Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all. Here is an Alterra cow bell. A free gift from their Coffee Bean Classic this summer that I neglected to mention until now. Obviously a great noise maker for a night such as tonight,... but what does it say about what they think of their team members?

It seems my political/human rights blog, under a different profile, has a bit of a following. Not having posted for over a month 38 visitors hit that blog in short order after a recent post. Only 2 new visitors among them.

Yesterday we still had snow covering the ground. This morning everything was green. Yes, a few days of warm temperatures may be considered an ideal time to ride. For me it was an ideal time to work on the back wall of my home and get it covered back up before the cold comes back tonight. Still work to be done as soon as I finish this post. But why do we need warm weather in Winter to ride when Ray's is open?

I have not been to the gym much either. Gained three or four pounds since Christmas. Turning me from the toned fit individual described as someone who wears his weight well, into a jelly belly.

I'll be writing and carrying with me my drafting tools, as we work tonight, to usher in the new year, setting the tone. And I'll start the New Year with a ride tomorrow, no matter the weather.

Happy New Year! Go Badgers! Go Packers!

Weihnachtabend

Die fremde Stadt durchschritt ich sorgenvoll,
Der Kinder denkend, die ich ließ zu Haus.
Weihnachten war's; durch alle Gassen scholl
Der Kinderjubel und des Markts Gebraus.

Und wie der Menschenstrom mich fortgespült,
Drang mir ein heiser Stimmlein in das Ohr:
"Kauft, lieber Herr!" Ein magres Händchen hielt
Feilbietend mir ein ärmlich Spielzeug vor.

Ich schrak empor, und beim Laternenschein
Sah ich ein bleiches Kinderangesicht;
Wes Alters und Geschlechts es mochte sein,
Erkannt ich im Vorübertreiben nicht.

Nur von dem Treppenstein, darauf es saß,
Noch immer hört ich, mühsam, wie es schien:
"Kauft, lieber Herr!" den Ruf ohn Unterlass;
Doch hat wohl keiner ihm Gehör verliehn.

Und ich? - War's Ungeschick, war es die Scham,
Am Weg zu handeln mit dem Bettelkind?
Eh meine Hand zu meiner Börse kam,
Verscholl das Stimmlein hinter mir im Wind.

Doch als ich endlich war mit mir allein,
Erfasste mich die Angst im Herzen so,
Als säß mein eigen Kind auf jenem Stein
Und schrie nach Brot, indessen ich entfloh.

Theodor Storm (1817-1888)

Merry Christmas

Peace on Earth Goodwill Towards Men. Hope every one's Christmas is wonderful.

Called my brother and his family with holiday greetings tonight as tomorrow they travel. More calls to make on Christmas. Now we are watching "It's a Wonderful Life." Then I have to make my rice pudding before going to sleep. We have a perfect location for a nativity display but not in our budget.

Had my cpap machine pressure raised finally and it looks like I'll be sleeping deeply. Unable to stir when Santa comes a calling. Something I should have had done a year ago. Maybe one of the reasons I was feeling off this last mountain bike season.

The snowman has changed his headgear. A bit sensitive about his height. Guarding the last of the gifts to go out. His job will be done when we leave for a Christmas party we've been invited to tomorrow. Looking forward to any Christmas tidings Alois may want to share.

Not sure where all the gifts came from. They just showed up over the course of the week as if by magic. We're waiting til morning to open them, ...except for the one's Misao opened already. She couldn't wait.

And what did I get for Misao? Was it something she'll never expect that caught my eye thinking she'll love it? Or a new purse she was asking for and then said, "no," she didn't want one? Or that new remote she said she wanted that would be used mostly by me?

We saw a commercial for "The Biggest Loser" and Misao wondered "How do they get like that?" I said; "Do you want me to show you?" Cookies, cakes, ice cream, and other sweets and snacks to fatten us up for the long Winter fill the house.

The gym is calling.

Merry Christmas!

Brrrrrrrrr!

