Tempo Thursday and Being Out of The Publisher's Closet

An a.m. doctors appointment put a big ol ride block on any single track plans today. Frig I say! I did get out for 1:35 of steady flat tempo riding this evening on the rail trail. Wasn't "feeling" the road, and really did NOT feel like driving 25 minutes to ride Boyce tonight, I'll save that for tomorrow morning. It was still nice to get out, plus riding steadily in the big ring tends to really work my legs and my aging, yet heaving (in every bad sense of the word) but-tocks.

I took just one bottle with me tonight. Why you ask? 'Cause I only gotz one cage right now! Anyway, I rode to West (no relation to Wayne) Newton, and there was a water fountain there. "Sweet!" I thought. Cold water to freshen up Uno Bottle-leto (FYI that's Spanish bike lingo for "one bottle"). Sheee-it, little did I know that apparently they like their water temps about 98.6 in the W-N. Damn, the sweat falling of my cap's bill was colder.

I worked more on the Mamasita's fit today, and got her all dialed in. One head set spacer swapped out, stem flopped negative and the fit is feeling good. Also switched out the post from the RaceFace carbon post I had on to an old Salsa Shaft post. I feel more at ease with the Shaft's clamp, even though after my ride tonight my saddle had slid back a good inch on the rails. WTF? Why do some clamps just refuse to hold a saddle in place? What can be done? I already ham fist it tight. BTW I hate saying the term "ham fist" every time I say it/hear it I immediately think of barnyards, inquisitive farmers and Vaseline. Any tighter and I KNOW I'll bust that bolt like a Tic-Tac. I think I have it nice and tight now, but I'm not overly confident. I blame my previously mentioned, yet still vomit inducing to think of, heaving buttocks.

Forgot to mention the nice b-day gift that Wifey gave me the other day...

She got the cover of XXC Issue #1 printed out and framed for me. It looks killer, and I love it, but I can't help but wonder if one day I will look back at it with pride and fond memories of having done something pretty darn OK/pretty not that bad, or will I look at it and think "Jesus dude, you really f*cked that up!" I guess it's the whole glass empty/full thing. I'll just go with it's a cool and thoughtful gift and leave it at that. Thanks Wifey.

Speaking of "publishing". At the Docs today I was talking with the physicians assistant and she asked me what I do. My mind was thinking "hmmmm, what do I do? What DO I do??? Should I joke and say I do nothing? Unemployed? Explain the Trib buy out thing and leave it at that? Lie and say I'm freelancing? Yikes!!!!" But I just blurted out "Well I worked as a graphic artist for a newspaper for 16 years, but then took a buy out package so as to stop doing a job I hated and find one I love. I also started my own online magazine about endurance mountain biking called XXC."

To my surprise she didn't feign interest, have no idea what I was talking about, and move on, but instead started asking me more about it. What all I do with it etc., etc., I was also surprised that I didn't have that embarrassing apologetic feeling I have when someone mentions my blog to me, or Wifey tells someone about it. I mean really, this borderline narcissistic dross is nothing more than an often failing, humorous public outing of my mind. Odd, how I recognize this, yet continue on typing. ANYWAY I was happy that I was finally able to come clean and out myself as a "publisher" when asked. By the way issue #3 is set for next week. If I could sum up the issue in one word it would be a long unpronounceable one like- GrandLoopDirtyKanzaMaahDaahHeyMassanuttenBunch-o-CoolPicsAndaBunchMoreAlidocious.

Hope to hit some dirt in the a.m., so gotta get some sleep.

Later.