Dry Lightning

I made it out last night for an unpaved ride on my d440. Just a short one, ended up around 16 miles and 1400 ft of climbing. I was within 2 miles of home when I caught a flash. It kind of startled me, wasn't sure what it was. The sky was a mix of clouds and blue with the sun in and out. Within about a half second came the boom. Lightning! Uncomfortably close. No rain. No other indication I was about to ride in to a storm. With my heart rate up, I pedaled hard for the house. A half mile later came a second bolt. Still no rain, just a small grey cloud over. Pedaled harder. Made it home with a few more claps of thunder. A check of the radar showed a very tiny cell that just popped up right over me. It did end up raining for a few minutes and then it was gone.

Scored from the record sale at the Jackie O's brewery.

Went to see Jake Dunn and the Blackbirds on Friday at the river front amphitheater in Pomeroy Ohio. This is hanging on the retaining wall along the boat docking area. I am not an electrician, but it does seem a little suspect to me.

Cool cloud formations.

This kid. He watched the Smurf's cartoon for the first time. A half hour later he built a Smurf head out of Legos.

Cotton candy clouds.

Hope you can get outside, spin some tunes, go see a band, do something creative. Just watch out for the lightning (or just bad wiring).

May

May. What a month. My current Garmin Connect report:



February was when I had a sprained ankle and I still did 5 times more riding than I have this month and that was mostly on the indoor trainer. Now to be completely fair I have ridden my bike to lunch a few times from the office, so maybe I should include those extra miles? But they are hardly high intensity rides.

Why? Shelly is totally overworked during the month of May. End of year reports, parent meetings, billing, all on top of her normal work. She worked until nearly 11 last night. Mother's day. Two birthdays. Rec soccer. High school track. Scholarship banquets. Sports banquets. Graduation. The grass started to grow and the rain started washing my driveway away. Wood boring bees. Church. Team Athens road race. Making sure my family is fed. Work.

How should one respond to all this? If I am honest with myself I am a professional dad, husband, engineer and not a professional cyclist. I shouldn't complain though I sometimes do. I shouldn't be discouraged though sometimes I am. It isn't like I am worrying about where to get enough food to feed my family. I don't worry about where I am going to work. I am not dealing with a school shooting, losing a child, or being deported. I just don't get to ride very much and I love to ride.

So yeah, I wish I was riding more, traveling to places, doing stuff. But sometimes there are more important things.

"what ever dad makes"

Got to drop by the Grill to see a friend play after one track meet.

This happened!

Brock had to share his birthday this year.

Rock-n-Roller Coaster

Last week saw thing 3 in a fight at school to the next day scoring 5th grade plus on a math assessment (he's in 2nd). Death of a pet to thing 2 setting his PR in long jump and his leg of the 4x200 and 4x400 and then getting a call that he was awarded another scholarship. Shelly on the verge of a meltdown because of work and being overly busy at home too, to picking up a sweet cherry red Epiphone Dot Studio. Or at least it is sweet now. The the week ended with word that one of our soccer families, people we have know since we were kids, lost their youngest daughter to suicide. She was only 12. Our hearts ache for them.

Life is hard. Plans never seem to go as planned. We are over worked. We are over stressed. We are under slept.  How do we deal with it? How do we change it? Everything expects everything of us and in the end there is often nothing left for ourselves and closest loved ones. I don't know the answers. We try to make the best of what we can. I may feel helpless but not hopeless.

Longjump

I was a jumper in high school. Both the long jump and high jump resulted in a good deal of success. School record in the high jump and just a few inches shy of the long jump record. Ethan started jumping this year. Without much coaching or specific training he was jumping pretty well, in the 17' range. Last week I got to a meet to see him jump (the usually start the jumps before I can get away from work, so I had not made it yet). A couple things jumped out at me as I watched him take his first jump. Gave him some advice which he turned in to a TVC 5th place and PR jump beating his old PR by a full foot!

Humbucking

I have been watching for a guitar with humbuckers for a while. I love to play my Telecaster, but I would never describe it as a warm sound. I wasn't sure I wanted a Les Paul though, they are so heavy and I am not exactly a shredder. I love the looks and the feel of the PRS guitars I have held, but that is big money and seem to rarely show up used. A few weeks ago I saw a posting for an Epiphone Dot Studio. This is the less expensive version of the Dot which is the less expensive version of the ES335. The fret board does not have any inlays, no pick guard, and a single pot for volume and one for tone rather than one for each pickup. These are made in Asia to keep the price down and have less expensive pickups (open coil Alnico classic humbuckers).