Oh'by gosh by golly, baby it's cold outside and for those dreaming of a white Christmas I say let it snow let it snow and snow as a front is coming in this evening. At this time when a weary world rejoices the only thing missing is a Lady Ga Ga Christmas album. And speaking of entertainment my book is now only $2.99 for Kindle users. More exciting than a ride on a one horse open sleigh.

The computer is back but acting strangely. That, getting the tree up and decorated, a string of day jobs, and for the last several days getting out the gifts and Christmas cards have just given me a breather today. The snowman, sporting a cap from his favorite arms dealer, sat guard until we could get all the gifts shipped out. I started putting up some outdoor lights tonight.

Asked by the electricians I help out once in a while, if I preferred digging trenches or working in attics, rolling around in loose fiberglass insulation, I was told they had a trench for me to dig in an attic.... So what was the point of the question?

And some people say I don't want to work... though we have two small businesses to boot.

Then... a few mishaps, including that computer crash, sucked up all the money I made almost to the dollar. If you look in a dictionary of phrases you'll find my picture next to 'can't win for losing.'

Haven't been to the gym much. I got out for my first Winter ride this afternoon running some errands. Though Winter is not really for two more days. The Post Office, with four priority mail packages, and some other tasks for over ten miles and nearly two hours of riding. The streets are still good to ride but... more snow is coming. My new beanie kept me toasty warm.

Ray's is still not open. At least according to their website. I missed the monthly MTB club meeting so am not sure what the latest on the opening is. There is a rumor as to why they switched their meetings to Monday, but fortunately I don't listen to rumors.


After the holidays I hope to spend many hours at the gym every week, if not every day I can get there. Catch up with some reading, do some writing and get my renovation and new home designs worked out and down on paper. My computer is just too old for my CAD program to work with sufficient speed to keep me from frustration. I like producing hand drawings. I was looking over my old sketch books. I'm truly out of practice.


Christmas is filling the air but losing weight is still on my mind. I was thinking of a liquid diet. Chocolate milk, orange juice, egg nog, maybe some Gatorade, and plenty of water along with a slew of assorted desserts and I should be dropping weight like crazy.

We were watching a Scandinavian cooking show. They were in a little town known to be Santa's hometown. The traditional dessert for Christmas there being rice pudding. Rice simply cooked in milk (I bet whole milk) and when spooned out, topped with sugar, cinnamon, and a clump of butter.

Merry Christmas!

CRASH!

We have been without the Internet for over a week. The computer crashed.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all who may be reading whether here or anywhere. Safe travels and don't drink too much. We will be working much of the long weekend. No invitations so we will most likely be staying at home tomorrow. Hope to catch the parade and the dog show on TV from whenever we decide to roll out of bed. If you like dog stories... have I ever mentioned I wrote a book?

I went to the gym and it soon started blizzarding. The snow was flying in furious fashion. But it just melted and didn't stay long. Just the right time for snow to come. And the passing of Thanksgiving is a perfect entry into the Christmas season. Didn't stay at the gym long. Haven't been feeling well this last week.

I made rice pudding this evening and we have a turkey, just for the adventure of cooking it tomorrow. It is like cooking three weeks of meals if you do Thanksgiving right. Might go out Thanksgiving evening. Hope to see my brother Friday who is driving up from Indianapolis with his family.

Saturday may be a good day to put up the outdoor Christmas decorations. Or starting a couple of odd jobs I got some tips on this morning. Got everything off the roof today and after I replace the back door I'll have to go back to writing some more books. Haven't sat down for over a month but the stories keep growing in my mind. Have I ever mentioned I wrote a book? Note Image and Link to the left. Yes November sales have been much better than the October sales of three books. I hope to get back my investment eventually. If I have a future book that sells, all my books should take off. A long shot, but we always stay hopeful. The reality is we will most likely lose the land where we buried our dogs through bankruptcy. One of the two or three reasons we have been trying to fight off bankruptcy. The stories in my book are fiction but the places are built out of reality. Both the pictures, on the front and back of my book, are from our property.

Sunday is a huge game for the Packers. A great way to spend the afternoon. If they can win that game in Atlanta they will be in good shape. Still it may all come down to the final game of the season against the Chicago Bears. If you like bears you may enjoy the book I wrote, not to give too much away.


