OK I admit that a 41 year old man finding a day of enjoyment skateboarding might sound strange but I find it centers me and provides a source of exercise that I can't find else ware. That said I spent the day working on my tuck, downhilling in a nearby neighborhood. I lost count of the number of times I went down the half mile hill my legs are feeling the hike back up (gotta earn those runs) so I'm gonna guess more than 20 times and I know I listened to at least 6 hours of music on my Ipod. I wasn't alone in my Sunday afternoon endeavor, there were another 7 folks from CT, RI and MA taking advantage of good weather and a clean road and we had an audience. Nearly 40 or 50 people including a Ct state trooper spent at least half hour watching us fly down the hill at speeds in the high 30's and low 40's. We carried on great conversations with the folks whose neighborhood we were enjoying....as the day wore on the State Trooper broke out his radar gun and started shooting speed checks on us at the bottom of the hill. I think the fastest anyone went was nearly 50mph but they were in a draft train (think NASCAR); the top solo speeds were in the mid 40's. I set a new personal best of 44.7mph which astounded the officer when I returned for my speed slip and he saw how old I was as I pulled off my full face helmet. It was funny how a bunch of 20 something to 40 somethings (I was not the oldest) impacted a neighborhood such a positive manner doing something that a few years ago would have had the same officer responding in a much less favorable manner.


vagabond-punk

The musings of Tony Peters, a perpetual child, no matter where I am I will find a way to climb something or go skateboarding Read more »

the toils of being a home owner

just when you think that everything is groovy boom your furnace burps blowing all the seals and well $6000 later you can have heat again. Mind you it was 12degrees yesterday when this happened and at present I can't keep my house any hotter than 55degree's or the house fills with smoke...not to mention that the soonest I can get a new furnace installed is thursday. Go »

starwars up close

OK I have what is called closed angles in my eye's which although I have no symptoms is considered a precursor to glaucoma...I've known this for a couple of years and since my maternal grandfather had glaucoma and my father has the same problem with his eyes I've really just been putting off having corrective surgery since I returned from Japan 2 years ago. What this means is that the eye's drains which are behind the iris are not as open as they should be which can lead to increased fluid pressure in the eye and posible damage to the optic nerve, or so they tell me. Go »

vacation and such

well my father, brother and I set out last thursday for Ithaca NY, my father and I on our motorcycles and my brother in his LandCruiser pulling a trailer/tent. The goal was to get from Rhode Island to Ithaca for a family reunion and back by using only back roads. We succeeded and we plenty of adventures to boot...my Go »

argh

I got a phone call this morning from work (I'm on vacation) wondering if I know that I'm transferring in 2 weeks???? SAY WHAT???? yet again (this is the 3rd time) the Navy is transferring me to another job in the same area. Go »

Emotionally moving artistically engaging

I just finished watching Rising rebuilding Ground Zero. I started watching it for the construction (I have this thing about architecture) but its the Artistry and emotion thats so engaging. Definitely something to set the DVR to record next Sunday Go »

happy home maker

Ok before my furnace blew up I had been investing in food items for longterm storage and use. I got a deal on 1pound of vanila beans around new years as well as 2 gallons of peeled garlic last week. Anyway with water turned off in my house all day yesterday (furnace being replaced) I decided that it was a good time to do something about all the garlic and while I was at it make some xmas presents for next year (added bonus time spent in front of the stove means warmth). Go »