Jiawgrufy

Still gimped, but came across these links of the value of Beauty Pageants, YouTube and Geography:

"Proud to be an American where at least I know I'm Free"
Lee Greenwood

Low Go

not too motivated to blog lately, which may better in the long run. the ankle is pretty bad still, but i never got pics. went to the athletic trainer this afternoon and he check me out. 2nd-level sprain and i need rest and more ice to reduce swelling. 2 other coaches, plus the trainer, told me to immerse my whole foot in a bucket of ice water, and keep it there for 20min. i did that when i got home, or that is to say i did that for as long as i could deal, which was shorter than 20min. quite honestly, that hurt more than the friggin' sprain. damn, you could use that for some kind of anti-commie/Taliban/Republican torture.

otherwise, it's still hot there. not change so far except this a.m. was slightly cooler. i'm feeling fat b/c i haven't gotten a workout in more than a week, although it feels longer. i don't imagine i'll be o n the bike until at least September. you're pretty limited cardiovascularly when you can't move the feet. guess i need to seek out one of those are/bike things.

'Sheryl' got her bike stolen from her backyard, with the rogue perp scaling an 8ft wooden security fence to get her modest Trek. after deliberating with John from Onyourleft, she decided on a KHS 'urban' bike.
I can think of quite a few bikes i would buy over this, but if it works for her. she's plying it with a rack and fenders. it should be lighter and racier than her granny Trek, but i wonder how she'll do with a more bent-over position.

i've been following lots of futbol the past few weeks. saw parts of ValenciavVillareal, L'poolvSunderland, ArsenalvManCity, ManUvTottenhamSpurs, & BayernMunichvHannover96. you don't notice, but i do that there is no RealvAtletico nor BarcavRacing listed here. there was some kind of fracas in Spain over TV rights, so no La Liga, or at least with the 2 big clubs. Oh, i forgot SevillavGetafe. The most memorable of the weekend was watching Puerta of Sevilla collapse on the field. I made L turn his face while Puerta was writhing on the ground and then his teammates trying to pull his tongue out of his throat. he apparently has had 2 cardiac arrests and is still in critical condition. i've never seen anything quite like it in sports. he just stopped, bent over, fell and convulsed. Scary as hell.

tobillo

managed to nearly tear my foot from my leg on Monday evening. went out for a pleasant futbol practice with the boys, and instead stepped in a very slight indentation and twisted the @#$%@ out of my ankle. pics tomorrow, in all their purple/blue/yellow glory. needless to say no bikes, much less normal walking. life's a bitch,

Futbol mas cerca

I could find a bunch of crap about ManU's crappy start or other PL business. Or I could do some crap about Beck's first, most excellent free kick. You can find that if you want. I'd rather show you this conceptualized header with crest from the group trying to bring MLS to the St. Louis area. I lived in St. Louis in the summers of 1987 and '88. Granted, I was miserable there b/c my parents dragged me there right after graduation, so I associate the city with the depths of Hell given that I had no friends and not much of a clue. But it's a great baseball town, and the Cards have always been my 2nd favs after the Reds. The city also has a pretty deep futbol history, and even from back then I remember how hyped the local high-school game was. I think it would be a great market for MLS and it's a team I would support. From that location it's just short of a 4-hr drive. I think it would be worth 1 summer overnight to take in a game, and the facilities they're considering are pretty damn nice. The only real question remaining is, Why can't the 'Ville pull this off? No, we're not really a futbol town, but again it's thinking small and limited around here. Their facilities concept includes not only a stadium and practice fields, but stores and homes. It's big thinking. Hizhonorforlife would never think too big. It might lose him the next election.

Chip Cronen Memorial Ride

I've been busy with school opening, but I would be remiss not to mention the 'Chip Cronen Memorial Ride' that took place this last Sunday here in the 'Ville. I was attending an event, taking the progeny to another event, and the good wife was attending a wedding, so needless-to-say I did not attend, but it seemed like a more than successful affair. The CJ has a nice article about the event. Too bad this shorter article couldn't grow into something larger and more energized. I'm not complaining though. This town rarely gets print that's positive. Most has been yellow journalistic sensationalized BS from the TV news about the scourge that is the cyclist-running-stop-sign. It's an encouraging sight to see this many cyclists in such a context. Hopefully, it can be a positive step from such a tragedy.

Can this sign, and painted ones on the road, save lives? Let's hope so.

Date: Aug 16 Thurs
Mileage: 14 (Rans)
August mileage: 95
Year to date: 1408
ipod: Shuffle

Mierda, if yesterday was a "No Worries" day in the heat, then today was the "Anvil imbedded in skull betwixt eyeballs" day in the heat. My workspace got very warm in the 1-3.oo hour, so by the end of the work day i was already huffing and puffing from the heat and stickiness. The ride home, and I honestly believe this, may have been the slowest I've ever gone on a commute. time stood still. minutes became hours became days. inert and unchanging. Slow.

