#10

Now we are watching "The Flying Scotsman" on TV. Why people set there mind to frustrate the lives of others is one of the great evils of the world. But some seem to enjoy it. The more the merrier.

The Alterra Coffee Bean Classic was postponed until August 29th. With the flooding, and more rain the following day, it was understandable. I heard the trails were not too bad as far as downed trees and such.

Metro Mountain Bikers had a trail maintenance day at the Hoyt Park Trails. More people came then were expected. And the trail was cleaned up in short order. Looking to get there soon. One giant puddle was still breaking the loop when we were there.

And we had a deer come by to inspect the work. Actually Misao spotted a deer near our home in the much more urban area of the city, but still close to the river. Some think too close to the river.

Then more chance to work, which is the extent of my exercise as I have not gotten out riding much. Digging out foundations by hand. Pulling up buckets of dirt. And today we hauled stone. My weight is down a bit more. They say it is the chemicals in foods that keep people from losing weight. Not only exercise but good eating goes to a long life. The peach tree is suffering a fungal infection. I will have to treat it in the fall.

They say sitting is the worst thing for your health. And I don't like it much but what can you do. Lots of driving for our business and now the writing. Hopefully the book will be ready for sale in September. Will work on my next book to pass the time waiting for the copy edit process to work out over the next several weeks.

Will I make a last minute dash into the race season? The local favorite (Aug. 29th) and my favorite and everyone's favorite still to come. And all nearby.

And Alois has called me his twin. He e-mailed me six days after his birthday to thank me for my birthday greeting to him. He said it was six minutes early. Everything just makes so much sense in Germany.

Nice movie, Just about done now.

Stormy Weather

Hit with fierce rains one must wonder what will become of the Alterra Coffee Bean Classic. Not just high water but fallen foliage must cover much of the course now and only three days to race day.

And nothing points out our need for a new roof than over 7" of rain. Still a bit of a cold. I don't think I'll be racing. Just going for pictures.

Returned to my two finished stories and will polish them up. then sending to an associate who will do some editing before I try to self publish. ($200 to edit 10,000 words on create space) A pair of short stories. My other two stories to come will have to stand alone. I question the wisdom in using create space, but you can market easily on Amazon.

Breaks in the rain drew us to the river to see if we would be abandoning our home tonight. Fortunately the flood control plan is working for us at least. The sparrows were abandoning their nests under the bridge after this video. (problems with blogger, I can't upload the video) The water never went over the bridge. After midnight I visited again. The water was about the same. I watched a lone duck float right down into the torrent.

Sick Day

I have been fighting a bit of a soar throat recently, with a slight fever seeming to be looming just out of reach for several days. Then yesterday it broke out into a dry scratchy throat and nose and by the time the day was over I was in agony. Struck down. Woke up at 1:00 pm today and still feeling like crap.

But before it hit me Misao wanted dinner and a movie to celebrate my B-day. We saw "Inception" which I highly recommend considering the other options available. So no free Poker last night and certainly none tonight. Still not getting a new tire for my road bike. I should most likely get a whole new wheel. And none of my usual Monday errands that I do by bicycle.

We are starting to get cucumbers and tomatoes out of the garden. I guess the time to harvest rhubarb has past. At least one source I read said not to harvest after early July while most sources didn't mention that.

Birthday

Ughhh.

It's been a hard week to motivate myself with my birthday looming. Hardly ever anywhere near the happiest of days in my life. Visited a small portion of my family yesterday, sparing me the encounter today. A card and $100 from my parents. That took me away from yesterdays intended yard work which I took on first thing this morning.

Misao gave me this book for my birthday. About the 'secret of wealth, health, peace and more.' So I started reading a bit. Then Misao got back and we went to the bank and post office (had to send something I sold on e-bay) and then to the casino. Yes, to collect my $25 worth of birthday points and enter into one of their raffles. The lady told me to play and come back to get my birthday points recorded (I'm not sure that is true, I think you just have to show up). Our favorite slot machine was not working so we went to the one at the other end of the row. 2 cent slots. I put in $10 I won at a free poker game. I wasn't eligible for cash as not having put any money into the poker game but sold the promotion prize I won for finishing 3rd. Some form of alcohol. I burned about half the $10 in the slot machine when I won 10 free games. And in the process won more and more and more and more... free games. When it was all over I cashed out with $64.88, being born in 1964.

I highly recommend the book. And as an Amazon Associate will receive a commission....

