Showing posts with label bike. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bike. Show all posts
May 8, 2009
Fat Guy on a Bike (WITH DOG) Goes to Lilydale Park
A perfect day for trail biking, fossil digging and (if you happen to be a dog) wetlands splashing. We came home three hours later, both liberally caked in 450,000,000 year old clay. It was difficult to judge which of us was panting harder from the heat and exertion.
One thing to mention: this new bike sure has some excellent shock absorption. The trails up there are littered with broken bricks and quite frequently washed out, and I didn't crash once. It was the first time I'd gone out rockhounding since the accident, and the first time I'd gone trailbiking since childhood. I had almost forgotten how much I missed both. Going back soon, possibly with friends or as part of an organized group. If not, alone on bike (WITH DOOOOG), exploring like a mofo under a cloud of discombobulated no-see-ums.
Remind me to bring more water next time. I thought I was going to die out there before I found the waterfall and let myself get rained on for a few minutes. Sweet bliss.
November 9, 2008
Oot and Aboot
Today was Slack Day so I slept in, then only did the dishes and worked on the comic for most of the afternoon. When 6:30 rolled around, I did my usual pre-exercise stretches, dosed myself with Albuterol, ate a rubbery chunk of cold congealed oatmeal from the fridge (it was good, really) and took the Captain for a bike run in the bracing 20*f winds.
During the winter months, the sky is dark for most of my usual day. If my occasionally perverse sleep schedule sees fit to flip on me, I may not see the sun for a week or more. This is bad for biological/depression reasons, but I do love it. Especially when it snows (as it has for several days in a row, though nothing stuck for too long) and the clouds hang down low and take on the color of a bruise, and the snow turns blue and dim. You could walk through the woods without a flashlight on a night like that. Absolutely wonderful. On days when it's clear out and you can see stars during regular business hours, it never fails to remind me of the Night World levels of the original Super Mario Bros game. I even call it that, in my head. It feels more private and safe than summer nights when the sun stays up forever.
Meanwhile, our bike run was going pretty well. The Captain was exasperated with my slow pace and started pulling me pretty hard via his harness. The easier to tire you out, my dear. We rode a little more than two miles total, and on the way back I offered him a choice between "go home, get some dinner" and "dog park." His response was to drag me to the dog park at top speed. I could barely get him to stop at the busy cross-street.
The flooded parking lot area around the dog park had frozen over. The ice shattered all around us as we plowed through. I wince sometimes to think of the Captain's poor chilly toes when he plows through freezing water, but it's in his blood. It's the summer heat he doesn't like.
Inside the park, the Captain ran gleeful circles around me as I jogged around the dog park. I didn't have much endurance after years of refusing to run because of THE BOUNCE, but I was able to wear us both out. We can work on stamina later. My asthma did kick in after a while, but it's been a mild attack so far. Nothing like I would have had two years ago, that's for certain.
At one point I saw something incredibly bright moving over the park, and stopped running to look up at the most vivid shooting star I've ever seen. At first I thought it must be an airplane because it didn't burn out like the ones I usually see on clearer nights. It just fell forever in slow-motion toward the trees. I saw two tiny sparks shoot off from the main meteorite as the whole thing suddenly flared brighter, and then it was behind the trees and out of my line of sight. It was incredible.
Five minutes later, I saw something huge and dark gliding in slow circles overhead. It looked like a bird of prey, and it was enormous. It had to have had a five-foot wingspan at least. As I watched it, the bird vanished I couldn't find it again.
After this, we rode home and I took a hot shower, followed by an even hotter bath, followed by sabotage via freezing cold blasts of water from the faucet just to help spur me onto my feet again. Now I'm warm and comfy in my fluffy bathrobe and the Captain is snoring with his head hanging over the arm of Best Chair.
I feel utterly at peace with the world. The only thing that could make this better would be a hot plate of lo-mein and the latest episode of One Piece.
Speaking of which...
