my CHAIN DRIVEN ride through life in Alaska

2008-05-06T11:13:00.004-08:00

I started riding to work last week. The mornings are still very cold, averaging around 35 degrees. There is still ice on the lake that I ride past and the wind is usually blowing icy air off of it. The bike paths are in crappy shape and haven't been swept off, inches of road sand and rocks in some places. But it's really nice to be riding again.

I have only had one encounter so far with drivers knowing right-of-way rules of the road, I wasn't sure if the lady was going to suddenly gun her big SUV and run me over or if she was actually going to stop. Since I'm typing this, it's obvious that she stopped.

I have noticed that when people do this, they usually pretend like it didn't happen; avoid eye contact, no friendly or apologetic or "oops" type of signals, just sitting there looking off with a scowl on their faces. When I screw up, I always try to make eye contact and offer a "sorry" type of signal. Manners. But that's just me.

We were in Anchorage over the weekend. This moose was in no hurry to cross the street. Traffic was backed up as the moose mosied along.

Flocks of Canadian geese are everywhere. So are the eagles, preying on the geese. The other day the sky was filled with hundreds and hundreds of freaked out geese, 3 Bald eagles were on the hunt. It was quite a sight.

Winter...again

2008-04-26T12:21:00.011-08:00

I have a winner for the name of my latest batch of beer: Old Man wins with his entry of "A Whiter Shade of Pale Ale". Fitting for this snowy spring day. We opened a bottle at the cabin and took a taste test, it got a double thumbs up rating from 4 out of 5 drinkers (the Lost Boys). Capt'n Balance gave it a 1 thumbs up because he is not a hops head. It's nicely carbinated and in my garage clarifiying/lagering. I am going to open up another bottle tonight. The offical "ready to drink" date is 3 to 5 more weeks but it may be all gone by then!

I made a mad dash trip to the cabin last weekend, got it closed up for the summer, hopefully no bears will break in. The Weather was spectacular, sunny, warm, fresh snow. So bright outside it was painful to go out without sunglasses.

Golfing

Relaxing in the Tree Chair

I made this Crown Royal hat for one of the Lost Boys

Snowshoe Rabbit: The same bunny we saw in March, loosing it's winter coat

Fox Tracks
Post Ride Banana Daiquiri

Stuck in Deep Snow

We went for a nice, long snowmachine ride with the Lost boys. I got a slight sunburned face with white around the eyes (sunglasses). Days like that are high on the "It's Great to Be Alive" list.

I was going to ride my bike to work yesterday. I was getting everything ready but Bike Boy stopped me and told me it was supposed to snow...not just a little but inches. So I drove to work instead. By 10 am the snow was dumping down in big, heavy flakes. Now we have about 5 inches of snow....at the end of April....it's supposed to be Spring....but it's not. Maybe tomorrow Spring will come, but not today. I'm thinking of heading to Hawaii...

The Zing is gone from my Life

2008-04-12T16:59:00.018-08:00

Well, I sold the Zing...I bought a different, much more relaxed geometry road bike, lower end components and overall a much wimpier bike....but with the more upright positioning I should be able to keep riding it. And it is PINK! By PINK, I mean BRIGHT PINK. Brighter than I thougt it was going to be. I got quite a few complements on the color in the few minutes it took me to go out to my truck - from both guys and girls - it is definitely an eye-catching pink. I will post a picture of it later, I'm still in moarning over the loss of the Zing and feeling a little resentful towards this new bike...

Selling the Zing on Craigslist was an experience. I got a few emails from interested people and uninterested people...the latter telling me it was way overpriced...which told me they didn't know much about bikes. The 1st lady who came to look at it really lost a bargin, She offered a price lower than I was selling it for plus wanted the Terry titanium butterfly seat thrown in ($145 for the seat alone) and for some stupid reason I agreed on the price including the seat. She then took it for a very short ride, said she wanted it but wouldn't have the money for a few weeks. I told her I would sell it if someone else came along. After I got it back on the trainer, I noticed she had fowled up the chain....it was obvious she didn't know how to shift correctly or about trimming the front derailleur. Another lady was VERY interested and wanted to buy it right away but she had to suddenly leave town due to a family problem so she missed out also. She emailed me when she got back but the bike was already gone. The buyer was very excited when she saw the bike, she didn't even try to negotiate over the price....she knew she was getting a good deal...and I kept my Terry seat to put on my new bike. I hope she enjoys it.

We are in the midst of an Indian Winter...just when we thought Spring was here, Winter gives us a smack.

This is an email going around...These are different neighborhoods in and around Anchorage. I used to be a upper Hillside girl once upon a time, when it was still inhabited mostly by hippies and Gucci bags were the choice back then. The town I live in is not represented here. And I think Hummers are EVIL. Anyone easily offended, stop reading now - go get a drink and loosen up, it's just a joke.

Mattel recently announced the release of the improved limited-edition Barbie Dolls for Greater Anchorage

'Hillside Barbie'This princess Barbie is sold only on the upper Hillside . She comes with an assortment of Kate Spade Handbags, a Lexus SUV and long-haired foreign dog named Honey. Available with or without tummy tuck and face lift. Workaholic Ken sold only in conjunction with the augmented version.

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' Eagle River Barbie' The modern day homemaker Barbie is available with Ford Windstar Minivan and matching gym outfit. She gets lost easily and has no full-time occupation. Traffic-jamming cell phone sold separately.
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' Mountain View Barbie ' This recently parolled Barbie comes with a 9 mm handgun, a Ray Lewis knife, a Chevy with dark tinted windows, and a Meth Lab Kit. This model is only available after dark and must be paid for in cash (preferably small, untraceable bills) unless you are a cop, then we don't know what you are talking about.
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'Bootlegger's Cove Barbie' This yuppie Barbie comes with your choice of BMW convertible or Hummer H2. Included are her own Starbucks cup, credit card and country club membership. Also available for this set are Shallow Ken and Private School Skipper. You won't be able to afford any of them.

