people on their bikes in washington dc

just some people on their bikes in washington dc

I like the detail of the stars on the helmet

I like the detail of the stars on the helmet
it is subtle but nice

I like details
I like stars

one on New Hampshire the other on M Street

looks like today was a nice day for a bike ride
which well... made for a nice day for me to take a walk at lunch with the camera

took a stroll around and snapped a few shots
snapped a few shots and ran into some friends


the lighting was okay on the city blocks not shadowed by tall buildings

riding a bicycle around the city is a fantastic experience
riding a bicycle around any city is a fantastic experience
when traveling I try to make a point of riding a bicycle if I can arrange it
it is not always an option but it is always memorable when it happens

I have great memories of riding bicycles in so many of the places I have visited
the only time I have ever ridden my bicycle in New York City is during the organized ride Bike New York
that was pre-kid
that was pre-marriage
guess it would qualify as a road trip with my girlfriend the woman that is now my wife
maybe we should check into taking a road trip with the boys for Bike New York
that is... if there is no conflict with Lodi Farms

hmmm....
when is Lodi Farms this year?
when is Bike New York this year?

I would love to get a shot at doing the canal in a day...
an objective that actually takes more than a day
much much more than a day if you factor in recovery

I wonder if WABA is going to try and host BIKE DC this year?

what was that PIN again?

note to self... boundless yoga

note to self
check out boundless yoga

ran into a friend who is now instructing there
boundless yoga

jeff formerly of waba

jeff formerly of waba

DAM SPAMBOTS!

dam spambots!

I know that it was either a SPAMBOT or a member of the FATMARC staff

I find it hard to believe that FATMARC would have the time for the flavor of GWADZILLA

FATMARC INC.

ride it and slide it... a tad slick at rosaryville yesterday

started this yesterday
but did not get it finished
let me see if I had anything worth saying
better yet let me finish what I was going to say

went to rosaryville today
considered Schaffer Farms... but saw online that Schaffer Farms is Closed for the Winter!
good thing I did not make the drive all the way out to Germantown to find a closed gate
would not want to find myself stuck in that moral dilemma

made some calls last night and some more calls this morning
nobody was buying into the excitement I had to offer

I was selling things as they are
a guy looking to ride a guy fighting a cold a guy who has been off the bike for a few months now a guy not looking to push things too hard a guy who might cough on you in the car ride to the trails
sounds like a hell of an offer
it shocks me that nobody bought my pitch

no takers on the ride with a sick guy ride
so I coughed it out to the trails alone
nearly caved to the cough and the running nose
but I knew that it all feels better once I am on the bike
with the boys at a sleep over at my mother's/their grandmother's along with a signed permission slip from my wife I had no real excuse not to ride
so I decided that I would head out to Rosaryville

the day started slowly
with no kids swarming around the bed we each stole a few extra winks
once out of bed we lounged about and drank coffee
lisa read the paper as I dazed blankly into nothingness
then when lisa went to walk our black dog brutus
I left out to go riding

the morning was starting to blend into afternoon
arrived at the trails at lunchtime with nothing in my belly but a can of red bull
there was some gatorade in the waterbottle cage that I purchased at the gas station before pulling into the state park
other than that I was running on the fuel that was my midnight snack

to my surprise the lot was not full
there were some cars, but far from full
I have yet to find the lot full at rosaryville
in my limited approaches to rosaryville I have always expected this place to be more crowded

in the parking lot I tried to guess at my gear
went with the notion that it is best to be a tad chilly when standing around in the parking lot
as things will certainly warm up once I start moving
I stepped over the monkey accepting things as they are
did a circle on the pavement to get the feel of this unfamiliar ride then dipped into the woods knowing that the braking does not reflect the technology of the day

sure enough things were slick
not sloppy.... but definitely slick
slick is a skill... not being slick but riding slick trails
it was clear that this day was going to be a lesson in riding slick
memories of Lodi Farms in years past dashed through my brain
early on I was reminded that braking was to be done before the turns or before the obstacles
no time for the panic stop
nothing good comes from locking up the brakes on a slippery corner
had to focus on riding it and sliding it

was not on the stop watch
did not mark my start time
was not so focused on my finish time
was just out riding my bike in the woods
the trails got to be more dry as I got further into the woods
then they got dry and then they got slick again
it was a good mix that always demanded focus

