Ronald Reagan Dead at 93

Ronald Reagan's Death



here is a shot of Reagan with junior W

The Pope

Until the Pope can get his priests to keep their hands off little boys (and off each other or any other man/boy that falls victim to their priestly ways, after all there is a certain vow of celibacy) I think he should keep his opinions on the US and the modern world to himself.

Another perspective...The Pope is old as is my grandmother....their views of the modern world are not dissimilar, heck, I am shocked by the behavior of modern society, but Girls Gone Wild is what freaks me out, not legal abortions or same sex marriages. Not only is the Pope old and sharing the conservative views of many of his same cohorts, but he is also of another culture, a more conservative old world culture.

Article on the Pope's comments

there was this guy who once said..."let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
and then some lesser unknown person said, "people in glass houses should not throw stones"
that is a lot of stones being thrown around and some that should be blocked or withheld
maybe it would be easier if people just stood in front of the mirror, took a good look, and then policed themselves for a little while, the church included

once I ask my teacher Sister Columkill about a priest and some of his human imperfections she replied, "thou shall not touch god's anointed ones"
that statement worked for a 6th grader, but now I would have to say that yes, priests are allowed to have humanly imperfection, but being a priest does not put them above the law; whether that law be of the church or the state

no way to bring this one back to the bike, but I will share this with you

Sister Columkill was an Old Irish Nun who taught at Our Lady of Lourdes school in Bethesda. She was an odd mixture of gentle and strong. Her skin looked soft as if it had grown in the misty Irish country side, her garb was the classic black dress and black nun habit, she wore black shoes, and glasses shaped like a cats eyes. She was a strange, mysterious, old woman, her age was unknown, somewhere between 55 and 155 years of age. Sister Columkill had eyes in the back of her head, there was not a trick that she missed. She was a quirky old bird with a passion for education. Her mathematics classes were unmatched. She turned it all into a game. There were competitions and fun mnemonic devices, no chance of sleeping in her class, and less chance of not learning. She was dedicated to the core.

I can not recall the whole limerick, but here is what I can retrieve....

How many kids could Columkill kill, if Columkill could kill kids?
that sentence seemed longer when I was a child. It seemed clever and true. It had a myth and legend that seemed to be as old as she was. As much as all the students fear(and thought they hated) the nuns, everyone was sad to see them go.

Triplets of Bellville

I know nothing about this film, but it seems like if may make Pink Floyd's THE WALL seem normal, check out this trailer....it looks funky!

TRIPLETS OF BELLVILLE

The Correlation between Achievement and Sacrifice
In life there is a basic equation...to achieve certain goals you have to make certain sacrifices....
To look good in that bikini, you have to forgo certain treats such as chocolate cake...or at least moderate your cake intake.
To be a fast or faster runner, you need to log miles, thus sacrificing happy hours and other passive activity social gatherings (company kickball etc.)
To be smart you have to....well, better ask someone else what needs to be done for that category.
Kids fall into this relationship of sacrifice as well. I love being a parent, it has numerous joys and rewards, but it comes with a great deal of sacrifices.
The list is too long to start in on, but you can let your mind wander....

Night Ride Cabin John Park
Adult life is getting in the way of some of my vital simple pleasures, ie. riding on dirt. I had not been on dirt since the 12 Hours of Lodi Farms, the two weekends prior were spent in the back yard on my deck project, for all those hours of work I have one board hung! Correction, after last night, I now have two boards hung. At this rate the deck will be ready for Dean's college graduation party, that is if and only if Dean decides to take a few years off between high school and college to work and travel. Otherwise we may not want to commit to a completed deck for entertainment until Grant's college graduation. Grant does seem advanced for 3 months, as he is not walking or talking at this point it is tough to anticipate if he will be shooting for an acedemic or athletic scholarship. This weekend will be sans deck project and sans riding, as I am going to get to play Mr. Mom while lisa heads up to Syracuse with a cast of friends from college, wish me luck.

