Kevin F
2 months ago
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Bartlett
The fun in cyclocross lies not with the racing, but in the party afterward. Bartlett brought the good times again. I had an awesome crash (pulled a superman due to a stick in the front wheel) and had a lousy result. It's cool, because I made up for the mediocrity with screaming until my voice was hoarse at all the Cat. 4s.
Hollerin', literally.
Hollerin', literally.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Establishing Equilibrium
The events of the past couple months have completely upended the daily rhythm and routine of my life. I'm a creature of habit. I give over my weekends and some evenings to the variability of life, but I like following an established routine most of the time. I'm sure I'm not alone. I love adventure, but please, only before 10 p.m., because I'm tired and want to get seven hours of sleep.
Clearly, a wedding will throw all that into upheaval. But that's over. I managed to get some good riding in during the week before the wedding, usually in the form of a quick cruise to the Schoolhouse from my dad's. That 50-75 minutes a day by myself was the deciding factor in my retention of sanity during the whole process.
The wedding itself was a blast -- so many dear friends and family members made the long haul to Cincinnati to celebrate. We have the photos, but we've been slow in getting them online. Small moments: Russ brought a stack of Gustav Chumpsky Roman stickers and "made it rain"; dancing to Nick Cave's "The Ship Song"; Hudy Delight.
We made our way to Hocking Hills and hiked and wandered for two days. We also visited my maternal grandparents and ate dinner at Casa Nueva. Tuesday morning, I sneaked away for an hour all before Allison woke up. Because Allison had to teach Wednesday morning, we left for Chicago after breakfast, but visited my brother Ian in Columbus on the way.
Wednesday afternoon we drove up to the UP. My aunt and uncle live up there in the small town of Menominee. It's not a far drive -- but one I haven't made since I was a kid. Allison and I stopped in Green Bay for the night and explored the town, which has an amazing farmer's market and an excellent brewpub. I ran on the trail along the river and did pushups in an office park.
The next morning, we got moseying further up north. We stopped in Marinnette, WI for lunch at Blue Bike Burrito and then spent some time wandering through the harbor of Menominee, taking photos of ourselves amidst the boats and walls. That night, we met up with my family and spent some good time talking at a local and rather-fancy Italian joint.
The next morning, we took the powerboat across the bay to Fish Creek with our bikes to explore Peninsula State Park. We all spent the day out there cruising about and eating and only boated back as the sun was starting to set.
Where Friday was warm and sunny, Saturday was cool and rainy. But no matter, as we were heading back to Chicago anyway. I went for a modest run to the lighthouse on the bay in the rain and came back to a feast of eggs. The drive back, we stopped at a Culver's outside Milwaukee for lunch. When we got to Kenosha to fill up, Allison realized she'd left her purse behind at the restaurant, so then began a frantic drive to retrieve the purse. All was safe and sound, luckily.
Since then, it's been an establishment of routine, but I'm just tired all the time. I raced at Hopkins Park and finished somewhere in the top third of the 30+ race and somewhere in the bottom half of the singlespeed. I'm alright with that.
Clearly, a wedding will throw all that into upheaval. But that's over. I managed to get some good riding in during the week before the wedding, usually in the form of a quick cruise to the Schoolhouse from my dad's. That 50-75 minutes a day by myself was the deciding factor in my retention of sanity during the whole process.
The wedding itself was a blast -- so many dear friends and family members made the long haul to Cincinnati to celebrate. We have the photos, but we've been slow in getting them online. Small moments: Russ brought a stack of Gustav Chumpsky Roman stickers and "made it rain"; dancing to Nick Cave's "The Ship Song"; Hudy Delight.
We made our way to Hocking Hills and hiked and wandered for two days. We also visited my maternal grandparents and ate dinner at Casa Nueva. Tuesday morning, I sneaked away for an hour all before Allison woke up. Because Allison had to teach Wednesday morning, we left for Chicago after breakfast, but visited my brother Ian in Columbus on the way.
Wednesday afternoon we drove up to the UP. My aunt and uncle live up there in the small town of Menominee. It's not a far drive -- but one I haven't made since I was a kid. Allison and I stopped in Green Bay for the night and explored the town, which has an amazing farmer's market and an excellent brewpub. I ran on the trail along the river and did pushups in an office park.
The next morning, we got moseying further up north. We stopped in Marinnette, WI for lunch at Blue Bike Burrito and then spent some time wandering through the harbor of Menominee, taking photos of ourselves amidst the boats and walls. That night, we met up with my family and spent some good time talking at a local and rather-fancy Italian joint.
The next morning, we took the powerboat across the bay to Fish Creek with our bikes to explore Peninsula State Park. We all spent the day out there cruising about and eating and only boated back as the sun was starting to set.
Where Friday was warm and sunny, Saturday was cool and rainy. But no matter, as we were heading back to Chicago anyway. I went for a modest run to the lighthouse on the bay in the rain and came back to a feast of eggs. The drive back, we stopped at a Culver's outside Milwaukee for lunch. When we got to Kenosha to fill up, Allison realized she'd left her purse behind at the restaurant, so then began a frantic drive to retrieve the purse. All was safe and sound, luckily.