I email the person and did not hear anything back. Oh well, must have sold it.

Two weeks later I got an email saying that he just found my message. The supposed story is that the guitar was won in a song writing contest by a friend of his who played and even gigged with it until this person bought it. It then sat in the case for a couple years.

Condition: dirty. The fret board, fret wires, bridge were green. The neck pickup was missing the springs to set the pickup in position and the trim ring was a mess. The first owner had put tape on it (I would assume to hold it in place since the springs were missing). But aside form a couple scratches/nicks the finish was in great condition, the neck straight.

A couple hours with some mineral spirits, 00 steel wool, cleaning rags, and elbow grease got the guitar in pretty decent shape. I had to sand the trim rings smooth and then spray with a clear enamel since the seller tried to clean the tape off with acetone. PSA: never use acetone on a plastic part. It will soften the plastic!

I noticed when I checked it out that the pickups did not seem to be original. The good news is that they had been swapped out with a set of Gibson '57 Classics! A trip over to StewMac for some pickup springs and I was back in business. A good, careful setup of the neck, bridge, pickups made for a really sweet, warm sounding guitar.

Finished out he weekend working the State Road Race Championships p/b Team Athens out at Lake Hope. I have worked this event for years (even raced it a couple times). Largest field of women and junior ever! Great to see. I am tired of hanging out with a bunch of up tight, well-off, 30 year old white guys. (I know that includes me, except I hope I am not up-tight and I am certainly not in my 30's anymore). Diversity is good for the sport. (Sorry, no photos from me as I worked registration. Didn't get to see any of the races).

Hope you can get outside and love others. Rock on.

Turning the corner, part 2

A few years ago we rescued a couple cats. In that first year, one of them was killed by a neighbor's dog. The other, Socks, was the one that made a trip to the church under the car and another car trip out where she apparently bailed along the road. She dislocated her hip and always had a limp. She was a little grumpy but pleasant. When we rescued two more cats, she always kept her distance. Earlier in the week she didn't show up at feeding time which was not like her. I saw her later when it looked like she was stalking something (cat's are little assassins!). Another day went by without her eating. Then Sunday afternoon she was asleep on the deck. She looked sickly but not in distress. I figured I come home Monday and end up taking her to the vet.

I came home early yesterday to meet a driver delivering a load of crusher run. I did not see her all afternoon. While I was fixing dinner, Brock was outside playing while Shelly was clearing a flower bed. I suddenly hear Shelly yelling. I rushed out to see Brock sobbing. I assumed he must have found a wasp nest since he was playing under the porch. Instead it was "hey I found Socks, oh, I think she died". Indeed she had. Shelly took Brock and I took care of wrapping her up in a blanket and burying her near the old ash tree where Rocket (Ethan's cat that was killed by dogs) is also buried. That was rough.

Continuing the comments about talent in our school from the last posting:
When I was a senior in school I was in the drama production. I don't actually recall the name of it, but it was small. Props were a couch and table. Lights? They were either on or off. Audio? Speak loudly. Singing? Nope.

We attended Alexander's musical production of A Little Mermaid. The school is lucky to have a few individuals that are passionate about the arts and drama in particular and volunteer tremendous amounts of time and energy on this. Much like we expect from our coaches and athletes, these folks have raised the bar for theater. The kids stepped right up too.  The result was a professional production. One that developed and showcased talent, not just of the "stars" but the crew as well.

Not that we didn't work hard when I was in school, but the arts were (and still are in many cases) something you did as a child, nothing to be serious about. Draw some pictures, get out some water colors, squeak on a recorder, maybe bang some cymbals, and when you grow up you also grow out of it.

I am happy to see the rise of the arts.

Bike tires:
Maxxis is a Team Athens sponsor. I will say that I am very happy with every Maxxis MTB tire I have used (even before they were a sponsor). This year I also picked up a pair of 700x25 ReFuse tires for my road bike. I really don't race the road so I didn't need a fancy racing tire. More, I needed a tire to ride broken chip and seal, something tough with some volume. I put them on a couple weeks ago and have a few miles on them now.

