Dead batteries? Bike Swanson!

September 21, 2011

On the way to my place of work at the goblins' Halloween workshop where I build scary props this time of year, a car took a right turn in front of me such that I had to apply approximately 1/3 of the stopping power of my cantilever braking system. I was slightly surprised, since this hasn't happened to me for a while here in our peaceful piece of paradise we call HOmeaha. It wasn't until I reached the subterranean, secret goblin workshop that I realized that the batteries in my extremely bright Planet Bike Superflash taillight were as dead as the polyurethene corpses I was tasked with creating at work that day.

As I was homeward bound I decided to duck into a local grocery for some AAA batteries. Yes, the Superflash takes the AA's pint-sized, whiny younger brother known as AAA. The girl at the register informed me that she hated dead batteries, and that she probably had to deal with them more often than most. She said having dead batteries was like toasting a waffle that you're excited about eating, only to find that you are out of syrup! She went on to state that, "I'm really good at coming up with metaphors." Yes she was, I agreed, and informed her that she might make a good writer. "I'm the editor of the school newspaper." she replied.
"That's great!" I stated.

I haven't actually decided yet, but I am considering hiring her as a freelance metaphor conjurer as that is clearly something that I struggle with more frequently than the waffle-with-no-syruppy deadness of batteries.

September 24, 2011

I made it out for a spin down to Swanson Park for some off road excitement today and boy was it grand! Once I made it onto the Keystone Trail of multi-uses I saw many road bicycle jockeys who were clearly "in the zone" and "working it." At Swanson I was overtaken by a headphone-wearing dude with slightly screechy disc brakes (perhaps the reason for the headphones, or maybe the headphones were the reason for the screechy brakes?) who also appeared to be "in the zone" although I'm pretty sure it was a more laid-back, groovy (albeit zippy) zone. Because he was wearing headphones, (and also because I was winded when I pulled over to let him pass me) I wasn't able to ask him what his favorite Badly Drawn Boy album was, but I'm pretty sure that it is "Hour of the Bewilderbeast," because that's my favorite too.

My transition from the Old Bastard to Shifty was fairly smooth, unlike the shifting on those pesky 9-speed chainrings I got suckered into using. I wish they had stuck with the 7-speed sprocket set because it shifted more smoothly and required less attention, grump, gripe, etc.

Nonetheless, I had a great time and after I got my off-roading in, I was able to kick back on my way home and observe acres of beans that appeared about ready for harvesting.

I also beheld the heart-warming spectacle of a mother, father, baby team enjoying the disc golf activities at Seymour Smith park. Although I would have liked to document this moment with a photograph, I was too enraptured with this site of familial tranquility to get the shot. There were also some hippy-ish sorts and some Husker Pride partiers who were recklessly combining a Husker game day buzz with a disc golf buzz without regard to the consequences.

Rock on, outdoor Saturday people, r-o-c-k the f on!