Broken Spokes and Twisted Trails

Trip and Stuff

2006-07-19T23:19:00.000-06:00

Alright, enough with the suspense. I have an entire week off, and I'm still too lazy to update this thing.... sheesh. I'll be happy with once weekly, and you will be too :P.

Fernie Trip:

What can I say - NO crowd whatsoever. Even on the Saturday. The wait for the lift line was barely 3 minutes at the peak. Awesome. Great scenery, and incredible trails made for two astounding days of riding. The trails at the resort are mostly natural, save for 3 or 4 (two of which are twisted and wrong, and I'll never be riding them at *this* rate of progression - oh darn... ).

Make sure you eat at Rip'N'Richards if you're passing through. The crusted salmon was literally the best meal I've had in months, aside from the slightly smaller than normal portion. Fill the rest of the hole with some locally brewed pints and it will all work out.

This update will be accompanied by a lack of photos, because I have only three pics from the entire trip. The slow old guys I rode with took most of the photos (and a few videos, where we're hamming it up for my injured friend), so I will to start bugging them for pictures. I'll update once I get them.

And.... that's that. The Peugeot roadie is in pieces right now, and that does not make for good pictures. After I get the bloody rusted stem out, I have another full day of cleaning it up before pictures.

(pic from the Fernie website)

Going to Fernie!

2006-07-13T20:57:00.000-06:00

Yes! I'm headed to Fernie for a short mountain bike vacation this weekend! This is the stuff epic road trips are made out of, except for the epicness - it's only 2 days :(... but that may be enough because riding a hardtail at the resorts is killer on the wrists.

I'll be riding the resort with a couple of old guys, because my other friends are out with injuries.
Yep, you guessed it - the guy with two broken legs. He claims he was "just riding along", and he was practicing wheelies when he looped out of a wheelie (went too far back), and he had to jump off his bike. He shattered his left tibia, and broke his right ankle on landing. 100% freak accident.

Dumb stuff always happens when you least expect it - Murphy's Law of mountain biking.
Case in point - my broken toe, on my second ever ride on my new bike. I hit a concrete post while "just riding along". End of story there, no details necessary :P.

Anyways, pics should be up Monday. I have all of next week off, so if anyone is interested in a bike ride, a road trip to Jasper, or anything, I'm availible.

I'll be checking in Monday.

Oh, I also acquired my dream 10-speed road bike at a garage sale today. Pics of that on Monday, too :).

Devon Trails

2006-07-08T15:13:00.000-06:00

Betcha didn't know Devon had a nice set of trails, eh? Well, acting on a tip from the Edmonton Local Ride guidebook (availible at local area bike shops for $15.00), I spent my day off exploring Devon.

To get there, take a left after driving over the Highway 60 bridge that crosses the North Saskatchewan River. The parking lot is almost under the bridge on the south side of the river.

Most the trails close the parking lot are pretty mellow, but once you find a trail that starts to climb out the valley, the trails turn into a wide-open, rollercoaster of singletrack/multiuse fun. You can find some extremely technical singletrack if you try some of the side trails that head straight down the valley.

The trails near the golf course are a little more sandy, and I didn't get to explore this area as much as I wanted to. I was running out of water (on the hottest day of the year, no less) at this point, but if you continue on past the passion-play area, you will find some good stuff.

The MOST gnarly line I've ever encoutered. I want to go back to get pics on this ;).

Just past the cliffs.

This trail brought to you by Jesus. Why am I not burning yet?

Bike next to cliffs, for sense of scale.

Bike parked on corner of techy descent.

Uphill portion of the corner.

Downhill portion.

The great white sandy cliffs of Devon.

And... that's that. Take lots of water if you're riding on hot days, kids. I burned through 2 litres in just over two hours, and I needed MORE. Thankfully I had extra at the truck.

Oh, here's a picture of said truck (taken today). It was incredibly bright, so I was squinting.:

I also visited my friend at the hospital today. He broke both his legs while biking. Healing vibes to him, everybody! More on that tomorrow.

Weekend Ride Pics!

2006-07-04T16:44:00.000-06:00

Alrighty folks, here's another lazy update... with CONTENT!! It's entirely excusable this way ;).

