"I felt as if I'd awakened the sleeping giant."

Literally rode the bike on to the train this morning. ....by the skin o' my teeth.

Began reading Catch-22 today. If you want to be a cool dude in your late 20s, you need to read it, apparently. I'm sure I will like it. I got it for $4 brand new at the borders next door about 6-8 months ago and also got Heller's last novel, Portrait of an Artist, As an Old Man, even more recently and read that in May. It was okay.

"Right Now" by Van Halen takes me from the platform onto the street today. I'm super-stoked to see Sammy Hagar tomorrow night probably even moreso than Aerosmith. I've always found his lyrics to be inspiring most of the time, fun a little less of the time, and cheesy once in a while. Doesn't matter -- most of the time it's fun and inspiring and that's why Chickenfoot rocks. I'm slow again today and I think it's because the rear tire is a little low. I'm not pushing very hard either but that's okay because I'm in no rush. I ate well last nite and slept too well and didn't have a lot of time to wake up this morning.

"Cosmic Universal Fashion" and "Loud" by Sammy come on as I'm making my way to the highway and on to it. I missed a couple of light I'd normally make. Approaching 12th/WSH, I was on the left side of the street to avoid a car and just then a bus instantly inched out. I felt as if I'd wakened the sleeping giant. I yelled and then started laughing. I bought Cosmic Universal Fashion last June when the Virgin Megastore @ Union Square was going out of business. Those two days were just amazing I bought a ton of good music at maybe 3-4 bucks a pop and it was right before my trip to CO so I could break it in. This was one of those cds and even though I don't love the whole album, I do like a lot of it and there are a few songs that are quite good. (First 2 tracks, esp.) On the whole I think I spent about 100 bucks which is really good considering all the stuff I bought. I skipped out on volleyball one night for it. When other songs come on from those purchases I will go in to more detail because I've got nothing better to think of.

I'm in a good place mentally, emotionally, physically and creatively (I started writing a personal essay about a criteria of jazz I gravitate toward and finished about 5 single-spaced pgs, I'm probably almost done). I suppose it's all downhill from here.

Hitting a good pace today -- not bad for someone who is feeling a little stiff. "Business As Ususal" by Blues Traveler is next and it's fast and furious sans malice. I've been listening to Bastardos! too much lately, especially "Amber Awaits." I'd like to see them live again.

I threw "Jaded" by Aerosmith on the list this morning because I'll be disappointed if they don't play it tomorrow night so I wanted to get it in there. It's got a lot of soul for a latter-day Aerosmith tune. As I crossed the highway via Albany Street "Falling in Love is Hard On the Knees" came on but I made it halfway through by the time I got to the office. When horns accompany an Aerosmith track it usually stands out as one of the better ones and this one is no exception.

We'll see what today brings. Thank you for reading.

another morning in the humidity

I am slow today. My head is cloudy as if I need more caffeine. It's cloudy and I'm listening to "Mean Street," by Van Halen. I guess I get a little dramatic as there are several times I start my ride with the first track off an album. The verse riff in the song is similar to "House of Pain," though.

I am dried out. Parched. ("Master of Light" - Monster Magnet) I stopped at Pier 54 (Hudson River Park) to grab my water bottle and looked up and saw that there was some sort of bike tour group getting ready to go out. But there were lots of boxes (tall, thin rectangles) so it looks like they bought a bunch and right there on the spot started to assemble them. Tourists, maybe?

It was a pretty dull ride on the whole. ("Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle" - Nirvana) Listening to Nirvana, I remember that of all people, Aunt Joyce bought me In Utero for either a holiday or my birthday. I was 13.

"Ace of Spades" by Motorhead came on at around Houston Street and gave me a little boost but I'm just going through the motions. It's humid and I might be conserving energy for the lunch run.

Just before the WFC comes "Funky Crime" by my favorite band ever. Pretty appropriate, all things considered. Jack Irons is an okay drummer but you can hear how he's not very challenging and it is on Mother's Milk where Chad comes in and puts Flea to the test. I would've bought the re-mastered Uplift Mofo Party Plan 4x over by now but there's no urgency since there are no new tracks on there (as opposed to the Mother's Milk re-master which was the best thing since the original was served on sliced bread). I will always have an opinion, comment, or story every time I hear a Chili Peppers song.

