How will I live without mixed greens? You mean I can have all the radicchio I want? Stop! I'm getting a chubby.
-- John Pinette, talking about diets
::: Tower View :::
When One Isnt Enough
After today, I'm going to be one of those that support the ban of cellphone use while driving.
On the way to pick up lunch at McDonald's, I made a left turn out to get off of the work campus. A woman coming from the opposite direction and trying to pull into the campus, misjudged her own left turn and almost clipped the back of the Jeep. She didnt even bother putting the phone down.
Then while pulling into the drive thru, another car came from the opposite side, sped thru the parking lot and whipped around in order to beat the rest of the cars into line. The driver, who was on the phone at time, couldnt turn the wheel far enough and went up the curb while making the u-turn.
Finally, after getting my order and trying to leave the area to get back to work, I had to make a left turn at an intersection. The car on the other side of the intersection runs the stop sign, trying to beat me from making my left turn. The driver of the that car fails to notice the oncoming car on her right side, which had right of way.
Her passenger looks shocked as the oncoming vehicle braked just in time to prevent the accident. She looks incredulous when I made the symbol of a gun with hand and pulled the trigger. Which is abit ironic considered she never put down the cellphone during the entire incident.
What was even worse was that the driver from the oncoming car was also on her cellphone and never put it down, even though she almost t-boned someone.
Geezus people. There are hands-free mics nowadays.
Morons.
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::: Out In The Yard :::
Owning a car can cost extra money. Time to get a bicycle. Ha!
**********
A new planet is found. Geez, I can barely remember the nine we have now.
**********
Woman assaults child at miniature golf course. That what happens when you ask a womam about the way she grips the shaft and hits the balls.
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::: Background Noise :::
Chasing Lance is on.
Its the Discovery Channel's version of the old Lance Chronicles that OLN did last year.
Tonight's episode, "The Last Ride," covers the Dauphine Libere, which is the final training race prior to the TdF. I hadnt seen this one yet, but have to admit, its ok.
Its a better option as opposed to the news or some of the other repeats showing on tv.
***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************
Now this chapter of his story closes on the Champs Elysees today. But instinct tells me this story is not yet over. It cant be. Lance live on, go well, and "Live Strong.” See you down the road.
-- Paul Sherwin, OLN cycling commentator
::: Tower View :::
La Fin D'une Ere
Once again, I awoke early to catch the first showing of today's final stage. This would be Armstrong's last hurrah. There were mixed feelings of watching him ride this one last time.
Sure, he's just a retiring, not dying, but somehow it was still sad. How would golfers feel if Tiger said "Tomorrow is my last day. After that, I'm done?" How did fans feel when Gretzky retired?
Watching Armstrong take the podium one last time, the tears of joy flowing from him, Sheryl Crow, and the rest of his family was sad, yet inspiring.
The speech he gave was the only one ever allowed in the Tour's history. And then giving thanks to Ullrich was great, especially since Lance had always felt the German was his greatest rival. And even then, they were able to keep a decent friendship over the years.
And so for these brief few moments, we forgot the troubles of the world and watched a rider, a father, a survivor, a champion, a hero, and a legend ride off into the sunset.
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::: Out In The Yard :::
Vino steals the final stage. Now here was a guy determined to make sure he could get a job next year.
**********
Wear Yellow is online for viewing. Sure its another Nike site, but its the place to get 10/2 gear.
**********
Infernal Affairs goes Hollywood. This Hong Kong smash was an excellent film. Hopefully, Scorcese wont screw it up.
**********
::: Background Noise :::
Its Going Down by X-ecutioners with Mike Shinoda and Joe Hahn
Its going down
A logical progession
On a timeline...
The seperation narrowed down
to a fine line...
To blur the edges
So they blend again properly...
Take you on an audible odyssey
***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************
My mother didnt like what I did to try to get pregnant. She's a traditionalist. She says "I dont know why you cant get pregnant like your sisters and I did." So I told her, "Its because I dont like the taste of gin."
-- Margaret Smith
::: Tower View :::
And Today Makes Seven
As if there was any doubt, Lance Armstrong clinches his seventh Tour De France win. So I sat there glued to the tv, watching as rider after rider came through the finish, excitement growing as the top contenders began to go out onto the road.
Jan Ullrich looked awesome as he raced through the route, speeding along as the Ullrich of old. Ivan Basso started strong and although fading towards the end, he didnt have to worry about losing his spot.
Empathy had to go to Michael Rasmussen. He's already clinched his King of the Mountain spot, but still competed as if he were winning the whole thing. Two crashes and four bicycle changes later nipped that in the bud. He probably felt he was lucky to even finish.
