Knee fuck fuck fuck knee fuck. Knee is fucked. I want cookies. I want sympathy.
I guess I'm taking the train to Ohio. Getting a ride with Shawn to nola. My little heart feels like it's breaking. maybe worse than my knee.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Spent about 4 hours getting a bike fit today. I'm not sure how I feel. I mean, I feel a bit better because homeboy straightened out my apparently crooked hips, adjusted my cleats saddle and handlebars. but...
okay. I feel like I was only afforded these services gratis because of my gender. & I dont really know how to feel about it. I'm sure you know this about me, but I'm not the type of person that thinks having genitals entitles me to manipulate people into giving me what I want. I use my titties for good, never for evil.
excuse me.
but seriously. okay. So I was given this service, several hundred dollars worth of service. because I'm a touring cyclist? Sure. If I was just some yahoo on a hooptey rollin in asking for that kind of service, I'm sure I'd be out of luck. But as a touring cyclist, spectacular tits or no, even if I was a grizzled old roadie, suffering from excruciating knee pain, I think they would have helped me adjust some things to get me on my way. But I don't think I would have gotten the same level of analytical fitting. And I don't think buddy would have referred to my crotch as 'the playground'.
(um. really. He told me not to tilt my saddle too far up, or I might hurt 'the playground'. That did make me laugh, though)
other evidence? well, he was definitely looking down my shirt when I was on the trainer. I think I would have done the same though, honestly, so I guess I'm not too upset.
oh, we did this thing to loosen my hips where he pulled at my knees and I had to try to close them. He said something like, "close your legs! Don't let that bad guy in there!"
I was straining pretty hard at the time, but I still remember thinking, "wait, what?"
Oh, and when one of his employees came in, he said, "watch out for this guy".
I made some noncommital noise. He said, "did you hear me?" as in, I'm not joking, this guy is going to give you trouble, you vulnerable and accessible girl you. The guy in question, though pretty douchey seeming, didnt say a word to me.
the mechanic who tuned up my bike was really awesome and did zero leering. yay.
Okay, now: Did I do the wrong thing by accepting a service that I perceived to be given to me based on my gender? Was I wrong for not saying anything about it? The guy's intentions WERE altruistic. He did a lot for me and got nothing in return. I really needed the service, and I couldnt pay what would be asked. I did go into the shop seeking the service, knowing I couldnt pay. What did I expect? And also, it's not like he propositioned me or anything. Made a few jokes. what's the big deal?
Maybe I'm feeling guilty because I feel I subconsciously expected this treatment, even though maybe based on my cycling goals and achievements rather than my 'playground'.
I don't want to be lumped in with those miserable harpies who go to bars and cackle as they manipulate a bunch a chumps they care nothing about into buying drinks for them all night.
I did really need this service. Would have I have refused the donation of time if I had been financially well off? I dont think so.
I would also like to mention: other than the slightly sexist comments, I didnt get the sense that he or any of the other mechanics talked down to me. Often at shops mechanics or technicians are eager to make themselves look good by making me (or anyone) feel stupid. Nothing discussed about my suffering was related to my ineptitude, and my posture wasnt nitpicked too hard. Critical points were discussed and politely corrected (keep your heels down, dont grip your bars, relax your elbows) though my positive traits were also noted but not in a patronizingly over congratulatory way. My maintenancing wasnt sneered at. Out of the many things that need to be tweaked (which were tweaked without mentioning), buddy only brought up the one that makes safety an issue, and required extra parts. we fixed it. (brake pads, I couldnt get them out of the shoes. we used vice grips and a hammer. I had the replacement pads on me already)
So, in this respect, I can definitely say I did NOT feel discriminated against, cause it's pretty common for mechanics to just finger wag and go "UM. UGH. DID YOU KNOW YOUR X Y AND Z IS FUCKED UP? DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW TO RIDE A BIKE?" making me feel icky and defensive. Usually if I express so much as a preference in products it must be because I just dont know how to use them. being a girl and all. duh.
blah
Welcome to the exhausting world of over analyzation.