Happy Thanksgiving! again.

Hunting

The rabbits are back. Eating the food Misao puts out every night. And many in Wisconsin spent this day in the cold wilderness not in pursuit of rabbits but deer. I haven't had the money to hunt for many years now. I miss the cold that just gets colder as you venture out well before sunrise to set up in a stand or blind.

This Saturday I finished recovering from those two days of digging up hard clay soil. Felt like I was coming down with a cold and wiped out the last two days. Exercise keeps one regular. And strenuous labor all the better. After two rigorous days, not even eating much and cleaning out my guts, I thought surely I would have lost some weight.... Not even half a pound.

Slept eight hours last night. According to my cpap machine I averaged 6.4 hours of sleep a night over the last seven years. More medical bills and then they want to charge me to reset my machine to a higher setting per the doctors prescription.

Last Saturday we went to breakfast with my parents. Saw their new condo. They will be in Florida for Christmas. The last time we were in Florida was Misao's birthday in 1998 when our flight to Brazil had to make an emergency landing. They said they forgot to fuel the plane. Everyone got out and received a nice meal but us. They wouldn't bring our order, took our silverware, and then three guys showed up in front of me to say "That isn't the guy." We ended up very hungry and missing our connecting flight.

I feel sorry for 'the guy.' 'The guy' being the eternal nemesis of 'the man.' I prefer to be 'a man' plain and simply. Just like everyone else except where I excel far beyond the other and they beyond me.

Ray's is behind schedule but will be opening soon. I'll have to go at least once this Winter. A season pass would make a nice Christmas gift. But we still have clear streets (and trails) and if you know how to dress plenty of opportunity to ride. Metro will be having their Turkey Hurl ride I imagine, though they haven't posted anything on the site. Those lights the Metro Mountain Bikers got a deal with seem to be defective. That's the rumor anyway. As of yet we have no plans for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Good Luck! and happy hunting to all those hunter adventurers.

Bridges

Monday was a day of errands by bicycle. The days are short and it is best to get all the riding in before 4 pm. After my errands I took a tour of the new Hank Aaron trail extension. To the left is a shot West from the 70th street bridge. A two short block run down a side street gets one onto the trail. A trail that runs parallel to a quiet neighborhood street until one gets to Hawley. In fact another biker was riding alongside on the side street. But I guess we need a trail. Above is the eastbound approach to the new bridge at Hawley. Below a closer shot.

East of the new bridge the trail was quite crowded with walkers, dog walkers, and some other bicyclists. Then passing through the Veteran's Administration grounds we come to a tiny bridge. So short they made it out of wood. Pictured below. Great for those who like to burn their bridges.

Keeping east you come to the bridge that was covered in granite stone, and a run well past the stadium so you would have to double back if that is where you are headed. Then you come to a crossroads. Or a crosstrails.

You can go South.

You can keep going East, maybe.

You can head back from whence you came.

Or you can go North.

Access to the trails from the south is a nice little space if you don't mind the risk of a mugging. No riding since Monday and no gym as I have been doing some odd jobs. Hopefully will have more work tomorrow. Keeping hydrated and a good energy drink make a big difference when your digging trenches all day. I think the electrician would have wanted it done quicker but he wasn't complaining as I do a good job.

The Leonid meteor shower is at its peak tonight.

Autumn

I finally raked the leaves into the street. Why rake before all the leaves have fallen? At least on my side of the road. Getting the outdoor work done before Winter cuts into my riding time. A couple of good rides and lots of ladder climbing. The roof may need a bit more patching. We'll see after it rains again. The chimney is somewhat hazardous to work on without buying more roofing brackets which are expensive. But I did enough of the tuck pointing that I'm fairly certain that the chimney will not collapse.

The book sales are actually growing (you can find a discount code in previous posts), but it will be a long while before I see that money. I'll have to try to stir up more e-bay and other Internet income for some holiday money.

