Maui--Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Yep, up again to the sound of birds—much better than a blaring alarm clock! Our day’s agenda had some driving on it, although at the outset, we didn’t realize that it would be the whole day! We had been planning on the doing the “Road to Hana,” which is a popular and scenic drive of about 50 miles. Actually, we had thought about riding the road, but we had heard mixed reviews on the quality and safety of the road so we thought we’d drive it first. I’m glad we did. As I’ve mentioned, Maui has an affinity for narrow twisty roads and the Road to Hana is the epitome of this transportation design. We were literally hugging the steep right side of the road with the car (as in, almost scraping the side mirror), in an effort not to hit mirrors with oncoming traffic. Add in to this super narrow road some distracted tourists, some impatient locals, and regular business use of the road (i.e. oil trucks, etc), and you get a road that bikers are probably not wanted. Now, I’ll probably hear from plenty of people who say they’ve done the road and how wonderful it is, but for me, it's probably outside of the comfort zone. I ride to get away from cars, not to put myself directly in their way. There were hundreds (no exaggeration) of tight right turns that I’d make ever so carefully in case a cyclist was riding just around the bend (and out of sight), and I don’t think other drivers were doing the same. Okay, so we didn’t ride the Road to Hana, but we did drive it, and it was a long, slow drive, especially when we’re stopping every few miles to take more photos.

One of the first photos stops was at a grove of trees called “painted eucalyptus” trees. Jean and I had first seen some photos of these trees in a gallery, and we both thought they had been retouched in Photoshop or artisticly enhanced in some way—until we saw the trees! They were amazing.

From there we made countless stops at black sand beaches strewn with volcanic rock, including Wai’anapanapa State Park where we got to watch some locals risk it all while cliff diving.

We also devoured some local home-made banana bread at Aunt Sandy’s roadside spot. Delicious.

Then, of course, it was time to get subterranean to explore Ka’eleku Caverns—lava tubes that were once filled with more than 17,000lbs of cattle bones from a local slaughterhouse. Yikes.

After more miles of incredible beaches and tropical vistas, we finally made it to Hana. The Hotel Hana Maui is a beautiful resort that’s got four dollar signs in our travel book, so if you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it. We browsed some art in the gallery and gift shop, then made our way to another roadside food stop for a fresh handmade sandwich and salad, and got to meet a feral cat named “Piggy” because of its curly tail.

While it’s called the Road to Hana, there’s actually much more to see if you keep going, such as the famed Seven Pools og Oheo Gulch in Haleakala National Park. The water was a bit too chilly for swimming, but warm enough for photos.

So, the national park was essentially the turn-around point, as our books and maps made the rest of the road (which would have completed a total of about 100 mile loop around east Maui) sound rough, impassable, and perhaps closed because of mud slides, earthquakes and other dangers. Fortunately, a quick question to the Park Ranger cleared that up as he said that the road is open to all vehicles with no restrictions. I didn’t know what was ahead of us, but I knew to head back the way we came we’d be going about 15mph—this time clinging to the edge of the road (as opposed to the side of the mountain), ever wary of oncoming traffic. Besides, I really HATE going out and back, and I’ll often go way out of my way to do a loop. We took a left out of the park and had another 50 miles of—you guessed it, narrow, winding, twisty, steep roads. It certainly made for interesting driving, and I’m glad that abuse was on a rental car’s suspension, and not my car’s. The drive was fun—although long—and beautiful. This of course meant more stops for more pics.

Before we left civilization again for the desolate southern slopes of east Maui, we hit yet another roadside food stop, this time for some coffee. This little café/smoothie bar had a bicycle powered blender that customers had to use if they wanted a smoothie. That’s living off the grid. As we were leaving, one of the locals scooted away on her moped with her dog sitting on the deck…
Up until this point, the only dangers we had encountered on the road were steep cliffs, narrow one-lane bridges, steep hills, falling rocks and tight turns, but soon we had a new obstacle to impede our progress—cattle in the road. Burgers anyone? Actually, the cattle were fine, the road wasn’t that bad (although I still don’t think it would be a fun road unless the cars were gone—then it would be killer), and as I mentioned, the scenery was spectacular—which is interesting because all of the books made it sound like a barren wasteland.