I slowed and stopped to move a fallen tree so that the obstacle was on the straight away rather than the turn
I am confident that the tree will be removed but made if more ridable until it gets zipped by the chainsaw
these trails are pretty obstacle free
it is a very flowy set of trails
the only true obstacles are the tight turns and the limits of the human body
making this log perpendicular to the trial facilitated the flow

Rosaryville is not a frequent destination for my riding
the unfamiliar can be a pleasure
the lay out of these trails is pretty sweet
they managed to develop a deceptively hard 9.9 mile loop
a great cardio workout on the mountain bike

as I was 3/4 of the way through the first loop I was starting to wonder when I was going find myself at the parking lot
I was starting to experience the deceptiveness that I just mentioned

once back at the parking lot I chatted up a father/son back from one loop
dad had enough slipping and sliding
but junior had just enough time for one more loop
I lead for the first half of the reverse loop
pretty much taking it easy
making small talk as we worked our way through the woods

this kid is a freshman at boulder
so we talked about things in boulder,colorado

after making a wrong turn off the main loop we returned to the main trail and I let the kid lead
it could have been my cold it could have been my lack of riding it could have been my being on a rigid single speed versus his being on a geared double banger who knows it could have been my being forty and his being 18 or it could have been my weighing more than a hundred pounds more than him
no matter what excuse
the result is the same
the kid picked up the pace

less chatter more pedal
maybe the kid was sick of my Q&A

we each worked the ride and the slide
me sliding more than him
trying not to sketch

the kid set a solid pace
I rode on his tail for most of the loop until he dropped in on a little dippiditydo
not as focused as I should have been I dropped in off trail
not expecting the rapid drop in vertical I was shocked when I picked up speed and saw myself headed towards a hundred year old tree
luckily I managed to crash into a several year old sapling rather than the old hardwood
from that point on I followed with a greater distance

we worked the rest of the trail at a the same pace
each of us finding ourselves getting squirrelly on the super slick and finding one or two short steeps unsurmountable
we each rode the dry stuff fast enjoying the chance to let the wheels spin rather than slide

back at the parking lot there was a shake of hands and a see ya on the trail

I left feeling good
the stiffness in my shoulders and the soreness in my wrists was a good reflection of my efforts
the legs and lungs felt the efforts of the day as well
the bike was put on the roof just as the clouds let loose with some rain that had been threatening to drop down during our ride

got home before the family returned from their day

IMBA:Rosaryville case study
MORE: Rosaryville description and directions

funny....

it is funny
when I was a kid my dad would make comparisons with the present day to when he was a child
he would tell me how much it cost to go to the movies or how much a gallon of gasoline cost or what you could buy for a penny
then he would see our Electronic Battleship game game and tell us he played the same game with a basic number two pencil and some graph paper when he was a child
the comparisons were never ending

now... here I am
I am a father and I am making similar such comparisons
when I was a child I recall that pennies still amounted to something
a gallon of gas was under a dollar and its climb in a several cents was monumental
a hamburger at McDonalds was twenty-five cents
while the four cent jump to a cheese burger was more than I could justify

it is funny...
electronic battleship is still electronic battleship
but there are many things that have changed
computer technology and all that dances with it would have to be the most significant change in society
while we were spellbound by Pong and then the basic Atari console
things have moved to a near holographic images
the one dimensional games have become so real that actual living can pale in comparison
the comparisons are never ending

there is no real point
just a lame observation
just as lame as so many of my daily observations

adjusting the pack in adams morgan

on my way into work this morning with the camera slung around my neck I stalled to snap some shots of a fellow commuter who had stalled to adjust her backpack out front of the Safeway in Adams Morgan

I gave her my quick spiel about my bicycle blog then snapped a few shots

she like most people will forget the the gwadzilla.blogspot link by the time she arrives in front of a computer

Urban Velo #5

Urban Velo #5 is ready for download!
URBAN VELO BLOG

on bike radar

interview with Chris Eatough
on bike radar

as a parent...

as a parent...

