what an idiot.... I am an idiot

tonight I was feeling social
the kids were in bed and I felt like a drink
well... felt like a drink, a snack, and some socializing
so I went up the corner to a neighborhood bar

the bar is part of the "new" mount pleasant
it is a basic neighborhood sports bar
nice setting with two televisions within view of each seat with a simple turn of the head
an amazing juke box
too many televisions if you ask me

so I make a few calls
come up empty with my short list of local maybes for a drink up the street
so I march up alone
a brisk fall night through the city streets
that air is crisp
the snap is fresh in comparision to the August humidity

on my approach to the main strip I pass a house I used to live in and the many houses that were once my neighbors
at the main strip I consider deviating from my plans
but I figure to go with my first selection on account of the chance of me seeing someone I might know
most of the people I know from the neigborhood
others I know just from the bar

the place is pretty crowded
crowded, but vacant of a familiar face
I am pleased to catch a seat at the bar
as the objective of drink and food are still available

the setting offers plenty of eye candy
people watching
I can overhear an amusing conversation with some chap with an accent
maybe australian maybe not
the discussion involved a line of questions pertaining to the team mascots

the question involved the tigers
the game involved the pathers and the wolverines
there was some effort to get to that point
which was amusing in itself
then there was a question as to who the tigers were
here I learned some information about baseball that I could not have guessed with a hundred guesses
sports on television are not my thing

then it occurred to me that I would much rather see a pather against a wolverine rather than this football game
there is no chance for me to get the controler
after all this may be an option on the discovery channel
the discovery channel is good for such things

the eye candy keeps me entertained
so do my drinks
the food is on its way

my focus changes and I see a friend of a friend who I have seen here before
he is usually here
he is somewhat a fixture at the bar
I decide to make a trip over to say hello before my food comes

the topic of conversation moves from mutual friends to bicycles
I felt like we could have worked on the mutual friend topic a tad longer before moving to bicycles
but... the conversation moved to bicycles
I like the conversation of bicycles

okay... I like to talk
but... believe it or not I also like to listen
sometimes... I do not like what I am hearing
sometimes conversations are not as entertaining as I would like

we exchange hellos and get to talking

we talked about how eight hours were spent working on his house...
well, he tells me about how eight house were spent working on his house
I asked deeper
maybe it was too loud
he repeated the duration of eight hours

the topic that he is a home owner is a potentially interesting one
new house?
bought a house?
where is the house?
he gives me the basic answers

with some effort I get the details of tile but not much more
there is just the yet another mention of the duration of the task
no great detail
just the mention of 8 hours of work on the house
I do not dig any deeper into the questioning of the house projects

knowing that he recently got a new bianch cross bike I switch topics to something that may appeal to him with greater interest
I probe him about his cyclocross bike then mention cross talk
the mention of the cyclocross video podcast does not intrigue him
we talk
he seems uninterested in the cross concept then it comes to surface that he wants to change the tires
I recommend just riding the bike and letting the knobs wear down
sure a more tire pressure thin road tire will get you there quicker with less effort
but we could all use the work out
he is set on needing faster tires
not for fast riding
for his "long" rides

the cross topic moves to the fixed gear topic
he keeps saying track bike
I try to correct him on track versus fixed
he knows there is a difference
but breaks it down to drop outs alone
while there are plenty of horizontal drop outs on non track frames

there is mention of a track bike shop in baltimore
there is talk of haines point
he shows little interest or response to the information that is offered to him

there is talk of brakelessness and practice
all from him
as if he is introducing the concept to me

we talk about the purchase or the build
he wants to build it as he is a self proclaimed handy may
so I mention Chain Reaction a local not for profit that may have a cool used frame
as the frankenbike can have more character than a bike out of a box
the thought of a non-track track bike specific frame upsets him
I mention the Bridgestone Track Bikes from Japan and a rumor of a shop in Baltimore that specializes in track bikes
then of course the Internet
none of this information interests him

he is moderately amusing as he goes into great detail of the drop outs needing to be track
he describes any and all possible drop out angles
not realizing that many of these options would work just fine

the conversation continues
this guy keeps talking
telling me about track bikes and the one he just rode and how it is totally different
a bike that is owned by a mutual friend of ours
is that bike a track bike? I am not sure
yes it is fixed... but there is a chance that it is not an actual track bike

blah blah blah
I know I am just another poser with a fixed gear
but I have a fixed gear and ride a fixed gear and I have to hear this guy tell me about riding one
he tells me about the feeling
he tells me that it is a completely different experience
he tells me all of this ignoring the facts...
I have fixed gear
I ride a fixed gear
this guy rode one once around the block and now he is the Encyclopdia of Track Bikes and Fixed Gears

the track bike fixed gear converstation fizzled before it ever got started
this guy is as good at listening as he is at talking

the conversation drifts to a memory lane where he lists the bikes he has owned
it is a really interesting story
you will love the list
the story is awesome...

