Sunday

Dreary Sunday in the QC. Cool. Rainy. Indoor sports for sure.

The primary reason that I am here today is that Powerball failed me again.

I rarely read The New York Times. And if it can be said grammatically, rarelier on Sundays. But with the prospect of an inside day, and no immediate big plans, I elected to buy today's edition of the NYT at SB this AM. One of my non-political biases against the NYT is that is generally so intensely thorough that it's hard to read without a strong, pre-reading mental preparedness. I prefer my news to be delivered with a little less commitment.

Every media outlet is searching for a readership. Consistent with many aspects of our culture today, most delivery systems concentrate on the headlines. Short and sweet. See USA Today, the McPaper of the 21st Century (so far). The local papers that I read follow a similar abbreviated orientation. Most Internet news pages tend to be even more high spots-oriented.

I know little about the economics of journalism, but I suspect that for the various papers owed by our local publisher, Lee Enterprises, including news in the daily paper is merely filler material between the many pages devoted to advertising. If they can locate a "Man Bites Dog" story or find some dirt on a public official, their front-page story is set.

But I digress. Back to the NYT. Today's edition was filled with detailed analysis in stories about Iraq, sub-prime credit problems, the theater, sports and a host of other topics. I think I received value for my $5 investment. I don't necessarily feel more educated. I read a lot during the week, and much of today's reading was review. Can I take a quiz and get a discount next week? At $5, I am reminded of the anecdote about the beer guzzler who, in a period of stock market decline, was actually better off drinking the brew and returning the cans for refund than he would have been if he had invested in Anheuser Busch stock.

How about this question: Is the NYT relevant to that large part of America that doesn't call New York home? I want to say that it is, but it's debatable. Is it important that we have structures in our world that are cultural-related as opposed to economic-driven? I'm pretty sure that the answer to that question is, "yes", but how do you reconcile the needs to support the liberal arts with an increasingly "stuff" driven society?

This is an interesting area of thought. Economics always count. The arts need good administrators who audited a few B-School classes on their way to the gallery/theater. The NYT simply puts the term "liberal" a little high on their adjective list for me.

Have a great day.

Be careful out there.

Saturday

I had good intentions to make a small entry yesterday, but the day got away from me and it just didn't happen. Not that Friday's tend to be that creative.

I've made a little progress on Blog II. Or Blog Revisited. Or Blog Unplugged. Choose your title.

One of the questions that any writer must face is, "Who are you writing for?" More specifically, "Are you writing for an audience, or are you writing for yourself?" It is not necessarily a question that has a simple answer. If a person has determined that writing is programmed into their DNA, then they must write to feed that need. If someone else has figured out that they can write, and that they can parlay that talent into commercial success, you could argue that that writer is reader-driven.

My original motivations for 4000 Days were, 1) to take advantage of the Internet blog to maintain connectivity with my daughters, and 2) to share with them my thoughts and opinions as we all progressed along our separate-but-connected journeys in life. I have thoroughly enjoyed that process over the last 20 months, but I have had a definite erosion in my own satisfaction of a "job well-done". And I have sensed a diminishment in interest among my six readers. (I realize that news on this page of the peloton and NASCAR are both highly anticipated, but other sites may have more details on these items.)

There's that high school commencement speech adage to recognize here; "Find something that you love, and you won't have to work a day in your life." I would argue, in a Clintonesque manner, that the veracity of that adage depends on your definition of the term work. Good writing requires effort. Writing about the days news, or relating anecdotes from the family's past, requires little creativity, and yields only modest satisfaction upon completion. I want more than that.

My current thoughts are to somehow merge in a personal way some of the concepts of information organization from a home page like Yahoo!, with the human interest appeal of various staples from the entertainment industry. I don't want to be a reconfigured Jerry Sienfeld, Matt Dillon (the sheriff!), or Charles Kuralt. But I like the fact that the things these people did, although generally very simple and basic, were good enough to have continued viewer interest years after initial presentation.

I have a good friend who would smack me around at this point and say, "Enough already!! What are you going to do?"

I'm working on it. I have notes. I'm in the structural design phase right now.

One thought is to have a daily segment entitled something like, "A Vicarious Life". I may choose a fictional character to wade through a contemporary scenario of politics, religion, science or travel. There needs to be connectivity to time and family.

Whatever. More on this tomorrow. I'll accept ideas.

In other news. 1 did 17+ today and felt good about it. I'm envious.

The Little League World Series is on. In yesterday's first game, some kid made a final-out, Top Ten leaping catch robbing a batter of a game-winning dinger. And he gets interviewed by Erin Andrews. He had a pretty good day.

The 24 is on the pole for tomorrow's race. His crew chief is back after that bogus 6 week suspension.

Have a great weekend.

Be careful out there.

Thursday

Still no vision on the new blog.

1's wedding pics are available. Lots of pics. Lots of good ones.

The stock markets remain in turmoil. It's a very interesting time.

My pal Roy just got back from his Scotland golf trip, and he's now gone to LV for the weekend. He lives a different life.

Surely somebody's life out there is more interesting than mine.

