Rolling the Roots

Ah, the K-3 loop at Manchester State Forest...what a trail.  Kurt and I went for a day at Harbison SF, followed by an overnight at Manchester.  Harbison was much wetter than expected (to the point that they probably should have just closed the whole thing down).  Indeed, part of the motivation for the trip was the fact that our only local trail has been saturated and, hence, closed for what has seemed like months.  The two state forests are up around the fall line (where the ocean used to reach, millions of years ago), so the soils are, generally, much quicker to drain.  The problem, if one can call it such, is that we've been having record rainfall and even more than one inch of snow!  

We rolled one loop around the major trails, then hit the road, but not before I had time to go down hard on my head on a turn full of pine needles, fall off the side of the rock garden on the Spider Woman Trail, then go over the handlebars in the same section, smashing my left knee to a pulp.  

The overnight was preceded by an omen in the form of what looked to be one-hundred or so "hibernating" ladybird beetles in the ranger's office at Poinsett State Park.  They fluttered about the window in the corner of the office, popping and clicking, filling in the dead space of our conversation with their frantic flight.  They begged comment, which I supplied, though no response was offered.  I speculated, later, that perhaps they are no longer a source of amusement and wonder to the ranger.  Perhaps, they haunt his sleep on bad nights, the clicking of tree branches against his window waking him in cold sweats on the worst.  More likely, he just considers them a nuisance and is tired of visitors making light of the situation.  "It just ain't funny anymore is all I'm sayin'."

Our ride after getting set up and our neighbors might be considered one manifestation of the beetle boding.  We hit the Campbell Pond loop for a ride before dinner, but we rode the same 100m section three times before we located a sharp bend that was, like the rest of the trail, hidden in loads of leaf litter.  This one was a wash.

I had a great hot shower and got dinner in me before night fell, which meant I had plenty of time for warming up to our newly-arrived neighbors a few sites down.  Now, I'm not one to size anybody up by the cars they drive, the tents in which they sleep, or the bicycles they have in tow (are you seriously going to try riding that on these trails?).  At least they're out here riding, right?  Wrong.  

They stay up late, barking like brainless bumpkins (though they also brought dogs to fill in any potential silence) and splitting wood into the wee hours.  I kept waiting to hear the inevitable shriek that goes along with so many marriages of the mildly-educated with cases of crummy beer, heavy, sharp tools, and limited light.  It never came, but it may as well have been every hour or so between the din of this mob and my freezing ass.  Even with two extra blankets, my mesh tent with fly and 30 degree bag did very little against the slightly below-freezing temperature of the evening (though, it's hard to regret the decision when August rolls around).  On the lighter side, at least I was awake to hear a couple of great horned owls talking to one another for a spell.  

As for the other side of the office omen, the K-3 loop was everything I remembered, which is to say this trail is nearly perfect, and once my knee warmed up, I felt strong like bull.  I say "nearly perfect" because there is a putrid side to this trail system that few favor discussing.  There is a side that upsets and hurts.  I refer, of course, to the continued discrimination against those of the equine persuasion that choose to ride fast bicycles.  One day this, too, shall pass.

I just finished "Tortilla Flat," "Nickel and Dimed," and "Enrique's Journey," and I just started "The Road."  I don't recall the last time I read so many closely related books in a short period of time, but they are all great reads, and they all have me tied up in knots, since they sort of represent an actual order of things.  I'm not saying I expect the destruction and desolation of the last is right around the corner, but after reading the other three, it reminds one of what can lead to such a state of affairs.  I hope some of you pick up "Enrique's Journey."  This is the kind of book that should be required reading for any elected official involved in immigration issues.  It doesn't offer solutions to the massive problem of our hugely unfair hemispheric economy, but it does help make the issue more human and less Vulcan.  

Fast Food Nation had me feeling the same thing.  Luckily, I saw no previews for this, so, from the name, I was expecting something different than what I saw, which was an incredible film, not just a piece of visual journalism.  I also watched another "First Person," by Errol Morris.  Again, great interviews.  We watched "9," which was good, but I think the best part of it was the concept of a human imparting his soul to little robots.  The animation is good and all, it just didn't grab me, for whatever reason.  It might be the way these movies seem, more and more, to be edited like some of the newer action movies (that just seem to get worse and worse as the years pass).

