A few notes from the news. First up? Green lanes! Yes, more protected lanes for cyclists are coming to Memphis. Move over motorists, share the road with me. I really like extra lanes for bikes in the street. They certainly make me feel safer while out riding. Read more about the green lanes here from the Commercial Appeal.

Have you checked out the new Shelby Farms video at Choose 901? The video is a good promo for Shelby Farms, which I ride thru daily. By the way, I saw them shooting as I was out for a bike ride. Check out the video here. Good job 901.

The Broad Avenue water tower is getting some paint added to it soon AND a small outdoor theater at the loading dock. Sounds like a fantastic idea. Read more about it from the Memphis Flyer.

YES, Memphis IS getting better, one day at a time. Three new breweries under construction in town and more and more new restaurants opening. NOW is the best time for Memphis. Love it.

Since I was having car trouble Friday evening, I took the vehicle in for a tune up Monday. I complained about a slight problem (the engine failing to start once a month). The mechanic said the problem would be hard to diagnose if the vehicle started without a problem. After the tune up… the vehicle failed to start. “There, I told you so.” They kept the vehicle a second day, and still couldn’t detect the problem. I did get some advice to solve the problem though. Fuel additive. I’m going to try it. On the other hand, I ride my bike to work most days, so this is not so much of a problem.

Secondly, I noticed that an employee with a company we work with had failed to show to work for a month now. Vacation? Permanent. I got the news today… TERMINATED (with extreme prejudice). I never want ANYONE to lose a job. BUT… this guy was a “Jack wagon”, with a CAPITAL “J”. Why was he fired? Fist fight with a fellow employee while at work. Yeah… ya see where I am coming from. This is the same idiot I had many problems with for the last six years. When I confronted him about his staff messing with our thermostat, he denied it. When I offered to show him the video footage, he said “If you didn’t see it with your own eyes, it didn’t happen.” Wait. What? That’s right, video CANNOT be believed. Oh, and this was the same “you can’t use scotch tape in the building” guy. What??? Every other person in the building uses scotch tape. But I can’t. Jack Wagon. Yeah… Now my life is slightly easier at work. Again, some people are just idiots, which only gets you so far in life. Hey, time to whip out the scotch tape!

Wait. It gets better. I performed an ITunes update on my desktop at home a few weeks ago. Apparently the update became screwed up. For the last two weeks I could not update apps or download apps. I spent 50 minutes at lunch today talking with Apple Support. “What was the name of your first teacher?” Are you kidding me? I’m in my 40′s! “Name your first job.” That was 27 years ago! I set this account up in the year 2000. “Your parents met in Florida. Did you spell out “Florida” or use “FL”"? Are you kidding? That was 13 years ago! In the end, I was able to set up a separate account, but couldn’t use my original account that I have used to 13 years.

Next. I called Apple Support AGAIN tonight. They asked for my serial number from a device I used 13 years ago. “I’m not sure I even have the IPOD!” But I did find the very old IPOD. This did make a fun conversation with THREE Apple Support employees though. “You STILL have that IPOD?” Yeah, still have it. And it works. After another 40 minutes, they finally identified the problem. The bad news was that I couldn’t use the same ID as I have used for the last 13 years. The good news is that I can add an “alias” email address instead of using my work address. Since it takes so much trouble to update my devices, I am considering buying a record player. If ya see a guy walking around with a record player to his ear, that’s me. Vinyl plays instantly, no updates required.

Good news. Breakaway Running is moving to Overton Square. Good deal. I think the new site will work out GREAT for the company. A perfect fit! Read more about the deal here at Memphis Business Journal.

Done. Rain, rain, go away. I will be back another day. Cheers.

Saturday afternoon we decided to walk up to Studio On The Square to see the film “Iron Man III”. But first, a drink. The original plan was to head to Boscos. “Oh yeah, there is Bar Louie across the street. Let’s try that.”

The joint is nice.

You cannot miss the big bar with t.v.’s. or the large patio outside. My wife ordered a margarita and I ordered Angry Orchard “CIDER”. Yes it is a “CIDER”. My wife thought the house margarita tasted okay. I took a sip of my BEER and discovered the BEER was BEER, not CIDER. (I know the difference.) “Uhhh… this is Hop Project.” (the tap handle was next to the Angry Orchard handle).

