2 pretty well got it right.
I have a good-sized cast on my right arm from my thumb to about mid-way up my forearm. Not a lot of pain, but a dull ache. I'm taking ibuprofen, forsaking the vicodin. My dexterity on the computer is not so good. Entries for the next couple of days will be short.
The procedure was completed according to plan. No complications. I go back to see the doc next week, and I expect to be fitted for a 4-5 week cast at that time. Ugh.
One of my thoughts while on my bike the last few days was the uniqueness of the adjectival phrase, "largely ceremonial", which is the two-word-term used to describe the last stage of the TdF. Basically, the race for the General Classification championship is completed at the end of Stage 19, and the peloton comes to Paris with only prizes for the sprinters at stake. This year, for instance, in the GC, the leader had only 23 seconds on the second place guy, who had only 8 seconds on the third place guy. But in Stage 20 on Sunday, these three guys (and their teams) really didn't race. Tradition said that they shouldn't. So they didn't.
But how many events, places (or other nouns for that matter) have their own unique adjective? Some things have a sub-title, like The Fall Classic, or The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. But I'm talking adjective here.
Think about it.
BCOT
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Saturday PM
2 did a nice job at Bix. She averaged a little over 10 minute miles. Not bad for not having trained. I saw her going and coming from my viewing spot which is no small feat with 15,000 people streaming by. Actually, she saw me which is the way it usually happens in that kind of situation. I just placed myself in a bit of an elevated spot and stayed clear of other spectators.
The running conditions weren't bad. Warm, but not hot. Humid, but not oppressive.
4, Mom and I met at The Maidrite for breakfast after the race. We sat at the counter like the old days after church.
I did 27 right after lunch. 1 called and said that she had run 15 this AM and 1.1 had done 13. That was a bit of an incentive for me to hit the road.
RAGBRAI ended in Bellevue today. LA had bailed earlier and was in France for today's stage of the Tour (which Levi won and Alberto kept yellow). The Saturday of RAGBRAI is always a bit of a letdown: it's a shorter ride, the riders are all anxious to get home, and the host community is just saying, "Hello" and "See ya" in the same breath.
1 and 1.1 head to LV tomorrow AM. Their watching the Northwest Air cancellations to see if there's any pattern.
The SB's location in downtown Davenport may be the nicest of the SB's stores in town. I stopped in for the first time yesterday at lunch time when I went downtown to check out the food vendors for the Bix street fest. The manager is a nice gal. It sounds like they don't have much trade after 5PM, and that they do get some unwanted attention from some homeless people. I suspect that a downtown Chicago loop location for SB's can survive with just the business day traffic. I'm not so sure about that scenario in Davenport.
Biagii's last night for Sonoma red. Liberty School 2005 cabernet. Try it. The staff in the bar area has experienced quite the turnover this Spring/Summer. And not for a net improvement. At least three of the better cocktail gals have moved on, and my favorite bartender is selling cars. 2 knows the drill with the turnover in the local food and beverage industry.
One of the farms that I ride past on a regular basis has a small flock(?) of wild turkeys that wander around the barnyard near the road. Gobbling a constant gobble. The first time I went past, I couldn't figure out what the noise was! Denise may want to check M. gallopavo off her list (by my proxy).
All for today. Have a great evening.
Be careful out there.
The running conditions weren't bad. Warm, but not hot. Humid, but not oppressive.
4, Mom and I met at The Maidrite for breakfast after the race. We sat at the counter like the old days after church.
I did 27 right after lunch. 1 called and said that she had run 15 this AM and 1.1 had done 13. That was a bit of an incentive for me to hit the road.
RAGBRAI ended in Bellevue today. LA had bailed earlier and was in France for today's stage of the Tour (which Levi won and Alberto kept yellow). The Saturday of RAGBRAI is always a bit of a letdown: it's a shorter ride, the riders are all anxious to get home, and the host community is just saying, "Hello" and "See ya" in the same breath.
1 and 1.1 head to LV tomorrow AM. Their watching the Northwest Air cancellations to see if there's any pattern.
The SB's location in downtown Davenport may be the nicest of the SB's stores in town. I stopped in for the first time yesterday at lunch time when I went downtown to check out the food vendors for the Bix street fest. The manager is a nice gal. It sounds like they don't have much trade after 5PM, and that they do get some unwanted attention from some homeless people. I suspect that a downtown Chicago loop location for SB's can survive with just the business day traffic. I'm not so sure about that scenario in Davenport.
Biagii's last night for Sonoma red. Liberty School 2005 cabernet. Try it. The staff in the bar area has experienced quite the turnover this Spring/Summer. And not for a net improvement. At least three of the better cocktail gals have moved on, and my favorite bartender is selling cars. 2 knows the drill with the turnover in the local food and beverage industry.
One of the farms that I ride past on a regular basis has a small flock(?) of wild turkeys that wander around the barnyard near the road. Gobbling a constant gobble. The first time I went past, I couldn't figure out what the noise was! Denise may want to check M. gallopavo off her list (by my proxy).
All for today. Have a great evening.
Be careful out there.
Saturday AM
Sorry to have missed yesterday. Not that I would have added much, since it was a Friday, and I typically leave a little early on Friday's anyway.
4's wisdom teeth event went pretty much as anticipated. She's resting.
2's doing Bix this AM and I'm going to try to see her.
So I'll check in later.
BCOT
4's wisdom teeth event went pretty much as anticipated. She's resting.
2's doing Bix this AM and I'm going to try to see her.
So I'll check in later.
BCOT
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Thursday
Now they've tossed the Dane Rasmussen who was leading the Tour. It isn't pretty. Whoever wins this year will have to have an asterisk after his name.
I think I'll keep a running tally on the cost of my biking accident. So far, we have $330 for bike repairs and $20 co-pay on my first doctor's visit. I pre-registered for the surgery today and the first thing that they give you is a statement on the financial aspects of the procedure. Basically, it's, "You're going to get lots of bills from lots of people. Good luck paying them." If I get done for less than $2500 it will be a miracle. There goes January in Cabo.
My laziness in not propping-up my tomato plants is coming to fruition (or lack thereof). At least half of the crop has been lost to ground rot or rabbits. The ones that I have kept are just fair. Luckily, my neighbor has had a bumper crop. But my pride has taken a hit. I've got to do some serious Fall tillage to have the plot ready for next year.
Bix is this weekend in Davenport. 2 says she will be run/walking the race on Saturday morning. 4 will be on the DL as she's having her wisdom teeth pulled tomorrow AM. While we have heat and humidity today, the forecast for Saturday is for cooler temps.
I'm not sure if the race or the blues music fest now drives the weekend. I know that each year they get bands from all over the country to come play on the levee stage along the Mississippi. And blues affectionatos from throughout the Midwest come in as well. The street fest must make money for somebody. Personally, I don't get it. It reminds me of a county fair. Hot and dirty. And no cows.
My pal Roy turned up here yesterday with a new golf club for me. I've been using the same 2 metal-wood driver off the tee for at least 10 years. When he and I last played, I had asked him if he had a newer-technology club in his inventory that might fit my needs. (The guy must have at least 1000 clubs, seriously.) I never heard from him again about it. My guess is that he woke up one night recently, remembered the conversation, and jumped on-line. So I now have a new driver. That I can't swing because of my thumb.
A friend of mine who knows that I like baseball recently asked me whom I would call my favorite player. Now. Before. Whenever. And I was stumped. I grew up listening to the Cardinals, and I guess their '64 and '67 teams would be on my short list of all-time favorite teams. I liked Ken Boyer, their third baseman more than maybe the other players, but I don't recall a big thing for him.
I liked Charlie Finley's Oakland A's teams of Catfish Hunter, Joe Rudi and Vida Blue. And I liked Dave Kingman when he played for the Cubs in the late '70's when he was their only decent player. Cal, Maddux, George Brett, the Bench/Morgan Cincinnati teams. In summary, Old School teams/players. But probably not just one. I never thought about it before.
Let's see. We have violence and dog-fighting in the NFL. Crooked refs in the NBA. Roids in baseball. Doping in cycling. Makes you proud that NASCAR's biggest problem is a little fudging on the down-force parameters!
