Ride Lugged

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So i haven’t been riding much. The weather has been British, and the motivation leaches out of my pores like the black sweats of the hippo. There is no better way to get back on the bike than to make a list of asinine things to bring for a short ride: 3 pairs of gloves, a jacket and undershirt in reserve, 2 hats, newtons, (hippie variety) a sandwich, a 1932 Kodak brownie camera aka my pen cam, ect ect. Lists son fantasticas. Lists, on their own, exist as open texts onto which we can project personalized events, each with its own particular narrative. Look at any list, say a list like this: 6 apps: GS, 1 bro, can tom, Italian.

What can we get from that? I would say any number of things. Each interpretation is significant because it has A. personal significance, B. an infinite number of possibilities or interpretations can emerge from a fixed series of words and numbers, (unlike, say a series of numbers like a phone number, where we are at the mercy of a finite series of combinations) and C. thru the combination of A+B we reach possibilités infinies for potential narratives. 6 apples: Granny Smith, 1 Broccoli Head, a Can of Tomatoes, and a loaf of Italian bread. Or is it 6 appliances, or applications. When the 6 is hand written readings change: could the 6 be read as an upper-case G? This multiplies the interpretations by 100 percent. Can Tom do it? Cancel Tomorrow? Cancel what? The Italian Dinner?

Lists are open stories, stories that are completed by the writer and the reader, independently of each other. Even the straight forward list is deceptively and infinitely variable, not only on the part of the reader but also the writer, who, often are the same person. Par exemple: 6 granny smith apples, 1 broccoli head, a can of tomatoes and an italian loaf of bakery bread accurately describes a series of items that most grocery stores would have. Most Farmers markets would as well, as would a series of small speciality shops and road side stands. The narrative and possibilities for narrative travel do not end at mere location selection, but carry over to moods, brand possiblities and financial restraints, physical restraints (is so and so allergic to apples, ect). When we choose a product from our list, we are thinking about all of these things in a uniquely personal and narrative driven way. We are thinking about what we will prepare with said ingredients, how they will be received, the social signifiers of brand x over brand q.

Bike lists do the same thing and more. “Rain Gear” gives us the hiss of tires of on wet pavement, the reaction of others as it starts raining and you pull out the only rain coat among 10 people, projecting forward we think about the ride after it has finished, and how much that rain gear has helped, or that it didn’t rain at all and but it was dragged in a sack with 10 other unused things for 43 miles.

Taken at 2.13 on an overcast day: f/2.8-1/125-ISO 200. My brownie has been acting up recently. Hence the too dark fore-ground.

The cows looked like they had mud socks on. They were definitely out in their wooly winter coats.

The pond in Linden Hall. It was partially frozen and quite fetching. f/5.6-1/250-ISO 200

The scenic drainage from above pond.

Rock Hill School House. They have raised 75,000 of 100,000 dollars to needed to restore it. I hope it becomes something useful, like an artists studio, or a pencil sharpening store.

I had lunch in this grave yard; off in the distance 3 big horses chased each other around. That big white house is abandoned. Gimme.

Ok so that’s my ride. It was nice enough out, although a bit overcast.