30 January 2006
Soocan Snowboarding I
Last year, Nick, Marts, and I went up to Searchmont in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada for a little snowboarding getaway. I met this guy, Aaron, on the lift. He was kinda cute, my age, and had facial piercings. Yay. We all hung out that night, exchanged addies, and went our separate ways. I talked to him a couple of times over the last year, but not often.
This past weekend, I was going nuts. I had been in the Detroit Burbs for more than 3months without travel. Also, I'm not getting much exercise (what with it being winter, and even though I've been going to the gym) and even less fresh air (see also: This Winter Has Been Too Sucky Rainy To Go Outside).
I invited 10 of my closest friends and acquaintances to go to the Soo with me. Of course, I mailed them Friday morning, for an evening road trip, but still. I got nothing but weak brushoffs - We've got our kid, I'm going to a party, I was in the Rockies last weekend, my arm's broken.. All kinds of whiny answers.
So I drove up by myself. Through the simple process of bending space and time, I made it from Auburn Hills to the Soo in 4.5hours, and that includes bathroom breaks and food stops.
Aaron invited me to sleep on the couch. And I did, sleep on the couch. Both nights - a bit of a novelty for me. I took my good sleeping bag and was snug as a bug. His girlfriend wasn't using her season pass Saturday, so I got a free lift ticket as well. w00t.
We rode for a couple hours (i had to remember which end of the board went down first - a task made more difficult by the board shop, who replaced my bindings at 180degrees off their usual setup after waxing) and stopped mid afternoon for a beer and wardrobe change. It must have been 45F. I stripped off my long underwear and ditched my parka. I rode for the rest of the afternoon in my fleece vest, longsleeve shirt, and skipants.
It is one of my favorite things to drink a beer outdoors in the snow when the afternoon sun is shining down. Marts and I enjoyed a pitcher of Canadian like that at Alpine Valley last year, sitting on a balcony, feet on the railing. Aaron and I drank Keith's IPA and Red Maple Lager on the roof of the bar, watching the skiiers. It is just my favorite thing.
That, and coming home with my first windburned cheeks of winter.
This past weekend, I was going nuts. I had been in the Detroit Burbs for more than 3months without travel. Also, I'm not getting much exercise (what with it being winter, and even though I've been going to the gym) and even less fresh air (see also: This Winter Has Been Too Sucky Rainy To Go Outside).
I invited 10 of my closest friends and acquaintances to go to the Soo with me. Of course, I mailed them Friday morning, for an evening road trip, but still. I got nothing but weak brushoffs - We've got our kid, I'm going to a party, I was in the Rockies last weekend, my arm's broken.. All kinds of whiny answers.
So I drove up by myself. Through the simple process of bending space and time, I made it from Auburn Hills to the Soo in 4.5hours, and that includes bathroom breaks and food stops.
Aaron invited me to sleep on the couch. And I did, sleep on the couch. Both nights - a bit of a novelty for me. I took my good sleeping bag and was snug as a bug. His girlfriend wasn't using her season pass Saturday, so I got a free lift ticket as well. w00t.
We rode for a couple hours (i had to remember which end of the board went down first - a task made more difficult by the board shop, who replaced my bindings at 180degrees off their usual setup after waxing) and stopped mid afternoon for a beer and wardrobe change. It must have been 45F. I stripped off my long underwear and ditched my parka. I rode for the rest of the afternoon in my fleece vest, longsleeve shirt, and skipants.
It is one of my favorite things to drink a beer outdoors in the snow when the afternoon sun is shining down. Marts and I enjoyed a pitcher of Canadian like that at Alpine Valley last year, sitting on a balcony, feet on the railing. Aaron and I drank Keith's IPA and Red Maple Lager on the roof of the bar, watching the skiiers. It is just my favorite thing.
That, and coming home with my first windburned cheeks of winter.
