sly has been out there for years

this guy has been out here for years
the cargo style bike is an interesting approach to the game
wonder how it is working for him
again
everyman has his story
any and all people have a story
the reason that photographs can be interesting is because the viewer triew to piece together a story
I like the bicycle riders stories
that is why I take pictures of the cyclists
I do not know the stories
but I do think the stories are worth knowing

java green

java green
the bicycle people love the java green
ya know what
gwadzilla is a mega carnavoir
and
gwadzilla likes java green
not just the green tea frappe
but the meatless meals
I have yet to venture to the world of protein under food names
but I like what I have had thus far
the portions are small
but maybe I need smaller portions

java green

canal ride

the c&o canal
an amazing under appreciated natural resourse
a resourse to be treasured for years to come

the canal itself was a failure
the result is fantastic
it could not have happened better
one hundred and eighty six miles of land along side of the Potomac river undeveloped
it is nothing shy of wonderful

the c&o canal has given me great pleasure in so many ways in my many years in the washington dc area
the canal itself was canoeing, fishing, and swimming
it was a place to skip rocks and a place to walk the dogs

the hikes in the woods that surround the canal have been nothing shy of inspiring
a lifetime of hikes
in my past and in my future
the trails are changing
a little too busy
a little too beaten
but the secret is out
the canal is an amazing natural resourse
only a fool would live along side it and not embrace it

a good friend of mine took a few days off from work with some of his riding chums
a semi anual canal camping trip
camping and biking

the weather leading into the trip was dry and warm
the weather took a change starting their first night and first morning
curious to hear the tales of the trail
better stories do not always mean an easier or better time

john shovelan rode cross country a few years ago
kept a journal along the way

c&o canal nps site

those are some shots of me with as I show my fixed gear project off to john after work one day
a gwadzilla post about riding the canal in a day
I think
I just googled it and scanned it

blue

blue bikes are nice
red bikes are fast

the style council
stolen from martino

that style council video is worth checking out
then again I am a cyclist wiht the style coucil on my ipod

some bikes waiting to go home

friday night... now

right now
friday night right now
what am I doing?
the obvious... I am blogging
blogging while watching some television
wanted to get a quick idea
need to get something down quick
thought I had something to say
but Ellen on HBO is too hilarious to only get partial attention

what was I going to say?

something about fun or funny
totally lsot my thought
partly due to ellen
partly done to the glasses of wine

it is friday night
someone slow me down
okay, let me go
it is friday night

so, today was a wonderful day in a mellow way
work was mellow
busy and steady yet mellow with some time for fresh air some time to kill
out of work ready for a ride
talk of rain drops do not slow my intentions down
warning from coworkers out the door
not made of sugar I have nothing to fear

down the road not even a block
the raindrops fall hard, yet intermident, the clouds saying more

gortex pants and windstopper jacket
full finger gloves warm enough for the rain
into traffic headed to Georgetown
clouds get darker
the odds of rain become more clear
the laptop in my pack's weight was not a good enough excuse
but rain on the laptop was the excuse I was looking for
a block into georgetown and I turned it around

the wind kicked up
I got more definite about my course
the most immediate way home
the bike path along side of rock creek parkway

I take a uturn on m street
I take a hairpin turn to get on the bikepath
in my turn I see a familiar figure
my mind runs an algorhythm
I stopped the bike and turn around to see if my mind had resolved the question
is that joe foley?
yes, it was joe foley

it was a bummer
we were headed home
the rain was coming
neither of us had time to ride or time to chat

so we pedaled towards home
we live in the same neighborhood
we live on the same street
so we pointed the same way and pedaled towards home

