IGVENTURE
- Thread starter pooriggy
- Start date
The weekend was a reunion of sorts, with bike racing season over, it was a good time to revisit the past. I hit up some trails I haven't ridden in a while and saw some old classmates at my HS reunion.
Friday, Utah and I met up to do the TOS ride. This is top of skyline at Ringwood. We start out Red, go down the switchbacks, over to Renegade, up Warm Puppy, Skylands, Race Course, Shepard's Lake, more Race Course, up White, right on Blue to Lookout, back Yellow and connect Red back to TOS. This ride is a classic for us (Kirt, Utah, 26er, Christman, Woody, Jeremy…), one that we usually hit after Thanksgiving. Times have changed, it's not easy getting the band back together, like getting together for a HS reunion, folks age, have kids, priorities shift, which thins out the attendance these days.
Back in the day, 2012 TOS ride.
Having been to Ringwood on a fairly regular basis, I'm used to riding most of the trails, except the end of the TOS loop. The Blue trail to Lookout and back on Yellow is one of the most raw technical pieces of mtbing in NJ, this coming at the end of the 20 mile loop is a real kick in the ass. It's been several years since we've finished with this section. I have memories of going OTB many times on this ride and had some trepidation as we approached it. This was the same feeling I had Saturday evening while getting ready to attend my 35 yr HS Reunion.
TOS Reunion. Just me and Utah.
While I didn't go OTB in HS, my skills at handling myself were not what they are today.
With experience I've gotten better on and off the bike, however memories pop up and if you dwell on them you lose focus and confidence. We can mind fuck ourselves over thinking things, I find I do better without thinking too much and rely on skills gained from prior experiences, just go into it like I got this.
I feel like a 1/3 scale model compared to these guys.
It felt great to ride the end of TOS without killing myself and roll over the tech trails, this section used to beat me up good. In going back I was better able to handle the trails, similar to revisiting HS friendships, while some were pretty rough in the past, we know how to deal better now. Thirty five years after HS you embrace each other and reconnect, which is something we didn't do in our younger days. I guess that's the thing about getting older, you mellow and know how to ride shit out better, you learn how to flow.
Friday, Utah and I met up to do the TOS ride. This is top of skyline at Ringwood. We start out Red, go down the switchbacks, over to Renegade, up Warm Puppy, Skylands, Race Course, Shepard's Lake, more Race Course, up White, right on Blue to Lookout, back Yellow and connect Red back to TOS. This ride is a classic for us (Kirt, Utah, 26er, Christman, Woody, Jeremy…), one that we usually hit after Thanksgiving. Times have changed, it's not easy getting the band back together, like getting together for a HS reunion, folks age, have kids, priorities shift, which thins out the attendance these days.
Back in the day, 2012 TOS ride.
Having been to Ringwood on a fairly regular basis, I'm used to riding most of the trails, except the end of the TOS loop. The Blue trail to Lookout and back on Yellow is one of the most raw technical pieces of mtbing in NJ, this coming at the end of the 20 mile loop is a real kick in the ass. It's been several years since we've finished with this section. I have memories of going OTB many times on this ride and had some trepidation as we approached it. This was the same feeling I had Saturday evening while getting ready to attend my 35 yr HS Reunion.
TOS Reunion. Just me and Utah.
While I didn't go OTB in HS, my skills at handling myself were not what they are today.
With experience I've gotten better on and off the bike, however memories pop up and if you dwell on them you lose focus and confidence. We can mind fuck ourselves over thinking things, I find I do better without thinking too much and rely on skills gained from prior experiences, just go into it like I got this.
I feel like a 1/3 scale model compared to these guys.
It felt great to ride the end of TOS without killing myself and roll over the tech trails, this section used to beat me up good. In going back I was better able to handle the trails, similar to revisiting HS friendships, while some were pretty rough in the past, we know how to deal better now. Thirty five years after HS you embrace each other and reconnect, which is something we didn't do in our younger days. I guess that's the thing about getting older, you mellow and know how to ride shit out better, you learn how to flow.
Victor I
aka Ridgehog
Nice reunion write up. 1984 seams like yesterday. You have a couple of years on me but we are both 1980s HS grads. I could say our generation was totally awesome but everyone looks back and thinks the same thing about their time. I did a shorter version of your ride on Friday. So I have to ask, was it on the single speed?
I am happy to have grown up without the internets, it makes growing up in the 70s/80s more of a fairy tale, with sweet memories because people don't live like that anymore...but alas I sound like an old codger.
I use my rigid SS for racing and riding places without rocks, or little rocks. Yes I'll race my bike at Ringwood because I can but if i'm not racing, I'm riding rocks with my Tallboy, its way more enjoyable. TOS on my SS would kill me.
There is a time for everything. Mtbing, pandemic viruses, work, family, injuries, parties, death. Good times never last, but thankfully neither do bad times.
Making sense of it all can be overwhelming, I've learned to stop making sense and accept what is, even if I don't like it, kinda like that Beetles song, Let it Be.
Below is a Bible passage which is thought to be written by King Solomon at the end of his reign. Regardless of your beliefs, it's hard to refute the wisdom of these words written 2,000 years ago.
While everything is in turmoil these days with Covid-19, part of me likes not having to deal with things like I've done in the past. Yeah illness sucks and I hope people's come out ok with all this but there is a kind of edgey excitement associated with all of this. It reminds me of racing, it's stressful, no doubt, but you really feel alive, the senses are heightened and everything feels intense... best of times and yet the worst of times.
Older folks will get this, really younger kids should too. It's pop culture, but I wonder if @shrpshtr325 gets it?
To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace.
Making sense of it all can be overwhelming, I've learned to stop making sense and accept what is, even if I don't like it, kinda like that Beetles song, Let it Be.
Below is a Bible passage which is thought to be written by King Solomon at the end of his reign. Regardless of your beliefs, it's hard to refute the wisdom of these words written 2,000 years ago.
While everything is in turmoil these days with Covid-19, part of me likes not having to deal with things like I've done in the past. Yeah illness sucks and I hope people's come out ok with all this but there is a kind of edgey excitement associated with all of this. It reminds me of racing, it's stressful, no doubt, but you really feel alive, the senses are heightened and everything feels intense... best of times and yet the worst of times.
Older folks will get this, really younger kids should too. It's pop culture, but I wonder if @shrpshtr325 gets it?
To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace.
To be honest, I had no idea this was a bible verse. I had to google it because I thought you were joking. Thanks for getting a bible verse stuck in my head.
Growing up Catholic I knew about this, forgot about it and then stumbled back upon it. The Bible gets a bad rap, because it's the Bible. If it where studied like Greek philosophers as opposed to religious dogma it would probably be more accepted. At the heart of it, it's people from long ago trying to explain life.
100% agree. Many years ago I read the first couple books of the Old Testament, and I found it very interesting. It's funny to read it and then see how people on both sides pick and choose which passages to quote to prove their point. I was technically raised Catholic as well, but I gave it up in like 5th grade. I say technically, because my parents were raised Catholic but were non-practicing. They would drop us off at CCD on Sunday mornings and then go to the diner instead of church like the other kids' parents.
OMG - CCD started just after the required Sunday mass. #bestMassPractices
there is some good stuff in there - basically teaching to not to be barbaric.
From a young age, I interpreted 'you' as plural - and 'believe' as in believe in the teachings.
can't really argue with don't kill your neighbor, and don't give him a reason to kill you.
It also helps that catholic school did teach world religions, perspective. That and the ruler to the knuckles.
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serviceguy
Well-Known Member
I myself was raised Catholic and an altar boy on top of that. and yet I thought it was The Birds ( Turn! Turn! Turn! For Everything There Is a Season)!
I've been going through this tape like tp. At first I was buying a roll at a time, now I'm onto the 4 pks. I sent my son to HD the other day with my last roll and told him to get me a 4 pk of this as I handed him the tape. He came back to tell me the line was too long and oh yeah, I left the tape in the cart I had while in line.
It's important to not overthink things, J has that
down for sure but regarding our recent circumstances, I find that it's best to try and stay present and focus on moments, which means occupying myself. Work, painting the interior of my house, cycling, yoga, music, have kept me focused in the last few months. In retrospect, I feel as if I was in a rut prior to the Covid because I find I've been way more productive with my time recently.
The Baltimore Orioles returned last week, I can always hear them before I see them, they have an off pitch call that really sticks out to me.
Three letter words are the hardest for me, it took me awhile to get this and such a common word. I have to walk away then come back to it, right after I screen shot it I got it. Let me know if you get it. I'll throw out randomly that we don't use the words like cajole and akimbo nearly enough. I may get confused in spelling your, you're, where, we're because to me these are boring words, who gives a fuck, but how could you mispell akimbo.
There is a beauty in age that we can take for granted. Like this 200+ yr old oak. To think that this tree was putting down roots when Lewis and Clark began their expedition kinda blows my mind.
I've been working during the whole shut down. We were doing 4 hr days now we're back to 8. Going back to 40+ hr work weeks made me angry, because I got used to getting paid to work half as many hours and liked it. Working half days felt good, I kinda felt retired. I got over the anger and honestly, I'm lucky to have a steady paycheck. I was kinda paranoid about working with the virus thing at first, now after several months of working with it around I stopped worrying. When I'm at work everything feels normal, I like being an essential grass farmer. I can recall in HS taking an aptitude test, mine came back as farmer...so I'm pretty sure I'm where I'm supposed to be.
My grass is growing, I built this tee at work over the winter and seeded it 3 wks ago. There is no substitute for rain but irrigation helps.
I've been listening to Fionna Apple's new album for the last few weeks. Any great art has roots in something real, which manifests itself and creates something powerful. I'd say this album is powerful. Also, children express their emotions freely, however as adults we tend to guard what we let out and how we express ourselves. The beauty in Fionna is that she doesn't guard shit. I didn't write this to cajole you into listening to this album but rather to express my views on art in general and how much I like Fionna.
The best way to describe my hair these days is disheveled. Thick, gray matty hairs all akimbo. I guess I could cut it myself but I'm gonna hold off and see where this goes.
stilluf
Well-Known Member
OK now we are all wondering, What are you using this tape for?
BPaze
Well-Known Member
ABS
Shy was found, try again.
That was a bonus word but not the last word in puzzle. Try again.
ekuhn
Well-Known Member
You don’t SAY