Loud Pipes And Other Thoughts

 This past week was the EAA AirVenture event in Oshkosh, just ten miles up the road from where I work. I am fascinated when I see a plane overhead, especially a large one, and wonder about the physics in keeping it aloft. Despite my interest I've never been to the air show. At work we get a bit of a show of our own. The approach pattern for smaller planes goes right over our shop and for at least a week we get to see all forms of small aircraft just overhead.  When I'm not looking up at the planes I still know they are there because they are much louder and annoying than any Harley ever was. One after another, back to back all f-ing day long. Some people say "loud pipes save lives" and maybe that's why air travel is so safe, er no?

 So the other day I was at my work bench fixing a customers saw when the dj on the radio said it was flashback friday or something like that. He then explained that they would not be playing any songs newer than five years old. WTF? I don't even listen to music till it has fermented at least five years. New music, big crowds, concerts aaack. You can have it all. Not for me. I can handle the classics in a small bar setting but that's about it.

 Later that day I found myself in my garage tipping back a cool one, contemplating the meaning of life when out of nowhere comes a squirrel and a robin. I don't know what that poor squirrel got into but the robin was making him pay. It would swoop down and just beat the shit out of that furry little rodent. This went on through my yard and two other neighbors yards as far as I could see them. I wondered where or when it started and how long it would go on. I guess I wasn't curious enough to follow and instead got myself another beer. I didn't want to get in the middle of that beat down.

 Yesterday after work my wife and I went to Madison to visit our daughter and her boy friend. We had to take the cage because we were hauling something too big for the bike. The plan was to meet at a vegan restaurant called The Green Owl Cafe. This would be a new experience for me and it wasn't that long ago I would have found some way to get out of going there (or snuck in a cheese burger). As it turns out the food was terrific and I was surprised at the complex dishes despite the fact that they didn't contain real food (meat). At least that's the way I used to think.

 So here's the deal. Madison sucks. I feel the same way about any city larger than, oh say, 1500 souls. We didn't know it at the time but there was a celebration called AtwoodFest going on. This meant double suck with sprinkles because there was no place to park. Initially I made a few loops around the surrounding few blocks with no luck. I saw a lot of places I could have landed the Ultra but the Subaru Outback just wasn't gonna squeeze in those spots. We finally found a spot about a mile away. It didn't kill us to walk but when you need the gps to find your way while on foot, thats bullshit. How do people live this way? I hope I never find myself in a situation where I need to rely on public parking to get home after a long day at work. Anyway, Madison is a huge Bicycling community. The whole city is bike friendly and that's great...if you're into that kind of thing. If I lived there my choice for transportation would look like this:

So that about wraps up my week. Today should be a great day for riding and I'm gonna start right now by taking the sporty down town for breakfast. I know there will be parking right up front.

Later.