Heliogabalus

A new bus a new experience. Sometimes things just roll so fast you get where you're going before you had planned. Normally I avoid the 4:05 bus. Too many people. But when its there and there are open seats, well, I'm not above getting home a bit early.

Transits been a bit boring lately. Just the normal day to day riding. The trails are back to decent and the roads aren't too horrid. But it looks like another big thaw is coming round to give us a taste of spring before it's time.

I have noticed that the warmer weather tends to correlate to a general increase in the number of close calls with drivers. Spring fever, I guess makes horrible drivers of us all.

I remember being 16 and when spring came around he'd crank up the metal or rap and just cruise. But not really cruise, more like drag race every street we could find and pedestrians be damned.

I guess I understand it. I just don't like it. I don't like the sound of angry bees swarming up behind me as the kid in the souped up Suburu races up behind me, passing within inches, or thwarted jacked up SUV with blacked out Windows rolls slowly behind me for two blocks before gunning it around me to make right hand then and almost right hooking me. But these are the risks.

I wouldn't trade them. The spring fever is even more infectious when on a bike and out in the air and sun.

Pliable Foe

Drugs. I see so many drug deals going on downtown I should just become a NARCISSISTIC. I mean, every day it seems like I see two or three going down. And I am generally a blissfully unaware person. I don't pay attention to things going on around me.

But at the bus stop what else is there to do besides watching the street scenes unfold? And in down town Anchorage that means watching drug deals go down. Which, all and all is better than watching human trafficking. Or prostitution deals. Though those last two are nearly synonyms here. And one sees that happens lot as well.

It doesn't surprise me. Downtowns are always rife with strange scenes. Now, if I could just figure out how to capture theming some kind of tale that would interest others... the white boy meth head with a heart of gold and teeth like rotten coffin pegs. Or the hooked with three kids she's trying to put through Catholic private school.

Transit type stuff? Not so much really. Just standard fare. The busses still run and generally on time. The bike still makes the connections from bus to wherever else I need to be. It is good. It is good.

The Other

I wish I would've gotten a picture of it. Twice. In one day.  See, I don't spend that much time in the 'Silver, so maybe this is a normal thing, but twice today I saw ATVs roll up to the cross walk, press the button and then drive across as if they were pedestrians. The same people who's birch about a cyclist riding across the cross walk, I'm sure.

Anyway. Just found it a bit funny.

Rode the hay flats. Amazing good times there. Crusty. Powdery. Sunny. Amazing. Nothing technical at all. Just good fun riding in the sun. My only regret is not having more time to spend out there. Only had about an hour, which is nowhere nearly enough time to really explore the area. I think I'll be going back again soon.

That is all.

TMA 3

Ever have one of those days? When from the first moment you know things aren't going to go your way?

Today's shaping up that way. One small annoyance couples wither the next, impregnating the day, gestating a little beast that will turn around some day and eat its mother. Oedipus, I'm thinking. We'll gall today Oeddy for short.

It started with the morning sit down. Picked holy tablet and flipped on the kindle app only to find that my library book, a book I renewed two days ago had been removed from said device. No biggie, as it's just a matter of downloading after getting the link from the library. But the library's website is down. No book for me.

Again, not a big deal. I've got an article about grammar education I can read on my work iPhone. IPhone's dead.

Oh well. I should be working on grading. Open up a student assignment and the rubric sheet I'm using Olympus to realize that the mobile apps I use on my tablet don't allow for the type of commenting or text input I normally do. And because I am in a bit of a mood, I say screw it.

I'm going to take a nap.

At least it's snowing.

End whine.

Discipline

I've got nothing today. I'm just tired and ready for the weekend already, even though I'll be working the whole weekend. And I'll be tempted the whole time I'm working to go for a ride. It seems that the Knik river is ridable and the glacier is beautiful. Or so my sources tell me.

Then the following weekend is a road trip and bike ride in Talkeetna. I'm looking forward to this. The weekend after is a winter bike function at work, which should be good times as well, though more work for me. As the only current every day winter rider, I've been asked to provide some info about dressing for winter riding as well as discussing some of the stuff that folks should have along for the ride.

Work, work, work. Speaking of work, go check out my second column over at  Alaska Commons . Good stuff if I do say so. All about beardcicles and stuff.

Like Herrod

Nearly dying has a way of getting one's attention.

That is maybe a bit disingenuous. I didn't nearly die. It just felt like it. Picture this: side street. Empty except for me. I'm in the lane because it's icy. Big truck comes up behind me. I can tell it's a big pickup by the sound of it. I maintain my lane. There's no oncoming traffic. The truck comes right up to me, lays on the horn as he takes my rear wheel and passes me with less than a foot between me and the truck, all the while gunning his engine.

Big trucks usually mean big jackasses if the driver is a jackass.

I love when a gashole thinks its funny to pass in such a way as to endanger someone else's life. Funny ha ha.

I wish I had gotten a picture of the truck, but what would that have done? Nothing. That's what.

The worst part is that it happened early in the ride so the rest of my ride was colored by the anger I felt at nearly being run down.

And the shame for how I handled the situation - by yelling profanities and waving my arm about in a WTF? gesture. But happily abstaining from flying the bird.

At least it's sunny out. A blue bird day for a ride indeed.

The Dawn

It feels like April, not March. Riding is amazing. A bit muddy in some places, but fun riding. The sun feeling like a long lost friend returned. But there is something sad about it as well.

March is traditionally the best month for winter cycling as the warmer days mean the snow packs down nice and you can ride in gear that allows you to at least look human while still rolling on terrain not accessible when things aren't frozen.

Not so now. There is far too much bare ground and the trails are going from decent coverage to nothing fast too quickly. Breakup should be decent this year, won't have to spend weeks being soaked on each ride, but... I want the normal March back.

I want to have to wear hats and gloves for the ride and feel that sting of cold on my face. I want snow, damned it. Snow and winter and the fleeting trails that come with it. Is that so much to ask?