Have a great evening.
Be careful out there.
I think I'll keep a running tally on the cost of my biking accident. So far, we have $330 for bike repairs and $20 co-pay on my first doctor's visit. I pre-registered for the surgery today and the first thing that they give you is a statement on the financial aspects of the procedure. Basically, it's, "You're going to get lots of bills from lots of people. Good luck paying them." If I get done for less than $2500 it will be a miracle. There goes January in Cabo.
My laziness in not propping-up my tomato plants is coming to fruition (or lack thereof). At least half of the crop has been lost to ground rot or rabbits. The ones that I have kept are just fair. Luckily, my neighbor has had a bumper crop. But my pride has taken a hit. I've got to do some serious Fall tillage to have the plot ready for next year.
Bix is this weekend in Davenport. 2 says she will be run/walking the race on Saturday morning. 4 will be on the DL as she's having her wisdom teeth pulled tomorrow AM. While we have heat and humidity today, the forecast for Saturday is for cooler temps.
I'm not sure if the race or the blues music fest now drives the weekend. I know that each year they get bands from all over the country to come play on the levee stage along the Mississippi. And blues affectionatos from throughout the Midwest come in as well. The street fest must make money for somebody. Personally, I don't get it. It reminds me of a county fair. Hot and dirty. And no cows.
My pal Roy turned up here yesterday with a new golf club for me. I've been using the same 2 metal-wood driver off the tee for at least 10 years. When he and I last played, I had asked him if he had a newer-technology club in his inventory that might fit my needs. (The guy must have at least 1000 clubs, seriously.) I never heard from him again about it. My guess is that he woke up one night recently, remembered the conversation, and jumped on-line. So I now have a new driver. That I can't swing because of my thumb.
A friend of mine who knows that I like baseball recently asked me whom I would call my favorite player. Now. Before. Whenever. And I was stumped. I grew up listening to the Cardinals, and I guess their '64 and '67 teams would be on my short list of all-time favorite teams. I liked Ken Boyer, their third baseman more than maybe the other players, but I don't recall a big thing for him.
I liked Charlie Finley's Oakland A's teams of Catfish Hunter, Joe Rudi and Vida Blue. And I liked Dave Kingman when he played for the Cubs in the late '70's when he was their only decent player. Cal, Maddux, George Brett, the Bench/Morgan Cincinnati teams. In summary, Old School teams/players. But probably not just one. I never thought about it before.
Let's see. We have violence and dog-fighting in the NFL. Crooked refs in the NBA. Roids in baseball. Doping in cycling. Makes you proud that NASCAR's biggest problem is a little fudging on the down-force parameters!
Have a great evening.
Be careful out there.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Wednesday
The diagnosis on the thumb is torn ulnar ligament. Surgery Monday. Cast for 5-6 weeks. I knew that it was a problem when I couldn't turn the ignition to start the car.
More bad news at the TdF. Another rider tested positive, and another team pulled out. The leader remains a Dane who is being dogged by suspicion because of his below-radar activities before the Tour. The Disco boys tried to shake him today on the final mountain stage, and he beat them down and solidified his lead.
Lance is in Iowa for RAGBRAI this week, but he has floated the rumor that he may leave in the next couple of days and go to France for the end of the Tour. He certainly has generated a lot of pub for RAGBRAI. Lots of personal cancer stories in the DM Register each day. And the politicians are out in full force trying to grab their piece of the news. Pretty Boy Edwards rode some with LA yesterday.
Craig Wilson drug out a variation of the bottled water nonsense today. I could say that that was my material, but the topic has been lampooned by so many wags that it would be hard to claim that ownership.
In another case of, "It's a Small World", I learned this AM that one of the assistant managers at the Duck Creek SB's is the daughter of one of my Riley first cousins. She and I have been good "first name" friends for several months, and somehow she overheard my last name in a conversation with my pal Roy today.
Grandpa used to find those linkages with amazing regularity. He could go into a strange cafe in a little town anywhere in the US, start a conversation with a waitress, and find out that he knew her distant uncle. Maybe he passed that gene on to me.
So I'm off to the bike. Have a great evening.
Be careful out there.
More bad news at the TdF. Another rider tested positive, and another team pulled out. The leader remains a Dane who is being dogged by suspicion because of his below-radar activities before the Tour. The Disco boys tried to shake him today on the final mountain stage, and he beat them down and solidified his lead.
Lance is in Iowa for RAGBRAI this week, but he has floated the rumor that he may leave in the next couple of days and go to France for the end of the Tour. He certainly has generated a lot of pub for RAGBRAI. Lots of personal cancer stories in the DM Register each day. And the politicians are out in full force trying to grab their piece of the news. Pretty Boy Edwards rode some with LA yesterday.
Craig Wilson drug out a variation of the bottled water nonsense today. I could say that that was my material, but the topic has been lampooned by so many wags that it would be hard to claim that ownership.
In another case of, "It's a Small World", I learned this AM that one of the assistant managers at the Duck Creek SB's is the daughter of one of my Riley first cousins. She and I have been good "first name" friends for several months, and somehow she overheard my last name in a conversation with my pal Roy today.
Grandpa used to find those linkages with amazing regularity. He could go into a strange cafe in a little town anywhere in the US, start a conversation with a waitress, and find out that he knew her distant uncle. Maybe he passed that gene on to me.
So I'm off to the bike. Have a great evening.
Be careful out there.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Tuesday
My guess is that 4 has been unable to find the motivation to entertain us now that Europe and the wedding have become history. We need her spin on things.
It's been an awful day for the TdF and it was a rest day at that. The pre-race favorite, Alexander Vinokourov from Kazachstan and the Astana team, who has won a couple of stages but who has dropped far behind in the overall classification, tested positive for doping. He and his team have been sent home. It makes you sick.
I think that the new son-in-law will be called 1.1 in keeping with a technology theme. That logic enables us to easily name possibly future additions to that family as in 1.2, 1.3, etc. Then again, based on some one's comment last weekend on 1's thoughts about kids, we won't have to worry about the etc.
Most of my conversations these last couple of days, in person or on the phone, have had at least short discussions about the wedding weekend. In response to my comments about how well everything went all weekend long, one attorney said something about the stars being lined up correctly. She was right. The moon and the stars were exactly where they needed to be for all of us.
I have an appointment in the morning to see an orthopod about my thumb injury. My guess is that there will need to be some surgery to pin a ligament to get everything in the right place.
There was a death in minor league baseball recently. A 35 year old coach of the Tulsa Drillers, a AA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, was struck by a foul ball while coaching first base in a game Sunday night in Arkansas. I had never heard of the guy, but in reading a few of the accounts of the incident, he was apparently a good guy with young children, and still loved the game. I haven't seen any film of the incident, but the result makes you ask, "Where was he looking?"
A first base coach is helping runners with pick-off moves, and he can be pretty close to a hitter, especially a left-handed one. You hear of pitchers getting hit with batted balls, and there have been deaths in the past. Now we know why "Heads-up" is a good practice.
There's a story of personal experience here. I remember a high school game of mine in Pella, Iowa when the coach put me at first base as our regular first baseman was not with the team that day, and he figured that an experienced player like me could handle a few innings at first. Well, at some point in the game, the other team got a runner on first, and I set up on the home side of first to hold the guy on. Like you're supposed to, I extended my gloved left hand toward the pitcher to give him a target in case he elected to try a pick-off move.
My recollection of the rest of the story is from others. I must have glanced toward home to watch the hitter. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground and asking, "What happened?" The pitcher had indeed thrown to first. A bullet, I was told. Right over my glove, and right on my forehead. Down I went. But lucky. No blood. No damage. No hospital. And no more first base.
So bad things can happen, and you can get away unscathed. Or you can become a headline. The Tulsa guy's number came up snake eyes.
Illinois just passed a state-wide ban on smoking in public places beginning in 2008. My guess is that there will be a line of law suits to over-turn the law, delay it, or make it otherwise unenforceable. Personally, I avoid smokey bars and the casinos, the two types of places that have the most smokers, so it doesn't have a down side for me. The clientele of those establishment are big-time smokers. There's lots of money involved. The lawyers will make millions.
