Category Archives: Totally Irrelevant

Creating Memories

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Yesterday I wasn’t too enthused about riding. It was so windy. And I felt wasted. Plus, it was threatening to rain all afternoon. But, late afternoon, I got so antsy that I decided to just put on some casual clothes and ride my MTB around town. I do this every once in a while just to keep connected to the city. But, I do it in a lot of different cities.

There isn’t a better way to actually see a city than to do it on a bicycle. Riding the alleys, going places that you wouldn’t normally go, for sure not walking. I’m not sure why it seems so much safer on a bicycle, but riding a bicycle in a bad neighborhood of a big city, doesn’t seem dangerous at all.

I passed a couple guys on the bike path, below an underpass. I had been thinking about not being out at Sea Otter like I had planned. I like Monterrey and Carmel. Plus, I haven’t ridden those races for too long. I was thinking about the ride over to Carmel through Pebble Beach scenic drive and having coffee. It is wonderful. I was thinking how money allows people to have great memories.

But, after thinking about it for a little while, I don’t think money enables people to have better memories. Just different memories. I was remembering sitting out on a deck, in La Jolla, high above the cove, drinking wine. It was a very nice place and a great view. But, then there were those two guys sitting below the underpass in Topeka, drinking wine. They have memories too. Just different. Who am I to decide whose memories or what memories are important to other people. No one. My memories are just my memories. Not more or less important than anyone elses. Different for sure, but not better.

As we all get older, we all experience different stuff. I think that what we should all be striving for is to be doing things that make the best memories for each of us personally. It can be something that might approach mundane. You never know when that mundane activity will transform itself into a life memory.

I sure could use some personal bike racing memories soon.

This guy made a little shrine out of his boat in his backyard. That boat must of held some good memories for him.

The kitten, Fritz, isn't such a kitten anymore.


These guys, The Westboro Baptist Church people, create mainly bad memories. Fred Phelps is their spiritual leader. He bought 10 pianos, at one time, for my dad way back.

The Jawhawk Tower. Full of memories.

Mail/FedEx/UPS

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I don’t really hardly ever open mail any more. I rarely get a letter that I’m surprised to get. And when I do, I’m pretty surprised. When the subject of eliminating Saturday mail delivery, most of the people I talk with are against it. I couldn’t care less. They are losing billions of dollars a year and if it is going to save a bunch of money, then I think they should consider it. I guess most people are against it because no one likes to lose a service, even if that service isn’t being used. I guess the internet has really hurt the mail big time. It is sort of sad, but I guess that is progress.

FedEx and UPS are different. I get packages all the time. And I always look forward to the packages. I look more forward to the packages when I’m not expecting a package, when the doorbell rings and I can see the FedEx truck out front. The internet is just making these companies more and more busy. Shipping has increased dramatically the last decade.

Yesterday was a prime example. Doorbell first thing in the morning. Small package for Trudi. She had no idea what it was, then she saw it was shipped from Europe. Inside, a Tour de France yellow jersey from Cadel. Pretty nice.

Today, was my turn. It wasn’t a surprise. I knew last night. UPS has a new RockShox 29’r fork for me. But, no, when I went to UPS website this morning and put in the tracking number, it says the plane has a mechanical. That’s all. I need to leave for Berryman tomorrow morning, so I hope that plane gets fixed.

I’ve always respected UPS and FedEx. They seem to have their shit together. They seem to work like a finely tuned clock. At nearly every bikeshop I’ve been associated with, the UPS guy is a standard fixture. Usually the UPS man will hang there a bit when he’s ahead of schedule. I’m not sure why that is, but it is common. Maybe they just like bikes.

It does seem sort of strange that we have 3 companies doing are essentially the same thing. I don’t know why the post office never got the package delivery service down. They tried about 10 years ago with the 2 pound, 2 day, $2 thing. But, that didn’t work. Probably because they never delivered it within two days. And there was no tracking. It seems to me, if some guy is coming to my house, everyday, bringing something, they should be able to leave a letter or package. But, that isn’t the case with the USPS.

I’m so racked from riding rocky singletrack two days in a row that I might not even ride today. Yesterday I was better than the day before. Hopefully I’ll be back up to snuff by Saturday. And that UPS does their magic and gets that fork to me sometime soon, like today.