We FINALLY made it back to our cottage at about 8:00pm, after about 12hrs in the car.

Maui--Monday, February 23, 2009

We woke up again to the sound of tropical birds, while gazing out of our massive picture window that looks out over pastures, to the mountains of West Maui and the beaches on both sides of the isthmus.

While enjoying coffee, breakfast, and a great music CD that we found in the CD player, Jean noticed a giant mushroom cloud ascending from the valley below. Hmmmm…. We didn’t hear any explosions, and there were no sirens in the background, so we just sat and watched. Shortly thereafter, there was a second but larger mushroom cloud. We later found out that this is part of the local’s way of burning off cane fields.

Once we were fairly certain that a nuclear war hadn’t commenced, we loaded the bikes up and headed for West Maui for some road riding. Along the way, we stopped at a scenic overlook to watch humpback whales frolic. Yeah, that was kind of cool.

We found a great grocery store with fresh sandwiches and soups for lunch, and while I was in negotiating an exchange, a local tried some pick-up lines on Jean. She replied with the “my husband will be right back…,” which apparently stumped the would-be Casanova.

Anyway, after lunch, we made our way to West Maui Bike for a little info, some air, and a “Y” tool (which I should have packed). Finally, it was time to ride.

My Maui County Bike Map recommended Rt 30—and even the local at the shop said it was an epic ride—especially when done in its entirety (about 60 miles with 4,000ft of climbing). Our plan was for about 20 miles, just to get the legs moving. Well, it was 20 miles of head winds (How does it always work out that way?). There was a good shoulder to ride on, but it was almost like riding in the breakdown lane on a highway. Cars were flying by.


We rode past all of the huge resorts that most people associate with Maui and I’m so glad we didn’t stay there. I love the cottage we stayed in. The Kapalua resort, which ironically triggered the idea behind this trip because of a full page article in Men’s Journal that extolling the thousands of acres for mountain biking (doesn’t really exist), was a super-swank resort with a Ritz-Carlton. I was so close to booking our stay there, but the thought of hanging out in a resort with people whose idea of adventure is playing the back nine without a golf cart really skeeved me out. I used the Kapalua resort as our turn-around point, and after checking out the “Adventure Shop” we made our way back to Lahaina by a slightly different route.

The way back was much less crowded and made for an enjoyable ride. Once back in Lahaina, I even found a wallet with $42 in cash in it. It also had some identification so I brought it all (cash included) to the local police station. It appears the owner was traveling from Switzerland, so I hope she gets it back.

As our schedule often revolves around our bellies (and how empty they feel), it was time to think about dinner. We actually made our way back to Kapalua to the Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar for some of the best sushi we’ve ever had. Mmmmm… mmmm….mmm.

Maui--Sunday. February 22, 2009

Yeah, we were up at about 4:30am. Our bodies had no idea what time it was… I took a walk out to the deck and it was like I was immersed in a relaxation CD. There were tropical birds chirping while a gentle wind blew through the trees and wind chimes softly rung off in the distance. Simply amazing. We woke up to this audio sound track every day.

We lounged about for a bit, and then it was time to build the bikes and plan our day. As for the first trip with the travel bikes, I have to say, the whole disassembly and assembly process is pretty quick and easy. I’ll make a few changes for next trip (for example, I spent WAY too much time trying to untangle the chains—next time, I’ll just take ‘em off).

After getting a little lost, we made our way down some winding narrow roads to Paia. A group of “ride down the mountain cyclists” passed us… Oy. If there was ever an activity I wanted no part in, it’s that. I got my official Hawaiian shirt in Paia, and had a great lunch at the fish market. We supported the local economy with some shopping, then it was time to point the Torrent back up the mountain to the top of Mount Haleakala.