I'm going to go back in to the shop before I leave town, to see if the exercises he gave me to do have been effective in straightening my hips.
wish me speedy knee recovery.
and like, smash the patriarchy, dude.
okay. I feel like I was only afforded these services gratis because of my gender. & I dont really know how to feel about it. I'm sure you know this about me, but I'm not the type of person that thinks having genitals entitles me to manipulate people into giving me what I want. I use my titties for good, never for evil.
excuse me.
but seriously. okay. So I was given this service, several hundred dollars worth of service. because I'm a touring cyclist? Sure. If I was just some yahoo on a hooptey rollin in asking for that kind of service, I'm sure I'd be out of luck. But as a touring cyclist, spectacular tits or no, even if I was a grizzled old roadie, suffering from excruciating knee pain, I think they would have helped me adjust some things to get me on my way. But I don't think I would have gotten the same level of analytical fitting. And I don't think buddy would have referred to my crotch as 'the playground'.
(um. really. He told me not to tilt my saddle too far up, or I might hurt 'the playground'. That did make me laugh, though)
other evidence? well, he was definitely looking down my shirt when I was on the trainer. I think I would have done the same though, honestly, so I guess I'm not too upset.
oh, we did this thing to loosen my hips where he pulled at my knees and I had to try to close them. He said something like, "close your legs! Don't let that bad guy in there!"
I was straining pretty hard at the time, but I still remember thinking, "wait, what?"
Oh, and when one of his employees came in, he said, "watch out for this guy".
I made some noncommital noise. He said, "did you hear me?" as in, I'm not joking, this guy is going to give you trouble, you vulnerable and accessible girl you. The guy in question, though pretty douchey seeming, didnt say a word to me.
the mechanic who tuned up my bike was really awesome and did zero leering. yay.
Okay, now: Did I do the wrong thing by accepting a service that I perceived to be given to me based on my gender? Was I wrong for not saying anything about it? The guy's intentions WERE altruistic. He did a lot for me and got nothing in return. I really needed the service, and I couldnt pay what would be asked. I did go into the shop seeking the service, knowing I couldnt pay. What did I expect? And also, it's not like he propositioned me or anything. Made a few jokes. what's the big deal?
Maybe I'm feeling guilty because I feel I subconsciously expected this treatment, even though maybe based on my cycling goals and achievements rather than my 'playground'.
I don't want to be lumped in with those miserable harpies who go to bars and cackle as they manipulate a bunch a chumps they care nothing about into buying drinks for them all night.
I did really need this service. Would have I have refused the donation of time if I had been financially well off? I dont think so.
I would also like to mention: other than the slightly sexist comments, I didnt get the sense that he or any of the other mechanics talked down to me. Often at shops mechanics or technicians are eager to make themselves look good by making me (or anyone) feel stupid. Nothing discussed about my suffering was related to my ineptitude, and my posture wasnt nitpicked too hard. Critical points were discussed and politely corrected (keep your heels down, dont grip your bars, relax your elbows) though my positive traits were also noted but not in a patronizingly over congratulatory way. My maintenancing wasnt sneered at. Out of the many things that need to be tweaked (which were tweaked without mentioning), buddy only brought up the one that makes safety an issue, and required extra parts. we fixed it. (brake pads, I couldnt get them out of the shoes. we used vice grips and a hammer. I had the replacement pads on me already)
So, in this respect, I can definitely say I did NOT feel discriminated against, cause it's pretty common for mechanics to just finger wag and go "UM. UGH. DID YOU KNOW YOUR X Y AND Z IS FUCKED UP? DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW TO RIDE A BIKE?" making me feel icky and defensive. Usually if I express so much as a preference in products it must be because I just dont know how to use them. being a girl and all. duh.
blah
Welcome to the exhausting world of over analyzation.
I'm going to go back in to the shop before I leave town, to see if the exercises he gave me to do have been effective in straightening my hips.
wish me speedy knee recovery.
and like, smash the patriarchy, dude.
disaster
I left Philly yesterday. Beautiful day, perfect weather. 40 miles later my knee hurt so bad I had to call the house and have someone come pick me up. Pain is in the back of the knee. I'm going to try to get my fit adjusted, might just be a cleat/saddle problem. I tore my MCL in my right knee in 2008, and that's the knee I usually worry about because it's the knee that usually hurts most, swells up, and so on. when it started tingling outside of Baltimore, I put a brace on it and it got better. It's my left knee that is killing me now, which has never been injured, which makes me think it's more of a fit problem. It didnt start hurting till my way back from NYC. I'll try to rest up for a week or so, but I think my bike tour is over. I am so fucking bummed out.
