Sometimes you see something that looks out of place. Something that seems kinda weird. Tonight, as I was riding home from a meeting, I noticed that there was a group of people - 8 to 12 people - hanging out at a local donut shop. Now maybe this is a normal phenomenon in your neck of the woods, but most of the donut shops that I am familiar with open at 4 or 5 in the morning and close at noon. Sure, they have a crowd that hangs out and has coffee and donuts in the morning, but in the evening the coffee drinkers are at home watching the news and the shop is closed.
As I marveled at the popularity of the donut shop, I recalled seeing people hanging out there a week ago when I rode by at about the same time. In other words, this is not an isolated incident. This place has a following that likes to have donuts at 9:30PM. Is it just me or is that a little strange?!?
Perhaps it isn't about the donuts or coffee. Maybe people just need a place to hang out. The patrons encompassed a diverse age range. I thought I saw a couple of high school age students at a table - maybe doing homework. Five to seven people looked to be in their fifties or sixties. (I am not sure about the others, I was trying to ride by without giving away my astonishment). There were a couple of motorcycles parked nearby as well. Some of them were inside the shop while others were sitting outside.
I have been to the shop in the morning a couple of times. It seems like they have a group of regulars that like to shoot the breeze and smoke at the outside tables in the mornings. Maybe they come back in the evening to do the same? I just cannot be sure.
I think I might have to stop in next week and go undercover. You know - try to blend in, buy a half day old donut, sip on some rat poison (donut shop coffee), and see what makes it the place to be on a Thursday night. Maybe it beats hanging out at a bar. Or maybe they are just meeting there on the way to the bar? I just cannot be sure.
If I find anything out I'll be sure to let you know.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
Thoughts on Exercise
Last evening, as I was riding my bike to and from a friends house, I started to get lost in my thoughts. (I think it is one of the reasons I like going for a good ride. Time to think).
Anyway, as I saw a few random joggers/walkers I thought about the methods of exercise that are common to our society. You have your gym members, your runners and walkers, and stay-at-home treadmillers. I guess there are some people who use sports - basketball, soccer, tennis, etc. - to get exercise. It got me to thinking how sad it is that for most people, exercise is compartmentalized outside of any practical use. People know it is good for them (health reasons or weight loss) and feel like they should get exercise. So... after work they stop off at the gym to sweat off a few hundred calories.
Maybe I am being a bit too idealistic, but it appears to me that our society's method of burning calories for calories sake is so inefficient. (Please pardon me if what I am about to say offends you or sounds pious. I am just thinking outloud for a moment, so join my thoughts for a while).
For example, how much sense does it make for a person to drive to a gym so that they can walk in place? Wouldn't it make more sense to just walk to the gym, say "Hi" to your friends on their treadmills, and walk back home? Does it make sense to pay a monthly fee to exercise? Sure, we get to use the equipment, but just stop to think about how funny it is that someone is making a living off of your exercise, your sweat. The gym owner fills his/her pockets with money while you drive to their building to sweat off the two pieces of chocolate cake you ate before getting in the car to work out!
Which brings me to my next thought. Why do we walk without going anywhere? Isn't that what happens on a treadmill? We walk or jog "x" number of miles without moving so much as one inch. Jogging or walking a track is much the same. Sure, we burn calories, but we have recieved nothing in return. We haven't picked up any groceries. (We'll have to stop at the store on the drive home). We haven't talked to our friends. (We'll have to catch them on facebook). We haven't played with our kids. (We'll have to do that... well let me see. After dinner they will need to do their homework, make a lunch for tomorrow, and get ready for bed. Maybe tomorrow night). It just doesn't make good sense to me.
My point is that we should be able to exercise as part of our daily lives. Walking, jogging, or biking, to work, the grocery store, the libray, school, or church. We should be able to make our exercise count for something. We would get the exercise we need, spend less money on gas and doctor bills, and already have groceries for dinner.
Let me guess, you are thinking, "Well, your idea sounds good and all, but it just isn't practical. I live too far away from work to bike/walk/jog. I don't want to be sweaty when I get to work. Besides, it would take me too long to get there."
Many of these points are true - but only because our culture, workplace and surroundings have made them easy to be true. We live under the presupposition that these obstacles are inevitable, that they cannot be changed. We forget the importance of making good decisions instead of easy ones. Setting priorities, placing value on things that are truly important, and a willingness to change are foreign to most people. Might I suggest we rethink our exercise?
Keep in mind I am only thinking outloud. I really do not mean to sound like street preacher. Much of my rant, if you will, is to work out my own priorities and exercise habbits. How often do I spend a couple hours on the bike going nowhere? It is definately something to think about.
One of my favorite bloggers, Kent Peterson, quietly goes about his life without owning a car. His blog gets me thinking about how biking doesn't have to be about conquests, having awesome gear, getting more streets with bike lanes (although that would be nice), or even exercise. It can be about biking to the places we need or want to go and seeing the places and people we want to see. And we get the benefits of exercise along the way! Cool.