Interestingly, you can go from sea level to the top of the mountain, which is just over 10,000ft, in about 40 miles—making it one of the only places in the world that you can go so high so quickly. I would have loved to attempted this on the bike, but I fear I know how it would have ended, and no one would want to see an out of shape mainlander crying on the side of the road begging to the volcano gods for forgiveness.

The drive was pretty epic as it was, passing through the “mountain lea” a band of clouds that obscures the peak of the mountain from view below. At the top of the volcano, a wide landscape that seems more Martian than Earthly opens up before you, with cinder cones, volcanic rock, and lingering clouds interspersed with the ancient geologic formations. We hiked out on the sliding sands trail to one of the cinder cones… the trail was incredible with expansive vistas, eerie quiet, random bits of tenacious life and two random hippies from California, one who spent lots of time trying to tie the bottoms of her shorts up. The view from the very top was incredible—looking down on the clouds is something that I’ve previously only done from a small airplane window.






Finally, it was time to retrace our steps and make our way back down the narrow, winding mountain road to our perfect cottage.

Maui--Saturday, February 21, 2009

I don’t remember any trips that I’ve taken that didn’t involve late night packing and EARLY morning alarms. This trip was no different, despite the fact that I was about 90% packed by Friday night. It’s always the little last-minute things... Anyway, Jean and I were up at 3:30am on Saturday and off to the airport by about 4:15. We had dropped the dogs off on Friday, so our morning was without the usually dog-chaos.

I’ve only been to Logan Airport about one hundred times, but sure enough, I missed the turn. Duh. I guess three hours of sleep will do that to you. We still made it to the parking lot in time, grabbed our shuttle, and checked in at Logan. Our bike cases weighed in at 49lbs and 50lbs—talk about no margin for error. I think I’ll put the cranks or something in my other bag just to give me an extra pound or so leeway. Anyway, the boxes were unceremoniously tossed on the conveyor belt and we were on our way to our gate. Our three-hour flight to Chicago was pretty uneventful, which is really what you want a flight to be.

Once in Chicago, we had some time to kill because our outgoing flight was delayed because of snow. I hate snow. In any event, the delay wasn’t long and soon enough we were packed in the back—and I do mean in the BACK of the plane for the long flight to Maui. We were in row 200 or something like that—the last row in the plane—an area usually reserved for families traveling with loud colicky children.

We had packed plenty of things to keep us occupied on the flight, and to be honest, the 9+ hour journey wasn’t that bad. I did have an annoying issue with my iPod though (user error). I planned ahead and downloaded the next audio book in the series that I’m listening to, however, I failed to realize that I was actually missing the last chapter in the current book. AND, I forgot to upload the movies I had converted for iPod use as well… double duh. I had more than enough journal articles and other stuff to read. Jean snoozed.

Our flight landed, and we made our way to the luggage carousel to find our beaten bike boxes… hmmmm… I was actually concerned that our bikes were damaged (they weren’t). We tossed everything into our Pontiac Torrent and made our way to a grocery store to get supplies. HOLY CRAP food is expensive on the island: three dollars for a gallon of spring water, six dollars for a half-gallon of soy milk, four dollars for a can of soup, seven dollars for a box of Grape Nuts, and on and on and on…

Anyway, stocked up and nearly broke, we pointed our Torrent up towards Haleakala to our accommodations. The road up to our cottage was steep, winding and narrow—a common theme of road design on Maui. We met a guy that looked just like Cesar Milan (but without a pack of dogs) who first saw us driving about with some confusion and tried to direct us into to a driveway to a home that was having a party—we love parties, but we were looking for our cottage. He then directed us into a different driveway, but that was the wrong house too… we finally found the correct driveway—a narrow, steep grade down in to… paradise.

