Narcotic haze, part three

I thought I was 12 Just a kid on his new bike Out for a good time I can ride the curb! Balance it all the way down Wheee what fun it was I'd done it before Thought, Hey, I'll do it again! Down so fast I bounced But I'm not 12 now I no longer bounce, I break Break real good I did Tough it out I thought, It'll get better real soon Not in ten months, nope Bone grinding on bone Rasping, snapping, tendons click Pissed off bursa, Ouch! Only one fix now, Cutting, rasping, deep inside Skilled surgeon, quick work Narcotics will fade Incisions will heal over Muscles regain strength I'll have fun again Yes, soon I'll have fun again But I won't forget I'm 12 never more! Old man out on his new bike Out for a good time

Narcotic haze, part two

This is shoulder surgery:

This is shoulder surgery on good drugs:


This is a clear shot of the Sweetie, the Dog and one of the Cats:

It will be
Sooooooooo good
to have this behind me...

Narcotic haze, part one

I saw this sign after surgery and it cracked me up on two fronts


First, I suspect they didn't plan for this to be a declaration of carelessness

Second, I didn't see the first part of the message in time so I'm lumped in with Cub...

You get what you pay for

Here's the headline that greeted me this morning:


About a year ago the 35W bridge collapsed. This came after record low spending on transportation infrastructure. This headline juxtaposes memorial for last year's disaster on the 'W' branch of Interstate 35 as it passes through our fair metropolis with chunks of the 'E' branch falling on passing cars.

And then, of course, there are those who will blame the funding shortfalls on spending earmarked for bike paths. Fortunately, there are some who understand that spending on non -war-for-oil transportation options is sound policy. I realize that the pie is only so big but the spending on alternative transportation is mere crumbs of that pie and, more importantly, is out of proportion with the value it delivers.

A final thought:

Why is Minneapolis consistently in the top five US cities for bicycle commuting even though we have long, harsh winters? It's because we have the infrastructure that makes it possible. How different would our addiction to oil be if our infrastructure were in place across our nation? Maybe we wouldn't feel the need to sacrifice so many of our young patriots to keep the flow of oil coming.

I'm just sayin'...

All miles, no gallons

I ride everywhere.
Others are riding more too.

I see more commuters on
the trails
on a given day than I ever saw in a week
in years past.


Still, finding the bike rack
at Target
nearly full was a bit of a surprise.

I just wonder how long the uptick in biking will last...

Riding the IBBS in Alaska!

I am thrilled to have attended the
first Interstate Bike Blogger's Summit
held in Anchorage, AK.

I read this blog about riding in Alaska,
in the snow,
on one of these:


Turns out they're OK on dirt too but it
was above the call of duty for Tim,
the gracious host of the event, to pull out
the Pugsley to come up with loaners for
me and The Old Bag:

Now that's a great start
but then the crew shows up
and off we go.

I didn't ask at the time
but I couldn't help but wonder,
is stopping at a pile of bear scat
an Alaska tradition,
or just an unfortunate coincidence?

Either way, seems everyone is
trying to get their nose
as far from it as possible!


Scat or not, this was one of the most scenic rides I've been on,
topped only by the second ride in the sky above Anchorage.

Thanks Tim!

PS, she calls herself
The Old Bag
but anyone can see,
Sweet Young Thang
would be more fitting...