No pics cause I am lazy

Among other chores today, I finally finished putting my Trek back together. There are pictures of it somewhere on here painted yellow. I repainted it in early Fall and then had to let it sit while other things took precedence. It is mainly a darkish red with two brown panels. I put the drop bars back on it and wrapped them with yellow cloth tape which I finally got enough brown shellac coats to make them match my honey Brooks.

The final pieces came together today because I had to change out from 35c to 32c Panaracer Paselas in order to mount the stainless steel Velo Orange fenders. I really like the fenders and I think it gives it a classier look than the old Planet Bike ones.

I will try to get some photos up for posterity.

A quick update

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

WOOO HOOOO

New job! Starting January 16 at Berea College.

The Newest Bike

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

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

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.

An outside perspective

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.