death of a marloborro man
nineteen years ago I was nineteen
during that time I landed a gig as a motorcycle messenger
it was summertime and I was a college kid
bike messenger was my usual day to day summertime gig
but the opportunity to work as an inhouse motorcycle messenger presented itself
I had a motorcycle but did not have a motorcycle license
somehow the thought of making more money after taxes than I was making before taxes as a bicycle messenger appealed to me
there were various attractions to the contrast of a very similar set of jobs

on my first day I met a veteran motorcycle messenger for this company
he was old and grumpy and his grumpiness was exhaggerated by his recently quitting drinking and his recent separation
I was told by the other messengers to give him some space
of course
I did not give him any space

in hindsight I can see how it was
an adult man approaching 50 looking at a 19 year old boy that thinks he is a man
my ideas
my opinions
my appearance
and
my attitude
these things most certainly did not win him over at first
but slowly
I chiseled away at him
it did not take long before we were friends

in my youthful eyes he was old
he had a strange blend of cowboy and biker
all with a southern way
yet he was born and brought up right here in Washington DC

there was a prickley shell on top of a tender interior

his mannerisms
his ways
the logic
the actions
there was a wonderful blue colar wisdom to him
simple and profound at the same time

we played cards
we talked about books and we talked about life
we just talked about nothing
sometimes we just relaxed and watched the human parade that passed on the sidewalk in front of us

years past I we worked different jobs
I went back and forth between the bike and the motorcycle
I worked other jobs than messenger
I left the area and I came back
I took different jobs then I returned to that same job
through that time we stayed in sporatic contact
most of the time I just stopped in to say hello
knowing where he would be between runs
passing the spot I would expect to see him
stopping or just hollering if he was there

it was a friendship that has outlasted many of my friendships

I learned about his family and he learned about mine
we learned about each other and we learned about life

after quitting drinking 19 years ago
stopping smoking 12 years ago
and
retiring after working 35 years
the recently retired marlboro man was diagnosed with lung cancer
treatment started immediately
somehow I had struck up contact with his wife
she shared with me the news of his illness and swore me to secrecy
it was a secret I fought successfully to keep
although my behavior was somewhat altered
I made more frequent efforts to contact the Marlboro Man

there was suspicion
he asked why I called the first time
then a month or so later he asked again
come the third call he did not have to ask... I told him that I knew he was sick

he was busy with treatment
while I was busy being me
there was email corresspondence with his wife
I sent pictures of me and pictures of my kids
usually something that would make him laugh
apparently the photo of me dressed up as a cheerleader was a keeper
he kept that image under a book on his desk
when he needed a laugh he took a look

guess the image of a six foot four two hundred and thirty five pound bald man in a short skirt and halter top evokes laughter

around thanks giving the emails from his wife spoke of a turn for the worst
I called
he was not available to talk
yet it was good to talk to his wife.... good for her... good for me... and good for him
some time passed and the emails spoke of the end of treatment
and the inevitable end
again I called
his condition had worsened
when I called he did not have the strength to talk
so I talked more with his wife....
had her share an anecdote of two with him...
then told her to tell him that he is an asshole
she stepped away from the phone
I am not sure
but I am pretty sure I heard him laugh
he died one week later
sooner than his wife had thought
she was confident that he was going to wait until christmas to die
he could not wait
ruining her Christmas was not part of his plan

today I went to a memorial/funeral for him
it was great to see a cast of old friends
it was great to see his wife and family
at the memorial were all sorts of images from his life
one wall was decorated with a poster devoted to all the different id cards and credentials he has used over the years of working as a motorcycle courier
it was classic to see his youthful face
brown hair rather than silver
in that same brill creme 50's style pompador through each decade

sad that he had to die
even at 67 it is sad
I lost a friend
but a woman lost her husband
some children lost a father
and a man lost the chance to enjoy his retirement

one last thing about the Marlboro Man
every thursday is payday at his company
every thursday as far back as I can remember
my friend the marlboro man wore a red shirt
one day I asked him why he wore a red shirt every thursday
to this he replied
"even though it is payday.... I am still in the red"
that was the way it went with him

he pulled out a pocket knife to cut the wrapper off his bottle of asprin
sure you could tear it off
but that is not how he did things
he had a certain way about things

a little corny piece of pop spirituality
it does not help me in my search
it may not enlighten but it does entertain
sure I am a sucker for that Chicken Soup for the Soup type of stuff
and well
on top of that.... today I went to a funeral for an old friend today
guess I a vuenerable to such stuff at this moment
my aunt who never emails me
emailed me at a moment of weakness
the mood was right
I was open to listening
she got lucky

