Halloween Choices

I've put up a new poll.  What should I go as for Halloween?

I was originally thinking of going as a wizard to make use of my beard and wizard (walking) staff. This would also allow me to just take off the wizard robe at work and go to meetings.

My second idea was to go as the Wicked Witch of the West.  I would put a basket on my bike and put a stuffed dog in it.  Then I would wear a similar black robe/dress and hat as the wizard.  The downside of this would be I'd have to shave, the witch didn't actually have a bike, and I would have to paint my face green.  But then, Flying Monkeys, 'nuf said.

My third idea was to go as a Blues Brother.  I have the suit and tie, I'm from Chicago, I'm Catholic, I have an harmonica and a briefcase full of blues.  I'd have to get glasses and a hat, a tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes and wait until it's dark out.  Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration don't fail me.

Cthulhu Flash

I wonder if this is what he's looking at:

 Don't you love it when the photo looks like they are actually looking at you, like they are talking directly to you, like they want you?

Day 11 – Seekretya – Focus In

30 Days of Worldbuilding says to choose one of the following:

1. "Write a complete timeline for your setting (last 500 years or so should do) and for your protagonist's life up until the novel opens."
2. "Write a 1-paragraph description of each major political body (churches, governments, kingdoms, factions, economic forces, guilds, etc.) and name them
2a. "write one sentence about how 3 of your groups (the 3 most important groups) feel about all the other groups."
3. "Write a short glossary or lexicon for some common or important words (like rock, bird, horse, king, ford, river, stream, mountain, holding, village, magic, outsider, etc.)"
3a. "Write down five place names and five character names"

And this is supposed to only take 15 minutes? My foot! I suppose if you weren't creating many, many countries and races then you could. Since the idea is to focus in I'm going to do that. I'm going to try to do 3 "days" a day for the rest of this week, so let's get going.

First, I think the story is going to involve Trols and Fae for the most part. I've already given a very detailed history, but it ends at about 1880. I'll focus in the history since then between two groups. We already have place names so I'll skip that, but I will give a paragraph for each of the major groups in the Trol and Fae nations. I'll throw in some Dragon and some human parts too.

The Stoentrols and Dwarfs have been at war for the entire existence of Seekretya, why? Stoentrols live in Akwaland, Dwarfs in Bluudland, with the Dark Empire between them. Why would they war?

The Dwarf arrived first, and claimed the entire southern region of Seekretya. From the Red Clifs to the Bluu Mountains are noted for their stones and gems. The Dwarfs wanted it all, but the Trols soon followed and claimed some of that land as well, and for the very same reason.

The Graettrols led the fight and allowed the Trols to get the better of the situation for a long time, forcing the Dwarfs into the farthest western of the lands. The Stoentrols are actually less violent, much more like gentle giants and removed themselves to as far east as possible to avoid confrontation.

Establishing Bluudland and Akwaland should have ended the problems, but the intervening land was still up for grabs. The Graettrols fell deeper and deeper into internal struggles and a very complex political dance developed over access to the stones and gems of what eventually became the Dark Empire.

At the height of the chaos, just before the Dark Empire was established the Dwarfs decided to make a preemptive strike, they launched an amphibious and a land attack on the southern shore of the land of the Graettrols and into Akwaland. They intended to bargain from the strongest possible position and gain a big chunk of Graettrol lands, maybe even all the way to the Bluu River.

The Stoentrols were outraged. They felt like they had been the most gracious and agreeable of the Trols. They felt completely betrayed that they're peaceful living was treated with attack. It has been said, "Beware the temper of the patient man." That was surely true of the Stoentrols; they drove the Dwarfs out and attacked deep into Bluudland. They took as much plunder and left.

The Stoentrols have never forgiven the Dwarfs, and for their part the Dwarfs have never forgiven the theft of their precious things. The Dwarfs don't see why the Stoentrols don't understand the strategy of the attack and take it to heart so much. They see the Stoentrols as softies that should, "just get over it."

Because the Graettrols now allow both Dwarfs and Stoentrols access to their own mines the two groups often cross paths and fights breakout. The Graettrols don't mind because they are often hired to fight the battle within their land. Quite often some Dwarf group will claim to discover the description of a Great Artifact that they must make a crusade to find, into Akwaland. Sometimes these crusades carry off things the Stoentrols hold sacred and/or dear, and they launch counter crusades of their own.

Also, the best water for beer is in Akwaland, but the Trols don't drink beer.  The Dwarfs take great offense at that, and will raid just to steal water sometimes.

The "feud" has been winding down for years, but just before the story begins the Fifth Dwarf Crusade, or the Crusade of the Fish ended with the Dwarfs recovering a Golden Carp, said to grant wishes. In the process they carried off a great deal of plunder. Also, although it is as yet undiscovered, the Tree of Wisdom received a death wound and the Dwarfs carried off the last of the Seeds of Wisdom.

I've run out of time so I'll have to end here for today. One other thing I wanted to question is, I haven’t, per the exercise, developed any characters yet. How can I write a personal history for a hero that hasn't been developed yet, with what will most likely develop into the plot, which I haven't worked out yet?

NaNo '10 Poll Results

I did get 5 answers to my last poll, what genre should my NaNoWriMo 2010 novel be? One of those answers was mine, so it didn't count as much, but it was also my daughter's answer so I'm going to count it, sort of.
Children's Fantasy won with 3 votes, and the only other vote getter was Comedy Fantasy. Now, I voted for Children's Fantasy, but Spockgirl and MMC voted for Comedy Fantasy and it really got my creative juices flowing (luckily they didn't flow OUT of my body, but just round and round like they're supposed to, so nyah nyah nyah Cthulhu).

I came up with some really terrific ideas (at least I think so) for Comedy Fantasy, but I have a lot of time invested in creating a Children's Fantasy world.

What I'm going to do is try to finish the 30 Days of Worldbuilding for Seekretya. I may get those juices flowing and be able to roll right into NaNovember. If I don't feel any kind of creative dam breaking though, I'll switch over as quickly as I can and go with the new ideas.

The only other consideration is Guya Principal is a Comedy SciFi, and very nearly Fantasy, so do I do another one and be repetitive, or do I do what I have been successful (at least in NaNo terms, not publishing) with already? We'll see.