23 January 2006
productive
this is my fourth blog post from the office today.
yeah. I got a lot of work done.
no, wait. I got a lot of blogging, personal email, and wondering done. the Ford closures didn't help. We gathered around the TV's and watched Billy Ford for about an hour and a half. my industry is taking a dump. it's like the early 80's again. they said it straight out - 'in the early 80's we had to do the Quality is Job 1 campaign to catch up with our asian counterparts' today they're doing Quality is Job 1, Again. and they're going to design cars with architecture in mind, like iPods and Eames chairs.
I'm off to work out, have some chocolate, and put my head on ice.
yeah. I got a lot of work done.
no, wait. I got a lot of blogging, personal email, and wondering done. the Ford closures didn't help. We gathered around the TV's and watched Billy Ford for about an hour and a half. my industry is taking a dump. it's like the early 80's again. they said it straight out - 'in the early 80's we had to do the Quality is Job 1 campaign to catch up with our asian counterparts' today they're doing Quality is Job 1, Again. and they're going to design cars with architecture in mind, like iPods and Eames chairs.
I'm off to work out, have some chocolate, and put my head on ice.
14 January 2006
Because everyone else is doing it...
...I'll take a quiz too. Turns out I'm a hedonist with strong existential tendencies. Probably depends on the day - whether I'm more about pleasure and gluttony, or just interested in the sheer fact of existence.
| You scored as Hedonism. Your life is guided by the principles of Hedonism: You believe that pleasure is a great, or the greatest, good; and you try to enjoy life�s pleasures as much as you can. �Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die!� More info at Arocoun's Wikipedia User Page...
What philosophy do you follow? (v1.03) created with QuizFarm.com |
12 January 2006
a new ma-chine
I bought myself a present.
Last november I won a little prize money in the Iceman race. I wanted to spend it on something special, something I'd remember. Last year, Marts won $ and used it to pierce her eyebrows. In January I was finally inspired. I put the money towards a Kenmore sewing machine.
I thought my friends would laugh when I told them I was spending money won by racing mountain bikes on a sewing machine (how domestic!!). I was surprised by their responses: two who don't have sewing machines were jealous, and friend who has one said something like, "I don't know how you've lived without one for so long. Good plan."
Both K (who was a tailor and costumer for many years) and my Mom (whose maternal credentials give instant creedence to her opinion) suggested Sears' Kenmore brand. Last weekend I bought it. Pia drove me to the schrotty mall with the Sears, and a big black man who knew nothing about sewing machines was able to find the model I wanted in the back room. And I walked out with a new mechanical treasure. One that will let me modify all things fabric.
The first thing I did was felt up some salvation army sweaters in the washing machine and stitch up some handbags inspired by the Recycled Sweater Totes out of Leigh Radford's Alterknits.
This weekend I'm going to try for a dress. I picked up an "easy" and a "very easy" pattern at Joann's, picked out some green linen and some dark pink corduroy. They're very simple A-line dresses, but will lend themselves well to embellishment. That'll be fun. As will sewing zippers. I've never sewn zippers before, and this machine has a zipper foot. w00t.
i also picked up 2 5-yard lengths of gorgeous chinese brocade. i don't know what i'm going to do with it, but i really wanted it. and it was on sale. and i need to start a fabric stash, right?
Ooh, I'm all excited. I'm a little fiber nerd.. ah well.
Last november I won a little prize money in the Iceman race. I wanted to spend it on something special, something I'd remember. Last year, Marts won $ and used it to pierce her eyebrows. In January I was finally inspired. I put the money towards a Kenmore sewing machine.
I thought my friends would laugh when I told them I was spending money won by racing mountain bikes on a sewing machine (how domestic!!). I was surprised by their responses: two who don't have sewing machines were jealous, and friend who has one said something like, "I don't know how you've lived without one for so long. Good plan."
Both K (who was a tailor and costumer for many years) and my Mom (whose maternal credentials give instant creedence to her opinion) suggested Sears' Kenmore brand. Last weekend I bought it. Pia drove me to the schrotty mall with the Sears, and a big black man who knew nothing about sewing machines was able to find the model I wanted in the back room. And I walked out with a new mechanical treasure. One that will let me modify all things fabric.
