Just finished another day on the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI). Just 60 miles this year, although the heat and headwinds made it seem a lot worse.
I blogged about RAGBRAI last year, with an explanation and series of observations on the 2010 ride.
http://streffblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/thoughts-on-ragbrai-2010.html
*Lots of loosely-organized biking teams go on the ride, and their names are usually pretty clever. Some of my favorite team names include Team Wasted Potential, Team Crackanoon, and Team TenderLoins, the perfect double-entendre for an Iowa ride.
*People who live in houses and towns along the route seem to love to be hospitable to the bike riders. It's kind of weird, but bikers basically get rock star treatment, as if the effort of simply biking long distances is worthy of that kind of thing.
*This may be related to the last item, but RAGBRAI riders spend a lot of money, and spend it in a generous way. Obviously, they have to eat and drink a lot to refuel. But given the choice of buying something from a charitable organization or buying from a corporate organization, they will usually buy from the fund raising entity.
*Some riders think they're funny when they wear something unusual, but they aren't. Believe me, every accessory has probably been seen before, whether it be crazy socks or something stuck in a helmet. It basically identifies first-time riders, and it's mostly lame.
*Speaking of food and charities, last year I lamented on the lack of pie on the ride, something that used to be a staple of every church lawn on the route. This year I did find some pie, but it was company vendored pie, at $3 per slice. Still couldn't find the good old fashioned church-lady kind for a buck or two. Thus officially ends the era of the church-lady RAGBRAI pie.
RAGBRAI is still as much fun as you can have on a day-long bike ride.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The Wimpiest Generation
So there's a heatwave gripping the Midwest. Near 100 degrees all week with stifling humidity. Can't walk three steps without somebody complaining about the weather and asking, "Is it hot enough for you?" Constant media alerts about the heat index, and how dangerous it is to be outside too long.
Gimme a break. Would somebody please tell me what the big deal is? (Alert: I'm about to go off on an "I remember when....." rant.)
When I was really young, heat like this didn't stop us from going outside to play all afternoon - and not at the swimming pool, either. We had no real alternative, other than watching soap operas on one of the three TV stations from which we could choose, but we did it without complaining. And we didn't stop every five minutes to take a drink either.
When I was a teenager, it was the same deal, except instead of playing outside I was doing farmwork outside. Day after day after day. It seemed like the hottest days were reserved for baling hay or straw (a task equally as itchy as it was hot). And we're not talking about the labor-saving round bales they make today, either. I mean the rectangular ones that you had to lift and stack. Of course, since we operated a livestock farm, if we had nothing better to do we could always haul manure (a task equally as smelly as it was hot). Oh, and we didn't stop every five minutes to take a drink then, either.
Needless to say, when I became an adult with a wimpy office job, I didn't complain about the heat. Still don't.
But the current city-fied, under 30 generation, now they are a different story. This is the sedentary generation, a group raised on cable TV and video games. Anything above a climate-controlled 80 degrees is enough for them to start bitching, maybe even take the day off. The media coddling doesn't help, alerting us to take breaks, stay indoors, and of course, make sure our pets aren't outside. (Somewhere up there, my old dog Teddy is shaking his head.)
I get that each generation lives better than the one before it, and I don't expect people to be outdoors if they don't have to be. But please, please stop complaining about the heat. It makes you and the country look like a bunch of wimps
Gimme a break. Would somebody please tell me what the big deal is? (Alert: I'm about to go off on an "I remember when....." rant.)
When I was really young, heat like this didn't stop us from going outside to play all afternoon - and not at the swimming pool, either. We had no real alternative, other than watching soap operas on one of the three TV stations from which we could choose, but we did it without complaining. And we didn't stop every five minutes to take a drink either.
When I was a teenager, it was the same deal, except instead of playing outside I was doing farmwork outside. Day after day after day. It seemed like the hottest days were reserved for baling hay or straw (a task equally as itchy as it was hot). And we're not talking about the labor-saving round bales they make today, either. I mean the rectangular ones that you had to lift and stack. Of course, since we operated a livestock farm, if we had nothing better to do we could always haul manure (a task equally as smelly as it was hot). Oh, and we didn't stop every five minutes to take a drink then, either.
Needless to say, when I became an adult with a wimpy office job, I didn't complain about the heat. Still don't.
But the current city-fied, under 30 generation, now they are a different story. This is the sedentary generation, a group raised on cable TV and video games. Anything above a climate-controlled 80 degrees is enough for them to start bitching, maybe even take the day off. The media coddling doesn't help, alerting us to take breaks, stay indoors, and of course, make sure our pets aren't outside. (Somewhere up there, my old dog Teddy is shaking his head.)
I get that each generation lives better than the one before it, and I don't expect people to be outdoors if they don't have to be. But please, please stop complaining about the heat. It makes you and the country look like a bunch of wimps
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Bobby's Pledge (Part II)
Based on a segment in last night's show, I can only conclude that Stephen Colbert must be reading my blog.
http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/2011/07/13/stephen-colbert-weighs-in-on-iowa-marriage-pledge/
http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/2011/07/13/stephen-colbert-weighs-in-on-iowa-marriage-pledge/
Friday, July 8, 2011
Bobby's Pledge
A quick update for you on WOITH member Bob Vander Plaats, who now calls himself the chief executive officer of something called the Family Leader.
Bobby's latest venture is to ask all presidential candidates to sign a pledge to affirm support of personal fidelity to his or her spouse, oppose any redefinition of marriage, and appoint “faithful constitutionalists” as judges, (as opposed to unfaithful constitutionalists, I presume). This so-called Marriage Pledge will be a requirement for future endorsement by the Family Leader. You know, because as the Family Leader goes, so goes America.
Michele Bachmann immediately signed the pledge, solidifying her position as an incredible social conservative suck-up in Tea Party clothing. (May be redundant to say that.) Or, she may also be compensating for something else, there's really no way of knowing.
It's important to point out that this pledge only covers FUTURE events. So if you cheated on your spouse in the past, it's OK to sign the pledge. Newt Gingrich must be sooooo relieved.
It's also worth noting that Bobby is asking for a pledge of allegiance to him and his organization, not to God. So, we now can officially confirm it - he thinks he's God.
Bobby's latest venture is to ask all presidential candidates to sign a pledge to affirm support of personal fidelity to his or her spouse, oppose any redefinition of marriage, and appoint “faithful constitutionalists” as judges, (as opposed to unfaithful constitutionalists, I presume). This so-called Marriage Pledge will be a requirement for future endorsement by the Family Leader. You know, because as the Family Leader goes, so goes America.
Michele Bachmann immediately signed the pledge, solidifying her position as an incredible social conservative suck-up in Tea Party clothing. (May be redundant to say that.) Or, she may also be compensating for something else, there's really no way of knowing.
It's important to point out that this pledge only covers FUTURE events. So if you cheated on your spouse in the past, it's OK to sign the pledge. Newt Gingrich must be sooooo relieved.
It's also worth noting that Bobby is asking for a pledge of allegiance to him and his organization, not to God. So, we now can officially confirm it - he thinks he's God.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)