Lawrence, Ego As Big As You Think
Lawrencians don't perceive themselves as Kansans. We think we live in a blue oasis in a red state. Consider the bumper sticker you see all over town.
I swear I see this sticker on half the cars in town. In what other town in this state would you see this so often if at all? That's right, none! It's not solely political either. I think we think we're better than everyone else.We don't want to be the 51st state or anything. We tend to retain what we perceive as the good parts of the Kansas heritage. Lawrence has a flavor of down hominess. Downtown on Mass street the kids drive the strip like in so many other Kansas small towns. The farmer's market where locals come to ply their wares. The Lawrence City Band playing in South Park. Crossing paths with the mayor on the sidewalk. The nods and waves of familiar folk that you might just know cause you've seen them for so long.Lawrence has always been a hotspot of dissention. Lawrence has all kinds of references to the Free State label. Free State Brewery, Free State High School, Free State Glass, etc.. we're proud of the abolitionist history of our town. And the modern history of Lawrence is sprinkled with events that are attempts to uphold freedom and the rights of the individual. Don't forget to honk for hemp!Lawrencians tend to be of a liberal mind set. We think we're more cosmopolitan than the average bear even though we live in a small town in Kansas. The university surely has a lot to do with the culture that exists here. Fresh faces every fall bring fresh ideas and new fads. Old time townies try and keep up in an attempt to stay hip.To some people outside the Lawrence community we're the Kansas version of Sodom and Gomorrah. A bastion of liberal tree hugging pot smoking hippies of various sexual orientations. We just like to say that we're open-minded.Once a psychologist friend of mine said that the average IQ in Lawrence is about 10 points higher than other places in Kansas. He may have been buttering my biscuits but selfishly I agreed.So everytime I see this bumpersticker I smile or laugh to myself. I'm proud to be a Lawrencian too.
Welcome Back Bikers
People on bikes are blooming like the flowers and trees on the streets of Lawrence. Welcome back from your winter slumber!It's been over half a year since I last posted on lawrence.com. I've been on the ride ever since. Back when I committed myself to biking year round I wasn't sure how or if I would make it. But here I am having made it through my first winter season of riding.I took fewer recreational rides during the winter but I commuted every work day except those few days when snow wasn't cleared off the roads. Otherwise any day rain or shine was game. And it felt like a game figuring out how I should prepare for weather I've not biked in.More than anything the thing I like is the misconceptions I erased in my mind; the road blocks that kept me from enjoying the ride. I've lived in this town for 15 years and I've always had a bike to ride. But in the past I always psyched myself out from riding on cold or wet days. Sometimes it was even the chance of precipitation or cold that would keep me from going.But now I know better. I can ride in any weather except maybe 2" of snow on uncleared streets. And to be honest I could probably do that but my one experience with that taught me that it might just be better to find another vehicle. And the fact is days like that are very few in the course of the year.It's all about being prepared and having the right clothing. Right clothing also doesn't mean that you have to go out and buy the $300 gore tex jacket for rainy weather. I wear no lycra and I only have a couple of arm warmers and balaclava that are biking specific. Most days it's some nylon running pants over long underwear and some kind of fleece over whatever layers are necessary.What about rain you say? Cover up your usual clothes with a cheap ($7 - $10) pvc rain suit. The rain suit can be carried any day there is a chance of rain. Another thing I learned about the chance of rain: 30% chance of rain means that only 30% of the day will there even be a chance of rain. And most likely the 20 minutes it might take me to get to work will not be during those times.So now it's not a choice whether or not to ride. I just ride. And now I've got all year to enjoy my bike.