Nothing seems to change all at once. Some trees have green leaves, others none, and still others are full of color. I take my camera when I ride hoping to get some nice shots but most of these shots are from home. The Japanese barberry is always fiery red every Autumn. The garden has been finished for a week. I still need to treat the peach tree. Will have to call the nursery where we bought it for the proper stuff to use.

Buddha embraces his fatness. I think I'll confront my fatness by hitting the gym more. Maybe today. Tomorrow I will be in Waterford as I qualified for a big poker tournament. It is a long drive but not quite as far as Kenosha, where I thought the tournament was. Then I will be driving for work in the evening. That's a lot of sitting. Maybe Buddha is right.

New Days Coming

The Hank Aaron bicycle or multipurpose trail across Hawley is now in place. Not sure when it will be done, but they promised this year. And we saw a lot of leaf pickups these weeks before the election though most of the leaves were still on the trees. I guess we were supposed to think the mayor was doing a good job, though we never saw that much city hardware when there wasn't an election.

I stepped away from the election fervor after I voted and visited all the dogs at the humane society, our polling place, and took a nice long ride. The Hoyt Trail is good and then I went to check on the bridge. Leaving the trails I caught these ducks enjoying something tasty to fatten up on before Winter. Possible snow tomorrow and then it looks like Indian Summer next week with temperatures in the 60's. Still some good riding weather ahead.

In the evening I followed the election results. Watched the BBC coverage. A bit too excited and clunky but more enjoyable than the liberal propagandists on our mainstream media. Even Misao, not a native speaker, could tell from their remarks that the various media big shots were democrats. And then there was the Geritol junkies on PBS that seemed about two hours behind in calling the races.

My weight is going down but I skipped the gym to open up the ceiling where the leak persists. It is good to see that the roof framing is in good shape. Have to prioritize the roof work and look long term to painting the entrance canopy.

Feeling hopeful on my weight loss goals and the future in general. Feeling prosperous and won my first poker tournament on Halloween. Misao always gives me job postings for teaching English in Korea. Have to improve our income somehow. The book sales will not be evident for some time as I was told some sales channels I will not receive a report from for 30-60 days. Inferring that I actually have sales through those channels like bookstores and other Internet retailers.

Hap-Hap-Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween. With plenty of wild animals wandering around our urban environments it is surely scary. But don't worry, the DNR has told us all that a pack of twelve coyotes spotted near downtown would never attack anything bigger than themselves and that they only eat rodents. And after claiming for years we have no mountain lions in Wisconsin the claims are now that our cougar population is on the rise as cattle and horses are being attacked.

Election day is coming...    BOOOO!

But what is truly scary is the London 2012 Olympic mountain bike course where switchbacks are referred to as zig-zags and almost no pure single track exists throughout the whole course. Nothing is more underrated, demanding, and fulfilling as running a tight series of switchbacks on a climb or descent. But the true horror... the majority of the mountain bike course will be artificially surfaced.

Since Easter we have been certain that the chocolate bunny was up to no good. Teaming up with the jack-o-lantern we were certain we had met our match. But coming home it appears they had a falling out, or perhaps a difference in tastes would be a better word.

And the next morning...

We often listen to Lady Ga-Ga in the car on the weekends when we are working. We like some of her music but cannot stand her music videos. I'm certain if I watched too long my head would start spinning around. We took out her CD and put in some more uplifting music and the machine kept spitting out the new CD. Then all the radio/CD controls on the steering wheel stopped working. I tried and tried but the CD kept popping out working the controls manually over and over. Finally we put the Lady Ga-Ga CD in and everything went back to normal. Scary? True story? Yes. But it happened some four weeks ago.

The holly, an evergreen, is starting to fill in the corner after some two years. We have been promised rain many more times than we actually received rain and hollies will appreciate filling up with water before the ground freezes. The buttercups are dead. They spread quickly and grow thick but always need watering to look attractive. Those tiny roses were a gift I threw in the ground and never expected much from. They sure bloom nice and strong. That wind storm was the second largest storm in recorded history. If it were a time of year for rain or snow we would have been in big trouble. Much of our roof was scattered across our lawn as many old shingles were ripped off. Cold and barren has hit just in time for the holiday.

