Hello from Wake Med hospital! I think most of you know by now that I was involved in a cycling accident on the 22nd of March. I was attacked by a pit bull toward the end of a 100 km training ride for the assault on Mt. Mitchell. I received a fractured pelvis, several fractured ribs, a shattered scapula and a post-op collapsed lung. I am now recovering as quickly as I can and expect to go home Monday or Tuesday. I have been blessed by the support of my wife and kids, my extended family and friends, a generous employer and God himself.
I am very much looking forward to getting back on the bike, but realistically it will be several months before my recovery allows me to do so. I'm really tired now and need to get some rest, so today's entry will be a short one.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
I think I can. I think I can.
I was telling Karen last night that I wish my only goal for cycling in '09 was to be a strong A group rider 'cause I'd be done. But since I have to climb the mountain, I've work left to do. Here's a tale of two rides.
Last Thursday I went out with the A group from Apex. I knew what to expect; it was going to be fast, but I should be able to hang in. The first 27 miles were awesome. It's hard to explain, but in some respects it gets easier to ride the faster you go. For one you learn to stay up front. Also, the faster riders are MUCH more disciplined. Rotations are more strict, and smoother. Big stuff gets pointed out and little stuff gets ignored. I did my share up front in the rotation for the better part of 70 minutes. And then I did something stupid. As we came back up Lewter Shop road the rotations had stopped and riders hung out on the front as they pleased. When my turn came, I kinda stayed out front a little too long and we were going, oh, about, 25 miles per hour. Then bad goes to worse. I saw another group traveling about the same speed as we were traveling perhaps 200 yards ahead of us. What should I have done? Easy. Pulled over, gone to the back, hung on, rested. What did I do? I bridged a group of 40 riders up by maxing out and as soon as I caught the group ahead... I blew up. I watched in self-disappoointment as now 50 riders went by me at 25 miles an hour as I faded to 20, then 19 on down to 18.
Now, the lesson learned was that I didn't ride within my limits. Last night was faster and easier. I rode 41 miles at about a 21 MPH average. Did my fair share up front. Stayed in, rested. Rode smart. Finished with the group. The only criticism I'll give in to is that I spent too much time in the very back of the group where you do get the benefit of draft, but you also pay the price of rarefraction. (Think stretched out part of a spring racing to catch up to the compressed part of the spring.)
All in all I'm feeling modestly confident about my preparation for the Assault on Mount Mitchell. I'm not going to get cocky, but I will gaurantee you that I will prepare to do well in the last 25 miles where the race is either won or lost on a personal level. It's going to be a long day in the saddle. It's going to hurt at times for long periods. But, God willing, I'm going to get to the top of that mountain.
Last Thursday I went out with the A group from Apex. I knew what to expect; it was going to be fast, but I should be able to hang in. The first 27 miles were awesome. It's hard to explain, but in some respects it gets easier to ride the faster you go. For one you learn to stay up front. Also, the faster riders are MUCH more disciplined. Rotations are more strict, and smoother. Big stuff gets pointed out and little stuff gets ignored. I did my share up front in the rotation for the better part of 70 minutes. And then I did something stupid. As we came back up Lewter Shop road the rotations had stopped and riders hung out on the front as they pleased. When my turn came, I kinda stayed out front a little too long and we were going, oh, about, 25 miles per hour. Then bad goes to worse. I saw another group traveling about the same speed as we were traveling perhaps 200 yards ahead of us. What should I have done? Easy. Pulled over, gone to the back, hung on, rested. What did I do? I bridged a group of 40 riders up by maxing out and as soon as I caught the group ahead... I blew up. I watched in self-disappoointment as now 50 riders went by me at 25 miles an hour as I faded to 20, then 19 on down to 18.
Now, the lesson learned was that I didn't ride within my limits. Last night was faster and easier. I rode 41 miles at about a 21 MPH average. Did my fair share up front. Stayed in, rested. Rode smart. Finished with the group. The only criticism I'll give in to is that I spent too much time in the very back of the group where you do get the benefit of draft, but you also pay the price of rarefraction. (Think stretched out part of a spring racing to catch up to the compressed part of the spring.)
All in all I'm feeling modestly confident about my preparation for the Assault on Mount Mitchell. I'm not going to get cocky, but I will gaurantee you that I will prepare to do well in the last 25 miles where the race is either won or lost on a personal level. It's going to be a long day in the saddle. It's going to hurt at times for long periods. But, God willing, I'm going to get to the top of that mountain.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Vonage Sucks
Our experience with Vonage for phone service was terrible. The quality of the service was flat-out unacceptable. Every conversation was peppered by moments of vacuum where you didn't know if 1) you were still connected 2) what you had said was transmitted 3) you had just missed something that was said coming your way. Using Vonage made a the passive experience of simply talking a very active, difficult task. Additionally, on several occasions calls to our house were greeted with, "This number has been disconnected or is no longer in service." WTF? When I called to report this, they asked, 'What service was the incoming caller using?' Like I know this!?!?! It was as if Vonage also thought I signed up to be a tech support case study. I told them clearly that I was paying for a dial tone and that's all I wanted. Ultimately, we could not continue with the lousy quality of the service and the issue of having people calling us hearing that our line had been disconnected. I politely requested Vonage waive the disconnect fee as they had not lived up to their end of the service agreement. They refused. Ironically I've had three people ask me about my phone service in the last week and I did my best to steer them clear of the terrible product Vonage is.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Neet
Today is March 1st and it is indeed here like a lion. We're expecting anywhere between two and six inches of snow to fall over the night and into the morning and as such I'll go no freakin' where near the roads tomorrow. Too many idiots.
Perhaps this is already clear to you, but it's therapeutic for me to type this in regards to all that is going on with the economy. I'm mad because not only is there no penalty for the behaviors that got us into this mess, to the contrary there is reward. My madness boils over when I consider that we - you and me Mr. citizen - are the ones being forced to dole out the rewards with our money.
