Coming soon... Maybe.

Gravelicious

Finally made it out to one of the organized local Gravel Grinder rides. So much fun, I forgot it was hovering around 20°F the entire ride with a stiff headwind. We rolled out of the beautiful riverside park by the Argosy Casino, headed west next to the MO upstream on levee gravel. Cut through some dirt fields which was actually a road (Rush Creek) and wound up in a little unincorporated town of Waldron. Three of my favorite things: Bicycles, trains and rivers. Got a flat and the other fellas waited up for me thankfully. Water bottle froze so I'll have to sort that out now that my riding gear accumulation and education has afforded me to ride in these lower temps.

Kill the trainer. There are outdoors outside.

Ride yer bike!

Early

I'm usually late to everything. I need to change that. Just this past week, though, part of me has been early. Frequently. Not sure why I've developed a sudden PVC but I spent Christmas Eve afternoon in the ER 'cause it was concerning me. Had been fluttering for about a week and I'd never experienced them before (that I was aware of).

Anyway, they seem harmless enough. Go to see the Cardiologist in a week to get a specialist's POV.

On a positive note, my bloodwork while in the ER came back showing high levels of billirubin. I've had this every time and always wondered if my liver was bad, because if you've ever tasted liver it IS bad. But the ER doc mentioned Gilber't Syndrome. This explains so much. Now I have to search for other athletic individuals that have had the same muscle tightness problems post-exercise — likely due to my body's inability to filter out some of the sugars. I've been trying to figure this out going on 10 years now, and it looks like I may have stumbled on the answer thanks to a tired ticker.

Time to ride the trainer for an hour and taunt the heart some more!

Bed and Brunter stuff

Although my creative outlet tends to be the paintings and cycling related design, I still enjoy the jobs that pay the bills to give the kids warm beds to sleep in. Here's a photo that the client wanted changed from the brick pavers to concrete. I printed off a copy of the original then ran outside and shot a few photos of my work's sidewalk at the closest angle I could. Made things easier, and made a quick few bucks. I think being an illustrator makes Photoshopping that much easier - you gotta keep shadows realistic and be aware of reflected light or your subjects will look "Photoshopped".

Riding music

I don't ride with headphones for safety reasons, but mainly because nature's music is better than anything made in a studio. I do tend to have songs in my head, esp on solo rides. Beck's "Go it Alone" is a good default and the bass line sets a great tempo, but for some of those exploratory gravel adventures now and to come, I think I'll have a new (old) song in my head. A sad song, but a beautiful melody. No banjo in this live version (as was on REM's Fables of the Reconstruction recording), but beautiful all its own.

Halfassinit

I'll never be a bumpersticker type, but if you can't - or just don't feel like giving 110% each day - be proud of giving at least 50%.

Dream Cycle

Darren @ Dream Cycle in Vancouver is a cool guy with a cool dog and a cool shop that builds the coolest bicycles. Check out pics in the gallery. Not a lemon in that bunch! Stare at them for hours... Anyway, he builds his own frames now - the touring/commuting varieties with more to come I am sure - and wanted a head tube badge to adorn them. He already had the "Sedgwick" designed in an urban tag style from another artist, and wanted to go with a phoenix & wheel motif. I must have been on an art deco Chrysler Building. Rocketeer kick and came up with the following: I was impressed at the detail that the badge-maker was able to retain. Go buy one!!!

Here's a wicked (I already overused "cool" earlier) build video with a great custom track: