Pretty Pony and JJ Red Pants....

I left for work on the earlier side this AM and as I was walking to the train I noticed a well suited guy with a very cute little bespectacled vixen smooching on the corner. It was actually quite touching to see the love. As I got closer I realized it was my sister's X, JJ Red Pants.


Now I like JJ Red Pants: he is a little older than my sister, pretty uptight, sort of serious, soft spoken, and a boozer. He looks older than his years (the booze) and my sisters friends used to rip on him and call him " old man river". I liked John for the most part. He was well meaning and I know he loved my sister, but he also tried to convert her to become an alcoholic. Bastard. Unknowingly, but still a bastard.


So I walked up next to him and his lady and decided I needed a little fun before my day. I am a real bitch without my first cup of coffee.


"John, you always knew how to run with the pretty ponies": His face was first struck with bewilderment as he was trying to place me. You could see him running through the mental roledex, probably slightly foggy as JJ more than likely had a few pops the prior night and assuredly the way he and his pretty play thing were kissing they must have had a smooch fest the whole night.

That moment of confusion in JJ's eyes then turned to the look of fear in his eyes as he realized who it was. It was such a brilliant moment.

He stumbled at first what to say and somehow he found the words to say ever so elequently "ahhh, how are you?" Smooth.

We chitty chatted as we crossed the street and finally his lady friend leaned over, stuck her hand out and introduced herself. JJ Red Pants must have forgotten my name amidst the shock. He knew who I was of course, but I could see that he could not remember my name. As I shook her hand and introduced myself I told JJ that "he really could pick a pretty pony." It was supposed to be a compliment, with just enough wise ass to be charming. He is so soft spoken I think he was a little overwhelmed by the contrast of the true ugly American routine I like to pull out every once in awhile.

His girl commented on how "gross and sweaty" she was and I told her I did not feel bad for her one bit as JJ and myself were in suits and she looked pretty comfy in shorts. She was a bit of a looker for sure. Good job JJ.

As we arrived at the steps to head down into the subway I was leaking sweat and was feeling the pressure of my morning work load starting to become burdensome, so I bid my adieu to the pretty pony and told JJ it was great to see him and hustled (not walked mind you...) down the steps. I wanted to jam to the tunes and be anti social as I needed to be ready and Johny on the spot this AM with people who sit in the corner offices. But somehow I knew JJ would be right there behind me like a lap dog.

As we jumped on the downtown express train, JJ Red Pants asked how the family was...which I knew was boy code for "how is my sister doing?" So I called him on it:
"If you are asking me how my sister is doing she is doing great" and I briefly went into what she was doing, trips and a few other small inconsequential bs facts to give a small glimpse in to the life of the woman he once loved...maybe still did love. Sometimes things, and I know this personally, never really die and there will always be a soft spot in your heart for that person. I knew that is what he was feeling.

I ran through a bunch of other shit with him, grilling him about his current kitty kat and what her deal was in hyper quick staccato. First pointed question: "she is younger gal right?" JJ Red Pants at first misunderstood and thought if I was asking whether or not she was younger than dear old sis. Little insight that he was a little distracted, because for some of his faults (which frankly I think is more of a function of the maturation process as he was well meaning and had a good heart...just sort of crap on the execution) he was a smart well spoken guy. But at that moment he must have been back at the teet of love with my sis...

John was good sport with me and politely answered my questions: Here are a few examples just to give you insight into what kind of ornery crap mood I was in. I was certainly merciless in a kind and sweet gentle way...Sometimes I enjoy playing the older brother tormentor....Today was certainly one of those moments.

• "how long have you been dating?
• "when do you pull the kid card with the ladies? Do you wait till the 2nd date or is it the 3rd date?"
• "has the new girl met the kid?"

And it went on like this till I got to the stop before I had to jump off. I shifted gears.

At that point I looked JJ Red pants in the eyes and told him he looked good and I was glad things were going well for him. He looked sharp and I told him he should feel good about the whole circle of life thing (that is the kid) and that it showed he was responsible which is more than you say about most folks under the age of 35. I meant it all. I wish no real ill will on him but I never gave him a hard time when he was dating/chasing around my sister and felt he needed a little squirming for humility purposes. Who am I to decide that it is ok to do that? I am my sister's brother and you have to respect the ladies.

Haunts of ghosts of the past....

Patrick asked me recently what had happened to the X...I was not really sure what to say other that we were done for sure as it had been the rockiest of relationships I had ever had. The highs were great and the lows were well below any low I had been through.


It made me reflect how sad it is that was once two great friends is nothing more than a memory. Very sad where you can go from talking to somebody all the time to zero talking. It is for the best, but I can not help but think why I could not have been friends like I have been with other X's. Is it because things were so fucked that one can not hope to repair anything and is better to leave the carcass of what was great behind...It is funny how a few words from a well meaning person can set you on this reflective run of what happened and what did not happen.

In the end I have one trip around on the Merry Go Round and it is up me to make it a good ride, for not only me but those around me. One should try and leave the world in a little better place...Evidently that means the X should be an X for a reason.

Intent to Ride: the Better off Dead edition

Intent to Ride
I awoke Sunday feeling rough. Lack of sleep made me ache and unable to even put my contacts in because my eyes hurt so much. The phone rang twice. Text messages about whether or not I was bailing or not came through. Flesh is weak but the mind was willing. Not a great combo frankly.

Was on the train before 12 heading north with LD to Creepskill. Not really that creepy...sort of ghetto but I would not mind living up there as it would be close to trails....MMMM trails.



Tried to hydrate in vain. The day was hot and I was already leaking fluids like an old gallopy who needs a can of oil every day.

