mission accomplished...vulture jerseys retrieved

so heres the story, bear with me as it might be a long one, depends how many details I put in. So my vulture jerseys were supposed to arrive last friday, they didn't. On monday and tuesday every time the Fed ex truck, the UPS truck or any big truck that matter was heard or drove by I was like a little kid, thinking that they would magically arrive. That never happened and just like having the Santa taken out of Christmas I was upset. NO time to get too upset though, true to form I forged ahead, contacted Jessica, and Fed ex. Here is where my blood starts to boil, Fed ex informs me that they delivered them to the address on the package, and that I need to contact the shipper. I say what addresss is that. the curt lady informs me that it was delivered to 511 99th st nw, to which I respond that address doesnt exist. Well Ill give you some background info here. my address is 5119 9th ave nw area code 98107. NOw Ill continue. "How did you get that and could you please take me there?". no. and we got it from usps we check all our address. So I get on the computer type in that address and bam, it gives me 511 sw 99th st area code 98106. "Yes sir that is the address we delivered it to, the correct address."
Are you fuckin kidding me, "that certainly isnt the right address and I am sure the deliveryguy must have known he was in the wrong part of town. so now that you have changed the zip and the nw to a sw would you not stop to think that maybe things should be reconsidered?' Sir we delivered it to the correct address, you could go to that address and see if they have it? this line of banter goes on for a bit before she transfers me to her supervisor/customer advocate, who finally listens to me and orders a package retreval.
Thursday I get a call from her, bad news we were not able to get the package. So I go about ordering up some new jerseys from chad at portland cyclewear, who is cool, gives me break and that is that. Well not really, not being a person that lets things go easy, the next day, Friday, a whole week after they are delivered I decide that I will ride the 15 miles to where they were delivered and see if I have any luck. well luck was on my side. I arrive after some navigational difficulty at the aforementioned address, to find a guy working on his car and his wife just about to enter the home. I introduce myself, tell them the story, they say they know of now such package delivered by fed ex, but they got this yesterday about a package pickup and were confused, tried to call but only got voicemail. they agree that I should be pissed off, we exchange numbers and they say they will talk with the roomate when he gets home. I thank them and feel that there still is some hope, maybe I will get them back. fast forward 2 mins, she calls back asks for me and says they found the package on the floor in the roomates room, and to boot it is unopened, could this be any better. So I zip back retreval the package, thank them and leave. she asures me that she is gonna kick the roomates ass. sweet. So I got my jerseys, mission accomplished, jersey extraction complete. Here is a pic, not the thinest I have ever been. I must add that the jerseys are sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet. So remember sometimes it pays to persevere, but then again most cyclists out there already know that.

more riding less typing

Last week was a little hectic, both at work and with spring there is more riding happening. Hence the lapse. Friday was awsome, took the day off, drove down to Portland for their film festival, which rocked. Laugh out loud funny, and lots of social commentary. Cranked mag guys were there, and I met the organizer. What a day trip. It rained cats and dogs the whole way down. We went to the early show, next year the late one is the way to go. I took pictures which will follow. Sunday went on a 30 mile road ride, felt good. Dinner plans sunday night, a bit out of control, we had a blast though. Monday was super nice, so I was domestic and built garden beds out front of the house for a bit, then rode Tiger Mtn. Tiger just opened for the season and I have heard good things. Bunches of climbing, typical North west climbing too, steep. Typical NW decsending too, wet and rooty. Cant wait to ride it again. Have you ever noticed that cold water slows the firign of the quads down. I am lovign my bike more and more. Why are more people not on 29ers I just flow over things with ease. Go out and ride one. Smooth like butter. smooth. So today I am supposed to get my Vulture jerseys, so I did yard work and waited for them to arrive, sadly they have not yet. I have heard so much about them that I want them now. It has now been 4 days since they left bend, that doesnt make much sense to me. Patience is a vitrue and I have little of it right now. So life is happening, and posting is not. Again I will try to get more pictures I just get so focused on riding that I forget about photos.

what bike event would be complete without it. What blog? Miichael of Cranked mag, Jason was there too.
The early show line. I took night shots, but they just didnt come out that great. Notice the tall bike. Thanks for viewing and as always keep pedaling.

riding in the rain...

We went riding in the rain, when moving here I thought I might have issues riding in the rain, not so much on the road, as I have covered that angle throughout the winter months, but on the mountain bike. It is different and on a single it can be a real grind, no chain suck to worry about though. So we rode in Capital Forest, which I was hoping would be super fun. Well the initial climb was awsome tight single track twisting through the very wet forest, roots, rocks all the usual suspects to content with. We were only vaguly following a route that was supposed to be fun. We got lost for a bit as the directions were a little vauge, finally on track we descended moto trails that were just filled with rocks, and trenched out. Red mud that stuck to everything. A 3 or 4 hr ride turned in to an all day affair, and I arrived home 5 hours late. I still loved the company I was in, but not the trails. Snowpack go away so we can ride some epic loops. Looks like Sea Otter was a mess. My friend Dusty got 6th, congrats to him. Scott Fiefield my old trianing partner won the 40 -45 year old class, congrats to him. Me still on the mend, and Sea otter is not my favorite race anyway, so much a road course. Oh almost forgot, David, I will butcher your last name, yakatus finished 9th in the semi pro class, big ups. So I spent the day cleaning the bike today, it took awhile. I am searching for road cranks at the time, mine are bent and it is time to get some new ones aboard the bike. i would like to get some fsa carbon road cranks, bling, bling. I have a fixie project waiting in the wings, I cant wait, and am making plans for the labor day weekend, bend and oakridge I hope. Looking to take friday off to head to Portland for some movie aciton. that and there is a talk I would like to go to here at REI during the day. decisions or maybe both. enough rambleing. time for a power nap before work. as always keep pedaling.

jersey update

Looks like they have arrived. hope I get mine soon. cant wait. hopefully this link works. that all for now. over and out. I just love wool. keep pedalin

planning for my birthday..