as a parent you never stop worrying about your children
as a parent you feel great empathy for the tragedy of another family

story in australia

SURLY

rode the surly karate monkey today
not the monkey built up with front shock and a full range of gears
the monkey that is rigid and single
sure there is the jamis exile single 29er in the quiver
but today I wanted to rock the rigid fork

surly bikes

the monkey is a fantastic single speed
while the monkey is not much of a geared bike
something about that geometry works as a single speed

turns out I wanted more than the rigid fork
I wanted to ride the monkey

the monkey rode well
things were a little loose
not so well adjusted
but well enough
there is something organic about braking that is far from perfect
and asl long as the chain is not skipping... it is just fine

the monkey made me smile from the first rotation of the cranks to the last
literally smile... well... inside

ironically... I have been meaning to put the rigid fork that came on the Jamsi Exile on the Surly Karate Monkey
cause the fork on the Monkey is a beast!

bowie

out of the shower
up from a nap
back from riding

the boys are watching Star Wars V I think the one with Yoda
lisa is cooling dinner I think she is cooking lasagna

listening some tracks from David Bowie Heathen
those three covers are spectacular
Bowie is cool

David Bowie may be cooler than Sting
that is pretty cool
argue it
tell me Sting is not cool
you may not be able to

TEXTING KILLS!

TEXTING KILLS!

simple and plain
TEXTING WHILE DRIVING SHOULD BE CONSIDERED RECKLESS DRIVING

Teen Killed in Boston Area by Texting Asshole!

DC METRO BUSES NEED TO PUT THEMSELVES IN CHECK
in 2007 a DC Metro Bus ran down two pedestrians
video
sentencing

I do not know them
yet I cry at the senselessness of these deaths

as a pedestrian, as a cyclist, as a father, as a human being
I tell you
people need to get a clue about the notion of CAUSE AND EFFECT
they need to balance to potential losses to the potential gains

why do I get angry and cuss at the car drivers around me?
because of their senseless actions
because of their lack of respect for the lives of others
because people are more concerned with shortening their commute by five minute than by giving people their right to life

I have never had any love for the drivers of the DC Metro buses
the way they bully their way around the city streets is a nusance

It has been a decade since the senseless death of Judy Flannery
death of Judy Flannery
another death where the sentence did not fit the crime
yes... Judy was quite the soccer mom
she was the wife of my soccer coach of roughly six years when I was in grade school
she was a family friend
she was a friend to everyone she met
she left behind her a husband and children

ATOMIC MUSIC: Blow Out Sale!

Atomic Music in Beltsville is having a Blow Out Sale!

Atomic Music Myspace

Atomic Music has the business model for a guitar shop that someone should develop for a bicycle shop
minus the purchase of used bikes
buying used bikes for anything but a trade in can be a negative conribution to the thieving community

if I played guitar I would go buy a guitar from Atomic!
hold on... I do not play guitar and I did buy a guitar at Atomic!

not even cousins

the crank brothers are not brothers
it is just an inside joke between two friends Carl and Frank
crank brothers

where is everybody going?

where is everybody going?

Shame as an effort to change behavior

NY Times article on the use of Hello Kitty armbands to shame Thai Police
unrelated Hello Kitty targets young men as next market; AP on Yahoo News

Changing Behavior...
in our world of misbehavior there is the question of what changes behavior?

what changes behavior?
do our laws change behavior?
does the threat of punishment change behavior?

is there more or less killing due to the death penalty in our society?

what can be done to change behavior?

in the world of traffic it is clear that the traffic ticket does not change behavior
people get the ticket then speed away
people may get angry if they get a parking ticket... yet they park illegally again (and again.... and again)

sure traffic cameras get people to slow down in the area where they know that these cameras exist
but this does not really change behavior except for this short stretch of road

what can be done?
what should be done?

Public Shaming?

shaming has been used in the states for drunk driving and for shop lifters in some parts of the country
maybe we could implement some sort of shaming to the scoff law drivers

a bumper sticker may not be enough
maybe there could be a light that goes on the roof of the car like those used by pizza delivery guys
red light runners/speeders/those that refuse to yield to pedestrians
when caught in addition to the monetary penalty there could be the mandatory roof light on their car
the light would warn surrounding drivers as well as pedestrians of this driver's irresponsible driving practices

maybe the shame would change the behavior
clearly people love their cars
but their cool car would not look so cool with this light strapped to the roof

or the armband concept...
imagine people getting to pin the armbands on strangers
things could read
I DROVE LIKE AN ASSHOLE TO WORK TODAY
or
I DON"T RESPECT OTHERS ON THE ROAD
or whatever
it would be great to see your boss come into the office with an armband... another armband... oh the disgrace
everyone wants to consider themselves a positive contribution to society

Dragon Bike!