We rode singletrack up to the entrance of Debacle. I was intent on riding Debacle.

The first real obstacle was a super tight roll down between 2 rocks. We had looked at it the last time and decided it was do-able but with protection/pads as it was a little hairy. For some reason I fixated on it and knew I wanted to ride it and that I could.

LD asked if I was high and if I was sure I wanted to do it. He had balked at it the last time we were here together, which was a little surprising as I had seen him roll some other stuff that was way harder. I was a little nervous as I put the shin pads on. I had brought shin pads specifically for this and two other places that I thought I would need them. And while I was apprehensive I was truly intent to get that monkey off my back that has been holding me back from doing stuff I know I can do and that I have done before.

So I rolled it. See video above. LD is certainly the talent bike wise because his photo skills in this instance left much to be desire with the side angle (and I am too stupid to know how to flip it with out the aid of photo shop) and what I think is his finger in the shot. And if I am going to nit pick I seem a million miles away...Anyway, video sort of sucks but I posted anyway because I felt like I should post some picture of me other than a selfy.

I rolled it with ease actually and outside of slicing my lower thigh on the side of crevice it was cake. It felt good. Monkey is getting off my back. Next step is the roll into the log and dropping off the hip high ledge that I stopped at...I can do it.

15 minutes later though after my accomplishment I went over the bars on what was the equivalent of a shallow set of stairs after grabbing a Little too much front brake. LD looked down at me while I was in a pile and said something akin to the scene in Better Off Dead where Laine is getting ready to ski the k-12 and is told by Charle DeMarr (You know the guy that plays Booger in revenge ofthe nerds..don't ask me how I know this...) "Go that way, really fast. If something gets in your way, turn".....


For some reason, while it did sting the pride and hurt a little, I was happy to have dumped it as it was a reminder that most falls are pretty benign most of the time. That being said I can not wait to come back with a full face helmet to really ride a few things I would be a little concerned about going face first into a sharp jagged rock garden.

Debacle flowed pretty good for me and nailed a few of bete noirs that had been haunting me as of recent including one roll down that if LD had not been there to spot I would have walked happily because it is ragged. Even rolled some exposed rock thing that I slid down on my ass the last time. Rolled it with no brakes, which was surprisingly easy and totally cool.



" I've been going to this high school for seven and a half years. I'm no dummy. I know high school girls." - In honor of my Salad Days.

Debacle is my new favorite trail by far as it is so challenging in some sections (stunt after stunt) but also has some good flowing singletrack that one dreams of....




Yeah that is me rocking the world champ bands of Roland Green.


Double shot quotes that seem right about now...


"Ah, come on! It's Christmas Eve! I could be home right now, drinking this *monster* eggnog my brother makes with lighter fluid. "



"Two brothers... One speaks no English, the other learned English from watching "The Wide World of Sports." So you tell me... Which is better, speaking no English at all, or speaking Howard Cosell?"

Black Dresses and Gigondas....

Black Dresses and Gigondas....Deadly combination of black dresses and Gigondas....I picked Stretch up at 8 after we had ridden up to Nyack and back at a decent pace. I was actually a little more tired than normal after the ride. Not sure if that is just the culmination of crap sleep for the week or the fact I had taken an Tylenol PM the night before so I had not gotten a true deep sleep and instead had a mildly drugged out sleep.

Earlier in the day: On our ride we talked and Stretch was cool enough to share some stuff about herself and her family which I really appreciated. This was towards the end of our ride. She then got very quiet and so I asked her about it which I hope was the right thing to do. Trying to be better about talking is way hard. I was not sure what to make of it. It was as if she had felt like she had said too much (which I did not think so at all). Sometimes people pull away when they feel like they have shared too much. I was not really sure what the read was, but when we went our separate ways after agreeing to meet for dinner again (same bat channel and same bat time) she planted a kiss on me that was like Aphrodite herself had planted the smooch...Slightly open mouth with a beautiful proportion of her lower lip. Sweet. I stood there as she road away in my dirty, sweaty, salty bike clothes just totally speechless. I hope she does not kiss everybody like that because that certainly felt totally custom made for my mouth.

Back to the Black Dress....
Stretch was dressed to kill in a black dress that was tight and so right. Very few ladies can really pull it off, and the tall cool glass of water did it with flying colors. I could not help but stare. I felt sort of pervy at one moment. Not that I was thinking anything particularly pervy at the time (just the normal level of pervy thoughts of course) it was just a function of feeling self conscious because my eyes kept drifting below her neck. It was like I was a child again and looking at my first nudie picture. It was raw sexuality in which the femininity was almost superseded by passion. Boys on the street as we went to the restaurant could not help but stare and frankly I do not blame them. Stretch is slim and built just right.

I had planned something special for her but the devil inside wanted to have a little fun and so I dragged her to Rai Rai Ken on 10th(Japanese Noodle joint that is a hole in a wall and always has a long line) and pretended that was the place we were off to...I could not do it to her because she looked so good and not that Rai Rai Ken is crap, but I was not going to bring the pretty pony to hang out with the mules. But then again, she was making everyone else seem pale at best. The suns brilliance makes even the brightest of lights seem like embers in a fire not long after they have burned out.

So we were of to 9th street market which is a personal favorite. Great food, small, soft light, and a decent list of wines.

Right back at 'ya: If Stretch was dressed to kill then I was going to pull the trigger right back at her. I ordered a bottle of Gigondas (one of the 5 big wines of France in my humble estimation) which is like the nectar of the gods and makes your food sing: It is fucking good. Had she said she wanted to drink white wine because of the heat I am not sure what I would have done because there was nothing of that caliber remotely on the wine list in a white: there was no Montrachet on the list which is the true romance white wine...Anything else is for the pretender. There is something about Gigondas that makes it so drinkable:it drinks light but is robust in taste. It is the kind of wine that makes you want to whisper in girls ears about....And makes girls want to be whispered to.

