As has been the case for the last two or three years, I’ve been busier and more interested in living life with my family than I have been in writing about it. Here’s a little of what’s been going on:
A New Bike for 76
Last Thursday, I picked up a 2005 Gary Fisher Tarpon from a Craigslist seller for my son. He outgrew and sold off his 1990s Giant Talon 7-speed mountain bike a couple of years ago and I’ve kept the money from that to go toward a new bike. We tried to sell on Craigslist his 1970s Columbia Challenger in ride-able, original condition but got not even one query. I convinced my son to donate the bike to a local bicycle club’s “reCycle” program for needy kids and told him I’d combine the value of that bike with the money from the Giant. The Tarpon cost $65 – about 20 dollars over Bicycle Blue-Book’s valuation for an ’05 Tarpon in excellent condition, but the the bike was in such good shape I wasn’t going to insult the seller by offering less than 1/3 his asking price. At $65, the bike came in well under the $327 the original dealer receipt indicated the seller paid in 2005.
1970’s Columbia Challenger – above.
2005 Gary Fisher Tarpon – yes, I have the original seat and plan to clean it up and install it if my son decides he hates the strange, spongy seat that’s on the bike, now.
Mother’s Day Breakfast
I haven’t really learned how to cook, but I can scramble eggs and am trying to learn how to make an omelet. I usually arise on the weekends before dawn and head to the gym, then return to the house before my family is awake and make some kind of breakfast – scrambled eggs and tortillas with salsa, for instance. On Mother’s Day, this year, I prepared a breakfast for my wife and son consisting of scrambled eggs, sausage patties, and biscuits. I know, three things, right? I was able to manage preparation times so that I cleaned up as I cooked and had everything on the table at about the same time. Family was happy with my efforts, so I’ve done this two or three times since.
Water Snake – Poisonous? Probably
Sometime close to Mother’s day, my son and I rode a local greenway and, while looking at a creek from a low bridge saw this snake. We saw a couple of others that day, as well.
Theis Holsters
For the sake of comfort, I wish we lived in a society where open-carry was the norm. That said, Theis Holsters serve as a relatively comfortable inside-the-waistband means to concealed-carry my pistols. I purchased the basic leather version – EZ Clip for my FNS-9c and the Single Clip for my Glock 42.
Lunchtime Rides Continue
Since the weather’s dried up a bit – and it was about the wettest autumn and winter I can recall here in Southern Middle Tennessee – I’ve been keeping the Miyata 610 at the office and riding 3-5 miles during my lunch hours maybe three or four days a week. Here’s the uphill view from one of the routes I take:
Christov_Tenn 