Love is so overused, I am guilty as charged. I love cheese, I love beer, I love bacon, I Really love bacon. I love to ride bikes, I love mtb, I love road, and I hope to love cx. Man, I'm a lover not a fighter.
Love
-noun. tender, passionate affection
strong personal liking
person toward whom love is felt
-verb. to have love (for)
The Julie always says that she loves me, and I feel that it is a little much, I know she loves me because she puts up with me putting the ice cream in the refrigerator, leaving empty boxes in the pantry, and several idiosyncrasies, way too many to list. Snoring. I think that she should limit it to maybe every other phone call, I feel that just saying it, like an end to a conversation degrades the meaning. I love my new shoes. When I say I Love You -I mean it -when I say it. I love lasagna. The love that I have for my family and the love that I have for bacon is on two different planets, nowhere near the same ballpark. I love you man.
Passion for things is easily expressed with the big L-word, but using it for strong personal liking drops it down a notch. I love fall. We like things strongly, but we don't love them. If you love it why don't you marry it? Really, I would need to become a Mormon and practice polygamy with all the loves in my life. I love tacos.
I love to ride bikes, is it the same love that I have for the Julie? No, of course not, but is it the same love that I share for beer? How about the love that I have for my new shirt? No. The passion level, if there is a level is very high for bikes, and the Julie would probably argue that it sometimes eclipses her stature on the Love list. Sometimes I love the bike because it does not argue with me, or ask me to do the dishes. OK, Really I do love the Julie, because I put up with her and her ability to put up with me. I do have the better "deal", she puts up with a great deal of my crap. I know this, and I love her for it.
I for the most part I will probably not be able to break myself of the habit of saying that I love things. Saying that I like things strongly sounds a little on the stupid side of dialog, but maybe I can just LIKE things or I can Really Like things.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Perspective..or something like that
Someone always has it better than you, and someone always has it worse than you. I'm a glass is half empty kind of guy, always looking for the negative. Don't judge, it's easy to be on the team of the not so positive, it takes a true hardas$ to be positive even in the face of failure. I am not. Admittance is the first step, it's the second step -the one where you actually start the change is the hard part. I don't see myself changing into a lollipop kid and seeing the good in everything anytime soon.
I have a good life, I do (not bragging) sometimes I just don't see the trees for the darn forest. My job is trying my sanity, I swear that this job is going to kill my soul. I don't love what I do, and it is just a means to and end. It is a rare thing that one loves their vocation. I'm just going through the motions as best I can. What I'm really trying to say and to convince myself is...is that I don't have it that bad. In fact I have it pretty good in the grand scheme of things. It could always be worse, Right?
Looking at ones life from a different set of eyes alters the view. When life hands you a lemon say "what else you got?" and be glad you have a lemon, 'cause the guy next to you was just handed a pile of manure.
I'm trying to break this absence of words, so I apologize for the nature of my writing and I hope that it does not bring you down, but helps you look at your situation from a different vantage point. I figure, at this point, that writing anything is better than writing nothing at all. This is a self induced therapy aimed to cure the brain to keyboard mandatory black out that has occurred.
Did you click on to read something about cycling? I rode a bike today, Did you? I was about to melt into the couch of oblivion when "The Julie" called and said she was coming home and wanted to go mtb. Savior. We rode in some light rain and chilly weather until we were on the trails up at Turkey. I let Julie lead the ride and I shut off my mind and focused on her rear tire, so much so that at one point I was lost and had to look for landmarks to reorient myself. Much needed. I am so lacking in the motivation department, don't you dare call it burn-out. It is not. I love to ride and I need to ride like a junkie needs a fix. There is a black hole of time right after work that if I cannot make it out, I will not do anything but dive deep into a vegetative state. This has nothing to do with burn-out, I have the desire to ride, I just don't have the motivation to change clothes, fill bottles/camelbak, and go ride. TV is just too easy, and beer is just too tasty.
