need to read this later
when my mind is right for reading

Chemical Brothers (article)

seen them several times
something about the Chemical Brothers
don't get me wrong I love the music.... but it is not that they are the best band making the music, but they are one of the best at what they do.....
and what do they do?!?!?!
they rock the house
the songs rock.... but that is only a fraction of the event
the sites
the sounds
the overpowering base where ear plugs are a must
base so loud that your lungs feel like woofers
ears ringing to wednesday
permanent damage if not careful
that is what I am talking about

I could see the Chemical Brothers next pass through town as an excuse to go out and shake my money maker

other music.... local music.... DC music
ESL
Fort Knox
THUNDERBALL

and on the other side of the musical "tracks"
Discord Records
on that same tip born from that same seed....
French Toast
Retisonic (a archive BLOG about Jason Farrell of Retisonic plus image)

DC CLUBS
9:30
BLACKCAT (the new and improved... okay... NEW!)
sure..... it is not the NEW BLACKCAT... but remember.... it is still the NEW 9:30 Club
you know what.... I know more about Romper Room at this point in my life than DC bars
so I will BLOG no further

the admission of guilt has been blogged about before
guilty as charged
I am a cyclist
as a cyclist I ride bikes, I have bikes, I travel by bike, I have bike clothes, I have bike gear
the bicycle is part of me
the bicycle is part of my life
cycling can often be a topic of converstation
cyclist have all been asked this question before at a party..... usually by a stranger..... "I am in the market for a new bike..... blah blah blah....."
well... in my many years of life this is a question that I have entertained with great energy, great care, and great time
at this point in my life I hate this question
been asked it before
answered it before
the answer tends to be forgotten before morning
the person who asked the question knowing that they are going to do whatever they want to do without any logic or reason....
without giving a care what some drunk stranger told them at a party or a bar
and
most of these people have no intention of making that purchase any time soon!
(if at all.)

so when I was asked that question last night I was glad that I felt comforable enough to let it be known that the question in question was not going to be answered unless it is asked in a bike shop with the credit card in hand

no, not so I get a commission
no, so that I know that my time, energy, and thought are not being wasted (again)

okay.... I have a drink to drink
then I have a bed to go to
and on top of all that I have to go to work tomorrow.... yes... on sunday
such is life being me

our preferred saturday morning routine

it is set on the mental calendar of every saturday of every month
but
it just does not happen that ways
as we all know things do not always go as planned
especially in the world of parents of two children under 4 years old

yet even with the obstacles and all the doubt we were able to make it happen
lisa was a few minutes late
she was late
but
she made it
and
even though my head hurt due to a hang over caused by a company party
I made it too

we each made it to our saturday morning yoga class at the ayc (ashtanga yoga center)

it was a good work out
I could feel the work out that I had
and
I could see the work out that lisa had

like the old Calgon ad......"yoga........ take me away"
(calgon...take me away? maybe you are too young)
it can be theraputic; yoga that is... calgon? I do not know
my intention is to do more yoga
lets see what I come up with

still very curious about Bikram
maybe that is what I need to get me to my desired race weight for this season

some people post....
some people blog about....
and
some people link to
"the music that 'they' are listening to"

well....
a good amount of the time I am listening to this
and trying to get my hands on some of this

hummmm
anything else on music?
yes.... but I will let you chew on those two links

Inaugural Scam Master Gets Laid

not sure if this is true..... but I do know that it is funny
I guess power is the only factor of seduction

not sure where it came from
but it made me laugh out loud
and
actual LOL
not an electronic version
let me see if it plays.....

it does play
stole it from HERE...Reality Sandwich

the SPIDERMAN additon was an after thought tossed in by SOOZ

I will not let my son Dean see Spiderman like this
it may shatter his image of his favorite web slinger

.

this is the type of thing that I like to check out while at home with my sons in my lap

CHEETAH CUB CAM
(halfway down the page)

Animal Sounds
(it is very old school web.... but Dean and I have played with this page time and time again)



.

strange world
this eWorld...
the World of the BLOG and the BLOGGER

just the other day I blogged on about various BLOGGERS who had been fired from their jobs for BLOGGING
well
went ahead today to read some more of their postings
when what did I find?
I found that one was Blogging about the other!
Very Odd!
tried making a comment.... but did not want to jump through the hoops needed to do so

Queen of the Sky



was blogging about Leta's hot mom Heather with the clever sense of humor
(as well as what may be the most organized BLOG I have ever encountered)


both worth checking into
not just because they are cute blondes
but
because they are cute blonde bloggers!

