Heathstroke

I Know Everything for $1/day

2012-02-09T22:43:00.002-06:00

I'm diving into the smartphone world. Picked up my Galaxy Nexus by Samsung today. It is capable of more things than I can conceive; I look forward to expanding my imagination.

An Afternoon of Nordic Skiing at Trollhaugen

2012-02-04T23:33:00.004-06:00

Snow Bunnies

The result of two kids sharing one set of skis

Harris' first time on skate skis; he rocked'm!

Way to go Claire

2012-02-02T23:55:00.002-06:00

Claire did well in a race for new skiers at the Classic Suburban Conference JV Championship. She took 2nd place! It has been a blast having her on my team.

High altitude cycling - Lichtenstein, Saxony, Germany, 09350 - Guinness World Records Photo - Home of the Longest, Shortest, Fastest, Tallest facts and feats

2012-02-02T00:32:00.001-06:00

High altitude cycling - Lichtenstein, Saxony, Germany, 09350 - Guinness World Records Photo - Home of the Longest, Shortest, Fastest, Tallest facts and feats

Here's How I'm Spending my Days.

2012-01-31T22:16:00.001-06:00

Step Back and Try It

2012-01-30T00:17:00.000-06:00

Kite Skiing on Rogers Lake

2012-01-28T16:42:00.007-06:00

Took the kite and my Nordic touring skis out on Rogers Lake today. Was able to cruise for about 500 meters along the SSE side of the lake. The wind was from the West at about 15 mph with some gusts into the mid 20mph range. It was a blast skiing, but I didn't want to get too far away from Harris, my 10 year old son, who skied in support. He took the photo.

I'd like to get out more in the center of the lake with a little stronger wind. I was hoping to figure out how to ski out and then tack back. Maybe next time out. Lots of fun, and my touring skis made getting back easier than walking.

Super fun to use the wind to glide along the lake. I think of it as a real life video game balancing on legs to ski while being pulled and keeping the kite flying in the power band. Crashed once trying to tack; not very graceful trying to fly the kite and get up at the same time.

新年快樂

2012-01-21T23:55:00.007-06:00

Best wishes for the year of the Dragon

Here's our Chinese New Year Spread. Every dish was as good as it looks.

2012-01-18T22:21:00.002-06:00

From a French artist Shaka. Would this post be illegal under SOPA?

Overnight trip to Afton

2012-01-16T22:47:00.010-06:00

My brother, Jared, and I decided around noon Sunday to camp-out for the night. We loaded up and headed toward Afton. Stopped at a bar to watch the Packers lose to the Giants. We weren't in Wisconsin, but you can see it across the St. Croix River in the picture below.

The River is iced up with little snow covering it.

Likewise, little snow for ground cover. Couldn't use a snow-stake or pound regular pegs in the frozen earth. Made do with a chunk of firewood.

Spent the evening sitting around the fire. Temp. in the mid 20's with a bit of a breeze.

Packed up and headed home. Not very eventful, but sure glad I got out anyway. It's good to be at a point in my gear and knowledge, where I can quickly throw my kit together and be warm and comfortable on a January, Minnesota night.

2012-01-13T18:50:00.001-06:00

Looks Fun

2012-01-10T00:04:00.001-06:00

Link

Glacier Skiers Go Hiking

2011-12-31T15:20:00.008-06:00

A year ago we booked 4 cabins at Afton St. Park for a skication. Instead of skiing we enjoyed hiking and warm weather. My first experience with camper cabins; found them wonderful.

I think the kids are ready for snow.

Ice Kiting

2011-12-27T12:00:00.001-06:00

Elf Yourself!

2011-12-26T13:29:00.002-06:00

33 Sets of Skis and Poles in the Subaru

2011-12-21T21:36:00.005-06:00

We can't haul our skis on the team bus because it blocks the aisle, so the Forester is the new team ski hauler. What it lacks in sport it makes up for in utility.

Who's North Korea's New Leader?

2011-12-19T23:50:00.000-06:00

Miss Commuting-Reminiscing About Daily Ride in Taipei

2011-12-13T00:03:00.002-06:00

My ride was about 30 mins. each way. This give a good feel for riding in the city.

A Night Out/Gear Testing

2011-12-04T22:08:00.005-06:00

Backyard Saturday Night 4" of new snow 25 F. Used the 20 degree bag and slept comfortably on the lower end of its range. Eureka Zeus 3 season tent did well in the fourth, but would leak snow through top vent if the wind blew. Fleece balaclava kept my head snug all night.

Maybe it was the Winter Bike Expo, or cutting our holiday tree, or the lovely snowfall, or another muse that led me to a cozy night out.

Winter Bike Expo.

2011-12-03T15:33:00.010-06:00

Jared and I headed to the Greenway Freewheel this morning for the Winter Bike Expo. We each got one of these dandy schwag mugs for test riding Mukluks 3s and 2s, Necromancer Pugsleys and a Moonlander with sparkly paint.

The Moonlander and a Mukluk 2 sitting in front of the store. Note the difference in tire size.

Two views of the Necromancer. I really like the ride and found the 17 degree sweep of the the handlebars perfect.

A row of Mukluks v. the Pugsley line up. I like that both are different bikes. While the Salsa is super upright and comfortable and my choice for fat tire touring/cruising, the Pugsley made me smile and want to ride hard over cars. The Moonlander with sparkly paint, however, got our phat tire award for being even fatter without feeling like we were giving up anything.
Other highlights of the day included listening to Dave Payman speak about the Arrowhead 135 and the Iditabike along with a great lunch while visiting with B. Rose, in his bunny suit, about skiing, bikes, coffee and guns. I appreciate the casual and approachable attitudes of the Freewheel staff, Surly people and presenters. I'll be back next year.

