What a busy day. Got up early did some yardwork, putzed around with a few small projects, paid bills, made lists, et al. Ran some errands - went to the bike store and Kmart for a whole slue of dumbass errands. Needed a cheap watch for my time on the trail, a cheap Casio thing. Bikestore: picked up a new jersey(bright yellow breathable lycra), some chain lube, new (2nd pair backup) pair of biking gloves (the other pair was still soaked from the day before ride in the rain), new saddle bag (the one I have is too tiny..cannot fit my tiny cell phone, tools, wallet, car keys) and a new water bottle (for the upcoming summer rides when I'll need to carry 2 bottles per ride. I took a test drive on a new bike. OMG....tempted. - it was on sale. But no - I have other financial hurtles and priorities to leap over before even thinking of buying a new bike.

Came home, changed then drove to Vienna for a "quick trek" to and from because I was going to need to be back in time to shower and such before I went out to dinner with my parents. It was a nice "quick trek" - from Vienna to Ashburn and back. - bout 35 miles. Beautiful weather. Friendly peeps on da road. Small wind gusts, but perfect to cool you off.

Dinner with the parents was nice, small casual italian place. My mother was funny leaving the restaurant. Rewind: We noticed on the way to be seated, there was this printed disclaimer that the restaraunt had temporarilly lost it's ABC (liquor) license (not allowed to serve wine, beer, drinks). We said nothing about it, had some Iced tea with dinner. Moot issue. So as we were backing out of the parking lot...my mother noticed this place a few doors down..another restaraunt - a tequilla bar or something. She said, "Damn, I wish I saw that before dinner - we could have booked our table at the Italian place..and said 'call me on my cell phone when our food is ready - we'll be next door getting a drink'". We laughed so hard in the car. We came to the house and watched "Big Fish". What an freekishly enjoyable ecclectic film - a total jaugernaught of wierdness - humor, cute hegemony, combined with a serious underlining of truth. I was impressed - visually, mostly. Tim Burton has another great film under his gifted belt.

"...April flowers...May showers... " You betcha. Biked to Leesburg tonight after work. Originally was going to go to Vienna, but the sky was about to threaten something. About 15 miles into my ride, the sky turned into a freaky menagerie evolution of the color of a bruise. Dark purple, then black, then green, then orange. Then it started to rain. Hard. It was raining cats, dogs, elephants & whales. I was immediately drenched. But it was fun - refreshing...like being a kid....dancing in a lawn..barefoot...while raining. This rain and thunder and lightning continued on for another 20 minutes to half hour. I was unsure if it was going to pass over quickly. It did not. Withstanding the 10 minute shelter I took during the severe lightning and hail under the nook of a barn shed, it never stopped raining. I was drenched. Soaked to the bone. But felt good, altho heavy with rain soaked apparel. I was fortunate that I had an extra shirt and a dry car.

Drove home in my bike shorts...which have that maxipad chamois crotch...which was like a sponge. No wings. I'm glad I wasn't struck by lightning, my family would be curious as how to cash in on a life insurance policy that I don't have for an "act of God" if my heathen ass was hegemonically removed from the dogma record as a humanist default. Is glad my Cannondale shoes are almost dry..I'm looking forward to my bike ride tomorrow. Life moves on. Keep your bibles, keep your mantras. Life cannot be missed with the extradiagetic bullshit that religion provides and salvation protects for the sake of protectuionary protection. My life has no owner's manual, in fact - no dealership can honor the extended warranty anymore. I'm 36 years old. I beleive in myself. Simple and minimal is that. Like a introverted sappy architecture or design magazine you once saw in design school over a decade ago. Pure prada mixed with DuChamp while Man Ray shaved his moustache and kicked the tires on a Kosuthian idea of what a chair means. I hum to my nervous system sounds while John Cage rolls over in his grave a recording of NSYNC on a Webber Wire recorder. Oh the drama.

Biked to Leesburg and back tonight - and yes..I challenged myself to bike over that damn Goose Creek bridge (the wussy that I am fear of heights). This time I barely flinched as I biked over it...It's slowly becoming natural now. Soon it will be a distant fear..or memory of that fear. SUch a beautiful day. Reminds me of the Spring days in college or in high school...being outside excersizing..then driving with all the windows down and sunroof open. The worst of the pollen is gone, this is the nicest time of year.

That being said, I've been contemplating shaving off my ratty old goatee off as to avoid a goatee tan mark - I'm in the sun at least 2 hours a day biking. This goatee that I grew was only supposed to be temporary. 6 months later...still on my face. I was discussing this with my Dad a few nights ago, he then proceeded to tell me this story about a soldier he knew when he was in Vietnam. He was this huge burly guy with a moustache and a slight beard. In Vietnam those days the rules kind of shifted on a whim - usually no beards or moustaches. A new officer came aboard and insisted that this soldier be ship shape....and simply said to him "by this time tomorrow...I want to see half as much hair on your face.." So, (as my dad laughed telling this story) in the morning, this soldier came in for the role call - he had shaved exactly 1/2 of his moustache and beard off. The entire encampment roared in laughter.

On my bike ride tonight towards Vienna...I biked up to a swarm of people on the trail...all in some sort of team or something wearing a casual uniform . I realized what/who they were. Fairfax County/City Bicycle cops - in training. About 20 of them. Real friendly guys. Some real brutish, some looking like they were intentionally put on the training schedule for weight issues. I biked with them for about 4 miles...then (because they were a little slow) pardoned myself from the pack and biked ahead of them. This was the only opportunity for me to speed faster than 20 cops. I hope to see them again on the trail. I bet they have great stories.