During the winter months, the sky is dark for most of my usual day. If my occasionally perverse sleep schedule sees fit to flip on me, I may not see the sun for a week or more. This is bad for biological/depression reasons, but I do love it. Especially when it snows (as it has for several days in a row, though nothing stuck for too long) and the clouds hang down low and take on the color of a bruise, and the snow turns blue and dim. You could walk through the woods without a flashlight on a night like that. Absolutely wonderful. On days when it's clear out and you can see stars during regular business hours, it never fails to remind me of the Night World levels of the original Super Mario Bros game. I even call it that, in my head. It feels more private and safe than summer nights when the sun stays up forever.
Meanwhile, our bike run was going pretty well. The Captain was exasperated with my slow pace and started pulling me pretty hard via his harness. The easier to tire you out, my dear. We rode a little more than two miles total, and on the way back I offered him a choice between "go home, get some dinner" and "dog park." His response was to drag me to the dog park at top speed. I could barely get him to stop at the busy cross-street.
The flooded parking lot area around the dog park had frozen over. The ice shattered all around us as we plowed through. I wince sometimes to think of the Captain's poor chilly toes when he plows through freezing water, but it's in his blood. It's the summer heat he doesn't like.
Inside the park, the Captain ran gleeful circles around me as I jogged around the dog park. I didn't have much endurance after years of refusing to run because of THE BOUNCE, but I was able to wear us both out. We can work on stamina later. My asthma did kick in after a while, but it's been a mild attack so far. Nothing like I would have had two years ago, that's for certain.
At one point I saw something incredibly bright moving over the park, and stopped running to look up at the most vivid shooting star I've ever seen. At first I thought it must be an airplane because it didn't burn out like the ones I usually see on clearer nights. It just fell forever in slow-motion toward the trees. I saw two tiny sparks shoot off from the main meteorite as the whole thing suddenly flared brighter, and then it was behind the trees and out of my line of sight. It was incredible.
Five minutes later, I saw something huge and dark gliding in slow circles overhead. It looked like a bird of prey, and it was enormous. It had to have had a five-foot wingspan at least. As I watched it, the bird vanished I couldn't find it again.
After this, we rode home and I took a hot shower, followed by an even hotter bath, followed by sabotage via freezing cold blasts of water from the faucet just to help spur me onto my feet again. Now I'm warm and comfy in my fluffy bathrobe and the Captain is snoring with his head hanging over the arm of Best Chair.
I feel utterly at peace with the world. The only thing that could make this better would be a hot plate of lo-mein and the latest episode of One Piece.
Speaking of which...
October 30, 2008
Medical Fun!
Had the first doctor visit this week. We talked about my blood sugar problems and she said he was pretty sure it wasn't diabetes (YAY) but we'll do the fasting/tolerance thing to make sure. He prescribed me Adavair and a new albuterol inhaler, and then we talked about my wrists. He used a little rubber hammer to tap on the base of my hand and I felt it all the way in my fingers, worse on the right side. I could barely do the hold-hands-together test because the left one hurts so badly.
At first he told me to just continue taking anti-inflammatory drugs and bracing the wrists at night, but I told him I've been doing that and it's getting worse and I'd like to try the next step up to stop it. Lately I wake up with both hands feeling numb and weak, and I can't hold a fork or a pen without losing the feeling in my thumb and half my fingers. If I set the pen down and flex the fingers the blood rushes back in, but that only lasts a few minutes. I can't draw like I used to, and I can't lift free-weights or ride a bike comfortably.
He said that in cases where the pain wakes you up at night or you start losing grip strength it's time to look into surgery, and that's right around where I am now (although I don't recall waking up at night, I'm sure yelping in pain in the early morning counts). He's referred me to a neurologist for an EMR(?) test. Basically they're going to stick needles in my arms and run a charge through to see whether the signal slows down in the carpal tunnel area. I have been offered cortisone shots in both wrists to temporarily relieve inflammation, and if that doesn't work, there's always surgery. At this point I am absolutely committed to whatever it takes to get my hands to stop buzzing and going numb on me when I try to draw. It's so hard to lose yourself in the work when the work is hurting you!
