MC Meat and Potatoes

A quick update

2012-01-22T20:51:00.001-05:00

Really digging my new job and I spent the day getting various bicycles ready for the road. All in all, life is good.

WOOO Fuckin' HOOOO

2011-12-10T18:38:00.002-05:00

New job! Starting January 16 at Berea College.

The Newest Bike

2011-12-05T18:09:00.005-05:00

Actually it is a motorcycle. I have some logical reasons for buying it. They are also true.

It has a reputation for being reliable and long-lasting

It gets good gas mileage and that is important now that I am commuting.

I have been wanting to get a new bike so I would know how it has been treated

As I said, those are all true. But, the fact is many bikes would fit the bill for those reasons. The fact is that I chose this bike because it sounds so damn good. It is a V4 and when I heard one idling at a stop light in town, I knew I would have to get one someday. I am just a bit surprised that it happened so fast.

I present to you my new 2008 Honda VFR/Interceptor. Bought new as a 2008 leftover off the dealer floor.

A Fresh Start

2011-12-04T16:20:00.002-05:00

I have been with my current employer for nearly 10 years. Given that the plan was to stay for 2 years and then go to Grad School, I would say that I have far exceeded my expectations. I have made more money and taken on more responsibility than I ever thought possible. But...

I think it is time for a change. I have been looking at other jobs and I hope to hear something positive mid week. The idea of getting a fresh start is very appealing. An empty inbox. A new set of responsibilities. No "shoulda, woulda, couldas". Just fresh enthusiasm. Hope it works out.

Commuting

2011-08-29T21:18:00.002-04:00

I have lived within 6 miles of my work since September of 1991 when I got my first job in Berea. Today, I made the first of many regular slogs to Lexington. Henceforth, I will report to our Lexington office 2 days a week. While it was nice to ride my motorcycle on this lovely day, I do not think I am going to develop a great appreciation for driving this route regularly. The office there is great and I like the folks, but I could do without the drive.

That's it. I quit!

2011-08-23T07:22:00.003-04:00

No more drinking for me. A family history of alcoholism + a weekend which included blacking out and not remembering part of what should have been a great evening with old friends + a two-day hangover = me no longer being interested in drinking. In particular, the blacking out part disturbs me. That is unacceptable and a classic sign of trouble. So, that is it. I quit.

An outside perspective

2011-07-07T11:59:00.003-04:00

I have mentioned before that we are on the warmshowers list. It is a list that touring cyclists can access to find shelter. Since we live near the Transamerica route we get a lot of folks stopping by. Tuesday night we hosted 7 people at the house. Four were headed east and three were headed west. We put out a good spread of food, offered showers and laundry facilities and the usual good time with good stories was had by all. Everyone is always so appreciative of the kindness.

I had the chance to ride home on Tuesday evening with the Eastbound crew and back into town on Wednesday morning with the Westbound crew. Both crews commented on how beautiful it is around here. And, you know what? They are right. It is not as though I forgot, but sometimes seeing familiar things through new eyes brings a new level of appreciation. That is way more valuable that anything we provide to our guests.

On turning 43

2011-06-19T21:52:00.004-04:00

43 is no great shakes as far as birthdays go. Excitement about birthdays has long since passed. It is not a decade nor a "fiver" birthday. It is even far enough past 40 and far enough before 45 as to be entirely unremarkable. None the less, it has been good to me.

Since I am 43 I have decided to just go with it and be me. Here are a few things I have decided to be comfortable with about myself.

I am a slob. I do not put things away as I go. I do not keep my desk neat. I do not clean my house. I do occasionally reset and straighten up my surroundings, but that is not the same as being neat. It is a real effort to me. The only way I can be neat is to not have things around me.

I am not a planner. I have spent a lot of time trying to convince myself that I am a planner but it simply is not true. Not only do I suck at it, but most of the plans I make are not realized and I am OK with that.

The best things that have happened in my life have been happy accidents. Berea College-check. Elementary Education Degree-check. Working in a preschool after college-check. Meeting Paige at that same preschool-check. All of those things happened based on accidents and being open to the moment. I am also OK with that.

I like people and, for the most part, people like me. Especially little kids. I am not really sure why, but I am happy about it.

I hate theory. I like reality. I deal well with it most of the time.

I am, generally, an optimist. But, when I get negative, it can be pretty overwhelming.

I like working on teams, but I don't have a natural interest in being a leader. I am content with being a contributor.

I like making people happy. It is probably my favorite thing to do.

I hate long term projects. Give me a tight deadline for the end of the day and I flourish. Give me a month long project and I am worrying today.

I can be pretty course in language and action. I try to be aware of others sensitivities, but sometimes I just have to let it all hang out.

It is much easier to hurt my feelings that I am comfortable admitting.

I wish the party would never stop. Well, at least not until I am tired.

I think you get one big go around and you should make the most of it.

I like working on my motorcycles and bicycles as much as I like riding them.

Foresight is not one of my strengths. It is the downside to the whole "living-in-the-moment" thing.

Trying something new

2011-06-02T12:52:00.005-04:00

I have never embedded a video before so this is all new.

I first read about Gary Taubes at the Rivendell Bicycles website. His book, Why We Get Fat and What to Do About it is what inspired me to try low carb eating. Rivendell had him out for a lecture recently and posted the video on You Tube. See if you like it.

Should I be disappointed?

