Reminder of consequences

Over the past couple of years I have eschewed the use of anti-inflammatory medications. Yesterday's really good legs provided me with a reminder of why ibuprofen is often in such high demand. I rode hard yesterday, good legs. Today I woke up with aching muscles. I had to ibu up even before breakfast.

I repeated the dosage at mid-morning and headed out into another glorious late summer day for another ride. The Fair is still going on and the wind was still out of the south so I headed towards Lake Como. At the far side of the lake instead of following Wheelock Parkway towards Phalen, I veered down Como towards downtown.

After a couple of detours I arrived at Rice Park, immediately adjacent to the Xcel Center, the site, beginning tomorrow, of the convention. I recognize the uniform of the Saint Paul City Police and the officer who approached me as I coasted towards 5th Street past the Landmark Center was clearly an out of towner. He's the one in dark blue standing next to the bicycle officers (who ARE Saint Paul officers).He politely informed me that "they" didn't want any bicycles beyond that point. I was fine with that as I informed the officer that I was probably as close as I wanted to get anyway. We had a nice chat but I noticed that he stood right next to me until I got clipped in and headed the other direction.

A guy with a cell phone in one hand and a roll of gaffer tape on the opposite wrist hailed me with "You must ride 10,000 miles a year, I see you everywhere." I gave him the correct number (closer to 4) but otherwise accepted what I suspect was meant as a compliment.

I stopped in front of the Saint Paul Hotel and got an across the street shot of the set up in Rice Park. Rice Park appears to be this week's broadcast home for MSNBC. This is the venue from which Joe and Chris and Keith will be pontificating Monday through Thursday.I faced the other direction and got this shot of the fairly unusual topiary in the garden in front of the hotel. I suspect that plant may be rented and may be on its way back to the owners as soon as all of the elephant sympathizers leave town.One of those bicycle cops visible in the first photo was just leaving for some patrolling so I waited until he entered the shot. It is a bicycle blog, you know.

I rode back up past the State Capitol and got this shot of citizens peacefully assembling to petition their government. Although actually, there was a CNN truck and I think this is the CNN broadcast location for the week.I headed up Summit and discovered that late Sunday morning is not ideal Summit Avenue bicycling timing. There are lots of churches on Summit, most of which seemed to be letting out as I rode past.

I was well aware when I selected this route that heading down Summit meant that the only way home was going to be past the Fair. But the Fair has been going on long enough that most of the broken glass in the bike lane has been crunched off to the side. The ride was without severe problems except for being stopped 3 times to let pedestrians cross from the parking areas to the Fairground gates. My major impression is that the reserve police officers directing traffic on Como all had an attitude, an attitude that contrasted sharply with the real cops that I interacted with downtown.

Moving day

If the weather in Minnesota every day was like it was today they would have to put a fence up around the state to keep the crowds away.

The morning was warm with light SE winds. I have a north route, a south route, a southwest route, an eastern extension off the north route, an eastern extension off the south route, the one thing I really do not have is an east route.

There are a couple of good reasons for this. Due east leads past Lake Como towards Lake Phalen. It is a ride I avoid because of a couple of iffy traffic situations and a stretch of pavement which always seems to exceed even the maximum possible amount of broken glass on the road. Today was no exception, by the way. I was riding on a stretch where the street is divided by a center median. On my side there appeared a spot where at least 2 glass bottles were shattered near the curb with glass extending fully half way across the street. I took the lane.

Phalen is also an iffy ride because the route takes me through two different iterations of Glacial River Warren. This means down into the gulch, back up out of the gulch, back down again and up again. And that's just on the way over. This leads to a couple of spectacular high speed downhill coasts but also requires some hard work to climb to the top of those hills. The steepest of the back up out of the gulches comes near the end of the ride as I approach home. If I don't have good legs it is hard work.

Today I had good legs. Today I had the best legs I have had for quite some time, certainly the best legs since I got home, perhaps the best legs of the summer. I felt strong.

