Various Random

Out for 32 miles today, halfway through the ride I noticed about 75 yards of audiotape strewn across road, no mind for the wind and trucks blowing by. Disregarded. I couldn’t be sure, but something was telling me it was a recorded song. As if the psychic energy of the dying tape was leaking onto the road …

Heads of state who ride and wrangle
who look at your face from more than one angle
can cut you from their bloated budgets
like sharpened knives through chicken mcnuggets

Couldn’t get that riddim out of my head for the rest of the trip, but it did help on the painful up-hills.

I also caught a “gaggle” of gorgeous Canadian geese just lounging in an unused field. They are amazing creatures. They fly in thier “v” to cut down on energy. The lead bird -- each one rotates to that position -- cuts the wind, and each following uses 40-60% as much energy. When a member gets tired or injured, if they fall away from the group, two strong geese will fall out of formation to bring the weaker bird back to the group. It would not be able to make it back itself. In a bike (road) race, similar ideas apply. Drafting is a critical part of the race. The designated leader rides behind each teammate (“domestique”) in turn, each sacrificing all his energy for the sake of the leader, so he will have more to expend at the end of the contest. In the goosey world, cooperation is necessary for survival, not just an advantage in competition.

I love these images, because they are such a great picture of life. We are built for relationships. No exceptions. We do not survive without them. If we fall (and we do, eh?), it is critical that we have others to bring us back into the race. With them, we don’t just survive, we can flourish, and at times take the lead – and the hard work – on behalf of others.

In rugged contrast (or perhaps not?) I soon afterward rode past a group of aspiring young rednecks on ATV’s. Yeehaw. They actually chased me for about half a mile. Screaming something like “faggot!” or whatever. I don’t know whether to be flattered or offended, but something about the encounter made me grin.

Ok, my impression of the first 5 chapters of Melville’s Moby: Queer eye for the harpoon guy. Not that there’s anything wrong with that …

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Favorite liquids, in this order:

1. Strong Italian coffee
2. Extra-dry vodka martini up, shaken, olive
3. Pedro’s extra-dry chain lube (I've apparently got a thing for x-dry)
4. Room-temp water
5. Hearty red wine
6. OJ
7. Citrus Cytomax

If I have consumed all in one day, I mark a notch on my bike.