BCOT

Tuesday

No blog today.

Monday

A disclaimer to start with: this is not the new blog. Just some random catching-up on some stuff from over the last week. The idea machine for the new blog is still processing data.

I think we have had a one day break from the heat. The paper today said that it was supposed to be 100 tomorrow! My poor old AC unit at my house is working hard to keep things in the mid-'70's inside.

How hot was it in my car during the day in KC? It was so hot that toner melted off a recently copied sheet of paper onto the leather seats, and I can't get the stain out!

Discovery Cycling has pulled the plug as of the end of the year. The organization is actually Tailwind Sports, and Discovery is the current sponsor (replacing US Postal Service 3 years ago). Tailwind ran into a headwind in it's effort to replace title sponsors for next year, and with the current doping and the sport's overall governance issues, the shutdown became a business decision.

And the 24 spun out (with no help from others) while in the lead with just two laps to go yesterday at Watkins Glen. Unbelievable. That was the equivalent of Tiger four-putting on 18 to lose a tournament.

My garden is officially shut down. I'm ripping out the plants this weekend. While I was gone, the rabbit's took bites of every tomato on the vine. I hope they were sour tomatoes.

The cast remains a nuisance. Not really sore. A little achy at times. And very inconvenient.

Pro football is in full pre-season swing. Without checking the Internet, name four players on the Carolina Panthers. Who knew Carolina had a team? Who cares?

My biggest problem with the cast is that I keep hitting, unintendedly, random keys on the keyboard. I just move the middle of the last paragraph to the middle of the previous paragraph.

So I'm going home for some Tuscan red.

Where's your addition to literacy, 4?

BCOT

Sunday

The trip home from KC was uneventful. Din-din with 2 and 4 when I got back.

Another hot day here. 90+. I hate these hot days.

4 is headed back to IC today. Hard to believe that it's her third year already. I remember the stress of her sorority rush week.

Have a great day.

BCOT

Friday - KC

Hey to all.

Typical conference stuff for me. The cast makes the crosswords more challenging.

I'm still mulling ideas for the "new" 4000 Days. In the very short run, I'll continue working the old turf.

Miss you guys.

BCOT

Wednesday

This will be brief. And there may not be much added here over the next few days while I'm in KC. We'll see what the Internet facilities are at the conference.

2 came over for a glass of vino last night and we ended up talking for the better part of a couple of hours. Very enjoyable.

I have a goal to get the blog going in a slightly different direction. The car ride to and from KC may give me the time to consider the options. It needs to get more umph for both the writer and the reader.

4 can pick up the baton these next few days in my absence. She's been quiet way too long.

BCOT

Tuesday

The good news is that the cast was changed. The bad news is that the new cast is at least as big, and more unwieldy, than the original one. Hunt-n-peck is now my middle name.

USA Today carried a Page 6D review today of a historical novel about architect Frank Lloyd Wright that was written by a gal named Nancy Horan. The reviewer was pretty kind.

Congrats are in order for a new arrival in KC. Mother, child, grandparents, et. al. are doing fine.

3 is working on the 24th floor of an office building on Wacker Drive in C-town. Another lifetime ago, I worked for nearly four years on the 24th floor of different building elsewhere in The Loop. Worlds collide.

Sorry not so eloquent today. Have a great evening.

BCOT

Monday

Glad to hear from 1 on the road.

4 headed over to IC today to get a few hours in on the job this week. After a Summer of out-flow, she needs spending money.

Somewhat to 4's displeasure, I made her stop by the office on her way out of town so that I could go with her to the auto parts store to get the brake light replaced on her car. I had tried to get 3 to make the repair before the trip to Europe, to obviously no avail. And had suggested to 4 after the wedding that her friends ought to be able to get the switch made. Let's see. How many college kids does it take to swap out a brake light?

It was a 10 minute repair for us that had an out-of-pocket cash expense of $5.35. And five of the ten minutes was a do-over on one of the plastic butterfly nuts that wouldn't quite catch the screws. Even 4 recognized that we weren't doing brain surgery. And to top it off, one of the sales guys came by and asked if we wanted him to finish it up.

So the question becomes, did I fail again as a parent? A fairly simple request was made of my kids for what was a definite safety issue on the car. (Don't the cops still give out citations for defective lights on a car?) But it was low drama, with no "come hell or high water" theater. So I was essentially ignored. In the end, I fixed the problem, and no disadvantage accrued to the child. Not that I had a huge disadvantage, other than the $5.35 and a slightly sweaty shirt after spending those 10 minutes in the heat and humidity.

Actually, you could spin this another way and recognize that young adult children tend to consult with their aging parents on perhaps equinox regularity, so an event like this might be a child's subconscious concession to family bonding. Dare I say, left-handed FFF?

Lots in the news today about Tom Glavine winning his 300th game last night in C-town. He's a class act. Maybe a guy I'd walk across the street to greet, but probably just one I would wave at from afar. He was on an Atlanta pitching staff in the 90's that could one day have three guys in the Hall of Fame: Glavine, Maddux, and Smoltz. Glavine and Maddux are locks. Smoltz probably needs a couple more good years.

