The Oddball

We have an odd dog.

He's a Border Collie and 

they are very smart dogs.

But they can also be pretty odd.

It's what some folks like about them.

(Folks like me but then 

I'm a bit odd myself.)

I snapped this shot the other day.

Another day of oddball antics.

OK, so he can sit on a step.

That's not really that odd. 

Even the blind cat can sit on a step.

 (Humming; Even a blind cat can tell when he's sitting on a step...) 

So what's so odd about a dog sitting on a step?

Take a closer look.

Does your dog sit with his butt on one step

and his back feet on the same step as his front?

I didn't think so...

Oh, and the frisbee?

Always

gets the center bit out of it.

So he can carry it like this:

That way he won't trip on it when he's 

bringing it back.

bringing it back..

bringing it back...

bringing it back....

I'm still trying to get a shot of him

Drinking tea with his pinkie up...

16 degrees, light wind and sunny

16 degrees, 4mph winds, sunny.

Upper:

Merino tank, thin Patagonia long-sleeve merino base layer, Ibex merino wool jersey, Icebreaker Bodyfit 260 long sleeve, Ibex climawool shell. This was perfect for the conditions.

Hands:

Perl Izumi lobster ski gloves with thin wool liners. This was perfect.

Lower:

Ibex ClimaWool pants over medium weight merino wool tights over regular cycling  shorts with wind front briefs. This was perfect.

Feet:

Medium weight wool socks, thin wool liner socks with Lake Winter boots. This was perfect.

Head:

Wore my down-hill ski helmet with medium balaclava and my cycling glasses. This was nearly perfect for the ride out but I switched to the light weight balaclava for the ride home.

Riding pace:

I’m guessing a 16-18 mph as I was a bit late for the appointment heading out and it just felt good to push a little on the way back.

Etc.:

Rode over my physical therapy appointment in Plymouth. I was only a little sweaty when I got there and was completely dry aft the half hour appointment.

25-21 degree night ride

25-21 degrees, tail leaning cross-wind out, head leaning cross-wind back, night ridesunny with west north west at 11-17 mph.

Upper:

Merino tank, Ibex merino wool jersey, Icebreaker Bodyfit 260 long sleeve, Ibex climawool shell. This was perfect for the conditions.

Hands:

Perl Izumi lobster ski gloves. This was pretty close to perfect. Started the trip home with thin wool liners but had to take them as they made it a bit warm for the conditions; reminded me that flexibility is key to winter riding.

Lower:

Ibex ClimaWool pants over medium weight merino wool tights over regular cycling  shorts with wind front briefs. This may have been over kill but I was very comfortable and since I was heading to the bar to meet a work friend, I didn’t want to show up in tights.

Feet:

Medium weight wool socks with Lake Winter boots. This was perfect.

Head:

Wore my down-hill ski helmet with light balaclava and my regular glasses. This was nearly perfect but would have been slightly improved if I had taken the time to put in my contacts so I could have worn my cycling glasses.

Riding pace:

I’m guessing a 16-18 mph average for the 7 miles there and about the same for the 9 mile, better neighborhood, ride home. When it’s later evening and dark I tend to avoid the Cedar Lake Trail between downtown and Wirth parkway because it’s very isolated and has had some crime problems and unfortunate vagrant encounters. I haven’t had any big problems but have been approached by folks that made me nervious.

Etc.:

Rode over to the west bank to have a beer with a friend so I knew I would have a couple hours in the bar between trips. I left a little later than planned so I rode a bit harder  than I typically do in winter gear and was a bit damp when I arrived. Thanks to the wonders of wool, I didn’t stink and dried completely well before it was time to head home.

In it's own time

Grief takes time, takes it's own time

We can't control it, not for ourselves, not for anyone.

Nor can we judge how long it takes.

It passes like a hurricane, slow, devastating and ponderous

Or perhaps a tornado, quick and violent.

Time measured against nothing but itself.

Loss visits me again,

Stays as it will, like an unwelcome guest.

On a good day I understand

New only arrives, when old makes way.

On a bad day, I'm wracked with despair and wonder

Why the familiar recedes from my grasp.

My life has been rich with loss

Making way for lives I'd have never known

Loss never gets easier; practice little helps

Still I fear being one who fails to lose,

Sees loss as a terminal state rather than

The manure that powers the next harvest

Sometimes, in fact at this time, now

I feel up to my ears in the manure of loss.

It's putrid, disgusting and as necessary

As the air that I breathe.

I know this, I hate this but

I can't (but want to) live without this.

Science projects in the fridge rot for no purpose, 

Serve no good and just get tossed.

Moldy loss, festers in its own juices,

Can't be tossed, stays unbidden,

Unforgiving, unrelenting, unwilling

To help the loser understand.

But losers that accept not knowing, not understanding,

Wallow in their loss, stew in their own juices,

Accept putrification as their destiny,

Truly lose the opportunity to grow, to capture

Future nutrients, life manure, shitty for sure but

No doubt the strength, sinew of life's thread.

I may never understand why those once near

Can no longer appear, to me, dear,

Some not any where, some there never here.