2011-06-01T09:39:00.005-04:00

Well, today was the big weigh-in. A full pound down since May 1. I figured the weight loss was slowing down, but only a pound? Oh well. According to what I have read, the initial loss on a low carb diet is the fastest. My wife says I am definitely getting thinner, and that has to be good.

On the other hand, most of the exercise I have been getting of late has been of the resistance variety. We had some trees cut down and have been processing the brush and smaller pieces (the big pieces have to wait for the chain saw to return). We also put up a pool which required lots of lifting and tugging. It is possible that I added a couple of pounds of muscle but I am not sure about that. The one thing that supports that is the fact that my body fat dropped by 2%. I know these things are notoriously unreliable so I am not putting too much stock in it, but I try to keep the conditions the same each time I get on the scale/fat % measure-thingy-soon after waking and a couple of cups of coffee but no water or food.

I do plan an extra weigh-in this month. I turn 43 on the 19th and I want to know what I weigh on my birthday. Perhaps I will show some progress then.

And, to answer the question that I posed in the title of the post, Heck No! My life is more than just weight loss. I feel great and things are going well for me! Plus, June happens to be my favorite month. Not because it is my birthday, but since I started first grade back in 1974, June has always been the month to look forward to. School is out and summer begins. That tradition continued through the first eight years out of college as my the focus of my jobs changed when school let out. Even now that my job is not specifically attached to the school calendar, I still get that excited feeling on June 1. I am sure that part of it is knowing that my kids are out of school. I can live vicariously through them.

Warm Showers list

2011-05-31T09:23:00.002-04:00

Today is the fourth and final day of my mini vacation and I must say it has been very nice. I have gotten lots done and found time to relax as well. No bicycling but due to plenty of yard chores, getting in exercise has been no problem. We had some diseased trees cut down last week and we have been cleaning the brush out of the yard this weekend. We also set up a pool for the kiddos.

But, the best part of the weekend has been having friends and strangers hanging out. We had a friend and her kids stay Friday and Saturday night. On Sunday night we had our first touring cyclists of the year and last night we had our second set of cyclists. Since Berea sits on the Trans America Route (formerly the Bike-Centennial route) we host cyclists fairly regularly. We had been doing this on occasion over the years when we see tourists in town. About ten years ago we discovered the Warm Showers list and we have been hosting more folks since then.

Warm Showers is a list on the web for touring bicyclists. You can go online and register for free. Once you are a member, you can host cyclists, but more importantly you can find housing if you are touring. We really enjoy hosting and typically get great stories out of it. Folks who are touring are just good folks. And, the added bonus this weekend has been that since they showed up right as the weather warmed up, we were able to sit on the back porch and chat as the sun went down. It made for a great weekend. If you are not a member, you should look into it.

No Rapture for you Fat Boy

2011-05-21T22:33:00.003-04:00

Well, I did not magically float away today, but thanks to my low carb lifestyle, I am definitely feeling lighter.

Get a Job. Or, get rid of one

2011-05-15T21:46:00.002-04:00

Been thinking a lot about work, lately. Reading Dilbert collections is not the way to get inspired to get up and go in the morning.

Seriously though, I have been with my current employer for over 9 years and I am beginning to wonder if the ride is not coming to an end. I am just not digging it. I think I need to explore a bit though because it is a good job doing good things for others. Just don't know and the thoughts are so crammed into my head that it may take a while and several posts to get them out so I can start to organize them. This much I know-since I started eating low carb and doing the right things for my physical health, I am more interested in doing the right things for my mental and emotional health. I feel myself getting less and less connected to work and more connected to home and family. What could it all mean?

Got in a ride the last two days

2011-05-11T20:06:00.000-04:00

I have ridden to work the last two days. Great weather for it. I should have ridden in on Monday morning, but I was not feeling up to it. It was the right decision because I felt great yesterday and today. It was plain easy to ride in this morning. I am not fast in the real sense of the word, but for me, I was flying.

I hate seeing gas at such a high price because I know a lot of folks struggle with it. But, I have to say that every time I pass the station on my bike, I figure I am saving a dollar. Two dollars each day. Tomorrow looks like another two dollars saved.

Lunch time rambling

2011-05-10T12:13:00.003-04:00

Well, it seems appropriate to write a low carb post while eating lunch. I just finished a delicious lunch of deviled eggs, fresh salad greens, chicken, high fat/low carb ranch dressing and cheese. Delicious and filling.

Other than the weight loss (more on that later), the thing that has surprised me the most is my changing relationship with food. All of my life, I have always experienced hunger as a weak and tired sensation. I rarely experienced hunger as a stomach sensation. And, if I did, it came only after being tired and/or weak for a while. There are so many instances of me "bonking", a sensation normally only associated with depleting energy supplies through exercise, from just puttering around the house on the weekend. Or, worse yet, from sitting in a meeting and having to delay lunch an hour.

When I was a kid, I thought everyone felt that way. As an adult, I associated it with having a family history of adult onset diabetes (now called type 2). My blood sugar always tests fine in my fasting blood tests, so I know I don't have diabetes, but I figured I was close to having a problem.

Knowing this about myself, I always got a bit anxious about my next food source when I was three or four hours out from my last meal. I felt compelled to eat. This is no longer the way I approach eating.

