Savoring the out-of-touchiness

April 25, 2015

Hey everybody!  Did you go out on a bicycle ride today?  It was actually pretty nice, if a bit on the cool side.  I did not actually go out for a bicycle ride, but I know there were some who did, so goody, goody two shoes for you!  I stayed in my garage and replaced the Old Bastard’s flat handlebar with a 5 cm riser bar.  The OB now looks like an old guy’s bike.  And I guess it is.  I am hoping the old guy bike will allow me to do the old guy standing up-bent over-and gradually straightening out routine less often!  Ach!

Old guys often like to live in the past, like Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull describes in this classic song-

I also like to reminisce about the goodle days, much like John Hartford does in this classic song-

When I saw this sign lying in the grass the other day, 

it took me back to my goodle days of life in a large desert town.  I lived in a crack neighborhood in a trailer in the side lot of Jim’s place, next to the bus.  I met crack whores aplenty and witnessed some unabashed prostituting to buy the shiny crystalline substance.  I worked crappy jobs, played my guitar, and cranked up the swamp cooler and drank Red Dog in my trailer while watching Phoenix Coyote hockey on the tv to cool off in the heat of the late afternoon/early evening.  Ahhh!  That felt cool!

Apart from reminiscing, I have also enjoyed the arrival of spring.  The signs of it are unavoidable around these parts these days.  Couples hold hands, drakes drive away other drakes who are trying to mess with their duck, flowers are blindingly vivid, and freshly-cut grass sticks to one’s tyres as one bicycles about in a state of springy intoxication.

Here is a cool-looking commuter bicycle that one won an editor’s choice award from the staff of Bicycling magazine.  http://www.bicycling.com/bikes-and-gear-features/2015-editors-choice/breezer-beltway-elite

Sure it’s got some sweet features like dynamo-powered lights and an internal hub.  But it’s handlebar has a mere 15mm of rise!  Pshaw!  You young whippersnappers with some disposable income can have it.  The Old B and me will be just fine just the way we were are!