Happy Birthday to Me!

Or maybe this book will be more effective in the pursuit of wealth, health, maybe not peace and more. That was last years birthday gift that I haven't challenged myself to capitalize on yet.

My ride yesterday was cut short by a fit of coughing that stopped when I turned back home. Today I didn't ride but a challenge has consumed my thoughts. The grille at the casino will give you a meal for free if you finish it in an hour. Four burgers with four quarter pound patties each. My mind raced, working through the entire process of consuming mass volumes of red meat; four whole pounds. Only later to have my dreams seriously dashed when I realized that also included 16 slices of cheese.

Still....

Still trying to run through the whole thing in my head.

I have sorted out a massive beer can collection in the hopes of selling it all on e-bay. Unfortunately they don't sell well. Maybe if CSI or some other popular show showed someone with such a collection the sales would pickup.

But the real question you must all be asking is....

"Where's Alois?"

Alois is fine and well. Not a big soccer fan and preferring to live in the countryside he was not to flattered when I informed him that Munich was ranked #1 as worlds most livable city. A very German answer. He added:

"This year is a bad biking year. To cold, too much rain, no sunshine ..."

No sunshine.

Still haven't gotten the video of my dogs put together. This is a picture of Tun-Tun sleeping in my shoe.

Small

Here is Small. Would I really consider harvesting such cute fury creatures from my very yard? Probably not. Since I wrote my last post the rabbits have become scarce. Perhaps they are readers. It is always revealing to remind people of where ones food really comes from.
Now if I had a pellet gun with a scope that I could be sure to take out the rabbits with a single shot, that might be a different story.
The WORS Fire Cracker received some press coverage. WORS is now considering changes to their premier event, The Subaru Cup. Looking at the blog posts of their participants. And less than two weeks to the local Alterra Coffee Bean Classic. More confident in my health and dropping some weight I hope to make that one. But I certainly wont be racing in mud if it happens to rain.
Waiting for things to dry a bit from last nights heavy rains. Then call around for work and if none work on the yard and garden today. The roof cannot go without being replaced this year. Materials and equipment, if I want to do it safe, will be at least $1,000. The demands of the house and some odd jobs keep me from writing and biking as much as I'd like.

T3

T3 is filming in Milwaukee today. We saw the second Transformer movie on the 4th. Misao enjoys the Transformers. I wonder if our local museum is a transformer in the movie. If so, what does that make Santiago Calatrava? Questions such as these set my blog apart.

Saturday night I crashed in the dark. I guess my bike lights aren't as bright as they need to be. My road bike front tire dropping into an opening between slabs and the tube popped and I went over the bars. Don't even think of how to fall. Four years of Hap-Ki-Do training nearly everyday, all starting with how to fall in various fashion, and it just comes natural like. Later, after working the route my wrist hurt bad, but an ace bandage and no pain at all. The next day and it was all better. Working moving dirt excavating a foundation with a friend. Lifting buckets, with a rope, filled with mud. Between the accident and the work yesterday I was left aching and exhausted today.

The rim dented, the tube pinch flatted and the walls of the tire were scraped up. A new tube busting through the older than old tire wall when I put it in. No riding to the free poker tournament tonight (poker highlights on one of my other blogs). Wouldn't take my mountain bike. Don't want to leave it locked up out on the street for long. It is too valuable.

This is bicycle awareness week. At least that is what the radio said. The Internet says it is in May. Public service messages on the radio giving safe riding tips. Should be riding more but getting in some workouts. Leg strength is good. 140 lbs each leg on the leg extensions without any knee pain. I don't need much more than once a week strength training to build strength. And don't injure, or stayed injured, easily. Must be the genes.

Now they say strength training is better for weight loss than aerobics. I say everyone is different and there are several standards among the population. My weight has dropped over 5 lbs.

Looking forward to plenty of cucumbers this year. And tomatoes.

Another type of lily in the garden. A hybrid. We have three rabbits in the garden too. Nice to have friendly animals that get use to your presence. I have named them Small, Medium and Large based on their sizes. Of course that will change over time as the smaller ones grow, but then I hope to call them delicious. As they say you can only eat rabbits in months with 'r's in them, as they carry a fever in the heat of the summer. Unlike dogs that are eaten in Korea in the summer, as it is said to be proven the meat gives one extra strength and stamina in the summer heat.

The learning never stops on this blog

World Cup

Misao said the other day, as it first hit 90 degrees, "Put in the air conditioner!"

