Hang Time

Saw this in the back yard of my Stepdaugheter's new house. Got me reminiscing about early childhood again. I wonder how many loads of laundry had been processed on this solar clothes dryer before it's demise?

Once upon a time, there were no clothes dryers. It's hard for me to imagine taking the time to hang up all my laundry after the spin cycle is finished. Who am I kidding? It's hard for me to imagine doing laundry at all since my lovely wife does it*!

My wife actually likes doing laundry. It is therapeutic for her. I wonder how therapeutic it would be if she had to deal with this contraption every time? We have recently contemplated replacing our old dryer, but have baulked at the $900+ price tags of comparable models to our old one. I could probably install a set of these for about $50!

*Just for the record, I do all the lawn work. However, if we had one of these in the back yard, I would probably strangle myself midway through summer lawn season, or my wife would threaten to strangle me until I got her a real dryer.

A River Runs Through It... Except Here

I've been conscious of the Trinity River since I was about... oh, six months old, I guess. We had to cross it on a rickety old bridge about four times a week in a covered wagon Ford Falcon station wagon to get into town. I've watched it flood many times. I've ridden miles and miles along it's banks on my bicycle and my motorcycle. And recently I have had the opportunity to paddle extensively on it in my kayaks.

So today I found it intriguing to be able to stand on the bottom of it while doing this photo shoot. The city has decided to install a standing wave for us paddle sport types to play on (here's a finished one in a city right down the interstate). This is just the start of a huge master project to convert the entire floodplain into a recreation area. Yeah, they are 'using' us kayakers to try to bring commerce into the area and reform it into a thriving community. Cool! Smite us with that responsibility.

So I have been documenting the progress of this project over the last month or so. Completion date is estimated for December 2010. They certainly have the equipment to pull that off... and the cooperation from the weather. I think the six lakes above this section are all well below conservation level. More pics here and here.

Get A Grip

When it's too hot to ride your bike, you can always work on it. And since my bike is pushing ten years old, it needs plenty of work. So it's a good thing it's hot!

Decided to replace the grips today. The old ones had been reduced to Gummy Bears. I would finish up my ride and have to peel my hands away from the handlebars.

Ya know, just like everything else BabyBoomers have exploited, handlebar grips come in a vast array of sizes, styles, colors and prices. These are the middle-of-the-road set because I'm a middle-of-the-road kind of guy. Perhaps that is because I was born right in the middle of the Boom.

So, now I should be good for another ten years or so. I guess if I can get that kind of mileage out of a product, I shouldn't worry about the price, eh?

Brrrr!

I ventured out of the air conditioning just long enough to snap a pic with my 50mm 1.8 to test depth of field.

I think that is remnant of Hostess SuzyQ's on the snowman's lips.

Taunting My Coworkers

Today is my two year anniversary at my job. It has been a very interesting time in my life to say the least. Mostly a very good experience, but a huge change for me, since I was self employed for almost twenty seven years before I landed here.

To celebrate I decided to get everyone Hostess treats. My selection has nothing to do with the fact that everyone except me is deeply entrenched in a 'Biggest Loser' competition. Bwa hah ha HAAAAAAAA!

Update: These lasted about twelve minutes after I placed them in the break room and made my announcement.

I did not sign off on this.

The city I live in is so stinkin' big, it is often years before I return to certain sections of it. Today I was driving down to the river on the south side of downtown to do a photo shoot and stumbled across this bridge being built. Sometimes it just amazes me how much stuff happens without my permission.

To Justify taking all that Cholesterol Medicine...

...and if you ever find yourself traveling through Oklahoma on I35, make sure you exit off main street in Moore, south of OKC (actually, exit 4th and go north a block to Main). Then head a half block east to Del Rancho for some great chicken fried steak and some even better local color. Order the #4 and split it with your traveling companion, or you will be hating your seatbelt for the next hour and a half. Oh, and sit in the booth straight across from the kitchen door, because that's the only one where the ordering phone works. Otherwise you just have to scream your order at the waitstaff.

Trip From Hell

Well, not really from Hell, but perhaps through Hell. We ran up to see the Granddaughter this weekend. Drove about 450 miles round trip. Saw about 109 broken down cars too. Interesting. Seemed like most of them had tire problems. In fact, I saw about 12 cars up on the jack with a tire missing and no one around.
Fortunately I just had the truck tuned along with some a/c work that proved to be very useful.

Welcome to August. Stay hydrated. Check your spare.