Mt. Olympus

On the Road Again

2008-01-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

Mark sent me this picture from his latest road trip to the Mexico that is Nuevo.

All he wrote was "Best.Sign.Ever."

It's hard to disagree. For peak performance, you really gotta keep those things clean and well lubricated.

What I Did On My Christmas Vacation, Part 2

2008-01-10T14:06:00.000-08:00

Oak Springs Trail near Hardscrabble Mesa Rd.
Pine, AZ

What I Did On My Christmas Vacation, Part 1

2008-01-10T14:03:00.000-08:00

Yes, it does snow in Arizona.

Near the top of the Old Mail Trail
Strawberry, AZ

Everybody Loves Dick's

2007-12-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

A crowd of people standing outside the Wallingford Dick's during the first snowstorm of the year.

You Cannot Resist Me

2007-11-27T14:06:00.000-08:00

This is Jackson.

This is Jackson and his sister, Barbie. They are busy destroying the sofa.

Dumped

2007-11-27T14:02:00.001-08:00

Terminal 2
Sky Harbor International Airport
Phoenix, AZ

Christmas Wreath, Arizona Style

2007-11-27T14:01:00.000-08:00

Summit of Strawberry Mountain
Strawberry, AZ

What I Did On My Thanksgiving Vacation

2007-11-27T13:59:00.001-08:00

Near the confluence of Hardscrabble Creek and Strawberry Creek
Strawberry, AZ

I Love My Friends, Part 2

2007-11-20T11:56:00.001-08:00

So Another Thing You May Not Have Known About Me

2007-11-15T11:12:00.000-08:00

I had surgery on Thursday for varicose veins. It's a surprisingly complex procedure (guide wires! sheaths! lasers!!!) with a few unexpected delights ("smelling" and "tasting" your own destroyed blood cells).

I'm feeling much better, thanks. The leg is largely free of the pain (and lumpy bits) that has plagued me for the last year. I'm not ready to run a half marathon yet, but I'm walking a few miles each day, going to the gym to stretch and generally taking an "end of training season" break.

The Remains of the Day

2007-10-25T09:04:00.000-07:00

The boys and I decide to celebrate Paul's birthday with a night ride at St. Edward State Park. Traffic is awful and we make a late start.

We quickly realize that the trails at St. Ed's have been replaced by waterways. Water is everywhere. There is standing water on the trails. There is running water on the trails. The rain is relentless as it falls through the canopy.

"Hey, how muddy do you think that big whoop-de-do is gonna be?" Paul asks. Without stopping he plunges into the dark ravine. Not so bad, it turns out. We make it out alive.

Later on, as Mark stops to fix a loose handlebar, Paul strides off to return some of the water he's acquired. He strides back. "Not to get all Cheech and Chong on you, but have you ever turned your headlamp straight up to look at the rain coming down? It's fucking awesome!"

You know what? It is fucking awesome.

On the Way to Top Pot

2007-10-22T09:08:00.001-07:00

Summit Ave E near Belmont Ave E

Marcus was jet lagged and wanted some coffee.
This was my very first trip to Top Pot Donuts. I recommend the Chocolate Sandcastle donut: a chocolate cake donut dusted in cinnamon sugar.

I Love My Friends

2007-10-17T12:47:00.001-07:00

A Nice Day For a Wisconsin Wedding

2007-08-24T12:04:00.001-07:00

I've Seen Bigger

2007-07-29T18:15:00.000-07:00

In Case You Hadn't Already Heard

2007-01-31T11:41:00.000-08:00

I'm moving to Seattle. Wallingford, to be precise. It's now T minus 11 days and counting.

Don't say you weren't warned.

The Odd Pistachio

2007-01-31T11:34:00.000-08:00

Last night my swim coach Laura and I were discussing the relative weirdness of the pistachio. Laura, who is a confirmed fan of the pistachio, thought it wasn't weird at all. But this is from a girl whose fondest memory is being spoonfed morsels of pistachio pudding cake by her boyfriend.

I think there are three main reasons why the pistachio is the oddest of the common nuts (e.g., walnuts, cashews, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts and the peanut (which, admittedly, isn't a nut at all but a legume)).

First off, the pistachio nut is green. All of the other common nuts are some shade of brown.

Second, it is often made into pistachio pudding. I can't think of any other nut-based pudding. Can you?

Finally, said pistachio pudding is regularly consumed in pistachio pudding cake, which, so far as I can tell, is neither pudding nor cake.

So what do you, dear readers, think of the pistachio? Discuss.

Napa Valley Dirt Classic

2006-12-20T08:40:00.000-08:00

My one moment of glory...standing on the podium at the Napa Valley Dirt Classic.

Proof That Boredom Is Universal

2006-12-20T08:39:00.000-08:00

Why else would aliens travel halfway across the galaxy just to mess with soy-based food products?

Losing the Game

2006-11-20T16:35:00.000-08:00

Try to remember when you lose the game. It happens at the oddest moments.
the game
via the presurfer

OK Go w/Quit Your Day Job, Great American Music Hall, San Francisco

2006-11-03T14:48:00.000-08:00

Taken during slow jam number when audience was invited to wave cellphones instead of lighters, 'cause peeps in San Fran don't smoke and shit.

Men's Bathroom, Edinburgh Castle, Tenderloin, San Francisco

2006-11-03T14:47:00.000-08:00

Cars I Love #1

2006-10-18T12:35:00.000-07:00

You have to hand it to The General. They've thrown up some sweet rides in their time, and the Chevy Vega Kammback Wagon is a shining example.
So what if it was slow, and so what if early examples tended to catch fire? The point is, you show up to a date in a powder blue Vega, and you're all but guaranteed to get to third base...and beyond.

Other examples of American shooting brakes are less successful. Take, for example, the Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado Wagon. Granted, you could fit the entire nation of Malawi in the back (Madonna's adopted children and all), but you know what? You'd still be driving a lemon custard hearse.

