OrnothLand

 If you know what life is worth, you will look for yours on earth…

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Up Against a Wall

Back Bay view in summer

Every so often, curiosity impels me to check out my former homes on Google Streetview, to see how much they’ve changed over time. Usually it’s nothing dramatic, but today’s exception left me stunned, shocked, and incredibly grateful.

Back in 2001, I bought my first – and to date only – property, a condo unit on the second floor of the historic former Hotel Vendome, located in Boston’s trendy Back Bay.

By far its most dramatic feature – and the reason I selected it after viewing seventy others – was a sweeping view of the neighborhood. The living room’s south-facing bay windows not only offered tons of delightful sunshine, but overlooked an empty lot that had served as a parking lot since 1958. It was the only unit I’d seen that had such a wide-open vista.

That panorama included many of B »more

2023-05-28

Back Bay view Back Bay

2023-05-14

Austin Kyūdō CelebrAsia Demo Austin Kyūdō CelebrAsia Demo Austin Kyūdō CelebrAsia Demo Austin Kyūdō CelebrAsia Demo Austin Kyūdō CelebrAsia Demo Austin Kyūdō CelebrAsia Demo Austin Kyūdō CelebrAsia Demo Austin Kyūdō CelebrAsia Demo Austin Kyūdō CelebrAsia Demo Austin Kyūdō CelebrAsia Demo Austin Kyūdō CelebrAsia Demo Austin Kyūdō CelebrAsia Demo Austin Kyūdō CelebrAsia Demo Austin Kyūdō CelebrAsia Demo Austin Kyūdō CelebrAsia Demo Austin Kyūdō CelebrAsia Demo Austin Kyūdō CelebrAsia Demo Austin Kyūdō CelebrAsia Demo

VC Sniper!

Pæthos

Just a quick note of recommendation for a vendor I’ve used for years. If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to personalize your ride, read on!

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Back in 2009 I was in the same boat (nice boat!), looking for ways to snazz up my first true road bike, which at that point was entering its fourth season of service. Having seen the name decals that teams affix to the top tubes of professional bike racers, I looked into what was publicly available and placed an order with Victory Circle Graphix out of Golden, CO.

Since then, each time I get a new bike, I order a new set of custom stickers from VC Graphix: blue for the Plastic Bullet and my folding Bike Friday, red for R2-Di2, and most recently white for Pæthos. You can see the results in the accompanying phots (as always, click thru for te »more

Jalapeno Ketchup

MJ Friday Truancy ride

A lot has happened over the past two months while I was gathering real-world experience for my blogpo about the Austin cycling scene… A lot that is worth sharing, but which isn’t strictly Austin-specific. So I figured I’d share a bit of that while I continue exploring the town and gathering data.

But if you need a short summary of what Austin has been like so far, here’s the lowdown. The weather is stellar. The roads are, as you’d expect, hit-or-miss. There’s a good variety of flat and short, steep hills, and I’ve done a fair bit of exploring. The drivers have been surprisingly tolerant. Fauna has included actual roadrunners and actual vultures. The bike shops each have significant issues they’re trying to work through. There’s tons of clubs and club rides, but they’re hea »more