Embracing the Cold

I think I'm beginning to acclimate. Today's mid-20's temps felt downright moderate after the single digits we hit the past couple of days. So, Kris and I headed up to New Hampshire to check out Windblown XC ski area. It turns out that the wind had blown a lot of the snow away, but we managed anyway despite being complete beginners. About halfway into the trail, though, it started snowing hard enough that you could hear the snow hitting the grown. Altogether, a great experience and a reasonable substitute for bike ridin'. In fact, we talked about that on the way back and decided that it's nice to be in a place where the weather forces you to take up different activities for parts of the year. I'm ready to get out and ride some soon even if it is cold, but knowing that skiing and skating are available right down the street for the next few months is exciting.

And to top it all off, I discovered that Ed Hyder's Mediterranean Market has my favorite Syrian apricot paste, which I had only ever seen for sale over in Syracuse before. This stuff is second only to pistachio nougat (and/or giant sandwich/burrito) for mid-ride snacking.

HAPPY NEW YEAR (all 3/4 of) Y'ALL!

Holidays

Will and Liam rolled into town a few days ago. No bike ridin in this weather, but we did get to try a bunch of beer from around the wurld and talk about skis some. A quick trip to new York and some ice skatin', rockin', sledding and pizza eatin' didn't hurt.









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North vs. South

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Just got off the phone with my dear friend Puc Puggy, who is also 50% of the readership of the readership. I had just cracked open a Pugsley's 4 X pale ale (Portland, ME), which sounds almost like Puc Puggy, especially if you're drinking a 9+% big bottle of beer. It is also the name of the bike that you'll need to ride offroad right now around here, now that the snow and ice are here. So, I guess it is now officially ski season up here, which is fine with me. The problem is, even with snow coming pretty regularly, the ice wins. I just checked the web site of the X-country ski area that I was planning to go to tomorrow, only to learn they had closed because "We barely got half an inch of new snow and the high winds today have blown all that powder away to the east somewhere. We are left with a 4" to 6" block of ice everywhere." So, I'll try things out on the fire roads up around mt. wachusett after ducking into the fancy ski area for a couple of hours. I have to say, that I continue to enjoy things up here, and I don't completely exclude from that the 3 months of insane commuting I was doing to Boston. That was a crazy ride (that is something that 1000's do for years on end all over the US, I guess) and I did some interesting work with smart people, but I am happy to be back to something that keeps me local, even if it means missing out on daily rides along the esplanade (photo above). Worcester ain't Boston, but there is plenty that still needs to be check out here. I think I'll start with something simple, like the more bizarre flavors of Polar sodas., then move on to the local kielbasa.

I've been reading David Byrne's Bicycle Diaries for the past week or so and really like it. Honestly, it's not very well written and amounts to not much more than informal essays that sometimes relate to biking, sometimes to urban and transportation planning and sometimes to art / music. But since I love bikes and music and have long been a fan of David Byrne, I have no complaints about paying a few bucks to read his thoughts about various things. Not required reading, but if you don't, then at least go out and ride a bike some place you wouldn't otherwise.

Later on dudes - KES

Our Town

People wonder why we moved to central Mass. I think this letter from the loal indie mag this week sums it up pretty well:

Worcester is a dead town

I was shocked and livid when I read Janice Harvey’s column, “Hell hath no fury …” (Worcester Mag, Nov. 19) in which Harvey’s only complaint about downtown Worcester is a fake Christmas tree on the Common.

Worcester has a hell of a lot more serious issues than merely a false Christmas tree. Worcester is a toilet. Worcester does not even have a “downtown” to speak of. Worcester’s downtown is literally a ghost town, which is compiled of bombed-out buildings and boarded-up storefronts, which are strewn with garbage everywhere. Drunks urinate in public and ruthless meter maids are always looking to find another victim to persecute by giving that poor soul a parking ticket. Worcester’s cops are rude and are always ready to give you an attitude.

Worcester’s airport is a sick joke — an “airport” that is located in a fog zone. But, after all, who the hell would want to ever come to this toilet. Yes, Ms. Harvey, you have a reason to be outraged, but not at just a Christmas tree.

Worcester is what it has always been, and what it will always be — an ugly, filthy, old, exhausted, bombed-out, triple-decker New England mill town that is dead. And it will never ever rise again.

Scott Wolfe
Worcester

Winter

Well, the snow arrived yesterday. I had been getting ready for this since before our move north. It was nice to throw on the Garneau winter shoes TLYMTB had sold me and head out for a cold wet ride yesterday down at Rayburn. The trails there vary from typical NE rocky twisty stuff to power line cruises to old roadbeds. This was my 4th trip there and every time I find something new. This time I finally found the old burned down mansion I'd heard about. Looking at the map, it looks like there's still a couple hundred acres left to explore. And the nice thing is that this is just six miles from home - easy riding distance when I have the time.

When I got home, I spent some time mounting the winter tires for on the commuter. And pulled out my new winter helmet. Bring it on Massholes!