notes from away

Eiffel Tower, originally uploaded by mainegal.

I hate to say it but the Tour de France has become a complete joke. I am not a huge cycling fan but I do follow the Tour de France each year. You have to admit it is a fascinating example of what the human body can do. Doping has made it a joke event though.

Just this week the race leader was dropped from his team, the entire Astana team was removed due to their leader’s doping and another guy was escorted by police off the race due to a positive drug test. All in three days.

Going into this race the joke was that we’d know the 07 Tour de France winner before the 06 one. Now it is irrelevant. No matter who wins, it will be tainted by the scandal of doping and cheating. In fact, the sport is tainted and becoming increasingly irrelevant.

It is too bad.

Glen Ellis Falls, originally uploaded by mainegal.

Where I wish I was right now….

I’ve taken up cycling pretty regularly. My goal is to be able to ride 50 miles no problem. Right now I can handle about 25 miles, so I am half way there. The troublesome part is the urban riding that is Detroit - it is almost like a game of paperboy as you swerve to avoid a deep hole in the road, a low hanging branch, a nasty bump, followed quickly by a deep hole, with a car coming up behind you close and quick and lots and lots of idiots parked in the bike lane. I am enjoying it.

My riding partner noticed that I ride more aggresively and confidently when I am pissed off. Not sure if he is intentionally antagonizing me now, but I suspect I’ll be pissed at him for a good week or so. Riding is a great and healthy way for me to vent my frustrations, stress, disappointment, hurt, anger and all the other negative emotions, while it also gives me time to process them.

I need that… though I’d still rather be in the White Mountains.

Presidential Range, originally uploaded by mainegal.

It is summer in the city, which means endless festivals. A few years ago, I loved all the festivals but now I feel overwhelmed. I could spend nearly every weekend at a festival and accomplish nothing. Then again, with the way I travel during the summer months, I don’t accomplish much anyway.

This summer includes packing and moving…. yep, after two years in my awesome apartment downtown, I am planning to move a few miles east into a flat… with a roommate. Crazy I know. So even though I won’t move for two months, I plan to get boxes and start packing ASAP. I figure this way I can weed through all the stuff I’ve accumulated and make a decent donation pile.

The details on my class reunion just came out. It will be held around Thanksgiving, which I think is brillant planning, but I don’t know if I will attend. I have very mixed feelings regarding high school and I just don’t know if it is something I want to revisit. On the other hand, I am sure the entertainment value would be high.