I had noticed Joe's bike
he was on his pretty red spot single speed cross bike
so I dropped it a few gears
also, wanted to chat rather than race
we rode single file only to drift parallel for a second or two
then back to single file
as we approached the Q Street bridge I pointed to the dirt path offering joe to ride along side of me on his bike
the strips of dirt are really too short
on and off the trail
gone before the thought in sentence form left my mouth

we rode at a pleasant spin
catching up
spitting out questions and answers as we moved closer to home

we cross a small bike path bridge over rock creek that headed to a short uphill to a fork towards the calvert street bridge or dipping through the tunnel towards the zoo in rock creek park
off the bridge I slowed for a jogger
but also slowed to make an approach to through the sand to the singletrack path up the hill
on my jamis nova cross bike in a gear easy enough to climb the hill
in the saddle I moved up the hill will a certain level of confidence
a certain amount of pleasure and thrill

a few yards into a not so long hill I felt something to my side
as I passed a tree at the base of the hill what I felt became visible
joe foley was taking me on the grass
not on the path
not on the trail
joe was sprinting past me on the pathless grass
the new and improved joe foley had not let his heart rate raise
the new and improved joe foley did not break a sweat
not sure if the new and improved joe foley even had to get out of the saddle

it was fun to ride a little with joe foley
reminds me how much fun it is to ride with friends
makes me look forward to getting on the mountainbike
night rides and races are sure to offer some more of the same
which is not more of the same
it is one of the many things that I live for

joe foley

ellen was awesome
I think her delivery is amazing
her observations are fantastic
she has such charisma
I only forfieted a few minutes before the credits
on with larry david

oh,
speak of funny and tangents
today I saw Dick Gregory walking down the block
was with some friends
I recognized him from nearly a block away
a steady stroll revealed my recognition correct
as he passed we all gave a respectful hello
eye contact was good
yet his pace did not change
with eye contact still strong I thanked him for bringing Malcom X Park back to the people
it is a beautiful park
it is good to feel safe to visit beautiful parks in your neighborhood

he was gone as he arrive
not even off the block and there are more greetings
there are more waves and moving exchanges
he is a man of the people
being recognized and approached is nothing new

later that day a similar exchange with george stephanopoulos
but this is dc
seeing political figures in dc is like seeing movie stars in la or super models in new york

dick gregory
I really want to listen to some of his comedy stuff
let me take a break from blogging and see if I can hear some of his old school comedy
okay... maybe that image of that endorsed diet product is my effort at comedy

april issue of SPOKES magazine

I may have mentioned that I have taken over the SINGLETRACK column in SPOKES magazine
this month I wrote an article about the Bicycle Blog, go with what ya know

I read a statistic that said something to the effect that six out of ten Internet users do not know what a blog is
well, I am not sure if this article in SPOKES will do anything to change that statistic
but hopefully it will turn a few cyclists towards the way of the BLOG
more specifically; THE BICYCLE BLOG

we are quite a subculture within an already unique subculture

the purpose of this post is to list the links that I put in the column to try and direct people to the blogs I mentioned in the article

www.jeremiahbishop.com
marla streb
martinos bike lane diary
www.velorution.biz
Up In Alaska
Bicycles and Icicles
bikeportland.org
washcycle
bikecentric.blogspot.com
fatmarc
mightyspotbrand.blogspot.com
goclipless.com
bluecollarmtb.com
singlespeedoutlaw.com
gundog99
bicycleblog
bikeblogs.blogs.com

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/
http://bikecentric.blogspot.com/
www.dcmtb.com

hope I did not forget anyone
and to those not mentioned in the article...
sorry.... I could not mention every blog that I wanted to mention

blogs

arleigh's blog
arleigh's blog at work

another shot of Daniel Webster

here is another shot of the statue of Daniel Webster and the people that camp at the concrete base
still wondering where those bikes came from
is it wrong for me to wonder?
am I a bad person for thinking someone out there is missing a bike?

