Is it Tuesday Already?

I thought it was Thursday.

I committed a grave offense just the other day.

“No, not you Phillip!” I hear you scream.

I have only myself to blame and perhaps the freshly fallen snow.

“It must have been the snow, only the snow.” Your pleas console my ears.

But alas I have fallen short. …I listened to Christmas music before Thanksgiving.

The sin of Christmas shopping on Thanksgiving is one sin I will certainly never be guilty of. But if you want to be a real hell raiser you can always join others of similar ilk at the annual Turkey Hurl. Yes, that mountain bikers tradition of going for a gut busting ride, after stuffing oneself with turkey and all the fixins, will take place during the Packers game. …The horror. It makes one doubt all that is good in the world.

Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday will hopefully disperse the hysteria over shopping on Thanksgiving. Emery’s is having a Post Over Eating Sales Event. The e-mail said, “Buy one bike get one bike free.”

The trails are wet with the snow melt. Riding them would be highly detrimental at this time. But things may freeze soon, and even if we get more snow, try a fat bike. I’m still looking to get some more riding in this year.

I actually made it to Metro Mountain Bikers’ last Monthly meeting. The warning has been sent out; The Off Road Motor Biking Group is after the same type of lands as we the worthy, we the mountain bikers. Will the horrors never cease?

No. The Santa Cycle Rampage is coming December 5th. That’s a Saturday and for the sake of all that’s good and pure keep your children locked indoors lest their dreams of Santa Claus be ripped away by the image of a torrid of unscrupulous imposters.

I have been busy in my workshop. I will be making a jig to assist in a certain ongoing endeavor. I made this beam for my sawhorse with some straight MDF board. (Always wear a ventilator when cutting MDF) It is in perfect level with the top of my workbench.

The Wisconsin Bike Summit has come and gone. One theory is the attendance was up because there was no advocacy day. In the past the summit has always been in Madison and they have had a day when the attendees go into the capital to lobby their representatives. Mountain Bikers were honored at the Summit as independent and willing to work. Many, I could say most, mountain bike trails were built by volunteers.

Work days are all but finished for the season. Minooka has traditionally had its workdays Sunday mornings which just doesn’t work for me. I have to give God his due.

They also demoed a very realistic bicycle simulator at the Summit referred to as Shifting Gears. There are plenty of ride simulators on the market. You can also contact your local bike shop, at least the larger ones, and sign up for group workouts using simulators. Winter is here, not the Christmas time of Winter but the perfect first snow just before Thanksgiving Winter.

I heard tell of a war in Baja. The unofficial stunt course with its berms and jumps at Hoyt Park is being removed by the County. The word is that new constructions go up nearly as fast as they are taken down. Derision has been disposed upon responsible path users by those trending towards anarchy. It has been said people come from as far away as Pewaukee to ride the bootleg trails. The suspense builds.

The $121 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.

Topics of Debate

I have not been invited to tomorrows Presidential Debate here in Milwaukee, even though I offer highly accurate analysis per the common man. You would think someone would offer me six figures, if not to head their campaign than to write for their rag. Of course, what is good for the people, the truth and common sense are not in demand among the political types. One thing is not up for debate; my own sense of self-worth. Now if only my finances would reflect that.

No tomorrow’s debate is not at The Domes. The Winter Farmer’s Market opened Saturday and we just had to go. Munster is a highly underrated cheese. We bought some  Pepper Munster from one of our favorite dairies at the market. Munster is a great cheese for sandwiches though some may argue for Swiss or even American.

The lack of debate over the officiating of the Packers Panthers game testify to the obvious fix the officials were running. So obvious that the NFL does not want anyone talking about the game officiating or showing the replays. And this mornings local Packer analysis on the radio will not even mention the mountain of penalties? Shame, shame. “The only thing evil needs to triumph is for good men to say nothing.” Some one said that.

No, that is not the line for the free cookie recipe book from We Energies. That is the line for pictures with the reindeer.

This is the line for the free cookie recipe book. This is Milwaukee, …and they did say free. The man behind us asked for seven.

We debated giving out candy this year for Halloween. We rushed out at the last minute and bought a bunch. Too few creatures of yet to be established height came to our door, which left me with a daunting dilemma.

My wife confiscated the unclaimed goods and I am now under ration.

I discover this treasure waiting for me most mornings. One of each.

Some people debate whether it is proper for women, girls, to dress up in an otherwise inappropriate fashion on Halloween. I recommend modesty. Ignore the alluring words of temptation offered by a certain female talk show host. I saw a wonderful very respectable costume while we were out working on Halloween. Two young ladies had dressed up in common jeans and hoodies as twins. It was a really convincing costume. I think they were sisters.