2011-12-02T20:52:00.000-06:00

Ride the Divide on Netflix Instant Play

2011-11-30T00:15:00.001-06:00

Starting in Banff, Canada, and ending at the U.S.-Mexico border, the Great Divide mountain bike race extends 2,700 miles along the Continental Divide. This scenic documentary follows three determined cyclists attempting the grueling ride.

Flying a Kite for Winter Fun

2011-11-27T16:55:00.013-06:00

I've recently acquired a new toy. It's a hq Rush4 350pro trainer kite. Once proficient, I hope to be using it to pull me and my skis along frozen lakes. I've had several practice session and am reading the trainer kite guide. Probally would have been safer to read first, as this is not a toy. On windier days I've been pulled scrambling forward using all my might to control it. It is reportedly suitable for winds from 5-24 mph. Check out the video below to see what stronger winds look like. My kite is the next size up, but so am I.

I'm excited about this because it will make cold windy Minnesota days something to look forward to.

HQ Power Kites Big Jump | Rush 3 Pro Trainer Kite Test from Power Kites on Vimeo.

Thanksgiving, Really! Do I Look Thankful?

2011-11-23T18:31:00.002-06:00

Getting Myself Hooked Up

2011-11-16T22:46:00.006-06:00

I wanted a trailer hitch installed on my truck. Calling around I found that I'd be looking about $350 for the hitch and wiring harness installed. Not too much money, but I'm always looking to save. I discovered that I could order a hitch and harness online from etrailer and have my local rental store install it. This plan would save me about $100.

Turns out my shop is too busy putting snow plows on to install my hitch for the next couple weeks. So, last Saturday, I decided to DYI it. Found some online tutorial videos where I learned to disconnect and lower the rear exhaust system, expand the mounting holes and to use these nifty wires to thread the mounting bolts through the frame. Suppose to be a 40 minute job.

Three hours later, after buying a torque wrench and making a second trip out for the ball, I'm hauling. It's good to save a couple hundred bucks, but even better to feel like a manly self-sufficient guy in a Subaru Forester.

2011-11-16T22:46:00.000-06:00

Two Sides of the Metro.

2011-11-13T22:55:00.011-06:00

Today we hiked around the Stone Arch Bridge taking in Mississippi river front ruins and admiring nature, as Shiva, returning concrete and metal to the Earth.

Last weekend we were at Afton State Park strolling along the St. Croix. We noticed the current shore and much higher ancient banks of the river formed when glacial melt water blasted through the valley.

We found Ordovician fossils and enjoyed the late fall colors in both locations. These sites are impressive places to spend time.

Grizzly Bow

2011-11-10T21:00:00.004-06:00

Just picked up a new to me Bear Grizzly bow, 50# @28". It's about 5 years old, but doesn't have a scratch on it. The guy said he only shot it about three times. Came with a quiver, stringer and 6 aluminum arrows for $175. Felt sweet as I shot a few rounds in the back yard.

I loved my old Bear bow, but accidentally destroyed it by leaving it strung in my hot car after the Bunker Hill Traditional shoot last year. Apparently a warm bow will de-laminate. Lesson learned.

New Gear

2011-11-01T23:26:00.002-05:00

New bivy-tent that is less than one kilo. Slept out one night in the back yard, breezy with a temp in the low 30's. It worked well. It's listed as 3 season. Wonder how it will be on a hot summer night or snow camping? Here's some basic info and a 360 view.

Goodbye Camry

2011-10-30T12:19:00.003-05:00

So long to a great car. It's amazing how this car has held up and maintained it's value.

Model A

2011-10-23T19:33:00.007-05:00

My Dad's 1931 Ford, Model A sitting in front of the house that I lived in from 2 until I was 13.

A couple of shots of the car driving around Woodlawn Park.

Despite being 80 -years-old, the car drove much like a modern car. Electric start, three speed manual transmission and brake where I would expect to find one. However, with no power assist on the controls I found that I needed to plan turns and stops plenty early.

What a fun drive; both my brother and I, full sized men, were able to ride the rumble seat.

The temperature gauge is a thermometer in the radiator cap. Here's a page with more Model A specs than you likely care to read.

Congratulations New Zealand All Blacks World Cup Champions

2011-10-23T16:41:00.002-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN65LHLYS10

I Saw Your JOEY! and Raise You BUCKY!

2011-10-10T20:13:00.001-05:00

New Wheels

2011-10-08T23:01:00.002-05:00

2011 Subaru Forester. So far we love it, like camping, KD Lang and comfortable shoes.

Hobo Camping The Luce Line 2011

2011-10-02T17:15:00.009-05:00

Hobo camped the Luce Line. Our hobo dinner pictures are best appreciated expanded. Steak, brats, a couple of different types of chicken and beans all cooked over our camp fire. Wonderful. The cookies, candy, and sampler of freeze-dried stroganoff, beef stew and pasta Alfredo were good too.

Long Haul Trucker loaded. At one time in addition to gear and food, I had over two gallons of water strapped on. Water weights 8.35 lbs per gallon;
I estimate I had over 20lbs of liquid alone on the bike.

Sean's Nob trailer and cyclocross bike with +plush seat.

George's single speed Trek 700 with homemade trailer.
It was brilliant to put a backpack on the trailer as a bag.

Q's single speed Cross-Check with Bob sporting
a clever homemade handlebar bag.

Jared's Salsa La Cruz with new compact crank and cassette.
Nice size Jandd frame bag for easy access to stuff.Looking forward to next year!

