Contador Involved In "BoeufGate" Scandal

After reading about what I am calling "BoeufGate" I am resubmitting my Alberto Contador logo for your approval.

Doping up a cow in hopes to lure poor Alberto into a false sense of security... damn Frenchies. 

How To Bike Commute In A Downpour or Swimming To Work

If you're anywhere near the east coast this morning and you rode your bike to work your workspace probably looks something like this.

When it's pouring out and it's still in the low 70's a rain jacket will only last a short time. Yes that first bite of cold rain in the morning sucks but if your wearing a rain jacket you'll be soaked with sweat after the first hill. I would usually rather be soaked with rain than sweat.

I spent a about 10 minutes in the parking garage drip-drying and wringing out socks and such. Then I proceeded into the office to begin the transformation from dirt bag who fell in the river to working professional type guy. Having a sink with a tall spout helps for cooling me down fast and rinsing the nasty out of my hair.

What also helps is an REI camp towel. They are highly absorbent, quick drying, and small enough that you can leave them in your bag year round and rarely notice them.

Once I've made myself all classy again I move into gear drying mode. There is NOTHING worse than having to put wet bike clothes on at the end of the day. I usually "borrow" additional fans from coworkers and set everything up to dry, checking the clothes throughout the day. Shoes take the longest to dry so I usually stuff them with paper towels to drastically reduce drying time.

Got any tips and tricks for commuting in the soaking rain?

Mondays Can Be So Awesome

You're probably in a state of vigorous fist clenching vein popping disagreement right now. Before you hurt yourself or anyone around you, I submit this photo I took of a hawk as proof that Mondays can in fact, be awesome. 

It was right outside my house and it was awesome.

You're god damn right it's Monday...

Eating Locally On Vacation

A while back I posted about a mushroom event I attended after I lucked upon a patch of Chicken of the Woods mushrooms. It seems my luck is still running strong, I happened upon these beauties while on vacation in Rhode Island last month. 

It had been raining for a few days and the mushrooms were popping. This dead tree was standing in a neighbor's yard where my wife and I were renting a house. I saw them from the road and started thinking about a recipe. We had visited a friend's farm nearby the day before and left with some fresh picked okra, string beans, and tomatoes. 

I threw everything in a pot and made another pot chicken of the woods curry that thanks to the fresh veggies rivaled the initial last batch. 

The farm where we got the veggies was 20 minutes away and the main ingredient was picked a few hundred yards away. With the exception of the spices and a little butter, this may have been the most "local" meal I've eaten, and damn was it good.

This weekend is a perfect time to hit up a farmer's market or two. ;)

Happy Friday.

Beer Review: Dogfish Head Punkin Ale (My Wife's New Favorite)

Last weekend the family stopped into the Dogfish Head Brewpub in Rehoboth, Delaware. The place was packed, the food was decent, and the beer list was extensive.  I had the DFH Ale which was strong and hoppy as promised. My wife wanted to try something seasonal and was presented with the Punkin Ale of which she was instantly a fan; so much so I thought I had better pick up a four pack for further analysis.

Punkin Ale pours a beautiful orange color that is kind of well... pumpkiny. The spices: nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and brown sugar are all present but not overpowering. Some pumpkin ales seem to force the pumpkin flavor making the beer too sweet but not this one. This is also true of a lot of flavored beers. The actual pumpkin flavor is subtle and balances out the spices well giving the Punkin Ale a very smooth finish.

I can see why this is on the top of my wife's list. It is full-bodied (as the label states) but not gimmicky like some of the competition.

Bottom line: Highly Spouse Recommended.
Buy It if you love the flavor of beer in your flavored seasonal beer.
Don't Buy It if your looking for hints candy corn in your pumpkin ale.

Capital BikeShare: At A Glance

I was driving down 5th Street yesterday when I saw my first Capital Bikeshare station. All crisp and clean, free of the impending graffiti and stickers. If I didn't already have 4 bikes I'd sign up for it. Hurray for DC!

20 Somethings Are Buying Fewer Cars!

According to this article by Kiplinger;

"Motorists aged 21 to 30 now account for 14% of miles driven, down from 21% in 1995."

Hallelujah!

Contrary to our parents generation who saw car ownership as a divine right, or the culmination of manifest destiny, 20 somethings are opting to take the bus and tweet rather than sit in their car (and play with their iPhones).

“This generation focuses its buying on computers, BlackBerrys, music and software and views commuting a few hours by car a huge productivity waste when they can work using PDAs while taking the bus and train,”

That's a savings of 2 additional hours of blogging time, EVERY DAY! Yes I see the irony, that I am blogging at this very moment but hey, I'm doing it at the office like a responsible adult.

Honestly I don't care why people are choosing not to buy cars, I'm just happy with their choice.