The Second Final Day of the Year (With A Head Full Of Steam) / #48 / 766

850am

Train was a little late today and for a moment there on the Jam. platform I regretted not just taking the subway. Not b/c it's colder but because I have work to wrap up.

The last couple of nights were tough. Up late writing. Last night was the first assignment for the Cleveland lawyer and that was after one Maker's Mark and a Heineken courtesy of the holiday party. Yesterday was also the half-day orientation, which is when I got the assignment.  The last time I got a press release assignment it didn't go so well and I at least had the foresight to ask for the finished product and to read up on the subject so I feel better about this one.  Plus I was able to touch it up a bit on the train -- so this smartphone did come in handy. Hope this works out.

Upon revisiting the previous Final Ride entry, and I think I remember the ride itself pretty well -- or at least its tone -- one can sense the reluctance.  Grandma had passed and the bait & switch had me down. It did not inspire me to rise to the occasion.  Most times I can pull it off but then, I just couldn't.  It worked out better because I was able to establish myself as a freelancer a bit and now I'll be moving away from legal and publishing altogether and into an industry and role that will work out better.  The hours may be a little longer in the beginning but I can make that work.

I keep moving on "With A Head Full Of Steam," and I'm keeping the door open for all sorts of writing. I think I feel better about everything b/c of the supplemental work I'll be doing.  Though that really started in Feb., I had to exhume the writer within in late July and I'm so glad I did.

I moved pretty quickly and did not bring the lock.  My left side is still a little tender so we'll see what's up with that.

Ending on a high note. The music will fuel me through whatever's next.

Thank you for reading.

Playlist:
2. Gamma Ray - "One With The World"
3. Helloween - "Ride The Sky"
4: RHCP - "We Believe"


515pm

The return ride was all Armored Saint. It was easier for me to leave this time around. No more immediate co-workers so with the exception of a few people who stay after 5 on a Friday, it was business as usual.

It's still pretty warm and I remember this sort of ride at this time in January and I was consumed by a false confidence.  "I Want Out" and "Tainted Past" were certainly the themes of the day back then. Now it's "Win Hands Down." I'm forcing it a tiny bit, I confess, but I know in the long-run I made this all work out.

Thank you for reading.

Second Penultimate Day of 2015 - #47 / 765

9am

It's 10 degrees cooler today -- yesterday's outershirt is my undershirt -- but still nice enough.  No gloves so I'm a little chilly but no big deal.

This is the 2nd penultimate ALM day of the year and it's a pretty good feeling to know the next step will almost-undoubtedly be better than the last departure.

There was a black guy shouting undecipherable at the skies as I got on to the bridge.  I was listening to "March Of Time" as I was arriving.  Even though things sometimes seem cyclical time does not care about us one way or another.

My left leg has a little pain/soreness and though I wanted to hit the gym tonight and crank out my legs.

It's odd -- By year's end I will have had 4 jobs this year, excluding remote work:

ALM
The BigLaw that dare not speak its name
ALM
AIT

And that excludes the freelancing, which I feel good about.  I have a lot to say about it that I want to chronicle.

It's almost over.

Thank you for reading.

Playlist:
Van Halen - "Unchained"
Chris Stills - "Live to Live"
Iron Maiden - "Wildest Dreams"
Accept - "Balls To The Wall"

No Headphones? Final Tues - #46 / 764

9am

It's sunny and in the low 60s.  I'm leaving that black sweatshirt home today.  I believed I foolishly left clothes and music home, so I had Helloween's Keeper Part II playing on the phone but it was barely audible.  I'm pretty tired from last night's impromptu gym session but it's a good feeling of tiredness. My arms were shredded for sure so that's great. Tomorrow night I'll hit it again and do my shoulders and legs.

I'm hoping to meet the lawyer for whom I write today but we'll see if that happens.

I'm not moving as fast as I'd like but that's to be expected.  I have to crank out a post for him soon, too.

There's a major feeling of relief I'm experiencing knowing that this is all over soon.  I'll resume morning runs and productive commutes.

Thank you for reading.

