Rite-aid fashion

I'm going to lead another recumbent only ride on the upper section of the Santa Ana trail. I'm also planning on doing the Great Western Bike rally in Paso Robles the is memorial day weekend, so i needed to some hill training.
why Rite -aid? The last time I was up there , I forgot to bring my tights, and the only thing I could find in Morro Bay was a pair of Semi-tights at Rite Aid. it was prefect weather for them. Capris, Knickers? you decide:

From 4-24-2009

I started on the Santa Ana Trial. unlike the Orange County section, we leave no doubt that you are in the desert:

From 4-24-2009

I thought about going up mt Ruibidoix, but could remember how to get on the trail:

From 4-24-2009

I found out that they had added some more to the trail, so instead of 15 miles one way, I had about 17 miles when I turned around. I thought about California's title of the "Golden state" when I saw the Grass.

From 4-24-2009

From 4-24-2009

Coming Back I ran across this trail side memorial:

From 4-24-2009

I got off the Santa And trail and started making my way to Greenspot. It's really nice , that you are riding thru Orange Groves. There were several self service stands. I meant to come back and take a pic and pick a bag of oranges, but I forgot.

From 4-24-2009

I did have to get on Hiway 38 through downtown Mentone, but It was a nice wide shoulder, which was not bad. and I was doing fairly decent with my climbing, pretty much keeping to the same ratios as on my Diamond frame (conventional) bike:

From 4-24-2009

Ca 38 is the "Back way" to Big bear. I guess they're having an "end of season" sale

From 4-24-2009

Some one likes plastic Sculptures:

From 4-24-2009

I almost went the other way. riding up this hills through the orange grove can't be beat!

From 4-24-2009

Then I came to the old Iron Bridge and Seven oaks dam:

From 4-24-2009

Going down Greenpsot was a blast. I almost did not do this ride, as the weather forecast had called for high winds. I had avoid it until I got the 210 freeway, when I wound up in a dust devil.
I wound up the ride by going through the Old Norton Air Force base. It can be depressing as the base housing was basically abandoned. But I didn't Notice it , mainly because I was on 3rd Street instead of 5th street.
Norton AFB is now San Bernardino International Airport. The only "airline" is the "con air" operation of the US Marshalls, although the City Of San Bernardino is building a new terminal:

From 4-24-2009

but the past is always close at hand:

From 4-24-2009

I made back to the car, and decided to celebrate my longets ride this year by getting a Garbage burrito from Rosa Mara's A Garbage burrito is one with very possible ingredient. I just had to decide which Rosa Maria's to go to. Highland or Redlands? Redlands won out.
Now I need to wash my capris. Tomorrow looks like Capri weather again. But maybe I need to go to Rie Aid again.
FHS Jana

A Honey of a ride!

I've been experimenting with what eat during a ride. Th though had occurred to me that I seemed to better with Organic foods, like the Clif Line of products, Versus the various products based on Maltodextrin, like Hammer Nutrition sells.
But I really like the multi serving containers that Hammer uses. And since another company (Honey Stinger)sells gels based on Honey, I went to Alberstons and bought a Honey bear bottle.
And it worked great! (well, we may have to wait for a while to see how well it worked.
i got and early start and got this photo in Fontana (yes you can take photos on your bike)

I got out to Sierra and Summit before turning around. I met Steve and Mark at Ralphs' in Fontana

and Carlos showed up too

We headed off down the Pacific Electric ,and went by Central Park (looks different than the one in New York:

We went to Claremont and took a break, Carlos noted how photogenic it was. Of Course, he is a Cinematographer

We then hit the upland section of the trail. Carlos is new to bent riding and Clipless pedals, so he fell down several times. Once he feel into my bike. more on that later.
We stopped in Upland:

And Carlos agreed to do the photo shoot:

We had lunch at the Taco Factory, before I headed back home(stiff wind) for my second adventure of the day.
My Bike came with the wrong cassette(The gear cluster on the back). Fortunately, the manufacturer(Bacchetta) supplied the correct one.
The only catch was I had to drive to Van Nuys to have it installed . Only 70 miles.one way.
going out wasn't too bad. While I was there, Andres noticed my wheel was true (Had a wobble), which may have been due to Carlos's fall. He also noticed that my brakes needed replacing.
So I occupied myself riding bikes. I managed to ride 5 different bikes in one day!
Also, only Lady had approached Steve and Myslef at the end of a club ride. She also had a recumbent. Steve invited her to bring her bike. She did so today, when both of us were not there. But she also made it to Van Nuys to have he bike looked at. We chatted some
Going back, it took me two hours. Ain't Los Angeles Traffic fun!

