Lights At The End Of The SSH Tunnel

I've had a few marathon sessions coding in the cave since returning from mountain biking Sunday. Weds brought about a chance to get out and do some SORBA work, but freezing ice and snow put the kibosh on the early meeting. A water filled barn hallway greeted me twice. Once by 5 am text message from Hannah and her colorful 4 letter word, second while trudging through ankle deep mud in the hall to turn out the horses. Luckily, it wasn't the massive water pipe break first expected. I blame the mole hole burrowed through the barn for transporting socks via UPS gopher to the sleeveless sneezing friction shifter. Maybe he should have loosened the sock strings for mountie delivery?

Despite of the 3 days lack of riding and lack of entertaining posts, I've been a busy beaver, er bandicoot ( aka pig-rat, not to be confused with the bilby. beavers aren't marsupials)


I've begun the multi-day Cooperization of the Ocoee and I'm about to head out to meet krs-1 for a mind and leg stretcher up in the flat wonders of Clarksvegas. Forecast was for sunny and 40, we're sitting right at 30.7 with solid gray skies. Perfect.

Uh, Cooper, a little help here...

SouthernXrust coating my frame

I wonder if I post a photo of the SouthernXrusted frame everyday, if Airsaggo will be able to resist the urge to take my bike home and Cooperizing it? The picture doesn't do it justice. It looks like I was mixing concrete with my frame. Luckily it's titanium and not rusting under there, but it needs a lot of love and attention. Love and attention I'm not able to give it at the moment. Maybe tomorrow I'll at least throw some frozen water at it if I get a little more ahead of schedule with my current paying project.

Speaking of paying projects, that little big eared funny elevator marathon sneezing zip tie recycling monkey man told me I'm pro now. (see below)

Does this get filed under SelfEmployment Income?

My first big payday from racing. Normally it's a tire, shirt, or maybe some sort of looks funny on your head trucker style hat (you know the kind no where near as cool as anything Walz). This time I got a sweet bag of schwag, a bag of podium goodies, and a check - cha-ching! Just more wonderful surprises from all that is, was, and ever shall be SouthernX.

Here's a funny if you were there photo of dregs of society dredging up the dregs of the keg to keep from sobriety. Mattycakes, Andrew, and I are working the last of the keg. The tap started acting up and was near impossible to pump. It took 2 holders and 1 pumper. This was just moments before the muddin' fun and the rally racing began. These backwoods roads are the birth place of Nascar folks. The shine runners during the prohibition years started a National past time. We did our best to re-enact the good ol' days on the way to Ellijay for some grub.

Hey Matt, what do you say we finish off the keg then race to Mexican food?

My Life with the Number 3

A racer up the insanely steep g"run"t-up. Photo Credit H.

The first ever SouthernX race was held this past Saturday. JNLR "the roadie", H., the pups, and I loaded up the recently released from the diesel service center truckster and headed down to Georgia Friday evening. All was going according to plan until we hit the gravel. See the road to Mulberry Gap turns to gravel a few miles outside of Eton. Expecting damp, but solid gravel roads we were instead met with very damp, very wet, and very squishy gravel/mud roads. The truckster is not what I'd call a nimble mudder. It's 2-wheel drive (rear) with a very heavy engine in the front. Luckily we had my heavy rhino lite wheels and 900lbs of beer in the bed to help out with traction weight. We slimed and slid our way around the mountain roads, giving it hell for leather the entire way. Luckily the Roadie's Zipp 404's weren't crushed by a maverick gross ton keg bouncing around in the back from the jarring of the road. No, the next morning's mud, grit, grime, and mud would take proper care of those Zippity doo-dahs of his.

We roared into the quiet, sleepy little camp to find only a few stragglers up. Guess all the racers were trying to get a good nights sleep before the race. This is supposed to be a cross race right? So, we hauled the beer up to the barn, set up our tent (it took the Roadie all of 5 seconds to scavenge a bed inside a cabin), then tried in vain to get some sleep. Around 2 am it started to rain, and continued to rain until just before 10am, which was the start time and very apropos as if it's not wet, muddy, and destroying bike components then it's not really a cross race.

After a delicious home cooked breakfast by Ginni and friends at Mulberry Gap, I suited up in my super suit and made my way to the pre-race meeting. As you can see in the following photo, my bike has a black fork, I have on black Swiftwick 12" socks (one white topped the other all black), black knee warmers, and a black EWR Swiftwick jersey at the start of the race.

photo from Namrita's Facebook album.

