Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of.
Benjamin Franklin, 'Poor Richard's Almanack,' June 1746
This weekend I was fortunate to be a part of the beautiful wedding ceremony and celebration of Michael and Jessica MacMaster: two people I love very much for all they are and all they do. I'm not going to try to rival C's speech/toast from the reception, so I'll keep my discussion short... for now. I do want to admit that watching Jess walk down the aisle had me tearing up and it was all I could do, including turning around to look at the bridge behind us, to hold myself together. I think my emotions were the result of a combination of being ecstatic for Jess and Mike, remembering the feelings from my recent wedding (which included so many of the same people), and the selfish happiness I was feeling for being part of such an awesome family that now includes Mike.
Life is flying and we need to keep up with it. It's easy to forget that time is precious and I'm glad that the past four days were spent with family and good friends from out-of-town and across the country. This morning, Mom and Dad Love were the last of those out-of-towners to leave and I was sad. There's nothing better than being around people you love and enjoying their company. Everyone put in a lot of effort to make this weekend great. I want to give a special mention of the selfless efforts of my beautiful and generous wife, C, that I was able to witness, first hand, over the past several months. I can't begin to list all that she did, but would care to say that I am constantly impressed and always proud and hope that soon I might develop her intuition and absorb even only a fraction of her generosity.
Mike and Jess, I wish you a long life of happiness together and hope that the four of us are never far apart (literally!) for long.
See? That was selfish.
Enjoy it before it's passed.
June 9, 2008
June 4, 2008
Rainy daze
Today, central Ohioans woke up to the second day of rain in what is supposed to be nearly a week of continuous downpour. Throughout my post-adolescent life, I've grown to be so mentally affected by gray and rainy weather: I get irritable and lethargic, depressed and offensive. I trace this back to the days when Ryan and I would skateboard in the streets, sunup to sundown; when our only enemies were cops, cars, and inclement weather. In more recent years I've started mending my relationship with the periodic nimbus cloud. Above all other reasons, it brings the rain that helps my garden grow.
As you may know, I've fostered a new, fervent interest in wheeled transportation: this time, of the two-wheel variety. It's not that you can't bicycle in the rain, but the various metal parts are so sensitive to water. Also, as a bicycle commuter, a ride in the rain equals a soggy arrival to work. Cycling in a shower is actually pretty refreshing, maybe cathartic. It requires that you stretch your comfort limits and really embrace the weather that might otherwise make a modern suburbanite cringe as they look out of their insulated window panes, pent up in their isolated, climate-controlled domiciles. I will admit, I don't necessarily jump at the chance to commute to work in the rain, and in fact would prefer to not. But today I was forced to make a decision: bike in the rain, or drive? I knew at the moment the question was pressed on me, I needed to bike. The decision was an effort to prove to myself that I am not (or don't want to be) a fair-weather bicycle commuter. So, I packed my lunch, a thermos full of hot coffee, and some dry clothes into my backpack; donned my swim trunks and a rain jacket; slipped into my sandals; then took off to the bike path on my mountain bike--which is my all-weather tank. I'm not sure which made me more wet: the falling rain or the massive puddles I had to bike through, though I suspect it were the puddles. Anyways, I arrived at work like a wet dog, wiped down my bike, and changed into my dry clothes. Knowing that days like this will be few and (hopefully) far between, I'm happy now that I decided to ride--it was a great way to wake up. Also, I know I will be sitting behind a dry desk all day, staring at this computer...