The DRAGON BIKE
as see on GIZMODO.com

some blurry photos in the low light of the afternoon

some blurry photos in the low light of the afternoon

Event at Patapsco this Sunday

there is an event this Sunday at Patapsco...

although I am not going to be in attendance

I do think that I need to spend some time on the bike in the woods this winter

HolidayDiet! Patapsco Mountain Bike Ride/Race/Event

The Power and the Passion

The Power and the Passion

Peter Garrett of Midnight Oil is in the news

ideo on YouTube: The Power and the Passion
a much better tune then Beds are Burning

*as a teen I looked at Peter Garrett and thought... that guy is playing it right
no comb over
no hair piece

at that time I had no idea that genetics would take my "head style" in that direction

SHAKE YOUR ASS!

SHAKE YOUR ASS!
(bollywood style)

the world's most beautiful woman?
(on 60 Minutes)

cargo bike from india

the anti-single speed

the anti-single speed
the infinitely geared bike

in Popular Science
www.ellsworthbikes.com

if you have some time on your hands...

.

YouTube: What Song is this?

freaky!
real freaky!

.

the daydream continues...

the daydream continues...

the daydream continues

the daydreams always continue
this daydream of the rogue trail maintenance/repair/rehabilitation film project continued today
that same daydream I posted about yesterday
it was the same daydream only this time I was not alone with my dog
this time robert redford was on the hike with me
well... on the hike within the daydream

we walked the trails and the naturalist in robert redford could appreciate the woodedness of it all
no... it is not Sun Valley or outskirts of Park City
but it is beautiful for what it is
it was clear that robert redford could appreciate the beauty of this hardwood forest so close to the Nation's Capital

redford took these short dramatic pauses to soak it all in
during these pauses I took in redford's handsomeness
it was as if each pause was a photo opportunity
robert and I talked
I fought rambling and tried to be short and to the point
there was some Q&A
there was wisdom in roberts understanding of the situation
mr. redford had me in the hotseat
what I thought was an easy sale turned into difficult debate
it was not so much of a task of devil's advocate
but more redford's need to know why

why do these efforts need to be made?
why this... why here... why now
?

there was some discussion of how things may have been and how things may became
issues of sustainability were discussed
as well as the natural state of this national park
things did not get into the specfics of the economic state of the national park service or even the vision/concern of the park service
or lack of vision/concern on the part of the national park service
there just was not enough time to discuss it all

the daydream with robert redford drifted in and out
during some periods there were fantasies where I saw the trail at me feet as it could be
the trail as it could be after some of these rogue trail repairs were done
fertile soil, indigenous plants, and respectful landscape architechure of this enviroment in its assisted yet still very natural state
which may mean sparse planting of one type of fern rather than a dense patch of another ferns as things may appear in a different ecosystem
not the planting of a pine forrest, but a single solitary pine tree as they exist in such an eco system

my mind wandered across the street
there is a crescent loop that is heavily traveled
runners, dog walkers, and who knows what else
oh... if those trails could talk
the tales those trails would tell
there are far less frequent gatherings of el baracho happy hours at sunset
nor is it as common to find crack hoes on the clock earning it the old fashion way
no... these things are less common in the current state of the neighborhood
the dog walking and the trail running has cleaned up the trails in some respects
but the terrain is in disrepair

the crescent trail behind Ingleside terrace is a wasteland
a redish clay piece of earth that is more pebbles than soil
and more road than singletrack
more landfill than national park
broken glass is revealed under the rapidly eroding soil

yes... my mind wandered to this stretch of land
where the difficult effort would be the delivery of earth
lots of earth
this daydream carries that idea of marking the path of the pedestrian with a light brown singletrack trail made of a sandy soil that would pack down nice, not turn muddy when wet, and would not provide good earth for growth
in contrast the singletrack trail would be flanked by deep dark fertil soil
soil filled with the potential of capturing the falling seeds of the old grown trees that will soon fall and will need to be replaced