Narrow. Like crazy narrow. My last tires were a set of Michelin Pro 4 Endurance in 25. Even with the brakes opened up the tires would squeeze through the pads. Not these. I can literally remove the wheel without opening the brakes. They also feel stiffer, though it could be all because of the volume. Really, I can't get over how much narrower they are than my Pro4's. Can't comment on rain worthiness though, haven't been caught out in it yet.

I had over 2k miles on the Pro4's. The front still had some life left but the rear was pretty square so I finished it off with the trainer over the winter.

Turning the corner

Seems things are about to turn the corner. Like everything. Weather, family, health, work, home.

Weather:
No surprise to anyone that the weather has been weird to crazy this year. From deep mud and floods to dry and red flag, from late season snows to 80 degree winter days. After a warm up last week before the senior Prom at school when the temps dropped back in to the upper 40's with a steep wind (at least the boys got to wear tux's, the poor gals with sleeveless and open shoulder dresses were not so lucky). Ethan got to take grandpa's 1970 Nova SS to prom, he was kind of stoked on that, but more he was stoked about turkey season. (He tagged a 2 year old 19.8 pound bird earlier that day). Today the forecast is sunny and 70 and gets warmer as the week goes. Just in time for the Lake Hope road race this Sunday. Though honestly I wish I was racing the Middle Mountain Momma, or even just wish I could.

Health:
My ankle injuring is about 99+%. The calf, is only about 80%. Apparently I have a pulled muscle. And just like sprains have degrees, so do strains. I have partially tore something in my right calf from the minor crash on my mountain bike. The worst part had to be waking at 2 am to cramps in the injured muscle. Why our bodies do this to its self is beyond my understanding. But it is getting better. I did a "log" run last night (3 miles) and only some minor discomfort. The foam roller caused all the real pain. Good thing I wasn't planning to road race this weekend. My legs are not in the racing shape. A side note though, I tuned 1000 miles last week on my second hand Tacx rollers. That is a lot of miles to roll in the basement.

Work:
I finished up a lot of documentation for a new product I have been working on for over a year. Still some work to go before they are rolling off the production line, but a major milestone none the less. Hope this means I can get to ride or run on a more regular basis.

Family:
May is the last month of school and Shelly's over the top busy time at work. Three weeks to two birthdays and one graduation. 4 weeks to the end of the school year.

Comments:
Do you watch Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown series? It is excellent. This weekend was a show about WVa. It reminded me a lot of our area. Athens county has the highest poverty rate in the state and most of that is in the rural areas. Our rural school districts have been caught by inadequate state funding and low tax bases for years. It is about to come to a head for Alexander after a couple failed levies and the threat of cut backs looms. Even with this, I am impressed by the talent I see: singers, actors, artists, athletes, academics, community service, etc. Seriously gifted and hard working individuals are not reserved for the high class areas with high dollar tax bases.

Photos:

Continued

By Thursday evening Brock was back to himself. Eating (some), running around, talking a bunch. Short lived bug that apparently has been making rounds at school with his teacher on the receiving end come Friday. Speaking of Friday, it was supposed to be in the low 80's in the afternoon and with lots of rain forecast over the weekend before temperatures dropping to near freezing with a snowflake possible I decided to take my d660 to work with me and take a couple hours of PTO to hit some dry trails.

After getting some drawings done and some orders made I headed out the door around 2p. I am tired. Like, I wonder if I have mono tired. So I knew I wasn't going to push it, but I needed the ride as much for the soul as the body. I rode down Hope drive to the Dow Lake Dam and up to Sundown Trail. Not far in from this end the trail climbs up and over some rocks. I have ridden this many, many times without issue. Today, taking it *easy* I spun the back tire over one of said rocks. This shifted me to the downhill side of the trail and over the edge. I got the right shoe unclipped but it was too late and head first I went sliding. No big deal. It was just a bunch of leaves, pretty steep, but I didn't hit anything. But wait, why does my calf hurt so badly? Ah, banged it pretty hard on the chainring. It will work itself out.

I kept riding. Met a kid and his dogs out loving the trails. Rode through some ramps. It wasn't working itself out. It became really painful to stand up and I felt every rough thing on the trail. I took the Scatter Ridge connector and connected with road to get back toward the dam dropping down the horse trail access back to Sundown and then back to the office.