The Ride
Almost every day I move quietly through town. I pass houses quietly and avoid heavily traveled roads. You might see me because as a creature of habit I go down the same roads.Warming up my legs on North Third the train shatters the silence of the morning. I pity the light sleepers in North Lawrence. If I hurry I might jump the tracks ignoring the protest of the railroad crossing. Too slow and I take the alternate route under the passing train. The tunnel has the orange glow of sodium lights and smells of surreptitious pissing.Passing over the Kansas River I get a view that you can only get if you slow down and cross without a car. The birds are always lined up on the wires that somehow help manage the dam. When the river is low there is a little island on the East side of the bridge. After heavy rains the dam is a small obstacle for the gushing river. If you look at a certain point over the span to the East you can see a mile of river. On cold days like today the spirits of the Kaw rise in the form of steam to greet the awakening sun. Today the river smells of nothing. Other days it smells like manure or fish or fertilizer.Crossing sixth street and down the alley by Waxman I smell waxy goodness. Into old West Lawrence I marvel at the enormous houses. Who lives there? Who lived there? When can I? All the old growth trees are home to god knows how many squirrels. My small size relative to the wheeled cages makes them brave. Sometimes they scurry away like the little tweekers they are. Other times they stand defiant and I make some small talk.On campus I slip past unnoticed. I'm youthful enough to appear as just another student to the underclassmen. But then again who doesn't look like they could be a college student? Looking at the faces of another generation I often recall other trips through campus. Late at night with one friend or a few stealing moments for our own in the glow of whatever was bubbling in our minds.On the quarter hours the Campanile breaks the silence of campus. I see the Campanile like I did that first time reflecting off Potter's Lake framed by trees. I might hear the steam whistle on campus announcing the time. On the quiet streets of my neighborhood I hear the screech clearly from 3 miles away.Some days I miss all this. Not because I don't go the same route. On those days that I'm too caught up in going faster all I seem to remember is the time elapsing on my stopwatch. Other days the weather is on my mind and on me. Sometimes it's bad driving and the fear of colliding with much greater mass than me.But when I'm really on top of things I see the beauty in everyday. On those days my mantra is enjoy the ride. Sometimes the ride keeps going after I get off my bike.
Watching the Wheels
I love to naval gaze and watch people. I tried my hand at psychology, and although professionally it wasn't for me, I bare a permanent neural shift because of my experiences.I've been telling people for most of my adult life that at heart I'm a philosopher and if I could get paid to just sit under an olive tree and contemplate the world I'd have my dream gig. Not that I feel I'm any more qualified to determine the nature of reality than the next person it's just copasetic with me.So a blog should be the next best thing. But I'm in a slump. I've never been much of a writer and I often doubt my own creativity. And beyond that I have a propensity to slack. Each time I sit down to write a post I have a semantic battle between writing something that you could find in the hundreds of thousands on blogger or typepad and writing something that has some kind of journalistic merit.But on a deeper level my mindfulness has been cloudy of late. I'm pretty settled into a routine of work and family. Awakening my mindful eye is something that I have to force instead of getting those blossoming moments naturally. It seems I have to be smacked in the face with tangible reality to snap out of the perceptual trap that is "everyday life".So consider this a slap in the face. Wake up to the beauty of now this moment. Take a deep breath and look around you and realize that you are really here right now. And each time you catch yourself slipping gently nudge yourself back without judgment.
Bike Slut (reprise)
Today was the first time this week that I drove my car to work. I was all prepared to bike but I need to pick the H-bomb up on the way home so one day this week won't hurt me.On the way in I filled up the gas tank so my wife wouldn't have to when she drove to class tonight. I spent somewhere around twenty-four dollars to fill up my Honda Civic's gas tank. I did a quick calculation in my head and figure that each day I bike I save sixty cents on gas. That might not seem like a lot but each week I save a gallon of gas. And with the price of gas uncertain I could be saving a lot more in the future.I didn't start biking to work to save money on gas, that's just a benefit. I've always planned on biking to get things done instead of just for fun. But there's always an excuse about the weather or the distance or how I can manage carrying something on my bike. One morning as I began my commute I reminded myself how much I enjoy biking and that rather than a chore this should be fun.In the last week or so it seems like a lot more people are picking up the habit. Maybe the price of gas has got to them or maybe I'm just finding my fellow bikers more salient. I'd encourage all of you to pick up the habit but that's for you to decide. I didn't write this post to be sanctimonious... we'll see how I do this winter.One more thought only tangentially related to this topic. Every time I get a glass of water or go to the bathroom or eat a warm meal I think of the people in the Gulf states. It humbles me to think of what they are doing without. We all get caught up in our petty day-to-day complaints but something like this catastrophe should wake something up in our head. Sometimes it takes something huge to induce mindfulness but it's something we should be able to tap into every day.Appreciate the life that you have and you will have more life.
