Category Archives: Photography

365 Day Photo Challenge 248/365 “What We Will Do For Our Kids”

03 Thursday Sep 2015

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My son, who is in the Million Dollar Band, leaves in the morning heading to Dallas Texas.  The buses load at 4 am in the morning. This is his fifth year playing for the University of Alabama and he’s used to getting up early to load the buses to head out on long trips but not this early.  He told me this morning that he will be getting up at 3am to get ready so he can get to the buses early.  He like to get there early to get a good seat on the bus.  Band members who are late pay hell and get reprimanded for not being on time.  I remember a couple of years ago a young lady overslept and by the time she got to where the busses were parked the bus had already left.  She and her roommate drove for nearly an hour to flag down the bus for her to load it.  The band director was not pleased and said “Never again will the busses stop for a student that is late.  He/she will simply not make the trip and receive not only a reprimand but will be forced to sit out the next performance.” So with that said, I will be doing my parental duty by setting my alarm clock for 3 am so that I can call my son so that I know he is up and getting ready so he won’t be late.  After all, he is one of the section leaders for his section and I would really hate for him to start the season showing a bad example to his section.  I just hope I can go back to sleep after I make the phone call.  He can sleep on the bus.  My boss would probably frown on me taking a nap while at work.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 247/365 “Doomed From the Start”

02 Wednesday Sep 2015

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I was so excited about this 90 mile, two day bike ride yesterday. I spoke to my wife this morning about it and she said that I already had something planned.  She couldn’t tell me what but she thought I already had a commitment.  So today I spent some time going through all my calendars and I couldn’t find anything.  I knew the month of October has a lot of activities, especially with my kids being in the band and all but nothing I could find that had anything to do with me.

I was talking about the bike ride at work today and one of my coworkers asked me about the date.  I told him and he reminded me that I had promised him that I would do a Dutch Oven cookout, an annual event that I do every year for the past three years.  How on earth did I forget this?  Old age is slowly eating away at the gray cells.

365 Day Photo Challenge 246/365 “More Bike Stuff”

01 Tuesday Sep 2015

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There are two opportunities that I have for riding with a group of fellow cyclist.  One is a two day trip in which I’ve never done before.  This will be a 90 mile trip over a two day period.  The furthest I’ve ever ridden in one day is 50 miles and with this trip I will be riding 56 miles the first day and the rest on the second day. I think I’m up for it but am I really?

The second opportunity and on a weekly basis to boot is a riding club that meets here in Birmingham for a social ride.  It’s only about 10 miles but I’ll get to meet other cyclist that enjoy the hobby. The ride is on Tuesdays and yes I missed today’s ride due to my wheel still being in the shop.  Maybe next week I’ll be able to meet up with them.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 245/365 “What a Great Hobby”

31 Monday Aug 2015

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Dark rain clouds during my ride.

As a child I learned how to ride a bike as my mom or dad pushed me up and down the driveway.  I continued riding well into my teenage years.  I would ride for hours on end around my community riding up and down hills that today I look at and realize that I know I couldn’t do it without stopping midway and take a breather.

Sometime in my early adult years, and really for no apparent reason, I stopped riding and again for no apparent reason I sold my one and only bike that my mom and dad bought me for Christmas. It wasn’t until after I got married and after my first child was born I bought a bike from one of my coworkers.  It was a bike that his daughter bought some years prior and she had decided to sell it to get some extra cash.  The bike was a Trek and I paid $150 for it.  When I first got the bike I had to put it in the shop to let them get the bike tuned up for me to ride it.  They put new cables, brake pads, tubes and tires and gave it a good cleaning.  After all was said and done I put an additional $250 for the repairs.  I bet I rode that bike 5 times between then and the time my girls were old enough to ride.  There was always some adjustment to be made to the bike.  The gears would never shift right, the brakes always rubbed and the tires always were flat whenever I wanted to ride.

A buddy of mine at work talked me into getting the bike out of storage.  I used the term “storage” loosely here.  It was stored underneath by deck outside where it caught the brunt of all the rain, sleet, snow and ice for over 15 years.  I dug the bike out, scraped off most of the dirt dobber nests and proceeded to the hose pipe to hose it off.  It needed a lot of work.  To the shop it went, again.  Two new tubes, tires, a chain, cables, brake pads, and a lot of work on the derailer.  The shop kept it for two weeks before I saw it again.

After 1,200 miles, four wrecks, two trips to the ER, another chain and a new rim I finally broke down and purchased a new to me 2013 Cannondale.  I’ve still got the Trek, after all it is an antique. Right now my Cannondale is sick.  I’ve got the back tire in the shop getting a new spoke. Hopefully I’ll be riding her by Wednesday.

365 Day Photo Challenge 244/365 “Another Cyclist Down”

30 Sunday Aug 2015

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Family and friends are mourning the loss of well-known contractor William Robertson, Jr. He worked on the newly opened Negro Southern League Museum in Birmingham.