Since then, it's been an establishment of routine, but I'm just tired all the time. I raced at Hopkins Park and finished somewhere in the top third of the 30+ race and somewhere in the bottom half of the singlespeed. I'm alright with that.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Dreaming
Last night I had the best dream. I dreamt that I gained the power to travel back in time, but only to August 1990. So what did I do with my wonderful power? I traveled back in time to a bike shop and bought them out of Oakley sunglasses like Razorblades, Frogskins, etc. and stashed them in a time capsule in the woods to unearth in the present day. I guess in my dreamworld, good sunglasses were extremely hard to come by and it took a hero to travel back in time to bring neon-colored Oakleys into the future.
They say that dreaming is a way for the mind to ruminate on things and make tough decisions. I think this dream is telling me that I need to buy some sunglasses.
They say that dreaming is a way for the mind to ruminate on things and make tough decisions. I think this dream is telling me that I need to buy some sunglasses.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
RI
First, some bike talk because I guess I should:
We went and "raced" in the underground-style and I didn't do as bad as I thought. Based on all the metrics available, I'm pretty much just as fast (read: slow) as last year.
At least now I care about racing a bit. My interest was waning pretty badly this year -- we'll see if the attention span can hold through to January. And I haven't re-upped my USAC license yet.
Now, the more interesting stuff. Allison and I recently flew to Providence, RI to celebrate the wedding of our friends Curtis Mann and Brooke Berger. We flew in to P-Town, or however they abbreviate it, on a Friday morning. Wake-up call was at 4:15 for our 8 a.m. flight. I had no problem of it; Allison grumbled until about mid-afternoon. We got in, found the place we were staying at, which we'd booked via AirBNB (and had an A+ experience), and got to walking around to shake off the jet legs.
We went and lunched at Eastside Pockets, which I remembered so fondly from my earlier trips to Providence to visit my brother Eric. We then went down the hill to Symposium Books and a few other shops and spent way too much money. We lounged for a while on the riverfront, kicking it in the sun. Then got an OK dinner at a Belgian-style restaurant with a terrible beer list. I wanted Ben & Jerry's for dessert, but we nixed that in favor of retaining our waistlines. Walked about 8-9 miles, so we could probably have had a scoop or three.
Saturday, we woke up early and got on down to Newport, RI. Our parents and it seemed everyone else told us that Newport was the place to be. The Cliffwalk! Clams! So, we hustled down there, all in a froth about the chance to look at Great Gatsbyian mansions and eat fried clams. OK, so the town is alright. We got there pretty early and found ourselves in the tourist-trap part of town. Boring and full of bad shops like Subway. So we went up and over the hill and visited a few yardsales and hung out with some locals -- that was fun. I passed up the chance to buy a RC airplane, like an idiot. We then walked over to the Cliffwalk and it was pleasant -- I guess it would be fun to run on it.
Lunch, we took the recommendation of one of the yardsale folks and went to Flo's, where I had a clam roll and Coke. Allison had a plateful of calamari that wasn't nearly as good as my selection. Afterward, we wandered around a bit and then got back to the car to head to our hotel to relax before the wedding. The wedding was in Bristol, RI, which we took a bus to like children.
The wedding itself was perfect. Perfect weather, great food, awesome music, and in a fantastic setting at Mt. Hope Farm. It was a treat, but it was scary seeing how well Curt and Brooke's wedding went off. Afterward, we went over to a rented house and hung out with the couple and I sloshed around in the bay capturing crabs and mussels.
Sunday, we were promised surfing so Allison and I started driving down the RI coast and explored the back roads. Saw lots of cyclists out and about, which depressed me, because I was not riding, I was driving. Found and explored a bit by a grist mill and got a snack at a little bakery. Surfing was canceled at the last minute, so we went on ahead to a BBQ at Brooke's parents' house and ate like pigs. Sunday night, it was Cuban Revolution and softserve. Walked another 6-7 miles in the Providence dark.
Monday, it was rainy and our flights home were delayed. Missed our connection, but I drank a huge smoothie at the Baltimore airport to cure the ache. That was nice.
We went and "raced" in the underground-style and I didn't do as bad as I thought. Based on all the metrics available, I'm pretty much just as fast (read: slow) as last year.
At least now I care about racing a bit. My interest was waning pretty badly this year -- we'll see if the attention span can hold through to January. And I haven't re-upped my USAC license yet.
Now, the more interesting stuff. Allison and I recently flew to Providence, RI to celebrate the wedding of our friends Curtis Mann and Brooke Berger. We flew in to P-Town, or however they abbreviate it, on a Friday morning. Wake-up call was at 4:15 for our 8 a.m. flight. I had no problem of it; Allison grumbled until about mid-afternoon. We got in, found the place we were staying at, which we'd booked via AirBNB (and had an A+ experience), and got to walking around to shake off the jet legs.