Though, I can't tell you how happy I am to have such amazing friends in philly. They came to get me on a moment's notice, and told me I could stay with them for as long as it takes me to figure out my plans.
So, overall, I'd say I'm pretty lucky.
keepin it posi
Though, I can't tell you how happy I am to have such amazing friends in philly. They came to get me on a moment's notice, and told me I could stay with them for as long as it takes me to figure out my plans.
So, overall, I'd say I'm pretty lucky.
keepin it posi
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
oh philadelphia
Well. I did wake up at 8. Left the house by 9:30. But then...
I got lost! Surprise!
I was going to take the ferry to NJ so as to avoid that horrific pulaski skyway business, but I couldnt find the ferry!
When I found the ferry, I learned that it doesnt go to NJ on the weekends! Surprise!
Then I went looking for a train that would take me to NJ for under $2. I found one! Hours later.In downtown newark, I kept accidentally getting on expressways and it took me forever to figure out how to get on the one without getting on the 95. When I finally made it to the one, it was almost 2pm. arrrrgh!
What I'm trying to tell you is: I didnt make it to philly in one day. Not only did all that racket happen in the morning, but I broke a spoke that day (my first mechanical trouble) and then, around 6p, I was told I couldnt go through a toll. I wasnt very cooperative, and they called the sgt. He said something like, "oh, well. normally we'd make people carry their bikes down the stairs, but since you're a woman, you can just get off at the next exit." He basically patted me on the head, told me that I could get back on in about ten miles. I started fuming about how I'd been on the one for a week, I came up to ny through this exact area. He said something about the expressway being too dangerous and I wanted to scream, "I RODE ON THE MOTHERFUCKING PULASKI SKYWAY" but instead I just sniffled about how much MORE dangerous it would be if I had to ride on the one after dark.
I got booted off onto some shitty road with no shoulder, and I grumbled about it for hours.
I actually made pretty good time, almost 70m in about 5 hours. It's totally flat between nyc and phl. When it got dark out, though I was only about 7 miles from where it would have been safe and well lit enough for me to ride, I had to stop. No matter how many lights I have on, drivers still cant see me, no shoulder on that part of the highway, and everyone drives like 60mph.
I slept under a tree, woke up to a cliff bar breakfast with the realization that I'd left my only hoodie in brooklyn. damn. It is fucking COLD out here, y'all.I made it to the butthutt by 10:30. It feels good to be back. I think I could live here, and I think I might try in the summer.
Here are some pictures of the chickenhut.
I got lost! Surprise!
I was going to take the ferry to NJ so as to avoid that horrific pulaski skyway business, but I couldnt find the ferry!
When I found the ferry, I learned that it doesnt go to NJ on the weekends! Surprise!
Then I went looking for a train that would take me to NJ for under $2. I found one! Hours later.In downtown newark, I kept accidentally getting on expressways and it took me forever to figure out how to get on the one without getting on the 95. When I finally made it to the one, it was almost 2pm. arrrrgh!
What I'm trying to tell you is: I didnt make it to philly in one day. Not only did all that racket happen in the morning, but I broke a spoke that day (my first mechanical trouble) and then, around 6p, I was told I couldnt go through a toll. I wasnt very cooperative, and they called the sgt. He said something like, "oh, well. normally we'd make people carry their bikes down the stairs, but since you're a woman, you can just get off at the next exit." He basically patted me on the head, told me that I could get back on in about ten miles. I started fuming about how I'd been on the one for a week, I came up to ny through this exact area. He said something about the expressway being too dangerous and I wanted to scream, "I RODE ON THE MOTHERFUCKING PULASKI SKYWAY" but instead I just sniffled about how much MORE dangerous it would be if I had to ride on the one after dark.
I got booted off onto some shitty road with no shoulder, and I grumbled about it for hours.
I actually made pretty good time, almost 70m in about 5 hours. It's totally flat between nyc and phl. When it got dark out, though I was only about 7 miles from where it would have been safe and well lit enough for me to ride, I had to stop. No matter how many lights I have on, drivers still cant see me, no shoulder on that part of the highway, and everyone drives like 60mph.
