I Write Like

I write like
Stephen King

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Righto. Thanks, I Write Like. Don't I wish? Meanwhile, my brain is Cujo brain.

A 35 Mile Pencil, With Ants

Back in the old days, a Cracker Jack box contained a toy. Yes, sometimes there was a little lame tablet or flip book, but often, inside the little package was a snap-together toy car or action figure, not big, really, but a tiny little plastic toy that you had to put together. Not any more. The candy-covered popcorn still seems to taste the same--yay!--but the "toy inside" is always a lame little bit of paper like this "pencil topper" that really makes my pencil look like it has ants on it, right? Right. Has anyone had a real toy inside lately? If so, tell me.

I did learn that a typical pencil could make a line 35 miles long or write 45,000 words. But, I have to supply the pencil, and the ants do squat.

Our Own Recovery Plan--Completed

Our home's previous owners Francis and Nancy decided their dining room furniture looked just fine in their previous home, so when they gave us call, we jumped at the chance to put furniture and dining room back together. But we wanted different covering on the seats, so a trip to some "fabric barn" in Sioux Falls got us this nice print, and we transformed the chairs with a little elbow grease.

Best of Craigslist--The Camera Thief

On Craigslist, if you don't know, viewers can recommend posts for the "best of Craigslist" category, and this one from a guy in NYC who's torqued because someone stole his cameras I thought was a fun rant against the thief. Here: You stole my freakin' cameras.

Spicy Library Commercial

I love this version of the Old Spice ad, touting the value of studying in the library. Thanks, Lea!

Los Lonely Boys and Other World Wonders

Here are some images from our two days at Jazzfest in Sioux Falls, both with great music, good food, good times. The music was consistently amazing. My favorite and a cool surprise for me--Los Lonely Boys. They were tight and energetic, cool tunes, fun, playful. They put on a great show. But the lineup was outstanding, the best yet in my book. Now, next year!

Tonight We Run with The Wolves

Los Lobos, that is, along with Davina and the Vagabonds and Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue. Sweetness!

Here Comes the Trekkie

Here's my new Trek 1.1 road bike, just after the first ride of about 18 miles. It's a sweet machine, only 22 pounds (much less than the 31 of my previous machine, durable as it has been). I'm very fond of it so far. I need to learn a little more about its shifting characteristics to keep things smooth, but the rest is very fine. Aluminum frame, carbon fork, and very road-friendly.

I got the bike at Scheels in Sioux Falls, which I did not expect to do. I checked the local bike shops, but their prices were higher and some of the phone conversations were unpleasant. Too bad. Some were very good. Anyway, the Scheels folks treated me right from start to finish (or at least until now). Thanks, Travis and Matt!

I'm looking forward to seeing how this changes my biking!

1st Ever Bike Race, Senior Style

After hemming and hawing all day about whether I was going to take my bike and ride in the Heart of the Lakes Senior Games, I guess I hawed. I took the old Schwinn World (circa 1970's) and zipped through the 10K in 18:49, clocking a 20.1 mph average, not too shabby, worth the $1.00 entry fee and the sweat on this fine summer evening. It was a small field, only me and two others on the 10K, with each of us winning our age groups. Sweet!

The Pressing Matter of Flowers

The wife has been braving the skeeters and came back in with a range of flowers to press. Here's just some of them. What will she do with them? We'll have to wait and see.

The Jacks Put the Hammer Down

Here's a photo of brothers Jay (left) and Justin (right) with their band The Jacks, playing at the Sockeye in Boise, Idaho.

Big Muddy Boat Ride

The wife and I had the pleasure of attending the Stanley County High School all-school class reunion last weekend. It was my 35th, and there were 20 of 51 (46 still living) of us there, so we can call it a success. Among the activities available in Ft. Pierre, where SCHS still rules, was a ride on the Capital City Queen, which took us from the mouth of the Bad River, up the Missouri north of the cities, then back again. We also visited the newly opened Casey Tibbs Center, which was a surprisingly well-done tribute to the world champion bronc rider from Ft. Pierre and those who have followed in his footsteps.

If you're ever in town, it's worth a visit. And tell me whether you or the kids were able to handle the mechanical buckin' bronco.

A trip to the Zesto will have to wait until next time, alas.

Foot Troubles Not My Own

My hotrodding, motorcycle-man brother dinged his foot in a crack-up at AHRMA races in Grattan, Michigan, last weekend, and he's hanging around town, just spending his time, out commission, not earning a dime. . . He asked for, and got, a CD with his greatest hits, the photos of his foot taken at Avera McKennan in Sioux Falls. It doesn't look good. I captured these photos, which seem to show some breakage. Let's hope he gets up and running soon.

Hikes, Car Time, Fractures, Father's Day

I'm here at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls where my brother Jess, the fireman/bike racer, is awaiting surgery on his heel. Bummer. He was out in Michigan, where a racing mishap has turned into a need for some cutting and repair. So here we are.

No pictures at hand, but it's been a time over the past couple weeks while the wife and I went out and ran (oh?) the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Half-Marathon, then headed west, into the Bighorn Mountains. Snow kept us from where we were aimed, but we camped up west of Buffalo, Wyoming, then in Hyattville, and we traveled to Yellowstone, Thermopolis, and points out west. It was a good time, to include an overnight at Old Faithful Inn, with lots of wildlife sightings (but no bears). About 2500 miles?

It's summer! In the meantime, we've done good work too in hiring a promising colleague to replace a long time collaborator.

Finally, it's Father's Day, so that keeps us all humbled by the shadow of our fathers and how becoming one opens the door to a whole new life.

Memorial Day in South Dakota

We took in some Memorial Day events in Howard yesterday, including the dedication of their new memorial in town complete with bronze statues of military personnel. The American Legion served lunch, and then it was off to the golf course, then a nice drive in the convertible on a beautiful day as the sun lit up the clouds.

I love this old vet's cap, and he was sitting next to me at the ceremony, so I took his picture. The one of the flag display is in Madison.

Big Garden, Many Blooms

Here is a panoramic shot of the backyard garden in its present form . . . We've been hauling in flowers from a donor garden in Howard, saving them from destruction that awaits them in August (or the neglect of summer in South Dakota).

May Flowers in the Yard

Here's a quick walk around the house taking note of just some of the flowers now in bloom. Some are fading (lilacs) and some are just on the verge (snowball bush) and some are just right.

Preparing the New Garden

With school out, what are we to do except work on the house? Enjoy the outdoors! Play with software! What if you could do all three at once?

In other words, I continue to play with the time capture software on my computer. While I'm working! Wish I would have had it when I was moving all the sod LAST summer.

An Alternative to Facebook? It's Coming.

There's really nothing new about Facebook. My family and I were networking on a site named eCircles.com years ago, but it couldn't pay, and the phone lines people were using then just couldn't keep up with the message boards, photos, music sharing, etc. But Facebook gathers up all you tell it and puts it to their own uses, and that's got some people a little frazzled. So, here come the nerds to sort it all out. Check out there story in the NYTimes article "Four Nerds and a Cry to Arms Against Facebook."

Embrace This

My sister sent me this. Thank you, sister. Click on the video if it doesn't display the whole thing.