tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152651362024-03-19T05:33:35.932-07:00VelociPete"There is no normal. There's only you and me." - Willie NelsonFrostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.comBlogger561125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-51247540058868495492014-08-03T19:55:00.001-07:002014-08-03T19:55:07.135-07:00Lost DogHey there, internet. It's been a while since I wrote at you, but I need your help. On our way back from a weekend of camping, our dog Murray decided to pull a Houdini. We stopped in Alexandria (MN) for gas and a bite to eat. We left both our dogs in the camper while we went in to Wendy's. When we came out, the door was still closed but only one dog was in the camper. We looked for an hour plus before realizing he could be anywhere and we probably wouldn't find him. So we left our contact info with the local authorities, and are hoping for the best. <div><br></div><div>Murray is a 6 year old, neutered male husky, lab, Dane, who know what else. He's about 120 pounds, has been a house dog all his life and while normally extremely friendly he is probably scared out of his wits. Last seen near the Wal-mart at the intersection of I-94 and highway 29 in Alec. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">If anybody has contacts in the Alexandria area and hears anything, please let me know.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSQ6W-JHlkGG2xuL5H4_hJuOX4y3xSKoZOSaE6ecC2qTLu8EnxoSnTecYVbCl8qEh9Xp11IDiXZTFsdZRoxY4MC9yvoW5JPx4djiDoCvika5ETInEvGdc8JUwLQ_l96XVAe3h/s640/blogger-image--253373851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSQ6W-JHlkGG2xuL5H4_hJuOX4y3xSKoZOSaE6ecC2qTLu8EnxoSnTecYVbCl8qEh9Xp11IDiXZTFsdZRoxY4MC9yvoW5JPx4djiDoCvika5ETInEvGdc8JUwLQ_l96XVAe3h/s640/blogger-image--253373851.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkFlZAFED-Yws-R4QvvV5TJinOOxUaNqJrGjfhWlu_0oaBOSiR6pGBPz-QaVydLlO_9f297bSwqbjKuOe1riQ66xfZCaI5Va-H6FsR91CxpFhEbK_K-z54z3UsSwQHoqhFPxH/s640/blogger-image-1031650618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkFlZAFED-Yws-R4QvvV5TJinOOxUaNqJrGjfhWlu_0oaBOSiR6pGBPz-QaVydLlO_9f297bSwqbjKuOe1riQ66xfZCaI5Va-H6FsR91CxpFhEbK_K-z54z3UsSwQHoqhFPxH/s640/blogger-image-1031650618.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHjOV_i_1QnyD7ZC-buUQ73VxtmwkFeyV4mlosAKzmuNI0eqQJ7b_1ikoteYxguHSthTdEv8ykRwyoqje-ECcmPGoPojvTgbKokRMgulS3Lmcd1QnjVjH5ypJylV3y_mR31UG/s640/blogger-image--1901387503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHjOV_i_1QnyD7ZC-buUQ73VxtmwkFeyV4mlosAKzmuNI0eqQJ7b_1ikoteYxguHSthTdEv8ykRwyoqje-ECcmPGoPojvTgbKokRMgulS3Lmcd1QnjVjH5ypJylV3y_mR31UG/s640/blogger-image--1901387503.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRmN3YQaWql-CI3INgQa1eXiBSMrHwmBmaQcCP1kTdbACSJh9Gov6WLG0b0N-lVGgQIOUT4y4Y0xZCGdupqfLu9FvxeQVeUqhRXSo3E4F6xYSJ2A9z3W-mIiZ4OpO6XFOTwKo/s640/blogger-image-632348365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRmN3YQaWql-CI3INgQa1eXiBSMrHwmBmaQcCP1kTdbACSJh9Gov6WLG0b0N-lVGgQIOUT4y4Y0xZCGdupqfLu9FvxeQVeUqhRXSo3E4F6xYSJ2A9z3W-mIiZ4OpO6XFOTwKo/s640/blogger-image-632348365.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></span></div>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-18184813568191458422014-05-19T19:59:00.001-07:002014-05-19T19:59:40.573-07:001/4 and 2/3<div><i>On stage, Peter Frampton uses a synthesized voice to create the illusion that his guitar "talks" while playing. </i></div><div>Jimbo: Man, that guy's guitar is talking. </div><div>Otto: Hey, my shoes are talking too! </div><div>Left Shoe: Don't worry. We won't hurt you.</div><div>Right Shoe: We only want to have some fun. -- "Homerpalooza"</div><div><br></div><div>My friend Joel ended up with two copies of Frampton Comes Alive and very thoughtfully offered one copy to me. I pulled it out of the sleeve tonight to give it a spin on the old Astrosonic. The first record I grabbed was sides 2 and sides 3. The other was side 1 and side 4. Those of you in an older generation may know where this is headed, but I will clue in the younger readers.</div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Why in the world would one disc not be side 1/2, and the other be sides 3/4? It all comes down to stackable multi-disc record players. Which the Astrosonic happens to be. So, what you do is put the first disc on the stack, Side 1 up. Follow that with disc 2, Side 2. See where this is headed? Side 1 will drop, play, and then the autochanger function will drop Side 2. Once this is complete flip both discs over and you are automatically set up for Side 3 and Side 4, respectively. A full double album played with only one flip needed. Genius!</span></div>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-45465589949473134002014-03-09T15:57:00.001-07:002014-03-09T15:57:43.621-07:00Cave in<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">When we bought our house nearly 10 years ago, the shed that came with the house was in poor repair. It is one of those cheap metal ones. The doors didn't open properly, and it is quite rusty. But, it has done its job for us for 10 years, even though all of its shortcomings have become more pronounced over our 10 years of ownership. We have discussed replacing it, but it seems like there is always some project more interesting or more pressing.</span></div><div><br></div><div>This winter of hell has finally killed the shed. I was driving home one evening and noticed something looked off. On closer inspection, the roof collapsed. I spent a beautiful March afternoon pulling as much snow from the collapsed roof as I could, and cleaned off the mower and other shed-dwellers before tying a tarp over the whole mess. I'm hoping the tarp will get us through the last of winter before we can formally begin a whole scale replacement. Good times.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gprlIXN-Crq8CW0pXayUDSTUV-43BJqTXmXDWPev22USZhAPnKEllKQnMbKyp1y_PXfjhFk3rKLawqDI0XEmarEg936Haxdf4jVzh7vShPESsyr1yPPxoEnM-QAW1maEJ9_A/s640/blogger-image--1527074174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gprlIXN-Crq8CW0pXayUDSTUV-43BJqTXmXDWPev22USZhAPnKEllKQnMbKyp1y_PXfjhFk3rKLawqDI0XEmarEg936Haxdf4jVzh7vShPESsyr1yPPxoEnM-QAW1maEJ9_A/s640/blogger-image--1527074174.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQfMeBNo6f8Tod956E2zvHzYTpXnszxKPDpVenm9twN2WKRuJZRfDJWGhN-YbCUF-E6o2c7wgc1-an-5jdmjhFBHdrXJSwwjrftT4ER1q3tteV3rOKOWP8BuKOTzbAwiR9Wx2/s640/blogger-image--1836698686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQfMeBNo6f8Tod956E2zvHzYTpXnszxKPDpVenm9twN2WKRuJZRfDJWGhN-YbCUF-E6o2c7wgc1-an-5jdmjhFBHdrXJSwwjrftT4ER1q3tteV3rOKOWP8BuKOTzbAwiR9Wx2/s640/blogger-image--1836698686.jpg"></a></div><br></div></div><div>The poor mower, buried. You can't see in this photo, but there are strings of duct tape hanging down that presumably were used to seal old leaks in the roof.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1uJzlgjafUhRnUiBTJ4eEbONYxSEbAgvIkw1_Gw3gnplkko3hYVNsJt87Rl3EGEFtAMlTOTcg1bRhqBwHSh8hv4B1jC1MiMopu14cqbSwG_AZ_H4J8C2rqzNNKOBJJ-Kq3hOG/s640/blogger-image--284770911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1uJzlgjafUhRnUiBTJ4eEbONYxSEbAgvIkw1_Gw3gnplkko3hYVNsJt87Rl3EGEFtAMlTOTcg1bRhqBwHSh8hv4B1jC1MiMopu14cqbSwG_AZ_H4J8C2rqzNNKOBJJ-Kq3hOG/s640/blogger-image--284770911.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>A view of what remains of the roof.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TeOzVeJmNLk15muzmAO6hm6AOh750OoKC5gSW6fkcfWBqfHdGbJhhEpljXNS7fC3BDqnREDgGGfe414xcY6db8xPnWif5AeUGY27TJiOJeYtbeBTYNTysCaoiXLujHpw-Imr/s640/blogger-image--1913628651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TeOzVeJmNLk15muzmAO6hm6AOh750OoKC5gSW6fkcfWBqfHdGbJhhEpljXNS7fC3BDqnREDgGGfe414xcY6db8xPnWif5AeUGY27TJiOJeYtbeBTYNTysCaoiXLujHpw-Imr/s640/blogger-image--1913628651.