Sunday, this guy asked me if Starbucks trained us to smile at the customers. Whaaat? Slightly dumbfounded, I explained that I hired people who naturally smile and have pleasant personalities. He seemed disappointed at my response.
I am so sick of people.
... and what the hell is wrong with everybody, anyway?
5.25.2005
5.24.2005
Power to the People! (enthusiastic fist in the air)
While replying to Mandi and Bodie's posts about the current state of United's bankruptcy and the dismal outlook of the CA school system being able to actually pay for the life-time health care it promised to it's employee's, I started thinking about Unions and strikes.
When I was 9 years old, the bus company that both my Mom, Dad, and later my Step Dad, and my Uncle worked for wanted to keep paying and compensating it's employee's as little as possible. The bus drivers opted to go on strike. We lived near the bus yard where the strike took place and our house was the command post for the whole operation. Having to strike 24 hours a day, our house was where people would come to eat, grab a couple hours of sleep between shifts on the line, and hang out.
This being Santa Cruz in the early 80's, the bus employee's had the full support of the community and the media. We effectively shut down all bus service for a solid week until management came to their senses and negotiated a rockin' deal. Our life before the strike was decent but after, our lives improved a great deal. We suddenly had health care for the whole family, wages high enough to own property, paid vacation, and good pensions.
The experience of being able to use lack of manpower to negotiate better compensation and ultimately a better life was an invaluable lesson for this 9 year old kid. There was no way the community would tolerate the hiring of "scabs" to keep the company operating during the strike, as the "scabs" were the community and no one would show up and cross the picket line. Back then, the community understood what was trying to be accomplished and showed integrity by supporting the workers.
I roller skated the picket line with our dog, Rosie, who wore a stike t-shirt and made it into the local paper. It's not everyday you find a dog on a picket line. I ran messages back and forth from our house to the line and helped people feel at home while they were not at home. It was a pretty long and intense week all the way around and an experience I will never forget.
These days, it's becoming increasingly hard for workers to organize and exercise their right to strike for a better deal or even to maintain their current contracts. Half the time, the company cries foul and gets a judge involved to decide if the employee's can leagally strike in the first place. They want us to cow to their every cut in wages and compensation, thanking them for the opportunity to be screwed yet again. It's mind boggling that so many people are so against Unions and the worker's right to organize to seek out a better life. We've collectively been brain washed into accepting as little as possible from the company while being expected to work harder, longer, and in worse conditions than ever before.
Seems like a pretty fair deal... for the corporations.
Picket and go to jail.
When I was 9 years old, the bus company that both my Mom, Dad, and later my Step Dad, and my Uncle worked for wanted to keep paying and compensating it's employee's as little as possible. The bus drivers opted to go on strike. We lived near the bus yard where the strike took place and our house was the command post for the whole operation. Having to strike 24 hours a day, our house was where people would come to eat, grab a couple hours of sleep between shifts on the line, and hang out.
This being Santa Cruz in the early 80's, the bus employee's had the full support of the community and the media. We effectively shut down all bus service for a solid week until management came to their senses and negotiated a rockin' deal. Our life before the strike was decent but after, our lives improved a great deal. We suddenly had health care for the whole family, wages high enough to own property, paid vacation, and good pensions.
The experience of being able to use lack of manpower to negotiate better compensation and ultimately a better life was an invaluable lesson for this 9 year old kid. There was no way the community would tolerate the hiring of "scabs" to keep the company operating during the strike, as the "scabs" were the community and no one would show up and cross the picket line. Back then, the community understood what was trying to be accomplished and showed integrity by supporting the workers.
I roller skated the picket line with our dog, Rosie, who wore a stike t-shirt and made it into the local paper. It's not everyday you find a dog on a picket line. I ran messages back and forth from our house to the line and helped people feel at home while they were not at home. It was a pretty long and intense week all the way around and an experience I will never forget.
These days, it's becoming increasingly hard for workers to organize and exercise their right to strike for a better deal or even to maintain their current contracts. Half the time, the company cries foul and gets a judge involved to decide if the employee's can leagally strike in the first place. They want us to cow to their every cut in wages and compensation, thanking them for the opportunity to be screwed yet again. It's mind boggling that so many people are so against Unions and the worker's right to organize to seek out a better life. We've collectively been brain washed into accepting as little as possible from the company while being expected to work harder, longer, and in worse conditions than ever before.
Seems like a pretty fair deal... for the corporations.
Picket and go to jail.
