Film Stuff

Buried right now.
Maybe in two weeks I'll have time.
I really need to get out with some film,
just not today,
or this week.

Medium Format itch:

Cars vs Bikes (again)

Where do you get educated? Where does that info come from?
Years of driving and even more riding,
I’ve never seen anything driver or cyclist related.
Unless you are diligent, join a cycling group,
or randomly come across a brochure, you don’t know.

It’s sad and annoying that it will take years of pressure
to get the DMV to add a ‘yeild to’ or ‘cycling/pedestrian’
question on the driver’s test.

And many proactive communities have safe cycling in their
elementary school program,
but who’s going to pick up that challenge?

Enforcement. Here? I almost spit my coffee!
I’ll commute in a dress if the PD ever takes aggressive
driving seriously. Seriously!

As a side note. Just from a driver to driver – you cannot argue
that there is NOT a problem out on the roads. Texting, tailgating,
illegal passing, speeding down residental streets, running red lights,
speeding through school zones, I see every day. Either on the bike or
in the car.

The car is different though, cause I have a chance to survive an idiot’s poor decision. The bike? No chance.

Enticement? BE THE TIPPING POINT! BE THE CRITICAL MASS OF ONE!
You getting on a bike may (or may not) influence some person you’re not aware of, to start riding. Who will then influence someone else.
And THAT is how it happens!

Ride through your neighborhood.
Ride to the corner store.
Ride your kids to school.
Ride to the park.
Ride to work one day a week.
Help the kid across the street change his tire, so he can ride again.
Just pick one.

Poet's Night Out (is more)

As mentioned previously,
and previously again,
Jason from Rocbike.com contacted me to do originally
a photograph for his first book of poetry.
I was feeling not-so-inspired.
Lucky for both of us,
he really liked a random painting I recently did.
And that was it.
I met my obligation, moving on to the next thing.
So I thought.

As with everything Jason does,
there's another, farther reaching dynamic.
I'm now painting and carrying a camera.
My third showwith a painting is in a week.
And with this particular painting,
at first I thought Jason deserved to own it,
since in a roundabout way I'm now published,
thanks to him.

Then, in the back of my mind, I worried,
"what if it's my lucky painting"
"what if it's the only successful painting"
maybe I should hold on to it.

This last week Jason asked to purchase it.
Well, in a way it's already his, I thought.
With his book debute at a local tavern,
it's only proper that the painting also be there.
I can paint another,
something just as good,
off I went for canvas and paint.
And we agreed on a price.

On a cold and raining night,
little Wednesday Addams and I headed out to the tavern.
It was open mic night.
Several people read.
Some held my interest, others not.
Jason got up to read from his book with the painting in hand.
He explained the story of the cover.
I had forgotten.
That it's the only book that publisher has printed,
with no print on the cover,
as to not take away from the artwork.
Jason then went into a poem
that had me humming a Johnny Cash song.

Then I noticed it.
This little guy to the side of the stage.
Waiting.
Observing.
To many it's nothing that shocking.
But it's the subtle careful pathlike steps.
Something, that as a father and a son,
hit me.

The inspiration we have on those little people running around us.

Following his father's footsteps?
Maybe.

The Yellow show

Just got the notice of acceptance.
Three works in the upcoming show
at UAG.
Two photographs,
and one large painting.

There was actually alot of dread with
this one since a bunch of family will
be in town, and there's a big festival
that drives alot of gallery traffic. I
wanted to have a strong showing.
That anxiety is now gone.

Food

A feeble attempt to romanticize food.
If I could hate it
like smoking,
then maybe I could quit,
quit being on the northeast side
of 200 lbs.

Feels like I ate an anvil.
Riding tonight will be multipurpose.
That's all.
I won't be able to turn this thing into
an award winning blog about loosing
weight.

Published!

A BIG thank you to Mr. Crane!
@ www.jasoncrane.org AND
www.rocbike.com.

Thank you for thinking of me when you
were putting the book together. You
did all of the hard work, I just played
with paints! The release party will be at
Tess' Lark Tavern Monday the 26th at
8pm.

An even larger thanks because Jason
was the introduction to blogging.
(it's his fault)
Two years ago I met this guy riding
an extracycle with neon lights.
It left me confused.

We rode.
He talked about blogs.
Gwadzilla.
BikeSnobnyc.
It was all new to me,
I just rode my bike.

Strange as I look back.
Thanks though!

