Blankets, Birthdays, Biking and Being Judgemental

Rachel and I stayed behind while Tammy took a road trip to Babbitt this weekend. Her mother and sister were setting up a booth at the craft fair in Embarrass and she wanted to be there to help them with it. Sales weren't as good as they'd hoped for but they had a fun time. Maybe it was the trip to the casino in Fortune Bay they were referring to when they mentioned the word 'fun'.

One of the vendors was selling some fleece blankets. Tammy didn't see Dogs on Velvet Playing Poker but she did eye a loud and proud marijuana leaf blanket with a complimentary Confederate flag.

Tammy mentioned to the guy that this was a family-oriented craft fair and did he need to display his marijuana blanket so prominently? He told her it was his best seller.

This is his best seller? He's got to aim higher.

Rachel turns 17 today. She told me this morning that in one year she will be legal to make decisions for herself. Then she said, "But I don't want to...I don't want to be that old yet". It happens fast I told her and there's no slowing it down. I remember when she was going into 2nd grade and how she looked at the older kids as being "cool". I asked her what age she would have to be before she was one of the cool kids. The 3rd grade she said.

I've got some video somewhere from the mid-'90s of the neighbor kids putting on a 4th of July parade in the neighborhood with their bikes all decorated. They grow up so fast. I should try and locate it for Tammy and Rachel to see.

Me? I'll be 51 tomorrow, going on 27.

I had a beautiful ride yesterday. It was a breezy day but it was sunny with low humidity. There's a ride I do when I have enough time and the winds are from the northwest which takes me out along hwy 7 to St. Bonifacious. There are some good climbs along the way and the scenery is nice.

I encountered a problem as I headed south out of Waconia. Hwy 284 was torn up and I had to find an alternate route. While trying to avoid going back the same way I'd come I took Hwy 10 east out of Waconia not sure where it would lead me. I don't carry a map; just an Edge 305.

Hwy 10 turned out to be a beautiful road. I'm so used to taking my regular route that I'd never considered this way before. New pavement and a wide shoulder with a warm breeze to push me along. I'm not sure it gets any better.

Are you judgemental? I think we all are at times; I think we have to be. It's not an attribute to be proud of but neither is being naive and being taken advantage of. Sometimes we have to make judgments about a person or a situation as a part of maneuvering this world of ours. But sometimes we unnecessarily assume the worst in people without having a clue. We're all a work in progress.