These pics are from Banff National Park, and the Canmore Cougar Creek Benchlands area.

Note: This update also introduces the new gallery style I will be using. Much superior to the old "folder of junk", no?

Click here for pics!

Tat and I rode the Lake Minnewanka trail (to the Warden's Cabin) on Friday, and I took off to Canmore by myself on Saturday. If you're ever doing some riding in Banff, make sure you hit the Lake Minnewanka trail. You wouldn't want to miss this rollercoaster of awesome singletrack.

That's it folks! Hopefully I'll start on a more regular, less lazy update style soon.

I'm still alive - just lazy...

2006-06-26T21:00:00.000-06:00

You heard me! That, and uninspired to update (as of recently). Anyways, I'm going camping this weekend, and perhaps ripping up COP on Sunday. I'll take some pics for you all.

See ya later!

Apologies and Stuff

2006-06-11T19:06:00.000-06:00

Apologies to anyone that showed up to the ride on Saturday. Several things needed to happen Saturday morning that would ensure my presence in Terwillegar, but I finally finished everything around 2:00pm. Stupid weekends.

Anyways, I went to my first small, "theatre-nerd" type improv show at the Varscona on Saturday (Chimprov). Miles ahead of Yuk Yuks (last summer's Tuesday night routine) in terms of laughs. We ran into at least five MAC people (tech-team/drama reunion), and apparently they are going to perform improv on Friday. Small world, eh?

The whole "learning-to-drive-a-standard" thing has been great fun. The biggest challenge comes from shifting out of neutral into first (either on a hill, or while stopped). The rest of the gears are easy, trust me. Learn it now if you can!

No truck pics yet. It's rust-on-white coloured, so it's not the most photogenic vehicle on the road. Unless there is an outcry for pictures, I'm not going to bother.

Must... ride... bike... this week!

Rabbit Hill bike park opens on June 17th. Anyone want to come? :D

Truck and Ride Time!

2006-06-07T20:38:00.000-06:00

Alright, I finally went to check out my boss' truck today. It's a little white w/black canopy '96 Nissan pickup. It will only seat two comfortably (payback of rides is going to be hard...) and it's perfect as a small work truck, two-person bike/canoe/gear hauler, and for driving around town. The paint is crappy in spots, but oh well. Everything else is in awesome shape, and I'm stoked to start driving (finally). Hopefully I will have it by the weekend. I'll have pics once I have it at home.

I'm going back to the crappy framing job tomorrow, after a week-and-a-half of roofing. Thankfully there are only two days left in the week. Framing sucks. Don't be fooled by those Gunslinger framing ads on the radio, and on billboards around town. I can only imagine wood framing sucks more than steel, because everything is HEAVIER, and you probably need more of it.

Don't go into framing. Period. Concrete probably sucks, too. Roofing, electrical/electrician work, and HVAC systems (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) are better for the money.

Summer Ride Times Announcement:

Alright, no rain predicted for Saturday... so far.

I want to get a group ride in. Talk to Vish and Andy. We did some great stuff last time.
The one after that was Terwillegar - Adam showed up, and then I cancelled the last Saturday one because of the threat of rain. Fuck you rain.

So, let's get another Terwillegar ride in. The trails kick ass, and lots of you missed them.

When: Saturday, June 10th.
Where: Terwillegar Park - Meet in Riverbend Square at the Shell Gas Station.
Who: YOU... and your bike.
Bring: Water and possibly food, your friends and their bikes.

That's all. Show up!

Broken Spokes and a Twisted Trail: Some Pics for You

2006-06-05T22:09:00.000-06:00

Another two post day - keep reading after this one!.

My Sunday ride was cut short by a broken spoke... my first one actually. And I suffered it while riding the most twisted trail around.

It's the only trail of its kind in the Edmonton-area (that I know of), so I am swearing myself to the secrecy of its location. It would be a shame if the City of Edmonton chainsaw patrol decided to show up one day.

Ride with me one day, and we might go there. It can be summed up in two words: kick-ass (even if you don't ride the stunts).

Pics below:

For those who care, it's a 10 10.

So fun.

Damn you, broken spoke! Bastard mangled my rear rotor, too.

