You'll never believe this...

Somehow the boys have got me roped into my very first American Football Fantasy league this year. Stop laughing. Yes, the boy from Manchester is jumping into the pit of fire with all the stat-obsessed-manically-knowledgeable freaks that I call my friends. It's pretty stupid how much trivia these guys know and it's hard enough to get a word in edgeways when the numbers are flying.

I fully expect that I'll have to rely on my boy Crumpler to destroy everyone in his path and carry the team to victory. I just need to find a way to start him 8 times in different positions. Heck, he should be kicking as well. Stop laughing. He's going to be awesome.

My roster - I said STOP LAUGHING.

Environmental Defense Fund

Just think about it. That's all I would ask of you.

Potpourri

Long weekend is now behind us, but we managed to enjoy it immensely with spurts of productivity intermittently combined with relaxing activities.

Top of the list was getting a bunch of 'todo' jobs done around the house including swanky new ceiling fan and light for the bedroom. Though the install took a while it was less fiddly than I had feared after several previous adventures in ceiling lights. I should remember that when I need to turn off the circuit breakers for DIY projects it means I won't have any light and hence beginning at 6pm may not be the best idea. The install looks great though and should shave some of monstrous electricity bill.

We also pootled around various lakes enjoying the sunshine, breeze and generally being outside. The fishing was ok, the photography was great, and I didnt burn myself for once which I can only classify as a result.

Jay came over and took the R1 for a ride to see how it would deal with 2-up riding as he wants something a bit more powerful and comfortable than his current R6. I think the jury's still out for him and I can understand that. If I wanted a long distance country cruiser for 2-up I think I'd be looking more at a Hyabusa or any of the latest sport cruiser crossover bikes which seemed to be more inline with what he wants. I'm still hopeful the bikes glamour appeal will win him over though :) Got a few other people lined up who are interested even before I bother putting the bike online. So if you're interested in buying a pimped out R1 before it hits the interwebs, let me know.

My CSS/HTML skills are slowly improving - I feel like I'm beginning to get to a point where I can see various possible solutions to a problem and choose the right one based on the project's circumstances. This is a far cry from when I began any project by having to refer to at least 5 books to refresh my memory of just what this cascading stuff is all about again.

Reason

What are you afraid of?

Some very apropos lyrics posted for my own damn benefit.

What are you afraid of?
All the years fade away.
What are you made of?
From the ties that hold us down.
What are you fighting for?
To feel them all.
What are you dying for?
To be free.
Who tonight will change your life?
To jump on a plane and land a thousand miles away,
Just to see what we came to be.

Pandora ftw

I love Pandora, please don't kill it with excessive charges from the RIAA. I love it not least because of fantastic musical transitions such as the below on my Goth/Death/Null/Void/Kill/Kill/Core station.

Killswitch Engage > Trivium > Sisters of Mercy > Lamb of God > Depeche Mode > The Cure > Duran Duran

Yeah you read that right. It's awesome. I ... excuse me a second..
Her name is Rioooo and she daaances on the saaaaand!!...!

Apparently it features 'a subtle use of vocal harmony, major key tonality, prominent bass riffs, a prominent saxophone part'. Oh Pandora, you're too much! I love you!

West Indian Girl

I've been in love with the band West Indian Girl ever since Kim played them to me a few years back while we were relaxing together. Since then wig have been on heavy rotation at work, home, and on the more contemplative rides. Like old friends by now, them and me. Tight.

Not least because they seem like a crew of just all round great human beings. Why?

I've been looking forward to the new album for a while now and so decided to order a couple of other items from their site while I was at it along with a remix album and their first album. Nothing unusual there.

What is very unusual, however, (as well as startling and refreshing), is to get a phone call from the band's bassist Fran last night to thank me for my purchase. Unfortunately (damn my houses' cell phone reception!) I wasn't there to take the call and he left me a message to say how he was sorry that the remix album was sold out. Instead if I could wait for a bit, he told me that they had a double remix album coming out and he would slip that in instead for the same price. He finished by thanking us again for our support in a laid back sincere tone.

Seriously, that's fantastic. I've never had the 'personal touch' as a fan member before and I think that's just a very cool thing indeed. Maybe I'm too jaded and used to thinking of my rock idols as firmly inserted up their own arse. I am from England after all, home of the most pretentious icons in the world.

If you like your music a little bit different, a little bit more real, a little bit more ethereal, and a little bit more thoughtful then I can't recommend them enough. Think summer days' evening sitting on the beach with your closest friends. Think tapestry of ocean waves in the background. Think balmy carefree nights that go on forever.

So thanks, Fran. That was a cool moment.

Yours, surprised and delighted.
/Fan for life.

You can check them out on their site or Amazon or Itunes or..

Few more days..

As I feared, contacting Cannondale through REI today we found out they are not making the 2008 Capo any more :( BUT the 2009 is out and ready to take orders sometime next week after Labour Day! Hooray! What's a few more days?

In other news I mangled my hands over the weekend cleaning concrete steps to appease the Nazi Homeowners' Over the Top Association. Then I managed to stain the road by kicking over a fair sized can of Rustoleum. I suppose they're going to ticket me for that next.

Winner!

