Living in a town of 6000 in the middle of corn fields presents it's own difficulties, especially for a cyclist and triathlete. In my four years here I have seen exactly one cyclist, a guy who never wears a helmet and usually has a pro team jersey. The problem is that I would always see him when I was at practice or running or in my car and never had a chance to talk to him. This past saturday I woke up feeling kind of blah and cold. As the day progressed I wavered back and forth about riding. It was a sunny, warm day, almost too good to pass up and my training has been awful recently. Finally I decided to go ride at about 3 or 4 figuring if I felt bad after ten minutes I could turn around and come home and still get in 20 minutes of aerobic work. I also believe that when you are sick you need to get the blood moving, get the antibodies moving throughout the body and sweat it out. I planned to ride a route that would take about an hour at a fairly easy pace. I got started and about ten minutes in I was feeling pretty good so I decided to do the whole route. As I was riding on one road that heads east to an intersection where I planned to turn south I saw three riders ahead of me. They were all on road bikes (most of the riders I see are on Wal-Mart bikes) and looked to be wearing cycling shorts and jerseys! Now came the hard part, I had to decide whether to chase them down and turn north and stick to my route. They were far enough ahead that I knew to catch them I was going to have to ride hard. I had one of those moments when you think about 100 things in a second or two and made my decision. Too many times in my past I have done things that I regret not just going for, like not asking a girl out, or not taking the lead in a race when I felt good or not doing something that the kids at school might think was uncool, but I wanted to do...I was afraid. We all have these regrets, not necessarily things we truly want to go back and change but just things that, when you are reminded of that person or that event, you think "I should have done that." I know that going back and changing these things would mean I would not have had most of the experiences I have had, not have most of the friends I have, achieved some of the things I have achieved, not met my wife, not had my son, etc. so I don't really want to go back and change them, but I do wonder what would be different if I had. Back to the story. I knew if I didn't try to catch them I would be laying in bed that night kicking myself for not trying...so I did. I put my head down and put the hammer down...though, being sick the hammer was more of a small mallet! I finally caught up with them about five miles later and found out they were three local guys training for a Half Ironman Triathlon.
The dictionary defines Synchronicity as "an apparently meaningful coincidence in time of two or more similar or identical events that are causally unrelated." Last tuesday JP was home from school sick, so I stayed home to care for him and CBS College Sports showed the men's and women's college triathlon national championships. Watching them and seeing how into it JP was getting (When the bike legs started he kept pointing to the riders and saying "bike" or "hat," what he calls helmet. and cheering for the competitors) had me thinking about figuring out a way to get back into triathlons. My small town has two pools but only one has lap swim and it is one night a week, so after the first year I was here I stopped doing triathlons. I had this interest in getting back and just days later I meet three triathletes who live here in town, are nice guys and have a swim time set up a few days a week with the local pool. We exchanged numbers and I thought that I had better warn them about my lack of running and swimming before I work out with them and get to running! They also told me the race they were training for was Steelhead, a Half Ironman in Benton Harbour, MI, the one I have done twice!
On sunday I was feeling much better so I went for an easy hour ride to get some miles in and recover from my effort catching those guys on saturday. About 7.5 miles into my ride I heard my text ring tone and checked it. It was Jeff, one of the guys I had met on saturday, asking if I wanted to ride. I said dure but that I was doing a recovery ride. It was great he had no problem going my speed, we talked about all kinds of stuff and really got along and when I said I was probably too slow to run with his running group he convinced me that I could run with them. It was so nice to meet people I could train with, that I got along with and that were not what I call "athletisnobs." You know, those people who isn't as fast or as good as they are and, if you aren't, treat you like a lesser species.
A connecting principle
Linked to the invisible
Almost imperceptible
Something inexpressible
Science insusceptible
Logic so inflexible
Causally connectible
Yet nothing is invincible
...And now for something completely different
Today at the Giro d'Italia, a rider for the LeOpard-Trek team crashed on a mountain descent and died. Wouter Weylandt was his name and I hope that you will say a little prayer for him and his family and friends. Tragedies like this really make you think how precious life is and how often we take risks.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Background vocals , Base Layers and The Power of the Ride
Yesterday by the time I got home from work I was seething. I had discussed an issue with my boss and about an hour or so later that exact issue came up and, once again, I received no backup. I now have zero power when it comes to disciplining a certain segment of the students I work with. When I got I knew what I had to do...go for a bike ride. I geared up and hit the road. It was under a leaden sky with temps about 43 and misting...oh and the usual wind. About five minutes into my ride I had decided to quit as of the end of the day Thursday. Another ten minutes and I was going to think about it over the weekend but spend Thursday after school looking for another job. By the time I turned around to head home, thirty-five minutes into the ride, I had decided to stick with it and just do the job the best I can and if 11.12 and 13 year olds laugh at me because they know I have no power and that nothing will happen if I write them up, then so be it. It was funny because I was so angry the first half of the ride that I was on auto pilot and on the way back kept thinking "I don't remember riding past that house" or farm or truck, etc.!
I learned the power of a ride or a run at a young age. There is nothing better then a ride or run when you are angry or frustrated. I have always told the teams I have coached that we, as athletes, have a gift in that for an hour, 30 minutes, two hours, whatever, can put everything aside and just focus on pushing ourselves. We can take out that anger in a productive and healthy way. I don't ever remember seeing that one of these people who shot up a school or a McDonalds or a mall, etc. where athletes. Now, don't get me wrong, athletes do bad things I just think we have a chance to get our anger out in healthy ways. I can't tell you how often I have been mad at my dad,brother, friends,girlfriend, wife, boss, teacher, etc. and went for a run or a ride and felt 100 times better afterward. I think it's a combination of the endorphins released during exercise and the time you get to think about things. I have also solved many a problem during a run or ride. I think the world would be a better place if everyone ran or rode.
Craft base layers are great! I have some money put aside for cycling this season and, with two races canceled I decided to use some of that money to get some new base layers. I found some great deals on products by Craft and went for it. I got two, one for warm weather and one for cold weather. The warm weather one is the Craft Pro Cool Sleeveless. The pros use base layers like this in the summer for three reasons: 1) Wicking sweat 2) The way the fibers are stitched it is supposed to help air flow around your body and keep you cool 3) The extra layer give the jersey something to slide against in a crash rather then against your skin. It is very comfortable and felt good on a relatively warm ride. The cold weather on is the Craft Zero Extreme Windstopper. This one has a nice warm fiber that wicks sweat, is long sleeved and has a windstopper layer on the chest and shoulders. I wore it yesterday in 43 degree, windy and misty weather with just a light long sleeved jersey and a light rain jacket and it was perfect. I highly recommend Craft baselayers. (Craft should be sending me all kinds of free gear after that endorsement!)
On my way in to school today I was listening to "First Wave" the 80's alternative station on XM. They played Howard Jones "No One Is To Blame" and it got me thinking about how many 80's songs had backing vocals by stars. Phil Collins did the backing vocals on that song, the guys from The Hooters did backing vocals on "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper, Don Henley on Bob Seger's "Like A Rock" to name a few. The only credit they got was in the liner notes and they just did the background stuff. Today if another star is on a song, they have to have a solo spot and must get credit such as "Band Name featuring, Solo Singer." I thought the 80's were the decade of greed?!?!?!
I learned the power of a ride or a run at a young age. There is nothing better then a ride or run when you are angry or frustrated. I have always told the teams I have coached that we, as athletes, have a gift in that for an hour, 30 minutes, two hours, whatever, can put everything aside and just focus on pushing ourselves. We can take out that anger in a productive and healthy way. I don't ever remember seeing that one of these people who shot up a school or a McDonalds or a mall, etc. where athletes. Now, don't get me wrong, athletes do bad things I just think we have a chance to get our anger out in healthy ways. I can't tell you how often I have been mad at my dad,brother, friends,girlfriend, wife, boss, teacher, etc. and went for a run or a ride and felt 100 times better afterward. I think it's a combination of the endorphins released during exercise and the time you get to think about things. I have also solved many a problem during a run or ride. I think the world would be a better place if everyone ran or rode.
Craft base layers are great! I have some money put aside for cycling this season and, with two races canceled I decided to use some of that money to get some new base layers. I found some great deals on products by Craft and went for it. I got two, one for warm weather and one for cold weather. The warm weather one is the Craft Pro Cool Sleeveless. The pros use base layers like this in the summer for three reasons: 1) Wicking sweat 2) The way the fibers are stitched it is supposed to help air flow around your body and keep you cool 3) The extra layer give the jersey something to slide against in a crash rather then against your skin. It is very comfortable and felt good on a relatively warm ride. The cold weather on is the Craft Zero Extreme Windstopper. This one has a nice warm fiber that wicks sweat, is long sleeved and has a windstopper layer on the chest and shoulders. I wore it yesterday in 43 degree, windy and misty weather with just a light long sleeved jersey and a light rain jacket and it was perfect. I highly recommend Craft baselayers. (Craft should be sending me all kinds of free gear after that endorsement!)
