I Fixed It!

Have a peaceful evening!

Peace!

Offspring #2 came over because we are planning a back pack camping adventure. We needed to get our back packs in order. I asked whether a certain sculpture in the driveway was noticed. It was not noticed.  Later when pointed out, it was noticed.  "What is it?" asked Offspring #2.  I thought it was obviously a peace symbol. "There is supposed to be a line down the middle," says Offspring #2. I point out there is a line down the middle.  I spent a full hour with a hammer and a chisel gouging that line down the middle. Actually all that hammering felt good because I was am still angry about the tree cowboy who butchered this black walnut tree. Offspring #2 informs me that line down the middle is supposed to go all the way through the circle.  Jiminy Cricket! I was trying to artistically display a symbol of peace and instead I am advertising for Mercedes Benz.

Here Comes The Rain Again!

I rode my bike on Thursday and got caught in multiple rain showers on the way home.  I made it home fine but I was so upset about it I took my car on Friday. One Friday it didn't rain one bit all day.  On Saturday I took my bike out for a ride.  The sky was blue with fluffy white clouds that looked like cotton balls. I come out of the gym and see rain clouds! Did I get caught in the rain?  Yes, I did. I was soaked.  Today I go out again.  The sky is blue with puffy white clouds.  And guess what?  I come out of the gym and there are rain clouds again! I would have made it home dry if only the traffic at the fairgrounds wasn't so bad.  I got a cramp in my left hand from holding the clutch so much.  Pedestrians made it through there quicker than I did.  I took shelter at a gas station. Also, I had to buy gas. Four other bikes pull in and we complain together.  We buy gas and wipe off our bikes.  My bike is the smallest. Two Harley Davidson's and one Indian bike made mine look tiny.  Later a Kawasaki pulled up. We all nod and commiserate as we wait out the rain.  Eventually the rain gets lighter.  I take back roads home through neighborhoods at 30 miles per hour.  I don't like driving in the rain. I worry about the oil on the road making it slippery.  I try not to drive where I think the oil falls. I try to stick to where the car wheels go. I am almost home when the rain stops. So what do I do?  I decide to go around another block in my neighborhood just because I can.  As soon as I pass my block the rain begins again. Yep, here come the rain again.

Laundry Day!

The Music Shop

You are in for a treat if you decide to read this book by Rachel Joyce.  She also wrote The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Frye and The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessey. I enjoy her writing. But the ending!  Oh the ending of this book is especially splendiferous. I could just picture myself at the scene in the shopping mall. I could imagine the food court and the escalators and the mall security guards. I could almost smell the burgers and fries.  I could definitely hear the sounds of the mall.  I could picture the looks on people's faces as the scene changed from a normal Saturday to a special Saturday. I should not say too much more or I will give it away.  Better you get a copy of the book and read it for yourself.

Fair Time!

This time of year makes for a fun commute.  One of my most traveled routes takes me past the fair grounds in Anoka. The fair makes the traffic go slower because of all the pedestrians crossing the highway but that is okay with me.  I enjoy watching the whole process. Activity in the area gradually mounts. First come the porta potties and the trash cans. The kiddie rides arrived last weekend and were parked. The stall doors are opened and bales of hay arrive and are stacked up. All the 4H equipment is delivered.  On Sunday evening the other rides came and the carnival workers parked their recreational vehicles along the fence.  Those people sure live in close quarters. Now that the fair is open I can hear the sounds, smell the smells, and see some of the sights as I drive by.  I see the Lions Club members working in the beer garden.  I see the lemonade stand, the donut stand, and the corn on the cob stand.  The ferris wheel is turning.  Music is being played on stage.  Horses are awake and looking around at 6:30 this morning even though I didn't see many people about yet. I know a woman who camps there with her daughters and horses every year. The fair is part of their family tradition.  Another tradition for some families who live near the fair is to sell a parking spot on their lawn for $3 or $5.  Their front lawns are full of cars. Perhaps these people don't know they can park for free just a little further. I have memories of my own trips to the fair.  I have enjoyed tractor pulls, demo derbies, putting my offspring on the ponies who walk around in a circle.  One year I was on the Ferris wheel with  my niece.  As the Ferris wheel went high she got scared. She told me she was scared. The problem was I was scared too.  Way up here I could see very far and this ride didn't seem very sturdy. I would have preferred to have my feet on the earth.  This was one of those occasions where I faked bravery.  I told her there was nothing to worry about and proceeded to babble on quickly to keep her from saying anything until the dang ride was over. That was my last ride of a Ferris wheel. I had some good times there at the Anoka County Fair.  Even if I don't go in I enjoy driving past it.  Except I didn't really enjoy driving past the fair tonight. I did not think it was going to rain today.  If I thought it would rain on me four times on the way home I definitely would have taken my car to work instead of the motorcycle. 

Don't Worry. He Won't Get Far on Foot.

Some friends and I met up at the Lagoon Theater to see this movie about the famous cartoonist John Callahan.  Twenty years ago a friend gave me one of his cartoon books.  I enjoyed it very much although I can see his humor is not for everyone. For example, he draws a picture of a man in a wheelchair. The wheelchair has tipped over and he is lying in the street. Two police officers stand near him and one of them says, "Don't worry.  He won't get far on foot."  Black humor can be funny sometimes.  My favorite cartoon by John Callahan was a person at an amputee support group. This person is surrounded by people without arms and he says, "I need a hug."  Again, that kind of humor is very bleak.  The movie is not only about a guy in a wheelchair but also his journey through the 12 steps toward sobriety. I really enjoyed it.