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

Back from the Great Circle Trip

Kathy knows what kind of flower this is, I forgot!

Hi all,
We are back from our great circle trip; SLC/PHX/TUS/PHX/ORD/SLC. For you non-ATC types, that’s Salt Lake City,Phoenix, Tucson, Phoenix, Chicago, and Salt Lake City. We had a grand time seeing our kids and grandchildren. (See Amy’s blog for more news).

The next Geithner, perhaps?
All is well. We only had rain on the last day in Barrington, and that was just for the trip to the airport. We had a great time with our grandson, Brian; playing at the Chicago Botanical Gardens, and then at the Zoo. He sure loves to run and play! I can’t tell you how many times I heard the phrase, Go! Go! Grandma! Let’s Go!

Commuters are everywhere...
Also, at the Zoo, I was walking around the Llama enclosure, and I noticed the front wheel of a ten-speed bike behind the barn. More than likely, someone’s commuter, hiding in the back. So, as the rest of the weekend continued, I noticed commuter bikes parked in all sorts of odd places; behind convenience stores, fast food joints, behind Llama stalls at the zoo, at the mall, all sorts of places.

Jake?

Magnolias...

The Botannical gardens provided a great place for Brian to run and get his wiggles out. There wasn’t much in bloom, as the spring flowers don’t really get going until mid-May. Just watch the ivy in the outfield at “The Friendly Confines” (Wrigley Field for you foreigners). But, what was in bloom was just stunning. Tulips, poppies, magnolias, and other small plants were doing their best to give some color. But, no matter, it was a gorgeous day, and the sun was out, and a lovely day to scamper all over the place.

How I relax!
I’ll have more news as the week progresses. There’s lots of work to do here at the house, and I retire from 33 years of ATC on Thursday. I get cake!
Jim.

Open Mondays from 4-7

Spring in the Desert is amazing!

Hi All,

I am writing you from Tucson, AZ, as Kathy and I are visiting our daughter, Amy and her husband, Jon. This is part 1 of a two step trip; the second half is flying to Chicago to visit Paul, Christina, and our grandson, Brian in Barrington. Then, next Sunday, a flight home; and from there only 3 workdays to go before retirement! (Well, retirement from this career!)

Yesterday, Kathy and Amy and I enjoyed a lovely afternoon walk to the local farmer’s market. Usually, on Mondays, Jon and Amy ride their bikes over to the market, buying some nice fresh things for dinner, and getting a few miles in on their bikes. But since Amy is 17 weeks along, and her doctor would prefer she not ride her bike, we got to enjoy a nice walk instead.

Marana is bike-friendly!

As is my custom, I always take my camera on jaunts like this. One never knows what will appear! This walk was no different, and I was treated to several opportunities to snap some pictures. We were able to score some lovely red potatoes, an onion, and wonderfully fresh lemons at 10 cents each.

On the return walk, Amy spotted a large hawk across the street perched on a wall. Well, not wanting to miss it, I strolled across the street to get a closer look. As I was framing up the shot, the bird started to get antsy and I got the impression he was about to fly off. So, as the bird turned I pushed the button. The shutter fired, the mirror came up and when it came back down the bird was gone! When I got back home I was excited to see what kind of picture I had gotten of the bird. Imagine my luck when I saw what dumb luck had netted.

Just goes to show you: just push the button!

More news later this week.

Jim

Hanging Around...

A photo contest entry of mine from last summer...
Hi All,

Where does time go? I have asked that question here on this blog many times. Especially, it seems, after a long absence from writing. I feel like a columnist who has been scribbling little notes for weeks, and stuffing them in his pockets. I end up with so many little articles in my mind; it’s hard to make one article out of the mishmash. So for now, let’s clear a few things up. Yes, I am still here; Yes, I am going to commit to write more often; Yes, I am going to post some interesting photographs.
Suffice to say we (Kathy and I) have had a busy month. Our lives are in complete flux as we contemplate the reality of relocating (a nice word for the adventure of moving!). Buying a new house, finding new roads to ride, ending one career, and starting another, learning about a new city, meeting new people, it is an endless list. As I wrote to a friend last week: “Other than that, just a typical quiet year for us.” There will be more detail about our move, and other salient details as the plan evolves.