On my way in to school today I was listening to "First Wave" the 80's alternative station on XM. They played Howard Jones "No One Is To Blame" and it got me thinking about how many 80's songs had backing vocals by stars. Phil Collins did the backing vocals on that song, the guys from The Hooters did backing vocals on "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper, Don Henley on Bob Seger's "Like A Rock" to name a few. The only credit they got was in the liner notes and they just did the background stuff. Today if another star is on a song, they have to have a solo spot and must get credit such as "Band Name featuring, Solo Singer." I thought the 80's were the decade of greed?!?!?!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Birthdays and the Sherman Park Criterium.
Howdy, it's time for another installment of my blog. First off let me say thanks for reading my blog. The last time I tried this I think I had something like 15 total page views for my first three posts, I have had more then that for each posting this time. I even have some international readers (or people using proxies outside the US), with 2 from Canada, 2 from Singapore and 1 from Germany. I guess I am sort of like David Hasselhoff, now I just need the electric light suit like he had when he sang on the Berlin wall when it was coming down!
Let's get to the giant elephant in the room right away and not dance around it...my birthday. Yes, my birthday is on Thursday. This is probably the most I have said about my birthday since high school. I tend to keep things quiet and have always preferred to spend my birthday by myself. It is my birthday. My favorite birthday was probably while I was at UofL and it was Easter Sunday. I went to the Louisville Redbirds game on a sunny and warm day, got a seat just beyond first base and enjoyed the baseball with a beer and a steak sandwich all by myself. What a great day. This birthday I am turning the big four-oh. I still can't believe it, but not in a "Oh, my God, I am so old" kind of way. I just don't feel like I am 40. I don't look 40. I certainly don't act or dress like I am 40. High school doesn't seem like it's 22 years ago. When I see "39" next to my name when I register for bike races, my first thought is that I am not 39 but I am 29. I certainly don't feel physically old, though once in a while I do a race or play hockey or something strenuous and it takes an extra day to recover, but that is the closest I feel to being my real age. Last night I was looking at bike race schedules and was looking at different races in or around St. Louis to plan our next visit around and saw the Show-Me State Games. I looked at the info page to see if I could race even though I am an Indiana resident and saw that they do it by age groups and that I am back to being the youngest in my age group...40-44!
This past Saturday I raced in the Sherman Park Criterium and it was quite an experience! First of all Sherman Park is in the southwest part of the city of Chicago and is a pretty bad area. The park was built in 1905 and has a one mile oval paved road in it, that, supposedly, was built for bike racing, which was very big at the time. Looking at the Chicago Tribune Crime Database I found 62 crimes in Sherman Park in the past year. This is just in the park and not including the area around it. Most of the crimes were "drug abuse violations" but there was also a lot of "simple battery" and "larceny- theft." A great place to live and race! One of my teammates had a great morning in the Cat 5 races, finishing 3rd and 13th. The 3rd being his first podium ever. Then he went to his car after putting his bike in it and coming back to watch the races and found a brick and a broken window, but no bike. Keep in mind this occurred some time around noon on a sunny saturday with hundreds of bike racers in the area. Wait, that's not the worst of it. A rider on another team leaned his bike against the side of his car and then sat on the back to change his shoes (It was an Outback I believe) and someone walked up, jumped on his bike and stole it! Seriously! The guy was five feet away. I actually saw the person who stole it from a distance while I was going to see if my car was ok, so I gave a description of his clothes to the police. I hope I was able to help and that both of them get their bikes back. At that point I was going to go home, but one of my teammates saw me and asked if I had any spare jersey's for a couple of new riders (our team kit is not in yet, so the new guys don't have any team stuff). I did (I am a coach, so I always am over packed) so I stuck around for the Cat. 3 race. What a great decision that was! Our team had a great plan going in and we took the win. A breakaway got away and built a nearly insurmountable lead and then our rider pulled a Cancellara and just rode away from the guys in the break. It was epic! My race on the other hand was not. I warmed up on the trainer and was feeling good, but in getting my bike off the trainer I must have bumped the break because on the warmup lap I was pushing way to hard and going nowhere. I finally stopped and readjusted it, hoping I would not be late to the start, and my carbon Psimet rim smelled like it was burning...not good. I decided to start near the back for two reasons: a) I was late because of the brake issue and b) My legs were already feeling it, so I figured I could take a lap or two to warmup up without being an issue. I was a bit nervous because the races prior to mine had been a crash fest and I don't get to ride in groups much since I am the only bike racer in my small town (or serious rider for that matter). The road the race was on was an oval, so there were none of your typical criterium 90 degree turns, but it was in awful shape. Potholes, gravel and even one giant lump were all over the course. The race started and things felt ok, I even thought about moving up, but decided to conserve and get to know the dangers of the course. One thing I had going for me is that I train on farm roads so they very often have dirt,gravel and potholes, so I know how to ride over them without freaking out or swerving all over. As you hit rough terrain you loosen up the grip and arms and rise slightly out of the saddle. This helps to absorb the bumps and prevent you from being too stiff and flying all over. If you see an obstacle while in a group you simply ride over it or make a slight adjustment, if it is safe. Many people train on good roads year round and have no clue how to handle the bad ones...and it was showing in all the crashes. As I sat on the back feeling comfortable I kept seeing people getting shot out of the back of the peloton. We did not seem to be going to fast but people were dying left and right. Suddenly ahead of me a rider went down. I was in the perfect spot to avoid the crash and to see the carnage happen. The first rider who went down was on the left center part of the road and it looked like everyone was going to make it around him...until he spun around when he hit the ground. A few others hit the deck and one guy on the opposite side suddenly flew off the road and crashed (I assume he simple freaked out and over adjusted). I grabbed a handful of brake, but just enough to get by the crash with some momentum. As I went by I saw one teammate on the deck, one standing on the side and one getting back to speed asking if the one standing was ok. A split in the field occurred and I put my head down trying to get back on to the second group. A glance back showed one of my stronger teammates was on my wheel, so made it my mission to get him back as far as I could. We got to the second group (of three, I think) and he came around, so I stood up to jump on his wheel and...my rear derailleur ghost shifted! Shit! Ghost shifting is when the rear derailleur starts shifting on it's own, usually when pressure is put on the pedals. It's not a lot of fun and usually means your race or hard training is done until it can be fixed. I kept going but it just kept shifting all over. I tried adjusting the barrel adjusters but it did not help and I was losing ground. Eventually I dropped out when it was obvious the main pack was going to lap me. That was my first DNF in bike racing ever (well, sort of, last year I crashed in Michigan, but finished with a flat tire and some minor road rash, ahead of some of the field but they called me a DNF, but I know better! My teammate who was on the ground separated his shoulder, the one standing had a ruined rear wheel and another was in a later crash and has some wicked road rash in a place that makes him wish he had a job where he could stand up most of the day! It would have been a really bad day, based on my race, had I not helped out the two guys with stolen bikes, helped my teammate get back into the race (where he finished 4th) and loaned a jersey to a new teammate who helped our team take the Cat. 3 win.
Well, that's all folks.
Let's get to the giant elephant in the room right away and not dance around it...my birthday. Yes, my birthday is on Thursday. This is probably the most I have said about my birthday since high school. I tend to keep things quiet and have always preferred to spend my birthday by myself. It is my birthday. My favorite birthday was probably while I was at UofL and it was Easter Sunday. I went to the Louisville Redbirds game on a sunny and warm day, got a seat just beyond first base and enjoyed the baseball with a beer and a steak sandwich all by myself. What a great day. This birthday I am turning the big four-oh. I still can't believe it, but not in a "Oh, my God, I am so old" kind of way. I just don't feel like I am 40. I don't look 40. I certainly don't act or dress like I am 40. High school doesn't seem like it's 22 years ago. When I see "39" next to my name when I register for bike races, my first thought is that I am not 39 but I am 29. I certainly don't feel physically old, though once in a while I do a race or play hockey or something strenuous and it takes an extra day to recover, but that is the closest I feel to being my real age. Last night I was looking at bike race schedules and was looking at different races in or around St. Louis to plan our next visit around and saw the Show-Me State Games. I looked at the info page to see if I could race even though I am an Indiana resident and saw that they do it by age groups and that I am back to being the youngest in my age group...40-44!