I guess my thoughts are one thing...
saying such things another...
and blogging about it... another thing all together!

like a pro

yesterday I put aside the novelty of the 30 year old colnago fixed gear and pulled out the old jamis nova cross bike
green for pink
not for cross riding
just for the commute
the ride to work was nearly direct
while the ride home offered a little more

the sensation of a freewheel/cassette/free hub felt un-natural
a few weeks on a fixed gear had changed my sense of how a bike should feel
in the initial moments of the ride I felt as if the bike were broken
my legs felt un-natural as they were not forced to circle with the speed of the rear wheel
I was allowed to coast
I was allowed to back pedal
I actually dismounted and took a look at my rear wheel for what could be causing this sensation
everything seemed to be in working order
a little gritty... but working fine

a few moments in traffic
across the key street bridge
then onto the mount vernon trail towards the airport
there was not much time to fit in a ride between the boys bedtime and my working late
but I most certainly was going to try

the variety of gears and the varying speed was fun for me
the confidence cornering felt good
the abiltity to ride no handed was a novelty

with the monuments of washington including the washington monument just across the potomac river to my left I worked my way through the post work traffic on the multi-use trail
bicycle commuters moved in both directions
I passed a few riders going the same direction as myself
I yelled "joker" into the face of all the cyclist that played chicken with me as they passed the trail users in their way
I had to slow for them.... they should have stopped for me
idiots
there were runners, joggers, and walkers
daylights savings time had given us more light in the evening
but that light was nearly gone
most of these runners would certainly be moving in the dark before they got home
the geese were not blocking the trail

it was the standard multi-use trail experience
not the best place for riding fast
certianly not the place for a racer to do their training
but... a great place for a bicycle commuter to move without contending with traffic
I may have been going too fast in some situations
but not as fast as some others
and more safely then some of those that were moving more slowly

the ride went without much hardship
I pedaled past the airport to the wooden boardwalk that fed into old town alexandria
made a turn around
passed head on all the cyclist that I passed on the way up
got to see the front of the runners who I had previously seen the rear
nothing worth mentioning
nothing worth a second look

I felt good on the bike
the legs were not complaining neither were the lungs
maybe I was not pushing it hard enough
as I rolled along I checked my watch
as I calculated my time on the bike I started to stress about the season ahead
thoughts of lack of long miles irked me
thoughts of time away from dirt caused more stress
the thought of my first race of the season at the end of the month seemed daunting
I pedaled on

as I approached the park by the airport filled with gapping tourists I slowed my pace
the movement of these people lacks all logic and basic sensibilities
people stand on the bike path when there are football fields after football fields of open space
as I anticipated the movement of the idiots ahead I noticed something on the ground
MONEY
cyclists see and find many things in their travels
I slowed then looked back to see that it was clear before I made my turn around
I made my U-Turn button hook on the grass then went back for the money

I could see that it was a twenty
well, worth turning around for
in my mind I had hoped that it was a wad of a cash
maybe a cab driver had dropped it as they went to use one of these Porta-Johns in the park
like Charlie reaching for a the candy bar anticipating the golden ticket I went for the bill
just as I went to grab the money a cyclist who I had just passed passed me
sure I was in the middle of the trail
sure he thought I was an idiot or an asshole
there was money involved
it made sense to stop

it was just a single twenty
I slipped the money under my shorts, clipped back into the pedals, then continued riding

great when I go riding and come home richer than when I left
like I had been paid to ride

got home and stripped out of my sweaty yet not soaked gear
the money fell to the ground
a smile took over my face as I was reminded of my score
money for nothing
gotta love that!

blogging about such a simple experience definitely makes me a fred

two soap boxes

on my lunch break I was scanning some old favorites
catching up on some biker blogs that I had not been to in a while

went to Kerry Litka's page and went through some of her rants
in one of her rants Kerry gets up on two soap boxes as one is not enough
it is good to see one of the smallest mammals on earth stand up for one of the largest

I too am sadden by people's apathy for the state of the world and the future of life on this planet
although I do not drive a hybrid

more homeless people with bikes

here is another image from downtown washington dc
more homeless people
more homeless people with bikes
those bikes look a little shiney....
makes me wonder...

