This will be it for today. We're headed over to IC this afternoon to move the college girls. And it is unlikely that we'll get back before 10 or so tonight.
While this will be hot, I am reminded of the day I took 2 to Norman for the first time. Think of an oven with 10 floors.
28+ yesterday and little else done.
Had email problems at work this AM on the Criterium site. Gremlins in the system. Fixed now, but a pain.
Stay cool out there. And be careful.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Sunday, July 30, 2006
SundayAM
Well, I missed a day for which I have no excuse. Sorry to those looking for insights on Saturday.
2 and 4 did a fine job getting through the 7 miles of Bix yesterday. Brutal heat and humidity. I think they spent most of the rest of the day in recovery. I had the good fortune of seeing both of them on the course. Actually, they saw me and called out. The mass of humanity made identification hard for interested fans. With 16k of runners in that short of a race, the horde passing at any one moment just overwhelmed the internal data processing system.
The story here this weekend has been the heat. 100+ on the heat index scale, and it's supposed to be higher today and tomorrow. Good times to stay inside. Which I think is what happened to a lot of the Bix attendees who elected to take a pass on the much of the daytime activities in Davenport. I did get out for 25 late yesterday and it wasn't as bad as the night last week that I mowed my yard. But I don't think that a longer ride would have been much fun. My plan is to do 20 or so this morning and beat the higher temps later in the day.
Of course Mom and I are scheduled to be in IC tomorrow to move 3 and 4 from the apartment. That should be fun. While 3 is in Chicago.
My buddy Pete rode RAGBRAI on Friday. Said that he had fun, but he missed the evening parties. Maybe next year.
I'm headed to KC for a couple of days of meetings beginning Thursday. Back Saturday night.
The cherry tomatos are coming in. Have had two small batches so far.
The first week of August was the general time-frame that we did our family vacations when the girls were young. This is a time before school starts, and after most of the organized summer programs like softball. And August was always the slowest month in the accounting business. It had been my experience in the first few years of my business that clients were often not around in early August, or they wanted to defer meetings or decisions until "after the holiday", meaning Labor Day. So it became a natural for us to take the same time off for family stuff.
In an even earlier time, I think that the Wapello County Fair in Eldon, Iowa was also usually held in the first part of August. I think that I have written about the fair on the blog in a previous entry. Anyway, that was certainly the equivalent of my annual vacation as a youth. Sunday evening to Thursday morning in the un-air-conditioned 4-H dorm in Eldon. Not a family event per-se, although Mother and Daddy were there daily, and Rosie too. Vague memories of Martha or Margaret having a board-and-brick bookcase as a fair project. (I think my 4-H club was called the Green Cornhuskers. Green being the township in the county where the club members lived.)
So I may get back to this later today. No promises. But if I come up with any great thoughts while on my bike, I'll pass them along here.
Be careful out there.
2 and 4 did a fine job getting through the 7 miles of Bix yesterday. Brutal heat and humidity. I think they spent most of the rest of the day in recovery. I had the good fortune of seeing both of them on the course. Actually, they saw me and called out. The mass of humanity made identification hard for interested fans. With 16k of runners in that short of a race, the horde passing at any one moment just overwhelmed the internal data processing system.
The story here this weekend has been the heat. 100+ on the heat index scale, and it's supposed to be higher today and tomorrow. Good times to stay inside. Which I think is what happened to a lot of the Bix attendees who elected to take a pass on the much of the daytime activities in Davenport. I did get out for 25 late yesterday and it wasn't as bad as the night last week that I mowed my yard. But I don't think that a longer ride would have been much fun. My plan is to do 20 or so this morning and beat the higher temps later in the day.
Of course Mom and I are scheduled to be in IC tomorrow to move 3 and 4 from the apartment. That should be fun. While 3 is in Chicago.
My buddy Pete rode RAGBRAI on Friday. Said that he had fun, but he missed the evening parties. Maybe next year.
I'm headed to KC for a couple of days of meetings beginning Thursday. Back Saturday night.
The cherry tomatos are coming in. Have had two small batches so far.
The first week of August was the general time-frame that we did our family vacations when the girls were young. This is a time before school starts, and after most of the organized summer programs like softball. And August was always the slowest month in the accounting business. It had been my experience in the first few years of my business that clients were often not around in early August, or they wanted to defer meetings or decisions until "after the holiday", meaning Labor Day. So it became a natural for us to take the same time off for family stuff.
In an even earlier time, I think that the Wapello County Fair in Eldon, Iowa was also usually held in the first part of August. I think that I have written about the fair on the blog in a previous entry. Anyway, that was certainly the equivalent of my annual vacation as a youth. Sunday evening to Thursday morning in the un-air-conditioned 4-H dorm in Eldon. Not a family event per-se, although Mother and Daddy were there daily, and Rosie too. Vague memories of Martha or Margaret having a board-and-brick bookcase as a fair project. (I think my 4-H club was called the Green Cornhuskers. Green being the township in the county where the club members lived.)
So I may get back to this later today. No promises. But if I come up with any great thoughts while on my bike, I'll pass them along here.
Be careful out there.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Friday PM
Just a few lines today.
Hot. Hot. Hot. And its supposed to get hotter this weekend.
4 did the filming of Lance at the IMU this AM. She said it was a well-attended event, but that she was not moved to seek an autograph. LA was a huge hit on RAGBRAI and in the IC nite scene last night. In some respects, you would like the masses to give the guy some space so that he could enjoy the experience without having a camera in his face all the time. On the other hand, he came to get publicity for the cause, so using his position to do that comes with a cost.
Several articles noted that his pace when riding was in the low 20's. When I'm riding on the flat roads, my comfortable pace is 16-17 mph. The Monday night riders here in Bettendorf have some folks that like the 20+ pace, but like I always say, I'm not getting paid to do this. Ramping it up to 22 would be no small amount of work.
The Landis saga is in full bloom. Some national sports columnists are chiming in with pieces that pretty well lambast the sport of cycling, even though they really don't follow it. It is an easy target. And most of those guys lump LA in the same pile of scrap. I don't know. So many things in cycling are fickle, and the various testing authorities can't agree on common grounds. The columnists look down the end of their noses at the boys in the tight shorts. As though if you can't take a blind side pick from Karl Malone, or a clothes-line tackle from Jack Tatum, you aren't really an athlete.
LA gave the critics some fodder with some border-line jokes in his monologue at the ESPY awards program a couple of weeks ago. I didn't watch that made for TV event, but there were lots of stories after the fact.
In other news, I was down having a beer at the Stockade in the village of East Davenport last night. Across the way, the brothers were playing bball on the court where I tore my ACL. A full court game going and then a bunch of guys shooting at the 3rd basket waiting for a game. And 5 year olds scurrying around underfoot. There was at least one white guy. The whole scenario rang true to my time there 17 years ago. Some things never change.
1 completed her summer school teaching stint today. You go girl! Good luck on your long run this weekend.
By the by 4, Coach K says you should run the Bix course twice tomorrow for the marathon training.
Good luck to 2 an4 in the Bix run tomorrow.
We love ya 3, but we never get to see ya!
Be careful out there.
Hot. Hot. Hot. And its supposed to get hotter this weekend.
4 did the filming of Lance at the IMU this AM. She said it was a well-attended event, but that she was not moved to seek an autograph. LA was a huge hit on RAGBRAI and in the IC nite scene last night. In some respects, you would like the masses to give the guy some space so that he could enjoy the experience without having a camera in his face all the time. On the other hand, he came to get publicity for the cause, so using his position to do that comes with a cost.
Several articles noted that his pace when riding was in the low 20's. When I'm riding on the flat roads, my comfortable pace is 16-17 mph. The Monday night riders here in Bettendorf have some folks that like the 20+ pace, but like I always say, I'm not getting paid to do this. Ramping it up to 22 would be no small amount of work.