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-15588750573847919582014-02-01T17:10:00.001-08:002014-02-01T17:24:22.048-08:00Pouring at the Loppet<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj039EAUHv009cij6N1N9DKUbiut8EtoZVn6ZZa-_TWzyzMCyJmUk5HXHw9MRv4uzeO158zmgyReS-3NZpq9Dwlqt-zJMA_hE2-CxoWQn-47fFmv1vNV3mJuDwbv0LWb2g60wKw/s640/blogger-image--1670433609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj039EAUHv009cij6N1N9DKUbiut8EtoZVn6ZZa-_TWzyzMCyJmUk5HXHw9MRv4uzeO158zmgyReS-3NZpq9Dwlqt-zJMA_hE2-CxoWQn-47fFmv1vNV3mJuDwbv0LWb2g60wKw/s640/blogger-image--1670433609.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div>I signed up to pour beer for Surly Brewing at the City of Lakes Loppet today. Our crew assembled at 9:15 this morning, and I spent the first half of the day pouring beer in an outdoor tent, mainly for Kubb players. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipyt0LafMTJF7OwBReKjtEs5OobUZkBoRx0z-nDoZ-QVg6N0p0H57ohMi0oVSRwIQaZnsLVa8vOA1MEpf4BZKaBKmQ5ZBO7R9ItFXLKrB235tItpOLZGV0yFIZMZT5s0_Yq5qp/s640/blogger-image--798968093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipyt0LafMTJF7OwBReKjtEs5OobUZkBoRx0z-nDoZ-QVg6N0p0H57ohMi0oVSRwIQaZnsLVa8vOA1MEpf4BZKaBKmQ5ZBO7R9ItFXLKrB235tItpOLZGV0yFIZMZT5s0_Yq5qp/s640/blogger-image--798968093.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>These guys were traveling with their own portable meat and cheese tray, sans tray. They were offering bites of sausage and cheese (no knife, gnaw a hunk off style) to all takers. The sausage was delicious.<br><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDD4XlVRenNQniMkdah4NJXySbc-mUyhvJeRJKDFImXw6b27IWlsfuDAGVh6Wfl8s4G28mhXKPq07RPN0boRH0u4cZuwaPysEuha67PGWYcWGag5eeQfdiWt5EOoD1Ri2aHrr/s640/blogger-image--127152442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDD4XlVRenNQniMkdah4NJXySbc-mUyhvJeRJKDFImXw6b27IWlsfuDAGVh6Wfl8s4G28mhXKPq07RPN0boRH0u4cZuwaPysEuha67PGWYcWGag5eeQfdiWt5EOoD1Ri2aHrr/s640/blogger-image--127152442.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Since I was signed up for a double shift, at 2:00 I moved up to the big tent. The big tent was heated, so it was quite an improvement. Temps started out mild, close to 20 degrees F, but the wind picked up as the day went on.</div></div><div><br></div><div>In the big tent, I met a bulldog named Surly. The Loppet is a dog friendly event.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrM95vZFYk5cCVbyzn-puNIsZM_ocix089vlSZhYTHc8cW-2kN5-1kJb0jdwJesAYxuTN-KH1lqzveC5ZcPX-wqAas9Gk6opJ57eK71cFMDE7xo18WKTgdBUjU6E2thgcxsqx/s640/blogger-image--1557993609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrM95vZFYk5cCVbyzn-puNIsZM_ocix089vlSZhYTHc8cW-2kN5-1kJb0jdwJesAYxuTN-KH1lqzveC5ZcPX-wqAas9Gk6opJ57eK71cFMDE7xo18WKTgdBUjU6E2thgcxsqx/s640/blogger-image--1557993609.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Our pouring crew. Turns out Nick, the tall fellow in front, works for QBP.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvZePP2Erd1lUZ5XGPW_9x0tqnHmz_f8EPapVzO5kqIO4oQsazGq4xfapibRDgAxkDFCKOSDjS7-Hz8e-Wy5CLAnY906VlcIGM8SYnYAjrSMUczP8Uz6r-vDO6Weq2TbENVFn/s640/blogger-image--1426582299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvZePP2Erd1lUZ5XGPW_9x0tqnHmz_f8EPapVzO5kqIO4oQsazGq4xfapibRDgAxkDFCKOSDjS7-Hz8e-Wy5CLAnY906VlcIGM8SYnYAjrSMUczP8Uz6r-vDO6Weq2TbENVFn/s640/blogger-image--1426582299.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>And I managed to squeeze in a visit to Team Surly's snow sculpture. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-8EUclbLVJA_fM2qyK5-lYIActD9wFwyXJS5exzpYG2tb9RBXXWdjyWbC00pKyLZf_XwTnKB_pk6lF8spYziF-rMI15BR5ESKQvGJrPE_3X4QU4_APX9g-pwRAt7-VN6cG5-/s640/blogger-image-2059722376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-8EUclbLVJA_fM2qyK5-lYIActD9wFwyXJS5exzpYG2tb9RBXXWdjyWbC00pKyLZf_XwTnKB_pk6lF8spYziF-rMI15BR5ESKQvGJrPE_3X4QU4_APX9g-pwRAt7-VN6cG5-/s640/blogger-image-2059722376.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Beer, helping out with a great event, and hanging out with some pretty cool people. All in all, a pretty great day.</div>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-89474056805807391122013-10-29T17:19:00.001-07:002013-10-29T17:19:10.391-07:00CS 1005Did you know Johnny Mathis did a cover of The Beatles' "Something"? Me either. This is from my parents' record collection. I don't think this is his best work, but Johnny did have a heck of a voice. And he's a handsome devil.<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqg90ryRpKO-rEoADKmEUBwEw4PWHU-_-0ecdtqI47vbhH8SL_fytCPtQKcEbcETjxrl_GpJuAuwKtf1W61OGPUJn962uj8PU69TvWTvuz_N2KKNdp1deCWTOaT3HGZz7mIIG/s640/blogger-image-317734995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqg90ryRpKO-rEoADKmEUBwEw4PWHU-_-0ecdtqI47vbhH8SL_fytCPtQKcEbcETjxrl_GpJuAuwKtf1W61OGPUJn962uj8PU69TvWTvuz_N2KKNdp1deCWTOaT3HGZz7mIIG/s640/blogger-image-317734995.jpg"></a></div><br><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4IEfZAi5Buf09m-_QPrAMdfkNtxGiLui0bQm-50IA-v7qUD0sSk-KxPiMLvv8O1F6k5VOfdzknD0bsHUrvGakMdf3PqHCiK4VcS7jfU61npalDYCUon7ffQngAJmW60BkXKT/s640/blogger-image-1663891822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4IEfZAi5Buf09m-_QPrAMdfkNtxGiLui0bQm-50IA-v7qUD0sSk-KxPiMLvv8O1F6k5VOfdzknD0bsHUrvGakMdf3PqHCiK4VcS7jfU61npalDYCUon7ffQngAJmW60BkXKT/s640/blogger-image-1663891822.jpg"></a></div><br><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qsRr2nIxSZhh0dKSR1M3GXrEU-OqRmWYr8nwIN7N6yVZOZ6P_AW9hGk7K_MrGlt_GYl74r1LlBbvGX4Es2tz8cSbeD2h0umkNYo0OJCVVVZUQxzEa3ReKMulUQitIhWGaiJG/s640/blogger-image--1992185510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qsRr2nIxSZhh0dKSR1M3GXrEU-OqRmWYr8nwIN7N6yVZOZ6P_AW9hGk7K_MrGlt_GYl74r1LlBbvGX4Es2tz8cSbeD2h0umkNYo0OJCVVVZUQxzEa3ReKMulUQitIhWGaiJG/s640/blogger-image--1992185510.jpg"></a></div><div><br></div>Good advice from your friends at Columbia Records:<br><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVE3jMn2CvrNowujfEKY7ch38WDf8mJ3AUdzQF7VpSXHnZm57Dyk2hg4yt1JP19iv9mY8YCl2RluP-4UW6yHGVn1ELjeV9F7OBtRb9flZZEBV9hPYiM5QyaLwNsC4uZBWjvZ39/s640/blogger-image--244094274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVE3jMn2CvrNowujfEKY7ch38WDf8mJ3AUdzQF7VpSXHnZm57Dyk2hg4yt1JP19iv9mY8YCl2RluP-4UW6yHGVn1ELjeV9F7OBtRb9flZZEBV9hPYiM5QyaLwNsC4uZBWjvZ39/s640/blogger-image--244094274.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div><br></div></div></div></div>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-35051219161727587392013-10-02T10:13:00.003-07:002013-10-02T18:29:08.047-07:00Runner 10154<div>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><i>It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great.</i> - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104694/quotes" target="_blank">Jimmy Dugan</a></span></div>
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Let's get this on record: I am not a runner.</div>
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That said, I suppose it's time to officially let this cat out of its bag. This morning I completed my last Marathon Training Run. I am registered for and am planning to attempt the Twin Cities Marathon this Sunday, October 6.<!-- Tags --><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cycling+commute+bike+bicycling+commuting+ride+bicycle" rel="tag"></a><br>
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I don't plan to be fast. I don't plan to look like I'm having fun, and in truth I'm not really even planning to have fun doing it. And I'm not even 100% sure I'll finish. But that's my goal: Finish the event within the 6 hour time limit. No style points will be awarded.</div>
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I've been very closed mouthed about these plans for the last several months because truthfully I never thought I would get to this point. And I figured if at first you don't succeed, hide any evidence that you tried. There's been setbacks along the way, but they have been mostly overcome. I'm still dealing with a foot issue that my non-medically confirmed diagnosis is <a href="http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/foot-heel-pain/extensor-tendonitis" target="_blank">extensor tendonitis</a>. It just flared up after my last long run. After taking a week off, it's been manageable enough on my last few short runs to make me think I can make it through. And if not, I'll be a DNF. Which is always better than a DNS.</div>
