I am too lazy to sort
Congratulations to the Yankees for finally winning a World Series after that long drought since 2000.Congratulations to the Phillies for trying, but you lost. Now we know why the Orioles swept you this year. Suckas.See you next season four months from now. I'm getting season tickets right now. Also, opening day. Who's with me?
One thing about cycling alone that makes it difficult is that on those lonely back country roads, it gets spooky. You look over your shoulder and can imagine something or someone following you, and your cadence picks up moving you quickly away from whatever it was that had you spooked.
Now, at times I get spooked, but it is always just a figment of my imagination. I’m not one to worry to much about the spooks. They come and go, and I continue on pedaling to my goal. Yet, I can’t help but think about a situation I ran into this past summer. On this spooky of evenings, let me tell you my tale. It may give you chills.
Butler Road is a favorite of the biking community. It can connect you to many other routes throughout Baltimore County, and it’s relatively near civilization. It’s in the beautiful valleys northwest of the city.
I make my way there all the time this summer. It’s become part of my favorite biking routes. I’ve always wanted to climb the hill off of Longnecker Road in that vale. At the top is a radio tower, you can see it whenever you ride there, and it usually beckons. I’ve never been up that way, but finally, on one of my last rides, I decide to check it out.
It was on over cast summer day cool which is great for a bike ride. I go out and pass through Reisterstown Road, out to Timber Grove, which spits me out onto Dover. I bomb down the hill at 40 mph, then hang the left out onto Dover Road proper. I take the left onto Longnecker. A cloud occults the sun and it looks a little bit like rain. The wind kicks up. A head wind sucks. I put my head down and grind into the wind hoping that when I get to the base of the hill that it will shelter.
I reach the base of the hill. It’s over a creek, around a bend, and through a stone quiet vale. The road hangs a right, then sharp left into the woods before the climb starts. I’m grinding up in a low gear. Half way up I pass an old lady walking her dog. Weird. Then I make it out of the woods, but the hill kicks up. It’s next to a nice field, but the road gets steeper. I’m out of gears, so I focus on trying to get up the hill.
At the top you can see a farm. There’s a false flat so that you don’t see the crossroads. You climb up the steepest section, make it to the false flat which rises to the crossroads.
Up ahead I see another cyclist resting. He’s tuckered from the climb too.
I pull up next to him. Huffing and puffing. Sit down and swig some water from my water bottle.
“Tough.”
“I usually like this hill, it’s less steep than the backside. But I wish the club ride wouldn’t have left me behind.”
“Club ride? Where to?”
“Carroll County and back. 40 miles. I’m late and must catch up.”
Even though, I’m overheated, I feel a chill.
“I’m always trying to catch up to the group.”
“I know how you feel. I’m a slowpoke myself.” This is when I take a good look at my rest stop companion. He’s an older gentleman riding an older bike: friction shifters and really only 10 speeds. Odd. The chills.
I look back down the hill, and see another cyclist coming up. His appearance startles me. I turn to the gentleman, but he’s just muttering, “I must catch up.”
The other cyclist reaches us. My rest stop companion, asks for directions out to Butler. The cyclist doesn’t know, but continues on with his ride. He gives us a queer look as he pedals away. “Follow me, this is the usual club ride.” My companion barely acknowledges.
“Well, I’m going right. Left should get you back to the group ride.”
“Maybe I’ll follow you.”
And with that the chills come again. To be followed by this gentleman just somehow gives me the spooks something awful. I get on and pedal away, quickly.
Over the backside, the road is in terrible conditions. There’s potholes and patches, its steep, and bumpy. I’m trying to go as fast as possible without crashing. I glance back on occasion to see if he’s following. Nope. Thank, god.
I don’t know, but that encounter always creeps me out. I don’t know what happened to that guy, but it was always strange how he didn’t know where to go and to be always trying to keep up. Who was that man? And why did he give me the chills?
Melissa Seraphy is wishing you a creepy and ghoulie all hallows eve! Enjoy the spooks.
