Music, Sports and Adventure

The Summer of Open Water Swimming has ended

2011-09-03T10:06:00.000-04:00

My summer of Open Water Swimming ended with Hurricane Irene. I did not have any swims scheduled for the weekend of the hurricane but I had agreed to volunteer for the SheROX Tri in Asbury Park. Obviously it was cancelled and I ended up dealing with a basement full of water (I am still dealing with it).

Spending the summer competing in the Ocean Miles that each NJ Shore Town has was a fun change up. The bikes stayed in the back of the garage but I have found that changing up the workout routine is a great way to keep the training intensity high without experiencing the extended breaks that I used to have. The swimming hit some new muscle groups and I was also able to spend some more time in the weight room.

For the summer of 2011 I competed in the following swims (Rays Notebook has a full Calendar):

The Nav E Sink or Swim in Rumson, NJ on May 29, 2011 - This one did not go too well
Swim-Palooza at Lavallette - June 5, 2011 - This was my redemption swim
The Asbury Park Ocean Mile on June 25, 2011 - My first encounter with the folks from the NJRC. The 1st of the NJRC Trilogy
The Bradley Beach Ocean Mile on July 2, 2011 - This was probably the first swim I had fun doing. The course was not well marked and we had to walk back on the beach to the finish
Avon by the Sea Ocean Mile on July 10, 2011. Do you really remember much about this race. The Spring Lake race was scheduled for July 9, 2011 but it was cancelled.
The Manning Sea Bright Ocean Mile on July 16 - The second of the NJRC Trilogy - I remember this one being a perfect day. Water was perfect and it was a good crowd. Close to home as well.
The Manasquan Ocean Mile on July 23 - I think this was a good swim at all. Funny that I know I did them and it was a good experience but the details are getting kind of hazy.
The Ocean Mile Swim at Sea Girt Beach on July 30, 2011
The Shana Ocean Mile at Monmouth Beach on July 31, 2011. This was probably the best run off all the races. It was definitely a fun one an will make sure I do it in the future as well. This was also the 2nd swim of a two race weekend
The John Boyd Memorial Swim in Seaside Heights on August 7. This was an evening race and was the furthest that I traveled to swim. The water temp was 64 degrees but the swim went from south to north with the current. This was my fastest swim. The is a party on the beach after the swim. Keg of beer with hamburgers and hotdogs. Lots of fun. Met some new people.
Belman Ocean Mile on August 13, 2011. This was the 3rd in the NJRC Trilogy.
The Long Branch Ocean Mile (Ray Licata Memorial Swim) was rescheduled for August 20. This was a tough race against the current swimming from south to north. This was well run but they did have an issue with the bus shuttle from the registration area to the start. I walked the boardwalk as warm up.
The Ocean Mile for Smiles at Bradley Beach on August 21, 2011. This is a new race promoted by the Red Bank YMCA. I was not going to do this race but decided to make it a 2 swim weekend. The water was rough and the lifeguards disappeared. I felt all alone when I made the turn around. The guards stayed with the leaders. My time was not that great but I was happy to finish.

There was a swim in Atlantic City today (September 3, 2011) called the Pageant Swim but I have decided to end my open water swimming season. Time to get the bike out again and move back to the pool. Still worn out from the hurricane.

The Summer of Swimming Continues

2011-08-07T07:34:00.011-04:00

What started as a new way to train in the winter has now continued through the summer. The bikes have been ignored. Instead of 2 to 4 rides a week I have been getting out about once a month.

Instead of riding I have been racing in the Ocean Mile Swims that have become a tradition in the Jersey Shore towns of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. There may be only two or three weekends that I have missed swimming in a race since the Nave Sink or Swim on May 29.

The Ocean Miles are community events and are usually put on by the local townships or by one of the competive swim teams in the area like the NJ Racing Club. The teenagers that show up are really good and for the most part the only time I see them is at the start and maybe hanging around at the finish. This is the real Jersey Shore!

Check out Ray's Notebook for a complete listing of area open water swims.

Open Water Swim Update

2011-06-16T08:20:00.003-04:00

I have a 1.2 mile open water swim under my belt now. Unfortunately it was not the Nav-E Sink or Swim but was the LavaSwim in Lavellette, NJ.

The Nav-E Sink or Swim was a disappointment for me. I decided against getting a wetsuit and I had no open water swimming before the weekend of the race. The Sandy Hookers Tri Club has Monday and Friday swims in the Navesink River and I was able to attend one on the Friday before the race. Being out in the open river was scarier than I expected. Especially after I got a foot cramp that just would not go away. I ended up turning around and heading back to the beach on my own. Not a good start. Rather than make me feel good about my prospects in the race I now had some serious doubts.

I was still excited about the race on Sunday and Saturday ended up being a rest day.

On Sunday I got to Rumson, NJ about an hour before race time. I was feeling good but I still had some doubts. As I looked around at all the experienced swimmers with their wetsuits I started to feel like I was out of my element. I was one of the few that had bare arms and torso (I wear the now banned by FINA swim tights so my legs were lightly covered). My plan was not to be competitive but to swim my race and if I came in last it really did not matter.

At the start of the race I tried to line up in the back. I figured I would let the fast swimmers go ahead and I would drop to the back and maybe make up positions as the race progressed (I have learn from my days of running 10ks and doing centuries that the folks that go out fast often fall to the back later on so it is often possible to pick up positions).

One thing I did not count on was how much getting knocked around by the other swimmers would bother me. As I was heading out of the start area to the first turn I kept getting hit. Finally a father and son team swam right over me. That was kind of the last straw and I had a moment of weakness were I decided that I just did not need this and I again turned around and went back to the beach. This was a huge mistake for a couple of reasons. From a personal safety reason I had forgot that the women's 1.2 mile heat was lined up on the beach and I could hear the count down. I knew that I was going to be in their way as I got back to the beach. While I was trying to avoid getting in the way of the women I was feeling a great sense of disappointment.

I ended up watching the finish of the 1.2 men's race. The whole time thinking that I should have been out there and that I had wasted a good opportunity.

Since Monday was Memorial day I was not sure if the Sandy Hookers would have the Monday training but I has determined to show up if they did so that I could try again. Once I got the invite that the swim was on I decided to show up and swim the course again. I ended up having a good swim on Monday so I now needed to find a race that would allow me to get some redemption.

I found a race in Lavallette, NJ called the Swim-A-Palooza or LavaSwim. The only problem was that it was scheduled for next Sunday and I had already agreed to ride up Bear Mountain with one of the groups I sometimes ride with. After some thought I decided I really needed to complete an open water swim race ASAP. I signed up for the race and told my friends I would not be joining them for the ride.

The weather forecast for the LavaSwim was not great (The conditions at the Sink or Swim were just about perfect) but as I loaded up the car for the 40 minute drive down the Jersey Shore I was pleasantly surprised how nice the day was looking. It was cloudy but the sun was out. It was not warm but not too cold either. Maybe the storms would hold off until I got out of the water.

The LavaSwim is a square course in the Barnagat Bay. The start is off shore since the beach is a sandy shallow area that leads a quick drop off. The race starts with everyone treading water. There was a good turn out but not as big a crowd as at the Sink or Swim. Again I found my place in the back. When the start came I again felt the self doubt creep up on me. I was being bumped but I kept telling myself to just hang in.

The first leg was not really that much fun. I was having a hard time finding the rhythm that I usually get in the pool. The head down freestyle technique has some issues in the open water since there is nothing to guide me. I would think that I was head towards a maker only find out that I was way off course. I did a lot of breast stroke (I hate the breast stroke) in order to aim at the markers. As the made the turn at the first buoy I started to feel good. I was able to swim my own pace and I was comforted by the well placed life guards.

Once I knew that I was going to be able to finish I started to have fun. It did not seem as strenuous as my long swims in the pool but there were some other challenges. Mostly related to navigation but the currents and waves factored in. I also had some lower back pain as well.

The 2.4 mile leaders caught me on the third leg (they started 20 minutes before 1.2) but since I was happy just to finish I did not let it worry me.

As I saw the finish line I started to pick up my pace. I eventually hit the shallow part and stood up to run in. My legs were not really happy about this and almost refused to hold my weight. As I came across the line I heard the announcer yell "Patrick McMillan of Holmdel, NJ getting it done at 50 years old". My first thought was I am not 50 am I but then the excitement of finishing took over and I knew that I had a big smile on my face.

I hung around the race finish for a bit and watch the last of the 2.4 swimmers come out of the water. I decided that I would have breakfast somewhere to reward myself. I ended up stopping at the Dunkin Donuts in Pt. Pleasant, NJ.

I ended up placing 86 having spent about 47 minutes in the water. Not a great time but OK. I think I could shave off 7 minutes easily but I might have to wait until next year since I have not been able to find any more local races this year. I do want to get a 2.4 mile swim in as well.

So far the swimming has been a good change up from the workouts I was doing before. My overall muscle tone has increased and swimming seems to hit all the muscle groups. I will have to thank all of my Tri friends for inspiring me to get off the bike and into the water.

One Week until the Nav E Sink or Swim

2011-05-22T09:44:00.003-04:00

It is almost here. The Nav E-Sink or Swim is one week from today. Unfortunately, my swimming training has kind of fallen off. Might be a good thing though. I may very well have been in danger of over training. Was doing several 1 hour plus swims a week. I have definitely cut back on the time in the pool. Still getting the same number of days in but I am now only doing 15 to 30 minute workouts after strength training sessions (lots of lower body work).

The big decision is whether I should do the race in a wetsuit or not. The biggest concern I have is that I will spend $200 on something I am not using enough or kick myself for not spending $400 because I am using it more than I thought.

The Sandy Hookers Tri Club has Monday and Friday evening training swims at Victory Park in Rumson, NJ. I checked it out a couple of Friday's ago. It looks like a lot of fun but my current work schedule does not really allow me to make it on a regular basis.

I have decided that I am going to do the 1.2 mile as my first open water swim. The 2.4 mile swim was probably a little too ambitious. I know I am risking some disappointment in not having attempted the 2.4 swim but I know that it is the right decision.

My bikes are definitely being neglected in 2011. Only 4 rides in 2011. Yesterday would have been a good day to get the 5th ride in but I had lots of errands to run. I am thinking of doing a long swim today and maybe doing some hill climb sprints on some local hills. The biggest problem I am having with riding these days is the amount of time it requires. By myself the rides are usually about 3 - 4 hours long. With the group I am finding that I am on the bike over 5 hours. With my work schedule this is a lot of time to devote especially since I am usually wiped out for the rest of the day after I get back. I need to find a closer job or one that pays as well but requires less hours. Good luck!

There is a planned group ride up Bear Mountain in New York on June 5. I am planning on doing that ride. Lots of climbing. Will definitely be a struggle but I do find pleasure in suffering. I will be going to Miami for vacation a couple of days later so I will have some time for recovery.

Watching Stage 16 of the Giro d'Italia. I may not be riding myself but I can watch others ride.

Just an Update

2011-03-08T21:19:00.002-05:00

I bought a new camera since my old one broke but I have yet to have the opportunity to take any pictures. I like blogs that have some pictures. In fact that is the main reason I read them.

Just for the record the new camera is another Cannon. I was going to buy a digital Nikon that looks like an SLR but isn't. It seemed to bulky and I was about to give up when my co-worker who went to Best Buy with me found the Cannon PowerShot SX210. I would like to be able to report on it but I cannot at this point. I took a couple of test photos and I ran some video but not really much else. Was supposed to be used for a College Vist but the weather was lousy and there were not any good photo opportunities. I am sure something will come up.

So far 2011 has yielded two rides so far. Both were on the Langster and both were with the Dorbrook group. In the past I have been able to ride the single speed in the group until April or May but they all seem to be in pretty good shape (Must be the PX90 because there was not a lot of riding going on this winter). Both rides were about 70 miles but I am just guessing because the battery on the computer died. For the first ride I did a lot of suffering both on the way out and on the way back. It just hurt. The second ride was much better. I felt good on the way out with the wind in my face but when we made the turn and the wind was at the back I ran out of gear and just got dropped.

The suggestion was made that I switch to the Tarmac since the winter rides appear to be over. That is probably going to be my strategy going forward. I checked the weather and it looks like I might be able to get two good rides in this weekend. The big problem is that a 5 hour bike ride really takes a lot out of the day. Free time has been in short supply lately.

The swimming is really going well. The form is really starting to take shape. Still only breathing to the right but I am in no real hurry to change at this point. I feel fast and I have been trying to either keep pace with or lap the swimmers in the other lanes. Gave up count and now swimming for time. Workouts are 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes in lenght. No longer using the two float or the paddles because it is all about endurance now. Even bad days in the pool are good workouts now.

The strength workouts have been less consistent. Had a good legs workout on Sunday. Squats have been more for balance lately and the weight has not been all that exciting. I have been leg pressing 1000 lbs but the squats have been kind of weak. Decided to really start driving the squats and I was excited by the new weight levels. I am visualizing squating 400 lbs. I think it is well within my reach now. The other excercises have not been as much fun lately. Other than the leg workouts everything else has been misery. I guess that is the advantage of cross training. You can get excited about something new when the excitement for the old wanes.

As we head into the spring and summer hopefully I will have some pictures as well as some interesting stories to tell.

Something New - Open Water Swimming

2011-02-17T14:35:00.005-05:00

I have not put up a new blog entry in sometime. I actually think that joining Facebook along with a new job resulted in my low Blog Output over the past couple of years. It has been an interesting couple of years some of which would have made for some interesting reads but most likely would have fallen under the category of Too Much Information.

Those of you that have read my postings know that my current obsession has been road cycling. I started out riding a Specialized Langster Single Speed and then added a Specialized Tarmac Comp. I have been averaging around 5000 miles a year riding by myself and with some local A/A+ groups. It has been a lot of fun and I have met a great group of people. In this group are several Triathletes who obviously do a lot of swimming. Specifically open water swimming. The more I heard about it the more I thought I might like a little change up in my routine. So I ordered 8 pairs of swim tights, 5 pairs of swim googles, 5 swim caps from The Finals , found how to get in to pool of my gym (even though I have been going there for 6 years) and officially added swimming to my weekly workout.

When I was young and in middle school I was a member of Boy Scouts. For me the highlight of the year was the Summer Scout Camp and the annual mile swim. Basically the goal was swim a mile nonstop in the lake after 3 days of working up to it. On Monday was 1/4 mile attempt (one lap), Tuesday was the 1/2 mile attempt and Wednesday was the 1 mile attempt. It was always fun and definitely a challenge. I even had a favorite navy/red speed that I always wore. Most of it was done using the side stoke but I would break into freestyle just to pick up the pace. I was always proud that I one of the faster swimmers. From my stand point I would rather be one of the swimmers than one of the rows that would follow along with the swimmers for safety.

My high school did not have a pool or a swim team so Boy Scouts, some lifesaving classes at some of the country clubs that did have pools and taking lifesaving as my gym elective in college was the extent of the swimming that I have done since middle school. I read about the Dolphin Swim Club in San Francisco and have toyed with the idea of competing in a Triathalon but I was never really thrilled with the idea of getting wet as part of a work out. Not really sure what has changed but the weather on the East Coast of the US was not going to allow for much winter riding so I need to do something keep up my cardio fitness. My last ride was a 66 miler on my birthday in December on my Langster.

So armed with some new swim gear and an invite to swim with some local folks over the summer in Manasquan I decide to jump in and give it a try. My goal was to work my way up to a mile but I had trouble making it a single length of the pool (25 yds). Maybe I could get 2 lenghts but it was not pretty. I would start out freestyle and then have to go into breast. I pushed myself to try to spend at least an hour in the pool the first day. I think I made it about 45 minutes. Time really dragged. Since I had a goal and I had made a small investment in gear I was going to give the thing a fair shot. The next day I was able to get an hour in the pool but I was definitely going to need a plan.

Of course the best place to look for a plan is the Internet and typing "swim workouts" into Google I found the this well written and informative site by Ruth Kazez. The 50 workouts listed are tough and definitely not for a beginner like me but I did find the 0 to a mile workout. This was perfect even though at first it was really tough. The plan is based on swimming at least 3 days a week. Each workout is broken up in to drills with the first set increasing each week. The first week was 4 x 100, 4 x 50 and 4 x 25. Since I found this at the end of my first week of swimming this was a tough workout. The 4 x 100s especially. The goal of the workout is to make sure you are uncomfortable for every set so the there is only a couple of breath rest between each 100, each 50 and each 25. The lack of rest is very important and helps out during the next week.

I suffered through the first week but since I could get the prescribed workout done in about 20 minutes I made sure I did other things to make sure I was in the pool for an hour. This usually meant doing additional sets. By the end of the 3rd week I was able to swim a 400 without too much trouble so I decided to go for an 800. I got to the 800 mark and felt really good so I decided to keep going. I hit the 1000 mark and decided to push through for a mile. After I got done with the mile I was tired and very excited. It was the first time I have swam that far since my Boy Scout Days. Unfortunately there was no one in the pool area to share my excitement. In reality I am not sure anyone but maybe my mom would even care.

I have to say my joy was short lived. The next trip to the gym/pool was not as productive. I had not allowed enough recovery time and I was definitely not eating right. I ended up bonking on every working for the next week.

So now I have been swimming on regular basis for almost 3 months. I can try to do a mile every time I hit the pool and I have done more than 2 miles once. Generally I try to do drills after my long swim. I a tow float and resistance paddles that seem to really help with my form. I try to use the kickboard as well but I find kickboard drills to be really boring.

I have two main goals now:

To swim 1 mile with the Manasquan group once the warmer weather gets here.
To swim the Nav-E-Sink or Swim on May 30 (Hopefully the 2.4 mile swim)
To swim from Alcatraz to San Franciso on September 4.

Since my bike has not been touched since December 24 I do feel like I am cheating on it but the nice weather will be here and it is nice to have something that I can do mid week or on rainy weekends.

I will post here with any progress or news.

2009 Giro d'Italia

2009-05-24T10:09:00.002-04:00

I have been watching the 2009 Giro d'Italia on Universal Sports (NBC). They run a live feed over the internet in the mornings and then a two hour replay with two American commentators at Noon and 9 AM daily. I have been following the Giro for the past several year but there is been very little US TV coverage. Versus Network would usually cover the Sunday stages and recap the week on their Sunday Epic Cycle Show but this is first year that I have been able to watch ever stage. I think that I have Lance Armstrong to thank for this.

The Italian country side is even more spectactular than the French country side that is showcased in the Tour de France. The Italian continental teams really put a lot of effort into the Giro so there are several teams that are riding up front but will not be at the Tour de France. LPR Brakes is one of these teams. Danilo De Luca has had the Pink Jersey (the Giro uses Pink as the GC leader's jersey rather than Yellow like the Tour de France) for much of the race although he lost it to Denis Menchov of Rabobank who appears to be in a very good position to win.

Mr. Menchov was able to pull grap the Pink jersey by winning the long and hilly time trial of Stage 12. Unlike most time trials the riders rode on regular road bikes. Almost every rider had a different configuration. Some rode using normal bars, some added aero bars (like many triathaletes) and some went with Time Trial bikes. Some riders used time trial helmets but most went with the normal road helmets. While I am not usually a fan of the TT stages this was one that I was really interested in watching. It definitely did not disappoint.

The riders did stage a protest on stage 9 which was a circuit around Milan. The riders had decided that they had enough and made the race an unofficial rest day. Most club riders averaged a faster pace than the Peleton for most of this stage. Eventually the pace picked up and the last lap was very exciting with Mark Cavendish taking the stage win.

The Giro organizers have really gone for spectacular. Very few flat courses and lots of crazy climbs. Each week of the Giro as gotten harder. This final week looks to be the hardest. There will be several hard climbs and the last day is a time trial that may very well determine who the GC winner will be. At this point my money is on Denis Menchov. Although stage 17 (profiled above) could very well that. The contenders are going to have to attack.

A new post about TV Shows (Chuck, Scrubs and Life)

2009-05-09T08:31:00.005-04:00

My last post to this blog was on January 11. The lack of output was not for lack of material. I have written several entries while out riding but the words just never seem to make it to the blog page. I blame Facebook. At least I am not Twitting.

My first blog entry in many months is not going to be about anything deal like state of the US economy, my current state of unemployment or even the start of the Giro d'Italia. It is going to be about US TV. Specifically about the shows that I have been watching Chuck, Scrubs and Life. All three have either been cancelled or are close to being cancelled.

In addition to the 3 shows list above I also watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report on Comedy Central. Thanks to the internet I do not need to stay up until Midnight but I can watch the replays in the morning while I am drinking my morning coffee. I have also started watching Southland on Thursday night. Southlands is the ER replacement. So far I am enjoying the show however I remember liking ER at first but then I lost interest. The great thing about the internet is that I can watch all of my shows on my laptop.

NBC cancelled Life this past week. Life was my least favorite show but had the most interesting premise. Officer Charlie Crews is falsely convict of murdering a family and spends 12 years in prison. He is eventually released, settles with the city for millions and get his job back at the level he would have been at had he not gone to prison. He is now a weathly detective solving cases while plotting his revenge. The problem is that the fish out of water thing only goes so far. Eventually things stop becoming new to Detective Crews and he eventually needs to figure out who framed him. It may be that 2 years is the total shelf life for this show.

Chuck is a great Monday show. It has some adult themes for a 8 PM show but it is kind of cool premise as well. Chuck is very smart 20 something who was kicked out of Stanford just before graduation. He is now under achieving at a Buy More (Best Buy?) store. Chuck is also leading a double life since he also has a top secret government computer downloaded into his brain and is being protected by a CIA and NSA agent. This is a complete fantasy show but the characters are well defined. The end of last season tied up some loose ends but left a opening for another season. I think the shelf life of this show is probably 3 - 4 years. Eventually the characters will have to settle into a certain normalcy that will ruin the plots.

My favorite show is Scrubs. It took me while to get into the show. In fact I watch almost ever episode as a rerun on Comedy Central. As a work place comedy this show completely eclipses The Office. While most of the characters on The Office are a kind of idiot savant (especially Michael) the characters on Scrubs are dorks but they are care about what they do and work to become better. The Office makes me cringe at some of the stuff that happens but Scrubs has characters that I can relate to. The characters on Scrubs have also grown. Going from first year interns to residents to attendings. It is possible to think that working in a hospital could actually be like this.

Scrubs started out on NBC but spent last year on ABC. Some new characters (Interns) have been introduced and the next season if renewed will probably focus on these characters. JD has accepted another job at different hospital but he is close enough to come back to the show on occasion. The season finale could also be the series finale and was written that way. In some ways it is about time all of the original characters started to move on with there lives. Hopefully the show will be picked up but even if it doesn't I am sure that Comedy Central will continue broadcasting reruns 4 times a day.

So there it is. My first post in a while is about TV shows. I am going to try and get some more. I have plenty to write about.

Another Post about General Things

2009-01-11T17:52:00.002-05:00

Again I do not have much to post. I got both of my bikes tuned up at the Peddler. Since the weather has not been good for riding I figured I would get both bikes pointed up so that when the weather did turn in the positive direction I would be ready to go. I really should learn to do my own work but I am afraid that I will have to deal with my inferior wrench skills while stuck on the side of the road.

My Facebook account as well as the weekly bike ride email that I send out has taken away some of the cycles I would otherwise use to create blog posts. I have had several ideas for posts but I just have not had the time to do them right. Maybe over the next couple of weeks.

Since I cannot ride I have been spending lots of time in the gym. I have just lifting and not doing any cardio. I can see the results in that I am building my fast twitch muscle fibers and not really building up the slow twitch muscle fibers. I figure that I spent most of the summer riding and very little time lifting that it might be good to do the opposite now. While I might be carrying a little extra weight it should be all muscle so I am hoping that I will appreciate the extra strength when the nicer bike riding weather shows up.

It might be a good year to get some cross country skiing in. The picture above was taken in 2003 in Sundance, Utah.

Happy New Year 2009 (If the sun is shining you should be out riding)

2009-01-01T15:39:00.003-05:00

Like last year I started out the new year with a bike ride. This year's ride was a little bit more challenging. The WeatherBug application on my laptop forcasted a low of 20 degrees and a high of 32 degrees for the day. When I got out of bed this morning it was on 14 degrees out. There was a pickup ride scheduled for 10 AM at Dorbrook Park. It was my goal to make the ride.

I decided that I would ride to the start which meant that I had to be on the road by 9:15 AM at the latest. It is about 10 miles from my house to Dorbrook but I figured that I wanted to be able to start and stop my ride at my house. The last thing I wanted to do was have to break my bike down in a parking lot and then drive home. I also figured that if no one showed up at least I had already put in 10 miles and I could then just ride on my own.

I figured that it was going to be cold and the tempuratures where not going to rise by much. I ended up raiding my ski bag. Long thermal underwear went on under the bib shorts. A pair of thermal tights went over the bibs. The upper body had to layers of thermal shirts, a base layer and a black cotten t-shirt with a design on it for style. I then put on my new Gore Tool jacket. A thermal helmet liner was used to insultate the attic. I put chemical toe warmers underneath my booties and chemical hand warmers. After all this I realised that I had failed to protect the my face below my glasses. At first I was going to turn back but I figured it was just like starting out the morning skiing and I would soon get used to it.

