The Blasphemous Bicycler

Falmouth PA (right next to TMI) is going to drop a goat from a flagpole to celebrate the new year.You might recall Falmouth from my trip to the goat races this summer.

From http://www.abc27.com/news/stories/1104/190919.html

Falmouth: Lowering of the Goat: New and exciting activities planned! Cash Bingo! Professional Fireworks Display, Rockets by Myra,Music and Food. Activities will get underway about 9:30 PM on New Years Eve.

Under the watchful eye of Brian Putt, keeper of the goat, the tradition continues in Falmouth of lowering a goat on New Years Eve to ring in the New Year! Now in its 13th year of “ringing” in the New Year, this event has become a take-off of the internationally famous Falmouth Goat Race! The goat that is lowered (stuffed as it may be) was a gift from Falmouth Nova Scotia. The Falmouth in Nova Scotia is famous for its Teddy Bears. Hearing of our Goat activities they presented this goat to a group of Falmouth Citizens who visited their event. At the stroke of midnight, the lowering of the goat will commence. Falmouth, located off Route 441, South of Three Mile Island, has additional attractions for this year’s event.

Cash Bingo! The Falmouth Civic Association sponsors weekly Bingo! This ongoing event, starting time 9:30 P.M. Bring your dabbers! Rockets & Fireworks – Local Fireworks expert Jim Bair has afforded his fireworks display ability to this event. Food will be available from 9:30 to midnight. Special for the evening will be “Caprine Wine” a Goat elixir. Although the village is known internationally as the “goat racing” capitol, the added attractions on New Years Eve shows the spirit of this village. So come out and enjoy Family Fun in Falmouth! Bring the entire family.

Very light week on bike riding. I’d like to say it was because of holiday time constraints, but it’s more a problem of getting out of bed in time to do the long commute.

In order to be out of bed by 5:00AM and get 7 hours of sleep, I need to be alseep by 10:00PM, which doesn’t seem realistic, especially since I don’t get home from class until 9:30PM. I also have problems sleeping with a kitten gnawing on my fingers in the middle of the night, but that seems to be getting better.

Bicycling summary: 11.65 miles (very sad)

I was about to do my weekly update post, and I realized that I hadn’t ridden at all this week. So, I jumped on the bike and rode to City Island and back.This was the inaugural ride for my new balaclava and my new jacket. This jacket has cool pit zips and plenty of room for the Camelbak underneath.

No frozen water this time. I just have to remember to blow it back into the bladder, or else it’ll freeze in the tube.

I’m not 100% sure I like the idea of wearing hiking boots to ride in, but at nearly $200 for real winter cycling shoes, I think I’ll make do with what I have.

Elapsed Time: 01:12:25
Max Speed: 28.7mph
Average Speed: 9.6mph
Distance: 11.65 miles
Temp: 25F

I only rode 15.7 miles last week. So much for the century training plan

I couldn’t sleep last night, so I stayed up and redesigned some of the web page (reload the page if you’re still seeing blue).

Back by popular request is the ‘hell on wheels’ tagline. I had changed it because it was cliché and lame, but this is a personal blog after all, and cliché and lameness are what it’s all about.

The picture is a (poorly) gimped-up version of a da Vinci drawing of a horse-drawn chariot with whirling scythes.

From the drawings surrounding this one, it seems this was meant as a means to cut through a line of infantry. Hell on wheels indeed!

The weather got really cold and I was worried about frostbite so I haven’t been commuting. In addition, winter festival preparations are eating up my time.
I will ride tommorow, it’s supposed to be warmer. I have some better equipment on order that should get me on the road next time it gets into the single digits.

Today is the Winter Solstice! Woo Hoo!

Be nice to the Yule Goat, if he comes to visit you!