woozyspace - Hobbies

Ain't no sunshine

robert@woozy.com (robert) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:03:55 -0800

Wow, I just stumbled across these two videos and they are both so damned good. This song got played to death on the radio when I was a kid and the familiarity made me miss out on what an amazing song it is. I think I'm starting to find that that is some sort of universal truth in my life. I overlook or miss the amazing beauty and value of the things and people most familiar and closest to me.

Freddie King: Ain't no Sunshine

Bill Withers: Ain't no Sunshine

I would love to be able to write this kind of music. The dude on the guitar in the Bill Withers video is so cool and plays some really nice guitar accompaniment, and Freddie King, well, he just rocks my world. You can tell these guys feel these words to their core. I swear if you look closely at the beginning of the second clip that Bill Withers is crying while he singing this. Please take a few minutes to check these out, they are just amazingly beautiful, simple and poingnant. The rest of your life will still be waiting for you when you finish

Winter

robert@woozy.com (robert) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:45:27 -0800

Woke up with this song in my head today. I'm certainly looking forward to the summer when the light of love will be burnin' bright!

(M. Jagger/K. Richards)

And it's sure been a cold, cold winter
And the wind ain't been blowin' from the south
It's sure been a cold, cold winter
And the light of love is all burned out

It sure been a hard, hard winter
My feet been draggin' 'cross the ground
And I hope it's gonna be a long, hot summer
And the light of love will be burnin' bright

And I wish I'd been out in California
When the lights on all the Christmas trees went out
But I been burnin' my bell, book and candle
And the restoration plays have all gone 'round

It sure been a cold, cold winter
My feet been draggin' 'cross the ground
And the fields has all been brown and fallow
And the springtime take a long way around

Yeah, and I wish I'd been out in Stony Canyon
When the lights on all the Christmas trees went out
But I been burnin' my bell, book and candle
And the restoration plays have all gone 'round

Sometimes I think about you, baby
Sometimes I cry about you
Lord well well well

Sometimes I wanna wrap my coat around you
Sometimes I wanna keep you warm
Sometimes I wanna wrap my coat around you
Sometimes I wanna burn a candle for you

Habitat For Humanity Halloween 100

(rweeks) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:28:40 -0700

I'll be riding in the Halloween 100 again this year to help raise money for Habitat for Humanity of Durham, NC. The first year I did this we raised over $500. The second year, over $800. This year I'd like to shoot for $1000.

I know the economy is really bad right now and many of us have had the additional expenses of paying more to fill up our cars and donating to political campaigns recently, but anything you can spare will be greatly appreciated and will help to carry out the important work that Habitat for Humanity does.

Thanks!

Another Cyclist is Killed by Another Drunk Driver

robert@woozy.com (robert) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:41:01 -0700

Bicyclist fatally injured by truck
NCSU junior, 21, faces DWI charges

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/crime_safety/v-print/story/1048055.html

RALEIGH - After shin splints sidelined her running hobby, Nancy Leidy turned to biking. It was something she and her husband, Ross, enjoyed together.

So when she called Ross on Wednesday morning with plans to bike a 10-mile path the two maneuvered together Sunday, he simply reminded her of a good parking place and then wished her well.

Nancy Leidy, 60, was half-way through the trip when police say an N.C. State student hit her with his pickup truck about 11 a.m. She died just before 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Brian Anthony Reid, of 302 S. Sixty Court in Graham, had turned 21 on Wednesday. The arresting officer said he smelled of alcohol, had glossy eyes and slurred speech at the scene. Records indicate Reid had a blood-alcohol content of 0.12. A level of 0.08 is considered impaired.

He was charged after the accident with one count each of felony serious injury by vehicle, driving while impaired and failure to reduce speed. Those could change because of Leidy's death, Raleigh police spokesman Jim Sughrue said late Wednesday night.

According to the police report, Leidy was riding on the right side of the road when she was hit. She was thrown 58 feet by the impact. According to the police report, she was wearing a helmet.

Leidy was taken to Wake-Med Raleigh Campus, where she died, officials said Wed-nesday night.

Reid was not injured. He was released from Wake County jail Wednesday after posting a $10,000 secured bond and signing a promise to appear in court next month to answer the DWI charge. He will appear in court today on other charges.

Leidy's interests

Ross Leidy said his wife took on many tasks when she stopped working in 1991.

She worked for free as an entomology professor at N.C. State University. She ran a local support group for wives of soldiers stationed overseas during Operation Desert Storm. She also hunted for antiques and racked up ribbons for her jellies at the State Fair. And she biked.

"She was the kind of woman that when she got into something, she really got into it," he said.

Wednesday night, as Leidy mourned his wife, he also empathized with the young man charged with hitting her.

"I feel bad for the guy," Leidy said. "I was young once, and I remember getting [drunk] before. I don't think it was at 11 a.m., though."

