Who killed KB Toys?

For those people that think Mitt Romney is a job creator, you have been lied to. Mitt Romney ran Bain Capital when it purchased KB Toys in 2000. Bain removed 85 MILLION DOLLARS from the company and effectivly killed KB Toys. Mitt Romney directly caused the closure of 605 stores and all those people lost their jobs, including me. I loved working for KB Toys. Job Creator my ass...

The only true statement...

I ALWAYS LIE

Old women and loose dogs

At this point I can pop out 9 miles without even thinking about the distance I just biked.  Take today for instance, I can't remember if I biked 9 or 12 miles.  Today three interesting things happened:

1. When I pulled into the parking lot I scared a 5-Lined Ground Squirrel and he took off running across the whole parking lot.  He needs his Chipmunk card pulled, that is NOT how you survive a dive bombing hawk.  Just saying...
2. As I was finishing a leg of my ride I was coasting downhill and approaching the blind corner to the next leg of my ride.  As usual I reached with my left thumb for my bike bell arm to sound an alarm before I roar around the corner.  I missed the little toggle arm and looked down to more accurately place my thumb on my bike bell arm.  As my thumb squarely hits the bell arm something colorful swims into my immediate field of vision.   SHOVE on the bell, no sound comes out.  It's an elderly woman wearing a cute sun hat on her bike coming from the opposite direction.  "Sorry" she wobbles out and stops smack dab in the middle of my side of the bike trail.  I react out of instinct to miss her and end up swinging wide and crossing onto the actual roadbed next to the trail.  Luckily there were no cars about or I'd have been toast.  As I pass her my hands are shaking and I look down to see what is wrong with my bell and why it didn't sound.  The toggle arm is bent 90 degrees straight down hugging the bell's side.  I RANG THAT BELL!  I unbend the toggle arm and continue my bike ride (it works fine now).
3. On the same leg of my ride I'm approaching another bend so I sound my bike bell.  Ding Dong, DAVID IS COMING!  When I ride around the turn past the obscuring vegetation I almost run over two pure-bred Boxers.  They are smelling the base of the metal bar that pokes out of the middle of the asphalt to keep cars from driving down the bike trail.  I have scared them.  First thought:  "I'm going to get bit!"  Second thought:  "They are loose, catch them!"  I immediately brake and begin the soft high pitched "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii, come here, good boy..."  which sets one dog off running away and the other gets excited because someone is playing the "Chase me game" and he gallops around in a circle.  Beautiful dogs, one fawn and one dark chocolate.  Both have collars and tags and both are heading towards the busy road.  I about have a heart attack when the darker one runs straight onto the road while looking backwards at me.  I can't see if any cars are coming or not (there were none).  The other Boxer follows the first across the road with that goofy "You have to catch me" face that dogs that like to run away sometimes have.  Across the road is a golf course and in a matter of seconds they have crossed the quarter mile distance and are now scattering a flock of geese.  Two tiny little specks in the distance weaving in and out of the trees barking wildly sending the geese flying.  I cannot catch these two Boxers.  I resume my bike ride.  This sucks, I hate the idea that someones dog may get hit by a car.  After a while I see a young boy on the bike path walking towards me.  He's swinging a leather lead.  Then I notice the shirtless tattooed Dad about 20 feet behind him.  "Are you looking for two Boxers?"  Of course they are.  I tell them the last place I saw them.  I resume my bike ride.  I hit the end of this leg and turn around to head back to the parking lot.  Biking through the woods I come across the boy by himself and I stop and repeat all the information about the dog's location to him.  I resume my bike ride.  As I reach the space where I first saw the dogs I notice the Dad coming back dogless from across the golf course.  I turn and ride on the road a bit and bike towards him.  When I reach him I repeat all the information about the dog's location to him.  He tells me that some kid opened the door and let the dogs out to run and they got away.  He thanks me and heads back down the bike trail.  I suspect he needs his car to continue looking for his Boxers.  I finish my ride.  Load Rambler on the back of Deerslayer and pull out onto the road.  Instead of turning left towards home I turn right towards the golf course.  I pull into every drive and road starting at the dog park and finishing in the industrial area behind the golf course.  After about 10 minutes and no luck I quit and head back home.  This sucks, I hate the idea that someones dog may get hit by a car.  I cannot solve this problem.  I hope someone catches them and calls the Dad to come pick up his Boxers.  They were really beautiful dogs...

::sigh:;

David<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~got passed by a retiree on a 10-speeder

Today while riding my bike I noticed a doe crossing the bike path up ahead of me.  She crossed cautiously and paused in the middle of the asphalt and looked all around.  I'm thinking what is she doing?  I should take some video of her crossing the trail, but I didn't.  About a minute after she entered the woods on the other side she was followed by her twin spotted fawns.  Wish I had gotten my camera out after all...

258 lbs!

Today I biked 24 miles and this is what I was listening to...