there is an interesting thing about the homeless
they can live on the streets and set up "camp" in the park
but everytime I every tried to camp for a night in an undesignated area
or in a camping area that happened to be closed for the off season
I ended up getting run out my "the man"

I try to be compassionate

do I need these LED THROWIES for my next night relay mountain bike event?

another set of images

while his story remains unknown to me
today on my morning ride in the light rain I saw this man in the same spot
his gear was covered with tarps
he was using that same umbrella
not to shade himself from the sun but to protect himself from the gentle spring rain

need an excuse to hate SUVs more?

the teen idles had a song "deadhead"
where they went on about how they hated deadheads

this Chevy Tahoe Ad takes it one step further
die hippie die?

the future of the planet should not just be a hippie/deadhead thing
but if you read my blog
then you already know that

okay... it looks like you can create this yourself
this was not a Chevy created ad... but a consumers toying around
but... pissed me off just the same

everyday street scenes

some everyday street scenes
well... other than that crane
those are a lot of wheels to watch out for

everyone has a story

I wonder what this man's story is

lessons in civility

our world is on some sort of collision course

if we can not inject people with empathy
then we need to find a way to educate the generations to come how to behave appropriately
by appropriate behavior I am not talking about using the correct fork when eating your rice pudding
no... I am talking about our behavior when we interact with other people
sure holding the door open for a lady is nice... but I am talking about going one step further

children learn from their parents
I can see that the parents do not know what they are doing
so, society needs to take control
PSA? is that our best chance
because the speeding soccer mom on the cell phone is already breaking a few too many rules to try and instruct their child how to behave

get the jesus fish off the bumper
throw the yellow ribbon into the trash
all of these ideas mean nothing if you can not behave in public
if you are going to run down the women in the stroller in the cross walk on your way to church
well, just don't bother going to church
as your actions counter act your yawning in your seat... attendance will not get you into heaven
it is actions, not your number of appearance at church

divers hate speed boats moving fast at the water's surface
rowers hate jet skiies making an unpleasant wake
yet each group can not see that they are just as unpleasant to another subculture

Johns Hopkins professor, Dr Forni, teaches a class in civility

PEEP SHOW

scotty... again

here is scotty again
I saw scotty this morning
not when I took this shot
but when I was riding across town before work
it was rather comical

scotty was in the right hand lane headed downtown
I was taking a left to drop something off at my son's school
saw scotty.... so I went against traffic towards scotty
he drifted to one side of the lane
I drifted to that same side
the blocks closed in as we each pedaled closer
this game of cat and mouse became a game of chicken as we got closer
as we came closer and closer I could see the frustration in his face raise
then... he recognized me
the anger turned to laughter
I turned around and we coasted in the same direction and talked
it was a short exchange
a nice exchange
it is always nice to see familiar faces and friends
traveling by bicycle grants certain freedoms that a car does not

bike lanes

Bike Lanes.... some great images from the BBC
stolen from carsrcoffins.com

twenty years ago I would have ridden my bike on the beltway before riding on a bike path
now, I extend my trip extra miles to get out on the path and away from cars
yet... the paths are not perfect

normally I do not care about the crumbling asphalt beneath my tires
the areas raised by roots and rocks do not bother me
yet when I tow my children in the Burley Trailer I get a grand idea of how imperfect these trails are
or even when I put aside the mountainbike or the cross bike and get on the thin tired fixed gear I can really feel this stuff
but... I am not crying out for trail repair
more than anything
I want more trail
I want more trails leading to different places
I want more trail so that the people who seek out these trails can be more spread out
on a nice day these trails get a bit congested
perhaps too congested for anyone to feel comfortable taking even a single speed with some off road gearing to a spinning pace
it is madness I tell you

okay...
a little trail repair would be nice
but... before we move to trail repair I think that there needs to be a bit of an education to the car commuter traffic that these trails are here
but since signs or painted lines are not getting the point across
there may need to be an option that changes behavior

spikes that pop up in front of the cross walk as a walker, runner, mother with children, or cyclist approaches would be nice
but this would not stop the car
the car would continue at the same pace above the speed limit through the cross walk flattening whomever or whatever happened to be in its way
the thought of a sniper in a tree is also good... but that does not stop the car either.... it will change future behavior... but we are trying to keep the users of the path safe as they intersect with car traffic

looks like we are falling back on old standby.... speed bumps and speed humps!

