The First Month of Retirement...

A great sculpture at the Chicago Botanical Gardens.

Hi all,
Well, I have been retired from the FAA for one month! And, even though I am already un-retired, it is a tremendous relief to no longer be a supervisor of an air traffic control operation. In my new job, I will only be a computer systems specialist/analyst, and only have to argue with software! More than likely, I will not be breaking any phones in my new job.

Some of the nifty gifts. You have to have been in Area "C" to understand the cape...
Also, I have cool friends; especially the ones that worked for me at the ARTCC. It seems they all got together and threw me a nice retirement bash, and made sure that even though upper management wasn’t up to the task, I had a proper sendoff from the FAA. Friendship, good people, some nifty gifts, and malt-based beverages made for a nice time.

I have been told this software is "finicky"...

In other news, in my new job, I have already begun the transition to the computer world. I had to learn 12 new log-ins on my first day! And to make things worse, have been issued a laptop computer. I have been assimilated!

For you inquisitive types, to answer the question from the last blog entry, this is Burbank!

In the bike world, there has been very little bike riding in the past few weeks; mainly because I fractured a toe. It’s been almost two weeks, and I still can’t get a cycling shoe on my foot. We will leave the details of how I broke my toe for another time, as it wasn’t one of my more graceful maneuvers. Yes it hurt, and no, there won’t be a picture here on the blog of the black and blue toe. So, lately I wear sandals and ride the Redline back and forth to the store.
As we glean towards relocating, I am trying to decide how to configure the bike fleet. I really don’t have the space for 4 bikes. So: The Klein Panzer Tank has a new home, my friend Bert wants a project bike. The Cannondale mountain bike will also head to a new home as I spend more time lying on the trail in pain than actually riding it. The Redline single-speed is an intriguing issue. One hand, I love this bike; one of the more enjoyable rides I have ever had.

Our new city...

But, my new home is a historically VERY windy place and I think I would like some gears under me for that daily 25-30 knot wind. The Barcroft Virginia GT is not going anywhere. It is my trusty, dependable, comfortable, distance bike; I am just not sure about riding it to work as Palmdale is lacking in bike paths that run east/west.
That’s the news from here. All is well, a busy time.
Jim

Meet the Team...

Can anyone guess the airport?

Hi all,
Another long delay between posts, but hey, packing, moving and fixing up will eat up all the hours. Moving is such an adventure! So far, it hasn’t been a very peaceful and restful retirement. Of course, it’s only retirement #1 as a new short career starts soon.

So, what else is going on? Most importantly, RAAM is just over a month away! Plans and organizing E-mails are flying around the country at a tremendous rate. We are learning our jobs, who will be doing what, and how we will get the whole team, (16 riders, and ab0ut 50 crew) all to San Diego at the same time!

Team Type 2!
16 riders? Well, don’t forget that there are two diabetic teams heading to RAAM. Team Type 1, a high level team of Type One diabetics that expects to WIN the team competition, and Team Type 2; obviously with Type 2 diabetes, whose goal is to complete RAAM in 7 days.

It will be a grand adventure. I am excited to be going, being a team member, and helping get our team to Annapolis.

In other news, I was in southern California last week and enjoyed a quick stop at Bent-Up Cycles in Van Nuys. This is a great store for someone with an itch for high-end recumbent bikes! I was smart enough (?) to not bring a lot of cash!

Love those curves...

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm...

I did try out an Optima Baron low racer. What a sleek and fast machine. I didn’t attempt Balboa Blvd. as a test ride road! But, if anyone needs a Father’s Day suggestion… hint hint. Just kidding. The proprietor, Dana is very knowledgeable and willing to go the distance to help any Bent rider get set up and dialed in on a bike.

More news later...

Jim