The bartender apologized for his mistake. “You gonna throw that beer away? I will get rid of it for you for FREE it you would like.” The bartender said no problem and I drank the Hop Project beer. Take two. After my wife finished the margarita and I finished the Hop Project BEER, we made another order. My wife ordered a Sangria Margarita. Her drink came out a little sweet but good. The drink was made with fresh fruit. I ordered the Angry Orchard CIDER. The bartender poured the drink and sat the glass on the bar. AGAIN, it was a glass of BEER. “Ummm… you may want to check the taps, this is not CIDER.” The bartender tasted the BEER out of the Angry Orchard tap. “Yeah, thats Angry Orchard.” “No. That is beer. You can smell the hops.” Another bartender tasted the “Cider”. “Yeah, that’s beer, not cider.” The bartender went to check the kegs in the back. “The kegs are hooked up correctly.” No they are not. I know the difference between a hoppy BEER and CIDER. I wanted CIDER but decided to order a Blue Moon. (Please do not screw this up). I did get the correct beer this time round. Overall, the service at Bar Louie was good, as well as the atmosphere of the place. I just couldn’t get the drink that I wanted. A very strange experience.

“Iron Man III” was a good movie. Before the movie started, I noticed that Cycle Memphis was planning a ride Saturday night beginning at Cooper Young at 7:00 p.m. Perfect. As soon as I reached home, I changed into my bike shorts and headed to Cooper Young. About 30 cyclists arrived and prepared for a ride downtown. Good thing someone brought a “small” speaker for the radio.

I have gone for a ride or two with Cycle Memphis in the past. (I went on that first Cycle Memphis ride, the one with the INSANE speed finish.) This ride was much slower, a medium paced ride downtown. We ended up at Martyrs Park near the river and the 55 bridge. This is the first time I have been to the park. Nice park. You should check the park out if you can.

After a short time in the park, it was time to head back to Cooper Young. We retraced our route back east. The ride over all was nice. Much of the crowd was younger. The music was for the kids as well. A group ride is a nice way to tour the city and hang out with other cyclists. And those who saw us ride by cheered us on. Fun.

Sunday we headed over to Huey’s for an early lunch. Good burger, fries and onion rings.

Hello Huey Burger

The service was VERY GOOD. Our waitress Eva could teach other wait staff a lesson in GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE. She smiles, takes care of the customer and has a great attitude. Thank you!

After lunch we decided to watch the Spurs vs. Grizzlies game downtown at the FedEx Forum. If YOU watched the game, you feel my pain. At the end of the first half, I couldn’t be tortured anymore. Time to leave. I did watch the second half of the game at home. And… the game didn’t get any better. I did find this FANTASTIC article about John Hollinger, the stats genius. If you like “Moneyball”, you will enjoy the article about Hollinger and N.B.A. stats. “SportVu. Its technology is originally derived from an Israeli missile-defense firm.” Holy crap! Are you kidding me? Time for the Grizzlies to get themselves some SportVu. Read the entire article here.

After the “game” was over, we went for a run in Cooper Young. A late run, but we waited for the temperature to go down. Nice run in the neighborhood.

Done. Get ready for the work week, because here it comes. Cheers.

My morning started extra early. Friday is Bike To Work Day. I mean nationally it is Bike To Work Day. For me it’s just another day to “bike to work”. I woke up at 6:30 a.m. and put on some bike shorts. By 7:00 a.m. I was headed to Otherlands Coffee Shop. I did read online that the bike to work ride would be cancelled if there was rain Friday morning. Hey, it’s just drizzle right? Well I was the only cyclist who showed up for the Bike To Work ride. No worries. I have taken a ride or three downtown in the past. Linden, here I come. So headed west and jogged a bit north to Linden street.I did notice this on Linden street:

Interesting.

After I arrived at Linden, it was a straight shot to downtown from Cooper Young. Yes, the sky drizzled on me a bit. I wore a light jacket which took care of the slight water. The only issue I had with cars was downtown at Third Street. Once I headed south to G.E. Patterson, the traffic was not a problem. I pulled up to Midtown Bike Company and was welcomed by a woman standing under an umbrella. I said hello and was informed I was the THIRD person who showed up at 8:15 a.m. I chatted a bit with her and received my goodie bag:

The ride did not include messenger bags this year Yes, I use my messenger bag (that I received last year from Bike To Work) many times a week. The tire patch kit, carabiner, and flashing light also come in handy. I do wish that Bike To Work would schedule a rain day for the event in the future though.