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' Wasilla Barbie' This pale model comes dressed in her own Wrangler jeans two sizes too small, a NASCAR t-shirt and Tweety-Bird tattoo on her shoulder. She has a six-pack of Bud light and a Hank Williams Jr. CD set. She can spit over 5 feet and kick mullet-haired Ken's ass when she is drunk. Purchase her pickup truck separately and get a confederate flag bumper sticker absolutely free.

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'Spenard Barbie' (aka Hey-Bra Barbie)This tobacco-chewing, brassy-haired Barbie has a pair of her own high-heeled sandals with one broken heel from the time she chased beer-gutted Ken out of Muldoon Barbie's house. Her ensemble includes low-rise acid-washed jeans, fake fingernails, and a see-through halter-top. Also available with a mobile home or 1980 Camaro.
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'Girdwood Barbie' This doll is made of actual tofu. She has long straight brown hair, arch-less feet, hairy armpits, no makeup and Birkenstocks with white socks. She prefers that you call her Willow . She does not want or need a Ken doll, but if you purchase two Girdwood Barbies and the optional Subaru wagon, you get a rainbow flag bumper sticker for free.
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'Muldoon Barbie' This Barbie now comes with a stroller and infant doll. Optional accessories include a GED and bus pass. Gangsta Ken and his 1979 Caddy were available, but are now very difficult to find since the addition of the infant.

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'Fourth Avenue Barbie/Ken' This versatile doll can be easily converted from Barbie to Ken by simply adding or subtracting the multiple snap-on parts.

2008-04-01T18:26:00.010-08:00

Yep, I'm still here.

Just feeling a bit negative.

Selling my Zing...

I don't want to...

But the wrist issues are making it impossible to ride the Zing.
I'm ready to trade this defective 40 yr old body in for 2 twenties.

Check out
Tim's Bicycles and Icicles "Bent"
post.

Go ahead and accuse me of bragging, but I'm the inspiration for his post....last time I was someone's "muse" I ended up in court getting a protective order...I don't think I will need to go that route with Tim, but I now have this secret fear that I may end up a recumbent poster child.

Which means I may have to dress like this. .. yeah, this is real, found it while doing an image search on recumbents. Tron anyone?

This poor, poor child. Can it get worse than a recumbent and camo crocks?

While I don't think I will be sentenced to a recumbent anytime soon, Tim's post did cheer me up. Thank's Tim, I owe you a beer.

2008-03-23T19:29:00.005-08:00

Night sled ride

Test run on the sled Easter Bunny, can you find it?

I'm back from the cabin - 8 days of serenity, amazing starry skys (I only see the stars in the winter, so it's special). I lost a lot of pictures and video, somehow got deleted while tranferring them to my computer.

We built up banking corners on the trail up to the cabin, then strung lights down the trail, lighted by a generator. We then had night bobsled rides on the custom make sleds that Capt'n Balance created, very fast, feet strapped in, bottom coated with P-tex, some sort of teflon coating - very, very slick. Not a ride for the faint-of-heart but damn fun! I went off the trail once, almost impaled my neck on a tree. built up the banks higher but didn't so everything is OK!

Now back to work, over-time, school, regular life.

Bad news - arthritis in both wrists, causing lots of problems with riding my road bike.

FINALLY...The Cabin

2008-03-05T20:04:00.004-09:00

I FINALLY will be going out to the cabin!!!

I have been working tons of overtime at the new job. No time for anything but eating, sleeping
(barely - too much thinking about the job), working and then doing it all over again.

A week off work is going to be really, really nice.

Being at the Cabin with family and friends will be the icing on the cake!

I snuck a taste of my pale ale that is fermenting....ohh, it is going to be AWESOME! Much better than the basic Hot Kiss Hef. Again, I'm taking suggestions on the name.

I will post beautiful cabin pictures when I get back!

I hope everyone is well. I haven't had any time to check out the blogs and feel out of the loop.

2008-02-24T09:43:00.013-09:00

I've been left behind again, the boys are off playing at the cabin, I'm here working overtime.

I learned something about myself: Don't watch infommercials in the middle of the night after drinking margaritas and a credit card sitting right next to me... I'm expecting some packages pretty soon. But I did set up a differed comp plan so the money saving will balance out the money spent, right??? Yeah, that works. And the people on TV PROMISE I will be more beautifully toned and have a flawless complexion and life will be exciting and I will look and feel younger and the world will be in harmony and everyone will love me and I will love myself and my dog won't shed anymore or it just won't matter if he sheds and ....call it a retail therapy session. It's all good. But it won't happen again...as long as I'm not left behind, don't drink tequila, don't watch tv, don't stay up late, don't have a credit card or recurrence of any combination of one or more of the preceding causative factors. It good to be aware of "triggers".

I needed a laugh instead of spending money. I found these.

What makes these funnier to me is that I used to be a photographer at Sears Portrait Studio when I was a teen and early 20's so I contributed to pictures like these in once upon a time. One of my favorites from my glory days was when a chubby happy baby projectile vomited, while smiling and laughing and I caught the spew in a PERFECT arc in a timeless photo - I still laugh remembering that. When we would get bored, we would start taking pictures of each other goofing off. A few other favorites are the arrow-through-the-head portraits (Chevy Chase Sat Night Live "better put some butter on that" days) and the "R" ears ala Rainer Beer commercials. Maybe I will dig some of them out of my dusty archives and post them.
This dude wore a tie for nothing

Nothing says "Classy" like Faces in a Wine Glass and Roses

Olan Mills backdrop #4: Bucolic Meadow with Split Rail Fence.
Is that an animal carcass behind her?

I got a $20 that says he drives a Camaro

It's SOO CUTE when couples have matching haircuts!

