Beautiful Day. U2?

After the flood all the colors came out
It was a beautiful day
Don't let it get away

Ride Your Bike to the Polls Today

I’m going to vote today.

I might even vote my values. Funny thing that. What does it mean to NOT vote ones values? I suppose the coin flip fits in there. Maybe voting for the beautiful people is another. I can’t understand how any thoughtfully (or prayerfully) placed vote would be a vote against ones values, no matter which way it was cast.

If “vote my values” does mean what Dr Dobson or my pastor thinks it means, I’m going to struggle hard today with how I don’t LIVE my values. I’ve never knowingly ridden a bike with an addicted gambler. I’ve never walked a scared teen and her nervous boyfriend to a clinic for counseling. It doesn’t take me very many fingers to count how many times I’ve dined with a gay man. For the non-South Dakotan, these are related to ballot issues.

I did interact with an “activist” federal judge once. I saw him drop a credit card in the coffee shop parking lot. I picked it up, cut in front of him in line, paid for my coffee with it, and handed it to him as he waited behind me. That was ok though, I served twice as a juror for him so he (kn)ow(e)s me. (Parts of this story are not true.)

In fact, with the exception of the pregnant teen and the boyfriend (I do have a Boy 8 and Boy 4 don’t you know), I’ve sort of arranged my life so that I can avoid these situations. I didn’t arrange things this way intentionally. I just sort of followed the path of least resistance. You know, stayed comfortable.

I will demonstrate at least two of my values today. I will vote and I will ride my bike to do it.

Nite Ride!

I joined Thee Double Secret Probation Moonlight Ride Saturday night. What a beautiful night! 40 degrees, barely any wind. Full moon. I rode to the ride and managed 28 miles for the evening. Mr. Bite let me lead. I paced the 13 participants at 13-ish mph and I could tell from the conversation and laughter behind me that I wasn't working everybody hard enough.

The ride departed from Granite City and upon our return there was 110% participation in post-ride appetizers, beverages, and conversation. A beautiful night all around!

Plus! At least two, maybe three other participants actually rode to the ride!

Helmets

The Boys know. They wear their helmets when they ride their bikes. They rarely need reminding. They just do it. Maybe they're following the lead of their dad or maybe they're just smart. The Boys have another interesting habit, they often forget to take their helmets off after riding. Scenes like this are quite common around here. (I assume observant readers can identify The Boy 8 in this picture.)



It's kinda nice that this happens. I get to be an over protective parent without any effort whatsoever.

Saturday, The Boy 4 came running into the house crying after playing for a while with the crew in the photo above. Turns out The Boy 4 was in the trailer of a pedal tractor being pulled by a boy 8. This is highly inadvisable behavior, had I been monitoring I would have registered my disapproval. This boy 8 turned sharp and The Boy 4 was pitched over the side where his head met the pavement.

We know his head hit the pavement because his helmet is now slightly damaged.

I'm not saying it saved his life, I'm not saying it saved us a trip to the doctor. I'm just saying we have a damaged helmet and I'm rather pleased about that.

This photo is the helmet but long before the damage.

Surprise! II

The guy from yesterday whom I surprised. Remember? I saw him today too. I was a bit later than yesterday so he had already reached his turn around. He was coming toward me. He had plenty of time to see me. I waved. I didn't see any amount of acknowledgment from him. It was dark. He may not have seen any amount of acknowledgment from me either.

Could this be the beginning of a long and meaningful relationship?

Surprise!

How to grow a blog – post a lot. How to shrink a blog – post a little.

The main story today: I think I gave a bike trail jogger a very big fright tonight.

It was dark. It was windy. I saw a light ahead from quite a distance. After I got closer I could see a jogger with a flashlight. He also had a reflective strip on his jacket and reflective spots on his shoes. It’s surprising the number of people who venture onto the trail in the dark without any lighting whatsoever.

As I got closer he began to see his own shadow created by my Cateye Five Barrels of LED Fun. Perhaps he thought he was going to be run over by a motorcycle. He whipped around and pointed his flashlight directly into my face. If it had been a light saber maybe he would have cut me in half.

Hi! I said and rolled past.