I have a good life, I do (not bragging) sometimes I just don't see the trees for the darn forest. My job is trying my sanity, I swear that this job is going to kill my soul. I don't love what I do, and it is just a means to and end. It is a rare thing that one loves their vocation. I'm just going through the motions as best I can. What I'm really trying to say and to convince myself is...is that I don't have it that bad. In fact I have it pretty good in the grand scheme of things. It could always be worse, Right?
Looking at ones life from a different set of eyes alters the view. When life hands you a lemon say "what else you got?" and be glad you have a lemon, 'cause the guy next to you was just handed a pile of manure.
I'm trying to break this absence of words, so I apologize for the nature of my writing and I hope that it does not bring you down, but helps you look at your situation from a different vantage point. I figure, at this point, that writing anything is better than writing nothing at all. This is a self induced therapy aimed to cure the brain to keyboard mandatory black out that has occurred.
Did you click on to read something about cycling? I rode a bike today, Did you? I was about to melt into the couch of oblivion when "The Julie" called and said she was coming home and wanted to go mtb. Savior. We rode in some light rain and chilly weather until we were on the trails up at Turkey. I let Julie lead the ride and I shut off my mind and focused on her rear tire, so much so that at one point I was lost and had to look for landmarks to reorient myself. Much needed. I am so lacking in the motivation department, don't you dare call it burn-out. It is not. I love to ride and I need to ride like a junkie needs a fix. There is a black hole of time right after work that if I cannot make it out, I will not do anything but dive deep into a vegetative state. This has nothing to do with burn-out, I have the desire to ride, I just don't have the motivation to change clothes, fill bottles/camelbak, and go ride. TV is just too easy, and beer is just too tasty.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Don't call it a comeback
Writer's block? I don't think so? I don't know what my problem is? Issues? Issues are supposed to be good fodder for writing, Right? My issues are unequivocally boring, nothing that would merit prose or lyric. Oh the days of boy meets girl boy looses girl. Now, there is a goldmine in that, too bad it was like 20 some odd years ago.
I have been on the bike, or should I say bikes? About two weeks ago I dusted off the mtb and put some Stans in the tires to make itroad mountain ready. It is nice to be back out on the dirt, rocks and roots. Roots, yeah that is where my cycling comes from, the fat side of the family. Tires that is. I've been rocking the off-road cycle since 1999, you do the math -I've been drinking. So, now I find myself coming full-circle or semi-circle and taking the road bike to the dirt. I've been misquoted as saying that I would never race Cyclocross. I'm pretty sure that what I was trying to say was that I would never race cyclocross as a Pro. Just needed to clear that up so as to avoid confusion when you see me struggling to mount and dismount.
Yes, I have a CX frame sitting in the shop waiting for brakes and a bottom bracket, and to be built. Minor details. I am going to pretend to race CX this season so that I can add yet another bike to the stable of bikes that I already own. Pretty sneaky of me don't you think? Very Very Sneaky.
You have probably heard of "hold my beer and watch this"? Well, I am going to race CX with a slightly different mantra... I will proudly be flying the flag of "Hand me a beer and watch this". That's right anything worth doing, well or not well should involve the consumption of liquid courage. Being my heritage is of the Germanic nature, I therefore should honor that heritage as best as possible. I will be drinking ales, lagers, and stouts to name a few. Oh, you thought with my background I would be invading and occupying countries, that comes later -but keep it on the DL.
Let the CX experiment begin. I highly encourage you to heckle at a race or at a practice, it is very cathartic experience and much appreciated. Please, and I mean please be creative with your hurled insults, the crazier the better. Imagination is a wonderful thing, use it. Keep the swears to a minimum when there are Clergy or children present.
I have been on the bike, or should I say bikes? About two weeks ago I dusted off the mtb and put some Stans in the tires to make it
Yes, I have a CX frame sitting in the shop waiting for brakes and a bottom bracket, and to be built. Minor details. I am going to pretend to race CX this season so that I can add yet another bike to the stable of bikes that I already own. Pretty sneaky of me don't you think? Very Very Sneaky.
