I am being held hostage in Eureka.
I try not to communicate with the toyota dealer because last week they told me if I didn't like the service I could take my car elseware. So Weds afternoon, I just drove by to see if my car was still in the back lot or actually in the shop being worked on. To my surprise it was in the shop. Hence, they got the heads back are were putting the car back together. Ya baby that means that the car should be done by Thursday afternoon. Only one more night here.
So Thursday I plan a bike/run. On the run I get real excited that the car will be fixed and I can drive home. I push real hard and had a great run in the big redwoods. When I got back to the ranger station I call the dealer. Yes the car is back together but there is a funny sound that the mechanic is trying to sort out. Funny sound WTF. They have had the car for over 2 weeks and after that time and who knows how much money all they can say is that there is still a funny sound???
Needless to say I was crushed. I got another hotel and talked to cheryl 3 or 4 times as I tried to sort this out. I want to got home not stay another week. I was very depressed. I actually went out and bot some ice cream. We decided that Cheryl would drive down to pick me up if the car isn't ready today.
I found a pool this morning and went swimming. When I am not pushing hard, the pool is the best place to think. And I had an epiphiny. I have everything I need, I will just ride my bike home. It will take a couple of days but what the heck. It will be an epic bike training. The rental car needs to go back at 2 so I will go to the dealer at noon and make a decission.
Here are my limiting factors.
I only have the Gregory Reactor So I can't carry too much
I don't have adequate clothes because the RD at the last race has the bin
I only have 1/2 tube of nuun
I only have enough perpetum for 6 hrs so I will need to get food along the way
I only have enough light and motion batteries for 8 hrs so I will need to conserve
I do have a tube of hydropel. I figure it should take me 40-50 hours. I am not sure if I can do it but at least it will save Cheryl some driving time. If I do ride it out at least my life will be back in my own hands. If you read this and live along I-5 in Oregon look out for me or give me a call. I could use more nuun and perpetum.
Wish me luck. I am going to now go clean the rental car and pack my gear. I am tired of this crap.
Lord Cromwell
Friday, April 20, 2007
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Greetings from rainy Eureke. This place is a real piece of work. The bum to normal person ratio must be the highest of anyplace in the world. Or at least it would appear that way. There are also four high end bike stores in this tiny town. Is being a bum in NorCAL just a way of life? Why do they all sleep in the village green and have signs asking for gas money?
My car may not be ready until Friday so I have found some riding and if the rain lets up from the downpour, I should be able to get out. Maybe tomorrow i can find somebody to work on surf entry exits with me.
Later
Lord Cromwell
My car may not be ready until Friday so I have found some riding and if the rain lets up from the downpour, I should be able to get out. Maybe tomorrow i can find somebody to work on surf entry exits with me.
Later
Lord Cromwell
Monday, April 16, 2007
I am here in sonoma waiting for my car. My saga didn't finish with a ride home from baja. On the way home the family truckster broke down and is sitting in Eureka CA. We rented a car which I still have. Since Matt injured his knee, I filled in at Sea Otter. Now I will work my way north running and riding as I go. Hopefully my car will be runing in the next couple of days.
Sea otter was a tough race for me. I tend to stay away from shorter 6hr or less races because my old body can't keep up. I was racing with Seegs and Aaron. We had a great paddle. We were almost the last on the water because we took more time to plot but we came off second.
The bike leg was real long. I didn't eat or drink properly and cramped up badly after 2 hours. Seegs and Aaron could have moved much faster but for me. The good news was we were racing with Nike for an hour or two. The RD misset some controls and the four top team were in a cluster. unfortunately it came down to luck as to whom would find the wayword controls. While DART-nuun was in the lead early on, Nike got lucky and found 14 to take the lead. Our team finished 2nd, DART-nuun 3rd, and wingnut 4th.
Races shouldn't be decided by luck. If I get back Home
Lord Cromwell
Sea otter was a tough race for me. I tend to stay away from shorter 6hr or less races because my old body can't keep up. I was racing with Seegs and Aaron. We had a great paddle. We were almost the last on the water because we took more time to plot but we came off second.
The bike leg was real long. I didn't eat or drink properly and cramped up badly after 2 hours. Seegs and Aaron could have moved much faster but for me. The good news was we were racing with Nike for an hour or two. The RD misset some controls and the four top team were in a cluster. unfortunately it came down to luck as to whom would find the wayword controls. While DART-nuun was in the lead early on, Nike got lucky and found 14 to take the lead. Our team finished 2nd, DART-nuun 3rd, and wingnut 4th.
Races shouldn't be decided by luck. If I get back Home
Lord Cromwell
Sunday, April 08, 2007
I have resolved to write down the first day of our Baja Travesia Race. It might be a bit long and there are no pictures because our camera is at the bottom of the pacific. I am writing it down because it is helpful for me to understand what went right and what went wrong. Hopefully, I have learned from this experience and those who read this might learn as well. I encourage any additions, corrections, or clarifications. Also, the headings may become cumbersome and a drawing could help.
PreRace
I take paddling seriously. I live in the PNW and due to the cold water; any paddling in open water can turn deadly. I am not exactly sure why I let my guard down for this race. Maybe it was the warm temperatures or the fact that the water was glass last year. In any event, no serious piece of emergency gear was required and I didn’t bother to bring flares of a waterproof VHF radio like I would around home in more favorable conditions. The basic required emergency gear was a whistle and “family style walkie talkie”.
After the surf entry/exit testing the day before the race we noticed that our rear hatch had some water in it. It was a red flag that was not noticed at the time. For big water in rough conditions, it is recommended that inflatable bladders be placed in hatches and compartments. This ensures that water taken on is limited and the boat will always remain buoyant with the cockpit cowling above the waterline. Unfortunately we did not take action to remedy this situation.
These gear issues would not prove to be catastrophic but in the end they would effectively limit out choices at critical points.
Race Start
We were configured with RVG in the back, JVG in the middle and myself upfront. We chose this setup because RVG is the heaviest and should be in the back. He steers and keeps a visual of everything around us and calls out instruction from his vantage. I paddle a great deal and would focus on power and cadence. My focus is the 5 to 10 feet in front of the boat. JVG has great power to weight ratio and while paddling hard, she also focuses on keeping me steady.
The race started with a 1 kilometer paddle out of the harbor in calm water. We were paddling well. We had paddled so much together that this pace was easily sustainable compared to our training paces. By our conversations and feel, I could tell that the team was in a good shape at the pace. We were leading the pack and pulling away.
We were warned the day before that swells were predicted for up to 9 feet. As we rounded the jetty we immediately faced 3-4 foot swells and a wind off of our starboard quarter of about 10-20k. Our first checkpoint, CP, was the southern tip an island about 8 miles out in the ocean at a heading of WSW 247d true. The swell was from the NW 315d and the wind was from the NNW 337d. Also, there was a 2K southerly tidal drift. We opted for a heading of approximately W 270d to compensate for the above factors. This was approximately the northern tip of the island. It also allowed us to take the waves more frontally which is safer and efficient and we would spend some time approaching from the lee side of the island which was calmer. Our heading did ultimately give us a 247d course made good. However, the pack behind us opted for an unadjusted course of 247d. While we were putting distance on the field, we were also taking a more northerly route. If the pack continued their heading, they would need to make constant course corrections to the north while we started more to the north and drifted south toward the CP as we paddled.
I expected the crossing to take no more than 2 hrs, or 4 mph. I took us almost 3 hrs. During that time the swells had grown to 6 feet. At approximately 2hrs, we started pumping. Going through large waves in a 24ft kayak water naturally works through your skirt and into the cockpit. We were constantly blasted by waves as we moved forward. Being in the front, I would take them full on right over the top of me and could occasionally feel the water drain down my wetsuit and out my legs.
We had also noticed the day before that the bulkhead between the first and second cockpit wasn’t sealed at the bottom. This allowed water to pass between JVG and my cockpit. It also meant that JVG could effectively pump both of our compartments. At regular intervals JVG would crack the leeward side of her skirt, slide the pump in and empty our compartments while RVG and I kept it steady into the waves and wind. We attempted to have RVG pump but the boat would become too unstable when he ceased paddling.
