tracking it down

April 05, 2004 by Eric Richardson

So I mentioned yesterday that mod_perl and I were at odds. Well, today I took things into my own hands and tracked down what was going on. Basically the xml output module was infecting non-xml content because a tied output wasn't getting cleaned up. I won't really explain more than that, since it's funky perl and pretty convoluted, but if you really care the changes are this patch in the eThreads arch repository. Summary: those ugly visible   should be a thing of the past.

return trip

April 05, 2004 by Eric Richardson

I love getting to work on my bike, because it means that I have to ride back, and the ride back's all downhill. I actually followed the bikemetro directions this time, and they led me on Arroyo above the golf course, park, and a view of the Rose Bowl.

The train was cool, even though I forgot to bring anything to read today. On the Gold Line there was a dad and his son, probably about 7, sitting nearby. They were talking and joking the whole time and one time the kid said something and the dad just cracked up. I enjoyed that. On the Red Line there was a little kid who kept falling over when the train made a stop. The last time he was so convinced he was going to prove he could do it without holding on, and then he got that little jolt when the train comes to a complete stop and his mom/older sister had to catch him.

Riding down Vermont on the way back, negotiating the game that is riding in lanes in LA, I managed to beat the rapid. He passed me first, then I passed him on the right and he honked at me. I don't think I did anything wrong so I ignored him. He passed me again, but then I passed him at a stop around James M Woods or something like that and never saw him again.

My bike was having fun changing gears on me, so getting back I dropped it at Lions Bike Shop, the same place I got my tire put on this morning. An hour and a half or so and $10 later my bike was all tuned up. Little bike shops right near by are very cool.

I need to get some padded shorts. My saddle's definitely a little hard, and I'm feeling it right now. I can't bring myself to wear just bike shorts on the train, but I'd wear 'em under a pair of board shorts.

i'll be in shape before i know it

April 05, 2004 by Eric Richardson

I carried my bike over to the bike shop this morning and they put my new tires on for me. I also picked up a Kryptonite lock cable for my front wheel, so maybe I can hold onto this one. On the back I've got a Kryptolock Combo and I've been happy with that.

Anyway, with all that done I hopped on the bike and headed toward work. I meantioned the other day Metro's site http://bikemetro.com. Today I tried out the route that suggested, and was pretty happy with it (if you want to see the route, click read more and I'll give you a start and destination to use). I missed a turn and deviated from the prescibed route a bit, but on the whole it worked out just fine. It was great riding weather today, nice and cool.

For some reason the first leg, up Vermont, really got me worse than my Pasadena climb. I guess I was just pushing it way too hard, and the sugar cookie I had right before I left didn't help matters at all. My times were right in line with what I was riding it in during the summer, even though I took it lighter for the second leg. — Continue Reading...

Increasing mobility

April 04, 2004 by Eric Richardson

For the last few months I've been stuck walking. Six months or so ago I took the wheels of my skateboard, realized the bearings were shot, and promptly neglected to go buy new ones. A month or two after that the front wheel got stolen off my bike, leaving just me and my car.

In the last 24 hours that all changed. Yesterday, driving from Santa Monica to Venice to get a little C&O's (heh, little and C&O's should never go together), when I realized I was passing ZJ Boarding House, which is where I originally bought my board almost three years ago. A quick stop there and suddenly my skateboard situation was looking a whole lot brighter.

Then today I dropped by the REI Store in Manhattan Beach and picked up three boxes of stuff I had ordered online. In the boxes were an REI Morph Tent, a set of Continental SportContact tires, a Deore X221 front wheel and a nice light Delta Mega Rack. Tomorrow morning I'm going to pop over to the bike shop at the end of the alley (less than 100 yards from my apartment), buy tubes, and get them to install the tires for me. Then, just like that, I'll be back in the business of mobility.

I set up the tent in my apartment tonight to check it out. First impression? Very cool. It's a 2-person and not super-wide, so if you're sharing it with someone you better want to get close, but it's not like you'd be sleeping on top of each other either. The length is great. Definitely room for me to lay out and still have room at the end for a pack. The whole thing fits in a really small package, and weighs in around 5 pounds. I didn't try putting out the footprint or raincover, but the tent itself was really easy to put together.

This was my first real experience with REI, and I came away very impressed.

movie trailers / pelican info

April 04, 2004 by Eric Richardson

I have searched for some information on movie trailers and your name and pelican productions surfaced; I am trying to find a way to purchase new trailers on dvd or beta formats. If you have any information on this and can sell these please contact me to discuss.

Thanks,

KA