1000 words

Hoppy Holly Days...

With snow finally coming this week, and more to come Monday, it feels like the perfect time to rest, relax, and wish everyone the nicest of Christmases.  If you celebrate Hanukkah, I hope your festival of lights was magnificent, if Kwanzaa, then enjoy Christmas and then have a happy Kwanzaa.  I wish you well.  Talk to you next year! 

Don't feel bad about putting down the bike and picking up a book.  Or your kids.  Or some food.  Or whatever. 

PS.  No, this picture above is not the Schwinn Single from Target.  Although it may break down about this fast...

Like Andy on the Gavia...

 

Should've posted this the day before yesterday, but been a little busy.  Our first snow of the year came two days ago, which is not news or blogworthy, 

but when I got to the big hill at the end of my ride, up to Witchcraft Heights Elementary School, I rode up the hill feeling like my original cycling hero Andy Hampsten in the Gavia (see photo) 

and noticed a car getting closer to me.  I was doing fine so I accelerated and PASSED THE CAR on the hill. 

I was so surprised I didn't quite know what to do, so my car-driving instincts took over and I passed it on the left, spinning its way up the hill.  And I'm happy to say, I dropped it. First time that's ever happened.

I think it's going to be a good winter!

The Chicken Coop and The Garage

When I was pretty young, not sure of the age, I spent lots of time at my grandparents' house.  An old white farmhouse.  Trails in the orchard out back.  Lake down one of the wider trails.  And of course I took it all for granted.

There were two other buildings there that I credit for subliminally shaping my future life. 

My grandpa's garage.  No garage door, ever, but it had two small rooms in the back- which I'll describe in a second.  It had a huge tank which for awhile was used to pump gas.  Yeah, he had his own gas delivered in bulk.  Pretty hardcore to think about today, but this was PA, and he was a former farmer and snowplow driver, so who knows.  Just to the right when you entered the door was an old barrel- that was where the odd named spray cans went.  WD-40, Liquid Wrench...

Back in those two rooms were old dressers- drawers filled with nuts and bolts and stuff.  And the rooms were chock full of old stuff.  And not in nice neat boxes, but just full of stuff.  Old "Operation" game from the 60s?  Yes.  Unattached toilet?  Yep.  And everything in between.

And the second building was a former chicken coop (I think) that my uncle had taken over.  It was usually locked, but we always tried the window- and sometimes it was open.  Inside the walls were covered with rock posters (I think I remember Janis Joplin) and a motorcycle.  I thought it was the coolest little building I'd ever seen.  Like a clubhouse or treehouse, but so much cooler.  And you could lock it!  I could bore you with the family history in that place and the garage too, but that's not what I'm after.

I think I've been searching ever since for those two rooms.  The photo above is of Heidi Swift's Bike Area.  She's a writer/photographer in Portland, OR whose blog I read occasionally, and when I saw that picture it took me instantly back- like so many garage photos do. 

I want (and have had on many levels) to recreate that chicken coop.  A place fully dedicated to my bikes and where I could have a scooter or two.  Posters and race numbers on the walls.  And the only thing stopping me is permanence.  Any place we live I feel like I shouldn't put down roots, that I shouldn't get too attached.

I suppose that starts to get into family stuff again, doesn't it?  How I've moved so far away from my family, and now have new family here. 

But I want to go on a little more about that place.  How you should make one if you don't have one.  Or cherish and polish it if you do have one.  There's a lot of talk lately about "Man Caves".  Whatever, but there's a place for the workshop... whatever you call it and whoever uses it.  No matter what size it is, it is a part of the bike experience, and you're missing out a little bit if you don't recognize and cherish that part of it.  Home base.

We now pause for station identification...

does anyone remember when TV used to say that a lot?  Just a few technical matters to discuss for a moment.  And then back to our regular scheduled bike-obsessed blogging.

Following.  If you're a google member, please do it.  Consider it motivation for me to write more.  I'd just like to know if anyone more than those 5 over to the right are reading.  And frankly, all five of them would read any old crap I wrote- they're friends.  Hopefully this is better than dragging the bottom of the riverbed for them, but I can't be sure.  If you read this blog, please consider following.

And responding.  I know how much trouble it can be to place a comment on something.  You don't want to take the time for the CAPTCHA word puzzle thing.... you don't want your name posted up there.  I get it.  But now each post has a quick review feature with 3 levels of "cool post" type responses.  If you get anything out of them, please note these and tick a box.

That is all.  Now back to bikes and trails.