I can tell you that waves come in sets. Three to four big ones would come through and then we would have a minute or two of small waves. Without speaking, we could all see the pattern and we knew what needed to be done. When the way was clear, I could feel the boat lunge forward as we all dug in hard.
When we got to the island, we rested near the southern tip in a sheltered cove. We had hoped to go ashore and pump the boat and check the hatches but the shore was covered with seals so we took turns pumping, eating and drinking as we floated in the cove. We knew that it was going to be a long day and eating whenever possible was imperative. We headed S about 200m to the southern tip of the island expecting to find the floating CP. It was nowhere to be seen. We assumed we just beat the race officials out to the island. We took a picture and headed off to the next CP.
Our heading was down the coast SE. As we cleared the southern tip of the island, we entered a confluence where the waves had grown to 9ft from the WNW and the wind, still from the NNW, had grown and was creating 1-2 ft swell across the larger swells. We had about a 3 to 4k open water crossing to a point of land. We were now almost running with the waves. About ¾ across, we dumped the kayak. We quickly sorted out the most efficient way to bail out the boat. First RVG and I would get the rear compartment while JVG worked up front. When the back was empty, the boat had enough buoyancy to keep the cowling above water and we could finish the front. We would do this 4 more times before the day was done.
I always paddle in a neoprene wetsuit. I get ridiculed and hot but a good farmer john and booties are your last defense against hypothermia. RVG had brought his neoprene but opted for tights and JVG had shorts and my paddling jacket. Since I had my wetsuit on, we would get JVG in the boat, followed by RVG, and I would get in last.
Going with the waves is much more unstable that going through them. I learned this from the small swells I encounter at home. In addition, our heading necessitated that we take them at an angle off the rear starboard quarter. If we just went with them, they would ultimately run us into the cliffs. All kayaks are designed to turn into waves. So the effect of these waves if taken at out heading would be to turn us perpendicular to the waves. So like everyone else, we would ford out to sea, and then take the line back toward shore. It was almost like tacking in a sailboat. Unlike everyone else, our boat was more instable because our rear compartment was slowly filling with water from the waves coming over the stern.
We would dump one more time before CP2 but got in and expected to be first only to find out that the course had been shortened, CP1 Eliminated, and we were now over 2 hours behind the leaders. This is something that we went over again and again. One of the race directors admitted that he did not check the conditions before the start of the race. After the start, the other RD went out in a powerboat, saw the conditions and told the “lead teams”, those on a more southerly heading, to just go to CP2. The other DART team told the RD that we were ahead and to the north. I was told that he looked for us but I am not sure how hard he looked. From my perspective, he had an obligation to account for every team and inform them of the change. Unfortunately, he had no water safety director and we didn’t see any of the promised safety boats. He was overwhelmed and undermanned. From his perspective I can only guess that he performed a risk assessment that placed us, a strong lead paddling team, at less risk than the under qualified teams that were already being picked up by boats and returned to the start.
Throughout the day, the swells were building. By the time we had pumped out the boat, ate and pushed off, we would be about 2.5 hrs behind the leaders. They would be finishing in less than an hour and we were just starting out into the teeth of the growing seas. Once again, when we checked our rear hatch, we found it was 1/3 full of water. Another red flag but the urge to catch up and get back in the race precluded common sense.
Soak this up. In the hours that followed, the real mud hit the fan. We happened to be at the right place at the right time and do what need to be done. I will finish the story later.
Lord C
PreRace
I take paddling seriously. I live in the PNW and due to the cold water; any paddling in open water can turn deadly. I am not exactly sure why I let my guard down for this race. Maybe it was the warm temperatures or the fact that the water was glass last year. In any event, no serious piece of emergency gear was required and I didn’t bother to bring flares of a waterproof VHF radio like I would around home in more favorable conditions. The basic required emergency gear was a whistle and “family style walkie talkie”.
