5 posts tagged “bike”
The race was run, 69th out of 120something in the men's group. A bit harder than I had expected, Aaron was surely annoyed with having such a flimsy teammate. But it was fun! Here's a couple photos taken by wandering professionals.
I think I've been cursed maybe? Circumstantial evidence is there.
New bike frame is finally on its way from the factory, I'll be building it up all by myself, wheels and all. Certainly, I'm deluding myself in to doing this as a very surprising form of suicide.
Jumped into Lost Odyssey at Nate's recommendation. After 4 or so hours, I was appalled to slam headfirst into a stealth mission. DEVELOPERS: NO. THIS IS NOT ALLOWED SINCE MGS. A couple of hours later, an actual emotionally involving death has you preparing for a funeral. This entails a fetch quest, immediately followed by another fetch quest in the exact same area, and then an endless session of copying on screen commands. It made me consider leaving similar conditions in my will so that attendees' last memory of me will be of begrudging annoyance. The game in whole is mildly pleasing so far, but if they keep tossing in these terrible ideas as buffers between chunks of actual game, my rage meter will go up SNK-style.
What's the most extreme weather you've been in? A memorable storm? Heat wave? Or something else?
You don't even know! No you don't! OK, yeah, the bike trip. I'm riding through west Texas on my bicycle with a bit of camping gear and a one-man tent, setting up camp in an uninhabited area at night. It's fun, people do this. Anyways, it's my very first night out, in a shrubby desert about 60 miles east of El Paso, and I'm feeling all idealistic and badass eating my lukewarm ravioli. Then the storm system that precluded Hurricane Katrina rolled in. Oh shit. I'm "sleeping" in a tent about the size of a coffin with mere vinyl skin and zippers protecting me from the 10 hours of downpour and lightning and such. Poor shiny new steel bike is not so lucky. I can feel the impromptu river running beneath me, shifting the sandy landscape. Waitwaitwait, it gets better! Then I hear wolves! The howls I can verify as factual, the nuzzling against my tent in a investigative/hungry fashion, however, was likely caveman-survivalist paranoia. Regardless, I kept the only weaponizable item, my u-lock, firmly gripped underneath my pillow, lest the wolves accomplish what the rain could not.
Somehow, I manage to survive and collect a couple hours of sleep, discovering a very moist and messy campsite in the morning. Laughing a manly laugh, I dry off as best I can and get rolling towards the Davis Mountains. About 1/4th the way into the range, Superstorm catches up. I grab the plastic dollar store poncho and hide in a shrubbery. For 4 hours. That shit is dang cold. Finally, with a break in the clouds, I know there's no way I can escape the mountains before the rain returns, so I hastilly make camp, only to aurally discover the hills and valleys host many many more wolves. I am completely surrounded by millions of fanged beasties, sounding off for miles in every direction. It sounds silly or cliche to get spooked by the unseen wolf's howl, but I am telling you, those voices bring the caveman terrors. So anyway, more rain. Rain rain rain rain. Sensing a theme, I scope the forecast, which shows that it's only going to get much worse. Come Alpine Tx, I say "screw this nonsense" and make tracks home on a bus with my tail between my legs.
Guy packs up the bike trailer and follows the tour de france route of his birthyear, which is a neat idea and all, but christ, these photos give me the itch to hop back in the saddle real bad. Since my aborted attempt, I haven't really given much thought to preparing another tour, but perhaps it is time for something crazy. Will need compatriots, to avoid total isolation madness. Not having to work with anyone else's schedule is nice, but in the smackdab of nowhere, you will hate those miles for making you talk to yourself.
Have considered doing a lap around Hokkaido, so if some eccentric millionaire also finds this a good idea and wants a riding buddy, drop a line yo.
