark in that corner) again and something didn't feel right. So I bagged it and ended the race. Besides, I had to race the next day.

Now, I love to race, but ususally there isn't too much in terms of spectators. Friday night was the best race of the year. Nothing like racing in front of a huge crowd. Now if only they could get the crowds to the size of the Chris Thater Races in Binghamton... But I had a bunch of coworkers come cheer me on, and that was really cool. Hopefully next year I do better.

Saturday I drove up to Bryan TX for the age graded State Championship road race. I was in the 30+, and there were 25 of us. 66 miles of pure hell. I rode pretty well, and since I was the lowest category there, I was happy. Really, I was. I was in the lead group, and then I just imploded. The night before, the speed, it all took it's toll, and I just couldn't pedal any more. So with 10 miles to go I turned around, as it was only 3 miles to the car that way. Once back at my car, I stripped down to just my racing shorts and walked across the lot to the beach and fell into Lake Bryan for a bit. That felt really nice.

So I have one more race of the year, and that's the state championships for categories in Copperas Cove. I'm looking forward to some redemption, and I'm looking forward to some time off.

Friday Night Downtown

2006-10-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm racing Friday night downtown around the 2nd St District. Two races, so come on down if you have time. Basically it all starts at about 530. See you there. My boss got on the phone today so I'll be racing in my shop's jersey. Something about the fact he wanted to see our jersey "in the top ten for a change". Pretty funny.

Did the Tuesday Nighter again, and got about sixth. Lance Armstrong rode it, too, and it was pretty fun. Well, fast and punishing fun. We talked a little bit at one point, and then the end came too soon. Good night and see you at 2nd and Lavaca.

Just my ramblings for another day

2006-10-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

So my new bike is awesome. It's lighter, stiffer, more comfortable, faster, but not better, just different. Today in a little while I'm going to get my final fit to dial it in, then it's time for the first race on it, the famed Tuesday nighter I prattle on about. I'm excited.

All this got me to thinking about stuff. I realized I really enjoy the planning, and preparation for races, rides, building a bike. Just like I love to dream about one day having some room to build a model railroad. The execution of the plan isn't always as fun as coming up with one in the first place. Make any sense? If a plan goes perfectly, it's almost an anticlimax. There has to be some type of snag, a certain level of stress and urgency for me to really appreciate the experience.

When I go to a race, I like to get there really early so I can register, warm up, scout out the course, and try to relax. But even if I have a gameplan, it usually doesn't coincide with anyone else, so it's back to improvising, which is exciting. At the end of the day, if it works out pretty well, I relish the moment. If not, I analyze it all.

When I was in the Army, I really enjoyed the planning and details of an operation. To be honest, from the moment we walked out onto the apron to get on our choppers until we started taking rounds from the enemy, it is one of the most exhilerating adrenaline highs known. I actually enjoyed it. Those last minutes of doublechecking everything in flight and mentally preparing myself for what lay ahead are some of my favorite memories.

Don't get me wrong, I want to forget many things, but just those few minutes of solitude when each of us was quiet, doing what we had to do mentally were intense. We bonded without doing anything. Then we bonded through action minutes later.

So maybe I'm a thrill junkie. But so far, my racing is the one thing that gets me closest to that feeling of peace and calm. Funny how the most intense feeling of it was from when I was in a combat zone in a war.

The King is Dead, Long Live the King

2006-09-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

So, I finally retired my beloved Horse Tuesday. In his place I built up a Specialized S-Works Tarmac. A bit lighter, a whole lot faster. But this is Horse's "obituary":

Tuesday, September 26
At approximately 3pm the Schwinn Paramount OS "Horse" was laid to rest, having been deactivated from frontline race duty after nearly 16 seasons and 132,000 miles. Born in August of 1990 in Waterford, WI, Horse was rushed into service in May of 1991. For the next 16 seasons he competed in races from Maine to Missouri, Canada to Texas.

