tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27194040741086752152024-03-13T10:31:24.226-07:00The Continuing Adventures of Captain HairdoCaptain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-43284496589794807012014-12-23T12:57:00.000-08:002014-12-23T13:06:43.329-08:00Lots of Reading in 2014!
Well, I read a lot in 2014- lots of books, as well as lots of types of books. I'm in the final pages of the thirty-fifth book I've read completely this year, and I'm likely to get one more in over this last week, which will put me at averaging three books per month. I'm listing them all here, in alphabetical order by author. The first list is the thirty-four books I've read completely; the second is the ten of which I've read significant portions but not finished entirely (mostly short stories, poetry, or reference). If you've read any of them and would like to talk about them, let me know- I'd love to discuss any of these with you, preferably over coffee or a beer!<br />
<br />
<u>Books I read in 2014:</u><br />
<u></u><br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 571px;"><u>
</u><colgroup><col style="mso-width-alt: 12653; mso-width-source: userset; width: 260pt;" width="346"></col><u>
</u><col style="mso-width-alt: 8228; mso-width-source: userset; width: 169pt;" width="225"></col><u>
</u><tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"><u>
</u><td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt; width: 260pt;" width="346"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Blasphemy</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 169pt;" width="225"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Alexie, Sherman</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in
Heaven</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Alexie, Sherman</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The House of the Spirits</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Allende, Isabel</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The New American Militarism</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bacevich, Andrew</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fidelity</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Berry, Wendell</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">San Miguel</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Boyle, T.C.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Talk, Talk</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Boyle, T.C.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Stranger</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Camus, Albert</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Resistance, Rebellion, and Death</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Camus, Albert</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hope and Prospects</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chomsky, Noam</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Whistling Season</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Doig, Ivan</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Work Song</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Doig, Ivan</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Canada</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ford, Richard</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Vagrant Viking</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Freuchen, Peter</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Autumn of the Patriarch</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Garcia Marquez, Gabriel</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This Changes Everything</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Klein, Naomi</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Carjacked</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lutz, Catherine</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dance Dance Dance</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Murakami, Haruki</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Norwegian Wood</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Murakami, Haruki</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and his Years of
Pilgrimage</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Murakami, Haruki</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Just Ride</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Peterson, Grant</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Toward a Less Fucked-Up World</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Riotfag, Nick</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do I Come Here Often? Black Coffee Blues,
Part 2</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rollins, Henry</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Essays</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Shawn, Wallace</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Walkable City</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Speck, Jeff</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kill Everything That Moves</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Turse, Nick</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Complex</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Turse, Nick</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Spokesongs</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Weir, Willie</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kitchen</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yoshimoto, Banana</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Blue Highways</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Least Heat Moon, William</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Declarations of Independence</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Zinn, Howard</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eat Bacon, Don't Jog</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Peterson, Grant</span></td><u>
</u></tr>
<u>
</u>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"><u>
</u><td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lizard</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yoshimoto, Banana</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Valencia</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tea, Michelle</span></td><u>
</u></tr>
<u>
</u></tbody></colgroup></table>
<u></u><br />
<u>Books I read significant portions of in 2014:</u><br />
<u></u><br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 571px;">
<colgroup><col style="mso-width-alt: 12653; mso-width-source: userset; width: 260pt;" width="346"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 8228; mso-width-source: userset; width: 169pt;" width="225"></col>
<tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt; width: 260pt;" width="346"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Collected Poems</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 169pt;" width="225"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Berry, Wendell</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Wild Birds</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Berry, Wendell</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How to Read a Nautical Chart</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Calder, Nigel</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Barred for Life</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ebersole, Stewart Dean</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Complete Book of Sea Kayaking</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hutchinson, Derek C.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sober Living for the Revolution</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kuhn, Gabriel (ed.)</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Smile, You're Traveling: Black Coffee