I figured I was going to need to take the most direct route to the start if I was going to get there in time. So I went through Middletown and then out to RT 537 to get to Dorbrook. I was starting to warm up and I was really glad that I had made the decision to get out. However, the wind was blowing east to west and when I was facing the wind I quickly realised that there might be some challenging moments.

Due to the cold I expected the turnout to be light. I was disappointed to see the back parking lot empty. I expected that a couple of the more adventurous would show. I checked the time and it was just 10 AM. I made a couple of laps around the parking lot. I noticed another rider waving to me in the other parking lot. I did not see his bike at first but when I got over to the parking lot I saw his Serrotta leaning against the tree. He had rode to the start and had discovered a slow leak. He had already called his wife to come and pick him up. It was much to cold to be changing a tire and I could not fault his decision.

I chatted with rider for a few minutes giving some others the opportunity to show up. After about 15 minutes I decided to leave my new friend and had out on a solo ride. I was not sure where I was going to go. When I came out of the park I could make a left and head toward the shore of a right and stay closer to home. I elected to stay closer to home and made a right.

I had convinced myself that it was enough just to show up. I had planned a more direct ride home. When I got to a light I decided to make the turn that would lengthen my ride. I ended up riding 32 miles with some good climbs.

It had snowed on December 31 so the roads were covered with road salt. I had decided to ride my Single Speed since it had less moving parts. When I was done riding the bike was covered with a light coating of white powder.

The ride was not as bad as I expected. The extra layer of insultation made pedalling a little harder. Like a polar bear swim the New Years day ride should have some challenges. I was glad to get out and I rewarded myself with a late breakfast at The Turning Point Restaurant.

I hope everyone has a good new year!!

Bike Commuters get part of the bailout

2008-12-21T09:21:00.003-05:00

Bike commuters are eligible for a $20 a month tax credit. Check out this video on http://www.cnn.com/ .

Here is an article from the San Francisco Chronicle one of my favorite newspapers. I love San Francisco.

A New Post about general things

2008-12-21T08:16:00.003-05:00

I have not been updating my blog as regularly as I was. Most of my usual rides have been written about in previous blogs. I have rode a couple of group rides but I have been going out and riding 52 mile solo rides on my single speed. The road bike has kind of been ignored lately. It has a slow leak in the rear tire. It will hold pressure for about 2 days but it usually has minimal pressure in the tube after about a week. Since it is not being rode that much I am thinking of dropping it off to be tuned up (maybe today).

I have taken over the weekly ride email for the local Independent Group that I have been riding with. It is pretty easy to get out right now since there are not very many rides (weekends only) and the rides are lightly attended. Only the die hards are getting out to ride. I thought I was a diehard but I have found a couple of others that are more dedicated than I am.

Last year I rode all winter without booties but that limited the temperature that I could ride in. Luckily last winter was mild and I was able to ride at least on day on any given weekend. It looks like this year is going to be a little rougher. I have made a couple of investments in some Gore Bike gear. High top booties, the Tool Jacket and a set of Specialized leg warmers to use on days when it is not cold enough to wear my thermal tights. I have also purchased a bunch of chemical hand and toe warmers. I am thinking of getting a hood/mask but I do use one of those for skiing so I am thinking I really do not need them for bike riding on the New Jersey Shore. I have gone out a couple of times in the high 20s. It is hard for me to get out when it is that cold. Leaving the warm house is tough but I think I enjoy the cold weather rides more than the summer rides. I just need the push out the door.

I would like to get some cross country skiing in this year but the skiing is not really that good here in New Jersey. I might try to get up and visit my parents in Syracuse. Most years the weather is usually very good for both Alpine and Nordic skiing. Lots of good places to go skiing. Highland Forest in Fabius, NY is one of my favorite places to go cross country skiing. I am thinking that cross country skiing is a little safer as well as better excercise.

This weekend was a complete cycling bust. Snow, Ice and rain. Mother Nature's way of telling me that I need to prepare for the holidays. The long range forcast last weekend was so wrong. Giants and the Jets are both playing important games today. The Giants are playing for home field advantage in the playoffs and the Jets are trying to keep their post season hopes alive. So I will be couch bound after 4 PM today.

Stephen Colbert on Bailing out the US Auto Industry

2008-12-09T14:41:00.002-05:00

In the interest of equal time here is Stephen Colbert's take on the Bailout of the US Auto Industry. If it is not on Comedy Central then it is not new!

Jon Stewart on the Auto Bailout

2008-12-06T08:06:00.002-05:00

While Jon Stewart always tries to funny (I have read where Mr. Stewart has said that he gets nervous if he goes more than a minute or two without being funny) but he almost always makes the correct point. Here is a video from Wednesday night that pretty much sums up the Auto Maker's testimony before the house.

He even does a good job of describing derivatives. Enjoy.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Autoerotic Explanation

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

The Bailout of the US Auto Industry

2008-11-23T04:53:00.002-05:00

This was an interesting week. Not quite as interesting as domino effect in the Financial Industry that we experienced in September and October but it was a related event. The US auto industry took their corporate jets (I am thinking that it was at least 2 jets for each manufacturer but they could have tried to cram everyone on to one jet a piece) and flew to Washington to ask congress for a had out. By recent standards it is a relatively small handout. Only $25 Billion. At this point anything less that a billion is just not worth the effort.

I have to admit that I have mixed feelings about this. Given normal circumstances I would say let an industry stand or fall on its own. However, these are not normal circumstances. The US Government has shown that they are willing to bailout industries and now the door is open. Why is AIG any more deserving of being bailed out then GM. GM has probably done more to create middle class wealth than AIG ever did.

However, with the global market place being what it is I am not sure that the current demand justifies the number of brands currently available. Maybe it is time for further consolidation in the market place. Maybe the US auto industry could turn into the big two with GM calling it quits and selling off the brands that are still viable. Would anyone really miss the Hummers?

Maybe GM becomes Chevrolet and sells off everything else. The corvette for car enthusiasts, the Silverado for those who need or want a light truck and a line of mid size and compact cars that provide superior gas mileage. Everything else shutdown or sold. Most of the global competition maintain a couple of brands but only have one brand in each market segment. This makes the most sense. It will be painful though. I suspect that Detroit's current R&D is focused mostly on creating SUV's and has not been able to react to the current change.

The rapid drop in gasoline prices has me concerned as well. This seems to indicate that the demand for SUVs and trucks will continue. The current credit crunch might help to keep the demand down for now. As nice as it is to be able to get change back from a twenty when I fill up my car I was thinking that higher gas prices was good for the country in the long run. The demand for mass transit would increase and trend toward urban light rail would be justified by increase ridership rather than the usual of empty trains passing crowded highways.

I was against the bailout of the Financial Industry even though that was where I made my living. Now that the precedent has been set I say lets bail everyone out. Open up the check book. If you through enough against the wall eventually something will stick.

Paul Simon on the Colbert Report

2008-11-20T20:27:00.004-05:00

Paul Simon was on the Colbert Report this week. I watched the replay at 8:30 PM last night. He played American Tune which is one of my favorite songs of all time but I do prefer the Willie Nelson version.

I was reminded of the time that both George Harrison and Paul Simon played on Saturday Night Live. I cannot believe that it was in 1976 (I was a freshman in High School). Paul Simon was the guest host and George Harrison was the musical guest but they played together. I always thought it was great. Thanks to YouTube I can confirm my memory.

Here Comes the Sun

Homeward Bound

Paul Simon performing American Tune

Finally a new President of the United States

2008-11-08T07:13:00.004-05:00

I have not been keeping up with the blog these days. The commute into New York everyday is using up about 3 hours of my time per day. The Blackberry is OK for sending and receiving emails as well as playing around with Facebook. It is not handy for updating this blog. Enough of the excuses and on with a new post.

We finally got a new President. Not sure why anyone would want the job these days. Like most of the country I am pretty excited on how things turned out. While I have never voted Republican in my life it does not mean that I could not vote Republican. My politics runs toward to the middle which means I am a Social Liberal and a Fiscal Conservative.

As far as I can tell over the the last 16 years or more the Republican party's words have not matched their actions. They say they want smaller government but then attempt to legislate personal choice. They inherited a balance budget with a surplus in 2000 but then cut taxes and started an expensive war that did provided very little value to the American public. We have also squandered the goodwill that the rest of the world gave us after September 11, 2001.

While I like John McCain it would have been hard for me to vote for him since it became obvious that a vote for John McCain was a vote for the continuation of the policies of the Bush Administration. Mr. McCain seems like a man who I would be proud to shake his hand. However, the John McCain the candidate almost made me lose respect for John McCain the man. I think he lost a great opportunity to show that he was an agent of change as much as anybody but instead he dropped back into the old Republican playbook. Mr. McCain probably would not have won the election but the country probably would have been better served had a different campaign been run.

I originally thought the selection of Sarah Palin was a great political move. While she did tend to scare the hell out of me I could definitely see her value. She knew what her role was and she went out did it. I can certainly respect the speaking skills that she has and her willingness to be the Pit bull for the McCain Campaign. While I am very glad that she is not a heartbeat away from the Presidency I cannot but help admire her for what she has been able to accomplish.

Now that the campaign is over I have noticed that Gov. Palin is now being trashed. Michael Vick treated his Pit bulls better than this. These people sent Palin out to do the dirty work and then do not even give her a pat on the head and a bone take back to the yard. The whole concept is so offensive. It is yet another indicator that I made the right choice in voting booth. I wish Sarah Palin good luck in her career just not as President or Vice President.

Not only does Barack Obama have his dream job but he has the majority in Congress and the Senate. This should make change easier but it does not guarantee accomplishments. The first term of the Clinton Administration is probably a good example. President Clinton had not become the rock star that he is today and was a little star struck. I think that Barack Obama would do well to learn this lesson. I do think that Mr. Obama has already become the rock star and may not have the same learning curve.

It goes without say that the most important cabinet position selection will be Secretary of Treasury. I have heard Jon Corzine mentioned as a possibility. I hope not. In fact I am willing to continue to deal with him being the Governor of New Jersey for the good of the country. I would like to see Robert Rubin but I do not think he wants the job.

New President or not we have a couple more tough years ahead of us. President Obama is going to have some tough decisions and I am sure the good folks at Fox News will be available to wrongly micro manage every decision. It seems like they are only willing to support a President if it is the one of their choosing.

I am excited about the future. The new President is a good first step. It will be interesting to see how the strategy unfolds. I have no idea what I would do so I am sure that Obama team is probably not sleeping a whole lot.

I have some bike related postings to do maybe next time.

Doonesbury on Blogging - I hope I am not violating any copyrights

2008-10-19T07:08:00.002-04:00

Daily Doonesbury Comics can be found here.

The Commute

2008-10-18T07:34:00.003-04:00

I have not commuted into New York on a regular basis in a couple of years. I have been trying to get to my desk by 7 AM each morning which means I have to take the 5:45 AM Middletown, NJ train. The commute is pretty easy. I drive a short distance to the train station, park my car, and catch the train. An hour later I am walking to the office. It is an easy walk. Cross 7th Ave walk down 34th and then turn north on Broadway. Right next to Macy's. The only thing that could be better would be to work in one of the buildings that are above Penn Station.

The picture above is the closed power station in South Amboy just before the train pulls into the South Amboy station. A couple of years ago there was a high speed ferry that went to NY. It closed down because of the construction but never opened again. I am not sure if it moved to another marina.

This is the building as the train exits the Hudson Tunnel and enters NY Penn Station. It is across the street from Madison Square Garden.

The view out of the window by my desk. One of the first things I noticed on my first trips to NY was the wooden water towers that dot the skyline. They have disappeared over the years and now are often hidden.

I do like working in NY. It is such a different world from where I live in NJ.

A Saturday Short Ride

2008-10-05T08:39:00.002-04:00

After two weeks of no riding due to the weekend rains, the shorten days and my new commute to work I finally got a ride in. It was not much of ride. Only about 35 miles but it was rough. It is amazing how much fall off there can be in just two weeks. I tried to mix it up with some good climbs in the beginning with some long rolling parts in the middle and one last climb up Telegraph Hill on the way home.

I was planning on going further but boredom kind of set it. I have really had to push myself to get out and ride these days. The gym has not been much better. I cannot get myself to make the climb up to the cardio area of the gym. It feels like the death march so I have been only been doing my lifting workout instead. It is amazing how fast it goes when I am not putting in 60 plus minutes on the ellipical machine. If I just do a lifting workout I can usually be in and out of the gym in around 45 minutes. I am hoping that the shortened workouts will make it easier for me to get to the gym after my commute home from NY.

So far the commute has not been bad. About 90 minutes door to door. Most of it is sitting on a train listening to music or reading the paper. Now that I have a Blackberry I can answer and send email as well. I used to look down on Blackberry users and I refused to get one for a long time. Now I can see the advantages and I am probably annoying others the way others used to annoy me.

The office is located on Broadway and is the building immediately north of Macy's. This is where the TV camera's are setup for the Macy's Day parade on Thanksgiving day. The front conference rooms will be a prime viewing location.

So far the job has been interesting. I was originally afraid that I was going to be bored. However, the pace is starting to pick up after a slow start. It is obvious that I am being out manned. I was concerned because I was getting hit from all directions and I might be in danger of falling behind. I decided to let my client know that that things were spinning. I was informed that it was expected that the parent company would have more resources and I would be tilting at windmills. As long as this is the expectation then I am fine working in a storm. I often think that I do my best work when all hell is breaking loose.

I am looking to get a ride in this morning. I expected to be on the road now but the clouds are heavy and the weather report is predicting showers in the morning. Right now I am waiting it out. Drinking coffee, surfing the Internet and writing this blog. I wanted to ride with a group today but it looks like it will be another solo ride. Maybe I will head down to Long Branch. I need to get some new rides. My next car is going to be a small station wagon so I can drive to some new riding spots.

Finally a new post to this blog!!

2008-09-28T08:31:00.007-04:00

Lately I have not been that active posting to this blog. It certainly has not been because I have not had much to write about. In fact just the opposite. I have actually lots to comment on and I have often written new posts in my head while out riding or commuting on the train but they never seem to make to blogger.com. My thoughts have still been expressed but mostly in emails and phone calls to friends.

Here is the list of topics that I could have written about late summer and early fall:

Lost a job
Found a job
The presidential election
The meltdown of the US Financial Services Industry which contributed to my loosing a job
The bailout of the US Mortgage Banking Industry
Bottlenose dolphins in the Navesink River
I could have wrote about various bike rides but almost everything has been covered by previous posts so the urge to describe the ride is just not there

2008 has been a rough year in the financial services industry. I was lucky enough to have a project for most of the year but I knew that things were getting bad. The project ended in the early part of the summer and I made it know that I would I work on just about anything. I even agreed to work in Hong Kong on a data center relocation. Since the Hong Kong project was scheduled to start August 1 I most of the time leading up to the start date working on small projects and business development. In July I started to get the feeling that the Hong Kong project was not as close to being signed as I thought. August 1 came and went. I started to get sent on interviews for roles at clients such as The Reserve and Lehman Brothers. Not a good sign. In mid August I found myself out looking for a new job.

Being let go from BusinessEdge was both a tragedy and a relief. It was a tragedy that caused a panic because I did not have anything lined up and I did not have much time to work with. It was a relief because I did not really have much of a future at BusinessEdge. I had lost confidence that they would be able to provide me with the kind of projects and career building that I required. It was obvious the the EMC merger was not working out as was expected. The week after I left the head of the Financial Services Industry Practice left as well. This was not the company that I wanted to travel to Hong Kong for six months or even longer.

I was actually laid off on a Monday but I knew it was coming on the previous Friday. The whole process only confirmed what I had long suspected. That I was as important to BusinessEdge as the laptops, chairs and desks. I had spent the week working on business development work and it looked like were getting close to landing a small project migrating an AS400 application. I was asked to take a couple of days off while a couple of projects were signed (one of which at Lehman Brothers). I was then asked go to Lehman and I had a meeting at RBS on Thursday so I agreed to take Friday off (consultants taking a vacation is a way to make the profits or lack off look better because the time gets booked differently). I had a bunch of errands to run on Friday and since it was a vacation day I was not sitting around monitoring my email and cell phone. I noticed that I had missed a call on my cell so when I listened to the message I knew that I was about to become an ex BusinessEdge employee. A meeting was schedule for 4 PM and then rescheduled for Monday at 11 AM.

Lossing a job brings all kinds of emotions. I wanted to be pissed off but who should I be pissed off at? The anger only brings frustration because there is really anything to be angry at. I could only blame myself. However, the BusinessEdge representative did provide me with something that I could use to vent. When I dialed into the meeting on Monday at 11 AM I was kept on hold for almost 15 minutes. I listened to music wondering if it was going to happen now. Had a project been found for me? Did I get a stay of execution? After about 10 minutes I get a call from one of the admins informing me that Alexis would be on the line in about 5 minutes. So at about 11:15 Alexis and the HR representative got on the line. The excuse for being late was that she was parking her car which really did not fly.

This call could have been handled so much better. The first part of the call was spent explaining the tough market place for consulting in the Financial Services Industry. Since this was from a company that was trying to sell to Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch right up to the end there was not really much they could say to me. I really wanted to get to the bottom line as soon as possible. They told me what the package was which was a little better than I expected but not even close to being what it should have been. I spent the next couple of minutes negotiating and making the call as uncomfortable as possible while remaining professional. I realized that I was not getting anywhere so I decided to end the conversation and move on to executing my strategy that I had put together over the weekend. They still have not paid me my outstanding expenses.

I understand why companies feel the need to cut resources (otherwise known as people) during economic downturns but in many ways it is the wrong strategy. What actually happens is that it causes a downward spiral. It is not just one company cutting but whole industries. The feeling is that profits can be boosted by less people but in an economy that has been driven by consumer spending the opposite actually happens. Cuts are followed by further cuts. Some companies survive and make to to the next up cycle but many more make the long march to bankruptcy and mergers. I actually think the best strategy is make better hiring decisions on during the good times and hold on to your staff during the down times. Profits will suffer but the death spiral might be avoided because more people are working.

By the end of the first week I had my first face to face interview. At this point I would have taken anything but knew the job was probably not right for me. It was another consulting company that was dedicated to working in the Financial Services Industry. While I was told that they had plenty of work (this seems to be a theme) I suspected that they were starting to see the downturn in the market place as well. In any case I was happy to get an interview under my belt and I made some new contacts.

I spent most of the job search reaching out to contacts. I found this to be the most useful. The recruiters that troll the job boards do not seem to be as useful these days. I started to pick out the ones that I would use. It was not uncommon for me to be hit up for the same position by 6 or 7 recruiters. There was one job that I got recruited for at least twice a week and yet I never got an interview with the client. The fact that I was drawing so many recruiters meant that I was a good fit on paper so I could not understand why I was not getting an interview.

As time went by I started to develop a strategy. Since I did not have much of a severance to fall back on and unemployment was not going to cut it I decided I would try and find an contract as an independent consultant in the short term and look for something more permanent in the long term. I had created an LLC a couple of years ago and I was thinking that this might be a good time to use it. Being let go from BusinessEdge had created an opportunity because I did not have to make the decision to quit a steady paycheck to take on the risk of running my own consulting company. The decision had been made for me. I was now able to be in control of my own destiny.

I had a phone interview with an IBM reseller who was looking for a technical salesman to sell into the financial service area concentrating on Hedge Funds. The product looked interesting and it would have been a great opportunity for me. The interview went well and I was told that I would get an offer the next week when we met face to face. I left next Tuesday open for this. However, on the Monday I was contacted by one of my contacts that had moved to the health care (Life Sciences) industry and he had a role he was looking to fill. He wanted to meet ASAP. So I schedule a meeting for 4 PM on Tuesday with my contact and a 1 PM lunch meeting with the recruiter with the IBM reseller. At the lunch meeting I found out that an offer would not be coming from the IBM reseller due to budget reasons. At least I got a free lunch out if it.

I thought the 4 PM meeting was going to be an interview. However, the offer was made I accepted and we setup a start date. It turns out the project is perfect for me. The company is outside of the Financial Services Industry and the office is close to New York's Penn Station which makes for an easy commute. While I am not completely out of the woods yet things are looking up. For the most part this is a happy ending.

I definitely have an opinion on the Presidential Election. I have not decided who I am going to vote for. I have agreements and disagreements with both candidates. I do feel that each would be an improvement over the current administration. I am not sure why either candidate would want the job but I am glad that at least some one does because it is not going to be easy and there is a good chance that the next president could be a one term president because it is going to require do some very unpopular things to fix the country.

The meltdown of the US economy. I have heard the statement "we never saw this coming" used a lot. I think there are lots of people who saw this coming. I do think that no one has an idea how it will end. The crisis will pass but will it be a complete fix or just some that tides us over until next crisis.

I am finding myself agreeing with the Republican Right Wing on the bailout proposal. I think it is very telling that the Republicans are breaking ranks with the White House. I am not sure of the reasoning for this. However, I think that the bailout will end up not helping anything beyond cleaning up the balance sheets of some badly managed banks. I actually think the money would be better spent buying up the underlying real estate rather than the mortgage obligations themselves. This would most likely help everyone and might turn a profit as well. It would put the US government in the Real Estate business but it is much better than being in the derivative securities business. At least they would understand the assets.

I saw the dolphins in the Navesink River for the first time on last Sunday's 52 mile ride. There is a group that has been hanging out by the Oceanic Bridge. I stopped on the bridge as I was heading over to Atlantic Highlands. It is cool to see them swimming in the river. There were 3 of them in lock with each other. I drove by yesterday and I could see them from my car. Today I parked at the Post Office in Rumson and walked across the bridge. Of course since I had my camera with me they were not around. This week one of the younger ones was found dead on the shore of the Navesink. There are a lot of people pushing for intervention to move them out to the Atlantic before the cold weather arrives. I am not sure this needed. However, the construction that is happening on the Highlands bridge could be trapping them in the river. However, they are swimming close to all the fishing boats so there is no reason that they could not swim under the bridge and out to see in the evening or early morning. My vote would be to leave them alone. They are wild animals that can make there own decisions. Not any different that the wild deer we have running all over.

No bike rides this weekend. The weather was crappy both days. Today was the Twin Lights ride that starts in Highlands. Part of the ride comes through Holmdel. Inspite of the weather there are quite a few riders. They are making me feel like a wimp.

I think this post gets me caught up. I wish I had some pictures to add but it has not worked out.

One last thing. As I was waiting to pick up my dog from the groomers in Red Bank I saw a flier for a fund raiser for the prevention of Breast Cancer called Bowling 4 Boobs. The pink paper and cute title caught my eyes. It sounds like a fun event for a good cause. If you have the opportunity check it out.

Ended the Summer the same way I started it. Riding the Langster

2008-09-07T21:35:00.003-04:00

My Specialized Tarmac Comp has not come back from the repair shop since I busted a spoke on a ride last weekend. It seems that the spokes on the stock Shimano wheels are hard to get. Unfortunately, I do not have a spare set of wheels. What I do have is a spare bike but it is a 2007 Specialized Langster single speed road bike.

Once the Tarmac came into my life the Langster was sentenced to spend most to the summer in the garage. The first day I took the Lanster out this past week was on Tuesday. I went out around 4:30 PM and I rode about 25 miles. I swung by Holmdel Park to hook with the Tuesday Evening regulars. I was not sure if I was going to ride. I was not in the mood to be dropped. However, I decided to go for it. I did get dropped once because I was not paying attention and I got myself on the back of pack when we went over the RT 18 Bridge. Everyone picked up speed on the downhill after the bridge and by the time I realised what had happened they were too far away and I was spinning out. They let me catch up at the next hill and I made sure to stay with them for the rest of the ride.

I had forgot how much I like riding the Langster. So far I have rode every day but Wednesday and Saturday. Wednesday was a rest day and Saturday we had tropical storm Hanna blow through.

Today I got a 52 mile ride to Long Branch in. I wanted to see the ocean. Turned out it was great day for surfers. The waves were the largest I have ever seen. They were almost freakish.

I will have the Tarmac back by the middle of the week. The Langster will probably be back in its spot in the back of the garage. Then again maybe not.

Spoke Blow Out

2008-09-01T08:49:00.002-04:00

Since it is a holiday weekend I am feeling the pressure to be family oriented so I decided to forgo the group ride for a quick 40 miler in the area. Started out by riding some of the hills in the area and then heading out on the Tuesday Evening ride route. I added a couple of miles to the end of the route.

As I as making my way back along Middletown Road I broke a spoke on my rear wheel. I thought that I had picked up some junk from the road. This is one of the things I am not prepared to handle on the road. I was not that far from home but it would have been a long walk in road shoes. I made the call home to get a ride back. I still got 38 miles in for the day. It could have been worse and I could have been much further away. I have been carrying enough money to call a cab if I ever do need a ride back. I have to add the phone numbers for some of the local cab companies to my cell phone.

While I was waiting for my ride I made some calls around to the usual bike shops. Since I am unemployed I do not have enough money to buy a new set of wheels. I am a little concerned since I am afraid that some of the other spokes are ready to go as well.

I ended up taking my bike to Bike Haven. It looks like the Tarmac is going to be out of commission all week and I am going to be riding the Langster which has not seen the light of day since late spring.

