Thursday, June 30, 2005

Fireflys

Threw another 30 miles on tonight in addition to the 21 from this morning. Legs very tired, and the ride went until sundown. I was escorted home by the first fireflys I've seen this year. That was pretty cool.

Had some neat changes this week to my cycling. For one thing, I've been riding enough that the wind doesn't hurt anymore, which is very very good. It still slows me when I'm going into it and all, but it doesn't break my moral.

Endurance sports are all about getting used to the pain (well, if you aren't just out to see the countryside, which is fine too, but not really sport at that point, just a leisure activity). Getting stronger makes you faster, but I think it is surprising how much of a factor getting your mind used to adversity is. You start to do the things you used to shy away from because you knew they'd hurt. Like sprinting out of every turn or maintaining effort into the wind. String enough consecutive days of riding together, and you see gains that far outstripe the improvements in your physical capabilities. I'm sure there is a life lesson there somewhere.

I also had some nice recovery cycles forced my cardio system by being thrashed by the top riders at Fat Frogs. I'm back to a place where 30 mph for short periods isn't instant death. With good tactics, I can hang on for some of the more serious rides. Well, longer anyway. I'm still going to get my teeth kicked in on the Saturday morning free for all, but maybe I'll be able to hang on to the turnaround. With the knee problems that knocked out my spring riding, it is tough to hang with good riders on midseason form. But trying is still rewarding.

What is She Doing With Her Hands?

Settling in to watch the Brewers and Cubs again today. Carlos alreay had a 2 run jack off of Maddux in the first (woot). 'bout time the crew had a lead in the series.

But I'm still a little confused trying to figure out what was going on with the Anthem singer.

She violated several of my rules of anthem singing. First, her rendition took almost long enough to require a potty break. Second, many additional syllables and notes. Stick to the song sweetheart, it isn't a pop song, you don't have creative license with this baby.

But the worst was the hands. If she'd been signing along, her hands probably would have been moving less. Just leave it out.

And Jerry Hairston hits one out for the Cubes. Wind is howling out towards Waveland Ave. Going to be a lot of runs today.

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Diligence

Blech. These have been the longest three days of the whole "Post-D" time. The funny thing is, it should probably be the time when it feels like things are starting to move faster, but not so much.

I have a wiff of my first choice job, but I'm waiting for a call. Sooo, common sense says not to leave the house during business hours. Only been out for 3 hours doing a favor for someone. Can't even go out into the yard to cut the grass. That alone makes for some long days.

A stack of little uglies (Napster sucks, flat tire to start ride tonight, Brewers lose 2, the death of soccer, can't get to Origins to pitch cause I have to be here, rework on the proposal, new compressor for the A.C. ($800 ding), bike ride rained out tues night) hasn't helped. Add to that getting caught off guard by one of the bigger personal disappointments I've had in a long time and it has been a month in just 3 days.

But I remember what a smart man said to me not too long ago. Diligence is the key at times like this. So I threw out another couple of resumes today, cooked dinner for K, and bought a Six Demon Bag for Mia on WoW.

Updated Plan


Updated Plan
Originally uploaded by sethsdisciple.
A couple of notes about the plan.

First, as the Brewers appear completely unable to score some friggin' runs at Wrigley (0-2 the last two days), I've changed my mind. Wrigley goes.

Now, a point was raised about the plan that deserves some consideration.

"Get the people out of Illinois so the work can begin.

OK, that would seem to be a major hole in your plan. After all, it is not the actual land IL sits on that sucks, but rather it is the people who live there that suck.

Maybe if we could get them to go somewhere else where everyone suck, like France or something, then that would be cool, but if we doze their land while they are up here in Milwaukee, then they are likely to stay, and Milwaukee will suck..."

I think we have to trust that something really screwed up is going on in that state that makes the people act like that. I don't know what! It has obviously baffled science for years. We would have fixed if we could!

So maybe they can be rehabilitated if we doze their lands and get rid of the source. Don't we have to believe in the basic decency of human beings (even FIBs)?

