word for the day: "omphaloskepsis"

"I don't carry one of those portable wi-fi devices"

Hi Lia, thanks for checking out my journal and I'm very glad to hear from you. Also, thank you for putting such a positive spin on my goofy writing.

Thank goodness I did get your name right, if not the spelling. I went ahead and corrected it in the page about our meeting.

(P.S. I did actually reply to your message the day after you sent it, but somehow I don't see it anymore. I have a feeling that I moved on to the next message without clicking the "Post Reply" button. Sorry about that.)

Son of Bing Bong does ride and feel almost exactly like The Reckless Mr. Bing Bong, and that's a good thing. It does have a couple of changes in frame geometry, but I didn't notice that they effect the ride.

Yeah, I am a little embarrassed at all the nights in motels--correct that--I'm not embarrassed about staying in motels, I'm embarrassed about not camping more. Particularly since I sleep better in a tent. Don't worry though, I think your friends are right in that you are highly unlikely to fall into the motel trap.

I can't believe I didn't think of that.

I DEFINITELY agree. Gargoyles are a great addition to any building. I'd even like to have a couple on my house, though The Feeshko might have something to say about that.

By the way, I've been reading about your meet-up with all those Cycleblazers. That restaurant you picked looks fantastic and I'm sure it enhanced everyone's Burgundy experience.

There was no need to wait for popular demand. I already know that my Grand Sweeping Conclusions are loved and revered by everybody on earth.

Ah, so that's how it works. Thank you Keith, as always, for your interesting wine information--especially the tidbit about the shape of Reisling bottles.

Sorry I haven't followed along, but I rarely get to this website, so didn't know you had set off on tour. But congrats on breaking in Son of Bing Bong on a cross-Wisconsin tour. Does it have the same ride feel as your old bike, or does it feel a bit different? Anyway, glad you had a chance to get in a decent tour. But you scare me with the motel stays.... My friends reassure me I'll be tent camping until I die, and I do have some good role models in their 70s that still go backpacking and camping, so I do have hope. But still....

Other thoughts: glad you have The Feeshko to provide some good sense on poor weather days. WI does have some interesting geology with the Canadian Shield, glaciation and those hilly unglaciated bits. You got a nice cross-section for sure. I spent 5 days in Madison in 2012 for a work conference. I quite enjoyed it. I drug my Aussie colleagues out to State St for drinks and live music :-) We also toured the capitol building and cowered in the basement of the motel with other guests when there was a tornado warning (nothing like that for an all-American experience).

Some of your tent sites looked quite nice - good to know there are hiker biker sites in the Midwest, too.

Nice that you could be flexible and change up your touring plans on the go... and that you don't have to book waaay ahead on Amtrak to get a seat.

Thanks for the tour of Milwaukee. I don't think I'll ever make it there in my lifetime, so nice to get a touring cyclist perspective of the city.

Hope you get the chance to squeeze in another tour or two this summer. Is there any chance of resurrecting the Texas tour this year?

Podium swallows!

Scott beat me to it.

Copy cat church. Chartres cathedral is similarly asymmetric. The style is even similar. But it could use a few gargoyles wouldn’t you agree?

Hi,
Well done. Impressive wine glass and drinking technique.
How to win a wine competition:
1. Make some wine.
2. Send it to a wine tasting competition. If your wine wins, great. If not repeat step two at smaller and smaller competitions until you win.
3. Make a label touting your win.
As a side note, in San Berdoo anything reasonably liquid tastes good.
Cheers,
Keith

Not traditional. But less spoilage with screw caps.

Hi,
Tradition. Riesling grapes originated in the Rhine valley and the local glass works made bottles that were tall and thin. Americans are copy cats.
Cheers,
Keith