Monday

Here is a pic of the Southern sky at 0530 this AM from the Bettendorf Post Office entrance as I waited for my pal Pete.  Double-click on the image for a good look.  The rain came about six miles into the ride and lasted for only 20-25 minutes.  Just enough to soak the riders.  Now we have a "steamer" going on with highs in the low 90's predicted.

Thanks to all for the Father's Day greetings and gifts.  The wine decanter will definitely get a lot of use. 

More later.

LATER...

I'm not sure if the temps got quite as warm as predicted, but it's still muggy.  With the morning ride completed, I can spend the evening getting caught up with my yard.

Petey and I were lamenting this AM about today being at the peak of the chart on the length of days for the year.  We really like that 0530 start time for the ride, so we'll be watching with the glass half empty as the sunrise creeps further toward 0600 over the next month.  (On the other hand...is that a country song?...I've got less than 90 days left of cycling season before I have to start training for the Turkey Trot.)

1 drove the Taurus this weekend and her comment had something to do with the road-worthiness and safety of the vehicle.  I resemble that remark.

Lots being written in the sports pages about the pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg, now throwing for the Nationals.  He's had huge early success, with a 100mph heater and other "big-league" pitches.  Many commentators have already projected him for Cooperstown.  Costas even made such a quote in SI last week.  Hey, the guy looks fantastic.  But have him win 20 games for a few years, earn a Cy Young or two, and then start evaluating him for his career.  Geez.  Writers are such tools!

Erin Andrews has not made any early appearances at the CWS.  Does a gig with DWTS actually make her any more marketable?  I mean, she made her initial impact in Omaha.  Why would you not be there after all the publicity from Dancing?  (She probably hired Scott Boras as her agent.  Watch the ship go down now!)

3 is in the Big Apple again this week.  Still working the interviews.  She needs to follow the old rule about "throughing enough mud against the wall, and some of it will eventually stick."  Lots of applications to that axiom.

Finally, I did check with my State Farm insurance agent on the applicability of my policy to my basement issues.  He was quick to agree that "Sorry Charlie" was applicable.  Mostly, he wanted to point out that it's their standard procedure to "populate" all of their proposals for homeowner's insurance with the sewer back-up and other water-in-the-basement situation in the quote, and the customer then has to take it out if he/she so chooses.  Nice way of saying, "I did my job, LtPC: you're the one who elected not to have the coverage."  Somehow, that came across as a little overly self-serving to me.

Of course, regardless of the coverages, there's always the matter of the "deductible".  In my case, with a $2K deductible, I'll collect on my insurance with the next tornado.  And you wonder why people love insurance companies, a gathering of whose adjustors would truly be The Party of "No".

Make it a good Monday.  (Later...Hope it was!)

BCOT