The hilliest roads in the area are a little rough and I hit a pot hole hard last week so that may have been the root case. Cliff at Bike Haven as me how much I weighed. When I told him 180 lbs he said that I am about 10 lbs too heavy for bike riding. I have actually dropped some weight over the summer. I have been living on Muscle Milk and I am now consistently below 180. I am going to see if I can get below 170 but I am not sure if I can.

All the hurricane activity in the southern part of the US is creating some of the best weather we have had all summer. I should get the Langster out for a couple of good rides. I am even thinking of riding with the Tuesday night group on the single speed.

My Latest Guilty Pleasure - Burn Notice

2008-08-31T07:48:00.002-04:00

Last fall I found myself in a hotel room in San Jose, CA on a Saturday morning with time to kill before I need to go to the Airport. I was originally planning on going down to the Hellyer Velodrome to take a beginners class but it did not workout because of a scheduling error.

In my free time I ended up channel surfing and I came across this show on USA Network called Burn Notice. I cannot say that I was hooked because I never watched another show until recently. I guess that was because I never knew when it was on (the website says that it is broadcast on Thursday evenings at 10 PM but when I check the USA Network master schedule there is something else on during this time). However, thanks to the internet I can watch all of the shows that I have previously missed. Since I have some free time I did just that last week.

Burn Notice centers around a spy by the name of Michael Weston who is fired (Burned) in the middle of an operation in Nigeria. He makes it back to his home town of Miami and reconnects with some of his old friends including an ex Girlfriend, a former partner, his brother and his mother. While trying to find out why he has been burned he spends his time helping out various people.

Since Mr. Weston is not allowed to leave Miami all the the action takes place in the South Beach area. This gives all of the scenes a great back drop. Miami is sort of a corrupt paradise that gives the show an edginess. The plots are not always believable and the situations can often be resolved much easier than they usually are. However, interaction between the main characters and the action scenes make up for any shortcomings in the plots. As I said in the title this is a guilty pleasure.

The screen on my computer is kind of small so I am looking forward to watch another episode on a real TV. However, I saved myself $39 by not buying the season 1 DVD set.

Tropic Thunder

2008-08-30T06:30:00.003-04:00

My daughter and I went to see Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder this week. This is the funniest movie that I have seen in a long time. Everything is completely over the top. Since it was a Ben Stiller movie I originally assumed that it was a PG rated movie but I quickly realized that it was an R rated movie.

I do not want to give away any of movie so I am not going to say more than if you are looking for a good laugh this is the movie to see.

Generation Kill - HBO Mini Series

2008-08-27T09:36:00.003-04:00

Evan Wright was a Rolling Stone report that was embedded in the Marines 1st Recon Division in the early days of the Iraq Invasion II. He wrote several stories that were published in Rolling Stone Magazine and then wrote a book that was was a super set of the detail contained in the original articles.

HBO recently completed the showing of a mini-series based on the book. I was actually thinking of cancelling my HBO subscription but I was interested in watching this series. I have watched every episode but I may have to go back and watch them again because it is heard to tell who is who. All the characters look the same dressed in their battle gear and took me almost till episode 7 to determine who was who. The scenes in the Humvee are easy to watch since each character is always in the same seat. The characters that come in and out of the story can be confusing.

As is often the case I have been inspired to read the book. Since I am currently unemployed I also have some free time for reading as well. While I have not finished the book I have been impressed with how close the mini series is to the book. This is not usually the case. One of most notable examples is Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff.

Not every moment of the invasion is captured in the series. Scenes move forward faster than real-time and the highlights are capture with some character development sequences. Generation Kill is definitely not Band of Brothers. In the beginning the soldiers seem more like a heavily armed gang rather than a highly trained group of elite marines. With a few notable exceptions the Officers seem to be incompetent and even the ones that aren't have their moments.

As the show progresses things seem to change. The Marines start to show there training but the realities of fighting a war in a heavily populated area where the enemy has blended in with civilian population well illustrated.

Episode 7 ties everything together. The strategies and some of the thinking that went into the units actions are explained. I was left wanting to know more about the various characters and decided to buy the book.

The Marine concept of going with what you have rather than everything you need is a concept I have probably used for most of my career. This has been especially true in my role as a consultant project manager. Most projects are under scoped for several reasons. The right resources are often not available and the project budget dictates that the time available to complete the project is much shorter than necessary. While a hiring manager might wait until the perfect person materializes before making a final hiring decision a project manager seldom has that ability. The PM needs to get as close as possible and do what needs to be done in order to create the resource that is needed to successfully deliver a completed. My new mantra is "I am going with what I have."

General thoughts on the Olympics and life

2008-08-25T07:16:00.002-04:00

I have not posted since last week when I rode with two different groups on the weekend. It is not there has not been much going on. In fact it has been just the opposite.

I found out on Monday that I need to find a new job. I actually knew it was coming on Friday afternoon so I got the whole weekend to worry about it. Not having a job should free up some time for riding but just the opposite has happened. Looking for work is even more time consuming that actually having a job.

The original goal was to have a job lined up by the end of the week. In reality I probably set my expectations a little to high. The right expectation should have been to have at least one interview by the end of the week. I actually ended up with three. So if I had set the right goal I would have surpassed expectations. It will be interesting to see if they translate in to actual offers.

I watched Michael Phelps get his 8 gold medals. I think I watched every final as well as many of the heats. I also watched many of the other races as well. I only get into swimming during the Olympics but I always come away impressed. I think that I can see how hard it is. The preparation and luck required to win 8 golds in swimming made it an amazing feat.

NBC sandwiched swimming in with Beach Volleyball so I ended up watching a lot of that. I only watched one basketball game which was USA vs. China. I was hoping that China would keep the game close and in the 1st half they did. USA pulled away in the second half and it was not much of a game.

I found myself watching the gymnastics with the same sense of awe that I get from watching the X Games. I am amazed that they can do the routines without killing themselves. I was thinking about how they went about learning to do the exercises. There must be a lot of pain involved. Probably why they all start when when they are young. Kids just seem to bounce. I did get tired of the age controversy. It does not matter 13 or 16 or 18. They still won and to get a gold metal on technicality would be a disappointment. Once the decision was made to let them compete it was a moot point.

As expected the coverage of cycling and weight lifting was minimal. I saw no weight lifting and very little cycling. I was really hoping to see some of the track racing especially the sprints. I did not get to watch a single race. Since US Cycling was not expected to medal I guess that NBC decided not to spend much time on it.

NBC's Olympic coverage was interesting. Other than the early morning events that were broadcast live in US during the evening most of the events were on tape replay. Even if I did not know who won I knew that the US competitors had to have medaled since it was being broadcast. This was the case of the Men's Volleyball final. It looked like Brazil was going to tie things up but I figured that the USA would come back because the closing ceremony was scheduled for the next hour and there would not be enough time to play another match. Sure enough the US came from behind and won.

I can kind of understand the reasoning behind the coverage decisions. In the sports I know I can watch the competitors from other countries. However, in the sports I do not really know such as rowing, boxing or even volleyball I only watch the events that the US teams are competing in. I imagine that most feel the same way.

I was going to watch the closing ceremony to see Jimmy Page play in London. However, the events leading up to Mr. Page bored me and I ended up watching the last episode of Generation Kill. Maybe I can find the video on the Internet.

Two Weekend Group Rides

2008-08-17T17:36:00.004-04:00

I did not feel like riding by myself this weekend so on Friday evening I decided that I was going to get up in time to make the Saturday and Sunday group rides. On Saturday I rode the pickup ride out of Dorbrook Park in Colts Neck. On Sunday I rode the Allenwood School ride that is organized by the Atlantic Bicycle Club.

Both rides cover a lot of the same roads. The Dorbrook ride heads south and the Allenwood ride heads north so there was a lot of overlapping scenery between the two rides. I am not that familiar with the roads but I do occasionally recognise an road that I have drove my car along.

We had some nasty storms roll through on Thursday and Friday. It was worse in North Jersey but the end result was it made for some good riding weather over the weekend. I rode from my house to the start of the Dorbrook Park ride. The fog was heavy and the roads were damp. My brakes were kind of soggy for the start of the group ride. The fog stayed with us for the first hour of the ride but you could tell we were in for a treat once it burned off.

The pictures above contrast how the day went weatherwise.

The Dorbrook ride is usually about 50 to 60 miles. Since I ride to the start I usually end up with 7o plus miles. At the finish my computer said that I had completed 72 miles. It was a good ride and I am getting the sense of how to ride with a group. I think the real skill is in dealing with the multiple personalities that show up for the rides. I generally try to let the comments roll off me. I find it is better just to keep my mouth shut rather than respond negatively.

I have never rode with the Allenwood group although many of the riders also ride the Holmdel and Dorbrook Park rides. In fact I heard one of the other riders describe me as one of the Dorbrook folks. It is always nice to belong.

Before the start of the ride two of the riders who know me took me aside and give me the lay of the land. They told me not to go out too hard and to stay at the back of the pack so that I did not risk the rath of the other regulars. I kind of took it as a compliment since I do have the tendency to go out hard. However, I am learning my lesson and I have embraced the concept of conserving energy.

Both the Dorbrook and Allenwood rides stopped at the same store to fill water bottles. A couple of guys on Honda Sports Motorcyles pulled in and it turned out that everyone was all friends. The picture above shows the all the different bikers coming together.

At first I had a hard time with the concept of stopping in the middle of the ride. However, I am embracing this concept as well. I stayed with the A group (the A- riders turned off and got to the store quicker) and got involved with a group of riders that moved along at a good clip. I ended up dropping off during a series of technical turns that were a little too slipper for me to negotiate at 30 MPH. Another rider was back with me. We were going to make an attempt to catch up but then we ended up riding groupetto.

The Allenwood ride requires me to drive to the start. A concept that I am not that thrilled with but I definitely see the advantage of riding with a group. If I can get out of bed early enough next weekend I am going to try and make both rides. I may even have to join the Atlantic Bicycle Club

Total miles for the weekend was 72 on Saturday and 57 on Sunday. I think this is my upper limit. Monday is going to be a rest (gym) day.

The Olympics

2008-08-14T21:00:00.005-04:00

"The Olympics combine the two things Americans hate most. Foreigners and going to the gym." - Stephen Colbert - The Colbert Report

For some reason I find myself paying attention to competive swimming every four years. I turns out that 2008 is one of those years. I have not been able to watch too much of the cycling but I think I got my fill during the Tour de France so it is OK. I have been able to watch lots of gymnastics, beach volleyball and yes swimming. Usually I watch the games until I fall asleep on the couch. I usually wake up as Michael Phelps gets yet another gold.

I find it hard to watch gymnastics for a couple of reasons but mostly because the ESPN X Games were only last week and I saw the same things being done on motorcycles, skateboards and BMX bikes. The Beach Volley Ball has its moments but it does not seem like an Olympic Sport. The players seem to be having too much fun. No overbearing coaches on the side lines.

However, I do find myself drawn to the swimming. I think I just enjoy racing no matter what it is. The attractiviness is probably the simplicity. The first one to cross the finish line wins. No judges scores and minimal rules. I am also amazed at how fast the swimmers are. I am winded when I swim one length of my pool at my own pace. I cannot imagine multiple laps against the fastest in the world.

There has been so much coverage on the Speedo Swimsuits that are being used this year. I checked out the Speedo website and the general public can purchase these suits for $550 a piece. There is not much difference between the men's and women's suits. It is amazing that technology has improved but Janet Evans 800m Freestyle record is still standing.

As I was writing this post Michael Phelps won his 6th Gold Medal. They are debating on whether Mr. Phelps is the best athelete ever on the afternoon sports shows. I have voted for Tiger Woods but I guess the case could be made for the swimmer. It is probably a moot arguement.

2008 Specialized Tarmac Comp Review

2008-08-01T22:34:00.007-04:00

I now have over 1000 miles on my Specialized Tarmac Comp that I purchased at the end of May. I have had the bike long enough now to develop an opinion. Just in time for the 2009 models to come out.

Unlike the 2007 Langster Single Speed that I purchased last year many of the miles on the Tarmac have been done in a group setting. I have been riding in A/A+ pace rides on Tuesday and Thursdays. I have caught a couple of A+ rides on the weekends as well. I only rode one group ride with the Langster last year and it was a B ride.

Switching from the Langster to the Tarmac was not as easy as I expected. With the Langster I only had one gear so any change in terrain or speed was accomplished by getting out of the saddle and pushing my legs. After 4000 miles on the Langster I developed a technique that just did not transfer over to the full road bike.

The first problem I encountered on the Tarmac was when I shifted up to climb a hill I was losing the group. I was kind of perplexed since I could usually stay with the group on the Langster. I eventually decided that the problem was the 11 - 28T SRAM cassette. I quickly installed an 11 - 23 T Shimano Ultegra Cassette and the problem is solved. Most of the other riders in the group have 25 or 27 T cogs in the back. The 23 requires a little bit of suffering on some of the steeper climbs but I was used to it from riding the Tarmac so no worries.

The ride on the Tarmac is a little rougher than I expected. I have rattled my teeth a couple of times. The carbon frame of the Tarmac Comp is an improvement over the aluminum framed Langster on rough roads. The next model up in the Tarmac line is the Expert and it is the same frame with an upgraded carbon material. It might be worth investing the extra $600 (the cost of the Langster in 2007) and go with the Expert. The real issue is that the bikes are hard to find in the configuration and sizes that you want. I got the Tarmac Comp because it was in stock at the Peddler in the frame size (52) that I wanted.

The Tarmac handles much better than the Langster. Especially at downhill at high speeds. The Langster was kind of shaky around 30 MPH. I have been close to 40 MPH on the Tarmac and while the speed was kind of unsettling the bike remained firm.

I have changed out the stock Specialized Mondo tires for some Continental Grand Prix 4000s. I was thinking of swapping the tires before I even picked the bike up but I wanted to give the Mondos a chance and make the most of my investment. However, I found the tires to be a little soft and after about 900 miles I decided it was time for them to go. The Grand Prix 4000s are a big improvement. The make the ride a little stiffer which could explain some of the recent teeth rattling.

I still do not have the shifting working to my satisfaction. In the beginning it took a couple of trips back to the Peddler to get it adjusted (expected but a little annoying). I still have some problems that I need to get worked out. Of the 20 gears I have on the bike I can only use 19 of them. I cannot use the 11 cog when I am on the small front ring. Also I cannot jump from the big front ring when I am on the 23 cog without popping the chain. I am learning to work around this. I have been told that this is common with carbon frame bikes. I think I need to learn how to do my own work on the bikes.

I have mixed feelings about the color. It is been pointed out to me that it is the colors of the NY Mets and Team Rabobank. At first I did not like the color but it started to grow on me. At this point I am going to have with it for the next couple of years. I am going to have to break the cycle of buying a new bike each year. I have been told that I need to replace the white bar tape with black tape. I am inclined to agree but I have had others tell me that they like the white tape. "Do these handlebars make me look fat?" I probably will replace the tape the next time I go to the bike shop.

Overall I am pleased with the bike. I spent a couple of days playing with the fit. I never really got it match the fit that I had on the Langster. Eventually I just decided to get it close and adjust my style. I am now comfortable on it but I do think a professional fitting might be in order.

About the only negative that I have is that I have not rode the Langster in sometime. I had a feeling that might happen. The big minus on the Langster is the lack of quick release hubs. Every time I think I about riding it see the wrench that I need to carry when riding the Langster and I change my mind and reach for the Tarmac. I have been thinking of selling it. I may set it up as a track bike by removing the brakes and flipping the hub over to fixie.

Pedal vs. Metal: A surge in bike ridership spurs a new kind of road rage

2008-07-29T12:20:00.002-04:00

Here is an article from Newsweek magazine that talks about the surge of bicycle and car related events of road rage. It seems like the bad behavior is on both sides of the argument. I know I have been guilty of multiple bad decisions while riding my bike. I usually try to stay on less traveled roads or stay as much on the shoulder as I can.

I have found that the cars/trucks on the country roads can actually be worse than the busier roads since the drivers are often driving faster than the posted speed limit since they think they are by themselves.

For some reason people change when they get behind the wheel of a car (or maybe it is just the real person coming out). I know that I have less patience when I am driving. A delay of of a minute or two can sometimes feel like an hour. I have been driving slower these days. I usually am right at the speed limit or sometimes below.

Metuchen police take to bikes, foot patrols to save gas

2008-07-28T19:54:00.003-04:00

From the Asbury Park Press. Wear a badge, carry a gun and ride a bike. Not a bad deal. I would not like carrying a gun but there have been plenty of time I would like to have had a badge. Here is a place that sells bikes to police, EMS and fire departments. Picture above is not the Metuchen Police Department.

METUCHEN — Borough police officers are taking to cycling this summer — not as a sport, but as a conscious effort to conserve gas during their daily patrol.

It is a part of conservation measures issued by Police Chief Jim Keane in a memo to his department as soaring gas prices threaten to dent the budget.Officers are asked to shut down their vehicles to prevent excessive idling and to rely more on two-legged transportation.

During their shifts, officers are asked to park their cruisers in the downtown business district and walk and talk to business owners and residents for a short amount of time per shift or per hour."Walking not only saves gas but is also good public relations," Keane said.

Officers are also encouraged to use bicycles for patrol, he said. Keane added that there is a downside to using bikes. He explained that police officer's cars are like traveling offices and contain oxygen tanks, first-aid kits, fire extinguishers, laptops and everything else that they need to be effective first responders."Guys on bikes won't have access to all the tools, and the same applies to walking on the beat," he said.But when it comes to high gas prices, patroling a 2.7 square-mile borough in a car is a luxury.

Other steps taken to conserve energy include ensuring that the closest units respond to a call and checking vehicles more often, especially for tire pressure.Keane also discourages backing up officers, unless requested.Officers are asked to reduce return trips to headquarters and complete most reports in the field.

Not a bad tour for the teams riding Specialized Bikes

2008-07-27T15:53:00.003-04:00

Both of the teams that ride Specialized Bikes started the Tour de France on low notes. Quick Step found out that sprint star Tom Boonen was not going to be able to ride this years Tour due to some out of competition issues. The other team found out that its primary sponsor Gerolsteiner would not be returning in 2009.

Quick Step is a sprinting team and generally looks for wins on the flatter stages. Without Mr. Boonen riding it was going to fall to the other members of the team such as Gert Steegmans. However, Team Columbia's Mark Cavendish won 4 of the sprints and did not leave much for anyone else. Coming into stage 21 Team Quick Step did not have a stage win. It turned out that stage 21 was the charm and Mr. Steegmans was able to pull out the win. If you are only going to win one sprinting stage the final stage in Paris is the one to win.

Team Gerolsteiner was much more successful in the 2008 tour. They won the King of the Mountains (Bernhard Kohl),the two time trials (Stefan Schumacher), had yellow jersey for a couple of days (Stefan Schumacher) and finished 3rd overall (Bernhard Kohl). Not a bad Tour for a team that is not CSC - Saxo Bank. Hopefully they will be able to get a sponsor for next year.

2008 Tour de France Time Trial and a late afternoon ride

2008-07-27T07:01:00.005-04:00

I was up early on Saturday morning but I was not feeling well (no need to share the details) so I decided I would watch the final Time Trial of the 2008 Tour de France. The Time Trials are kind of hard to watch. All the riders look like they are going the same speed (except of some of the sprinters who look like they are taking a victory lap) and it is only the time clock that tells who is really going fast.

At end of the Time Trial the General Classification turned out almost who I expected with Carlos Sastre of CSC - Saxo Bank in first and Cadel Evans of Silence - Lotto in 2nd. I had Christian Vande Velde of Garmin - Chipolte finishing 3rd but only if he won the time trial. The GC contenders will just ride into Paris together today so there will not be any change in the overall standings. The sprinters will be up today and some of the teams that have had success in years past will be looking to finish the tour with a win.

I went into the Tour this year looking for Cadel Evans to pull out the win. I did not really have any real expectations for either Team Columbia (formerly the German Team T-Mobile) or Garmin - Chipolte. I expected Team Columbia to concentrate on stage wins and not really be that concerned with the General Classification (Kim Kirchen was making me look foolish by wearing the Yellow Jersey in the first week).

My expectation was that Garmin - Chipolte was going to be happy just to be there and may win a stage or two but not really be a threat to the GC. I saw an interview with Mr. Vande Velde in the beginning of the tour and he said that he was going to concentrate on the GC. I was thinking that meant a top 20 spot. Certaintly the 5th place GC finish was an overachievement and might of been even better had he not crashed on the descent of stage 16. It was fun to watch.

Mr. Sastre deserves his win. The CSC - SAXO Bank team was the best team out there and they always had 3 guys (Mr. Sastre and the Schleck Brothers) on every climb. This made it hard for the other GC contenders that had to climb on their own. I was wondering why CSC - Saxo Bank selected Mr. Sastre over Frank Schleck as the main GC contender but it became obvious that Mr. Schleck needs to work on his TT abilities if he wants to contend in the coming years.

As much as I would have liked Cadel Evans to pull out the win I would have been disappointed had he won without winning a single stage. Given Mr. Evans' lack of team support maybe he even overachieved by finishing 2nd. I have heard a rumor that he is moving to Garmin - Chipolte next year but so far I have not heard anything confirming it. If it happens then there is a good chance that Garmin - Chipolte will be able to give CSC - Saxo Bank a run next year. Of course Team Columbia is going to bring a different team as well.

I really did enjoy the Tour this year. The end of the Tour is going to leave a void. I am looking forward to the Olympics since most of the top riders will be in China as well. Unfortunately, in the past TV coverage has been heavy on sports I am not that interested in (gymnastics) and light on sports I am interested in (cycling, wieght lifting).

I was up early this morning and I was watching the local (NYC) newscast and the sportscaster made a smart remark about the Tour and doping. I know that it was an attempt to be funny. It does seem to me that cycling is doing a good job of trying to clean things up. I think few sports would survive the kind of testing that cycling atheletes have to endure. The amount of money involved combined with the intense pressure to win almost ensures that there will be some dopers taking the risk of getting caught but it is no different than the situation in Major League Baseball or the National Football league. The thing is that MLB and the NFL does not really go too far out of its way to catch the "cheaters".

On a personal side I finally felt good enough to get out for a ride around 4 PM. The goal was to get 45 miles in at a good pace. I got some climbs in during beginning and some at the end. The middle was just some of the rolling roads through Marlboro and Colts Neck. I did run into a gentleman riding a Specialized Tarmac SL2. We ended up riding together for a couple of miles. It turns out that the rider Jason Walters is a Cat 1 racer. He also does coaching and bike fitting.

Channel 7 in New York is broadcasting the New York Mini Marathon live this morning. I am waiting for the final stage of the Tour to start on Versus.

In Defense of the Tour de France and the other Grand Tours

2008-07-21T20:19:00.002-04:00

My favorite month of the year is July because that is the month that the Tour de France is run in. I would like May (Giro de Italia) and September (Vuelta a Espana) but with the Tour de France I get live coverage everyday on Versus network. I also get replays throughout the day and a special prime time replay with Bob Roll and Craig Hummer at 8 PM each night.

In spite of the bad press that this year's Tour has recieved (3 failed tests, 1 team withdrawal and the loss of a large team sponsor) I am still a fan and I get more excited about the outcome as the Tour progresses. At the start I am not always familiar with the riders. I know the more famous ones such as Robbie McEwen, Cadel Evans and George Hincapie. Thanks to Cervelo the CSC riders get a lot of press so I know the Schleck Brothers and Fabian Cancellera. I also know Christian Vande Velde thanks to his tour diaries on Velonews last year. As the Tour moves along I start to know the names of the other riders and I even get the correct pronunciation.

I think part of the appeal for me is that cycling has a little bit of everything. Like NASCAR and F1 it has spectacular crashes like the one on the roundabout in stage 15 (that nearly took out all of Team Garmin-Chiplolte) or the exploding Specialized S-Works SL2 of Stage 13. Like baseball it has long periods where not much happens only to be wrapped up by a great finish.

There is both pettiness and great sportsmanship all in at once. When Denis Menchov fell during an attack on a climb in Stage 15 the other riders slowed down to wait for him to catch up. Image the other drivers in NASCAR pulling over and waiting for a driver with a flat tire or other mechanical problem. Of course the riders do it because they want to be treated the same way when they have a problem. It would stink to have a rider lose the Tour because of rain or a flat tire. There is not much that can be done about broken bones.

Mark Cavendish of Team Columbia provided a lot of excitement during the sprinting stages (a flat 100 mile plus ride with a big mass race for the finish in the last kilometer) this year. It was funny how the other riders could stop themselves from pointing out Mr. Cavendish's inability to climb. In fact Mr. Cavendish did not start stage 15 because he did not want to climb the Alps for little or no gain. He had his 4 stage wins and is now looking forward to riding Madison in the Olympics with Bradley Wiggins.

Like football there is also strategy and team work. Since a group of riders together use less energy than 1 rider by himself it is important for teams to work together. Riders are controlled by the team managers riding behind in cars. All the riders have radios and it is similar to a coach on the sideline calling in plays to the quarterback.

For the techno-geek there are plenty of shiny gadgets. From the carbon frame bikes with index shifting and aero wheels to the onboard computers that calulate watt power. Every Tour broadcast has a least one segment where the vendors can sell their wares. So far Bob Roll and Robbie Ventura have talked to Cervelo, Specialized and Shimano. I just learned about SRMs this year because I noticed that they were one of the sponsors of Team Columbia as well as several other teams. For me the technology is kind of a negative since I would rather be riding rather than reading a tech manual (too much like my real job) but I did run into another rider that swears by them (rather than at them).

