What is not a road bike

A mountain bike is not a road bike.

It turns out.

Today I went for my first mountain bike ride since my high school Outdoor Education trip, um, fifteen years ago. I've really enjoyed the road biking I've been doing, and the cycle-commuting/everyday-biking lifestyle I have in general, so, when my Bassist friend asked if I wanted to go with him to do some Welsh mountain biking, I said, Yeah! Of course.

So, first ride. It's -2 degrees (= icy mud) and we (he/they/the other, real bikers) decide to do "The Wall".

A "red" route.

It turns out the exercise one gets from mountain biking is not, actually, from physical exertion*, but, instead, from the accelerated heartbeat that comes with TERROR.

Oh my gosh.

Four times, on our route, there were little signs kindly placed along the route with a skull and crossbones on them, and the text, in English and Welsh: "DANGER! Are you right for this route? This is an extremely difficult...etc...only for confident and experienced riders...etc. blah blah."

Part of the route was called "the graveyard." It was the one part I walked.

Terrifying. But fun! Like life, right?

*that was fine! That was great! I welcomed the slow, long uphills, oh, yes, please! Anything but down... .

What is not a beer

A lot of musicians are keen to get their hands on their allotted quota of drink tickets at a gig asap of an evening. Me, I'm usually keen to see what I can swap my drink tickets for, apart from drink.

This weekend was the Bristol Acoustic music festival at the gorgeous Saint George's Hall. The festival is totally one of my favourites; it comes at just that right time, when the post-holiday depression would otherwise hit, and it's in a venue that is the opposite of your average festival setting.

I played three gigs. They were fun. But the best thing,for me, probably, was convincing skeptical bar staff to let me exchange my beer tokens for:

a) a slice of dark chocolate coconut polenta cake

and

b) a bag of turkey and sweet chestnut stuffing crisps.

Bartering is delicious. And you can drive afterwards. (If you have a car. I took a taxi.)

Things today

So. Erin revamps her blog? Okay. I'll do mine too. Fine. Just fine.

Also: It's 2011. I hope you liked our songs. I have two main, big goals for this year, they are

1)
2)

I've heard if you disclose your goals willy-nilly, you're less likely to achieve them. So, sorry. But, I'll let you know how they go. In the meantime, final goal of 2010:

final) Get UK to let me stay AND work AND have a partner to do it with

completed! As long as I don't want to work as a doctor or dentist in training. Ok, I say, fair. (Though really, um, Britain, you're turning away dentists? Hm...).