A friend of mine who I met at SB's yesterday for some catching-up has a son who has had Ewing's sarcoma, and my friend has become very knowledgeable on cancer statistics. He says that about 40% of us will get some kind of cancer at some point. The damning thing is that 30% of that 40% can be attributed to smoking.
I'm headed home to my Russian cleaning lady cleaned house. Life is good.
Be careful out there.
It's been an awful day for the TdF and it was a rest day at that. The pre-race favorite, Alexander Vinokourov from Kazachstan and the Astana team, who has won a couple of stages but who has dropped far behind in the overall classification, tested positive for doping. He and his team have been sent home. It makes you sick.
I think that the new son-in-law will be called 1.1 in keeping with a technology theme. That logic enables us to easily name possibly future additions to that family as in 1.2, 1.3, etc. Then again, based on some one's comment last weekend on 1's thoughts about kids, we won't have to worry about the etc.
Most of my conversations these last couple of days, in person or on the phone, have had at least short discussions about the wedding weekend. In response to my comments about how well everything went all weekend long, one attorney said something about the stars being lined up correctly. She was right. The moon and the stars were exactly where they needed to be for all of us.
I have an appointment in the morning to see an orthopod about my thumb injury. My guess is that there will need to be some surgery to pin a ligament to get everything in the right place.
There was a death in minor league baseball recently. A 35 year old coach of the Tulsa Drillers, a AA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, was struck by a foul ball while coaching first base in a game Sunday night in Arkansas. I had never heard of the guy, but in reading a few of the accounts of the incident, he was apparently a good guy with young children, and still loved the game. I haven't seen any film of the incident, but the result makes you ask, "Where was he looking?"
A first base coach is helping runners with pick-off moves, and he can be pretty close to a hitter, especially a left-handed one. You hear of pitchers getting hit with batted balls, and there have been deaths in the past. Now we know why "Heads-up" is a good practice.
There's a story of personal experience here. I remember a high school game of mine in Pella, Iowa when the coach put me at first base as our regular first baseman was not with the team that day, and he figured that an experienced player like me could handle a few innings at first. Well, at some point in the game, the other team got a runner on first, and I set up on the home side of first to hold the guy on. Like you're supposed to, I extended my gloved left hand toward the pitcher to give him a target in case he elected to try a pick-off move.
My recollection of the rest of the story is from others. I must have glanced toward home to watch the hitter. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground and asking, "What happened?" The pitcher had indeed thrown to first. A bullet, I was told. Right over my glove, and right on my forehead. Down I went. But lucky. No blood. No damage. No hospital. And no more first base.
So bad things can happen, and you can get away unscathed. Or you can become a headline. The Tulsa guy's number came up snake eyes.
Illinois just passed a state-wide ban on smoking in public places beginning in 2008. My guess is that there will be a line of law suits to over-turn the law, delay it, or make it otherwise unenforceable. Personally, I avoid smokey bars and the casinos, the two types of places that have the most smokers, so it doesn't have a down side for me. The clientele of those establishment are big-time smokers. There's lots of money involved. The lawyers will make millions.
A friend of mine who I met at SB's yesterday for some catching-up has a son who has had Ewing's sarcoma, and my friend has become very knowledgeable on cancer statistics. He says that about 40% of us will get some kind of cancer at some point. The damning thing is that 30% of that 40% can be attributed to smoking.
I'm headed home to my Russian cleaning lady cleaned house. Life is good.
Be careful out there.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Monday - Part II
The first day back has been ok, just not overly productive. It's almost a post-wedding let-down thing where there's no longer that big event out there in the near future that is all-consuming.
The Gathering of the Clan again confirmed that we have an interesting collection of boughs in the extended family tree. Phil and Margaret would be proud.
We were all impressed with St. Paul. The great paths for running, walking and biking are testimony to a municipality committed to fitness. I have always enjoyed the area. Of course, perfect weather adds to any occasion.
I'm off to catch up at home.
BCOT
The Gathering of the Clan again confirmed that we have an interesting collection of boughs in the extended family tree. Phil and Margaret would be proud.
We were all impressed with St. Paul. The great paths for running, walking and biking are testimony to a municipality committed to fitness. I have always enjoyed the area. Of course, perfect weather adds to any occasion.
I'm off to catch up at home.
BCOT
Monday
I think that this has been my longest time between posts. Lots of water under the bridge since my last entry.
Many thanks to all who took their time to come to Minneapolis/St. Paul. It was a great weekend for our family.
I'll be adding more to this later. Just wanted everyone to know that the blog is back up.
BCOT
Many thanks to all who took their time to come to Minneapolis/St. Paul. It was a great weekend for our family.
I'll be adding more to this later. Just wanted everyone to know that the blog is back up.
BCOT
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Tuesday
1's Big Day is rushing toward us. There won't be much time to add to the blog over the next few days. I need to pack and finish up around the house tonight, attend to a few business details tomorrow morning, and then head North after lunch.
4 arrived in the TC late last night after a late arrival in Newark from Rome, a missed connection on her scheduled flight to the TC, and a delayed departure on the re-scheduled flight. Sans luggage. Her experience of travel this Summer will likely make her a bit of a skeptic when it comes to future trips. But at least all the girls are safe and where they need to be.
I'm a little distracted at this point.
BCOT
4 arrived in the TC late last night after a late arrival in Newark from Rome, a missed connection on her scheduled flight to the TC, and a delayed departure on the re-scheduled flight. Sans luggage. Her experience of travel this Summer will likely make her a bit of a skeptic when it comes to future trips. But at least all the girls are safe and where they need to be.
I'm a little distracted at this point.
BCOT
Monday, July 16, 2007
Monday
Still in a bit of recovery mode from the Rule One problem yesterday.
2 and 4 both made it back to US soil, but 4's plane was late and she missed her connection with 2 out of Newark. They have her on a later plane. Hopefully, she'll get to the Twin Cities yet this evening. I'm sure details will follow on her blog over the next few days.
For 3, this is The First Day of the Rest of Her Life. (Her first day at her first real, post-college job.) Give 'em heck, girl!
It's a rest day on the TdF. The stage in the Alps yesterday was won by a noted climber who does not normally do well in the time trials which come later in the race. Most of the favorites are in arrears by three or four minutes, which can be easily recaptured in the two time trials. It's still any one's game.
Good luck to all this week. Lots of iron's in the fire.
BCOT
2 and 4 both made it back to US soil, but 4's plane was late and she missed her connection with 2 out of Newark. They have her on a later plane. Hopefully, she'll get to the Twin Cities yet this evening. I'm sure details will follow on her blog over the next few days.
For 3, this is The First Day of the Rest of Her Life. (Her first day at her first real, post-college job.) Give 'em heck, girl!
It's a rest day on the TdF. The stage in the Alps yesterday was won by a noted climber who does not normally do well in the time trials which come later in the race. Most of the favorites are in arrears by three or four minutes, which can be easily recaptured in the two time trials. It's still any one's game.
Good luck to all this week. Lots of iron's in the fire.
BCOT
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Sunday
Rule One applies again.
DeWitt this AM, but I put the bike on the deck right in the middle of town as I tried to carry the paper from the grocery store to the cafe. I was switching the paper between hands and lost my balance, and it wasn't pretty. I dislocated my right thumb, a few scrapes on other body parts, and buggered-up my front wheel. The thumb I self-doctored, putting it back in place. The wheel is trash. We called Pete's son for a ride home. I'm an idiot.
Perfect weather here.
The Cubs have put on a little run and they are only three games back on the loss side. The National League Central is a weak division, but StL took it to the house last year. It could happen for Chicago this year if they continue to get good pitching.
A-Rod is opting out of a $25 million a year contract, in the likelihood that he will get $30+ per year from NY or somebody next year. He's got all the leverage right now as his numbers year-to-date are career seasons for some players. Poor A-Rod. Then again, the guys running the successful hedge funds make A-Rod's dollars look like pocket change.
I've started making my lists for Minnesota. My departure is noon-ish on Wednesday. Is the bride down to counting hours to Fiday night?
