Another cold day for a bike ride. Legs were feeling stiff. Usually I can ride my way through it but it is a fine line. Cross that line and go to far it could mean a long ride home. Where I live there are a lot of inclines and hills so I got to be careful. Today the legs stayed stiff but I kept the ride short and as flat as possible. The main thing for me is to get a ride in.

Bike riding is my zen time. It allows me to relax and enjoy the sights around me. Sometimes one just has to leave the problems of life behind even if it is temporary.

I enjoy when the ducks and cows are out. For some reason they relax me when I watch them. They go about their business without a care in the world. A moo or a quack now and then can always bring a smile on my face.

I have been bringing my Kindle with me. Have a snack, drink some water and do some reading. Recharged and ready to deal with the work world.

My Top 10 as of Now:

1. If You Were Mine – Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials

2. No Nose Job – Digital Underground

3. I Adore You – Bloodstone

4. Why Not Me – The Judds

5. Why Did You Stop – Percy Sledge

6. Ring Dang Dilly – Big Maybelle

7. I’m Gonna Get Drunk and Play Hank Williams – Hank Williams Jr. w/Brad Paisley

8. Sorry You Asked? – Dwight Yoakam

9. Bouquet of Roses – Eddie Arnold

10. When Did You Stop Loving Me – George Strait

I always like the bike ride on New Year’s day. People are hung over or just staying in which means hardly no car traffic on the roads.

It was a cold ride today though. One of those rides where no matter how fast I pedaled or how many hills I climbed the body would not warm up. Still when all is said and done I rather have it cold than hot.

I really enjoy taking in the sights when I ride. Never know what I might see. Bike riding allows me to cover more ground than walking. I can stop and snap a picture without blocking traffic or needing to find a spot to stop safely.

My Top 10 for the Minute:

1. Absolute Perfection – Pato Banton

2. Adios Mexico – Texas Tornados

3. Rain – Johnny Copeland

4. Very Ape – Nirvana

5. Valentine’s Day – Marilyn Manson

6. Magic Moments – Lakeside

7. Making Love (To The World) – World Party

8. I Ain’t Going Peacefully – Hank Williams Jr.

9. Damn Right, I’ve Got The Blues-Buddy Guy

10. Death is in Love With Us-HIM

Made it over 3,000 miles for my bike riding for the year so far. Might not seem like a lot to some bike riders but for me it is pretty good. Mostly just riding to go sight seeing or to run errands. I feel pretty good about it.

The rain has stopped and now it is cold. I don’t mind riding when it is cold, actually I like the cold better than the heat, but the problem with cold weather is that I tend to urinate more. Good thing I know where the bathrooms are.

After a nice ride I like to stop at the library and do a little reading. I grab a newspaper and go through some magazines. Then it is time to to hit the road for the ride back home.

I always enjoy a nice lonely and quiet road when I’m on a bike ride. I love listening to the sounds of nature while I ride. The natural world is a beautiful sound. I never ride with music.

My Top 10 for the Minute:

1. March to the Witch’s Castle-Funkadelic

2. Mary-Geraldine Fibbers

3. Packin’ Up-Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials

4. The Outlaw’s Prayer-Johny Paycheck

5. Opus One-Anita O’Day

6. Baby-Larry Graham

7. Black Cadillac-Joyce Green

8. The Walkin’ Blues-Royal Crown Revue

9. Family Affair-Sly Stone

10. Eternity Imelda May

A rainy day ride by San Pablo Bay in Richmond CA. Got my rain pants and rain jacket on. Must admit I don’t like riding in the rain. When it rains hard enough it can hurt when hitting the face area. But I had to get my Christmas ride in.

Making progress with my cockatiel. She will let me pet her head and neck. But when she has had enough she will attack my hand. She doesn’t bite hard. I think she thinks it is play time. I got her when the people next door had to move and could not keep her. She spent six years in the cage. Now she comes out and sits on my shoulder. Yep, we are becoming pretty good buddies. Never thought I would enjoy a bird, but she is fun.

The World is still here and life goes on as usual. Ever get the feeling humans just can’t wait for the world to end as we know it. Now the Mayan writers have to find a new job or jump on the next end of the world scenario.

There is always the bible version of the end of the world. But only God knows when that will take place so why worry about it.

Can only make my little world as pleasurable as possible and have a good time while I am here.

My Top 10 as of Now:

1. Who Were You Thinkin’ Of-Texas Tornadoes

2. After The Fire is Gone-Loretta Lynn

3. Rain-Johnny Copeland

4. Velvet Morning-The Verve

5. Cake and Eat it-Dead or Alive

6. Can I Sit Next to You Girl-AC/DC

7. Oh Lonesome Me-Kentucky Headhunters

8. Ol’ Country-Mark Chesnutt

9. Major Moves-Hank Williams Jr

10. Manhattan Blue-Malta

I got a pair of Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove shoes. I have become interested in barefoot running when I started to noticed when I am barefoot I walk on my toes and not on my back heel. So I did some reading on barefoot running.

I didn’t want the shoes that looked like toes. Just a personal taste. The just looked silly. So I thought I would give the Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove shoes a try. I am not much of a runner. I sometimes get a mood to go running. Usually a painful experience. Not nice on my knees then I start walking until my knees feel better.

I did have to get use to running in these shoes and my feet had to get use to running on my toes. It is a different feeling. Once I got use to the shoes I ran better and my knees did not hurt.

I also like wearing the shoes when I got to the gym. I like the barefoot feel.