Blues, Part 3</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rollins, Henry</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Way It Is</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Stafford, Kim</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Collected Stories</span></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Stegner, Wallace</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody></colgroup></table>
Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-36740981091685029762013-12-10T13:05:00.004-08:002013-12-10T13:05:54.871-08:00Coffeenneuring #7: November 17thIn true Captain Hairdo-fashion, I did my last coffeenneuring trip at the last minute! Well, not quite, but pretty close. Steph and I went out Sunday evening for coffee and dessert. We went to Random Order, a little coffee and pie shop in northeast Portland. We couldn't decide if we should share a savory pie, or a sweet pie, so we decided on both! A really wonderful, garlic-y chicken pot pie; a pecan pie, and- of course- coffee! This was a fun coffeenneuring trip, and most certainly the most romantic one I'd done!<div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bX42KmcWhg8/UqeB9bnPlwI/AAAAAAAAA-k/u5rnGB7Uy2c/s1600/2013-11-17_19.00.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bX42KmcWhg8/UqeB9bnPlwI/AAAAAAAAA-k/u5rnGB7Uy2c/s640/2013-11-17_19.00.06.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8BUKDlCA-J4/UqeB813o99I/AAAAAAAAA-g/Nv6A5U02zGw/s1600/2013-11-17_19.00.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8BUKDlCA-J4/UqeB813o99I/AAAAAAAAA-g/Nv6A5U02zGw/s640/2013-11-17_19.00.59.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Total miles: 5</div>
Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-71232395640631328282013-12-10T12:55:00.003-08:002013-12-10T12:55:46.152-08:00Coffeenneuring #6: November 16thDespite all my plans to get out for an epic coffeenneuring trip for #6, it turned out to be the least interesting of all my trips. The day got away from me, so I just tagged along with Steph on a grocery run in the evening, and grabbed some decaf while she shopped. Didn't even have my travel cup (bad environmentalist!)...<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jRUKoslCx08/Uqd_vNmmjkI/AAAAAAAAA-U/W-ZQ8JFV26o/s1600/2013-11-16_17.34.58+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jRUKoslCx08/Uqd_vNmmjkI/AAAAAAAAA-U/W-ZQ8JFV26o/s320/2013-11-16_17.34.58+-+Copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Total miles: 4</div>
<br />Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-69962879083295431232013-12-10T12:52:00.004-08:002013-12-10T12:52:54.271-08:00Coffeenneuring #5: November 9thCoffeenneuring jaunt #5 was a chance to spend some time with my girlfriend, Steph. We decided to make a big loop around Forest Park, via downtown and northwest Portland. While in NW, we stopped at a nice little coffee house called Dragonfly, not for from the Thurman Street entrance to the park.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nng0t1YZTVI/Uqd-cryg1QI/AAAAAAAAA94/voCUhflYLY8/s1600/2013-11-09_14.28.44+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nng0t1YZTVI/Uqd-cryg1QI/AAAAAAAAA94/voCUhflYLY8/s320/2013-11-09_14.28.44+-+Copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then we rode through the park. It was a bit cold, but pretty. And fun crunching through the leaves! Also, we really enjoyed spending time together. As did our bikes, apparently-<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nQVYirq4onQ/Uqd-2_ht57I/AAAAAAAAA-E/_ls30yo1UTc/s1600/FP+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nQVYirq4onQ/Uqd-2_ht57I/AAAAAAAAA-E/_ls30yo1UTc/s320/FP+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f91bmWlf-Mo/Uqd-2zzuZkI/AAAAAAAAA-A/lQzdszo5VZk/s1600/FP+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f91bmWlf-Mo/Uqd-2zzuZkI/AAAAAAAAA-A/lQzdszo5VZk/s320/FP+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Total miles: 26</div>
Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-62303174542783862042013-12-10T12:43:00.002-08:002013-12-10T12:43:58.075-08:00Coffeenneuring #4: Sunday, October 20thFor #4, I met Bill, Jeff, Graham, and Asta at Ristretto.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rTAnNc-2Ykc/Uqd8_CsjgXI/AAAAAAAAA9s/UzhR4_n1aSA/s1600/ristretto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rTAnNc-2Ykc/Uqd8_CsjgXI/AAAAAAAAA9s/UzhR4_n1aSA/s320/ristretto.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Total miles: 12Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-8664679392895115322013-12-10T12:40:00.000-08:002013-12-10T13:09:12.818-08:00Coffeenneuring #3: Monday, October 14th; Columbus DayFor Columbus Day, I went coffeenneuring in NW Portland. Went to a lovely little coffee shop that I'd heard of called Sterling. While there, I ran into fellow randonneur Alan, with whom I had a pleasant conversation. Really enjoyed the coffee in this small, elegant shop. It seemed very European, and the coffee was excellent.
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-noPCLTCONnA/Uqd7K9UTUlI/AAAAAAAAA9U/9h3re7f2RYw/s1600/sterling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-noPCLTCONnA/Uqd7K9UTUlI/AAAAAAAAA9U/9h3re7f2RYw/s400/sterling.jpg" /></a></div>
After enjoying my coffee, I left and headed northwest with the intention of riding through Forest Park- taking the long way home. It was a really gorgeous fall day.
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5_BA3CqxVAQ/Uqd7bWXTLiI/AAAAAAAAA9c/gF86_S1Gv6A/s1600/2013-10-20_14.45.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5_BA3CqxVAQ/Uqd7bWXTLiI/AAAAAAAAA9c/gF86_S1Gv6A/s320/2013-10-20_14.45.07.jpg" /></a></div>
Just a few seconds after I snapped that shot, as I was approaching the Thurman Street entrance to the park, I ran into Joshua, who was heading the other way, having just ridden the same trail I was about to. We couldn't resist taking a moment to get a shot of his two creations together in the wild.
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Then we hopped back on our steeds and headed our separate ways.
Total miles: 26Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-58498088862590383912013-12-10T12:32:00.000-08:002013-12-10T13:07:59.434-08:002013 Coffeenneuring #2: Sunday, October 6thFor my second day of coffeenneuring, I inadvertently double-booked myself. I had planned to meet Joshua, my friend and builder of my beautiful rando bike, at Barista in downtown Portland. I had also committed to meet my buddy Bill (tangobiker) at Blend, in north Portland. At first I wasn't sure how I'd make that work but it turned out that Joshua was only free til around 10, while Bill and I were meeting around 10:30. Whew- crisis averted!<br />
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It was a beautiful morning, so Joshua and I were able to relax outside and enjoy the sun. We also enjoyed watching several passers-by stop and admire "our bike." Can you blame them?<br />
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After an hour or so, Joshua had to get to his shop, and I took off to meet Bill. Turned out we had quite the crew that morning, as randonneurs from all over the Portland-metro area converged on the north Portland coffee shop. Bill, Lynne, Susan, Jeff, Ken, Theo, Asta, and my girlfriend Steph (not a randonneur- yet...) all came down to join in on the fun.<br />
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It was such a beautiful, warm, sunny day, and the conversation was so pleasant that we ended up staying for several hours. Eventually we got hungry and reconvened down the street at The Old Gold, where we enjoyed mac & cheese, french fries, elk burgers, microbrews, and other favorite rando treats! By the time I got home I'd been gone for nearly 9 hours. What a great way to spend a Sunday.