And while I'm in the bully pulpit it's time to thank some people: Rush Limbaugh, Anne Coulter, Evangelical RepubChristians. You'd think that these people would be humbled by the results that eight years of their ideals in place created. To the contrary, the Republicans now ironically call foul on the stimulus package put forth by the Dems calling it wasteful spending. Do they/you not see the irony in this? And as the conservative right continues to allow people like Coulter and Limbaugh to be their de facto mouth pieces, it only serves to isolate and diminish their narrow views pushing them further from mainstream America and further from majority. Are the Republicans so disorganized that they choose Coulter and a radio show host as their leaders by proxy? Look I'm all for small government, fiscal conservatism, liberty, freedom and family values. But the Republican party should be concerned by the distance between it's core values and the values of a majority of conservative Americans. And don't think I'm completely one-sided on this either. Should the Republicans fail to get their party back on its feet after a slow stumble to the ground over the last eight years, the loss wouldn't be just the party, the loss would be the counterbalance and that would truly be a disaster.
Training for the Assault on Mount Mitchell is going well. I've reached the point where once again it is necessary to shave the legs to facilitate massaging lactic acid out after longer rides that are more and more common these days. It's one level of awkwardness shopping for a razor handle extender in a catalog for the elderly. But when they deliver it and it's not the industrial grey as pictured, but rather Richard Simmons pink; the Gods must be trying to send me a message.
Perhaps this is already clear to you, but it's therapeutic for me to type this in regards to all that is going on with the economy. I'm mad because not only is there no penalty for the behaviors that got us into this mess, to the contrary there is reward. My madness boils over when I consider that we - you and me Mr. citizen - are the ones being forced to dole out the rewards with our money.
And while I'm in the bully pulpit it's time to thank some people: Rush Limbaugh, Anne Coulter, Evangelical RepubChristians. You'd think that these people would be humbled by the results that eight years of their ideals in place created. To the contrary, the Republicans now ironically call foul on the stimulus package put forth by the Dems calling it wasteful spending. Do they/you not see the irony in this? And as the conservative right continues to allow people like Coulter and Limbaugh to be their de facto mouth pieces, it only serves to isolate and diminish their narrow views pushing them further from mainstream America and further from majority. Are the Republicans so disorganized that they choose Coulter and a radio show host as their leaders by proxy? Look I'm all for small government, fiscal conservatism, liberty, freedom and family values. But the Republican party should be concerned by the distance between it's core values and the values of a majority of conservative Americans. And don't think I'm completely one-sided on this either. Should the Republicans fail to get their party back on its feet after a slow stumble to the ground over the last eight years, the loss wouldn't be just the party, the loss would be the counterbalance and that would truly be a disaster.
Training for the Assault on Mount Mitchell is going well. I've reached the point where once again it is necessary to shave the legs to facilitate massaging lactic acid out after longer rides that are more and more common these days. It's one level of awkwardness shopping for a razor handle extender in a catalog for the elderly. But when they deliver it and it's not the industrial grey as pictured, but rather Richard Simmons pink; the Gods must be trying to send me a message.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
72 Miles
This is why I left Facebook. Thank you Angela Kalo for this link!!!
Yesterday's ride was a monster. 72 miles of hills and wind. My plan was to try and simulate a Triple Hump-like ride in the triangle and I pretty much succeeded. I conquered Lystra, Pea Ridge and the Superman Hill all in one - long ass - ride. Lystra was as easy as it's ever been (half a mile at an average of 14 per cent) but once I came down Jack Bennett and hung a right on Big Woods, the wind really tried to keep me from reaching US64E. I used the inherent slower pace to eat a meal I had stuffed into my back pocket, but after the joy of the meal had passed I still had 5 rolly miles of Big Woods with the wind right in my face to get past. After I topped off my drinks in Wilsonville I headed down to Pea Ridge on my way to old US1. Then it was up US1N and then a right to go past Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant. Finally I enjoyed a tailwind up the Superman Hill, but was so tired from having fought just to get there I was relatively slow. Slow or not it's what I needed and I'm proud of the effort. I'll do some 100k's and a century or two in prep for Mount Mitchell as time and work allow. I think Mount Mitchell is going to be tough mentally and physically.
Yesterday's ride was a monster. 72 miles of hills and wind. My plan was to try and simulate a Triple Hump-like ride in the triangle and I pretty much succeeded. I conquered Lystra, Pea Ridge and the Superman Hill all in one - long ass - ride. Lystra was as easy as it's ever been (half a mile at an average of 14 per cent) but once I came down Jack Bennett and hung a right on Big Woods, the wind really tried to keep me from reaching US64E. I used the inherent slower pace to eat a meal I had stuffed into my back pocket, but after the joy of the meal had passed I still had 5 rolly miles of Big Woods with the wind right in my face to get past. After I topped off my drinks in Wilsonville I headed down to Pea Ridge on my way to old US1. Then it was up US1N and then a right to go past Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant. Finally I enjoyed a tailwind up the Superman Hill, but was so tired from having fought just to get there I was relatively slow. Slow or not it's what I needed and I'm proud of the effort. I'll do some 100k's and a century or two in prep for Mount Mitchell as time and work allow. I think Mount Mitchell is going to be tough mentally and physically.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Cycling, Living, Loving
Hello to all once again. As I sit here in the recliner enjoying some very rare discretionary time, I thought I'd give you a Jim update.
Over a period of about three weeks a stomach virus took no prisoners at 608 Gravel Brook Court. For the kids and Karen it was some vomiting and some lower GI irritation. For the genius that's writing this he thought he could kiss everyone's ills away. He was wrong. Jim enjoyed about 6 straight hours of vomiting and the shits. It has literally taken a week plus for all to get back to be able to say with a straight face, we're OK. The truth is I still had some nausea this morning, but I'm not less than 93% as it were.
As you may recall from the last entry, I had to order new wheels as my old Mavics had a bad spoke that was pulling out of the rear hub. Normally one doesn't buy new wheels for one bad spoke, but these wheels have about 20k miles on them and other spokes are starting to exhibit similar issues. I bought some wheels from William's Cycling and after a sample size of one ride, so far so good. They're pretty fast for not being ultra light, they came true, they're quiet and I couldn't feel any windup. The thing that is nice about these is they came to my front door for $500. While that ain't monopoly money, it isn't what you'd pay for brand name a la Mavic, Fulcrum etc.. So, again, so far so good. Stay tuned..