2006-10-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

XTERRA Nevada
September 30, 2006
Incline Village, NV

750m swim, 21.5mi MTB, 5k trail run

03:11:55
(0:19:38 - 2:27:34 - 0:24:43)

OA 78/254
AG 27/62

Tara Reid: The Struggle of Our Generation

2006-09-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

me : yo peep this when u get a sec. it's hi-frickin'-larious
paul : where can we send donations of conditioner?
me: dustin does charity work, doesn't he?
me: it's for the good of the nation, really
paul : i think the irc needs to mobilize for this one
me: what about the hairstyleurs sans frontieres? surely they can help
paul : they're tied down with angela merkel at the moment. but perhaps they can spare a few good gurlz
me: tied down with angela merkel...? rrrowr!
paul : exactly what bush said
paul : btw, anthony is probably gonna drives us down to redwood city for the party. we should get there by 7, so leave around 6:30
me: otay
paul : to make sure we get there b4 surprise time
me: yes. when mary will be so "surprised"
paul : she's been practicing her crying all week long
me: more like her whole life
me: she gives good cry
paul : true. dustin comes by it naturally
me: it's in his bones
paul : yes - he has moist bones
me: my oh so young, oh so moist paduan bone learner
paul : ah... hayden
me: ah...hayden's gratuitous male nipple shots
paul : hey - i'm at work
paul : let's not take me there
me: u got a cube
me: how's the fancy new lamp?
paul : s'aright
paul : de-institutionalizing my cube a bit
paul : struggling mightily against the dominant overhead fluorescent bulbs
paul : it's the struggle of our generation, really
paul : i'm fighting the fluorescent bulbs here so i don't have to fight them at home
me: making the last best stand and all that
paul : and all that
paul : btw, you joining for eos sunday eve?
me: think so. don't see why not
paul : i tend to get nauseous there and then vomit later. but other than that, i don't see why not
me: that's too bad. i usually only get that way around angela merkel
paul : she'll be joining us too
paul : angela and eos...
me: i only dine at eos when angela's there
me: it wouldn't be the same without her
paul : only thing is, it's hard to identify that way which is making you nauseous
me: it's the struggle of our generation, really
paul : really

1994 is Calling: They Want Whitney Houston Back

2006-09-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

I'm listening to Pandora again, this time with mixed results. I'm playing my Yacht Rock channel, which should be playing only '70s white-boy smoothies like Player and the Doobie Brothers. Instead, I get the Clivilles & Cole remix of "I'm Every Woman." I feel like I'm back in law school again, headed out into the frosty evening for a night at the Saloon.

In other news the car hit 40,000 miles last night, right at the intersection of Fulton and Arguello, as I was headed out for a frosty evening of another sort -- a sunset MTB ride in Tennessee Valley.

2006-08-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

The new road bike is slowly but surely being sorted out. Last Saturday I took the bike out for a 50 mile ride with the road triathlon crew. Not fifteen miles into the ride I got a flat. First ride, first flat. Not a good omen. The rest of the ride was uneventful, though I suffered mightily on the return. I passed a number of riders coming out of Nicasio, and as I slogged through the final hills I prayed that I wouldn't get overtaken. (I didn't.)

I noticed some shifting problems on the ride, so I took the bike into the shop last night. I thought the problem was a sticky link. The mechanic thought it was a problem with cable tension, so he fiddled around with the rear derailleur tension screw for quite a while. Once he was satisfied everything was working properly he gave it to a second mechanic for a quick QC. The second mechanic quickly realized what the real problem was: a bad cassette.

When I bought the bike I asked for a larger rear cog in the back to replace the standard 12-23 cassette. For those unfamiliar with bicycle drivetrains, "12-23" refers to the number of teeth on the smallest and largest cogs on the cassette. Larger cogs (or smaller chainrings in the front) reduce the effort required to turn the rear wheel. Moving to a larger cog is similar to downshifting in a car. In both cases the new gear combination allows the rider (or driver) to climb hills more easily.

In the rush to get the bike out of the shop, the mechanic had replaced the 12-23 cassette with a 12-25 cassette. Unfortunately, he installed a nine-speed cassette instead of a ten-speed cassette. Since my rear derailleur is designed to move between ten gears and not nine, the bike was never going to shift properly with the nine-speed cassette.

In the end I got a shiny new 12-27 ten-speed cassette. I thanked the mechanic for his help and rushed out the door to go for a quick ride in the fading light.

I bought a used pair of Crank Brothers Eggbeater pedals from my friend Robbie. They're compact and lightweight, and I thought they might work well with the road bike. Now I've never had a problem with pedals falling off the bike. I'm not even sure how that would happen, since if anything the act of pedaling ought to tighten the pedals. But last night off they came. Five times.

By the fifth time I gave up. I threw the recalcitrant pedal in the Camelback and practiced one-legged drills all the way across the Golden Gate Bridge and back to the car.

The Things You Learn on Space.com

2006-08-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

I read an article this morning on space.com about the European Space Agency's SMART-1 lunar orbiter. The orbiter's mission is to create a chemical and topographical map of the lunar surface. At the end of its three-year mission the orbiter is scheduled to plunge to a fiery demise in the Lakes of Excellence, "a volcanic plain area surrounded by highlands in the mid-southern latitudes."

I was intrigued by the name, so I looked up the names of other geological features in the area. Turns out that the Lakes of Excellence are near the Mountains of Achievement, the Ridges of Value and the Basins of Commitment to Total Customer Satisfaction.

Who knew?

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060822_science_tuesday.html

Howell Mtn Challenge

2006-08-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

Howell Mtn Challenge
Angwin, CA
August 13, 2006
20 mi XC MTB
Results here

35-39 Sport Male
02:10:15
AG 14/17

Good times, a low-key vibe, but a hardcore group of mountain bike racers. I ran a solid, clean race and still got smoked.

XTERRA Scramble Mount Tamalpais

2006-08-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

XTERRA Scramble Mount Tamalpais 12K
Santos Meadows
Muir Beach, CA
August 6, 2006

1:08:54
AG (M 30-39) 8/19
OA 20/56

Click here for an elevation profile of the course: 1200+ feet of climbing in the first 3.5 miles.

It's a beautiful course with amazing views of the ocean.

Downieville Pics Pt. 3

2006-08-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

Just some random rider (probably a pro) catching some air during the downhill race.

Downieville Pics Pt. 2

2006-08-03T08:16:00.001-07:00

These are the Sierra Buttes. You don't have to climb to the top of them in the XC race, but it's pretty close.