They buried Lady Bird Johnson this weekend. She is a direct connection to JFK. I think we all remember the pictures of Lyndon Johnson taking the reins of power following JFK's assassination in Dallas in 1963. The Johnson Presidency will be forever remembered for Viet Nam. I hope that the memory of Iraq will not approach Viet Nam status 40 years from now.
The lead story in the local fish wrap today was the trending-upward price of milk. The producer is getting close to $20 per hundred-weight, which is nearly double that of a year ago. But as with most things economic, his costs have increased as well. The price of corn has been a big element, with ethanol use the big driver. I'm not convinced that the push to ethanol is anything but a political shell game in the long run. The environmentalists and "green" folks are big on the reusable feature of corn, but everything from the price of a steak to the price of Kellogg's cornflakes will be impacted by this new demand.
I'm off to salve my wounds and watch the Chicago race.
Good luck to the American-Italians as they make their way back.
Be careful out there.
DeWitt this AM, but I put the bike on the deck right in the middle of town as I tried to carry the paper from the grocery store to the cafe. I was switching the paper between hands and lost my balance, and it wasn't pretty. I dislocated my right thumb, a few scrapes on other body parts, and buggered-up my front wheel. The thumb I self-doctored, putting it back in place. The wheel is trash. We called Pete's son for a ride home. I'm an idiot.
Perfect weather here.
The Cubs have put on a little run and they are only three games back on the loss side. The National League Central is a weak division, but StL took it to the house last year. It could happen for Chicago this year if they continue to get good pitching.
A-Rod is opting out of a $25 million a year contract, in the likelihood that he will get $30+ per year from NY or somebody next year. He's got all the leverage right now as his numbers year-to-date are career seasons for some players. Poor A-Rod. Then again, the guys running the successful hedge funds make A-Rod's dollars look like pocket change.
I've started making my lists for Minnesota. My departure is noon-ish on Wednesday. Is the bride down to counting hours to Fiday night?
They buried Lady Bird Johnson this weekend. She is a direct connection to JFK. I think we all remember the pictures of Lyndon Johnson taking the reins of power following JFK's assassination in Dallas in 1963. The Johnson Presidency will be forever remembered for Viet Nam. I hope that the memory of Iraq will not approach Viet Nam status 40 years from now.
The lead story in the local fish wrap today was the trending-upward price of milk. The producer is getting close to $20 per hundred-weight, which is nearly double that of a year ago. But as with most things economic, his costs have increased as well. The price of corn has been a big element, with ethanol use the big driver. I'm not convinced that the push to ethanol is anything but a political shell game in the long run. The environmentalists and "green" folks are big on the reusable feature of corn, but everything from the price of a steak to the price of Kellogg's cornflakes will be impacted by this new demand.
I'm off to salve my wounds and watch the Chicago race.
Good luck to the American-Italians as they make their way back.
Be careful out there.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Saturday
Just a few lines today.
Glad that the girls in Rome enjoyed their day with the Pontiff.
I went over to the John Deere Classic late in the afternoon yesterday. The event has had ab fab weather all week. My pal Pete and I crashed the Wells Fargo corporate tent for treats. Once the golfing was over, those looking for Friday evening fun had the event's outdoor beer garden to visit. The party tent had a LOUD live band and there were lots of people, many of whom I knew. But I was an early departee. Just not my scene.
The TdF had it's first day in the Alps today and the sprinter who wore yellow all week finished twenty minutes behind today's winner. The heavy hitters all were in a pack (including four from Discovery) 3:38 off the winner's time, but that guy will probably be a one-day-wonder. Tomorrow will truly separate the men from the boys.
NASCAR is in Chicago this weekend. The word is officially out that Budweiser will not follow Junior next year. One of the theories is that the brewer really needs to find another "young gun" that fits their demographics better than the "older" guy Junior has become. So all those red-necks with Bud and 8 tattoo's will have to go through double-laser correction.
The Celebrity Golf Tour is at Lake Tahoe this week. The back drops for all the TV camera shots are spectacular. I keep looking for Uncle Phil on one of the patrol boats out there spotting those unruly yachtsmen.
In local news, tonight is the Eldridge Moonlight Chase four mile run. Good weather for the runners. Not even tempted.
33 out on the McCausland route this afternoon. It was a due West cross wind that I have determined is about the best wind to deal with on my normal routes, if you have to have wind. Maybe DeWitt for breakfast tomorrow. I have been trying to figure out my training schedule for the coming week. The bike will definitely be with me in Minnesota.
Hope everyone enjoys the weekend.
Be careful out there.
Glad that the girls in Rome enjoyed their day with the Pontiff.
I went over to the John Deere Classic late in the afternoon yesterday. The event has had ab fab weather all week. My pal Pete and I crashed the Wells Fargo corporate tent for treats. Once the golfing was over, those looking for Friday evening fun had the event's outdoor beer garden to visit. The party tent had a LOUD live band and there were lots of people, many of whom I knew. But I was an early departee. Just not my scene.
The TdF had it's first day in the Alps today and the sprinter who wore yellow all week finished twenty minutes behind today's winner. The heavy hitters all were in a pack (including four from Discovery) 3:38 off the winner's time, but that guy will probably be a one-day-wonder. Tomorrow will truly separate the men from the boys.
NASCAR is in Chicago this weekend. The word is officially out that Budweiser will not follow Junior next year. One of the theories is that the brewer really needs to find another "young gun" that fits their demographics better than the "older" guy Junior has become. So all those red-necks with Bud and 8 tattoo's will have to go through double-laser correction.
The Celebrity Golf Tour is at Lake Tahoe this week. The back drops for all the TV camera shots are spectacular. I keep looking for Uncle Phil on one of the patrol boats out there spotting those unruly yachtsmen.
In local news, tonight is the Eldridge Moonlight Chase four mile run. Good weather for the runners. Not even tempted.
33 out on the McCausland route this afternoon. It was a due West cross wind that I have determined is about the best wind to deal with on my normal routes, if you have to have wind. Maybe DeWitt for breakfast tomorrow. I have been trying to figure out my training schedule for the coming week. The bike will definitely be with me in Minnesota.
Hope everyone enjoys the weekend.
Be careful out there.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Friday
3 is back in C-town. We talked to her before noon today. Details to follow, we hope.
2 and 4 remain in Rome for another day. 4 has another entry on her blog.
I did a ride this AM, maybe the best conditions of the year. No wind. Little traffic. Just the 16 miler around DCC. It was so good that I may go for a replay on Saturday AM.
I had forgotten to mention that business about the Pope stating that non-Catholics had salvation problems, as 4 stated. You wonder what these guys are thinking.
Margret is out today.
We're heading out early today. More here tomorrow.
BCOT
2 and 4 remain in Rome for another day. 4 has another entry on her blog.
I did a ride this AM, maybe the best conditions of the year. No wind. Little traffic. Just the 16 miler around DCC. It was so good that I may go for a replay on Saturday AM.
I had forgotten to mention that business about the Pope stating that non-Catholics had salvation problems, as 4 stated. You wonder what these guys are thinking.
Margret is out today.
We're heading out early today. More here tomorrow.
BCOT
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Thursday
The Girls in Europe made it to Pisa and Rome. 3 had a long day ahead of her with her final destination being London.
Another great day here. The forecast of "possible rain showers" never developed. Busy here in the office, and my ride this evening will be shorter and later than originally planned.
Congrats to Trisha and John in the Great Northwest. Twin girls!
Dan Patrick has announced his departure from ESPN. I think that he has figured out that he has options, and he's going to take his time to decide where he can best meet his personal and professional goals. To an extent, he comes across to me as a guy who thinks he knows more stuff than his audience, and that he matters. He's been a long-time bosom buddy of Kieth Obermann, and Obermann has taken his shstick into the mainstream news area. I'm not saying that Patrick is jealous of Obermann, but I think he sees a friend who has taken his act a little further afield in a successful manner. Why not himself?
I was tempted to call in a contribution yesterday to the Jimmy V Foundation. ESPN Radio was broadcasting information all day on an auction that was being held in conjunction with The Espy Awards which were handed out last night (the show was taped for showing this coming Sunday). I elected not to do so, mostly because I was in my car and I didn't like the idea of giving my credit card number out over a cell phone. I checked the ESPN and Jimmy V Foundation websites today, and have still not made a contribution, although I may do so in the future.
