Old School Creative Fun

Image lifted from omah garsh freakbike fantasy.

Surly Pugsley and the Snowman

Tomorrow night is the full moon, but the snow was aglow tonight. I had great hopes of popping in the earbuds and riding around the park behind my house on the pugsley that is mine until my brother takes it back.

The snow, however, didn't cooperate. Neighborhood kids build the snowman during last weekends warm temperatures and rain. I was certain that this would harden the snow enough to support my ride. No luck. Using the small front chain-ring gave me the torque to go, but the front wheel still kept breaking through and bogging me down.

Despite this I still had fun on a night with a wind chill of a few degrees below zero.

First Day on Skis

Turn up the Volume for the next one.

"Go, she's coming down the hill!" . . . "WHooHoo!"

Start of Something Finnish

Today the kids and I started my Minnesota Youth Ski League (MYSL) Team. MYSL mission states, "The Minnesota Youth Ski League (MYSL) is a club-based organization that offers youth and their families the opportunity to learn, develop skills and enjoy cross-country skiing together."

The other dads and I got the kids fitted with skis, taught them how to put on their own gear, how to fall down how to get up and other ski related skills. We had a great time, but didn't make it onto the snow because of the pouring rain.

I'm planning to take Claire and Harris out for a first ski with dad day tomorrow, the hell with the rain. I hope we can have as much winter fun together on skis as we do biking together in the summer.

A Robert Herrick Poem I've Posted Before

This art by Audrey Kawaski is a near perfect illustration of the poem written 350 years earlier.

A SWEET disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a wantonness :
A lawn about the shoulders thrown
Into a fine distraction :
An erring lace which here and there
Enthrals the crimson stomacher :
A cuff neglectful, and thereby
Ribbons to flow confusedly :
A winning wave (deserving note)
In the tempestuous petticoat :
A careless shoe-string, in whose tie
I see a wild civility :
Do more bewitch me than when art
Is too precise in every part.

Went Skate Skiing Today

Had fun skate skiing with my skiers today. What a great workout.

I rode

I loaded up my bike after yesterday's post. Strapped my snowshoes on the rack and figured I could find a shovel around the school somewhere. I had the tools to groom my ski course, and had a beast meet. I'm glad I rode.

My Commute to School

I posted this map of my commute mainly as a way of learning how to trace a route using Google Earth and save it to the blog. Very easy. Click on the little ruler at the top of the page, plot out the route, click file/save, save as an image. This image can then be posted to a blog.

Click the map for a better view.

Sadly, I've not been commuting as much as I would like. I only made one ride all last week, I was all ready to ride tomorrow, but realized I needed to bring a snow shovel to do some work on my ski course. I've ridden with bulkier items, but it put me over the top.

Winter Camping

This is the bag that made sleeping out at -17F (or colder) a joy. I didn't even zip it up until 4am. One interesting feature is the collar that goes around your neck to keep heat from escaping.

Pine Soap

"Made the same way since 1878, with a strong pine tar scent that cuts through the stench, but washes off thoroughly. Most women hate the smell, most men love it'" says Rivendell. I've wanted to try this soap for years, but have been too cheap to order it alone, and have been unenthused about the price of other Rivendell offerings. Until I saw Obenauf's Saddle Goop being sold for 1/4th the price of Proofide. Bonus is I can get a luxury item and still tickle my cheap bone.

I like Apolo Ohno Better now.