my first bike
my first bike was a specialized hard rock
bought it used
I rode the shit out of that bike
I used to be a hardcore mountain biker
I rode the shit out of that bike

then I got a GT
I rode that shit out of that bike
no suspension or nothing
I rode the shit out of that bike
I was a real hardcore mountain biker


there is never a mention of a distance, a destination
heck there are no adjectives or adverbs to speak of

somewhere early in the conversation it was questioned why someone would ever want full suspension
at this point I was still sitting back and taking it all in
there was a short explanation about why someone would ride full suspension but I saw it fell on deaf ears
he feels that if he could have a mountain bike he would want the GT he used to have
I try to express to him that there have been some advancements in the mountain bike worth experiencing
but he is not hearing it
so I do not get into the development of disc brakes over v-brakes
or anything so techie

so I hear this set of stories about the bikes he owned
the bikes he owns now

rather than play the game you tell me your bike list I will tell you mine
I shift the story to city politics
try to mention some stuff about the new mayor and the concept of bikes in the city
which shifts to his game of show and tell...
I was fearing this
I hate show and tell
stories are great
recent stories are great
recent stories are relevant
good stores are definitely worth telling
but show and tell is old and tired

so he jumps into some show and tell
there is a car
the car has virginia tags
(he I know this story.... I live it every day.... there is always some asshole with virginia tags)
so he is riding up 14th street not far from his house
he is cruising along
when a car full of frat boys passing close leaning out the window yells and screams at him

then the story is supposed to get good
he continues on how he caught the car and yelled at the car full of frat boys and threatened to kick all four of their asses
I love morrissey
but I would not want to look like him
there is no way that these four frat boys thought that morrissey could kick their ass

after his story is told I do not offer doubt or question
I avoid getting parental about that being a foolish thing to do
what if they tested your theory?
no I avoided that
as it seemed like his show in tell was in reference to my topic of the future of cycling and cycling advocacy
I tell him that education does need to happen
but there will always be a car full of assholes
the education has to happen with the silver haired father of two and the soccer mom in the mini van

there was no real arguement there

or was there...

then I this guy gets started about bicycles on Rock Creek Park
how there is a bike path
and the bikes need to get off the road

I thought I was being set up
it was hard to believe what I was hearing
so I listened
this guy must be a regular reader just trying to bait me
man.... what a set up
bore the living shit out of me with your list of average bikes
then boast about how bad ass you were on the bike
only to say that you were bad ass on the bike
so bad ass that you rode the shit out of those bikes

man... what a set up
this guy is good

so this guy starts to tell me about bikes on Rock Creek Park
my response is simple

I can easily ride 20MPH on Rock Creek Park
the speed limit is 25
the cars are wanting to go 35
if not 45
20 miles per hour is legal
35 miles per hour is illegal
and the cars are going 45.... when they can

okay...
he gives me the arguement again
this time he gets into the numbers
I listen
we go back and forth
now I am beligerent
as he is being such an asshole
an asshole for being so dense
it is not an arguement

the bicycle is within the legal limits on the road
if the bicycle drops to 18 miles an hour it is sill closer to the speed limit when traveling 35MPH
I help him with math
I break it down to him
it blows my mind that this guy who is a wannabe poser on a track bike is so dense
as he holds the mentality that the bicycle does not belong
that because a person is in a car
they have a greater right to the road

that is messed up
if he could afford a hummer
I bet he would drive one

man... I got steamed
not so much steamed that he held the perspective of every other asshole in and SUV
but that I waisted my time listening to his lame as list of bike story and his recount of his mountain bike experience

I am an idiot
this is a nice enough guy
but I am an idiot
as I knew he is an idiot and well
that is what I get for being an idiot

no time to proof read
take it for what it is
chances are this is all that will happen before monday

somebody help me out with that info

his arguements contained all these attacks on fat people moving slow on expensive bikes
it is not a matter of price of bike or weight of rider
speed is not issue
the issue is the BIKES BELONG
that idea was shared with him
he did not get him
so the discussion moved to me letting him know that he is dense

this guy is dense
another dense asshole that does not understand that bikes belong
but this is a guy that owns and rides a bike

so this guy was boring and dense
not very good at discussing his point
not very good at telling a story
why did I sit down with him?
I should be angry at me not at him

hello should be enough
as I am sure neither of us want to have that conversation again
any of it

go figure


old skool track

a classic article Fixed Gear 101 from 63xc

and of course
Sheldon Brown

baltimore city paper article: bike messengers are nuts

I wonder what Tova Brown is up to
okay... I guess I could GOOGLE it

st ann's gym

today is winding down... the sun has set and the moon is rising

a pretty solid saturday
lisa evacuated early leaving me with the boys
fed boys, clothed boys, entertained boys
the boys walked the dog with me then we got in the car