The first thing I did was felt up some salvation army sweaters in the washing machine and stitch up some handbags inspired by the Recycled Sweater Totes out of Leigh Radford's Alterknits.
This weekend I'm going to try for a dress. I picked up an "easy" and a "very easy" pattern at Joann's, picked out some green linen and some dark pink corduroy. They're very simple A-line dresses, but will lend themselves well to embellishment. That'll be fun. As will sewing zippers. I've never sewn zippers before, and this machine has a zipper foot. w00t.
i also picked up 2 5-yard lengths of gorgeous chinese brocade. i don't know what i'm going to do with it, but i really wanted it. and it was on sale. and i need to start a fabric stash, right?
Ooh, I'm all excited. I'm a little fiber nerd.. ah well.
neat thing
i've got an ad up on match.com. at work, we're hiring new people all the time.
today this guy, E, comes up to my desk and says, "Hi Jessica, I just wanted you to know I looked at your profile on Match.com, because I wanted to see if it was really you or not, but I'm not like hitting on you or anything."
me: ha, really? i've seen 3 other coworkers on it, so no biggie. really.
then we get to chatting. he's an avid backpacker, did some triathalons, enjoys mountain biking...
and i had to ask, "are those malas on your wrist? are you a buddhist?"
"you're the first person to notice them. yes, i've been a buddhist for 13 years. i teach classes at the zen temple in rochester."
...and a bunch of buddhist convo ensued.
that match.com place is pretty cool. no boyfriends from it yet, but at least it put me back in touch with 2 old friends, and threw me a buddhist. interessant.
today this guy, E, comes up to my desk and says, "Hi Jessica, I just wanted you to know I looked at your profile on Match.com, because I wanted to see if it was really you or not, but I'm not like hitting on you or anything."
me: ha, really? i've seen 3 other coworkers on it, so no biggie. really.
then we get to chatting. he's an avid backpacker, did some triathalons, enjoys mountain biking...
and i had to ask, "are those malas on your wrist? are you a buddhist?"
"you're the first person to notice them. yes, i've been a buddhist for 13 years. i teach classes at the zen temple in rochester."
...and a bunch of buddhist convo ensued.
that match.com place is pretty cool. no boyfriends from it yet, but at least it put me back in touch with 2 old friends, and threw me a buddhist. interessant.
11 January 2006
n00bs
we have 2 new full time designers at work, and one new intern. because we lost some business recently, they're extra resources. and because i can always think up stuff for people to do, they were assigned to me.
the bad news is that they don't know the product, and don't know our systems, which are complicated as hell. so now i have to spend time training them: first you have to pull a part number in SAP, then it gets pushed to VPM. you have to take ownership in VPM, create and associate cad files, then print the drawing back to SAP. it takes a shittonne of clicks to do all this, and there's now a little parade of new designers coming past my desk.
the good news is: now that i have extra resources, i can clean up some little data messes we've left because we were charging fast and furious and ever forward.
other good news is: i was trusted with extra resources. i was assigned new people. i now have more people working (kind of) under me. i think this is part of the grooming thing. or i'm being tested... i need to ask for more money, and soon.
other buenos from work today: i went out to lunch with another design engineer (gets drunk and hits people S). he's worried about having lost that business where will he go now? what will he do now that there's no door module. so we talked about that a bit. and we talked about managing development programs and how in our position you have to have a pretty high tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. hell, i'm making shit up 87% of the time. the rest of the time, i'm drinking coffee and socializing. :D
...so lunch gave me a chance to mentor a coworker recently promoted. and watch him be an ass while hitting on the bartender. heh.
all told, 'twas a good day.
the bad news is that they don't know the product, and don't know our systems, which are complicated as hell. so now i have to spend time training them: first you have to pull a part number in SAP, then it gets pushed to VPM. you have to take ownership in VPM, create and associate cad files, then print the drawing back to SAP. it takes a shittonne of clicks to do all this, and there's now a little parade of new designers coming past my desk.