Stage 16 will be tomorrow (Tuesday) and it will be interesting to see if Christian Vande Velde can keep up with the other contenders. The top 6 riders within a minute of each other so they are all going to have to stay together. There is a good chance that this years Tour winner will get to Paris without winning a stage. The big mountain climbs will be won by breaks that stay away and the GC contenders will be in the second chase group. I do expect Denis Menchov to breakaway during one of the climbs and then make the rest of the contenders chase him. Team CSC is strong since they will have at least 3 riders in the front groups for all of the climbs.

While the dopers do disappoint me (I understand) they are not ruining it for me. I only hope with I will continue to get the same level of coverage in the years to come. I sometimes worry about teams losing sponsors but then I remember that there are two American teams with European riders sitting at home for this years tour one even has last years 1 and 3rd place Tour de France riders. I am sure that that RockRacing and Astana are more than willing to take the place of Barloworld and Saunier Duval.

Watching the Grand Tours (Italy, France and Spain) on TV is a great way for me to visit Europe without the jet lag. I hope that it is a trip I can continue to make in the years to come.

Take Back the Tour Song

2008-07-20T08:19:00.003-04:00

I finally found out who sang the song that was used for Versus "Take Back the Tour" Commercial. The song is called "Brand New Start" and is sung by Paul Weller formerly of the Jam and Style Council.

For some reason this commercial disappeared after the first week of the tour and was replaced with a new one of Jonathon Vaughters talking about crashing during the tour. The tag line of which is "Next time you are in your car going 50 MPH strip down to your underware and jump out the door".

Mark Cavendis wins his Fourth Tour stage and moves into second for the Green Jersey Competition

2008-07-19T07:14:00.003-04:00

Mark Cavendish of Team Columbia has now won his fourth Stage in the 2008 Tour de France. Now that he has moved into second in the Green Jersey (Points) competition there is good chance that Mr. Cavendish will be pulling his tired body over the Alps.

Not much has happened with the Yellow Jersey (GC) since the rest day. That should change soon. It will be interesting to see how well Christian Vande Velde can do on the up coming mountain climbs.

There was one point in Stage 13 where a Specialized Tarmac SL2 appears to explode. It is just flying above the peloton. I am looking to see if there are any pictures. The TV replay showed the broken bike laying on the ground like a balloon with its air let out. I can only imagine the words that must have come out of the riders mouth as he hit the sign post in the middle of the roadway. I think the same people that design the roads in France work in New Jersey as well.

You know you are from Syracuse when ...

2008-07-16T13:24:00.002-04:00

I found this site that does city specific "You know are from __ when ..." comments. I thought some of these are funny. Even though I have not lived in the Syracuse area in over 20 years I thought they were funny. I can still relate.

You know you are from Syracuse when:
1) You know every possible cat-related Solvay joke.

2) During your morning drive, you can accurately forecast how warm the day will become judging by the intensity of the stench wafting off Onondaga Lake.

3) You know the correct pronunciation of "Pompey."

4) You no longer need to brace your eardrums when exiting the pressurized Carrier Dome.

5) You take out-of-town friends on drives past developer Bob Congel's house on Woodchuck Hill Road.

6) The word "iniquity" inspires images of a bejeweled hand gesturing from the edge of a grainy black-and-white television screen on Channel 5's Monster Movie Matinee.

7) You call the intersection of Salina and Jefferson streets "Downcity."

8) You can tell all the Hafner establishments apart.

9) You know the name of the guy who does all the voice-overs for WCNY-Channel 24.

10) You go to Sainte Marie Among the Iroquois and amuse yourself by asking the 17th-century "re-creators" what they think of the ongoing waterfront redevelopment project.

11) You still refer to 500 S. Salina St. as the Chimes Building and Sainte Marie Among the Iroquois as the French Fort.

12) Your children dream of being on WIXT-Channel 9's "Storm Team."

13) You saw Vanessa Williams when she made local appearances as Miss Greater Syracuse.

14) Your chest bursts with pride when Syracuse's climate runs as the top story on cable TV's Weather Channel.

15) You know the three women cited by the name of the now-defunct but once-delicious Caroma Restaurant.

16) You have the time and temperature number memorized. Extra points if you recall it as GR4-8481; double points if you know GR stood for Granite.

17) You're beginning to suspect that the time and temperature lady actually died years ago and her voice is now computer-generated and preserved for all eternity.

18) You know where to find parking spaces in Skaneateles. Extra points for finding free parking spaces anywhere in downtown Syracuse.

19) You're surprised that people from other parts of the country know nothing about lacrosse.

20) You stood in a long line to see Blow Up at the Cinema East, when pubic hair did yet not have an MPAA rating.

21) Your snowblower gets stuck on the roof.

22) You miss Bowling for Dollars and its host, Bud Hedinger.

23) You are intimidated by the waitresses at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, instead of vice versa.

24) You recall the days when Tobe's Cherry Street smoker was the only bona fide barbecue in town.

25) You remember the key to open the door of local TV's Magic Toy Shop.

26) You think Nancy Larraine Hoffmann carelessly abandoned a promising career as a go-go dancer.

27) You know that Onondaga Lake Parkway is really Route 370, which used to be Route 57 and is called Second Street in the village of Liverpool, and you know that Tulip Street, Morgan Road and Euclid Road are actually one and the same roadway.

28) Your idea of fun is to pack a picnic lunch and go watch the mosquitoes get sprayed in Cicero.

29) You know what a "spiedie" is and pronounce "coney" like it has two o's.

30) You automatically give speeding cars with Canadian license plates the right of way on I-81.

31) You think that they really don't have enough weather coverage on TV and radio.

32) You remember when Armond Magnarelli had a real head of hair and Stan Colella was skinny as a rail.

33) They've chopped down a tree from your property and dragged it into Clinton Square for the holidays.

34) You've eaten clams surrounded by the clamshell-covered walls at McCarthy's on South Salina Street or Cap'n Mac's Clam Snug on Erie Boulevard East.

35) You remember doughnuts at Abe's and burgers at Tarbe's Grill.

36) You think they could squeeze in a few more parking spaces downtown if they'd only get rid of that pesky Jerry Rescue monument.

37) You can determine how much a person's house is worth by the way he or she pronounces "Skaneateles".

38) You know in your heart that before the apocalypse, the yin-yang sign at Marble Farms ice-cream shop will start revolving again. Extra points if you remember when it did revolve.

39) When the wind blows just right, you can tell when steel is being poured at Crucible Specialty Metals.

40) You can explain to visitors what salt potatoes are.

41) You remember when the original Phoebe's served soul food.

42) You heard Chuck and Gap Mangione perform at the 800 Club as the Jazz Brothers.

43) You already feel kind of nostalgic about the slowly disappearing tank farms of Oil City.

44) You remember Fairmount Fair. Bonus points for remembering it before it expanded at the western end; double points for remembering it before it was enclosed.

45) You've shopped at the Penn Can Mall. Bonus points if you remember its jingle or know that it's named Penn Can because of its location between Pennsylvania and Canada.

46) You define summer as three months of bad sledding.

47) You remember a Democratic congressman being elected from Onondaga County.

48) You know not to drive through Baldwinsville's Four Corners between 3 and 7 p.m.

49) Your favorite memory of former Mayor Lee Alexander is of him strolling into a Hotel Syracuse elevator with a blonde on one arm and a brunette on the other.

50) You've attended a Syracuse Firebirds game.

51) You held season tickets to both Syracuse Blazers hockey and Syracuse Scorpions soccer games.

52) You attended a Syracuse Chiefs game at MacArthur Stadium. Bonus points if you attended a Chiefs game at Municipal Stadium.

53) You've shopped at Switz's novelty store in North Syracuse.

54) You know how to decode the weather star on top of the MONY Tower.

55) You found out that Post-Standard political correspondents Gus and Luther F. Bliven were not two different people.

56) You design your Halloween costumes to fit over a snowsuit.

57) The mosquitoes in your yard have legal landing lights.

58) You have more miles on your snowblower than your car.

59) You still harbor mixed feelings toward Peter Andreoli for prosecuting John Mulroy and other local Republicans for political fund-raising shakedowns.

60) You saw the Police and the Romantics at the Firebarn Tavern before they had any hits.

61) You've eaten a frittata at Poodle's and Jim's on South Salina Street or Mario's Little Gem Diner (now known as Doc's Little Gem Diner).

62) Your favorite radio talk show host will always be Corny O'Leary.

63) Attending the State Fair is a family tradition, and you go more than three times during the 12 days it's open.

64) You remember when the limebeds broke and oozed out everywhere.

65) You've shopped at the Tri-County Mall.

66) You owe more money on your snowmobile than your car.

67) The mayor greets you on the street by your first name.

68) You characterize the four seasons as winter, still winter, almost winter and construction.

69) Your idea of a seven-course meal is a six-pack of Genny Cream Ale and a bucketful of Buffalo wings.

70) You have experienced frostbite and sunburn in the same week.

71) Half the change in your pocket is Canadian, eh?

72) The pungent smell once emitted from the Corenco rendering plant on Erie Boulevard East still lingers in your mind's nose.

73) You keep the snow tires on your truck all year because it ain't worth taking them off for only two months.

74) The Westcott Theater still makes you think of the long-running romance A Man and a Woman, and memories of the old Franklin Art cinema make you think of Linda Lovelace's Deep Throat.

75) You know that Speach, Curtis, Goudy and Knapp are actually Italian names.

76) You remember when Doug's Fish Fry had only one location, and you remember when owner Doug Clark actually liked the First Lady.

77) You know that anybody named Tarolli either hails from Solvay or has relatives there.

78) You still think of Channel 9's Mike Price as Baron Daemon.

79) You've noticed that True Value Hardware on any Saturday is busier than the toy stores at Christmas.

80) You remember when all the hookers worked on South Warren Street and most of them were transvestites.

81) You think driving is better in the winter because the potholes get filled with snow and snowbanks protect you from the guardrails.

82) You know the service elevator shortcut out of Hotel Syracuse's 10th-floor Grand Ballroom.

83) You suffer a heart attack while shoveling snow out of your driveway.

84) You hate Keith Smart.

85) You hate Hoyas, although you don't know what one is.86) You hate Hokies, although you don't know what one is.

2008 Tour de France - First Rest Day

2008-07-16T08:06:00.004-04:00

Tueday was a rest day for the 2008 Tour de France. So far it has been an exciting Tour. None of the over powering teams that we have seen in the past but CSC-Saxo Bank is looking stong and may make a big move in the Alps.

Christian Vande Velde is still riding strong. Last year Christian Vande Velde was a rider for CSC and he posted a daily diary to Velonews similar to the ones that Christian's Garmin-Chipolte teammate Will Frischkorn (Titled: Fresh Korn) is writing this year. I thought Mr. Vande Velde's writings were insightful and funny. I felt like I got to know Christian. One of the last postings was about his decision to leave CSC and join the new American Team Slipstream (now Garmin-Chipolte).

Who would have thought that Mr. Vande Velde would be in 3rd place after the first moutain stage. Christian had no teammates with him on the final climbs on Monday's stage and was able to stay with Cadel Evans. He looked strong and in his post race comments he regretted not taking off with one of the other chase groups. I wonder how much help he is getting from his former CSC teammates.

I was planning on rooting for Cadel Evans to win this year's Tour (I know that it is not much of a stretch to root for the front runner) but it looks like I am going to be pulling Christian Vande Velde. I hope he can stay in contention all the way to Paris. So far he looks like he is having fun and keeping the right attitude.

After a good first week it looks like Team Columbia is back to working for stage wins rather than a Tour win.

The great thing about this year's tour is that it is taking my mind off of the US Economy. I am not sure what I will do after the Tour is over.

Hurricane Bertha gave us a perfect Sunday

2008-07-13T18:36:00.004-04:00

It has been a while since we have had two nice days on the weekend. While Saturday was hot and hazy Hurricane Bertha gave us a perfect day as it passed over Bermuda. Since I rode long on Saturday I decided to have a lazy morning. My daughter asked if we could go out to Sandy Hook. Since it was afternoon I knew that the parking at the beaches was going to be tough I suggested that we go up the Twin Lights in Highlands, NJ instead.

We have been up to the Twin Lights several times but it has been a long time since the last time we have visited. Both Light towers are open. The south tower has access up into the light area even though it is a little hot. The view makes the slight steam bath worth it.

The whole property is a NJ State Park but it used to be an Army Air Corp base. This is were radar was tested during WWII. The function of the Twin Lights is now handled by the Ambrose Light Tower that is out in the Atlantic.

The views from the Light towers are excellent. We walked up both the north and south towers. The view is not much different the north Tower has a better view of the Raritan Bank while the South Tower has a better view of the Shrewsbury River. I guess the dolphins are still hanging out in the river. When we drove by Bahrs Restaurant there was a sign for Dolphin Tours.

The Highlands Bridge is being rebuilt. The drawbridge is being replaced with a non-movable bridge that will be 65 feet over the water. I am going to miss the old bridge and in the mean time I am going to have to avoid the area when out on my bike rides. When I want to climb up Mt. Mitchell Overlook I will cut through Rumson and go over the Oceanic Bridge. It adds a couple of miles to the ride.

The Met Life Blimp was going up and down the shore. It took forever for it to go south but it was like a rocket going north.

We were thinking of going to Bahr's for lunch or even Moby's next door. We ended up going to The Clam Hut since we wanted to sit outside.

This paddle wheeler came by as we were sitting on the deck at the Clam Hut. I think it is a dinner cruise that leaves Atlantic Highlands and then goes up the Navesink River to Red Bank.

It was a good day. I did not get a ride in but sometimes it is good to do something different.

An early morning Saturday Ride to Manasquan Inlet

2008-07-13T09:44:00.004-04:00

Woke up before 6 AM on Saturday and I decided I would get an early ride in. The plan was to leave the house at 7 AM and be back by 10 AM so that I could watch the end of the Tour de France Stage 8.

So I made coffee, let the dog out and had a light breakfast of fresh blueberries (they are in season now here in New Jersey). Since I had set the bike up for a ride on Friday evening that I never got around to taking I was already to go. I was out of the house by 7 AM. As I was riding I remembered that there is an 8 AM ride that leaves Dorbrook Park in Colts Neck so I started to make my way over to the park. It is about 11 miles to the park from my house. I was going to hit some hills on the way but I wanted to make sure I got there on time so I took a more direct route.

I have never rode with this group before but some of folks ride in the Tuesday - Thursday Holmdel Park rides. This group is a little be older than the 8 AM ride out of the Colts Neck Muni Center. In fact I think that I am one of the younger riders even though I am 46.

The ride is around 50 miles and I figured that I would get a little over 70 miles for the day. By the time I got back to the house my computer showed that I had completed just short of 81 miles for the day.

The group rides at an A/A+ pace but the atmosphere is laid back. Since most of the riders have been riding in the area for years they have a bunch of planned stops. Since I have never rode with this group I was not sure of the ride rules. After about a 30 minutes into the group ride my morning coffee was kicking in and I needed to make a "nature break". I was thinking of falling off the back but I was afraid of getting lost so I figured I would suffer until some of the other riders had to do the same. Eventually there was an opportunity to sprint down a long straight road. I got in the line of riders that wanted to go fast figuring that I would have a few minutes at the regroup spot before the main group met up with us. It pretty much worked out as I expected but a mile down the road the group called a "nature break". I wish I had known that before. Oh well I wanted to get a sprint in.

We made our way down to the Manasquan Inlet. The group stopped at a cool cafe that was close to the beach and right on the inlet. I wish that I had brought my camera but I forgot to stick it in my pocket before I left. Lots of surfers were coming off the beach after their morning sessions. The picture above is a group of long boarders that surf out of Manasquan.

I was a little freaked out about a long stop in the middle of a ride. However, I looked down at my computer and I was just short of 50 miles. No harm in smelling the flowers. I did not sit down though because I still had 30 plus miles to ride and I did not want my muscles to tighen up.

It was a good ride and I would definitely ride with this group again. My style of riding is not very group friendly. When I ride by myself I ride hard when I feel good, I back off to catch my breath and then I go back to going hard. This style does tend to wear me out but since these are training rides (not really sure what I am training for) I do not mind. However, this kind of riding does not go over well with the group. I do get frustrated but I am a guest in this group so I try to behave myself.

I wish I could find 2 or 3 like minded riders that will go out on a consistent basis. There are a couple 2 and 3 rider training groups that I see around. I would come across this groups a lot last summer on the Langster. I have not really run into them that much this year.

I was planning on getting out early today and riding with the 7 AM group at Bike Haven but here it is 10:30 AM and I am writing this blog entry. I am also watching the final climb on stage 9. I am thinking of going out on the Langster for a 20 - 30 mile ride later today.

First week of the 2008 Tour de France is complete

2008-07-11T09:44:00.005-04:00

The first week of the Tour de France is complete. The riders will not get a rest until Tuesday and it is 3 more days of climbing with a big climb stage on Monday.

Some of my random thoughts from the first week.

The French Countryside reminds me the area in the Central New York area. While the mountains in France are much higher the area surrounding Syracuse can be very hilly. The landscape is dotted with big diary farms. Lots of winding farm roads to ride on. Just have to get the rides in before the snow flies. It seems like the weather changes quickly in both places.

It might be fun to live in the French countryside. Maybe spend a month riding the area.

I am impressed with the two new teams this year. Actually it is only one new team (Garmin - Chipolte) and one recycled team Columbia - High Road (used to be the German based T-Mobile). I like the attitude of the riders on Garmin - Chipolte. Last year when Christian Vande Velde was riding for CSC he was also keeping a diary on Velonews. I looked forward to his daily posts and I felt like I really got to know him. I am really pulling for Mr. Vande Velde to do well.

It is nice to see George Hincapie doing well with Columbia. It looks like he made the right decision in moving to Columbia rather than going to following the other Discovery riders to Astana.

Looks like we have the first positive test by Manuel Beltran. Hopefully this is not the first of many. I have read about 20 others suspicious tests but there was a denial from the Tour organizers.

I am trying to branch out and follow the other teams rather than just the two "American" teams. I have to admit it is hard since I have are hard time with the riders names and the team sponsors are unfamiliar to me since most of them do not do business in the US. The CSC team used have as many Americans as Discovery although this year they did not bring any Americans.

We are starting to see a changing of the guard in the sprinters ranks. It seems like this years sprinters are either 23 years old or 36 years old. I would still like to see Robbie McEwen have a good tour.

It will be interesting to see what happens next year with a couple of the teams needing sponsors after this season.

I am impressed with the Versus Network coverage this year. I think that Craig Hummer is an improvement over Al Trautwig. Mr. Hummer keeps things light and is working well with Bob Roll. Of course it would not be the Tour without Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen doing the live play by play.

The "Take back the Tour" ads are making feel sorry for the alleged dopers.

Not that long ago helmets were optional. Now the riders wear the helmets at all times.

Will Frischkorn's diary entries (Fresh Korn) on Velonews are actually better than Christian Vande Veldes were last year.

I am looking forward to the rest of the tour and I am hoping the exciting racing continues all way to Paris.

Stage 3 of the Tour de France brings mixed feelings

2008-07-07T22:22:00.004-04:00

I am a big fan of the flat stages that are designed to be the showcase of the sprinters. Stage 3 was supposed to be one of those stages. However, early in the race there was a 4 man breakaway. Every stage has its breakaway and they are usually doomed to be caught by the peloton. This one was supposed to be no different.

Usually on these races the sprinting teams start to put their leadout guys up front and kickup the pace. This usually signals the end of the riders of the breakaway who have been sent out by their team managers to get some TV time for the sponsors. However, this breakaway was different. The 4 riders in the breakaway worked together and when they realized that they had a chance at a stage win and maybe the yellow jersey the breakaway picked up the pace.

As much as I would have liked to see the sprint for the finish watching the 4 guys get a well deserved win was fun. It was great to see a Garmin/Chipolte rider finish second and then head into the first time trial of stage 4 in third place.

It was another day of no riding for me. The weather has been so bad that all of us on the East Coast should get a Fourth of July do over. The rest of the week does not look much better. I have seen other riders out but it is just not worth getting caught in a down pour.

Stage 2 of Tour de France with some random thoughts

2008-07-06T19:32:00.004-04:00

If it stays like this for the rest of the Tour it is going to be interesting. In stage 2 all of the contenders were up front. The Yellow jersey even looked like he might get another stage win. Team Columbia's Kim Kirchen finished second to one day/sprint specialist Thor Hushovd.

I am a big fan of the early stages where the sprinters and one day specialists have a chance to shine.

Many of the teams are sponsored by banks but Team Barloworld has the most NASCAR like set of sponsors including Caterpillar (Barloworld is a large CAT dealer), Avis and Hyster. Team Barloworld also rides Bianchi bikes which are getting hard to get around here since most of their dealers are dropping them.

Trek is running commercials during the Versus coverage even though they have no frames in the tour. The only team riding Trek bikes Astana was not invited even though they have the number 1 and 3 finishers of the crazy 2007 tour. Cervelo and Specialized are continuing to run there ads. Specialized even ran a Tom Boonen ad even though Mr. Boonen was dropped from the tour after having too good a time during his down time between races.

The Take Back the Tour ad that Versus is running every 10 minutes is making me miss the dopers. While I do understand the need to try and clean up the sport I am not sure how I feel about the all cyclists are guilty attitude. No other pro sport is testing as much as cycling. The US football and baseball player's unions would definitely not allow the same type of testing to be used on their members.

It would be great if the 2008 Tour can finish without the silliness the marred the 2007 Tour.

The 2008 Tour de France Stage 1 is in the books

2008-07-06T09:06:00.004-04:00

Since the weather here in New Jersey has been less than perfect this 4th of July weekend so I watched the live feed of Tour on Versus beginning at 8:30 AM. Since there was no riding I also watched the replays throughout the day including the primetime coverage at 8 PM.

This year's race opened with a stage race rather than a time trial prologue. I am not a big fan of watching the time trial stages since it is sort like watching NASCAR qualifying with a better chance of seeing a crash. In fact I usually only casually watch the coverage on the time trial days and then check the results online later in the day.

I am a big fan of the live coverage by Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen. There is a new guy with Bob Roll for the prime time show. I miss the MSG announcer that has been Mr. Roll's partner for the last couple of years.

The stage 1 winner (Alejandro Valverde of Caisse d'Epargne) has a good chance of being in the Yellow jersey when the tour gets to Paris. I checked out the website of Caisse d'Epargne and it does not have an English version only French and Spanish. I browsed through it in French to find out what kind of bikes they are riding (Pinarello). I could have gone to Wikipedia instead which would have been much quicker. I think I used to work for a company that has since become part of Caisse d'Epargne but I am not sure since the details are a little hazy.

The finish of Stage 1 was exciting. The sprinters did not come to the front but a couple of GC riders took off after the leaders and Mr. Valverde hit the gas and took the lead. I think it is going to be a good Tour.

Dolphins in the Shrewsbury River (Sea Bright, NJ)

2008-07-04T10:03:00.002-04:00

There is a pod of Dolphins hanging out in the Shrewsbury River. They have been around all week. It happens every once in a while. I think small whales have gone up the river before and stayed for a while.

The Highlands bridge is being replaced so the Dolphins could have gone into the river to feed. They might have got spooked and stayed.

I have added a video bar that contains various videos of the dolphins. Check it out.

Red Bank 4th of July Fireworks (Held on the 3rd)

2008-07-04T09:38:00.006-04:00

Last year I did not attend the Red Bank 4th of July fireworks show (Officially called Kaboom and is actually held on the 3rd) but I made a mental commitment to attend this year. I almost missed them since I thought they were going to be today (July 4th). Fate was looking out for me. I was planning on riding in the evening with the Holmdel group. My daughter wanted to go to Starbucks to get a Frappuccino (the $5 milkshake) and I decided to stop at Smoothie King to get a smoothie before the evening ride.

I parked in front of Smoothie King and Lauren went down the block to Starbucks. Dave the owner of Starbucks has rode with me a couple times. I asked him if he wanted to ride with the Holmdel group. He told me that he would ride if I wanted to work for him. That is when I found out that the fireworks were on Thursday and not on Friday. It looks like the evening ride was going to be preempted.

Lauren and I decided that we go back home and then take the NJ Transit train from Middletown station to Red Bank (A 1 stop 6 minute train ride). The round trip ticket cost $2.75 but the conductor never took it from us and parking at Middletown station cost $6. The train is the way to get to the Red Bank fireworks since Red Banks' stations is centrally located and is a short walk to multiple view spots. The only downside is that everyone has the same idea the the trip back is a little crowded.

Lauren and I have been talking about eating at Juanito's for a while but it has not happened. However, Juanito's is close to the Red Bank station so part of the evening plan was to stop at Juanito's for dinner. Too bad I had already had the smoothie earlier in the day. At least Lauren was still hungry. My tacos were good but I want to come back when I have more of an appetite.
I had not really planned the whole thing out. I was not really sure where to go. I was thinking of going over to the Rt 35 bridge but then I remember the parking lot of the Molly Pitcher Inn. This turned out to be a good decision even though we did not have our own chairs.

