Music Friday

The year is flying by - too much work, not enough cycling. At least the music is good.

Perceptions

Few years back I was setting up my company's trade show booth up at McCormick Place in Chicago. Labor was showing up at 10am, so I got the early 8am start to make sure all my cords were corded and power was powered before carpet went down. Crates show up on time, check. Inventory, check... Then two guys with tools and ladders show a couple minutes early. So far the most problem-free start to booth setup yet... Hoping my normal twelve hour day will be cut to ten!

Things go nice and smooth then 2pm rolls around and the place goes on-break quiet again. I'm still riding a continental breakfast so I forego a trip to the in-house McD's and decide to string the lights I can reach standing on a chair while I wait for the guys to get back to do the ladder/16' tower work. A few moments later the electrician super comes by the booth for check, and starts busting on me about the lights being up, asking me who installed them (clip-on 50W halogens) and connected them. I told him I did because the two guys I got "helping" me have taken 3 breaks in 6 hours, and I want to get the fuck out of there and have a beer and a meal and a beer. He laid out the hall rules about electrical and what have you - which I completely understand union halls and liabilities - but he then ordered me to take them down so an official light-stringer could come over and do it. He informs me that he can send a guy over tonight (but it won't be until after 5pm that Friday) or try to get it ordered first thing Sat morning, but either way it's gonna be overtime. So I say get it done tonight because I am not missing a 10am flight back to KC.

So I figure I'll kill time and go grab McD's even though I'd planned to get something more med-rare and costly since this was the company's dime... Who knew McD's closed shortly after the 2pm break. Much like when you're stuck in traffic and have to piss really bad, then you make that turn down your street and start relaxing your bladder a little because you KNOW the moment of relief is RIGHT THERE. Well, my growling stomach turned violent after finding out it wasn't going to get the food I'd expected to relieve it with. The ten hour day I'd hoped for was knocking on eleven.

Over the next 2 hours, the electrical super cruises by my booth in his electrical cart a few times to see if I've been taken care of. I'm still not electrified, but I'm [ ] this close to telling him to get off his ass and plug my fucking lights in himself so I can eat. He then yells "Hey KC, you hungry? Follow me." Normally I would assess such a situation, but much like after a huge ride - where decision-making is obscured by the intense need to feed - I follow my gut. He leads me back to his office in the dark, back corner of the hall. A dank concrete cube with a single bare interrogation bulb dangling from the center of the room. Paper's piled up like my hoarding grandmother's sewing room. He tells me to have a seat then reaches between two boxes on the floor and out swang a mini fridge door. He pulls out a package of franks and pops two of them into the microwave that sits on the metal shelves behind him. Twenty seconds into it and I was sitting in Comiskey Park. Never before did a hot dog smell so fucking fantastic. He shoves some papers aside and sets down a can of CocaCola in front of me. Grabs the dogs out and nestles each one in a bun and I reach for that thing and cradled it like my first born being passed by the nurse. I'm three bites in before I notice poppy seeds on my bun (wtf?), and the thing looks quilted like a kaiser roll, which now seems odd but at the time was better than bacon sprinkles on a glazed donut. All I know is that it's 10:30pm, I'm finally eating my lunch and this was one of my best meals ever. Guy served up one thing and that one thing was magnificent.

Long story short, when in Rome...

Also, most people are good people despite whatever that perceived first-impression is. Trust them to change that impression by observing their good works, and never say no to a large man that wants to share his hot steaming weenie with you in a dark room.

Cheers

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.