I know loss as my exhale blown to the wind,

Beyond my inhale giving life to my uncharted path.

Just now I am breathless looking for my next giddy inhale.

34 degree night ride with 20-30 mph. wind.

34 degrees and falling, night ride, strong winds 20-30 mph.

Upper:

Merino t-shirt, Icebreaker Bodyfit 260 long sleeve, Ibex climawool shell. This was perfect for the conditions.

Hands:

Perl Izumi lobster ski gloves. This was a bit warm at the beginning but not bad for the return trip.

Lower:

Craft wind bib tights over regular cycling shorts. This combination was perfect.

Feet:

Light weight wool socks with Lake Winter boots. This was perfect until the very end when my toes started to get just a bit chilly.

Head:

Wore my down-hill ski helmet, light balaclava with my regular glasses since I didn’t take the time to put in my contacts which are required for the cycling glasses. This was also perfect.

Riding pace:

I’m guessing a 14-16 mph average. Stress relief ride at the end of a frustrating day. This was my first ride with both my new studded tires (Schwalbe Marathon Studs, 700c – 40) and I am even more impressed with how well they ride. Several miles were on crushed limestone and they rode like normal tires on that.

27 degrees, sunny with wind at 11-17 mph.

27 degrees start to finish, tail wind out, headwind back, sunny with west north west wind at 11-17 mph.

Upper:

Merino tank, merino t-shirt, Icebreaker Bodyfit 260 long sleeve, Ibex climawool shell. This was perfect for the conditions.

Hands:

Thin wool liners inside Perl Izumi lobster ski gloves. This was a bit warm for the conditions but not to the point of getting too sweaty.

Lower:

Craft wind bib tights over cycling liner shorts. This combination was pretty good but regular cycling shorts for the base might have been a little better.

Feet:

Medium weight wool socks with Lake Winter boots. This was perfect.

Head:

Wore my down-hill ski helmet with my regular cycling glasses. Added the light balaclava under the helmet for the return trip as I was facing a headwind. This was also perfect.

Riding pace:

I’m guessing a 14-16 mph average. Just a utility ride to pick up my new fenders and test out my new studded tires (Schwalbe Marathon Studs, 700c – 40) which are a vast improvement over the Schwalbe Snow Studs I rode last year.

Mom

She stood elegant and beautiful

Graceful through time

Strong through trials

Cheerful through loss

Born in a long past May

In the fertile soil around

Como Lake

Waters of life

Life itself for me

She was for me

Of me,

Of her am I

Small and helpless she came

Such as she left

But with a strong wake

Fanning out, together apart

Each to our own but all from one

Joined with one

At the center 

Our from where

Grey November follows a bright life

Our from where comes here

Apart together, from all

Our then touches now

Rain falls from us, on us

A moment of sun,

A gust of wind

The flower succumbs

We remain, our immovable from where

Is now just the shadow

Elegant and beautiful

Together fanning out apart

President Obama!

I will sleep better tonight and thank every single volunteer and voter who made this dream possible.

Now it's time to get back on the bike and get those wheels dancing...

VOTE Dammit!

It's pretty simple really. 

The government is run by those who show up.

Unless you're a candidate you just have to do a little research and then show up to vote. That's it. Obligation fulfilled.

I hope you will vote for Barack Obama but the fact is that our democracy is only as strong as its' citizens participation level and diversity builds strength. If you don't agree with my choice, I need to hear from you even more than if you do because I already know what my ideas are. If your ideas are different than mine, they shed light to help me see my own strengths and weaknesses. 

I don't get to decide who runs the country and neither do you.

WE decide who runs the country.

Our direction stays most true with a diversity of perspectives so

everyone

 should get up off the damn couch

and vote.

Upper 30's start, 50 at the end, low wind, bright sun

I have been trying to keep track of what I wear for different riding conditions and I have a spreadsheet that I use as a guide but it's pretty rough. I am going to start capturing what I wear for my own review but thought that others might find it helpful too so I'll start putting it here for all to see with the Chilly Dress Code label. It'll look like this from today's ride:

Upper:

Merino tank, merino t-shirt, Icebreaker Bodyfit 260 long sleeve, Ibex climawool shell. Should have left off the Icebreaker and just went with armwarmers which I still would have had to remove for the second half of the ride but they would have been easier to stuff into a pocket.

Hands:

Nike wind-proof cycling gloves to start, regular long finger cycling gloves for the second half. These were perfect.

Lower:

Ibex wool boxers under Ibex wool cycling shorts with midweight tights. This combination was also perfect.

Feet:

Wool socks with Lake Winter boots. Perfect at the start but a bit warm for the second half though I would do this again since I don’t think regular cycling shoes with covers would have been enough for the first half.

Head:

Light balaclava for the first half under my regular helmet with a helmet cover. This was also perfect.

Riding pace:

I’m guessing a 16-18 mph average for about 35 miles with a very long coffee stop in the middle. It wasn’t a ding around ride but there were no real hill hammering or sprints either. I was on my commuter, the Surly Karate Monkey.