The show uses two barges. One was right in front of us and another barge was down the river near Fairhaven. Last year I as riding over the Oceanic Bridge in Rumson when they were taking the barges out. From the parking lot of the Molly Pitcher we could see both sets of fireworks. It was cool since both barges are sync up with each other.

The atmosphere is sort of family friendly Woodstock. The parking lot got a lot more crowded as it got closer to the start of the fireworks show.

As soon as the show finished we sprinted over to the train station and got on the train that was coming through. We were back to the house by 10:30 PM.

Tour de France starts this weekend (July 5)

2008-07-01T08:55:00.004-04:00

This weekend is the beginning of the Tour de France. Thanks to Lance Armstrong the month of July is filled with live morning feeds and several replays throughout the day on Versus Network (formerly OLN).

The Versus Network has been heavily promoting their coverage of the Tour with a campaign called Take Back the Tour. In spite of the controversy that has surrounded the Tour I am always jazzed to watch it.

I have been trying to follow the races that have led up to the tour so that I would have an idea of who the riders are. I have to admit that I do not know anyone except for some of the sprinters and one of them Tom Boonen will be absent. I have been expecting Astana to get a last minute invite like Giro but I guess the Tour organizers are true to their word.

It looks like this could be Cadel Evans' (pictured above) year. I will be interesting to see if Robbie McEwen can win the Green Points jersey this year after crashing out last year. Of course there is the possibility that Silence-Lotto is spread too thin trying to support both a General Classification contender and a Sprinter. Last year the team was Predictor-Lotto but the pharmacuetical company Omega Pharma NV has decided to promote their anti snoring drug (Silence) rather than the pregnancy test (Predictor). Although I have always that the combination of a pregnancy test and a national lottery was the best sponsorship combination in pro sports.

Two America teams picked up sponsorship at the last minute but I do not think either team will do that well. High Road (Columbia) might get a stage win but it is going to be tough. Slipstream/Chipolte (Garmin) will do better at the Olympics where Taylor Phinney is set to rip up the track.

The primary Specialized Team QuickStep will be without the services of Tom Boonen since he was caught enjoying his free time too much. The sprinter centric team has a couple other strong riders so they could still do well in the race for the Green Jersey.

With the exception of George Hincapie all of the American riders in this year's tour will be mostly filling support roles. The teams with the strongest Americans (Astana and Rock Racing) are not invited to this year's tour. Maybe next year. Rock Racing is starting to grow on me. They definitely have more style than the other teams. Having one crazy owner is always good for a sport. While Mr. Hincapie is the road captain for High Road they are set to do better in the sprint stages and I would not expect them to be in contention for the General Classification (GC).

No matter what we are once again garanteed a first time winner. Some of the other teams that have been riding in the middle of the pack are going to have some opportunities to move up. It will definitely be the year that I learn some new names and some different sponsors.

John McCain

2008-06-30T08:46:00.002-04:00

John McCain is a regular guest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I actually enjoy Mr. McCain's visits to the show. He often gets much more than the 5 minutes at the end that most guests on the show. Mr. McCain and Mr. Stewart do seem to like each other an the first half of the interview is always fluff but the second half tends to be more hard hitting.

In April of 2007 Mr. McCain went on the Daily Show and Mr. Stewart really went hard at him about the Iraq War. The look in Mr. McCain's eyes seemed to say "What is going on here? I thought you were my friend." and for part of the interview it seemed like Mr. McCain was not going to come back again. In fact Mr. Stewart reached across the desk at the end, offered his hand and said "Still friends?". Mr. McCain was recently a guest on the show but the interview was not nearly as hard hitting.

At the time of the April 2007 appearance Mr. McCain's campaign was not doing so well. He was out of money and it was looking like he was not going to make it to the end. Soon after this appearance though things started to turn around (Mr. Stewart attempted to take credit during Mr. McCain's most recent visit).

I have often thought that Mr. McCain and Mr. Stewart's relationship was unique. That while Mr. Stewart liked Mr. McCain he was still willing to make fun of him and Mr. McCain respected Mr. Stewart well enough to play along or at least understand the joke. Turns out I as wrong. According to article written in 1999 by Michael Lewis (A former Salomon Brothers trader who wrote two of my favorite books: Liars Poker and Money Ball) Mr. McCain does have the ability to charm the media without really trying.

I am not really sure who I am going to vote for in the general election. My past track record of voting in Presidential Elections is not really that great. There is always something that prevents me from being able to vote. I made four attempts to vote in the 2004 elections but I was moving on election day and I did not have the time to wait to vote. Each time I went back the line was even longer. If I had taken all the time I spent on the 4 different trips to the polling station I might have been able to actually pull the lever but I would wait for 30 to 60 minutes and then have to leave to address some issue with the move.This year is looking to be the same. I am probably going to have to do the absentee ballot this year.

I am not sure who I am going to vote for. I actually feel good about the two candidates. I am hoping that the race for the oval office stays positive. I am looking for the candidate that will be most willing to switch off the campaign and move to governing mode once the election is over. So far I think both candidates are even on this point.

I think that it is going to come down to economic policy. Whoever wins is going to inherit a tough situation. I am not sure I would want the job. In some ways I almost think that the best course of action is to let the markets play out with minimal intervention.

High energy costs are going to be troublesome but market economics should eventually correct the situation. However, I do not think a gas tax holiday or increased drilling is the answer. Conservation seems to be best answer. I have noticed that the number of Hummers on the road has decreased and my local Toyota dealer has told me that most Corolla's are sold before they even hit the showroom. It is not just Oil that is bullish. In fact I think that most commodities such as corn and soybean are doing well. The US farmers should do well this year which is a good thing since they are going to have to use the money to put fuel in their tractors and trucks.

Things should eventually even out. Higher fuel costs create a market for smaller more efficient vehicles (although part me thinks that this might be a good time to get a Honda Ridgeline). Mass transit and other alternative transportation options become more popular. As much as I enjoyed the $.99 a gallon gasoline we had 5 years ago I am not afraid of $5.00 either. The short term is going to suck but we might be all better off in the long term.

Hopefully, Mr. Obama starts to show up on The Daily Show since it is really the only TV show that I get my news from (I tend to read). This is probably the first year that I have been an undecided voter.

Another day of sudden storms

2008-06-29T15:41:00.002-04:00

Sunny skies are becoming a worm on a hook for me. Today I learned my lesson though. Even though the weather report said that the weather was going to be nasty it was sunny and just partly cloud so the excersize fantic inside wanted to get out for ride. My lazy side was telling me to just hang out and see what was going to happen. The lazy side was right.

I am thinking of going to the gym to work out but my needy dog cannot stand being alone when storms are coming through. In fact when I am working down stairs in my basement she bangs on the door to come down. It is kind of a new thing. Now I am starting to feel an obligation to be around when the weather is nasty.

My daughter's flight back from Greensboro, NC has been cancelled. Looks like she is getting another day to hang out with her friend.

Second Day of out running the rain

2008-06-29T09:20:00.004-04:00

Saturday's ride was a repeat of Friday's ride. The only difference was that I got out mid day. It was hot and hazy but the weather report said that rain would be later in the day. I did learn some lessons and I decided to make it another climbing day and stay close to house.

I did get trapped into a false sense of security and I did venture out of Holmdel and into Colts Neck. As the storm clouds formed over my head I decided that I needed to correct my bad behavior and quickly turned around and made my way home. Of course I had to add a little extra mileage just increase the level of excitement.

The rain started to come down just as I was heading up to the shower. The first rain was just a summer shower. The next waves contained thunder and lightning.

The weather report is the same for Sunday as well. I am working all weekend so my riding window is very narrow. I may just head to the gym after breakfast.

I ended up watching Kevin Smith's Clerks all the way through for the first time last night. I have seen pieces of it I have never sat down and watched it end to end. I often ride on the same road that Dante and Randal take on the way to the funeral home. If you know the area you can tell that they are going back and forth on Leonardville Road. The go under the Navy Bridge for NWS Earle and then you see the Middle School on the right. You can see that they drove for a while and then turned around. The funeral home is over in Atlantic Highlands which would mean a different route. Funny movie really captures some of the culture of Bayshore (they love their hockey around here). Dante and Randal probably would have gone to Middletown North High School.

Out running the rain

2008-06-28T08:13:00.004-04:00

By the time I got all of my work done for the day it was 6 PM before I could get out on the roads. The WeatherBug application on my computer did not have a lot of good things to say about the weather. Mostly it showed rain clouds with lightning bolts. However, a visual inspection of the skies indicated something quite different. Since I really did not feel like hitting the gym I decided to give a ride a shot. Since I missed the Thursday evening hill ride I decided that I would stay close to home and ride hills.

I planned a route out in my head. Since I have rode almost every good road in the area several times I decided that I would reverse the direction as often as I could. As is always the case with my rides I started out with a ride over Telegraph hill. When I got to the bottom instead of taking the right to Holmdel Road I took a left. As I was passing the old the Lucent (AT&T Bell Labs) site I decided to get some fast miles and I took a lap around the now abandoned facility. The goal of the ride was to head south into Colts Neck taking as many hills as I could find and then make the turn back to Holmdel and finish up with a couple big climbs.

It was rather quiet for a Friday evening. The traffic was very light (I think the $4 plus a gallon is starting to show its effect) not many riders out but lots of runners. As I was making the turn off of RT 520 I saw a couple waiting for traffic to clear. I quickly waved hello and the guy said hi to me by name. I as I passed I realised that it was one of the other riders from the Independent group. Unfortunately I only know people by the bikes they ride and not by name. I need to work on that (remembering peoples name is a skill I have not yet mastered).

As I am heading south I start to notice some dark clouds coming in from the west. The sun is still visible where I am and the clouds appear to be staying south of Colts Neck. I know from past experience that storms can be very tricky. The two large bodies of water (the Raritan Bay to the North and the Atlantic to the East) make things hairy in a hurry.

I was originally going to cross over Phalanx Road and head over RT 537 before making the turn back to Holmdel. Once I got to Phalanx Road I decided to make a right and start to make the turn to head back home. As I was heading West I could see that there was a line in the sky. To my right the sun was shining and there was plenty of blue sky. To my left there were clouds that almost certainly spell trouble (I could deal with rain but not thunder and lightning).

I looked down at my computer and I was a little short on my mileage. As I made the turn to start heading North all I could see was sun and blue sky so I made a decision to add a little bit of mileage. When I got the Colts Neck Municipal Center I decided to make a left and cut over to Cedar Road. This was a mistake since it turns out that Cedar Road does not come out where I thought it did. I thought that it runs north and south but it turns out that runs North West and actually brought me further away from home. I could not started to see the skies get even more threatening. The sun was still shining but I could see that the dark clouds were starting take over. I could see that the clouds were starting to fill the space between where I was and where I needed to go.

As I got to the end of Cedar I decided to hop on Boundary Road and continue to head north. I figured that I still had some time but I have thought that before and was wrong. When I got to Crine Road I knew I had no choice but to turn right and head into the clouds. The good thing is that the roads were in good shape and I could really pick up some speed. The adrenaline was really helping and I was moving a long at good clip.

By the time I got to the Holmdel border the sun was gone and the sky was dark. I was moving along at a good clip but I still and a big climb left so I was a little concerned. I was definitely getting a good workout. I made my way by Holmdel Park and got to the bottom of Telegraph Hill to start the last climb home. If I could get to the top before the rain started I was home free since it would be all down hill back to my house.

Probably the fastest I have ever rode up Telegraph. I got to the bottom, made the left onto Laurel Ave. Luckily the front gate of my development was still open and I was not going to have to stop to enter my code. By now the clouds had taken over the area. I could not hear any thunder so it was probably only going to be a rain shower. I got the bike into the garage. As I went upstairs to shower and change I heard the rain start to come down.

All in all it was a good ride. A little under 30 miles. Even without the storm clouds I would not have been able to ride the whole route that I had originally planned. The detoured through Lucent took too much time I would have run out of day light by the time I got to the hills in the northern part of the town.

I went to the 9:40 PM showing of Wanted at the Hazlet Cinema. An ok movie. If I get a chance I might write a review but it looks like I am going to be working today. I am really excited to see Hancock next week

Tuesday Evening Holmdel Park Independent Ride Pictures

2008-06-25T09:11:00.003-04:00

Some pictures from the regular Tuesday Evening Holmdel Park Independent Ride.

It is just under 4 miles from my house to the Holmdel Park lower lot where the ride starts from. I ride to the start but there are lots of others who drive. Picture above are 3 regular riders that come down from Woodbridge, NJ.

We have been getting new riders almost every week. This weeks ride was probably the best attended of the Tuesday evening rides. We probably had close to 20 riders go out.

It is hard to get pictures of the ride. The pace is fast and there is not much time at the stop lights.

I took this shot over my back. I think was in Freehold.

This was probably the best group ride I have been on. I did spend too much time up front but it is a training ride so I want to make myself work so I tend to move forward even when I want to stay in the back. I am still having trouble with the climbs.

Two Weeks. One Bike and No Car (Bike Commuting)

2008-06-24T14:32:00.005-04:00

I found an article on Slate that chronicled the adventures of one riders experience of living without a car. The section about cycling clothes is great. The article is by Bill Gifford. Check it out.

I have included the whole article below.

dispatches: Notes from different corners of the world.

The Bicycle Diaries: Is it possible to live in America without a car? Uh, sort of.

By Bill Gifford Posted Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2005, at 5:24 PM ET

"I can't believe how windy it is today," said the woman in line at the pet store.
"I know," said the cashier. Then, rolling her eyes and nodding meaningfully in my direction, she added, "and some people are riding their bikes." "Mmmm," said her customer, gathering up her kitty litter and heading for her minivan, studiously avoiding even a glance in my direction, which was difficult because I was holding the door open for her.

After two weeks of riding my bicycle everywhere, I'd gotten used to people treating me as if I were somehow not right in the head. Store clerks ignored me, old men gave me the hard stare, soccer moms avoided eye contact. After all, almost nobody in America rides a bike if they can afford a car.

But after Katrina jacked gas prices toward $4 a gallon, my Volvo station wagon was starting to seem a lot less affordable. It wasn't just the $50 fill-ups, either, but the $400-plus repair bill that resulted from the Volvo's annual state inspection, on top of a $200 insurance payment, and the costly new drive shaft that she still needs, the insatiable beast. In mid-October, under the influence of warm fall weather and a recent visit to Amsterdam, I decided to opt out of humanity's little deal with the Devil, known as the automobile. Long story short: At least I tried.

It seemed easy enough. I'm what the newspapers call an "avid" cyclist—rhymes with "rabid." I own four bikes, which I rarely use for actual transportation. Like most of the 90 million Americans who swung a leg over a bicycle last year, including our president, I rode for fitness and recreation only.

Then, last month, I went to Amsterdam for a friend's birthday party. I was amazed: Everyone rode bikes, everywhere. I saw 80-year-olds pedaling along beside young mothers with two and even three small children perched on various parts of their bikes, and dads trundling off to work in business suits and nice Italian shoes. The Dutch, I later learned, conduct 30 percent of all their trips—to work, for errands, socially—by bike. In America, that figure is less than 1 percent. We drive 84 percent of the time, even though most of our trips are less than 2 miles long. More than three-quarters of us commute alone by car, compared with just half a million (way less than 1 percent) who do so by bike, according to the 2000 Census. As a "committed" cyclist—another loaded adjective—I'd always tut-tutted these kinds of statistics.

In late October, I took a vow of automotive abstinence. I'd go everywhere by bike: daily errands, social events, even the "office" (a Wi-Fi cafe where I often work—4 miles away, over a decent-sized hill). I don't commute to an actual job, but I would go somewhere every day, rain or shine. I allowed a few exceptions, like emergency vet visits and picking up friends from the train station. Otherwise, I'd be helping to cut down on greenhouse-gas pollution and traffic congestion, while keeping myself in shape. I was well ahead of the curve: According to one survey, gas would have to hit $5 per gallon before a majority of Americans would consider walking or riding bikes as alternative transportation.

I'm not like most Americans: I have no kids to chauffeur to soccer practice, no elderly parents to care for, and I commute in slippers. I would still need to eat, however, and I would continue to go to restaurants and movies and parties and shopping. Although I live in a semirural area, suburbia is closing in on all sides, with more housing developments every year. As in much of suburbia, there are almost no services within easy walking distance: It's 2 miles to the convenience store where I buy the New York Times, 6 miles to the grocery and pet stores, 4 miles to my favorite bar. The former country roads around here are becoming busier all the time. Luckily, a defunct local railway line had recently been converted to a 17-mile recreation trail that passes fairly close to the stores I most often visit, as well as a couple of pretty good bars and restaurants. I'd be riding a lot of miles, but as it turned out, the mileage wouldn't be the problem.

That first Sunday, I hopped on a bike to go get the paper, just a couple miles down the rail-trail. I wore jeans, mistake No. 1: By the time I reached the Sunoco, I was profoundly chafed, and worse, my Banana Republic jeans now sported a black, greasy streak at about midcalf, from rubbing against the chain. It was chilly, and I was a tad hung over from a party the night before. By the time I got home, I had a raging tension headache, thanks to my hunched-over riding position.

Three Advils later, I looked at my bike with fresh eyes. It had a skinny little seat that all but required me to wear padded cycling pants when I rode. The handlebars were set forward and low, so a stretchy top was also a must—with a long tail, to avoid showing the cyclist's equivalent of plumber's crack. And it had special "clipless" pedals, which required me to wear special stiff-soled shoes with metal cleats on the bottom. Great for riding, not so much for walking. My beloved mountain bike had always seemed so comfortable on the local dirt trails. But like most bikes sold in the United States, it was an exercise machine, and not intended to be used for transportation. (There are some bikes that work well for city/transport use, including the functional Breezer, the retro-stylin' Electra line of cruisers, and the supremely elegant Bianchi Milano, which is what I'd ride if I actually lived in Milano.)

Years ago, when I commuted by bike to an office job at a magazine, I had established a little routine. It was 6 miles each way, and I made sure to ride at a slow pace so I wouldn't get too sweaty. Arriving at work before most of my colleagues, I'd shut my office door and read e-mails while I cooled down. Then I'd swab myself with Old Spice Red Zone and change into work clothes, trading my cycling shoes for the old Kenneth Coles I kept under my desk. By the time everyone else arrived, clutching their Dunkin' Donuts coffee, I was fully dressed, awake, and presentable. Then one morning, while I was locking my bike to a parking meter, I happened to see the publisher, a pudgy-fingered little man who liked French cuffs and hated bike messengers, which is exactly what I resembled at that moment. My career at that magazine ended shortly thereafter.

I've got a whole dresser full of cycling clothes. And they work well, for their intended purpose, which is exercising. I actually thought they looked sort of cool, as long as you didn't venture into the neon-yellow end of the color spectrum (or worse, purple). But as my first week carless progressed I realized that bike clothes only look good when you're actually riding a bike. The moment you stop, get off, and walk around among normally-dressed people—say, when you drop by the local Kmart and stroll about, in skintight Spandex, holding a toilet plunger—bike clothes don't seem quite so cool.

As I approached the Kmart cash registers in this early visit, metal cleats clicking on the linoleum tile, the cashier girls stopped comparing their incarcerated boyfriends and stared. Then they looked away. One studied her nails, while the other concentrated on scanning the plunger and counting change. This, I'd come to recognize, was The Silence, the awkward, get-this-over-with tension that often accompanied transactions where one party is clad head-to-toe in stretch synthetics that might not smell so great. I paid, grabbed the plunger, and click-clacked out the automatic sliding doors, to everyone's relief. And as I pedaled away, I realized that bike clothes aren't merely ugly, to normal people: They're transgressive.

So I did an extreme biker makeover: I bought baggy shorts to wear over my padded cycling clothes, to spare the sensibilities of store clerks and my fellow customers. I wore neutral-toned jerseys but kept the bright-gold nylon jacket, because it made me more visible and thus safer. I ditched the fancy pedals for regular, flat pedals, so I could ride in normal shoes. And I attached a rack to one of my racing bikes, an act of utter bike-geek sacrilege. It didn't matter: Sooner or later, I'd need to go get dog food.

Still, by the end of that first shakedown week, I was growing to enjoy my bike-bound, self-propelled life. I'd made an executive decision to ride slowly, because it wasn't fun to get all Lance Armstrong-sweaty and then stand in line at Foodland, sweating all over the broccoli. By necessity, I chose less-traveled roads, which led me to some interesting local discoveries, like a natural-foods market run by the Amish that stocked wild salmon and bison steaks. I got exactly one flat tire, on a 12-mile trek to have my DVD player repaired. Luckily I carried a spare tube—essential for any ride, as is a helmet—and was back on my way in less time than it would have taken to get my Volvo filled up and washed.

Since I couldn't carry more than about two or three bags worth of groceries, I needed to go shopping more often, but as long as the weather held, I didn't mind. In fact, I looked forward to longer trips, like a 10-mile jaunt to a local college library. The fresh air and exercise kept me alert during the afternoons, and after humping an Oven Stuffer Roaster up a 2-mile grade, there was certainly no need to go to the gym. At night, after a beer or two at the bar, I was probably safer riding on the wide, empty rail-trail than driving on the dark, narrow rural roads—and there were certainly no cherry-picking local cops lurking on the bike path.

Best of all, the bike turned out to be the hottest dating vehicle I've ever owned. One Sunday, my girlfriend and I rode to a nearby tavern for burgers and beers. We sat outside, enjoying one of the last of the warm fall afternoons and then wobbled back up the hill to our town. We got home feeling slightly sweaty, a bit tipsy, and full of adrenaline. (She opted out of the grocery-shopping trips, however, and refused to bike home from the Amtrak station at 10 p.m. on Friday nights.)

Slowly but surely, I started running low on dog food. And the thing about dog food is that the more you buy, the cheaper it is: A 5-pound bag of my pups' preferred brand goes for $12, while the 15-pounder costs $25. Plus, the 5-pounder would only last two or three days at the most, which is how I ended up in the pet store, lashing an alarmingly heavy sack of "Cowboy Cookout"-flavored kibble to my bike rack.

Once the load was secured, I set out, navigating the rather tricky strip-mall exit onto a busy state road. It soon became clear, as I pedaled along the gravel-strewn shoulder, that I had failed to anticipate the sketchy handling characteristics of a 19-pound bike laded with 15 pounds of dog food in a 25-mile-an-hour crosswind. One especially nasty gust pushed my top-heavy steed into the busy traffic lane; as I swerved back to the shoulder, the Cowboy Cookout decided to continue in a straight line, and the rear wheel skidded around, nearly tossing me into the guardrail.

That night, I went to watch Monday Night Football in the next town over. It was a beautiful, moonlit night, unseasonably warm (the wind had died down), and bright enough that I didn't even need my headlamp. As I sped home through the woods, I soon forgot about the Eagles' catastrophic loss. I crawled contentedly into bed … and awoke with a full-blown head cold. It was my third minicold since I'd started this experiment, probably thanks to all the sweating and chilling I'd put myself through.

At any rate, I wanted only one thing: soup. And I had no soup. It was 40 degrees and pouring down rain. Without a second thought, I hopped into the car and raced down to Foodland, where I stocked up on Campbell's Select Savory Chicken and Long-Grain Rice, and other necessities (like ice cream) that I'd been doing without. On the way home, I passed the Sunoco station. $2.49 a gallon for premium, I decided, was a terrific bargain.

Kevin Smith's Tribute to George Carlin

2008-06-24T12:12:00.002-04:00

Kevin Smith wrote a tribute to George Carlin in Newsweek Magazine. Mr. Carlin had roles in 3 Kevin Smith Movies the most notable as the Priest in Dogma. There is a life size thumbs up Jesus (Buddy Christ) in Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash in Red Bank, NJ.

Pictures from last week's rides

2008-06-24T09:18:00.006-04:00

Not much new to write about. However, I have been carrying my camera on rides. I have room in my pockets because I do not have to carry a spare tube and wrench on my Tarmac thanks to the quick release wheels. There are lots of Kodak moments on my ride but the actual pictures do not really do the views justice. I can often see the Manhattan skyline at the top of some of my climbs.

The picture above was taken during the Thursday evening hill climb ride with the Holmdel Park Independent Group. I got dropped while I was taking out the camera and trying to get the picture. I eventually caught up but I got dropped again trying to get a picture of the last climb of the day. Unfortunately, the picture did not really come out very well.

The deer above are out every evening. This picture was taking Friday on a ride by myself. While it looks like it is a rural area it is actually a large vacant lot in the middle of Marlboro, NJ. I actually stopped to take these pictures. The deer just looked at me for a few minutes and then scattered. One large one got to the edge of the woods and engaged me in a staring contest.

I have to worry about deer almost more than cars since they tend to run across the road at moments notice. When then are in the woods they are not visiable even though they are only a few feet away. I often hear them before I see them. I cannot imagine hitting a deer at 20 mph is a lot of fun. The Colts Neck deer seem to be more skiddish than the Holmdel and Marlboro deer.

I took this picture as I was waiting for the lefthand arrow to go over the Sea Bright Bridge. The road is RT 36 and I am facing north. The Atlantic is to the right and the entrance to to Sandy Hook is a mile or two straight ahead. Since the Highlands Bridge is being replaced I have to cut through Rumson, NJ to get up to Mt. Mitchell Scenic Overlook.

