Tuesday, December 22, 2015

The big holiday week

First off every year I post this as a reminder to everyone what the season is based on:

Thanks for this wonderful explanation calamities of nature. 

One day if I ever get around to it I'll make these into postcards and send them off at holiday time

With that out of the way let's crack open a winter beer and stumble forth into the realms of well...umm...something bicycle related. Rainy day projects currently rule the thoughts of BOSAHFOW. I've vacuumed out the mazdarauder and organized the cab of said adventure mobile. Also in the mazdarauder I affixed some waggling finish pieces that have been rattling around. I have yet to rind a proper storage net for the area behind the drivers seat. Yeah Yeah I need to post all those mazdarauder construction pics one day.

I finally got around to making the second of my  milk crate panniers:
Now if I can get a proper rack for the front of the cross check I'll have a right nice grocery getter/liquor bitch. Alas such things are not easily to properly rig (for me at least) and rarely are they cheap. I lucked out with the milk crate panniers. I had the milk crates on hand and spent maybe 3 bucks and 15 minutes in the local ace hardware store a few minutes of staring at my bicycle rear rack and wah-la removable multi use panniers.

I drug the tools out and a pair of new brake pads for the voodoo last night. I sessioned the voodoo mechanically fussing with the brakes and adjusting (yet again) the stem height and fiddling eddy merckx style with my saddle. Yet another rainy day project done.

I got around to punching holes into a combat lifesaver course book I printed out and put it into a binder. I figured with all the mass shootings going on as of late knowing a little bit of combat trauma care above what I already know would be a smart idea. Now I just gotta sit down and read it. It's only 200 or so pages long with questions at the end of every chapter. I may be leaving healthcare but it's not reason not to stay up on techniques that may save my life or someone elses in a jam.

Other rainy day projects:
-Switching the underbed drawers around so I can access cool weather clothing more easily. 
-Doing dishes
-Digging all the shit out from under the bathroom sink and rediscovering very important items.
-More velcro!

I did finally open my home brewing kit. I promised myself I would brew over the winter break. I browsed the material and will give it a go on Monday. If all goes well I'll have my first batch done by the end of January 2016.

Even though its been rainy I was able to crank out a ride on the Kona single speed the last week and even snapped a great little pic:

I unfortunately cut short my ride because of strange left leg semi cramps. Don't know what that was about. It was a great day to ride and wish my middle aged body was more agreeable that day. I will have to say since I got the instagrams I do take pics more often and notice other things a bit more often. One thing I have noticed is how fat bikes have truly exploded. I believe fat bikes have certain applications like riding in the snow or sand. I get that and understand it especially when it comes to winter riding. I'll even go as far to say that I have fat bike envy when it comes to winter riding in the snow in the winter.

As for seeing them on local trails here in Georgia in 60 degree temps...well...it's a bit of over kill. Yet the heart wants what it wants and you cannot and should not bash anyone one who wants to ride a bicycle even if it is the wrong whip for the current trail and conditions. It's my impression that fat bikes are meant for slow pace riding. Which again I understand and get. Give me ColoRADo snow and a fat bike and well the riding season would be extended just a little bit longer.

Finally the holiday week is here. I'm working the days for a little extra pay. Also have plans on hanging with some old work friends in from the left coast. Dunno what I am doing for NYE just yet. the rainy weather does not look like it'll let up. So I gotta decide on what I'll do with spare time up until the 5th and 6th of January which is when school starts back.

That's all i got for now. Thanks for reading.











Tuesday, December 15, 2015

What's not to like

I'll start out with a couple of fave artist as of late. One in particular Peaches and of course Iggy Pop:



I was into some Peaches several years ago after seeing her on the old IFC "Rollins Show" liked what she was doing then as the human condition works I drifted away from her artistry.

Lately I have been listening to the WTF pod cast by Marc Maron. Yeah I'm late to that party, so it goes. Anywho These pod casts really do the job when you're driving an hour from mid-ga to Atlanta on a regular basis.  Anywho, Maron had Peaches on his podcast and I again dug what she had to say and how Maron did the interview with a person who is very creative in every artistic vein I can think of currently.