This past Saturday I raced in the Sherman Park Criterium and it was quite an experience! First of all Sherman Park is in the southwest part of the city of Chicago and is a pretty bad area. The park was built in 1905 and has a one mile oval paved road in it, that, supposedly, was built for bike racing, which was very big at the time. Looking at the Chicago Tribune Crime Database I found 62 crimes in Sherman Park in the past year. This is just in the park and not including the area around it. Most of the crimes were "drug abuse violations" but there was also a lot of "simple battery" and "larceny- theft." A great place to live and race! One of my teammates had a great morning in the Cat 5 races, finishing 3rd and 13th. The 3rd being his first podium ever. Then he went to his car after putting his bike in it and coming back to watch the races and found a brick and a broken window, but no bike. Keep in mind this occurred some time around noon on a sunny saturday with hundreds of bike racers in the area. Wait, that's not the worst of it. A rider on another team leaned his bike against the side of his car and then sat on the back to change his shoes (It was an Outback I believe) and someone walked up, jumped on his bike and stole it! Seriously! The guy was five feet away. I actually saw the person who stole it from a distance while I was going to see if my car was ok, so I gave a description of his clothes to the police. I hope I was able to help and that both of them get their bikes back. At that point I was going to go home, but one of my teammates saw me and asked if I had any spare jersey's for a couple of new riders (our team kit is not in yet, so the new guys don't have any team stuff). I did (I am a coach, so I always am over packed) so I stuck around for the Cat. 3 race. What a great decision that was! Our team had a great plan going in and we took the win. A breakaway got away and built a nearly insurmountable lead and then our rider pulled a Cancellara and just rode away from the guys in the break. It was epic! My race on the other hand was not. I warmed up on the trainer and was feeling good, but in getting my bike off the trainer I must have bumped the break because on the warmup lap I was pushing way to hard and going nowhere. I finally stopped and readjusted it, hoping I would not be late to the start, and my carbon Psimet rim smelled like it was burning...not good. I decided to start near the back for two reasons: a) I was late because of the brake issue and b) My legs were already feeling it, so I figured I could take a lap or two to warmup up without being an issue. I was a bit nervous because the races prior to mine had been a crash fest and I don't get to ride in groups much since I am the only bike racer in my small town (or serious rider for that matter). The road the race was on was an oval, so there were none of your typical criterium 90 degree turns, but it was in awful shape. Potholes, gravel and even one giant lump were all over the course. The race started and things felt ok, I even thought about moving up, but decided to conserve and get to know the dangers of the course. One thing I had going for me is that I train on farm roads so they very often have dirt,gravel and potholes, so I know how to ride over them without freaking out or swerving all over. As you hit rough terrain you loosen up the grip and arms and rise slightly out of the saddle. This helps to absorb the bumps and prevent you from being too stiff and flying all over. If you see an obstacle while in a group you simply ride over it or make a slight adjustment, if it is safe. Many people train on good roads year round and have no clue how to handle the bad ones...and it was showing in all the crashes. As I sat on the back feeling comfortable I kept seeing people getting shot out of the back of the peloton. We did not seem to be going to fast but people were dying left and right. Suddenly ahead of me a rider went down. I was in the perfect spot to avoid the crash and to see the carnage happen. The first rider who went down was on the left center part of the road and it looked like everyone was going to make it around him...until he spun around when he hit the ground. A few others hit the deck and one guy on the opposite side suddenly flew off the road and crashed (I assume he simple freaked out and over adjusted). I grabbed a handful of brake, but just enough to get by the crash with some momentum. As I went by I saw one teammate on the deck, one standing on the side and one getting back to speed asking if the one standing was ok. A split in the field occurred and I put my head down trying to get back on to the second group. A glance back showed one of my stronger teammates was on my wheel, so made it my mission to get him back as far as I could. We got to the second group (of three, I think) and he came around, so I stood up to jump on his wheel and...my rear derailleur ghost shifted! Shit! Ghost shifting is when the rear derailleur starts shifting on it's own, usually when pressure is put on the pedals. It's not a lot of fun and usually means your race or hard training is done until it can be fixed. I kept going but it just kept shifting all over. I tried adjusting the barrel adjusters but it did not help and I was losing ground. Eventually I dropped out when it was obvious the main pack was going to lap me. That was my first DNF in bike racing ever (well, sort of, last year I crashed in Michigan, but finished with a flat tire and some minor road rash, ahead of some of the field but they called me a DNF, but I know better! My teammate who was on the ground separated his shoulder, the one standing had a ruined rear wheel and another was in a later crash and has some wicked road rash in a place that makes him wish he had a job where he could stand up most of the day! It would have been a really bad day, based on my race, had I not helped out the two guys with stolen bikes, helped my teammate get back into the race (where he finished 4th) and loaned a jersey to a new teammate who helped our team take the Cat. 3 win.
Well, that's all folks.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
iTunes Shuffle
When I started this blog I had the idea of writing about music as well as whatever popped into my head. I am watching American Idol, well watching JP dance to the music and thought I would do an iTunes shuffle and write about each song that comes on. Prepare for an eclectic mix of music and a view into how much music is a part of my life and memories.
1) Vital Signs by Rush from Live In Rio- Possibly the only song I will write about that does not immediately bring to mind a memory. The big things for me on this song are the way the keyboards come in to start the song sets a rhythmic tone for the whole song, but does not assault you with really dated 80's synth. Then Alex kicks in with a guitar that keeps that driving rhythm moving without blowing you out. As usual Neil sets the tone on the drums, helping maintain that rhythm while adding something almost bordering on funky at times.
2) Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran from Rio- This song takes me back to junior high school as it peaked on the Billboard chart in March of 1983 (when I was about to turn 11!). It actually was released in May of 1982 and the B side of the single was a live version of "Careless Memories." Duran Duran sort of changed music being the first band to really break due to MTV (remember when the played music videos). They were good looking guys, dressed well and made great videos. All the girls loved them, but the big memory I have is how awkward it seems being 11 or 12 in a car with your dad listening to a song with a girl moaning like she is having an orgasm!
3) River City Sunday by PM- A great St. Louis band that never made it big. The band actually brings back a lot of memories, but this song only brings back memories of coming home from college and singing it to myself as I drove across the river into St. Louis.
4) One Tree Hill by U2 from The Joshua Tree- When U2 made this album it was supposed to be their version of America and One Tree Hill really feels like driving through open spaces and small towns in the southwest. It has that guitar that seems to blend into the whole song and makes The Edge seem like he is not a very good guitarist, but when you really listen to the guitar you realize what a master he is.
5) On The Loose by Saga from Worlds Apart- A truly 80's song, with some serious synth running through it, a driving bass and drum line with that crunchy 80's rock guitar sound flowing through it. With the exception of the solo that goes guitar, keyboard, both, guitar, keyboard, both, it is a very typical 80's rock song. Saga was a good but very unheralded band.
6) Paul Revere by The Beastie Boys from Licensed To Ill- Ahhh, rap by four white, Jewish guys, from a time when white kids didn't listen to rap...how the world has changed. Humorous tale, not just about how awesome the MC is or how gangsta he is. The music is very simple but brings the rhymes. I remember listening to License To Ill with Emory Jackson after I got the cassette (remember those) from Dave Kendrick. We always cracked up at the Whiffle Ball bat line. It was rap, it was fun and it opened up other people not thinking we were crazy listening to stuff like Public Enemy or NWA.
7) Hungry For You by The Police from Ghost In The Machine- Ghost was the first record (remember those!) I ever bought and it was purchased from Styx, Baer & Fuller at Chesterfield Mall back when they had a music department in the lower level. I loved all songs by The Police, but I really loved the parts in French, it was fun to sing in another language and have people wonder.
8) Stairs by INXS from Kick- What a great band INXS was (sorry without Michael Hutchence it's just not the same), they were the biggest band in the world for a time kind of bridging the gap between The Police and U2. Their music always felt like it was just a step ahead of what everyone else was doing and Stairs is no exception, a driving bass beat, an almost Latin drum beat, guitars sort of hiding in the background and Michael exuding sexuality. It builds from the start seeming to kind of float into the speakers and keep getting bigger and bigger until the chorus comes in and melts away. Then the guitar solo comes in but in away that it does not carry the song away. Fantastic! The lyrics aren't lacking compared to the music either. A small selection: "The nature of your tragedy ,Is chained around your neck ,Do you lead or are you led ,Are U sure that you don't car"
9) Boys of Summer by Don Henley from Building The Perfect Beast- The first time I heard this song was on a bus heading to junior high. It was a snowy day, the bus was taking forever and Kelly Jones had his boombox in the back of the bus and played it for us in the back. A great drum/cymbal intro catches your attention while the music does not feel dated nearly 30 years later. As usual great lyrics by Don Henley. What guy of the right age does not hear this song and think of girls with tan skin glistening in the sun and cool summer nights with friends.
10) Blister In The Sun by The Violent Femmes- Just an absolutely fun song! I remember Amy something or other singing this song in Algebra class in high school with the volleyball coach (darn if I can't remember her name). It also reminds me of a great movie Grosse Pointe Blank. This is a song that really catches you and gets into you, you are either dead or have had a funectomy if it doesn't. How you can one resist the clapping beat and the dropping to a whisper and bursting out into full voice?!?!?!