Lastly, I wanted to mention that I just sent money to a political candidate.  I mention this because he is not running in my state.  I will also be sending letters to those seeking office this year in South Carolina to let them know of my actions.  I feel better represented, in general, by somebody from another state than I do by the menu of local loaves, and I think they should know this.  It doesn't take much to earn a contribution, one only need do what is best for most, most of the time.  Just something to consider if you're starting to melt from all the hot air.

Oh, and, by the way, it's time to give hip-hop another chance.  Check out Dalek, P.O.S., Illogic, Aesop Rock, or Eligh, among others.  There is so much good stuff out there, and I probably would've never known had it not been for Fred in Lincoln.  Take my word for it.  It is worth your time to stop in on some of this.

Here's the video stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOU563OvpUY

This one is pretty damned cool, though, it'd be nice to think we'll get a standard established at some point, so motorists don't have to keep re-learning what a bicyclist looks like at night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKaTT42o4HY&feature=related

More of the animated cyclist stuff.  

  

  

 

Roaming for Rings

Brian and I made an 80-mile day trip to see a prehistoric shell midden/ring in the Francis Marion National Forest the other day.  These things are host to some interesting, endemic plant species (though this is hard to appreciate in late December), and this one is, according to the interpretive panel, the most northerly of such middens on the coasts of the Southeast.  

Man, was it great to get out for a really long ride.  I've been on the trainer frequently, of late, since nobody seems to want to ride in the dark or in the near-freezing temperatures we've been having, so this was really special.  Granted, we had planned an overnight, but the strong probability of rain kept us grounded (neither one of us wanted to sit in a tent, looking at the other, while we sipped whiskey and wished we were outside combing the beach in the sun...Hunting Island was the objective).

Andrée was, as always, an angel, and I rode the next day, too (since the plan was for me to be away for a couple of days, anyway).  The second ride was about half the distance and easier, since I rode the Eclipse, and it went out with a bang as Kurt slipped on the wet road and slid into home base (it was, literally, at the turn to the shop that this happened...that's what not eating breakfast will get you).  The big ride was on my huge, 37mm Panaracers, while Brian sailed along on 25's.  It was more work for me, but the ride was as smooth as butter.  All told, the week landed me over 200 miles or so of real riding (pretty rare during the "cold" season...sorry Bob and others for use of that term).  

In the movie department, I just watched a good documentary about design called "Objectified."  I also watched the first hour of the new "Star Trek" movie (interesting, but I'll wait to make a call on this one).  "Bruno" sucked; "First Person," an Errol Morris television series, is fantastic; and "Food, Inc." is not as depressing as I was led to believe, reinforced my gardenistic tendencies, and made me admire Joel Salatin even more (of "Omnivore's Dilemma" fame).  "The Soloist" was average, while "The Lucky Ones" was much better than average (I have a hard time thinking of Tim Robbins movies I don't like). 

I'm almost finished with "The Brothers Karamazov."  I tried to get through this one years ago and got distracted.  I'm glad I came back to it.  It really is a great book with lots of honesty about our imperfect nature, though not to the exclusion of our redemptive qualities.  It's much easier to get through books of such length when one can read on a trainer in the garage (I've given up on trying to watch movies in here while the girls nap, since it just seems too loud...you can't subtitle the online movies).  I'm going to try to get through a few more "classics" before Andrée comes home for the summer break.    

Oh, and it's been about a month now with almost no nicotine (I had one weak willpower moment at a gathering last week and had about 1/2 a cigarette).  The tea tree oil and cinnamon toothpicks are keeping me going (about 2 or 3 a day is all it takes), but so is the ability to just go hop on the trainer or hit the weights when the urge does hit me (not that often, anymore).  

Delia is the river otter in the video.  She's taken to doing laps on this little slide, and I couldn't be happier.  I know they want to do more, physically, but they're still just shy of that amount of control that would have them walking/running/etc.

Finally, I kept thinking about a recent comment and how to respond, but realized I'm more confused by it than anything.  I will simply reiterate that I am a full-time stay-at-home father of two, since I'm not sure everybody understands our situation, and I'm still baffled at the mention that I wrote a "women's work comedy" (maybe you should go back and read what I wrote...I did, even though I proofread all of my entries).  Are there days when I would rather my wife be at home with the girls...absolutely (she would rather the same, I might add).  This does not make me ashamed, nor does it make me sexist.  If you presume to know me well enough to label me as the latter (by, say, telling me that I sound like somebody from the 1860's), so be it.  Pat yourself on the back for the effort and go find another soul to save...I'm sure mine will be just fine.    