Interview with God

and
for those who smoke
quit smoking
some stats
some help


(this is not new...
seen it before from other sources
it amused me that I had the page in the background
it kept forcing its way to the surface)

life just gets watered down
as we move further and further away from the past things just get watered down more and more
we lose the meaning of certain things
then there are certain things that just get lost

fixing things is a lost art
nobody fixes anything any more
there was a time when a large glass bowl broke... then it was fixed
now we just throw the parts away and buy a new bowl
while a few centuries ago there was not the liquid income or the mass production
perhaps this is why there is the myth that breaking a mirror brings bad luck
as mirrors may have been a prized possession
a prized possession that was expensive to purchase, easy to break, and perhaps not so accessible
a little myth like seven years of bad luck may have been a little like my dad telling me that it cost 25 cents each time the lights were turned on and off
a white lie to try and guide my behavior
so nobody fixes anything anymore
a broken vase is not glued
our time is spent doing other things
the value and our wealth dictates our behavior

last night lisa and were setting up the Christmas tree
there are boxes and boxes of lights
some that I had purchased others that I had been give by my dad
some lights worked others did not
the process of changing fuses is worth a shot
but
chasing a string of lights replacing blubs goes out the window with glueing a broken bowl
much easier to get another string of lights than to trouble shoot things
such are modern times
times with disposable income
times with disposable everything

I admit that I am a victim of the times
our house of four humans and two dogs creates a great amount of trash
too much trash

that's enough now
I am tired of blogging

back
next day
next morning

the bicycle is one of the last organic tools
something that an individual can build, fix, and maintain
there was a time when men tinkered with their cars
but now it is all computer diagnosed
the idea of changing plugs or oil is a thought of the past
the time it would take to change the oil then take the oil to a recycling station is clearly greater than the cost it would take to pay the corner gas station or the nation wide chain of Jiffy Lube to handle the task

the bicycle and all of its glory has gone the way of the broken bowl in some ways
the light weight components
the thinner chains
the many many speed rear cassettes are all disposable
there was a time with the 5 speed free wheel that people went years and years on the same chain and free wheel
now chains and cassettes are replaced oh too frequently...

the industry needs to adapt
a three hundred dollar bike should not need several hundred dollars of parts replacement every year and a half
that is not cost effective
in no ways is that logical
perhaps the lower end bicycles could drift back from nine speed to cassettes to eight or maybe even seven speed cassettes
where they could use wider longer lasting chains
and cassettes that do not wear down as fast as well

unlikely though
the bicycle industry is a business
they want you to continue to spend money on their product

sorry
more mindless rants
I think the holiday parties are making my already manic mind even far less focused

Alley Cat Results/NY Messenger Blog
BIKE BLOG from NYC posted some great images and the results from the RICO SUAVE ALLEY CAT
check it out!

Bicycle Cartoons

from the mind of a shark scientist, Aiden Martin

“It’s essentially projectile, and it has sacrificed maneuverability for speed. So it’s a little bit like having a truck trying to run down one of those bicycle couriers. I know we’ve all had fantasies about that,” says Martin.

from a 60 Minutes piece on SHARKS

for hypsters with kids...
Pancake Mountain...
Pancake Mountain CD/DVD release Party
at The Warehouse Theater

TONIGHT!

and for horny hypsters there are always
the Suicide Girls
but you may not want to scan this site at work
and
please, please, please do not confuse Eon Mckai with Ian MacKaye

Cool "Disco" Dan
another great piece of DC folklore
another great City Paper story

graffitti artist Cool Disco Dan....
how long will his art remain?

here is a graffiti art page
and an image off that page
although I am sure I could stroll around at lunch and snap a few shots of Dan's ever so famous "tag"

in high school I had a friend who went by "Hobo"then into his twenties he went by "Ultra"
always loved his work
he was all ways a good dude
not sure what he is up to these days
hope he is still creating
before I Publish and Post I will Google him

ah
sure enough Google got me there
not immediately
but there is this DC Graffiti Resource, very cool

in my life I only tagged things twice
once in third gradel I wrote some stuff under the Air Rights Building in Bethesda
did the classic heart with initials plus initials
only I did not do my own plus another
then
the next occassion was on a temporary fence at the construction site of what is now the Friendship Heights Metro stop
I had done a mural with some other students from my high school but had become embarressed by it
so we went back and touched it up