there are several points on Rock Creek Parkway where the bike path crosses the road
the cars moving along these stretches of road tend to be doubling the speed limit yielding to no man or womyn (as there is no man in woman)
so.... I say that there should be a speed some rumble strips starting 10 or 15 yards before the point where the path crosses the street
then
have the crosswalk raised... like a massive speed hump
the cars should be bringing down their speed anyway as most of these crossings are at off ramps
the runners, walkers, and cyclists could then let their heart rate be dictated by their work outs rather than the near death experience as some ignorant driver tests their ABS system and measures the height of their bumper to the human leg

just a thought
just a rant to now where as usual

in reality I do need to approach the folks at WABA to try and have bike lanes put in certain parts of the city

CNN on Famous Ray's

my brother marc emailed me a link to an article on CNN's web page about Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park

good to see Ray is getting some press
good to see that this mountain bike "field of dreams" is still alive and well

go ray go!

Ray's Indoor Mountainbike Park's Site

Wikipdeia on FAMOUS RAYS

poem from a stranger

wonder if I can recall the whole story...
well, the whole story is not vital
so here is the poem and an introduction to who the author was...

over a decade ago, in the early 90's
I had graduated from college, without honors
was living in a group house in Columbia Heights Washington DC
not sure what I wanted to do with my life
seeing my 22nd birthday rapidly approaching I knew I had to decide fast
was earning cash as a bicycle messenger, but knew that I needed to do more
so I packed up some stuff and rode my motorcycle cross country

it was an amazing trip that had me zig zagging across the country seeing things I had never seen before and many things I have not seen since
the roads took me from Washington to Washington then down the coast to San Francisco
staying with friends
camping in national parks
sleeping on the side of the road
once in california I migrated from couch to floor to couch to hamock in someone's back yard
all in various parts of the bay area

okay... the poem
I will get to the poem

short into my stay in the Bay area I found myself working doing construction for Smith and Hawkins
sleeping in a hammock at the base of Mount Tam in a new friend's back yard
before leaving I had the foresight to have a Cannondale frame that was being warrantied to be sent to a shop in Berkley rather than a shop back east
a frame I had never seen was built at the Square Wheel by a friend who wrenched there
so I arrived on motorcycle only to be greeted by a new bike with new parts

okay.... the poem
I will give you the poem

one night I was at the 2AM Club (The Duece as locals called it)
most nights I was at the 2AM Club
this little hole in the wall bar was at the base of the road that mountainbike greats like Gary Fisher used to hitch hike up so that they could ride their home made mountainbikes down dirt rather than going to school
it was a good little bar with a pool table and a regular clientle
I played pool, wrote in my journal, rubbed elbows with old cowboys, and killed some time before going to bed

one night I met up with a guy on a BMW who was doing some touring
we got to drinking... escessive drinking
like fools we got to some riding on our motorcycles
I never rode my motorcycle after drinking
well, almost never
then we got back to drinking
when back at the bar a third man joined us for some drinks and some companionship
he had just been released from prison and was making his way down to Southern California
in our talk he shared with me a poem from prison
I am not sure if the words were his or common words to prisoners looking out the window through those thick metal bars

lets see what I can recall

I think in ways of yesterday
with nothing better to do
than ride my bike... and something and something.... and drink a couple of brews

okay.... I forgot the rest

to a cyclist it was poinant
freedom
the greatest freedom there is... riding a bike
for commiting his crime this man was robbed of his freedom
his freedom to live and do as he chose
he lost a freedom to experience the freedom of riding a bike
those words and that notion is enough to keep a man honest

