winter 2011 101

winter 2011 101 a photo by langston on Flickr.

Long time, bloggerville. The wild shininess of Facebook has been dulling my sword, reducing poetic moments to 12 word boasts. I've been eying Livejournal like a familiar yet mildly disappointing ex-wife. Blogger, we'll see what comes of you yet. It is the dark months, time for brooding and declarations.

So, anways. I have an iffy garage door opener, and sometimes my bike doesn't make it in the garage when I get home at night. Only once has it locked me out of my main source of transportations. So, when the bike comes home, I have this cute bike stand thing and I lay down newspaper like a good boy because, ya know, the carpet was only a few years old when I moved in. ick. still, I don't like to clean shit anymore than absolutely necessary so down go the Sunday Times. Do that with an Ipad.

It's given me an opportunity to pay more attention to my bike, literally. It drips and makes little noises as it settles into the warmer living room. Oh, I don't really have a space designated for bikes inside, that was the point of the garage, dammit.

Point of this is, wow my bike is really dirty. All winter, I'm weekly wiping down the chain, applying heave weight oil for the winter grime, wiping the rims so they don't squeal (clean rims wear slower too) and knock the general grime out of the fenders. This leaves a large part of the bike that doesn't get cleaned. I'm impressed with just how much mud will stay on a bike. Photos in a minute

Bayside

Bayside
Originally uploaded by langston

Wonderland Trail 2010

Sarah did the whole 96 miles in 8 days, I did ~43 in 4.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/langston/sets/72157624617988653/

Iowa Elemental

Iowa Elemental
Originally uploaded by langston

camp

camp
Originally uploaded by langston

Point83 Family Photo 2010

Point83 Family Photo 2010
Originally uploaded by joeball

When I'm an old man I'll think of nights like these. Withered and tired, I will pull forth from distant memory images from as when still a young man I rode a bicycle and cavorted with amazing, passionate individuals united under a common joy.


I feel like I have lived a fairly large chunk of my life by now, and instead of any morbidness I am more enchanted and amazed every day. Children make me smile. A friend long disconnected and lost, tending bar at a garden party caterwauls back into existence but for only a spot of an evening. An evening spent in dedication to another over the top adrenaline suckling evening, with 50 fellow souls. A family portait with a beautiful sunset, forever capturing the moment.

I'll forget your name. We'll never see each other again after some point in all likelihood, or, in this brave new future do we never lose anyone but to the great beyond? I'm in the 6th year of a fantasy football league where I've never met a participant in person yet have shared pain and joys through email and photos. A friend from long ago, college was it? High school maybe even? Well she is picking me up in the middle of Iowa on a Saturday morning, the airport more an hour from her house.

I hope I never loose anyone in this photo, and in a way I never will. The love I give, the joy in my laugh is your love. Your laughter.
I want to be an old man, tired from all the joy.