Today' ride was tough. It was my first ride back in the group since about January 14th. I'd done an evening or two worth of workouts in the garage, but being in the pack is sooo much different. I suffered. I might have been top 5ish. I finished third in the last sprint, but honestly, the guy that took the win did it at about 36MPH and I struggled to get to 33.5. I'll need to work on my go. I had even teamed up with Jen (super-nice, super-strong cycling chick) for a strategy on the last sprint, but we waited too late and had to catch; we should have spent our energy winding up into the low 30's and then sprinting. There's always next week. :-)
OK if you've made it this far, I'll throw you a bone. About a month ago, David and I went to our favorite train watching spot; a switching yard. Our family are regulars at this particular yard. We take nylon chairs and just go and sit and watch the freight cars come into the yard, couple, uncouple, buffer and shunt and cheer the whole while. What happened on this day was nothing short of amazing. As two engines entered the yard pushing a consist of about four tankers, we waved at the kind woman on the front tanker that was navigating back to the engineer in the engine via radio. She waved back with a kind and gentle smile of familiarity. David was like a piece of popcorn in a pot on the stove; he simply could not sit still as we watched as they brought the train in and seemed to park it. After having disappeared around the end of a train between us and the one we were watching for a moment, suddenly the woman popped her head around the end of the train and signaled for David (and I) to come over. We dropped everything in our hands (I actually dropped the car keys and David's bottle ON THE TRACKS) and went as summoned. When we got to the lady, we were at the end of the train, but that is where the engines were. She picked up David and put him up on the stairs which he ascended and I was close in tow. Once at the top of the stairs, we made our way to the engineers compartment where we were greeted by the engineer who opened the door and let us in. The engineer introduced himself - let's just call him God - and asked David if he'd like to sit in the engineer's seat. David's ass found that seat like iron filings to a rare earth magnet. God then asked David if he'd like to blow the horn and once again David executed like Lightnin' Hopkins. God looked down at David and asked if he'd also like to ring the bell and after showing David how to depress the brass button, David was all over it. Then God made all of David's dreams come true when he asked, "David, would you like to move these two tanker cars into position?" David said with an unusual confidence, 'Yes, sir'. God showed David how to slide the handle forward which spun up the engine and then drove the motors which in turn propelled us forward with an authority of power I've never experienced before. As David calmly and confidently slid the handle forward, the train moved forward and shunted the two tankers into position. David got a commendation for a job well done from God and we talked briefly for a few minutes about David's now certain future career as an engineer and then as quickly as it had started, it was over. I hope I didn't offend anyone by calling the engineer God, but right, wrong or indifferent it was in fact God that made that day happen. So I ask for a little tolerance as the reference is meant as an indirect metaphor. David recalls this day weekly and it always brings a smile to our faces. It always will. I can remember clearly about 20 days of my forty years and this one's in the top ten; maybe top five. Thanks God.
Over a period of about three weeks a stomach virus took no prisoners at 608 Gravel Brook Court. For the kids and Karen it was some vomiting and some lower GI irritation. For the genius that's writing this he thought he could kiss everyone's ills away. He was wrong. Jim enjoyed about 6 straight hours of vomiting and the shits. It has literally taken a week plus for all to get back to be able to say with a straight face, we're OK. The truth is I still had some nausea this morning, but I'm not less than 93% as it were.
As you may recall from the last entry, I had to order new wheels as my old Mavics had a bad spoke that was pulling out of the rear hub. Normally one doesn't buy new wheels for one bad spoke, but these wheels have about 20k miles on them and other spokes are starting to exhibit similar issues. I bought some wheels from William's Cycling and after a sample size of one ride, so far so good. They're pretty fast for not being ultra light, they came true, they're quiet and I couldn't feel any windup. The thing that is nice about these is they came to my front door for $500. While that ain't monopoly money, it isn't what you'd pay for brand name a la Mavic, Fulcrum etc.. So, again, so far so good. Stay tuned..
Today' ride was tough. It was my first ride back in the group since about January 14th. I'd done an evening or two worth of workouts in the garage, but being in the pack is sooo much different. I suffered. I might have been top 5ish. I finished third in the last sprint, but honestly, the guy that took the win did it at about 36MPH and I struggled to get to 33.5. I'll need to work on my go. I had even teamed up with Jen (super-nice, super-strong cycling chick) for a strategy on the last sprint, but we waited too late and had to catch; we should have spent our energy winding up into the low 30's and then sprinting. There's always next week. :-)
OK if you've made it this far, I'll throw you a bone. About a month ago, David and I went to our favorite train watching spot; a switching yard. Our family are regulars at this particular yard. We take nylon chairs and just go and sit and watch the freight cars come into the yard, couple, uncouple, buffer and shunt and cheer the whole while. What happened on this day was nothing short of amazing. As two engines entered the yard pushing a consist of about four tankers, we waved at the kind woman on the front tanker that was navigating back to the engineer in the engine via radio. She waved back with a kind and gentle smile of familiarity. David was like a piece of popcorn in a pot on the stove; he simply could not sit still as we watched as they brought the train in and seemed to park it. After having disappeared around the end of a train between us and the one we were watching for a moment, suddenly the woman popped her head around the end of the train and signaled for David (and I) to come over. We dropped everything in our hands (I actually dropped the car keys and David's bottle ON THE TRACKS) and went as summoned. When we got to the lady, we were at the end of the train, but that is where the engines were. She picked up David and put him up on the stairs which he ascended and I was close in tow. Once at the top of the stairs, we made our way to the engineers compartment where we were greeted by the engineer who opened the door and let us in. The engineer introduced himself - let's just call him God - and asked David if he'd like to sit in the engineer's seat. David's ass found that seat like iron filings to a rare earth magnet. God then asked David if he'd like to blow the horn and once again David executed like Lightnin' Hopkins. God looked down at David and asked if he'd also like to ring the bell and after showing David how to depress the brass button, David was all over it. Then God made all of David's dreams come true when he asked, "David, would you like to move these two tanker cars into position?" David said with an unusual confidence, 'Yes, sir'. God showed David how to slide the handle forward which spun up the engine and then drove the motors which in turn propelled us forward with an authority of power I've never experienced before. As David calmly and confidently slid the handle forward, the train moved forward and shunted the two tankers into position. David got a commendation for a job well done from God and we talked briefly for a few minutes about David's now certain future career as an engineer and then as quickly as it had started, it was over. I hope I didn't offend anyone by calling the engineer God, but right, wrong or indifferent it was in fact God that made that day happen. So I ask for a little tolerance as the reference is meant as an indirect metaphor. David recalls this day weekly and it always brings a smile to our faces. It always will. I can remember clearly about 20 days of my forty years and this one's in the top ten; maybe top five. Thanks God.
