I think a few brave souls are meeting up at Caffeine Dreams beforehand to ride up to Benson for the show. Should be a fun time.
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take longer than others. this bike of mine, for example. new, better parts require money and longterm planning.

thus far, the fixed gear has a new seat, new pedals and cages, bottle cage, new tape and new brake levers. when spring hits i'll have new rims, hubs, calipers and a ritchey stem and seatpost. i cancelled the insurance on my car today, so i'm one step closer to being free of the four-wheeled monster and lord knows things will be better after that.

but as a friendly reminder, i suppose, i did get hit by a car. i now have that sobering "not invincible" feeling and it sucks.
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via hipsternascar.com

i can only say that i feel your pain. i really do. right now, in my wrists and knees.

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Tonight I decided, based on being both bored and curious, to embark on a loop ride I'd been planning in my head for a while. I want a longer trail/road route to take with friends rather than just going back and forth on the Keystone. I was looking for something more challenging and scenic.

So, I was thinking I'd head north. Last time I did this I went up to Boyer Chute, but I was led by a guide and hadn't ever been there by car OR by bike. Being very unfamiliar with the area, tonight was just an adventure. I traced a loop in my mind north to Hwy. 36, and then east towards the river, and the riverfront trail. Following this, I found that in the evening, 90th is relatively quiet. Bennington, even more so. I love the spread of acres upon acres of farms and trees as you head farther north. It's hilly, but I welcome that these days. On a fixed gear it's easier to pansy around on those hills, but if you really go for it, it's nothing but gruelingly good conditioning.

When I turned east on Hwy. 36, I encountered a fun construction nightmare. The westbound lanes were being repaved, so the only open lane was eastbound, and it was serving double duty for both directions of traffic. If I had been in car, the wait looked like it would've been 8-10 minutes, but by bike, just hop on the shoulder and keep riding. Like I said, fun nightmare. I took this road, forgetting what other names it turns into, down to the riverfront trail, and followed it back to the north downtown area, went for a jaunt in the Old Market (would've been a great place to stop for a snack if needed) and then followed Farnam up back to Midtown Crossing, and home. It's almost a perfect loop--about 30-35 miles, depending on where you come from to meet the Keystone trail northward. Hopefully, there will be a few gentlemen adventurous enough to join me for a few windy and cold rides on the "Farm to Market" loop before the snow hits.

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We're both really excited because this opens up a lot of doors for us. Pulling ourselves out of the negative environment of Omaha-area Starbucks stores & management has only made life better for both of us, as we've been able to enjoy things more, spending less nights exhausted and frustrated over drama and pressure caused by sloppy, lazy, vindictive managers.

I wish all of my former employees the best as they attempt to comp. 200% of store sales in VIA ready brew instant coffee, or risk losing their jobs because not meetings goals is (according to RVPs) "career limiting". Not only is blackmail illegal, it creates the worst possible store environment imaginable. I don't miss that at all.

Biking has been good to us lately, as well. I've made some longer commuting trips this week and haven't used my car for anything since about the September 5th. There was also Omaha's first AlleyCat race yesterday morning, which was a blast. A lot of great folks turned up and it was a lot of fun. Fall has descended on Omaha, and it couldn't be better.

Ashlynn's singlespeed project will hopefully become a reality in the next few weeks, as well as some other crafty things she always seems to be scheming. We'll keep you posted!

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So, my severed fingertip is healing, surprisingly quickly. Yes, the prescription for a special dressing I have to use is $70, not to mention I lost a lot of motor function in my right hand, but things are okay.

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This ride looks so intense, inspiring, tough, and awesome. I would like to just tag along and take pictures. I wouldn't want to slow them down.

I haven't done any riding since Tuesday due to a recent serious finger injury, and while I got a new job I still feel stuck at home when all I want to do is go out and ride, but can't do anything but read books and wait for the finger to heal. I can feel my calves getting weaker. And I sit around and read sad and senseless stories like this one, about town-hall crazies and nonsensical Conservatives. What's with people?

I just want to get out of the house.

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 I finally fell into that contemplative, meditative state that everybody brags about. My mind cleared up and my thoughts were exact and thorough. I rode my fixed gear bike the whole way. That was a good challenge, and Matt was patient enough with me having to walk two or three of the biggest hills. Descending at 35 mph is the greatest rush--I thought that it would scare me more than it did. I enjoy feeling that connected to my bike.

 Maybe Friday will bring another ride up north again, possibly with Micah and Stephen, too. And I will work on convincing Stephen to let me tag along for a bike camping trip one of these days.
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With new spare tubes and "The King of Lubes" chain degreaser, long distance adventures can now remain long distance, without fear of flatting and having no backup tubes or chain grime and eventual rear cog failure out in the middle of nowhere. Now, to get camping.

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via trackosaurusrex.bigcartel.com

Could we add "Omaha" to this shirt? If you've ever tried to tackle any between 10th street between Leavenworth and Hickory, you'll understand. This place has some epic climbs. Head over the Bob Kerry bridge into Council Bluffs and the hills only get worse. There's nothing better.

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It's days like these that are the hours and minutes and seconds between the interesting parts of stories. The cuts between big scenes where the main character takes a piss and eats lunch. The unexciting, the borderline melodramatic.
 
I feel like I've found the paces that work for me, which is a good way of saying I've found the "autopilot" switch and flipped it on.
 
I don't like how it feels, though. It's probably good. I don't have a jittery schedule to keep track of, just the same hours every week. No recent car troubles really makes driving a rather dull activity. There are redeeming, spontaeous things, still. Neverending bike projects, time spent with my wife, cooking/baking/decorating, long bike tours with Todd and Matt--this is the stuff of life, right now. I'm really thankful for affordable utility bills, accessible healthy food, a new (and decidedly more comfortable) bed, and the opportunity to be surrounded by great people.
 
If this is what economic upswing looks like on a personal scale, hey, things are looking good from here.
 
Omaha's begun to show signs of fall. The hoodie made an appearance today. I am waiting on new pedals (still) and a new fixed gear bike. I might sell my car. I miss my family, who are talking about coming up to visit us on Thanksgiving. I definitely have a good feeling about hosting seven people in a 1-bedroom apartment, lack of personal space notwitstanding. Anyway, I need some new shoes, which I realize is unrelated. This morning is turning out really well so far. I need to listen to the new Iron & Wine record.
 
That's pretty much it. Summer's almost over. School starts in two days. Back to the easy pace.

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this week's been long and draining. yesterday i took lynn to des moines to meet her uncle on his way down to texas for another uncle's funeral, which means i'm alone for a few days, a prospect that does not thrill me. i cycled yesterday and again today, which was really good. i've decided not to lose my job to health codes. no thank you. this week will prove if my resolve stands true. 

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