The Amazing Shrinking Man

A Fond Farewell

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:44:09 GMT

If you can read this, due to issues with page display using Internet Explorer (Talk about IRONY), I will not be posting here for a while. I still can't see the content with IE, so I'll be posting in the future at my Blogspot blog

The Spinner Report

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 02:01:21 GMT

Well, here are the results of last weeks Spinner Saturday. We did have some non reporters, but I suspect it's because of the beastly weather most of us have been having (Well, except for Jill, she thrives on beastly weather!). Jill has the high mileage for the week, great job, Jill! (and your killin' us down here in the lower 48 and elsewhere!). Big Mike is a bit on the low side due to an injury to his knee. It's swollen to about the size of a Georgia Watermelon. Get better soon, Mike! Now for the data:

A Lady Who Inspires Me

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 14:59:08 GMT

Meet Jill, a journalist up in Juneau, AK who rides a bike under truly horrendous conditions. Jill is currently in the training phase of preparation for her second riding of the Susitna 100. This race runs along sections of the Iditarod Trail, up there in the state of Alaska. This is truly a tough bicycle race, pure endurance! You have to have grit to ride it, guaranteed. Last year. Jill just missed the cutoff time to be considered a finish, and was consequently DNF'd (Did Not Finish) according to the race official finishers list. She did finish the course though, with honor as far as I am concerned.Jill is riding it again this year, a race wiser and better prepared mentally and physically for a tough race. This year she knows better what to expect. Drop by and give Jill some encouragement and support for her race!The Spinner Report will go out later today. See everyone later!

My B-List of Bike Blogs

Sat, 13 Jan 2007 01:09:15 GMT

My B-List of Bicycle Blogs. This is a Meme making the rounds in the cycling blogs milieu.

Blogs I read! Well, here goes!

http://sportcrazy.net/

http://uphillbattle.spaces.live.com/PersonalSpace.aspx?_c=

http://bigmikeinoz.spaces.live.com/

http://arcticglass.blogspot.com/

http://www.herneweb.com/index.php

http://tylersstory.blogspot.com/

http://www.cyclelicio.us/

http://gorillaonabike.blogspot.com/

http://danonbike.blogspot.com/

http://bikenaked.net/

http://roadrace1.blogspot.com/

http://uncledanbiking.blogspot.com/

I'm apparently having problems with the site!

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 23:30:35 GMT

If you are reading this, likely, you have Firefox or another Mozilla Browser! It seems IE hates me! I am also running my blog content on Blogspot at http://theamazongshrinkingman.blogspot.com . Some of my readers have emailed me to let me know about the problem and when I booted up IE to check it (I use Firefox, myself!), sure enough, links and friends display but the content is blank!

If you are able to read this with Internet Explorer as your browser, please comment in to let me know! Either that or email me at gunsel2001(at)yahoo(dot)com. I'd appreciate it! That way I'll know if MSN has fixed the problem or not!

The Spinner Report, for the first week of January

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 23:14:06 GMT

Here are the Spinner Data charts and table. Great job all! We had a few non reports, but that's life in Winter!

Be sure to view the video linked in the post below this one!

Tour de Cure

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 02:56:22 GMT

I know I hit on this topic a lot, but it is very important to me. Why do we do this event? Well, there are a lot of reasons. I am diabetic, as I've mentioned before as is my wife. So is my mother. Diabetes runs in our family! Here is an ADA site that gives other reasons why we do it.

I am riding and soliciting donations for Tour de Cure. This is a fundraising ride set up by the American Diabetes Association and in the event I am riding, which occurs on July 14, 2007 in Indianapolis. I have a site, it is an official American Diabetes Association site for Tour de Cure, and is secure. To visit my page please click here. This is important enough for me to come out from behind my pseudonym and unmask. Matter of fact, I have a little video here. I used the Dead Man Walking music theme because that's what I was a couple of years ago. I've been given my life back and plan to use this gift to help others as I can.

