2010 Resolutions

My resolutions for 2009 were met with some failures and others I powered through, but this year I plan to do even better...

- Ride at least twice once a month (2009 carry over)
- Build an arcade (2009 carry over)
- Lose weight (2009 carry over)
- Run twice a week with Crystal
- Start up a kettlebell routine at home
- Write a short story/novella (40-100 pages)
- Build a shed/workshop
- Take more woodworking classes
- Renovate our other bathroom
- Build at least 3 wood based projects
- Clean up the front and backyard
- Travel more
- Cook dinner more than half of the times we eat in a month
- Start painting (not walls, but canvases)
- Run/play a short Warcraft or Star Wars table top game

Vacation in Review

Jesus's birthday is a great reason to take off from work and recharge the batteries. Consequently I took two weeks off the blog too, not that writing here is work, but I don't do well without a schedule. Waking up at 12pm every morning and staying up till 3am every night is not conducive to a lot of things it turns out.

What I did do was a ton of house work and maintenance. Specifically Kaden's nursery. Crystal is a planner, so when we decided to start trying for a baby, we decided to move my office and start painting. My current and old office are a dark charcoal gray so it took one coat of Kilz and three coats of yellow. By the time we rolled through the second coat of yellow Crystal was pregnant and sick. So, the room sat with two coats of paint until Christmas vacation. I also steam cleaned the rug, put up a new ceiling fan and purchased and assembled a bunch of furniture. Don't worry I plan on doing a fascinating nursery post in the future with pictures. I know you will wait with bated breath.

Aside from house work I played a ton of games. The list is long so I will do a seperate wrap up and review in a future post, bated breath etc. I also caught a few movies and watched two seasons of an anime called Code Geass all of which will be reviewed here as well. Lastly on the media front I picked up the new WoW novel Night of the Dragon which I am more than half way through and really enjoying. Expect a post.

Finally, seeing as it is a new year, some New Year's resolutions are in order:

- Ride at least twice a month
- Ride more miles in the current month than I did the previous
- Ride and camp more
- Try a new recipe a month
- Improve my writing
- Take more photos
- Improve my video editing (and post more videos)
- Lose weight (see riding goals)
- Take at least one grappling or BJJ class
- Read more comics
- Build an arcade
- Finish a 40k army
- Organize my workshop
- Back up my data
- Become a good Dad

Flash Game Fun
The best flash game I have played since the inception of the interwebs is Auditorium. Describing it in words does it a disservice, but the best I can do is to say that it really must be played to be appreciated.

Couple Rides Again

It has been almost two months since we last rode together. Coincidentally Crystal's track coach job also started almost two months ago. Evenings where there is light outside and enough gas in the internal tank for us to ride together have been few and far between. So it was nice to get out on the road once again last night and spin from Gayton Crossing to Innsbrook. We had a brief "discussion" about the merits of helmets, but finally came to an agreement before heading out.

Pre-ride group shot after the helmet debate
And we're off!

Cresting the hill

My check and knee

Crystal happy to be near done

8.46 Miles and lots of love

VO Low Down Light Mount
About three weeks ago I ordered and mounted a new light mount from Velo Orange. Below is a montage of shots I have taken of it. Clicky clicky for the larger versions.

Rainy Day on the Side

Saturday brought heavy rains and wind gust to our little town of Richmond. Those are two piss poor excuses for not riding though. I was at Grant's place rain or shine for the sixth week in a row on Saturday morning. We chit chatted inside till the rain let up for a bit and high tailed it over to Landon's during a break. About two blocks from our destination the rain reared its head again. We were not soaked, but not dry so we took off our hats, gloves and jackets to let them dry and to let the rain pass.

I had never been to Landon's apartment before so it was treat to be trapped by rain in his engineering lair. The first room you enter is floor to ceiling covered in white boards. You can see the product of many late night study sessions scribed on them. The next room is a more homey study space and hang out. This room leads to a bathroom in one direction and the industrial kitchen in the other.

We sat in the study space letting the rain pass and I showed off what I thought were the shinning stars of the DS to two brothers who are far removed from the world of video games. Professor Layton and the Curious Village, Kirby: Canvas Curse and Ouendan 2. Not the best games there is on the little console that could, but fine examples of games that could have only been accomplished with touch screen tech.

By this time the sky had cleared up a bit so we toweled off the steel and put two wheels to the road. The ground was still very wet, but a cool breeze deadened the humidity that was starting to rise. Belle Isle was a muddy mess, thin road wheels sunk quickly in to the bog and backsides not protected by fenders (mine) looked like the canvas of an abstract art student gone wild. Riverside drive is always the warm port in the cold storm though. Upon exiting the riverside park system the sun came out and warmed us with its rays all the way back to the fan.

