Blog – Page 15 – Robert Raymond’s Blogtorium

August 21, 2011

Hell hath no parking lot…

…like Waterford Lakes. I hate this place. Absolutely hate it. The only reason we went is because that’s where Attack the Block, a super English invasion flick, was playing. So we had to go. Want to set this up like an ancient grudge, in literary fashion? When I used to drive out to Kennedy Space Center to work, I’d ride on the 408 long before this complex was built. In the morning fog, one would have to take a care lest one hit a deer. It was all wilderness out there. Now they blasted that all, the pine woods and […]

August 24, 2011

Opslog – LM&O – 8/24/2011

All operators know this one. Zanesville has a main down the middle, a siding to the left and a parallel industrial track to the right. With the throttle humming in Run 1 under my glove, Train 244 trundles down the main, passing thorough the zebra shadows cast by the Zanesville local parked on the industrial iron. A flash of light off the rails, and here’s 233 tucking into the siding opposite, the brakeman swinging back aboard as it rounds the switch stand. Watching the three trains line up, I hook up a phone. “244 in on the main at Zanesville.” […]

August 24, 2011

Four Horsemen

There is something about taking on one of the worst cycle-cities on earth, of catching the traffic flow and riding it. Add to this muggy mornings and evenings topping 105 on the ‘crete and you grasp the suicidal romance of the thing. These four musketeers, four horsemen, four furies all inhabit Summit Tower’s 14th floor, cycle-commuting anywhere from one to five times a week. On the day our office elf snapped this pic, our effort would shave 50 miles off the national daily commute, or spare 2.5 gallons of gas from America’s reserves (your FUV mileage may vary). Add to […]

August 26, 2011

Roadside

I was considering an article about confused hurricane winds and the problems of upwind vs.downwind travel on the ride home… BAMPF! First thought was that rear fender that’s been coming loose had finally let go and was rattling the spokes. Then I looked closer. The back tire was going flat. And I was in Eatonville, a not so nice place (the residents have confirmed this over time by glaring at me, stepping pointedly in front of me, and shouting things). And it was Friday, 5:30pm. Didn’t know how bad it was and tried to press on to get outside city […]

August 28, 2011

Snow Crash (review)

If you are going to nit-pick Snow Crash for anything, you can bag it for being 20 years old. Okay, so there are light pens, some of the computer stuff is dodgy, Hong Kong was still independent and there are a lot of people whose pops fought in WW2. So in that, yeah, it feels old. But even on the third reading, the story swept me up again. I can distinctly remember picking up a copy in a downtown bookstore and going to Pizza Unos for lunch (the brick-n-mortar store, the pizza chain, even the cutzy shopping district are as […]

September 1, 2011

Training

I actually used to fear rear blowouts. When I’d have them years back, I’d either take the bike to the shop or spend two hours fussing the back tire off on the ACed porch. My famous Halloween debacle involved a rear blowout, popping the spare while trying to get the tube back on, and a horrible bus ride home. Back tire blowouts involve the saddlebags, that greasy chain, tight quarters and a lot of effort. I don’t like them. Friday’s blowout was different. Then, I was more concerned about the surroundings. I still goofed a few steps but by-in-large, I got […]

September 4, 2011

When I die, do not…

Bruno Stachel: Chivalry? To kill a man, then make a ritual out of saluting him – that’s hypocrisy. They kill me, I don’t want anyone to salute. Willi von Klugermann: They probably won’t. If I die, do not get a memorial decal for your back car window, listing my dates and some slogan about always being in your heart or whatever. Don’t. It’s as tacky as dragging a tombstone about in public. If I’m killed on the road, bike or car, do not allow the state to put up one of those cheap aluminum lollypop signs with the “Drive safe” […]

September 8, 2011

When I die, please do…

After I die, everyone have a drink to my memory, smile, think of some favor I did or joke I told. In other words, appreciate me. And, please, on some long weekend, crack open one of my books and enjoy it with my spirit. Find a scene, character or phrase you like. Smile. I would like to be cremated. I’d really like if my ashes (it’s more like grit) be glued into 50 model railroad gondola freight cars (I’ll look just like gravel or cinders). Have someone take me to a train swap meet and price me to move. That […]

September 10, 2011

Early ReTyrement – final effort

I just posted the commission on Elance for the last work on Early ReTyrement, which is going out into Amazon in hard- and kindle-cover. There is still a lot of work to do, and things keep popping up. For example, in the middle of a Spelunky game I suddenly realized I had no idea how much I wanted to charge. Looked around Amazon and saw books at a wide range of prices. Don’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to how it is determined, so I picked an average – $2.99 for the eBook, $9.99 for the paper one, […]

September 10, 2011

A rain to wash away sin…

We had rain coming this weekend. For once, the forecasters had it right. First brush was Friday morning when it poured down at 7:00am. I sat around in my bike clothing trying to get any information – the news channels focused on a distant hurricane and the internet was down. Finally it broke and I risked it – thank goodness for fenders! Got to Orange Avenue and suddenly it was bone dry. The ride home was gusty, rainshafts all around. Made it home rain-dry (but sweaty). Friday evening, it started to rain. I like rain. I love the way it […]