Some reminders of prior articles and Tour de Cure

Sun, 07 Jan 2007 05:24:33 GMT

Well, here's a look back at last year! I have some prior articles I think you may well enjoy! Click the links and see what I am talking about!

For Starters: Why Cycling?
Next: Chocolate Milk as a Recovery Drink?
and then: Pre and Post Ride Nutrition For Bariatric Patients

Now, I've been talking about Tour de Cure. I am riding this event in Indianapolis on July 14, 2007. I'm trying to raise $1000.00 for the AmericanAnerican Diabetes Association. My page for the event is located here. It is fully tax deductible and will help fund research into both a cure and new treatments for Diabetes. I truly believe in this cause as both my wife and I are Diabetic. Please visit my page and sponsor me in this event!

Video: Runaway Train: A Year in the Life
Race to Replace
Videojournal
The Amazing Shrinking Man

Spinner Saturday, 2006 is over! 2007 starts now!

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 04:24:17 GMT

Well, we did it! 40,403.8 miles as a group, not bad people! Actually, a great job!
I've officially closed the 2006 Spinner Saturday Database and started the 2007 version up. My proposed mileage goal for the group on 2007 is 50,000 miles or better. We CAN do this, so let's give it our best shot!So, without further ado, here's the data for 2006. Feel proud, all of you!

The Great New Years Eve Night Ride

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 06:13:37 GMT

Well, Mrs Stormcrowe and myself went out to ride out the old and in the new. This involves one of my favorite kind of rides, a night ride
I do know one thing though, it was a cold ride......and damp! Mrs Stormcrowe had a bit of an exercise/wind induced asthma attack, but used her inhaler and we got with the ride as soon as she could breathe again. I'll tell ya, the Mrs is a game trooper! Temperature was 41℉ with a 20 mph wind gusting to 40! MISERABLE!!!!!Clouds blowing across the moonThe weather, as I said, was windy. It was wet as well, with occasional rain showers, so the trail was wet. Mrs Stormcrowe had never done a night ride before and I am truly glad she enjoyed it, in spite of the weather. We've decided that the New Years Eve ride will become a tradition every year!

My Annual Profile

Sun, 31 Dec 2006 11:28:16 GMT

Well, here's my annual profile for 2006. I tallied my miles and unfortunately, had overestimated my miles a bit. I thought I was around 4000, but am actually at 3740.2 miles

Well, I'll do better next year!In the meantime, we're less than 200 miles from 40K now and the mileage reports are slowly trickling in.Next year, let's try for 50K!

Tour de Cure

On other fronts, I am riding in Tour de Cure on July 14th, in Indianapolis. My fundraising goal is $1000.00. Feel free to drop by my Tour de Cure page and think about making a donation to the American Diabetes Association. It's TAX DEDUCTIBLE and time is running out for this year if you need a last minute deduction for 2006! Here is my Tour de Cure page.

The Last Ride of the Year

Sat, 30 Dec 2006 20:54:01 GMT

This will also be the final Spinner Saturday for 2001, and I'll have the report up after the weekend. Assuming that the riders turn any reasonable amount of miles, then we'll top 40,000 miles as a group. Great job and I'll be starting the database over on January one, 2007! Get me your miles through the end of Dec 31, and Spinner Saturday ends on New years eve at midnight when the ball drops!

If the weather is not wet or snowing, Mrs Stormcrowe and I intend to ride across the new year......yep, a NIGHT RIDE! Yeehaw!
Now, for our ride today! Here are the pics!

The Cardinal Greenway

Sat, 30 Dec 2006 03:39:11 GMT

I rode the Cardinal Greenway, starting over in Gaston, Indiana yesterday. I met up with fellow Bike Forum member Mariner Fan for the ride. We did 32 miles of the trail, and had a pretty good ride!

meet Mariner Fan

And of course, me!

