Weekend Rides

Saturday's bike ride caused a bit of heat over diner plans. Our companions like to eat early, like 5:30ish. I like to go late, more like 7:30ish. I figure on Saturday I can accomodate without a problem. This week however, Brandon and I got a late start and I was at the furthest point on the ride from home when wifey called.

"Where are you?"

"Near Glen's house in Dartmouth". I responded.

"What about dinner, it's 4:30 now".

My computer showed 3:30, still on Daylight Savings Time. It also showed that we were 16 miles from home. I told my riding partner we had to make like the wind and hammer home. We blasted through a few stop signs and traffic lights to pick up some time. We took a couple of shortcuts through the side streets of New Bedford and at one point hooked a left at a red light which really pissed off some kids in an old Oldsmobile. A loud unfriendly blare of the horn, which prompted a friendly wave, smile and thanks in return. That got me a "you fuck" from the passenger, to which my partner yelled, "suck my dick". Ahhhh, city riding.

We made real good time and as we approached the bridge over the harbor the light had changed and the gates closed. We sped up to them, scooted under the gate, scurried across the bride and under the gates on the other side. The bridge tender never had a chance. he he.



When I got to the house wifey was downstairs doing something or other. I did a quick change and and at 5:10, was standing at the door dressed for dinner when she came upstairs.

"You ready", I inquired

"I already changed the reservations till 6".

"OK, I'll shower then".


The up side of this is that I don't care for the originaly restaurant and the change in time also forced us to change restaurants. It also brought us to the center of New Bedford where the "half way to St. Patrick's Day festival" was going on.

Gotta love the Irish.

We ended up with a 25 mile ride on Saturday. Sunday we saddled up again for a 17 mile spin, but nothing nearly as exciting happened.

On Tour

Brandon and I are touring the Erie Canal. I will be posting on Neil Grutton"s web site Crazy guy on a bike Search "John Sullivan"

Claudio Reyna has retired. It certainly was a treat watching him both and college the and the professional levels. His national team play was spotty, but he was still a great player. We'll miss him.

The Revs put two on the MLS all star first 11. Reise and Parkhurst. Well done to both.

See youse next week.

Got the Fever

Up at 4:30 to begin our commute at 5:15.

After a great weekend riding Manhattan and then the Five Boroughs Tour #3 son Brandon got the itch to bike commute. We picked our parking spot, (it's a drive/bike combo commute), at the Dunkin Donuts lot in Freetown Ma. We rode together for three miles and split off to our respective offices. Brandon had a 9 mile commute to Middleboro, and I had an additional 17 to Taunton.


Fortunately I have a shower at work and a tree to hang my freshly washed clothes. I hear grumbling once in a while from the smokers who are offended by wet, clean clothes hanging on a tree.

Tree clothes dryer


Our original plan was for me to ride the seventeen miles back to the car and drive back towards Brandon's building and pick him up on the road. I leave work at 4 he at 6, so I had more than enough time to plan and ride a route to his office and we could ride together to the car.

A new route can only mean photo ops. Here are a couple on the ride to Middleboro Ma.







At 6pm we left Middleboro for the ten mile rolling hills ride to East Freetown.







We got to the car around 7:15 and spotted Nephews Restaurant across the road. After calling our respective spouses we stopped in and split a pizza. The bill came to forty bucks. (including drinks).


Tauton to Middleboro route. Then Middleboro to Lakeville.


View Larger Map



View Larger Map

Sunday Ride

We left the house at 8AM for a Sunday ride in Myles Standish State Forrest near Plymouth Ma. It was a crisp 40 degrees for most of the morning and we rode around to check out sites for a couple of S24O's (Sub 24 hour overnights), we have planned for this summer. Here are some photos of the days ride.

Old road to Plymouth, Ma.


Cabin nestled in the forrest


Digging out the water bottle


Memories. (Plymouth Ma. Correctional Facility


Checking directions


The state cut backs affected the forest tremendously. The new governor has increased the budget by a few million as a beginning to the restoration of public use facilities. Some of the ponds that have been closed to camping and day beach use are being cleaned up and will be reopened.

Lunch at College Pond



Like planes and ships there are also graveyards for picnic tables. Betcha didn't know that.




We came across a little tyke on his first dirt bike ride with dad. In typical new driver fashion, he got lots of neck exercise with the throttle work. vroom, coast, vroom, coast, vrooom, coast.


