After 1 Month off/Gina 2 Months

I'd have to say that is probably the longest I have ever  gone without riding in the last 20 years. Felt good to take time off but then it didn't feel good getting back out there ha ha! Legs felt OK, breathing a little harder, but the BELLY! :-O

Oh well, time to gt back into shape, been too long! Gina did pretty well for taking 2 months off. 31 miles at a 15.5 average on a pretty breezy day. Darn headwind felt like it was both ways, I hate them days, no reward for working against the headwind to the beach.

I read the articles about the city giving the homeless 3 weeks to get out. thank goodness! Seems there will be a detour for a few weeks as they fix up the area but hey, I'm down ith it if it means getting the trail back to where it was. I hope it works!

But down in the Fountain Valley area, I could see a few homeless here and there looking as if they are scoping a place for camp. I sure hope they chase those scumbags out right now and don't wait again or all these efforts are pointless.

Having been off the trail for a month, I thought it looked even worse today,. Many more tents in the Honda Center area. But didn't see anybody feeding them there today. Those are the morons they need to stop! A few volunteers near the Rampart area. Hard to see that they have no consideration for the people who live in the condos and continue to attract thugs and scum to the area.

Anyway, I did see several cops that seemed to be raiding the camps. Every time we went by today, 3 times, there were cops stopping someone, or citing them, not sure! But they were there doing something!

                                                                   Did see Alex zoom by!

One of those poor down on their luck Vietnam Vets I guess. Bullshit! Another low life scum bag thug with another bike frame he probably just stole from a hard working citizen, looking to see it for drug money scumbag! ;-)

Looked worse today than last time I rode a month ago. But I did see a few spaces with scum packing their bags! Yes, Leave!

Little More Photography over the Last Week

Having a little more fun with the camera. My granddaughters (16 & 11) love to pose. Might sound strange after you have heard me play my guitar and sing but both of these gals are really really really good singers. Both in drama clubs as well. Trinity the 16 year old is in high school drama as a junior and Franki the 11 year old is in some drama class through an acting school or something like that.

So I took their pics and sent them about 50 shots, they were happy. Then I used Gina as a model again for a few more. :-P

Then I got a call from a pro photographer friend of ours. Tipped me off on a car show going on at a local park. I myself not much into low riders, not really even into car shows. I love an old hopped up Camaro or Malibu with fat tires, hot rod style myself but even then, at Route 66 events, I can look at about 5 cars before I lose interest.

But once I took a few pics of the cars and saw the final results, I was impressed. I'm thinking the cars come out prettier than the people ha ha!

I did try to get Gina to put on a biking for the car show pics but she wouldn't. OK not really, but if I had a nice car, I would! :-P

Few More Days Then Back to the Bike !!!

Ran out of bike motivation after getting this new editing program. What the heck? Have to take some time off the bike now and then. So for now, took a trip to Vegas with family and took the camera along.

Thursday thru Saturday. Freezing cold for us SoCal folk. High winds added to the chill factor and being 45 degrees, I was still able to talk Gina into posing for a few pics without her coat on ha ha!

Me, Then Mike, Then Ron & Dixie

45 miles at 17.4 average speed today. I did the first 12 or so alone because left his shoes at home ha ha! He had to drive back home, get them then meet me on the trail somewhere. Around Kraemer after I hit Weir Cyn alone. I did run into Alex at Yorba Park and had a 20 minute chat thinking Mike might show up there, close.

Then we ran into Ron and Dixie at the coast. Had a little chat then headed back together. I was kind of worried after 2 Thanksgiving celebrations, 2 days, 2 separate dinners. First was a 14 pound turkey, ham, and all the fixings, desserts for just Gina, her Mom and me! Then another complete dinner, actually bigger on Friday, another complete dinner! Probably a good thing I got to do the first section alone, in case I had to throw up or something ha ha!

Mike looked strong but Ron & Dixie really kicked up so I was hoping my turkey wouldn't hold me back today. Thank goodness I was able to hold on, then even took a turn at the front after we settled in. Mike did a pretty good pull on the way back too! He was looking pretty strong but I told him to let me at the front for a while. Figure I could hold a slightly lower steady pace so all could recover. Yeah, so they could punish me again ha ha!

I have to say, WOW, some people are ass hats. I was at the front heading south when we rolled by some lady, yes I know who she is, real ass hat and has been for years. I remember one time years ago she told me that I looked like I was a really good descender because I was heavy but that she bet I was not a very good climber. Luckily a month or so after that I had a chance to ride with her on a forum ride on GMR to the village. Yeah, it was nice kicking the crap out of her on the climb ha ha!