These were taken at the Depot in Muncie. The Cardinal is slated to connect Richmond, Indiana with the Great Lakes area and will be part of a coast to coast bike trail called the American Heritage Trail. Gaston to South of Muncie is a really nice ride! Here are some scenes from the trail:
The Depot itself

White River The Round Barn

This barn is located South of Muncie, and is actually older then the State. Well done on the restoration, eh?
An old rail bridge along the trailThe Cardinal Greenway is what is called a Rail to Trail pathway. This means it's built along an abandoned railroad right of way. This is pretty nice, because it's relatively flat, no more than a 4% grade anywhere on it. The Card doesn't even get that steep anywhere along it. As a trail, I'd have to give it a 10! It was worth the 80 mile drive, one way, to get there.

The Spinner Report for Dec 23...Late from the Holiday!

Wed, 27 Dec 2006 20:16:13 GMT

Well, it looks like the Spinner Group is going to top 40,000 miles for the year! Great job, all! Here are the charts

Now, my bad weather riding technique! I got a nice trainer for Christmas, a Kinetic Fluid Trainer. It is great!Looks like it's going to be a good training winter, what with the Spinnerval video and everything that came with it! My Raleigh is now a dedicated trainer bike, by the way, and it's great!

My Annual Review

Wed, 27 Dec 2006 01:37:53 GMT

Start Weight: 581 pounds, Mar 11, 2005
Current Weight: 220 pounds

Goals I have achieved:

I rode my first Metric Century (62 miles)
I rode my first SAE Century (100 Miles)
I rode 167 a mile ride in less than 12 hours and reached the March 2006 goal for a 2 day ride in a day! (Labor Day Weekend)

In the 21 months since I had my bariatric surgery, I have gotten my life back!

Total weight loss: 361 pounds.

Spinner Report will be out tomorrow!

Nothing new on the cycling front, so I was playing on the computer

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 16:11:39 GMT

Merry Christmas and if you haven't got your label tags for the presents yet, Here ya go! Merry Christmas! Either print on 8 1/2X11 cardstock or Avery 8160 or 5160 Address Labels!

Two Things:

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 14:48:49 GMT

I picked up this Meme from Christa over at Awful Souls,
Participate if you want, it see,s to be a wonderful tool for self assessment!

2 things you want to do:
Ride 200 mile one day event
Compete in additional road races
2. 2 things you should've done but keep postponing:
I'm a great procrastinator, I should have done a lot of things I put off!

3. 2 things you did, but shouldn't have:
Started smoking many years ago
Allowing myself to gain as much weight as I did

4. 2 things that you must do:
Eat and Sleep.

5. 2 things you do every day:
Train and Study

6. 2 things someone else would want you to do:
Finish my degree
Achieve my goals and be happy with my life
7. 2 things that you would never do:
Steal or kill.

Answer them for yourself and pass it on!

My new ride!

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 03:43:55 GMT

This will be a dedicated touring bike! It's an absolutely sweet 1986 Schwinn Passage!

The Spinner Report, Mid December

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 13:17:59 GMT

Welcome to the second Spinner Report for December, 2006! It should be noted that as a group, we've covered 37,061.41 miles for the year. That leaves 2938.59 miles to hit 40,000! Now, there are 25 of us, to split these miles up! Let's go for it.One of our members, Jill, lives up in Alaska, and is a snowbiker! If you are interested in following her exploits, like the Susitna 100, her site is at Blogspot.Well, without further ado, here are the charts:

College Life: Special Announcement!

Sat, 16 Dec 2006 00:35:54 GMT

This is a post I've been waiting to post! Congratulations are due my Wife, Mrs Stormcrowe! She officially graduated as of NOW! Her grades were posted and she has sufficient credits and has filled all her requirements and now has qualified for her Associates in Accounting and Business Administration!

Congratulations Earlena! Good job!

Now, let's get some of those Kudos from you...my readers for her. This was something she's wanted to do for a long time and she finally achieved her goal....in spite of some pretty steer odds!