the good news is: now that i have extra resources, i can clean up some little data messes we've left because we were charging fast and furious and ever forward.
other good news is: i was trusted with extra resources. i was assigned new people. i now have more people working (kind of) under me. i think this is part of the grooming thing. or i'm being tested... i need to ask for more money, and soon.
other buenos from work today: i went out to lunch with another design engineer (gets drunk and hits people S). he's worried about having lost that business where will he go now? what will he do now that there's no door module. so we talked about that a bit. and we talked about managing development programs and how in our position you have to have a pretty high tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. hell, i'm making shit up 87% of the time. the rest of the time, i'm drinking coffee and socializing. :D
...so lunch gave me a chance to mentor a coworker recently promoted. and watch him be an ass while hitting on the bartender. heh.
all told, 'twas a good day.
09 January 2006
Best of MMV
It's self-indulgent, but it's also nice recalling the year, looking it over. I saw/heard a lot of live music this year. Spent a lot of good time with friends. These are the events that shaped '05 for me, in driveby fashion:
JANUARY
I was completely in love with the spinning wheel that N&M gave me for Christmas. There was much spinning, buying of fiber, visiting spinning guilds. There was also a bit of knitting in coffee shops.
My sister and I visited Charleston, SC and saw Michael Flynn and Biv at Cumberland's. Flynn's songs were great, Biv's music was a bit lackluster, but they had great stage presence. Their bass player, Danny, was always interacting with the drummer. Interestingly, the two bands have formed up and are now Slow Runner.
FEBRUARY
Secret Machines at the Magic Stick - awesome show. Much better than when they opened for Interpol at the State Theater. Snowboarding, MMBA annual meeting (always good to see the MTB friends in the dead of winter), Soweto Gospel Choir and Kodo drummers in Ann Arbor with the 'rents, Neva, Brewster and Bender, and Aunt Mary.
Gold Party, dancing til the cops came (at 5a), then a little sleepover.
MARCH
Hamtramck Blowout, met Porchsleeper, fell in love.
Other local yay for the earholes: The Fluoride Program, and the Great Lakes Myth Society.
Bought my snowboard, Martha and I were: Drunk on a Wednesday!
joined the cult with an iPod shuffle. Sascha was concussed, visited Searchmont, boarding with N&M. The horrible pre-Easter Memorial Dinner.
APRIL
Trio Mediaeval at a church in Ann Arbor. GLMS, TFP and the Sleepers at 313 Jac. Motor City Music Conference, much carousing and drinking. Happy epiphany at the Moby concert with Tom (thanks Tom!).
Jimmy Chamberlain with Bekkala, got a CD autographed for my Dad. Velvet Revolver in the Suites at the Palace with Karen. Yankee TT, the mountain bike ass kicking begins. Unfortunately it is my ass being kicked.
MAY
Clarkston Back 40 ride with Mike and Marts turns out to be 48miles. Oww.
5/20: Indepenence day - 2 years of official divorcedness. I took my CPL app to the county. 'twas a good day.
Met Casey, Ginny's bf from Portland. He came and took her away. M&P were sad.
24 hours of Boyne Race - won again. I was without entourage, but enjoyed visiting friends in other condos, and my teammates are some of the best babes on bikes ever, thanks also to the support crew, Mark and Tracy, you're the best.
JUNE:
Terrible performance at Whiskey Creek stage race. The winner of my cross country race was standing at the finish line, cheering me on as I went out for my last sandy sweaty lap. Demoralizing.
Lumberjack100: convinced Nick to go. shacked up with Tracy, Shirlee, and the Shues. Nick rode with me, bailed at 40mi after separating his shoulder. I bailed around the 60mi mark. Threw up at 10miles, rode another 50 without eating, and got off the bike because I was so dizzy. Cried my head off. I was so disappointed that I didn't finish all 100 miles. Marts kicked my ass for it in the beer aisle of the convenience store, reminding me that I really did an amazing thing, that it was the longest singletrack ride I've ever done, and under serious physical stress. At the awards that night, I got a prize. Because while I didn't finish, I was in the top 5. I spent the rest of the season enjoying a big bottle of chocolate hammer gel.