*I hope that Leta's hot mom's husband jon has a sense of humor and does not come 2/3 across the country to kick my white ass for blogging about his wife

Although it does not happen often
it makes me happy when it does

so I sat down after a long day okay... not a long day just a average day which in this stage of life can be long rich but long....

let me back this up a bit....

so after waking up at 7:15 with dean and grant as Lisa tried to leave off for work
then walking the dogs as Soledad took grant along with her to drop dean off at his daycare/school
on the bike for a short several zip code urban commute.... that is not very far
a day of work where there was some stuff that need to be done and was done
enough was done that I was able to get out of work a few minutes early
even with the threat of rain in an already moist and muggy day
it was just too warm to pass up the chance to get a few miles on the bike
with the ground wet there are no dirt options so I figured I could just pedal
no matter where or how far
more about duration
a great way to shed the day
30 minutes is not enough.... an hour and the mind starts to loosen... and every minute after an hour is medicine
so with maybe too much gear for a dangerously warm day that leaves me asking...
"is it a nice day or is it global warming"
not sure but I think it may have broken 70 degrees
muggy in January? go figure
so I rode
nothing dramatic.... nothing great
just pushed the Rocky Mountain Blizzard, knobbies and all, up north along the Potomac on the Capitol Crescent Trail
a trail that I am familiar with in its previous form of a railroad
up to Bethesda Avenue in downtown Bethesda
right by the Air Rights building
AOPA..... the Air Rights Building.... a building build over the tracks with "air rights" .... my Tom Sawyer stomping grounds
where I crushed pennies, hopped the train, and even had bonfires
foolishly massive bonfires
bonfires in downtown Bethesda under the air rights building?
stupid? yes.
big deal?
yes!
maybe my stupidity was equally balanced with luck
well..... that was an age before we measured days by terrorist threat levels
turned around and took the same trail back from Bethesda to Georgetown
all downhill... well nearly
considered peeling off the unneeded gortex shell pants
I was warmed up and it was warm out
perhaps I was overheating... sweating and soaking
but I did not want to be bothered
just pointed it down
like that old train I pushed it down that hill only slowing slightly as I crossed the two sets of streets
finally onto the bike path at Rock Creek Parkway for the final stretch only to take the shortcut through the zoo rather than the climb at Porter St. or Park Rd. that I had no feeling for at this moment
gritting my teeth as I encountered each lightless jogger and each lightless cyclist
fearing the worst for them and worse yet the worst for me
people with no helmet, no lights, no skill, and definitely no common sense
that makes for a dangerous scenario.... not tonight... but it will happen

got home to lisa about to feed the boys
I jumped right in
grant got more raisins and we shared a banana
everyone was eating raisins.... even the dogs... is that healthy? should dogs eat raisins
then the main course, raviolli
after dinner it was time for a shower
not a bad idea after a long day topped off with a grit sprinkling ride
so I climbed in first got all soaped up while I had dean start the night time routine
there were teeth to brush, clothes to change, and whatever to be put in the toilet
by the time Dean was done squeezing toothpaste everywhere, peeing on the toilet seat, and stepping on his brother hands....
I was done with the shower
the drain was plugged as Dean climbed in for a shower to bath transitions
only to be joined by grant after he gets a little shower time
no gymboree bubbles tonight
but the "keep it in the tub" rule was a reminder on my tongue
Dean loves to splash and play
at this moment he was filling and pouring water from container to container
a good game where he gets to explore all sorts of volume type measurement stuff
but.... he needs to be reminded to keep the water in the tub
lisa whisked grant away after some giggling and a scrub down
dean was entertained
I toweled dry and got dressed while he finished up he measurements and experiments
we then called my mother by his request so that they could talk about who knows what
he is only going to be this old once
so I figure I need to try and share him with his grandparents as much as possible
grandma seemed to enjoy the exchange
they talked about a variety of things including the sleep over he had this weekend past
three and a half and he had his first sleep over
they grow up so fast.... some faster than others
after a getting dressed I picked out some books and climbed into bed
well, climbed into bed after tucking Dean in and complaining that he was hogging the bed "in my space"
there I am beside him in that diminutive bed
using a variety of stuffed animals for pillows as I read him various classics whose titles slip my mind right now
it was late
I wanted the lights out
but Dean wanted to read some more
he wanted me to read to him
he wanted to read to me
I wanted to get something to eat
dinner had not happened for me yet
dean settled for reading to himself
I contemplated what there was to eat
considered getting something from the strip
there is some cheap Cheapie Chinese
some "mas excellente" Peruvian Chicken that is beyond "sobroso"
as well as few newbie hipster joints and all the classic Salvadoran places
Lisa needed some beer
so I leashed up the dogs for a walk up the block
there was not much time but I liked the challenge
it was nearly twenty minutes to 9
unsure if they sell carry out any later I had to move fast
but I wanted to pass by Tom's house to drop off some old clothes including a slightly worn Burley rain gear
out the back alley I took a left rather than right
went towards the new and soon to be locked private stairway shortcut
in my head I thought about the tenant I knew inside or the logic that a person walking dogs past their front door is like free security
then settled on saying good evening to anyone I passed
through the alley without meeting up with any of the 8 new condo tenants that now occupy the recently renovated concrete box that use to be apartments
onto Newton street onto Tom's porch
Roscoe and Brutus looked right past Hutch's wagging tail straight at the kittens
no time to knock
we have a deadline
no time to pee
no time to poop
no bag
SHIT!
brutus pooped
even after Lisa walked the dogs in the woods!
dam dog!
karma will kick in.... I am sure to step in poop five times for each time I fail to pick up my dog's poop
(normally I would scan the front porches for morning newspapers in plastic bags... no time for that)
no bag... this rain will wash that poop away
no raingear
well... I just dropped off some rain gear
but I can deal
march the dogs and tie them up out front of the Argyle Market within a less than appreciated old style apartment complex
a building well worth a step back to access
inside to grab a six pack of lisa's favorite, Sierra Nevada
can the shelves
I want it all
but do not give into the craving
as much as I want some cheetos
best I have dinner first
straight down park road
over the deck into the back door
straight to the fridge to grab some makings for dinner
two grilled cheese sandwiches and now some Wood Chuck Cider
feet up
wireless internet
television and nothing to watch
well
nothing to watch since I managed to catch an awesome animated feature on PBS
Still Life with Animated Dogs
it is worth checking out
look for it and set your TEVO
or for those without such technology
check your local listings and set your calendar on your Palm
no Palm?
get a sharpie and write it down on the back of your hand

