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Some ideas, like fine wines, require time to mature, to age, to get ready to go public. Back in 2018, I attempted an Iron Butt Ride, over 1,000 miles on 2 wheels under 24 hours, at the age of 70. Those experiences spent some time simmering, and will be shared once each month for a bit. The plan: to jump on I-15 and head north to Dillon MT, 1,080 miles north.
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I never thought I’d write a title like that. To me, American Christianity’s greatest struggle comes with not taking the words of Jesus seriously; we prefer following our desires and cultural values. But a recent event showed my error. Here’s the backstory. Jesus taught…
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Goldwings are great bikes, but sometimes a tire goes flat. Still did the 630 miles this day
I don’t know how many others suffer from this malady, but I see the world through a six-foot perspective. That’s the average height of most men, although I came up just a little short on that one. Back in Boy Scouts, I learned to measure how tall a tree was by having a six foot person stand next to it, I’d then hold out an arm with a thumb raised to equal his height and count the number of times it took for his height to reach the top. Multiply by six, and you got pretty close.
However, six feet represents more than just height, but a worldview. I tend to…
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image from commons.wikimedia.org
Not long ago, a Facebook friend put up a post that made no sense at all. The letters were out of place, forming few coherent words. Frankly, I wondered if he’d had a stroke. Nothing so dire, thankfully. Another friend gently tweaked him, “Sean, hands on the home keys.” That was it. He had just…
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“Vega Alta” by Brad Howe
Back in December, I visited the Elena Bulatova Fine Art Gallery in Palm Desert and saw this kinetic art, titled Vega Alta by Brad Howe. No one around to say no, and not a single “Do Not Touch” sign in sight, so I gently touched one of the paddles. As it moved it touched another, that one brushed another, and pretty soon the entire piece gently swayed. All from one small touch.
Life can be like that! One act, seemingly safe, triggers downstream consequences we never imagined. I suspect Eve felt the same when tempted with the proverbial apple. She was told it was safe. She liked the aroma. She tried just a small bite. She liked the taste; she finished it. And we all bear the results. Just a small bite that changed life. The solution may lie…
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image by Pedal to the Medal Cycling
John and his Harley D met me and my Goldwing at the 76 station, destination west to the mountains and coast. Ironically, winter gives the best riding in SoCal. Winter rains turn the golden hills of CA (insert dead grass here) into lush and green wild grasses. Our route: where Rancho California Rd enters the mountains, joins De Luz road where the creek crosses seven times. Well, that happens in wet years. This one is wet enough to bring the green, but not much water. Oaks, horse ranches and hills slowed us down enough to enjoy the view, the bikes kept us moving at a good pace where we could enjoy the marriage of road, rider, and bike. We may have left the ages of high testosterone and sport bikes, but no one passed us. But about ten miles in…
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While in San Diego two years back to celebrate our anniversary, Sheila twisted wrong and broke a vertebra. The pain pretty much immobilized her, even getting out of bed caused too much pain, so she lived on the living room couch. The surprise arrived when Allie, our cat of 12 years, never left her side. She sensed something was wrong, and stayed on Sheila’s lap or snuggled up against her. I suspected Allie would continue that, but once Sheila healed, Allie went back to her normal cat ways. But about two weeks ago…
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Early on a cold and rainy morning, Rich and I rode our bikes from Stewart, British Columbia over the bridge into the thriving metropolis of Hyder, Alaska. Population 87 in 2010. An American city who uses Canadian money and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for law enforcement. “Alaska’s Friendliest Ghost Town,” as locals call it. But then, we saw no locals. One nice feature: travelers need no passports to go from Canada to Alaska…only to return…
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