3 had her first real day on the job in C-town today. You go girl!

Enough for today. I am anxious for the smaller cast.

BCOT

Sunday

Very low key weekend. The cast is really bothersome.

1 and 1.1 were at the game in San Diego last night when Bonds hit his dinger. She had text-ed me earlier to let me know that Erin Andrews was at the game as well. Which told me that the game was on one of the ESPN channels, and it was. I actually saw the HR too.

2 helped me yesterday with my grocery shopping. Young people do that for the aged and the disabled.

Here's another example of network TV's lack of flexibility; the PGA tournament in Akron had the 4th round tee off early today in anticipation of bad weather later this afternoon. Rather than give the live feed to one of their cable networks, they will be showing it on tape delay during the regular scheduled time. They needed to get those infomercials on the air this morning. What BS.

I am getting tired of having to explain the cast to everyone. For my meetings in KC this week, I'm going to come up with a much more exciting story.

This is probably going to be a future Craig Wilson column. Late yesterday afternoon as I was lounging very hard on my couch watching golf on the tube, I noticed an older woman walking a little erratically passed my house. I stood to get a better view, and, as was my primary theory, I saw that she was walking a small dog. Near the end of my yard, the dog wandered to the parking, where it appeared to do it's Number 1 business. Then it came back across the sidewalk, and right under my front tree, it did a healthy dose of Number 2. The woman had been standing, watching somewhat bored. With the business done, they turned and went from which they had come.

The entire matter of pet littering is a long-standing irritant for me. I think that allowing a pet to dump on another's property, and leaving it there, is one of the most inconsiderate things that otherwise civil people commonly do. In this case, I thought about yelling at the woman, maybe even racing out with a plastic bag, cleaning the mess and handing it to her with an appropriate comment. In the end, I rationalized that doing anything to express my disgust would probably just scare the woman, who most likely lived by herself with the dog.

So I'm venting here.

On a broader scheme of things, I think that pet owners, generally, intuit that everyone shares their same love of the animal kingdom. A little dung on your yard is just some fertilizer that helps keep the planet green. A few hairs on your shirt? Some pooch jumping your leg, slobbering at your crotch? Minor inconveniences for the enjoyment of a faithful friend. Right.

My official position is that animals are great. Outside. On the farm. And that they stay there, particularly as I head by on my bike.

I saw my first editorial cartoon this AM about the Federal government being at fault for the Minnesota bridge collapse. It's just too easy of a target.

So I'm headed to the couch. Dog walkers beware.

BCOT

Friday

Nice to hear from 3 as she was burning the midnight oil.

This cast is getting a little old. But I did drive my car for the first time today. But it remains impossible for me to write anything, including my signature. Showering is work.

My pal Roy heads to Scotland tomorrow for 10 days of golf. Life's a beach.

This first week of August was the time of Summer when we would do whatever vacation that we would do when the girls were young. All the Summer's organized activities were over, business was usually slow, and there was a bit of a lull before school stuff started. I always said that in August it was hard to find many clients at their offices. They were taking their vacations too! I think that the facts remain much the same today.

I missed Anderson Cooper last night. I'm pretty sure that he was able to conclude that the TC bridge collapse was a problem traceable to Washington DC. Maybe it is. Interstate bridges are mostly paid for with Federal money. Whom ever voted against bridge appropriation bills in the last twenty years will be placed in the media's spotlight.

There is a reason why people in areas of responsibility (public officials, professionals or business owners, for example) often joke about wanting to be a greeter at Walmart.

The new Bourne movie is out today. It's received positive reviews. I'll be glad when it hits video.

Have a great Friday evening.

BCOT

Thursday

Short again today. I am reduced to hunt-n-peck with my right hand.

The outing yesterday with my pal Roy was a fun deal. I was the designated ball-mark repair caddie and the flag holder as others putted. Tough duty. Bloody Mary's helped.

Tragedy in Minneapolis. We all were on that bridge two weeks ago. How many other bridges are in the same condition? How many law suits are out there?

Here's a dose of PGA golf reality in today's world. In most TV leaderboard presentations, the standings are presented with low score first, with any ties shown alphabetically at each stroke count. EXCEPT, when he's not the outright leader (and shown first anyway), Tiger Woods is always the first golfer listed at his score level even if there are 10 guys with the same score and all of the others' last names occur in the alphabet before "w". It's known as the "Tiger position" on the scoring chart. Interestingly, on the Internet and in the print media, the alphabetic rule is followed.

Aunt Martha is in Breckenridge, Colorado for a few days. Interesting how the ski places have developed Summer programs as well. The mountains in the Summer are beautiful. Maybe a bike trip in Colorado would be worth a look. It couldn't beat Tahoe, but it is drivable.

So enough. It takes too much concentration to key the letters.

BCOT

Wednesday

No blog today. I have function today with my pal Roy.

Thumb is ok.

BCOT

Tuesday

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

Monday AM

Very little to add.

Word is the 1 and 1.1 made it successfully to LV.

More later.

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.

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

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.

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.