bikes

Yesterday I volunteered at an alleycat race called The Cuttin Crew Classic, which is actually like 10 alleycats in one. Lots of checkpoints, two time trials, a cargo haul (where I was), track stands etc... I was going to race, but they asked for volunteers, so I got my $20 entry fee back and a t-shirt, and I got to meet about 20 riders.

Meanwhile I am still doing some work from home. I am doing a set of icons for a large ISP



I'd like to buy a cheap bike for running errands, winter and general stuff that requires a bike to be locked up outside. I worry about my bike and I covered all the logos and stuff with electrical tape.

I've also been trying to make new friends. Hanging out with a friend of Jens. We went out on Friday, she is a bartender around town and knows everyone, so we got in to a bar that had a huge line, without having to wait. I also got a girls number after I ran into her the 2nd time. We're going to the beach tomorrow. I've never asked a stranger for her number. She seemed very sweet.

The weather today was pretty much perfect. Sunny and cool. Its currently 76f at 7pm.

More sailing today. There are pictures on my flickr page (flickr.com/photos/vectorbug). There is an air show this weekend, so the pilots were all preparing and practicing up in the air today, above our heads. My hands are a little sore from helping sail, but now I've helped sail a boat!

more riding

I went for another ride tonight, around midnight (hour ride). Just tooled around division, milwaukee, downtown and back. I stumbled upon Batman: The Dark Knight film crews, or lighting crews or something and they made me keep going =(

Here is my route tonight, roughly.

I got my bike back!

yay! I rode my bike home for the first time in months! I also got really turned around (technically lost). Its a good thing no one was with me, or they probably would have gotten pissed at my detour. Oh well, what a great ride.

The scooter place I interviewed at 2 days ago finally emailed me back. But the response was not what I was expecting at all. It was very vague and cryptic. "Did Phil get in touch with you?" Phil is the founder of the company that popped in while I was being interviewed.

No, Phil didn't get in touch with me...

So, they either want to get in touch with me to make an offer, possibly already having made an offer to the other candidate who is possibly negotiating their salary up, and want to see if I'll take what they offer (I probably will). Or They just want to make an offer, or they want to tell me sorry...

Suspense!

still slow

Ran tonight, forgot the last couple of nights.

Instead of the 1.6 I've been doing, I went the other way and did 2.4. Roughly 30 minutes. Still slow. My room mate gave me a hassle for being so slow and not running very far after doing this for a couple weeks, saying I should add at least a quarter mile. I disagreed and argued with him about it, but secretly agreed. So I think thats what I'll do (or fail to do).

something new, something blue

I went sailing today. I didn't do much to make the boat sail, but I helped out a little. A friend of mike's has a stake in a sailboat and the three of us, plus another friend of Mikes took it out tonight around 9pm. Right around sunset. It was very calm in the dock, but once we got out we had a really nice smooth wind take us out for about an hour and a half.

About an hour out we came near the "Carter Harrison Crib". I had no idea what this was, and to me it looked like a mini Alcatraz. But apparently its a water pumping sort of thing they installed about 100 years ago to get fresh water from the lake! The crib takes water from the lake and drains it down into a tunnel that goes inland to a water filtration pump (apparently the one around here is the largest in the world). Here's an olde timey illustration.

This idea of a sole building out a few miles off the shore that just sits there with a small crew doing light maintenance and work kind of blows my mind. When we passed by (at a distance of course, because of post 9/11 security) there were no lights on, except for the tower to make sure no one sails into it. Kind of spooky. The unit itself is around 100 years old, which to a San Franciscan like me, is ancient and even spookier. Wish I could go aboard.

More info.

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news

There is a big printing industry expo next month, so I bought a ticket and got new cards done. I'm getting the proof tomorrow (pulled a string or two) at psprint.

James May's 20th Century

Brilliant.

"Blast Off", Episode 2, part 2/3

tired

The night before last I had my first job in Chicago. Someone on the shack posted saying they needed help moving servers at their web hosting company. Pay was a whole $50 and dinner at some fancy chicago place. I thought it might be fun, and I'd like the money, so I went.

There were about 15 people total from the company, all nice guys that remind me of my friends back home. We moved about 5 cabinets of servers (via 4 or 5 cars) about a mile. The old setup was pretty hokey and if I were a client and saw it, I'd be a little concerned. The new place was immaculate.



We worked from about midnight until 6am. I got home around 7 or 8am. Showered and slept until 1pm when mike woke me up to start painting.

Then we got paint and supplies, came back and painted until dinner time. Ate dinner at metro pizza, then I came back and slept.

I had lots of crazy dreams about girls and work and walking and other stuff I dont remember. I woke up at one point all sweaty and stressed out.

Its Friday now, and I tend to relax a little bit on weekends with regards to looking for work. Yesterday I didn't look at all, but I had 2 projects drop in my lap for a client / friend. That'll be about $800. And potentially another project for web design, but probably not. So thats not bad.