Smells like Casa

I had to stop at my folks on the way home to fix their computer. Dad had somehow installed some Firefox add-in the was hijacking his searches. Home from there where I was supposed to get the boys before heading back out to meet my folks and my brothers family for some pizza. Got home to find E with a 103 fever. Shelly was gone for the evening so she dropped off Brock to my folks and I was going to get E to urgent care. He felt so bad he said he couldn't get in the truck. Ibuprofen and a nap then. After a while the vitamin I kicked in, dropped his temperature and he was ready to go. We just made it pulling in to Holzer at 7:57 (they close at 8). I really appreciate the staff seeing him, they could have turned us away. Interestingly they couldn't test him for flu because they have had so many people with the flu they ran out of tests. He had flu-like symptoms as well as suspected strep throat. Antibiotics and tamiflu. At CVS they could only partially fill the tamiflu. Again, so many people with the flu! Stopped at my folks again to get Brock, home at 10p and finally got to eat some dinner.

Everybody slept in on Saturday. The weather was still warm and sunny but it was going to be raining by the end of the day. I figured I better try to ride and work out my calf. Did a loop of back roads with a few big climbs. It felt OK until I hit a pothole or a washboard and it felt like I had a full on calf cramp. And the roads were not exactly in good shape. You could tell where the floods had been over the roadway in places of where it just washed out. One such road would have required a 4WD rock crawler to get through.

Hard to see, but it got a lot worse from here.

Back home and we tripped in to Athens to pick up Athens Marathon race packets. OVRC was packed! Shelly and E were supposed to run. But with E still recovering he just didn't have it in him. He missed his track meet on Saturday too. Felt bad since he had been working hard to be ready. Proud of Shelly though. A half marathon is no joke. Time and motivation to prepare is hard, especially when you are our age, job, kids, home. She stuck through it though.

And a smile.

Per Sonya Looney, 'Be Brave, Do Epic Shit" Epic is indeed relative.

Hold on

I shoveled out the ditch last night that the flooding rains filled up with parts of my driveway. While shoveling, a neighbor boy rode up on his bicycle. Ball cap, jeans, boots, riding his too small for him Mongoose. Made me happy.

Me this morning: Let's see, Brock has soccer practice this evening and I will just be meeting Shelly there and taking over so she can get her workout in for the Athens half this weekend. Oh, and the weather is going to be warm. Oh, and the trails are really dry. I have been working hard lately, I'll leave early for work so I can leave a little early, I'll take my bike and ride around the lake before meeting up with Shelly. Cool.

Life: Hold on

Brock: I don't feel very good... blows chunks.

Life: Boom.

Leguary

I heard the term Leguary recently (so I can't take credit for it). It's true. Legs that may spin some through the winter are never really ready for that first long ride of the year. This year was going to be different. I put the longest trainer rides I have ever done only to set myself back playing soccer.

This past weekend should have been the Gravel Rouser. It was also the end of spring break at school. I have been hitting it pretty hard at work trying to meet deadlines and do what we used to do with twice as many staff.

So I had Friday off from work and Sunday off from playing guitar at church. We had planned a quick trip to the Blackwater Falls area/Davis/Thomas WV for some hiking and food. But as luck would have it we ended up under a winter weather/freezing rain advisory when we would have been traveling. Instead we headed to Casa for breakfast follow later by some pie from Fluff. After getting some stuff done I got out with the ole Redline d440 and blasted some back roads for a couple hours and my legs could tell.

Saturday was spent watching it rain and then moving and splitting firewood (for next year since we are still without the wood stove). I loosely planned to make Sunday the big ride day. It was supposed to turn sunny and in the 50's. Before I could finalize a big back road rouser, Ethan asked if we could hit the trails. We ended up at Lake Hope for the afternoon. Ethan is still getting his bike legs but did a good job trying to keep up with this old man. In the end we did 19 miles of trails before running out of food and water.

And today was near 60. After work I took the chance to replace the brakes on Shelly's car. Now to settle in for the next winter storm that is to follow the rain coming tonight and tomorrow. 2 to 4 inches of wet snow predicted.

Hope you can get outside.

Cat 2

I wish this title was regarding my license upgrade to Cat 2 (well, actually I don't know that wish is the right word). Rather it is referring to the category 2 ankle sprain I received almost 2 weeks ago while playing indoor soccer. The high school has held open gym indoor soccer through the winter since I was in school. Ethan has been asking every week if I would be playing and I finally did. First time and last time for the season. While putting my left foot out to block a shot, the offender kicked and rolled my ankle pretty severely. The result is a lot of burning pain, partially torn ligaments, swelling, and some pretty purple colors. Recovery? "Should" recover within 8 weeks.

