Friday, November 16, 2007

Mountain Lion

You know how they always
post these crazy signs like:

Mountain Lion Habitat

and you think,
yeah right,
someone may have thought
they saw a mountain lion,
or "evidence" of one,
once,
years ago.

But, I've been walking these trails
several times a week for years.

And I've never seen any mountain lion
or evidence of any such creature.

Well, on my way to work yesterday while driving up Edgewood Road,
just meters from the trails I walk with the dogs ALL THE TIME



I SAW
A FREAKIN' MOUNTAIN LION
STANDING THERE
ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD!

I haven't been back yet.....

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

A Windmill for Guatemala

Wanna fund your own windmill? Got $100?

ewbturbine.gif

Social entrepreneurship is our unofficial theme this week. If $400 is too much to pay for a laptop, a Guatemalan wind turbine might be more your speed.

I’ve recently had the pleasure of meeting the good folks at the San Francisco chapter of Engineers without Borders. Like other things-without-borders themed organizations, EWB is a non-profit professional association that donates its expertise to worthy projects in developing countries.

Friday, November 09, 2007

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

No Social Graces

So I'm just finishing up my training ride today...

after getting up at 0730 in Indianapolis (yes 0430
on the old body clock)

...so I'm a little tired and maybe running a little low
on the old tolerance meter
and as I am riding through MY neighborhood
this exchange takes place:

L: (observing young man with skateboard peeing on side of road)
"Nice...."

YM: "Blahdiddy blah unintelligible blah"

L: (sliding to a halt)
"I'm sorry, I didn't understand you...did you say something?"

YM: "What's your problem"

L: "You peeing on the side of the road. Didn't your parents teach you the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behavior?"

YM: "Huh?"

L: "Don't you have a house where you could go do that, or a friends house? I am sure you didn't ride your skateboard all the way to the top of this hill just to ride on this road and pee on the side of the street"

YM: "I had to go and it was easier...so what?"

L: "So what? It is inappropriate and illegal so what!"

YM: "It is?"

L: "It is against the law for starters, it's called public urination and indecent exposure. And, mother's drive their children on this road and shouldn't have to see that. And, that is someone's front yard."

YM: "I didn't know that."

L: "You have to be kidding me? How can any teenage boy not know it is wrong to pee on the side of the road in a neighborhood. We're not talking about out in the middle of no where. Didn't your parents teach you any manners? You don't know that pulling your crank out in public is wrong?"

YM: "You're the one that said 'Nice' "

(Lothar begins to ride off shaking his head in disgust when he sees a man getting out of the car in the garage across the street)

L: "Excuse me sir do you know either of these boys?"

M: "No, why" (with a slight look of "what's your problem spandex boy")

L: "Well, one of them decided to to relieve himself on the side of the road and then copped an attitude with me when I told him it was inappropriate. I thought maybe you might know him and be able to explain his misbehavior"

M: "You mean he urinated on the side of the road?"

YM: "Yeah, can you believe..." (boy has look of confusion) "...you mean that's wrong?"

M: (with look of disgust) "Wrong? Don't you have a house? Do you live around here? Are you friends with Kevin?"

YM: (nod in the affirmative)

M: "Couldn't you use his bathroom?........"

L: (rides away shaking his head....)

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Friends?

Who needs enemies when you have friends like this?

Why one should always carefully plan nap time!