I rode to Lake Phalen, the largest lake within the city limits of Saint Paul, the jewel of the East side. Here is a LOOK at Lake Phalen.That vegetation next to the lake shore is some sort of restoration or something and was contributed to by a relative by marriage of TOPWLH. I am sorry I don't have a more interesting explanation but I give what I have to give.

I felt so good that I am glad to report that I did not feel any ill effects of the ride during my second assigned task of the day. I also felt plenty strong for the limited amount of work I had to do to assist Ms. Wireless as she moved away from the freeway in Richfield. She will now be living next to the chain of lakes in the City of Lakes. She moves from a soulless modern apartment building to an old brick building with character. I found myself surprisingly taken with the neighborhood. Her living room has a window on the front of the building, facing the lake. Over there on the lake side of the street there seemed to be about half the population of the world walking, rollerblading, biking and a bit farther away, on the lake, sailing. It is a truly nice spot.

The Vuelta a España began today with a team time trial of 7.7 km, a bit under 5 miles. I myself can ride 5 miles fairly rapidly but not at the speed ridden today by Team Liquigas. The team in the unusual shade of green covered the course in 8 minutes and 21 seconds. If I ride 2 miles in that time I am riding fast. The leader of the race is Liquigas team leader Filippo Pozzato.

Police state

It was another very nice day for a ride. Today the wind was from the south which means a ride to the south towards the Fairgrounds. However, with the State Fair in session, rides near the Fairgrounds are just plain out of the question. There are way too many drivers who are both in what is to them quite unfamiliar territory and who furthermore are distracted by an intent search for a parking space. This is not a good environment for a bicyclist.

I always begin the ride out into the wind. With any approach to the Fairgrounds clearly unwise, it was necessary to improvise and I ended up with an unfamiliar route. Still I found some interesting places to ride, occasionally had favorable winds and overall again felt pretty good.

But before I could ride I had to go to work. The Republican National Convention will be in town starting next Monday and preparations have already begun. I work across the street from the county law enforcement center, also known as the sheriff's department and county jail. Next to the county sheriff's building is another building housing the local police department. This complex of buildings is ground zero for an extensive deployment of law enforcement resources to assure the security of next week's event.

This is a view of the front entrance of the law enforcement center from the 4th floor of the building where I work. Those concrete barriers with steel fences are referred to in the trade as "jersey barriers" and are most often deployed to combat the possible effects of car bombs.The orange and white barriers line the sidewalks up to the building. The sidewalks are now one way, you are allowed to enter on one and must leave on the other. Because of our proximity we have been given perhaps more information than many citizens have received so we know that part of what is going on over there is the creation of a secure compound including an outdoor "detention area". My fellow workers and I decided that the whole scene has a decidedly East German feel to it. We began to refer to the fenced and barricaded complex as Stalag 17.

This is a ground level view of the entrance to the complex.By midafternoon everyone was referring to this as "Checkpoint Charlie". The whole deal is not what any of us have come to expect in what everyone keeps insisting is a free country.

Blue state

I have plenty more pieces of memorabilia to share, some of which I personally think are pretty cool. But today I rode my bicycle.

Minnesota has an earned reputation as a "blue" state. On my ride today I passed campaign signs for both candidates for a U.S. Senate seat representing Minnesota. I think the images double reinforce Minnesota's blue state reputation.

I post them not in order of personal preference but in order that I rode past them. I make this statement because even though I personally find both candidates to be completely unqualified to hold the office for which they campaign, I still do have a preference. But this is the order in which I rode past their signs.

The signs are within a block of each other, both along Snelling in Falcon Heights, both well placed to attract the attention of State Fair traffic, both the maximum yard sign size, 4 feet by 6 feet. The first sign is better placed to draw attention of drivers approaching the Fair. Franken for Senate.The second is better placed to draw the attention of drivers leaving the Fair. Coleman for Senate.The double reinforcement of "blue" state is as follows: First, both signs are blue. Even the presumed "red" candidate chooses blue as his campaign sign color.

Second: Franken identifies himself as a Democrat, as blue. Coleman declines to mention his party, perhaps hoping that some voters will identify him by his color as the Democrat he used to be.

In Minnesota, the safest color to be is blue.