Needless to say, it was a great night.

Will write more later on my Sunday ride. Even have a video to post of me riding something that LD asked me if I was sure I wanted to ride down, as if I was stupid and could not realize that it was over my head... Sometimes I never know.

What is the cycling equivalent to smoking apres sex?

I am sitting completely content after a day on the road. Legs buzzing from fatigue. Skin burning ever so slightly in a very mildly pleasant/painful way. Lungs a little tired from deep breathing. Hands a little rough from changing a flat. It is that apres ride feeling of having been outside and doing something. If you don't dig being outside then you are not going to understand the feeling because it is frankly one of the best highs I ever have had. Bar no drugs, seriously. It is so mellow and you feel so fatigued and good at the same time. It makes you want to take a longer shower and crawl into to bed to take a long nap. I feel so charged up again after closing my eyes for a bit.

Salad days...or the end of the salad days.

When I went for my lunch one of the young ladies behind the salad counter told me that "my friend" was not in today and that she would be back next week. I knew right away who she was talking about as "my friend" had been flirting with me every single time I came in for a sandwich/coffee/salad (most of my eating needs are met at this place) for the last 3 months. Benignly I had been smiling back and making some small chit chat. Politely I had asked her name once because it seemed right considering she makes my salad almost every single day.
Anyway, the young lady informed that "my friend' was graduating next week. Taking an interest in the education of the youth has always been a Kean interest so I asked where she was graduating from and she said High School...Now "my friend" is a very pretty tiny Polish girl who I assumed to be in her mid 20's (in my defense her body looks like a woman's body not a child's body)and so I thought no wrong of making friendly chit chat. Now, instead of being somebody who is friendly, I feel like a pervert coveting HS girls....SO WRONG. Evidently "my friend" has a little crush on me or something. Flattering I guess. Testament to my youthful appearance? Maybe?? The girl behind the counter asked me how old I was and at that moment I felt so old because I realized "my friend" and the girl behind the counter were not even born in the 70's.....I responded by saying "much older than you." She said that they thought I was in my early 20's. Instead I could be their father...Dramatic yes. True to a certain extent as I did lose my virginity 87-88. First time that this has happened to me? Yes and was totally strange. I may have a t-shirt from the year that they were born. I guess my days of the "salad days" are going to end for a little bit till things cool down.

Sobering

I arrived in the office this AM to find this email from a co-worker. It was if the air had been sucked out of me. I never know how to react to this type of news.

With much sadness I am writing to inform you that my father, Gildo J. Martini, past away this morning from the effects of dementia.
We will be making funeral arrangements later today.
Thank you to every who has supported me during this difficult time.
Regards,
Kim

I have not spent a lot of time with Kim in the last couple of years. I had wrote her a note in the last couple of months trying to voice my support and she stopped by and thanked me. But you could tell it was taking a toll on her. Not that it would not take its toll on anyone outside of a rock, but Kim is strong and youcould see the strain of it all in her eyes.

God Speed Gildo.

My Thoughts and prayers are with you Kim and your family.

Sometimes my sister is as cheesy as I am....

This is a picture my sister sent me from Greece: "shameless self promotion." Great picture.
She then wrote that she has never felt so well rested. Rested from what?

The list....

The List....
Recently, while riding I had been thinking about all the things that I regret or wish I had done differently. It is a good exorcise to run through or make a list of what makes you cringe, shake your head in disgust and feel downright embarrassed to tell your best friend. A could litmus test for these types of activities would be anything you would not do in front of your mother or sister.
I was focused on turning over the gear on the incline on one of my favorite trails. While exhaling with all my force trying to move the 36x32 on my porky (heavy) bike, I could not help but think to myself how sad it is to hurt the people you love, including yourself, in the name of stupidity. Or how cruel people can be to each other. Murder & rape has almost become benign in this day and age in with all the abundance that is readily available in the media. Everywhere you look you can see it or hear it. Why do people do what they do? Not even sure why i have done what I have done at certain points in my life:Less than Zero?


Between deep exhales, followed by super deep inhales, curses of having too tall a gear to turn over, through the flashes of lactic acid build up I wondered what I could say or do to make up for some inexcusable actions. I am not sure there is anything that one can say once trust has been breached, social contracts broken and when illicit activities are committed. Some things can not changed or undone as they are apart of your personal fabric...In some instance these are things you may not have had any control over. These are usually the ones that are the worse in terms of action, and yet they are the ones that I am more readily able to understand and move on from because they were not my action. Drama aside, I am not talking murder here, but I am talking about small things that when said out loud to oneself make you feel a little less. Some could be harmless like a white lie. Other could just be embarrassment because it was/is taboo. None of these things I think as weird, because I know plenty of people who have done it and freely admitted to doing it...It is just different when you are the character doing it.


So as I recounted to myself this list that oddly goes back to 3rd grade ( I could go back farther to 2nd grade...) when I stole a Smurf from my friend Jeanette to .....I still don't feel that good listing some of them out loud ...even just to myself I tend not to remember. Maybe this is the fault in the process because I am not observing fully my actions or those of others. Sometimes I wonder if I just stopped and thought about these things a little more would there be different outcomes. Maybe it is better to treat the wound at the very moment and deal with the pain, rather than let it sit, only to then re-open them down the road because you never really addressed them in the first place. That is one for the shrinks to figure out.


