I am a geek. I love geeks. And this photo.

Happy Friday, all. I'm off to go label some office equipment.

Just show up.

Just as much as I like a solo bike ride, swim or run (lately, I can't say the same for just going to the gym)... I also really enjoy coached track workouts, spin classes and Crossfit (starting back up again in a month!). You just show up and do whatever you're told to do... and, provided you put in your 100%, you get better. Of course, that's not to say that sometimes it's challenging to pick yourself up and GO, especially if you know it's going to be a tough workout.

From RoadBikeReview's newsletter -

Wicked Wednesdays

Every Wednesday evening, my bike club hosts an interval workout on a hill at the local university. The climb takes 5-6 minutes and we do it 6 times. Rain or shine. Darkness or daylight. Forest fire or student protest.

Our coach refers to these sessions as Level 5 or anaerobic threshold workouts. Even if you pace it perfectly -- negative splits, each interval faster than the last -- it hurts. I'm talking root-canal, tax-audit, "I-think-we-should-start-seeing-other-people" pain.

I begin dreading Wednesday evenings around bedtime Tuesday. By Wednesday lunchtime, I'm feeling nausea that has nothing to do with my midday meal of organic yam and raw kale from my Biggest Loser lunchbox.

Then I show up at the workout and scan the group to see what fresh dose of humiliation awaits. Last week it was the 65-year-old guy who dropped me like a tub of Grecian Formula. It was inspiring. Really.

A few weeks ago it was the one-armed dude. OK, he had 2 arms, but one was in a sling. He flew past me like a, um, person with fully functioning body parts.

Did I mention the 50-something mom? The 15-year-old lad who I swear was on training wheels last month? Both quicker than me. A fellow could choke on all this inspiration.

Why keep at it? Like most cyclists, I'm stubborn, masochistic and a little delusional. All this toil and trouble have to make us stronger, right?

Plus, I do eventually finish ahead of some people -- the ones who come to one Wednesday and never return.

I may not be fast, but I'm pretty good at one thing: showing up.

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(If you enjoy reading Scott Martin, the eBook Spin Again contains 181 of his witty, sometimes wacky, and occasionally heart-felt observations on road cycling. Click here to enjoy 3 classic Spins again and place your order for instant delivery by download.)

Extra stuff be gone!!!

I need to do some massive de-cluttering/getting rid of stuff/organizing . My apartment is tiny, which means I don't really have that much extra stuff, but I would to prefer to get rid of things I don't use and live more simply and with less clutter. 

Unfortunately, I am feeling tons of guilt about throwing things away! There are environmental reasons, sentimental, and tons of other excuses for holding on to unnecessary stuff. Reading the post linked below helped me out with some of that... honestly, the "finding a new home" sounds like the best solution, but also the most involved. And I want this to be as quick and painless as possible. Yes, I am lazy. (Which is why I'm totally rewarding myself with a cleaning service post-declutter.)

Also, starting this project is daunting. I'm hoping to go with the one-drawer-at-a-time approach, but if anyone thinks that just making a weekend of it would be better, please comment! I need help!

The Wastefulness of Decluttering; or How to Make Less Count for More

Saving water at Portland International Airport

Portland International Airport (PDX, for you frequent fliers out there) is pretty great, as airports go. A few local (read: non-Sbux) coffee shops, a "Shop Oregon" store and some decent restaurants. I used to spend a LOT of time there, back in my Silicon Valley days.

PDX is now saving 177,000 gallons of water EVERY EFFING DAY by upgrading their toilets to those super cool dual flushers.

I wanted to get an idea of what 177,000 gallons of water really looks like, since it's hard to imagine - and really, if we don't get what kind of difference we're making, it's really tough to appreciate the statistic. So, I Googled 177,000 gallons of water. I didn't really think anything would come of this one, but...it turns out that Norwalk Maritime Aquarium (listed on the Best Things to do in Westport, CT site) houses 177,000 gallons of water.

The Maritime Aquarium is approximately 140,000 square feet (13,000 m2) and has more than 177,000 gallons of water in its live animal exhibits. On exhibit are more than 2,000 marine animals and reptiles representing in excess of 300 species.  

So yeah, an aquarium holds 177,000 gallons of water. PDX is saving that amount DAILY. That's a lot of aquatic habitat, people. Cheers to you, PDX!

Dude. I'm a local.

Ok, I'm not about to claim OG status, but I'm not a tourist, either.

(Not that I hate tourists. Ok, some of them... like the ones that don't follow bike traffic common courtesy on the Bridge and the one that hit my friend HW and caused her to break her elbow. The rest are welcome anytime.)

Also, woo-hoo overturning of Prop 8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!