Ha! You probably thought I was referring to the Tour de France. Different kind of fire, and certainly worthy of the "on fire" headline, but the fire I am referring to is the hot, flaming, burning kind. The first photo is from this morning. Looked like the 900 burning acres were fairly in control after they ignited sometime on Monday afternoon; it seemed like the firefighters had gotten things together (after a hard's night work I am sure.)
The rest of the photo's are from when we got home this evening. Not in control. The charred mountains are my, sniff, morning ride. Caughlin Ranch. I will have to ride my Verdi route for a few days---as not only is it not healthy riding around in the smoke, but they probably wouldn't let me through the barricades. 3-4 million dollar homes surround the neighborhoods. The firefighters saved them all! But seemed to sacrifice the surrounding hills as a result and the fire went "the other way!" Up, Up Up...and now too steep to spray with the water hose. It looks like a volcano erupting!
It's more fun to write about my bike rides. That is for sure!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
TdF Commericals
...and now a word from our sponsor's! The Tour de France could take some hints from the Tour of California with respect to commercial choices. I loved the "if you were snow, where would you want to fall" commercials from the race in the golden state. Let's break it down:
Enzyte - Male enhancement---"ask Bob why he is smiling?" He loves the big lift he gets from Enzyte--Plus the topical rush special.
Cialus - or "See Alice". ED issues. Enough said.
Honda - Get off the couch and go drive a motorcycle (Sit on another seat and pollute the air for fun)
Petra Cornicova's Hp computer that she carries around all her magazine cover girl photo's on, and sends photo's underwater to all her friends.
If I had kids and they were watching the tour with me (which they would be), how does one explain these products? The only one's that are OK are the Specialized and Cervelo commercials. The Michelob Ultra's/Miller High Life aren't bad----and the Saab ones "Fly to the Finish" are all right too. Even the local commercials, which you probably aren't subject too, since they are fairly local specific are really bad.
One might say, "Joni, why are you watching the TdF all day long? (Get out and ride your own bike!) Well of course I am [out there riding my own bike], in between the Tour (and the various repeats of the Tour). I guess I am not the "intended audience" for the commercials. I would have thought that perhaps more focus would have been made for the carbon foot-print, international travel, adventure-seeking type audience would have been impressed upon. That, and of course the "weather".
Speaking of weather---I got a good 8 hours in the saddle this weekend. It was hot and dry. Happy Monday! Happy Birthday Tom!
Enzyte - Male enhancement---"ask Bob why he is smiling?" He loves the big lift he gets from Enzyte--Plus the topical rush special.
Cialus - or "See Alice". ED issues. Enough said.
Honda - Get off the couch and go drive a motorcycle (Sit on another seat and pollute the air for fun)
Petra Cornicova's Hp computer that she carries around all her magazine cover girl photo's on, and sends photo's underwater to all her friends.
If I had kids and they were watching the tour with me (which they would be), how does one explain these products? The only one's that are OK are the Specialized and Cervelo commercials. The Michelob Ultra's/Miller High Life aren't bad----and the Saab ones "Fly to the Finish" are all right too. Even the local commercials, which you probably aren't subject too, since they are fairly local specific are really bad.
One might say, "Joni, why are you watching the TdF all day long? (Get out and ride your own bike!) Well of course I am [out there riding my own bike], in between the Tour (and the various repeats of the Tour). I guess I am not the "intended audience" for the commercials. I would have thought that perhaps more focus would have been made for the carbon foot-print, international travel, adventure-seeking type audience would have been impressed upon. That, and of course the "weather".
Speaking of weather---I got a good 8 hours in the saddle this weekend. It was hot and dry. Happy Monday! Happy Birthday Tom!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Ode de Fume!
As in it's smokey out there! With the temps reaching or nearing the century mark for over a week, it's hot (dry hot---but hot!) out there. And the dry part is what's stirring up trouble. Lightening strikes have caused some fires to the South, North (Northwest) and East of Reno. No wind has meant that the fire-fighting efforts are helped...but the air quality is awful! Feels and looks like the smoggy LA basin---think Redlands! Smells like an ash-tray. So I have something new to complain about (thank goodness for that!)