The Landis saga is in full bloom. Some national sports columnists are chiming in with pieces that pretty well lambast the sport of cycling, even though they really don't follow it. It is an easy target. And most of those guys lump LA in the same pile of scrap. I don't know. So many things in cycling are fickle, and the various testing authorities can't agree on common grounds. The columnists look down the end of their noses at the boys in the tight shorts. As though if you can't take a blind side pick from Karl Malone, or a clothes-line tackle from Jack Tatum, you aren't really an athlete.
LA gave the critics some fodder with some border-line jokes in his monologue at the ESPY awards program a couple of weeks ago. I didn't watch that made for TV event, but there were lots of stories after the fact.
In other news, I was down having a beer at the Stockade in the village of East Davenport last night. Across the way, the brothers were playing bball on the court where I tore my ACL. A full court game going and then a bunch of guys shooting at the 3rd basket waiting for a game. And 5 year olds scurrying around underfoot. There was at least one white guy. The whole scenario rang true to my time there 17 years ago. Some things never change.
1 completed her summer school teaching stint today. You go girl! Good luck on your long run this weekend.
By the by 4, Coach K says you should run the Bix course twice tomorrow for the marathon training.
Good luck to 2 an4 in the Bix run tomorrow.
We love ya 3, but we never get to see ya!
Be careful out there.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Thursday PM
I did the yard last night and worked up a more drenching sweat than on any bike ride for the last year or so. It was around 90 with 110% humidity. Brutal. But I was able to get it done, bagged and set out for yard-waste pick up this AM. Also did some tree-trimming to boot on a scrub tree hanging in from a back yard neighbor.
Enjoyed 4's entry yesterday. She has a gift.
The big story on the wires today is about a positive drug test on Landis from the day last week that he won the big mountain stage. From what I read, it is an unacceptable testosterone level, which may or may not be produced naturally. Say, what? If the guy is guilty, string him up. If the system is flawed, please get it fixed before hanging more innocents out to dry.
On those long stages, you often see riders taking water bottles from by-standers. Usually, they just use those bottles to pour over their heads to cool down. But in the extreme case, a thirsty rider could take a drink out of a tainted bottle. Not saying that that is what happened here, but you can see how easy it is for a guy to take something in without planning to do so.
Personally, I don't think Landis has that sort of manipulation in his make-up.
Craig Wilson's Wednesday column in USA Today was a little relevant to us folks getting old.
Sorry to hear about 1's losing battle with the computer. I've been there. Sounds like 4 has had a variety of those episodes with her laptop this summer too.
Lance is a big hit on RAGBRAI. I've always ridden the more party-oriented part of the ride. That's the segment of people who make it to the little town right before the over-night town and camp out in the local establishments from mid-afternoon till 5 or 6 and then roll in to the over-night town after the rush. You can be away for years, hit those pre-over-night towns and meet up with the same people from years before. It's good to know that certain things are for certain.
And if I haven't said it before (or recently), I consider RAGBRAI a little like Vegas. Three days and two nights are plenty.
We are doing a Criterium promotional thing at SB's 4 weeks from tomorrow. I thought it would be a creative way to get further identified with a very specific local market (Bettendorf/East Davenport SB's customers). But things are now out of control. I had asked a couple other "regulars" to participate, which I thought would be a resonable way to split the costs. They quickly agreed, but then one of them suggested getting a charity angle going and the other turned his marketing person loose. Now we're talking a live radio remote, other publicity, t-shirts and prizes. With all the people involved, all of whom are better known than me, Criterium will be just another line on the sponsor list.
4 is done with summer school tonight. Congrats. I know that it hasn't been the best summer ever, but I think that it has helped build the resume and given you some good experience of living on your own.
I'm going to try to do 15-20 tonight in the heat.
Be careful out there.
Enjoyed 4's entry yesterday. She has a gift.
The big story on the wires today is about a positive drug test on Landis from the day last week that he won the big mountain stage. From what I read, it is an unacceptable testosterone level, which may or may not be produced naturally. Say, what? If the guy is guilty, string him up. If the system is flawed, please get it fixed before hanging more innocents out to dry.
On those long stages, you often see riders taking water bottles from by-standers. Usually, they just use those bottles to pour over their heads to cool down. But in the extreme case, a thirsty rider could take a drink out of a tainted bottle. Not saying that that is what happened here, but you can see how easy it is for a guy to take something in without planning to do so.
Personally, I don't think Landis has that sort of manipulation in his make-up.
Craig Wilson's Wednesday column in USA Today was a little relevant to us folks getting old.
Sorry to hear about 1's losing battle with the computer. I've been there. Sounds like 4 has had a variety of those episodes with her laptop this summer too.
Lance is a big hit on RAGBRAI. I've always ridden the more party-oriented part of the ride. That's the segment of people who make it to the little town right before the over-night town and camp out in the local establishments from mid-afternoon till 5 or 6 and then roll in to the over-night town after the rush. You can be away for years, hit those pre-over-night towns and meet up with the same people from years before. It's good to know that certain things are for certain.
And if I haven't said it before (or recently), I consider RAGBRAI a little like Vegas. Three days and two nights are plenty.
We are doing a Criterium promotional thing at SB's 4 weeks from tomorrow. I thought it would be a creative way to get further identified with a very specific local market (Bettendorf/East Davenport SB's customers). But things are now out of control. I had asked a couple other "regulars" to participate, which I thought would be a resonable way to split the costs. They quickly agreed, but then one of them suggested getting a charity angle going and the other turned his marketing person loose. Now we're talking a live radio remote, other publicity, t-shirts and prizes. With all the people involved, all of whom are better known than me, Criterium will be just another line on the sponsor list.
4 is done with summer school tonight. Congrats. I know that it hasn't been the best summer ever, but I think that it has helped build the resume and given you some good experience of living on your own.
I'm going to try to do 15-20 tonight in the heat.
Be careful out there.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Wednesday PM
Glad to see 4 take my request to heart.
No blog tonight. Long, unproductive day.
I tried to send pictures to 1-4 today. Let me know if I was successful.
I'm sure that I will be very glib tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
No blog tonight. Long, unproductive day.
I tried to send pictures to 1-4 today. Let me know if I was successful.
I'm sure that I will be very glib tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Tuesday PM
I know nothing about facetime. I was just saying that I wanted to see 1 and 3 soon. Have I inadvertantly stepped into a parallel zone beyond a parent's universe?
Another day at the office. Riding tonight for 18 or so.
Had an acquaintance stop by at coffee this AM who had recently been to Italy and had been scheduled to bike some of the mountains used in the Giro d'Italia. Turns out that on the 2nd or 3rd day there he had his briefcase with assorted valuables and passport stolen. He had to go through a bunch of hoops to get another passport, etc. He says the pick-pockets in Europe are legendary. They did get their riding done. He said it was incredibly hard. I want to do it one day.
Work has included a number of meetings lately with soon-to-be retirees. Lots of people continue to work beyond the time that they must and are not prepared for a life off the job. Others will simply never retire because they enjoy whatever it is that they are doing. Most fear that they may run out of money or that the costs of future health care will ravage their assets. There are lots of books out there on all these topics. In many respects, we could be talking about an economics text book: the answers are different depending on your assumptions.
Augustana's former President Treadway said in one speech, "Find out what you like, and do it." Not a lot of people are able to do that, either for economic or wunderlust reasons. Lucky are those who can match a career with their heart.
I have received several compliments on Margret recently, as per usual. One guy at church on Sunday was talking about a '63 Ford that he had owned. When I mentioned to him that even though I had replaced the motor I still had some leaks, he said, "They always leaked. That was how you knew it was time to add some oil!" I thought that that was a pretty on-point comment.
