I just can't let go...

Techno-Hell

I DO love technology. Anyone who knows me knows that I don't go too far without some form of gadgetry, but sometimes, this stuff is just a huge pain in the ass.

Right now, I'm trying to get my TV set up. It's not so long ago when I remember having a giant antenna on the roof of the house that would sometimes need adjusting after some strong winds. Then cable TV came along and changed everything. With a connection from the outside cable to a cable box to the TV, we had clear signals and oh so many channels. Adding a VCR in to the mix, or, to really get crazy, adding a video game system (Atari 2600), would really be fancy. I remember taking things to the next level by having two VCRs in parallel to copy tapes and having external speakers for better sound.

Spain--Day 2

Sunday, we awoke, with alarm at the fact that it was 11am! I hadn't slept that late since I was working night shifts. Fortunately, Jean-Francios and Luc, who thought we might have died in our sleep, still had breakfast for us: more freshly baked breads, fresh squeezed orange juice, a bowl of cut fresh fruits, and sliced meats. Oh, and the coffee...

Spain--Day 1

I was awoken at about 1am, on my body's time, for a breakfast of Milano cookies and bright red orange juice. These are the sorts of things that happen when flying across oceans and time zones, and about 24hrs after our original departure, things were still a bit odd.

Buenos Dias!

Okay, Jean and I just got back from Spain, and the day-to-day mania of our regular lives has already begun. I won't bore you with the details, but I will say that I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with Adobe Lightroom and sifting through my nearly 1000 photos from the trip!

In a nutshell, the trip was great. We flew into the coastal city of Malaga, then spent a couple of days at an amazing B&B called Tapa Luz. More details on this, and everything else on the trip later, but for now, know that Tapa Luz served absolutely amazing food.

Blah, blah, blah... the winter blahs...

Anyone who has known me for a long time knows that I hate winter. I hate the cold. I hate the snow. I hate the ice. And as you know, the 2010/2011 winter has had PLENTY of cold, snow, and ice.

Aside from my daily walks with the dogs, who, I think, are also a bit fed up with the snow, I have TRIED to do "winter" activities.

Take a photo journey with me...

Yep, I dug the cross-country skis out, and well, they peeled like bananas. Sigh. That's okay, I didn't really want to go skiing anyway.

My snowshoes are still intact though, so I've been out on them a few times. Great hip flexor work-out, but Jean enjoys the snowshoes much more than me. As far as I'm concerned, snowshoeing is just plodding through the snow. And the idea of "flotation" is a myth. I've got the largest snowshoes I could find, 36" back country Tubbs, and if the snow wasn't already packed down, my leg would sink to knee.

Dogs

My dogs love snow. I hate snow. Fortunately, I get some enjoyment seeing them have fun wrestling in it. I took this little video this morning, when it was about 0-degrees F. They didn't seem to mind.



You can check out some pics here too, from another snow romp.

Anyway, while they do have fun in the snow, I'm looking forward to the warmer weather, and they can get back to the beach...

Winter Health Tips

I've seen a recurring theme in the Emergency Department in the winter months. Sure, regardless of the weather, people are going to have abdominal pain, and chest pain, and headaches; and little old ladies are forever going to be weak and dizzy, but there are some ED complaints that are certainly seasonal.

I'd like to provide you with some tips on avoiding the need to come in to see me at work.

Winter Wonderland!

Bleah. Winter's coming. The cold weather is here, and today's dusting is a precursor to snowy days to come. Bah Humbug. I guess it's time for my favorite winter past-time; complaining. I've taken whining to a higher level, so if you're new to bitching and complaining, I don't mean to overwhelm you. You see, despite living in the northern latitudes for most of my life, I've never developed an affinity for any winter sports. Everything I like to do is a "warm weather" pursuit, although, admittedly, biking and running can be done year 'round. I just hate the cold weather, and snow certainly adds another element, literally, to the deal.

Dollars, Donuts, and Derailleurs...

http://www.russcam.com/

Ah, the Ice Weasels... I wish more races had the vibe and atmosphere found here in Wrentham. Rowdy crowds, irreverent announcing, crazy barrier prizes, beer hand-ups, and an overall party flavor. New, this year, was mild temperatures, a dry course, and a fly-over.

Similar to last year, at least for me, was a mechanical issue with my bike. Unfortunately, the Fickle Pickle of Fate was not on my side this time around. You see, last year, my pedal broke right in front of the pit area--I had to run about two steps to get my other bike. I was not so lucky this time around.