Simple Isn't Easy

Preface:  I'm sure this is all copyrighted backwards and forwards.  This blog doesn't make money, and if any of the concerned parties doesn't like what I've done here, leave a comment and it'll be taken down immediately.  Ok?  Ok.


Just a little bicycle battle of the quotes, anyway.


" I had something that worked well and I decided to stay the course. Singlespeed to me was about rejecting the 1990s arms-race in the mountain bike world and distilling things to a minimalist point. The important variables to me were: 
1) Keep it simple and reliable. 
2) Get fitter yourself through riding. And: 
3) Be quiet, both bike and mouth."
-Matt Chester (framebuilder) on his blog


vs. 


"Mountain biking has evolved and mountain bikes have evolved to the point where riding only singlespeed is essentially one step away from burning the Spinning Jenny.  Face it fellas, you are the modern poster child for the Tollpuddle martyrs [sic]."
-Alex Leigh, in Singletrack, issue 24:  "Suspension and Gears:  A Victimless Crime".


Not sure Alex got his historical allusions correct on this one, as the link shows.  It does lead to some fascinating reading about Ned Ludd and the luddite movement, though.  His article should be taken as a little bit tongue-in-cheek, by the way, but I think still represents many people's views enough to be quoted.

Update!

As of today, 52, out of 113 of you that own Mountain Bike Boston, have updated. 


Now, I don't know exactly how this works, because to be honest- I can't afford an iPhone or iPod Touch.  Or won't.  Either way, I'm not sure technically how it works, but I know that it is supposed to be free once you buy the app.  You're missing out.  Any new information I have on existing trail entries is updated.  Any new entries I've finished are on there (at least a couple, maybe a lot more).  And finally, new photos that I've been able to take of the locations are also included. 

And all this costs...  NOTHING.  Get updating!

Knife in the Back...

 Well, it's finally happened.  The fixed gear bicycle has eclipsed any sort of insider status or whatever you call the coolness-radar of the world.  What was once the road-racer's wintertime training tool, to work on smoothing out their pedal stroke, somehow became the fashion accesory of the last few years.  I understand what's cool about a stripped down bike that is painted bright colors, but it continues to amaze me how much younger people ("hipsters" I believe they're called) really get it.

Not sure the chainguard reinforces that stripped down motif, but that's just THE MAN keeping the Schwinn single down.  The second sadness here (and I love Target, so don't think I'm taking aim at them) is that Schwinn- once a noble bicycle brand, maybe the most noble- is now a Target brand, right there next to Huffy and Magna.  Remember the "official Schwinn dealer"?  That was a real thing.  I worked at a Schwinn shop for a few years as a teen, and my first road bike was a Schwinn Traveller.  My first "good" bike, at about age 14, was a Schwinn, too- A Free-Form EX.

Those were serious bikes.  Not the hippest thing going- never the coolest brand.  But they had better tubing for the same price, and often came with better parts.  I was certainly not sneered at.

I don't have much to say in this bike's defense- and of course it isn't an actual fixed gear- imagine the lawsuits!  It has two sets of brakes and a freewheel.  But check out this last photo.  There is in fact actual threading and a lockring for a fixed cog.  Kind of impressive. 

It's not much, but for the knife stabbed into the back of a once noble old gentleman of bicycle companies, it is at least a little smiley face etched into the handle.  Or should I say, at least they sharpened the knife?

ps.  TECHNICAL DETAILS- STOP READING NOW.
A fixed gear bike is "fixed" because unlike a derailer bike (the gear changer), with variable gears, this has only one gear.  And the rear hub, instead of being connected by a ratchet mechanism (just like a socket wrench), to the cranks and pedals, is directly connected to the back wheel.  If the pedals turn, the wheel turns, and vice-versa.  If you're moving, the pedals are moving.  You slow down by slowing down your legs.  Thus it is considered poor form to use brakes on one of these bikes... since the whole goal is the stripped-down nature of the bike.  Kind of the espresso of bicycles.

pps.  It was, of course, assembled so poorly as to be unrideable.  Wish I'd had an allen wrench.

PPPS.

I was at Target the other day and found these- the old Schwinn logo that signified their dealer network- now torn to shreds by Target selling Schwinns-- and they even cash in on the retro logo by selling shirts of it.  Again, I love Target, but this is like kicking someone when they're unconscious... 

Truth is Beauty, Beauty, Truth...