Not my foot, but it looks exactly the same. (Photo courtesy of OrthoInfo)

For anyone from this area of south eastern Ohio you know what the weather has been like. A few heavy freeze and thaws with lots of flooding rain, from 3 inches of snow in 2 hours to 82 F a couple days later. For the rural folk, this means mud. The township roads are falling apart. Our driveway is falling apart. Last week I rented a dump trailer and hauled 15 tons of crushed limestone home and spread over our driveway. Unfortunately I could not pull the hill with it loaded and had to dump in to the front bucket of my tractor and spread it that way. Worked fine and I am grateful for my tractor, but it did take a lot longer that way.

Even with 5 tons this truck tows so nice. Until you have to turn around a 22' long truck with 14' of trailer.

I got a good start on the new hearth for our wood stove. The base is still at the welder's, but I told him not to rush since I had so much more to do. We picked out the tile for the floor and the veneer fieldstone for the wall and have it on order too.

Hopefully this will look a lot different in a month.

Not riding, though I may switch to flat pedals and give it a try soon even if only on the indoor trainer. Even the thought of trying to unclip makes me want to pee myself. Running? Not even on the radar at the moment. Sad too, I was going to try and run the Hope Iron Furnace trail run this year (the 4 miler, not the half).

From 77 and 3 inches of rain to 37 and 3 inches of snow back to 82 and 3 more inches of rain.

Not my best

I have to be honest, this year hasn't been my best thus far. Multiple setbacks at the office, a big health scare at home, things breaking, so much mud, short on patience, and short on bike rides (or runs for that matter).

Case in point, the Pilot. Shelly's car started making some weird noise when turning, when upsetting the suspension, and a little vibration on the highway. After some investigation it seemed that the drive side axle needed replaced. I order one up and after an extra trip to A town to get more tools I finally got it changed last night, in the dark, in the mud (we don't have a garage or concrete). Well, it still clunks. Except now I can make it happen by turning the wheel back and forth. It is the inner tie rod. I specifically checked it a week ago, but couldn't get it to make a sound. Well we now have a new axle that wasn't needed and I still have to change the tie rod. Out more cash and time.

I spent the entire day today tearing out some old floor, beefing the floor up with an extra floor joist, and building a raised hearth pad for the wood stove, or if it can't be repaied, I guess we will have a small stage. Getting ready to set the tile backer and discovered that I bought the wrong mortar. Another trip to Athens. Mixed it and must have measured the water wrong. Runny mortar. This after I had stopped at Lowe's earlier in the week to get all the lumber and supplies. In that trip I bought a 2x10 that was really a 2x8 because someone had put a 2x8 in the 2x10 pile. 

There are a few others along the same vein that I won't go in to. I think I have everything planned out, researched, materials ready, and I miss something, wrong supplies, wrong plan, etc. It is tiring. First world problems though, unlike some friends that lost loved ones this past week.

But, the world turns. The sun rises. The ice forms and thaws.

Ever notice how as the morning breaks there is a brief moment of color, before the sky just relents to steel grey?

And speaking of steel grey.

I often look at Brock, how happy he is to see a wood pecker, how excited he gets to have a donut (well, I kind of do that), dancing through the kitchen because, well, I don't remember why actually. I do want to be that excited about things, about the day, about life. Or at least kind of that excited. 

Oh, and by the way, when a customer is pushing a large cart of lumber including a 4x8 sheet of OSB through the store and you are an employee of the store (that didn't even offer to help me get said sheet of 3/4 OSB off the shelf and on to said cart) walking down the aisle at the same time, please move out of the way. Seriously, you are somewhat more maneuverable. Thank you very kindly to gentleman with the cart of DeWalt tools that he was putting on the shelf that moved to keep me from running over the store employee.

I need a bike ride. 

Cracked Up

I am sitting on my couch looking in the direction of where just a few days ago there was the warm glow of a fire, but now, it is a bare wall with a discolored spot on the floor where the soap stone wood stove once sat. I should back up a few days though.

Monday I arrived at the office prepared to do some work for a contract we have with a delivery in February. This particular job meant I needed a very specific and expensive tool. Said tool was nowhere to be found. I recall last using it in December of last year but it has apparently not been seen since. One person thinks they put it on my desk, one thought they left it on a cart in the lab, another says it should be over there. But, gone, like the wind. To replace it will be a couple thousand dollars and take three months. To say the the stress of this was heavy would be kind. We just finished a year of some pretty big write offs and the idea that I had to report that we lost the tool and it would set us back is not something that would be fun for anyone.

Tuesday I got home after an unseasonably warm Monday where I had let the fire go out. I restarted it like always, some wadded up newspaper crammed under some nice seasoned wood. The fire took off without a miss. Hours later while sitting in the living room I hear a sound much like someone clicking their ring on a glass in their hand, but it was somehow louder and coming from the direction of the fire. Later when I checked the damper on the stove I could see a line of orange glowing on the floor under the stove. Snap! My 34 year old wood stove's cast iron base just cracked!

I emailed the manufacturer about it and they have since replied that it can be welded. But that is a full disassembly of the stove. At least that means I can build the hearth we have been talking about for years and it will also mean that my stash of seasoned wood will surely last the winter.

The next day, Ethan needed the little car so I drove the Pilot. I discovered the front end was making some undesirable noises. Maybe it is the control arm bushing. Problems with those led to Honda extending the warranty to 100k miles.

We worked hard through the week to try to prepare for a design review while also trying to come up with solutions to the missing tool. Just when we thought we had a plan in place to solve it (though still cost money) another setback. This time while machining a part a rubber plug that was protecting some critical bits from machining debris came out and chips went in. While using a magnet to try to clean it, the magnet came apart and lodged itself where it cannot be removed. (I know this is somewhat vague because I can't share all the details, but lets just say this is a REALLY big deal). But the magnetic field around the part made some really cool patterns with the machining chips.

Friday also brought the news of the passing of my aunt. She had been in poor health for a long time (some of it due to her own choices, but none the less).

I spent Saturday dismantling the wood stove before jamming a back road bike ride in as the rain started. The recent heavy snow and subsequent thaw with included rain has left our driveway wrecked. It was so bad that we had a UPS delivery this week and the driver could not make it up and tossed the packed along the side of the driveway.

Today I jacked the car up and removed the front tire to look at the source of the clunking. Looks like it will need a new front axle and not the part that had the warranty extended.

All of this has been consuming my thoughts, making sleep hard. Today while playing guitar at church the question was asked if anyone had a praise for this week. While I didn't respond because I was playing, I did think. What could I say? Somehow all this week had meaning. Some of it is just stupid first world problems, but we all have a desire to have a purpose, to be needed, to succeed in whatever it is we do. The meaning? I have no idea as I type this. I write all of this just to say that in life we deal with all sorts of things. Sometimes it is in abundance, other is times in loss.

I listened to a Radiolab this week where the notion was that there isn't free will and that everything we do, say, think, feel is explained by a biological process. In this there is no source of hope, joy, or meaning. So there is my praise, that since we are more than just a biological mass that aimlessly wanders this world, we have hope, joy, and meaning.

And on a MUCH lighter note, my niece wrote my folks a note warning them about big foot. Enjoy.

Achtung

Twenty six years ago today, U2's Achtung Baby was released. Called one of the best albums of the 90's by Rolling Stone, it was certainly a groundbreaking album for U2, a decided difference from Rattle and Hum. I can honestly remember the day I picked up the CD (at School Kids Records) before meeting someone for dinner. Still listening to that album, even as I type this (and playing it loud since I am home alone).

It is almost Thanksgiving. November really sneaked up on me this year, based largely on the successful run the Alexander boy's varsity soccer team had. They made it to the top 8 in the state in division II (they are the smallest school in division II in the entire state). Though they did have a record setting season, they ended up matched against Columbus DeSales, a team that has won state (and would again this year) something like 18 times, and are ranked nationally. Our boys did a respectable job but did not advance. And a bit of cool trivia, the 1992 soccer team (that would be my senior year) played DeSales at the same level in the tournament on the same field with the same result.

Great season boys.

So back to Thanksgiving... November has been tough, to be honest. A week ago we laid off four people at work. The way it was done and the reason it was done are hard to swallow. These people were not just co-workers but friends. Two days after that was the anniversary of Eric's murder. I will never forget it, but it is hard to remember some days.

