What took me 4 months the first time around, took me only 2 days this time. It's weird how over time ideas sink in and get tossed around in one's head, slowly distilling to their base concept.
Two days, not very many hours, and a much more functional, and quicker loading multi-media player. Since the 4th of July is coming up, I thought a little tribute to the 4th of 2004 was in order. Long live the road trip!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Drumroll please...
And the winner for Biggest Douchebag of the Year goes to: the random jogger that, for reasons still unknown, shoved me while doing a track stand at a stoplight.
It's now been a solid 12 hours since noted incident took place, and I still can't seem to figure out what exactly happened. Let's recount...
I was nearing the end of the ride along Summit. I pulled up to the intersection at Lexington and patiently waited for the light to cycle. I could see the opposing traffic light turn yellow, then red, and started to put some pressure into the pedals to push forward as my light turned green. Sometime in this moment I felt a solid "thwack" across the back of my rib cage. I thought at first another biker had run into me, because I was squarely in the bike lane. I fell forward a little and popped out of my pedals. I looked up and saw the culprit — a jogger. A jogger? I've had assorted objects thrown at me from cars, I've had cars run me off the road, I once had a car open a door and try and slam on the brakes to cause me to ride into it, and I've almost been doored the "traditional way" a few times too, but I've never actually been hit by a pedestrian. Thus was the story of Second 1.
Second 2 is a little bit of a blur. I watched the jogger run off. I debated if I should chase him down the sidewalk, or continue down the bike lane. Every violent act I could think of ran through my head in this second. "Could I sprint at him down the sidewalk and tackle him, but not get hurt?". Stupid options, and lots of them. Adrenaline does weird things.
Seconds 3 - 7 found me opting for the bike lane. I was still angry though. I rolled up along him and let him know how I felt. I also asked why he just ran into me, without any acknowledgement that he had just done that. He invited me to fight on the sidewalk. Continuing from Second 2 many more violent acts ran through my head. "Do I have anything hard I could throw at this guy?!?". Thankfully I didn't. I thanked him, but declined his offer to fight on the sidewalk, offering up instead instructions on a few things he could do to himself.
Second 8 passed and I rolled away. I "waved goodbye" and continued on my ride. It's in these later moments that the adrenaline really starts to flow. All I could think about was that there must be something I could do. It wasn't like he did anything that bad, but he had been a pretty big a-hole. Many more stupid options ran through my head. The reality slowly sank in that there isn't, wasn't, and won't be anything that I could do. Assembling a posse, as inticing an option, would still accomplish nothing.
Seconds 9 - 300 crept by as I rounded out the ride. I took the "switchbacks of St. Paul" down to the bottom of the Ramsey Hill. I ended up going up Grand, and realized when I hit the top that I hadn't felt any real pain the entire climb. Slowly the adrenaline would subside, but it hadn't yet.
Thankfully it has now, but I still find myself wondering: "what exactly happened?". I checked out google maps to see if I could see the intersection. Maybe I had rolled out in front of him? I looked as closely as I could, and all it seemed to show was that this guy must have intentionally come out into the bike lane. I hadn't cut him off that I can see, and no matter what happened, a simple wave after the fact would have let me know he didn't mean anything by it. I don't understand why there's this weird aggression towards cyclists. Every time it happens I swear I'm going to get something that will somehow deter people from pulling stunts like this, but in the end, there's nothing really one can do. Cars will always be bigger and faster than a bike, and there's not a whole lot you can do to avoid weirdo pedestrians.
What do you think? What are the options?
It's now been a solid 12 hours since noted incident took place, and I still can't seem to figure out what exactly happened. Let's recount...
I was nearing the end of the ride along Summit. I pulled up to the intersection at Lexington and patiently waited for the light to cycle. I could see the opposing traffic light turn yellow, then red, and started to put some pressure into the pedals to push forward as my light turned green. Sometime in this moment I felt a solid "thwack" across the back of my rib cage. I thought at first another biker had run into me, because I was squarely in the bike lane. I fell forward a little and popped out of my pedals. I looked up and saw the culprit — a jogger. A jogger? I've had assorted objects thrown at me from cars, I've had cars run me off the road, I once had a car open a door and try and slam on the brakes to cause me to ride into it, and I've almost been doored the "traditional way" a few times too, but I've never actually been hit by a pedestrian. Thus was the story of Second 1.
Second 2 is a little bit of a blur. I watched the jogger run off. I debated if I should chase him down the sidewalk, or continue down the bike lane. Every violent act I could think of ran through my head in this second. "Could I sprint at him down the sidewalk and tackle him, but not get hurt?". Stupid options, and lots of them. Adrenaline does weird things.
Seconds 3 - 7 found me opting for the bike lane. I was still angry though. I rolled up along him and let him know how I felt. I also asked why he just ran into me, without any acknowledgement that he had just done that. He invited me to fight on the sidewalk. Continuing from Second 2 many more violent acts ran through my head. "Do I have anything hard I could throw at this guy?!?". Thankfully I didn't. I thanked him, but declined his offer to fight on the sidewalk, offering up instead instructions on a few things he could do to himself.
