Grey and leaky

… but not like hard rain or anything.  Well, it did for a while but not on me. Still, made it an early day with the hopes of getting a few Things Done.

Read the May 2007 bikejournal log.  Oh, my, you have to ride a lot to ride a thousand miles in a month! Means not wasting a whole lot of time – except when out musing and cruising, of course.  So!  ’nuff of this blogging stuff! (Also read the fastgrrrlz blog… 30 people on the Wednesdya ride is awesome )

closing in on 2200

… that’s annual miles, that is… but had a record short-distance commute yesterday ’cause I parked at the closer entrance and cut through the parking lots.  I wondered if the speedo was off by a higher percentage, but today I went the standard route and got the anticipated 3% off. Should have tried the heavier “real gore-tex” pants ’cause last night and tonight both proved that smart-tex isn’t *really* impermeable but the jacket seemed to be. Not sure what would be impermeable to thighs squeezing on the spongy wet seat, though.

The search :)

I love the dashboard at WordPress. I can discover that somebody found my blog looking for “leap into the fray.” What would possess somebody to search for “leap into the fray?”

Yes, I done it today.  I did a metric on the Schwinn – the 1968 Racer coaster brake special.  I knew that some older guy had done a metric on a South Carolina ride that Clyde volunteered at – on a crappy, rainy day, to boot – so I knew it could be done. (I think his was also a one speed, too, tho’ p’raps it was 3.) I am confident his average was better – but the middle 20 miles of mine was the Saunter ride that was rendered slower by the 25 mph winds. I did try to do scooting back and forth instead of stopping and regrouping when possible, but the conditions were such that we stopped every 2-3 miles or so – and we needed to.  And when we were heading into the cross winds and didn’t… welp, then the riders stopped because the wind was stopping them.  Then we got to sail home … but even then 19.1 was the max.  (The thing pretty much spins out around 23 mph.  I can only pedal so fast.)  So at the end of the day, I had 64 miles and 5:58.  Hey, it was over 10 mph! Puts me at 2120 for the year

Bike co-op went well.  Had a couple of drop-ins … one who’d just gotten a 1-spped coaster brake for a buck at a yard sale with no seat … but otherwise sound, and garage- kept so not even rusty.  A little air, a new seat… and the guy she came with bought one of the refurbished Magmas.  And so for about $50 they were both mobile.  It was also just not as crazy-busy as last week.

I’m on pace of 2007 but not 2008 as far as April miles go… but the total in 2007 was 10004 and 2008 was 8500.  Welp, I’ll try to get motivated to match 2007 (616) or chase 2008 (689) from current 556  with 5 days to go, none of ‘em long-looking. Still 616 would be 10 miles a day and that’s almost hard *not* to do.

Yes. I am procrastinating. Time to write an article about research on spelling.

It’s warm :D :D :D

Okay, it’s not warm in this classroom… because it’s gotten warm enough I think for heat to kick off. Forecast for 80.  

Tomorrow – windy and warm.  Will learn from last year – if it’s too brutal, the saunter will be very very short. 

 .

Xtracycle short movie and Davenport “how to share the road”

http://www.vimeo.com/3171328

From Linda Evans . “CLaire gets strong enough to leave her deadbeat boyfriend.”

And this from Davenport:

http://www.cityofdavenportiowa.com/egov/docs/1223504091830.htm

I have a cold.  I am sure it is caused by the fact that there’s a blood drive today, so I can’t give now.  When I saw the sign three weeks ago, I said to myself, “I’ll donate unless I have a cold.”  I guess myself didn’t want to donate or something.