After the surf entry/exit testing the day before the race we noticed that our rear hatch had some water in it. It was a red flag that was not noticed at the time. For big water in rough conditions, it is recommended that inflatable bladders be placed in hatches and compartments. This ensures that water taken on is limited and the boat will always remain buoyant with the cockpit cowling above the waterline. Unfortunately we did not take action to remedy this situation.
These gear issues would not prove to be catastrophic but in the end they would effectively limit out choices at critical points.
Race Start
We were configured with RVG in the back, JVG in the middle and myself upfront. We chose this setup because RVG is the heaviest and should be in the back. He steers and keeps a visual of everything around us and calls out instruction from his vantage. I paddle a great deal and would focus on power and cadence. My focus is the 5 to 10 feet in front of the boat. JVG has great power to weight ratio and while paddling hard, she also focuses on keeping me steady.
The race started with a 1 kilometer paddle out of the harbor in calm water. We were paddling well. We had paddled so much together that this pace was easily sustainable compared to our training paces. By our conversations and feel, I could tell that the team was in a good shape at the pace. We were leading the pack and pulling away.
We were warned the day before that swells were predicted for up to 9 feet. As we rounded the jetty we immediately faced 3-4 foot swells and a wind off of our starboard quarter of about 10-20k. Our first checkpoint, CP, was the southern tip an island about 8 miles out in the ocean at a heading of WSW 247d true. The swell was from the NW 315d and the wind was from the NNW 337d. Also, there was a 2K southerly tidal drift. We opted for a heading of approximately W 270d to compensate for the above factors. This was approximately the northern tip of the island. It also allowed us to take the waves more frontally which is safer and efficient and we would spend some time approaching from the lee side of the island which was calmer. Our heading did ultimately give us a 247d course made good. However, the pack behind us opted for an unadjusted course of 247d. While we were putting distance on the field, we were also taking a more northerly route. If the pack continued their heading, they would need to make constant course corrections to the north while we started more to the north and drifted south toward the CP as we paddled.
I expected the crossing to take no more than 2 hrs, or 4 mph. I took us almost 3 hrs. During that time the swells had grown to 6 feet. At approximately 2hrs, we started pumping. Going through large waves in a 24ft kayak water naturally works through your skirt and into the cockpit. We were constantly blasted by waves as we moved forward. Being in the front, I would take them full on right over the top of me and could occasionally feel the water drain down my wetsuit and out my legs.
We had also noticed the day before that the bulkhead between the first and second cockpit wasn’t sealed at the bottom. This allowed water to pass between JVG and my cockpit. It also meant that JVG could effectively pump both of our compartments. At regular intervals JVG would crack the leeward side of her skirt, slide the pump in and empty our compartments while RVG and I kept it steady into the waves and wind. We attempted to have RVG pump but the boat would become too unstable when he ceased paddling.
I can tell you that waves come in sets. Three to four big ones would come through and then we would have a minute or two of small waves. Without speaking, we could all see the pattern and we knew what needed to be done. When the way was clear, I could feel the boat lunge forward as we all dug in hard.
When we got to the island, we rested near the southern tip in a sheltered cove. We had hoped to go ashore and pump the boat and check the hatches but the shore was covered with seals so we took turns pumping, eating and drinking as we floated in the cove. We knew that it was going to be a long day and eating whenever possible was imperative. We headed S about 200m to the southern tip of the island expecting to find the floating CP. It was nowhere to be seen. We assumed we just beat the race officials out to the island. We took a picture and headed off to the next CP.
Our heading was down the coast SE. As we cleared the southern tip of the island, we entered a confluence where the waves had grown to 9ft from the WNW and the wind, still from the NNW, had grown and was creating 1-2 ft swell across the larger swells. We had about a 3 to 4k open water crossing to a point of land. We were now almost running with the waves. About ¾ across, we dumped the kayak. We quickly sorted out the most efficient way to bail out the boat. First RVG and I would get the rear compartment while JVG worked up front. When the back was empty, the boat had enough buoyancy to keep the cowling above water and we could finish the front. We would do this 4 more times before the day was done.
