My Achin' Bones

One cool thing about Radiology Departments today is the digital x-ray machines. I was able to request a CD of all images taken of my elbows and wrist. I'm glad they included the wrist x-rays because I hadn't seen the screw holding my large scaphoid bone together (doored by car in Balitmore, 2005). The elbows are feeling quite stiff today; I'm not enjoying the constant dull ache, but look forward to a full recovery. Gotta' stay positive.

Holy Broken Elbows!

I'll be typing for Mike for a while... He's got TWO broken elbows.

After a great day of mountain biking with Alex at Blue Mountain Reservation (where he cleaned most of the gnarly sections) he almost had a collision with another cyclist 20 feet from our front steps. Avoiding the other cyclist meant stopping short after coming down a hill at high speed and flying over the handle bars (only to break his fall by putting his hands out in front of him). He got right up and carried his bike up all five flights of stairs to our apartment (the other cyclist didn't even stop!). He called me at work and assured me that he just had a bad sprain but...

When I got home from work he had already packed a bag to go to the ER and off we went.

Serious kudos to the people at the Columbia Presbyterian ER on Broadway...We were in and out in two hours flat.

Here's the prognosis: He has almost identical breaks in the tips of his radius bones, just at the top where they meet the humerus bone at the elbow. He doesn't have either arm in a cast because with this type of break it is important to keep his joints moving. He's doing alright but it's gonna be a while before he can ride again.

We'll report more when we pick up the digital x-rays we requested from the hospital.

-Natasha

Home Made Marmalade

Lately, I've been cooking a lot. Not so much in the way of meals, but more in the way of sauces. I must say my BYFO [Burn Your Face Off] wing sauce is worthy of bragging rights. Last week I caught Ina Garten making marmalade on the boob tube and moved making marmalade to the top of my list. So, last night I chopped up four large oranges, two lemons and boiled them down with a ton of sugar. After letting them sit over night, I simmered them for another two hours this morning, and then brought them up to 220 degrees to finish them off. I loaded the jam into sterilized mason jars and was good to go. They seem to have gelled up nicely and I'll be enjoying my labor on a fresh baguette with coffee, tomorrow morning before I head out for more mountain biking in Peekskill.

Blue Mountain Reservation

Today I rode the singlespeed at Blue Mountain Reservation, which is about 40 miles north of New York City in the city of Peekskill, NY. [Trail Information here] After weeks of riding Cunningham Park in Queens, this was a breath of fresh air. The landscape and scenery are completely different.

I spent about 45 minutes on a Metro North Train to get up to Peekskill and then pedaled for about 2 miles to reach the park entrance. Once I got there I wasn't able to find any trail maps so I just set off into the woods. Wow, what an extensive system of singletrack!

Ten minutes into the ride the sky turned purple; shortly thereafter the clouds let loose with a storm of biblical proportions. Thunder cracked loudly above me and the rain came down in sheets. Leafy branches fluttered and sagged low. Rocks became slicker than snot. I huddled under a young sapling for a moment assessing the situation. While becoming soaked to the bone, crouched beneath a pitiful shelter from the storm, I decided I'd be just as wet swinging my way down through the trails, so I set the cranks in motion again.

The beautifully blazed 18” wide trail wound through dark, lush, pine forest cutting it's way though loamy soil, large fern beds and over large amounts of exposed rock. Logs, build-ups and rock roll-downs littered the trail nearly every 20 feet. There wasn't much in the way of elevation changes although it is much more hilly than Cunningham Park. At one point I stopped to let several PSI out of my tires to get better traction and I was happy for the suspension that it provided. While pedaling and exploring, a couple lines from a Robert Frost poem came to mind:

"The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep."

I rode for about two hours before making my way back into town and over to the Train Station. A quick bike wash in the Hudson River cleaned the majority of mud off my ride and I caught an express train back to Manhattan.

Can't wait to head back there on Thursday after the trails have dried out!

