A few things

Well I don't really have any one coherent theme for this post. So here are just some random topics (well not just random, how about just unrelated to one another).

Weather

The weather is changing. I love summer and each year I look toward the changing of the seasons with a something bordering on dread. I don't want to be cold, locked up inside etc.

And then the weather changes... and well it's great. Today was the first 'real' fall day in Couer d'Alene and I loved it. I biked a lot (to get to various places) and it was wonderful to be outside in the cold and just feel the crispness of the air.

I think my deep rooted dislike of colder weather goes back to my high school days. I liked high school, actually I think it would be fair to say I loved it (well parts of it). However, it prevented me from doing quite a lot of things. Instead of being out side I was forced to be inside, sitting at a desk. So, I never really got to enjoy the nuances of the colder seasons.

Now that I'm emancipated things are changing. Yes, technically I'm in school, but college is a different beast (well at least for me). I have more free time. I can actually go outside and enjoy the cold weather. So, I'm all ready for the Northwest Winter. It's going to be a good one.

Biking

The last week or so has been an excellent bike week. Unlike today the weather has been warm (actually hot) and the sun has been shining. I've been putting in a lot of miles, going on 40 mile rides every other day or so.

There is something about road biking that is so amazing for me. It's so peaceful, so quite. I'm able to go places and see the natural beauty of this area in way that I never would be able to, if it weren't for my bike.

Plus it is such a clean way of moving. I don't mean environmentally clean (although it is), I mean just clean feeling. It's just you, the bike and the road. If you have a bike that is efficient and tuned up... oh boy, what a great feeling.

The Sentinel

And finally, and definitely not least, the Sentinel. It's production week, so starting yesterday I've been working fairly non-stop. It's a shorter issue, so not as much to do. However, there is still plenty of things going on. I think I said it in my last post but putting out a paper is a pretty amazing process. It's just this huge outburst of energy. When you finish you feel drained, but so good.

And I really love it. Honestly, all the work and frustration aside I love working on the paper.

Well, that is it. I think I'll post a few photos I took last weekend for some college events. I'll throw up the PDF's of the Sentinel when it's all done Sunday at noon. And until then, adios.

Biking into the future

Well, it has finally happened. I've gotten clip in bike pedals. Wonders of wonder, I'm in love. You might ask "What took you so long to make this happen?" And I would respond, "Well, it was a combination of inertia, monetary ineptitude and just plain old fashioned conservatism." Overall very misguided.

For those of you who don't bike, clip in bike pedals are just pedals that you clip your bike shoes into. They have clips that connect with your shoe, thus the name 'Clip in bike pedal' (Wow). So, what is the big advantage? Well it's in the pull. You see when you bike with clips you can both push and pull. Pushing and pulling makes you go faster, which is the only important thing when you bike (just kidding).

So, how did I happen to get myself a pair of 'clips'? You see a few weeks ago I thought to myself, 'Wow, I need some clips.' So I went price shopping. Boy did that change my mind. They are way too expensive. So, I decided I didn't need them. I make an awful lot decisions this way.

Anyways a few days ago I was poking around in my bike stuff. The brakes on my bike have been a little shaky, which is kind of scary. I'll find myself going down a hill, just hoping to god my brakes come through and slow me down before I fly into a busy road or something similar.

Anyways, I was looking into this, trying to fix it, when I came across them. Yes, clips. I couldn't believe it. So, I ran inside to our shoe rack. And sure enough, there they were, bike shoes. All this time! The deal was a good friend of mine, John Sahlin, gave me these shoes and clips almost a year ago. I don't know why I didn't put them on my bike immediately, but I didn't.

So, now I have bike clips. Now I've joined the 21st century biking culture. Well, not exactly. These clips are probably 15 years old, but hey, who cares, they're new to me. That is the great thing about coming late to a fad or technology, the old, outdated stuff seems brand new to you. Plus it's cheap (or free, in my case).

Anyways, I inaugurated them with a nice 30 mile ride. I'll tell you what, it makes a huge difference, gone are the days of just pushing, welcome pull!


Look! Clip in pedals...

... and the bike itself...
... and finally, the inaugural ride.

Hundredth Post

Well, I'm home from my Chicago adventures. It's good to be back. I've been incredibly busy with my new job as the managing editor of NIC's newspaper, The Sentinel. Basically the impetus for creating this post is that I just want to be able to join the hundred post club. I don't know if there is such a thing, but if there is, you can count me in. Because this is my hundredth post!

When I first started blogging. I kind of felt like it had no purpose. Sometimes I still feel like that (like right now, for instance). But generally speaking I feel like blogging is a great way to express what you are seeing and thinking. Everyone has a different perspective, on everything. So, being able to easily publish that on the web is wonderful. Gone are the days of newspapers having hegemonic control over our media consumption.

It also helps to know that you have readers. When I first started blogging I installed a program called Google Analytics. It lets me know when people are looking at my blog, where they are looking at it from (just a general region, no specific addresses), how long they are looking at it and a slew of other things that I don't really understand. It keeps me motivated, so thanks to everyone who has followed this blog.

Speaking of blogging (because that is of what we are speaking) you all should check out my good friend Heidi Groover's blog. She is spending the semester/year in Ghana. She is an amazing writer and is obviously seeing some amazing stuff. So check it out here.

Anyways, I'm going to sign off now. Again, thank you all, your readership means a lot to me. I will post again soon, hopefully it will deal with biking our journalism. We will see!