What ever happened to Featherhead?
earlier this week I got a random email
as it turns out someone Googled Featherhead in an effort to find Jim Rapp
well... they did not find Jim Rapp, but they did find me

anyone out there in touch with Jim
anyone know how to get in touch with him
some Independent Film makers are looking to get in touch with him
his story is plenty interesting... I can see the attraction
it is a story I would love to see told on film

email me if you know how to get in touch with Jim Rapp
thanks

City Paper had a cover story about Featherhead as told by Featherhead
Gwadzilla Archive (worth a peak to see how the blog grows and changes) with mention of Featherhead

Washington City Paper
as much as I love the City Paper.... it is a lot of paper every thursday
especially since so many people grab it
read the News of the Weird and then toss it aside
maybe they could have a stack of print outs of the News of the Weird along side of each Thursday release in an effort to conserve paper

wool jerseys...
nothing shy of classic!

our team, City Bikes Mountainbike Team, went ahead and had some classic wool jerseys made this year
they turned out real nice
the color are not well represented here
but the basic idea can be seen

snagged this image of Joe Foley's Image Page
here is Joe's blog
and well
here is where we had the jerseys made; Portland Cycle Wear

these jerseys are sweeeeettt....
too bad I got injured and did not have a chance to test the wool out sweating on the cross bike in some of the local races
such is life....

.


riding independent


.

not riding
not racing
not that great a rider
not that great a racer
really just a guy who loves to ride his bike

just the same
just like the monday morning quarterback
I can still have an opinion
I can still stand by the water cooler and spout off
this stuff is so lame
it is quite removed from my lifestyle from how I feel games should be played
yes it is clearly lame

professional cyclists are really closer to professional football players than being close to a recreational rider like me
and well
the use of banned substances in football is unacceptable as well

why take a cab to win a marathon?
trick your opponent in chess by stealing their pieces if they glance away for a second?
hide a dictionary in the bathroom while you are playing scrabble?*
*

race clean

got the link from my old buddy tim faia

there is mention of east coast local hero jeremiah bishop in the heros section of race clean

jeremiah bishop's blog

*dont forget to drink lots of water so you have to go to the bathroom over and over and over again

also from the mind of my brother
well.. from the creater of Calvin and Hobbes
my brother sent it to me

here is a report of the Cross Nationals in Rhode Island from my brother marc....
(not my photos here either)

