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Friday / photo / Twitter — Comments Off on It seems to me
11
Sep 15

It seems to me

I had this thought that you can look at the moving sun — or us moving around it, if we need to be precise — in a couple of different ways. The early evening version goes: Do you see it as a miracle of daybreak? Or do you see it as a trust, that this thing is coming back tomorrow?

Samford

I have no idea what that means, really. It could be a half-empty, half-full formulation. It could be a Rorschach test. It could be nothing at all. You get lost in the wonder of the sun and how it looks and how it feels and the impressiveness of fusion. That’s a miracle. Or you see it and soak up the sun and know it’ll be back. That’s trust.

But everybody feels that way about Saturday on a Friday, right?

A great look at that historic first pitch that President George W. Bush offered at the beginning of the 2001 World Series. Great little documentary.

An old classmate of mine was too kind:

football / I do not know what is happening. / photo / running / Samford / Wednesday — Comments Off on The paper, a panorama, a pared piece of perspiration
9
Sep 15

The paper, a panorama, a pared piece of perspiration

I forgot to include this the other day. I took this picture during my Monday ride, when I was happily headed up the wrong road to somewhere I hadn’t intended to visit. Every now and then I find some place where the topography and the surroundings can trick you, offering this weird feeling that you’re on the top of the world.

This was one of those place. I figured a panorama would be an appropriate way to try to capture a small bit of the feeling.

Panorama

Click to embiggen, and then add this sensation to the list of things a simple photograph can’t convey. And let us also acknowledge how weird that entire premise is considering you’re at about 700 feet above sea level if you’re standing on that road side. Weird, I know, but it happens.

Today:

This is a first issue and, as first issues go it is pretty nice. We had our weekly critique meeting this evening and if this is their starting point, I told them that I think they’ll be pleased with where they wind up this year.

It stormed here again today, a big, loud, angry, demonstrative thing. I wanted to go have a big run, but the lightning was in the way. So I went to the gym, where there is an elevated indoor track. Only the football team had taken over that gym because of the storm. Some of their gyms were using part of the track. So I sat and watched them for a while.

There’s only so much you can do in terms of football practice on a basketball court, it turns out. But the coaches kept their spirits high and the players focused and they had some walk throughs and practiced some specific scenarios that they expect to encounter down the line. At the end of it all they huddled together and the head coach, Chris Hatcher, told the team how many lightning strikes were in the area. I’d like to look up that National Weather Service number for myself.

Then I ran two miles, thinking this part of life has gotten a little odd. “Two miles is a disappointment. Oh well, make up for it tomorrow.” And then realize, I’m looking forward to that.

I do not know what is happening.

cycling / photo / Samford / Tuesday — Comments Off on Back to it, then, short week edition
8
Sep 15

Back to it, then, short week edition

I love the following sentence. I managed to get in a 31-mile ride before heading off to the office today. The upside to a late night, I suppose, is a slightly later start which today meant I had the opportunity to make a few more tiny circles with my feet.

Also, I got rained on, so I hid under a nearby church’s carport.

I got rained on while driving too, but that provided us with shots like this:

rainbow

Because of all of those clouds which lingered throughout the rest of the day, we had a marvelous sunset, too:

sunset

I know sunset pictures are the standard placeholder around here. And there are people who make capturing that hour of the day their life’s work. You’ll never find mine next to theirs in a sunset photo gallery, I’m sure. But it pays to look up.

We’re also looking down, into computer screens this evening. Tonight our student-journalists are putting to bed their first issue of The Crimson for the school year. I’m eager to see how it looks tomorrow.

cycling / Monday / photo — Comments Off on An un-laborious Labor Day ride
7
Sep 15

An un-laborious Labor Day ride

I managed to take more wrong turns on my bicycle than you’d think. You’re going slower than cars, usually, but you can still get it wrong. It seems, though, like less of a problem on a bike. More pedaling!

Turning around is different. In the car I find that every place I try to turn around is a bad option, in a blind curve or has a squadron of vehicles following me while there are forever cars coming from the other direction. It can be exasperating, but I think that’s because in the car you’re always going somewhere.

On the bike, I’m trying to find somewhere, or I’m trying to remember where I put myself. Or I’m simply more comfortable with the idea that there, up there, is going to be in the same spot when I finally do make it.

I didn’t mind so much when I missed a turn 22 miles into today’s ride. I got to pass a pickup right after that. First moving vehicle I’ve overtaken in a while. And after a mile-and-a-half of slow climbing, I found myself with this view:

I’d been to this place before. You start to recognize crossroads and signs and ditches, if not the treeline in the distant pasture:

So the one road drops me off into another road with more traffic and less light and I found myself at a gas station, which I’ve visited before. It was the only thing around for miles, except for the sunset:

And there I called it a ride. My missed turn gave me views I hadn’t expected, but would have put about 15 more miles onto my trip and I just ran out of time. It is hard to see it, but even the twilight was giving up fast. I called for a ride and did doughnuts in the parking lot of the gas station, where they have appliances on a side porch:

And I learned what goes on inside old gas pumps:

And, not for the first time, I’ve wanted to tour this old co-op. They still do some work out of there. I’d like to see inside the place.

So my ride ended early, but it went early, and exactly right, at 33.51 miles.

food / photo / weekend — Comments Off on Light up the coals
6
Sep 15

Light up the coals

We grilled. I invited you online. (No, you; not you.) Unfortunately you could not make it. This might have been my fault as the invite was sort of a last-minute thing.

grill

Probably for the best. Those burgers were delicious. The Yankee put some crazy new seasoning in them. I think she called it pep … pep-per … or something like that. I didn’t really want to share.

Hope you’re having a lovely Labor Day weekend.

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