I slept under a tree, woke up to a cliff bar breakfast with the realization that I'd left my only hoodie in brooklyn. damn. It is fucking COLD out here, y'all.I made it to the butthutt by 10:30. It feels good to be back. I think I could live here, and I think I might try in the summer.
Here are some pictures of the chickenhut.
It's almost impossible to describe the scale of this place. It's HUGE, like a whole city block. it has a woodshop inside, and the guy who uses it makes all sorts of awesome stuff. there's a huge roof that I slept on, a million cats and comfy, though mosquito covered, couches. there is a BEDBUG EPIDEMIC in brooklyn. BEDBUGS is the word. It's crazy, every retail outlet, every clothing store, all the subways, everything has bedbugs. bedbugs are a virulent pest, they will bite you hundreds of times in a night, and live in basically any porous surface, making them impossible to eradicate. None of the places I stayed in had bedbugs, but all feared them, and the chicken hut was recently sprayed, 'just to make sure'.
I'm leaving for Baltimore tomorrow morning. I'm trying to move this tour a little quicker, cause I'm running out of money pretty fast, and my knee problems are getting kind of bad. I have to buy another knee brace because my other knee hurts, too.
otherwise, I'm having a good time, eating a ton and trying to stay out of the rain. I stole some music from the chickenhut's itunes, my favorite song so far being Donna Summer's Hot Stuff.
seriously, nothing peps me up like disco. take away my punk card or whatever, I dont need it.
stayin alive
C
seriously, nothing peps me up like disco. take away my punk card or whatever, I dont need it.
stayin alive
C
Oh, and if you like blogs about riding bikes really far and dicking off, you'll love my friend michelle's blog
Friday, October 1, 2010
I'm going back to philly tomorrow morning. I havent really had the chance to ride a full day yet, when I leave a town I've been draggin ass in the morning and not leaving till after noon. this means I run out of daylight before I actually get tired, I usually make it about 70 miles.
not this time.
I am getting all my shit done, all my maintenancing, making all my coffee right. now.
I am not boozin!
I will wake up before 8!
I WILL RIDE 100 BAD ASS MILES TOMORROW!
& the crowd goes wild.
yo, it's actually cold here. I've been waiting for it to stop raining. It's low 50's, humid as heck. I am spooning a cat and brewing all the coffee I'll need in a percolator, waiting for Samm to get home so we can watch The Office. Last night we went "dumpstering" in Manhattan.
Dumpstering is in quotes because they dont have dumpsters in MH, they throw their trash bags on the sidewalk and dont give a fuck if you rifle through them. The garbage men all ride on the back of the truck, holding on to the side like you see in movies! When I discovered this I thought, "I want to do that!"
maybe someday.
We found some baked potatoes wrapped in tinfoil, two kind of nasty pizzas, a loaf of burnt bread, some croissants, a whole shitload of bagels and rolls, and! -! -! about twenty chocolate truffles. I started jumping for joy and dancing when I pulled it out.
I'm ready to blow this popsicle stand. Time to get back into beast mode. Smell you later.
not this time.
I am getting all my shit done, all my maintenancing, making all my coffee right. now.
I am not boozin!
I will wake up before 8!
I WILL RIDE 100 BAD ASS MILES TOMORROW!
& the crowd goes wild.
yo, it's actually cold here. I've been waiting for it to stop raining. It's low 50's, humid as heck. I am spooning a cat and brewing all the coffee I'll need in a percolator, waiting for Samm to get home so we can watch The Office. Last night we went "dumpstering" in Manhattan.
Dumpstering is in quotes because they dont have dumpsters in MH, they throw their trash bags on the sidewalk and dont give a fuck if you rifle through them. The garbage men all ride on the back of the truck, holding on to the side like you see in movies! When I discovered this I thought, "I want to do that!"
maybe someday.
We found some baked potatoes wrapped in tinfoil, two kind of nasty pizzas, a loaf of burnt bread, some croissants, a whole shitload of bagels and rolls, and! -! -! about twenty chocolate truffles. I started jumping for joy and dancing when I pulled it out.
I'm ready to blow this popsicle stand. Time to get back into beast mode. Smell you later.
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