Chain Ring Cowboy

Cool clear weather provides for this cyclist to get some training in after Christmas. The day after Christmas the weather was so beautiful, one would never know that the previous days were dismally wet and chilly. Except for a couple of stragglers such as myself, the main drag next to the University was all but empty. During regular school session this side walk has barely enough room to walk, or ride a bike, or use a skateboard. But all that happens, making for the chaos that heavy pedestrian traffic brings. The sidewalk gets a holiday break just as the students, faculty and staff get, but I am sure it will be glad when everyone returns to trod upon it.

I think it was Christmas of 1938. It could have been 37' or 39', the exact year is not important. But it was Christmas time in Alabama and that is what's important. Norma and Patricia were but 11 and 7 years old, just two cutie pie southern toe heads, the last two 'chillins' of a brood of 7. I wonder if they were a little bit spoiled by their 5 other older siblings? Anyway, Norma and Patricia each got a shiny bicycle that year, Norma's blue and green for Patricia. The blue bike was slick, and had a cowling on it, and a fine saddle, and would go in the wind like a steed on a cool spring morning. The girls, well, Norma for sure road her bike all the way to that place where first bikes go. They get parked for the last time and go to memory where they live forever. Probably the best place to preserve all childhood things precious. About 18 years later in January of 1956 Norma was all grown up. She was outside pushing junior on his fat tired bike, Also a Christmas pr

A rare day when one gets their old Leonards Explorer out. The weather was nice on the day after Christmas, cool but sunny Evelyn and Adam are coming to town pretty soon and they will have a story to tell. Stay tuned.

With Christmas being 5 days away, it is winding down for some folks, at least that's what it seems like. Taking off work, finishing up a school semester, getting out of the routine just makes way for travel to family and friends, or preparing for them to arrive. Winding down turns to winding up. Be safe all you holiday travelers. Today is a New Moon, if you were out in West Texas, and the skies are clear tonight, the stars would be brilliant. Which star would the Wise Men be looking for? Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice, shortest day of the year. If you can watch the sunrise tomorrow and see just where it pops up in the horizon, you can see where its most southern place is. From that day on it will creep northward. Your plants can tell you all about this, they kind of like it. Foggy weather, warm and drizzly. Cedar soup, slippery steps. Must be some cool weather coming someday soon. If you bought some green firewood when the first cold snap came to town, it is ready to make a hot fi

What a fast and furious weekend it was with golfing, eating bbq, visiting with family and friends. The weather was perfect. Central Texas in the middle of December is still a nice place to be. Marcy and Shawneen, please send pictures. The ride in this morning was terrific. Odyssey seemed happy out of the garage. 66 degrees at 5am. Perfect.

On Thursdays I drive. I drive because I have a part time job and riding home in that area of town seems unsafe late at night. I only have to drive one day a week, Thursday. Every Thursday when I walk from the parking garage, at least one person asks me if I rode my bike today. To me it always sounds like they are asking the question with a tone of "you've finally given up, haven't you, re-joined the grand system, haven't you?". It seems to me their like a drunk who needs someone on the wagon to fall off again because they couldn't do it. But of course this is just me being sensitive or maybe a bit defensive, isn't it? Or is it? The truth lies somewhere in between. But here is what I know, if just for today. It took more than an hour for me to get 10 miles from my apartment to the Capitol Complex, our states awesome governmental headquarters. Now that's driving 10 miles which makes my average miles per hour slower than when I ride my bike. Good music i

No Rhyming, No timing, no longer wax on love. Unless it's brotherly love. Or hate to love. Or..... Something of and esoteric sense. Assuring no cadence. A recondite touch, Man to woMan. More sacred than King Solomon's secrete handshake. Few men know of it, Women either. But she feels it unaware. Like a strong drug in the wrong hands, It can hurt, scar, kill. As rare nectar used for love. It can make life worth living.

The 40 degree temperature this morning is still a bit air-ish, especially when descending into the creek bottoms where the moisture puts a nice chill on anything that holds water... like the human. The breeze is out of the north, I hope it stays that way at 4 this afternoon, a bit of push from the back will be nice. These past two or three weeks my discipline to ride to work has fallen a bit. Largely because of weather, which is directly related to my notion of what is safe, or Not. And then there is the reason/excuse that it is this time of year and to get certain seasonal things, like Christmas shopping, done, it's best to do it in a car. And I knew, because I've done this before, that I would really enjoy it when I did finally get back on the bike. The stress involved with driving in freeway traffic along with the rest of the world trying to get to work or get away from work is something I forgot about since my latest one year plus of diligent cycle commuting. It's fu