 

This picture is from a bike shop in San Diego.  They have something there (SD, not the shop) called an underground supper club.  It's not a bike thing- they meet at interesting places that are kept secret until the last minute and they are told to show up somewhere and then taken to the "place".  So these are not bike people- they just asked to use this shop as a place to eat.

How cool is that?  One of those things that you just say to yourself- 'people are so creative- I would NEVER have thought of that.'  Not in 17 years.  

Makes you feel like there ARE good, creative people out there.  That... well, I could go into the things that lead me to believe culture is going down the toilet, but I'm sure you all have your own.  So nice to hear of something that suggests the opposite. 

I {heart} Jude!

Go here and watch this short video.  It's not really a video- more a narrated slideshow of pictures.

I want to be this woman.  I want my daughter to want to be this woman.  I want wheels built by this woman.  Except that I build my own wheels and want to be her myself.

All for now.

Oh, what the heck, go read THIS while you're at it.

Updates

New updates are being submitted on the 30th of November, so those of you who already own the app should see them by Xmas!

New Update

New Updates and Features coming to the App soon- I promise!

Save Boston Trails!

If you ride Middlesex Fells (one of the closest parks to downtown Boston) or ever plan to, PLEASE go HERE and give NEMBA your name and email.  It would really help to deal with state park authorities.  I'm not a great advocacy guy, but this is so simple and requires so little commitment that it is a no-brainer. 

Thanks in advance.

New Features...

In version 1.3, when it comes out,
there will be a new feature.

I'm calling it "big mountain project".  It will be a list of the 10  highest peaks in MA. (to begin with...)  And info on the best way to ride a bike up and down them.  And whether or not they are legal for bikes.  And stuff.

  It's not that these are such great big peaks- this is more of a backcountry/freeride ski and snowboard term.  It's a relative thing.  Compared to the riding on the east coast of MA, these peaks are indeed Big Mountain riding.

It's another option... not as convenient an option, but if I was visiting Boston to ride, one I would want to know about.

So watch for it...

They're Grrrrrrreat!

Fantastic time to be out on N. England's trails.  Found something I should've known but had perhaps forgotten, the other day.

Halibut Point in Gloucester?  No bikes!  There's nothing definitive on their website, but it is clearly posted at the location.  Great spot for a hike, though.

Also, they've completed (I'm sure they did this long ago, but you can't explore everything all the time) a nice loop of gravel path around the main pond at Gordon College.  Great spot to take the fam riding.  These trails have always been there, but they've been very muddy often in the past.

More updates to the App are on the way.   Landlocked Forest in Burlington....

If You Are Reading...

If you're reading this, then I guess you're the wrong audience for these words.  But I haven't had a sale in over a week and only one in a long time (thank you to THAT person....) 

If a friend gets a new iPhone, and you like your app, please consider recommending Mountain Bike Boston, won't you?

Thanks.

The Big Jump

As I mentioned the other day, I am going to be using this blog you're looking at for Apps business only,  so if you're coming here looking for toddler pics of my kid, etc., then you should drop me an email and I'll clue you in on a little secret project I'm cooking up. (Dave, I'm talking to you.)

If you are looking for trails info, etc., please proceed.

Rider's block

I just feel like I've got all kinds of blocks right now.

Writer's block: I feel like I have nothing to say... or nothing I'm allowed to say. Or nothing that's appropriate to say. Not sure which.

Rider's Block: I just don't feel like getting out on the bike. Maybe it's moving from living right next to BPSP to so far away. Granted it's not really SO FAR AWAY, but relatively, it is. And when the fam has only one car, I feel bad enough leaving Kath alone with Lu, that to take the car seems like a step too far, y'know?

Combine that with the fact that I'm still not sure what this blog is, since it's linked to my App and it's attendant publicity. Can I write about personal things? Or is this a business blog, or what? Maybe I need to start a second, more personal blog. Yeah, maybe that's the solution. Invitation only kinda thing.

I'll have to give that some thought. If I do that and you don't get invited, please don't take it personally- it's not you, it is definitively me- I have weird obsessions concerning privacy.

Windy day, eh?

Upcoming App Updates!

You've all seen version 1.1 of MBB- perhaps most of you have downloaded it. Just thought I'd give you a glimpse of upcoming trails for the next update. I'll try to make this a regular feature.

Linebrook Woods (Ipswich, MA)

Ipswich Enchilada (epic)

Wompatuck State Park (it's written, but I keep putting off the drive south of Boston to take pictures)

Autumn Coming...

I love the autumn. Let's just get that out there right now. So much that I feel bad just calling it "fall". That's not dramatic enough.