Cross your fingers y'all. Lord knows I can't. I go back next week for a physical, and am hoping all goes well and my heart isn't likely to asplode at the gym or something.
Had a two hour bike ride with the Captain today, the longest since you-know-when. His hurt toe didn't bother him at all, but I kept our speed down and the bike in low gear for my knee's sake. We were mostly on the sidewalks (legal in this town) so the Captain could pad along on the soft grass instead of the harsh street surface. We went all over the place. Even to the dog park, which was empty, so I brought in my bike and rode around with the Captain chasing me until he was good and exhausted.
During the ride I tried so hard to induce an asthma attack, pedaling as fast as I could and breathing through my mouth, but nothing happened. This new medication is fucking amazing. I'd forgotten what it was like to be able to go all-out physically and still be able to breathe without my lungs shrinking to the size of itchy, burning little raisins.
Life is good.
At first he told me to just continue taking anti-inflammatory drugs and bracing the wrists at night, but I told him I've been doing that and it's getting worse and I'd like to try the next step up to stop it. Lately I wake up with both hands feeling numb and weak, and I can't hold a fork or a pen without losing the feeling in my thumb and half my fingers. If I set the pen down and flex the fingers the blood rushes back in, but that only lasts a few minutes. I can't draw like I used to, and I can't lift free-weights or ride a bike comfortably.
He said that in cases where the pain wakes you up at night or you start losing grip strength it's time to look into surgery, and that's right around where I am now (although I don't recall waking up at night, I'm sure yelping in pain in the early morning counts). He's referred me to a neurologist for an EMR(?) test. Basically they're going to stick needles in my arms and run a charge through to see whether the signal slows down in the carpal tunnel area. I have been offered cortisone shots in both wrists to temporarily relieve inflammation, and if that doesn't work, there's always surgery. At this point I am absolutely committed to whatever it takes to get my hands to stop buzzing and going numb on me when I try to draw. It's so hard to lose yourself in the work when the work is hurting you!
Cross your fingers y'all. Lord knows I can't. I go back next week for a physical, and am hoping all goes well and my heart isn't likely to asplode at the gym or something.
Had a two hour bike ride with the Captain today, the longest since you-know-when. His hurt toe didn't bother him at all, but I kept our speed down and the bike in low gear for my knee's sake. We were mostly on the sidewalks (legal in this town) so the Captain could pad along on the soft grass instead of the harsh street surface. We went all over the place. Even to the dog park, which was empty, so I brought in my bike and rode around with the Captain chasing me until he was good and exhausted.
During the ride I tried so hard to induce an asthma attack, pedaling as fast as I could and breathing through my mouth, but nothing happened. This new medication is fucking amazing. I'd forgotten what it was like to be able to go all-out physically and still be able to breathe without my lungs shrinking to the size of itchy, burning little raisins.
Life is good.
Whoever loves, let him flourish. Let him perish who knows not love. Let him perish twice over whoever forbids love.
-Graffiti found on the wall of the House of Caecilius Iucundus, Pompeii.
August 9, 2008
Pay Attention To The Fucking Road
My best friend Rain just got in a bike crash and fucked up her face because some bitch in a minivan failed to yield right-of-way.
She reacted in time to crash the bike instead of being run over, and while she was lying on the ground in pain, the lady driver asked her "Are you okay?" When Rain didn't get up or respond, what do you think the cunt did?
Right! The cunt drove off. Because that's what you do when you cause an accident and the victim isn't moving.
I am so fucking angry right now. What the hell.
Rain, I suspect this is worth filing a police report. I keep having near-misses thanks to assfaces who don't pay attention to the road or the laws, so I've started taking a camera with me so I can get the license plate in case it happens again.
What a shitty birthday present.
She reacted in time to crash the bike instead of being run over, and while she was lying on the ground in pain, the lady driver asked her "Are you okay?" When Rain didn't get up or respond, what do you think the cunt did?
Right! The cunt drove off. Because that's what you do when you cause an accident and the victim isn't moving.
I am so fucking angry right now. What the hell.
