We're in Little Rock, Ar. It's good. There's an excellent concrete skatepark that's open until midnight and those local kids I've met there have been super friendly and inclusive, which is, in my experience, somewhat unusual in the skateboarding world. We've also met some locals that have started a bike co-op and who are advocates of unused food redistribution, which means that they dumpster dive, and who very generously shared with us a few loaves of bread and some slightly bruised but still delicious produce. Later tonight we're joining their crew for an group bike ride. Excellent people are everywhere. If I didn't already miss taking classes I'd say that I never want to have a home base again.
That said, we're planning on leaving tomorrow and heading towards Shreveport.
27 September 2007
17 September 2007
images
I've added a link titled "pictures", on the left side of the page under the heading "things or people of interest", that leads to a gallery of pictures from the trip. All the photos were shot by Ben and Kayla on their fancy digital photo-machines. If you've thought to yourself, or said to me, something like "boy, he's (you're) inarticulate. I have no idea what his (you're) trip has been like", these images should give a decent approximation of what the trip has been like for Ben and Kayla. My trip has been similar to theirs, but I tend not to stare at either of them as often as they stare at each other and so my set of photo-subjects would be different.
I really should have thought to post this link before tonight.
I really should have thought to post this link before tonight.
16 September 2007
ch-ch-ch-changes.....
"Hey, look, you're different."
A friend of mine once said that to his wife after she'd changed clothes mid-conversation, and I today, while thinking of the next leg of the bike trip, my thoughts echoed that sentiment. Rather than riding northwest from Portland and then south down the coast we've decided to skip the coast and ride straight south. From here the coast seems too far. We're in Chicago now.
Last week, while browsing Amtrak fares from Seattle to Olympia I found tickets from Portland to Chicago for almost nothing. Ben and I were excited to make this impulsive change but were a little disappointed to give up the west coast leg of the trip. After hemming and hawing for a few minutes we decided to ask Kayla, without telling her that it was entirely her decision, how she would like to visit Chicago. She was excited to go and so, after a few days in Portland seeing old friends and eating doughnuts, we boarded a train heading east.
Kayla's cousin, Sarah, has been putting us up in Chicago. She has an apartment with two extra bedrooms and has been a super accommodating host and has provided excellent directions around the city. Chicago seems like a really great city. I'd spent some time here before, almost 14 hours, but then I'd spent the entire time walking and appreciating the sights of a real city (sorry Anchorage!) and enjoying it, but not enough to delay my departure. This time, riding my bike around the city, I'm feeling those stomach butterflies and jaw-ache inducing smiles that hint at love. That's right, I said it, I love Chicago. I've never been in a city that so successfully integrates bicycles into traffic as a realistic transportation option. Did you hear that, Portlanders? Chicago is more bike-friendly than Portland and Chicago is more bike-friendly than Seattle and Chicago is a beautiful city on a beautiful lake (but not as beautiful as Lake Ontario). Love is fleeting though, and we'll ride out in day or two.
Wait! "We'll ride out...." means something different now. It used to mean something like "Ben, Kayla, and I....", but now it means "Ben and I....". Kayla is staying in Chicago. I certainly can't blame her. If I weren't so cynical and distrusting of love I would stay here as well. [a joke!] On the upside, now we have a floor to sleep on in Chicago. Kayla, I'll miss you, and I'll be slightly envious of you for a while, buy once my Chicago love-buzz wears off I'll wonder how you could give up life on the road for life in a house.
It's getting to be cold at night and so I've been bundling up. Since we're staying indoors at Sarah/Kayla's apartment this bundling has been mostly for practice and often I'll wake up fully bundled and drenched in sweat. When we're outside though, through the chilly midwestern autumn, I'll be ready.
A friend of mine once said that to his wife after she'd changed clothes mid-conversation, and I today, while thinking of the next leg of the bike trip, my thoughts echoed that sentiment. Rather than riding northwest from Portland and then south down the coast we've decided to skip the coast and ride straight south. From here the coast seems too far. We're in Chicago now.
Last week, while browsing Amtrak fares from Seattle to Olympia I found tickets from Portland to Chicago for almost nothing. Ben and I were excited to make this impulsive change but were a little disappointed to give up the west coast leg of the trip. After hemming and hawing for a few minutes we decided to ask Kayla, without telling her that it was entirely her decision, how she would like to visit Chicago. She was excited to go and so, after a few days in Portland seeing old friends and eating doughnuts, we boarded a train heading east.
