Today we set off on a walk to go buy some last minute pumpkins from the Boy Scout sale that's been going on for the past month a few blocks away. Turns out that some genius decided that selling pumpkins on the (beautiful, sunny Saturday) morning of Halloween was a bad idea so we turned the corner to find an empty parking lot. We did, however, notice a bunch of cardboard boxes stacked next to an unsuspecting dumpster in that same parking lot. On further investigation we found a shit ton of perfectly good pumpkins packed away and destined for the trash. Seconds later an SUV pulls up as we are peering into one of the boxes full of squash. A woman and her daughter got out. Quickly I asked "Are you all in charge here?" I can't remember the woman's response but it was basically like "No, we're here to save these trashed pumpkins too." It was marvelous. Dumpster diving for perfect pumpkins. We ended up taking 3: a large, medium, and small pumpkin--as much as we could fit into our backpack.
It was awesome.
C carved a rad "spooky tree" in the medium size pumpkin, and I broke a knife trying to carve into the thickest, gray-colored pumpkin. I saved some seeds to bake later
Passing out candy is always a mixed bag of feelings. There are cute kids and I feel bad about giving them teeth-rotting sweets. Then there are the kids that show up not dressed up in any way, not even pretending, with their parents following in their SUV, and I just wish I had some shit to give them. Then there is the group of teenagers with skateboards and I make fun of them by guessing what they are dressed up as: "Ryan Sheckler?" is my most common guess. I overheard one kid of one group of teens say "I wish I had a blunt." I said loudly "Who's talking about blunts?" Half of that group decided not to come over for candy. A year or two ago, one stupid girl held out a pillow case with a lit cigarette balanced between her fingers. I wanted to throttle her. Go home you stupid teenager that is wasting my time and candy.
Anyway, I'm not such a grump. One group of teens was really funny and actually had funny costumes and I made fun of their costumes and they were cool about it and were just out to have fun and get some candy without being douchebags. Thanks.
That's all I got. Happy Halloween!
October 31, 2009
October 30, 2009
Effing A, Cotton. Effing Aaaaaaaaaaa
So, the internets have been pretty boring recently. And as I am getting amped on my morning brew, I am compelled to lay out my strategy for piecing together this new bike sooner than later... Here goes
So far I have the frame and fork, the insides sprayed with J.P. Weigle's Framesaver, and a bunch of parts that have been cluttering up my drafting table for a month
First thing's first: I need handlebars (Ritchey Logic Pro Biomax II - bam!).
Secondly, and maybe more pressing than handlebars, I need the steering column on my fork cut down. Problem? Yeah, I can't do it, and I don't understand how to figure out the right size... I kinda do, but it's like ordering a custom suit online in a way that you pray you got the size right the first time.
Ok, so I get the fork cut (and star nut pressed into the fork), then I can officially set up the frameset, including headset (Cane Creek S1) and stem. It's practically an intact bike at this point.
Am I on "four" yet? I want different tires (looking at white 28c Vittoria Randonneurs to replace the chunky treaded 32c's I have). I might need these tires before I get the fork cut cause the bike shop owner suggested having me "get on the bike" to see how it fits before cutting it down. "What bike?" It's a frame right now. So maybe I need to make it look like a bike (wheels, tires, crankset, pedals, seatpost, saddle...) before it is one? Nah.
Five: Now I get to put all the small parts on: derailleurs, cables, crankset, etc. I get to spend an obnoxious amount of time painting grease on all the tiny screws to repel water. I'm pretty sure I need a few replacement parts like a bit of cable housing that I messed up, maybe a new crankarm bolt that I think is stripped...
Six: I'm still up in the air about pedals. Clips (toe cages & straps) or clipless? The price isn't too different between the two choices. I'm leaning towards getting some clipless pedals but I'm not convinced my regular 1.5mile commute will accommodate the hassle. On the other hand, soft-soled skate shoes get chewed up by the pedals pretty easily... Eff. Thoughts?
Seventh place goes to hooking up my brakes and shifters. That's probably gonna be a pain in the ass
Eight, wrap handlebars (the tan Cinelli cork tape I bought should look pretty dope)
Niner: figure out how to install my Nitto Mark's Rack on the front without tripping up the cable of the cantilever brakes. Don't worry if that doesn't make any sense to you. I've got a couple ideas and will probably post pictures if it ends up working out. I hope it does, cause it's a dope front rack that I got dirt cheap.
