tag.

This tag goes out to the Jackal. I'll post soon to update and explain my absence from the blog-o-sphere... for now, we'll start with this.

What was I doing ten years ago?

10 years. Wow. I was just starting my junior year of high school. A time filled with thoughts of girls and well... girls. How times have changed.

Snacks I enjoy?

What? You calling me fat? Trust me, you don't get to my size without being intentional... Apple pies and Monster in the morning, followed by a mid-afternoon Monster.

Things I would do if I were a billionaire.

I would invest. Travel. Invest globally and locally and see how I might help change the world. Seriously. But since the likelihood of becoming a billionaire is slowly showing itself to be unlikely I don't have specifics. So for now, I'll just work on changing the world I interact with daily.

Places I have lived:

Iowa - first 20 years
Maui - next 3 months
China - next 3 monthsCalifornia - next 6 months
Iowa - next 4 years
Michigan - whatever that adds up to, to now. I'm just about 27 for reference.

Jobs I have had:

Paperboy
Pinmonkey at a bowling alley
Football/Basketball coach
Shop Rat at a bike shop
Cabinet assembler
Bookstore
Shop Rat at same bike shop
Youth Pastor
Shop Rat at another bike shop
... and just recently new bike shop but unsure of title.


So who do I tag?

Bottke and Geoff, my fellow bloggers on this site.

The Commute [in pictures]

Here's the commute... 5.2 mile trip...

soho and slippers

So... it's been awhile. I do sincerely apologize for the lack of posts in the last few weeks. Life kind of just happened for me, too much stress and I was simply burnt out on posting.

That's not to say that there weren't things of note to post about... because there has been... in the last 3 weeks I've: sold my Poprad, bought a Soho S, still without a car, gotten a pair of Chrome Knickers, encountered a few days where I hated riding, avoided a flash flood [Yes, it seems as if I can't avoid them] and that's just cycling related...

I won't even get into the events of my personal life.

With all that said, I'll be back to normal posting this week.

a quick view...

I flew back to visit a few friends and to take part is an incredible ceremony of seeing Brian get married. It was great and I can't express how truly happy I am for him and Summer.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided to also show up in form of a flood. Here's just a few pictures of the last few days back in Cedar Falls...

A short 4 days later...

There are more pictures available of both the wedding and the flood... here, here and here.

Where I am going...

So apparently my hometown is big news... unfortunately, the reasons why we ever seem to get real national attention are for the bad... from the tornadoes that struck just north a few weeks back, to the homecoming riots back in the 90's... Here's what NBC News ran tonight:



I'll get a first hand look at this and be sure to show a little bit of a bike tour of the areas hit and potentially hit when I arrive tomorrow.

Rainy Commutes

Now, I'll be the first to admit. There has been a little adjustment that has taken place since selling my car. Thankfully the first week definitely was hot but not rainy. This week, a different story, as no surprise to many of you the Midwest has been experience it's far share of storms lately and Michigan was been fortunate enough to get to partake in said weather.

Today was my first day having to prepare for the weather. When I left for work today, we were between storms, from the radar it looked like I was a least going to experience the beginnings of the next. Somehow the next front missed my area of GR. During work, it looked as if the forecasts were going to be wrong, that was until the late afternoon when the rain hit. Short rain showers that last just enough to get everything good and wet.

Checking the radar and hour-by-hour forecast it sounded like I had a 60% chance that it was going to be raining pretty good when I'd need to make it home. It ended up only being a slight mist but for some reason when it rains Michigan drivers find ways to becoming even worse. I do believe I set a record today with the amount of cars that buzzed my tower.

The beast has been seeing a bit more work these days caring frames and wheels to and from work as I say good bye to one and hello to another. I can't say how much I love my Xtracycle. She'll be seeing a few improvements in the coming weeks which I am really looking forward to. I'm about 90% sure I'll be adding yet another bike to the stable. More on that another day.

Now I've got to begin to prepare for my trip back to Iowa for Bottkes wedding. That's right folks, he's tying the knot this Friday! For sure there will be pictures.

Recap of last Saturday...

... when I still had a car.

Last Saturday, I wrote briefly that I was going to be hitting up a ride with an old roommate, friend and pseudo-coworker, Ryan or R2.

The time couldn't have came at a better time in which we stopped by Founders first, enjoyed a pint or two and then went on our way in what ended up being about a 20 mile ride.

Not bad if I don't say so myself. Going into it I knew we'd cruise around with no real destination in mind and through it I pretty much sure R2 will be getting a new fixie.

Here's a few photos I was able to snap along the way:

As we cruised around Reed's Lake, Ryan switched to Red and took off...

On R2's rig still... Sorry, it's a little easier to take a picture or two when one can coast...

Hopefully tomorrow will bring much of the same enjoyment... I'll be heading downtown GR with some friends for the Festival. I'm really looking forward to it and hopefully it won't let me down.