That's all for now!
Keep on riding!

P.S. I have no clue when I want to do another group ride. I've been feeling awful lately.

The Sandbox Project: Pics

2006-06-05T21:37:00.000-06:00

I think the proper place for these is on Adams' blog, The Sandbox Project, but he is out of town for a week. So, here is a collection of the best pictures, from my camera, of the sandcastle that we built on the bank of the North Saskatchewan last weekend. Straight-from-camera versions are availible on my U of A photodump (link at right):

Dancing on top of the mould to pack it down.

Packing the castle moulds with sand.

Oh my... what have we made here.

"Is that a tumour on your leg?"

Adam stares in awe at his creation.

Lifting the mould off.

Taking a break around the giant pit.

The pit - deeper than it looks.

Adam looking quite pleased with himself.

Phase One going smoothly.

Waterfall into our castle lake (formerly a pit).

Nice hairdo.

Mmm, barbeque lunch. Adam thinks of everything.

Almost complete. Towers, lake, waterfall, and river are done.

:)

"A giant with a camera is attacking the castle!"

A couple of curious pintail ducks showed up.

Too busy eating to work.

That shovel is about 3 1/2 ft. long.

Me :) crouched behind the castle.

Job well done, castle builders!

That's it for today.

Eat your veggies. Get out there and enjoy life.

Sapphire Writer: For Your Enjoyment...

2006-05-30T18:17:00.000-06:00

Sapphire Writer: For Your Enjoyment...

Taking a cue from Sapphire today, here is another funny flowchart. I have this on a mousepad at home, and this is a scan of it.

I turn to this mousepad for advice, on occasion, when I get asked about computer problems *shakes fist*.

Guitar Gone...

2006-05-28T19:12:00.000-06:00

All 0f my guitar stuff is gone. I love to play, but the will to practice just isn't there, and hasn't existed since last summer. Three years of memories and jamming, and hours of learning sold for $640.

I guess that's why I'm feeling so crappy this weekend. I haven't been this bad since March. Biking helped cheer me up a bit, but the mood seems to be lingering underneath.

This car had better be worth it.

P.S. I will get an acoustic later, and take lessons in earnest this fall if I have the money! Last time I borrowed an acoustic (thanks Bui) I spent many waking hours practicing, and enjoying, playing guitar again.

Bikes on the Brain (insane update)

2006-05-26T22:47:00.000-06:00

This is my normal thought process during the day:

*drool* Transition Bicycles.... *drool*

Preston FR... good for going up and light freeride... it's how I ride right now... climbing fun, pain fun - being fat chairlift whore = slightly less fun.

but, but... her big sister... Bottlerocket:

Who doesn't like 5.5 inches in the rear? Can take more abuse! Harder to climb with, but I don't mind suffering when going up... doesn't-kill-you-makes-you-stronger and all that...

Preston? Bottlerocket? Preston? Bottlerocket? PRESTON? BOTTLEROCKET?

Or something different altogether hmmm?

AHHHHHH!

*Repeat every 10 minutes*

It's going to be a winter of very hard decisions.

Fuck you bike companies. Fuck you.

Cars on the Brain

2006-05-25T22:31:00.000-06:00

(This is the third time I'm typing this up. Firefox keeps crashing when I try to add a pic, so no fancy pics for you).

My brain seems to be on everything but bikes lately. I've been looking for a car, so whenever I'm in a vehicle, on the job, or on the 'net I'm thinkg about cars. New cars for sale, used cars, what to look for in buying a used car... it's enough to drive me crazy.

I'm not big fan of the automobile to begin with. I view it as a sort of necessary evil. A neverending black hole for your money - upkeep and repair costs, gasoline costs :rolleyes:, insurance costs :bigger rolleyes:. At least it's going to cost less than my mountain bike did :D.

However, it's going to haul my friends and I to camping trips, to new trailheads and campsites, and hopefully to many adventures. This end result, I believe, will be worth it.

I'm looking mostly at Volvo station wagons. They aren't the most attractive car on the road, but at my price point I can't see a better option for bike/people hauler, and work car.