No time to ride lately :(

We are are seriously understaffed at work, anyone want a job?? Uhhh..... disregard the Government warning on the Hot Kiss label.

2008-02-17T11:17:00.012-09:00

BEER! I just couldn't wait any longer, I opened my 1st bottle of my wheat homebrew - I have to say the 1st taste was a little on the mild side, but it's still early, only conditioned for about 1.5 weeks after a week of carbination. And that was without the yeast. After pouring into a glass, with the yeast, the favor was much fuller. The head was nice and foamy, good retention and perfect carbination level. I then opened up a bottle of Blue Moon and did a comparison, determined the wheat is on track and with some additional time to develop the flavor, will be pretty good for a basic beer. Blue Moon is a white Belgian with some added spice and orange, a cousin to hef, so not the same but close enough due to the wheat and yeast for a comparision since I don't have any commercial hef on hand. Got a mild buzz on an empty stomach so the alcohol is there - yeah, I'm a lightweight, an advantage when buying drinks.
Me + 1 or 2 drinks = a cheap date (cuz I'm done drinking for the night )

I have a name for this batch: Hot Kiss Hefeweizen, which is my last name with the 2 middle letters removed. Yeah, I get some smack from my friends. Occasionally a client makes a comment and I slam the hammer down on it quick. Which label show I go with??

I am getting ready for my next batch which will be more complex than the Hef. I have my choice of a red ale (5.3% ABV), and amber (5.5% ABV) or a pale ale (6.9% ABV!!) I'm leaning towards the amber to start brewing tonight as the airtight hops bag was pierced when the USPS tried their best to destroy this shipment.

I have been riding my road bike in my shop. I lowered the seat about an inch. My wrists are really bothering me, from all the typing I do at work. Maybe the lower seat will help.

The Little Su 50K, which was run yesterday, has a limited entry of 100. I personally know 2 people who registered to participate. I drove by their place yesterday and guess what...their they were. They didn't bother to even show for the race.

The reason this bugs me so is because this is standard procedure for these particular individuals, they do this on a regular basis and I don't know of any races they actually have done.

So they effectively block out 2 people who really would like to participate in the race. I would have a little more respect if they at least showed and then scratched.

Just a gripe.

2008-02-13T18:34:00.008-09:00

I was talking to my son about the Susitna 100, the Little Su 50 and
Iditarod Trail Invitational ,telling him they take place this weekend and next weekend, and I was concerned about the warm temps causing bad trail conditions. He said he didn't know what I was talking about. I was surprised, then told him it was a foot, ski or bike races of either of 50k, 100 and 350 or 1100 miles. Maybe I will do the 50k someday - then I would need a new BIKE!

He said "Only someone like YOU would know about those races".

Is that a complement?

Good luck to all the racers!

A Future Cyclist is Born

2008-02-12T11:50:00.000-09:00

I'm a Grandma! Yep, I am. And yeah, I am hearing all the comments about being young. No teenage parents though, just very early 20's. At least I'm not going to be an old, broken down grandma. Bike boy does great holding the baby, like an old pro. He has always loved babies. Capt'n Balance is good after holding her for just under 5 seconds. It's pretty funny.

My daughter and son-in-law are the proud parents of baby Autumn. She's sweet and warm and cuddly. She was born on Feb 7th, which is cool because we have a 7th and 14th birthday thing going on.

Born on the 7th of a month: Capt'n Balance, myself, my daughter and now granddaughter.
Born on the 14th of a month: All of my brothers and Bike Boy.

I'm going to do my best to get her into cycling, of course. I've already bought her a
Smart Cycle and am looking into the balance bikes. Everyone laughs at me but I don't mind. I'm looking ahead to the future.

I have been spending lots of time in Anchorage, sleeping on couches or not sleeping at all. I finally got some sleep up at my parent's house. They live in the mountains above Anchorage and have a beautiful view. I saw a total of 4 moose in just 2 days.

I have also been busy with legal junk - the ex strikes again. Out of the blue, he serves me with papers. This is becoming an every other year event. This time he's got an attorney. I don't but I'm not worried because it's all a set number calulation which is totally straight forward. It the misdt of it all, it came out that the ex fraudulently under-reported his income by about $20,000. He would have gotten away with it if he had not started these new legal procedings. I don't think the judge is going to be very understanding with this manipulation and the ex will end up paying more than he was before. But since he keeps dragging me back to court every other year and reverted to fraudulent behavior, I have no pity for him. Bike boy will be driving soon and the extra will help cover his insurance.

I had to provide my annual income for these legal proceedings and have determined this: social work has got to be the lowest paid professional job there is. Money wasn't my focus when I picked my career and I always had that drive to improve the human plight. Even though I lost some of the "save the world" idealism long ago, I still like what I do and help a tiny piece of humanity, even if they won't help themselves.

I'm also starting a new postion at work, I applied for (spent weeks on resume's, cover letters, references, interviews, whew) and got a higher level job. I will now be the second in command and responsible for training and policy leadership as well as working with the "confidential" clients - those clients who are so fraudulent or aggressive that they can only have contact with 1 single person in the Division. Wish me luck!

So riding has not happened for a few weeks and I'm still too tired today. I plan to start up again tomorrow morning at 5 a.m.

I am expecting another order from Mr. Beer to start a few more microbrew type of beers, I can't wait! The wheat beer is lagering for a few more weeks but I REALLY tempted to open one and try it. I know it won't be very good yet but I'm TEMPTED!!

I don't belong here

2008-02-02T14:31:00.001-09:00

I shouldn't be here at home, I should be there. I couldn't get Monday off work so I couldn't go. Left behind while the boys play. At least I have my dog and my beer. Tonights pick: Alaskan Amber. Save your beer bottles, boys. Watch the video at the end of those post.

There is our cabin in the wilderness

Looking out over the frozen lake at the mountains in the distance.

The lake in the winter

In the summer (just for contrast)

Decorating friends who fall asleep

However, I'm not missing using the outhouse at 20 to 30 below 0.

