GET Thinking

Cousin Sarah Cracks Bridget up

2010-05-10T13:44:00.000-07:00

Woops

2010-03-17T15:46:00.000-07:00

Old walls and new technology do not always get along.

This happened while blowing in insulation from outside. That and one outlet cover were the only casualties. Hopefully this will help with the unreasonable temps we get inside during summer.

Chores

2010-03-17T15:38:00.001-07:00

This is how i get stuff done with a no-napping baby ;)

This High Chair Makes me Wanna Shake My Fist!

2010-03-10T14:05:00.000-08:00

Bridget's first experience in the high chair. Ah, she is so wee. After she had her squash, she was all fired up about something and was shaking her fist all over the place. "Let me tell you something about pigeons!"

Apes and Monoliths

2010-02-08T13:17:00.001-08:00

This reminded me of the beginning of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Sort of...

Please to notice all the perfectly good, store bought toys behind her ;)

Fun Times at Fort BEF

2010-01-21T13:43:00.000-08:00

Bridget was enjoying her little blanket fort today. I thought a short video was in order.

And stills...

Carrots!

2010-01-13T13:04:00.000-08:00

Bridget ate some carrots today. She has had some rice cereal as well the past two mornings. Photographic evidence:

Daddy day care is going well. Eat, play, nap, repeat. What more do we need? Work? Surely not.

Catch up F'ers!

2010-01-03T17:22:00.000-08:00

Holy heck, the holidays wore me out. Stuff takes so much longer and is way more complicated with baby in tow. It is worth it though. We got off the hook this year because Bridget does not know what the hell is Christmas yet.

Besides from being sleep deprived, my brain is extra messed up because of all the psychic turmoil I am experiencing of late. I got laid off and I am going to be stay at home dad for now as Maggie goes back to work and I find a new job. This has been a real pisser. I really liked my job and the people I worked with, but they all got laid off too so maybe we will Mad Men this shit and start our own company. I really don't think so - but it would be cool to get a call down the road "we are getting the band back together!".

OK, got all that, caught up? To recap, George is a loser and will never have a good job again. He loves his wife and baby and they are a great family. This is what we look like.

Hope to write more frequently and captivate all of you with epic tales of dawn patrol bike rides and changing table blow outs.

Happy New Year!

Jed

Baby!

2009-08-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

Bridget Elizabeth Fullerton was born August 2nd at 602am. Maggie and I are really married, but we decided girls get her name and boys mine :) Post drought over!

It's (going to be) a Girl!

2009-03-06T12:50:00.000-08:00

Confirmed - female baby lives in Maggie. And all chromosomes are doing what they should be doing. Except something wacky on #9, but the geneticist said that is actually fine. Thank you, scientist.

Why did we have genetic testing done? Well, save that for some other blog. Mine is only about cats.

more animals

Changes

2009-03-06T09:20:00.001-08:00

Whoa, big changes coming.

We closed on the house and have started moving via a slow stream of boxes every few days. Paint is going on the walls starting this weekend and studio demo will start soon too. Plus, new furnace on Tuesday! With big time rebates! I am in love with this stimulus plan so far. We get an 8K tax credit that we can claim on our 2008 return. That is going to help a lot since we are OUT of cash. We were looking good for a while, then some idiot decided to buy a car and we got reamed on fees from both sides of the table at closing. Super fucking lame - but it is done. Cash under the bridge.

Also, I am leaving my job after 4 years. I will miss some things, but mostly be relieved to get out of there. I have the great fortune of joining the folks at Xtracycle in Oakland and I cannot wait. This will really be a treat for me. I love bikes and I love using bikes for good and awesome.

Did you know I also love coffee? Whew, too much this AM...ZING!

OK, lame post, no pics or nothing. Just sharing.

Er, grr?

2009-02-20T11:04:00.000-08:00

Katie's blog has wet marsupials! Go read it. Terrible news about the fires there - lousy stuff.

