Well….I do recognize I’ve begun to slide back to a certain stridency that I have been trying to overcome for some time now…but I think there is a place for outrage and I’m going to keep some of it since people are just not paying attention to what is going on. But, right now…let’s take it down a notch, to borrow from Jon Stewart. I was going to issue a caterpillar alert from observations on the ride today but the density was just not there yet…only 18 per hundred feet when the acceptable national standard for an alert is 20. But, stay ready for tomorrow since the trend over the past week has been upward….should I include the graphs here? Probably not….

Oh, did the math wrong and, in the interest of accuracy, need to report that I haven’t equaled last years’ record of 1700 miles on the bike….about a hundred miles short as of today…but I do get to celebrate again later this week when I really get there so that is something to look forward to…and I know you are waiting and holding your breath for the milestone to be reached…don’t worry, I’ll let you know…you can go back to work now…more later…

Well…I have really been trying to work up some outrage today but I’ve covered a lot of what is bugging me and I don’t want to be seen as a one dimensional writer..that’s not quite true….there are days when I AM one dimensional and if you’ve read any of these you’ve seen that. All I can do is try to make these interesting so you’ll come back….but I don’t write for that reason either…I really don’t know why I write other than I feel better when I do. I did submit a new one to the Washington Post today for the competition they are having to find the next great American pundit…don’t have any illusions that I’ll be selected but it did brighten my day some when I hit the submit button….

One thing that has been bouncing around in my head lately (or should I say again) is the fact that the huge world that I used to inhabit is steadily shrinking as time goes on. I used to have something to do every day; someone to hang out with every day…but lately that has been reduced to Mondays and Wednesdays and even those days are becoming intermittent. I know some of you that read this stuff are around my age…what do you do to keep the shrinkage at bay? There is a seductive component to spending more and more time alone..it allows the ultimate in freedom if you have no plans for a day, but it also makes it easier to allow yourself to fall deeper into the trap of being alone. I guess this whole bout of introspection was triggered by getting my hair cut this morning, looking into the mirror and seeing an old guy sitting there that I almost don’t recognize anymore…where did I go?

Well…it’s strange how 5 o’clock has a different feel than 6 or 8…the exterior noise from M-6 hasn’t ramped up to where it becomes overwhelming and the construction equipment hasn’t started beeping and banging yet. Stayed in last night since G had a long day at work and hasn’t been feeling well so she needed a night off…which was really okay since I saved some cash and rested the liver. Don’t know if I’m coming down with something but I have been really worn out over the past few days…It could be that I’m back in the cycle of not eating enough but I think part of it is still not getting enough good sleep…I can remember what sleep is like but can’t remember the last time I didn’t toss and turn all night….

Not much to do today…as always…I need to try to spread the few things that I have to do out longer than 6 am…more later…

Well…it was an okay day yesterday…didn’t do too much…watched the Lions lose again and then out to Vinnies for a couple of beers with C…but took it easy so I feel okay today. It looks like kind of a boring week, again, but the weather looks like it’s going to be okay so I won’t have any days off from riding…oh, I did make it 1700 miles yesterday which is my record from last year and I have about 2 months to get to the goal of 2000 miles….might even make 2500 if I work at it but I’m not sure if I can do it..we’ll see. Yep, boring life, but you guys know that already….I’ll try to make it more interesting…but that takes money and I really don’t want to spend too much cash right now…I do want to go out today and find the new Neil Young album, though…so that is something to look forward to…more later…

I will have some topics for later today but you know I take Sundays off usually so I hope you’re not disappointed..