fed the boys more as we made the short cross town drive for the yoga exchange
growing boys need to eat

the yoga exchange is where lisa comes out of class gets my car full of kids
passes off the keys tells me where her car is as I rush into class

getting back into yoga after a few months off felt great
the timing is good
yoga will fit well into my winter needs as the bicycle loses priority
less riding and less racing in the winter
good to mix it up with some other options

after yoga there was a dash through Best Buy to use a gift card that has been in my wallet for a few months
then to the corner cheapie chinese joint for some singapore noodle
while my food was being prepped I snapped some shots of a woman on the phone along side of her bicycle
got home in a casual way not realizing I was running late for dean's soccer game

the soccer game went as most of the five year old soccer games go
lots of swarming around the ball
dean scored a goal which made him happy which made me happy
my brother showed up with his family for some of the game
dean played with his cousins for a few minutes
then I had to rush him off to the next activity
violin lessions.... no not violin lessons
a fair at the school where I was signed up to operate the Snow Cone booth

lisa and grant met up with dean and myself
lisa had sneakers for dean knowing I had left for the game without them
my wife is the glue that holds this house and my life together
the moon bounce worked well for swapping cleats for shoes

the boys ran wild between moon bounces, climbing walls, and an assortment of games with prizes for just playing

I had a moment to speak with Adrian Fenty the next mayor of Washington DC
he shook my hand and made solid eye contact
not sure if he remembered me from the times we had met before
I warned him that we would be having lunch
we did not talk about much more than a quick congratulations and my being a cyclist
his brother rides for a DC road team and that was more a topic than town politics
we said our good byes and Adrian got onto the next set of hands to shake
he handed me his card and offered that I could bring others for our lunch session

had to drag dean away from the fair even though everything was shut down
he still did not want to leave

the rest of the afternoon was spent watching one of the movies purchased this morning and eating left overs for dinner
left overs including the singapore noodle from this morning

after dinner there was wrestling and giggling
which of course included some crying and fighting
my throat is hoarse from all the monster noises and all the laughing

now the boys are in the bath
not a bad day
no time on the bike
sure there was the IRON CROSS cyclocross event
but...
I am a father before I am a cyclist
there will be other events
perhaps I will focus on an event for next weekend
I think there are two options on next weeks cross calendar

st ann's

when I was a child I played basketball in that building
not very well I might add

tall... but not much for basketball

track stand for a photograph

this guy
this guy stalled traffic in a track stand so I could snap a few shots

I am exhausted

I am exhausted
it can all get very tiring

to think one way and have the rest of the world think another can be sort of confusing
it is exhausting

bikes belong

people need to grow to understand that bikes belong
the thought that the roads were built for cars is ignorant
the roads were built for transportation
to transport people
to transport goods
there is nothing that makes me think that the roads give more right to those in cars over those on bicycle

yet
each and every car on the road moves in such a way that it is as if I am supposed to clear the path so that they can pass
it is a dangerous game to stand up for what you believe
the states of this gamble are high
I do not enjoy playing chicken
I do not enjoy getting my heart rate up because someone nearly runs me down

it hurts to say that bikes should belong
because bikes belong
but I am not sure if the word has gotten out past the cyclist

who is that guy?

not advertising... just information

this sounds like something to put on my radar for things to come
not so much this running event
but maybe some of the other EX2Adventures running events

jim harmon and the crew throw on the great local mountain bike series the CRANKYMONKEY
it his running races carry the same energy
maybe I should stretch and go for a jog?

it is hard for many to believe
(my brother stands in line with a long list of doubting thomas-es)
but yes... I used to be a bit of a natural runner
it went along with being a soccer player
and a freak that loved to walk everywhere

yes five minute miles
50 second quarter miles
okay usually 51 or 52
but that was before I discovered caffiene
where was my coaching

okay...
these are not the running times of an elite athlete
but for a fred flintstone type like myself
that was pretty alright

even when I was a lanky teenager
I had the reputation of being a bit of a clydesdale

gwadzilla archive on the cranky monkey and wakefield races
beardo a the cranky monkey race
yes... that is me... the beardo

shut up and sing

documentary SHUT UP AND SING
about the backlash the Dixie Chicks got for saying something anti-Bush

I can wait for DVD on this one
but I find it interesting just the same

I am not familiar with their music
but I do like they way they handled themselves in this situation

there is something about being honest
versus trying to be popular

here is a trailer for the film
some of the flash sites fail my needs

a film event in Harrisonburg

www.shenandoahmountainbikeclub.com
www.thecollectivefilm.com

The movie ROAM (www.thecollectivefilm.com) will be playing at JMU  
Grafton-Stoval Theater Next Tuesday the 17th at 7pm for $5. This  
movie is a great mountain bike movie that will entertain ALL cyclist.  
The proceeds from the film go to the Shenandoah Mountain Bike Club  
and trail work in the George Washington National Forest.