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Total miles: 16<br />
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<br />Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-50798012149652412042013-12-10T12:19:00.000-08:002013-12-10T12:41:10.586-08:002013 Coffeenneuring #1: Friday, October 4thCoffeenneur trip #1 was sort of spontaneous. It was during sequestration, on the first day of Coffeenneuring Challenge. I was sitting at Velo Cult having coffee when I saw that Mary had amended the rules allow coffeenneuring on sequester days. So, I took it- #1, in the bag!
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Total miles: 14Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-43397465251970306182011-11-07T11:23:00.001-08:002011-11-07T11:23:53.665-08:00The Captain's Lost a Little Weight in the Last Year<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LGhgFttGFBc/TrgwQ5MWhNI/AAAAAAAAA1I/nI5QJ8i6hLg/s1600/cycling%2Bhas%2Bbeen%2Bgood%2Bto%2Bme.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LGhgFttGFBc/TrgwQ5MWhNI/AAAAAAAAA1I/nI5QJ8i6hLg/s400/cycling%2Bhas%2Bbeen%2Bgood%2Bto%2Bme.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672336797461808338" /></a>Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-55685226505167841622011-03-02T10:19:00.000-08:002011-03-02T10:28:53.244-08:00Bible TattoosFor some reason, it seems that lately I've been seeing a lot of people with scripture reference tattoos. Sometimes the text of a verse or passage, but usually just the book, chapter and verse (e.g., John 3:16). Personally, I am and have long been an non-theist (I prefer to use non-theist to atheist because people have to think about what non-theist means; the word atheist, on the other hand, is value-laden in most people's mind), but I grew up in church and know me some bible. So here's what I want to see- I want to see somebody get a tattoo that says "Leviticus 19:28." Why Leviticus 19:28 you ask? Because Leviticus 19:28 says-<br /><br />"You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead <strong>nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves</strong>: I am the Lord." <em>(emphasis mine)</em><br /><em></em><br />Can you say irony, boys and girls? Come on, somebody do it- I dare you!<br /><em></em><br /><em></em>Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-71986845100646802322010-12-17T10:59:00.000-08:002010-12-17T11:30:48.952-08:00Old Picture of The CaptainAn old friend sent The Captain a facebook message recently with the message, "What's this?" He opened it, and it took him a few moments to figure out what it was. He saw himself in the picture, but didn't recognize himself. Eventually it clicked though: that was, in fact, The Captain- just a vintage version of himself. He had to take his mental picture of himself, subtract a few pounds, a few wrinkles, and a lot of gray hair to reconcile that image with the image of the cocky, young Captain smirking back at him.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G3YyBOeonIo/TQu1aqW-g9I/AAAAAAAAAxU/syCIWUPHzZA/s1600/demolay.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551730435316155346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 264px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G3YyBOeonIo/TQu1aqW-g9I/AAAAAAAAAxU/syCIWUPHzZA/s400/demolay.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />At the time, The Captain was a member of a group called DeMolay- which, for those of you who don't know, is like a junior version of the Masons. The girls were in their version of DeMolay, which was called Rainbow. So where did The Captain fit into this? The Captain was about to become the "Rainbow Beau." I know, that's silly. It even seemed silly then. But whatever, it was a chance to hang out with girls.<br /><br />You might think from looking at this picture that The Captain was a little bit cocky, a little bit stuck on himself back in those days. But you would be wrong. The Captain was a lot cocky, a lot stuck on himself back in those days. He can't even tell you how much so. But he doesn't need to- you can tell just by looking at that smirk.<br /><br />Those were good times for The Captain though, happy times.<br /><br />Oddly enough, the old friend that sent this picture to The Captain was actually an old girlfriend. It was never official- he never asked her, "Will you go with me?" But they spent a lot of time together and had a lot of fun. It seems safe to say girlfriend, he thinks. The Captain has many, many fond memories of her. He'll never forget those long, lush, blonde curls, sitting next to her in German class, or that one night at The Cliff.<br /><br />Also, he doesn't know if he ever told her so, but he thought (and still thinks) that she was quite possibly the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He can't even tell you how beautiful he thought she was- there just aren't words...<br /><br />So, old (girl)friend, if you're reading this, know that The Captain thanks you for the picture. And know that he often thinks fondly of you and of the times you and he had together. Thank you for those times.<br /><p></p>Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-46710269056610346132010-12-10T11:46:00.000-08:002010-12-10T12:34:06.931-08:00And speaking of tattoos, I think I am going to ink over my USMC tattooWhat is it going to take to let gay and lesbian people serve openly in the military? We all know they're in there already, so why do we continue to insist they stay in the closet? I really don't understand why it's even an issue anymore. Are we really that puritanical and homophobic? It really pisses me off.<br /><br />The military's command staff says, "Repealing the 'Don't Ask-Don't Tell' law will have a deletirious effect on our troops' combat readiness."<br /><br />The Captain says, "FUCK YOU, HOMOPHOBIC LIARS. THAT IS BULLSHIT."<br /><br />Oh, Im sorry, was I not emphatic enough? Shall I say it again? No, I think I was clear. Well, just in case:<br />FUCK YOU, HOMOPHOBIC LIARS. THAT IS BULLSHIT.<br /><br />That is the same bullshit logic they used when they didn't want to integrate African-American troops. It's the same bullshit logic they used when they didn't want to integrate women. And guess what? In both cases it was BULLSHIT. African-Americans and women were integrated and the military is better for it. And if they would give up this homophobic facade the military would be better for it as well.<br /><br />Not all sailors, soldiers, and airmen are homophobic, I know that. Certainly some are gay or lesbian, and certainly many are straight but have no problem with gays and lesbians serving alongside them. But to those who are, I ask you, what the fuck are you so afraid of? Perhaphs it's time for another little FAQ.<br /><br />Q. Are you afraid they will hit on you?<br />A. Don't flatter yourself. If you're that homophobic, they probably are not interested in you. And if they do, deal with it the same way you would deal with a straight person that you weren't interested in hitting on you. No big deal.<br /><br />Q. Are you afraid they will have a deleterious effect on your combat readiness?<br />A. Don't be. I'm sure there are plenty of very tough gay military people and plenty of not-so-tough straight military people. I really don't see how one's sexual orientation affects their fitness/toughness. Need proof? Come to Portland, I know drag queens who could kick your GI-Joe-wannabe ass.<br /><br />Q. Are you saying homosexuality is immoral? (Bonus points if that's based on a religious belief!)<br />A. Didn't you swear to uphold and defend the constitution? The one that guarantees freedom of religion? Separation of church and state? I think you did. Believe what you want, but you have no right to force it on your fellow servicepeople.<br /><br />Q. Are you secretly afraid that maybe you'll find out something about yourself that you just don't want to know? Are you afraid that maybe you'll be a little bit curious?<br />A. That's something you need to work out on your own.<br /><br />And now, back to the tattoo....<br /><br />I have the letters USMC tattooed in great big letters on my right forearm. It pains me to say it, but it's lately been more a source of embarassment than pride. And yesterday, when I read that 60% of marines polled said that they were morally opposed to allowing gays and lesbians to openly serve in the military, I felt ashamed to have been a marine. I want to cover that ink up so that people don't think that I too am a BACKWARDS, IGNORANT, HOMOPHOBIC ASSHOLE.<br /><br />Sorry, but that's how I feel.<br /><br />To the marines who aren't homophobic: I'm sorry if I offended you.<br /><br />To the marines who are gay and lesbian: I support you. I'm sorry you have to deal with this bullshit.<br /><br />To the marines who are homophobic: I'm NOT sorry if offended you. I hope I did. You need to handle your shit, let this go, and get over yourselves.<br /><br />Captain's orders.<br /><p></p>Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-54777109773689300712010-12-08T16:48:00.000-08:002010-12-09T11:05:42.470-08:00Thoughts on TattoosTattoos have been coming up a lot in my conversations lately. I guess it could be in part because I live in the most tattooed city in America (that's probably not literally true, but sometimes it seems that way). Maybe it's because people are curious. I assume so since I get tons of questions about mine- Did it hurt? How long did it take? How much did it cost? Are you going to get more? Why did you choose <em>that </em>for a tattoo. I honestly don't mind the questions, though I know some of my inked friends find it overly-personal. My feeling is that if you're going to wear art on your body, you should expect to be asked about it. When I wear a concert t-shirt, people ask me about the show; when I wear my Surly t-shirt, people ask me if I have a Surly (yes, I have two, thanks). I don't see why it should be different with ink. But that's just me.<br /><br />I also get asked about the locations. I have four tattoos, three of which are on my forearms. I can't believe how often people ask me, "Why didn't you get them higher up where they'd be easier to hide?" I find that funny, but I usually try to humor them and answer. The reason is that I don't want to hide them. I want them where people can see them. They're art, not some dirty little secret. I really like my tattoos and each of them says something about me, so why would I want to hide them?<br /><br />As I'm sure you're aware by now, I really like my tattoos. I enjoy having them and have no regrets about them. Still, I never encourage or discourage anyone from getting tattoos. I tell you this because often people who don't have tats will ask me if I think they should get one. And the answer is, "I don't know." I only know my experience, which is that I love my tats. But that's me. Here are some things I do tell people though: <p></p><ul><li>Don't get something trendy</li><li>You will have it for THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, so make sure it's something that will still be meaningful to you in 50 years. Or at least not embarassing</li><li>They cost a lot, so make sure you can afford it (i.e., don't shirk other responsibilities to pay for it)</li><li>On that note, tattoos are not something to go cheap on</li><li>Don't get it impulsively</li><li>Go to a reputable shop</li><li>Get an appointment if you have to. And be patient. It won't kill you to wait a week or two for something you're going to have for the rest of your life</li></ul><p>Those are just my thoughts and things I like to tell people. I know some people who have gotten inked spontaneously and love the tat still; others who don't. I know some people who won't do it if they have to make an appointment. Again, these are just my thoughts. But it's my blog, so...</p><p>As for the questions I get, here's an FAQ.</p><p>Q. Does it hurt?<br />A. Depends on where you get it and your tolerance for pain. In my case, not too bad, but mine are on fleshy parts of my body and I have a high tolerance for pain -or so my dominatrix tells me (joke, people...).</p><p>Q. How much does it cost?<br />A. Depends on the shop and the artist. Seems like in Portland $80-120 per hour is pretty standard. Some might be more. Celebrity artists cost more- you ain't gettin' inked by Kat von D for $120. Don't go cheap. You're dealing with an artist, not getting your car washed. And TIP! Which leads to...</p><p>Q. Should I tip the artist?<br />A. Yes. How much, I don't know what the standard is. I tend to tip about the same as in a restaurant- %20 or in that neighborhood. (Note: if anyone is more knowledgable on this, please do tell.)</p><p>Q. Why did you get them somewhere where everyone can see them and they are hard to hide?<br />A. Because I want everyone to see them and I don't want to hide them.</p><p>Q. Do you ever regret getting them?<br />A. No, absolutely not.</p><p>Q. Why did you get a Black Flag tattoo?<br />A. Because Black Flag is the greatest fucking band ever. EVER.</p><p>Q. Are you going to get more?<br />A. Yes.</p><p>I have more thoughts on this, and I will add to the FAQ soon, but right now it's time to go meet my friends for drinks. So we'll talk more later.</p><p></p>Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-29302131523632724242010-11-18T12:31:00.000-08:002011-09-07T15:57:07.755-07:00New Bike, part 2In my last post, I stated that my new LHT doesn't really look much different than the stock photo on Surly's website, and here's proof:<br /><br /><p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G3YyBOeonIo/TOWNlG3XNKI/AAAAAAAAAwo/wEio5WR1J-g/s1600/IMG_1009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540990585186759842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G3YyBOeonIo/TOWNlG3XNKI/AAAAAAAAAwo/wEio5WR1J-g/s400/IMG_1009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Admittedly however, I think the setting is better in my shot- even if the lighting isn't. </p><br /><p>Sadly, that's where it's been since I got it- waiting patiently in the spare bedroom for some TLC... Hopefully this weekend I'll be able to slap some parts on- pedals, at least!- and take it out for the inaugural ride.</p><br /><p>And speaking of new things, today I shot my first "Danger Panda:"</p><br /><p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G3YyBOeonIo/TOWPRg1oUYI/AAAAAAAAAww/ib8McF41d48/s1600/IMG_1024.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540992447584686466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G3YyBOeonIo/TOWPRg1oUYI/AAAAAAAAAww/ib8McF41d48/s400/IMG_1024.jpg" border="0" /></a> My inspiration for that came from fellow randonneurer (randonneusse?) and flickr contact Gersemalina. She looks way better doing it than I do (click <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gersema/4769164435/">here</a> if you don't believe me), but she did give me the idea. </p><br /><p></p>Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-54448657022801894962010-11-17T12:18:00.001-08:002010-11-17T17:28:12.613-08:00New Bike!!!Yes, I got a new bike. Yes, another one. I picked it up and took it home last night, but I had left my camera at the office, so no pictures of my own yet. I will post some soon. At present though, it's stock, so it looks just like this (from Surly's website):<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G3YyBOeonIo/TOR--7JtmUI/AAAAAAAAAwg/CzZBuOzJ4KE/s1600/LHT.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540693061067970882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 254px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G3YyBOeonIo/TOR--7JtmUI/AAAAAAAAAwg/CzZBuOzJ4KE/s400/LHT.jpg" border="0" /></a> </p><p>Soon enough (this weekend most likely) I will begin the customization process. I like it so much as is though that I don't plan to change much. Still, there are some things I will add: a Brooks B17 saddle; Shimano dualie pedals; fenders; tubus racks (front and rear); cyclometer; lights; some kind of small handlebar bag with map case; a Carradice saddle bag. I will post some pictures of it when I can.</p><p>Also, I'll need to come up with a name for it. I think I will take a few rides, get to know it a little before I choose one. Maybe Rocinante? We shall see... I'm open to suggestions!<br /><br /></p>Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-37792608290407069672010-05-21T15:46:00.001-07:002010-05-21T15:55:42.290-07:00Yehuda Look-Alike-Contest<div style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10px; MARGIN-LEFT: 10px"><a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/goodsterman/4401289175/"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 2px solid" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4401289175_e712fc94ca_m.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px;font-size:0;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/goodsterman/4401289175/">Yehuda!</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/goodsterman/">goodsterman</a></span></div><p>A few days ago, I was contacted by Rick Smith, who writes the comic <em>Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery. </em>He had found this photo on my flickr page and wanted to know if he could use it in a banner advertising a Yehuda Moon look-a-like contest! I am a huge fan of Yehuda and of Rick's work, so of course I said yes! People- or at lease bike geeks- all over the world read the comic every day, so I guess I'll be sort of famous! You can check out the comic here: <a href="http://www.yehudamoon.com/">www.yehudamoon.com</a>.