There was no conscious choice on my part to make this change. It just happened. Sometimes I realize that it is 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon on the weekend and I have not had anything but a couple of handfuls of nuts since breakfast. Last night, I had a two deviled eggs and grabbed a piece of leftover cold chicken when I got home from work and did not eat anything else (normally we eat a family meal but one daughter was out at team practice and the other was riding her bike. With the weather we have been having, I hated to call her in on such a nice night). This would have been unheard of six months ago. I would have had to eat more to be satiated and to guarantee that I was not going to get hungry again.

The basic idea is that I eat when I get hungry-when my stomach feels hungry. My body is doing a good job of regulating my energy so that I no longer get those miserable feelings anymore unless I ignore the signals my stomach sends for too long. I like that a lot and it constantly reinforces my food choices in a positive way. As compared to the negative guilt associated with choosing the "wrong" foods or too much food on a calorie restrictive diet, the positive reinforcement my body provides when I eat as much as I want of low carb foods is awesome.

I mentioned earlier that I would blog a bit about the weight loss aspects. That is a great benefit to this lifestyle. It is the one benefit that attracted me to the low carb lifestyle to begin with. I mean, I read that my energy levels would fluctuate less, but in my typical way, I was in total denial that it was an issue with me. Those 2:00 p.m. yawns? I just need to get some fresh air. Those days when I thought I could put my head on my desk and take a nap? Must have not slept as well as I thought I did last. Now I don't get them. I am absolutely happy about the weight loss, but I would stick with it even without the weight loss just because I feel better.

I have, though, been losing weight. Despite the fancy new scale at home just begging to be used, I have resisted the urge to weigh myself. I only want to weigh in once a month because I don't want to be falsely optimistic or pessimistic because I had too much coffee or not enough. I figure that a pound one direction or the other is not going to be noticed on a once a month basis.

However, there are other indications that weight is falling off. My favorite is that I just feel better. I move easier. Sitting up in bed is easier. Tying my shoes is easier. Riding my bike is easier. Everything is easier. The amazing thing is that the weight I am at is still too heavy. I have been this weight before and felt like I needed to lose weight then. I have to admit that it feels better on the way down than it did on the way up. I can't imagine how nice it is going to feel when I get even lighter

The biggest indicator is my belt. I can tell by the wear marks that at my biggest I had it on the fourth hole. Now it is on the first hole. I have always had a bit of a paunch and even that is going away. Obviously, this is concurrent with my pants getting loose. Loose pants is definitely comfortable but harder than belt size to quantify.

Overall, I am very satisfied. Cutting bread, rice, potatoes, sugar and beer, with occasional lapses, is so much easier than weighing portions or following a very rigid diet plan. I have now gotten into the habit of looking at carbs on food labels, but mostly it is just to confirm what I already suspected.

May 1 weigh in

2011-05-01T11:10:00.003-04:00

Officially down 20 pounds since I started this thing. Woot. I will take it.

I am going to focus more on exercise during May. Hopefully, the weather will improve and I can commute by bike more. That is way more fun than the elliptical.

Work Travel = less weight loss

2011-04-11T10:54:00.002-04:00

I traveled last week to DC for work meetings. Very productive work wise, not so productive weight wise. It is not impossible, but it is harder to find lo carb meals in airports. It is not all that hard to find lo carb meals in DC, but a good hamburger (bread and all) with a few cold ones in hard to resist. All in all, I did OK and I am happy to report that this morning I weighed in and found that I still managed to drop another three pounds. Woot!

Fell off the wagon

2011-04-01T06:52:00.002-04:00

I was in all day work meetings on Wednesday and Thursday this week. They were the kind of meetings where they bring in lunch so we can keep working. Of course the meals included lots of bread, rice and potatoes. You guessed it, lots of carbs were consumed. On Wednesday, I had that old familiar 2:30 case of the yawns. On Thursday, I completely crashed when I got home.

I am now back on the wagon and back to lo carb living today.

Lifestyle lust

2011-03-27T15:50:00.004-04:00

I would say that I have a new bike crush. A new bike to lust after. But, really, I just lust for the lifestyle that this bike represents. Want to commute every day, no matter the weather? Want to do a round the world tour? Sure. Go for it. Your bike can take it. But, really, I am not at that point in my life. Or, I am not ready to make the sacrifices required for such a lifestyle. Without the lifestyle, there really is no need for the bike. Just want.

I can live with that for now.

In case you are curious, it is the Tout Terrain and I think the only US distributor is Peter White Cycles.

Weigh in

2011-03-25T12:08:00.002-04:00

I weighed today for the first time since I started this lo carb business. 13 pounds gone. Woot!

Being sick is lame.

2011-03-14T19:32:00.000-04:00

I have to take better care of myself.

That is all.

Bike lust

2011-03-06T16:23:00.003-05:00

I have been seriously lusting after the Surly Troll. Maybe later this year...

Lo carb living

2011-03-06T08:21:00.002-05:00

Well, I think the lo carb thing is working. I have been purposefully avoiding the scale, but all other signs are pointing to success. My face is thinner. My pants fit more loosely. My wife says there seems to be less of me. And, most importantly to me, I no longer have to gasp for breath when I tie my shoes (God, that is demoralizing).

Interestingly, while I have been avoiding the carbs, I have been basically not exercising. This was not part of a plan, just a combination of craziness at work and laziness at home. According to Gary Taubes exercise is not important to losing weight. But, for me, it is important for feeling good. I exercised yesterday and it felt great to break a sweat. I am going to be doing it again today.

