The grind

I have been in Colorado doing work for Caldera for a week so far. I have not had a day off since starting and am not sad about that as this was a trip for work. It is funny though how little I seem to have time for when not working. I am loving being out here, but definitely missing Tiff and Estes. This some fun work most of the time I must say. I mean, how often at your job are you asked to stand in for a Bond girl?

Good times, just weary.

Little bit of history repeating...

I am again on the road to begin work for Caldera here in Colorado. It was tough to take off and leave my little family, but I know this is the next right step. It also bemuses me to no end how I attached I become to my surroundings. As I was riding the bus to the airport to head out here on Thur, I was marveling at how much I enjoy Chicago. All the while, I knew Colorado would soon hold an identical sway over me in but a few hours. It's like a degree of predictable insanity knowing I will be switching so quickly. As a good friend put it recently though, and I like its better implications, it's wonderful to have two places you WANT to be. So true.

I am also disappointed to report that the battle with smoking has not been going as well. Temptation remains a weak place for victory still. While the few times I have fallen to the cigarette are but a drop in the bucket comparatively, the tap the is easily turned on with little or no fight I have seen. I am remaining determined to not let up on this resolution and will accept that it might mean facing several days as I have with a less than perfect battle record. As long as I don't just say "fuck it," I will remain optimistic. They say that is the only way, to just stay after it.

As for the job out here, it looks to be some time here in Loveland to be followed with a road gig. We'll see where it takes me, but rumors seem to indicate it will be out west. Yeah! Back in the truck! That will be fun, just hoping to not be solo for as long this time around. No 11hr shifts, man!



Stay tuned good buddy!

Ch, ch, changes...

A new year and and a new resolve to take on an old enemy. Smoking and I are again doing battle. I was hoping it would be a potential new year's resolution come true. I made it 3 days and fell into a minimal crutch behavior. While having 3 - 4 a day is such a considerable improvement, I know it would not last. Plus, in a less than smart maneuver I refused to stop using the patch. Everyday I am aspiring to do battle with this monkey on my back. As of today, I am riding my 6th clean day. I am doing better this go round and even manage to forget I am trying to quit something. I am running hard to forget as well. Hopefully this will benefit the marathon training to begin in a month. Stay tuned, with luck I will soon be able to smell the rain again.

Winter Biking thus far

My goal to ride throughout the winter here in Chicago has been going well thus far. The last couple days of real sloppy snow has given me far more slides than I would like, but my commutes to work have been smooth. I am holding fast to the rule if it is below zero (wind-chill), I will not ride. It takes a little of the "man-up" thinking out of place to have a rule. I benefited greatly from the suggestions I found online and thought I would offer what I have learned so far, should anyone feel the inclination to get out and try to ride. I will say this, the trails are vacant along the lake here in Chicago. It's nice to have zero traffic out there.

So here are some suggestions that are working:

1. Layers. I use a long sleeve tech shirt with a fleece layer over it. The outer layer is a thin all weather shell. Seemingly these are not enough for the weather, but after 5 min. of riding my torso is plenty warm. I am still wearing my regular Dickies for legs and Smartwool socks. I have been using Lobster gloves with occasional inner Smartwool liners. For the head, a simple stocking cap that comes down over the ears for under the helmet.

2. Serious need for fenders. I went with Planet Bike Grunge Board and rear flipper fender. These have been amazing and no longer are my pants getting damp in either direction.

3. Lights. More often than not, I am using my Chrome messenger bag to and from work. I use two rear lights on the bag and on up front. So far my near misses have not been of the variety that lights would have prevented since getting lit up.

4. Eye protection. When I am riding in the few daylight hours, my Oakleys are doing the trick. The half-jackets are not fogging at all, which helps. For night riding, I am using the super, awesome goggles Tiff got me for Christmas. They are working great. I will say though that keeping the freezing wing out of my eyes means a trade-off on face wraps at this point. That will induce fogging badly, so I am relying on my thicker winter beard for help there. The feeling of ice in the beard is kinda fun too.

Above all else though, the key has been having fun. I am enjoying the challenge so far and that has made it fun to try. The days it is not fun are the ones I am feeling obligated to this goal. That or when I have headwind coming AND going. Hopefully this will help if anyone decides to give it a go.

The next step is to try and figure out a way to keep the coffee and work shirt warm. Heh.

And so it begins

Here we are but hours or so into our new decade and I don't know about you, but I am already feeling better about things. As a survey, shoot me your ideas for a theme for the year. I was toying with a couple, but want to hear yours.

I for one will be trying to be a more attentive Captain. I was dismayed to see how Stupie had fallen by the way of some other. formerly great blogs, with very few updates. That is hardly the "defender of the obvious" I want at the helm. Here's to writing more. Hell just writing more about writing more is writing more... you get the idea.

Cheers!

Happy 2010!

Holiday Spirit

I pose this question to the tree of you, my avid readers: How does one find holiday spirit when it does not readily arrive with the decorations? I know a few folks that are having a tough time this year getting into the whole holly-jolly and I totally get it. At the same time, for most of my adult life I have faced the economic fears that many are suffering through now. One year, my big gift was boughs of reeds wrapped and offered for luck. Talk about strapped. Hell, I thought that might not even happen as the police were explaining to me the finer points about laws preventing people from removing things like reeds from National Parks. He actually had to think about it when I offered to take them back. .
I don't know how to impart that the holiday spirit need not come in a present or a fortune under the tree. It just has to do with finding some extra love and good will. At least that's what it seems like to me. What I have enjoyed most this year is watching how some have started being just a little nicer out there. That warms me up some. Christmas is about that to me. After this, we just get snow and fierce weather without twinkly lights.