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If you are the curious type who can't look away from an auto accident, there are a couple of ways you can follow my progress on Sunday.</div>
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<a href="http://athletetracker.cloudapp.net/" target="_blank">Avtex Athlete Tracker</a> will send you a text message at certain points in the race. I'm not sure when.</div>
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<a href="http://www.mtectracking.com/" target="_blank">Mtrack</a> is a nice online near real time tracker that will show you where I am on a map of the course.</div>
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And if you're the type who will actually be out on the course spectating, I plan to wear my brightest yellow shirt. High fives appreciated. </div>
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Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-71596462886347718282013-08-05T18:36:00.001-07:002013-08-05T18:36:36.572-07:00AjaAstute followers of this blog will remember that I picked up a Magnavox record player this spring. I have cleaned up the controls and gotten a new needle. And through the wonder of decades old technology, it now plays music in a close approximation of what was originally intended. I offer the following link as living proof:<div><br></div><div><a href="http://youtu.be/bTdM5JD7Aqo">http://youtu.be/bTdM5JD7Aqo</a></div>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-8231545438725929712013-07-26T03:52:00.001-07:002013-07-26T03:52:42.759-07:00Bearded LadyMy two wheeled adventure took me to NE Mpls this weekend for The Bearded Lady Motorcycle Freak Show. I rode there with the Heck's Angels Scooter Club. Watching people's reaction on the parkway when 30+ scooters go rolling by is nothing short of amusing. First, they look confused. Then, you usually get a big smile and a wave. We even got a horn honk from a dude in a huge dump truck towing a flatbed trailer with an earthmover on it.<div><br></div><div>This poorly composed shot shows my Elite (the blue one in the center) lined up with all the other scoots. We got a rousing welcome from the BLMFS crowd as we rolled in. </div><div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8iVYUDAUC5-I1Hj0ggEY9KoMGsp3KNfdvKbnWQIH797ZCPymlpTGNqtP0a18fl8OfOrpdvYeHwbi4SAGx5PWczzwOHsnPfGzpufUsnAweV_e52-hnJVOcizxmk1Po1hWh8v5/s640/blogger-image--1656862982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8iVYUDAUC5-I1Hj0ggEY9KoMGsp3KNfdvKbnWQIH797ZCPymlpTGNqtP0a18fl8OfOrpdvYeHwbi4SAGx5PWczzwOHsnPfGzpufUsnAweV_e52-hnJVOcizxmk1Po1hWh8v5/s640/blogger-image--1656862982.jpg"></a></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>We saw loads of bikes.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfHSm5r-qxGSL3rU3ihyzqRdca3tcgSylc6D0atEjx_mi-jkqw897ylykVzK5MDjESooXtQ9qygRk3FmKu3i8D_2mwfmKwrUcfLB4kMzerAhocA_ZkPv22JPfluyDYJ-bI0y5/s640/blogger-image--1636741243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfHSm5r-qxGSL3rU3ihyzqRdca3tcgSylc6D0atEjx_mi-jkqw897ylykVzK5MDjESooXtQ9qygRk3FmKu3i8D_2mwfmKwrUcfLB4kMzerAhocA_ZkPv22JPfluyDYJ-bI0y5/s640/blogger-image--1636741243.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uimGy1CebjviUU0hgsGYcEeF7lkUha1uEGMMIKOYgWqrE6_gO-pK0B8rBAekq1kFVqhWREU1YWlbELYg8bCfKN06GKOjr7F-XHX-qiZE2lQ4Pqa4zCTzBf44EPpOXBBZMB8H/s640/blogger-image--1267258253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uimGy1CebjviUU0hgsGYcEeF7lkUha1uEGMMIKOYgWqrE6_gO-pK0B8rBAekq1kFVqhWREU1YWlbELYg8bCfKN06GKOjr7F-XHX-qiZE2lQ4Pqa4zCTzBf44EPpOXBBZMB8H/s640/blogger-image--1267258253.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICDLfe_QfDSIYVKjKxf9CkkKm8PVeouvH37DCz-kH_C-VrD9-7zwDD1cDgdjFf9JLXY68_5AJzRcxFDte2jl8PQhcCELYkk0LyZI3wieqfssQIgMG5zzfhtmaSXgtYh53iAZn/s640/blogger-image--2069042366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICDLfe_QfDSIYVKjKxf9CkkKm8PVeouvH37DCz-kH_C-VrD9-7zwDD1cDgdjFf9JLXY68_5AJzRcxFDte2jl8PQhcCELYkk0LyZI3wieqfssQIgMG5zzfhtmaSXgtYh53iAZn/s640/blogger-image--2069042366.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-ilQNCR3mkziFQSB4c1Hk4q2f6UdCYFeWQflxL9q2VrhBg0dM_gv0rqPEvibkj1MMCaN7SviX6VsX3N3WoTRLDG0hSz3ZdTVaXVJXL9YSGFQq4c_vf8BXP52UbMTTVrMw5E4/s640/blogger-image-1871779069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-ilQNCR3mkziFQSB4c1Hk4q2f6UdCYFeWQflxL9q2VrhBg0dM_gv0rqPEvibkj1MMCaN7SviX6VsX3N3WoTRLDG0hSz3ZdTVaXVJXL9YSGFQq4c_vf8BXP52UbMTTVrMw5E4/s640/blogger-image-1871779069.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7umtWSy4trkKvT6JIwmq4NArp5nUunvBK_wZC2yj7YvJJadGbI6cK0KJPcTZ4TvAFbP_2bLE0wPqmP5pr55tWZJjbMCGrz1zB2dnmr45ZSFIPvD8iHTNsH7hP9ccIg9G5-t4/s640/blogger-image--333203933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7umtWSy4trkKvT6JIwmq4NArp5nUunvBK_wZC2yj7YvJJadGbI6cK0KJPcTZ4TvAFbP_2bLE0wPqmP5pr55tWZJjbMCGrz1zB2dnmr45ZSFIPvD8iHTNsH7hP9ccIg9G5-t4/s640/blogger-image--333203933.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1xVmcCNc6eN4zy6KJ1G4TL0RjeQNU6M0CcIuWYfSWlOhemO8bc7t2SxAlpMiAZeXBUwzfHuSUHst1oDFoL_MjFE22qky-VUgPeurTgJJZmQCpyTuAC8XanM0N7knTYGGJxYs/s640/blogger-image--39878464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1xVmcCNc6eN4zy6KJ1G4TL0RjeQNU6M0CcIuWYfSWlOhemO8bc7t2SxAlpMiAZeXBUwzfHuSUHst1oDFoL_MjFE22qky-VUgPeurTgJJZmQCpyTuAC8XanM0N7knTYGGJxYs/s640/blogger-image--39878464.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvaDGG3sg1ydW4oGgke0sc5rwcOGljNr-hTLghrlOR6G-jvMsQ1lJsrcRWQIDiL3Qx2bCtba8y3Z-PIvVLaz5AiXAp4eMTzbxDf3en7SFxj7OxJBzMHZCEB2s9Ej42fvGAnYP/s640/blogger-image--1990009369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvaDGG3sg1ydW4oGgke0sc5rwcOGljNr-hTLghrlOR6G-jvMsQ1lJsrcRWQIDiL3Qx2bCtba8y3Z-PIvVLaz5AiXAp4eMTzbxDf3en7SFxj7OxJBzMHZCEB2s9Ej42fvGAnYP/s640/blogger-image--1990009369.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">There were a few cool cars lurking about. Somebody said there was a wagon somewhere, but I missed it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYYdIEnNK3Vk6bSB2t2XntdHqVnYcvFRlQpyYhj2frAtrMVYJ6C0E9TJT79IEAAwSUeRy1-4cY3rBkPAxdMur7ngbD6AFGAX-GX49lbwI1V6piF7Otb3xfaELoMM0qjwnhkJwC/s640/blogger-image-1792648584.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYYdIEnNK3Vk6bSB2t2XntdHqVnYcvFRlQpyYhj2frAtrMVYJ6C0E9TJT79IEAAwSUeRy1-4cY3rBkPAxdMur7ngbD6AFGAX-GX49lbwI1V6piF7Otb3xfaELoMM0qjwnhkJwC/s640/blogger-image-1792648584.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fo0V8onBGCe2EHsiANUQxGSfrY53g4RZQadcL8kCfSWZHFvIMijv3AxFOx86RtndMLvNtOJOa6_ms9JAciRK4LotbQzxI0HvudZfL-bddlFnvQC9Uyerqw2ZFnPyZDXMxuI2/s640/blogger-image--1619657242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fo0V8onBGCe2EHsiANUQxGSfrY53g4RZQadcL8kCfSWZHFvIMijv3AxFOx86RtndMLvNtOJOa6_ms9JAciRK4LotbQzxI0HvudZfL-bddlFnvQC9Uyerqw2ZFnPyZDXMxuI2/s640/blogger-image--1619657242.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8SZ0MxP3WquKiCOyFyTxyGJpiXGky2BGvkd9KXpNsKCVHy8nZd3Zy1nJ5kbx07N8FSZ91BqfcywccbC794SqKlgBW0c1UpmXSW5cYgA_QGd_od9LqLw7NL3GHSQE6AVlm0Abr/s640/blogger-image-1194507808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8SZ0MxP3WquKiCOyFyTxyGJpiXGky2BGvkd9KXpNsKCVHy8nZd3Zy1nJ5kbx07N8FSZ91BqfcywccbC794SqKlgBW0c1UpmXSW5cYgA_QGd_od9LqLw7NL3GHSQE6AVlm0Abr/s640/blogger-image-1194507808.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And some scooters that came on their own.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD80RL0CCx8DIH2Caj014oSuHYhnugZVSnexDdWID7a4UW5VfdF3dhZDpVzVfZKWSX-YiYLISocgjM2YeRuimHYvkkaB1tbnOaU4tfTGBwRV6j6l80uRM8aigaJZzehwG44ZMY/s640/blogger-image-696838133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD80RL0CCx8DIH2Caj014oSuHYhnugZVSnexDdWID7a4UW5VfdF3dhZDpVzVfZKWSX-YiYLISocgjM2YeRuimHYvkkaB1tbnOaU4tfTGBwRV6j6l80uRM8aigaJZzehwG44ZMY/s640/blogger-image-696838133.