Rotary Ride

I expected Steve to have blogged about our first ride on our new bikes (oh yeah, Steve just had to buy a new bike too...he got the Cannondale F7) by now. But I guess I'm going to have to do that (even though he has the pics).

Anyway, we picked up Steve's bike from the local bike shop on Saturday afternoon and headed to Rotary Park to try out our new toys. It was a fun ride, but a lot of technical stuff on the trails that I didn't have to tackle at the DGD race. Rotary Park doesn't have moguls (or at least any that I found) but it did have lots of sharp switchbacks, creek crossings, and obstacles (both natural (boulders) and man-made (like, oooh, this part of the trail is really boring, lets fell a few trees here)).

Steve seemed really stoked about our latest adventure in cycling (and that excitement stayed even after taking a fall). Steve is not so much a nature-loving guy, seriously, he hates trees and flying insects and pretty much anything with more than two legs...but he's enthusiastic about our new purchases. So hopefully, despite nature, we can get out on the trail often this autumn.

Anyway, I think Rotary Park will be a good testing ground for us over the next few months. I think the trails are, for the most part, appropriate to our beginner status, but with enough difficulty that we can really grow into them. I'm looking forward to some cold-weather riding on the trails...game on!

A Champion's Bike

So you may have heard (probably multiple times if you hang around Steve) that I won a mountain bike race a few weeks ago. Okay, okay...competition was hardly of the stiff variety, but still, I finished first in the women's division. But that's not even the amazing part...I finished on a P.O.S. Walmart-special-yard-sale-find that cost all of $45 (I probably paid too much). If you've ever seen this Purple Trail Eater (as it has since been dubbed) you'd understand the enormity of my win. Anyway, ever since Steve has been insisting that a champion mountain biker needs a champion mountain bike. He's been egged on by workmate and semi-pro mtn biker, Scott McConnell (who rides for the Moots mtn bike team). It's actually been a pretty interesting dynamic that's develop between us...Steve wants to see me on a proper mtn bike but with as little financial layout as possible...Scott wants to see me on a mtn bike but wants to see Steve fork out as much money as I want him to spend on it...and me? well I just want a mtn bike that doesn't chap my ass. :)

So, after much window shopping and many test rides, I purchased my first, real, honest-to-goodness mountain bike, a Cannondale F5. It's sweeeeet...

Where's My Meds?

And just as the ulcer heals, another semester begins.

Life: Unpredicted

And part two: I got offered a job. In Texas. There was a lot of appeal to this. The money was okay for a first "real" job. Texas is cool and I know people that live there (and would have been working with one of them). And, as anyone who knows me will remember, I'm always trying to run away.

Buuuut...there were a lot of reasons to turn the job down, which I did. Like, it was an unguaranteed one year term position. So, I would move down to Texas and could be told within a matter of months that I wasn't needed anymore. Also, I would have to start in two weeks, and I'm not sure I could have wrapped up everything in Tennessee and gotten settled in Texas in two weeks. But the number one reason for rejecting the position was money. Not the money they were offering, but the money it would cost me to move down there. I would have lost my GA position, so I'd have to pay my last semester of tuition out of pocket. I would also have to pay another month's rent here or risk losing my deposit, plus pay back the half off the first month's rent deal I was given as punishment for abandoning the lease early. Then I would have the cost of a new apartment plus deposit plus cost of getting it up and running. Add on the cost of installing a hitch on the Jeep and renting a trailor to move the motorcycle, and the gas associated with such an endeavor. I seriously lost sleep over this because up until I started doing the math I was leaning more toward accepting the position than rejecting it.

But maybe it's for the best. It would have been a great thing to stick on my resume, this is true. But my last semester at the Peay will be that little bit easier and I won't have to live off of toast and water for a month.

Life: Predicted

This is a two part post discussing my two major events this week. The first is a purchase of my very first motorcycle, a Triumph Bonneville T100. I have yet to take any pictures of it yet, so just as a frame of reference I've included a photograph of someone else's Bonneville T100.

I've been looking at motorcycles for a couple of months, and toyed with the longest time about buying a Honda 919. And while early purchase had presented itself several times, there was just enough hesitancy to keep that from happening. And I think its paid off. My path to the Bonneville was a little circumspect. It started off with interest in a Triumph Scrambler...which led to interest in the Triumph Thruxton...which led to the Bonneville...which led to the Bonneville T100.

I genuinely heart my T100. Besides being just a damn pretty bike, it is super comfy. Okay, its super comfy for me, which is really all that matters. The most I've spent on the bike is an hour and a half, and that has left my back and behind feeling just fine. And since my comfort was the number one factor when choosing a motorcycle, I'd say I've made the right choice. But comfort wasn't my only reason for going for this particular bike. After all, the 919 was comfortable too. I really love the retro feel to the T100. And, as if this shouldn't be obvious from someone that also rides around in a fairly new Wrangler...I love new toys that are made to look like old toys. All the nostalgia my little heart can handle, but without the worry of maintenance.

But it hasn't been all rainbows with the new motorcycle. There's actually been some disappointment, verging on frustration. Not with my bike, but with myself. As per usual Jen form, I'm impatient with my progress. I'm a noob to riding, and there are certain things I'm having trouble mastering. Like sharp right hand turns are kicking my ass at the moment. I haven't dropped the bike, haven't even come close actually...but without fail, every single time I take a sharp right turn from a stop I end up on the wrong side of the street. Grrrr. And I'm having a hard time with starting on an incline. I'm getting bored with riding around the 'hood, dodging UPS guys and kids on bicycles, but I told myself that I cannot get out on the Big Girl Streets until I conquer these two issues. But I'm working on it.

Another frustration, since I've mentioned it a little already, is my neighborhood. It is essentially a giant circle with two points of exit. One is on an incline and the other requires a sharp right turn (I could go left, but that would require a 3/4 mile jaunt on Ft. Campbell Blvd...aka The Road of Death). So, really, I *have* to get these two things down just to leave the neighborhood. Grump, grump, grump.

Anyway, I love my bike, but I hate having to be patient with the learning curve.

Motorcycling 101

So I took a motorcycling course this weekend. And, yes, I passed. And, no, I didn't drop the bike, crash into any large or even small objects, nor did I run over the instructors. Overall, it went really well. I imagine I made the same mistakes that most beginners make. We rode Honda Nighthawk 250s...and other than the fact that I felt the bike was a smidge too low for me, it was actually really comfy.

That being said, I *hated* the motorcycling class. I've pronounced this to several people already and on the ride home from Nashville I evaluated the reason for this dislike. (When questioned by Mike and Jenn as to why I hated the class the best answer I had at the time was that I just simply didn't like it...probably came out more like a whine). But I do have a few legitimate objections.

1. They do in 3 days what could be done in 2, or even a day and a half. I really hate it when something gets stretched out for longer than is necessary. And this weekend really pushed the limits of my patience. For the most part is was divided up fairly equal; half classroom and half riding. The classroom stuff was a joke. They should have an opt-out for that part. Seriously, guys, turn your fancy shmancy textbook into a PDF and email out to the students beforehand and let us take the written exam the minute we walk through the door. BAM! Done. Throw in the hour long safety and instructional video and the course has already lost a day. I'm liking it already.

2. The infamous "box." This was a figure 8 in a confined space which in theory simulated two U-turns. Now, I'm not trying to debunk the value of this exercise. It was tough and one should probably know how to maneuver their motorcycle for slow, sharp turns. What really pissed me off about the box was that it was on the final evaluation. And what really pissed me off even more was that as one of the instructors was dishing out testing scores he says, "Yeah the score on the box is really nothing more than bragging rights." Really? So, I got tested on something that ultimately doesn't matter in the larger scheme of motorcycling. One entire element of testing was taken up by the box, a spot that could have gone to an exercise far more important, say for instance stopping on a curve.

3. It was effin' hot. Yeah, yeah...that's a whine for sure, but that's not really the annoying part. It was hot and in an effort to get the class finished as early as possible our illustrious instructors really short changed us on our much needed breaks. On Saturday, which was cooler and overcast, we got breaks about once every 30-45 minutes. Today, we were lucky to get a break every hour to hour and a half. Ridiculous. I think out of the entire weekend this was the one thing that was the deal breaker for me. By 10am I was dehydrated and had a headache that lasted the remainder of the day. Effers.

Okay, so I've bitched and moaned about the things I didn't like, but there were things I did like. Like, riding the motorcycle! That was the best part...when we weren't doing retarded exercises like the box. But I loved the ones that simulated twisties, swerves, etc. I got in trouble a couple of times for going too fast (heh heh) and I snuck my bike up into 3rd gear a few times. (Interesting side story, the only other person that did this failed the final exam because he dropped his bike). The female instructor was awesome, really encouraging, and a good counter-balance to the very intimidating biker dude instructor. And last, but definitely not least, my classmates were a blast.

Anyway, it's done. Tomorrow I head to the DMV to get my motorcycle endorsement added. After that...well, heck, now I need a motorcycle.

There Can Be Only One

Everyone has their own peculiar patterns, or ways, of speech. Most of us are probably unaware of them, much like we are unaware of our little ticks and other things that generally annoy the hell out of people. Who knows where or how these little verbal twitches develop; maybe we pick them up from our parents, our educators,...maybe they are defined by geographical or socio-economic regions. But more importantly, they define us. Yet, there seems to be a popular trend these days among both the media and your Average Joe Shmoe to use Obama-isms. His little verbal ticks have come to act as proof that you are intelligent, educated, making a good well-formed argument, and fighting on the side of right...regardless if that is, in fact, true.

Don't get me wrong, I like Obama, and he is a good orator, but hearing his oft-used statements regurgitated prolifically is quickly becoming a pet peeve. No one needs to prove their intelligence by copying President Obama. Your arguments are not more sound by including the phrase, "fundamental differences" or "now let me be clear." I heard someone on NPR use the last one this morning and I yelled at my radio, "THERE IS ONLY ONE BARACK OBAMA, AND YOU ARE NOT HIM!"

So please, stop stealing the Prez's words. The English language is very extensive. Your options are nearly limitless. Think Obama-isms are awesome? Great! Pick up a thesaurus and find your own way to express the same sentiment. I guarantee you that those of us out there who really are intelligent will be more impressed by your creativity than verbal plagarism.

Remember: There can be only one...Barack Obama.