New Bag

After 5 or 6 years it is time to retire the old back pack. It's strange that it has been that long. I remember getting a new school bag every few years, as old ones wore out from carrying around so many books, or as the book load got larger.

My current backpack, an EMS 'Where 2' has lasted a long time. Interestingly, it is backed by a lifetime warranty. Would it be right to go and ask them to sew the strap back on? It is VERY close to failing. I don't know, I've had it so long, it sort of seems like it is just time to get something new. I have commuted (by bike and on my lame days like this AM, by metro) with this bag since I bought it. I know how things fit, how much it can, and cannot, take.

A few years back, Dirt Rag did a review of a Baileyworks bag. It seemed like a great bag. It got a solid review. I managed to, for a change, to keep the idea in my head. Back when I read the article I probably said to myself, "When it comes time for a new bag, I should get one from these guys." So I did. I usually never remember things like that. I just checked and the article was in DR #102 August 2003.

It seems that their home page is having some sort of expired SSL certificate problem, so here is a link directly to the page for the bag I bought. https://www.baileyworks.com/products/SPRO.php. A burgundy medium. Lots of colors to choose from, I was feeling the burgundy today.

Google Pedometer

This is a neat tool to map out a bike or running route and see the mileage.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

Bonk in Loudon

So I opted to start up training on Sunday. What a way to open the season. Without getting too far into detail, the holidays were bad for me. The ride was a sweet route with some folks from the ODBC team. My kind neighbor, SV, drove out and led the ride. We took the W&OD trail out into some Loudon County dirt roads. Ideal terrain for the tricross. It was supposed to be just over a 3 hour ride but my slack ass turned it into a 4 hour ride, a disaster of a bonk forced a nice extension of the ride for those remaining, thankfully the group split earlier on and I only slowed 3 others down in the end...

I didn't bring enough food, foolishly, as winter rides seem to be a lot more draining than one Nature Valley bar- did I start biking yesterday? When it hit I was just empty, legs barely turning, I did all I could to simply keep the group in sight- cramping all the way. I was muttering like an insane person, and in my head a single verse from that lovely Christmas song by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters “Mele-kalikimaka” (known well from its appearance in National Lampoon’s Christmas vacation when Chevy Chase pictures the hotty stripping on the diving board) was looping over and over... Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say, On a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day ... someone shoot me!

At the close of the ride we hit the brewery. I could not stop shivering for what seemed like 15 minutes. Furthermore, my wife and I have taken the month off from drinking, which lead me to pound about 4 root beers... ugh.

I started feeling better Monday night. It's going to be a long pre-season.

Editorial in the WP

A quick post. Happy New Year!

I read an editorial this morning. It very much articulates a lot of what I feel about Iraq and our administration. Have a look.