Text Message Break-up by Kelly

Text Message Break-Up by Kelly.
Oh, my God, this is some of the funniest stuff I've seen in a while. I love Kelly!

Chili, Crab, Beer, Creme Brulee...

Yesterday was one of those glorious unscheduled free days in our relationship--one in which we didn't have a single thing on the calendar. I love holes in the calendar like that.

M.F.M. read my mind and suggested we visit some antique shops. We went to Kensington (Maryland), but it was dead, so we headed further north to Frederick, Maryland's historic district. I've been to Frederick dozens of times in the past few years to go mountain biking, but I haven't made a pit stop in the downtown historic area for at least three years. I wanted to; however, there was no way I could enter an antique shop after mountain biking. Generally I return home from Frederick sweaty, a little muddy, super-wet with creek water, and even covered in dog crap once! (Gotta love the people who walk their dogs on the trails and let them poop everywhichway without picking it up.)

But I digress. We had a lovely time in Frederick. Really, a gay old time. We shopped, mansard-hunted, and took photos for about half-an-hour before, well looky-there, what is that standing before us? A brewery! Yes, we happened upon Brewer's Alley and could not resist some lunch and beer.

M.F.M. had a kolsch (beer) and the pan-fried jumbo lump crab cake sandwich. I had the red bean-poblano beef chili and an oatmeal stout. She said the crab cakes were good and not too fried and greasy... and I particularly enjoyed the tortilla strips in the chili--it was a nice touch. Our beers were excellent, as well. I would've had another stout but it was only two p.m. on a Sunday and I think I would've gotten a mini-lecture. Probably something about me having two (living) alcoholic relatives and three dead alcoholic relatives.

Desert was Bailey's Irish Cream creme brulee, which was so good that my eyes actually rolled back in my head before I could stop myself.

The service was top-notch--our server really made us feel welcome.

Then we went out and did more holiday shopping until we could walk no more. Unfortunately, we didn't allow ourselves enough time--one could probably spend a whole day visiting the Frederick historic district.

Next stop for holiday shopping: Carytown, Richmond, Virginia.
When? Not sure. Depends on when the next Southern Maryland Sh*tty Bar Throwdown is ('cause I'm not shopping out of town after a night at a biker bar. I'm just not.)

Almost every damn time I go for a road ride...

Almost every damn time I go for a road ride, I get a headache, an earache, and slight nausea. I don't know what it is. I went for a road ride yesterday since it was warm out. This was after I had done cardio and lifted weights earlier in the day and felt awesome. Road riding changed all that, and left my day hanging on a sour note.

I haven't ridden on asphalt since August or so. I guess it's the wind that gives me the earache? It seems like whenever I ride asphalt I come back home and I'm like, "Why did I go out and do that?" It totally brings me down and pisses me off. It seems like I always decide to go out for a road ride when I'm already feeling really good, and the road ride (the past year and a half) has completely brought me down each time.

Also, I don't live out in the suburbs anymore--I live in a city. And I don't want to drive far to then go ride a bicycle, so I just ride in the neighborhoods near my house. It seems like during each road ride I've taken this year, I've seen something I didn't want to see. One time I startled some guys who were smoking pot or something by the original spring that Silver Spring, Maryland, is named after. I rode slowly and peered into the recessed area that frames the "spring," (under a hideous and slightly phallic acorn-shaped gazebo-type thing), and they got all startled and were like, "What are you looking at??!" and jumped up, so I rode away.

Yesterday I crossed a one-lane bridge and ended up in a strangely empty neighborhood. Where was everybody? I saw some kids playing ball in a school yard, but that was about it. Then a ghetto Crown Vic rolled up to the school yard. The driver stopped the car and he and the passenger were like, "Hey! Kid! Hey, you! Come here!" and got the kids to come over to the side of the car to talk to them. I looked around. There was nobody else around. I thought about my asthma. If I saw something I really shouldn't, my lungs probably would not help power my legs and I to safety. I rolled home with a headache and an earache.

***

I love my full-face helmet. It hugs my head, cradles my jaw and cheeks, and never gives me a headache. I can't wear it for my riding now, although I really wish I could. I would wear a helmet to drive a car if I knew it wouldn't cause a rubber-necking accident. Part of me thinks we should all wear helmets in cars. It really is a serious endeavor.

***

7:00 p.m.

My downhill bikes have sold on Ebay today. I no longer own a mountain bike.

But my road bike is not doing it for me. Now what?

Is it back to basics? But I cannot have the Scott single speed I used to ride. (Darn it, Corey!) I... hesitate to say it... but I think I need another mountain bike.

Black Friday Shopping-Free Workout Day

I had the rare day off today, Black Friday. Didn't go shopping. I usually do most of my shopping online. Going to the grocery store generally sends me "over the top," so shopping at the mall today for me would be ridiculous. The grocery store is literally a stone's throw from our window, but there have been times we've skipped meals because didn't want to go there. The grocery stores near our place suck because they're in an urban setting--too many people in there at once. You can gather up all your groceries in two minutes, but there's no way in hell you'll get out the door without waiting at least another ten minutes in line. Last time I was in there, I was in the "10 items or less," lane, but the guy in front of me had a whole cart full of food. When the cashier rang him up, he tried to tell him to bring fewer items next time, but the guy was like, "No hablo englais/ingles (sp?)." There's a CVS by our place, too, but we only go in if we absolutely have to. We've actually wanted a hot water bottle for over a year and have not gone in there to buy one because the place sucks so bad.

Ugh, shopping.

