As you may have noticed, I'm not posting much lately and there's no particular reason for that. Quite frankly, I don't want to bore you all and I just don't have much on the go or to say.

I'm in a bit of a funk still...I know it has everything to do with Mom and the huge void that I'm feeling. As the season shifts and the nights are getting shorter, it's hitting home with me. These are the evenings that I'd be hanging out with her and I'm just kinda lost right now. It's normal and I accept it as that. It's been a little over four months now and I guess the inital shock is wearing off and reality is settling in its place.

Anyhoo...I've been doing all my usual things. I've been riding my trail (hard) and that always feels good and releases things for me. I'm getting in great "riding" shape, as I can fly through my route now without even tiring. When I started back into it, it was a real struggle. But I feel really good and one day I'd like to try some kind of race...I've been considering it for some time now. I've dreamed up a type of race (mountain bike) that I think would be so cool...when I ride I use visualization alot and I often pretend I'm in a race and that helps me push it to my limits. So my imaginary race would go like this ....

It would be held along winding trails for the first part, with the end of the race being on a very long straightaway (road?) that would be set up with piped in music. The trail part would be done first and then the racers would fly down a little hill into the straightaway and toward the finish. But the deal would be this - each racer would have some "music" selected pre race - good, high energy stuff that they like to ride to. Whoever would be leading coming into the straightaway would determine what music would be cranked for the final leg of the ride. And it would be played until the rider is passed, at which time the music of the new leader would be pumped through. A neck and neck race would be tricky, then you'd have to let it play until someone pulled away. Kind of a battle of the tunes to the finish, determined by the race leader with spectators lined up along the final straightaway, cheering on the racers. Kind of an X-games type environment. That's my imaginary race that I have with myself on many of my bike rides. I know, I'm a little whacko.

Music always is a huge part of my ride, and this is just what I imagine sometimes as I'm biking, to keep the adrenalin up...that I'm the lead rider and I have to really "give 'er" to keep my tunes playing. Hey, rides get awfully stale if you don't do something...this works for me.

So back to today's ride - I encountered more than usual in the snobby fucks department - you know the ones...the women with the double wide asses Prego strollers, dog/leash combo stretched across the path who refuse to move over one inch so you can squeeze by on your bike. They always seem to be "looking" for something in the stroller and have it parked sideways across the entire path. I used to be so polite...but I'm afraid not so much anymore. Seriously, I used to smile and say hi, but usually got nothing back in return so now I just try and spew rocks at them from my tires. Today there was a "pack" of them...they saw me coming from up the trail. Now understand here, it's a walking/biking trail and leaves little on either side to manoeuvre around, therefore it must be "shared". And this pack saw me coming. It was a woman in front with a kidmobile, and trailing behind was her whiny toddler on this bike and the fed up father behind him. Now that would've worked...single file is good. But at the last moment, just as I approached them, the fucknutted husband pulls around the son and alongside the wife to make the red rover game even more interesting. Again, the cheery Deb would've probably worked it out somehow, but not today. As the guy pulled up beside her and was head on smack dab in my path I veered around him and said "for fuck's sake" so that his prissy wife and kid heard. I know, so wrong of me (but it felt good). It was the second incident like this in a matter of about 45 minutes so I wasn't amused. The people here can be so trendy and rude. They looked shocked and the guy stopped on his bike and glared at me - for a split second I thought he might've turned around and chased me down. I wasn't worried, I would've left him in my dust.

This is how it is now in Steveston. The snobs who can afford the places here think that they're special and they seriously lack in any manners or courtesy. And they're newcomers and treat the people who've been here for decades this way. Over time, they've eroded my patience and I'm not very friendly at all anymore when I ride. It's sad, because it's not what I'm all about. But it is a dog eat dog world and damn it, I've had enough. And it's not just me feeling this way...I bump into old friends who also ride (that have been here for years as well) and they say they're experiencing the same arrogance.

Steveston was a very "neighbourly" community when I grew up there. Everyone knew everybody else and that doesn't happen by accident - you say "hello" when you pass and, over time, friendships develop. These "noobs" better get their act together or we'll have to oust them.

Anyhow, some pics from Friday's ride.....





Uh, looks like somebody needs to learn the rules. Deb's rock, remember?