My Bucketbike just kicked your "swagger wagon's" ass

the getter

Call it what you will, Swagger Wagon, minivan, whatever. My Bucketbike is still way cooler.

I've written on my love of the Bakfiets, so I won't get all misty and stuff, but seriously, I love this thing!

I carry the boys and our groceries in it. I get exercise. I get to be much more a part of the boys' conversations (as opposed to when they're in the trailer or on the trail-a-bike).

And everyone smiles at us when we go by.

You know what pisses me off?

This.

under the moon and stars

under the moon and stars
Originally uploaded by Ben McLeod

I like to take pictures at night.

Sometimes I go months without taking pictures at night.

Last night I looked out, saw the moon and the wet roads, and told Nikki that I'd be back in a few hours.

Showers were moving through the area, but so were amazing clear patches of sky. I drove over to a hill in Beaverton that I once drove over and thought "this would be a cool place to take pictures..."

I'm going to have to get out more at night.

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I have some more photos on my Facebook page.

Autumn is the dreamiest time of year

Autumn is the dreamiest time of year
Originally uploaded by Ben McLeod

I do so love Autumn.

I miss fall in New England, but I have to say, fall in the Northwest is pretty dang nice.

We've been to a pumpkin patch and an apple orchard, rode our bikes through leaves and had to put our sweaters on for the first time this year.

I like Autumn.

Fall is also when everyone's birthdays happen. Nikki's was in September, Liam's was last week, my Mom's is today (Happy Birthday Mom, I love you!!), and Camper's is in a couple of weeks.

I like Autumn.

I just wish I could find a job...

OMSI members

Gecko. #OMSI #pdx
Originally uploaded by Ben McLeod

We joined OMSI today.

Nikki's dad bought Liam and Camper (and me and Nikki) a family membership for their birthdays. We weren't going to get it until we came back from upstate-WA at the end of December, but Nikki's school just informed her that this rotation comes with housing; family not welcome...

So... the boys and I will be hanging tough in Hillsboro until Mommy gets home...

I've decided that as fulfilling as the stay-at-home-dad thing has been, we're broke... I need to get a job. Also, I think Camper really needs to be able to hang with other kids on a daily basis - and Liam needs to get into a pre-school program to be ready for next fall (kindergarten!!).

I've already started to look for a job. I'd like to get a job in Portland. My mother can come out to help me deal with the boys until I make enough money to a) move into PDX and b) locate a pre-school for the boys.

San Diego. Where cars rule, and you suck if you want to do something stupid, like walk, or ride a bike...

San Diego. Where cars rule, and you suck if you want to do something stupid, like walk, or ride a bike...
Originally uploaded by Ben McLeod

San Diego is nice if you like the beach, like cars and like driving in circles looking for parking.

It sucks if you like riding your bike, drinking decent beer and friendly neighbors.

I tried going for a ride the other day. It scared the shit out of me. Even the "smallest" roads are two lanes of madness.

I'm trying to not get too bummed out about San Diego, but so far I'm not very impressed.

The taco shops are excellent...

auction is a go

My Mac Pro is on eBay.

Mac Pro, 24-inch Cinema HD display and speakers - eBay (item 150350275083 end time Jun-13-09 10:20:38 PDT)

I really (really ... really ... really) hope that I can get enough to afford a 17-inch MacBook Pro. I don't want to be computer-less while we're doing our gypsy-thing, and I want to be able to continue running my photo processing/organization software, Aperture, which needs high-end hardware to run well. I've just started to make a bit of money from sales of photos through Getty, as well as the art dealer, Farmboy Fine Arts. It would be kind of silly to walk away from that opportunity. Besides, the travel may give me an opportunity to build up a more diverse portfolio.

And really, could I live without my blogging and tweeting and Facebooking and Flickring!?

a followup...

mr. mcleod
Originally uploaded by Walsh

I was going to edit my post from yesterday, but then I decided that a) if you've already read the post, you wouldn't know about the changes (as if you'd really care that much) and b) that's what a blog is for. A mostly unedited, unfiltered mess.

For that, my dear readers, I apologize. But that's how we('ll) roll on this here bloggy blog.

A mostly unedited, unfiltered mess.

It'll be hard for the editor in me to deal with, but it should be a good exercise (something like, no more than 5 edits per post).

Welcome to my life.

A mostly unedited, unfiltered mess.

These days are long

Today, the boys and I had a good day. No one had any major meltdowns - we went to the playground, we went for a bike ride, we went to the pool. We even went to Baker's Burgers.