Last night I double booked myself, after work I went straight home on my bicycle and climbed into bed for a 30 minute siesta. Once rested I got out of bed I was greeted by lisa's college buddy chris and then the dogs....by the excitement of the dogs I could see that hellos had to be short as the dogs needed to be walked. I grabbed a can of Red Bull and the leashes then headed to the woods. After the hike my heart rate was up and the sleep had been brushed clean from my eyes, I was ready for work. No time for socializing, it was straight to the backyard for some deck work. After much measuring, very little cutting, and some very minor hammering, I finally got that second board hung, and right on time. There was just enough time to stow away the tools and grab my bike and bike gear to meet a different Chris for a quick night assualt on Cabin John.

Being the hypocrite that I am I sped off in my gas guzzling truck towards the trails, a cell phone in hand would have completed the hypocritical equation. A few minutes down the road and I took back my speed as I realized I was going to be a few minutes late either way, getting all jazzed up and crashing my truck would not get me their any faster. Upon arrival Chris, who we will refer to as Redlack from here on out, was waiting patiently in his car. His gear was on, his bike was pointed towards the trail, and his lights were ready to be ignited. We exchanged pleasantries, Redlack updated me to his last two weekends of racing as I stripped down to my birthday suit and jumped into my skin tight gear. We checked our watches, mounted our bikes, turned on our lights, and headed off into the woods.

Redlack and I are very similar in cycling speed. While he may be a tad more technical, I may be a tad faster...so the scales balance out pretty even. But on this course Redlack has a significant advantage....he knows every inch of this trail! Redlack guides the bike around each bend like he is steering a motorcross bike, it is graceful to see him glide away into the distance as I huff and puff around each corner in a stiff mechanical fashion. Eventually Redlack decides to let me lead, he does not want to take the fun out of the evening....no reason for him to dust me on his home course, that would be too easy, we came out to ride together not to race each other. So with me in the front we move at a healthy yet more moderate pace and have a pleasant verbal exchange. As I pedal the 29 inch wheeled Karate Monkey around these not so technical trails up the roller coaster climbs and down the roller coaster descents my mind is still focused on the deck. I am panning through each stage of the build, trying to solve builders puzzles, while congratulating myself for the simple puzzles already solved. This distraction is difficult to break, it is hard for me to get my mind into the moment. We are riding and riding hard, but my mind is not entirely there. My legs and lungs are working the bike, the cranks are spinning at a healthy rate, all the while my mind is on the deck project instead of the trail in front of me. Thus causing me to choose an ineffcient ugly set of lines and a few unnneccessary crashes. Nothing too dangerous or too foolish, but I do take some turns down the less beaten trails having to backtrack to get the main trail and one of those crashes has left my 'bum' a tad sore. Once in a better rhythm Redlack and I start to play a little cat and mouse, it is clear that he is giving me some space ahead at certain points so he can scream down the descents....when he passes me I then exchange the favor at the next climb, while he rests his legs from the spin class that he finished earlier that evening, I am forced to spin my single speed up the climbs rather than muscling it up at a slow painful speed. After a short while we have run several loops within the lollipop and are going to take the stick back to the cars at the trailhead. (imaging a lollipop, that is the map of this trail ((and others)), there is a long straight section that winds through the woods and ends at a circular loop, thus the lollipop reference...got it? good.) Redlack takes the lead on the way back, I am being introduced to a variety of different trail options that I have never seen before and never knew existed, some of them appear valueable for the future, but I am confident that they will also get me lost. We pop out of the woods to cross the street, I am completely disoriented, Redlack leads....we pop back into the woods, then back to the familiar trails. The cat and mouse game continues, Redlack leading all the way back to the cars.

After our trip through the woods I change back into my street gear and we chat as we load up our cars. Our duration in the woods was just shy of an hour 30, not quite the workout I was looking for. But we each were feeling tired from the events of the day prior and it was rapidly approaching my bedtime. With a full moon ahead we talk about life and politics then each get into our cars and head home. It was a good ride, we left making plans to try and make this weekday night ride a more regular event. Perhaps Patapsco State Park next Wednesday, weather pending.

With the 24 Hours of Snowshoe just weeks away I can see that I am in deep need of some longer hours on the bike. All of these short rides do add up, but there needs to be some longer rides or else my body will not be able to handle the endurance aspect of the 24 hour event. Maybe I will have to dig out the road bike, or maybe swap out the TUBULAR CLINCHERS on the cross bike and do a few hours on that machine a few nights after the boys have all gone to sleep. It would be good for the body and good for the soul!

