Wednesday, February 9, 2011

I'm still here, in case my .004 readers were wondering!

Yes, I know you've been wondering, and that you've been waiting lo these many months for my next Pulitzer Prize-winning blog post, so here it is -- patience rewarded.

Man am I sooo over winter right now. I can't tell you how badly I want it to be spring already. I cannot stand the cold, or the ice and snow. I don't drive, and I took a bad spill back in December on some black ice while riding my bike to the store, and I messed up my cheek. I still bothers me some, so I think I fractured it or otherwise did some damage.

I tell you that not for sympathy, but to illustrate just how sick I am of this season. I love the freedom of getting out on my bike and riding around. Mind you the local trail here called the "Monon Trail" is getting more dangerous every year to ride on, but being stuck in my apartment is just brutal, and I would ride on the interstate just to get out-of-doors. I lost 15 pounds or so over the summer, and I just know that that has gone to hell now too.

I know at my age, in my late 40's, I shouldn't want time to pass by so quickly, but I do. I look forward to reading this in April or May and having a chuckle as I'm getting ready for a bike ride or a walk to the local tavern. For being out of work for so long, and the almost constant pain that I endure, I'm actually in pretty good spirits. And getting into warm weather will be such a relief. Mind you, I'll still complain when it's boiling hot, but at least the days are long and the birds are singing when it's hot out.

On another front, I've got what some people call a "murse" on the way from Amazon. I really don't care what anyone calls it or what people think, because I simply needed something to carry my stuff in when I'm out and about. To me it's just a bag, and only we Americans have a problem with a man having a bag. Hell, I'd rather people just call it a purse, because what's wrong with that? Nothing if you ask me, but some people are just weird about such things.

This is the one I'm getting:

















It was a good price, as those things go, and seemed about the right size. Smaller than a messenger bag (too big for riding), and bigger than what really might deservedly be called a man purse (too small for my water bottle etc). I really wanted to get one that wasn't made of leather because of my aversion to using animal products, and the fact that leather is much harder to care for. If someone gave me one made of leather, I wouldn't toss it or make a fuss, but it's not my preference.

I really wanted to get one that I found that was made of hemp, but it was too expensive and a little too big. I do have some bags from when I went to college back in '05, but none of those are really good for riding around. I use my large backpack for when I go to the store, and believe me, it's not the kind of thing you want riding around on your back and pulling on your neck and shoulders for several hours. Hopefully this bag I have coming won't give me any issues with that, since I do have a couple of vertebrae in my neck that are a bit dodgy. Ha ha, old age sure is a corker, ain't it??

I seemed to have lost one of my favorite wristbands over this winter too. It said "Love Not War". I'm pretty sure it got thrown out with some newspapers. I'm not sure If I want to buy it again or not. It comes from here: Whatever It Takes. I'll probably get it again (and maybe one other as well), but money is tight, and that's a U.K. site, which means it costs about twice as much for me here in the States. I'm going to need to get some new clothes before long, so I have to be careful. My charity giving is small, but I try to help the best I can. I wish I was a better, less selfish person. Oh well.

Oh yeah, I joined my local NPR / CPB radio station too, as a supporting member (the radio side in my case). It was probably foolish considering my financial situation, but after the dust-up about that commentator getting fired, I knew I had to back them up. They are invaluable to me and millions of others, and if public radio and public TV went away, we would be a lesser nation for it. This isn't the place I use for my rants about such things, so that's all I'll say. But I couldn't be prouder to support them.


That's all for this post. Another one is coming shortly about food, tech stuff, and maybe a little music too. Thank you for reading! :o)