4000 Days: Wednesday

Rainy day in the QCA.

I'm making @bcbison Pal of the Day. His office staff through a little birthday party for him last night. It was one of those "big" birthdays.   The specifically designed cake was a nice touch. The cycling shot was taken on Saturday in Galena. I had a two-man pic taken as we were leaving. We've put in some solid miles together over the years. Some of them on the bikes.

A Top Ten list of Pete and myself, sanitized for public consumption:

1. Mt Rose bike climb, July 2012.   He glided up like a champ. The Lt. had a death march.
2. Decorah to Manchester on RAGBRAI, circa 2004. Worst single day of cycling in my life. Heat, hills, headwind. Previous late night "preparations" not a help.
3. Alamo Dome, San Antonio, Texas.   Midwest regionals. Iowa State-UCLA. 1997. Can't believe that that trip was that long ago! My first visit to the River Walk.
4. Des Moines in the mid '80's with our pal Jake. The Waveland Tap was walking distance to Jake's condo.

5. DeWitt Sunday morning breakfast rides. 2005 to current. Americana on wheels.
6. Augustana basketball. 2004-2010 when his boys were on the teams. And some even now. Even a few "away" games. Very cool.
7. Gov's deck in Bettendorf on Summer nights. Still a treat.
8. Lots of college and pro games. Iowa City. Ames. KC. Chicago. Never a bad time.
9. Joint client work for 30+ years. I wouldn't be where I am without his referrals.

10. MCSC charter member. Before there was a MCSC.

Moving on...

When 3 texted me this pic of her and Aunt Margaret last week, I responded with the selfie of me with Margret the car, saying that I was also with Aunt Margaret's namesake. I thought later that my statement was slightly incomplete because I was actually with Aunt Margaret's and 3's namesake, give 3's middle name.

The attack ads on TV for the general election have already started. Its depressing. Kinda like Christmas ads in August. There was one on last night against the Iowa Republican gal who has the nomination for the Senate. The ad just took every left-of-center talking point and slimed the gal with generalities. Her relative easy win last week must have struck an out-of-balance chord with the people who had anticipated an inevitable election of Democratic Congressman Bruce Braley to assume the Harken Chair. Now we know what we have to look forward to over the next 5 months. Yuck!

I'm silently rooting for the Spurs in the NBA finals. I'm really not much of an NBA fan, but the Spurs don't seem to be made out of the typical me-first boosterism that permeates most NBA teams. Winning against Lebron won't be easy.