yes... it would take a great volume of earth
if this were to be a night stealth mission how would the crews get in the earth?
there would have to be multiple soil drops
drops at each trailhead
as it is the trailheads that need the most repair
it would be a quest of connect the trailheads

in my mind I could see the various entrances
the heavily rutted paths that act not only as foot paths but as streambeds to the run off from the surrounding neighborhood of Mount Pleasant on rainy days
these areas alone could demand a great deal of earth
earth to fill the void and earth to fortify things so that the water that feeds into the woods could be controled better instead of just becoming the river wild

in these fantasies I battle between having a large quantity of volunteers with backpacks filled with earth
quickly marching in and depositing the soil where it belongs
then marching out only to return many more times with much more soil
then I fall back on the dump trucks making quick and quiet drops at the various trailheads

the daydreams continue
the detail in the daydream is as vivid as the trail at my feet

my mind leaves the project across the street and returns to the informal meeting with Robert Redford that has me back pedaling a bit
breaking a sweat for what I had felt was going to be a free walk into the endzone

the daydream is cut short as the hike is cut short
some of the time in the woods is spent doing some trail repair
a thin fallen tree can make for a good catch for the run off
I move the tree to a position where it can assist the trail as it continues its life cycle
the tree can fortify the ridge line as it decomposes into earth

although the weather is better than the day prior
I take the dog out for a shorter walk
something closer to the standard walk
my legs are tired and I have not been home yet from work
after work I managed to sneak in a slow but steady hour twenty five on the bike
no particular ambition on the bike
just rode around town

was not getting some intense that there is any real story to tell
not sure if I cussed at any more than two car drivers

felt good about the being on the bike
even if my fitness is low

sleepy sleepy sleepy... or maybe a tad hung over

still in the holiday spirit...

stayed up late at a friend's house warming the body with some jim beam black
while warming the soul with some pleasant conversation

like a fool I ate a foot long sub before going to bed
I can cave so easily to the midnight cravings
it was good... but it was not needed
christmas has passed... there is no need to stuff myself so that i can fill the santa suit

wars are won with little battles
I am losing each battle in this battle of the bulge
I fear that the losses taste better than the victories
which may be part of my issue

this morning I was moving slow out of the gate
had to fulfill a promise I had made the night prior but was too lazy in the evening wished like a fool that the kids would forget by morning

forget?
those little monkeys have memories like elephants
sure enough... dean and grant sprang to an awakened state and rushed for the toy room
only to find that the Mario 64 was not set up
I had promised to set up the Mario 64
I had not promised that it would be set up.... I promised I would set it up
had I set things up... I would have earned an extra half hour of sleep
night guy screws morning guy again

so... before drinking my morning coffee I had to pull down the Mario 64 and set up the Mario game
then brushed my teeth among other morning bathroom objectives
did not bother combing my hairs
bed head is not an issue... but my beard could use some grooming
poured some coffee and took brutus out for a walk
there was no grooming of my beard

back from a morning hike and running late I rushed out the back door
with the camera dangling around my neck I felt like I had forgotten something
mental check...
clothing for the day in my backpack
blackberry and phone with wallet in my backpack
backpack on my back
helmet on my head
camera with blank SD card around my neck
SHIT! the battery is in the charger on the wall in the basement

by the time the squirrels were spinning enough to develop this thought I was nearly a mile from home
knowing I was already a few seconds slow out of the gate I did not loop back to get the battery
instead I just rolled down the road with a useless camera dangling around my neck
like a joker with a gun in a holster with no bullets

at the unseen line where Mount Pleasant becomes Adams Morgan I see Libbey and Chris stalled at the light on their way to work
there I am... caught virtually camera-less
I have the camera around my neck without a battery
there is no way to get the shot
this would be a nice shot

Libbey, Chris, and I all catch up
Libbey and Chris do not have all that much catching up to do with each other
as they are wife and husband
so I catch up with Libbey and Chris

we talk about the weather and the appropriate gear
there is talk about trying to ride through the winter; where, what, when, and how
then we catch up about Christmas and the gifts that the kids got
all the while Chris is trying to get his handlebar mounted camera working

as expected we dip into Malcolm X Park to fly down the stairs
this is part of their approach into work each day