Thinking more about this lo carb thing, it is interesting. I have been putting on weight for the last decade. But, not necessarily all at once. I think I was about 205 at 30 and about 245 at 42. In particular, I think I put on about 15 of that in the last year or two. I have, during that time, done nothing out of the ordinary. I exercised regularly for a while and then did not; same as usual. I ate about the same stuff as I have been for a while. But, for some reason, I was putting on weight, mostly in the form of an especially attractive gut. Now that I have gone lo carb, the process seems to be reversing.

I want to be honest here. I was not just a little bit into carbs. I loved carbs. My wife used to bake high quality bread for a local health food store. She still whips up a nice loaf every now and then. I never met a cinnamon roll I did not love. And if one was good, four or five was great. Seriously! No kidding! A dozen Krispy Kreme donuts was not a challenge (but not necessarily a regular occurrence). The point is, I could eat carbs in the form of potatoes and bread without getting filled up.

Now that I have quit the carbs, I do not get as hungry between meals. I have gotten weak and skakey all my life if I went a few minutes too long without eating. That is not the case anymore. I experience hunger as a stomach feeling now, not as an all over body feeling. I no longer get hit at 2:00 PM with an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion.

I could make the case that the weight loss is based on the fact that I have cut calories since I am no longer eating so much bread, etc. But, I have been enjoying nice helpings of meat, eggs, nuts and cheese. I eat till I am full. And, ultimately, it does not matter to me what is causing the weight loss. I am actually happier about not feeling jittery when I go too long without eating and the fact that my energy level does not fluctuate as drastically.

Twas a nice weekend

2011-02-01T19:33:00.002-05:00

I got in one shortish and one longish motorcycle ride this weekend. Good times.

I also started listening to "Why We Get Fat and what to do about it" by Gary Taubes. It is a lay version of his academic work, "Good Calories, Bad Calories". It is, at its core, a defense of low carb/no carb diets. He makes a strong case and cites many studies both contemporary and historic as well as a lot of biochemistry stuff. I don't have the knowledge to challenge him but he also states that exercise is not linked to weight loss. Lots of folks get upset with him because they think he is advocating not exercising. He is not. He is simply stating that the two are not linked. Having once trained for a half marathon while not losing a pound, this made sense to me.

The long and short of it is, I am giving the low-carb version a try. It is not terribly hard as I like meat, eggs, yogurt, cheese, enough veggies to make a go of it and some of the less sweet fruits. The only difficult part is that I really like bread and, out of habit and convenience, I eat a lot of sandwiches. Beer is a minor problem. I really like it but I tend to go in cycles of having it around and drinking it fairly regularly and not having any at all. Right now, I am not all that interested.

Other off-limit things include corn (I can take it or leave it), potatoes (not too bad, but I love fries), low fat yogurt (actually has more calories than regular yogurt and I prefer the real stuff), soda (not a big soda drinker and, sugar (I don't add sugar to anything anyway).

I just started so I can't say that I have noticed any changes, but I will update here occasionally.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T16:31:00.001-05:00

Going well so far.

Vacation again

2010-12-30T09:22:00.002-05:00

I took a four day weekend last week and then I had to head back to work to finish up some year end stuff. This morning is the first morning of a five day weekend. No complaints, no big plans for trips. Just me time and family time. Might check out a movie. Might go bowling. Who knows? I want to finish this year and start next year on a relaxed note. I am hoping it can carry over.

Went for another ride

2010-12-06T17:52:00.003-05:00

I love creativity in blog post titles. Went for ride and went for another ride as the titles in consecutive posts. Smokin'.

It was cold and snowy this weekend in Buffalo Hollow. Brrrr. It might have made more sense to stay warm by the woodstove, but I felt the need for a ride. The fact that I received my ebayed Clarence bar made the need even higher. So, I gave in. All-in-all, I spent about 2 hours rolling around on the logging roads in my neighborhood and not actually going very far. Still, much fun was had and I took a few pictures with my lousy cell phone camera.

I really like the Clarence. It did not take me anytime to get used to it. It felt comfortable right away. I highly recommend it.

Went for a ride

2010-11-29T18:25:00.004-05:00

I went on my first mountain bike ride in a long time on Saturday. Absolutely nothing epic about it. Not very long. Not very fast. Not very technical. In short, it was exactly what I needed to dust off the cobwebs from my mind. I ain't 20 anymore. Heck, I ain't even 40 anymore. I don't think I would have been up for anything epic on my trusty, rigid old bike. None the less, it was a great time and I could really feel it in my upper body in a way that I don't when riding on the road.

I plan to add a Soma Clarence bar as soon as it arrives in the mail. Woot!

Underachieving and loving it.

2010-11-19T19:40:00.003-05:00

Been feeling less than motivated lately. I know the drill and should have figured that I was getting sick. I have missed the last two days of work, mostly (been checking email and a couple of calls here and there). Of course, it could be that I was feeling less than motivated and that is why I got sick.

Been thinking about ambition as well. I don't think I have any, or at the very least, not much. Somehow though, I keep falling up at work. Not sure how that happens. I mean, I think I am good at my job. I don't think I am perceived as a "boss's pet" that gets by with ass kissing. Now I have more responsibility than I care for. What a drag.

A friend recently gave me a copy of the Underachiver's Manifesto-The Guide to Accomplishing Little and Feeling Great. I must say it is timely. It really lays out a path to happiness through underachieving. My favorite piece of advice is that if no one in your life thinks you're failing to live up to your full potential, then you've got work to do. I don't know nor do I care (not in a mean way, but in a whatever works for you way) if this makes sense to you. It does to me.

