rare pattern thoughts in a blog

So I'm thinking about getting a recumbent bicycle for sports touring and some commuting to the office. My regular mountain bike is just a bit hard on my back and wrists, so part of my motivation is looking for comfort. But I also want something that I can use for longer rides. And, of course, this being Boulder, I don't want a tank -- I'll be climbing hills and riding some dirt and gravel trails.

Any buying advice?

Any suggestions where I can go in the Boulder area to test-ride some of them, maybe buy one?

We were supposed to get a few inches of snow today. We got alerts yesterday. We got alerts last night. We got more alerts this morning. It did in fact start snowing around 8 or 9, but none of it stuck, and now it's a sunny, if rather cold, day, with the fall colors complementing the greenery rather than set off against white blankets. Beautiful nonetheless.

Kudos to Boulder start-up Lijit for winning in the Internet category for showing innovation and creativity in the Boulder Valley.

And they were up against some well-known competition: Me.dium and Collective Intellect.

If you don't know what Lijit is about, scroll down and look at the sidebar here. It's the green search thingie. Don't be fooled! It's not just any search thingie!

Until today, The Railyard has been one of the great secrets of Boulder. Simply put: They have the best steaks in Boulder. Forget the way overrated Boulder Chophouse -- that place may have been good once, but now it's just a fancy joint serving sub-par Sizzler-caliber steaks -- The Railyard is the place to go.

My only real quibble is that they have these blue-daylight-colored energy-efficient bulbs lighting their dining area. Warmer colors would definitely improve the atmosphere.

Otherwise, their staff is very friendly -- and it's clear that they are proud of the food they serve, for good reason!

The reason The Railyard not a great secret any more is that it is located in the 29th Street Mall, right next to the the new Century Theatres complex, which opens today. These pics are from Wednesday.

Nice design, I think.

It's been a long long time coming, a modern movie theatre in Boulder. I'm looking forward to checking out movies there.

So in Boulder now, steak and a movie, that's the way!

People in Boulder are fairly blessed by a number of sushi bars, all of which are at least on the high side of good ... which is surprising, considering that we're more than a thousand miles from the nearest ocean port. I've tried them all. (Yes, I'm something of a sushi fiend!)

Kasa, one of the newest additions, started off by positioning themselves as a Japanese grill, but quickly realized that Boulderites have a definite yen for sushi. Their sushi was good, often very good.

Then they hired the (apparently) renowned sushi chef Kitazaki Kuichi, and wow!

Now the sushi is simply sensational!

And I say this knowing how good sushi can be in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and New York.

Now I fully admit that I may be subject to a bit of a local bias. After all, the place is just two blocks from my office, and it has not yet been discovered by the popular mob that swarms a couple of the other establishments in town.

But you really should try it out.

Really!

On days like this, it's hard to stay inside, working.

Last night Kate and I went straight from the office to a wonderful gourmet dinner and wine tasting at Cafe Blue (which is one of Boulder's best-kep secrets ... which makes it a good thing nobody reads this blog)....

What was funny is that one of the first people we met was a Joomla developer, Tom. Of course we immediately started talking shop. Maybe it's an occupational hazard of being a business owner, but I find that most potentially social occasions end up becoming informal business networking events. What's more, I enjoy it!

What makes it easy is when you can enjoy some truly wonderful wine at the same time. I'd never had Fritz wine before, at least as far as I know, but who knows for sure, right? Owner Clay Fritz told us about how his father started the winery some decades ago, and how it took him some ten years to get the business into a sustainable state. It's a fascinating business.

With Tom we talked about Open Source and how we got into working with Drupal -- which he had not heard of, surprisingly (for an open source LAMP developer) -- and he talked about his working with developers in India and Lima, Peru.

When we all sat down, the wines continued and the food began. The conversation never stopped.

Kevin Middleton, the chef and co-owner (with wife Leslie) of Cafe Blue, is a true genius in the kitchen. Every course on this menu was fabulous!

For dessert, we had truffle chocolates with raspberry sauce and late-harvest zinfandel. As Kevin made his rounds to greet the 25 or 30 guests, he stopped by our table and I remarked upon how the wine changed as I ate the dessert. He smiled a big smile and explained how he's really into taste profiles and how food can draw out the flavors in the wines. It certainly worked in this meal.

On a day-to-day basis, Cafe Blue is an excellent restaurant, but on occasions like this, it's a true delight. I can't wait until the next tasting.

If the groundhog lived here, he would have seen his shadow, because the sun is shining -- but it's just too damned cold and he probably would have rather stayed indoors.

Happy Groundhog Day!

The Flatirons.

Those sheer faces are angled towards the south, making them more prominent. As the sun moves across the sky, those faces change color and texture. Every day they're beautiful, but today they seem to stand out all the more.