I will see if I can find my journal from that moment
paper journal
as the world was pre-Internet therefore pre-Blog
there was more to the poem then that

so many blogs... so little time

this morning as my son splashes in the tub behind me I scan the blogs
too tired to or too foolish to do this unaccompanied by coffee
I need coffee

checking out some blogs I have not been to in a while
totally forgot about the Bicycle Blog Coop of bicycle industry types

well, bicycle industry types and Tim Grahl check it out... DRINK THE KOOL AID

days off and days on

riding the bike is part of my life
riding bicycles is something that gives me great pleasure
as much as I love to ride and race
most of my riding is commuting
usually try to extend my commute one way
go longer before work or go longer after work
otherwise it is a straight shot under 20 minutes
20 minutes if I have to stop for lights
seldom do I extend the morning ride by small increments as it is often more logical to walk the dogs longer with that extra 5 to 10 minutes
10 minutes more of walking is good for me and good for the dogs
that can take the morning dog walk above 20 or thirty minutes
strolling in the woods with the dogs in the morning can be a great way to start the day

today I rushed straight from home
confused, thought that the wife wanted yoga
we had not discussed it
maybe it was implied
maybe I imagined it all together
the rush home was extended not direct, but still not long
acutally I tend not to ride long distances or for long period of time
so the word would be "longer" as in "longer then my standard direct commute to work"

thought yoga started at 6
maybe it starts at 6:30

either way time is passing
the leashes are off the hook
the dogs are not flopping around by my feet
there are no kids argueing over the toy of the moment
and I am not on my bike
I am feeling guilt
had I had a minute it should have been on the bike

there are days on the bike
there are days off the bike
this is a day off the bike
I try to remind myself
days off the bike are as important as days off the bike
but
I think I need to get some more days on the bike

just heard the dogs bark
they are home and there is someone at the door

seabiscuit

bethesda magazine..
bethesda magazine?
yes, bethesda magazine

bethesda magazine has an article about laura hillenbrand
author of seabiscuit
seabiscuit....
it was a good book
a solid movie
a worthy documentary
and a wonderful story in history

laura was a kid in my homeroom in my graduating class in high school
she has achieved great things in spite of her battle with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
it sounds aweful
when people say... "you have got your health"
they are really saying something
our health is not something to be taken for granted

on a random B-CC Slide note... not side note
the Washington Post had an article in the style section on this archive of B-CC student Slides

Where is Dan Comber?

Does anyone know how to get in touch with Dan Comber of bikeracing.com?

I wanted to interview him for an article for SPOKES magazine
but none of his information on his site seems to be matching up
the phone number went to voice mail which had the voice of someone's grandmother
the emails are bouncing back

I know from talking to him that he has a tree business
but, he seems to lack a web presence

if anyone has his contact information feel free to email it to me
as I would love to write an article about the Rise and Fall of Dan Comber's Race Series

appreciate it

excuse me... Maserati Bike!

Greenbriar AMBC

Single Speeders and Clydesdales put that five dollars back in your pocket!
no one day license fee for either class

Greenbrier AMBC

A great race on a great course with excellent promotion is just ahead on this April's calendar

This is a wake up call for me to get out on some dirt
NO EXCUSES
I am going to race so I better start riding

This year the race promoters have added a CLYDESDALE CLASS
In a recent email exchange with some of the promoters I learned that I am partially to blame for the Clydesdales racing as an EXPERT CLASS.
This works for me. I would rather be humbled by the Experts than ride humbly along side the beginners.

check your calendar
get your bike and body ready
and
I will see ya out there

wish me luck
and
help me to get motivated to find some dirt
night riding seems like the logical option

after a closer look... not Ferrari... Maseratti!

