clean, now some drastic measures

Seth was making fun of me today because i don't have my dissertation done. How can a guy who can barely write a full sentence say anything about how long it's taking me to finish. I mean, seth can't even spell, which raises a question i have been meaning to ask him: just what is a "disunctional brother"? Do you even know what unction means? I admire your attempt to use big words, but using them incorrecty makes you sound, well to put it simply, ignorant. What can you expect from a guy who makes his living drawing pictures.

Speaking of the dissertation, my house is finally clean. I even found a solution for the pile of bikes in my front room that was always a pain in the ass.

It took a good four days, but i have cleansed top to bottom, thrown out all the odd papers that have been accumulating, put away all the clutter that had been gathering dust (i realized i had some stuff in my front room that had been there since my parents moved last january--that's almost a year), organized files, swept, mopped, dusted, scrubbed, and vacummed and now i'm ready to start writing. Really!

I also have a plan to take care of my two biggest distractions. I am taking the following items and leaving them at my dad's house tomorrow:

Yes, my router. Without this, no internet, which means no easy distractions. It's amazing how "just checking my email" turns into 2 hrs. of watching youtube. I also often get distracted when i need to "look something up for my dissertation." Then i end up doing more research and reading and chasing articles that i think might be relevant for days, but i've solved that problem as well. I'll keep a little pad and pen right next to my laptop and whenever there's something i need to find or look up i'll write it down, and then once every day or two i can look up everything at once.


This is the key to my u-lock. I've still got a little more than a week until i start riding again, but i'm turning this key over to my dad until my dissertation is done.

i think this might motivate me. I'm sure i'll still find plenty of ways to procrastinate--i've got a stack of books i'd like to read, i'd like to go snowboarding or skiing with all the new snow, and i can always find other house projects--but starting tomorrow i'm in writing lockdown.

2 love poems (kind of)

drowning in the thoughts of could have been
could not be, but so much wanted
in the always better thoughts of what was
and what is now
love sinks my heart to the restless long
for what
i'm not really sure?
someone to sex
or maybe just lie next to
or maybe lie next to everynight
meaning someone to tell my secrets to
when the lights are out
and all else is done

___________

betweeen the covers of a new morning
slipped from yesterday
into tomorrow where lovers
pull tighter afraid of what might
come or has already started to
ebb and flow in the
ebb and flow of like lust love
and boredom
little really changes

2 poems

a vika

i sent a message
through water and darkness

i asked her to not be jealous,
to find you, to sit on your shoulder
and whisper my words in your ear.

i left your name for the waves to carry away

i thought it might make a difference,
but it didn't and all i can think of is
curry-stained tinfoil, torn bags, and empty plastic bottles
ugly and ubiquitous.


___________


@ Liahona
the Lamanites shot up the dance party.
No one knows where they got the piece,
but two people got hit and one had
to go to the hospital to have a bullet
removed from his knee.

In Zion
on the King's birthday someone
celebrated by shooting up a party.
Tevita wasn't as lucky as the people
@ Liahona. Just out of high school
and his family is preparing a putu.

In Cisco
democracy took a hit on HWY 101.
Purple and black are draped
around the homeland and
bodies are prepared for the return.
A policeman dies, suspicions rise,
and nothing seems adequate.

more cleaning and maintenance

Besides the house, there are plenty of other things to clean. I used to be notorious for having dirty bikes, but not since i've been working on my dissertation. Now i have the cleanest bikes around (besides my brother-in-law Joe). In addition to cleaning, bikes also require regular maintenance, you know, lubing the chain, truing the wheels, replacing worn or sticky cables, etc. This is especially true during cross season when the mud wreaks havoc on all those moving parts.

First clean:
Since i forgot to stop by the car wash on the way home the other day and my hose was frozen solid i had to wash the bike in the shower.



I had to shovel all the dirt out of the bath.

Then maintain:

Joe has a nice bike work room right in his house. I'm not so lucky, i have to work on my bikes in the kitchen.


Replacing a worn bottom bracket.

Total time spent on cleaning and maintaining bike that could have been spent writing: 2.5 hrs. Total time spent cleaning the bathtub afterwards: .5 hrs. Doesn't necessarily seem like a lot, but when you have multiple bikes to maintain, it adds up quickly. I still haven't cleaned the bottom bracket or changed the cables on my niner since i've been back from Costa Rica. I'll save that for another day over the break when i don't want to write.