Thanks for this link, Garrett, and for the kickass collard green sandwiches the other night:  

http://www.storyofstuff.com/capandtrade/

Also, this is worth your time:

http://www.conservationmagazine.org/articles/v10n4/the-unnatural-order-of-things/

Doing Stupid Stuff

This is way too long in coming, but I felt compelled to put one up, since Christopher recently made a rather offensive comment.  He stated that I implied taking care of children is work for women, only.  I did nothing of the sort.  I am a man.  I am taking care of twin babies.  Sometimes taking care of children can make one (man or woman) think negatively about that situation.  It is the hardest thing you will ever do...ever...in your life.  Physical and normal mental exertion has nothing on this emotional roller coaster, and it is more difficult the more you love the children because every moment is another opportunity to be teaching something or demonstrating a good or bad habit.  I cannot be held responsible for reader interpretation of what I offer, here.  I can only hope that most readers know me better than to make such an incorrect assumption about my gender politics. 

So a friend got a rear Mavic R-Sys wheel replaced, free of charge, because there was a recall on the front wheel of his set.  In an effort to convince our staff of the durability of the new version of this wheel set, the representative from the company not only stood upon one of these wheels in their presence, he was said to have bounced upon it.  I couldn't believe that such a wheel (with carbon spokes on the non-drive side) would put up with such an affront, so, the evening of a co-worker's going away get-together, I decided to confirm my suspicions.  Sure enough, the wheel made the most awful creaking and cracking noises one would ever want to hear while standing on a $400 wheel and after dismounting one of the carbon spokes was found to be completely cracked, lengthwise.  Well, my co-workers had a good time witnessing my test, and I will never trust a company rep, again (though, it should be pointed out that my co-workers forgot to mention that the wheel the rep tested was the new version of the wheel...I, without knowledge, was testing the older, weaker version).  Whatever...I should've known better, even after consuming those 4 or 5 beers.  I ordered a new wheel for my friend two days later, and I'll have to get some replacement spokes for the old one and claim it for myself as a really nice spare.

The Traffic Skills 101 class went fairly well, though I will not be teaching another class with my attorney friend that assisted me.  While I still consider him a good friend, he, being predictably overworked, tossed the whole thing my way and helped very little in the preparation.  Of course, the day of the class, he had a million things to say, so the schedule I had envisioned quickly evaporated.  The worst part, however, was trying to teach two total beginners in a class with 7 others that were very well-seasoned bicyclists (the Executive Director of the local advocacy organization, a Paris-Brest-Paris veteran, a 30-mile-a-day commuter, etc.).  That is the one thing I would change in the future, though, I think I'll also opt for teaching solo and reducing the maximum number of participants.  One participant slammed us in the feedback, but I have a feeling he was just angry that he couldn't understand one of the questions on the written exam and that the course was not more geared to his experience level, rather than to that of EVERY participant.  He made some good points, but they were not things that I did not consider before we even started the course.  The trouble was that I was forced to change things or spend more or less time on certain topics due to the spontaneity of the group discussions.  I was just a little rusty on my teaching technique, I guess, and teaching with somebody I admire was difficult when it turned out that we were sort of competing for speaking time.  

We just went for the annual pancake T-Giving ride from the downtown shop, even though I "threw out" my back the other day.  I'm not sure what that means, I just know that I was moving a pineapple inside for the cold season, and when I twisted to rise with it, I felt a shooting pain through my spine and collapsed onto the porch.  It was enough for Andree to take off a couple of days from work to help.  The 40 miles this morning, however, seems to have really helped.  We'll see tomorrow morning, I guess (update:  ride a bicycle if you "throw your back out"...it seems to have really, really improved with each ride since).

The photos are a yellow-rumped warbler that flew into the sliding glass door, a ladybird beetle that was looking to warm up (I guess) on the top of the garbage can, and some bird's nest fungus that came up in a pot.  The 2 shirt images are things I've got in the frames right now.  If you want one, send me a shirt (1628 Sanford Rd., Charleston, SC,  29407), soon, since I'm going to be doing a couple of others in the next month or so. 

