Monthly Archives: December 2008

It was 53 degrees this morning, with calm winds, when I took off from my apartment to re-start my winter training.  I had leg and arm warmers, a baselayer, bibs, jersey and half finger gloves; anticipating it to warm up or at least not be too bad without a serious wind-chill.  I was wrong; five minutes in I was cold.  When I hit the capitol it started raining.  I needed more clothes, and decided to stop by a bike shop on my way out to find something warmer.

With the exception of my team kit from Austin Bikes, which is specially made and specially ordered, it’s quite difficult for me to find cycling clothing small enough to fit in the retail world.  I wear an extra-small/small – a skinny guy in a fat man’s world…  The only place I’ve ever had luck is at Jack & Adam’s; business wise, they’re still small enough to fall into the “speciality store” class, allowing them to skew their inventory away from the market bell curve a bit.

Jack & Adam’s has always had a special place in my heart.  When I started cycling seriously at UT, they were our team’s sponsoring bike shop.  When my body was oddly attracted to sliding on pavement, they were the ones to re-wrap my bar tape.  I would clean my bike on their stand, using their soapy water, outside of the old shop next to Chuy’s.  And then, when I got involved with Texas 4000, they were always overly eager to lend a hand, giving us bike parts, fit advice, and everything else – all without blinking and without requesting recognition.  Rightfully so, they’re now Texas 4000′s main equipment sponsor, and are continuing to give all they can.

So I went by Jack and Adam’s, and spent $70 on a nice Louis Garneau wind jacket – size extra-small.  Sure, I could have ordered a comparable jacket from any other company affiliated with REI at wholesale pricing, but I don’t mind paying retail if it means supporting the folks who have supported me throughout my life endeavors.  That alone is worth the price difference.  I chatted with Jack a little bit, and thanked him for helping out the new Texas 4000 team.  He was curious how Austin Bikes is settling into their new location (I was wearing their kit), and we reminisced about his first shop building, old vs new.  I’ve been around for quite a while.

There was only so much cold my finger tips could handle this morning, but at least now I have a decent jacket to wear for the next month or two.  Having a better appreciation for what 50 degrees feels like, I’ll be sure to put on better gloves and some toe-warmers next time.

Had such a blast Saturday night.  My friend Miguel, from Texas 4000, threw a little birthday celebration at his south central Austin apartment.  Also in the mix was a nicely chilled keg of really good beer (Live Oak IPA), and a few good friends I haven’t seen in over a year – Mike and John, also from Texas 4000.  It’s hard to believe that so much time has passed so quickly.

After hanging out at Miguel’s for a little while, Mike, Mike’s girlfriend, John and I headed east to Victory Grill to see some music and move our bodies a little bit.  We got there as the last band of the evening, El Tule, was setting up and doing sound check.  El Tule is a latin jazz/afro cuban/salsa and reggae fusion group.  They have a really cohesive connection on stage, and their songs all feature really pronounced beat that inspires movement.  Really good music.  We danced the night away at Victory, then headed back to Miguel’s to pick up our bikes.  It was late by then, and I really didn’t plan on staying, or drinking more beer, but the party was still going on and Live Oak IPA is just so tasty.  We reminisced about Texas 4000 until a very late hour, and then I road home through the empty city streets.

We have some good stories to tell when we’re all together, that’s for sure.  Like the road trip home from Alaska, when John and I, and two others drove from Anchorage to Fort Collins, CO in three days straight, eating nothing but trail mix, Puffins cereal, and organic peanut butter that refused to congeal.

Sunday was spent in a sickly/hungover stupor, with the late night and alcohol intake bringing my almost beaten cold back to full strength.  I did make it to the grocery store and cooked up some delicious chicken tortilla soup Sunday evening.  My roommate had some friends over as well.  While heating up some munchies in the microwave, she managed to short out half of our electrical system, leaving everything but the refrigerator and bathroom in the dark.  No fuses were tripped, the electricity just wasn’t flowing.  Even stranger, this morning everything was back on…  We’ve sort of just come to live with the shoddy little details of our humble east-side abode.  It was nice to hang out in the candlelight anyway.

Another cold front ripped through Austin last night, and the windchill is in the 20s right now.  The capilene 4 is out of the closet, as is the eVent storm shell, knit wool hat, Windstopper gloves, and thick wool socks.  I took the bus downtown this morning.  Typically, if two of three factors are present – wind, cold, and/or rain – I avoid the bicycle.  Today has like 2.5 deciding factors; thanks, but no thanks.

I have a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5.  According to the Center for Disease Control, this places me right on the line between healthy and underweight.  As a cyclist, this isn’t necessarily a bad place to be.  The bulk of my muscle mass is in my legs, and the amount of aerobic exercise I do keeps my body fat very low, creating a fairly decent power to weight ratio.  I’ve never dieted or restricted my caloric intake in any way; I’ve always been a lean guy.

not quite Michael Rasmussen lean, but close...

