| These are the Droids you're looking for... |
[Nov. 16th, 2009|11:32 am] |
So, I've been carrying it for over a week now, and I seriously dig this phone.
http://xkcd.com/662/
Seriously, the screen is phenomenally crisp and renders beautifully. The performance of the phone is fine so far, and there are plenty of apps in the Market. I think my favorite might be Google Places Directory. It grabs your current location via GPS, and gives you a list of categories and gives you a list of places nearby. You can tell it to Navigate to it from current location and it'll give you verbal directions while it maps the route (or you can just view the map, or you can exit if you know the area but not specifically where something was, etc). Goodbye Garmin and TomTom, I'm sure someone, somewhere, will miss you.
There's a nifty app for the DC Metro system that shows in real time what trains are coming into the selected station, how many cars make up the train, and how many minutes from the station it is. Metro Center, Gallery Place, and L'Enfant Plaza are really cool to use to show this off, as they are the three major stations in the whole system. Those three stations are within a mile of each other, and between them, you can switch from from any line to any other line. Right now, Rosslyn, the Metro station about a block away, has an eight car orange line train east two minutes out, a six car blue line train east six minutes out, a six car orange line east train twelve minutes out, a six car blue line train south one minute out, a six car orange line train west nine minutes out, and a six car blue line south train thirteen minutes out (of course, those numbers have changed since I started typing this). It was free in the Market.
And of course, there are a bunch of games, news, weather, productivity, etc. apps all there too (for example, Documents to Go lets me read Word and Excel files with the free version, the pay version will let me edit them and adds PowerPoint and PDF (reading and editing) to the mix).
I'm very pleased so far. |
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| morning-after thoughts: cross crusade |
[Nov. 16th, 2009|08:12 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  grateful | ] |
Cross Crusade is over for the year. The series ended with yesterday's Barton Park races. I am sad. Just when I was beginning to get the hang of it, and getting to know some really nice folks, it's done.
..::sigh::..
Random thoughts on the season and on yesterday's race.
What worked:
1. Embrocation. Although it wasn't as cold or wet as it had been at PIR, putting on embrocation just made everything a little bit nicer. Putting on leg warmers over freshly-embrocated legs warmed me up just enough. It was still cold enough that I decided to leave the leg warmers on for the race, and perhaps that's why I didn't have as much of a post-shower tingle in my knees afterwards; more of the stuff probably stayed on the inside of the leg warmers. Still, this stuff is really cool and I'm a believer. So are a couple of nice kids at Team Beer that I shared my embrocation with.
2. My clothing choices. I DID get a little bit of a chill before callups, but I just kept doing little warmup laps near the start chutes until the last possible minute, with my rain jacket on. Finally, just before Beginner women were called up, I shed my rain jacket, hung it on a bit of fence wire, and was fine for the race. My jacket was waiting for me when I finished, and it went back on immediately until I could get back to the tent and change into dry clothing. Staying warm is key for these November races.
3. Not worrying about other racers. While I definitely felt a competitive "fire", it was all about how I could be stronger and improve my bike-handling techniques, and not about the other women passing me right and left. I'm older and slower than most of the women, and they are going to pass me. Once I accepted that reality I could get on with enjoying my race for what it was: a chance to ride hard and play in the mud.
4. My gut. Yesterday my gut was quite cooperative, with no grumbling to speak of. Racing when you have active Crohn's disease is, frankly, a crapshoot (sorry). You can plan your racing calendar and sign up but there is no ironclad guarantee that your body will be in the mood on the appointed day. I think that was part of what happened at PIR last week. Much as I wanted to be in a good space for racing, my body was not, and it let me know loud and clear. This week, me and my body were in total agreement and I was glad.