More trail images here:

• Blue Mountain Reservation Pictures
  

Vacation Time

I've been enjoying my vacation. I had planned to do a lot of riding and it looks like that's what is shaping up to happen. I attempted to ride at Highbridge Park on Saturday but the trails were almost unrideable with all the blow-downs. This past month of storms really put a hurting on this park. Such was not the case today though, as a good friend and I rode the bejeezus out of Cunningham park. The trails were in remarkable shape despite the amount of rain we've received this past month. Can't wait for tomorrow. I'll be heading up to Peeksville, NY to ride at Blue Mountain Reservation.

Driftwood Scluptures

Every time I ride the Manhattan Greenway Path I enjoy the folky driftwood sculptures which someone has created. I don't know who is making these sculptures but I have to say that I like them. A bit of googling did not turn up too much information on them. Although they are mentioned here and there. These sculptures are just part of what makes NYC such a great place to live. There's an anonymity about this city that seems to encourage people to do as they feel without risk of judgment or criticism - at least that's how this city makes me feel. I love it.

Gettin' jiggy on the A

I meant to post this image last weekend but life has been busy lately. I'm really looking forward to finishing this Psych class I'm taking at Lehman College.

Image taken last weekend on the A Train.

Boy Scout

I saw this character and his dog crossing 32nd Street this afternoon. He reminded me of one of my parent's nativity scene figurines; the shepherd who carries a lamb draped over his shoulders. I knelt down and snapped a few quick photos of him and his little friend and on the last shutter release, he looked over and smiled at me. I got up smiling and said "take care" as Natasha and I made our way down the 7th Avenue.


I didn't realize until I got home, that he and his dog were not alone. I noticed the woman standing next to him and that, like a gentlemen, he had given her his arm. Perhaps he was carrying her blue bag as well? Is it his mother? His girlfriend? A random stranger?

He's just another particle in the construct of this great city, like his shirt says: NEW YORK FUCKIN' CITY!

Red Hook Part Deaux

One more from a visit to the Red Hook Grain Terminal in Brooklyn this past weekend. Haven't been there since December.

Nighty Night

I've been taking a Psychology class at Lehman College in the Bronx this month. (A 3 credit class crammed into one month; wish me luck) Each night I get out of class at 10:00pm I can't help but frame scenes around the campus in my mind. The other night I took my camera and tripod and had a short period of fun before Campus Security forced me to stop. I was only able to pull off one capture that I'm fairly pleased with.
Here is an additional shot of this building taken head on.
Manually exposed for 1 second at f/2.8 using a 50mm prime.

No love today

That's right. None. Yesterday was great and I happily rode to work, but today, I had to walk/take the train. It's not the worst thing in the world, but this morning's conditions were totally fabulous for riding. The Broadway Bridge was looking particularly stellar this morning. The Harlem Canal, though nastier than nasty, seemed to almost mimic that of a pure,babbling, country stream. It was the kind of morning that puts Stravinsky's Rite of Spring in your head. Nevertheless, I took the train to Yonkers for 9 hours of "fun".

I think I'll have to take the blinglespeed over to Highbridge Park for some dirt after work.

Cunningham Park - Jamaica, Queens

I was up and at em' this morning to met a buddy in Jamaica at 8:45. Only took me 1:15 from phattire headquarters in uptown Manhattan. Lots of transfers (A Train to the D; to the E; to the F) but the pay off was incredible. I devoured the tastiest singletrack I've ridden in over 5 years.

Cunningham consists two main loops divided by the Clearview Expressway. Each loop has technical off-shoots of varying difficulty throughout; all aptly named like “Thrilla”, “Ankle Biter” and “Viper”. My friend Alex and I hit every trail at least twice including a few sessions at the dirt jumps which are insanely fun. Download a map of Cunningham here.

The weather was perfect. A few sprinkles here and there, but the overcast sky kept the sun from frying us. Couldn't have asked for better conditions really. The moisture softened the earth and gave it a tacky feel, although roots and rocks became a touch slippery.

Just as we were finishing our last jaunt through the “Iguana” trail, Alex landed a jump a little wonky and crashed into the underbrush. Turns out; he snapped his carbon fiber seat post. (Bummer!) Despite the broken seat post, the entire day was a blast. We rode for 4 hours and I'm looking forward to riding those trails again as soon as possible.