Deciding to give his faithful steed a rest, Horse's owner Mike will make sure that Horse is rejuvenated at his birthplace to like new condition. "His paint is a bit faded, and there's some rust here and there, but when he returns, Horse will be free to go out on fun rides, and not worry about ice and ran and crashing like he has all these years. I can't express how close we are, as he's shared all my triumphs and failures in this sport. It's the end of an era for me, and I am happy to have had such a reliable, potent ally all this time. I'll miss him, but his time has come. Of course, should the need arise, I'm sure Horse will be ready to do battle once he's back from his restoration."

Horse 8/90-9/06 May all roads be sunny, the air warm, and the wind at our backs when we ride again, buddy. You served me well and we made each other proud.

So there you have it. I finally retired my signature green machine. Now I'm on a less distinctive bike, but I'm figuring out ways to make it stick out. Now if I can only dial it in by nest Friday when I have three, yes three hour long races in the evening. The 2nd Street district will never be the same...

Oh, totally unrelated. If you're a proponent of windpower, go read the current issue of Adirondack Life magazine. Has some good articles and pictures on the subject. That's all I have for social commentary.

The King is Dead, Long Live the King!!!!!

Wish all Mondays were like this

2006-09-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

Today was perfect in big ol' TX today. All of it. I went on a fun, relaxing and slow paced ride with two coworkers today. It rocked. My wife wasn't exactly thrilled I was abandoning her at 830am to meet two female coworkers to ride, but I digress.

We went to Bastrop State Forest, and it was effin great!!!! The park was almost empty, we rode on pine tree lined roads filled with the scent of pine needles, and the weather was perfect. Totally perfect. It reminded me of home, with the roads being narrow, no houses, lots of trees, and constant up a steep hill, top out, and drop right down again. We saw deer, and squirrels, and not much else.

I have to say in terms of terrain and relaxing, it was the best ride I've done yet in TX. It makes me want to hunt out places to ride that are within an hour or so of town to drive to. I really liked it that much. All three of us did, and we're thinking of trying to make it a weekly work thing so our other coworkers can go.

Most times I ride I ride alone, and I don't focus on anything but the ride. today reminded me that sometimes you just gotta relax, and listen to the wind in the treetops. By riding with people not as fast as me, I just enjoyed the ride. Like I did when I first moved here with Lost. I enjoy the easy rides for a change of pace, and it helps my body, too.

After the ride we had to eat, and we ate on the deck of a place called the Roadhouse. Great food and very reasonable. Then we returned to Austin. A perfect way to spend a day off.

So it got me to wondering why I ride. For fun? Fitness? Or is it because I love to race, and I have to? Probably all of the above, but it got me to thinking of places I want to ride and where I want to return to ride. The list is too long for here, but it would be a fun way to spend a vacation with Lost. Or I could ride and she could tell me all about the great deals she got in the outlets and local shops of wherever we visit...

I thought this was the way to nirvana

2006-09-23T16:03:00.000-07:00

So, lots of interesting stuff showing up on the news lately. We watch more tv. We are getting obese. There's a connection. There are people claiming that "Big Oil" gets tax breaks, and kick backs. Blah blah. Take a look at big oil. Most of our cost is taxes. So why is the government going to reduce what gives it solvency? Riddle me that, Batman.

Alternative energy. Yes, wind power is a good concept. But do you know how many windmills it takes to generate a kilowatt? And, how many of the proponents of wind power want a windmill farm in sight of their (chosse one) home, office, city, etc? Those things are ugly!!!

Enough pontificating. Want to solve the energy problem and oil prices? Build a new refinery. Non have been built in 26, yes 26 years!!! So when Katrina knocked a bunch of production offline, we have price spikes, because the other refineries still working in the country are running at full capacity. Doesn't take a genius to figure this out.

But a more permanent solution would be to have people use mass transit, carpool, ride bikes, or walk. Wait, that might mean some type of effort must be extended, so trash those ideas.

Healthcare? HA!!! Why must I pay the same rates at my job as a smoker? Why not make it like car insurance? Better health, lower premiums. This all gets me aggravated.

I actually had some type of witty post in my head, but I lost it, as usual. Guess I'll just go do some laundry and hope for a return to creativity.

Why do we feel this way sometimes?