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9TByUCcuOCUY-1t9CjCACPjMnRLzWfgNwgpoykRVvk3iqYEP_qDdj17yeZYJdiyD9mvgmlThnE_vZxLgtyLiKc8QJ8a8JSIZ_49AanHHkDE7TP4mJvTvWCrIh283vWogS7iR/s640/blogger-image-1473804227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9TByUCcuOCUY-1t9CjCACPjMnRLzWfgNwgpoykRVvk3iqYEP_qDdj17yeZYJdiyD9mvgmlThnE_vZxLgtyLiKc8QJ8a8JSIZ_49AanHHkDE7TP4mJvTvWCrIh283vWogS7iR/s640/blogger-image-1473804227.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMCrhYgwxLQn5KTmYGFjQp5NBjdipAKihPSIu2qg6q-T4CS_ZQIACfEB5joa_wu2PMQYeO_5RNg00oUwSI37cmsJuTWgyClGmhj917X5-jLXZojT8ugNTqNaRnnyosQ7bGo9N/s640/blogger-image-1098343031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMCrhYgwxLQn5KTmYGFjQp5NBjdipAKihPSIu2qg6q-T4CS_ZQIACfEB5joa_wu2PMQYeO_5RNg00oUwSI37cmsJuTWgyClGmhj917X5-jLXZojT8ugNTqNaRnnyosQ7bGo9N/s640/blogger-image-1098343031.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I have a soft spot for these old Honda Trails. This one was amazingly clean. Could have rolled out of the dealer's door yesterday.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRFycrBKfgv05Qkro_8hcf2vH8_sdyK21xRlEVgstHtZmMt3vxQPDx5UcaMa8Lhyp4v3yd4TK7kZcee8nGWAhNlPElpl0m9NNvbsQYI_fqUDo2QLbddPHMpUec-89mvSYibcj/s640/blogger-image-845921892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRFycrBKfgv05Qkro_8hcf2vH8_sdyK21xRlEVgstHtZmMt3vxQPDx5UcaMa8Lhyp4v3yd4TK7kZcee8nGWAhNlPElpl0m9NNvbsQYI_fqUDo2QLbddPHMpUec-89mvSYibcj/s640/blogger-image-845921892.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This Elite 250 (with the super rare crash bars) made me regret not calling on a similar scoot that was for sale on Craigslist last week.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGno5FgzF3KPSEBBhlbTztsVKiR1TCHTWR-eN5B8WlZEgPWgiB0OnhgDP1EajK2uwJS4bH6rao096t9Hfkf7abzWTjZHoky-SWuFjspVHFsZV1bV9s6eLTV2lPkEMaMuq2Rw25/s640/blogger-image--11690625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGno5FgzF3KPSEBBhlbTztsVKiR1TCHTWR-eN5B8WlZEgPWgiB0OnhgDP1EajK2uwJS4bH6rao096t9Hfkf7abzWTjZHoky-SWuFjspVHFsZV1bV9s6eLTV2lPkEMaMuq2Rw25/s640/blogger-image--11690625.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This guy, from crankshaftmusic.com, was tearing it up. His percussion kit was built around a 5 gallon homer bucket from Home Depot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzPcqk0RSs_o3wpPtXShFMiaYjl7CcK_kjz4sXzlJG8EkcT1QXWeO01DZ1IiHEOaUAVLP3SOAFgXZyHKaSSTTrayHG_uwHUBp21lORHc2MqoiIA4g5L9DYnZ7thE3uBx2yRk2/s640/blogger-image--212414650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzPcqk0RSs_o3wpPtXShFMiaYjl7CcK_kjz4sXzlJG8EkcT1QXWeO01DZ1IiHEOaUAVLP3SOAFgXZyHKaSSTTrayHG_uwHUBp21lORHc2MqoiIA4g5L9DYnZ7thE3uBx2yRk2/s640/blogger-image--212414650.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This might have been the most unique of the show. Basically, an adult sized big wheel that is electric powered.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVriCmLQ4ZUa9S9sqm-J_pT_r42STq9dqZ_3xjfHRGE-EDu7ndjt2I7zDGoAXtZzaHCyU5jxW3MA-ZVVRFRN7Y3nN9nExCeZ6x6dN5kOhq8Z23xyPc3OtifPsTfZF7vcGGjoD-/s640/blogger-image-1654405674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVriCmLQ4ZUa9S9sqm-J_pT_r42STq9dqZ_3xjfHRGE-EDu7ndjt2I7zDGoAXtZzaHCyU5jxW3MA-ZVVRFRN7Y3nN9nExCeZ6x6dN5kOhq8Z23xyPc3OtifPsTfZF7vcGGjoD-/s640/blogger-image-1654405674.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And when I was looking at this cool bike with the sidecar, I saw the bearded lady herself along with her escort.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzypA_gem_755TP8CYPpBAx5avmZhLWwJg1V2riSs93GrItQhcqXDgUGclagrMy1hNs40WQba45-agug7MI-KoxMwAyZLEYlp_ufGpY5ImsX2PpSw1IblP5JUe9jaMMEGN2CMM/s640/blogger-image-863612125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzypA_gem_755TP8CYPpBAx5avmZhLWwJg1V2riSs93GrItQhcqXDgUGclagrMy1hNs40WQba45-agug7MI-KoxMwAyZLEYlp_ufGpY5ImsX2PpSw1IblP5JUe9jaMMEGN2CMM/s640/blogger-image-863612125.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdH99iWSgIGyGX7CfqL8Zd45SrUUXT4KPaz0o05M_zzqM4iNpApZv3VAATEyfIGf6t4dHbn4PCx2ZotCcbYTx3Q92bn-3QyvayAAV_odMn5YMDk2mT_-AzQfIWruosI8zctlGu/s640/blogger-image--328204904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdH99iWSgIGyGX7CfqL8Zd45SrUUXT4KPaz0o05M_zzqM4iNpApZv3VAATEyfIGf6t4dHbn4PCx2ZotCcbYTx3Q92bn-3QyvayAAV_odMn5YMDk2mT_-AzQfIWruosI8zctlGu/s640/blogger-image--328204904.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">About a 60 mile day on the scoot, and loads of fun.</div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-65890462560002683372013-06-12T10:57:00.002-07:002013-06-12T10:59:54.463-07:00Zapped!Yesterday my company had Bill Andre, one of the <a href="http://www.commuter-connection.org/" target="_blank">Commuter Connection</a> guys, standing outside our building for 2 hours zapping bikes. This will make sense in a minute. Anyway, since we have strict requirements about who can be at our building we were asked to send a bikey-type representative to hang out with Bill and make sure he didn't get up to any nefarious doings (he didn't).<!-- Tags --><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cycling+commute+bike+bicycling+commuting+ride+bicycle" rel="tag"></a><br />
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Bill came on this yellow trike with bags full of bits and bobs, the purpose of which he explained to just about every cyclist who entered our building between 6:30 and 8:30 AM. You can see Bill's back to the far right as he talks Zapping to a cyclist. I didn't think to actually take a decent picture of him.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfTecugC5_umdLqV5vdTSepF55CmAhyphenhyphene9HTPL9-lzTt_e06FgVVVL2dHmgyVmbMmmFaGwwsMnk2yj5KQIe2GFv6eYRjCPQO2SYoE3xZxY7f7RNNwXmmhBhyphenhyphen79WSYB6Bj1oGWT/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfTecugC5_umdLqV5vdTSepF55CmAhyphenhyphene9HTPL9-lzTt_e06FgVVVL2dHmgyVmbMmmFaGwwsMnk2yj5KQIe2GFv6eYRjCPQO2SYoE3xZxY7f7RNNwXmmhBhyphenhyphen79WSYB6Bj1oGWT/s320/photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is Bill's seat cover, as it was threatening rain all morning. It's nice because it will actually keep his seat dry and also advertises his cause. He gave me an identical one for being such a good helper. Lucky!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7njtamW4VUXemqQCV7oyUs6aZVWoXfQjJq6Q7EpT5vXjdDnTPiW1AIXLAlpI30siebAaA0KPkckGtIWA6yQ38nUNcp6G2ToSYqUq-VzYQy-P-JU1T35IQYsjD2LrXryendyt/s1600/photo+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7njtamW4VUXemqQCV7oyUs6aZVWoXfQjJq6Q7EpT5vXjdDnTPiW1AIXLAlpI30siebAaA0KPkckGtIWA6yQ38nUNcp6G2ToSYqUq-VzYQy-P-JU1T35IQYsjD2LrXryendyt/s320/photo+(1).jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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So if you haven't hear of <a href="http://zaptwincities.org/">ZAPTwinCities.org</a> it's a new bike tracking program. Not designed to track you a la PRISM, but designed to track how many bikes are out and about. They attach a little plastic device to your front wheel as seen below:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5mvCC5PUDYlRcwL6Zc_CTsZqO5RWJHY4Bl2yvEXnI95LnucaKGU_vwHqKiVLQ7s5yqgxaSuZKeh5gzGpnyFSKNOanhINLUHWHBRz1Qsk_hSuo93fsX2HRAXptOPNx8Y6ugkJ/s1600/photo+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5mvCC5PUDYlRcwL6Zc_CTsZqO5RWJHY4Bl2yvEXnI95LnucaKGU_vwHqKiVLQ7s5yqgxaSuZKeh5gzGpnyFSKNOanhINLUHWHBRz1Qsk_hSuo93fsX2HRAXptOPNx8Y6ugkJ/s320/photo+(2).jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
