The spaces in between

I love that phrase.
People often say they're in between jobs. Or marriages. Or residences. All of life is transition, it seems. Or waiting. The illusion is that things are fixed. Even if someone stays in the same house most of his life, or keeps the same job, transitions swirl around him. The trick, as Shakespeare suggested: "To thine own self be true."
Another dimension of space: The waiting for news. Is it a boy or girl? Is it cancer or not? The funeral isn't here but I want it to be, and then over.
Those are real holy spaces. Packed with intense emotion, for sure, but almost as-if-time-stops spaces. If you're in one of those times, you wonder how other people can walk by without a clue of what's going on? How can Betty stand there and bake that bread while I'm waiting for the phone to ring from the doctor's office?
How do you use these in-between spaces? Myself? It's generally a mixture of the holy and the profane. I fret and worry and pray and live and talk and obsess and ... wait. One time I waited on something for 15 months. It wasn't the news I'd hoped.
But even if bad news comes, there's an ending. A glorious ending.

Jones Soda: Tastes like bacon

Now this is weird.
Granted, maybe I shouldn't pass judgment until I try it; but I prefer my bacon fried up in a pan.
You have to hand it to Jones Soda, though: Very creative and edgy. I've tried the vanilla and the bubblegum (preferring the vanilla). How 'bout you? What are you Jonesin' for?

Bike shoe booties: Specialized

Best $20 I ever spent.
Yesterday I rode from about 11-1. I knew the high would be about 60. Though not one to get chilled very easily, I do suffer from cold feet (while cycling, that is) and cold hands and ears. My feet, particularly, can go numb in cooler temps. So I went to see my buds at Ride On Bikes and they sold me these awesome toe warmers.
They're not terribly easy to get on or off, but well worth the effort.
If you have clip in shoes, they have small holes for ventilation. Not something you need going 15 mph or more.
Hoorah for toe warmers!

To remedy the cold hands: bike gloves; and, for now, I put my windbreaker hood under my bike helmet. It cuts the peripheral vision and hearing so I think I'll check out a skull cap. Ideas?

Merrill: Gotta hike

So I got these new boots week before last, before vacation; and they are top-notch. (They should be; they cost enough.) But they're worth it.
You wear smart-wool socks with them and you can go, go, go. Or at least until your legs get too tired.
Check out Merrell for your other active-lifestyle needs.
They do better with a smart-wool sock (not as thick as pure wool but not as thin as cotton); and tonight on a neighborhood walk I went with regular cotton. Definitely will go back to the smart wool.

The spin cycle: The political edition

Politics very much in the air this week. The sun came up again Wednesday following yet another election. (And we await some runoffs.)
Maybe it's because I'd be too thin-skinned for it, but politics bores me. This party is up this time; it'll be the next one next time. Or the next time. And so on. This person will be caught in scandal, and therefore give the edge to his or her opponent. Then it will be the opponent's turn.
I completely understand the need for politicians but what I'm saying is I abhor the process. When you get laws and policies crafted by people--and groups of people--who beat the crap out of others to get there, well, I question the sanity of it all. That seemingly endless craving of power. That no-holds barred drive.
(Maybe this is why I didn't succeed at competitive sports.)
On another note: I wish there were some sort of third party. This either/or business is too limiting.
On a lighter note: Why do Sarah Palin and Bill Clinton (or fill in the blank) only call me every other year? Don't they want to talk to me on the off-cycle, see how I'm doing?
Thoughts?

Four rides for what ails you

According to a recent study of more than 5,000 Americans, regular exercise can add as much as four years to your life. What's more, scientists have identified ways to tailor your training to improve common conditions that can wreck your quality of life right now. We pored over reams of research to find the best rides for your health. As a bonus, they'll make you a better rider, too. As always, this advice is for cyclists who have the medical go-ahead to train. If you haven't had a checkup this season, see your doctor before starting any program.
— Selene Yeager
Read the rest here from Bicycling magazine.
See you on the trail!

Charlie Kankel: Nov. 29, 1939-Oct. 29, 2010

"I myself shall see, and my eyes behold him
who is my friend and not a stranger."
The Book of Common Prayer

Back from vacation and I can't think of anything to blog about except our friend Charlie. On my way back into town last Friday, I stopped by the Columbus Hospice House where Charlie had been shipped. The staff were incredibly sensitive, as they had to break the news he'd died about three hours before. Though sad, I was grateful to have had good visit with him last Sunday, with Michael and another friend. He was lucid and funny and we watched a football game on his GI-normous TV in his apartment. A few days later, he went back to Hospice.
On Friday, I wrote a news obit about him for the paper.
Today was his funeral. The main pieces of his life were well-represented: The AA community, Army (and Vietnam) buddies, his church, football and golfing friends. When I grow up, I want to be like him. It might be a cliche but I do. Charlie, sober for about 40 years, had no pretense. You truly got what you saw. He helped untold numbers of people get and stay sober. He made amends.
"How are you doing, Charlie?"
He'd always say: "Better than I deserve."