Time to Trial

There was another Alley cat this weekend. Locks to Locks Guerrilla time trial.
These guys put on a great race. There is nothing like flyin around the city on a cold sunny fall afternoon. The course was a short and friendly 14 miles with 4 easy to get to check points. This race was different than most because the stops were posted weeks before the race so everyone could get to know the course, then it was a time trial race with one rider leaving every 5 minuets, fastest time wins.

I would have done much better, had I not got caught at the University Bridge while it was up letting a sail boat pass...That pretty much killed my time adding a good 5 minuets.

Getting through the city on bike is by far the best way to see the city, the people and the scenery. It also gives you a true sense of what the city “feels” like. You really get to know the hills, the alleys, the back roads, short cuts, the timing of the lights going down Pike, 1st, 3rd and 5th, and of couse, the wind that seems to blow in both directions on the Elliot Bay Bike path along the waterfront!

Go play in traffic!

Movin' On Up

Want to move to Seattle? Let me help...

If you are one of the "lucky" ones you can move here.

This is 1521, oops, Fifteen Twenty-One

For a modest $2.5 to $10 million dollars you can call this home(sorry, not the whole thing, just one unit). It will be the second tallest residential building in Seattle with 38 stories and 143 homes. It is being build right across the street from where I work, so I have watched as it climbed its way up.

Im sure this is perfect for some people, but even if I had the money, I think I'd pass. If I was going to spend a couple million dollars, I would rather have a house or two. Instead of a glass box, I think I would go with a place that had a garage, patio, yard, maybe even a window that I can open to get some fresh air... for a few million I can think of A LOT of stuff I would rather buy. But then again, if I had a couple million to buy a condo here, I'd probably already have that other stuff anyway. And, I guess I can get a garage, patio and yard at my summer house, or winter villa....

IT happens

Live, work and ride in Seattle and you’ll see some crazy stuff. I have seen quite a bit but today was a first for me.

I was a few minuets late riding into work this morning and it changed my life forever. Its only after something monumental has happened that you retrace the steps that brought you to that very moment in time. “What if I left the house 2 minuets earlier”, “what if I rode any slower or any faster” or if I had of taken 3rd and not 5th? Changing any one of these variables would have completely altered the outcome. But alas, I was in the core, down town Seattle, on the corner of Pike and 3rd at 7:51am for the culmination of what can only be described as the defining moment of my Seattle experience.

Heading to work turning off of Pike onto Third Ave I went around the bus, who was also on the same path. I rolled through the cross walk congested with people shuffling along on their way to work. This is where I first laid eyes on subjects of my story. What I saw was a man walking his dog, a lab or maybe golden retriever mix, which is a normal site, not worthy of much attention. But it wasn’t until the leash grew taut and the man turned to see the hold up that I realized what was coming next. The dog, in all his abundant wisdom, had chosen this very place to take care of his “business”. Yes, in the middle of the crosswalk on the corner of 3rd Ave and Pike Street, in down town Seattle, pedestrians and buses be damned! As the crowd of people bubbled around the deed in action, traffic came to a halt with buses and cars waiting and watching the owner standing awkwardly, tethered to his dog, squatting, hind legs still quivering, in the middle of the street.
Of course, no camera, no evidence, no documentation of this epic occasion, which I will undoubtedly relive each and every time I see a dog walking on the cold hard streets of Seattle.

What have I missed?!?!

I missed out on the biggest event of the weekend here in Seattle, Hemp Fest. This was the 17th year Seattle has done this, so you would think I could manage to get it on my calendar, ya know being an annual event and all, but some how I just keep missing it every time it rolls around.
This year Hemp Fest was supposed to be different, however. The big push by organizers was to promote Industrial hemp, or cannabis used for non-drug purposes such as paper or biodiesel fuel. And Im sure they would have accomplished a ton of stuff, except apparently everyone was somewhat distracted.
I have a feeling that anything being promoted, encouraged, introduced, or that was otherwise non-smoke-able, went up in a puff, by people far more concerned with alleviating their munchies. I would equate this with trying to stop drunk driving by giving tours of a brewery with free samples in convent to-go cups. Or better yet, trying to stop overeating at an all you can eat lunch buffet. Im sure this guy

was eager to sit down and discuss legislative initiatives on reformation of marijuana control, we just caught him at a bad time.

Anyway, like at any huge festival, Im sure the attendees were from all walks of life. Now, you would think, people waking around this festival would take notice of the older generations also in attendance, but in case they didn’t allow me to show you what they might have seen:


Now, like I said I wasn’t actually able to make it, but for these pictures I went to only one source. I didn’t hand pick these photos, these where the 3 of the 4 photos of, what I can only assume are “seasoned smokers”. I guess most of the other attendees might not have been thinking clear enough to notice, but I dont think most people want to end up like that. That is not to say everyone will, just pointing out if you want to end up like someone, do what they do.

Moving on, apparently Seattle has few, if any, pro Pot officials in elected positions. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why not. Lack of initiative? Lack of motivation? Lack of supporters able to remember to vote? Who knows?!? Now, it with over 100,000 people attending you would think all the pro cannabis proponents could have a large impact and be able to get quite a bit accomplished maybe we should ask this guy what he thinks:
Maybe we'll get an answer when he's done.... but for now, I guess we will never know!

Well, don’t worry, I have marked my calendar for next years festival and I will make sure I don’t miss it! But for now, I can rest assured that with all that was set into action this weekend, next year Seattle will be a much “greener” city.