The economy is tough, but some odd jobs will get us by some medical bills I have this month. My hands, wrists, and elbows are just recovering from digging trenches in hard clay soil. Not to conceal any evidence of nefarious activity or hide some evil talisman but to confine currents of an electrical nature. The work kept me from the gym this week because of time and aching muscles.

It used to be that the whole month of October was filled with Halloween type parties. But over the past two years we have found that the vast majority of people coming out in costume for parties has been confined to a single weekend. And the majority of that activity to a single weekend evening closest to the date.

And you can get my book for a discount (see previous post) or buying it on Amazon would be a big help in moving it up in the rankings.

Happy Halloween and don't forget to vote Tuesday.

Wild Things

Here is one of the photos from the Wigwam MTB Challenge I haven't uploaded to flickr yet. Have to get that done. Got out for a good ride before some rough weather moves in. Combined the ride with errands. On my way back I ran across this coyote on the path. Couldn't get my camera out quick enough and had to wait and move around to get a good shot.

The days are getting shorter and the weather more harsh. Soon it will be the time of year when most spend a lot more time indoors. But now many are spending more time outdoors as they have to care for their yards and gardens before Winter comes. Went up on the roof to temporarily take down my scaffolding as we are expecting extreme winds for the next two days.

Misao was recently marveling at the comfortable lifestyle the rabbits had been living in our back yard. She keeps putting food out for them. But they have become scarce, either out of an intelligent awareness of their surroundings... or not. I caught a shot of this ring tailed hawk near our home. He was well posed right in front of our house but again I couldn't get the camera out in time. He flew off to some higher more secluded branches.

Getting to the gym a bit more but it will be a while before I go regular. Hope to buy a trainer this Winter though the finances haven't improved much. I skipped the Metro Mountain Bikers most recent exercise in public drunkeness; the Fall Social Ride. More doctor visits and an adjustment in my cpap machine based on some test results may bring an improvement in my sleep. Not sure if I will paint the entrance canopy this year as the weather could go bad quickly. After sanding it was recommended that I treat the old gray wood with a mixture of turpentine and linseed oil. It will rejuvenate the wood and make for a strong bond with an oil based primer. Otherwise the paint will just peel away in short order.

Yes, there is still time to purchase the first edition of my first book. You can use this code 9SV48YZ9 for a $2.99 discount on my e-sales site only. I plan to make a few changes and change the title of the first story in a second edition when I finish my next book. If ever I become famous I'm sure those first editions will be valuable.

Wigwam MTB Challenge

 

Yes, I made the Wigwam MTB Challenge. The weather could not have been better and word was WORS had ordered up the roots extra bumpy this year. Many, but not all the photos are up already on our flickr page. It will be a while before I sort through the video. I took quite a bit and would put up a choice clip but I cannot get blogger to upload any video from my computer. Not sure what the problem is. I did get one clip up on you/tube and posted on the Metro Mountain Bikers Ning site. It seems popular.

We had to get four new tires. An expense that put us back again but will give a feeling of safety as Winter driving is just around the corner. A big holiday weekend means we will be busy with our business. Then Sunday we will celebrate Misao's birthday. Sushi has been declared the only dining option and I'm not sure if we will go to a movie. "Hereafter" and "Secretariat" top the list if we decide to splurge.

I would like to be spending more time writing but have work to do on the house. I highly recommend if you are removing old paint from wood you use a heat gun. Scraping paint off the entrance canopy on our home has been transformed from an unending hellish torment to a path towards proud accomplishment as I can now see how the job will reach completion in short order before it gets too cold to paint. Thanks to a buddy from the gym for lending me his.

I was about to dump the pots into the compost bin when I noticed the peppers have produced a second crop. A few new peppers and many little flowers suddenly appearing. We didn't give much attention to our potted tomatoes because they didn't taste good but the bush in the small garden proper is still full of tomatoes.

The days are getting shorter. I need to get out much more on my bike in these final days of autumn. Hopefully finding scenes to take pictures of, capturing the beauty of the season. This last weekend the bicycle movers and shakers in Kenosha were, many in costume, riding in large hordes from bar to bar. I have to remember to take my camera with me on these October nights as many strange sights will manifest until All Saints Day.