When CX nationals were announced for Providence, my first thoughts were that maybe this would be a good year to check out Natz, and my second thought was hoping it wouldn't be a winter wonderland. As the race approach it seemed likely that there would be snow and hopes changed to wishing for nice dry snow and not a course refrozen into an ice rink. Thursday I skipped out of work early, loaded my gear, and drove my kids up to their grandparents in NJ- so that my wife wouldn't be stuck alone with them all weekend. This detour around rush hour plus road work in CT extended my trip so that I got in late and tired to Providence. I was crashing with Todd Pittman and Kevin McCarthy (and old college chum of joel's), and it was great to pop right in to the official hotel of the race, the swanky Providence Biltmore- kind of odd to see all the bikes being wheeled around and crossers lounging gin their athletic garb. I knew the forecast was for snow overnight, and part of me wanted to just sleep in. My only chance to practice before my 11:00am race would be the 8-9am slot, and I figured I needed to pre-ride more than I needed the sleep. The mantra we used to use was that it was sleep the night before the night before that matter- so getting up a little under-rested wouldn't be a problem. As it turned out, getting out to the course before the crowds was a big bonus- I found a parking space easily very close the course, which allowed me to pop back to the car to swap equipment clothes, and to just warm up. I picked up my number then grabbed my bike for some practice. The snow was coming down a couple inches deep, but riding it wasn't too bad. I called Todd to give him a race report and told him it says something when they are laying down wet leaves to improve the traction. I was a little tentative on some of the downhills and turns, so I decided to change from my usual tufos to Michelin muds, for the extra confidence and traction. I could just barely ride up anything that didn't have barriers that forced a dismount, but I worried that while tired I would want a lower gear. So, after a little internal debate I decided to swap my chainring for a smaller one (I'd been using a 42 x 12-27 all season but changed to a spare 38T I had around). Changing out equipment without a chance to test it can be risky, but I figured I wouldn't miss the biggest gear and going a little lower could be a help. At the start it was still snowing (here's a pict from Kirk reisinger). I'm in the 2nd row, far left My plan was to try to go out hard and be towards the front on the first turn. I had 'earned' my starting spot by signing up early. ( I was number 18, and each row held 14 people). off we go... (I'm in the middle, #18) after the uphill snow covered pavement the course took a hard right into the snow-covered grass. things bunched up here on the frist lap, but I was still ok as we hit the fun roller-coaster section they called the candy bowl. for the most part I was able to stay out of trouble and work my way slowly up the field in the first couple laps. here's some velo news shots from early in my race: After a lap or 2 things were more strung out. Looking back I couldn't really see anyone chasing me. Actually, I couldn't see anything- my glasses were so fogged up I threw them on the side of the trail. I was able to work my way past a few people. Passed John Lux, who was complaining to a by-stander that he couldn't clip in to his pedal (that sucks, but Tim Johnson ripped his cleat out of his shoe and still made the elite podium...). Spectators were telling me I was in the top 25, which sounded pretty cool. By this point the snow had turned to rain, I was just looking to finish strong but without any stupid mistakes. Found myself playing cat and mouse with 2 super-stars of the masters cross scene (multiple CX champ james coats and andy applegate). Coats (the #3 seed) would fly by me on the fast sections then slow to a creep on the turns. apparently he doesn't like snow...as the pace sped up in the last lap I couldn't quite hang with those guys, but finished less than 10 seconds behind Applegate. in the end, 24th of 115 starters in 40-44. (150+ had signed up, but perhaps the weather discouraged some?) Although I really didn't know what to expect performance-wise coming into this race, I don't think I could have predicted a top 25 finish. My fitness is ok but not great right now, and I never really ride on snow much. But I think I was pretty relaxed out there and didn't fight the course. I went in with a pretty positive frame of mind to have fun out there, and maybe that is part of the reason it went well. And maybe the slower conditions suited me. After my race I was pretty wet and worried about getting too cold, so after the race I picked up my clothes and bike from the pit and went to warm up in my car. After changing into dry clothes I came back to watch the 1pm race, the 35-39. The weather for this race was the worst of the weekend- snow turned to sleet and driving rain. Everyone seemed to struggle with frozen hands (except for maybe the guy I saw peel off after the starting sprint- when everyone turned onto the course, he just rode on straight for his car). It was really brutal. I got to cheer on Marc Vettori, who along with me and Roger Masse, managed 24th place. And Chris Scott pulled out a top 20 finish. Todd Pittman had a hard time in the cold and wasn't too happy with his 43rd, but he and Kevin gutted it out while 50 people didn't even finish. The weather was was pretty crazy, and they post-poned the rest of the day's racing after that. The elite race on sunday was awesome- the course was perfect for spectating and the weather was nice. Todd Wells kicked butt on the slick course over a strong but less comfortable ryan trebon and an ailing jonathon page. fantastic watching those guy up close. I didn't stick around for sunday, but katie compton was denied a call-up but dominated anyway.
results: http://www.cyclocrossnationals.com/
one year to get ready for next time!
Marc

wallet
I need a new wallet
not sure what I need... but I need a new wallet
I have done the chain wallet and most certainly I lived by the velcro Rippers wallet
but not sure if these directions suit my needs now
the Pulp Fiction Bad Mother F--ker is a nice touch... but not me
what are the wallet trends these days?

note to self....
no coffee at dinner time
good night
I will have to develop my idea/mention of the Fisherman's Dude Ranch at another time
perhaps I will wait till I have some images to go with it
most certainly there is an image of me and my cousins climbing on the sign out front in suburban chicago with our grandfather

the cross nationals
injured or not.... the cross nationals were not on my radar
on my radar as something to follow or watch
but certainly not as a race for me to attend or participate
and well
if I were there I would race as spectating would be less fun then getting my ass kicked

tonight I was reading mid atlantic cross
wanted to comment
but the log in thing kept me away
don't know who Randy Root is... but they wanted fast and dry
I prefer fast and dry myself

cross is cool
but
thought cross was supposed to be off season fun
it seems that for some the cross season is the key season
which is fine.... but not sure if that was its intended purpose
but.... such is sport
as many things that were meant for different purpose have become sport
like any work done for competition the purpose has changed
be that the lumberjack competition or the cars racing around the track

my brother went to the nationals and endured the race
he told an interesting tale to the memebers of the city bikes team
perhaps I should post it here
perhaps I will post it here
the cross nationals seemed to go like many cycling races
more specifically like many 24 hour races
rain or shine it is about the race
and well
if the race happens in snow or mud.... that is the race
if the race takes you off your bike
if the course forces you to walk sections you normally ride
or to descend cautiously where you would prefer to lay off the brakes
even if the corners may need to be taken slow
that is the course
that is the race
that is the event
the variables are the same for everyone
if those variables favor one and humble another
well
that is the race