Also on Ride Around the Bear too ha ha! Yeah, good descender lady but I kicked your ass on major climbs too he he he!

Anyway, Mike was on my wheel when we passed her. Politely went around as usual, shout out and my bell. I've been told that I am too polite at times, per The Legend Greg.

We go around, so I thought, I glance back with my peripheral and see a different color jersey. Not Mike! I look back and it't the lady. I guess Mike was going around when she cut him off and shouted, "I'M HERE!".  Mike was somewhat upset so he backed off. Later we stopped at Edna Park for a short break. Forgot to mention we caught this lady from a mile behind.

At the park she asks how far we are riding, 45 or so. She starts talking saying she doesn't want to brag but she has done like 80 double centuries. I was able to be pleasant though I knew she was an ass hat from long ago but Mike had a hard time being polite  ha ha! I listened to her ramble on about herself but didn't remind her how I knew her and our past encounters. Let her think she is something special ha ha!

We let her head out so that she had a good head start. As soon as we got on the trail, Mike said if we catch her again, she might interfere. Heck, Mike took the front like a man on a mission so I knew he wanted to pass her again. Few miles later there she is! He moves over and tells me to pass her ha ha! We were close to the 405 underpass downhill so I slowed the pace and said we ought to pass her on the little steep climb/ramp at the end of the section. Heck, we tried to slow down but at this point, she was not rolling well at all. So we just stepped on it to make sure she couldn't latch back on ha ha!

She upset Mike bumping him off then even more boasting about her accomplishments at the park. I'm a double century rider blah blah blah, I did this and that blah blah blah! In her own words today, "it ain't bragging if it really happened!".

So, yeah, I can see that! You said some stuff you shouldn't have then I kicked your ass. You acted like hot stuff today then we kicked your ass again! Hey, it ain't bragging if it really happened right? Ha ha ha!

So anyway, turns out she's just as much an ass hat today as she was 10 years ago! :-P

Jose R going off road trying to make his way thru the homeless section. :-P

Look at the rocks on Dixie's legs! :-O

I used to think Ron carried Dixie on the tandem but now I'm having to rethink that!

Just kidding Ron! Nice pace out there today!

Then the trash on the trail, Aye! No words to even describe it anymore. They cleaned out Fountain Valley but seems they all moved to Anaheim!

                                                                    TRASH

                      Just a few pics I took last night, practice. Upland gazebo and the Claremont train depot,                                                              no flash night photography.

Another 34 on SART

Mike and I set out to do an easy ride the day after the long 60. Yeah right! 34 miles at 15.8 average speed.

We set out for an easy pace but man what a headwind to the coast! Gave it everything we had to maintain 15, actually 15.1 to the coast. So aiming easy but it wasn't easy and our average would appear to be easy but it wasn't easy ha ha!

One of those days you stop at the park look around and there is no wind blowing through the trees. But get on the bike and it feels like a 25 MPH headwind even though it ain't! :-/

But the way back was much nicer. Holding 17 with a soft pedal. That's what we wanted. So it was an easy ride but it wasn't, not the first half! But after the ride, then it felt like and easy ride ha ha!

                             
                                Yeah, we are smiling at this point because we have a tailwind!

Well not much going on so I figured I would practice with my camera (DLSR). Took some night pics of my hometown, Ontario California. Born and raised there since 1963. Darn I'm getting old! Gina hasn't been in my ride pics lately so I let her model for me ha ha!. Of course she is one of those models who is always cold so she's dressed like she's out skiing and it's only like 66 degrees here ha ha!

Starting to like night photography, NO FLASH! ;-)

Gina's dressed like she's going skiing and it's only like 66 degrees ha ha!

Gina thought if she stood next to the wreath, her head would be in the center. OK Gina, you're not that tall ha ha!

Pretty cool stuff. I need to find a running stream so I can use a neutral density filter. Ya know, darkens sunlight pics so you can use a slow shutter speed to blur moving bodies. Like the leaves, I actually moved the branch with a broomstick ha ha! If I can find a running body of water, I bet that would make for some cool pics with the blurred water and still surroundings. Just some practice.

Also the lights streaming on the freeway, shutter speed of about 1.25 seconds. OF course hard to get a clear shot around here cause the thugs climb out on the freeways and paint on the sings like morons so the cities have installed fences, chicken wire and barbed wire to keep the idiots out. SO that is why my photography sucks ha ha!