Today was my first day riding after the time change. Monday I performed water duty for my team. Yesterday my work mates divided two South Dakota cows. The uncertainty of how much meat I would have to haul put me in the car. I tried to pretend it was worth it because the meat didn’t have to be flown from Japan. That only made be feel a little better.

My favorite part of this time of year? NIGHT RIDES at 5:30.

The Boy 4 is really messed up. He’s calling for jammies, even before supper.

The #1 reason I’m not posting much right now: 8 hours of sleep a night!

The #2 reason I’m not posting much right now: I’m reading three books. At once. This, from a guy who sometimes reads 3 books a year.

A Day For Bikes

As I got ready to ride this morning I noticed it was a little dark. I put the light on my bike and on my way discovered most drivers were still using their headlights. Good choice. One more week and lights will be an absolute necessity.

I rode to a lunch meeting. Against the wind all the way there. I was a few minutes late.

After work I had two downtown meetings. A city bike committee meeting (thanks for the pizza) and the previously advertised bike 2 work meeting. Looks like we've got some new faces interested in getting involved. Excellent.

And then the best part...ride your bike to work, attend evening meetings after work...how you getting home?

NIGHT RIDE!

When I put the lights on this morning I hadn't realized that I'd be needing them to get home that evening. Planning ahead is important. Luck is nice too.

I rode the long way home and rode a lot of the bike trail. It was a beautiful night. I saw another well lit rider on the trail. I think we waved at each other. It was dark.

28 miles today.

It Didn't, I Rode

It didn't snow. It didn't rain. I didn't drive.

We didn't buy Wal*Mart. We didn't sell Disney.

I received great encouragement from a guy named Tim.

I was treated to some new artwork at one of the UnderBridge Galleries.

Most of it I'm not old enough to look at let alone display.



But there is this green splotch with a lovely reflective yellow background on steel.



And the author(s) left their moniker.

snOh Yeah!

For many years now I've considered it pretty romantic to be on the bike during the first measurable snow fall of the season. That would be this morning. The grassy areas showed the accumulation. The pavement and hard pack dirt did not. That left me pretty sandy by the time I got to work.

I’d better get the snow tires on the single speed soon! LBS, ready or not, here they come!

Problem, Problem, Problem, Problem, Payoff

Ok. Nothing to see here. Move along.

An eventful commute today.

The cable of the front derailleur fell off the leverage point. I had to stop and temporarily fix it.

Two minutes later, on some rough stuff, it felt like something had fallen off the bike. I’ve finally learned to stop. Not matter what. Even if I’m sure it was just a rock that got kicked up. Make sure everything is still attached. Sure enough, my CO2 cartridge had fallen off. Regroup.

On the way home I stopped at the LBS so the fine folks could fix the front der and run through a quick gear adjust. Rock and roll, service with a smile. Well, actually it was some fine blues playing in the shop today. Thanks guys!

One more stop, this time at Radio Shack. It looked like my computer battery was going to die any minute. It’s backup already failed last week. I’m a geek boy. I gotta have my uninterrupted data flow. Batteries secured.

And home, to some excellent, greasy, salty, sweet chicken cordon bleu. Thank you very much, can I have another.

And the big payoff - seems someone found a bike in the river. They dragged it out and made this piece of art. I love how the bike blends so nicely with the leaves.

Snakebite’s: Scavenger Hunt

I’m toast.

I participated in Snakebite’s Scavenger Hunt today. I almost won it too! There was just one problem: the small matter of being 7 minutes behind the actual winner. And being 2 minutes over the 3 hour limit, ok, two problems. Well, three, I messed up on one of the mandatory items which sort of disqualified me. But I was crossed-eyed by that time so I deserve a break. Don’t I?

The mandatory items were 1 canned non-perishable food item from a specific grocery store and 1 boxed non-perishable food item from a different specified store. Receipts were used to verify place of purchase. I bought a canned item at both places. I went home with “does not follow instructions” stamped on my manifest. My understanding is the food will go to the food bank. Smart guy that Snakebite:.

From a MinusCar perspective this was such a cool event too. There’s nothing quite like making people run errands on bikes to help demonstrate that running errands on bikes is possible. There was some conversation around the Applebee’s table regarding route selection, roads traveled and traffic experienced.

