BluepoofBikes Motorcycle Adventures

Weekend ride to Clearlake

Hooray, it's a ride report! 

So go, like, read it and stuff.

More on embroidery

In my last entry, Gary told me that I should do a cross-stitch of my bikes, which reminded me that I never posted pics from my bike-related embroidery. 

Hooray, topic for an entry today!

This was Colleen's Christmas/birthday/housewarming present last year (shuddup, it took me a lot longer to finish than I'd expected):

Here are a couple of closeups:

I also did a satin-stitch Beemer on my Moto-Sport pannier bag liners prior to my cross-country trip this summer:

I need to go back on that one and fill in the tires (I ran out of time and black thread before my trip).  The satin stitch held up through the entire trip, though!

I'll probably try to find a good picture of me on the XT to cross-stitch next, so I can hang it up next to Peter's hockey one. :)

Fortunately I'm taking the XT riding this weekend, so there will be plenty of photographic opportunities!  Plus, relevant blog entries for you guys finally, whew.

Sort of tangentially hockey.

OK, this"blog every day" thing is really hard when there's nothing hockey- or bike-related going on and I'm traveling for work.  

So, for lack of absolutely anything else to post about, here's my most recent cross-stitch. 

I think it turned out pretty well. :) Now we just have to find somewhere to hang it.

And on that note, I'm off to drive to SEA-TAC in the wind and rain.  I swear, the next time my job makes me travel, it better to be Tahiti or Arizona or something.

You may now have a medical emergency around me (until 2010).

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I didn't post all weekend.  But I have a good excuse!  I spent all day Saturday taking an Adult First Aid/CPR/AED class at the Palo Alto Area Red Cross.

I'd last taken a first aid class in 2004, before Tony, Steph, and I rode to Alaska.  We all took the class together, figuring that we should probably be able to splint up one another should the need arise. 

Fortunately, it never did arise, but it piqued an interest in first aid/first responder info for me. 

Some of that is just my personality -- I have panic disorder that I pretty much never talk about on this site, but it manifests in some severe hypochondria sometimes.  Learning as much as possible about anatomy/physiology has helped me keep that under control.

Also, I just like being prepared and helping people.  I've always wanted to take EMT classes but have never been able to work it into my work schedule, so CPR/AED it is for the time being.

I was the only person in the class taking it for personal interest; most people were there because their jobs or some activity required it.  There was a woman who taught horseback riding to disabled kids, an arborist, a personal trainer, two high school kids who needed the class for graduation requirements, and a woman who wanted to lead her daughter's Girl Scout troop.

The first half of the class (9am-12pm) focused on CPR.  I'd last taken CPR about 15 years ago, so it was a great review for me.  The mannequins are creepy as ever, especially with the little fake "lung" that inflates its chest when you give it a rescue breath.  Uncanny valley, anyone?

The second half of the class (1pm-4pm) was First Aid, which was a breeze for me since I read up on it fairly often.  I don't think I really learned anything new, but it solidified skills I already had, which is important.

First Aid certification is good for 3 years and CPR certification is good for 1 year, but since I do it for "fun" and not a job requirement, I'll try to take the classes every 2 years. 

G650GS sighting!

I was at Cal BMW yesterday to pick up parts.  I wanted to sit on the low seat F800GS (still too tall, rarrrr) and, while I was doing so, I noticed this little gem parked nearby.

Looks like a 2005-08 F650GS, right?  Definitely not the 2009 F650GS with its dual headlight, parallel twin engine, and cast wheels.

But no! This is the rumored 2009 G650GS!

Now this is more like it again.

Single cylinder? Check.

Spoke wheels? Check.

Single headlight? Check.

Ahhh.  Peace and sanity has been restored to BMW.  I hope they keep the G650GS around for a while and don't kill it immediately. 

I think the new F650GS (the twin engine one) is pretty neat but it's definitely a street bike.  It's a commuter.  Which is great and awesome, but I wouldn't buy my bike with cast wheels and the extra width that the twin engine brings.

I'm not going to run out and buy the G because it's essentially my bike, but I'm very psyched about the continuation of the species, as it were.

Ironing reflective tape onto gear

It's been driving me nuts for a while that my FirstGear HT overpants, while awesome, didn't have any reflective bits on the backs of the legs.

Fortunately, a trip to Joann Fabrics made everything better.

Clicky clicky for the write-up

An Open Letter.

To Whoever Knocked Into My Bike and Broke Off His Noodly Appendage:

The revenge of the FSM will be swift and merciless. Oh yes it shall.

Now you make me have to find my superglue and, perhaps, a better place on the bike to show my devotion.

RAmen,
Carolyn

Puck Ewes vs Red Menace: 2-0

The Puck Ewes had a good game last night against Red Menace.  They outplayed us through most of the first and second periods but we got in the game and sped up quite a bit towards the end. 

Sheila in particular had a fantastic game and had all kinds of speed going into the third. :) She's really going to improve quickly this season and is already a great asset to the team!

I was pretty well useless, unfortunately...I was playing center and, while I did get in some peoples' ways down in our defensive end, I really didn't do much offensively.  I think I forgot everything Felicia told me. :(  Ah well, keep trying, keep trying.

I am working on moving my feet more and making quick explosive starts.  Last night the result primarily seemed to be falling on my ass a lot, but hopefully if I keep practicing, there will be less falling and more good skating.

Team Danger vs Day Case: 3-3

We didn't lose! We didn't lose! :D

We had a great game last night; everyone played well and the team seems to be gelling.  

I played left wing again and tried to incorporate Felicia's teachings...I got an assist, so something must have stuck. ;)  

I think I'm going to eventually like playing wing.  Right now it's tough for me since I pretty much always feel out of position...but that's how I felt when I started playing center, too, and I eventually reached a base level of competence there. ;)  

I'm excited to be able to play any position on the ice.  Well, not goalie.  I'm not sure how well a 5'1", size 4 goalie would work.  Maybe if I could do the splits like Nabby can. ;)

Felicia's School for Wayward Hockey Girls

I wanted to jot down a few of the tips that Felicia gave me last night before my muddled brain lost them forever. ;)

Defense
For the most part, I had the defense positioning understood (good thing, since I've been playing D for almost 3 years now).

The main thing that I need to keep remembering as a D is that the puck is not my problem; the puck is the goalie's problem.  My problem is the forward and her passing lanes.  If I have the choice of trying to poke away the puck or getting in the way of a pass to another forward, I should choose the latter.

Center
Center is all about circles and figure 8s.  If I'm just skating up and down the middle of the ice, back and forth, straight up and straight down, I'm doing something wrong.

If I've got the puck, I should come over to the boards and enter the offensive zone from the side.  This will force one of the D to come over to try and keep me to the side, leaving both of my other forwards with only one D to cover them.  Ideally, I can deke around and maintain puck control along the side of the rink until one of my forwards gets open.  Then I can pass to her and haul ass to the net myself for the rebound.

This whole notion of setting up a 2-on-1 situation is new to me.  Must remember that, especially when playing center.

Another new idea: Dekeing around in the offensive corner is OK. The more I try to maintain puck control in the corner, the more of their D will eventually wander over and try to get the puck, leaving my girls wide open in front of the net.  Hopefully.

Wing
Wing is all about triangles and lines.  As a wing, I want to stay in triangles in both the offensive and defensive zones.  Edge of my third of the rink over to the boards, forward to the net (if offensive) or the hash marks (if defensive), and then back to the edge of my third of the rink.

If I have the puck, the same rule applies as it did for center.  Come in from the side.

If the center does the above, I need to move over and effectively take over as the center until she returns.  If I'm the second person in, I generally want to get to the back post.  If I'm the third in, I generally want to take the high slot. 

If we're in our defensive zone, "covering the point" doesn't mean that I have to sit on the point like I would a forward when I'm playing D.  I just have to be within a stick's reach.  That way I can intercept a pass (or receive a pass if we get possession) and easily deke around the point. 

If I get stuck right on top of the point and I get the puck, I can either hope my center is hauling ass up the zone and is ready to get a pass from the side, or I can bank the puck against the boards back behind the point.  Felicia showed me how to do that on my backhand side and then spin around to go around the point and collect my own pass...right. ;)

Wrist Shot
The bane of my existence when I play forward!

Always keep the eyes up at the goal.  Like motorcycling: look where you want to go.

Pull forward with the top hand instead of pushing forward with the bottom hand.

Tuck my butt in/rotate my hips forward so that my weight transfer from the back to front foot is smoother.  Right now my butt is out and my back is arched, making the weight transfer very jerky.

Keep the puck cupped near the heel of the blade and, when the stick is almost perpendicular to my body, start rotating my top hand back (same motion as rolling on the throttle).  Follow through and keep the heel of the stick pointed where I want the puck to go.

Snap Shot
Same basic idea as the wrist shot but quicker.  We didn't really practice this one that much since I need so much work on the wrist shot.

Slap Shot
Finally, I can tense up and look down at the puck! ;)

Whereas the wrist shot was about soft hands and finesse, the slap shot is about power.  Put the bottom hand about where it would be for a face-off (maybe a little bit higher?) and have a good strong grip.

Look down at the puck and aim to hit the ice just before the puck.

Face-Off
Every ref has a "tell" -- something that she always does just before dropping the puck.  Watch carefully and you can figure out the ref's tell.

Watch the puck as it falls (easier said than done!!).  As it's falling, push the stick forward to knock the other center's stick back.  Pull the stick back, catching the puck on the way, and pull the puck back to the waiting D.

Any other position rather than center is pretty much tasked with tying up the corresponding opponent so they can't go anywhere useful after the face-off.

(Edited to add: April sent me this link on hockey positioning that I didn't want to lose.  So I'll stick it here! )