Ole, ole ole ole

So. Went to see some rock music tonight. You know how I do.

The first band... What can I say? That reinforce every gut reaction I have about opening bands. It's like in a kung fu film, when you kill some kid's father, and he wants revenge. But you're a master, so you gotta be like, "No. Go and train for ten years, then come see me again." It wasn't that they were bad, really (except of course for the parts where they were, in fact, bad), it's just that they needed practice. At times they seemed unsure of themselves. And if you want to be a rockstar, gosh darn it, you have to OWN it. But, bless them, they tried. And isn't that enough? The answer of course is no, it isn't, but I'll give them points nonetheless.

Headlining were some Irish dudes I didn't know, and I was only there to see them cause I'd scored free tickets. The Coronas was their name, and I walked in expecting nothing. I quickly realized that they indeed had something. My first clue was the first song, which it seemed I'd heard before. Still, I took my time and played it safe, hoarding my best dance moves carefully. I let them do a few more while I figured out what they were about. As it turns out they are about rockin' Irish music, and I'm real glad I went in spite of it all (that being going solo, and a six mile roundtrip walk in the rain cause I didn't feel like biking). I toyed with the possibility of starting the dancing as the floor was wide open, but elected not to so as to save myself from embarassment. I kind of regret that decision as I missed my shot to show my conviction, though I more than made up for it later. Four girls that had a table up front jumped up for some song they knew, and I'd thought they'd snatched my thunder... But lo, they and the rest of the crowd that jumped up only danced for the one before becoming timid again. The time was mine. And I had a target. I saw that the not-lead-singer guitarist was quietly working his butt off, to the point that he was soaked with sweat, and I felt that deserved a bit of recognition. So. I sauntered over and stood right in front of him (he didn't see me). I took one foot, and brazenly put it up on the stage (he didn't see me). He played his little heart out, and I let loose. I worried that I was in over my head, but there was no turning back at this point. I am committed. I have to see this through to the bitter end. Nevermind how self-conscious I feel... as if I naked and on display, dancing with myself. Miraculously, somehow it all worked out in the end. Didn't go so far as dancing with any of the pretty girls there, but I did warrant a mention by the lead singer, and got a compliment on my moves talking to him after the show. I'll call that a win.

Other highlights:
~Seeing a guy on a bike huffing and puffing up a hill (one I know well, mind you), randomly yelling encouragement at him out of the night, his sense of semi-recognition that I was probably a cyclist on foot and not a jerk or weirdo, and his definite recognition as he passed and I could see the problem was he rode a fixie and said something to that effect.
~The first post ever entirely from a phone (sorry if there are typos and junk, I can hardly see what I'm doing), and still getting in music references even though I am without a computer.

In with the old, in with the new

An assortment of cycling-related stuffs from the interwebs, some old and some new.

~Bikes + contortionists + engineers. I think I've got an idea of how this works, but even still this is... this is... I would say this is hard for me to bend my mind around, but that would be in poor form (cause I hate puns).


Read more @ Toxel...

~Cyclists + musical instruments + parades. Why didn't I think of that?? Gonna need to find a fleet of cargo bikes in this town, and stat.

Justin Ancheta Performs at the 2010 Bicycle Music Festival Parade from John Hamilton on Vimeo.

~Cyclists + vandalism + gamer nerds. Looks like some creative-minded people up in Portland went off the deep end. And that make me so happy! I don't think you could get much more classic than this.





Read more @ Bike Portland...

~Cyclists + indie musicians. I don't know how I missed posting this one... Only reason I can think of for depriving you of Coco Love Alcorn's awesomeness is I was keeping her in my pocket for a rainy day to blow your mind. Between this and her song "Intellectual Boys" I could be looking at my future wife. Also, someone to keep in mind next time I've got some spare cash to drop on a record / merch buying spree.



There now, all caught up.

Sweet Inspiration (times two)

Caught wind of a couple things lately that take my general feeling of being a fairly physically capable guy and just shake it to pieces.