These are the notes I made for the Comedy Fantasy (they're all over the map, so be warned):

First Idea
• Inspired by MMC
• Comedy Fantasy
• Magic makes you drunk
o Imps exist and can really hold their magic
o Only recently discovered and they don't really know how to use this new technology/resource
o Mostly used in trinkets, but some Wizards are using it very powerfully mostly in teams doing [drinking] magic games
o Wizards must get certified, but the title Wizard is almost synonymous with drunkard
o Most Wizards are rail thin unless they have a very wealthy patron (and they get a very lofty sounding title, usually not related to any official titling body) and are on retainer or are government wizards (officially titled Magic User and Practitioner Licensed and Authorized by Local Governing Body or MUPLALGB [or something actually funny]). All wizards get the official certification of Wizard though (though in different jurisdictions they have other titles making it very confusing and hopefully funny).
o Objects can NOT be enchanted, only people and some more intelligent animals. Devices can be embodied / infested / encased with imps giving them magical power, but the imps often get unruly and have to be controlled by a licensed Wizard.
o Wizards can cast spells themselves and most often use their canes or staffs to hold themselves upright rather than to enhance the actual magic.
o Most often Wizards use magic to talk to / cajole / or coerce imps. The magic makes them drunk and to the outside world, who can't see or hear the imps because they aren't using magic, they seem to be convulsing / wildly dancing / or trying to scratch an infestation of vermin, perhaps squirrels in their pants or lice.

• 1900ish, country other than the US, but in the real world
o Amateur sports and magic are all the rage
o Pro sports and magic are looked down on
o Think of Houdini, Mesmer and such, except this is real
o Gentlemen wear their hair long and in a ponytail called a whip (never called a ponytail, that's what women wear)
o Imps are usually employed (known as imployment) in commercial uses of magic.

• ??? is this in a "Hollow Earth" or just a strange country???

Second Idea
• Also inspired by MMC
• Same as above, but WWII era in an island nation that is in the middle of it all, but magic keeps it all at bay
• Advantage - Nazis

Third Idea
• Wizards as rockstars
• Kind of like the Intel rockstars - they get all the chicks, are adored by all
• Very different than the idea of Wizards as advisers to kings etc. They don't need patrons because they can make a lot of money themselves
• Not every wizard is trying to make it big, some are in it for the artistry, some just for fun
• The nature of magic may have to be very specific. I don't like the idea of wizards "performing" in front of crowds, or doing "real" stage magic

o Maybe or this may be just some - wizards battle in front of crowds
 Battles could be what decides wars
 Battles could be just like gladiators
 This is more sports star than rock star so it has a slightly different feel and may stray from the intended theme. Rock stars NEVER battle. If you battle then someone has to loose

- Magic is mostly potions or enchanting things and it's sort of like IT (I don't like this one too much)
- Magic is used to rescue people and that's why they're so admired (eg. magically divert a rockslide, magically fix a crumbling dyke, magically predicting a volcano)
- Magic is done like software and not in public at all, but word gets around about the most successful wizards

Forth Idea
• The opposite of the above, Wizards are persecuted
• Wizards have been forced into abbeys
• I think I can go two ways with this

o Modern
 The wizard world is inside the moon (maybe) and it's one of those plausible deniability things like UFOs - but more like the Prez secret book in Nat Treas 2
 There is an under sec of an under sec who controls that - like Indian affairs - middle aged woman like the one that runs Warehouse 13
 May be too much like Warehouse 13

o Older
 Not medieval
 In abbeys, but the protag is traveling across the land

New Chomputher

We're bringing home a brand new computer today, because the last one tanked on us.  I thought about getting a Linux machine, but Ubuntu scares me:

Cthulhu Sings Motown

Before Cthulhu made it to Hollywood he was a ballad singer for Motown.  Here is a photo clip of one of his hits, Tomorrow and Always from his Album, When the Stars are Right

Day 10 - Seekretya – Mood

"Settle on the overall mood for your story if you haven't already. Look through your timeline, political groups, and language notes and mark for revision anything that doesn't fit your mood. If you have time, revise those things. Otherwise, leave them for later."
This is mainly a children's story, one that can be enjoyed by adults who are reading it to their children at bedtime. That is what's driving the mood, and it has been all along. I think I've been staying pretty true to that.

There is one other thing that drove parts of the story, but I thought of it out of the 30 day sequence, so I recorded it to share later, when the day was right.

I don't know why, but on Monday 19 Apr 10 the mood struck me about this:

Obsidiopolis – beautiful and obsidian. Somewhat like a Japanese city on the sea, industrial, powerful, businesslike, utterly foreign and unfathomable, yet human. Not evil and foreboding, but cold, heartless, lonely and uncaring for the heroes. White light with no golden to it at all. I can see it, but if I tried to draw it I would loose it. I see a beautiful woman in black vinyl looking over her shoulder with the towers of Onyx (Sears Tower and John Hancock in their glittering, crystalline best, with no dirt, soot, or smudges, impossibly clean) rising and crisscrossing in the distance before her. There are people there, they don't hate but they are not without feelings. They are unapproachable by the heroes. They don't smile, but they don't frown. They don't have blank stares, just mild looks and speak in a foreign language at a conversation level. There are no mechanical sounds, but there is no silence. There is no oil or soot or dirt, but gleaming crystal darkness.

The Onyx City sounds right, but has been used too often - Onyx from the Greek ____ onyx meaning 'claw' or 'fingernail'. Onyx doesn't have quite the right color and lustre that I'm looking for, but obsidian does.

Another Happy Cthulhu Sunday

Observed on my way to church this morning:

Day 9 – Seekretya – Language

This is going to be quite difficult because there are so many races from so many backgrounds, AND I'm not at all happy about my spelling convention and want to change it, but I've already changed it several times.

I think I'm going to change the spelling to whatever I feel like today, whatever looks and sounds right to me. I know that some things have been published already on my blog as other spellings, but I'm just going to have to live with that and codify my spelling in my own notes and stick to that from this day forth. I'm going to have to leave the way you pronounce it to your own preferences.

The exercise as described in 30 Days of World Building says to listen to sounds and then apply those sounds to the language you want to use. Well, there are just too many. What I'll do is think of the character of the races and ethno-groups and then use the English translations I think they would use. Also I'll use words from the places in the real world they're supposed to be from. For instance Trolls from Russia would name things with Russian words.

I did say there would be a common magical language. Based on the exercise I have to figure out exactly what the magic system is before I can do that. I won't know the feel of the magic until I know the system and I won't know the feel of the language until then either. What I do know is that magic is controlled and mostly generated by Dragons, so I think, as a first pass that the language would be lizardy, mysterous and carnivorous. There will be gravelly sounds, like roars too.