Enjoy it before it's passed
As you may know, I've fostered a new, fervent interest in wheeled transportation: this time, of the two-wheel variety. It's not that you can't bicycle in the rain, but the various metal parts are so sensitive to water. Also, as a bicycle commuter, a ride in the rain equals a soggy arrival to work. Cycling in a shower is actually pretty refreshing, maybe cathartic. It requires that you stretch your comfort limits and really embrace the weather that might otherwise make a modern suburbanite cringe as they look out of their insulated window panes, pent up in their isolated, climate-controlled domiciles. I will admit, I don't necessarily jump at the chance to commute to work in the rain, and in fact would prefer to not. But today I was forced to make a decision: bike in the rain, or drive? I knew at the moment the question was pressed on me, I needed to bike. The decision was an effort to prove to myself that I am not (or don't want to be) a fair-weather bicycle commuter. So, I packed my lunch, a thermos full of hot coffee, and some dry clothes into my backpack; donned my swim trunks and a rain jacket; slipped into my sandals; then took off to the bike path on my mountain bike--which is my all-weather tank. I'm not sure which made me more wet: the falling rain or the massive puddles I had to bike through, though I suspect it were the puddles. Anyways, I arrived at work like a wet dog, wiped down my bike, and changed into my dry clothes. Knowing that days like this will be few and (hopefully) far between, I'm happy now that I decided to ride--it was a great way to wake up. Also, I know I will be sitting behind a dry desk all day, staring at this computer...
Enjoy it before it's passed
May 29, 2008
Car Maintenance Is No Longer Such A Nightmare
Recently, Lowell's Toyota of Lexington, Kentucky, purchased two bikes to be made available to customers that may be waiting on a car repair. This idea is the brainchild of expert technician Keith Shelburne (pictured above on right). Keith explains his idea like this: "Any waiting customer that would like can take advantage of the use of one of the bikes. To go shopping, go home, go to work, eat, or just take a nice, enjoyable ride while their car is being serviced. Something new to try. I got the idea when i saw a customer drop off his car then take his bike off and away he went." You can see a write up in the store's online newsletter,
This idea is innovative and progressive in several ways:
1. It allows customers to experience an alternative form of transportation, get exercise, and travel efficiently without polluting the air.
2. It gives those customers a healthy and environmentally-friendly option for getting around town while they wait for their car repair so that they can potentially stimulate the local economy by visiting nearby businesses.
3. It involves a higher level of trust between customer and business which will strengthen the bond of the community.
4. It dismisses the myth that automobile drivers and cyclists cannot coexist, or that cyclists aren't also drivers and vice versa.
I'm sure you might think of many other ways, but this is what I came up with off the top of my head.
Overall, this idea instills hope in those of us who want to see more bicycles on the road, stronger relationships between small businesses and local consumers, and creative solutions to break through the stagnant way of being which our misguided society has reached.
(P.S. Keith is my uncle!)
May 28, 2008
May 26, 2008
(Enviro)mental breakdown
This weekend I finally replaced the bent wheel on my bicycle! I've not been bike-less since my accident--I was riding my mountain bike this past week, but it really didn't offer the same satisfaction as sprinting down the road on my Fuji. On Saturday, I bungee-corded my bent wheel to my back and mountain-biked my way over to Westerville Bike Shop. I am very pleased to say that the owner, Kurt, hooked me up with a used, complete wheel for $20! I was expecting to spend around $60 on a rim alone. The new wheel included a black rim from a company called Alex Rims, and a black tire with blue stripes from Continental. Together, the wheel is not only better than what I was riding before, it looks great too. I will also announce that I am now a regular helmet wearer. Before too long I expect I might not feel so dorky, but I must admit that I am very self conscious about it. This weekend I was able to run a few errands on it: to pick up Panera for breakfast earlier, and a grocery/Chipotle run this evening.
C and I are walking Alden a TON and we've become quite creative with how we are picking up the unmentionables that he [drops off] in our neighbors' yards. We've been using bits of trash that would otherwise only be used once then be discarded. For example, yesterday I picked up a McDonald's cinnamon bun box from the side of the road and scooped Aldy's poop. Tonight I used the plastic that originally encased a couple rolls of toilet paper... The more we bike and walk and re-use things or the less we drive or shower, I wonder: why is this important?