But if that don't work, we can always round them up again and set up some sort of Escape from New York like setup in White Sox park. We mine the Dan Ryan expressway and post guards on the Skyway bridge and at the Mars Cheese Castle.

Napster, the Legal Version



Originally uploaded by sethsdisciple.
I bought an MP3 player a few weeks agbo to take on my rides with me. With this remarkable piece of technology, I got a free month of "Napster to Go," the service they've been trying to advertise against ITunes (or any other service selling for 99c a song). The premise is a flat monthly fee of about 15 bucks for "unlimited downloads."

I'll admit up front that I don't understand (nor do I really care about) all of the recording industry/online music service whoha. Whatever. Just describe a service to me, and then do what you advertise.

Well, because I had a free month with the purchase of the MP3 player, I thought I'd give it a try.

Let us just say that I'll be canceling before I have to pay.

My first issue is that once you get in and start browsing songs, you find that not all of the songs are actually free to download. Many of the groups (Queen, Dave Matthews, Rush) have some or even most of their songs with the 99c pricetag on them. WTF? Isn't this what I was paying to avoid?

Next, the interface is less than friendly. Pushbuttons all over the place (top, bottom, left, right).

Napster was apparently down one day when I was getting ready for a ride, and I couldn't even alter my playlists or connect to my MP3 player to change anything with the songs I already had.

The final staw happened today when I spent 2 hours working on my playlists. I thought I was searching out a song here and a song there from a bunch of different groups and downloading them. I hit the download button by the song. It didn't send me any error message. Now, it also never notes that you have pulled it off either. Anyways, at the end of the two hours, I go to the download screen expecting to see about 60 or 70 songs stacked up there to move to my player, and there were 4.

So I checked the status of my account, and went snooping to see if I had hit some sort of limit, and didn't see it anywhere (and even if I did, it should have given me an error message). Tried to download some more, and nothing.

So I'm out.

Delusions of Grandeur


Danica
Originally uploaded by sethsdisciple.
Well, it is true that Ego/Confidence is an important part of the makeup of a race driver. You have to trust than your skills will keep you safe while you do something so inadvisable as to drive a car at 200+ MPH. However, Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon doesn't get it.

"There are guys out there other than Danica, probably some better," Wheldon commented. "It wasn't just Danica pushing up the television ratings by 40 (actually 59) percent, it was all 33 drivers. I keep telling the IRL that we need to be pushing all the personalities more in front of different people. She's not the only driver that has a fan base."

Sorry Danny, dead wrong. She was the reason people were watching. Nice that there was some good racing, both by her, and by you, but you didn't raise the ratings one point. You were around (and won the series!) when they were trash. What changed?

Speaking of Danica, top 10 at Richmond last week. Hung around, learned some lessons, kept the car clean when she didn't have a top car on a tough track. It will be interesting to see how she does this week on a track that more resembles the tracks where Rahal's team has run well this year.

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Welcome to Illinois

So I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Well, for years actually. And I've had reason to! Check out the places that I lived for the first 25 years of my life.

Places I've Lived

Pretty much had it surrounded. The one thing I found in all three places is that, really, nobody likes Illinois. In Wisconsin (where I spent most of those years), we had a term for people from Illinios. The acronym is FIBs. The last two words are Illinios Bastards. You guess what the first is. In St. Loius, people from Illinois are referred to as Hoosiers, and it is pretty derrogitory there too. Think "bumpkin."

Things I know about Illinois. The drivers suck (I mean SUCK). I try to convince my wife that they are worse than Maryland, which I believe. It is at least a draw. Traffic sucks. A lot. White Sox stadium sucks. Worst, most sterile park in the majors. But at least you are likely to get stabbed walking to your car. The Bears do now, and always shall, suck.

Since I have had time, and have the experience, I've come up with a plan.

Phase 1

Get the people out of Illinois so the work can begin.

Stage 1

But how, pray tell, do you get them out? Got it covered. First, we go on the premise that everyone in the state lives in Chicago. A bit of an assumption, but fairly accurate. So all we have to do is empty the city.

Three things should do it.

Every good cheesehead knows that most of Chicago is driving up I94 to Summerfest in Milwaukee every July, and driving back later that night completely bombed. That takes care of most of them right there.

Next, schedule the Cubs to play in St. Louis during Summerfest. Happens every so often, so it shouldn't be too hard to force. That takes care of the stragglers on the north side. Finally, get Notre Dame to schedule an exhibition football game during the summer, as eveyone knows that most people who graduate from Notre Dame move to Chicago.

Stage 1a

Still have a few hardy souls hanging around? Maybe the three people who grow all that corn in the southern part of the state? You sure that isn't being done by robots these days?, Ok, I can get them out. Tell them "I heard that walleye are biting up north at the lake!" and watch them head out to der cabin up der in Chippawa Falls.

Stage2
Phase 2
Ok, now we use our three rallying points, and send in the machinery.

Stage 3

Flatten the bitch. Except for a few choice bits. Those should be preserved so the peoples of Wisconsin, Indiana, and Missouri, in recognition of their suffering at the hands of various FIBs crossing the borders, can enjoy the newly renamed "Illinois State Park."

No, really, turn the whole state into a park. With a 24 lane wide freeway (notice, freeway, not another damn toll road in Illinios!) connecting Milwaukee, South Bend, and St. Louis.

The final plan:

Renovations

Sunday, June 26, 2005

A Good Day Today


RainyJoe
Originally uploaded by sethsdisciple.
Overall, today was a lot of fun.

Got in a rain ride with Joe (and didn't crash, which I did on the last rain ride with him in Indy). And he didn't end up buying a new phone as a result of this ride (plus).

There was queso (a mistake?) at lunch with Kathy and Joe afterwards. But the lunch was great. Nice to see Kathy feeling a little better.

A long sleepy Brewer game, which they lost, but still won the series. Sunday afternoons are made for long sleepy Brewer games.

There was the natural flavor of the grill at CKs, and some gamedesign/play. And Kathy was Dancing with Cheryl in the other room.

zilla5

And I got to see a new dessert selection, one which I find it quite likely I will never try! That being said, I was drinking diet coke and eating ice cream, so who am I to throw stones.

dietcokefloat

Dead Man Riding


deadmanwalking
Originally uploaded by sethsdisciple.
Kathy showed me this picture from the Little 500. Apparently the crash was in the first lap. The guys on the ground are in trouble, sure, but imagine what is going through the mind of the guy circled. He is about to go for the Big Ride, and has time to realize it. Sucks to be him. He is going over the bars, and likely headed for either:

A) a broken collar bone (the cyclists badge of honor), or;

2) the dentist.

This whole event is also known as a yardsale, because soon there will be shit spread all over the lawn.

Redemption


Redemption
Originally uploaded by sethsdisciple.
Sometimes there is sadness. But then on other days there is joy.

Back in the Game


playtesting
Originally uploaded by sethsdisciple.
What does early game design look like?

Well, there are often little paper squares.

There are sometimes toys.

If you have CK around, there are boxes of widgets you can use. Tonight, it was Monopoly houses and hotels.

There is a laptop for notes.

There is diet coke. Lots of diet coke.

There are more paper squares.

Sometimes there is icecream.

And if you are very lucky, there is Joe and CK.

Saturday, June 25, 2005

Some Cycling Notes

The Tour starts next weekend. I hope I have a job by the time the Tour ends, of course, but I will enjoy watching the stages in some more detail this year while I can.

Some key days for the tour:

Saturday, July 16 into Ax 3 Domaines (mountaintop)

Sunday, July 17 into Pla-d'Adet (mountaintop)

Saturday, July 23 Saint Etienne (time trial)

Maybe I'll come down for some d'Egg breakfast and and watch a tour stage or two with B-rad on the 16th and/or 17th. I can almost hear Phil Liggett, the voice of the Tour, now. "And Armstong looks magnificent today."

Speaking of good audio, I picked up an MP3 player to accompany me on the bike (don't tell the cops). I'm starting to figure out what songs seem to make the legs go
'round a bit faster.