Friday, January 16, 2009
New Years '09 and Normal Update Stuff
Good morning Veitnam!
I hope everyone had as good a New Year as we did. While what Karen and I did won't end up on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (as we're neither) we really enjoyed our evening. I concocted a pitcher of margaritas using, as always, the fine fine Cabo Wabo tequila and we sat down and watched Sex and The City the movie. Then we had really hot... tea.
I know, I know, shut up loser and tell us about the kids...
Mr. Camden is progressing in leaps and bounds. His vocabulary continues to improve and he's developing a much more robust correlation between the words he is speaking and discrete things in the material world. Example: He can articulate which symbol he wants to hear when the Speak and Spell is activated (remember Speak and Spell? Big dial with arm in the middle activated by pulling a lever which subsequently makes a sound or spells the word that the arm was pointing at.) He's also putting words together a la "Good cookie" and his alphabet is coming along nicely. Physically he's becoming much more adventurous and confident. He's standing by himself for brief seconds and he clearly understands walking and can walk when supported and encouraged from behind. Whereas I thought he would step 1 stand and then step 2 walk I now believe he will start doing both activities independently at or near the same time. I feel confident we'll have our second walker by spring. All in all he continues to amaze us with his progress. Two other nice pieces of trivia: Teething is effectively complete and, oh yeah, he can say the words "love" and "mama" now. Never have there been two words that belonged closer together.
David is now for sale on eBay. I'm just kidding. It's not really a sale it's an auction. David continues to grow physically, intellectually and emotionally. In the not too distant past David struggled with impulse control to the point where it was problematic. Not a crisis, not a tragedy, but definitely a challenge for David and one more challenge for Mom and Dad (Mom and Dad listed in descending order of who was challenged more). Then Karen started investigating dietary modifications as a possible means to correcting the undesired behaviors. In a word, wow. With a little patience, a clear mission to help our son help himself and a HUGE implementation effort on the part of my wife, we (she) has eliminated dairy from David's diet along with a modest number of some other things and the change has been significant. He's now more like Bugs Bunny than Tasmanian Devil. Said differently, his inventory of challenges is much closer in scope now to that of any other typical four year old. This experience has been like a boat ride and we feel like we're on to smoother waters for the time being. We know there will be rough waters ahead in the future, but each challenge we navigate successfully feels like we're putting tools in our parenting tool belt on our journey to be the Norm & Norma Abrams (sp?) of parenting.
Karen never ceases to amaze me. My criteria for a successful day with the kids is not losing my mind and making sure the kids can't find the number for child protective services. But Karen, she thrives. She turns the challenges of feeding, teaching, scheduling, loving, disciplining, therapies, transporting and nurturing into a craft. I can tell you the other luxuries we have in this house pale in comparison to the luxury of having my wife here providing for our kids and taking care of this household and everybody in it. My wife is a blessing in so many ways and she is the source of so much of the love that fills this house that I don't know if she'll ever know how much we all appreciate her. I know today I'll find some small way to express that.
So what is Jim up to? We'll start with Facebook as it's proven to be a quality time waster. I've been on Facebook (FB) for a little over two months now and it is absolutely great for getting in touch with people from yesterday and yesteryear. I've had a lot of fun, some good cordial discussions, and one nominal disappointment. Here's the rub: I'm now back in touch with about 120 friends and there's simply not time to have quality conversation with so many folks. And while that expectation may be wrong it is the essence of the dichotomy of FB. Interestingly enough, this website is the remedy. I can communicate en masse to everyone that truly cares enough to drop in and see what is up with those wacky Preises in non-historic Cary, NC.
My cycling has been going VERY well. I have not missed a regular ride until this week and that was due to a catastrophic mechanical failure of my rear wheel. New wheels have been ordered and I expect them in on Wednesday. I also had a professional fitting done this week and the number of changes we made were significant... saddle rise, saddle height, saddle pitch, cleat positioning on all three axises (sp?), stem heigh, stem length. The net result will likely be a 5% increase in power delivered to the pedals over time. I'm hoping to gradually move up from back of the A group this season. Now onto what in the hell was I thinking... I have registered for and expect to complete the Assault on Mount Mitchell on May the 18th. My projected finish time is 7 hours with a realistic tolerance of + 1.5 hours and minus 20 minutes.
That's all for now. Keep checking back for updates!!!
I hope everyone had as good a New Year as we did. While what Karen and I did won't end up on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (as we're neither) we really enjoyed our evening. I concocted a pitcher of margaritas using, as always, the fine fine Cabo Wabo tequila and we sat down and watched Sex and The City the movie. Then we had really hot... tea.
I know, I know, shut up loser and tell us about the kids...
Mr. Camden is progressing in leaps and bounds. His vocabulary continues to improve and he's developing a much more robust correlation between the words he is speaking and discrete things in the material world. Example: He can articulate which symbol he wants to hear when the Speak and Spell is activated (remember Speak and Spell? Big dial with arm in the middle activated by pulling a lever which subsequently makes a sound or spells the word that the arm was pointing at.) He's also putting words together a la "Good cookie" and his alphabet is coming along nicely. Physically he's becoming much more adventurous and confident. He's standing by himself for brief seconds and he clearly understands walking and can walk when supported and encouraged from behind. Whereas I thought he would step 1 stand and then step 2 walk I now believe he will start doing both activities independently at or near the same time. I feel confident we'll have our second walker by spring. All in all he continues to amaze us with his progress. Two other nice pieces of trivia: Teething is effectively complete and, oh yeah, he can say the words "love" and "mama" now. Never have there been two words that belonged closer together.