255 lbs!

Notes on this week's bike rides

 258 lbs

(Momma Turtle burying her eggs right next to the bike trail)

(It had rained the night before so she decided it was a good day to lay her eggs)

(Good job Momma Turtle, I'll keep an eye on your nest for you!)

• I have biked every single day since last Monday (Friday July 6th doesn't count)
• My appetite has increased w/ exercise and my weight has decreased w/ exercise (current weight posted above)
• Found a Momma Turtle covering up her nest while out biking (various pictures posted above)
• No one has passed me on the bike trail while I've been biking for over a year now (there were a couple of close calls though:

            gangs of 10-speeders in slick suits and a retiree moving flat out in a Recumbent Bicycle)

• At the end of my ride I discovered one of my fingerless bike gloves sitting on the ground behind my car (*)
• Driving home I noticed in my rear view mirror that the top flap of my bike bag was flapping in the wind (*)
• Last night's storm lowered the temperature by 15 degrees (and made a huge mess on the bike trail)
• I like that the Valley Park PD patrols the bike trails (even if it is inconvenient dodging cop cars on the trail)
• When I work out it is a combination of Weightlifting and Bicycling (Rambler weighs over 75 lbs)
• I think of myself as a Cruiser (bicycling as a way of life and as a fashion statement, David is stylin')
• I dropped my MP3 handlebar Speaker Bag and it no longer works (but it may just need new batteries)
• I may actually prefer biking with only 1 ear bud (listening to music AND maintaining situational awareness)

* actually the same bike ride

A Great Day For America!

::dances with Bjork::

Two things:

1. Yanking out earhairs makes a weird sound
2. Yanking out nosehairs makes you cry

I've been thinking a lot about my Father recently...

Dad's well read copy

Tomorrow is the 3rd Anniversary of my Father's death.  I usually unpack my Red/White/Blue Bunting and hang it on my balcony on April 5th, and leave it up until the 4th of July to honor my Dad.  I will do this this year also.  I picked up two books to look at that I had brought back to Missouri with me from Texas.  One: THINGS I BELIEVE IN, I had purchased and given to Dad.  The Second: GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL, Dad had bought for himself and talked about a lot when we were together.  It was a bestseller in my Bookstore but I had never gotten around to reading it.  When I saw it in Dad's old study I brought it home with me.  Yesterday when I picked up this book I was surprised to find Dad's notes in the margins and his scribbles on maps and charts in the book.  He treated it like a text book and underlined passages he liked or thought important.  It was like going back in time to see his hand writing and ideas written in his book.  I can hear his voice talking about the ideas expressed about our civilization in Jared Diamond's book.  I just finished reading a book (reading is a generous term, I ended up skipping through the parts that I didn't like), so I'm ready to start a new read.  I am looking forward to reading this along side the notes by my Dad...

My Dad's hand written notes

This is me early this Friday morning...

SIX FLAGS OPENS THIS FRIDAY!

David<~~~~~~~~~~will be the first person in line!

Things I learned on Sunday's Bike Ride...

1. If you ride too fast your hat will fly off.
2. Do not smile as you ride thru swarms of tiny insects.
3. The Meramec is high and muddy.
4. New logs have washed into Simpson Lake for the turtles to perch on.
5. Missing two days of biking makes riding 6 miles tiresome.
6. Some people are amused when I bike past with flags flying.
7. Some people think I'm weird and avoid eye contact when I bike past with flags flying.
8. There are more families using the trail on weekends.
9. Biking makes me happy.
10. Biking makes me very happy.

Rambler...

(Those of you in the know, know who Rambler is.  Those of you who do not know who Rambler is need to read more of my blog)

Yesterday Tiffany asked me to go biking with her.  Biking is not her thing.  She really was trying to jump start me.  It worked.  Biked 3 miles yesterday and 6 miles today.  I will bike 9 miles tomorrow and 16 miles on Friday (weather permiting).  The 16 miles will be on Grants Trail and all other rides are on the Greenway.  Did I mention that I love my Girlfriend?

Notes on yesterday's ride:

1. I thought that my butt would be sore after not riding in a long time.  I was wrong.
2. I thought that I would be exausted after not riding in a long time.  I was wrong.
3. I thought that I might not want to ride today after not riding in a long time.

I was wrong.

Notes on today's ride:

1. I love riding my bike.
2. I love listening to music as I ride my bike.
3. I love watching my flags flutter in the wind as I listen to music as I ride my bike.
4. I love watching Nature as I ride down the bikepath.
5. I love watching other people as I ride down the bikepath.
6. I love watching the Meremac River as I ride down the bikepath.

Twigs decide to become garter snakes and race off as I ride down the bikepath!

David<~~~~~~~~~loves riding his bike!

(Anyone guess the name of David's bike?)

Watching theCOOLtv...