If you want to read the new book by Dan Brown “Inferno“,

it is available from the Memphis Public Library. Just be prepared to wait half a year to read the book for free. (I saw about 12 people on the waiting list for the digital book.)

Speaking of books, the Matthew Reilly book “Scarecrow Returns” is a page turner.

A great book if you enjoy action and adventure. I am already on page 140. The book is an easy read and a great one. My only problem with the book is that the format is paperback. I would like it better if the book was in a digital format simply because the book would be easier to carry around. (Today the book was in a plastic bag to keep the rain off of it.) I like reading books on my Ipad Mini, or Itouch. I always have one or both with me at all times.

San Antonio Spurs vs Memphis Grizzlies. Here is the debate. I am from San Antonio. I lived there for nearly 30 years. I had season tickets for the Spurs. My parents had season tickets. I now live in Memphis. And now… my San Antonio friends on Facebook are turning on me! Or am I turning on them? Tough place to be. Do you root for the home team or where your home was? A couple of things to note. The Spurs almost always play a “cold” first quarter. I never understood it. Secondly, the Grizzlies HAVE to win in San Antonio to stay in the game. The Spurs will finish Memphis off on the road. Third, the Spurs have a deep bench. By this I mean the Spurs can play all four quarters. Many N.B.A. teams cannot play four quarters. They can play three-quarters, but not four. Fourth, I believe Popovich is a better coach. Sorry, but look at his record. He coaches to win. He has made it to playoffs and championships. Fifth, the grizzlies CANNOT have an “off night”. Memphis cannot win a game on luck. If Memphis wants to win the series they must play like it is their last game, or San Antonio will sweep the team. Just a few of my observations. Like or hate ‘em, but it is the truth.

Oh yes, the Zoo Brew is fast upon us. I have attended the Zoo Brew in the past. The event is good. My advice? Get there early, when the gates open. Head over to the high gravity beer booth a.s.a.p. The line is short then and you can keep drinking that delicious high gravity beer as fast as they can pour it. Oink.

I forgot my lunch the other day when I left for work. Thankfully the Farmers Market is nearby and I picked up a few things.

All of the above for less than $2. (that is 2 banana’s by the way). And truthfully I was filled up after eating the potato, mini-cucumber, apple and banana’s. You can beat the freshness or the price.

Done. Time to relax and to get ready for the weekend. I will see YOU back here soon for more bikes, beers, and basketball. Believe Memphis.

Memphis Events:

Zoo Brew – 5/24/13 7-10p.m. Memphis Zoo.

8/24/2013 – Midnight Classic Bike Tour– (Midnight – Duh!) Tiger Lane – EXCELLENT! Go!

October 4-6th Bluff City Oktoberfest– Riverside Dr. $5 admission

My day was a little different today in many ways. First off, I started my work day late, which meant I could get a much-needed haircut. And when I get a haircut, I get donuts. Yes, Epic Salon is near Gibson’s Donuts.

The dounut mecca

So every time I am at Epic, I am also at Gibson’s Donuts. Love me the donuts.

After picking up the donuts, it was time for a haircut at Epic. After thirty minutes, Pam the hair stylist was finished with my hair and did a great job as always. Seriously, I have gone to Pam for more than six years now and she does a fantastic job for both women and men.

Next stop…. The Book Place. Yes, that small, used book shop at 691 S Mendenhall Rd. I have not been by this place in ages. I walked in and looked around a bit. The older woman at the desk looked at me a bit suspiciously since I was wearing my bike gear. Some “hoodlum” she thought. After a few minutes I picked out a book I have been wanting to read for some time. “Scarecrow Returns” by Matthew Reilly.