Ride your bike, there will certainly will be a townie bike ride  
afterwards....Too many bikes in once place not to have some fun

also 
from Matt Styer... a blog

A CLASSIC BIKE

A CLASSIC BIKE
WITH A CUSTOM SET UP
THE BASKET
THE RACK
THE BARS
ALL VERY CUSTOM

NO... YOU DO NOT NEED TO SPEND A GRAND ON A FRAME FOR A CUSTOM MACHINE

THE SEAT COULD DUE TO BE REPLACE
BUT IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A B-17

share this

.

Criticizing Cheney to His Face Is Assault?

(funny... Cheney shot someone in the face and it was not considered assualt)


read this
share this
fear this

.

another shot in the same park north of dupont

north of dupont

a few shots in the alley

asdf

a short post work ride... better than no ride at all

the trip out from work today was pretty standard
there is always some opportunity for variety
but I am a creature of habit
I pointed down M Street and headed for the Key Street Bridge as that is the flow of car traffic when I step outside my office front door

across the bridge there was the standard weave through the same set of characters
another set of tourists, another happy couple, more people marching home from work, college coeds getting in a run
and of course the bicycles coming my way

below the river was still lit by the last hour of daylight
on the river was one lone rower headed out past roosevelt island
on the island fall is approaching fast
the ratio favors orange, red, and yellow over green
soon things will be brown and then vacant

the bike path and its glorious view of the monuments was not what I was seeking
had fought my impulse for another lazy day off the bike and pointed away from home
after a few minutes on pavement I was craving something more
the idea of the grass areas on the national mall seemed more appealing

as I crossed the 14th Street Bridge back into Washington from Virginia I thought about what sections would offer me more than just a flat sprint on an open field
once off the bridge I head out of East Potomac Park towards the Lincoln Memorial
the Potomac filled my periferal to the left and vacant fields to my right
I could see that there was no ulimate game, no rugby practice, no men in white playing cricket, or cast of twenty somethings playing kickball
it did not concern me whether it was too early in the day or too late in the fall for such activity
as I was focused on the not quite dirt path in the grass in front of me

the sod soft from some light rain made the push through the grass a tad slow
it was also a bit techical with sets of roots appearing out of no where causing me to slow even more
a woman cyclist passed me on the road by my side
I did not try to keep pace with her
it was more important for me to focus on the varying terrain infront of the narrow knobbies of my Specialized cyclocross bike

at the light I glanced, nodded, and smiled at the woman who had passed me
she smiled back... or maybe she laughed
I could not tell
the light turned green and we each moved forward
she more than likely headed for the Memorial Bridge
while I pointed for the path between the trees that feeds from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument
I alternated between tourist filled path and root filled single track packed earth
neither was comfortable
as I could not get any speed without risking someone getting hurt

so I crossed onto the land surrounding the Washington Monument
here the earth was even more soft
so soft in places I feared that I would rut out the surface so I stayed to the path or moved towards deeper grass

cautiously I looped the Washington Monument a few times
down by the Sylvan Theater where I saw The Maniacs, the B-52s, and so many other bands at so many festivals I can not recall
on these multiple loops I daydreamed about the Belgian Embassy hosting a cross race on the mall
the daydream reminded me that I was not working hard enough
so I broke from the day dream and headed off the Washington Monument grounds and pointed towards the Capitol Building

here the pace picked up

on the Mall under the trees along side the hard packed gravel path is a dirt path from walkers and runners
I sprinted on the dirt path
always cautious of runners headed my way or crossing my path
I passed through between some families
safe.... but perhaps obnoxious
but.... it is also obnoxious to not look ahead or to not pay attention to what is around you

the sprints were short as I had to slow and stop at the end of each city block

some of the sprints were slowed by packs of people

it was a lot of stop and go
not unlike a cross race with lots of turns

I went up and back and looped around
hitting various stretches of earth several times
then pointed my way home
once back on the street I fought the wind and race the approaching storm

head on into the wind I approached an old neighbor of mine
a die hard commuter
she was in a nice tuck dodging the wind
I caught her and let her know that she would not have to fight the wind so much if she oiled her chain
it sounded like it was enough friction to make every pedal feel like an uphill stroke
then pulled along side of her

we rode the final miles of city blocks from the white house to our neighborhood of mount pleasant

we hogged the road and dodged cars
there were a few near misses
there were plenty of obnoxious drivers
we chatted about our same age children of opposite sexes and the plans for Halloween
she asked about the mud
I was unable to explain

when we got to her house I snapped a few shots and we said our goodbyes

the bicycle gives such a different opportunity to interact with the city than in the car

in a car someone may email later and say that they saw you
on the bike people slow and chat
a far more civil way to travel
it was nice to slow down after my short but hard cyclocross work out