In other news, my guitar stuff is all going to be sold tomorrow (crossing my fingers) to help pay for the car. I haven't touched it since January, and I suck anyway. It's not a huge loss. I may invest in an acoustic (and some desperately needed lessons) in September, when free time between classes returns. My schedule will not be busy.

That's all for now. Get your asses out to the ride this weekend!

Getting a Life? Blogger nirvana?

2006-05-22T22:11:00.000-06:00

So... the usual blog crew of F5'ers (push the key and watch what it does in your browser- there you go :P) may have noticed that the length of time between updates is growing. This is down from one a day, even TWICE a day earlier on in the life of my blog.

Well, truthfully, I find that I don't really want to wax on about everyday mundanities. Also, May has been an especially busy month for me. Everyone is busy with their own recreational activities, work, socializing, friends, etc. I have other things to do that I enjoy more than updating my blog (not to say that I hate it, it's still fun and I do quite enjoy it).

I can probably best sum it up like this: I'm too busy having a life to write about having a life on my blog. Odd, isn't it? I guess I've achieved blogger nirvana, in some weird roundabout way. In actuality, it feels very nice. A little drafty, but that's because the basement window is open and a storm is brewing outside.

Anyways, for the curious and prying (yes, just for you :P), I had a very pleasant evening tonight on the Earl's patio, and at the Sugar Bowl (kickass hangout - just south of the High Level bridge). Good beer, good desserts, and cheap margaritas. Anyone interested in Thursday night on Whyte for the Oilers?

Also, I will have some long weekend pics and content up tomorrow. I had a great time at the cabin. Check out The Sandbox Project for pics if you're impatient. If it rains, they will be up by noon. Otherwise, expect something in the evening.

RIDE TIMES ANNOUNCEMENT

When: May 27th @ 12:00pm
Where: Meet in Quad. Look for a guy on a black bike with shinpads.
What: Kinsmen Trails, Old Timer's Cabin, Mill Creek.
Bring: Tools, helmet, water, bug repellant if you hate the bugs - they don't bother me, but they are pretty bad now.

We will probably hit up the Sugar Bowl for post ride food and libations. Ride pace will be determined by who/how many show up.

That's all. I hope you all had a great long weekend!

I made it (I hope)

2006-05-16T17:28:00.000-06:00

All my grades are back. I only failed one course this term: Math 201. I have no clue how I did that because I thought I did very well on the final. I must have done poorly on the very unforgiving multiple choice section, but I have plenty of room in my schedule to retake it next year.

I finished with a 2.0 average this term (phew), and have a 2.5 GPA on the year (thank you 3.0 first term). At this rate, I should make the cutoff for Civil Engineering next year, after they apply GPA penalties.

Hooray! No year off for me. Time to relax and enjoy summer.

I have to wait for a letter/email from the Faculty, because I'm not sure what happens next.

Take 'er easy everyone. I hope your marks were great.

Lazy Update

2006-05-15T21:59:00.000-06:00

Alright, I think I should say a little about bike maintenance right now.

This is no means a comprehensive post, because I am lazy right now.

Working on your own bike is NOT difficult. A little regular cleaning and maintenance will help you keep your ride in top working condition, and, most importantly, it will reduce the chance of issues/breakdowns on the trail.

You do not want to be stranded 20km from the trailhead because your derailleur decided to blow up 2 years before it was due to.

There are plenty of resources on the 'net, if you need help with a fix or cleaning tips.

Parktool.com, and MTBR.com (check the forum) are great resources.

Had my first real ball game today. I played a great game as catcher, and was 3 for 4 at the plate. Even had a home run! We only lost by three, and if more people show up on Wednesday our chances will be better.

I'm doing a road ride tomorrow. I do not know where to yet... perhaps out to St. Albert.

Thus ends a very lazy update.

Ride Report - Terwillegar May 14th

2006-05-14T20:17:00.000-06:00

Would our trail warrior take a day off after a full day of ski lift shredding, and a night of partying and drinking? Ha! Not likely!

Sunday's weather proved to be perfect, as Adam and I headed to Terwillegar for a trail ride. I suspect most of you were busy with family obligations - which is understandable, with May 14 being Mother's Day.

We still had a blast by ourselves.