It was a sleeveless jersey night ride. There aren't going to be many more of those. I had the best legs I have had since getting home from Michigan. I felt pretty good.

Morning thunderstorms, afternoon sprinkles

No ride today. I only very rarely post on days when I do not ride.

ButMy Gary Gaetti model Louisville Slugger. This one was personally autographed by former Minnesota Twin Gary Gaetti. Mr. Gaetti's handwritten signature is visible in blue ink just above the machine applied model number and signature at the top of the bat.

I obtained the bat by calling in to a local cable access sports talk show during the time when Gaetti was still a member of the Twins. As I recall I answered a trivia question which I do not remember but which I do remember as being so easy that I must have been the only viewer of that cable access show at that moment or surely someone else would have answered it.

I went down to the studio, about 4 miles from my house, to pick up my prize. When I arrived they were still on the "air" so I appeared on camera as a guest commentator discussing the Minnesota Twins. The team at that point was not very good and I think we talked about how the team could improve. I recall that my observation was that trading Gaetti would not be an appropriate course. I offered this opinion while sitting in a chair holding my new Gary Gaetti bat in my hands.

Another almost perfect day for a ride

Originally seen by me at Fat Cyclist.

Tyler Hamilton proves that everyone falls off his bike once in a while.Umm, nice calves, Tyler.

Regarding yesterday's post and comment by BB:

I think you mean this?But are you sure you don't mean this?Hehe, I have two of those too.

An almost perfect evening for a ride

But on to more interesting topics.

TOPWLH reports that she had a class where the standard round of self introductions included a person who thought he must be unique because he had an orange in his office at work that he had dried and that he had kept for 5 or so years.

She informed him that she knew of another such person. That other person is me. As for me, I have never felt quite that unique as where I work I am not even the only person who has a dried orange. There is at least one other.

But I am the champion of dried fruit. In fact, I actually have two such dried oranges, the oldest of which is more than 20 years old. That one is upstairs in my house as I type. I keep the newer one at work. Here is the top of my bookcase where I have what I occasionally refer to as "pretty much the whole citrus family".Left to right: grapefruit, orange, lemon, lime. Foreground: tangerine.

That is pretty much the way that bookcase looks each and every day. The only adjustment I made for the photo was to slightly turn the Halloween 3 Musketeers bar with the nail through it ever so slightly so that the label could be more easily read. Halloween candy with a nail through it.

Barely visible behind the tangerine is a piece of candy corn.

Between the lemon and the lime is a clove of garlic. No big deal, who hasn't forgotten about garlic in the cupboard and ended up with dried garlic.

Also visible is a carrot which is interesting because it was before drying an albino carrot, white in a bed of regular orange carrots. It morphed to pretty much orange as it dried.

However, the piece de resistance, the crown jewel of my collection, is right foreground. I defy pretty much any office fruit dryer to produce one of those. It looks vaguely like some sort of voodoo charm and maybe it is. What it used to be is a banana.

Yup, a banana.

Some of the items also visible include a Fender guitar pick, amethyst, several core samples, some other interesting rocks, part of the last run of taconite pellets from the bankrupt and now defunct LTV Steel Mining Company plant at Hoyt Lakes, a model of the Space Needle in Seattle, purchased at the top of the Needle, and at least a couple of the DNR Workplace Behaviors.

When it comes to odd stuff kept in one's workspace, I bow to no one.

No one.

Pretty much the same ride, sans spouse

Today is a tiny bit warmer than yesterday. The sun is out, the sky is blue, light breeze, 75, yup, pretty much one of the nicest days in the history of days.

This is a yard in Roseville that I ride past with fair regularity.I am not sure what all of that is but I am willing to bet that the homeowners refer to that as prairie restoration.

A familiar ride

TOPWLH can now also report that Campagnolo has a thumb lever. Today BB was back on her Bianchi. The Bianchi jersey would have been an approved fashion choice but a coolish start to the day had her in long sleeves. I had on my arm warmers.The ride covered very familiar ground, the 8 lakes tour with the mid-ride stopping point being at the parking lot at Lake Vadnais.

