Back from the Hotter 'n Hell ride in Wichita Falls. The HHH is the largest single day century ride in the nation with over 14000 riding this year. Freaky weather this year also. Pete, Glenn, Benjamin and I finished the full 100 miles under milder than hell conditions. We caught a lucky break with a starting temp of around 63 degrees and a finish temp in the low 90's.
We left Austin Friday afternoon with a dinner stop in Decatur (Sweetie Pies for rib-eyes). We set a record by getting to packet pick-up at 9:30pm, a full half hour before they closed.
Lodging was at the spacious La Quinta, where we requested and actually received a non-smoking room this year. Long day, so we were in bed by 10:30, so we could get up at 5:30.
Ride started at 7:00, with me still a little sleepy.
Here we are at the 30 mile rest stop, still looking fresh (and fuzzy).
Pete and I finished together. Glenn and Benjamin were on a tandem and finished a little behind us.
Overall, just a really good ride... even, dare I say, fun. To celebrate we went to see District 9 at the local theater. Now, that's a relaxing film.
Btw, you burn a lot of calories riding a hundred miles. In addition to the pre and post ride steaks, I managed to suck down an endless amount of cookies, bananas, Powerade, pickles and even a hot dog and a donut (mmm... donut). No wonder I gained 5 lbs during the ride.
It's been a while, so I thought I'd check our book sales on Amazon this morning. Our sales rank tends to fluctuate quite a bit. We've been as high as #1 in our category, but currently we're #4, which ranks as #129,756 in books on Amazon.
Interestingly, we're selling better than Arthur C. Clarke's 2010.
Back from a quick 30 mile ride to Manor this morning with Pete, Glenn and Benjamin (actually, Pete went on to Elgin for breakfast tacos). That's probably the last ride we'll get in before the HHH next weekend. The countdown begins. T minus 6 days...
On the subject of time, I was asked about my kitchen clock recently. I like the clock because each number is represented by a different metal working process (makes the Mech E in me happy). Not only that, each process is a representation of a numeric value, i.e. the slot in the bolt represents "1", the 2 circular punches represent "8", etc. Or at least I thought they were representations of numeric values. All the numbers make sense except for the number "5". I've never been able to morph the patterned area into some semblance of a "5". Maybe it just wasn't meant to be.
Here's what the original designers have to say about the clock:
I'm impressed that this piece was designed by a husband and wife team (Laurene and Constantin Boym). That's got to be a really hard gig to pull off - what with egos and all. Other than Ray and Charles Eames and Lella and Massimo Vignelli, I can't think of a similar team that's made much of an impact on the design world (Shin and Tomoko Azumi are now working apart). Anyway, enough design babble.
Leaving soon for Houston. Hope you all have fun at Chris' evening bachelor festivities.
Not sure I like the blogger video tool. For comparison, here's the video when uploaded to youtube:
I was reading the paper this morning and noticed an ad for $99 window tinting. That's a really good price, so I called Mother's to get more details. I was told it was their low-grade tint that comes with a one year warranty. And - it turns out for my Tribute, they want $199. I hate the bait and switch. There's nothing about variable pricing in their ad.
Well, I've been wanting to get my car tinted for some time now, so I decided to give Sun Tint on 2222 a call. They said they'd do it for $179 with a lifetime guarantee. I found a $10 coupon on-line (because I'm cheap), so I took that to be a positive sign. I have to give the place credit for having a cool shop dog and the most interesting array of magazines I've seen in a waiting room. BTW, I was talking to one of the guys there about cable rub damaging my bikes. He says he has something that might help, disappears into the back for a minute and reappears with a sheet of protective clear film - gratis - how cool is that.
Speaking of magazines, I was sorting some boxes yesterday and found the first issue of MacWorld. This is the pre- jeans and turtle neck Steve Jobs. Out of curiosity, I checked eBay to see what the magazine might be worth. Turns out about $100. That's a 2500% return on a $4 investment over 25 years. Not bad.
I also found the manual for the original MacPaint. Nice, yes? Remember when they used to have competitions in MacWorld to showcase the best MacPaint work. Of course, you don't.
Also yesterday, I had a meeting with the dev director of a local start-up. I guess it went well. They want me to come in to meet the rest of the dev team. Also got a response back from another company I applied to. They wanted me to fill out the following questionnaire. Is this standard?
1. Why do you want to work for (company x) in particular?
2. Describe a time when you failed at something and what you learned.
3. Describe something you’re proud of having accomplished (doesn’t have to be related to work).
I've been eating bagel burgers most of the week. They're not bad, but after the 5th or 6th one, I kinda got tired of them. Tonight, I was in the mood for some comfort food. So naturally, I think Black Eyed Peas. Usually, when I'm in this mood, I think Threadgill's. But they're typically pretty busy, even on a Wednesday night. I can always count on the Pea to be pretty empty most nights.