Map of Terwillegar Park located here, at the Edmonton Overlanders Orienteering website. I actually own this Terwillegar map, but I can never find it when I'm going riding there. No scan for you.

Pics from today below (click for full size, or check out U of A Photo Dump):

Bike triumphs over capitalist car oppressors!
(I was hoping that box would be an abandoned car).

Riding Firemans' Trail.
The entrance is at the top of the gravel path that leads into Terwillegar.

More Firemans'. One of the best trails in Terwillegar.

Durr?

A well deserved break. Who knows what kind of furniture you will find in the woods?

More roots.

Brand new hanging footpath under the Henday Bridge.

Random trail pic.

Over the front wheel.

Henday Footbridge take two.

North side of the Anthony Henday Bridge.

Bridge alone.

Bridge plaque.

Something is being built at the water treatment plant. Adam is going to find out if his profs know what it is.

Take two, close up.

My bike, and my pack.

Adam riding along.

Video from today! (Right Click, Save Target As)

I'm riding a steep chute that leads from the houses above Whitemud Drive down to a trail beside the horse paddock south of Fox Drive, on the west side of Whitemud Creek. It's hard to describe the location in words, but Adam wanted a video of this in case I crashed it. He doesn't ride this section :P.

That's all! Happy Trails!

Next ride date TBA, because I may be out of town next weekend. I'm thinking a weekday evening ride might be the best for this week.

Ride Report - Canada Olympic Park May 14th

2006-05-14T19:18:00.000-06:00

Five Edmontonians took to the trecherous QE2 highway at 6:00am to invade Calgary on May 13th. They could be identified from the five bikes carried in the back of a cramped truck, and the Oilers blanket being flown from the front passenger window (GO OILERS! Screw you Calgary!).

Their destination: Canada Olympic Park, for some opening day shredding, and early season freeriding.

What can I say - for a Edmonton mountain biker craving lift-access trails, COP is a great nearby option (until Rabbit Hill opens their park this year).

All of the good photos are availible in full size from my U of A photo dump.

Here are my best pics (and one video!) from the day:

My friend Adam (not Shypanski). He's got the skills.

View of the dirtjumps from the patio.

John hitting a small drop.

View from the parking lot.

The lift line. The wait was about 20 minutes (INSANE) at it's peak.

Heading home! Mike on the left, me on the right.

Video of Adam hitting a 12-footer - watch this one! (Right Click, Save Target As)

Unfortunately, that's it. We were too busy having a blast to take pics this time :D. Picture taking leads to less ride time.

That's all.

Weekend and Stuff

2006-05-09T18:18:00.000-06:00

My PHONE is now working again! Thanks for the awesome two-month wait for warranty service, Telus!

Also, my thanks go out to Maija, for hosting a great dinner party. All the food was great, and I couldn't really tell that it was vegetarian lasagna. It was quite good, and I apologize for not bringing anything (too hungover... too lazy... went riding instead :P). I don't think more food was needed, anyway. Everyone was stuffed.

Have a blast in B.C.!

Ride Times Update:

I'm going to push back the ride start to 1:00pm, so everyone can go to church, eat mummy's day brunch, clean up their bikes, whatever. Mother's Day is not a day-long affair in my family, so after breakfast I'll be heading out.

12:00pm is quite early to start a ride, and we start close to the trail anyway.

So, 1:00PM EVERYBODY!

Other crap that is going on:

Anyone interested in watching some fastball will have to come down to the east end. ALL of my games are being played at the diamonds near 148 Ave and 88 St (I don't have an exact address or community league yet, sorry guys). If I play in any tournaments, it will probably be without my regular team. I have no clue how they're going to work them yet.

My first exhibition game is this Thursday, and wow... my batting is rusty. Otherwise, I haven't lost any skills, and I feel even better about most of them because I'm much better shape now than when I used to play.

That's it. Oh, and I guarantee you all I will have some pics to post finally after this weekend. I'm heading down to ride Canada Olympic Park on opening day (weather may be ugly...). Not the smartest day to go, IMO, but it will be a blast anyway. It always is!

May 6th Ride Summary, and New Ride Time

2006-05-06T17:55:00.000-06:00

First ride was a success!