1) Vital Signs by Rush from Live In Rio- Possibly the only song I will write about that does not immediately bring to mind a memory. The big things for me on this song are the way the keyboards come in to start the song sets a rhythmic tone for the whole song, but does not assault you with really dated 80's synth. Then Alex kicks in with a guitar that keeps that driving rhythm moving without blowing you out. As usual Neil sets the tone on the drums, helping maintain that rhythm while adding something almost bordering on funky at times.
2) Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran from Rio- This song takes me back to junior high school as it peaked on the Billboard chart in March of 1983 (when I was about to turn 11!). It actually was released in May of 1982 and the B side of the single was a live version of "Careless Memories." Duran Duran sort of changed music being the first band to really break due to MTV (remember when the played music videos). They were good looking guys, dressed well and made great videos. All the girls loved them, but the big memory I have is how awkward it seems being 11 or 12 in a car with your dad listening to a song with a girl moaning like she is having an orgasm!
3) River City Sunday by PM- A great St. Louis band that never made it big. The band actually brings back a lot of memories, but this song only brings back memories of coming home from college and singing it to myself as I drove across the river into St. Louis.
4) One Tree Hill by U2 from The Joshua Tree- When U2 made this album it was supposed to be their version of America and One Tree Hill really feels like driving through open spaces and small towns in the southwest. It has that guitar that seems to blend into the whole song and makes The Edge seem like he is not a very good guitarist, but when you really listen to the guitar you realize what a master he is.
5) On The Loose by Saga from Worlds Apart- A truly 80's song, with some serious synth running through it, a driving bass and drum line with that crunchy 80's rock guitar sound flowing through it. With the exception of the solo that goes guitar, keyboard, both, guitar, keyboard, both, it is a very typical 80's rock song. Saga was a good but very unheralded band.
6) Paul Revere by The Beastie Boys from Licensed To Ill- Ahhh, rap by four white, Jewish guys, from a time when white kids didn't listen to rap...how the world has changed. Humorous tale, not just about how awesome the MC is or how gangsta he is. The music is very simple but brings the rhymes. I remember listening to License To Ill with Emory Jackson after I got the cassette (remember those) from Dave Kendrick. We always cracked up at the Whiffle Ball bat line. It was rap, it was fun and it opened up other people not thinking we were crazy listening to stuff like Public Enemy or NWA.
7) Hungry For You by The Police from Ghost In The Machine- Ghost was the first record (remember those!) I ever bought and it was purchased from Styx, Baer & Fuller at Chesterfield Mall back when they had a music department in the lower level. I loved all songs by The Police, but I really loved the parts in French, it was fun to sing in another language and have people wonder.
8) Stairs by INXS from Kick- What a great band INXS was (sorry without Michael Hutchence it's just not the same), they were the biggest band in the world for a time kind of bridging the gap between The Police and U2. Their music always felt like it was just a step ahead of what everyone else was doing and Stairs is no exception, a driving bass beat, an almost Latin drum beat, guitars sort of hiding in the background and Michael exuding sexuality. It builds from the start seeming to kind of float into the speakers and keep getting bigger and bigger until the chorus comes in and melts away. Then the guitar solo comes in but in away that it does not carry the song away. Fantastic! The lyrics aren't lacking compared to the music either. A small selection: "The nature of your tragedy ,Is chained around your neck ,Do you lead or are you led ,Are U sure that you don't car"
9) Boys of Summer by Don Henley from Building The Perfect Beast- The first time I heard this song was on a bus heading to junior high. It was a snowy day, the bus was taking forever and Kelly Jones had his boombox in the back of the bus and played it for us in the back. A great drum/cymbal intro catches your attention while the music does not feel dated nearly 30 years later. As usual great lyrics by Don Henley. What guy of the right age does not hear this song and think of girls with tan skin glistening in the sun and cool summer nights with friends.
10) Blister In The Sun by The Violent Femmes- Just an absolutely fun song! I remember Amy something or other singing this song in Algebra class in high school with the volleyball coach (darn if I can't remember her name). It also reminds me of a great movie Grosse Pointe Blank. This is a song that really catches you and gets into you, you are either dead or have had a funectomy if it doesn't. How you can one resist the clapping beat and the dropping to a whisper and bursting out into full voice?!?!?!
Monday, April 4, 2011
World Readers/Frustration/The Wind/Debbie Gibson
You probably read the title of this post and thought...huh?!?!?! Of course, if you know me, then it probably would not surprise you.
Awaaaaay we go....
I was looking at the stats for this blog and am surprised at how many hits my blog has had. Right now it;s about 15 per post. I thought I would be lucky to get five. I also saw that I have had one hit from Germany and one from Canada. I wonder who those could be.
I went for a 40 mile ride on Saturday and averaged 16.1 mph. Sounds pretty bad doesn't it? It was an out and back and on the way back I averaged something like 22mph. Yes, the wind was so bad that I averaged about 13 mph into the head wind! I knew it was bad when I was going 12.5 mph and my power meter said I was pushing 300+ watts! This was supposed to be just a long medium paced ride, but I was wiped out from it. I actually took Sunday off rather then ride into a stronger wind. I need to write my "in-season" training plan now that we are the thick of things with potential races every weekend. I am planning on racing the Sherman Park Crit this weekend with my Psimet teammates, probably the Masters 30+ 4/5 race since it seems like more teammates are doing that one rather then the regular 4's race.
Well, the Blues have been eliminated from the playoff hunt. It's tough to miss the playoffs but it's obvious the Blues are on the right track. They have a ton of good, young talent and some solid veterans. A tweak here and there and they are going to be a very good team. The positive part of them not making the playoffs is two fold: A lot less worry/stress and more time just enjoying the great hockey in the playoffs. No disappointment when the Blues get knocked out. A side not on the Blues is that JP has become such a big fan that he says "Blues" whenever he sees my Blues calendar, when he sees them on TV (even a highlight or commercial) and even yesterday when I was playing Eastside Hockey Manager and their were only words and the Blues logo on the screen! He knows the Blues logo! I told you he was a smart kid.
I am so frustrated with this job search. For the second time I have had a phone "interview" and not heard anything back. This time it has been almost two weeks, last time it was three weeks and, when I called to ask about it, was told that they had sent me an email the day before. I still have yet to get an email, even one in my junk folder. I had another person call me, leave a message and when I called back to leave a message never bothered to call me back. Another company called to schedule an interview (local, temporary job), I told them my school schedule, when I could meet and could answer my phone, didn't hear anything for a week, then got a voice mail during school asking me to come in the next day at 10am...seriously?!?!?! That's ok, I would say at least 50% of the jobs I have applied for have not even sent a "thanks but no thanks" email or letter. I remember when professionalism was alive and well in America.
Occasionally I get on YouTube to look for a particular song or video and end up just goofing around for a while, looking up songs that pop into my head or searching for sound checks, acoustic versions, live versions, etc. Usually this starts with me looking for a particular video, Subdivisions by Rush, for instance and ends up with me watching videos of all kinds of music like 30 Seconds To Mars, Colin Hay, some talent show video, etc. The other night I found myself watching a Debbie Gibson video that was from a concert in 1988 (I started watching the video to "Closer To The Edge" by 30 Seconds To Mars). Yes, I do like Debbie Gibson, deal with it! Actually anyone who knows me knows I have extremely varied tastes in music, a mix playlist on my iPod is all over the place. Watching the video a few things struck me:
1) She can actually sing, unlike many of today's pop singers who sound awful live
2) Her outfit didn't show half of her ass or all of her cleavage, it was just stylish, not all about sex. Heck, she even put on a t-shirt in another video from the same concert, imagine today's artists doing that.
3) Her lyrics were not all about sex.
4) There was some choreographed dancing, but mostly just her doing her thing. It wasn't just a stage show.
5) She actually, wrote and produced most of her songs.
To end on a cute not, yesterday it was very warm so we let JP go outside on the patio and he cried when we brought him in, so we took him out and stayed outside for a while. It was so windy I was sure he was going to blow over a few times. I took him out front so he could walk around more and he took my hand and walked to the edge of the driveway. I stopped him and told him we don't walk into the street, so he turned and started heading down the sidewalk. When the sidewalk ended he turned into a driveway, walked to the end and stopped before the street...turned around and walked me back home. I am truly astonished and amazed at how smart he is and how quickly he picks things up. My one worry about getting a job is that I will be living away from him while the house is sold and I will miss out on all the new things he lears/figures out every day.
Have a great day and I hope the wind isn't as bad where you are as it is here!
Awaaaaay we go....
I was looking at the stats for this blog and am surprised at how many hits my blog has had. Right now it;s about 15 per post. I thought I would be lucky to get five. I also saw that I have had one hit from Germany and one from Canada. I wonder who those could be.