Custom List: Old Friends

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 02:09:10 GMT

Old Friends

My Archives from Blogger!
My old blog, read my archives, I'm leaving it up and posting a redirect on it once a month to keeo it active!
Hodson's Bay
This is the WONDERFUL Local Bike Shop I deal with!
Saint Vincent Bariatric Services
This is Saint Vincent/CArmel, IN site!
My Wifes Blog!
My Mom's Blog!
Peg's Pen
The blog of Peg Murphy, writer of the childrens book, "Maynard the Mannerly Monkey"
Carolyn
The Ginger Quill, a wonderful writer and poet
Deni Bonet
The best rock violinist you'll ever hear!
Caloric Burn Calculator
Nifty little tool to compute caloric burn in exercise
Bicycle speed and power calculator
Excellent site to compute wattage output, giving another methodto compute caloric burn
T_Stormcrowes Science Fiction Review
This is my book revue blog, check it out if you enjoy great Science Fiction.
Christa
Awful Souls: Don't let the name fool ya! She's a nice lady!
Moonbat Rant
I can't show the button, but go here to see a virtual liberal moonbat ranting! It's HILARIOUS!
Team Stormcrowe Storm
MY storefront for Gifts, Hats and Jerseys
Blog in Space
Link to Blog in Space, where you can get your blog beames out tothe universe at large! Talk about getting a wide readership!
TN Chick
A Fellow Tennessean! Check her site out!
Hack MSN Spaces
Excellent tech to optimize your MSN Space!
Bud Buckley
Singer/Guitarist in Florida and a fan of my "Buckley's Universe" Stories!
Zeynep Ankara
Here is an insightful writer, from Turkey. Zen is an insightful young woman and I truly think you might enjoy her Space!
The Barefooted Redhead
jaxgtr, a friend from Bike Forums
The beginning of what looks to be a good Clyde Site

Custom List: Cycling Trips and other saved posts

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 01:57:58 GMT

Cycling Trips and other saved posts

The First Sign of Spring
My first ride of 2006. A 256 miler that turned into a 106 miler due to Mother Natures Interference
Why Cycling?
The reason I am a cycling fanatic
The Amazing Shrinking Man
Manuscript excerpt
A Year in the Life: Runaway Train
Multimedia, my last year.
Riding the Raleigh and Mrs Stormcrowe Too
Embedded video at my Blogspot Blog!
Al Maviva's Cold Fury Article "For Those Who Served"
This is probably the finest article I have read in a while, heartfelt and sincere. What are you waiting for, go read it!
Chocolate Milk as a Sports Recovery Drink.
Pre and Post Ride Nutrition, Post Bariatric Cyclists
Tour De Cure
This is my team page at Tour de Cure. I'm looking for donations, direct to the American Diabetes Association. This money will be used toward research that hopefully leads to a cure, or at least better treatments!

Custom List: Team Stormcrowe Storefront, Gifts and Merchandise NEW!

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 09:41:30 GMT

Team Stormcrowe Storefront, Gifts and Merchandise NEW!

Team Stormcrowe Store
This is my storefront! Feel free to stop in and check out the merchandise, Team Stormcrowe and Shrinking Man merchandise!
AVG Antivirus
The best antivirus program I have ever used! Download the free version here
Banjo Brothers
Banjo Brothers make the finest midprice bags I have ever used
1PageStory
Not part of my storefront, but I wanted to avoid burying this link! This is an interesting site where yu can read One Page Short Stories! Hint: I'm a contributor to the stories!
Bloggers Fuel (Bocajava coffees)
Your one stop coffee link!
Supersized Cycles Article and links
My article about Joan and Supersizedcycles.com
Supersized Cycles
Bariatric Bicycle Supplier
Miles and Average Speed Diary-2006
.xlt template for tracking miles and average speed. All calculations are automatic and graphing is also done. This is © under creative common by me This is the 2006 file and free to use, or even give away! You can not sell it though!
Miles and Average Speed Diary- 2007
.xlt template for tracking miles and average speed. All calculations are automatic and graphing is also done. This is © under creative common by meThis is the 2007 file and free to use, or even give away! You can not sell it though!

