Bluesday is brought to you by:
My First Ken® from 1991 and Barbie circa 1997.
When I went walking the other day, I shot photos of some of my favorite buildings in the ‘hood. It’s disheartening to realize how many interesting buildings have been torn down to make room for the monolithic eyesores that brought in more traffic, more people who don’t appreciate the quirky, offbeat character of this little pocket of Midtown Houston, and more strain on our infrastructure. (I’m always marveling that a lot that once had to support one basic bathroom, one basic kitchen, and maybe a washing machine, now may serve nine-plus toilets and sinks, three or more dishwashers, three or more washing machines, an outdoor sprinkler system–need I continue?)
When Tom and I were traveling at Christmas, we found this book in the bargain section of a Barnes and Noble in Dayton. I LOVE THIS BOOK. A longtime admirer of Blue Dog, I couldn’t be more delighted with the hundreds of Blue Dog paintings it contains, more than 160 of which have never been previously published in book form. If you (or someone you know) like(s) George Rodrigue’s work in general, or his Blue Dog series specifically, find and buy this funny, haunting little book.
Finally thanks to several really generous and kind friends and family, I got my birthday present. And guess what? It’s NOT like riding a bicycle. Apparently, if you’ve ridden a bicycle for decades, you develop an instinctive sense of balance and movement when you’re turning or climbing or stopping. And that doesn’t translate to a trike. Who knew? So I’m learning again how to ride.
I love the trike; it’s very light and easy to propel. Going forward on a straight road is no big deal. But turns are dicey, and I’ve nearly tipped over a couple of times. I’m sure it’ll happen sooner or later, but I’d rather it be later if it can’t be never. Of course, all of this is complicated by the aforementioned increase in traffic in the ‘hood since I first began riding my bike here back in, I don’t know, ’96?
I promise to wear my helmet and watch for idiots on cell phones who run stop signs, speed through school zones, pull into crosswalks, and whip in and out of parking lots without paying attention to anything smaller than their bigass vehicles. It’ll be an adventure!
how cool is that bike!?
It’s pretty adorable!
My little car gets dissed a lot on the road by bigger vehicles, but I hope people will realize there’s a human being riding The World’s Cutest Trike, and act accordingly. : )
Ditto.
I tried to find the bluest icon I have, and this is what I came up with. It is appropriate today, though, as it’s very hot and dry here.
I love these pictures … how blue are Barbie and Ken’s eyes?
And yes to the destruction of neighbourhood ambiance. Each time I visit my parents who live in a beautiful, leafy suburb, another vintage home and garden have been destroyed, only to be replaced by a huge Tuscan villa with a miniature courtyard. :/
Which would be okay if they live in Tuscany, but I’m guessing not.
Thanks–I like your icon picture, too!
You need a flag! I’ve seen many people with them on their bikes and I must admit, that catches my eye before the bike does.
One of those big orange flags? Or should I fly a Canadian flag or something? 😉
any flag – get a rainbow – or pink – or a varity. you can change them our and have a “bike flag day” on your LJ.
Nice!
Wish I lived closer. We could go to that bike trail we saw when Mark and I were down there and bike together.
I’d probably hurt myself on a trail with that bike.
I looked for a bell to send you, but couldn’t find one … congrats on the trike… I think it’s very pretty in blue, but maybe prettier in pink
My color choices were blue and blue and blue.
I have a spray can
I’m happy with blue.
What a great idea for a theme – and what interesting things you managed to find to enjoy it.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the trike – it looks fun (well apart from the other idiots around!) as well as good exercise.
Happy blue day!