9/11/10

I'm sure you all remember that on 9/11/01 a horrific event befell the American people.  We watched as commercial airliners, commandeered by terrorists, plunged into the Twin Towers in NYC, symbols of the heart of capitalism.  It was a life changing moment for all. 

America no longer appeared invisible.  We had again been goaded into war as we did in 1941 by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.  At the time it seemed to shake our base beliefs. 

In the following days, weeks and months, NYC, and the country, banded together and helped each other.  Like the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the attack on the Twin Towers came to symbolize the best in people in this country as they rallied around their beliefs and fought to protect their way of life. 

In observing this horrible event, we should honor those who lost their lives both at the time and in the ensuing conflicts brought on by this attack.  We should remember and be thankful for our freedoms and liberties and never take them for granted.  We should work to protect those less fortunate than us and we should work to encourage cooperation and understanding. 

This is what I believe the remembrance events this weekend should be about.

Holladay Blvd ReSurfaced

I got out this morning onto Holladay Blvd to go to work and ran smack dab into a line up of heavy equipment.  They are resurfacing the road and it doesn't look pretty.

Aside from the momentary inconvenience of the actual work it looks like they are doing the gravel and tar thing rather than actual asphalt.  That is cheesy. 

The gravel and tar method is a lot messier than asphalt.  With asphalt trucks dump the material on the road and a huge machine manicures the surface and steamrollers smooth it out.  It is ready for full use in about an hour.

With gravel they dump a lot of tar on the road and then spread out gravel.  The cars running over it mash the gravel into the tar and eventually it becomes a solid surface.  In the mean time you have the potential of tar covered cars and broken windshields from wayward gravel. 

I know we are in an economic ice box and everyone wants to save money but Holladay Blvd is a major thoroughfare through the Salt Lake valley.  Save money on the side streets and use the good stuff on a road that will see a lot of traffic.

Also there are other users besides the cars.  Holladay Blvd is a major corridor for biking and running.  With the gravel method this surface is unuseable for at least a week and rough thereafter.  The gravel doesn't get squashed into the tar on the margins so it has to naturally settle, as slow as molasses running up hill in the winter.

This is dangerous for runners and for bikers.  Holladay took the cheap way out rather than thinking about its exercise conscious citizens. 

My Point Exactly

I read this in the City Weekly and thought it summed up what I was trying to say a few days ago.

Big Box Blight or the Costco Quandry

OK, so I probably read too much of the SL Trib this week.  I seem to be on the cheesy headline express here.   My point is that it is a blight on society to buy perishable goods in bulk if you are just going to throw most of it away.

You go to Costco, you see 50 lbs of lettuce for $3.99.  Now you know one head of lettuce at the "neighborhood grocery" costs double that.  You get the 50 lbs and only eat 1 pound before it goes bad.

You think "what a waste" but the next time you are in the Fresh Market you look at lettuce and it is now $6.99 a pound.  You wait until your next Costco run and then pick up the 50 lbs bag.  You ask yourself how can they do that?

The truth is someone is being asked to farm 8 billion acres of lettuce and make only $.01 a head but they will sell Costco a trillion heads of lettuce.  All that plowing, all that fertilizer, all that harvesting equipment, all that packaging, transportation and refrigeration (the average meal travels 1500 miles to your plate) just so you can eat only a portion of it to throw the rest away. 

Seems like a huge waste of time, materials, money and energy. 

Time for a Tire Change on My Motorcycle

Last night I put new tires on my KLR. Both front and rear. Both are Dunlop 606 full dirt tires. I have run only the 606 on the rear in the past but this last time I tried a 50/50 tire, a Kenda. I didn't like it. It was fine in the pavement but when I got on the dirt, particularly with a load, it seemed to have a tendency to break out in front of me, as if I was going to go down. Not a good feeling.


Here are some pics of the dirty deed. The front came off and went on well. Its a 21 inch tire on a skinny wheel. The rear objected more. Its a fat wheel that is only 17 inches. I also have a bead lock on the rear. I fought with it and with a little help from the shop forman (Bob) I was able to wrestle it into submission.

Did I mention that Bob has a really awesome shop with lots of tools, like the lift the bike is on and the tire changer.  He also has a welder a metal chop saw, lots of grinders, drills and hand tools.  He also offers great 60s blues music and libations.  What more could you want from a man cave?  Oh yea, did I mention the two vintage Harleys he is always tinkering with and the 3 vintage British bikes (2 Triumphs and a Norton - the yellow bike in the first picture.  The MG in the second pic is another project Bob works on inbetween bikes).  My lowly KLR looks like a cast off next to these
Bob and I went on a ride afterwards and all was well. The new tires felt really good. Nothing like new rubber under you.

Go Lynx Baseball

Well, things seem to be going wrong all over so I thought I would share this story I read recently about a local sports team.

The Salt Lake Lutheran Lynx baseball team almost had to cancel their season because they had less than 9 players signed up to play.  The coach asked the student body, all 55 of them, if someone would join the team to make up a squad.

They got enough responses so that they could field a full team with 3 subs (12 players in all).  Some had never played baseball or softball before.  The pitcher hadn't pitched, ever, until the day before their first game.  One kid had never been to a baseball game. 

The coach didn't hold tryouts, he just played catch with them.  If they could catch the ball they played infield, if not, outfield. 

This would be disheartening for most.  Especially since they lost their first game 39 - 2 and their second game 24 -2.  But these kids say they're having fun.  They enjoy learning the game and look forward to the next contest.

They didn't appear to have any dreams of playing pro ball, they weren't looking for scouts in the stands, they just wanted to play baseball.  I thought those days were gone, when guys played because it was fun. 

Although the Lynx are from Salt Lake Lutheran High (4020 South 900 East) they are practicing at Lindsay Gardens (8th Avenue and M Street), upper field, and will have their games there most likely.  If you want to make sure call the school before a game and ask where they will be playing. I talked to Patty, she was very helpful.  Their phone number is (801) 266-6676.

The Lynx's next 4 games are all at Lindsey Gardens (8th Ave and M St.), upper field on Wednesday, Sept 8 at 4:00 pm vs. St. Joseph, Wednesday, Sept 15 at 4:00 pm vs. Intermountain Christian, Friday, Sept 17 at 4:00 pm vs West Ridge Academy and Friday, Sept 24 at 4:00 pm vs. Christian Heritage.

"Well, beat the drum and hold the phone - the sun came out today!

We’re born again, there’s new grass on the field.
A-roundin’ third, and headed for home, it’s a brown-eyed handsome man;
Anyone can understand the way I feel.

Chorus:
Oh, put me in, coach - I’m ready to play today;
Put me in, coach - I’m ready to play today;
Look at me, I can be centerfield.

Well, I spent some time in the mudville nine, watchin’ it from the bench;
You know I took some lumps when the mighty casey struck out.
So say hey willie, tell ty cobb and joe dimaggio;
Don’t say "it ain’t so", you know the time is now.

Got a beat-up glove, a homemade bat, and brand-new pair of shoes
You know I think it’s time to give this game a ride.
Just to hit the ball and touch ’em all - a moment in the sun;
(pop) it’s gone and you can tell that one goodbye!"

Lyrics to song "Centerfield" by John Fogarty

A Day in the Sunset

Nothing much going on.  I am burried in this project I am doing for my client, my wife is busy with work and between these things and harrassing our senior to get to school on time so she can graduate, we barely had enough time to steal a bit of yesterday afternoon for ourselves.

We had ambitions of getting in a long bike ride or a hike.  Both things we like to do but the day dragged us both down enought that that sounded like too much work.

We ended up going to our favorite shake shack and ordering two shakes to go.  I had peach and my wife had mocha with butterfinger crunch and hot fudge. She has always been like that.  She is Dutch so all things chocolate are always good. 

Like Emeril said about garlic; someone asked him about what to do if he put too much garlic in a recipe.  He said he didn't know because he had never been there.  I figure my wife would never say there was too much chocolate.

We took our shakes up to a spot on the bench and watched the sun set.  It was a very relaxing half hour.  A much needed break from our day.