I let Libbey lead and Chris follows closely with the camera rolling
or is the camera rolling
later I find out the camera was not powering up

we slam down each set of terraced stairs
everyone a little more awake then before entering Malcolm X Park
we continue our conversation as we meander down 14th Street towards downtown
at Thomas Circle I take the turn for Rhode Island while Chris and Libbey continue down 14th Street

not much of a story
but I am sticking to it

it was a short commute
I was over dressed
but... I have the gear for the weather if things turn sour by the time I slide down the dinosaur

those shots were snagged off various Gwadzilla Archives

blogs around me?

blogs around me?
there are other bloggers?
somehow I thought I was the only one

saw this at the the Walking Wounded blog
but apparently he is getting better as he now blogs as Mended Meanderer

rain day here in dc...

rainy day here in dc
sure I have the gear to ride in it
send that weather my way
I have the gear for all sorts of weather
it is not lack of gear it is that I lack the desire

can you send some desire along with the weather?
I could certainly use the desire more than I need the weather!

rode into work and things were looking pretty sweet
not too cold and not too wet
damp, but not wet
considered some dirt after work
dressed for things not too cold and not too wet
but covered for cool and damp
by the time I slide out of work things were very wet and quite cold
my gear setting was on not too cold and not too wet
I was under geared
beyond that I did not have the desire
definitely have been lacking the desire lately

I caved quickly to the rational that I am more likely to lose than gain by riding
odds of getting sick vs. the actual gain in fitness or something to that effect
I rode on Saturday in this sort of very wet and very cold dc winter thing
even with the proper gear it is a cold and wet experience
so I took it straight home
once home I jumped into some very comfy clothes... dry clothes
only to realize that I would have go back out into the rain to walk the dog

the house was filled with some holiday madness
lisa home from work
both dean and grant home from school
the day after christmas you know

dean and grant were playing with new christmas toys with a kid from down the block while lisa buzzed around doing something
she was putting something away or getting something out
having got off work early I figured I would use my time wisely
before I could rest my head on the couch for a short nap I noticed some figures coming up the stairs
it was my inlaws in town from pittsburgh
after some hellos and holiday greetings I helped people settle then I decided to take the dog out for a walk sooner rather than later as I still had some afternoon light

took brutus for a little more than the usual across the street loop in the woods of Rock Creek Park
longer walk than usual yet not long enough to constitute a hike
just a short walk in the rain
gortex upper body was good
but the rest of me could have used some rain appropriate gear
my jeans and baseball cap were pretty damp by the time I got back inside with the dog
but not so bad that I have done anything more than remove the hat since that hike
the pants are not so bad
or maybe I am just lazy

while on my hike I did my usual daydreaming
daydreaming can be like conversations to myself
the christmas season had me thinking of how multching the christmas trees could be used to restore some of the woods
areas that have large gulleys could be filled in with the christmas tree multch then covered with fertile soil and the seeds of some indigenous plants
I thought to myself about the volume of the rain as I watched how the roads drained into the woods
and how the woods coped with this flow of water
the rain was light so the volume reflected that
but it does not take much more volume for the streets to funnel enough water to turn that trickle into a river
I looked at the damage that had been done recently by a not so impressive rain

the surroundings guide my thoughts
the dreams mix with my reality as much of my focus is on going up and over obstacles
or keeping my footing on slick roots or slippery mud
the daydreams travel from the thoughts of basic grunts moving earth to a landscape architect redesigning things in a more sustainable yet still natural fashion
each daydream can grow and change to any direction I choose
I am the protagonist
if I want to be famous and sitting on the sofa across from david letterman
it is my daydream
and heck yea...
I will do it
been there before
will be there again!