Well…the day didn’t work out as I expected yesterday…G didn’t feel well so I stayed home last night and just took it easy…got started pretty early today…got the slow cooker started at 6 am since I was up and bored…I may be going out to watch the Wings game later on but who knows? Not much else to do today…I might get a couple of posts out today but I’m not sure about it…I am just so disappointed with the political life in the US that I can’t muster up the energy to comment much right now…

The F1 race from Singapore is coming on tv in a few minutes so I’m gong to get a cup of coffee, read a little more online, and then settle in to watch the race….but the problem with F1 is that there is very little real racing or passing that goes on so it lends itself to doing other things while you just listen. I do want to take the bike out later this morning to burn of some of the caffeine but we’re getting to that time of the year where you have to wait for the temp to come up some…not going to wear gloves yet…more later…

Well…kind of a fun night last night…started out with HH with K but then since G was bored, she came out to hang for awhile, too, and we got to keep the shot glasses that we had our deer tequila in. Later, the Wings won their game against the Hawks and I was mistaken since Hank, Pavel, and Nick played when I thought they were going to be held out. I had to get into the chips and dip which are basically pure fat and I felt really guilty, along with being just so puffy from all of the salt that I’ll have to drink about 20 glasses of water to get rid of it all.

I have things to do today! There is F1 qualifying at 10, then the Michigan game, then a party out a K’s ( a different K) later on in the evening with G so it’s going to be fun…and there is a Top Gear marathon on BBC that will fill in the holes all day….and tomorrow, it’s Art Prize with G and K then the Wings game at 5 so I’m going to need some rest Monday…more later…

Well…another night of really crappy sleep had me up watching “Three’s Company” re-runs at 3:30 this morning waiting for the storms to come…I can’t believe it’s 80 degrees at 7 am, in the end of September but I’m not going to complain when all of us who live in Michigan know what’s ahead if us…I hope the predictions are right, that the winter will be drier and warmer than normal and the old Mazda will get through one more. Did go out for a while last night to OT and had a couple of beers with C and D…but took it easy so I feel pretty good even with being up and down all night. Need to get out to the coffee shop early today since the F1 practice is on at 9:30 instead of the normal 8 am and with the rain coming, I won’t be able to ride until later in the aft. Or maybe just take the day off since I have HH with K later and then might have C coming over to watch the Wings game since he doesn’t get the NHL Network. have to pick up the traditional chips and dip just in case that happens. So, a little bit to do today and I really should get doing it….more later….

Well…a weird day yesterday…the computer took a dump in the afternoon and I was lucky to have my home grown IT department available…and it was good to see my son and just talk for a couple of hours….and then a long phone conversation with G reminded me of other times and made me smile a little. Crappy sleep last night, though, up at 4:30 again this morning and I feel fortunate that I don’t have to go to work today…gonna run out of steam around noon. Not much else to do today…want to finish the last book from the bag o books that T gave me to read so I can get another one…that has been helping me pass the time and it is good to see other peoples style…may even steal some if it really grabs me…

I just don’t like the summer being gone…looking out my slider, I can see the yellows, reds, and browns of fall starting to dominate the view and the trails are starting to be covered by the falling leaves. I’m not going use these changes as a metaphor for life and the passage of time related to my own aging….that’s just too cute and I’m certainly not cute….I do have a couple of topics for later today…one is on Christopher Hitchens if I can make sense of the jumble in my head…and the big target…the repubs “Pledge to America” or contract ON America and the middle class…

Well…did the Ada thing yesterday since the Wings start playing tonight…won at pool and made a shot that Tom and I have been trying without success for maybe 35 years…I think I almost pulled something celebrating….Lost my outdoor table in the storm last night…it took off when the wind was blowing about 50…I’ll have to walk down the back of the place to see if I can find it later…feel kind of crappy today but I think it might be a bug this time…so I think I’ll take it easy for a while and see…more later…

Well…had a fun night last night out with G but I think I’m losing my mind again..have to remember to not get into political arguments here in west Michigan since I really don’t fit here…that’s two days in a row I’ve lost it and I don’t feel good about it. But, that’s gone now so let’s try again today to do better…that could be a new motto for everyone…let’s try to do better today. Had to move Wed out with Tom to today since the Wings preseason games start Wed night and it has been a tradition for the last 10 years or so to watch it over at OT with what little of the group that is left.

Not much else to do today…the dish has been screwy since Sat so I have a repair person coming some time today so I’ll have to hang around here most of the day…after going out for coffee and newspapers that is…more later…