David is now for sale on eBay. I'm just kidding. It's not really a sale it's an auction. David continues to grow physically, intellectually and emotionally. In the not too distant past David struggled with impulse control to the point where it was problematic. Not a crisis, not a tragedy, but definitely a challenge for David and one more challenge for Mom and Dad (Mom and Dad listed in descending order of who was challenged more). Then Karen started investigating dietary modifications as a possible means to correcting the undesired behaviors. In a word, wow. With a little patience, a clear mission to help our son help himself and a HUGE implementation effort on the part of my wife, we (she) has eliminated dairy from David's diet along with a modest number of some other things and the change has been significant. He's now more like Bugs Bunny than Tasmanian Devil. Said differently, his inventory of challenges is much closer in scope now to that of any other typical four year old. This experience has been like a boat ride and we feel like we're on to smoother waters for the time being. We know there will be rough waters ahead in the future, but each challenge we navigate successfully feels like we're putting tools in our parenting tool belt on our journey to be the Norm & Norma Abrams (sp?) of parenting.
Karen never ceases to amaze me. My criteria for a successful day with the kids is not losing my mind and making sure the kids can't find the number for child protective services. But Karen, she thrives. She turns the challenges of feeding, teaching, scheduling, loving, disciplining, therapies, transporting and nurturing into a craft. I can tell you the other luxuries we have in this house pale in comparison to the luxury of having my wife here providing for our kids and taking care of this household and everybody in it. My wife is a blessing in so many ways and she is the source of so much of the love that fills this house that I don't know if she'll ever know how much we all appreciate her. I know today I'll find some small way to express that.
So what is Jim up to? We'll start with Facebook as it's proven to be a quality time waster. I've been on Facebook (FB) for a little over two months now and it is absolutely great for getting in touch with people from yesterday and yesteryear. I've had a lot of fun, some good cordial discussions, and one nominal disappointment. Here's the rub: I'm now back in touch with about 120 friends and there's simply not time to have quality conversation with so many folks. And while that expectation may be wrong it is the essence of the dichotomy of FB. Interestingly enough, this website is the remedy. I can communicate en masse to everyone that truly cares enough to drop in and see what is up with those wacky Preises in non-historic Cary, NC.
My cycling has been going VERY well. I have not missed a regular ride until this week and that was due to a catastrophic mechanical failure of my rear wheel. New wheels have been ordered and I expect them in on Wednesday. I also had a professional fitting done this week and the number of changes we made were significant... saddle rise, saddle height, saddle pitch, cleat positioning on all three axises (sp?), stem heigh, stem length. The net result will likely be a 5% increase in power delivered to the pedals over time. I'm hoping to gradually move up from back of the A group this season. Now onto what in the hell was I thinking... I have registered for and expect to complete the Assault on Mount Mitchell on May the 18th. My projected finish time is 7 hours with a realistic tolerance of + 1.5 hours and minus 20 minutes.
That's all for now. Keep checking back for updates!!!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Too Stupid to Fail
Hello again friends and neighbors. It's been a little bit since I last updated the web site and I think some ranting and raving is long overdue.
On the Big 3 bailout... Don't do it.
1 - SCREW THE UAW! When asked why UAW members get paid by the manufacturers when they get laid off, Ron Gettlefinger, UAW President, said, "There's a perception problem." He's absolutely right, his perception is a problem. I've seen the videos of the work that happens on the assembly line to make a car and it is not worth ~$40 an hour a.k.a EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR. That's SALARY ONLY NOT BENEFITS. There is no plan on the table to address, negotiate or remedy this. There's waaay too many folks out there clamoring for the PRIVELIDGE of work. If you dumb sons-a-bitches can't figure out how much your entitlement point of view has contributed to the debacle the US auto industry is in today, then to hell with you and your membership.
2 - I bought a Ford Ranger 10 years ago and drove it for 1,500 miles when I discovered the bed was attached askew. When I asked them to loosen four torx bolts and straighten it up I was told that the fix was beyond the term of the cosmetic period of the warranty. A half dozen years later I had purchased another Ford product that was so bad, my wife and I returned the vehicle to Ford under the North Carolina Lemmon law. By and large the Big three did this to themselves. Without consequences, there will not be a change in behavior of the Big 3 or those watching this thing play out. We need to let Capitalism work even when the medicine tastes like a shit sandwich.
3 - Everyone seems to believe that if the Big 3 declare bankruptcy, it creates a void of some two million jobs. Bullshit. Existing parts manufacturers - not the Big 3 - will still be producing parts for existing vehicles Big 3 and non-Big 3. Some of the assets of the Big 3 will find their way into other auto manufacturing facilities. Void? Yes. Big void? Yes. Unrecoverable void? No. This needs to happen to allow the healing to begin on so many levels. Let me ask you this all you 40 and 50 year olds; If you had to choose between losing a substantial chunk of your retirement savings today or 5 to 7 years from today what would you choose? I'm making the assumption you comprehend the time value of money and answered today.
4 - With few exceptions, the product lines of the Big 3 are best described as lethargic and non-seminal with respect to alternative fuel product roadmaps. If I were any one of the CxOs that were duly grilled by Congress last week, I think I'd have promised a car that ran on greenhouse gasses and produced gold as a byproduct. They didn't come to town with a plan in hand??? They had to be asked for a plan?!?!?!? In 20 years in my field I've spent the last 5 to 7 in senior positions. Very few people that have ever worked for me have made this mistake more than once: Coming to the table having only identified a problem. The people I work with can identify problems and immediately suggest solutions. The best of the best tell me about problems I never knew about because remediation is already underway. This construct is likely tantamount to speaking Mandarin (which they better get used to) at the Headquarters of the Big 3.
5 - It is not the job of the US Government to compensate for mismanagement even on a massive scale. Doing so would...
- send a message of no consequences for atrocious behaviors
- inflate the national debt beyond the current amount that our great grandchildren will likely have to pay down/off
- subsidize private industry with taxpayer money
- distract the government from the fundamental things it should be doing now and is either not doing or is doing poorly
For perhaps the last ten years of my life I have fantasized about retirement quietly but with giddy abandon in my mind. Karen and I have worked hard and we save. Our losses in the last 11 months are beyond tens of thousands of dollars. The possibility of losing it all is real and it infuriates me that while doing everything we should be doing we've lost so much. For years, like harboring an incorrigible child, I bought American. And like an angry teenager I was insulted all along the way. I've done all I can and time's run out. Detroit, Big 3, I've had enough. You need to leave and leave now. I will not help you any more.
