Worn out

I've been feeling like these brake pads lately - ground way down and pretty damned ineffective.

Work has been a bit trying lately. Since January, my time has largely been consumed by this one mother of a project. I've been bike commuting as frequently as ever, and framing my work days with some pedaling action has helped keep the stress at bay. The springtime west winds, however, blowing as they do at 20 mph straight down the inclines on my ride home, have been trashing me. Finding passably smooth pavement in the face of constant construction on the west-side streets is also a challenge. And then there's the warmth - spring reminding me that summer is on deck. And while I bike to work far more often than not, I've only ridden a bicycle for fun once since New Year's Eve. Once. And I call myself a cyclist?

I actually can't blame all of this non-riding exclusively on burnout and fatigue, because its spring and that means the migration of birds to points north is in full swing. I've therefore been spending most weekends birding like a man possessed. No exotic destinations for me - no Madera Canyon, no Chiricahua Mountains, no San Pedro RNCA, no Sweetwater Wetlands (ok, that last one isn't exotic).

No, when I'm tired, and especially when gasoline costs what it does, its all about the "big sit" in the front yard. I fill the feeders, strap on the binocs, deploy the spotting scope, and see what I can see. And its been fairly fruitful. I've seen a few life birds and a some returning neotropical favorites. I nearly made it to 50 species in April. Nevertheless, the primary attribute of a long day of frontyard wildlife watching is sitting on my ever-more-doughy butt, and once the early morning hours have passed, and the wind and heat have kicked in, there's no motivation to bike down.

But things are looking up. After getting to the point where I could pull my commutant's brake levers to the grip and still not stop - nearly necessitating Fred Flintstone braking tactics - I replaced those worn down pads. When the wind became too much of an issue, I traded the pannier-equipped singlespeed tank for my stinky old messenger bag and a skinny-tired bike with 27 merciful gear selections and drop bars with which to bore through the gale. And heat and mosquitoes be damned, I've ratcheted up the evening backyard weight lifting sessions.

And then there's Clayton.



This handsome fellow is our new-as-of-late-last-year dog/son. I really shouldn't be saying he's new anymore - he's been with us for over six months and has immersed himself 100% into my and BeanSS's lives. And while we dearly miss Barnaby and Kona, Clay has managed to fill our hearts once again with happiness. Dogs rule, especially this one.

And with that I will end this post. After all, I've got to go to bed early if I'm going to get up at the crack of dawn, make a pot of coffee, plop down by the bird feeders, and not move one more inch all day long.