Ten? There has to be a ten. Ride it? Ok
Ch-ch-check it out: (by Mike Giant)
So far I have the frame and fork, the insides sprayed with J.P. Weigle's Framesaver, and a bunch of parts that have been cluttering up my drafting table for a month
First thing's first: I need handlebars (Ritchey Logic Pro Biomax II - bam!).
Secondly, and maybe more pressing than handlebars, I need the steering column on my fork cut down. Problem? Yeah, I can't do it, and I don't understand how to figure out the right size... I kinda do, but it's like ordering a custom suit online in a way that you pray you got the size right the first time.
Ok, so I get the fork cut (and star nut pressed into the fork), then I can officially set up the frameset, including headset (Cane Creek S1) and stem. It's practically an intact bike at this point.
Am I on "four" yet? I want different tires (looking at white 28c Vittoria Randonneurs to replace the chunky treaded 32c's I have). I might need these tires before I get the fork cut cause the bike shop owner suggested having me "get on the bike" to see how it fits before cutting it down. "What bike?" It's a frame right now. So maybe I need to make it look like a bike (wheels, tires, crankset, pedals, seatpost, saddle...) before it is one? Nah.
Five: Now I get to put all the small parts on: derailleurs, cables, crankset, etc. I get to spend an obnoxious amount of time painting grease on all the tiny screws to repel water. I'm pretty sure I need a few replacement parts like a bit of cable housing that I messed up, maybe a new crankarm bolt that I think is stripped...
Six: I'm still up in the air about pedals. Clips (toe cages & straps) or clipless? The price isn't too different between the two choices. I'm leaning towards getting some clipless pedals but I'm not convinced my regular 1.5mile commute will accommodate the hassle. On the other hand, soft-soled skate shoes get chewed up by the pedals pretty easily... Eff. Thoughts?
Seventh place goes to hooking up my brakes and shifters. That's probably gonna be a pain in the ass
Eight, wrap handlebars (the tan Cinelli cork tape I bought should look pretty dope)
Niner: figure out how to install my Nitto Mark's Rack on the front without tripping up the cable of the cantilever brakes. Don't worry if that doesn't make any sense to you. I've got a couple ideas and will probably post pictures if it ends up working out. I hope it does, cause it's a dope front rack that I got dirt cheap.
Ten? There has to be a ten. Ride it? Ok
Ch-ch-check it out: (by Mike Giant)
October 28, 2009
Marketing, Part II: Bikes
From Bikesnob :
The bicycle is a simple machine, and the significance of incremental improvements that are made to them every year is both debatable and relative. Sure, infinitesimal improvements in aerodynamics may, in theory, gain one seconds or fractions of seconds in competitive events, but in the end what matters is how much this supposed gain is worth to you. If you're a professional athlete this gain might be worth millions; if you're everybody else, it's probably worth nothing.
However, some people are willing to pay for the perception that their bike is the best, and since they can't actually prove this is true themselves because they're not capable of riding fast enough to make those incremental improvements count, they instead rely on the bike's manufacturer to create marketing campaigns that prove it for them.
sleep, coffee
My body still hurts from skateboarding on Sunday, but not as much today...
Woke up to a great cup of coffee this morning, thanks to the "delayed brew" function on our coffee pot, which might explain how easy it was for me to get out of bed. Haven't felt this rested in a hot minute
Thinking a lot about bikes... and a new mattress to help out our backs which are apparently aging faster than we are...
Woke up to a great cup of coffee this morning, thanks to the "delayed brew" function on our coffee pot, which might explain how easy it was for me to get out of bed. Haven't felt this rested in a hot minute
Thinking a lot about bikes... and a new mattress to help out our backs which are apparently aging faster than we are...
October 26, 2009
Skateboarding
Yesterday I saw a kid--"kid" but probably not much younger than I--skating in the street directly in front of our house. After maybe 20 minutes, realizing the kid was planning on staying there, I put on a long sleeve shirt, my skate shoes, and grabbed my board. Mind you, it's been well over a year since I actually skated beyond cruising down the street to pick up pizza. Maybe even two years. Damn.