Downieville Pics Pt. 1

2006-08-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

Part of the infamous Babyheads section on Pauley Creek.

Downieville XC Race Results

2006-08-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

My lucky go-fast socks weren't enough to carry the day this time. That said, I'm satisfied with my performance. Had I not endoed and cramped on Butcher and flatted 200 yards from the end of First Divide I could have shaved a few more minutes off my time, but that's racing, isn't it? It's not as if I was the only person who lost time due to a mechanical.

The Downieville Classic
Point to Point Cross Country
Downieville, CA
July 30, 2006
http://www.downievilleclassic.com/

Beginner Veteran Men (35-44)
3:11:13
AG 8/27
OA 329/473

Skyline Wilderness Park

2006-08-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delays in posting. Hello, my image hosting service, has been on the fritz recently.

In any event, here is a photo of my buddy Andrew riding at Skyline Park in Napa. The park has hosted the Napa World Cup MTB race on several occasions. All I can say is if the trails were as eroded on race day as they were a few weeks ago that was one tough race.

I've Really Got To Stop Leaving My Swimsuit Out

2006-07-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

Morning Commute No. 4

2006-07-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

Everything Is Just a Little Bit Classier in the Wine Country

2006-06-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

Separated at Birth?

2006-06-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

But Wait, There's More

2006-06-16T17:15:00.000-07:00

Spied by an intrepid associate (aka Mark) at 17th & Church

Another Day In the Sierra Buttes

2006-06-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

Another weekend in Downieville.

Andrew went up Friday night to do some volunteer trailwork with the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship. Kim, Aaron, Yvette and I headed up early Saturday morning and took a spin on the North Yuba Trail in the afternoon. North Yuba was much more challenging than we expected -- think Second Divide Trail minus the exposure. With the regroups, bonks, two flats (guilty) and a broken chain (me again) a seven and a half mile jaunt turned into a three hour odyssey. Reality quickly set in and we rode downriver on the highway to the car. We met up with Andrew, who told us about the new re-routes he built on Pauley Creek, and drank free beer at the volunteer post-work party. We bought too much beer at the store, ate too much dinner at the Grubstake, built a campfire at our cabin and fell asleep to the sound of the river.

After a late start we drove up to Sierra City on Sunday morning. We parked at the Wild Plum campground and headed uphill. Two and a half hours later we reached the top.

The Perfect Cycling Trail is really "open" to mountain bikes about the first two weeks of June -- late enough for the approach to be (mostly) free of snow yet early enough that hordes of hikers have not yet descended upon it.

It's only seven miles from the top back to the highway. It took us nearly three hours to descend. The trail was admittedly too technical for Yvette and Chad. But that's mountain biking, isn't it? You get thrown into precarious situations; you go slow, survive and do it all over again.

It Wasn't Supposed To Be Like This

2006-06-08T15:29:00.000-07:00

So my boy Jason and I decide to ride the Headlands last night. On the way over the bridge I keep telling myself that this will be an easy aerobic ride. No heroic measures.

Jason and I meet up at the Conzelman parking lot and head up the hill. We manage to keep things mellow all the way up Conzelman and down Coastal. We cross over the road and ride down Rodeo Valley Trail towards Miwok.

I've never had much luck with Miwok. It's just a little too long and a little too steep for me to ride it strong all the way up. At some point I always have to downshift. But we're riding up and chatting away, and I'm feeling pretty good, so I keep holding my gear. About two-thirds of the way up I realize that I'm still in that gear, so I decide that I'm going to hold it to the top. Why stop now?

I actually make it to the top feeling strong. Jason is right behind. We chat for a minute with some guy coming (illegally) down from the top of Bobcat. Jason wants to continue, but I want to keep the ride to 90 minutes. Being the smartass that I am I tell Jason that we should ride up Slacker Hill. Never having heard of Slacker Hill he agrees.

On the way down we blow past the guy we were talking to. We cross back over Rodeo Valley road and head back up Coastal. At the gate we catch three other riders. A fourth rider overtakes the other three and begins to take off. I'm still feeling pretty good so I keep up my effort. I'm not trying to catch him exactly, but I don't want him to pull away either. As I climb I'm slowly moving up through my gears and about three-quarters of the way up I catch him. Feeling that my job was done I sit on his wheel. We stay that way until the final 200 yards where the trail levels out. My rabbit decides that he wants to be a hero, so he sprints to the gate. I spin through the gate and circle the parking lot until Jason arrives, which isn't long.

We head down McCullough for a few yards until we reach the bottom of the Slacker Hill trail.

Jason looks up at the trail. "How far do you want to go up?"

"Let's go until we have to stop." The trail averages a 16% grade. I fully expect we'll go a hundred yards or so and turn around.

Jason blasts up the hill. I follow. We make it over some water bars and reach the first level spot.

"How much further?" he asks.

"We haven't stopped yet," I tell him.

We continue up the next pitch, which is more eroded than the lower section. We're still going. Unbelievably, we both clean it and make the final climb to the top. The only other time I had climbed Slacker Hill I stopped four or five times.

The views, by the way, are totally worth it.

Waiting

2006-06-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

21st Street near Valenica
San Francisco, CA

Evening Commute No. 3

2006-06-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

17th Street
San Francisco, CA

And she's buyiiing a stairway...to Cala

2006-05-31T17:18:00.000-07:00

Cala Foods
18th & Collingwood Streets
San Francisco, CA

Memorial Day Weekend

2006-05-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

Another long, hard weekend of workouts is over.

Saturday: A 90-minute, technical ride down at Skeggs followed by a 20 minute brick. Felt sluggish during the ride and run, but my pace was faster than I expected.

Sunday: A LONG (220 minute) ride with the group at China Camp. We spent most of the time on the backside riding each major trail in both directions. It reminded all of us why we got into mountain biking in the first place -- exploring new trails, riding hand-built singletrack with no specific route in mind. Lunch was at Fish on the Sausalito waterfront. Highly recommended. Got into Gramps Mode later that evening with an Epsom Salts bath.