I really enjoy the author and the characters he creates. Although I do poke fun at his books from time to time. (In a previous book the hero “escaped” a space shuttle while in flight and “hopped” aboard another space shuttle; in flight. Ummm…?) The Matthew Reilly series are action / adventure books written for guys. I go to purchase the book and the little old lady at the desk tells me I will “love” the book. Not only has she read the “Scarecrow Returns” book, she has read the entire series. She then goes on to show me other “good books” on the shelf. They are all action / adventure books. Wow. She’s good. Very good. (To tell you the truth, I should have had her make me a list of books to get.) We went on to discuss e-book pricing and used book pricing for a short time. I guess books do make strangers into fast friends.

Next stop? The Memphis Greenline. I began my usual ride to work. As I approached the cross street Highland, I noticed another cyclist. We began to chat. He is an M.P.D. officer, just biking for the fun of it in the late morning hour. We talked about bikes and bike rides for 40 minutes while riding to Shelby Farms. I told him I commuted to work daily. He asked what happens when it begins to rain during my ride. “Oh, I have a poncho for that.” He just laughed at that answer. It’s true. I just put a rain poncho on when it begins to rain. Easy. I did tell him he needed to ride in the Midnight Classic Ride and to check into the Cycle Memphis monthly rides. At the top of the hill at Shelby Farms I went my way and he went his way. I guess bikes do make strangers into fast friends.

The ride home this evening went fine. An older cyclist in his late 60′s blew my doors off along the Memphis Greenline. Slow down grandpa!

After arriving home, I noticed my wife had purchased a new book:

Yes, the new Dan Brown book, “Inferno”. Oh yeah, I forgot the book was finally released. “Dan Brown controversy. Dan Brown makes stuff up. Dan Brown blah blah blah.” Love Dan Brown, hate Dan Brown, whatever. I’m going to read the book. The book is FICTION. How a book of FICTION has anything to do with religious beliefs is beyond me. If you are going to change your faith based upon on a BOOK OF FICTION… I just can’t make the connection. And no, I will not get into a “Da Vinci Code” or “Dan Brown” debate, so you can save your comments. I read books on history, non-fiction books, fictional books, biographies, mysteries, ect. I READ. Daily. And so should you.

Done. See YOU back here for more bikes, books and new friends. Cheers.

Memphis Events:

5/17/2013 Bike to Work Day– Ride on down to downtown with others. It’s fun!

8/24/2013 – Midnight Classic Bike Tour– (Midnight – Duh!) Tiger Lane – EXCELLENT! Go!

October 4-6th Bluff City Oktoberfest– Riverside Dr. $5 admission

Yes, I took my bicycle to work today. After attaching my pannier rack and collapsible baskets to the bike last night I was ready to ride this morning. So much more nicer to ride without a lunch box strapped to my back.

Just so you are aware, this is the time of year that my work schedule gets crazy. Which means more crazy and busy days. If you notice fewer posts, that is the reason why. And that work schedule will continue until the first week of August.

By 5:20 p.m. I was ready to ride home. The wind had kicked up pretty good at Shelby Farms. Once I reached Patriot Lake, I noticed a cyclist in front of me. Oh no you don’t! I can outrun you in my sandbox. The race was on. The younger cyclist had some strong legs, and had the lead until she reached the top north-west corner of the park. I do these hills every day. See ya… I passed her and that was the last I saw of the cyclist. Of course the race took it out of me. Gotta stop racing others.

I reached the end of the Greenline, then headed over to Snowden School for the McLean Bike Lane meeting. Pictures say a thousand words. Here is the school parking lot.

And here are the bicycles parked at the McLean Bike Lane meeting.

Ummm… you get the picture. My guess of those in attendance was 125 total. The majority of persons attending were cyclists. And here is my argument. I know someone who lives along SOUTH McLean and does NOT like the bike lanes. She complains to me that the street is to narrow for bike lanes. “Put the bike lanes on another street.” Sooo… where was this person tonight? NOT at the McLean Bike Lane meeting. “I don’t like bike lanes… Not on my street… Why do we need bike lanes…” I hear it over and over, but where are those people at these meetings? Same thing at the Madison Bike Lane meetings that were held at Minglewood Hall. “I” was there, where were you?

And it was the same experience tonight. Plenty of cyclists at the meeting tonight, where are all of those who do not want the bike lanes on McLean?

Time to go over some of the points brought up in the meeting.