5.17.2005
Beautiful Mud
After wanting terribly to forget the first two races of the season, we headed out Sunday to Whidbey Island for the "Mudder" race. I was determined to race as hard as I could and somehow still manage to have fun. The course was set on this guys private property and was a 2 mile loop that zig-zagged through 10 acres of forest. Apparently the guy races moto, (dirt bikes), and the trails were nicely banked in spots, tight, twisty, and yes, muddy. The course description stated that it was very technical, which to me means rock gardens, lots of logs and roots, boulders, and steep descents. This trail was none of that. If you could keep your pedals moving through all the turns then you were good to go on a beautifully flowing ride that honestly would make you dizzy if you weren't careful to watch up the trail a ways up. Kinda like if you spin yourself around and your head is following instead of leading, then you end up on the ground ready to throw up. It's a technique dancers use for turns.
Anyway, the race format was a set ride time instead of a set amount of laps. Originally, we were suppose to race for 2 hours then get the bell lap and do one more. I went on Saturday to pre-ride and they had cut the time back to an hour and 45 min. and by the time we made it to the start line the time was an hour plus one lap. Fine with me.
Most of the trail was in really good shape except for one section that literally was about 30 yards of 2 feet deep mud. Here's how it went down..., you ride through a drainage ditch filled with water, then jump off your bike and run it through the knee deep mud hoping not to lose your shoes, jump back on your bike and try to clear the mud from your cleats and get clipped back in before getting run down by the Pro/Open guys that are lapping you. Yeee-haaaa! Everyone was having a blast. There was not the usual bickering on the trail and everyone was positive and encouraging. The trail was so tight in places that you could hear riders cheering each other on all over the course. Picture a maze where you are going in one direction and on the other side of the wall, there are people in the same spot going the opposite direction. This gave lots of opportunity for conversation and camaraderie amongst the racers.
I did have one really good crash on the second lap. A large rock appeared out of nowhere and stopped me dead in my tracks. Momentum propelled me over the front of the bike landing me square on the top of my head. Luckily, it was a slow speed crash and after extricating myself out from under my bike, I was able to shake it off and keep going. I think I need a new helmet as the foam is showing signs of compression. The thing I can't figure out is how I never noticed that rock during the pre-ride or on the first lap. That is the joy of Mountain Biking - every lap can be a totally new experience, even when you know the trail well.
So, how did it all turn out? Well, I'm not really sure. When I came in, the score keeper told me I was in second place, but that can't be right. The girl in front of me apparently failed to get checked in by the score dude and did not get her last lap recorded. I'm sure they ended up figuring it out and that would put me in 3rd place - out of 3. But, that's o.k. with me. I had so much fun and I picked up 3rd place points for the series, which is great. There was also some confusion about when the racers should stop racing and how they were actually placing riders. Everyone had their own version of how it was working. Some told us that once the first rider came through in your class, then you were done when you came through the finish area, which makes no sense to me because I got lapped by Anna Knapp, (a world class pro rider, so I don't feel bad about being lapped), and would have come in first if I'd stopped when she finished. Instead, I did one more lap because that's what made sense to me at the time. Scott assures me that in timed races like these, it doesn't matter how many laps you do, it just matters where you are on the course when the leader finishes. Weird. I guess this is how Crits work on the road, though I really don't understand it. The results won't be posted for another few days due to all the confusion, so I don't really know how we all did.
Placing and points aside, it was a great day. There was so much mud, it took me a good two hours to clean my bike. Everyone had huge mud covered smiles on their faces coming through the finish line. One guy in bright yellow baggies and a bright yellow jersey, grabbed my hand and shook it furiously while congratulating me on a race well run. He was so happy that I couldn't help feeling his enthusiasm. That guy was a kick in the pants, talking a hundred miles an hour about what a great time he had out there. And really, that's what it's all about. If you win or lose and don't have the time of your life, then what's the point?
Anyway, the race format was a set ride time instead of a set amount of laps. Originally, we were suppose to race for 2 hours then get the bell lap and do one more. I went on Saturday to pre-ride and they had cut the time back to an hour and 45 min. and by the time we made it to the start line the time was an hour plus one lap. Fine with me.
Most of the trail was in really good shape except for one section that literally was about 30 yards of 2 feet deep mud. Here's how it went down..., you ride through a drainage ditch filled with water, then jump off your bike and run it through the knee deep mud hoping not to lose your shoes, jump back on your bike and try to clear the mud from your cleats and get clipped back in before getting run down by the Pro/Open guys that are lapping you. Yeee-haaaa! Everyone was having a blast. There was not the usual bickering on the trail and everyone was positive and encouraging. The trail was so tight in places that you could hear riders cheering each other on all over the course. Picture a maze where you are going in one direction and on the other side of the wall, there are people in the same spot going the opposite direction. This gave lots of opportunity for conversation and camaraderie amongst the racers.