With the heat and humidity and the promise of rain, a promise that goes unfilled more than not, much of our time is spent in our air conditioned upstairs. The chance of rain puts the Wednesday Night Race in question. Do I really want to race in these conditions anyway? And the World Cup is on TV soon. The TV and computer both being upstairs.

I first started following soccer, just a tiny bit, when I was overseas working with a man from Cameroon. In 1990 Cameroon did so well in the World Cup that they gave Africa another spot. Yes at that time Africa, positions allotted by Continent, had only one spot at the World Cup. Africa now having six spots and South America, that I believe then had two spots, also has more spots. Could it be that soccer has grown in popularity because Europe decided to share the ball?

Then there is the scoring. Most non soccer nations complain that there is not enough scoring. Yes, there is plenty of athletic ability, prowess and talent to enjoy but if it is all meaningless, doesn't lead to a score, it is just frustration on tilt. Is it any wonder that riots are the typical after party to most big matches?

Then I'm listening to one game and the announcer comments that a player going up for a header was pushed aside in the air. He said 'if they called all those they would have twenty free kicks a game.' .... !? And we get to the real problem with soccer. The politics.

Is it any wonder that the soccer nations are prone to dictatorships (or monarchies)? Here you have referees that are constantly questioned as to where the penalty they called, a penalty that often nullifies a goal, was. And, as in my previous example, it appears they are not calling penalties that could greatly increase the scoring opportunities.

And no instant replay? Even for seeing if the ball cleared the goal or not? Does anything say backward more than that in this modern age?

And the clock thing. They just decide according to how they feel when the game will end. On the upside you could say it is a good thing that a press for the goal isn't halted by a tick of the clock. That a final play should be allowed to play out. I could think of arguments to support that idea... but why waste my time.

And lets really get to the heart of the soccer conspiracy. It was a brawl over a soccer match that the Archduke ran into that led to the wars of the last century.

Less than two hours to the final. GO GERMANY!!!

Who are they playing?

Happy 4th of July!!!!

Or Happy Inalienable Rights Day!

Checking the Internet  have found the public workers unions have moved the most sacred of national holidays. The parade and fireworks for Tosa are on the 5th. No ride tonight to enjoy the rockets red glare. Storms are promised. It looks stormy. But no rain yet. Don't know if State fair Park is having their fireworks tonight.

We bought some cheap frozen pizzas and got a redbox movie to celebrate. Nothing says USA like pizza.

Made enough points to qualify for the monthly poker tournament. Good news on the 4th.

God Bless America!

Dope Fest

Yes, it is the 'Tour d' France' starting right about now. Even with the World Cup still going on, how can one not stop to rip the pure white as the driven snow athletes pumping themselves with the latest man made concoctions design to enhance and go undetected? Unlike the 'tour d' fat.' I will not be at either event. The BBC did a report Thursday night on doping in cycling, namely the 'Tour d' France'. I guess they are still upset about losing to Germany. And France is easier to pick on, having surrendered before their final World Cup first round game.

Tomorrow will be a simple day. Clean and work on the bikes and work in the yard. Hopefully getting out for a long ride. But a friend left a message and requires my tools and expertise on a project. Don't know what the family is doing over the holiday. Hope storms don't frustrate our Sunday fireworks.

Two posts in three days? Yes, getting back into writing.

Hope everyone has a happy 4th of July.

One Odd Lap

Yes the Wednesday Night Race Time Trials had their one and only run for June last night. Paid myself up current, $30, so I can race for free the whole year through. A good many of the populace came to run the 2010 course with the new 'HD' line finished this year. A 6.2 mile course. Unfortunately I missed two arrows and took a wrong turn. Going around the cap, coming around down the hill and back, finding where I missed the turn I added an extra mile to my personalized course. Finishing a bit late to start a second lap. And I was a bit worried about my health. Not letting my breathing get to heavy I finished at a 7 mph pace. But the climb known as 'craters of the moon' was a bit easier than I remember even with me weighing more than last year. Still need more practice on the trails. I have to tighten my headset a bit. But an +8 mph pace seems only a small step away.

And if the trails are not inviting enough check out the food. Meat and more meat. And for those with a thirst they always have beer. Brats and Italian sausages bought on the cheap from the Klement's store. I was told The Tour d' Fat still needs volunteers. I thought about it briefly, then decided no.

And here is the brains of the whole operation, the computer. The brawn of the operation being the infamous Al.