Halloween sales testified to the reality of our economy (the issue of our upcoming political debate; the economy …not reality). Sales were worse than years past. And with Halloween on a Saturday this year I expected at least a 10% jump in sales rather than a 10% drop. Hey, gloomy weather doesn’t deter people from going out on Halloween. People used to parade in elaborated costumes from bar to bar. That was so many years past the images fade from my memory.

WORS, the most successful mountain bike race series in this country, has dropped from twelve to ten races for next season. Great efforts are put into holding these events and great efforts are put into participating in them; travel lodging, time, keeping one’s bike is racing form. Interest is not dropping, resources to participate are. If you’d like to debate my analysis there is a comment section.

Emery’s is having a fitness equipment sale. Sales, it’s all we have left. The Container Store opened at Mayfair Mall. They have a selection of bicycle hangers among their inventory.

IMBA is running a contest to win a free mountain bike trip for two to Italy in their membership campaign. We couldn’t even afford the free trip; the missed sales.

And speaking of Halloween, again, are not flashing lights designed to disorient people as they travel through the haunted houses? So why would one think putting flashing lights on your bicycle would make you safer? Why do so many police cars get struck by other vehicles when they are making road side stops? Flashing lights? There are to many gimmicks in the field of bicycle safety for night riding.

Here is an issue for debate: Was it easier to lose weight in the eighties and why? Needless to say my diet has been suffering a reversal. I suspect environmental causes behind my weight gain. With all my home repairs I must be stirring up some toxic catalyst to fat storage. I have not slept much more than five hours a night for the longest while now, which also is bad for a diet.

Getting back on the supplements recommended in the bulletproof diet has stabilized my weight. Now Bulletproof recommends a new supplement and claim their form of the supplement is the best. Glutathione is a super antioxidant important in cleansing your body of toxins that the body may try to neutralize by storing in fat.

The final debate: Do I attend the Metro Mountain Biker’s monthly meeting Tuesday or listen to the Presidential Debate live on the radio? I’ve missed two meetings, and I can most likely find the debate on YouTube the next day if not that night. Besides, the candidates will be on stage, they wont be free to seek me out for my invaluable advice. Until then I will be right here at home if anyone is looking to come visit.

To those of you closer to me or my family thank you for your prayer and support for my mother over her surgery and recovery. She is now safe at home after almost eight weeks in the hospital.

I made this step for her as my parents bed is too high off the floor according to the social worker. That 2x4 across the top edge fits snugly under the bed frame so the step will not move. When using a router the key is to take a little bit off at a time; making several passes. You’ll get a more controlled result and wont burn out your router motor.

The $120 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.

Rolling Along to Fitness

Time, the seasons, it all just keeps rolling along. With Winters approach the time of CycloCross is passing. If you’re not a CycloCross nut, you may want to prepare for the Fat Bike race season. The event at Lapham Peak is catching on. It is a six race series beginning November 19th. Or you may like to seek Fat Bike high adventure. It is Spring in South America.

If you don’t have the equipment for Winter competitions of the outdoor type, it is the time of the year when that age old question arises; Is bowling exercise?

It is bowling season. I have been called back by my life long friend to grace his team. One conclusion has struck us all. Our team brings out the best in others. In the other team’s score that is.

The bowling league pays out at the end of the season for high game, high series, high team game and team series, for both scratch and with handicap. We observed, now for the second year, that the individual bowlers and teams holding the three top positions in each category, eligible for prize money, all achieved these outstanding results when they were bowling against our team. It’s true! Okay, maybe not 100% but for the clear majority.

We bring out the best in others. Which translates into, we have a losing record. But it is well deserved in an uncommon way. I think we deserve a kickback.

It’s actually scary. That really is the house we live in. The holly is looking a bit stressed. It needs plenty of water going into the Winter. Don’t listen to the weatherman. They always say its going to rain but they are wrong more than right. Water your evergreens.

I need the exercise bowling may or may not provide. Unfortunately I have little time to practice and we are down to one car once more. But I rolled my best game in two years last night.

I have not been successful in following any yoga routines. What I enjoyed most in my youth was the good old punching bag. When I started going to the gym years back I was hoping to find one with a punching bag but my friends were members of a more generic brand. Club ownerships have changed and I am not longer a member of a gym. I miss and long for the weight training.