Today's Weather
Low Temperature
-32.2°F
High Temperature
-19.0°F
High Wind Speed
0.0 mph
High Wind Direction
ESE
Low Wind Chill
-32.2 °F
High Barometer
29.409 in.
Low Barometer
29.376 in.
High Humidity
88%
Low Humidity
82%
Total Rain Today
0.00 in.
These are the temps from Lake Louise Weather. Our cabin is about 25 miles northeast of Lake Louise.

This is impressive. So, who is going to be the first one to try this?

Steve-O-Licous

2008-01-28T19:42:00.000-09:00

I got my beer bottled! :) Still working on a name for this batch. I was going to go with Steve-0-Licous but that would take too much time to explain. I actually think I like GEARHEAD...we will see.

I found this at www.solonbicycle.com

What type of Cyclist Are You?

Urbanicus Messengericus (UM)

Found in heavily urbanized areas, this phylum of the cycling family has more tattoos than T-shirts. Fond of bragging about how long he or she held onto a furniture delivery truck, Urbanicus Messengericus is an extremely brave creature with absolutely no fear of vehicles higher up the impact chain, and with amazing reflexes and peripheral vision, which let him dart in and out of traffic like the marble in a pinball machine. The bike of choice of UM is a fixed-gear track bike, preferably with cow-horn bars. Yet, any bike will do as long as it is heavily covered in electrical tape which makes the bike less appealing to other predators and protects it from Messengericus's second-most-important piece of equipment: the heavy lock. Despite aerobic prowess, cigarettes and other smoky pleasures are not frowned upon. Messengericus thrives in many different climates and seems virtually immune to extreme heat, cold and traffic police. Best of all, he's living proof that cities are made for BIKES, not cars.

Montis Extremus Velocitus (MEV)
MEV's apartment walls are decorated with pictures of her launching mountain bikes, cliff diving, displaying off-road rash and passed out at parties. She has a photo of the computer on her freeride rig displaying a maximum speed of 63 mph. She makes buttering six-foot drops look SOOO easy. Her 24-hour race participation is simply an excuse to drink beer. She could turn pro on the national downhill circuit but the travel expenses would cut too deep into her tattoo money. She tends to flaunt scars like badges of courage. She can't fly without being hand-wanded at security checkpoints because all the screws and plates holding her bones together set off the standard metal detectors. And, despite being the last one to leave the party, she's always first up to ride!

Gearheadicus Stubbornous Erectus (GSE)

This species is easily recognized by their Bell V-1 helmet, which now offers no protection at all because it's 25 years old. This rider typically has a gear chart taped to his stem, even though he's memorized the gear inches for every cog combination on his bike to the hundredth of an inch. And, he complains that bikes with triple chainrings no longer feature half-step gearing, while insisting that there's no reason for integrated gear/brake levers when his ancient bar-end shifters work just fine. He always carries a tape measure for confirming every fit dimension on his bike everywhere he goes. He's certainly a great cyclist to know, though. For every organized ride within a 400-mile radius he can tell you the road conditions, usual rest-stop locations, which motels to avoid, and point you to the best restaurant in town that serves cycling-friendly fare. Plus, his MacGyver-esque on-road improvisational fixes have saved more rides than a traffic jam of sag wagons. Females of the GSE species are rare, but they do exist.

Temptressicus Egoicus Obliteratus (TEO)
This creature is strictly female and exceedingly dangerous. Not only is TEO not intimidated by riding with the guys, she savors the opportunity to hammer anyone with a Y chromosome into the ground. Her favorite tricks for toying with her prey are especially dangerous to males of the Novus Racerus Infestus species. A favorite tactic is to pass one of these poor souls on a hill just fast enough that he thinks he'll be able to keep up (his pride won't let him let her go). Listening to his breathing behind her, she gradually picks up the pace until his gasps sound like a thoroughbred's at full gallop. After fifteen minutes of this torture, she shifts up two gears and rockets out of sight. She's a master of the backhanded compliment, too. "Well you LOOK really fit!" "That's a great new bike. I'm sure you'll grow into it." A percentage of males will never touch their bikes again after these "humiliations" from TEO.

Unsolicitus Advicius Annoyeratus (UAA)
Unsolicitus Advicius Annoyeratus can be quite annoying. Almost always male, he tells you everything that you're doing wrong, at least in his eyes. According to this pesky fellow, you're never running the right tires, picking the right line, braking correctly or cornering properly. His sense of timing can be atrocious, too. While you're struggling up a super-steep technical climb is not the time to tell you that you should have started the climb in a different chainring. Of course, he's not going to let a little distance between friends stop him from issuing advice. Why should he, when he can shout instructions at the top of his lungs? Of course, he IS a good source of information about what's new in the cycling world, as he has every new gadget that comes out on his bike within the first week! Just be sure and view his take on it with a grain of salt. Make that a CUP of salt.

Temptressicus Chatticus Non-Stoppus (TCN)
This common species resembles TEO in some ways but the first thing you'll notice is her non-stop banter. It never has anything to do with bikes, though, unless it involves color coordination. Highly social even during rides, she often amazes the group with her ability to converse about any subject (other than cycling), form complex sentences, even while maneuvering through tight singletrack, and her exceptional ability to always pick the cleanest line (literally). She's always surprisingly dirt and mud free after every ride. She has quite a few strong points, too. Her outgoing nature brings new riders into the sport and helps build bridges between trail users. She's also exceptionally skilled at finding coffee shops and restrooms on road trips; both of which can be invaluable on long hauls!

