Continued Wedded Bliss

Kathy bought radios to fit our helmets so we can talk to each other a lot easier while we're riding. Between her profound hearing loss and the wind noise in my hearing aids, every conversation includes a lot of, "What?" We had to futz around with these a lot to get them to work right and fit comfortably in our helmets but, once done, they're working out pretty well so far. It's nice to be able to call out hazards and such and do so clearly the first time. On the other hand, during long climbs I'm listening to a combination obscene phone call-bad phone sex from Kathy.

Ukulele

I picked up this instrument in August of last year. Outside of my bicycles it's one of the best investments I've made. Learning to play has been a lot of fun. Experimenting with different picking patterns has shown me how to bring some songs to life. I played during Street Music Week last June and it was a blast.

My ukulele with a home made shoe string strap.

Evening Bike Ride

Kathy has been riding a lot more this year. Getting two new bikes, one road and one touring, can cause that. All the smoke in the air makes for a pretty sunset but it sure is hard on the eyes and lungs.

Looks Like Spokane Could Easily Have More Bike Commuters

In yesterdays' Spokesman Review an article stated the median commute was 20 minutes in Spokane.

If true, even though it includes cyclists there aren't that many of us so a lot of people driving could improve their lives and have more fun if they rode a bike to work.

Cigar Box Guitar Version 1.0

While I was visiting Kathy's side of the family in Illinois I got the idea to make a cigar box guitar. This is my first attempt. I went with a cardboard box and nylon strings. There are no frets so I use a slide to play. Nylon strings take a while to stop stretching but as long as the strings are in tune it sounds surprisingly good. There are only two strings right now because I broke one. Those eye-hook bolt tuners don't work nearly as well as regular tuners.

Next, I'm going to try a wooden cigar box and bronze wound guitar strings. And real tuners.

Helping The Poor

During my commute home I passed by a boy of about 10 years old sitting along the curb with small cooler and a sign I could quite make out. I usually stop for children when they're selling lemonade and what not because it makes their day. I asked him, "What are you selling?"

"I'm raising money for the poor. I'm selling water for a dollar a bottle."

That sounded like a worthy cause to support. I asked him what his plans were.

"I'm going to find a poor person and give them all the money I raise."

From the look of the cooler, I was his first customer. I bought three bottles of water and told him I'm only taking one and I'd like for him to give two away to anyone he wants to.

I'm sure he's going to he brighten someone's life for a moment. And more beyond that.