Not every day is like today. Yesterday was one of those days.

It was one of those days that ended with a meltdown from daddy. I had had enough. Campbell actually tripped the fuse to the upstairs four times. Four fucking times! How many times do I have to yell and scream, "stop playing with the light switch!" The third time he did it, I smacked his ass. The fourth time I put him across my lap and actually spanked him.

I then proceeded to freak out on the two boys, having a breakdown over the mess they've been making, how they're not listening to me... the whole thing. It was lovely. It made me feel great.

Everything I feel when I'm having a "moment" is nothing new to parenting. I'm not the first person to experience it. I know this... but it doesn't make it any better.

I'm constantly questioning what I'm doing, and if I'm doing all the right things. Am I pushing my kids too hard? Not hard enough?

Liam is a smart kid and has an insatiable intellectual curiosity. He's constantly spelling out words and adding up numbers. He likes to write words down, and can even Google the stuff he's interested in. Star Wars. Spiderman. I want to encourage his development without pushing him.

He's also an incredible biker and has been unstoppable since we re-removed the training wheels from his bike and he figured out how to start himself a few weeks ago. He's really good, and he's really capable, and again, I want to encourage his development without pushing him.

Our biggest problem is Liam's addiction to "screen" (TV, computer, iPhone... it makes no difference to the digital generation). He's constantly asking if he can watch a show or do his "work" (computer time). When I say no he whines, cries, kicks and even screams. Sometimes it's really bad.

The answer is to get rid of the TV and computer. The TV would not (will not) be a problem. Not at all. The computer? The problem here is, daddy is also addicted.

We're about to head out on the road and it's looking like no one wants to buy my desktop so I can afford a laptop - so Liam and I may be going cold turkey together!

Things I've heard from a four-year-old... [Part 1]

• My brain tells me I need to watch more television - and not a edunacational show!
• My stomach tells me it needs ice cream.
• You're not the boss of me. My brain is.
• I'm the boss of my bike, which means I control where it goes, so you can't tell me which way to go!
• What's inside a bug?
• Why doesn't it hurt when it rains? It falls from WAY up.
  
• Girls don't have penises. They pee out of their butts.
• You're not my daddy!
• I do not like your attitude!
• Daddy, if you let me watch a fighting show you will get a box of all the camera gear you want.... and sushi...
• Camper! Do no damage!

[Stay-tuned] There will be more...

in case you were wondering...

Houston, we have an addrenaline junkie!
Originally uploaded by Ben McLeod

...I'm enjoying myself.

The past couple of weeks without Nikki have been tough - and given me a huge amount of respect for single parents - but I've managed to enjoy myself.

I'm really glad that we made the decision to have me stay with the boys full-time. It's tough financially, and there are moments when I want to cry (oh wait, I've done that...) and scream (and that...), but I know that in the long-run this is the best thing for everyone. I get to see my boys grow up.... and they get to hang out with me, the coolest guy ever...

Despite the fact that we're car[e]free, the boys and I went into Portland today (we rode the MAX - suck it George Will) to take in the Rose Festival Carnival.

It was free admission, and the rides were just two bucks each. The problem was, Camper was too small for most of the rides, which meant Liam would ride alone and I'd have to stay with a kicking and screaming two-and-a-half-year-old. When he did get to ride, he was into it. He showed his big brother how to do the crazy bungee-jumper, easily going twice as high as Liam had, all while screaming, "I Iron Man!"

We sucked down some carnival food and headed home. Upon arriving at home, we hopped on our bikes and rode around the neighborhood, meandering our way to the pool for a late afternoon/early evening swim.

I wouldn't trade today for a "real job" ever.

There will be time for that later...

get used to it

get used to it
Originally uploaded by Ben McLeod

I need to get used to this view of Liam on his bike.

He is such a great little rider. He's got incredible balance, is nimble-as-can-be, and has strong little legs. It blows me away when he asks how to do something - say, start the bike on your own - watches me demonstrate, listens to me explain, then hops on his bike and does it flawlessly on the first attempt! And if he doesn't get it on the first try, he simply tries again until he gets it right.

The poor kid is riding around on 12-inch wheels, so he has to pedal like hell just to keep the wheels rolling, and the slightest turn of the handlebars can send the bike careening out of control (thus the usefulness for his nimbleness...).

Once he gets a hold of a bike with normal-sized wheels, he'll be hard to contain.

Bike Registration

A bill recently introduced to the Oregon Legislature would require all bicycles in Oregon to be registered. Registered!

House Bill 3008 proposes a $54 bi-annual “bicycle registration and licensing system.”