Trailbuilderus Avidifferus Proficienatus (TAP)
Trailbuilderus Avidifferus Proficienatus can be found at your local trails 24-7, and if you enjoy off roading, you should be happy he's there! His bike is packed with everything he needs to build, reroute and redesign trails. And, he's always ready to cut as much trail as authorities will allow. Plus, he knows amazing and ingenious ways to turn muddy, miserable and impassable routes into smokin' singletrack trails. Of course, he's strictly by the book when it comes to trail etiquette and he'll let you know if you're out of line. Many who encounter TAP come away with the knowledge that a lot more goes into building trails than they realized. Yet, his language can be a bit strange at times and frequently includes terms such as "sustainability," "contour," "fall line" and "grade reversal." Be sure and join him at the next trail day. You'll be glad you did!

Novus Racerus Infestus (NRI)
NRI insists on riding hard on just about every training ride. Females of the species are rare, but they do exist. He spends hours researching training methods, but can be swayed to do what his buddies say instead. He tends to inflict injury upon himself. For example: crashing while raising his arms in "victory" at the end of group rides, straining his hamstrings from frequent saddle repositioning looking for easy speed, or injuring his knees from pushing too big a gear. He knows all of his measurements, including ones you've never heard of — in millimeters. But, he's hard on the average group ride because he can't help but push the pace even when his pre-ride comments told how tired, out of shape and injured he was. While Novus Racerus can be a little intimidating, he's actually a good guy to know. He's perfectly willing to give you a free ride while he fights a headwind for miles and his intensity and focus can even inspire you to ride better. Just don't take him too seriously.

Name that Beer

2008-01-19T10:18:00.000-09:00

I got a Mr. Beer Kit for Christmas. I have my 1st batch of beer happily fermenting away.

I'm going to let it sit in the fermenting keg for an extra week to let the flavors develop and lager until the beginning of March. It'a a basic wheat beer, a nice refreshing brew, just right for the Spring heatwaves when temperatures might climb to the 30's!

I know the purist frown on the Mr. Beer but it has gotten good reviews. And I have a life and other stuff to do. After this 1st batch, I have some more complex brews planned, a Monk beer or Bier will be next. The hop shortage is an issue though.

Now I need a name for my beer.

Suggestions are welcome.

*my brother-in-law made some homebrew a couple years ago, he initially name it "Bitch Sisters Brew" after his wife and her sister. The sister liked the name, because she is weirdly proud of her reputation. Wife wasn't soo excited and after threats of divorce, he withdrew the name. I think it's a funny story, just thought I'd share.

2008-01-12T15:43:00.000-09:00

We went up to Hatcher's Pass today for the Winter Trail Day. There was a bike Slalom time trial race put on by the Valley Hiker's and Bikers but I didn't get there in time to sign up and ride in the race. I did catch the last few riders at the end of the race, just in time to see a guy come down on a unicycle. We dropped Bike Boy off at the top of the mountain and he snowboarded down to where we were the bike race was. Capt'n Balance and I rode the course after the race was finished. .

Temps were pretty cold, it was about 12 below 0 at my house, warmer up there in the mountains but still cold enough that I put on my balaclava after 30 minutes because my face was freezing. Then everything was great. We had to walk the bikes up to the top of the course, a fairly steep climb, sucking in big air gulps which can be hard work in these temps - frigid air irritating the throat or warm, but not enough, air through the balaclava. But the ride down was all fun.

Now I'm home, full of food and ready for a cocktail, nicely worn out and happy.

Payback Is a Bitch

2008-01-06T10:55:00.000-09:00

FULLERTON, California — Police said they arrested a man who acknowledged digging holes on a park bicycle trail in southern California as payback for nearly being run down by a cyclist.
Warren John Wilson, 52, faces a single felony count of vandalism, police Sgt. Linda King said Friday.
King said nearly 50 holes measuring about 1 foot by 2 feet (30 centimeters by 60 centimeters) have been found since June along a trail at Laguna Lake Park, and in some cases attempts had been made to hide them from cyclists. She said some riders went over their handlebars after hitting the holes, but none reported major injuries.
Detectives watching the trails questioned Wilson, who said he had nearly been run over by a mountain bike rider and began digging the holes in retaliation, King said.

2007

2008-01-05T09:14:00.001-09:00

Winter Riding

Winter Tubing

Mountain Biking and Burning Weeds

Road Bike Crashes and Gashes

Amazing Sunrises while Commuting 81 miles per week

Riding under the City of Whitter

Christmas Gift: Weather Vane for my Bike Shop

I think I was Pretty Close to Being Arrested

2007-12-29T13:41:00.000-09:00

It may be unknown to some of you, but I have the ability to be a smart ass. On Christmas Eve, I think my mouth almost got me arrested.

Bike Boy didn't get his Christmas shopping done, so I stupidly agree to take him to X-Mart. Off he goes shopping on his own, I wander around the store for awhile. I'm hungry... really hungry, so I decided to get some food at the McX fast food joint in the store. I rarely eat this type of food but I'm really, really, REALLY hungry.

It was crowded, with lots of people waiting for their food. I just placed my order when a guy starts talking to me. It's not just chatting type conversation...he's hitting on me. Even the EYE ROLL didn't stop him. He continues to go on about my eyes, smile, this and that, blah, blah, blah.

As I hand the girl cashier my money, he tells me his name is Steven and informs me he is not a weirdo (hmm, why does he feel the need to tell me that?). My response is "I'm not worried, I carry a gun."

Now that seems to me like a smart ass but fairly harmless comment. Sadly, I didn't realize the teenage cashier wasn't really listening to Steven's comments but she heard my comment LOUD AND CLEAR. And of course, I happened to say it while she had the money drawer open.

Suddenly the cashier hits the deck. Down on the ground she goes, hiding under the open cash drawer. Hmm, I think, that's kind of weird. I watch her for a bit, then I lean over the counter and asked her if I can have my change. She peeks up at me, then she looks around, realizing there is no gun waving around, no one else on the floor, no screams of panic or demands for money. She starts picking up my change, which she dropped when she went down. She gets up, sort of sweating and wild-eyed, hands me my money and food and wishes me a good day.