</p>Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-31109623216441216522010-05-05T13:28:00.000-07:002010-05-05T13:58:29.968-07:00Races this YearI ran my last marathon in 1997. Since then I've continued to run, but not particularly consistently. Just a few miles here, a few miles there, a little hashing. I've also done a lot of physical stuff- hiking, mountaineering, road cycling, moutain biking, skiing, snowshoeing, etc. But I haven't been consistent and my fitness has suffered. I feel relatively fit, certainly better than the average American, but nowhere near where I've been in the past. So I've started running again. Because I miss the way I used to feel when I was running 40-60 miles per week. I also miss the way I looked, but more importantly, I want to feel like that again. If I can look that good again too, that's great, but that's a secondary goal. I just want that old feeling back. I miss floating through a solo ten-miler in the country in 75 minutes. I miss the camraderie I felt after a brutal group workout. I miss the anticipation of racing. So I've been running more, but still not as consistently as I'd like, and I decided that having a goal would help me out with that. So yesterday I registered for the Seattle Marathon. I'm going to go into like I'm a total newbie, since I haven't run a marathon in thirteen years. I'm going to try to train smart and not get injured, and I'm not going to worry about time. I'm just going to do it to finish and to have a good time. In the meantime, I've signed up for some shorter races- the S.O.B. (Siskiyou Out and Back) 15k in July, and the Haulin' Aspen Half Marathon in August. I may jump into a few more here and there too. I'd like to try to do one race each month from now til November. Currently I'm running about 20 miles per week, and I'm forcing myself to only run every other day for the time being. It's hard because I feel really good and I'm really enjoying getting more consistent- so I want to be out there every day- but I'm trying not to do too much too soon. When I did my first marathon, I went- no kidding- from running, at most, 12-15 miles per week to 40+ with no injuries at all. But I was also 24 years old... I'm trying to be smarter now. Running every other day, cycling every day, and I've just recently started doing core-strenght exercises. I'd add speed work, but I don't need to- trying to keep up with G-Man at the PTR (Portland Trail Runners) Thursday night runs is speedwork enough! I'll be blogging about my running experiences over the months to come for those who are interested. Encouragement and tips are welcome. But don't worry, this won't become a workout-log-blog,the captain will continue to provide you with all the poignancy, drama, excitement, and adventure you've come to expect from him!Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-15213678278001658172010-04-29T17:30:00.001-07:002010-04-29T17:30:54.166-07:00To the Girl I Offended on Williams Avenue YesterdayOn the off-chance that you will read this…<br /><br />Yesterday I was riding home from work, heading North on Williams. I saw some cyclists standing beside the road, not quite on the sidewalk but not quite in the bike-lane either. I slowed down to ask if they needed help, and you passed me. Politely and with an “On your left.” Once I knew the cyclists were okay, I proceeded on and before long, caught up with and passed you, also with an “On your left.” <br /><br />And I guess that’s when I offended you.<br /><br />Just after I turned onto Alberta, you pulled up beside me and angrily said, “What is it an ego thing? Gotta pass the girl? Cause I’ve been right behind you the whole time since you passed me.”<br /><br />And I replied, truthfully, “No, I was just going my pace and you were there, so I passed you.”<br /><br />And you looked at me like I was pathetic and disgusting and said, with painful sarcasm, “Whatever, dude.” Then turned off at your block. End of conversation.<br /><br />I am sorry I offended you. It was not an ego thing. I didn’t need to pass you because you are a girl. I was just riding my own pace and happened to pass you- just as many people do to me every day. In all honestly, not only was I not thinking about you being a girl, I really wasn’t thinking about you at all- other than to make sure I said “On your left” and gave you enough room. I was thinking pretty intently about getting home to take my dog for a quick walk before heading off to have pizza and root beer with my son, as I do every Wednesday night. <br /><br />Again, I am sorry I offended you. I promise it was not intentional. I’m sorry if some of my gender have treated you unfairly in the past. But please know that that wasn’t the case with me last night. And perhaps in the future, you could give a fellow cyclist the benefit of the doubt rather than jumping to the worst possible conclusion.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />RyanCaptain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-73684461070337529902010-04-07T12:53:00.000-07:002010-04-12T13:44:26.961-07:00R.I.P. Cyrus. 1997- March 29, 2010<div align="center"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_G3YyBOeonIo/S7zq_kEsF0I/AAAAAAAAAr4/GL2yLrwulnw/s1600/Cyrus.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457495226202199874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 350px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_G3YyBOeonIo/S7zq_kEsF0I/AAAAAAAAAr4/GL2yLrwulnw/s400/Cyrus.jpg" border="0" /></a>Cyrus, when I adopted him from the Oregon Humane Society.</div><br />It was time. For the last four months or so, Cyrus was very incontinent. The vet said it was normal for a dog his age. So it sucked, but I lived with it. Then he started having more and more trouble with his hips, to the point that he didn't want to walk or play much. Just wanted to eat, go to the bathroom, then crawl back on his bed and sleep. Then he got to the point that he was pooping and vomiting in the house almost daily. Then, daily. On his bed, on my bed, on the couch. Wherever. He usually didn't even know he was doing it. He couldn't hold down a meal for the last 10 days of his life. He got so weak that he could barely get off his bed. And he lost all control of his bowels; he'd poop on his bed while he was asleep and never even know he'd done it. So I took him to the vet and he said that there were drugs to palliate the pain and discomfort, but that, at this point, it was all downhill. So I decided to put Cyrus down. I took him to the park for one last little play time and, of course, he suddenly started acting like a puppy again. Clearly a little more frail, but moving around, seeming curious about things, having fun. And that made it harder, and more miserable. But still I knew it was time. It was miserable for me, but he was so calm and happy the whole time, and that just made it worse. I'm sure he had no idea what was going on, and I couldn't help feeling like I was betraying him. He was even licking the vet's hand as the vet administered the drugs. For a moment I thought that was about the saddest thing I'd ever seen, but it wasn't nearly as sad as holding his head on my lap and petting him and crying after it was over. I'm trying to forget all that and just remember all the fun times we had, but it's hard. In time, I guess. Meanwhile, rest in peace, old buddy, and thanks for the good times. You are missed, very much.