Gear Review: Cane Creek Lock on Grips

Gear Review: Cane Creek Lock On Grips
Cane Creek make some great products
There wheels, their headsets, their stems... all beautiful and highly functional
Cane Creek is the high end Diacompe stuff
Diacompe has been around in the mountainbike scene since the beginning.
The Cane Creek Lock On Grips have some great functionality, but over all... they suck.
The grip is far too firm for my standards.
Sure the lock on system keeps things in place. But I will take a squishy grip that slides occassionally over a grip that allows my hands to go numb any day.
This is not the first time I have experience this sort of let down from the lock on style grips. I have been a long time fan of the OURY Grips
If I recall, Oury also has a less than perfect lock on grip system. I think I may have to just use the lock on mechanism at the end of the bar, keeping the soft grip of my choice stuck between the shifter/braker lever and the little lock ring.
The Cane Creek Lock On Grips work like another layer of metal over the handlebar.... not what I am looking for whether on a commuter or on a mountainbike.

I give this product two numb thumbs down.
Great potential failing in the end.

watermelon art

watermelon art
this is the least impressive of the displays
check it out

I am Spartacus... who is Borf?

Who is Borf?

the modern age has given us GOOGLE
Pop Culture questions can so easily be answered
maybe more easily in a metropolis then in a small town

a quick google gives us a list of answers to this "Who is Borf?"
question who is "Cool Disco Dan?"

then the quesiton...
Art? or Vandalism?

recently Verizon did a little sidewalk ad campaign
they got fined
which is fine with me

another shot of the aqua BMX bike

DT Sharing his list

DT's BLOG

DT's Mountain Bike Race Listing for the Mid Atlantic Region

Alfie

saw the film Alfie last night
really enjoyed how it was shot
really enjoyed how it was presented
although I did not watch it to its final moments
as the plot did not really carry for the full duration of a feature film

early in the film I thought that the film style reminded me of the Thomas Crown Affair, the original
then there is a scene where one of Alfie's wenches is watching a film, for a second you can see she is watching The Thomas Crown Affair
then this morning
I come to learn that Alfie is a remake as well
I will have to seek out that Michael Cane original

I must admit
the use of images in these films had me thinking of my collages
made me realize that I need to take the puzzle format and mix it up a bit
as it has gotten repetitive

side effects of spring

this morning I started out fine
quite good actually
then as I walked down the alley behind my house I started to get grumpy
it is spring
people have started to do their yard work
so many people think that the section of park and woods near their house are their dumping grounds for their yard clippings

this is not how compost works
this is dumping

they know it is wrong
yet they do it
they may claim that they do not think it is wrong
but
I bet cash money that it the timing were such that there were a DC police officer or a Park police officer parked next to where they were going to drop their dumpings
well, they would not do it
they would wait
I am sure that these folks look both ways to make sure it is clear before they throw their shit into the woods

sure their yard clippings are not as bad as the christmas trees with the stand still attached and the lights just unplugged
and sure the christmas trees and wreaths are not as bad as the bottles and cans
sure the bottles and cans are not as bad as the engine blocks and the old tires
but
all of these things add up
life is cumulative
the good things are cumulative
the bad things are cumulative

pink

original ideas

this weekend past was beautiful
spring has sprung or whatever catch phrase you want to insert there

sunday morning offered a window of opportunity that saturday did not
there was time for the bike
lisa was set to meet a friend and her kids at the zoo
that meeting never happened, but lisa took the boys to the zoo just the same

while they were at the zoo with a million other people I escaped to walk the dogs then ride the bike
the walk with the dogs was people free
the trails of Rock Creek Park that I selected had no other hikers, runners, or dog walkers that crossed my path
I took a few minutes to throw a few logs over the trail
some anti-erosion barriers
over the years I have taken the roll or Ranger Rick that Rabid Raccoon
this is a good time of year for such an effort
the rains of spring are soon to arrive
these natural log barriers catch the top soil run off and terrace things to make stairs and to hold off camber hills
(saturday involved some of the same on different trails)