2007 Habitat for Humanity Halloween 100

robert@woozy.com (robert) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 09:02:48 -0700

Here is my fundraising total for this year:

Here is the GPS data from the Friday night ride:

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/player/4308372

And a few photos:

Habitat for Humanity - Full Moon Meander

The ride was great. Wish I could have ridden in the Saturday 50k also.

I owe a few folks some mugs and Habitat gets 6 hours of volunteering from me.

It was a great week. Can't wait until next year

Where the money goes

robert@woozy.com (robert) — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 07:59:23 -0700

Here's the second entry in the "Stuff I've bought" category. I ordered this a week or so ago but since it just came I'm going to include it. Here we have 12 pieces of rubber and two wiper arms for my MG Midget. The shortbread is a little treat that this vendor throws in. So 12 pieces of rubber which more than likely were made in China, and will probably not last very long since Chinese rubber is crap, plus two wiper arms which were made in Taiwan, plus shipping comes to $57.

Now it would be one thing if these parts were up to the same quality of the original parts and I could put them on the car and expect to get a good 20 - 30 years worth of service out of them. But these are not the same quality and will last no where near as long. Oh the joys of globalization and putting corporate profits above all else. I should start keeping tabs on how long the parts last. I just put in a new signal / high beam low beam switch on the steering column just a couple of months ago and the other night the high beam switch stopped working. At this rate I will probably be better off in the long run financially by buying a new Porsche Boxster than to pay to continually replace substandard parts on a 37 year old MG.

Things I'd like to do before I die or get too damn old to do them

robert@woozy.com (robert) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:03:34 -0700

I'm sitting here at work, waiting to go to a meeting and that thought just crossed my mind that there are some things I'd like to do with my life beyond get up, go to work, go home, have dinner, go to bed, get up, go to work, go home, spend the weekend doing chores..... I figured I'd put them here when they cross my mind so I won't forget them.

1. Ride a bicycle across the country or at least across the damned state. I've wanted to bike across country since I was in high school. I'll probably have to wait until the kids are older, yadda, yadda, yadda
2. Along the same lines, get back to riding 3000 miles / year on my bicycle. This year has sucked for bike riding
3. Buy and restore to show condition an old MGA
4. Go camping more
5. Become a better guitar player
6. Become more creative
7. Work less and have more money at the same time. (Sure, yeah, right)...

As my 5 year old son would say, whatever.............

Quote for a bad summer

robert@woozy.com (robert) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 07:32:34 -0700

This has been a particularly hard summer with me being sick almost constantly and when I haven't been sick it seems like one or both of the kids were. Anyway this seems an appropriate quote / lyric to describe how I've been feeling. Score one more for the Drive by Truckers:

What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard
So I'll meet you at the bottom if there really is one
They always told me when you hit it you'll know it
But I've been falling so long it's like gravity's gone and I'm just floating

Mike Cooley / Drive-By Truckers ©Wayward Johnson's Music (BMI)

Here's a video of the acoustic version of the song and more proof the Mike Cooley is the coolest:

Five Days

robert@woozy.com (robert) — Tue, 08 May 2007 11:58:40 -0700

I just spent five days straight working on the new MG. I'd wake up early in the morning and work until late at night. I spent the first day cleaning out my shed / workshop, organizing parts and tools. Here's a partial list of what got done on the car in no particular order:

Put in ebay radiator.
Remove leaking ebay radiator
Rebuild brake calipers
Install Crane electronic ignition
Go to local MG club tech session on carbs
Adjust carbs - they were set way too rich
Polish Carbs
Take soft top off of '69 and install on '70
Take spin on oil filter fitting off '69 and put on '70
New sparkplugs
Strip and paint shift lever
Polish chrome
Replace door outer window rubber seals
Remove overspray from parts
Replace defroster hoses that had been painted red
Strip black paint off of chrome grille surround and poilsh
Re-install grille surround and install new top piece
Clean out oil pressure flex line
Replace all hose clamps
Replace flex gas lines
New fuel filter
Adjust drum brakes
Re-glue console covering
Attempt to fix reverse light switch

There's more but I can't remember it at the moment. One thing is for sure. It sure beats sitting in front of a computer all day.

Which fucked-up genius composer are you?

robert@woozy.com (robert) — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 09:40:40 -0800

Nick Cave... dark and creepy. You're a bi-polar genius, with equal passion for the most degrading aspects of humanity, as well as the beauty & wonder of God and Heaven.

Take this quiz!

Over $500 Raised for Habitat for Humanity

robert@woozy.com (robert) — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 10:55:13 -0700

I'm amazed, I never thought I'd bring in more than $100. Active.com rocks for making it so easy and all of the people who donated rock more that!

Now I have to ride 31 miles on Saturday. My longest ride so far has been 20 miles.

Third-Annual Halloween 100 (100k/50k) & Family Fun Ride

robert@woozy.com (robert) — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 12:33:36 -0700

If you would like to donate to Habitat for Humanity in Durham please visit my fundraising page. We've raised over $400 in the last 24 hrs!

