All In One Day

That road ride I did Saturday basically kicked my ass.  The distance wasn’t bad, but the unrelenting wind had me fighting to maintain a decent speed (or any speed at all.)  Once I got home, I took a nice, hot shower and relaxed for a bit.  That was it.  I was done.

So sad.

I wanted to work on some bikes, play some guitar, and do a whole bunch of other shit.  I could not get myself motivated.  I didn’t even have the energy to get up to eat.  I briefly considered ordering Chinese food.

Never mind.

I realized that the only way to get off my ass and do something was to actually get off my ass and do something.  I got up, got dressed, and headed to The Cycle Path.  I had a bike with a part that needed a warranty issue looked into, and as a bonus I just wanted to hang out with some bike people.  I haven’t been there in a while due to my shitty schedule, so I brought a gift.

It’s a well known fact that bike shops love it when you bring beer.  Remember that next time you visit yours.

I hung around for a while enjoying a few beers and some good conversation.  I eventually decided to head back to the house since I had real plans later.  I brought home some dinner (Japanese food for some reason), ate it, and wandered around the house.  I eventually ended up back in bed.  I dozed off, and had to be woken up by Little Miss Sunshine several hours later.

“Didn’t you want to leave at 8:00 p.m.?

“What time is it?”

“It’s 8:00 p.m.”

“Shit.”

I took another shower, got dressed, and drove up to the middle of nowhere to see my friends play some kick ass music.

FIRE!

I’ve talked about these guys before.  They rock.  That’s why I go to see them every chance I get (well, that and the fact that I’m trying to get them to let me play a song with them.)

I’m not rock star enough though.

It was a good show, and I didn’t get home until after 2 a.m.  What a long ass day.  Road riding, sleeping, beer drinking, more sleeping, and rock show watching.  I guess it sounds pretty silly.  I ain’t no spring chicken though.  I need my sleep.

Still, it was an awesome way to spend a rainy Saturday.

Plum Tuckered Out

I was pretty tired when I got home from the short track race on Sunday.  I felt like I raced or something, when in fact I never even hopped on a bike that day.  Standing around in the woods all day was enough I guess.  Maybe I’m getting too old.

It all really started on Saturday.  I woke up early for another Total Cyclist class since the weather was shitty.  It was a good idea, because I knew I would get in a ride and not be lazy on a day when all the trails around here were closed (and it was snowing up in the hills.)  It really hurt though.  I put a lot of effort into each class, hoping to come out of it stronger, faster, etc.  I see some people that are just going through the motions, carrying on conversations, playing with their phones, etc.  I figured that since I’m paying for it, I might as well get (more than) my money’s worth.  I want to be dead when I finish, and I achieved that goal for certain.

I stayed there well after class until my head quit spinning, stretching to try to get my legs to respond, and hopping into a hot shower to feel a little bit better.  Eventually I got out of there and made my way up to The Cycle Path.

While I was there, I spotted one of my stickers.

I didn’t put it there.  Srsly.  I would’ve put it in the bathroom.

I was there to get some information about shipping bikes out to Arizona.  You see, D-Wayne is kind enough to let us ship our bikes out there to his house, and he even offered to put them together for us before we arrive.  I figured my local shop would be more than qualified to ship them out there.  It makes it easier for me that way.  I guess I’ll be up there one night this week (with bikes this time) so they will get out there in time for Single Speed Arizona next weekend.

Holy shit.  I’ll be out there next weekend.  Wow.

So anyway, I know my Saturday crap doesn’t really sound like enough to wear me out.  The real reason I was tired on Sunday was because the little lady and I stayed out really late.  I went to see my friend's band play again. 

You know, FIRE

  

Yes, I’ve seen them a lot.  I like good ol’ classic metal, so I go every time they play.  They put on a good show, and seeing live music helps keep me inspired to play my guitar (I played for hours last night.)  They’re getting a good following now, even with me hanging around being a groupie. 

Maybe they’ll come to one of my shows if I ever play one.

It could happen.

Anyway, early mornings, death by Total Cyclist, and a late night out makes for an even longer day at the short track.  I’m getting too old for this shit.

I ain’t gonna stop, either.

I’m Really (Not) Lazy

But Carl is.

I wanted to be here yesterday.  I just couldn’t.  I was out for jury duty on Monday, remember?

After waiting around in a courtroom all day, I never got picked.  No big deal, but it was a wasted day.