We went and lunched at Eastside Pockets, which I remembered so fondly from my earlier trips to Providence to visit my brother Eric. We then went down the hill to Symposium Books and a few other shops and spent way too much money. We lounged for a while on the riverfront, kicking it in the sun. Then got an OK dinner at a Belgian-style restaurant with a terrible beer list. I wanted Ben & Jerry's for dessert, but we nixed that in favor of retaining our waistlines. Walked about 8-9 miles, so we could probably have had a scoop or three.
Saturday, we woke up early and got on down to Newport, RI. Our parents and it seemed everyone else told us that Newport was the place to be. The Cliffwalk! Clams! So, we hustled down there, all in a froth about the chance to look at Great Gatsbyian mansions and eat fried clams. OK, so the town is alright. We got there pretty early and found ourselves in the tourist-trap part of town. Boring and full of bad shops like Subway. So we went up and over the hill and visited a few yardsales and hung out with some locals -- that was fun. I passed up the chance to buy a RC airplane, like an idiot. We then walked over to the Cliffwalk and it was pleasant -- I guess it would be fun to run on it.
Lunch, we took the recommendation of one of the yardsale folks and went to Flo's, where I had a clam roll and Coke. Allison had a plateful of calamari that wasn't nearly as good as my selection. Afterward, we wandered around a bit and then got back to the car to head to our hotel to relax before the wedding. The wedding was in Bristol, RI, which we took a bus to like children.
The wedding itself was perfect. Perfect weather, great food, awesome music, and in a fantastic setting at Mt. Hope Farm. It was a treat, but it was scary seeing how well Curt and Brooke's wedding went off. Afterward, we went over to a rented house and hung out with the couple and I sloshed around in the bay capturing crabs and mussels.
Sunday, we were promised surfing so Allison and I started driving down the RI coast and explored the back roads. Saw lots of cyclists out and about, which depressed me, because I was not riding, I was driving. Found and explored a bit by a grist mill and got a snack at a little bakery. Surfing was canceled at the last minute, so we went on ahead to a BBQ at Brooke's parents' house and ate like pigs. Sunday night, it was Cuban Revolution and softserve. Walked another 6-7 miles in the Providence dark.
Monday, it was rainy and our flights home were delayed. Missed our connection, but I drank a huge smoothie at the Baltimore airport to cure the ache. That was nice.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Crit Season
The Ten Speed Hero website is along and trucking. Here is a recent brief: "Crit Season." There are some interviews and profiles in the pipeline, so check it out in the coming weeks.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Ian Came to Visit
Last week my brother Ian and his girlfriend Elvira came up to Chicago to visit. Friday was the start of "summer hours" so I had a few hours to kill before they arrived -- time I killed with a nap and time in the coffeeshop around the corner reading the Omnibus of Cometbus. One of the stories I read was about Cometbus' time in Arcata, CA. The article included a map of town, which showed where all the good skating spots and record stores were, circa 1988. Because I'm curious, I Google Mapped the town and tried pinpointing the places he mentioned -- I found a few. I do this often when I'm reading a book or newspaper article -- if a story mentions something about a water tower on the horizon, I want to see the water tower for myself. It has no bearing on my understanding of the story, but maybe I do this for context's sake.
This post isn't about water towers and Arcata, though, so my apologies.
After Ian and Elvira arrived, we walked over to Andersonville for a drink at Hopleaf and stopped by Transistor. I bought a guitar USB adapter after wanting one for well over six years. Friday night was also the launch for the Ten Speed Hero website. I dropped Ian and Elvira off at the house of her friend Ducky's and went to pick up Allison before heading over to the Get-A-Grip fit studio in the Fulton Market area. The 10SH website, a long time in the making, features content about cycling, with an emphasis on photography and long essays. It's going to be exciting to see what happens with it. The launch party went exceedingly well -- a keg of Gossamer helped things along. Ian, Elvira and her friends stopped on by, too. I'm not sure they were too interested in $12,000 Parlee bikes, but they acted like they did, which I appreciated.
Saturday, it was off to a mellow start with calisthenics in the park while Ian and Allison were sleeping. After they got up, I prepared everyone smoothies and we went off walking to Andersonville and then to Lincoln Square. We lunched in the Gene's rooftop beer garden and I predicted that Allison and I would make a regular go of it. So far, we've been there twice in the past week, it's that great.
In the afternoon, we wandered back to the house and took naps, then met up with Elvira and her friends in the afternoon at Hamburger Mary's. They didn't stick around for long, so they left and we got burritos at Carmela's.
Sunday, I raced the Gravel Metric in DeKalb in biblical conditions. I came in 7th place out of 120-something, with many participants dropping out of the race due to the severe thunderstorm that decided to roll through as we were racing. I'm working on a post for 10SH on the race, so when that's done I'll link it to here. Afterward, I was treated to a BBQ at Ducky's place. Then I got sick.