Finishing up at the end of the WFCs and onto the street, "I Control, I Fly," by Monster Magnet came on. Wish I could've saved it for tomorrow -- I'm crossing the street and up into the alley.

Thank you for reading.

...am glad I never went that route...

Riding with the backpack on me as opposed to the soft briefcase I'd been using last week. I had contemplated tossing that thing in the trash and I suppose I still should but it's light and gets the job done. Anyway, while the pack isn't heavy today it's filled with food, clothes, books, and papers to be recycled. I'm wearing a sleeve-less tee today, and figure I will change in to one of my shirts in the bathroom before going to my desk and to avoid being seen by anyone at the office. Will do the same thing later for the lunch run.

On my way out of Penn today, I navigated further down the Morning Ride playlist and began with Faith No More's "Epic," which was the anthem of 1989/90. That was one of the very first real "current" rock songs I'd heard as an 8-9 year old having seen it on MTV and it certainly stirred something up. No malice but totally intense, tough, and fun. I even played that song with Graven Image, a heavy metal band I sang for during my senior year of high school with 3 really talented dudes who were a year younger than me. We never played any shows but I loved jamming with these dudes who almost never missed a note and for whom I was certainly the weak link. The guitar player was a cool guy named Ben, and was directly responsible for helping me get Liz's number months after we'd first met in 2005.

"Girls" by Tricky with Anthony & John came on. The whole song is a crescendo and pumps me up. I flew through/under the post office and made my way toward 10th when I saw a white "Empress" limo which I had seen last Thurs or Fri turning around 14th street on the ride back. It was beaten up along its long side in the same spot and had a novelty tire on its side -- there's no way it was a different one. It was parked so I suppose it's being serviced at one of the many spots across from the galleries on 10th ave. Interesting dynamic there. I wonder who was being chauferred in it last week and how much or how little $ that person had. Or was it a prop for a movie?

Was pretty PO'd when I had to stop at the corner. Was just about to cross when someone pulled out of their parallel spot -- I probably could've proceeded but didn't want to chance it.

(Airboune - "Stand Up For Rock & Roll") I heard on the news this morning that a pedestrian punched a PA on the set of the biking movie I'd previously written about. That was up on 104th Street but I just passed where they'd been filming the past couple of weeks. It's a two-way street. When they film in a high-volume spot in Manhattan, some people do not give a shit about you, or your goddamn movie. They shouldn't have to. They certainly don't want to be told by some skinny 20-year-old intern not flashing an NYPD or FDNY badge that they can't cross the street. I get it becuase what if the guy had to see his wife, pick up tickets at a window about to close or had to take a dump? I was almost that PA and am glad I never went that route because nobody respects you. I did it for 6 days in a production office and said the hell with it. (Van Halen - "Unchained") On the other hand, I hope the kid gets some recognition for getting punched out (they showed a photo on tv) and taking one for the team. Next step: PAY HIM MORE MONEY or PROMOTE HIM.

"Radiation Day" by Monster Magnet came on as I was passing the WFCs. This is off the "Monolithic Baby!" album which had eluded me for a long time and I legitimately downloaded for free off a music service's free trial. I can't "not have" a Monster Magnet album. I'd had the song for a while but when they played it live last year at the Gramercy it pushed it over the edge for me. And if you are a fan of "Sons of Anarchy," it was played in the chase of Season 2 Ep. 1.

Coming up Albany and on to Thames (the alleyway that is the lair of Big Al's Pizza, best place around here) was "Let Me Drown" by Soundgarden. The idea of dying while being doused is appealing now as I'm boiling and stuck behind buses before making it up to Broadway.

Thank you for reading.

A lot of stuff for a clear head

On the way up, through the 8th & 33rd exit and into the street, I chose "Doesn't Remind Me" by Audioslave to kick off the ride.

Here's me with an art critic's air, a la "Six Feet Under":

I felt the lyrics of the song -- getting lost in nothing to clear one's head -- reflected my mood which was that of an empty vessel. However the energy of the song and Chris Cornell's fantastic voice was able to wake me up and provide some intensity to my emotionally-neutral state.

