Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Lions and Vikings and Bears, Oh My!

Yes, it is football season, at least it feels that way when the Packers are winning. I missed the Colectivo Coffee Bean Classic, not just because the Packers were playing at twelve noon, but because our church services have moved later into the day since last year.

Tomorrow is October which means Halloween, which means scary, which means cyclocross is here. If you‘re a fan of the extremely beautiful area of La Crosse, and cyclocross, save November 9th on your calendar. It’s the DAHL-GMC-Winona Cross Cup at Ecker’s Apple Orchard. Makes me wish our weekends were not so busy so we could go out to enjoy the event and the wonders of the natural environment. The most glorious wonders of nature have one of two qualities; either they are devoid of man’s influence or highly influenced by man as a true steward.

DSCN1972And as the days grow short and cold, indoor comforts come to the fore. Yes, Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike will be opening for the season soon; October 4th. But if you are an IMBA member, and don’t want to watch the Packers play the Vikings on Thursday Night Football, you can ride the new layout for free from 6pm to 10pm. They redesign their courses every season. With gas prices dropping I may be tempted to partake this Winter.

DSCN2629Don’t forget the final WORS race of the season, the iconic MTB Challenge in Sheboygan, now the Sheboygan Bicycle Company MTB Challenge. A great event in a beautiful setting, my wife has been asking me about because she has friends in Sheboygan.

I know what you all are wondering; ‘Phillip! What about your peaches?’ This was a poor year for the soon to be old peach tree. We had few blossoms yet it looked like we might get a good bowl off the tree. Alas, the cool weather made them slow to ripen and one by one they submitted to the needs of the beasts of the fields and birds of the air. A final pair, nearly the size of a grapefruit, were munched on just before they were ripe. They don’t taste so good any way when they get that large. I have a fifty dollar bill from my birthday I intend to spend on a pole saw to give the tree a good pruning. With the one tree, do I go with a cheap Harbor Freight saw that some like, or a $40 pole saw from Menard’s? These are the kind of decisions that tax one’s youth.

Not to leave any one without hope, Christmas is only twelve Fridays away. A wondrous time of year.

DSCN2000I hope I didn’t scare you.

Now, the $70 question: What are my three most favorite WORS races? If you read all my posts you should be able to figure it out. And if you read my books you can double or triple that sum; see Charity Jackpot Page in the sidebar.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Dread and Terror

In reading some 19th century short stories (that would be stories written in the 1800’s for you public school students) I find the times past were plagued with dread to the extremity and the most dreadful terrors that turned the hearts of the tellers most earnestly to God. The first person approach allows for great flourish and prompts of the imagination, to the excess.

Of course it is nothing compared to the dread of the Green Bay Packers losing to the Detroit Lions. Imagination unchecked can only lead to the deepest of terrors, threatening one’s presence of mind and the loss of all control of one’s faculties. But let me check those terrors and  fearful savage beasts of the imagination for those who may have missed a certain local news cast. The last time the Packers lost to the Lions we won the Super Bowl.

mms_pictureYet disaster, just as in days of old, follows even the best preparations as the Milwaukee Brewers, with the best catcher in all of baseball, here and nowhere else, is on the verge of losing it all as their season has fallen apart over the past few weeks. It began with myself suffering great consternations of the heart at the same time. Not to necessarily associate my own fortunes with that of the Milwaukee Brewers, but correspondingly our financial pursuits were greatly frustrated by the Brewers Mini Marathon of this past Saturday, as State Street was closed down and my wife couldn’t get tot an essential vendor of sorts.

Then our spiritual well being was threatened to its core by the Komen Race for the Cure as our route to church was blocked Sunday, as Lincoln Memorial Drive was closed. If only the road side notices and the blockade the Sheriff Deputies put up could be seen before one has no choice but to be sent to the south side of the Milwaukee harbor, before having to reverse course to one’s northern destination.. The Deputies in their vehicles kept their heads down, wisely avoiding eye contact with those they had forced into a circuit costly in time and resources.

Unplanned yet necessary circuits round horrific scenes were continual part of our weekend, as, where we tried to access the expressway, to return home, we found the ramp closed due to a dreadful accident caused by a wrong way driver, that cost a life. Then, finally returning to our just path, we were again forced off course, just before our exit, by another shut down of the expressway; by an accident, so ill-marked, that several other vessels of the roadway nearly crashed against one another, unable to see the directing flares, until they unexpectedly appeared, just over a rise, in the road, immediately before us all, forcing all lanes, with their associated vehicles, sharply together at one time. (they also used a lot of commas and wrote really long sentences in the 19th century)

I would be the last to suggest that the whole world revolves round me,…but I am compelled by all that is good, and of the disciplines required for the making of honest men, to draw my conclusions exclusively from the facts known by me to be true.

BIG EVENTS! Yes, big events are on the way for next weekend and by our faithful petitions to the Almighty may the terrors of this world be held at bay. You do not have to wait an entire year to participate in the fore mentioned charitable events of the most noble of intents. Other events await your present attentions. The Fall Color Festival, including events for the whole family, is this coming Saturday at John Muir. Milwaukee Metro Mountain Bikers has forwarded a request for volunteers for the festival. Check out he site for contact information.

Elite_CompThey are also looking for volunteers for another fantastic event this Saturday and Sunday in Franklin Wisconsin. Yes, it is time again for the Colectivo (formerly Alterra) Coffee Bean Classic. Thanks to organizations such as WORS for promoting mountain bike events across Wisconsin. This Milwaukee area favorite will be where it always has been, at what is now known as The Rock Sports Complex; which also hosted weekly mountain bike races this Summer. I missed the latest monthly Metro Mountain Bikers’ meeting, so have no updates on race results. I chose rather to save on time and resources, as the meeting was not a short drive distant, and spent the time putting out 1,000 words, finishing off a killer scene in one of the books I am currently writing.

With October just around the corner, with its associated Halloween and the days growing quickly shorter, for those of you looking for dread and terror, The Rock is also the location for “The Hills have Eyes” Halloween trail adventure. My own personal dread and terror is looking at my exercise log and seeing how little I’ve actually done this summer. Still my weight is inching down.

But back to the Packers, perhaps they would look more impressive if Aaron Rodgers wasn’t doing a commercial with a couple of dufuses calling him a loser.

The $69 Question: Where was I when the Packers stopped Detroit’s first drive this past Sunday? See Charity Jackpot Page in sidebar for more derails.