You have probably heard of "hold my beer and watch this"? Well, I am going to race CX with a slightly different mantra... I will proudly be flying the flag of "Hand me a beer and watch this". That's right anything worth doing, well or not well should involve the consumption of liquid courage. Being my heritage is of the Germanic nature, I therefore should honor that heritage as best as possible. I will be drinking ales, lagers, and stouts to name a few. Oh, you thought with my background I would be invading and occupying countries, that comes later -but keep it on the DL.
Let the CX experiment begin. I highly encourage you to heckle at a race or at a practice, it is very cathartic experience and much appreciated. Please, and I mean please be creative with your hurled insults, the crazier the better. Imagination is a wonderful thing, use it. Keep the swears to a minimum when there are Clergy or children present.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Fragile
Have you ever held a 39 tooth chain ring in your hand? It weighs next to nothing, and feels like you might bend it by accident. It's small. Ones brain cannot comprehend the importance such a frail piece of machined metal has on the locomotion of the bike. How much force can this actually handle? How many miles have I used this ring to propel me up hills or the occasional mountain pass. How many chains has this dainty ring stretched to the point of replacement?
Only weighing a few grams, this chain ring is the life blood of a bicycle's drivetrain. Taken by itself this small circular bit of metal is insignificant, but as a part of the drivetrain it is invaluable. When it comes to the small chain ring, dynamite is packaged small. Think of your favorite cruz gear, is it a 39 X 17? This is where the chain is almost in a perfect straight line. Your cadence is high, but almost effortless. Oh, the little 39 tooth chain ring. On your next ride pay homage to little guy when the road gets steep or you just feel like a cruz.
Only weighing a few grams, this chain ring is the life blood of a bicycle's drivetrain. Taken by itself this small circular bit of metal is insignificant, but as a part of the drivetrain it is invaluable. When it comes to the small chain ring, dynamite is packaged small. Think of your favorite cruz gear, is it a 39 X 17? This is where the chain is almost in a perfect straight line. Your cadence is high, but almost effortless. Oh, the little 39 tooth chain ring. On your next ride pay homage to little guy when the road gets steep or you just feel like a cruz.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Silly Season
Seriously, it's starting to get crazy and it is only going to get worse or is it better? It is Transfer season, no not that kind of transfer where you have to drive to the start of a race. I am talking about teams merging, riders changing teams and the all around hysterics that follow. Rumors Rumors Rumors.
Cavendish says he has a team, but he is not talking. What are the odds on favorite that it is Sky? Not like that is a stab in the dark. $$$$$$$. HTC is hemorrhaging riders, come on Bob get a sponsor before it is just you and some old kits hanging in the bus. The brothers Velits jumped ship to QuickStep or the entity that it will become once the marriage with Omega is consummated. This holiest of unions of Belgian Superpowers has a very large question mark hanging over it like the sword of Damocles. Where is Gilbert going to go? Lotto, after it's divorce with Omega Pharma is hooking up with Ridley Bikes to form a new team or something like that. I could not get the translator to work, so I have no idea other than the hook-up? Is there a possible three way with Vacansoleil? Hard to tell at this point.
How can Bob Stapleton just watch his empire that was the glorious T-Mobile-HighRoad-Columbia-HTC crumble at his feet? This makes no sense to me whatsoever, Stapleton has to be one of the best in the business of cycling and it looks as though it is over for the superpower. What a dark day for US cycling and the Euro peloton. OK, I know it's not a done deal but it looks bad, real bad. I'm talking ICU call in the Priest, bad. Pull it together man, get a new sponsor and continue to dominate, with or without Cav.
That is one of the awesome aspects of this sport, riders are motivated by money, but they are also motivated by the desire to win. Of course winning does equal money, so it is kind of a win win. Or would that be a Win $?
Cavendish says he has a team, but he is not talking. What are the odds on favorite that it is Sky? Not like that is a stab in the dark. $$$$$$$. HTC is hemorrhaging riders, come on Bob get a sponsor before it is just you and some old kits hanging in the bus. The brothers Velits jumped ship to QuickStep or the entity that it will become once the marriage with Omega is consummated. This holiest of unions of Belgian Superpowers has a very large question mark hanging over it like the sword of Damocles. Where is Gilbert going to go? Lotto, after it's divorce with Omega Pharma is hooking up with Ridley Bikes to form a new team or something like that. I could not get the translator to work, so I have no idea other than the hook-up? Is there a possible three way with Vacansoleil? Hard to tell at this point.