after following that hot tip for that entirely original animated piece
take a look at this moving feature about a world class surfer
also on PBS, Rell Sun
almost guaranteed to inspire you and draw a tear

time to publish and post
finish this drink
and
go put my head on the pillow
good night


oh.....
what doesn't happen often?
it is not common for TV to offer something so entertaining
I must look for this feature again


an epic feature
maybe not everyone can appreciate it
it is worth checking to see if this magic could touch you
dog owners may have even a tad more interest
still life with animated dogs

.

Signature iPOD
(funny and cool)

.

.

Wok Boarding!




.

Blogging at Work....
to blog or not to blog... is there a question?
my life would be different without the BLOG
and
so would work

today I spent more time reading BLOGS then writing BLOGS
most of my time on GOOGLE searching the topic of people getting fired for BLOGGING AT WORK...

well... it is far more regular than I would like to think

women fired for BLOGGING about work

Delta Flight Attendant Blogger

now an BLOGGER ADVOCATE

the images that got her fired

Coffee.... Tea... or......

an article she wrote

more local less west

this women got fired from her job on Capitol hill

apparently she was sleeping around and blogging about it

sex scandal blog on the hill

some images of Jessica of the Sex Scandal Blog

and her BLOG

she scored a book deal to write about her writing about her scoring on Capitol Hill

in the UK this guy got fired

this mom got fired from her Web Design Job for her BLOG

she is a yummy mummy and funny too!

and

mom finds out about BLOG

the onion

and totally unrelated

cool tools

and

more cool tool reviews at WOOT

As important as THE BLOG may be to my day to day experience
it is not nearly as important as THE JOB
with that said....
back to work
-bye-

this is a classic.....
one of the early PIXAR SHORTS

I snagged this off the old VELORUTION
here is to the NEW VELORUTION!
this site is a bicycle blogger's must
some do it for the images
some do it for the information
some do it for the links
there has to be some reason for you to do it
do it
and
do it often

you will thank me

sometimes superficial changes effect us on a deeper level

cleaning the work area, the tool bench, or the garage can allow for more freedom and desire to work and tinker on bikes

changing the template on my blog got me to care enough about my BLOG to clean up and update my FRIENDS and LINKS as well as go back to the HALO SCAN Comments rather than the Blogger Comments..... which I think was causing a hindrance to the desire to comment

with all that said I rode my Rocky Mountain Blizzard to work today
this was a bike that I raced for years and reserved for riding and racing on dirt
since I moved to the 29 inch wheel bikes I find less enjoyment in the 26 inch wheel bikes
but I dread my Cannondale Commuter although I love the fenders and functionality
just hate the ride

STEEL IS REAL

I want to lose the feel of ALUMINUM

so rather than letting the Blizzard collect dust I pulled the beast out of the garage and put it back on the road
it was a joy to turn a wrench for a bit
everything was set up pretty tight so it was just a check for confidence more than anything
or at least nothing drastic
then air in the tires
as well as trying to swap out the pedals, well, pedal, not sure why one pedal remained
and the one that remained
remains because it can not be removed
so I found an semi-matching Shimano SPD when I was trying to upgrade to my new TIME pedals accepting that I may need to either get that crank in a vise or buy a new crank arm

it is not that cold and not that far into the weather and I am already burned out in the local loops that I am able to fit in on my pre and post work rides
I miss dirt
the freeze then thaw and mist, fog, and rain are all keeping things from drying out
warm weather seems nice
but
frozen does have its advantages
with the short days night riding on hard pack frozen is something that I crave
switching bikes is a good idea
it was more fun
a tad less than inspiring
a new or different bike is what I need
maybe a new cross bike that actually fits
it would give me all that I need out of a road bike
make me feel fast when I am actually slow
and then when next year's cross season comes along I will have a refreshed feel for the cross season
my Jamis Nova is a nice little set up with the after market Paul's Levers and Spooky Brakes
but
the frame is way too small
it was used with its original parts.... the price was right and I was still riding 26 inch mountainbikes so I was confused about fitting
the step up to 29ers has altered my fitting perspective across the board
oh... did I forget the TUFO Tires
maybe I just need a frame?
okay
I may think about that.... maybe a Surly or maybe even a little more for a Ridley
then see what it would cost to have CITY BIKES do the break down and set up of the old and the new
I love to work on my own bikes
but two things
I lack the time
and
I lack the time
okay a few more things... when swapping out parts from one bike to another it is never as easy as just one trip to the bike shop looking for a specialty part....
rinse and repeat
so..... it is a long shot
but I need to try and sell my Football Cards.... Baseball Cards..... and unload some stuff..... some random bike stuff
a few bikes
I have my Kona Huma Huma Nuka Nuka Apuha ah.... which would make a great poor man's single speed... rides like a tank!
then my old trek commuter...... which I have thought should be retired.... was thinking of getting some drastically reduced christmas lights and doing a tight wrap of lights around the whole frame and put it on the roof of the house... not for christmas.... but for life
the of couse the Cannondale.... which would be a good bike even just for parts
seems like time to get out the digital camera and take a trip to eBAY
eBAY a place I have never been
eBAY a place I have been scared and hesitant to go to
eBAY is like VEGAS to me.... I fear that I would like what Vegas has to offer
it is dangerous to like vegas

