My Top 10 Bicycling Holiday Gift Wish List

Yes, Santa bikes! Source: Bicycle Touring Guide

A while ago I wrote a post about “manifesting abundance” — whether it really works or is horse manure. As with matters spiritual I’m an agnostic atheist, so in this case I’m going to say the jury is still out. So it occurred to me with Chanukah and other holidays around the corner that there is a lot of stuff I need for my bicycle habit. In case the Universe, Elon Musk or someone is listening, I’ve complied a list.

You never know, maybe there are some secretly rich fans out there with wads of cash money burning big holes in their pockets who weren’t aware that I’m not burdened with the filthy lucre. (As for whether I’ve been naughty or nice, well, whatever the gift-giving goddesses need to hear is the correct answer.) My go-to shops are Sun & Ski Sports, The Peddler Bike Shop, Clown Dog Bikes and Bicycle Sports Shop. After all, wasn’t it Jesus himself who said, “Ask, and you shall receive”? You don’t want to go against that guy, right? But totally seriously, here’s my list, y’all. One thing’s for sure: Biking sure ain’t cheap.

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Attracting Abundance: Absurd, or an Art?

Recently I was reading something that suggested the reason most people are not wealthy was really our own damn fault for having negative subconscious thoughts about money, usually from growing up. Change your thinking about money, the mantra goes, and you’ll magically remove those obstacles. Of course that’s just pure illogical bunk and New Age hooey, right? There are real world factors like education, disability, corporate capitalism, class, sex, racial and other forms of discrimination, lack of access to resources and connections and more that all work to keep most of the 99% of people down.

Attracting abundance is an idea that’s not new to popular culture and the self-help world. Remember The Secret? Even though just wishing for more loot and stuff and having it show up seems ridiculous, I decided I would give it a try. What do I have to lose, right? Well, within 30 minutes of telling a friend about it, I had a half-day paying gig watching a TV show. Just for watching three episodes of a show that I hadn’t heard of but would like to see, I was going to be paid the tidy sum of $100. It was the best job I ever had. Did I get it because I had already signed up on the mailing list with the market research study? Or because I was intentionally telling the universe I was available? Who knows? But it isn’t the only time. It keeps happening!

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53-Mile Birthday Ride to Get Free Stuff!

Thursday was my birthday, and for the fourth year in a row, I pulled off a bike ride (one year was on the weekend instead of the actual day).  It was a nice, cool day, and I was joined by one friend in the morning and another in the afternoon.  Since it was a workday others were busy (or just not into it).  Dinner and dessert happened with the first rider and some other friends.  And along the way I picked up some freebies.  Some of them are good for a few weeks, so the celebration continues.  Traditions are nice.

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The Austin Bomber Got Caught and Self-Exploded; Book Writing Day Photos

I’m sure you can find plenty of media about the Austin serial bomber. I’m against the death penalty but sociopaths deserve life in prison or a mental hospital. Maybe we’ll find out his motives. But he was a millennial, white, male, conservative, Christian, bigoted domestic terrorist who killed two African-Americans and injured four, one of whom was Latina, so that tells us alot.  It’s a sad situation.  Maybe there is such a thing as karma.

Today and tomorrow are book writing days, so enjoy a few photos.

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A Potpourri of Cedar Fever, Perfectionism, Abundance, Vegetables & TV/Movie Links

Perfect Is the Enemy of Good

I don’t know who said that, but my dear brother has repeated it more than once.  I was reminded of the phrase when I realized I was not going to be able to ride my bike today.  Despite a high temperature of 64 F, it was windy and cedar pollen count was in the high category.  This happens every winter in Central Texas as the juniper berries release a viscous, visible and very nasty allergenic yellow plume that coats everything and sends some of us into fits of paroxysm.  Another reason to not move to Austin!  Combined with other ailments, it is a “double plus ungood situation.”  British author George Orwell wrote that in his disturbingly prescient book 1984.  About 2018 government shutdowns, bi-partisan extension of US government spying on its own citizens, El Grande Pared de Mexico (great wall of Mexico), he would be saying “I told you so.”

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