I'm not really sure why this bill has been introduced. Is it to solve some problem? Bike theft? The licensing system will somehow curb theft... Too many bikes? At $54 per bike, people may think twice about buying a bike.

All I know, is that it would cost way more to register my bikes than my car! I guess the bill only penalizes those over 18 for not registering, so I think we can get away with not registering the boys' bikes. That said, we're still looking at $324 every two years for our bikes, and $131 for our car (and $10 of that registration fee goes to the BTA!).

So of course I'm opposed to the bill.

Read about it at BikePortland.

[Update: Jonathan Maus, the Editor of Bike Portland interviewed the primary sponsor, Rep. Wayne Krieger (R-Gold Beach). Apparently, for Representative Krieger, it's a matter of equity. If bicyclists want to be treated equally, he believes we should pay our fair share. I could agree with him, but I believe $54 per bike is too steep. Perhaps it it be a percentage of the value of the bike, or something like that.]

spin class blues

spin class
Originally uploaded by Ben McLeod

I went to a spin class last night. About two minutes into it I remembered something; I really don't like spin classes. The bikes are nothing like real bikes, the room smells horrible, and you don't go anywhere!

On top of that, the instructor played The Who, The Beatles, The Who, The Beatles, The Who.... for an hour (the only non Beatles or Who song was that ode to rednecks by Lynard Skynard - Sweet Home Alambama - one of THE WORST songs ever)! I'm a fan of both bands (and I HATE Lynard Skynard), but.... come on! Variety is good. Monotony is bad.

In the instructor's defense, he was playing to the crowd; a bunch of 50 and 60 year-olds that I guess did not appreciate the hip-hop he had been playing lately.

The Bikes
Spin class bikes feel nothing like a real bike. The one I was lucky enough to get had wobbly handlebars and a jiggly saddle (which also pointed down making me slide off of it every 10 seconds or so). The pedals had either cages - which I find annoying - or SPF clips that I don't have cleats for. Also, they didn't spin in a circular motion, more like an oval, which was incredibly disconcerting and somewhat uncomfortable (but frankly, not as bad as it sounds). And what's up with the shifting/friction thingie?! There must be a better way.

The Music
As I already stated, this class played nothing but The Beatles and The Who with a horrific redneck song thrown in just to make me freak out.

I imagine that this is the hardest part for an instructor. Not everyone will like every song you play. I've been to a few dozen spin classes in my life (there was a time in Concord when I went a few times a week for a few months) and only liked every song played in about 4 or 5 classes.

The Instructor
That was the big bright spot to this class. This guy was nice and even humble, a trait uncommon in the spin class instructors I've met. Generally, I've found them to be a miserable lot who think rather highly of themselves.

In Conclusion
I'd like to buy a trainer. That way I can pick my music (or watch TV).

However
I got to ride next to Nikki, and I always like that (she is my best friend, after all!). Then, after the class, we went swimming with the boys in the amazing pools at the SHARC. The "warm water pool" is a shallow pool that starts at 0 inches deep and goes to 4 feet. In the middle, there's a big gadget that dumps water onto the kids (and adults) that wander beneath it.

Liam showed us what he learned in his swim classes, and Camper, fearless as he is, repeatedly jumped in (at first we caught him, but as he grew more bold, we just stood by and watched as he'd jump in, land on the bottom, and jump up). At one point, the lifeguards turned on the waterslide into the big pool, so Liam and I went for a few runs.

Meanwhile, in the outdoor pool, the high school team was hosting a swim meet.

So yeah, I'll be back for more spin classes and more fun in the pool. Maybe there'll be better music next time - or maybe I'll bring my iPod (with big-ass headphones)!

winter[riding] season begins

winter[riding] season begins
Originally uploaded by Ben McLeod

I went out for a ride in the rain today.

The rainy season set in about a week ago and I've been dying to go out and play in it. Camper and I have been taking the Breezer/Chariot combo out for some fast laps around the neighborhood, but we haven't hit upon any serious rain - just a drizzle-or-two.

I've been wanting to take my road bike out in the wet conditions, but haven't had the chance to until today. It poured this morning, which was a little more than I was prepared for, so I waited until the clouds broke and the sun came out.

The pavement was wet, and while the sun was shining at the moment, there were still scattered showers all around. Perfect.

I put my bike stuff on, grabbed my bike and set out on my usual route.

I quickly made a discovery
Skinny bald race tires are not the best option for wet riding conditions.

Compensating for the lack of surface contact, I continued on.

