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I wrote two powerful paragraphs that used three insightful links to make an important argument. Then I deleted them.
Have a picture of a cute kid, instead.
Started to feel better. If only I wasn’t so physically tired. I’ll be better tomorrow, though.
We spent almost the entire afternoon in the car, but we’ve finally arrived somewhere:
We are on Amelia Island, a well-kept secret coastal getaway just outside of Jacksonville. I’d never even heard of the place until my friend moved here. And my friend is why we are here. Tomorrow, Chadd, one of my old radio mentors, is getting married.
Chadd helped me get started in broadcasting in Auburn. I worked with him doing high school sportscasts. When he moved on I moved into his spot. And I’d follow him up in a broadcasting job in Birmingham, too. He moved on to nationally syndicated shows and ESPN and now runs a sports talker in Jacksonville. Earlier this week they announced they were becoming the flagship station for Jaguars football. Tomorrow he’s getting married. Some week. Some guy.
We saw them tonight at a little mixer. It was the first time we’d met his bride, though we are friends online — one of those modern conditions of modern life. “Oh, finally, we meet.”
She’s going to be a beautiful bride tomorrow. It is an outdoor wedding, if the rain holds off. There’s a big concern of that. Every forecast is different, the entire week, we’re told, has been a weird weather experience.
This evening was lovely, though. We sat outside on a beachfront patio for dinner. We’d walked in and they asked “Inside or out?” My first thought was “Why would you come to the beach and eat inside?” My second thought was “Why is this woman singing Wagon Wheel? And why is Wagon Wheel suddenly the ‘I have country’ bonafides?”
Outside was louder, but the band was better. And, boy, could this lady sing:
She went from the very reverend Al Green directly into White Stripes and she actually made it work. Not bad for a patio band.
What a lovely evening for a bike ride. I have a ride scheduled for triathlon training — a schedule I am poor at keeping, but here’s a chance to ride — and this is a beautiful day and we’re just that much closer to spring:
But those aren’t the only signs we’ll see:
No problem. This is probably a bridge. There’s one down there. And I’ve gotten over bridges on closed roads before. Besides, going around means another five or 10 miles. While I’m not concerned about the miles, I am on a schedule, and the sun is growing weary in the western sky, so press on …
OK then, they’ve adequately sealed off the road with heavy machinery, as is the style here. This particular piece of awesome construction power fills the entire road. I’ll just walk my bike around on the shoulder, then, and ease over the old (or new) creek bridge. This is going to be a problem. There’s no road there:
How big of a problem? Can’t jump that distance:
Let’s be honest. I’m not jumping any distance.
The problem became that I had to get from this side to that side. And while getting down to the creek bed from myside wasn’t difficult, getting back up to the road was a challenge. On one side the opposite back was vertical, and covered in underbrush. On the other side it was almost vertical, and covered in pumpkin-sized erosion rocks.
The thing is I usually, for better or worse, come to a conclusion about things very quickly. I sat there on the side of the road for a long few minutes trying to figure this out. I had to get down, over and back up, carrying my bike. I’m as much a cyclocross rider as I am a jumper, which is to say not at all. Ultimately I went up the near-vertical side with large rocks, pulling myself and 17 pounds of aluminum and carbon with me. Suddenly, spandex didn’t seem that cool and cycling shoes didn’t seem that practical.
But I made it. Didn’t hurt myself. Managed to get scratched by a tree limb and got a dusty knee. Slowed me down enough that I ended up racing the sun home, which was not my intention. And I missed the start of the baseball game. But I got in 30 miles. And Auburn beat Texas A&M 4-0 to start SEC play.
Even when the roads are closed you can have a good day.
Celebrated a long week at the office with an hour or so at the baseball park. One of the finer things you can enjoy on a brisk March night, right alongside a 7.2 inning performance from Dillon Ortman. He allowed six hits and three runs while striking out six before getting the win over Mercer.
The people sitting next to us were being interviewed for a story, I believe:
Ryan Tella drove in a run in the seventh inning. Auburn was in control there, but Mercer stormed back against the bullpen. The 9-5 final score sounds closer than the game felt.
I just like how only parts of that picture are in focus.
The moon up above us:
And, now, for one of life’s deeper dilemmas: Am I more tired than hungry? Or more hungry than tired?
… But we learned the difference between getting hit by a pitch …
And popping out to second base …
… is pretty small.
Bad night for baseball. Auburn lost 10-6, and only then because of a five-run rally in the ninth. Auburn left 13 on base, including three in the last inning, which means the fly to left that ended the game was the tying run. All 10 of Presbyterian’s 10 runs came with two outs. And, at the plate:
Golloway replaced senior third baseman Damek Tomscha after Tomscha took a called third strike, moving Blake Austin from catcher to third base and inserting Blake Logan at catcher. When Austin took a called third strike, Golloway replaced him with Connor Short.
Going to be one of those kinds of seasons, I guess.
Something cute at the park, then:
And, hey, it is the weekend. We had a late dinner with friends. The sun will be out tomorrow. It’ll be warm. There will be more baseball. Life is great!
