…or not. But they make me feel a bit better. Gerry, co-owner of 44|5, is a tour operator in France, but I’ve been on so many trips with him and have gotten to know him so well that I consider him a friend too. Since March, when France and the US were both in a […]
I love watching the Tour de France on television. I get especially excited when le Tour visits some place I’ve been or climbs some mountain that I have struggled up. This year’s race is providing quite a few ‘been there’ moments. It started in Nice, host of le grand depart and two stage finishes. Back […]
Public ‘service’ announcements are airing, encouraging or demanding we get flu shots. They say this is especially important this year, in The Time of the Covid. That got me thinking. We are all practicing social distancing and masking, and many businesses are shut and many activities are forbidden, to stop the spread of Covid. Don’t […]
Have you seen the videos of a mob storming into restaurants in DC and yelling in the faces of diners, demanding they raise their fists in solidarity with The Cause? Another reason not to eat out, along with wearing masks between courses and sitting outside in the smoke. The videos reminded me of an incident […]
We are well into our 6th month of living with Covid. Does anyone think we will ever be able to move around in public without a mask again? I keep trying to imagine Newsom or Fauci standing up in front of the cameras and saying “Take them off, you don’t have to wear them any […]
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair. / Hover through the fog and filthy air“ Macbeth’s witches have got it exactly right. Walking Luke the Dog this morning, the hags’ refrain kept running through my head. The red ball of the sun barely broke through the orange smoky sky. There is no way I’m going to […]
…with laughter. Then it informed my that my ride had been unproductive. Finally it asked me if I really, truly wanted to post such a lame ride on Garmin Connect and Strava where the entire cycling world could observe what a weak and lazy rider I am. My readers located in California know that 2020 […]
There are many clients of 44-5 who came to them on my recommendation, and most of them have returned for more tours. I have been fortunate to join these cyclists and friends on some incredible riding adventures. And many of us had plans to travel to Europe to ride with 44-5 again in 2020. None […]
Stoker grew up in Waterloo. Iowa. She was born at the leading edge of the Baby Boom decade, and her preteen years were the 1950’s. Her father was a postman whose duties allowed him to come home for lunch and prepare a mid-day repast for his daughters, with Stoker being the oldest of 4. Stoker’s […]
As you know, I’ve been a bit morose these last 4 months, watching our planned trips implode and our net worth fluctuate and our country come apart. Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse… I went to Sisters, Oregon last week for a 5 day cycling tour/performance camp. My first time away from Brumby […]