Making the Indian Cry
My daughter has asked before if she can throw some trash out the window of the car when we drive. She must have picked this up from seeing someone else do it since she's never seen me throw anything out of a moving car. ![][1]I tell her no and ask her to hold on to whatever it is until we are near a trash can. And then usually I tell her that she doesn't want to make the Indian cry. She's too young to have seen the anti-littering PSA that ends with the ["Crying Indian"][2].I find it just a bit humorous to say things to my kids that they don't get. It's like a cultural inside joke that they're not part of yet.Apparently some other people aren't in on the joke either.For the most part I think Lawrence residents are more eco-conscious than the average American. Most of you would never think of throwing anything out of your window. I don't see lots of litter on the street and even the alleys downtown are pretty free of solid debris.But ride across the Kansas river bridge on a bike some days. Ride up 11th street between Haskell and Delaware on the sidewalk any day. On our usual family rides we have to maneuver a mine field of glass. I'm waiting for the inevitable day that I have to stop to patch a flat.While I'm weaving in and out of broken beer bottles I often ask myself, "Who the hell throws a bottle out of a window?"I think of the usual suspects, those meddling kids. College kids on drunken drives through town after all night parties. They are an easy target and probably account for some of the littering but I still see a bunch of the amber and green mess during the summer, presumably when "the kids" are not in town. So then is it a townie making this mess?It's not a type of person though, it's a mindset. It takes dissociating oneself from the fact that someone else will have to deal with your mess. It's selfishness and lack of respect all rolled into one.I'm not going to tell you, dear reader, to not throw things out of your car window. If you already do it you're probably too far removed to take my advice. As for my kids, they'll keep hearing about the Crying Indian until they're in on my joke. [1]: http://www.adcouncil.org/images/campaigns/features/crying_indian_feature.gif [2]: http://www.adcouncil.org/campaigns/historic_campaigns_pollution/
Just the Two of Us
I've been lying low recently. By that I mean I haven't posted anything.I took some time off from work and my wife and I got rid of the kids for a couple of nights. This was the first time we had been completely alone since my son was born a year ago. Our anniversary is approaching and grandma kindly took the kids to the country to enjoy some farm life.With this kind of freedom you might have expected that we headed to Vegas or at least the Plaza. We decided to lounge in Lawrence. There were so many things that we wanted to do that kids either made impossible or compromised. Don't get me wrong, we have a great time as a family and our kids go all sorts of places with us. Look for us on the Free State patio after a family ride any night of the week. But we needed some alone time.We road our bikes all over town sans trailer and trailercycle. We went to a dinner with friends, headed to the Replay and then closed down the Red Lyon. We woke up in our own bed on our own time. We had dinner as a couple at Free State and stayed up late. If time would have allowed I would have loved to see Ghosty at the Replay on the Saturday the kids came home. We had a great time and we were ready to see the kids when we picked them up.It's amazing how fresh and exciting Lawrence is. It still catches me off guard in those moments when I wake up from my movie-daydream-daily-life. And there's so much more to explore.
Lawrence in the Summer
my friend: dammit, how about a fucking post about lawrence in the summer you nimrod my friend: how there are more punk rockers, more tourists, less students my friend: traffic my friend: shopping chrysanthalbee: Lawrence in the Summer my friend: swimming my friend: chicks wearing nothing chrysanthalbee: lots of street repairs my friend: yeah, street repairsFirst off, it's hot. Damn hot! Africa hot (Gooooood morning Lawrence!). There is a heat advisory from 1pm today until 7pm Sunday with the heat index expected to be 106°. My in-laws think it's hot in El Paso. It might be hot according to the thermometer but the humidity here wraps you in a cocoon of heat. At least in arid El Paso it cools off in the shade and in the evening. Downtown bustles with people during the summer. It's fun to just stroll down Mass Street and enjoy the scenery. I know there are plenty of downtowns around but I'm particularly fond of this one. It could be the smell of nag champa outside of Creation Station or the transient kids. It could be the guy that plays music at 7th and Mass. Whatever it is this is the place where you feel the pulse of the town. It's a bit of a luxury to have the college students gone. It's easier to get into Free State on a Monday night. Patio space is still tight but the beer tastes especially good on one of the cooler summer nights. Parking is eased and the weekend breakfast wait is shorter. There are fewer people wearing pajamas to Dillons and Target at night. And there are fewer overheard conversations that start out with, "I was so wasted I __ last night! Dude it was awesome!"Road repairs. Construction and destruction. This year it's been especially hectic for me with all the Sixth Street construction. I never know on any given day if I'm gonna be able to make it to work on time or if I'm gonna simmer in my car going home. My "commute" is short but somehow the road repairs always make me think I'm stuck in the middle of Manhattan (not Kansas).You have to be careful traveling North on Kentucky. Kids from all over converge on the pool. I wish more people were cautious in that area. The stoplight there is to be respected, not beaten.When I get home the mosquitoes are waiting. I'd love to go catch fireflies with my kids but the mosquitoes are nasty. If the bloodsuckers don't get me the chiggers will. Unfortunately I don't hear the seesaw sound of the cicadas this year but their hum lulls you in to dreams some lucky nights.Mow the lawn once a week, twice a week? Trim once a week, twice a week? Mulch it or bag it? Then there are people in Lawrence that just let everything grow. I'm sure some people could get a full bale of hay off their lawn. I don't know if this is peculiar to North Lawrence or if everyone suffers through the moles. I swear I'm gonna go Caddyshack on the ones that reside in my lawn. I've tried it all, except plastic explosives. When you read a story about me being arrested for using high explosives (considering the proposed ban on fireworks), just know it was the mole that drove me to exasperation.