Our cottage was exactly as seen on the Web site—but better. Quaint, cozy, romantic, clean—perfect. I was blown away by the night sky, with its thousands of stars, unaffected by light pollution, and I could have spent hours staring up—if it hadn’t been for the fact that we had been up for almost 24hrs and had flown halfway around the world (almost). We crashed asleep.

Coming Soon...

Yeah, I've been lax when it comes to posts recently... why? Well, because not a whole lot has been shaking... but, I WILL have some stories to post soon. Stay tuned!

Seasons.

It's coming... Spring is coming.... dry trails, windbreakers, shorts, longer days... I can't wait...

I'm sick of riding the rollers.
I'm sick of "bundling up."
I'm sick of ice/snow.
I'm sick of "wind chill factors."
I'm sick of running on the road.

Spring is coming...

Hmmm... that almost sounded poetic, huh? Or, perhaps, pathetic. Anyway, I'm really itching to get out on the trails for some long rides and runs. Pics like this one remind me that I didn't spend NEARLY enough time up at Kingdom Trails... Closer to home, I'm looking forward to Willowdale, Bradley Palmer, Harold Parker, Lynn Woods, and doing some more exploring on the Bay Circuit Trail. I *guess* I'm looking forward to getting out on the road bike too, but not at much as I'm looking forward to some good dirt time. Besides, the roads I've seen are trashed, and with municipal budgets being what they are, it will probably be years before we see any patching or paving. Okay, I just had to vent.

iShuffle Playlist...

Name	Artist
1000 Points Of Hate	Anthrax
Wth>You (Chairman Hahn ft. Aceyalone)	Linkin Park
With You	Linkin Park
Wild Side	Motley Crue
Welcome to the Jungle	Guns N Roses
Voices	Disturbed
Vietnow	Rage Against The Machine
The Trooper	Iron Maiden
Track 02	Guttermouth
Track 01	Guttermouth
The Threat	Skid Row
Testify	Rage Against The Machine
Symphony of Destruction	Megadeth
Survival of the Sickest	Saliva
Sleep Now In The Fire	Rage Against The Machine
Slave To The Grind	Skid Row
Sin	Nine Inch Nails
Shout at the Devil	Motley Crue
Seen Through Time	Cellador
Runaway	Linkin Park
Run To The Hills	Iron Maiden
Room For One More	Anthrax
Remember the Name	Fort Minor featuring Styles of Beyond
Rainbow In The Dark	Dio
Pts.Of.Athrty (Jay Gordon)	Linkin Park
Potter's Field	Anthrax
Points Of Authority/99Problems/One Step Closer	Jay - Z / Linkin Park
Points Of Authority	Linkin Park
Place For My Head	Linkin Park
People Of The Sun	Rage Against The Machine
Papercut	Linkin Park
Painkiller	Judas Priest
Out of Control	Hoobastank
The Only Time	Nine Inch Nails
One Step Closer	Linkin Park
The Number of the Beast	Iron Maiden
Numb/Encore	Jay - Z / Linkin Park
Nothing	Stabbing Westward
Nobody's Listening	Linkin Park
Nighttrain	Guns N Roses
Miracle Man	Ozzy Osbourne
Lying From You	Linkin Park
LIVE-For Those About to ROCK	AC/DC
Like The Way I Do	Melissa Etheridge
Last Resort	Papa Roach
Kinda I Want To	Nine Inch Nails
Kickstart_My_Heart	Motely Crew
Jigga What/Faint	Jay - Z / Linkin Park
Jealous Again	Nick Oliveri
Invisible	Anthrax
In The End	Linkin Park
In My World	Anthrax
I Am The Bullgod	Kid Rock
Hy Pro Glo	Anthrax
Hit The Floor	Linkin Park
Head Like A Hole	Nine Inch Nails
Guerilla Radio	Rage Against The Machine
Got The Time	Anthrax
Given Up	Linkin Park
Give Me All Your Love Tonight	Whitesnake
Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie	Dean Ween
Get The Fuck Out	Skid Row
The Game	Disturbed
Forgotten	Linkin Park
Fist of Rage	Kid Rock
Figure.09	Linkin Park
Fight Fire With Fire	Metallica
Faint	Linkin Park
F*****g Hostile	Pantera
Enemy	Sevendust
Empire	Queensryche
Down With the Sickness	Disturbed
Down In It	Nine Inch Nails
Dirt Off Your Shoulder/Lying From You	Jay - Z / Linkin Park
Die MF Die	Dope
Devil Without a Cause	Kid Rock
The Devil Went Down to Georgia	Point blAnk
The Devil Went Down to Georgia	Charlie Daniels
Depression	Casey Chaos
Defy You	The Offspring
Crazy Train	Ozzy Osbourne
Crawling	Linkin Park
Crash	Methods Of Mayhem
Cowboys from Hell	Pantera
Control	Stabbing Westward
click click boom	Saliva
Children of the Grave	Black Sabbath
C11 H17 N2 O2 S Na	Anthrax
By_Myslf (Josh Abraham & Mike Shinoda)	Linkin Park
By Myself	Linkin Park
Bulls On Parade	Rage Against The Machine
Boom	P.O.D
Bleed It Out	Linkin Park
Black Coffee	Henry Rollins
Big Pimpin/Papercut	Jay - Z / Linkin Park
The Beautiful People	Marilyn Manson
Bawitdaba	Kid Rock
Anarchy in the UK	Motley Crue
Ain't My Bitch	Metallica

