Grab Bag vol. 5
Things I found interesting lately, what I’ve been up to, and whatever else comes to mind.
This is not the last time I’ll recommend something from these folks (and possibly not even the first time, I’m not looking back at the history here) but I’m always very into the long-running popular podcast 99% Invisible. It’s all about the hidden world of design and the fascinating underbelly of the world we live in - as an engineer with a design-focused mind, I love it. Every year, they produce a couple of “mini-episodes” which is a string of shorter little stories that never warranted a full episode. I recommend a listen!
The other week, I was reminiscing with a friend about going blues dancing in college, which is the last time I’ve gone. I was never good, but I did enjoy it. We’d end up in some dark back room with brick walls, a group of mostly strangers awkwardly fumbling our way around a few simple dance steps with the push and pull of the music echoing throughout the room. There were a few instances where I really got into a good groove, but it didn’t happen often enough for me to truly fall for the activity. It was also a time in my life when I felt least like myself, and I doubt I’ll ever try it again, but I still remember it fondly all the same.
I’m trying to encourage myself to pick up my camera more this year, so I'm doing another “365” project. The goal is one photo a day for the year. Each month, I’ll focus on a different theme because sometimes constraints are good. January’s photos can be found here.
I think we’re all feeling this in one or another, but sometimes it’s nice to have someone explicitly tell you they are on the same page.
For reasons unknown, I participated in the Old Man Winter Rally in Lyons this winter. I signed up to complete the 10K run and the 50K bike, knowing that my biking fitness (and bike handling) was subpar at the moment, and that my tolerance for biking in terrible conditions may result in a DNF (spoiler alert, it did!). But, sometimes you just need to try something. My official race report is that the run was fun and fast, resulting in what I think was a personal record for a 10K. I pushed at the end and felt like I was going to explode and it felt amazing. 10/10, I love running. The bike…well, that was a different story. The conditions were epically horrendous due to an intense wet snow storm the day before, leaving even the most seasoned winter gravel riders a little nervous. We set out anyway (a friend and I, on the same page thankfully) just to see what we could do. Hilariously, within the first 5 miles, we saw the front of the pack from the longer, earlier race wiz by towards the finish line, looking like a group of little clay men, completely, 100%, utterly drenched in a thick layer of mud. That did not bode well. The gravel roads were, in fact, entirely mud, and then a dense fog rolled in, bringing colder air than I had planned for. We decided to bail after getting uncomfortably and possibly dangerously cold. To be determined if I’m stubborn enough to try it again.
I’m not looking forward to cleaning my bike (and it was one of the cleanest ones out there!)
