Withdrawl

Beginning to suffer withdrawl from not biking...must bike...must bik...must b

Soon, very soon. Too much working, not enough biking. Must bike

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Today is the birthday of my mother...Joan Love and her twin sister Jean Love. We wish them both a Happy Birthday.

If you see or talk to either of them today, wish them a H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y ! ! ! !

Still doing homework

We haven't posted in a while because of being busy working on the homestead. We have the sofits and fascia almost done and will start the siding tomorrow. Some of the trim work for the siding is ready.

Tomorrow is my mother and her sister's (twin) birthday. We will be having dinner for her in the afternoon. After the dinner...if time allows...a ride will be in order.

After the outside house work, a new bicycle will be next. I am thinking a Surly Long Haul Trucker. The new colors, if there are any, are to be released this week. I have not had the time to research if they are adding or changing colors to that line. If anyone out there knows the scoop...let me in on it too please.

Monday Sept. 22---Happy Birthday

Today is my sister's birthday. We wish her a Happy Birthday.

If you see or talk to her today...remind her.

Home work report

I haven't been on a bicycle all week...and that SUCKS...but getting some necessary work done on our home this week. I think I should be able to log some miles to offset the hours of labor I have done, but we will keep it honest.
This week we...Tore off the fascia board and sofits
Removed the shingles and put down new felt
Tore down a 2.5 story flue lined brick chimney
Put up a new gas appliance chimney vent
Put up a new stainless steel wood stove chimney
Hauled home 14 square of new shingles
Removed all the siding, except the walk out basement wall
Put on new drip edge and fascia board
Bought and hauled home all the stuff for 15 square of vinyl siding
Hauled all the old shingles and felt to the recycle center
Put on 14 square of new shingles...minus the 3 shingles we had left
Cut slot in roof and put on a ridge vent
Cleaned up the mess we have made so far...plus some
I know I am missing some stuff

We have lots left, but have been making good progress so far. We have had some great help....My mom and dad, our youngest son and his friend Mitch...these guys are, like my daughter says "buff"...our daughter...our son and his girlfriend.

The two new chimneys...I need one more section for the wood burning

The mess we still have left

Doing Homework

So far this week has been all work and no play. Putting in some very long hours. Today was 7:30 AM to 9:00 PM. I must say I am not used to this manual labor stuff. I am also very poor with heights...and that does not help matters. The worst is yet to come as far the heights are concerned. I am pleased to say that I have had some good help.

So far we the roof off...hope to start shingling Friday afternoon...also about 2/3rds of the siding off the upper part.

Hoping for NO rain.

Bicycle Repair and Homework

I think I should get a few miles on the bicycle log for the amount of work I did today. I have off regular work this week and am working on our home....a 13 hour day. I removed our block--clay lined chimney. It was over two stories tall but taking it down, it seemed a lot taller. Between an air chisel and a sledge...we got it. Then we put up a new mini chimney.

On another note; Lessons learned from the failed fat.

Lesson #1:Be prepared...i.e...bring the right extra tube, the one that fits the type of rim you are running. At the last minute before the race I grabbed a spare tube from my bicycle tool box and shoved it in my jersey pocket. I have three 26 inch tubes in the tool box. I grabbed a shrader tube instead of a presta. I wonder if that is in the idiot book.

Lesson #2:When patching a hole in a tube...Just because it is leaking air at a seam, do not assume that is the only hole...i.e...many times a pinch flat has two holes. One of my pinch holes was right on the seam and I mistakenly thought it was the only one.

Lesson #3:Do not be so cheap...Buy a pump that handles CO2 and pumps too. I had two CO2 cartridges...used them both...and was still flatted. I have been looking to buy one of these all summer, but have not found them at any bike shops where I causally stopped in. Should have searched harder or ordered on line.

Lesson #4:Read lessons 1 and 2 and 3 over again...and listen to The Bicycle Repair Man.

The One That Got Away

The Fat Tire has come and gone. I had said I was going to take it easy...but couldn't do it. I started about 5 rows back from the elite and went out strong. It was very muddy...lots of puddles and a couple mud holes that were like a hybrid clay and quick sand. I rode hard and was having the best ride that I could hope for when disaster struck. Two hours 10 mins...32 miles in...8 miles to go...the hardest part in...feeling strong and going hard...FLATTED. It was a hard right hand turn at the bottom of a rocky hill and we were flying in a V formation like geese heading south. All of us were turning, braking and spitting rocks from our tires. We all made the corner but with in a couple hundred yards I heard air leaking.
There was a gentlemen that was parked next to us at one of the start parking lots. He and I rode the whole race together to that point. He would be in front, then I would be in front and we were back and forth the whole race. When I looked down to see if it was indeed "I" that was leaking, he pulled up along side and said "That's you bud. See ya later." He finished in the 260 to 275th area in 2 hours 41 minutes. So, just like fishing...you try to sell your story to everyone...You should have seen The One That Got Away.

The Way it Is

The decision has been made. Right or wrong...the goal for this years Fat will be to reduce any chance of injury and still have a good time. As of this morning my goal was to get the best starting position I could muster and hammer out the best ride possible. I have changed that strategy. In a meeting at work today, the option of taking some additional time off was offered. I had already planned a new roof and soffit's, but with the extra time available, new siding and a patio door has been added. Have some fun and no injuries are a must in order to complete the task at hand. The crystal ball that resides deep in the back corner of my cranial cavity...it takes up a lot of room too...says it is going to be soft, wet and slow...some mud too. I had already contemplated not going out too hard...although not seriously. This is the Fat Tire FESTIVAL after all and I will treat it as such. We will see how it goes on Saturday.

Family Cruise

My sister, brother-in law, Janice and I went for a short ride tonight. We intended on riding longer, but we were chased by rain. As I have stated before, I like these rides. they are a lot of fun. We logged 7.5 miles.
I rode the mountain bike tonight just to go thru the gears a little before the weekend.

Putting it down

Put in a good ride this evening. Took a couple pics before I left. Little late, but trying to get some riding in before this weekend. This will be last of the hard stuff. I started with the first 7.5 miles against a 5 to 10mph wind...then 2 miles cross wind...most of rest helping. I ended this ride with 17.3 miles with 52 minutes of saddle time.

I know for sure I enjoy the biking much more just out cruising and not going for it, although I am sure my hammering is easy for many others.

Making an enjoyable ride on a country road doesn't get much better for me. The bicycle and the road resemble life. Like the road it travels are the hills...the ups and downs...the curves...the wind with and the wind sometimes blasting you head on...and then throw in a few pot holes for good measure. Make the best of the road and try to avoid them thar potholes. Like they say in the restaurants...Enjoy
How did you like that psycho babbling????

I like this bike.

Black Bear Ride

Really slacking on the bike these last couple of days, but the weather has not been too cooperative either. I did get some other chores done, so all was not lost. Friday evening I got some maintenance done on the bikes as it was raining...Saturday we cut and split a load of firewood in some rain, then had a benefit dinner for a relative we attended...Sunday we cut and split two loads of firewood, again in some rain. When Sunday afternoon came around with some showers and looking like more might be on the way, I went for a ride anyway...cut wood in the rain...can ride bike in the rain. I ride this route often and call it the Black Bear ride because it passes by the Black Bear Golf Club...but...today this ride took on a new meaning of the Black Bear ride. 30 miles with 1 hour 43 minutes of saddle time. I saw this 4 miles from the start. Jill in Alaska has tracks on her site that are way bigger than this one leaves and I might add she rides in rough weather a lot of the time so a little rain shouldn't bother us too much. This is a good sized black bear...not huge...but not small and enough to get your attention. This makes 10 bears I have seen while biking this year. Weather looming...go for it.

Someone mowed the airport.
Maybe it was this guy.

Winter prep

No biking tonight. My son Michael and I cut a truck load of fire wood to add to the pile....see earlier pics. We will still need a few more loads.

Hill work

I decided to some hill training tonight, although I will readily admit these hills are really speed bumps compared to many other places. I should have been riding these earlier to get ready for the Chequamegon.

I am still thinking of how I should ride this event. It is either try to get a good place to start towards the front and hammer the best that I can..or..just go for the ride. I know that if I did go out hard, I am not going to finish any where near the front, but part of me still wants to hammer it out. On the other hand , another part of me says that this is a festival, so just go and enjoy the ride. Still up in the air...What do you think?

I rode a total of 26.5 miles with 1 hour 55 minutes of saddle time. Sixteen of those miles were between these hills. My wife, sister, and brother-in-law met me when I was done playing hill guy providing entertainment to the wildlife. I then rode the 5 miles back home with them.

Back and forth..forth and back

This deer must have been curious...probably thinking...what's with this idiot riding back and forth between hills. He watched for quite a while.

This was against the wind tonight.

This one with the wind.

.8 of a mile one way
This is a dune on the side of one of the hills. Among its other purposes, it also serves as a play area for the ATV'S. The sand country is generally rolling hills...up and down, up and down.

Cabin to home

I rode the carbon home from the cabin today. I did not feel strong today. I hope I feel stronger than today at the Fat this year. I left there at 11:30 am. It was a 33 mile ride with 1 hour 45 min of saddle time and the wind helping most of the time. The route I took home included about 4 to 5 miles of rough road. I have been told that a person doesn't have to take it slow thru the rough stuff, but I do. I just feel as if I am beating on the bike if I hammer thru the rough...it's not a race or anything...just riding home.

Annual labor day get together

Labor Day Sunday is our annual get together. We have family and friends to our family cabin for a picnic. This year there were over 80 people there. Our array of things that we have cooked over the years range from soups, pig roasts, stew, boil dinner and several roast put on a spit and this year my mother requested Hamburger Soup....so hamburger soup it was. Most everybody brings something, so there is always a lot of food. After the food we make homemade ice cream for dessert....hand cranks. GOOOOD TIME. This is the beginning. 20 lbs hamburger, 5 lbs carrots, 7 large onions, a head of garlic.

After the top stuff in the picture above is browned off, many other ingredients get added. Here is Lisa adding the tomatoes.

The Great Minnesota Get Together

On Friday we took our niece Sarah, and our daughter Lisa to the Mn State Fair. I have not been there in about 30 years so I did not know what to expect, and the girls had never been there. It was a good time. We had ate a bunch of food that is not very healthy...oooh well...and we had a lot of fun. We can not help but have fun when those two girls get together. We visited the oink barn.