From Roxanne Hall, at Durham Habitat for Humanity

The spooktacular Halloween 100 on Sat., Oct., 28 benefits Habitat for Humanity of Durham. Enjoy scenic views of Durham and Orange Counties on one of two fully supported routes. Thanks to 2005 suggestions, the routes have changed. Check out the cue sheet, http://www.durhamhabitat.org/files/2006_Route.pdf.

Is a relaxed ride more of a treat for your family? Join Habitat for the Family Fun Ride on the American Tobacco Trail. No pre-registration, simple check-in at the American Tobacco Campus the morning of the ride. Suggested donation is $5 per rider.

Register Today
For additional information and to register to ride 100k/50k or volunteer, visit www.durhamhabitat.org. Questions? Contact Roxanne, rhall@durhamhabitat.org or 919-682-0516, Ext. 113.

Ride with Team Habitat
Help Habitat build homes, hope and community in Durham! Pledge to “give or get” at least $50 in addition to your $25 entry fee and receive a long-sleeve event T-shirt when you check-in.

Scream the Word
Please forward this e-mail to all your cycling friends! Last year we had almost 600 riders and hope for more in 2006. In addition to forwarding this email, please help us post the ride on event calendars and distribute the attached poster.

Ghoulishly Good Times
Embrace the Halloween theme and compete for best costume! Though it is not required, consider decorating your helmet or coming out to the Halloween 100 in costume. Last year’s winner was Wonder Woman!

After the ride, stick around the American Tobacco Campus (ATC) for lunch at one of their tasty restaurants. Showers will be available at the YMCA located on the Campus. For information about the ATC visit, http://www.americantobaccohistoricdistrict.com.

One evening before or after the ride, visit the Durham Jaycees 34th Annual Haunted House at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The majority of the proceeds will benefit Habitat of Durham. For dates and details check out, http://www.durhamhabitat.org/files/HauntedHousePoster.pdf.

Roxanne

Roxanne Hall
Special Events Manager
Habitat for Humanity of Durham
215 N. Church Street
Durham, NC 27701
919-682-0516, Ext. 113
www.durhamhabitat.org

First cold day

robert@woozy.com (robert) — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 11:04:34 -0700

It was 46 this morning when I rode into work. After 18 miles my feet were frozen. I guess winter is on its way......

Wonder if he was wearing a helmet?

robert@woozy.com (robert) — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 12:13:15 -0700

Durham has a ride-by-shooter?:

Crime Log: Pedestrian fatally shot by man on bicycle

Oct 10, 2006 : 9:15 pm ET

DURHAM -- A pedestrian on James Street reportedly was shot and killed Tuesday night by a man on a bicycle.

The shooting reportedly occurred shortly before 10 p.m. in the 1400 block of James Street, which would put the incident in the area of James around Lakewood Avenue and Bivins Street.

Witnesses said the person on the bicycle fired three shots.

Sketchy information about the shooting was posted on a neighborhood crime-fighting e-mail list and was corroborated by a photographer who went to the scene. A passerby said numerous police cars were on the scene and that officers had blocked the street.

Official details -- including the name of the dead person and information about a possible arrest -- were unavailable Tuesday night.

The mayor is seriously delusional if he thinks Durham's bad rep is undeserved.

Finally some improvement

robert@woozy.com (robert) — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 11:43:48 -0700

For the longest time in my morning rides I've been stuck with an average mph of 12.5 - 13.5 over 17.5 miles. It seemed no matter what I did I couldn't go any faster and a lot of times I'd get slower by the end of the week. I've made a few changes in the past two weeks that resulted in me finally breaking out of that rut and hitting a 15.1 mph average this morning.

The first change is that I've started riding every other day now since the baby arrived. Now I have forced recouperation days. I think that this has made a big difference. No matter how hard I tried to have easy and hard days in the past I always ended up riding hard with the hills and the time pressures of getting to work on time.

The second change was to cut my breakfast down to a piece of flax seed / wheat toast from the 9th Street Bakery with a little organic peanut butter and 1/2 a banana about an hour and 15 minutes before riding, then have a GU Energy Gel half way through my ride. I've also been drinking GU₂0 during my rides, especially since its gotten hotter than hell down here lately. I read this article on sugars and gels in Bicycling and decided to give the gels a try. As anyone can tell from my average speeds, I'm no racer, but I can definately feel a difference.

Since I've been unsucessfully trying to loose weight, it feels weird to ingest something that is so calorie dense, but if it can improve my riding and fitness I imagine that will eventually lead to muscle gain and weight loss. I know that one of the reasons that my average time was so slow before was that I'd totally run out of steam after an hour on the bike. The last 15 minutes I'd usually be dragging my ass but this week I've been able to keep going strong all the way through to the end. Maybe I'm on to something here finally.

15.1 mph average is still pretty pathetic, I know, but it beats those Fridays where I'd use all my energy to drag myself in here at an average of 11.6 mph. Small improvements are better than none