2017 January 7th. Lucy and Owen in the snow from John Sullivan on Vimeo.
Links
Let It Snow
There was never any doubt that I would ride to the fitness center today. As soon as I left my driveway, my professor friend from Mass Maritime detoured off the bike path where he was walking his dog, to berate me for riding my bike in the snow. He was aghast that not only was I riding in the snow but also that my tires were not knobby. I reminded him that he does not ride bikes so his opinion about riding in the snow had no merit.
There is a prediction of a foot of snow tomorrow so I’m predicting that riding my bike will again go on hold. However……… I just might install my studded tired tonight. It won’t do me any good on the unplowed MUP, buticy route 6 will be fine with the studs.
2017 January 6th Snow Ride from John Sullivan on Vimeo.
There Is A Better Way
I needed to make a run to the market for some stuff. Walking to my car in the driveway, I looked up at the moon and Jupiter staring at me through a clear dark sky. It was 29 F, no wind and actually quite comfortable. I opened the car door, hit the garage opener and walked back to get one of my bikes.
The 2 mile ride to the market was relaxing and comfortable. On the return, riding the multi use path through the saltmarshes, a fox, a fisher cat and another small animal crossed my path. They were ahhhhh moments making me glad I rode the bike and didn’t drive.
Light snow is predicted for the morning commute to the fitness center. After tonight’s ride, I’m looking forward riding my bike. It’s just a better way to get there.
The Annual New Year’s Day Polar Plunge
2017 Polar Plunge from John Sullivan on Vimeo.
Stuck
We are on our way home to Boston from Albuquerque and it looks like we will be spending the night in Minneapolis because of weather delays. Soooo, the breakfast ride Tuesday morning is out of the question. Three of us do plan on a 50 mile spin from home in Fairhaven Ma. to the Cape Cod Canal on Wednesday. The question of the day is “how many bridges cross the canal?”
Christmas in Santa Fe
After flying into Denver, we spent a couple of days with the kids in Lafayette, CO. We did the mandatory trip to Cheyenne, WY for Sue’s shopping extravaganza at Sierra Trading Post. I usually sit around reading a paper or a magazine and count the hours till she is finished shopping. She always asks if I need anything and I always say, I don’t. Mostly because I really don’t want to do that much shopping.
After two hours or so I got a text to join her at the twice returned section of the warehouse. There I found a stack of shoes to try on with red price tags. Twice returned usually means someone ordered them on line, they didn’t fit, and were returned. Twice. By the end of the shopping spree, she had a pair of shoes and a couple of items of clothing. I walked out with six pair of shoes. Each retailing for over $100 with only one pair costing more than twenty bucks. Such deals.
We stopped for the night in Salida where we also picked up a camping trailer. The kids will be vacationing in California after spending Christmas in Santa Fe. S mountain in the center of town is turned into a giant tree for the holiday season.
The drive to Santa Fe, crossing the mountains in the snow towing a camper was interesting, to say the least.
We are spending three nights with #1 son’s mother in law and that side of the family, eating and drinking way too much in Santa Fe. Just as Christmas is supposed to be celebrated.
The Best One Day Bike Ride I Have Ever Done.
And I did it eight times.
There is no better way to see NYC than biking 12 MPH on car free roads, streets and highways of the five boroughs of NYC. The riders begin in staggered groups to avoid all the congestion of the past caused by 32,000 riders.
Because team “amidnightrider.com” is a regular at the event, we get an early start time. That’s important because is allows us to avoid the family and novice riders who tend to walk over bridges and up hills. By joining “amidnightrider.com” you can finish the ride around noon-ish if you so desire. There is no obligation to ride with the team, it’s just a way to get a good start time. Last year there were twelve of us and I only met and rode with one other team member.
Registration opens on January 10th and it fills up fast. When the time comes, just register and when prompted, join “amidnightrider.com” team. It will be the best $95 dollars you have spent on a bike ride. Trust me. It’s a very cool ride.
The Voice
The voice was incredible last night. I thought Billy Gilman had things wrapped up with his rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”. Then Sundance Head killed it with his original performance of “Darlin Don’t Go”. That and when he and Blake did their duet of Sundance’s father’s hit song “Treat Her Right” brought down the house and probable won Sundance the Voice.
I’m going Sundance #1, Billy Gilman #2, Josh #3 and We #4.
Go over to the Voice on Facebook and check it out. You’ll be happy you did.
This Must Be What Paradise Is Like
Commuting, Weight Challenge and Bathroom Scales.
After reading a post at bikejournal, where I’m participating in a weight loss/ bike challenge, about the quirks of digital scales, I decide to buy an analog one. On the digital, my weight would fluctuate a couple of pounds when I did multiple consecutive tries. Sometimes it would take 8 or 10 timeouts of the thing to even show my weight. I put the analog scale on the floor next to the digital, stepped on the digital then the analog. The analog showed a 6 pound difference. Not a good six pounds. I decided to suck up the quirks of the digital scale and hid the analog in a dresser.
I took some video of parts of my commute and also took a couple of side tracks on the way home. There was a stand off between a hawk and a crow, an abandoned green house, and an ending shot looking across the salt marsh toward the wind turbines. I’m really enjoying this challenge and the rides even though my goal weight is at least a decade away at this rate.
2016 Bike Journal Challenge Day 15 from John Sullivan on Vimeo.
A Midnight Rider 