Another Damn "Not Dead" Post

Hey, it looks like my posts are just gonna be more infrequent. From here on out, even if there's a lengthy pause in activity here on the blog, please assume that nothing bad has happened. Indeed, you can safely assume that much good has happened, since I'm still riding my bike lots and I'm still blessed with a family who still loves me. Still.

I've got a couple of pictures that aren't very interesting, but what the hell.

Here's the CUBE bike I got a while ago in its normal daily configuration:

Which is to say, here's a picture a dirty bike with panniers and a mirror! I ended up removing the chain guard because as nice as it looked, it was, um, guarding my chain. I like being able to see and get at my chain easily. That guard kept me from fully appreciating how the winter chain was dissolving into a rusty paste of metal and grease. Yesterday I addressed that issue, which it why the drivetrain is the only clean part in the picture:

I could look at that pristine bike chain all day, and I don't have to tell you how nice and smooth and quiet a brand new chain can be. If only there was some way to protect it, like some kind of guard...

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Bike. Yup. Also, Am I a Bad Parent?

Yay! I've been riding again since Monday. As expected, it has left me wondering why I stopped. Endorphin based joyjoys and cycling zen thought clearing activity have me feeling better than I have in some time.

Or is it texting my teenage daughter and being a little mean for fun? Could be that too, because I enjoyed this immensely:

A good parent sets a good example. I paid up.

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Helmet Cam And Other Weenies

As you may be aware, I am a pretty big fan of cycling POV cam videos. Today, however, I am just fed up with the ever-increasing number of helmet cam cyclists who post about every little infraction. I'm unsubscribing from this guy for sure: obscured license on parked truck? Really? Maybe the truck pissed him off previously or something, I don't know. There just seems to be an upswing in cam cyclists who need to get a life and get off the Airzound.

For myself, I just need to get back on the bike... soon after my most recent snowy video I suffered a muscle pull that I decided required a couple days off the bike. That couple of days has turned into a couple of months! I don't really know what is wrong with me... I love to ride, even in winter. Is it possible I just don't anymore? I don't think so. I'm just being a weenie, giving in to my lazy bone, both here on the blog and in my bike commuting. Both things are a source of joy for me, yet here I am, bummed out and driving or taking the bus to work.

Maybe I need to start meditating or have my ears candled or get a tattoo or get to bed earlier or stop watching so much crappy TV. "Storage Wars"? "Border Security"? What the hell is wrong with me? All opinions welcome, since my usual source of personal insight through skull irregularities, Mordecai McBumpanoggin, is no longer returning my calls. Perhaps he has returned to Vienna; it's anybody's guess with that guy.

Anyway, thanks for reading and wish me luck as I try to get back on track!

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Hey! Hey! Over here!

Hello! I've been distracted, lazy, busy, confused and generally unable or unwilling to write anything here for a while. Has everyone been well? I haven't been doing much blog reading either.

I deleted my Facebook account! Couldn't be happier, really. I mean I have this blog thing and Twitter if people want to check in on how I'm doing. There's something about facebook that is just tiresome (at least for me) compared to these other platforms. Perhaps it is the constant reminders of the ways in which I'm letting others down by forgetting birthdays, etc, because I don't go on it enough. Anyway, I'm gone from facebook and it feels good.

I hadn't been using Twitter much at all and thought I would give it a try. I'm kind of digging it. There is such a crazy stream of stuff (if you follow many people) that trying to keep up with everything isn't even an option. Going on twitter feels more like popping into a bar and chatting with or eavesdropping on some people you sort of know.

I've done a couple of things on Twitter that simply must be stored forever here on the blog. They are way too awesome to just get lost in the fast-flowing river of tweetiness.

First, there was a hashtag thing called #ReplaceALetterRuinATvShow that triggered my WTF Syndrome (see sidebar) pretty bad:

And today after work I did an animated gif thing that was kind of cool, I thought. It has since morphed into a video:





That pretty well sums up where I've been lately!Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Things People Say Fridays #15: Yeah, Buddy!

Wednesday of this week was a pretty snowy day in London Ontario, pushing the limits of my relatively skinny tires in the morning and exceeding them sometimes on the way home. I tweeted something after my ride/walk home on Wednesday evening:

At the time I had just arrived home having seen many smirks and even overhearing some mildly derisive comments, so you can understand. However, now that a little time has passed I have remembered someone who was much more positive about my winter cycling efforts:

I am a firm believer that somewhat wild looking dudes with snow and ice in their beards are more likely to speak deep truths than the rest of us. I mean, if you're not going to listen to this guy, who are you going to listen to?

Not actual "yeah, buddy" guy. I was unable to get a usable image from the video. I thought this might do instead. pic source

Thanks, bearded cycling brother. You get it, and that's enough for me.

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Weather Widget / Gadget / Doodad Thing

Most reasonably small and simple weather things you can post on your web page don't have wind direction or speed on them, and that has always bugged me. You don't have to cycle very much before you start to really notice and want to know what the wind is doing.

That is why I'm pleased to now offer such a widget / gadget / doodad on my sidebar. I'm extra pleased that it is an Environment Canada doodad, free of strings or sneaky links to ads or anything like that.

If you don't live in London, but live in Canada, here's a link to the page that will generate your city-specific code:

https://weather.gc.ca/business/index_e.html#weatherlink

I have re-sized mine a little to fit my page better... if you live in London, ON and want one just like mine (and really, who wouldn't) just copy n' paste the code below:

<!-- Begin WeatherLink Fragment -->
<iframe title="Environment Canada Weather" width="260px" height="230px" src="//weather.gc.ca/wxlink/wxlink.html?cityCode=on-137&amp;lang=e" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<!-- End WeatherLink Fragment -->

If you don't live in Canada, well, sorry. This is just one of the many things about my country that is better than yours. Don't get me wrong, I love and admire and even envy the < insert desirable quality here > of < your country name >. < Your country name > ain't Canada though. Not by a long shot. Canada so totally rocks it is almost embarrassing. Almost.

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K