Pastor Dave and I, hanging around; installing video cable at Aldersgate...
The Aldersgate Church audio/visual project is finally about done. Yesterday, I spent several hours 20 feet up a ladder hanging the new projector in the sanctuary. It’s a far more enjoyable place to work than the 5 hours I spent last Saturday in the crawl space under the church relocating the wiring and lighting controls!

You would never guess Pastor Dave is a techie...

Yes, I am still riding, too. This last week, I attempted to unscrew the cleats of my SPD pedals in order to replace them with Speedplay Frogs. You may recall that I won the Speedplays in a raffle from the Recumbent Blog last year.

Old, Old shoes...

'Nuff Said...

Ever try to unscrew cleats that have been in use for 8,000 miles? It’s pretty humorous. After my first try, I am seriously considering some new shoes!

Nice new cleats!
As retirement from air traffic control approaches, I am working on a few goals in the narrow window before career #2 starts. The Salt Lake City Century is May 16th, and I hope to be reasonably ready to attack the 6-hour mark. My last century ride was a DNF at 83 miles due to weather, mechanical issues, and well, just some darn ugly hills at the end of the ride. I would very much like to erase that memory, and have a successful ride. The Tour de Cure in June will have to wait for another time as with moving and working on the house I will not have the time ride after May.

And nice new pedals!
That’s the update for now. I promise, there WILL be a new post within 7 days. For now, stay in touch, ride lots of miles, enjoy the other blogs to the right in the tab list, and most importantly, have a joyous and happy Easter.
Jim

The Last Vestiges of Winter

The Oquirrh mountains. (A weird Utah name)

Hi all,
Not much riding this week. Early in the week we enjoyed a lovely snowstorm that dropped around a foot of snow from Ogden, northwards to Logan. This really shouldn’t have been an issue for me down in Layton, except that I was up in Brigham City during the snow! It was such a lovely day.

A welcome sight on the road...

I will give compliments to UDOT; they did an excellent job of keeping the highway cleaned off, and the drive home was not near as terrifying as it could have been.

Spring just makes one want to run and jump!
I did get a ride today, a nice climb up to Fernwood. I wanted to see if the last vestiges of snow had receded from the trailhead, and whether or not I would be mountain biking anytime soon. Alas, there is still a lot of snow, and the road to the trailhead is still full of snow. I did meet a nice young man while I stopped to take pictures. He told me he had fat tireson his mountain bike, and was going to try and ride the trail anyway! Kids. For me, I enjoyed a nice warm climb, and a frozen descent back to the house.

This gentleman had enjoyed a nice climbing run...
In other news, I was reading the paper the other day, and as is my practice, I always read the Lost and Found ads. Sometimes I find something humorous, and this time was no exception. Read the ad below. Oh, for one comma!

No further comment necessary...
Lastly, I can report that the construction project at my church, Aldersgate UMC is about finished! Tomorrow, we will enjoy working in our new sound room with new speakers, new amps, the sound board has been relocated, and except for moving some lighting controls, we are all done. It has been an exciting three months. I have learned a lot about wiring, framing, and the joy of a job completed. Next up, installing the new projector!

A nice construction still life from last Saturday...
The weather forecast is good this week; I should get some nice miles Monday and Tuesday
See you down the road.
Jim

Finding Friends, and Phones...

Sunset on the Causeway
Hi all,
This past Tuesday I went for a nice hill climb up Fairfield Road. It is not a major hill by any means, just a long 3.5 mile climb up to highway 193. It’s a good training hill, and from the top of the climb, I can go in several directions to make a nice loop. On this ride, I made a nice 12 mile loop over to the east, and then back down the hill for lunch and then to work.
However, this blog entry is not about base training, nor is it a techie article about spin rates, gear ratios or anything like that. This entry is about the people we meet on our bikes, and the things we find on the road. In Tuesday’s case, the two subjects intertwined.

