tourist

the other day,

 I sat and pondered at Rodin's Gates of Hell, for a longish bit, then pedaled back home, along the river, into a strong, gusty, headwind home.

It's slipped from my grasp, my inspiration.  Not that I've had much directions that I've been headed with the photos I've taken.    but, I have had thoughts, impulses, like the tree on Belmont with the full moon.

I headed down town, to take pictures of the Clothes pin,  it was surrounded by fence, and a few, snapping it themselves.  I ponder, why and what do my photos say?

scratching my head on the way to bed, I'll think just a bit more on it and forget and fall asleep.

get up and ride my bike.

d.

cheers,

shoebox

I took a break from my mom/stepfather's house for a bit and headed out into cold Beaver.

I got to Beaver a day early, to get to spend a bit of extra time with my Mom and Michael (my stepfather, who's been more of a father than my birth father) and help set up for the dinner of 23.

Shoe boxes means, .... that I get all these ideas, thinking, and I need a place to put 'em,... the plans, and dreams, cleverness,... about bikes, tactics, work, art, music ... and now taking pictures...

so I'm jotting them down and slipping them into the shoebox.

the day before Beaver, Thursday I packed my camera, and tripod and went for an easy ride.   Thought I'd just shoot a bit and pedal a bit.  For the most part, I'm off the bike.

The camera, its made me happy.



I like Pittsburgh a lot, I lived there for a bit, way back in one of the dropping outta college times, worked at a Sear portrait studio.   I liked the people, down to earth, but the grime, mills, ruggedness, I guess you take from the land, and then try to live on the land that pays for your food,  its not a pretty town.

I drove down an access road,  you know 23% grade or so, down to the river to take pictures of the bridge.   Did not get a good pic.  but I turned around and the sun had poked out a bit down the river on the smoke stacks, and I liked what I got.

I'm trying to get back into the family thing a bit better,  I've not been the best at it.   

.... riding, cross, and all, its soothed my soul a bit, its taught me to lose, to love the trip, to let me air it out a bit, and I do need  to let go of a few things.

                                                           ahhh, MY MOM !!!

My mom and Michael made a great dinner.

what a great night.

they did a ton of work, and we came together, and shared and drank and ate and hugged

my stepfather, Mr. Michael DiLauro

you're  a good man

I know, soon I am off into a new season of training, and sorta like life, I don't want to make the same mistakes, I want to face my failures, and do what I can to improve.  

and those,....  Them ideas,.... that bubble up in my brain, gotta keep them somewhere, who knows when I'll need them?

Zoikes!  david

1000 words

as long as I'm quiet I can wonder around the set, snap a few pictures, check the Internet, hobnob with co-workers, snack at the craft service table.   the last two days, in a supermarket with a flying pig that talks to shoppers.   

I'm not much of a Holiday party guy.   I  always feel a bit outta the element.

and I've got a few to go to, so I'll muddle through them.

Got some Holga lens, plastic elements/pinhole to use for fun.

They are cheap, and I like using the real thing to create an effect, even though, you can probably do better in post, in manipulating the look of an image.

I'm disappointed in the pinhole lens, a bit washed out/low contrast.  .., needs a bit of a long exposure to capture the light.   Might get a "laser" pinhole lens, I like the look of the pinhole, just need it to work better.

Tomorrow is the BT Xmas cyclomtb follies, maybe I'll take some portraits, who knows how inspired I'll feel in the morning.

but practied a bit on the porch, myself, and my wife Ljiljana

 

to a nap, then slippng into some nicer duds, and out to a Holiday party, joy

cheers, d.

"feed me"

i missed racing Sat.  (I really regret not being at Fairhill)  The week was tough,  I had a painful, stiff neck, like broken ribs painful.  Then slogging through 3days of work.  I got better quick, but that zapping pain, it reminds me, how easy it is to forget about feeling normal.  

Yesterday, I asked my wife, that if I got washy on racing today to prod me on, to get me to go.

I awoke before the alarm and thought, "its cold out", not much I really lose by staying in bed.
but its the MAC, and its my friends, and I nudged myself.   I think part of the wanting to stay in bed part came from me not being fast this year.  I had spurts,  but most of the time was a slogging away.

I think having the Worlds Master Cross races in the US did one thing, re motivate, it created dreams in all of us, that we could put it all together, and somehow have the best day on the bike and be a World Champion.   It made for a deeper, fitter, group of masters here in the MAC area.  I'm not going to Worlds, but the ones from this area that go, I root with my whole spirit that they win. 

I love to compete, I'm not out there on the bike not to win.   and despite, maybe me letting you by, or traveling to a race with you, I'll do all in my mind and legs I can to crush you on the course.

 its not hard to say good-bye to this season, its been a good one, with fast grey beards, a great MAC series, a mix of riding conditions.

People put a lot of love, and time into making it happen, and I really enjoy what they give,

thanks for the races, the beers, the cheers, and fucking kicking my ass.

Cheers!  David

Champion

ah I'm sitting with a large bottle to my left and an almost empty glass on my right.

I've gotten back from taken some pictures at Belmont Plateau, of the tree I love.

Its a hard thing to do, to point the lens at darkness, to press the shutter release, and wait 25 seconds,
to peer into the little screen and try to decipher if its there, or not.

my racing season, its been a really enjoyable one.   Not in my results.  Not in being fast.  Just facing my battles, feeling human, fragile, feeling speed and the blur of air,

I'll sleep in tomorrow, and spin a bit, ... not going to race, despite,... the need to race.  and Sunday, that's the end of the MAC, the real racing.  The End.  Then  a couple of fun races, non-sanctioned bro-hood shit.
and then the dreams of next season,... I will be faster, fitter, smarter, next year.

Cheers, and I hope to get out on a ride with ya soon.  d.