Yesterday things were looking up and so I went for a morning ride before work. But then, yesterday---with the lightening storms, some new fires must have picked up as we woke up to the worst smelling day thus far. Sigh. Summers everywhere but San Francisco are becoming my least favorite season. I don't mind the heat --- but the fires make it so unhealthy to exercise outside, that it might as well be winter. I'll quit whining, because I still like it better than the humidity we had to live with last year. It is far from "oppressive heat"---and that is what we had in Boston. (100 degrees; feels like 90 as opposed to 89 degrees; feels like 100!)
The Tour has at least taken the bite off the fires. Some pretty amazing racing already---and there is nothing like waking up early and flipping on the TV for some live coverage of bike racing. And true to form, the Tour doesn't disappoint---and again I am in awe of what these skinny guys can do on a bicycle.
I hope you are enjoying your summer---I may not love the fires---but I do love being out West this year! One of the best things (about being home again) is being near friends---like the Prion's who stopped by the Sinclair Factory on their way to Crested Butte on Friday and who will stop by our house on their way back home this weekend. Lilly is already walking. You miss this stuff when you are far far away! Happy Wednesday!
Yesterday things were looking up and so I went for a morning ride before work. But then, yesterday---with the lightening storms, some new fires must have picked up as we woke up to the worst smelling day thus far. Sigh. Summers everywhere but San Francisco are becoming my least favorite season. I don't mind the heat --- but the fires make it so unhealthy to exercise outside, that it might as well be winter. I'll quit whining, because I still like it better than the humidity we had to live with last year. It is far from "oppressive heat"---and that is what we had in Boston. (100 degrees; feels like 90 as opposed to 89 degrees; feels like 100!)
The Tour has at least taken the bite off the fires. Some pretty amazing racing already---and there is nothing like waking up early and flipping on the TV for some live coverage of bike racing. And true to form, the Tour doesn't disappoint---and again I am in awe of what these skinny guys can do on a bicycle.
I hope you are enjoying your summer---I may not love the fires---but I do love being out West this year! One of the best things (about being home again) is being near friends---like the Prion's who stopped by the Sinclair Factory on their way to Crested Butte on Friday and who will stop by our house on their way back home this weekend. Lilly is already walking. You miss this stuff when you are far far away! Happy Wednesday!
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Happy July 4th!
That I started my day with a bike ride will not surprise anyone. Even though it's supposed to be 103 degrees---the Taylor's ride anyway. Thought I'd take you along for a spin by bringing my camera. The road to the State line was dotted with cyclists today. I was spinning (easy day) and so I get out of the way and all the fast guys pass me. Then a chubby older woman on a hybrid wearing running shorts and tennis shoes passed me. Hmmmm?! I caught up to her on one of the little climbs. She was riding on an older mixte type hybrid with some kind of aero-bar contraption set-up. She can only hold one water-bottle and so she had to re-fill on water at the middle school. Nothing about her looked fit or strong---but "looks" on a bicycle are deceptive. I used her as my inspiration. We parted at the Dog Valley climb to Henness Pass Road.
Anytime I think I need a little bit of California, I ride this route and cross the California State line. I tried to ride the unpaved gravel part---but it is not very suited to a road bike. Mostly for the descent. As I looped over the railroad tracks and over the Truckee River, I headed towards Boomtown. The housing development is interesting; 500K+ housing developments on one side and mobile homes on the other. There is a small abandoned community church in the middle of nowhere. A few houses away is a very interesting house with a bear carved out of wood. And in the middle of Verdi, NV there is an "Italian Car Only" parking space.
Just up the road in Mogul, there is a completely different stone church with nothing but a sign which says "The River" on it.
The 4th of July---a time to reflect on everything that America is, and to celebrate all she has to offer! We are such fortunate people to live here. Mike took me out for "All you can eat Sushi" and we officially celebrated our Anniversary, the 4th of July, and Nevada. It is hotter than you know what today---Happy Independence Day! Be safe!
One day I will upgrade my laptop and be able to download the photo's I took. Sigh!