Lastly, in the customer service department, Moen recently sent me parts that probably would've amounted to $50 or so for a kitchen faucet that I did not purchase but that had a limited lifetime warranty.  There was a small leak, but replacing the cartridge valve did not fix it, so they sent me a handle connector kit and a new hose and vacuum breaker, as well.  The leak is gone, and I am reminded that there are good companies out there, still.  I think it's really cool that they helped me get the old girl (easy, Christopher, it's a term of endearment) running again and that I didn't have to go and buy a new one, only to throw the old one into a landfill (though I probably would've held onto the parts for a few years, first...I'm quite the pack rat when it comes to such things).

I've got some rye bread in the oven and the girls are waking up, so I'll hang it up, for now.

Oh, and for those of you that do group rides or race...enjoy these

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rikLwIxRwEs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lDxPv0zx1g

 

Crushing a Man

How might one go about such a thing?  Stick him at home with two baby girls.  Lately, I've just felt less human, in general, as I do my best to minimize the crying and maximize the giggling, without much success.  They're doing great, for the most part, but they're getting closer to that point at which they'll not need two naps, anymore, and at which I'll have to drop even more of the few things I manage to get done around here while the wife's at work, earning the bread.  As well, they're getting more and more mobile, and that, inherently, means more "no!" from me, with expected results in their demeanors.  I'm trying not to limit them too much on the exploration, but there's a fine line between this and letting them break a limb or otherwise hurt themselves.  Delia is going to be walking within a month or two, probably, and Tillie is more likely to take another month or two beyond that.  I can't wait until we can all go explore the back yard, let alone all the hiking trails in the region.

I just looked over the Kulture Klash website ( http://www.kultureklashartsfestival.com/ )and briefly checked out the Charleston Cycle Chic stuff, too ( http://charlestoncyclechic.com/) and I'm left feeling kind of sad about the state of bicycling in this town.  Bicycles are cool, don't get me wrong, but to ride because it's cool?!?  It used to be cool to drive cars that got 10mpg.  It used to be cool to snort cocaine.  It used to be cool to wear leg warmers and parachute pants, too.  We all learn and we all grow.  I do appreciate what people do to make bicycling more fun, but, contrary to a little video linked into the Cycle Chic site, fun is not the best reason to ride a bicycle.  I think the best reasons are that a) it's easy and convenient and b) it gets one from point A to point B in a manner that asserts our independence from industry that hinges on oppression and ecological destruction.  Again, I think it is fun to ride, but if I'm to be honest, I think some of the worst bicycling conditions produce some of the best rides that others would consider very little fun.  Fun is a relative term, I guess, and, for me, that fun does not require other people, alcohol, or a bicycle that looks like a float from Mardi Gras.  

Granted, I'm probably just touchy because I won't be able to attend the "Klash" on account of it being on the same day I'm teaching the class and because the girls wouldn't be able to stand that amount of time away from home without a nap.  Nevertheless, I remain convinced that selling bicycling as something that is fun is not the best way to get the majority of citizens out of their cars.  There will be head winds, rain days, flat tires, collisions and confrontations with motorists, and other adversity.  These things don't add up to fun for most, and they tend to steer people away from staying on the bicycle.  However, if one considers that what one is doing on a bicycle is a form of spiritual and ecological redemption, it is easier to roll with said adversity, I think.  Just look at what recycling has done for our collective consciousness. "Recycling rewards consumption," is what Brother Adam would say, here, and he's right.  Though, I would have to argue that this reward has leaned people in a better direction.  One DOES make this world a better place if one rides a bicycle for transportation, and I think that resonates with most humans, since most of us are in a fog when it comes to prioritizing our altruism (there are so many worthy causes that it sends us into a stasis...at least it does me, with the exception of Doctors Without Borders, Democracy Now!, and the ACLU).  

All of this relates to a conversation I had with a buddy from Asheville last night.  He's working for the YMCA up there, now, and he attended a staff retreat the other day.  He was a little concerned about the Christian portion of the proceedings, and I related that I've always had that sort of hesitation about such compromises (working for a group that doesn't necessarily reflect one's philosophy).  My lack of conviction in just about anything (other than my marriage and our decision to have children) stems from only having confidence in speaking on my own behalf.  I got outside of this a little with Dennis Kucinich's campaign, but I still preferred people listen/read him themselves, rather than taking my word for it.  I'm afraid that this is why the pushover got elected and why he won't be followed by anybody with more independence and integrity.  We just like things to be given to us, I guess.  It's no wonder Christmas is such a hit in this country.  