Characters

Today was a great day for people watching. (ie: people photographing) I absolutely love my new 50mm f/1.4 lens. It continues to blow my mind. This warm weather seems to have brought characters out of the woodwork down in lower Manhattan.I gave this man a dollar. That's just classic.
This lady was fantastic. What a fine specimen of a NYC creature. I felt it necessary to include this detail view to satisfy your curiosity.

Inwood this evening.

When I got home from work, there was still a bit of light left, so I set out with my new 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor. I love this new lens. Here are a few shots from my neighborhood.

Hustle & Flow Dirt Jumping

Yesterday's Hustle & Flow Race at Highbridge Park was insane! So much fun! I wish I had raced. I did the next best thing though; photographed the action. Here is an image gallery for those of you looking for your pictures from the dirt jumping activities:

• Dirt Jumping Gallery

More riding.

I can't get enough of my new mountain bike. After putting it (and myself) through some serious abuse at Highbridge Park yesterday, I decided to ride it to work today.

I set out at 6:25 this morning which is the time I usually leave my house to catch the bus to the train to Yonkers. I arrived at work a couple of minutes before 7:00; my usual arrival time.

The ride was fantastic. The weather was beautiful; perfect for a commute from upper Manhattan through the Bronx and into Yonkers. I rode at a leisurely pace and enjoyed the sites, sounds and smells of NYC in the morning. Traveling north on Broadway, I crossed the Harlem Canal watching and listening to my knobby tires hum atop the metal grates. Below I watched the canal flowing by while bright morning sunlight pelted me on my entrance to Marble Hill. Continuing up Broadway I rode under the 1 Train. The loud rumble of train cars above me gave cause for some serious introspection about where I am in life and what I'm doing. I love my job, I love my wife, family & friends and I love being able to ride as much as I do. Life is good my friends.

Highbridge... again

What an awesome ride I had at Highbridge Park today. I met a guy who led me down some new trails which were super great. The riding reminded me a lot of the huckle I used to ride at the Watershed in Frederick, MD.

I floundered my way through the first few technical downhill sections but by the end of the ride I was feeling very much in the zone and was able to flow pretty well.

I'm super happy that my wrist is holding up so well. That's my biggest fear in re-entering the mountain biking scene. I don't have the mobility that I used to have and it's been getting quite a work out when I pull on the bars for leverage on those steep climbs. I think I'll tape it up for the next ride.

Life is good, life is good!

Highbridge Park

I rushed home from work today, slapped my spuds on the new GT and spun 7 blocks down to Highbridge Park. I got about 25 minutes of riding in before the rain really came down. The trails were wet but not so wet that I was damaging them so I explored as much as I could. it was fantastic to be rolling through twisty singletrack with a cityscape popping out above the treetops and the sound of the 1 Train and traffic in the background. I think I discovered another hidden gem in this great city.

My skills have definitely degraded during the several years spent away from knobby tired bikes. i had a hell of time hopping up some steep sections and was bearly clearing obstacles I jumped. I'm not worried, it'll come.

I can't wait for the Hustle & Flow Race on Saturday. I'll be using the GT and the Nikon.

New wheels

I'm giddy. That's right; Giddy damn it! My new wheels came in the mail today. It's a GT Peace. Most people don't know that my cycling roots are in dirt (pun intended). Though the last 7 years or so I haven't ridden any huckle and have had a diet of strict asphalt and a couple seasons of cyclocross racing. The bike is spec'd out pretty well, although I see a suspension fork in my future. I was stoked to build it up and take it out for a quick first ride in the rapidly fading evening light of upper Manhattan. It's not the lightest bike, but it isn't super heavy either.

I got it out on the street and pulled a wheelie that I was able to ride for a very surprisingly long time, turning the bars and rolling my feet around the sides of the pedals to keep my balance. (shocked to have even that little bit of skill left in me) I pumped north under then 1 Train and cut west into Inwood Park. I spun up into the woods and hung out under the Henry Hudson Bridge catching my breath and grinning at thoughts of a super sweet summer at Highbridge Park. Descending down a small section of singletrack in almost total darkness I shocked myself when I cleared a twisting stair section built into the side of a hill. Getting back behind the saddle and rolling down the steps was a big rush. Then out onto the smooth pavement of the Park I rolled and up the hill I pumped to Broadway.