Since then, I was pretty much wiped out from a horrible cold that I caught from Ian and fatigue from the Gravel Metric. I recovered in time to help Allison celebrate her 30th on June 1 in style at the Brauhaus in Lincoln Square with her parents as surprise guests. Al James, renowned magician wowed us with feats of illusion. Friday night was karaoke with a whole host of friends at Spyner's. I also rode a lot; a HP trip with Kevin Clark and Catano on Saturday and MTB action on Sunday.
This post isn't about water towers and Arcata, though, so my apologies.
After Ian and Elvira arrived, we walked over to Andersonville for a drink at Hopleaf and stopped by Transistor. I bought a guitar USB adapter after wanting one for well over six years. Friday night was also the launch for the Ten Speed Hero website. I dropped Ian and Elvira off at the house of her friend Ducky's and went to pick up Allison before heading over to the Get-A-Grip fit studio in the Fulton Market area. The 10SH website, a long time in the making, features content about cycling, with an emphasis on photography and long essays. It's going to be exciting to see what happens with it. The launch party went exceedingly well -- a keg of Gossamer helped things along. Ian, Elvira and her friends stopped on by, too. I'm not sure they were too interested in $12,000 Parlee bikes, but they acted like they did, which I appreciated.
Saturday, it was off to a mellow start with calisthenics in the park while Ian and Allison were sleeping. After they got up, I prepared everyone smoothies and we went off walking to Andersonville and then to Lincoln Square. We lunched in the Gene's rooftop beer garden and I predicted that Allison and I would make a regular go of it. So far, we've been there twice in the past week, it's that great.
In the afternoon, we wandered back to the house and took naps, then met up with Elvira and her friends in the afternoon at Hamburger Mary's. They didn't stick around for long, so they left and we got burritos at Carmela's.
Sunday, I raced the Gravel Metric in DeKalb in biblical conditions. I came in 7th place out of 120-something, with many participants dropping out of the race due to the severe thunderstorm that decided to roll through as we were racing. I'm working on a post for 10SH on the race, so when that's done I'll link it to here. Afterward, I was treated to a BBQ at Ducky's place. Then I got sick.
Since then, I was pretty much wiped out from a horrible cold that I caught from Ian and fatigue from the Gravel Metric. I recovered in time to help Allison celebrate her 30th on June 1 in style at the Brauhaus in Lincoln Square with her parents as surprise guests. Al James, renowned magician wowed us with feats of illusion. Friday night was karaoke with a whole host of friends at Spyner's. I also rode a lot; a HP trip with Kevin Clark and Catano on Saturday and MTB action on Sunday.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Why I Ride
Lucho at CI said it best here.
I ride so I can eat what I want within reason, make new friends, and explore and adventure.
Competition is part of that triad, but right now, it's been more of a frustration and barrier to fulfillment than a catalyst. Ask me if I'd rather drive 150 miles and spend $100 to race or ride out my door for 60 miles with my friends, with a muffin break, and I'll gladly choose the latter.
I ride so I can eat what I want within reason, make new friends, and explore and adventure.
Competition is part of that triad, but right now, it's been more of a frustration and barrier to fulfillment than a catalyst. Ask me if I'd rather drive 150 miles and spend $100 to race or ride out my door for 60 miles with my friends, with a muffin break, and I'll gladly choose the latter.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Late April Ohio
Last week I went to Ohio for a few days. On the agenda was the following:
1. Fix the Saab
A) Oil sump cleaning and oil change
B) Replace the antenna I broke when I opened the hatch while the radio was on.
C) PCV system update
All the work was split on Thursday or Saturday. A week later, and I still have grease under my fingernails. I was so knocked out by the work on Saturday (took me four hours of work to get the pan off, cleaned and back on) that I probably burned the same amount of energy as if I had gone on some crazy long Judson ride.
2. Visit my maternal grandparents
On Friday, my mom, Jim, and I drove to spend the day with my grandparents in Barlow. They haven't been doing so well, so any time I'm in Ohio, I try my best to get out and visit with them for the day. On the way up, we stopped at the Village Bakery in Athens, which sadly I never patronized while living in Athens. Totally hippie-dippie and very much my style. They had absolutely some of the best brown bread I've ever had the pleasure of eating. Despite the rain, we got my grandfather to leave the farm and take a look at Linda and Ted's new house in Fleming.
3. Ride
I went and rode with the Team Hungry guys on Thursday, which absolutely just kicked my ass. It was a good ride through the hills of Kentucky that was made especially painful because Scott and Mike Chewning, who are pretty much Cat. 2s, were pushing the pace. I fell apart near the end -- rare that that happens. The weather was beautiful, sunny with some good wind from the east. After riding, we all rode over to forkheartknife for a feast and a few beers. I got home about 11:30, exhausted and with a still-full belly. The best kind of ride.
On Saturday I did an hour of hill repeats in the pouring rain around Mt. Storm. Because of the weather Sunday (lousy) and because I was so tired from working on the car Saturday afternoon, I went for a mild cruise around Northside. A short, lazy ride and I was back in 45 minutes. That's all I wanted and needed.