As we left the lake we came upon two visitors to the lake of a species we don't see very often. These are pelicans.They are fishing and fishing today was good. We watched as they repeatedly launched themselves at the surface of the water followed by a sit up and neck shimmy to help make the fishies go down. Umm, umm, good.

A lot has happened in the corn field since our last photo.The season is nearly over, there is corn on those plants just waiting to be harvested.

Ride report

Even very small adjustments become more difficult. I am still trying to adjust to riding in this time zone. The meals come on a different schedule, the sleeping is an hour off. I am struggling.It isn't much but it is what we had here today.

Readjustment ride

I ride with great regularity through that northeastern Saint Paul neighborhood located between Como Park and the Fairgrounds. A couple of years ago the city redid curbs and gutters and repaved streets in that area. As part of that project several rainwater catch basins were created, generally on public lands at street corners which previously appeared to be subject to benign neglect. The catch basins are now beacons of color.

Having just been exposed to this plant in Michigan, I am pretty sure that these are Cardinal flowers.These flowers are blooming in profusion in all of the catch basins I ride past.

It feels different here now. Summer is definitely waning, the lighting conditions for an afterwork ride are much different than they were even before leaving for Michigan. Here is a sure sign of fall.Little kids football practice has begun at the field next to my house.

Campagnolo has a thumb lever

I know this because I am back to riding one of the bicycles that I own that has Campagnolo components. I rode past this sign today.The State Fair begins Thursday so I won't be riding in that direction much for a couple of weeks. But if I did ride over there I could park my bike for free. I would be parking next to that bear, I suppose. I wonder if the bear has any connection with Bear's Bouquets?

Does anyone have any idea what the heck is the deal with this BLUE THING?Here's an extremely large hint. This is the airplane that brought us home from Grand Rapids.I only had to take a few steps and face in the opposite direction to get the second photo.

Probably no sunset picture today. But there is this:

Nantes 1-1 Monaco

Monaco scored in the 5th minute. Nantes was finally able to reply in the 67th minute when a long kick downfield from Nantes keeper Tony Heurtebis eluded most of the Monaco defense. Nantes' Croatian striker Ivan Klasnic challenged the Monaco keeper and the ball fell kindly to Romanian teammate Claudiu Keserü. Keserü scored to earn the tie and a precious point for Nantes, the home side.

Thanks for everything

From us.Until we meet on the deck again.

Power of perspective

There have been other unusual photographs taken at the top of the dune at Tunnel Park so this one should really not raise much commotion. This is either a trick of perspective or the return of Andre the Giant.BIG man.

In other news, BB discarded her Bianchi jersey in time and was not pitched off by her rented Sequoia. We returned the bike today after, I think, accumulating enough miles to invoke the curse, 101 miles in a week.The photo is the welcome to Holland, not really a windmill windmill.

Body for Senate

The lake water temperature remains in the low 50s which keeps the lakeside air temperatures a bit below what a Minnesota guy has come to expect in August. A mile inland it is still August, we rode the inland route to Kirk Park.The sun was much more in evidence on the return trip. We stopped at the Port Sheldon Party Store.Babe for scale. You might also note that Bear's Bouquets are also available at this venue (and Bareman's Milk).

We made a final pause in the name of Minnesota politics.Body for Senate.Sunset.

Tall dunes calling my name

GFR and I had a nice midday ride which seemed devoid of photo opportunities. After the BB prepared dinner I set out looking for a picture. Shortly after the recycling began I could hear tall dunes calling my name.

Two years ago I fell off my bicycle when I encountered a rogue traffic gate on the flat spot halfway up Spyglass. Last year I didn't feel climbing strong and made no attempts at either of the two big nearby dunes. This year I have trained all year with an objective, a goal. As a result I have ridden differently. It remains to be seen whether I will reach the goal but I did arrive at August feeling much stronger than at this time last year.

Tonight's ride was short but eventful. I went Spyglass, State Park, Sunset Bluff. Here is a view from the top of Spyglass.I climbed to the top and then rode down to the interior bottom level, climbed back out of there and then back down the dune to Lakeshore.

