Improving your wood, one plank at a time!

July 11, 2014

Many of us here in the land of Omaha have recently experienced something that those in the land of Chief Seattle might reefer to as “liquid sunshine.”  If you would care to peruse some data, here is a link that illustrates the rainfall quantities we’ve recently (en)joy/dur(ed).  http://average-rainfall.findthebest.com/l/152/Omaha-Nebraska What this all means to me is this –

 

Mudflood!

that’s right, my Da and I were not able to easily or cleanly ride around the Bluffs of the Council at our whim.  After shaking my fist and booty angrily towards the heavens we were relegated to an out and back expedition on the Wabash Trace Trail.  Here is what we found.

 

These bicyclers are actually regular-sized, those tree leaves are just really big!  Whoa!  And yes, I believe that is a Sun Cycles EZ Tandem

More signage = more money to...

….

…remove old, dilapidated bridge planks and...

…replace with beautiful new wood...

…and provide more suitable habitat for snakes to safely sun.

What else is happening?  Well, I am glad to hear that Carlos Morales is still working with the government of the erstwhile capital of the land of Omaha, also known as the City of Omaha.  In fact if you attend the Mode Shift Omaha meeting on July 23, 2014 at UNO’s Weitz Community Engagement Center - 6001 Dodge Street (Rm 201)  you will have a chance to hear from Mr. Morales and perhaps to talk with him.  I am somewhat curious to see how his role may have changed based on the ascendency of our new queen of Omaha who seemed less than subtly unconcerned about advancing our bicyclers’ agenda.  Unlike many politicos, I am not shy about describing my agenda.  And as usual, I believe that I type for a slight majority of bicyclers in the western part of the Papio-Missouri watershed.  So here it is –

1.     Bicyclers shall be a protected species similar, yet not as agile as our totem, the swamp jaguar.  Penalties for infringing upon our habitat (i.e., multi-use trails, sides of roads, portions of intersections, etc.) will be enforced by our tribal elders.

2.     Bicyclers shall be allowed to leave work early once a week in order to participate in a bicycling event of their choosing.  They will gladly make up the time that they miss tomorrow.  Their make up time will consist almost entirely of talking about their sweet bicycling event with a coworker who may or may not be unwillingly picturing their coworker in spandex bibs…. (and nothing else!) the whole time they are talking.  

3.     Bicyclers will meet up at the local bar tomorrow at 8 to unionize and think of some more agenda components.  

So, beautiful yet aloof and taciturn erstwhile queen of we Omaha-ers, please joint me for a bicycle ride about our fair city tomorrow at 9 to tour about our fair city carefreeily and chat about bicycles and spandex.  I've got a few extra bikes if you need to borrow one.