maybe the idea of a new bike would inspire me to want to ride more
or maybe I should clean my garage and work area
get my shop set up in the basement so I can finish building up that bike for my wife and that old Bennotto frame that I have been dragging around my life for years
never ridden.... just dragged
not sure if it was a trade or I won it in a poker game
and my memory goes back a long time
that is how long I have been dragging that thing around for

I fear the time commitment of the whole eBAY effort
I am excited about the opportunity for the experience

did I mention that my 20th high school reunion is this year
I don't feel old
am I old?
are people who celebrate their 20th high school reunion old
when you are 17 you think you are too cool to ever care about a thing like a reunion
well when you are 37 the whole idea means something different?
the main thing is I need to plan
and I will have to get a babysitter

(okay..... no need for a babysitter...... just as I have no desire for me to be dragged along to lisa's high school reunions..... I do not want to put her through that.... and honestly... I feel it would make more sense to mix, mingle, catch up, and yuk it up.... there will be a few pictures of the family in my wallet)

cct or the cct of fc va

okay I bag on virginia and all
but I must give them credit on their park systems
I don't know enough about it
but I would use my uneducated opinion to say that their perspective and actions with their parks are progressive
there are definitely things about suburbia
I am a big fan of public parks
whether they be for skateboarding or basketball
dc is coming around slowly
I wonder if a mountainbike park could ever be in our future
it just makes sense
maybe the NPS would offer some land in DC along the C&O Canal down by Fletchers
there are already many trails for illegal fishing and netting
and the area is on such a decline maybe some intentional preservation may be to its advantage
okay that is unlikely
but I do see some trips to VA in my future
WAW most definitely
sure I missed the CX Race this season past in Fiarfax
but I will be pulling into the lot of the Water Mine with my boys this summer!
I had heard DT digitally ramble on about the CCT... but I had no idea what he was talking about

CCT

this drunken ramling was inspired by graham (worth a look)

QUE ES ESTE?
donde estas me musica moderna?

hasta luego WHFS
la posta

bueno idea!

for the single speeder that has everything...
well... everything except for gears




find it here
buy it at your local shop!

Street Closing for Washington DC Next Week.....

good things to know for those going crosstown for reasons of protest or other....
(other being something other than support... I can not imagine anyone would go down for support)

Washington Post Map and Description of Closings

New Template....
so I tried a few different templates
there was a funky one with some hip and color multicolored dots
thought maybe I could fool people into thinking I was the first METROSEXUAL APE!
it had a good feel to it
but.... it did not display correctly on my MAC
tried in both IE and NETSCAPE
so
this morning I tried a few other templates
settled in on this one
I like the text entries to be on a white background as it makes it more clean when I add an image that is on a white background

okay
enough with that post
let me get the COMMENTS from Halo Scan back up and going
and people can send me their links and perhaps some other well needed advice on how to make my BLOG a better place to visit

thanks

oh.... lee..... I checked out that Football/Baseball card site.....
still not sure what to do
do you know of any bike shops that will let me buy bike stuff with old Baseball and Football cards?
that would be most easy
just cut out the middleman!

THIS IS SOME HOT NEWS FROM APPLE!
if I didn't have an iPOD the iSHUFFLE would be perfect for my needs
apple.com

okay.... to quote my friend dave
"I am tempted... I am really tempted"

some things I may never out grow......
or at least
I will never grow up
(I hope)

so i am going up New Hampshire Avenue just north of Dupont Circle
this is a post work ride after working late
last night I worked late and did an hour plus ride which got me home late
leaving lisa holding both boys after a full day of work
so she will have two kids and have to walk two dogs
and then
make sure everyone is fed and entertained
just putting two kids to bed can often take more energy than a full day of work
and yes.... this process is always done at the end of the day... everyday
it is spectacular
luckily it is cumulative
if you do it well
it keeps going well
but things change
just as you get in a groove with a system
then the kids outgrow that stage and it is onto something new


