Sunday July 17th, 2011
Artscape Festival
Baltimore, MD
www.artscape.org
Rants on Cycling and on Life: Photos of people and bicycles that pass in front of my camera
5.31.2011
preventible tragedy
it sounds like people are starting to understand
not an "accident"
a "preventible tragedy"
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com
sadly... it would be better if this man were still alive
this is not justice
this is punishment
nothing can right this wrong
nothing can make things as they were
not an "accident"
a "preventible tragedy"
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com
sadly... it would be better if this man were still alive
this is not justice
this is punishment
nothing can right this wrong
nothing can make things as they were
I am looking forward to this
See-I Debut Albumhttp://fortknoxrecordings.com
one of my favorite DC LIVE ACTS.... SEE-I!
this band jams
FUNK-ROCK-SOUL-GO-GO and REGGAE!
hard to put your finger on the sound
hard to stop your feet from moving when the music is playing
my training rides are often at the pace of a 7 year old!
a shot from my work out this weekend!my bicycle training is similar to my swim training
Danny is Back...
Mud and Gears shares with us another film staring Danny MacAskill
http://mudandgears.tumblr.com
Danny Mac is the Mac Daddy!
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=macaskill
http://mudandgears.tumblr.com
Danny Mac is the Mac Daddy!
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=macaskill
unicycle... I do not know how to ride a unicycle
the unicycle...I do not know how to ride a unicycle
I need to practice... practice... practice...
I have not been practicing
People's District on Unicycles
http://peoplesdistrict.com
http://peoplesdistrict.com search BICYCLE
and then search BIKE
grilling?
Speedy's #44 Hot Saucewww.speedyshotsauce.com
yes... it is Hot Sauce Season!
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=speedy%27s
Bike Relocation Program
The Bike Lane in NOVA had to moved their new bikes to a new store location...Local Bikers help The Bike Lane Relocate
http://burke.patch.com
photos by Bruce
http://brucebuckley.smugmug.com
The Bike Lane
http://thebikelane.com/
with gas prices as they are...
this is an odd little scooter...not sure if it should be on the streets
it appears to lack the lights to make it street legal
while it also may lack the engine size to merit the need of a license or a tag
either way...
I am not sure what to say
at least it is on the road rather than the bicycle path!
history lesson and a lesson in diplomacy
did a short mellow spin in Rock Creek Park on SaturdayRock Creek Park and Beach Drive was experiencing its multi-use glory
people on all sorts of bicycles moving at various paces with a wide array of objectives
pleasant... but potentially chaotic
ran into this young man on my way out
we rode and chatted
it was like an episode of HOW THE STATES WERE MADEonly it was... a special International: Why Country Borders are as they Are!
nice ride... nice chatting
good kid... smart kid
good bit of information passed to me on this ride
some information about history, politics, and diplomacy
5.30.2011
5.29.2011
the journey is the destination...
started thisam not going to finish it
yet I will post it just the same...
sorry if it does not make any sense
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
ah.... Memorial Day Weekend
a three day weekend without a plan
no soccer games or bicycle races to offer structure
instead we follow the design of a few birthday parties... a few sleep overs... Saturday morning karate... and what ever else we can manage to organize in between
oh... sure Monday would have the requisite bbq and swimming pool
but the days leading up to that would lack a certain amount of structure
so many people leave town... we tend not to leave town on these three day weekends
somehow we think we can manage without a formal plan
there is plenty of in between time enough time that we could have scheduled something enough time that I should have scheduled something
where does the time go?
what did we do Friday after school?
I can not remember that far back
I hope it was fun!
I am certain we did something... yet I can not recall
today in the morning I went for a run... I am not a runner
in my youth I was an efficient runner
that was many years ago
that was also many pounds less ago
running is only fun for runners
it takes a good deal of running to get back into running shape
I am far from anything that resembles running fitness
I took it easy did a little stretching then did a mellow trail run
spent a little under an hour in the woods of Rock Creek Park only about 40 of that was spent running walked the hills and walked the final mile home in an effort to cool down and not tighten up too much
back at the house I got involved in some intense LEGO PLAYI worked to build a tower that got demoted to a castle
as it turns out... more LEGOS just creates more confusion
the kids have too many LEGOS someone needs to invent the LEGO SIFTER!