Hartshorne Woods Park is the mountain bike destination in Monmouth County. Since I was riding by in the afternoon the parking lot was not that crowded. On the weekends the lot is usually full and the extra cars are parked along the road.

The Eastpointe Tower is next to the Mt. Mitchell Scenic Overlook. I had been told that Frank Sinatra once lived there but I am not sure if it is true. The view must be incredible from the top floors. The New York sky and the Brooklyn Beaches (Coney Island) are directly north. The Atlantic is just to the right. I lived just down the road in Atlantic Highlands when I first moved to New Jersey.

This a sample of the view from the Mt. Mitchell Scenic Overlook. I took this picture from the drive way of one of the houses on Ocean Blvd as it heads toward Atlantic Highlands. The NY skyline is in the background but my camera is not good enough to pick it up. The best part of the climb up Mt. Mitchell is the drop into Atlantic Highlands.

Due to weather and other obligations I did not ride on Sunday or Monday. Hopefully the weather is better this evening so that I can ride with the Tuesday evening Holmdel Park group.

Be Careful Out There

2008-06-21T19:19:00.001-04:00

Bicyclist dies in Otisco crash with motorcycle

by Meghan Rubado and Robert A. Baker
Saturday June 21, 2008, 5:30 PM

State police investigate an accident on Otisco Valley Road today in Otisco where a woman was kiied when the bicycle she was riding collided with a motorcycle. Otisco, NY -- A woman died after she was struck by a motorcyclist while she was riding a bicycle along Otisco Valley Road about noon today, troopers said.

The woman in her 40s suffered serious injuries and was taken to Community General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Motorcyclist Timothy Cebeniak, 41, of Marrietta, suffered minor injuries and was treated at Community General Hospital and released.

Both Cebeniak and the woman were heading south on Otisco Valley Road along Otisco Lake near Syratisco Lane, troopers said. The woman turned her bicycle from the south shoulder into the path of a motorcyclist, troopers said.

The woman, who wasn't carrying an identification, was dressed in bicycle gear, troopers said. Troopers were working to find out her identity Saturday night.

There were no witnesses to the crash. The woman was wearing a bicycle helmet, troopers said. An iPod player was found at the scene but investigators didn't find any headphones, troopers said.

The motorcylist told investigators he didn't know how the accident happened.

2008-06-18T09:27:00.004-04:00

At the end of 2006 one of my co-workers told me about Linkedin. At first I was not sure how interested I was in a Web 2.0 community. After thinking about it I decided to give it a try. I was immediately hooked. In fact this week I hit 700 connections.

Linkedin is an online professional networking tool. I have heard it described as Facebook or MySpace for business workers. Your profile is your resume or CV. You invite people to join your network and you can accept invites from others. The writing of recommendations for your connections is encouraged. Your connections are visable to the other members of your network. Updates to your connections are displayed as they happen.

Colaboration between members is through a question and answers application. Members can ask questions or provide answers that displayed to the network. As will all Web 2.o sites some members are much more active than others.

Not all of my connections are friends and former co-workers. A lot are recruiters who are probably more interested in my list of connections than in me. Some are random invites from people just joining and looking to build their list of connections. In the beginning I was not super selective about who I connected with. I figured the larger my list of connections the higher the probability I would be able to connect with former co-workers that I had lost track of. I even included my email in my profile title. After a while I decided a more directed approach worked better.

One of the more interesting aspects of Linkedin is how various member of my network are related to each other. Some relationships are obvious usually member of my network have worked together at different firms. However, some are completely surprising. One of my former co-workers was connected to one of my high school classmates. I have determined that 6 degrees of separation is a very wide network and the network of 3 degrees or less is amazing.

The environment is tightly controlled to limit the amount of spam. Members are strongly encouraged not to send invites to folks that they do not know. In fact Linkedin uses the 2 strike rule. If 2 invites respond that they do not know you then you are placed in the restricted box and will need to send an apologetic email to customer service in order to have the restriction removed.

I have heard that recruiters are starting to use Linkedin instead of job boards such as Hotjobs. I am not sure how true this is but the ability to have recommendations probably helps qualify candidates.

There have been rumors that Linkedin is going to either be sold or be IPO'd. There was an article on CNNfn that talked about a new funding infusion for Linkedin.

Driving out, bicycling to work is in (From the NY Dailynews)

2008-06-17T22:21:00.004-04:00

The NY Dailynews

BY DANIEL WILCOX
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Tuesday, June 17th 2008, 10:18 AM

As driving becomes more expensive, commuters are going from being stuck in traffic to dodging traffic.

Gas prices have made pedaling bicycles to work an attractive alternative to driving. John Swoffard, of New Brighton, Staten Island, said he has noticed a lot more two-wheel commuters on the ferry.

"It's definitely the high gas prices," said Swoffard, 52, who has been biking to his information technology job in midtown since 2001. "We saw the same thing with the subway strike, all these people riding their kid's bikes."

The ranks of bikers has increased 75% citywide since 2000, with 110,000 daily commuters at the beginning of this year, according to Transportation Alternatives.

"The annual costs of a car in New York City are $5,500, versus $263 for a bicycle," noted group spokesman Wiley Norvell, adding that the figure doesn't include gas.

Bicycle shops said business is rolling.

"We've seen much more stuff selling that would fall into the commuter category," said Charlie McCorkell, owner of Bicycle Habitat in Soho.

Bicycle sales are up 5% this year, compared with an 11% drop in car sales, according to a report by Merrill Lynch.

If fear of $5-a-gallon gas is pushing commuters to pedal, the city is doing its part to facilitate the trend. The Department of Transportation plans to add another 200 miles of bike lanes in the city before 2009, including a Ninth Ave. bike lane with barriers.

The easier the city makes it to bike, the more people will do it, Norvell said. "If you build it, they will come," he insisted.

Trip to Trackstar NYC

2008-06-13T22:16:00.003-04:00

I have been meaning to visit Trackstar NYC for some time. However, it just never seemed to work out for me. I was in Midtown Manhattan attending the SIFMA Technology Conference. I had some time to kill before the Savvis Reception so I decided to take a subway downtown and make a quick stop to checkout the track bikes.

The shop is located at 231 Eldridge Street which is about 1 block south of Houston (pronounced House Ton) Street. I am never sure which train to catch but I knew the 4 5 6 went into that general area so I decided to head east on 53 St to the Citigroup Tower. I caught the 6 to Houston and then walked 5 or 6 blocks east to Eldridge. As I got to the corner of Houston and Eldridge I notice the entrance to the F train. The F train goes underneath Rockefeller Center which is just south of were I attended the SIFMA show. Going back was going to be easy.

Trackstar NYC sells nothing but track bikes and is a big part of the messenger bike culture. I am not really into the whole bike culture thing but I do like the look of a track bike. The drop of the handle bars and the simplicity of the machine just appeals to me.

Trackstar carries several brands including Javelin, SOMA and Cinelli. Lots of parts to build out a real nice track bike. They even had a carbon track handlebar from IRD.

I have had my eye on a Red SOMA Rush. If I ever decide to upgrade my Langster this would be the bike I would get. However, I am afraid that adding front and back breaks would ruin the line of the bike so I may have to just admire the bike from afar.

This LOOK was calling my name. I am not sure if it is a real LOOK. It might be an older model.

I really wanted to get the black Brooklyn Jersey but I have already spent enough money on cycling gear. I need to pace my self.

If I lived closer to a velodrome I would seriously think about getting a dedicated track bike. The two (Lehigh in Pennsylvania and Kissena in Queens) that are near me are still a 90 minute car ride.

Thursday Evening Hill Ride

2008-06-13T09:37:00.003-04:00

I brought my camera for the Thursday ride. In the past I have brought it but forgot to take pictures. These were taken in front of 4 JG Winery in Colts Neck. We were regrouping after messing up on a right had turn.

The Thursday evening ride is a hill climb day. The route is always different although the hills are usually the same. It leaves at 6 PM and is back at Holmdel Park by 8 PM at the latest.

I miss taking the Langster but it is fun to ride at an A+ pace. I have decided that I am more of a sprinter (probably a leadout guy if I was on a team).

I need to practice my shift. I try to anticipate the terrain but I think I sometimes shift a little too soon. The new 11 - 23T cassette is working out much better. I am not losing as much between each gear. I am also learning to hang out in the back when I need to rest. This is something I have not done in the past.

Attended the SIFMA Technology Management Conference

2008-06-12T09:32:00.005-04:00

This week the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) held its annual Technology Management Conference at the NY Hilton on 6th Avenue. This used to be called the SIA show but the name was changed recently. It appears that the SIA show is dedicated to Snowboarders now.

This show is a great opportunity to see all of Wall Street's technology vendors in one place. It is also a great opportunity to network. Many of the vendors have invite only receptions after the show hours are over. The better your contacts the higher the probability that you will receive an invite to socialize while enjoying free food and drink.

My schedule did not permit me to attend last year but this year was going to be different. Since Wednesday is the only full day of the show I figured it would be the best day to attend. I put on a shirt and tie (too hot to wear the optional jacket) and took the 9:22 AM Middletown train to New York. A chain reaction caused the train to breakdown at the Holmdel - Middletown border. A truck pulling a backhoe hit the Laurel Ave bridge triggering a stop signal on the tracks which cause the electric train to stop in a deadspot. We ended up have to wait almost an hour for the diesel Bay Head train to come up behind us and push us into a live spot. No electricity = no air conditioning. At least the temperatures were not nearly has high as they were on Monday and Tuesday. I am becoming an expert on stalled trains since I have been on more than my fair share over the last couple of years.

The last time I attend the SIFMA show I was interested in Order Management System (OMS) and Execution Management System (EMS) vendors. This year I had no real agenda but I thought the show might be a good opportunity to get a feeling for the mood on Wall Street these days. I was also interested in seeing how the various vendors were reacting to the rapidly changing needs of their customers. Also, would the attendees be potential customers looking to fill current needs or would they be newly unemployed tech workers looking for their next opportunity.

As much as I look forward to attending the SIFMA show, walking through the doors is a little intimidating. Almost like walking into a party and not know a soul. All the vendors are looking to talk to attendees but I do not want to look like an idiot. Since most of the vendors have gifts that they are giving away the show is a little bit like an adult version of Halloween (there are even costumes at some of the booths). A lot of attendees are going from booth to booth asking for the free gift and leaving. I really want to talk to as many people as I can so I will not take a toy unless I have had a meaningful conversation one of the people working the booths.

A couple of times I found myself in the booth of a company that I had never heard of before that created a product that was out of my comfort zone. Years ago this would have been tough for me but I have found that there is usually something in my background that is similar and I can use that information to ask relevant (at least to me) questions. Some people are more patient with me than others. Some do not see the value in wasting time talking to a consultant. I wish my blog would entitle me to a press pass I might get a little better access.

I usually stay away from the big booths like HP, Sungard and IBM. The smaller specialized vendors seem to have a better pulse on the market place. They usually staff their booths with the people who have built the product. They will often take time to talk. I sometimes wonder if I will see these companies represented at next years show since you are never sure how well funded they. Some have expensive products that are being sold into a small niche.

After a while I decided that my personal theme would be GRID computing. On my second round of the exhibits I started to search out companies with a GRID computing product. One of the more interesting was from a company called GemStone Systems. I spent some time with a gentleman by the name of Santiago Martin-Romani who explained his company's product and answered all of my questions without once rolling his eyes. Since I had just completed a design of GRID implementation for another client Mr. Martin-Romani confirmed that I made the right choices.

My personal networking results were somewhat mixed. While I did not run into many old acquaintances I did meet some new people who turned out to be very interesting.

Every year I run into David Sawyer. In past years David has been manning the BT Radianz booth but this year he was helping out in the Savvis booth. David told me that David Montanez one of our former co-workers from Salomon Brothers was also attending. 15 minutes later David and I ran into each other. Mr. Sawyer had invited us both to the Savvis reception later in the evening so we both agreed to catch up then.

My general feeling is that both the attendees and vendors are cautiously optimistic. The turmoil in the financial markets often creates opportunity for new systems. Even though much of the current crisis was created on Wall Street is going to be up to Wall Street to correct. While some old line names such as Bear Stearns and possibly Lehman Brothers are going to disappear there are other firms waiting to step in an fill the gap with new ideas. There is definitely a demand for better risk analysis tools as well as improved systems for pricing derivatives. The downside is that many firms do not have the necessary cashflow to invest the required capital. Some firms are just fighting to stay in the battle.

As I was resting my feet waiting for the Savvis party to start I noticed Rob Stavis standing next to me. Mr. Stavis is a former Salomon Brothers employ who ran the Government Arbitrage group after John Meriwether left. I wanted to speak with Mr. Stavis but he was on the phone and I did not want to interrupt him. Especially since I only really know him from sharing an elevator at 7 WTC.

As Mr. Stavis ran out to catch his cab I noticed a woman going through a pile of brochures. I asked her if she was going to read them all tonight. She said no because she had already read them. She must have sensed my disbelief since she came over to prove to me that she had read them and had mastered the content. It was a brief but interesting conversation.

I also ran into an independent Financial Analyst while waiting for the Savvis party to start. This gentleman told me that his business was doing well but he thought that some of the larger firms were going to continue to have problems. When I made the comment that most of these companies have made lots of money over the past years he responded with the comment that they will probably give back way more than they earned. I am not sure if that is true but the current events seem to indicate that it could well be a correct statement.

I caught the 8:03 PM Bay Head train. I left New York feeling like I had a productive day. I even managed to squeeze in a quick field trip to visit Trackstar NYC. See my Yelp review for the results of that adventure.

Rutger's Lacrosse joins Syracuse and other Colleges in the Big East Conference

2008-06-12T06:56:00.003-04:00

After much speculation it has finally happened. The Big East has created a Lacrosse League. Rutgers University will be one of the teams. The other teams will be Syracuse, Providence, St. John's, Villanova, Notre Dame and Georgetown. Rutgers already plays lacrosse powerhouse Syracuse as well as St. Johns and Georgetown on a regular basis. One of the big upsides is that the league winner will get an automatic bid to the NCAAs.

Here is an article in the Newark Star Ledger that includes and interview with Rutgers' coach Jim Stagnita and Syracuse's John Desko.

League play will not begin until 2010 so Rutgers will have another year to build its young team

A Hot Tuesday Evening Ride with the Independent Group

2008-06-11T22:36:00.002-04:00

The Weatherbug application showed that the temperature in Holmdel, NJ was above 100 degrees. I was trying to decide if I really wanted to go out the heat. The ride starts at 6 PM so it was not going to cool down much before the start. I decided that I would go out for an easy warmup ride and then swing by Holmdel Park to see who showed up for the ride.

The warm up was about 12 miles. Even though I took it easy I still climbed Telegraph Hill and Holmdel Road around the back of Holmdel Park. These are the highest points in Monmouth County.

When I got to Holmdel Park there were only two other riders in the parking lot. Since it was already close to 6 PM it looked like it was going to be a sparsely attended ride. This was fine with me since I decided that evening's ride was going to be a no twitch ride. I was going to stay in the back and if things got to crazy I was going to just fall off.

Just as the 3 of us got ready to hit the road a couple of other riders showed up. I think we had 7 riders all together. It turned out that some of the other regular riders had decided to go over to Sandy Hook and take advantage of the breeze blowing off of the Atlantic.

I followed my strategy for the first part of the ride. I dropped back on one of the early climbs but I caught up on the next downhill. After that I was able to stay with the group.

As we made the turn to return back I started to feel better. Some of the other riders were starting to fall to the back. As I hit Dutch Lane I team up with another rider who told me that he was feeling surprisingly well. He wanted to ride fast and since I know the route I agreed to kick it to the next light. I figured I would catch my breath at the light but the rider wanted to see how the next stretch would go so I got in line and off we went. We had a good pace but it was not that much fun for me. My body was aching. I figured that I would get a few minutes to rest at the next turn.

The first group caught up with us quicker than I expected. I originally thought we would return as a group but another rider joined us and the 3 of us started to pull away from the rest. We ended up screwing up the left hand turn and I lost contact with the other two. I was going to push up the medium climb and catch up but I decided to let them go so I shifted into a smaller gear and set a reasonable pace for home.

In the end I got 42 miles in. I can live with that.

Watching CNBC (Rising Oil, Falling Dollar and Lehman Brothers)

2008-06-09T09:23:00.002-04:00

I used to be a regular morning CNBC watcher. I was a big fan of Squawk Box. Lately, I am finding it harder and harder to watch it. This is kind of a shame since the market events that we are currently experiencing are very interesting. I think the problem is that the reported events are hitting me in the wallet almost immediately.

I have been telling people that this is a reverse of the events of 1998. Then I was the market data manager for Bank of America Securities and I had a front row seat. While most of the US was concentrated on the possible impeachment of President Clinton I was watch the world almost stumble into global financial meltdown (Asian Flu was the term used at the time). The numbers that flashed across my screens were very frightening. In fact when the spreads of the US treasuries widened suddenly I got a call from the Head Corp Investment Trader asking me to confirm the data that was being displayed.

There were some key differences in 1998. Since the global markets were in pain money was flowing into the US market and the economy was pumping because of consumer spending. I think things must of looked good if you weren't looking a Financial Market Data all day. I remember hoping the Congress would do the right thing and not impeach the President. It would have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

Things have certaintly changed. After cranking a long the US economy has finally started to come to a halt. It was inevitable and we have experience a much longer period of economic growth than was expected. We had cheap money, cheap fuel and real estate went from experiencing slow steady growth to exponential growth. Only the first time home buyers really had any worries but since everything was going up there was no real worries. Besides the newly available mortgage products would help everyone buy the McMansion of their dreams.

Unlike 1998 the current market is creating lots of pain for most Americans. It is almost instaneous. Oil futures spike on Friday and we spend the weekend paying record prices for gas. The number of foreclosures increases significantly and the moving trucks show up unexpectedly at our neighbor's house.

As I ride my bike I notice all of the for sale signs. Especially on the new construction. It was sign that so many builders were willing to build multi-million dollar spec houses. I have always wondered where these buyers came from. How many of these spec houses started out with qualified buyers that decided to walk away from the contract?

As a NY based IT expert the disappearance of Bear Stearns and the possible disappearance of Lehman Brothers affects me since there are less firms available to buy my services. This is certainly cause for concern.

On the other hand I think there are some positives.

Rising fuel prices will do more for the environment than all the Al Gore PowerPoint presentations and Benefit Concerts. At $4 plus a gallon there is a market for alternative forms of transportation that just did not exist at $1 a gallon. In the short run there are probably less cars on the road and the Hummers are being parked. I expect that there will not be a big investment until the high prices have been around for a while because if prices fall as is expected we will be right back to our old habits. I know that I have my eye on the big Audi SUV or a Honda Ridgeline but I think my next car is going to be something even smaller than my Infiniti G20.

The falling dollar helps sell US made products in the global market place. Too bad we do not have much to sell since much of our manufacturing has already been moved off shore. Even core US brands such as John Deere and Carrier have been building there products offshore for years. In fact the Honda or the Toyota has a good of chance of being built in the US as does the Ford or Chrysler product.

The Real Estate market was going to correct sometime. We probably enjoyed several more years than we should have. Maybe there will be some lessons learned. Probably not.

Failures such as Bear Stearns and maybe even Lehman Brothers should generate some short term opportunities for the integration (IT and Business) experts. There might be some lessons learned here as well.

I realise that this posting does not really fall under Music and Sports but it might be classified as Adventure since it is certainly going to be interest to see how it all settles out. I decided that everyone else is a pundit so I might as well give it a try.

I am hoping to attend the SIFMA Technology and Management Conference at the New York Hilton this week. The theme of this years conference is Managing IT in Financial Services During the Credit Crisis. It will be interesting to see what the various vendors have to show.

It is Hot Out!!

2008-06-09T07:55:00.002-04:00

It seems like I only recently posted with the headline "It is cold Out" (I know I wrote it but I cannot find it to link to it). I spent all winter riding dreaming of the warm weather that I knew was on the way. I guess it falls under the category of "be careful what you wish for".

Both Thursday and Friday were perfect days for riding but I got involved in upgrading my laundry equipment so they became rest days. I did go to the gym on Friday evening to make sure I got some training in (not really sure what I am training for). I knew the report predicted hot temps all weekend but I did not expect it to be as bad as it was.

I think I would have been OK if I had got out early both days. I woke up on Saturday morning at 6 AM and I decided that I really did not feel like riding with the Colts Neck group so I figured I would sleep until 7 AM and get out by 8 AM. Unfortunately I did not wake up again until 9:30 AM. I then I went into ride avoidance mode. I made coffee, ate breakfast, surfed the Internet (thanks Al Gore) and then wrote a post on my blog.

By the time I got out it was close to 1 PM. Just as the Sun was at its highest point. When I went to bed on Friday evening I had a 60 plus mile route laid out that started as the Freehold ride I have been taking a lot and then would head over to Long Branch and then maybe over Mt. Mitchell Overlook. Yeah na!!

As I was heading up Dutch Lane on my way back into Colts Neck I started to think that it might be best just to take it back home and keep the ride at about 35 miles. I was keeping a good pace but I was suffering. I snaked my way over to Phalanx and then made to turn to return to Holmdel.

As I was heading back I started to think that a smoothie from Smoothie King in Red Bank would hit the spot. I also noticed that the chain on the Tarmac needed to be lubed but I did not have the right lubricant at home (the stuff that I use on my Langster was not the right stuff) and that would mean that I should swing by Bike Haven to correct the situation. The original plan was to head home, get my car and hit both Smoothie King and Bike Haven. As I hit RT 537 I decided using the car was the wrong thing to do and I pointed my bike toward Red Bank.

I tried to maintain a good pace into Red Bank. I stopped at Smoothie King, got a PowerPunch Plus and sat on one of the benches. I then made my way over to Bike Haven. Said hello to Garrett and Cliff. Got the right lube and then programmed my way home.

The final leg home was painful. I was in a little gear most of the way. Probably not even a C pace. By the time I made it home I rode about 46 miles. Not as long as I planned but I did avoid taking the car on a errand which is a step in the right direction.

I had big plans to get up early again on Sunday. I did get out of bed but I did not get out on the road. In fact I did not end up riding until 5:30 PM. I took the Freehold ride (I am getting tired of riding it) and got in about 35 miles. For the most part the pace was slow. I did get it cranked up on Dutch Lane but for the most part I found myself in a little gear. The temperature was close to 100 so I guess it is expected.

It is supposed to be hot most of this week. I think I liked riding in the cold better.

Bicycle Commuting

2008-06-07T09:58:00.004-04:00

I am not doing to well at my attempt at bicycle commuting. For the most part my only conservation is that I am not using the car as much as I used to. The 2 - 5 hours of cycling a day helps but I still use the car for short errands.

From a distance standpoint there is no reason that I why I cannot run to A&P, Barnes & Noble, Target, Best Buy and Pet Smart on my bike. From a safety stand point there is a lot of reasons. I would have to ride Laurel Avenue which is the main road connecting the Parkway with Rt 35. The shoulders are narrow but the biggest problem is that the road goes from 4 lanes down to 2 lanes underneath the NJ Transit bridge. Folks driving cars have been kill here.

While Holmdel - Middletown are not exactly bike friendly due to the terrain. There are couple of other towns in the area that I probably would never have to take my car except during bad weather.

Fairhaven is my favorite (the picture above is my Langster in front of Bike Haven Bike Shop). It is a borough located on the Navesink River between Red Bank and Rumson. Fairhaven is not hip like Red Bank and not uber weathly like Rumson. In the summer it Fairhaven has a real American Small Town vibe going on. From a biking stand point is has all kinds from the local folks riding on there beach cruisers to the hard core roadies meeting in the parking lot of Acme. Since Fairhaven has a vibrant main street (Actually called Fairhaven Rumson Road) most errands can be accomplished with a short bike ride. Anything that is not found in Fairhaven can be found in Red Bank or Little Silver.

Little Silver is another of the boroughs that I feel is very bike friendly. In fact most of my bike rides end up going through Little Silver at some point. I have even had to take shelter under the overhang of Walgreen's. Little Silver shares a border with Red Bank, Fairhaven and Rumson. It also has a NJ Transit station in the middle of town which makes it very commuter friendly (take one of the morning express trains and you can be in Midtown NY in little over an hour and the locals will take about 90 minutes). Little Silver has a main street that has everything you would need. For hard core shopping The Grove in Shrewsbury is a easy ride.

As the price of gasoline increases I am sure we here in the US will start to get more and more bike commute friendly areas. I have heard Matt Murray of WHTG's G-Rock Morning Show talk about starting a Bike Brigade. He even suggested that a bike lane be created on the Garden State Parkway.

I am not sure that a bike lane on the Parkway is practical since it was really laid out for cars going between North Jersey and the Jersey Shore. Bike commuting only works for distances of under 10 miles. However, there are some things that could be done to help. Here are a couple.

New Jersey Transit should have a bike car on its lines like CalTrains does in California. Now that NJT has double decked cars it should be possible.

Places to leave your bike while you are shopping.

If the higher cost of fuel drives does drive down the number of cars on the road maybe it will be possible to carve out more space for the bike commuters. Less potholes and road grim.