Monday: An 11+ mile run with Kim and Andrew at Point Reyes. After an easy run out to the ocean on the Bear Valley Trail, we took Andrew's "advice" and ran back via Coastal/Sky/Meadow Trails.* Thankfully we did not have to summit Mt. Wittenberg (1407 ft), although we came mighty close. An ice plunge followed. Grilled BBQ mussels in Olema came after that.

-------------------------------------------

* Although beautiful, lower Sky Trail is an overgrown tick paradise.

Tres Lomas

2006-05-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

Last night I ran Tres Lomas for the first time in several months.* Usual mixture of good and bad. My body is still recovering from Temecula on Sunday. It throttled me back on the uphills -- I could not push my HR past 184 no matter how hard I tried.
My knees have been creaky as of late so I practiced good downhill running form. I had some success on gentle grades but good form on the steeper stuff still eludes me.
Total run time was 0:53:43, which is a solid but unspectacular pace. Nonetheless, it's still 8 to 14 minutes faster than last year.

----------------------------------------------------

* An official Tres Lomas run starts at Sports Basement in the Presidio. Sports Basement --> Old Mason --> Halleck --> Gorgas --> Lyon --> Lombard --> Presidio --> Anza Trail (Presidio Gate --> Julius Kahn Playground --> Golf Course --> Mountain Lake --> Battery Caulfield Rd.) --> Washington --> Lincoln --> Coastal Trail --> Warming Hut --> Promenade --> Sports Basement.

I've scoured MotionBased for a run report, but nobody has posted a Tres Lomas run. Sorry, no maps for you. I'm not sure of the distance, but based on my pace I assume it's 6-ish miles.

Temecula 2006

2006-05-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

Dag, yo. This was the hardest race I ever ran.

XTERRA West Region Championships
Temecula, CA
May 21, 2006

1.5 km swim / 19.5 mi bike / 5.5 mi run
03:39:23
(0:29:51 / 1:57:54 / 1:11:38)
OA 204/301
AG 29/48

Wild Seed Wildflower 2006

2006-05-08T11:50:00.000-07:00

I went down to the Wildflower Triathlon this weekend. I was a last-minute substitution for my friend Ali, who had a knee injury and couldn't run.

We did the Wildflower long course, which is a half Ironman distance (1.2 mi swim, 56 mi bike, 13.1 mi run). Jill did the swim. Anne (fresh from running the Boston Marathon) did the bike. I did the run.

I had never run a half marathon before, so I was interested in seeing how well I could do.

Team Schwabee's Angels
6:39:04
AG 31/41 (Open Mixed)

My run split was 2:03:32, good enough for 646th overall (out of 1755) and 15th place in our division (out of 41).

While We're On the Subject Of Crappy Camera Phone Pics

2006-05-02T11:47:00.001-07:00

Here's one I took a few weeks ago on a hike at McInnis Canyon near Fruita, CO.

Great Seats. Lousy Game.

2006-05-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

Me: (showing Mark my crappy camera phone pic) Guess who that is. That's Barry Bonds.
Mark: He looks just like Oprah. What with the roids and all.

I Came Home With a Gold Medal and a Farmer's Tan

2006-04-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

Napa Valley Dirt Classic
Angwin, CA
April 23, 2006

22 mi XC mtn bike

02:12:30
Beginner 35-39M
AG 1/11
OA 166/326

The race was held on the campus of Pacific Union College. Let me tell you, those Seventh Day Adventists sure know how to put on a raffle.

Official results here.
Upgrading NORBA categories (e.g., Beginner to Sport, Sport to Expert) explained here.
Definition of 'sand bag' here.

So What You're Trying To Say Is...

2006-04-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

Somewhere on Haight Street
San Francisco, CA

Incoming!

2006-04-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

How Many Friends...

2006-04-10T07:18:00.000-07:00

...does it take to wear my swimsuit?
Three.
One to envision the plan.
One to execute it.
And a third to document the gory details.

Granite Bay Xterra 2006

2006-04-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

REAL MTB Triathlon
April 2, 2006
Granite Bay, CA

.4 mi swim/16 mi. bike/3.5 mi. run
2:17:04
OA 89/184
AG 20/32 (M 35-39)

2005 results for comparison:

.5 mi swim/16 mi. bike/3.1 mi. run
2:31:42
OA 137/183
AG 22/26 (M 35-39)

Gay Tweens!

2006-03-29T14:44:00.000-08:00

One of the joys of Pandora is discovering the name of a godawful eurotrash dance track you only hear at Gold's Gym or a gay bar.

The newest discovery for me is "Stay" by Mynt. For my purposes, the song itself is irrelevant: some heavily echoed female sings asks for me to "put sugar on her pain." Whatever, dude. What really interests me is figuring out how these people make money.

It's clear that this must be a singles-driven market. Even though Mynt has released a full-length album (Still Not Sorry), even they can't possibly believe that royalties from the LP will cover the mortgage. I mean, who's going to buy it, really. Gays? Tweens? Gay tweens?

I'm not sure anybody beyond the core gay tween demographic would even buy the single, and I'm pretty sure the gay tweens aren't buying it either. They're too busy ripping it off Limewire.

Thus, the money in this single must come from licensing it to cable music services. But how much money can that be? Surely not enough to keep the sultry Kim Sozzi (guest chanteuse on "Stay") shod in Manolos.

But what do I know? This song is probably hella blowing up in Belgium.

Chanoko 2006

2006-03-12T19:23:00.000-08:00

Chanoko Mountain Bike Duathlon #3
March 11, 2006
Granite Bay, CA

2 mi. run/10 mi. bike/2 mi. run

1:28:10
(0:15:55/0:55:23/0:16:52)
OA 37/89
AG 14/28 (M 30-39)

2005 results for comparison

1:42:16
(0:16:37/1:05:58/0:19:41)
OA 131/166
AG 44/51 (M 30-39)

I'm Sitting On the Couch

2006-03-07T22:01:00.000-08:00

Eating dinner, drinking a glass of wine and reading Sex and the City. Erykah Badu is on the iPod, piped through the stereo speakers. Swim practice ended 90 minutes ago.

I finish eating and get up. I walk over to the kitchen and put the dishes in the dishwasher. As I put the wine glass in the top rack, I get a head rush. I suddenly realize that this moment is pregnant with significance, that I am fully contained within an instant.