How can Bob Stapleton just watch his empire that was the glorious T-Mobile-HighRoad-Columbia-HTC crumble at his feet? This makes no sense to me whatsoever, Stapleton has to be one of the best in the business of cycling and it looks as though it is over for the superpower. What a dark day for US cycling and the Euro peloton. OK, I know it's not a done deal but it looks bad, real bad. I'm talking ICU call in the Priest, bad. Pull it together man, get a new sponsor and continue to dominate, with or without Cav.
That is one of the awesome aspects of this sport, riders are motivated by money, but they are also motivated by the desire to win. Of course winning does equal money, so it is kind of a win win. Or would that be a Win $?
Monday, August 1, 2011
No News
Le Tour is over and everyone is suffering from post Tour induced TV coverage black out. I will turn on the TV just to have it on, I'm sick like that. Don't blame me it's not my fault, my wife bought a beautiful piece of equipment that screams for me to use it. Turn me on, turn me on, you know you want to, 999 channels and nothing on, so just push my buttons and turn me on. Getting a little carried away, but it is a sexy TV and I a sucker for a pretty sleek sexy gal. What can I say I'm a big dumb animal?
So where is all the doping scandals? Did anyone pop positive at le Tour? It's been a week and I have not heard anything. Contador got to race despite my personal hunger strike against brussel sprouts, so I guess that went under rug swept. There must be a new drug or a new masking agent that has not been detected yet, because the doping scene is pretty dead. Don't get me wrong I would love to put this all to bed and pretend that everyone is clean, or is actually clean. Please be clean, stop breaking my heart, or I'll come after you front wheel in hand a la Barredo.
The Belgian Tri-Color has been on the podium 13 times and has never looked better. Gilbert is a force of nature that cannot be stopped. I'm such a huge fan. You gotta love the way this guy takes control of finishes. One thing that we don't talk about it the Omega Pharma team that has been winning all of these races. Let's face it even with the larger-than-life Gilbert, there has to be a strong team backing him up. There are the two Jurgens. Van de Walle and Roelandts, these two are b'dass and can break the hardmen in the peloton. Vanendert, Willems, Veikkanen, Aerts are all able to hold their own over the cobbles or in a Grand Tour. So there you have it the unsung supporting cast that "helps" carry the water for Gilbert.
So who is Gilbert going to ride for next year? Who would not want to have Gilbert on their roster? If I were a DS I would beg borrow steal kill and possibly maim to have Gilbert ride for me. Rumor has it that Vacansoleil and Omega Pharma were going to combine sponsor forces, but now it is looking like Vacansoleil is out and QuickStep is the new partner. For real or is it just another rumor? I will wait and see. Tom Boonen and Gilbert on the same team? Is that possible? Tom will have to work for Phil no doubt, but would he? It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
So where is all the doping scandals? Did anyone pop positive at le Tour? It's been a week and I have not heard anything. Contador got to race despite my personal hunger strike against brussel sprouts, so I guess that went under rug swept. There must be a new drug or a new masking agent that has not been detected yet, because the doping scene is pretty dead. Don't get me wrong I would love to put this all to bed and pretend that everyone is clean, or is actually clean. Please be clean, stop breaking my heart, or I'll come after you front wheel in hand a la Barredo.
The Belgian Tri-Color has been on the podium 13 times and has never looked better. Gilbert is a force of nature that cannot be stopped. I'm such a huge fan. You gotta love the way this guy takes control of finishes. One thing that we don't talk about it the Omega Pharma team that has been winning all of these races. Let's face it even with the larger-than-life Gilbert, there has to be a strong team backing him up. There are the two Jurgens. Van de Walle and Roelandts, these two are b'dass and can break the hardmen in the peloton. Vanendert, Willems, Veikkanen, Aerts are all able to hold their own over the cobbles or in a Grand Tour. So there you have it the unsung supporting cast that "helps" carry the water for Gilbert.