The course was fantastic, although a bit too much peanut buttery goodness for some, judging by the many folks pushing the death march up the 12 mile grimy, sloppy climb. I had 2 main objectives for the day :

1. finish the race
2. don't walk any of the 12 mile climb

I can happily report that I successfully (no failure here) achieved both of my objectives, though #2 was a test of mental fortitude. I didn't put a foot down off of the Mulberry Gap property. For me that was a huge accomplishment. The 12 mile climb seemed to finally end at a downhill only to kick back up for another few miles. That's where I just started to think - as the peanut buttery goo sapped forward momentum and strength as it kicked up even steeper and disappeared into the fog - 'ok, this is getting to be rediculous'. Moments later I crested the top and the real downhill began. 7 or so miles of choppy, sloppy, twisty downhill goop, then back to Shakerag road, over to Mulberry Gap/CCC road, then finish up with the 1.5 ish mile cross course lap and it would all be over.

Knowing there were several riders behind me with suspension, 29'er fat tires, and gears I let it all hang out on the gnarly descent and kept on the gas all the way to the insanely steep "run-up" (grunt-up really). Crawled my way up, up, up, and up it, then sped around the course encircling Mulberry Gap.

photo from Namrita's Facebook album. Photo Credit Namrita

At the end of the race, apparently my fork got painted to match the ti frame and someone switched out my black Swiftwicks for new ti gray ones.

photo from Namrita's Facebook album. Photo Credit Namrita

I finished 3rd SS @ 3 hours 26 minutes. Will Black (fellow (and actual) Moots/Swiftwick racer) took 3rd overall and 1st place singlespeed. Though he was lucky enough to be testing out Moots' new companion component to their tried and true YBB (Y Be Beat?) suspension, the YBP (Y Bother Pedalling?). He pretty much just sat on the bike and it led him to victory. What will Moots dream up next?

photo from Namrita's Facebook album. Carey Lowery photographer

Eddie and Namrita put on one hell of a race. The racers and spectators were a little too solemn for my tastes, though I'm sure mostly due to the huge efforts put forth racing. Normally with cross and beer you get some rowdy heckling spectators, some healthy bantering among fellow combatants, and shenanigans. The only shenanigans seemed to be people slinking off with the growlers. Despite the quiet crowd, SouthernX was everything it promised to be, challenging, fun, and cross. Definitely a highlight race of the year and one I'm already desperately hoping to get back into next year. Congratulations to all who completed, competed, and showed up. Thanks to H for volunteering, helping out, and supporting me. JLNR "the Roadie" for going down to play in the mud and keeping me entertained on the drive down and back. Thanks to Dish and Po for being good pups and not getting eaten by Smelly Bear or bitten by the rabid raccoon. Thanks to Eddie and Namrita and to all of our friends at Mulberry Gap - the mountain bike getaway.

Extra extra super-duper cuddly wuddly thanks to Cody and Matt (part of the Addictive Cycles Mafia) for the laughs, the muddin' adventure, and for the rally race to mexican food in Ellijay. For those looking for a new ride and uncertain what to get, treat yourself to a trip to Addictive Cycles and steal Cody's bike for a test ride. (Warning: this comment may come at a great shock to a few of you readers. Please make sure you're sitting down). I rode a 29'er that handled like a 26'er, I felt immediately at home on, and that didn't have any of the compromises most 29'ers have that turn me off. Yes, THE bike that could turn me to big wheels does exist and Cody has it (painted bad-ass black of course). Go see him and test ride it.

SouthernX Countdown

Today was a chilled day for once this week. No real work (aside a few hours late tonight), some bike work, a solid 40 mile road ride with krs-1, laundry, gear packing, and bike prepping for the SouthernX going down at Mulberry Gap this weekend. I'm a little nervous. It's been a while since I've been in a cross race, let alone a 40 mile gravel "road" race, so I'm a little unsure about my high-end power and barrier coordination. But more than that, I'm worried about my gearing option. I only have one really, 42x18. I've ridden the roads around the course before but on my mountain geared bike (which is much lower) and they hurt. That 12 mile grunt for Firewater, yeah it's there, remember how much that hurt at 34x19? Yeah... and 95% of the crowd will be on those geared beasts. Maybe I'll treat it as a gravel grinder and just model socks and arm warmers.

Good thing I have a keg of Yazoo Dos Perros and a pack full of Pale Ale Growlers to help ease the pain.


Speaking of easing the pain, I had the pleasure of not one, but two surprises tonight, and the best kind of prize is a su-prise. Thanks to Hennessey and Jen@Walz for the spiffy new Walz cappy. It's the bees knees!


The second su-prise was walking into 12th Street Taproom to Reeves Gabrels playing guitar. Holy F-ing shite!! One of David Bowie's Monsters on stage 10 feet in front of me wailing on the guitar. Very few people I know would even bat an eye at that, but I was stunned silent. Amazing guitarist. Amazing.


Tomorrow (hopefully) we pick up the truckster, pack up, pick up Mighty Calves JLNR and his uber bling wheels, and head down to Mulberry Gap and the SouthernX.

Renaissance Man in Training

So synchronicity, irony, and luck reared their heads at me again over the weekend and the past few days. I happened to be at the right place at the right time with the right app running (one I'd not launched in close to 4 years). That led to some rapid prototyping and an online web meeting. Out of the rapid development was the beginnings of a new niche app. A meeting, a day later, was met with a list of Metro agencies interested in purchasing the app, one Agency who has purchased it, and a deadline. Looks like I'll have something to occupy my time through February.

