couple of crazy weekends

June 7, 2009 – 7:52 pm

Today, we got a chance to wind down, which was well deserved after our last few weeks.

Last weekend, we were in Grand Rapids for the MMBA Wester Chapter hosting of the Midwest MTB Summit.  We were there from Thurday afternoon to Sunday, and got the meet some great people, learn some great stuff about MTB advocacy and trail building, and ride some awesome trails.  We were able to hit Fort Custer on the way out on Saturday, rode Cannonsburt Ski Area and Luton Park on Saturday, and Cannonsburt SGA on Sunday.  Also had a chance to have dinner with our friends, Lisa and Darrel, who we only see once in a great while when we’re in Grand Rapids.  Oh, and drank a LOT of beer.

This weekend was more of a condensed adventrue.  We left home @ 3:30PM on Friday, and headed to Cleveland for the Disco Biscuits concert.  We had dinner on the turnpike, and arrived a little after 8PM at the House of Blues.  Concert (which was GREAT, btw) ended about 1:15.  We headed out of town, with plans on stopping somewhere on the turnpike to grab a room.  We stopped in Avery, and got to sleep about 3AM.

Saturday, we were up by 7:30, and on the road by 8AM.  We arrived in Grand Rapids @ Founders Brewery for lunch at Noon.  We headed over the the hotel for the MMBA State Board meeting, which started at 2PM.  At ~4:30, we all headed over to Cannonsburg SGA, road a lap together, and then headed home, pulling in about 9:30PM.

Today has been pretty mellow.  We got the bugs washed off the Tahoe, picked up a trailer hitch, and dropped the chapter trailer off at Pete’s to be outfitted.  Grabbed some steaks on the way home, and fired up the grill.  After a shower, now it’s time to just chill out with some Coronas.

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The Poto

May 25, 2009 – 7:08 pm

It’s amsing how quickly you can fall out of the habit of posting.  Well, enough rambling about that.

This Memorial Day was spent doing some round the house work, and getting in a decent amount of riding.  Saturday, we did some house work, and built a 6′x8′ gound level deck off the back porch for our new grill, and ordered said grill.  Grill sound be here in about a week, more updates then.

Sunday, we were thinking about heading out to Stony, but before we mototivated ourselves off the couch, we got a email from Steve asking if we felt like riding from Dodge Park to Metro Beach and back.  And, we did.   So, we did.  Round trip gave us about 28 miles, so we decided to bounce from Dodge Park up to Utica via the bike paths, and got some custard from Erma’s.  Final distance was right around 37 miles.  (And the first 14 were mostly into the wind, making for a nice warmup.)

Today, we headed out to Poto for a Trails-Edge team ride.  About 20 people in total, and most of us stuck to 1 lap.  I had more in me, but we got a late start, and we had a couple of flats and one endo on the loops, so that slowed us down.  We ended up cutting the lap down to the 13 mile loop, and headed back to grill and chat.  I don’t get out to Poto often, and mostly during the middle of the summer, so riding in a nice cool day was extra nice.  Will have to make an effort to get out there once or twice more this season.

Google Map of the Poto ride.

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musical circle of life

April 22, 2009 – 5:46 pm

Couple of days ago, I saw this trials bike video, and I really enjoyed the song that they used, but never bothered to look it up.  Today, it was posted again on another site, and someone in the comments mentioned that the band was Band of Horses.  I bounced over to iTunes, and bought the album that the song is off.  I took a chance on it.  As I was checking out the bio page for the band on iTunes, I thought they looked familiar, and noticed that they were from South Carolina.  Their look, where they were from, and their sound was all striking a cord with me.  Then it stuck me, and the internets confirmed it.  They opened for Modest Mouse in Cleveland when we saw them in Aug of 07.   And I sorta liked them, but never remembed to check them out after.

Discovered them again today.

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No Lumberjack for me.

April 19, 2009 – 8:07 pm

After some thought and consideration, I’ve decided to sell my entry for the Lumberjack 100 this year. I realized that I had already started to stress myself over it. Anytime I thought about riding, I was concerned that I got a good “training ride” in, with lots of miles and hours, because LJ is right around the corner. Same whenever I thought about doing work around the house/yard instead of riding. The need to train for it was starting to sap the fun out of any riding I was doing. When it comes down to having to choose between training rides and fun rides/house stuff, I decided I didn’t want to keep making that decision. So, I’ve made it for the season.