Sorry to end on a down note, but we're currently watching "W." and we just watched the Frost/Nixon movie that Richie Cunningham directed.  The latter was very well done, though I think it had more to do with the play writer's ability than that of The Fonz's boy.  The former is Brolin at his best.  That guy is a good actor.  Also, great casting in this one, Mr. Stone.  Dreyfus (two s's?) as Cheney was brilliant.

Not much in the realm of multi-media this time around, but after seeing this thing spoofed on the Cleveland Show (I am NOT a regular consumer of this product), I had to include this link.  I'm sure this is quite old, but, damn it, this is one of those reasons why I miss the Gulf Coast so much, dahlin!  I love how mad he looks at around :44.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKK-WWwcQME

 

 

The Shout Heard Around the World

Saying somebody told a lie is one thing.  Saying somebody told a lie when they did not is another.  Yet again, our fair state is cast in the most gruesome of lights by one of our intellectually-stunted politicians, and, yet again, I am left thinking I must send a "proclamation of values" to them.  Though only one responded to my last attempt to gain accurate representation, maybe more will raise a pen this time (or, at least, have a staffer do so).  Joe Wilson is not a personal adversary of mine, nor is my governor, but from their actions (indeed, those of nearly the entire Republican party, lately), one would almost assume that such a relationship is to what they aspire.  It reminds me of a somewhat morbid, yet hopeful thought I brought up to a friend the other day.  In a couple of decades, the number of voters that base their political decisions on cable entertainment masquerading as news will drastically fall.  The same profit motive that allowed these bottom feeders to see the light of day will return them to the abyss, and a new generation of voters with more interest in objective politics will rise.  Savor what is to come, dreamers.

Politics and bicycling collided, here, the other day when a local newspaper columnist decided that he felt victimized enough by a bicyclist running into his car to publish a rant.  I, and many others, responded to his somewhat reasonable, yet ignorant and slanted, argument.  Please see the following for more:

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/sep/22/the-rules-apply-to-you-dude/

and

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/sep/26/letters-to-the-editor/

I've thought many other things in response to his article, but I tried to keep things toned down, since I know most human blood in Charleston lingers just below the boiling point when it comes to such topics.  After all, if we can't even slow down enough to have a conversation about this kind of thing via local media, what hope do we have that we can all get along within the impulsive and excited atmosphere on the roads?

We just watched a great animated film called "The Triplets of Belleville."  It's about a bicyclist and very well worth watching.  One cool thing about it is that there is very little dialogue (almost none), but that doesn't affect the quality of the story at all.  It was a refreshing change from the animation one sees out of this country (camera perspective changes every second or two and way too much bad music...not to mention the painfully obvious computer influence...though "The Triplets" was done using CGI, they made a concerted effort to make it look as though it was not...they were very successful).

The photographs depict the Gulf fritillary life cycle.  Though no chrysalises have cracked at this point, I'm going to cage one of them so that I can get a good image of an adult, too.  I hope this to be the beginning of a bountiful butterfly landscape.  As I said, we'll put in some milkweed next year, and the parsley and dill are now flourishing (though too late for the black swallowtails).  I've got lots of seeds left over from the Clemson order, so we'll plant some more sunflowers, bee balm, and others in the early spring.

The cold frame has gone to crap.  After the top window was smashed by a limb from the pine that no longer stands, I covered it with what I thought was really thick, clear plastic.  The sun turned it into parchment in one summer.  It's flaking away like filo dough.  I'll be covering it with plywood until I can get some plastic glass on there.  I'll have to check the habitat store or something, since the price on new plexi is way too high for a piece this big.  Ultimately, I'll source some corrugated, clear fiberglass.  Maybe the ACE can order it.

Still nowhere on the bamboo source.  May wind up using some of those paver stones from a corporate store or buying some sacks of concrete and pouring a form to make my own blocks.  Besides, digging out the roots from the huge pine to bury the bamboo wasn't on my "I can't wait to do it" list, anyway.

