shop ride

A few of us got together for a ride after work tonight.

We need a social director to organize this kind of thing
otherwise we just work and work then head home
never spending time together doing the thing that unites us

I have to agree with the social director -

this is what it's all about.

1) Andrea & Tora on Rover's Run
2) Brian @ Campbell Creek
3) Peter shares the trail

trombone shorty rocks!

I bagged the Wednesday ride with the Alaska Dirt Divas so I could go to a concert. I'd just read about this musician, Trombone Shorty (aka Troy Andrews) in the paper on Sunday. From the description, it sounded like a great show. Without hearing his music I ordered a ticket and biked down to the university to check it out.

Now if you take jazz, R&B, blues, a little hip-hop, rock & roll and don't forget the Funk, wrap it around a talented, energetic guy in his early 20s, add his impressively talented and together band - Orleans Avenue - well, just try to not get into the groove.
The trombone just sang. Everybody danced. Songs morphed. The guitar screamed. Man! I can't describe it except to say it rocked.

After an extended run of high notes on a trumpet, TS said the microphone was smoking. Brash? No. The mic was smoking! I think the high notes broke it... is that possible?

I left the concert after 10pm, buoyed by the energy on the stage and in the house. As I unlocked my bike, I briefly spoke with a couple as they left, equally beaming about the great show. The only disappointment, they said, was that there were so many empty seats. "Lucky us," I said and they agreed. Lucky us.

can a weekly go daily?

Manny said I should post more often. He's bored. Tim (another local biking blogger) is on vacation and there's not enough for him to read. Instead of the morning paper, some folks check out the blogs. I do it myself... does Corinne have something new? How's Tapia's tour going? What photo will Katherine post? Will Pete ever post now that he's left Alaska?

Sometimes I learn more about a friend from their postings than I could have picked up in a conversation. I think it's because so many of them are biking friends so we often stay on subject. The longer we know each other, the more we learn new bits and pieces, the things that make each person more interesting and enjoyable to be around. Now the blog is the shortcut into our lives.

The other day I went to a website that helps you link with old classmates from high school. I don't want to admit which reunion is coming up this year, ahem, but I sent a note to an old friend and included the "shortcut" to who I am today. Of course, it's not a full picture of who I am, but an abridged edition. One where she can get an idea of my lifestyle (since she lives in Barbados I am awaiting her comments). I hadn't thought of the site in this way before. I've viewed it as a tool for writing.

One goal of this site for 2008 is to get me to write... did I tell you I'm a writer? I've tried to post at least weekly as a way to compose something and complete my thoughts. It's a writing exercise without the writing circle. So, when my friend Manny said I should post more often, I suggested that if I posted every day, it would just be boring. But here you go - I'm going to take it as a challenge. I will try to post something relevant for a week straight. A good photo w/caption counts - it's my site, I make the rules buddy. But, remember, it's keeping me from reading The Odyssey.

Just one picture of who I am:
Here I am with my Aunt Anna Mae at the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Isn't she great?

share the trail

I was off work today so went for a little ride before doing chores like mowing the lawn, etc. So few people on the trails in midday. I hit a little singletrack, detoured around some soggy spots, then made my way to Brown Bear Trail. A sign at one trailhead reminded me of how the trail got its name.

I know I can't ride every piece of this trail and since I was alone I was a little less inclined to try some of the trickier obstacles. Still getting used to the feel of the brakes on my new bike, too. But I rode more of Brown Bear than I remember riding last year and the trail was super buff thanks to good design and lots of volunteers with Singletrack Advocates.

I didn't see any bears, but this little camouflaged bird came into sight just after I stepped over some roots. The spruce grouse didn't take off when I pulled my camera from my pack or as I got closer to her. Only after I hopped back on the bike did she fly up into a tree, her wings sending up a little puff of dirt and scattering some of last year's leaves.

As I was leaving the park, I saw this lone wild rose on the side of the trail. Yes, it's mid June in Anchorage. Wildflowers are blooming, the sun is setting after 11:30 and the salmon are starting to run. This is why we live here.

what's it gonna take?

At the gas station across the street from the shop, I see the numbers go up almost every day as I ride in on my bicycle. I have a car, but I try to limit my driving so I only have to fuel it once a month - that's the goal, anyway. I live about nine miles away and mostly enjoy my commute. It's my way of saving fuel and staying relatively fit.

I know it's not realistic for everyone to commute by bike and the bus system in the Anchorage area is not always as direct as people would like. Still, we can make choices to save on fuel by limiting trips, especially short ones or trips for one item from the market. It's called planning.

Politicians want to find ways to make the prices go down - at least that's what they say. What they're really thinking, I don't know. But rather than increasing supply, which, of course is limited, we need to focus on demand. As individuals, we need to decrease our demand. To ride-share, to be conscious of each trip. And to rid ourselves of low mpg vehicles.

Every time I get cut off by an SUV or have one blast past me, full throttle on a hill, I just shake my head. Another drop wasted. We're responsible for this. The only people I feel bad for are those who are just scraping by already. Elise Patkotak expresses it well - and boldly - in her Daily News column. I wish I was as brave as Elise. Say it, sister!

Here's Jon in my car - I think he's crying because this truck is taking up two spaces in our parking lot.

and your little dog too!

One of our customers, Ted, was in the shop the other day with his little buddies. Sugar and Tuffy (I think are their names) were pretty content in their shopping panniers. They hung out, allowed us to hold & pet them & were very well-behaved - my favorite kind of dog.

I'm surprised at how many people are taking their dogs biking with them - in baskets, on leashes, in backpacks. The animals seem content to be with their humans & vice-versa.

Years ago, a German woman showed up at the shop. She had fully-loaded panniers and was pulling an empty BOB trailer. Her traveling companion was a cattle dog. She told us the dog ran next to her much of the time but when it got tired, climbed into the BOB for a ride.

The mechanics changed out her fork, and we invited her to spend the night at our apartment before she headed off to the Kenai. A month later a customer told me about the funniest thing he'd seen: a cycle tourist pulling a dog in trailer headed to Homer. Yep. People love their dogs. 

sign of the season

I think these are the bears Jon saw on his commute a week or so ago. He saw them in a clearing just off the Lynx Trail. The sow reared up, the cubs climbed a tree and Jon kept riding. I keep wondering when I'm going to see them... and hoping they'll be traveling away from me.

Still hard to believe it's June with all the cool weather. I forget, is this normal?

Waiting for work to slow down and the trails out of town to dry out. Time to think about rides and hikes in the mountains. Jon & I are hoping to do some backpacking this summer along with the bike riding. I got some new hiking boots a couple weeks ago so I'm ready when it's time to hoist a full pack onto my back once again.

One of our favorite places is Kesugi Ridge in Denali State Park. Last time we were there was in 2005 when we hiked part of the route with our friend Janis. We camped for three nights, did day hikes. Janis picked mushrooms and we all picked blueberries. We also encountered a brown bear and cub. Though we've hiked the north end of the trail a few times, we've never done the thru-hike. Maybe this year. I'd really love to check out the southern leg of the trail. Guess I'd better start hiking.