4. Plan some wedding action
Allison and I are going to get hitched this fall. On Sunday we had a brunch at my dad's to plan things out with Allison's folks, my dad and stepmom, and my mom. I'm really nervous about any difficulties between my mom and dad, but hey, that's how it goes sometimes.
5. Passover
The best of the Jewish holidays. We ate, drank grape juice, and laughed all night. Afterward, we went to see James Leg at the Northside Tavern. They were great, as always. I do miss the Black Diamond Heavies, though.
1. Fix the Saab
A) Oil sump cleaning and oil change
B) Replace the antenna I broke when I opened the hatch while the radio was on.
C) PCV system update
All the work was split on Thursday or Saturday. A week later, and I still have grease under my fingernails. I was so knocked out by the work on Saturday (took me four hours of work to get the pan off, cleaned and back on) that I probably burned the same amount of energy as if I had gone on some crazy long Judson ride.
2. Visit my maternal grandparents
On Friday, my mom, Jim, and I drove to spend the day with my grandparents in Barlow. They haven't been doing so well, so any time I'm in Ohio, I try my best to get out and visit with them for the day. On the way up, we stopped at the Village Bakery in Athens, which sadly I never patronized while living in Athens. Totally hippie-dippie and very much my style. They had absolutely some of the best brown bread I've ever had the pleasure of eating. Despite the rain, we got my grandfather to leave the farm and take a look at Linda and Ted's new house in Fleming.
3. Ride
I went and rode with the Team Hungry guys on Thursday, which absolutely just kicked my ass. It was a good ride through the hills of Kentucky that was made especially painful because Scott and Mike Chewning, who are pretty much Cat. 2s, were pushing the pace. I fell apart near the end -- rare that that happens. The weather was beautiful, sunny with some good wind from the east. After riding, we all rode over to forkheartknife for a feast and a few beers. I got home about 11:30, exhausted and with a still-full belly. The best kind of ride.
On Saturday I did an hour of hill repeats in the pouring rain around Mt. Storm. Because of the weather Sunday (lousy) and because I was so tired from working on the car Saturday afternoon, I went for a mild cruise around Northside. A short, lazy ride and I was back in 45 minutes. That's all I wanted and needed.
4. Plan some wedding action
Allison and I are going to get hitched this fall. On Sunday we had a brunch at my dad's to plan things out with Allison's folks, my dad and stepmom, and my mom. I'm really nervous about any difficulties between my mom and dad, but hey, that's how it goes sometimes.
5. Passover
The best of the Jewish holidays. We ate, drank grape juice, and laughed all night. Afterward, we went to see James Leg at the Northside Tavern. They were great, as always. I do miss the Black Diamond Heavies, though.
Monday, April 11, 2011
California
[Links coming soonish -- probably Thursday night.]
If there's one thing that's golden it's California.
The winter of 2010/2011 has been exceptionally brutal to this soul. The chill arrived December 1 and the snow followed soon thereafter. The last weeks of autumn were hardly bittersweet; rather, bitter. I hate griping about the weather because it's such a default complaint for those who live in Chicago, but wow, this winter proved to be a real tough ride of a season.
About mid-January, I started in with despondent complaints to friends and family about how much I hated Chicago, its weather, its residents, the traffic, the stinky train, etc. About then we decided to make a trip out west to California to visit Naz and Jen and get away. We booked a trip for the last week of March, only because it would take us that long to save up enough bread to have fun.
At the risk of boring myself and the few visitors that still read my blog, I'll get on to the good stuff.
Wednesday, March 23:
Allison and I endured a delayed flight out of Midway, but we entertained each other by dreaming up wacky stories about our fellow passengers. "Hi! My name is Leonard Leonard-Leonard! I'm a salesman out of Dubuque and I'm just looking to sell you a handsome pair of thrice-pleated pants!"
After landing in SF, we made our way to the hotel in Soma and immediately went out exploring the hood. We tried to visit some Mexican restaurant on 14th and Folsom, but they were closed. We instead dined at Citizen's Band at 8th and Folsom, which was an incredibly good choice on our part. We shared vegetarian cassoulet, mac & cheese with ham, cooked greens, and eggs. Everything was very rich, but the portions were not so large that you felt bloated after. After dinner, we met up with Naz and Jen who had just arrived home from Hawaii and we made plans for Thursday.
Sleep was fitful.
Thursday, March 24:
It was slated to rain all day, so Allison and decided that we'd be better off spending the day doing indoor things. First, Naz, Jen, Allison and I took the MUNI to Brenda's to get brunch -- the bus was late and the rain was a near torrent. I was completely soaked, but I didn't care because I can deal. Brenda's is a small N'awlins restaurant with watermelon ice tea and OK coffee. I took Naz's advice and ordered a shrimp omelet, Allison had a tofu sandwich because everything else on the menu had eggs, Naz got fried chicken (amazing), and Jen, oatmeal pancakes. I got to taste all the food and was pleased that Naz gave me an exceptionally nice-sized chunk of fried chicken.