First, I've been reading an account of the Pedouin family's trek on a quint tandem. Five people. One bike. 7,000 miles from Kentucky to Alaska, by way of Florida. And the trip is for no reason other than just to do it. In and of itself this feat would be impressive enough, riding clear across the country and all, crashing with folks where they can and sleeping outside where they can't. But then they have two extra degrees of difficulty that are sure to wow the judges. Of this family of five, three of them are young girls, at the outset aged 6, 4 and 2. I'm sure most of the energy for this comes from the parents, but I still have to admire the tenacity for sticking it through. If that wasn't enough, neither of these parents are what I would call actual cyclists. About all they had going for them was that they knew how to ride a bicycle, but nothing approaching serious strength or endurance or distance. They gave themselves just three months time to warm up, and the mileage they do is quite paltry, frankly (I could crush them on my worst day). They seem to be getting it done, though, and good for them.

Second, I just caught this trailer for a documentary called "The Ataxian. This guy Kyle Bryant has Friedreichs Ataxia, a neuromuscular disorder that affects muscle coordination. Instead of sitting around and letting it rule his world, he's doing a 9 day, 3,000 mile bike race. I am blown away that he's got so much heart as to make the attempt. This ride crushes strong riders. It takes me a year to do three grand. Just... wow.

Prom Night

This is how FBC gets down.

Oh, and while I'm thinking about bikes, someone can go ahead and buy / build this for me, please, kay thanks.

Sweet Inspiration, Times Two

Caught wind of a couple things lately that take my general feeling of being a fairly physically capable guy and just shake it to pieces.

First, I've been reading an account of the Pedouin family's trek on a quint tandem. Five people. One bike. 7,000 miles, from Kentucky to Alaska (by way of Florida). And as far as I can tell the trip is for no reason other than just to do it. In and of itself this feat would be impressive enough, riding clear across the country and all, crashing with folks where they can and sleeping outside where they can't. But then they have two extra degrees of difficulty that are sure to wow the judges. Of this family of five, three of them are young girls, at the outset aged 6, 4 and 2. I'm sure most of the energy for this comes from the parents, but I still have to admire the tenacity for sticking it through. If that wasn't enough, neither of these parents are what I would call actual cyclists. About all they had going for them was that they knew how to ride a bicycle, but nothing approaching serious strength or endurance or distance. They gave themselves just three months time to warm up, and the mileage they do is quite paltry, frankly (I could crush them on my worst day). They seem to be getting it done, though, and good for them.

Second, I just caught this trailer for a documentary called The Ataxian. It's the story of this guy named Kyle Bryant riding in the Race Across America, a one week 3,000 mile trip from coast to coast (on quite a sweet looking recumbent trike... I never cared much for them, but his kinda makes me want one). Pretty intense, right? It takes me a YEAR to do three grand. The guy this documentary is about has a degenerative nerve disease called Friedreich's ataxia with symptoms that will make things much harder for him (and unfortunately, is quite possibly going to kill him). Talk about heart. Dude's got it out the wazoo.

Speaking of Heart, I've been on a kick lately thanks to some recent conversation. Who knew classic rock still tastes so good? Considering today's subject matter, and Kyle's story in particular, this one seems terribly appropriate.

Heart - Magic Man

Slow ride, take it easy

This Saturday May 15th is the 3rd Annual Blessing of the Bikes & Dutchtown Bike Tour. Too busy to make it out myself, and who knows what the weather will be doing, but still interesting, worth sharing, and inspirational! ...by which I mean I feel inspired to go listen to Foghat.