I am reminded of the time that I literally drove an old teenager's car dry of oil my junior year of high school. Not a particularly stellar moment for me.
I encourage 4 to give us some material.
So I'm off to hit some hills around DCC.
Be careful out there
Another day at the office. Riding tonight for 18 or so.
Had an acquaintance stop by at coffee this AM who had recently been to Italy and had been scheduled to bike some of the mountains used in the Giro d'Italia. Turns out that on the 2nd or 3rd day there he had his briefcase with assorted valuables and passport stolen. He had to go through a bunch of hoops to get another passport, etc. He says the pick-pockets in Europe are legendary. They did get their riding done. He said it was incredibly hard. I want to do it one day.
Work has included a number of meetings lately with soon-to-be retirees. Lots of people continue to work beyond the time that they must and are not prepared for a life off the job. Others will simply never retire because they enjoy whatever it is that they are doing. Most fear that they may run out of money or that the costs of future health care will ravage their assets. There are lots of books out there on all these topics. In many respects, we could be talking about an economics text book: the answers are different depending on your assumptions.
Augustana's former President Treadway said in one speech, "Find out what you like, and do it." Not a lot of people are able to do that, either for economic or wunderlust reasons. Lucky are those who can match a career with their heart.
I have received several compliments on Margret recently, as per usual. One guy at church on Sunday was talking about a '63 Ford that he had owned. When I mentioned to him that even though I had replaced the motor I still had some leaks, he said, "They always leaked. That was how you knew it was time to add some oil!" I thought that that was a pretty on-point comment.
I am reminded of the time that I literally drove an old teenager's car dry of oil my junior year of high school. Not a particularly stellar moment for me.
I encourage 4 to give us some material.
So I'm off to hit some hills around DCC.
Be careful out there
Monday, July 24, 2006
Monday PM
Just a few lines before heading home for the evening. Long day.
Rest day from the bike. Need to get my yard mowed. I guess that its supposed to get hot again the rest of the week.
I need some face time with 1 and 3. Miss you guys.
Be careful out there.
Rest day from the bike. Need to get my yard mowed. I guess that its supposed to get hot again the rest of the week.
I need some face time with 1 and 3. Miss you guys.
Be careful out there.
Monday AM
Well, I was unsuccessful in getting back on the blog Saturday afternoon or Sunday. I really need to evaluate my scheduling for the blog. The summer has proven to be more of a challenge since I am motivated to get away from the office in the late afternoon to take advantage of the daylight.
Had a great day yesterday with 2 and 4. Church. Ross's. BBQ in the evening.
Good riding on the weekend too. 26 Saturday and 33 Sunday. Not much wind and mild temps. Can't say that I am envious of the RAGBRAI riders who usually do 75-80 a day. That's a lot of seat time. I don't like biking that much. I'm still being greeted frequently by re-winged blackbirds, although not the same one at Forest Grove and Middle.
Lots of activities over the next couple of weeks as the summer winds down. 1, 2, 3, and 4 will all be juggling their time to keep things pointed forward. Me too.
More later. Hope everyone's week gets off to a good start.
Be careful out there.
Had a great day yesterday with 2 and 4. Church. Ross's. BBQ in the evening.
Good riding on the weekend too. 26 Saturday and 33 Sunday. Not much wind and mild temps. Can't say that I am envious of the RAGBRAI riders who usually do 75-80 a day. That's a lot of seat time. I don't like biking that much. I'm still being greeted frequently by re-winged blackbirds, although not the same one at Forest Grove and Middle.
Lots of activities over the next couple of weeks as the summer winds down. 1, 2, 3, and 4 will all be juggling their time to keep things pointed forward. Me too.
More later. Hope everyone's week gets off to a good start.
Be careful out there.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Saturday
Hey to all. Looks like a great day in River City.
Funny week. Never quite got back into a routine. I was so tired last night that I fell asleep on the couch at 7!!! Then got up and went to bed at 10. I wonder if I had bad soup at lunch or something. I live an exciting life. I feel much better today.
Margret is out today.
I have a bunch of house/yard work to get done today. With the rain all day yesterday, the grass (and weeds) should start growing again.
RAGBRAI starts tomorrow on the western Iowa border. My buddy Pete is thinking about going out Wednesday afternoon for a couple of days of riding and partying. The DM Register online has daily features on the ride for those who may be interested.
One of our coffee regulars just got back from two weeks in Australia and Hawaii. He and his wife were chaperones for some high school golfers on one of those "all-star" trips that require the kid to raise, in this case, $4K for the privilige of joining the other stars. Anyway, he brought $10 Austailian SB's cards to each of us as gifts. His motivation was that the Australian dollar was trading at about $1.30 to the US dollar. So he thought that if he bought $10 gift cards in Australia that they would trade for $10 in the US and it would really only cost him $8+. Great idea, but the computer was smarter than that and the credit on the card in Bettendorf was only $8+. Funny how companies have that finance thing under control. But it was a good thought.
Landis is back in yellow. Amazing. Tomorrow is largely celebratory. The sprinters will contest the stage win, but the GC riders typically call off the dogs on that last day.
I'm off to do my chores. I may be back at this later today. Have a great one.
Be careful out there.
Funny week. Never quite got back into a routine. I was so tired last night that I fell asleep on the couch at 7!!! Then got up and went to bed at 10. I wonder if I had bad soup at lunch or something. I live an exciting life. I feel much better today.
Margret is out today.
I have a bunch of house/yard work to get done today. With the rain all day yesterday, the grass (and weeds) should start growing again.
RAGBRAI starts tomorrow on the western Iowa border. My buddy Pete is thinking about going out Wednesday afternoon for a couple of days of riding and partying. The DM Register online has daily features on the ride for those who may be interested.
One of our coffee regulars just got back from two weeks in Australia and Hawaii. He and his wife were chaperones for some high school golfers on one of those "all-star" trips that require the kid to raise, in this case, $4K for the privilige of joining the other stars. Anyway, he brought $10 Austailian SB's cards to each of us as gifts. His motivation was that the Australian dollar was trading at about $1.30 to the US dollar. So he thought that if he bought $10 gift cards in Australia that they would trade for $10 in the US and it would really only cost him $8+. Great idea, but the computer was smarter than that and the credit on the card in Bettendorf was only $8+. Funny how companies have that finance thing under control. But it was a good thought.
Landis is back in yellow. Amazing. Tomorrow is largely celebratory. The sprinters will contest the stage win, but the GC riders typically call off the dogs on that last day.
I'm off to do my chores. I may be back at this later today. Have a great one.
Be careful out there.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Friday
End of the week. Rained all day today. No ride tonight.
I'll make a good entry tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
I'll make a good entry tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Thursday PM
So I'm still off my normal routine. Is that redundant? Or just repetitive?
Bill's son Jake is rowing over in Indy, maybe at a National event? Are there multiple "national" events? This comment is only relevant as I'm trying to suck up the motivation to row on my erg machine in my basement.
Just in case it didn't come across in the earlier commentary on Tahoe, I will be doing a ride up Mt. Rose next summer. Not sure why, other than that I think I still can.
There was a book review in USA Today today about some young law student who has written a book that evolved from his blog. He received a six-figure retainer and now they are talking movie and TV rights. Will Frank and Melanie have similar luck?
Landis stormed through the last Alpine mountain stage today for a huge win and is just 30 seconds off yellow in the TdF. Truely an amazing ride for a guy who was cooked 24 hours beforehand.
So I'm outta here for a little Tuscan red.
Be careful out there.
Bill's son Jake is rowing over in Indy, maybe at a National event? Are there multiple "national" events? This comment is only relevant as I'm trying to suck up the motivation to row on my erg machine in my basement.
