Seasons Greetings

Lance Armstrong

I watched a movie about him and it left me deeply disturbed.  On one hand I understand the philosophy 'Everybody is doing it, therefore I have to' in professional sports.  I also understand that, despite the drugs, you still have to be  phenomenally fit in order to win and to have an unbelievable stamina.   However his case is more complicated. First, he had to force all the team members who worked for him to do the enhancing performance drugs-- bike riding is a team competition anyway.   The second, he had so much publicity: cancer survivor, Armstrong Foundation, etc--- they showed him on stage with several US Presidents... Multiple fundraisers, on TV all the time.  So, he had to consistently lie in public on this topic for about seven years or so.  What deeply worries me, no way it had not been not known for seven years.   It HAD been known, but I guess he was so high in  ranks that nobody had guts to touch him, and those who tried were intimidated and silenced. In the end, what you have is an incredible athletic achievement, but in the same time, an unbelievable fake.  If you think about it from statistical, medical, or physiological  standpoint, nobody can win Tour de France seven times --- it just cannot be done with such consistency, unless you have a technology machine working for you.  And he had this machine and used it because there is no other way to do this business: you either win or you are broke---- (well I am not sure if this is completely true, but close to truth in professional bicycle riding).  And then this guy Landis comes  after him, wins the same way, got caught, and immediately disqualified. The poor guy thought  if Armstrong could  do it why could not I? I just have to deny it point blanc all the time...Did not quite work for him. The guy ended up broken in all respects: physically, mentally, career-wise, monetarily --- --BTW Landis family originates from a religious sect of some kind  (Mennonites?)--- And he had to publicly lie so many times---possibly  finding  the comfort in the fact that these are just the rules of the game you have to play by?

Paul McCartney

Yes the guy is alive...As we both age, I am catching up with him. Great music, keep on listening, 'Flaming Pie' today.

Music discoveries of this year

1. Beethoven Piano Concerto #1  and to some degree #2.
2. Last 4-5 albums of Paul McCartney from 2001 on-- Still not done listening.

Temecula Century ride 2014

It turned out I did every one Temecula ride there was.  This time we did 53 miles. The route was different than the last year and it was very scenic. We rode a larger part on the west side of the I-15, going to Santa Rosa Pass area. We did not do much of the wine country. I believe our moving average was ~13.6 mile/hour; it took ~4 hours to finish.  We were ~#30 out of 70+ riders, in the middle of the bunch. There were about 500 riders total (all routes together), less than the last year. The food after the ride was good and they offered some wine and beer; this was much better than the last year.
I discovered that  tandem actually can fit in the back sit of the 4Runner (diagonally), with the trunk fully closed.  It took about 10 years to discover this.

Paul McCartney concert, September 28th, 2014, Petco Park, San Diego

The guy has an unbelievable drive! ~45,000 people, mostly baby boomers but all ages were present...At some point, he started to play a Jimmi Hendrix piece---several riffs--I could not believe it---- so much drive----The guy is 71.

Rosarito-Ensenada Fall 2014

The bus was late and we started the ride at 10.40. Took 3 hours 7 minutes to finish; there were some dirt parts to go through (were going on unfinished toll road). I took my time, took some pictures as well.  about 5000 riders, I was in the first 1000 to finish.

Геополитические войны

Я вижу движущие мотивы обеих сторон и в определенной мере симпатизирую аргументам. Но смерть молодых необстелянных солдат? За что? Воимя чего? Я понимаю для Америки или Западной Европы это абстрактные  смерти, как например вырубка леса в Бразилии. Но для русских--- они же на том же языке говорят? 

Tour de Big Bear 2014

70 miles, 4800' elevation gain. Finished the ride this year. Staying in Big Bear an extra day helped on the long climb with the oxygen balance. Had one flat tire; nearly the same place as the last year. Moving average  was about 13.9 miles per hour; total riding time ~ 6 hours. It started to rain during the 8-mile climb and then never stopped. Felt more like hail-- the highest elevation is,  I believe, 8400' and it was very cold there.  Then it was a long descent and I  could not move my arms after this because I was squeezing the brakes too hard. In the valley it was much warmer and less rain. In the end I was not 'exhausted', just cold.

Thunderstorm on July 27th

We were riding tandem with Lyuba. It started to rain at about 10 am. The rain drops were very large-- looked like hail that melted in the lower atmosphere. Several lightning bolts struck close to us.  We hid under a Eucalyptus tree in Rancho Santa Fe area.  When we looped around San Elijio Lagoon to 101, the rain was almost gone. It was never truly cold--We also discovered that Carmel Valley was almost dry all this time.  On the other hand, we learned that Los Angeles beaches were hit harder:  14 people were hurt and one person died.  One of the people who was hurt was a  15 year old  surfboarder in the ocean.

Alexander May 2014

Mother and nestlings

Nestlings are about 1 week old---- at the entrance door of our house.

Rosarito-Ensenada May 3rd 2014

The ride went well. It was easy, without  El Tigre hill. Moving average speed was 17.9 miles/hour; total time was about  2 hours 50 min.  I had two close calls (people fell in front of me and behind me). Did not cramp. It was very hot somewhere in the middle of the ride. Stopped two times for about 30 seconds to drink some water. After the dirt patch, the ride became very scenic, although I did not take any pictures.

Torrey Pines is the second in San Diego Science Olympiad

However my students did not do well... For me, the worst year ever

На свете счастья нет

Но есть покой и воля?

Ventura

Well I was in Ventura again, after 2 years---at the Gordon Conference on Colloids, Polymers and Polyelectrolytes.  I brought my bike with me. This time, I made the triangular loop: Ventura- Rincon Pass-Carpenteria-Ventura. About 50 miles total- there was a climb in the middle... I enjoyed it. I rode 3 days out of 4.

Ensenada Mexico

Nail Gumerov

Parque National de San Pedro Martyr, Mexico

Parque National de San Pedro Martyr, Mexico

Released condors in the park