2006-09-17T13:44:00.000-07:00

I just got in from work and decided to check my email. Long story short, someone I dated years ago is on the same email list as I am for cycling. Though we aren't really friends I read her post and was saddened by the death of her oldest stepson. I never met the kid (he was 18) and I barely know her husband, but I couldn't help but feel bad for them. Funny how something like this casts all the animosity aside. Not like we'll ever say more than hi if we ever cross paths, but it puts it into perspective what a waste of time disliking someone is after they're out of your life.

So strange. However, on to more exciting things. Well, to me anyway. I am slowly getting my fat self back into shape, as in October I have a bevy (how long I've waited to use that word in a post you can only imagine) of races. Not just the Tuesday Nighter and the Thursday night crits, oh, no, there are also some bona fide, mega-important races. I know you've got the whole seat, but you'll only need the edge...

It all starts off on Friday, October 6th. That spectacular evening at 520pm I line up for my first race of the evening in downtown Austin, in the 2nd St District. @nd and Lavaca is the area of the finish, though I have yet to find out the entire course. Later on at about 8 I do my 2nd race of the night. Both are 1 hour and both promise to be fast and fun. Hopefully I can get a bunch of coworkers to cheer me on. So mark your calendars, kids.

Then the next day I have the TX Road Championships. This will be hard, as it's age based, so I'll be in the 30 plus group. A bit daunting. Finally, on the 15th I have the TX Road Championships but it's done by racing category. There I have a slight chance. Very slight.

So, if you want to get sunburned or wet, go to a road race. However, if you're in the Austin area and want to see fast racing and be able to eat and drink alcohol while doing so, go to the Amli Downtown Criterium. That's it. Oh, and here's a pic of me suffering at Columbus, TX again. Just found it the other night.

Shut up and do something

2006-09-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit pissed. Let me get the most aggravating bit out of the way. Why is it that colored people get all pissed when someone refers to them as a nigger, then they turn around and call another black person a nigger? What isn't firing in their brains?

Here's an example. Kanye West has his song Goldigger, and uses the term "broke niggers" in it. Kanye, if you want to be respected when you open your mouth about politics, don't use the word nigger. It defeats your credibility. This leads to a much larger issue.

Until colored people stop using the term nigger, they won't get the respect they crave and deserve. Why respect people who freely use a term that is one of the most derisive in our language towards them? You don't hear Afghanis calling each other caffers, do you? Leonard Pitts has touched on this issue in the past. If you stop using nigger, do you suddenly sell out? If you do sell out, is that wrong to get a better life, home, etc? I don't get it. So I guess it's ok for Poles to call each other Polack, Ukrainians to use mongol (centuries old derogatory term) and the list goes on.

If that's the case, and it's accepted among the people it's directed to and coming from, why can't another race use those words? Why can't I use the word nigger to refer to a colored person? I mean, they do it to each other! So why get upset if someone from another race uses it? It must be ok, right? Oh, wait, I'm white, so it must mean I'm a racist, but if I were colored, it just means I'm colored. Makes perfect sense. To an idiot.

I raced this past Tuesday night. It was fast, I enjoyed it, and it rained. Rain means roads like ice here in TX, so a few miles from the end when my bike started to try and get out from under me, I backed off a bit and finished about 5 seconds behind the lead group of five. Not bad.

But the real point is a guy who was with us had a prosthetic adaptor on his left leg. It was from the knee down, and was a titanium or steel rod, with a plate on the bottom, and his cleat mounted to that. He was very fast, and a good rider. Turns out he had his leg blown off in Iraq, and was now out of the Army. He was upbeat, not bitter about it, and moving on. He was happy to be there, rain and all. He stayed in the main group once the rain hit, but I was impressed. At one point I put my hand on hs back to help him keep from letting a gap form ahead of him up a hill. He was upset, but I told him it was easier for me to do that than to use a bunch of energy to get around him, and I'd do it no matter who it was so it wouldn't upset the flow of the paceline. Later he gave me a shove and we both laughed.

This guy has every reason to be bitter, but he's not. He's got a lot of things to deal with and to overcome in the future. Next time you get pissed look at what your problem is and put it into perspective.

