Untitled - Because I Couldn't Think Of One

Here's some bits and pieces for you faithful reader(s).

Tomorrow we get a piano. Our erstwhile next door neighbors Sue and Sherry are giving us a piano for free, and it's only going to cost $90, proving the old saying that there's no such thing as a free lunch. S & S are giving it to us, no strings attached, but I am of the age and lacking in the motivation to move it from the second floor of their duplex, across a very small yard into the front room our house. I will gladly pay $90 to have the piano movers move it 70 feet to the south and 20 feet total ascent and descent. A dollar a foot, I guess. Mark, (you know who you are) be glad that I am sticking a crowbar into my wallet and not calling in the favor from 20 years ago when you and Lance and I moved that ancient, ginormous upright down a flight and a half of stairs. That was truly painful.

The piano movers are coming between 9 and 10 tomorrow morning. I agreed to that time not thinking about the concequences. TOYH has a massage at 8. KyKy has swim practice at 8 (the 2nd generation of swimmers has come of age, thanks alot Terr-Bear). The Madster and 'Nika have karate at 9:45. (Side note: KyKy just told me, "I'm going to take a shower, I'm all itchy." Teeheehee, welcome to the word of chlorine.) I think we've got it all worked out and everyone will be where they need to be at the right time, probably early.

The depressing news from this week is that one of the two remaining Middle School teachers at Emerson has transfered to South High, and the last teacher is trying to get out. Thank you very much, and bravo Minneapolis Public Schools for dismantling arguably the best team of Middle School teacher in the city. Clap....Clap.....Clap..... If the schools in Minneapolis are failing, you jerks in administration shall be accorded ALL the responsibility in my book. The decisions you have made in the past few years are killing the schools. Since this is a family blog (mostly) I am going to refrain from using the four letter words I would really like to use.

The weather of late is making me question my belief in a benevolent God. My planned trip to Mt. Carmel was cancelled. Yesterday, headwind on my commmute to work, and then the wind changed direction during the day and I had a headwind on the way home. Tomorrow - rain, possibly all day. Tomorrow I was planning on doing the first bike race I've done in 23 years when I did a time trial in a pair of cut off jeans. I was hoping to take part in the All City Championship, an alleycat race. Alleycats were invented by bike messengers, you know those insane people dodging traffic in busy downtowns on their bikes. The races consist of getting a manifest of stops (many times bars), planning a route, executing the route and then partying after the race is done. Whoever gets the most stops done in the appointed amount of time wins. In many races there are prizes for the person who drinks the most alcohol at the stops or there is the poker "race" where you are given a playing card at certain stops and who ever has the best hand at the end of the night wins. My friend and old roommate Kirk and I were planning to do the race without all the drinking, well at least without most of it. We were hoping to meet more people from the bike forum we inhabit in the flesh. I was planning on doing it on my fixed gear bike along with Kirk, the fixed gear evangelist, which would be true to the messenger origins of the race. Maybe the weather will clear and restore my faith.

We've got big week coming up. The 22nd is The Madster's 12th birthday, and the 25th is our 17th anniversary. TOYH and I have planned to get out of town and go down to Lanesboro with our bikes. Neil, quit hyperventilating and don't get your undies in a bundle. I'm going to bring my fixie and TOYH is probably only good for 30 to 40 miles, so there is NO WAY we will be doing the Preston Century with you. I'll do century with you another week, I promise. It'll probably rain though.