Common D, K, DR, KR, S, SM, SH, CH, J, Z, TH, G, KW, KS, F, V and R.

Very few P, T, L, Y, lone M, N, H, W.

Low, short vowels are more common than long high vowels (more O, OU, U, AU, AH; less EE, AE, IE)

Back to that spelling convention. I want to keep some of the rules I started. No C, Y is only a consonant, single vowels are always the short version of themselves. E at the end of words is a schwa, not silent and making the preceding vowel long. In fact there are no silent letters. Consonants will not be doubled unless they should be double pronounced (eg Graettrols should be pronounced like Great Trolls). Any word should be able to be sounded out.

Day 8 - Seekretya - Economics and Politics

ARGH!  I don't like the name Seekretya.  It's difficult to pronounce and spell, and I've spelled it several different ways.  I need a new name, but I can't find one I'm satisfied with.  I tried looking up words the local American Indian tribes would have called the land.  The people that had lived in Montana for a very long time, and still do are called the Gros Ventre by the French, the Atsina by the Sioux and the US government and Ahaninin (or A'aninin) by themselves.  They are part of the Algonquin (or Algonquian) language group.  I could only find a few of their words on-line but I did come up with Wautoyunay (Black Goose, a word that could mean dragon), but that's a mouthful too.  They have allies and co-owners of their reservation in Montana, the Assiniboine.  They are part of the Sioux language group and their word might have been Sabanunkasan (Black Eagle).  So, I'm still searching, and accepting suggestions.

Apparently I had this all written up, but never posted it.  It continues the 30 Days Of World Building exercise I had started.  I'm going to have to accelerate this if I want to use Seekretya so I had better get started.  I'm also going to have to limit myself to the prescribed 15 minutes for each exercise.

30 Days of World Building gives this (http://www.web-writer.net/fantasy/days/days/08.html )as the exercise for Day 8.

It really boils down to:

1. Mark resource areas on your map
• Although Magic is the greatest resource of course, it is primarily controlled by the Dragons. Elfs make Magical Artifacts, Wizards cast spells and use Magic, there are others, but the Dragons have the real control. There have been wars over the little that the Dragons don't control, but the Dragons always have the last say, if they actually speak.

• Starting at the far north, the rolling, green hills and wide, fertile valleys of the Confedaracy of Liit produce veggies, wool, milk, cheese, and grains. The Lesertrols are the main traders, with the Pixees tending flocks and Spriits growing the vegetables and fruit. The humans grow the wheat, corn, barley and rye. The Spriits also grow grapes and make fine wine and cider.

• To the east, traveling clockwise, is the golden land of the Elfs, Yelooland. The Elfs that live there produce Magical potions and small Magic Artifacts. They are renowned artisans who paint, make music, write poetry, and dance. They have perhaps the largest treasure trove of Magical Artifacts from the old times, outside of the Dragon hordes. There are also several Magic Groves in Yelooland tended by the Treegiants. The Elfs don’t like it but the mills are run by the Wudtrols as well. The Elfs take great satisfaction in taking the prepared wood from the Trols to carve and create magic staves and wands.

• The green lands: Greenpark, Greenwood and Greenland are very alpine. They mostly trade between themselves and try to stay out of the business of other lands.

• Akwaland is renowned for its stone. The marble, granite, shale, slate, quartz, limestone, and coal found there are the best in the lands and the Stoontrols love to mine and carve it. The land is dotted with rivers, streams and ponds. There are several natural springs and the waters are known as the finest in the land as well. It’s this water that is used for the base of the finest beers of The Confederacy. Because of all the intermittent waterways, Akwaland is also inundated with Bluufae.

• The Dark Empire, as I mentioned earlier is famous for its mercenaries. There are also great stones, iron, copper, zinc and tin in this land and they readily accept both Stoontrols and Dwarfs (though Dwarfs to a lesser extent) to commute to mines, as long as they stay out of Graatrol politics and the Graatrols get a substantial cut of the profits. They must import almost all their meat, and a large percentage of their other food stuffs.

• Bluudland, the home of the Dwarfs is, as you might imagine, loaded with precious metals and gems. This is precisely why the Dwarfs settled there when they first arrived in Seekretya. The Dwarfs are artisans in jewelry and armor making. While the Elfs make small Magical Artifacts, and the Imps make clockwork devices, the Dwarfs make heavy machinery as well as their beautiful and often magical jewelry. They, much like their neighbors, the Graatrols, let their forests and meadows grow wild and import their foods, except meat. Dwarf love to hunt and because their lands are uncultured (at least on the surface) the whole of their land is a game park.

• Finally we come to Oranjland. The Imps that live there are renowned for their chocolates, pastries, and mechanical devices. They build the most intricate machines, run on clockwork springs, steam, wind and water. They take the metals from the Dwarfs, the lumber from the Wudtrols and combine them into useful and delightful devices both magical non-magical. Imps also travel far and wide as mechanics.

2. Check your timeline for pressure points caused by resource needs

• Wars of the Land (1000AD - 1600) -
From 1000 to 1600 the magical people had been coming to Seekretya, and jostling for positions. These long years of struggle were called the War of the Land. By 1600 most of the land had been carved out and only the Dark Empire and what would become the Confederacy of Liit were still locked in war. The Greatrols settled themselves into the Empire, but the Confederacy was not established until the final battle, called the Five Bloody Dawns and ultimately the involvement of the Dragons, and the First Treaty of Obsideeopolis.

• War of the Bling (1700 - 1705) -
There was a quiet, peaceful time from 1600 until 1700 when it was realized that all the Magical Artifacts had arrived and the arguments of who should get what flared up into the War of the Bling. This war lasted for five years and ended with the Battle for the Belt and the establishment of the Wizard System.

• War of the Trees (1880) -
For a very long time the Elves had smuggled magic seeds into Seekretya. These seeds were for the Magical Trees.

Magical Trees were not drawn into Seekretya, they are in fact, the only thing that can control Dragon Magic, they don't produce their own magic, but they do influence, magnify, focus and refine Magic.

The Elves had been growing Magical Groves for the purpose of using the Trees to take over all Magic. The Wizards slipped in their own mission by getting embroiled in the conflict.

In the end the War of the Trees was ended with the rise of the Woodans. The Woodan members crossed all races (except Dragons) and consisted of a cult who worshiped and loved the trees. The Wudtrols, Forest Elfs, and Treegiants split off of their Ethnogroups and started new ones who were ultimately entrusted with the keeping of the Magical Trees and Groves.

