Brrrrr! But not as cold as they were saying today was going to be. Never got above 40 degrees.

Spent the morning installing Windows XP (finally) - was a fairly painless install. Had to reinstall a number of drivers, and do a few tweaks - I'm a happy camper.

Ran a few errands, looked at an apartment...(pricey), and then went on a VERY cold bike ride - I could only handle about an hour and 40 minutes before my feet froze (about 35 miles).

Went to the bike shop afterwards to check out new chains and repair stands. Decided I'd wait on the repair stand (I found a really nice one, but will wait until it's on sale). I had my gears and deraillers re-indexed while I had them install my new chain (with quick remove for cleaning). Joked around with the bike mechanics while they worked on my bike - cool guys. Drove to a few car dealerships...but didn't have the nerve to go in and look. I think I'll look online before I decide to actually go. I'm in no rush. Came home, had dinner, watched the new "Manchurian Candidate" (was quite good - Denzel and Streep were great in this remake), cleaned my bike - doing laundry.

Tomorrow is supposed to be bitter cold, may be on the trainer tomorrow. Still need a haircut - unsure (may want to let it grow out), few more errands. Life is good.

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Thank goodness it's Friday - and such a great Friday it was. Well, the exception was the weather. This morning, there was much flooding due to the 2" of rain we received last night (in a few hours), then the temperature dropped. Work was extremely busy - and it passed by quickly. I was watching the temperature on www.weather.com drop in the area. It was going to get nasty cold.

When I left work to go on my bike ride - it was 34 degrees (the night before it was 63 degrees), and when I finished up my bike ride (the glorious 36 miles), it had dropped down to 27 degrees in 2 hours. I was chattering cold, literally shivvering - frozen toes and frozen hot dog legs. It took me over an hour and a half to warm back up.

Came home and had some nice hot bean soup and a salad. Finished up doing some domestic planning for the weekend. It's going to be a busy (freezing) one. I need to finally install Windows XP, reinstall/re-configure everything, get a haircut, wash car, look at apartments, look at new cars, go to bike shop (get new chain, and bike repair stand), go on bike ride (if tolerable outside...if not...indoors on trainer). As I said, it's going to be a busy weekend.

I'm now drooling over this new bike, heck - a man can dream (it's very similar to my own...just the latest top of the line):

Click for bigger

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WoweeeeWow-WOW-WOW! (in my best Christopher Walken impression), what a nice day. The weather was outstandlingly amazing. It was 70 degrees when I got off work (can this really be January 13th?). Work flew by like a dream - new clients, hard core quick deadline....was excited to get off work to go biking. Got let off a little bit early, I geared up and headed to Herndon to meet the folks from my bike club - we pacelined it all the way out to Hamilton and back..was a fantastic ride (little gusty) but in a jersey and almost shorts...41 miles.

I like this bike club - it's like a loose knit group, yet organized with variable ages and skill levels (most are geared towards the hard core). During the winter months - most cyclists tend to pare down their rides - move indoors onto a trainer, or do spinners classes - but for those of us that want the real McCoy, being out there with wind, and the realistic resistance training, outdoors is the only option. This club is almost a support group for this...but only meet a few days a week. I join them on Thursday nights and one day over the weekend. There is a threshold for the rides - mostly for safety (safety is paramount when you are out there). We do organized rides, pacelines, et al when it's above 15-20 degrees, no rain, no ice, no snow (on trail/road). Rain rides work at above 40 degrees - and in harsh conditions, no more than 2 hours. We are crazy, but not stupid. I have finally graduated to a class "A" rider status this Fall (there are ride status - based on riding experience, your average speed, distance, et al).

These rides have been a great networking and social release for me - I've said that I need to branch out, socially (will have more opportunity this Spring when I move), in the interim - the bike club has been a great portal to meet people. It's a co-ed club, so there's a mix of folks - all healthy, serious, funy-as-shit, dedicated, lax, and just nuts. Takes a sense of humor to do what we do. I've also taken the approach that the planning of events this spring/summer/fall surrounding my cycling events will prove to show more social proclivities. I would love to create a cycling camp that is also a culinary refresher...that would be cool. Biking and cooking. Knowing fate, I'd probably become the caveat emptor of this stupidity.

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I'm going to have to enjoy the weather for today and tomorrow...it's going to drop 30 degrees on Friday - will be a shitty weekend, weatherwise. Supposed to not get above 30 degrees, and next week - the possibility of snow. May have to start using the indoor trainer soon.

Work went by smoothly - was semi-busy, but went by quick. Tomorrow will be about the same - although I'm gonna sneak out in the afternoon for a job interview.

After work, I went on my bike ride - on the 4 mile loop through the 'burbs out in Sterling (try to do 9-10 loops), 40 miles tonight. It's actually fascinating to bike through the community, looking in people's windows, seeing how they decorate, the smells of what they are cooking, steak, garlic, cellery, dryer sheets...seems that alot of people do laundry and grill. Lotta people have TVs on, or working in the garage, and a lot of fish tanks. Watching the trend of what people do when they get home from work, wherever - it's also interesting that no one is out walking (for excersize (the occasional dog walker)....no other runners, walkers, bikers. Buncha fat blobs indoor watching tv, eating dinner I suppose - least of the folks I've seen (maybe I haven't seen everyone, although out of a 4 mile stretch of 'burbs - I've seen an entire consistent demographic).

