Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year

A joyous and Merry Christmas to you and yours. The season continues until the wise men bring their gifts. It is that time of year when all misgivings and offenses are forgotten. It was why the baby Jesus needed to be born. Peace on Earth Goodwill to All Men.

And A Happy New Year.

I walked into our Church’s Christmas party some days back and “The Grinch” started playing on the radio. I asked, “Did you put on that song just for me?” which brought many a smile; sly mischievous smiles.

A star; we moved the Christmas tree downstairs this year and now have room for a star. “Star of wonder star of light…” I put the outdoor lights up Christmas Eve (after returning from Firestone) and they will be up until January 6th. Though the tree was up several days prior, we trimmed it on Christmas Eve also. When I was young many families still waited for Christmas Eve to buy and trim their tree. Now we can enjoy the remainder of the Christmas season in Winter’s rest.

Even the lack of snow on Christmas, or seeing young ladies wearing white after Labor Day, cannot dampen the Christmas spirit. The lights would certainly look brighter with some snow however. Our home hold a lot of holiday decoration potential.

I have a nice place for a Nativity scene under our porch. Christ was born in a cave, so they say. I was there on the spot. My most moving experience in the Holy Land was in Galilee. It looks very much the same as when Jesus walked the coastline, near completely undeveloped. There is a big groundhog like creature that inhabits the rolling hills. As I watched them my heart was moved as I realized that Jesus had watched the very same scene.

The cards all went out on time. Though we received far fewer cards this year than last I have no interest in worrying over stolen mail trucks, lost cards and packages, local thievery or vandalism, all which seem to be on the rise. This is Christmas.

I was Christmas shopping with my wife and asked “Should I use the fifty dollar bill I have or small bills?” as we walked up to the register. Her answer was indistinguishable.

“Are you going to pay, or should I pay?” she asked a few moments later.

The shopping is over. Now we can enjoy the rest of the Christmas season, I hope.

The Container Store had a variety of stocking stuffers on sale. I have to imagine their sales boom after the Christmas holiday. They sell bicycle hangers, as I mentioned before, if you need to store your bicycle for the Winter.

The Fat Bike Alpha Trail riders are encouraging, through Facebook, other Fat Bike riders to get out and ride to groom the trails. Yes the ground is covered and beginning to freeze. If Fat Bike is something you enjoy it is time to get out and support the cause. There is a race this Saturday. Otherwise there is the entrepreneurial success known as Ray’s to celebrate with.

Click here for editor picks for the best bikes in 2015, or if you are the type to build or upgrade your own bike click here for the best components of 2015. Here is a review of some bike shoes and a frame bag. There is still time to take a survey for an entry in a bicycle give away.

Are you ready? …Are you ready. It’s time. The Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival registration begins January 1st, and if you don’t act fast you’ll be passed over. The allure of the event comes from its foundational position on the mountain bike scene. This will be its 34th year. That, and the fact that it is in a remote area of the state that has avoided over development.

As I shopped a few days before Christmas in peace, by myself, the lines at the checkouts were long. It was far from shoulder to shoulder in the aisles as one shopped however. Will the malls ever be as packed with frantically merry shoppers panicking over last minute Christmas gifts as in times past? Does one blame the economy, or is it the Internet?

The major retailers were happy to wish me a Merry Christmas. This is the Midwest. The Post Office was another matter. I never felt such a sense of fear and/or disdain from another over Merry Christmases as I did from those working at the Post Office this year. It was as if they were saying, “Why are you doing this to me?”

Misao and I went to see “The Nutcracker” Sunday. We received the tickets as a gift. It lifted our spirits to enjoy a bit of extravagance in our life. The objective of the ballet performance was crystal clear to me; mice in the house need to be killed. Yes children, they may look cute and seeing a dead creature may be distressing but it is a necessary reality. Don’t disparage your parents for killing mice. As soon as there are enough mice to choose a monarch all could be lost. A message conveyed in Victorian militarist ideal and splendor. It is like those old stories of trolls and bridges, all to teach the children; “Don’t talk to those strange people living under the bridge.” It is for insights such as these that you read.