Of course nothing will be done until the demand is proven. The oil bubble will burst eventually but in the mean time it might be interesting to take the opportunity to explore alternative methods of transportation. It actually might be fun.

Bike Habitat in NYC has some ideas about bike commuting.

Project Management on the Home Front

2008-06-06T11:07:00.003-04:00

I had a little infrastructure upgrade project going at my own house. While the project was a success it had some of the classic qualities of most projects.

Multiple strategies

Scope Creep

Budgetary pressures

Unavailable Resources

Doubts from stakeholders

Potential Cancellation

Two weeks ago my Maytag Neptune Front Loading Washer stopped functioning as designed. It would wash the clothes but would not spin them properly which meant that they were extremely wet when they went from the washer to the dryer. This caused the drying time to increase considerably. Also I did not want to risk washing anything that was delicate or expensive.

I originally figure that the problem was with the belt or the motor. It seemed to spin correctly in the early cycles but just went through the motions in the final spins. I called Maytag to setup a service call and I discovered the following.

The Maytag Neptune Washer had been part of class action suit that had been settled by Maytag in April of 2005

It was going to cost $75 to for a service call

There was going to be an additional charge for getting the washer fixed that was unknown but based on past service calls with other appliances I was looking at a total charge of $275 to $500

Even though I had the same complaints as listed in the Class Action Suit I was not going to be able to participate in it. I was now on my own.

The washer/dryer unit came with the house when I bought the home in November 2004. The suit only covered purchases before August 2004. I did not have the original purchase information. Also, I needed to have filed a claim by August of 2005.

The original plan was to test the repair strategy and spend $75 to get an estimate of the total cost of repair. However, this plan was not so obvious since:

I was not happy with the washer and I have been wanting to get new equipment. Since it was a want rather than a need the decision was always postponed. Now it had become a need.

The estimated cost of a new washer would be around $400. Which means that the $75 service call was almost 20 percent of the cost of a new washer. This was actually a low estimate since the cost of a washer was going to be closer to $900. However, the actual cost of the repair would have been closer to $300 and the original logic would still hold.

The service company did not honor the original schedule and called to reschedule the appointment for the following week

Best Buy is only 1.5 miles from my house so it would not be hard to investigate an alternative strategy of buying a new washer

As part of my risk mitigation strategy I took the rescheduled appointment and went over to Best Buy to investigate my options.

The original plan was to get a Maytag top loading washer and keep the current Maytag Neptune Dryer. It quickly became apparent that the original $400 estimate with for a 3.2 cubic foot washer that was not close to being large enough. I was going to need at least a 3.8 cubic foot washer if not a 4.0 Cubic Foot. Best Buy did not have a lot of top loading washers on display (just like most dealers these days) but the salesperson showed me some options on her computer. It became clear that my estimate was low and I was looking at $800 plus for a right sized washer.

I started to look at all new equipment and I noticed a Frigidaire Front Loading Washer/Dryer that was on sale for $1100. There were a couple of factors pushing toward replacing both the Washer and Dryer (classic scope creep).

My background in IT Infrastructure has taught me that once one part of a solution starts to fail the dam has broken and there will be more failures coming soon. Light bulbs are the same way. If you are going to replace one you might as well replace them all because you will soon replace the rest of them.

Best Buy was offering 18 months of no interest financing which relieved some of the budgetary pressure

My cycling gear cannot be tumbled dry and the LG dryers have an rack that allows for air drying. Swim suits and rash guards require hand washing as well.

I did not go with the Frigidaire because it was only 3.5 cubic ft and I did not like the buttons on the front panel. I was going to with Samsung models but they were on back order and I did not have the time to wait (the project needed to be completed before I had to start traveling again for work). I had my eye on the LG products and I quickly noticed a model that fit my budget. In fact the price for the dryer was for the gas model (gas usually is an additional cost but ends up being cheaper in the long term).

Even though I had decided that the purchase of a new Washer/Dryer was the right direction (I called the original service call while I was in Best Buy) I did have some doubts. I had originally schedule the equipment to be delivered on Sunday and installed on Monday but I changed it to delivered on Thursday and installed on Friday. This gave me some more time to think about it.

I had doubts all week long but the delivery came on Thursday evening and the gas dryer was installed on Friday morning. So far everything is working fine. I missed my Thursday evening ride but I will make up for it over the weekend. The first load of clothes was all of my riding gear.

The biggest downside of the whole project is that I have a line of credit at Best Buy. Not a good idea for me. In fact I can hear a 40" HDTV calling my name.

The Tarmac Gets New Gearing

2008-06-06T07:37:00.003-04:00

For some reason the Specialized Tarmac Comp is delivered with a 11 - 28T cassette. I think that this is one of the problems I have been having on the hills. I can maintain the pace on the rolling flats but once I shifted down to make a medium climb (I was OK on the long climbs) the drop was to much and everyone sailed by me. I need up using all of my energy trying to catch back up to the pack.

I rode with the Tuesday Evening Group this week. I was telling them about my ride and they all suggested a new gear set. I called Bike Haven and they had a 11 - 23T Ultegra Cassette in stock and could install it for me while I waited. Garrett the head mechanic is very knowledgeable and got me setup quickly.

I did not get a chance to try it out yesterday but I am going to try to get one in this evening. I need to get a lifting day in this week since I have not been to the gym since Monday. It is going to be hot (Low 90s) on Saturday and Sunday so I will need to get up early and bring plenty of water.

I also adjusted my Park Repair Stand so that I can mount both the Langster and Tarmac using the seat post. I gave the Langster a little bit of love by lubing up the chain and giving it a wipe down. I need to take try and take the Langster out on a least one ride a week. I was thinking of using it on Thursday Hill Climb ride.

I hate getting dropped

2008-06-01T20:26:00.003-04:00

I rode the A/A+ no drop ride that leaves from Colts Neck today. It is a 60 + mile ride. It is a 10 mile ride from my house to the start. I did OK for the first 30 miles an then I started getting dropped on the climbs. I lost the group and then I was done.

I really expected to do better. I have put the mileage in on the Langster but I am finding out that it does not matter. I am starting to think that it comes down to form and technique. I am not sure the kind of strength training I do helps out as well. Even though it is mostly muscle mass I am still carrying about 20 to 30 extra pounds. It also did not help that I was not hungry when I got up so I left the house without eating breakfast or having my morning coffee. I do not want to make any excuses.

At about the 40 mile mark I decided it was time to go off on my own. As the train went by me I told the last guy that I was turning around. It really was not fun and I knew that no matter what I was still going to ride 80 plus miles. The group leader came back to check on me since he was concerned that I did not know my way back. I assured him that I was used to riding by myself and I that knew the way back. Although I did get lost one. I crossed over RT 195 and I thought I had gone to far and missed a turn. I asked a jogger how to get back to Freehold and she gave me the directions that got me back on the right track.

I knew was not really all that lost since I could see the roller coasters of Six Flags Great Adventure. I did know that I was a long way from home. The drive to Six Flags always seems to take forever.

When I got back to the house I had logged 82.3 miles. I will am going to have to map the ride out on Map My Ride (I have yet to ride the loop to Spring Lake that I mapped last week).

I have not given up. I am going to keep trying until I get the hang of it. I am hoping to find a good training partner.

Syracuse Unversity wins the NCAA Div 1 Lacrosse Championship

2008-05-26T19:41:00.004-04:00

The trip to the beach was a bust. Oh we made the trip down there but I knew it was a bad sign when you leave the house late and still end up with a good parking spot. As soon as I crossed over the dunes I knew it was probably a waste of gas. While the sun was out in force the temperature at the beach (Spring Lake, NJ) was 5 degrees colder than it was inland and the wind was blowing strong out of the south. Most of our fellow sun worshipers were hanging out in sweat pants trying to make the best of it.

We ended up calling it quits after about 90 minutes of being blasted by sand. The good thing was that I was now going to be able to catch the SU vs John Hopkins in the NCAA Div 1 Lacrosse Championship. We got back to the house about midway through the 2nd quarter. I think Syracuse was down by 2 goals when I first turned on the TV. However, as I was unloading the car Syracuse erased the deficit and went into half time with a lead. Syracuse lead for the rest of the game. In the 3rd and 4th quarters pretty much man handled JHU and won their 10 national championship. John Hopkins played hard and closed with in 3 at one point but they just did not have the wheels to finish.

ESPN did an excellent job of covering the games. At one point I even thought that the view on TV was much better than the view I would have had if I were at the game. I would not have said that about the coverage that was provided by Comcast Cable on CN8 (although there was one rain drenched weekend that I watched a Princeton game and I was definitely glad to be watching from the comfort of my couch). The games were at Gillett Stadium and they were using the same camera angles that are usually provided for the Patriots' games. They have the overhead camera in use. They did a great job of following the ball.

They used to have the Championships at Rutgers on a regular basis. Now that they are able to book the big NFL stadiums I think that will be a thing of the past.

Above is the patio set I put together over the weekend. I originally thought it was going to be a bigger project than it turned out to be.

Saturday Bike Ride and the NCAA Div 1 Men's Lacrosse Championship

2008-05-25T09:47:00.005-04:00

I took the Tarmac Comp out for another shakedown ride. It actually did not do to well. I need to get it back to The Peddler for some serious adjustments. Things were going fine as I road my new route through Marlboro and into Freehold. However, on the swing back home while I was stopped for a light I noticed that my chain had jumped off of the small chainwheel. I could not understand why until I started to do some testing. In some of the gears I cannot pedal backwards. In I cannot roll the bike backwards without the chain jamming up. I think the rear derailuer needs some serious adjustments.

I was going to ride to Long Branch to have it looked at but I was spent. I have noticed that riding the Tarmac hit a different set of muscles. I think it is because I can do more from the sitting position. At this point I think I am a little faster on the Langster even in the climbs. I can climb pretty with the Langster. The only hills I have problems with are the really steep ones that I cannot get a running start on.

I might throw the Tarmac in the car today and drive over to The Peddler. I am thinking of letting them keep the bike for a day or so to get the problem solved. I would like to ride but every muscle in my body is aching right now.

The good thing is that I got home just in time to watch Syracuse University play University of Virginia in the semi finals of the Men's Lacrosse Championship. For some reason I thought the game as on later in the afternoon. I checked around on the Internet and I found out that it started at noon and was being broadcast on ESPN2. I started watching the game at 12:15 PM and Syracuse as already down by 4 goals. Of course in Lacrosse a deficit of 4 goals is nothing especially in the first half. I was a little concerned since Virginia is on of the few teams that beat Syracuse during the regular season.

It turned out to be one of the best lacrosse games I have ever watched. Syracuse's turn around started when Midfielder Matt Abbott picked up the ball just outside the Syracuse goal and cleared it by sprinting back into Virginia territory. I was expecting him pass out his left but he picked up on a scoring opportunity made a shot on goal that produced a much needed score for the Syracuse offense. Matt had 3 goals that were instrumental in helping Syracuse stay in the game.

Unfortunately, for a while Virginia answered everyone of Syracuse's goals until the Syracuse scoring leaders kick in and tied the score. Even when they were down it seemed like Syracuse was controlling the game and getting more shots in. By the forth quarter it seemed like Syracuse was wearing down Virginia. I was hoping that Syracuse would be able to win it in regulation but I figured that there chances were good if they could push the game into over time.

The regulation ended in with a tie score and the game went into double overtime. Both teams seem to be getting tired. From it the view I had on the TV it did not even look like the winning shot went in. I was looking to see where the ball was and then I saw everyone's hands go up. Syracuse won with a score 12 to 11 (it is rough to be a goalie in Lacrosse since even the good ones get shelled and it always comes down to making a couple key stops).

ESPN2 broadcast the other semi final game John Hopkins Unversity vs Duke (a rematch of last year's Championship game). I was really pulling for Duke to pull it out and that is what was expected since Duke was rated number one and had the NCAA's leading scorer on the team. I watched the beginning and the end of this game but I fell asleep in the middle (I was wiped out from my morning ride). John Hopkins was able to win by 1 with a score of 10 - 9.

The championship game is scheduled for Monday. Both Syracuse and John Hopkins have 9 championships each. The tie will now be broken.

It is Memorial Day Weekend!!

2008-05-24T07:58:00.006-04:00

A three day weekend with no plans. I have had lots of stuff to write about but I just have not got around to keying the words in. It is 8 AM on Saturday and it is almost 60 out. I am finishing up my coffee and heading out on the roads. I have to put together a patio set so I am going to try and be back by noon.

I am posting some pictures of my new Specialized Tarmac Comp. As well as some of the bikes in stock at The Peddler in Long Branch, NJ. Mike the owner is the same size that I am and always has plenty of good bikes in stock under 54.

The yellow Pinerello is full Campy but is priced out at just under $10,000. As much as I like the bike I think I might go in a different direction if I were going spend $10,000. Since most of the guys I know have a sports car (since gas is close to $4 a gallon it is probably not a great investment) splurging on a bike might be out of the question but not for a couple more years.

In the mean time I will have to be happy with the Tarmac and the Langster. So far I have only had two rides on the Tarmac. A short 17 mile shake out ride where I found out that the bike needed some adjustments and it was not shifting properly. A quick trip back to The Peddler fixed that. I did a 40 mile ride after work last night. I am trying to get used to riding with the gears again. It is a little more challenging than I expected.

I have discovered that the Tarmac is much more responsive than the Langster. The carbon frame provides a smoother ride as well. The front derailleur needs a little adjusting and I am thinking of swinging by the Peddler this morning to have it looked at. Today is going to be a busy day for them.

I rode on Thursday evening with the A group at Holmdel Park. I brought the Langster instead of the Tarmac. It was the right decision but I definitely paid for it. The usual leader was not there. The group usually avoids Line Road but for this ride it was attempted. It is the first time I have ever unclipped and walked. My knees were aching and my heart was exploding. Next week I will bring the Tarmac and I am hoping that things will be different.

I had the camera on the wrong setting so the pictures are not as good as they should be. I might bring the camera with me today but I do not like to stop once I get on the bike.

I wanted everything to match on the bike so I had blue Specialized water bottle cages installed and I picked up a pair of Camelbak Podium Bottles at Bike Planet in Matawan.

The Peddler has several of these Jamis Xeniths in stock. Most of them are in the smaller sizes. There is even a time trial version (I am thinking that I need a TT bike now but I am not really sure why). At $6500 they are not cheap but they do look cool. I think it is a $3500 bike with $3000 wheels.

Time to hit the road.

Fortune Magazine Profiles Mike Sinyard the founder of Specialized Bikes

2008-05-19T16:32:00.004-04:00

CNNfn had an article from Fortune Magazine about Mike Sinyard called King of the Mountain Bike. Those of you that have a soft spot for Specialized should read it.

I love this of story. They always go about the same. Start a business based on love, become successful, hire professional managers, end up almost out of business and then turn the company around by bringing the love back in.

The Weekend Rides (I hate flats)

2008-05-18T22:23:00.003-04:00

Unlike the constant downpour we had on Friday that made me think that I might need to get working on an ark Saturday looked like it was going to be a good day for a ride. To change things up I decided to ride the course the Independent Group rode on Tuesday evening. I was planning on adding a variation to it to get it out to 40 some miles.

The ride heads out through Marlboro and then down to Freehold. It is a good ride on back roads that are mostly residential. I ended make a wrong turn somewhere and I found myself in downtown Freehold. As I was trying to navigate out to somewhere that I recognized I hear the awful sound of the air leaving my front tire.

I pull over onto the sidewalk and I change the tube out. I carry a hand pump and CO2. The last time I used the hand pump I could not get the pressure correct so I decided to try the CO2 again. The tire seemed to inflate correctly. However, as I checked out the tire I noticed that it was not in good shape. The tire was shredding around the valve. Since I was a long way from home and I did not want to have a problem in the middle of Marlboro or Colts Neck I decided to find a bike shop.

I knew that there was Giant Dealer called Freehold Bicycle on Rt 33 but I did not know how to get there from where I was. I asked a lady who was in her driveway and she gave me directions. Once I got to Rt33 I could not find the store so I made a quick phone call and discovered that I had already been by the shop but that it was hidden from my view.

I had been planning on replacing the rear tire anyways so I had the shop put on two new Continental 4000s. They were not busy yet and started work right away. 30 minutes later I was on my way. I ended up riding 62 miles on the Langster. I went longer than I planned because I thought that Sunday (today) was going to be another rainy day. I had my head around having a lazy Sunday (no rides) and getting a workout at the gym.

Imagine my surprise when I woke up to the sun shining. I was going to be forced to ride. I slept in a longer than I usually would have and then made myself breakfast. The sun was still shining so I changed into my riding clothes and got the Langster ready to go. The sky was very weird. Half of it was blue and sunny. The other half was dark and threatening. Kind of could go either way. I decided that it was not a good day to get too far away from the house. So I made Sunday in a hill training day.

I started riding loops around Takolusa Drive. It is a long step hill. I ended up doing 4 laps and then I ventured down Telegraph to take a lap around Lucent and then hit Catbird Alley. A I was riding around Lucent the wind picked up and the sunny/blue sky was much smaller I decided I should head home. I did a quick trip up Catbird and then pointed toward home. I just made since the rain started to come down just as I was putting the bike away.

20 miles is not bad considering I was not planning on getting any riding done. I also got to the gym in the evening. I also got to watch the Giro recap and Sunday Stage Show on Versus network. Of course I fell asleep.

Another Ride with the Independent Group

2008-05-16T15:57:00.003-04:00

I went joined the Thursday evening ride that starts in Holmdel Park. Riding my single speed Langster with a bunch full road bikes is a real challenge. I notice that my rythym is much different than the other riders. With 20 plus gears the other riders can smooth out the terrain. With my one gear I have to look a head and I often have to make a charge so that I can keep pace on uphills. Since I do not like to get dropped and I do not want the other riders spending a lot of time waiting for me (it is a no drop A ride) it is a more intense workout than when I ride by myself.

Since Thursday isthe hill climb day it was easier for me to stay in line. On Tuesday's ride I lost steam at the end and got out of line. I could not get on to the back of line and it was all over for me. On the the rides I get dropped on some of the longer down hills because I spin out. However, on the climbs the other riders cannot line up as easily and I tend to be able to keep the pace or even lead.

However, as I write this I am debating whether I should run over to the Peddler and purchase the 2008 Tarmac Comp that is sitting on the sales floor (at least I think it is still there). The problem is that I am also thinking I might be better off with the Giant TCR A0. The other part of me thinks I should just stay with the Langster.

Making things worse was the fact that one of the riders showed up on Thursday with a brand new Specialized Tarmac Pro SL2. He had picked the bike up on Wednesday and only had 48 miles on the bike. A very nice bike. There is just something about the Tarmac that appeals to me. However, I would like a full Campy Record on an Italian frame but I have other things to spend my money on these days.

Now if I could only justify using the gas to get over there.

The new Sport Utility Vehicle in the US (Specialzied Langster/Burley Nomad Trailer)

2008-05-15T11:25:00.007-04:00

Since the sinking US Dollar (USD) is causing a bull commodities market and driving the price of oil to record levels on a daily basis the new SUV is going to be as pictured above. Of course there is a story behind this rig and it is worth reading even if you are not a bike freak.

As much as I would like to have a new Honda Ridgeline I am thinking of putting together a similar setup instead and getting a couple more years out of my 1999 Infiniti G20. Unfortunately I cannot stomach the idea of turning my 2007 Langster into a commuter. Maybe I can get a 2008 Langster Seattle (pictured below) to pull the Burley Nomad. Add a set of Shimano PD-M324 Pedals and the total estimated cost of the errand runner is $1175. Based on the current cost of fuel in New Jersey it would take about 1 year to recover the initial investment. If I use my 10 year old Trek 880 my payback time will be much less. Although I would not be nearly as excited.

One of the problems that exists with going in this direction is that the US suburbs are were planned around relatively inexpensive energy costs and heavy use of the automobile. Using my area (Holmdel/Middletown, New Jersey) as an example it would be easy from a distance perspective to run to Target, A&P, Best Buy and Barnes & Noble. Any of these places are not more than 2 to 3 miles from my house. On the weekends I am at A&P at least 3 times each day.

Specialized Bikes sent me an email this week informing me that it is Bike to Work Week. With energy prices at an all time high this just makes sense. Even if you are not convinced that Global Warming is real it is obvious that reducing the amount carbon in the air we breath is a good idea. Maybe it should be expanded to Bike to the Grocery Store week as well.

I want to head over the Peddler to look at the 52 Tarmac they have on the showroom floor. Maybe I will look at getting a Burley Nomad as well. I just have to convince myself to spend the gas money to drive there.

Rode the Tuesday Evening Independent Ride

2008-05-14T08:18:00.003-04:00

It was nice riding with others last week so I decided to try the Independent Bike Group again. The Tuesday ride is a faster ride on a somewhat flat course with some rolling hills. I met the group last year but did not ride with them because I was worried about going out on an A ride with a single speed. I did not want to end up being the person that everyone is waiting for (I hate getting dropped).

Since I have put in a lot of mileage since I bought the Langster in June of 2007 and I rode consistently over the winter I figured I was in good shape. If I did get dropped it would be at the end and I could limp home. Plus I figured it is always cool to do something different.

When other riders notice that I am riding a single speed the first question is usually why? In fact that was a question I would have asked as well last year. The main reason for me was I was looking for something that would provide a good cardio workout and be less stress on my body than running. I also could not decide what kind of road bike I wanted and at $600 the Langster was price right.

I enjoyed the ride with the Independent Group and I found myself ride much better in a group. All together I rode just under 40 miles which is one of the longest after work rides I have ever had. I did get dropped twice at the end. It appears that the group goes out easy in the beginning and hammers on the way the back. When I am riding by myself I usually go out hard in the beginning and limp home at the end.

I am going to try and go out with the group on Thursday and do the hill training.

Thursday Evening Ride with the Independent Bike Group

2008-05-09T09:59:00.004-04:00

I was going to take yesterday off from riding but the weather broke around 5:30 PM. Since I knew that today (Friday) was not going to be too nice I decided to take the opportunity to get a ride in. I was originally planning to just stay in Holmdel but I remembered that it was Thursday so I decided to swing by Holmdel Park to see if the Independent Riding Group was meeting up. I was expecting that the parking lot would be empty but I was surprised to see a couple of riders waiting for some others to show up.

Since I am my single speed Langster I was not sure if I was ready to go out with the A riders. However, of the 4000 miles that I have put on the Langster at least 3800 have been done by myself so I thought a little company might be nice. I was told that it was going to be a hill climb day. Since I usually ride most of the hills in the area I figured I would be OK.

It ended up being a fun ride. I do have to work on my group ride skills. I am not very comfortable in the middle of the pace line. I ended up hanging out at the back. Luckily the other riders are much better. I almost ran into a line of deer sprinting across the yards. Since I was head down in the middle of a climb I did not notice the deer running along side of me. I might have missed the first deer but the 4 following would have definitely ran me over.

I noticed that the cars had there head lights on and I need to leave enough time to get back home so I took a left onto Telegraph Hill Road and made my way home. The rest of the group went up to Cat Bird Alley to get one last climb in before heading back to Holmdel Park. All together I got about 25 miles. Not too bad since I was expecting to get 0 miles in.

If I am not traveling next week I might try to meet up with the group on either Tuesday or Thursday next week.

Vacation in Miami (South Beach)

2008-04-30T09:45:00.003-04:00

I took a much needed vacation to Miami. Stayed at the South Beach Marriott which is the fourth time I have been there. Might try another hotel next time but I am a creature of habit. The Eden Roc is another Marriott Family hotel that just got a major renovation. I could use my points. In fact I actually think that it was available when I booked the South Beach Marriott but again I am a creature of habit.

Took 6:30 AM flight on Monday morning. Got to the hotel in South Beach around 10 AM. The original plan was to spend the day on the beach relaxing but my daughter wanted to get something to eat and walk around. We ended up eating at Oh Mexico! and then walking back along the beach. We were actually looking for El Rancho Grande but we found Oh Mexico! first. As is usually the case we ran across El Rancho Grande after we had already had lunch.

We walked around the Lincoln Shopping area and we noticed that there was a Samba Sushi restaurant and we made a note to go there for dinner later in the week. We ended up going to Samba Sushi on Tuesday after spending the whole day on the beach.

We ended up spending Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday sitting on the beach. Tuesday was a perfect day. No clouds and water was calm almost like the hotel pool. However, Wednesday and Thursday were completely different. On Wednesday we had a wait out some cloud cover and on Thursday the wind was blowing hard all day.

This was the first time I have seen waves and surfers in Miami. The ocean was a lot like it usually is here in New Jersey but the water is much warmer. Unlike in New Jersey the surfers in Miami do not wear wet suits.

However, I did wear my rash guard the whole week. On Tuesday I was the only one but as the week progressed I saw more people wearing them. I did feel a little over dressed wearing board shorts and a rash guard on the beach while most of the other sun bathers were wearing as little as legally possible. However, I have learned that it is not worth getting a bad sunburn and then ruining my vacation.

On Friday we rented beach cruisers and rode north along the beach. We took a 3:35 PM flight back to New Jersey.

I wish we could have stayed longer but I ended up needing the weekend to recover.

