Recent Price of Gasoline

I could hardly believe it.

And I wish it had been the scooter getting a "Fill Up".

But it was the Subaru. Ice storm possible tomorrow. Family Rule is to keep the vehicles above 1/2 full in the event of inclement weather. I was just a little below 1/2 when I rolled in to the convenience store this morning.

I kid you not.

I was charged the outrageous price of $ 1.67 / gallon.

Where's the Humanity?

When I first bought the scooter , you may remember back then. "Dubya" had just managed to implode the economy, gasoline reached a little over $4.00 / gallon.

I was sure glad I had Max back then.

(I still am)

:)

Ride On and Carpe Diem, my good friends.

Man, There's a Lot of Sand Out There!

With some of the snows we had this winter, the city/county authorities used sand instead of salt solutions because the temperatures were too cold for the salt to work well.

At least that is the reason they gave.

All I know is that at almost every corner or intersection there is a buildup of sand. And we know how dangerous that can be to 2 wheeled riders.

I'm here to remind you that it is not just the wheels of your vehicle that you need to worry about.

But remember that when you stop at a light or stop sign, what do you do?

You put a foot down, don't you.

Make sure that foot doesn't end up on a pile of sand! OK?


Ride Safe and Carpe Diem , my good friends.

Feelin' sorry for a Harley

Near my home resides a Harley. I walk by the home of this bike every other day or so when I'm walking the dog (and the cat).

I feel sorry for this bike. It is a very nice yellow in color. I'm sorry that I don't know more about Harleys to even know the exact model. It's big (to me), but not as big as many Harleys. And its a really nice looking bike! Sort of a basic cruiser, but a very nice looking bike.

But Here's the thing.

The bike has been parked right up next to the garage in this driveway for about 4 months now and hasn't been moved. Not even an inch.

Some thoughts.

Why doesn't the owner move it into the garage?  No clue here.

It has been exposed to the elements including rain, snow and sub-zero temperatures this winter.

If I were that Harley, you can bet I'd be pissed!

Even just a little bit of TLC would be nice. In this case there has been none.

Absolutely None!

So, my response to this is that I'm going to remember to give a little love to Max, my friend on the road. After all, if you don't take care of your bike, how can you expect it to take care of you?

Just Sayin'!

Ride On and Carpe Diem, my good friends.

Resolutions and Animals on a Cold Night Walk

It was just me,

And Sophie,     (The dog)

And Moe.        (The cat)

This is a Monday evening. December 23rd. It snowed about 3 inches two days ago. It's cold! Very cold. The Weatherbug app on my iPhone said it was 15 degrees (-10 C) outside. 

Didn't stop me,

Or Sophie,

Or Moe!

Moe

Yes, our silly Tomcat loves to go walking with us, believe it or not.

It used to piss me off if Moe went with us on our nightly walk. You see, it's like this:

Walking with Sophie is fun. Like all dogs, she loves to be with us. She'll do our pace, ie that pace determined by the human. Do it gladly, unquestionably. Frequently glancing up at you to see if she is making you happy. She rarely disappoints. That's just her nature.

Moe is totally different. He has his own pace to life. And like most cats, sometimes he doesn't care about your pace, your desires or your happiness, well, you get the idea. 

You sort of have to be a bit patient with Moe when you take him for a walk. He has his own agenda. He'll lag behind a bit, then catch up and "buzz" by you, showing off. He is, sometimes a bit aloof, but he's not ungrateful, he shows his affection frequently, but it's on his own terms.

Sophie likes to stop and smell interesting things. I don't always understand the why or the what of the smells she finds, but I let her indulge.  Moe, interestingly, stops to investigate things also. Maybe not smells, not sure what the heck it is, and he takes a bit longer sometimes. After all, he is a cat. And, well....

It used to infuriate me when Moe would lag behind and make everybody wait on him. It's like, "I'm supposed to be in charge here, you need to follow my direction, do what I want you to do. Quit screwing around and let's make some tracks".

But then, somewhere along the line, I decided that maybe, just maybe, Moe might have a better idea.

Maybe it's a Carpe Diem type of thing. Maybe it is Moe's way of seizing the moment. Stopping to smell the roses? Could that be?

Who knows.

But I was thinking as we walked, that there were 3 very distinct personalities on the trek, this cold and cloudy night. Me, the human, had the leash and a flashlight, supposedly in charge, Sophie with her eager smiling face constantly observing, smelling, sensing, exceedingly happy just to be outside doing something with the rest of us, and then Moe, also very alert and observant, but with a very different goal. Not that I had any kind of clue what Moe's goal was. But then, who am I to judge. I despise people that judge others, for whatever reason. I don't even feel like I should judge animals like Sophie or Moe. I don't know what it's really like to be a cat or a dog or a buffalo or ....

But I don't always end each post of this blog with the phrase "Carpe Diem" for no reason whatsoever. You see, I really feel like each day is a gift of some sort. If you live to be 70 years old then there should be 25,550 daily opportunities for Carpe Diem. I think we ought to seize as many as we can. I bet we've all missed a few.

And to me, Carpe Diem can take various forms. Tonight as we walked, and Moe made us wait up for him for a few minutes, Sophie and I "seized" the opportunity to look around, see the sights, really take the opportunity to observe. We looked at the tire tracks in the snow, saw many Christmas light decorations, smelled aromas from neighborhood fireplaces, heard the sounds of the wind in the trees, etc.

We stopped. We waited. Instead of exerting effort at enforcing our will upon others, we paused and let, in effect, others dictate upcoming events. I'm not necessarily some sort of control freak, but I'm very used to organizing my own life. I'm not always, personally, comfortable with just "going along for the ride".