Finally we have snow. Misao almost made it home in the storm. She got the car stuck good, down at the end of our alley. She called and had me trod out to help. I rocked the car out, with the help of a neighbor, came back around the block and backed the car down the alley from the other end. Yes, the city did a lousy job cleaning up the snow. In-laws, via a younger brother, were in town (they left this morning) and were disappointed that it looked like they would not have the opportunity to see snow. They are from Brazil. The blessings of the Christ Child come in many forms. They got their snow and I hope it didn’t effect any of their return flights.

The Christmas lights in snow. Even a few of the icicle lights have started to work again.

$360 for two new tires as I found a flat when we were preparing for our holiday sales December 23rd. A cut in one tire and a nail right at the edge of tread on the other; both needed to be replaced. The days around Christmas are very hard to judge as far as sales potential. I don not think we lost out much sales wise.

Snow tires? I wish I could afford them this year, but my dad has complete confidence in the modern all season tire and he should know. He learned to drive when everyone had snow tires, some with steel studs, and when one was still allowed to put chains on their tires in the city.

I was going to buy Misao a new washing machine but now with the cost of the new tires she says, better not. However, if I were to believe the e-mails Sears is sending me they are almost giving appliances away right now.

This is not the first time, in the many years we have lived here, that our car has had problems right on a big sales day. We celebrate Christmas unfazed. It is of no consequence in light of what others have suffered, and it makes the wonder of His birth all that more significant.

I had to call AAA for the tire change because the Ford Fusion has lug nuts that do not hold their form and go round and round in the manufacturer provided wrench gizmo. The ratchet set was no help either.  I have several problems with the design of the Ford Fusion which I may innumerate on in the future. As I was attempting to change my flat the night before our neighbor was struggling with his truck, which wouldn’t start.

But no Grinch will be stealing our Christmas. Leaving our house this morning on a spare and a low tire I passed a slew of cars in the neighborhood also with low tires. Firestone was unexpectedly busy Christmas Eve morn when I brought the car in the next day. The man who arrived just after myself also had a low tire he needed repaired quickly, in order to keep to his travel plans. Colder temperatures; it’s the time of year to check your tire pressure. Even colder temperatures will keep tiny vandals off the streets.

Many demand our police officers wear body cameras. I say mechanics need to wear body cameras. I am completely confident that I will receive proper and reliable service for tires from any major tire retailer. But I do not care where you go. When it comes to other auto repairs, beware; especially you women.

I have some furniture design and build to do. Misao got me the tools I need from my list, a bunch of underwear and some other necessities. A wool fedora from JC Penny was a happy surprise. “All I need now is a pheasant feather to stick in the band.” I told my mother as I showed off my stylish look. My father blames JFK for men’s hats going out of fashion. He never wore a hat.

Misao was happy with my gifts to her. We heated up a Honey Baked Ham on Christmas and went over to my parent’s home to share. Then it was to my brothers to spend some time with more family. My parents didn’t feel like leaving their home any over the holiday.

The dog received nothing this year and I think he has taken note. Perhaps it will be wise to sleep with one eye open for a while.

“The diet?” you wonder. Your concern moves me. The diet has suffered over the holidays. My initial twelve pound loss on the Bulletproof Diet is well preserved but I have retreated drastically from my under 250lb race weight goal. I thought I was losing a bit of weight but it was only improved muscle tone I had been observing. I am not sure if that comes from more walking, reflecting the demands of shopping, or the new health drink we are consuming known as kombucha. I will have a long post on our kombucha adventure in the New Year.

No fitness or bicycle related gifts this year. No shortage of snacks either. This year we neither gave nor received fruitcake; the meal of kings in my book. Working fitness back into my daily life will be high on my New Year resolutions, possibly even ahead of my goal of worldwide dominion.

The $127 question: What were my three most favorite WORS races? Keeping the same question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.

How Bazaar

No, I’m not referring to the weather as bazaar, those balmy spring like temperatures confusing the world of Flora, as I wait eagerly for the snow. Nor am I referring to the fact that Hillary Clinton, or Obama for that matter, can even show their faces in public, let alone her being the supposed democrat candidate for president. That is truly bazaar but not the bazaar of this post. (If “13 Hours; The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” doesn’t open the eyes of democrats I don’t know what will. Debate over.)

The bazaar I am referring to is The Milwaukee Bike Bazaar formerly known as the bike swap. If that is not bazaar enough for you perhaps the Hugh Jass Bike Series is more your style. An interesting series I first heard of at the last Metro Mountain Bikers meeting. The events include demo bikes, a bike toss and a taco truck to fuel the body. The next race is a familiar venue to all mountain bike enthusiasts in Milwaukee.

And what is this bazaar looking chunk of wood and MDF? It is a jig for assembling more cedar planter boxes for standard 2x4’s or rough cut. There are so many slots to accommodate having more then one vertical support per wall at various spacing.

Bazaar rot patterns on my garage wall are duplicated on the opposing wall’s exerior. It comes from the spawn of Jehovah Witness families urinating on my garage for over a decade. The overhead door is smashed in as many years past, though none of them or their friends lived along our alley, they would set up a portable basketball hoop and drive into my garage door over and over. It all began shortly after we moved into the neighborhood with the ring leader of these haters shooting a pellet gun at my dog (Tun-Tun my late very bestest dog ever and forever) from their upstairs unit window across the street. Other antics included, but were not limited to, turning on my outdoor spigot or that of my neighbor’s to run water continuously against our home’s foundation wall, sending water into our basement and raising water bills. A rock thrown at our window and the attempt to kick in a man door on our garage were frustrated by neighbors. “To steal our bikes.” they confessed to a neighbor as they continued to kick the door until the neighbor chased them away. Confronted at times they were even heard to say, it is because of the Church we belong to; using the derogative of course. A very special Merry Christmas to all Jehovah Witness.

How bazaar.

Tun-Tun bloodied up a loose pit bull that tried to attack Misao in the park one day.

The $126 question: What were my three most favorite WORS races? Keeping the same question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.

A Sunday at the Museum

Being male and white, obviously loaded with privilege that sets me apart from all others, my wife and I just had to go to the art museum to illuminate ourselves in the floodlight of great art. It wasn’t the glow of master craft that we basked in but the fact that admittance was free, courtesy of Kohl’s, this Sunday.

Observing piles of rocks and what looked like giant reams of blank paper setting on the floor my wife said, “We have lots of art at our house.”

Walking the new extension and galleries of the museum my thoughts and my wife’s words were in complete harmony as she said more than once, “You could do that.”

I am not easily impressed by what would be called modern or contemporary impressionistic art, but I did enjoy the Sam Francis display. We didn’t renew our membership this year as my wife didn’t use it and we had better places to put our money.

These are dangerous times for mountain bike trails. Destruction comes with every pump of the pedal as churning tire upon soft wet dirt tears the earth. The only thing worse than a derelict mountain biker on a closed trail would be to run those muddy tires over a canvas and make us pay to see it.

I noticed a bicycle aid station, with a pump and all, just across from the War Memorial; that is an annex to the museum for you not from Milwaukee. There is an effort to get another kind of bicycle aid station in Hoyt Park; it includes tools. The pump station is the most expensive part. The station is to be in memory of Rob Hofmann; a leader in the Wisconsin Bicycle Federation.

The eagle scout project for a similar station in Minooka Park has also been completed. Saris produces bicycle aid stations. A chain of convenience stores in Portland is installing bicycle aid stations at all their stores.

And do you want to watch all seven Star Wars movies at once. You are in luck.

After the Christmas cards are done a big decision needs to be made; real or artificial. It will be time to get the Christmas decorations up. The neighborhood is looking more festive than the past few years. Each street and block in our neighborhood has a different feel, but an influx of home owners have raised the standards. It is a nice little enclave.

“Why don’t I get a Christmas card?” you ask. Tell me who you are and I’ll send you one.

The $125 question: What were my three most favorite WORS races? Keeping the same question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.