Project Day

We have decided to try our hand at getting some long overdue projects done around the house. Last year, we made good progress on our guest bedroom by getting some trim refinished. Lessons are always learned in doing these projects that you have never done before. Mostly, we bit off more than we could finish in a timely fashion. So we have made a list (my wife loves lists) of projects that hopefully we can do in a weekend or what have you.

So this weekend is the linen closet shelving, maybe a little electrical in some outlets and lighting. Just enough to keep us busy, and be able to finish by tomorrow afternoon so we have that feeling of accomplishment. As Carrie says, "it feels so good to see that checked off the list".

The biggest issue we have is being distracted from our tasks. Carrie had breakfast this morning with a friend to arrange Super Bowl partying and some other stuff that needed to be done. I get distracted trying to learn something new about this stupid machine. The Pond Hockey Championships are this weekend. I'd like to see some of that. We recently started cross country skiing, wouldn't mind doing a little of that. And my broomball point shot needs some serious work. Hopefully we can figure out how to do a few of those other things along with crossing some off the list.

We'll see if that happens Sunday evening.

Brand New Year

Something about the new year that always gives me a sense of renewal. It's as if I can almost start over with so many things. I have never been good with the whole resolution thing, but I still find that urge to better myself, or change something about my life that has not been quite to my liking.

So, I have a small list of things to accomplish this year. Not a large list, too many times you hear the whole I'm going to lose 75 pounds or I'm going to get a new job, or some huge almost impossible goals. Set the bar low, therefore disappointment is minimized. No, it's about setting attainable goals. Just like with any project, if it is too large, you become lost and have a difficult time tackling it. Break it down into small, easier tasks, and suddenly, you're finished. Nothing could be simpler.

I started a winter project of fixing up my folding bike. I don't plan on using it much, but there have been a few times I think it would have come in handy. If I rip it completely apart and start from scratch, I know I will be bogged down about what exactly to do with it, and it will stay disassembled for way too long. So I am going to do it in small stages to see if that will make things go easier.

Not brand new, but brand new for the year.

Time Flies

It's always surprising how fast time goes. Look up, and it's nearly a month since I last wrote. Some things just have to take a back seat.

Ken was in a serious accident a while back. It always makes you think when that type of thing happens. Working in a bike shop, we hear and see the results of bike/car meetings a lot. I have yet to see the bicycle win. In hearing about Ken's experiences, it again reminds me that my household inventory is woefully outdated and even more inaccurate (doing inventory at the shop doesn't help). I am trying to get up the nerve to inventory my own basement which is a fairly daunting challenge.

My in-laws came into town last weekend. It has been tradition for a long time that the women-folk go shopping over the Thanksgiving weekend. This is the second time they have travelled to the Twin Cities to shop. We reserved rooms for them in downtown Mnpls and Friday went well. They did start late, and we did end up at MOA for a while, but then went to the Holidazzle Parade and had a nice dinner after.

Saturday was a little more difficult. We woke as normal, I fed the cats and made coffee. Not 10 minutes later my 16 year old cat, Chester, started to vomit. After about an hour of that, we decided we better get him in to the vet. They didn't open for another hour so we made some other phone calls to emergency vet hospitals. Just like human emergency rooms, just because you're there, doesn't mean somebody will be able to see you right away. So we made sure we were in the parking lot before our vet opened the door.

Chester has had failing kidneys for at least a year. We have him on a special diet with instructions to get him as much water as possible. Now, his liver seems to be failing. We're not sure if it's cancer or what, but it can't be good. After 4 hours, we took him home with a bunch of pills and an IV. There are limits that I want to do to care for pets. I grew up with farm cats and dogs, and they died on a regular basis. I still am not sure about the IV being in my kitchen pantry. It just seems wrong lying there next to my coffee beans. Amazingly enough, he has perked up and seems almost completely normal. I guess we play doctor for a while. I hope time flies.

Sunday we did the morning church stuff and then headed down south to some friends of ours for Sunday Thanksgiving dinner. I watched some football, had some really good food and it was a nice relaxing way to wind down the weekend.

Now it's back to work, where a great many more people decided to go today. We had a lot more customers come in for bike work than we have for a while. It certainly made the day fly by.

Ready for More

I'm not much for Halloween. This year I spent the evening in my basement, with all the lights off in the rest of the house, working on bike stuff. I was also watching a hockey game. I was also trying to figure out if I am going to try Trans Iowa again.

I thought I came to the realization that I am not cut out for this type of event. I enjoy riding long distance, but at 2AM, my body doesn't want to be on a bike. It only lasts for a couple hours, but its a pretty miserable couple of hours. That's what I thought.

Of course, with the looming registration for TI, I am rethinking my conclusion. My argument before about me riding for enjoyment and "why am I doing this when there is this time frame that is never fun", just isn't as powerful now. When you really think about it, 2 hours is nothing for being uncomfortable. That whole, "pain is temporary" thing.

So, I have to find my postcard this week. I am going to start my "training" process this week (or sometime before the end of the year). I am also going to finish up the bike configuration for the ride. That's right, finish the bike set up. Even though I was thinking I wasn't going to do this ride again, I still was gathering parts and readying the bike. Deep down, I knew I was ready for more.