But I'm convinced that there is something to just letting life happen. You get to experience lots of very interesting sights, sounds, smells, emotions, etc, that you just might otherwise miss if you are constantly busy organizing your own destiny.

So, my resolution for the new year is to let it happen. More and more.

An extra special Happy New Year and Carpe Diem, my good friends.

Buff or Balaclava

 On a cold day I frequently fight a cold neck. I have a balaclava that I have frequently used to protect my head from cold winds. At times I have also used a bandanna.

But now I have a new weapon. It's called a buff. They come in a wide variety of colors, styles and materials. I got a couple from REI and tried one out this morning.

Cold weather weapons laid out on Max as he warmed up this morning.

The buff is quite versatile. It can be worn in various ways and has many uses. 

This is how I wore it this morning. Keeps the ears and neck nice and warm. I discovered that the chin was slightly exposed, but only slightly

I pronounce the Buff as one of my newest favorite accessories.

Ride On and Carpe Diem, my friends

Finally, The Rain Has Backed Off !

We've been in a pretty bad drought here. It was worse in western Kansas and other areas, but the nearest Army Corps of Engineers reservoir was at 62% of capacity just a few months ago. We get some of our drinking water from that lake and city planners were starting to worry.

We also had unbelievable heat the last 2 summers. Last year wasn't as bad as 2 years ago, but still not fun.

This year though,

Temperatures have not been as hot

and it has rained....

and rained....

and rained....

and rained....

It has had an effect on my riding ability. Now, mind you, a little rain while riding a motorcycle/scooter isn't really all that bad, but I prefer not to. I've said this before: It's not the water that bothers me as much as the lightning. I hate lightning. I have a "thing" about lightning. I might be sort of a "tough" guy, but when it comes to lightning...... well you get the idea.

And the rain we've had was mostly thunderstorms (with, you guessed it, lightning). Storms at all times of day and night. Sort of blowing up at random, raining a bit, then pooping out only to start up again a few miles away. Very unpredictable.

For the past 3-4 weeks it has rained almost every day, at least sometime during the day or night. We might receive 1/4", sometimes 1/2", other times 1", even a few times where we received 2", 3", even 3 1/2" of rainfall. The cumulative effect is well into the double digits of rainfall in the last few weeks. Unfortunately, I haven't ridden hardly at all because of this.

Yeah, I know, the people in the pacific northwest will tease me for being a weenie, and I deserve it. But as I said, I have this "thing" about lightning. I hate lightning! I hate it a lot! And if it is raining, I figure that somewhere there has to be some lightning associated with the rain. Here in Kansas, there usually is associated lightning. Hence, part of my justification for not riding much lately.

But the weather forecast this week is, shall we say, much better! Temperatures near normal! Rainfall, nonexistent!

For the next 7 - 10 days!

Officially, the drought has been declared at an end for the immediate area. That nearby reservoir I mentioned is now over 90% of capacity.

I may be able to ride all this week and well into the next week. I don't have to tell you what a positive effect that has on me. I like riding! It's good for me!

Maybe I'll see you on the road!

Ride On, and Carpe Diem, my friends.

Warming Up

The weatherman this morning said that at this time last year we had already had 8 days with a high temp in the 80's (F). We did it for the first time this year yesterday.

He also said that all of last year we only received about 11 inches of rainfall. We have already gotten 8 inches this year so far. The drought isn't over, but its getting better.

I decided it was time to break out my favorite gloves, the Aerostich Hot Weather Vegans. I've written about these before. They are fantastic, but they have been stored in a little bag in the garage for the past few months. I broke them out of their confinement this morning.

My infamous Hot Weather Vegans. I've only ever purchased a very few items from Aerostich, but these gloves are the "Bees Knees"!

I thought about putting away the winter gloves, but there might still be a few cool mornings to come, you know, those days with a cold weather glove on for the morning ride, the hot weather gloves for the afternoon ride home. So I left the winter gloves on the bike. I'll put them away soon though. I did put away the glove liners and balaclava and all the liners are now out of my jacket and pants.

It was 62 degrees when I left the house this morning. Very warm. Felt good. It has been a cool spring. We actually had a little bit of snow just a few days ago. My wife's grandmother, who was one of those people that were very wise in the ways of the world, used to say that if it was a cool spring, then we would have a very good growing season. One of those little midwesterners sayings that somehow always turn out to be very true. We'll see, but I admit that things are really seeming to be greening up around here.

I have seen saw a lot more bikes out on the road the last few days.

.

Yep, it's warming up!

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Ride On, and Carpe Diem, my friends!

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Philosophy and the Cold Morning Wave

Weatherbug says it was 32 degrees farenheit.

Then, the Weatherbug said it "felt like" 32 degrees farenheit.  (obviously no wind chill)

But you and I know that on 2 wheels at 30 mph, even if it says it's 32 degrees farenheit, it will not feel like that when in motion. It feels much, much colder!

I was about 2 miles on my way (part of a 5 mile commute) and riding in fairly heavy traffic this morning. The sun was very low in the sky behind me as I traveled west. As I rode, I noticed up ahead, a few blocks away, another person on a motorcycle, turning east onto the street. Knowing we would pass each other, I identified an opportunity for a wave.

So I did my usual, left arm extended out just a bit, index finger slightly pointed to acknowledge the other rider. It was quick, just a couple of seconds, traffic was busy, other things to keep an eye on.

He responded with an almost identical quick wave (hardly a wave, just like me, a slight extension of the arm).

Whole incident, probably no longer than 2 or 3 seconds in length.

So, why was that brief little encounter meaningful?

Was it because it was cold outside, and we recognized each other to be adventuresome and hearty souls of some sort?

Was it because we both saw each other as crazies?

Was it because there was some sort of "connection" with each other in the vast realm of the cosmic universe?

All I know was that it was nice. I liked it. I have always liked the wave. Not everybody does it, but many do, and I just like it. It's fun!

I'm excited for this week. The weather looks fantastic for the rest of the week. Highs in the 70's later on this week. Lows in the 40's.

That's Real Good!

Zehr Gut!

Ride On and Carpe Diem, my friends!

Thwarted by the Threat of "Freezing Fog"!

Could anything be more ominous than "Freezing Fog"?

It just sounds deadly doesn't it!

It doesn't look awful, but visibility was about 1/4 to 1/2 mile

I was really excited last Sunday. Looking at the weekly forecast on my iPhone App called the "Weatherbug", it looked like I could get a lot of riding in this week. No rain in the forecast and temperatures would be reasonable, at least for February. I knew I had to take the car on Monday for a doctor's appointment, but the possibility of riding 4 days in a row looked good. Real Good!

I rode on Tuesday, a little chilly in the morning, but lovely in the afternoon. A nice and uneventful ride.

You have to understand the workings of parking in my garage at home. If I'm riding the scooter the next day, then Max gets parked behind the "Famous Canadian Subaru", (the one with the heated seats), for a quick getaway the next morning. Otherwise Max gets parked in front of the cars.

So for Wednesday morning, Max was parked behind the Subaru, ready to go when called for duty. Alas, when taking the dog out first thing Wednesday morning to get the newspaper, I opened up the front door to see a pretty thick fog. It was warm out, but foggy. Also not predicted by the "Weatherbug". Now, I've ridden in fog before, but it's not my first choice, (definitely not the wife's first choice) so when it came time to leave for work, I re-arranged the vehicles and took the car.

The tallest building in Wichita from a block away, heavily obscured

Then on Thursday morning the "Weatherbug" predicted fog and rain, and the "Weatherbug" turned out to be 50% correct, there was rain, but no fog. And I've ridden in rain before also, but again, not my first choice, and particularly if it is a cold rain. I hate cold rain! Alas, the car was called into duty again that day, but as I came home Thursday evening, hope was welling up and I paused and re-arranged the garage lineup in order to take Max to work on Friday morning.

All evening long I dreamed about the potential of a glorious Friday morning ride. Well, maybe not all evening long. Okay, maybe I was just momentarily looking forward to it. But, you know what I mean.

View from the "Cage" of a "Scooter in the Fog"
Is that like the old "Far Side" cartoon "Chickens in the Mist"?

So Friday morning arrives (a really nice looking day predicted by the "Weatherbug") and I look outside just before venturing outside with the dog, and what do I see?

Fog!

Not only that, but it's pretty cold outside. The weatherman on the television said that streets could be slick because, you guessed it, the Threat of Freezing Fog!

Oh My!

Not, (gulp), Freezing Fog!

Well, as you might imagine, the "Famous Canadian Subaru" (the one with the heated seats) was pressed into service again. But I was so worked up about it that I took a few pictures. Seems as if other riders braved the elements this morning even if I did not. Out of 5 days in the week, at least I got to ride on 1 day. Better than none, and it is February.

Oh Well, Time to get to work!

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Ride On, and Carpe Diem, my friends!
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Really Nothing to Prove

So why do I occasionally feel the urge to ride when it's cold outside. Stingy finger cold!

After all, it seems that most riders have put away their bikes for the winter, seldom making an appearance on the roads of the city. Last Saturday afternoon, the temperatures rose to about 60 F, and there were lots more riders out than I had seen in a long time. Even the sport bikers were out. But on Monday after it had turned colder again, none of those folks were to be seen.

And I admit that I haven't commuted to work as regularly on Max as I have in past years. That first year in particular saw me out there almost every day unless there was snow or ice on the roads. I rode in 10 F weather. I mean really brisk, stark days that your dog wouldn't even want to venture out in.

And do I have something to prove?

I'm not sure. Deep in my psyche maybe I want to prove that I can still do it after a heart attack and 2 cardiac arrests. It really is more dangerous for me to be out there when it's that cold. But I can tell when I am feeling up to it or not, and some days I know I am not ready for the cold, therefore I don't ride.

And then maybe I am just trying to puff up my chest and tell the world what a tough guy I am, out there riding in silly cold weather. Something "Tribal" to prove. Strutting the colors of my denim winter jacket like some peacock would display its feathers. Are we really that much different than the animals?

So today the Weatherbug App on the iPhone said it was 22 F when I left the house. I had to get some gas on the way in. I took a little different route downtown, a little slower and less traffic. I heard a flock of birds chirping at one intersection. The sun was bright. My visor and eyeglasses were fogging up regularly so I rode with the helmet visor partially open most of the way. (Are some of my helmet vents open?, Or closed?, need to experiment with that a little more)

I was actually quite warm, 5 layers on top, 3 layers on my legs, feet fine with boots and boot socks.

It was just my fingers that got cold and that's usually the way it is. Now many of you have suggested in the past and could again mention today that I should invest in some heated gloves or some other clever device with the goal of aiding the warmth in my fingers.

To that I say, Naaaahhh!

Its only a few minutes of discomfort. I suppose if I were going to be out there for a really long ride, then sure, I'll invest in some warmth farkle, but for a 15 minute ride?

After all, maybe I'm out to try and prove that I can endure some pain. At age 56, I'm still one of the baddest of the bad!

Yeah? A Badass?

Well I doubt that, too, but I know one thing. Pirsig alluded to the fact that when you were out there riding, you were actually living and part of the world, experiencing much that you would miss if you were looking out the window of a cage. Today I was living and experiencing and even if it was cold, it was well worth it!

The afternoon ride home should be even more fantastic!

Ride On and Carpe Diem, my friends!