It's funny how the mind assigns meaning to the meaningless things we do.

Blessing or a Curse?

2006-03-04T17:20:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I really don't know what to make of modern technology. On the one hand it is saving lives and sending spacecraft to the edges of the solar system. On the other hand it allows drunk people to take blurry pictures of wine corks with their cellphones.

But just for the record: (1) Paul wasn't the only one to do it, (2) it was really funny to watch, and (3) the Schug Pinot was most excellent.

And That's the Great Thing About Fire Island

2006-03-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

This is the only story I have about New York City:

I was at my company's holiday party. After the party we went to the pool hall across the street from G. I played a few games, then wandered over to G with my friend Annie to meet up with Curt, a co-worker of ours.

Curt had refused to go to the pool hall. He and his boyfriend went straight to G and apparently had been drinking the entire time. We were making small talk when Annie excused herself to go get a drink.

I was wedged between Curt and his boyfriend, who had invited me to come to their place on Fire Island. What follows is an exact transcript of the conversation:

Curt: Well, you know, that's the great thing about Fire Island. If you want to party, you can party. If you want to relax, you can relax.

Boyfriend: And that's what makes Fire Island great. If you want to party, you can party. If you want to relax, you can relax.

Curt: Which really is the great thing about Fire Island. If you want to party, you can party. But if you want to relax, you can relax.

Boyfriend: And that's the great thing about Fire Island...

It went on like that for fifteen minutes. I was transfixed. How long could they keep this up? Did they have any idea they were repeating themselves? Just how fucked up were they?

In the end they flaked on the Fire Island invite. Curt left the company shortly thereafter. I'm not sure I ever saw him again.

By the End of the Meal, That's Exactly How LG Felt

2006-02-28T10:37:00.000-08:00

Dustin's Birthday Party
Kokkari
San Francisco, CA

Well, I'm Not Partial To It Either

2006-02-21T16:45:00.000-08:00

Nameless(?) Park
Carl Street near Cole Street
San Francisco, CA

Ask Dr. Cracky

2006-02-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

I sent my friend Michael a link to an article about the dangers of ecstasy use. He e-mailed me back:

Did [you] see in this article that people don't die from taking ecstasy, but die because they have had "too much water"?! Too much water? Can someone really die while dancing because they had too much water?

I replied:

Well, yes and no. It's not really the water itself that's the problem. It's the problem of maintaining a proper water-sodium balance.
If you're up dancing all night long, you lose a lot of water and sodium through your sweat. If you drink nothing but water, you replace the water lost through sweat but not the sodium. As you continue to dance, your blood sodium levels continue to drop.

The condition of abnormally low blood sodium levels is called hyponatremia. Symptoms of mild to moderate hyponatremia include nausea, muscle cramps, disorentation and confusion. Extreme hyponatremia can cause seizures, a coma or even death. The fact that you and everybody around you is cracked out probably means that you (and your friends) are less likely to identify when you have a problem and need treatment.

Cutting down on the amount of water you drink is not a good solution. Hyponatremia can occur when you are dehydrated as well.

The best solution is probably to (a) cut down on the amount and duration of dancing (and sweating), and (b) drink plenty of sodium-rich fluids (like Gatorade). Dancing all night on a sweaty dancefloor is like any other endurance event. You wouldn't run a marathon or compete in an Ironman without replacing both water and sodium, so why would you dance and sweat all night long without replacing them as well?

The Gentleman Friend

2006-02-13T13:47:00.000-08:00

The Gentleman Friend and I decide to go running in Golden Gate Park.

HIM: How far do you want to run?

ME: Not long. Maybe 45 minutes.

HIM: Let's run to the lake. The one with the ducks and the Asians.

ME: Every lake in Golden Gate Park has ducks and Asians.

Pictures From New Orleans

2006-02-06T16:47:00.000-08:00

When I tell people that I was in New Orleans last week, they ask "What's it like?" It's not an easy question to answer. For one thing, I stayed downtown, which is one of the neighborhoods least affected by the flooding.

I never got close to the Lower Ninth Ward or any of the truly devastated neighborhoods. But even downtown things were not back to normal.

For example, when I checked into my hotel, I learned that room service, voicemail, the gym, valet parking, ice and the mini-bar were not available. While housekeeping would tidy up every day, the hotel would change the sheets only every three days. Now, it's not as if any of that affected me in any significant way. The only thing I missed was the gym. However, the air conditioning worked, the hotel had plenty of water pressure and WWOZ was back on the air, so I really couldn't complain.

The central things to realize about New Orleans are that everything was damaged in some way and that almost everything is still damaged. If you walk down Poydras Street, which is the main business street in New Orleans, you will notice that even the skyscrapers, the most valuable real estate in the city, are not yet completely fixed. I never learned why. Perhaps it's due to negotiations with FEMA or insurance carriers, or perhaps it's simply due to the difficulty in sourcing replacement windows and roof tiles.

Obviously, the damage to housing stock was much more far reaching. If you look out over the city, you see a field of blue tarps covering the roofs of houses. Look more closely and you see boarded-up buildings and buildings that are partially collapsed. Even in the Garden District I saw trash in front of houses. It's odd, because I saw plenty of garbage trucks picking up trash (at least for sidewalk trashcans).

Another thing that you quickly realize about New Orleans is that if it isn't completely broken, it's not a priority. For example, the city did tow abandoned cars, but only to out-of-the-way parking lots, where they still sit.

Or take the case of traffic lights. I was told that only 10% of the traffic lights in town are working. A certain amount of that makes sense. Traffic levels are down significantly from pre-Katrina levels. Many neighborhoods no longer have a need for traffic lights.

The city has restored traffic lights where they are most needed, on Poydras Street and other major streets. However, just because service has been restored does not mean that the traffic lights are "fixed." Many traffic lights are tilted to one side. Street signs are up, but they don't necessarily point in the right direction.

Political tensions don't seem to be fixed either. Mayor Nagin's "Chocolate City" comments did not sit well with the white residents of New Orleans with whom I spoke.