Anyway, I went out and introduced myself to this kid, Joey, who just moved in to the apartments across the street. He was really pretty good. It took me a while to warm up and my goal was to finally land an ollie over the traffic cone that was out there. I finally landed it a few times, after a lot of frustration. I was trying all kinds of 180s and just reclaiming some comfort on my board. We didn't talk a lot, just talked a little about ourselves and talked about how we were old and skateboarding wasn't as easy as it used to be... ha
I was out there hardly 30 minutes before I was exhausted and had to call it quits. Joey was real cool and I'm sure I'll be skating with him soon. But seriously, my entire body hurts today. It hurts to walk, it hurts to sit, it hurts to turn, it hurts to think...But there's something wholly satisfying about these aches that makes me excited about feeling better soon and getting back out on my board, even if it is only in front of my house. Maybe I'll try to build a fun-box from some scrap wood I have for the next time I want to mess around...
--
Currently listening to a playlist of Jackie Mitto music on Imeem.com...
Anyway, I went out and introduced myself to this kid, Joey, who just moved in to the apartments across the street. He was really pretty good. It took me a while to warm up and my goal was to finally land an ollie over the traffic cone that was out there. I finally landed it a few times, after a lot of frustration. I was trying all kinds of 180s and just reclaiming some comfort on my board. We didn't talk a lot, just talked a little about ourselves and talked about how we were old and skateboarding wasn't as easy as it used to be... ha
I was out there hardly 30 minutes before I was exhausted and had to call it quits. Joey was real cool and I'm sure I'll be skating with him soon. But seriously, my entire body hurts today. It hurts to walk, it hurts to sit, it hurts to turn, it hurts to think...But there's something wholly satisfying about these aches that makes me excited about feeling better soon and getting back out on my board, even if it is only in front of my house. Maybe I'll try to build a fun-box from some scrap wood I have for the next time I want to mess around...
--
Currently listening to a playlist of Jackie Mitto music on Imeem.com...
October 25, 2009
Putting the garden to bed
We've had a few frosts in the past few weeks and everything left (tomatoes, peppers, basil...) was looking really pathetic. The tomato cages were all crumpled over--I'll never get those shitty thin-metal cages again, what a waste. The basil was brown after the first frost.
Anyway, it's a beautiful, sunny Sunday, and with few things to do, I spent some time ripping those plants out of the garden and throwing them in a new compost pile...
I've still got some lettuce that is hanging on under a make-shift cold frame consisting of some 2-by-4's and an old glass picture frame.
Maybe next year I'll build some super tight, wooden tomato cages... More to come...
Anyway, it's a beautiful, sunny Sunday, and with few things to do, I spent some time ripping those plants out of the garden and throwing them in a new compost pile...
I've still got some lettuce that is hanging on under a make-shift cold frame consisting of some 2-by-4's and an old glass picture frame.
Maybe next year I'll build some super tight, wooden tomato cages... More to come...
Album hunting
C and I biked to get some lunch this afternoon and ended up at Half Price Books today (for you not yet in-the-know, it's a used book/record store) were I was delighted, and a little sad, to see that some kid sold her whole collection of punk cds. There were 3 Bane albums, The Casualties, Dead Kennedy's, The Exploited, With Honor, Comeback Kid, Norma Jean, Bad Religion, The Damned, 7 Seconds, Evergreen Terrace... and every Punk-O-Rama compilation ever released... and a bunch more. I went home with the Minor Threat discography and "I Love You, Man" on dvd. Freakin 'ay. I think I'm gonna go back and get the Shai Hulud album with their demo, some live tracks, and a bunch of unreleased stuff that was priced at $4. Seriously.
I'm chuggin some dark roast coffee right now; the sun is shining. Bouts to transfer a lot of our downloaded music to our external drive for safekeeping.
Last night C and I drove to Cincy for a big, homemade rib dinner at my dad's house with all my siblings. Fun times...
My head is spinning right now. Everything is all good. Much love
I'm chuggin some dark roast coffee right now; the sun is shining. Bouts to transfer a lot of our downloaded music to our external drive for safekeeping.
Last night C and I drove to Cincy for a big, homemade rib dinner at my dad's house with all my siblings. Fun times...
