if we pull this off, we'll eat like kings

i got an email the other day from dennis of fixed gear gallery fame. he was inquiring about me doing some door prize stuff for this year's fixed gear symposium in traverse city michigan. let me tell you, i'm stoked as all get out to be doing something like this. i got some paintings started last night and some drawings yesterday while i was supposed to be working.

this weekend i will be doing a trail maintenance day in the woods tomorrow and also testing my new jamis fixed gear trail set up. and sunday afternoon i have a birthday party to go to for a fellow porc member, should be fun. all of my other time in between these two events i plan on painting my ass off and trying to pull some things together as quickly as possible for the symposium. maybe next year i will actually get to go.

in other news, last night i wrapped up the jamis fixed conversion. the bike is small, a 16" frame, but this should make it easy to move and throw around when the going gets tough out in the trails. i put some crank borthers mxr pedals on it and those things are noisy when you aren't clipped in. noticeably way more economy oriented than their other products.

until next time....

adios!

amoebic dysentery

on sunday after i returned home from the trails i needed something to do. i needed something to keep myself occupied so i wouldn't drink a bunch of beer and be worthless in the evening.

i had a 99ish jamis explorer that todd and i had converted to single speed one night for shea. we didn't do a very good job. mostly we just took off the the gears and shifters and put some spacers and a cog on a different rear wheel and called it done. the brakes rubbed everywhere as the wheels were out of true. the wheel slipped constantly since it was a quick release. the pedals weren't even good enough to warrant a description. and so on...

so i pulled my old converted rock hopper into the house and began to disassemble. i swapped the crankset from the specialized and began toying with gear ratios. i swapped saddles and front wheels too. gathered up my tires and tubes and began the mix-up.

when i finsh the conversion i will post pictures. i think this will be my full-time fixed off road bike now instead of flip-flopping the rear wheel on my khs. we'll see how it turns out.

the dog's trying to blow up the house again

watched this last night. it was so good, especially after my crap day at work. plus it rained almost all evening and night. zach galifianakis is hilarious.

desktop views and such

scenes from my desk. the weather outside looks like it might turn rough. although i still feel i would much rather be out there than in here.

i don't know if you've noticed, or care, but i have access to shea's old digital camera until i can either have mine repaired or purchase another one to break. the one i am using now is a little aged. it is a samsung digimax 350s. i don't know what that means really. i do know sugarshea won it in a photography contest though.

me? well i don't win things. well, technically that isn't true. everyday i wake up i win a chance to do it all again and better than yesterday, however once i realize work is looming over my head i then realize i haven't really won much. unless it's saturday, then things go a different direction.

why do i always have to sit next to some weirdo

i got the top tube protector i ordered from ride bikes bar pads through one less car. it's great and i love it. it looks like a sweater for my bike.

an elephant can't hide in here forever

helen failed to clear the mountains

today i am starting a work week, five days of not purchasing anything at all. hopefully all will go well. no eating out, no buying beer, no new bike stuff that i absolutely "need", nothing at all. i went grocery shopping on saturday so i should be good on food stuff, but we'll see. today for lunch is organic herbed turkey on locally made organic wheat bread and some stacy's brand pita chips. i had also originally included some organic rasberry yogurt covered pretzels, but they turned into my breakfast.

shoot the moon

your cat's going to be fine... just fine

listening to..

stiff little fingers
nobody's heroes

perfectly imperfect

ahh....

today has already been better than yesterday. got up at the usual time and showered. lyler came and hung out with me while i was showering. cats are so confused when they see someone getting in the water on purpose.

after that i got all ready to go. then i rode up to the coffee cup to meet my pop for breakfast. shea came up too, but she drove since she was going home afterward. we ate and talked and blah blah blah. my pop is pretty rad dude. he wants a motor home.

after breakfast i rode to the office. it's nice to get out and go by bike for a little longer than usual. i lubed up the chain on the fuji before i left and that thing was spinning immaculately. the new chris king is like butter dripping off a hot buscuit.

try not to fight too much

every once in ablue moon i show up at work and have good day. maybe twice a year or so really. most days are very mediocre with the highlight being my ride to and from work. today is neither and i am ready to kill some folks.

this isn't what i said to bring

it's hot and humid. we were walking the dog past one of the electronic date and time and temp signs this morning. 6:23a.m. = 79 degrees.

this morning i had a fun ride to work, took a round about way to get to the office and stopped by two mailboxes to drop off nineteen packages. i still have some more packages at home ready to go but ran out of addresses last night when i was preparing them. today i will spend some time gathering some more.

...i'm sitting here on my front porch with no place to run or hide

observations from riding with cyclists who are faster than me, older than me, and more comfortable in lycra than me: they shift gears sometimes, not everyone rides in the same gear, they all drink at different times, sprint at different times, coast at different times and for different periods of time, stand at different times, and trash talk at different times.

my goal was to observe and then pinpoint particular behavior and actions to learn from, thus making the process of keeping up a little less painful. it would eliminate variables and bring the sole problem/solution onto my own shoulders. in theory, a great plan.

but these guys are proving to be more erratic than sam kinison on an eightball and four double shot espresso's. my new theory is to keep up, pedal, pass, repeat. this will undoubtedly prove to be a more painful theory, but i'm ok with that.

at least until it is proven to be a totally bad idea....

slug vacation disasters

it is finally raining. it will probably stop by the time i'm done writing this, but whatever. i need to get some pictures up on this thing, it is starting to look boring.

listening to this even in blackouts cd right now.

the keys i need are not the ones on my keychain

oh, weekend.

friday night i made seventy-some-odd stickers while i was waiting for shea to get home from work.

saturday morning i got a call from jacob around six a.m. and i went to the shop and installed my new chris king headset on the fuji. that thing is like butter. then i went back home and hung out with shea while she got ready to go to work. once she left i loaded up mable and headed for the woods. we rode bikes and played with the soccer ball. she had a blast and so did i. i do have one complaint though: yellow flies are the work of the devil. those little bastards ate me up.

saturday night we went and ate some sushi.

sunday turned into a very hot and tropical sort of day. shea got up early and went to work. i rode up to the bank to deposit a check. i was going to continue up to the mall to pick up a cd, but decided i'd stop by a friend's house. i figured i wouldn't continue to get my music since nothing is open on sundays at nine a.m. in the bible belt.

it was hot. pants rolled up. v-neck shirts clinging to you. humid. after a bit we ended up sitting on my front stoop drinking beers and watching the dogs fight over a bone. after vinsaint left he called a while later from his lady's apartment inviting me to go swimming. it was hot so i gladly accepted. the water was so nice.

okay, just checkin your ears

i was sending emails back and forth to cole from one less car when he informed me that kendra who makes those kick ass bar pads has linked my blog to hers. i went and checked hers out. there is some funny stuff on there so i am going to return that favor. this'll be the first blog i've ever linked to, so go check it out....

breakfast served anytime

just put ten packages in the mailbox this morning. i hope they all reach their destinations safely and on time.

i have about 40 more sitting at home in my bag awaiting postage, which i picked up this morning on my way to work, and a destination to be given to them. plus i might make some more stickers or something just to add a little to them. they will probably be put in the mail sometime monday or tuesday so i can use some time this weekend for sticker making and whatnot.

we'll see.