Back to the real world

We returned from vacation on Sunday and it actually felt good to go back to work. I hear that makes me different from a lot of people. I am fortunate indeed to have found work that pays the bills and satisfies me on a day-to-day basis. It also affords me enough time to do a few other things I enjoy. Basically, I am insanely lucky.

North Carolina was awesome! On our way from the gusty east, we stopped in Raleigh to view the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Science Museum. Amazing that articles can survive for so long. Looking at writings and pottery over 2000 years old, is something I can barely wrap my head around. We stayed in Winston Salem that night, noting how inexpensive cigarettes are in that part of the country.

I have to add at this point, that the south-east has a very different definition of what a cafe is than we do up here. First of all, they are almost impossible to locate. It also appears (near as I could tell) that a cafe is an eatery that neither serves breakfast, or indeed is even open before noon. Then closes again around 3, only to reopen around 6. Breakfast seems to not be important to people in NC. We ended up eating pastries we purchased on Sunday from a coffee shop (which was fantastic!), every morning until Wednesday.

We camped a few days in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. First night was car camping after the drive there, but we then did a few days hiking and camping in the park itself. For some reason, my "bearanoia" was in high gear. Them park rangers do a good job at making sure you know that bears are rampant in the park. Never did see one. We hiked a sliver of the Appalachian Trail, did a small loop of some side trails, and headed out Friday afternoon. Back country camping is a close second to a bike ride, in my "fun things to do" list.

From there, we drove to St. Louis for the night (I am still a little mad I didn't take a picture of the arch) where we had to do a little impromptu navigating as there was an accident that closed down the interstate. 11 at night, after a 7 mile hike and a few hundred miles of driving, trying to find your way through an unfamiliar city with an outdated, poor map is one of the best tests in married life. (I have to brag that we passed with flying colors)

The next morning (I still am surprised how chipper my wife was for waking up so early each day), we drove to my in laws to help them with a small house project. Carrie's siblings came down and we had a nice family dinner. Then Sunday was the drive home with a lunch stop in Des Moines to show off some pictures of the vacation to the grandparents. A great thing to do, making us realise we had to whittle them down some more. Too many vistas.

Genius

I am doing something I never thought I would, I happen to be writing from a hotel in Winston Salem, NC. I decided to bring the laptop with me while we are out wandering so I made sure I didn't fill my memory card full on the camera and then be unable to take any more pictures. I know that's not really likely, I have roughly 800 or 1000 shots, but I get nervous about this kind of stuff.

Every time we take a trip I remember why people retire. I could definitely get used to it. We decided to visit North Carolina as it is a state I have not seen much of and Carrie probably even less. We are doing a whirlwind tour of the state from sea to mountainous national park. It has already been a great time for catching up with my wife, and repairing the inevitable emotional crap that happens just going through everyday life.

One thing I must share is the stop we made at the Wright Brothers National Monument (as noted by the above picture). Orville and Wilbur (as I like to call them) I would say are the most famous of all bicycle mechanics. They not only made bicycle parts intricate into the first airplane, but it was indeed their working on bicycles that made it possible, by furthering their knowledge and understanding of mechanics on the whole. It just reinforces my saying that, "a bicycle mechanic can fix ANYTHING mechanical." * Orville and Wilbur Wright, super genius.



* side note : There are many people who claim to hold titles. And there are many unworthy of the titles they hold. I have a very strict definition of bicycle mechanic. Fortunately, I just barely qualify.

Petty thought

I find myself not checking my thoughts before they leave my mouth a little too much lately. Working with the public, I experience a lot of different backgrounds, personalities, and conduct. The level of general stupidity en laced into the human culture is astounding. I know I am not above it. And as a matter of fact, hover quite low on the intelligent line. But when it comes to common sense and rational behavior, I can hold my own. So on that thought, some general behaviors exhibited by the majority of people I encounter are what have prompted me to concentrate on watching my tongue to remain polite.

Repeating what I say as a question. If I answer a question, that is the answer. I wonder if people really think it's going to change, just because they ask.

Not asking the correct question. Customer rolls bike in with flat tyre. I take bike into the back. Roll out bike with obvious non-flat tyre. Customer asks, "did you fix it?" when what they really want to know is, what caused the flat.

Telling me their bike or story is older than I am. Is this supposed to make me feel better? I am pretty sure that one of these days I am going to answer their question with some form of, "well on my bike, which isn't close to as old as you are, this never happens". I might want to wait until I can afford to be fired to use that one.

Rambling about nothing related to the situation. I am amazed what people think is important to a situation. There is no way that any one's grandmother's hip replacement she had done in San Donfradino in 1967 by a doctor who turned out to be a second cousin who has an oil stain on his left pant leg which he bought at a second hand store up the street, has any business in a conversation about bicycles. (Obviously I was not trying to outfit a bicycle for the grandmother)

Not letting me talk. I try not to say any more than I have to. I actually say less than I should. When someone is trying to solve a problem and they go to someone else for help, I am thinking they actually want help. It's obvious to me, some people just want to think out loud near other people. That's what malls are for.

Like. I hate this word so much, I try me best to never use it.

This post doesn't really have anything to do with bicycles.