Rain, I suspect this is worth filing a police report. I keep having near-misses thanks to assfaces who don't pay attention to the road or the laws, so I've started taking a camera with me so I can get the license plate in case it happens again.
What a shitty birthday present.
July 24, 2008
Dick Move
So we went and rode around town today, because they're having some weird festival thing in the middle of town where the streets are blocked off to cars so the vendors can set up. Crazy Days, I think it's called. The Captain was having a great time, and a police officer tried to pet him as we rolled by. He missed because the Captain appears to be a Personal Bubble Ninja, but it was still pretty cute.
We were almost back to regular traffic when I noticed there were a bunch of really nice vintage cars lined up outside the pizza parlor. People were looking at the cars, so we slowed down to watch. One guy was running his car, but dogs don't like loud roaring noises so we moved on.
The fucking driver waited until we were right behind his car and then gunned it as high and loud as it would go, in one long sustained ear-splitting rev. The engine noise was so loud and shrill it hurt my ears and made my skull vibrate. The Captain lost his shit and panicked. He jumped in front of the bike and I hit the brakes and knocked us over. He tried to drag the bike away, all the while to the sound of this guy's roaring engine ten feet away. A couple of people seemed about to come over or say something, but they went back to what they were doing as I got up and very carefully put the normal leash on the Captain to lead him away from the shrieking engine noise. It went on and on and on.
Then, as soon as we were out of the immediate area, the guy with the vintage car stopped revving his engine. What the fuck?
We were almost back to regular traffic when I noticed there were a bunch of really nice vintage cars lined up outside the pizza parlor. People were looking at the cars, so we slowed down to watch. One guy was running his car, but dogs don't like loud roaring noises so we moved on.
The fucking driver waited until we were right behind his car and then gunned it as high and loud as it would go, in one long sustained ear-splitting rev. The engine noise was so loud and shrill it hurt my ears and made my skull vibrate. The Captain lost his shit and panicked. He jumped in front of the bike and I hit the brakes and knocked us over. He tried to drag the bike away, all the while to the sound of this guy's roaring engine ten feet away. A couple of people seemed about to come over or say something, but they went back to what they were doing as I got up and very carefully put the normal leash on the Captain to lead him away from the shrieking engine noise. It went on and on and on.
Then, as soon as we were out of the immediate area, the guy with the vintage car stopped revving his engine. What the fuck?
July 23, 2008
The Captain Rides Again
Well! Look what the Captain and I found happening just down the street.
It was kind of weird seeing that bubblehead bleach-blonde who's on every news channel holding an oversized mic in person. She looked uncomfortable, maybe because it was bitch degrees out and everyone in the neighborhood was sitting on their front lawns like contented cows to watch her shuffle around gesturing at the techs.
In other news, I has new bike. This one is a me-bike, not a replacement for the Jesse-bike I was using until recently. It's fucking badass and glorious and has a basket for groceries. Seebs came up with some ingenious balsa shims to get the Springer to stay perfectly rigid on the slightly smaller seat-post, and after a few hours of tinkering, it fit perfectly.
End result: The Captain and I got to go on our first bike run in months. WOO!
He was out of shape but kept up fairly well. I had to take it easy myself, but we had a damned good time. Went to the dog park, then rode around town on our way back home. He's still drooling all over the floor and panting like he's dying, but that smile on his face is unmistakable.
The new bike is silver-blue and sized at 13.5 inches (apparently I am one of the Wee Folk). New helmet is blue and white. I will be wearing it religiously from now on. I also want to get a loud and blaring horn for just-in-case purposes.
Now I need to make enough to pay Jesse and Seebs back for the bike, so expect some new buttons to show up in the store fairly soon. I just knew I couldn't wait another few months to get back on the road. For one thing, the Captain was turning spherical and his under-exercised antics were driving Seebs and me both batshit.
In other news, pineapple-orange juice has made me its bitch. Send help plz.
It was kind of weird seeing that bubblehead bleach-blonde who's on every news channel holding an oversized mic in person. She looked uncomfortable, maybe because it was bitch degrees out and everyone in the neighborhood was sitting on their front lawns like contented cows to watch her shuffle around gesturing at the techs.
