Been A While

Sorry to be caught sleeping...winter and wedding planning have taken up some time. January featured heavy emotion. February zipped by, and March is nigh gone.

But this morning, everything snapped into focus. It's spring, and how.



Like a Hemingway novel. Bright, crisp, clean. Almost an early fall morning, but on the flip side of the calendar. Next-to-no traffic on 13th Street south. Took R Street west and ended up in Dupont Circle. I was able to get to 19th Street without too much ado. Temps were in the high 30s/low 40s, so the pistons were a little tight rolling out. I feel like I could ride for three more hours. While the legs are still opening up, I feel the road coming up to meet me. I have high hopes for this season, and with such a short ride (35 minutes!), there's really no reason not to be out there. And since it's virtually all downhill, even the mountain bike will be fine in the summer. Today is the type of day that makes me love living here. The panorama from the Capitol to the Potomac was sublime. The city awakening in the early morning haze was inspiring--sure the country is swirling around the porcelain goddess, but on this end-of-week ride, good things were started.

NAVTEQ Maps the Super Bowl

In what is an annual post, I present:

The NAVTEQ Super Bowl Map and Event Guide.

I was able to assist our graphic designers quite a bit on map, working on the interactive content with them, and also help define the map itself to view online. It was a cool project.

As for the event guide, I helped proof the final copy, but most kudos go to former co-worker Jason Pearlman (he of Complete Jewish Cyclist fame) who did the stadium itself in the event guide. Big project, lots to manage. He is sorely missed by this cartographer and cyclist. Nadia G did the stadium on the interactive map, if I recall correctly. I miss her too.

Anyways, this is the PR push that I found in the Chicago Examiner:

NAVTEQ, a leading global provider of digital map data for location-based solutions and vehicle navigation, today announced it is providing mapping, traffic and content services to the National Football League (NFL) and the Tampa Bay Super Bowl Host Committee. NAVTEQ will assist the NFL and Host Committee with managing increased traffic volume with real-time congestion monitoring and provide fans and visitors with event venue maps and valuable Tampa Bay-area travel information.

As the provider of the official Super Bowl XLIII Online Map and Event Guide, NAVTEQ is working closely with the NFL and Host Committee to provide an array of location-based services including online and print maps identifying nearby lodging and restaurants, real-time traffic information with optimal travel routes and official guide information for event times and locations of Super Bowl-related activities for the entire Tampa Bay metropolitan area.

-- The Official Online Map -- customized to meet the Host Committee's specific needs, the Online Map, now available at http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/43/guide/map, allows website visitors to explore venue maps and obtain driving directions for places of interest (POIs) in the greater Tampa Bay area.

-- The Official Event Guide -- available at http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/43/guide, the Official Event Guide is a composite of all Super Bowl-related events with specified locations and times, venue maps and a full roster of area restaurants and accommodation options. The guide will be distributed in Tampa-area hotels, airports and onsite at official Super Bowl XLIII events.

-- NAVTEQ Traffic(TM) -- provided by the NAVTEQ operations center based in Tampa Bay, traffic congestion monitoring will assist event organizers in managing the high volume of traffic in and around the Super Bowl venues. For fans and travelers, NAVTEQ's Traffic.com(R) site offers continuous, up-to-the- minute traffic flow information, including average speed, delays and drive time information with alternate routes. Web users can go to http://www.traffic.com to sign up for free traffic alerts sent by email, phone or text messages to help them avoid Super Bowl-related congestion.

"It is great that these services are coming from a single provider," said Dave Houghton, director of events for the National Football League. "NAVTEQ's expertise in mapping will help our attendees plan a once in-a-lifetime experience. We appreciate NAVTEQ's efforts in developing these resources."

About NAVTEQ

NAVTEQ is a leading provider of comprehensive digital map information for automotive navigation systems, mobile navigation devices, Internet-based mapping applications, and government and business solutions. NAVTEQ creates the digital maps and map content that power navigation and location-based services solutions around the world. The Chicago-based company was founded in 1985 and has approximately 4,000 employees located in 196 offices and in 43 countries.

NAVTEQ, NAVTEQ Traffic, and Traffic.com are trademarks in the U.S. and other countries. All rights reserved.

Obamathon Obamastock Obamuration

 

I was quite a day. Kelly and I were up at 5am to make it down to the Metro before the throngs. Stumbling through the District at dawn. Running into old roommate Elizabeth and friends. Sunrise over the Capitol Dome. Trekking with our group around the White House to make it to a spot on the Mall. Elbow-to-elbow at the Washington Monument with a few million of our closest Obamanauts. It was OBAMATHON2009!