We then went on to SFMOMA and spent most of the day there. The exhibits were exceptionally good -- mostly photographs. Allison and I didn't gel with the exhibit about wine and the culture surrounding that beverage, but it was still interesting.
Naz and Jen had us over their house for fish and sauteed vegetables, which I washed down with 21st Amendment Black IPA.
Friday:
This was the day of gluttony. I prepared by going for a 3.75 mile run to the Bay to watch the sun rise. I couldn't sleep and I was feeling plump, so I sneaked out at 6:30 a.m. before the city woke. I haven't run in months, not since at least December. I'm also in really good cycling shape, so my cardio system can go but my running legs can't really keep up. Anyway, I ran pretty well and rocked some hills. I kinda forget how great running is -- I mean cycling's better, but running is pretty rad in doses under five miles. Any more than that and it's not much fun.
I came back, woke up Allison, and met up with Naz to get breakfast at Pinkie's Bakery. Naz and I both got spinach quiche; Allison bread and butter because again, everything else had eggs in it. Naz and I also split an oatmeal and cranberry cookie.
We then started walking. First stop, Jen's office in Chinatown. Then on down the hill toward the piers, where we ate In-And-Out (burger and fries, both animal style). Along the way I tried on a pair of $275 jeans that fit exceptionally well and sang songs about riding bikes at Palos (a theme during the week).
We then moseyed up toward Lombard and hung out with the other tourists, taking pictures of us standing in the middle of the second most-curviest street in the city. See this video to see the curviest street. We also checked out some awesome skateboarding and art stores. Allison bought some expensive clothes
Continuing on toward the consumption of calories, we shared an apple fritter from Bob's Donuts before going back to the hotel. After a short respite, we went back out again for Little Star pizza in the Mission. We got a regular thick pie with sausage and onions and a white pizza with lots of garlic. Oh, and a roasted garlic appetizer. Also, Ska Brewing IPA.
Then on to Bi-Rite for ice cream -- roasted banana and malted vanilla for me.
I think the total caloric consumption for the day was about 4,000ish, which was entirely negated by the fact we traversed all of SF by foot [http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4392225 ]. The meals we ate we rather small, despite being rather rich. Hey, it all balanced out. I came home from the trip lighter.
Per usual, we crashed by about 11 or so. The day's activities again giving a good knackering.
Saturday:
Allison and I woke up early and got walking down toward the ferry building farmers' market, giving Jen and Naz time to sleep in. Along the way, Allison dragged me into the Market Street Mall where she wanted to look for some perfume. I did not enjoy the experience. At the market, we bought a loaf of fig bread, which as a lover of figs, I found pretty much incredible. Allison doesn't like figs so much, so she was less enthralled with the loaf. Naz met us down at the market and made us stand in line to buy a pork sandwich from Roli Roti. Greasy, flavorful, and filling -- pretty much one of the best sandwiches I've ever had.
In the afternoon, we worked off the Roli Roti with a ride to Heron's Head to meet Corey and Judah. Sunshine and light breeze on the way out; a quick downpour on the point; sunshine and light breezes on the way back. SF's weather is a strange animal and I love it.
Dinner was Indian/Pakistani, aloo mater with some mano lassi for me.
Sunday:
It was an early morning ride to Golden Gate Park with Naz and Allison in preparation for a burrito feast in celebration of Judah's daughter's and Naz's birthday. I ate a burrito, half a quesadilla, a taco, and drank a coke. It was gluttonous and marvelous.
In the afternoon, I met with former HAC teammate and friend Adrian Silva, who moved to SF in the fall of 2010. Talking with him over a couple of beers at Brainwash, it was clear that the SF life was a dream and worth the financial struggle. He told me about the bike tours he's been on, the culture of the city, all of it. He wasn't making much, but it was enough to live the dream. It was inspiring.
Monday:
Allison and I drove up Highway 101 to Rohnert Park to visit my uncle Bruce and aunt Cheryl. In a rented Honda Civic (my, how Honda has slipped), we made the 40-mile drive in the early morning to Wine Country. Bruce recently had a partial hip replacement because the damage of numerous motorcycle crashes and falls over the years had finally caused the joint to give up. When Allison and I planned our trip to California, we knew it would be tenuous whether we would be able to see Bruce and Cheryl, but Sunday afternoon he urged us to come up and visit, saying, "I've been stuck in the house for weeks recuperating. Get me outta here!"
So we did and it was so well worth it.
Allison and I got to their house by about 9:30 and had coffee and muffins before heading up to Dry Creek, where their winery [http://pechmerlewinery.wordpress.com/] is located. Uncle Bruce wasn't moving too well, but he was determined to get out and show us around. Before leaving, Cheryl packed up a picnic basket with fried chicken, cheese, chocolates, fruit, etc. for us to enjoy after leaving the winery.