I came back to work yesterday and things were hopping.  My day actually started at TotalCyclist, but things went downhill from there.  I’m really busy today too, but I thought I should at least make an appearance so y’all don’t forget about me.

Nothing real excited has happened around here.  Our Tuesday Night Social Ride was cancelled due to shitty weather.  I was tired, but it would have been nice to hang out with the locals and ride at a nice and easy pace.  I haven’t been around many of my mountain biking pals in a while, and honestly, I miss it.  I have been around a few people though, which has a little to do with my “other” hobby.

The little lady and I went out to Hickory last Saturday night to see some friends play some live music.  It was a nice evening, and it left me wanting to get my ass up on a stage and perform.  I’m not sure if I’m ready for all that, but I do have an invite when I am.  I discussed this opportunity with my guitar teacher on Monday and he was all for it. 

Shit.

I’m nervous just thinking about it.

I think I’ll sneak out somewhere to play at first without telling anyone.  Once I get that out of the way, maybe I’ll let some people know.  I’m not that great at playing guitar, but I would probably do okay.  Pressure of that magnitude is probably the last thing I need right now though.

So yeah, that’s pretty much it for today.  Tomorrow’s post may or may not be better, but I’m pretty sure I will be here at least.  With the Christmas holiday fast approaching, all I’m trying to do right now is get through the week.  Well, that and make final plans for a trip to Arizona.  More on that another time I guess.

Maybe

I’ve been thinking about a lot of stuff lately.  Sure, you’ve heard me complain (multiple times even) that my job has been stressing me out.  I think I’ve been letting it get to me too much.  It’s gotten to the point that sometimes I don’t even want to get on my bike and ride.  Since bike riding (and a little guitar playing) is all that keeps me from getting stressed out, I’ve entered into some kind of vicious circle from which there is no escape.

Until now.

I realized that I don’t need this shit.  The feelers are out there for a different employer, but in the meantime I can’t let my situation keep me from doing the things that keep me sane.  I enjoy riding bicycles.  All kinds, too.  Off road, road, cruising, whatever, it seems like the thing I love the most is probably the thing I should do the most.  Makes sense, right?  I thought maybe that it was the racing that made me want to spend less time on the bike but I know now that I was wrong.  I actually kind of miss racing (yes, even cross country.)  It gave me goals, kept me ready for whatever event I felt like entering, and most importantly, it made me forget about everything else that goes on in real life.  Does that mean that I’m gonna start racing a lot more?

Maybe.  Possibly.  Depends on what’s out there I guess.  I think I’m already looking ahead to next “season”, and in the meantime I can use the rest of this year to start planning a little bit.  I may even spend a little more time on the road bike, as silly as that may sound.  The last few years have been tough, and I was quick to blame the one thing that was actually keeping me from going bat shit crazy.  I can’t do anything about the job thing right now, but everything else I can. 

So yeah, a few changes might be coming up.  I realize that I can be a little bit serious about this stuff and still have fun.  Everyone has setbacks, and those that succeed are the ones that are able to overcome them.  Does this mean that I might un-retire from cross country racing?  Probably.  That’s not the only thing, but it’s a start.  Also, I’ve been seriously looking at getting another dog.  While that may seem unrelated to riding my bike, it really isn’t.  Since I lost my Rottweiler a few years ago, I realized that I’ve been missing something.  I think it’s finally time to fill that void and make my life complete again.

Another thing that may not seem related (but it is) is my guitar adventures.  I’ve really enjoyed the progress I’ve made over the last year, and it’s amazing how much it parallels the bike stuff.  I’ve had to put in hours and hours to learn proper technique just to play a song or too, which is eerily similar to what you have to do to be a better rider.  It does keep me motivated, and I actually enjoy the hard work (as tedious as it is sometimes.)  I’ve also made a point to go out and watch other guitar players, which has helped me quite a bit.  The same thing applies to watching other people ride.

Weird, but it makes sense to me.

This is a long way to go to get to this, but over the weekend I went out to see another “cover band.”  Actually, two.  I’ve been doing that quite a bit lately, mostly for the need to see someone much more skilled than me (and also because I keep getting free tickets somehow.)  Saturday night after my adventure at Lake James State Park I went out to see “Slippery When Wet”, a Bon Jovi tribute band.  And before you say anything I already know I don’t like Bon Jovi.  I just wanted to see someone play music.