brb

so where was I when I got all side tracked to the split screen
me on one side on my bike on New Hampshire Avenue headed north just past Dupont Circle
while lisa is on the other side of the screen with two boys under three years old
and two dogs over 55 pounds
now we concentrate on the left side of the screen
the screen with a dark sky
the red tail lights and the white head lights of rush hour traffic
city streets with city lights
even a few houses still lit up with a little stale christmas spirit
while taking in the sites and dodging pot holes and taxi cabs I approached a roadie
he is long and lean
even from behind I recognised the rider
the bend of the back
the tappering of the legs to those skinny ankles with those long feet
a lifer
a lifer on the streets working the bike
and
a regular for the Rock Creek culture of long weekend road rides (of which I have never participated)
I know who he is
he has no idea who I am
he was a messenger long before I did my time on the streets some many years ago... many many years ago
they call him Stuttering Mike
not sure if that is what they call him to his face
but when people refer to him he is not just Mike
they make it more clear by describing his stuttering speech
we are rolling at a mellow pace
moving
but at a mellow pace
mine a little faster than his as I have caught up with him without intention..... just going my way
I turn and smile and tell him that I have no intention of racing... that I am just riding
he looks over
I tell him that I know that I am no match for him
mike must have misheard me and asks in a stutter if I want to race
I say no... as I know he would beat me
sure maybe I could beat him on dirt I express
but I would never expect to beat him on the street
then I confess the short length of my commute
sure I have no idea of his destination
but the mile or two up the 16th Street hill along side of Malcom X Park is not a measure of much
so our conversation goes that way
he is friendly enough
then he says... "I gotta go"
with a sort of a tone that is like... now is where I kick it up a notch
I look down at his rear cluster..... some sort of little straight 7, 8, or 9
with the chain already in the big ring up front
I too was in the big ring
with a crunch a crack and a skip he was in a harder gear
without changing a gear but picking up my cadeence I move forward faster with him
another crunch crack and skip I look to the pavement with my helmet mounted headlight I scanned for parts of his cassette or even his frame
that noise was not good
with a silent push of a thumb lever and a quiet move of the deraileur and the chain and I was moving forward faster at the same rate

well... seems on this day Mike was without his 'get up and go'
or perhaps he did not want to test that chain
or who knows.... maybe he did not care about some FRED lit up like a CHRISTMAS TREE was moving up the hill faster than him
unable to control myself I mistakenly take his friendly goodbye as a little bit of a challenge
so I hung in his shadow
not in his draft
just over to the side a bit at the same rate
never so close as to risk any collision
always giving him enough space for him to redecide his course and his path
always concerned with my safety and his
always more concerned with my safety which dictates my next move

up New Hampshire we take the same wrong way on a one way
right past the Freedom Market (the beer store on the corner)
then we meet the intersection of 16th and U Street
to make the light and not get creamed I have to sprint ahead
Mike is in a different zone... like a kayaker relaxing in an "eddy" the cars move like rapids around him
all the while expecting him to pass me within the next blocks I drop my pace from the sprint to a more rational fast hard grind as I move to the sidewalk along side the tall walls of Malcom X Park
we have done this very dance before
only this time he is not there
times before I have seen him just over my shoulder making the pass on the road as we take the hill
but
on this day he stays back
by this time the cold was joined by rain and snow
stuttering mike was somewhere unseen... no lights and out of sight
I make no effort to find him behind me
my focus is on not getting hit
and not running into the Spanglish officer in Mount Pleasant
soon enough I am home
unsure if Stuttering Mike is still on 16th Street working a long cold grind in the snow home
or if his house is as close as mine
who knows he may have turned off headed to a friend's house or turned around to grab a chilly one at the Freedom Market or any one of the many bars in this tragically hip area
either way
it was nice to make contact with a familiar face
even if I am a stranger to him

okay

I need to figure out some of this HTML Crap.....

tomorrow I will add the HALOSCAN Comments
and
try to get my links back up
and
update my links
have been meaning to do that for a bit
and
yes
of course
get my GWADZILLA name/title back to CLYDESDALE SIZE

GOOD THING I DID NOT WORK TO FINALIZE THIS AS MY TEMPLATE
THIS CRAP DOES NOT DISPLAY ON THE MAC
IT IS A WHITE BACKGROUND WITH JUST A FEW COLORED DOTS
guess it is back to the template board tomorrow

FOOTBALL CARDS and a few random BASEBALL CARDS

last weekend before my Volcanic Eruption....
okay it may have been the underground nuclear testing that woke the sleeping volcano....
I was greeted at my father's house by a a stack of shoe boxes with my FOOTBALL CARD COLLECTION along with some random Baseball Cards

I have not gone through and organized all of these cards
time has treated them well
they are all pretty much in the condition I left them in
if they had a dog bite in them 30 years ago.... they still have a dog bite in them
most of them are package new
the scent of bubble gum has long been lost
but they are still unfaded and pretty crisp

now here is my problem.....
I want to sell these cards for as much as possible with as little effort as possible
any tips?

and please do not say eBAY
I have avoided another electronic addiction
okay.... say eBAY if that is the best option

Map Game
for those that love to ignore life's responsibilities....
MAP GAME
give it a shot
I got 86%
but I feel that some of the states earlier on would have aided other accurate placements

let me know how it goes

enjoy

oh
BTW
this was sent to me from my friend at ETJB BLOGSPOT

Scripting Our Own Misery

in life we most often have no one else to blame for the state of affairs other than ourselves...