NPS: National Park Service

add image

tonight after my post work ride I was walked into a house lit with glow sticks
seems the boys got into a box that arrived for Halloween
lisa let them each have one glow stick
which gave each of them two glow sticks after they retrieve some frozen glow sticks from the other night

as the days are getting shorter and it is getting darker earlier
I lured the boys on another hike in the woods
the notion of the glow sticks in the dark woods was enough to get everyone excited
I asked lisa to help them gather their shoes as I stripped out of my lycra cycling gear and into something more suitable for a hike in the woods

lisa had already walked brutus
but... since the boys were motivated I figured we would stick with the momentum

the hike started slow
the boys were intent on stopping and investigating anything that resembled a mushroom
at one of the anti-erosion barriers I had built on the trail the boys got on their knees for a closer look
they got in real close and drew me in with them
I had seen the mushrooms from a walking position from the other direction
this was the first time I looked at things from this angle
at a closer look underneith a little shelf that one of the logs creates there was a little collection of cigarette butts
it seems that what was built as a terraced stair to catch run off and slow run off works as a nice short stoop for someone

a natural place to sit on the trail
a place for taking a break
a place for sneaking a cigarette
then
a secret hiding place for the secret cigarette

there they have their own little landfill
where they can watch the sunrise or escape the house for a few minutes
then tuck their cigarette butt where no one can find them

rather than get angry I let this discovery of the little landfill educate me

grant had grown tired of his now flavorless sugar free gum and then asked if he should swallow it
instead of teaching him to spit it off the trail or chuck the gum into the woods
I told him that he should not swallow it
but instead hand it to me so I can put it in the trash when we got home
I put his gum and my gum in an already empty Gatorade bottle that I was carrying in my back pocket

the boys picked up the pace
only stalling for a few more mushrooms
some I had seen previously
others that the boys discovered on their own
they took pride in their discoveries

with a petzel headlamp on my head I tried to light the trail ahead of me
in the headlamp's glow grant moved effieciently
I tried to keep pace with fast little grant
dean moving faster ahead in the dark took a few spills
one of the spills was on some off camber roots that looked like they may cause some hurting to the hips
but... he got up each time, brushed off the dirt, and jumped back in at a fast pace
I love it when my boys are tough
although I do not mind it when they are sensative as it is their nature

of course... I hate it when they whine

the hike looped around without incident
there was one meeting where brutus got to prance and play with a young puppy
dean did argue with grant about being the leader as grant made a pass after one of dean's falls
grant accepted dean's offer to be second leader
we did not see anyone else other than the man and his young dog
well... there was that long stretch of cars on Beach Drive down the valley of Rock Creek Park
we watched the cars as dean took a short breather
by this time grant was taking a short breather on my shoulder

right before a steady rolling twisty piece of singletrack I put grant back down
grant marched the last bit of climb

the boys love to run down hill in the woods
they both got ahead of me
the lack of light worried me
but the familiarity with the trail helped them
it was not quite dark yet
but definitely dark enough that everyone had to focus on what was up ahead

once home I grabbed my camera and went back into the woods to snap a shot of the little cigarette landfill
when crossing the street I watched the man who lives in the woods down the street that we have come to know as screaming man
as he went down the hill he waved his crutch in the air
cars raced up the hill
I questioned his comfort between the parked cars and the fast moving late rush hour traffic
but... he has walked that stretch of road many times

as he screamed I moved across the road and into the woods
now needing the blue light of my petzel
flashed a few shots
then rushed back inside before the boys ate all the pizza

images of nothing

sometimes images of nothing are images of something
if nothing else
something comes to mind here
it would be fun to spend some time organizing my archives
putting different images of the same people together
different bikes
different season
same person

no...
these are not the same person in these images
but
I have take some shots of both of them

this is scary

this is scary
this country is scary
not scary ha ha in a boo I scared you sort of way
not scary halloween style

scary as in... where are our freedoms? scary

I always thought that one of the great things about this country was our freedom of opinion, our freedom of expression, and our freedom to question our leadership

apparrently not

here is a story about a man getting charged with assault for criticising dick cheney to his face
here is that same story from another source
I read it in an email
hopefully either of these prints it as I read it

I fear that we are giving up our freedom in the name of freedom
which makes me consider burning down my house so it will not catch fire

we are a progressive country
I have faith in our ability to evolve and grow past this ugly part of history
we survived the Civil War.... we can sort out this divide in our country's

another incarnation of satan

curious of this guy's history

this guy has been on the street doing the messenger thing for all time

I wonder
did he ever race?
is he a first generation immigrant?