Motivation in Colder Weather

When I first bought the scooter I was very determined to ride in all weather except for ice and snow.

40 degrees F?       Yes, no problem!

30 degrees F         Hell Yes!

20 degrees F         Well maybe not hell yes, but okay!

10 degrees F         Well now you're pushing it, but I've done it

This year?              Well.....

I admit to being less aggressive in the cold this year. Oh, I've been out there, but not near as regularly.

Potential excuses:

I've needed the car more when at work. Somewhat true.
I've been walking more. True but does not account for the that much of the difference
Weekends have been busier, less free time. True definitely
The heart doesn't like cold weather quite as much. True
The weather hasn't been cooperative. Somewhat true

But then again, most of those are just what I say they are, Excuses!

I need to ride more!

I got Max out this morning. It was about 30 degrees. Hadn't ridden in about 3 weeks. He started up as if to say, "Hey, How You Been!, Where we going today?" Fired instantly on the first push on the starter.

I've been trying to make some plans for the summer and fall. Maybe some longer type trips. Been thinking about even coordinating some of those with a little camping (which I haven't done in ages) and even some long hikes. Saw a movie recently about hiking. Sort of liked it. It's healthy for my heart. Hmmmm.

And another book report might be on the way soon, but the book wasn't near as good as Jack's book.

But for now, we are heading into another "tax season" at work. Lots to do, little free time. Most riding will just be to work and back.

But I hope to do more of that!

Ride On and Carpe Diem , my friends.

Jim

A Cold Ride, The Edge of The Fiscal Cliff and a Right Wing Prius

Okay, so I put in all the liners in my jacket and pants this morning. I had been putting this off and with the recent relatively warm weather (Hell, it is almost December), I had been able to survive on the bike without all that extra gear. But this week has been colder, in fact the overnight lows had been in the 20's (wind chills in the teens) and I admit to having wimped out a couple of days on riding to work.

Now I have often thought of myself as a "Rounder" (a year round rider) and unless it is really cold (by my definition, single digits and below), the cold weather doesn't usually stop me from riding.  This morning the temperature was below freezing, but just barely and  it was sunny with almost no wind. Very nice! But I did take more precautions against the cold. I got out the fleece glove liners and even the nylon balaclava. Both liners in my pants and the fleece liner in my jacket. Max started right up like it was any other day. I think he actually likes the cold weather.

The winter gloves with the liners next to my Ride To Work bandana.

And I took out onto the street fighting a bit of fog in my visor, not bad, just a bit annoying. But I had this nagging feeling that I had forgotten something. With all the extra stuff I did this morning to get ready for the ride I knew it was likely that I would forget something, but at that moment I couldn't figure out what it was, and maybe it was nothing anyway.

At one of the first stop light intersections I pulled up behind this little Dodge something or other with a frosty back window. I thought to myself, Fantastic, Not only do I have to watch out for and fight people trying to talk and text on their cell phones, but now I have to watch out for people who are too damn lazy to even scrape off their windows. Oh well, I try a zen moment to calm myself, after all this is is supposed to be fun, and it really is.

And just next to the Dodge was a Prius. And the only reason I noticed it was because of the bumper stickers on it, one of which I couldn't read very well (small print), but the other was a "Fair Tax" sticker. Now it is never safe to generalize about anything and people will always surprise me but I was struck by what appeared to me to be a sort of incongruity between the concept of a Prius and the concept of the "Fair Tax". What I was thinking was that it might be more common for a Prius to be driven by a quote "liberal" person, you know, someone that believes in global warming, wants to save the planet by not using too much in the way of fossil fuels, etc. And then to see a "Fair Tax" sticker which I would associate to someone with more of a right wing sort of conservative bend to their political beliefs. Well it just seemed a bit odd. Probably just me.

Then, as it were, the Prius and I seemed to kind of parallel each other down the street on the way downtown. At some stop lights I would arrive first, at others the Prius would get there first. It was a woman driving the car, but I could never seem to get her to look over at me, she always faced away. (Bitch!?) Then I was thinking, "Okay, who is really trying to save the environment here today?" You in that Prius, at times traveling silently, but probably getting maybe 45 mpg as you move along toward your destination. Or me! Having a blast on my Taiwanese scooter, in cold weather to boot, but probably doing about 75 mpg.

Huh?!   Who's the Environmentalist Now?!

Then I take another deep breath. (Ommmm)

I remembered listening to NPR as I shaved this morning and they were interviewing various people talking about the upcoming "Fiscal Cliff". Now I remind you that I am a tax accountant. I am very aware of the changes that will or will not happen at the end of the year this year. I even spoke at about 15 little mini-seminars about this very subject. And you know what? In my humble opinion, all the politicians are crazy and don't have a clue. Most of them have no business calling themselves statesmen and I really would not be surprised that we just end up careening off the end of the cliff because the silly bastards won't have the guts to do anything about it. And you know what else?!

The world will not end!
Generalissimo Francisco Franco will still be dead!
The Kansas City Chiefs will still Suck!
And I will still try and ride to work on a mostly year round basis.

So There!

Whew!

Oh, the things I think about as I ride to work some days.

And as I arrived at the parking garage this morning and was taking off my helmet and gloves, one of the people who work for the parking lot company saw me and yelled at me about it being "Pretty cold to ride a scooter on a day like today".

I said, "Naah! It's a great day to Ride!"

And it was! And it will be this afternoon when the temperatures are expected to be in the 50's. I might even get hot with all those liners being used.

And then I remembered that nagging thought that I had forgotten this morning. And I realized it was my office keys that I had forgotten. Oh well.....
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Ride On and Carpe Diem, my friends.
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How Far East Can I Go? Perhaps New Jersey?