weight problems
bills
crappy job
go down the list.....
in most each and every case we created that situation
we are after all THE MASTER OF OUR OWN DESTINY
if we do not like the situation we can change it
it may not be easy
but we can change it

this could never be more true than as a parent with kids
sure kids are going to be individuals and have different personalities
but
for the most part most of what the children do is a product of our guidance
bedtime
eating habits
their ability to clean up
a child's ability to dress themselves
you name it
the parents are partially responsible for the direction in which each habit goes
or if the child never learns such things

some children are easier than others
some children just fit right into place
and
some children need a little more "corralling" (herding?)
while I am sure there may be a child out there that just does what is told..... but that child is not in my house

in the end.... it is up to the parents to guide that child into the most healthy direction

this new generation of parents has its flaws
in an effort to be better parents than the generation before us
we often do too much for our kids
well.... that is combined with our fast paced lives with our deadline agenda
we rush over and help them with their socks
we pull up their pants after they pee
we help them with their shoes
sure it is faster that way
but wouldn't it be better to slow down and let them do it at their pace
yes.... but we do not always have time
so we tend to enable a child's helplessness
if someone else wanted to wipe my ass..... I would most certainly give up the task!
(any takers)

as a parent I am trying to give my two boys more space
allow them to play with the toys how they want to play with them
they have their own agenda
try not to intervene in everything
sure I want the Thomas the Train track to do a loop... that is what makes most sense to me
but.... that just may not be what Dean is working on at the time

okay.....

there was no mention of bikes or bicycles
sorry....

for those without kids.... print this blog out
cross out kids and insert your type of pet; dog, cat, fish, or snake
and it may make more sense to you

and to those with a need to read about bikes.... go down to the previous rant

SURLY BLOG
so I was having a little email correspondence with one of my bicycle freak friends that got me hooked on this BLOG thing, Cross Tim, when he mentioned the SURLY BLOG.... asking if it was a site that I ever visited.... of course knowing that I have two Surly Karate Monkey's and that I am an urban cyclist with a love for dirt.

yes... I had been to this site... but it had been a while
time to go back

so I did a GOOGLE

GOOGLE got me there, but rather than going straight to the surf spot that was my intended distinating I did a little right click on one of the other links and opened up some random BLOGGER's page where he was ranting on about something called BLOG EXPLOSION

he was artful and clever in his wonderful rant that bashed and destroyed this concept of the BLOG EXPLOSION
a BLOG CONCEPT that I had never heard of
his metaphor for high school was not as close to the pulse of things as his observations on BLOGGERS thenselves and why they BLOG and some of their BLOG AMBITIONS

I thought about the blog
and how
the blog can be many things to me
the blog can be an outlet
the blog can be a way of communicating with others
the blog can be a way of keeping a journal and a document of my ever changing life
the blog can be a compulsion with minimal pleasure
the blog can be creative
the blog can be informative
the blog can be many things
the blog is many things
the blogger is just as complex (or just as boring as the case may be)

this blog is a way of killing time
time I just ran out of

oh... so here it is
that artful rant (well worth a look)
and the artful rant guy looks like he gets points by me going to the link from him
points... marriage works on points
I think my time would be better spent earning points from my wife
rather than earning points from BLOG EXPLOSION (which is also an interesting concept.... but does not seem to be my thing... it may not be what I am seeking)

just recently my friend SOOZ busted me for sending her an email that was more a plug saying "READ MY BLOG" rather than actually saying hello

okay

I think I am going to brush my teeth and hit the hay
way past my bedtime
well my sensible bedtime
when right on time for my foolishly late bedtime

will have to read the SURLY BLOG at work tomorrow as I get into my work groove

Birds in Flight.....

I have blogged about it before
but
feel like I can blog about it again
blogging is sort of like an online converstation
we all know that we have our preferred topics for parties
we like to go with stories that are tried and true
well
this story is not tried, but it is true


watching the film WINGED MIGRATION could not help but bring back some epic experiences on the bike while riding down the C&O Canal
it does not happen often
but when it does
I am more than happy to be there in that moment
there are times when the sound of my wheels on the sandy surface of the topwpath along side of the canal spooks a bird or a flock of birds but most usually it is a Great Blue Heron
when the Great Blue Heron is spooked and just happens to flee in the same direction it can often become something magical
on a handful of occassions the bird has taken flight only to slow its wings and glide
there I have at my side a bird soaring gracefully at my side
with the bushes, rocks, and trees passing like a rolling canvas backdrop
along with the mirror like water benieth the out stretched wings of this massive bird
it really enhances that feeling of flying that cycling offers a child but as an adult we manage to forget
somehow it is a sight that effects more than just that one sense
it turns into a full body experience
sometimes longer than others
but always epic no matter the duration

still don't know what I am talking about?

check out the site for http://www.sonyclassics.com/wingedmigration/home.html

shit
enough with this blogging crap
time to leave work
bye!


