Faux Pas Online

I’ve just come out of 14 days of quarantine after returning to Japan. I need to promote my book more but I’m already editing my second book that I finished.

In the meantime I have to be a dad and work and publicize my novel. It’s a lot to do and can get exhausting. Where does it end or begin? I’m not really sure but I have to stay the course.

I also have to ride my bike as much as I can but because of my odd working hours – working remotely, I haven’t been able to ride as much as I would like. There is so much to do but at some point I have to go outside. Somehow It will all fall into place I hope. While all of this is happening we have to survive this pandemic, crazy leaders and others that seem to not be able to deal with reality. It has never been easier to get information and yet so many people want to create their own realities. It appears that it is all based on fear. We are in a new era and some people just can’t deal with it. It’s either adapt and adjust or perish. No matter what happens we have to keep creating and inspiring others. I’m hopeful.

These are difficult times for a lot of us. Since I’m working remotely as well as studying online. I decided to move back to Japan. At least I could be with my family in these difficult times.

Promoting my book Alvarado, it was tough at times but I’m thankful for all of the support I’ve received from various readers, friends and family. It feels good. I have to stay the course and keep writing.

Always, there is cycling. I’m anxious to hit the trails and ride again. For now we have to stay safe too. We are in a pandemic and we all need to pull together to make it through this storm.

Everyone is anxious about the election. I am too. At the moment promoting my book and trying to say alive.

I appreciate what I have right now, especially since so many of us are struggling right now due to the pandemic.

It fells good to have my road bike back, thanks to the Bicycle Jedi, that built my new road bike and made a movie about it. Never give up on your dreams or plans.

Stay strong, motivated and healthy!

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My Rol wheels came and they’re great.

I tried to pull a century the other day and I actually did but my Garmin and my iPhone went out. Still it was great to ride with Ride For Black Lives. I enjoyed the camaraderie and the thrill of cycling in a group. The free chai, water and Gatorade were great. Ron Holden is really holding it down.

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I feel vindicated after having my old Litespeed stolen. I was determined to rebuild because I had come so far and made so many sacrifices, like we all have, to have my slice of happiness. So many people are pulling together to support each other in these difficult times. Cycling is one of those things that brings a lot of us together from various differences. I really enjoy it. Los Angeles and the surrounding cities are a lot closer and connected than most of us think.

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It’s good to be back home in Los Angeles. I like what I’m doing but I miss my family and I feel like moving back to Japan. I’ll see where everything goes. In the meantime I’m promoting my book and working on more writing. Grad school is tough but I’m riding the wave or climbing the mountain.

Hopefully I can connect with some other cyclists. So far, so good. I takes time. I’m patient in the meantime I have to survive and move forward.

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It’s time for a new laptop. I miss my family.

Please vote!

Now that so much has moved online, there is no escaping it. The good thing is my new road bike is built. Thanks to the expertise of my bicycle Jedi — my bicycle mechanic in Japan.

I love titanium bikes because of their long term use. I can’t afford to replace carbon frames. Finally, a legendary Litespeed frame and Kris King headset. Rol Wheels did an excellent job with the Race SLR rims and the T-11 White Industries hubs. They are flawless. Lizard Skin bar tape for accent. The road bike is done.

It’s vindication after having my previous bicycle stolen and it still hurts. So you persevere and move forward with cycling and life. These are challenging times. I’ve lost friends.

The summer was good and now so many of us appreciate more of what we took for granted. Between the fires and the politics, what can you do? Stay motivated, safe, healthy and positive.

Home.

Japan was refreshing and now it’s back to business.

I hope to start teaching again but for now I write and prepare and study for my MA.

Alvarado is out and about.

I have to publicize my novel. I’m happy about what’s happening. There is so much to do but I’m greatful for the opportunity and you go through the door or doors.

Always connecting the dots. At least my road bike is here. The city is trying to recover from civil unrest and the pandemic. It’s a big job.

I have hope. I don’t have the same fears as the fascists do or even the bourgeoisie. I wan to create art — write.

We are at a new stage in our civilization and it’s rough.

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I have one more week in Japan. My new bike build will begin without my new wheels which will be shipped to the U.S. It was too difficult to try and get them here before September 6.

I’m anxious about going home. I’ll miss my kids so much. My graduate studies have started. Everything is online. Back home looks like a giant mess. I wonder if I should just stay in Japan. I have hope for the future and I’m optimistic but politically it’s scary.

Friends and family are already ordering my book. It feels good but I have to do more to promote my novel. Where do I start? Nothing to do but go forward. The most important moment is now.

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My novel Alvarado is now available for order from Amazon, though it debuts at Atmospherepress on September 1st. Still, I’m anxious as always but the moment is here.

On the cover of my novel is a picture of my ex-girlfriend that has been altered. I reached out to her before publishing my novel but after she found out I was looking at her Instagram account she deleted it! Well, it’s really over. At one point we were talking somewhat online but now she has disappeared for good. Maybe that’s a good thing, maybe not and I admit I was a little immature before but so was she. Now we are at this point and we are different people but I tried to capture what I knew in past in my novel and how it makes me sort of feel now, though I altered some things to express all the feeling I had inside of me for so long. Isn’t that what art is for, sometimes?

I’m doing freelance writing for a coffee magazine and so far so good but for one cafe it was a disaster trying to coordinate a time and it ended in miscommunication and misunderstanding but I have to move forward. Nobody likes it when things go wrong but sometimes things do and sometimes you can reconcile and sometimes you can’t.

Last, I bought a seat post for my new road bike build and it was missing a part. I called FSA the manufacture and they told me to send over a picture and when I did they told me my seat post was a fake. It could be worse but at the same time it’s another disappointment. But I over came it and ordered a seat post from my local bike shop. It’s better than having a bicycle stolen but nobody likes a fake, at least I don’t.

Today I visited a friend. He may have cancer. I don’t know how much time he has but we met for a brief time and then I rode off across the city. He supported me when I was having a tough time.

You never know who your friends really are until you are in a tough spot or your last moments. It was good to see him.

This pandemic reinforced the fact that we have to do what we were meant to do in this life – sometimes we put things off as if we have more time and we don’t.

If you have a dream or an idea, then act on it. Hopefully it is something positive that you won’t mind leaving behind.

For now I write and try and finish these projects that I’ve started and I keep moving forward making the most of the moment. My book will debut September 1st. Still I’m anxious but I keep moving forward to pursue my dreams. My new road bike is getting close to completion but I’m waiting on the wheels I ordered. For some reason they are taking a long time. But I’m patient. It could be worse, it could always be worse.

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I ordered parts for a new road bike that I want to build here in Japan.

It’s exciting but excruciating because things are so delayed due to the pandemic. Anyway it will happen.

In the mean time I’m writing about coffee and tomorrow I head back to Tokyo to continue a story I started. There is always more and so I have to keep at it.

My novel debuts next month and I have to promote it. Family and friends anxiously await copies but at the same time. Some people are so into themselves but don’t support others but what can you do? Just believe in your own creativity and go forward and upward into outer space.