21 August 2012
Triple Treat
The adrenaline was palpable as I realized the last time I pedaled this bike, this route, this time of day, even wearing this very same jersey, I knew by mile six something was very, very wrong. It was Bike to Work Day, and I'm the coordinator at the office where I work. I couldn't turn around and go back home. Co-workers are dependent upon me. They look up to me as a source of inspiration, enthusiasm, dedication and rugged determination. No one else in my office pedals as far - 30 miles one way. I had to get to work. And I had get there on my bike.
Two weeks later, I had a new diagnosis, and I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to ride again. If I did, I wasn't sure I would be able to ride more than down my driveway. I was pretty sure I wouldn't ever be able to wear a backpack again.
But here I was, 7.5 weeks later, pedaling in the dark, pedaling very slowly in the dark, but pedaling, wondering if the pain would return, wondering if the monster lens in my Camelbak would send my back into places I did not want to be. My goal was 20 miles round trip. 10 miles out. 10 miles back.
When I crested the top of the short hill I had to climb to see if I could, but also to attain the premiere sunrise view, tears once again flowed down my cheeks, but the emotions this time were different. Yes, there was pain, but not crippling. I'd made it!
The unplanned, unexpected shoot made for a great stretching break. I thought our impromptu stop would assure me a comfortable ride home. Not to be. The Lizard finally had to take my pack from me because my back was too sore make the final few miles while wearing the extra 10 or 15 pounds.
At home, prescription pain reliever once again knocked me out for several hours.
And then I felt better. I decided to try again. Probably not the brainiest thing I've ever done. But it was worth it. The weather was beautiful. We had plenty of time before dark.
Once again, the ride home was tortuous, and The Lizard once again carried my pack the final few miles. I did not ride the next day. I slept.
But I spent a day getting some of the most incredible photos of my summer so far, and I don't regret one single pedal stroke.
More photos tomorrow. And Thursday. See ya then.
20 August 2012
Snowflake Monday
So please keep an eye on that PEEPS number at the top of the column to the right, and if you can, please capture a screen shot for me if you see the 1,999,999 roll to two million. (On a PC, pushing Control and Print Screen together will copy what you see on your screen. Paste it into a document, preferably a photo editing program, but a word processing program will work, too, and then email it to me. A special thank you is planned.) The turning of the 9s will be a moment of magic when it happens, and I'd sure like to see it and know who surfed to my page at precisely the right second.
My 1,000,000th visitor happened last October while we were in Durango for the Fall Blaze, when I got to ride for about 16 seconds with up-and-coming pro Tommy D (Tom Danielson, Team Garmin). I was trying to watch for the turning of the 9s on my phone as we picked up our event packets, but the count jumped from 999,998 to 1,000,008 in just one refresh, so I missed that milestone. (But I did use my real camera to snap pictures of my phone with both the under and the over!)
I wanted to tie today's snowflake in with the coming milestone, but everything numerical I thought of sounded pretty corny, so I'm calling this my Durango Dreams Snowflake. Because that's where I wanted to be yesterday and today.
Yesterday was a citizen's ride of portions of today's route. George Hincapie, who has always been one of my favorite riders and who has more Tour de France completions beneath his belt than any other rider, accompanied regular everyday riders just like me in a fun ride in a spectacular area. This week's race is his final pro race. He's retiring next Monday. I just may have to work up a snowflake in his honor. 17 TdFs, 17 snowflake points… hmmmmmm…
Snowdon Bear at Little Molas Lake, Million Dollar Highway, between Ridgway and Durango
The Lizard atop Engineer Pass, between Ridgway and Durango
May 2008 on the way to Durango
Durango, My Hometown, Quilt by Britt Toppenberg
I wanted to ride with George yesterday. I wanted to see the race in person today. The Lizard and I had planned to ride to a prime viewing spot each day of this year's race, our own little self-supported cycling challenge.
I'm still hoping against hope I might be able to make it to the top of Cottonwood Pass later this week to watch the Queen's Stage. If I can't make it, I'll watch the peloton zoom by on their descent at whatever spot I'm able to reach on my bike. There will be magic in the air, and perhaps a bit of lightning, too, so just being there will be a miracle, regardless of how high I can climb. Every adventure we get from this point out is a bonus, and I intend to take advantage of every opportunity I get.