Wudtrols don't have their own land, but live throughout all the lands as sawmill owners. The Forest Elfs are woodcarvers, and the Treegiants are treeherds.

3. Which groups care about which resources?
• See above.

Work, Work, Work All the Time

I'm sorry I haven't been posting daily as I said I would.  It's just that it's been so busy at work.  Not that I have to fight off unwanted sexual advances from Elder Gods like this woman, but still, pretty busy.

Mrs. Prop has been out of town for the last two weeks too,  I've had to do everything around the house.  I've had to do all the cooking.  We love calimari around our house.

Also, the kids have been having finals this week.  Honestly I don't know what they're teaching the kids in school these days.  It isn't like it was when I was in school.

I think I deserve some refereshments, don't you?  Maybe I'll have some mornign pastries.  These look good.

Cthulhu Goes Hollywood

Cthulhu isn't the kind of god that the camera loves. It's rather difficult to get all of him in one shot, he gelatinous, which never photographs well, and, I don't know, they never seem to get the angle right.


As I prepare to embark on another attempt at the Great American Novel which, with luck will be made into a movie (see yesterday's post and the poll on the right) my mind is drawn to Cthulhu's cinematic exploits. Slowly and painfully, with horror at the eldritch sights it might see, is my mind drawn, but it is drawn just the same, to my great dismay.

Dismay? Yes, you see there seem to be three types of people beings in Hollywood: the actors, the technicians and those other, slimy vile creatures that I cannot name, but who exist by leaching off the other entities. They are the true power, the cabal who control all, manipulating, controlling, distorting, destroying, until there is nothing left but the sort of drivel that drives the world insane with Hannah Montana-vampire-werewolf lust, Avatar hypnosis, Pearl Harbor and Titanic distortion, and Godzilla sacrilege.

"Save Cahuenga Peak!" indeed, but from what?

Your Primary Mission

My Dad used to say, "It's hard to remember that your primary mission is to drain the swamp, when you're @sshole deep in aligators."

At the advice of several of my family members, I'm going to throw my hat in the ring again this year and participate in NaNoWriMo.


I looked back on my past participation and realized that I started in 2005. I completed my novel in '05 and '06. I didn't compete in '07 and I fell short in '08 and '09. In the last five years I've participated four times. I hadn't realized, partially because in '08 I fell so miserably short and only really worked on it for about two weeks out of the month.

My '09 effort was pretty good, but I just couldn't finish. I really do like the story and made some effort to finish in December, but you know the holidays and all.

This year has been such a drain on the emotions that despite the very little amount of writing I've actually done, I think NaNo would be a welcome escape. With this in mind I intend to write something uplifting and cheerful.

I had flirted with writing a horror novel, since I seem to do pretty well with those, but as I mentioned, the year has been dark enough as it is. I do have a very good plot and set of characters developed for a horror story, but I've had them for a while and since they still tickle my imagination now, I'm sure they'll keep for a year more.

I have posted a poll. I have had fairly poor responses to polls, and it's getting a bit late in the preparatory month, but I'm going to do it anyway and see what it gets me.

Should I write a children's fantasy, I have a good start with Seekretya? Should I write an adult fantasy, my Heavy Magic work could be parleyed into that, or would a fantasy comedy be better? Should I write a children's or Young Adult mystery (not involving a murder)? If the mystery is lighthearted and comedy leaning it might be bright enough.

Anyway, I've got a lot of work to do: Katrina Nightmares, Cthulhu month, prepping for NaNo, and Guilda to frame for it, I'm swamped. So, I guess I'll be paddling along.

Illini Beat Penn State

Funny thing happened while I was watching the Fighting Illini pound the Nittany Lions yesterday, 33-13.

No it wasn't that Joe Paterno looks like a Great Old One.  No, this was even more disturbing than that.

While I was watching, and enjoying the game they showed a highlight of the Texas game.  Apparently they have the world's largest scoreboard there.

Anyway, it was showing the game and suddenly it flashed to what you see in the picture.

What can this mean?  Are we all doomed?

Most Likely to Destroy the World and Send All of Humanity Screaming in Madness Before Devouring Their Souls and Rending their Bodies

Bet you didn't know Cthulhu and I were roommates in college.

You probably didn't know I'm that old either.

Anyway Cthulhu was a real gas back then, or rather an ectoplasmic squirming mass of the most vile puss congealed on this or any other world in our careless, empty universe.

We did the craziest things back then.  Cthulhu kept trying to eat people and everybody seemed to just loose their minds when we went to parties.

I remember the time we were doing body shots of tequila, but maybe I shouldn't tell that story, I think the warrant is still in effect.

Anyway, Cthulhu, never ever change man.

I mean it.

Well, maybe change your hairstyle, I mean, business in the front and party in the back?  You're Cthulhu dude!

It's PARTY ALL the time!!!

The Truth is Written in the Clouds

Don't look up, don't look up!

Oh dang...

You looked up didn't you?  I told you not to and you did it anyway.  Now your mind is cold oatmeal isn't it?

Hey, are you paying any attention to me?

Well are you?  Oh no...

You did it again, didn't you?

I guess there is only one thing left to do with you...

Sacrifice!

More Orange and Blue Koolaid to Drown My Sorrows

I've found the perfect cup from which to drink my orange and blue koolaid.  The potasium cynaide will go down so much smoother in this beautifully etched crystal.

And I'll be needing it.

The Ilini made a good showing for themselves and I thought they might pull it off until the 4th quarter when they kept making penalties.  Still, it was better than 30-0 which was what they got against Ohio State last year.  It was a fun game to watch too.

The Bears are another story, too TOO painful to watch.  This was definitely a put-your-hands-over-your-ears-and-go-la-la-la-la game.

OMG!  What the heck happened?

I could have sworn this thing had wheels yesterday, but today they seem to have fallen off.

Politics Makes Very Strange Bedfellows

The current Mayor Dailey has chosen not to run for the office again.  That leave a power vacuum.

Yoiu know what abhors a vacuum?  An aberation.

And you know who IS going to run?

That looks like an elder sign to me, what do you think?

If it is, he's a shoe-in.

Let Cthulhu Month Begin!

It's October again and you know what that means, no, not that, it's Cthulhu Month.

Here's my first image.  As usual I'll be posting a blasted image of one of the Great Old Ones each day.

This is a picture of me in our kitchen, oh wait, there's something wrong, what could it be?

Oh, I know, this is our old kitchen, we've remodeled since I had this image created.

I'm also going to be recording the nightmare I experience while deployed in support of the relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina.