Two Dads and Four Kids Bike Camping

2011-09-30T22:23:00.017-05:00

Group photo after loading up camp on Sunday morning

Lunch at the DQ a mile or so into our ride. Notice the 1984 Trek 520 loaded up and pulling a homemade cargo trailer plus guitar.

My Long Haul Trucker

Mid 90's Trek 930 converted into touring bike with rack and Top Touring 2000 tires

A Maruishi Mixtie with Conti Gator skins on 27 inch wheels. This is a very nice smooth bike
A 90's Trek 700 with upgraded stem, bars and seatpost.

A near stock GT bullet 24" wheels fitted with rear rack and panniers

A tree frog riding a 9 year-old boy.

Two takes on rice and hot dogs for dinner

Roasting marshmallows (Why's her other arm so small?)

Without moms around the kids could whittle. One of the girls cut her finger but didn't make a fuss at all.

We got lucky with the weather we stayed dry on both Saturday and Sunday. It did rain when we were sleeping so we broke out the rain gear because of dipping trees.

Another shot of the 520 with it's load

This sign and the changing weather made the kids think about XC ski season coming up. We all ski together too.

Q's Garage

2011-09-05T16:44:00.004-05:00

Crayfish at Jay Cooke State Park

2011-08-25T18:51:00.000-05:00

Duluth

2011-08-23T22:30:00.008-05:00

Looking for something to do last Sunday, so we decided to take a day-trip to Duluth. Hung out on Canal Part for most of the day.

The port is what makes Duluth one of my favorite cities. This ship is called the Metsaborg. I did a search on it and found out it's from the Netherlands. The link tells about the ship and allows you to track it as it travels around the world. Upon posting the ship is loaded and back in the middle of Lake Superior. I think the kids and I will track it to see where it goes.

Climbing on the rocks is the kids favorite activity in Duluth.

Harris' camouflage at Grandmas

Bike Camping with Harris and Frogs.

2011-08-13T00:20:00.013-05:00

Harris and I hung-out on an overnight bike camping trip on the Sakatah Trail. 30 mile round trip to Sakatah Lake State Park.

His 13" frame Trek 930 works well for him. I put a seat post clamp/rack mount ( see pictue below) and made rack stays out of stock aluminum. It took a while to figure out how to get a full size rack on such a small frame, but once I did, $15 and 1/2 hour labor set him up to carry his own gear.

The Trail head before our departure. My LHT and the boy in plaid against bricks.

Relaxing in camp having some Jiffy-Pop around the fire. Great night!

After dark we enjoy looking around lights for tree frogs taking advantage of insects drawn near. If you expand this picture our Gray tree frog has some legs sticking out of his mouth.

We saw this guy, I think a great plains toad, just as we were leaving camp.

It rained for several hours while we were sleeping. The rain stopped by the time we got up, but wore rain jackets because of dripping from the canopy of leaves above us. Harris and I value these times together.

Blue Ox, Blue Berries and Blue Highways.

2011-08-06T21:41:00.028-05:00

(Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox in Bemidji, MN)

Left last Wednesday for a three-day & two night, solo, tour of Northern Minnesota. Fortuitous winds and dry weather were unexpected and appreciated during my 140 miles.

Starting from a friend's cabin near Park Rapid's, Minnesota, I rode 20 miles into Itasca State park. Itasca is famous for being the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

(My LHT at the park's East entrance)

(The marker at the start of the Mississippi you can read it if you click on the image)

On day two I rode for about 30 miles on the Paul Bunyan Trail. The rest of the trip's miles were pedaled on Minnesota's "blue highways." This term was coined by William Least Heat Moon in his autobiographical book Blue Highways. The term refers to small, forgotten, out of the way roads connecting rural America (which were drawn in blue on the old style Rand McNally road atlas).

(A stretch of blue highway with blue sky and blue water.)

Heat Moon's book tells of his travels and describes the people he meets during his 13,000 mile journey. I met one notable man. I was riding between Bemidji Lake State Park, where I spent my second night, and my starting point near Park Rapids. Tired, near noon, I was looking for a rare patch of shade to rest in. Finally seeing one spot at a crossroads, I stopped only to discover that a lawn of poison ivy had beaten me to the shade. Hence it was a standing break.

While enjoying my time off the bike, a beat up old pick-up truck stopped. A man in his early 70's approached me with a well used ice cream pail half full of freshly picked wild blueberries. He reached it out and said with a semi-toothed grin, "take a handful of these while you rest." I barely said thank you before he hopped in his truck and drove off. I gobbled most of my berries up before I thought to take a picture.

He wasn't the only person I met. Earlier in the day a woman and her daughter stopped by to visit me in camp. Every Harley Davidson rumbling by gave me a nod or a wave. What is it about bike touring that disarms and brings out the best in the people? Maybe they too have the romantic sense of the road that made Heat Moons' book so popular.

(The sweetest blueberries I ever had)

(Dinner in Itasca State Park)

(Bike at the start of the tour with front panniers on. I use them to carry extra food because of the relative isolation of where I was riding)

(Bike at the end of the tour with front panniers tucked into the rear bags.)

(Bike during a rest break on the Paul Bunyan Trail)

(The Paul Bunyan Trail)

Shoulders

2011-07-31T23:02:00.012-05:00

Adequate road shoulder width is an important part of enjoying a bike tour. The video was taken while traveling East on a road between St. Paul and Afton State Park on a road with a fair number of cars. Yet pedaling felt relaxing because of the wide shoulders.

I'm leaving Tuesday morning for another three day tour around Itasca State Park and Lake Bemidji State Park taking advantage of the Heartland and Paul Bunyan Trails. I will, however, also be traveling on some roads. A few years back I picked up Minnesota Department of Transportation maps giving traffic levels and notice of shoulders >6'. These maps are fairly out of date, so I decided to try using Google Maps to look at the roads I'd travel. What a pleasant surprise; Street View has images of the minor, rural roads I will use on my tour. I can actually see shoulder widths and plan accordingly. I sometimes curse Google for being everywhere, yet still find what they do amazing.

