Cats Rule! Watch the Video...

cat vs. bear @ Yahoo! Video

An iPhone App from Ironman Craig Alexander

Ironman champion Craig 'Crowie' Alexander uses his iPhone to give fans unusual "spur of the moment" access to a professional triathlete's life. Described as "Twitter meets reality TV", Crowie's Backstage app (available free from iTunes) delivers training secrets, race preparation, travels and even family time.

So tune in and watch him prepare to defend his Ironman championship on October 10th.

And those of you carrying some other manufacturer's hardware in your pocket? Suckers!

A Better Bike Fit Using Your iPhone

Yes, I drink Apple's Kool-Aid and consider my new iPhone about the coolest device EVAH!

Now, from the Interbike Blog (interbiketimes.com) comes word of a bike-fitting application for the iPhone:

"Testrides, developed by a company called Wildlab in Japan, uses the phone’s built-in camera to snap a profile photo of the cyclist’s body. With the photo on the screen, the user taps on the touch-screen to specify their body’s joint positions. The cyclist then can input the geometry specs of a particular bike from either a catalog or the manufacturer’s website to “model” it. The app puts the two together so that you can examine a “virtual fitting” to decide whether a particular bike, geometry or size works for you."

Eat your hearts out, all you Crackberry-heads! I'll post a review once I've tried it out, though I'm sure it'll tell me my current bike is all wrong. Ah well. I kinda knew that.

Lance Armstrong Returning To Ironman Racing?

After winning the Leadville Trail 100, Lance Armstrong plots his return to triathlon racing.

The Sears Tower Glass Skydeck

Glass-Floored Skydeck

This extension to the Sears Tower skydeck is pretty cool.

But, no, I'm not stepping out there. I'll wave to ya...from the ground. And I'm never calling it "Willis Tower" no matter what the sign says.

(Photo: Courtesy Sears Tower via ChicagoTribune.com)

In Spain For An Afternoon

Well, not really. But it's a great tapas restaurant, owned and run by an old friend. Potatas con alioli, pincho del solomillo, ensalada de la casa, paella, canneloni frios de atun, queso de cabra, pollo al curry, on and on it went. I ate it all, though I probably mis-spelled it all, too. That's the vino talking.

Last night I made papperdelle pasta with a wild mushroom ragout topped with goat cheese. While I'm in Chicago, Tri-Daughter #3's at home polishing off the leftovers.

"Here We All Are...

...at the start of another thousand years.  All those love stories yet to be told."

I think I've said this before, but it's worth saying again.  What an utterly, gorgeous little gem of a song is "Thousand Year Prayer" by the Cowboy Junkies.  The kind of song that quietly sneaks up on you, grabs you in places seen and unseen and won't let go.

Now back to the workaday world...

Let's See... Snare On Two And Four?

I typically don't count the beat when playing drums.  I should, but I guess I'm not very good at multi-tasking, not when it involves numbers.  I do have a little metronome thingie that fits in my ear; I don't use that much either.

But Coldplay's "Clocks" is a song that's much easier to play when you do count.

ONE-and-two-AND-three-and-FOUR-and-ONE-and-two-AND-three-and-FOUR-and...

See?  Now wasn't that easier?

No Reservations!

Hey, someone cool is advertising on Life Is A Tri.  And he's going to Venice.  Very cool!

Lance Tweets

Follow Lance Armstrong on his Twitter feed, here.

Cats Rule!

Some stupid dog named Marley is sucking up all the pet lovin' these days.  I think cats deserve equal time.  So meet "Dewey the Small Town Library Cat..."  I think he'd whack 'ol Marley right on the schnazola.

Strange Happenings in 2009

I've never really fancied myself a movie critic.  I like what I like, hate what I hate and that's that.  I've also never spent much time caring what other movie critics think or say.  So I dunno what caused me to read Stanley Fish's opinion column "The 10 Best American Movies" in today's NY Times.

His choice for #1 best American movie - "The Best Years of Our Lives"  - would probably be my choice too.  Other VM favorites making his list: "Shane", "Vertigo", "Groundhog Day" and "Double Indemnity".

OK, I may have to rethink this whole movie critic thing.  I made several New Years resolutions, but not THAT one.