I always paddle in a neoprene wetsuit. I get ridiculed and hot but a good farmer john and booties are your last defense against hypothermia. RVG had brought his neoprene but opted for tights and JVG had shorts and my paddling jacket. Since I had my wetsuit on, we would get JVG in the boat, followed by RVG, and I would get in last.
Going with the waves is much more unstable that going through them. I learned this from the small swells I encounter at home. In addition, our heading necessitated that we take them at an angle off the rear starboard quarter. If we just went with them, they would ultimately run us into the cliffs. All kayaks are designed to turn into waves. So the effect of these waves if taken at out heading would be to turn us perpendicular to the waves. So like everyone else, we would ford out to sea, and then take the line back toward shore. It was almost like tacking in a sailboat. Unlike everyone else, our boat was more instable because our rear compartment was slowly filling with water from the waves coming over the stern.
We would dump one more time before CP2 but got in and expected to be first only to find out that the course had been shortened, CP1 Eliminated, and we were now over 2 hours behind the leaders. This is something that we went over again and again. One of the race directors admitted that he did not check the conditions before the start of the race. After the start, the other RD went out in a powerboat, saw the conditions and told the “lead teams”, those on a more southerly heading, to just go to CP2. The other DART team told the RD that we were ahead and to the north. I was told that he looked for us but I am not sure how hard he looked. From my perspective, he had an obligation to account for every team and inform them of the change. Unfortunately, he had no water safety director and we didn’t see any of the promised safety boats. He was overwhelmed and undermanned. From his perspective I can only guess that he performed a risk assessment that placed us, a strong lead paddling team, at less risk than the under qualified teams that were already being picked up by boats and returned to the start.
Throughout the day, the swells were building. By the time we had pumped out the boat, ate and pushed off, we would be about 2.5 hrs behind the leaders. They would be finishing in less than an hour and we were just starting out into the teeth of the growing seas. Once again, when we checked our rear hatch, we found it was 1/3 full of water. Another red flag but the urge to catch up and get back in the race precluded common sense.
Soak this up. In the hours that followed, the real mud hit the fan. We happened to be at the right place at the right time and do what need to be done. I will finish the story later.
Lord C
Friday, March 30, 2007
We are all safe and now on the east coast of baja. It was quite an experience. I looked at some of the pictures that Erik posted and they don´t quite show just how big the waves really were. We are all a little dissapointed but happy to be here. Now we have to deal with the aftermath of all the lost gear and boats and the fact that many racers were put in such dangerous conditions without an adequate safety plan. I was very dissappointed with myself for not looking after my own safety. What kind of moron sends people out in 20 foot swells with no flares and a "family style walkie talkie".
On a good note, I got to meet Dean´s wife and son last night. It was nice talk with them about the experience. In the coming days, I will write a complete account of the that day.
Glenn
On a good note, I got to meet Dean´s wife and son last night. It was nice talk with them about the experience. In the coming days, I will write a complete account of the that day.
Glenn
Sunday, March 25, 2007
I am here in Ensenada. It is 60 and very sunny. All the race related details have been posted on RVGs blog and at dartadventureracing.com under the news tab. Erik is updating the info daily. When the race starts tomorrow are we are out, it may be hard to get internet access.
I left Seattle on early Saturday morning in the pouring rain. When we arrived in SD it was sunny and 70. It is really nice travelling with Ryan, Jen, and Erik. Nice and casual, no stress. Whe got Jen's bike, some breakfast and headed on down to Mexico. when we got here we settled in and did gear checks. After that, I went out for a run looking for the church. Got some directions but just ended up running up the highest nearby hill and loking for it. In an old city like this, it it the largest building outside of the tourist area. I run down to it and had a look.
Sunday morning, Cyril, Aaron and Jen arrived. Aaron was supposed to be on our flight but he was late. I went to mass. The Cathedral is unbelievable. One of the most beautiful I have eer seen. It's amazing that you can travel the world around and feel completely foreign but when you go to Mass we are all the same. It was in spanish but I could pretty much understand the whole mass.
During Sunday we had to do skills testing which included some ropes and then kayak. We have our triples down here and and surf entries/exits are tough. We dumped it on our final approach. Today we have meetings maps bd then final packing. The pressure will rise from here.
