Odds & Ends

bikes & trains

Last Sunday, I took a 40-mile ride to Roanoke and then over to Hicks Airport. It was cloudy with some intermittent light rain, so I didn't take many pictures, just a couple shots of the center-cab switcher at the Trinity Industries car rebuilding plant near Hicks.

Trinity Industries switcher - Hicks, Texas 09/03/06

Later, I took the kids to the park while K took a nap...

at the park with the kids

What happens when you have kids, and you leave

bungee cords in the back of your pickup

My friend Stephen keeps asking, "when are you going to go foaming again?" That's a good question... I've definitely cut back on my train photography in favor of my bicycling. Summer is just not my favorite time to go out shooting, especially when I feel like I've already gotten most of the "good" shots in my area, and I'm just not as interested as I used to be in the trains around here. But wait until October or November when the air is clear, the temperatures are cooler, and the sun is shining a day or two after a cold front blew through... I'm a weenie when it comes to bicycling in cool weather (i.e., below 70) so I'll want to be out chasing trains & shooting photos every day! And I do have a week of vacation coming up next month...

I am registered to ride in the Cowtown Classic (bicycle ride) this coming Saturday, September 9. They offer four rides: 14 miles, 35 miles, 42 miles, 65 miles. I chose the 42, because I have to work that afternoon. I should have plenty of time to complete the ride and still make it home for lunch with K and the kids before I head off to work. The route begins south of Ft. Worth in Crowley and goes south toward Cleburne, then northwest through Godley and close to Cresson before heading back to Crowley. We'll be close to a few different rail lines: the former ATSF Cresson and Dublin Subs -- both of which are now operated by Ft Worth & Western -- as well as the BNSF Ft. Worth Sub. I'll let you know how it goes.

A Sunday dilemma

It didn't take long for a conflict to arise between the scheduling of NFL football and a musical act I'd like to see. This coming Sunday, September 10, is opening day of the Cowboys NFL season... we will start the season on the road at Jacksonville in a game that will likely feature the highly anticipated debut of Terrell Owens with his new team. God, am I ever sick of the hype surrounding this player, especially after the strong showing that receiver Terry Glenn made in the pre-season, but it will be good to finally get a look at what Owens can do on THE FIELD and not in the locker room or on an exercise bike on the sidelines.

The problem is, Hayes Carll is playing at Love & War in Texas in Plano the same afternoon. What to do, what to do... I saw Hayes at Dan's Silverleaf in Denton back in June and it was one of the better shows I had seen in a while. He's got a real good sound, especially on stage. (Think: Jack Ingram before he started trying to appeal to mainstream audiences. Or maybe early 1980s John Cougar with a hillbilly twang... ) I'd love to see Hayes, but I'll probably end up staying home and watching the game, for a couple reasons:

1) We got our new tv in time to see the Super Bowl, but I have yet to watch a regular season Dallas Cowboys game on it.

2) In the somewhat unlikely event that I could actually talk K into going to see Hayes Carll, we wouldn't have a babysitter for the kids. Love & War isn't necessarily family UNfriendly, but with lots of music fans sitting around smoking and drinking, it ain't exactly the Romper Room, either.

And, 3) It's TO's debut! Stay tuned... I'll probably post a reaction to whatever I end up doing...

Now, if Vanderjagt misses more than one field goal, I very well might decide to boycott the rest of the season, thus eliminating any further possibility of scheduling conflicts with shows I'd like to see...

Whiskey's World Series of Pop Culture (installment 1 of an occasional series)

Did you catch the recent "World Series of Pop Culture" on VH-1? If you're anything like me, you suffer from a borderline unhealthy addiction to pop culture trivia, especially on 1980s subjects. So I thought I'd introduce a version of it here on the blog. Most questions will cover 1980s and 1990s subjects, but I might occasionally toss out some newer material. Most will have something to do my personal favorite tv shows, albums, books, etc. Sorry, I won't be awarding any prizes, but whoever responds with the first correct answer will receive a congratulatory email, along with their own personal satisfaction of a job well done.

Are you ready? Here we go...

1) The phrase "Vegetable rights and peace!" was uttered by a character on an episode of what early 1980s BBC sitcom? (Extra credit if you can name the character, the name of the real-life game show on which he was appearing, and the college he was representing).

Respond via email, or by posting a comment in the blogspot comment section. I will post the correct answer, and recognize the winner (assuming there is one) in my next blog entry.

WSC

np: Allman Brothers Band: a decade of hits: 1969-1979

nr: Jack Kerouac - On the Road