5. My bike. I LOVE Stompy and I love racing on a singlespeed. It's the best. Period.
Thoughts on Cross Crusade and OBRA in general:
1. OBRA rocks. OBRA does a great job of making space for beginners, especially women, and growing the activity for riders at every level. It does this through excellent organization, people who know everything and can answer questions clearly and concisely, and (most importantly) a virtual no-pull policy. OBRA will not pull a slower rider from a race unless the rider is having an obvious problem that poses a danger to themselves or someone else. In other parts of the country, I am told, this is not the case. If you're too slow (i.e., you're blown off the back or get lapped quickly) you will be pulled from the race. As someone who is habitually blown out the back door, I am grateful that OBRA lets me stay in the race.
2. Cross Crusade manages to find a good balance (most of the time) between a rolling circus atmosphere and a bike race. I was a little shocked at the amount of beer consumed at these races -- especially before NOON -- but overall I never felt like my safety was at issue. (Then again, I did not go to Astoria over Halloween weekend, either.) CC organizers ran the whole works like a well-oiled machine and everyone approached the enterprise with a mixture of down-to-earthness and good humor that helped this newbie grow comfortable in the rarefied atmosphere of Oregon cyclocross.
3. The Oregon 'cross crowd is simply the friendliest bunch of bike racers I have ever met in my life. This scene is so much more welcoming to newcomers than anything I experienced as a road time-trialist 15 years ago, where other racers all but looked down their noses at me. My experience this fall was enough to tell me that, while I have no desire to ever check out the roadie scene ever again, I will definitely be back for short-track and 'cross next year.
My gratitude goes out to some specific folks:
Edwin, Joel, Ira, Molly, John and Danielle for their friendliness and warm welcome to the racing scene.
Hazel for being a willing and cheerful co-newbie to cross with me; I'll see you killing it with the B's next year!
Team Beer, Team Cthulu, Motordome and Super-Relax for letting me hang out (and store my stuff out of the rain) in the vicinity of their tents.
As the only Bella at most of my races, it was nice not to have to do it totally alone.
Velo Bella. Because of their laid-back, non-profit (read: affordable) approach to team racing, I could afford to join a team, get useful info and encouragement from women all over the country, and fly some crazy-memorable team kit in my first full season of racing. Thank you for being a springboard for new racers.
My co-workers at Citybikes, a decidedly non-racing shop, who had the grace NOT to laugh out loud when I announced I was taking up bike racing.
My partner, for being behind me and supporting me in this wacky thing, for telling me that I am a rock star and a real athlete, even on the days when I haven't felt like one, and for being there with hugs, foot rubs and soup when I got home from these things.
Having people in your corner makes a world of difference. |
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| USGP mercer cup cyclocross |
[Nov. 16th, 2009|10:47 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  sore | ] |
| [ | music |
| | blink 182 | ] |
sunday was fucking muddy but fun, minus getting up at 5am and having to rent a car but it was worth it. got there and got my number and fancy transponder thing, did a practice lap and man was the course muddy, it was hard just pedaling on flat ground! but i finished, got 79th out of 109 people that registered but i think only around 81 finished haha so thats pretty sweet, was a lot of fun! my girlfriend came with and took pictures so heres a bunch:
( Read more... ) |
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| Pricing of Used Bikes |
[Nov. 16th, 2009|10:18 am] |
I've decided to buy a new bike, well new to me anyway.
Currently I have an English 3-speed that has lately been playing the part of the money pit. The internal hub is acting up...again. I know that I can put some cash into having it repaired or it can be replaced. The hub seems to be the most expensive part of the bike though. But this is not only about money. I've had the bike for over 4 years and I feel like I've had the whole english 3-speed experience, 'Tweed Ride' and all. It's heavy, the chrome plated steel rims don't allow for sudden breaking in rain, and when dealing with unpredictable Philadelphia drivers, sometimes sudden breaking versus pumping is necessary.
I want to sell the bike to a local bike shop, preferably Via, since I know they'll take good care of it and give it to another short person who wants the 3-speed experience. The question is, when making a possible trade for a newer bike that's worth considerably more money, is it possible to haggle a bit on the price?