1) “McLean is to narrow for cars AND bikes.” Most didn’t get that one. How is the street to narrow for bikes??? Dang, how big IS that bike?

2) “Bike lanes increase property values.” Most agreed with this.

3) “McLean is to narrow for street parking.” Most agreed with this.

4) “Safety should be the top of the list.” Most agreed with this.

5) “Bike lanes provide alternative transportation opportunities.” Most agreed with this.

6) Someone suggested that the city widen McLean. “Not happening.”

7) “What if bikes lanes could stop and start?” (like on Peabody) These “broken” bike lanes do not work. (There will be some changes to Peabody in the future.)

8) “Parking on the sidewalk?” Not good either.

9) “Reduce the speed limit?” Sounds good.

10) One McLean resident liked the bike lanes.

11) Another McLean resident was able to get up in front of the crowd and speak for two minutes. He objected that he could not park in front of his house. He could no longer have pool parties for his family since the bike lanes were installed. He also complained about the “sign pollution” along McLean. (I kind of agree to this one).

12) “How many cyclists would give up their street space in front of their home?” Nearly all the cyclists raised a hand. Ummm… kind of a no brainer.

13) Another McLean resident spoke up for two minutes. He liked the bike lanes and stated that he made ONE phone call to the city to get a permit for a Christmas party at his house (for street parking). He went on to say how easy it was to get the permit for visitors to park along the street.

14) And a third McLean resident spoke for two minutes about the bike lanes, stating the residents along McLean were not informed about the bike lanes prior to installation.

I do have to say that the city did give each side a chance to ask questions and to make a point. People do not like “change”. People like things to be “easy”. My issue was that very few McLean residents AGAINST the bike lanes were in attendance. If you want something OR do not like something, you have to speak up at public meetings. Complaining to others gets you  nowhere. GET INVOLVED! We should hear something from the city regarding the McLean bike lanes within 4-6 weeks.

As I left the meeting, I did see this:

Ahhh… the Tiger Bug. (My second sighting.)

Tomorrow? I have a hair cut appointment in the morning. The plan is to ride over to Poplar and Mendenhall in the morning. And you know when I get a haircut, it is also time for Gibson’s Donuts!

Heaven

My plan is to head down Central heading east, cut south to Southern, then a slight jog over to Mendenhall. If you need someone to cut your hair, make an appointment with Pam at Epic Salon. She has cut my hair for more than 6 years and she is great!

For those of you who enjoy a beer or three, there is an app for that. Check out Untappd! You can keep a list of beers you drink, get suggestions, find drinking friends, rate beers, and connect the app to Facebook and Twitter, ect. Yes, I use the app. The app is supported by Apple, Android or a web page. Look for me under “Ty” or “Kilmistr” in Memphis.

Done! Really beat tonight. And another long day tomorrow. I will see YOU back here for more beer, bikes and donuts. Cheers.

Memphis Events:

5/17/2013 Bike to Work Day– Ride on down to downtown with others. It’s fun!

8/24/2013 – Midnight Classic Bike Tour– (Midnight – Duh!) Tiger Lane – EXCELLENT! Go!

October 4-6th Bluff City Oktoberfest– Riverside Dr. $5 admission

So today was the day I tried out the new bicycle.

I have to say the ride was nice and smooth. I like the new bicycle. As I was riding to work, a guy who I passed asked if I was going on a long journey. “No, I’m just going to work.” I am sure he was speaking of my messenger bag and lunch box strapped to my back. Usually I place my bag and lunch box in my folding bicycle baskets, but I hadn’t switched those to the new bicycle yet. At the top of Shelby Farms, I ran into bicycle commuter Louie. We chatted about my new bicycle for a few minutes, then we were off; he went west, I went east.

Speaking of biking to work, I signed up for the “Bike to Work” day this Friday. One of the meeting locations is Otherlands Coffee Shop. That is where I will be Friday morning. I attended the bike to work event last year and the bike ride downtown was nice. A good ride with others AND I received a cool messenger bag (still using it today) and other goodies. Go!

And speaking of bicycles, thanks to reader Matthew Parker for the pannier “fix” suggestion. Although it was not exactly what I needed, I did some research and found what I did need. “P-clamps”. Yes, and those are exactly what they sound like; clamps that look like the letter “P”. Since I do not have “eyelets” on the back side of the bicycle near the axle, the clamps will have to do. After a quick visit to Home Depot, I switched out the pannier rack and folding baskets from the old bicycle to the new bicycle.

