Take my money, please!

I lost my debit card, and no one (except my bank) wants to accept a check due to it being a new account.
Sig. At least the landlord , utilities, and furniture place (yes, I will be getting some) think my money isn't guaranteed by the Continental Congress.
how to cure the blues? a bike ride:

another new route: us 4 is north South here in New York State:

Fall is here:

Not socal:

and another new route:

Old barn:

Back in Castleton:

going home:

and Murderer's Creek:

and the song - I used the audio swap service of Youtube - works out except for the song is about that other New York down the Hudson. Even the State's Offical song has been hijacked:

not mention finding an MP3 is a bit of challenge.
someone suggested this song - another NYC, although you could use (Subsitues Times Union and Daily Gazette for the New York Times and Daily News)

until next week

Nothing new under the sun

Or rather lack of sun.
It was a rainy day, so I took a little trip in the kia. about 20 miles later:

From 10-1-2011

This was the home Martin Van Buren bought after he was defeated by William Henry Harrison.
Life is a bowl of Cherries:

The house:

I was thinking about his presidency. He started with the Panic of 1837, which lead the whigs to tag him "Martin Van Ruin". He pointed the the depression wasn't his fault, but his predecessor's. Of Course unlike our current president, Martin was his Predecessors vice president.
and the Campaign of 1840 was the first modern one. Who's up for Tippacanoe and Tyler , too?

Harrison, whose father signed the declaration of Independence, ran as a common man against Van Buren, whose father ran a tavern. That the story. But Harrison's Father lost his fortune, and "Van" had done well for himself, giving champagne parties at the White house. Harrison noted that if he were to be elected, he would serve hard Cider. Van Buren noted that Hard Cider had quite a bitter aftertaste, but Champagne went down smooth.
I closed the day by going to Fort Craillo, where Yankee doodle was composed:


It's now a dutch colonial museum:

3000 stings

I decide to ride across the Hudson and go up the bike path:

The Replica of the Half Moon From last week:

It's fall already up here:

The path was ok for the first 2 miles, then it became a morass of mud , and about 10,00 mosquitoes. so back across the Hudson
Sculling race - with Duck:

Uss Slater with I 787:

Rensselaer county was much better:

Almost home:

Today, I started get some furniture. Things are coming along

No Exploding tires this week

Saturday was the 234th anniversary of the battle of Saratogoa, so I drove up:

Was fun, but I'll probably need to go back,as I had some stuff to do here in Albany.
I went to the Cathedral on Sunday, and then took off for a ride:

I rode down 9J to the Thruway bridge over the Hudson:

Through the Village of Castleton on Hudson:

I thought would be to get the Replica of the Half Moon(Henry Hudson's ship) as it was supposed to be in Albany today. no Luck:

Coming back

This is Rensselaer's claim to fame - the Crallo house - where "Yankee Doodle" was composed during the French and Indian Wars:

From Alb

Only 22 miles, but not a bad day

The spirt is willing , but the tire was week

I did get out on the bike yesterday, but Irene had other plans:

From Alb

Got about a mile, when BLAM! another blowout. Thankfully I had a spare 650, but I also wanted to go look at furniture, so I walked back.
The ped bridge over I-787:

From Alb

Today, I went to ten o'clock service, and we had a a 3:00 service for 9/11. I went over to the New York State musem.
This is a landing gear for a 767:

What happens when a 100 story building falls on your fire engine:

albany's most iconic building, the egg (it's a theater)

camping indoors

Well, it was busy week. i starteed a new job, moved to a new city, and found a new apartment, all in the same week.!
I did look at three places, before finally settling on one in Rensselaer:


Inside , needs some work. did I mention my furniture is going to goodwill:


I did= forget my bike shoes. oh well!.
I will be getting some furnishing over the next couple of weeks. The important thing is that i'm not at the Days inn or living out of my car.
Rensselaer is across the river from Albany. it's named after Kilean van Rensselaer, the first dutch land owner (I suspect the Mohawks may have a thing or two to say about the first land owner), whose ancestor founded Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute(RPI) , about 10 mile away in Troy.
It's best known as where the song Yankee doodle dandy was composed during the french and Indian wars. pretty much typical Notheast.
More posting and hopefully some bicycling next week

The big Drive

View Larger Map
I'm ready to start my new job, with plenty of terror, as I'm now 3000 miles from my furniture.
One of the thing about doing Univac work is that you usually wind relocating when you change jobs. Granted this is a bit extereme.
I did get here early to take a look at some places to live, but a lady named Irene showed up in Albany. always terrifying.
Hopefully, I won't lose my furniture (it's cheap. been there. done that)
Let's see where I'm at next week

Up in the air

Well, they good news is I have an offer. maybe. More to come there.
The past couple of Weeks have seen me on a house keeping frenzy. I've lept the goodwill folks busy, bit not much to do but send the resumue out and keep on networking.
I was going to go out on a bike ride with the club, when I had a blowout @ 30 mph. I managed to survive with just some minor rash.
Need a tire:

From 8-20-2011

how about a pair of shorts?

Btw, no road rash on the ol' derriere. I also trashed a pair of gloves. I managed to boot the tire and ride home. I have some spare 650 tires here, so that was easy.
not much to do but hope:

until next time,
Jana

if it wern't for bad luck....

Well today, I broke my seat frame:

Thankfully, I was able to borrow the one off the Giro (want to buy a bacchetta Giro real cheap? Have I got deal for you!)
anyway, the Week has been fun, and thrilling. Filling out form, talking to recuiters, all that jazz. Where do I want to go next?
Well, that's not really my decision, Granted, I do have some control, but you must play the hand you're dealt.
You recall me babbling on about Vincennes? well, those feeling are still with me. This has played havoc, but at the same time, it's opened some windows:

My usual view when I'm typing away.
Only this week I was busy listening to Loreena Mc Kennitt and thought it was snowing outside:

nope, Maybe it was that still small voice telling me to follow. The Journey is mine to make, but not to command

Maybe I need a discernment class.

the dreadful phone call

Friday was supposed to be a big day, as it was kavin Unck's birthday, and several of us were going to do a century in his honor:

From 8-5-2011

I had a little issue getting over the hills in Pomona, Kevin's wife liesel pulled me back:

From 8-5-2011

We were soon on the Santa Ana:

and the PCH

before heading on the San Garbier, where I got a not -so nice phone call: I've been fired.
Needless to say , I didn;t feel like a 100 that day, so I rode to Baldwin park and took the metrolink back:

actually Whitter narrow dam
So another Journey begins, where it leads, I do not know

Write first, research later

I've been going back and writing out notes on my writing. Writing Historical fiction is almost as hard as writing a history. Where did i get that idea? How did so and so get his education as a priest? Why did they move? When did the battle happen? who came up with that hare brained idea?
Now, much chastened, I'm caught up. for now.

The right tool for the task

Here's some lowriders

and a rest area appropriate for Fontucky:

I spent most of the afternoon yesterday test riding new (gasp! Horrors!) Diamond frame(Conventional) bikes.
I've come to the conclusion that the recumbent is not the best platform for mountain riding (as opposed to mountain biking).
Other than that it's probably going to a be Giant Brand, I have no ideas. I 'd like to the do a mixup of all the bikes and shops I visited, but that's not going to happen. Of course I could decided to stay with what I have.
Always something

simpler is better

I got a chance to ride the Fontana section of the PET this weekend, a lot better donw, even thought it's not as "Fancy Pants" as Rancho Cucamonga's section
Old depot from 1915:


The bridge over Foothill (Rt66) They re-used the original bridge, whereas in Rancho we had the "Rex Gutierrez I can still be your councilman from prison bridge"

Another good reuse old Sunkist warehouse - still a warehouse, but now for Fontana Unified Schools:

Until next week, keep the rubber side down: