Bicycle to Earth! Come in!

April 20 13, 2017

Happy 4/20.  I hope your elevation is where you like it.

Every once in a while I am especially grateful for Friday.  Such a day is tomorrow.  Huzzah!  Temperatures are increasing, days are lengthening, and the pollen of spring is inhabiting many nasal passages and/or sinuses.  It all adds up to some tiredness and a sore throat for this traveller.  It also means activity on the multi-use trails is rapidly increasing:

I stopped by the Bike Rack yestereve to enjoy some bike advocacy camaraderie and education.  It was great to see you there and was even attended by my new favorite city councilmember Chris Jerram.  I also like Brinker Harding.  His name sounds funny and I met him while he was standing on a street corner with his family and cheerfully waving at passersby.  He even chatted with me for a moment about my bicycling commuting habits. 

At the Bike Advocacy Bash they had some free food and drinks, even including beer.  I ambled about and received a few updates on the status of various items including the following:

1. West Papio Trail connect - the trail is planned to be connected from near Millard Ave (132nd) and Q to somewheres near 108th and Portal Road (over in the LaVista/Papillion area) by late 2018.  This is along an old railroad grade and they are planning on having an area featuring some good ol' fashioned rail history!  All aboard!
2. Complete Streets Program Manual - this policy is very vague, but it purports to allow for multiple interested parties to have their voices heard when planning specific street improvements. 
3. Hummel Park Trail Map - hiking trails only, but it seems like a neat area to roam.
4. Omaha Bikes (new website + positive bicycling story solicitation happening soon) - Pell Duvall is in charge of this great site these days.  He is enthusiastic and well-spoken.  He seems to be focused on educating drivers and bicyclers on safe co-existance.  
5. DEVO - my best friend Rich was telling me about this great opportunity to get kids off their lazy asses/arses and get out there and pedal!  They may even pull off some sweet rad moves if they stick with it and outlast their innate suckiness.  At least that's what I intend to tell them once I sign up to be a coach.

Here are some exciting photos from the event.

Here's where it all happened!

Mr. Pell Duvall in action!

Let's get inclusive with bike action!

There is also the exciting Pint-A-Gon event sponsored by Nebraska Brewing Co.  coming up on April 22.  So that’s plenty of bicycling fun for you! 

Also plenty of bicycling-related booths at Earth DayOmaha. 

I was also informed that 2 of my favorite artists on the 1998 H.O.R.D.E. festival promotional CD – Gov’t Mule & Galactic will be playing at the local Sumtur Amphitheater on August 18 but that  tickets will be available starting today.  So that is sure to be heavy groovy. 

Every so often it is time to reevaluate the situation.  Who are you?  What am I doing?  Why am I here?  How much is that?  That kind of thing.

We sometimes find ourselves taking a hard look at ourselves and/or the world around us.  Some may become philosophical.  That is fine.  But realize that there are things in the moment that may be much more immediately important. 

We also like to know the answers.  So here are the answers to the aforementioned questions.  You are a creature with divine aspirations.  You are reading.  You like to bicycle.  How much is what?

So that’s that.   Please send me the correct answers at your earliest convenience.

Here is a review of a book by a bicycler that is just in time for Earthen Day 2017.  With the classic bicycler's sense of subtle understatement, it is entitled How Cycling Can Save the World.  

One place to get philosophical is out on ye olde WabashTrace Trail.  There is a big clean up for the start of prime bicycle riding season on the WTT happening this upcoming weekend - April 29.  So if you get out there and help you may be fulfilling your destiny. 

Namaste.