Note: If you're viewing this post in Facebook, the Gadget probably won't work. You'll want to go straight to the blog to check it out:
cyclingpublicaccountant.blogspot.com
If my footing is mathematically accurate, this marks the 100th post since hitting cyberspace in November of 2008. To celebrate, I've added a Playlist.com gadget and populated a playlist with songs that I heard on the Current (89.3 FM) last year while my client's cleaning crews made their rounds. A public accountant's "busy season" typically lasts from early January to mid to late April, with mine being no exception. Listening to the Current has been a way to finish strong during those 10-12 hour days.
For many years of my life, the music I discovered and listened to served as better mile posts to mark my life's events than did birthday celebrations, or even new school years. Every time I hear a song from Weezer's blue album I remember myself sitting in my friend Jeff's Pontiac Bonneville, trekking to Des Moines the summer after we got our driver's licenses. For me, music is an effective portal to access the memory. However, somewhere in my college years the radio faded into the background, and it wasn't until we moved to Minneapolis that I started listening again.
For your listening pleasure, I've tried my best to follow Rob Gordon's (yes, THE Rob Gordon) philosophy for building a mix-tape to compile my top five (or 13) songs from the 2010 busy season, along with a little MD&A:
1) Song Away - Hockey. Probably a one-hit wonder band, but catchy
2) Fader - The Temper Trap. I still regret not grabbing $10 tickets to see them at the Varsity
3) O.N.E. - Yeasayer. I love the bizarre video for this one (see link below)
4) Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons. These guys are good, I don't care how scraggly their beards are.
5) Strange Overtones - David Byrne & Brian Eno. That's fellow cyclist, David Byrne.
6) Flume - Bon Iver. It was the Peter Gabriel cover that I heard, but the original is better.
7) Stylo - Gorillaz. I know nothing about this band.
8) The Mystery Zone - Spoon. I was impressed by the live version, too.
9) Do-Wah-Doo - Kate Nash. Kate Nash has had a few during the years.
10) 40 Day Dream - Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes. Great song and band names.
11) Shark in the Water - V Brown. Could be another one-hit wonder.
12) Dominos - The Big Pink. Misogynists perhaps?
13) Girlfriend - Phoenix. I was so impressed by this band I bought the album.
There are several versions of the Yeasayer video, but here's the one I was talking about:
O.N.E. video
Any guesses as to what will be on the 2011 soundtrack?
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
The Streak Is Over
"What streak," you might ask. The streak of consecutive weeks without a post? That, too. But I meant my streak of 24 consecutive months logging at least one bicycle commute came to a halt without me realizing it was in jeopardy. The snow came relatively early (and often) this year, and I dragged my feet preparing the winter bike. So I guess I can empathize with old Graybeard, but at least I'll have the chance to start another one which is more than Fahv-ruh can say.
So here are the stats to bring the weekly summary up to speed:
Week 105 (Nov 22-26)
Mon-Tues: Carpool
Wed - Friday: No commute, Thanksgiving break
Week 106 (Nov 29-Dec 3)
Mon - Tues: Walk (in training in St. Louis)
Wed - Friday: Carpool
Week 107 (Dec 6 - 10)
Mon - Friday: Carpool
Week 108 (Dec 13 - 17)
Mon - Wed: Carpool
Thurs - Bicycle
Friday - Carpool
Week 109 (Dec 20 - 24)
Mon - Tues: Car
Wed - Friday: No Commute, Christmas break
Week 110 (Dec 27 - 31)
Mon - Friday: Christmas break.
So here are the stats to bring the weekly summary up to speed:
Week 105 (Nov 22-26)
Mon-Tues: Carpool
Wed - Friday: No commute, Thanksgiving break
Week 106 (Nov 29-Dec 3)
Mon - Tues: Walk (in training in St. Louis)
Wed - Friday: Carpool
Week 107 (Dec 6 - 10)
Mon - Friday: Carpool
Week 108 (Dec 13 - 17)
Mon - Wed: Carpool
Thurs - Bicycle
Friday - Carpool
Week 109 (Dec 20 - 24)
Mon - Tues: Car
Wed - Friday: No Commute, Christmas break
Week 110 (Dec 27 - 31)
Mon - Friday: Christmas break.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Hanging up the fob
November has arrived, bringing with it the first snow to the twin cities and the unofficial beginning of winter. Unfortunately, this also signals the end of the NiceRideMN bikeshare program. The bikes were pulled from the streets on November 7, but the program is calling the inaugural year a success as it surpassed its initial goal of 100,000 rides:
NiceRide Year End Statistics
I would be very interested to know how their financial results stack up to their goals. Some quick math shows me their program revenues from subscriptions were about $225k for the year. This seems low, but is unsurprising since the bulk of the funding likely comes from sponsors like Blue Cross Blue Shield. In any event, I'm glad to hear that program management was pleased with the performance.
What about my own $60 membership, was it worth it? Here are my own stats pulled from the NiceRide website:
Trips - 88
Usage time - 7 hours
Admittedly, most of the trips and hours (65 and 4, respectively) were logged doing the Nice Ride 65 Challenge, leaving 23 trips for the remainder of the season. Many of those trips saved me from having to park in the heart of downtown, or even catch the bus or light rail back home, even though I had to walk a mile or so from the closest bikeshare station. Using a conservative estimate, the bikeshare probably saved four downtown parks, and four one-way transit fares:
Parking - $6 x 4 parks = $24
Transit Fare - $2.25 x 4 = $9
Adding to those tangible benefits, I also received a t-shirt, which I'll call a $5 value, plus a coupon book that saved me $23 (two bike shop coupons for $10 each, plus a Lucia's coupon that scored me a free breakfast item).
My riding certainly wasn't as prolific as this guy, but these items got me pretty close to break even, so I would say the membership was worth it:
$ 60 - initial outlay
($56) - total savings ($33 park/transit, $23 in coupons)
$ 4 net cost
Does this mean I'm also hanging up my cycling habit for the winter? Hardly, though I have been searching for bicycle storage options, which could potentially result in hanging up some bikes in the new garage. What it does mean, though, is that I'll be transitioning from the Long Haul Trucker to a winter steed with studded tires to brave the ice and snow. I hope I get my gear in shape soon so the last four weeks aren't indicative of the next four weeks:
Summary
Week 101 (October 25 - 29)
Mon - Thurs - Car
Friday - Carpool
Week 102 (Nov 1 - 5)
Mon - Tues - No commute (vacation)
Week 103 (Nov 8 - 12)
Mon - Thurs - Car
Friday - Carpool
Week 104 (Nov 15 - 19)
Monday - Carpool
Tues - Friday - Car
Monday, October 25, 2010
Things I Didn't Do Over The Weekend - Ode to Joseph Heller
Of all the things I didn't do this past weekend, there are two that I feel especially compelled to share with you.
I usually plan my trips to visit family in the Des Moines area to coincide with my need for a haircut, since my hometown barber far exceeds any barber I have ever visited in every category (quality, thoroughness at trimming my crazy bristly-spiky hair, price, etc). But this past weekend was an exception as I just wasn't able to fit everything in and get my ears lowered.
Haircuts had been on my mind ever since I noticed that Vodka Alley had gotten a mullet:
If you've ridden through the alley at all this summer or fall, you would notice a significant change from the near canopy jungle that it had been. The picture above clearly shows the transformation to "business up front", and if my camera phone were better quality, you would also see the "party in the back." Maybe there were a few empty bottles the mowers didn't want to pick up, so they continued to let the vegetation run wild...
Speaking of geography along my commute, the votes are in from the quiz on my Public Art post, and there was so much disinterest in the quiz that it was hard to tally them up. My neighbor Brendan wins the participation ribbon for actually guessing (via my Facebook feed), but unfortunately he missed the mark. The correct fill in the blank answer was "C" (There is no ladder to climb).
Back to other things I didn't do...
The wife and I were in downtown Des Moines for the Saturday farmers' market, and didn't find any B-Cycle stations to check out. Because I didn't see any stations, I wondered if the bikeshare pilot program had ended. Sure enough, after a quick scan of the website's map, the stations were all in locations where we hadn't looked. Sadly, this wasn't the first time that I had visited a city without trying out its bikeshare. My visit to Washington, DC in the fall of 2008 claims that distinction, unless you count cities that don't even have bikeshare programs. If that's the case, I actually didn't ride the bikeshare in Des Moines well before not riding the bikeshare in DC.
Interested in having a B-Cycle station in your city that you can not ride on the weekend, too? Go to the website and vote:
B-Cycle
What didn't you do this weekend?
Summary
Week 98
Monday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Tuesday - Bicycle
Wednesday - Car
Thurs & Fri - Bicycle
Week 99
Monday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Tuesday - Friday - Bicycle
Week 100
Monday-Friday - Car
Mileage
10/22/2010 - 603.1
I usually plan my trips to visit family in the Des Moines area to coincide with my need for a haircut, since my hometown barber far exceeds any barber I have ever visited in every category (quality, thoroughness at trimming my crazy bristly-spiky hair, price, etc). But this past weekend was an exception as I just wasn't able to fit everything in and get my ears lowered.
Haircuts had been on my mind ever since I noticed that Vodka Alley had gotten a mullet:
If you've ridden through the alley at all this summer or fall, you would notice a significant change from the near canopy jungle that it had been. The picture above clearly shows the transformation to "business up front", and if my camera phone were better quality, you would also see the "party in the back." Maybe there were a few empty bottles the mowers didn't want to pick up, so they continued to let the vegetation run wild...
Speaking of geography along my commute, the votes are in from the quiz on my Public Art post, and there was so much disinterest in the quiz that it was hard to tally them up. My neighbor Brendan wins the participation ribbon for actually guessing (via my Facebook feed), but unfortunately he missed the mark. The correct fill in the blank answer was "C" (There is no ladder to climb).
Back to other things I didn't do...
The wife and I were in downtown Des Moines for the Saturday farmers' market, and didn't find any B-Cycle stations to check out. Because I didn't see any stations, I wondered if the bikeshare pilot program had ended. Sure enough, after a quick scan of the website's map, the stations were all in locations where we hadn't looked. Sadly, this wasn't the first time that I had visited a city without trying out its bikeshare. My visit to Washington, DC in the fall of 2008 claims that distinction, unless you count cities that don't even have bikeshare programs. If that's the case, I actually didn't ride the bikeshare in Des Moines well before not riding the bikeshare in DC.
Interested in having a B-Cycle station in your city that you can not ride on the weekend, too? Go to the website and vote:
B-Cycle
What didn't you do this weekend?
Summary
Week 98
Monday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Tuesday - Bicycle
Wednesday - Car
Thurs & Fri - Bicycle
Week 99
Monday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Tuesday - Friday - Bicycle
Week 100
Monday-Friday - Car
Mileage
10/22/2010 - 603.1
Publish Post
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Public Art
The past two weeks have been a colossal bike commuting FAIL. I can blame this fail primarily on being on-site at an out of town client in southern Minnesota in an area that wasn't densely populated. Let's just say it's been...agricultural. I'm back in the saddle this week for some in-office work and to take part in fall bike-walk week. Perhaps the end of my late September slump will coincide with an end the Twins' struggles.