I did have one really good crash on the second lap. A large rock appeared out of nowhere and stopped me dead in my tracks. Momentum propelled me over the front of the bike landing me square on the top of my head. Luckily, it was a slow speed crash and after extricating myself out from under my bike, I was able to shake it off and keep going. I think I need a new helmet as the foam is showing signs of compression. The thing I can't figure out is how I never noticed that rock during the pre-ride or on the first lap. That is the joy of Mountain Biking - every lap can be a totally new experience, even when you know the trail well.
So, how did it all turn out? Well, I'm not really sure. When I came in, the score keeper told me I was in second place, but that can't be right. The girl in front of me apparently failed to get checked in by the score dude and did not get her last lap recorded. I'm sure they ended up figuring it out and that would put me in 3rd place - out of 3. But, that's o.k. with me. I had so much fun and I picked up 3rd place points for the series, which is great. There was also some confusion about when the racers should stop racing and how they were actually placing riders. Everyone had their own version of how it was working. Some told us that once the first rider came through in your class, then you were done when you came through the finish area, which makes no sense to me because I got lapped by Anna Knapp, (a world class pro rider, so I don't feel bad about being lapped), and would have come in first if I'd stopped when she finished. Instead, I did one more lap because that's what made sense to me at the time. Scott assures me that in timed races like these, it doesn't matter how many laps you do, it just matters where you are on the course when the leader finishes. Weird. I guess this is how Crits work on the road, though I really don't understand it. The results won't be posted for another few days due to all the confusion, so I don't really know how we all did.
Placing and points aside, it was a great day. There was so much mud, it took me a good two hours to clean my bike. Everyone had huge mud covered smiles on their faces coming through the finish line. One guy in bright yellow baggies and a bright yellow jersey, grabbed my hand and shook it furiously while congratulating me on a race well run. He was so happy that I couldn't help feeling his enthusiasm. That guy was a kick in the pants, talking a hundred miles an hour about what a great time he had out there. And really, that's what it's all about. If you win or lose and don't have the time of your life, then what's the point?
5.14.2005
Just Asking...
Why do people put scarves/bandanas on their dogs? It does make them very cute and all, but does it serve some sort of purpose? Aren't most dogs cute enough without them? Why don't uncute dogs get scarves? Wouldn't it make them more cute? I'm picturing a pit bull or a rottie with a bandana on. Poor things.
And how do the dogs feel about it? Or are most just not smart enough to notice or is it one of those things where they are just playing it off? Maybe they're really saying, "Geez, not the scarf again!!! All the other dogs laugh at me and I don't have any thumbs to get the knot out. Maybe if I play really hard and roll around a lot, it'll come off! Oh, is that my tail?"
Just wondering...
And how do the dogs feel about it? Or are most just not smart enough to notice or is it one of those things where they are just playing it off? Maybe they're really saying, "Geez, not the scarf again!!! All the other dogs laugh at me and I don't have any thumbs to get the knot out. Maybe if I play really hard and roll around a lot, it'll come off! Oh, is that my tail?"
Just wondering...
5.11.2005
Wax On, Wax Off
I'm waxing philosophical about my waning racing career tonight. After replying to a post on the local mt. biking list about racing, my brain wants to spew about why I race. I think I'm trying to talk myself into the impending race this weekend and not doing a very good job with it. After moving into the Expert category this season and getting my head handed to me in the last two races, I'm starting to wonder WHY I continue to torture myself in this manner? If it's sooooo much fun, why do I care if I win or lose? And if I don't care if I win or lose, then why do I bother to race at all? You see, it's viscous cycle, (no pun intended). So, I'll list what I love about racing and in no particular order.
1. The process of doing something very hard and finishing.
2. The added benefit at becoming a better mt. biker in general.
3. Hanging around people who love their bikes the way I love my bikes.
4. Adrenalin, endorphins, and the woozy feeling you get when a physical effort makes it impossible to see straight.
5. Discovering and exploring places I've never been.
6. Having Scott, family and friends as my cheering section, mechanic, and race support.
7. Eating lots of heavy carbs and protein. I do love pasta.
8. Being outside.
9. Winning.
This last one is the rub. I don't win. In 3 seasons of racing, I've won exactly one race and that was a fluke. Some dude ran head long into a tree on the course and we all had to get off our bikes and hike through a bunch of high brush to get around him and the medics, which essentially started the race over for all of us girls. We were all back together again and I was able to get a good position once we got back on our bikes. The girl who should have won flatted out and walked off the course. So, it seems that as much as I like winning, I really haven't got there yet.