'ol standard

Cleaning the house, the classic procrastination technique. Whether it be just a quick mop up or a deep, full house cleaning, this is always good for something.

BEFORE



AFTER



Yes, i'm cleaning the house today. I've actually been at it for a good week now, one room at a time. I have the extra incentive that the girl i recently had a small crush on told me one of the reasons (among many) that she wasn't interested in seeing me anymore was because my house is too messy (and i'm a messy eater). Kind of funny, but maybe a little true. I say clutter is the sign of genius.

pumpkin

Cooking is always a good way to procrastinate writing. Today while cleaning the kitchen (yes, another effective procrastination technique), i kept having to move around a few pumpkins i still had from the garden. I decided to make the best of them.


Farfalle with habanero pumpkin sauce and goat cheese


Pumpkin potato curry soup



Criolla Sella Pumpkin Pie

I love cooking. Actually, more accurately, i love eating. I love cooking because it gives me the opportunity to make good stuff to eat and invite people over to eat with. It occurred to me today, however, that i haven't done much cooking in the last few months. Nor have i been very social.

why stacey k. should take me to her work christmas party

1. i think dairy princesses are hot.
2. i already know most of the people she works with so she wouldn't have to introduce me to everyone.
3. Leos and Virgos are compatible.
4. i went to the sundance film festival once too.
5. i have a job.
6. i think seals are cute.
7. i have a barbecue.
8. i rode a horse once.
9. i'm free on dec. 17th
10. i still remember her with fondness everytime i listen to Amos Lee (well, most of the time; ok, sometimes; alright, occasionally.)

learn how to bunnyhop (sort of)

Seth shows how to bunnyhop a log with flawless form.

Redemption (sort of)

After last week's disastrous results i was determined to do better today, especially since it was the last race of the season. I was able to get more sleep this week (though i was out late last night), and did get some riding in despite a few storms.

A big storm rolled in last night, so it looked like we would have similar conditions to last week. Ogden didn't get quite as much snow, however, and it was a little bit warmer, so the snow was much wetter. It was snowy, muddy, and sloppy, but no ice, so i managed to stay upright for most of the race.

After two spectacular crashes in the first lap that set me back a little, including an over-the-handlebar endo, i managed to settle into a pace and reel in and pass half a dozen other riders. I finished in 7th. I would've liked top five, but 7th beats the hell out of 19th, so i'm happy about that. Now it's time to put the bikes up for a few weeks and relax before i start training again in january. Good thing because i have a dissertation to finish.

snowcross

Evidently it was pretty warm in SLC (50s-60s) while i was in Costa Rica, but it's been pretty chilly since i got home. That finally turned into snow this week when we got a storm on tuesday. A little rain melted most of that off yesterday, but i woke up this morning to a fresh four inches and counting of snow. The dogs loved the new snow.




Ah, perfect for a cross race.

I knew i was in trouble, however, when my hr jumped almost immediately to 160+ on my easy warm-up ride from my house to wheeler. This week was one of my heavy grading weeks, so i was up late most nights reading sixty 12-14 page freshman college papers. On account of the grading i didn't get any riding in all week either. On top of that add a minor heartbreak and you have a bad combination for bike racing.

But i was hoping that the week off would be a benefit coming off of the La Ruta experience. I got to Wheeler in time to check in and pre-ride the course once before they called us up. The four inches of new snow wasn't much of a problem. The base of ice underneath the new snow was. Tuesday's snow had melted off during the weeks' freeze/thaw cycles, but lots of people had been riding wheeler all week, so under the new snow was a good solid layer of ice on much of the course. The biggest problem was that you couldn't see where the ice was under the new snow.



The race started and i stayed with the lead group for the first half of the first lap, then around a wide turn i hit some ice and went down. I jumped back on my bike and realized my chain had also come off. By the time i got that fixed and got back on my bike again half the field had passed me. This was just the beginning of what would become a 45-minute exercise in keeping both wheels on the ground. I was largely unsuccesful. As the race continued, and i continued to pull myself out of the bushes and pick myself up off the ground, i got passed by just about everyone. i didn't necessarily feel tired, but it was obvious that i didn't have anything in me. It didn't help that i went down a good two dozen times (sometimes even in the same spot-you think i'd learn).




I got lapped on the last lap and came in 19th. Easily my worst race of the season. Lesson learned: no sleep, no riding, and and even minor heartbreak equal bad (real bad) race results. At least this didn't happen to me though. Bummer for this guy.