My Top 10 as of Now:

1. Palm Springs Jump-Lee Press-On and the Nails

2. Packing Up-Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials

3. Unorthodox Manifesto-Dimmu Borgir

4. UBangi Stomp-Warren Smith

5. Call Me-Blondie

6. The Death Song-Marilyn Manson

7. Keep on Taking me Higher-The Commodores

8. Keep it Smooth-Pieces Of A Dream

9. Yellow Dog Blues-Louis Armstrong

10.Hang on to Your Love-Sade

Endings in a life of a person will be experienced many times. Sometimes it may happen many times a day. Some of the endings are prepared for and some are not. Some endings bring great joy and some great sadness. many endings may go unnoticed.

Lessons from biking and hiking:

1. Always remember the distance you go one way, you have to come back.

2. Remember the mostly down hill ride or hike means a ride or hike back up hill.

3. Just because I feel strong at the beginning means not to get to carried away. After burning energy I still have to come back when I have less energy.

4. When starting out I rather ride into the wind or mostly up hill at the start when I’m strong than to ride into the wind or uphill on the way home.

5. When I’m tired I’m going to rest. Even if I’m with someone. Either rest with me or go along your merry way.

6. Ride and hike within my limits. I have nothing to prove to anyone. Forget ego and survive.

My Top 10 for Now:

1. Gave You My Love-Aswad

2. Go On and Cry-Bloodstone

3. Harry Hippie-Bobby Womack

4. Have a Drink on Me-AC/DC

5. Scarlet Town-Bob Dylan

6. Wang Dang Doodle-Z.Z. Hill

7. Baby-Larry Graham

8. Baby, I Love You-The Ramones

9. Pale Man in Black-Coffinshakers

10. Paradise City-Guns N’ Roses

Sometimes while bike riding there are embarrassing moments like being lost in Lafayette.  Lafayette is a bedroom community of 24,000 people in the San Francisco Bay Area. There is a small business district.

I decided to try a new route and head to Orinda and then Moraga into Lafayette. But some how I ended up riding through streets in the residential area. All I want to do is find a road leading toward the Lafayette BART station.

I know I could use maps on my cell phone but that seems like cheating. One must understand I don’t mind getting lost. I keep thinking lost in Lafayette is embarrassing. So I just stay on a street that seems to be heading in the right direction. Then there it is, a sign that said BART with an arrow pointing in the direction I was riding.

Yep I’m like a retarded homing pigeon. I will get lost but will find my way eventually

My Top 10 for the Minute:

1. Very Yes-Bootsy Collins

2. Wave a White Flag-Lee Press-On and the Nails

3. You are Forever-Smokey Robinson

4. Zip Gun Bop-Royal Crown Revue

5. #1 Crush-Garbage

6. 18 Wheels and a Crowbar-BR5-49

7. Major Moves-Hank Williams Jr.

8. The Rain-Oran “Juice” Jones

9. Raid-Lakeside

10. Get Off my Cloud-The Rolling Stones

I have a basic philosophy to help me get through this thing called life. I must keep three things in balance: Spiritual,  Personal and Financial.

Spiritual has to do with my spiritual well being. Am I keeping up with my Bible reading, praying and meditating. As I see it if I don’t understand spiritual things here how am I to understand spiritual things after life is over. Life is to prepare me for the other side.

Personal is enjoying the things I like to do and the people I have around me.

Financial is a job that allows me to pay my bills and to put money into savings. I like having a financial cushion.

When I’m out of balance I’m edgy and a little stressed. Spending too much time on the job and ignoring friends or things I like to do can make me feel negative towards life. I might just need to go on a bike ride or have lunch with a friend.

I know life is complicated and this is pretty simplified. But this is something that helps me to keep me balanced and happy. To remember to enjoy life.

Love this bike jersey. Got it from Rails-To-Trails. Love this organization. They buy old railroad trails and turn them into biking and walking paths. They have a new bike jersey every year. Personally I think this is one of the coolest.

My Top 10 for Now:

1. Amerika-Rammstein

2. Among My Souvenirs-Connie Francis

3. Can’t Stay Away-Bootsy Collins

4. Fortunate Son-Creedence Clearwater Revival

5. The Ghost of Hank Williams-Kentucky Headhunters

6. Hear-Shaped Box-Nirvana

7. I Ain’t Drunk-Albert Collins

8. I’m A Blues Man-Z.Z. Hill

9. Venus As A Boy-Bjork

10. Victory-Larry Graham

Now that the rain has approached it is time to hit the gym more. I have to use the Bally’s in San Leandro because they closed the Pleasant Hill and Danville locations. I would have thought that Bally would have opened one in that area. I can’t believe people would in that area would drive over thirty miles to go and work out. Wonder how much money Bally’s has lost. Though heard it is hard to cancel membership but it can be done.

The only thing Bally’s has going it is close to where I work. So after work I can go for a workout. I do get to do my workout with weights.

I rather ride my bike but I am not a fan of riding in the rain. I know there is rain gear that can keep a person dry, but all that stuff does is make me hot and I just want to rip it all off. I tend to run hot.

If the Bally in San Leandro closes then I will be forced to stop my membership.

My Top 10 as of Now:

1. Sex Machine-Fat Boys

2. She Took it Like a Man-Confederate Railroad

3. Mayhem-Imelda May

4. A Good Fool is Hard to Find-Albert Collins

5. A Hard Day’s Night-The Beatles

6. Hawaiian Island World-World Party

7. I Asked the Question-Awad

8. Johnny B. Goode-Peter Tosh

9. Lady You Are-One Way

10. Aged and Mellow-Amy and the Hank Sinatras