However, Mayor Nagin's comments are not the largest problem facing New Orleans. The largest problem facing New Orleans is a critical lack of housing. Businesses are up and running and Help Wanted ads are everywhere, yet there is nobody to hire. The reason there is nobody to hire is because there is nowhere to live. City workers, what's left of them, are lving in two giant cruise ships docked along the Mississippi. Rows of trailers, the kind you hitch behind a Chevy Suburban on your summer vacation, are parked in lots along Poydras Street. House trailers provided by FEMA are held up over concerns where to place them.

Oh, and there's environmental damage, too. Trees, mostly oaks and cypresses, all over the city are dying. The cause? Saltwater incursions during the flooding. It is still winter down in New Orleans, so many of the leafless trees are simply dormant. As I walked along the city streets, I tried to figure out which trees had died. I turned it into a game called "Dead or Deciduous?"

It seemed somehow grimly fitting that on the night before I was to leave, a severe thunderstorm hit the city. The storm spawned tornadoes, at least one waterspout and damaged several buildings including the airport.

I was supposed to leave out of the C Concourse, but that concourse had been closed. A possible tornado hit the concourse, damaged the (temporary) roof and snapped a couple of jetways in two. The bus stop shelter poster posted above? Ripped down by the winds.

Visiting New Orleans

2006-02-03T16:54:00.000-08:00

St. Charles Ave. near Erato St.
New Orleans, LA

I just got back from a three day visit to New Orleans. More photos and commentary to follow.

The Muddy Ride

2006-01-22T20:19:00.000-08:00

Another day, another Tamarancho death march. After one trip to the emergency room and four out of the original gang of seven bailing out early, Kim and Paul and I emerged from the muddy reaches of the Boy Scout camp over four hours after we entered. It was the kind of day where five minutes into the ride one guy slipped on a root, fell over and slid/fell six feet down into a creek.
No broken bones...this time. By the end we were all worn out, not because we had been hammering the whole way ('cause we hadn't) but because we had been out too damn long.
Even the tasty burgers and the homemade ginger ale at the Iron Springs brewpub weren't enough to revive us. At least we got to see the end of the Steelers game.

You Know It's Time When...

2006-01-19T16:27:00.000-08:00

When the Gentleman Friend tells you that your arms are "tiny" but that "no one's perfect," you know it's time to (1) laugh it off and then suckerpunch him when he least expects it, and (2) get a little more serious about doing forearm exercises.

Playing With Pandora

2006-01-18T12:58:00.000-08:00

After some strong recommendations from both John and a co-worker, I decided to check out Pandora, a new streaming music service. Pandora allows you to create music channels by specifying any combination of artists and songs. Pandora then searches its archives for songs that are structurally or sonically similar to the original music.

For example, I created a Goldfrapp channel. Pandora first played a Goldfrapp song that it thought was typical of Goldfrapp's style ("Lovely Head"), then it played Bjork's "All Is Full Of Love." Pandora said it played "All Is Full Of Love" because it contains "new age influences, a vocal-centric aesthetic, major key tonality, synthetic sonority and a dynamic female vocalist."

And then Pandora played Celine Dion.

Now you do have the ability to guide Pandora by adding songs to an "I Like" and an "I Don't Like" list. Pandora will adjust its playlist by playing more songs that are similar to the songs you like and fewer songs that are similar to the songs that you don't like. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that's entirely helpful.

What is Pandora to make of the fact that I disliked Celine's "The Power of Love"? Did I dislike it because it contained "mild rhythmic syncopation, major key tonality [and] romantic lyrics?" No. I disliked the song because it sucks.

And what am I to make of the consequences of disliking "The Power of Love"? Is it a good thing or a bad thing for me to hear fewer songs that contain "mild rhythmic syncopation, major key tonality [and] romantic lyrics?" Since I have no way of knowing what set of songs I have just disfavored, I really couldn't tell you. There may be a rich collection of songs that have those properties. I simply may have been unfortunate in having Pandora present me with a poor example of that type of song.

Madonna is a good example of the consequences of deciding not to exercise editorial control over the music collection. Pandora has played two Madonna songs so far on the Goldfrapp channel: "Love Profusion" from American Life and "I Love New York" from Confessions On A Dance Floor. Unlike Celine Dion, it's easy to think of fans of both artists. My roommate, Mark, is one. However, I think even Mark would agree that "Love Profusion" and "I Love New York" are not the highlights of Madonna's career. If anything, they are two of the weakest songs from two of her weakest records. That said, even though I'm not Madonna's biggest fan (that's Mark's job), I still agree that (some) Madonna belongs on the Goldfrapp channel.

Maybe I'm being too critical of Pandora. It's not a personalized music service, it's a music discovery service. Part of Pandora's strength is that it refuses to classify music by genre or recording date, which allows it to play songs by Quantic and Johnnny "Guitar" Watson on the same channel.

Pandora works best when you give it free reign to skip through a broad range of music and only occasionally nudge it in one direction or another. Pandora's music library is wide but not very deep. It claims to have over 300,000 songs from 10,000 artists, which is a healthy average of thirty songs per artist. However, I've listened to Pandora enough to suspect that it has a comprehensive collection of very few artists. Many artists appear to be represented primarily (Bjork) or completely (Gino Vanelli) by greatest hits albums. In addition, Pandora does not have a classical music collection, and its world music collection is weak.

I think that whatever frustration I have with Pandora is due to my inability to tell Pandora why I like or dislike a song. For example, on my Quantic channel the songs can be either rootsy electronica (Gotan Project, Mark Farina) or old skool funk, soul or r&b (Ann Peebles, L.T.D.). Pandora was playing a good set of electronica until it played The Crystal Method, which I dislike. I told Pandora that I didn't like "Born Too Slow," and now it's playing Earth, Wind and Fire. Now, I'm just as happy listening to 70s funk as I am to the Gotan Project, but I wish there was I way I could tell Pandora that I simply dislike a particular song rather than an entire style of music. That is, keep the electronica but ditch The Crystal Method.

2006-01-17T14:15:00.000-08:00

I just read Scott's latest post about Mikey, a supposedly adorable liftie who lives in Enumclaw, which reminded me of my trips through Enumclaw. I've never been to Crystal, where Mikey works, but I have been mountain biking in Greenwater. I don't have much to say about mountain biking in Greenwater other than to say that it fuckin' rocks. If you look through my archives, though, you should find a picture of one of the trips.