We got up to the winery in short order due to the utter negligence of posted speed limits. The tasting was pretty great -- the winemaker John Pepe gave us a tour of a number of vintages, some ready to be bottled, others in need of time. We were given three bottles to take along: a cabernet, a sauvignon blanc, and a chardonnay. Outside were some extremely cool Lamborghini tractors, which were slowly giving in to time and ferrous oxide.
We then drove over to the actual Pech Merle facility, which is still just a narrow tract of land that will eventually receive a tasting room, production line, and storage area. Also, the land is home to a 250+ year-old oak that is one of the more magnificent things I've ever seen.
We parted ways after taking a tour of the land, heading down the 101 for a bit before branching off to drive down the Russian River. During my last trip to California, Bruce and I took his Porsche 911 convertible, which is among the last of the air-cooled generation, for a spirited
drive through the narrow, curvy roads snaking through the redwood forests. It was an incredible adventure and I was determined to give it a go with the Honda. Heading toward Occidental on the Bohemian Highway, the curves started giving Allison the heaves, and I, being unsympathetic to those with sicky stomachs, pressed on, trying to hit each apex nicely. She then accused me of being mean because of my hustling of the car, so I passed on the wheel to her. Her breaking moment was when I nearly hit a UPS truck head-on on a blind corner, or so she says (I maintain that there was a good 3-4 inches between us.)
By now it was 3 p.m. and we were starving, since all we'd eaten that day were a few muffins and some wine. Coming down Coleman Valley Road, we pulled off at a good spot, unpacked the food. After eating the fried chicken, some ripe pears, and gouda, I finally got around to proposing to the girl. The most awkward, yet great, experience ever; fantastic and horrible. We took some photos of ourselves cavorting about the field and then got driving back to the city. About time, huh? It only took me 6 3/4 years.
Driving down Highway 1 was one of the more memorable experiences of the trip. Tracing the edge of the coast, the highway would swoop up and down with the elevation, affording stunning views of small-town coastal California. Cyclists abounded and with each rider we passed, I sighed with an envious heart. I tried to check out Black Mountain Cycles, but they were closed. I've been following their blog for some time now and I love all that they do -- lots of steel classics and modern bikes framed within that classical steel tradition.
Dinner that night was at B-Star in the Inner Richmond, which was an amazing meal. We celebrated Naz's birthday in style -- well, Naz and Jen were styling. Allison and I looked like hoodlums, matching in black hoodies and worn blue jeans. After dinner, we wandered over to Green Apple books and I bought a copy of the "Kindly Ones" for $3. Dessert was a crepe at Genki's. Much like 2009's experience, I was completely and sickeningly stuffed afterward.
After walking around a bit to stretch the legs and help the food digest, we drove back to the 'hood, packed some of our stuff, and went to bed.
Tuesday:
Coffee at Sightglass, a short walk around the neighborhood, and a long day of travel. I had a great seatmate on the flight from San Diego (the layover spot) to Chicago. The Orange Line ride home sucked. Also, I made the mistake of not taking a day off after travel -- I felt miserable at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, when I woke to return to the office.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Wolf Lake
Allison and I spent Sunday exploring Wolf Lake. We had plans for some time to go use-up a gift certificate at 3 Floyds, so we decided to just take a day to drive down and go exploring to work up an appetite. We were going to go hiking at Palos, but driving cross-county seemed somewhat pointless. So Wolf Lake it was. I'd only been there once -- with Kevin Clark on a lazy 60-mile ride on a sunny day. Well, if 60-mile rides can be called "lazy" endeavors.
I was itching to get back, if only to spend some time in a fresh location.
(Click to embiggen)
We posed by memorials to Project Nike.
And had our way stymied by a cut-out in the causeway.
It was a brisk, chilly day -- perfect for March. Gloomy in all the right ways, but not so bad that you wouldn't want to leave the house.
I was itching to get back, if only to spend some time in a fresh location.
(Click to embiggen)
We posed by memorials to Project Nike.
And had our way stymied by a cut-out in the causeway.
It was a brisk, chilly day -- perfect for March. Gloomy in all the right ways, but not so bad that you wouldn't want to leave the house.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Spring is the Time for Whining
Everything's changing, but nothing's changed. This winter put in a real digger on me as it was just cold out, all the time. I fancy myself as some kind of real tough nugget so I'm pretty tolerant of bad weather. I love the rain, I love wind, and I love rainy, windy days. I hate the snow, though. I'll gladly ride or walk around in gale force winds and a deluge, but if there's snow on the ground, I just want to sit inside and mope.
There was a lot of moping this winter. I've been a big baby about riding outside, ever since I almost ended up taking a dunk in Lake Michigan on a 10 degree day last year.
So there's that.
Things are starting to turn, though. The calendar finally pushed on toward the third month and with that, I think I can hear birds chirping in the morning and when I leave work, I can catch the sun as it's setting.