The girls go in for their flu vaccine in about 2 hours.  I feel bad that we're subjecting them, but with Andree in the schools, it only seems logical to give them a little bit of a sickness under controlled circumstances rather than let them get waylaid by something horrible.  As well, at least this way we'll know how they react when they are sick, now (they've been in great health, so far).

Finally, this made me laugh until my sides hurt.  I especially liked that it appears as though his body shuts down basic functions as a result of his totally unjustified fear.  Note his instant inability to remain standing and breathing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wub1uY7IHas

Also, check out this clip.  It's not the kind of thing I'm in the habit of passing on (especially given the title), but it just cracks me up.  I'm not even sure the kid is really speaking or if they superimposed a little mouth, but it got a laugh from me more than once.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cR_G6EjYRUo&feature=PlayList&p=5683D7BD71DD670A&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=5

A Punching Bag Passes

Another Kennedy is gone.  I heard the news on Democracy Now! the other day, and it makes me sad.  Don't get me wrong.  I don't think the man was a saint or anything, I'm just sorry to hear that a good guy is gone.  Sure, there are things for which any politician could be criticized, but, for the most part, he did good things with his time, even if only dissenting from the majority.  More importantly, he intended good things, regardless of how many of these things the rest of his cohorts permitted be done.

This relates to what I recently realized about how one side of the political spectrum so frequently paints the other side as having intentions akin to the worst of those that ever ruled (Hitler, Stalin, etc.).  It is critical that compassionate elements of our populace be cast as hateful and mean.  If they are not, it becomes obvious that those for whom the dollar is savior are the truly hateful and mean.  For example, it's laughable to think that those that support universal health care only do so because they wish ill-will upon others in our country, but insurance companies wish exactly that, since that is what makes their shareholders more money.  It is surreal that those that wish a reasonable standard of living for all are not thought of within a pertinent context.  It is as if the hyperbolists assume history has taught us nothing and that we are doomed to go down the same roads already traveled by those from other countries, during other decades, within different economies, and subject to any number of other confounding influences.  In other words, communism can never become something better, socialism will always be a bad thing, and anarchy can never be improved upon.  Capitalism, however, is considered flawless, and is not held to the same standard, regardless of the horrible things people have done to one another in the interest of earning more money.  If anything, those that whine the loudest about how great dollar-worship is seem bent on going backwards to those "glory days" before the few, meager checks and balances we now have existed. 

Continue to learn and grow.  That is all I wish for my parents, and my brothers and sisters in this world.  I don't care if your goal is to earn millions of dollars, just realize that there are sustainable and humane ways to do that.  As Seth Tobocman's book proclaimed, "You Don't Have to Fuck Over People to Survive."  The extension of this is to define the word survive, which should include not only good food, clean water, solid shelter, and clean air, but theater, literature, stimulating conversation, paint, dance, and one thousand other free and necessary things.  I don't mean to imply that we all need "merely" survive, I mean to imply that there are different degrees of survival, and most of us are reasonable people...until we stop learning and stop trying to see things from new perspectives (don't worry, you can always crawl back into your shell if it gets too uncomfortable).

It is this I harbor after having watched "The Garden" online, yesterday.  Man, what an important movie.  Go watch it and see if it changes your view on property rights.  If nothing else, it will make you think long and hard about setting up a community garden in your own area (if one does not already exist).  Around here, I'm hoping we can get something going on the edges of the West Ashley Greenway, since it is wide enough to accommodate a road, and I'd like to think that getting neighborhood gardens in place would help prevent any future stupidity from making this local treasure into just that...another ribbon of asphalt. 

Also, I watched some of the town hall meeting S. Hoyer did in Maryland on CSPAN last night.  All I can say is that it was like watching a trainwreck...so disgusting was the behavior of our fellow "Americans" that I couldn't look away.  Example of the lunacy:  after explaining how her son and daughter are provided health insurance through the state after losing their jobs, one idiot-in-attendance went on to say the "government" needs to get "out of our business, now!"  Go ahead...watch the downfall of western civilization.  In particular, watch the question from her majesty of the miniscule mind at around 46 minutes:  http://www.c-span.org/Watch/Media/2009/09/01/HP/A/22720/House+Maj+Leader+Rep+Steny+Hoyer+DMD+Health+Care+Town+Hall.aspx