I went for a 40 mile ride on Saturday and averaged 16.1 mph. Sounds pretty bad doesn't it? It was an out and back and on the way back I averaged something like 22mph. Yes, the wind was so bad that I averaged about 13 mph into the head wind! I knew it was bad when I was going 12.5 mph and my power meter said I was pushing 300+ watts! This was supposed to be just a long medium paced ride, but I was wiped out from it. I actually took Sunday off rather then ride into a stronger wind. I need to write my "in-season" training plan now that we are the thick of things with potential races every weekend. I am planning on racing the Sherman Park Crit this weekend with my Psimet teammates, probably the Masters 30+ 4/5 race since it seems like more teammates are doing that one rather then the regular 4's race.
Well, the Blues have been eliminated from the playoff hunt. It's tough to miss the playoffs but it's obvious the Blues are on the right track. They have a ton of good, young talent and some solid veterans. A tweak here and there and they are going to be a very good team. The positive part of them not making the playoffs is two fold: A lot less worry/stress and more time just enjoying the great hockey in the playoffs. No disappointment when the Blues get knocked out. A side not on the Blues is that JP has become such a big fan that he says "Blues" whenever he sees my Blues calendar, when he sees them on TV (even a highlight or commercial) and even yesterday when I was playing Eastside Hockey Manager and their were only words and the Blues logo on the screen! He knows the Blues logo! I told you he was a smart kid.
I am so frustrated with this job search. For the second time I have had a phone "interview" and not heard anything back. This time it has been almost two weeks, last time it was three weeks and, when I called to ask about it, was told that they had sent me an email the day before. I still have yet to get an email, even one in my junk folder. I had another person call me, leave a message and when I called back to leave a message never bothered to call me back. Another company called to schedule an interview (local, temporary job), I told them my school schedule, when I could meet and could answer my phone, didn't hear anything for a week, then got a voice mail during school asking me to come in the next day at 10am...seriously?!?!?! That's ok, I would say at least 50% of the jobs I have applied for have not even sent a "thanks but no thanks" email or letter. I remember when professionalism was alive and well in America.
Occasionally I get on YouTube to look for a particular song or video and end up just goofing around for a while, looking up songs that pop into my head or searching for sound checks, acoustic versions, live versions, etc. Usually this starts with me looking for a particular video, Subdivisions by Rush, for instance and ends up with me watching videos of all kinds of music like 30 Seconds To Mars, Colin Hay, some talent show video, etc. The other night I found myself watching a Debbie Gibson video that was from a concert in 1988 (I started watching the video to "Closer To The Edge" by 30 Seconds To Mars). Yes, I do like Debbie Gibson, deal with it! Actually anyone who knows me knows I have extremely varied tastes in music, a mix playlist on my iPod is all over the place. Watching the video a few things struck me:
1) She can actually sing, unlike many of today's pop singers who sound awful live
2) Her outfit didn't show half of her ass or all of her cleavage, it was just stylish, not all about sex. Heck, she even put on a t-shirt in another video from the same concert, imagine today's artists doing that.
3) Her lyrics were not all about sex.
4) There was some choreographed dancing, but mostly just her doing her thing. It wasn't just a stage show.
5) She actually, wrote and produced most of her songs.
To end on a cute not, yesterday it was very warm so we let JP go outside on the patio and he cried when we brought him in, so we took him out and stayed outside for a while. It was so windy I was sure he was going to blow over a few times. I took him out front so he could walk around more and he took my hand and walked to the edge of the driveway. I stopped him and told him we don't walk into the street, so he turned and started heading down the sidewalk. When the sidewalk ended he turned into a driveway, walked to the end and stopped before the street...turned around and walked me back home. I am truly astonished and amazed at how smart he is and how quickly he picks things up. My one worry about getting a job is that I will be living away from him while the house is sold and I will miss out on all the new things he lears/figures out every day.
Have a great day and I hope the wind isn't as bad where you are as it is here!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Thoughts from a Sleepless Night
Last night was a rough one. JP woke up screaming with gas pain and anyone who has kids knows how awful it is to hear your child in pain. I think it's even worse when they can't tell you what's wrong and don't really know what is happening. It was rough, but we finally got it out of him and got him back to sleep at about 1am. By that point my mind was racing with various thoughts and I do not remember sleeping at all, though I am sure I dozed off for a few minutes here and there. What was I thinking about? Take a deep breathe and hold on because here we go!
I posted yesterday about my bike race, so I was thinking about things cyclists and bike racers should know:
1) Hold your line. That means don't swerve all over, if you do you are a danger to everyone around you.
2) Basic physics shows that an object trying to turn a corner at high speed will drift out after going through the curve. Thus you start the corner from the outside, take the apex at the inside and drift out as you come out of it. Anyone who has watched a car or a bike race can understand this concept. So why do people in races insist on going into a corner right on the inside line?!?!?!
3) Wear a helmet.You have a family, you have friends...they do not want you to die, think of others. You ride with people and we do not want to see your brain on the road. Insisting your kids wear helmets while you do not is stupid! Set a good example and do what you can to make sure you are there for them when they grow up.
4) When you are riding in a group do not make any sudden movements. If you have to bunny hop a pot hole or hit a bump rather then suddenly swerve, do it. You aren't the only one in the group.
5) Talk/signal. Even pro riders let the riders behind and in front of them know what is going on. If there is something in the road that is a danger, signal it and say something. if the person ahead of you or next to you is drifting give them a touch on the hip and say something. I could go on and on, but you get the point.
6) Practice looking behind you while riding by yourself in a safe place. There is nothing worse then a crash caused by a rider who looks back and swerves.
7) In most states bicycles are considered motor vehicles and must obey the rules of the road...do it. Don't run stop signs and lights, don't roll up past a line of cars to the front at a light or sign. Yes, a lot of drivers are jerks, but riding like a jerk certainly does not help the situation.
8) Bike lanes suck. Drivers see a bike lane and don't bother giving any extra room to get by a cyclist and, often, do not even think about who is in the bike lane or what they are doing.
I could go about cycling on but I did a lot of thinking last night.
Lying there in the dark listening to XM I started thinking about people and events based on what song came on the radio. Music is a very big part of my life and a line from a Clint Black song describes how I work very well "Ain't it funny how a melody can bring back a memory, take you to another place in time, even change your state of mind." As songs played I was reminded of people from my past who I have not seen in years, such as Kristen Murphy (the first girl I dated at UofL), Chris Sheppherd (one of my best friends at UofL who dropped off the face of the earth), Becky Bridges (the first girl I ever kissed), Chad Dannenfelser (a friend from USM), Ally (can't remember the last name, but she was one of the SJA girls I was friends with), Eric of Antioch ( one of my pledge class brothers whose last name escapes me, but I remember he was from Antioch, IL). I am sure their are a few more that popped into my head, but it was a long night.
I mentioned yesterday about potential jobs in Chicago and Florida. I have such mixed feelings about where I work. My parents saw JP for the first time since Thanksgiving last week and it about broke my heart that they had to wait so long. Moving to Florida would probably make it worse and add his other grandparents not seeing him as much. Moving to Chicago would be great because of my wife's family and getting to ride and hang out with the guys on my cycling team. Then there is St. Louis, where I have my family, my brother and a number of friends, plus I just love St. Louis. Then there is the fact that my wife has a great job and is very successful and nearly irreplaceable and that the daycare JP goes to is fantastic, maybe I should just suck it up and find something around here, working in a plant or a factory. It really shouldn't matter as I just need to get a real job, no matter where it is.
I'd say about once a day it enters my mind that my wife and son would be better off without me. Now don't get all freaked out, life is too damn good for me to even think about killing myself and I would never abandon them. It really stems from me feeling like I failed in my last coaching job and nobody, in multiple industries, has any interest in hiring me, and that maybe I am simply dead weight holding them back. Pretty dark, huh. Conversely at least once a day, when he in not around, I think of the wonderful peels of laughter and the big toothy smile of my son. I think of my wonderful wife, how she snorts when she laughs hard, how ticklish she is, how beautiful she is and how I love that I can stare at here just taking it all in and she won't even notice and how she love me for me, no matter how successful I am.
Sometimes I think about things that I would do differently if I could go back in time. I do regret things like flunking out of Drake and losing touch with my Sig Ep brothers,not paying attention to my grades in high school, risks I didn't take in games or races, girls I did not ask out, guys I didn't knock out. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I had done things differently, but I would not want to change anything. If I changed these things I would not have met my wife, I wouldn't know most of my friends and I would have missed out on a lot of great things.
Looking at a soccer message board I saw a post about a college having scholarship money available and looking for certain positions. They didn't name the school, but the details they did give sounded very familiar. Interestingly I had people lined up for those positions, starters from state championship teams in two different states. It doesn't surprise me.