During all of this, Steven has disappeared.

I sit down and eat the goo. My brain starts to wake up from the starvation coma and I realize this girl thought I was robbing them. I'm probably lucky I didn't have a SWAT team with loaded guns drawn, sneaking up on me while I was eating.

Bike Boy then found me, I told him what happened. His comment: Sheesh, Mom, the guy was probably just trying to be nice (Image it in a tone of voice that says "your soo old, Steven was doing you a FAVOR by hitting on you")

At home, I tell my dad what happened. His comment: "You sure don't know how to take a complement....and you're lucky you didn't get arrested."

I think he's right.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-22T10:59:00.000-09:00

Merry Christmas, boys. Look quick. It may be gone tomorrow.

And if I find any of you peeking in my bike shop window after this, just remember that I have a gun and know how to use it. ;)

*****TOO LATE! YA SNOOZE, YA LOOSE*********************
see previous post if you don't get this. And I suggest NOT to do a Google image search for "fat legs". It's not pretty. Just don't. I may have to delete this photo...i find it disturbing.

***************New Photo**************************

This one will work, I couldn't handle the last one.

Tagged Redux

2007-12-21T12:58:00.000-09:00

Today's ride: 14 degrees, lower body overdressed. Goggles on! I have today off work so I had a daylight noon-time ride rather than my 5:30 a.m morning rides in the darkness. It's been about 15 below 0 the last week or so, so I have been doing my morning rides on the Zing on the trainer. I took my dog K.C, he felt young and frisky but was smiley and glad to be back inside with all his balls. I almost wiped out riding through a little gully that had some really slick ice under the snow. I was able to catch myself before going down. I need to let a little more air out of my tires, I think the studs will grip better at a lower pressure.

I have been tagged by Biking Brady and Karen: Traveling With/Against the Wind: 5-7 Random Things about me.

1) I never saw fireworks in the dark (except on TV) until I was in my late 20's. Growing up here in Alaska - the Land of the Midnight Sun, it's 24 hrs of daylight during the summer, 4th of July fireworks in full daylight is rather underwhelming.
The 1st time I saw fireworks in the dark was here in Palmer, during the Colony Christmas celebration. Let my tell you, fireworks in the summer in Alaska is a waste of time and money. Save them for Christmas and New Year. Now I am a fireworks fan - as long as it's dark outside.

2) I like the dark Alaskan winters. Some people struggle with the cold and darkness: depression, fatigue, etc. Winter is the only time I see the stars and the Northern Lights. The setting moon is a spectacular sight - big orange or yellow ball setting behind the mountains is very beautiful. I love how the snow sparkles on the edges of my headlights as I drive. Playing outside on a dark, snowy, sparkly night, then warming up next to a fire or indoors with a hot toddy is the good life to me (after today's ride, Iced White Chocolate Mocha instead of hot toddy cuz it was like 1:30 pm, a tad early for a toddy)

3) I like my doctor. He told me beer is healthy in many ways and advised me to keep drinking it. He makes his own home-brew.

4) I swam in the Atlantic Ocean a few times when I lived a few months in Titusville Florida. The ocean tastes icky.

5) I don't play any musical instruments. I tried playing the flute as a kid but I would get dizzy so I quit.

6) My dream vacation is to go camping/hiking/biking/rock climbing/whatever in every National Park in the U.S. I would love to take a year off and just do this.

7) I have a couple of tattoos. When My mom found out, she immediately told me I was going to Hell. She has since granted me a pardon on the hell thing and decided that it doesn't mean I'm a cheap tramp bar bimbo. She still thinks I'm a rebel. I can live with that. I love my mom. I just hope she never finds out about the ****** piercings (joking).

Addendum to Yesterday's Post

2007-12-02T13:42:00.000-09:00

My eyes hurt.

I can't see without glasses. I wear contact for active activities but don't see as well with them as I do with glasses.

Yesterday, I put in my contacts for my ride. I couldn't find my goggles and daylight was fading fast, so I grabbed my sunglasses and headed out. The sunglasses quickly fogged up, so I took them off and put them in my pocket.

My ride went great and was very pretty and enjoyable, see post below.

A few minutes after my ride, my eyes were feeling pretty irritated so I went to the bathroom to take out my contact...TRY to take out my contacts is more accurate.

They were stuck to my eyeballs. I hate it when that happens.

I finally got them peeled off and they were all shrivelled up. The they were sort of freeze-dried. I put them in the case with lots of fresh solution and we will see if they can be re-hydrated but I think they are goners.

Today, my eyes are red and irritated. This is the second time I have had them happened and this verified that contacts are susceptible to being freeze-dried while in the eye.

No more riding without goggles/glasses in cold weather.

*the weather banner says the winds are only at 12 mph. I don't know where that is, cuz at my house, it's in the high 50's + mph with the power flickering on and off.

The Cold is Back but Its Not Winter without SNOW!

2007-12-01T12:52:00.000-09:00

This evening's ride. 15 degrees.

Frosty Sheep

Today, frosty field

The last patch of SNOW!

2 weeks ago

We have the cold back, but no snow. Everything is covered in thick frost but it doesn't replace SNOW! I took an evening ride around the hayfield, which are frozen solid, almost like riding pavement. Bumpy though, after awhile, my arms feel weird and tingly from the small, fast bumps, like running a jackhammer. Good ride though. Finished it off with a nice margarita!

Without snow, no snowmachine riding down to the river to cut down a Christmas tree unless we do it on the 4-wheeler. Which is do-able but being WINTER, I would like to go on the snowmachines.