One might argue that the end product of who I am is due to my actions and the actions of others that were beyond my control....In the end, while I might cringe at myself, I am alright with who I am for the most part. The things I am not crazy about I am trying to change...some are superficial& some are more deeply rooted into my personal foundation that while I can say that it is not good behaviour and that I should not do it, it is harder actually to follow through in practice. I call this particular issue of mine "the carnival mirror" for obvious reasons.

Good Art: http://kevinniernan.com

Kid sister is in Greece with Sam and Wendy. Below is a snap she took of cousin Wendy. Mieke said it is paradise with picturesque scenes and fine fare. I don't doubt it.

Indian Food Zombies.....Tuesday Night Trouble

Indian Food Zombies....

Double J have been out of town recently every single weekend at their place up state so I have not heard from them at all. They are getting all into that nature. I think Male J is building a bike out of rocks and branches in order to appease his bike and nature needs.

This is 'em chowing on the Indian food in Queens.
Come home kids and ride with the Pastor of Disaster.

I am sure female J would not be that pumped about me posting this picture, but here she is as the devoted wife waiting with bottle for her man (she could not roll that day because of an injury sustained in the octagon in her UF Class)for his ride. Goot devotion.

Tuesday Night Trouble: TNT

Park was packed with tri-athletes either running or riding. I had to ride slow most of the time because I was afraid if I got up to speed that some nutcase with full tri geek set up and air-o helmet would wobble into me . Some of the git-ups were pretty funny. There is a guy rolling around in full length spandex and an Assos top on a Dolan TT bike and a 60 tooth front chain ring...at least a 60 tooth chain ring. WHY???

Rode with JB male and rode at a pretty reasonable pace with only a few sprints which worked out fine with me. I wanted to get some miles in without killing myself, although the sprints were not exactly suckling on the teet of love either. The last one I did took about a half a lap to fully recover as I was chasing from Cats Paw hill to the engineers gate...

Got a call from Stretch during the ride to say she was up for a ride ...very cool.

Other stuff...

Peter B is back from a trip to Alaska and sent me a picture of a nice girl he met there. She has great eyes and it figures he likes her as she is English...Can anyone say Emma?

Tuesday night ride....

Tuesday night ride....

Is the one thing I can really look forward to right now.

Work is dead...Sort of.

Phone calls are unreturned...sucks.

The view out my window is way too good to be behind glass: The true modern day prison.

The temperature is just right: totally Goldilocks.

Dream of legs spinning in a slightly meditative state...effortless and not that painful.

So for the time being I am just looking forward to doing a few laps in the park after work while zoning out, getting a slice of pizza and chilling out.

Know Your Rights

I had not listened to this song in some time and I forgot how good a song it is. It is a true call to arms and since I was listening to a live recording of it, I could not imagine actually being there. I was blown away with out over my headphones so I can not imagine the live show.

I am sure that the relevance of the song is still substantial I just don't think that in today's day and age a song will would be the lightning rod to activism.

Finally....What is the deal with the blue tooth ear piece? Do people think that the Star Trek look is cool in any way possible?

What really blows me away is that women wear them as well. They know enough not to wear t-shirts from 20 years ago (unlike yours truely), that they should know not to wear the blue tooth earpiece.

Not sure why this makes me crazy. It just does.....

Lawyers, bike paths, DD's and Nyack

Stretch and I were supposed to meet at the boat basin at 10 AM for a ride up to Nyack and back. The classic NYC bike ride.

I was running late after having gotten coffee and a bagel, which I then poured over the front of somebodies windshield a few blocks later after they grazed my arm zipping by me. When i caught up to the jack-ass (that is the technical term) and politely said to him "you seriously almost killed me. I am pretty confident rider and had you done that somebody else they may not have stayed upright..."

Which in turn I got "you shouldn't be in the street". That is a fuck you if I have ever heard one. If he had just said I am sorry I would have moved on. So I looked straight at him and slowly poured my coffee over his windshield and then took off.

All that for 2 sips of a crap coffee, the worst bagel I have had in some time (it was so bad, even in Des Moines IA it would not have been acceptable) to only be late for stretch. She seemed cool about it, but I was a good 10 minutes late. I hate being late and having somebody wait for me. I don't mind waiting, but if somebody is waiting for me it makes me crazy. I get so anxious for them not to.

We road to Nyack via RIver road. No comment made about the place we met as we rode by. We chit chatted the whole way, which I love riding my bike and talking. It is so relaxing. We were just on cruise control. Not slow, but not fast. We talked about friend, work and nothing terrible memorable other than it was pleasant. She is a little hard to read, but is a great sport and easy on the eyes. A great riding partner.

When we hit Nyack we stopped at the Runcible Spoon for the regular dose of fuel to get us back. No over fueling today for once. I dont think I even finished my muffin. I was pretty much poweredon gatorade, vitamin water, Latte and half a muffin.

I saw Lisa in Nyack: she looked the same and seemed to be happy at school. It was nice to see her and bump into her on a ride. I had wanted to give her a shout since I have been back but for some reason I had not. But in the end it was the best way I could think of re-connecting with a friend:seeing them on a ride. Was less akward that...not that there should be any reason why it would be akward. We only were friends who rode together for the last couple of years. No smootchy or anything like that...I just felt a little strange picking up the phone and calling.

Felt great all day. Not particualrily strong/fast but just good. Somedays when I am on the bike I just feel like junk. The last few rides I have felt pretty decent. Just need that to carry over to the fat tire riding now...

After the brief fueling, Stretch needed to go see here barrister who lived in town. We made a really nice stop at fun hippy type couples house. She did great art work (seriously good...wish I had brought my camera on this ride to take a quick snap) and he was a lawyer who dug music and collected samurai swords. The real deal swords done in the damascus(sp?) style. The couple had a couple of rambouncous(sp?) dogs who needed attention so I spent a bit of time stroking the pooches. I like pooches.

