Elvis Rides!

And the Beatles rode bikes too!

Boxing Day Ride

The taggers celebrate the holiday in Loyal Heights!

Took a short (22.9-mile) loop out to Golden Gardens on Boxing Day to test out the new equipment and the old legs. The new shoes worked well, and after 4 years with the last pair, they represent a reasonable replacement after I got full use from the old ones. Less satisfied with new pump, too short for the frame and so I get to check Rivendell's replacement policy for that unit as well as the bike bag which is simply too small to justify the price.

So far in the past six months, the log totals 1,267 miles per the Garmin, and I'll probably finish the year with a bit more, given the weather forecast of dry, clear and cold for the remaining days of 2009.

The sundial indicated noon on the return on BGT at the U of W. We've passed the solstice, and now the days are getting longer!

Bob Young

Family friend Bob Young passed away last week, from pancreatic cancer. He had been my brother Stan's best friend, and was an inspiration and counsel to nephew Matt as well. Bob traveled with my brother in Italy, and had been a friend of my father as well.

Here's the link to the obit from the Pasadena Star-News, but more importantly, here's a link to his art site, with some wonderful sketches and other pieces.

Jody and Gamelan Pacifica

Wonderful performance last night! Jody, C's cousin from Uncle Jack, is a world leader and expert in gamelan, Indonesian music that combines percussion, flutes, vocals and a host of other fascinating sounds and rhythms. She had been working with Gamelan Pacifica for about a week at Cornish, and their concert featured her compositions, including an amazing blend of a Stephen Foster tune, Hard Times, plus Jewish themes, Sabbath Bride, with the gamelan.

After dinner at the Shanghai Garden on Thursday, she invited us to the performance. It was great to get her together with Max, so he could hear her comments and suggestions, as well as plug into her network of colleagues, while he continues to gather information in his college search.

We've been quite cultured this fall, Equivocation at the Seattle Rep, Abe Lincoln in Illinois at Intiman, after Othello and The Year of Magical Thinking, plus A Serious Man at the Harvard Exit. And, we'll wrap up the fall and transition into the holidays this week with Ellington's Jazz Nutcracker, guaranteed to keep you swinging through Hannucrist and into the New Year!