Saturday

The week certainly got away from me. 

First off, let's give Lady Liberty her due.  It is the 4th of July.  Mid-year.  What happened to the first half?  Most of these three-day holiday weekends use the Monday for the extra day.  Friday as the off-day is harder to adjust to.  I spent most of Thursday thinking that it was Friday, and today definitely has the feel of Sunday.  Whatever.

Speaking of the 4th, is there a singer out there more identified with a single song than Lee Greenwood and God Bless the USA?  (Jim Nabors and Back Home in Indiana really doesn't count if you aren't an Indy 500 fan.)  I suppose Billy Ray Cyrus and Achy Breaky Heart...but who doesn't hate that song?

This is also the start-day for this year's TdF.  As what has become a bit of an annual viewer-grab, the Tour isn't starting in France...Utrecht in The Netherlands.  Never heard of the place.  Today's offering is a short individual time trial...called a prologue.  Serious racing starts tomorrow.  They've already had one rider accused of a drug problem.  As you can see from the map, they really don't see all that much of France this year.

(The original route had the Galibier (the hill I climbed on my first trip to Italy/France in 2009 with 2) included on the last mountain stage...which still has Le Alpe d'Huez...but there was something about one of the tunnels not being safe, so they had to re-route the stage.)

It has been minorly strange these last couple of days not having The Winniferous in residence on Maplecrest.  After a week, I had become used to the routine of getting her out on the walks, and of having her in my face any time I pulled something out to eat.  Being back in control of my homestead is good.  No way will there be a dog in my future.

The BEATER is back in the shop.  Water pump.  Each of these little repairs is a nuisance, but not quite enough to pull the plug.  But the recurring nuisances are collectively beginning to edge me closer to a change.  I like a back-up.  But it needs to be less of a hassle.

I forgot my iPad at the office yesterday afternoon when we left for the day.  I had thought I might do a blog entry from home late in the afternoon before I noticed it not being with me.  But with my time occupied by that first bike ride and the Friday puzzle, I found that the iPad was not worth the trip back to pick it up.  It makes you wonder about the electronic dependency that seems to grab us all.

All for now.  I may try to get back here later today.

Make it a Good Saturday in your neighborhood.

BCOT