I have to admit that as I rode this morning, at least a few of my thoughts were about our "Twisted Roads" friend in New Jersey. Having experienced a close call to a natural disaster in my lifetime (Topeka tornado 6/8/66), I know what it is like to have a little fear. We are glad Jack is okay and probably bitching up a storm of his own. But I was thinking about Hurricane Sandy this morning. I was also thinking about Jack's new book, which was ordered but not yet received, and was supposedly on its way. I feel a book report is coming on.

Like lots of times I took off with a sort of preconceived idea of where I wanted to ride this morning only to change my mind shortly after leaving the house. I hadn't been riding the bicycle much lately due to a very sore shoulder and neck from a slightly out of place and inflamed spinal cord disc. Riding the bicycle sort of aggravates the problem, but it was much better and a ride sounded like a good idea. Plus I needed the exercise.

I have written about this abandoned rail road line before. It has been converted to a jogging/bicycling path. It starts very near downtown Wichita and heads mostly east but also a little northeast from town. I heard you can ride a long way, but wasn't sure how far. Also the riding is rather tough because the path is rough consisting mostly of large pieces of gravel. I decided to hit the trail with the intention of seeing something new today.

I had not been any farther east on this trail than just the other side of this bridge where an interstate highway crosses over the path. I wondered how far I could go.

It was a beautiful morning, about 50 degrees, but very sunny and almost no wind. Ideal conditions. I was only slightly bundled up in a warm outfit and was sweating a bit very soon after leaving the house. I can catch this trail about a mile from home so I headed that way. I stopped to take a few pictures while wondering how far I could take the trail. One problem is that it is pretty much an up and back trail. I would have to come back mostly the same way. Also because the trail is rough, the going would be slower than usual.

Looking east on a Sunday morning, the view is a bit rustic, even a bit lonely, but very pretty, quiet and  peaceful. The sounds of the mountain bike tires on the gravel is most of what you hear.

There were times when I noticed how isolated it was on this trail. I encountered maybe 3 joggers all morning and no other bicyclists. Some housing developments back up to the trail where I could see the back yards of some fairly nice homes. Then a little way down the road it would just be farm fields by the side of the road. I thought about what it would have been like to ride a train on this line. I'm sure this was mostly a freight line, not a passenger line.

I wondered about what would happen if something happened to me. How long it might take for someone to find me. Should I carry some protection? They have a new firearms carry law in Oklahoma. Not exactly a comforting thought, but what the hell, This is Kansas! How dangerous can it be?

Occasionally the rail path would cross over a stream or a creek as I rode eastward. The scenery would change a bit. Oh, the scenery isn't what you would call fantastic, but it sure was a nice day. A good day to be out absorbing some vitamin D and feeling the sun beat on you a bit. Isn't that part of the point?

There's a little drop off on the side of the path here. Lots of trees and lots of leaves.

The sounds were mostly very quiet type sounds. My breathing was noticeable. The sounds of the tires on the gravel was the noisiest sound to be heard. I would say hello to the occasional jogger and usually, but not always, got a kind response. I thought about many things as I rode along.

At one point I stopped to take a picture and heard this unbelievable racket of birds above me. They must have been discussing the upcoming election. It was obvious they were not all in agreement.

I quickly realized that it was taking me much more time to get anywhere fast and when I reached the county line road to enter Butler county, I decided that I would turn back to Wichita. All in all I probably didn't broaden my experience in this easterly direction by but a few more miles, but that was only part of the point.

You could say that at this stage in my life, everyday that I can experience something as enjoyable as this is pretty important.

At my turn around point I encountered this sign, obviously decorated by some sort of small town hoodlum.

Eventually hunger controlled my thoughts and I headed back to town to see what the other family members might have on their minds for lunch time activities. I had worked up a bit of an appetite.

Lunch was the new priority. I'll check out more points eastward on this trail another day.
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Ride On and Carpe Diem my friends,
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I wish I would have....

The early morning television weatherman said it was about 40 degrees at 6:30 am when I got up to feed the dogs.

The "Weatherbug" app on my iPhone said it was 42 degrees when I arrived at work (about 8:30am). Not unbearably cold at all, but probably the coldest ride in to downtown Wichita that I had experienced yet this Fall.

I wish I had gotten out the warmer gloves. No, dummy me, I still had the Aerostich Hot Weather Vegans in the top case. I know where my other gloves are, but just didn't take the time to dig them out. My summer gloves are mightily perforated and not worth a damn in cold weather, but, well you know, they are my favorite gloves, and....  Not to worry, fingers a little cool when I arrived downtown, but tolerable for a 15 minute ride.

I wish that I had grabbed my balaclava on the way out the door. Oh, it wasn't bad, but my neck got chilly on the way in. I had at least remembered to close up the vents on my helmet after the last time I had ridden. Gotta be proud of myself for that. I actually have a new (last year) balaclava that I haven't yet worn while riding. I'm not actually sure it will fit because my helmet fits pretty tightly. But it would definitely keep my neck warmer. I have another older balaclava that I have ridden with many times. It is nylon and fits fine in the helmet, but it's sort of an obnoxious blue/purple color. Just not the image I want to convey. Oh, the vanity of it all.

I didn't put the heavy liner in my pants, and I can't really say I wish I had. I was plenty warm in the leg department. If it had been a longer ride, I would have put the liner in.

I also didn't put the heavy liner in my denim jacket, nor, again, would I have wished that I had done so. Just didn't need it. Again, though, if it had been a longer ride......

I had my boots on. My laptop was bungeed to the seat in front of the topcase, but just behind my butt as I rode. Nothing on the "Man Bag Hook", but plan to stop by a couple of stores on the way home this evening for a few groceries. Will need the hook then.

