Enter Fall

As fall begins to creep its way into this part of the world, it reinvigorates me in a myriad of ways. I know that spring is the time for much rebirth and renewal, but fall fits me. The cooler weather, being more predictable, means putting on an extra layer or so and keeping it on. Even as the sun peeks out, there usually isn't enough force to make you loose a layer. Maybe just unzip a little. It's very comforting, physically. And I think that frees my mind up some, as I always start thinking a little more about where my life is going, and what I want and should be doing.

So I started carrying my camera a little more. I was coming home the other night and saw one of the most spectacular sunsets ever. It was one of those "skies on fire" types of scenes, with the sun looking like it was about to engulf the Minneapolis skyline. Amazing. I hadn't yet reached this point of introspection, so of course, no camera.

I also am making the list of things I need to do to feel some accomplishment. My wife is a big fan of lists and like all great people, she rubs off on me a little. I now find lists of stuff all over the place. Every once in a while, there are even things on those lists that I have done.

A bad thing about fall is that we slow waaaaay down at the bike shop. We had a Sunday slow ride yesterday to kind of celebrate the last work day for one of our best part timers. We just rode around the cities a little bit, wandering our way to some pizza and beer. Sitting in the restaurant, we were getting a little chilly from the sweat of the ride. Fortunately, I just zipped up the wool long sleeve and was reminded again, yep, it's fall.

So now I am making a concentrated effort to do some things that challenge me. Making sure that as the winter season approaches, I embrace this time of renewal for me. It's the perfect time to finish some long overdue projects, and wrap my brain around some tough mental challenges I have ongoing. This really is, for me, the greatest time of year.

Fun and Shinanigans

My friend Ken and I rode the Urban Assault Ride this weekend. Twas a fantastic event. We rode to the packet pick-up on Saturday with the intention of doing some planning for Sundays ride. Now anyone who knows us will realize when we say planning, it really means making sure we decide what time we are to meet. This was true for Saturday but ended up with a little more planning than normal after the first couple beers. And it kept going from there.

I had spent a couple days making sure the Cross Check was ready to ride. I figured it would be perfect for the unpredictable route we would take. But after Saturdays ride, we ended up riding Ken's Schwinn Twin from the 60's. Definitely the best decision of the weekend. We figured we had better have some nourishment for the ride as it started at 9AM. So we picked up the fixins for bloody marys to have during the ride. Definitely the best decision of the weekend. Neither of us were much of the bloody mary fan, but now I think we are hooked. Ken brought a couple swank Hawaiian shirts for our uniforms. Stylin. With the cooler stocked with extra mix and vegetables, our glasses half-full (to cut down on spillage), we were off.

The ride was perfect. It is the best time of year to ride around these parts. Riding around the cities, we would be seeing other riders and everyone was super friendly. Bells ringing like crazy. Made me wonder why people aren't that nice all the time. I think our proudest moment was the limbo contest. I wasn't thinking we would have to do any contests on our own bicycles. Fortunately, Ken is a fantastic rider and I am small. Good combo for the limbo.

I haven't mapped it out yet, but we put on nearly 30 miles. There was a small amount of back-tracking done, but it is really amazing about the winning team. They must have been flying! All I know is that this was the second race I have done in the same year. After a hiatus of over 10 years from any racing, I think I have outdone myself. I might have to do some more training next year. I have a nice gash and bruise from slipping a pedal on the big wheel.

Walking instead of riding

I did something today I have never done before. I protested.

We went down to the capital today to march to protest the war in Iraq. I didn't get into the speeches and yelling and all that stuff, but to see the number of people, and how passionate people get over it was incredible. Once in a lifetime opportunity stuff.

There were definitely some powerful images that my pictures don't do justice. Most of the time, they were things that I didn't feel comfortable shoving my camera in the face of. Even though most of the time people are out there to get publicity and show what is bothering them, it still doesn't feel right to me. Some part of me thinks that if you don't experience it yourself, in person, it loses a lot of the impact.

So it was completely uneventful from a lawful perspective. I heard a few people were arrested but of the thousands and thousands of people that were there, it was amazingly peaceful. Just how I like it.




Someone was wearing this shirt during the march. I think I have to get one.