Nick, on the other hand, did his impression of a sprinkler on Sunday morning before heading out to breakfast with my 'rents. Boy sprayed lemon/lime gatorade further than your average lawn-watering device. And with more panache.
Modest Mouse and Camper Van Beethoven at the State Theater. All the little indie girls looked alike in their flipflops, short denim skirts, and tank tops. except Marts and me, we're not girls to fit in.
JULY:
Porchsleeper record release - I'm thanked in the liner notes! :D Stony Marathon race - bailed due to back injury on a crash. Island lake, first trip to Poto (riding out with the guy who separated his shoulder). New stem for my road bike - much better riding position now.
Ani Difranco concert. Maybe we should hit the Panic Button, Someone call the girl police, and file a report!
Weekend at Ft. Custer with N&M. Spent the whole time riding, swimming, and getting drunk by the campfire. My long blonde hair was a wet mess the whole time. on the 28th they came over and cut it all off.
AUGUST:
Secret Machines with the Kings of Leon, SM was great, and we walked out on KoL. They just weren't worth the hearing loss.
Lots of back roads rides with the Flying Rhinos, oh the dirt roads of Clarkston kick my butt.
Ore to Shore, just Marts and me. We stayed with her mom, and had a good girlie time up in Marquette. I improved my time, and Miss Martha finished the Hard Rock!
Then Nick, Marts and I took off for Oregon. Bummin around Bend, climbing for 2hours up real mountains. Hangin with Gin and Casey - she really is growing up out there, making her own decisions. I'm proud of her.
SEPTEMBER:
I helped a little around the shop at Paint Creek Bikes. More good Michigan riding. But I was all skittish after renting a full suspension in OR, getting back on my little aluminum Tinkerbell hardtail was pretty tough. Especially since one of my first rides back was Pontiac Lake. I skipped the Pontiac race, but raced Addison Oaks (I love that course - Pauly has done an amazing job banking the corners and making that trail flow. Plus there was a new log ride. woo!)
Talk Like a Pirate day was a big hit at work. I met Karen's Boyfriend for the first time, as we planned our trip to Vegas.
Drunken cycling through downtown detroit into the wee hours of the morning. There was an aaaaawful lot of drinkin this time, camelbacks full of delicious adult beverages and kindly souls interested in sharing.
I paid a little visit to the chick who rearranges the inside of my head. Psychologist, you would call her. I sort of got squared up to the idea that I was lonely, and wanted to start dating. Thus began a mad dating spree, internet shopping on eBoy.
OCTOBER
Gambling with the 'rents at the MGM casino downtown. Dating, Porchsleeper, knitting with the girls Up North. Bike ride with Teresa and Shirlee at Holdridge, just girls, no racing. Met a boy at the Twilight Babies concert, when I got stood up by someone else. Birthday party for Nick, Broken Social Scene at the Majestic (horrible acoustics, sold out show, the bouncer's quote: "Focus, right here. This is a sold out show, there are no tickets left.") I did wear a red wig to work for my Bo Peep costume. It was a hit, but I didn't win best prize..
NOVEMBER
Guster in Ann Arbor with Marts! Iceman - Victory! $135, a jersey and a blue ribbon medal for first place in the Lady Clydesdale category. Thank you, weight class, rewarding joi de vivre! Drunken temp tattoo application, gin gimlets, sans the gimlet and duking it out in the rain, my very first barfight. Ok Go and She Wants Revenge with the boy I met at Twilight Babies.
Vegas with Karen, more like being trapped in a mall for 5 days, but a good recon mission. Now we know.
Then I was sicksicksick with a terrible cold. Then better, more Porchsleeper, serious drunken frolics the night before Thanksgiving. And turkey day at the cottage with the 'rents. Finally, Depeche Mode, a night of nonstop strange.
