Hmmm...

"Hello," I said as I walked toward it. It responded to me and then we chatted for a few moments. "Do you have a name?" I asked.

"I do, but I'd rather not say," it said, "In my world to give up ones name is to give up ones power."

"May I ask what you are?"

"You may and I will tell you. Sir, I am what is called a mixed metaphor."

 

 

Good Friday, 2013

Taking off my helmet and putting on another hat I offer up a little twist and a leaning toward something different than I usually post.

I get the cross

not all stories have happy endings

I get waiting in suffering

not accepting it exactly

rather waiting with it

watching hope 

evaporate slowly

painfully.

 

The Gospellor called Mark

embraced waiting

closing his gospel

not with resurrection stories

but with an empty tomb

just emptiness.

Someone later

added a "real" ending

no waiting.

I'm waiting with Mark

and pondering

is this an ending

or a beginning?

I'm perched

sitting on a wrinkle in time

with no happy ending

with nothing

nothing but

wonder.

 

It Snowed

The temperatures stayed above freezing all day, which I'm guessing made for great snowball fight weather not that I had any personal experience with such a thing.

Again, I was surprised at how many cars I saw out and about today without their headlights on.

It is supposed to keep snowing rather heavily into the wee hours of the morning. It will be interesting to see what the official totals are. I suspect somewhere between nine inches where I live, fourteen inches farther north, and even more where they experienced thunder-snow.

Just Curious

Is this how little picnic tables are made?

March Being March

Saturday it definitely felt like Spring.

Sunday? Not so much. It was cooler and it rained and rained and rained.

But, it did clear off enough to offer up a sunset.

Over the weekend I got plenty of chances to test out the new helmet and so far, so good.

New Helmet

Last Monday I accidentally dropped my everyday cold weather helmet onto a marble floor. You can read the details here. Yesterday I got my new helmet. It is basically the same model of helmet but manufactured in 2012 rather than 2010.

It feels a little different on my head, but in a good way. Perhaps they have tweated the fit a little. Today I'll take it for a ride and I will know more. I liked the old helmet. It was noisy as are perhaps all modular helmets, but I wear ear protection and this wasn't a major problem for me. The biggest plus of my old CKX helmet was it didn't fog up. The old helmet had some air leaks which if I rode in a colder area might be a concern.

It is an inexpensive helmet.Yes, I could tell the difference in comfort when I tried on a Arai helmet the other day at Cyclegear and perhaps one day I will spend the money on a great helmet. This is not a great helmet. It is a good helmet. It is DOT approved and I feel satisfied it will protect my fragile little noggin.

The new helmet isn't white, but I think it is pretty visible. But, enough talk, time to ride.

Soon...

Even In The City

During the last ten days Heather and I have attended a Kanun recital by Denise Gill-Gurtan. It was wonderful.

We had the opportunity to experience Paco Pena and his Flamenco Company. He is among the greatest living Flamenco guitarists in the world. He did not disappoint. It, too, was wonderful.

Saturday night we were to see The Al-Andalus Ensemble. My friends Rabbi James Stone Goodman and Michael Castro were going to open for them. The show was going to be held in a venue I'd never been to before. It seemed a perfect reason for a ride. Isabelle and I scouted it out on Saturday afternoon.

The venue was the Union Avenue Christian Church. There are some wonderful details on the exterior of the building.

But, I was more taken by a tree across the street from the Church.

That night Jim and Michael totally nailed their short set.

Their offering was full of soul. It wasn't so much a performance as their being what they were offering us.

Later the headliners came out and they, too, were excellent. That said, it seemed to be more of a  performance. There seemed more veils between them and us in the audience than there had been with any of the other groups or artists we'd experienced lately. Still wonderful, but...not so open.


It occurs to me what a blessing it is to live where I am able to hear such wonderful music. I'm still amazed a small town kid from Central Michigan finds himself living in the City. Often times I feel out of place and wonder how I got here. But, a string of musical experiences like we've had over the last two weeks makes my heart open and my soul smile.


This morning it was 19F/-7C when Isabelle and I left the condo to do our usual Sunday morning bagel run.

Ah, the memory of good music. A good stead to ride . Good Company all around. And, warm bagels. Simple pleasures. Life is good, even in the City.