As a result of watching this kind of painful pinhead-ery, I'm considering political appointments, again.  I'm trying to get into the Bicycle/Pedestrian Committee, currently.  I filled out applications for the Forestry Board and one of the Park and Playground Commissions, but I think I'd rather dedicate my time to something about which I'm, currently, more passionate and knowledgeable.  Besides, there are just too many stupid things happening, lately.  They just put in solar-powered flashers for two greenway crossings up the road.  Yes, they are nice when I'm carting the girls, but I'm responsible.  I always come to a stop, anyway, to check for traffic.  Nobody else will have to develop that habit, thanks to these new eyesores that were a waste of money (how about resurfacing the severely eroded and buckled section of the greenway that winds through the black neighborhoods in our area, for example?).  As well, and I'll follow up on this one for sure, they just added bumps (rumble-shoulder type garbage) to the white lines on some of the roads we use for our shop rides on Tuesday and Thursday nights.  Again, this will prevent drivers from developing the quite safe habits of staying awake while at the wheel and paying close attention to traffic on more shaded, winding roads.  For riders, it presents an obstacle to quickly getting out of the way of the now-lazier drivers when they stray too close (which they will).  At worst, it is something riders do not see in the dark and/or rain that causes them to lose control of their bicycle and crash on roads that regularly have car traffic traveling at speeds of up to 50-60mph.  Somebody needs to be more involved in helping these road "designers," as they are clearly only considering those in cars when they pull this kind of jackass move.  

As for the media candy section of this entry, see below:

Trials riding isn't really my scene, but I am in awe of this guy's ability (good musical choice, too):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19zFlPah-o

This was mildly funny, so I thought I'd throw it in, too (my favorite part is the foggy glasses when he's inside):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn29DvMITu4

Also, check out the latest on the insane happening in Asheville that Garrett clued me to:

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009908180328

Hoping to make another trip to FATS before too long, here, and teaching a Road I course the first week of November.  Off to the doctor with the girls in the morning, and watched about 30 minutes of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 with Andree before wandering in here to finish this, finally.  Have a great night and don't forget to ride tomorrow.  You'll feel better.  Smoking status:  down to 1/2 a day, but only 2 or 3 left in pack.  I'll try to make it a week before buying another...if I do.  The tea tree oil toothpicks are really helping out this situation, by the way.

Watch the babies...watch the cute, cute babies.  The trailer is the summer-modified Tiger from Burley (I'm pretty happy with it, aside from the lack of carrying space for the jogging kit or a leash for towing them around when once we get to the store).  Oh, and the maypop, Passiflora lutea, is growing on the lamppost in front of the house.  I just saw a gulf fritillary laying eggs on it, today, so I'll try to photograph the life cycle.

Return of the King

Daddy comes home to the castle, as of tomorrow.  Andree goes back to school, so I get to resume full-time parent status.  Things have changed significantly (solid foods, longer times awake, etc.), but I can deal with it, and I think my health needs it.  The stress of the girls pales in comparison to the stress at work, lately.  It's just been a weird month or two since the departure of Joe, Jay, and Carl.  I really respect the guys that replaced them, but it'll suffice to say that it's different, and different is the name of the game with kids.  So, work changes of all sorts (a manager becoming an owner, a second shop opening, and the expected turnover of employees in such a field) are not as easy to cope with anymore, and my health has, predictably, not improved much.

The doctors claim it to be a mono group virus, which means that the exhaustion I've felt for weeks now will, likely, continue for a few more weeks, at least.  Cutting back on the cigarettes and booze isn't cutting it.  I'm going to have to go cold turkey, here, as I'm at my wit's end on this one.  One ride a week is not enough, and my workouts have completely fallen off.  It's killing me.  The worst part is waiting to see if the girls picked it up in the few weeks that I was contagious.  They've been on mom's milk from the beginning, however, so I'm hoping that their immunity is all the experts say it is.

The bicycle status has me motivated.  I just got a Manitou R7 for very little money (they were great about their crash replacement, and it turned out nobody does much, if anything, in forks in the U.S., anymore), an XT crankset, and some XTR pedals on the MTB.  The money is now officially paid back on the Raleigh, and it was worth it.  The beast looks ready for engagement, and Mike, Greg, and I are supposed to go to FATS trails, near Augusta, this coming weekend for an overnight (my first since the girls were born).  The road rig got absolutely swamped last Thursday night in the wettest ride we've done in a long, long time (downpour almost the entire hour and a half).  So, the bottom bracket got removed and the shell faced on this one, too.  Everything looked great inside (Boeshield and a gun-cleaning kit does the trick on the steel stuff), with only a little water.  

