Spent some time this morning with folks from the old job and managed to cut a few hours off of my community service. But seriously, it was a great cause and Joey is something special, even if he is a NYY fan.

Some things I learned about rummage sales:
1. People will use any excuse to get rid of their junk, even their good junk. There was some nice stuff out there.
2. Do everything in the cool of the morning because it gets hot fast.
3. I would have charged double for everything, but I would have been wrong to do that.
4. Some folks will shamelessly use their kids to get the best prices, even at a charitable event.
5. The kindness of strangers is amazing. Two people paid $100 each for $10 worth of merchandise.

Here’s some pix from the morning.

I got seriously overheated and had to leave early. After chilling for a few hours, I did the predictable and rode over to Subway for dinner…and got hot again. Still, I’m feeling better about the riding and the exercise and am looking forward to spending July and August on the road as much as possible.

Y’all keep cool out there, ya hear?

Edit: Disregard. Liz wanted to go for a quick ride in the dusk, so I tagged along. That’s 27 rides/141 miles for June.  NOW I’m done. :)

As Around Carson notes here and here, the First Presbyterian Church is changing, but not without a little controversy. Some congregation members put up a fight, not wanting the bedrock of their community touched by shovel or backhoe. Change is good, though, when comparing the Church in 1899 and Scott’s picture below, both taken from about the same angle (click for larger pictures):

Above photo courtesy of the Nevada State Library and Archives

Looking at the 1899 version, it was a decent sized building (look at the boy and dog in front). There’s the obvious differences between “then and now” like the changed windows, paved streets, and absent house and picket fence to the north (replaced by a newer wing). The entrance in the front used to have three floors and didn’t look like a castle tower. As for the modern version, I think the area to the right of the backstairs was tore down due to safety issues. Scott has good pictures on his site, but I’ll wander over there this weekend to be sure.

Edit: Tonight’s ride included a stop at the church for some pix (click to enlarge):

As a little bonus, here’s the State Capitol building around the turn of the 19th/20th Century. It housed the Executive Branch, the entire State Legislature, and the State Supreme Court in those days.

Above photo courtesy of the Nevada State Library and Archives

Firefly and Serenity make it to the International Space Station.  Shiny Fun!

Recently rode to a fast food joint famous for their cowmeat and national ad campaign that includes the word, “Thinking.”  I got my full gear on, including XXL aerodynamic bike helmet, gloves, and a sweat-soaked t-shirt.

I gave the cashier my order and while we’re waiting for the “chef” to slop some beef-like ingredients onto a wheat-like bun, the guy says to me:

“So, did you bike here?”

Dude, here’s your sign.

Liz has been browsing around the Moore/Hume/Henry geneology and the Internet Maven that she is, she found some on-line literary work that was written by my Grandfather The Professor so many years ago.  They’re available for purchase from Journal Storage, “a not-for-profit organization with a dual mission to create and maintain a trusted archive of important scholarly journals.”

• “A Sentence A Day“
• “The Style and Literary Background of Henry Adams“
• “Walt Whitman and the Peace“

She also found one of his published books, but you have to access it from a library computer:

“Runaway Star: An Appreciation of Henry Adams”

Enjoy.

Congrats to the Published One (here is where she’s published)!

Edit: And congrats to the Dean’s Lister!

From the Reno Gazette-Journal.  This happened in 1983. Don’t they have real news to report?

Mitt Romney strapped dog to car roof during vacation
Apparently the Boston Globe reporter who originally broke the story about how Mitt Romney put the family dog in a carrier and strapped him/her atop their station wagon for a 12-hour vacation drive intended the anecdote to reveal the presidential candidate’s calm crisis-management technique. But the anecdote is unlikely to win over many dog lovers, especially after reports of excrement on the roof and car windows because of the dog’s severe stress at being strapped atop a moving vehicle. Strapping a dog to a car roof is illegal in Massachusetts, but the statute of limitations has likely run out on the 1983 incident.

The riding continues and I hoped to make to 400 miles for the year by the end of the month, but it’s not to be.  I guess I should be happy to make the halfway point by the time school starts up again.  One mile at a time.

In the spirit of this blog entry, here’s some more ideas on becoming an effective writer (courtesy of about.com):

Choosing the Correct Word: Clearing Up Common Confusions

Top 5 Tips to Cut the Clutter

Top 4 Guidelines for Using Commas Effectively

“Use them together. Use them in peace.” (<-- Movie Quote.)

I remembered my wife’s birthday:

I bought her a bag.  :)