BLOG? The modern BARD!?
I have been panning my mind for a classic tale...
one of those stories that I have told so many times that when I start my memory does not reflect on the incident itself, but rather on the story and how it should be told.
These are the stories that made me feel as if I was born in the wrong time, that I should have been born in Medieval Times and taken the role of the Bard! Hold on I can still take on the role of the Bard at Medieval Times! I will email them my Blog page and see what sort of offer they will make me. Maybe it will pay more than my current job, and no one will be offended at lunch time when I eat with my hands!

oddly enough a friend of mine who is this pro-style photographer was up in NY last weekend and was supposed to work a shoot of a modern day jousting tournament
apparently these rival gangs in NY joust on bicycles!
(yes, had to bring it back to the bike! that is what tangent hopping is all about!)
he did not make the shoot, everything was coming together too late
it sounds like something I would like to check out
wonder if they have different classes...single speed, masters, vet, etc

DT SPOKES not to be confused with DT SPEAKS

DT is a one of the new members of the City Bikes Mountainbike team
take a moment to see what he has to say...

DT SPEAKS

this morning I checked out some of his rants
he covers everything from single speeds to swimming
I wonder what the single speed equivalent of swimming is?
maybe paddling with just the lower leg of one of your legs....
guess I will have to read on to learn more

blog....blog....blog....blog!
time to blog with nothing to blog about
yet, I blog about anyway
nothing to blog nothing to blog
blog...blog.....blog...
guess I will have to blog more on another day

perhaps I can go about and read some blogs
steal some blogs
get inspired by some blogs
link to blogs and comment on blogs

or better yet
I can get back to work
after all blogging does not pay the bills
blog does not sign my check
and they definitely do not take blogs at the mortgage office or at the supermarket

I really need to make better use of this IMAGE FUNCTION through BLOGGER.COM
it makes the BLOG a tad more like a webpage
and most any story I tell more than likely does have an image associated with it
some of those images are not mine
but I do think that the images would draw people more deeply into the story

what is the story here?
Dean and Dad on the beach in Florida....
that is the best looking toupe/hairpiece a man could ever find!


need any more info?

These are some shots of Dean, Grant, and Lisa out front of our Mt. Pleasant home in Washington DC. I am trying to gather a handful of photos of the boys with Cicadas. As this phenomena of the 17 year cicada only comes around, well, every 17 years. Although they will not remember them, the photos will show them that they have in fact experienced this all one time before!

SURFING
"Charlie don't surf!"
well, neither does joel, but I am drawn to the sport
for some reason I have this strange feeling of appreciation for surfing
guess mountainbiking is my surfing
honestly I think I have seen more Surf Movies than mountainbiking films
as far as ownership goes I have looked for Bruce Brown's ENDLESS SUMMER (and his ON ANY SUNDAY) at BEST BUY countless times, tempted online, but never hit the purchase key.
This weekend I caught the HEART OF THE SEA documentary on PBS. I was attracted to it just by the surfing theme and it turned out to be this magical film about life.
Definitely wearing a Hawaiian shirt to work tomorrow to keep the passion and inspiration from Rell Sunn fresh in my mind.


clips from the film
bellow are BLOG postings on this documentary shown on PBS

and of course the film DOGTOWN and z boys ROCKED!

VELO NEWS ARTICLE BASHES SINGLE SPEEDS
here is the article
and he posted a response