But i did make it home, even if a TARC bus almost hit me. they are usually pretty courteous, but this one barely missed me. Yikes! that's a lot of steel. i rode the Rans b/c of the weird saddle-sore-situation, but i don't the the bike made any difference

We went to see Patty Griffin last night. I consider it to be part of being a good husband, accompanying her to shows I don't have that much interest in. it was a very emotive and professional show, and i think the crowd got their money's worth. i lasted until a couple songs before the encore and hung out in the lobby. just not my cup of tea.


And tell me if Jenna Bush here doesn't look like a drag queen version of her father. like an ugly little dumpy son who decide to "be that way". i really dislike him, so the guilt has to be by association. and imagine that she's just as dumb as he is, only that ugly as a woman. not very Buddhist and not very Xristian, but the truth is what it is.

Hot-to-Trot

Date: Aug 15 Wed
Mileage: 16 (9.2.5. fixie)
August mileage: 81
Year to date: 1394
ipod: This American Life-"Blame it on Art" , Rolling Stones mix

I guess I'm acclimating somewhat to the heat, but I had no idea it was 100F on this afternoon's commute. Yes, it was hot and I got really sweaty, but I put in 9m or so without too much effort. fixie again. i managed to get a little funky saddle sore today, so maybe the heat is to blame for that. don't know. i passed by a new coffee shop and there were 4 cool fixie rides out front. might have to take a look sometime. today was the first time i ever caught myself imagining a Surly Steamroller, a road-bike setup fixie style. intriguing, but just say no.


i did a bit of research and i have either elbow bursitis or tricep tendonitis. funnily i found it on a sight relating to weight training injuries. that's right! i hurt it pumping iron. :-)

Futbol y que mas?

I haven't left a rambling "multi-faceted" entry in a while. The wack ass Tour brought me some focus. We then went on vacation from whence I had no pics to show. (L and M do, but that's their business). Finally, the commuting season began anew, but finally a rambling, non sequitur that my readership relishes:

• listening to some mutha' creepin' Howling Wolf at the moment. This shit is bad. Real Bad.

• Z and I actually had a balanced supper: protein (lean filet), carbo (Kroger "circle and square"), and veggie (broccoli). I'm so proud.

• Becks is going to play!!

• Freddy played!!

• Disco is Dead!

• I'm getting more and more interested in futbol, but I can't help noticing our internationals play on crappy teams. If you read through du Nord's review of American play in the opening Premiership (amongst others), I can't help but notice that they all, All, play on really bad teams, mostly bottom-of-the-table teams: West Ham (sans Tevez), Reading (drew ManU but our boys didn't play), Fulham (bottom of the barrel), etc.. I don't if the the Americanos will arrive until someone actually plays for a winner. Will it be Freddy? Jozy? Feebulhalter? Zizzo (I like the name?)

• this cheap 2001 Spanish swill isn't half bad since i bought it a long time ago. it isn't vinegar yet .

• don't you love the fact that the old blues guys had killer names before renaming themselves- McKinley Morganfield or Chester Burnett? I would kill for Muddy Water's real. Bad. Real Bad.

• I've heard the Perseids have been nice this year. Too bad I started back to the 5.30a.m. wake-up call there 'bouts. back in the day i loved to take in the free star show that is our sky, but i don't like to stay up any more. The boys are old enough that it may be time to reconvene in the free dark night.

• how 'bout a U.S./Sweden staring none other than, mierda, I can't find the Swedish names but i recognize the Serbian dude from the World Cup (Ibrahimovic?).

I'm out. it's time for the nightly viewing of PTI and hopefully bed by 9.00. Chao for now mon ami.

Commute

Date: Aug 14 Tues
Mileage: 18 (9.2.5. fixie)
August mileage: 66
Year to date: 1379

For all my negativism, i feel pretty proud of my ride today. With the front wheel of the LHT still flat, I changed over to the fixie for today's commute, adding the seat-post rack and one light. With the change to flat bar with cork grips and new seat, it has proven to be a much more comfy ride, as stated. It also served me as a good, stable, fun commuter mount. I'm still enchanted with my flash of brilliance to put the little clip-on blinkie on the lattice work of my helmet. Now i have a light that is at the driver's eye line, and i think it shoots a little left as well, to warn those turning in to the road. Brilliant!

this p.m. i ran across 'sheryl' and rode home with her for the first time in a long time. she has a very, let's say, particular personality which i can take in small doses. as usual she babbled on about weight and her fitness and her hard body, blah blah, yadda yadda. BUT it was fun to have some company on the commute instead of going solo.

i ended up with 10m+ in the afternoon, going via 'sheryl's neighborhood and then turning towards the park. I took on golf course hill, Hogan's Fnt. hill and Chauffeur's rest on the fixie, which is a first. that last hill proved a little steep, but i didn't stop, so boffo for me!

and finally, i haven't fixed the LHT front tire b/c it's the Dynohub wheel, so requires a bit extra care- no quick-release, dynohub connections, dynohub connections, dyno...get my drift?