My philosophical concern is on how much of the charity's income goes to it's donative intent. It's the same question that I have for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and NASCAR's Victory Junction Camp. The whole problem is that when an organization gets to a bigger size, to keep growing, they need to spend money on their own bureaucracy, which means some dollars never make it directly to fighting cancer. My guess is that anything above 80% is pretty good.
There were another couple of examples in recent news of the predatory nature of our media. A Louisiana Senator got busted for being on the list of a Washington madam, and he immediately became the opening joke on late-night TV. A more edgy item involved a Chicago TV reporter (who is an Iowa grad and did time at a CR station) who was caught on video, in a bikini top, and with her kids, at the home of the "person of interest" husband in a high profile wife disappearance case that she was investigating for her station. The bikini top sold the story and it has been an inferno in Chicago.
My pal Bill is headed down to the Lake of the Ozarks for a long weekend. I could use a long weekend myself.
My pal Roy and I had dinner last night at Exotic Thai. He was on his own for the evening and needed company. We then dropped by Crow Valley to chat up a couple of business friends. We're working a deal to sell one of his companies and the buyers are trying to renegotiate the price. Not nice. One of the bartenderess's was a cute girl whom I overheard mentioning that she went to Creighton. I asked her about that, and it turns out she had recognized me as 2 and 3's Dad. She knew 3's friend Kristen, and I then put one and one together to conclude that I was talking to the former gal pal of one Michael K.
Hope The Travelers are all ok.
Be careful out there.
Another great day here. The forecast of "possible rain showers" never developed. Busy here in the office, and my ride this evening will be shorter and later than originally planned.
Congrats to Trisha and John in the Great Northwest. Twin girls!
Dan Patrick has announced his departure from ESPN. I think that he has figured out that he has options, and he's going to take his time to decide where he can best meet his personal and professional goals. To an extent, he comes across to me as a guy who thinks he knows more stuff than his audience, and that he matters. He's been a long-time bosom buddy of Kieth Obermann, and Obermann has taken his shstick into the mainstream news area. I'm not saying that Patrick is jealous of Obermann, but I think he sees a friend who has taken his act a little further afield in a successful manner. Why not himself?
I was tempted to call in a contribution yesterday to the Jimmy V Foundation. ESPN Radio was broadcasting information all day on an auction that was being held in conjunction with The Espy Awards which were handed out last night (the show was taped for showing this coming Sunday). I elected not to do so, mostly because I was in my car and I didn't like the idea of giving my credit card number out over a cell phone. I checked the ESPN and Jimmy V Foundation websites today, and have still not made a contribution, although I may do so in the future.
My philosophical concern is on how much of the charity's income goes to it's donative intent. It's the same question that I have for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and NASCAR's Victory Junction Camp. The whole problem is that when an organization gets to a bigger size, to keep growing, they need to spend money on their own bureaucracy, which means some dollars never make it directly to fighting cancer. My guess is that anything above 80% is pretty good.
There were another couple of examples in recent news of the predatory nature of our media. A Louisiana Senator got busted for being on the list of a Washington madam, and he immediately became the opening joke on late-night TV. A more edgy item involved a Chicago TV reporter (who is an Iowa grad and did time at a CR station) who was caught on video, in a bikini top, and with her kids, at the home of the "person of interest" husband in a high profile wife disappearance case that she was investigating for her station. The bikini top sold the story and it has been an inferno in Chicago.
My pal Bill is headed down to the Lake of the Ozarks for a long weekend. I could use a long weekend myself.
My pal Roy and I had dinner last night at Exotic Thai. He was on his own for the evening and needed company. We then dropped by Crow Valley to chat up a couple of business friends. We're working a deal to sell one of his companies and the buyers are trying to renegotiate the price. Not nice. One of the bartenderess's was a cute girl whom I overheard mentioning that she went to Creighton. I asked her about that, and it turns out she had recognized me as 2 and 3's Dad. She knew 3's friend Kristen, and I then put one and one together to conclude that I was talking to the former gal pal of one Michael K.
Hope The Travelers are all ok.
Be careful out there.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Wednesday
4 had a very entertaining post today from Florence. www.trackingkch.blogspot.com She and 2 head to Rome tomorrow, and 3 begins her journey home from Pisa. 3 stops overnight in London, and then to C-town.
It's been a Top Ten day here today. Maybe 80 with no humidity. Lunch on the church steps at Golick's.
More later.
BCOT
It's been a Top Ten day here today. Maybe 80 with no humidity. Lunch on the church steps at Golick's.
More later.
BCOT
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Tuesday
The Road Show reported in from Florence. No casualties.
Major League Baseball's All-Star game is tonight in SF. It is impossible to pick up a paper, watch a TV baseball program, listen to a sports radio show, or view a sports Internet site without being deluged by Barry Bonds stories. The "Big Debate" is whether Bonds improved his home run prowess by taking steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. The media is just absolutely fixated on that story, particularly now that Bonds will likely soon break Hank Aaron's all-time home run record.
The story basically bores me. I've never been a Bonds fan, and he is kind of the anti-example of fan friendliness, for the better of the game, and other altruistic elements. He is definitely not in that small group of people whom I would walk across the street to meet. I still like baseball, but I rarely will go out of my way to make sure that I can catch a game on the tube. I look more forward to the College WS than I do any of the regular season major league games. Of course, Erin does most of those games...:)
The Yellow Jersey made a big statement today by winning a long, mostly boring stage in Northern France. The peloton let a small break stay away for most of the day, and only a desperate push in the last few miles brought the race together in the last kilometer. With perfect timing, Cancellarra burst from the pack and unexpectedly stole the win. It was a case of him not needing the stage win to keep in yellow, but of him wanting to let the other riders know who was the boss. Cool.
The world is in order. My Russian cleaning lady is back!
I know a few of the guys who ponied up $3500 or so to play in tomorrow's Pro-Am Day at the Deere Classic. For their money, they get a few tickets to the tournament, some parking passes, and a long, painful round of golf with three other duffers and one pro whom they may never have heard of before. And some souvenir photos on the first tee. What a deal.
I need to get to the homestead. Lawn duty tonight. Maybe a short spin around DCC to stretch the legs.
BCOT.
Major League Baseball's All-Star game is tonight in SF. It is impossible to pick up a paper, watch a TV baseball program, listen to a sports radio show, or view a sports Internet site without being deluged by Barry Bonds stories. The "Big Debate" is whether Bonds improved his home run prowess by taking steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. The media is just absolutely fixated on that story, particularly now that Bonds will likely soon break Hank Aaron's all-time home run record.
The story basically bores me. I've never been a Bonds fan, and he is kind of the anti-example of fan friendliness, for the better of the game, and other altruistic elements. He is definitely not in that small group of people whom I would walk across the street to meet. I still like baseball, but I rarely will go out of my way to make sure that I can catch a game on the tube. I look more forward to the College WS than I do any of the regular season major league games. Of course, Erin does most of those games...:)
The Yellow Jersey made a big statement today by winning a long, mostly boring stage in Northern France. The peloton let a small break stay away for most of the day, and only a desperate push in the last few miles brought the race together in the last kilometer. With perfect timing, Cancellarra burst from the pack and unexpectedly stole the win. It was a case of him not needing the stage win to keep in yellow, but of him wanting to let the other riders know who was the boss. Cool.
The world is in order. My Russian cleaning lady is back!
I know a few of the guys who ponied up $3500 or so to play in tomorrow's Pro-Am Day at the Deere Classic. For their money, they get a few tickets to the tournament, some parking passes, and a long, painful round of golf with three other duffers and one pro whom they may never have heard of before. And some souvenir photos on the first tee. What a deal.
I need to get to the homestead. Lawn duty tonight. Maybe a short spin around DCC to stretch the legs.
BCOT.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Monday
Computers in some parts of Europe seem to be hard to find. All's been quiet on that front.
There was a big crash near the end of today's 2nd stage of the TdF. It happened near the front of the peloton and left only a couple dozen riders to contest the finish. Since it happened within three clicks of the finish, there was no time lost by anyone, but there were some injuries, including a fractured thumb to one of Discovery's sprinter/domestiques (and he is now done for the Tour). The first week of the Tour can be very sketchy as the sprinters try to grab headlines while they can before the roads turn up. The Bigger Picture guys (known as "the GC riders", as in, General Classification) mainly try to stay out of harm's way on these days.