on this day as I walked brutus in the rain I daydreamed about a film project
a film project with a reality eco terrorist environmentalist slant to it
something that could get the funding of someone like robert redford
it is a fantasy of the filming of some serious rogue trail maintenance
on this short loop I saw an unneccesarily steep route ahead of me
on my approach I looked at the path and the hill around it
the trees and the exposed roots
the straight path that would make so much more sense to meander
the hill in the distance was soon under my feet
as I walked up the steep straight heavily eroding path I thought of how the volunteer crew of energic characters could sneak into the woods at dark
with film crew around them shooting things in a Blair Witch Project sort of way
the fast moving crew unloading earth and stone at the top and at the bottom
approaching to execute a well thought out plan
no time for talk... only time for action
working in stealth mode with the speed and efficiency of mission impossible
stressing the stealth nature of things knowing that the fantasy does not go as far as having the powers of jason bourne
placing rock and stone in a naturally slow serpentine loop using and breaking away from the steep trail
filling in the trail and placing indigenous plants
guiding the trail users to be forced to learn to use the switchback
rather than take the steep slippery path that is eroding so fast

by the time I have summited this short thirty yard hill I have witness the vision of the landscape architect move from the paper sketch drawing onto the television screen on bravo to the real world then back to its reality of needing some sort of attention

the daydream shifts
maybe to me getting awards or me getting arrested
so I am getting for not paying the workers
then getting off on the loophole that the people were not in fact workers... but actors
actors who had agreed to play these roles on a volunteer basis
other parts of the trail get make overs too
the whole city becomes one of those before and after shows that we all love so much

the daydream ends
the daydream could have carried on in all sorts of directions
there could have been continued filming
fly on the wall sort of stuff
checking to see what sort of response the trail repairs are getting
learning what other think about such efforts
there are so many directions to the daydream

the public service announcement is always a popular daydream
one daydream I have revisited is a spoof on that classic no littering campaign
that classic campaign with the American Indian with the canoe, the tear drop, and the liter at his feet
my PSA is a little different... I star as the main character
I am at different points around washington dc on my bicycle, in the woodsof Rock Creek Park with my dog. and roaming the streets of dc in my business casual
witnessing not just people littering
but witnessing people being people

people who are usually idiots or assholes

this post like so many was tossed together as I was pulled in all sorts of directions
there were battles with remote control helicopters and there was pizza from vace
another effort to nap on the couch
and the caving in to the younger boy with the Pokemon movie
which is fine...
he is tired
and his focus on the dvd will free up the others for their game of Superhero Monopoly with Dean
as for me... once again I am stuck without the desire
just as I lost my desire to ride
I am without the desire to edit
at least I had the desire to walk in the rain and daydream

Crying Indian PSA for Keep America Beautiful
a claim that the Crying Indian Iron Eyes Cody is not really a descendent of native american blood
Wiki Page say it ain't so... please
say it ain't so

(I seem to recall Iron Eyes Cody claiming that it was not in fact a tear drop but a drop of glycerin something about an indian not crying)

two things about Neil Young most people do not know...

two little know facts about Neil Young...

Neil Young was in a band in the '60's with Rick James called the Mynah Birds

and

Neil Young is part owner of Lionel Trains

Wiki The Mynah Birds
Wiki Lionel Trains


neil young news blog
old neil young news blog

looks like my camera needs some more coffee...

it looks like my camera needs its morning coffee
it lacks the snap it needs to capture such a moment

I know that the large cup I had has hardly brought me out of the state of slumber

snapped a few shots on the vacant city streets as I rolled in for what may be one of several "holiday lull" days

for some reason...

for some reason this depiction of tina fey reminds me of my sister

no... I do not know tina fey
but then again
I do not know my sister that well either
so... I could be way off
then again... I could be right on!

sister strikes again!

my sister strikes again!

it seems my sister has her pulse on what is cool
each time my sisters sends my kids a gift
that gift is right on

cool with the parents
cool with the kids

I have not yet seen Nacho Libre the movie
the site the these mask cape combos was purchase has some very cool stuff
www.corazonfairtrade.com

and yes... they have masks for adults
not mask cape combos
but some pretty cool masks
yes... I will be ordering some stuff from this site

free rice... word game... a challenge of IQs

free rice

free rice is a word game
free rice is a challenge of IQs
free rice is good for the people

www.freerice.com

the season is almost over...

christmas is almost over
all went well

great getting together with the family
great watching the boys experience all that is grand about christmas

Happy Holiday!

but officer... I was only going One Way!

I have not ridden this route...

I have not ridden this route
but Nikolas Schiller shared it with me just the same

the "penis route" on the National Mall

although it is not a direct route around town
it is certainly very erect!
seems like a good route
the type of route that some will ride over and over again

me... I will take my own route
as the penis route does not appeal to my tastes
but Nikolas... thanks for sharing!