Just in case it didn't come across in the earlier commentary on Tahoe, I will be doing a ride up Mt. Rose next summer. Not sure why, other than that I think I still can.
There was a book review in USA Today today about some young law student who has written a book that evolved from his blog. He received a six-figure retainer and now they are talking movie and TV rights. Will Frank and Melanie have similar luck?
Landis stormed through the last Alpine mountain stage today for a huge win and is just 30 seconds off yellow in the TdF. Truely an amazing ride for a guy who was cooked 24 hours beforehand.
So I'm outta here for a little Tuscan red.
Be careful out there.
Thursday AM
The entry from yesterday was not easy. Those BPL machines are not the best.
Did get in my second straight day of riding. 16. A little windy. Probably take the day off today.
I've got some pictures from KC and Tahoe. One role from Tahoe was blank. No explanation. I'll send what I have by email today.
More later.
Did get in my second straight day of riding. 16. A little windy. Probably take the day off today.
I've got some pictures from KC and Tahoe. One role from Tahoe was blank. No explanation. I'll send what I have by email today.
More later.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Wednesday
No blog today. Our internet is down. I'm at the Bett public library. Lousy set-up here.
Still trying to get back on routine. 18 last night. Maybe again tonight.
Miss you all.
Be careful out there.
Still trying to get back on routine. 18 last night. Maybe again tonight.
Miss you all.
Be careful out there.
Wednesday
No blog today. Our internet is down. I'm at the Bett public library. Lousy set-up here.
Still trying to get back on routine. 18 last night. Maybe again tonight.
Miss you all.
Be careful out there.
Still trying to get back on routine. 18 last night. Maybe again tonight.
Miss you all.
Be careful out there.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Tuesday PM
This going to be a fairly boring recounting of the Tahoe weekend. Not that the weekend was at all boring. But I don't normally like to just blah away at the things I/we do on a daily basis.
The trip out was pretty uneventful. Drive to O'Hare (using my buddy Pete's I-Pass for tolls). Wait. No pit-BBQ chicken this time. Ride the aerobus to Reno. Chatty gals in the seats directly in front of us. On-time arrival. Efficient car rental. Hyunda Sonata sedan. Nice. A little snack at a McDonals's drive-through. A hungry Susan is not something to ignore. Drive up the hill to Tahoe.
Phil was entertaining the groom's family on Tursday evening. Just as we parked at his house, the California and KC families rolled in too, so we had a rush of about 10 people who's collective presence may have been a little much for the new folks to handle. They took their leave pretty quickly.
Our accomodations were at a private residence in Incline Village. The owners, who also own the retro-condo from our last two Tahoe vacations, have built matching 4 bedroom additions to each end of what was once a fairly small ranch house. They rent rooms in the one side by the night. So we took two separate rooms, each with it's own bathroom. Very nice. Our LV relatives took another room for Friday and Saturday nights.
Interestingly, the husband/owner is a retired Marine pilot whose career included flying President Johnson's heliocopter in the DC area. The couple has several kids and the additions to the house were to make visits by those families easy. He retired as a colonel about 15 or so years ago at age 52. How do you say, "Not a chance for the LT?"
The retro-condo has been at least partially redone. The shag in the lower two levels is gone! And it may not even be available next summer.
Back to the story. Friday. Early to SB's. The gals didn't like my request for an extra hot Americano. 2 and 4 sleep in. There's juice and light snacks provided at the house as part of the fee. I watch CNBC as the market tanks. A few business calls to nervous clients.
The plan had been to do a hike on Mt. Rose mid-morning-ish. Once 2 and 4 arise, we get set to depart and the car won't start! Some electrical problem. Bottom line: I spend about 3-4 hours swapping out cars. First time in all my years of car rentals that I have any such problem. The hike is ditched. The girls spend most of the mid-day at Phil's hanging out. They are very popular with the young kids.
Once the car is replaced, we decide to get cleaned up and head over for the annual Salute to Wally at the Embassy Suites in South Shore. We do this and it is good. A little annoying with some loud fellow customers, and a non-English speaking wait staff. The strip at Stateline has really been cleaned up on the mountain-side. A few t-shirt shops remain on the lake-side, but I suspect that their days are numbered too. No purchases for our crew, but we did look at a $5 sale rack. Then back to Incline for a groom's family hosted get-together. Nice. Really good catered stuff. A fairly early evening.
Saturday became the hike day. SB's early. Less worry since the markets were closed. 2 and 4 get up between 9 and 10 and we head up to the trail. Lots of snow on the trail. About 2.5 hours of up and down. LV Doyle took the long route and was out for 6 hours or so. We ran into him on his way back to the trail head.
Obligatory stop at Raley's on the way back to the house. Subway for lunch. Chips. No Herdez. Rest. And get ready for the big evening. I managed to get lost on the way to the event. Too cute for my own good.
The civil ceremony was held outside at the Incline Village golf club. Cousin Kevin officiated. Rev Kev. He did a great job. 20 minutes. Music by a parlor quartet. No singing. Very nicely done.
The reception was right there at the club. Hors d'oeuvre's on the balcony for half-three quarters of an hour. Then inside for a sit-down dinner of either chicken or pasta. (The pasta was great.) We had the San Mateo and LV clans at our table. Toasts. Dancing. Good times. We stay till they shut it down.
Many of the contemporaries of the bride and groom were acquaintances from Warsaw, Poland where the bride taught 10-12 years ago. Most of those folks have moved on to other things, but many still reside overseas. And we aren't sure how many work for the CIA. Hmmm.
2 may have been over-served for the evening.
Sunday is a pure travel day. We get to say good-bye to Phil and Jan as they have breakfast at the Stardust(?) across from the Biltmore. Then down to Reno. I loose a bet to 4 on how many bikers we'll see on Mt. Rose. I say more than 5, but less than 10. 13 was the number. On-time departure around 11:15 local. We are at the back of the bus and get to listen to some self-absorbed engineer sitting behind us describe his water research project in painful detail for almost half the trip. I am reminded of the character in Airplane! with the drinking problem who describes his plights to several seat-mates who all try to kill themselves rather than to listen to his dribble.
We land early in Chicago, but sit on the deck waiting for an empty gate. Finally out. I go get the car in Economy Parking as 2 and 4 get the bags. We meet and get on the road. A visit to 3 downtown just isn't going to happen. Snacks and gas in DeKalb. Home around 9 local. Long day.
Summary thoughts. I never get tired of Lake Tahoe. But I don't think I would want to live there full time. It's certainly not as much fun when our entire family isn't there together. We have a wonderful extended family. The wedding was as nice of an event as I can recall attending. It would be nice to travel from the QC rather than have the drive to/from Chicago on both ends of the airplane ride. An upgrade to first class might be nice. Always have an I-Pass when travelling in Illinois. I can almost get the Friday and Saturday NY Times crosswords done on these trips because I have the time and don't have the distractions. The disadvantage is that I don't read a book, which, it could be argued, is a better mental exercise.
So that's about all. I may have some other thoughts after re-reading this myself tomorrow.
In other news, 4 says that Lance will be in IC for a cancer event next week while in Iowa for his RAGBRAI visit. And she will be part of the filming crew. He's in France today for the Tour. An American is back in yellow.
Be careful out there.
The trip out was pretty uneventful. Drive to O'Hare (using my buddy Pete's I-Pass for tolls). Wait. No pit-BBQ chicken this time. Ride the aerobus to Reno. Chatty gals in the seats directly in front of us. On-time arrival. Efficient car rental. Hyunda Sonata sedan. Nice. A little snack at a McDonals's drive-through. A hungry Susan is not something to ignore. Drive up the hill to Tahoe.