PS - Take that dumb son-of-a-bitch Blagojevich with you.
On the Big 3 bailout... Don't do it.
1 - SCREW THE UAW! When asked why UAW members get paid by the manufacturers when they get laid off, Ron Gettlefinger, UAW President, said, "There's a perception problem." He's absolutely right, his perception is a problem. I've seen the videos of the work that happens on the assembly line to make a car and it is not worth ~$40 an hour a.k.a EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR. That's SALARY ONLY NOT BENEFITS. There is no plan on the table to address, negotiate or remedy this. There's waaay too many folks out there clamoring for the PRIVELIDGE of work. If you dumb sons-a-bitches can't figure out how much your entitlement point of view has contributed to the debacle the US auto industry is in today, then to hell with you and your membership.
2 - I bought a Ford Ranger 10 years ago and drove it for 1,500 miles when I discovered the bed was attached askew. When I asked them to loosen four torx bolts and straighten it up I was told that the fix was beyond the term of the cosmetic period of the warranty. A half dozen years later I had purchased another Ford product that was so bad, my wife and I returned the vehicle to Ford under the North Carolina Lemmon law. By and large the Big three did this to themselves. Without consequences, there will not be a change in behavior of the Big 3 or those watching this thing play out. We need to let Capitalism work even when the medicine tastes like a shit sandwich.
3 - Everyone seems to believe that if the Big 3 declare bankruptcy, it creates a void of some two million jobs. Bullshit. Existing parts manufacturers - not the Big 3 - will still be producing parts for existing vehicles Big 3 and non-Big 3. Some of the assets of the Big 3 will find their way into other auto manufacturing facilities. Void? Yes. Big void? Yes. Unrecoverable void? No. This needs to happen to allow the healing to begin on so many levels. Let me ask you this all you 40 and 50 year olds; If you had to choose between losing a substantial chunk of your retirement savings today or 5 to 7 years from today what would you choose? I'm making the assumption you comprehend the time value of money and answered today.
4 - With few exceptions, the product lines of the Big 3 are best described as lethargic and non-seminal with respect to alternative fuel product roadmaps. If I were any one of the CxOs that were duly grilled by Congress last week, I think I'd have promised a car that ran on greenhouse gasses and produced gold as a byproduct. They didn't come to town with a plan in hand??? They had to be asked for a plan?!?!?!? In 20 years in my field I've spent the last 5 to 7 in senior positions. Very few people that have ever worked for me have made this mistake more than once: Coming to the table having only identified a problem. The people I work with can identify problems and immediately suggest solutions. The best of the best tell me about problems I never knew about because remediation is already underway. This construct is likely tantamount to speaking Mandarin (which they better get used to) at the Headquarters of the Big 3.
5 - It is not the job of the US Government to compensate for mismanagement even on a massive scale. Doing so would...
- send a message of no consequences for atrocious behaviors
- inflate the national debt beyond the current amount that our great grandchildren will likely have to pay down/off
- subsidize private industry with taxpayer money
- distract the government from the fundamental things it should be doing now and is either not doing or is doing poorly
For perhaps the last ten years of my life I have fantasized about retirement quietly but with giddy abandon in my mind. Karen and I have worked hard and we save. Our losses in the last 11 months are beyond tens of thousands of dollars. The possibility of losing it all is real and it infuriates me that while doing everything we should be doing we've lost so much. For years, like harboring an incorrigible child, I bought American. And like an angry teenager I was insulted all along the way. I've done all I can and time's run out. Detroit, Big 3, I've had enough. You need to leave and leave now. I will not help you any more.
PS - Take that dumb son-of-a-bitch Blagojevich with you.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
That's PRESIDENT Obama to you
Ya like apples? How do ya like them apples? Congratulations to the next President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. 11:00 PM 11/04/2008.
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Ride of a Lifetime
Hello again friends and family. No politics this day. Just updates about me, my hott wife and the ankle biters. In the interest of full (fool?) disclosure, I am working slowly but tirelessly on my second margarita of the evening. I must say, the less I drink the better I feel after fewer drinks. Hey there's a rationalization: Economy in the crapper? Increase your enjoyment of alcohol by drinking less but enjoying it more when you do! So with that said...
Yesterday was the most intense cycling day of my life to date. It was supposed to be a Sunday social ride that split up into two groups after 12 or so miles. The speed freaks would go one way and those that were winding down for the season (the smart people) the other. The roadie ride moved along at a casual pace of about 18 or so MPH with sprints and climbs here there and yon. There were three sprints and one good big climb at the end. I took two of the sprints and the climb. One of the county line sprints I didn't just take by a nose; I took it by several bike lengths. Prior to the sprint I found myself placed at the front by the other sprinters and was smart enough to say, "screw that", and I secured my spot back in 6th or so place. When the sprinters went I was right behind them up until about 33 or so and the moment I sensed lactic acid threshhold setting in on them I dropped the hammer and snuck up close to 37MPH and that was all she wrote. It took a little bit for the group to regroup and I knew as soon as we took the next right someone was going to turn the screws. They did. They got dropped too. I went right back to the front, chased down the folks turning the screws and just chilled. Yes one guy was a HEman that attacked on White Oak, but I meated out my efforts as I knew the big climb at the end is where I was to invest. That would pay off also as I was able to return a smart ass comment IN PASSING to some banana head that wasn't smart enough to understand why you don't wear headphones on a group ride. I've ridden in the A group less than 25 times in my life. Yesterday I knew what it was like at the top. I may not be back there for a while, but damn yesterday was a good day in the saddle.