If you ride a bicycle, there is a meeting tomorrow evening at Snowden Elementary School at 6:00 p.m. to discuss the McLean bicycle lanes. Me? I enjoy using the McLean bicycle lanes. It makes my ride north to Madison easier. I will probably attend the meeting, although I will be late arriving.

Done. I will see YOU back here for more beers, bikes, and bike to work day. Cheers.

Memphis Events:

5/14/2013 – McLean Public Meeting discussing bike facility improvements along McLean – 6-8 p.m. Snowden Elementary. Go!

5/17/2013 Bike to Work Day– Ride on down to downtown with others. It’s fun!

8/24/2013 – Midnight Classic Bike Tour– (Midnight – Duh!) Tiger Lane – EXCELLENT! Go!

October 4-6th Bluff City Oktoberfest– Riverside Dr. $5 admission

I received a call at work Friday afternoon. A local news team wanted to interview my boss for a story. My boss was not at work so I called him up and gave him the contact number for the news team. Moments later, he called me back stating that the news team were on the way to interview “ME”. Ummm…. okay. I reviewed the topic the news team wanted to discuss and wrote out some sound bites on the dry erase board. When the news team arrived, they announced they wanted to shoot the interview outside. Great. They asked about six questions. I thought I answered all of the questions well, except for one. I watched the news Friday night, not sure of how the interview would turn out. The final interview turned out better than I thought it would. I looked “okay” on camera but more importantly I didn’t sound like an idiot, so that made me feel better. There goes my 15 seconds of fame.

Saturday I spent the morning at Republic Coffee reading the news and having some caffeine. The day before, my wife ran into a guy buying a bicycle at Bargain Hunt. He was purchasing a tandem bicycle for himself and his daughter. BUT… he had already purchased a brand new bicycle that he now wanted to sell. He originally purchased the bicycle for nearly $300 but would sell the bicycle for $100. Fast forward to Saturday. I sent a text message to the guy and we agreed to meet at the Brooks Museum so I could check out the bicycle. The bicycle really was new. It is a Schwinn. I looked up the reviews online and found the only downside of the bicycle was the tape for the rims. Apparently it was just bad tape. Everyone online suggested to change out the tape. The bike is also lighter than my current bicycle.

(New Schwinn Varsity bicycle top, 70′s Schwinn Varsity below)

New tires, rims, brakes, ect. for $100? Sold. I loaded up the bicycle and headed over to Outdoors Inc for some new tubes and rim tape. Outdoors had “some” of what I needed, but not all. I then went over to Peddler to finish my shopping.

I also stopped in at Cash Saver for some beer. I picked up another “build your own” six pack and added six ciders. Good deal and a good variety of beer at Cash Saver on Madison.

After my wife arrived home from work, we went for a run in Cooper Young. As we approached the corner of Cooper Young we saw this. Check this shop out:

The shop is located next to Java Cabana. Better yet, the shop has some great stuff by Lindsey Archer from right here in Cooper Young. You can get an idea of what she has to offer from her Etsy shop. Thinking of a present for someone who is visiting Memphis, or for family and friends who don’t live in Memphis? Archers art would make EXCELLENT gifts for Christmas, or items to decorate your own home.

After Jogging for a lengthy mile and a half, it was margarita time at Cafe Ole.

Well deserved. We finished our margarita and chips and stopped by home to pick up the bicycles… to ride to Mollys. Yes, I know, they too serve margaritas. So we ordered some food and a margarita.

Oink. And yes, this margarita was good as well. After stuffing myself with mexican food, it was time to ride home and take a nap. By the way, the new bicycle rides smooth.

Sunday morning, we took a walk thru Cooper Young. No margaritas at 9:00 a.m. (we are not in New Orleans… yet). After our walk, we picked our friend up and headed over to Frida’s on Madison. The girls ordered margaritas

and I drank iced tea. We talked and had a good time at lunch.