That is what I'm thinking, but if I ever say anything like this aloud you have permission to stomp on my foot until I bleed.

Slept miserably last nite b/w 3-5 so it really took its toll on my mind but today I was able to get up with the alarm and have a better breakfast which I believe contributed to a better ride.

Am nearly finished now with the Crosley essays. They are good and realistic and have pushed me to the limit of my estrogen-fueled essay reading and I've had a good idea for an essay for a long time that I may begin writing this weekend.

I am a little tired and didn't need to pedal once I headed south for the whole four blocks from 33rd to 29th, gravity did its job nicely and I'm in no rush.

My next two songs were by Jane's Addiction -- "Price I Pay" and "The Riches" -- off Strays, an album that is probably one of the best I own. It started under the Farley Post Office where for the first time in a while I didn't make the light at 10th street but I don't care too much. These songs are straight rock, subtle at times but they explode often and will knock you on your ass. If this album had come out before Ritual De Lo Habitual, no one would've dismissed it as they do. I'm glad Duff McKagan is now the bassist for the group as he'll probably contribute more rock-based stuff as opposed to some of the wishy-washy stuff that is in my opinion merely good (except "Summertime Rolls" which is too good for words, so I won't write any). Duff is not as versatile as Eric Avery was, so some of the funk will be gone, but I will overlook that for some musical duels with Navarro.

I saw Perry Farrell's Satellite Party at Irving Plaza nearly 3 years ago with a friend and the cool thing was it was a whole Perry Farrell catalog, so he did Jane's, Porno for Pyros and Satellite tunes. It would have been the best show I'd ever seen had it not been 60 minutes (including the encore). The only thing that sucked was that at the end one or two fans made their way on stage at the end of the last song, which I think was "Jane Says," but I had the feeling one was not a fan. He was just some beer-drinking, 200-pound frat-boy who wanted to make it look like he was a rock star. Perry held his arm up as if he were the referee displaying the winner of a boxing match but you can tell he was grimacing and not smiling. When Jane's tours again I want them to do new stuff and Strays stuff and they can omit "Three Days." It's ten minutes long and it's not "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," so don't do it.

I saw/met Perry sometime in late 07-08 right near the Fuse HQ on 7th Ave. I stopped him, shook his hand and told him I was a fan -- he seemed grateful but I think it was too early in the morning for him.

Once I got on the highway I took my water bottle in to my right hand and rode like that all the way down to stay hydrated more readily.

To my left, there's a building where I think they filmed the library ribbon-cutting scene in "Man of the Century." I'd buy that movie again if need be.

Moving south, these tunes took me past the numbered streets and then Metallica's "Better Than You" came on. Haven't heard it in at least a year and I really like it though some of the repetition at the end could've been cut. Had they re-edited the track and dropped 45 seconds it'd be the perfect rock/metal anthem. When I got ReLoad it was 1997 or 98 and my disenchantment with certain friends was beginning and I felt the chorus was my own personal mantra. Now I don't feel I'm competing with anyone other than myself -- I'm enduring the struggle within (nooch) -- but the song really amped me up and I begun flying toward Chambers, through Warren, through the WFCs.

At the corner of Albany Street, a live version of Aerosmith's "Rag Doll" came on and I think I saw some of the women Tyler's describing walking opposite my Dahon. Constant beat, excellent tune -- would work just as well if it were debuted today. Going to see them next week so I'm going to increase my Aerosmith and Hagar listening habits during the rides.

A solid week of subway-less commuting. Sun is shining. I'll endure the air-conditioned nightmare for a little today.

Thank you for reading.

Hangover sans hooch

No intensity today. Two straight days of the roundtrips, the gym (albeit, an abridged session yesterday) and running during lunch will catch up with you. I woke up late and left a wee bit early today so no caffeine. I'll try a new format today.

Chickenfoot - Down the Drain: On my way up to 31st st via the 8th Ave. exit. This song is waking me up a bit. I can't believe I've had this album for over a year.