There was an opening act (as usual) which I enjoyed more than the main attraction.  Kick (the INXS Experience) took the stage first, and they were quite good.

I’ll admit it, I like INXS in high school.  Mostly because that’s what the girls listened to back then, which gave me an “in” I guess.  These guys were entertaining, which was a plus since I got in for free.  Don’t judge me.  Well, go ahead.  Who gives a shit.

Next up was the main event, and while they could play just fine I wasn’t really impressed.

I wanted to walked out since I really didn’t care for any of the songs they played, but I hung around just to watch the lead guitarist.  I got something out of it I suppose, but next time I may be a little choosier (is that even a word?) when it comes to these shows.  Just because I got a free ticket doesn’t mean I have to use it.

I know, I was all over the place today.  And that’s just how I feel.  I guess the point is that I’ll start worrying less about the things I can’t change, and focus on the things that make me happy.  Sounds easy, right?

I’m so glad that tomorrow is Fun Friday.

Old Metal

I almost forgot to mention what I did Saturday night.  A friend of mine is in a new band, and he invited me to come to their show.  It seemed like it was out in the middle of nowhere, but forty five minutes later I was ready to hear some old school music.  The new band is called FIRE (Pronounced Fiyaaaaahhhhh!!!), and they play the classics like Iron Maiden, ACDC, Quiet Riot, and Judas Priest.  It was a small venue, but the music was big.

My man Gil tore it up playing “The Trooper”

You might recognize him from my other local favorite band, CroMoly.  He’s still with them too, but this new band plays much harder stuff.  I knew he could jam, but I didn’t realize just how good he was until that song (well, that and when he channeled Eddie Van Halen on “Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love.”

These guys put on a show, and sounded pretty damn good too.

Two lead guitarists, taking turns like real rock stars. 

You might also notice the DeFeet logo on his shirt.  It’s actually a special run of the DeFeet CroMoly jersey (I have one too), so you can see that he’s still down with the folks in Hildebran, NC.

Anyway, these guys were loud.  Big sound, hard music, and a small venue made sure of that.

I sat right up front like a groupie, but mostly because I wanted to watch the guitar playing.  I’m still learning, but I came away inspired.  Will there be a band of my own some day soon?  Probably.  I just need to be able to play a little more (and talk some suckers into joining me.)

It was a long night since these guys played three sets.  The crowd was small, but everyone had a great time.  Those guys just seemed to enjoy playing the music, and I don’t think it mattered if the crowd was one hundred or one thousand.  That’s (what I’m guessing) being in a band is all about.

They’ll play again soon, and I’ll be there.  Since I’m a (cough)guitarist(cough) myself I’m making a point to see more live music.  I like a lot of different types of music, but metal really takes me back to when I was just a skateboarding kid in high school without a care in the world.

I even hung around after the show to help the band pack up like a good groupie should.

I’m an unofficial roadie.

I felt young again for a moment, until I realized on the way home that I couldn’t hear so great for a while.  That’s what happens when you get old I guess.  I’ll keep listening (and playing) music until I can’t hear at all.       

Like a rock star.

I Was Snowed In

Or iced in, whatever. That's why I wasn't here yesterday. Since I'm traveling out of town every day for work, I had to take some extra time in the morning to make sure I could get out of my neighborhood.  The snow plows/salt trucks don't get back where we live, and being on a hill made things interesting.  So yeah, that cut into my blogging time.

Anyway, since it's been shitty again and there's not been much in the way of bike riding, I can talk about how I put new Maxxis tires on one of my bikes, or how I changed a tube in another bike.

Never mind. That shit is boring, so I'm using the "nonsensical crap" category you see up there in the header.  Here goes.

Last Saturday night, Little Miss Sunshine and I went to a "rock" show.  It was supposed to be 80s hair metal cover bands, so I knew it would at least be funny. The headliner was Appetite for Destruction, with opening acts of Red, White, and Crüe, and Poison'd.  I'll let you figure out the bands they cover, mmmmkay?

First up was Poison'd, which was pretty good.  You know, for being a knock off of a band that wasn't really that good to begin with.  They even looked the part.

The music was spot on, and was quite entertaining.  Not as entertaining as some of the people in the crowd still holding on to the 80s, but I don't have time to get into that.  Anyway, they played for about an hour and disappeared backstage.  While we patiently waited for the "next" band to come out, the Little Lady and I joked about how it would be funny if the same guys came back out in new costumes.