On the good list:

Where the Streets Have No Name - U2
Desire - U2
Fat Man - Jetro Tull
Heart of the Sunrise - Yes
Found a Job - Talking Heads
Road to Nowhere - Talking Heads
Just a Ride - Jem

On the not so good list:

Just about any Rush stuff
The O.C. stuff except that Jem song
Any thing to soft to hear a beat over the wind
One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer (I thought that would have been a good one)

Still to be tried, but with potential:

Beastie Boys

Any suggestions?

I'm also thinking good thoughts about John, the very talented wrench at my local bike shop, Fat Frogs. Any bitchy little thing wrong with my bike, he drops what he is doing to hook me up. This week he changed my pedals, installed a new brake cable, uncorroded my rear break, and fixed my creaking seat (which was actually moving and causing me knee problems). For that, I made a batch of spaghetti and brought it to him for lunch today.

And unrelated to cycling, my dad left a message on my answering machine today from Miller Park while the Twins were beating the Brewers 5-2. Then Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder hit home runs and the Brewers just won 8-7. I can't wait to return that phone call!

Friday, June 24, 2005

I Think I Know

...Charlottesville is a better route than D.C.to go from Virginia Beach to Columbus.

...if someone asks you to hold an empty glass before taking your picture, they just might be laughing at you, rather than with you.

...Derrick Turnbow is a goofy looking Mofo.

...if the breadhouse goes with me to Columbus, I'll eat well on the trip.

...it is nice to hear people tell you that you look like you are losing weight.

...I'm not as big a fan of Moblogging as some. Content issues.

...Mechagodzilla has a short-range laser in its chest.

...one of the visitors to this blog got here via a search for Dario Franchitti shirtess. He is Mr. Ensign Leffler.

...more (a lot more!) got here via a search for Danica Patrick, who will have more success in racing than Lynn St. James or Sarah Fischer.

...I hope all of the people that I worked with at my last company keep blogging. I mean it. You better.

...if my family is a democracy, K wins all votes while carrying Pavel(ina). After that, I think the person that most recently changed a diaper gets the proxy vote.

Disappointment


Cheryl
Originally uploaded by sethsdisciple.
Cheryl had been promised a second batch of queso. Someone (who shall remain nameless but whose name rhymes with Joe) let her down.

She might still be there now. Waiting. Sad.

Thursday, June 23, 2005

Villians, I Say to You, Knock Off All That Evil!


Defender of The City
Originally uploaded by sethsdisciple.
"Sorry I haven't been around much lately. I'm easily distracted by shiney things."

Welcome back blue buddy. I've missed you!

The cartoon network's rights to The Tick animated series must have finally run out. For years they apparently owned them, but never ran the show (after running it to death for about half a year). The Tick is airing on Disney every night at 11 p.m.

K and I like to have something on TV to fall asleep to, and for a long time is was The Tick. Disney was even kind enough to put it on at the same time Cartoon Network used to.

Some words to remember:

"Spoon!"

"We've got to UPGRADE THE APPARATUS chum."

"Gravity is a harsh mistress."

"No, must fight, mustn't succumb to the rapture of the bread."

"When you get in bed with evil incarnate, it always takes the covers."

Did I mentioned that I met Ben Endlund? Even got a hat signed by him. What a fanboy...

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Looking to Kill Some Time?

You know who you are. Click on the snowman in the middle.

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

My Dad and I


My Dad and I
Originally uploaded by sethsdisciple.
Here is my Father's Day post. It would have been done on Father's Day, but I couldn't find the digital camera with this picture from my recent trip. I was pretty sure it came back from my western swing, but I was too afraid to ask Kathy in case I had lost it. Turns out it was in the place where the digital camera goes (I finally thought to look there this morning).

I'm going to own up to this one. I don't know what to write about him.

This is a guy who worked and worked and gave me chances to see and do things that not everyone gets to do. And that was very important to him. I tried not to be a spoiled brat, but with only marginal success I think. In fairness, it is hard to have the perspective when you are 10 to appreciate all that you are getting to see and do.