So who is Gilbert going to ride for next year? Who would not want to have Gilbert on their roster? If I were a DS I would beg borrow steal kill and possibly maim to have Gilbert ride for me. Rumor has it that Vacansoleil and Omega Pharma were going to combine sponsor forces, but now it is looking like Vacansoleil is out and QuickStep is the new partner. For real or is it just another rumor? I will wait and see. Tom Boonen and Gilbert on the same team? Is that possible? Tom will have to work for Phil no doubt, but would he? It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Fail
Well as the kids say, I pretty much failed at TdF race recaps, which I was supposed to be "good" at doing. It looks as though I have been having a problem putting pen to paper, or should I say fingertip to key? I, like most Americans want to blame my issue/problems on something other than myself, I mean really self-accountability is for dead people. I am alive and well in the Nintendo-Xbox-PS2 world that we have created, so my problem is, shall we say watching too much TV? Sounds good to me, tune in turn the brain off and tune out. Bam! no head injury required to become a self-induced vegetable, and wearing your helmet does not work. -Tried it, even used foil to no avail.
I really do enjoy writing, but lately and for quite sometime I have been unable to produce anything worth a darn. Plus, you actually have to write something to have something to critique. It's not like I haven't had any ideas, I've had plenty, but they just did not want to jump onto the page, or should I say screen? Back to blaming outside forces that I have no control over, like TV and work. Yes I would like to take this commercial break and blame my work for robbing me of my artistic creativity. Once again it could not be me who is actually blocked or that I am just not taking the time to sit down and put some letters into words into sentences into paragraphs. I can not be held accountable for my actions, I was not hugged enough as a child, it's GIJoes fault that I am violent and it is the Smurfs fault that I dig chicks with a blueish complexion. Damn you TV.
One thing that would never be a problem for me or for my life would be the amount of time I spend on a bike. It's not a problem, I can handle my bike riding, I don't need to do it, I just like to do it, I can stop at anytime. Yeah, no problem/issue there folks just move along nothing to see here. I will not admit that I have a problem, because I don't. It is everyone who doesn't understand bikes that has a problem, they are the sick ones, they are the ones who need help and support groups. I'm fine thanks for asking, what's your problem?
Boy, that was a lot of work. I think I need a man soda and some quality time with the couch and the remote control. I would go ride a bike if I was not already blown out from the last couple of days, oh but there is always tomorrow. Sitting watching the clock waiting for it to tell me it is time to go ride. Already planning my rides for the weekend. Scheduling my life around a child's toy. I don't have a problem, just some killer tan lines, shaved legs, and an affinity for Lycra.
I really do enjoy writing, but lately and for quite sometime I have been unable to produce anything worth a darn. Plus, you actually have to write something to have something to critique. It's not like I haven't had any ideas, I've had plenty, but they just did not want to jump onto the page, or should I say screen? Back to blaming outside forces that I have no control over, like TV and work. Yes I would like to take this commercial break and blame my work for robbing me of my artistic creativity. Once again it could not be me who is actually blocked or that I am just not taking the time to sit down and put some letters into words into sentences into paragraphs. I can not be held accountable for my actions, I was not hugged enough as a child, it's GIJoes fault that I am violent and it is the Smurfs fault that I dig chicks with a blueish complexion. Damn you TV.
One thing that would never be a problem for me or for my life would be the amount of time I spend on a bike. It's not a problem, I can handle my bike riding, I don't need to do it, I just like to do it, I can stop at anytime. Yeah, no problem/issue there folks just move along nothing to see here. I will not admit that I have a problem, because I don't. It is everyone who doesn't understand bikes that has a problem, they are the sick ones, they are the ones who need help and support groups. I'm fine thanks for asking, what's your problem?
Boy, that was a lot of work. I think I need a man soda and some quality time with the couch and the remote control. I would go ride a bike if I was not already blown out from the last couple of days, oh but there is always tomorrow. Sitting watching the clock waiting for it to tell me it is time to go ride. Already planning my rides for the weekend. Scheduling my life around a child's toy. I don't have a problem, just some killer tan lines, shaved legs, and an affinity for Lycra.
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