Looks like the celebration wont take place on my birthday, but will happen on Memorial Day weekend, hoping to travel to Bend, hang out with the Vulture, check out his new shop, and have a good time. Ride the trails of Bend and then head on over to Oakridge and ride some of the trails there. Life happens and May is shaping up to be a busy one, with Danielles sister and kids in town, Street Fair in the U district, think lots of drunk college kids reeking havoc. Well at least thats what I am told. The brewer is putting some heavy hitters out for the Craft Brewers Guild that is coming to town, big, big beers. A Belgium Trippel, Trombibulator, original brewed to celebrate the 500th brew at the Big Time. Decade, original brewed to celbrate the 10th anniversay, Emeritus brewed to celebrate the return of a former brewer and to celebrate our 17th anniversay, and on and on.

Filmed by Bike might make its way to SEattle, it is happening April 15th down in Portland and may make it this way later in the summer. This would be good. I am looking at taking a part time job promoting bikes for the Cascade Cycling club, we will see if it fits in to the schedule, might make things a little hectic. I am getting really excited about all things bike again. I am making my commute longer and longer I hope to be up to about 20 miles a day just for the commute here real soon, currently I range from 10 to 20 depending on the day and how I am feeling, still easing back in to it all. Been out on the fixie a bit more and looking in to going fixed off road, and would love to be racing a little cross on the fixie if everything falls in to place. From Wades blog it looks as though the jerseys will be in by the time he leaves on vacation. I hope that he sends them out before he leaves. I really cant wait to get em. Twin Six stuff should be here really soon, I like the argyle jersey the best. Oh that reminds me to get a photo and post it here real soon, argyle is the theme. Oh time to stretch and things and then head out the door for a ride prior to work. I like the sun being up in the sky later and later. Tiger MOuntain opens up on the 15th, its a local ride 11 mile loopy thing that feels like a ride as opposed to a twisty go in circles like some other places. Summer, summer summer, rock on and as alway keep pedalin.

Just remembered that I wanted to put a link to these cats riding tall bikes around england. I am super impressed and their website is quite fun to poke around, I will keep myself tuned in to what they are doing.

cant think of a good title...

I am drawing a blank for what to put at the heading of this post. The Vulture has a new blog, seems the old site was overly labor intensive and blogspot was a much better option. So I am making plans for my 32nd birthday, I would like to get away and do some epic riding down in Oakridge, home of the CreamPuff, with some friends. Drink some beer and do some epic rides with some good friends both old and new. If not I will do something up here to ring in my 32nd year of existence on this planet, and hopefully the best one yet.
Looks like monday we will rally and go to Capital forest down there in Olyimpia for some climbing and good times. Dont know what route we plan to follow, but lets just hope we dont get too lost.
Deadly Treadlys a London Bike messenger band play a live set on the Jack Thurstons radio show, the bike show,check his blog out here, go to itunes and listen to the show. Looks like some tall bikers are going for a tour as well, I'll have to give that a listen too.
Not much else going down, other than remember my sea ottter downfall last year, laying in bed before the race wonder what the fuck I had done to my mind, my body. NOw I think that I am seeing the light at the end of a very dark tunnel, one I hope never to encounter again. So it has been a year almost to the day and a long road it has been. I would love to be in down sitting on the beach in MOntery, California sun would be nice, that and seeing alot of friends that I have not seen in some time. Life is a constant adjustment. well enough of that. times are good. as always keep pedaling, and the world will change one pedal stroke at a time.

spring is here....

Spring is here the weather is getting better and better and with day light savings upon us we have more time with the sun. I have been looking at loops and rides to put together up here in the washington area. There are so many. The other day I had the pleasure of riding Skookum Flats, what a fun ride that was. Lots of roots and very technical lines. Smiley and I launched a or 4 foot drop on the trail at speed, and there were other technical lines that got my heart racing, I rode just about every line up hill and all the downhill lines. Right in that area there are two other rides, Ranger Creek? and Sun Top I would like to hook all three together for one epic loop, and quite a long time in the saddle. Later this summer it will happen. So as you can probably tell I have been feeling better, stronger and more rested. Still the focus of this year is to explore and have fun, with racing taking a back seat. However I do plan on attempting some races I am just unsure of which ones and how many. All depends on the amount of time I can get away from work and all. It is great to have my bike bringing me fun again, it has been a year since I went down for the count. Sea Otter was my last real race, and I felt like death warmed over there. Recover has been a slow road, with many lessons and has been very humbling. I need to keep the feeling close so as not to ever get there again. I need to trust in the journey and have faith in the process. Words to live by in more than just the cycling arena. I have my meditation back, it keeps me grounded this cycling, it keeps me foucused on the good and the positive. I am glad to have found cycling even if it happened at 6 years ago when I was 26. better late than never. More adults and children for that matter should get out on bikes, commuters, mountain bikes, just get out there and breath and be in the moment. While riding Skookum there was never a place to be out of the moment because if you were you paid, it was so much fun. I can not wait to get out there and do it again. Live to ride, Ride to live. as always keep pedaling.