In celebration of my return to bike commuting this week, I'm offering up another quiz related to my normal commuting route which deals with a specific graffito at the I-94 underpass. Here it is:
As you can tell from the picture, this isn't so much a "graffito" as it is an "area formerly known as a graffito," which has been recently painted over, presumably by some inexperienced city official who has not yet realized the magnitude of his folly. In addition to the above column, it appears that the entire collection of the "Anarchist Underpass Art" series has been covered in a similar fashion.
In a time of significant budgetary constraints facing the municipality, our elected officials should have had the sense to tout these works of art as their own doing, which our progressive city surely would have embraced whole heartedly. (I'm thinking a Walker Art Center East satellite location) Savings would have been reaped in both the public art works andbored teenager graffiti clean-up budgets, but instead we're left with two tone support beams. Just think of the pension overpayments that we could have funded with these savings!
All of this leads me to the one question multiple-choice fill-in-the blank quiz about the above pic:
Question:
Pick the item that best fills in the blank, which was previously painted on the support beam pictured above (my comments in parentheses):
There is no ___________________________
a) Santa Claus
(some truths are better learned late than never)
b) such thing as a free lunch
(Anarchists love macroeconomics)
c) business like goat business
(singing the praises of an agrarian economy)
d) ladder to climb
(sobering warning to greedy, cycling capitalists like myself)
Bonus Question:
This blog post contains an allusion to a movie quote, if you can spot it you get a bonus point.
Summary
Week 96 (Sept 20-24)
Mon - Friday: Car
Week 97 (Sept 27-Oct 1)
Mon - Friday: Car
A lot of carpooling was mixed in there.
In celebration of my return to bike commuting this week, I'm offering up another quiz related to my normal commuting route which deals with a specific graffito at the I-94 underpass. Here it is:
As you can tell from the picture, this isn't so much a "graffito" as it is an "area formerly known as a graffito," which has been recently painted over, presumably by some inexperienced city official who has not yet realized the magnitude of his folly. In addition to the above column, it appears that the entire collection of the "Anarchist Underpass Art" series has been covered in a similar fashion.
In a time of significant budgetary constraints facing the municipality, our elected officials should have had the sense to tout these works of art as their own doing, which our progressive city surely would have embraced whole heartedly. (I'm thinking a Walker Art Center East satellite location) Savings would have been reaped in both the public art works and
All of this leads me to the one question multiple-choice fill-in-the blank quiz about the above pic:
Question:
Pick the item that best fills in the blank, which was previously painted on the support beam pictured above (my comments in parentheses):
There is no ___________________________
a) Santa Claus
(some truths are better learned late than never)
b) such thing as a free lunch
(Anarchists love macroeconomics)
c) business like goat business
(singing the praises of an agrarian economy)
d) ladder to climb
(sobering warning to greedy, cycling capitalists like myself)
Bonus Question:
This blog post contains an allusion to a movie quote, if you can spot it you get a bonus point.
Summary
Week 96 (Sept 20-24)
Mon - Friday: Car
Week 97 (Sept 27-Oct 1)
Mon - Friday: Car
A lot of carpooling was mixed in there.
Friday, September 24, 2010
We Have a Winner
The much blogged about yet scarcely played "Pin the Tail on My Commute" game has ended, and we have a winner. I am relieved that I can walk down the street and hand deliver the prize to Brenna. It always feels wrong to pay more in postage than the shipped item is worth.
In any event, Brent supplied the correct answer, and Vodka Alley is located right before the crossing the 5th Street bridge over I-35W (heading into downtown) and is so named due to the high number of empty vodka bottles that "decorate" the landscape. From every indication, the locale appears to be a night time gathering place for young men in the neighborhood.
Final map with answer
In any event, Brent supplied the correct answer, and Vodka Alley is located right before the crossing the 5th Street bridge over I-35W (heading into downtown) and is so named due to the high number of empty vodka bottles that "decorate" the landscape. From every indication, the locale appears to be a night time gathering place for young men in the neighborhood.
Final map with answer
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Wrench In My Commute
First things first: The deadline to play Pin the Tail on My Commute is this Friday, September 24. At that point, the winner will be crowned, Dennis Green style. There are only two guesses so far, so do the math and you can probably see that you have a good shot at winning.
Now to the wrench...
I picked this up as I waited for the stop light on 5th Street and 11th Avenue, right across from the Dome. This being my first experience with a literal wrench in my commute, I have to say it's a much welcome occurrence as compared to the figurative wrenches I've encountered. Unfortunately figurative wrenches outpace their literal counterparts 2 to 1. (See Exhibit 1 and Exhibit 2) And if you remember, the "figurative" wrench in Exhibit 2 was actually a literal screwdriver.
Week 95 Summary (Sept 13 - 17)
Mon-Wed: Bicycle
Thursday: Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Friday - Bicycle
Mileage Count
9/19/10 - 499.7
"And I will bike 500 miles..."
Now to the wrench...
I picked this up as I waited for the stop light on 5th Street and 11th Avenue, right across from the Dome. This being my first experience with a literal wrench in my commute, I have to say it's a much welcome occurrence as compared to the figurative wrenches I've encountered. Unfortunately figurative wrenches outpace their literal counterparts 2 to 1. (See Exhibit 1 and Exhibit 2) And if you remember, the "figurative" wrench in Exhibit 2 was actually a literal screwdriver.
Week 95 Summary (Sept 13 - 17)
Mon-Wed: Bicycle
Thursday: Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Friday - Bicycle
Mileage Count
9/19/10 - 499.7
"And I will bike 500 miles..."
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
I Can't Count
Each year Transit for Livable Communities performs a bicycle and pedestrian count at various locations in the metro area to measure the rate of bike/pedestrian commuters. Last year I was able to help out, I got a free "I Count" t-shirt, and was even inspired to write a blog post of almost palindromic proportions.
This year the count is happening this week and next. I'm teaching a training in the office, and my schedule won't let me count this week. Next week my schedule has me at a client site so I can't do it then either. I won't even get counted.
I can't count. Not this year anyway. Maybe next year I can.
This year the count is happening this week and next. I'm teaching a training in the office, and my schedule won't let me count this week. Next week my schedule has me at a client site so I can't do it then either. I won't even get counted.
I can't count. Not this year anyway. Maybe next year I can.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Testing the Existence Assertion
Note: The "Pin the Tail on My Commute" game is still on. If you haven't already, go read it and make a guess!
Nobody ended up taking me up on the invitation to confirm that all 65 Nice Ride stations in Minneapolis indeed exist. Nevertheless, Corby and I managed to obtain sufficient audit evidence to gain comfort over the existence assertion of the 65 stations.
We rarely strayed from our course, grabbing our first bikes at Birchwood Cafe and docking for the 65th time at Franklin & 21st Avenue. Other than dismounting for lunch at Punch Pizza in Northeast, picking up some water and Powerade at CVS on Hennepin Ave, and a brief call with a customer service rep (more about that below), we didn't waste much time in between stops. Our longest time between was only 10 minutes, and one of the station to station trips only took one minute (according to the My Trips function of the Nice Ride website).
It took us just shy of four cycling hours to complete the ride and my estimate for mileage was 36. The Nice Ride account login put it at 27.2 miles, but their assumptions seem a little faulty to me. If I have time, I'll complete a "complex estimates" practice aid, retrace our steps on Google maps to get some more comfort over management's estimate. I'm kidding about the practice aid, I just wanted an excuse to slip in some auditor-speak.
We did have to backtrack once, since a glitch in the system kept us from checking out another bike after we had docked at the downtown library station. After we were denied trying to check out every single back at the station, I called customer service and had what can only be described as a ridiculous conversation with this woman.
She instructed us to check the ID numbers of the bikes to find the ones we had just returned, so she could then release them for our use. The problem was, the bikes that she had in the system were not at the dock. She told me there should be 22 bikes at the station, and when I assured her there were only 20, she pretty much called me negligent and a liar, albeit in polite terms.
I figured telling this lady that this wasn't my first rodeo wouldn't overcome her obstinance so instead I proposed that we return to the previous station to check the ID numbers. I kept her on the line for two blocks, and sure enough, the bike IDs in question were there. Only the tech wizards at NiceRideMN will be able to figure what happened on that one.
Overall successfully completing the challenge was the "cherry on the spoon" of an otherwise perfect bike commuting week, and we even scored free jerseys for our efforts. I would definitely do this again if anyone needs a sherpa, or if some visitors wanted to check out some of the popular Minneapolis landmarks from the seat of a green two wheeler.
Week 94 Summary (September 6 - 10)
Monday - No commute (Labor Day)
Tues - Friday: Bicycle
Mileage Count (Fiscal YTD)
9/12/10 - 459.0 miles
Nobody ended up taking me up on the invitation to confirm that all 65 Nice Ride stations in Minneapolis indeed exist. Nevertheless, Corby and I managed to obtain sufficient audit evidence to gain comfort over the existence assertion of the 65 stations.
We rarely strayed from our course, grabbing our first bikes at Birchwood Cafe and docking for the 65th time at Franklin & 21st Avenue. Other than dismounting for lunch at Punch Pizza in Northeast, picking up some water and Powerade at CVS on Hennepin Ave, and a brief call with a customer service rep (more about that below), we didn't waste much time in between stops. Our longest time between was only 10 minutes, and one of the station to station trips only took one minute (according to the My Trips function of the Nice Ride website).
It took us just shy of four cycling hours to complete the ride and my estimate for mileage was 36. The Nice Ride account login put it at 27.2 miles, but their assumptions seem a little faulty to me. If I have time, I'll complete a "complex estimates" practice aid, retrace our steps on Google maps to get some more comfort over management's estimate. I'm kidding about the practice aid, I just wanted an excuse to slip in some auditor-speak.
We did have to backtrack once, since a glitch in the system kept us from checking out another bike after we had docked at the downtown library station. After we were denied trying to check out every single back at the station, I called customer service and had what can only be described as a ridiculous conversation with this woman.
She instructed us to check the ID numbers of the bikes to find the ones we had just returned, so she could then release them for our use. The problem was, the bikes that she had in the system were not at the dock. She told me there should be 22 bikes at the station, and when I assured her there were only 20, she pretty much called me negligent and a liar, albeit in polite terms.
I figured telling this lady that this wasn't my first rodeo wouldn't overcome her obstinance so instead I proposed that we return to the previous station to check the ID numbers. I kept her on the line for two blocks, and sure enough, the bike IDs in question were there. Only the tech wizards at NiceRideMN will be able to figure what happened on that one.