I'll be damned. When "Mick Mars" came out, I noticed that he looked an awful lot like "C.C. Deville", with different hair (and a hat.)  And "Vince Neil" looked exactly like "Bret Michaels" with a different shirt.  While it was indeed the same guys, they sounded different than when they were "Poison."  I've seen Mötley Crüe live, and these guys were right on the money.  Again, they played and hour, rocked the house, and retreated backstage.

We briefly wondered if the same guys would come out for the next set as "Guns n Roses." Nah, there's no way.  I mean, this was the main attraction, and they most certainly would be an entirely different band.  The "two" opening bands were just filler, right?  We were convinced that we would see some different people for the next set.

And then "Duff McKagan" came out.

Oh look, it's "Vince Neil/Bret Michaels" on the bass guitar.  As we watched the rest of the band roll out, we realized that it was the same guys as before, minus the lead singer that had yet to appear.  At least "Slash" looked the part.

And he could really play that shit too.

And then...

"Axl Rose" came out.  The crowd went nuts, like it really was him.

Finally, a fresh face.  "Axl" was the only guy not recycled from the previous lineups, and he was pretty good.  Then I started thinking that maybe it really was him.  I mean, have you seen what he looks like these days?

While the whole, "same lineup, diferent costumes" thing was funny, these guys could actually play music.  In fact, I'd be willing to bet that they sound better than if the real bands played a show together right now.  The tickets were cheap, the place was close to our house, and we were thoroughly entertained.  These guys played over three hours, and they did a helluva job.  I didn't leave there wishing I was backin the 80s, but I did leave there thankful that I didn't have to hear some washed up glam rock band struggle through an attempt to relive their glory days.

That was worth the price of admission right there.    

Too Cold

I’ll admit it. I’ve had a difficult time adjusting to the cold weather we’ve been having here. Although it’s been nearly seven years, I probably haven’t been out of Florida long enough. When it starts getting cold outside, I can’t stand it. It takes me a good solid month to get adjusted to cold weather, and that’s just the way it is. During that transition period, I have a hard time getting out of the house to go ride my bike.


Pathetic, I know.


At least there was a Star Wars marathon on TV over the long weekend.

Having a bunch of days without any kind of work responsibilities, I thought I would get in a ton of mileage. I have plenty of warm clothes to wear when I ride, but even getting out of the house is tough. Starting with Thanksgiving Day, I planned to get out on the bike. That never happened, but at least I got out to work on some trail.

I managed to meet up with TomTom to finish the last of our little trail. The photo above shows a big pile of dirt that we need to turn into a berm. While my hard-working pal took off to clear the trail to make it visible so we could ride it, I started shaping what will be a high-speed turn into a jump.

It’s gonna be pretty fun methinks.

Although I was unmotivated (and cold) at first, I managed to get a good part of that berm completed. I’m guessing it will only take one more work day to complete, and I can’t wait. Since darkness would soon be upon us though, TomTom and I decided to quit for the day and do a little scouting for the next phase of the trail. We found some pretty good terrain to use, including a nice-sized creek we need to somehow get across.

After that it was back to the house to wrestle the turkey from Lunchbox.

That was not an easy task.

Friday was even less of an active day. I went to work for a while, and once again I didn’t feel like riding. Instead, the little lady and I headed up to the hills to watch my friend Jonathan Birchfield play a little music.

And yes, that’s Shane Cooper (from DeFeet and CroMoly) playing bass as a special guest.


It was a rockin’ good time, but I missed my bike. I was tired of being cold too, so I had to do something about it. One thing I forgot to mention was that the heater in my truck had stopped working, adding to my misery. Saturday was the day that I finally had time (and the motivation) to do something about it.

All it took was a new thermostat and a good flush of the cooling system. Now I was warm again, and ready to ride. That left only one day (yesterday), and you can bet your ass that I got out on the bike.



Of course that’s what I’ll talk about tomorrow.

The Hangover

After getting to bed so late Friday night/Saturday morning, I was up early again.  I met up with the Dirt Divas to help with a skills clinic, which had me taking a few laps on one of our local trails.  Good Guy Greg was there helping/suffering along with me so that made it a little better.

After the skills clinic was over, we decided to head up to The Cycle Path, where Mark was hosting a swap meet.  I didn’t really see anything that I had to have, but that might be because this homemade sign made it look like he was giving away free penises.