I like to race
I look forward to the racing again soon

channel surfing
after a long day it is nice to kick back with a glass of wine
not a wine glass.... a glass of wine
breezing around the dial I pause for the start of Monster House
it is a train wreck
about as deep as I go into reality television
at the first commercial break I continue into the high numbers

a few clicks ahead and there is are some interesting images
the images are old... the format is clearly film not video
immediately I recognize the dance, the music, the setting, and the culture
it is clearly indonesian
after a few more minutes
it is clearly more specically balianese

it is a news reel of sort
just a filler between films on one of the turner networks
the narration is on the verge of hokie
the presentation is nearly kitch
it is all very cool
as it is not just a lesson in history
it is also a little bit of a time capsul
as this was a time were the world was really startiing to discover the world
discover the world from their own perspective
not just from books but through their own eyes

this was a time where the idea of travel was really starting to boom
cars, cruises, and even flight
these were the times when the common man (or woman) could entertain their coureosity
the dawn of adventure travel
also the beginning of the infection of cross culture integration
not yet the coca cola trail
but the slow evil evolution of it all

my grandparents were part of that culture
they packed their suitcases and went on cruises
they went to remote south paciffic islands and came back with carved coconuts and tiki dolls
they took boat rides into various port alaska... perhaps shortly after statehood
drawn by the grandness of it all and the close up view of wild life in its wild state

their intentions were pure
just as the modern traveler's intentions are pure
but the contact can be like a virus
the merging of different cultures initiates change
not all change is good

what are the options?
close off the borders?
put a fence around the world?
have various isolated cultures exist separate... without contact
like some sort of large scale ant farm?

it is too late
there is a saying that you can not put the genie back in the bottle
which may be true
but
we can all control the genie by making some responsible wishes

I wish that people would travel with more respect for themselves and respect for different cultures
I wish people from both cultures understood that they are in fact ambassadors of their own culutre and that their interaction should exist as such
(clearly one strong positive or one strong negative interaction could blanket the opinion of the culture as a whole)
and
I wish... I wish I had more wishes

I love travel
I love the difference of culture
I love the beauty of the world and its complexity
I would like to think that when I travel I am a positive representative of my culture and my country
that too can be complex

never got back to Monster House
there has been this documentary on Easter Island on the History channel

I have great memories of those classic american family trips
in between Stuckey stops we pestered our dad until he stopped at Mammoth Cave and Ruby Falls
guess billboards work
works for South of the Border and the Shell Factory

one helmet...
only one helmet on all the jamaican cyclists that I saw
luckily many of them had a grand head of dreads
which I am sure would work like an all natural airbag during any crash

without question... jamaica is a beautiful country

yah mon, jamaica.... ire.

a few less blurry shots from the island of Jamaica

jamaica
as mentioned....
last week we took the kids for some december fun in the sun
rather than our usual trip to florida
we kept on flying
we flew right over cuba and landed in jamaica

from the airport we took a shuttle to an all inclusive resort in Negril Jamaica

it was awesome
great weather
great beaches

but
I still have not really been to jamaica
as my experience was in a jamaican climate
but the resort kept us isolated
sure it was good to be safe and hassle free
but
I sure would have liked to have poked around a little

on our three short escapes from "the compound" I took a few random images
did not hassle our driver to stop
but
in hindsight I wish I had asked him to stop at one of the many bike shops along the highway
one of the local bike shops.... not a tourist rental shop
as mentioned... this did not happen
and well
I was not poised and ready to take a picture each and every time we passed such a shop
so
there are no images other than the images from the moving vehicle
thus the conglomeration of blurred images

it is a less than artistic effect
but
figured that these were worth posting just the same

I also took a number of shots of the kids
so
much time was spent trying to clear some space on my SD cards
as the dreaded CARD FULL message plagued me each time I approached an potentially epic shot

more jamaica images from the taxi or the bus

random blurred images
not unlike the camera toss
camera toss the blog
flickr camera toss

just snapped some shots from the moving car in jamaica
the digital delay made it beyond random