Overall successfully completing the challenge was the "cherry on the spoon" of an otherwise perfect bike commuting week, and we even scored free jerseys for our efforts. I would definitely do this again if anyone needs a sherpa, or if some visitors wanted to check out some of the popular Minneapolis landmarks from the seat of a green two wheeler.
Week 94 Summary (September 6 - 10)
Monday - No commute (Labor Day)
Tues - Friday: Bicycle
Mileage Count (Fiscal YTD)
9/12/10 - 459.0 miles
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Pin the Tail on My Commute
In an attempt to make this an interactive blog, I've decided to introduce a game that any reader with a Google or Gmail ID can play: Pin the Tail on My Commute
Here's the basic premise.
A question will be posted that has to do with some sort of landmark from my commute (aka, "the tail"). I have mocked up a Google Map with my normal route, and it is open for "collaboration" so anyone can "pin the tail" on the map (click the EDIT button to open the collaborate feature) by dropping a placemark on your best guess. Simple enough? If that's not clear enough, the description section on the Google Map gives an example guess and further instruction.
The person to get closest to the spot wins a bicycle themed prize of my choosing. Disclaimer: these prizes will not be glamorous.
Here's the question:
Where in my commute would you find the area that I affectionately refer to as "Vodka Alley?"
Here's the link:
Link to Google Map
Happy hunting.
Here's the basic premise.
A question will be posted that has to do with some sort of landmark from my commute (aka, "the tail"). I have mocked up a Google Map with my normal route, and it is open for "collaboration" so anyone can "pin the tail" on the map (click the EDIT button to open the collaborate feature) by dropping a placemark on your best guess. Simple enough? If that's not clear enough, the description section on the Google Map gives an example guess and further instruction.
The person to get closest to the spot wins a bicycle themed prize of my choosing. Disclaimer: these prizes will not be glamorous.
Here's the question:
Where in my commute would you find the area that I affectionately refer to as "Vodka Alley?"
Here's the link:
Link to Google Map
Happy hunting.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Des Moines - the Revolution is Here
But will it be televised?
I just caught wind from anoynymous Dan in Des Moines that a bikeshare program has just launched in Des Moines.
B-Cycle
DM Register article
Okay, Des Moines friends, who's got the scoop on this for me?
I just caught wind from anoynymous Dan in Des Moines that a bikeshare program has just launched in Des Moines.
B-Cycle
DM Register article
Okay, Des Moines friends, who's got the scoop on this for me?
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Open Invitation for a Nice Ride
Remember when I mentioned I wanted to tackle the Nice Ride 65 Challenge? Well, it's goat time go time this Saturday.
My neighbor Corby and I are co-piloting this journey, and if anyone else is up for the challenge drop me a line. The plan is to depart about 10:30 am this Saturday and grab some grub on the way. We have no idea how long it'll take, or if we'll hit all 65 or not, but we're gonna have a blast trying and hopefully score some sweet Nice Ride swag in the process.
From the NiceRideMN.org website:
Prizes:
* 35 stations: Nice Ride t-shirt
* 45 stations: Nice Ride socks
* 55 stations: Nice Ride mechanics shirt (value $30)
* All 65 stations: Nice Ride jersey (value $75)
If you don't have an annual membership, you can still participate with the $5 all day pass.
Who's with me?
My neighbor Corby and I are co-piloting this journey, and if anyone else is up for the challenge drop me a line. The plan is to depart about 10:30 am this Saturday and grab some grub on the way. We have no idea how long it'll take, or if we'll hit all 65 or not, but we're gonna have a blast trying and hopefully score some sweet Nice Ride swag in the process.
From the NiceRideMN.org website:
Prizes:
* 35 stations: Nice Ride t-shirt
* 45 stations: Nice Ride socks
* 55 stations: Nice Ride mechanics shirt (value $30)
* All 65 stations: Nice Ride jersey (value $75)
If you don't have an annual membership, you can still participate with the $5 all day pass.
Who's with me?
Monday, September 6, 2010
August Amnesia and Good Samaritan Wednesday
It took me a bit to dredge up what mode of transport I had used over the past month, but once I got things rolling it came back to me like so much soap opera.
August Summary
Week 89 (Aug 2 - 6)
Monday - Friday: Bicycle
Week 90 (Aug 9 - 13)
Vacation - There wasn't much counting for me in Portland, so I had to make up for it with cycling. I considered how to account for the miles I racked up on the sub-ledger and have determined I won't add them to the total tally.
Week 91 (Aug 16 - 20)
Monday - Tuesday: Bicycle
Wednesday: Bicycle (AM) & Car (PM)
Kind of a strange combination, but the facts that led to a morning bike commute and evening return via automobile include meetings with regulators, some dudes from New Jersey, and a last minute invite to The Oceannaire. I'll leave it at that.
Thursday - Friday: Bicycle
Week 92 (August 23 - 30)
Monday - Tuesday: Bicycle
Wednesday: Car (plus bonus Bikeshare action )
Thursday - Friday: Bicycle
Week 93 (August 30 - Sept 3)
Monday - Wednesday: Bicycle
Thursday - Friday: No commute - recruiting event in Cedar Falls, IA
Good Samaritan Wednesday
Many of you are perhaps familiar with this parable. I had a similar experience this past week, just substitute the whole assault and robbery part of the story with me getting a flat tire and forgetting my hand pump at home.
While one can hardly eat muffins in an agitated manner, one can certainly change a flat tire in that exact mental state, be it a car or bicycle tire (see Exhibit A). This day was no exception, and it was especially easy to get myself worked up since I had a patch kit, but was without the necessary means to re-inflate the tire. I couldn't even blow up the tire to spot the hole and see if it was patchable. Frustration gave way to carelessness, which led to the rear cog scooping out a chunk of my right index finger as I removed the tire. What a (literal) bloody mess.
Thankfully, a kind soul noticed my plight and stopped to help. He was already late to work, but nevertheless offered his bike pump even though he didn't have time to wait around for me to finish the patch job and test my work. After briefly considering my dilemma, Douglas trusted me to drop it off at his place of employ sometime during the day.
What a relief! I don't know if I would have just walked the bike into downtown and dealt with the mess later or if I would have waited for someone else to stop with a pump. I finished the patch and it held, so I hopped back on the bike to finish my commute. My finger still oozed, and I didn't have anything to clean it up with, so I rode the last mile or two with my right hand held up, blessing oncoming cyclists with a bloody pope-like hand gesture to keep my handlebars clean.
Mileage Count (Fiscal YTD)
8/23/10 - 326.7 miles
8/31/10 - 384.9 miles
August Summary
Week 89 (Aug 2 - 6)
Monday - Friday: Bicycle
Week 90 (Aug 9 - 13)
Vacation - There wasn't much counting for me in Portland, so I had to make up for it with cycling. I considered how to account for the miles I racked up on the sub-ledger and have determined I won't add them to the total tally.
Week 91 (Aug 16 - 20)
Monday - Tuesday: Bicycle
Wednesday: Bicycle (AM) & Car (PM)
Kind of a strange combination, but the facts that led to a morning bike commute and evening return via automobile include meetings with regulators, some dudes from New Jersey, and a last minute invite to The Oceannaire. I'll leave it at that.
Thursday - Friday: Bicycle
Week 92 (August 23 - 30)
Monday - Tuesday: Bicycle
Wednesday: Car (plus bonus Bikeshare action )
Thursday - Friday: Bicycle
Week 93 (August 30 - Sept 3)
Monday - Wednesday: Bicycle
Thursday - Friday: No commute - recruiting event in Cedar Falls, IA
Good Samaritan Wednesday
Many of you are perhaps familiar with this parable. I had a similar experience this past week, just substitute the whole assault and robbery part of the story with me getting a flat tire and forgetting my hand pump at home.
While one can hardly eat muffins in an agitated manner, one can certainly change a flat tire in that exact mental state, be it a car or bicycle tire (see Exhibit A). This day was no exception, and it was especially easy to get myself worked up since I had a patch kit, but was without the necessary means to re-inflate the tire. I couldn't even blow up the tire to spot the hole and see if it was patchable. Frustration gave way to carelessness, which led to the rear cog scooping out a chunk of my right index finger as I removed the tire. What a (literal) bloody mess.
Thankfully, a kind soul noticed my plight and stopped to help. He was already late to work, but nevertheless offered his bike pump even though he didn't have time to wait around for me to finish the patch job and test my work. After briefly considering my dilemma, Douglas trusted me to drop it off at his place of employ sometime during the day.
What a relief! I don't know if I would have just walked the bike into downtown and dealt with the mess later or if I would have waited for someone else to stop with a pump. I finished the patch and it held, so I hopped back on the bike to finish my commute. My finger still oozed, and I didn't have anything to clean it up with, so I rode the last mile or two with my right hand held up, blessing oncoming cyclists with a bloody pope-like hand gesture to keep my handlebars clean.
Mileage Count (Fiscal YTD)
8/23/10 - 326.7 miles
8/31/10 - 384.9 miles
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Pays for itself in the money it saves...
What am I talking about here, the Dial-a-matic Food Slicer? The Slap-Chop?
Nope, the NiceRideMN bikeshare program.
I purchased an annual membership for $60 in May, and it has already yielded some dividends. Yesterday serves as a perfect example. It was an ideal day for biking, but I had to be in Plymouth for a morning meeting. I never know where to park in situations like this, because I rarely drive myself to work if I'm downtown and loath paying for parking.
But the beauty of the bikeshare is that it expands the your free parking radius. I parked meters away from a NiceRide station, grabbed a bike, and pedaled my way out of paying $4-8 for parking. There's a station a block from the office so I don't even have to walk very far from there. Plus, the rack's even leave room for my papers (my business papers) and my lunch:
So listen up, my fellow downtown denizens, this could be yours for only three easy payments of $19.99...
Nope, the NiceRideMN bikeshare program.
I purchased an annual membership for $60 in May, and it has already yielded some dividends. Yesterday serves as a perfect example. It was an ideal day for biking, but I had to be in Plymouth for a morning meeting. I never know where to park in situations like this, because I rarely drive myself to work if I'm downtown and loath paying for parking.
But the beauty of the bikeshare is that it expands the your free parking radius. I parked meters away from a NiceRide station, grabbed a bike, and pedaled my way out of paying $4-8 for parking. There's a station a block from the office so I don't even have to walk very far from there. Plus, the rack's even leave room for my papers (my business papers) and my lunch:
So listen up, my fellow downtown denizens, this could be yours for only three easy payments of $19.99...
Saturday, August 21, 2010
RAGBRAI - part II
(see part I for previous RAGBRAI post)
As many readers know, one of the primary reasons to spend a week traversing the state of Iowa on a bicycle is the food. Every 10-15 miles, the gastronomical siren song is sounded, and many a cyclist is enticed to dismount and gorge themselves from the mobile smorgasbords that line the RAGBRAI route. Some waste no time before willfully engaging in the feast while others, compelled by the need for justification, put together T accounts in their minds and do the mental caloric math before their binge. I required no such rationalization.
