Archive for June, 2006
Thursday, June 29th, 2006
A Few Things I Have Been Thinking
#1)A while back, I was all ‘riding on the bike path is dumb. I’m gonna officially reverse my position now and say riding on the bike path is a good thing. Its a set course, car traffic is limited, and you can get in some uninterrupted stretches.
#2)I thought that West Chester Pike was hilly. I thought that Belmount Ave south of the River was a steep climb. Bullshit. The road I tried climbing today, Jefferson street, off of Belmount ave. That is a hill. I barely survived getting to the top of it this morning. Compared to that, every climb I have done previously was merely inconveniently inclined.
#3)Fixed Gear Cycling, a blog I enjoy reading, posted:
I was talking to a nice woman who was getting cramps and who was waiting for her boyfriend to ride to the finish, get the car and come back to pick her up. We both looked at this guy in a Disco jersey who looked like he had a huge package. Then I realized that he had his shorts on backwards. Seriously, the ass pad was making him look like John Holmes. Sweeet. Then I rode home in the blazing sun and heat for beer and company. We had shrimp risotto, salmon with cilantro pesto, Greek salad, and brownies.
Pretty much without fail now, every time I am out riding, I check, at least once, to make sure that my tag is in the back and that my shorts are on the right way.
every friggin time
+1 for the power of suggestion.
Thursday, June 29th, 2006
A Photo Credit!
Does it count when its from your day job?
Sunday, June 25th, 2006
Fun, With Hills
My Suburban loop, with a detour from the river due to some kind of outdoor Manayunk thing. Instead I went up Belmount Ave from the river. Quite a fun climb.
Distance: 27.54 miles.
Time: 1 hour. 36 minutes
Approximate Average Speed: 17.21mph.
Last time I did this ride, I went to center city and back out walnut. That made 31 miles. It took 2 hours. Weird.
Came home to find that I had cracked 170lbs for the first time since 1998.
Wednesday, June 21st, 2006
This Morning I Died and Went to Bird Nerd Heaven
According to his handler, this guy fell out of his nest as a youngin. He suffered some brain damage such that one of his wings has a droop and he is blind in one eye. He can still fly though.
I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to touch this animal. I was denied.
This is a horned owl. According to his handler, he survived the West Nile virus. However, it affected his night vision and made his feathers really brittle. He doesn’t molt properly anymore. Sad.
He turned his head all the way around and stared at me. I stared back. He panted in the sun like HIM when we brought him home from the vet. I stared some more. He had eyes like a cat. Then He stopped staring at me, looked at his handler and made a sound that began like a Canadian Goose’s hiss and finished like a cluck.
‘He’s being cantankerous…’ said his handler.
I wasn’t allowed to touch him either.
Sigh.
Oh yeah, these guys were out today for a press conference for my work’s Boundless Philadelphia campaign. We added a ton of information to our site. Looking for something to do that is outdoorsy in Philadelphia? Look no further.
Monday, June 19th, 2006
On my Way to the Shore
Road Finds:
#1) A Star Wars toy.
#2)A light blue ipod mini. Totally wrecked.
Pix coming soon.
My time was about 5 hours and 36 minutes. Last time I went about 5 hours door to door. Excuses: I flatted about 30 miles in. First time I have ever flatted on the road alone, first time I have ever fixed my own flat. ever.