DClog

Van Gogh to Mondrian

Ruth, Rachel, Bev and I got together this morning and went to the High Museum to see the exhibition of Modern Art from the Kröller-Müller Museum. This exhibit was in Seattle earlier this year.

I found the Van Gogh drawings were really inspirational and made me smile. I also really like the architectural drawings by Hendrick Petrus Berlage and Henry van de Velde. Rachel connected with the Mondrian pieces.

Afterward we went to lunch and sat on the patio at Panera Bread and talked about the artists. The conversation lead to the fact that many great and innovative artists, as well as musician, writers, physicists and scientists, are a bit on the crazy side. I suppose they are wired a little different than the normal person. I would much rather be considered left-of-center and have inspiration, ideas and feel compelled to create as opposed to being normal, safe and status quo. I even said outloud something I have felt many times, "I'd rather die than not live".

Van Gogh to Mondrian: modern art from the Kröller-Müller Museum

With a significant group of some 20 paintings and drawings by Vincent van Gogh as the core of the exhibition, Van Gogh to Mondrian tells the fascinating story of one of the 20th century’s greatest patrons of modern art, architecture, and design. One of the most important promoters of modernism in Holland, Helene Kröller-Müller created a remarkable ensemble of paintings by the most significant figures of the early modern period, including Fernand Léger, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso, Georges Seurat, and Vincent van Gogh. Working with leading Dutch modernist artists and architects in the 1910s and 1920s, Mrs. Kröller-Müller and her husband, Anton, envisioned a future museum where the public could enjoy and study the development of modern painting from Pointillism and Cubism to Neoplasticism.

Influenced by her relationship with noted art historian H.P. Bremmer, Helene Kröller-Müller’s educated eye and vast wealth provided the resources for creating a remarkable collection in a short time. Her interest in modern painting drew her to the leading Symbolist, Neo-Impressionist, and Cubist painters of the period. Kröller-Müller came to see art as evolving from 19th century Realism towards an increasing “idealism” of spirituality and inner clarity. An early devotee of van Gogh (1853-1890), she created the largest private collection of the Dutch artist’s works, ultimately owning more than 90 paintings and 185 drawings. The Kröller-Müller Museum’s van Gogh collection is second only to that of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in size and quality.

Van Gogh to Mondrian features a grouping of 12 major van Gogh paintings and 10 drawings from the Kröller-Müller collection. Of these, one has never traveled to this country (Self Portrait , 1887), and others were last seen in special loan exhibitions 50 or more years ago. This very significant selection of paintings includes iconic images such as The Café Terrace at Night (1888), Sorrowing Old Man (1890), and portraits of Joseph and Augustine Roulin. Piet Mondrian is represented in the exhibition with seven paintings spanning a period from 1913 to 1919 and reflecting key moments in the artist’s evolution. The exhibition also includes architectural designs and models of the Kröller-Müller Museum produced by Hendrick Petrus Berlage, Henry van de Velde, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, as well as furniture commissioned by the Kröller-Müllers from Berlage and a magnificent stained-glass window designed by Bart van der Leck.

Macon Cyclocross Today

Again I came in 6th place in the Masters 40+ category, but I was not too disappointed. There was some out-of-state competition with us today and they laid down the law, even beating the 30+ guys (Masters 30+/40+ race combined but are scored separately).

I had seriously debated whether to go to this race because my work week had been so hectic *and* mainly because I was on my feet performing very late last night. However, I showed up in Macon after getting only 4 hours of sleep.

In the race, I ended up going head-to-head with Lamar (reigning 40+ champ) Mauney. He had a better start but I caught and eventually got a small gap on him. At the very end of the final lap I could see Lamar was closing the gap, so I took a risk that didn't pay off and caused me to botch the final "sand pit" obstacle. Still in front of Lamar, I pushed hard trying to recover the lost seconds, but blew-up right before the final climb to the finish. I suppose the legs were OK but my concentration suffered from insufficient sleep, ultimately forcing me to relinquish the 5th place that I had held for much of the race.