All that brings me to today. Shelly and B are in the C-bus to see the Wild Kratts show at the Ohio Theater before having dinner with M. E is gone too, spending the day with his grandpa and hunting buddy. E shot his first buck with a bow last night. An old deer that he has been patterning and watching for a couple years now. He is an 8 pointer with a sticker near the brow, sunk in forehead and bulging nose, and is missing his left eye. Anyway, he shot him late afternoon. We let him go a while before looking for him as to not just push him off. But that also meant finding him in the dark and dragging him in.

Hunting buds.

All this left me home alone. I got some work done early so I could get out on the singlespeed. The weather was grey and wet but unseasonably warm and windy (a cold front is moving through right now). The singlespeed on low maintenance roads is a great way to get a really hard workout, see some Appalachian back country, not see many cars, and blow off a bunch of stress mashing up sometimes 15%+ grades. As I rode through a small "town" in Vinton Co I saw a church sign:

Thanks Living

Thanksgiving (and thankfulness) is hard some times. Thanks living even harder. So live thankfully today because tomorrow, who knows what will happen and you need to be ready to handle it with grace, love, faith, and joy. Even when it sucks.

Single speeds and wet weather - like peanut butter and jelly, they just go together.

Backwards

Today marks 4 months since last writing. That is a lot of work, vacation, biking, music, soccer games, and so on and on. I will slowly try to catch up on some of the events and such, but not all in this post. So just like the old testament, posts in the next days/weeks will likely be in somewhat non-chronological order.

But first, this past weekend was my birthday (and therefore the birthday of my dad and a good friend). I have some use it or lose it PTO at work. Like all good white collar workers, I dream of adventures through mountains and rivers. What a good excuse to go do something epic. Or, when the reality of scheduling around work, church, family, soccer, and sleep happens then adventure takes a back seat, or at least changes in its description from bike-packing through the Monongahela National Forest to donuts and coffee while on a short motorcycle ride. Or riding my mountain bike to A town to meet others for a short single-track ride. Or heading out for a burger and listening to the Jim Miller Band cover the G-Dead.

An Americano at the Spot on Main, Jackson, OH

One other stop on my list for some time is the fire tower on Atkinson Ridge in the Zaleski State Forest. If you look closely out the back of the Lake Hope lodge, just slightly west of south, you can see the tower peak above the tree tops. We loaded up in the truck for a drive out to climb the tower and see the view. Nice drive out or if you decide to pedal out (which I would recommend) be prepared for a leg burner to the ridge top.

Look out below.

Way out there you can see the lodge.

Do so at your own risk.

In music related news, Haffa's Records in Athens closed its doors at the end of September. Kind of sad in a sentimental way. I can't remember Haffa's not being there (mostly because I was a year old when they opened). But I made a few vinyl purchases before they closed shop.  I have been enjoying Ash & Ice by the Kills. Alison and Jamie just go together like PB&J. Strong female vocals with creative guitar riffs just seals it.

The Kills - Ash & Ice

Sideways on Sidewinder

Binging isn't just for college kids. The middle aged, middle class guy with kids also finds himself binging, though in my case, it is on two wheels. So little extra time during the week can turn in to a binge of miles on a Saturday morning. Example, last week. I got some time on Saturday and headed on on my mountain bike. I packed enough food for 4+ hours and roughly planned a route that we allow me to refill water bottles about half way. I ended up riding out to Lake Hope on as much back road as I could fit. Once I arrived and looked at the time, I figured I had enough time to do a quick loop of some trails before turning around and heading back home. I did not bother to adjust my tire pressure, instead just thought I would take it easy knowing that I had a couple more hours riding ahead of me. About a half mile in, I rolled over a root that was across the trail, a root I have rolled over dozens of times. Except, this time, it pitched me sideways a bit. Now, not only was I moving slowly, so momentum wasn't working for me, I also had new tires with too much pressure. This turned in to a foot dab. Problem, there wasn't any ground under my foot. Some recent rains had eroded some of the trail, leaving a web of tree roots with nothing below them. Parts of me fell through the web leaving me scrapped and bruised. I ended up taking a connector out to the road and heading south.

Maybe I could totally blame the air pressure. But while it was a factor, a bigger part is that I haven't spent a lot of time on the trails this year so my skills are a little rusty. And too few miles on the legs mean they are a little tired on long days.

We salvaged the day with a trip to Athens for some tacos and walking around the green. Uptown is pretty OK during the summer when it isn't focused on college aged bingers.