But that getting to see and do, I got from my dad. And he worked to make it happen. He ran Acme-Waco Oil company, which meant delivering heating oil to homes, and deisel to trucks. Thing is, one of those you do mostly in the day and one of those you do mostly at night. I didn't realize what it meant when I was growing up, but during the winter he would go to work delivering homes in the morning, come home for dinner and a bath, and then go back out to fuel the trucking companies until after midnight.

During all of that, he made time to help found the youth hockey program in Milwuakee (the two times I won it, it seemed strange to me to win the award named after my dad for best goaltender). Took me to Bucks games, and to Madison for Badger hockey games most friday and saturdays from Oct. to March.

Not that we were usually cheering for the same team at a lot of those events. He is a huge Minnesota sports fan. Vikes, Twins (see the hat he is wearing to the Brewer game), U of Minnesota, etc. Teams which tend to be the arch rival to the Wisconsin teams. And he is a teaser, so he would let me know it when his boys had the upperhand.

Not that everything we did was sports. We got to go to Australia when I was 10 to visit my Aunt and Uncle. We went to D.C. to see all of the capital stuff. We went drove to Portland, OR to visit other relatives, but very wanderingly, and saw things like Mt. Rushmore and the Grand Coulee Damn along the way. Think Clark Grizzwald, but in (a bit) more control. A trip to Europe with my parents when I was 18.

Some random memmories with my Dad:

Days at the ballpark with the Brewer Pepsi Fanclub.

Nights waiting in the car at ABF while he fueled trucks.

Trips to the Chicago Stadium where he had me wear the Minnesota Northstar jersey.

Trips to Wrigley Field.

Getting up at 2:30 a.m. to drive to Indy for timetrials.

Playing the trivia game in the car driving to some random place.

Hearing about the jobs he used to have. I don't think he ever repeated one. Selling peanuts at the park, taking tickets for the Colts, working the dodge'em cars at the Minnesota State Fair, and a hundred more.

Honey sundaes and The Old Mill at the Minnesota State Fair.

Getting caught in a thunder storm at Disney World.

Giving up a goal in hockey and laying on the ice pouting, only to hear a banging on the glass behind me with my dad frowning and motioning for me to 'get up, get up.' When I got up, he stopped frowning. A lesson I've always taken with me.

Dinners at the Hot Fish Shop in Winona, MN driving home from St. Paul. Good onion rings, better walleye.

Dad getting up on Sunday mornings to drive my on my paper route, even a January morning where the temp was -26 before the windchill. Bacon and Egg sandwiches at George Webbs after.

Watching wrestling of all damn things with him on Sunday mornings after church.

Walking through the pits at hundreds of races.

Saturday, June 18, 2005

Wishing There Was More to Talk About

Blech. Have I mentioned that I hate waiting?

On the plus side, I was reminded once again of a movie that would be VERY HIGH on my top 10, Big Trouble in Little China. Wonderful quotes, and one of the first Kim Cattrall sightings (my best friend in highschool had a BIG Kim Cattrall thing).

Egg Shen: Can see things no one else can see. Do things no one else can do.
Jack Burton: Real things?
Egg Shen: As real as Lo Pan!
Jack Burton: Hey, what more can a guy ask for?
Egg Shen: Oh, a six-demon bag!
Jack Burton: Terrific, a six-demon bag. Sensational. What's in it, Egg?
Egg Shen: Wind, fire, all that kind of thing!

Jack Burton: That is not water.
Egg Shen: Black blood of the Earth.
Jack Burton: Whatcha mean? Oil?
Egg Shen: I mean, black blood of the Earth.

Jack Burton: When some wild 8 foot tall maniac grabs your neck, backs the back of your favorite head against a bar room wall and looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if you've paid your dues, well you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye and you remember what old Jack Burton always does at a time like that. Have you paid your dues Jack? Yes sir, The check is in the mail"

You don't get dialog like that anymore...

Monday, June 13, 2005

When Your Wife's Parents Were Lobbyists...

You can ask a question like "Did you ever meet the Kennedys?" Of course, the Kennedys are family friends of my family from way back, and I couldn't remember if K had met them on a trip back to, Wisconsin.