Despite mother nature threatening to cancel the entire outing, she instead provided a welcome, cool, damp presence, that everyone agreed was preferable to a scorching summer sun. The damp, tacky trails were excellent, and devoid of traffic.

Miles of roots, challenging downhills, and trails that exist in unlikely places served as the highlights of the ride.

Today's route can be viewed above, or by using this GMaps Pedometer link. We rode just under 13.0km today, in about two hours.

Andy probably has some better ride stats on his bike computer, but I didn't ask him for them.

Thank you, Andy and Vishaal, for showing up, and for being good sports on the trail.

Next ride:

Sunday, May 14th: Meet in Riverbend Square at 12:00pm. We are going to ride Terwillegar!

Be there!

Ball Season

2006-05-04T22:15:00.000-06:00

I had my first softball practice of the year tonight. For those of you who don't play sports, softball is like baseball and can be divided into two major categories: Fastpitch and slo-pitch.

The main differences between softball and baseball are:

softball - our balls are bigger :D
softball - underhand (also called orthodox-style) pitching, baseball - overhand pitching
fastball - players can only move from the base when the pitch leaves the pitcher's hand, baseball - players can move from the base at any time
softball - 99% of the bats are metal, baseball - I don't know about minor leagues, but all bats are wooden in the majors
softball - exciting to watch and faster than baseball, baseball - *snore*, but still exciting
softball - bases are closer together and the field is smaller
softball - games run only SEVEN innings

If you've played softball before, it was probably slo-pitch. In slo-pitch, the pitch must be thrown in a high arc, and the strike-zone is a large mat placed over home plate. The ball must land on the mat to be called a strike. Also, you can NOT move from the base until the ball is hit, and it is the most popular verisions of softball with adults. Slo-pitch and beer drinking go together like Canada and hockey.

Fastpitch is a faster paced, more exciting version of softball. I played it for 9 (soon to be 10) seasons, and had my Level Two Umpire certification for fastpitch. I umpired for three seasons, and at two Provincial Level Tournaments.

In fastpitch, most pitches are thrown "windmill" style, in which the arm makes one full rotation before the ball is released underhand.

Women's and under-18 girl's fastpitch is VERY popular right now, while most boy's tournaments struggle to fill two or three 4-team brackets.

I am playing in the modified rules, Edmonton Co-Ed Softball League this year. I'm already excited for my first game, and hopefully my team can win a bunch of games this year :).

You're all invited to show up to tournaments if you want. Eating burgers outside, and watching some ball is an awesome way to spend a weekend.

Good Eats and Good Friends

2006-05-02T19:00:00.000-06:00

Another great night was enjoyed by all, surrounded by good friends, good times, and fantastic food at the Sicilian Pasta Kitchen.

Sunday evening set the scene for another "Food Union" (or, as known to insiders, FTAT) gathering. A group of close friends (hopefully to soon be an official University Club!) descended on a local ethnic eatery to soak in some culture, sample the exotic fare, and to enjoy the company of which only good friends can provide.

I was impressed by the service. The waitress' wine suggestion was excellent - I enjoyed the first white wine I've ever tasted that was not terrible. The food was prepared quickly, and the filling pasta managed to satiate everyone's hunger.

I would definitely recommend this locale for a diner in search of hearty, tasty Italian fare.

It's on Jasper Ave, across from Joey's Tomato Kitchen (around 112 St).

While not the most inexpensive choice for pasta, the taste, service, and atmosphere make the trip worth it.

Part One: Things Go Boom

2006-04-30T23:47:00.000-06:00

Part One of Big Update:

My last exam was finished on Saturday afternoon, and that could mean only one thing: Party in Hawrelak park!

Well, in my lucky case, TWO parties. The U of A Outdoors Club threw their official wind-up party on the same day as my MAC friends held their annual wrap-up barbeque. I managed to split my time between the two parties, played some frisbee, lots of hacky sack, devoured burgers and popsicles, and even witnessed shit blowing up (Right Click, Save Target As).

Pics from the barbeque are here. Nothing from the UAOC party, sorry.

If/when my bandwidth goes to hell, just complain below and I'll host elsewhere.

Congrats on making it through another year!

