Maillot a Pois Rouges

This summer will mark the debut of a new road race: The Jersey with Red Peas 8K+. This year the race will commence at the lowest point in Minneapolis, where the Minnehaha Creek pays tribute to the Mississippi River, and finish at the highest point in Minneapolis, where the witch's hat water tower sits atop Prospect Park. The winner will have the chance to set the course record. Participants will receive Coke and Little Debbies after the race. The date of this event has not been established yet. Please leave a comment to register for the race.

Fin de Semana

We went to the Minneapolis farmers' market on Saturday morning and loaded the car with:

• tomatoes (regular, cherry, and roma)
• cucumbers
• bell peppers (red & green)
• thai dragon pepper
• anaheim pepper
• rhubarb
• herbs (cilantro, basil, rosemary, mint, etc.)
• plants for the window box and urn

Rain Barrel

I bought a 55-gallon rain barrel from the City of Minneapolis for $45. The purpose of the rain barrel is to reduce stormwater runoff and conserve the water to irrigate plants and the yard. Urban areas are characterized by impervious surfaces. Rain lands on your roof, sidewalk, garage, driveway, etc. Water collects debris, chemicals, shit, dirt, pollutants, and even small babies. These are not things we want flowing down the storm sewer into our rivers and lakes.

City Cruisers

About one month ago Marye and I bought two used bicycles from Sunrise Cyclery. These bikes are old school. The joy of riding an old school bicycle is the upright posture, the thicker tires, the large, forgiving seat, and the overall sense of leisure imparted by the feel and design. My light blue Schwinn Collegiate is in excellent condition and was only $100. It features a left handbrake, a back-pedal brake, and is equipped with a rack for my panniers. Why do I have two bicycles? One is for biking to work at high speeds on narrow tires and a light frame, risking genital numbness while jockeying with drivers of internal combustion engines. The other is for running errands, visiting friends, going to restaurants, and urban exploring. The general idea is to use the city cruisers in lieu of the car during this hospitable season in Minnesota. Similar to running, there may be reluctance to get out the door, but there are rarely regrets.

Amputee Sprinter

An Amputee Sprinter: Is he Disabled or Too-Abled
Manchester, England

from the New York Times

Oscar Pistorius was born without the fibula in his lower legs and with other defects in his feet. He had both legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old.

Sprinting on a pair of j-shaped blades made of carbon fiber and known as Cheetahs, Pistorius has run the 100 meters in 10.91 seconds, the 200 meters in 21.58 seconds, and the 400 meters in 46.34 seconds.

As a result, Pistorius is a searing talent who has begun erasing the lines between abled and disabled, raising philosophical questions: What should an athlete look like? Where should limits be placed on technology to balance fair play with the right to compete? Would the nature of sport be altered if athletes using artificial limbs could run faster or jump higher than the best athletes using their natural limbs?

Disc Golf

I played disc golf at Bryant Lake Park in the prairies of eden last Saturday with Marye, Liz, Christina, and Paul. The 12-hole course offers varied terrain and good views. The most dramatic hole is number 11 where the tee is atop a massive hill facing a sweeping valley. The idea is to launch your disc over the road at the foot of the hill and watch it float down, down, down onto the grass. Marye had a huge drive. Simply huge. Paul's second shot hit the pole beneath the basket and the group ahead of us voiced their accolades. 'Nice'. I shot from the same area and smashed up the chains with a super long strike. 'That was better', according to the group ahead. It is by far the longest shot I have ever made.

I used the round on Saturday to experiment with my throwing technique. I'm a big fan of the forehand, which seems to require less balance and coordination, but in an effort to improve my backhand, I used the ole rusty backhand the whole round.

The plan for this summer is to visit a few different disc golf courses around the metro area. I made a Google map of the courses. Also, check out this website. It's incredible. There are pictures of each hole.

Fietsen

From mid-October through the end of April my mode of transportation to work is a bus and train combo. On May 1 I pumped up the tires of the Brave Arrow, sprayed a little 'Water Displacement-40th attempt' on the chain, fastened the panniers to the rack, donned my helmet, and sped northwest on the river road into downtown. I enjoy biking to work, and not just because I derive great pleasure from keeping pace with traffic or swiftly passing idling cars. My bicycle is a green exercise machine! Gaia is thankful, I am fighting terrorism, and my legs are, without a doubt, sexier. These are all important.

At this point I would like to recognize our neglected 1996 Ford Escort. Good job. We bought petrol yesterday for $3.29 per gallon, our first purchase since April 22. The Escort traveled 322 miles on 10 gallons. That's right, 32 mpg.

My ride to work is about 5.8 miles and it almost always takes less than 20 minutes. Then I take a shower in a makeshift locker room. Including the shower as commuting time, the bike ride is faster than public transit. In general, transportation to my work building is becoming more and more difficult as the construction season progresses. The new Minnesota Twins baseball stadium will be built next to our building. In addition, the Light Rail Train track is being extended past our building and the new North Star commuter train line will terminate by our building. Chaos.

Fermenting

Yesterday I brewed a Witbier, started a Chilean Merlot, and bottled my Irish Draught Ale, which should be ready in two weeks. The Witbier and Merlot are sitting next to each other in the guest room, an effervescent duet as CO2 escapes from the airlocks. The descriptions of the ales and wine are below.

Irish Draught Ale

Irish ales fall somewhere in between English and Scottish brewing traditions—mildly fruity and often brewed with sugar adjuncts like English bitters, but malty and lightly hopped like Scottish ales. Like Irish stouts, they're sociable session beers with a low alcohol content but substantial body. Inspired by beers like Caffrey's and Smithwick's, our Irish Draught Ale pours with a deep red color and tan head over a caramel-like malt character with roasty and fruity notes. As a bow to Ireland's meadmaking past, clover honey lightens the body and boosts the gravity of this recipe, while a small dose of oats adds creaminess to the mouthfeel and a hint of grain to the flavor. Serving our Irish Draught Ale on a Homebrew Nitrogen system (KX10 or KX11) will enhance this beer's satiny, mouth-filling drinkability so much you'll swear you're hiding from the wind and rain inside a cozy pub in Ireland.

Witbier

Literally, "white beer," this wheat beer originated near Louvain and got its name from its extremely pale, cloudy haze. Witbier was originally made by blending hopped wort with unhopped, bacterially infected wort, which gave it a tart, acidic taste. Fortunately, the Wyeast culture in this kit gives you all of the tartness with none of the bacteria. Light in color and extremely quenching, Witbier's unique flavor is also enhanced by coriander and bitter orange peel.

Chilean Merlot

Originating from the world famous Maipo Valley wine region in Chile hails this great addition to our Passport Series. This reputable Merlot is a soft and supple variation with powerful fruit and spicy flavors. Renowned for its ripe cherry character, the Merlot is a perfect partner for red meats, lamb, and hearty stews. A must have on those crisp autumn evenings.