I think Max likes running in cooler weather. He started and ran flawlessly, without a hitch, like he usually does.

Expecting the temperature to be in the upper 60's for the ride home. Ought to be a glorious experience.

I wish every day could be like today!
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Ride on, and Carpe Diem, my friends,
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A Much Needed Mental Health Ride

I had lunch with a friend yesterday who used to ride a lot, but doesn't anymore. He has a very fine old BMW  motorcycle (1970's vintage) just sitting in his garage gathering dust. I've coveted that bike a bit, but it would be a "project".

At any rate, he asked me if I had been riding much. He knew I hadn't ridden much for a year or so after my heart problems developed last year. I said I had been riding some, but not much, and not near as much as I would like to, but...

We've been really friggin' busy lately, both at work and at home. I hadn't even been commuting on Max to work very often. Last week the weather didn't cooperate on some days, but there were other days I just needed the car for one reason or another.

But the point is, I needed to ride. Bad! And today was the day. Ne need for the car. No big appointments with clients. Hell. I might even take the afternoon off! And go for a ride! No fixed destination! Just Ride! Go ahead and burn some gasoline!

I tell friends that riding is a form of mental therapy for me. It renews me. It makes me forget about problems. It is hugely meaningful to me. And when I don't get enough of it, well, things just sometimes don't go right. I get cranky! Bitchy! I throw things! I curse!

But when I turn the key and hear that engine come to life, well, you know, you get a little smile on your face, and you start thinking about more fun things. Things like just noticing the weather a little bit. 47 degrees this morning. Thought about switching to a heavier glove, but just thought about it and didn't pull the heavier ones out from storage. (Now just where did I put them?).

The vents were still open on my helmet. At 40 mph the breeze on portions of my chin and head were noticeably "cool". The denim jacket was plenty warm, no problem there. Feet and hands just fine. But I really like riding in this kind of temperature. It is just cool enough to be invigorating and keep you awake. But you don't sweat.

But best of all....
I didn't think about the tasks that awaited me at work,
I didn't think about the do it yourself projects we have going on at the house,
I didn't think about changes in tax laws,
I didn't think about the problems with my heart, (even though I'm doing much better, physically),
I didn't think about the upcoming elections (One of those silly dudes is going to win, unfortunately!?),
I didn't think about global warming (One of my neighbors thinks it is some sort of commie plot),
I didn't think about the fact that my neighbor is a moron (Okay, maybe I did),

I just rode!
And I watched the traffic!
And I followed a dude on a Vespa for a mile or so!
And I pulled up to a stoplight next to another dude on a Harley (Did his motor have to be so friggin' loud),
And I had to make a rather quick stop at another light when it turned yellow on me rather abruptly,
And I had to keep an eye on what was behind me when I made that quick stop,
And I heard some birds,
And I noticed some kids on a school bus,
And I noticed the sunlight reflecting on some of the downtown buildings,
And I noticed a building being remodeled and wondered what the new purpose of the building was,

You get the drift!

And you know what else?

There'll be more mental health benefits this afternoon!

Ride On, and Carpe Diem, my friends!
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Just One of Many Little Commutes

The Sometimes Frustrating Left Turn

As soon as I leave the driveway I need to make a left turn onto a fairly busy street. Some mornings the traffic seems to just form a big hole, like the parting of the Red Sea in the bible story, allowing me to quickly enter the flow of traffic. Other days? Not so much. Today? One of those Not So Much days.

Seemed like I was there forever. Don't want to get impatient. Can't afford to make a mistake. The collision of a motorcycle with a car or truck is a simple exercise in physics, the vehicle with more mass will always win. So I wait.
And I wait some more.
Okay, the right side of the street is opening up, maybe I can make a move. I look back left..... Well, Crap!
Wait some more.
To pass the time I adjust the mirrors a bit, even though they really didn't need it.
Geez, now it looks like just a slow steady stream of cars in both directions.
And I wait,, (thinking, what am I going to do today at work)
Okay, now it looks a little better, there's a hole in traffic developing to my left
And a hole developing to my right,
But then i  realize that the holes will not get here to my street at the same time.
Don't the traffic engineers of this city know I am trying to make this little left turn on a lot of mornings? Can't they somehow re-program the street lights a half mile away in either direction to make my life easier?
Come On? It's most every day just before or maybe a little after 8:00 am. Why? Why? Why?

Oh you get the drift

I err on the side of caution usually. I try not to be in a hurry.

As usual, eventually, I am able to enter the street and start making my way downtown.

Whew!

The Frequently Annoying Foggy Visor

We had a touch of rain overnight last night. Just a touch. Officially 2/10 of an inch. Big Damn deal. I'm not complaining. We badly need the rain. And it will still be a good day to ride to work today. No rain predicted during the day today.

But the upshot was that it was pretty muggy this morning. Every time I breathed into the helmet, yeah, you guessed it, Foggy Visor. In fact a good part of the time I was waiting to make that left turn previously mentioned, I had to leave my visor partially opened. Not all the way open, but partially. And as soon as I would close it, the fog would return. At just about every intersection I encountered today where I had to stop, I had to open up the visor a bit. Not bad, just a bit annoying. Oh well, there are worse things in life.

The Surprising Water Puddle

There was a lot of traffic today. Some days are like that. I left the house this morning a little after 8:00 am. Lots of cars. I had to wait a little bit just to make a right turn at Central and Woodlawn. Usually I get right through there. At this time of year, the sun is low in the morning sky. Not a problem for me, I ride westerly in the morning, but I am cautious about drivers going the other way being able to see me sometimes. Don't take everything for granted, you know. But people seemed to be careful this morning, just lots of people.