It's Never The Same Trip Twice

2011-07-25T23:52:00.010-05:00

Time freed up from 4pm Sunday night until 8:30am Monday morning for my neighbor and I to do a quick overnight bike camping trip. We loaded our gear and cobbled together a menu including fresh tortillas, some butcher bacon and lettuce for dinner. Sans tomatoes we lacked the "T" in our BLT trilogy, but decided a run to the store would take too much of our short time. We agreed that we'd find something on the way.

(My 2009 Long Haul Trucker )

Nothing too far; just to Afton State Park and back; 34 longish miles with a couple of challenging climbs each way. I remember looking down between pants on one hill and seeing 3.4 miles/hour forward progress. What's my biking stall speed?

(Neighbor's 1984 Trek 520 loaded without sleeping gear. Notice his homemade frame bag)

Upon arrival we set camp and went for a swim in the St. Croix River which forms the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin. While lazing in the water watching a hot air balloon travel by, maybe it was the red tomato shape of it, I started thinking about the function of tomatoes in the BLT. I concluded that they offer sweetness and acidic brightness. Eureka! Wild black berries growing along the path became our tomato substitute. They were brilliant.
We spent the evening eating our BLB wraps around the fire. Fireflies, passing satellites and a few shooting stars made the night memorable as well.

We were up at 5:30am enjoying the mist lift over the St. Croix Valley as we readied for our return ride. The panoramic picture shows my neighbor checking into his flight just before we left camp. The berries, the lights in the sky, the mist and the trip were wonderful. I anticipate the unexpected joys of our next trip to the same location.

Bacalhau Chowder

2011-07-21T17:42:00.007-05:00

A trip to a local Mexican grocery store netted a dried-salted, cod fish or bacalhau. After a 20 hour soak to remove excess salt, the kids and I used it as the sole ingredient in tonight's fish chowder dinner. Bacalahau, also called clip-fish, is wonderful; need to buy more.

The firm, flesh tastes clean with surprisingly different levels of salty goodness depending on the amount of direct contact with the soaking water. Flavor variability makes each new bite unexpectedly vivid.

It's exciting to eat such an ancient food. The Europeans, especially Portuguese, brought this to the new world 500 years ago. I'm proud that my children are willing to explore such new foods.

Hard Losses on a Hot Day

2011-07-18T01:03:00.003-05:00

Soccer season ended today after a loss. The Girls had a great season.

Other notable events :

The US Womens' team lost to Japan today in the FIFA World Cup Final.

Hot, sticky Sunday kicked off what is shaping up to be an oppressive week in the Twin Cities and much of the Midwest.

The dew point, which measures the amount of moisture in the air, tied an all-time Twin Cities record of 81 Sunday. The last time it got that high was July 30, 1999. The state dew point record of 86 was also tied at Madison, MN Sunday night. Meteorologist Ken Barlow did some checking and found the only other spot in the Western Hemisphere with a dew point in the 80's Sunday was the Amazon Jungle in South America. Source

Child-Powered School Bus

2011-07-16T11:59:00.002-05:00

Child-Powered School Bus Could Prevent Obesity

Bicycle Film Festival

2011-07-15T01:37:00.001-05:00

Event Link
And in Even Larger PDF

2011-06-27T21:57:00.001-05:00

Homemade Smokebombs

2011-06-16T22:02:00.003-05:00

Finally here is what one of the smoke bombs looks like at night.

We Almost Went Bike Camping

2011-06-15T19:17:00.001-05:00

Gear packed. Bikes loaded. New tent ready. Then, rain appears as my niece from Taiwan, daughter, son and I arrive at the trail head. The forecast had been for dry weather, but now it looked like it would rain on and off for the next 24 hours.

Let's go! We have fenders, rain gear and don't want to be wimps. If we're going to be bike campers, we can't let a little wetness stop us from having fun. This will be an opportunity for the kids to see that we can't wait for the right weather to enjoy nature. My niece agrees to go despite the rain too.

I spent hours preparing bikes and driving to the trail head; I don't want to waste that effort. After all both my kids have done early spring, 30 mile rides in hills, wind and rain . They can take it.

But would they enjoy it. Still raining after lunch. Thinking of my niece who had never camped out before, I wondered if my desire to soldier on wasn't affecting others willingness to go. On past trips, I carefully made sure the kids' experiences with bike camping were positive. Would this outing bolster their love of the sport, or make them less apt to go in the future?

I suggested we drive the hour home and come back another day. I could tell my niece was relieved. My son said he was glad because he thought it might be a "death march." My daughter protested my decision, but quickly fell asleep in the car.

Turns out it was a beautiful night. We roasted marshmallows in the back yard before the kids slept out in the new tent. I discovered I'd rather be a dad than hardcore biker.

Dusty Car Art

2011-06-14T23:45:00.002-05:00

Two photos, 6 months and 133 Degrees

2011-06-10T23:03:00.009-05:00

It was so hot, 103F/39C, on Tuesday, June 7th that the sidewalk at my neighbors' house expanded until it cracked and buckled. The sidewalk is about 4" thick, so I estimate it pushed up 7".

6 months earlier, on Dec. 11th, I posted the following picture. It was taken standing right where the sidewalk cracked looking across the street. The forecast was for -30F/-34.5C and 20" of snow with this storm.

Although, 133 degrees apart, I felt the giddy excitement of extreme weather both days; I love living in a place where the weather isn't monotonous.