My Fair Maiden had to work today. I just lazed around a bit in the morning, and then drove up to work to work out. I have no exercise routine. Meaning, I have no "routine" at all--I like to mix it up. Because of this, I like to give myself lots of options for exercise. Last year we moved in together, and we made sure we picked a place with multiple exercise rooms with decent equipment (and a nice pool.) I also belong to the gym at my office, which has state-of-the-art equipment. Every time I turn around there, I find something new there. As well it should be--"health" is in the title of my workplace.

Anyway, so today I decided that I wanted to work out up at my workplace. I did cardio for a while, and then lifted for a while. I didn't have any music with me today, but had a good time anyway. Sometimes I have a hard time getting all my electronics squared away in time for a workout. It seems that I forget to charge the mp3 player often enough. Also, my heart rate monitor and its transmitter are diametrically opposed to each other. If one is in my Camelbak, the other is hiding. If I find one in my 661 bike gear bag, the other is nowhere to be seen.

I stayed motivated during cardio by reading the maiden issue of Strictly DH, an East Coast downhilling magazine started by this guy, Charlie, from my old mountain bike team, Trail's End. (I think he started the mag--but don't quote me on it!) The writing was surprisingly good. I look forward to future issues. Of course, reading it made me sad about the fact that both my downhill/freeride bikes are on Ebay. (Auctions end tomorrow.)

I say I'm quitting downhilling and selling my bikes... but for now I'm holding onto all my gear. Who knows? Maybe next year I'll have a different job that allows me more time to work out and ride bikes in the spring, summer, and the fall. I have no idea what will happen, and I have to stop stressing about it. The best thing I've thought to do about it is to offload my downhill bikes in order to stop seeing them in my dining area and get pissed that I don't have time for downhilling. And even if I did have more time (and money), I still have exercise-induced asthma. Now that I'm not downhilling, I'm psyched because I no longer need to take four asthma meds at once, including this steroid inhaler that makes me freakin' crazy-agitated. Not fun for anyone. It's nice to be back to just one med.

Back to the job situation, you might be thinking, "Why don't you get another job if it keeps you from riding?" Well, it's never that easy. I don't think I've really explained before on here that my job is crazy for 3/4 of the year, but that in the winter, I actually get paid to do independent research of my choice. I roll into work and read about whatever I want to. That's how I really got started mountain biking in the first place--I had months to read about it for eight hours a day for months on end. So... to that end... I don't want to leave my job right now. I really enjoy parts of it.

Only time will tell what my main physical activity will be from here on out....

Get low and stay there

Overhead view of my DH bike. My Fair Maiden drew my biking mantra, "Get low," on there. The hearts were a nice touch. :)

Getting low on the bike is not as easy as it seems. You have to have very strong legs (because you don't sit on the saddle in downhill) and you have to have a strong back. I really have neither this year. At bike camp in August, it was frustrating to see videos of myself going over jumps and not being low enough. I'd see the video, vow to put my elbows out and stay low, do the jumps, and then look at the next video, and there I was with a higher body position than I thought I had!

P.S. The skull and crossbones on the bike is an Azonic sticker. Gotta represent!

The 2006 Iron Horse Yakuza Kumicho

Here is my downhill race bike for 2006--the Iron Horse Yakuza Kumicho. What a nice bike. Thanks again to Iron Horse for the sweet deal!

It came well-equipped, so I didn't need to upgrade anything besides swap the tires to Maxxis (stock tires are pictured) and change the handlebar. I think the blingy white deity bar looks good. The moment I put that bar on I was like, "Ahhhhhh."

Part of me will miss it. But part of me (and My Fair Maiden) already loves the look of our dining area sans downhill bikes!

I meant to post this when the bike came in June, but things were totally crazy then.

Two downhill/freeride bikes for sale: Iron Horse and Cannondale

The time has come to sell off my bikes. Since I rarely get to go downhilling anymore because of the crazy spring/summer/fall work schedule at my job, I'm selling my downhill bikes: a 2006 Iron Horse Yakuza Kumicho (which I really enjoyed riding at Shaums March's bike camp this year) and a 2004 Cannondale Gemini 900 (upgraded for DH use.) If you know someone who's looking for a downhill mountain bike, please spread the word. Money earned from the sale of the bikes will go towards paying off the Yakuza Kumicho on my credit card.

(Please do not contact me about the bikes as I have passed them along for someone else to sell. He can be contacted through Ebay.)

Lately I've been really happy because I finally let downhill mountain biking go. Not because I didn't like it, but because I couldn't fit it into my schedule and budget, which caused me extreme stress. Every day this past spring and the spring, summer, and fall prior, I was angry and agitated at some point because I knew I would not be able to ride again that coming weekend. It had been like that for two seasons.

I'm also happy because even though my job schedule is incompatible with downhilling, my job does not conflict with me making music at all--in fact, having my current career path can actually help me move towards my lifelong goal of becoming a professional musician. I am extremely happy about this... now it makes sense for me to have stayed in this position at work (for three years) even though it previously caused me so much conflict with my personal time and hobbies. I figured out how to turn the situation around so I get more out of it than just benefits and a paycheck, and I'm loving it!

Spam E-mail Subject Lines are The Smiths/Morrissey Song Title Generator

Scanning through and deleting your spam e-mails can be fun if you make a game of it.
Recently I decided to search my spam e-mail subject lines for what seemed like The Smiths and Morrissey song titles. If you find some that fit the bill as sounding like they're by Morrissey or The Smiths, feel free to post them in the comments. Here are the subject lines that caught my eye:

Is It Possible, Wiley?

Dear Mister

Innkeeper and Smitten

Understand an Imitator

Shortsighted Sacrifice

Scene Ended in Measured Tones of the Spiritual

Go Go Surrealism

Bigamous Hand

The Time is Right to Build a Strong Position

Slapstick Escape

Your Cash, Muley Head

Let Others Envy You