Arriving home, it was time to work on my new bicycle. I had to move over all the extra’s from my old bicycle to the new bicycle. Seat bag moved. Light moved. Flashing light moved. Tire pump moved. I also had to put new tape in the rims and insert the tire liners. The entire process took some time, but it is complete. The new bicycle is ready for the commute to work. Well almost. I have to order “another” pannier. (I just ordered one for the beer bicycle) The rear pannier rack from the old bicycle will not fit on the new bicycle. I have to order a “front” pannier rack. No worries, but I will have to carry my messenger bag with work clothes on my back tomorrow AND my lunch box as well. I should only have to do this once this week though.

I am interested in the difference my 11.2 mile ride to work will be next week. Faster? Cutting my commute shorter? Lighter bicycle and a BETTER bicycle may change things. We will see tomorrow.

This weekend has kicked my butt. I will see YOU back here for more margaritas, bikes and beers. Cheers.

Memphis Events:

5/14/2013 – McLean Public Meeting discussing bike facility improvements along McLean – 6-8 p.m. Snowden Elementary. Go!

5/17/2013 Bike to Work Day– Ride on down to downtown with others. It’s fun!

8/24/2013 – Midnight Classic Bike Tour– (Midnight – Duh!) Tiger Lane – EXCELLENT! Go!

October 4-6th Bluff City Oktoberfest– Riverside Dr. $5 admission

Cash Saver has an excellent assortment of beer.

Want to try ‘em all? Pick up a “build your own” six-pack.

Yes, just get one of these off the beer rack and “build your own”. I got mine, you get yours. Wait, want a BETTER DEAL? Check out this new deal:

At Cash Saver; 6 pack Newcastle cans for $4.75 (+10%). They will go FAST. Thanks Cash Saver!

Sooo… you know it will be an interesting day at work when a hearse is parked in the parking lot.

Well that is a new way to start my day.

My new beer bicycle bell arrived in the mail today.

I did order a bicycle seat bottle opener. The opener should be in for the “bike to work” day.

Speaking about bikes, if you ride your bicycle to work or just for fun, maybe YOU should attend the meeting scheduled for May 14th at Snowden Elementary School starting at 6 p.m. Learn more about and discuss bike facility improvements along McLean. Read more about the meeting here.

My wife stopped by Cordova International Farmer’s Market for some dried fruit.

I admit it, I am ADDICTED to the dried apples. ADDICTED! Really, check the place out. Oink.

Done. I will see YOU back here tomorrow for more bikes, beers and bottle openers. Cheers.

Memphis Events:

5/10 – 5/11/13 Memphis Public Library Book Sale – Poplar Location. Go!

5/14/2013 – McLean Public Meeting discussing bike facility improvements along McLean – 6-8 p.m. Snowden Elementary. Go!

5/17/2013 Bike to Work Day– Ride on down to downtown with others. It’s fun!

8/24/2013 – Midnight Classic Bike Tour– (Midnight – Duh!) Tiger Lane – EXCELLENT! Go!

October 4-6th Bluff City Oktoberfest– Riverside Dr. $5 admission

Wow. What a day. How did it go? Let me tell you.

I started my bike ride to work yesterday only to discover my left pedal was nearly destroyed.

Well that was a fun 11.2 miles. After work I made my way home. Even more fun with that broken pedal.

Wednesday evening we went out for dinner at Alchemy in Cooper Young. I always get the grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup.

My wife ordered the sliders.

Our waitress Devin was very helpful. Good was always.

After dinner I began to work on my second 70′s Schwinn bicycle.

My new ride.

I only needed to change out a rim and tire. After working on the bicycle for nearly 1.5 hours, I took the bicycle for a ride. The bicycle worked great, except for one thing; the seat is too short. Doh! That’s it. I’m getting a new bicycle.

Yes, I am beat. And disappointed. Time for a new bicycle. I need a new ride to work. Let the search begin. I will see YOU back here for more bikes, books and beers. Cheers.

Memphis Events:

5/10 – 5/11/13 Memphis Public Library Book Sale – Poplar Location. Go!

5/17/2013 Bike to Work Day– Ride on down to downtown with others. It’s fun!

8/24/2013 – Midnight Classic Bike Tour– (Midnight – Duh!) Tiger Lane – EXCELLENT! Go!

October 4-6th Bluff City Oktoberfest– Riverside Dr. $5 admission