Phil was entertaining the groom's family on Tursday evening. Just as we parked at his house, the California and KC families rolled in too, so we had a rush of about 10 people who's collective presence may have been a little much for the new folks to handle. They took their leave pretty quickly.
Our accomodations were at a private residence in Incline Village. The owners, who also own the retro-condo from our last two Tahoe vacations, have built matching 4 bedroom additions to each end of what was once a fairly small ranch house. They rent rooms in the one side by the night. So we took two separate rooms, each with it's own bathroom. Very nice. Our LV relatives took another room for Friday and Saturday nights.
Interestingly, the husband/owner is a retired Marine pilot whose career included flying President Johnson's heliocopter in the DC area. The couple has several kids and the additions to the house were to make visits by those families easy. He retired as a colonel about 15 or so years ago at age 52. How do you say, "Not a chance for the LT?"
The retro-condo has been at least partially redone. The shag in the lower two levels is gone! And it may not even be available next summer.
Back to the story. Friday. Early to SB's. The gals didn't like my request for an extra hot Americano. 2 and 4 sleep in. There's juice and light snacks provided at the house as part of the fee. I watch CNBC as the market tanks. A few business calls to nervous clients.
The plan had been to do a hike on Mt. Rose mid-morning-ish. Once 2 and 4 arise, we get set to depart and the car won't start! Some electrical problem. Bottom line: I spend about 3-4 hours swapping out cars. First time in all my years of car rentals that I have any such problem. The hike is ditched. The girls spend most of the mid-day at Phil's hanging out. They are very popular with the young kids.
Once the car is replaced, we decide to get cleaned up and head over for the annual Salute to Wally at the Embassy Suites in South Shore. We do this and it is good. A little annoying with some loud fellow customers, and a non-English speaking wait staff. The strip at Stateline has really been cleaned up on the mountain-side. A few t-shirt shops remain on the lake-side, but I suspect that their days are numbered too. No purchases for our crew, but we did look at a $5 sale rack. Then back to Incline for a groom's family hosted get-together. Nice. Really good catered stuff. A fairly early evening.
Saturday became the hike day. SB's early. Less worry since the markets were closed. 2 and 4 get up between 9 and 10 and we head up to the trail. Lots of snow on the trail. About 2.5 hours of up and down. LV Doyle took the long route and was out for 6 hours or so. We ran into him on his way back to the trail head.
Obligatory stop at Raley's on the way back to the house. Subway for lunch. Chips. No Herdez. Rest. And get ready for the big evening. I managed to get lost on the way to the event. Too cute for my own good.
The civil ceremony was held outside at the Incline Village golf club. Cousin Kevin officiated. Rev Kev. He did a great job. 20 minutes. Music by a parlor quartet. No singing. Very nicely done.
The reception was right there at the club. Hors d'oeuvre's on the balcony for half-three quarters of an hour. Then inside for a sit-down dinner of either chicken or pasta. (The pasta was great.) We had the San Mateo and LV clans at our table. Toasts. Dancing. Good times. We stay till they shut it down.
Many of the contemporaries of the bride and groom were acquaintances from Warsaw, Poland where the bride taught 10-12 years ago. Most of those folks have moved on to other things, but many still reside overseas. And we aren't sure how many work for the CIA. Hmmm.
2 may have been over-served for the evening.
Sunday is a pure travel day. We get to say good-bye to Phil and Jan as they have breakfast at the Stardust(?) across from the Biltmore. Then down to Reno. I loose a bet to 4 on how many bikers we'll see on Mt. Rose. I say more than 5, but less than 10. 13 was the number. On-time departure around 11:15 local. We are at the back of the bus and get to listen to some self-absorbed engineer sitting behind us describe his water research project in painful detail for almost half the trip. I am reminded of the character in Airplane! with the drinking problem who describes his plights to several seat-mates who all try to kill themselves rather than to listen to his dribble.
We land early in Chicago, but sit on the deck waiting for an empty gate. Finally out. I go get the car in Economy Parking as 2 and 4 get the bags. We meet and get on the road. A visit to 3 downtown just isn't going to happen. Snacks and gas in DeKalb. Home around 9 local. Long day.
Summary thoughts. I never get tired of Lake Tahoe. But I don't think I would want to live there full time. It's certainly not as much fun when our entire family isn't there together. We have a wonderful extended family. The wedding was as nice of an event as I can recall attending. It would be nice to travel from the QC rather than have the drive to/from Chicago on both ends of the airplane ride. An upgrade to first class might be nice. Always have an I-Pass when travelling in Illinois. I can almost get the Friday and Saturday NY Times crosswords done on these trips because I have the time and don't have the distractions. The disadvantage is that I don't read a book, which, it could be argued, is a better mental exercise.
So that's about all. I may have some other thoughts after re-reading this myself tomorrow.
In other news, 4 says that Lance will be in IC for a cancer event next week while in Iowa for his RAGBRAI visit. And she will be part of the filming crew. He's in France today for the Tour. An American is back in yellow.
Be careful out there.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Monday AM
Back in the saddle. Great weekend in Tahoe. Too short. Details to follow later today or tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
Be careful out there.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Thursday PM
Made it to Tahoe. Long day. Lots of family. At Phil's.
More tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
More tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
Thursday AM
Sorry for the miss yesterday. Meeting out of town in the afternoon and then a client gathering at the Swing game in the evening.
Today will be a travel day. Leaving shortly for Chicago and the plane to Tahoe. I'll try to add some comments while on the road, but no promises.
Mary is having a tough go of it in C-town. Send her some love.
Gotta go.
Be careful out there.
Today will be a travel day. Leaving shortly for Chicago and the plane to Tahoe. I'll try to add some comments while on the road, but no promises.
Mary is having a tough go of it in C-town. Send her some love.
Gotta go.
Be careful out there.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Tuesday
Short entry tonight. Need to get home, get my ride in, and start getting my act together for the weekend.
Thanks to Kate for the acknowledgement that I have readers.
All-Star game tonight. How do you spell, "who cares?"
First big day in the hills tomorrow for the TdF. Interesting story out there about the American Flloyd Landis who is in 2nd right now, and a favorite in the mountains, who has a hip injury that will require hip replacement surgery after the Tour. An injury not dis-similar to Bo Jackson's that was, essentially, career ending. I wonder if they will prescribe cycling for the rehab?
My Russian cleaning lady was in today. I very rarely see her. I don't know her last name. Irina. She does a great job. I wonder if that's how the illegals work in other cash related daily work.
Susan is in the car-shopping business. Too bad about the Tracer. It was a great car.
There have been a few articles in the papers in the last month about Iowa high schools being the only ones playing Summer baseball and softball. Some say that this is a disadvantage for the gifted athletes who go unnoticed by college scouts who have tabbed their recruits after the Spring season used in other states. Iowa's argument is that the Summer season gives kids a chance to participate in other sports in the Spring. And that the truely gifted athlete will be discovered regardless. I guess I agree. Mostly, I think baseball is a Summer sport and that's when it ought to be played. I have pretty clear memories of those double headers in the 100 degree heat. Now that's baseball! With as much AAU basketball and volleyball that gets played in the Summer, I'm surprised that the there isn't more of a stink made by some people who think that their sons and daughters are being asked to do too much anyway. I suppose that there are many sides to any argument on these points.
Has that topic made the blog in the past? I'm losing it.
So be careful out there.
Thanks to Kate for the acknowledgement that I have readers.
All-Star game tonight. How do you spell, "who cares?"
First big day in the hills tomorrow for the TdF. Interesting story out there about the American Flloyd Landis who is in 2nd right now, and a favorite in the mountains, who has a hip injury that will require hip replacement surgery after the Tour. An injury not dis-similar to Bo Jackson's that was, essentially, career ending. I wonder if they will prescribe cycling for the rehab?