When I'm this tired, riding is almost as bad as a hangover. I have not had too many hangovers -- my last one was Labor Day weekend 2009 and before that I think it was sometime in 2007 doing comedy after meeting Pablo Francisco. I slept too well and too hard and now I'm paying for it as my legs are on autopilot. I'm going at a good pace but I've got no rage to manufacture and synthesize in to energy.

Civ - Set Your Goals: Totally positive message here as I approach the Highway Crossing. In fact, I make it to the median and then all the southbound traffic makes its way and I'm stuck here. I almost bought a 2-cd Civ set earlier this year but I decided I only need this song and "Can't Wait One Minute More" to hammer the point. "Hammer the point?"

Fishbone - Question of Life: Waited through most of this one at the median and made my way toward Chelsea Piers. Love this song -- so uplifting. If there's an album that needs a remastering, it's "Truth & Soul." Most people (mercifully, thankfully) don't know this but my very first stab at standup was in college as a junior -- I was terrible -- but this was the song the DJ brought me out to at my request. Listen to that horn section! Didn't matter that I stunk, at least you were excited for a few seconds.

The Cult - Fire Woman: I hear this on Matt Pinfield's radio show sometimes in the morning. Totally rocks. I think I remember it from Beavis & Butt-head, too (I'm not confusing it with "Lil Devil"). As I'm making my way parallel to the Meatpacking District where my bachelor party was held, I see a woman to my right walking north with one of those accountant visors on her head covering 98% of her face. Really? Look, I know I appear ridiculous sometimes on the bike or at a bar or in the bathroom but I'm not crunching numbers in the process. There's a reason this woman was power-walking alone. It looked like one of those collars you put around a dog to keep it from stratching its own neck, only spanning the height of her face.

I imagine this is the phone call this morning:

"Jean, I'm leaving to meet you at the pier."
"Oh, Frannie, um, I will be there, I think. I haven't looked out the window yet, how sunny is it today?"
"I wouldn't know, this visor has everything a dull green-gray. Isn't it wonderful?"
"On second though, Fran, I have some, um, errands to run at the library."
" 'At the library?' but--"
~CLICK~

Guns N Roses - Scraped: Three minutes of pure adrenaline. I'm not pissed though, but it's helping me keep my pace. I can't go too slow or else it becomes laborious since I've only got one gear.

Guns N Roses - Locomotive: This'll wake me up. I wonder if Axl was singing about Stephanie Seymour in this one. She may have been the hottest thing on earth at the time of Use Your Illusions' release in 1991 and she's the bride in "November Rain." I heard she was a wretched booze hound so now it seems likely. I'm singing the lower octave parts as I weave through the WFCs and probably sound like a moron who's way off-key. "But love to me's a two-way street and all I really want is peace" -- that's a happy lyrical coincidence as I was crossing Albany street. Just as it was ending on that piano-heavy outro, I pull up to my spot at the building.

Thank you for reading.

The bus and carriage that couldn't slow me down

Today was a great ride. It's been a while since I've felt this good about a ride and the way I feel afterward. Kind of like taking a huge dump and not having to wipe more than once.

With the aid of music, I was able to burn through my four miles quickly and efficiently. I don't think I stopped at one light until I got to Albany Street.

"Ghost" was on the playlist toward the top. I love hearing it as I take 31st to 9th. There's now a giant b&w billboard of Jennifer Aniston in a standing yoga stretch pose promoting water at 30th and 9th. She is aging like wine.

Last nite at the gym I saw I weighed 159 pounds and was momentarily discouraged but beat the hell out of my abs as punishment for 3 days of gluttony. I must've done the right thing because I was just going too fast for most of the cars on the road. I didn't even have to stop to cross the highway (to get on to it).

I was able to preserve a Morning Ride playlist and as I got to Chelsea Piers the best one-two punch of songs came on -- "Porch" by Pearl Jam and "Ride On" by Parliament. See, it doesn't need to be insanely intense all the time but it has to be energetic and show the skills of the musicians and the lyricist.