Well, that's about it, I am tired from a lack of sleep and it's the Alt. School teacher's lunch so I have to supervise those kids as well.
Have a great day!
I posted yesterday about my bike race, so I was thinking about things cyclists and bike racers should know:
1) Hold your line. That means don't swerve all over, if you do you are a danger to everyone around you.
2) Basic physics shows that an object trying to turn a corner at high speed will drift out after going through the curve. Thus you start the corner from the outside, take the apex at the inside and drift out as you come out of it. Anyone who has watched a car or a bike race can understand this concept. So why do people in races insist on going into a corner right on the inside line?!?!?!
3) Wear a helmet.You have a family, you have friends...they do not want you to die, think of others. You ride with people and we do not want to see your brain on the road. Insisting your kids wear helmets while you do not is stupid! Set a good example and do what you can to make sure you are there for them when they grow up.
4) When you are riding in a group do not make any sudden movements. If you have to bunny hop a pot hole or hit a bump rather then suddenly swerve, do it. You aren't the only one in the group.
5) Talk/signal. Even pro riders let the riders behind and in front of them know what is going on. If there is something in the road that is a danger, signal it and say something. if the person ahead of you or next to you is drifting give them a touch on the hip and say something. I could go on and on, but you get the point.
6) Practice looking behind you while riding by yourself in a safe place. There is nothing worse then a crash caused by a rider who looks back and swerves.
7) In most states bicycles are considered motor vehicles and must obey the rules of the road...do it. Don't run stop signs and lights, don't roll up past a line of cars to the front at a light or sign. Yes, a lot of drivers are jerks, but riding like a jerk certainly does not help the situation.
8) Bike lanes suck. Drivers see a bike lane and don't bother giving any extra room to get by a cyclist and, often, do not even think about who is in the bike lane or what they are doing.
I could go about cycling on but I did a lot of thinking last night.
Lying there in the dark listening to XM I started thinking about people and events based on what song came on the radio. Music is a very big part of my life and a line from a Clint Black song describes how I work very well "Ain't it funny how a melody can bring back a memory, take you to another place in time, even change your state of mind." As songs played I was reminded of people from my past who I have not seen in years, such as Kristen Murphy (the first girl I dated at UofL), Chris Sheppherd (one of my best friends at UofL who dropped off the face of the earth), Becky Bridges (the first girl I ever kissed), Chad Dannenfelser (a friend from USM), Ally (can't remember the last name, but she was one of the SJA girls I was friends with), Eric of Antioch ( one of my pledge class brothers whose last name escapes me, but I remember he was from Antioch, IL). I am sure their are a few more that popped into my head, but it was a long night.
I mentioned yesterday about potential jobs in Chicago and Florida. I have such mixed feelings about where I work. My parents saw JP for the first time since Thanksgiving last week and it about broke my heart that they had to wait so long. Moving to Florida would probably make it worse and add his other grandparents not seeing him as much. Moving to Chicago would be great because of my wife's family and getting to ride and hang out with the guys on my cycling team. Then there is St. Louis, where I have my family, my brother and a number of friends, plus I just love St. Louis. Then there is the fact that my wife has a great job and is very successful and nearly irreplaceable and that the daycare JP goes to is fantastic, maybe I should just suck it up and find something around here, working in a plant or a factory. It really shouldn't matter as I just need to get a real job, no matter where it is.
I'd say about once a day it enters my mind that my wife and son would be better off without me. Now don't get all freaked out, life is too damn good for me to even think about killing myself and I would never abandon them. It really stems from me feeling like I failed in my last coaching job and nobody, in multiple industries, has any interest in hiring me, and that maybe I am simply dead weight holding them back. Pretty dark, huh. Conversely at least once a day, when he in not around, I think of the wonderful peels of laughter and the big toothy smile of my son. I think of my wonderful wife, how she snorts when she laughs hard, how ticklish she is, how beautiful she is and how I love that I can stare at here just taking it all in and she won't even notice and how she love me for me, no matter how successful I am.
Sometimes I think about things that I would do differently if I could go back in time. I do regret things like flunking out of Drake and losing touch with my Sig Ep brothers,not paying attention to my grades in high school, risks I didn't take in games or races, girls I did not ask out, guys I didn't knock out. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I had done things differently, but I would not want to change anything. If I changed these things I would not have met my wife, I wouldn't know most of my friends and I would have missed out on a lot of great things.
Looking at a soccer message board I saw a post about a college having scholarship money available and looking for certain positions. They didn't name the school, but the details they did give sounded very familiar. Interestingly I had people lined up for those positions, starters from state championship teams in two different states. It doesn't surprise me.
Well, that's about it, I am tired from a lack of sleep and it's the Alt. School teacher's lunch so I have to supervise those kids as well.
Have a great day!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Spring Break , Bike Racing, Being a fan
Apparently I have people who are actually reading this blog so I feel bad that I have not posted in over a week, but I did not take my laptop with me on spring break. Now it's time to catch up!
We went to St. Louis for spring break and it was a great week. JP got to see his grandparents for the first time since Thanksgiving and he had a great time. We got in saturday night and the spoiling began right away as he had new clothes and toys waiting for him. Of course he spent the whole trip showing off and flirting.
On sunday I did the Great Forest Park Bike Race. I knew my training was not up to snuff, so my goal was simply for a pack finish. I got a decent warm up in and the weather was good for mid March. There was a light wind, and I wore long sleeve jersey, light long sleeve base, cycling cap, long finger light gloves, bibs, leg warmers and show covers. I could have lost the shoe covers and leg warmers and probably had a short sleeve base layer. I did not get to preview the course so I line up in the third row on the outside. I figured I would rather be outside then get squeezed on a curve I know nothing about. The gun went and the four guys in front of me promptly took forever to get off the line and clip in. The guy in front and too the side could not clip and swerved towards me. My first thought was "great, I am going to crash at three miles an hour barely over the start line." I made it past the swerving guy but was already off the back...with about 20 of the 60+ riders in the race! Amazing how a few guys can screw up over a quarter of the field right at the start.
I got in a group that was riding hard and the main pack was only about 25 yards ahead, so I knew we would get back on if we worked together. You know how this went before I even write it. Sure enough one guy goes to the front and pulls for a full lap (about a mile) then drops off and barges in to the second position, the next guy does the same thing. This happens with the two of them for about four laps and the pack keeps moving away. Finally I start yelling instructions to get a good pace line going (not angry just trying to sort things out) and only one guy responds and he simply yells to me to go to the front, so I hammer to the front and take bout a quarter mile pull at nearly full gas. (according to my garmin I was going 27 for the full pull). I then flick my elbow, move over and...the whole line moves behind me. (They really should have all riders take a Bike Racing 101 course before racing) So I move over and wave my hand and the next guy comes through...alright, here we go! Unfortunately it turns into three of us working when the two guys from early in the pace line aren't trying to turn it into a two man, biggest package display. At that point I knew we were cooked and was simply riding hard trying to not get lapped. About five laps from the finish the pack was coming hard and we were working to stay ahead when I see a shadow inside me about 100 yards from a turn. Some young guy decided the smart move was to come up the inside near a corner. In m younger racing lives I would have squeezed him out letting him know to either slow down and get a good line or eat the curb. Now I am older and not bullet proof so I simply let him try to kill everyone else. (Bike racing 101 class for that idiot). One lap later we get caught by the pack. I decided to use the last three laps as a cool down but some guys in my group decided to latch on, one of whom decided the best move to stay on was to dive across my front wheel into the curve, missing me by about 6 inches. (Bike racing 101). I ended up finishing 52 out of 64, but did the last three laps talking with another racer. I was surprised by my fitness, but ticked that despite being at the front at the start I got screwed. All in all it was a well run race in a great venue.
After the race we went to the St. Louis Zoo. What a great zoo and it is free! JP loves the penguins, he can't get enough of them!
The rest of spring break was spent doing St. Louis food we love, relaxing and some more bike riding. I did a 40 mile ride through the hills around Chesterfield Valley and it hurt! Col spent that time working at Barnes & Noble while JP was having Grandma Donna day.
The week went pretty fast and the weather did as well. On tuesday I did the long ride in shorts sleeve jersey and bibshorts and on friday it was sleeting! At least we let a few hours before the snowstorm!
Thursday night we went to the Blues game. They dominated and won 4-0. The game had it all, great goals, great passing, great action, hitting, three fights and great saves. JP loved it and loved showing off for the women behind us. He has become a true hockey fan, saying "Go Blues" and getting mad when I change the channel from hockey...even to switch to another game. I took him to a hockey store while we were waiting to get his hair cut and he picked out some gloves and wore them until we left the store! He loved the goalie masks and squealed with delight when I put one on him. He also loved the goalie blockers, gloves and leg pads. I better get a good job because goalies are expensive! He cheered when the Blues scored and loved the goal horn. We are so lucky to have such a great son, who can travel anywhere and do anything with a smile on his face 98% of the time
It was nice to come home to our own bed, JP's own room and bed, not feeling like we have to think about anyone else when we decide what we want to do, eat or watch, but we love St. Louis and love our family and friends there. I would love to get a job there.