Celeste was in a hurry walking up the hilly street with its nearly completely decomposed asphalt. She was not wearing the right shoes to be walking on a street this bad. She was not wearing the right clothes to be walking in a neighborhood this bad, especially since her black evening gown was all droopy and misfit. She had to keep one hand on the front part of her dress so that she wouldn't step on it, again, as she trudged up the hill. The street lights seemed low as if on some kind of dimmer switch she had on her bedroom lights in her plush apartment 57 blocks to the north. She gave brief thought to the irony of having to walk so far south in order to get the chance to go back north. Funny the little thoughts that fly through the head when one is on a mission, another thought. The hilly street seemed to have no end with its dilapidated buildings and poor conditioning. Her ankles were getting tired of having to hobble over holes and rocks of asphalt. It reminded her of the caliche

I got home yesterday just in time to see the Tennessee Titans go into overtime against the Houston Oilers. It was pretty cool to see Vince Young pull of another one of his spectacular game winning runs. That guy is awesome. The first person I thought of when that happened as I jumped out of my chair hollering like a fan that was really there was Matthew. I don't know why I thought of him, except that he would probably have liked that play as much as I did. I took a picture of the Saturday group which was unique. This particular mix of folks was a first time thing in the north part of Austin, where the hill work is great. I had a huge smudge on the lens and the picture did not come out very well at all. So I didn't put it up today. The next four days are devoted to last minute touches in preparation for the weekend. The weather should be great for golf on Saturday. Marcy, me, Bux and Jenny are going to have a shoot out, hope my putter is working.

Hershey admiring the fruits of all the years of training he put in on his family. He has lots to be proud of, it takes a long time to train people, even the best. This is one of those pictures that don't show what the subject is looking at, which is the real picture. But it tells the story in the eyes, which as they say, are the windows of the soul. I think we all know that the sun will rise today and tomorrow, well that is except for the apocalytically minded amongst us. Which makes me wonder what one of those doomsayers would say if he were standing on the street shouting to all of us his thoughts on how the end is near and then all of a sudden he was struck down? Like say if a out of control car got the guy, or he was hit by an errant drive by shooting or some crazy random act that brought the end to his world. He would probably say something like "told you so". But anyway, the sun does rise and set every day, has for a long time and will for a long time.

Back in January of 1956 this photograph was developed. I belive it must have been taken on Christmas Day fo 1955, testifying to how nice Santa was that year. That was my first flyer complete with frong basket. Martha and Ronnie got fixed up too. No training wheels were there to get me started the softer gentler way. I can remember the scary days of learning to just let it go and keep a balance, with mom hollering behind me to just pedal. Awesome

I ran across an old picture that I want to put on the blog this morning, but for some reason, blogger says it cannot complete the request. I tried to put other pictures on too, but get the same message. I guess the blogger folks are going to wake up with some issues this morning. I will place the picture on later.

Oh Christmas Tree, do I see that you have some company? And what's this I see, no fireplace? I never thought about that when I decided this apartment layout was the nicest I'd ever had a chance to live in. You may already know that I lived in an identical apartment before, moved to not as nice apartment for about 6 months, then moved back into this floor plan and plot position. It's pretty lucky that the building is situated close enough to the ideal North, South, East and West layout to suit me. Almost perfectly located so that it gets easy sun (relative term in Central Texas) in the summer and passive solar heating in the winter. This morning though, Norfolk Island Pine is very happy to be inside holding ornaments and lights and guarding boxes with pretty paper. It's just below freezing on the porch where he/she, (need to name the guy/gal) would otherwise be. Since I've written about this plant twice, it must mean I enjoy having it in there with me. We've sp

Simplicity in design done right has more aesthetic beauty than cluttered and too busy of design. When I sit in my apartment and enjoy the orderly arrangement, and ordinary placement, it gives me peace. But when I look at it from the perspective of a photograph, I get a sense a little pick-me-up should be put on the walls. But the Christmas decorations are underway, starting with a Norfolk Island Pine acting as "THE TREE". I bought that tree two years ago when it was just over a foot tall. It doesn't look like it in the picture, but it now stands at about 6'2". I think it has accepted the trade off of holding up some lights and ornaments while it gets to sit in out of the cold for the winter. The rubber tree is pretty happy too. Now about those walls. Any ideas?

Do you believe that David stood still long enough to get his picture taken? Now, get a football in your hand boy and continue running around. I am grateful to have spent some time with my two oldest daughters. It's easy to keep laughing when I am around them. Shawneen is in the day care business, and Monica is in the big trucks parts business. Did I tell you she drives a cool company truck? Shawneen and Judith at Mom and Dad's house the day after Thanksgiving. Judith gave up her long hair earlier in the day to Locks For Love (click on link) an organization that makes wigs for cancer patients. I hope that by now she is someplace in Arizona with her destination in sight.