3 Strikes

Date: Aug 13 Mon
Mileage: 17 (Rans)
August mileage: 48
Year to date: 1361

This was the first actual day for students, which is always a little nerve-wracking even though it's a day with very little work, per se. I didn't sleep well to start, so I woke up early but groggy and unrested. I had prepared last night, bringin the LHT in by the back door as I usually do.

This my grand surprise this morning, once I had the LHT packed and out the door I found that the front tire was flat, quite the ill omen for the first day of the year. Strike #1. It's the first flat I've had on the monster Serfas and is one vexing me greatly to this very moment. If it was flat last night I should've noticed it. Being montrous, it's pretty obvious when the Serfas is flat. Did it flatten overnight in the house? I can't imagine anything having that effect. And finally, did I somehow pick up a nail or something on the way from the garage to the house? just as strange.

I was early, so I had time to switch to the Rans Rocket, a bike I hadn't been on since the start of the summer. One good aspect of the morning was that I found a nifty way to mount one of my clip-on lights on the bracket structure of my helmet. I can't use words, but you know the new tightening stuff that comes on helmets? It's great for this lightweight light.

Going up Douglass all nice and sleepy I was met with a profound "Don't Fall Over!" shouted at me by a very attractive young man hanging out the back window of a pieceofshit Ford Taurus. What makes a person orally attack another on the road at 6.20a.m., especially one that most certainly isn't in the way? Maybe it was a student out for his first day of school today and he just knew I was a teacher on my geeky 'bent. Asswipe. Strike #2.

My third issue was a bit more nebulous. The heat is still with us, building towards a record of continuous days in the 90sF. Although it wasn't very hot this a.m., at 75F, the heat has create this all-encompassing stench that is wafting through all parts of the city proper. I guess they don't have this prob in the burbs with their big yards and wider streets, but Monday is trash day, and frankly my whole ride smelled like raw sausage or chicken that had been sitting out for a whole week in a black plastic trashcan. Oh, right. That is actually what it was. Trash sitting out in big plastic trashcans, just sitting there cooking the meat scraps, egg shells and dirty diapers. I would especially smell it riding past storm drains. Strike #3.

My afternoon was devoid of obvious obstacles, but I had nothing in my legs and just poked along. I'll have to dig deep into my suitcase of courage to make better tomorrow.

Factoids

Date: Aug 9 Thurs
Mileage: 16 (LHT)
August mileage: 31
Year to date: 1345
ipod: UrbanDharma "Buddhism in Everyday life I"

A basic commute today, again with mega-temps- 100F on the side temp ticker. Today I felt better during the ride but was damn hot at home. I ended up having a cool shower to both rinse off the significant sweat I had accumulated and cleanse my hot-weather funk.

• I was complimented this morning on my Serfas taillight by a driver. "That red light's a good idea!". I thanked him and was happy that it's working in the early morning hours.
• A work colleague passed me about .75m from work. She was shocked to find that I was in the front office before she was. Actually I had the chance to sign in and check my mail before I greeted. I like this example of efficiency is the face of the seemingly obvious fact that bikes are "slower" than cars.
• The CJ ran an article today about the new program of Sharrows, these especially being timely for the negligent death of a cyclist this summer. They're being painted on the 2nd-Street bridge first, the site of the "accident". This is the only means for cyclists to cross the Ohio River in this area. I don't know if it's of any use, but something is better than nothing.
  

The Season Begins

Date: Aug 8 Wed
Mileage: 15 (LHT)
August mileage: 15
Year to date: 1329
ipod: Zencast "Practicing Happiness"


After a brief interlude of self-loathing and general anger I snapped out today and commuted for the first time of this present school year. We officially return tomorrow with the kiddies Monday, but I rode to my paid setup day. I tried to copy and paste a weather.com graphic onto my blog, but realized the temp is already in the sidebar. 102F. That's a temp not often found in these parts. I noticed my lips going dry something like 3min into the ride. And the heart rate stayed up throughout once I did one mini-climb. Hot stuff. And I'll make a big deal like the TV stations of the "heat index". Yes, it's humid, but more than anything it's really effing hot.

I'm pretty disappointed I didn't go over 400m in July, but have no one to blame but myself, which is what I usually end up doing. Bitch Moan Complain.

Peace to All Beings not including myself. I'm not very good at that.

No Memory

Wow, bummer! we returned home last night from our big Florida vacation adventure, the first "real" vacation is numerous years. this a.m. i went about downloading pics off of my digital. mind you, the wife, L and a waterproof cam all retain pics of the adventure, but this a.m. my camera wouldn't download. "wrong format" or some shit like that. and this afternoon my cam told me "no memory". sounds like a real fuckup. and it is. I worked for a while to restore something, but for the first time with a digital cam, i lost everything. again, there are other digital vestiges of this trip, but mine are gone. and that's a bummer.