I'm also going to post The Night of the Purple Fog at Papa Stories.

Got to get to work.

Orange and Blue - Who's Fault

The Fighting Illini Football team were off this week, but Mikel LeShoure got a full page in the Chicago Tribune this Sunday.  I love when Chicago actually acknowledges the Illini.

Bears beat the Packers (curse you Greenbay Packerpus) 20-17 last night.  Unfortunately I couldn't watch, but I listened as long as I could and it sounded non too good at first.

This morning I got right on the highlights on the web and I see Packers fans saying in the same breath, the Bears had no business on the field with the Packers who are the only true Superbowl caliber team in the NFC, while they also say that the Packers gave the game away on penalties.

Excuse me, but Superbowl caliber teams don't GIVE games away and Superbowl caliber teams don't commit three miles of penalties.

But, still they say, the Bears didn't win that game.

Well, if the Bears didn't win it, and the Packers didn't lose it, who is responsible.  Aaron Rodgers gives the Soldier Field crowd credit.  Ok, we'll take that, Chicago won.

The Equinox, The Equinox, Autunal Equinox

Today is the Autumnal Equinox, the moon is full, there is a spring tide and the Earth is pointed at, at...

I've not been sleeping well the past few nights with the turning of the world and the coming equinox.  It was exactly five years ago on the equinox that I experienced something I've never been able to bring myself to tell anyone.  I tried, last year, I tried.  I thought enough time had passed.  I thought I had regained enough of my nerve to relay the fact to you.  I couldn't last year.

It may have been a blessing in disguise, bah, blessing, as if there were such things as blessing or Someone to bless me, to bless us. 

It may have been for the best that I could not tell you the story of what happened that Atumnal Equinox in New Orleans in 2005.  I'm still not sure if everyone should know or no one.  I think no one, I don't want anyone to know, no one should know, but someone does.  I do.

I do know, and maybe, just maybe I'll be able to share the experience this time; or maybe my subconcious, which knows best, may steal my resolve again.

It's still dark now while I write this, the moon is still out.  I don't know if you can take it, but I'm going to have to wait until the light of day.  When the sun is over head I'll try to tell my story, as much as I can, while I can.  It may take me several days, several posts, but I'll try, I'll try.

AHOY, T'day Be Talk Like A Pirate Day Matys! ARR!

Hi-ho. this day be speak Like a scurvy pirate Day. I be hopin' to have a jolly day. We're goin' to church, then we're goin' to Denny's if we're lucky. Then we're goin' to me in-laws so I can mow th' lawn. If I be lucky I gunna catch th' Bears battle 'n maybe put grub in me gullet some pizza. When we get back I'll be off to th' grocery store 'n then get ready fer th' mornin' 'n be off to sliumber in davey jones' treasure chest. What gunna ye do?

More Bike Commute Reports

Friday 20 Aug 10 - IN - Parked near Hanrahan Park and rode up the North Shore Trail spur to the trail. I rode in to work the same route I would ride home so I could see how long it might take. If I can keep the homeward route down to about 45 min and the car part under 5 then I'll be fine. I rode kind of easy and I barely could find my way through the park and up the spur. I'm sure that will be faster in the light.

HOME - I looked up from work and saw that it was already after 2. I scrambled and got out the door at 14:18. I rode as hard as I could. I had never gotten home faster than I had gotten to work, but I managed to make it back to the van in 37 minutes, a full 4 minutes faster than I got to work from the car (in the morning I actually didn't know where I was going and had to double back a bit, but never before did that matter). I took Brice down to the van, and the way to work I took the trail spur. The trail spur seems okay in the morning because it's more open and light, but in the afternoon it will be too exposed to the sun. I noticed a big windmill behind Cluver's today and a big log in the river that I never saw before. It took 7 minutes to get home once I got back in the car. Combined I took 44 minutes to get home. That is the best time I've ever had getting home so far, but I don't think it's sustainable. I think this route is sustainable at 50 min. That will be okay if I leave work at 14:00.
 
Monday 23 Aug 10
IN - I tried to park coloser to the end of the spur, but the is no parking on village streets 6:00am-2:00pm anywhere in Libertyville. That's a big drag. Since I went over there looking and had to come back, I was late getting started. Both my long range flashlights went out so I had to use just the LED one. That one sprays light around so I can't see at all unless I put my hand over the top of it. My first priority today is to get a good flashlight as a headlight (I'll get two if they're cheap and only use the LED one as backup. It was very cool this morning. I saw the same guy on Atkinson that I saw on Friday. I actually saw him before I got out of the car in Mundelein or Libertyville. I'll have to ask him where he's coming from if I see him again. He completely blew off the stop sigh on Atkinson, but he pulled over to the side to let a car pass as we were coming down off the hill. I followed him into Abbott Park and he actually used his ID to get the gate to open. He stopped once he was in and as I passed he smiled and said good morning.


HOME - I tried to get out on time, but people kept talking to me. I took a more scenic route because the time wasn't as critical (MAL was home sick). I took the Des Plaines River Trail and later took the North Shore spur. The spur got me around the construction and I wanted to check out another parking spot that would avoid the construction. The other parking spot wouldn't work because it's a no parking, school area. It took me 8 minutes to get home in the car for a total home trip of 48 min, still better than anything without the car. I noticed grasses growing on the older storage building (like behind Culvers) I wonder if that's a green roof.

Tue 24-Aug-10 Have to take the bike in to get the brakes adjusted. Yesterday they had gotten so soft that I almost missed a walk button, had a hard time stopping at stop signs and nearly ran into that other bike guy in the morning. It had been getting bad for a while (especially after that big rain) but not it has me worried, and I'm overdue for the one month tightening up. The gears seem to be slipping less, but they still do.


Thu 26-Aug-10
IN - Hooray, I'm back on my bike today. There is a clicking that was very seldom now, I couldn't really get it to do it at the shop, but is pretty common now. It has to be something in the bike because I can feel it in my feet as well as hear it. I'm really hoping it's nothing serious. The sky was absolutely clear this morning and the moon was almost full, very pretty. I parked near Hanrahan and left the house at 4:48. I got into the park on the bike at 4:57 but I rode most of the way on the roads, making up time. It ended up slower in total than other mornings (45min door to door today vs 40, 42 and other 45) but mornings are not what counts. I didn't catch my biking "friend" until we were both in Abbott Park, just past AP32. Very cold this morning at 58o when I checked it on the web.