And there are dozens of Zap Stations around town. Whenever your front wheel (and hopefully the rest of your bike and you) passes by one of these stations, there's some electronic magic and it records that you were there. I checked the map to see which ones were near my commuting route and rode by a few just to see what happened. For such a small sensor, the range is pretty impressive. There's an audible "ping" when your zap thing is read, and I heard it from out in the bike lane on Portland and I also heard it from the Greenway (there's a reader by the Freewheel shop). I slowed down a bit just because I wasn't sure it would work, but I think it would probably read you at speed.<br />
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The folks at Commuter Connection want to use all the data they collect to augment the manual bike counts and really get some every day hard data. They plan to use this data to help build their business case in grant writing, helping cyclists get reimbursement from their HMO for activity and a bunch of other stuff that's good for cyclists.<br />
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Coming in the next few weeks they are going to integrate the Bike Sharing system into their zapping. So every time you take a bike share bike you can have a zap recorded as well. They have rewards for how many zaps you get. If you're a Type A person, you an online dashboard so you can see how you compare to other registered cyclists (competition!). And you are also eligible to win prizes based on the number of zaps you get.<br />
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At this point, you're probably wondering how you can get zapped yourself. If you're reading this in a timely manner, it's currently Bike to Work week in the Twin Cities. Bill is going to have a tent at the downtown Minneapolis commuter celebration tomorrow (Thursday, June 16, 2013) for the Bike to Work Day celebration at Government Plaza and he'll be zapping bikes. He also said he hangs out on Nicollet Mall every Thursday looking for folks to zap. And you can always call the Commuter Connection place and set up a time. They'll come down to street level and take care of it. Takes about 2 minutes. St. Paulites, I didn't get the full story but I am assuming that they can help you out as well.<br />
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My one daughter had swim lessons last night, and the other daughter had her weekly Summer Orchestra rehearsal. My wife took the swimmer, and we carpooled with another orchestra kid, which left me with a couple hours of alone time. So, since it was a beautiful night and I'd already had my bike ride for the day I pulled out the scooter and just cruised around for an hour or so. I found some fun twisty roads and learned that Dodd Road will take you right into St Paul. I also visited the <a href="http://pilotknobpreservation.org/wp/" target="_blank">Pilot Knob Open Space</a>, because I hadn't been there before.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU49ON1ZVccyLXruPW2Ci85xR5EdBDKWH8AmCQGYYse_2KD3WLyUl27lmpMU950lSO_QI8_IOuWTj6hnjjXpSiTJ_TBD44q46d8feCL1nA0Qb9-TUYP8jWlH2ybgq9jniBjcR-/s1600/photo+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU49ON1ZVccyLXruPW2Ci85xR5EdBDKWH8AmCQGYYse_2KD3WLyUl27lmpMU950lSO_QI8_IOuWTj6hnjjXpSiTJ_TBD44q46d8feCL1nA0Qb9-TUYP8jWlH2ybgq9jniBjcR-/s320/photo+(3).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I added this <a href="http://backtothefuture.wikia.com/wiki/Flux_capacitor" target="_blank">bit of whimsy</a> to the access panel on the scooter. However, I don't believe that the scooter will make it to 88mph unless I can lay my hands on some plutonium...<br />
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Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-80439087911983667122013-05-20T15:37:00.001-07:002013-05-20T15:37:12.063-07:00Stereophonic High FidelityI'd been pestering the Mrs. about getting one of those old-fangled console stereos for a while now. I've got a bunch of vinyl in the basement that probably hasn't been played since I was in high school, since that's the last time I can recall having a functional turntable. And I thought a console would fit well in our 1951 house with its mid-century modern thing going on. She was not nearly as excited about this idea as you might expect.<div><br></div><div>Last week when taking daughter to her violin lesson I noticed a house with a Sold sign and various pieces of furniture on the lawn. I gave it a quick gander (old habits from Moorhead fix up/clean up week die hard) but didn't notice anything special. After the lesson, I took a closer look and then told daughter "We're going back." Mixed in among the end tables and whatnot was this beauty of a Magnavox.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNvfJW66e-TmkAvrR6ruNNyj_25YgOW6rCfJAGe6gXjloadlsEXRHw8PTxNYmMFeZsX5OHnNpF-vXPakvvCx_BpfSLFikTgbBGi8NmUE5xBJvrGnoqe_slqPdRJrN48AI_bKc/s640/blogger-image-1254638276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNvfJW66e-TmkAvrR6ruNNyj_25YgOW6rCfJAGe6gXjloadlsEXRHw8PTxNYmMFeZsX5OHnNpF-vXPakvvCx_BpfSLFikTgbBGi8NmUE5xBJvrGnoqe_slqPdRJrN48AI_bKc/s640/blogger-image-1254638276.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Daughter and I wrestled it into the back of the Roadmaster (Estate Wagon for the win!) and drove it home. There it sat for nearly a week, as we were making a road trip to see Willie Nelson and I didn't have time to monkey with it. Last night we wheeled it in to the location seen above.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aabmJ5GAfI4hoYSNxE2aCZKltdd7XWaIGj-jeEy02B1NPTMelx_fsSvQ_tLpYq0thQQQfBmAGXeI-TJSj8AQnOHLtdPiu1yPsHh9cNQH1j5nIQARmO5mZdDO361gHYEIxATR/s640/blogger-image-1606981470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aabmJ5GAfI4hoYSNxE2aCZKltdd7XWaIGj-jeEy02B1NPTMelx_fsSvQ_tLpYq0thQQQfBmAGXeI-TJSj8AQnOHLtdPiu1yPsHh9cNQH1j5nIQARmO5mZdDO361gHYEIxATR/s640/blogger-image-1606981470.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It has a record player and an AM/FM radio. And it actually works. Sort of. I believe I can fix it. The pots are really scratchy, and the needle is shot. But the turntable does work and I was able to eke out a little volume from the vinyl. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5n1kVU3i90YW6CEbfa-f4ZMoQfi3fSFr0eXn7lHEOGuyY6HcchH36LWnDRzhme_JLKRPYUClt_oCjKuEDniOmhLeU4mC3aTMTgPFhDAA8ruSwox28VRBzJDvC_g6AkFkyMqJ9/s640/blogger-image--2124873043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5n1kVU3i90YW6CEbfa-f4ZMoQfi3fSFr0eXn7lHEOGuyY6HcchH36LWnDRzhme_JLKRPYUClt_oCjKuEDniOmhLeU4mC3aTMTgPFhDAA8ruSwox28VRBzJDvC_g6AkFkyMqJ9/s640/blogger-image--2124873043.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDece04fpA8rcIWvqGI2VqtRa_gBBH9OLa6Pw_mi5HFgQQVV0O5ILhlcAF3uLLGrHedtzRpgSNcFAC_C9dchSn2HK6f-BNYmssBf5J9hrqwXCX7rKve1K2AJcvXV7KzthYEiJ/s640/blogger-image-720851882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDece04fpA8rcIWvqGI2VqtRa_gBBH9OLa6Pw_mi5HFgQQVV0O5ILhlcAF3uLLGrHedtzRpgSNcFAC_C9dchSn2HK6f-BNYmssBf5J9hrqwXCX7rKve1K2AJcvXV7KzthYEiJ/s640/blogger-image-720851882.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It even had the owners manual! The records are some of mine, just for show.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8n0dj0Y2Ipga7Ef2nN13QrXKtjHA9vAVYWbQarR12De-KeWkbj4PC0lPUp6IyI1TxK6W2xD3sNk1vLp5zZrbYfYZPLYue1uLOj23WtiPX6DxGRU14V4wmCYcDIlmivzXSpY3/s640/blogger-image--1011283473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8n0dj0Y2Ipga7Ef2nN13QrXKtjHA9vAVYWbQarR12De-KeWkbj4PC0lPUp6IyI1TxK6W2xD3sNk1vLp5zZrbYfYZPLYue1uLOj23WtiPX6DxGRU14V4wmCYcDIlmivzXSpY3/s640/blogger-image--1011283473.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> The contents of the envelope:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdQwnINx8bdH10y1xEQIGuOO1IwbmjTbfwKtKfBk6Qw7ShkQqUIVxCpzIrbIQotqK0q9UeqbuABJA-06xdHEWJ_yglf7Ij2AKfJHjCFkf_HEeqARif7nmUPpAIyetXSRC3mMN/s640/blogger-image-1100135017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdQwnINx8bdH10y1xEQIGuOO1IwbmjTbfwKtKfBk6Qw7ShkQqUIVxCpzIrbIQotqK0q9UeqbuABJA-06xdHEWJ_yglf7Ij2AKfJHjCFkf_HEeqARif7nmUPpAIyetXSRC3mMN/s640/blogger-image-1100135017.