At one intersection there was a pretty good size puddle of water from last night's rain. The streets were otherwise dry as a bone, but this one puddle was creating splashes as cars went through it. This also cause the pavement to be wet for awhile after the puddle as the cars dropped the splashes back on to the street. There was enough traffic this morning that I wasn't able to see the water puddle until just before I encountered it. No real problem, just sort of a surprise. As I rode past I wondered how long it had been since Max's tires had been wet. It's been awhile, I'm sure. Just not sure how long. But, long it had to be.

The Aggressive(?) Lane Change

The ride downtown was largely uneventful, just lots of traffic this morning. I usually just maintain my space in the flow, keeping an eye out for what is around me, front, back, left or right of me. As I approach the downtown area, it is necessary to make another left turn and ride south a few blocks to get to where I park. I can make this turn at about 3 different intersections, just depending on my whim, but I do have a favorite place to make the turn.

But this morning there was a steady stream of cars in the lane left of me and I could tell I was going to have a little difficulty just changing lanes in order to be able to make the left turn. Now this has happened before, and on rare occasions, I just let the flow of traffic take me along even if I go past my favorite street to turn on. It's no problem to go back a bit. But I could see that it was pretty tight in the lane next to me and I didn't want to move into too small of a space and freak out the other drivers, much less me.

But then a red light appeared ahead. I was going to be first in line (in the right lane), and all those other cars were in a long line in the left lane. So I decided to gun it a little when the light turned green, hopefully get far enough ahead  of the car to the left of me to enable the lane change. Now, I knew this wouldn't work if the guy to the left of me at the light was going to also take out a little fast from the red light. But he didn't. And I easily got well in front and was able to change lanes. I hope I impressed the hell out of them! Oh, not really, but it worked out safely and fine.

The Smelly Parking Garage

Last week Max and I went together almost every day to work. On Thursday last week though, we arrived at the parking garage to a strong and distinct smell of a skunk. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. Well, with the Labor Day weekend just past, I was hoping that the smell would have abated to just a distant memory, but alas, a faint smell of skunk still lingers in the garage. We narrowed the smell down to a pickup truck that we think is the culprit, but given the nature of the smell, our investigation didn't last long. We just wanted to get out of there and away from the smell. We have considered leaving a note on the windshield, but didn't think it would do any good, and we're not completely sure it was that truck.

In Summary

So today's ride was 1) Sometimes Frustrating, 2) Frequently Annoying, 3) Surprising, 4) Aggressive (?), and 5) Smelly.

Oh and I forgot to mention that the temperature was about 68F, sunny skies, almost no wind, and with clean crisp air after last night's rain. Just about perfect conditions with the possible exception of numbers 1 thru 5 above.

In short, it was a great ride!
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Ride On and Carpe Diem, my Friends,

Jimbo
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Bruiser Takes on a "Rail Trail"

On a recent Sunday morning Bruiser (my old mountain bike) and I went for a ride. I am able to connect to an old railroad line not too far from my home. I rode out east of town on city streets, but came back toward home on this rail trail. I have yet to see how far the trail goes east of town, but know it goes at least for a few miles. Where the rail line enters Wichita, the city planners have been making improvements and even paving parts of the line, but it isn't all finished yet.

This is the first time I have posted a bicycle video to the blog, but not the first time I have taken a video with the possible intention of posting it. Last year I took a number of videos from my bicycle, but never posted them and eventually deleted them. I would hold the phone in my hand and ride and talk about silly little stuff. Yeah, you ought to be scared about listening to someone talking to themselves, and most of those old videos were pretty bad.

Well, this one is probably not much better, but at least the length is manageable. Uploaded from iPhone to YouTube and then linked from the blog. We'll eventually see how this actually works.

Ride On and Carpe Diem, my friends,

Jimbo

..

The Guy at the Gas Station

There was this guy in a suit at the gas station filling up his SUV.

He was just standing there with his arms folded.

Staring at me. Watching me.

Not sure if he was admiring me, or thinking I was crazy. Ask me if I care.

I had ridden Max to work almost every day for the past 3 weeks. In very hot weather, too. But as long as you are moving, 110 degrees doesn't seem so bad , does it? At least it only takes me about 15 minutes to get home. And Thank God for Mesh Gear.

But I needed gas this morning and there was that guy filling up his SUV. I rode up and he was already there. Arms folded, watching me ride up.

I can do this pretty quickly. I don't even take off the helmet, just pop up the visor. Had my wallet in my jacket with my card ready to go, no need to even open the top case. Key out to open the gas cap. Done. Selected the mid-grade fuel, entered my pin #, popped the hose in my tank. I fiddle with the angle of the hose to maximize the fill. The guy in the suit is still watching me, arms folded.

A couple of minutes later, I'm done. Pop the gas cap back on. Key back in ignition, press start,
Vroom Vroom, I maneuver Max off the stand and start to move off.

As I ride away I notice the "suit" is still watching me, arms still folded, gas pump still pumping away in his SUV.

I wondered about him as I rode to the office. What was he thinking. We made eye contact, but I could not tell what his mood was. I thought for a minute he was maybe impressed that I rode a scooter and was doing my little part in saving planet earth by not using as much fuel as other people. Helping out with greenhouse gases, you know.

But then I thought, maybe he was thinking that I was an idiot to ride a two wheeled vehicle in such ridiculous hot weather. And he might be right about that. I thought about him riding on into work, in his air conditioned SUV, cold air blasting in his face, wearing his suit and tie. Thinking about all the other suited people he would interact with today. Lots of them riding their SUV's to work, cold air blasting as they wore their suits and ties.

But then I thought as I said before:

"I don't really give a S&%T what he was thinking"!

He just doesn't know. 