Confession of a Bike Slut
I'm an unabashed bike slut. When you pass by me on any bike I will check out your gear. From your headset to your seatpost I'll check out the curves of your frame. There's been more than one person that thought I was checking them out. The [Lawrence River Trails][1] have been my old standby for the last decade. The [Clinton Trails][2] and the [Perry Lake Trails][3] provide some good singletrack that, when dry, give me a bit of challenge. But a lot of those epic rides I used to be able to take are, at least for now, not available to me. I use my bike time as family time so whenever I go out now I have one or the other kid in tow.Don't get me wrong, it's great to get out with my family and ride. We all really enjoy our biking time together. My not-quite-a-year-old son has been riding since he was 3 months old and my 5-year-old daughter now has pedaling duties using her trailercycle.Instead of hitting hard packed dirt and dodging logs we launch an urban assault. I enjoy finding those places in town where the ride is not in a straight line. For example, the alleys in town provide an off the beaten path route if you can stand the garbage stench and other (ick!) refuse. I've seen a lot of Lawrence I might not have otherwise seen because we decided to take a right instead of our usual left.Lawrence is a bike friendly town. There are well-marked bike lanes and a number of signs urging motorists to share the road with bikes. For the most part drivers are considerate but I try to avoid high traffic areas and streets.Currently one of our favorite rides is a route that takes us up 11th and 12th streets to campus. Up on Jayhawk Boulevard we cruise behind Wescoe Hall to Hoch Auditoria Drive. Then we take a route that goes through East Lawrence and through Oak Hills Cemetary. A final stop at [Free State][4] for a brew before going north across the river to home is always nice. The kids like the cookies from [La Prima Tazza][5].What is your favorite little known areas in Lawrence for riding a bike? Any path will do without respect to difficulty. And it doesn't have to be kid friendly either, just some place that you particulary enjoy or suspect others will not have encountered.I would motivate you by saying this is a contest but I don't have access to the chest of lawrence.com schwag that [other bloggers][6] do (if I did I'd be riding around town in a lawrence.com shirt). But helping me and other readers out by sharing your wealth of knowledge is reward enough, right?
[1]: http://content.mtbr.com/cat/united-states-trails/trails-kansas/trail/PRD_167979_4548crx.aspx [2]: http://content.mtbr.com/cat/united-states-trails/trails-kansas/trail/PRD_167976_4548crx.aspx [3]: http://content.mtbr.com/cat/united-states-trails/trails-kansas/trail/PRD_167977_4548crx.aspx [4]: http://www.lawrence.com/places/free_s... [5]: http://www.lawrence.com/places/la_pri... [6]: http://www.lawrence.com/blogs/mathis/
The Turn Signal Rant
I have a proposal for automobile manufacturers and consumers alike. Why not make turn signals on a car an option?I see no reason why everyone needs turn signals on their car. From what I've seen there is a statistically significant number (> 5%) of drivers on the road that don't use them. These people are forced to purchase something that apparently they don't want and surely won't use. Just to show you how much this whole blog thing is about you and not me I did some research so you wouldn't have to. I put in a call to [Jack Ellena Honda][1] to get an estimate of how much it would cost to replace the whole shebang on my [1996 Honda Civic][2]. It was kind of hard to explain to the very helpful guy on the other end why I would want to replace all of it. I got a grand total for the lenses, housing and bulbs (I'm sure there's gotta be a hefty tag for the wiring and labor) of $688.33.And of course it's just another thing that can break or need to be replaced. If turn signals were an option like a moon roof, window tinting or car alarm manufacturers costs would go down. And saving what could be a thousand dollars on a car without signals would be a tempting deal.I would be one to purchase the luxury option of turn signals. It gives me piece of mind to know that I'm alerting other drivers of where I'm going. Sure it would be nice if I didn't have to guess if the person at the 4-way stop is going straight or turning either right or left but I wouldn't want to force my simple beliefs on someone else.If any major auto manufacturers are reading this, make a proposal and do some market testing. And if you're one of those that disdain the ball and chain of the turn signal, vote with your dollars. [1]: http://ellenahonda.com/ [2]: http://auto.consumerguide.com/Auto/Used/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/2172/act/usedcarreviewphotos/
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