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihNjvu30h59zG720n0SZUglL3nMTc1amuMamlSpQJXB3ws7hp76v3dGLE5FzDXnndFX5RNYKRy6mnXPYzkLWA9geuqC7H3SDhc1EKMvz7Ha2jzpNkNgp9x01Q9I0S9Jxu08NW/s640/blogger-image-544616320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihNjvu30h59zG720n0SZUglL3nMTc1amuMamlSpQJXB3ws7hp76v3dGLE5FzDXnndFX5RNYKRy6mnXPYzkLWA9geuqC7H3SDhc1EKMvz7Ha2jzpNkNgp9x01Q9I0S9Jxu08NW/s640/blogger-image-544616320.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Yes, those are punch cards. Kids, ask your parents if you don't understand.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Close ups:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwMdxiGEJQfef2i5HST5TWx54_52BHRJLa4Co7fcBtaI2NoZc3Y2BnItt_eSMETj8Hx7fCi8Tn7PpCXkWnK88oeqn_oi1swTgiUwInsK2Hu1Cy3N-esnZusGXhrBa8LFiqAq7/s640/blogger-image-404241373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwMdxiGEJQfef2i5HST5TWx54_52BHRJLa4Co7fcBtaI2NoZc3Y2BnItt_eSMETj8Hx7fCi8Tn7PpCXkWnK88oeqn_oi1swTgiUwInsK2Hu1Cy3N-esnZusGXhrBa8LFiqAq7/s640/blogger-image-404241373.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDoK3QZfqJqhJGcxy8xxePDSwir01Y-foybvoJDX8nOTRNCw2flrnoa8NAzXwQkqRK0dlI_CDAVajbkNDOjbtWDN0KjOeEFF_V9mjiDymnviTs5uk5d5WSTcKDlsaDFjP8o5M/s640/blogger-image--1730166838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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I signed up for the <a href="http://www.getluckytc.org/">Get Lucky</a> again this year, and spent January through March running to get ready. Most of my runs were indoor at the community center's track (11 laps = 1 mile) due to the prolonged and miserable spring weather we have had here in Minnesota. Side note: there's actually snow in the forecast for later this week. In May, people. But enough of that.<!-- Tags --><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cycling+commute+bike+bicycling+commuting+ride+bicycle" rel="tag"></a><br />
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I'm still running and last week unofficially started my marathon training program. Not that I have committed to doing a marathon, mind you. But <a href="http://yonsaucywench.blogspot.com/">the wench</a> signed up for the TC Marathon on the day of the Boston bombings, and I'll admit it's more than crossed my mind to do the same. The only problem is that the longest I've ever run in my life is the 7k of Get Lucky. So for now I'm following the plan and contemplating my options.</div>
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My two wheeling life has taken a bit of a turn. Exhibit A:</div>
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It's a 1985 Honda Elite 150 I picked up in December. It's an ugly little spud, but it's also super fun. I haven't had a chance to do a lot of riding on it yet (see above crappy spring weather reference), but what I have done has been a hoot.</div>
Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-9383858718614744892013-04-03T06:36:00.000-07:002013-04-03T06:36:15.055-07:00Beer Nirvana?<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">OK, maybe not nirvana. But we've got it good up here, make no mistake. I was just reading about this new restaurant called "Red Cow" and heard it had a great beer list. So I checked it out:</span><br />
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<a href="http://redcowmn.com/beer/" style="color: #1155cc;">http://redcowmn.com/beer/</a></div>
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36 taps, and 18 of them are MN beers. And I looked at the list and said, "Meh. I've seen better beer lists." 18 locally brewed beers and 36 choices, and that's just average? Crazy talk.</div>
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When we were in San Antonio, Texas a week ago, the beer list at nearly every restaurant/bar was: Bud, Bud Light, Miller Light, and Shiner Bock. You could throw in one or two variables (MGD Golden Draft Light!), but this was pretty close to what we consistently saw. </div>
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If you like beer, this is a pretty great place to live. Just had to get this off my chest.</div>
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How's your winter going?</div>
<!-- Tags --><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cycling+commute+bike+bicycling+commuting+ride+bicycle" rel="tag"></a>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-28992477736108454912012-10-28T16:30:00.001-07:002012-10-28T16:30:35.432-07:00River ratI went out for a ride on the Minnesota River Bottoms trails this morning/afternoon. It's a pity that I live so close to this great little urban wilderness and don't take advantage of it more often than I do. I rode my old Miyata Shredder, which is the fattest-tired bike that I own. It's no Pugsley, but it's about right for these trails. Speaking of Pugsleys, I saw multiple pug tracks while I was down there. There was a time when a <a href="http://velocipete.blogspot.com/2005/12/pugsley-sighting.html">Pugsley Sighting</a> was an event, but with the fatbike explosion over the last few years it's hardly worth mentioning any more. <!-- Tags --><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cycling+commute+bike+bicycling+commuting+ride+bicycle" rel="tag"></a><br />
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Yes, I forgot my helmet. Don't judge.</div>
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Highway 77, which is where I turned around.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj43dhrgsXtEUFeX6iw7ZfsLDNZyKZmxl5lOmxFFm_5cDf0JMQ2wfHVE0LtzhLF1U5pwFoW-rL8dCxDNLxPXgXYRDBG_ltDqqMftCBbdM9NcvaLuFCiGxSRXerXiM-xAaRPU20c/s1600/IMG_0070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj43dhrgsXtEUFeX6iw7ZfsLDNZyKZmxl5lOmxFFm_5cDf0JMQ2wfHVE0LtzhLF1U5pwFoW-rL8dCxDNLxPXgXYRDBG_ltDqqMftCBbdM9NcvaLuFCiGxSRXerXiM-xAaRPU20c/s320/IMG_0070.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The abandoned parking lot at 77 was vaguely creepy. </div>
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Old school. 26", fully rigid, anodized bar ends, neon graphics. What's not to like?</div>
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I chose not to ride this. With no helmet, I figured I'd play it safe. Yeah, that's it.</div>
<br />Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-74038886796548153012012-09-19T18:41:00.001-07:002012-09-19T18:43:11.524-07:00Greenway bike to the barThe usual summer Sea Salt gathering never really happened this year. But I saw this article on vita.mn and wondered, could we pull one off before the weather turns?<br />
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<a href="http://www.vita.mn/food-drink/170392726.html">http://www.vita.mn/food-drink/170392726.html</a>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-70622979285039688872012-06-19T11:11:00.001-07:002012-06-19T11:11:39.424-07:00Rained outI attach proof that though the weather was bad, at least two people showed up last Thursday. Anybody want to try for a less rainy day?<br />
<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7ugzWvNTd-d1BOeTA-n0pbcknsJZonX_R4Pz878swRmk9H3yf9M_tFK3cWjEUe06Ba2PQDKsrvdmGZSXeyKej8XTdW80hgbgUuBFlLu3DPjkKifxaT2DrgHhV5BRtMx1jln4/s640/blogger-image-375323492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7ugzWvNTd-d1BOeTA-n0pbcknsJZonX_R4Pz878swRmk9H3yf9M_tFK3cWjEUe06Ba2PQDKsrvdmGZSXeyKej8XTdW80hgbgUuBFlLu3DPjkKifxaT2DrgHhV5BRtMx1jln4/s640/blogger-image-375323492.jpg" /></a></div>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-59915724637174964362012-06-12T10:17:00.000-07:002012-06-12T10:17:09.918-07:00Pedal PowerThe Big Picture, a photo blog from the <a href="http://www.boston.com/?mastheadLogo">Boston Globe</a>, has a nice collection of bicycles around the world titled "<a href="http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2012/06/pedal_power.html">Pedal Power</a>". Take a look.