Now that the temps have dipped down to normal, riding is again an experience in dressing in layers, temperature and moisture management. It's no problem when recreational riding but riding to work, which I have been comptemplating since the paths are snow-free. The Feds also made whoever blocked the road and bike path with boulders (which caused me to have to ride on the shoulder of the Parks Highway) because they were build with Federal funds, so I wouldn't have to ride on the shoulder of the Parks Hwy in the dark with crazy drivers going too fast on slick roads. But then it's different with sweat management in the winter. To stay warm enough, I layer on enough to work up a sweat which doesn't dissipate like in the summer. Then there is the balaclava hair. Oh whatever, those are just excuses. I'm just being a wimp.

I had a video of a ride I did last week but the camera again came loose and was swinging around, so it looks like I crashed and kept tumbling like in a washing machine. After a few minutes of watching it, I started feeling nauseated...motion sickness. Ugh. So that won't work. But Dan has pointed me in the right direction so I may have some clips to post later on.

Another Snow Bike Upgrade

2007-11-21T19:12:00.000-09:00

5 minutes ago I was nice and healthy. In that time, it seems that I have come down with a cold: congestion, sneezing and wheezing. What's with that?? Just in time for Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving EVERYONE! I have 4 days off work!!! After spending 4.5 hours of testifying for a fraud case on Tuesday, I NEED A BREAK FROM WORK!!!

My new wheels are finished. 1.5 inches wide, downhill rims but also used here for riding in snow. Wider rim + lower pressure = more squared tire = larger footprint = more floatation on snow.

Everything was going smoothly to get them on my Kona winter bike. The cassette came off the original freehub fairly easy, I didn't have to round up any extra muscle to get it off. I got it mounted on the new wheel and then started working on realigning the chainline, the cassette is a seven speed and the new freehub is for a 9 speed so I had to add spacers. The cassette is now further out than it was so adjustments to both derailleurs and the high and low screws. I got it all shifting smoothly, the brakes adjusted for the new rims...ready to go except for the tires mounted on the rims....

That's were it all ended.

Nokians are really great but I just CAN"T get them off and on. Twenty minutes, hands sore from the studs, the rubber coating looking like it might separate from the bead if I continue. So I stop. Damn.

I grab Capt'n Balance's Schwalbe Ice Spikers and get them mounted with no problem. I go out for a test ride but pretty quickly notice the Ice Spikers just don't grab the same as my Nokian. It was a beautiful ride, it was snowing big, fluffy flakes and about 20 degrees. Perfect for winter riding. Bike Boy was on his snowmachine packing me a bike trail over the hill and through the woods. I tried filming it with my camera but I need to figure out a way to mount the camera, holding it doesn't work. The test ride confirms I want the Nokians on my bike.

So to Bike Guy I go with the new wheelset and the old wheels with the Nokians. Bike guy gets them off the old wheels in about 33.7 seconds and mounted on the new wheels in an additional 42.1 seconds. He says it's all hand strength and I ain't got it. Yeah, I know.

So my bike is ready to go with the new wheels and Nokians. I was looking forward to going for another nice snow ride this holiday weekend but the temperature was 48 degrees at 5 am this morning when I got up for my morning ride. Everything is melting fast, icy slush and puddles everywhere. Slush so thick the front wheel doesn't like to move. Sheesh, it's more like spring break-up than the end of November.

Some people like this warm weather but I don't. My winter bike is busting to get out and ride and so am I. Winter should be COLD!

Future Cyclist

2007-11-09T09:01:00.000-09:00

In our video game obsessed world of full of obese kids, I think this is a GREAT idea. However, I don't know why they used a car graphic instead of a bike graphic. I'm sure the person who thought of this is a cyclist.

BTW, my daughter and her fiancee have moved back from Montana!!!! The job that Safeway had promised him down there never panned out because Safeway decided to delay remodeling the store for a few years so he was stuck stocking shelves at a very low wage.

Out of the blue, a manager at a Safeway store in Anchorage called him and they offered him a management job of a new department. Twice the pay and a staff of 4 to supervise. BUT he had to be at work at the Anchorage store in 3 weeks. After teleconferences, he takes the job and then it's a mad rush to get out of their lease, pack, ship the car and household items, arrange a place to live in Anchorage.

My (immediate) family is all now within 65 miles of each other again! :)
See the Smart Cycle here

I HATE it when I do THAT!

2007-11-03T15:48:00.000-08:00

I'm working away on my Kona Hahanna snow bike, changing out the grip shifters for rapid fire shifter, changing out the pedals and getting it all cleaned up and ready for some serious riding...if the snow actually sticks around.

A big dufus friend stops by for a visit. 1st he scares the sh** out of me by lurking in my shop window. So he comes in and visits while I finish up replacing and adjusting the rear derailleur cable and get it shifting perfectly. Then we have a beer and keep chatting. I start to work on replacing the front shifter. I go to cut the old cable and just as I am squeezing the cable cutter I realize I am cutting the REAR CABLE. The just replaced, perfectly adjust rear cable. DAMN! I blame it on big Dufus for distracting me with weird conversations and beer.

The weather is not very winter-like. It's too warm and any sloppy snow melts quickly and everything is covered with ice. The ramp to my bike shop was extremely slick this morning. There was a beautiful rainbow the other day. I don't think I have ever seen a rainbow this time of year - we don't normally get rain.

In expectation of snow, I am getting some new wheels built for my Kona with wider rims. It will flatten out my Nokian tires and provide more floatation (surface area) or I can forgo the studs and get some other fatter knobbies. Nokians are hard for me to mount, so I will probably stick with them and decided later about other tires. Much cheaper than a $5000 titanium FatBack.

A Bear, a Butt and a Titanium Snow Bike

2007-10-28T16:19:00.000-08:00

Many of you have see pictures I have posted when we rent a yurt in Eagle River (see July 2006 and July 2007 archives for pictures) while backpacking. This yurt is our home base before moving back further into the valley and where we meet up with one or two of our friends and have a pretty active night of drinking, eating the tons of food the guys pack in (lightening up our load), bald guys wearing moss wigs reliving their hairy glory days, bike boys wearing moss moustaches dreaming of manhood, telling lies, etc., under the midnight sun.