She said, "which ones?" and I realized she meant she had met THE Kennedy family. Except, as she said, John, as he was a little dead by then. What a trap.

Friday, June 10, 2005

Mmmm, Rickie Weeks

Another part of the future arrives, and an actual 5th starter to boot!

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Some Thoughts

Benny two hit the Yanks over seven innings tonight, and the pen held. Sweet.

Has anyone been watching ESPN this week? You can't get through a commercial break without an ad for DaniCa's race this weekend. And a 1 hour "Danica's Raod to Indy" before the race. Maybe I can snow CK into watching the race with me.

Going to Milwaukee tomorrow to visit my parents, but mainly my dad. Turns out that the company that he sold his company to, with the understanding that he would hang around for about 2 years and then retire, is finally forcing him to retire (I think it is about 4 years after the fact now). It is good and bad. He has to get his health in order, but he isn't all that sure what he is going to do with himself, I think. He doesn't know how to not be working. And then some other goofy stuff has been happening that has him down, like the stockbroker managing their retirement dying, and then the new one dying suddenly not 6 months later.

Just a one day stop, then back to see my wifey. Maybe we'll go to Harborfest...NOT! Only fucking Norfolk would block the main street of their city for a business day for a shitty little fest with some trailor vendors selling cotton candy and funnel cakes.

Really hope things work out in St. Louis. There is just a buzz around a city big enough to be major league. The question is NEVER is there something to do? It is which of the many things do I want to do? And because the infrastucture her is built to support residents, and not tourists, I can actually get to those places more quickly than in V.B. Ok, done kicking dirt on H.R., but they asked for it after the soccer fiasco today. How fucking bush league.

I found out that my sister in law is an O.C. watcher. WHO KNEW? She said she missed some episodes this year, but I can catch her up I'm sure. Also, Adam Brodey is the same IRL as on The O.C. After seeing him on Leno tonight, I may go see Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

Am I watching the X-Files tonight to see all of the F.B.I. Agents?

My 14 year old nephew is F A S T. He has the same power I do, but weighs less than half as much. Obviously he is going to fly around a bike track. He finished ninth in the B race tonight (the Bs here are pretty stout). In other bike racing news, Brandon won his first race tonight in the Virginia Beach tuesday night crits. When I met Brandon, he was 12 or 13 and about 40 pounds overweight. That is a lot for a kid his age. Then he started riding and riding (his parents were going through a divorce, and I think he turned to the bike and bike shop to get him through). Now he is fast and beat up on an adult field to take the prize. I couldn't be happier or prouder.

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

Special Agent Tom?

CK's post does a nice job of summing up the atmosphere of a Job Fair. Except mine was in a hotel with the pool area right outside the door (and it is about 90 in St. Louis). So it was hot and I was in a suit, and the pool made it steamy, so I was sweatin'. I'd go and talk to one group, and then go outside to regroup, and forget the pool was out there waiting to make me sweat worse. So then I'd have to go to the cooler part of the lobby to stop and towel off. And I had to hoist around everyone's shwag and try to keep my pack of resumes from getting too crumpled.

I think that is why the tell you to bring a bunch of resumes to the job fair. So you can wreck 10 to 15 of 'em in shwag juggling and still have enough pristine ones to give out.

On the shwag front, I got a reading light, a small notebook and pen, and a cool stick/gummy dart that you can throw at computer monitors.

I talked to a bunch of technical people, and if I had those conversations to do again, I would do better (one of the reasons for coming out was to get some practice).

When I went up to the company that I really want to get in with, the guy scanned my resume, looked at me and said "have you applied on line? Because that is the only way to get your resume in front of the managers for the jobs you are applying for. I'll show this around to the other recruiters." And I thought two things. First, why did I just talk to you (unless I misunderstand how much good him showing it around will do), and second, did I just get blown off? I'm hoping that he meant that assesing my resume and situation, I'm already doing everything I can, which is possible given the very strict procedure they have for filling job postings. I saw the guy showing someone else the job website when I walked up, so the people they had there may have just been directing people to it.