DECEMBER
Gussied up for the Brose Prom, yoga, new boy(friend). Shooting with Allie, XC skiing with Pia. Coffee, cake, and ear piercing apparata with a glatze coworker. Christmas parties and madness. Anxiety over gifts, trying to slow the bf down. Spike and Mike's sick and twisted - ran into my cousin who lives in Madison WI.
At the last - New Year's Eve - dinner with the boy's friends, and then drinking and dancing til 4am. Best lesson in December: Stoli vodka doesn't give you a hangover. I've tried it twice now, and am convinced. Gitcher drink on, and you'll just be a little tired in the morning.
FAVORITE BOOKS:
The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Alterknits - Leigh Radford
Viking Patterns for Knitting - Elsebeth Lavold
Weekend Knitting - Melanie Falick
Folk Shawls - Cheryl Oberle
FAVORITE MUSIC:
2005 Music I listened to all the time:
Chocolate - Snow Patrol
What You Waiting For? - Gwen Stefani
Somebody Told Me - The Killers
Girl U Want - Devo
Girl Anachronism - The Dresden Dolls
Southern Belles in London Sing - The Faint
Wonderful Night - Fatboy Slim
Perfekte Welle - Juli
Walking With a Ghost - Tegan & Sara
Soul Sloshing - Venus Hum
Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
Hotel Yorba - The White Stripes
Don't Cha - The Pussycat Dolls
Lion's Mane - Iron & Wine
Jezebel - Iron & Wine
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight - The Postal Service
The Sound of Settling - Death Cab for Cutie
Such Great Heights - Iron & Wine
The Past and Pending - The Shins
2005 Favorite songs I heard live (in roughly chronological order):
Everything Is Exactly What It Seems - Michael Flynn
Road Leads Where It's Led - The Secret Machines
Lift Me Up - Moby
Bulletproof - Porchsleeper
Love Story - The Great Lakes Myth Society
Streetcrawler - Jimmy Chamberlin Complex
Take the Skinheads Bowling - Camper Van Beethoven
Black Cadillacs Modest Mouse - Modest Mouse
Kye (Was A Dead Dog) - Nick Schillace
Origami - Ani Difranco
Little Plastic Castle - Ani DiFranco
Get It Right - The Twilight Babies
Athems fOr A Seventeen Year Old Girl - Broken Social Scene
Jesus on the Radio - Guster
Come Downstairs and Say Hello - Guster
Several Arrows Later - matt pond PA
A Million Ways - Ok Go
These Things - She Wants Revenge
Somebody - Depeche Mode
JANUARY
I was completely in love with the spinning wheel that N&M gave me for Christmas. There was much spinning, buying of fiber, visiting spinning guilds. There was also a bit of knitting in coffee shops.
My sister and I visited Charleston, SC and saw Michael Flynn and Biv at Cumberland's. Flynn's songs were great, Biv's music was a bit lackluster, but they had great stage presence. Their bass player, Danny, was always interacting with the drummer. Interestingly, the two bands have formed up and are now Slow Runner.
FEBRUARY
Secret Machines at the Magic Stick - awesome show. Much better than when they opened for Interpol at the State Theater. Snowboarding, MMBA annual meeting (always good to see the MTB friends in the dead of winter), Soweto Gospel Choir and Kodo drummers in Ann Arbor with the 'rents, Neva, Brewster and Bender, and Aunt Mary.
Gold Party, dancing til the cops came (at 5a), then a little sleepover.
MARCH
Hamtramck Blowout, met Porchsleeper, fell in love.
Other local yay for the earholes: The Fluoride Program, and the Great Lakes Myth Society.
Bought my snowboard, Martha and I were: Drunk on a Wednesday!
joined the cult with an iPod shuffle. Sascha was concussed, visited Searchmont, boarding with N&M. The horrible pre-Easter Memorial Dinner.
APRIL
Trio Mediaeval at a church in Ann Arbor. GLMS, TFP and the Sleepers at 313 Jac. Motor City Music Conference, much carousing and drinking. Happy epiphany at the Moby concert with Tom (thanks Tom!).