I also don't have much to say about Enumclaw other than that it seems like a nice enough place, green and bucolic in a way that's immediately interesting to a kid who grew up in Arizona. It's that godawful Muckleshoot Indian Reservation that bugs me.

In Arizona the Indian reservations are (1) very large and (2) instantly identifiable. Neither is true about the Muckleshoot reservation. As you drive up from Auburn, you pass through a large stand of suburban ranchettes and fresh-faced kids selling cherries, then WHAMMO! it's broken-down trailers and a shitload of fireworks. I've got nothing against fireworks (that's why God made Wisconsin, doncha know?), but the reservation does make for a disheartening spectacle.

The other thing I remember about my trips through Enumclaw was the anti-abortion protest outside one of the mega-churches there. None of the pictures I took of the protest came out, but just imagine dozens of Class A motorhomes bedecked with 20-foot-high posters of aborted fetuses. You just knew that had Fred Phelps had not been busy heckling AIDS victims, he would have been busting his move in Enumclaw.

And another thing, where in the hell does Mikey get his gear? Wait, I take that back. Must be those Muckleshoots again. Where fireworks lurk, Deca can't be far behind.

Not Dead Yet!

2006-01-16T10:33:00.000-08:00

R.I.P. Fishy
2004-2006

After a lengthy illness,¹ Fishy went to her reward at the great fishtank in the sky.² She is survived by her grieving tankmate, Wanda.³

On the bright side, Fishy was replaced by Skipper, who, you know, can swim right side up and stuff.

--------------------------

1. I.e., chronic constipation
2. I.e., the San Francisco wastewater treatment plant
3. Who probably isn't bright enough to realize that Fishy is gone

2006-01-12T16:50:00.000-08:00

There's something to be said for the notion that all of the young guys have left San Francisco. If they're still here, they sure weren't at Gold's Gym Brannan last night.
It's an older crowd, guys in their 30's and 40's mostly, good-looking in a butch or faux butch or just poz and a little juiced way. As I paused to look out across the crowded room, I noticed that most of them could stand to lose a little weight.

I think it was then that I realized that Gold's Gym Brannan, and probably nearly every other gym on the planet, is not likely to produce a ripped clientele. Except for the seriously roided dudes (and some seriously mannish dudettes), most people in that gym carried ten or twenty (or more) extra pounds of fat.

I suspect this generally is due to two reasons:

1. A belief that muscle growth can occur only in a period of a calorie surplus
2. A fear that cardio leads to muscle loss

A third reason may be at play as well: it is far easier to throw a few weights around than it is to go for a 6 mile run. Not that there aren't a lot of fat runners (or swimmers or bikers) out there.

The Hitlist (Week of January 8, 2006)

2006-01-12T12:34:00.000-08:00

Rickie Lee Jones - The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (Stereogum)

Billy Joel - I Don't Want to be Alone Anymore (Jefitoblog)

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - All Over Again (Soul Sides)

Recloose - Mana's Bounce (Silence Is a Rhythm Two)

Ms John Soda - Number One (Fluxblog)

Kanye West - Heard 'Em Say (Soul Sides)

Betty Lavette - Down to Zero (Silence Is a Rhythm Two)

Amerie - One Thing (Siik Remix) (siik.org via Soul Sides)

The Clean Prophets - Tambourine Crown (Music For Robots)

Anthony Hamilton - Sista Big Bones (Jefitoblog)

Dionne Warwicke - You're Gonna Need Me (la case de l'affreux thom, earlier on Soul Sides)

Nick Lowe - Time I Took a Holiday (Jefitoblog)

Kate Bush - Pi (Silence Is a Rhythm Two)

Some of this stuff is still up. Most is not. But you really should be checking out these blogs anyway.

2006-01-11T16:05:00.000-08:00

Surely I can't be the first to be the first to note the similarities of HIV and diabetes as public health crises. Both are (largely in the case of diabetes and wholly in the case of HIV) preventable diseases that affect minority populations in this country disproportionately (blacks and latinos for diabetes, gay men for HIV). Behavior modifications to reduce the likelihood of contracting each disease are straightforward, yet efforts to induce these modifications have been stymied. The end stages of each disease can be horrific, and the incidence of disease among at-risk communities can be shockingly high, yet the perception in these communities is either that the chance of acquiring the disease is too low or that the consequences of that acquisition is also too low to alter risky behavior.

Thanks to AatomBomb, Andrew Sullivan and the Old Gray Lady (the other one, not Sully).

What's Goin' On

2006-01-11T14:25:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't had much news to report lately. Just the usual: messing around, getting high and swimming. Oh God, the swimming.

I'm Still Here!

2006-01-05T10:26:00.000-08:00

January 5, 2006

November 13, 2005

November 2, 2005

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the Von Dutch trucker hat, I shall fear no evil

2006-01-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

Give it up for 2006, ladies and gentlemen! A new year is here, a new day has dawned. Changes are afoot, and many voyages await us.

2006 shall be the year of many things:

2006 is the Year of Fuck It
2006 is the Year of the Facial
2006 is the Year of the Mani Pedi
2006 is the Year of Getting Crazy Laid
2006 is the Year of Getting Crazy Paid

Um, wait. Sorry, that was 2005, wasn't it?

Good thing 2006 is the new 2005.

Sucks to be You, Dude

2005-12-31T10:28:00.000-08:00

17th Street and Diamond
San Francisco, CA

Clean Hands are the Devil's Workshop

2005-12-21T10:26:00.000-08:00

SFO International Terminal
San Bruno, CA

Do You Now?

2005-12-15T10:59:00.000-08:00

While I'm sure this sentiment is shared by many in my fair city, Condi is a rather obvious Cabinet choice.
Let's jazz it up a little, shall we?

There. Much better.