Here are my excuses for not doing as well as I think I should:
1. I work too much.
O.k., my one excuse, but it takes over my life. There's no time for training and what extra time I do have, I'm just too exhausted to get any meaningful miles in on the bike. What this comes down to is motivation or lack there of. I have none and racing Expert requires at least a little. Yes, sad to say, I've been skating by these last 3 years. Putting in the minimal amount of effort to stay competitive and eking out a series win last season. I suck.
So there you have it. I love racing for a lot of different reasons. I think, usually, I'm just too tired to really give it everything while I'm doing it. I'll probably end up going to this next race by myself. Scott is working a billion days in a row and can't get away from the shop. I'm not looking forward to going by myself, but it is a new course for me and who knows, it might still be fun. I resolve to ride the whole race as fast as I can and have fun doing it. NO more settling for the finish. It's just not me. My whole childhood and into my 20's was spent being focused on competition and I won a lot back then. My brain is having a hard time figuring out if racing is worth it if I'm not winning. I've spent the last 3 years justifying my mediocre performance in one way or another just so I can get myself to the next race. Is that really the way to race? I have gotten better, but I keep talking myself into racing because I hope to surprise myself one of these days.
It's weird when you've been operating in a way that is not right, but you don't know it. The one thing you do know is that something is out of whack. Then, frustration settles in and you are forced into trying to make sense out of the wackiness. Hopefully, the fog clears and you end up in a better place than where you started. See, now I really am waxing on....
1. The process of doing something very hard and finishing.
2. The added benefit at becoming a better mt. biker in general.
3. Hanging around people who love their bikes the way I love my bikes.
4. Adrenalin, endorphins, and the woozy feeling you get when a physical effort makes it impossible to see straight.
5. Discovering and exploring places I've never been.
6. Having Scott, family and friends as my cheering section, mechanic, and race support.
7. Eating lots of heavy carbs and protein. I do love pasta.
8. Being outside.
9. Winning.
This last one is the rub. I don't win. In 3 seasons of racing, I've won exactly one race and that was a fluke. Some dude ran head long into a tree on the course and we all had to get off our bikes and hike through a bunch of high brush to get around him and the medics, which essentially started the race over for all of us girls. We were all back together again and I was able to get a good position once we got back on our bikes. The girl who should have won flatted out and walked off the course. So, it seems that as much as I like winning, I really haven't got there yet.
Here are my excuses for not doing as well as I think I should:
1. I work too much.
O.k., my one excuse, but it takes over my life. There's no time for training and what extra time I do have, I'm just too exhausted to get any meaningful miles in on the bike. What this comes down to is motivation or lack there of. I have none and racing Expert requires at least a little. Yes, sad to say, I've been skating by these last 3 years. Putting in the minimal amount of effort to stay competitive and eking out a series win last season. I suck.
So there you have it. I love racing for a lot of different reasons. I think, usually, I'm just too tired to really give it everything while I'm doing it. I'll probably end up going to this next race by myself. Scott is working a billion days in a row and can't get away from the shop. I'm not looking forward to going by myself, but it is a new course for me and who knows, it might still be fun. I resolve to ride the whole race as fast as I can and have fun doing it. NO more settling for the finish. It's just not me. My whole childhood and into my 20's was spent being focused on competition and I won a lot back then. My brain is having a hard time figuring out if racing is worth it if I'm not winning. I've spent the last 3 years justifying my mediocre performance in one way or another just so I can get myself to the next race. Is that really the way to race? I have gotten better, but I keep talking myself into racing because I hope to surprise myself one of these days.
It's weird when you've been operating in a way that is not right, but you don't know it. The one thing you do know is that something is out of whack. Then, frustration settles in and you are forced into trying to make sense out of the wackiness. Hopefully, the fog clears and you end up in a better place than where you started. See, now I really am waxing on....
5.06.2005
Ouch!
Last night I took a spin up Grand Ridge to do some exploring on my mt bike. After a somewhat grueling climb, I made it up to a section of the trail I have never been on before. So, I'm thinking that the trail is wrapping around the back of the Highlands and is going to dump me out at some park. My plan was to turn around, reap the fruits of my labor, and ride back down the way I came. NO such luck. At one point the trail went from being really nice, open, and swooshy fast to almost no trail at all. The foliage just closed in and the trail became a giant boggy mess with logs littered every few feet that were unridable. Call me a glutton for punishment, but I kept going. I just had to see where that trail ended up.