I like to think about it in a mechanical way. Look at a top fuel dragster or a Nascar or any racing vehicle. It is designed to operate in a top state of tune. It is designed to squeeze out every bit of horsepower possible in a given displacement. Great! But, the cost is great. It has to be rebuilt after every race. On the other hand, my little Ford Focus did not even need new sparkplugs for 100,000 miles. Sure, it is not going to win any race. But, at the end of the day, it is still functioning.

Well, hello there

2010-11-19T11:59:00.001-05:00

Haven't seen you around these parts in a long time.

Been busy. Now I have all these damn cobwebs to take care of.

Made it two days in a row

2009-08-26T07:29:00.001-04:00

I rode to work again yesterday. But the streak stops at two. I have to go to Lexington today for work. I will be back at it tomorrow though.

At least it is related to bikes

2009-08-24T20:42:00.002-04:00

After promising sometime last year, I finally painted my 9 year old's bike this past week. I promised her that if she moved up from the little bike, I would paint it any rattle can color she chose. She really has a hard time letting go of things so I had to do something to sweeten the pot. She could barely fit on the old one.

So, I finally got around to going to the spray paint section of the store with her and she picked out semi gloss white. This is the third bike I have spray painted and I am getting better at it. By the time I do the next one, I should have a system down. I learned the big lesson of not sanding clear coat with anything rougher than 1000 grit. Also, painting when it is not 25 degrees out makes a difference, just in case that was not obvious to you.

Also, I rode to work today.

Three days (I hate to be alive)

2009-06-25T13:02:00.001-04:00

Just kidding about the hating to be alive. It just reminded me of that KD Lang song when I typed three days. I have now ridden to work three days in a row. I totally rock.

BTW-The missus and I celebrate 15 years of bledded wiss today. Yeah for us!

It has only been a month

2009-06-24T06:45:00.001-04:00

Well, I finally rode to work again yesterday. That brings me to a once a month average for the last two months. Boy am I feeling strong. But, there is hope. It is not supposed to rain today or tomorrow so I may get the average up to twice a month.

Holy Cow

2009-05-21T18:29:00.000-04:00

I did it. I rode to work today. I feel a bit tired from being sick but it was nice to break the ice.

I need to ride

2009-05-19T18:28:00.002-04:00

I have not ridden since the big Louisville Cobblestone ride. I have plenty of excuses, but mostly I have not been interested. The rain, no doubt, has played a big part, but even the few nice days saw me in the car or on the motorcycle. My weekends have been mostly filled with working on the house. Today, I woke up with some nasty bug that the kids have already had and I had exactly enough energy to go to work, take two calls, complete an audit response and come home to go to bed. When I lick this funk, I am going to start riding again.

No, seriously!

The Bigs are in town

2009-04-28T07:26:00.002-04:00

This is a big week at work. The bigs are all gathered in Berea for some much needed discussions. As such, there is very little time available for much else. It should pay off though. It is amazing how much more can be accomplished when everyone is gathered together instead of spread across the country.

Good Times!

2009-04-19T20:38:00.002-04:00

I finally managed to get up to Louisville for a ride with the RCCC. A good time was had by most, if not all. Of course, the rain cleared out right when we were done. The inevitable process of trying to figure out how I can move back to Louisville will now begin to play itself out over the next two weeks. The difference is that this time I rode a bike in Louisville. There is something about getting around that part of the city that is very attractive.

I am looking at dates in early June to host a Berea ride. I thinking of calling it The First Annual Head for the Hills and then drink cheap beer and eat burgers at Andy's House Ride". I am still working on that though as it does not exactly roll off the tongue.

Been feeling pretty good lately

2009-03-30T21:06:00.001-04:00

Funny how I don't post much when I have been feeling good. I think there is a pattern here.

Wrecking sucks

2009-03-09T19:28:00.002-04:00

It sucks even worse when you are getting old...

I had a slow speed wreck on my Suzuki Bandit last week. The details are not very interesting. Basically, I just fell off with a little help from some front wheel slippage at about 10mph. I broke a few things off of the motorcycle and scratched up some plastic (looks like a naked streetfighter is in my future). But I also dinged myself up a little.

Now, I have to say, that the level of violence I experienced in this wreck was tiny in comparison to several bicycle wrecks I have had. I have wrecked into trees at the bottom of a downhill. I have been over the bars on road and off. I have slid 10 feet across the pavement. I once almost ripped my nose off. And, once, I actually had to force myself not to cry when I landed so incredibly hard on my thigh that I thought I broke the bone (no, I did not force myself not to cry because I thought it was too sissy. I did not because I was by myself, several miles from the road and I was afraid that if I started crying I would just give in and lay there). Each of those times, though, I was back riding the next day.

But, this time, while basically falling down off the motorcycle, I am in pain nearly a week later. I mean, I did not even slide enough on the pavement to fray my wool sweater. Yet, somehow, the road rash on my pinkie is threatening to be infected and my ribs still hurt. Or, to be specific, one rib hurts where is connects to my sternum and my spine. I have had painful ribs before. I have had road rash before. But, usually those involve some tale of glory. You know, something like trying to dive inside on a corner and being forced over. Or hitting a hidden patch of gravel on a logging road after cleaning a jump on a downhill.

Alas, a cool story is not the fate of the 4o and over crowd. We just get pain for little falls.

