Dave’s Good Stuff

Terry, the man who’s been pouring over my bike looking for the mysterious source of the irritating creaking, has come through beautifully! He finally found it… Apparently, the rear brake cable wasn’t seated properly, and every time I torqued the frame with the right crank, it creaked. The weird part is that it creaked in the bottom bracket area, while the brake and it’s cable run along the top of the frame. Very odd.

So… Many Thanks to Terry for having finally found the problem!! I took it out, and enjoyed beautiful silence for the first time all summer. :)

Lesson here is that the problem might not always be where the symptoms indicate.

Tonight I kick off the training. I’m going to really try to keep this schedule this time, and I think I have the cooperation and support to do so. Read the rest of this entry »

• autometa: 30 interval/hill riding wednesday 05 30 interval/hill riding tuesday 17 30 interval/hill riding friday 05 preparation the aforementioned triple bypass ride 30 strength training monday 17 30 strength training thursday 17 30 strength training saturday 09 00 recovery ride it’s pretty ambitious
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I’m in Omaha right now to visit with the rest of the team. I have a window cube for the duration, and it’s absolutely pouring outside right now. In case you weren’t aware, I love the rain. The only times I don’t like it are when I really need to mow the grass, and when I’m riding. Other than that, when it’s raining, I’m happy.

Having a window seat during the storm (there was thunder), looking out on downtown Omaha is definitely “life is good” moment.

Among the many other things accomplished this weekend, I was able to do three things I’ve been meaning to do for some time. I changed the oil in my car, fixed the water pressure problem in my bathroom shower, and replaced the bed in the spare bedroom. Read the rest of this entry »

Last night was the first hot chocolate of the season. Thank you, Lydia, for hooking me up so thoroughly last year. Your homemade hot chocolate is fantastic, and I have MORE than enough to last! :)

I’ve been looking for the music that sits at the end of the Battlestar Galactica webisodes, numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. It’s a backdrop for the following monologue by Colonel Tigh:

In the fight to protect our future, we must confront our past. The lies we’ve told. The decisions we’ve made. The people we’ve loved. As the struggle for survival continues, we can’t face our enemies, until we face ourselves.

Does anyone know the title of this piece, and where it might be found? I assume it’s by Bear McCreary. I know it’s gorgeous.

I’ll be really interested in watching this unfold.

… I am not interested in living my life smoothly. I am interested in living my life on strong principles and standing up for my rights as a consumer, a U.S. citizen and a human being.

- Michael Righi

Terrorists without, and terrorists within. We are slowly but very surely losing our rights and privileges in favor of a sense of security.

It’s been, among other things, a year of reconnection. I’ve made an effort over the last year to rekindle friendships long abandoned, with great success in some cases, and harsh reminders of why the friendship was left behind in others. Some of the friends I’ve not seen in a few months, and others in almost 20 years. In each case, I’ve rediscovered something I’d forgotten, and in each case I’ve realized how much we’ve all grown. It’s been one hell of a year, but I think, finally, with the help of friends, family a very special woman, that it’s finally coming around.

Last night I saw someone I’ve not seen in almost 10 years. Last night I played guitar for the first time in months. Last night I sang joyously and out loud in the car for the first time in years. Last night I picked up a pen and drew for the first time in 14 years. Last night felt good.

Not realizing that the 2nd gen Nano’s had a different chassis than 1st gen versions, I now have a Nano case that I can’t use. Anyone with a 2nd gen Nano looking for a case? It’s a Griffen blue reflect(tm). Pretty nice, except that my 1st gen Nano won’t fit in it. Blah.

Oh, and to the ass that was driving 40mph+ in the Best Buy parking lot. Yeah, I pulled out in front of you. You were speeding around a curve, and breaking out of your lane to speed around a huge SUV that I couldn’t see around. Honking at me and waving your arms about all angry won’t make it any less your fault.

My personal bike mechanic, having spent a weekend with the Torelli a couple weeks back, was unable to find any reason why the bottom bracket (area) creaks and squeaks so much. Last week I decided to just start replacing parts. He found a deal on the same bottom bracket I have in there now, and is going to give it a whirl later this week. If that doesn’t fix it, Campy came out with a really nice crank set not too long ago called the “Campagnolo Record Ultra Torque Carbon Crankset“. Look it up. It’s nice.