I felt like this earlier this week with all the rain riding I did.

I have been crazy anxious about all kinds of stuff lately. We bought a car and I am having buyer's remorse even though it is awesome and exactly what we wanted. I still have to get the title and get it registered, so I am anxious about that. I am anxious about being broke now and for the rest of my life. I am anxious that I somehow managed to Nair all the hair on my body and it will keep coming off in the shower for ever. I am anxious that once our house finally closes, we won't like it and our life will be worse, not better than now. I am anxious about stuff in my work life too. Hoping somethings happen and mostly that other things do not.

Oh, did I mention there is a baby coming too? Holy heck this is getting out of hand. I am gonna take Tom Feix's advice and start to drill my core so I don't injure myself schlepping baby around. But we have a four door car now at least.

Pictures of Pictures

2009-01-27T15:26:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of pictures from my Grandparent's house in St. Louis. Try to guess who is who?

Why are my pants falling down?

Drama

2009-01-16T07:51:00.000-08:00

James and I see funny videos when checking test files on our DVRs. Removed from context they are humorous. They are probably humorous in context too.

Disfunctional Family

2009-01-16T07:45:00.000-08:00

My dad starting riding bikes and is enjoying himself a lot. I figured I would get him some bib shorts for Christmas since sometimes newbies do not understand the awesomeness of bibs right away. I suffered too long in cheap shorts before seeing the light. So, I get some nice bibs, present them to my dad, and what does he do? Makes us take a disturbing picture showing off how much he likes his present.

I told him the rules for bibs - hopefully he is obeying. No underoos and straps INSIDE your shirt.

Just teasing Pop - enjoy!

Why Come to My Blog?

2008-11-25T12:53:00.000-08:00

Cat pictures is why. I don't want to talk about anything else. About how I raced two cyclocross races last weekend and had a great time despite not great results. Or how I got sick and am still kind of sick. Or about how we still haven't heard about our house. Stuff like that is not interesting. Cat pictures are interesting.

I Raced a Bicycle on Sunday

2008-11-05T12:45:00.000-08:00

Candlestick Point was Sunday. It was a fun race because it had rained and there was lots of mud. I got 10th and that is OK with me. My bike is still dirty. My bottom bracket is also broken or something - I am in denial about all that. Um, that is all I have to say I guess. How about some pictures? I am grumpy.

Busted! Messing with my Garmin before the start:

Guess who sucks? Me. Only on the first lap when there was too much traffic and I had to slow down a touch. Or I just suck:

See - I got better. I was surprised with myself actually - I was hitting the hill with hella speed and zooming up:

Leaping Lemurs! Before I realized it was stupid to run this thing...

Aster is fat

2008-10-28T14:46:00.001-07:00

Oh Man. King Size Kitteh.

Bad parent.

Surf City

2008-10-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

The Surf City races are awesome. I wish I was a different sort of person who was not embarrassed to dress up, get drunk in front of strangers, heckle people faster than me, and so on. It would be even more fun then I bet. I also wished I lived across the street from every race venue in California. That would boost my level of enjoyment even more since I am getting pretty jack of driving so much.

Friday and Saturday we drove a lot - and I don't want to talk about it. I was committed to racing since I had offered Geoff a ride, so I called him and made arrangements. I got to sleep in a bit and that helped a lot. I picked up Geoff and we arrived to the course without incident and in plenty of time to warm up. I did some riding on the road and then some laps of the course. The kids race was before ours so I watched the cute little ones have a go at the modified track. There was a girl in a tiger outfit on a like-a-bike that I wanted to put in my pocket and take home.

