Happy Summer

Well, It's getting hotter. I remember my youth in the mid south as being alot of sweaty summers, riding my bike in the dustiest of fields, rolling in the woods and trees and culverts and smelling to high heaven. My mom would sometimes ask-no- demand that I take my clothes off before I came in the house. I am still really good at getting nekkid fast. Sometimes there would be the tic check, I had/have a really thick mop of hair & critters would get in there and try to subdivide. I am still really sensitive to bugs and creatures on my person. The best part of summer was freedom and to a ten year old boy that meant a fully functional bicycle. I would ride as far as my bony little legs would carry me and then I would ride back. I would look for the best hill to jump, the best trails to ride and build the nicest ramps you could out of cast off plywood and cinder blocks. I would never wear a helmet, knee pads or one of those little flags that people have on their bikes. I always rode in the street, up and down hills and through yards. I say this because I now live in the Midwest and I have seen some things that make my stomach twinge and a little bile build up in my throat.

Grown men and women wearing helmets. I can understand if you are on a trail or in a road race that you want that extra safety, I just do not understand why on God's green earth you would wear one whilst riding your Target bicycle, pulling a little toddler carrier, on a side street, doing 6 miles an hour why would you feel that need to get decked out like Lance himself. I understand that you wanna be a good influence on the kiddos and you wanna show them how to do right, but what happened to "do as I say, not as I do"? If you wanna show the kids some real life, take one for the team. Fall down and get a concussion and show them how to shake it off. Get hurt and don't cry about it or try to sue someone.

This in, fact, leads me to my "Rules of the road for bicyclists"

1. Share the road. That goes for you too, family of four taking up all of the road in both lanes.

2. If you are expecting to ride your bike on the street with gas powered HEMI's-there is a speed limit the people that need to get somewhere try to go. You better be doing your best to get to that speed. What I am saying is if you are on a street that has a speed limit of 45 MPH, you should be haulin at all times. Some of us have to be at work soon.

3. If I have to obey rules of the road, so do you. Do not bring your casual riding, taking up all of the lane on a 45MPH road, ATB up to a stop light and then decide you are a pedestrian and you can cross in the ped-xing like you were not just in my lane, dilly dallying and acting like you were annoyed that I was tailing you a mere 2 feet from your back tire. And I swear that if you cross against the light or jaywalk-I promise you this, I will find the nastiest, gooiest substance in my truck and fling it at you when I pass you.

4. Unless you are in a sanctioned event, you do not need the whole pointy helmet, spandexed racing outfit to go with your livestrong bracelet. I throw the football with the kids, play baseball, soccer and tennis. I am never decked out in full pads. When I played football in jr. high/high school, we didn't wear game jerseys to practice in. You look ridiculous-Just stop. Yes we know you spent $5000 on you titanium graphite bike with Italian & carbonite brakes, but you do not have to show off the wiener shorts every Saturday on you casual ride through my neighborhood.

5. For the love of all that is holy, stop telling everyone within earshot that you are doing this for the environment. I just saw you drive up in your Hummer and unload your bike-or better yet your Honda Hybrid that is causing the manufacture of batteries that will affect our landfills for thousands of years after you are dust.

All I am saying is ride you bike for fun, I do, Ride like you are on a bike, not a car and if you are in my lane, ride like you have someplace to be-soon.

And look out for gross projectiles.

Live to ride-Ride to live.

SF

Happy Father's Day

I just wanna say to all the fathers--Happy Fathers day! To all of the Grandfathers, great grand fathers and such-thank you for laying the groundwork. For all of the soon to be and future fathers, you don't quite know what you are in for, but you shall soon find out the true meaning of unconditional love-----and you'll say things your dad said that you said you would never say, like "Don't make me turn this car around and " What did your mother say", and the all time classic" Because I said so".
That's right new fathers, live it & love it cause it will come. If you refuse, your kids will turn into little jerks that do not get invited to the cool birthday parties. Just a warning.
I LOVE YOU DAD! in a manly sort of way.
SF

Remind me later

I have a couple of new posts in the wings. One about bicycle rules of the road ( everybodys doing it) and a couple of more band odds and sods, plus an introduction to the newbys-Dalls and Shelly ( gotta get permission first) I also wanna do " What I am gonna do with my money when I hit the mega millions jackpot". I also learned a new term this week-dooced. I 'slpain later.
Another thing rockin my world is the reformation of the original TORA TORA. Thats's right the original rock n roll band from Memphis is gonna be at Newby's on June 28th. I am trying to go but in my truck it would be about $400 in gas alone----so keep hitting those adds whether you buy something or not. The whole family and I will probably get down to Memphis after the 12th ( Mom's class reunion) and the 26th (sis's class reunion)
So remind me to post real soon. I have short term memory loss from K hitting me in the head with an iron skillet--or maybe that was Granny with Jethro or Andy Capp's wife. Oh well, who can remember---I sure can't.
TTFN
SF