As I rode toward the hills, I noticed the fact that I really couldn't see them, and the way the sun was making those low-level clouds ahead of me glow, was spectacular. I then realized that was not clouds ahead as much as it was a wall of water.

I plowed headlong into the water and was quickly consumed by the downfall. It was pouring, and all the while, the sun was pounding down on me. I had a shadow!

The sun was on one side of me, and on the other was a huge, double rainbow. One end was i a stand of trees amid a wheat field, and was making the trees glow. The other end was on the barn and silo of a farm and was lighting them up.

I rode out of the rain after a few minutes, but looking towards the hills, could see that it was raining. A fifteen-hundred foot descent on wet roads with my current tires was already discouraging. Doing it in the pouring rain was out of the question.

I detoured onto SW Johnson School Road and rode back towards Rood Bridge.

The sun was shining and I quickly dried off in the breeze (of my totally-hauling-ass speeds!). Wool is good for that. I kind of like riding in cooler temperatures. In the summer heat, it's hard to regulate your body temperature, but when it's 55 degrees out, it's easy (wool tights, long-sleeve poly shirt, wind/water resistant jacket - add a layer if it's cooler, open vents of it's warmer, etc.).

It was a good first-of-the-season ride.

Portland Century

I rode in the Portland Century ride on Sunday, and the swelling in my ass (thank you Boudreaux's Butt Paste!) has now gone down enough to allow me to sit and write about my experience.

For those of you that don't know, a century ride is an organized, fully-supported (rest stops with supplies, support vehicles, and marked courses) 100-mile ride.

It was my second century (but not the second time I've ridden 100 miles in a day. I've done that several times, but not with support). The last one I rode was the Tri-State Seacoast Century in 2003. My total time (including rests) was 7 hours, 15 minutes. My ride time (the time spent in the saddle, chaffing my ass to bits) was 6 hours, 35 minutes.

It was a perfect day for riding; cool, and slightly overcast. I started the ride at 7:30 at PSU in downtown Portland. The ride goes across the Willamette and hops onto the Springwater Corridor for most of the first twenty miles. I hopped in behind a guy that I'm pretty sure was a pro rider (he was totally decked out in Hammer jersey, shorts and socks, had a sweet ride, and crazy sculpted legs). I drafted behind him (we were moving at about 25 mph; I could feel him pulling me along. If I fell too far behind, I'd have to pedal like mad to catch back up, but then could rest once I was back in his slipstream) for most of the length of the Springwater until we reached a cluster of riders that he was able to deftly maneuver around. I was not so lucky.

We started to climb at about mile twenty, and then dropped down a fun descent around mile twenty-five (see the map and elevation profile to the right, or here. Thanks to Matt Haughey). This is where all of the riding in the Hillsboro Hills this summer came in handy. I blew by people huffing their way up to the second rest stop (I skipped the first one) at Eagle Fern Park. I pulled into Eagle Fern Park to re-fill my water bottles, eat strawberry shortcake, a peanut butter sandwich, a banana, and a Hammer bar.

As I was leaving the rest stop, a guy was entering and screaming at someone in a acr. I couldn't really hear what his problem was, but I did hear him ask the driver if he wanted to get out of car and discuss it (this was no hot-head, young rider; he was easily in his 60's). The driver did not take him up on his offer and drove away. I, and everyone around me assumed that the driver had not given the biker enough room on the road.

About a half hour later, while riding a narrow, winding road, this same biker came upon a group of us riding together. Everytime a car would approach from behind, someone would yell "car back" and we would all get a in a single file line to allow the car to pass. Not this guy. He would ride out into the middle of the road to block the cars. At one point, someone yelled, "hey man, car back. Get into single file!" To which, he responded, "fuck them. They need to learn to share the road." I guess he didn't get the irony in his statement.

It's riders like that that piss off people in cars, and make them hate the biking community.

At mile fifty, I went to hop off my bike for a moment, but my right pedal wouldn't clip-out, so I fell on my side and bent my derailler. It made it so that I couldn't utilize my lowest three gears. A total bummer on the hills I was dealing with at the moment! Luckily, there was mechanical support at the Fireside Retreat rest stop at mile 58 (of course, that was the end of the climbing).

The mechanics got my bike all fixed up (sort of.... I think I need a whole new drivetrain) so I could finish the ride.

The ride from the Fireside Retreat rest stop to the next stop at Blue Lake Park was mostly downhill and brought us along the Historic Columbia Highway and through Troutdale and it's lovely outlet malls. I was feeling a little tired, but still pretty good.