Nationally annual Bike Blessings attract thousands of people and are generally held in April or May. The Blessing portion of the event is modeled after a similar, long running event in New York, that has been conducted for twelve years. The Dutchtown Bike Tour is a unique ride, focused on exploring the joys and history of city parks, and their relation to the scheme of city living. The St Louis event will begin promptly at 9:30 AM, Saturday, May 15, in the St Anthony of Padua church parking lot, 3140 Meramec, 63118. Come on your bicycles, skateboards, roller blades, what-have-you. After the short Blessing Program, participants will go east one block to Urban Eats Café, located at 3301 Meramec, to pick up their free Bike Tour Map for a ride around Dutchtown’s Historic Pocket Parks, through two scenic housing developments and the Cleveland High School grounds, accompanied by a narrative written by local historian NiNi Harris.

This year's event will also be adding the option of a Guided Tour of the route, led by St Louis Bike Fed volunteer, Bob Bailey. The tour can be self directed with the route map, or you may take the guided tour if that's more your style.

The first 50 people to arrive at the Café will also receive a free bottle of water and an energy bar for their ride, compliments of the Charless Home & Bethesda Health, plus a Café Coupon. If the Dutchtown Pocket Park tour isn’t long enough for veteran bicyclers, there is an extended ride available also, through the Christy Greenway. Riders can also pre order their lunch for when they expect to arrive back at the café.

Other participants in the event are The Charless Home and Maryville Gardens Apartment complex, which are opening their beautiful grounds, as part of the route and as an example of well-treed and planned urban living communities.

At the end of their ride, cyclists can return for Happy Hour and an art show at the Urban Arts Collective at Urban Eats Cafe, with Naomi Silver opening her Mayshow of work, In the Mood, from 4-6 PM. along with 4 other artists currently in the rotation.

For more details, check out the flyer.

Cartoonize your life

Back when I used to spend more time reading the paper the Family Circus was not one of my favorite comics, but I did always like the strips where Billy would wander about leaving a dotted trail behind him. This week, my life resembled a cartoon in that I had a big red line showing everywhere I'd been, courtesy of mapmyride. Had myself a good week of cycling while the weather was nice, which turned into a not so good week for nutrition. It turns out suddenly revving up to roughly three times my weekly mileage makes my metabolism go buck wild and then I eat everything in sight because I am hungry all the time. Note to self: make sure you are well stocked on groceries before attempting any amazing feats of athleticism. Even with the near-disaster, riding is fuuun, and I love mapmyride. :-)

Green Heaven

I saw today where a friend had posted this video. While I do value the contribution the artist has made to society both in terms of a piece of artwork and as a statement to bring people to a greater awareness of the world in which we live, I'm not entirely sure it's something I can get behind as a viable transportation alternative. Of course there are unsustainable costs to our continuing to live in a car-centric culture, but likewise are there costs to living in a horse-centric culture. Simply our infrastructure from one to the other is not necessarily a good and green idea. I don't know what all of those costs are, mind you, but the post and the discussion it sparked have now got me interested. I thought I'd try and do a little research and comparison.

Upfront the base MSRP of a 2008 H2 is around $53K. I'm not at all sure what a decent horse would run (looking into it); whatever it is would not accurately reflect what the cost would be if everyone ditched their cars and started riding them. With such a rise in demand the price would go up as well. In addition to what it costs at the outset, there is the cost based on mileage - which, for cars, is not limited to the price of gas x miles per gallon. Maintenance and depreciation figure into the equation as well, and these "hidden costs" raise the dollar figure significantly, though offhand I don't know by how much. I remember someone did... a study... or something, that took everything into account. Have to see if I can find that again. I have no idea what the cost per mile for a horse would be, either, but that's also something I'm looking into.

