EricNentrup.com

I’ve been wanting to put together a fixed gear bicycle for quite a while now. Last night I got this guy up and running. And man…it is FUN. It’s about as simple as you can get on a bike, with no shifting, no coasting, and one brake lever. I had no clue how it was going to ride or that I’d enjoy it so much. I still love my road bike, but this old Fuji that I picked up for $1.99 at Goodwill (seriously) is my new toy!

I’m looking forward to painting it up and giving it some character. More photos to come!

In Colorado, I fell in love with New Belgium Brewing Company’s Fat Tire Amber Ale and their many other amazing brews. I learned yesterday that they’re breaking into Indiana’s major supermarkets and liquor stores April 20, 2009.

I pre-ordered a case of Fat Tire*8 and a couple bottles of their Mothership Wheat and 1554.

New Belgium not only makes a fantastic product, they do it with passion and do it well. They protect the environment, give generously to the community of Ft. Collins, and take righteous care of their employees. I tried VERY hard to land a job there a couple of years ago!

Can’t recommend it enough. Stop by next week and see for yourself!

It’s 34˚F outside and a mixture of snow, sleet, and rain is coming down here in the midwest. But it doesn’t matter. Today is OPENING DAY 2009.

Baseball has returned and winter is declared over. The Yanks and Mets have new cribs, players have shifted around the leagues, and somewhere today, vendors will be crying COLD BEER, HERE! Nachos, and hot dogs will be slathered and gulped. There will be controversy, there will be disappointment, and somewhere after the All-Star break, there will even be a sense that October will never get here. But those moments are fleeting, or should be, and ultimately pale in comparison to the evergreen grass, the rich patina of a loved leather glove, and the glorious crack of the bat.

The game of baseball is one of our most enduring emblems of hope. It persists, season after season, and the promise of players giving it their all against the backdrop of an eager Spring, is something we all need. Play ball!