A few years ago I would never have thought of paying anything but the posted price of an object, any object, but now I work in an antiques market part time and it seems like 90% of the customers ask for the "best price" of an item. I'm used to giving 10% to 20% discounts on everything but precious metals and fine jewelry. Antiques are for the most part used items (new old stock stuff aside). So can I ask for a slight discount on a used bike? If so, what sort of room do I have without coming off like a complete asshole? |
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| Foiled Foliage |
[Nov. 16th, 2009|02:30 pm] |
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http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2009/11/foiled-foliage.html "Hello, Miss? I wish to make a complaint about this cake I purchased not half an hour ago from this very bakery."
[looking cake over] "Oh, yes, that's our Norwegian Leaves design. What's wrong with it?"
"I'll tell you what's wrong with it: these are real leaves, that's what's wrong with it."
"No, of course not! Those are just icing. Look!" [shuffling leaves]
"Look, Miss, I know real dead leaves when I see them, and I'm looking at some right now."
"No, they're icing. Remarkable leaves, the Norwegian ones, aren't they? Beautiful foliage."
"The foliage don't enter into it! You put real leaves on my cake!"
"No, they're not real, they're just shining in accords."
"Shining in accords? What does that even mean?"
"I dunno; I'm just trying to stick to this Monty Python script as closely as possible."
Emily E., it's like a pun. Or a, what you call it, palindrome. Yeah.
NOTE: Yes, folks, they really are real leaves. Kinda gives a new meaning to "all natural ingredients," doesn't it?
- Related Wreckage: The Word "Holy" DID Come to Mind...
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| work in progress |
[Nov. 15th, 2009|10:49 pm] |
I put the handlebar, bottles and wheels on for the picture. Still need to do some more clean up on the joints and then haul it off to get a powder coat.
( before ) |
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| (no subject) |
[Nov. 16th, 2009|12:39 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  amused | ] |
"Bikes! Little fold-away bikes! Don't weigh a thing!"
- Dr. Who on Mars base transport |
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| race report: i can do anything for 45 minutes |
[Nov. 15th, 2009|06:29 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | happy | ] |
The mantra worked. Thanks to the anonymous reader of my blog who supplied it earlier this week.
Sadly, the camera did not work -- dead batteries -- so I have no race photos until/unless friends send me theirs (with permission to share).
The course was challenging, with two steep run-ups, a concrete slab barrier (oddly, the only barrier in the course!) and several sections of pavement that had been rendered slick with muddy runoff in the previous heats. The best part of the entire course was a steep, quick drop-down; it was steep like the off-camber transitions featured at PIR short-track earlier this summer, and as I walked the course with Joel (who kindly drove me there and home again) we noted where the best lines were. I also noted -- before Joel pointed it out -- that people coming from strictly road-riding approached the drop-down very differently than those with off-road riding experience. The off-road riders approached the drop, picked a line, and dropped down like it was no big deal. The road riders were much more tentative -- and a few stopped short at the top, scared to ride down it. I didn't do a practice ride -- I wanted to save my energy for the race -- but walking the course made it much easier to see where I wanted to ride, and I looked forward to hitting the drop-down. The secret, I understood, was to stay off my front brake, feather my rear brake for just a moment at the top if necessary, throw my butt back behind my saddle (which I could do on my slightly-small mountain bike), and just let it flow down the hill without touching my brakes.
The run-ups were nearly as steep as the one at Alpenrose -- and the second one was almost twice as long, snaking upward through a blackberry bramble. This was the most physically demanding section of the course for me; I topped the run-up and was badly winded each time, my knees aching from the steepness.
Laps were shorter today than at PIR -- around 2 miles per lap -- and the mud was a much more manageable consistency, too -- less grease and more peanut butter, totally rideable on my singlespeed atb. I was heartened by how much vocal encouragement and cheering I got for riding a singlespeed, and for barrelling down the drop-down.