Irony came in when I went in for a pre-arranged interview today. They told me about their needs and their current apps. As we talked, I realized they might be interested in the new direction I'm exploring. They are. We'll see where it goes, but suffice to say you may be seeing some of my stuff in a social networking application near you. If you're extra special lucky, you might get to see it in a CAD(dispatch) or RMS .

Good luck came in with being able to focus energy and time on both these opportunities with a healthy work/life balance. Bad luck as the truck starter(?) going out and having to be towed to get fixed (nothing diesel is cheap). Humility lessons and reminders that life can kick you just as soon as it picks you up. Luckily I bounce pretty well (it's what Tiggers do best) though I must admit to being a little slow to get back up sometimes.

Funny where a conversation can take you.

Phases of my day:

The anti-tie guy in a tie

The man in black, heading out for a ride

Muckman ready to clean stalls

How To Effectively End An Argument

Whilst riding on the singletrack, Hennessey decided to show off his mad skillz by riding down a slippery, twisty, gnarled descent with his stem bolts loose and a flat tire. While changing his flat, the rest of us stood upon our steeds and chatted. The newly cleaned and re-cabled Black Death has top tube routed brake guides and one of the sharp edges happened to snag my Nike cycling shorts.

These shorts are 3 years old and the best shorts I've ever ridden in. They have typical nylon/lycra panels and a good chamois, but the addition of flex-fit fabric on the legs helps keep the annoying tight leg cuff from cutting off circulation. They are very comfortable for many, many, many consecutive hours in a saddle. Unfortunately, they ran $90 and aren't made anymore. I got mine from Academy Sports (of all places) for $55. The snag isn't bad, but it saddened me as it only underlined the short time left I have in these quality shorts.

KRS-1 piped up that he had a pair but they met an untimely death and he didn't buy ones like mine as he is cheap. I countered with my tales of cheapness (or as I like to think of it - thrift (if you get my drift)) to whit OldGreg chimed in with his tales of cheapness. We bantered back and forth a bit while Hennessey pumped up his tire until a lone voice (Doug) reverberated from the back of the group stating:

"I'm wearing Dan's shorts."

Immediately upon recognition of the words and the implications thereof, the 3 of us offered a subtle bow to the king of cheap, then disbursed as quickly and politely as possible. Argument effectively, and decidedly, ended. I think KRS-1 even threw up a little in his mouth.

Triple Crown

Got out for a nice blustery road ride yesterday with OldGreg. The projected high was 42, but I think it only touched that for the 20 minutes the sun was out. The cloud cover and it's cohort, the incessant cold blowing wind, kept the temps frigid. We cut the ride down to 27 miles and headed in for hot homemade cocoa.

Trying to break a record (3 rides within a week), I suited up and headed back outside for a trail ride with H. and the horses. I only lasted another hour and a half or so, then had to get in out of the wind. 5 hours outside was more than enough for this hayseed.

Saturday night the blasted car returned to it's overheating, non-heater working state (despite $288 dollars worth of more repairs Friday) on our way back from a fun filled evening with the Neumeyer's (yes Mike is alive and sends regards out to all the friends he apparently can't return emails too now that he's all Mr. fancy pants with a Glock). $1000 in and I'm right back to square one. Fun times on the side of the highway in the dark and cold. 2:30 am and I'm finally done getting Black Death back up and running from the Snake make-over and all my gear packed for Sunday's early morning Kentucky adventure.

Doug, Hennessey, OldGreg and I motor up to meet KRS-1 for a little LBL North/South action. The plan was to ride for as long as we had daylight and/or stayed warm. Despite the forecast of colder than Saturday temps, the temperature was warmer with more sun than Saturday giving us a little freeze/thaw action on the trail. Slick sections, some mud, and not really feeling like getting muddier as the conditions were certain to get worse, as well as Doug having drive train issues, we devised a new plan. Hop out on a gravel road to the main highway and roll back to the car. Replace the bad cog with one in my gear bag, then roll back up the road to the exit point on the trail and reverse our loop to finish the ride on single track.

Having no map or intimate knowledge of the myriad back roads inside the park, it is often the case that where you think a road will take you will turn up many miles away from your intended target. This is precisely the lesson we learned, though the adventure turned out to be even more fun than the initial trail ride. We meandered on new to us rough gravel - some dirt, and some extremely choppy, rutted out gnarledness - roads out to the highway for 8 or so miles then spun the 8 or so miles back to the car from Sugar Bay (which was much further North than where we jumped off the trail). Ending with a much greater adventure than initially planned or expected with new insight to added loops to explore next time.

I lost the W.I.M.P.Tech beta from Saturday, but Sunday's ride shows the extreme difficulty of the effort better than simple numbers: