Focusing And Refocusing: Views From An Evolving Life

About That Spring Cycling Slideshow ...

Probably I should explain the rather fast-paced slideshow below. I posted it in a hurry just to get it up, after I finished it and was eager to move on to my next challenge, or at least a nap, or dessert, or something other than writing prose.

The below started as an assignment for my Visual Storytelling class: a 30-second, fast-paced "commercial" for an activity, event, thing, etc. Using 30 or more images (or less, but the idea was to cram a lot into 30 seconds.) We got to choose the topic. Not hard to figure out what I might choose.

Among other things, I was pleased that this gave me a use for a lot of the random cycling shots I've done in the past year. Who'd have guessed that a picture of a bike under a flower planter would come in so handy?! Or that the sequence of my friend Gerald doing gymnastics on a rusty old bike would be perfect?

And then I also went out and shot some new ones. I appreciate Toga Bikes for having the perfect store window display welcoming spring. I couldn't have asked for better. And I went to the park for some non-blurry cycling shots to add to the previously planned blurred set -- though the going was a bit rough since it was a chilly weekday and there weren't many cyclists in sight. Also I took the opportunity to photograph LOTS AND LOTS of robins, trying for the quintessential robin pose. And daffodils.

Most of that then got crammed into my 30-second piece for class. But 30 seconds was awfully rushed, so I added four more shots, stretched everything out a bit and made it 55.

Welcome, spring.

Today I sat on a very cold small boat for an hour and a half, in a down jacket and hat and gloves, taking pictures of high school rowers who were wearing shorts, no gloves, mostly hatless, and somewhat wet.

And I thought cycling was bad in these temps!!  (38 degrees, not counting a fairly significant windchill.)

In other news, a 50-mile SIG to Hartsdale on Saturday ... annoying roads, not a very fun ride. And 40-ish in a tour of Staten Island on Sunday. Much the same as Saturday. But on Staten Island.

Welcome, Spring Cycling!

Welcome, Spring Cycling! from Paula Froke on Vimeo

Can I Please Get Rid of This Cold

Bike-commuted one day (Monday) but was in the process of getting another chest cold, so it was a bad idea. Been sick and dragging the rest of the week.

Went up to the park last night to try to get some material for a Visual Storytelling class. Got there later than I'd planned and forgot the tripod (hey, I was sick) so things didn't turn out as hoped. So, here's a mediocre sunset shot of a jogger on the reservoir -- which for some reason won't upload at the proper size.

Plus a couple of experimental bike shots that may or may not make it into my project, depending on what I get in the limited time I have left.

For now, I'll just whine about being sick and exhausted.

Bike "Art" In A Dull Moment

Thought I'd run today, but figured I'd be better off to take a break after yesterday's unaccustomed burst of activity.

Instead, I hung out a bit at Riverside Drive while waiting to meet a friend lunch. Played with the camera on the few cyclists who came by at that not-cycling-heavy hour of noon on Sunday. Zooming in, zooming out while shooting at 1/5th of a second. I think there's potential to have a great deal more fun with this, once I refine it a bit (and figure out more of what I'm doing!)

In the meantime, I think these images are at least more interesting than standard shots on a boring gray day would have been ...

Also today, dusting off and lubing up Surly in preparation for tomorrow's bike commute.

NYCC SIG Season Begins!

Today I got on a bike for the first time in four months or so -- and on a road bike for the first time in six months or so -- and rode 55 miles and survived. Life is good!

It's the start of the New York Cycle Club's "SIG" season, which means cycling with a group every Saturday for 10 weeks and trying to teach some group riding, riding-in-traffic and general bike handling skills. Generally it's a good idea for a co-leader to have been on a bike recently. But these are less than ideal times.

Residual fitness is a godsend. And -- the fact that I haven't ridden any bike for four months notwithstanding -- the muscle memory of riding a heavy steel bike with fat tires, loaded panniers and rack trunk plus a DSLR and second lens in a waist pack makes riding a lighter steel bike with none of those extra things feel like a breeze.

Well. Maybe not a breeze exactly. But awfully nice in comparison.

We went a slightly different way to Westwood than in my previous experience, and the result was my discovery of a great abandoned-building site. I'm going to have to go back there with my camera to check it out. Very promising, I think.

In the meantime, a few more from my series of being fascinated with the abandoned structure on the upper Greenway. The shadows were nice on the way home. In the above one, I liked the juxtapositioning of the two patterny street signs vs. all the patterns in the main view. In the second, I liked that the guy was off kilter in the midst of all this patterning.

Picture from our roof while at work on a Saturday

A gorgeous 68-degree day and I had to spend most of it working.

Then, after people came in exclaiming about how nice it was outside, I decided to make a break for it and go for a quick "run." Without stretching. After not running for a week and a half. And after being injured before that.

Not the best idea. Will I ever learn.

Got about a quarter mile and the kneecap hurt. Stopped and stretched a little. Got another three-quarters of a mile and stopped on purpose to stretch the calf. Got another .82 miles and the right calf was about to cramp drastically. Stopped, stretched a little (not too much) ... but the cramp was still there. Gave up and walked back.

At least I wasn't stupid enough to keep running. And at least I DID get my butt out the door to do something and begin getting reacclimated after an extended period of too much work, too much NYU classwork, too many late-night commutes, too much travel and yes, too much adult beverage intake in
State College.

But there is hope in sight.

If only I didn't have to work tomorrow, too.