The complete bike is the winner. This is following the logic that the price differential between Cannondale frameset alone and the complete bike is not that much. I can have the bike sooner (assuming they are still making the 2008 model) and ride it sooner. I can still spend time over the winter replacing bits that fall off or break as the basic components are, well, er, basic. I can take my time and upgrade / make it mine over time.

Now that the decision is made pray tell me, dear reader, where the devil can I find a 2008 56cm Cannondale Capo in black? I bet I've noodled this for so long I'm going to have to wait for the 2009 *ulp*.

...grr

So when the day rolls around that the guy I need to speak to will be at REI, I find myself dreaming again of building a bike from the ground up and how satisfying that would be. I am proclaiming today the end of procrastination and at 4pm I will make A Decision. I will stick by My Decision.

Too good

[If you're not English, you probably won't get this]

Kim, oh wife of mine, you support Liverpool, you've asked in the past what Scousers look like and I have sometimes struggled to answer. Well, according to a recent photo taken from a game at Liverpool, I may struggle no more! This is for you.

Gragh. Or: Kfrask!

Last night after literally about 9 months of plotting, tinkering or otherwise completely overanalysing the new bike purchase I made myself go to REI to order the Cannondale Capo. REI because they are close and an authorised Cannondale dealer, The Cannondale Capo because it's just a really good bike (with a really bad name).

While it's a bit pricey for a single speed at around $850, unlike the other bikes I've been looking at it makes me frisky. When you're going to be spending hundreds, nay, thousands of hours perching your nether regions on a bike you want it to make you feel special. This one does, full stop.

I scoot out from work and go sprinting off to the store waving my credit cards in the air, cash falling out from my pockets, literally oozing easy sale from every pore for some store manager and.. Sorry pal, computers are all down today, we can't order it.

GAH! While I knew there's no way they would have an off-the-rack single speed for any Tom, Dick, or Harry to buy and promptly kill themselves on, I did think that Ye Olde Telephone could have been used as a backup to call Ye Establishmente Cannondale and make Ye Damne Ordere.

I know, I know. I've been pootling around for almost a year now with no committment, what's another couple of days? I can be patient. I- aqRE!@H(^*^&Q6#Rkx!@3x!@#xl341!!

Quelque chose pour les autres

I came to the conclusion the other day that while I scorn most blogs (including my own) as rubbish, that I still greatly enjoy reading the daily updates, feelings and nonsense that most of my friends write. I seem to enjoy them more when they are about nothing in particular, just the daily grind. I like getting a handle on what they are up to, how they are doing, and so forth even though this may be nothing.

Assuming that others feel the same way I hereby commit to more twittery-style updates and, er, -gulp-, feelings on this blog. Ok, I couldn't say that last sentence with a straight face. Feelings are for suckers.






I'm still looking at that lump of cheese and fat down below.

Wendy's aint stupid, no ma'am

It should be bloody illegal to festoon popular internet hangouts with such juicy tasty morsels. Especially after I've just cycled to work, am settling in with my morning coffee and protein bar.

But just look at it. Look at it's f2.8 shallow depth of field inviting juicyness. I do love a Baconator. It's even fun to say. But while I could easily prattle at great length I just wanted to say that Pandora isn't playing fair. Just as I'm about to pretend I have long hair again and rock out in my office before anyone else gets into work, I'm distracted by bacon. It wouldn't be the first time.

High resolution gratuitous BaconImmolator in your face! I can hear Dallas softly weeping from here. Hark! Can you?

Have I mentioned...

.. that macro lenses are sick?

I have? Just checking. This is one of my favourites from Kim so far. You should see the 14mb RAW - this scratchy jpg doesn't really do it justice.

315

315 is the Target for Bench for December. I've been trying it the last couple of weeks and I feel like I'm getting closer but still 5-10lbs of effort off. It's such a nice round number it's something I have to do. I must do. I will do.

Begin strategic plan of attack for Benchal Global Domination... now!








Dallas I don't want to hear how many reps of it you can do.

Where's my walking stick, son?

After years of poking fun at everyone else for complaining, my useless aging eyes are beginning to have issues reading my own blog. I sense a redesign in the offing.

How about a nice high contrast black?

Summer

...and I thought it had been a hot sticky nasty summer so far...

Next week is projected to be between 95 and 100 all week long with a relative humidity so high you'd be drier in the deepest oceanic trench. Hooray for DC swampland.

Think it's time to put the bike back in the garage and do some morning cardio at the gym instead. I'm all for cycling in whatever, but it's probably a good idea to avoid death on the way home if at all possible. My English blood doesn't deal very well and I tend to get an intense pressue for hours afterwards in my head after cycling in such heat. It's probably my immense brain trying to escape out of my eyes.

Kim keeps telling me to cycle slowly and enjoy the ride instead.
#!Err53 Core.5425 Syntax: does not compute. No such property.

Toast

Macro lens is ridiculous. Hey, look I took a picture.

Whiskerz

Lake Royal continues to produce.. 4 catfish each of over 24 inches today, along with a whole mess of bluegill and other dinks. Much fun! I really need to get myself a scale so I can start weighing these buggers. Of course, that's probably the kiss of death isn't it?..

Go clickie below for your fill of whiskerzzz!

From Fishing Lake ...