Let's start out with the thing you expected: Philipe Gilbert did what he has been doing to skinny, shaved Europeans all season - he crushed their spirits on an uphill sprint finish. This years Cancellara has been on a tear in the last few months, winning just about every race he entered and painting a gigantic target on his back (in addition to dying his hair like a rebellious middle-schooler). Not that it mattered. At all.
What you probably didn't expect was Alberto Contador to lose 80 seconds because some chubby Herbieran Hausfrau somehow wandered into a charging pack of two hundred riders.
Usually we have to wait till at least Bastille Day for these kind of shenanigans.
I'm admittedly not much of a fan of the Little Pistol (or whatever he calls himself) and personally think he has no business racing this year, but that isn't how I want to see a race lost. However, this may be Karma kicking him in the nuts for attacking The Shlecklet when he had that little bit of chain trouble last year.
The other thing you may not have expected was Cuddles chasing PhilGil down like the fucking Terminator.
It would appear that Versus has finally heard the abuse I heap upon my television every time Craig Hummer opens his mouth and allowed The British Guys to narrate the prime time broadcast.
I'm going to get my crap together for this (my) weekend. So much laundry, so little time to write about how American cycling coverage makes me a little ashamed to be a bike racer.
But I will take what I can get.
Riders to watch that you may not already be watching:
Rein "Mini-Jens" Taaramae: I love this dude. Last year, in the mountains, he attacked. Then he got dropped, clawed back on, attacked again, got dropped, clawed back on, attacked again, got dropped... You get the idea, and also why I think he's awesome.
Dan "Weight of a Nation" Martin: Mostly to see if he ends up beating John Gadret to death with his bare hands.
Denis "The Alien" Galimzyanov: This guy looks like one of these but rides like one of these. reference.
20 June 2011
Hunting for fossils is making me a pro at creating stone tools.
But sadly, not at finding plant or animal remains.
Yes, after a long hiatus, I am trying to get back on the personal blog thing.
Not sure why, really. I started this to force me to write, to get used to it again in preparation for what is going to be Round Three of Getting Myself Educated.
Lately, Im lucky if I can squeeze out a race report on the team site before a new Pope is elected.
Today we went fossil hunting. Which, as Caitlin is quick to point out, is mostly me banging on a few likely-looking rocks and her getting a sunburn. To date, I have not discovered even the lowliest of ammonites. I have, however, become adept at making stone axes.
We did see one deer, a nest of orioles, one crabby old lady and a very flat muskrat.
Behold, Phil Plait: A reasonable man.
Yes, after a long hiatus, I am trying to get back on the personal blog thing.
Not sure why, really. I started this to force me to write, to get used to it again in preparation for what is going to be Round Three of Getting Myself Educated.
Lately, Im lucky if I can squeeze out a race report on the team site before a new Pope is elected.
Today we went fossil hunting. Which, as Caitlin is quick to point out, is mostly me banging on a few likely-looking rocks and her getting a sunburn. To date, I have not discovered even the lowliest of ammonites. I have, however, become adept at making stone axes.
We did see one deer, a nest of orioles, one crabby old lady and a very flat muskrat.
Behold, Phil Plait: A reasonable man.
14 March 2011
Occasionally Helpful Review Of Something You Might Like, Part 1
Ball Square Cafe: 708 Broadway, Somerville
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Caitlin and I have had a monday-morning breakfast tradition for 5+ years now. Our traditional standby, the deluxe town diner, seems to be reducing portions and raising prices (though the food remains awesome) and the ugly omlet is too far away, so we have branched out a bit. Our search eventually led us to the ball square cafe.
Next door to (and a direct offshoot of) the well-regarded Sound Bites, I like this place even more than its progenitor. Since Sound Bites has gone from a breakfast/lunch place to an all-around restaurant, it lost a bit of the hole-in-the-wall novelty (and crazy "specials" menu) that made it so appealing. Enter Ball Square Cafe (founded by one of the original kitchen guys from 'Bites) - like the old feel, with an even better menu.
The atmosphere is ideal for a breakfast place: close, loud-ish, kitchen partially exposed, the owner going from table to table making smalltalk and asking about your meal, people milling around the coffee station and so on. The coffee station deserves special mention. There are no drinks on the menu at Ball Square - you just get them yourself. This is in every way superior to waiting for your server to happen by.
The food is great. The mashed/grilled homefries are the highlight of a menu that offers all the traditional staples, but has a fantastic variety of variations that makes coming back week after week the highlight of our otherwise errand-laden day off. For example, one of the specials 2 weeks ago was stuffed french toast with peanut butter, bananas and nutella. It was easily the best french toast I have ever eaten. Today I had a hash omelet with a grilled corn muffin - the hash was not like any I have ever eaten before: it was like a hash-meatloaf hybrid with cheese. Yes, holy crap indeed.
Portion size is exactly right for me, which means normal people may have some to take home with them. Generally the two of us have a combined bill of 20-22 dollars - not at all bad for a meal that hold you over till dinner and is very, very tasty.
View Larger Map
Caitlin and I have had a monday-morning breakfast tradition for 5+ years now. Our traditional standby, the deluxe town diner, seems to be reducing portions and raising prices (though the food remains awesome) and the ugly omlet is too far away, so we have branched out a bit. Our search eventually led us to the ball square cafe.
Next door to (and a direct offshoot of) the well-regarded Sound Bites, I like this place even more than its progenitor. Since Sound Bites has gone from a breakfast/lunch place to an all-around restaurant, it lost a bit of the hole-in-the-wall novelty (and crazy "specials" menu) that made it so appealing. Enter Ball Square Cafe (founded by one of the original kitchen guys from 'Bites) - like the old feel, with an even better menu.
The atmosphere is ideal for a breakfast place: close, loud-ish, kitchen partially exposed, the owner going from table to table making smalltalk and asking about your meal, people milling around the coffee station and so on. The coffee station deserves special mention. There are no drinks on the menu at Ball Square - you just get them yourself. This is in every way superior to waiting for your server to happen by.
The food is great. The mashed/grilled homefries are the highlight of a menu that offers all the traditional staples, but has a fantastic variety of variations that makes coming back week after week the highlight of our otherwise errand-laden day off. For example, one of the specials 2 weeks ago was stuffed french toast with peanut butter, bananas and nutella. It was easily the best french toast I have ever eaten. Today I had a hash omelet with a grilled corn muffin - the hash was not like any I have ever eaten before: it was like a hash-meatloaf hybrid with cheese. Yes, holy crap indeed.
Portion size is exactly right for me, which means normal people may have some to take home with them. Generally the two of us have a combined bill of 20-22 dollars - not at all bad for a meal that hold you over till dinner and is very, very tasty.
09 March 2011
Training your inner Jens
I feel like I learned a valuable lesson this season, and its only taken 3 seasons of training (well, 2 seasons of "real" training) to learn it. "it" of course refers to riding while injured, sick, tired, overtrained, or otherwise ill-prepared to work through the days training load.
Initially, I was indefatigable - churning out leg-destroying ride after ride, beating up both my body and my relationships with teammates and riding friends. My concept of training was more Wilichoski than Friel - ride hard, then ride harder. This worked well until I got out of the beginner fields.
Last year, I started to "get it" - I set up a decent schedule and stuck to it. The results were pretty good, I raced in the elite fields, and I felt I was doing something right.
However, the last piece of the training pie (I love pie) was the "listen to your body" part. You see, my body and I have a pretty dysfunctional relationship. Not quite restraining order bad, we just weren't talking as much as we should have been. My meat-parts would call in a problem, and my CPU just put them on hold like it was a 911 call in Camden.
Rcently, I feel like my body and I have made a breakthrough. Yesterday, I had a pretty long and brutal training block. I felt ok afterward, but this morning I woke up and my stomach felt like a bowling alley full of angry midgets. I stuffed down some cereal, bundled up and headed out regardless.
It didnt take long to figure out that things weren't going to work out. My legs were wooden, my heart rate refused to break 170 and my stomach full of bowling midgets wasn't getting any better. So I did what I almost never do: I called it. That's right, my inner Jens was berating my lack of fortitude, but I felt like I wasn't going to get anywhere today - even screaming "SHUT UP LEGS" at the top of my lungs (a sight to behold in quiet, affluent Brookline) wasnt going to cut it.
So I rode another 20 minutes at zone 1 and got a "recovery coffee" from Espresso Royale. It didn't occur to me until after I got to the shop that I may have finally reached an understanding with my body - that training when ill or tired does not translate into big gains in fitness.
Or maybe I am turning into a pansy in my old age.
Initially, I was indefatigable - churning out leg-destroying ride after ride, beating up both my body and my relationships with teammates and riding friends. My concept of training was more Wilichoski than Friel - ride hard, then ride harder. This worked well until I got out of the beginner fields.
