New Wheels (Part 3)...

For those who have been asking for more pictures of the new wheels, here are a few that were in the original ad that made me go look at the thing.

Freedom...

It's amazing how good it feels to have a car, even in an area where you'd frequently rather not drive it. I have become so accustomed to having one for so many years that I didn't realize how stranded I would feel without it. Here's an interesting thing to think about; you know what is the most useful thing to have when you're looking for a car? A car. How else do you get around to shop for one?

I decided a trip to the Antietam National Battlefield was in order. I hadn't been there since 1991. Antietam was the bloodiest single day of the Civil War. By the end of September 17, 1862, somewhere around 23,000 men had been killed or wounded on both sides. Tactically, it was a stalemate, but the Confederate forces eventually withdrew to the other side of the Potomac to lick their wounds. Strategically, the result was a Union victory since Lee had been forced to give up a planned invasion of northern territory. This was enough to give Lincoln confidence to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

Since I was celebrating my new-found freedom, I tossed my bike into the back of the new Volvo and hit the road.

It is ironic that the scene of some of the most vicious fighting of the Civil War occurred in areas of distinct natural beauty. Sharpsburg, Maryland is a small farm community with rugged, rolling hills. Antietam Creek passes near the edge of the town before it empties into the Potomac about three miles south.

There was no threat of rain, but the day was hazy. The map provided by the National Park Service (Link HERE) shows a nice driving tour. I did it on bike - about eight miles. A bike is a great way to do a Civil War battlefield...


The National Park Service has a slide show of the famous Alexander Gardner photographs taken shortly after the battle (Link HERE). The photograph of Confederate dead along the Hagerstown Pike is probably one of the most famous Civil War images.

I didn't take too many pictures, but I did stop to get a shot of my trusty bike and backpack (I have used it literally every day) framed by cannons. It was just a silly idea - my way of paying tribute to the two items that have served me so well on this journey...


When I went to gather my backpack and mount up, I noticed something...


Look closely...


It's a bird's nest in the barrel of the cannon, complete with eggs. What was once the scene of unspeakable violence now made for a peaceful afternoon. What was once an instrument of death had become a vessel of life.

It seemed like the perfect way to end the day.

New Wheels (Part 2)...

I've driven the car about 150 miles in the last two days without even so much as an exhaust belch (from the car, not from me, of course). More on that soon...

New Wheels...

Keep your fingers crossed, because all I've done is put down a deposit, but, by some time tomorrow afternoon, I hope to be driving this:


Haha! A family car. Just what I need.

Actually, I chose it because (in theory) it's reliable, safe, and it has room for bikes, camping gear and other things I occasionally like to haul around.

Yesterday makes five weeks since my good old SUV was totalled. I have to admit, every time I walk or ride my bike out of the little cul de sac where I am living, I look to my right, up the hill on the main road to the spot where I last saw my SUV. Even now, I am still somewhat surprised, and a little saddened, when I see it isn't there.

I had enough food at home for breakfast tomorrow, but, just for kicks, while riding my bike the four miles back from the credit union that has helped me with a few financial things regarding the purchase, I stopped at the grocery store and picked up a load of stuff so big there wasn't a square inch unoccupied inside my backpack. It seemed like an appropriate way to start really appreciating having a car again!

In six weeks or so, I will either have found a job that will keep me here, or I'll be on my way back to Florida. Either way, I hope the Volvo serves me well.

Tour de France...

Each year, in July, I am reminded that there is no better multi-stage sporting event than the Tour de France. You could watch it just for the scenery, which is always absolutely stunning. You could watch it for the anguish of the crashes, the adrenaline rush of the sprints on the flat stages, or the agony of the climbs in the mountains.

Then there are the subtleties and intricacies of the strategy and tactics, and the races within the race: The Yellow Jersey (GC or General Classification - the overall race leader), the Green Jersey (Best Sprinter), the Polka Dot Jersey (King of the Mountains - the race's best climber), and the White Jersey (Best Young Rider - the highest-ranked rider aged 25 or younger). [For a simple explanation of some of this stuff, click HERE.]

And, of course, there is the human drama - the tension between teams, or sometimes within teams, and the intense suffering that each individual must bear in his own way. If you've tried to ride any distance at all on a bike, you realize what great athletes these guys are. This year's Tour de France will cover nearly 2200 miles in 21 stages. Today alone, they will ride 140 miles in the Pyrennes Mountains of Spain and the Principality of Andora.

There is one other aspect of the Tour that makes it great for me - the commentators. I like to watch the live coverage in the morning (which I record on DVR to watch later) rather than the "Americanized" prime time coverage on Versus because there is nothing better than Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen. Between them, they have nearly 60 years of experience in professional cycling with Liggett having done TV commentary on 33 Tours de France.

Yesterday was the perfect example of all of these things. David Millar, a Scottish rider on the American team Garmin-Slipstream, got into a long breakaway (an individual or small group of riders that breaks away from the main field - the "peloton" - and then tries desperately to cling to whatever advantage they may have obtained). Millar was part of a group of four riders that managed to gain a 3 or 4 minute advantage on the field, but, as often happens, three riders fell back into the peloton. Millar, courageously, rode nearly 25 kilometers in the lead, alone, in the rain, on a stage that ended with an uphill climb.

[Photo courtesy of VeloNews]

Phil Liggett described Millar's ride as only he can:

"The rain is dancing on the pavement, and Millar is dancing on his pedals… "

"David Millar is the loneliest man in all of Europe right now."

"Millar’s legs are going to burn like a bonfire when he turns on to the slopes (of the final climb)."

Millar's legs did burn like a bonfire at the end. He was caught with less than a kilometer to go before the finish. But the images of the day, Millar's effort, and Liggett's commentary all combined to make the day one of the many memorable ones of the Tour de France.

More Fragments...

ARTIFICIAL WHAT???

Sitting next to two women in their sixties when a news story comes on TV that researchers, using stem cells, have made artificial sperm. One of the women is absolutely puzzled, and a bit incredulous. "What?," she says, looking around. "There's no shortage..."

SINCE WHEN??

I am at the Brickskeller (I know, shocking), enjoying a Belgian ale called Grimbergen Double, and notice that the label says "Anno 1128." I'm no genius, but I know that means they've been brewing this stuff since 1128. No wonder it's so good. They've had a few years to get it right.

I CAN'T HEAR YOU. THE MUSIC'S TOO LOUD

Strangely, one of the things I miss about my SUV is not being able to drive around listening to music at any volume I choose. In my hovel, I control the decibel levels in the interest of maintaining good relations with my fellow inmates. Even cranking Limp Bizkit in headphones isn't quite the same as riding around on a sunny Sunday afternoon with the windows down.

When I first discovered that my SUV had been smashed, it was the middle of a day on a Wednesday. My intention was to go grocery shopping, but, ironically, I carried in my hand a CD that I had just burned - music that I hadn't listened to for a while, and wanted to hear good and loud in my SUV while I drove to the grocery store. I hadn't realized, over the years, what a release it was for me to listen to good loud rock. It really does clear my head. No wonder my head is so full...

Hopefully, I'll have a new vehicle soon.

I'll be damned. It works...