Bow Fishing With Steve

2011-06-05T21:06:00.009-05:00

A friend, Steve, called on Fiday night offering me a chance to try bow fishing on Saturday morning. I needed to decline the invitation so I could fulfill fatherly obligations, Chinese and soccer. I love my children, but longed to use a reel and fishing arrow I ordered a couple of months ago. I'd shot with this gear a few times in the back yard; no fish, just dirt and strange looks from neighbors.

When I heard Steve was thinking of going again on Sunday morning, I called. We had a great morning standing beside a bridge on and outlet of Medicine Lake.

I saw fish right away and shot shooting well over the fish like the rookie I was. I knew about refraction making the fish look farther than they are, but couldn't get my excited self to add brain to my instinctive shooting. Missed a few more, but then took my time to line up the shot and consciously aim low. Hit a bowfin right in the center. Bowfins are mean predator fish that have been around since dinosaurs. Badass, mean looking fish that will intentionally try to bite you . I, however, was not the one bitten. Tasty.

The next arrow aimed at a large carp. A long shot in deeper water hit the fish top center. Turns out a 25 lb fish can put up a good fight with an arrow in his back.

The pictures are of the big carp and bowfin I shot and of the carp Steve shot. I fried up the smaller carp with the bowfin, delicious. What a fun morning. After a day of shooting and eating rough fish, I think I'll go see if NASCAR is on.

Matt Dillon and Kwai Chang Caine Thanks and RIP

2011-06-03T18:32:00.008-05:00

Today, June 3rd, 2011, marks the death of actor James Arness. His character Sheriff Matt Dillon taught me to be a man. His seminal sense of justice, duty, respect and wisdom inspire me. Sheriff Dillon got his man with constant, gentle toughness.

In high school I stayed up late Sunday nights to watch Gunsmoke and Kung Fu. A friend would do the same. Monday mornings were spent discussing the fine points of the shows while feigning interest in Mr. Adair's Sophomore English lessons. Gunsmoke was also my crusty Grandfather's favorite show. He even looked a bit like James Arness.

Coincidently David Carradine the actor playing Kwai Chang Caine of the Kung Fu series also died on June 3rd two years earlier.

These two characters helped form a young man's moral compass.

My New Old Bike 1989 Vintage Touring Steel

2011-05-23T20:43:00.004-05:00

I know these to be great bikes, and saw one on Craigslist for $100. It shows some wear, but still has nubs on the original radial tires. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it, but a sweet bike nonetheless.

From Sheldon Brown:
Miyata touring bikes, including the 1000 and the lesser (but still extremely nice) 610, came with very unusual tires, Panasonic radials. These may be the only radial bicycle tires ever sold.

What Wikipedia's says about this model:
Miyata 6xx : A quality touring model, one step down from the 1000, with slightly different frame geometry and lower level components. Mid 1980's 610's have triple-butted splined Chromoly frame tubing, an unusually high quality tubing and construction for its price level. This bike is slightly lighter in weight than Trek 520/720 touring bikes, but of similar quality.

Childhood Memory

2011-05-22T22:52:00.003-05:00

I wonder what ever happened to this lamp that sat next to my bed for years. Good night Puss in Boots.

2011-05-18T22:30:00.000-05:00

Claire's Quiver

2011-05-14T23:44:00.002-05:00

Claire designed and made this quiver. Friday night. She started by making a paper pattern. I helped cut out the leather to her specs. Then she played around with a stitching system until she came up with this one incorporating some beads we picked up in Taiwan. It works well and looks good too.

"Dad, I feel like a full grown man today"

2011-05-08T01:05:00.004-05:00

I took Harris to Harmond Park to try mountain biking today. I wasn't sure how well he could pedal the Schwinn Moab, as it's still a bit big for him. After having no problems on the North Loop, we rode the entire course.
Harris was amazing. I could see him using both his biking and XC ski background on the trail. He skillfully rolled the down hills and handled more technical stuff easily. I enjoyed watching him ride.
The title quote comes from a chat we had while sharing a snickers blizzard after the ride. I'm proud of my kids.

Altered Esthetics Bike Art VI

2011-05-06T00:21:00.001-05:00

Jim Walsh - Bike Pot

Altered Esthetics’ 6th annual bike art show brings together some of the Twin Cities’ largest communities…artists, cyclists, and those who love both! Join us in creating another amazing exhibit of bike-themed photography, painting, sculpture and interactive art.

Opening Reception
Friday, June 3, 2011 - 7pm-10pm

Arty Garage Sale
Saturday, June 18, 2011 - 7am-12pm

2nd Annual Bikini Bike Wash

Artists' Discussion
Saturday, June 18, 2011 - 1pm-3pm
1224 Quincy St NE, Mpls MN 55413 • 612.378.8888 • contact-at-alteredesthetics.org
Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 1pm–7pm, Saturdays 1pm–5pm

New Bows For The Children

2011-04-25T22:45:00.008-05:00

Harris' bow (above) is a Ragim Matrix Jr. Youth Recurve. The bow is 48" long with a 16# pull. The Matrix Junior recurve take-down bow is the lightest bow for beginners available on the market.

Both Kids are getting pretty good with their crappy red fiberglass bows. But, it's time for an upgrade. They'll be reinforcements, as we face down small stuffed animals in backyard battles. The alien below will never phone home again.
Claire's (below) is the Greatree Mohegan Take Down 48" youth recurve bow. It is manufactured of an attractive layering of maple and oak woods. Her lefty bow is 48" long with a 20# pull.
I ordered these and a bow fishing kit from Quality Archery Bows. I place the order Sunday and they should be at my house Wed. Not bad for free shipping.