back from a post work spin on the Cannondale Commuter.... a bike I hate but still ride daily

this post started at work
and is being finished here at home

what is so special about that whole moment with the bird in flight is that it is such a chance dance with nature
something stumbled upon
not something so easily created
and tonight proved just that

moments after earlier sections of this post were published at work I left out on my bike
thought about going straight home but figured I needed at least a half hour to lose the day
as well as trying to shed some of the residual side effects of last night's volcanic erruption
unsure where to go I headed through georgetown cutting the lanes of the last bit of rush hour traffic
uninspired by thoughts of the Mt Vernon trail to the airport and back I directed myself towards the Capitol Crescent trail
in an effort to avoid too many stairs I rode on the towpath along the C&O canal
no more than a quarter mile into my canal ride I saw a great blue heron doing a little night feeding in the shallow waters of the now drained canal
with my headlamp I made an effort to spook the bird into flight
no luck
I kept the pedals going
then not even a mile later was another great blue heron
again I tried to spook the bird with my headlamp
the grand bird responded, but not with flight
but with just a few quick steps with its long lanky legs
again I kept the pedals going
accepting that such magical things are tough to be created
and that the specialness of such an experience is magnified by its seldom occurance

just two miles into my ride I felt the urge to drop my pace and turn it back
yet somehow I managed to push a few miles past Chain Bridge before turning it around

again my estimate was off
a 30 minute ride took me a tad over an hour
only to get home to a wife in the process of tucking our sons to bed
with a quick kiss hello
and a question of why I had to work late

nothing to say but I had to go for a ride

then I before the boys fell asleep
I got to give them my goodnight hello

this weekend I bought three DVDs

Winged Migration
double thumbs up
although it is not better than Baraka as my friend Rob tried to express to me

Napoleon Dynamite
also scores two thumbs up
original and fun
reminds me of myself
although Napoleon is a better dancer

Riding Giants
also scoring two thumbs up!
not quite the epic classic Dogtown and Z Boys
but definitely awesome
also not as good as Endless Summer
it is foolish to go around comparing each movie.... I should just let them stand on their own
I have been itching to buy Endless Summer and another Bruce Brown Classic; On Any Sunday*

*over thanksgiving weekend while in pittsburgh I did find that all best buy stores are created equal
there was a best buy that had all movies I could have wanted including those Bruce Brown films
the asiles were large enough to walk through
the DVDs were not all stacked up blocking each other
I am still not sure why I did not buy these films while i had them in hand... guess the first season of the ANDY GRIFITH SHOW distracted me

Aqua Pets....

not sure what these things are
BUT I LOVE EM!

AQUA PETS

grant got one of this from my sister marya for christmas
he may be young to understand these things
but
we love them just the same
I love them so much that I bought two more of them
put some VELCRO to the base of all three
and
mounted them on the dash of the Honda Element
so they are there to entertain us while we drive
and
can be removed for entertainment while we are on the road!

Dormant Volcano?
or just a overheating pressure cooker?
either way it was not pretty!

this weekend past was a weekend for which many weekends should be modeled
during the whole weekend many major bullet points were hit
all sorts of goals were achieved
the weekend was a major success.....
until Sunday night I FREAKED OUT on my family
more specifically I freaked out on my brother and my step mother

the long hike with Grant on my back with the dogs running free at Great Falls on the Maryland side combined with a night with Dean away on his first sleep over.... along with both Lisa and myself both attending Yoga on Saturday was not enough to keep me from having a total MELT DOWN at my father's house while we attended another get together for my brother's birthday

the specifics of the event are not to be shared
it was an embarrassing spectacle that I have already tried to repair
but more importantly
how do I avoid future melt downs?

guess more specifics would be needed if I really wanted any advice.....

well
no specifics needed as it was just stupid family bullshit
I will just have to credit the holiday season and all the times I held my breath finally built up and exploded

the day of the note on the windsheild may be behind us.....

times have changed and not for the better
there was a time when a person stuck to their word... when people could be trusted
people just did the "right" thing
it seems that those days are behind us
sure there have always been a few shifty or sketchy people
for the most part I tended to believe that people would choose right over wrong
not so sure that I am willing to expect such behavior from people of the modern age
at least in the city

the notion of a note on the windshield is behind us.....

it is funny
people will do things that they know are wrong.... they continue in that direction just the same
empathy is lost...
people do not behave in the fashion that they expect others to behave
it seems that most people are selfish and inconsistent

some time last week my wife's car was scratched
well, more that scratched... scrapped up pretty bad
a long deep indentation about three quarters of the length of the passenger side of her VW Passat wagon
the scrape started again after the rear wheel well
this person was most definitely driving with the braille method
they may have been deaf as well as blind as I am confident that such contact would have been seen, felt, and HEARD!

what makes things worse is that Lisa just had some body work done on her car two weeks prior
her car was looking pretty close to show room new...
until someone went ahead and pulled out the claw of Freddy Krugger and dragged their metal hand down her fresco green family wagon

what ever happened to the note?
this person must have known that this happened
no one can be that dumb to their surroundings
this is beyond an incidental tap of bumper to bumper
or
the unavoidable occassional opening of the car door in the cramped parking space
this is a case of HIT AND RUN
minor as it may be
it is HIT AND RUN just the same
as well as a complete avoidance of common courtesy and the right thing to do!

so what is the ethic these days?
well
there have been many presidents since the fable of George Washington and the chopping down of a cherry tree
since then the rules have been changed
Republicans and Democrats alike.... everyone is innocent untill they are caught
even once caught there is denial and denial and then some more denial
all until good lawyers and tricky language let them walk clean
it is up to the public or the prosecution to find the evidence of wrong doing
until then.... the behavior will continue

there is no justification
there is no rationalization
okay.... getting side tracked.... this rant is about us common folks and our day to day activities
not about the president's misleading the people about weapons of mass distruction or the definition of sexual behavior

if damage is done
those who have done the damage should pay for the repairs
the age or condition of the damaged vehicle does not effect the decision making process


let me put it like this....