Teammates Bob Kuhn scored 3rd in the 30+, Wojtek Wysocki finished 9th in the 40+ meanwhile last week's 40+ winner, Gerard Remery, was unable to attend.

Moxie at the Malt Shop

1950's Rock 'n Roll Party

In greaser costume, on my way to perform with members of Moxie, at a 50's Rock and Roll party over at the Atlanta Athletic Club.

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More CX Photos

Covington Cyclocross - Masters race - 10/24/2004

Bob Kuhn & Tony Scott

Gerard Remery

Jon Atkins

Lamar Mauney, Dan Coy & Doug Pomeranz

Covington CX - another look

The Setting: It was a little misty and cool for the first race of the 2004 Georgia Cyclocross Series, but it looked like all the riders were warmed up and raring to go.

Who's who: There were about 35 or so riders in the combined Masters 30+/40+ race, with notables such as Tony "Blade" Scott, Big Jon Atkins, Doug "6-gap" Pomeranz, Lamar (40+ Champ) Mauney, and representing GTC was 2003 champ Bob Kuhn debuting in the 30+ ranks and Gerard Remery who was dominant in the 40+ last year.

Expectations: This event was the first race for me in over a year, having missed the entire 2004 road and mountain bike season due to illness and injury. My hope and expectations, based on earlier cyclocross practices, was to get a top-5 finish in the 40+ field (too bad they don't have a 50+ category).

Riders ready... Go! Toward the end of the first lap I found myself riding among the top-10, but as the second lap began, my pedal tangled in the course-marking tape and I was forced to dismount and untangle my pedal. After chasing for a couple of laps I got back up to Doug Pomeranz who was closing in on Lamar Mauney. Eventually the three of us were involved in a knock-down-drag-out battle that lasted for the next five laps. I can't say that there were any strategies involved, we just kept relentlessly attacking one another and chasing each other down. On a paved section of the course, I got around a couple of lapped riders and launched an all-out road sprint opening a substantial gap on Lamar and Doug. I think Doug and Lamar were waiting for the other one to chase. Finally Doug made his move and caught me on the last lap and on the final climb, Doug "6-gap" Pomeranz got away from me and I couldn't reel him back in before the finish line.

The Finish: In the end Tony "Blade" Scott had won the race, Gerard Remery had finished 2nd overall (1st 40+), Bob Kuhn earned 3rd overall (2nd 30+), Big Jon Atkins came in 4th overall (2nd 40+)

Evaluation: I was OK with a 6th place finish in the 40+. Mainly I am very happy to be participating in competitive cycling again and feeling like my health and fitness are gradually returning.

Covington CX Race

UN-officially I got about 12 place overall in the combined Masters 30+/40+ race. Not sure, but I think I finished 4th or 5th in the 40+ field. Too bad they don't have a 50+ category, I probably could have won that. Even though this is a relatively new sport to me (tried it once a couple of years ago), overall I'm satisfied with my current fitness level and today's debut return to competitve cycling.

Although this event is really nothing like a time trial on the road, the data from the Heart Rate Monitor is very similar. Judging from the altimeter graph I did nine laps in this race. I lapped quite a few riders and never got lapped myself, although the leaders were probably a minute or two ahead of me at the finish.

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Last Look Before First Race

The new Cannondale Cyclocross bike was ready yesterday, but after a few minutes of a trial run I had to take it back to the shop. They had built it with the left-hand brake lever controlling the front brakes, which is correct on all road and mountain bikes, but not on a 'cross bike.

Why cyclocross brakes are backward: When a rider dismounts in a cross race at high speeds, he stands on the left pedal with the right foot forward, left hand on the brakes, right hand on the top tube and hits the ground running. Naturally a bike can go faster than a runner so you must slow down the bike as you are dismounting, with your left hand being the only hand on the brakes, you don't want to be squeezing the front brakes... unless of course you want to do somersaults and cartwheels over the barriers, but they don't award extra points for acrobatics in cyclocross racing.