We lined up for the race and I was far back, but on the outside left. The whistle blew and I steamrolled up the outside holding my position with elbows and forearms and managed to be pretty close to the front going into the hairpin bottleneck. I had a good first lap or two, then I hit a wall. Not literally, but I started slowing waaaaaaay down and lost contact with the people in front of me. I accidentally shifted my front shifter remounting after the run up and I stalled out for a bit getting it back on. A couple people passed me and the race was basically over. I just tried to hold position and not die or anything. I felt good on the "hard" parts like the climb up to the school yard and the long slow rise to the hairpin - ball fields. The grass was a killer but I felt like I was railing the spiral and holding good speed. I was able to pass people there. It was a good day and I guess I ended up 27th out of 99. 99! Wow, that is hecka people. I'll take it.

I wish I had more of the "hanging out" gene or something. I always just feel like getting out of there and getting home even though the weather is nice and the people are friendly. I don't know what it is...

Thanks lynester and Mark for the photos.

Consummate Vs!

2008-10-20T09:56:00.003-07:00

Skills of an artist. No, not a dragon, an artist's rendering of yesterday's race course at McLaren Park.

It was a good day, as much as I complain and hurt now.

The tent was in full effect - check it:

MONKEY!!!!!

Molly Dog

2008-10-17T13:04:00.001-07:00

This is my mom's new dog. Her name is Molly and she got her from a coworker of Maggie's whose mother who had passed away. She is shy and mellow which is a change from her last dog which was full on crazy spastic. Molly is still not so sure about Maggie and me. She takes a little while to warm up to us, but eventually plays and lets us hug her. She is a nice pup and I am glad it worked out for everyone.

EDIT: Yes, Molly does love Maggie...See?

Big Trees!

2008-10-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

No, not that Big Trees - they are installing some palms right outside our building. They are hecka big:

Cyclocross is Hurt

2008-10-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

Two races this weekend. SS on Saturday with Thomas. 3 people showed up, and I got third. Yippee! I had too small of a gear and couldn't make up any ground on Thomas or Brian. And I suck.

Sunday was a LONG drive to Laguna Seca for CCCX and NCNCA Cup. I raced open Bs. I had a bad first lap and then was making up ground on subsequent laps. There was a big climb where I could catch and pass people before they would pass me back on the downhills where I was grabbing more brake than...something that grabs a lot.

Rick Rasmussen is my new BFF. I have never talked to him or anything, but he always takes tons of photos at the CCCX races and posts them immediately for you to peruse and use free of charge. Heck of a guy and I appreciate it - I just may tell him next time I see him.

http://bikeguy.smugmug.com/2008%20CCCX%20Cyclocross%20Races/627859

Bird man flies through the barriers in search of fresh seed.

Where I Live

2008-10-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

This is where I live 1/3 of my life (slightly more I guess). This month's primate is a tarsier. It looks like a space creature.

It could be more depressing, but not really much. I used to have a rad office with James. We could listen to music and make fun of everyone walking by. Then they turned it into another conference room and we got booted back to cubes. This is the exact cube I had when I first started here over three years ago. Then I had the office for about 8 months and back to the cube. The worst part is having to listen to everyone around me. The Engineering (Software) department sits behind us. They are awfully annoying. Sorry software friends, but holy heck these guys don't know crap about anything outside of their expertise. Yet, they carry on about it forever like they do. There was one guy who thankfully quit - Larry, he was the worst. Expert on everything and sneezed the loudest sneezes you ever heard. It is fucked up to tell someone they sneeze to loud, but this asshole did.

Aster's Stalker

2008-10-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

Our cat, Aster, has a stalker. There is a neighborhood cat, who we call black and white cat ('cus he is black and white, duh) that mostly lives next door. For the past few days he has been walking up the stairs to our apartment and hopping up on a short wall near one of our windows. He then sits there, looking into the apartment and driving our cat crazy. He has also started leaning over to the window and pawing at the screen. I keep chasing him away and he keeps coming back. He is a real punk about it too. I have to pick him up, he hisses at me, I set him down, give him a scoot in the rear, he will go halfway down the stairs, stop, I give him another scoot and he parks it at the bottom of the staircase. Brat. He is a big cat and probably pretty tough since he lives outside and all, but Aster would whoop the crap out of him if she got out. I am thinking of taping a picture of a snarling dog to the window to scare him. That won't work though.