A little bit of controversy at the NASCAR race on Saturday night in Daytona. The second place finisher, Kyle Busch, is the Hendrick driver who is getting the boot at the end of the season to clear space for Junior. He complained afterwards that the 24, 48 and 25, all current teammates, did nothing to help him get to the checkers even though he had the best car. He may have been right. But his public airing of his gripes about that race is an example of the kind of immaturity that likely lead to his release. Everybody knows that he can get a car down the road. But, like his older brother, it's often, "Ready, Fire, Aim."
This is the week of the John Deere Classic, the PGA tournament that is hosted on a course on the Illinois side here in the Quad Cities. Typically, they get only a couple of the true headliner players, but the event is well-supported in the community and Deere has given a multi-year commitment as the title-sponsor. I usually don't go over as I like to avoid the crowds, but my pal Pete will likely want to visit the music tent one evening. We'll see.
One of my local acquaintances started the concept of "Birdies for Charity" at this tournament 10-12 years ago when he was on the event's volunteer Board of Directors. Birdies for Charity is a fund-raising idea tied to the number of birdies made by all golfers over the four days of the tournament. Charitable organizations go out and solicit pledges from individuals and businesses for per-birdie contributions. People often give a nickle or dime per birdie, and they get a bill in the mail once the tournament is over and total birdies have been calculated. It may have started slow, but now dozens, if not hundreds, of local charities participate.
Birdies for Charity became so successful that other PGA events elected to copy the concept. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. My acquaintance gave out free advice to these other tournaments, and actually went down to Houston to help with the implementation of Birdies for Charity at their event. In another example of the curious twists in this screenplay that we call life, the chair for Houston's new Birdies for Charity committee was a single gal who, after a long-distance romance of a couple of years, is now married to my acquaintance.
It might be interesting to spend a little time evaluating the charitable aspects of the different major sporting organizations. There is a lot of money spent by the NBA, NFL and other pro sports on the "giving back" orientation of their organizations. It seems like every athlete who has signed a big contract has established his/her charitable foundation or the like. There have been stories about how some of these foundations never did any gifting, but rather served as straw men for family and friends.
Not all PGA golf tournaments are financially healthy. If they don't have a major corporate sponsor, they may not be able to keep the tournament alive. But if they do have solid finances, they can do a lot for their communities. It's an interesting dynamic. You need to be profitable to keep the tournament going. And if you are profitable, you have more money to give away.
It's kind of like parents and kids. But that's a different story.
Have a good evening (morning or day for those Over There).
Be careful out there.
There was a big crash near the end of today's 2nd stage of the TdF. It happened near the front of the peloton and left only a couple dozen riders to contest the finish. Since it happened within three clicks of the finish, there was no time lost by anyone, but there were some injuries, including a fractured thumb to one of Discovery's sprinter/domestiques (and he is now done for the Tour). The first week of the Tour can be very sketchy as the sprinters try to grab headlines while they can before the roads turn up. The Bigger Picture guys (known as "the GC riders", as in, General Classification) mainly try to stay out of harm's way on these days.
A little bit of controversy at the NASCAR race on Saturday night in Daytona. The second place finisher, Kyle Busch, is the Hendrick driver who is getting the boot at the end of the season to clear space for Junior. He complained afterwards that the 24, 48 and 25, all current teammates, did nothing to help him get to the checkers even though he had the best car. He may have been right. But his public airing of his gripes about that race is an example of the kind of immaturity that likely lead to his release. Everybody knows that he can get a car down the road. But, like his older brother, it's often, "Ready, Fire, Aim."
This is the week of the John Deere Classic, the PGA tournament that is hosted on a course on the Illinois side here in the Quad Cities. Typically, they get only a couple of the true headliner players, but the event is well-supported in the community and Deere has given a multi-year commitment as the title-sponsor. I usually don't go over as I like to avoid the crowds, but my pal Pete will likely want to visit the music tent one evening. We'll see.
One of my local acquaintances started the concept of "Birdies for Charity" at this tournament 10-12 years ago when he was on the event's volunteer Board of Directors. Birdies for Charity is a fund-raising idea tied to the number of birdies made by all golfers over the four days of the tournament. Charitable organizations go out and solicit pledges from individuals and businesses for per-birdie contributions. People often give a nickle or dime per birdie, and they get a bill in the mail once the tournament is over and total birdies have been calculated. It may have started slow, but now dozens, if not hundreds, of local charities participate.
Birdies for Charity became so successful that other PGA events elected to copy the concept. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. My acquaintance gave out free advice to these other tournaments, and actually went down to Houston to help with the implementation of Birdies for Charity at their event. In another example of the curious twists in this screenplay that we call life, the chair for Houston's new Birdies for Charity committee was a single gal who, after a long-distance romance of a couple of years, is now married to my acquaintance.
It might be interesting to spend a little time evaluating the charitable aspects of the different major sporting organizations. There is a lot of money spent by the NBA, NFL and other pro sports on the "giving back" orientation of their organizations. It seems like every athlete who has signed a big contract has established his/her charitable foundation or the like. There have been stories about how some of these foundations never did any gifting, but rather served as straw men for family and friends.
Not all PGA golf tournaments are financially healthy. If they don't have a major corporate sponsor, they may not be able to keep the tournament alive. But if they do have solid finances, they can do a lot for their communities. It's an interesting dynamic. You need to be profitable to keep the tournament going. And if you are profitable, you have more money to give away.
It's kind of like parents and kids. But that's a different story.
Have a good evening (morning or day for those Over There).
Be careful out there.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Sunday
Just checking in. Quiet from the Old Country for a couple of days.
I did 38 early this morning before the heat. But it was a little longer, and further North, than I had planned, and the trip home included the last 15 or so dead into a 10-12 mph Southerly breeze. Not fun. I also had my first incident of minor road-rage for the Summer from a frustrated pick-up driver. As though I was keeping him from his destination at 6:45AM.
Here's a little news. There's a channel on the satellite called RFDTV. Guess what it's about? I got hooked on a segment the other night as they went through the science of properly filling a ground silo.
For those with the interest, VS. channel (#151 on the dish) is carrying the Tour, somewhat live in the AM, and then package on tape in the evening.
Less than two weeks for 1.
My high school 40th year class reunion is the same weekend as the wedding. Maybe I'll make the fiftieth.
Have a great week.
BCOT
I did 38 early this morning before the heat. But it was a little longer, and further North, than I had planned, and the trip home included the last 15 or so dead into a 10-12 mph Southerly breeze. Not fun. I also had my first incident of minor road-rage for the Summer from a frustrated pick-up driver. As though I was keeping him from his destination at 6:45AM.
Here's a little news. There's a channel on the satellite called RFDTV. Guess what it's about? I got hooked on a segment the other night as they went through the science of properly filling a ground silo.
For those with the interest, VS. channel (#151 on the dish) is carrying the Tour, somewhat live in the AM, and then package on tape in the evening.
Less than two weeks for 1.
My high school 40th year class reunion is the same weekend as the wedding. Maybe I'll make the fiftieth.
Have a great week.
BCOT
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Saturday
The TdF is underway.
I have no big plans for the day or the weekend. Biking later and then some domestic things. It's supposed to be in the 90's and humid. Welcome to Summer. I've had to turn on the air at my house.
In her column today, Ellen Goodman lashed out at Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, an arch-conservative and the only African-American on the high court. Justice Thomas had a very controversial approval hearing when he was appointed in the early '90's. Democrats on the Senate judiciary committee that conducted the hearings leaked information to the press surrounding sexual harassment claims of a former assistant named Anita Hill. He was approved by a narrow margin, but remains a lightening rod for critics of the overall Conservative drift of the Court. It is doubtful if a Caucasian could have withstood the rancor that permeated the Thomas hearings.