Cloudy with a chance of final Monday / #45 / 763

915am

The connecting train was late at Jamaica but whatever. It's so warm but very foggy. My mother-in-law was right about the visibility.

There was a woman on Jay Street who did not feel it necessary to cross at the light, in plain sight, with a baby carriage.  Yes, traffic had stopped but any one of us cyclists could've collided with her.  I laughed out of sheer disgust.

This is the last Monday I'll be making this trip.  This is closer to the way I wanted to go out.  I don't think anyone will make an offer to keep me b/c the point was to phase it out.  That's ok b/c I am ready for something different.

Into The Abyss

I moved pretty quickly all things considered.  Some TL&C driver almost hit me as I was listening to the last song and wondering where it was during high school.

Thank you for reading.


Playlist:
Rollins Band: Too Much Rock & Roll, Up For It
Foo Fighters: Savior Breath, Long Road To Ruin
Overkill: In Union We Stand

In Union We Stand - #44 / 762

9am

Now that I've accepted the job it's just a matter of the start date. Today is in the low 60s.  I'm so thankful for this weather.

On Jay Street at the light to cross at Tillary, I saw a dude getting arrested and the cops pulled a bottle of pills from the perp's pocket.

The "Iron Rooster" is a good song and I will love it but it was too mellow for my ride.

I made it on to the bridge and was fighting a headache. The construction at the top forces me to the left after months of going to the right.

At that well-timed moment, "Anything My Mama Don't Like" came on and I felt pretty good again.

The ride is pretty uneventful and I'm operating on muscle memory, which is fine.  There's potentially only a week left of these rides and I'm looking forward to something new.

Thank you for reading.

Playlist:
1. Foo Fighters: "Neverending Sigh"
3. Riot: "Thundersteel"
5. Foo Fighters: "Walk"

Monster ride - #43 / 761

9am

Preparing to formally accept the new job. I'm so much more excited for it than I was for the biglaw spot a year ago.

It is taking too long to get to DeKalb.  I have the timing of the lights and the rhythm of the streets down to a science.

It's glorious outside. It's in the 50s. Absurdly wonderful.

On the bridge I remember now that yesterday or Tuesday there were a bunch of people in Batman clothes followed by slightly fewer in Superman clothes.  Not sure what that was about but my guess is that it's related to movie's marketing campaign.

I feel so much better about this whole scenario. It took another year to get it right.

Thank you for reading.

Playlist:
Monster Magnet: "Perish In Fire," "Silver Future," "Live For the Moment"
Judas Priest: "You've Got Another Thing Comin'"

Just Keep Walking - #42 / 760

905am

It's a little bit nippy out but it's still in the high-40s. My #2s are knocking me out. They are taking too long and I'm wondering if it's b/c I'm eating cashews at work.  That really shouldn't be the reason but it's possible.

It dawned on me that it was last Tuesday, on arguably the hardest day of the year, that the opportunities arose.  I had no expectations on the job front on that day so I should continue to be glad something came up. I admit I want people to just instantly like and hire me so that I can leave behind the stress of the last X-amount of years -- particularly 2015.  Yesterday I felt some cynicism and paranoia and I'll try to burn that off today. I'd like to hit the gym later, too. I think that will help.

On Jay Street a guy just kept walking diagonally into the bike lane though he saw me coming. If he were standing still I could move around him but when he's already moving and directly in to the spot where I could maneuver it's frustrating.  I suggested he "just keep walking," and if he responded I missed it due to speed and Queensryche.

I've got a bunch of work to do today as well. I have to make a table, which is not my forte.

There are also bills to pay.

Thank you for reading.


Playlist:
Queensryche - "Hellfire," "Toxic Remedy"
Helloween - "Open Your Life"
The Answer - "Never Too Late," "Highwater or Hell"

Try Not Complaining - #41 / 759

9am

I was in a Helloween mood but cut it short to adhere to my playlist.

It's still warm out.  I picked up some new metal songs from a free sampler and Rubikon's "Live That Lie," is one of them.  It stands out from most of the others in that you can actually understand the singer and it's a little bit more of a blues-based/hard rock feel.  The little riff they keep repeating is good but it's too repetitive and they should improvise a bit more. The guitarist deviates once and I'm sure it was a relief for him but in the 2nd verse that should be the norm. Take a page from Flea and Frusciante on Stadium Arcadium.