Sorry not much on this blog right now. Let's see- what is some new new-ness? We are looking for an apt.- our time at Asbury Grove is up on Oct. 1st. It's been a fun summer but we're all ready for some permanence.

Got a new front tire for my Surly. A Continental Mountain King 2.4. Happy with it in the living room- we'll see what it is like on the trails.

Started back to school last week, mid-week. Still a little confusing. I'm supposed to be with one student, but he hasn't shown up yet. Where are you, Gerard?

Over and out for now.

Updates, sales, & etc.

I know that's not grammatically correct- it's my obscure little attempt at protest.

Summer is passing by both quickly and slowly at the same time. I know that's not chronologically possible, but there it is just the same. My favorite season is autumn, so it's okay with me.

Last week saw an update to the App that I hope many of you have bought by now.
Two trails that had questionable legal standing were dropped. I think a few were added- if not, look for those to be added soon (I'm waiting to make trips to get more photos of some parks then they'll be added- notably Wompatuck).

If you don't own the App, maybe you hesitate because you don't own Apple products. Well- get out there and buy them! I'm kidding...

I would appreciate it, though, if you would gently recommend the app to friends (when it's appropriate). I did work pretty hard compiling this information, so I'd love to feel it was helping some people. I know I could've used it when I moved here.

That's all for now.

Trail Updates

There are trails that are too senstive to stay included in the App. Two of these are:

The Ancient Line Trail.
&
The Red Dot Trail.

Apparently, both are illegal (ALT) or Sort-of Legal (Red Dot) and sensitive.

The last thing I would want to do is to jeopardize access to any trail. So scratch these off your mental list, please.

thanks.

They WILL still stay on MBB until Apple makes the next update to it. Then they'll drop off (and be replaced by more entries you didn't have before, as previously discussed).

App Customers!

First of all, thanks for buying this app I wrote.

But second, I got a bit better understanding of my publisher's computer system the other day.

I thought that you would get immediate updates any time I loaded new riding spots onto the system, but in fact that is not the case. Instead, the publisher waits until there's enough new content that they feel it's worth submitting to Apple again.

So, you'll get more trails added to the App, just not immediately, and it'll come as a larger update, rather than 1 spot at a time.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

And in response to an earlier post: I found a really nice smooth singletrack trail at Bradley Palmer SP- leave a comment if you'd like details...

Microtech vs. Macrotech

I thought of a new way I'd like to start describing trails, today. The trails of new england are what I would call microtech- sharp rocks, slippery roots, and other small trail imperfections that make you focus on every foot of trail. There's a section near the river at Bradley Palmer SP that illustrates this perfectly. Enough roots, that are tall enough, and just moving forward is a chore.

This is opposed to what I would call macrotech- a sharp hill that requires technique to climb but is tricky in a much larger way (not more difficult, just physically larger) than microtech. Moab's slickrock trail might be a good example of this sort of technical riding: struggling with a natural feature, not the acual riding surface that approaches the feature.

I wish we had more trails like the latter. I love the former, but sometimes I feel like it gets a little frustrating and it certainly makes the hills and such more challenging!

The key: speed over the microtech to ride the macrotech!

Update on BP Waterfall Ride

I just wanted to quickly mention that I went to the location (sans bike) of this ride last night and was forcefully (and not very nicely) told that in fact the sides of the river here are property of Foote Bros. Canoe Rental. Private property!

So, for your own good, App Customers: DO NOT THROW ROCKS NEAR THE WATERFALL!!

Barbie: A Father's View -or- Don't give my kid Barbies

So when Kath and Lu got home from Gparents' house yesterday, there was a package on the porch for her (a bag, actually): the next door neighbors had gifted her 4 barbie dolls. Let's see, there was cinderella, and one in a short little red number with ripped nylons, and a ballerina, and a punky chick with a choker necklace and a black cat T-shirt. Oh, and a skirt too tight to move her legs around much.

There are a couple of assumptions on the neighbor's part here. I won't get into the prideful ones about us not being able to afford barbies, but what about parenting? Most likely we've all heard this before, but for those who haven't, humour me for a moment (the extra U was for Rachel)... Let's see: they all had blonde hair, their feet are shaped so that they can ONLY wear high heels (they show off the calves), and if I've been told correctly (haven't researched this)- the doll has breasts so big that if she were a real woman, she wouldn't be able to walk without toppling (especially since she would ONLY wear heels).

I'm not exactly Gloria Steinem, but we do try to model a little bit of equality for Lucy, and the ideas of feminist thinkers became more important to me the day I got married and even more the day my daughter was born.