if a man has a butt ugly wife.... is it okay for you to crack her in the lip and punch her in the eye?
she was ugly to begin with... what is a little more ugly?

so.... when the people hit my 1984 Toyota Landcruiser or my 1966 Chevy Nova before that...

these people should have left notes or at least some pocket change
they knew they were wrong
there was no justifying their actions
just cause they were old beaters did not mean they could beat them up some more
it was all of those incidental dents caused by noteless strangers that made my beaters so beaten up!
these cars too would be show room new if it were not for the whiskey dents and drunken frat boy mishaps that happened in the night as I slept and as my car sat parked on the city streets

most definitely there is a fly on the wall that could tell the tale of someone sheepishly leaving the scene of the crime

only problem.... I don't speak fly

just because your car was hit and no one left a note
does not mean that when you hit some poor soul's car that you get to flee the scene
as your momma told you.... "two wrongs.... blah... blah.... blah.... blah!"
such actions perpetuate the cycle
and
end up punishing not the person who hit your car some time ago... but the person whose car you hit

on several occassions when walking my dogs I have had the glory of witnessing such an act
a crappy driver with a crappy car and a crappy sense of ethics
with their car that is all fucked up from their inability to drive
then they try some basic three point turn that turns into a t-bone into some poor smucks parked car
they get out
and leave a dummy note
usually a piece of paper without a scribble
in which case I take out my pen and write the correct information in the place of their disappearing ink

sometimes KARMA is not immediate enough
sometimes KARMA needs a little push

do the right thing....
leave a note
if you are lucky it will rain and the ink will bleed
or use your worst chicken scratch hand writing
or
do exactly what you would want someone to do if they hit your car....
and
you know that is not to just drive away!

enough with this crappy as rant for now....

okay
as I wait on hold for this call I will FLASHBACK with this story....
remember this occurred 20 years ago and I was not the one behind the wheel!
and that I am less than perfect

one night as a senior in high school I was out for ice cream after a night of drinking
or
perhaps out for ice cream during a night of drinking
either way there was drinking and there was ice cream
if I remember correctly it was a double date scenario
Les and I were out with two cute little preppy girls from St. Andrews high school, private school girls (les being a boy not a girl, although it would be a more interesting story if I were on a date with three girls... one of them named Les)
we were the not so bad public school bad boys
les had the very hot short brook shields type
while my meg ryan type was behind the wheel
everything happened pretty fast for a slow speed collision
as my meg ryan look alike slowly backed her car out of the space she managed to back right into a black BMW that was for some reason parked right behind her parent's Honda Accord
as easy as that
no loud sounds
no grand drama
she just backed into the door of this black car that could not be so easily seen in the dark of night
especially through the eyes of an inexperienced teen age driver with alcohol on her breath
the victim was irrate
he leaped from his car and started dancing around frantically
there were gestures and statements
and accent filled anger
when les and I got out of our car to try and calm him down
he rapidly got back into his car with the windows rolled up and the doors locked where he then wrote down the tag information and description of the Honda Accord
then he parked his car.... got out... shouted that he was going to call the police!
this was the age before cell phones... he went to the nearest pay phone
I know... hard to imagine

our minds raced

would we get expelled?
would we still get into the college of our choices?
what would our parent's say?
I am already grounded... will this be double secret probation?
is this evening over?
does this mean that there will be no late night "hook up?"

then les took actions into his own hands
les walked over to the BMW which was now unmaned
opened the passanger side door
reached in
popped open the glove box
and
then removed the paper that the tag information had been written on
humorously enough the information was written on the MVA Driver's Test handbook

with the tag information in hands the meg ryan type was back at the wheel and cautiously driving away
just four blocks away our sighs of relief became heart pounding panic as we saw the flashing red and blue of officer friendly
it was Chevy Chase's finest
as soon as the car stopped Les jumped out and said he would handle it
just in case those of us that remained in the car were all stuffing pennies under our tongues just in case we were issued breath-a-lizer tests
in moments Les was back in the car
being a Chevy Chase resident he knew how to handle the Chevy Chase Police
as it turns out Les had foolishly torn up the handbook and tossed it out the window
we had been pulled over for littering
not for drunk driving
or worse yet.... hit and run

another close call
another narrow escape

the specifics of the rest of the evening are not significant
but I will tell it this way....
yes, we did hook up.... and I was fantastic!

(just kidding of course... I am sure I was a foolish gentlemen that walked my date to the front door, maybe swapped copper penny flavored spit, then went home to Friday Night Videos and the Victoria Secrets catalog*)

*that last addition was put in there as I am more than confident that people have better things to do that read my BLOG and
when they read my blog
my antics in high school may not be what they are looking for

Final Words
every situation will have its list of excuses why leaving a note would be a bad idea
but
the final measure should be, "what would you want someone to do if they hit your car under the same or similar set of circumstances? would you understand or agree with their set of excuses and your having to pay for their mistakes?"
okay then....
do the right thing
leave a note
pay for the damages
or better yet
don't hit anyone else's car