Several recent decisions from the Court have been seized upon by the media as concrete evidence that the Bush appointments of Roberts and Alito have shifted the judiciary's bias to the Right. Since most of the mainstream media carry their own bias to the Left, this shift is decried as a further erosion of the rights of the Common Man (or Woman). While some of the decisions can raise blood pressure on their own merits, I think most of the fear on the Left is that there will be a reversal of Roe v. Wade.
There's also been a lot of outcry these days for the Libby commutation. Bill and Hillary even called into a talk show at WHO in Des Moines when they were in Iowa campaigning this week to add their outrage to the cacophony. This is the ultimate of the Pot calling the Kettle black.
For the first time in my immediate family's history, I feel a bit isolated from the girls. With 1 five hours away, and the other three now an ocean and several time zones away, it's a little lonely.
Here's an example of applying rules to the detriment of the what's right. Qualifying for tonight's Pepsi 400 NASCAR race at Daytona was rained out after 40 of 54 cars had completed their attempts. Rather than take another hour this morning to allow the other cars to finish the process, NASCAR applied the standard rule of setting the line-up by year-to-date driver/owner standings. This had the result of sending a handful of cars home that had actually qualified pretty high, including the guy who was on the provisional pole.
This action from the same organization that has recently made up rules on the fly to penalize teams who've been messn' with small body modifications on the new COT (Car of Tomorrow). The 24 was about 30th on time, but is starting first because of points. It ain't right. And I'm a 24 fan.
There was an accident yesterday morning on I-80 near IC with a Suburban carrying Pleasant Valley HS softball players on their way to games in DM. A tire blew out and sent the vehicle across the median and into on-coming traffic. Coach Amy was able to steer back into the grass median, but the van flipped in the process. All but one girl were properly seat-belted, but that girl was thrown from the vehicle. No major injuries. Lucky, lucky kids. (How long will it take for an attorney to look at responsibility for the kid who wasn't in her seat belt?)
All from here. Have a great weekend.
Be careful out there.
I have no big plans for the day or the weekend. Biking later and then some domestic things. It's supposed to be in the 90's and humid. Welcome to Summer. I've had to turn on the air at my house.
In her column today, Ellen Goodman lashed out at Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, an arch-conservative and the only African-American on the high court. Justice Thomas had a very controversial approval hearing when he was appointed in the early '90's. Democrats on the Senate judiciary committee that conducted the hearings leaked information to the press surrounding sexual harassment claims of a former assistant named Anita Hill. He was approved by a narrow margin, but remains a lightening rod for critics of the overall Conservative drift of the Court. It is doubtful if a Caucasian could have withstood the rancor that permeated the Thomas hearings.
Several recent decisions from the Court have been seized upon by the media as concrete evidence that the Bush appointments of Roberts and Alito have shifted the judiciary's bias to the Right. Since most of the mainstream media carry their own bias to the Left, this shift is decried as a further erosion of the rights of the Common Man (or Woman). While some of the decisions can raise blood pressure on their own merits, I think most of the fear on the Left is that there will be a reversal of Roe v. Wade.
There's also been a lot of outcry these days for the Libby commutation. Bill and Hillary even called into a talk show at WHO in Des Moines when they were in Iowa campaigning this week to add their outrage to the cacophony. This is the ultimate of the Pot calling the Kettle black.
For the first time in my immediate family's history, I feel a bit isolated from the girls. With 1 five hours away, and the other three now an ocean and several time zones away, it's a little lonely.
Here's an example of applying rules to the detriment of the what's right. Qualifying for tonight's Pepsi 400 NASCAR race at Daytona was rained out after 40 of 54 cars had completed their attempts. Rather than take another hour this morning to allow the other cars to finish the process, NASCAR applied the standard rule of setting the line-up by year-to-date driver/owner standings. This had the result of sending a handful of cars home that had actually qualified pretty high, including the guy who was on the provisional pole.
This action from the same organization that has recently made up rules on the fly to penalize teams who've been messn' with small body modifications on the new COT (Car of Tomorrow). The 24 was about 30th on time, but is starting first because of points. It ain't right. And I'm a 24 fan.
There was an accident yesterday morning on I-80 near IC with a Suburban carrying Pleasant Valley HS softball players on their way to games in DM. A tire blew out and sent the vehicle across the median and into on-coming traffic. Coach Amy was able to steer back into the grass median, but the van flipped in the process. All but one girl were properly seat-belted, but that girl was thrown from the vehicle. No major injuries. Lucky, lucky kids. (How long will it take for an attorney to look at responsibility for the kid who wasn't in her seat belt?)
All from here. Have a great weekend.
Be careful out there.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Thursday
Communication from Europe has improved. Sounds like a good trip so far. Now Berlin.
We had big rain early yesterday morning and the local creeks were all out of their banks. 3-5 inches throughout the area. Enough to kick my sump pump into frequent operation. But most of the holiday festivities went on with only minor problems. Lots of standing water in low places.
The TdF starts in London on Saturday. The first day of all the Grand Tours is a "Prologue", which is usually a fairly short, less than 10k, individual time trial. Saturday's is just short of 8k and ends at Buckingham Palace. The winner of that race wears the yellow jersey when the race starts the next day. The lead is usually just a couple of seconds, but the way the Tour works in the first week, that few second lead will often stand up for several stages.
The big news on the Tour this year is doping, doping, doping. I was in a conversation with someone today about why this seems to be such a big problem for cycling, and I think that much of it is the lack of centralized authority in the sport. The organizers of the three major Tours, Italy, France and Spain, are always at odds with the relatively newly organized Pro Tour people, and the cyclists themselves have their own union. Add in the provincialism that exists between countries and there are lots of moving parts looking for positions of authority.
I want to say that pro teams in the USA in say, the NBA or NASCAR, have the teams firmly under control, and they certainly have strong enforcement policies. But you have that cheatn' thing in NASCAR.
Europe also has cycling media vultures which don't really exist to the same degree in the US because pro cycling is a non-event here. Since cycling is so important in Europe (like soccer), there is a lot more interest in digging the dirt on the riders. It sells papers.
Speaking of sports media vultures, I have noticed this week that the mid-week falling of the 4th has caused numerous substitutions for the regular show hosts on ESPN and FSN radio. What is shocking to me is that these substitute hosts are so bad that they make the schleps for whom they are pinch-hitting look legitimate. Boy, is that tough to swallow.
Even Craig Wilson gets the week off? I mean, USA Today isn't published on the 4th, and he wasn't in today's paper. Maybe he hadn't had the chance to read my earlier stuff to author a piece this week.
My ride yesterday was too long. 41 miles. I had intended to do 25-30, but got caught by a detour on Utica Ridge, and my choice around the detour wasn't too bright. It was hot and windy, and not much fun.
The choice of wine for the wedding is a work in progress. I need to have another chat with the caterer. One of the whites (the pinot grigio) is ok, but the chardonnay failed the taste test. More on this tomorrow. The great part of buying wine at a restaurant is that you get to pay about three times the price that the same exact bottle costs at Hy Vee. Pretty soon, you'll have people selling bottled water.
Bill and Hillary were in Iowa campaigning for four days. Somehow, I missed them.
Have a great evening. (Or "day", depending on when you might be reading this!)
Be careful out there.
We had big rain early yesterday morning and the local creeks were all out of their banks. 3-5 inches throughout the area. Enough to kick my sump pump into frequent operation. But most of the holiday festivities went on with only minor problems. Lots of standing water in low places.
The TdF starts in London on Saturday. The first day of all the Grand Tours is a "Prologue", which is usually a fairly short, less than 10k, individual time trial. Saturday's is just short of 8k and ends at Buckingham Palace. The winner of that race wears the yellow jersey when the race starts the next day. The lead is usually just a couple of seconds, but the way the Tour works in the first week, that few second lead will often stand up for several stages.
The big news on the Tour this year is doping, doping, doping. I was in a conversation with someone today about why this seems to be such a big problem for cycling, and I think that much of it is the lack of centralized authority in the sport. The organizers of the three major Tours, Italy, France and Spain, are always at odds with the relatively newly organized Pro Tour people, and the cyclists themselves have their own union. Add in the provincialism that exists between countries and there are lots of moving parts looking for positions of authority.
I want to say that pro teams in the USA in say, the NBA or NASCAR, have the teams firmly under control, and they certainly have strong enforcement policies. But you have that cheatn' thing in NASCAR.