One of the most amazing aspects of this experience was how inelastic the demand was for many of the food products. Customers were stacked 50 deep as vendors dished out ice cream at $5/serving, or served up porkchops for $7. I tend toward the frugal end of the spending spectrum, but even I didn't balk at the price for a "Mr. Porkchop" on Wednesday. What's more, I would have gladly paid another $7 on Thursday if we hadn't passed the stand at 9 a.m. This porkchop was de-boned, three inches thick, and needed no special presentation. The tender, slightly seasoned chop spoke for itself served merely in a napkin, and had no rival among the breakfast burritos, other grilled meats, or even ice cream and pastries that I sampled along the way.
Mr. Porkchop is one of the many reasons that I'm planning on riding again next year.
Unfortunately, it's rare that a RAGBRAI event (or any event with 10,000+ participants) is completed without some sort of serious injury or even death.
About 4-5 miles from Wednesday's overnight town (Charles City), my first RAGBRAI experience was almost cut short. As with similar experiences, some of the details are a little fuzzy, but I've rolled it over in my mind a few times and am pretty sure the material ones are still there. Here goes:
I was riding on the right side of the the lane, and a couple riders were ahead of me in my direct line of sight. When they both edged to the left, my reaction was somewhat delayed until I noticed a dismounted cyclists stopped on the edge of the road. I took as hard of a left turn as possible, but was unable to avoid contact. My right pedal clipped his bicycle, launching me into a violent swerve, careening across the lane like a steering wheel-less mining cart from the Indiana Jones movies.
My position on the bicycle had been disrupted as well. In my mind's eye, only one foot remained on the pedals while the other scraped on the ground. My left thigh was hooked around the top-tube as I barely had a hold of the handlebars, trying desperately to pull my butt back onto the saddle like the rider of a spooked horse. As the bike slowed down I was able to regain my normal riding position yet my heart continued beating a million pumps a minute.
When I was finally able to pull off on the side of the road and inspect the damage, I was amazed to see there was no injury to the bike, and only minimal to myself. The inside foot bone located a few inches below my ankle felt like it had been struck with a hammer and throbbed considerably. The skin had also been pierced, but thankfully there was only minor bleeding.
Before I got back on the bike, I glanced back to see if there were any signs of the other party. He stood in the same spot, seemingly unfazed, still talking on his cell phone and on the left side of the white line separating the shoulder from the road. (In case you're having trouble visualizing this, it's generally a good idea to get OFF the road when coming to a complete stop and stay to the RIGHT of the line) I was quite angry that his carelessness had contributed to the incident, especially since I probably would have suffered significant injury had I fallen, not to mention the damage from the bicycle stampede. I resisted the urge to confront him in my fury, and instead got back on the bike and limped the rest of the way into town.
Getting back to the positive side of things, another one of the great reasons to ride RAGBRAI is that it creates an opportunity to meet a ton of friendly and interesting people. Several times during the day I found myself riding along other bikers from across the country, telling each other how we got involved in RAGBRAI and sharing various details of our respective lives' paths. This is how I met Paul from Nebraska, a former engineer turned classical guitarist, and Steve, a respiratory therapist from Tennessee who also rode a Surly Long Haul Trucker. Steve was taking a census of LHT riders' ages and he reported that the mean age was above 50. (He initially guessed my age at 22) He also noted that every Surly LHT he had seen was equipped with a Brooks saddle. I also met Mark, an ex-Iowan living in Seattle who moved his camp-site to give us room for our tent and I even met up with a friend from high school who had been riding all week. It made me wish I was riding more than just two days.
Other than the food, the people, and the minor incident described above, the vast majority of the time was spent in the saddle, cranking away, and watching the view. Since I grew up in Iowa, it was refreshing to cruise over rolling hills on county roads, flanked by the corn and soybean fields of my youth. I didn't experience many brutal hills, and the mileage differed significantly from Wednesday to Thursday. We eased our way into the route with a 52 mile day to start, but by the time I finished the 82 miles the next day, my legs were definitely achy. However, it was the type of soreness that accompanies satisfaction and made me excited to sign up for the full week next year.
As many readers know, one of the primary reasons to spend a week traversing the state of Iowa on a bicycle is the food. Every 10-15 miles, the gastronomical siren song is sounded, and many a cyclist is enticed to dismount and gorge themselves from the mobile smorgasbords that line the RAGBRAI route. Some waste no time before willfully engaging in the feast while others, compelled by the need for justification, put together T accounts in their minds and do the mental caloric math before their binge. I required no such rationalization.
One of the most amazing aspects of this experience was how inelastic the demand was for many of the food products. Customers were stacked 50 deep as vendors dished out ice cream at $5/serving, or served up porkchops for $7. I tend toward the frugal end of the spending spectrum, but even I didn't balk at the price for a "Mr. Porkchop" on Wednesday. What's more, I would have gladly paid another $7 on Thursday if we hadn't passed the stand at 9 a.m. This porkchop was de-boned, three inches thick, and needed no special presentation. The tender, slightly seasoned chop spoke for itself served merely in a napkin, and had no rival among the breakfast burritos, other grilled meats, or even ice cream and pastries that I sampled along the way.
Mr. Porkchop is one of the many reasons that I'm planning on riding again next year.
Unfortunately, it's rare that a RAGBRAI event (or any event with 10,000+ participants) is completed without some sort of serious injury or even death.
About 4-5 miles from Wednesday's overnight town (Charles City), my first RAGBRAI experience was almost cut short. As with similar experiences, some of the details are a little fuzzy, but I've rolled it over in my mind a few times and am pretty sure the material ones are still there. Here goes:
I was riding on the right side of the the lane, and a couple riders were ahead of me in my direct line of sight. When they both edged to the left, my reaction was somewhat delayed until I noticed a dismounted cyclists stopped on the edge of the road. I took as hard of a left turn as possible, but was unable to avoid contact. My right pedal clipped his bicycle, launching me into a violent swerve, careening across the lane like a steering wheel-less mining cart from the Indiana Jones movies.
My position on the bicycle had been disrupted as well. In my mind's eye, only one foot remained on the pedals while the other scraped on the ground. My left thigh was hooked around the top-tube as I barely had a hold of the handlebars, trying desperately to pull my butt back onto the saddle like the rider of a spooked horse. As the bike slowed down I was able to regain my normal riding position yet my heart continued beating a million pumps a minute.
When I was finally able to pull off on the side of the road and inspect the damage, I was amazed to see there was no injury to the bike, and only minimal to myself. The inside foot bone located a few inches below my ankle felt like it had been struck with a hammer and throbbed considerably. The skin had also been pierced, but thankfully there was only minor bleeding.
Before I got back on the bike, I glanced back to see if there were any signs of the other party. He stood in the same spot, seemingly unfazed, still talking on his cell phone and on the left side of the white line separating the shoulder from the road. (In case you're having trouble visualizing this, it's generally a good idea to get OFF the road when coming to a complete stop and stay to the RIGHT of the line) I was quite angry that his carelessness had contributed to the incident, especially since I probably would have suffered significant injury had I fallen, not to mention the damage from the bicycle stampede. I resisted the urge to confront him in my fury, and instead got back on the bike and limped the rest of the way into town.
Getting back to the positive side of things, another one of the great reasons to ride RAGBRAI is that it creates an opportunity to meet a ton of friendly and interesting people. Several times during the day I found myself riding along other bikers from across the country, telling each other how we got involved in RAGBRAI and sharing various details of our respective lives' paths. This is how I met Paul from Nebraska, a former engineer turned classical guitarist, and Steve, a respiratory therapist from Tennessee who also rode a Surly Long Haul Trucker. Steve was taking a census of LHT riders' ages and he reported that the mean age was above 50. (He initially guessed my age at 22) He also noted that every Surly LHT he had seen was equipped with a Brooks saddle. I also met Mark, an ex-Iowan living in Seattle who moved his camp-site to give us room for our tent and I even met up with a friend from high school who had been riding all week. It made me wish I was riding more than just two days.
Other than the food, the people, and the minor incident described above, the vast majority of the time was spent in the saddle, cranking away, and watching the view. Since I grew up in Iowa, it was refreshing to cruise over rolling hills on county roads, flanked by the corn and soybean fields of my youth. I didn't experience many brutal hills, and the mileage differed significantly from Wednesday to Thursday. We eased our way into the route with a 52 mile day to start, but by the time I finished the 82 miles the next day, my legs were definitely achy. However, it was the type of soreness that accompanies satisfaction and made me excited to sign up for the full week next year.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
RAGBRAI - part I
I haven't been able to take much vacation over the past several months, so I strategically placed a two-week stretch of time off in my schedule. The last leg of this two weeks involved two days riding through county roads of Iowa on RAGBRAI 2010. I have always wanted to experience RAGBRAI from the saddle, but since my affinity for all things bicycle was mostly latent until moving to Minnesota, I still had never ridden a single mile of a RAGBRAI route until this summer. My dad and I (and his friend) planned to meet up in Clear Lake for a two day stretch. Thus begins a two part blog post on my first RAGBRAI experience.
Before embarking on an extended ride, I thought it only proper to ensure the Drifter was hitting on all cylinders, figuratively speaking. I removed the rack and fenders to allow for a thorough washing and re-lubing session, and replaced the rear brake pads which were well worn. I re-installed the rack, but kept the fenders off since I wanted to wash them, too, but wouldn't have the time to do so before leaving for RAGBRAI.
I had some other errands to run, plus I wanted to eat dinner with Pati so I set the bike aside until my scheduled 7 p.m. departure. After packing the car with all my necessities, I grabbed the Drifter, only to be shocked with the realization that the rear tire was completely flat. Not only was it flat, but a small shard of metal had tucked itself into the tire, and a three inch gash laced the tube. I scramble to think of an open bike shop (my normal shop is closed) and am irritated to be leaving 40 minutes late.
My first overnight was on my friend's couch in Nora Springs, but before retiring for the evening we enjoyed a few malted beverages while I installed the new tire and tube. This is the kind of friend that is willing to wake up at 5:45 a.m. and drive you to Clear Lake to meet up with the RAGBRAI crowd(plus lend you a sleeping bag). Since it had been a busy summer for both of us and even our electronic paths rarely crossed, I didn't mind trading sleep time to catch up.
The 5:45 alarm blurted out as soon as I shut my eyes, and the first thing I heard was my benevolent host commenting on how wet it was outside. All I could think is that I picked the perfect time to not re-install my fenders the night before. Visualizing the splotch of road grease streaking down my back sent me immediately into MacGyver mode.
"Do you have any zip ties?"
- Nope.
"How about bread ties? They'll have to due."
- Got 'em.