Last night’s BPAC meeting was interesting and productive.  We did get to hear “public input” – talk about making an educational video about exactly how to share the road, specifically on *our* streets.  Then we got to hear the previous election’s mayoral candidate inform us that in his canvassing of the citizens they were irate over the horrible situation with the bike lanes on Philo ROad.  He wanted cyclists to be re-routed to Cottage Grove.  Had token positive things to say – bicyling is nice, but kindly know your place – and the typical assumptions (that road diets are dangerous adn cycling is a pretty pastime to do on nice neighborhood streets).  Oh, and a reason for re-routing that I hadn’t heard before – that the Philo Road area has a crime problem, and we shoudl go down those residential streets because criminals don’t like bicyclists as witnesses.  So, we’re supposed to only go down dark, crime-infested streets, thank you?   Good to know that education has proceeded to the point where a need to point out the positives is felt, and good to be reminded that we can’t just preach at the choir.

Not sure whether it’s a genuine language shift, but this was the second time in three weeks… four years ago, conversations about Biking in General with the General Public usually took four conversational interchanges before the General Public would say “and we need more bike paths!”  It was within the past two years, maybe one that the silly WILL radio news guy said that the Bicycle Master Plan was needed because cyclists had to, as a last resort, ride on the streets (!?!?)   Twice now, General Public People have said “bike paths” when they meant “bike lanes” – as in lanes on the streets.

I think I like it!

I do have time for this.

Let’s do this. I suppose “it’s a small world, after all” would not be the right meme?

Everyday fun

I considered titling this “every day an adventure!”  but that would imply something (probably unpleasant) exciting happened.    No, but the rides yesterday & Monday had their pleasant moments.  Monday I blinked, so I didn’t *see* the five second get-the-bike-on-the-bus grace, ’cause it happened so fast.   Last night I enjoyed the vehicular Cannondaler who pulled to a stop behind me at Neil & Hessel’s eternal light (as opposed to running the light), then pulled around because a Cannondale accelerates faster than a Racer, and I noticed from (not very far ) behind him that he had a small band with a key on it dangling from his flat handlebars and wondered if that were for defensive purposes.  (Yes, I wonder if the bicyclist across the street might have run the light were it not for the presence of the two of us Not Running The Light.)

Interesting day in the lost and found department. 3 out of four painfully and recently departed items found (but one of ‘em got to me via the volunteer director at the marathon).  I was a tad worried since I’m not up for another five month stretch living undocumented when I’ve got rental car plans.

63 and sunny.  I can deal

I don’t have time for this…

either ;0

What if Ben and Jerry’s made up an ice cream flavor for George Bush?

http://www.americablog.com/2009/04/ben-jerry-george.html

adding to the virality

Okay, you’ve probably already seen this, but it gets my viral vote anyway.  This is one of the longer youtube versions of Susan Boyle’s performance on “Britain’s got talent.”   Not because of the singing (which is good) but because “society” – a whole mess of people in an audience (is it all white all the time?)  – were won over somebody without stellar looks or stunning social skills.  (I rather agree with the commenter who suggested that the judge would have ripped her to shreds had the audience not been swayed.)  Oh, granted, it’s not like she had any *guaranteed* Official Loser Attributes -  but I like the statement it makes.  It’s a classic scene – except notably she doesn’t make her success by getting a makeover.

(Reminds me a little of the first time we saw Mary CHapin Carpenter in concert at Gallagher’s Pub on Connecticut Avenue – she might have been wearing that same dress.  Her voice was a different story…)

silly wordpress

I woudl have liked to do my comments on blogs under the wordpress umbrella.  It won’t let me.  It tells me I havent’ signed in (whether I have or not), and then when I do it says “good!  Now you can go finish your comment”  and then tells me I do *not* own this name.   Oh, well.

Still drizzly this a.m.  Last night I got pulled out on on campus – extremely predictable because hey, the two cars in front of her in the parking lot went, so she should, too.  I hollered at her to pay attention… and duly noted that I didn’t have my spokelit in the wheel (I am going to take one off the red bike to put on the Racer).

Champaign Cycle has a blog now Must find time to add it to my links… but first must go and figure out where to meet for the baord meeting this Sunday.

NPR hurt me this morning.  I want to know whether it was a reading or a writing mistake (I’m thinking reading, and yes, I’m thinking Whole Language Victim).  Somebody was advocating for succession … from the country.  I want to make her copy and recite the word 1000 times.  Then tomorrow 500.  Then 250….