FATS is one of the best trails I've ever ridden.  We spent around 6 hours out there, and we still didn't get to all of it (we skipped on the Brown Wave trail).  Only one flat for one of us, and no spills, even though it's hard not to bomb through these insanely well-maintained and rolling trails.  We pulled out our stupid caps and rented a hotel for the evening, Saturday, for $100.  We could've camped at a nearby state park for $15, but I bit my tongue since we'd been trying to get this ride (or something very similar) together for nearly 5 years.  It makes one wonder about the depth of this friendship, no?  No matter, I'll go back with Dave or Garrett next time, and I'm sure it'll be tent city.  Besides, there ain't no cell phone or fire alarm mishaps at 6 and 7am in the woods...just the Carolina wrens and pine warblers screaming for sex.

I left the camera at home, as I can't lug the big guy around in the water pack, but I don't think I would've gotten many photographs of interest.  As well, there are videos of the trail system on YouTube, if you're interested.  They were good enough to motivate me to go.  Here's one with tolerable music and that doesn't disorient with shake or bore with footage you don't need to see.  You can check out the others for more of the trails.  There's even one from the same day we were there (about 95 degrees out and not a cloud in the sky...I probably drank around 150 oz. of water, in addition to the post-ride ginger ale and Fat Tire). 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoWyd_tUnBE

The garden looks good, with the cayennes in the bed with the bells.  The blackeye peas flushed with new foliage and keep putting out new flowers and fruits.  We have a few oxheart tomatoes, now, and the potatoes are still chugging along, regardless of the summer beat down they're getting.  I also planted a little chunk of ginger root, and it put up leaves in about 4-5 days.  I'm not sure what species I've got, but check out this flower!

 http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Zing_off.html  

Who wants to have to make a trip to the store just for this infrequently-needed, but essential, ingredient?  Turns out, it does just fine here.  Next up are the fruit/nut trees.  I thought I found a good place in GA, but there are some seriously bad reviews online that made me think twice.  Plus, their prices and selection were too good to be true.  We're hoping on walnut, plum, and apple, though we may have to go with citrus instead of pomes.   

There was an editorial in yesterday's paper that reminded me of something that keeps occurring to me.  A local politician was praising our state's investment in hydrogen power and other alternatives to fossil fuels.  Fair enough, but it was unfortunate that he was also pushing the job creation angle.  I don't doubt that alternative energies could result in more jobs, but what is the point if we retain the profit motive?  What kind of jobs should we expect?  The jobs will not matter if the same old share holders demand the same old unrealistic growth levels in their investment.  There is a new jet part production facility coming to the area, too, and the local press had nothing but glorious things to say.  Nevermind that this industry hinges on oil availability and is most likely doomed.  I wouldn't be surprised if this facility is gone by the time the girls start high school.  It's time to expand the concept of sustainability to include not just the products an industry is offering, but the lives of those that make the product possible.  It's kind of easy to get hung up on whether something is organic or produced without mercury or with water conservation practices and forget about the people behind the product.  They may or may not be able to purchase the very things they are making to the increasingly demanding standards of an informed consumer base.  This is not an argument that we should go backwards on sustainable product standards, only one that we should identify more with those on the other end of our dollars.  

The spider is an unidentified orb weaver that lives in our metal wind chime on the back porch.  She snagged this blue dasher dragonfly a few days ago.  I wonder how sensitive she is to the noise of the chime pipes when they collide and how this affects her catch success.  She seems to do just fine, as her abdomen is about the size of my thumb tip.  The dragonfly is a Needham's skimmer, I think.  It was having some trouble with the malformed wing, and I'm kind of surprised we didn't see this guy in the web.  It probably wound up in the stomach of one of the many Mississippi kites that we've seen around the house this summer.  They're notorious dragonfly diners.  The old Raleigh is Ohio John's.  What a testament that this thing from the mid-60's that has been all over the world is still rolling fine on original equipment.  A couple of hub adjustments and other touches, and it was ready to roll again.