It is becoming harder for me to explain why I am interested or motivated to be environmentally "friendly." Biking is fun. Period. Fuel is expensive period. Water costs money. Done. Air-conditioning costs money. Zip. I suppose it has everything to do with my new perspective as a home-owning, tax-paying, citizen. I've become thrifty (a term recently used to describe C and I as we shared a soda on a lunch date, which we commonly do when we're out to eat). Lucky for us, frugality is coincidentally a cornerstone of environmentalism. But why do I HATE Styrofoam cups? Why do I loathe hyper-hygienic/over-sterile things that are so antipathetic to the outdoor, non-human world? Maybe it has nothing to do with the increasingly mainstream trend marketed and eagerly consumed as "Environmentalism." Recently I've had thoughts about wanting to keep driving, alongside everyone else, to help deplete the world's resources of fuel. I want to just run this machine into the ground and then say, "See? I told you so." The world will recover and do much better when people are gone. I think my actions have more to do with a personal desire to be close to that outdoor, non-human world. I want to be immersed in it. I want to sleep outside and eat food that I pick from plants. I want the soil to stain my hands and clothes. I want the rain to wash me and feed those plants. At the same time I am bitter towards the gadgets that pollute and the people that use them without concern. Don't get me wrong: agriculture and controlled burning of wood for heat and cooking are all very human, and humans (and their actions) are inherently "natural." Why should be people be concerned about the rate at which the Earth is destroyed? Justice? Economically-depressed people around the globe, including those in our country, will be the first to fall as the climate changes, as weather becomes increasingly catastrophic, natural resources are depleted, agriculture fails, and prices increase. That sucks, eh? This area of concern is part of a larger sphere known as "Environmental Justice" which isn't usually given a seat in most conversations about being "Green" or "Sustainable."
You are probably thinking to yourself, "David needs to wrap this up." So let me arrive at a conclusion: the reason why it seems I am "environmentally friendly" is because I am frugal, I like being dirty like a forest animal, and I feel compassion towards economically-depressed people (as opposed to the wealthy, power-wielding minority). My head is empty for now. So, as they say, "Stay up." - D
C and I are walking Alden a TON and we've become quite creative with how we are picking up the unmentionables that he [drops off] in our neighbors' yards. We've been using bits of trash that would otherwise only be used once then be discarded. For example, yesterday I picked up a McDonald's cinnamon bun box from the side of the road and scooped Aldy's poop. Tonight I used the plastic that originally encased a couple rolls of toilet paper... The more we bike and walk and re-use things or the less we drive or shower, I wonder: why is this important?
It is becoming harder for me to explain why I am interested or motivated to be environmentally "friendly." Biking is fun. Period. Fuel is expensive period. Water costs money. Done. Air-conditioning costs money. Zip. I suppose it has everything to do with my new perspective as a home-owning, tax-paying, citizen. I've become thrifty (a term recently used to describe C and I as we shared a soda on a lunch date, which we commonly do when we're out to eat). Lucky for us, frugality is coincidentally a cornerstone of environmentalism. But why do I HATE Styrofoam cups? Why do I loathe hyper-hygienic/over-sterile things that are so antipathetic to the outdoor, non-human world? Maybe it has nothing to do with the increasingly mainstream trend marketed and eagerly consumed as "Environmentalism." Recently I've had thoughts about wanting to keep driving, alongside everyone else, to help deplete the world's resources of fuel. I want to just run this machine into the ground and then say, "See? I told you so." The world will recover and do much better when people are gone. I think my actions have more to do with a personal desire to be close to that outdoor, non-human world. I want to be immersed in it. I want to sleep outside and eat food that I pick from plants. I want the soil to stain my hands and clothes. I want the rain to wash me and feed those plants. At the same time I am bitter towards the gadgets that pollute and the people that use them without concern. Don't get me wrong: agriculture and controlled burning of wood for heat and cooking are all very human, and humans (and their actions) are inherently "natural." Why should be people be concerned about the rate at which the Earth is destroyed? Justice? Economically-depressed people around the globe, including those in our country, will be the first to fall as the climate changes, as weather becomes increasingly catastrophic, natural resources are depleted, agriculture fails, and prices increase. That sucks, eh? This area of concern is part of a larger sphere known as "Environmental Justice" which isn't usually given a seat in most conversations about being "Green" or "Sustainable."