A young woman who managed to pass me on the flats at every opportunity stopped up short in front of me at the drop-down; she was literally paralyzed by fear. The first time, I simply said, "on your right" and passed her carefully. I managed to pick a decent line through the mud and took the drop old-school bmx-style with one foot off my pedal to help me balance against the off-camber slant. It felt fine, exhilarating, actually, and I took it that way each time. On the next lap when the same thing happened again, that same woman was stuck at the top and didn't know what to do. I slowed down and said to her, "Listen, get back on your bike! It's less scary if you're looking at it on your bike! Really, you can totally do this!" She couldn't, and I wished I could've helped her, but we were racing; there were women coming up behind me and I really wanted to complete at least two laps today, maybe even three, before time was called. I learned afterwards that both times she carried her bike and picked her way down the side of the course, just left of the cones.
Another section of the course that I found myself really enjoying was at the sharp turn that took you down through the parking area, over muddy pavement and onto some muddy gravel. A good line had already been carved into it by previous racers -- a benefit of racing so late in the day -- and so I simply went with the line, bunny-hopped a little over the bumpy puddle in the middle, and turned onto the gravel road where I managed to stay up. In fact, I did not go down once the entire race, and my bike handling felt so much better than when I rode my first short-track race back in June! It was so great to note the progression of my bike-handling skills, even as I was pushing myself and my knees complained (loudly) and I could hear my heart throbbing in the top of my head.
And suddenly, before I was really prepared for it, really, the race was over. "You're done!" the officials yelled out to me as I crossed the finish line. "Really?" I asked in disbelief. I knew I'd only completed two laps, and I was a little disappointed. I was sorrier still that I would not get to ride the drop-down just one more time. It was that fun. I hung out near the finish line for a couple of minutes to talk with a friend, and as I turned to head back to the Team Beer tent for my bag, that woman from the top of the drop-down clawed her way up the run-up. Another racer who'd finished ahead of both of us yelled encouragement, and the two of us got off our bikes and jogged with her the last twenty yards to the finish line, cheering all the way. She looked super-tired, and happy to have completed the course.
I am so happy that I hung in there today, that I did not DNF, that my knees didn't give out, that my bike handled the course so beautifully (well, really, there's just no excuse here. I was on a mountain bike.), and that I felt really tired but also really good afterwards. The new mantra worked. I can do anything for 45 minutes.
And that's it. That's my first Cross Crusade in the books (today was the final race in the series). I have USGP, where I've been told that I will probably be pulled and may not even qualify to ride the next day; but that's a totally different scene with its own vibe; more serious, with USA Cycling officials crawling all over and the elite-level riders looking for the series win and one last good race before Nationals the following weekend. I will, of course, do my best at USGP but really for me it has been all about Cross Crusade. I am pretty happy with wha I've learned by doing this and I know I will want to come back again next year, at least for the most local, transit-accessible races if nothing else (though Barton Park is a really fun course!).
So I guess this makes me a bicycle racer, even if I'm a really slow one. I don't care.
Wow. It's really, really cool. I'm glad I've done it. I want to do it some more.
I hope there will be some good pictures on Flickr (search under "Cross Crusade 2009" and I'm sure something will turn up.)
Phew. |
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| douchebags |
[Nov. 15th, 2009|01:23 pm] |
some guy parked his acura suv in the bike lane in front of nordstrom, and I had to do some sketchy swerving to dodge him, so I smacked his mirror as I went by. (douchebag move 1 - me). He then caught up with me a few lights down, and his wife took a picture with her iphone (douchebag move 2, them). Then I suggested that next time, maybe they don't park in the bike lane, and he said "it was just for five seconds to pick someone up" (douchebag move 3, them). So I said "why don't you just block a regular traffic lane? same thing! it's just for five seconds!" (db move 4, me). Then the light turned green and he did the typical idiot driver thing and yelled something out the window as he sped off (cretin move, infinity).
Score:
Me (idiot biker): -2
Him (idiot driver): -2, incomprehensible parting words.
I think it's about even, but that mirror smack was SO satisfying, and his wife/mother/wrinkled old bitch with dyed hair and a be-stickered iphone looked REALLY pissed off.
Note for the future: Traffic is different on sunday. Ride in the traffic lane. |
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| This Week In Pendant episode 150! |
[Nov. 15th, 2009|06:46 pm] |
|
PENDANT PRODUCTIONS PROUDLY PRESENTS:
 This
Week In Pendant - One hundred and fiftieth episode!