Then there was Armstrong. He sped thru the route almost faster than the escort motorcycles that were there. Now that is enforcing your will.
So congratulations to Lance and the whole Discovery team. Job well done. Enjoy tomorrow and get out of the way of the sprinters. Ha!
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Blog Typing
hat tip: Lisett
| Your Blogging Type is Pensive and Philosophical |
 You tend to use your blog to explore ideas - often in long winded prose. Easy going and flexible, you tend to befriend other bloggers easily. But if they disagree with once too much, you'll pull them from your blogroll! |
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Cult Of Personality
 You are elegant, withdrawn, and brilliant. Your mind is a weapon, able to solve any puzzle. You are also great at poking holes in arguments and common beliefs. For you, comfort and calm are very important. You tend to thrive on your own and shrug off most affection. You prefer to protect your emotions and stay strong. |
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::: Out In The Yard :::
Love not allowed in Wal-Mart. Its against corporate policy.
**********
Australian team making progress after major accident. Get better, lasses. We'll see you soon.
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::: Background Noise :::
Constantine is on.
The movie is based off a comic book called Hellblazer. I admit that I do like this version since its trying to keep close to the book, but I still find myself comparing them. It really is better than I had first imagined.
So if you arent a comic purist like me, then you might like this detective/occult style movie. If you are a hardcore fan, then you definately wont like it.
Especially since Keanu isnt blond, English, or an actor. heh...
***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************
That "Go Lightly" stuff is mislabeled. I've had diarrhea before and thats not it. It doesnt even come out like diarrhea. It comes out like a mist. I took my pants off and the back of my legs looked like I OD'd on tanning lotion.
-- Robert Schimmel
::: Tower View :::
Attack Of The Georges
I spent way too much time watching the Tour this weekend.
Seeing Georg Totschnig and George Hincapie win their first major Tour stages was awe-inspiring.
Enough to ride 55 miles in the blazing heat... Drinking thru four bottles of Gatorade... And still getting frigging dehydrated to the point where I couldnt even raise my head without my neck hurting like hell.
My body ached so badly that I couldnt raise my arms above my shoulder because my trapezius hurt all the way down my lower back. Even sitting up hurt the back. Pedalling made the legs feel heavy and shot pain up my spine.
To make matters worse, I felt absolutely silly because I had to keep down in the dropped handlebars because it was the only way the legs would work. But then I couldnt see where I was going.
Driving home was an adventure. First I had to physically throw the bicycle into the back of the Jeep. Not too smart considering I had brought the really good bike with me. But then again, I couldnt raise my arms to put the damn thing on the rack. Sitting in the seat shot series of spasms along the Trap that I kept wiggling while driving. Which was probably a good thing considering I couldnt turn my head to look out the windows.
It took a little bit longer than normal, but I did make it home. A glass of salt water, a nap, and a hot shower helped tremendously. A quick weight check showed I lost 3lbs in the process. Not the way I want to lose weight.
I normally blame Lance for inspiring my cycling obsession. I think I'll be blaming Georg and George for this one.
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::: Out In The Yard :::
NRA cancels convention due to city weapons ban. Isnt this a great way to lose $15 million dollars in revenues? Morons.
**********
Sheryl writes song for Lance. "Make em suffer?" Isnt that the theme for most marriages?
**********
Sandra marries Jesse James. Now are we going to see tattoos all over her?
**********
::: Background Noise :::
Ruby, Dont Take Your Love To Town by Cake
She's leaving now
Because I just heard the slamming of the door,
The way I know I heard it slam
A hundred times before...
And if I could move,
I'd get my gun
And put her in the ground...
Oh Ruby,
Dont take your love to town
***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************
Baker: Damn! And that is the guy we are in bed with!
Me: Ummm, I wouldnt say that too loudly around here.
-- from a conversation at work
::: Tower View :::
Pop Quiz, Hotshot
Hat Tip: Fury
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::: Out In The Yard :::
Bloggers pay the price for saying too much. And then there was this one time, in band camp...
**********
We're Not Afriad is online now. Who is afraid of the big bad wolf?
**********
::: Background Noise :::
Brick by Ben Folds Five
She's a brick
And I'm drowning slowly...
Off the coast
And i'm getting nowhere
She's a brick
And i'm drowning slowly...
***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************
Mike, dude, seriously. I dont care how good it tastes. How can you seriously eat something called a "Sloppy Woody?"
-- my comment during lunch
::: Tower View :::
Stage Four Fiasco
I think I may have taken my cycling obsession to a new low.