The wife. What can I say? I've been through the dictionary (yes, I read the dictionary for leisure) and there are simply not words to express how fortunate I am to have her as my partner. Nor are there words that express the luxury her presence represents to our sons. I could have a Porsche, we could have a 2nd house, or a nanny if Karen went back to work. But the other day, unbeknownst to my wife, I watched as she and David rolled around in the grass in our backyard. It was a roux of love, laughter, caring and closeness for which there is no monetary comparison. She is the lighthouse upon the rock which guides this family forward in waters calm and challenge. Of late she has chosen to dive deep into nutritional analysis. We've (when I say we I mean Karen) eliminated dairy from David's diet and early signs indicate this may be helping David with his propensity for impulsive behavior (I have NO clue where he gets that from!!! Yesteray I was Lance Armstrong, tonight I'm Edgar Allen Poe in Baltimore. Again, NO clue.) Karen has the support of her sister, Joy, in this effort as Joy is a registered dietician. Karen has also gotten some input from the mother of one of David's friends who has also done her share of research on the dietary front. So between keeping David in preschool, managing Camden's FIVE therapies a week and keeping this house in fine working order I would not tend towards words like boredom to describe her days. I love her dearly. I so appreciate EVERYTHING she does and she knows this. :-)
Number one son. God help us. I told him tonight that if he'd stop biting his nails and picking his nose, I'd do the same. What the hell was I thinking? I'm gonna miss those two things. Seriously, I have to read the dictionary to feign intellect, but David comes by it honestly. David and I were watching the Giro de Lombardia (a 250k bike race in Italy) the other night when one of the riders had to bunny hop up onto the sidewalk as he'd overshot the exit from a corner. After having witnessed this David commented, "You know it takes a lot of talent to hop up onto the curb like that and keep going." The intellectual extrapolations one can make from this sentence blurted out by a four year old are many. But the furthering of what I'm sure would have been a fascinating conversation was muted by my North Carolinian response made in sheer amazement, "Shur duz". Heyzeus! I've been releagted to the short end of intellectual conversation with a FREAKIN' FOUR YEAR OLD. That's OK. I can crush him on a 1k climb at 14%... for now.
Number two son. God has helped us. Never a day goes by when a smile does not monopolize his beautiful face. He loves his big brother, he owns his mother's love and his father could not be more proud. Of ALL Camden's accomplishments of the last 60 days I will admit to the selfish appreciation of the development of his ability to hug more than all the other accomplishments. The only way I can describe his hugs are that they feel like a conduit through which love flows free of resistance when he pulls you tight. His vocabulary is hovering around ten or so words that we can interpret, but since communication is so much more than words I would say his overall ability to communicate is improving incrementally and daily. Camden can identify words and can identify objects in the real and written world. Intellectually we're impressed and encouraged by Camden's progress and equally so in the physical realm. Camden can stand independently; he simply doesn't know it yet. When the mental confidence is developed, the independent standing will occur much more frequently and confidently. I've said it before and I'll say it again, our family would not be complete without "Little C".
I have two children. I have two living parents of near-sound mind and largely capable body. My good friend Jim has a lake house. You see where this is going? Yes indeed on or about Friday October 17th Karen and I handed off the kiddies to grandma and Pop-Pop and away we went to my friend Jim's lakehouse. 30 hours of sheer bliss. Karen and I arrived at 8:30 or so and checked out the house. Within 10 minutes I knew I had the following at hand for the time being: a pool table, a fridge full of beer, a cabinet with some JD in it, a big screen TV and a hott chick I can prove I'd tricked into sleeping with me at least twice. Thank you God for those 30 hours. Thank you Jim & Phyllis for your graciousness. Thanks Mom and Dad for watching the kids. Thank you Karen for being my wife.
And thank you Sammy Hagar for making this fine Caba Wabo tequila, but alas it is time to retire for tonight. I hope you've all enjoyed this installment of Alright with the Preises and check back soon. Peace.
Yesterday was the most intense cycling day of my life to date. It was supposed to be a Sunday social ride that split up into two groups after 12 or so miles. The speed freaks would go one way and those that were winding down for the season (the smart people) the other. The roadie ride moved along at a casual pace of about 18 or so MPH with sprints and climbs here there and yon. There were three sprints and one good big climb at the end. I took two of the sprints and the climb. One of the county line sprints I didn't just take by a nose; I took it by several bike lengths. Prior to the sprint I found myself placed at the front by the other sprinters and was smart enough to say, "screw that", and I secured my spot back in 6th or so place. When the sprinters went I was right behind them up until about 33 or so and the moment I sensed lactic acid threshhold setting in on them I dropped the hammer and snuck up close to 37MPH and that was all she wrote. It took a little bit for the group to regroup and I knew as soon as we took the next right someone was going to turn the screws. They did. They got dropped too. I went right back to the front, chased down the folks turning the screws and just chilled. Yes one guy was a HEman that attacked on White Oak, but I meated out my efforts as I knew the big climb at the end is where I was to invest. That would pay off also as I was able to return a smart ass comment IN PASSING to some banana head that wasn't smart enough to understand why you don't wear headphones on a group ride. I've ridden in the A group less than 25 times in my life. Yesterday I knew what it was like at the top. I may not be back there for a while, but damn yesterday was a good day in the saddle.
The wife. What can I say? I've been through the dictionary (yes, I read the dictionary for leisure) and there are simply not words to express how fortunate I am to have her as my partner. Nor are there words that express the luxury her presence represents to our sons. I could have a Porsche, we could have a 2nd house, or a nanny if Karen went back to work. But the other day, unbeknownst to my wife, I watched as she and David rolled around in the grass in our backyard. It was a roux of love, laughter, caring and closeness for which there is no monetary comparison. She is the lighthouse upon the rock which guides this family forward in waters calm and challenge. Of late she has chosen to dive deep into nutritional analysis. We've (when I say we I mean Karen) eliminated dairy from David's diet and early signs indicate this may be helping David with his propensity for impulsive behavior (I have NO clue where he gets that from!!! Yesteray I was Lance Armstrong, tonight I'm Edgar Allen Poe in Baltimore. Again, NO clue.) Karen has the support of her sister, Joy, in this effort as Joy is a registered dietician. Karen has also gotten some input from the mother of one of David's friends who has also done her share of research on the dietary front. So between keeping David in preschool, managing Camden's FIVE therapies a week and keeping this house in fine working order I would not tend towards words like boredom to describe her days. I love her dearly. I so appreciate EVERYTHING she does and she knows this. :-)
Number one son. God help us. I told him tonight that if he'd stop biting his nails and picking his nose, I'd do the same. What the hell was I thinking? I'm gonna miss those two things. Seriously, I have to read the dictionary to feign intellect, but David comes by it honestly. David and I were watching the Giro de Lombardia (a 250k bike race in Italy) the other night when one of the riders had to bunny hop up onto the sidewalk as he'd overshot the exit from a corner. After having witnessed this David commented, "You know it takes a lot of talent to hop up onto the curb like that and keep going." The intellectual extrapolations one can make from this sentence blurted out by a four year old are many. But the furthering of what I'm sure would have been a fascinating conversation was muted by my North Carolinian response made in sheer amazement, "Shur duz". Heyzeus! I've been releagted to the short end of intellectual conversation with a FREAKIN' FOUR YEAR OLD. That's OK. I can crush him on a 1k climb at 14%... for now.