Anytime I think I need a little bit of California, I ride this route and cross the California State line. I tried to ride the unpaved gravel part---but it is not very suited to a road bike. Mostly for the descent. As I looped over the railroad tracks and over the Truckee River, I headed towards Boomtown. The housing development is interesting; 500K+ housing developments on one side and mobile homes on the other. There is a small abandoned community church in the middle of nowhere. A few houses away is a very interesting house with a bear carved out of wood. And in the middle of Verdi, NV there is an "Italian Car Only" parking space.
Just up the road in Mogul, there is a completely different stone church with nothing but a sign which says "The River" on it.
The 4th of July---a time to reflect on everything that America is, and to celebrate all she has to offer! We are such fortunate people to live here. Mike took me out for "All you can eat Sushi" and we officially celebrated our Anniversary, the 4th of July, and Nevada. It is hotter than you know what today---Happy Independence Day! Be safe!
One day I will upgrade my laptop and be able to download the photo's I took. Sigh!
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Oost, West, thuis best!
So even though I was in Italy, Mijn Nederlands es beter dan mijn Italiano. My European travels have always been focused in the Belgian or The Netherlands regions and even though Italian sounds so beautiful, my linguistics skills seem to be more comfortable with Dutch of all things. May not be music to the ears---but that's how it is. I was chatting with a very old friend from The Netherlands online the other day, and we were talking about "old times". He and I and another guy took a road trip through Eastern Europe in the early 90's together on my sabbatical from SGI. Being Dutch, his language skills were top notch and traveling through Eastern Europe at that time, meant if anyone had a second language in Eastern Europe, which in itself was very rare, it was German---not English. He made the traveling and sight seeing (and finding the bathrooms, lodging, food and good places to see) a real pleasure!
He is also the person who gave me my first "adult" bicycle. And obviously that gift absolutely changed my life in very profound ways. He is married now and has a lovely little daughter...and we talked about how us knowing each other was in many ways a turning point in our lives. It's funny. We both toyed at the time with becoming expatriates; would he come live in America or would I go and live in The Netherlands? For many reasons, notwithstanding a bit of immaturity, nothing ever came of it.
When I told him about my recent trip to Italy, I said that I never fly over the pond without thinking of my Dutch friends (I spent alot of time there back in the day!) We both love Italy (what is not to love?), but "Home is where the heart is", I wrote to him. My home is really wherever Mike is. I do love it here in Nevada, and I love being closer to my family, but if Mike said to me tomorrow, "We are moving back to Marshall", than that would be where my home was. I asked Martijn what the saying would be in Dutch and he said, "Oost, west, thuis best". (East, West - Home is the best). So there you go!
Now that I might be mature enough (and that might be questionable!), I have found my home in a person, not a place. Perhaps, I have found my home within myself. I don't know. I have the travel bug again---a little bit of Europe goes a long way. Next year we are celebrating DEAR friend's 50th birthday riding our bikes in Italy/Switzerland and wherever else he decides we will go. Time to learn Italian.
Right now, I am off to ride my bike in Reno---It's nice to be home! Happy July 1st!
He is also the person who gave me my first "adult" bicycle. And obviously that gift absolutely changed my life in very profound ways. He is married now and has a lovely little daughter...and we talked about how us knowing each other was in many ways a turning point in our lives. It's funny. We both toyed at the time with becoming expatriates; would he come live in America or would I go and live in The Netherlands? For many reasons, notwithstanding a bit of immaturity, nothing ever came of it.
When I told him about my recent trip to Italy, I said that I never fly over the pond without thinking of my Dutch friends (I spent alot of time there back in the day!) We both love Italy (what is not to love?), but "Home is where the heart is", I wrote to him. My home is really wherever Mike is. I do love it here in Nevada, and I love being closer to my family, but if Mike said to me tomorrow, "We are moving back to Marshall", than that would be where my home was. I asked Martijn what the saying would be in Dutch and he said, "Oost, west, thuis best". (East, West - Home is the best). So there you go!
Now that I might be mature enough (and that might be questionable!), I have found my home in a person, not a place. Perhaps, I have found my home within myself. I don't know. I have the travel bug again---a little bit of Europe goes a long way. Next year we are celebrating DEAR friend's 50th birthday riding our bikes in Italy/Switzerland and wherever else he decides we will go. Time to learn Italian.
Right now, I am off to ride my bike in Reno---It's nice to be home! Happy July 1st!
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