Why didn't I think of this ... ?

Take a look here - Seattle Snowpocalypse

Pay for your next bike tour, maybe ...

Story here: The Taco Bike | Santa Rosa & Wine Country Dining and Restaurants

Yep, Montblanc Killed my MacBook Pro Today

One of my fps. Not a Montblanc. I don't use a MacBook Pro either.


I just finished a 20,000+ word writing project using a fountain pen instead of a laptop which took a lot less time than you might imagine. I've used fountain pens off and on for 40 years and whenever I remember to use them, I wonder how I could have forgotten them in the first place. I can write for hours without muscle fatigue or having my hand cramp up. With the right paper and ink and if the nib is tuned you feel like you're writing on a sheet of glass. They are a beautiful and elegant way to put words onto paper.

I found this article which sums up the differences between fountain pens and laptops. Maybe there's a fountain pen in your future too, even if you don't want to completely spit the high tech hook. :)

NSFW: Yep, Montblanc Killed my MacBook Pro Today

Some day ...

Montana's Great Divide Route from Montana Office of Tourism on Vimeo.

A fun short flim by Andrea Dorfman

Rolling home - spooky piscator

Raining like crazy on the ride in this morning, so here's one from the ride home last night.

Morning commute - dawn's early light

Zzzzzzzz ...

Morning commute - Dot the "i"

Roxy Paine's newly installed 100 Foot Line at the National Gallery.

Technically my commute was over as I'd already parked my bike, had my shower and was on my way in search of my morning coffee. But the moon was in the right place and the morning sun was reflecting off the stainless steel skin of the sculpture. You have to zoom in to see it properly, though. I rather like it. :)

Morning commute - drydock

Balmy this moring. 12C. Going out this morning reminded me of driving south in the winter. The last stop was for gas in Pennsylvania and it was cold with snow everywhere. The next stop is Virginia and when you open the car door you're hit with a blast of warm, moist air. It's a brief respite in what's been a cold, wet couple of weeks.

Morning commute - darkness to light

Morning commute - river up, sculptures down

Secret to long life?

Secret to long life? - Press-Telegram

Morning commute - fall is here

Morning commute - c-c-c-cold

4 degrees :7

Morning commute - sun spot

Morning commute - a bit brighter

The temp was only 5C but it didn't feel that cold, thanks to a weak sun coming up.

Coffee with the candidate

Having coffee with Julia Ringma who is running for City Council and is an avid cyclist. If you're in Ward 8 - College, check out her blog, send her your questions, be blown away with the answers and then go vote for her in the municipal election on October 25th. And tell all your friends to do the same!

Morning commute - where'd you come from?

7 degrees out there. Nuff said.

Morning commute - slow dawn

11C degrees, slight SW wind, pretty dark but clearing and brightening. I think here are some sunny mornings left in this commuting season, before it's lights on and darkness all the way in.

Morning commute - heading south

Wouldn't mind going with them. :)

Morning commute - rainy day feeling

Driving mist in steady wind, actually, and 12C on the thermometer. You couldn't see water hitting the puddles but it was wet, wet, wet.

Last night I was reading some posts on The Path Less Pedaled. When Russ' rain jacket wore out he switched to a Marmot DriClime Windshirt, a garmet that I own too. It has a thin fleece on the inside and a wind shell on the outside, and is supposed to protect you in a light rain while providing a bit of warmth. But if I was on an around the world bike tour I think I'd want a real rain jacket. I was surprised he thought it was good enough.

On the other hand, I've never worn it in the rain, so I thought I'd try it this morning. It worked great against the rain and I was dry on the inside. It does wear warm, though, and since it doesn't have any pit zips, you can overheat if you're really working out.

Near symmetry, less 1/2

Morning commute - quick peek

It rained for most of the ride in but then, just for a moment, the sun came out as I was crossing the canal. I dug the camera out of the pack and fire off a hurried shot. It went off at about 1/80s, so it's a bit fuzzy. As I waited for the image to be written to the card and recomposed for the next pic, the sun went away and didn't come back. Sometimes you only get one shot at things in life.

Bridgehead baked goods

Just the coffee, thanks. The bike tour is over. :7

A day off, but the weather isn't good

It's says it's 18C out there but it feels colder. It's windy and now it's raining off and on. A good day to clean the bike.

Leftovers from the week

Morning commute - the far side