I was supposed to be in charge of the team today since the boss took an extra day off. So I kept updating the Tour de France website, trying to catch updates of the Team Time Trial (TTT). This type of stage is when all nine riders go from point A to point B. At least five guys have to finish and the team with the fastest time wins.
So when the Phonak team left point A, I was totally glued to the site, answering my teammates with grunts and "Sure, whatever." When T-Mobile left the start point, it was "Hm? Ok, as long as we dont burn down the house." As Lance's team, Discovery Channel, left, I had to resist the urge to bolt downstairs to the gym and watch the rest of the race.
That lasted for about 5 mins. Then it was "Ok, guys. I'll be right back" and it was a race to the gym.
That is definately the way to show leadership and initative, hm? Thank God there was a crowd downstairs doing the same thing. Ha!
It was a very exciting stage and a major nailbiter with Discovery winning the day by a mere 2 seconds. They set a race record of completing the stage at an average of 36mph. Gah, I'm happy if I can get above 14mph!
When I strolled back to the office, a few of the guys had been looking for me. Fortunately it was just so we could go to lunch. Now lets see if I can get away with that for the rest of the month.
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::: Out In The Yard :::
Discovery Team celebrating TTT win. And the yellow jersey is back to where it belongs. For now.
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::: Background Noise :::
Yes, I've got stage 4 of the TdF on. I'm sorry. Its going to be like this for most of the month.
I should get a tshirt that says "Cycling Geek" and have the arrow pointing up.
***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************
You know, it's dirty business doing one's duty. But just occasionally it's a real pleasure.
-- Colonel Tavington from The Patriot
::: Tower View :::
Independence Day
Its the Fourth of July so remember what this day entails.
Its not the sales, vacation time, or barbeques. It the fact that we won our freedom from an oppressive state. Even after the Revolutionary War, it took many years before the country could even be stabilized and start becoming what we are today.
Remember this when comparing our freedom to other countries around the world. Then be proud of our country.
Everyone have a safe and fun Fourth. Try not to blow your fingers off with the fireworks. Ha!
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::: Out In The Yard :::
Shannon Elizabeth getting a divorce. Woohoo! Boo boo kitty f_ck!
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Seoul Raiders coming soon. Tokyo Raiders was awesome! Too bad it will be another few years before this hits the US.
**********
Luther Vandross passes away. Another cool voice has left us.
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::: Background Noise :::
Stage 3 of the TdF is on. I'm torn between watching the show, working on the blog, playing City of Heroes, or doing what I'm supposed to be doing: office work.
Well, you can tell which one, won out for now. Heh...
***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************
The Tour is a two thousand mile race and people sometimes win by one minute. Or less. One minute in nearly a month of suffering isnt that much. So the people who win are the ones willing to suffer the most.
-- Lance Armstrong
::: Tower View :::
It Has Begun
The Tour de France 2005 began today with the individual time trial. This is when you ride by yourself for a certain distance going against the clock. The person with the fastest time wins the stage.
The cyclists go out in reverse order, from position 189 to 1, with one minute waiting period between each rider. Jan Ullrich, the Kaiser and one of Lance's top rivals, started out second to last. Lance was the final rider of the day and would start one minute behind him.
I can only imagine the dismay as Jan felt when Lance was actually catching up to him, then eventually passed the German. Ivan Basso, another one of Lance's rivals, had to go the thru the pain last year when the title was up for grabs.
These guys are doing 30 to 35 mph at a distance of 12 miles. I get upset when I get passed and I'm only doing 12 mph down the street.
Out of the 189 riders that started today, David Zabriskie, who started 19th, held the top position for most of the day. He would win when Lance, despite his brilliant ride, came in second place by 2 seconds. Zabriskie even set a race record for his blistering pace.
Still, it was an exciting stage to watch. Now I'm going to have to figure out how I'm going to listen to the TdF at work. Last year, OLN TV did live webcasts.
Gah, now I'm going to have to remember how to work the vcr.
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::: Out In The Yard :::
TdF stage One ups and downs. Ohh, alot of the rivals are already in trouble. Heh.
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Venus holds on to win Wimbeldon. I missed out on this one, but heard it was one heck of a match.
**********
::: Background Noise :::
The repeat of today's stage is playing on OLN (aka the Only Lance Network).
Kirsten Gum isnt on as much as she used to be, but I have to admit she looks better now that she isnt bleaching her hair blonde. Kirsten still doesnt know much about the sport, but at least she doesnt fit the blonde stereotype now.
***************************************
* Days go by
* And still I think of you
* Days when I couldnt live
* My life without you
***************************************
The Steward