21st Annual Traditional Bow Shoot Coon Rapids, MN June 18-19

2011-04-21T23:27:00.005-05:00

Hakuna Matata.

Only foam animals were hurt making this blog post.

2011-04-15T00:05:00.002-05:00

Harris/Insideous Rat Boy

2011-04-12T19:16:00.005-05:00

In celebration of finalizing his plans to take over the Universe!

Tall Bike Joy

2011-04-05T21:38:00.006-05:00

Claire and Harris conquered the tall bike today. Dismounts were not graceful, but they were able to get off without too much assistance from gravity.

With snow melted alley biking is on.

The bike is homemade out of two boulevard bikes and a section of black pipe. Total cost $5 for handlebar grips and 1/2 a can of spray paint. Q, a friend of mine is the master mind. We built this bike and two others one night in his So. Minneapolis Garage. Good times.

Skunk Cabbage is "Warm Blooded"

2011-04-04T21:35:00.005-05:00

Thanks to all the people who helped identify this fascinating plant, symplocarpus foetidus or skunk cabbage. Wikipedia says,
Skunk cabbage is notable for its ability to generate temperatures of up to 15-35°C above air temperature by cyanide resistant cellular respiration in order to melt its way through frozen ground,[2] placing it among a small group of plants exhibiting thermogenesis. Even though it flowers while there is still snow and ice on the ground it is successfully pollinated by early insects that also emerge at this time. Some studies suggest that beyond allowing the plant to grow in icy soil, the heat it produces may help to spread its odor in the air.[2] Carrion-feeding insects that are attracted by the scent may be doubly encouraged to enter the spathe because it is warmer than the surrounding air, fueling pollination.[3]

Strange Plant Along the Minnehaha Creek

2011-04-02T23:52:00.006-05:00

Harris, Claire and I found several of these plants growing in a wet area about 1mile down stream from Minnehaha falls on March 31st. At first we thought they were some type of shoot, but it appears to be a flower of some kind. (Click on the picture to make it larger for a better look.) I also thought it maybe some type of pitcher plant. I didn't see any images from a web search that looked like this. Anyone know what this is?
Some were singles; some grew in clusters of green or red.

Artcrank Scores

2011-04-02T23:17:00.002-05:00

I purchased Blood+Sweat+Chemo by Jason M. Miller 6/100 (above)
Claire chose Chainwhirl by Courtney Billadeau 1/30

Both Claire and Harris came with this year. They enjoyed the art and bikes, I enjoyed having such and event we could share together. Claire was excited about her purchase with her own money.

Getting Excited for Artcrank

2011-03-30T17:48:00.006-05:00

This link will give a sneak peak at portions of the posters available. I'd like to hear impressions of the different posters. I appreciate the one above.

2012 GT-R

2011-03-27T23:02:00.010-05:00

I parked my Honda Civic and drove another of the world's best cars this afternoon. Previously, I've experienced a BMW M6, a CLK 63 AMG Black Series, Porsche Cayenne, BMW X6M and a 2009 GT-R. But, this thing made my special spot tingle like no other car I've been in.

With two people in the car, we did 0-60 in 3.4 seconds slowed by wheel spin resulting from a cold road. This GT-R is reported to be able to do the same feat in 2.88 seconds. Crazy fast.

To put this acceleration in perspective, Ferrari asserts that its 599 GTO, its fastest ever road car, can do 0-62 in 3.35 seconds. The GT-R is faster than the fastest Ferrari off the line.

My purpose with this blog post is, however, not to do a review of cars. I've put links in that do that better than I could. My thoughts are on quality. The 0-60 numbers only quantify some of the qualities of the GT-R. Knowing someone generous enough to let me drive this list of expensive toys similarly quantifies quality. I appreciate the amazing cars, but am more impressed with someone who shares so freely.

Thanks for the drive; quality counts.

More GT-R pictures here. More data and an article here.

What do Liberia, Myanmar and the US have in Common?

2011-03-21T17:25:00.002-05:00

We're the only three countries who don't use the Metric System.

Artcrank Minneapolis

2011-03-20T00:58:00.004-05:00

Artcrank April 2 @5pm in Shelter Studios.

Hipster Trap

2011-03-14T17:20:00.000-05:00

Stolen from someone on Reddit.com

Found This Poisonous Little Creature in the House Tonight

2011-03-03T20:59:00.004-06:00

My 9-year-old son shouts, "Dad! Come quick I found a cool little bug with claws" I came quickly, as I wondered what he might have found.

This little creature is a pseudoscorpion. It's a harmless arachnid that has been roaming the Earth for the last 380 million years eating other little mites and flies. The claws have a poison gland to subdue prey in a pinch. Ours was very tiny, 2mm or so long. The photo below shows it to scale with a 12 point font.

The kids and I released our catch back in the basement to continue munching other little crawlies in the house. Too bad we didn't have a tiny radio frequency tracking collar.

Holy Grail of Cultural Knowledge

2011-02-26T00:00:00.003-06:00

Tonight the family snuggled together on the couch to watch a Netflix movie via our Wii. This is a favorite activity for all of us. When we couldn't quickly find a mutually agreeable title, I suggested we watch Monty Python's Flying Circus. No loss if they didn't like it.

The show was a hit. I loved to hear the kids laugh at all of the right times. as we watched the first two episodes. But, the best part of the evening was telling stories about watching these same episodes as a teenager myself. Other topics of conversations started by the skits included Genghis Khan, the Gestapo, early 20th century artists, and why the British enjoy making fun of the french.

This night came to be a technologically enhanced 21st century equivalent to the ancients sitting around the campfire learning culture through oral traditions. I can't wait to share the lumberjack song and the story of the Holy Grail.