You are probably thinking to yourself, "David needs to wrap this up." So let me arrive at a conclusion: the reason why it seems I am "environmentally friendly" is because I am frugal, I like being dirty like a forest animal, and I feel compassion towards economically-depressed people (as opposed to the wealthy, power-wielding minority). My head is empty for now. So, as they say, "Stay up." - D
May 20, 2008
Sen. Jim Webb
Today I was fortunate enough to catch this brilliant NPR interview with Senator Jim Webb (D - VA): Choosing His Battles . He is being named as one potential Vice Presidential candidate for the Democratic party. I strongly encourage you to visit the "Listen Now" link to hear an intelligent and inspiring conversation about his military career and service in Vietnam, upcoming legislation for a new G.I. Bill proportionally equivalent to the benefits offered to veterans returning from WWII (which is expected to be vetoed by Pres. Bush), the Iraq war, political polarization within the military, and recent failures of the Democrats--once an anti-war "party of the working person" (currently tied up in anti-military, interest-group politics). Don't listen to me: go listen to the interview. I think Senator Webb would be a perfect Vice President, if not President!
Stay up!
D
Stay up!
D
May 16, 2008
David V. Goliath
Yesterday I was unfortunately involved in my first bike/car accident. I can't say I was hit by a car, rather I was cut-off by a car and I hit it. I was approaching a large intersection when the traffic light turned yellow--I decided that to continue through the intersection would be the safer choice. A mid-sized SUV that was behind me until this point, assumed I was going to stop, pulled alongside then ahead of me and cut right as if to turn right-on-red--right in my path. Since I had decided to pull through the yellow light, I had begun to pick up speed. Since she was planning on stopping, the driver had fortunately slowed down. In the moment she cut into my path, I tried to swerve right also, but slammed right into her passenger side door, side-swiped it, at which point my arm (holding on to the handlebars) wrapped around her side-view mirror. Although I ended up ripping the damned thing off with my elbow (imagine that!), my body was ripped around and over so that I came tumbling forward (not thrown) in front of the car which was stopped. My toe clips accounted for the fact that my bike, too, came along for the flip and my front wheel was rammed into something--the car? the road?--and readily bent into a funny shape. Strange enough, a firetruck full of firemen witnessed the incident and responded quickly to stop traffic and check me for injury. I declined their proposals to take me to the hospital--as far as I could (and can) tell, I only suffered a wicked bruise on my inner left elbow where I connected with the mirror, and a few gnarly scrapes on my right elbow that contacted the ground during my brilliant ninja-roll to safety. Today my head is aching, and most of my upper body is sore as if I just played a competitive game of tackle football without pads.
I'm not mad at the driver--she was pretty freaked out and very apologetic. She is even planning on compensating me for any bike repairs I need. I feel bad that a police officer was called who issued her a ticket for improper passing. I can't help but wonder if I could've done anything to prevent the accident--it happened so quickly. Each time I ride in the road I face a new, questionable situation that leaves me unsure how to respond, surrounded completely by cars whose drivers believe that only automobiles belong on the streets. I have felt that biking on the road (as opposed to the bike path) is exciting but also an important display of bicycle visibility--showing motorists that bikes have rights on the roads and are a good alternative transportation. In the case of my accident I am certain that I should not have been cut off in any way, since I was in front of her up to the intersection. Unfortunately, up to this point, I've not been protected by a bike helmet. That will be a purchase I make this weekend.
In other news, Alden has decided to take up painting as a hobby. My three pieces for the Bike+Art=Show tomorrow are complete and will be dropped off tonight!
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