I had a decent start, felt good, had some gas in the tank, and was optimistic about the race. On my first pass over the barriers, my chain fell off, DESPITE a chain keeper. I ran a little farther to get out of the way to get the chain back on, but, the chain keeper, which should have kept the chain from falling off in the first place was preventing me from sliding it back on. Oh, and a quick look at the back of bike revealed that the chain had already lodged itself securely between the rear cassette and the spokes, and the derailleur was up at an odd angle. My assessment was that the bike was out of commission and I was far away from the pit. So, I started running, all the while riders were passing me until there were no more riders to pass me. I still kept running, er, jogging, um, okay, finally walking. It was a long walk. I got to the pit, switched bikes and headed out.

Lynn Woods

I haven't been to Lynn Woods in a long time. That used to be my default mountain biking or trail running spot. I guess I got bored of the chewed up trails, who knows. Lately, I've been thinking about heading back for some miles. I was just there the other day, but not running, not biking, just heading out for a hike with Jean and the mutts. The renovated stone tower is great, and the trails are calling me back...

See more pics here.

Where did I put my giant foam finger?

Okay, so I went to a basketball game last week, and the whole scene, from top to bottom just seems absolutely ridiculous to me.

First off, cheerleaders, or, okay, "dancers," ... really? Is that supposed to invoke something in me other than cynicism? Don't get me wrong, I love scantily clad women, but a team of them jumping around on the middle of a basketball court flanked by camera crews, ball boys, and a guy on stilts with giant foam hands, just makes me think the whole idea is stuck in a tacky 80's cheese-fest.

Cyclocross Racing!

Sure, if you've been a devoted follower of this site, and I know you are, you might be thinking that not much has been going on. But that would be woefully incorrect. Plenty has been going on, including some seriously sub-par racing on my part. As prolific blog-viator (yeah, I just made that word up by marrying blog and bloviate... does it work?), I've got lots of blogs to attend to. Most of my racing rants and whining is posted on the Racer-X site, so here are a couple of links to let you know that yes, things HAVE been exciting!

• Sterling, MA (11/28)--it was cold but fun. Want more details? Go here.
• Lowell, MA (11/21)--I showed up to race, my legs stayed home. I got a waffle though...
• Hampton Falls, NH (10/31)--A race on Halloween? Hell yeah, I raced in costume!

I think that's all that's been missing. Now, don't you feel better?

Bikes, Beer, and Bavaria

Men and women don’t always want the same things in a vacation. Women seem to like romantic European towns, quaint villages, and quiet restaurants. Most men would be happy with a vacation that revolved around bikes and beer.

Texas.

Obligatory Photo

So, I just flew back from Texas, and boy, are my arms tired. Ha, that joke never gets old, does it? Yeah, I know. "Loser." I'm okay with that. I did just get back from Texas though, and I have a few observations and opinions I'd like to share.

Days off...

Yeah, I'm off today, and I'm getting caught up on "stuff." You know, dropping the car off for service, picking up some groceries at Trader Joe's, returning some e-mails, making some calls, and, of course, blogging, tweeting and drinking coffee. Mmmmmm... coffee.

One place that I spend LOTS of time in while I'm off is down in the "workshop." I seem to spend lots of time tweaking bikes... changing handlebars, making bikes singlespeed, making them geared, sometimes just rotating the tires... For me, working on bikes is a great way to relax. I'm not worried about medication interactions, kidney failure, heart failure, arrhythmias, nocosomial infections (nothing worse than an infected nocosom), or the worst part of medicine, documentation. Nope, I just turn wrenches and make sure that I don't strip threads. I lube pivoting parts, and yes, I shine stuff with Pedro's Bike Lust. Ah...

The Night Weasels Cometh!

And they bring rain. Sure, for many, cyclocross and rain go hand in hand. And this week, Mother Nature stepped up to provide three days of nearly non-stop rain leading in to the Night Weasels race. I texted my wife earlier in the day telling her that I absolutely could NOT wait for the carnage.

It wasn't me.

Despite the headline, I wasn't involved.

Biking=Fun (right?)

Like most riders, I bike because it's fun. Fun to flow on twisty singletrack, fun to roll along scenic roads, fun to travel by bike and enjoy the outdoors. But, would you say it's also fun to meet up in a giant grass field to practice riding around in circles and running with your bike on your shoulder? In the dark? In THE mosquito breeding grounds? Well, Jamie and Glen call it fun, so I wanted to experience the joy and rapture too.

Yeah, it's that time of year again when the cyclocross race calender is looming, and like a patient desperately brushing his or her teeth just before a dentist's visit, hoping to make up for all those times you didn't floss, I'm hoping to start "training."

Kingdom Trails

Self, Andy, Doug..

I should probably start making my friends sign photo release forms. To ride with me is to be photographed by me. I hope no one minds... I know poor Jean has had me bark at her like a typical snooty fashion photographer when all she really wants to do is to get out for a ride.

Oh well, they're my megapixels, and I'm going to use them the way I see fit. Plus, I get to work on my skills at riding one-handed while trying to frame shots (that's how many of the following pics were taken).