I'm actually thinking for once!!!!

2006-09-11T21:13:00.000-07:00

So Anna Nicole Smith's 20 yr old son was found dead. Weird. Of an apparent heart attack. Very odd. However, lest we get too giddy that this genetic strain be stopped, she has another child. So close... Seriously, though it is a tragedy. But it's almost like a Greek melodrama with her. At least with a Greek tragedy the show actually ends.

Let's see, Ohio beat UT this weekend. Personally, I can care less about football. But it sounds like everyone behaved, and enjoyed the game, so that's a good thing. Besides, now that UT is #8, if they can win a national championship it really would be something special. A bit of the underdog complex there. I like seeing the champion in any sport have to struggle a bit. It humanizes them, makes it more believable. Truth be told, I'm a huge fan of Lance Armstrong, but his last Tour performance was so dominating, it was kind of boring. He never really had to rally when the chips were down, because they never were.

So, with that segue, let me address some things baout the current state of cycling. I have found myself somewhat accepting that many top cyclists cheat with banned substances. Surprisingly, I almost don't care. This year the Tour was the most exciting in years, definitely the most exciting since 1989. Who's to blame? Us, the public. Like 10,000 Maniacs song Candy Everybody Wants, the athletes give us what we want. Drama, excitement, records being broken. Look what happened to baseball when the home run craze was going on. Same with football. Winning isn't enough for the public anymore. Winning with a superhuman performance is. Then we look away and say how shameful the behavior is, but we are the ones who brought the behavior to begin with. More drama is more money.

Even in a poor sport as cycling, where the season is 10 long months from early February through November, the drugs make more exciting racing. That means more fans, more sponsor money. Odd that cycling is the only truly free sport in the world. No one has to pay to see a race. More odd is the fact that in the ProTour, the top level of the sport, the major leagues, if you will, has a base salary for a cyclist of $38,000 for 2007. You read it right. A little over three grand a month to travel all over the world, live from a duffel bag, and spend an average of 30 hours a week on a bike in all weather. In a sport where a 2 year contract is still rare, it's all about what have you done for me lately. And the drugs ensure that something is done for many racers.

Last topic for tonight. It's 5 years since 9/11. We all know and remember. I'm ok with it, but last night we watched the documentary on CBS. I've seen quite a bit, and not much compares to my tours in the Army. But what gets to me is the fear in the eyes of those firefighters and police, and when the radio traffic got crazy, I could feel it. When things are quiet on the freqs, the situation is under control. When everyone's jamming the waves trying to get through, it's not good. For me, hearing the chatter and seeing the looks on the faces choked me up, for I could empathize. The men were scared, the officers were worried, and the anguish they felt will never go away. Part of me died all over again when I saw that, and I know those guys would give anything to get rid of that anguish.

Five years On

2006-09-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

Where were you on 9/11? I was 95 miles north, in Kingston, NY. A friend's brother was in the Pentagon when it got hit. I knew a person in the WTC who was killed. Everyone from my area knew at least someone who was.

Why did it happen? Well, there are many reasons as well as theories. Basically, it was a long list of factors. No one is entirely to blame, no one is free of blame. The CIA was hunting terrorists in the 90's, especially after the embassy bombings in Africa. Then the funding was cut, and the programs died. More of the same followed.

I think it's unreasonable for the American public to think that we do and should follow the rules when we have terror suspects in custody. I mean, if someone is captured in a firefight with US forces, and has tapes and letters connecting them to a terrorist organization, then why not torture them? They'd do the same to us. You need to bring a gun to a knife fight is all I'm saying.

Oh, and to anyone who thinks we didn't shoot down the plane over PA, examine the evidence. Find out what happens when a plane depressurizes quickly, or ask yourself how an F-16 couldn't get to the plane in time from the DC area after it was scrambled. Do the math, and then read the phone transcripts from the passengers who called the ground. Connect it all together and ask yourself what happened. An F-16 at nearly full throttle could easily have vectored in.

However, what have we learned? This is becoming a religious war. It will take generations to end if the hatred can be bred out. Don't hold your breath.