Part Two: Winter Riding

2006-04-30T23:23:00.000-06:00

Part Two of Big Update:

I forgot the camera on another ride today. I can't believe it, but the weather was terrible today anyway. Some nice flat-light shots of trails, yep. Would have been an awesome update! However, I have a good idea of what trails I'm going to do for the group ride next Saturday, which was the purpose of going out today. I won't forget the camera on that ride!

In the meanwhile, here are some winter riding pics from December 28, 2005. They are rather large, and you can use the landscapes for backgrounds, wallpaper, inspiration, whatever.

I'll work on some fancier thumbnail stuff in a proper .html page, and proper directory permissions later. I just want to get all these pics up, and to get to bed.

Enjoy!

P.S. I just realized I probably could have done this all in one update, since all the pic links are currently the same. Oh well. Postwhore++

And then there was one...

2006-04-28T20:25:00.000-06:00

... last final to write. CH E 243 @ 9:00pm tomorrow. I managed to cover most of the pages of my CIV E 270 exam with work, so I'm extremely happy with how it went (considering I did no assignments after FUCKING Reading Week).

Never again am I taking a week off mid-semester right when I'm kicking my bad habits and things are going well.

After party in Hawrelak tomorrow!

Woo!

IMPORTANT: Ride Times

2006-04-27T20:54:00.000-06:00

It's the summer of biking, and of getting your ass outside! Of enjoying, trails, flora, fauna, and all that the city has to offer!

So, I'm introducing a new feature to help everyone stay on the same page for ride times.
Watch the sidebar on the right for tentative ride dates. My goal is weekly, weekend rides, but my evenings should be free if anyone wants to head out then.

Everything is subject to change, depending on who (eg. Northsiders, Westsiders) and when people want to show up. Ride dates will be posted two weeks in advance on Sunday.

Talk to me on MSN (kovy_316@hotmail.com), email me, or use the handy comments feature of this blog if you want to talk about ride times.

First Ride of the Year

When: Saturday, May 6, 2006. 12:00pm.
Meet At: U of A Quad
Bring: Helmet, water, bike, anything else you think you may need. I will have tools and a patch kit.

Earlybird Ride

I don't want to go to the Sunday RCup. If I play in RCup, I will probably not make it to work on Monday. Anyone who wants to tag along on this ride can.

When: April 30, 2006. 12:00pm.
Meet At: U of A Quad

We'll end early enough so you can make it to Food Night.

Over and out.

Exams and Stuff

2006-04-27T20:30:00.000-06:00

(Note: This post originally made from Campus at around 11:00am. It failed to show up on my blog, but it was saved with all the other posts)

I have three exams left. Those dire-hard traditionalists in the engineering department must take joy in placing the CH E 243 (thermodynamics, to everyone else) exam on the last day every year - Saturday morning at 9:00am. Oh happiness...

Playing frisbee today should help ease the pain. Back to studying for Math 209.

We've always scheduled the CH E 243 exam on the last day. It's tradition!

-ChemE Department at the U of A

(why won't you work properly blockquotes, damn you)

...I can't wait to start work again on May 1st.

8:39PM:

Ultimate Frisbee was a blast today. I was surprised at how well our team did considering the experience and skill we were up against.

My Math 209 final - what can I say, I have a ton of work for every question, but only 4 answers (out of 7 questions). Should be enough. Now, if I accomplish that on my CivE exam tomorrow I'll be in the clear! Cross your fingers for me - I need the luck.

Comments Fixed

2006-04-25T09:35:00.000-06:00

Comments are fixed, albeit temporarily. Word Verification was killing your comments before they were posted, and it was impossible to post anything because it wouldn't show up.

I think it's a template problem, because of other assorted wackiness (Blogger toolbar is strangely missing - not that I miss the stupid thing, but I want everything to work dammit).

We value your time (and silly comments) here at BSBT - solutions are being worked on today.

Reports Postponed - blah blah....

2006-04-24T23:30:00.000-06:00

Old winter riding pic - check out my Pinkbike.com Gallery for more random stuff. Most of my riding pics will be uploaded there.

I don't have much time to get any worthy reports up due to exams. After I'm done all of those, I'll get something up I *promise* ;).