In other news, I has new bike. This one is a me-bike, not a replacement for the Jesse-bike I was using until recently. It's fucking badass and glorious and has a basket for groceries. Seebs came up with some ingenious balsa shims to get the Springer to stay perfectly rigid on the slightly smaller seat-post, and after a few hours of tinkering, it fit perfectly.
End result: The Captain and I got to go on our first bike run in months. WOO!
He was out of shape but kept up fairly well. I had to take it easy myself, but we had a damned good time. Went to the dog park, then rode around town on our way back home. He's still drooling all over the floor and panting like he's dying, but that smile on his face is unmistakable.
The new bike is silver-blue and sized at 13.5 inches (apparently I am one of the Wee Folk). New helmet is blue and white. I will be wearing it religiously from now on. I also want to get a loud and blaring horn for just-in-case purposes.
Now I need to make enough to pay Jesse and Seebs back for the bike, so expect some new buttons to show up in the store fairly soon. I just knew I couldn't wait another few months to get back on the road. For one thing, the Captain was turning spherical and his under-exercised antics were driving Seebs and me both batshit.
In other news, pineapple-orange juice has made me its bitch. Send help plz.
April 23, 2008
I went on an epic 8.7 mile bike run today with the Captain. Then when we got home, I made myself a big frosty vanilla ice cream malt. I mixed in chocolate SlimFast for flavor and irony, so the resulting concoction was delicious beyond all other nummy chocolate treats in the universe.
Tonight is a comicking night. I'm absolutely ashamed of how shoddy my update schedule has become lately, and have decided to declare war on my own incompetence.
I expect it to end in failure, because incompetence is sort of like my brain's concept of an operating system.
Waaooh I'm tired. And it's pretty damn warm outside. I think this summer is going to be miserable.
Tonight is a comicking night. I'm absolutely ashamed of how shoddy my update schedule has become lately, and have decided to declare war on my own incompetence.
I expect it to end in failure, because incompetence is sort of like my brain's concept of an operating system.
Waaooh I'm tired. And it's pretty damn warm outside. I think this summer is going to be miserable.
April 21, 2008
Photo Post: April 2008
I took a whole mess of pictures on our bike ride yesterday. They got pruned down to the 30 best for web joy purposes. Here are some highlights.
Click for the whole gallery.
Click for the whole gallery.
April 12, 2008
Domesticide II
Today I got so stir crazy I had to finally admit that the weather wasn't going to let up long enough for a bike ride, and took the Captain out anyway.
It wasn't too bad on the way out. The rain was misty and there were some snowflakes, and it was blowing at our back. I figured the return trip was going to suck, but by then I'd be used to it, right?
Wrong. Ten minutes out, the misty rain and snow turned into tiny pebbles of burning sleet and the wind kicked into hyper-drive. When the trail ended, we finally turned around into a hell-storm the likes of which God himself would not dare to challenge.
This lasted the whole way home as I squinted my eyes to keep the sleet out of them. Later, as I took my dripping coat off in the mudroom, admired my purple sleet-blotched face in a mirror, and looked out the window, I saw that it had settled back into a soft and harmless snow.
So it goes.
I didn't make any protest signs for this rally. Instead, I helped trifold a bunch of pamphlets. My goal is to hand them all out or die in the attempt.
And right when I decided to go work on the comic since my schedule was finally free for the evening, Molly the cat pissed on Rah's bed and may or may not have decided to dump the load of catshit I found in the bathroom on one of our best towels. From there on, it was laundry, laundry, dishes and laundry. I didn't even glance at Corel, and now it's time for bed.
At least my life's not boring, right?
It wasn't too bad on the way out. The rain was misty and there were some snowflakes, and it was blowing at our back. I figured the return trip was going to suck, but by then I'd be used to it, right?
Wrong. Ten minutes out, the misty rain and snow turned into tiny pebbles of burning sleet and the wind kicked into hyper-drive. When the trail ended, we finally turned around into a hell-storm the likes of which God himself would not dare to challenge.
