Axoplasm / Web-log / 2013

December

2013-12-16

Race Report: Grand Prix Erik Tonkin #10, Santa Cross

I planned so well for this race. I calculated that, depending on the field size, I would need only a 10th to 15th place finish...

2013-12-03

Race Report: Grand Prix Erik Tonkin #9, Winter Cross

Winter Cross was muddy, chaotic, slippy, flat out climbing fun. This was classic Pacific Northwest Cyclocross, right down to the beer sponsor. Just spectating the...

November

2013-11-18

Race Report: Cross Crusade #8, Barton Park

On Facebook, Thom remarked: Had the legs for 60th place, but earned 6th place. I, on the other hand, had the legs (and staging) for...

2013-11-16

My expedient Walden

Last weekend I had the brilliant notion to take my laptop to our HOA pool house, which is unused now for the winter. I have...

2013-11-12

Race report: OBRA CX Championships/Grand Prix Erik Tonkin #8: Pedalers @ the Poor Farm

I am so glad Jenny and Thom talked me into racing this. I was going to skip it: too much work, no callup, and a...

2013-11-04

Race Report: Cross Crusade #6, Washington County Fairgrounds

Photo: tyarnellphotography Even less to report than usual this week despite this being my third-best race ever by percentile finish. 11 of 163, and I’m...

2013-11-02

FFR: Astronomically-correct horoscopes

The newspaper says I’m a “Virgo,” which implies that the sun was in the constellation Virgo at the moment of my birth. It wasn’t. It...

October

2013-10-29

Race Report: Cross Crusade #4 and #5, Deschutes Brewery

Rereading my race report from two years ago demonstrates how far my racing has come. Despite being Not My Kind of Cyclocross (too dry! Too...

2013-10-22

Race Report: Cross Crusade #3, PIR Heron Lakes

One of my least favorite (and favorable) courses but a great race. Finished 12 of 201; now 11th in series. Weather promised warm (70°!) and...

2013-10-21

Effective heckles

“Dig deeper you APE” “If you catch that guy you’ll be in [nth] place” “You are gonna get LAPPED” “That guy only had ONE gear.”...

2013-10-15

Race Report: Cross Crusade #2, Rainier H.S.

I was hoping one of the pro photogs would have some photos of my Best! Race! Ever! but alas. You’ll have to settle for pics...

2013-10-10

Race Report: Grand Prix Erik Tonkin #6 (Heiser Farm)

When we studied narrative structure in my Junior high English class I learned there are basically two kinds of stories: Man vs. God and Man...

2013-10-07

The hardest hill

So on Fridays I work at home. When I chariot Orion (10mi) to school and then turn around and ride home again, my elevation profile...

September

2013-09-29

Race Report: Grand Prix Erik Tonkin #5 (Ninkrossi)

Photo: Matt Haughey Short version Remote venue, ideal conditions, my best race ever. 6th of 56 Long version Remote venue Prior to, eh, about a...

2013-09-22

Race Report: Grand Prix Erik Tonkin #4 (Zaandercross), 9/21/2013

A good day, tons of fun and not a bad race for me. You could read last year’s report to get a feel, the course...

2013-09-19

Race Report: Blind Date at the Dairy #1, 9/18/2013

I had moment early in Lap 1 where I thought: “that’s it. I’m done with racing.” 89 entrants in my category — eighty-nine! — for...

2013-09-17

♥ Why I Ride (repost)

BECAUSE IT IS FUN

August

2013-08-26

Eyes and feet

This morning Orion and I rode to his eye doctor appt. at OHSU. This was a big day for us. First, because Orion was really...

2013-08-05

How to take a nap

Drink a cup of coffee. Lie down flat in your clothes. Get up in 20 minutes. Do this early in the afternoon (about an hour...

July

2013-07-30

Race Report: Short Track MTB #7

I wasn’t DFL so I’m going to declare victory. This week’s excuses: Haven’t raced in four weeks. Disspiriting head injury in my last race. Recent...

2013-07-07

Sleep fantasies

My first year out of college I worked the weekend graveyard shift at a 24-hour copy shop near the University of Nebraska. I’m a lifelong...

June

2013-06-25

Massive Head Trauma (Race Report: Short Track MTB #4)

OK well not “massive” but I busted my helmet and have a powerful hangover today. And, warning: I am totally gonna blame my bike for...

2013-06-24

The College Sweetheart

(Cross-posted to Medium) I dated The College Sweetheart for three years: from our Freshman through Junior years. Early one Saturday morning in May, 1992, she...

2013-06-21

Content-first design ain’t herding cats

(Cross posted to Medium) Kill Lorem Ipsum for good I use the term “content-first design” a lot, but haven’t had to explain it in great...

2013-06-21

Oregon weather happens in cycles

Today is the first day of summer. This doesn’t mean the same thing in Oregon as it does in my native Nebraska. My first spring...

2013-06-18

My worst race ever! Race Report: Short Track MTB #3

Whoo hoo. My worst race ever barring serious crashes or repeat mechanicals. 47th of 51 This was my first race in Cat 2, which was...

2013-06-12

The twelve months of the Oregon year

January February March April Mayvember Junuary Julcember Summer Fritestember Crosstober Mudvember Wafflemas Addendum This wee list sparked a heated (?) conversation on FB. It led...

May

2013-05-31

Inside baseball

I just got an advocacy call from the American Lung Association (“Can I speak with Mr. Soe Durz?”) The script was dreadful. It took the...

2013-05-08

Notches on the bedpost, 1999 – 2012

These are all the Internet thingies I was paid to touch. Code or pixels or wireframes or words. All the ones I can remember, anyway....

2013-05-02

A long bike ride with Orion

Orion (age 4.9) wanted to ride his new 16"-wheeler from Gabriel Park to our house (near Tryon Creek SP). It was not my idea. Jenny...

April

2013-04-28

This production photo from EMPIRE STRIKES BACK tells us why action movies in 2013 are so boring

This photo almost singlehandedly explains why Empire is the only Star Wars film that actually qualifies as “good cinema.”

2013-04-21

The hardest week ever

How about a little misery to end the Hardest Week Ever? Well I use the word “hardest” advisedly. It was certainly hard for America. And...

2013-04-15

A manifesto for the rest of my career

I work for me, for now I just got out of a long-term relationship. It was a good relationship but I’ve been single exactly one...

2013-04-08

The Last Week

My wireless mouse threw a “low battery” warning so I had to swap for fresh ones from the charger. I realized: this is the last...

March

2013-03-27

The holes got rounder and I stayed square

Before I say anything else: I believe in Mercy Corps. I believe in its mission of empowering the world’s poorest to improve their own lives,...

2013-03-21

Amanda Blum wrote something thoughtful about Adria Richards and PyCon

If you know what my headline is about and want to read something that will make you think, read this. (If you don’t know what...

2013-03-18

Negative Visualization and Gratitude

On her excellent Maternal Journey blog, my friend Kirstin wrestles with gratitude: Have you ever tried to do a gratitude practice? Keep a gratitude journal?...

2013-03-12

Why do Lego Friends exclude my son?

We are just starting to get into Lego Friends at our house. By “we” I don’t just mean Iris. In fact, I especially don’t mean...

February

2013-02-28

Manly Men

Attention fellow penis-owners! Affecting interest in the following items will not, in fact, make you “manly” Bacon Cigars Firearms Whiskey Straight razors Muddy bicycle races...

2013-02-22

Mottos

Fish or cut bait. Boredom is a luxury. Be nice. The deal with rain is that you get wet. Let the dog drive. Anyone can...

2013-02-12

SRAM Apex

About two weeks ago I was in a (minor) bike/car accident. (Technically: I was right hooked from the far lane by a car turning into...

2013-02-12

Here comes the future, you can’t run from it

So the USPS plans to cease (most) delivery on Saturdays. Not hard to predict the impact on our family. At our (literate, college-educated, closer-to-retirement-than-high-school) household,...

2013-02-05

Django vs. Drupal

I spend most of my work day hammering on a Drupal site which is why I (re)built my free-time website in Django. Django isn’t “better”...

January

2013-01-31

About this site

I (re)built Axoplasm in about one week in Django. For the longest time — OK, about four years — this site was built with Drupal....

2013-01-28

Puncture Your Sofa

Just-slightly-more-than 17 years ago, during winter break of my first year of graduate school, I designed my first website. In early December 1995 I kinda...