As much as I hate it, as much as I don't want it to happen, as much as it would suck, the Damned Yankees may win the World Series. They won't win because of their money bought all the talent. They spent close to $200 million to sign their ace pitchers, Sabathia & Burnett, and the liar, Texeira. These guys contributed to the Yankees winning the AL pennant.They won't win because of their veterans. Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Andy Petitt, and Mariano Riviera are future Hall of Famers who are the best playing the game right now.They may win it for one simple reason. The Curse on Mike Mussina has been lifted. Mike Mussina was a Baltimore Oriole before he signed on with the New York Yankees in 2000 off season. He was the O's ace, a position he never attained for the Yankees. When he left, it broke a lot of fans hearts. And we cursed him and the Yanks. He made it to two World Series (2001 & 2003). He lost. He lost out to the Red Sux as they sucked their way back into baseball posterity. The Yankees lost with him in their rotation. Now he's not there. They may win the World Series.
I read some of the blogs linked off of Camden Chat. Normally, it's an Orioles news site such as Roch Kubato (sp?) of MSN or other Orioles blogs such as Roar from 34, but some of the time I find time to check on Orioles specific blogs. One of the early ones was Orioles Card 'O' the Day. It takes a look at past and present Orioles via baseball cards. It's a cool site that allows you to see Orioles history and to remember some of the team's players.Looking at all these baseball cards has gotten me to think about my own history of baseball card collecting. Yes, I've got baseball cards. It's what every all American male would have been doing as a kid. My brothers and my dad also contributed to this passion. My dad, especially, was keen on this hobby. He would buy us a pack or take us on to card shops and buy some older cards. He would continue to collect even when his sons out grew the hobby. We still have his boxed 1987 (year?) Topps complete collection somewhere, although, my older brother seems to be hoarding these for himself for safety (hee hee). Anyway, visiting baseball card blogs recalls my fondness for those cardboard collectibles, and in particular my passion for it during the halcyon days of 1980. It was the year I truly bought lots of cards. They were only $0.25 for a pack. I remember buying lots at a time. Of course, the Orioles of that time were the only cards I really cared about. I have a fondness for Jim Palmer because of that year as I seemed to have many multiples of his card. The Pittsburgh Pirates cards I hated, and it seemed that I had plenty of the damned Kent Tekulve. I must burn his card any chance I get.Today's link is to a baseball card blog that's going through each individual card of the 1980 Topps set. How nostalgic.http://1980toppsbaseball.blogspot.com/
My favorite from Macross F.
"A mug is a mug in everything."Colonel Harry Harrington (Charles Coburn), The Lady Eve
I have to write this review in the light of day so that I don't freak myself out too much. It goes hand-in-hand with the fact that we saw Paranormal Activity during a matinee to avoid that creeping dread which would follow a showing at night. You know that feeling, right? You leave the theatre at 10. You hang out for a little while, joking all the while. You walk to your car looking over your shoulder. You drive home checking the backseat in the rear view from time to time. Then you're back home, the lights are off, and you switch on all the lights plus the television to keep from realizing that you are alone in the house. The creepy crawlies visit your imagination. The hair on your arms stand up. Is that something upstairs?Yes, Paranormal Activity has me slightly freaked out. I was restless when I got home and was somewhat afraid of going to sleep in my bed with the lights off. But I did because it's only a movie.Paranormal Activity follows the fate of a couple who move into a home that they believe to be posessed. In a brilliant move to forestall the audience from talking to the screen, the story assigns the frightening activities to a demon who haunts the girl throughout her life. You can't even say, "Girl, just leave," because it will always follow. The girl's boyfriend is typically sceptical. He doesn't believe the demon to be real. It will take a demonstration of supernatural force to change his mind.The movie was filmed, as all reviews must tell you, in the fake documentary style of The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield. It's supposed to signify that this is real. There are no credits, beginning and ending, which contribute to the reality. But there are no ghosts. It's a demon which haunts the girl. For me, this was less disturbing than a good old ghost, as demons are not real, but ghosts, the spirits of the dead, could be.Yet, as with all fake movies, Paranormal Activity leaves you scratching your head. Am I to believe this? Did I just go along with the joke? Why am I still creeped out hours later? Did the curtains move? Is that footsteps in my bedroom? What's the deal with the shadow in the corner? Paranormal Activity plays on you psychologically. There was no gore or dismembered bodies shown. Just good old fashion dread throughout the movie. As they fall asleep, what's next? And isn't that just plain creepy the way she…? What's with that noise? No respite even when it's over. The lack of end credits continues the dread and you can't just leave. Is this thing over or is there the final scare? It's the anticipation of something bad is going to happen that hits the right marks. It's worth it just for the fright.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179904/3 of 5 stars.