Dwarfed by the trees

The Dog Whisperer

Every night, Sue and I, or sometimes just Sue, go to the pound to serve supper to the dogs, let them out for a short run and clean any mess. This evening Brandon joined us just to get acquainted with some of the pups.


Brandon and I took a very sweet German Shepard, Sadie, for a pretty good walk through the former landfill. There is a very tall mound we call Mt. Fairhaven. I don't know the height but it is the highest point in town. Probably around 70 feet above sea level. (It's up there). On a clear day New Bedford, which sits across the harbor is visible, as well as Buzzards Bay. This was not a clear day, so just take my word for the visibility.



Cricket hunting, closely watched by Sadie

Brandon showing off his catch just before the cricket bit him. The little guy was viscious


The first dog Brandon met got a little nervous, growled and snapped at him from behind the cage. Justice is a very nice Sharpei that has a multitude of medical issues. After ten days we will get him to the vet and see what can be done. Once they met face to face though, they were best friends.


One of the favorites at the pound is Brewski. He has been around for months. Has been adopted twice and returned. Brewski is a very nice dog but not social. He loves to run and play, but no one can get near him to touch. Brandon approached his kennel said a few things and Brewski walked over, lay down and let himself get pet.

We are thinking of giving Brandon a tag.

"The Dog Whisperer"

Two in...Two out

That's the breathing technique on the training and fitness rides. Everyday at lunch it's a 10 mile spin around the industrial park complex. The tour is in less than three weeks and I also want to lose 30 lbs by Friday.

These are "head down, hammer into the wind" rides and I try to keep the spining high. Tomorrow may see a slower pace on the road to Wheaton again, and maybe some photos.

The evening walks have been long but slow. My dog walking partner is still recovering from a collapsed lung. I find myself walking at half pace and he next thing I hear, "can we slow down please".


Tonight we'll be looking at an almost 1/2 moon with Jupiter as bright as ever. Last night things were so clear and bright, I was knocking on neighbors doors to come out and take a look.

Before the star gazing dog walk, we will be hosting a send of dinner for #2 brother. Richard and Rochelle will continue thier east coast holiday with a visit to Maine before driving home to Florida.

Grand Possibilities

The week has the potential of being a big milage week. Temps in the 70's and low 80's and the weekend looks the same. There is a family gathering in Conneticut, and biking may be part of the day. I could very well become an honorary member of this group

Got up easily today (some days are a stuggle that I don't always win), and even left the house 10 minutes early at 5:20. Got a block away and realized this was a jacket and long pant day since the temp was 58. I also noticed my cup of coffee on the counter, which is an essential part of getting the engine running. I have a 30 minute drive to the mall before unloading the bike and ride about an hour to the office. A few miles from home I realized I had left without my cell phone. It's a fact that this would have been the day a cell phone was going to be needed if it was not retrieved. With all that drama, ten minutes early ended up 15 minutes late. Also, I loaded the "tank" for todays commute, a Marin Belvedere, that not only is heavy, but also sports upright handlebars, that turn me into a sail. A little creative riding, blasting traffic controls, and taking shorcuts and the end result was five minutes later than the normal arrival time.

That other commuter that seems to appear all of a sudden showed today. Funny thing is, I was looking for him, thinking that being late I may see him and get a photo. As usual, I looked up just in time for us to cross paths with the camera snug in my handle bar bag.

My dog walking partner is comming home from hospital today. I'll still be taking his dog without him till he recovers from a collapsed lung. He is also comming home with a bag full of pain meds, so there could be trouble. Two people in his family and his girlfriend, are itching to get their hands on that stuff and I really expect the meds to go missing.


There is a neat book site called BookCrossing dot com. It's similar to "where's George" and tracks the travels of any book you register with them. I'll be dropping off three books to "travel" withing the next two days, making sure they are in a spot most likely to be taken home and not simple disgarded. But you never know.

Putzing Around Town before Training Ride

The end of the day was a 22 mile fitness ride in Acushnet and Fairhaven. It's the original bike route that began my second riding career. That was a few years ago and it still holds it's appeal for obvious reasons.


The day began simply putzing around town. McDonalds for breakfast and a quick trip to the kennels to help out wifey as she does her volunteer work there. I decided to ride back home, grab my book, Metal Cowboy, which I'm really enjoying, and ride to Fort Phoenix beach.


