This morning, like every morning for the past few months Junior and I go for a walk. I made the pictures in this grid before breakfast today. Before going further I need to acknowledge Texan photographer Matt Nager for the inspiration in making these little story grids using the iPhone. It takes advantage of the strengths and weaknesses of the iPhone camera.
No posts here since the end of December. Still struggling to find balance between my competing responsibilities and interests. When push comes to shove the Vespa can wait. Junior can’t. All those riding hours have transformed into dog hours. Still, I have been riding and writing. I just can’t seem to pull the trigger to post. I’ve developed a manifesto length piece that would rival the postings of some unnamed fellow riding bloggers. It needs work. And it needs to be cut into pieces. So I just started from scratch this evening with this. A note from the sticks that life goes on.
Did ride in the rain this morning to meet my friend Gordon at the Pump Station. And have been on the Vespa a few times in the past couple weeks. Have lots of pictures to go through. And a post to complete reviewing a 2010 Triumph Tiger I had for a few days.
So not to worry. I will wade through the work and responsibilities and be posting more frequently. I’m working hard to get Junior to transcribe my thoughts. Or at least hold still while I take pictures.
Would it be wrong to have him run alongside the Vespa too? *grin*
hmmm…so, you are saying that your scooter is like Alice on The Brady Bunch, or is it more like Paul Lynde on Hollywood Squares? Oh, no, now I see: even though Junior gets more face time with you, it is your scooter that sits at the heart of your desires. Didn’t mean for that to sound creepy in a man/machine sexual sort of way. I meant that you still hold onto the freedom that the bike represents.
Junior needs to learn how to ride pillion!
__Orin
Scootin’ Old Skool
My daughter takes her golden lab for a run while she rides her bicycle. A little difference, though not by a large measure. Still, I think Orin has the best idea. Or, perhaps a sidecar for Junior.
dig: I’m going to have to sit with your comments for a time before responding. Things haven’t been that deep since I was in graduate school.
Are you smoking something? And were meaning to be creepy in a Marxist/Feminist manner or just a post-modern pre/post futurist way?
Orin: Junior would probably give it a try. But I’m not sure I want him breathing in my ear…
Chuck: I’ve thought about the bicycle trick and even roller blades with Junior pulling me along. But unless he gets far more trustworthy on a walk not to lunge out after a squirrel or rabbit I probably will continue to walk with him. And of course I would have to learn to rollerblade….
For now the two hours a day of exercise will continue. That’s a lot of riding time…
I used to put my dog on floorboards of my Vespa and I’ve seen people do that. Actually you would be a good candiate for a hack as you don’t ride too terribly fast anyway (I’m trying to be polite here in a non threatening feminine sort of way).
You suggested ages ago I call my blog Key West Vespa and i went with Diary instead and I’m glad I did. Getting a dog just means a change of emphasis for a while. personally I have a lot more fun exploring the backroads with the dog not least because you can be nosy and people just see some dude walking his labrador, not a biker casing his home.
And as to lengthy posts here’s an exmaple of why it’s easy. stop dithering and get on with it (meant in a Stalinist sort of way).
conchscooter: You are exactly right about the dog just meaning a change of focus. Kim keeps telling me it is a temporary change as we work with him to make him a fine canine citizen. Hard to believe as he sits at my feet throwing a bone around and snorting like a stallion….
I’m convinced that Junior will not be a riding dog. Maybe a model, but not a riding companion.
Sidecar for the vespa… dogs like sidecars
Here are some directions to get you started
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gbh/VespaSidecar/
Say what you will about the iphone camera (And what I’ve heard hasn’t been good) I like your story grids. The vignetting and soft focus of the iphone camera really gives a kind of funky, old fashioned, high contrast kind of feel to the photos. In a way it’s a regression to the old kodak box camera look. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but I like it.
Dave T.
Dear Steve:
I write for a living and periodically get sick of looking at this keyboard. By periodically, I occasionally mean every eight hours. I thought it would be fun to just write about motorcycling, but that too grows tedious after a while.
I think you should publish your monumentally long manifesto. I guarantee it will resonate with some people.
Once, when I hadn’t written for three weeks, I published a ride report that was 15,000 words long. I was told no one would read it. To date, it drew the best response of all my pieces.
Length is an enticement when the story has a few twists in it, apparently.
Fondest regards,
Jack • reep • Toad
Twisted Roads
So that’s why you’re so tired and can’t blog. Sorry my posts are so long but thanks for hanging in there with them!
Junior sure is a handsome pup! The grey days are playing games with my disposition. Getting out for very long walks helps. However, I’d love a ural for safer wintery rides. I love the photo grids!
Chris: Those are thorough instructions for a Vespa sidecar. Thanks!
Dave: The more I use the iPhone the more I see possibilities that outweigh it’s limitations. I’ve some some things with it now that I actually want to make some prints.
Mr. Riepe: You always seem to supply the right input at the right time. Thanks for that.
I am not ready to write that 15000 word essay yet but it’s in my head…
irondad: He (Junior) is a handful. But he is making me stronger. At least that’s what I tell myself.
Did I say something about your posts?
Sojourner: A Ural rig has crossed my mind more than once for a whole lot of reasons. It seems delightfully simple and straightforward.