The band-episode three Return of the So nigh

This here is Rick. He is the reason I am an Ohio Briar. We met one night at a local wing joint while I was playing NTN music trivia. He was watching and trying to coach me on the answers. I have never met anyone who can beat me on music trivia-and Rick ain't one of 'em. So impressed was Rick that he started asking me how I knew so much about music. I 'splained to him that I am from Memphis and it is part of the requirement to live in the city and surrounding area. He said he and his son had a little band together with him playing trash cans and his son playing a guitar he did not know how to tune & would I like to hear a recording of it. Heck yeah I would. So out to the car I go and what I hear sounds like an early recording of Velvet Underground/Grifters/Guided by Voices/Tom Waits. It was stinkin beautiful. We met up at Rick's garage for a hootenanny and turned out a song that ended up on a GbV tribute CD the first day. Common Rebels. From there it's been all downhill( isn't that the best part of the roller coaster) and I count on Rick to keep me in & out of line, to keep me on time (his time) & I depend on his as a surrogate father/crazy uncle. I have grown really close to this extended family and I hope it never falls apart. With me, Rick, Adam and Jim there is a chemistry that is explosive and caustic and beautiful and encouraging all at the same time. Rick has since slowed down his outings with the Briars ( he is in his 50's) but the hard hitting beats are still there as of last week when we played together again. And for this I salute you Rick---Briar for life. word.

SF

As for the title of this post----It never fails that Rick calls me so nigh instead of sonny--so as in so and nigh as in the time is nigh. SO NIGH. Hey it sounded like Jedi. Just trying to keep a theme here....jeesh.

One more thing

I hit the lottery---for $2. This ain't making me rich so if'n I could get you all to click on the adds that would help me with the cost of keeping this fine site up and running. Seriously...click the sites...click them now, click them often and buy if you wanna. But just click them. They want you to click them, they need you to click them. JUST CLICK THEM ALREADY.
Thanks alot....
Sonny

So It's been a while

I am still on the diet. I have been cheating a bit. I take Fri & Sun off so I can feel normal. During those times I don't really feel normal. I really wanna lose the pounds, I just need a slice of pizza now and then. Although I have cheated I have kept the 12 pounds off and I have switched to the regular diet and it is not so bad. Lots of seeds, nuts and avocados(mmm....guac) but I have also realised that I need to play. Yes play like I used to when I was running around and skateboarding and biking and just generally having fun. Does anyone remember when they were at about age 15 and what your day consisted of in the summer? It was running around all day trying to find some fun thing to do. If you didn't find some thing fun you spent about 5 hours looking for it and 5 hours trying to make something up. All I am saying is look to what made you happy back then and try to go do it. --WHO CARES IF YOU LOOK LIKE A FOOL!-- I now have a skateboard and an interest in yard work. I can tell you that if I don't lose a pound I will still be a lot happier and that can't hurt. Unless of course I break my hip whilst skateboarding & bruise my ego. I promise to write more in the future (again). I am just at a time in my life where I tend to worry and think too much. Not a midlife crisis but more of a crossroads of sorts.
This week listening to : Guided by Voices-Amusements...: Rush-Show Of Hands & Stephen Curtis Chapman- self titled
I miss my Memphis family- I have realised I don't really miss Memphis as much except for the BBQ, my friends and the music & the funkiness & the low rent, & the black folks ( not a lot around here) & the feeling that something great can happen any time, & the churches that still have a message not derived from a book the pastor read yesterday that I saw on CBN 2 weeks ago. Mostly I miss the closeness of family, cousins, uncles, aunts and all manner of kinfolk---whether I like em or not---whether they like me or not. I sure would love a great big family picnic right about now.
I gotta go to bed but the family vacation might be coming together as I speak. I'll holla at ya later.
XOXO
SF

Flat Belly...So far, Good

So to update the 2 of you out there that have been holding their breath for the results post....I have lost 10 pounds in 4 days. The diet starts off with a anti-bloat diet of 400 calories per meal, 4 meals a day. This is quite a change for me. What I really noticed was the lack of salt on anything. I guess the first bit of weight will be the water weight from the high sodium intake. All I can say is I do fell better & my pants fit better.

With that being said, this weekend is Memorial Day weekend and I have too many cookouts to attend so the diet is in a holding pattern. I won't splurge and go back to the double bacon cheeseburgers, pizza and cheese steak sammiches but I will not turn down some grilled chicken or a grilled brat with peppers and onions this weekend.(mmm...brats)
I hope everyone has a happy & safe Memorial Day and remembers what the holiday means...besides a day off.
Be safe--SF