After that we meandered back to the city with a slight interuption of the rain here and there: nothing serious. Sawa bunch of tri geeks: they are popping up everywhere. Do they not know that triathlon is lame-o. They have zero skills for themost part. Saw four of them dump it on the bridge in the wet sections. Do they not know that sudden movements on wet metal are verbotten?

Towards the end of the ride I realized how I was enjoying the company so I asked her if she wanted to grab a bite to eat with me later. So we are meeting at 8 for Sushi...or Italian.

I am off to shower up and nap.

The Latina Bette Page...

The Latina Bette Page...& Other junk

The train ride this morning was highlighted with what I can only describe as a Latina Bette Page, which fortunately made what was a slow train ride into a pleasurable train ride.

When I got on the train on 59th street I was forced to stand right next to the door because the car was so full due to rush hour being in full effect. My only concern at that very moment other than enjoying the last little bit of my perfectly sweetened coffee was whether or not if I was going to like the next song to come through my head phones and whether or not if I did not like the song if I wanted to futz around switching to a song I did like.

As I stood there on the car as it slowly, very slowly, made its way to 42nd street I noticed a pair of brown eyes directly in front of me. Like tropical fish, as soon as I caught them looking at me by giving them my full eye contact they darted away. In front of me was what I can only describe as the Latina Bette Page. Dark, curvy and very animal. Well heeled in black leather shoes, real hose, black short skirt and a silk black slip top. She was the woman you always wanted to get into trouble with but were too afraid to ask. Cliche, but she was smoldering with femininity, desire and what seemed like an innate understanding of the needs of man.


I can not be certain of age. She could have been late 20's-early 30's as she smiled very coquettishly as we started this game of eye tag. Our eyes would meet and she would smile. I would smile back . We hold there for what was maybe a second but seemed longer as my eyes were so fixed on her face. It was as if I was so drawn in that I was admiring every beautiful detail in that briefest of moments: The shape of her very full lips, the brown of her eyes and the small beauty mark on her cheek. But by the same token she dressed as if she was a woman and not a mere girl. Her black bra strap, that extended to the barely visible top of the cup, showed the lace of a tasteful but sexy under garment. A woman's undergarment. A woman who knew how to dress and highlight and accentuate all of her assets. She may have been in her mid 40's because she exuded such class and poise, but the skin of her hands (a woman's true tell of her age) gave me no insight of her true age. Ageless.

She smiled a few times almost as if she wanted to say something when our eyes met, almost as if she was embarrassed. I said nothing. I would grin back at her and not take my eyes of her till she moved hers. Then I would look the other way, and wait and peer from the corner of my eye to see when I could catch her gazing at me again. Then I saw she was looking again I would look back and she would smile again...this cycle went on and on.

I felt awkward all of the sudden. Was this girl just embarrassed because I was looking at her or was she really flirting? I did not know. I did not want her to feel uncomfortable so when the train doors opened at 42nd street and people stared to pour out of the car onto the platform, I moved further back into the car. I ended up by the end of the car, leaning against the ext that leads into the next car. As soon as I had leaned back against the door and had a sip of my coffee she moved towards me and positioned her self directly in front of me. At first she looked down, and my eyes followed hers to the ground. She moved her leg ever so that it emerged from the slit of the skirt. And right where the material met, I could just make out the cuff of her hose. Lacy and conjured up images of scantily clad 1950's pin ups girls. She was someone who took pride in the way she appeared.

If I had game, I may have said something. But instead I was still groggy from another crappy night of sleep and was enjoying this game of non-verbal flirting. Her eyes kept saying "talk to me dummy" and I kept smiling like she was just the bee's knees as I took in the sexuality of this woman in deep slow breaths where I could not help but be delirious.

In some ways it was a perfect moment. We both had a mutual admiration of each other with no words spoken. I was not about to ruin it with "Hi my name is ...." or something akin to Pee-Wee Herman trying to pick up a chick.

Sometimes it is better to leave the pretty flower in the forest then try and pluck it, as beautiful moments are often few and far between here in the city. I am not sure I could have had a better moment with her as we had just been completely intimate with not a spoken word.

She jumped off the train on 14th street. She stopped and paused at the door, purposefully smiled again and shook her head as if to say what an idiot I had been not to say a word. The doors closed she stood there for a brief moment longer and as the train pulled away she turned and made her way to the stairs.

Other junk....

Rode in the park last night for a bit and it was totally over-run with these tri-life runners/bikers. They had some sort of training group going on and everyone was out in their uniforms. It is as if the triathlon has become the rite of passage for the Uber-New yorker. Master of wall street, tough guy/gal because they do tri's in the down time. Ended up riding way faster than I wanted and kicking some ass in a few impromto hill sprints with some racer/weekend Lances. I have not ridden that fast in awhile so it is nice to know it is all coming back. Decided it was best to check out before I rode too much and too fast. Pacing is everything.

LD called with such excitement over finding new health through massage (he assured me right away it was not one of those Greg massages...) via an ancient Chinese/new age herb healer who worked with the Shaloin monks to correct their osteoporosis ...or something like that. Anyway he was jazzed as to not be feeling like an old man after a rough weekend of riding. He should think about taking yoga: all the stretching and deep breathing might be enough new age for him to get it together.

He then called me a homo because I wanted to do a road ride with Stretch on Saturday on 9W and not hit the trails with him...Hmmm. ..Carrying somebody's liquids around blue mountain or riding behind a sweet behind? Yeah I guess I am a homo. A happy homo to be riding up 9W on Saturday.