Number two son. God has helped us. Never a day goes by when a smile does not monopolize his beautiful face. He loves his big brother, he owns his mother's love and his father could not be more proud. Of ALL Camden's accomplishments of the last 60 days I will admit to the selfish appreciation of the development of his ability to hug more than all the other accomplishments. The only way I can describe his hugs are that they feel like a conduit through which love flows free of resistance when he pulls you tight. His vocabulary is hovering around ten or so words that we can interpret, but since communication is so much more than words I would say his overall ability to communicate is improving incrementally and daily. Camden can identify words and can identify objects in the real and written world. Intellectually we're impressed and encouraged by Camden's progress and equally so in the physical realm. Camden can stand independently; he simply doesn't know it yet. When the mental confidence is developed, the independent standing will occur much more frequently and confidently. I've said it before and I'll say it again, our family would not be complete without "Little C".
I have two children. I have two living parents of near-sound mind and largely capable body. My good friend Jim has a lake house. You see where this is going? Yes indeed on or about Friday October 17th Karen and I handed off the kiddies to grandma and Pop-Pop and away we went to my friend Jim's lakehouse. 30 hours of sheer bliss. Karen and I arrived at 8:30 or so and checked out the house. Within 10 minutes I knew I had the following at hand for the time being: a pool table, a fridge full of beer, a cabinet with some JD in it, a big screen TV and a hott chick I can prove I'd tricked into sleeping with me at least twice. Thank you God for those 30 hours. Thank you Jim & Phyllis for your graciousness. Thanks Mom and Dad for watching the kids. Thank you Karen for being my wife.
And thank you Sammy Hagar for making this fine Caba Wabo tequila, but alas it is time to retire for tonight. I hope you've all enjoyed this installment of Alright with the Preises and check back soon. Peace.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Earth to McCain. Come in McCain.
Well we cashed in my 401K and we've decided to go to the movies. The good news is we're 'buying' and will not likely be selling for about another 20 years so the proper perspective is treat the losses as paper losses today and take comfort in the fact that we are continuing to buy low.
I am very excited to see Barack's progress and at the same time feel obligated to thank John McCain for his selection of VP as perhaps the biggest contributing factor. Talk about a lack of vision. You can't make this stuff up. McCain defines wealthy as having more than FIVE MILLION dollars in assets?!?!? Hell, I oughtta be eligible for food stamps. Then he says the fundamentals of the economy are strong; again are you kidding me? This is a guy that doesn't know how many houses he owns. If you think he is more like you and me, please contact me to let me know who you are - I need a loan. The icing on the cake has to be his VP pick. Let me get this straight... a two year Governor of a state with a population equal to Poughkeepsie, NY currently embroiled in a scandal involving the potential wrongful termination of a state employee with a five month old son with Down syndrome with nary a hint of international diplomacy experience. Again, can't make this stuff up. Take a wild guess what the percentage of non-elected Presidents has been historically. 5%? 10% maybe? (hint hint: keep going) try 20%. McCain - whose health I would not classify as robust - is in the decade of his life when most men die. So I have to ask, where's the 'Country First' in the quality of his VP selection? I don't want someone 'like me' as the President or Vice President. I want someone better suited to the task at hand. Paraphrasing from an article I read recently, we want elite pilots to fly the aircraft on which we are passangers. We want elite doctors performing our surgeries and elite teachers to educate our children. So you can call Barack elite because of his education or his position, but he's not out of touch. He may not be like me, but he understands me. John McCain is not like me becuase he's beyond out of touch. Sarah Palin is not like me either. I would never consider taking a job so consuming and thus prioritizing my career over my family. One last thing about Sarah Palin, if I read one more article about her noble decision to bring a child with Down Syndrome into this world I'm going to puke. Sarah Palin is a staunch Pro-Lifer. So I ask, what decision was there to make?
I am very excited to see Barack's progress and at the same time feel obligated to thank John McCain for his selection of VP as perhaps the biggest contributing factor. Talk about a lack of vision. You can't make this stuff up. McCain defines wealthy as having more than FIVE MILLION dollars in assets?!?!? Hell, I oughtta be eligible for food stamps. Then he says the fundamentals of the economy are strong; again are you kidding me? This is a guy that doesn't know how many houses he owns. If you think he is more like you and me, please contact me to let me know who you are - I need a loan. The icing on the cake has to be his VP pick. Let me get this straight... a two year Governor of a state with a population equal to Poughkeepsie, NY currently embroiled in a scandal involving the potential wrongful termination of a state employee with a five month old son with Down syndrome with nary a hint of international diplomacy experience. Again, can't make this stuff up. Take a wild guess what the percentage of non-elected Presidents has been historically. 5%? 10% maybe? (hint hint: keep going) try 20%. McCain - whose health I would not classify as robust - is in the decade of his life when most men die. So I have to ask, where's the 'Country First' in the quality of his VP selection? I don't want someone 'like me' as the President or Vice President. I want someone better suited to the task at hand. Paraphrasing from an article I read recently, we want elite pilots to fly the aircraft on which we are passangers. We want elite doctors performing our surgeries and elite teachers to educate our children. So you can call Barack elite because of his education or his position, but he's not out of touch. He may not be like me, but he understands me. John McCain is not like me becuase he's beyond out of touch. Sarah Palin is not like me either. I would never consider taking a job so consuming and thus prioritizing my career over my family. One last thing about Sarah Palin, if I read one more article about her noble decision to bring a child with Down Syndrome into this world I'm going to puke. Sarah Palin is a staunch Pro-Lifer. So I ask, what decision was there to make?
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