I detoured to the State Park and then swung back through the neighborhoods to get to the starting place for Sunset Bluff. To get the complete climb you have to start from across Lakeshore, down in that neighborhood at the bottom of the hill. This is a view back down the dune from the cul-de-sac at the top.After arriving back on the mountain we waited in vain for a sunset photo. There was nice structure, good clouds, but the sun went behind the clouds about 20 minutes before sundown and declined to reappear for a curtain call.

In the midday sun

It was quite cool next to the lake this morning (57 degree outdoor shower). But it was warm and summery as soon as one got a bit inland. It was still not hot, but definitely pleasant for a right after lunch ride.

We headed north, stopping to check the facilities and to refill BB's water bottle at the county park at Hemlock Crossing.From there it is only a short uphill to the West Olive One Stop.Babe for scale.

Because we had stopped at the park we didn't actually go in so we don't know which member of the family was staffing the cash register.

We also passed this on the way out but the sun angle on the return trip was much better for a photo.Nice day, nice ride with my sweetie.

Here's one of us taken on the deck the other night by TT.It's not as impressive as the "Big Man" photo but we like it.

Landmarks

A local resident who should know reports that the burgers available at this establishment when it was still a going concern were, in fact, hot, and they were available pretty much now.I never actually had a HOT'nNOW burger so I cannot comment on the food. I can say that the chain failed long enough ago that the trees growing in the cracks in the front parking lot now completely obscure the front of the establishment. Anyone have a business plan that includes that?

The pickle plant is hiring.Today the brine smell was rancid, now sweet, not a good day to be downwind of Heinz.

Auxerre 2:1 FC Nantes

As reported at FrenchLeague.com:

Auxerre got their 2008-09 campaign off to a winning start with a hard-fought victory against newly promoted Nantes thanks to the quick reactions of striker Julien Quercia, who netted the winner.

The home side dominated proceedings but were unable to translate possession into chances until just after the half-hour mark when a superb cross from Benoit Pedretti found Ireneusz Jelen. The Poland international looked certain to score but Nantes goalkeeper Tony Heurtebis somehow pawed the ball round the post for a corner. It was a brief reprieve, and from the quickly taken corner Pedretti crossed, Jelen headed goalwards and this time Heurtebis could do nothing to stop it.

With the match slipping away, Nantes pushed forward and appeared to have got a reward for their efforts when David de Freitas rifled in a shot from outside the box to equalise with 20 minutes to go. But just moments later, all their hard work was undone when Heurtebis spilled a cross and Quercia gleefully tucked away the winner.

Senator John Heinz memorial ride

The morning was cool and less humid, perfect for a mellow spin along the lake. The atmospheric conditions produced a powerful reminder of the factory on the other side of the lake. I love the smell of pickle brine in the morning.

I took this this afternoon, not this morning, but actually the light angle was similar so this could pass.Angled light through the Woods, tree sheltered houses, just around the corner from Marigold.

Here are a couple of vacation quality photos from the top of the bluff. First up, the oak tree, some milk weed, the lake and a sailboat, just before lunch.Facing the other direction, the beach and in the distance, the state park and Big Red.This afternoon we went to Cross Country Cycle, GFR's bike shop of choice, and rented BB a bicycle, a Specialized Sequoia.

Crinkly crusty John, the genial proprietor, assisted with selection and fit. We toured the Woods on the way back to the mountain allowing BB to make her first trip to this house in several years:By the by, crinkly crusty John, the genial proprietor, informed us that the bike BB is on is programmed to throw anyone wearing a Bianchi jersey off after 200 miles. So that's something we have to be careful about.

Short "a" as in after.

We went to Family Fare to restock certain parts of the larder. We were passing by the refrigerated food section when I noticed chicken pasties for sale. I remarked to GFR that I have never seen pasties for sale outside the Iron Range. A Michigan consumer standing nearby expressed interest in the subject and asked for directions to where in the food case these pasties were located. She took one look and said, "Those aren't pasties."