I did eventually make it off the trail, but not until I had to hike through a huge thicket of Stinging Nettle (pictures included). My legs took the brunt of it and it felt like getting stuck with very hot needles. Not at all like acupuncture. The worst of it is my hand. It feels numb, like when you've sat on your leg the wrong way and you've put it to sleep, but WAY more annoying. Apparently, it's going to take a few days to go away. Very annoying. So take from me - stay out of the Stinging Nettle.
5.05.2005
RIDE YOUR BIKE
It's Bike to Work Month and I keep dropping money in my gas tank like I'm Donald Trump or something. What's wrong with me? Has anyone noticed more bikes on the road or is this Bike to Work thing like the Turn Off the TV thing? Everyone on the fringe knows about it and the people, (the masses), who could really make a difference don't give a shit? And why is there only one month dedicated to biking to work? And what about April being Earth Month? Are attention spans so short that a month out of the year is all we can collectively muster up the energy for? Very sad if you ask me. I'm riding to work tomorrow, come hell or high water. Given a choice, hell would be better than high water 'cause Scott will kill me if he has to rebuild my hubs and water has a way a killing hubs.
Bike culture is a funny thing. I get made fun of all the time for coming into work all out of breath, sweaty, bugs in my teeth, and grinning like a mad woman. Yesterday, one of my partners painted a very humorous picture of me rolling into work being 8 months pregnant with my water bottle strapped to a bulging tummy because that's the only place to put it where I could actually reach it. Yikes! I'm NEVER having kids.
I really can't complain though. My commute to work is a fabulous ride. I've got two routes to choose from. The one I really like is perfect for my 1X1 and goes through some very nice trails. I encountered black bears once on my way home a couple of winters back. Cool, if somewhat suppressing to see two bear butts trotting down the trail in front of me. The adventure of riding to work really does out weigh the extra time and energy it takes to do it. It's never the same ride twice and we are so lucky to live in a place that is not completely covered in cement.
So, take a few extra minutes, plan ahead, fill up your Camel Bak, saddle up, and enjoy the ride! If not now, then when? If not you, then who?
Bike culture is a funny thing. I get made fun of all the time for coming into work all out of breath, sweaty, bugs in my teeth, and grinning like a mad woman. Yesterday, one of my partners painted a very humorous picture of me rolling into work being 8 months pregnant with my water bottle strapped to a bulging tummy because that's the only place to put it where I could actually reach it. Yikes! I'm NEVER having kids.
I really can't complain though. My commute to work is a fabulous ride. I've got two routes to choose from. The one I really like is perfect for my 1X1 and goes through some very nice trails. I encountered black bears once on my way home a couple of winters back. Cool, if somewhat suppressing to see two bear butts trotting down the trail in front of me. The adventure of riding to work really does out weigh the extra time and energy it takes to do it. It's never the same ride twice and we are so lucky to live in a place that is not completely covered in cement.
So, take a few extra minutes, plan ahead, fill up your Camel Bak, saddle up, and enjoy the ride! If not now, then when? If not you, then who?
5.04.2005
Race Update-Lesson Unlearned
I was checking out the scores for the race series I'm doing and they had me down for a DNF, (did not finish), for the Seatac race. Ack! After much back and forth with person who keeps track of these things, it all got figured out and I ended up getting my points back for finishing.
In the process of this, I came to find out that I really was the last one out there 'cause the girl listed behind me only finished one lap. So, maybe the only lesson I learned is the knowledge that I have a pretty good sense of where everybody is on the course. Though, that doesn't really do me any good if I'm always the back. Maybe the real lesson here is that I don't enjoy being at the back of the pack and should not let my self settle for just finishing races. I'm a poor loser when it comes right down to it, (which is why I don't gamble or play the lottery), and now I have to put the time into training to get faster. Darn it. I hate training, but I hate losing even more. We'll have to wait and see which one prevails.
In the process of this, I came to find out that I really was the last one out there 'cause the girl listed behind me only finished one lap. So, maybe the only lesson I learned is the knowledge that I have a pretty good sense of where everybody is on the course. Though, that doesn't really do me any good if I'm always the back. Maybe the real lesson here is that I don't enjoy being at the back of the pack and should not let my self settle for just finishing races. I'm a poor loser when it comes right down to it, (which is why I don't gamble or play the lottery), and now I have to put the time into training to get faster. Darn it. I hate training, but I hate losing even more. We'll have to wait and see which one prevails.