The rest stop at Blue Lake Park was at mile 73. After that, we rode on the bike path that goes along the Columbia River. That part was the worst. I was starting to get tired and had to deal with some pretty high winds coming off the "Mighty Columbia" as well as families out for rides and walks on the bike trail.

By the time I reached mile 90, I was pretty sure my ass had fallen off, but realized I was now only 10 miles from the beer. The ride through the wastewater treatment center was almost enough to dissuade me from my longing for the beer. Almost.

The last few miles were through downtown Portland, which was kind of fun, but difficult due to a combination of the traffic, my low energy levels and traffic lights (the constant stopping, unclipping, starting, clipping back in... repeat... was pretty hard). I just kept thinking to myself, "beer... beer..."

As I approached the finish I saw Nikki and the boys. Liam was jumping up and down, and Camper was pointing at me yelling, "dadda, bike! Dadda, bike!"

It was a wonderful finish; I had my family there to greet me, free beer, an incredible salmon dinner, more free beer, and a great goodie bag that included beer and coffee.

What's with all the h8ers?

There's been a rash of biker vs. motorist crap in Portland recently (I'm trying to find links to stories, but the Oregonian's web site absolutely blows; seriously, one of the worst news sites out there), and I for one would like to know what the hell is going on. People, what the HELL is going on here?

Can't we all just get along?

I mean really, this is childish.

There are assholes behind the wheel and assholes on saddles (I'm talking figurative, people) - it's a fact of life. But to paint either "side" with a single brush is craziness. I like to ride my bike as much as possible, but I also have to drive a car. So where does that put me? Where does that put most people?

Frankly, I blame The Oregonian. Aside from a shitty web site, they sensationalize stories worse than local TV news. This creates an atmosphere of mis-trust, and even worse, hatred (which, in turn, feeds the sensationalism...).

They actually ran a story (I wish I could find it, but as I already wrote, their web site is horrible) about a guy who wrote in his blog about nearly hitting a cyclist. Apparently, the cyclist blew a stop sign and did not have a light on his bike. The guy was all pissed off because he felt that the cycling community needs to do more in regard to pushing safety, and that they/we should support laws that require lights.

The comments that followed were a series of harsh back-and-forth between bikers and motorists (or, at least, people that put themselves in either camp). But I think everyone was missing the point. Why did the Oregonian run the story in the first place? Is is news? No. Did an editor point out to the reporter or the blogger that there are ALREADY laws in place that require lights?!

Clearly, the biker (if there really was one) was in the wrong and breaking the law. That's going to happen.

It would be like me writing in this blog something about drivers are patently unsafe and it's time the motoring community backed speed limits - and The Oregonian running it.

Can't we all just get along (and ignore The Oregonian and all sensationalist media that is just trying to sell papers)?

the lapsed rider

In the ski industry (once upon a time, I had a job...), there is a term for people that haven't skied in a while; "lapsed skier." Most of the time, the reason for the lapse is kids and family.

I guess you could say I'm a "lapsed biker." I've barely ridden for two years; I went on a few road rides last year, and not one mountain bike ride. Now, in the past few weeks, I've ridden several hundred miles and the addiction is once again coursing through my veins. Seriously, I get a tick if I haven't ridden, and all I can think about is my next ride. Total junkie.

Biking is the only thing I can do as an adult that fully brings me back to being a kid (well, that and swinging - I love hopping on a swing), and I love that.

I forgot how good the burn can feel (seriously, it's a weird combination of ecstasy and agony), and how amazing it is to reach the top of a climb, look down, and think, "I was just there!" Then, of course, there's the downhill. There really isn't much in life that's more fun than hauling ass down a mountainside gripping the bars of a bike.

My appetite has shot up and I'm eating ... well, I'm probably eating like a normal person (if normal people inhale Powerbars and swill Hammer Gel during the day), but it sure feels like a lot. Although, a healthy appetite is not the best thing when you're unemployed. Makes it hard to buy the food your body wants to eat!

Most lapsed skiers result from having kids and not having the time to ski anymore, nor the inclination to spend the money needed to take a family skiing. While a large part of my lapse is the result of having kids, another factor was my job working nights. Which is funny, because a big part of why I accepted the job in the first place was because I felt that it would give me more time to ride. I was wrong. As it turned out, I had less time to ride (uhhh... I was sleeping), and when I was awake, I just didn't have the energy.

Oh well. None of that matters. I'm unemployed now and can ride as much as I want (he says with a nervous grin on his face...). Think I'll go for a ride in the morning.