As far as environmental impact is concerned, according to one study driving cars results in emissions of about 2 to 5 tons of CO₂ each year, depending on vehicle model and fuel efficiency¹. My assumption is that horses are more efficient than cars, but by how much remains to be seen. I know that with livestock production there are more hidden costs associated with things like land and resources required to grow feed, but not being a horse person I don't know how those would apply. Also, waste would be an issue. As far as the "poop-poop-a-do" is concerned, at least it's biodegradable and could maybe even be used as fertilizer. (Except... how much poop can a horse poop? How many people are there who drive cars, and how high would that pile of poop reach when it's all added up? Would it be less or more than we actually need? Cause if it's more, then it kinda defeats the purpose and becomes more of a waste than a resource.) Although horses would not be putting out CO₂, they and/or their waste would, I think, release other not-so-nice like methane and nitrous oxide. I hear tell those are even worse in way of their greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide. Fifty times worse, in the case of methane. Which brings up the question: do manatees emit methane? Cause if they do, manatee farts are destroying the planet. Kill the manatees, save the Earth!

In the midst of this research, I found a few fun facts:
~Apparently there is a tax break that applies to purchasing giant gas-guzzling behemoths. It wasn't originally meant to favor large vehicles over smaller and more efficient models, but with the letter of the law that's how it works out these days. Ew.
~It's more environmentally friendly to live meat-free than it is to live car-free. While looking for research on what would happen if the world rode horses I came across an interesting article on being a Prius-driving vegan vs. a meat-eating cyclist. It's not a very large difference, only about half a ton of carbon dioxide in favor of vegans, but still it's a surprising and not exactly pleasant thing to learn. I LIKE meat. But it would seem the best of us would be a vegan cyclist... though I don't know that I'm ready to take that step just yet. Another thing to keep in mind.

1. Am I going to have to start citing sources for blog posts? This is not something I had ever contemplated... In this instance the study in question is by , and is based on driving about 8,300 miles annually. I haven't actually read the study itself; the numbers I give were pulled from an article I found on it.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Green Heaven

Things just got to get better

Google Maps now has biking directions! It remains to be seen precisely how useful they will be... a preliminary test looks like it calculates time based on a slower rider than I, and reading a little about how it works it seems it will take into account and try to avoid big hills (which don't really bother me all that much). Still, it's interesting, and about time. Can't wait for a stretch of decent weather so I can test it out a bit further. Ahwoooo!

Further reading: It's time to bike, and biking directions added to google maps.

Never had it so good

Wish my commute was that easy. The next bicycle I buy will have the power of flight.

In other stuff on the interweb developments, huzzah for the Pitchfork RSS feed. I am all caught up on music news (which goes along with my general theme of being more aware of news in general) and it's good times. Plenty of stuff that I won't post on the blog but will be shared on that Buzz thing...

Wavin' bye to the train or bus

Share the Road - Buses and Bicycles from Chicago Bicycle Program on Vimeo.

Woo, safety first! For me this is mostly common sense ish after nine years of transportational cycling, but still it's handy to know and nice to see. I wish Chicago would come down and visit sometime. More seriously, I wish more people in autos had the presence of mind to be aware so two-wheeled folks like me don't get runned over. Somehow that nearly happened twice (!) on my commute this morning. Baffling! It's only two miles. Takes me a whole eight minutes. And today I only used one street. And a smaller one, at that. Le sigh. As if dealing with cold snaps wasn't enough. Good thing I ride defensively.

Don't get hit by the bus mix:
DJ Trackstar - The Playboys - Bumpin Bus Stop
Frankie Smith - Double Dutch Bus
Bus People Express - Augusta Georgia
Rjd2 - Bus Stop Bitties
Beastie Boys - Mark on the Bus

Hmm... surprisingly funky.

Buy this car to drive to work, drive to work to pay for this car

I'd like to see someone do some number crunching, myself, before I wholeheartedly accept this as fact. But still, how interesting. Might be worth a read...

"The best all-around alternative to the automobile for short trips is probably the bicycle. . . . The cyclist obtains the equivalent of 1,000 passenger-miles per gallon--noticeably better than most sub-compacts--and consumes food, not petroleum. If, following Ivan Illich's suggestion, we attribute to the automobile not only the time spent behind the steering wheel, but also all the time spent earning money to purchase, maintain, fuel, and insure a typical car, and compare that aggregate figure to an equivalent number for a bicycle, the bicycle emerges as considerably faster for all urban trips."

from Denis Hayes, Rays of Hope: The Transition to a Post-Petroleum
World (1977)

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Now playing: Metric - Handshakes
posted with FoxyTunes

Outta gas, still burnin (cont'd)

There were none of last pot's crazy wheeled contraptions. There were other unconventional things. That, I expected. But the dinosaur, that was a surprise.

