Bryan Strawser

I just finished re-watching Ken Burn’s incredible series The Civil War - only appropriate since I’m slogging my way through Shelby Foote’s deep series on the war as well.

This quote, read by Shelby Foote at the end of The Civil War, is a fitting end:

“In time, even death itself might be abolished; who knows but it may be given to us after this life to meet again in the old quarters, to play chess and draughts, to get up soon to answer the morning role call, to fall in at the tap of the drum for drill and dress parade, and again to hastily don our war gear while the monotonous patter of the long roll summons to battle.

Who knows but again the old flags, ragged and torn, snapping in the wind, may face each other and flutter, pursuing and pursued, while the cries of victory fill a summer day? And after the battle, then the slain and wounded will arise, and all will meet together under the two flags, all sound and well, and there will be talking and laughter and cheers, and all will say, Did it not seem real? Was it not as in the old days?”

– Private Barry Benson, Army of Northern Virginia, 1880

42.19 Minutes, 5.97 Miles (all trails), 8.4 mph average speed, 30.7 top speed. Lots of snow, ice, and mud. Pictures to come.

It’s the first real day over 50 degrees here in Boston. My mountain bike is calling my name silently from the basement - Massasoiet State Park is haunting me.. I can hear the crunch of tires across snow, leaf, and twig..

I cannot resist.

Off for a couple hours of pure torture - and incredible beauty.

Where, indeed, does life begin?

Somewhere, out there, between what is, and what will be… is that it?

Or is it somewhere between the wild pregnant worlds between what is, what was, and what willl be?

Sure I am, I am not.

But thus, challenged, am I. Today, tonight, this morning,….

Back on Northwest flying from Providence to Minneapolis. It’s my third such trip in the last five weeks - in fact, it was a month ago today that I flew up to Minneapolis for the start of this six week long period of commuting. Seems to be going well so far, the travel hasn’t grated on me too much yet.

After this week, it’s back home for five days, then off to LA for five days, and then home to prepare the house for sale and take some well-needed vacation time. Sorta of looking forward to that work.. but just being home will be nice.

Listening to some BB King:

I bought you a ten dollar dinner, you said thanks for the slap

I let you live in my pimphouse, you said it was just a shack.

I gave you seven children, and now you want to give them back….

Those were the days anyway… John Lee Hooker is next…

It’s going to be tax week for me - with Turbotax loaded on my laptop and plenty of work yet to do along those lines. Certainly not looking to doing that work, but the refund should be nice after all

Lex has started posting again, and that makes me happy. Welcome back!

I’m about flesh out of things to write about - and that’s been one of the reasons for the quiet here. Been busy with real life and work projects and that’s never a good mix if you’re looking for time to blog.. I’ll see if I can do better in the coming weeks…

Off to Jam to John Lee Hooker… One bourbon, one scotch, one beer…. well, my baby, she gone. She been gone tonight. I ain’t seen my baby one night of her life.. one bourbon, one scotch, one beer…. and I sit there, getting high, getting mellow, knocked out, feeling good, and I look down the bar, at the bartender.. I say hey Mr. bartender.. he say, whatddy want Johnny.. I say come down here, and he got down here, and he ask me… whaddy want… one bourbon, one scotch, and one beer…

Can’t top that..