Custom List: Fellow Blogging Cyclists

Sun, 16 Jul 2006 21:00:19 GMT

Fellow Blogging Cyclists

Fat Chick
This is a cool blog! Fellow cyclist and OI member!
Fat Cyclist
Fatty's Blog! Godfather of the O.I.!
Tayfur Yagci
Tayfurs Blog, cyclist from Turkey and a fellow O.I. member
Caloi Rider
The Uphill Battle, Blog of fellow cyclist and O.I. member
Big Mike
O.I. recruiter and a great guy!
Muse Monkey
This is a wonderful woman, witty and a great blogger
Toad Pizza
Absolutely GONZO cyclist, student and fellow member of the OI
Gorilla on a Bike
Go see the gorilla, he cycles too!
Dan on Bike
This guy lives here in my town and we still have trouble hookingup for rides..#%@$ SCHEDULING!
Stan and Family
Stan and family, among other things, riding in the brutal winterweather of Southern California!
Bicycle Blogs list
This is a large list of links to various bicycling blogs!
Jill
This lady, and I do mean lady in the classic sense of the word is an Alaskan Ice Biker from Ohio!
MochaMomma
Coffee drinkin lady from the Land of Lincoln! Teacher and all around great lady
Cycle-licious
Fritz and others contribute jointly to a great cycling lifestylepage. Do drop by and tell'm The Amazing hrinking Man sent you by!
Tyler
The 400 Pound Mile, Tylers Story! Meet the newest Shrinking Cyclist!
Bike Forums
BikeForums is a forum for cyclists of all sorts!
Psycho Cyclist
Mountain biking, mudriding general all around CRAZY cyclist! Dodrop by!
Iain Ashworth
Herneweb, where I go to see some of the best images involving cycling I've ever seen!(I've stolen a bunch of them for my wallpaper on the monitor!::WINK::) I hope ya don't mind, Iain!
Bike Forum
Blog in Space
This is the sign up page for Blog in Space
José
"A Show Me State" Mountainbiker, drop by and say hello!
Biketown Blogger
This is a great bike blog! She says "I'm in shape...Round is a shape, right?"
Supersized Cycles
Bicycles for Bariatric Patients and Others who need them!
Jen4Luck
A Young Lady from Minnesota who has recently bought a "bent"!(Recumbent Bike) and fellow fighter of the Battle of the Bulge, and by the way, she's a member of MENSA! COOL!
Tim D
Tim's a great read and a cycling nut himself!

Custom List: Friday CoffeeKlatsch

Fri, 05 May 2006 11:06:08 GMT

Friday CoffeeKlatsch

Bloggers Beach Blast Coffee
Boca Java's Coffees
Boca Java Pajama Passion
Boca Java coffee review
Boca Java New Media Maverick's Blend Review
Man, it's good coffee!

Custom List: Banjo Brothers Bag Reviews

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 12:43:21 GMT

Banjo Brothers Bag Reviews

Handlebar Bag Product Review
This is the Handle Bar bag for you, see the review!
Banjo Brothers Trunk Bag Review
You could easily pay twice the money and still get only half thebag!
Banjo Brothers Pannier Set
The Banjo Brothers 01090 SAddlebag Pannier. They outdid themselves!
How Did My Banjo Brothers Bags Perform On My Spring Ride?
Product review as reflecting the use of the bags on a weekend tour

Custom List: Buckley Stories

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 09:14:08 GMT

Buckley Stories

Buckley's Universe
The Beginning of Buckley!
Genesis....A Buckley Story
Second Installment of Buckley
The Nightmare
Buckley's third installment