I read an article in MH this morning about not complaining for a whole week.  That's a lot.  I'll try for today.  I already started on the train this morning when a woman started clipping her nails.

I want this new job at the TIA.  I want to try something new, in a new year and do some good work. I feel like the legal stuff I do has run its course. I do my best but I'm ready to move on.

I'm moving ok but not terribly fast. I'm really exhausted but literally cannot afford to miss a day of work b/c I will not get paid for it.

Let's see if I can keep the "not complaining" thing going.

Thank you for reading.

Playlist:
Your Highness Electric - "Bob. Sugar. Sex. Magic." "Picture That With Teeth"
Volbeat - "A New Day"
Ex Libris - "Suspended Animation"

Comp in the Pack #40 / 758

912am

That 818 train moves nice and slow. Missed 806 by a minute this morning it was my own fault for expecting a spot at that time.  One reason I hope I get this new job is so that I can park the full-size bike to the station again.

I have the MacBook in my pack and it's pretty heavy, so I left the lock home.

I hi the gym yesterday but my legs are better than they were last Monday.  It's not all that cold yet, which is great.  There's nothing really interesting out here today.

I worked pretty hard this weekend so that this morning wouldn't be a struggle.  I want to get in and out.  I feel badly that I always drop the ball on the holidays for gifts b/c working on the NY project sucks the life and attention out of me.

My arms feel pretty torn up (in a good way) and that's all thanks to the ropes.  I just beat the light at the Bridge entrance after and passed a bunch of people on full size bikes as I made the ascent.

I focus on all the things I'd have liked to have said on Thurs morning during my interviews but I will just have to think positively.  The guy I know there keeps endorsing me on LinkedIn, which is really nice and hopefully he's talking me up.

It was good to be a full-time dad this weekend but I needed the kid to nap yesterday.

It's all good. Hopefully the ghostwritten post will go well, too and that will be that.

Thank you for reading.

Playlist:
The Answer: "Concrete," "You Call Yourself A Friend"
Shockmachine: "Searching For Love," "I'm Gone"
Soundgarden: "A Thousand Days Before"

Revelatory Ride #39 / 757

858am

This is the 3rd of 3 rides this week.  Yesterday was a job interview at TIA and I'm pretty hopeful about it but already preparing for whatever's next.

I'm glad I rode Weds., b/c the subway only cost $11 instead of 16.50.  There will be breakfast awaiting me at work but it will likely be carbtastic.  Happy to have it though.

There's a jacked black guy in front of me on a bike and he's got no helmet and wearing bike shorts. He must be full of fire b/c even though it's not icy, it's certainly chilly.

It was a really rough Mon-Weds. I got home late each day just to publish the NY issue.

I'm hoping to hit the gym this weekend hard and be outside with Miri and see "Creed" with Dad.

The more I listen to Gamma Ray's "Revelation," the final song on the list this morning, I love it. It's operatic and grandiose but metal all the way.  Turns out that it's not Kai's song, but who cares? He aspired to make Queen-type material, and this is it for sure.

I will have to work over the weekend but I will bill for it this time.

Thank you for reading.

Playlist:

The Sword - "Warp Riders"
Queensryche - "Bulletproof"
Agent Steel - "Apocalypse"

Playing Catch-Up - #35-38 / 753-756

Wow it's been a week since I've chronicled anything.

I rode last Tues and Weds, and this past Mon and Today.

I don't recall much of Monday other than the music in the morning, which was the new Foo Fighters EP.  They are a class act.  Free music that is far better than most other things out there for purchase.

I saw an old acquaintance from HS on the train for the first half of the commute which was cool.
This morning was a little damp on the roads. Agent Steel was blasting away it was a little too loud.

I've been working really late and a little early and there's even more to do. Yesterday should've been the worst of it. I'm glad I took the subway b/c the rain was unpredictable and my eyes were so shot I would've been my own worst enemy.

I have not seen Miri since Sunday night.  I want to get this work done and be home with her.

Thanks for reading.