You know I pursue all my interests, at least as far as I can via the Internet. And you know that I am eager to support any person or group I find that have a passion behind their products or causes. Hanging a punching bag, where and how, is the greatest hurdle in purchasing a punching bag. I found this hard working American who produces the best in bag hangers. Don’t buy a cheap Chinese knockoff. Get the best here.

Looking to tailor a Winter fitness training program that fits my personal interests, I found a fascinating fitness show via my Roku. It is on one of the NRA channels. They take an individual through a training program that includes quickness and agility training. They seek to train not only the muscles but the nervous system. The goal of the training is to shoot accurately under physical stress. To run around a range shifting quickly from one stance to another, some unconventional but necessary in a life and death circumstance, and still hit one’s target. A complete training approach that I will glean aspects from to develop my personal Winter training discipline. Or there is always the old trainer.

The Winter Farmer’s Market opens a week after Halloween; November 7th. They have plenty of eats (and coffee) for sale if you’re hungry. It is a nice way to start one’s Saturday, in a sunlight filled greenhouse. Parking may leave you with a walk. Cherish the exercise.

The $119 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.

Thing Are Not Always What They Appear

What is a ‘Fondo’ anyway? It has yet to be discovered but USA Cycling has a list of events still to come here. Cyclo Cross and Fat Bike dominance are quickly approaching but until the snow flies there is plenty of good riding left in the year. Just be sure to dress for the weather; keep your head covered and legs warm.

Just look how beautiful autumn is. How can you not get out?

We were in our car late at night and I was about to make a right turn. Fortunately I took a second look (in my mirror) as one of those recumbent bikes came rolling by into my turn. He passed without incident but I had to think, “What an idiot! This late at night?” Especially considering he was so low to the ground I could only see him (without my mirrors) after he passed.

Okay he had lights but bicycle lights are pretty useless. They’re too small. Even if you see them the scale may suggest a larger vehicle much farther away. Yes, if you truly want bicycle safety at night those red tail lights need to be as large as you see on a motorcycle or car. Then these riders, with their high tech bikes have removed most of their reflectors (fancy pantsy peddles) and often wear dark clothing. Reflective clothing, and your good old fashioned typical reflectors are what tell drivers there is a bicycle in front of them. It’s just how I see it.

I was driving at dawn in the north woods way back when. I came over a rise and saw a light I took as a headlight in front of me. The light moved from the oncoming lane and into my lane. A drunk in a car with only one headlight? I slowed as quickly as I could and was planning to go onto the soft shoulder anticipating that the driver may swerve back into his own lane, which could have been hazardous for me and my vehicle as the land beyond sloped steeply away. Then I realized that this was a tractor with a light shining backwards for safety. It had pulled out of a field from the far side of the road and was slowly heading where it was heading. At dawn, the farmer most likely didn’t notice my headlights beyond the rise, and I could not make out the tractor clearly in the not dark but not light, with the light shining at me. When I realized it was a tractor I could pass it safely in the opposing lane.

The Wisconsin Bike Summit is coming November 6 to the beautiful Appleton Wisconsin. There will be a heavy emphasis on Mountain Bike issues. Appleton has lots of fine dining. The Bike Fed is also campaigning for a vulnerable users bill which covers bicyclists, pedestrians and farm vehicles. Bicyclists should have their own paths as far as I’m concerned. I don’t think they belong on any high traffic roadways roads, especially at night.

Safety is important. You don’t want to have to enjoy football like these poor saps.

Yes, we took a mini vacation at my wife’s suggestion, and went to Holy Hill. We came across the unholy scene above along the way.

We hiked, reflected, enjoyed the scenery, stopped to pray and most importantly shopped. Honey. fresh apples (now Misao knows what a ‘peck’ is), apple cider, and a few gifts.

Here is a good place for metal art. Antiques and knick knacks makes for an interesting stop.

This is also the time of the year to contemplate how one will train this Winter. Emerys and all the bicycle shops have organized indoor training sessions. I will depend on my trainer in the basement.

Milk! Some call it liquid food. Some the elixir of life; if you’re under two years old or have access to fresh unpasteurized cows milk. My wife found this product. It is the next evolution in milk production. They start with what they claim to be the finest milk (but not organic). Then they have altered their pasteurization process to remove that burnt taste that flash pasteurization produces. It’s a burnt taste that you don’t recognize until you’ve had fresh milk or batch pasteurized milk. Then they divide the milk into its various parts. They put it all back together with higher concentrations of protein and calcium, less sugar (it’s lactose free), and as much fat as you like. We buy whole milk. Since there is no chemical reactions or additives involved I see this as a good development; the best alternative to fresh unpasteurized milk. It’s like making lemonade out of the lemons of pasteurization.