Last year, I started to "get it" - I set up a decent schedule and stuck to it. The results were pretty good, I raced in the elite fields, and I felt I was doing something right.
However, the last piece of the training pie (I love pie) was the "listen to your body" part. You see, my body and I have a pretty dysfunctional relationship. Not quite restraining order bad, we just weren't talking as much as we should have been. My meat-parts would call in a problem, and my CPU just put them on hold like it was a 911 call in Camden.
Rcently, I feel like my body and I have made a breakthrough. Yesterday, I had a pretty long and brutal training block. I felt ok afterward, but this morning I woke up and my stomach felt like a bowling alley full of angry midgets. I stuffed down some cereal, bundled up and headed out regardless.
It didnt take long to figure out that things weren't going to work out. My legs were wooden, my heart rate refused to break 170 and my stomach full of bowling midgets wasn't getting any better. So I did what I almost never do: I called it. That's right, my inner Jens was berating my lack of fortitude, but I felt like I wasn't going to get anywhere today - even screaming "SHUT UP LEGS" at the top of my lungs (a sight to behold in quiet, affluent Brookline) wasnt going to cut it.
So I rode another 20 minutes at zone 1 and got a "recovery coffee" from Espresso Royale. It didn't occur to me until after I got to the shop that I may have finally reached an understanding with my body - that training when ill or tired does not translate into big gains in fitness.
Or maybe I am turning into a pansy in my old age.
14 February 2011
Trashcans and Troglodytes
When was the last time it snowed? 2 weeks ago? Enough for most of the crap to be at least passively cleared from the roads and sidewalks, right? Definitely too long ago to even THINK it would be a good idea to save a parking space with a trash can.
Think again.
It would appear that my across-the-street neighbors continue to find it necessary to place trashcans, recycling bins and other white trash lawn ornaments in every available open spot of asphalt. Seriously. Now, these knuckle draggers are very generally awful - besides loud domestic disputes, taking up two spots on the street to save one for a friend and pushing the snow across the street onto our sidewalk, we actually caught one denizen of that row-house of ill repute kicking another neighbors car because she was having some difficulty parking.
So yeah, some real winners.
Last night, we moved one of the bins and parked our car across the street (in the spot that weeks ago we shoveled out, I might add). Worried about possible retribution, I set up a video camera to record any townie justice (sadly, it ran out of space - we need to delete some races...).
Nothing happened.
We ran bunch of errands today for about four and a half hours and came home to - you guessed it - that fucking recycling bin.
Lots of response methods ran through my head (many of which involved the liberal application of fire), though cooler heads eventually prevailed and we called the cops. BECAUSE IT IS ILLEGAL (not just annoying) TO SAVE SPACES.
The cops said they "couldnt do anything" and to call the mayors office, where apparently a department exists to deal with this sort of thing. Department thusly contacted, we were informed that Boston was "no longer enforcing the law".
What. The. Fuck.
It would appear that the people they contracted to collect all the shit people put on public roads were "occasionally attacked".
Seriously?
The city backed down because of a handful of townie ass clowns assaulted government employees over a few more-or-less shoveled parking spots? I hereby volunteer for the position of "Guy That Removes Peoples Junk From Public Streets And Occasionally Administers An Ass Whipping To The Idiots That Think They Have A Right To Save Spots". Really, guys. I'll do it for free. This has been such an annoying problem in my neighborhood, and the city has repeatedly refused to address it.
Thanks for having our backs, recipients of my tax dollars.
So the take away lesson from all of this is that, as far as I can tell, the city advocates citizens taking matters into their own hands. It would appear that i am to just look for a place to park, much farther away, on another block. And if this escalates (say they mess with my car) I am supposed to... what, respond in kind?
Do not tempt me, Boston.
Think again.
It would appear that my across-the-street neighbors continue to find it necessary to place trashcans, recycling bins and other white trash lawn ornaments in every available open spot of asphalt. Seriously. Now, these knuckle draggers are very generally awful - besides loud domestic disputes, taking up two spots on the street to save one for a friend and pushing the snow across the street onto our sidewalk, we actually caught one denizen of that row-house of ill repute kicking another neighbors car because she was having some difficulty parking.
So yeah, some real winners.
Last night, we moved one of the bins and parked our car across the street (in the spot that weeks ago we shoveled out, I might add). Worried about possible retribution, I set up a video camera to record any townie justice (sadly, it ran out of space - we need to delete some races...).
Nothing happened.