The is a great lpace for a race. I hear that we will start off with an eight hour padle. What they didn't plan on was the strom that is coming in. Predicted 25-30 knot winds NNW at the start. It could mean a real cluster. In the end it means a slog that will be a lot longer than planned. At least the water is warm. If we are lucky we will be able to use the sail and rock on down the coast. After that, we go into the mountains. I also heard that there is more treking this year which should be better for our team. they plan on having us is the canyons for 24-36 hours.
I need to go, its the captains meeting. I will write more from San Felipe in a few days.
Lord Cromwell
I left Seattle on early Saturday morning in the pouring rain. When we arrived in SD it was sunny and 70. It is really nice travelling with Ryan, Jen, and Erik. Nice and casual, no stress. Whe got Jen's bike, some breakfast and headed on down to Mexico. when we got here we settled in and did gear checks. After that, I went out for a run looking for the church. Got some directions but just ended up running up the highest nearby hill and loking for it. In an old city like this, it it the largest building outside of the tourist area. I run down to it and had a look.
Sunday morning, Cyril, Aaron and Jen arrived. Aaron was supposed to be on our flight but he was late. I went to mass. The Cathedral is unbelievable. One of the most beautiful I have eer seen. It's amazing that you can travel the world around and feel completely foreign but when you go to Mass we are all the same. It was in spanish but I could pretty much understand the whole mass.
During Sunday we had to do skills testing which included some ropes and then kayak. We have our triples down here and and surf entries/exits are tough. We dumped it on our final approach. Today we have meetings maps bd then final packing. The pressure will rise from here.
The is a great lpace for a race. I hear that we will start off with an eight hour padle. What they didn't plan on was the strom that is coming in. Predicted 25-30 knot winds NNW at the start. It could mean a real cluster. In the end it means a slog that will be a lot longer than planned. At least the water is warm. If we are lucky we will be able to use the sail and rock on down the coast. After that, we go into the mountains. I also heard that there is more treking this year which should be better for our team. they plan on having us is the canyons for 24-36 hours.
I need to go, its the captains meeting. I will write more from San Felipe in a few days.
Lord Cromwell
Friday, March 23, 2007
It is pouring down rain outside and cold. I think that I have everything packed for the race and for Cheryl's trip to meet me in San Diego. We fly out tomorrow at 6:00 AM. That means I get to rise at about 3:30.
I will not be updating until April 7th when I return. Unless there is internet access somewhere along the line. Cheryl will meet me on the first and we will spend a week in the hot south.
There may be race updates at
http://www.dartnuunracing.com/
or
http://www.bajatravesia.com/
Keep me in your thoughts. The suffer fest will begin on tuesday and we will hopefully get it over the fastest so that we have the most free time at the end.
Later
Lord Cromwell
I will not be updating until April 7th when I return. Unless there is internet access somewhere along the line. Cheryl will meet me on the first and we will spend a week in the hot south.
There may be race updates at
http://www.dartnuunracing.com/
or
http://www.bajatravesia.com/
Keep me in your thoughts. The suffer fest will begin on tuesday and we will hopefully get it over the fastest so that we have the most free time at the end.
Later
Lord Cromwell
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Roger's Family Sh!t Hole
Originally uploaded by gtrogers.
I can remember when I was a kid my father would get so upset about my messy room. I can remember him standing over me sitting in the middle of my crapulence saying that my room was a sh!t hole. He truely has no idea what a sh!t hole really is. For those of you that live in a city with a sewer system, you most likely have never had the fine experience of getting your septic tank pumped. For those of you that that do have a septic tank, you probably do not have a 100 year old, extra small, overloaded septic tank.
I told Kevin that we were going hunting for buried treasure. we got out the treasure map and started digging. I told him that once we found it, the slurpy truck was going come and suck all of our treasure out for us.
Lurking peacably below our entryway about a foot down is our tank. It is 300 hundred gallons which is very small. Most new homes have a septic tank that is at least 800 and that is for four people. Well we have 7. I let this thing go for almost four years. It should probably be pumped at least every other year. The pipes were starting to back up.