This new milk comes from that dairy with the big tourist shop and tours. It is like the only tourist attraction in all of Indiana when you’re traveling from Indianapolis to Chicago, or in our case Milwaukee.

Misao celebrated a birthday. I got here this delicious caramel apple cake. I had no time to bake one myself as I have been focused on home repairs. When you bake a cake, you are trying to balance the proteins in the flour, egg whites and milk, with sugars and fats; found in sugar, butter, egg yolks and milk. So, I wouldn’t use Fairlife Milk in your typical baking recipes. The protein balance has been shifted considerably, and who knows how the higher calcium will alter a batter.

Have you seen the “100 pound of potatoes in four square foot” technique. Potato towers; not what they appear to be. We saw one guy on YouTube who got four potatoes out of his potato tower. He used the wrong type of soil but... You need a lighter composted type of soil. One family used a soil that was mostly sand and sawdust. From my research, already planning next years garden, buckets, bags and even barrels appear to get better results than a potato tower when you consider the investment involved.

Potatoes are cheap, but you can grow hundreds of varieties that you’ll never find in the grocery store. For proven high volume/density potato growing techniques and the greatest variety of potatoes you will ever find go to The Kenosha Potato Project website.

The $118 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.

It’s Like I’m Not Even Here

October still has plenty of Mountain bike action going before fat bikes take rule over Winter. Of course the WORS final event is this coming weekend in Sheboygan, but every weekend holds mountain bike adventure of some kind.

The ‘Gila Monster Grand Fondue’ in New Mexico, competing with the WORS final event is a timed event that includes a fondue get together. Fondue is stale bread dipped in a hot bowl of melted cheese; for you uncultured. The ‘Tour de St. George’ in Utah is the weekend of October 24th. Another warm weather destination would be Black Mountain North Carolina for ‘The Bookwalter Binge Gran Fondo’ on Halloween. Bring your high waters.

Is it that I haven’t taken this route on my bike since they built these access ways or has it been so long that I have forgotten that I saw them. The Canal Street corridor of the Hank Aaron Trail is a bicyclists dream, and now getting all the way to the lake via Canal Street has become significantly more straight forward and enjoyable with these access ways off the 6th Street bridge. You can dismount and roll your bicycle down on those little ramps along the edge of the stairs.

Or you can go, “Weeeeeeee!”, down the ramp on the west side, which is the best side for me. One less street to cross. Avoid the round about and stretches of desolation.

Menards is having one of their sales. It has become clear to me that I am being taken advantage of. I showed you all how to make that beautiful planter bed out of 2x4 rough sawn cedar and I have received not even a single thank you. Yes, I checked the stock of Menards’ rough sawn 2x4’s to build more boxes. I know last time one store had 124 in stock.They now have 23 and within a 200 miles radius all stores average far less than 20 units each. You have to travel 240 miles to Avon Indiana to find a decent stock. They must not have the Internet in Avon.

Building your own out there? You can’t even give me a “Like” on Facebook? Perhaps a comment on the post? I mean when I see what gets dozens, even hundreds of “Like”s …. Okay. You’re all welcome. But did you get this little waste out of the wood you bought? And that long piece will be just enough for another vertical for another box.

Yes, I spent a whole lot of time designing that box, and not just to minimize waste and costs. There is a dimensioning system that creates shapes more attractive than others. A variety of options were considered to achieve an attractive massing without waste. So your box is most likely just plain ugly whereas mine is exceedingly beautiful. I was thinking of giving out all the dimensions and how to cut each board (eight foot lengths are the best economy) to maximize efficiency and minimize cost, and I think I will; if someone asks me in my comments.

The $117 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.

It's Mine Now

The End of a Season

The end of the mountain bike season is quickly approaching. The Fall Color festival has passed. WORS is holding its final event on October 11th and WEMS has their Championship event on October 3rd. The Metro Mountain Bikers Fall Social Ride is approaching. Plan now if you can. In Australia The Simpson Desert Classic is on now. I am not sure if it is the beginning of their season down under or the end; if their season runs in the cool or warm season. You have a year to plan for the next.

Broccoli is a cool season plant related to cabbage and I was very satisfied with my experience growing it in the garden. Only one plant produced broccoli over the Summer and I had slim hopes for a harvest. But the others came around and the plants seem to have no enemies. After cutting off the main head of buds, afterwards small offshoots will soon mature and give you quite a secondary bounty. Still you would have to plant a row ten foot long if you really enjoy broccoli to get the most out of your labors. Every part of the plant is edible and we enjoyed cooking up the leaves.