Sunday I stopped by the beach and decided to try something form Captain Clam Cake. I ordered a half dozen cakes that were very tasty. I didn't find any evidence of clams, but they were good none-the-less. Today I decide to forgo the fried foods and just relax and read for a while.





A stop at the library saw a bunch of bikes out front. There were a couple more off to the side. The brown Brooks saddle is my commuter bike.

Every time I ride around town on my bike, I find another interesting thing or two. Amazing how many years I drove by these place and never noticed them.






My dog walking buddy, Brandon had surgery for his collapsed lung and is recovering nicely. My tests on Tuesday came out fine. Four dogs got adopted from the kennel including Brandy, the little guy who got mauled, and the two strays who came in over the weekend were retrieved by their owners. So, after a tough few days, things are returning to normal.

On my evening ride, I took a detour that took me to an old out of the way cemetery where I saw this. Check out the dates.







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Now playing: The Statler Brothers - Flowers On The Wall
via FoxyTunes

Getting Back to Normal

The heat and humidity was oppressive. My wife is the only volunteer that tends to the dogs at the pound on the weekends, and I help out when I'm not working. We know which dogs can mingle with who and allow them to play with each other. There are five in the group above who run and play till they are all tuckered out.




After all the drama with my dog and my dog walking buddy Brandon, wifey and I had another doggy
trauma yesterday. Everyone's favorite at the kennel "Brandy", the little brown dog, was attacked by a very large fox hound. We had just let Brandy loose inside so the prospective new parents could play with him. Blue the large fox hound was outside playing with other dogs. No one noticed that his inside kennel door was ajar and when let in, he immediately saw what looked like a little fox, (Brandy). Fortunately I was close enough to jump on the hound before he could start shaking the little guy. Brandy suffered a couple of puncture wounds and bruises, but will recover nicely. The silver lining is that he was immediately adopted by the people and will be picked up at the vet as soon as he is released.

I was in hospital today for exploratory surgery that went well. My buddy Brandon, who has a collapsed lung also was operated on this morning. His prognosis is for a full recovery. He got a message to me that he is going to quit smoking for sure. So I guess if your try enough things, you can all find a good smoking cessation program.

Quitting smoking for so many people is like climbing a cliff. Just when they get near the top, they jump into the lake below and have to start climbing again.
My only worry is that he is so young that when he recovers fully and feels good again, he may try that "one" cigarette that sends everyone back into the water.

I did manage a couple of rides over the weekend. Nothing much, a ride to the beach for lunch and some light reading and there are five miles on my computer, that I cannot recall where they came from. Tomorrow when the drugs from todays surgery have worn off, I'll go for a long ride and maybe recall those ghost five miles.








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Now playing: Toots Thielemans - O Cantador
via FoxyTunes

Tough Times in Goodville

Both of these guys are in tough shape

Good-ville is the name given to the town of Fairhaven by the boys of the "hood" in New Bedford. Compared to the city kids, Fairhaven-ites are right out of the movie Pleasant-ville.

Every night I meet my neighbor for a long walk with our dogs. He has one that looks just like boo boo, and I have two hunting dogs that my wife has taken out the hunt by spoiling them so much.


My neighbor recently quit smoking and Wednesday he was admitted to hospital with a collapsed lung. Last night a noise in my dining room got me up to witness one of my dogs having a stroke. (the white one). They are both in the hospital and receiving good care. The dog Riley is 11, the neighbor Brandon is 23. This morning on the walk there was a dog and a friend conspicuously absent. It was kind of sad, but there "was" less shit to pick up.

Things are Heating Up

The tour of Austria is fast approaching. Riding, racquetball, and weight training are all part of the fitness regiment. Tomorrow the forcast is a chance of light rain. That should be no problem for a tour/commute bike rider. The problem as always is getting out of bed at 5AM. It doesn't take much to blow off riding at that time. A chance of rain has done it before. But not tomorrow. Now way, no how. Who in their right mind would not ride on a Wednesday?

A good friend got pulled over, and was arrested for driving on a suspended license. It seems three different calls were made to the local police regarding his driving. Because he was on probation, bail was denied and he will spend the next week in the house of correction awaiting his hearing. This could straighten him out, or it could make him worse. He just celebrated his 23rd birthday.

Both boys are comming home soon. I think they have tickets to the Red Sox, a local professional baseball team. They usually put a little time aside for Ma and Pa. We have a special name for it. Dinner time.