I still hate winter.

Well, after my abysmal XC ski adventure the other day, I figured I'd return to something a bit more in line with my abilities--running...

Sure, it was completely dark out after work, and sure the roads and sidewalks were covered in ice and snow... but the dogs and I needed exercise, so out we went. I really HATE people who don't shovel the sidewalks in front of their homes. I think *perhaps* people on low-traffic side streets could be forgiven (as it's not too dangerous to walk in the street), but people on high-traffic roads should have the courtesy to clean up in front of their houses so pedestrians aren't forced out in the narrow, icy streets.

Of course, the downside is that PLENTY of shoveled sidewalks were like ice luges... My special winter running shoes helped keep me upright, but it was a struggle. I can't wait to run on trails again...

Cross-Country Flailing

Wow. I can't believe how bad I am at XC skiing. Maybe the conditions weren't right? I don't know enough about winter sports to say, but either way, my technique today was analogous to walking with really long, skinny snow-shoes, without the aid of spikes on the bottom to prevent sliding backwards. And, as if my slow trudging wasn't bad enough, I actually fell a couple of times (okay, more than a couple).

I floundered around for about 3 miles of deep snow, with me breaking trail for most of it. Granted, I've got "backcountry" skis, but I think in past years when I've taken the sticks out, I've been on groomed trails and I was much better. Winter sports, *bleck*.

A update of minimal significance or interest.

Wow...Keeping up in the modern times takes lots of work. ... LinkedIn, Facebook, Blog(s); it's enough to make a guy want to go back to the olden times before the Internet... nah... then I wouldn't have my BlackBerry or my iPod or my other digital devices that I am so addicted to.

I've been meaning to post something here, but a.) I haven't been doing anything that exciting, and b.) I've been posting daily to the OTHER blog I contribute to: fourpawsphotos. In fact, between taking, tweaking and posting the photos, that takes up quite a bit of my time each day.

My work weeks have been B-U-S-Y, I guess it's that time of year... the hospital is full.

On my off weeks, I'm happy to say that I've been OUTSIDE for a couple of rides. The rollers have been monotonous--AND I've had mechanical issues, so it was refreshing to get outside. Yeah, I think I'm one of the only people that has bike problems while riding indoors, but I digress. My outside rides have been short, but an hour outside is better than an hour inside, so I won't complain. Studded tires and winter shoes have eliminated any excuses I had NOT to get outside. However, I can't wait for dirt... warm, dry, dirt. With all the snow we're getting this year, I think I'm going to have a long wait though... Perhaps there'll be some spring training/travel in my future...

