Another summer day

A great day, although it was getting a little steamy even as I rode to work this morning about 7:15. The lake was very smooth and the sun very bright. For the second time in about a week I saw a water skier out there on the calm surface - now that's the way to do it! It will be even warmer riding tomorrow and the next day, but I always wear all of my gear - though it gets a little sweaty. I guess that two accidents will do that to a person - a totaled bike in one with a night in the hospital and a broken ankle in the other.

I haven't written about the beloved Cubbies to date, but they are pulling at our hearts - seem to be winning in every imaginable way - and Pinella is a big reason for their success. Hope they end the streak at 99 years. I have been a fan since 1957 - the days of Ernie and Walt Moryn, Lee Walls, Randy Jackson, Sammy Taylor, Glen Hobbie, Moe Drabowsky, Dick Drott, Bill Henry, and a few others. Not too many familiar names there. The Phillies are in town - there was a game for the ages with them in the late 70's - when Kingman and Schmidt played - the think that the final score was 23-22 Phillies, and the wind was blowing out.

I guess that the definition of an eternal optimist is being a Cubs fan.

Take care.

What the future may bring

Just remembered an interesting tidbit to my motorcycle trip. when I was taking off my rain gear at a Shell station in mid Illinois, a voice asked me where the rain was. I turned around and it was another cyclist gassing up at the pump. I didn't notice her when I drove up. I told her about the rain as she was heading to MO, and she thanked me.

She was about five foot tall and almost as wide and I looked over at her bike. It was a three wheeler, loaded down. She was from Florida and had been up in WI for a rally and now was heading for Oklahoma for another one. I asked her if she was seeing family, and she said no, just going to the rallies. She had to be in her early 70's. I hope that I am still out riding at that age, and maybe still on a two wheeler. But I see a three wheeler in my future.

And just to add some spice to life, I haven't seen so many debates so far before the primary season in my life. I missed the one hosted by U Tube but saw the reports - now that's the kind they should have. The Dems are coming to Chitown in a few weeks for a debate at Soldier Field - I think the AFL-CIO are hosting this one. Wonder if I can get in if I wear my Local 212 Teachers t-shirt?

I wonder if anyone really is listening. This is just too early. Haven't heard about any Repub debates but they are pretty much w/o hope if the Dems stick together behind their candidate.

And getting to my favorite Bush (not) - he still is trying to rewrite history - Al Quida and Iraq.

That's about it for today.

A little variety

Has another great ride this morning along the lake - the sun was reflecting brightly of the water and the lake was relatively smooth - another cool morning. Planning a ride to Lake Geneva on Sunday and it will be hot, but not as hot and humid as Arkansas was.

As political a person as I am, I think the campaign is starting way too early, and what do we have - 20 candidates - unbelievable. Of course several will be out of money by the time of the Iowa caucuses. And then we may also have Fred Thompson and Bloomberg in the race. I think that this is really driven by the internet and all of the 24 hour news stations. However it may have some benefit of getting issues discussed much earlier and in more detail that would otherwise be.

Being a liberal - there is only one person in the Republican camp who has any interest, and that is Guliani. He's too liberal on social issues to get the nomination, but he would run a good race. Do you remember him on Sat Nite Live many years ago in drag? Very funny. I used to like McCain but his stand on the war is too bush-like. I guess his funds are drying up. T. Thompson is a joke - when he was appointed to the bush cabinet the folks in WI were saying that the only reason he was appointed is because bush wanted someone dumber than him on his staff.

The Democrats have to have the nominee left standing - not totally battered by the primaries. This is a hard one - Hillary and Barack are the strongest, but each have some skeletons. It's awfully early for Bill to be out in force. They must be worried.

I'm thinking of the ticket with both of them on it. Women and African Americans should like it, but other minorities may not be too excited, and the south is probably lost again. I wonder if either would settle for VP?

Blumberg is another interesting case - supposedly won't pull a Perot and would drop out before splitting the election. Newsweek has him as a possible Dem VP candidate. And all of his money. The rich are too rich, but then that is another thought.

Last thought for today. Anyone seen Sicko yet? My friends that have really like it although they realize that Michael really slants his material. One friend, a doc, said that she thinks that she should move to England or France to practice. Not to say it isn't true, but could be mitigated by other factors. Oh well, that's someone else's movie. Hope to see it soon.

The health care system needs a huge overhaul - who will attempt to take on the insurance companies? With 25% of Americans with no insurance and 25% underinsured, we have a shameful situation.

Got to get going. Take care.

Riding

An absolutely beautiful morning in Chicago - I don't know how it could be any better. Temp about 66 - clear blue skies with a few clouds along the horizon over the lake. A soft cool breeze. Riding along Lake Shore Drive was almost heavenly. Relatively light traffic - no horns honking.