I've been too busy to enjoy all that, or nearly so. Finishing up the last edits on my graduate thesis will do that. I successfully defended my body of research back at the beginning of February and I'm on the home stretch. Most nights the past month I've come home after sitting in front of a computer all day to sit in front of my aging G5 for an hour or two as I reconcile my advisors' marks with the mess I've spent the past two-plus years bashing out. I can't wait to put that thing to bed.
Allison and I are going to San Francisco March 23 through the 29. We're staying across the street from Naz and Jen's pad. It'll be a good trip -- we're going to eat like pigs and enjoy decent weather. Even if it's rainy the entire time, it'll likely be better than what's going on in the Midwest.
Other notes:
I'm riding better now than I ever have before but I don't care much about racing. The economics of racing is ridiculous. Even for the cheap races, it's still at least a $60 day with registration fees, food, gas, etc. Lately I've been all about going on hard three hours muffin rides with my friends. I may change my mind by the time CX rolls around -- probably will. Still, I have better things to spend my money on than racing.
Someday I'll move this over to Wordpress. Someday.
There was a lot of moping this winter. I've been a big baby about riding outside, ever since I almost ended up taking a dunk in Lake Michigan on a 10 degree day last year.
So there's that.
Things are starting to turn, though. The calendar finally pushed on toward the third month and with that, I think I can hear birds chirping in the morning and when I leave work, I can catch the sun as it's setting.
I've been too busy to enjoy all that, or nearly so. Finishing up the last edits on my graduate thesis will do that. I successfully defended my body of research back at the beginning of February and I'm on the home stretch. Most nights the past month I've come home after sitting in front of a computer all day to sit in front of my aging G5 for an hour or two as I reconcile my advisors' marks with the mess I've spent the past two-plus years bashing out. I can't wait to put that thing to bed.
Allison and I are going to San Francisco March 23 through the 29. We're staying across the street from Naz and Jen's pad. It'll be a good trip -- we're going to eat like pigs and enjoy decent weather. Even if it's rainy the entire time, it'll likely be better than what's going on in the Midwest.
Other notes:
I'm riding better now than I ever have before but I don't care much about racing. The economics of racing is ridiculous. Even for the cheap races, it's still at least a $60 day with registration fees, food, gas, etc. Lately I've been all about going on hard three hours muffin rides with my friends. I may change my mind by the time CX rolls around -- probably will. Still, I have better things to spend my money on than racing.
Someday I'll move this over to Wordpress. Someday.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Winter 2011
Sean and I were talking about winter riding and commuting. Seems that we've not been doing a whole lot of it due to weather and laziness. I'm pretty reluctant to ride outside when the air temperature is less than 22 degrees or so -- my feet and hands really suffer to the point that riding is just thoroughly unpleasant. So instead I've been riding the trainer. A lot. I'm now to the point that I like riding the trainer. That's not supposed to happen, right?
Jividen and I rode up to Tower on Saturday for the "team" ride. It was just the two of us. Tempo/LT all the way -- we were at a conversational pace for a few minutes, I think. I was working hard, but it may have had something to do with the CX tire on the rear of the bike. I forced the turnaround because I could no longer feel my feet; Jividen could no longer feel his hands. We warmed up at Peet's in Evanston and hustled home.
This week and the past few weeks, I've just been riding the trainer a lot and when I'm not riding, I'm doing lots of yoga, core, etc. It's working a treat.
---
I was struggling mightily after the holidays. I had something of a big disappointment that really put me through the wringer, but I'm feeling better about it all now. After seeing all my family in one place, spending good time with my parents and my brothers, and getting in some great conversations with my still reasonably-healthy grandparents, coming back to Chicago really knocked me out. I admit, I get homesick more than I should. I'm not sure there's anything I can do about that.
---
I'm going back to Ohio in early February to defend my thesis in front of my committee. At that point I'll have turned a serious corner of my life (and lifted a major weight off of my shoulders). It'll be nice to spend evenings and weekends away from the computer and without the guilt that comes with delaying work that needs to be done.
Jividen and I rode up to Tower on Saturday for the "team" ride. It was just the two of us. Tempo/LT all the way -- we were at a conversational pace for a few minutes, I think. I was working hard, but it may have had something to do with the CX tire on the rear of the bike. I forced the turnaround because I could no longer feel my feet; Jividen could no longer feel his hands. We warmed up at Peet's in Evanston and hustled home.
This week and the past few weeks, I've just been riding the trainer a lot and when I'm not riding, I'm doing lots of yoga, core, etc. It's working a treat.
---
I was struggling mightily after the holidays. I had something of a big disappointment that really put me through the wringer, but I'm feeling better about it all now. After seeing all my family in one place, spending good time with my parents and my brothers, and getting in some great conversations with my still reasonably-healthy grandparents, coming back to Chicago really knocked me out. I admit, I get homesick more than I should. I'm not sure there's anything I can do about that.
---
I'm going back to Ohio in early February to defend my thesis in front of my committee. At that point I'll have turned a serious corner of my life (and lifted a major weight off of my shoulders). It'll be nice to spend evenings and weekends away from the computer and without the guilt that comes with delaying work that needs to be done.
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