Oooops, forgot to mention a facebook contacts ride for diabetes.

October

WORS GoPro HERO Cam: Darrin Braun Elite Sheboygan - complete 1st lap from Team WORS on Vimeo.

Looking at the video of the Wigwam MTB Challenge in Sheboygan (not a suburb of Kohler) sure makes me inspired to race. However we have decided I will only be taking pictures, not participationing. The Alterra pictures are up on my flickr page. The riding is taking second place to home repairs as is going to the gym. The gym will be a Winter endeavor as October weather is very beautiful. Hopefully we will see wonderful colors when we drive up the 55 miles for WORS' final event of the season. When the days become too cold I will be focusing on weight loss with the gym taking second in fitness priorities, as it seems the more I exercise the more I eat.

I took the car in for an oil change last week, taking with me "Modern Bird Hunting" to read while I waited. Then afterwards riding the trails along the Menomonee River I came across these ducks. The trails were clear and in good condition as far as I saw. It was a good ride and I need to get out for many more. And again last week, yes last week, I took this photo of the spider that has set its traps under our front porch. Currently we are scraping paint and looking to paint the front porch.

October is one of the best months of the year and Misao's birthday. She demands Sushi. I don't know if there will be any good movies that weekend. A chance to splurge a tiny bit. I asked if she wanted this shirt for her birthday and she said, "No way!" But I did buy myself a beinie to keep my head warm while riding in the Winter. Didn't test how it will fit under my helmet.

The book sales are there. Friends have stepped up to buy and promote from literally all across the country and world. But not too many sales so I have a good idea of who has bought and who hasn't. All sales through Amazon United States. I guess Amazon US is accessible from most anywhere. It is also available in the U.K.. People have told me I must be a good writer because my book made them cry. I hope they are not letting people read the whole thing with the 'look inside' feature on Amazon. We could sure use the sales. I know there are a lot of you out there that haven't bought yet.

Up On the Roof

Just two more days for Emery's September clearance sale. Prices now near 50% off on specially marked items. The final WORS race is just around the corner and we are planning to attend, me in participation. Though I wont have the money for the new roof where it needs to be newed. So I was up on the roof.

I decided to put a more substantial patch over the area I previously patched. One that could hold through the Winter. First you need the materials.

This is what it looked like and I had to consider it was not the patch that was failing as a bit of leak still remains.

There is a reason they call it roofing 'cement.' I could have used more as you do not want to leave any air pockets under any roofing.

Then I had to go down and get some nails and a hammer as the cement was not going to hold the piece of paneling down. And then covered it in roofing cement.

Cover with tar paper and cover that with more roofing cement. There was just enough cement left to cover some other areas that looked like trouble.

A few more patches, tuck pointing the chimney and no more going onto the roof until the Winter is over and I have the money to put a new one on. Not just a roof but some structure. Have to paint the front porch. The compost bin needs turning, coffee grounds added, and then all the pots are going to be dumped on top. And when the leaves are gone I need to treat the peach tree.

This is over a week old but I did get out on a good ride to take some pictures of an architectural nature. This the bike overpass at Hawley for the Hank Aaron State Trail. Looking to get some good long rides in this week. The Hoyt Park Trail has been fully open for some time now and the Crystal Ridge Wednesday Night Race/Time Trials will continue indefinitely it appears. An advantage of the time trial format if you got the lights for the job.

Our offers page has been redesigned with a page on blog marketing. I have been updating many of my blogs. If you haven't bought my book yet you don't know what you are missing. Thanks to those who have.

Alois has strictly restricted his mountain bike riding pleasures in exchange for flying gliders. I guess he doesn't think posting on gliders appropriate for a mountain bike blog. But perhaps more appropriate than posting  on roofing.

Autumn

Happy Autumn to all. Autumn is the best time of year filled with plenty and comfort. The weather could never be better. But it is because we suffer the Winters and Summers that it is so enjoyable. Those living in eternal Summer or eternal Winter must be bored by their climate. They most likely desire to visit somewhere of opposite clime to find relief and a joyous experience. Like Autumn without the travel.