Another end has come. I showed you a pile of wood some time back and promised to let you know what would become of it. I made a wish, clicked my slippers together and it turned into a fine raised planting bed.

First, I cut the wood beginning with the long members; all of each length cut before I cut the next length, making sure each end was square. I offset every length with a five inch block per my design. These were rough sawn red cedar 2x4’s which made them 1-3/4” by 3-3/4” true dimension.

I arrange the pieces by length.

I arranged them by side.

I aligned the pieces for each side and ran a centerline down… the center. Note the altering lengths. The corners will interlock.

I marked where the screws will go and predrilled where the lower screw will go only through the horizontal. I drilled where the upper screw will go at a slight angle through the horizontal and into the vertical member (placed under the horizontals). The angle is to push the horizontal members upward (or forward as it sits)  against the secure blocking to the top of the wall of the planter; even with the top of the vetical.

Major brain spasmatragic attack. I created this wood jig to allow my Kreg jig to drill the angled guide holes. Sometimes my mind get stuck on irrelevant details. The precision of the Kreg jig system is to precisely set screws at corners where precision is absolutely necessary. No precision is required for these angled predrills accept for the holes location for aesthetic reason. So I wasted half of a good afternoon pursuing a solution to a nonexistent problem.

Essentially I made rafts held together by a single central tie.

All four. Make sure you work out the interlock before you cut and assemble. They are upside down.

I used the Kreg jig to predrill the corner connections on the ends of the short members.

Then I drilled precise counter sunk guide holes along the top edge for when I attach the cap made from some cedar decking; not too close to the corners.

I use two drills (see way above). It makes the work go quicker when using the Kreg jig. They have bits that switch out with a snap from drill bit to driver but that cost money. I snapped the Kreg screws with my electric plug-in drill on a previous project. I bought a small cordless drill with torque setting to resolve that problem. If you don’t have a torque setting on your drill, a cordless gives more when hitting resistance and when you take your finger off the trigger, than a power drill plugged into an outlet. So the plug-in drills and the cordless drives.

I clamped this wood into the corners to keep each member in line when connecting the corners. Then I made sure the top and bottom horizontals aligned before I began to secured the corners.

Here it is before the final panel. They all interlocked easily. Cutting each end square with the miter saw nearly ensures it will all be square when assembled.

There it is. Now, after the box is complete, I can measure for the cap.

Measure twice cut once. I should have checked the angle on my miter saw. When swung to the right it is spot on 45 degrees. Not so when swung to the left. A fact I soon learned when trying to make the cap square. I had to trim the angle cut ends.

I checked the fit of the cap and lined the inside of the box with a good quality weed barrier fabric. I thought of using 2x4 PVC board for the bottom rail and the verticals which will be exposed to the earth. PVC lumber is expensive and 2x4’s are not typically stocked.

I used the cap to mark out where the box would set. I sealed the top of the cap before securing it to the box. I could have waited until the very end.

Then I set four bricks on level at each corner. In the end the box will not depend on these bricks to remain level. Dirt will fill in underneath when you fill the box. I set the top of the bricks a bit above grade to protect the bottom rail of the panel.

I secured the cap to the box outdoors. I didn’t want to damage the cap edge carrying the whole assembly up the stairs out of the basement.

I placed the box where I wanted. I tried to set it square to its surrounding but the fence line, the house, the walk and patio are all on a slightly different axis. I pulled it back and dug out where the verticals stab into the ground. Then after getting it set on the bricks I checked the level again and shimmed at the bricks to bring the top of the box to level. Note the garden fabric is pulled out to allow the dirt to fill in underneath. The verticals planted in the ground and the cap should keep the sides from bulging out.

Then I drilled the guide hole into the vertical and put in the second screw for each horizontal. I wanted a tiny bit of play in all the members until I got it all settled where I wanted it.

The dirt. I sifted these rocks out of some crud I had dug out for a previous project. The rocks would take up space at the bottom but what happens if in the future the planter is removed? You’ll have all sorts of obnoxious rocks on your lawn.

This is the sifted dirt. It went in first. Then I took two bushels, seen below, from my composter. I bought three square yards (three bags topsoil one of composted manure) for additional fill. Then I mixed in the compost. I still need some ten square foot more of good garden soil.

Now we’ll see how my design holds up over time. Check out the poker table I built here.

The $116 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.