And, of course, she was right. We had just demonstrated some expertise in the matter by producing the correct pronunciation on the first attempt so we launched into a discussion of pasties. The Michigan lady is descended from UPers, specifically the iron mining region of the UP. I informed her that we were raised in the Minnesota iron mining region. I said, of pasties, "Miner's lunch." She said her father was a miner. So we had quite a bit in common and she told us where in Michigan you can get authentic pasties, other than in her kitchen, as she makes them herself.

Here is BB sitting in her afternoon position, the shady side of the deck.Lake Michigan for scale.

Honkers!

No heavy metal today.

We stopped by the Bay house to pick up my bicycle. There were geese in the back yard.GFR says, "Why does this always happen when you don't have a camera?"

I, who was preparing to ride my bike, said, "I have a camera." I always have a camera when I ride my bike.

Honkers.

On the ride to the Beach house I also saw a turkey but she was shy and hid behind a house before I could get a picture. I did have a nice chat with the neighbor lady. She was out at the end of her driveway retrieving her garbage can. She was just as taken with W. Turkey as I was. We discussed turkey habitat and likely food sources and both concluded that the turkeys have a good thing going here.

Closed circuit to Wireless: We got here OK.

Il pleut sur Roseville

No corn picture today, or this week, for that matter. And it is a shame as the corn has tasseled out. This is a significant moment, of course, when the plant converts from producing corn stalk to producing actual corn.

But TOPWLH declined to ride out into the obviously threatening morning. For a time I agreed with her and stayed inside but eventually I gave it a try. I was riding along feeling pretty cocky, thinking to myself that I could maybe get 22 miles when moisture hitting my head and leg made it suddenly obvious that the time had come to turn and sprint for home. I settled for 20 miles and got into the garage before the sprinkle became too persistent.

Interestingly enough, while I was riding TOPWLH determined that lawn mowing was possible. She finished mowing the lawn just a couple of moments before I came speeding into the cul-de-sac. I bet she is glad to have the lawn done but I bet she wishes she had gone for a ride.

I could have shown this on metal day. Go ahead, you know the drill, right click, open in a new tab. It is early Zeppelin, the band in black and white, probably about 1973.The problem with showing this on metal day would have been I am not even sure it IS metal. It is situated in front of the Cargill Building for Microbial and Plant Genomics on the farm campus. Perhaps it is theme artwork, somehow related to microbial and plant genomics.

I was trying to take a picture of this on metal day but a female student on a cell phone ignored me and refused to clear the foreground of the proposed photo. I departed unfulfilled after hearing these exact words come out of her mouth into the cell phone: "I was like, oh my god!" I could have made that up, and would, if it would improve the story. But I didn't have to make it up, she said it. I pedaled away.

On the subject of Microbial and Plant Genomics, that grass in the foreground looks vaguely experimental, it appears to be a grain but it doesn't fit into any of the identification categories that I have in my memory banks.

Long ride

For today's Zeppelin background tune, right click and open in a new tab.

I open my front door and I hear my back door slam.

Purists will note that it is not actually Led Zeppelin, just the lead singer and lead guitarist with a rather large string section. I believe they referred to themselves as Page and Plant during the time when they were doing performances of this sort.

I extended what is already a 30 mile ride by crossing the Mississippi and the Minnesota Rivers at Fort Snelling. I rode down to the Dakota County Park just below Pilots Knob. The park overlooks the Minnesota River valley.Airport to the right, Mall of America behind those building visible left center of picture.

I realized that I don't get to Dakota County very often. I ride mostly in Ramsey County, quite often in Hennepin, once in a while in Anoka, once in a while in Washington, quite a bit once a year in Ottawa, but pretty rarely in Dakota.

On the way home I also realized that I just don't get to the actual Fort at Fort Snelling very often. I rode over to the historical fort. There are several buildings of historical significance from the time when the Fort was a military installation.

The most famous of those historic buildings are what is called "Officers' Row". This is one of the other buildings, I believe these are barracks.On the way back across the Mississippi I came upon this on the stairway down from the fort to the pedestrian way.This is a bit obscure perhaps, but I am able to say with certainty that when the concrete was still a bit soft that someone carried a bike up these steps while wearing bike shoes with Speedplay cleats. The shape is unmistakable.