He doesn't know the feeling of freedom! He can't really appreciate how cute that blonde is, in the Honda next to you at the stop light that you just pulled up to. He doesn't smell the aroma of the bakery you just passed by. He doesn't see the color of the trees, how really green they are. He can't imagine the exhilaration of blasting down a country road with no traffic on a beautiful day. He's got windows between himself and the rest of the world while he's in that SUV. As Pirsig says, those windows are like TV screens that insulate you from the real world around you.

He just doesn't get it.

But I do.

Ride on and Carpe Diem my friends!

Jimbo

PS. I bet he spent a lot more than $5 at the pump this morning! Man, He really doesn't know!

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Storm Troopers and Tuesday Thoughts While Riding

I was listening to the television before I left for work today and they said that gas prices dropped overnight to roughly $3.45 per gallon. I thought, "Good for me", Max needs gas. Well, wouldn't you know, the price dropped everywhere in town, except where I got gas this morning. But the good news is that I only took 1.6 gallons, so I don't think I was overcharged too much. I was thinking that Max (the scooter) gets about 3 times the gas mileage that Monty (the Subaru) gets, and the Subaru is pretty good at 25mpg. Both beat the hell out of a lot of the soccer-mom Suburbans and other monster SUV's that everyone seems to own around here. Our family must be crazy to not want to spend more $ on just plain old gasoline. We have a neighbor with a big F-250 pickup that starts it up each morning and lets it warm up for 5 minutes before he even gets into it and drives off.

It is getting to be that time of year when the outside temperature is nice and cool in the morning, but warm (in the 80's) in the afternoon. It can be a bit of a dilemma as far as gear. My jean jacket can get hot, but I like wearing it more than my mesh jacket. The day will come this summer when the jean jacket will be put away until fall arrives, but not yet. I love riding when the temperature is in the 50's. It can be brisk when the wind chill effect hits you as you ride, but not so cold to be a bother.

I took a different route downtown today, East Douglas Avenue. I wrote about that street last summer while I was relegated to riding a bicycle. Its an interesting route, not too heavily traveled, and with a few interesting things to look at on the way. There are 2 school zones at 20 mph on the way. In a couple of weeks school will be out and the speed zone lights will not be flashing. I always reduce speed in these school zones, many other drivers only half-heartedly observe the rules. A Ford Mustang sort of blasted by me this morning in one of the zones. Alas, maybe he had a pill to take.

Sometimes its surprising what kinds of thoughts enter your head when you are riding. There is a particular topic that I have always wanted to write a blog post about, but have never gotten around to. It would take a little tech expertise to accomplish because it might involve a video taken while riding, or at least the assistance of another person. I thought about how to do this post while I rode this morning. Maybe someday I'll pull it off.

Sometimes I think about work while I ride, but am always a little afraid that my mind will not be attentive enough to the hazards of the road, i.e. other damn drivers on cell phones. On a morning like today, I am traveling west and I know that east travelers have to battle the low sun in the sky. I'll see someone approach the street from a side street and have to look into the sun as they decide on a spot to enter traffic. I hope to hell they aren't talking or texting on a phone at the same time.

As I rode I thought about the absolutely fantastic Mother's Day we had last Sunday. The kids fixed us lunch and afterwards we went to a local public garden know as the Botanica. The flowers were amazing and I got a few good pictures. Our son in law wasn't able to be with us (he was doing something for his mother), so it was just the 4 of us, sort of back together again, like old times. And we did really miss the son in law, but it had been a long time since it was just the 4 of us, and we had a great time.

Also,  as I rode this morning, for a few moments, I watched my shadow on the road in front of me.  The sun was behind me and my shadow was long enough to get a really good outline of Max and me on the pavement. I even practiced a few "waves" to see what they might look like to an approaching motorcyclist, and chuckled to myself as I was doing this. What a silly thing to do.

Watching my shadow, with the gear and helmet on, its easy to imagine that I look a little like a Storm Trooper from the old Star Wars movies or a football player riding a motorcycle. Kind of beefy in the shoulders, you know. So I though I would end up this post with this picture stolen from George Takei's (Sulu, on Star Trek) Facebook page. I don't think he will mind because I imagine he stole it from someplace else, from someone who stole it from someplace else, who stole............................... etc.

Taking Out The Liners & A Very Strange Cow

 How Humid Was It?......

Well, Let Me Tell You.....

The weatherman said that the temperature at 7:00 am was 61 degrees
                                       the dew point was 60 degrees
                                       the relative humidity was 97%
He said if there wasn't a 15 mph breeze from the south, It'd be Foggy As Hell!

(Well, maybe he didn't say "hell")

There was no way I was leaving the liners in my gear. My pants have a fleece and a waterproof liner. Out they came.

My jacket has just a fleece liner (a waterproof liner in a denim jacket is nonsense)., But out it came, too.

The next step was to change gloves. The old Aerostich Summer Vegan (my favorites) were patiently hanging in the garage for over a year. I didn't put the winter gloves away just yet. Might still need them.

80 degrees in March! Are you kidding me?

On the way to work today, I had a mission to stop by the Grand Opening of the new "Chick fil A" not too far from my house. Yes, we didn't have one in Wichita. We have lead a deprived life. The restaurant opened up at 6:00 am today and people had camped out since yesterday to be one of the first 100 customers. Seems that the first hundred would get a free sandwich every day for a year, or something like that.

I was not one of the campers. But I did stop by to get a couple of pics.

At this one in the parking lot, if you make the proper left turn you can enter the "two lane drive thru".

Ahh,, what they won't think of next.

And, of course there was a radio station with their DJ blasting music and this guy....

I regret that I didn't stop and buy anything. Guess I don't get too excited about new restaurants, especially fast food ones. Although, from what I hear, their food is pretty good. I am unable to judge it, though, having never tried it. Maybe someday.