HOME - I actually beat SEL today! She caught traffic and I got out the door 5 minutes earlier than I had been. I left the office at 14:13 and got to the van at 14:50 (37 minutes, pretty good), then I got home at 2 minutes to three (total going home time 45 minutes). I took the spur so I could avoid construction, but I think next week construction may be over in that Dalton-Brice area. I think riding on the street will be faster. The spur isn't too bad when it's cool and it was about 78o or so. It is slow because of the turns.

Fri 27-Aug-10
IN - WOW! This was my fastest ever coming in time. I rode all the way from home and I beat some of my riding from the van times (although two of them were on the trail not the street because I was testing the time for going home). I figured because the HS girls are off today and I can afford to be late if I have to be. I don't think I will though. My fastest going home time with the van is 45 minutes and my fastest without is 50 minutes. If I leave at 14:00 I'll make it in plenty of time. 60o this morning. I was very snotty, but I like the cool temps much better, they might be helping me go faster.

HOME - Nothing much to report today. I got caught by both Milwaukee and Butterfield lights. I rode as hard and fast as I could. This was the fastest ride door to door, but it's still a minute slower than the slowest door to door using the van. I guess the parking the van at Hanrahan park is the best chance for me to get home before Sophie. I did see a girl sunbathing just off the trail about one block past Butterfield. I didn't see her until I had passed her because I was pedaling hard as I had just crossed the street. She was laying on her front in a pink flowered bikini.

Mon 30-Aug-10 Tore up my heels something fierce in the Rugby match Saturday so I'll have to stay off the bike for at least today. I brought my clothes in.

Fri 3-Sep-10
IN - Tied the record (38min), and I wasn't even pedaling hard. MAL is working from home today so I could ride the whole way. I think it was a combination of cool weather (61o) and I spent absolutely no time on the trail. 176 has been recently paved the whole way and it is really smooth and fast. I spent nearly the whole time in 3-7. I'm not sure if my legs are really that much stronger or used to riding than they were when I started so I don't know if that contributed to it as well. It had been raining heavily when I went to bed, but the morning was so clear that I could see not only Orion's belt but his sword as well. I definitely need a new light. I could hardly see at all and it was dark the whole way in. I ordered two flashlights yesterday. I also think a billed cap would be useful to keep on-coming headlights out of my eyes.

HOME - Big headwind and I wasn't going for speed (59 min). I went past Minear Lake. It was only about 70o but because of the wind I still got warm enough to sweat. The bike is making the ratchety clicking sound every time I press down on the left pedal.

Sat 4-Sep-10 Took bike in to shop. He said it is the bottom bracket and he'll have to replace it. It's still under warrantee. I also had him lower the handlebars so I can avoid the wind a bit.

New Romisen Flashlight (above w/ extension in)

Thu 9-Sep-10
IN - New flashlight worked like a dream. I don't even know why I would need a second one. It's the Rominson. It doesn't fit a single battery or do 2 modes as advertized, but with 2 AAs it was like a motorcycle headlight. I spent more time paying attention to my equipment and didn't really notice anything on the ground except I went through some fog this morning. It was really pretty cold (50o). A car didn't stop on Atkinson as I was coming out of Fox Run and crossing over to the bike trail. I was stopped and he slowed down, but didn't stop at all to give me the right of way to cross to the trail. I yelled at him. Took me 44min total to get in which is pretty slow. I wasn't pushing it, but I did catch all the lights. I had to stop once because my nose was running so bad. I'm going to have to keep my handkerchief in my pocket and probably bring a spare.

HOME - Went to the ADD picnic for a few minutes behind AP32, so my times are based on that, slightly less that the real total times. It was still very cool on the way home. Although the ride seems to be smoother and less difficult, I seem to have slowed down (30 min bike plus 10 min car). I was thinking that I don't see much when I saw two guys rustling around in the bushes along the Trail. I asked them what they were gathering, suspecting it was grapes and they confirmed that. The man I talked to had a soiled, heavy winter coat and about three teeth. He tried to explain to me about how healthy grapes are, but I hadn't stopped to ask him and I didn't stop to listen. There are grape vines growing among the bushes almost all along the trail.

Fri 10-Sep-10
IN - Since the HS girls have half a day I decided to ride all the way today. Near the monistary I saw something to my left and when a car passed me I heard a crash as the deer ran off into the woods. I never realized just how loud they can be. ALL the lights were in my favor today and I definetely know how to trip the Abbott light sensors (cross the sensor with my back tire and turn the front tire so that it is on the sensor, following the curve), but I was still pretty slow. My nose runs a lot when it's this cold 50o. I'm going to have to figure out a way to wipe it without stopping. I tried today, but I couldn't do it with my handkerchief. I ended up stopping. It was actually the only time I did stop. Now that I've lowered my handlebars and when I ride that long my hands get numb. I may need gloves to help with that. They would also help with the sweating and changing grears when it's hot. I'll put it on my wish list.

HOME - Went pretty fast (47 min door to door) and I beat Sophia home since I actually left on time. I almost laid the bike on the ground coming off the trail onto the sidewalk at Milwaukee. I tried to make the turn mostly by leaning and the crushed gravel of the trail slipped. I put one foot down and popped back up.

Wed 15-Sep-10
IN - Took all streets, Brice up to Hawley, then St. Mary's up to Atkinson, and not bike trail on Atkinson. I rode through Abbott Park. I know I left the house in the van at 4:37 and I got to work at 5:13, but I'm not sure how quickly I got to riding the bike. I can't imagine it was faster than 8 min, which makes today the fastest ever ride in. It was mostly clear and warmer than last week. Because I rode only on the streets I didn't notice any leaves, but last week I had heard some crickety-crunch sounds which I at first thought were the gears clicking again, but in retrospect I think they were the first of the fallen leaves. I saw five American flags on poles along St. Mary's just south of MacArthur "road." I'd never noticed them before. Found out today that 176 has sensors at Butterfield. I tried to ride across as a vehicle, but I was no where near the sensors and I had to wait for someone to trip them.

HOME - I got stopped by the light crossing Waukegan at Atkinson. There were no cars going my way so I couldn't go at all, couldn't trip the sensors. I think I'll have to go through the Park to avoid that light because it can really slow me down. I then got stopped by a train crossing Atkinson. Went through the Greenbriar subdivision. Once I got on St. Mary's road I saw a crowbar along the shoulder. I'll have to keep my eyes open. When I got to the car, because I was trying to go fast I came down the hill very fast and slammed on the brakes. I fishtailed a bit and when I went to put my foot down on the right I didn't put it down flat, but caught the edge of my shoe and rolled it. Fortunately I didn't put any weight on it, but had to hope off the bike and nearly dropped it. It all worked out though. The ride to the van took 38 minutes, which is pretty slow considering the 28 minute ride from the van.