My Russian cleaning lady was in today. I very rarely see her. I don't know her last name. Irina. She does a great job. I wonder if that's how the illegals work in other cash related daily work.
Susan is in the car-shopping business. Too bad about the Tracer. It was a great car.
There have been a few articles in the papers in the last month about Iowa high schools being the only ones playing Summer baseball and softball. Some say that this is a disadvantage for the gifted athletes who go unnoticed by college scouts who have tabbed their recruits after the Spring season used in other states. Iowa's argument is that the Summer season gives kids a chance to participate in other sports in the Spring. And that the truely gifted athlete will be discovered regardless. I guess I agree. Mostly, I think baseball is a Summer sport and that's when it ought to be played. I have pretty clear memories of those double headers in the 100 degree heat. Now that's baseball! With as much AAU basketball and volleyball that gets played in the Summer, I'm surprised that the there isn't more of a stink made by some people who think that their sons and daughters are being asked to do too much anyway. I suppose that there are many sides to any argument on these points.
Has that topic made the blog in the past? I'm losing it.
So be careful out there.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Monday PM
I see that a new SB's coffee shop is being built just a couple of blocks down the road toward North Park with a Fall 2006 opening date. That represents an interesting alternative for me. After some comments that have come up recently, I've started to wonder if it wasn't time to make a change of venue for morning coffee. The staff at Duck Creek SB's is great, and we certainly have become a bit of a fixture there. But there is a little bit of me that says that showing up at the same place everyday and sitting in the same chair with the same people around your circle may be just too much. It's reached the point that even other customers comment if we aren't in "our" chairs in that 6:30 to 7:30 time slot. Something to think about.
My rides over the weekend were good, but hard. Total of around 61 miles. Windy. I have my 2005 calendar in my basement and I can compare my current mileage to the prior year. It looks like I was hitting it a little harder at this time a year ago. Then again, I was training for Mt. Rose in 2005. No such goal this year.
I often think about how outrageous it would have been to hear my dad say that he was headed out for "a little 35 miler" on a Saturday morning. Heck, that was like to Oskaloosa!! Daddy would have been 57 in 1967, the year I graduated from high school. He was certainly an old guy then. Unlike me now. And he made a lot of "old people" noises. No wonder you guys look at me strangely.
And I remember a lot from 1967. It was a great year. But I digress.
My weakness this summer has been Hy Vee Assorted Twin Pops. I'm generally off potatos and ice cream, but I go through a box of the frozen sugar water about every 4 days. The heat does it. Also lots of agua. When I get in from one of those rides in the heat, I can't stop pouring in the fluids.
Interesting that they shot the third movie of the Pirates of the Caribbean (for a future release) at the same time that they did the second one that is now in theaters. I'm sure that there were economies of scale by having all the people there, and the equipment, etc. With as good as computer people have become, could they reach a point where they really don't need living actors or sets at all and just fake the whole thing? Like the moon landings?
The same thought has often occurred to me about novels. Especially the prototypical Russian spy thriller. Couldn't they just change the names, places, dates, and other substitutable items and re-publish the same story every 5 years or so? Who would know? Except the hacks that have that plagarism analysis program(iThenticate). But what's the harm? It's a trashy novel by any name.
So I'm off for home. Sounds like we all will be busy this week. It's good to have stuff to do. Beats vegging and watching Wheel reruns. Really looking forward to Tahoe. Wish it was all the fam. Next year.
Be careful out there.
My rides over the weekend were good, but hard. Total of around 61 miles. Windy. I have my 2005 calendar in my basement and I can compare my current mileage to the prior year. It looks like I was hitting it a little harder at this time a year ago. Then again, I was training for Mt. Rose in 2005. No such goal this year.
I often think about how outrageous it would have been to hear my dad say that he was headed out for "a little 35 miler" on a Saturday morning. Heck, that was like to Oskaloosa!! Daddy would have been 57 in 1967, the year I graduated from high school. He was certainly an old guy then. Unlike me now. And he made a lot of "old people" noises. No wonder you guys look at me strangely.
And I remember a lot from 1967. It was a great year. But I digress.
My weakness this summer has been Hy Vee Assorted Twin Pops. I'm generally off potatos and ice cream, but I go through a box of the frozen sugar water about every 4 days. The heat does it. Also lots of agua. When I get in from one of those rides in the heat, I can't stop pouring in the fluids.
Interesting that they shot the third movie of the Pirates of the Caribbean (for a future release) at the same time that they did the second one that is now in theaters. I'm sure that there were economies of scale by having all the people there, and the equipment, etc. With as good as computer people have become, could they reach a point where they really don't need living actors or sets at all and just fake the whole thing? Like the moon landings?
The same thought has often occurred to me about novels. Especially the prototypical Russian spy thriller. Couldn't they just change the names, places, dates, and other substitutable items and re-publish the same story every 5 years or so? Who would know? Except the hacks that have that plagarism analysis program(iThenticate). But what's the harm? It's a trashy novel by any name.
So I'm off for home. Sounds like we all will be busy this week. It's good to have stuff to do. Beats vegging and watching Wheel reruns. Really looking forward to Tahoe. Wish it was all the fam. Next year.
Be careful out there.
Monday AM
Sorry for the miss yesterday. Had intended to spend the AM here, but just didn't get the job done. A little recovery from a longer ride on Saturday.
Charlie was in and out for the weekend. She needed to get back to IC for a Mary deal at 11 on Sunday. So we didn't even get to church. Just Ross's.
Italy and the World Cup. A French guy got the stage yesterday. Rest day today. Hills Wednesday and Thursday. 24 did a "bump and run" for the win in the race this weekend in Chicago. Bad press, but good for the points race.
Susan's back. Mary did get to Milwaukee. Details?
Busy week with the wedding schedules.
More later.
Be careful out there.
Charlie was in and out for the weekend. She needed to get back to IC for a Mary deal at 11 on Sunday. So we didn't even get to church. Just Ross's.
Italy and the World Cup. A French guy got the stage yesterday. Rest day today. Hills Wednesday and Thursday. 24 did a "bump and run" for the win in the race this weekend in Chicago. Bad press, but good for the points race.
Susan's back. Mary did get to Milwaukee. Details?
Busy week with the wedding schedules.
More later.
Be careful out there.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Saturday
Really another nice day here. Margret out and about. Coffee with the boys. Bike ride later. Maybe BBQ.
Susan in Dallas. Mary in Milwaukee? Charlie in Bettendorf. Kate employed?
I will be re-assembling the park bench this afternoon. Staining it first. And I have to re-plant my front steps flowers. The first batch have not done well.
The Tour has an individual time trial today. This will be the first chance for the overall fav's to establish themselves. Looks like a ride of an hour or so. Most of the sprinters who have dominated the first stages will lose 5 minutes or more to the the GC (General Classification) guys today.
This is the last weekend of major league baseball games before the All Star game break. When I was young, I followed baseball daily, would listen to the Cardinals' game on local radio each day (or night), and knew the names and stats of lots of players on the different teams. The All Star game used to be a big deal. At one point, they actually played 2 All Star games. Now, I really don't know many of the players, and the game has become very ho-hum.
But I do know the names of the bicylists, and the NASCAR drivers. What does that say about the price of tootsie rolls?
This is about the time of summer when Mother and Daddy would take their summer trip when I was late high school and college age. I would milk the cows and run the farm while they drove to California to visit their grandkids, or drove to some county officials convention in Vegas, Miami or New Orleans. It was usually a 10 day or two week trip and, as I look back on it, quite a responsibility that they laid at my feet. It must have been quite the juggling act because I'm sure I played baseball games as well, although if it was later in the summer, the season was likely winding down. There were a few parties. But it's not like you could blow off milking the cows twice a day. And bailing hay.