Honestly.....
I did not disagree one bit. A single speed class is fine. All of the subgroups in mountainbike racing are good to spread out the racers. Laptimes tell the final story. I hate getting stuck behing the weaving catepillar, the hole shot should not be that vital. But there is no NEED for a single speed class. The reality...if you are riding a single speed and you are significantly slower that you would be on a geared bike, you are a poser and a fool riding that machine for fashion. I like to race CLYDESDALE, but I race as fast and hard as I can. I feel I am bringing respect to my class and I BELIEVE THAT IT IS A GREATER BARRIER BEING OVER 200 POUNDS THAN BEING 35 OR 30! (and I am over 230)
A few weeks ago I did the 12 Hours of Lodi Farms in Fredericksburg VA. I entered on a three person expert team, but opted to race my rigid single speed, but I brought my geared hardtail in case I felt that I was significantly slower on the single. I had a variety of other self imposed rules.....DO NOT RACE SINGLE SPEED OR DUO IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DO MORE LAPS THAN A RACER ON A 3 PERSON TEAM! On our team each racer did 5 laps, I could have done more, I did not sleep, but I had more in me, sure i hurt afterwards, sure I could feel the effects for a few days afterwards, but I know I had more laps in me, and some more equally fast laps too! But those folks racing duo or solo who did less than 5 laps....please do not be hanging out at a party trying to impress some chic with your tales of racing solo/duo.
Okay, I better slow down...I am not lance armstrong/nor am I ned overend, so I should back off and let people all achieve their personal best. After all, Personal Best is all what I am about. But I still do have all of these rules I have set for myself and feel that all others should adhere to aswell.....

forgive me....
I blame my parents
and I do
I blame my parents
they messed me up
they are good folk
but they messed me up
I am one messed up dude
making all these rules
giving all sorts of people these tickets, imaginary tickets in my head


dammm.....
no one is going to support my ideas of speeding up NATURAL SELECTION! And all those people who applied to be DARWINIANS are going to be out of work!

okay...
it is true, I will post anything, I am all over the place. Forgive me, it is not unlike my life. Here is a comment I posted on Tim Faia's CYCLOCROSS and PASTA Blog

I would like there to be an accelerated NATURAL SELECTION PROGRAM in the united states. The enforcers would be like Canadian Mounties....but we would call them Darwinians. WHen people do some completely idiotic shit and don't get hurt or killed, they get the death penelty. Bad spelling does not count, and if lots of people laugh...that does not qualify.
Now her is an example.....
(keep in mind that I don't eat at McDonalds, cause I liked it too much, been like 6 year....junk food junkie...okay, my point)
so....you are in line at McDonalds for 10 minute....then when you are about to order the guy in front of you gets his turn. He stops, pauses, and then looks at the menu and starts thinking...
Death Penelty for the guy under my system

who do I talk to about getting this started?

RELL SUN
you must check this out
you must check it out
this is something that everyone must see
and most anyone can appreciate
but, you will be inspired

here is a response I posted on the PBS website
or at least I sent it their way
but a year after the release

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/heartofthesea/film.html

The film moved me. I had no prior knowledge of Rell Sunn and her life
story. I was "channel surfing" when I stumbled on the beginning of
this film. I was drawn in by Rell's life philosophies and by the epic
surf footage. Then when the story started to unfold I was so attached
and touched by her. I wept openly, I weep now.
Her life was an inspiration.
Her battle with cancer was an inspiration.
My life carries no great burdens, her life example helps me to
appreciate the wonderful life I have and hopefully will aid me to
live life to its fullest.
I am going to buy this film so that the feeling does not fade and so
that I can share it with others.
Heart of the Sea is a film that can change people. It is going to go
in my DVD collection right next to BARAKA.
After this film I feel as if I lost a friend that I never knew.
.-gwadzilla
www.gwadzilla.blogspot.com

here is the listing for local tonight
go to this site and see when it is playing locally in your area

RELL SUNN: Another inspirational women athlete...excuse me...another inspirational athlete...correction, just a real inspirational person

Staying up late on a Saturday night, catching this documentary on an amazing women, Rell Sun. An amazing surfer at the early stages of the competitive surf game, a free diver of stunning proportions, simply a beautiful person inside and out. Heart of the Sea, is the film, the segment I am watching is blowing my mind. She is so beautiful, her thoughts, her words, her achievements in life, and yes....her eyes, her hair, her movement doing the Hula, but over all her approach to life, her attitude in life, before and after her battle with cancer. Learn more about Rell Sunn before you call me a creep.


Here is another link.

and this!

I would definitely try to catch this film again
now to try to take the lessons she has taught through her life's example and apply them to my life

Mike says to have a hankie near by, he is correct.

this give Hawaii shirts more meaning....
I will let all of mine be a reminder of her inspirational approach to life