Fini?

Thanks to all who have checked in here from time to time over the last 14 years but think I've told all the stories (about 500 of them if my math is correct). Friends joke that I should make it a 'members only' log-in site so the 'dirt' can be spoken. Sorry friends but unless an individual is doing harm to another and needs to be called out, there is no dirt besides when I fall on my bike. 

I'll still post any fish pictures or mountain bike rides that warrant viewing but for the most part, the bike tour has hit the finish line.

See you on the trails.

Trail Head

Way Back Machine - gathering around the turntable to listen to a comedy album

The way back machine takes us to the 70's when I believe every family in America had one of these in their "living" room (not to be confused with the "family" room; never understood the difference).

The Reeves were no different as we had one looking very similar to the one pictured. That heavy mother made it through three home moves for us but served a purpose until the very end when the tuner knob wouldn't tune and the turntable went on a speed of it's own.

In its heyday, the behemoth piece of furniture rocked the house but I think the one thing I most remember about it was gathering as a family and listening to comedy albums. Millennials have no idea  but we literally sat in a room, put the record on and the five of us laughed our asses off to George Carlin, Steve Martin and some Richard Nixon parody album that I really didn't understand at the time (what 10 year old did?). 

Maybe the millennials can get some group headphones and gather around one of their music players and do the same? Not the same. 

Trail Head

3rd time is a charm?

One of the things I missed most last year was live music as the summer of 2020 was going to be legen...wait for it...dary!!!  I had tickets for the Foo Fighters, some comedy with Jim Gaffigan, some Pink Floyd with Roger Waters and classic rock with Steely Dan/Steve Winwood. 

Then the shi* hit the fan for everyone. Then the cancellations.

The Foo Fighters held out as long as they could but finally pulled up the stakes for a 2021 re-schedule and cancelled. Gaffigan initially made a push to re-schedule but also pulled up the stakes. There is hope for Roger Waters (if he's still alive when the tour actually starts) as that tour still is in a TBA date status. 

As far as Steely Dan/Steve Winwood, they are all systems go (again, if they're still alive) as they initially re-scheduled from June 24, 2020 to June 26, 2021 and this week, the third move to June 18, 2022. Looking at the glass half full, the 2020 show was on a Wednesday (as Detroit always seems to get screwed in that regard); next year will be on a Saturday.

Keep taking those vitamins Roger, Donald and Steve and hope to see you next year!

Trail Head

original ticket

first re-schedule

latest re-schedule

holding on hope for some date on this one

Roanoke, VA - leaving breakfast on the mountain

The bike tour headed south just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia to Roanoke. An internet search brought the city up as a great mountain bike destination. It did not disappoint, all things considered.

Excluding travel days, I was working at three full days, one of which was supposed to be crappy weather so that would be tourist day. 

Yet another life lesson learned but when the local bike shop offers to look at your maps and what routes you intend on hitting and maybe offer some advice, you take said advice. I waived off the help as I printed out beforehand of what the stupid internet said would be a good route. With that, rather than starting at maybe the middle portion of Mill Mountain (a mountain) at one of the other trailheads, I started pedaling at ground level, up, up, up.....

I've seen others do it and can't recall if I've ever completed the task on the trails but the hotel's complimentary breakfast came up that first day. No blood left on Mill Mountain but some waffles mixed in with oatmeal were unfortunately. Hurl aside, the view atop the mountain was beautiful.

Day two was out at Carvins Cove Natural Reserve, a huge ass trail network. I had my map ready but flagged down some riders just finishing and they gave me a good loop that my old bones could handle. No blood or breakfast left there so a good day. The rented bike performed admirably with no breakdowns. The crushed rock that the trail maintains I'm sure is a flat maker.

Day three was a lunch trip to Blacksburg, home of Virginia Tech. A beautiful campus with the mountains surrounding it. No former Heisman trophy winner statues that I could see and no, I'm not going to make any dog kennel jokes in this space.

As far as Roanoke's local scene, they had their share of fancy locations with all of the patrons staring at their phones but my favorite was probably the biker bar just east of downtown. It was a 100+ year old box with an old fire station ceiling. Good, simple bar food. Pool table in the middle. And had ashtrays (more on that in a minute). It reminded me of the Wixom Bar in a way. The television either had Bonanza, Gunsmoke or some old western television show on while the patrons sipped out of those small beer glasses and smoked their Pall Malls. I found out Virginia recently stopped allowing indoor smoking but from what I could gather from the bartender, I believe the higher authorities are currently looking the other way for establishments where the majority are smoking so smoke on!! All good people there and had a great time hearing the stories.

Attached are some non-hurling views from the rides.

Happy riding season!

Trail Head

(cell phone users may need to use this link to view the attached)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdc8cXSR41o

(put quality settings to 1080 for best picture quality)

Hollywood Hannah

The youngest member of the first family of Detroit made the airwaves last night as niece Hannah makes an appearance at about the 1:30 mark of the attached video (apologies ahead of time for the lawyer commercial you have to view prior). 

https://www.clickondetroit.com/pets/2021/03/26/how-a-metro-detroit-business-owner-is-motivating-employee-vaccination/

That makes every member of the Robar-dashian (humor insert) family appearing on television in some form. I've stated on here before but I'm happy being the key grip in the background thank you.

Congrats Hannah!

Trail Head

new renter

The large melon residence recently took in a boarder in the form of a 10 pound senior citizen with gray fur, is a diabetic....and blind. You read that right, he is blind. He can pick up shadows pretty well and can go on walks unattended (loves the smells and leaving pee marks EVERYWHERE) but that is the extent of it. Many a door walls have been head butted. 

As recent visitors will attest, he is very territorial at home base when more than one person is present. Boots are highly recommended if visiting with entry access out back via the sun room to offset any blood potential. He is small but has these little fangs that will seriously dig into your feet. Odd as it is, he is Mr. Mellow when it's just he and I hanging or when he heads to the vet/kennel. 

Don't fu** with his territory though.

Good dog, sometimes.

Trail Head

Way Back Machine - the Club

The way back machine today takes us to the 1970's when the Reeves' family were in what you would call the salad years, the lean years of a family of five just starting out; yet the three children could drink soda pop like no other children in the neighborhood. As my dad was the king of slicing a penny, he found a way to accommodate the sugar addicted ones that he loved so much without denting his wallet too much. Rather than the pricier Coke or Pepsi, we ventured for a short time into the "Club", Towne Club pop for a roughly $3 a "crate" of 24 and $1.99 for every second case!!!  Forty-four flavors to choose from!!!! They even had their own brick and mortar locations dedicated specifically to their product. It was somewhere on Grand River in Farmington as I recall. This was pre-returnable time but drawing a blank of what the deposit was for the crate/bottles, if there was one. 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt9-Z_Bt8E4)

Once we moved out of the area to the country, there were no clubs, the brick and mortar locations disappeared and the Reeves' kids jumped back on the Coke/Pepsi train. Until we got jobs to purchase more sugar on our own to accommodate our addictions, our dad gave us each a ration of pops per week (the 8 pack of large glass bottles - a different taste than the plastic bottles of today; can't explain it but it was better). Once those were gone (which for me was maybe two days), you had to wait until the next week's allocation. My diabetic brother made some side deals for his ration of pops. 

SUGAR!!!!

Trail Head

love the "Mixers" reference - that is the 1970's