For the record, I did Gollick's outdoor brats yesterday. Pretty special.
Ok. Not much else to add today. I've got lots to do. Enjoy.
Be careful out there.
Susan in Dallas. Mary in Milwaukee? Charlie in Bettendorf. Kate employed?
I will be re-assembling the park bench this afternoon. Staining it first. And I have to re-plant my front steps flowers. The first batch have not done well.
The Tour has an individual time trial today. This will be the first chance for the overall fav's to establish themselves. Looks like a ride of an hour or so. Most of the sprinters who have dominated the first stages will lose 5 minutes or more to the the GC (General Classification) guys today.
This is the last weekend of major league baseball games before the All Star game break. When I was young, I followed baseball daily, would listen to the Cardinals' game on local radio each day (or night), and knew the names and stats of lots of players on the different teams. The All Star game used to be a big deal. At one point, they actually played 2 All Star games. Now, I really don't know many of the players, and the game has become very ho-hum.
But I do know the names of the bicylists, and the NASCAR drivers. What does that say about the price of tootsie rolls?
This is about the time of summer when Mother and Daddy would take their summer trip when I was late high school and college age. I would milk the cows and run the farm while they drove to California to visit their grandkids, or drove to some county officials convention in Vegas, Miami or New Orleans. It was usually a 10 day or two week trip and, as I look back on it, quite a responsibility that they laid at my feet. It must have been quite the juggling act because I'm sure I played baseball games as well, although if it was later in the summer, the season was likely winding down. There were a few parties. But it's not like you could blow off milking the cows twice a day. And bailing hay.
For the record, I did Gollick's outdoor brats yesterday. Pretty special.
Ok. Not much else to add today. I've got lots to do. Enjoy.
Be careful out there.
Friday, July 07, 2006
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Thursday
Another beautiful day in River City.
Charlie made quite the entry last night. She gets an award for longest free-thought blogging, at least for the week. I liked her warning sign at the top of the entry.
Susan is on her way to Dallas for her friend's wedding. Via Atlanta. To return Sunday night.
Susan's car is dead for all practical purposes. The clutch is shot. Six bills to fix. It was a great car for the money, but it is far short of now being worth another $600 in repairs. New (actually used) choices after Tahoe.
I'm taking the night off from biking and birds. I know that I'll probably miss tomorrow too, but I'm just too tired to jump on the bike tonight. If I do 35 or so on Saturday, I'll still have the right number for the week. Next week will be a challenge with Tahoe in the mix.
Aunt Rosie has a birthday this week. I think that it's the BIG Six-Oh. I don't know how my siblings and I got to be so old. I never consciously thought about not getting old, but I have always felt young. Except in the mornings after long rides or bad shrimp.
Frank and Melanie will will return this weekend.
Here's the return of a blog fav...a Top Ten list. Summer Favorites. Not necessarily in order of importance.
1. Iced lemonade smoothies.
2. Sunlight at 5:30AM (and 8:30PM)
3. Fresh tomatos.
4. Mid-afternoon RAGBRAI beer bash.
5. A park bench at Adventure Land.
6. A drive-in movie.
7. Iced cold beer after a sweaty workout.
8. The beach at Sand Harbor, LakeTahoe.
9. Emerald Bay in Phil's boat, Lake Tahoe.
10.DQ runs in Margret.
There could be lots of additions. A Tahoe theme could emerge. Mt. Rose. The retro condo. Truckee. Etc.
All for now. Be positive thinking people. You all have much to be thankful for. Me too.
Be careful out there.
Charlie made quite the entry last night. She gets an award for longest free-thought blogging, at least for the week. I liked her warning sign at the top of the entry.
Susan is on her way to Dallas for her friend's wedding. Via Atlanta. To return Sunday night.
Susan's car is dead for all practical purposes. The clutch is shot. Six bills to fix. It was a great car for the money, but it is far short of now being worth another $600 in repairs. New (actually used) choices after Tahoe.
I'm taking the night off from biking and birds. I know that I'll probably miss tomorrow too, but I'm just too tired to jump on the bike tonight. If I do 35 or so on Saturday, I'll still have the right number for the week. Next week will be a challenge with Tahoe in the mix.
Aunt Rosie has a birthday this week. I think that it's the BIG Six-Oh. I don't know how my siblings and I got to be so old. I never consciously thought about not getting old, but I have always felt young. Except in the mornings after long rides or bad shrimp.
Frank and Melanie will will return this weekend.
Here's the return of a blog fav...a Top Ten list. Summer Favorites. Not necessarily in order of importance.
1. Iced lemonade smoothies.
2. Sunlight at 5:30AM (and 8:30PM)
3. Fresh tomatos.
4. Mid-afternoon RAGBRAI beer bash.
5. A park bench at Adventure Land.
6. A drive-in movie.
7. Iced cold beer after a sweaty workout.
8. The beach at Sand Harbor, LakeTahoe.
9. Emerald Bay in Phil's boat, Lake Tahoe.
10.DQ runs in Margret.
There could be lots of additions. A Tahoe theme could emerge. Mt. Rose. The retro condo. Truckee. Etc.
All for now. Be positive thinking people. You all have much to be thankful for. Me too.
Be careful out there.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Wednesday PM
Not the most effective day for me. IRS problems.
Beautiful day outside.
The Chicago trip was really an easy day. Travel time each way was just 2.5 hrs. On a normal week day it would likely be at least an hour more. And lots more stress. With it also being a parking meter holiday, there was no cost for parking the car. That's at least $10 for a remote spot. And I used my buddy Pete's I-Pass chip so I didn't even have to stop for the toll booths. Illinois is moving toward an electronic toll system which should mitigate (but not likely eliminate) some of the traffic bottlenecks.
Downtown Chicago continues to re-inventent itself. Over the years, many of the old buildings in the Loop have been torn down and replaced. There are still lots of older buildings, but there are lots of new ones too. The block between Mary's dorm and my office building has been razed and awaits new construction. There were two or three bars in that area that we were known to frequent. Mayor's Row is one name that I can remember.
Millenium Park is a new area just off Michigan Avenue at Randolph that has become a destination point for tourists and downtown visitors. Some modern sculpture, an open-air theater, and various vendors of foods and goods. Interesting, but no shortage of strange folks in a state fair-type of crowd.
Still plenty of homeless on the streets of the Loop. Mary's firm makes sure that she and her girl friend are cabbed home at night after working late.
Mary's internal directional equipment is suspect. We took the Red Line L out to Wrigley, which I had remembered from old times. Our return trip get-off point was up for debate. Absent a change of heart by Mare, we could have ended up south of Comiskey. And the pedway path to Millenium Park may not exist. But Mary was an economic star with the company L pass. I did need help in running it through the machine.
Charlie and I stopped at an outlet mall just off the tollway coming home. My friend Roy had been there the prior week and was touting the low prices at the Polo store. I did buy several shirts, but what Roy thinks is low and what is low to me are two different numbers. The mall was packed.
I had hopes of being more productive today. It is basically the start of the 2nd half of the year and I want to do positive things to make a forward step out of the gate. Just stumbled all day long. I'll make a better move tomorrow.
I'm off to do 15-20. And fight off the freaking bird at Middle and Forest Grove.
Be careful out there.
Beautiful day outside.
The Chicago trip was really an easy day. Travel time each way was just 2.5 hrs. On a normal week day it would likely be at least an hour more. And lots more stress. With it also being a parking meter holiday, there was no cost for parking the car. That's at least $10 for a remote spot. And I used my buddy Pete's I-Pass chip so I didn't even have to stop for the toll booths. Illinois is moving toward an electronic toll system which should mitigate (but not likely eliminate) some of the traffic bottlenecks.