So what's not to like?

The semester wrapped up with me actually passing algebra with a decent non failing grade. With any math I am satisfied with an "average" grade. Biology turned out well which I'm happy with since I totally bombed a lab exam earlier in the semester. I have 6 classes to go until I finish my Associates of Biology. I'm taking a couple of history classes and a chemistry class this coming up semester. I have to decide on how I'm going to divy up my remaining classes like statistics, pre-calc and my second semester of chemistry. I'm closer to the end than I am the beginning. Thank heavens. What I do after that I'll decide later most likely. Possibly move onto a bachelors in biology/science of some sort.

Who knows, certainly not me.

 I had plans on riding today and yup it was totally nice, I just could not do it. In my middle age I have learned to listen to my body and my body said:

"Dude, slow down. I'm making you sore all over because you're not taking it easy on you/us."

So I listened, I slept past noon and ate copiously. The plan is to take the S/S Kona out for a nice ride on a hopefully dry trail. I need to ride the single speed a bit more because I was really fighting with myself while riding last week on the voodoo. I really would like to do a north Georgia trip after xmas and over the new years break. I haven't done much planning beyond telling myself "I should" do it. And really it's not much to plan now I just load up the truck and roll.

That's it for the moment more to come over the break. Thanks for reading.




Friday, December 4, 2015

Soon...soon... soon

I have to admit that as of late I have been wanting to write. Just in the strange, violent and terrifying ways of the world I get a glimpse of what's just outside my tiny bubble. Then I decide not to write because I'll get all nihilistic and get into being a misanthrope which will result in maximum negativity. Combine that with the current holiday season and well it turns into a sucking blacker than black vortex. 

So I don't write.

With that said and knowing my penchant for hating (ahem severely disliking) the last 6 weeks of the year for a multitude of reasons (radical consumerism wrapped up into a tight package of rabid right wing extreme religious piousness and an over all forgetfulness of decent human kindness) I have strove somewhat to be a bit more positive despite my leaning towards the negative in these final weeks of the year.

It all kicked off with the day after thanksgiving and my solo first annualish optoutside black friday ride.

I was rather surprised to see the parking lot of Dauset kinda of full despite the shopping holiday. I set about swilling beer doing last minute adjustments to the Trail Witch and I headed out. There was really no plan, just wanted to ride along on a fine fall day here in middle Georgia. The most folks I saw were near the trail head.
I went to perhaps one of my fave spots at Dauset. It's on the back side on the sandy creek trail. A little while back there was some major trail blockage by some huge trees. The local crew had to drag out the chain saws and clean it all up. Well one of them apparently has a sense of humor and carved this little smiley face. Now I ride by here take a seat on a stump and swill a trail beer. The area needs some more of this trail side art because for the most part it seems to be no huge vistas like what I grew use to out west. I digress though I am thankful for good riding close to where I live. I rode and then rode some more since it had been a long while since I was on the old Voodoo. I eventually made it back to the truck and just sat there and enjoyed the day.  I do admit for all my bitching about Georgia it is nice to be able to get out and enjoy a nice mid-60's temp on black friday. Eventually I made it back to the happening bachelor pad I call "home".

Once "home" I enjoyed another small thing I enjoy. Shower beers. I highly suggest you partake and enjoy one. It'll do nothing except make you smile...go ahead I'll wait...

I'm close all so close to the end of a very average semester. I've struggled with math in a grand way to the detriment of Biology. I only have 4 days til the semester over and then friends and two readers I'll be on the trail a bit more often in perhaps other places other than my own local riding spot. I'll close with a video that's a couple of years old. I challenge you not to smile and tap your foot while listening to "I was denied" by Thee Oh Sees:

 

The performance really reminds me of the fun raw energy of a damn good show. In the last few days I have watched that video quite a bit to remind me all that is good with the world in these violent terrifying weeks. Well onto studying soon...soon...soon I'll be outside.

Thanks for reading.