<!-- Tags --><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cycling+commute+bike+bicycling+commuting+ride+bicycle" rel="tag"></a>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-22944518682504258772012-06-11T19:50:00.001-07:002012-06-11T19:51:35.236-07:00Bike to work dayI did make it over to Minneapolis Bike to Work day last week. It's just been one of those years when I haven't had a chance to reflect on anything. I caught part of the Mayor's speech, saw the new stamps, and nabbed a few stickers and maps. I even hobnobbed with Ray for a bit. Then I rode back to work, stopping for some pulled pork tacos at a food truck. <br />
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The celebration was the usual, and I enjoyed it. But I kind of missed the early morning celebration with coffee and whatnot. The lunchtime event just didn't quite have the same vibe. Change is hard, sometimes. <div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eNycyh-qtULVzt1IkQg4oA5vovzIINg84aG6QegzY7OaCANH1VlRIP5xCmxLKqqHBM5L8sqNPPJu7S9mBcBr5e36dIVDmhmIC3CGubLjOOTfEb1-sf834yrN5tAQ9Ma7in86/s640/blogger-image--48097093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eNycyh-qtULVzt1IkQg4oA5vovzIINg84aG6QegzY7OaCANH1VlRIP5xCmxLKqqHBM5L8sqNPPJu7S9mBcBr5e36dIVDmhmIC3CGubLjOOTfEb1-sf834yrN5tAQ9Ma7in86/s640/blogger-image--48097093.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8GUAL45XvoOMM3215JDOFV8-a-6IzIHE3BG6eHtxzmc_AJeAmI88My4L_uO2qNbJRKYmqDZXooRP9EgUIiZwuMOOCFKc3RJSu2RweiC7UgSjKYNiaehUm_yXmFdZr5oGAY2m/s640/blogger-image-552079935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8GUAL45XvoOMM3215JDOFV8-a-6IzIHE3BG6eHtxzmc_AJeAmI88My4L_uO2qNbJRKYmqDZXooRP9EgUIiZwuMOOCFKc3RJSu2RweiC7UgSjKYNiaehUm_yXmFdZr5oGAY2m/s640/blogger-image-552079935.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtUj2LP7e-ZM6lGzZ5jEYG6OfTqJo74CPWGnrFFPq3_MGIX1JYEO4SJElO5O0hWrtaBIFCsQXQMN7qU_29YjkPz0GtMIS3TxYIsaqp6XODqfOfWjB7J0YYaAb9C_WTwKZvdz2/s640/blogger-image-974868856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtUj2LP7e-ZM6lGzZ5jEYG6OfTqJo74CPWGnrFFPq3_MGIX1JYEO4SJElO5O0hWrtaBIFCsQXQMN7qU_29YjkPz0GtMIS3TxYIsaqp6XODqfOfWjB7J0YYaAb9C_WTwKZvdz2/s640/blogger-image-974868856.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTcDZZdg3ibgO8uiKZDnu1GXgSlYgQJ2NxlbzksWdnIyPIEGK_kbMK9N343OGAtheG96A5m-j1KPjTGlpLbrZJM3fucgS-J5k84j5D0IpuIXQEtrztFlI4jcnBVASRw8s5LKO8/s640/blogger-image-756414542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTcDZZdg3ibgO8uiKZDnu1GXgSlYgQJ2NxlbzksWdnIyPIEGK_kbMK9N343OGAtheG96A5m-j1KPjTGlpLbrZJM3fucgS-J5k84j5D0IpuIXQEtrztFlI4jcnBVASRw8s5LKO8/s640/blogger-image-756414542.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokSXwIDl0NzmmjzhafTcqVIEO54ZB8k-tnhsXSEAatFs7cH6c_B3LoutgX34YFd-bZri1_tkGoXhpfJyYc0AsmwjowWH_qffuMyRX2cwMSM83CEo_0T4_SPJzzNpSnB8x4rna/s640/blogger-image-67260786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokSXwIDl0NzmmjzhafTcqVIEO54ZB8k-tnhsXSEAatFs7cH6c_B3LoutgX34YFd-bZri1_tkGoXhpfJyYc0AsmwjowWH_qffuMyRX2cwMSM83CEo_0T4_SPJzzNpSnB8x4rna/s640/blogger-image-67260786.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnisZUAyQ-fLYgkLRVNhUGpfNXd4Fusv110uG0B3KSgu5g6xexJUdPynPBQAQoFin59tKoZ9yVvXxOirjYHbebuM9OtJiKgf6W3h4aoVBpfm7k6xS4YOboWIRK2gbh71mQw3V/s640/blogger-image--1123989356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnisZUAyQ-fLYgkLRVNhUGpfNXd4Fusv110uG0B3KSgu5g6xexJUdPynPBQAQoFin59tKoZ9yVvXxOirjYHbebuM9OtJiKgf6W3h4aoVBpfm7k6xS4YOboWIRK2gbh71mQw3V/s640/blogger-image--1123989356.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKRG8qL0ugFTwIfIyEu7_zdq20LZ6S9dUlW8TFf2qwL4aUGhykPPd537admgXQwjWwRZFSBEXxrMnMsNN5j8xBM1XC6I9ChH516ximEYxMnyKu2_1AErAzj0O2E5GNxmbhvrE/s640/blogger-image-1727091362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKRG8qL0ugFTwIfIyEu7_zdq20LZ6S9dUlW8TFf2qwL4aUGhykPPd537admgXQwjWwRZFSBEXxrMnMsNN5j8xBM1XC6I9ChH516ximEYxMnyKu2_1AErAzj0O2E5GNxmbhvrE/s640/blogger-image-1727091362.jpg" /></a></div>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-66911153737061901592012-05-10T09:34:00.002-07:002012-05-10T09:34:54.668-07:0030 Days of Biking: Wrap upIn case you were wondering, I did complete the 30 days of biking challenge. There were a few rides at the end that were nothing more than a ride around the neighborhood to put the check in the box for that day, but they count according to the rules. Everything was on an actual bike, outside, no trainers or gym bikes were used in the completion of this goal. Which is something.
The more important something is I'm still riding fairly regularly. Not every day, but most. Short rides, mostly just to the park and ride. But rides none the less. On a bummer note, Tuesday when I got back to the park and ride I unlocked, threw my leg over the top bar and went to pedal off home. Crunch! Catastrophic rear derailleur failure! I noticed while walking home that my rear shifter lever was in the "all the way down" position, when normally it's somewhere in between. So my guess is either somebody monkeyed with it while I was at work, or I bumped it during the unlocking process and didn't realize it. Either way, the resulting displacement of the derailleur caused the chain to bind and the force was too much for the derailleur.