Outta gas, still burnin

I can ride my bike with no handleb... hey wait, that's no bicycle.
I've got an idea. Let's invent some stuff. But not just any stuff, mind you. I'm talking weird stuff. Let's make it so weird that it barely has a purpose, and so cumbersome that it can hardly be considered efficient. But we'll make it real expensive, so people'll feel like they HAVE to buy it. Cause people are suckers! They'll buy anything. As long as it's new, they have to have it. Having stuff, it's their drug, and I'm your pusher man. If I was making this up, it might be funny. If only, if only. But it happens to be one of those strange truths of the world, if not the thought process then at least the end result.

4. With this one, I can kind of see where the design makes some sense. Sure, you'll look like a weirdo, but a weirdo who's making the most of what he has. Now that's what I call a leg (er... arm) up on the competition.




3. If a tricycle and an elliptical bumped uglies and had a bastard love child, this is what it would look like. Congratulations, it's a... beast.








2. Just when you think you can count on the ingenuity of human-kind, someone comes along with something to screw it up. Why would you want to use some of the largest muscle groups in your body, when instead you can just go for some much smaller and weaker? Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to engineered imperfection.


1. And finally this must be my favorite (to hate). If you like running, if you like complications, if you like tools that actually make your job harder and slow you down, then the treadmill bike is here for you.







Here's to hope that the weather is decent when I step outside for biking on the interstate. Figure I might as well check it out since it's right there and all. With some careful planning and placement, I could roll directly out of bed and onto the bike, I'd be practically halfway there already. Decided to go with the more legal method instead of rolling with the FBC's patented brand of crazy. It's fun times, but it was too cold and wet for me. And I didn't know they would have fire on a bike trailer. Couldn't have guessed that one. Live and learn.

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Now playing: DJ Shadow - Mashin' on the Motorway
via FoxyTunes

Bicycle races are coming your way

A-whoops. Don't know for sure that I can do either of these, or if I want to, but here's the haps on cycling things coming up this weekend.

First up, on Saturday we have the World Naked Bike Ride. I'm torn between making a reference here to "Naked in the Rain" or "Naked Pictures (of Your Mother)". Oh, can't decide... can't decide! I love how easily my life has a soundtrack for everything. For the low, low cost of no dollars you'll get the chance to ride and make friends with all of the crazily dressed and non-dressed cyclists of St. Louis. The pre-ride party kicks off at Black Bear Bakery @ 7p; the ride itself @ 9p.


Following that, on Sunday there is the Urban Assault Ride to benefit Trailnet and Bicycle Works. Registration is still open for this scavenger hunt & obstacle course shin-dig for those folks willing to plunk down $65. For those not, I'm sure it's a spectacle worth seeing. I envision something like kooky Japanese gameshows come to life right before my eyes, and I would like to say that I am a full supporter of bike jousting in the case of it involving someone other than me. The fun starts in Forest Park near the tennis courts @ 9a, with assorted checkpoints scattered throughout the city.

Like I say I'm not sure that I can do either of these, my plans for the weekend are pretty up in the air, but if anyone goes there's a possibility I may show up and bump into you. In other developments, there are a couple more cycling things in the pipeline, which I will get to later.

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Now playing: Queen - Bicycle Race
via FoxyTunes

...hands in the air like it's good to be alive

In other cycling developments, an assortment of things I've seen lately that I think are worth sharing:

#1
ARTCRANK...
Saturday, August 29 @ someplace or another (trying to figure out exactly where and when)
...is a showcase of bicycle-inspired original, affordable poster artwork. It's a bike art party open to all, with free admission. And posters are priced to let everybody go home with at least one original work of art. ARTCRANK has held packed shows for the past three years in Minneapolis, and the first-ever show in Denver this year was a huge success. Now, it's coming to St. Louis.
ARTCRANK St. Louis will be a one-night event featuring original poster artwork created by St. Louis area artists and designers. The event is scheduled just before the start of the Tour of Missouri, so excitement about cycling and bikes will be at a peak. All we need is a group of talented and motivated artists to create bicycle-themed poster art.

#2
What: “Spoked!” - A Juried Art Exhibition
When: Opening Reception (public invited): Friday, September 4, 2009 - 7 to 10 pm
Encore Viewing Party (public invited): Saturday, September 5, 2009 - 7 to 10 pm
Tour of Missouri Race & Special Events (public invited): Monday, September 7, 2009 - 12 to 6 pm
Exhibition: Through Friday, October 2, 2009
Where: Soulard Art Market & Contemporary Gallery
2028 S. 12th Street, Saint Louis, MO 63104
(Corner of 12th and Russell, across from McGurk’s Pub)

www.SoulardArtMarket.com

Admission is free. Refreshments will be provided, featuring Schlafly beer.

Working in conjunction with the Tour of Missouri, which is a world-class cycling event, we are proud to announce our exhibition “Spoked”. We sought out bicycle themed artworks from some of the area’s most talented and respected artists for inclusion in our show. Our gallery is on the race route and we have special hours and events planned that are sure to draw a crowd. The eyes of the world will be looking our way and we’re gearing up for the liveliest show this town has seen. Get stoked about Spoked!

#3 Sometimes people are so effing awesome that I never get tired of watching in amazement. Moving house via pedal power.

#4 Safety first


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Now playing: Flobots - Handlebars
via FoxyTunes

No Handlebars

Official deets for the Big Lebowski Ride

Step 1 - Meet @ Pat's (6400 Oakland) at 6:30 for pre-ride food and beverages. An alternate meeting spot will be Turtle Park for anyone more inclined to hang out outside.
Step 1.1 - Be there with bells on. Come dressed as your favorite Big Lebowski character or in your best bowling wear, cause there's a prize for best costume.
Step 2 - Roll out at 7:30. Ride to the Old Post Office Plaza, with sights including the Meeting of the Waters fountain and the City Garden. On my own, I do like to do a pretty healthy pace. And I'll be honest, for me "healthy" usually is "as fast as I can, and what's all this nonsense about 'pacing yourself' actually mean, anyway?" If you cannot ride at said pace, I would suggest doing it peloton style. If you cannot ride at said pace even while drafting (and it does make a huge difference), or are too worried about crashing to ride that close, I would point out the more beer I find myself drinking, the slower I will be. All that said, I'm not planning to go nuts and I'll make sure that we don't drop anyone. Don't be scurred.
Step 3 (and this is the part I figure we'll play by ear the night of)
Option 1 (13ish miles) - Return from whence we came. Also known as the "no fun option". But hey, that's just me.
Option 2 (13ish miles) - Head over to Washington Avenue for bowling @ Flamingo. Word on the street is they have $2 White Russians and bowling games.
Option 3 - Option 3 is dead. Le sigh. And I was really looking forward to the dancing like no one is watching, too. The floor is now open to awesome suggestions for an alternate. My first thought is Atomic Cowboy, where my boy DJ Uptown spins hip-hop and there's no cover.

Things to bring:
~Lights, head & tail
~Lock
~Sumthin comfy yet portable to sit on
~Snacks & drinks, if that's your thing (but no glass bottles)
~Helmet (this is a recommendation, but I'm nobody's daddy)
~Camera ('specially if you know where its charger is)
~Lots o' water (weather dot com says it's balls hot)

If there's anything I've forgotten, I'll come back and post it here.

