Sites, sounds and smells of a grease junkie

Domane is slang for "rides over everything." Got a new road bike last fall, a Domane 2.3 . The short version of this post is I love this bike and it has made me rethink the way I approach aluminum road bikes. I'm sure I'm breaking some sort of industry code. A long-time industry guy on a 105-equipped road bike? Not just a 105-equipped bike but an ALUMINUM frame?! Don't worry, I had my concerns. Aluminum road bikes do not have a great track record for me. I've tried a few. I've hated them. Every. Single. One. They've always been sooooo damn stiff and rattle the teeth from my skull. A 20-mile ride feels like 40. However, they have the advantage of being less expensive than carbon, so there's that and frankly I wanted to keep the cost down. 2014 Trek Domane 2.3 I've kept it mostly stock. I've swapped out the saddle and bar tape because the stock saddle/tape were white and I don't care for white saddle/tape. This spring I ...

This past winter was long and cold. It was one for the record books. I am glad to see it has finally left. Just the same, I had some fun during this past winter. I've often found bad weather to be more tolerable when you get out and enjoy it. I had plans on writing something a bit more about this trip. It happened the weekend of March 8-9. Mostly because I had a rare weekend to myself. I figured it would be busy. But I didn't make any plans other than "Go to ice caves." Little did I know how busy it actually would be. I've been to Washburn/Bayfield in the winter before. It is normally very quiet. It was not quiet. It was busier than I'd ever seen it during the winter, without a doubt. Anyway, here are a few of my trip notes. Hope you enjoy. I know I did. On the way up I stopped at 50-foot snowman in Gilman, MN. It was...tall. It was actually quite impressive. I then stopped along the way, to get out of the car for a few hours and hiked in the St. Croi...

It has been a long time since I have written. Seems time to write again. The spirits seems to be moving me. I suspect it has something to do with some step work I'm on. But there seems to be more to it than that. Writing is not an everyday thing for me. Though I suspect if I wrote a little everyday, it would become easier. Much like exercise. Or eating cheetos. This isn't much but I hope to explore more again via the written word. Oh and also... Horse head mask. Not just a mask. A way of life. Xs Os

Today is one of those days when I have a mix of gratitude/thankfulness and an immense sadness. I am so very grateful and thankful to have a roof over our heads and comfortable beds. Grateful to have running cold and hot water. Thankful to have heat and a/c. Grateful to know where my next meal is coming from. So very thankful and grateful all around. The sadness comes from two angles for me tonight. The first is those affected by the   twister that struck Moore, OK earlier today .The tornado, as of right now, being measured as an EF-4. It sounds as though it was a mile wide and had winds up to 200 miles per hour. But forget all that. One of the places the tornado destroyed was an elementary school and all I keep thinking about is those kids. How terrified they must have been. Maybe I'm more sensitive to it now that I have a child that age. I just can't help but think of how awful that was for them. Not just this tragedy, but any tragedy involving kids. ...

I am not a marathon runner. I am not fast. I am not an endurance athlete. What I do isn't really running. However, I am a human being. With that in mind I dedicate all my miles in the month of April to those affected by today's tragedy in Boston. To those who have died, to those who are injured, to their family and friends, to the EMTs, police and firefighters, to the city of Boston and beyond, these miles are for you.

Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about his religion. Respect others in their views and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and of service to your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, or even a stranger, if in a lonely place. Show respect to all people, but grovel to none. When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more ti...

Just busy with life. Most of it has been good. Some has been great. A few bumps in the road just to keep my honest. Been riding the bike inside a ton. Feeling like I want to start running again, but the weather this last week hasn't been cooperative. I know, I know I could still run outside, but the prospect of running in sub-zero temps is about as appealing as getting punched in the throat. Call me soft, I don't care. With all the indoor miles I've found I may need to do a mid-winter tune on the bike. Clean off the grime and gunk, just give the bike a good once over. No one likes a dirty drive train! I thought I had more, but I don't. C'est la vie!!!