State of Uniting to Honor Those Who Have Gone Before

 November 10, 2025

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings of the warmest variety.

Lately I've been pondering the balance between compassion and strength.  A completely altruistic government would probably not fare very well without strength.  I think most of us believe that the most powerful governments have the most soldiers with the best guns and tactics.  However, governments may last longer and be more productive if they acknowledge the power of compassion and incorporate it into their policies.  What does this have to do with bicycling?  Well, it may be a bit of a stretch, but I was in Lincoln, Nebraska over the weekend and it is the seat of our state government.  

I enjoyed some time with friends as we commemorated the life and shared some memories of our late friend Ben Kroeze.  I have thought about him a lot lately; unfortunately probably more than when he was alive.  It's pretty easy to take our friends for granted.  So please, consider giving an old friend a call later today or tomorrow, at the latest, and tell them why you appreciate them.  Ben was a great guy.  He was hard-working and handy.  To honor his memory I decided to build a reliquary/ofrenda.  I got an image by a Lincoln artist who I could not identify printed onto some wood and built this.

Although I'm not as handy as Ben was, it was a rewarding experience that made me feel like I was in touch with Ben and I think it turned out well.

Here are some photos from the part of Lincoln I stayed in.  

Some folks were outside on a cold night.  Got down into mid-20 F-ing degrees!?

While the Ol' B and I were comfy in a classy Super 8

with some nice clean water flowing into Salt Creek from the Theresa Street Water Resource Recovery Facility (TSWRRF-ing beautiful!) in the vicinity.

Not pictured is a grocery store that didn't have any local beers in the liquor department!?  Also a DUI pullover that occurred in the hotel parking lot in the morning.  Now that is quite a way to start the day!

Anyway, back to my bike ride:  I rode downtown on some pretty nice bike paths.  I stopped in Antelope Park on my way there.  

Downtown they were putting up Christmas lights 

and one controversial question will apparently be decided on November 12!  Get your tickets fast!

There was some nice bicycle-oriented public art

and I rode in a bike lane for a while on my way back to the Super 8.  It was on P Street and it seemed kind of short, but nice while it lasted.  

Nothing questionable about that sentence, right Michael Scott?  And then past the classic Moose's Tooth/Cycle Works Shop that I remember from days of yore.  I think one of the signs described a sale on gravelly bikes, which might be interesting to check out.  Meet you there after the Beatles beat down the Stones?  Or maybe the Stones roll over the Beatles?  

I'd say the Beatles are better, but the Stones rock harder.  But I'm sure you have your own ideas about that.  No need to make it bad, so I guess I'll just close this one up for now my friends, let it be,

get off of my cloud, and wish you and yours some satisfying activities of whatever variety you like.  And here is something that I guarantee we will all enjoy:

Virtually embracing you,

BSO

Cicadas! Envelop!

September 13, 2013

Saying hello from under helmet in echoey shelter.

Saying goodbye and thanks for the lift at the bike rack.

These were my summary notes based on my cicada experience which ensued 1 week and 1 day ago.  Oh that heady day of 2-wheeling noisiness!  Cicadas are about as ubiquitous as short shorts these days.  I was riding along following my picnicking at a Lincoln park when a loud buzzing next to my ear startled me out of my complacent smilingness.  “Yawahah!?” I exclaimed!

I shook the critter out of my helmet.  It perched contentedly on my pannier 

until I had arrived forthwith at the city campus of UNLiness where I resumed my demanding role of self-appointed bike czar (locking up my bike and heading into the Student Union guzzle caffeinated beverages and skim multiple texts haphazardly).  The cicada flew off once I lifted the pannier lid and as far as I know is living here happily ever since.  

This episode raised many questions?  For instance:  

1. What will become of Omaha’s beloved bike czar since the new mayoress has assumed the throne?
2. Don’t these people playing Magic - the Gathering in the Student Union have jobs or studying or something?  If not, maybe they should go clean their rooms because I bet they are messy?  Or get outside and LARP a little?

Since I am now freely roaming the halls of academia, I conducted some research, and I shall now present the results of this research in regards to the aforementioned questions thusly:  Whaa?

Here is a photo of the bicycle-related club who was out in the grassy area known as the Selleck Quadrangle, but affectionately reefered to by students and faculties alike as “the wrangle.”:

As you may know, UNL has been honored with the silver-medal of Bicycle-Friendly Campusness by the League of American Bicyclists.  As glorious as this designation is, the bicyclers at UNL would like to attain gold level this year by adding some painted-in or signage-adorned bike routes/lanes in the upcoming futureness.  

“Good job!” I enthusiastically congratulated these co-czars.  I attempted to explain/assert my grandiose status as self-appointed czar, but was politely ignored as the attendants turned to address more comely and more femaley students with an interest in bicycling.

Cicadas make a lot of noise.  It's kind of their thing.  But what, you are undoubtedly asking, was Mel Torme's kind of thing?  Sure he could croon, but check out this video.  He's scattin' like Rex Allen yodels!  And that ain't no shibbity-poinkety-poink, cicada-baita!