Thu 16-Sep-10
IN - I woke up at 1:30 and it was raining. I decided not to ride. Then when I woke up at 3:30 I hit the snooze (unfortunately a 9 min one) so when I woke up at 3:39 I saw that not only was it not raining, the ground had dried. It was still cloudy, but some of the stars were shining through. I got a late start and my legs felt really heavy. I packed in case it started raining on the trip and so when I was done I had to dig my phone out of my bag. It took 38 min riding, 4 min slower than yesterday, even though today I caught all the lights and took the exact same route. I wonder if my riding will get more predictable as far as time goes, the longer I do it. Anna Clausen showed me the bike she wants to buy (I'm pretty sure she said it was 52, as in $5,200). I showed her my bike and the new light. She lifted the front fork and gasped at how much it weighed, which is funny since there is so much weight on the back that it causes the front to be lighter.

HOME - WNW headwind all the whole way, really sapped my strength, but I managed to make it to the van in 37 min (min faster than yesterday). I noticed that the big industrial windmill points it's nose at the wind with the blades trailing. I also noticed the river a bit higher. The sky was threatening so I had a double race to run, beat Sophie (which I lost) and beat the rain (which I won, but it didn't rain). I put the lights all on because it was so dark.

Fri 17-Sep-10
IN - Colder today so my nose was running like a faucet, had to use my extra handkerchief a lot. Got caught by a couple of lights and felt really tired again. The biggest problems were, first my batteries ran out on my big flashlight and I had to replace them about Milwaukee, then there was a dragging and a flapping sound on St. Mary's just south of Atkinson. I stopped and I think the left bag was just rubbing the spokes. I shifted it, but it seems to do it each time I hit a bump. I'll have to figure something out for the trip home, and then something more permanent. The flashlight batteries lasted about 4 1/2 trips (3 mornings, 1 afternoon and half a morning). That's about what I was hoping for and I'm very happy with it.

HOME - Turned out that the board I put in my computer bag broke. I remounted it and it rode very well. There was a SSW wind that slowed me a tiny bit. I saw quite a few walkers, but no riders. I did see one bike at Milwaukee just standing on the sidewalk with no rider in sight.

Sat 18-Sep-10 Got my Tank007 flashlight today. I'll mount it Monday probably. It's much brighter than the other one, think that's because its on high. I can change modes (there seem to be 5), but I'm not sure how to control when they change. It gets warm on high very quickly. I don't know if the heat won't turn it off mid-ride and I don't know how long the batteries will last.

Orange and Blue Kool-Aid Time

I suppose a lot of people stumble upon this site (or google upon it) looking for Fighting Illini content. Up until now all those people went away with nothing. I say, "up until now" because from now on I'm going to have some Illini content.


I realized, after an abysmal preseason, that my beloved Bears were going to disappoint me this year, and maybe even match last year when they failed to retool the entire coaching staff. They proved me right yesterday by doing everything they possibly could to lose that game. I guess Detroit is just better at losing than the Bears.

I bleed orange and blue, from when I was a youngster hoping to run like Walter. When I attended the University of Illinois I managed to make only one football game because I was always playing Rugby on Saturdays. After school I could never find the Illini on TV in the Chicago area, I could never find them on the radio either. College football baffled me any way with 10,000 schools and 176 conferences.

I wanted to follow the Illini, don't get me wrong, it was just too difficult. This year I found the Big 10 Network is FREE on my Dish subscription, and WIND AM560 carries the games.

I saw, and heard my first game last Saturday. Oh my. I know it was SIU and not another Big 10 team, but the sights, the Marching Illini, the end zones emblazoned in orange, Block I, the history, the memories. Why had I not tried to do this earlier? Why had I not gone to basketball games when I was at school?

I'm embarrassed that I don't know the words to Oskee Wow Wow, that I don't really know the traditions of the Chief, that I learned the Illinois Loyalty song only while deployed in Afghanistan (in 2004-2005 when they were Number 1 for most of the season). I can't go back and fix that, but I will share my experiences of this season with you if you'd like.

One time while we are being rocketed in Afghanistan I was in a bunker with the DIVARTY Command Sergeant Major. He was from the 25 Infantry Division out of Hawaii, and hadn't been in country long. I had been in Afghanistan for six months by then and these attacks were old hat. I was on the radio working on part of the defense of the base, being the Base Operations Commander, and he seemed to notice our unit's call sign for the first time.

"Illini? That's hard to say. You know, you should be Bobcat, or Badger, something easy to say."

I looked at him square in the eye and said, "We're Illini, Sergeant Major."

Bike Commute, the Next Week

Monday, 9 Aug 10 IN TO WORK - Saw lightning from my window, but it was only in the clouds, the ground was dry and I couldn't hear any thunder, I decided to go for it. It started raining before I got to Seymour. It rained very hard the whole way. By the time I got to the trail the lightning was very bright and frequent, after Butterfield I decided it was too dangerous (being under trees and power lines) to stay on the trail so I moved to Hawley. I tried to ride on the street, but it wasn't paved yet and the street was filled with water. I moved to the sidewalk, but that wasn't draining right either. I moved back to the street at about the self storage store (right before Culvers). That was better and there was no traffic. The back gates were closed (have to find out when they open) so I had to ride to Rte 43 and finish there.

I counted the following:
3 stop signs in Cambridge Country
10 stop signs along the road and I estimate
3 in Abbott Park.

My count may be off because I spent some of the time on Hawley and never made it into AP.

I counted:
9 lights and
3 RR crossings.

HOME - Not anything remarkable. Times were very much estimates

Tuesday, 10 Aug 10
IN TO WORK - Went for speed today. I rode in on Hawley to the Trail. Then at Butterfield I went back to Hawley. I rode up St. Mary's. I caught all the lights.

HOME - Went down Waukegan Rd to Atkinson, then to Oak Spring Rd (it had a roadside bike trail that goes right past the beach at Minear Lake). I took side streets down to Hawley just before Milwaukee, then Hawley to Milwaukee and back to the trail. I synced with a slightly older couple who were riding my way. The guy had a road bike, but the woman had a mountain bike. I had a hard time keeping up with them and she didn't look like she was putting in anywhere near the effort I was. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I didn't have my computer with me. Took the Carmel parking lot to McAllister to Brice to Countryside (it's under construction, but I rode through the gravel/dirt) to Prospect. I was pedaling hard the whole way and still I could only get it down to 50 min. I had studied the maps and this is the shortest/fastest way short of riding the whole way on the big streets. Must find a better way to get home to the daughter.

