Category Archives: Senseless chatter

Day One Report: To hill and back

By John Straffin | Published: 28 September 2008

Today was awesome, no two ways about it. We started out the day with a two mile climb, straight up, to the top of the Eastern Continental Divide. Touted as the toughest part of the entire cross-state tour, I was able to keep to my “No walking my bike” pledge with no problems. Sure, I [...]

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This may be harder than I expected…

By John Straffin | Published: 27 September 2008

Of course, the title of this post is refering to blogging and twittering and flickring this ride, not the ride itself. While the ride will be no walk-in-the-park, I wasn’t expecting it to be.
No… documenting this ride in words and pictures promises to be challenging for several reasons:

This silly little BlackBerry keyboard (not [...]

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One Mile Per Hour

By John Straffin | Published: 26 September 2008

Actually, it was 1.13 mph…
…and it was in a pool.
I took my youngest daughter to her swim practice this afternoon and, since I was able, I went for a swim myself. (They practice in two lanes of a Durham Parks & Recreation pool… I swam in one of the other lanes.) It [...]

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“This Morning a Cyclist Saved My Lunch”

By John Straffin | Published: 10 September 2008

(with apologies to Michael Cleveland)
Coming into the home stretch of a 24-mile ride this morning (13.2 avg mph), I spotted a car slowly backing down its driveway with something decidedly out of place on its roof. Having been in this situation far too often to admit, and wishing that I had had someone to do [...]

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Well… it’s about time!

By John Straffin | Published: 3 January 2008

Hello. My name is John, and I’m an ignore-my-blog-a-holic.
This year will be different.
(cue snickers from the one or two people who might actually read this thing)
No… seriously. I’m gonna try to get something up here at least once a week, hopefully more.
Let me know how that works out, okay?

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  • Elsewhere in the `tubes…

    • John [246.5] GOOD day SUN shine! GOOD day SUN shine!
      — 23h ago via Facebook
    • John [246.5] Not nearly so cranky anymore, but my calves still hurt. :-/ (Racked up over 8000 steps on my pedometer today anyway.) :-P.
      — 1d ago via Facebook
    • John [246.5] In a toxically bad mood today. Pray for me (and everyone around me).
      — 2d ago via Facebook
    • John [246.5] If I though my calves hurt yesterday, I have no words to describe how they felt today ... only moans and groans.
      — 8 March via Facebook
    • John [246.5] Running this morning was fun, but now my calves are quite sore and I'm sporting a small blister at the base of my left big toe. This will lessen with repetition, I assume.
      — 6 March via Facebook
    • John [246.5] Going running for the first time since junior high. :-O We'll see what happens...
      — 6 March via Facebook
    • John [246.5] A nice 27-miler, got chilly tho. Sunny and 50° turned into overcast, breezy, and 48°-feels-like-44° after about an hour.
      — 5 March via Facebook
    • John [229.0] Stopped at Eno River State Park for a water, granola bar, and Gowalla check-in break.
      — 5 March via Facebook
    • John [219.2] Took the afternoon off, heading out for a ride in this beautiful weather.
      — 5 March via Facebook
    • John If one can learn from their dreams, last night's has taught me that (1) I shouldn't ride my bike so far that I'm too tired to ride home, and, if I have, (2) I shouldn't "borrow" a US Postal Service van to make my way back.
      — 2 March via Facebook
    • John [219.2] Beautiful weekend, begged to be ridden. I am, however, *still* sore from helping a friend move all day Saturday, so my wheels remain unturned.
      — 1 March via Facebook
    • John [219.2] US MENS BOBSLEDDING GOLD!! WOOT!!!!
      — 28 February via Facebook
    • John [219.2] Dear NBC/CNBC/MSNBC, How many times do my kids have to hear Craig T Nelson yell "What the hell?!" in your "Parenthood" commercials during these Winter Olympic Games? I'd like the answer to be "zero", but based on the count so far, we're way beyond that...
      — 27 February via Facebook
    • John [219.2] Read a surprisingly glowing review, so I had to try it for myself. I am unfortunately happy to say that Bigelow Raspberry Royale Tea, served hot, is absolutely revolting.
      — 25 February via Facebook
    • John [219.2] "Apparently, curling is all about standing around and fussing at each other" - Shannon, watching SWE v GBR.
      — 25 February via Facebook
    • John [219.2] Had an apple and gouda for breakfast just over an hour ago. Tasty, but I'm already crazy hungry. :/.
      — 23 February via Facebook
    • John So... it's the last day of my Chicken Coop expansion and I just got to half-way, but only by begging. Now, I'm begging on a larger scale... please help? http://www.facebook.com/straffin?story_fbid=331359662520.
      — 22 February via Facebook
    • John [219.2] Got in a 51.4mi ride this afternoon. Weird weather tho... windbreaker was too much in the sunny spots and not enough in the shady spots. :/.
      — 22 February via Facebook
    • John [167.8] Goodness gracious! Is this Olympic Ladies Downhill or demolition derby?
      — 18 February via Facebook
    • John [167.8] Broke the bad news to my wife this morning ... informed her that she's married to an old man. She handled the news rather well. :).
      — 17 February via Facebook