I scanned the kitchen, trying to come up with a material that was flexible, somewhat durable, and could resist water. An empty 24 pack caught my eye. The same waxy exterior that keeps these from being recycled (at least in Minneapolis) turned out to be my saving grace. I considered a few design aspects in my head, but ultimately was successfully able to visualize make-shift fenders fashioned from this empty beverage carton. Diet Coke will get a free advertisement today. We had a schedule to keep, so I grabbed a pair of scissors and bungee cords on the way out the door and we hit the road at 6:00 a.m.
As we pulled off of Highway 18 into Clear Lake, I noticed that my fears were unfounded. The ditches were still relatively wet, but the pavement was remarkably dry. I breathed a sigh of relief. Although it would have made for an interesting start to my RAGBRAI experience, I was happy to start the day without any complications.
This experience wasn't completely wasted though. My curiosity got me wondering how these fenders would have worked, so when I returned home I actually gave the construction a try. Look for a future blog post titled, "If I Had Done It, Here's How" (I was completely serious, here it is).
The morning did prove to have one obstacle to overcome though. We had procured the assistance of a support vehicle to carry our bags and tent, but it wasn't easy to locate the vehicle among the throng of bikers and campers. I unloaded my gear and strapped it all to my bike, converting it to a pack mule. I navigated the maze of people yet was not successful in finding the truck. Instead of risking more frustration, I waited until my dad and his friend arrived to consolidate our gear, checking out the riders, bikes, and accessories as they all embarked on their day's journey.
By the time they arrived and we dropped our gear off at the support vehicle, I had been in Clear Lake for over an hour and a half. When we finally rolled out of town on our bikes, it was close to 8:00 a.m., but looking at the open road before me, I forgot about my earlier frustrations.
(See part II of my RAGBRAI experience)
Before embarking on an extended ride, I thought it only proper to ensure the Drifter was hitting on all cylinders, figuratively speaking. I removed the rack and fenders to allow for a thorough washing and re-lubing session, and replaced the rear brake pads which were well worn. I re-installed the rack, but kept the fenders off since I wanted to wash them, too, but wouldn't have the time to do so before leaving for RAGBRAI.
I had some other errands to run, plus I wanted to eat dinner with Pati so I set the bike aside until my scheduled 7 p.m. departure. After packing the car with all my necessities, I grabbed the Drifter, only to be shocked with the realization that the rear tire was completely flat. Not only was it flat, but a small shard of metal had tucked itself into the tire, and a three inch gash laced the tube. I scramble to think of an open bike shop (my normal shop is closed) and am irritated to be leaving 40 minutes late.
My first overnight was on my friend's couch in Nora Springs, but before retiring for the evening we enjoyed a few malted beverages while I installed the new tire and tube. This is the kind of friend that is willing to wake up at 5:45 a.m. and drive you to Clear Lake to meet up with the RAGBRAI crowd(plus lend you a sleeping bag). Since it had been a busy summer for both of us and even our electronic paths rarely crossed, I didn't mind trading sleep time to catch up.
The 5:45 alarm blurted out as soon as I shut my eyes, and the first thing I heard was my benevolent host commenting on how wet it was outside. All I could think is that I picked the perfect time to not re-install my fenders the night before. Visualizing the splotch of road grease streaking down my back sent me immediately into MacGyver mode.
"Do you have any zip ties?"
- Nope.
"How about bread ties? They'll have to due."
- Got 'em.
I scanned the kitchen, trying to come up with a material that was flexible, somewhat durable, and could resist water. An empty 24 pack caught my eye. The same waxy exterior that keeps these from being recycled (at least in Minneapolis) turned out to be my saving grace. I considered a few design aspects in my head, but ultimately was successfully able to visualize make-shift fenders fashioned from this empty beverage carton. Diet Coke will get a free advertisement today. We had a schedule to keep, so I grabbed a pair of scissors and bungee cords on the way out the door and we hit the road at 6:00 a.m.
As we pulled off of Highway 18 into Clear Lake, I noticed that my fears were unfounded. The ditches were still relatively wet, but the pavement was remarkably dry. I breathed a sigh of relief. Although it would have made for an interesting start to my RAGBRAI experience, I was happy to start the day without any complications.
This experience wasn't completely wasted though. My curiosity got me wondering how these fenders would have worked, so when I returned home I actually gave the construction a try. Look for a future blog post titled, "If I Had Done It, Here's How" (I was completely serious, here it is).
The morning did prove to have one obstacle to overcome though. We had procured the assistance of a support vehicle to carry our bags and tent, but it wasn't easy to locate the vehicle among the throng of bikers and campers. I unloaded my gear and strapped it all to my bike, converting it to a pack mule. I navigated the maze of people yet was not successful in finding the truck. Instead of risking more frustration, I waited until my dad and his friend arrived to consolidate our gear, checking out the riders, bikes, and accessories as they all embarked on their day's journey.
By the time they arrived and we dropped our gear off at the support vehicle, I had been in Clear Lake for over an hour and a half. When we finally rolled out of town on our bikes, it was close to 8:00 a.m., but looking at the open road before me, I forgot about my earlier frustrations.
(See part II of my RAGBRAI experience)
Friday, July 30, 2010
Weeks 86 - 88 and Counting
Very little to report from a bicycle commuting standpoint:
Week 86 (July 12-16)
Mon - Friday: Car
Although I could have taken bicycle paths to within 0.5 miles of the client site (in Plymouth), I still would have had to traverse approximately 19 miles of on-path commuting. The time commitment involved, plus the potential for a sultry weather mix had me opt for the auto.
Week 87 & 88 (July 19-23, July 26-30)
I've been on vacation for the past two weeks, so no need to worry about the commute.
Counting
A few weeks ago I noted that I have not kept tabs on total miles. As I think about it, this omission seems ridiculous at best, and negligent at worst for someone who prides himself as a cyclist who counts for a living. Nevertheless I now have the necessary means to easily track mileage and report it as frequently as I'd like.
After some brief online research I decided on the Cateye Micro Wireless. It meshed up well with the basic features I needed, and appeared to be one of the most modestly priced wireless units on the market. I mounted it below my Cateye headlight, so my bicycle is no longer a Cateye cyclops. As of last Friday (July 23), I've logged just shy of 200 miles (195.3), most of which came from riding two days of RAGBRAI 2010. Keep your eyes peeled for a future post on my first experience riding on RAGBRAI.
In other counting news, I hope to soon be counting bikeshare stations in Minneapolis. I don't have a burning desire to test the assertion that there are 65 stations in operation, but the NiceRideMN bikeshare program recently issued the Nice Ride 65 Challenge for anyone who can successfully check-in to all 65 stations in 24 hours without incurring any trip fees. I'm not sure when I am going to attempt this, but I hope to do so soon. It doesn't appear that a full-year membership is required, so day passes ($5) likely work for this challenge, too. If anyone is up for the challenge and wants to join me, let me know.
Week 86 (July 12-16)
Mon - Friday: Car
Although I could have taken bicycle paths to within 0.5 miles of the client site (in Plymouth), I still would have had to traverse approximately 19 miles of on-path commuting. The time commitment involved, plus the potential for a sultry weather mix had me opt for the auto.
Week 87 & 88 (July 19-23, July 26-30)
I've been on vacation for the past two weeks, so no need to worry about the commute.
Counting
A few weeks ago I noted that I have not kept tabs on total miles. As I think about it, this omission seems ridiculous at best, and negligent at worst for someone who prides himself as a cyclist who counts for a living. Nevertheless I now have the necessary means to easily track mileage and report it as frequently as I'd like.
After some brief online research I decided on the Cateye Micro Wireless. It meshed up well with the basic features I needed, and appeared to be one of the most modestly priced wireless units on the market. I mounted it below my Cateye headlight, so my bicycle is no longer a Cateye cyclops. As of last Friday (July 23), I've logged just shy of 200 miles (195.3), most of which came from riding two days of RAGBRAI 2010. Keep your eyes peeled for a future post on my first experience riding on RAGBRAI.
In other counting news, I hope to soon be counting bikeshare stations in Minneapolis. I don't have a burning desire to test the assertion that there are 65 stations in operation, but the NiceRideMN bikeshare program recently issued the Nice Ride 65 Challenge for anyone who can successfully check-in to all 65 stations in 24 hours without incurring any trip fees. I'm not sure when I am going to attempt this, but I hope to do so soon. It doesn't appear that a full-year membership is required, so day passes ($5) likely work for this challenge, too. If anyone is up for the challenge and wants to join me, let me know.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Someone hasn't been driving and playing well with others...
Well, mostly just the driving part. I'm commuting to/from Plymouth this week so you can imagine what happens to me when I have to get behind the wheel:
I sped. I followed too closely. I manipulated the Highway 100 exit lane off 394 to cut in front of other drivers and I did the same for the 94 exit right before the tunnel.
You want me on that bike. You need me on that bike.
I sped. I followed too closely. I manipulated the Highway 100 exit lane off 394 to cut in front of other drivers and I did the same for the 94 exit right before the tunnel.
You want me on that bike. You need me on that bike.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
A summary and a revelation
Summary
Last week (July 6 - 9) wasn't bad:
Monday - vacation (no commute)
Tuesday - Car & Bikeshare
Wednesday - Car (AM & PM carpool)
Thurs - Friday - Bicycle
It has been nice to have the option of the bikeshare, even if the closest station is only 1-1.5 miles from my place and I have to hoof it home.
My folly revealed
I had one of those moments where realized I seriously dropped the ball in terms of generating content for this blog. I read this article about bike theft and after talking to some co-workers on a ride last Thursday realized I haven't replaced my bicycle odometer since my last bike got stolen a few years ago. What could be much better than a Cycling Public Accounting charting his tally of bike miles on this blog! How could I have wasted such a great opportunity?
Last week (July 6 - 9) wasn't bad:
Monday - vacation (no commute)
Tuesday - Car & Bikeshare
Wednesday - Car (AM & PM carpool)
Thurs - Friday - Bicycle
It has been nice to have the option of the bikeshare, even if the closest station is only 1-1.5 miles from my place and I have to hoof it home.
My folly revealed
I had one of those moments where realized I seriously dropped the ball in terms of generating content for this blog. I read this article about bike theft and after talking to some co-workers on a ride last Thursday realized I haven't replaced my bicycle odometer since my last bike got stolen a few years ago. What could be much better than a Cycling Public Accounting charting his tally of bike miles on this blog! How could I have wasted such a great opportunity?
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
An answer to the question
So what exactly was I doing on a bike...during business hours...within the city limits?
I'll tell you what I was doing: I was making use of the Nice Ride MN bikeshare. I was able to park on the street on Portland, grab a green bike, and ride to within a block of the office for my meeting. I'm just glad I didn't have to pay parking.
I'll tell you what I was doing: I was making use of the Nice Ride MN bikeshare. I was able to park on the street on Portland, grab a green bike, and ride to within a block of the office for my meeting. I'm just glad I didn't have to pay parking.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Two Weeks and Two Words to the Wise
First off, the weekly summaries:
Week 83 (June 21 - 25)
Mon - Tues - Car
Wed - Friday - Bicycle
Week 84 (June 28 - July 2)
Monday - Plane, Train, and automobile
Tuesday - Automobile, Plane, Train
Wed - Friday - Bicycle
Overall I was happy with my two week stretch. Even though I had to ride solo in the car, I got to mix things up in Chicago going multi-modal both days.