PLEASE SOMEONE INVENT THE LEGO SIFTER!
my older son was at a Birthday Sleep Over while my younger son was linked up with a kid from down the block
my wife Lisa had taken the boys up to Target in the AM
they walked so they were not without some exercise but after they each finished building their new Lego sets I felt it was time to get out
so... I proposed a bicycle ride
there was an effort to make this adventure end at another cash register
I suggested the rope swing
the rope swing is a winner nearly every time
the kid's trick to get soft ice cream was scrapped and the boys got motivated to ride to the rope swing
I played through my head on what I believed would be the most fun
in my mind I scripted rides that
involved short climbs and winding descentsthen I backed off instead... I tried to select the most flat most direct route for the boys
to our pleasure the road that I selected was shut off for repairs
ah... the pleasure to ride virtually car free!
we made our short ride in no time
not sure why I try to push the pace
I guess that is me just being me
FASTER FASTER FASTER
my seven year old son is faster on the bike than the average non-bicycle riding 10 year old
or so it seems on our rides with neighbors and friends
I guess that is what happens when the kids do not have an overbearing bicycle dad to crack the whip and push the pace on every bicycle ride
the journey is the destination
for the boys... the rope swing is the destination
but really... whether they know it or not... the journey is the destination
the boys enjoyed the bicycle ride as much as they enjoyed the rope swing
the ride was short and they wished that the time at the rope swing was longer
it can be good to keep it short
a shorter ride usually ends on a high note... leaving the kids wanting more
while a long ride can tarnish any memory of fun
the same goes for the rope swing
keep if fresh
no need to burn out on the rope swing!
okay... I did extend the ride home a bit
and yes
this was met with munchkin objection
I maintained our trajectory
our reroute took us on some dirt... "social trails"
the boys loved when things got a little twisty and there were some kid quality technical obstacles
once again reminding me that Washington DC needs some sort of bicycle for sport infrastructure
a pump track... a bmx track... legal mountain biking
something!
we got home
my older son Dean was back from his birthday party sleep over
lisa and I gathered the boys and took them to my mother's for another sleep over
which allowed lisa and I to go out dancing... See-I and Empressarios LIVE at U Street Station followed by a Thunderball DJ set
Lisa kept me out until 3PM
we rode our bikes to the club
a good weekend all around
They Call Him The Hunter...
well... I think they may at least call him Mr. Hunteror maybe Steve Hunter
hard to say... I forget these things
either way... check out this guys custom set up
fooling the untrained eye to think he is on a motorcycle rather than a bicycle!
in the name of Memorial Day
when Pat Tillman died...well... when Pat Tillman died I did not understand things as I do now
I thought about the money Pat made as a football player
and how he could help if he continued to be a football player while also being war family philanthropist
well... I am not Pat Tillman
no one else is Pat Tillman
Pat Tillman made the choices for Pat Tillman
I was arrogant and naive to question the actions of Pat Tillman
Pat Tillman is a hero!
Pat Tillman instills the meaning of what it means to give to your country
Pat Tillman helps a civilian appreciate better what Memorial Day means
Thanks to all who have served in the US Military
and
Thanks to all the families who suffered because they had a family member die serving their country
Respect...
It is Memorial Day Weekend!
Remember those that lost their lives while serving this country
Seven Years After his Death... Pat Tillman
www.thepostgame.com
it is true... LITTLE KIDS ROCK!
LITTLE KIDS ROCKhttp://littlekidsrock.org/
there is a music program called LITTLE KIDS ROCK
this year DCPS John Eaton Elementary School in Northwest Washington DC was lucky enough to become part of this program
my two children are students at John Eaton Elementary School
this spring my older son Dean participated in this program
through the efforts of the John Eaton music teacher Mrs Walson John Eaton Elementary School was able to qualify for the Little Kids Rock program
this brought the funding and the instruments needed to start an optional after school program where the children could be introduced to guitar
this is a FREE Program... no cost to the school... no cost to the families
without this program... so many children would not be given this opportunity
last week for the last after school session of guitar there was a music performance for each of the guitar classes... I attended my older son Dean's class to witness what the children had learned
John Eaton music teacher Mrs. Walson explained the Little Kids Rock teaching philosophy as well as the Little Kids Rock program as a whole
I had not realized how lucky John Eaton Elementary was to get a chance to participate in this program!
without the donations from the various supporters of this program this would not happen...
NO WAY A DC PUBLIC SCHOOL COULD AFFORD ALL OF THESE FENDER GUITARS!
as mentioned... if this were not a FREE program for the students... most of these children would have no exposure to playing guitar or any music what so ever!
the LITTLE KIDS ROCK guitar teaching style is interesting to me...
I am not a musician so it is an appreciation from an outsider
it seems like a subtle and slow introduction to music
giving each child a comfort level with playing music with others... singing while playing music... and creating your own music
learning the basic chords... becoming comfort with the guitar on the basic level
I liked this philosophy and felt like it made good sense
the kids followed the patient instruction from their music teacher
as a group they played simple one chord songs while each child got an opportunity to create their own guitar solo
everyone got a chance in the spot light
everyone got to jam with the group
I was not only proud of my son... but excited for the school and all of the activite participants
this program seems to be an excellent building block for young budding musicians
John Eaton Elementary school is lucky to have been selected to participate in this program
and
it is great how involved Mrs. Walson is with the program and its students
thanks Mrs. Walson... you show great patience in working with your class
the results are AWESOME!