Then I get some shit about some of the older videos I have taken and he says thathe does not like them because he looks way too slow. I told him to ride faster and he maybe we would not be having this problem....The talent is always so picky and I am sure the next thing I am going to get is a rider with the do's and don't's and where the trailer needs to be parked and how he likes his wheatgrass etc etc....

Speaking of speed...Check this French cat out who went to break the world record for speed with a bunch of Japanese tv dudes.

You are probably asking yourself if I am kicking myself for not saying something to the Latina Bette Page?...As I am sure all of you would have said something very clever and suave...But the answer is no. It was fun and that is more than enough sometimes.

Radioactive Buddha and Super Charged Heaven ...And other random BS

Radioactive Buddha and Super Charged Heaven....And other random BS

Total nonsense of course, but I like the idea of the place in time where the power of the divine is melded to the nuclear age. As in Vishnu, but totally atomic. Totally random but for some reason I was thinking of the Buddha on the west side that survived the fall out of either Hiroshima or Nagasaki (not sure anymore) devastating bombing attack. Towns were flattened leaving piles of debris and burning rubble, but somehow this statue survived.

Speaking of the divine and supreme power, the picture of the Ellsworth is from the day Jack lent me his single speed. I loved riding it. Need me one of them.... Riding SS is so sweet and makes the smallest of challenges big. It reminds me of how excited I was to ride a mountainbike off road, without the learning curve crap to it.

The commute this AM totally sucked. I wanted to wake up early and get a ride in but I ended up sleeping a little longer. I needed it as I slept terribly last night. So the bike ride did not happen, so I jumped on the train which turnedout to be the train ride from hell in which I was stuck between stations for close to 20 minutes and then they turned the express into a local and so there was train switch involved in the commute...I could go on but it is so bitch to be complaining about nothing. So I was late to work and got no ride in. Had I got the ride in and had been late I would have been fine. I am going to get an easy road ride in tonight.

Grabbed some soup with CD: she and her boy are off to Georgia (as in the Republic, not the state) for 2 weeks shortly. I could not imagine having 2 weeks off straight...But at the same time I think I really need a couple of weeks off to feel fresh again.

For the time being I guess Iwill have to be content with a killer ride over the weekend. I want some smooth flowing singletrack....

Not sure why this picture amuses me...Hostess Cupcakes, a flight of Sake (5 or 6 tasters of different booze), tuna, salmon and eel. Seriously goot stuff.

Independent Fabrications...

Independent Fabrications...

Really do a nice bike. I love riding this bike. Ever since I swapped out the super light U.S.E. carbon post, which has a fair amount of layback to it, I have felt so much better. It rides so smooth now. It probably helps that I am rolling on Vittoria rubber. They are the best tires bar none. I could really go for a 700x24 instead of a 700x22...

Re-Traction:

A certain someone was a little upset about my post about the pictures: After some thought, I could see how my comments might upset somebody, but then again if I had been riding half as good I would have wanted to take some footage too and I would have been an eager beaver to see them as well....Was I making a little fun? Sure. Was it is at LD's expense? Naaah.

I took this picture of pristine Cali coast in the lost town, or the town that the people want you to forget, of Bolinas. Pristine. Majestic. Cali coast line is un-like anything I have ever seen before. Unlike the east coast, for some reason the Pacific seems vaster.

Then a turn to the right and I get the "clockwork orange surfer brah" graffiti covered wall. It is a strange juxtaposition and for some reason it conjures up a futuristic blade runner world in which the nature is surrounded by urban sprawl with only a retaining wall a la Berlin Wall which is then covered with the scrawling of we the inmates and our distaste of forced containment. I am not sure what is making me think more and more about Blade Runner these days but its vision of the future is so stark and almost devoid of true human care. Are we far from the Clockwork Orange future? Will I only ride virtually...Right now with work I am only really riding virtually.

Goot stuff.

Little log crossing action...The log transition on the backside was steep and uglier than the crap rock tranny that LD rode with ease.

92nd Birthday and getting back on the horse...

Last night I was lucky enough to catch Les Paul play his 92nd Birthday bash at the Iridium. I hope to gawd that I am that spry at 92, or else I hope I am in the ground. He totally rocked. Very together, and totally cognoscente...and although his fingers looked totally gnarly because of the arthritic condition that was making them look like branches on old dead trees. Nick Manny (I think that is what his name is) as a guest and he was unreal. SO GOOD.

The only true let down from the show was that he did not play "Somewhere over the Rainbow" which is his supposed signature song for closing down the show.

I took a girl, who I will now call stretch, to the show and she totally dug it. She had been a bartender at Jazz club so I think it was a hit with her. I am sure it was not a normal date which is what I was aiming for.

Yup, a date. It is time to try and get moving again and get back on the horse. She is a real nice stallion for sure so it is not as hard as it would seem...And she actually might think I am an OK person which could be really nice.


Just a little more mountainbiking from last Saturday....

Highlight from the evening outside of the music: Waiting for that first kiss to happen which was really nice. I totally was chicken at first and was stalling to figure it out....But it happened and it was good ...and then I got kissed again before she jumped into the cab. I real kiss if you know what I mean. There is nothing like a good first kiss...it ussually takes a few times but that was a good one for right out of the gates.

I sound like a porn director....Remind me to shut up next time I bust the camera out.

"This sound does not subscribeTo the international plan

In the psycho shadow of the white right hand

Then that see ghettology as an urban Vietnam

Giving deadly exhibitions of murder by napalm"

New Moon On Monday

I think my time with eGay is coming to an end....I am tired of all the crap that goes along with selling and buying on that site...Granted I have sold some stuff and bought some stuff that I would not have gotten anywhere else so it has not all been bad.



