First Day of Spring

My weight has started to inch down but I need to get out riding more. The weather is certainly right but I have been a bit exhausted. We had a plumbing emergency with no money for a plumber so I was busy and stressed for a couple days, not to mention dirty, and though I was exhausted Sunday I took a short ride to the stadium. The southern slope has had daffodils blooming for some time now. And baseball season isn’t too far off either.

I took some rims for a beach bike into Emery’s to get trued. Always helpful informative and they will be matching any price from the upcoming Bike Expo that same weekend. They are already getting busy repairing bikes and it will be up to two weeks before the rims are done. Didn’t see a used bike that excited me. I go by the Cyclesmith in Waukesha every week while working but usually don’t have time to stop to see what they have in used bikes.

Maybe I will just get a new rim for the old road bike though the shifters are on the down bar, making it a very undesirable design. Also I would want some larger tires to make a smoother ride over our not well maintained roads. Looking for baskets, since we cannot afford another car, and a new helmet too to round out my spring shopping. I will spend some time on my mountain bike and decide if I will get it professionally overhauled or try to work with it. Money is tight and gas is over $4/gallon.

The monthly meeting for the Metro Mountain Bikers was last week. WORBA, IMBA and the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin all seem to be converging onto a common path. Volunteers to work their table at the Bike Expo may still be needed Friday morning.

More time outdoors lifts my spirits. I expanded our composting operation and am looking forward to enjoying work in the yard. The rhubarb is coming up. It worries me that a cold spell could hurt the garden and the peach tree, but the open waters and warm earth will mitigate any cold mass that may approach. The frigid days are truly past but Ike says look for snow to fly in June.

Alois finally got back to me on my latest book. He actually stopped reading in the middle of the book over some confrontational scenes. He found the story hard to stomach as Germans are very disturbed by stories of unhappy war circumstance. But he thought it would make a good movie. My cousin, who also wrote a novel himself, was very encouraging over what he had read of my work. Hope Alois will post this summer some of his gliding adventures. I am sure Misao will give you more pictures of Ike.