As the swap meet started to wind down, we decided to hold a bike giveaway…

With Mark’s bike.

Kinda hard to see in the photo, but the sign says, “Free to good home.”  Mark wasn’t pleased, and I wasn’t pleased that it sat there untouched.  I guess no one wants a Special Ed these days. Not even a free one.

As if that wasn’t enough to do while being hungover, I hurried back home, cleaned myself up, grabbed Lunchbox and headed down to Fort Mill, SC for a crawfish boil.  While it wasn’t a biking event, we did go for that reason…sort of.  We ran into our good friend Shane, the Chief Sockologist at DeFeet International and front man/bass player for the band CroMoly.  After getting a photo the day before with the mayor of Charlotte, Lunchbox was all about getting another photo op with a different celebrity.

We chatted for a little while, until he had to take off to get ready to play.  I took that opportunity to ease my hangover by enjoying some beer.

After the warm-up act finished (I don’t remember their name but they were pretty good), my new favorite band took the stage.  They never disappoint.

They rocked it for a while…until the fire alarm started going off.  I know they’re good and all, but I didn’t realize that they would try to burn the house down with their music.  I’m not kidding, because a little bit later the fire department showed up to see what the hell was going on.

Fiyaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!

After we were given the all clear, they took the stage again and finished the show.  We had a blast, and it was good to see them play again.  That was the first time Lunchbox got to see them play, and he’s a big fan now.  We hung around a little bit after the show with the band, then I had to get my ass home to get ready for the big race the next morning.

No wonder I’m so damn tired.

That whirlwind weekend was worth it though, and I don’t regret it one bit.  Anytime I get to ride my bike, drink beer, and listen to one of my favorite bands play is a good thing.  I just can’t do this kinda shit all the time.  Luckily I don’t always cram so much stuff into a weekend.

Well, most of the time I don’t.

Ride Your Bike

Because that’s what I plan to do.  All damn weekend.  And by the way, that starts tomorrow.  I took the day off from work, so that means I’m taking the day off from here too.  I’ll be busy first thing tomorrow morning with the start of this:

That’s right, Bike Charlotte kicks off here this weekend, and the first event is the Mayor’s Ride.  And once again this year I’m leading a group from our local mountain bike club, the Tarheel Trailblazers, starting at Queen City Bicycles.  We’ll roll out in a big group to meet up with the mayor and tons of other cyclists from all over town, then we’ll ride into the city like one big happy family (roadies included.)  We'll have free breakfast, get free t-shirts, and talk with our local politicians about bicycling here in Charlotte.  All after starting off our day with a bike ride. 

Although the ride isn’t very long, it’s very important.  If you’re a member of the local cycling community here, come on out and show your support for bicycling here in Charlotte.  It’s a really fun ride that has a huge impact.  Besides, I’ll be there.  Isn’t that enough reason to show up?

In other news, I plan on trying yet another endurance race this weekend. 

The Rivers Edge Mountain Bike Marathon held in the Uwharrie National Forest is Sunday, and this will be my first time actually “racing.”  I’ve volunteered as a medic/course marshal since this event first got started, but now it’s time I man up and enter it.  Of course I’ll be riding the Falcon, in its full rigid form.  The primary goal is to complete 55 miles, and the secondary goal is not to die in the process.  I’m not sure if I can do it, but that won’t stop me.

Every other endurance race I’ve done has been for a certain amount of time (i.e 6, 8, 12 hours etc.)  This time though, to finish the race you have to complete five laps.  Even if I don’t finish, it will still do me some good.  Good Guy Greg will be out there with me (on gears this time because he’s smart) and I even heard that TomTom is running a duo.  Maybe we can get the gang back together for a party pace lap to ease the pain.

I just want to survive.

It will be a rough day, and I will make it even rougher by staying up late the night before.  I’m heading down to nearby Fort Mill, SC for a crawfish boil, which features beer and live music.  Not just any live music though.

These guys will be there:

My man Shane from DeFeet is rolling into town to play with his band CroMoly, and I can’t wait.  This time, Lunchbox finally gets to see them live.  We’re obviously big fans of DeFeet here at B-43, and also big fans of good music.

That’s a helluva lotta stuff going on, and I didn’t even tell you all of it.

Damn it, I’m gonna die this weekend.

See y’all Monday.