Wednesday, 11 Aug 10
IN TO WORK - Got caught by a train near Seymour, then again almost on Atkinson (the train cleared the road before I got there off the hill). I took Hawley - Trail - Butterfield - Hawley - St.Mary's - Atkinson - Waukegan. Not all the lights were in my favor so I didn't repeat my time. The driveway in to the condos also links to the Abbott driveway so I don't have to ride the last few hundred feet on the street.

HOME - Tried a new route that I got off the map, but one of the streets turned out to be gravel then a two track and then it was completely overgrown. The route is supposed to be 9.3 miles and they estimate 48 minutes. Even though I blew off almost all the stop signs I had a 7mph wind out of the WSW and it took me 56 minutes. I get more tired as the week goes on. I don't know if I can keep it up, but I certainly can't rely on being able to make it home in time for Sophia. I'm going to have to drive half way and ride the rest.

Thursday, 12 Aug 10
IN TO WORK - I didn't feel very strong and didn't think I was going very fast. I got a late start because I slept late because I went to bed late. I basically took the same route as yesterday, but I didn't get caught by a train. There is a display speedometer on Hawley and it showed I was going 14mph. Made good time though.

HOME - I thought I'd be tired and didn't think I had to hurry so I took it easy. It seemed easier than yesterday. I didn't get stopped by anything unusual and took the same route as yesterday (with less effort) and got home 4 min earlier.

Friday the 13th
Wanted to try driving part way in, but I had too much to do today and wanted to get the daughter as early as possible so I drove all the way.

I worked from home Monday and Tuesday so no ride. I did drive the route to look for a place to park. The trail is about a third of the way (3 miles), but it's right near Carmel HS and so no parking. Half way is right near Libertyville HS and no parking there either. I might have to re-think the idea of driving part way.

ARGH, Curse you weatherman!!!

It didn't thunderstorm like they said it would, in fact it only got moderately damp.  It was completely dry on the way in and sunny on the way home.  It wasn't even partially cloudy.

I could've ridden my bike in today.  Now I have meeting on top of meeting in different buildings on Thursday.  If today's promised rain shows up tomorrow it's looking like this has gone from a five day bike commute week to a one day.

CURSE YOU WEATHERMAN!

Bike Thwarted

I did not ride in to work today because the report is for thunderstorms, heavy thunderstorms and severe thunderstorms all day. I'm not worried about me, per se, I'm worried about my computer, so I played it safe.


After coming home from our soirée in Michigan I was raring to ride. I had been anxious to ride into work the whole time I was gone.

In the packing (or maybe it was the unpacking) for the trip I had found a pair of identical black, canvas briefcases and I made a pair of panniers out of them.

When I say I had "made" them into panniers, what I mean is I stuck some cardboard in them, and hooked them to my rack by the handles, drink bottle d-rings and bungee cords. The system was completely untested on Monday morning last week, and I shied away from testing it on the commute. Instead I fretted over the configuration and drove a week's worth of work clothes in by car.

I did ride in on Tuesday last week and I decided that I needed to see or experience something new on each commute. I didn’t want for it to become too routine and for me to become jaded. In addition to having the new panniers (which worked very well) I saw a pair of foxes on the trip home.

I rode in again on Wednesday. On the way in it was rather quiet, but on the way home it turned out to be a very eventful return commute. There is a big display on the campus of work that shows you how fast you're going (to discourage exceeding the campus speed limit of 20mph). I had gone past it before at 17mph. For fun I tried to go past it above the speed limit, and succeeded at 21mph. Ironically, about five minutes after I had left campus (on a city street) I saw someone get a ticket for speeding. I went past them and made it too the light, and my turn far ahead of the speeder. I felt triumphant.

It had been raining all the previous weekend very heavily. There were still flood warnings for the Fox River, so I checked out the Des Plaines River trail to see if it were dry. The lowest part that I need to travel is where it passes under the bridge at Hawley, so I rode the hundred meters or so to see if it were clear and it was. I tested a new route (on which I got lost a bit) going through Carmel High School's parking lot and around to McKinley.

On Thursday I rode in again. I thought I was getting into a good pattern and rhythm. I tried a slightly different route in to work, taking Atwood to Hawley, and riding on street down Hawley. I saw tire tracks on the bike trail under power lines, saw Cthulhu looking clouds that looked like they opened its eyes, Along the River trail I heard frogs, and saw sparks on the power line on Atkinson. I tried going around the work campus the opposite way I had before. I didn't think it was really any faster.

Again the way home proved even more eventful. The chain slipped off rear gears going into 7th almost at Carmel. I had to lay the bike down and struggled with it for quite a bit. Eventually I fixed it and went gentle the rest of the way home. I took the Carmel parking lot again, fumbled a bit with figuring out how to get home. There is construction and they tore up several blocks of street in that neighborhood. I tried several different routes to get past the construction before finally finding my way.

I didn’t ride in on Friday, in fact I didn't even go in to work, I worked from home. My youngest daughter had to be home alone so I stayed home.

I had to work Saturday, but since my wife wasn't feeling well and we had a big family party to go to as soon as I was done at work, I drove in. But, knowing that I had only bike commuted three days I was determined to do more this week. I brought all my work clothes and other supplies on Saturday.

Yesterday I was ready to finally ride in for five out of five days. I left early enough to see stars. Along the River trail the part under the bridge was dry but almost to the canoe launch I ran into a BIG Mud puddle. I saw that the trail itself was flooded. The water had come up from the right side so I decided to try to go around on the grassy left side. Now, remember this was about 5:00 in the morning so it was still quite dark. It turned out that the ground was saturated all along that side too. I ended up to the reflectors on the wheels and barely made it through.

On the way home I went for speed, didn't do River trail in case it was still flooded. I actually did NOT make any wrong turns along any of my route. Still it took me 55 minutes to get home.

It doesn't look like this week will be a full week of riding though. We looked at our calendars and I'm going to have to bring my daughter to work on Friday. She's not really riding yet and could never make the nearly 10 mile route anyway, so I'll have to drive.

Now today, as I said before I was thwarted by threatening weather. How does that song go, "I've seen fire and I've seen rain?" Well, I didn't see the rain coming in, but I sure hope it's a duesey, or I'll feel terrible for not riding.  I did see the lightning though.