My latest obsession

2009-02-13T21:26:00.004-05:00

You know, I guess some call it research but I prefer to think of it as obsessing. I tend to go a bit overboard with learning about things that interest me. Sometimes it generates practical knowledge, such as when I figure out how to fix something for cheap and sometimes it is useless information, such as politics.

Lately, my main obsession has been learning about my Goldwing. It has followed a pretty typical path. I found a million websites with great information, tried to digest it all and, by now, have narrowed it down to five or six sites that I like. If you think there is a lot of information about bikes on the internet, you should see what there is about Goldwings. It is pretty incredible.

And I am back

2009-02-11T12:11:00.003-05:00

I know everyone was waiting for my return...

My last post was such a downer that I feel compelled to post again. Since my last post, I have been to DC to discuss and plan the new position and I am feeling much better about it for a few reasons. I have decided to accept it.

1) If I did not take it, I do not think we would fill it. So I would have ended up with many of the responsibilities but no chance at extra money or the title change. The title change starts Monday but no word on the salary.

2) It really is a good opportunity. The chance to advance does not happen everyday and if they eventually hired someone I could not work with, I would kick myself for not taking it.

3) I make a pretty good living as it is, so I cannot complain too much in the salary department.

4) Four people who I trust said that they would do all the could to get me an additional salary piece. That kind of support, even if ultimately successful, is hard to turn down and awfully inspiring.

So, here we go. The new job officially starts Monday, but the transition started a week or so ago.

Been a while

2009-01-23T22:08:00.002-05:00

Since the last time I posted, I bought a new-to-me bike. Not that kind of bike. A 1983 GoldWing Interstate. I have always wanted to try a full blown touring bike and this was a cheap way to check it out. So far, I love it. I rode it around last weekend in 35 degree weather and the fairing kept me well protected from the wind. No complaints from me on that. We shall see if I continue to like it better than my Bandit. The good-wife says I can keep both, but I think I would be more comfortable with just one. The fact that I was able to quickly stow my lunch and my laptop bag in one of the saddlebags this morning is definitely a plus for the GoldWing.

On a less satisfactory note, my boss is transfering to a different department at work. This is no surprise as she has wanted to make a move for a while. The new position is a step toward her ultimate career goal, so it is good for that reason. On the downside, I really like working for her. She is an excellent supervisor. On the downright shitty side, after much back and forth about whether or not we were going to replace her (what with the bad economy and all) the decision was made today to go ahead and replace her. I was invited to do it in the interim with an eye toward moving into it permanently. Why is that shitty? Because about an hour ago, a mass email went out from the COO announcing that all raises not already in the pipeline are put on hold. Boy does that motivate me to take on a significant amount of additional responsibility. Woo-fucking-Hoo! Three new additional direct reports and responsibility for acheiving all of our goals. The best part is that if I do not accept the position, they will hire someone in from the outside who will immediately start making the money that I would not get. So, someone who has no idea of what we do or the inner workings of the day-to-day operations would get paid more than I would. Brilliant! Of course, I would get the pleasure of training this person if I do not take it. Sounds like a real lose-lose opportunity for me. Welcome to the world of shit not making sense.

The 80's

2009-01-06T19:34:00.002-05:00

Does everybody else think about Jovan Musk when they think of the 80's? I know I do. There was nothing quite so painful as splashing a little Jovan Musk on a freshly shaven face. Especially when that face was too young to need a shave. For some reason, I thought the smell was worth the pain.

Thankfully I had a college roommate who wore English Leather. At least I know for a fact that I did not wear the worst smelling stuff ever made.

Two new favorite bits of graffiti

2009-01-06T17:36:00.002-05:00

I went on a walk recently with my youngest daughter. I saw two bits of graffiti that made me laugh. Both of them appeared to have been collaborative projects.

The first one started off as the usual "For a good time call XXX. Ask for XXX" type. It had been edited to read

For a good time call Jesus. Ask for Jesus.

The second one apparently had three contributors.

First Contributor- Know Thyself
Second Contributor-Fuck Thyself
Third Contributor- Or find someone else to do it for you.

Gotta love creativity

Getting older

2009-01-04T20:26:00.000-05:00

Generally speaking, I don't spend a lot of time fretting about growing old as I figure that getting old beats the alternative. When I was in my mid 20's I read that 40 was the old age of youth and the youth of old age. For some reason that little bit of wisdom stuck with me. The opportunity to test that hypothesis finally arrived in 2008 as I turned 40. I was in Memphis for a regional meeting for work. Coincidentally, my birthday fell on the night when we had decided to go to Beale Street. I made it through the meeting and the meal at the restaurant without revealing it was my birthday. I did not want to find out whatever stupid and embarrassing thing they did to celebrate birthdays.

On the way to the bars (did I mention I love blues), I admitted it was my birthday because I figured it would lead to a few free beers. It so happened that the best band I have heard in Memphis, Delta Highway, was playing at the Blues Room. I really like the folks I work with and they proceeded to buy me more than a few beers while some great live blues was going on. I really could not ask for a better birthday. At that point, I was enjoying the youth part of being 40. The next morning, though, I was definitely feeling the old age part. 40 plus 1 day was a hell of a lot harder than 40 was.

Overall getting older is a mixed bag with more positives than negatives. So far, I put the changes I have experienced in three categories. Physical changes to lament, physical changes to observe and mental/emotional changes.