I brought the bike home again and decided to take a photo while it was still new, clean and unscathed.

Riding in the Woods

This morning I got up before sunrise and was headed up the road by 7:30 AM to meet a coaching client for a mountain bike ride at Gainesville College. Now, I realize most people get up and go to work at this time of morning every day, but my job this morning was to ride my bike in the woods -- nice job!

We had planned to practice the start of the upcoming race which begins across a big open grassy field, but this morning there was a high school cross country meet, and they occupied the entire field (I found out later that my nephew, Nathan, was there running his last race of the season for Dacula HS). No problem we did the power starts on the other side of the campus.

We also did a lap around the entire trail as a warm-up and I did another lap as a cool-down afterwards. My client, Tracy, is a 30 year old female mountain bike racer who happens to teach the mountain bike class at Gainesville College, so she knows that trail intimately. She rode smoothly while I found my trail skills were a bit rusty, she was careful not to make me look too bad though.

Cannondale Cyclocross

My new Cannondale Optimo Cyclocross bike -- first look

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Favorite DVD's

The other day I ordered two of my favorite movies on DVDs from Amazon.com, actually I got them from a third-party seller who sells used and new through Amazon. I paid about $8 each.

Sweet and Lowdown: the great story of a fascinating character, Emmet Ray. Ray was a little known jazz guitarist who flourished briefly in the 1930s, was considered second only to the great Django Reinhardt and is best known by jazz afficionados.

The Triplets of Belleville: Beautiful animation hand-drawn in the style of Disney's classics. This story begins in France sometime during the 30's or 40's and coincidentally also contains snippets of Django's music.

Synopsis: A lonely boy who loves his bicycle is raised by his grandmother. She eventually puts him through a rigorous training process and years later he enters the Tour de France. The cyclist is kidnapped by the evil French mafia so the grandmother and her faithful dog set out to rescue him. Their quest takes them across the ocean to Belleville where they encounter the renowned "Triplets of Belleville," three eccentric female music-hall stars who decide to take them under their wing and assist in the rescue.

north Georgia mountains

It's fall, so that means it's time to head to north Georgia to view the leaves as they change from a uniform blanket of green to a patchwork quilt of orange, yellow and red before turning loose and leaving the hardwood trees naked for winter.

As of last week, the U.S. Forest Service site reported that 15 percent to 20 percent of trees in several districts had started showing their fall colors, with those at elevations of 3,000 feet or more leading the way. It is predicted that the peak viewing times this year to be from mid- to late October.

http://www.fs.fed.us/conf/fall/falcolor.htm
Click on link for color updates and a peak at the WebCams on Brasstown Bald.

Different trees, different colors

The yellow leaves you see in the fall usually belong to the following trees: white ash, black cherry, buckeye, umbrella magnolia, sweet birch, yellow poplar and black locust.

Yellow-gold leaves appear on white basswood, hickories, American beech and black walnut.

Bronze leaves are found on chestnut oak, American elm and black oak.

Red leaves appear on black gum, scarlet oak, white oak, persimmon and red maple.

Red-purple leaves appear on sweet gum, scarlet oak and sumac.

Sassafras trees produce red-orange leaves, and the Southern red oak has red-brown leaves.

Motivation

Motivation: I just called Addictive Cycles to see if they were going to have my new bike ready soon. The Georgia Cross season starts this coming Sunday and I was hoping to be racing on the new Cannondale Cross bike. Not to mention, I can hardly wait to get on the Optimo built with 10-speed Dura-Ace components. I'm waiting for a call back at this moment.

More Motivation: I haven't heard from Wojtek about the house painting project and I hope he gets going on it soon. I decided to go with taupe for the house, dark green for doors and shutters and white for the trim. We'll also be replacing the old wooden garage door with a nice new one - Bev wants an automatic opener too.

