Sneak attack

Seattle, WA
Thursday, October 25, 2007

So I was riding Saturday… and I was hit by a runner… A runner? Yes, a runner… You may say that if there was one person destined to be hit by a runner it would be me… but this time it was different. I had no “finger” in it, no “verbal confrontation” nothing… I was meeting up with some guys to go riding in front of a coffee shop, the seats were taken & we were about to go riding so I was on my bike with a foot down just sit’n there chatting about global warming and capitalism... just kidding. But really, not promoting violence in anyway… And wham I’m on the ground wondering what exactly just happened. I look back to see a runner hobbling away, like he’d just hit a cyclist. & it dawns on me that I’d just been hit by a runner… I went after him and he turns out to be like 65 years old, he looks over and says “what’re you doing on the sidewalk? There’s no where to run anymore because the cyclists are on all our trails and sidewalks…” uhh… hmm… stay off the roads, stay off the sidewalks, stay off the trails… back on the trainer for me…

Anticipation

Monday October 22, 2007
Bellevue, WA

I’m feeling it; the breeze, the ominously dark clouds, the dim gloomy, eternally rainy days… that lead to one thing, the divine, purely sanctified and absolutely rectified arctic warrior of the STL. Perhaps most people don’t understand how this works, but let me be the one to tell you that it’s a welcome change. I always value a cyclone in place of a sunny day in the off season. How can you even appreciate the off season if it’s not dark, cold ‘n rainy? That wouldn’t even be right, it’d be loco… dude. Regardless, as the state of the nasal passages turn unsullied, the force of the indoor trainer pulls & the voice of ‘Barn Yard’ whispers something about the mental utopia. The moment approaches…

Post-Op Ride

I will be riding solo at 9:20am Saturday the 20th of October from Pert's Deli in Leschi. If you'd like to join me you can.

Be there... or be SQUARE!!!

Fair flying...

Bellevue, WA
Tuesday, October 17, 2007

Great weather in the Northwest, not one day of rain in the last week ‘n a half! Literally clear sunny skies in the dead of fall, really quite unheard of. Perhaps it’s to make up for the summer that never came.
Regardless, in the last month of racing I apparently ensnared yet another sinus infection… although, I wasn’t aware of this until the nurse came into my little recuperating room after surgery… “Everything went really well, although the doctor thought it strange the patient would actually have a sinus infection at the time of surgery…” Yes… after two years of contemplation I finally gave in and got the ‘nasal intervention surgery.’ With the off season in full swing and, honestly, nothing better to do, surgery sounded like a refreshing and altogether memorable experience. Enough with those unsatisfying hours of Kung Fu and swimming, I’m getting surgery.
Okay, I wasn’t that optimistic, but it turned out much better than I thought it would. It was an outpatient operation of one hour performed in a hospital, literally, 5 miles from the abode of one William H. Gates. Post op I was walking around and there was, contrary to popular belief, zero pain. I didn’t use any of the pain medication they gave me, and now with five days since the operation I feel 80 percent. Evidently there’s a 7-10 day recoup period, so there’s still 2-5 days until I can start easing back into training… fortunately the outlook on weather here in the northwest remains bright, with clear skies in the forecast for another 3 weeks.

Debt, foreclosures and the falling dollar

Nationwide, home prices are falling, sales are sluggish and the number of foreclosures is mounting. Ask any economist and you'll hear that things are bad, and likely to get worse.
Unless you live in Seattle, where the market is slowing but fundamentals remain strong.
The Emerald City has experienced strong price appreciation over the last six quarters, and that's expected to continue in the new year, though at a slower pace. In addition to a very low housing inventory and a strong sales rate, there are fewer non-conforming and high-risk loans on the books than in other cities, which means the area will likely see fewer defaults in the coming months than the rest of the country's markets. In other words, Seattle doesn't contribute to the falling dollar.

Under the weather

North Bend, WA
Monday, October 8th, 2007

West of the mountains is in the midst of a monsoon. I wake up and I can hardly see 10 feet through the rain, I go to bed and feel the roof is soon to fall through. It’s not cold or warm, somewhere in between, ideal for the continued growth of the already abundant vegetation… a perfect reason for the neighbor to run his chainsaw for a few extra hours each day.
I rode once or twice since getting home, but it’s mainly been in the gym using their stuff & flopping around in the pool trying to stay in my lane and breathe at the same time. Then heading over to the Kung Fu club for some Wing Chun and Qi Gong, to learn to concentrate and kill stuff.

Kung Fu in Spanish

Bellevue, WA
Tuesday, October 02, 2007

The season’s over, it’s been a long time coming and I’m nowhere near as ready for it as I’d imagined I’d be. For some reason I feel like I should just keep going… but I’ve stopped. I got a membership at a new gym with a much better feel; it’s sort of like a country club I suppose, although I wouldn’t be the authority on matters of such. I went there today and checked it all out, swam a couple laps (narrowly evaded drowning), climbed the wall, played some tennis, signed up for a kung fu class (external), etc., etc., etc. Oh, & I’m also taking Spanish 101, so that should be good fun. I’ve been stumbling around in Spain for the better part of two years and the only thing I know how to do is ask for more pasta, coffee &… so maybe if I know some basics I can actually catch on. Maybe not. We’ll see, si?