Flatland Cruiser

There aren't too many flat areas to ride a 40-pound beach cruiser around the part of Rancho Cucamonga where we live.  The nearest flat area is across the street at the Day Creek Intermediate School parking lot and looks like we're gonna be spending most summer afternoon there riding and skating.  I sold my track bike a month ago but ended up buying this Fat Tire beach cruiser (made by Schwinn) from craigslist.  This is way cooler than any bike I've ever owned and obviously, Sam and JJ had taken a liking to it. 

(I obviously like Fat Tire beer as well but it'll be a few years before either kid gets to enjoy my private stash in the fridge.)

Postcard

The whole intent was to get a project car, spend a little bit of time and money restoring it, and get something running within a year.  That was the original intent in buying the '69 Corvette on May 14, 2001 from this guy in Ontario, something for Maura to drive around when she did not have the kids with her.  I started on the clutch replacement within a month which required dropping the transmission and keeping the car's four wheels on jackstands.  Well, shit happens and next thing I knew, life just got too busy and soon enough, everything got turned completely upside down and it's December 2010, we've moved from the Pasadena house to Rancho Cucamonga.  And the Vette was still on the same jackstands from 9 years ago.  I finally put the clutch together around November 2010, installed new brakes and decided to get the car painted.  It took it to McJack's in Anaheim until early May 2011 to get the car repainted (along with several other body and engine fixes).  Last weekend, I finally took all my paperwork to the local AAA office to get the DMV transfer of ownership when I noticed the date both on the bill of sale and on the form I was filling out.  Last Saturday, May 14th, I ended up registering the car exactly 10 years to the day Maura and I bought it.  When I took it in to be painted, I had planned on getting the car running in March of this year but the delays that led to these exact milestone dates is just way too coincidental.  Somehow, my gut instinct tells me this is just another postcard from her.

Welcome Home, Baby!

After 4 1/2 months in the shop getting stripped, sanded, primed, painted, all chrome had been reinstalled and today, I finally drove Maura's car around the neighborhood in Rancho Cucamonga.  Didn't go too far since I don't have tags yet but hopefully as early as tomorrow, I can get some temporaries.  She and I talked about getting it running in 2007 but obviously, more important things bubbled to the top of what got done.  She loved this car even though it was a project (non-running) car for most of the time we owned it.

Fat Tire Cruiser

When I sold my track bike to this kid who drove down from Fresno last week, I was really appreciative of the fact that he went well out of his way to get this bike.  Not having raced the velodrome in at least 15 years, I knew I would probably never ride the track again.  However, the law of zero sum game means the bike I got rid of needs to be replaced by another bike.  Enter this craigslist ad from Thousand Oaks for a Fat Tire cruiser.  Yes, T Oaks is 90 miles from Rancho Cucamonga.  But just like this kid from Fresno, I drove all those miles for a bike.  A used one but still in mint condition, sold by a lady who used to work at New Belgium Brewing Company.  This is one heavy cruiser, complete with springer front end, fake gas tank which is actually a compartment for a horn, bike rack and bell with Fat Tire logo.  Not quite Pee Wee's bike but close.  This one will sit in my living room.

"Ten Practice Courts, Pasadena High School" (2011)

Five practice tennis courts face east and another five face west.  On occasion, a ball clears the top of an east-facing court and ends up on the west-facing side.  Each wall had survived taggers and hundreds of thousands of hits from students, weekend athletes and serious ballers.  Pasadena High School opens its athletic facilities to the community every weekend and is a place where neighbors meet.  Each photograph has a shadow that reveals the court's orientation relative to the afternoon Saturday sun.

The Photographic Moment

For years, I've been carrying a camera in my car and this shot was taken while waiting for the light to get on the 210 Freeway on Day Creek Blvd.  The late winter afternoon sun filled the opening between the eastbound and westbound lanes and as I turned this runner was crossing my field of view.

Hammer Time

After six 1-hr rides in 3 weeks on the Bianchi cruiser bike, I've decided to get serious and get myself new cycling shoes (Pearl Izumi) and new gloves from REI in Rancho.  Today, I went up Day Creek Blvd twice on my road bike and actually felt good.  I miss the feeling of going uphill and reaching the top -- like stopping after hitting my head with a hammer.  I vividly remember this guy from the Montrose ride, Arsenio.  He only rode an hour every day and does the 65 mile club ride every Saturday and somehow he stays in racing condition.  Not that I even remotely consider bike racing again but it just feels good to be in shape and go up the hills fast.  Nonetheless, I have an hour to ride everyday (given work and home constraints) but I am definitely on the "Arsenio Program" -- hammer hard for an hour to get in fast and strong.  I'm not quite there yet but by the start of summer, I'll probably be shaving my legs again.