Friday, November 28, 2014

Black Friday

I wouldn’t call it black, but more of an oppressive gray with silver gilded pockets of sporadic rays from a traversing sun Friday. And we didn’t go shopping.

DSCN3672Overcast, more in the silver spectrum, and continuous flurries should dominate every Winter. The clouds keep the nights warmer and the flurries the landscape white. Thanksgiving was with family and this picture from years past is near identical to this present holiday. No one went shopping after the feast. A good Black Friday is getting up and finding oneself not constipated.

Thanksgiving was late this year but many events, like the Christmas music, are coming early. The infamous Santa Rampage, receiving occasional news coverage, will be December 6th. Yes, a mere week away. It is also Global Fat Bike Day. They went global people. The Lapham Peak Fat Bike Series has begun. Their second race is the evening of December 4th; you’ll need lights of course.

The Bicycle Federation is also having a holiday sale on their promotional products. The next Metro Mountain Bikers meeting will be at there facility in Milwaukee on December 9th.

Many people use this weekend to put up the Christmas tree. When I was young a lot of families waited until Christmas Eve. For us it’s time to start on the Christmas cards. I fear my list is incomplete. Holiday blessings to all in this wondrous season.

The $76 question (it’s getting up there): What are my three most favorite WORS races? Yes, I’m keeping with this question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving, Again

It’s cold here in the city… Not sure what happened with warmer by the lake or global warming. But the cold, gloom and snow sure makes the Christmas music sound more relevant. Yes, this is about the time Christmas music should begin, but it has been playing on the radio since Halloween.

DSCN4971There will be a Turkey Hurl Ride Thanksgiving evening for those in the know. Social rides are strongly associated with the drinking of beer. I often partake of beer of the non-alcohol type. This often, Okay always, leads to talk of my being a boozer. Someone sees a bottle in my hand, it has to be bottles, or me carrying in a set of six and… It is particularly enticing to many since in my faith the consumption of alcohol (coming under the influence) is consider a grand leap towards a life of sin and debauchery.

With the spread of micro-breweries, creating convenient routes for social rides official or otherwise, I asked at the last club meeting if the micro-breweries make near beers (maybe the wrong question since near beer still contains a discernable level of alcohol), to which the answer was, no. Is there a market for non-alcohol beers for the micro breweries? It would be nice if there was and it could possibly make the social rides more memorable. As it is, our county parks are looking to require permits for any advertised rides on county trails (that would be riding through any county park). Posting on social media is considered advertising. $1million in insurance considered as a requirement. The county park beer gardens are not open when most social rides take place; spring and fall.

DSCN2929Thanksgiving is with the whole family this year; at least that’s the story. My wife is making the green bean casserole and I my famous rice pudding; the recipe of others. Misao, my wife, ran some casserole recipes by me. I looked over the ingredients and said, “The one with butter.” I, for my part, will be using the least-processed cane sugar possible this year; I hold great expectations.

We will not be shopping on Thanksgiving. I consider Thanksgiving Day shopping (coming under the influence) a grand leap towards a life of sin and debauchery. Besides, Amazon has already been having huge sales this last weekend. Emery’s, a fantastical bike shop of the highest reputation, is holding a Black Friday and Small Business Saturday sale with discounts of 50% and more. The IMBA store, like every year, will be slashing prices as year end approaches. IMBA recently published their third book on trail building.

DSCN4965My wife completed a project just this last week and is damn proud of it. She painted four chairs, four different colors of course: sun yellow, real orange, berry pink and I believe this color is sea foam. October through Thanksgiving has proven the time of year when I get the most work done on the house. This year the weather did not cooperate. Product specifications require how wet or how cold something can be to use or install. This has led to much consternation and pressure driven spurts of work.

Everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving. I was always raised just to be grateful for having been born in the United states. We have much to be grateful for, don’t we. We will most likely enjoy the parade and dog show on TV, before the big meal shared happily with family. The football looks good too. I can’t believe I am saying this but, “Go Bears! (you losers)”

The $75 question (it’s getting up there): What are my three most favorite WORS races? Yes, I’m still keeping with this question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

It’s Back!

DSCN4976Snow… I finished some prayers and there it was. Winter is back. But did it ever truly leave? Something else that is back is my e-book for free; at least until the end of Sunday. I’ve been looking to post for a while but have been busy. So for now you just get this shameless self-promotion and the promise of a long Winter. Click on the book cover for the link to my free for now e-book

CH-AVWpicOn the bright side this quick post drives up the prize pot for the Charity Jackpot gimmick where even you can win big if you have all the right answers. Same question bigger amount.

The $74 question: What are my three most favorite WORS races? Yes, I’m still keeping with this question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.