My head is spinning right now. Everything is all good. Much love
October 22, 2009
Marketing
This is not necessarily related to the last post but it is about money. I am very critical of the stupid commercials I see on TV, and this one took the cake. An Aldi grocery store advertisement said this as it's "gotcha" tag line: "If you [shop here] and didn't save money, you must not have bought anything."
WTF?
You don't need to read that twice to realize how outstandingly dumb that statement is. Do people "buy" into that marketing? I'm sure the food and groceries are cheap at Aldi, but that marketing is a slap in the face to common sense.
I'll say that I have been impressed with Walmart's recent campaign--describing recipes for meals for entire families that cost, for example, $2 per serving. Brilliant. I mean, it's "effing" crazy that food can be that cheap. They're probably not particularly good and/or healthy meals, but it's brilliant marketing while the economy is so shitty.
WTF?
You don't need to read that twice to realize how outstandingly dumb that statement is. Do people "buy" into that marketing? I'm sure the food and groceries are cheap at Aldi, but that marketing is a slap in the face to common sense.
I'll say that I have been impressed with Walmart's recent campaign--describing recipes for meals for entire families that cost, for example, $2 per serving. Brilliant. I mean, it's "effing" crazy that food can be that cheap. They're probably not particularly good and/or healthy meals, but it's brilliant marketing while the economy is so shitty.
October 20, 2009
Interesting: 9 years without spending money
Daniel Suelo wasn't poor, a victim of bad luck, mentally ill, or even uneducated. He just decided that he wanted to have nothing to do with money. So he gave up consumer culture altogether, and for the last 9 years, he's survived by living in a cave in Utah, and dumpster diving, foraging, fishing, and occasionally hunting for food. He spends his time in the great outdoors--and in the public library, where he blogs about it all.
Suelo must have the lowest carbon footprint of any blogger in the United States. And he's never taken food stamps or other government assistance, and despite what his lifestyle may lead you to believe, he's certainly not crazy. He's just got an aversion to money.
(source:treehugger.com article )
Seulo's blogLiving Without Money
--
Response to FAQ #14: "You say you don't use money, yet aren't you using products of the money system & relying on the hard-earned money of others? [Revised October 10, 2009]"
Suelo must have the lowest carbon footprint of any blogger in the United States. And he's never taken food stamps or other government assistance, and despite what his lifestyle may lead you to believe, he's certainly not crazy. He's just got an aversion to money.
(source:
Seulo's blog
--
October 18, 2009
C made a pumpkin pie this morning that I'm about to anihilate
What else?
I've been selling a bunch of uneeded bike stuff and made back beaucoup dolla dolla bills, y'all
Getting antsy to build up this Surly Cross Check. It's killing me
Beautiful sunny days is brightening up my life and warming my soul right now
What else?
I've been selling a bunch of uneeded bike stuff and made back beaucoup dolla dolla bills, y'all
Getting antsy to build up this Surly Cross Check. It's killing me
Beautiful sunny days is brightening up my life and warming my soul right now
October 16, 2009
Breakfast burrito; bike building
I was thinking about writing out lyrics for a song about the breakfast burrito I ate this morning made with eggs, cheese, and salsa in a wheat flour tortilla. I'm very full now and super happy about it. (Thanks, C)
Also, I'm downing some good, bold coffee, while waiting to make room for one of the muffins I brought in for "National Bosses' Day."
Friday! High of 43-degree "efffffff." Wish I made time to ride my bike to work today. Hopefully I'll get to cruise around this weekend.
--
I should mention I'm getting revved up to start piecing together a project bike to be completed before snow falls. Basically I've gathered a lot of stock parts for a Surly Cross Check and I'm trying to figure where I can splurge on upgrades while selling off stuff I don't need. If I don't splurge much I will be able to build this for about $300 less than it would cost at a bike shop. Baam! (P.S. I sold my IRO and plan on selling the Fuji to break even on this project towards my dream bike). Right now I'm struggling with crankset compatibility and it's driving me nuts
--
Also, I'm downing some good, bold coffee, while waiting to make room for one of the muffins I brought in for "National Bosses' Day."
Friday! High of 43-degree "efffffff." Wish I made time to ride my bike to work today. Hopefully I'll get to cruise around this weekend.