In the physical changes to lament, I put things such as waking up nearly every morning with a stiff right ankle. It works out within a few minutes but it makes for some precarious first steps when I am still a bit woozy. Throw in a dog laying in the floor of a dark room and it can make for some less than satisfactory waking moments. I wish I could blame back pain on getting older but, alas, that has been a problem since my 20's.

Hair is the largest part of the changes to observe. For the most part, it is moving around. I can't complain too much about going bald. It is happening, but slowly. Like most men, I expected to grow some hair on my back, and sure enough, it has happened. I am happy to report that I don't even come close to looking like Dirty Dutch Mantell so I can deal with it. What I did not expect, though, was that my eyebrows would start growing like crazy or that I would start to grow ear hair. The ear hair has remained thin and mostly unnoticeable. But, the eyebrow hair is a bit out of control. If you spent the 80's watching TV in Louisville, you probably remember Dinwiddie Lampton, JR. He sold something (insurance?) in commercials but the thing I remember the most was making fun of his incredibly bushy eyebrows. I am heading toward Dinwiddie Lampton, JR territory. Still, I consider this, for the most part, amusing. It certainly beats a stiff ankle.

On the mental/emotional front, I am generally happy with the changes. The two biggest positives are being more patient with my children and being more honest with myself. Patience has never been a strong point for me but children require patience. I still have work to do on this, but it is nice to make progress. Just this weekend my soon to be 13 year old daughter actually thanked me for something. That is priceless.

Lately, being honest with myself has meant taking a serious look at my work. I work for a terrific charity. I completely agree with the mission and I think we do a great job of demanding accountability from ourselves and our partners. I have a great boss and I have great people working for me. I make a good living as well. Everything should be great but lately I have begun to admit to myself that I am not enjoying my job. This long vacation break I am finishing up has helped me to realize this. I am not looking forward to returning tomorrow.

This is difficult for me to admit because of everything I said above. How do you walk away from a job that has all those advantages? I have realized that you do it by being honest with yourself. I know this could come off as whining. I should be happy to have a job in this economy and I will say that I am appreciative. This has lead me to the following thoughts, though-

I will make a change in my employment in 2009. The best case scenario is a transfer to a new position within the agency I work for. As noted, there are lots of great reasons to work there, I just want to spend my time on other things. I have at least two opportunities to make a change in the next few months so hopefully, those will work out. If not, I will look at other opportunities.

My wife and I made huge progress in 2008 paying down debt. We paid off stupid credit card debt, student loan debt and vehicle debt. Every bit of her salary went to pay off debt. Now we only have our mortgage and that is much smaller than what most folks have to pay. It feels great and I can only imagine how much better it will feel to be completely out of debt. For 2009, we want to build a nice savings cushion and then start hammering at the mortgage. We would like to pay it off by mid 2010. The fact that I am not thrilled with my job right now plays into this because once we are debt free, we can more easily pick and choose what we want to do with our time. I am really looking forward to that possibility and I plan to write more about this over the next year.

Not exactly a New Year's Resolution

2009-01-01T19:51:00.000-05:00

I went to my doctor for a check up back in October and learned that even though I am taking a blood pressure medication, my blood pressure is still high. I had also managed to pack on a few more pounds for a new personal best of 239 lbs (I was wearing heavy hiking boots, but that is beside the point). Now I am taking two blood pressure medications.

I knew I needed more exercise and I needed to lose weight. With three bikes, I really do not have a legitimate excuse, but I have an, uh, illegitimate excuse. My bike riding has been limited due to back pain, but, honestly, I ride because I like it, not for exercise. If I get it in my head that I have to ride for exercise, I lose interest in riding. So, I decided to get an elliptical trainer for the house.

I was able to get one last night. It was not based on a New Year's Resolution. It is more like an October Resolution delayed. With payday and Christmas bills getting settled, I was finally able to put my resolution in play. I spent my New Year's Eve putting together the machine.

This morning, before I jumped on the elliptical for my first voyage, I weighed in at 227 in shorts and a T-shirt. My stomach measured out at 44" around my belly button. My plan is to check in on the first of every month to chart my progress. I will be hitting the elliptical every morning before I head to work. That frees me up to ride on days when I want to and drive on days when the weather is crappy or I have to go somewhere immediately after work (it is amazing how many times a week my daughter's high school band requires me to be somewhere right after work).

Albatross saves the day

2008-12-31T09:58:00.000-05:00

The Albatross handlebar arrived as planned and I installed it on the 25th along with the new brake levers and cork grips. I really liked the way it looked, but that was not the point. My hope was to make it more comfortable to ride. I had the Noodle bars at about the same height as the saddle but my sorry back was still not up to the task. When I would arrive at work in the morning, after just 5 or so miles, my back would be stiff and sore. It usually took me a minute or two to straighten my back after I got off the bike.

Some seriously stiff winds, family obligations and work have combined to keep me from doing a long ride, but I am happy to note that after riding to work on Monday and taking the long way home, I had no back pain. Yes! I hope to get in a long ride this weekend to learn even more.
Pros (so far)
My back does not hurt. I do not need any other reason, really.
I love the cork grips. They look and feel great.
Cantilever type brake levers and centerpulls work very well together. Great feel.
The brake levers add an additional point of adjustment in the brake system.
Makes me feel like an English Gentleman when I ride.
Thinking about adding a Wald basket to the front.