You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 8 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, school glue (make sure it is water soluble), water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line
Instructions
Ch 6, sl st into 1st ch OR make magic ring.
Round 1: Ch 2, [yo and draw up loop through ring, yo and pull through 2 loops on hook] 2 times, yo and pull through all 3 loops on hook (starting dc cluster made), *ch 6, [yo and draw up loop through ring, yo and pull through 2 loops on hook] 3 times, yo and pull through all 4 loops on hook (dc cluster made); repeat from * around 4 times; ch 3, 1 tr in starting dc cluster (counts as final ch 6 sp). Don't pull magic ring too tight.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.
Round 2: Ch 1, 1 sc in same sp, *ch 20, 1 dc in 11th ch from hook and in each of next 4 ch, ch 5, 1 sc in next ch 6 sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last sc of final repeat; sl st in starting sc.
Round 3: *8 sc in next sp, sk 2 dc, 5 dc in next dc, 2 sc in next sp, 2 hdc in same sp, 2 dc in same sp, ch 3, sl st in top of dc just made, [3 dc in same sp, ch 3, sl st in top of dc just made] 2 times, 2 dc in same sp, 2 hdc in same sp, 2 sc in same sp, sk 2 sc, 5 dc in next dc, 8 sc in next sp; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.
Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.
Mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.
17 August 2012
Friday Funny
I'm not one to ever make fun of someone else's pain or hard luck, and I'm definitely not into throwing away my career or life in a streak of vengeance. I am 100% against violence. (Although I've often said I'd love to kick the crap out of cancer...)
Having been dumped a time or two in my life, however, and having helped friends who've been dumped survive their heartbreaks, I couldn't help but fight back a guilty snicker when I read about the man who went to his dentist, the girlfriend he'd cheated on and then dumped just two days earlier, instead of finding a new dentist when he had a toothache. The former girlfriend dentist knocked him out, locked the door and removed all his teeth, and his new girlfriend, the one he cheated with, dumped him because he's toothless.
The story was preposterous. Totally and unequivacably.
Even funnier is that news outlets around the world picked it up and carried it in its entirely without checking sources. I once, way back in the days of dinosaurs, before cell phones and internet, interviewed the supposed "victim" of a household accident, and the very small town newspaper where I was employed as one of four reporters, ran the story. The newspaper and I then had to live down the egg on our faces when we learned from some of our seasoned readers the "victim" was a scam artist who traveled from town to town concocting such stories.
ALWAYS CHECK SOURCES!!!
As I read reader comments left on the toothless story, I realized there are a whole lot of Jay Leno Wannabes with potentially promising careers out there. I saved some of the best comments because they made me laugh. And now that the original story is a hoax, I can laugh all over again! Tooth, tooth for the price of one! Hopefully these gems will bring a smile to your face, too(th).
"Oh your ex dumped your clothes on the front yard??? Poor guy... mine ripped out all my teeth."
"I'm surprised she didn't leave him the one tooth that was hurting in the first place - just to add insult to injury."
"Lucky for him his ex wasn't his proctologist."
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. And that's the tooth."
"And the molar of this story is..."
"No wisdom teeth to begin with."
"She gave him anesthetic. That was nice."
"Fatal Extraction."
"Before surgery, he should have had her swear to pull the tooth, the whole tooth and nothing but the tooth."
"Dental care from your ex can be hazardous to your smile."
"Confucius say: If dating dentist and break up, find new dentist."
"I read somewhere this had happened to him before. His previous girlfriend was a brain surgeon, and he went to her for a headache. Guess what she removed?"
"No more lying through his teeth."
"Now he's Gumby, and she's in the Pokey."
"He's toothless; she's ruthless."
"What's the problem? Won't his teeth just grow back?"
"Look, Ma, no cavities!"
"He loves me..." Yank! "He loves me not..." Yank! "He loves me..." Yank! "He loves me not!" Yank!