This lasted the whole way home as I squinted my eyes to keep the sleet out of them. Later, as I took my dripping coat off in the mudroom, admired my purple sleet-blotched face in a mirror, and looked out the window, I saw that it had settled back into a soft and harmless snow.
So it goes.
I didn't make any protest signs for this rally. Instead, I helped trifold a bunch of pamphlets. My goal is to hand them all out or die in the attempt.
And right when I decided to go work on the comic since my schedule was finally free for the evening, Molly the cat pissed on Rah's bed and may or may not have decided to dump the load of catshit I found in the bathroom on one of our best towels. From there on, it was laundry, laundry, dishes and laundry. I didn't even glance at Corel, and now it's time for bed.
At least my life's not boring, right?
April 3, 2008
Spring, Springer, Springest!
The Springer arrived yesterday. It took me the entire evening and the help of three roomies, a hammer and a pineapple flavored lollipop (yes, really) to install it on the bike.
In the end it would not fit on the seat tube part in any configuration that didn't end with my heel slamming into the S-tube, so I ended up moving it up to the seat post instead. It still wiggles back and forth a bit when the dog really pulls, but that bitch is bolted on like whoa and it's not coming off anytime soon.
After it was installed, I put the harness on the Captain and took him out for a past-midnight ride around the town. It was not a positive introduction. When I snapped the lead in place, he was so terrified of the alien technology that was pulling on him that he yanked the spring mechanism almost horizontal in a bid for escape. When that failed, he threw himself splay-limbed to the ground and beseeched me with huge dark eyes full of trauma and betrayal.
I started walking the bike, and this drove him into another panic. He struggled and skidded and flailed, all to no effect. Then I hopped on the bike and said "let's go!"
All of a sudden it clicked in his tiny doggy brain that we were about to go on BIKE RUN, and all animosity toward the Springer was forgotten. We rode through the town, past the dog park, across major intersections, past birds and ducks and all the other distractions by which a dog could be enchanted. His pulling sometimes necessitated correction in my steering, but it wasn't bad at all. We flew along with him insisting on a full gallop nearly the entire time.
It was great.
Today the temperature got all the way up to 51 f, so I threw the harness back on him and we went out for another run. A nice short run was the plan, only it got a little out of control:
I was good for a longer trip, but the Captain had the squats and was starting to fade, so we turned back after we reached the next town. 5.2 miles, like it was nothing.
A few times he did pull me pretty hard, but the spring mechanism slows down the wavering enough to correct for even that much if you're paying attention. The only times I felt at risk were when I was riding too close to the edge of the pavement when he pulled from where he was running on the grassy part of the shoulder. One strong pull from there, and the wheel would pop off the pavement and the bike would jar, and balance was threatened. I'll need to be careful of that.
Also, the harness that comes with the Springer is a cheap little strap of rough nylon that slides around during the ride and bunches up against his shoulders and neck. It's a friction sore waiting to happen and I need to replace it with a proper harness as soon as I have money.
Conclusion: The Springer is a fucking amazing invention, and I am absolutely happy with its performance. The Captain loves it. I took his leash off in the front yard and he sat on the porch until I had the bike locked up and his poo bags thrown away. No interest in running away whatsoever--he wanted water, dinner and sleep in that order, and screw the squirrel in the yard next door.
At present, my high-energy huntin' dawg is stretched out on my bed in what appears to be a state of coma. I don't expect to hear from him for at least six hours.
To do list: New harness for puppydog, padded handlebar covers, and some serious padded gloves. Also I need to ice my left wrist if I ever want to use it again. Currently it's so weak and numb I can barely lift my iPod. Typing is starting to become painful, so I'm gonna get away from the computer and stick it in a brace now.
Man, I missed biking.
In the end it would not fit on the seat tube part in any configuration that didn't end with my heel slamming into the S-tube, so I ended up moving it up to the seat post instead. It still wiggles back and forth a bit when the dog really pulls, but that bitch is bolted on like whoa and it's not coming off anytime soon.