Cars-R-Coffins RIP

2011-02-18T23:09:00.001-06:00

Link

What Do You Do When An Eleven Year Old Loses A Tooth?

2011-02-14T20:59:00.006-06:00

You load toothpaste on a mousetrap and try to catch the Tooth Fairy. The note reads:

Dear Claire:
Your dad tried to catch me with a mousetrap. He snapped glitter off my dress, but I got away. Thanks for being such a good girl and taking care of your teeth. Tell your dad to watch his back!
The Tooth Fairy

It's like leaving milk and cookies for Santa mixed with snipe hunting.

47 Sunny Degrees and a Ski with the Kids

2011-02-13T19:54:00.004-06:00

Single digit highs with below zero wind chills last week gave way to a memorable day of warmth and sun. The kids and I skied at The Ravine in Cottage Grove. The picture are on the trail, a break with oranges and the obligatory monkey mouths.

The videos are action shots of me trailing the kids on down hills. Harris was almost flattened after he crashed in front of me. Reckless parenting almost caught on film.

Less Busy Now

2011-02-12T10:29:00.014-06:00

The last several weeks have been a blur; I'm ready for a less frenetic pace. In addition to my regular work and family commitments, my high school ski team, Minnesota Youth Ski League Team and basement projects have kept me occupied. Not complaining; all are rewarding and largely a blast. Here are a few pictures showing what I've been up to lately.I don't have a before, but here is a during and after picture of my basement project. I tore out a room move lots of stuff prior to tearing up the floor. I hired a plumber, carpenter and electrician, but spent lots of time coordinating their work, , insulating, getting materials, hauling stuff to the dump, tapping drywall and painting.

Here's part of my Minnesota Youth Ski League group. I started this program last year for Claire and Harris and as a feeder program for my high school team. The snowmobile the kids are sitting on was another project in itself. We purchased it new in Dec. to keep the trails groomed for both ski groups. Fund-raising and grooming our ski-course came along with getting the sled.

I started working with my high school team in Nov. We'll finish up with our awards banquet next Tuesday. Groomed trails helped the kids improve and have fun.

Ling-Hui did, however, just fly off to Taiwan for the next two weeks. I wouldn't have made it as a single parent, albeit temporary, a month ago.

新年愉快

2011-02-02T23:07:00.001-06:00

It's all good, but this is my life for the next week or so

2011-01-31T20:28:00.001-06:00

My School on Good Morning America?

2011-01-25T22:59:00.004-06:00

H2O for Life is scheduled to be featured on Good Morning America this Thursday, Jan. 27th in the morning. This picture is from an H2O For Life posting on Facebook. It's great to see students from my school shown from a walk we organized last Spring.

H2O for Life is an organization that raises money and awareness about issues of clean accessible water around the Earth. Students get pledges and walk carrying water for 6km, or the distance many families need to go to gather water each day. Please support H20 for Life if you get a chance.

view the story here at a later time.

New Addition to our Family

2011-01-24T23:16:00.000-06:00

I've got labor pains; tapping Sheet-Rock tonight, finish tomorrow, paint Wed, plumber Thurs, electrician Fri. we're having a bathroom!

Porch Bike Haiku

2011-01-21T23:47:00.000-06:00

Cold Long Haul Trucker
stem deep in hibernation
dreams tulip petals

Winter Commuter
Salty, gritty companion
misses my cold ass

My Kids Made Me Eat a Bug!

2011-01-13T22:23:00.006-06:00

It's true they forced me to eat a bug, pupa more accurately.

Here's how. We are a mixed Chinese/American household that has lived in both Minnesota and Taiwan. As a way of having my children receptive to both cultures, I encouraged them to eat with an open mind. Duck brain, fish eyes and fish eggs are not uncommon at our table. Similarly, the kids are open to lutefisk, pickled herring, caviar and other cultural foods from my side. I've pridefully blogged about them eating snails, cat-tails, and Somali-goat. The kids watch Andrew Zimmern on Bizarre Foods and love to say "we've had that."

About a month ago we were at a Korean restaurant enjoying kim-chee, spicy squid and the likes. After our meal we browsed through the attached grocery store where my son excitedly ask if we could buy a can of the silkworms he found.

Let me digress to provide some background here. Rationally I support insect protein as a healthy, cheap, sustainable way of feeding the planet. I've tried meal worms, ants and grasshoppers before. But I just can't get past the texture of their exoskeletons and mushy middles. Eating bugs sends the irrational part of my brain into gagging, hissy fits.

Knowing this irrational thinking contradicts my prideful preaching about being open to new foods, I took the wise cowards way and try to put him off buying the can. Not seeing a price I say, "It might be expensive. We can get it another time." No luck, as the boy takes the can to the counter to discover that it's less than two bucks. Worse still, an older well dressed Korean man looks pridefully at my son and tells him about how much he enjoyed eating silkworms as a child. He says he is glad to see that children still like it today. This kind old ass actually made it so I had to buy them.

The kids made several requests to open this can of worms. Each time I managed to escape by reminding them that it's late, or that they already brushed their teeth and so on.

Tonight we're watching Bizarre Foods shoot an episode in Thailand, and damned if Zimmern doesn't go to a rural village to eat silkworms. The kids demanded we open our can. They even called me out on being a chicken. To save my pride and hide my hypocrisy, I quickly dipped my fingers in the nightmarish broth and popped one of the pupae in my mouth. If I would have been smart enough to just swallow it whole, I would have been ok, but I chewed. It squirted buggy, musty, nutty ooze into my mouth causing me to wretch, run and hurl in the utility sink.

Here's the cool part. After watching me eat and barf both kids still willingly tried a bug too. The boy told the girl to just imagine they're shrimp. I'm very proud of them both.