does he have a family?
where does he live?

should I send these questions directly to Bryn?

another shot of a random cyclist rolling past

rolling down M Street

bicycles in the news

bike safety...

a news article from BC Canada on bike laws

another article from Austin, Texas on helmet laws

safety from the perspective of the cyclist is just one angle
the car culture needs to be educated about cyclist rights and safety for cyclists

safety first
you want to avoid the need for the attention from emergency medical services
and from the medical professionals

I love the B-52s

when I was in grade school I used to ride my bicycle to georgetown to go record shopping
by ninth grade I had a pretty stellar record collection

an older sister turned me onto some cool stuff early on in life
not her peter framption leif garrett thing
later... her punk/new wave/reaggae thing
for christmas in 7th grade I bought her both of the B-52 albums of the time
as I did not know which one was the one to buy

I think she may have already have had that record album

it is classic
I need to drop that album on my iPod

was trolling myspace listening to some music
was digging BAM by MARBLE from Sweden

makes me want to find that BLUETIP cover of KATEANDCINDY

those are two good places to listen to some cool music you may have never heard before
here is another FORT KNOX FIVE

crank it
blow your office speaks
spin in your chair
or listen to it at home as you chill out for the night
either way
give it a listen
music is the key reason to go to myspace
oh.. that and the soft core southern california porn
okay some are more into the Portland verison which I have heard called Porn Land

another shot from Dupont at Lunch

a very pretty bike...
it looks familiar
my guess is that he bought this from another messenger

not sure if that is a factory issue IF
or a custom IF

Independent Fabrications

the approach and exchange between subject and photographer can be awkward
it has to be odd for me to just walk up to these people and ask to take their picture
I try to avoid a "sales pitch"
but... it does come out as a robotic speal sometimes
I try to avoid rushing through a memorized approach
but it happens
we all fall back on autopilot some times

the exchange with this gentlemen was short and smooth
comfortable enough
in fact I would have liked to put the camera down and stay longer
but had to return to work
it was not the exchange between this messenger and myself that was awkward
it was the response of some of the surrounding park people on the benches around them

there seemed to be some interest in my actions
one sometimes aggressive panhandler was paying extra attention to me

another shot of chip... some

chip has been on my page a few times before
would scan the archives, but not sure that I have the energy
you can scan the archives for another image of chip
it may be worth the trip
I am not going to bother

chip and I went to the same high school
he graduated the year prior
never knew chip very well
never knew him well then do not know him well now
but I do enjoy catching up with him

in high school I recall chip being an exceptional at soccer
not just a matter of skill but he had a matter of style
his style spilled off the field into his whole persona
did not know him well but I always respected him
I admit... I thought he was cool
definitely cooler than me
and certainly a better soccer player

that was twenty years ago
the majority, a large majority, of that time chip spent in south east asia
man
the united states have changed in those many many years that he was gone
not just the cleaner cities
the growth
the increased crowding
but also the wealth, the prosperity, and the terror
yes... the terror

these are strange times
I fear for the world
things are headed in such ugly directions
the statistics of hunger and poverty related deaths in Africa are astounding
for the world to be aware of this boggles my mind
if there is one thing I learned in psychology classes in college and through experiences in real life is that working together brings people together
breaks down barriers
disolves the differences

it blows my mind the money spent on war
if countries are basing their intention on god and religion
you would think that they could shift their focus off themselves and back on a purpose that would be like god's will
I am certain that god would be more concerned with feeding another man rahter than killing another man
it could be like an Amish barn raising
then
after things got better in Africa I am certain that they had forgotten what they were fighting about prior
end of holy wars
a better world
certainly not perfect
but a tad less self destructive

okay... it is all a little Dr. Suess
but... he is a DOCTOR

at lunch in dupont... today

some stuff from the archives

gwadzilla archives... includes the canal in a day
and to the right
an image of gwadzilla before Samson met Delila
(in this case it was genetics that trimmed Samson's mane)

great cycling films...

off road to athens
jason berry's blog
(where he talks about his latest project following Chris Eatough's quest for solo glory)

jason's production company: Gripped Films

DCMTB Team Member Banished to Africa

Pooch Moves to Africa
Pooch Blogs from Africa
Pooch was once the Captain of DCMTB

I am an internet loser

I am an Internet Loser
capitol I capitol L

just asked to be Red Bull's friend on myspace
Red Bull at myspace
az at myspace
gwadzilla at myspace

the other day I was thinking

Red Bull would do well to have an amusement park
roller coasters and other metal rides shaped like those Red Bull cylinder

Cycle Messenger World Championships

this is not my thing
but it is interesting information
when I ran into AZ the other day
AZ mentioned that he and a few other dc messengers were making the pilgrimage