In the picture above, I have spent a number of hours just digging down to the cover (the square cemet block sitting on top of the tank) . It is sitting there waiting for the pump guy to show up. When he gets there and opens it, he proceeds to tell me that the tank is one big compacted loaf of sh!t. Normally it is a mixure of crap and water. In my case there is so much crap that there is no room for water. Imagine that, one large 300 gallon loaf of sh!t. Fortunate for me, I get to add the water with the hose while he sucks. I just couldn't add the picture of inside the tank.
A couple of hours later, I am filling the hole back in feeling very disgusting. The suction truck has taken our treasure away. I wash five times and take two showers. Kevin is a little skeptical about our treasure hunt.
these are the kind of things one does when he is, the father and tapering for a big race. Tomorrow i get to sail the boat home from drydock with Mathew, Kevin and Riley the master fisherman.
Lord Cromwell
Thursday, March 15, 2007
The good news is that Mathew knew to stop before he chucked up. He got about halfway through in 15 minutes and then the wheels came off. After the bread, he tried walking around the outside of the house but to no avail. He spent alot of time peeing in the bathroom afterwards.
Today I did some final shopping before the race. Walmart is great and has just about everything. My cart must have been a bit strange.
Clear shelf paper for maps
yoga square for foot brace in the kayak
jumprope I saw it and always wanted to incorporate it into my training
glowsticks 8
tide table I am bringing back the sailboat next week
coffee filters Cheryl bot a new coffee pot but the 5000 filter left over from costco don't fit
electrical tape
space blanket
condoms 12 you never know what might happen in that space blanket in Mex.
Just kidding about the condoms. My faith frowns upon contraceptives
Lord Cromwell
Today I did some final shopping before the race. Walmart is great and has just about everything. My cart must have been a bit strange.
Clear shelf paper for maps
yoga square for foot brace in the kayak
jumprope I saw it and always wanted to incorporate it into my training
glowsticks 8
tide table I am bringing back the sailboat next week
coffee filters Cheryl bot a new coffee pot but the 5000 filter left over from costco don't fit
electrical tape
space blanket
condoms 12 you never know what might happen in that space blanket in Mex.
Just kidding about the condoms. My faith frowns upon contraceptives
Lord Cromwell
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
As I sit here, Mathew is beginning his gallon of milk in an hour challenge. I bet him he couldn't do it. told him that i have seen many others fail in a hurl of curdle of milk. He is probably 1/3 through the jug. He wants that game real bad.
He is now decided to try some bread with his milk. this is going to get real ugly. i am taking pics and will post them tomorrow. BTW, he is moving outside when he gets to 1/2 a gallon.
Lord Cromwell
He is now decided to try some bread with his milk. this is going to get real ugly. i am taking pics and will post them tomorrow. BTW, he is moving outside when he gets to 1/2 a gallon.
Lord Cromwell
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Mathew's First Two
Originally uploaded by gtrogers.
Mathew's fish count is up two three in his quest to catch ten. These are his first two. Nice young silvers baby. I am going to add a qalification that his last two are caught by himself by our house. I want to ensure that he can catch fish independently whenever I need him to get dinner.
I brushed my hair today. I believe that it was the first time since 2001. I usually just grow it and shave it. I brushed it in order to get it ready for the new baja doo. I had to cut out some of it. It seems that when I eat PG&J, some of the PB splashes into my hair. i think that I actually had the makings of a dread lock or two.
I also went swimming today. I have not been feeling well the past week and running scared about not shaking it before baja. It is hard for me to get going again. It is a bit overwhelming. I am off plan and not sure where to start. So I went back to my roots. Back in the day when I first started "waking up" but still smoked a pack and weighed 230 I thought that my first attempt at anything should be low impact. So I went to the Y to go swimming. In suburban NJ, in the middle of a weekday there are three types of people; seniors, mothers, and gardeners. The pool was packed with seniors. It was a 25m pool that was 6ft deep. I got halfway down and started drowning. I can remember this old guy yelling at me to "Just float on your back" That's when I started taking my life seriously.
Lord Cromwell
Saturday, March 10, 2007
I began my annual bike breakdown and cleaning yesterday. It begins by taking all the major components off the Turner frame. I leave the brakes, fork, and bottom bracket but everything else gets broken down cleaned, repaired and lubed. I start off outside with a hose and a bucket of hot soapy water. I try to meticulously wash everything including the frame with various size brushes, the smallest being a toothbush, and rags. Then I let it dry overnight in a freshly cleaned spot in the garage.
Today I continued to clean and rub down the pieces as I put them back together. It is unbelievable how much capitol forest red clay gets all over everything. As I was putting her back together, I noticed that my derailliuer was cracked right at the limit adjustment screw. This is the same spot that fractured last year at the Mighty Mo. Luckily, I have the rebuilt derailliuer from last year so I just put that unit on. WARNING if you use XT, I would check this spot real careful. It seems to be the spot where sticks get sucked up. Next, I noticed that the bottom bracket has a bit of play. This unit has two years on it and I knew it was getting old so I order a new FSA carbon crankset. Problem is, it will not be here before Baja. In the garage, I pulled the fork and cleaned/lubed the stearer tube and headset. I got my wheels all cleaned and set up. I am running Michellin tires, dry on the back and wet on the front for better handling.
Finally, I loaded the bike up with all the AR extras, rear light, tow, clean saddlepack with gear, double cages, pump, and odometer. Tomorrow, I will take the bike in for service. They will pull the BB and give me the bad news, service the fork, run the cables, new chain etc. It will be like brand new. I think that part of our success is that we all are very anal about our gear. We rarely have mechanicals. Well once, RVG lost his crank arm in the middle of a race. And we are all pretty pissed when somebody's bike breaks down because of maintainence or something they knew they should have fixed.
And then the shakout ride. JVG and I will hit Green next weekend. I will do all the final adjustments. Get the handlebars and levers straight and fix any cable stretch.
Today I continued to clean and rub down the pieces as I put them back together. It is unbelievable how much capitol forest red clay gets all over everything. As I was putting her back together, I noticed that my derailliuer was cracked right at the limit adjustment screw. This is the same spot that fractured last year at the Mighty Mo. Luckily, I have the rebuilt derailliuer from last year so I just put that unit on. WARNING if you use XT, I would check this spot real careful. It seems to be the spot where sticks get sucked up. Next, I noticed that the bottom bracket has a bit of play. This unit has two years on it and I knew it was getting old so I order a new FSA carbon crankset. Problem is, it will not be here before Baja. In the garage, I pulled the fork and cleaned/lubed the stearer tube and headset. I got my wheels all cleaned and set up. I am running Michellin tires, dry on the back and wet on the front for better handling.
Finally, I loaded the bike up with all the AR extras, rear light, tow, clean saddlepack with gear, double cages, pump, and odometer. Tomorrow, I will take the bike in for service. They will pull the BB and give me the bad news, service the fork, run the cables, new chain etc. It will be like brand new. I think that part of our success is that we all are very anal about our gear. We rarely have mechanicals. Well once, RVG lost his crank arm in the middle of a race. And we are all pretty pissed when somebody's bike breaks down because of maintainence or something they knew they should have fixed.
And then the shakout ride. JVG and I will hit Green next weekend. I will do all the final adjustments. Get the handlebars and levers straight and fix any cable stretch.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
This is my garage. I sometimes think that it is a metaphor for my life and maybe the grey matter between my ears. CHAOS. I live in Chaos. I thive in chaos. It has been my strength. I have an ability to find a path through the chaos of my life. To see an end result and work toward it like through one of those huge mazes made out of hedges. Sometimes I think that I have ADD, in reverse. It doesn't matter about the noise, distraction, clutter, or even pain, I become obsessed with the goal and nothing can diveert my mission.
My wife hates it. She struggles to deal with me. She hates my 100s of unfinished projects. She struggles to deal with the fun that chaos can create especially when kids are involved. I cleaned the dining room today. Maybe I will get to the garage by summer.
Lord Cromwell
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