About a Year Ago...

2008-09-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, our cat got sick. She stopped eating while Maggie and I were on our honeymoon and developed a liver disease as a result. She had to have a feeding tube inserted in her stomach and wear a cute shirt to keep it in place. Then we had to feed her liquified cat food throught the tube. And she was throwing up and pooping a lot. She couldn't walk so well and kept falling down in the litter box and becoming J. Alfred Poofoot.

She is now back to being healthy. Well, she has been for a while. But I got some new pictures of her and her roundness.

Hey

2008-09-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

Hey, remember when I use to blog? Miss me? Well, lots of things have been going on. I have lots to write about but I am not sure when all that will actually happen.

Maggie and I are taking a Permaculture course out in Bolinas. It is very interesting. Someone accused me of working for the man yesterday. I guess I do, but who the fuck doesn't and still pays their bills? Just sayin'.

We had a bid on a grandiose crap shack in the Laurel that fell through. Probably just as well since it needed 100K in repairs and there were multiple violent crimes reported around the corner from the property in the last 90 days. Now we are fixated on a nice condo also in the Laurel. Well, straddling Laurel and Dimond. Condo? I know, but it is cheap, in a nice neighborhood and in great shape.

We saw a stupid vanity plate on a Prius yesterday - TYTLYNZ. Tightlines? Titty Lynns? Must be tight lines - WOW, Prius' now have Toyota's F1 suspension? SWEET! Stupid.

Do you think the City of Oakland will allow me to have a sheep? One with a black face? I like those.

I have hella riding to do this week and no time to do it. I am already in debt by 5 hours from being gone this weekend. Hunter Allen is going to come to my house and beat me up.

People are racing cross and doing well. I hope to join them soon.

My mom got (is getting) a dog. She rocks the house and is going to loan us some down payment money. Mini-financial bailout - holler.

Oh, and I am getting a new camera and I am vowing to take insane amounts of pictures and spice up the old bloggingroom. Hold me to it, OK?

There is other stuff. Maybe more later.

What Do You Get...

2008-08-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you take cheese rinds soaked in olive brine, wrap them in a soiled diaper and leave the whole thing to cure under a pile of sock laundry? Well, I am not exactly sure, but I think it would end up smelling something like garbage truck that passed me on the way to work this morning. Thanks to the hot, stagnant air I got to ride in a cloud of awful for a good 1/4 mile. Have a great weekend all.

2008-08-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

moar funny pictures

No House

2008-08-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

Maggie and I had an offer in on a house and we just found out we didn't get it. It really should not be a big deal, but I am so disappointed. I am really bad about getting my hopes up and they were certainly rising on this one. Oh well, we really are in no rush but now I feel like I don't even want to start the process again.

This makes me feel better:

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

EDIT: I can't figure out why those stupid pictures cut off...need to work on my HTML skills maybe.

EDIT 2: HEYAH! Got it to fit.

Morgan and Transrockies

2008-08-14T09:49:00.000-07:00

So, if you read my blog, you probably read Lauren’s blog and you are aware that Morgan is off in Canada on a MTB adventure of epic proportions. I am glad you read Lauren’s blog because it is funny and has pictures and is all around an entertaining good time. I just wanted to also add that they are doing great and I am really glad for them. Results from Stage 4 of 7 have them in 19th place in their age group – out of about 70 entrants.

Considering how the trip started, I would say they are improving steadily. Morgan was leaving on a Wednesday and it ended up that I was off work that day so I offered to take him to the airport. It turned out that he also needed help packing since he fractured his wrist and was behind because of that and because of work duties piled on at the last minute. Lauren was out of town as well further emphasizing the helplessness. Here is an anxious text I got that morning:

Help me this am? Frantic. Need bike box pickup, ink paper, hit one or two stores on way to sf, pick up MB, then SFO.