Lunch was on deck so we stopped by 821 for a bite only to find a twenty minute wait. So back to Landon's we went , where he treated us to a gourmet scavenged meal. Landon is the pack rat pirate of catered affairs around VCU. Have some extra box lunches you were just going to through away from your conference, nope it is going to Landon. We dined and we dashed back to Grant's to meet the ever present drywalling schedule in Grant's life. It was a wet ride, but a fun time, see you next week.

More Saturday Ride Photos

Site Watch
I have never ventured to far in to the bike repair arena. Always relaying on the kindness of strangers to keep my cycle cycling. Bike tutor changes that though, easy to follow videos get me excited about truing my own wheels and packing my own hubs.

Frame Builders

Another weekend and another ride, the Pants Richmond Riverside Drive Cycling Initiative (P.R.R.D.C.I.) has been going full steam ahead for five weeks now. Every week the cast of characters is different, but the route and fun are the same. This week saw Landon entered the fray along with three regulars: Grant, Russ and myself. Seeing as Landon was new to our fun and on the way, we gave him a curbside pick up at his apartment near VCU.

Nothing to notable on this ride, the weather was the nicest is has been since the start of the P.R.R.D.C.I. and with Landon along the pace was a bit quicker. We normally ride across the Nickel bridge to save time, but with two cops parked with their lights flashing we walked the whole thing. No time or love lost and we had Grant back to his place at 11am as usual. I packed up my bike and was off to grab some comics and coffee.

What was notable about this Saturday was the bike activities after our regular ride. I went home to paint at 11am with the plan to make my way back to the city at 4pm. Landon and a friend are in the process of starting up a VCU affiliated frame builders club. I picked up Grant and Mike and we went to VCU to support Landon and because of our interest in all things bike. This was the first meeting of their club, but they already had Ed aka Cycles Ed in attendance to show off some handmade frames. The club can't really get off the ground till they get funding and shop time in the fall, but it was nice to see so many interested this early in the process (25-30 folks).

The take away for me (and Grant) was an interest in building custom racks not frames. I love the idea of building a frame from the ground up, but the time and money invested are better spent elsewhere for me. I own four bikes already (three complete or getting there) and I don't quite fancy another frame to gear out. At least not at this time in my life. My next frame after what are hopefully many loving years with my Cross Check will be a Rivendell. In any case I will be sure to attend VCU frame builders club meetings in the future out of pure interest alone and who knows I may end up with the bug to build my own frame yet. That or a hawt custom rack for my Check.

Ride and frame builders photos coming soon...like tonight...for serious!

Update: Photos from the Weekend: Ride and Frame Builders

Site Watch
Little Fish Bicycles Hobby Stuff is the brain child of its author, simply known as Suzy. The frame she put together is a beautiful piece of art (I'm a sucker for chrome lugs) and her other projects are nothing to sneeze at either. Czech it out for sure.

Yet More Riverside

This is becoming a bit of a tradition, we have ridden the same riverside loop three weekends in a row. We are planning to do it again this coming weekend too. It feels great to be back in the saddle on a regular basis. This ride was not the allstar cast that last weeks ride was, but the roster was an oldie but goody none the less. Mike, Grant and I were two wheels rolling by 9am. What I am now calling my frankenbike (see below) ran like a dream.

Nothing to eventful on this one. We did pass by the parked Ringling Brothers train and stop to take a few photos by it (see above). Seeing a bus full of menacing circus folk though, we didn't test our luck for fear or a elephantidae phallus beat down. We stopped by Byrd park as well for some more saddle shots and were quickly on our way. We were back at Grant's place in plenty of time for him to make his 11am appointment. Good fast ride with just enough time to take in the city.

For a bit of further explanation. I dubbed it the frankenbike because after many years of loyal service the fork and headset on my Schwinn were on their last leg. After last weeks ride and fighting with the headset for an hour prior I decided it was time to take her in. I got the cheapest headset and fork available at Rowlett's to tide me over till the Check is complete. I thought I would dislike the mismatched fork on my burgundy frame, but it actually fits quite well.

My Pictures (limited battery = limited photos)
Mehtul's Write Up

Site Watch
Monday I featured one of the sites that I would be buying parts from for my new ride. So I figured I'd do the same today. Wallbike is a fine outfit that carries some of the coolest niche bike parts on the web. I am the proud owner of a Brooks saddle and a Gilles Berthoud saddle bag from their store already. I expect that many a part for the Check will come from them too.