Sidney Bicycle Messenger Association

CMWC06 at myspace

this looks sick!
only 9 days
bet all sorts of people are pumped

last year's flyer

this is not my scene either
but
it is interesting information just the same

toronto messenger page
a great history and great collection
I will have to go back and lose some time catching up on a few things

the streets are not safe

the streets are not safe
not only are the streets unsafe for bicycles
but it seems like the laws are against the cyclist as well

cyclsit injured in car accident in Harrisonburg VA

the law does nothing to protect the cyclist
but the law will defintely punish the cyclist

I recall being in the ER with a broken clavicle with an open air fracture
naked on the stretcher
as some fire plug of an officer issued me a ticket

it still makes me angry

Ed Kearny fought the ticket and had it dropped
I got sued by the car that failed to yeild to me
not in the mood for that story...

Pure Sweet Hell....

scanning some blogs
went from Faia's Blog to 32X18
32X18 reminded me that I want to see PURE SWEET HELL

and Faia's blog

enough computer I have some stuff I need to knock out

I wonder if CROSSTALK will piece together a film from last weekend's local race?
I am curious about the course
the last two video Podcasts were AWESOME!

another shot of anthony blunt

cross in colorado... cross in colorado?

cyclocross in colorado?
what next?
electricity?
then the Internet?

guess the world is changing
cyclocross is spreading like some sort of cycling mutant virus

just as the mat people have infected the bus stops and the coffee shops
cyclocross bikes are taking over the grassy parks
all over the country

it is like a Tootsie Roll commercial
what ever it is I think I see
becomes a good place to ride a cross bike for me

I rode home today and hit every little piece of dirt I could
there was no dismount/remount practice
but I will certainly encorporate that into the path of my next post work ride
loving the cross bike

tim's blog
tim rides for if
lots of cool characters ride for if
I need to get some pictures of swampy on my page

clever advertising

I love good advertising
there is a certain flavor to the European advertising
they can be so clever

from australian... not in europe...
fosters has a cute ad campaign going on here
but they take it to far
which dilutes it to a whaaassssup sort of way
then there is david letterman
when david letterman has a joke fall flat
dave can then retell that joke for the next three weeks
and by the third week the joke has become funny

my buddy gibby in california shared some GOOGLEVIDEO stuff that cracked me up

I will have to admit
I am a sucker for that aussie persona
something about the freedom of the extended walkabout that makes me jealous
it is really something about the experience of travel
yet... there are also adventures with deep roots
different life choices
different life paths

catching some street corner jazz after a morning ride

looking good at 67
I fear that I will be bent over a walker complaining about my back at 67
not this gentlemen
no
he is just back from working some laps at Haines Point

looking young and fit
hopefully the bicycle is part of the equation

as I want to be riding at 67, 77, on until 97

a pumpkin patch on steroids

one thing worse then running out of memory on a digital camera

well...
there is one thing worse then running out of memory on a digital camera
that is running out of battery life

the short comings of digital photograph

these things are only made worse by the death of a hard drive

in fifty years everyone is going to want to see pictures of their children when they were babies
only to remember that those images were 13 computers ago

I need to back stuff up
I need to print stuff out
I need to burn a few cds

oh...
film cameras run out of film and their batteries die as well
digital still blows film away

mushroom hunting

took a quick hike in the woods with the boys and the dogs in the woods after work tonight
the hikes are short
but life is cumulative
it is not everyday that the boys are enthusied to hike with me and the dog

grant is really an agile little creature for two and a half
well...
grant is an agile little human for two and a half
a monkey at that age would more than likely be close to full grown and swinging from the trees
that does not happen for humans till his older brother Dean's age, 5 or so

the hike was the usual loop across the street
the boys were dressed in borrowed halloween costumes
grant was wearing a Superman costume with built in muscles and a cape that was so long that it reminded me of The Incredibles
"no cape"
dean was wearing a Red Power Rangers Mystic Force costume
dean also had built in muscles but his costume was a tad too small
I think the muscles gave them added energy

we did the hike with the usual loop
with the notion of mushroom hunting as a task for the event
having hiked this same stretch just 10 hours prior I knew that the recent rains had provided a good variety of mushrooms right off the trail

the boys hiked along at a healthy Parkour pace
grant falling like Maggie from the Simpsons repeatedly due to his long cape
dean being a good leader waiting for us up ahead

the boys got excited at each patch of mushrooms
I always reinforced that they needed to stay on the trail
only to look at the mushrooms from the trail
luckily many of the mushroom groupings occured right on the trail side

the boys got in close
I reminded them not to touch
but to leave the mushrooms for other hikers to see on their walks
the topic of poison always comes to surface
where I tell them that not all mushrooms are poisonous
but to be safe we never eat them and try not to touch them
the temptation to touch things is always great with little boys
best that they do not pick them
better safe than sorry