It's actually a blessing in disguise. When I bought the Kuwahara frame, it included a headset (Kuwahara branded, no less) and also front/rear Suntour derailleurs. I built the rest up with a mish-mash of new and used parts. I added 8 speed bar end shifters and an 8 speed rear cluster, but the derailleur never had the reach to get to all those gears. So I was effectively riding a 6 speed rear cluster, as the range prevented me from getting into the highest and lowest gears. Replacing it has always been on my list of things to do, but so far it hasn't been done. Now it will get done. It's just a question of when.
<!-- Tags --><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cycling+commute+bike+bicycling+commuting+ride+bicycle" rel="tag"></a>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-5364818170423112122012-04-15T19:21:00.001-07:002012-04-15T19:21:35.432-07:0030 Days of Biking: HalfwayStill holding strong on the 30 Days of Biking challenge. Though the weather looks to become a bit more challenging for us in the Twin Cities, starting tomorrow. This past winter and spring have been some of the warmest on record, but since it's Minnesota we still have a chance of snow in tomorrow's forecast.
I have managed to make every ride so far be what I call "productive". Productive doesn't always mean I'm riding to a specific place. Productive just means I got something out of the ride, rather than just taking the bike around the block so I can say I rode for the day. Over Easter weekend, my two rides were just simple loops around the Eagan area. But I consider this productive, as I've lived in the City of Eagan for almost 8 years but rarely bike here. 99% of my riding involves heading out of Eagan into Minneapolis or St Paul. I don't know my own back yard very well, and it's time that changed. <!-- Tags --><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cycling+commute+bike+bicycling+commuting+ride+bicycle" rel="tag"></a>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-25373894247417960252012-04-07T09:14:00.000-07:002012-04-07T09:14:26.844-07:0030 days of biking: Day 7One week in, I'm still on track with the 30 Days of Biking goal for April. I've been taking the short route to work this past week (bike 2 miles to the local park & ride, lock the bike up and bus in). One thing I've noticed as a result is that my biking shoes suck. I've known this intellectually for a while, but walking the 2 blocks from my workplace to the bus stop in the afternoon has rammed it home. To be fair, I bought these shoes almost 10 years ago, and they have thousands of miles on them. And they were the cheapest shoes available. I think I paid $35 from Performance on closeout. So it's not as if they owe me anything.<br />
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Rather than buying a new pair of shoes, this morning I swapped out the clipless pedals on my commuter to a pair of big platform pedals I had in the parts bin. This way, I can wear regular work shoes on my shorter commutes, and be able to walk like a normal person. As I finished the pedal swap, I gazed upon my vast fleet of cycles and realized that I now only have one bike with clipless pedals. And looking at the log, I haven't ridden that bike since 2009. My Raleigh 3 speed and my Schwinn Suburban have never had clipless, and never will. It would be too weird. And my mountain bike has always had flat pedals, mainly because I've been too lazy to put clipless on it and I don't ride it enough to make the swap worthwhile. The fixie has clipless, but as mentioned I haven't ridden it in nearly 3 years. My Jamis "go fast" bike used to have clipless, but I pulled them off 2 years ago for a Duathalon so I wouldn't have to change shoes between the running and biking portions (great transition times!). <br />
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I'm going to head out in a moment for today's ride, and if I like these platforms I may indeed buy a new pair of biking shoes. But they may never have cleats installed.<br />
<!-- Tags --><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cycling+commute+bike+bicycling+commuting+ride+bicycle" rel="tag"></a>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-62690138120050047702012-04-01T18:58:00.000-07:002012-04-01T18:58:34.723-07:0030 Days of Biking: Day 1Having been a bicycle slacker lo these many months, I decided to do something drastic. I'm going to attempt the <a href="http://30daysofbiking.com/">30 Days of Biking</a> challenge. For most people that I know, the challenge isn't the motivation but rather just scheduling it out. Logistics. But for me, the motivation has been sorely lacking and I'm planning to use this month as a kick in the pants. And surprisingly, I've never tried the 30 days before. Should be interesting.<br />
<br />
I started the month by escorting my daughters to a friend's house. They're spending the night, as it is officially Spring Break. I rode back home. 3.4 miles round trip. And a great way to start off. Tomorrow calls for a 50 percent chance of rain. So I got that going for me, which is nice.<br />
<!-- Tags --><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cycling+commute+bike+bicycling+commuting+ride+bicycle" rel="tag"></a>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-21664346115458607762012-02-01T18:27:00.000-08:002012-02-01T18:27:02.298-08:00Trouble, right here in River CityHi all,<br />
Yeah, it's been a while. Sorry about that. Been biking much? Want to continue? Recent legislative shenannigans are making it look like biking may become a bit harder, soon. But there's still time. The League of American Bicyclists has a nice, easy to use form on their website that allows you to send an email to your congressperson telling them that you want bike funding. <a href="http://www.capwiz.com/lab/issues/alert/?alertid=60929976&type=TA">Do it now.</a> <br />
<br />
If you're not already clicking the link, you're missing out on stuff like this:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>House leadership is exerting pressure to completely cut bicycling and walking out of transportation. Lawmakers seem to have gone through line-by-line to gut programs that make streets safer. The outrageous American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act:<br />
<br />
Destroys Transportation Enhancements by making the program optional<br />
Repeals the Safe Routes to School program, reversing years of progress in creating safe ways for kids to walk and ride bicycles to school<br />
Allows states to build bridges without safe access for pedestrians and bicycles<br />
Eliminates bicycle and pedestrian coordinators in state DOTs<br />
But there’s still a chance to save biking and walking. This week, Representatives Petri (R-WI) and Johnson (R-IL) plan to stand up to leadership by offering an amendment that restores dedicated funding for Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School. Representative Petri and Johnson can only be successful if everyone with a stake in safe sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways contacts their Congressional Member today. </blockquote><br />
Do it. That is all.<br />
<br />
<!-- Tags --><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cycling+commute+bike+bicycling+commuting+ride+bicycle" rel="tag"></a>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-16150407820526462462011-11-13T08:29:00.000-08:002011-11-13T08:29:19.752-08:00They might be on to something here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosrCTIDqSYE5CTjqVLFiLeSJr-8jwlZhZnHEd94ohTbT2E4Vw8747kXw_ixH9kHNIU9AcfwuYRm9XIhjo8zfqY3xTYJoYpoM7bkGDeswI7Yemxjo_k_UGtuDbeyul8xSffsbB/s1600/toilet+bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="205" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosrCTIDqSYE5CTjqVLFiLeSJr-8jwlZhZnHEd94ohTbT2E4Vw8747kXw_ixH9kHNIU9AcfwuYRm9XIhjo8zfqY3xTYJoYpoM7bkGDeswI7Yemxjo_k_UGtuDbeyul8xSffsbB/s400/toilet+bike.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<!-- Tags --><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cycling+commute+bike+bicycling+commuting+ride+bicycle" rel="tag"></a>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-40721628155148388282011-09-01T11:09:00.000-07:002011-09-01T11:19:00.855-07:00Salsa!When it comes to subscribing via email to various newsletters, I probably sign up for more than I should. I end up with lots of regular emails that I often delete without even opening, based on the subject line. But my slothful unsubscribing ways finally paid off! Case in point, I get a semi-regular email from <a href="http://www.bicycling.com/">Bicycling Magazine</a> that I largely ignore. But when I saw the headline "11 Cold Beers For Hot Rides" I had to click. I was even more excited when I learned that any of these 11 could be considered "recovery beers". It's almost like drinking Gatorade!
<br />
<br /><a href="http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/nutrition-weight-loss/11-tasty-summer-beers-post-ride-recovery?cm_mmc=BicyclingNL-_-674946-_-08302011-_-11_tasty_summer_beers_for_post_ride_recovery">11 Tasty Summer Beers For Post-Ride Recovery</a>
<br />
<br />In related news, one of our <a href="http://fatboybiking.blogspot.com/">biking bretheren</a> has some fresh salsa. We were conspiring via Google+ to see if maybe we could set up a combination Beer for Bloggers and Salsa Distribution event next Wednesday or Thursday. Any interest or availability? Anyone? Bueller?
<br /><!-- Tags --><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cycling+commute+bike+bicycling+commuting+ride+bicycle" rel="tag"></a>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15265136.post-34413097107110172882011-08-07T07:58:00.000-07:002011-08-07T08:00:25.459-07:00Sea Salt - tonight!I thought I would throw this out. It's the lovely Saucy Wench's birthday today, and we're headed to Sea Salt via bike to celebrate. We'll be there around 5pm Sunday the 7th. Feel free to swing by!<br /><!-- Tags --><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cycling+commute+bike+bicycling+commuting+ride+bicycle" rel="tag"></a>Frostbikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00608713389249262920noreply@blogger.com1