To Common Sense

When they remodeled the school
they removed the bike racks.
When I asked the principal what kids
were supposed to do. He explained
they could lock up to trees, and the
district didn't want to be responsible,
so no more bike racks.

I couldn't figure it out.
You don't want overweight and lazy
kids, but you're not going to encourage
the most basic transportation?

Then all of a sudden,
bike racks appeared yesterday.
Thanks!

NYS Bicycling Summit

A photo retrospect.
Or is it introspect?


(sigh) THIS is not good.
1. Like walking into a "party", and the only people there are
three guys from the debate club happy that some one came.
"want a Sprite or a Coke?"

2. A room full of people arranging an event to talk about themselves,
nothing wrong with that, except they (the cyclists) were the only
ones to show up. Me thinks the $ should have been spent taking the
politicians out to dinner (lap dances optional). If you're known
for being a good time, people come to your parties. Otherwise
'bribe' your interests. That's just how New Yak works. These guys
have no interest to increase the number of cyclists in front of
thier BMW, unless it can be used to market how 'green' they are
during reelection.



Hmmmmm,
how about just don't run me over?
Weird,
all the material is geared towards cyclists.
Don't get hit, Be seen, Ride correctly,
you never see brochures for "Don't drive like a reckless prick".
There's twenty times the amount of poor drivers,
than uneducated cyclists.



I am actually used to this 'look',
it's not quite disdain,
actually, I don't know what this look is....
I just see it alot. Think I need a makeover.



CHOPPED!



The cargo beast.

Battenkill B/W

A slow process,
sorting through all of the photos.
At some point I'll get these up on Flickr.
but the bike related stuff keeps coming...

A video short

of the pile of YouTube videos on Battenkill,
this doesn't have some annoying voice,
and is a good account of Sunday...

Around town

Today was the NYS Bike Summit.
Literally in my backyard.
So the little man and I spent a good part of the morning riding....

Battenkill PRO

It's over.
Someone won.
Quite a few didn't finish.
It was cold.
The sun came out.
It rained.
It was fast!

1300 photos to sift through.
Means I'll end up with 130.
It will take some time,
which I happen to be out of.....

Battenkill pro

ok,
one down,
four hundred and something to go...

Yellow

playing catch up,
submissions are due for the next show,
tonight!

Battenkill UCI invitational is Sunday!

Still haven't gone through all of the photos.

BikeBike! NorthEast is next weekend!

May is the all consuming Bike Month!

Along with the family activities,
and spring cleaning,
I'm doomed.....

Battenkill pro/am three

Battenkill pro/am two

Round one of Battenkill pro/am

If you didn't visit the Times Union site,
then here's the same pictures.

Maybe on Thursday I can get the rest up on flickr,
for the next couple of days it'll be cold leftovers here.

Battenkill Pro/Am

Wheel vehicle with race official up at the start.

Off to Battenkill

Never prepared.
Never ready.
Never rested.

Hopefully it will go smoothly.
Hopefully I'll return with some great photos.

Maybe.

Upgrade?

Why?
Why?
Why?

Why can't you pay a little extra, get a crankset, pedals and chain.
And call it a bike.

Pizza Night

Multiple pizza night completed.
Need to ride to eat,
or ride off what I ate.

Still cleaning...

With a little 'no helper'.

from another time

Random mural on the side of a building,
must have been THE bike shop thirty years ago,
now a barber shop.

Easiest way to travel

(usually).
First Friday art gallery walk lock up.
It's a good sign when all the bike racks are full.
Full as in doubble stacked.

Still made quick time getting in town.
Drafting off of two motorcycles light to light.
And no need to drive around for twenty minutes
looking for a parking place.


Hipster Elevated Lock Up.
Good times!

Battenkill round 1

Ohhhhhh.... My head is swimming right now.
I really can not manage my time,
or I just have too much to do.

Battenkill Pro/Am is this weekend.
This weekend is defined as, off today, work tomorrow,
then get up at the ass crack of dawn and drive.

So I'll count that as 'in one day'.

I took a drive up the other evening for the race support meeting,
way out in the country it is.

I got my schedule, Juniors, late morning.
Which means I should be pulling in before the Cat 1/Pro field is off.
Which also means extra photo opps, before the UCI event next weekend.
Basically I can screw up a bunch of AM photos,
and hopefully get next weeks perfect.

Still need to charge batteries,
clean lenses,
repack the camera bag,
and clean out the messy family truckster (all day project).
Off to clean!