Even More Motivation: I have another new coaching client and this rider is mainly into ultra-marathon cycling. He also wants to compete in the State and National Time Trial Championships in 2005. This guy has several double-centuries on his schedule as well as a 24-hour event where his target is over 400 miles... that's some serious chamois time!

http://coach.dancoy.com/

The Last Bean

There it is, Ladies and Gentlemen, the last coffee bean in my house. A genuine French-roasted, Hawaiian-grown Peaberry coffee bean. I just found it underneath the toaster on the kitchen counter top.

Toons

I was playing with Moxie last Saturday night and Kathy, one of the lead singers, handed me this cartoon. I glanced at it and must have shoved it in my pocket, because I found it in my tuxedo pants at the duo job last night at the 191 Club.

Last night at the gig I ran into an old musician friend, Penelope Williams, who recently received her Masters degree in Jazz studies. Not only is Penelope a great jazz pianist but she is also a renowned educator and long-time advocate and supporter of women in jazz.

Some Blogs

I am not attracted to the political blogs at all. Maybe there is a bit of voyeur in me but I like the blogs that seem to reveal the truth about the author.

For one reason or another I felt compelled to bookmark some of these blogs I stumbled upon.

• Livinia Redlips - intriguing young single mother
  
• The Infected Papercut - thoughtful college-woman
  
• Ian Wright - classical guitar student in Atlanta
  
• nach Belieben - food blog w/photos, loosely translated "as desired" or "at will"
  
• Zen Blues - guy in UK with some ideas and insight
  
• girl with a movie camera - a creative and productive artist
  
• fuckleberry - completely juvenile mid-western college-boy humor
  
• Rupeni Number 11 - a disturbing urban person, in UK I believe
  

The Canine Crew

Cup o' Joe

About a month or so ago I began curtailing my consumption of coffee. Well, at home anyway... well, fresh brewed coffee anyway. It's been a gradual process of weening myself. These days I only use the stuff I take on camping trips -- Coffee Singles, coffee bags with a blend of ground and instant coffee. Sure, it's still a cup of coffee, sort of.

For many years my day didn't begin until I had brewed a double or triple espresso, latté, or cappuccino. About a year ago I finally gave away my espresso machine and went back to the drip machine *but* I preferred to use fresh ground Hawaiian Peaberry coffee beans.

Maybe it's because today feels like a classic autumn day, but as I sat here recovering from a practically non-stop 21-day work week, the urge overwhelmed. I found the last of my stash of real coffee beans in the cupboard (far from fresh anymore) and proceeded to brew a cup of real coffee.

Of all the many vices I have overcome, coffee proves to be the most integrated into my life.

Just Outside My Doors

The front porch has several plants that live indoors in the winter and outside the rest of the year. I like watching each of these plants grow and sometimes flower. Out on the back deck lives a variety of flowers, I can't identify hardly any of them, but they can be attractive, at least the butterflies and occasional hummingbirds think so. By this time of year there is not much blooming but it's still nice.

 

Below is a glimpse of the Dynamic Duo, Samantha and Django, displaying their amazing ability to "Sit"... well they can do it for a about 2 seconds anyway.

Hanging Tough

It has been another busy day which included a hard afternoon and evening workout. The afternoon started with a 35-mile ride at threshold (1.5 hours) at noon, then laundry chores, banking, and a couple hours of practicing guitar, after that I went to work at V's -- I felt like I was playing with a lot of creativity and energy -- then back home for a 1.5 mile run (11 min 08 sec) followed by 3-sets with the free weights. This is the second consecutive week of a build phase, and the third consecutive week of a string of one-nighters with only Sunday nights off. Next week will be a welcome break with some R&R scheduled.

Sweet Surprise

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Rachel came to visit this weekend, unfortunately I was so busy I barely got to see her at all. But before she left she recreated a recipe that my Mom had taught her. Mmmmm good!