The lake had small waves with tiny whitecaps as they hit the sand. The sun glimmered off the water at about 7:30 am. Mayor Daley's flowers proudly waved as I drove along - each stretch of road had a different color - beautiful yellow, reds and some blue. Grant Park was fresh and clean after the end of The Taste. The white masts of the sailboats in Monroe harbour were quietly marching along in place. The Field Museum stands proudly at the end of Grant Park with its banner telling all of its current exhibits.

After heading around the curve and heading south, it was a comfort to be going that way instead of north as that side of the Drive was backing up severely. Oh, to when the Ryan project is completed. As I continued south I could see the tips of the smokestack towers in Indiana and the workers who are always in a section of the median, trimming, weeding, and replanting.

Very peaceful all the way to Hyde Park as I let the Type A's speed by in the left lane while I toodled along in the middle. The man selling bananas and apples was there in from of the Museum of Science and Industry with his green safety vest on this morning. Some day I need to stop in the small median there and make a purchase for the staff.

Anyway, all at peace with the world this minute. Too bad this feeling can't be shared with everyone, everywhere.

Take care.

A Great Trip!

Just came back from my (almost) annual cycle trip with my son last Saturday. We hadn't gone for a few years due to my lack of a bike, but I bought a 2003 Kawasaki Vulcan 750 last year and so we decided to visit Arkansas this year.



We went from 6/23 to 6/30 so it would be a little cooler than our other possible date (early August) - wow - it was 90+ most days (except in the "mountains") and rainy and/or very humid. But it was still fun.



Drove 400 miles in the rain on the 23rd going from Chitown to extreme southern Illinois. Had to stop a few times when it was pouring and got totally soaked - found out that the waterproofing on my jacket was long gone and my rain boots ripped. My rain pants worked fine - the only part that remained dry. Had "water proof" covers for my saddle bags and sissy bar bag and found out that the saddle bags could have used trash bag liners - next year! In six previous trips we had never hit rain anything like this!



On Sunday we cut through MO to Arkansas. Stopped by the Stars & Stripes museum and the new MO Veterans cemetary for a little bit. Went over about 15 miles of milled highway, which is always fun. Also saw miles of rice fields. We camped at Ft. Davidson State Park on Sunday and went canoeing on the Black River on Monday. The camp was pristine and not full. The folks were nice and we explored around a little also - saw the plat for the original Ft. Davidson.


This area of Arkansas, NW, seems particularly poor. Housing not very good, so many storage lockers I was wondering if folks are living in them. Started to see horses on almost every farm - everyone must ride! Saw herds of cows standing, sitting, and doing both - Jeff''s wife says that sitting cows predict rain - we had rain, but not too hard. As we got over to the middle of the state in the Ozarks area, things started to look better. Nicer homes, not so many storage buildings, still many horses (and a few Shetland ponies and mules) - I think the tourism business is better here in the Mountain Home area.

Stayed at the Buffalo River National Park on Monday and Tuesday nights. A pretty place and it was nice to stay in one place for two nights - I'm not as young as I used to be. On Wed morning there was just a light sprinkle as we are breakfast and I tempted Mother Nature by saying that this wasn't too bad. Then the heavens opened up and we and our gear got drenched. But we started out and it finally stopped raining. We made it to Mount Magazine, the highest point in Ark., almost 2800 feet high!

Again a beautiful ride and a nice campsite. They warned us about bears, but all we saw was deer, and learned what sounds deer make - very peculiar - never heard it before. They have special waste containers there that were supposedly "bear proof", but we were told that some bears had already figured them out.

Then the next day took Arkansas Route 7 most of the way to MO. On the map 7 is marked as a scenic route, which really means lots of ups and downs and curves with mostly double yellows on the road. No passing anywhere! It took a long time on these scenic highways, although it was very beautiful and enjoyable.

While our speedometers said about 55, I think that we were really going about 50, with everyone in the world passing us by. This was the hottest day of the trip and we were just dripping. Beautiful country though.

We got back to Missouri on Thursday and camped at Tam Sauk park. Not much going on there. Then we headed up 44 on Friday to get to Eureka, which would be our last stop together. Then on Sat I would head up to Chicago and Jeff back to Jeff City.

On Sat I stopped at a little town on 51 for gas and a late breakfast and discovered it was Hank Williams home town - nothing too memorable, but the cafe was a fun place.

I finally sped up a little on Saturday as, on the way back, we had been staying to 60 or 65 mph on our speedometers. There were not many people on the highway so I sped up to the flow of traffic, which was about 80 mph - othersise it would have taken forever to reach Chicago. Finally got back into the Windy City in time to help with the condo garden and get cleaned up for a party. Over 1700 miles in 7 1/2 days.

What a week. What a day. What fun.

Take care.