Sundayin'

So....having spent a lot of the summer at our Maine estate it is all winding down. Good friend arriving tomorrow to critique my hand I work and bask in the solitude. Long ago I read a biography of Robert Moses writing by Robert Caro. I then began his bio of LBJ. Twenty years later and I'm almost finished with the fourth volume published last year. Fantastic writer and fascinating subject. LBJ gave a speech at Gettysburg in July 1963 as VP.
"One hundred years ago the slave was freed. One hundred years later, the Negro remains in bondage to the color of his skin. The Negro today asks justice. We do not answer him, we do not answer those who lie beneath this soil when  we reply to the Negro by asking, "Patience',...... To ask for patience from the Negro is to ask him to give more of what he has already given enough.......The Negro says,"now", others say, "never". The voice of responsable Americans - the voices of those who died here and the great man who spoke here - their voices say, "Together, there is no other way"

Amazing.

Bananin'

So, this morning riding my new bike in to town and the great library I passed another banana peel. My informal study continues. Many more bananas than apple cores, peanut shells or coconut husks. Next is to determine whether people save their apple cores while throwing out the banana peels. Perhaps there is an app that tracks apple cores.

Plumbin'

So, couple weeks ago got a chance to sail from St Augustine north with a guy I met in January. Wonderful time and made a friend. Had to get my foul weather stuff from MOON and discovered water in the cabin. As the boat is on the hard it was unusual. Flew down Friday to rig a solar panel to keep the batteries charged while running the bilge pumps. Also looked at why and how the water got on the wrong side of the hull. Found that the previous owner made some unusual changes that were pretty easy to correct and am now happy that the problem is solved. I do like working on boats. Much more fun than wearing socks and dealing with people in robes.

Evolvin'

So, living on a boat for six weeks brought back lots of memories. Our bunk on MOONSHINE was queen sized. On MOON we slept in the V berth forward. Getting in and out proved the theory of evolution on a micro scale. V because of the hull shape and usually reserved for people who think of sleeping on a sailboat as quaint. Owners usually sleep in the comfortable berths elsewhere. Evolution comes in to play when the mind begins to figure a way out of the bunk at 0200 without sitting on your friend's back. I wonder if the science deniers ever tried it. Also, if it wasn't called a theory would it be harder to deny? Eventually I discovered that doing a backward roll landed me in a position where I could marvel at my dexterity and still pee in a place wherein I did not sleep. Evolution proved.

Wordin'

So......fungible and cottage are two words that I find very comfortable. I try using them all the time. Lately I have taken to musing on the word "on". Like the first person to eat an oyster I wonder about the first person to use "on" as in "turn on the light". How does one go from using it in this way when there was nothing to turn? Hard to imagine someone lighting a candle and saying they turned it "on". So you invent a machine that just sits there. To do something it has to work because it would be hard to invent a machine that is already "on". Take a light. One invents the light but is the switch already there? If not, then how is "on" determined and why use the word to describe the act of starting the light? "On" works well on the little thingy the says "on" and "off" as hydrant would be waaaay too many letters for such a small place. Did "on" exist before electricity? Or faucets? If so, what was the first thingy to be turned "on"? And why "on"? Mancunian is also a cool word.

Speedin'

So..........there I was at our Maine estate facing a four hour drive alone without the benefit of coffee. Stopped at a convenience store for a big one and saw a selection of Five Hour Energy drinks "like seen on TV". $3.50 for a really little can. Not wearing my glasses it took me awhile to see that it claimed to be the equivalent of one cup of premium coffee. Coffee,  like beer has always been a question of quantity not quality so I was in uncharted waters. It occurred to me as I gulped it down that I had no idea what it contained or the effect it would have on me. Then I remembered the advice given me by an AF officer. If a little bit of something is good for you a whole lot more is a whole lot better. Down it went and I hit the road. Five and a half hours later while sitting on the couch watching college football the experience ended and I fell asleep. The only advantage I can see to this swill is that it avoids pee stops and pee stops on long rides are often the high point of the trip. Anyway, a full bladder focuses the mind much better than caffeine.

Ridin'

So............last October I decided to start riding my rebuilt bike to court. Only a mile and downhill in both directions so actually faster than driving. Would also loosen up my knees for a long day of genuflecting before the judge. Wanted to lose weight for younger daughter's graduation in late May and was disgusted at the 280 lb blivot I had become. A very mild winter and a realistic goal meant I was able to ride thru the cold never missing a day until a recent eye exam had me driving to the local VA facility about 15 miles away. Lost 60 lbs and began to enjoy the workout as much as the weight loss. Clothes began to fit and people were kind enough to humor me into thinking I was doing well. I now want to reveal the answer to a question asked by many people. They all wanted to know which item of fruit I saw most often on my rides. Never saw a grape or pineapple. Never saw a coconut. What I do see almost every week is a banana peel. Never a squished banana,just the peel. Never the little sticker I wear on my forehead, just the peel. There is a lesson in this.