Anyway, as I saw a few random joggers/walkers I thought about the methods of exercise that are common to our society. You have your gym members, your runners and walkers, and stay-at-home treadmillers. I guess there are some people who use sports - basketball, soccer, tennis, etc. - to get exercise. It got me to thinking how sad it is that for most people, exercise is compartmentalized outside of any practical use. People know it is good for them (health reasons or weight loss) and feel like they should get exercise. So... after work they stop off at the gym to sweat off a few hundred calories.
Maybe I am being a bit too idealistic, but it appears to me that our society's method of burning calories for calories sake is so inefficient. (Please pardon me if what I am about to say offends you or sounds pious. I am just thinking outloud for a moment, so join my thoughts for a while).
For example, how much sense does it make for a person to drive to a gym so that they can walk in place? Wouldn't it make more sense to just walk to the gym, say "Hi" to your friends on their treadmills, and walk back home? Does it make sense to pay a monthly fee to exercise? Sure, we get to use the equipment, but just stop to think about how funny it is that someone is making a living off of your exercise, your sweat. The gym owner fills his/her pockets with money while you drive to their building to sweat off the two pieces of chocolate cake you ate before getting in the car to work out!
Which brings me to my next thought. Why do we walk without going anywhere? Isn't that what happens on a treadmill? We walk or jog "x" number of miles without moving so much as one inch. Jogging or walking a track is much the same. Sure, we burn calories, but we have recieved nothing in return. We haven't picked up any groceries. (We'll have to stop at the store on the drive home). We haven't talked to our friends. (We'll have to catch them on facebook). We haven't played with our kids. (We'll have to do that... well let me see. After dinner they will need to do their homework, make a lunch for tomorrow, and get ready for bed. Maybe tomorrow night). It just doesn't make good sense to me.
My point is that we should be able to exercise as part of our daily lives. Walking, jogging, or biking, to work, the grocery store, the libray, school, or church. We should be able to make our exercise count for something. We would get the exercise we need, spend less money on gas and doctor bills, and already have groceries for dinner.
Let me guess, you are thinking, "Well, your idea sounds good and all, but it just isn't practical. I live too far away from work to bike/walk/jog. I don't want to be sweaty when I get to work. Besides, it would take me too long to get there."
Many of these points are true - but only because our culture, workplace and surroundings have made them easy to be true. We live under the presupposition that these obstacles are inevitable, that they cannot be changed. We forget the importance of making good decisions instead of easy ones. Setting priorities, placing value on things that are truly important, and a willingness to change are foreign to most people. Might I suggest we rethink our exercise?
Keep in mind I am only thinking outloud. I really do not mean to sound like street preacher. Much of my rant, if you will, is to work out my own priorities and exercise habbits. How often do I spend a couple hours on the bike going nowhere? It is definately something to think about.
One of my favorite bloggers, Kent Peterson, quietly goes about his life without owning a car. His blog gets me thinking about how biking doesn't have to be about conquests, having awesome gear, getting more streets with bike lanes (although that would be nice), or even exercise. It can be about biking to the places we need or want to go and seeing the places and people we want to see. And we get the benefits of exercise along the way! Cool.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Here's your sign!
Signs have become a part of our landscape. Some signs become so familiar that we disregard them completely. A while back I started noticing signs that were unique to cyclists, bike paths, or just the places my bike took me. I'd like to dedicate this post to a few signs that made me look twice.
Road closures and detours can be frustrating to say the least. Well... it turns out they are not just a problem for motor vehicles. (If you bike the San Gabriel river in LA county you might be familiar with these two signs).
I wish I had more pictures of street names to share. Some of them appear impossible to pronounce, some can be taken the wrong way, and others are just plain strange. Here are a couple that hold special meaning for me.
Colima has special meaning for the twelve/thirteen year old boys that we take out biking. We do not get many hills in LA county, so going to Whittier and spending some time on Colima means getting a workout. We have a couple other fun hills we train on, but this one gets a response from the boys every time.
And really, isn't it awesome to ride on a street named Coffee? Who can resist a street like that?!? Warning: looking at the sign often triggers an uncontroled desire for a freshly brewed cup of joe! Ah.............
Next are a couple of signs that you actually expect to see on or around a bike path, right? The funny thing to me is that many times the signs overstate the problem. For example, the downhill portion of the path where this sign was posted really wasn't very steep or a very long downhill section. As for the single file sign, the road was not that narrow, there were no parked cars to contend with, and the street had very little traffic.
Have you ever seen a cyclist and horseback rider play chicken when meeting on a shared trail? My money is on the horse.
Now there are some signs you really don't want to see. I realize that it is good to warn someone that something dangerous or discusting may happen while you out enjoying some fresh air and exercise, but these signs make you feel like you are reading the warning label on a cholesterol medication.
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| CAUTION: Bike way subject to flooding & may become impassable! |
"Danger! Intermittent pump discharge. Keep clear." "Tsunami hazard zone: in case of earthquake go to high ground or inland!"
The last few signs are some crossing signs that I found humorous. My only regret is that we never had a chance to stop for any of the designated pedestrians.
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