--
I should mention I'm getting revved up to start piecing together a project bike to be completed before snow falls. Basically I've gathered a lot of stock parts for a Surly Cross Check and I'm trying to figure where I can splurge on upgrades while selling off stuff I don't need. If I don't splurge much I will be able to build this for about $300 less than it would cost at a bike shop. Baam! (P.S. I sold my IRO and plan on selling the Fuji to break even on this project towards my dream bike). Right now I'm struggling with crankset compatibility and it's driving me nuts
--
OH YEAH! I forgot to mention, on our way out of Columbus toward Yellow Springs for that camping trip, we stopped by the bus-weighing scale outside of COSI (science/industry museum) to weigh ourselves. All 8 of us, plus our loaded bikes, weighed 1700 lbs. Daaaaag.
October 15, 2009
Quote, zombies
Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive... then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. - Howard Thurman
--
This makes me think of zombies.
But seriously, it's a nice quote.
--
Speaking of zombies, it's that time of year when halloween costume shops appear in the perennially-empty storefronts that plague the dying strip malls of, at least, the Midwest. Haunted houses spring up everywhere and advertisements for them (on TV and the radio) attempt to conjure up the scariest images and market them as entertainment.
I hate haunted houses. I also hate horror movies which have transcended their seasonal complements and are released all year long. I really detest seeing previews for those movies on TV and in movie theaters. I think what really irks me is the violent nature of many of the movies that center around very graphic and explicit torture.
It's ironic because metal/punk/hardcore have roots penetrating into stuff like horror movies and monsters (think: Rocky Horror Picture Show or the Misfits...). Without doing any research into this thought, I am assuming this connection is historically an allegorical one based on stuff like kids being called "freaks" by their popular/mainstream counterparts and the general tension with Christianity such that kids jokingly adopt "Hell" (the music scene?) and "Satan" (music? etc...) as their focus of worship... Does that make sense?
Ghosts? Okay. Monsters? Ehh. But immersing oneself in a scene filled with murder and torture is deplorable.
I sound like such a geezer. I guess I can see some sort of value in the fantasy that is composed of monsters and demons, and that this sensational fear and irrationality is a break from the mundane fears that cast a shadow over our daily reality (economy, health, war, etc.)
--
This makes me think of zombies.
But seriously, it's a nice quote.
--
Speaking of zombies, it's that time of year when halloween costume shops appear in the perennially-empty storefronts that plague the dying strip malls of, at least, the Midwest. Haunted houses spring up everywhere and advertisements for them (on TV and the radio) attempt to conjure up the scariest images and market them as entertainment.
I hate haunted houses. I also hate horror movies which have transcended their seasonal complements and are released all year long. I really detest seeing previews for those movies on TV and in movie theaters. I think what really irks me is the violent nature of many of the movies that center around very graphic and explicit torture.
It's ironic because metal/punk/hardcore have roots penetrating into stuff like horror movies and monsters (think: Rocky Horror Picture Show or the Misfits...). Without doing any research into this thought, I am assuming this connection is historically an allegorical one based on stuff like kids being called "freaks" by their popular/mainstream counterparts and the general tension with Christianity such that kids jokingly adopt "Hell" (the music scene?) and "Satan" (music? etc...) as their focus of worship... Does that make sense?
Ghosts? Okay. Monsters? Ehh. But immersing oneself in a scene filled with murder and torture is deplorable.
I sound like such a geezer. I guess I can see some sort of value in the fantasy that is composed of monsters and demons, and that this sensational fear and irrationality is a break from the mundane fears that cast a shadow over our daily reality (economy, health, war, etc.)
October 13, 2009
Bike camping result
So, the bike camping trip worked out - mostly. 8 of us set out from downtown Columbus and, after about 70+ miles, 4 pizzas, and some beer, made a fire and (after losing one rider) crammed ourselves into a tent for a crappy night's sleep. Unfortunately I woke up with allergic conjunctivitis--the result of campfire, sleeping in my contacts, dirt, etc.--and convinced C to drive 70 miles to pick my sorry ass up.
So I made it half way - which is more than 3 times longer than the longest distance I had ever ridden. The best part was I met some really cool people.