----------------------

Market Street at Fremont Street
San Francisco, CA

This Means You

2005-12-11T20:25:00.000-08:00

Fair Anselm Plaza
behind Sunshine Bicycle Center
Fairfax, CA

-----------------------

On the Hi-Fi: The Sea and Cake, Oui

Ma Vie En Tableau

2005-12-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

Really, I don't know if there really is a better exemplar of my life than this picture. We have in this photograph, inter alia:
1. Cheap pinot (2003 Pepperwood Grove) in a Lil' Bratz tumbler. Both the tumbler and the wine are technically Mark's, although I bought the tumbler and am drinking his wine.
2. November 18, 2005 issue of Entertainment Weekly. Mark's
3. December 2005/January 2006 issue of National Geographic Adventure. Mine
4. Green stretching band (great for working rear delts). Mine
5. The Gripper! Mine
6. Various crap catalogs (Carol Wright Gifts, etc). Mine, regrettably. But when one is engaged in an escalating war of crap gifts with friends, what is one to do? Besides, where else can one find Urine Be Gone?
7. Smelly candle (probably Aveda) Mark's
8. Hand-me-down plant (named by previous ~~owner~~ custodian "Curly") Mine
9. Coffee table bought for $5 at yard sale Mark's. I could buy something fancier to replace it, but that would involve spending money, now wouldn't it?

----------------------

On the Hi-Fi: Crazy Penis, "Lady T"

Monsieur De December? C'est Moi.

2005-12-08T18:11:00.000-08:00

It seems that the good folks at PacWest Athletics have nothing better to do than to designate me as Member of the Month (or "Monsieur de December"). While I am flattered by the title, I'm bummed that I wasn't able to completely eradicate a most heinous picture of me that they originally posted. From the PacWest home page, if you click on my details, you can see a very nice picture of me hauling ass down the Flume Trail above Lake Tahoe. The unfortunate head shot on the main page was taken right before the finish line at the Lake Sonoma Xterra. While at least my dubious fashion choices and pasty skin have been hidden, you can still espy* far too much scalp for my liking. Which really sucks. Because though I'm sure to be bald some day, I ain't bald yet.

I guess that'll learn me to wear a cap on the run course.

* Not to be confused with the award or former Agriculture secretary or current Mississippi state representative of the same name.

Only In San Francisco

2005-12-07T16:37:00.000-08:00

Good Vibrations

2005-11-29T12:14:00.000-08:00

You'd think from the design of the ad, Good Vibrations sold housewares or maybe some quality linens. I've never been, so what do I know? Maybe they do sell linens.
Linen dildos, that is.
---------------------
Montgomery Street MUNI Station
San Francisco, CA
November 29, 2005

The New Baby

2005-11-22T18:28:00.000-08:00

19.5" Rocky Mountain Vertex Team frame
Fox F80RLT fork
Mavic 717 rims/XTR hubs
XT rear derailleur/shifters/cranks/hydraulic disc brakes
XTR front derailleur
FSA K-Force carbon handlebar
Thomson X4 31.8 mm stem
WTB Rocket V Stealth saddle
Easton EC70 carbon seatpost
Chris King headset

If You Were At the Payson Wal-Mart, You'd Be Running Like This, Too

2005-11-21T10:41:00.000-08:00

Wal-Mart
Payson, AZ
November 19, 2005

Mutant Cactus

2005-11-21T10:39:00.000-08:00

Desert Botanical Garden
Phoenix, AZ
November 19, 2005

A Nighttime Prayer

2005-11-13T20:46:00.000-08:00

Ghost of a Ghost

2005-11-13T20:45:00.000-08:00

2005-11-09T14:15:00.000-08:00

As many of you may know, I am very much in favor of gum. Unfortunately, when you chew as much gum as I do, it is easy to become bored with the traditional flavors: spearmint, peppermint, wintergreen. I'm always on the lookout for new, zesty flavors of gum, which is how I discovered Chiclets Citrus Samba.

I admit, however, that new, zesty gum flavors are hard to come by, since many non-traditional gum flavors taste like ass. Dentyne Wild Cherry, for example. It's like chewing cough syrup. A safer bet is to stick with citrus flavors.

Which brings me back to Citrus Samba. The package has a picture of an orange, a lemon, a lime and a grapefruit (or possibly another orange). That's pretty much what the flavor is, a generic citrus blend. Nothing to write home about, but hey, it's just gum, so stop complaining.

What irks me are the chiclets on the front of package. Since the flavor is called Citrus Samba, I would have expected the chiclets to be dancing a samba or at least be identifiably Brazilian. But no. On the top left we have the Boy Chiclet with his Tony Manero hair and his Disco Stu medallion. While admittedly he is dancing, it's a patented Saturday Night Fever boogie down move, not a samba.

The Girl Chiclet isn't much better, what with her flower scrunchie and broad-rimmed sunglasses. Maybe she was supposed to be the Chiclet from Ipanema, but she looks more like the Chiclet from the O.C. instead. A chiclet who ditched 5th period trig to shop the sale rack at Hot Topic.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

2005-11-03T07:22:00.000-08:00

Is this for real? Matt doesn't look like the kind of guy who'd put sparkly heart stickers on his thank you cards.

Happy Halloween

2005-11-02T10:20:00.001-08:00

To the birthday boy in his birthday suit, congrats on making it to the big 3-0.

More Pics From Joaquin Miller

2005-10-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

In writing all about the injuries and mechanicals from Sunday's ride, I totally forgot about the spectacular wipeouts at the Jump Farm.

And they said it couldn't be done...

2005-10-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

What you are seeing is a very nice second-degree burn I got while mountain biking. While other injuries are more common -- cuts, bruises, broken collarbones, separated shoulders, what have you -- I think it takes a special kind of skill to burn yourself on a disk brake rotor. If you look closely you can even see the curve of the rotor.

At least I had good company:
Aaron cut his ankle while riding the railroad ties at the bottom of Chaparral.
Stefan blew out his rear brake line in a nifty half-endo at the bottom of Castle.
Andrew jacked up his rear hub (probably a broken pall) while riding up The Bitch.
Jason broke his chain while just riding.

Ah, Joaquin Miller Park, how we love thee...

Doggie Dookie

2005-10-17T16:27:00.001-07:00

Not Dead Yet

2005-10-17T16:12:00.000-07:00

More Pics From Xterra Nevada

2005-10-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

I'm Back!

2005-10-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

Xterra Nevada
Incline Village, NV
October 1, 2005
750m swim, 32k mtn bike, 5k trail run

3:24:00 (OA 106/213, AG 25/46)