I think it was the right thing to do, because after I decided, I headed out to Stony to just bounce around with some friends. Not having to think about getting miles in was a great weight off my shoulders, and I had the first really fun ride of the season. I think I made the right decision.

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Nick Needs….

February 26, 2009 – 11:30 am

Things that Goggle says I need (besides to post more often)

  • Nick needs meds
  • Nick needs a poo
  • Nick needs help
  • Nick needs a doctor
  • Nick needs to man up
  • Nick needs your cash to race
  • Nick needs to shave his ’stache
  • Nick needs a girlfriend
  • Nick needs a reminder
  • Nick needs to be more considerate
  • Nick needs a modern makeover
  • Nick needs to drop out?
  • Nick needs a sig
  • Nick needs a medic
I really had no idea I was so needy, but I better get rolling on these things.  Perhaps I’ll start with the girlfriend…hehe

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Life Flight

February 9, 2009 – 5:27 pm

Was leaving work today, and noticed security was parked with their lights on near the helipad.  They had also moved the cones out, indicating that a Life Flight was going to be landing soon.

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I stuck around and grabbed a few shots before heading home.  I posted a few of them up on Flickr.

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MintyBoost

February 8, 2009 – 8:49 pm

I’ve recently had the desire to get back into doing DIY electronic kits.  I did a few as a teenager, but lost interest in the years of marriage and kids.  I have a couple of things I’d like to build, but because they are a bit more advanced, I’m doing some simpler kits first, to get some practice soldering again.

Today, I did my first electronic kit on over 20 years.  It’s a MintyBoost, and is basicly a battery pack to recharge devices via USB.

2009_08_02_MintyBoost_1 - 5

Took perhaps 30 minutes to assemble.  Soldering was a bit slow at the beginnining, till I got the hang of it again.  I was able to invest in nicer tools that I had previously, and that also made a noticable difference.

I have another MintyBoost to assemble, and I have to get some tools so I can modify a couple Altoids Gun tins to mount them in.  But, I think I need to start to look at what I’d like to to next.  I need to try some SMT kits too.  Some of the kits I want to do will require that skill.

2009_08_02_MintyBoost_1 - 2

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wtf warm saturday

February 7, 2009 – 11:33 pm

What the hell?  It was like 4 freaking degrees out just 2 or 3 days ago?  and you expect me to just accept it being in the mid freaking 40s today?  In early February?

OK, I don’t have to understand it to enjoy it.  Some last minute emails and im chatting turned into a saturday afternoon ride around the local paths.

Route of todays ride. About 22 miles.

Route of todays ride. About 22 miles.

Got in a quick ride.  Lots of headwind, and the paths weren’t all clear.  Didn’t make it to Dodge Park, like we sort of planned.

Met up later @ Chicken Shack, and then headed over to Dragonmead.  Pretty good day all around.

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mumbling on a tuesday

January 27, 2009 – 11:47 pm

The weight is being stubborn.

I’ve started to get back into the biking for the season, mostly spinning, but a couple times outside this month.  I’ve trimmed back on the intake too.  Not full out veggies and water, but a noticable scaling back.  But, the weight is not going much of anywhere.  It’s like an unwanted house guest.  I think I need to turn up the intensity a bit and drop the 20# I’m looking to get rid of.

I think I’m going to start getting outside more, trying to get in some longer rides.  I need some 2-3 hour rides, to start to get the legs in shape.  The strength is there, I need the endurance.  Especially since I’m on the hook for the Lumberjack this year.  I think I have a shot.

Speaking of which, I think I’m going to be back mainly on gears next year.  #1 reason is that I know I need gears to have a chance at LJ.  I don’t have the legs for 100 miles of that course with a single gear.  If I complete it, I’ll consider trying it on SS.  I won’t be off the SS completely, but I doubt I’ll touch it much before LJ.

Tried out my new AmFib bib tights on Sunday night, and they were perfect.  I think this will help me get out more while its still cold.  But, I don’t think I’ll be joining the WRC just yet.  But, the paths around here are more then good enough for some riding.  Well, once they get the snow off them…again.

Getting some riding in this weekend…heading to Ray’s in Cleveland on Saturday.  Probably stop at the Buckeye Beer Engine too, of course.  And the Super Bowl party @ Mike and Kim’s on Sunday.

Perhaps I’ll shoot for once a week outside till it starts to warm up a bit.  I hope it’s not a wet spring….again.

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End of an Error

January 20, 2009 – 7:53 am

All Done.

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