**Disclaimer, the actual order was automobile, train, plane.
And now, the promised "Two Words to the Wise":
#1 - Getting the Chorizo Hash at Bad Waitress is a great idea
#2 - Lighting off fireworks is still a good time.
Week 83 (June 21 - 25)
Mon - Tues - Car
Wed - Friday - Bicycle
Week 84 (June 28 - July 2)
Monday - Plane, Train, and automobile
Tuesday - Automobile, Plane, Train
Wed - Friday - Bicycle
Overall I was happy with my two week stretch. Even though I had to ride solo in the car, I got to mix things up in Chicago going multi-modal both days.
**Disclaimer, the actual order was automobile, train, plane.
And now, the promised "Two Words to the Wise":
#1 - Getting the Chorizo Hash at Bad Waitress is a great idea
#2 - Lighting off fireworks is still a good time.
Monday, June 21, 2010
More than a Fortnight
Summary of the past three weeks, and a summary sentence Weeks 80-82
Week 80 (May 31 - June 4)
Monday - Holiday (No commute)
Tues-Thurs - Bicycle
Friday - Vacation (No commute)
My original plan was to ride from the south end of the cities to Nora Springs, IA, but I took a look at Friday's forecast on Thursday night and it did not look amendable to spending 10+ hours on a bicycle. Plans were canceled; nevertheless, Friday's conditions proved ideal for such a ride.
Week 81
Vacation/Conference
I did not attend the "Bike Walk to Work Day" celebration in downtown Minneapolis as I was in Chicago at a conference. I did, however, participate in spirit as I walked to the conference from my hotel.
Week 82
Monday - Bicycle
Tuesday - Car & Bicycle (AM carpool)
Wed-Thurs - Bicycle
Friday - Car
I availed myself of the Minneapolis bike share program by grabbing a green machine at the government plaza station and riding to Birchwood Cafe, where I hopped off and hoofed it a mile and half home. Not ideal for an every day commute, but good in a pinch. I'll report more on the Nice Ride bikeshare program once I've had an opportunity to use it a bit more.
Week 80 (May 31 - June 4)
Monday - Holiday (No commute)
Tues-Thurs - Bicycle
Friday - Vacation (No commute)
My original plan was to ride from the south end of the cities to Nora Springs, IA, but I took a look at Friday's forecast on Thursday night and it did not look amendable to spending 10+ hours on a bicycle. Plans were canceled; nevertheless, Friday's conditions proved ideal for such a ride.
Week 81
Vacation/Conference
I did not attend the "Bike Walk to Work Day" celebration in downtown Minneapolis as I was in Chicago at a conference. I did, however, participate in spirit as I walked to the conference from my hotel.
Week 82
Monday - Bicycle
Tuesday - Car & Bicycle (AM carpool)
Wed-Thurs - Bicycle
Friday - Car
I availed myself of the Minneapolis bike share program by grabbing a green machine at the government plaza station and riding to Birchwood Cafe, where I hopped off and hoofed it a mile and half home. Not ideal for an every day commute, but good in a pinch. I'll report more on the Nice Ride bikeshare program once I've had an opportunity to use it a bit more.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Miscellaneous Notes: St Paul morning ride
From this morning:
1) The round-trip ride to/from St. Paul always feels up hill both ways to me. Not sure if old age or the headwind is to blame for that cogderly observation.
2) The irony of a half-white/half-primer gray colored el camino parked in a Summit Avenue driveway was not lost on me.
3) Though not as obscene as the bandana/necktie combination, I think smoking and riding is an equally incongruous union.
1) The round-trip ride to/from St. Paul always feels up hill both ways to me. Not sure if old age or the headwind is to blame for that cogderly observation.
2) The irony of a half-white/half-primer gray colored el camino parked in a Summit Avenue driveway was not lost on me.
3) Though not as obscene as the bandana/necktie combination, I think smoking and riding is an equally incongruous union.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Trucker Love Thursday
After near perfect weather for my ride in, I got to park my bicycle next to another Long Haul Trucker that I've mentioned before. I just hope I try unlocking the right bike this afternoon. I guess the Minneapolis Bike Love spoke card is an obvious identifier.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Weeks 78 & 79 and another confession
Week 78
Monday - Friday: Bicycle
Week 79
Monday - Thursday: Car (No carpool)
Friday: Bicycle
Confession:
I haven't always viewed riders of recumbent cycles as true bicyclists. Am I guilty of bicycle bigotry?
Generally, here's what image pops into my mind whenever I see one coming toward me on the trail:
You'll have to forgive me, I grew up in a small town and never even saw a recumbent cyclist growing up, let alone talked to one. None of my friends ride recumbents, and I don't work with anyone who rides a recumbent either. Not an excuse for my judgments, just an explanation of them.
Monday - Friday: Bicycle
Week 79
Monday - Thursday: Car (No carpool)
Friday: Bicycle
Confession:
I haven't always viewed riders of recumbent cycles as true bicyclists. Am I guilty of bicycle bigotry?
Generally, here's what image pops into my mind whenever I see one coming toward me on the trail:
You'll have to forgive me, I grew up in a small town and never even saw a recumbent cyclist growing up, let alone talked to one. None of my friends ride recumbents, and I don't work with anyone who rides a recumbent either. Not an excuse for my judgments, just an explanation of them.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Week 77: Mixed Bag
Week 77
The Bad
I drove a car with zero passengers all week long. I'll blame the cold, damp weather for the lack of biking from Monday through Thursday, but I have no one to blame for not getting on the bike on Friday. I was ready for the week to be done, and even though capping it off with a return trip on the bike would have been nice, it was also nice to get off a little early and be home by 4:15 instead of 5:00.
The Good
With the help of my fellow accountants, I figured out a way to configure my Blackberry to track my route and map it out on Google maps. I haven't had an odometer since my Trek got stole a few years ago, but this serves the same function. Also, it saves me from having to manually re-trace my steps as it provides automatic output to Google maps.
Check out the two longer rides I did this weekend ("Map" or "Terrain" view are best):
Saturday's Ride
Sunday's Ride
The week to come is looking good. My goal is to bike commute four out of five days, and maybe I can even get my wife to pay up on the bike commute she owes me from some random bet over a year ago.
The Bad
I drove a car with zero passengers all week long. I'll blame the cold, damp weather for the lack of biking from Monday through Thursday, but I have no one to blame for not getting on the bike on Friday. I was ready for the week to be done, and even though capping it off with a return trip on the bike would have been nice, it was also nice to get off a little early and be home by 4:15 instead of 5:00.
The Good
With the help of my fellow accountants, I figured out a way to configure my Blackberry to track my route and map it out on Google maps. I haven't had an odometer since my Trek got stole a few years ago, but this serves the same function. Also, it saves me from having to manually re-trace my steps as it provides automatic output to Google maps.
Check out the two longer rides I did this weekend ("Map" or "Terrain" view are best):
Saturday's Ride
Sunday's Ride
The week to come is looking good. My goal is to bike commute four out of five days, and maybe I can even get my wife to pay up on the bike commute she owes me from some random bet over a year ago.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Week 76 and a Confession
Summary:
Quite the mix of transportation modes this past week. I even borrowed a colleague's vehicle to deliver reports to a client on Thursday which doesn't show up in the log:
Monday - Vacation (No commute)
Tuesday - Car (AM & PM Commute)
Wednesday - Car & LRT (AM Commute)
Thursday - Bicycle*
Friday - Car (AM & PM Commute)
*Includes bonus cycling/accountant action as I joined five fellow auditors for a 20+ mile ride after work
Overall it was a tough week, but not because there were long hours or tight deadlines to meet. Busy season "officially" ended in late March, but this year it "unofficially" extended until the end of April. Last week was the first week that I emerged from the dense fog that was the last four months of my life, but I continued to struggle seeing clearly, let alone getting out of bed. I thought Monday's day off would recharge me and gear me up for a short week. I was wrong and I really didn't wake up until the today.
In other news, I confess that I did not prove myself to be made of ferrous metal. Only one half of the co-worker contingent made it to the Minnesota Iron Man Bike Ride, so I didn't let anybody down but Ivy.
Quite the mix of transportation modes this past week. I even borrowed a colleague's vehicle to deliver reports to a client on Thursday which doesn't show up in the log:
Monday - Vacation (No commute)
Tuesday - Car (AM & PM Commute)
Wednesday - Car & LRT (AM Commute)
Thursday - Bicycle*
Friday - Car (AM & PM Commute)
*Includes bonus cycling/accountant action as I joined five fellow auditors for a 20+ mile ride after work
Overall it was a tough week, but not because there were long hours or tight deadlines to meet. Busy season "officially" ended in late March, but this year it "unofficially" extended until the end of April. Last week was the first week that I emerged from the dense fog that was the last four months of my life, but I continued to struggle seeing clearly, let alone getting out of bed. I thought Monday's day off would recharge me and gear me up for a short week. I was wrong and I really didn't wake up until the today.
In other news, I confess that I did not prove myself to be made of ferrous metal. Only one half of the co-worker contingent made it to the Minnesota Iron Man Bike Ride, so I didn't let anybody down but Ivy.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Weeks 74 - 75
Week 74 (April 19-23)
Week 75 (April 26-30)
Sadly, I logged no bicycle commutes over the past two weeks. It was crunch time at the client I was working on, and the late nights would have made it very difficult to stay motivated to ride to and from work.
There were two bright spots in this otherwise dark stretch: I got to wear one of my favorite thrift store purchases to work on the 23rd:
If you haven't see the $5 tuxedo, the Blackberry camera really doesn't do it justice.
The other bright spot related to the results of my hypermiling endeavors, even though I was hoping for more impressive results. Overall, though, this tank was exclusively city driving, so I really can't complain with 35.6 mpg.
Week 75 (April 26-30)
Sadly, I logged no bicycle commutes over the past two weeks. It was crunch time at the client I was working on, and the late nights would have made it very difficult to stay motivated to ride to and from work.
There were two bright spots in this otherwise dark stretch: I got to wear one of my favorite thrift store purchases to work on the 23rd:
If you haven't see the $5 tuxedo, the Blackberry camera really doesn't do it justice.
The other bright spot related to the results of my hypermiling endeavors, even though I was hoping for more impressive results. Overall, though, this tank was exclusively city driving, so I really can't complain with 35.6 mpg.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Home Improvement Tangent
The fruits of a Saturday morning coffee/tea session:
Shelves in the hallway? Happy thought indeed!