Should women not be allowed to look dainty and precious? What do I have against high heels? Is there something wrong with blonde hair? No, of course all of these things (maybe not the hair) are choices that women can make, and of course are none of my business. But it's the unspoken-ness of the assumptions being "given" to my daughter by the (admittedly well-meaning) neighbors that isn't right.

In the same way that assumptions are made about me as a man (on a train once, in the dining car, a girl got up from the table she was sitting at, and went to get something from her seat. The man she was sitting with added alcohol to her coke, nodding at the guys sitting around and saying something to the effect of 'we are all guys, right?'.), and if I want to combat them I have to overcompensate, perhaps women should think about some of the 'Barbie choices' before they wonder why glass ceilings and objectifying attitudes exist?

I'm sure I'm in way over my head here, but I remember some church-going, smart women friends of mine in graduate school, who suddenly wore almost nothing and turned their brains off when we headed to a dance club. That's not what I want for my daughter.

"That's a collectible car, and Lucy was playing with it..."

Still early today, but already, we've gone yardsaling. (it's without the "i" because we were not in fact sailing, but going to sales). Got a nice Pace cycling cap for a dollar, and then got Lu a whole baggy of legos for another dollar (different sale). But even better, I got to cherrypick the best of a whole cardboard box for her bag (windows, doors, a little lego mouse, two horses, that kind of thing). Feeling a little bit of psychosis drawing me in with those legos... don't be a crazy parent, don't be a crazy parent...

Lu and Kath made cupcakes yesterday. Did you hear that, Rachel? THEY made me cupcakes!

All for now. Lucy was up til late last night. Oh, and while we drove around this morning? She cut her Barbies' hair. That deserves another post. I'll do that next.

Last Day of School

7:30am Hey, if anyone's waiting to surprise me with a job offer, today would be a good day. Last day here at Salem High for the summer. Reminds me of those inspirational posters, "today is the first day of the rest of your life" or some such.

There's the bell. Time to go see if we can retreive books the students haven't returned yet.

11:57am The kids are all gone now. So we're clipping locks and looking for books in lockers. I have some enthusiastic little helpers that do most of the work while I use the... what are they even called? Lock clippers?

It's at least something to do while we wait for the end of the day to come.

PS: We got to do the top two floors. I got a North Face backpack and some clear safety glasses. Cool. And I learned about locks. Hardened steel? It's not really harder to cut through- just more brittle. For safety in a lock, you're much better to make sure you get the smallest lock that will work, so that it is as close as possible to impossible to get those bolt-cutter teeth around the locking part. The one lock we couldn't break had just a tiny bit of the locking part exposed. But we had a very hard time with tiny little locks intended for briefcases or diaries, too! Just my two cents.

Willowdale FYI...

This is for informational and safety purposes only. (I say this because I'm sure this map is copyrighted somewhere- it is a state map).

If you're going to ride WSF, please check out the areas I've circled. The beaver dam has blocked off a trail that appears perfectly clear on the map, just after the circle of trail INSIDE the circle I've drawn. It can be crossed if the beavers don't get surly, but I highly advise you to just used the place marked "go this way".

The other area is on the other side of Rt. 1. This used to be one of my favorite sections of singletrack, but it is now seriously overgrown BECAUSE the thin bridge that used to cross over the end of the swamp was washed away by spring rain/floods/whatever. You're much better off to just follow the backroad until you're beyond the swamp (you can't miss it on your left while you go down the road.).

Keep it in mind.

Robbing from Peter to pay Paul...

Aaaargh! I feel like my head is going to explode from the pressure. Man, kids are great, but the $ that needs to flow in to keep a family going... I just wish I had access to more of it. Not for greedy reasons, but you have to pay the piper, y'know? The thing is, half the time I don't even like his piping! And yet, he still needs to be paid. (sigh)

Doldrums

Is the title the correct word for the time between when the winds blow? I'm waiting to hear about a couple of different opportunities right now, and it just seems like nothing at all is happening. Grr. I don't like that. In this day and age when communication is so instant and easy, why does it still take as long as it used to, for people to respond, as long as it did when we used the rotary dial telephones?

I'm an impatient man. Learning, but impatient.

No, No, a thousand times No.

We did not throw things away. But I did get to go on a trail ride with my daughter, so that's something, right? Frankly, I was a little confused by the whole thing, but we did get some cute pictures out of it. When I'm on home computer maybe I'll update this post with those pics. Not now though.