Missed A Day

After I set out to make the year of 2008 more consistent from the blogging front I missed my first Wednesday post yesterday. Unfortunately I have a good excuse. My parents were in a car accident over the weekend and I drove up to Pittsburgh Saturday to be with them. Long story short is that everyone will be fine and I drove home yesterday which did not allow for time to write. My post from Monday was by way of Pittsburgh and I plan to be back on schedule with tomorrows post.

I played a ton of DS in the waiting room while in Pittsburgh for five days. Most of it was Pokemon, multiplayer Mario Kart and New Super Mario Bros, but I also tried out some new titles as well. So some time next week I should have some insight on those.

Two Wheels for Riverside

Before I was struck by sickness late Saturday night I went for my first ride of 2008 with the pants crew that very morning. Present and accounted for, Grant, Mehtul and I set out from the neo brick's place on the edge of the fan. With a window of two hours to ride we kept the trip local and of the southside variety.

Crossing belle island after a big rain is always an adventure. Taking it easy on my aleing ride, I took it a little too easy and endoed when my wheel grabbed a ditch on the rocks. Crashing to the ground is never fun even in slow motion, but at least there were no injuries. Just a bit shook up, I dusted off and got back on my steed.

Exiting the james river park system on to Riverside we cruised the rolling hills and swooping curves to the rhythm of blowing through our alloted time. The crossing at the nickel bridge usually brings many hisses and jeers, especially at the toll booth. On this day we opted to try out the pedestrian crossing instead and were rewarded with a ninja like crossing and no ill temper from the golems that safeguard the passage.

Right outside of Dogwood Dell is the ritzy suburb of Windsor Farms. Classy as its name implies the homes in this neighborhood are old, well kept and grand. The closest you will come to money like this in downtown Richmond is the main drag on Monument or the side streets of Park. In any case the ride is pleasant and the residents seem fine enough with our crew just passing through. We returned Grant only 15 minutes past his limit and bid him adieu.

For more on the ride check the linkage below...

Grant's Write Up
Mehtul's Write Up
Mehtul's Pictures
My Pictures

Comics
I picked up the first trade of Preacher last night after a quick dinner at Moe's with my lady. After seeing a full episode of iFanboy on the series and the glowing praise they heaped on it, I figured it had to be worth my time. That assumption was correct, I read through the whole trade in one sitting and I am contemplating picking up the next one tonight.

Preacher is not a late 70's Conan the Barbarian trade for sure. It actually has a compelling story and heart. That may seem like a knock at Conan, but outside of the art I grew really tired of the writing after just three trades.

With a Sickness

Woe unto me, that I did eat greasy onion rings and consume copious amounts of distilled spirits on Saturday night. I then proceed to remove every ounce that I had taken in back from whence it came. I expected to wake up Sunday morning slightly hung over, but no worse for wear. I was wrong.

Sunday brought sickness: stomach pains, fatigue, coughing and sinus drainage. Apparently my body was on the verge of becoming sick and my imbibing Saturday night pushed it over the edge. Push is so tame, it felt like I filled up an old station wagon full of gasoline cans and drove it over a cliff with a lit cigar. I spent Monday and Tuesday laid up and at home as well. It was not a complete waste though. I caught up on reading, Discovery HD and my Pokémon training. Mostly sleep and drinking liquids though.

I started reading listening to Freakonomics over the weekend. So far it seems like a really interesting approach to the topic of economics. Although economics was one of the more interesting topics I studied in college, so it didn't take much to get me interested. A book that made accounting interesting, now that would be a grand feat.

Unfortunately, I being sick rewarded you (the reader) with this boring entry on me being sick. The post Monday about PC gamings decline was thankfully in the can late last Friday night. Hopefully this coming Friday's post will yield much tastier fruits.

Of Weight Loss

Last year I lost 30 lbs in a two month span (Jan to March), it was easy to lose the weight, but keeping it off proved a little harder. I started out just eating healthier in January and soon followed it up with regular trips to the gym. Crystal got a membership at the YMCA and started working out with me on a regular schedule. By mid summer I was still going to the gym and started slacking a bit on my diet. The weight was staying off for the most part though.

The fall brought some gym slumps and eventually a bad back/hip episode that put me out of commission for rest of autumn and all of the winter. By the time I weighed in this month a year to date from my original start I was at a total of 5 lbs lost for 2007. Not anything to get upset about because I still ended up at a net lose, but I started so promisingly only to flounder in the end.

This year will hopefully be different, I am down 4 lbs in the past week and down a total of 13 lbs in 3 weeks since I started. We are going to the gym 3-4 times a week and our diet is back to homemade healthy meals instead of 6 nights a week at Moes and Five Guys. My bike has been hurting for five months now and needs some serious love in the front wheel and stem department. The plan is to fix up my bike and keep up with riding at least four times a month or more. Wish us luck.