In neck news, it appears my physical therapist and my primary care doctor have given up on me. I got a call from my doctor today with a referral to a neurosurgeon. At my PT appointment last week, I was told maybe my spine is now stacked in a way that may never completely loosen up, so my neck and back will always be tight. It turns into a pain management issue at that point. She conferred with my doc, and my doc refers me to a neurosurgeon. The earliest appointment I could get is 3 weeks out. And no PT appointments in between. That sucks.
And finally, I went running for the first time in 6 months today. Just a couple of miles around the neighborhood. Felt awkward at first, but I started to settle in after a half mile or sot. Nothing huge, but it's a start. Now, I'm harboring delusions of the Austin Marathon in February.
Made a quick trip up North to visit Jeremy and Erin this weekend. Well, the trip wasn't so quick - it took 4 and a half hours to drive there. Traffic was just miserable. It was actually stopped in places. I don't think I hit the speed limit for more than a couple of miles at a stretch.
Quick visit, but it's always good to see the two of them. Especially when they make breakfast for you (apparently, child labor laws are not enforced in Plano).
The night before we played a couple of rounds of miniature golf at Adventure Landing (not to be confused with Adventureland). Jeremy won both games, but I made the most hole-in-ones. Erin came in 3rd both times - as in last - and isn't that really what it's all about - schooling a little girl about the harsh realities of life and how you won't always win.
And as before, I got a little visitor last night. She's a bit vocal, but I know what she likes.
Had a nice 5 hour interview with Dell yesterday. 6 sessions, 7 people, and HR didn't bother to schedule a lunch break in there. Btw, originally, it was suppose to be 4 sessions with 4 people - I guess it was just my lucky day. Kind of a mixed bag - some of the sessions went really well, some not so well. I could have prepared better, but this was my first interview in many years, so I wasn't really sure what to expect.
Needed to unwind after all that, so I went to the Platforms show at the Mohawk later that night. 3 bands - June's was in the middle. Nice turnout for her show. The other 2... well, not so good.
Stayed out too late and promised to ride this morning at 7:00. That was probably a mistake. I overslept, but Glenn was kind enough to call my home phone from my front porch to wake me up. Ok, I said I would be up for a 30 - 40 mile ride out to Manor. How the hell did we end up in Elgin? Granted the breakfast tacos at the Mexican place in downtown Elgin were good, but I'm not sure they were an extra 20 miles good.
Leaving for Dallas soon for a short visit with Jeremy and Erin. Erin promises to smile more this weekend.
I've been home during the day more lately... with the cats. Trust me, I have a whole new perspective of these slackers now. All they do is sleep all day - on the chair, on the counter, on the table, on the floor - except when I wake them to take their pictures. REM sleep be damned. Maybe that's why they're so neurotic.
Worked on my Titus Racer-X today. The lower swing arm was bunged up a while back, so I recently secured a new rear end assembly. This latest incarnation has carbon upper control arms and hydro formed aluminum lowers. I saved a colossal 60 grams going with this set-up. What's that, about an eighth of a pound? Nice. At least it was a straight-forward fit, and the misc parts went in fairly quickly. Looks sexy, yes? Well, I like it.
I was staring at my Speedvagen this morning and thought the tires looked fat. Upon closer inspection, it turns out the width is 25mm, not the usual 23mm I'm used to. That extra cushion should make the chip-seal on the HHH seem like smooth black top. I can't wait.
Speaking of which, I confirmed our stay at the lovely La Quinta Wichita Falls this morning. $135 a night is amazing, considering their normal room rate is only $52. But then, I'm not complaining (maybe I am), because check out the great amenities - a deluxe room with 2 double beds, a continental breakfast, and a semi-private pool - where I'm sure to be regaled by stories of the heat, double pace lines and missed attacks by Bud Light drinking freds (phreds, for you international folks). Ah... but I'm still looking forward to it. And I look forward to telling everyone I'm going to ride the 100 mile route for real this time, but will again end up riding the special 75 mile route instead. Pete, you have been warned. At least this time we'll know to skip the Cajun food in Waco. What were we thinking?!
In job hunting news, it's still a hunt. I haven't posted my resume yet, but I'm getting closer. Again, is it "walks on water" or "walk on water"? I suppose it's all in how you use it in a sentence.
Maiden Speedvagen voyage. Did a 30 mile(ish) ride out to Manor with our bike group this morning (Benjamin, Glenn, Michael, Pete, Mino and Dustin). Nice rolling hills. The traffic got a bit heavy and the chip-seal was really pad in parts. Still, it was a nice ride. And I gotta say, Mino is fast - especially for a 14 year old. ¡Salud!
The new bike handles well - pretty neutral - accelerates and descends nicely. The bottom bracket is stiffer than my ti Crown Jewel, which you can really tell when you're out of the saddle. The new Dura Ace group took a little getting used to, as I did try to reach for the phantom thumb levers more than once. The 11-28 rear cassette offered a nice, wide gearing range. Overall, I'm pretty happy.