Wahoooo!

Nostalgia

I'm a very nostalgic person. The truck pictured below is a source of very happy memories for me. In the winter of 1994, my friend and I spent the night in this truck. At that time, we were camping out almost every other day in the small plot of woods behind the grocery store in my home town of Sherrill, NY. In the winter, we often built snow shelters and slept in them. On one particular night we snowshoed back into the woods and decided to pack the truck full of snow and use it as our shelter for the night. Last week, I stopped my home town, while traveling on business. On a whim, I pulled behind the grocery store and took a walk back into the woods. My heart raced when I saw the truck, buried in dense thicket and seemingly untouched since I last saw it.
view the entire set of truck photos here.

Loblaws - Erie, PA

I spent this past week about 1.5 hours south of Buffalo, NY at Lake Chataugua. I was only about 20 minutes away from Lake Erie, so I took a drive down and checked it out. Turns out there isn't a whole lot going on in Erie. I did find a closed down strip mall which was pretty interesting. The entire parking lot was covered with moss. There was an easy way inside of the grocery store, but I opted not to go in - I didn't have my asbestos mask or tripod with me.

Nature Call

I celebrated Passover this past weekend in Stanfordville, NY with Natasha and her family. In the woods behind her grandfather's house, there is an old dumping area. I take a walk back and root around every time I visit. Plenty of old cans, glass bottles and car parts. This time, much to my dismay, someone had hauled a lot of it away. There were, however, a few phones scattered about. Kind of funny; I thought to myself: "good day for phones..."

copper

Since I've moved to NY, my 5th floor bedroom window has proven, on several occasions, to be a great vantage point for interesting photos.

Road Tripping

Today I drove from NYC to State College, PA for business. On the way I stopped several times to take advantage of the scenes. It was a great drive.
An old truck sits at the side of a road in Wapwallopen, PA. In the background, the cooling towers of the PPL Power Plant loom ominously. While locals are splitting wood; the plant splits uranium atoms.

A tree sprouts up through the rocks of an abandoned tressle bridge spanning the Susquehana River at the PA/NJ border.

Coney Island

With temperatures in the high 50's I decided to take the train out to Coney Island. I wasn't the only one with this idea. There were a few people on the beach; this older woman was trying to catch some rays. (perhaps a long time native of the garbage strewn sea shore and tackyness of Coney Island) There was a depressing aura about the entire place; this past summer was the last summer that the roller coaster and parachute drop rides would operate. It will be interesting to see what happens to the Coney Island many New Yorkers have enjoyed for so long.

Fallen

Taken with 24mm prime, 1/125 sec @ f/6.3 ISO 200

Barreling

Captured with 24mm prime, 2.5 sec @ f/5.0 ISO 1600

Evening light

I usually enter abandoned sites early in the morning. However, I dilly-dallied today and didn't get out of the house until mid afternoon. Electing not to be weighed down by my cumbersome tripod I took only a flashlight and my 24mm & 50mm prime lenses.


I was standing inside of the Glenwood Power Plant by 3:00 and was taken aback by the difference in the lighting. The evening light reflected off of the Hudson River and shimmered on the walls, beams and ceiling about which I meandered with my camera.


The familiar plant had taken on an entirely new air and I quickly found myself transfixed in “the zone” as my friend and I call it - satisfyingly engorged in photographic concentration.


I moved about as though I were a camera myself... adjusting for exposure, angle, depth of field and composition nearly everywhere my eyes focused. Here are a few images from this evening's venture into one forgotten land of beautiful decay.

Nanner Puss

So, ever since the Super Bowl, my wife has been obsessed with "nanner puss". Unfortunately, it's a catchy little jingle and I've now started referring to her as Nanner Puss.

Lincoln Bicentennial Photos

What an excellent trip! Here are the photos from the venture into Springfield, Illinois to honor Abe:

• Lincoln Bicentennial Photos