Random notes from the trip: Bloody Mary's at Jimmy V's to start the trip; 3 of the guys were wearing jeans and boxer shorts (it can be done!); at least 2 water bottles were filled with liquor; Evan and Matt rode a racing tandem that, among many other things, carried a football; one accident sent the two ladies down on the bike path, resulting in one knee scrape and stopped us long enough to discover an abandoned kitten that we hauled half of a mile to a gas station where we fed it tuna and milk and left it with the attendant; big hills on the last 5 miles; head-wind for most of the entire ride; Ha-Ha Pizza and BYOB; outstanding beer selection at BP; front light burnt out on the 2-mile ride back to camp = terrifying... High of about 58-degrees; low of about 40. Stayed warm with long-sleeve wool shirt under short-sleeve wool cycling jersey, padded bike shorts under synthetic thermal underwear, and thin wool cycling socks...
more later?
So I made it half way - which is more than 3 times longer than the longest distance I had ever ridden. The best part was I met some really cool people.
Random notes from the trip: Bloody Mary's at Jimmy V's to start the trip; 3 of the guys were wearing jeans and boxer shorts (it can be done!); at least 2 water bottles were filled with liquor; Evan and Matt rode a racing tandem that, among many other things, carried a football; one accident sent the two ladies down on the bike path, resulting in one knee scrape and stopped us long enough to discover an abandoned kitten that we hauled half of a mile to a gas station where we fed it tuna and milk and left it with the attendant; big hills on the last 5 miles; head-wind for most of the entire ride; Ha-Ha Pizza and BYOB; outstanding beer selection at BP; front light burnt out on the 2-mile ride back to camp = terrifying... High of about 58-degrees; low of about 40. Stayed warm with long-sleeve wool shirt under short-sleeve wool cycling jersey, padded bike shorts under synthetic thermal underwear, and thin wool cycling socks...
more later?
October 9, 2009
NPP
I was pretty surprised to hear Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this morning. While I'm often really pumped on our new President, I was in agreement with a lot of others who felt like he hadn't yet done anything to earn it. After a day of letting the news ruminate, and reading his humble acceptance of the award, I've decided maybe this will force Obama to earn the Peace Prize. Perhaps it will be an instigator or motivator...
Heavy thoughts
Heavy thoughts
friday is not working out
Holy f balls. I'm getting too excited and nervous for my trip tomorrow. i wish i wasn't at work. i can't concentrate to save my life...
October 7, 2009
What's good
Sorry if this blog is getting boring. I've been super busy at work (which means decrease time on the internet - ha) and kinda busy at home.
What's good is I'm preparing myself for a bike camping trip this weekend. 130 miles round trip, between Columbus and Yellow Springs. Not sure why I think I can make it, but should be a blast with 5 or 6 people I don't know but hope are cool. Forecast is dry, but Saturday night should be down to 35-degrees "F" (think four-letter word). Fortunately my sleeping bag is rated to 25-degrees "F". Saturday is also the Yellow Springs Street Fair which we'll hopefully get to enjoy--my father-in-law will be there selling wood things, alongside C and my sister- & bro-in-law.
--
This is my packing list:
Rear Rack: sleeping bag, sleeping pad (borrowed from brother), a bundle of extra clothes (long-sleeve wool shirt, wool socks, long underwear, jeans?) rolled into a waterproof coat
Saddle Bag (hanging from bike seat): toothbrush/paste, glasses, "energy beans" (2 packs), cliff bars (2), spare tire tube, tire tube patch kit... wallet?
Front Rack: ??? (Maybe this is where I'll stash my bundle of clothes)
Plus: water bottle, gloves, arm warmers?
--
We plan on getting food along the way, and someone is bringing a huge tent for everyone to sleep in.
Not sure I'll have a camera, but hopefully someone will be taking photos...
What's good is I'm preparing myself for a bike camping trip this weekend. 130 miles round trip, between Columbus and Yellow Springs. Not sure why I think I can make it, but should be a blast with 5 or 6 people I don't know but hope are cool. Forecast is dry, but Saturday night should be down to 35-degrees "F" (think four-letter word). Fortunately my sleeping bag is rated to 25-degrees "F". Saturday is also the Yellow Springs Street Fair which we'll hopefully get to enjoy--my father-in-law will be there selling wood things, alongside C and my sister- & bro-in-law.
