As a cyclist, I enjoy following le Tour de France each year. I don’t always understand all of the intricacies of strategy and tactics, but I appreciate the difficulty of riding more than one hundred miles per day for three weeks over some of the highest, steepest mountains in the world. (I borrowed these thoughts […]
Continue readingWatch How You Use SAG
On a cycle trip, SAG stands for “Support And Gear.” I’ve learned, however, that “SAG team” might have other implications since our team is entirely post-40. So in the interest of personal safety, I’ve adopted the French term soigneurs for our support team. On a cycle racing team, soineurs are responsible for the day-to-day needs of the cyclists–food, clothing, […]
Continue readingLabels
HAPPY MONDAY! An odd question brings us today’s word-of-the-week… LABELS “What kind of quadriplegic are you?” Seriously. Now I not only have to be labeled as a quad, but there are subcategories? I’m getting really tired of labels. The guy’s sister just had a car accident and he was seeking information. Parents relayed a ton of […]
Continue readingGod And Baseball
Sandy Koufax is a quiet, reserved man. From 1960-1966 he was arguably the best pitcher in major league baseball. On October 6, 1965, Koufax declined to pitch the opening game of the World Series. Sandy Koufax is Jewish, and that day was Yom Kippur. I remember being dumbfounded by the news. Fourteen-year-old me would have traded […]
Continue readingNot So Special After All
In my school classes like art and music were called “specials.” I always thought that was odd since math was the most special class of all. When you start attaching labels, weird things happen. Last week I called myself The Special Needs Guy on our team. A few folks, notably my friend Kristen, called me out. […]
Continue readingIt’s Not About Fast
How do you work out riding as a team? Good question. We bring together a bunch of folks with different abilities who don’t know each other and ask them to ride bikes in close proximity for 500 miles. That doesn’t happen by accident. Colorado has lots of wonderful bike tours on which riders can choose […]
Continue readingLiving Or Recording?
Actor George Clooney hosts all sorts of people from all walks of life at both private and public events. At private events–large and small–he politely asks guests to leave electronic devices in pocket or purse so folks can simply enjoy their time together. At a large public event even famous people scrambled for “selfies” with […]
Continue readingDog Years
I’m Monte, and yesterday was my eleventh birthday. I really don’t understand birthdays, because I’m just a dog. I got a few extra treats and some ear scratches, which I enjoyed. The best part of the day, though, was that Rich and I did our first really long run of the year together. I haven’t […]
Continue readingThey’re All Shook Up
Everyone walked away. Five members of our team were on a training ride last week. A car passed, swerved, over-corrected, then rolled multiple times before slamming into a telephone pole. This all happened within fifty yards of our riders. Two guys ran to the car, expecting horrific injuries. Amazingly, both folks were able to climb […]
Continue readingWell
HAPPY MONDAY! A thirty year flashback prompts today’s word-of-the-week… WELL It is well with my soul! More than thirty years ago I made “public profession of faith,” one denomination’s way of marking adult commitment to Jesus. I was asked to choose a song, and I selected Horatio Spafford’s When Peace Like A River. I chose that song for […]
Continue readingThe Special Needs Guy
On our team, that’s me. Others make accommodations so I can participate. I’m grateful, though honestly it’s difficult to be the special needs guy. Easier to offer grace than to receive it or worse, have to ask for it. Each year as the FREEDOM TOUR approaches I wrestle with whether I ought to participate as […]
Continue readingIt’s Just Human Nature
That was their comeback. When you have a chance to gain an advantage, you take it. If the cashier gives you too much change, that’s the store’s problem. If the referee doesn’t catch you, it’s not cheating. That’s just the way life works. In some ways, I understand. These guys have lived in a system […]
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