On the subject of jobs I got a very unexpected call about a job in Florida that sounds like it would be pretty cool and working for a very cool company. Cross your fingers, light candles, etc. that I get a call this week for an interview. I also think I will be hearing from a company about a sales job in Chicago this week. It's really weird thinking that in a few weeks I could be living just about anywhere in the US, doing one of a number of different careers. We were hoping to win Mega Millions or Power Ball and then none of that would matter, but I have to keep looking!
Well no music thoughts, just trying to catch you up on life's doings this past week and get ready to go back to school tomorrow.
We went to St. Louis for spring break and it was a great week. JP got to see his grandparents for the first time since Thanksgiving and he had a great time. We got in saturday night and the spoiling began right away as he had new clothes and toys waiting for him. Of course he spent the whole trip showing off and flirting.
On sunday I did the Great Forest Park Bike Race. I knew my training was not up to snuff, so my goal was simply for a pack finish. I got a decent warm up in and the weather was good for mid March. There was a light wind, and I wore long sleeve jersey, light long sleeve base, cycling cap, long finger light gloves, bibs, leg warmers and show covers. I could have lost the shoe covers and leg warmers and probably had a short sleeve base layer. I did not get to preview the course so I line up in the third row on the outside. I figured I would rather be outside then get squeezed on a curve I know nothing about. The gun went and the four guys in front of me promptly took forever to get off the line and clip in. The guy in front and too the side could not clip and swerved towards me. My first thought was "great, I am going to crash at three miles an hour barely over the start line." I made it past the swerving guy but was already off the back...with about 20 of the 60+ riders in the race! Amazing how a few guys can screw up over a quarter of the field right at the start.
I got in a group that was riding hard and the main pack was only about 25 yards ahead, so I knew we would get back on if we worked together. You know how this went before I even write it. Sure enough one guy goes to the front and pulls for a full lap (about a mile) then drops off and barges in to the second position, the next guy does the same thing. This happens with the two of them for about four laps and the pack keeps moving away. Finally I start yelling instructions to get a good pace line going (not angry just trying to sort things out) and only one guy responds and he simply yells to me to go to the front, so I hammer to the front and take bout a quarter mile pull at nearly full gas. (according to my garmin I was going 27 for the full pull). I then flick my elbow, move over and...the whole line moves behind me. (They really should have all riders take a Bike Racing 101 course before racing) So I move over and wave my hand and the next guy comes through...alright, here we go! Unfortunately it turns into three of us working when the two guys from early in the pace line aren't trying to turn it into a two man, biggest package display. At that point I knew we were cooked and was simply riding hard trying to not get lapped. About five laps from the finish the pack was coming hard and we were working to stay ahead when I see a shadow inside me about 100 yards from a turn. Some young guy decided the smart move was to come up the inside near a corner. In m younger racing lives I would have squeezed him out letting him know to either slow down and get a good line or eat the curb. Now I am older and not bullet proof so I simply let him try to kill everyone else. (Bike racing 101 class for that idiot). One lap later we get caught by the pack. I decided to use the last three laps as a cool down but some guys in my group decided to latch on, one of whom decided the best move to stay on was to dive across my front wheel into the curve, missing me by about 6 inches. (Bike racing 101). I ended up finishing 52 out of 64, but did the last three laps talking with another racer. I was surprised by my fitness, but ticked that despite being at the front at the start I got screwed. All in all it was a well run race in a great venue.
After the race we went to the St. Louis Zoo. What a great zoo and it is free! JP loves the penguins, he can't get enough of them!
The rest of spring break was spent doing St. Louis food we love, relaxing and some more bike riding. I did a 40 mile ride through the hills around Chesterfield Valley and it hurt! Col spent that time working at Barnes & Noble while JP was having Grandma Donna day.
The week went pretty fast and the weather did as well. On tuesday I did the long ride in shorts sleeve jersey and bibshorts and on friday it was sleeting! At least we let a few hours before the snowstorm!
Thursday night we went to the Blues game. They dominated and won 4-0. The game had it all, great goals, great passing, great action, hitting, three fights and great saves. JP loved it and loved showing off for the women behind us. He has become a true hockey fan, saying "Go Blues" and getting mad when I change the channel from hockey...even to switch to another game. I took him to a hockey store while we were waiting to get his hair cut and he picked out some gloves and wore them until we left the store! He loved the goalie masks and squealed with delight when I put one on him. He also loved the goalie blockers, gloves and leg pads. I better get a good job because goalies are expensive! He cheered when the Blues scored and loved the goal horn. We are so lucky to have such a great son, who can travel anywhere and do anything with a smile on his face 98% of the time
It was nice to come home to our own bed, JP's own room and bed, not feeling like we have to think about anyone else when we decide what we want to do, eat or watch, but we love St. Louis and love our family and friends there. I would love to get a job there.
On the subject of jobs I got a very unexpected call about a job in Florida that sounds like it would be pretty cool and working for a very cool company. Cross your fingers, light candles, etc. that I get a call this week for an interview. I also think I will be hearing from a company about a sales job in Chicago this week. It's really weird thinking that in a few weeks I could be living just about anywhere in the US, doing one of a number of different careers. We were hoping to win Mega Millions or Power Ball and then none of that would matter, but I have to keep looking!
Well no music thoughts, just trying to catch you up on life's doings this past week and get ready to go back to school tomorrow.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Stream of Consciousness.
If you are reading this then you are either intrigued by the title or are simply hoping I am going insane. To be honest it just sounded fun and I am just going to write about some stuff that popped into my head last night and this morning. Awaaaaay we go!
As a cyclist I think about the wind a lot. Why does it always seem to be at it's strongest on days I have an important ride scheduled? Why does the left strap of my helmet make a noise like my brake is rubbing when it is windy? Why does it seem like whenever I do an out and back ride, starting into a head wind, the wind shifts right as I am turning back, so I have a head wind the whole time? Why do I think it's cool on training rides when I wear my time trial helmet (usually my last ride before a TT or a triathlon) to turn my head and hear the wind noise change as it flows over the helmet?
I have been working at this school since Christmas break ended in January, in other words for just over three months. Yesterday after UofL lost in the NCAA tournament a teacher and the assistant principal came in to my room to "console" me. At the end of the day during the announcements they announced my tragic loss and for everyone to wish me the best. In the four years I as at Saint Joe I never felt as welcome as I do here. It's amazing what having supportive and nice co-workers and a boss who actually wants and helps you succeed, can do for a guys attitude. I really do like it at this school!
I am doing my first bike race of the year this Sunday in St. Louis. I am completely unprepared. My goal is simply to finish in the pack.
The Blues played what was possibly the most dominant game I have ever seen them play last night versus Los Angeles. It was impressive and makes me wonder what this team could have done this year without all of the injuries to key players. That being said I am sure they will be awful when we go to the game on Thursday.
I saw the video to "Allentown" by Billy Joel this morning...what an awful video. The acting only sort of goes along with the lyrics and then there is this homoerotic thing going on with the bare chested construction workers working in manner that seems to be all about showing their muscles flexing. What is that all about?!?!?!
Spring Break starts this afternoon and I get an actual break for the first time in a long time. As a college coach the kids were off campus but I was still in the office every day, so I find myself looking forward to this more then usual.
Mizzou and UofL...seriously?!?!?!?!
Their seems to be a lot of good 80's "alternative" bands touring this summer .The English Beat is back on tour and playing in St. Louis next week! Of course the show is on thursday night when we already have tickets to the Blues game. The Psychedelic Furs are on the west coast only, somehow they keep avoiding me by playing nowhere near me or on the same night I am out of town at another concert. Other good bands I would like to see who are touring include Gene Love Jezebel, Social Distortion (My first CD was "Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell." Holy crap their drummer just got arrested for doing heroin and Od'ing in front of his 12 year old son! What kind of idiot does something like that?!?!?! Who beats their kid? I just saw something about someone hitting their toddler in the head and then sticking them in the oven and killing them WTF?!?!?! As the line in the great movie "Parenthood" says: "You need a license to drive a car, a license to catch a fish, but any butt reaming asshole can be a parent." Ok, enough ranting, back to the topic), Morrissey, Elvis Costello (boy did I miss out on some great music by him in high school).
On another music note, while looking for bands touring I was reading a bio of Journey and had forgot how much turnover they had, even during their glory years. From the album "Infinity" to "Raised on Radio" (78-86) they went through three drummers, two keyboard players, two bassists (including the original being fired for "RoR" and replaced by Randy Jackson and then coming back)and three lead singers (though one was actually the keyboard player as well). Neal Schon is the only member of the band from day one until today, uninterrupted. Wow!