After it was installed, I put the harness on the Captain and took him out for a past-midnight ride around the town. It was not a positive introduction. When I snapped the lead in place, he was so terrified of the alien technology that was pulling on him that he yanked the spring mechanism almost horizontal in a bid for escape. When that failed, he threw himself splay-limbed to the ground and beseeched me with huge dark eyes full of trauma and betrayal.
I started walking the bike, and this drove him into another panic. He struggled and skidded and flailed, all to no effect. Then I hopped on the bike and said "let's go!"
All of a sudden it clicked in his tiny doggy brain that we were about to go on BIKE RUN, and all animosity toward the Springer was forgotten. We rode through the town, past the dog park, across major intersections, past birds and ducks and all the other distractions by which a dog could be enchanted. His pulling sometimes necessitated correction in my steering, but it wasn't bad at all. We flew along with him insisting on a full gallop nearly the entire time.
It was great.
Today the temperature got all the way up to 51 f, so I threw the harness back on him and we went out for another run. A nice short run was the plan, only it got a little out of control:
I was good for a longer trip, but the Captain had the squats and was starting to fade, so we turned back after we reached the next town. 5.2 miles, like it was nothing.
A few times he did pull me pretty hard, but the spring mechanism slows down the wavering enough to correct for even that much if you're paying attention. The only times I felt at risk were when I was riding too close to the edge of the pavement when he pulled from where he was running on the grassy part of the shoulder. One strong pull from there, and the wheel would pop off the pavement and the bike would jar, and balance was threatened. I'll need to be careful of that.
Also, the harness that comes with the Springer is a cheap little strap of rough nylon that slides around during the ride and bunches up against his shoulders and neck. It's a friction sore waiting to happen and I need to replace it with a proper harness as soon as I have money.
Conclusion: The Springer is a fucking amazing invention, and I am absolutely happy with its performance. The Captain loves it. I took his leash off in the front yard and he sat on the porch until I had the bike locked up and his poo bags thrown away. No interest in running away whatsoever--he wanted water, dinner and sleep in that order, and screw the squirrel in the yard next door.
At present, my high-energy huntin' dawg is stretched out on my bed in what appears to be a state of coma. I don't expect to hear from him for at least six hours.
To do list: New harness for puppydog, padded handlebar covers, and some serious padded gloves. Also I need to ice my left wrist if I ever want to use it again. Currently it's so weak and numb I can barely lift my iPod. Typing is starting to become painful, so I'm gonna get away from the computer and stick it in a brace now.
Man, I missed biking.
October 24, 2007
Exorcism
Yesterday I got the bike out of the basement. I put it back together and wheeled it into the driveway, then obtained 1x poochito from the house. The idea was to get him nice and mellow with a walk and a hard play session at the dog park, then try him on the bike to see whether he'd enjoy running with me.
At first he didn't know what the fuck, and was shying away from the bike in that wary way dogs have, but as soon as I got on the bike and rolled a few feet, he figured out what I wanted and went right into jogging mode alongside. The leash I use is a 16 foot extendable deal, so I had plenty of room between the bike and the Captain and no slack leash to get tangled up. Lots of extra line in case I ever want to stop suddenly without breaking his neck or yanking my ass off the bike.
I didn't go full-speed, since I had to watch the road and the dog both in case of obstacles. Mostly I had enough warning when he decided to make a sudden stop or detour to slow the bike down and tug him back into line, and I was able to speed up some more.
Before I knew it, he was flying down the road (mostly on the verge, for the sake of his feets) with his jaws sprung wide and his tongue lolling out and bouncing around like crazy. By the time we got back, he was panting and shiny-eyed. The whole rest of the day, he was a docile and obedient little citizen who wanted to sleep more than anything in the world.
So today I thought, let's step it up a bit. Took him out on the bike first thing for a longer run, then back home for water, then we rode to the dog park. There were no dogs, so after a bit of lounging in the sun, I got back on the bike and we went around Northfield a bit. By the end, he was definitely losing his edge, so the ride home was pretty sedate. Immediately after taking off his leash, he fell over with his head resting on my leg, eyes half-lidded, tongue poking out a bit. Then back upstairs for the rest of his din dins and a nice long hibernation.