Jimmy Chamberlain with Bekkala, got a CD autographed for my Dad. Velvet Revolver in the Suites at the Palace with Karen. Yankee TT, the mountain bike ass kicking begins. Unfortunately it is my ass being kicked.
MAY
Clarkston Back 40 ride with Mike and Marts turns out to be 48miles. Oww.
5/20: Indepenence day - 2 years of official divorcedness. I took my CPL app to the county. 'twas a good day.
Met Casey, Ginny's bf from Portland. He came and took her away. M&P were sad.
24 hours of Boyne Race - won again. I was without entourage, but enjoyed visiting friends in other condos, and my teammates are some of the best babes on bikes ever, thanks also to the support crew, Mark and Tracy, you're the best.
JUNE:
Terrible performance at Whiskey Creek stage race. The winner of my cross country race was standing at the finish line, cheering me on as I went out for my last sandy sweaty lap. Demoralizing.
Lumberjack100: convinced Nick to go. shacked up with Tracy, Shirlee, and the Shues. Nick rode with me, bailed at 40mi after separating his shoulder. I bailed around the 60mi mark. Threw up at 10miles, rode another 50 without eating, and got off the bike because I was so dizzy. Cried my head off. I was so disappointed that I didn't finish all 100 miles. Marts kicked my ass for it in the beer aisle of the convenience store, reminding me that I really did an amazing thing, that it was the longest singletrack ride I've ever done, and under serious physical stress. At the awards that night, I got a prize. Because while I didn't finish, I was in the top 5. I spent the rest of the season enjoying a big bottle of chocolate hammer gel.
Nick, on the other hand, did his impression of a sprinkler on Sunday morning before heading out to breakfast with my 'rents. Boy sprayed lemon/lime gatorade further than your average lawn-watering device. And with more panache.
Modest Mouse and Camper Van Beethoven at the State Theater. All the little indie girls looked alike in their flipflops, short denim skirts, and tank tops. except Marts and me, we're not girls to fit in.
JULY:
Porchsleeper record release - I'm thanked in the liner notes! :D Stony Marathon race - bailed due to back injury on a crash. Island lake, first trip to Poto (riding out with the guy who separated his shoulder). New stem for my road bike - much better riding position now.
Ani Difranco concert. Maybe we should hit the Panic Button, Someone call the girl police, and file a report!
Weekend at Ft. Custer with N&M. Spent the whole time riding, swimming, and getting drunk by the campfire. My long blonde hair was a wet mess the whole time. on the 28th they came over and cut it all off.
AUGUST:
Secret Machines with the Kings of Leon, SM was great, and we walked out on KoL. They just weren't worth the hearing loss.
Lots of back roads rides with the Flying Rhinos, oh the dirt roads of Clarkston kick my butt.
Ore to Shore, just Marts and me. We stayed with her mom, and had a good girlie time up in Marquette. I improved my time, and Miss Martha finished the Hard Rock!
Then Nick, Marts and I took off for Oregon. Bummin around Bend, climbing for 2hours up real mountains. Hangin with Gin and Casey - she really is growing up out there, making her own decisions. I'm proud of her.
SEPTEMBER:
I helped a little around the shop at Paint Creek Bikes. More good Michigan riding. But I was all skittish after renting a full suspension in OR, getting back on my little aluminum Tinkerbell hardtail was pretty tough. Especially since one of my first rides back was Pontiac Lake. I skipped the Pontiac race, but raced Addison Oaks (I love that course - Pauly has done an amazing job banking the corners and making that trail flow. Plus there was a new log ride. woo!)
Talk Like a Pirate day was a big hit at work. I met Karen's Boyfriend for the first time, as we planned our trip to Vegas.
Drunken cycling through downtown detroit into the wee hours of the morning. There was an aaaaawful lot of drinkin this time, camelbacks full of delicious adult beverages and kindly souls interested in sharing.