Still foggy outside. Beautiful day for a hike. Saw friends Grant and Sandy from Seminary yesterday. That was a surprise...

Computers and Housecleaning

Oh, crazy Sunday. Our friend Amy came over and tried to fix our computer (we're on her borrowed one now). Of course we ran into a snag. How didn't we see that coming? Now I'm checking the interweb quickly, then we're going to do some house cleaning.

Now, for us, this generally means throwing away the stuff we don't need or want. Why do we have it in the first place? Am I a packrat? Is Kathy? Are we like those people on Hoarders: Buried Alive on whatever network that is?

No. We have a source, an irresistable source, of all this stuff. I'll leave it to your imagination what this source might be, but from this source comes mounds and mounds of THINGS. And let me tell you, with a four year old at home, we need as few things as possible, because whatever we do have goes in every direction, every day, all over the house.

Toys that Lu doesn't like? Old shoes we don't actively wear? Boxes of stickers I promised I'd use "someday"? See ya. We don't have time or room. It's a good feeling.

So that's what the rest of my evening will look like. Then back to class. A happy Sunday evening to you all.

Congratulations go out to Friends Jim and Julie on the birth of their new baby.

App Preview: Mountain Bike Boston

So here's the first taster of what this thing is going to look like on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or whatever.

You can see from the above (in a way) that there are 60 entries to start off with (I can add more and edit after you've bought the app, and I will). The price is planned to be 99 cents, so don't walk, RUN to the app store and buy it without a second thought. Go! Now! (it's not out yet, I'm kidding).

You will be able to sort by various groups within these entries. I don't know all of them off the top of my head, but they are things like "dirt roads" or "Essential after-ride" or "Rugged or Unsigned Destinations", so that you can search for exactly the sort of experience you're looking for. I, for example, usually like less gnarly, faster, twistier trails. A dirt road park is a good place for me. I tend to want to explore more than follow a map. So I'd lean towards the rugged, unsigned. If you love trails where every intersection is marked, there are parks like that, and a group to search for them. (Bradley Palmer and Willowdale SF are good for you).

Because of the smartphone capabilities, I can put in a location, and the GPS in the phone will get you there. That's exciting, because it means I don't have to give you directions to get to the parks- the hardest part for both of us. Perhaps in the future I can get my own GPS and be able to identify parts of each park by their exact co-ordinates. Let's get this thing on sale first.



Again, will let you know the minute you can buy this thing.

Ps. added later: There are also many, many photos of the parks as part of each entry. Each entry you see above has an "icon" the most symbolic photo for each place, but within the entry, there are additional slideshows of the parks to orient you to what you'll see when you arrive, at the trailhead, etc. These too will be added as the summer progresses.

Change of Name

Just a quick note to let you know that we've dropped the 60X60 construction from the name of my app. What if it grows? (I already have about 11 new trails to add) Then is it supposed to be 75X60?

So anyway, now it is to be called Mountain Bike Boston. You know, like a command: (You!) Mountain bike Boston!

Happy that it's friday. think I'll try to take a ride this evening. Once I get home from work, though, it's so easy to just go along with whatever K and Lu are doing...

Over and out. For now.

App Update

I am almost ready, at long last, to publish my iPhone application, entitled: Boston 60X60. It includes 60 trails within one hour of downtown Boston. You should be able to check it out on the iTunes store very soon. (I know, I'm giddy- me, on iTunes).

Explanation of Name!

I should probably explain. I told myself I wouldn't use a cryptic quote. That I'd name my blog something common sense, like "My little pink notebook" (I really have one) or "Things I've seen", but then I remembered an old song that I love called "Travelog" (get it?) by Daniel Amos (that's a band, not a person).

Travelog

©1984 Twitchen Vibes Music (ASCAP)

This river channels out to my private shore
My boat's a magic couch on remote control
Confused, I now consult my jungle guide
Departure times, best bets, and four stars that shine
As I...

Bask in the blue light
Of my...Travelog

I laugh, I cry, I space each half an hour
Rerun sweet memories of days gone by
I'm given sixty seconds to catch my breath again
To me you sell your vision-

Here in my blue light
Of my...Travelog

Death on the battlefield, through flood and fire
I navigate my ship to worlds unknown
A black robed man now greets me 'neath southern skies
To him I make confession, from me he takes collection

Lost in the blue light
Found in the blue light
Here in the blue light
Of my...Travelog

Again, I love this song. I dedicate this blog to the song and the band, not TV. I watch it, but I don't worship it.