Europe also has cycling media vultures which don't really exist to the same degree in the US because pro cycling is a non-event here. Since cycling is so important in Europe (like soccer), there is a lot more interest in digging the dirt on the riders. It sells papers.
Speaking of sports media vultures, I have noticed this week that the mid-week falling of the 4th has caused numerous substitutions for the regular show hosts on ESPN and FSN radio. What is shocking to me is that these substitute hosts are so bad that they make the schleps for whom they are pinch-hitting look legitimate. Boy, is that tough to swallow.
Even Craig Wilson gets the week off? I mean, USA Today isn't published on the 4th, and he wasn't in today's paper. Maybe he hadn't had the chance to read my earlier stuff to author a piece this week.
My ride yesterday was too long. 41 miles. I had intended to do 25-30, but got caught by a detour on Utica Ridge, and my choice around the detour wasn't too bright. It was hot and windy, and not much fun.
The choice of wine for the wedding is a work in progress. I need to have another chat with the caterer. One of the whites (the pinot grigio) is ok, but the chardonnay failed the taste test. More on this tomorrow. The great part of buying wine at a restaurant is that you get to pay about three times the price that the same exact bottle costs at Hy Vee. Pretty soon, you'll have people selling bottled water.
Bill and Hillary were in Iowa campaigning for four days. Somehow, I missed them.
Have a great evening. (Or "day", depending on when you might be reading this!)
Be careful out there.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Wednesday
I received a brief email from 3 this AM. Sounds like they had a good first day on their tour of Paris.
Happy 4th to all.
BCOT
Happy 4th to all.
BCOT
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Tuesday PM
We have yet to receive news today from across the pond.
The trip to see 1 was brief, but enjoyable. We did Sunday dinner at a sports bar near my hotel, and then had the meeting on Monday AM with the reception caterer. The reception place is very nice and should fit our needs without exception.
The wedding hotel is also a nice place. It has the key component to an H clan gathering: a nice bar. Good location. Minutes from the reception site. Minutes from the airport and the Mall of America.
My drive home was a little exciting. A plastic cowling under the front bumper came loose while I was barreling down the road and scared the bejesus out of me. Luckily, I was near an exit, and then near a GM dealer where I was able to get the thing riveted back on in short order. The failure actually traces it's way back to last year's Twin Cities marathon when I was run up onto a center curb by a gal who was clueless at the time. That incident cracked some of the plastic around the front driver's side wheel well and, I think, some of this cowling. In any event, I lost an hour or so of drive time, and $75, but it could have been worse.
Another little item of excitement on the trip was my inadvertent conversion to the metric system on my instrumentation. After my fill-up in southern Minnesota, I decided that I would check my gas mileage on that tank, so I worked the digital keys on the dash to get a trip-odometer to zero, and took off down the road. As I got up to speed and readied to set the cruise control, I looked at the odometer and it said 125! Oops! Obviously, I had hit an extra click on the dial and had changed the readings from mph to kph. And I couldn't go back unless the gear shift was in "Park".
So I spent the last hour on the interstate constantly running the kph to mph conversion in my mind. Then when I stopped at the hotel, I forgot all about it and had the same disconnect when I fired up the car on Monday morning. I made the fix before heading back to Iowa, but it was a little interesting in the meantime.
My pal Pete called me around 8 last night, after I had arrived home and had a bite to eat, and we met up at Gov's for a cocktail, he by bike, and me by Margret. Several familiar faces there, including 4's friend Ashley from Northwestern. I spoke with her briefly as we left, and complimented her on her ESPN screen time last month when NW was at the college World Series.
It was great to return to my bed. The hotel accommodations were nice, but left me a little achy. Those aches were compounded by too much drive time.
So I'm headed out to put on some mileage. My delayed arrival home last night has me down on the weekly mileage.
Be careful out there.
The trip to see 1 was brief, but enjoyable. We did Sunday dinner at a sports bar near my hotel, and then had the meeting on Monday AM with the reception caterer. The reception place is very nice and should fit our needs without exception.
The wedding hotel is also a nice place. It has the key component to an H clan gathering: a nice bar. Good location. Minutes from the reception site. Minutes from the airport and the Mall of America.
My drive home was a little exciting. A plastic cowling under the front bumper came loose while I was barreling down the road and scared the bejesus out of me. Luckily, I was near an exit, and then near a GM dealer where I was able to get the thing riveted back on in short order. The failure actually traces it's way back to last year's Twin Cities marathon when I was run up onto a center curb by a gal who was clueless at the time. That incident cracked some of the plastic around the front driver's side wheel well and, I think, some of this cowling. In any event, I lost an hour or so of drive time, and $75, but it could have been worse.
Another little item of excitement on the trip was my inadvertent conversion to the metric system on my instrumentation. After my fill-up in southern Minnesota, I decided that I would check my gas mileage on that tank, so I worked the digital keys on the dash to get a trip-odometer to zero, and took off down the road. As I got up to speed and readied to set the cruise control, I looked at the odometer and it said 125! Oops! Obviously, I had hit an extra click on the dial and had changed the readings from mph to kph. And I couldn't go back unless the gear shift was in "Park".
So I spent the last hour on the interstate constantly running the kph to mph conversion in my mind. Then when I stopped at the hotel, I forgot all about it and had the same disconnect when I fired up the car on Monday morning. I made the fix before heading back to Iowa, but it was a little interesting in the meantime.
My pal Pete called me around 8 last night, after I had arrived home and had a bite to eat, and we met up at Gov's for a cocktail, he by bike, and me by Margret. Several familiar faces there, including 4's friend Ashley from Northwestern. I spoke with her briefly as we left, and complimented her on her ESPN screen time last month when NW was at the college World Series.
It was great to return to my bed. The hotel accommodations were nice, but left me a little achy. Those aches were compounded by too much drive time.
So I'm headed out to put on some mileage. My delayed arrival home last night has me down on the weekly mileage.
Be careful out there.
Tuesday
2,3, and 4 have connected in gay Paree. We'll be anxious to hear the travel stories as it was a long day Sunday/Monday for them to meet up.
My trip North was a success. More on that later.
BCOT
My trip North was a success. More on that later.
BCOT
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Sunday
Just a few lines today.
I'm headed North to spend the evening with 1 and to meet with the reception people in the AM. Back tomorrow evening.
Just talked with 2 in Oklahoma. She's awaiting the first leg of her flight to Paris. Mom headed back in to C-town with 3 late this AM for 3's departure later this evening. And we talked with 4 in Madrid as she awaits her train for Paris.
I guess you could say that the fam has a lot of moving parts today.
I worked the Kid's Triathlon in Bettendorf last night. A fun event. They must have had around 150 kids ages 7-14. Lots of volunteers. I have some ideas on how to improve the flow in and out of the transition area next year.
Adult beverages on the deck at Gov's afterwards. Saw several acquaintances.
Great day here. I got out for a short ride before seeing 3 off. But my mileage is down a little from where I think I need to be, so I'll probably do a ride when I get home tomorrow. I really don't have a goal in mind right now. But if I don't push the conditioning a little, I won't be able to do a longer ride if I find one that looks interesting.
Enjoy the day.
Be careful out there.
I'm headed North to spend the evening with 1 and to meet with the reception people in the AM. Back tomorrow evening.
Just talked with 2 in Oklahoma. She's awaiting the first leg of her flight to Paris. Mom headed back in to C-town with 3 late this AM for 3's departure later this evening. And we talked with 4 in Madrid as she awaits her train for Paris.
I guess you could say that the fam has a lot of moving parts today.
I worked the Kid's Triathlon in Bettendorf last night. A fun event. They must have had around 150 kids ages 7-14. Lots of volunteers. I have some ideas on how to improve the flow in and out of the transition area next year.
Adult beverages on the deck at Gov's afterwards. Saw several acquaintances.
Great day here. I got out for a short ride before seeing 3 off. But my mileage is down a little from where I think I need to be, so I'll probably do a ride when I get home tomorrow. I really don't have a goal in mind right now. But if I don't push the conditioning a little, I won't be able to do a longer ride if I find one that looks interesting.
Enjoy the day.
Be careful out there.
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