Distress

May, that month each year with so many hopes: big races, end of school, longer days, mother's day, birthdays. And like each year, that list has too many things when combined with normal stuff like working, mowing, church, family stuff. Not saying that these things aren't good things. I wouldn't want to skip mother's day or boy #1 or boy#2's birthdays. We have been working really hard at the office to get a new development program going and with the last layoffs, this meant me pulling double duty many days. We even got to celebrate and friend's wedding. Good things, but all this did put a big hurtin' on bike time. At the time of year when my weekly/monthly totals/goals are increasing, I lost 100 miles this May to April instead of gaining. And, it all ended with a sinus infection and respiratory distress following a week of allergy problems from grass pollen counts that were higher than the rating system they use to count the pollen. I still can't get through a night without waking up to a coughing fit however, I no longer feel like I have been kicked in the head, so that is positive.

Isn't the saying that April shower's bring May flowers? It sure seems like it rained a lot in May. But hey, rainbows.

Double rainbow with lots of wires.

And there was great weather for the Ohio State Road Race p/b Team Athens Cycling out at Lake Hope State Park. I worked registration and did not race. Here the afternoon classes were staged to head out. And as cool as this is, even cooler were the two junior racers, both girls, one U10 and one U12 that headed out for a full lap of this 20 mile course with two big climbs. Bravo ladies!

A whole bunch of grown men with shaved legs.

Did I mention it rained? Trails really struggled to dry out. Most of them were in great, tacky shape. Until it wasn't and became a big mud hole.

Mud.

This was a very brave moth as three cats sat on the porch with their eyes locked on kill.

Luna.

Not all mud. This road is so cool. One lane, grass growing up the middle. Cows on one side and hay field the other. Out here, gravel riding isn't a fad. It is just riding the roads.

Hay and grass pollen.

The wedding was held at the Wagnalls Library in Lithopolis, Ohio. Really cool place. The bride did a a lot of fun stuff like table assignments on library cards, old books stacked on the tables, an old register used as the guest book, a food truck outside to order eats, and so on. It was also great to see some friends that we haven't seen for too long.

Selfie.

Friends.

Love your family and friends. Cherish your time regardless of political bents. Life can be short.

My head spinning is

Well, it is May 4th, you know Star Wars Day. And this means I survived April. Though my head is still spinning.

Boy #1 graduated from Ohio University with a BS in Computer Science. That also means he has to move out of one apartment, temporarily to another, and on to a third temporary one in Columbus for a 3 month internship. Add in commencement and a dinner party for the family all one the same weekend as Boy #2 headed to his high school prom. Boy #3, well, he was happy trying to catch frogs and snails in the pond at Emeritus Park while photos were being taken.

Boy #1

Boy #2

Boy #3

It also means we survived another Easter. A weekend of church and family activity leaving you ready to collapse by the end of Sunday with kids on candy rushes. But, try to get a photo of a bunch of kids and a dog.

Say cheese. At least Boy #2 was looking.

I got to spend some time with this lady though. And that makes my head spin in a good way.

She still likes to hold my hand. 

Oh, and there was that day when some trash lit some trash (a mattress and tire among it) on fire in the edge of the woods at the corner of the road. I did what I could, but ultimately the Columbia Twp fire department came and hosed it down before it spread in to the acres of pines.

I think I rode my bike some too. And got a new pair of proper fitting running shoes (from OVRC, check them out if you haven't. great folks). Have run a few times but still fighting that darned hamstring. As a side note, it is remarkable how much pain you can induce with a foam roller!

On to the music. What's spinning? This is the year of big anniversaries. U2's The Joshua Tree (arguably the best rock and roll album, ever) turns 30 while Radiohead's OK Computer turns 20. I don't think either of those albums need any explanation. Where the Streets Have No Name is an all time favorite of mine and Paranoid Android is what got me listening to Radiohead.

April 22 was also record store day. I stopped in at Haffa's in uptown Athens and they actually had the limited record store day release of the remastered 30th anniversary Red Hill Mining Town on 45 rpm 12" picture disc. I was a lucky guy that day.

So yeh, my head is still spinning and not only because allergies make me dizzy. But, as long as I don't read any of the comments section of news articles (the news is bad enough, the comments make me mourn for humanity) I am a happy man.

Keep spinning.

D