July 23, 2008

Song of the week, the Alpe', and the morning peloton

The song of the day, anyways --- I dunno if I can have a song stuck in my head for a full week.... except maybe for that incessant techno that I had stuck in my head for three weeks.

It's been a while since I posted any kind of musical schtuff... so it was time.

The song that inspired me to post this: "Stray Dog and a Chocolate Shake" - by Grandaddy.
Other songs that have raised my interest lately, enough that I have been humming them in public and such:
The entire Firecracker album by The Squirrel Nut Zippers.
Anything by the White Stripes or The Racconteurs... which is kinda cool in its own right because it's pretty close in spelling to Randonneurs.... which would be a good name for a band anyways.
Anything by Phish - specifically off the Farmhouse album.
Anything by Wilco - specifically off the Sky Blue Sky album.
TRS-80: Freaking drum-and-bass backbeat genius.
This band out of Colorado called DeVotchKa.
Crud.... it's been a musical month.
The Alpe'. I love the current promo that Versus has been running on this one... this hill will break you. Ah, Le Alpe d' Huez. That's today, stage 17 of the Tour. Go VandeVelde... I hope he's got something special today. It's getting tight... Can't wait to watch the carnage tonight when I get home, DVR-willing. Yeah, I took 2006 and 2007 off from being a rampant professional cycling fan --- but I really have enjoyed watching this year's tour.
This morning on 143rd Street, I was treated to a catch by a fellow commuter on a nice mountain bike complete with handlebar bag and trunk bag, disc brakes, and mounted by a strong looking rider. Unfortunately, I didn't catch his name in all the fun and conversation. We ended up chatting it up for probably 80% of each other's commutes, which was really cool compared to the normal: "hey, I think I'll talk to myself AGAIN" on the way to work. A nearly perfect morning, cool breezes, not too humid... at least relatively. Still, I arrived at work all sticky and sweaty again -- those last two hills before hitting the work-20 are pretty gnarly, and tempting --- and when I have something like the stage up Alpe D'Huez already playing in my head, it's hard not to take the last hill in brave attack style. Still... I have plenty of time to cool down before heading to the desk, which is always nice, and the east wind helps blow dry my effort.
It's gonna be another nice day.... on the bike...

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