In addition to working (and complaining about winter), I've been getting ready for some lectures I'll be giving up at UNE (back pain, traumatic brain injuries, burn care). I was supposed to go up this past Wednesday, but I had to reschedule due to the storm. Now, when I go back up, I'll be lecturing for 6hrs... those poor PA students.

I also had an enlightening experience at the dentist's office last week.

Other than that's it's been lots of errands, dog stuff, and waiting/hoping for an early spring!

The Recession is Affecting Us All...

In light of the current economic situation facing our country, Bearded Biker, Inc., regretfully announces that it will be cutting its friends by approximately 8-percent over the coming months.

Some will be offered early retirement packages, and others will be offered positions as acquaintances, however, if the total reduction does not meet shareholder expectations, then forced lay-offs will occur.

Consumers should not notice any change. “Over the past few months, we’ve been experimenting with some off-shore agencies to provide many of the same services my friends have been providing for years, and I have to say, the quality is indistinguishable,” says Bearded Biker's CEO, David Alden.

“We don’t want to do this,” Mr. Alden goes on to say, “but not only do we have a responsibility to our shareholders, but we have a responsibility to the global economy as well, and we have to stay strong to continue to be a leader.”

Unaffected will be the Bearded Biker's wife, Jean, and two dogs, Gary and Luna; however, family members may face similar reductions if the financial downturn continues.

Have Bikes, Will Travel

As you may remember, this past summer I got a couple of bikes (one for Jean, and one for me) that were specifically designed to break apart for easy packing and travel. Well, I finally got the special cases, which are within the limits that airlines set for normal luggage--meaning, no surcharge! Check out the photos below... Now, where will these bikes go? Hawaii? Utah? Florida?

Snow

Yep. Snowstorm. Cold. Fun. How long until spring?

Updates...

Well, the year is almost over, and I'll be heading into my second year of digital narcissism. The past couple of weeks have been a bit of a blur. Between a hectic work week and the insanity that revolves around the holidays, I'm at the point where I'm looking forward to putting December 2008 to bed.

This week I've been putting our house back together after the holiday re-organization, and trying to get back on a work-out schedule. Sunday's 60-degrees was perfect for running. The trails, sadly, have not been up to par. Mike and I took off today for an optimistic ride, but we were thwarted after about two miles. The trail head looked good, but we kept alternating between deep snow (not really deep, but deep enough to make riding annoying), deep mud and water, and ice. Not great conditions. More snow is on the way tomorrow, so who knows when the trails will be ready again.

I got my commuter ready for the winter weather with studded tires and fenders. Sigh, I really hate winter. I can't wait for Hawaii!

Anyway, I updated some of the pics in Picasa of Gary (and of course, Luna is in there too), and I posted some more pics from Art Week (listed below).

Art Week.

Well, another week off is in the bag, and it’s back to work again tomorrow. The weird thing is, I like my job, so heading back to work ain’t a bad thing. This past week was great as Jean was off too. As you can see below, our Saturday was good, and the rest of the week was great as well.

Sunday, Jean and I went up to Manchester, NH with our friends Mike & Jo to the Courrier Museum to check out some “aht.” They had a great Warhol exhibit, and plenty of other great visuals. We also went to a Frank Lloyd Wright house. I guess, in retrospect, this week was full of art as Jean and I also went to the Griffin Museum of Photography and the De Cordova Museum of Art which is one of our favorites—and we made it up to Portland, ME for a day trip.

Jean and I also stimulated the economy with both home purchases and holiday shopping.

A Saturday...

Jean and I went to the open house at the Salem Athenaeum--a private library, where we recently became members. It has an amazing collection of books (including a copy of Sir Isaac Newton’s ground breaking Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica!)