Since I started cycling seriously four years ago, climbing was always the strongest part of my cyclist profile.  I couldn’t fall asleep last night and was reading some old writing from a few years ago, recalling old cycling adventures during my collegiate racing days.  Those memories got me thinking about some of the heavy climbing days during Texas 4000…  Like the day, and boarder race, going into Laramie, WY.  And some of the real nasty climbs we had in the British Columbia backcountry.

route profile going from Fort Collins, CO to Laramie, WY. one big climb constructed of lots of little climbs.

I climb a lot when I ride – that’s always been how I’ve trained.  A ride without some kind of elevation change just isn’t satisfying for me.  Living in Texas does have it’s drawbacks for a guy like me though – we sort of lack the mountains to really set a rider like me apart from the rest.

But enough of this cycling blabber!  I was also thinking last night about what sort of job I should be looking for, wondering if the business of writing should be my biggest focus, or perhaps just an accompaniment.  First and foremost I still consider myself an out-of-work Anthropologist.  It was thoughts about the social organization of urban space that really captivated my attention.  The knowledge I have in this area is certainly marketable, it’s just finding an organization in the market for it that’s the issue.

One step at a time…

It’s not writer’s block, more just a lack of inspiration.  Nothing has really moved me in the last couple of days, nothing has been unusual or out of place, and I haven’t really done anything exciting.  I was off work yesterday, but sickness seemed to come out of nowhere the evening before, incapacitating me.  I laid around, watching movies and feeling bad.  Very disappointing.

The weather in Austin has finally turned towards winter.  Two nights ago it was snowing, sleeting, and raining.  A “winter mix” the weather channel calls it.  I was working the evening it all blew in.  When I rode to work at 1:00pm it was sunny and warm, and when it was time to go it was absolutely disgusting outside.  To make things even better, because the weatherman only predicted a 10% chance of foul weather, I was incredibly under-dressed.  Thankfully, my coworkers offered to drive me home; life would have been quite miserable otherwise.

This winter weather means most of our trees around here are finally sans-leaves.  For someone who spends a lot of time outside, or at least looking out of windows, this makes for some fairly dramatic changes in scenery.  Views open up, and hidden sights become visible.  Last December, when my brother and I went hiking in the Ozarks, one of the best parts of it all was that we were able to see these remarkable views from between the trees.  It really changed the entire idea of wandering through the forest.

Speaking of the Ozarks, REI is now carrying the full range of Tim Ernst’s guidebooks, from the Ouichita Trail to the Buffalo River, and everywhere in between.  For those not in the know, Tim Ernst is the go to guy when it comes to hiking in the Ozarks, and his Ozark Highlands Trail guidebook was one of the essential pieces of gear we used when we were up there.  It’s pretty exciting that we have them in the store now, and it’ll give me something else to browse through when things are slow.

Slow times are hard to come by these days though; we’re entering the most heated part of our holiday purchasing spree.  Hours at the store will be extended next week, but we finally have a large enough budget to cover things comfortably.  It means extra cash for me, which isn’t a bad thing, but it does tip the balance slightly between work and play.  That, and it will be nice to have some extra padding in my bank account when the retail industry, auto industry, and credit systems collapse in January, when the lack of holiday obligations really slows the American consumer culture.

I’m going to make an effort to ride my bicycle this afternoon, after being kept inside all day yesterday.  My illness is getting better, so I’m going to provoke it.  It might be my last chance for a little while…

Christmas time appears to be here in Austin.  I went to ride my bike yesterday morning out west of the city, on 360.  It was a good day for my particular route, with a very strong wind blowing out of the South.  I made my way as far south as I could tolerate, then hit 360 and blasted north with little effort.  Loop 360 is populated by Christmas tree vendors right now.  There was even a group of folks out decorating young Cedar trees with tinsel and garland.  (For those not familiar with Central Texas ecology, a young Cedar tree grows in a very pine tree like shape.)  That, along with the Christmas decorations going up in the neighbourhoods I ventured through, really helped to renew my holiday spirit.

That, and this being the first time I’ve worked in the retail industry I get to see a different side of Christmas.  We have a very intimate connection to the gift buying process, almost as the sole facilitators of the Christmas joy.  We’ll try on clothes for customers who aren’t quite sure of the right size to get, but know we’re close to the same size as their friend or family member.  We get to be part of the quirky covert-ops when couples shop together, and one has an impulse to buy a gift at that exact moment, while their partner is still roaming in the store.  We had a couple last night…  While one was putting a bike on hold with me at one end of the store, the other was buying a hat and scarf as a gift at the other end.  It’s fun.

My new passport arrived in the mail today.  It looks good.  On my old one, issued when I was sixteen, the picture made me look like a stoned child molester.  It was also before some pretty extensive orthodontic work done on my mouth, so my smile was pretty messed up.  I always regretted that the passport would be valid for as long as it was.  I took my own pictures for the new one.  And the passport redesign looks pretty awesome too; the America themed pictures on each page look remarkable.  I can’t say I’m too ecstatic about the RFID chip in the back though; I might smash it a few times with a hammer before I travel anywhere.  It’s not that I’m afraid my information being stolen (it’d probably be easier to just steal the passport than read the chip); when paired with an RFID scanning device, the book turns into a pretty solid “yes, I’m an American” beacon.  As the tech gets more available, and as Americans become more frequently targeted (see Mumbai, India), I rather not risk it.

From the US Passport Agency: “We have finished processing your passport, and it has been mailed to you.”  Finally.

I had the opportunity to hang out with Natalie, Michael and Amy – three very good friends from the Texas 4000 days – last night.  Natalie’s graduating from UT today; Michael and Amy are also in the twilight of their educational careers, with another semester of law school and studio art over with.  It’s been quite a while since we’ve all seen each other; lives are busy and not everyone has a schedule as open as mine.  There aren’t too many people out there I connect with as well as these folks, and I always enjoy the moments we have together.

I also enjoy watching the steam accumulate on the surface of my coffee, before curling up and out of the cup.  Fascinating.

Briefly, I thought about riding my bicycle this morning.  Then I thought about how it was 36 degrees outside, and decided against it.  I’m hardcore, but not that hardcore.  36 is cold when you’re fast.  I wish I was a pro cyclist, and could just jet to somewhere sunny for my winter training.  That’d be fantastic.  It should warm up pretty well today; we’ve been seeing temperature swings of almost 30 degrees these past few days.  Unfortunately I’ll be going into work soon, capturing my entire afternoon and early evening.  The bills aren’t going to pay themselves.

People wear some incredibly strange clothing these days.  I’ve never liked the word “hipsters” or labeling people by different groups, but it’s the hipster clothing style that just completely baffles me.  I wear comfortable clothes that fit properly, and I prefer technical fabrics.  It’s a pretty sensible concept, being comfortable in the clothes you live in, and having clothes that move, breathe, insulate, and cool as needed.  Why anyone would intentionally wear jeans (faded black jeans) that look to be three sizes too small is just beyond me.  And combining that with ragged and faded t-shirts and sweatshirts – also sized too small – just looks trashy, and definitely isn’t functional.  I’m all for personal expression, I just rather alter my appearance by more comfortable and sensible means.

I have 30 minutes to write this, so I’ll be quick.

It got cold outside.  Mornings have been dropping down to the 30s, and we’ve had a pretty consistent breeze blowing through for the past few days.  Gloves are usually required on my commutes, along with a jacket.  I’ve been able to test out the Shuksan eVent storm shell a little bit; what an impressive fabric.  Even on the bicycle, my body’s moisture is managed exceptionally well.  Coming home from work, I’m usually pretty warm by the time I hit the UT campus, approximately 3.5 miles into my ride.  Then I go uphill to my place.  If I’m not overheated by the time I hit campus, the hill will surely get me hot and bothered every time.  But I won’t be sweaty wet when I get home, not at all.  My initial report gives an A+.  In a few months, I’ll follow up with some durability reports and such.

And now some bullets:

• I think I need a training partner to ride with; someone with similar athletic abilities,a similar schedule, and good conversation skills.  Music’s capabilities to keep me entertained is fading slightly.

• Still waiting for my new passport to come in the mail.  Ridiculous.  The US State Department is a joke, as is our government bureaucracy.

• The cat living in my house (or my pet by association) hates sleep, or at least any other living thing enjoying it.

• I still haven’t turned my heater on at home.  Maybe the colder temperatures are making the cat more excited.

• My roommate is in The Netherlands for the week, and I’m jealous.  One of my favorite countries to visit.

• WordPress is remarkable blogging software if hosted properly, and the new 2.7 release is beautiful.

I walked through the UT campus for the first time in months this morning.  It’s almost been since graduation in May.  It was kind of cool being back around the buildings I used to frequent; a lot of memories were definitely made.  I miss being a student.  Not necessarily the young freshman/sophomore undergrad, but the student later in life, where I was able to branch out on my own, researching what I wanted and writing what I wanted.  Part of me would like to go back to grad school, but I can’t yet visualize where the topics I’d be studying would fit into the larger picture of my life’s work.

I’ve been out of school for almost six months now – halfway into [or out of] the year I pseudo-vowed to take off from normal life and responsiblity.  It’s still too early to make any big decisions yet.

In other news, I picked up a new pair of trekking poles last night, an employee christmas gift from the REI HQ, custom designed and made by Komperdell in Austria.  They’re closest to the Countor Titanal, but without the double grip design, and with some nice “REI Staff” graphics.  So now I have a pair of trekking poles no one else has (except for a handful of REI employees).

We’re all such great REI poster children.  I don’t really wear anything that’s not moisture wicking and quick drying anymore; I don’t wear any jackets retailing less than $300, and even then I’m too good for Goretex Pro Shell; my shoes are waterproof, and have Superfeet orthodics in them.  My coworkers are just as bad.

I should have went for a bike ride this morning, but I just wasn’t feeling too great when I woke up – both the first (7:30am) and second (8:00am) time.  I don’t need to force it, especially since it’s only December.  So I made pancakes, took a long shower, and then walked out my door to run some errands.  Actually, just one errand, at the bank; then I walked to my current location to find a cup of coffee.

It’s sunny outside though, and now I want to go ride my bicycle…