Kayla's cousin, Sarah, has been putting us up in Chicago. She has an apartment with two extra bedrooms and has been a super accommodating host and has provided excellent directions around the city. Chicago seems like a really great city. I'd spent some time here before, almost 14 hours, but then I'd spent the entire time walking and appreciating the sights of a real city (sorry Anchorage!) and enjoying it, but not enough to delay my departure. This time, riding my bike around the city, I'm feeling those stomach butterflies and jaw-ache inducing smiles that hint at love. That's right, I said it, I love Chicago. I've never been in a city that so successfully integrates bicycles into traffic as a realistic transportation option. Did you hear that, Portlanders? Chicago is more bike-friendly than Portland and Chicago is more bike-friendly than Seattle and Chicago is a beautiful city on a beautiful lake (but not as beautiful as Lake Ontario). Love is fleeting though, and we'll ride out in day or two.
Wait! "We'll ride out...." means something different now. It used to mean something like "Ben, Kayla, and I....", but now it means "Ben and I....". Kayla is staying in Chicago. I certainly can't blame her. If I weren't so cynical and distrusting of love I would stay here as well. [a joke!] On the upside, now we have a floor to sleep on in Chicago. Kayla, I'll miss you, and I'll be slightly envious of you for a while, buy once my Chicago love-buzz wears off I'll wonder how you could give up life on the road for life in a house.
It's getting to be cold at night and so I've been bundling up. Since we're staying indoors at Sarah/Kayla's apartment this bundling has been mostly for practice and often I'll wake up fully bundled and drenched in sweat. When we're outside though, through the chilly midwestern autumn, I'll be ready.
09 September 2007
seattle, but then.....
I've mentioned before that Seattle is fun, and in my experience it continues to be so. Ben and I spent Wednesday walking around town looking for certain bike pieces and trip supplies that I'm still trying to replace: 1 bottle cage, 1 front-rack, 1 handlebar bag, 2 waterproof front-panniers, 1 sleeping pad, and 1 pair long underpants. We found nothing useful at reasonable prices, but that evening we found a comedy club with 5 comics lined up for a $5.00 cover. It wasn't exactly a bargain, but it was worth what we paid. There were some genuinely funny lines, but even these were weakened by their references bowl cuts, clown cars, and homophobia - cheap fodder for easy laughs. Using Craigslist we found a ride to Olympia on Thursday afternoon, and before the sun was setting we had unexpectedly bumped into a friend from Seward, AK, and were eating dinner with Katie and Eamon.
We spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning with Katie and Eamon, together when possible, and separately while one or the other was at work. Friday was spent mostly wandering and drinking coffee, and eventually culminated with thick, delicious milkshakes that, even combining our efforts, proved too much milkshake to be finished. I'd never been beaten by a milkshake before, it has never even been close, but I don't regret losing. It was humbling to leave the half-full metal mixing cup there on the table, and I believe that humility is a good thing. Saturday we had the opportunity to join the Olympia Gleaners Coalition for a trip to a local organic farm. The Gleaners are a volunteer run organization that visits farms after growers have picked what they'll take to the market to sell, and picks whatever usable produce is left. Volunteers are welcome to take what they like, and the rest is given to the local foodbank. In exchange for this opportunity, the volunteers generally help with farm work or provide manual labor for a few hours. We helped spread mulched tree-bark over a small field of blueberry bushes in exchange for the opportunity to pick vegetables, fruits, and edible flowers. Knowing that we were leaving the next morning Ben and I didn't take much produce, but what we did take, mostly cherry tomatoes and some flowers that tasted like mustard, were delicious.
Katie and Eamon, by the way, seem to be an excellent match. If you see them before I do send them my thanks, and a hug. You may not know if I've seen them first, so just go ahead with the hug and thanks.
It's Sunday night now and we're in Portland staying with Ben's sister Krista and her husband Jeremy. They've been good to us so far. Jeremy was kind enough to share his graphic novels with me and for a while I was happily engrossed in the goings on in Gotham and Metropolis.
Have you ever had an impossible time trying to find a particular book? I'm going through that now. If I find what I'm looking for I'll let you know.
We spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning with Katie and Eamon, together when possible, and separately while one or the other was at work. Friday was spent mostly wandering and drinking coffee, and eventually culminated with thick, delicious milkshakes that, even combining our efforts, proved too much milkshake to be finished. I'd never been beaten by a milkshake before, it has never even been close, but I don't regret losing. It was humbling to leave the half-full metal mixing cup there on the table, and I believe that humility is a good thing. Saturday we had the opportunity to join the Olympia Gleaners Coalition for a trip to a local organic farm. The Gleaners are a volunteer run organization that visits farms after growers have picked what they'll take to the market to sell, and picks whatever usable produce is left. Volunteers are welcome to take what they like, and the rest is given to the local foodbank. In exchange for this opportunity, the volunteers generally help with farm work or provide manual labor for a few hours. We helped spread mulched tree-bark over a small field of blueberry bushes in exchange for the opportunity to pick vegetables, fruits, and edible flowers. Knowing that we were leaving the next morning Ben and I didn't take much produce, but what we did take, mostly cherry tomatoes and some flowers that tasted like mustard, were delicious.
Katie and Eamon, by the way, seem to be an excellent match. If you see them before I do send them my thanks, and a hug. You may not know if I've seen them first, so just go ahead with the hug and thanks.
It's Sunday night now and we're in Portland staying with Ben's sister Krista and her husband Jeremy. They've been good to us so far. Jeremy was kind enough to share his graphic novels with me and for a while I was happily engrossed in the goings on in Gotham and Metropolis.
Have you ever had an impossible time trying to find a particular book? I'm going through that now. If I find what I'm looking for I'll let you know.
05 September 2007
on the road again, kind of...
After much waiting, resting, healing, swimming, splashing, hugging, and flying, I am back in the west and am ready to start riding again. CNY was wonderful, as it seems always to be when I no longer live there. While back east I was able to visit Spencer in Boston, swim in the Atlantic a handful of times, swim in Lake Ontario a handful of a handful of times, ride my skateboard at my favorite old spots, find a few new favorite spots, and see all the friends and family that still live in the area. Everybody: it was great seeing you, I miss you already.
My plane flew into Seattle during a raging thunderstorm turned into a light drizzle the instant that I left the airport. I've spent the last two days wandering around Seattle looking at used bikes and talking to strangers. It's been fun so far. Last night I made new friends that share an appreciation for Ms. Pacman, which 3 days before I had declared to be my favorite video game, and with whom I spent the late night and early morning hours talking about typefaces, wigs, and the classic synthesized robot and alien voices found on cheap electronic toys. Who remembers the Buzz Lightyear megaphone? Can I see a show of hands? Of course I can't.
Greyhound still hasn't found my bike, the scoundrels, and they don't seem much closer to paying me its declared value. I've purchase what I expect will be a suitable replacement. It's a Centurion Pro Tour 15, a lugged, steel frame mass produced in Japan in the early 80's. The tubing is a proprietary Tange tubing comparable to Columbus or Reynolds. I think the frame will function just fine, and it looks pretty steezin' if you ask me. If ever I get a picture of it I'll be sure to post it. The components are all shimano 105 and so, if you believe conventional wisdom, are pretty nice. Unfortunately we're still waiting on conclusive results concerning whether or not conventional wisdom can be trusted as a source of knowledge. Preliminary findings suggest otherwise.
Bye.
My plane flew into Seattle during a raging thunderstorm turned into a light drizzle the instant that I left the airport. I've spent the last two days wandering around Seattle looking at used bikes and talking to strangers. It's been fun so far. Last night I made new friends that share an appreciation for Ms. Pacman, which 3 days before I had declared to be my favorite video game, and with whom I spent the late night and early morning hours talking about typefaces, wigs, and the classic synthesized robot and alien voices found on cheap electronic toys. Who remembers the Buzz Lightyear megaphone? Can I see a show of hands? Of course I can't.
Greyhound still hasn't found my bike, the scoundrels, and they don't seem much closer to paying me its declared value. I've purchase what I expect will be a suitable replacement. It's a Centurion Pro Tour 15, a lugged, steel frame mass produced in Japan in the early 80's. The tubing is a proprietary Tange tubing comparable to Columbus or Reynolds. I think the frame will function just fine, and it looks pretty steezin' if you ask me. If ever I get a picture of it I'll be sure to post it. The components are all shimano 105 and so, if you believe conventional wisdom, are pretty nice. Unfortunately we're still waiting on conclusive results concerning whether or not conventional wisdom can be trusted as a source of knowledge. Preliminary findings suggest otherwise.
Bye.
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