Last nite, wife, parents and I had a major discussion of future events with regard to long-term dwelling arrangements (not living with them again) and I think that's what was the big push this morning. It's a heavy topic and it's overwhelming and I had a lot of mental energy to burn this morning. I started thinking about children -- I will have children in the not-too-distant future but I've deluded myself in to thinking that my wife will give birth and we'll take home a five-year-old (of indeterminate gender) with a big mouth, a passion for sports and comic books and a wild imagination. I know for a fact when you have a kid, most people ask you about him/her to just relay/compare info about their own -- most times they're not trying to one-up you but it's a force of habit. When they do that to us, I can't wait to say, "but you asked about MY KID!" I know 60-year-old women who do this now about their loser children who are my age.

As I hit Chambers Street today, I could not be stopped. A bus was about to come through it but I had plenty of time to get through, and I pushed even harder and yelled out something incomprehensible but it was along the lines of Face's "Adios, motherfu--" (mercifully cut like that, I'm guessing, to keep it PG-13) in the A-Team movie. Hey, fuck you, that movie rocked! As I was successfully crossing the street, I yelled again: "Lady, look UP!" A mom or nanny with a phone to her ear while pushing a stroller through the obviously marked bikers' lane was having a conversation so intense she was moving at snail-like speed. Yes, I'm yelling, but I can't stop, won't stop and I don't want to hit you or your baby on the way. Give me all the nasty looks you want and yell back, at least you're not hurt. I'm yelling out of self-preservation and genuine concern.

Ate real food and skipped dessert last nite (did have a late-night bowl of cereal though, Total Cinnamon Crunch sprinkled with Cinnamon Roll dessert-protein). I think I did the whole thing today in abouth 20 minutes. Stop thinking about the past. Eat well and envision the future and you'll move well. Thank you for reading. Adios, Motherfu---

Track list today:
Burden in My Hand - Soundgarden (b/w docking in Penn and getting on to 31st)
Ghost - Slash/Ian Astbury
Porch - Pearl Jam
Ride On - Parliament
Burned Bridges - Living Colour
Joker & The Thief - Wolfmother

"Life Won't Wait" at Chambers Street

Called out sick yesterday and ate a ton of food this weekend (including my first dose of french fries in quite a while -- tasty but unnecessary and I forgot to ask for a baked potato instead and couldn't exercise enough self-discipline). Cap that off without dinner last nite and I felt sluggish this morning. This is an extremely uncommon occurrence.

My brother gave me his Ipod which is now deemed obsolete for him so this will hopefully be the last music-less ride via digital transmission. I did have "Life Won't Wait" by Ozzy (new tune) stuck in my head which was really cool because as I approached the crosswalk at Chambers Street a cab had an ad for "Scream," his new album. I thought that was cool and I dig the lyrics a lot and equally love the prominence of the bass in that song, especially when it gets to play the melody between verses. I don't own the album and will wait until J&R puts it on sale during xmas eve.

I finished an essay by Sloane Crosley this morning who really hit upon something interesting -- "after your first poop all by yourself, life is downhill" (paraphrased) in terms of getting a pat on the back. Funny, honest and insightful. Totally true, too.

I periodically think about drugs. I was not, and am not a drug user, but I think about how something as seemingly insignificant as pot ruined several of my friendships and in turn, strengthened the friendships for people I'd moved away from. Now I am some of their facebook friends and I am disgusted with myself. I don't hate them anymore but if I saw most of them as I rode by them I'd say hello and keep going. I used to dwell on this sort of thing but now I meditate on it. I don't need any more "remember-whens." I'll keep my distance and dignity, thank you very much. It wasn't just my friends smoking weed that did it but it was how they traded ambition and potential for the chance to get high at the middle school parking lot during high school off-periods. Then came the ecstasy and when I voiced my genuine concerns about it they looked at me as if I was an earth science teacher asking what had happened to your GPA -- not a concerned friend they'd known all their lives. That was the end of 98/start 99. Once college came around I was mostly done with them and was very happy to have reconnected with other friends during that time.

See what happens if you don't eat dinner? Ghosts take over your thoughts when you should be thinking about the present and the future. I'll have to run today during lunch -- Ipod hopefully in tow -- and burn this away with the french fry grease. The triathlon is in less than 4 weeks now and I need to tap in. Thank you for reading.