Shelves in the hallway? Happy thought indeed!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Manny's at the Midtown Global Market
If you haven't had the Cubana at Manny's, go right out and try one! It's so good I couldn't wait to get home so I polished it off as I rode my bike down East Lake Street. Probably a bad idea, but I survived.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Weeks 72 - 73 and Hypermiling
Summary
Week 72 (April 5 - 9)
Monday - Friday: Car
Week 73 (April 12 - 16)
Monday - Thursday: Car
Friday - Bicycle
I thought I was going to coast through April, but these past few weeks have been more hectic than anticipated. Without last Friday's bike commute, I probably would have lost it.
How else have I managed to remain sane since my business season has been extended by a month or so? Hypermiling.
(In case you're wondering what in the world hypermiling is, it's an attempt to squeeze as much efficiency out of every drop of gasoline as possible by coasting, reducing excessive acceleration, and monitoring driving habits for ways to trim down fuel usage. Check out this link for more info)
I don't go all out on my commute, but there are a few stretches to and from work where I'm able to coast for almost a mile. I'm eager to see what the MPG ends up being on this tank of gas. Yes, I realize how nerdy this is, but I'm an accountant, I count stuff. What else would you expect?
Week 72 (April 5 - 9)
Monday - Friday: Car
Week 73 (April 12 - 16)
Monday - Thursday: Car
Friday - Bicycle
I thought I was going to coast through April, but these past few weeks have been more hectic than anticipated. Without last Friday's bike commute, I probably would have lost it.
How else have I managed to remain sane since my business season has been extended by a month or so? Hypermiling.
(In case you're wondering what in the world hypermiling is, it's an attempt to squeeze as much efficiency out of every drop of gasoline as possible by coasting, reducing excessive acceleration, and monitoring driving habits for ways to trim down fuel usage. Check out this link for more info)
I don't go all out on my commute, but there are a few stretches to and from work where I'm able to coast for almost a mile. I'm eager to see what the MPG ends up being on this tank of gas. Yes, I realize how nerdy this is, but I'm an accountant, I count stuff. What else would you expect?
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Making life difficult for oneself
Although this girl's situation (on a bike) was considerably favorable to mine (inside a steel box), I certainly didn't envy the fact that she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders.
With a simple $30 investment in a rack and some bungee cords, she would reap exponential dividends in utils of enjoyment from her bicycle commute.
*Safety disclosure: This picture was taken while at a stop light, and my use of a cell phone camera did not contravene any number of state or city laws, or inhibit my ability to properly operate a motor vehicle.
With a simple $30 investment in a rack and some bungee cords, she would reap exponential dividends in utils of enjoyment from her bicycle commute.
*Safety disclosure: This picture was taken while at a stop light, and my use of a cell phone camera did not contravene any number of state or city laws, or inhibit my ability to properly operate a motor vehicle.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Weeks 70-71
Summary
Week 70
Monday - Friday: Car
Week 71
Monday - Bicycle
Tuesday - Bicycle
Wednesday - Friday: Car
Thanks to the arrival of spring in Minnesota, I've been able to get back in the saddle, enjoying two bicycle commutes over the past two weeks. Week 70 was the first week at the new client site, so it took some adjusting before I worked through some logistical challenges. By the second week I was settled in and started the week off with some bike commutes.
As I mentioned previously, the ride is 8.5 miles each way, but is almost entirely on-trail riding and traverses some of the best (in my estimation) bicycling real estate in the twin cities. My route hooks up with the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway and I can't imagine a better backdrop for starting and ending my workday.
With busy season officially over and my schedule back to 40 hours, free time is less of a luxury and I have some to spare outside of business hours. I'm looking forward to a few bicycle-themed events coming up soon in the cities:
Artcrank 2010 - Bike-themed poster party. Pati and I left last year's show empty handed, but I'm hopeful we'll find something this year.
Minesota Ironman Bike Ride A few of my co-workers suffered through last year's cold and wet Sunday ride, so I'm heeding their advice and not signing up until the day of, if indeed it looks tolerable.
Twin Cities Bike Walk Week I'm hoping the my workplace's numbers rebound from last year's poor showing, especially since there's more lead time this year. Regardless, Brent said he's up for it again, and with new wheels since last year's Bike-to-work Day, I think he'll find it more tolerable.
Week 70
Monday - Friday: Car
Week 71
Monday - Bicycle
Tuesday - Bicycle
Wednesday - Friday: Car
Thanks to the arrival of spring in Minnesota, I've been able to get back in the saddle, enjoying two bicycle commutes over the past two weeks. Week 70 was the first week at the new client site, so it took some adjusting before I worked through some logistical challenges. By the second week I was settled in and started the week off with some bike commutes.
As I mentioned previously, the ride is 8.5 miles each way, but is almost entirely on-trail riding and traverses some of the best (in my estimation) bicycling real estate in the twin cities. My route hooks up with the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway and I can't imagine a better backdrop for starting and ending my workday.
With busy season officially over and my schedule back to 40 hours, free time is less of a luxury and I have some to spare outside of business hours. I'm looking forward to a few bicycle-themed events coming up soon in the cities:
Artcrank 2010 - Bike-themed poster party. Pati and I left last year's show empty handed, but I'm hopeful we'll find something this year.
Minesota Ironman Bike Ride A few of my co-workers suffered through last year's cold and wet Sunday ride, so I'm heeding their advice and not signing up until the day of, if indeed it looks tolerable.
Twin Cities Bike Walk Week I'm hoping the my workplace's numbers rebound from last year's poor showing, especially since there's more lead time this year. Regardless, Brent said he's up for it again, and with new wheels since last year's Bike-to-work Day, I think he'll find it more tolerable.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Summary of a bunch of weeks a long time ago
Summary
Week 65 (Feb 15 - 19)
This was the week we took the car in to get fixed, so there was a mix of carpooling as I dropped Pati off at work before heading to the client site in St. Louis Park.
Week 66 (Feb 22 - 26)
Some morning carpooling and a few light rail rides home in the evening.
Weeks 67&68 (March 1-5, 8-12)
Everyday was a carpool day. One of the nice things about being out of town is that it's usually a short commute, and the audit team carpools which usually wouldn't happen. In this case our commute was about five minutes, and we took two extra cars off the road during our two week stay.
Week 69 (March 15 - 19)
I drove alone to the client site every day this past week.
I will be at the same locale until mid-May or so, so hopefully I'll be able to mix some bike commutes in there. It's nine miles each way, but it's about 90% trail riding so it's definitely doable.
Week 65 (Feb 15 - 19)
This was the week we took the car in to get fixed, so there was a mix of carpooling as I dropped Pati off at work before heading to the client site in St. Louis Park.
Week 66 (Feb 22 - 26)
Some morning carpooling and a few light rail rides home in the evening.
Weeks 67&68 (March 1-5, 8-12)
Everyday was a carpool day. One of the nice things about being out of town is that it's usually a short commute, and the audit team carpools which usually wouldn't happen. In this case our commute was about five minutes, and we took two extra cars off the road during our two week stay.
Week 69 (March 15 - 19)
I drove alone to the client site every day this past week.
I will be at the same locale until mid-May or so, so hopefully I'll be able to mix some bike commutes in there. It's nine miles each way, but it's about 90% trail riding so it's definitely doable.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Anatomy of a missed flight
Leave client site 5 minutes later than planned
Oversize load on I-70 - traffic bogged down for 3-4 miles
Arrive at rental car return - 1 associate staffed per 20 cars
Board shuttle - airline is last stop on route
Airline changes flight time - 10 minutes earlier
Unable to check-in bag due to flight time - did not arrive 45 minutes before departure (see above)
Gut decision - choose to leave bag for co-worker to check instead of taking 6 p.m. flight (airline does not allow for luggage and passenger to fly separately)
Luggage handle stuck in down position - carry 50 lb bag through terminal in search of luggage store instead of pulling on wheels
Complete paper work to leave bag for co-worker to pick up for hourly fee
Wait to pass through security check-point
Board tram - Gate C is last stop on schedule
Arrive at gate 10 minutes prior to original departure time to find gate closed and airplane departing
Add name to standby list for 2:45 (MST) flight
Post blog entry as coping mechanism during wait
Oversize load on I-70 - traffic bogged down for 3-4 miles
Arrive at rental car return - 1 associate staffed per 20 cars
Board shuttle - airline is last stop on route
Airline changes flight time - 10 minutes earlier
Unable to check-in bag due to flight time - did not arrive 45 minutes before departure (see above)
Gut decision - choose to leave bag for co-worker to check instead of taking 6 p.m. flight (airline does not allow for luggage and passenger to fly separately)
Luggage handle stuck in down position - carry 50 lb bag through terminal in search of luggage store instead of pulling on wheels
Complete paper work to leave bag for co-worker to pick up for hourly fee
Wait to pass through security check-point
Board tram - Gate C is last stop on schedule
Arrive at gate 10 minutes prior to original departure time to find gate closed and airplane departing
Add name to standby list for 2:45 (MST) flight
Post blog entry as coping mechanism during wait
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Pop Quiz
What does this
minus this
result in?
a) A long, not-so-romantic walk along the interstate with my wife and a gas can
b) An infinite number of "I told you so" comments
or
c) Sputtering and lurching, but providentially only 0.5 miles from the next exit and much rejoicing after coasting into town with 0.065 gallons to spare.
minus this
result in?
a) A long, not-so-romantic walk along the interstate with my wife and a gas can
b) An infinite number of "I told you so" comments
or
c) Sputtering and lurching, but providentially only 0.5 miles from the next exit and much rejoicing after coasting into town with 0.065 gallons to spare.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
How I Survive Busy Season
I eat tupperware.
Actually, Pati spent a weekend cooking up a ton of soup and a few pans of lasagna for me so I can just grab and go in the morning. These got transported to the freezer downstairs, but I think we counted 50-60 meals total. Best. Wife. Ever.
 |
| From 2010-01-03 |
Actually, Pati spent a weekend cooking up a ton of soup and a few pans of lasagna for me so I can just grab and go in the morning. These got transported to the freezer downstairs, but I think we counted 50-60 meals total. Best. Wife. Ever.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Weeks 63 & 64 with a nugget for Kyle
Week 63
Monday - Car (AM & PM carpool)
Tuesday - Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Wednesday - Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Thursday - Car (AM & PM carpool)
Friday - Car (AM & PM carpool)
I played the role of hero and villain in two separate events this week. I'd like to end this post on a positive note, so I'll start with the villain piece.
Villain
About half way into my ride home on Wednesday night, my pannier fell off the bike for the second time in under a mile. An appropriate response would probably have been in the range between mild frustration and slight agitation, but I must have felt compelled to take it up a notch. I immediately hoppped off the bike, grabbed the frame with both hands, and tossed it with all the strength that a red-faced adrenaline charged knucklehead can muster, launching it into the snow pack right off the bike trail.