Here is little mix monsterin reverse....

I took the day off from all activity basically. My legs are probably shot but since I have not used them like this in so long I dont know if they are really shot...But I am assuming they are after 2 days of hard riding. Actually i put togther 4 days in a row since I rode Thursday and Friday night as well....Thursday I think I did 4 or 5 laps in the park. I went super slow. Friday the same but only 3 laps. ...I did have some problem going up the stairs this morning. Oh well, what does not kill me only make me stronger or stranger. Can't get much stranger.

I am not really not sure what to make of my life these days...so many things up in the air. Ohh well at least the sun is out.

You can get my socks now and be as cool as me without having to go get tattooed....

LDL called bright and early about the video which i have started to post on you-tube but is taking forever and I am starting to think wont post...I know he loves videos of himself riding and I had no problem telling that I wanted to shoot something but he pretended like he was doing me the favor. I think he ended up doing 15 sprints while doing some runs on some specific stuff. I did the filming in part also because my legs were toast and I needed a little break. There would have been no way I would have been able to mountain bike another day like I did on Saturday.

New Moon on Monday is a Duran Duran reference...sort of lame reference but for some reason it struck me as a good title as I am hoping for new things starting today. I need some new and good things to happen to me. Or at least I have to try and make them happen.

SOON TO BE AT A THEATRE NEAR YOU....I hope at least. Please go and check out his story.



That is all I have for today.

Happy trails.

Saturday Six and Sweet Sunday....

So....Saturday Chris and I hit Blue Mountain for the day. We jumped on the 8.51 AM Train to Peekskill: The home of Blue Mountain. We jumped off the train roughly an hour later and started to pedal...We pedaled for a long time in the woods. Before that though we stopped and loaded up on some more drinks, as hydration was key to survival with what we had in mind. Cramming my camelback with 64 ounces of Vitamin Water and 1 Gatorade I thought would hold out for the day. Boy I was wrong.

We had decided to do Debacle, the new super hard cross country trail on the mountain, right at the git go when we were the freshest. FUCK...I was so glad we did it first as it was so hard. It was truely technical trail riding. Not quite stunts but burley enough to be glad you are on a longtravel cross country bike. I was not feeling confident at all riding some of this stuff. I lowered my seat which made it really hard for me to turn. It felt better rolling down super steep stuff but otherwise I felt out of sort on the bike...And I know for sure that the stem is too long for this kind of trail riding. Would be fine for XC racing etc, but not for steep stuff when my ass is hanging over the tire by a few inches. It was an epic ride. Within the first 2 hours I had just about drank through all my liquids. I was just leaking. It took us about that long to ride the whole thing. We stopped and shot some pictures and rode it more the technique rather than trying to blast it...I could not have blasted it anyway as my gearing was way too tall for the amount of climbing. Some were so short and steep it was hard not to tip over as you needed a ton of speed. I ended up on my back once...but that came later on Mix Monster...Not sure if that is the real name anymore.




We rode mix monster totally nicely...cleaned the super steep rock roll down that i had done the last time as well...The long travel bike does make it so much easier. Took a ton of footage which I will post soon. It was a totally epic ride. By the time we finished up Mix Monster, which was around 3.15, we decided to call it a day and came down the mountain on basically all single track ...sweet.

Hit the train station and filled up on a real nice swiss burger and 3 Coronas...the reward for the ride was primo. I was so stoked to be alive. Not a worry in the world as I basked in the late afternoon sun waiting for the train to come. Four twelve train arrived and because the train was filled the conductor put us in the staff car (last car on the train)...the downside was zero ac....we just ended up sitting in the back and leaving the door open. Loud but the breeze was good. You were hot but quite sweating. Still happy as a pig in shit. Had sushi for dinner and called it a night.


SUNDAY:
Sunday I wanted to have a total relax ride on the road...No one along but me and the iPod. I would have maybe liked some chit chat on the ride as I barely spoke a word the whole day other than telling an Indian couple that I had no clue where the Japanese Garden was ...I still don't. Rode up to Nyack. The priors day ride had left a hiding in place that made the ride up pretty uncomfortable. I had worn a Pair of Sugoi shorts which I don't think do well when they are perpetually soaked like I was yesterday. As soon as I hit Nyack I went to the bike shop and bought some chamois cream...Thankfully it made the difference. On the way up to Nyack I realized if I stayed sitting in the same position and not get out of my seat or accelerate too much I could grin and bear it. But as soon as I got up, the searing pain in my ass was enough to make me almost stop riding because I would wince so hard...it literally took my breath away a couple of times. Ride back was SO much better. I kept the bike in the big ring basically the whole time and felt great the whole way home...not super tired but fatigued in the right way. The new position is way comfy...I could be stretched out a little more but then I might miss out on the comfort factor....I need that comfort factor big time unless it leads to huge cushy saddles...That is when I know I must leave the sport and brought behind the shed and shot.

Two stellar rides...I can not remember the last time I put together 2 awesome rides like that. As I type this I have to say I am so content with the way I feel. I get such a release out of riding. I feel more at ease with my self. My back is stiff from typing this up because I am so tired, but I still have to finish my laundry.... I can not wait for bed tonight.

Seriously two awesome days of riding.

Speaking of big rides....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImytfvLCyKc


Brutal or stupid?

Falling in love again....

I rode the Crown Jewel last night since last fall. Since then I had changed the seat and post and slightly altered my position. I also slapped on a set of All Weather Vittoria tires which are the most sensual tires I have ever ridden this side of the most high end tubby. Comfy (meaning a little more squish so the bumps dont feel quite as there. Not like an FS bike but just more smooth than a normal tire....I need to make sure I pick those up when I see them for a good price.) and fast. Such a difference from Conti's which ride so hard.