Robertson was killed this morning in Blount County while cycling with friends. Authorities say a Ford ranger truck hit and killed Robertson and injured two other cyclists. This happened on Highway 75 in the Allgood area

Robertson was killed this morning in Blount County while cycling with friends. Authorities say a Ford ranger truck hit and killed Robertson and injured two other cyclists. This happened on Highway 75 in the Allgood area.

Robertson was pronounced dead on the scene. In addition to the museum, Robertson also worked on the Westin Hotel in the Uptown District.

Demetrius White and Tracey White were the cyclists injured. They were airlifted to UAB Hospital.

Birmingham Mayor William Bell issues this statement Saturday: “We were deeply saddened today on hearing of the tragic and sudden loss of Mr. William Robertson. Mr. Robertson was not only an outstanding African American businessman but also a dear friend. Our deepest sympathy goes out to his wife and his family on their devastating loss. “

State troopers are investigating the crash. 

This is the fourth fatality in the last couple of months in my area.  One of the related deaths was due to a distracted driver.  I’m not sure what the other causes were, but none the less they shouldn’t have happened.

Alabama is the worst state for cyclists.  I’ve been nearly run off the road several times in the last three years.  I purposely ride in subdivisions where traffic is light.  There are two roads where I get on that the traffic is pretty heavy but I’m not on there more than ten to fifteen minutes.  But, unfortunately, that’s plenty of time to get hit.

I had some mechanical difficulties on today’s ride.  I have to take my tire in tomorrow to have another spoke replaced.  Maybe I can get another ride in tomorrow to finish out the month.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 243/365 “Near Miss”

29 Saturday Aug 2015

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Near Miss

Since I’ve started taking my GoPro camera with me whenever I go riding I’ve recorded several unsafe events.  For instance today while on my ride I had a car pass me in an unsafe area and nearly colliding with another car.   I just don’t understand people wanting to save maybe 10 to 15 seconds of their precious time by passing on a hill or in a curve.  I’m hoping that they wouldn’t pass a car in those locations.  Of course, if an accident did occur, they would put the blame on the cyclist for being on the roads.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 242/365 “Mom is Home”

28 Friday Aug 2015

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Mom is home but not any better.  The doctors performed the test this morning but the test was inconclusive.  They still don’t know if it’s a tumor or a clot. They sent her home with instructions to contact her doctor to make arrangements to have a MRI done at another hospital.  They are leaning on the side of a tumor but this tumor is over 2 cm.  My mother is upset that they didn’t go ahead and do something other than just run tests.  I’m not at all happy at the moment myself.  Hopefully, her doctor will expedite things so she can be more at ease.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 241/365 “Update on my Mom”

27 Thursday Aug 2015

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I got to the hospital this morning expecting to see my mom being rolled back into surgery but the doctors decided at the last minute to do more tests.  They decided that she doesn’t have clots in her lungs but she either has a blood clot or a benign tumor in her heart.  They will perform a test in the morning to determine what exactly they’re looking at and make a decision according to what they find.  If it’s a blood clot they will go ahead and remove it.  If it’s a tumor then the doctors will discuss the options with the family.  Either way I don’t like the idea of having someone fooling around with my mom’s heart.  I know that with today’s knowledge and technology it’s a pretty simple procedure but still the thought of it makes my stomach churn.

Thanks to all who commented and are praying for my mom.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 240/365 “Blood Clots”

26 Wednesday Aug 2015

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Has not been a good day.  Mom had a doctor appointment.  She found out that she has two blood clots, one in her heart the other in one of her lungs.  They did not keep her but rather send her home with mads.  Her main doctor called and wants her emitted immediately.   They’re on their way.  Surgery will be tomorrow, maybe.  Mom is 73 years old.  It’s going to be a long night.

365 Day Photo Challenge 239/365 “The List”

25 Tuesday Aug 2015

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By now I think everyone has either seen the list, heard about the list and maybe even looked through the list to see if someone you know is on the list. The list I’m referring to is the Ashley Madison List.  By no means am I condoning the actions of the people that made the list.  In my opinion, they just got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.  The last two days my news feed on my FB account has been dominated with people wanting to share the list.  Yes, I read the list simply because I wanted to make sure my name wasn’t on there.  I knew it wasn’t because I never visited the site.  But, you never know if somehow by chance someone stole my identity.

While I was glancing at the list, I did notice a couple of people that I actually know. In fact, my kids went to school with their kids.  I simply can’t imagine what their going through right now.  The embarrassment and humiliation must be unbearable.  I’ve heard that there’s even been a couple of cases of suicide due to the list being published.

Here’s my take on the list.  I don’t really care who’s on the list.  I will not share the list nor will I speak ill of the people I know that are on the list.  It’s simply none of my business.  The families involved have got enough on their plate right now and they don’t need my help by spreading the list around.

“Life Goes On!”