Site Watch
101 cookbooks is a site I have featured and mentioned on this blog and my old one on numerous occasions. It is worth mentioning in the context of todays post because a lot of the meals I have been cooking for our diet come from Heidi Swanson's blog. They are always healthy and sometimes quick to make. Here a few of the ones I have tried and had success with...

Lively Up Yourself Lentil Soup
Five Minute Tomato Sauce
Egg Salad Sandwich
Black Pepper and Lime Oven Fries
Lori's Skillet Smashed Potatoes

LAN fatigue

LAN parties are like the modern equivalent of poker nights. Actually that only holds true in an alternative universe where poker did not make a resurgence in the past five years. Honestly ESPN who watches cards on TV. In any case it is a geek night out with the guys. Get together 10, 1000 or more of your closest friends or perfect strangers, have them BYOC (bring your own computer) and game the night away. Our venue has always been a garage, but I have attended LANs in office buildings and warehouses before. Any space with electricity will do really.

I am a part of a local group (RIC Gamers) that for a long time was putting on LANs once a month. It became a part of my regular routine, one Saturday a month I would pack up my PC in the afternoon, drive out to the site and return home around 1amish full of gaming goodness. This past Saturday was the first Richmond Gamer's LAN I have attended in over a year. It was good to get back into the LAN party swing, but my body was not prepared for 7 hours of pizza and headphones though.

I spent Sunday laid up watching football and playing with my DS. My computer stayed off for the day save for a new hard drive install. I will attend the next LAN night, but only after the memories of the last have faded away, like tattoos and bike racing.

Site Watch
The Chort is blogging now, he is a good friend from NYC who I have been gaming with for a little more than six years. He is the hardcore WoW player in my life. He has been a member of a top 5s team in BG9, was a healer for Aurora, the #1 horde guild (2nd overall) in the US and is currently a healer in the 64th overall guild in the US. Expect some good WoW postings if he can keep up with the project in between raids.

99¢ Turkey Necks

Originally posted at WNE on 06/26/07

Turkey necks a plenty on this past weekends ride and for the low low cost of 99 American pennies. The ride mentioned was a Saturday spin from Richmond to Williamsburg proper with an overnight option at Chippokes Plantation State Park across the river from Jamestown.

I set out for my first long ride in a long time at 6:00am Saturday morning when Crystal gave me an elbow in the ribs to jump start the day. I had prepared my ride and gear the night before so the morning was a slow paced shower and bowl of cereal before Grant would pick me up at 6:45am. Grant was on time by HMT (H.olbrook M.ean T.ime) standards and we were four wheels rolling to his ladies place in the fan by 7:15am. A quick wheel prep and Grant's kiss good bye and we were two wheels rolling towards Millie's in shockoe bottom.

Landon and Mike were already waiting for us, coffees in hand, when we pulled up at 8:10am. We pounded fist, chit chated about overzealous joggers and shared a round of sun block. When we finally got on the road and were making the two hour trek to meet up with Russ, I flatted not one mile out of the city. Crappy luck aside, everyone was still in good sprites and we were spinning down the road not ten minutes later.

The ride down Rte 5 to meet up with Russ at 106 and 5 was uneventful, but presently spotted with Harley's and Hogs in what I am sure was folks flocking to some sort of event or fun run. Upon meeting up with Russ we exchanged more fist pounds and left little time till we were back on the road. Our next stop was a middle of no where gas station were we purchased refreshments and Mike got us all a "naner". Potassium in bellies we posed for a group shot in front of a 99 cent a pound turkey necks sign.

The last leg of the ride was spent on the ultra plush Virginia Capital Trail. Its the bee's knees for an inexperienced rider, but I felt a bit out of place riding on what was essentially a sidewalk for bikes. On the VCT we meet a really cool cat that we guessed was 80ish in age, a fellow cyclist and one of Grant's fanny packed brethren. He chit chatted with a few of our crew about the local cycling scene and places to eat. He also gave us warning about the W&M hard bodies in the area as though they may put a hurtin on our young eyes.

There must be a shortage of hard bodies on the W&M campus, that or the summer break see's them off in tropical locals. In any case the our ride the beautiful W&M campus had a hard body ratio of 5 to 0, its a good thing the architecture made up for it. Lunch saw us at Retro in the heart of colonial Williamsburg. We chowed down, chatted about the local disaster wall art and watched Russ steal fries out of the mouth of a young babe.

On our way out of the W-burg we stopped to have a dance off and offer you this as the result. Performance complete with spun our way to Jamestown to meet Crystal and Elizabeth in the parking lot. Landon and I packed up our rides and took a ride home to take care of Sunday activities, while Grant, Mike and Russ the James for more adventure.

Pictures
Mike's | Mine