Sunday best

Well, now for the Bicycle report
Saturday was gray and Gloomy. I did get a picture of the vineyards off Summit Ave in Fontana:

From 4-11-2009

I then checked out Recumbent Ride I'm planning next weekend, The roads have not moved, which is good. plus I got picture of this sculpture off Central ave

From 4-11-2009

I participated in the "social Hour afterward. Learn that my good friend Tom Logsdon, had been laid after 29 1/2 years with the same company.
Today I woke up early and did the PET. Usually, I see some Rabbits along the trail, but none today.
Felt a little bit out of place in the Sanctuary Today with all the new clothing every one else was sporting.
That got me thinking about the term "Sunday Best". If we wear our best clothes when appear before God on Sunday morning , does that mean that God is not watching us when when eat nachos in our bathrobe? He's sorta Quasi-omnipotent, Quasi-omniscient being then, isn't he {or she?)
I always call that "putting God in a box" we want to control our relationship, rather than the other way around.
So I'll probably keep on pedaling to church and partaking in the beauty of creation
I decided to come home by the minor league ballpark, The Epicenter. Nick Adenhart, the pitcher for the Angels that died in a DUI accident this past week, played for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in 2006:

From 4-12-2009

From 4-12-2009

From 4-12-2009

From 4-12-2009

From 4-12-2009

I killed Jesus

Okay, That probably struck most of you out in readerland as odd.
You will remember from That I was Pilate during our passion gospel. What got me here was that in the reading Pilate asks Jesus "Are you king of the Jews?" Jesus answer "So you say>: and the crowd roars "Crucify him!"
Only at St. Marks, we we had two little peeps from the audience. I took it upon mys elf to make sure we had a more appropriate cheer after I read Pilate's Next line "Why? he has done no wrong!"
And I'm thinking about this as I'm supposed to be the 12th Station ("Jesus dies") in our stations of the cross today
And the Video , it does tie in. It's one of my Favs, both musically and theologically.
You see, most of the time I think we use the devil as an excuse for our natures and Failings. I was think of the congregation's response to "crucify him" It's easier to say "we would have saved you, Jesus" or "Those other guys did it" (thanks, Tom) than to admit that "Evey single one of us, the devil inside" (thanks to Michael Hutchence)
And I'll admit , Ive been doing my share of devil 'rassling (where's the Von Erichs when you need them?) , as I suspect Michael did, too.
I do think that we have to admit to our darker sides in order to truly live to its fullest. Sometimes , it hard to realize what he humans will do. I was think back on interview I saw once with Michael when He was still alive when the asked him about he came up with "Devil inside". They were basically sheltered suburban kids when they got a deal to play bars in the Australian Outback. They realized this wasn't going to a typical bar when the Manager said "put your gear behind the chicken wire, mate! sort of like a real -life edition of this scene from Blues Brothers plus some "family Planning" actives. I remember him saying quite wide eyed "I didn't realize people lived like THAT!"
But most of the time, out better nature triumphs. I had to take my car to the shop. which wasn't a problem, only expect I'm actually Supposed to dress formally, and I did think I can haul a change of clothes with bacchetta. Plus it's been raining off and on. So I made arrangements to hitch a ride. And I got take a photo of the strawberry picker in the field next to pep boys:

So here's hoping you can stay on the positive side. Hopefully I will (although I'm wondering about the Archbishop Of Canterbury's Command to fast on Good Friday right now....)

send in the clowns!

If you're like me, you've probably always wondered about that song. Clown and sadness? Here's an explanation.
but i'm not going to be on breakups and miscues (well maybe miscues)
I started out early. I had noticed a mission bell on Route 66:

From 4-4-2009

I went ahead after and rode up to The pacific electric trail, only I didn't stop at it's a grind. My Church was having spring cleaning, and Since I'm on the altar guild I thought I should show up.

From 4-4-2009

From 4-4-2009

From 4-4-2009

I went past where I had my crash this fall before heading back on the PET:

From 4-4-2009

So where does ol' blue eyes come in to riding bike and cleaning.
I'm supposed to be a lector tomorrow. Normally we get a e-mail on Friday with what we're supposed to read. No e-mail. no problem as Vanderbilt has the lectonary on line.
Only there's two different reading depending on whether tomorrow is Passion or Palm sunday, and the one for Passion Sunday is twelve Pages long (maybe I should wear my camelbak to the lectern :)
Thankfully, our priest-in-charge, Father Kieth Yamamoto(This is Calfornia) showed up .
Most of you who are familiar with Palm Sunday may have caught on that what Father Yamamoto is planning is dramatic reading. He thought I was assigned to be the Centurion (a female centurion? well, this is California) Which meant I had only one line! Yeah!
But then the Gentleman that schedules the readers, Chris Watson, showed up. It turns out that I'm Pontius Pilate. I get two lines! But then I get to condemn Jesus to the Cross. Reminds me of a story about Ardian Zmed. It seems his father was a Orthodox priest, and Ardian's First "big" role was in "Godspell " Adrain called home. his Father said "Congratulations, you'll make a wonderful Jesus!" Only there was a problem. Adrain was cast to be Judas.
SO i'm setting here looking at articles on Pilate. He may not have been as bad as we like to make out to be. The Abyssinian Church considers him to be a saint, and I've always thought he's gotten a bad rap, as he seems to trying to find every way he can to get Jesus off the hook,or at least not sign the execution order. So Pilate is going to come across in may hands as a little skeptical
So, let me close with another story: A songwriter in Hollywood got a call at 1:30 Am "This is Frank Sinatra,and i'm going to record your song, but I need to ask you a few questions" The songwriter thought it was a k=joke, but realized that it really was Francis Albert.
"what do you want to know?"
"in this verse, the lyrics say this. What were you thinking when you wrote them?"
"does it matter"
"Well, if you were thinking of this, I'd sing it like DOO bee doo DAH, but if you were thinking of that, I'd sing it like doo BEE DOO Dah"
So trying it back to biking, maybe pay attention to why you're riding. Maybe your riding for the wrong reasons.
Let close with my favorite from "the Chairman of The Board" Me? A Sinatra fan? )sorry, we'll have to make do with Michael buble