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Now playing: Flobots - Handlebars (DJ Shadow remix)
via FoxyTunes

Zoooom!

I love the feeling you get from being out biking, checking to see how fast you're going, checking to see what the limit is, and realizing that yup, you are speeding.
Life rocks.

Dodgin' storms like a ninja

There are some days I just want to say "hey, now, come on Mother Nature. What the hell?" Today after checking the forecast and seeing nothing but clear skies, then waiting for the rain to stop that I could plainly see falling as I looked out the window, I finally get a move on and hop on the bike to run an errand. With the sun shining it seems other than the one sketchy part this is shaping up to be a beautiful day. Unfortunately for me, I must have forgotten that I live in St. Louis. Reaching my destination, I see ominously dark but still far off clouds towards the west. "Maybe... that's from what rolled through earlier?" is what I think to myself ever so briefly before putting it out of my mind as I head inside. I do a little shopping, and a little people watching, with no worry about the weather until I'm checking out. Employees are going on about how it's supposed to storm so more today, as I'm only half listening. That can't be right, can it? Surely we're done for the day. The first bits of foreboding begin to crack their way through the brave, optimistic (or naive) face that I'm wearing, hoping that I'm not going to get a soaking. I step outside, and those clouds are now looming overhead, all dark and dangerous, lightning sparkling through them as they prepare to ever so slowly rip open and dump their contents on an unsuspecting cyclist. Aw nuts. Nuts. Nuts. What a dirty trick. Trying to pack things up and get rolling quickly is the best way to make them take forever, it would seem. Finally I'm ready to roll as the first raindrops start to fall and the wind picks up. Oh goodness, the wind picks up something fierce. Pieces of asphalt are blowing off the roof of the building, landing in front of me, before I even make it out of the parking lot, and was that a hunk of the sky falling too? This wind is no joke; I wouldn't say it's impossible. Nevermind that now, I've only got time to cut through these raindrops like a knife, as I am wholly unprepared to deal with the alternative. But then more doubt creeps in. The wind is strong enough to try and whip me and the bike around, and the rain is coming, and maybe it would be a better idea to wait this one out? There's a bit of shelter right there that might help with the whole not being wet and / or dying thing. Oh well, you only live twice, so I ride on. Wind continues to blow fiercely. Cardboard boxes come flying down the street, making me feel as if I'm suddenly in an urban western; they plaster themselves to fences like they mean business. I hope one doesn't plaster itself to me, cause that's really not the kind of business I'm interested in. Better sprint this one and hope everything holds together until I make it home. Luckily the wind is going my way, pushing me faster, ever faster, until I swear at one point I'm accelerating without even pedaling. But still, it's scary. This wind is something else and I'm just a little guy, and things and trees are flying and falling everywhere, and look that is a hunk of sky over there, what is this world coming to??

Good thing I'm such a rockstar I can outride storm fronts. Aw yeah. Take that, Mother Nature. Home, safe and sound and dry, even.

Good thing i'm not made out of cotton candy...

i had to make a run to the grocery store.
ok, that's easy, it's just a couple miles away.
i get outside and i'm about to take my bike down the steps to the street, when i notice a rumbling...
hmm... whatever yo, i'm up.
i start off riding, and there are these monstrous storm clouds out to the west with all sorts of lightening strikes going on.
this storm looks like it's about to break real soon.
hmm... whatever yo, i'm almost there.
i make it to the store under cover of threatening clouds, get inside, do my shopping, and come back out.
and...
no, the storm hasn't broken hardcore yet. it is raining a little. but not so bad.
hmm... whatever yo, it's not that far back to the crib.
so i take off, hopeful that i can make it back before this thing kicks off for real.
and...
i can't.
the wind starts blowing, there are BIG EFFING RAINDROPS coming down, big enough that they actually sting, and i'm trying to ride along hauling a load of groceries on my back.
i was all sorts of soaked and nasty by the time i got in the door, but hey, i've got food!
yay food!