Ok, it's lunch time so I will just sign off now.
As a cyclist I think about the wind a lot. Why does it always seem to be at it's strongest on days I have an important ride scheduled? Why does the left strap of my helmet make a noise like my brake is rubbing when it is windy? Why does it seem like whenever I do an out and back ride, starting into a head wind, the wind shifts right as I am turning back, so I have a head wind the whole time? Why do I think it's cool on training rides when I wear my time trial helmet (usually my last ride before a TT or a triathlon) to turn my head and hear the wind noise change as it flows over the helmet?
I have been working at this school since Christmas break ended in January, in other words for just over three months. Yesterday after UofL lost in the NCAA tournament a teacher and the assistant principal came in to my room to "console" me. At the end of the day during the announcements they announced my tragic loss and for everyone to wish me the best. In the four years I as at Saint Joe I never felt as welcome as I do here. It's amazing what having supportive and nice co-workers and a boss who actually wants and helps you succeed, can do for a guys attitude. I really do like it at this school!
I am doing my first bike race of the year this Sunday in St. Louis. I am completely unprepared. My goal is simply to finish in the pack.
The Blues played what was possibly the most dominant game I have ever seen them play last night versus Los Angeles. It was impressive and makes me wonder what this team could have done this year without all of the injuries to key players. That being said I am sure they will be awful when we go to the game on Thursday.
I saw the video to "Allentown" by Billy Joel this morning...what an awful video. The acting only sort of goes along with the lyrics and then there is this homoerotic thing going on with the bare chested construction workers working in manner that seems to be all about showing their muscles flexing. What is that all about?!?!?!
Spring Break starts this afternoon and I get an actual break for the first time in a long time. As a college coach the kids were off campus but I was still in the office every day, so I find myself looking forward to this more then usual.
Mizzou and UofL...seriously?!?!?!?!
Their seems to be a lot of good 80's "alternative" bands touring this summer .The English Beat is back on tour and playing in St. Louis next week! Of course the show is on thursday night when we already have tickets to the Blues game. The Psychedelic Furs are on the west coast only, somehow they keep avoiding me by playing nowhere near me or on the same night I am out of town at another concert. Other good bands I would like to see who are touring include Gene Love Jezebel, Social Distortion (My first CD was "Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell." Holy crap their drummer just got arrested for doing heroin and Od'ing in front of his 12 year old son! What kind of idiot does something like that?!?!?! Who beats their kid? I just saw something about someone hitting their toddler in the head and then sticking them in the oven and killing them WTF?!?!?! As the line in the great movie "Parenthood" says: "You need a license to drive a car, a license to catch a fish, but any butt reaming asshole can be a parent." Ok, enough ranting, back to the topic), Morrissey, Elvis Costello (boy did I miss out on some great music by him in high school).
On another music note, while looking for bands touring I was reading a bio of Journey and had forgot how much turnover they had, even during their glory years. From the album "Infinity" to "Raised on Radio" (78-86) they went through three drummers, two keyboard players, two bassists (including the original being fired for "RoR" and replaced by Randy Jackson and then coming back)and three lead singers (though one was actually the keyboard player as well). Neal Schon is the only member of the band from day one until today, uninterrupted. Wow!
Ok, it's lunch time so I will just sign off now.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
A trip Down Amnesia Lane
No time to watch any videos this morning, but I had VH1 Classic on in the background as I got ready for work today. One thing I noticed was how many songs ended with the the title being repeated over and over and it reminded me of our music teacher at Shenandoah Valley Elementary School, Dr. Milak. I thought of her because she used to let us bring in records on Fridays and play songs we wanted to hear. One day someone brought in the soundtrack to the truly awful movie "Xanadu," the title track kept repeating the title over and over and Dr. Milak ranted about how bad music repeats over and over. It wasn't an angry rant, just a "professional" rant, like a music teacher complaining about the sorry state of modern music (which happens with every generation, trust me I know, I heard some of the stuff my players would listen too!) or a coach complaining about how the game is played today. I wonder where she is today. Thinking about this also reminded me of the time my brother let me take his album "Back In Black" by AC/DC for music class and after putting on the title track Dr. Milak busied herself with some work and let the record play. As the start of "You Shook Me All Night Long" started the whole class held their breathe knowing that the third line included the word "damn" which was a curse word in sixth grade and strictly forbidden in music class music, a ban on albums being the result of playing a song with cursing. The offending line passed, all heads turned to Dr. Milak and breathe was exhaled with smiles all around as she did not react, clearly too involved in her work to notice. We really felt like we pulled a fast one! Another music class memory was a day when we had to come up with as many words as possible using the letters of the musical scale and Scott Canty and I came up with "Abacab" (The album by Genesis) and nobody else knew what we were talking about...including Dr. Milak. On and on I could go with memories about elementary school like Cub Scouts, Dana Anspach (my first "girlfriend"), the undershirt gang , "Do You Believe In Miracles," football at the Vinings, The May/Gardiner class experiment, Mr. Lee, Dr. Borsa, the sixth grade world's fair (which I had to miss since I missed the last few days of school to go to Europe...what was my dad thinking?!?!?!), Mrs. Franklin (my favorite teacher), Dr. Brown humiliating me in front of everyone, hanging out at the Keesels before school etc. The odd thing is that I have no memory of what it was like at school after my mom died. I can remember vivid detail of her funeral, the "wake" and even dreams I had about her, but nothing about school. I guess that isn't very odd except you would think being with my friends would not be something subconsciously blocked out.
Well that's all I have today, except you know as soon as I post this I'll start thinking of other things I should have written about. "From this time 'till next time, so long." -Jack Buck
Well that's all I have today, except you know as soon as I post this I'll start thinking of other things I should have written about. "From this time 'till next time, so long." -Jack Buck
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Subdivisions!
Every morning when I wake up I put on the news and during the commercials I put on VH1 Classic. This morning one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands came on, Subdivisions by Rush. While I was grooving (do you groove to Rush? Rock out? Jam?) I started thinking about the video and what I thought of it and, jokingly, posted on facebook that I was going to talk about an old video every day. An old Sig Ep brother of mine said I should blog, so here goes!
Subdivisions was on the 1982 album (you remember record albums don't you?) Signals. The song is about growing up in the suburbs and the video was shot in and around Toronto and at a local high school. Part of the video is the band playing in the studio, part is in the halls of the high school and part around town and following some of the lyrics.
The Band:
My first impression was that Geddy was totally 80's with the mullet and sport jacket with the sleeves pushed up. Add some stubble and change the colors to white and pink and he would be totally Miami Vice...like, you know, totally. (Although this is about two years before Vice took America by storm!)
Alex has this floppy 80's hair thing going on, but then goes for the tux type collared shirt with a red bow tie! What the hell was he thinking?!?!?! Of course Rush admitted that they struggled with "wardrobe" throughout their career in their documentary "Beyond the Lighted Stage."
Neil has a short haircut and a collarless two tone shirt going on. If you didn't know what he looked like you would think the drummer couldn't make it that day, so some accountant or father of the makeup girl stood in for him!
The Video:
Holy crap did this one take me back to my youth. Tight jeans, bad hair, bad mustaches, big hair, tight shirts, jean jackets and Member's Only jackets. I always love videos that sort of tell the story of the song and this one does, showing the "basement bars," being cool or being cast out, etc. It really tells you about the song, while being a good snapshot of the time period.
Well that is about it for today, see you next time!
Subdivisions was on the 1982 album (you remember record albums don't you?) Signals. The song is about growing up in the suburbs and the video was shot in and around Toronto and at a local high school. Part of the video is the band playing in the studio, part is in the halls of the high school and part around town and following some of the lyrics.
The Band:
My first impression was that Geddy was totally 80's with the mullet and sport jacket with the sleeves pushed up. Add some stubble and change the colors to white and pink and he would be totally Miami Vice...like, you know, totally. (Although this is about two years before Vice took America by storm!)
Alex has this floppy 80's hair thing going on, but then goes for the tux type collared shirt with a red bow tie! What the hell was he thinking?!?!?! Of course Rush admitted that they struggled with "wardrobe" throughout their career in their documentary "Beyond the Lighted Stage."
Neil has a short haircut and a collarless two tone shirt going on. If you didn't know what he looked like you would think the drummer couldn't make it that day, so some accountant or father of the makeup girl stood in for him!
The Video:
Holy crap did this one take me back to my youth. Tight jeans, bad hair, bad mustaches, big hair, tight shirts, jean jackets and Member's Only jackets. I always love videos that sort of tell the story of the song and this one does, showing the "basement bars," being cool or being cast out, etc. It really tells you about the song, while being a good snapshot of the time period.
Well that is about it for today, see you next time!
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