We ran bunch of errands today for about four and a half hours and came home to - you guessed it - that fucking recycling bin.
Lots of response methods ran through my head (many of which involved the liberal application of fire), though cooler heads eventually prevailed and we called the cops. BECAUSE IT IS ILLEGAL (not just annoying) TO SAVE SPACES.
The cops said they "couldnt do anything" and to call the mayors office, where apparently a department exists to deal with this sort of thing. Department thusly contacted, we were informed that Boston was "no longer enforcing the law".
What. The. Fuck.
It would appear that the people they contracted to collect all the shit people put on public roads were "occasionally attacked".
Seriously?
The city backed down because of a handful of townie ass clowns assaulted government employees over a few more-or-less shoveled parking spots? I hereby volunteer for the position of "Guy That Removes Peoples Junk From Public Streets And Occasionally Administers An Ass Whipping To The Idiots That Think They Have A Right To Save Spots". Really, guys. I'll do it for free. This has been such an annoying problem in my neighborhood, and the city has repeatedly refused to address it.
Thanks for having our backs, recipients of my tax dollars.
So the take away lesson from all of this is that, as far as I can tell, the city advocates citizens taking matters into their own hands. It would appear that i am to just look for a place to park, much farther away, on another block. And if this escalates (say they mess with my car) I am supposed to... what, respond in kind?
Do not tempt me, Boston.
11 February 2011
I actually CAN'T explain that...
I'm usually not much of a meme hound (mostly because I'm too oblivious to "catch them on the ups", as it were) but this Bill O'Reilly one had me laughing to myself all day (and making up various things you just "can't explain").
Example:
Source materials
NB: when I saw this interview (unedited) I literally could not believe a grown man on live television in the year 2011 could actually use tides to prove that God exists. Not the staggering beauty and complexity of life, not the boundless variety and near-infinite wonder of the universe stretching out over all our heads... tides.
Ive said it before, Ill say it again:
Idiocracy: Not a movie, a prophecy.
Example:
Source materials
NB: when I saw this interview (unedited) I literally could not believe a grown man on live television in the year 2011 could actually use tides to prove that God exists. Not the staggering beauty and complexity of life, not the boundless variety and near-infinite wonder of the universe stretching out over all our heads... tides.
Ive said it before, Ill say it again:
Idiocracy: Not a movie, a prophecy.
09 February 2011
Cooking with Mike, Part 1.
Ingredients:
7 or so strawberries, frozen.
Big handful of cherries, frozen.
1 banana.
1 apple.
2 or 3 handfuls of seedless grapes.
Handful of chocolate chips.
Almonds
Sunflower seeds
Yogurt
Granola
First, I take the frozen cherries and strawberries out of the freezer and put them in a bowl while I round up the rest of the ingrediedients. This gives them some time to thaw, making it slightly less likely for me to have to dig a paring knife out of my palm.
Once arranged on the table...
I start cutting up all the fruit.
Fruit thusly chopped...
...on to the nuts.
Did you really think I wouldn't need a hammer to make dinner?
Add almonds, sunflower seeds, grapes, granola, chocolate chips.
Now put however much yogurt you need in there. I don't like a soupy pile, I aim for more of a fruit slurry.
Stir that shit.
Fill your pie hole.
Repeat 5 days a week. Which five days? Be flexible - make sure you are eating other stuff on your "off days" (I am partial to hot dogs with cheese) so as to keep things interesting and your meat index above zero. Enjoy, and happy eating!
7 or so strawberries, frozen.
Big handful of cherries, frozen.
1 banana.
1 apple.
2 or 3 handfuls of seedless grapes.
Handful of chocolate chips.
Almonds
Sunflower seeds
Yogurt
Granola
First, I take the frozen cherries and strawberries out of the freezer and put them in a bowl while I round up the rest of the ingrediedients. This gives them some time to thaw, making it slightly less likely for me to have to dig a paring knife out of my palm.
Once arranged on the table...
I start cutting up all the fruit.
Fruit thusly chopped...
...on to the nuts.
Did you really think I wouldn't need a hammer to make dinner?
Add almonds, sunflower seeds, grapes, granola, chocolate chips.
Now put however much yogurt you need in there. I don't like a soupy pile, I aim for more of a fruit slurry.
Stir that shit.
Fill your pie hole.
Repeat 5 days a week. Which five days? Be flexible - make sure you are eating other stuff on your "off days" (I am partial to hot dogs with cheese) so as to keep things interesting and your meat index above zero. Enjoy, and happy eating!
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