Winter Commuter Rolls Again

2011-01-06T23:41:00.002-06:00

I haven't biked to work for almost a month. A million reasons why, some legitimate. Anyway my mind and body miss it. Bike's loaded sans excuses.

Roots

2011-01-04T22:17:00.003-06:00

This is the Farm of my Great-Grand Parents Albert and Frieda Wilkins. It is near Goodridge Minnesota.

Great Grandma Frieda in 1974. She lived with my family until I was 4. My memories of her involve soft orange candy peanuts.

Winter Camping

2010-12-31T21:37:00.005-06:00

No skis. Snowshoes for this trip. Wed. night we went out for four miles across the lake with headlamps. Thursday we headed out and camped just shy of two miles out on the lake. We missed our intended camping area because of the poor visibility. We did find a sheltered area on a point near the entrance to Pikes Bay.
.Here's my pack full of warm goodness. I use almost everything I brought and was quite comfortable in some challenging conditions. The videos below show the windy trek across the lake. Some of the blizzard conditions in camp and the calm camp the morning after. There was brilliant sunshine. The foggy look is condensation on my lens. Thirty mile per hour wind and temps of minus single digits made for some cozy tent time. Ipod and phone kept me company.

Solstice Has Arrived

2010-12-20T23:43:00.004-06:00

The winter and summer solstices are two of my favorite days of the year; they're like going over the top of the roller coaster. Equinoxes are boring; they're where we wait to get on and off.

This painting is the work of Bryce Herrington.

Basment's Soon Set

2010-12-19T23:30:00.002-06:00

I hauled down 1,600 lbs of Quikrete to fill in my basement floor. About the same mass of material went up too. Studs are up, plumbing rough-in is about done, floors filled in.

Still need to get the electrician in, have my guys put up the drywall, have the plumber finish up; then I'll put linoleum down, finish the dry wall and paint. After that it will just be some trim jobs.

A lot of work, but, so far, we're under budget. I've also made sure that I have a good place to sit and watch the Vikes play at the Gopher's stadium.

부븸밥 bi bim bop

2010-12-18T21:37:00.006-06:00

The family was invited to a bi bim bop dinner tonight. Bi bim translates to mixed-up and bop translates to rice. Meat, spinach, eggs, cucumbers and rice were all tossed together at the table and served with gochujang chili paste.

Bi bim bop is quintessential Korean cuisine; eating it is more than a meal. It seems putting down a bowl of this is like raising the Korean flag and pledging allegiance to ones heritage. It's like lutefisk, haggis, or menudo without the scary bits.

Korean gochujang chili paste (고추장)
Sweet chili and sesame paste sauce. A new favorite condiment

Number One Song The Day I Was Born.

2010-12-12T19:52:00.002-06:00

Find the top song from any date here.

Something to Remember on a Hot July Day.

2010-12-11T20:50:00.003-06:00

Issued by The National Weather Service
Minneapolis, MN
4:13 pm CST, Sat., Dec. 11, 2010

... BLIZZARD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST SUNDAY...

THE BLIZZARD WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST SUNDAY.

* TIMING... LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW WILL DIMINISH THIS EVENING... BUT SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL CREATE NEAR WHITEOUT CONDITIONS.

* MAIN IMPACT... 9 TO 18 INCHES OF SNOW... SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES.

* OTHER IMPACTS... BLIZZARD CONDITIONS... ESPECIALLY IN OPEN COUNTRY. WIND CHILLS WILL PLUMMET TO AROUND 30 BELOW ZERO OVERNIGHT. WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL RESULT IN VISIBILITIES TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES.

====================================================\\-]o

2010-12-11T12:09:00.002-06:00

I like my skier :)

Bath Project Moving Along

2010-12-09T22:06:00.003-06:00

Minnesota Kind of Weekend

2010-12-05T22:50:00.003-06:00

I've been working for the last several years to come up with trail grooming equipment for my middle school and high school ski team. Last year I procured the groomer, and Friday worked a deal to take delivery of a hold-over 2010 new Ski-doo Skandic Tundra like the one pictured above. Lots of wrangling, but I hope to be making corduroy tomorrow out of our new fallen snow. Got a great price from a local buisness wanting to help the students out.

My other ski team, Minnesota Youth Ski League Program, jumped from 11 people to about 30. We had our first meeting Sat where we issued 16 sets of skis, boots and poles to kids ranging in age from 4-13. Should be a blast.

Sunday the family and I drove to the Hampton Tree farm and cut our holiday tree. The conifers were layered with snow and the deciduous trees were coated in hoar frost making for a seasonally splendid setting. Kids and I managed to set down a few ski tracks in the park behind the house too. In the evening we set our tree up and added twinkling snow flakes and blue icicle lights to the front of the house.

Winter's fun and it starts getting lighter again in just over 2 weeks.

1972 & 1982

2010-11-29T22:09:00.006-06:00

Troy and I are sporting dickeys under our disco collar velour shirts. Please note the horrible hair cuts on my brothers and me; dad insisted he cut it even though he had a job.

Here I'm only sporting a smile with a friend Verna out at the lakes.

Black Friday White Ride (pics&vid)

2010-11-26T22:00:00.004-06:00

The 950 looks puny but did quite well on the trail today. Jared and I met at the Bloomington Ferry Bridge and rode east. The sun, trail conditions and pleasant temperature rocked.

Urban Bike Lock

2010-11-26T08:34:00.001-06:00

Would it be foiled by a universal remote

Trunk-ated

2010-11-22T23:38:00.002-06:00

Found this on National Geographic. The elephant drags the croc. from the water and the baby trips over it. Both elephants run away and the croc. heads back to the water.