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G3YyBOeonIo/S7zq0kgJ5mI/AAAAAAAAArw/xp-rI9OfpPU/s1600/20100218+canon+dwnld+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457495037338838626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G3YyBOeonIo/S7zq0kgJ5mI/AAAAAAAAArw/xp-rI9OfpPU/s400/20100218+canon+dwnld+002.jpg" border="0" /></a> <p align="center">Last picture of Cyrus, just a few days before the end.</p>Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-38389882400028254902010-02-25T17:15:00.000-08:002010-02-25T17:17:02.536-08:00Maybe I'm flattering myself, but...<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G3YyBOeonIo/S4cg__LKPwI/AAAAAAAAAq0/DfWG3eJvoug/s1600-h/MIM+Old+Young.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 242px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G3YyBOeonIo/S4cg__LKPwI/AAAAAAAAAq0/DfWG3eJvoug/s400/MIM+Old+Young.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442354958362623746" /></a>Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-80936814312254681092010-01-21T11:46:00.001-08:002010-01-21T11:46:46.728-08:00<table><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.knuckletattoos.com/?utm_source=tattoogun&utm_medium=viral"><img src="http://www.knuckletattoos.com/gunCache/t_PORTLAND.jpg" title="KnuckleTattoos.com" alt="PORTLAND" width="400" height="200" /></a><br clear="all" /><small>Get your own knuckles at <a href="http://www.knuckletattoos.com/gun?utm_source=tattoogun&utm_medium=viral">the knuckle tattoo gun</a>.</small></td></tr></table>Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-84296883642821017122009-12-29T12:14:00.000-08:002009-12-29T12:32:24.585-08:00Paging Friday Harbor...So the Captain has discovered, using his handy-dandy sitemeter map, that he has readers in Friday Harbor. This makes the Captain very happy, as Friday Harbor is one of his favorite places in the entire world. If you read this blog, by now you likely know that. But what you may not know is that the Captain will be in Friday Harbor this weekend! Yup, he's coming up for New Years, and he already can't wait to get there. He'll be getting there Thursday afternoon and leaving sometime Sunday. So, dear Friday Harbor readers, if you get this message, drop the Captain a comment. He'd love to buy you a beer or a cup of coffee.Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-57941126172890140392009-12-28T17:13:00.000-08:002009-12-29T11:31:50.037-08:00The Day of the Black DogThe five of us started running at about 5am. We had twenty-four miles scheduled, our last long run before the Portland Marathon in 1996. It was dark and we were all half asleep. One of the guys, staring at the ground and apparently out of it, ran into one of those giant mailboxes- the kind you see around apartments or office buildings, the big metal ones- and knocked himself down. We heard a loud thud, followed by a grunt, and looked back to see him lying on the sidewalk groaning. He got up though and, after a good laugh and some good-natured ribbing, we ran on. From that day on, we called him “Thud.”<br /><br />We had been using the same country road for an out and back training run course that whole summer. Every week, at about mile seven, this little black dog would come out of nowhere and run with us. He'd jump in there at mile seven, run with us to the turnaround, and then drop back off right where he'd started. There were no houses around, and he didn't have a collar or tags, so we never could figure out where he lived. But we got to liking him, and looked forward to having him along. Sometimes we'd even bring little dog treats to give him when we'd stop for a break. We didn't know his name so he just became "The Black Dog," or Black, Blackie. We would joke about him joining our running club, ask him if he'd paid his dues, call him our sixth training partner, talk about recruiting him for our Hood to Coast team. Even thought about getting him one of our club singlets. He was just one of the guys.<br /><br />That day we had reached the turnaround and were almost back to the seven mile mark when this van came out of nowhere, speeding like mad, and nailed The Black Dog. Just nailed him. And kept right on going. I don't think The Black Dog ever knew what hit him. It was mercifully quick. It was dark and cold and wet and pouring down rain and we stood around him, all of us quietly staring at our little friend. There was nothing we could do. There was nothing to say. We just stood there. I don't know about the other guys, but I was glad it was raining so they couldn't see my tears. I don't know whether I was crying more out of sadness for the dog or rage at the driver. He didn't even slow down, just kept on going like nothing happened. None of us knew where The Black Dog lived, so we couldn't tell anyone. He didn't have tags, so we couldn't call anyone. Eventually, we just started running back. We hated to leave, but we didn't know what else to do. So we just ran.<br /><br />I drove back later, thinking I'd bury him. I hadn't thought about where I would bury him or the fact that I didn't have a shovel. But it didn't matter, he was gone when I got there.