My book is available on Kindle. I haven't backed up my blogs for some time but did so today. The peaches are all gleaned from the tree. The cucumbers are putting out their last effort. Looks like the tomatoes may keep going for a while. Now I must take care of the lawn and hopefully will have time for a ride this evening. Or should I go to the gym? Or both? Monday I rode to UW Milwaukee to catch another lecture. The guest lecturer the author of the featured book.

It appears that the Wednesday Night Race/Time Trials will continue indefinitely for those who have lights. Good strong LED lights required. I am actually losing weight. That exercise program that Misao has been doing off the Internet is not 'corism' the car, but 'core rhythms.' She had to spell it out for me.

I should be using my days better and posting in the evenings but that is when Misao claims the computer.

Struggles

I hope you, my readers, have enjoyed my blog and will throw my wife and I a little support by buying my book. I'm sure you will enjoy the stories and we would truly appreciate it. We have been having some tough times yet have kept ourselves from taking government assistance or declaring bankruptcy.

Click here and you will go to my Create Space e-store, available now. It should be available on Amazon in about five business days. The same time I should be receiving my own order to try my hand at promotions.

September sales translate into December royalties, sure to bring a Merry Christmas.

Thank you very much in advance.

Peach Cobbler

Today is Tuesday, primary election day. Soon the results will start coming in. Tuesday is also a blog title that I have used too often. I thought of titling today's post Monday, as the Metro Mountain Bike meetings have switched from Tuesday to Monday. What's that about?

I dropped off some peaches at my parent's house and a friends house today. Misao made peach cobbler tonight. I'm waiting for it to cool before adding ice cream. I finished up closing off one leak in the roof yesterday, long enough before the rain so the roof cement sets. As it will rain a lot Thursday I will check for leaks in the attic then. I may get all the peaches off the tree before then. I was stung by a wasp/yellow jacket grabbing a peach off the tree yesterday. They like the sugar as our peaches are very sweet. Fortunately I got my ring off before my finger swelled too much. I will have to get in a good long ride tomorrow before the rain comes in the evening.

I went to the Tea Party Saturday. And everyone in Wisconsin knows the Packers won Sunday.  Ray's, that world famous venue of interior cycling of the wide tire variety, will open November 13th. The local WEMS race has been canceled.  The Fall Color Festival, described as the biggest and longest running mountain bike trail advocacy fundraising event, will be on the 25th. The infamous Chequamagon (you're not pronouncing it right ...trust me) Fat Tire Festival will be the 18th and 19th. Tomorrow is the final Wednesday Night Race/Time Trial and will be a night race requiring lights, good bright LED lights. The powers to be are asking for feedback on the WORBA site design. My book is in the mail and, if I approve it, will be available within days.

Just some of what was covered in the Tuesday night meeting. And some that wasn't. And a new link in the side bar. My personal Amazon Associates sales page where I recommend my favorite books and movies.

Milwaukee seems to be trying to ride the latest trend of urban agriculture and deciding what is on our dinner tables. The feature book not necessarily related to the conference. The results are starting to come in on the bottom of the TV screen.

Time for peach cobbler and ice cream.

Football Trumps Mountain Bike

Today is a day to remember and think about what it means to be a human being with all its corresponding responsibilities. I will be going to a Tea Party, the political kind, in Racine. Then we have to get back to business.

Yes, I have decided not to go to Treadfest tomorrow, at least I'm 90% decided. And I still haven't put the Alterra pictures up. I call the picture to the left "Ouch!" It has been a stressed out week and I haven't gotten much sleep. Working out tie ups and misunderstandings with the book weighed me down. The roof, peaches and yard kept me going pretty consistently and I started focusing more on strength training at the gym. Plus it is a good chunk of money just in gas to get down there.