This is a textbook example of a Proverbs 29:11 fool, and I immediately wondered what I had hoped to accomplish. Thankfully, no damage was done to the bike, and as I thought about what I had done, I imagined my friend Kyle watching it all, since he has been party to the majority of similar over-reactions waged during my formative years. I had to laugh and wish that Kyle had taken it all in, not just because it would have given him a charge or that I needed someone to call me an idiot, but because it's been too long since we've hung out together. Either way, I'm still not sure if it's symptomatic of a character flaw or just busy season stress working itself out.
Hero
Okay, maybe hero is an overstatement, and it was really more like being in the right place at the right time. Either way, here goes...
I decided to ride with Pati on Thursday morning, even though she had an errand to run in Edina (an obvious detour from our usual route). About a mile or so on 62 West we both watched the hood slowly float upwards, drift back down, and then slam back onto the windshield, obstructing our vision in rush hour traffic. We hunched down in our seats and peered through the half-moon opening between the base of the hood and the bottom of the windshield until Pati pulled safely to the left side of the road. I climbed through the back seat to get out of the car and bring the hood back down.
Pati was a little shaken up (reasonably so) so I got in the driver's seat to finish the drive to Edina. We rode in silence and I considered how our event unfolded in sharp contrast to how it might be portrayed if there were a movie made of our lives: tons of screaming people, the car spinning 360 to 720 degrees, horns honking, cars piling up, etc. I was glad for a minimal dose of morning drama and was especially glad that I had come along for the ride since as it turns out, Pati left her cell phone at home.
Week 64
Monday - Car
Tuesday - Car
Wednesday - Car
Thursday - Car
Friday - Car
I'm back at the client site where the infamous shower incident occurred. I felt a cold coming on last week, so didn't ride at all, but I'd like to get at least one half-way commute registered this week.
I have another James and Pati car tale from this weekend, but I'll save that for later this week.
Monday - Car (AM & PM carpool)
Tuesday - Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Wednesday - Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Thursday - Car (AM & PM carpool)
Friday - Car (AM & PM carpool)
I played the role of hero and villain in two separate events this week. I'd like to end this post on a positive note, so I'll start with the villain piece.
Villain
About half way into my ride home on Wednesday night, my pannier fell off the bike for the second time in under a mile. An appropriate response would probably have been in the range between mild frustration and slight agitation, but I must have felt compelled to take it up a notch. I immediately hoppped off the bike, grabbed the frame with both hands, and tossed it with all the strength that a red-faced adrenaline charged knucklehead can muster, launching it into the snow pack right off the bike trail.
This is a textbook example of a Proverbs 29:11 fool, and I immediately wondered what I had hoped to accomplish. Thankfully, no damage was done to the bike, and as I thought about what I had done, I imagined my friend Kyle watching it all, since he has been party to the majority of similar over-reactions waged during my formative years. I had to laugh and wish that Kyle had taken it all in, not just because it would have given him a charge or that I needed someone to call me an idiot, but because it's been too long since we've hung out together. Either way, I'm still not sure if it's symptomatic of a character flaw or just busy season stress working itself out.
Hero
Okay, maybe hero is an overstatement, and it was really more like being in the right place at the right time. Either way, here goes...
I decided to ride with Pati on Thursday morning, even though she had an errand to run in Edina (an obvious detour from our usual route). About a mile or so on 62 West we both watched the hood slowly float upwards, drift back down, and then slam back onto the windshield, obstructing our vision in rush hour traffic. We hunched down in our seats and peered through the half-moon opening between the base of the hood and the bottom of the windshield until Pati pulled safely to the left side of the road. I climbed through the back seat to get out of the car and bring the hood back down.
Pati was a little shaken up (reasonably so) so I got in the driver's seat to finish the drive to Edina. We rode in silence and I considered how our event unfolded in sharp contrast to how it might be portrayed if there were a movie made of our lives: tons of screaming people, the car spinning 360 to 720 degrees, horns honking, cars piling up, etc. I was glad for a minimal dose of morning drama and was especially glad that I had come along for the ride since as it turns out, Pati left her cell phone at home.
Week 64
Monday - Car
Tuesday - Car
Wednesday - Car
Thursday - Car
Friday - Car
I'm back at the client site where the infamous shower incident occurred. I felt a cold coming on last week, so didn't ride at all, but I'd like to get at least one half-way commute registered this week.
I have another James and Pati car tale from this weekend, but I'll save that for later this week.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Week 62, an hypothesis, and a random note
Summary
Week 62
Monday - Car (AM carpool)
Tuesday - Car
Wednesday - Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Thursday - Car & LRT
Friday - Car (AM & PM carpool)
Variety ruled my commute this week, which included a rare single occupant car trip to the office on Tuesday and a Thursday night sprint to catch the train at the Government Plaza LRT station. I usually get on at Nicollet Mall but saw the light rail leaving right as I stepped outside, so I raced along 5th Street, gained a few steps as it stopped for a red light, and dove into the last car before the doors slid shut. My lungs burned for the next 10 minutes from sucking in that cold Minnesota air, but I was happy I didn't have to wait around another 15 minutes for the next train.
Hypothesis
Wednesday's bike ride home was a little chilly, and even got my eyes gelling up from the cold, making me wonder at what point they would just freeze solid. It must have been about five degrees on the way home, so my guess is that anything at zero or below would seal them shut, though I have no interest in testing this one out. If anybody knows differently, feel free to let me know.
Random note
Pati bought me a bathrobe this weekend. Having never owned one before, I was surprised at how much more adult like it makes me feel. I enjoyed a steaming cup of coffee this morning, basking in the new-found comfort and warmth of the bathrobe, and regretted not having a newspaper on my front porch that I could go pick up. Maybe I can work that out for June.
Week 62
Monday - Car (AM carpool)
Tuesday - Car
Wednesday - Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Thursday - Car & LRT
Friday - Car (AM & PM carpool)
Variety ruled my commute this week, which included a rare single occupant car trip to the office on Tuesday and a Thursday night sprint to catch the train at the Government Plaza LRT station. I usually get on at Nicollet Mall but saw the light rail leaving right as I stepped outside, so I raced along 5th Street, gained a few steps as it stopped for a red light, and dove into the last car before the doors slid shut. My lungs burned for the next 10 minutes from sucking in that cold Minnesota air, but I was happy I didn't have to wait around another 15 minutes for the next train.
Hypothesis
Wednesday's bike ride home was a little chilly, and even got my eyes gelling up from the cold, making me wonder at what point they would just freeze solid. It must have been about five degrees on the way home, so my guess is that anything at zero or below would seal them shut, though I have no interest in testing this one out. If anybody knows differently, feel free to let me know.
Random note
Pati bought me a bathrobe this weekend. Having never owned one before, I was surprised at how much more adult like it makes me feel. I enjoyed a steaming cup of coffee this morning, basking in the new-found comfort and warmth of the bathrobe, and regretted not having a newspaper on my front porch that I could go pick up. Maybe I can work that out for June.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Snack
I get pretty hungry during my busy season work days, so I had an apple yesterday afternoon.
I even ate the seeds just to impress a co-worker. I'm so vain...
I even ate the seeds just to impress a co-worker. I'm so vain...
Monday, January 25, 2010
Weeks 59 - 61
Summary
Week 59 (Jan 4 - 8)
Mon-Wed Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Thursday - Car & LRT (Carpool)
Friday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Week 60 (Jan 11 - 15)
Mon- Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Tues-Friday - Car & LRT (AM Carpool)
Week 61 (Jan 18 - 22)
Monday - Bicycle
Tues-Thurs - Car & LRT (AM Carpool)
Friday - Bicycle
It took my quite a bit of effort to get myself back on the bike after taking a couple weeks off over Christmas break. The first week of busy season (Jan 11) was brutal, so I really never got into a rhythm where I could get things ready to go in the morning. Hopefully I'll build on the success of last week's two cycle commuting days. The re-freeze will be no match for my studded tires.
Week 59 (Jan 4 - 8)
Mon-Wed Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Thursday - Car & LRT (Carpool)
Friday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Week 60 (Jan 11 - 15)
Mon- Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Tues-Friday - Car & LRT (AM Carpool)
Week 61 (Jan 18 - 22)
Monday - Bicycle
Tues-Thurs - Car & LRT (AM Carpool)
Friday - Bicycle
It took my quite a bit of effort to get myself back on the bike after taking a couple weeks off over Christmas break. The first week of busy season (Jan 11) was brutal, so I really never got into a rhythm where I could get things ready to go in the morning. Hopefully I'll build on the success of last week's two cycle commuting days. The re-freeze will be no match for my studded tires.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Weeks 57 & 58 and the next few months
Summary:
Week 57 (Dec 21 - 25)
Monday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Tuesday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Wednesday - Car & LRT (AM Carpool)
Thursday & Friday - Vacation/Holiday
Week 58 (Dec 28 - Jan 1)
Monday - Friday: Holiday shutdown
No bike commutes to log for the last entry of 2009, but I did ride into downtown on Christmas Eve day for last minute shopping. A ton of fresh snow made for slow going in spots, but I was able to manage by staying on the snow packed streets, which the studded tires handle effectively. It does ratchet the workout level up a notch or too though, which is just fine as it helps keep me warm.
With the end of 2009, I look forward to the beginning of a new calendar year and the start of another busy season. Here's a look at what I'll be riding in the months to come:
This bike replaces the bike I rode last year, and is equipped with the same Innova studs and Axiom rear rack. Unfortunately a formal christening was never performed and the red mountain bike ended its service to me nameless.
From what I recall, the finalists for the "Bike Name Bestowed Upon A Mountain Bike Performing Winter and Minimal Spring Commuting Duty in a Northern Midwestern City" Award were: Esau, Red, and Raleigh Valverde. I don't know what to expect from this year's ride since it was a pretty cheap Craigslist special, so I won't plan on holding any ceremonies anytime soon.
Week 57 (Dec 21 - 25)
Monday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Tuesday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Wednesday - Car & LRT (AM Carpool)
Thursday & Friday - Vacation/Holiday
Week 58 (Dec 28 - Jan 1)
Monday - Friday: Holiday shutdown
No bike commutes to log for the last entry of 2009, but I did ride into downtown on Christmas Eve day for last minute shopping. A ton of fresh snow made for slow going in spots, but I was able to manage by staying on the snow packed streets, which the studded tires handle effectively. It does ratchet the workout level up a notch or too though, which is just fine as it helps keep me warm.
With the end of 2009, I look forward to the beginning of a new calendar year and the start of another busy season. Here's a look at what I'll be riding in the months to come:
This bike replaces the bike I rode last year, and is equipped with the same Innova studs and Axiom rear rack. Unfortunately a formal christening was never performed and the red mountain bike ended its service to me nameless.
From what I recall, the finalists for the "Bike Name Bestowed Upon A Mountain Bike Performing Winter and Minimal Spring Commuting Duty in a Northern Midwestern City" Award were: Esau, Red, and Raleigh Valverde. I don't know what to expect from this year's ride since it was a pretty cheap Craigslist special, so I won't plan on holding any ceremonies anytime soon.
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