I'm trying to get him in the habit of spending a few hours of quiet time in his kennel alone each day after exercising, in case I get a job or ever want to, you know, have a social life. Hah.
Funny thing: He's learned to run upstairs, into the spare room, and tuck himself into his crate when I say "dinner." He'll wait in there quietly until I show up to feed him. I taught him "go to your room" but this other thing is his own innovation. He also has figured out that if you tell him to 'sit' and have a carrot in your hands, he should also sit up and beg without being asked. That dog is insane for carrots.
Befoer I start the next pages, I'm making up for lost time on the My Dog Rocks blogging front. Next up: photo post. Big one. 56k sorrow!
Let's see...what else.
There's a farmer's market here through the end of the month. It's only a few blocks away. Also, the air here usually smells like warm toasted cereal, though the flavor varies depending on what kind of cereal it is. I'm told Fridays are cocoa-puff-days. It is amazing.
I found a place by the river where they've dumped quarried stone to help with erosion. Digging around in the rockpile yielded SO many amazing crystal specimens. I brought home the smaller ones, though there's a boulder I need to drive over for. Unless I want to prove Jesse right in his prediction that I'll soon have nowhere to sleep for rocks in my room, I may need to think about adding a rock saw to my equipment.
Other than that, all is unpacking and photography.
At first he didn't know what the fuck, and was shying away from the bike in that wary way dogs have, but as soon as I got on the bike and rolled a few feet, he figured out what I wanted and went right into jogging mode alongside. The leash I use is a 16 foot extendable deal, so I had plenty of room between the bike and the Captain and no slack leash to get tangled up. Lots of extra line in case I ever want to stop suddenly without breaking his neck or yanking my ass off the bike.
I didn't go full-speed, since I had to watch the road and the dog both in case of obstacles. Mostly I had enough warning when he decided to make a sudden stop or detour to slow the bike down and tug him back into line, and I was able to speed up some more.
Before I knew it, he was flying down the road (mostly on the verge, for the sake of his feets) with his jaws sprung wide and his tongue lolling out and bouncing around like crazy. By the time we got back, he was panting and shiny-eyed. The whole rest of the day, he was a docile and obedient little citizen who wanted to sleep more than anything in the world.
So today I thought, let's step it up a bit. Took him out on the bike first thing for a longer run, then back home for water, then we rode to the dog park. There were no dogs, so after a bit of lounging in the sun, I got back on the bike and we went around Northfield a bit. By the end, he was definitely losing his edge, so the ride home was pretty sedate. Immediately after taking off his leash, he fell over with his head resting on my leg, eyes half-lidded, tongue poking out a bit. Then back upstairs for the rest of his din dins and a nice long hibernation.
I'm trying to get him in the habit of spending a few hours of quiet time in his kennel alone each day after exercising, in case I get a job or ever want to, you know, have a social life. Hah.
Funny thing: He's learned to run upstairs, into the spare room, and tuck himself into his crate when I say "dinner." He'll wait in there quietly until I show up to feed him. I taught him "go to your room" but this other thing is his own innovation. He also has figured out that if you tell him to 'sit' and have a carrot in your hands, he should also sit up and beg without being asked. That dog is insane for carrots.
Befoer I start the next pages, I'm making up for lost time on the My Dog Rocks blogging front. Next up: photo post. Big one. 56k sorrow!
Let's see...what else.
There's a farmer's market here through the end of the month. It's only a few blocks away. Also, the air here usually smells like warm toasted cereal, though the flavor varies depending on what kind of cereal it is. I'm told Fridays are cocoa-puff-days. It is amazing.
I found a place by the river where they've dumped quarried stone to help with erosion. Digging around in the rockpile yielded SO many amazing crystal specimens. I brought home the smaller ones, though there's a boulder I need to drive over for. Unless I want to prove Jesse right in his prediction that I'll soon have nowhere to sleep for rocks in my room, I may need to think about adding a rock saw to my equipment.
Other than that, all is unpacking and photography.
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