<br /><br />None of us will ever forget that day. We still talk about The Black Dog, make jokes about how maybe someday he'll be running with us in Heaven and stuff like that. How he’s on a long run in the Big Dog Park in the Sky. Whenever we talk about that day, we call it "The Day of the Black Dog." Sad as it was, we mostly remember how fun it was to have him with us. <br /><br />Sometimes, when I’m running on a country road, I still imagine him running along beside me.Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-3828276156862928382009-12-23T11:29:00.000-08:002009-12-23T11:37:01.436-08:00Identity and the BicycleAnyone who knows me knows that bicycles are a big part of my life. I have a number of them, some that come and go and a few that are priceless and stay around for a long time. I could easily live in a small studio so long as it had a garage for all my bikes (well, okay, and A LOT of bookshelves…). I ride everywhere, year-round, regardless of weather, and only reluctantly own a car. Bicycling is my “mode” for getting around, but more than that, it’s my lifestyle. Much of my art, many of my books, a lot of my clothes, my social life, and volunteer activities are related to cycling. But I guess until recently, I didn’t realize how much it had become my identity.<br /><br />I was in this bar in NE Portland, called Zaytoons, chatting with some other barflies-er, uh, I mean patrons- and someone asked me, “Are you really riding a bike in this weather? Are you crazy? Don’t you have a car?”<br /><br />“Sure, I have a car,” I replied, “but I’d rather ride. The weather isn’t that big a deal if you have the right gear.”<br /><br />Then (and this was the moment of enlightenment I mentioned earlier), the bartender, Brandy, said, “Dude, don’t you know who that is?” Then, pretending to be me, she said, “Dude, I’m Ryan. I ride bikes. It’s what I do!”<br /><br />Needless to say, that made me very happy. In fact, I think that will be my new mantra. Whenever I am frustrated with riding or feeling unmotivated, I will say to myself,<br /><em><br /><strong>“Dude, I’m Ryan. I ride bikes. It’s what I do!”</strong></em><br /><br />Only I think in my mind I will hear it in Brandy’s voice, because it sounds a hell of a lot sexier when she says it.Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719404074108675215.post-17935097485195647292009-12-11T16:59:00.000-08:002009-12-15T12:33:51.585-08:00Competitive Bicycle CommutingHave you ever been driving down the freeway, with your cruise control on, and somebody passes you, only to slow down, and then when you catch up to them, they speed off again? Meanwhile you're on cruise control , so you know you're going a constant speed. Well, I've been having a similar experience during my bike commute. I ride at a pretty consistent pace. I'm not flying, but I'm not dawdling either, just cruising along comfortably. And every day, I see these people who, apparently, think the commute is a race. You know what I mean, you're sitting at a light, and someone pulls up next to you. When the light turns, they stand up and SPRINT! like they're trying to take Contador at the tape- pounding those pedals, throwing that bike left and right- only to have to stop and sit at the next light. Then they do it again, over and over, stop light after stop light, never really getting away from you. People do this to me every day. Meanwhile, I'm cruising along at a steady pace, my goal being to not have to unclip at the light- not to see how fast I can possibly get to it.<br /><br />Another common thing is people flying by me ("ON YOUR LEFT!!!) only to settle back down to my pace or slower within a hundred yards or so. Then, when I catch back up to them, they sprint off again. And meanwhile, of course, I'm just cruising along at my steady pace.<br /><br />I also often wonder, do people know how to use gears? I'm not sure. My commute home has a lot of uphills. Again, I'm not particularly fast, but I'm steady. So people will fly by me on the flats, then three blocks later I pass them on the uphill. I'm chuggin' along, the same speed (or a tiny bit slower) than when they were channeling Fausto on me three blocks back, but when I pass them they are grinding that drive train, looking like they're legs are in slow-motion and panting like my old black lab. And then, when they see me, they double the effort, though they usually still fall back- at least until the next flat.<br /><br />I'm not sure where all these racers are racing off to. Why are they in such a hurry? As far as I can tell, we're not in a race. There are no podium girls at the stop lights. There are no crowds cheering for us, the old fat guy in the red devil suit is nowhere to be seen, I don't see Bob Roll or Al Trautwig anywhere, though I confess, in my mind Phil Liggett- with that gorgeous voice- sometimes narrates my commute:<br /><br /><em>"There he is, The Captain himself, poised at the light. The rain is coming down, the </em><br /><em>exhaust fumes drift by, what can be going through the mind of The Captain right </em><br /><em>now? But he's-oh look! The light has turned green! He's pedaling! He's going through</em><br /><em>the intersection! He's taking the lane! He's definitely going to make it home in time</em><br /><em>for dinner tonight!"</em><br /><br />But I digress, (as I so often do). Now back to our commentary...<br /><br />Are they late for a meeting? Do they just not know how to ride relaxed? Are they worried the hipster-bar will run out of PBR? Me, I'm just not in that big of a hurry. I like to get to work on time, but my office is not going anywhere, I don't have to chase it down. And it's not like they won't let me in the building if I'm not there by 7:56 am. And as for getting there (wherever there might be) before they run out of beer, this is Portland for Christ's sake, they're never going to run out of beer- ever! And certainly not before I get there.<br /><br />So race on, competitive commuters. Just tell the bartender to save one for me.Captain Hairdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724197544507713824noreply@blogger.com3