Taking the camera, and actually stopping to take pics, on every ride is something I'm going to have to get used to.

Meanwhile, here's a link to my Winamp playlist. Lots of Motorhead on there, but that's because I put their entire discography on it. I probably will never get around to listening to absolutely everything on there, but getting something like an iPod (yep, I'm very behind the times) would help me listen through it all.

I also have not read a good book in ages, and I really do miss it. Someday I'll borrow a Terry Pratchett book, Adam, someday.

For the REST of you who might want to go riding: What say you to a May 6th Saturday afternoon ride?

First report soon - hopefully

2006-04-22T17:04:00.000-06:00

Top graphic changed! How does it look? I used a random, nice looking shot from a GIS. I eventually want to rotate the banner, and to use Edmonton riding shots, but that will happen much later.

Alright, I hope to have a report up by late tomorrow. The sooner I get up a report, the more of them I will probably finish. If the weather isn't too horrible I'll try to hit up some of the good stuff down in McKinnon Ravine. If not, I'll head to Castle Downs... for a local Northside riding report, haha.

Believe it or not, there is decent urban riding out in the architectural wasteland that is Castle Downs.

I'll save the rest for the report. Hopefully I can get a few of my friends at the skatepark to help out with an action shot or two if I end up going there. Otherwise, expect mostly scenery.

What the hell is going on?

2006-04-21T21:21:00.000-06:00

Alright, so many of you that know me know that I'm very lazy when it comes to getting any real work accomplished. I'm an expert procrastinator, unless you want to go bike riding - I'll never put that off.

You're probably wondering to yourselves, given my cynical attitude towards blogs in general, "What the hell is going on? What is he actually going to post here?"

I don't really subscribe to the idea that people actually want to read about I did today, or who annoyed me while I was standing in line at the store. Why don't you pick up the phone and call me, or setup a meeting at the local campus coffee shop? I know at least one person (you know who you are... :P) is curious, but I doubt the rest of the internet could give a rat's ass.

Why have a blog then?

Well, I eventually hope to use this blog as an Edmonton-and-area trail guide, and "generic outdoor adventure" archive/guide. My goal is to ride as many trails in the River Valley, and around Edmonton as possible this year, and to review a trail (with pictures) at least once a week. By the end of the summer I should have covered just about everything. If this showcase of passion, of wonderful trails, and of good times should inspire just one person to dust off a bike and hit the trails, my job will be done.

Inbetween reports I want to cover the usual blog crap - links, games, exceptional bike content/videos.

Boring Content Alert (usual blog crap):

I think my life has been on cruise control for quite awhile (despite it being exam time...) and that I haven't really changed this outlook since University started. There have been flashes of brilliance, hard work, and devotion, but none of these periods last more than 2 weeks. Perhaps having a place to collect my thoughts, and to think about things will help me out. My memory for important things - things I've done, said, relationships, NOT school crap - is terrible.

Useful link: Cycling in Edmonton (maps, tips, associations, and more)

That's all. tl;dr
Math 201 is going to kill me tomorrow, despite my 8h of studying.

Useless crap for your enjoyment!

2006-04-21T10:01:00.000-06:00

I've added a few more features to my blog, in hopes of actually tricking someone into reading it.

"Ohhh, he has weather and a counter... there must be something going on here!"

All kidding aside, I do have some plans for this blog that should produce content, but no promises. It will be my first real contribution of anything important to the internet since I made death sprites for TFC (will link later - the site has cratered, which is not surprising since the game is ancient).

In the meantime, here's a brilliant game I've stumbled across. It's called Grid Wars (scroll down to find it). The mindless shooting gameplay on the surface serves as the foundation for a clever resource management game. Not convinced? I'll post some strategies later.

Until then... show those damn pink boxes whose bitch they are!

First Post... hurrr

2006-04-20T21:44:00.000-06:00

Alright, I'll get the hang of this thing eventually. You people that dragged me into this better be helpful :P.

EDIT: 11:43PM - I think I'm going to stick with this template for now. It seems to be easily editable (compared to some other ones), and I actually understand what my changes in html are doing now. Sweet. I'll go from here.