Friday

A few lines to catch up on for the week.

Well, that Home Page pic won't last for long.  It was taken with my iPhone around 0540 this AM and the quality just sucks.  Sorry.  But we are moving into the "biking" phase of my world, and as much as that view from the Isle of Capri is postcard-perfect, 4000 Days works with the "now"...which is country roads, hills, bugs and The Morning Ride with @bcbison.

2 needs to get my Canon mini-digi back to me for these things.  The Fuji is just a cut-below the Canon for whatever reason.

I've felt good enough on the bike to take to the roads this week for the first time.  Those days last week in Woodbury were helpful.  I did have a mechanical problem with the new bike early yesterday that left me with one pedal!  The fix is on and I'll pick up the repaired new ride this afternoon.  Someone made an assembling error...obviously, something wasn't locked on.

The breakdown lead me to the back-up bike which I hadn't had outside for 2-3 years.  That Trek would have been acquired in 1991, I think.  It was a worthy ride at the time, and still feels adequate.  The geometry is a little "off", and I'd need to replace the handlebar set-up if I were to spend any amount of time on it.  And I'd definitely need another few gears.  I can't believe I was able to get up some of those TOMRV hills on just those ratio's!  (Then again, those ride were a few years back!)

2 has taken a shot at a logo for the MapleCrest Social Club.  I'm thinking that we could be close to a keeper.  I can see t-shirts, Polo's, and hats.  (I may not be kidding.)

Here's my observation on the VA politics.  The VA is a mix of Federal bureaucracy, public unions and the mess of health care.  If that isn't a prescription for a disaster, I don't know what is.  Health care is rife with administrators and bloated administration offices that draw head-shaking salaries/fees for non-care-giving functions.  The VA Director who resigned today is a fall-guy for sure, but there was no way he could stay given the public outrage.  The CINC will repeat the phrase, "This has been going on too long" repeatedly in the days/weeks ahead.  "Its Bush's fault" never gets old.  The test will be whether the culture can be changed in the system.  Never an easy task when folks with self-interests are protected by rules and contracts.  Think: tenured teachers.

Those more elderly GI's (WWII and Korea) spent their enlistments following rules/orders.  The Viet Nam vets have a bit of a bunker mentality because of the poor way that they were treated by the public upon their return from Asia. Collectively, these guys have low expectations from the VA because its "the government".  Its taken activists from younger generations to demand an accountability for medical treatment rendered (or not) for their dads, uncles, etc.  Bottom line from LtPC: get politics out of this...do the right thing.

All for today.  Looks like MCSC tonight, golf in Geneva tomorrow, and the first DeWitt Ride of the Summer on Sunday AM.

Thanks for reading.

BCOT