ABC's
(K'NAAN featuring CHUB ROCK)

Bundle up my whole style is so cold
I glow like old guys who go bald
My flow got no front in the vocal
Your flow got no button it's so old

I don't mean to sound like a showboat
But it's true my persona's no joke
I stepped into some kinda portal
I'm legend and sometimes I'm noble

I'm from the most risky zone, oh
No place is more shifty global
More pistols, Russian revolvers
We shootin' all that is normal

But it ain't just because we want to
We ain't got nowhere we can run to
Somebody please press the undo
They only teach us the things that guns do

They don't teach us the ABC's
We play on the hard concrete
All we got is life on the streets
All we got is life on the streets

They don't teach us the ABC's
We play on the hard concrete
All we got is life on the streets
All we got is life on the streets

Rock, you know my era
B-boy seasoning, salt-n-pepa
Grown and sexy, come with the extra
Crushed up linen, fly like Cessna

This type brew, I gave it birth
Now it's time again to give it a verse
Jamaican born, not a fan of the ganja
Boulevard, Brooklyn to Somalia

And it goes in the background
Playa, that is my sound
The green doesn't symbolize I made it on the top
Pioneer legend and they call me Mr. Rock

No B word or N word, I don't need those words
Respect for hers
The game dried up, so we come with the grease
Leadin' ya right and treatin' ya right, so peace

They don't teach us the ABC's
We play on the hard concrete
All we got is life on the streets
All we got is life on the streets

They don't teach us the ABC's
We play on the hard concrete
All we got is life on the streets
All we got is life on the streets

Superman is known by the locals
As this dude who's so fly it's global
Attitude that came outta struggle
Destitute but I make it hopeful

You real but my real is tenfold
My real will make yours a rental
Gangsta if at ease, essential
Fight with guns or utensils

So bold, nothing's confidential
Breakfast was not continental
And lunch could not compliment all
We still become competent souls

These streets ain't paved with no gold
Matter fact someone stole the light bulb
Nobody fat enough for lypo
They don't teach us to read and write, so

They don't teach us the ABC's
We play on the hard concrete
All we got is life on the streets
All we got is life on the streets

They don't teach us the ABC's
We play on the hard concrete
All we got is life on the streets
All we got is life on the streets

David<~~~~~~~~~~~still dancing!

Just got back from seeing a FREE movie!

Local Jazz Singer Erin Bode invited me to see the movie SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN.  Would have been a great date except she also brought her Husband and some odd 100 people to the free screening by GoFoBo.com.

PLUS

PLUS

EQUALS

Its raining, its pouring...

So of course I'm heading out to the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House in Faust Park.  It's part of the MOBO Gardens so I get in free (a big TY to Tif's Parents for the Membership)!  They are in the middle of the MARCH MORPHO MANIA and have over 3,000 free flying Morpho Peleides butterflies in their dome.  I'm taking my camera...

David<~~~~~~~~has always loved butterflies!

(Here is the link to the Webshots Album of my pictures)

http://travel.webshots.com/album/582440316YcaUSU

New haircut...

can you say...

FLAT TOP!

HAPPY ST. VALENTINE'S DAY!

Noises from the Vivarium

One of my Flying Geckos

has caught a mealworm

and is currently

beating it to death

against the tree bark

in it's Vivarium...

I'm in a ZULU frame of mind...

http://www.martinihenry.com/files/goingtodie.wav 

David<--------just got his restored Martin Henry rifle!

VIOLENTLY HAPPY

WOW

THE SPACE BETWEEN

The Space Between

Verse:

Maybe if you hold my hand as we walk through

I know I can trust you

Here now we go again

I want to help you understand the world that I know

Surrounded by angels

Here now we go again

Pre-chorus:

And in the dark our eyes never know if they will see again

But when the stars come out I can feel the light creeping in

Once again

Chorus:

oh, oh

oh, oh

Verse:

Music playing in my head feels like something

I recall loving

Here play it once again

There must have been a melody I can't remember

I only know the beat beat beat

Here play it once again

Pre-chorus:

And in the dark our eyes never know if they will see again

But when the stars come out I can feel the light creeping in

Once again

Chorus:

oh, oh

oh,oh

You and I,

Living in the space between

You and I,

Living in the space between

Bridge:

If I ever see the light of day,

I'll never close my eyes again

But lift my head,

And soak it in

Chorus

oh, oh

oh,oh

You and I,

Living in the space between

You and I,

Living in the space between

You and I,

Living in the space between

You and I,

Living in the space between

MARTINI HENRY RIFLE!

My brother Mark has finished restoring my antique Martini Henry Rifle.  This particular rifle saw service with the Gurkas in Nepal and is approximatily 130 yrs old.  This type of rifle is most famous for it's use in the defense of Roarke's Drift in Natal in South Africa.  Very famous battle immoralized in the movie ZULU...

The trigger assembly removed for cleaning

BLOOD RED ROSES