Fitness Ride

Last night I decided to resurrect the "fitness ride". Twenty plus miles, head down, high cadence. The first few miles I kept drifting into anerobic riding. I was pushing too hard and had to keep reminding myself to stay aerobic. I had to keep downshifting and increasing the cadence. I was telling myself "this is why I stopped doing fitness rides". I hate them.

As the "second wind" began to form, I started to recall that I used to love this ride. I didn't do it much last year because of all the commuting. On this route, the first few miles are up a slight grade. It's difficult to get a good rythmn or cadence. The grade changes from road to road, but it's always up.

Reaching the apex of this part of the ride, I began to feel better. I started to get into a good aerobic cadence just as the downhill began. The head wind held the speed to around 30, but it was still refreshing. I intended to stop across the the ice cream stand for a rest. (Past practice). When I made the turn I just kept going and actually began planning where to stop for a water break and maybe sit a spell. The golf course? Yea, that's the ticket. As I passed a small variety store, I though I saw my neighbor entering. I turned back and planted myself in the parking lot. After a couple of minutes I decided to move on.

Between the store and the golf course is a nice climb I call "Lances Hill". It remindes me of a commercial I saw with him training on a lonely country road, with cornfield on either side. It looked like a very cool place to be riding.

The service road in the golf property goes along side the 9th green. I noticed a ball around two feet from the cup, and one guy on the tee. His shot did not land on the green. I stopped to watch the final outcome of the play and asked the guy who missed the green, "has he been doing that all day?" He made the put, by the way.

During the final leg, I ran into Brandon (my neighbor and sometime bike riding partner who smokes). I stopped to talk a bit and noticed a couple of odd things. He had a six pack of beer, but no empties and his rod had no hook attached. He is not supposed to be drinking. He can't do it at home, or at his girlfriends house. Therefore he spends lots of time alone. Or more likely with his little friend who live in Budwiser bottles.

"Where are the empty bottles", I asked? He nodded towards the pond. I suggested he become a "green" drinker, help save the planet and bring the empties to my house. "Just throw them on the lawn", I said. I'll cash them in, and the amount he has been drinking lately, buy myself a new bike. A nickle at a time.

I left my camera home purposely in order to keep it a fitness ride. Tonight I'll be doing the same one with the camera. The last ride before the Five Boroughs of New York.

Bang, scrape, exhale.

I did a couple of rides with my neighbor Joey and he enjoyed them enough to talk about them with his family. His brother, Brandon asked, "Why don't we go sometime?".


Sunday evening Brandon and I set out on a 20+ mile ride through Mattapoisett, Ma.




Brandon was a very good skateboarder in his younger days, and he could be seen on his BMX bike on any given day, doing tricks and stuff. Most often though, he was picking his bike of the ground and dusting himself off. While we were standing in front of my house deciding on a time to ride, a couple of younger neighbors stopped by to say hello. The talk somehow turned to music and a couple of tv shows that the younger ones didn't know of. Brandon said, "You never heard that/them?" One of the kids responded sarcastically, "What was that, like 1988, or something?" I'm sure it was the first time Brandon was called old.
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I let Brandon ride my commuter bike, the Marin. This is the one with the brand new cassette and chain. Also a full maintanence was done in preparation for NYC this comming weekend. My goodness.....I have never heard so much banging, clanking and chain slips, like I did on this ride.

Most of the time he was lagging behind me. I say that with toung in cheek. He was behind but usually in the middle or on the opposite side of the road, one hand on the bar, and using the other for his cigarette.

Tonight I may ride with the Applichian Mountain Club group. Then again, I may stay home and see if the commuter needs any repairs.

Politics

***From the "someone finally looked under the rock", files

According to those early 21st century poets--Three-Six Mafia--it's supposedly "Hard Out Here For A Pimp".

I beg to differ with these latter-day Bards. Nowadays you see, it's actually much, much harder out here for a Wingnut. But just like in the movie "Hustle & Flow", the root cause of the trouble...

Is those pesky "Hos", of course

The Lower Manhattanite has quickly become my favorite blogger.

And this from Digby:

On September 11, 2001, Ashleigh Banfield was reporting from the streets of Manhattan, where she was nearly suffocated from the debris cloud from the collapsing World Trade Center. Banfield continued reporting, even as she rescued a NYPD officer, and with him, fled to safety into a streetside shop. After the initial reporting of the tragedy had ended, Banfield received a promotion, as MSNBC sent her around the world as the producer of a new program, A Region in Conflict.

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