--
This is my packing list:
Rear Rack: sleeping bag, sleeping pad (borrowed from brother), a bundle of extra clothes (long-sleeve wool shirt, wool socks, long underwear, jeans?) rolled into a waterproof coat
Saddle Bag (hanging from bike seat): toothbrush/paste, glasses, "energy beans" (2 packs), cliff bars (2), spare tire tube, tire tube patch kit... wallet?
Front Rack: ??? (Maybe this is where I'll stash my bundle of clothes)
Plus: water bottle, gloves, arm warmers?
--
We plan on getting food along the way, and someone is bringing a huge tent for everyone to sleep in.
Not sure I'll have a camera, but hopefully someone will be taking photos...
October 5, 2009
Musnacks
Three albums you listen to:
Saves the Day - Can't Slow Down
Weezer - Pinkerton
Passion Pit - Manners
I was rockin these out on Saturday morning--around the time I installed a garage door opener by myself. BAM!
I was rockin these out on Saturday morning--around the time I installed a garage door opener by myself. BAM!
October 2, 2009
Early frost
Yesterday, central Ohio got its first frost. I woke up to 31-degrees F. "F" stands for the expletive that escaped my mouth when I got out of bed. Fortunately I rigged up a pretty ghetto system of towels, wood scraps, and an old glass picture frame to protect my lettuce and spinach seedlings. The butternut squash was killed. The basil started to turn purplish by the end of the day. Not sure if or how the tomatoes will respond, or if the young swiss chard will be affected.
I ripped out one tomato plant that was bent over and nearly horizontal. I think the other three will come out this weekend.
My hope is to build an appropriate cold frame around the area where I plan to keep lettuces growing to see how far into the year I can be producing food... More to come...
What needs to happen before too long is I need to mix up the compost pile and increase the aeration in the bottom of it by laying down sticks and twigs.
Also, I need to consider putting down a "winter crop"--perhaps a legume like hairy vetch to add nitrogen into the soil--before winter is officially here.
I ripped out one tomato plant that was bent over and nearly horizontal. I think the other three will come out this weekend.
My hope is to build an appropriate cold frame around the area where I plan to keep lettuces growing to see how far into the year I can be producing food... More to come...
What needs to happen before too long is I need to mix up the compost pile and increase the aeration in the bottom of it by laying down sticks and twigs.
Also, I need to consider putting down a "winter crop"--perhaps a legume like hairy vetch to add nitrogen into the soil--before winter is officially here.
October 1, 2009
Bike payoff?
Miles Biked (year to date) ~550 miles
Car's gas mileage: ~27 mpg
Gas price per gallon (average for Regular grade in the Midwest, Jan-Sept 2009): ~$2.76 (source )
Saved: $56.20
Damn. I really thought that number would be like $200. Hahaha.
Car's gas mileage: ~27 mpg
Gas price per gallon (average for Regular grade in the Midwest, Jan-Sept 2009): ~$2.76 (
Saved: $56.20
Damn. I really thought that number would be like $200. Hahaha.
More music! fifteen: "lucky"
Pretty different, not what comes to mind when you think of punk music, but probably the most radical music I've ever heard. When I was in high school I decided my future life would be like what these songs were about. This album was super influential and helped form a lot of my ideas about family, jobs, land/small farms/gardening, cars, the environment, pollution... Crazy revolutionary. One song ("My Congressmen") even describes, step-by-step, how to sterilize a needle so an addict can avoid contracting/spreading disease in areas without needle exchange programs. Say what? Holy crap. This band is what's up.
If you've ever heard this band, write a comment about them (did you experience such an influence? did you hate it?). If this is the first time you are listening to it, what do you think? Leave a comment.
(P.S. To listen to each full song, click on the link "Lucky" at the top left corner--this will open up a new window where you can listen to the full songs for the whole album)
Lucky
If you've ever heard this band, write a comment about them (did you experience such an influence? did you hate it?). If this is the first time you are listening to it, what do you think? Leave a comment.
(P.S. To listen to each full song, click on the link "Lucky" at the top left corner--this will open up a new window where you can listen to the full songs for the whole album)
Lucky
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