Cons (so far)
I already miss riding on the hoods even though it hurts my back. The hoods of the Tektro levers fit my hands perfectly and there is no better place to grip when standing and climbing.
I love the look of my downtube shifters but they are much more difficult to reach now. I haven't decided whether to go with thumbshifters or barend shifters. I like both but they each have drawbacks. The Thumbshifters will be in the way of gripping the bar in front of the brake lever and the barend shifters will require me to alter those beautiful grips. Decisions, decisions.
My trusty B17 might need to be replaced with a wider, sprung saddle. I will wait a bit on that one, though.

This picture is taken on my front porch. The bag on the front is a homemade edition and I am thinking about moving it to another bike. I have not decided whether or not I like all the blue, yet. I like yellow and blue together, but the fenders may be too much.

2008-12-28T18:19:00.000-05:00

I had my daughter take a few pictures of my bike today. They were a bit out of focus so I played with them in Photosuite.

Box of goodness on the way

2008-12-21T19:16:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you, but I get all giddy while I am waiting on a shipment. A tracking number is even better. And, when that tracking number is showing the progress on a shipment from Rivendell, well, life is grand. According to UPS, my box of goodness is due to arrive on the 23rd (it has been sitting in Indianapolis all weekend! Damn! Don't they work weekends?). That actually works out well because I am not supposed to open it until Christmas morning.

I have wanted a set of Albatross bars (56 cm chromo, of course) for a long time. After arriving at work way too many times with a stiff back after my morning commute, I finally decided that even though my drop bars are at saddle height, it just ain't enough. I need to sit upright. The Albatross bars will help with that. I also got some cork grips to go with them. That is something new for me.

I plan to put them on my old 1984 Trek 500. I bought the frame off ebay a couple of years ago and have ridden it quite a bit. I like it a lot and did my first (and only) century on it in the summer of 2007. But, early this year my back went out again and it never has completely come back. I am not bed ridden by any means, but riding leaves me stiff. I hope these bars fix that.

Haggard Still Sexually confused!

2008-12-19T14:53:00.000-05:00

I was checking out the news on MSNBC.com today and came across the headline-Haggard says he still struggles with sexuality.

Needless to say I was horrified. All kinds of thoughts poured through my head, and I am not ashamed to admit that I was afraid to face some of my friends. What with my tireless championing of the Hag all these years only the find out that he struggles with his sexuality. Had he enjoyed his time in prison afterall? What kind of “Woo” has be been pitching?” Or should I say, catching? He is not going to let a woman tell him what to think because he don’t even talk to women. Suddenly, Honky Tonk Angel has whole new meaning. I tell you, I was tempted to not even click the link. I thought about just closing out of my browser and forgetting about it. Thankfully, I clicked and found that they were referring to Ted Haggard, not Merle.

The games people play

2008-12-16T18:24:00.000-05:00

I have never been a big game player. Never liked cards or board games. I never played the stupid drinking games that all the other teenagers played. I am at best, a reluctant pool player. But, I have a special dislike for party games. You know like Taboo and Scattershit or whatever. Don't get me wrong, I love parties, and drinking for that matter. Party games, though, just distract from the real reason for parties, that is, hanging out and shooting the shit with people I like. Of course, this means that I spend the Christmas season trying to avoid parties. Everybody wants to play Secret Santa or whatever that game is called where everyone brings in something stupid that they do not want and everybody leaves with a different something stupid they do not want.

I really do not understand the attraction of these games. People that I work with all year have this dark side that requires them to play stupid games. These are people who are excellent professionals. They take pride in their work. I seek out their opinions when I have to make decisions. You think you know someone and then all of the sudden they are looking forward to trading stupid shit with someone. I do not get it. What is it that I lack that I cannot take any joy from this, apparently, excellent time.

I have a decision to make. I am supposed to RSVP for the office "Holiday" party tomorrow. But the thing is, I don't want to play the stupid game they have planned. The food will be good. The party is at my favorite restaurant. The folks will be great. Plus, if I skip it, it looks bad. I don't know. Maybe I will just get through the day tomorrow and not remember, then the decision will be made for me.

2008-12-13T21:30:00.000-05:00

Went for a short motorcycle ride today. It was about 35. The Bandit had been sitting for about 3 weeks and I thought I should get some fresh gas in the carbs to keep them from getting crudded up. It does not take long to realize that you are underdressed for a motorcycle ride when it is 35 out. The first thing that got cold was my neck. The shield on my bike dumps a lot of air right at neck level and it was quite unpleasant. It is an odd sensation to have a cold neck and have everything else feel warm. That does not happen very often. Fortunately, my legs and hands joined in shortly there after.

A motorcycle ride, no matter how short, always brings to mind inconsistencies. I like to think of myself as somewhat more environmentally tuned in than the next guy. I try to keep my consumption down. I ride a bike for many of my trips (though not as much as I would like lately). But, there is just something about going fast on a motorcycle that makes me smile. And not just going fast, but getting up to speed fast. While my motorcycle is not even close to the latest and greatest, it is still plenty fast by my standards. I am by no means a speed demon. In fact, truly fast people would laugh, but I go fast enough to give myself a thrill whenever I ride.

Another inconsistency is that I like loudish motorcycles. I hate loud cars. In fact, I hate any noice a car makes. I find them obnoxious. But, for some reason a reasonably loud motorcycle just grabs my attention. Whether it is a V twin, a thumper or an inline motor, I just love to hear them run. Now, I do not like bikes with a straight pipe, but I do want to hear the engine.