Downtown Chicago continues to re-inventent itself. Over the years, many of the old buildings in the Loop have been torn down and replaced. There are still lots of older buildings, but there are lots of new ones too. The block between Mary's dorm and my office building has been razed and awaits new construction. There were two or three bars in that area that we were known to frequent. Mayor's Row is one name that I can remember.
Millenium Park is a new area just off Michigan Avenue at Randolph that has become a destination point for tourists and downtown visitors. Some modern sculpture, an open-air theater, and various vendors of foods and goods. Interesting, but no shortage of strange folks in a state fair-type of crowd.
Still plenty of homeless on the streets of the Loop. Mary's firm makes sure that she and her girl friend are cabbed home at night after working late.
Mary's internal directional equipment is suspect. We took the Red Line L out to Wrigley, which I had remembered from old times. Our return trip get-off point was up for debate. Absent a change of heart by Mare, we could have ended up south of Comiskey. And the pedway path to Millenium Park may not exist. But Mary was an economic star with the company L pass. I did need help in running it through the machine.
Charlie and I stopped at an outlet mall just off the tollway coming home. My friend Roy had been there the prior week and was touting the low prices at the Polo store. I did buy several shirts, but what Roy thinks is low and what is low to me are two different numbers. The mall was packed.
I had hopes of being more productive today. It is basically the start of the 2nd half of the year and I want to do positive things to make a forward step out of the gate. Just stumbled all day long. I'll make a better move tomorrow.
I'm off to do 15-20. And fight off the freaking bird at Middle and Forest Grove.
Be careful out there.
Wednesday AM
Just a few lines this morning to let everyone know that the blog lives.
Great day in Chicago yesterday with Mary. No traffic. Easy parking. Chicago Dogs for lunch at The Sports Corner at Wrigley.
Mary's dorm on State street is within 200-300 yards of the building I worked in for 4 years in the late '70's. Kind of nostalgic. More of this later.
This is really the start of the second half of the year. More on this later too.
Susan has a busy couple of weeks ahead with trips this weekend to Dallas and the following weekend with Charlie and I to Tahoe. Kate has job issues and then the wedding here in 10 days. Charlie is already back in IC for work.
More later. Busy day here for me. Have a great day.
Be careful out there.
Great day in Chicago yesterday with Mary. No traffic. Easy parking. Chicago Dogs for lunch at The Sports Corner at Wrigley.
Mary's dorm on State street is within 200-300 yards of the building I worked in for 4 years in the late '70's. Kind of nostalgic. More of this later.
This is really the start of the second half of the year. More on this later too.
Susan has a busy couple of weeks ahead with trips this weekend to Dallas and the following weekend with Charlie and I to Tahoe. Kate has job issues and then the wedding here in 10 days. Charlie is already back in IC for work.
More later. Busy day here for me. Have a great day.
Be careful out there.
Monday, July 03, 2006
Monday PM
Quiet day today. Looks like another thunder storm rolling in.
Happy tax 4th of July! I'll be in Chicago for mid-morning coffee with Mary and Charlie. May not get an entry in tomorrow.
Be careful out there!
Happy tax 4th of July! I'll be in Chicago for mid-morning coffee with Mary and Charlie. May not get an entry in tomorrow.
Be careful out there!
Monday AM
This is really the additional entry I promised for Sunday PM.
Really a good weekend here. Got another 20 miler in yesterday afternoon. Nice time with Susan.
Also have tweaked the schedule to go into Chicago early Tuesday rather than Monday PM. This allows me to sleep in my own bed, get in a Monday ride, and save the $$ from a hotel and parking. I told Mary that I would spring for their Monday night dinner in absentia, but it still keeps me above the line economically, and I have the side benefits noted above. Just won't have quite as much face time with Mary, but Tuesday will be just like a Dad's Day In IC. Or Norman. And those have always been good days.
The Tour is underway. RAGBRAI on steroids. No drug pun intended, but I guess it is applicable.
So I will definitely add more later today. The markets close at noon, but I'll be around until three or so.
Be careful out there.
Really a good weekend here. Got another 20 miler in yesterday afternoon. Nice time with Susan.
Also have tweaked the schedule to go into Chicago early Tuesday rather than Monday PM. This allows me to sleep in my own bed, get in a Monday ride, and save the $$ from a hotel and parking. I told Mary that I would spring for their Monday night dinner in absentia, but it still keeps me above the line economically, and I have the side benefits noted above. Just won't have quite as much face time with Mary, but Tuesday will be just like a Dad's Day In IC. Or Norman. And those have always been good days.
The Tour is underway. RAGBRAI on steroids. No drug pun intended, but I guess it is applicable.
So I will definitely add more later today. The markets close at noon, but I'll be around until three or so.
Be careful out there.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Sunday
I have been deficient these last couple of days. Sorry.
Friday has become a fairly regular Tuscan red day for after work. This past Friday was just one of those days and before I knew it, I was late for meeting people and it was then a full night. Saturday was just plain busy with biking, yard work and a cook-out with friends. It got hot too. Anyway, I never got into the office, and was not at another computer location to make an entry.
Church and Ross's this AM with Susan. Am now test-driving the Tracer. Susan has reported some problems and they do exist. Tranney or clutch. Neither is good.
Charlie is in Chicago visiting Mary. She had a little excitement last night that I'm sure she will enjoy sharing in a near-term entry. I'm headed in tomorrow for an overnight. Mary was given the holiday weekend off by her slave-drivers.
Kate is in DM visiting Sarah. I think they were going to do a training run this AM. Her news Friday was great to hear. Sounds like the position will allow some coaching and fitness stuff. We'll be anxious to hear more details in the next few days.
I had a nice tail-wind ride to Elvira yesterday afternoon. A little over 30 total miles which pushed my weekly mileage to over 100. I'm going to try to reach that total each week for the remainder of the summer. That won't be easy with my travel schedule.
The Tour is off and running. After today's stage, Discovery's George Hincapie has yellow by a couple of seconds. The first week is usually for the sprinters. The second week gets the peleton down to Pyrenees, and then the Alps in week three. The hills is where yellow gets decided.
How 'bout them Cubbies?
I'll add more later. Just didn't want anyone thinking that I was on the DL.
Be careful out there.
Friday has become a fairly regular Tuscan red day for after work. This past Friday was just one of those days and before I knew it, I was late for meeting people and it was then a full night. Saturday was just plain busy with biking, yard work and a cook-out with friends. It got hot too. Anyway, I never got into the office, and was not at another computer location to make an entry.
Church and Ross's this AM with Susan. Am now test-driving the Tracer. Susan has reported some problems and they do exist. Tranney or clutch. Neither is good.
Charlie is in Chicago visiting Mary. She had a little excitement last night that I'm sure she will enjoy sharing in a near-term entry. I'm headed in tomorrow for an overnight. Mary was given the holiday weekend off by her slave-drivers.
Kate is in DM visiting Sarah. I think they were going to do a training run this AM. Her news Friday was great to hear. Sounds like the position will allow some coaching and fitness stuff. We'll be anxious to hear more details in the next few days.
I had a nice tail-wind ride to Elvira yesterday afternoon. A little over 30 total miles which pushed my weekly mileage to over 100. I'm going to try to reach that total each week for the remainder of the summer. That won't be easy with my travel schedule.
The Tour is off and running. After today's stage, Discovery's George Hincapie has yellow by a couple of seconds. The first week is usually for the sprinters. The second week gets the peleton down to Pyrenees, and then the Alps in week three. The hills is where yellow gets decided.
How 'bout them Cubbies?
I'll add more later. Just didn't want anyone thinking that I was on the DL.
Be careful out there.
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