The winner and I were the only ones that completed all 15 items. Including my ride to the start I had a 3 hour ride time and 42.6 miles. The winner rode to the start too. He’s like that. A year ago he described his commute to work to me: get up and ride 20 miles. Return home and go to the basement to start working. That’s living close to ones job!

If you’re curious about what a Snakebite: Scavenger Hunt looks like, here is what I learned and the order I learned it:

Start – courtyard at the federal building.

The muzzle of the cannon at Lyon Park is stamped with NO 109 BH.

The sculptor of the Statue of Liberty in McKennan Park is Bartholdi.

1 can Bushes Orignial Baked Beans at Hy-Vee, 33rd & Minnesota Ave.

The gazebo in the formal garden at the top of Tuthill Park has four fenced and two unfenced sides. Did I mention it’s at the top of Tuthill Park?

The surveyor’s marker in Sherman Park was placed by the US Coast and Geodesic Survey in 1935.

The chain on the anchor at Sherman Park has 8 links.

The anchor displayed at the memorial of the USS South Dakota weighs 26194 presumably pounds.

The yellow sign at the gate to the Keuhn Park Golf Course is just a yellow board. It says nothing.

The splice plates on the pedestrian bridge over I-29 near Southeast Technical Institute have 12 bolts.

The serial number of the bridge over the diversion channel north of the airport is 2002218-2.

The monument overlooking Cliff Avenue and John Mmmmmorell’s was dedicated in 1999 by the Minnehaha County Historical Society.

There are 82 steps to the top of the Falls Park Observation Tower. I asked at the desk. If I hadn’t asked I would have counted on the way up. Mr. Smarty Pants Snakebite: would have ridden the elevator up and counted on the way down. Apparently you get the same number.

The sign on the west wall at the top of the parking ramp by the bus depot says “Dump Snow Here.”

The Statue of David was presented to the City of Sioux Falls and Augustana College by Thomas and Marie Fawick.

1 can Bushes Original Baked Beans at Sunshine Food’s, 13th & 2nd Ave.

Downtown Applebee's, where participants dined, I ordered food to go, and The Wife on her way home from downtown, stopped to pick me up. I'd probaby still be trying to find my way home had she not.

Insolicited, Unexpected and Doing It Anyway

Is it spam? Is it real? Even if it’s real do I really want to post it? It’s unsolicited and unexpected! I don’t know who these people are! I assume most of the other blogging bicyclists I know of received the same e-mail. I wonder how many will post what they received?

And so it goes that I’m posting content from an unsolicited and unexpected e-mail…but first:

Thich Nhat Hanh is the real deal. I know of Thich Nhat Hanh because I listen weekly to public radio’s Speaking of Faith. In March he was featured. He is a Buddhist. The website is here. The transcript is here. The podcast here. I recommend the podcast because hearing the man speak is to hear peace.

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Personal trivia: the “Christian conference center in a lakeside setting of rural Wisconsin”, where the radio show was recorded, is a conference center my family has connections to.

What about the e-mail?

Thich Nhat Hanh is apparently speaking to UNESCO on October 7. He will propose that UNESCO organize a Global No Car Day. Part of the effort to convince UNESCO to accept the proposal involves a petition that is attempting to gather 10,000 signatures by October 7. The petition is located at the Deer Park Monastery website.

I have signed it.

Here is the message:

From Nobel Peace Prize nominee and Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh:

Only collective awakening can help us to solve the difficult problems in our world like war and global warming. In an upcoming talk which I have been invited to give at UNESCO (United Nations Education Science and Cultural Organization) on October 7th, I will propose that UNESCO organize a Global No Car Day-- a day when people refrain from using their cars, except in emergencies.

It may take six months or more to prepare for such a day. UNESCO can promote this day around the world and use it as a means to educate and inspire collective awakening concerning the present environmental dangers facing all of us on planet Earth. I will suggest that UNESCO itself, from the director to ambassadors and other members, try to live in such a way that the message becomes a true message; not just a call for action, but action itself.

In our daily lives, we should each try to drive a car that doesn't pollute the environment, or ride a bicycle more often, or use public transportation. Every one of us can do something to protect and care for our planet. We should live in such a way that makes a future possible.

Thich Nhat Hanh
September 16, 2006
Deer Park Monastery, Escondido, CA

I have also responded to the invitation in their e-mail to help develop and promote a Global No Car Day. I wonder what that might mean?