I called Morgan, got the scoop (I still don’t know what ink paper is as we never got it – JK, he forgot a comma) and was off to Mike Hardy’s house to pick up the bike box. After failing a spatial relations pop quiz, I finally got that thing in the car and headed up to Morgan’s. Morgan was still working on work work so I played with Liberty for a while before finally admitting there were better things to do. Took the roof rack off the Land Cruiser. Put said rack on side of house. Dropped some pieces in the leaves. Found the pieces. Told Morgan I was worried that I did not know where the pieces came from. He could not have cared less. Back to the garage and open bike box. Measure bike box. Measure Morgan’s bike – holy crap. Decide it may just fit. Morgan comes down and we disassemble bike. Does not fit. Morgan calls Left Coast and inquires about getting an alternate bike box. Remove more parts – looks ok. Pack copious amounts of spare parts and tools and get those in the box too:

Attempt to close box – no go. Remove more parts – still not working. Morgan wants to get the box from Left Coast but I persuade him there is no time and we will have to make our current box work. I figure out we can rotate the frame and get it in a better position – unpack box, rotate frame, repack box. Looks good. Lid on – squeeze, squeeze, pull, push, curse – success. Box closed and weighing 300 pounds, almost. It is now about 11:20am and we were meant to pick up Matthias in SF at 11:45 (Morgan still wanted to go to REI but I had to tell him there was no way to do that on this Planet Earth given the current restraints of space and time and, well simple physics). Morgan goes to shower and shave. I take out the trashes and give the stray cat some food (eep, hope that was ok). We get Morgan’s duffel and carry on downstairs, load the box on the roof, strap it down and we are off to Montclair. Morgan dumps me at the bike shop where I pick up a spare crank. He dashes off to the camera store to pick up a new camera and case. It is about Noon now and I tell Morgan he had better call Matthias. We call Matthias and dash back to the car and are on our way to SF. Morgan nearly rolls the car at the 13/24 junction – cruising. Busted FasTrak receiver works – looking good. Exit, dang, funeral procession. Matthias has been calling a lot. Morgan illegally calls him without his hands being free and assures him we are close. Finally get to the meeting spot but over look Matthias. Go around block – get Matthias and duffel, bike box and backpack. Off to SFO. I am in the back repacking Morgan’s carry on to fit all his gadgets and trying not to throw up from car sickness. We miss the SFO exit due to some crazy panic over the Domestic v. International terminal and have to circle back. We pull up to the curb and unload. I shove Morgan’s new crank down in his duffel – I hope that didn’t rip anything – and they are off. I drive the car back to Morgan’s, have an encounter with the cat lady, take the puppy out to pee, drop the keys off, and get in my car (feeling very small after the Land Cruiser) to head home. A restful day off indeed.

You heard it here first...

2008-08-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

I got some new slang for you all, check it:

I juiced my pluot.

This is a versatile term to be applied to many situations. After a big bike crash: I totally juiced my pluot. After a night drinking: Dude, my pluot is juiced! A missed opportunity: I really juiced my pluot on that one!

Today, quite literally, I juiced my pluot all over the inside of my bag - rendering boxer shorts and t-shirts tainted with pluot juice. Guess I have to wear my Mr. Rogers sweater all day today.

Love/Hate

2008-08-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

Why I hate Morgan:

Why I love Morgan:

You get to see fun stuff like this when you go to his house to pick up all the gadgets that tell you how much you suck at cycling.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/71073602@N00/2715373195/

An aside about Pilgrim the cat, if you will indulge me. For some reason, I keep wanting to call him Weirdo the Cat which is the name of another cat belonging to Dan Leone who writes Cheap Eats for the SF Bay Guardian. Dan is not his name any more though due to some gender reassignment, the details of which I am not clear on. And I don't even know if there is still that column because we don't read the Guardian any more since SF Weekly/East Bay Express squeezed them out of all the paper boxes in Alameda.