Second 8 passed and I rolled away. I "waved goodbye" and continued on my ride. It's in these later moments that the adrenaline really starts to flow. All I could think about was that there must be something I could do. It wasn't like he did anything that bad, but he had been a pretty big a-hole. Many more stupid options ran through my head. The reality slowly sank in that there isn't, wasn't, and won't be anything that I could do. Assembling a posse, as inticing an option, would still accomplish nothing.
Seconds 9 - 300 crept by as I rounded out the ride. I took the "switchbacks of St. Paul" down to the bottom of the Ramsey Hill. I ended up going up Grand, and realized when I hit the top that I hadn't felt any real pain the entire climb. Slowly the adrenaline would subside, but it hadn't yet.
Thankfully it has now, but I still find myself wondering: "what exactly happened?". I checked out google maps to see if I could see the intersection. Maybe I had rolled out in front of him? I looked as closely as I could, and all it seemed to show was that this guy must have intentionally come out into the bike lane. I hadn't cut him off that I can see, and no matter what happened, a simple wave after the fact would have let me know he didn't mean anything by it. I don't understand why there's this weird aggression towards cyclists. Every time it happens I swear I'm going to get something that will somehow deter people from pulling stunts like this, but in the end, there's nothing really one can do. Cars will always be bigger and faster than a bike, and there's not a whole lot you can do to avoid weirdo pedestrians.
What do you think? What are the options?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Super super cool
Sweet motion/interaction design.
Even better is the fact that my favorite part, the little pencils that are drawing all sorts of swirling lines, were designed (I believe, or at least animated/coded/something?) by my old coworker Greg. Nice work man.
Ehhhh, back to work. It's all miserably hot up in this beeeotch.
Even better is the fact that my favorite part, the little pencils that are drawing all sorts of swirling lines, were designed (I believe, or at least animated/coded/something?) by my old coworker Greg. Nice work man.
Ehhhh, back to work. It's all miserably hot up in this beeeotch.
It's Hot Out!
You need a pool!!! Or at least some air conditioning.
The hot weather has been okay for riding, except I've discovered that my stomach starts to cramp when I'm out for too long. Maybe it's too much water all at once. I'm not sure really.
The only exciting thing to happen on any rides in the last week was that I almost hit a pedestrian walking across the street. Half way across she noticed me and began running. I checked back to make sure I wouldn't turn into a passing car, found there were no cars behind me, and then started to drift out into the lane. I looked up and the woman had stopped running, and was standing 5 feet directly in front of me. I cut back into the bike lane and disaster was averted. Moments like this make me glad that I started biking off-road first. I don't know how true it is, but it seems like riding singletrack for a few years builds in those auto-tree-aversion responses that you don't have otherwise.
Other news? I updated my other site with some photos and (crappy) audio from our weekend up north.
That's all for now, more to come soon enough...
The hot weather has been okay for riding, except I've discovered that my stomach starts to cramp when I'm out for too long. Maybe it's too much water all at once. I'm not sure really.
The only exciting thing to happen on any rides in the last week was that I almost hit a pedestrian walking across the street. Half way across she noticed me and began running. I checked back to make sure I wouldn't turn into a passing car, found there were no cars behind me, and then started to drift out into the lane. I looked up and the woman had stopped running, and was standing 5 feet directly in front of me. I cut back into the bike lane and disaster was averted. Moments like this make me glad that I started biking off-road first. I don't know how true it is, but it seems like riding singletrack for a few years builds in those auto-tree-aversion responses that you don't have otherwise.
Other news? I updated my other site with some photos and (crappy) audio from our weekend up north.
That's all for now, more to come soon enough...
Friday, June 22, 2007
Doppelganger
Nothing
This post is about nothing, but my page visits have steadily declined since I last posted, so hopefully this will garner better numbers. Are you dissapointed? Don't be, here's a totally crazy picture for you to enjoy.
Cool.
Cool.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Nature Valley Grand Prix
Everyone should go out and watch the Crit in downtown St. Paul tomorrow night.
I thought I saw a Team Liquigas (best team name ever) rider cruising down summit this morning on my way to work, but upon further inspection they aren't riding in the NVGP, so maybe it was just someone in a full Liquigas kit? Either way, he was out riding, and I was on my way to work, so whether pro or not, I'm a little jealous.
It's way too nice to be inside on a computer. Blah.
I thought I saw a Team Liquigas (best team name ever) rider cruising down summit this morning on my way to work, but upon further inspection they aren't riding in the NVGP, so maybe it was just someone in a full Liquigas kit? Either way, he was out riding, and I was on my way to work, so whether pro or not, I'm a little jealous.
It's way too nice to be inside on a computer. Blah.
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