Other interesting things. I talked with a guy with a company that was down from Milwaukee. He said my last name, and said it sounded familiar. I asked him where he went to high school, and sure enough he went to Thomas More as well. He was there right between when my brother and I were. But that wasn't where he knew the name from. He is that company's contact for a project my brother is working on (my brother recognized his name and told me that, this guy didn't remember while we chatted).

And I stopped by the FBI booth to see what they had for engineering. The conversation started with me saying "Well, I'm kind of curious about what you guys are looking for?" Dorky, but I was! Turns out that the engineering plant is all in Quantico, which I'm not too keen on. But then she said "how old are you?" I told her, and she said, "ever think about being an agent?" Well, now, hmmmm, hadn't considered it...

Monday, June 06, 2005

The Arch


Arch
Originally uploaded by sethsdisciple.
Did you know that the Arch doesn't show up on radar? No shit. I once saw a radar picture of downtown St. Louis. There was a big hole where the arch should have been.

I heard what may turn out to be an urban legend that said that the stealth planes had some of their principles based on the arch (no curves on them, the Arch is a whole lot of flat panels).

Anyways, saw the Arch today, along with some of the other elements of my old days in St. Louis. Got beaten up by my nephew on a bike ride. Ironed my shirt for the interviews tomorrow (HATE the ironing).

To do tomorrow morning:

Shave.
Delint my suit.
Get my resumes printed up at Kinkos (is the 24 hour kinkos a thing of the past? we went by several tonight and they were closed).
Get my newphew to tie my tie for me.
Smile til my face hurts.

Saturday, June 04, 2005

Western Swing

1:15 am and I'm up watching the Brewers and Dodgers. Should be getting a good night sleep before the big drive, but I'm just now starting to get sleepy. And hey, Billy Hall just hit a 3 run jack to make it 7-2 (on top of Carlos's Grand Slam in the first).

This happens all the time when the Brewers head west. Boy does it screw my sleep patterns. Same thing when the Blues head west during the hockey season. Ug. But I think that is really part of being a fan. You hurt, and it feels like you are giving to support your team. As a bonus, I get to listen to Vin Scully call the game on the Dodger broadcast. Bill and Darron aren't bad on the Brewer casts, but they don't hurt for the occasional change.

7-3 now (stupid walks).

I'm heading out tomorrow (er, today now) for a couple of potential interviews. Should be a good experience at least. Plus a little house scouting. And speaking of a western swing, the trip is to the Gateway to the West, St. Louis. Long drive, but I'll need the car, and I'll be able to drag my bike along as well and do some rides with my brother.

7-4 now. Both walks have come around. And now 7-5 on a play to bizarre to describe.

Er, I better wrap this thing up before it gets any worse.

Friday, June 03, 2005

More Rain


Wet
Originally uploaded by sethsdisciple.
I felt like dog poo yesterday...bad sleep, bad diet, felt some stress sneaking up on me, etc. Generally, the best cure for that for me is a ride.

Unfortunately, it was raining pretty good most of the day. That didn't mean that I had to wait for the wettest, windiest part of the day to go out, of course, but somehow I pegged it.

I got out there and was soaked in the first 5 minutes, complete with squishy shoes from the water the front wheel throws up, and the line of road grit up my back from the water the back wheel throws up.

I was good about observing the first rule of wet weather cycling though. Though shalt not get up out of the saddle, unless though also wants the place where your butt meets the saddle to be wet. If that happens, we have some chafing issues of the first degree.

But then, about 40 minutes into the ride, I realized that I really had to pee. Musta been all of the water. Anyways, I've seen the riders in the Tour take "nature breaks" while riding along. I started trying to figure out how to position myself to do it (remember, this is deepest, darkest pungo with only the snakes to watch), and the only way I could think of would have had me peeing on my leg. Not good.

So, I had to stop to pee, which caused me to break the first rule, but it was late enough in the ride that the consequences weren't too dire.

And it looks like another day of rain. Might have to search for some pictures of riders taking nature breaks if I want to go out today...what a goofy search that would be.