They have also hosted some great lectures and classes which is how Jean and I first got involved. The open house that we attended was to display and discuss the artistic and symbolic merits of “end papers.” End papers are the insides of books covers—the transition from exterior to interior. Look in any hardcover book and you’ll see many different styles of end papers, from maps and graphs to marbleized artistic patterns. It’s one of those things that we encounter all the time, but never think about. Of course, the main reason I went was for the free coffee and cookies.

In keeping with the paper theme, a local artist was on hand to teach people how to make their own paper. Yep, starting with some unwanted paper stock and a regular blender, she created pulp, which was then turned into paper. Jean and I gave it a try too.

Another, Another Sunrise

Yep, this one was taken from the boat ramp next to the Kernwood Bridge in Salem just before I was heading in to work. It's good to have a camera on hand when you need one!

Crash, part two.

I seem to have problems commuting. For the second time in about two months, I've succumbed to gravity's sweet serenade and found myself floundering on the ground while trying to commute to or from work. Last time it was a mechanical malfunction, this time, it was the dreaded--black ice. Yep, I went around a corner that only looked wet, and before I could even think, I was down. The bike went left, the right leg went out, twisted, and I went down. Technically, my right lower leg was externally rotated while my thigh was internally rotated (not good), with significant valgus flexion. Yum. I hobbled up, pedaled the last couple of miles in to work, and went about my business. I was fairly stiff, sore, and swollen by the end of the day, and my lovely wife picked me up. The next day, I was limpin' like a gimp, and I ultimately picked up a cheap cane to facilitate walking. Plus, every at the hospital got to make "House" comments to me. My biggest fear, based on the mechanism of the injury, was that I sustained some cartilage damage. I happen to be lucky enough to be friends with one of the top knee guys in the business, Dr. Ira Evans. He checked me out and felt that an MCL sprain along with some other soft tissue bruising was most likely (here is an article that Dr. Evans and I worked on for Dirt Rag discussing knee injuries).

Now, two weeks later, I'm feeling better. Certainly not 100%, but I'm walking much better, I've been able to do an easy spin on the bike on the rollers and I did a short run tonight. I'm still on NSAIDs, but I think I'm on the road to recovery. I did miss some good cyclocross races, but there will be more races in my life.

I have to say, I don't like being on this side of the patient-provider relationship. Oh well. I guess when I see how often my mother falls down, it's only to be expected...

Anyway, the ironic part is that the day prior to the fall, I had posted a reply to the LinkedIn group for bike commuters extolling the virtues of studded tires for winter riding. I have a set sitting in my garage waiting to be mounted... Had I only taken my own advice! Oh well, needless to say, they're going on before I start back to my two-wheeled commute.

December 4

So, it's been a little while since the last update. Let's get caught up. First off, over the past few weeks, I've been tailoring my work-outs to be more cyclocross oriented. Yep, using the flatbar 'cross bike, and doing short, fast rides with some running thrown in for fun. In fact, this set of stairs is particularly fun, especially because there are always people walking dogs nearby, wondering what kind of lunatic would be riding towards a set of stairs at full speed, only to dismount at the last second, shoulder the bike, and run like a lumbering lumox to the top. The real strange looks come in when I hit my second or third time up.

Gary has been slowly getting more comfortable in his new home. He and Luna get along great, and the destruction has been bumped up a few notches. They tear through toys that are billed to be ultra strong. They are like furry piranha. But, the toys keep them busy and it keeps them from chewing on Jean's shins. He started obedience class and for his first time, he did fine. He did, however, vomit in the back of the Element again. Did I mention how great the rubber floors are?

I haven't taken any inspiring photos lately, but with the impending holidays, perhaps I'll document the life and times of some figgy pudding. I shot this cloud pic while I was waiting for Jean as she was being a good consumer in Target.

Last week I spent a little bit of time getting ready for winter. I got some gas (which is cheaper than I've seen in a long time) for my new snow thrower and started it up for the first time. This monster will be ready for the worst that New England can send my way. Yep, the hoses are shut off, the grill is in the garage, the deck furniture is taken in... I'm getting ready.