short into the loop grant grew tired of falling and asked me to carry him
my efforts to shorten the cape
my efforts to tuck in the cape
my efforts to tie the cape in a knot
all of these efforts were met by a great panicked scream
the cape had to flow
even if the cape did cause him to trip and fall
so I carried grant on my shoulders for an uphill stretch
only to put him down at the next stretch that offered downhill momentum

it was a short 30 or 40 minutes in the woods
a stretch that sans kids is usually a 20 minute experience
a good enough gap of time to give mommy a break from the kids she loves so much
the same kids that make her insane
the same kids that make me insane
kids are awesome, but they can be demanding

we played on the sidewalk out front
mommy returned from her errand as the boys took turns jumping off the stairs
the boys greeted her as if they had not seen her in years
she is special
they love their mommy dearly
the boys are lucky to have her
she is lucky to have the boys

there is fashion, there is function, and there is style

there is fashion
there is function
there is style

I think this guy has it all going on

Weekend Update

bring it back to the bike

there was no bike for me this weekend
sure there was a local cyclocross race
but I had other things that needed to be handled
as mentioned
I will save the permission slip to race for other events around the corner
there are other events with courses that appeal to me
it is not always just about the race
it can also be about the ride
some courses bring me greater pleasure
looping around on the grass is not entirely my thing

the weekend was chock full of stuff...
Friday is so far gone I can not recall what happened Friday Night
Saturday I bailed on Yoga
Lisa got some Yoga in... while I caved into my nature, laziness
the morning blended into afternoon which included a children's birthday pool party then a babysitter for the night
dinner and a movie with the wife
caught Jesus Camp then stuffed my face in Chinatown

Sunday salvaged my weekend
the trip to Cox Farm in Manassas Virginia was just what the family was looking for
MADNESS I tell you... complete and utter madness
slides, petting zoos, hayrides, more slides, face painting, free cider, free pumpkin, free apples
and then
more slides
we spent hours and want to go back for more

after the Cox Farm experience I borrowed my dad's power washer
as excellent as this tool may be
it is really the advancement of using an electric tooth brush instead of a standard tooth brush to clean the tiles within a tunnel
tedious
an endurance event that was bringing me great pain
but... when I finish cleaning and sealing the deck
well... it will bring the backyard to where it should be

the estimate to have a company take care of the task was high
in hindsight
the estimate may have been dead on
but... I am already in on the task
so... I will continue
but next time I may save my back and lose my wallet
just let someone else take care of the task

Cox Farm

cox farm

a pumpkin patch on steroids
awesome

a dvd worth seeing

Minor Threat live footage
dvd
no, you do not need to go to the UK to purchase it
but that would be more PUNK!

dc space is a starbucks

the world has changed

there is a McDonalds in Chang Mai
a train goes to Machu Picchu
soon there will be a chair lift going to the top of Everest

dc is no different

so much of dc has changed
china block has become chinatown
although there is a question as to how much chinese remains

the old 9:30 (club) only maintains the old facade
the interior was gutted
it was the only way to remove the smell of vomit

and
dc space is a starbucks

(wanted to use logos... but dc space is pre-Internet and there seems to lack a DC Space graphic)

rainy days

rainy days can make me depressed
rainly days can also make me feel artsy

okay... my point and shoot is not so great in low light

jesus camp

me and the wife got a sitter and went on a date tonight
took in dinner and a movie
not as wild as we once were
but fun to get downtown

caught jesus camp at the e street cinemas
then grabbed some grub in chinatown

man dc has changed

dc space is a starbucks
that kills me

go see jesus camp

this response from Ted Haggart makes me look forward to seeing this film again when I buy it on dvd

Jesus Camp Response

"You can expect to learn as much about the Catholic Church from Nacho Libre as you can learn about evangelicalism from Jesus Camp. This movie manipulates facts like a Michael Moore film and works the camera like The Blair Witch Project. It's one more 'documentary' that seems to miss the point intentionally."

~Ted Haggard

AZ taking the call after a short break for lunch

rain
snow
sleet

not just for the post man
the urban pony express lives it too

fewer workers on a rainy can mean more work for those who are hungry
or dedicated enough to show up for work on the crappy days
that is... if they are working commission

no bikes this weekend

no bikes this weekend
does not look like there be any bikes tomorrow
too much on the calendar for the day

there was a race today
had not planned on racing
try not to race every weekend
not fair to the family

also did not think that the course was anything special
will save the permission slip for a few more races where I feel the courses will be a thrill
not sure what or where
there are so many choices
chimboraza?
granogue?
unlikely I will consider the iron cross
but... we will see

also need to get my warrantied jamis built
that bike looks sweet!
I loved my old nova and well... that was the old nova
the new nova has a carbon fork and well... should have the snap of a new bike
and well
it should fit me better as the last frame was a tad small