I paid a little visit to the chick who rearranges the inside of my head. Psychologist, you would call her. I sort of got squared up to the idea that I was lonely, and wanted to start dating. Thus began a mad dating spree, internet shopping on eBoy.
OCTOBER
Gambling with the 'rents at the MGM casino downtown. Dating, Porchsleeper, knitting with the girls Up North. Bike ride with Teresa and Shirlee at Holdridge, just girls, no racing. Met a boy at the Twilight Babies concert, when I got stood up by someone else. Birthday party for Nick, Broken Social Scene at the Majestic (horrible acoustics, sold out show, the bouncer's quote: "Focus, right here. This is a sold out show, there are no tickets left.") I did wear a red wig to work for my Bo Peep costume. It was a hit, but I didn't win best prize..
NOVEMBER
Guster in Ann Arbor with Marts! Iceman - Victory! $135, a jersey and a blue ribbon medal for first place in the Lady Clydesdale category. Thank you, weight class, rewarding joi de vivre! Drunken temp tattoo application, gin gimlets, sans the gimlet and duking it out in the rain, my very first barfight. Ok Go and She Wants Revenge with the boy I met at Twilight Babies.
Vegas with Karen, more like being trapped in a mall for 5 days, but a good recon mission. Now we know.
Then I was sicksicksick with a terrible cold. Then better, more Porchsleeper, serious drunken frolics the night before Thanksgiving. And turkey day at the cottage with the 'rents. Finally, Depeche Mode, a night of nonstop strange.
DECEMBER
Gussied up for the Brose Prom, yoga, new boy(friend). Shooting with Allie, XC skiing with Pia. Coffee, cake, and ear piercing apparata with a glatze coworker. Christmas parties and madness. Anxiety over gifts, trying to slow the bf down. Spike and Mike's sick and twisted - ran into my cousin who lives in Madison WI.
At the last - New Year's Eve - dinner with the boy's friends, and then drinking and dancing til 4am. Best lesson in December: Stoli vodka doesn't give you a hangover. I've tried it twice now, and am convinced. Gitcher drink on, and you'll just be a little tired in the morning.
FAVORITE BOOKS:
The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Alterknits - Leigh Radford
Viking Patterns for Knitting - Elsebeth Lavold
Weekend Knitting - Melanie Falick
Folk Shawls - Cheryl Oberle
FAVORITE MUSIC:
2005 Music I listened to all the time:
Chocolate - Snow Patrol
What You Waiting For? - Gwen Stefani
Somebody Told Me - The Killers
Girl U Want - Devo
Girl Anachronism - The Dresden Dolls
Southern Belles in London Sing - The Faint
Wonderful Night - Fatboy Slim
Perfekte Welle - Juli
Walking With a Ghost - Tegan & Sara
Soul Sloshing - Venus Hum
Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
Hotel Yorba - The White Stripes
Don't Cha - The Pussycat Dolls
Lion's Mane - Iron & Wine
Jezebel - Iron & Wine
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight - The Postal Service
The Sound of Settling - Death Cab for Cutie
Such Great Heights - Iron & Wine
The Past and Pending - The Shins
2005 Favorite songs I heard live (in roughly chronological order):
Everything Is Exactly What It Seems - Michael Flynn
Road Leads Where It's Led - The Secret Machines
Lift Me Up - Moby
Bulletproof - Porchsleeper
Love Story - The Great Lakes Myth Society
Streetcrawler - Jimmy Chamberlin Complex
Take the Skinheads Bowling - Camper Van Beethoven
Black Cadillacs Modest Mouse - Modest Mouse
Kye (Was A Dead Dog) - Nick Schillace
Origami - Ani Difranco
Little Plastic Castle - Ani DiFranco
Get It Right - The Twilight Babies
Athems fOr A Seventeen Year Old Girl - Broken Social Scene
Jesus on the Radio - Guster
Come Downstairs and Say Hello - Guster
Several Arrows Later - matt pond PA
A Million Ways - Ok Go
These Things - She Wants Revenge
Somebody - Depeche Mode
