Photoblog - how I spent my summer.

There's not much to write lately, so I may as well share some of my images from the summer with you all. Sorry for my inactivity of late; I've been away from my laptop a lot. I do solemnly swear to try harder as the seasons change and we head into fall.

And now, my summer (click on any pic to see a larger size img):

Good Luck Ryan

Today one of my friends from work stopped by the library to sign out. When someone leaves their job at The Field Museum, they have to go to various different departments for signatures to show HR that they were approved to leave the premises for good; for our part, our signature signifies the fact that the person leaving has no outstanding charges with the library. Ryan came by today merely as a symbolic gesture because he never registered in the library to charge out books; regardless he had to have our John Hancock.

Ok, enough intro. Ryan leaves on Tuesday to embark on an amazing adventure - he will be taking the train from Chicago to Seattle, where he will turn around, hop on his bike, and ride back East - all the way to New Jersey with 100 of his closest friends (or, at least, what will become his closest friends for the next two months). From New Jersey Ryan will be riding back to Chicago, hopefully with John, another one of The Field Museum's excellent mount shop/exhibits employees; from there - who knows? The world clearly is his oyster at this point.
So, good luck to Ryan. I will be checking his blog from time to time to see how he is doing, and you all should be doing the same.

Quick post

As I have to leave work in a couple minutes. Yesterday I did my 8.5 mile run - my time was ~1hr 35min (roughly 11min miles). I didn't pass out from the heat, and I managed to do it all in one go. I'm pretty pleased with the results as I thought that the weather conditions were going to make my life miserable. I was a soaking mess by the end, but I felt all right. Today I'm a bit sore in the right knee (I think that's actually from hockey on Thurs night, aggravated by the run), but otherwise in decent shape. Now I need to bike about 7 miles to get to my symposium - I shall arrive in time and smelling like a Detroit sewer in the middle of July... Good times.

Special Saturday Edition

Well, I'm back in at work because I am making up some days I have to miss in July. Today I finally attempted the bike commute from the new place (rollerblading home last night was nice, but it seemed to take forever). One way from door to door took me about 25 minutes (4.7 miles) at a moderate pace. The route is about 1/3 city street, and the rest the bike path; on a Saturday the path was clogged with marathon training groups, but I have a feeling my portion of the route (heading north in the morning) will be pretty sparse on a week day. All in all it was a really pleasant ride and I can see doing it quite often (every day perhaps?) this summer. The real test will be the fall and winter when high winds whip the lake water up over some areas of the trail and the paths become icy. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it though - for now I will just enjoy cruising through shady, tree-lined paths and along the calm harbors.

Tomorrow is our first BBQ of the season (and the new place) - if you know me and haven't had an invite, email me and I'll send on the info!

Back from the lake house

Spring was in the air over the weekend and my soul let out a big sigh of relief to be away from the noise and stress of home, and fully emerged in the sights, sounds, smells, and lack of responsibility that go hand-in-hand with these all-too-rare weekends away. We drove up early Saturday morning, after my dad dropped off Daley, our dog that my parents adopted when we realized what a cruel fate it was to condemn a young dog to living yardless in a condo.

The drive itself was pleasant because, after a year of driving in silence, we finally got our radio repaired; now our random banter was accompanied by the old school housy goodness of a Booloo Master mix CD. Daley curled up into a secure little ball in the back seat, just as he always does, and quickly passed out and slept for the duration of the drive. World's. Best. Car. Dog..... Ever.

Shortly after we settled in, the caravan of cycling folk arrived bearing bags of groceries and cases of beer; wonderful. Julie and I went for a jog around the lakes with her wonder dog, Molly while the menfolk went for a ride (Julie is also an avid biker, but due to the marathon she is training for, she had to get her miles in on two feet). I seriously can't believe how much better I feel running out in the fresh clean air of the countryside, rather on the congested pavement of Chicago. I was actually covering some really hilly ground yet felt a million times better than I ever have running back at home in the pancake terrain of Chicago. I wish it could always be 65F and sunny on a Wisconsin Saturday afternoon when I venture out for a run!

After all the activity, we had an excellent grilling session with ears of corn, portobella and swiss cheese bratwurst, grilled portobella caps, and boca dogs (twice baked potatoes with horseradish chedder cheese were cooked in the oven). Mmmmm grownup food. You know, as we've aged we may not have become any more mature, but the food and beer selection have seriously improved. The night was capped off with a bonfire in the backyard that went on for hours, and watching shooting stars over the dying embers until they failed to give enough warmth to keep things enjoyable. Good food, good friends, good beers, and great conversation.

I seriously can't wait until the summer when we do this more often, and can't tell you how many times during the weekend I seriously considered exploring my options in terms of telecommuting jobs that would let us move out there sooner. It'll happen soon enough, but I really wish we could speed things up; talking to Dan about the whole thing, we know we're both on the same page about that one. Some day...

Chicago da-bates bike safety legislation

Today's Chicago Tribune covers new proposals to fine motorists who put cyclists in danger by behaving recklessly. In the wake of the tragic death that occurred in the Tour Da Chicago last month, this move by Daley and company has spawned a backlash that is calling for penalizing cyclist who ride recklessly themselves. I am of the mind to agree with both sides. I may anger some riders who read this, but I do believe that we need to be more responsible on the road, both for our own good, and the good of motorists. I ride pretty cautiously, but I too am guilty of creeping through the occasional stoplight when there is absolutely no traffic, or rolling stop signs on side streets; I know I could use a reminder to keep my own safety, and that of others, in mind.
Anyway, have a look at the forum debate on that site if you want to get your blood boiling, and read the occasional well-thought-out post from both sides. While Chicago is fairly progressive when it comes to being supportive of the cycling community, it is pretty obvious that there is still a long way to go. Part of the problem, I believe, is our own fault. In trying to assert ourselves as being traffic as well, and trying to be a noticeable presence on our streets, I feel some have gone too far by being TOO aggressive. These 'crazy cyclists' as many on this discussion refer to them, seem to be how many Chicagoins see all of us as being; nutty messenger types who will cut you off, run red lights, stab your mother, all while flipping you the bird and drinking a can of PBR. Hopefully in light of recent events, and the possibility of tougher law enforcement in terms of cycling to the letter of the law, we will begin to improve our image and get the respect and courtesy on the road that we are entitled to.