after some time in the woods I noticed time was slipping away
my window was closing
as we had tickets for the circus that afternoon
the transition from dog walker to cyclist was fast
my course was plotted for Kenwood Maryland to roll past the cherry blossoms
to have my skinny tires roll over the carpet of pink cherry blossom pedals

this idea was less than original
my Capitol Crescent Trail experience was the exact opposite of my Rock Creek Park experience
the path was mobbed
more helmetless kids with idiot parents then I would ever care to see
more cyclists playing chicken with me causing me to say "joker" so many times that my throat grew hoarse
the cherry blossoms were beautiful
but
as a sunset may be beautiful when shared with another
that same sunset is less beautiful when pinned in a crowd like a calve headed off to slaughter

my pass through Kenwood was rapid
too many people doing ignorant things
had I had the boys in the trailer it would have been different
there were lemonade stands every third house
each with gormet cookies

returned home faster than planned
wanted to ride for 2 hours
went out for just shy of an hour and a half
it all adds up
but I feel I need dirt and some miles if I plan on racing this spring
tooling through the cherry blossom festival does not constitute training

that photo was from last week before work

good morning

I am back
still more to say
many photos to share

yes
it is April Second
time to start my day
that was tough going cold turkey on the blog for a day

okay...I am back
well, I was never gone
that said... I a still working on a comeback

last night after the boys were put to bed
well, put in bed but not asleep... Grant the smaller of the little monkeys is not yet ready to be put to bed so easily
with a fee minutes before liquor laws closed the local "package store" I marched up the road
it is just a few blocks to the main strip
a strip without really any package stores
there are multiple bodegas, countless mini-super markets, coin operated laundry places, pupusarias, and what not
beer can be purchased after 9PM
some places may even bend the rules and sell after the designated stop point
but liquor, hard liquor
there are only two actual hard liquor stores on the strip

not sure if my watch was slow I moved fast
got into the liquor store before it was time to shut down and lock down
there was a flurry of activity at the doorway
I tried to politely work my way through the madness of non-customers
avoiding eye contact not wanting to give anyone any change as it really is not spare

got a six pack of Sierra for the wife and a bottle of Sambuca for myself

with my package double bagged I made my way home
altered my route
walked past my old place on my old block
looked at the various yards admiring the spring bloom
envious of those with cherry blossom trees that are well grown and settled in

as I turned the corner I saw on the other side of the street a woman with wild hair and a brindle pit bull
as a dog owner I tend to be extra observant of people with dogs
along side of her was a young hipster dressed in the style reminiscent of how I dressed in grade school, he even had the same bruce lee bang bowl cut... running a little long... just like my grade school style
he was on a 70's road bike converted into a single speed with a sagging chain
she was strutting her stuff with the cute little doggie setting the pace
I observed them both as my mind ran through an algorhythm....
where do I know her from?
whe does she look familiar?
I scanned the dog.... the dog did not look familiar although he looked like Jake Dog when Jake Dog was a puppy... but that was a decade ago
Jake Dog no longer lives in Mount Pleasant he moved to Brooklyn with his owner some time ago

as I got closer the answer came to surface
red cruiser being walked just north of Dupont Circle
she was one of my photo subjects
she was "Pretty Girls are Prettier with bicycles"

it made me laugh how Ricky D had mocked up the image at the orignial post
with his "stalker cam" or something to that effect
had she remembered me
she most definitely would think me craze after my effort intense effort to figure out who she was over the course of one city block
considered mentioning the blog and her image
then thought it would be tough to walk the final blocks home with pepper spray in my eyes

coffee gone
blog entry completed
lisa is off to the zoo with the boys
best I use this time to walk the dogs and get on the bike
not much time before we all get on the subway and truck on over to the circus

it is good to be back
that day off was tough