Yeah, now the real reason. Football season starts full-bore tomorrow. And while the Packers do not play until after 3:00 pm the Bears and Lions are on at noon, our division rivals. A hurried intense trip after church service down to Lake Geneva, in my fore mentioned worn state, with a frantic rush back to see the Packers vs. a leisurely rest in front of the television enjoying my favorite team sport all day through, consuming mounds of butter drenched popcorn. I still might go, but I highly doubt it. Unless someone wants to give me a ride and be back by 3:00 pm.

Yes, in this age of notoriously poor customer service Create Space came through with flying colors. I was a bit shocked, taken aback, stunned, at a loss for words as they catered to my every concern and actually went above and beyond to solve my problems. Almost as if they believed the customer was right ...always. The publishing process (or self publishing) takes longer than you can imagine. I read one site that said expect it to take three to six months. The quickest way, much quicker than even three months, is to go the self service route where you buy no services. It seems counter intuitive but it's true. Even after the PDF reviews are over the prep to print a proof is up to three times longer with the paid service ( up to 15 work days vs 5, where I was expecting maybe 2). There was my beef as I learned the time lines. They knew I have little money and wanted things done as fast as possible, so they expedited my service to make up for not making things clear (and maybe one or two other things) as I suggested I wanted to go self service some weeks earlier. And it most likely helped that my book isn't too long. But not having worked with PDF's before, the paid service they guided me to was appropriate. I should get a final proof this coming week and if everything is OK my e-sales page should be up by the end of the month and my simple attempt at marketing complete. I hope to get my next book to them by the end of the year, if not sooner.

Ladders

I didn't get up on the roof Tuesday due to high winds, gusts up to 50mph. Nor did I go on the, again, supposedly last Odd Tuesday Ride since I had no car and it was at Crystal Ridge. And I had neither the car nor the energy to go to the Wednesday Night Race/Time Trial, having worked on the roof much of the day and picking peaches as well as getting to the gym. Getting out the big ladder for the roof work and the step ladder to harvest the peaches. So it has been up and down the ladders and it will be again today, though I start my day with a bit of writing. (I'll be lucky to have the second proof of my book in the mail by the 15th, the first hopefully going out today, but I'm hoping the second will go to market.)

Yes, winds and cool weather make it feel like autumn but I'm sure we'll get a few more hot days. I'll be picking peaches the next couple days and have to process them some how. The morning glories covering our fence have invaded the peach tree. The cucumbers are starting to die back. Not the best looking in the picture but we have a few prime cucumbers still on the vine. The peppers are done. This is the best month of the year to get some new grass in. I have at least three types of grass growing throughout my lawn and only one meets my approval.

M-O-N-E-Y as the Lady Gaga song goes. We took some 400lbs of iron along with some other scrap for a fistful of dollars and then I took in our change jar to fill the other fist. Money to work on the house with. And looking at my roof is pretty disheartening. Then looking back in my wallet just that much more disheartening. Needless to say I don't think I'll be putting out any cash to race my favorite venue, the ski hill at the Grand Geneva Resort, Treadfest. An always fantastic event organized by the  FATKATS. But I hope to go to take pictures. I should get my Alterra pictures up on Flick'r before then. If the book actually generates sales maybe I'll put out for the last and final event, the Wigwam Ultimax, just to show my rivals how they measure up. Yes, I am finding time to ride.

A trip to Menard's took a chunk of cash and then I have to keep making runs for materials per the demands of the job. I should get my road bike fixed also. Emery's is having a September clearance sale. Specially marked items were marked 21% off September 1st and last year's merchandise 11% off, and each day that increases by 1%, 50% off by the 30th. I have seen the bikes hanging a bit thicker from their rafters in the past but they still seem to have quite a few bikes. The economy is tough everywhere. I saw two mountain bikes well under $1,000 that would be great bikes to race with. Not really high end but perfectly capable of holding up season after season. Upgrade the pedals, get the shoes, helmet and maybe some clothing and it could easily go $1,200.

For the holiday we went to the Redbox and got "The Book of Eli." A really good movie. When the movie came out I wasn't really attracted by what looked to be another bloody movie but it was very good. It looked like some scenes were cut but I'm sure if you purchase the movie you will get the full uncut version. I actually had to watch it a second time. Good Movie. Buy it here!

Time to pull out the ladders.