Sunset from the back porch!
As I was riding past the post office, I waved at a cyclist riding down Fairfield. He was riding a mountain bike, wearing no fancy gear; just jeans and a shirt. (It was a gloriously warm morning) At the time, I remembered thinking that his set up wasn’t fancy by any means, but I accepted him for another cyclist enjoying the lovely day and that it was nice to see someone else out on the road.

Waitin for Wednesday's train...
As I continued to climb, the road steepens north of Antelope. I was making 8-10 mph working on achieving a nice spin rate. When I climb this slowly, I have time to notice things on the road. In this case, a cell phone. At first glance, I took it to be a toy, but then as I stopped to look at it; I realized that it was in fact a real cell phone. It was open, and the battery was lying on the ground next to it. I pulled off the road and inquisitively put the battery in and to my joy, the thing powered up! A further search found the back panel to the battery lying in the gutter. I took the phone, stuck it in my pocket and continued my climbing. I figured I would look at it and figure out how to find the owner when I got home.

12 miles later, I was sitting in the kitchen having a PBH, (peanut butter/honey) and playing with the little Kyocera phone. I figured out how to search for last calls received, and using the little lost phone, dialed the most recent number. After two rings, a woman answered saying: “Oh, you have my husband’s phone!” As it turns out, the owner lived about a mile from my house, and I arranged to drive over and deliver the phone on my way to work.
When I pulled into the cul-de-sac, and found the address, I noticed the bike sitting on the porch. It sure looked familiar! The owner (Paul) came out and I recognized him from my ride. He was the mountain bike rider I waved at on Fairfield! We had a nice time visiting. He was much relieved that his cell phone had been found and hadn’t been run over by a car. I learned that he rides a 10-mile loop regularly, and enjoys the exercise and the fresh air. It was nice to meet a fellow rider, and find out what riding means to him.
So remember, be ready for those rare opportunities extend friendship past the usual wave across the street.
See you down the road.
Jim

RAAM and Winter Riding

The island, from Bluff Rd. Nice day for riding...
Hi all,
Well, yet another busy week has passed, and I am finally enjoying a few quick hours to get in some winter riding.

It just snowed, and snowed on Tuesday!
Of course, it hasn’t been a real wintry week, or wait, maybe it was. The weather can’t seem to make up its mind what season it is. It was kind of like being on a rollercoaster! Early this week on Tuesday, 14 inches of snow fell in 24 hours. Then, the sun came out, the ground warmed up a little, and the roads cleared quickly. So much so that Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I was on one of my bikes. Today, (Saturday) I was able to take the Barcroft Virginia GT out for 25 miles, with a starting temperature around 42 degrees and I was actually quite warm when I got back from Antelope Island.

Speaking of Antelope Island, I was out riding the causeway today, and I saw a huge flock of Canadian snow geese out on the mud/snow flats. A bird counter was perusing them, and he told me that they are very rarely seen here off the causeway, and usually they are way down south near Delta. We had a nice conversation as I took a few pictures.

Such a nice day to be out...
My education about RAAM, (See last week’s post) is ongoing. There has been a little confusion as to what my role (or roll) was going to be on TeamType2. Let me clear up a little misconception. No, I am not riding as a competitor. Are you kidding? These creaky old legs racing? Racing for 3,000 miles? Be serious, people.

The Snow Geese in the distance...
Yes, I am going on RAAM, but only as race/crew support. My initial task is to be a motor home driver for the off duty racers. There will be tons of extra tasks besides just being a driver, but I am happy to be a member of the team, and look forward to meeting out goal of 8 riders across the USA in 7 days. I will write more about the mechanics of crew support, and how our team is going function in a later post. Anyone want to teach me how to drive a 35 ft. motor home?

One more thing: Alan Barnard, web administrator for ECOVELO (see tab on the right) trying to shake away the winter doldrums is having a photo contest. I along with many other cyclists have entered our photos in the contest. So, while you’re drinking your coffee, slide your mouse over the right and check out the entries. There have been some excellent pieces of photography posted, and I think you might enjoy the artwork.
See you down the road.
Jim