Rutgers vs. Syracuse Lacrosse April 12, 2008

2008-04-19T06:52:00.002-04:00

I am a little late in posting this but I attended the Rutgers vs. Syracuse Lacrosse Game on Saturday April 12, 2008. I almost did not make it. In fact I did not get to the game until half time.

I originally thought the game was at 1 PM. I got back from my morning ride later than I wanted to and I thought I was going to miss the game. However, I found out that the game was scheduled for a 2 PM start. My wife and daughter decided to go shopping at the Menlo Park Mall so I dropped them off and headed up Rt 1 to the Rutgers University Sports Complex.

Last year I went to most of the Rutgers home games. This year I have been traveling and I have not had the opportunity. Since Syracuse University is currently ranked #1 in the country I figured this would be the one game I should try to make it to.

I own both a Rutgers Lacrosse and a Syracuse Lacrosse t-shirts. I ended up going with the Rutgers shirt. When I got to the game it felt like I was in the minority since the stands were a sea of orange with the Syracuse fans well in attendance. In fact this was probably the best attended game I have been to at Yurcak Field. The fans at most Rutgers games are mostly parents, friends and local high school teams out to watch and learn. Not as many students as I would expect.

By the time I got to the game Syracuse was well ahead and in control. It was still a good game since Rutgers made several attempts at a comeback but were shutdown each time by Syracuse. The final score was 17 to 9 in favor of Syracuse University.

While the weather looked threatening for most of the game the rain held off and there was even enough time for the post game tailgate parties.

Unforunately, this is probably the only game I will get to this year.

2008 High Point Hill Climb

2008-04-11T19:46:00.002-04:00

After reading BrettOk's description of the the Hill Climb that that was held in Wellington, New Zealand a couple of weeks ago I decided to see if there was anything similar here in New Jersey. Sure enough there is a race scheduled for May 3, 2008 at High Point State Park in Montague, NJ.

I will not be able to race it since I only have my single speed Langster which would probably would not allow me to be competitive. However, I am now determined to do the ride on the Langster. The goal would be to complete two laps for a good hard 20 mile.

I discovered that someone placed the course up on http://www.mapmyride.com/ and I have added to my profile. Check it out here. Be sure to look at the elevation profile.

First ride of the year in shorts

2008-04-06T07:24:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was the first time I could get out on the roads with the new bib shorts I bought. The glare off my white legs was almost blinding. I should have used instant tanner before I went out.

It was a little dicey in the morning and I was thinking that there would be no rides this weekend but the weather started to break in the afternoon. As the sun was shining the temperature was heading into the 60s so I knew I was going to be able to leave the thermal tights behind. In fact I went out in short sleeves as well.

There were lots of other riders out as well. I am not sure if there was a club ride out in Colts Neck (most of the Saturday organized rides leave between 8 am and 9 am) but there seemed to be a couple of large groups riding together. The club rides always seem to be going in the opposite direction that I am going. There was one guy riding a Felt F1 who I saw going the opposite direction as me. He then passed me again as I was waiting to make a left hand turn just before the Sea Bright Bridge.

Nothing new to write about the ride. It was the same one I ride almost ever Saturday or Sunday. Mapmyride lists the ride at about 44 miles but my computer clocks it at just under 47 miles. According to the elevation view on Mapmyride the longest climb of the route is the first climb I start as soon as I leave my development. Up Laurel Ave and then up Holland Road. I would have thought it was actually the climb back up Navesink River Road but it is not the case.

The bib shorts were a big improvement over the Cannondale shorts I used all last year. It took me a while to get my head around the idea that I should pay $100 plus for a pair of riding shorts. However, I can certaintly see the advantages. I am going to have to invest in a second pair now.

Things do not look too good for a ride today. The weather is not that great and unless it breaks soon my window of opportunity is going to close since I have a 7:20 PM flight to Richmond, VA today.

I have to start coming up with more interesting ideas to write about.

The Weather People Lied (Happy Easter)

2008-03-23T08:10:00.004-04:00

This turned out much different than I expected. When I took the dog out in the morning there were some snowflakes coming down. As the day progessed the weather looked like is was going to break. By mid afternoon the sun was out and the temperature was head toward 50 degrees. By 2:30 PM I was on the bike and out on the road.

Lots of other people had the same idea since I saw lots of other riders. In fact after I made the loop to start my trip back home I spotted a couple of riders about a mile or so ahead of me. I decided to try and catchup with them so I got up out of the saddle. While I did catch them it ended up making for a rough ride home. I did not have much left for the next 10 miles.

I am not sure if I am going to be able to ride today. I am kind of sore and I could use the day off. I have 2:30 PM reservations for Easter Brunch at the Avenue in Long Branch, NJ and I have a 7:30 PM flight to Richmond, Virginia. I am cutting things close.

Maybe I will just take the dog for a walk and leave things at that.

March Madness

2008-03-22T08:31:00.003-04:00

I have been having a hard time coming up with stuff to write about. It is Saturday morning and I really should be doing my expenses from the past week. Since I am not really fond of doing paper work I am going to try and come up with with something to write about while I drink my morning coffee.

The last time I got a good ride in was on March 3. I have tried one other time but the wind was blowing so hard that I was struggling to get up Holland Hill Road. I am also sick of riding in the cold. I have been working in Richmond, Virginia during the week and it is well into spring down there. If I had my bike with me I could have gone on several nice rides wearing the new bib shorts I purchased at The Peddler with the gift certificate my parents gave me for Christmas. Unfortunately, here in New Jersey we are still fighting off the last gasps of winter. In fact there will be no riding today since there is snow and freezing rain in the forecast.

Good Friday was sunny but windy and I could not get my head around a ride. The thought piling on 4 layers and heading out to fight the wind did not seem worth it. I ended up going to the gym. On the way to the gym I saw a rider at the corner of Laurel and Holland. Made me feel wimpy for not being out on the bike. I justified it by telling myself that I was on the way to the gym and I need to build some muscle for the coming spring/summer/fall riding.

Sunday looks better but it will not be a shorts ride. I am going to have to go out early since I am returning to Richmond on 7:30 PM flight out of Newark. I keep thinking I should start driving down and bringing a bike. I do have flights lined up for the next two weeks. I am going to have to think about it. Driving by myself when I can take mass transit just seems kind of wasteful.

Instead of riding I have been spending a lot of time in the gym. My weight workout has been mostly what I call heavy lifting (dead lifts, snatch and jerk, flat bench) with some cable pulls and machines thrown in at the end when I start to get tired. As much as I miss riding it is great to feel strong.

I have been watch a lot of college basketball. Two weeks ago I spent over an hour on the eliptical machine watching Syracuse beat Marquette. It was a great game however the momentum did not carry through to an NCAA tourney bid so Syracuse will spend the rest of March playing in the NIT. It seems like Richmond is where all the Virgina Tech grads go to make there fortunes so it would be cool if Syracuse and VT met at some point. They love college sports in Virginia and North Carolina.

I lost the feeling for college basketball when I moved to New Jersey but I still try to watch the NCAA brackets. If Syracuse is not playing I usually root for the underdogs although I think that UCLA and UNC will meet in the finals. I watched San Diego upset UConn on Friday afternoon while I was doing my cardio workout. What a great game. San Diego will play Western Kentucky who upset Drake. Number 12 seed (West) and number 13 (West) seed play each other. I am still not sure why the West bracket is playing Tampa, Florida. When people say they are heading west Florida is not usually the state that comes to mind. However, Tampa is on the west side of Florida.

I cannot put off the expenses much longer. I have 3 cups of coffee in me now so I think I am ready to start. I am going to see which teams are playing today so that I can schedule my workout.

A Sunday Morning Ride March 3, 2008

2008-03-07T12:36:00.005-05:00

I am now traveling down to Richmond, Virginia on Sunday evenings and leaving on Friday afternoons. I am currently sitting at gate B2 waiting for the jet from Cleveland that will take me to Newark, New Jersey. The flight is supposed to leave at 1 PM but is now 12:30 PM and the jet has yet to leave Cleveland. At least there is free Internet access here at Richmond International Airport.

I was not able to get a ride in last Saturday but I was determined to get one in on Sunday. The high temperature was expected to be 40 F. However, I had a 6:45 PM flight to catch so I was going to have to get out early if I wanted to get a good ride in. I got up early, got my morning coffee and got my mind around the ride. At least it was sunny. As I was leaving I looked at the temperature and noticed that it was still only 28 degrees and was not really warming up as quickly as I would usually like. At least I had the thermal tights I bought from Performance Bicycle in Richmond a couple of weeks ago.

I was originally only going to the 27 mile Holmdel, Marlboro, Colts Neck loop but as I got up over Holland Hill road I felt good and I decided to make the the right hand turn at Laird Road and head out to Rumson. All together I end up riding just under 47 miles. I was good and tired for my evening flight to Richmond. Instead of riding back through Fairhaven and Red Bank I rode across the Oceanic Bridge and rode up Navesink River road. The wind was in my face on the whole climb. I was worn out by the time I got to RT 35.

I ended up going to The Cheesecake Factory in the Short Pump Mall once I got to Richmond. I was actually planning my evening meal as I was riding since I could smell the restaurants in the Rumson - Little Silver area serving Sunday brunch. I did end up over eating which is one of the things I tend to do. I always seem to be able to justify it.

I guess there was a race over at the PNC Art Center on Sunday morning. When I got the corner of Crawfords Road and Holmdel Road I saw one of the Peddler race teams. One of the guys (I think his name is Mike and he is usually working at the Peddler) on the team asked me where the back entrance of the Arts Center was. I misunderstood what he was looking for and sent him the wrong way. However, before they clipped back in I realized what they were looking for I pointed out the new route. I could tell by the look on his face that he thought that I was screwing with him. The entrance was actually only a few hundred feet away. It just did not click with me at first. I am glad I caught them before they followed my original directions.

It looks like I will only be able to ride on Sunday this weekend. It will have to be an early morning ride since I have a 7:30 PM flight on Sunday evening.

I do not have any new pictures so I will have to illustrate this blog entry with some old file pictures I have. Just like the newspapers.

The Village Voice reviews The Drive-by Truckers Brighter Than Creations Dark

2008-02-23T08:09:00.002-05:00

The Village Voice Online posted a review of the latest release from the Drive-by Truckers. While their version is more detailed mine was more timely.

The reviewer is Rob Harvilla. I have to admit that I am conflicted by the song Bob as well but I usually do not enjoy the songs of Mike Cooley as much as the ones by Patterson Hood. Jason Isbell was always a strong contributor too bad he has left the band.

Since I had to drive back from Richmond, VA on Friday afternoon because my flight was cancelled I decided to listen to the complete Drive-by Truckers catalog. I made it all the way from A Blessing and a Curse to the third song (72) on Southern Rock Opera (my iPod plays releases in alpha order). While each release has more than one great song I still favor SRO.

I have pasted the text of the review below. Click here for the Village Voice.

The Drive-By Truckers' Worst Song, Played on the Ugliest Guitar

The best song on the Drive-By Truckers' new 19-track monolith, Brighter Than Creation's Dark, will remind you why you like them; the album's worst song, which is in fact the worst song they've ever done by a substantial margin, will teach you to love them again. It's a shocking, harrowing vision of how disastrous this band could've been, how delicate a touch their rousing but resoundingly bitter Southern-rock cocktail of Flannery O'Connor character sketches and Van Zant anthemia requires. It's called "Bob." It will give you nightmares. Let us approach "Bob" slowly and cautiously.

So start with the best. That would be "The Opening Act," Brighter's iteration of that reliable moment on a DBT album when Patterson Hood—the raspier, more cynical, more prolific of the Alabama crew's two primary songwriters—deploys his biting but still sweetly sentimental version of a power ballad, a Bic-flicker that burns you badly but still lights your way. Longtime fans can lovingly trace their scars: the bare-knuckled lullaby "Heathens" off 2003's Decoration Day, or (personal favorite) the gorgeously catastrophic "Tornadoes" off 2004's The Dirty South, the climactic harmony as he wails "I swear/It sounded like a train" like glimpsing the face of God and recoiling in terror at the destruction one breath could unleash. Patterson's quietest at his most devastating, and vice versa; "The Opening Act" is a small symphony of touring-van desperation, wherein a fat man is bucked off a mechanical bull (requiring paramedic assistance) as a has-been rock band plays a passionate set to a thinning, apathetic crowd and Patterson soaks it all in with sympathetic resignation: "It ain't my show . . . I'm just the opening act." He staggers back into the van, points it toward the next town, dreams of someone thousands of miles away he can't touch, and flips around the radio. Another life you're glad you're not living but equally glad he saw fit to describe.

The Truckers excel at making paralyzing grief palatable, and hopeless losers hopelessly beautiful. They rose to power in 2001 with the double-disc Southern Rock Opera, a brazenly ambitious attempt to both mythologize and emulate Lynyrd Skynyrd that succeeded wildly on both counts. Four CDs later, they're still painstakingly articulating what they then described as "the duality of the Southern thing," granting depth and humanity to a grotesque parade of incest perpetrators, backwoods fuckups, and shell-shocked Vietnam vets, and daring elitist city slickers to sneer. Creation's Dark is tantalizingly easy to typecast via the song titles alone: "Daddy Needs a Drink," "You and Your Crystal Meth," "The Man I Shot." Except dollars to doughnuts that last one's set in Iraq, a grimy, brutal rocker with the familiar nausea of an Afghan Whigs dirge that describes a calamity much worse than a hangover or a bungled love affair, instead bemoaning a scared-shitless soldier's act of self-defense and subsequent death sentence of sleepless nights. Never dismiss these characters—no matter how wayward, no matter how flawed—as simple, helpless country folk.

Which brings us to "Bob."

"Bob" is the handiwork of Mike Cooley, the Truckers' other songwriting mainstay. (Creation's Dark also features the first batch of perfectly OK but unremarkable tunes from bassist Shonna Tucker, former paramour of tremendously remarkable songwriter Jason Isbell, who brought her into the band in the first place but recently bailed for a solo career—a nice Fleetwood Mac switcheroo all the more appropriate given that Shonna sounds like Stevie Nicks if Stevie fled Laurel Canyon for LSU.) A dear friend of mine swears Cooley will one day be hailed as a Great American Songwriter, and I'll buy that: His slow ones are sublime-ly forlorn in a George Jones vein, while his fast ones boast a magnificent Jaggerian swagger, here flaunted on the rollicking "3 Dimes Down." (Bonus points for using the evocative phrase "chicken-wing puke.") Throughout the record, Cooley toys with corny Southern stereotypes, whether he's refurbishing Matthew McConaughey's famous Dazed and Confused proverb about high-school girls, or inventing his own bewildering bits of cracker-barrel wisdom: "Skeletons ain't got no place to stick their money/Nobody makes britches that size." But great googly moogly, does "Bob" ever drive straight into a ditch, Faulkner devolving instantaneously into Larry the Cable Guy. It's a loping, finger-picked shuffle with all the nuance of a Coors Lite commercial.

Chorus:
He likes to drink a beer or two every now and again He always had more dogs than he ever had friends Bob ain't light in the loafers He might kneel, but he never bends over

Now. My Cooley-worshipping friend swears that the "loafers/bend over" thing is the crux here, that the song's point is to paint Bob as a normal, likable dude who just might be, well, you know. Fair enough. But it still feels tremendously slight, indulging in the jarring parade of cheesy clichés that the Truckers have nimbly sidestepped for years: Bob loves his momma, Bob prefers fishing to church, Bob's a little unnerved by the 6 o'clock news, Bob drinks more beer. If you forced a pompous Wall Street hedge-funder who'd never been south of the Jersey Shore to write a condescending song about butt-simple red-state folk, you'd get "Bob," and then you'd punch that guy in the face. It's such a glaring, honking sour note from a dependably great songwriter in a dependably great band that I have to imagine it's deliberate, it's a put-on—a winking caricature that satirizes the prejudices of anyone who'd pick up this CD, fixate on the song title "You and Your Crystal Meth," and dismiss the whole shebang as Hee Haw for unwashed butt-rockers. Stereotype this.

Thus, I have come to view "Bob" as a gift. A cautionary tale that had to be told. Creation's Dark came out last month, and though past DBT discs have left me enthralled, I initially ignored this one. Took it for granted, disregarded it as more of the same. Dependably great, sure, but there were bigger, more exotic fish to fry. The Truckers had made it look so easy for so long, but "Bob" forcefully proves that it's not, and it's never been. It keeps you honest, and it scares you straight

The Langster gets a tune up and I get a Cold Weather Ride in

2008-02-16T19:40:00.004-05:00

I dropped the my Specialized Langster off at Bike Haven in Fairhaven, New Jersey last Saturday. The weather was miserable and I knew I need to have my bike tuned up. The chain was sagging and I did not have any more room on the drop out to tighten it up. I have also noticed an annoying creak in the bottom bracket. I had been putting the work off because I did not want to miss a single riding opportunity. Of course Sunday morning turned out to be a good riding day (the tempurature dropped quickly later in the day as a storm moved into the area).

Garrett is the wrench turner at Bike Haven and he has done some work on my bike before. I stopped into the shop over the summer and I had him install a new computer. He also did a small tune up with the bike was on the rack. This time I want the whole thing. My goal was to fix some of the issues that I have been having. I knew that I need a new chain and I was thinking that I might have to replace the bottom bracket. The lights in the repair shop showed that the rear tire was well worn. Garrett suggested buying a new Continental Grand Prix 4000 for the front and moving the much new Contintental Grand Prix 4000S from the front to the back. As much as I would like to have matching tires on my bike I could not see spending an extra $60 and replacing a perfectly good tire. I will get it next time.

Since I have been traveling during the week I knew that I would would not be able to pick the bike up until the weekend. I just made it into Bike Haven before they closed a 6 PM on Friday. I was impressed with the look of the bike. It actually looked better then new. The new chain and cog shined (I am still using the freewheel side) . The rear hub now rests at the front of the dropout. I could not wait until I could get my next ride in. The weather report for Saturday said that it was not going to be much warmer than freezing but I was hopeful that it would at least be sunny.

I woke up at 7:30 am this morning (Saturday) with the sun shining. I could tell it was cold (around 20 F). I bought some wool socks and a pair of thermal tights at Performance Bicycle in Richmond, Virginia last week. I have not yet got a set of booties but I was hoping that these two items would be an improvement over the lighter tights and cotton SIDI socks I have been using.

I was not able to get out on the road until arount 1 PM since I spent the morning running errands. While it was cold I felt pretty good and I took off on my usual route. As I was heading through Colts Neck I was thinking I might head out through Little Silver and Rumson. I was thinking that I might come back via Navesink River Road but my right toes started freeze up and I could not them to warm up. When I got to Laird Road I made the left hand turn that made it a 28 mile ride rather than the right hand turn that would have been much longer.

While I saw a group of riders on Holland Road while I was running errands I did not see any other riders while I was out on my ride. There are a couple of group rides scheduled for 8 AM on Sunday morning. Since it is supposed to be nasty in the afternoon I am going to get up early and get another ride in. I have Monday off so I am hoping I can get 3 days of riding in. Otherwise I will be heading to the gym. Three days of riding in February would be a nice treat. I am willing to settle for two.

WHTG - GROCK Radio Morning Show Changes Yet Again

2008-02-16T17:34:00.003-05:00

After less than a year on the air the Morning Show on G-ROCK has changed again. Since I have been traveling I have only been listening to the show on Monday mornings while driving to the airport. A couple of weeks ago Kramer was complaining that the management was upset with him for not talking about the Giants' Super Bowl win. Matt Murray will be taking over the show for now. Matt was the temporary replacement when Brian and Jen left the air.

I found out this morning when I heard Matt and Erin do a promo for their show. I am still not sure about Erin but Matt is an extreme sports fan from Vernon, NJ so I have to like to that.

Here is a release that I found.

Press Makes NJ Radio Changes - 2/14 - From Radio And Records: A couple of notable changes at Press Communications alternative WHTG/WBBO (G Rock 106.3/106.5), AC WBHX/ WWZY, country WKMK (K98.5), and oldies WHTG-AM (1410)/Monmouth-Ocean this week, as GM Wes Matejka exits. No replacement has been named. Matejka joined the company in February 2007 from the director of sales position at Entercom/Memphis. In addition, G Rock morning host Kramer also exits. Night personality/MD Matt Murray slides into mornings, joined by "Morning G" co-host Erin Vogt. Nights are being filled by part-timers

Judging by the traffic that my original post got it was probably a mistake to get rid of Brian & Jen.

Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Me by Patti Boyd (Another Review)

2008-02-03T17:42:00.000-05:00

I finished the Pattie Boyd book to complete the 70s guitarist trilogy. I read Clapton by Eric Clapton, Ronnie by Ronnie Wood and now Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Me by Pattie Boyd. All three of these books tell the same story from a different prospective. In most cases the overlaps confirm each story.

After reading the the Clapton and Wood books I was sure that I would want to read the Pattie Boyd book. I was a little skeptical at first. In fact I put the book back at least once before I finally purchased it. I have to say that was rewarded for my faith since I found Wonderful Tonight to be the best read out of all of the books.

Ms. Boyd's childhood plays a big part in the adult that she became and the first couple of chapters deal with life in both England and Africa. Even though I wanted to read about George Harrison, Eric Clapton and all of the other musicians that Ms. Boyd befriended the story of her childhood is interesting and worth the read. Obviously it was important to address the home life that caused Ms. Boyd to want to be on her own as soon as possible which contributed to meeting George Harrison at an early age.

While the story is a little slow at first it really starts to steamroll once Pattie Boyd meets the Beatles on the set of A Hard Day's Night. Life with George Harrison is just a prelude to the turbulent Eric Clapton years. This is the story of Layla and is the one that most music fans are probably familiar with.

I was not sure what to expect from this book but I was pleasantly surprised. It is well written and organized. I really enjoyed it and may even read it a second time.

New Drive-by Truckers and new to me Jason Isbell

2008-01-31T20:45:00.000-05:00

I wanted to be more timely about reviewing "Brighter Than Creations Dark" by the Drive-by Truckers. It was released on January 22 but I did not get around to downloading it until later in the week. However, I was further delayed in writing the review because I also downloaded "Sirens of the Ditch" by former Drive-by Truckers guitarist Jason Isbell.

I listened to all 19 songs on "Brighter Than Creations Dark" and I was planning on listening to it again before writing the review but I wanted listened to "Sirens of the Ditch". I liked Mr. Isbell's release so much I just got back to the Drive-by Truckers today.

When I read on Paterson Hood's blog that Jason Isbell had left DBT I was a little disapointed since my favorite DBT songs have been written and sung by Mr. Isbell. Turns out I did not have to worry. "Sirens of the Ditch" is a real good showcase for Jason Isbell's talent and was produced by DBT's Paterson Hood and guest appearances by other Truckers like Shonna Tucker.

Since this is his solo disc Jason Hood sings every song and most of the songs are guitar based. I downloaded the album from iTunes and I do not have a track by track listing of the musicians but I think that Mr Isbell plays piano on Chicago Promenade. If you are a fan of the Drive-by Truckers you probably have already picked this record up. If you are a fan of well crafted music then you should get this as soon as possible. This is a whole CD filled with songs like "Outfit" and "Declaration Day"

Which brings us to the Drive-by Truckers "Brighter than Creations Dark". I have been waiting for the DBT to put out something that moves me as much as "Southern Rock Opera". While I have liked some songs on the albums that followed none of them have not grabbed me the the "Southern Rock Opera" did the first time I heard it. In fact "Let there be Rock" has the highest play count on my iPod.

For the new recording Jason Isbell has been replaced by steel player John Neff and Muscle Shoals keyboardist Spooner Oldham. John Neff has played lots of DBT songs and Spooner Oldham has played with just about everyone. I saw Mr. Oldham play with Bob Dylan in 1980 on the Slow Train Coming/Saved tour which is probably my all time favorite show. Shonna Tucker has also stepped up and has written 4 songs that she also sings on.

Brighter than Creations Dark is probably the closest that DBT has come to recreating the magic of Southern Rock Opera. The new release is more consistent and has a fuller sound. As always Patterson Hood provides the autobiographical songs while Mike Cooley provides the Springsteen like character songs. I will have to listen to Ms. Tuckers songs more before I can properly define them.

The Drive-by Truckers have 3 song writers and singers so it make sense that Brighter than Creations Dark has 19 songs. The addition of Mr. Neff and Oldham insures a strong performace on all the songs. The Drive-by Truckers have a sound that could be described as an American South version of the Rolling Stones. They can rock hard with a twangy edge but can move into the sound of Merle Haggard. I hate to categorize any music but DBT is alt-americana.

I was counting the days for this release and I was not disappointed. I may have listened to Jason Isbell's solo album more but I am sure the Drive-by Truckers will catch up. I have a lot of other new stuff on my iPod but it is going to have to wait a couple more days before I listen to it.

Patriot's Coach Belichick wearing a Rutger's Lacrosse Jacket

2008-01-31T09:24:00.000-05:00

The New England Patriots coach was seen wearing a Rutgers Lacrosse jacket (I tried to find an online store that carried this jacket but I could not find one.) at his press conference on January 30. This was a great way to support his son and pander to the Giants faithful at the same time.

I am looking forward to the Rutgers Lacrosse season. It is funny to listen to the players parents critizing Coach Stagnitta even when the team is winning. I am wonder if Mr. Belichick will be a helicopter parent as well.