We always seen bears on these trips, some quite close up, all black bears so far. We now always have a gun and bear spray, try to make adequate noise but with a 35 lb pack on my back, I get into a zone where I don't want to be talking or making lots of noise. The tinkle of our bear bells isn't really very loud, especially when hiking in the rain or wind, as in this case. But this is the risk we take whenever we go out mountain biking, hiking, camping, whatever. I was also surprised of the bear activity still going on this late in the year. Life in Alaska. I'm glad this girl is OK but I don't quite agree with her conclusion. A bluff charge is a warning, a bite is aggressive.

Jogger survives bear by seat of her pants
EAGLE RIVER: Sow grizzly bites woman in rump before being run off by a protective pooch.
Published: October 27, 2007 If there's an ideal way to be mauled by a bear, Sarah Wallner lived through it Thursday.

Wallner, a 32-year-old Anchorage nurse, was sore but otherwise fine Friday, one day after a grizzly bear attacked her about two miles from the Eagle River Nature Center in Chugach State Park.
Everyone from the victim to state biologists to the person who carted the injured woman to safety agree the encounter near the Rapids Camp yurt took every good turn imaginable -- other than the part where the bear took a bite out of Wallner's butt.
The grizzly was a sow protecting a cub rather than a fresh carcass, and she fled the area after the attack, Fish and Game biologist Rick Sinnott said.
The victim was a Providence Medical Center nurse who, despite the shock of being mauled, remained calm because she knew her wounds weren't life threatening.
"I knew I wasn't gonna bleed out from a wound on the butt," Wallner said.
The first person on the scene was a man on an all-terrain vehicle who is trained to respond to wilderness emergencies. Paul Hanis got Wallner safely away from the scene of the attack, stopped about a mile down the trail to check the wound, and decided emergency treatment could wait until they reached the visitors center.
Topping the list of best-case-scenarios was the presence of a genuine hero: A year-old husky-shepherd mix named Genaro (pronounced Hanero).
Genaro belongs to Hanis, but the medium-size dog was running on a leash with Wallner, who said she was about 20 yards from the yurt when the bear attacked.
"She was about 25 feet away on a bluff, and in a blink of an eye she was on me, just like you read about," said Wallner, who came to Alaska five years ago to attend nursing school and decided to stay.
"I was just trying to get down on the ground. I was turning to go down, and that's when she bit me -- that's why she got my butt, because I was turning.
"During that, the dog got loose and got between us and the bear let out this roar, and she went after him. He's really the little hero, because she ran after him."
Wallner propped herself up against a rock but was afraid to stand up, because she thought the bear might be guarding a kill nearby. After what seemed like an eternity to Wallner but was actually about five minutes, the dog returned, unharmed.
"I couldn't believe that a dog was able to get that bear distracted," Wallner said. "If I had really been alone, I think the bear wouldn't have lost her focus on me."
About 10 minutes later, Hanis -- who, like Wallner, is a volunteer at the nature center -- arrived on an ATV filled with firewood for the yurt.
He drove Wallner about a mile from the scene of the attack, toward the visitors center, before stopping to check her wounds.
"Judging by the rip in her pants I didn't think it was that bad, but then upon seeing the wounds, it was a little worse than I thought," he said.
They continued to the center, where Hanis washed two deep punctures. Wallner then drove herself to an Eagle River clinic, where she spent about four hours getting four puncture wounds, two of them quite deep, cleaned.
"The doctor said 'I can't believe you're not just shredded.' Even where she bit into tissue, she didn't hit the hip bone or joints," Wallner said.
Sinnott said park rangers and state biologists followed tracks that indicate the bear was a sow with a cub.
Some brown bears are already hibernating, he said, but it's not unusual for them to stay awake and on the prowl this late in the year.
What's keeping them up?
Salmon that a couple of months ago migrated up creeks feeding Eagle River and have since spawned out.
"They're not finding live ones, but there are certainly dead ones that they weren't willing to eat a month ago that look pretty good now," Sinnott said.
"We haven't had a cold snap or a deep snow, so they're hanging out," he said.
The Albert Loop Trail, which crosses the river in several spots near the visitors' center, is routinely closed each fall because of bear activity, Sinnott said. But Wallner and Hanis weren't on that trail Thursday.
Strong winds probably played a part in the attack, Sinnott said. Wallner was downwind from the bear, and the wind was loud enough to obscure any noise she was making.
Had she not been jogging, she might have noticed bear tracks, Wallner said. But she runs on the trail often and said she's never had a scare.
"It's one of my favorite places to run," she said. "I've spent the last couple of years making myself brave enough to go out there by myself.
"Usually I have bear spray with me, but I didn't that day because I wasn't thinking they'd still be out and about."
And even if she had bear spray, the bear charged so quickly she likely wouldn't have had time to use it.
Sinnott said the main trail remains open, and Hanis said anyone with yurt reservations needn't worry.
"I'd not be nervous at all," he said. "Fish and Game didn't find a kill, and they think it was just a sow-cub issue, which could happen anywhere."
As for Wallner, she plans to return to the trail soon. She doesn't think the sow is an aggressive bear, just one protective of her cub.
"I think she was just warning me," she said, "and then the dog nicely distracted her."

And on a bike note, I went into Anchorage this weekend and stopped in Speedway Cycles and checked out the titanium FatBack snow bike....sweet! Way light. If I was going to buy a specialized snowbike, this would be it. The Bike Dude got it down to 25lbs. I heard Surly Pugsleys average around 35 lbs and I imagine it takes a lot of strenght to push those fat tires and rims around on the snow. I don't think I would last long on a Pugsley. Of course, a featherweight isn't cheap, about 5000 smacks. The Bike Dude said he would let me take it for a test ride when we get some snow, how COOL is that! I will drive back into Anchorage just for that ride (Anchorage traffic really sucks)!

Check out the FatBack HERE