Finished my ride, came home in some major pea soup fog (been foggy all day), ate dinner, watched a little of "Good Morning Vietnam" (on tv - I've turned into a slob). Welp, more laundry n stuff to do.

**update - a cycling colleague sent me these photos (left) of when I was in the Heart of Virginia Century in Ashland, VA this past September. The photos are not very descriptive, just a minor documentation (click to enlarge, in both photos, I have on the dark grey helmet and yellow rain parka). The pics were taken at the 70 mile point, it was pouring rain (Hurricane Ivan). Those pictured were of two handfulls of the folks who finished the entire thing. Ordinarilly I never sit during a century - we had to get out of the rain and wind for 5 minutes to woof down some food.

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Busy busy busy day. A little dreary too, the day was cold and overcast. Offsite meetings, deadlines, but some office fun ensued. The demeanor in the office has lightened up - we are redoing the offices soon, new desks, chairs, carpet, paint, hardware....and it's fun shopping for it.

Went on a 38 mile bike ride after work, on my new suburban 4 mile loop (not on the trail for this week, for fear will get caught biking after dark) - did the loop 10 times (the last loop only 1/2 - to get back to my car).

Came home, got my new USPS jersey in the mail, very cool. And a new monitor to replace the bad one - replaced it, works just great. Life goes on. I'm doing research tonight on a training schedule for a double century, and scheduling my centuries for this next season. I want to shoot for about 6-10 events this spring to fall season (centuries, 1/2 centuries, double centuries - I also want to make an attempt to enter one or more races, 35+ year races). Lots on my plate on the personal front, also include looking for a new apartment + schedule time to move, the continuation of the job search/replacement, buying new car (to replace the Jetta). The possibilities are endless. I noticed for the first time today how it's actually stayed lighter longer.....it's now just getting dark at 5:30pm - still twilight. Spring is a coming!

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Let me first say - I love bicycles, and I abhor cars.

For many reasons, the first is the obvious - repairs. Even if you are a certified mechanic, a car repair is a huge ordeal. At least with a bike, it's usually something simple, or a replacement part....still pricey, and mostly you can do the repairs yourself. Moreover, bikes break down less than cars - no how many miles you put on them, and I put a shitload of miles on my bike. That being said - I had a wonderful experience this morning after dropping my fucking Jetta at the (new) mechanic, to have the annual safety inspection (oh joy).

It's like a crap shoot these days - lord knows what the hell could be broken, burnt out, cracked, torn or whatevva to impede the car from passing inspection. Car inspections must be what car mechanics prey on - hapless victims who don't know the difference between a rack-pinion boot from a left handed screw driver. And they know it. To make a long story short, I had to have my rack-pinion power steering boot (pictured) replaced today - it was (as explained to me, "it's broken apart and leaking steering fluid - it won't pass inspection") broken, needed to be fixed in order to pass inspection...to keep my car legal on the road....so I can commute to work to earn the money to continually pay for my car repairs. Damn viscious cycles. Well, $568 later, and a new inspection sticker - that cycle is NOT my bicycle. I hate my car.

I was working like a madman during the day between programming in the morning, client contacts, and project reporting - then had to go to an off site meeting at Pentagon City, came back to more of the same (picked up my car meantime)...I was sooo ready for a bike ride. My stress level was at an all time high. So after 41 miles in some seemingly unusually warm weather (in the 50s - tomorrow is supposed to be warmer). THis time, no cops...didn't see any...was biking by the seat of my pants...literally Ha!

Came home, had some scallops - YUMMY! and have been organizing some personal documents. (note, I hate cars, and updating wills). This time of year after the holidays...and before the weather gets real nice in the Spring is perfect for getting all my personal effects in order - not to mention organized before I move (moving to a new apt this spring). Lots to do...

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I generally never trust people who never blink, drink coffee, or forecast weather - not in any particular order. The local weather jockeys claimed that today was going to be a pleasantly warm, sunny 60 degree day. Oh bullshit. Pardon my french, it was an overcast, almost raining, damp, "cold-as-a-witchs'-tit" kinda day.

Regardless, I decided to sleep in - not much on the proverbial chore/pleasure task plate until the afternoon. I ran a few domestic errands then arrived in Vienna and geared up for an icy cold bike ride. I was initially going to limit my ride to about 30 miles - but after 10 miles, I got over the shock and awe of how fricken cold it was - I continued on.

While on my ride, I bumped into a dude who was on his way home in Bethesda, MD coming from Purcellville - a 110 mile ride. We biked for about 20 miles together - talked about the latest centuries, and which ones to prepare for. It was soo cold, it was almost difficult to breathe. Had to stop every 20 minutes to warm my hands. By the time I got back to my car, my water bottle was frozen - least it wasn't as windy as yesterday.

Finished up at 46 miles - I was worn out. Afterwards, I went to this middle-Eastern Halal market in Vienna to look around and stock up on some stuff to make my hummus and spanakopita. The spanakopita recipe will follow after I make it. Meantime, it's sunday night - anxiety settles in...befre the work week. I'm going to numb it by looking at the Washington Post's MEGA Tech Job Opportunities.

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