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I'll admit it. I have a fear of heights. And spiders, especially spiders. Fortunately, I rarely see spiders - but if I do, I'll scream like a little girl. The fear of heights has become an issue lately for me - so I'm thinking that I'd like to try to make myself "less afraid". During the workweek, I alternate my bike rides - I bike from Sterling to Leesburg and back one day, then the next from Sterling to Vienna and back. I like both rides - they vary in terrain and the stretches of rural, suburban, urban patches - bridges, inclines, ascents, wildlife, the demeanor, et al. This is the glitch. The last leg of the W&OD bike trail between Sterling to Leesburg is after the Goose Creek Quarry (Lucky Stone) - is the actual Goose Creek. This bike trail used to be the W&OD (Washington & Old Dominion) railway - now preserved as a place for biking/running/rollerblading/horseback riding - so some of the austere yet historical relics of the original railway are there - like THIS (stupid scary) BRIDGE over Goose Creek.

I guess I am a wussy. Let me describe this bridge - from a wimpy bicyclist perspective - of one who screams like a girl at any itsy bitsey spider. Here you are rolling along..then all of a sudden...you see a thin concrete surface ahead..about 6-8 feet wide..basically a platform....with a mangy old chain link fence there....this almost invisible divider between you and the creek that is about 75-100 feet below. This bridge stretches prolly for a good long city block. I dread this part of that leg of my trek. I've walked over it most of the times - but I whimsically dared myself to "just do it" feeding into Nike's classic age old ad campain to "Just Do It" - I speed up and whiz down the bridge almost with my eyes closed - in blinders..as not to get startled. I stare down at the yellow line in the middle of the path until I get to the other side. I give myself a hearty pat on my own back after I pass the bridge - then I'm like...oh crap - I have to bike back over it (or walk it). I've been doing this for almost 2 months. As I said before - I'm trying to make myself immune to this fear by purposely biking over it every other day.

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We were supposed to have wicked thunderboomers and rain tonight. It threatened all day with a flirtatious sky of dark bluish Paynes Grey, and the temperature wavered. Knowing this was going to happen - I decided that I'd cook tonight instead of take my usual 2+ hour bikeride. I spent that time instead gathering what I wanted at the market, preparing it, cooking it...and enjoying it. So as I was driving to the market and looking at the sky and thinking, Mussels - they have that odd color and sheen like storm clouds, I must get mussels... So, without adu, I present,

Moules cuites à la vapeur et Chorizo dans un bouillon crème de Chardonnay
(Steamed Mussels and Chorizo in a Chardonnay Cream Broth)

3lbs fresh (live) mussels, cleaned and ready to steam
3 smoke cured chorizo links, sliced on the diagonal
3 tomatos, skinless*, seedless, chopped
1 red onion, diced into tiny cubes
5 medium cloves garlic, loosely sliced
1 cup dry white wine (preferably Chardonnay)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup fat free Half and Half cream
1 large tbsp margarine
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh Cilantro
Kosher/corse salt & ground cracked pepper to taste

In a very large covered skillet or large braiser, on high heat - add the chorizo and stir until browned and juicy. Pour in wine and scrape up the chorizo oil and burnt drippings, add chicken broth and let reduce for a minute. Turn heat down to medium high, toss in garlic, onion and margarine - stir until onions become semi-translucent and toss in tomatos, cilantro, salt and pepper. Using a wisk, slowly pour in cream and then turn down to a small simmer. Pour mussels in over top and cover giving a good stir to cover. After 2 minutes, open lid and stir until semi-open shells become filled with sauce then cover. Continue to do this until all mussels are completely immersed and steaming this in broth mixture. After 15 minutes**, completely stir and open lid to serve. Plate with a generous bowl of mussels with the broth covered, serve with spongey bread to soak up broth and Asparagus goes well. Enjoy!

(*skinless tomatos: easy to do, drop in boiling water for 2 minutes. Skin shrivels and cracks, when taken off and put under cold water - skin comes right off)

(** to know if steamed mussels are cooked, they will open the shell about 1/2 way. Rule of thumb, never eat a mussel that refuses to open)

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What a busy weekend. And alot of fun. Saturday, drove down to see my new Neice in Lynchburg - such a cutiepie. And as all newborns, the center of attention. Spent the afternoon with my two nephews, my brother and his wife - they have a beautiful house and a newly renovated gourmet kitchen. I drooled with culinary envy. That evening, I helped cook with their old nanny (who is now a family friend) - had some great curry. Then turned in early. Sunday, got up early and did the entire Blackwater Creek bike trail - sorta short for my normal rides, but a beautiful trail. It crosses over the James River, goes thru the downtown - and at one point - thru an old railway tunnel. Nice and misty and chilly like a cave. I think I biked less than 20 miles. The 2 block trek back up to their house was more of a challenge than the entire trail - it was a steep bank up from the river. I was not tired but grubby from the bikeride - I had mud splattered all up my back, told my brother that I would help him do yardwork. A few hours later and a grass stained shirt, we had that lawn all mowed, trimmed, blown dry like it had gone to a stylist. We took the kids to lunch, I said farewell, drove 4 hours home. I slept well.

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