16 August 2012
Over the Edge
Nevertheless, my heart was there the day of the bike ride, even though I was drugged and mostly motionless in bed. Even though fires had scorched the forest north of the peak, the Pikes Peak Cycling Hillclimb saw more than 150 cyclists reaching for the summit. The entire road is paved this year, and record times were expected.
Thirty-seven-year-old pro Leroy Poposki ascended Pikes Peak in an hour and eight minutes. Ironically, his optometry business was threatened by the Waldo Canyon fire just a week earlier.
Pro Katie Compton of New Zealand won the women's division with a time of 1.5 hours. She opened her home to Colorado Springs friends who were evacuated due to the fire, and they took her up on the offer.
Last Sunday was the rescheduled 90th annual International Hill Climb, initially slated for June 27 and postponed due to the Waldo Canyon fire. Car and motorcycle speeds were expected to smash all motor-powered records on the all-paved course. Rhys Millen took top honors with a time of nine minutes and 46 seconds.
Not every vehicle made it to the top, though. Jeremy Foley missed one of the 154 turns and rolled his Mitsubishi Evolution 10 times. Fortunately, he and his co-driver were not seriously injured. Foley later posted on Facebook, "...a little beaten up, but nothing major..." No, I was not there; the video below came from Youtube.
Regardless, the motorized event has become so popular with the new pavement, the Race to the Clouds is under consideration for expansion to two days next year.
Maybe one day they'll let bicycles go up at their own pace.
14 August 2012
Finish Line
I didn't know when I first selected the Lanesplitter skirt as my main project if I could complete it in two weeks or less, and I expected I would not be able to get much of anything else creative done during the construction.
Then I had a choice of another test ride on the bike or finishing the crocodile-themed snowflake that had been in my head for more than a year. Only half a round remained. It would have taken about half an hour.
So I should have made the panel a little, um, wider???
I knew it was close. I don't want to stay this size. I'm betting the desire to wear my latest piece of art this autumn will help me get back down to my normal size 8. If finishing this skirt on a cramped schedule is any indication of where determination can take me, I'll be modeling my Chroma Lanesplitter by the time Colorado's aspens turn.
That's the next gold in my sight.
13 August 2012
Snowflake Monday
Today's snowflake will be called by the new name for the Ravelry challenge during the Summer Olympics, the Ravellenics, and I'll never have to change the name of this snowflake. Ha!
Last week's snowflake was a boredom break in my big Ravellenics project, a knitted Lanesplitter skirt. Today's snowflake was created in celebration of finishing the two-week skirt.
However, I was on the train when I made the prototype, jotting the pattern on my trusty smartphone as I worked (a brilliant idea given me by Raveler MrsAdriana), and unbeknownst to me, my service provider was having major difficulties and outages for three solid days. The pattern I wrote on my phone was lost in space. That's almost a good enough name for a snowflake, but I don't want to risk being forced to change another snowflake name due to trademark skittishness.
Better to rewrite a fairly fresh pattern than have to rename a two-year-old snowflake.
You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 8 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, water soluble school glue or desired stiffener, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line
Instructions
Ch 6, sl st into 1st ch OR make magic ring.
Round 1: 12 sc in ring; sl st in starting sc. Don't pull magic ring too tight.
Round 2: Pull loop on hook nearly as tall as a dc and twist one time (counts as 1st dc of 4/dc cluster), [yo and draw up a loop through same sc as sl st, yo and bring through 2 loops on hook] 3 times, yo and bring through all 4 loops on hook (starting dc cluster made), ch 4, * sk next sc, [yo and draw up a loop through next sc, yo and bring through 2 loops on hook] 4 times, yo and bring through all 5 loops on hook, ch 4; repeat from * 4 more times, sl st into starting dc cluster.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.
Round 3: *1 sc in next ch 4 sp, 1 hdc in same sp, 1 dc in same sp, 1 tr in same sp, ch 5, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, ch 1, 1 dc in top of tr, ch 5, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, ch 3, 1 dc in tr, ch 3, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, ch 3, sl st in top of tr, 1 tr in same ch 3 sp, 1 dc in same sp, 1 hdc in same sp, 1 sc in same sp, ch 5, sl st in 4th ch from hook; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.
Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.
If using glue, mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture or desired stiffener. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.
10 August 2012
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