The TWIPs, they are a-changin'! But not until next week, so pay no attention to this preview text! "The Kingery" Season One CD set is coming, and a familiar name comes back to... "The Kingery!" Are you sensing a theme here? I am! How unintentionally awesome! "Last Son of Krypton" merchandise is available once again, for the first time in two years! Get it while you can, it won't be around long! We've got casting call results for "The Kingery" (there it is again!) and "Umket Industries Presents: The Dixie Stenberg and Brassy Battalion Adventure Theater", and preview trailers for "Wonder Woman: Champion of Themyscira" issue 46 and "Seminar" episode 31! Jeffrey and Brian Oldham discuss pianos, puns and driftwood, and Carl Glassmeyer comes to you again with another cover artwork commentary! Ever wanted to overdose on "Seinfeld" quotes? This is the episode for you!
Available for free download in .mp3 format, or as a Podcast! Now available
exclusively at PendantAudio.com via the following links:
iTunes link:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=200291578
Podcast feed:
http://www.pendantaudio.com/twip_podcast.xml
Download link:
http://www.pendantaudio.com/twip.php
Thanks for listening!
http://www.pendantaudio.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pendant |
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| Sunday Sweets: Tour De Force, Pt 3 |
[Nov. 15th, 2009|02:30 pm] |
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http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2009/11/sunday-sweets-tour-de-force-pt-3.html You've already seen all the fun "Wrecks" our volunteer bakers provided for the tour this past week. Well today, I thought it'd be nice to feature more of their NON-wrecky work. So if you live in one of these cities, now you'll know at least one baker who will "get it" if you order a Cake Wreck. ;)
In New York City, we had two great bakeries. First up, Perfect Endings Bakery:
 Take note, all: this is the only acceptable form of a "cupcake cake." Plus, don't you love cakes that look readily edible? (Say that 5 times fast.)  Most of their work seems to be fondant-free, too; a good thing for you buttercream purists. Our second baker in New York was Jacy Cakes, who provided a gluten-free cake so delicious you'd never know it was gluten-free. Here are a few more examples of what they can do:
 I love this modern design - so cool. Our next stop was Bethesda, MD, where we had Fancy Cakes by Leslie provide the goodies. Leslie's site is overflowing with classic, elegant cakes, but she also knows how to bring the fun:  Cute!  I'm still a sucker for pink and orange. Love it. Next up was Boston/ Framingham, where we again had two bakers. You may remember Cakes by Erin as the ones who made the Fenway Park cake. Well, here are a few more of their goodies:  Those are some mad figure modeling skills. Sweet.  And oh-so-pretty! Birchgrove Baking, our second Boston bakery, drove all the way from Vermont to deliver the Cake Rex to the show. Check out some of their other work:  I love the colors and design on this modern wedding cake. And here's one to make you go "awww":
 Last but not least, we have Feast Catering from Atlanta. Lisa took on the responsibility of feeding over 400 people all by herself, by the way, and she did it all with a big smile on her face. In fact, all of our bakers were like that: so happy to be there, you'd think they were getting paid. (Which, just to be clear, they were NOT. Heheh.) Anyway, you saw Lisa's quirky side with her cakes yesterday, so here are some of her more elegant designs:   Thanks again to all of the bakers who gave their time and effort during our tour! I'm sure I speak for the thousands of people who got sugar buzzes thanks to your efforts when I say, Your the 'Best!'
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| Unshelved News: One Book A Day VI |
[Nov. 15th, 2009|07:30 am] |
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http://www.unshelved.com/blog.aspx?post=1537 We hope you enjoyed this week's edition of One Book A Day. Here, for posterity, is the complete list of titles:
I know, that's a lot of friends. What can I say. We're friendly guys.
That's our last official One Book A Day for the year, the kind with books from all sorts of authors and publishers. But as you'll see, several of our publisher sponsors will be using the same format to let you know about their upcoming books.
Posted by Bill on 11/15/2009 12:00:00 AM |
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