Workload

Apologies for not being around much this week; work has been crazy, blah blah blah. I'm finding my own excuses tiresome and repetitive, so I can imagine how boring it feels for you. Here's a funny picture instead, symbolizing my work life right now:

 

 

original pic source

 

 

Thanks for your amazon web searches; sorry if I haven't used 'em all. I warned you that I would be only posting the ones I found strange enough and that got at least one result. I wanted to post drummergeek's "jell-o comfort shorts", but sadly there were no matches for the search. Damn.

 

You know who keeps coming with awesome searches? My phrenologist, Mordecai McBumpanoggin (McBump). That dude is a genius.

 

 

Be well, ride your bike, and I'll be back ASAP! Yer Pal,



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R A N T W I C K

Schadenfreude and a Deep Sigh

No video or pics or anything on this post. The events I am about to describe happened while the camera was running, but in reviewing the video I was once again wishing it had the nearly instant zoom and focus of the human eye, because what the video showed, even with software zoom efforts, was not capable of mirroring what I saw at all. I just deleted it.

 

Schadenfreude: While riding to work recently I saw a young man (on his way to school, likely) riding down the sidewalk and texting as we approached a 4 way stop. Oblivious at first to the pickup truck that had spotted him and stopped in the middle of the intersection so as not to run him down, the boy eventually woke up and awkwardly braked while descending off the sidewalk. The braking and the bump dislodged his phone from his grasp and it fell to the pavement and scattered into three distinct pieces (phone body, cover and battery) like many of us have experienced one time or another. While I hoped his phone wasn't totally busted, I felt a happiness unbecoming a grown man. Schadenfreude.

 

Deep Sigh: On my way home today while sitting at a light I spotted a cyclist in the right hand lane of a 4 lane, two way street, confidently signaling their desire to move left, into the centre lane. I was happy. Upon reaching the intersection, they proceeded to turn right.

 

Funny thing, I heard myself laugh when I reviewed the video. It was funny. Except when I thought about it later. How does that cyclist signal a left, I wonder? If it is with a right hand turn signal, they are quite likely to get hurt or worse pretty soon.

 

In addition, when stuff like this happens, it makes me wonder what the motorists around me think when I signal. Do they just wait to see what I do and then feel relief that it matched what I indicated? I like to think that motorists might appreciate the difference in appearance between a hardcore commuter like me and other bike riders and trust my signals accordingly, but that is completely unrealistic considering some of the stuff I've seen some well-equipped commuters do. Deep Sigh.

 

 

Well, it has been my pleasure to bum you out on Friday morning... in case I haven't, please remember that things only get worse and hopelessness is obviously the only reasonable course of action.

 

Or not! It's almost the weekend! Woohoo!

R A N T W I C K

PS - When I spell checked this post "texting" was highlighted. Good to know blogger is using the Queen's English and not some kooky modern day dictionary full of words used by, like, people.

Frustration

Deepest apologies, all you SARATS entrants. I have not had an opportunity to get out and collect votes on your trees yet. Frustrating, stupid busy life. Wait, scratch that. My life is pretty awesome. I live in the best country on the planet in a state of outlandish excess and luxury by most of the globe's standards, my kids are great and my marriage rolls on as happily as ever. Stupid blog, making me feel guilty for having a good life... anyway, I intend to knock out a slideshow tonight and collect some votes over the weekend. Wish me luck, as I wish you luck in the contest.

I am also frustrated that in a nearly snowless winter thus far, I left my bike at work last night and drove to my daughter's basketball game (we won and she was great). It snowed 2-3 inches overnight, a perfect amount for getting back into snow riding, and my bike was stranded at work. Frustrating. Ah well. As the preceding paragraph demonstrates, if this is the worst of my problems, I am a very lucky man.

I also had a frustrating FedEx experience over the past couple of days. Perhaps this is the real root of my title choice. I don't know, but I do know I feel much better having written this. I also know that because you care deeply about how I'm doing, you are relieved rather than resentful at having read three paragraphs of nothing but self-absorbed whining and boasting. You are not frustrated at the ways in which I waste your time, because you, dear reader, are awesome too. If that seems like shameless sucking up after a content devoid non-post, that's because it is. It's true though. You rock. I'll be back with something better soon I hope.

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

Mrs. Rantwick calls Me, A Panting Freak

I was looking at and listening to some video I had taken from the bike a few days ago, using one of the two laptops that dwell in our living room, when Mrs. Rantwick looked over at me in alarm. She had an unusual look as she asked, "WHAT are you watching?" I returned her alarmed, somewhat accusatory gaze with my customary blank, clueless one.

A few seconds passed before I managed to figure out what was up. Here's a sample of what she was hearing:

So, with Mrs. Rantwick feeling some concern and with the panting still coming from the speakers, I happily said "that's me ... hang on, we'll hear you in just a few more seconds..." That got Mrs. Rantwick out of her chair in a hurry. Here's what she joined me in watching:

That was Meadowlily Road, one of the few real hills to be found in East London. Those of you who live in mountainous regions would scoff at it as a "climb", but as you could hear, it was enough to work me pretty darn hard even in the lowest of Mutant Winter's eight gears.

See? I Would Never Use The Internet for Anything Interesting.

R A N T W I C K