Seriously though, the delivery of the speech was pretty solid, but the overall content wasn't anything overarchingly momentous. Nothing that would be carved in marble. He's not there, yet. But, I felt that the subtlety was appropriate. Not only were expectations running absurdly high, but the gravity of the moment was enough. I read somewhere that Obama could have stood there for twenty minutes, and the historical nature of this day was enough. I agree. It was uplifiting, and the call to service and sacrifice was felt on a personal level. Caused me to step back inside myself and really evaluate. The crowd was hanging on every word.

It was interesting. No real applause lines. I will work on toward these goals. After the address, we fought through more crowds (think Phish NYE2000 in Florida on steroids), got separated, and then reunited at International Square at 19th and K. I had a web meeting at 2:30pm, and I wanted to put to action the new president's call. So, I walked across the street to my office, joined the meeting in progress about some design elements, and fired off some emails. Then I walked over to Lafayette Square and checked out more of Obamastock. Hangers on trying to catch a glimpse of the parade....count me in. I went to all of the across points on Pennsylvania Avenue, and was at 13th Street when the motorcade rolled by. Cool.


As I walked past the vendors hawking buttons t-shirts, I couldn't help but think about all of my bike rides past the White House and thinking of President Bush behind those doors. Walking in the middle of New York Avenue, and just looking at all of the people still around, I foreshadowed to my spring rides and spinning past the White House in 2009...it will be a different feeling altogether. Walking through the paper-strewn streets in the heart of the District, it felt like a parking lot in the aftermath of show at Alpine Valley. I wound my way along H Street toward the Verizon Center. Picked up three editions of the Washington Post EXTRA, hot off the press with the new prez on the cover. Then I saw the Capitol dome out of the corner of my eye. I was drawn to it, as always.

I walked over, and all of the chairs were still in place. In a rare moment, you could walk all the way up the base of the dais where the new president delivered his speech. In modern-day Washington, you can't get up to First Street NW anymore. So, I took the opportunity, and strolled up through the ticketed area. I sat there, emotionally and physically drained, and took it all in the twilight of dusk. The Dome was a burnt amber hue, and across the Mall the Washington Monument stood stark against the setting sun over the Potomac. I thought about what it must have been like to have millions of people in that space, and delivering those lines...and the resonance across the country and the world. I hung my head, let a few tears loose, and had to pack it up. It had been a long day. On the Metro ride home, I took my usual spot facing rear on the left side of the train so I could see the Capitol and the Washington Monument, and I thought back to election day and all of those emotions. It's been quite a ride these last few months. Now, there's work to be done.



See more pics @ my picasa account.

MLK Day Rides: On the Verge of History

What a ride! Beach Drive closed to cars due to MLK Day. Snow flurrying on the approach. The frozen cascades of Rock Creek. The numbness in my toes and index fingers. The cusp of history in our nation's capital. All of these things, and more, on this early morning spin to the office.



Decided to spin through the Mall after a short work day to check out the pre-inauguration madness. It's exhilirating in the District. The best part? Running into Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau near the Blair House. He was on his crackberry, so I didn't want to bother him. Then I Metro'ed home.

Two for Three in 2009

Kelly and I have been up in New Jersey for the New Year's time, and I brought the Specialized to get in some early year mileage. Took a quick spin on New Year's Day, and just about froze myself into a popsicle. Bottles frozen, wind whipping helter skelter, and an open road with few cars and no fellow cyclists. Great to be in the saddle, and start off the year in a introspective fashion, battling the elements and trying to find a sense of calm in the midst of a turbulent time.



Then today, I brought up the yearly mileage to about fifty, with another battle with the wind and a stop over at the Dandrea's. Then I detoured, trying to figure out a new loop, and promptly found myself deep in the forest on a gravel track for about five miles, doing a quasi-cyclocross experience. I really tried to focus on my line and avoid anything sharp because flatting out in the Cranberry Meadows isn't exactly my idea of a good time. Made it back to the open road and was forced to battle the winds and rollers on Kettle Run and Cooper Road. A nice ride, just wish the legs would open up a little more. Lots of work to do this year on the bicycle, along with a lot of work to do in the office and in my life. This was a good ride for starting to sort out more of what's to come.

Back in the Saddle

I was let out of work earlier today, so I took a quick ride through Rock Creek Park. Due to the holiday, the Park was closed to cars, it was calm and quiet through the Valley. It's been much, much too long since I was in the saddle (since the move to the Takoma), and there were moments on the little climbs where I could feel it. All in all, however, this was long overdue, and truly wonderful for the legs. The Park reminds me of why DC isn't all that bad of a place to be. Nice final ride of 2008, which featured a newfound passion for this sport. Here's looking forward to the spring classics season and plenty of miles in the new year.

True