Back to the cats. I don't know what Weirdo looks like so there is no reason for me to think Pilgrim resembles him in any way. I have no idea why the became associated in my mind. The first time I heard Lulu say the cat's name I thought she said Pogrom which would be an awful name for a cat. I like Pilgrim much better than Weirdo or Pogrom.

Long time no bloggie

2008-08-04T11:35:00.001-07:00

Back! Traveleing for work is the suck. Been to Detroit and Miami and now I am finally back. This is what some of those places look like. Well, places near those places...

We installed our servers in an old brewery with a cool granite walled server room!

Surrounding neighborhood in Ann Arbor:

This is a giant, giant engine from the old Ford factory, now at the Henry Ford museum - which is like Disneyland for industry:

And then there was Miami...

Yeah, rocking cell phone pictures! Blog of the year...

I Am the Crazy Cat Person at Work

2008-07-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

I am outed. Well, I never really tried to hide it, but I am known as a "cat person" at the office now. Someone said "I hear you are a cat person. We just got a new kitten, etc., etc..." I says, heck yeah I am, now how about you give me a kitten too? I'll just tuck it under my sweater and walk around the office listening to its soft mews to stave of complete insanity. James and I joke about my "kitty mug", a glamour shot of Aster printed on a coffee mug - that must have alerted them. Maggie has one too, but I think she hides hers.

James is real, BTW. I feel sort of like he is Harvey, but that is not so.

Here is a video that proves it:

Ok, this is getting out of hand.

Random

2008-07-10T17:24:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I thought of this, but James and I have a lot of inside jokes at work. One of them is "did you hear somethin' " from this video. We laughed so hard for about three days. It is not as funny as I remember it now...

dry ice bomb helmet

Ah! They Are Coming For Me!!

2008-07-08T08:40:00.000-07:00

They heard about me, the look on the driver's face said it all. I better watch myself. I think the weird guy on the scooter tipped them off. He kept slowing down and looking back at me - it was really disturbing actually. Then he came into the driveway at work as I entered the building. Oh man.

Outside of work this morning:

More on tallow

2008-07-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

Well, not really. I was just thinking I had a bunch of pictures of cattle from when we visited my friends in Australia. Their family has a cattle farm out side of Canberra. Too cute to be your meat, or soap, or whatevertheheckweusetallowforcusitsmellssostinkingawful. Oficially now this is a stupid, stupid blog.

Monday Puppy Blogging

2008-07-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

New dog! No, not for us. Morgan told me they got a puppy and that he was going to post pictures. Well, I got impatient and found some on my own (thanks Lauren's blog, well, the Flickr link from the blog). OK four readers, may I introduce Libby:

Cute!

Sorry Fletchers - I am not really stalking you.

Morning Ride

2008-07-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

I ditched my ride yesterday afternoon because I was not feeling so well. James and I had to shrink wrap these big racks at work and it made me super dizzy. Then it made my tummy hurt. Then I wanted to lie down. It sucked - so I didn't ride. So, I decided to ride this morning before work. I was supposed to do a hilly route and use a harder than usual gear on the climbs. Staying seated and focusing on hip strength. I decided to do what I can the Zoo Loop, but what is actually a reverse route of the popular Zoo Loop common to Oakland area cyclists. This ride is sort of a bugaboo of mine. I do it probably once a month and I always think it will be a little easier than the last time. It never is and I end up just suffering through it, cursing the fact that it is so hard. I doesn't seem like it should be hard, but something about it just gets me pedaling squares and praying for mercy.

Have a look:

http://www.trainingpeaks.com/tny.aspx?a=sw&key=JDsPqfPiq%2BpzgmeE8U4X3sLlrM5h2whf

I guess there is a lot of up, 3500 ft or so - it is just a tough, tough route for me. Can someone else please attest that this is in fact a tough route and I am not just a weakling. I would feel a lot better if you could at least lie in my support.

Another let down is that there was this BMX bike in the dumpster at work yesterday that had a Chris King headset in it. It was in good shape and I wanted to take it out before sending the rest of the bike to the trash. Well, it is gone now before I got the chance. I hope someone resourceful got a hold of it. I wanted to at least take a picture of it as the drive side was on the left too. Oh well.

Go See this movie...

2008-06-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

It is called The Fall and has Maggie's boo du jour Lee Pace in it. As much as I would like to hate a movie made by a person with one name (Tarsem) it is very good. It is shot in so many impossibly beautiful locations, the story is fun and the child actor is not precocious. Quality all through.

Dead Things

2008-06-30T17:18:00.000-07:00

I was composing this great, epic post on my ride yesterday all about all the dead things I saw. In the first 45 minutes of the ride I saw 5 different dead animals. I figured by the end of the ride I would have seen every species in the East Bay. As it turned out I didn't see any more so here then is a boring post about the five dead things:

Poor little fox. I though you might have been a cat and then I would have been even more sadder. You made me pretty sad though.

Possum - well, you made me sad too, but you were kind of ugly looking. Not like the cute dead baby possum I saw a few weeks ago.

Raccoon - you had a beautiful fuzzy tail that reminded me of my Aster. I wish those cars (and you) would be more careful.

Skunk - you were hecka dead - like for a while now. I couldn't tell much about your personality from your carcass.

Shit, that is only four! False advertising and stupid Dr. Doolittle antics. Shame on me.

Coffee Rant

2008-06-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

Somebody at work thinks that you can reuse coffee grounds. So, when the pot is empty, they just start the brewing process again with the previous grounds. Unsuspecting employees then pour themselves a fresh cup of hazel-tinged dishwater. It is vile stuff. I think I know who does it, but I will not call them out. Our coffee is pretty awful to begin with - add in this and it is a real atrocity.

Sidetracked - TMTH

2008-06-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

Seriously good. But smelling 600 of them baking is not as good as you would think, seriously. Especially after the Tuesday night Port Ride.

First Post!

2008-06-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

OK, I am gong to be a really bad blogger. I know it already.

One of the reasons I started this was because I had the great idea to document the things I smell on my commutes (by bicycle) to work. Thursday June 19th, 2008 it was garbage. Stinking, hot garbage. It was really awful. So awful I said "I am going to start a blog about it!" Well, Here you go.

Then I thought, I don't only smell bad things. The previous day, Wednesday the 18th, I smell Danisheseses... There is a large, industrial bakery in West Oakland, Svenhards and the scent is powerful. A bit too much, I think. It sort of makes you feel like you ate 10 pastries. It also smells like laundry over there. Not Snuggle and Tide, but industrial laundry. Which never actually smells clean, just not so dirty.

So, what finally brought me out to actually post? On this morning's ride I smelled another really foul smell. It was similar to the garbage of last week - but more fishy. And then it morphed into more dead that fishy and just down right rotten. The truck that passed me, emitting these fumes was a work truck of some type, but not a garbage truck. When it stopped at a light, I held my breath and zipped by to see what it was. The sign on the door said "San Jose Tallow". Well, there you go. I now know what smells the worst of all the worst in the whole wide world - tallow. It was real, real awful.

There are a couple of things funny about this - funny coincidences that is. Nothing I say is actually funny funny.

1. My wife has been saying she is not sure she can eat meat any more because she cannot handle the thought of it formerly being alive, having a face, etc. I know how she feels. We are big time softies about furry things. Now, having smelled some of the byproducts of our carnivorous habits, I am even more inclined to *think* about being a vegetarian. I won't though. She won't either.

2. I was joking the other night about a new lip balm I used that was all natch-rull and how greasy it was. I said it was just pure sheep tallow pressed in a tube. Well, that is a stupid joke now - not funny because tallow stinks (see above).

OK, enough gross stuff.

More stuff later. Won't be entertaining, mind you.