Breakout from the job hunt

Tuesday, 28 February 2012

Finally today I broke out of my cycle of breakfast-computer-lunch-computer-dinner-computer work to find a quick replacement for working at Kodak. The replacement was only for an hour-long ride along the Creekside Trail, but it served to break the monotony I had set up since leaving Kodak on February 20. It was a monotony tinged with depression, though I haven't felt depressed.

I know that it's for the best to be out of the work environment at Kodak. First, the atmosphere was toxic and every opportunity was taken to tear down my confidence as a writer. Second, the technologies in use to write documents were solidified and not forward-looking. Third, opportunity for advancement was absent. Fourth, the company's continuing failure to succeed meant that wages were stagnant, and I had taken a financial hit of almost 18% over five years.

I needed this kick in the pants. For some four years, I asserted that I should move out of Kodak. But never did I take resolute steps to do so. At first, in 2008, I was busy guiding the implementation of single-source writing. That program proved its viability by using a single set of files to support three parallel but separate products. But after two years, the progress was pulled back to traditional processes, and another team lead was chosen to do this. It took two years to reset the single-source files into three separate and independent books. Now I've been let go, once the status quo has been re-established. And I now have two months of salary without a requirement to work at the office. I use every moment for developing prospects for my next work situation.

Now perhaps I've come to a point where I can pull back a bit on the focused searching. I have resumés placed with many temp agencies and contracted services. I have search profiles set up with an array of job search engines. I have initial contacts with a network of professionals in the area. Perhaps the next major step will be to set up a similar framework for a possible job in the area around Palm Springs ...just in case. But for now, after ten days away from commuting by bike, I have both time and weather in my favor.

And I took the same route that I have as a commuter, down to the Miami River Bikeway, up the Mad River, and south on the Creekside Trail. But a change: I realize that I've reached the extent of a half-ride at Airway Boulevard, and I turn around to head home. With the turnaround, I head back to work ... at home.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 49 to 55°F at 15:00
Precipitation: none
Winds: 5 to 10 mph from the  southeast
Clothing: Skinsuit, longsleeve undershirt, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Trek 850 27x30-48x12 hybrid
Time: 00:57:07  for  13.80 miles
Heart rate: 130 bpm HRave, 150 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 2 cyclists, 1 pedestrian
Playback of the ride

Bike-commute day 11—to workHow not to smooth auto-bike traffic

The rains stopped last evening, and the roads were dry in the morning. But as I crossed the Monument Street bridge, shielding my eyes from the bright sunshine, I saw the river was overflowing to the bikeway. Since I was on my Lotus fixed-gear, taking the gravel concourse above the river was out of the question, and I took the sidewalk—slowly, careful of two pedestrians and one with a vacuum cleaner in tow—against the flow of traffic in the street. At the ziz-zag down near the Green Bridge, I saw that the Mad River was living up to its name: an even higher and stronger flow was coursing into the Miami, and the bikeway was flooded at least to the railroad trestle near Valley Street.

So I took Monument Avenue through the light manufacturing area.

One pickup driver did everything possible to thwart his easy entrance to Monument from a service yard. As I rode along Monument going east, a pickup driver pulled to the street from a Rumpke service yard, stopped, looked both ways, apparently saw me, and released his brakes enough to coast an additional 3 feet. I interpreted his coasting as impatience and potentially a sign that he had not seen me approaching. I slowed a lot, expecting him to pull into the street. He stopped again. It was clear he had seen me, and he had just anticipated moving into the street prematurely. His impatience (my inference here) resulted in a few more seconds of stopping before his turn onto Monument, and (I infer again) increased what impatience he already felt.

Bikeway crossing (magenta) at Airway Rd, Riverside OH

Then another pair of drivers exhibited their at-any-cost ownership of the road at the bikeway crossing at Airway. This crossing is well marked with pedestrian slashes embossed on the street, auto signs posted for the approaching two lanes of autos from each direction, in-path signage for the approaching bikeway users, and a pedestrian island placed to allow a pause in the crossing. As I approached the crossing from the north (top of image), the street was clear of traffic from the east, and two vehicles approached from as far away as Linh's Restaurant. —At about the location of the green car in the image.— I crossed the two westbound lanes, and saw neither of the two roadway users were slowing. So I stopped at the island. The near driver, of a pickup marked Extermital, sneered and flipped me off. Do I infer again some attitude of impatience—or dominance—from this driver?

No ego from me (for once) feels offence. No shift in mood. And my mood was heightened not more than a couple miles down the bikeway, at the corner of the DPL Executive Golf Course. My happy whistling startled three beautiful, strong deer who looked up from their grazing beside the bikeway. They glanced at each other, then scattered into the trees that line the bikeway. Four more deer inside the DPL compound galloped in the opposite direction toward the tree-lined creek.

At Woodbine, I saw Two-dog-Jason approaching the crossing from the south. Since I had to stop for a car, my crossing was slow. I introduced myself and Two-dog-Jason told me his name: Pat. It's been at least three years that we've seen each other on the bikeway during my morning commute. Finally there are real names for us to add to our hellos.

Central Park, New York City

In New York City's Central Park another controversy is developing. In the hardcopy version, the article was titled "Neither Pedestrian Nor Auto." (It is otherwise titled in the online edition.) But the summarized assertion of the original title exhibits a basic misunderstanding of the position of the bicycle in the mix of transportation. Absolutely the bicycle is a vehicle. The cyclist is also a pedestrian—when a cyclist dismounts, the transformation is then complete. But nevertheless, all—motorist, cyclist, and pedestrian—must obey posted traffic signage. At issue for cyclists using Central Park are the questions of courtesy and obeying the hierarchy of trail usage. (In trail usage, cyclists must give right-of-way to pedestrians and horses; pedestrians must give right-of-way to horses; horses must give freedom-from-road-apples to everyone.)

From the few visits I have made to Central Park, it is not the best location for bicycle training. The number of strollers who also use the streets and paths that are closed off from vehicular traffic is too large for developing power, heart strength, stamina. The park is, though, well suited for the casual, pleasant Sunday ride with the family. Begging for attention is whether any convenient location exists on Manhattan Island for cyclists to train, free from the traffic snarls, exhaust, and stop-and-start progress of the streets.

Temperature: 37°F at 07:20, 29 to 39°F at 09:15
Precipitation: none
Winds: none
Clothing: Top with 4 layers (Lycra longsleeve undershirt, skinsuit, arm warmers, poly fleece vest, Lycra-wool jacket); Bottom with 2 layer (skinsuit, quilted tights); ankle socks. Quilted gloves. (Comfortable at first, but zipping down 3 of the top layers by the time I reached Woodbine. Moderate sweating in chest & back.)
Bike: Lotus fixed-gear
Time: 0:55:00 (approx.) for 11.86 miles
Bikeway users: 3 pedestrians, 4 dogs, 7 deer

07:50—departing from home.
08:xx—passing the zig-zag up from the Mad River Bikeway.
08:xx—passing the west gate to Eastwood Park.
08:xx—passing the trestle remains at Linden.
08:45—arriving at work. (No checkpoint times available.)