Snow Dog

Camden the Wonder Dog could star in a movie like this...if he only had a brain. He'd never find his way home.

Adventurer Rows Across the Pacific...

...only to be rescued 65 miles short of his destination when strong, adverse winds sap his remaining energy.

Says an article in Yahoo News:

"...the journey was not about breaking records; he is not the first person to row solo across the Pacific and is not yet sure whether his trip is the longest solo journey. Instead, he said, the voyage was about testing his own limits.

'"The reasons of my trip was double. First of all was to cross the Pacific," Bellini said. "But the other reason of my trip was making a trip inward. So it was discovering something of myself."'

I'm betting that last 65 miles don't much matter.

Barely Bear and DW Drums

"Barely", my DW bear.  He's "Barely" cuz he can barely reach the pedals.  If you see the two of us together, he's the quiet one.  Doncha love that awesome Paiste Signature 20" 'Dry Ride' cymbal?  It sounds as good as it looks and it looks pretty darn cool.  Hear it in action here.

iPod Shuffle: New iTunes download stuff, like "Bloodhounds On My Trail" by the The Black Angels, from "Passover."  Lotsa bands THINK they're channeling The Velvet Underground.  Most are wrong.  We'll see about the Angels.  Regardless, it's a great, pounding drum track.  Listen to the little floor-tom triplets and off-beats.  And "Nowhere Again" by The Secret Machines, from "Now Here Is Nowhere."  I had this song on an old iPod but it went somewhere I can't find so I forked over another 99 cents to learn the drum track.  Cool.  And "Take Back the City" by Snow Patrol, from "A Hundred Million Suns."

Not my wine cellar, in case you're wondering.  Just some place I hang out.

This Is What Happens When I Ruminate

I've been thinking.  Always dangerous, I know.  But several of you, dear readers, have pointed out in comments and e-mails how cranky I've been lately.  And even though I kinda like being cranky, I've done enough self-reflection to come to a conclusion:

We - you and me -  don't drink enough wine.

Yep.  So henceforth, before I flay somebody - even somebody from the New York Times - I'm gonna invite 'em to the Great Suburban Outback for a home-cooked dinner and a good bottle of wine or three.  We'll discuss the state of the world and issues big and small.  I'm betting we'll agree more than we'll disagree.  We'll enjoy the fireplace and the sun setting over the lake.

I'll send 'em home with a coupon for anti-Camden the Wonder Dog dry-cleaning.  And then I'll report on what we AGREED upon instead of ranting about a DISAGREEMENT with someone I've never met.  

Of course they may not show up, but if they refuse my invitation I'm gonna do what I do best and light 'em up.  They had their chance.  Of course if they DO show up they're free to complain about the wretched food.  Fair's fair.

Call it a New Years' resolution, the first I've ever made except for the annual promise to never make an annual promise.

The big question is who to invite first.  Any suggestions?  It seems that the only interesting people I can think of are all, well, dead.

Stupid/Cool. Yin/Yang.

The #1 reason for avoiding waffle houses everywhere.  Well, that and my cholesterol.  Stupid.

I don't really get into the Christmas season until A Charlie Brown Christmas comes on my TV...like tonight.  Vince Guaraldi's wonderful music takes me back to the time when I KNEW there was no truth to the rumor that Christmas was controlled by some big east coast syndicate.  Cool.

So from now until, say, the first week in January it's gonna be Ho! Ho! Ho!  And mistletoe.  Oh yeah, and Steamboat Springs.  Way cool.

Lance Livin' Strong

Training with Contador and the Astana team:  "Wow,  he's riding really good for December."

But he faces an "uphill ascent."  (Pun intended, I guess.)

And he's expecting to be hated.  Though I wouldn't worry if I were him.  The French hate everybody.  It's a sign of respect.

Funny story:

"On Tuesday, Armstrong's Astana high profile team mate Alberto Contador, winner of the 2007 Tour, was standing in front of his Tenerife hotel, when a woman came up to him and asked: "Hola, hablas Espanol? (do you speak Spanish?)

- Yes

- "Do you know if Lance Armstrong is here?"'

HaHaHaHa!  Kick ass, Lance.