LITTLE KIDS ROCK
and
MUSIC INSTRUCTORS ROCK!
Thanks Mrs. Walson!
and
Thanks to the LITTLE KIDS ROCK organization as a whole
http://littlekidsrock.org/how-it-works.html
Respect to those that have died serving Our Country in the Military
This is MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!give a little extra respect to those that have given their lives serving this country in the US Military
there are many that have given more than their time
so many have given their lives
and yes...
there are others that survived, but not without sacrifice
they too deserve our respect
this weekend is a time to reflect on this country's history
we would not be here living the lives we live if it had not been for the lives sacrificed in so many battles and so many wars
it is confusing... but there have been fights for peace
On the road and on the web!
so...they are on the road
and
they are on the web
WE'RE NOT THERE YET Dot Com
www.werenotthereyet.com
cycling from Washington DC to Santiago Chile picking up recipes along the way!
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/2011/05/city-bikes-to-south-america.html
once purchased... it would be a great hand me down
The KinerBakfiet!http://rollingorangebikes.com
these guys have some nice Cargo Bike options
I really dig this KINDERBAKFIET!
the initial purchase would be expensive
but to get one as a "hand me down" would be awesome
this set of random tangents is well worth a glance... I love the random connections on the gwadzilla page!
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=trike
I am a dog person...
I am a dog person...definitely dogs over cats fo rme
certainly drawn to some dog breeds more than others
usually finding a greater kinship with the larger dogs... not the massive ones
definitely not the small
the smaller the dog... the smaller the connection
not sure why
is it me? is it the dog? is it jut too far between my face and theirs when I am standing tall?
pugs? an interesting breed
I have known many people to love pugs
some people even buy them by the bunch
but me... pugs? I am not so sure if this breed appeals to me
so many breeds out there... it is curious what draws people to certain breeds
it is sort of ironic that those who adopt grey hounds are often against dog racing
without dog racing... I am not sure if there would be grey hounds
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=liz+hatch
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=vanderkitten
5.28.2011
Dan of WABA
WABAhttp://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=waba
Washington Area Bicyclist Associationhttp://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=washington+area+bicyclist+association
Small Wheels
the right size bikethe right size wheels
it appears that this woman could use a larger bike... a bike with larger wheels
those look like 24 inch wheels... she could step up to the adult size bike with 26 inch or 700c wheels
the other day I was talking to a parent and they told me about their child's disinterest in bicycling
they talked about buying the child the bike at an early age but the child never took to the bike
I looked... it was clear... the bike that the child was on was too small for him
I thought about the age that they bought the bike for him
at that point... the bike was too large for him
then I thought about things a little longer and realized
my kids are getting too big for their bikes
it is time for them to each move up to the next size wheel!
just like new... well sort of
LAKE WINTER SHOES!I have this pair of Lake Winter Shoes
the shoes have seen use
there was some damage to the shoes that was more of a defect in manufacturing than wear and tear... the stitching on the heel evaporated early in their use
I tried to set things right with a glue gun... that worked for a minute
then I just rode them as they were
over the winter after years of riding with these shoes I noticed that Cargo Mike had the same pair of shoes
Cargo Mike aka Coach said his shoes had the same issue and he got them repaired at the shoe repair place just down the block from Edible Arrangements
so... working for Edible I decided to have my shoes fixed
for 30 buck the crew at Liberty Drycleaning and Shoe Repair made my shoes "like new" again
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Liberty-Drycleaners-Shoe-Repair/122487687809254
http://www.washingtondc.com/liberty-drycleaners-and-shoe-repair-b20471741
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=Lake+Shoes
the cargo rig captures people's attention
the Frankenbakfiet catches people's eyepeople shout stuff
when locking it up people strike up conversation
the obvious DIY nature of this ride really appeals to people
ran into this guy Mark Stewart
Mark was in town playing a show with Paul Simon
www.polygraphlounge.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Stewart_%28guitarist%29
5.27.2011
It is Memorial Day Weekend.
It is Memorial Day Weekend not just a time to grill and jump in the pool
not just a time to mark the start of summer
Memorial Day Weekend is a time to reflect and give respect to those who have served and gave their lives for this country in the military
I do not know this guy... just saw the image on FACEBOOK
I asked if I could share it because I liked the themes of his "ink"
that is Geoffrey Millard
thank you Geoffrey for use of this image and more importantly thank you for your service to this country
and
thank you to any and all who have served
and
Never Forget and Always Remember all those that gave their life for the freedom of this nation
Happy Memorial Day
5.26.2011
I still don't know
what is a good age for a pocket knife?
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=grand+lake
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=rocky+mountain+
I need to catch up on some missed comics
Yehuda MoonCatch up with Yehuda at the Kickstand Cyclery
www.yehudamoon.com
5.25.2011
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