Charleston South Carolina
Charlestonmoves.org

from the mind of west coast cycling advocate jason meggs

bike friendly berkeley coalition

burning car

and of course

bike the bridge

then there is this
well worth a look!
kite ariel photography

*neither of these photos were taken by me

back from jamaica
last week my wife and I took the kids to jamaica
our trip was not entirely a jamaican experience
sure we slept under the jamaican sky
sure we swam in the jamaican ocean
sure we played on the jamaican sand
but
we stayed at an all inclusive resort which limited our true jamaican experience

the list of advantages of the all inclusive experience for the family is endless
it is easy
it is safe
it is effortless
not free.... but effortless
it is all laid out

with children.... with two small children
it is much easier and much safer to exist in the all inclusive compound
much easier to manage with the activities in front of you and the food already prepared
sure lisa and I craved the flavor of the adventure traveler's experience
but we did not desire the discomforts of adventure travel with children
the kids want fun in the sun... not a sociology lesson

there was little need to make change
there was no real need to learn the currency
we never had to pull out a map
we never had to learn the language or at least the venacular
we just had to look at the bulletin board and learn the routine of the Beaches resort

there was snorkling
there was scuba
we did not scuba... but we did snorkel each and every day
Dean was too young for the snorkel adventure which made me sad
Dean was also too short for the water slide... but... they let him slide... literally
Grant and Dean loved the lazy river
the pool and the water park got more attention then the sand and the beach
the kayak and the water bike were short trips off shore
the sailing trip on the mini-catamaran was a pleasure
although neither boy wanted to be on the sailboat being splashed by the salty waves
yet they went along just the same
there were other activities that we did not even touch upon

other than the endless water activites....
there is a Kid's Camp.... which neither child desired
yet they attended just the same
the kids attended the multi activity day camp while we snorkeled or hung on the beach
Dean loving the camp experience with other kids yet not wanting to go back
Grant hating it... dreading even the thought of it... waking each morning asking in a two year old way... "today a school day?"
without the Kid's Camp.... this vacation would have been far less of a vacation

we all had a blast
swimming, splashing, and snorkeling in jamaica sure beats shoveling snow in Washington DC any day or any week!
oh... lisa also spent a well deserved morning at the spa

we were hesitant about the "all inclusive"
but
in the end...
the amenities of the all inclusive resort out weigh the "cool factor" of adventure travel when traveling with young kids
food poisoning and a room without air conditioning with a 2 year old and a four year old would have been a miserable experience
in contrast to a day spent wandering a massive beach compound
with boats, beaches, water parks, snokeling, boat rides... and food and drinks always within reach
in addition to the food, drink, and water activities
there were two X-Box room with over a dozen game stations in each room
there was evening entertainment for young and old, Zoe from Seasame Street was HOT!
there were discos and bars which I did not attend
there was more than enough to keep everyone occupied

all things made available in a jamaican minute!
was just what we were looking for

we all had a blast!

lisa and I got off "the compound" a few times
each trip off the BEACHES resort was short and concise
for the three times we left the resort two times we went without children
dinner at Sweet and Spice
shopping at the crafts market in Hanover
and a jaunt with the kids to Rick's Cafe for the tourist experience of the cliff jumpers

there was something nice about leaving the Lonely Planet at the book store
as valuable as the Lonely Planet may be
the Lonely Planet is what makes everything great accessible... therefore virtually common
in the book The Beach.... the map is a metaphor for the Lonely Planet

digital images
without paper digital images are nothing
the digital images are nothing but data
data that will be lost just like the memories if the data is not processes in one way or another

as I shoot more and more images there are more and more images lost
there is no time to categorize all these images as I should
so the blog gets to be my back up
certainly not all the images get back up
but
there may be enough images to at least keep the memories alive

now how do I back up the Blog?

Fugazi is not the only musical act from Washington DC

the living mannequin
ah.... the sociology of work
I would much rather go to their work christmas dinner than my own
the converstation may not be interesting.... but who needs interesting conversation?

wonder how long they work this job?
how much they get paid?
is this a seasonal gig?
did their high school guidance counselor tell them that this would be the career for them?

yes.... there is some cycling relevance here
this incline is a commuter route
and
bicycles are permitted

here is some history furnicular aka incline
from Wikpedia worth a look

back from jamaica
back to the blog
so many thoughts
so many images
before I try to get into the ideas of our jamaica adventure there are still some images from my thanksgiving pittsburgh experience
I feel these images are worth sharing
no... not everything is bike related
it is not always about the bike

the above images are of the pittsburgh incline do a GOOGLE for more info on the incline