It felt so right. I dont think I have ever been so enamored with a bike in a long while. And for once, it was my own bike. I hate bike lust when a friend is rolling on a rig that I can not help but covet....whether it is set up or the actual tackle it always leaves me wanting more and not for a long time have I had that....Maybe with the planet X as I did ride that a ton this last winter and spring and I just dont remember having the desire liek I do right now for the Crown Jewel. I can not wait to go home and ride my girl after work. I just have fallen in love again with her. She is so sweet I am not sure why she ever spent the winter inside.

I rode in the park last night for a bunch of laps rolling pretty slow...I was amazed at the number of high end bikes in the park: Bikes have become a status symbol. But to be fair there was also a ton kids rolling quick...More than I can ever remember. I remember the days when I was hard to beat on my mountain bike and now I am struggling to keep up with the grand pa's....That is no joke. I got smoked by gramps last night...he must have been an age group champion or something because he was quick. That is what I at least keep telling myself. ..."yeah that is the ticket."

Eric S...otherwise know as the "Lawyer Lung"

Eric, who is a 3 time pop, recently emailed me saying he wanted to convert his wifes bike for child rearing purposes and wanted to see what junk I might have for the cause. His wife is a cutie so I will see what I can do.

I did not have the heart to tell him I had posted a bunch of junk on eBay as I am in the midst of a huge spring cleaning...My goal is to start posting one thing a day from DVD's to bike junk to books. I want less stuff in my life and the stuff that is in my life I want to be essential for my well being. No excess based on the desire for excess. ...I had started to become quite the consumer which scares me. Next thing I know I could end up spending days shopping instead of actually doing something....
Here is some of my junk fopr sale: Please buy it.
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZgrouanQQhtZ-1

Anyway, Erics wife is one of the coolest gals I have met. Totall sweet heart and I have to say Eric is totally lucky to find what I think is an awesome partner. Thou shall not covet your buddies wife...Only his bikes.

BIKE STUFF:
I must be jaded as none of the news on the scandals really shocks me anymore. My only response is that why are people acting so suprised? there have been so many whispers about doping/cheating in cycling for so many years that one can not wonder where there is smoke there must be flames. Barney Riiis and his admission that he was high as a kite when he won the tour is not so news worthy....Remember when he trashed all mother fuckers by dropping back and looking at his rivals and then riding away ...Riding away from the festina boys who were full tilt toxic. Read breaking the chain and you get a sense of some of the drugs/stimulants...some of that stuff was not recreational. Cocaine?

I totally anticipate more of this type of stuff to come out....Indurain has not come out yet but i would not be suprised as he rode as if he had a small engine hooked up to his bike. Lemond always talked about the dramatic speed increase inthe early 90's as being the indicator to EPO use and when you think of these guys coming out of no where with speed like the devil himself then you can not help but know that these guys were not running on water and bread anymore.

I personally dont care anymore...I still like to see the guys go up the hills quick. I wish that cycling media would look at some of the other stuff in cycling. I would like to see more pictures of the bikes. I can always use more pictures of bikes....

My girl is getting a make over....And other bike stuff

I have had my Kona King Kahuna for some time now and it has been a very faithful girl to me. She has seen me when I was at my fastest and she has seen me when I have had a real good get off. I really havenot changed much on her over the years outside of a new fork here and there and some new parts here and there have come and gone. For the most part she has been the same and she has treated me good...better than I have. But then again she was made to take a beating.


Here she is a couple of years ago looking clean.

Anyway, after many years of talking about parting her out and starting over I have started. I plan on sending her off to Spectrum Powder Works shortly and getting that tough ti finish painted over in a lush deep blue...that is the plan anyway.





It will be a treat for me and a treat for her.

Other stuff: work is starting to be good again. I may actually have some stuff to do in the near future with a project that might be interesting.

I will post a picture soon but I have a new rig...an Intense 6.6 which has been a lot of fun to ride. Lots of travel and pedals pretty quick actually.

Starting over again....

I had started a blog last fall in the hopes of ending a writers blocks....Which did not happen. The impetus to create and re-create has come again. I have been more pensive as of late, which I am not sure is a good thing or not. The mind is a dangerous place to be.

Anyway, so I could not log into the old blog which may be for the best as I approach life with a new zest for life in a very Stalinist approach as I try and purge the past (at least the shitty parts...which I know is a feeble attempt) and move onward. But Blogger pissed me off I had to start off with a big "fuck you" from Johnny Cash.

So I am starting over not only with this blog thing, but also in my personal life as I try and re-construct my life. Get thing on track again. Live better than I have before in terms of sticking to my beliefs and doing what is right for me. It all sounds so new age and so nouveu bitch but it is where I am at. I liken it to a diet in some ways: I will do my best to stick to my guns but if I decide to indulge in a little desert I am not going to beat myself up.

What is the Mega Bottle Ride? I feel like I am on it sometimes. More on that later.

This is a recent picture of me after a day of riding at blue mountain: I stacked it hard going way too slow through a rock garden (normally clean it when I have a little speed and when I did not it was just a quick dab) and gouged a hole in my leg...A deep one. It did not hurt, but I got this stupid scrape that did really bother me. It is funny what I focus on and what I don't focus on. ..Big huge cut that could potentially get infected (which it did) and could get chopped off because of gangrene or the fact i got a little tiny scrape on my hip that I am now not sure where it is.



I have to get better about sweating the details....




More to come soon as this feels good to write again...Not that this is much of a body of writing.