Fathe'rs day

This is a day to celebrate the men in our lives that have helped bring us into this world. Some of them have provided, some were absent, and some are gone. These men that we call Dad, Father, Pops, Popi, Sir, are the framework for what we as young men are supposed to be when we grow up. Some good some bad. I was lucky and have a Dad that is a Man among men. I haven't been able to follow in his footsteps, but knowing him has shaped my life more than I really wanted.

In my rebellious teens I did not want to have anything to do with my Dad. I had to work with him, and it wasn't easy. Don't get me wrong, I had a very good life growing up, provided for to the point of being spoiled. Yeah I was/am spoiled. That is the type of man my Dad is. Hard worker, but even harder player.

Then I moved away and was without my Dad. Every job I got was easy, because of the work I did with my Dad it was a breeze. The more I thought about not being like my Day the more I thought about being like him, I realized that I could never be my Dad.

I can never be like my Dad. He has done things that I hope to do, and he has had to do things that I never want to do. My Dad has provided. He helped raise my sister and me, buried a child and both parents, been successful as a businessman in one of the toughest jobs. I could never do these things as well.

My Dad has been there for me throughout my life, success or not, he has always been a constant. I realize I can never be my Dad, and I just want to make him proud. Don't know if there is much of anything I have done to make him proud, but he still loves me because I am his son, and I guess that is what being a Dad is all about.

Happy Father's Day Dad. You have given me the world when I did not deserve it, you were there when I didn't want you, and you are there when I need you. I can never thank you enough for you being you.

I love you.
Glenn

le nord

I got to go to France. And. I took a bike, my bike. How cool is that? Sounds like bragging, I'm pretty sure it is, but how freaking awesome is that? I'm still in disbelief of the whole thing. France. Well, to be more accurate Northern France in the Normandy and Picardie regions. Right on the Channel (or left depending on which way you are standing). I went to Europe last fall and it was awesome (bragging again). I'm not going to say BUT. (but)This time was different because I took my bike, and we stayed in the same place for a week and a half before moving on to Paris and Bruxelles.

I was on my own to explore wherever my legs could take me. I have to say this is the only way to see a new place, whether it be a foreign country or your own neighborhood. The bike is just fast enough that you can go places, but slow enough that you don't miss out on the nuances. I can say that I made a connection with the places I went on bike. The memories seem more tactile. You see, feel, hear and smell the experience. It's sensory usage that imprints greater because more senses are being recorded at the same time. Towns and villages have more character that one can feel by slowing down. The smells of the agriculture, bakeries, fish markets, and the sea are enhanced by the sound and sights that envelop a place.

 I could go on and on, actually I can't. So, I'll let these pictures pile up the thousands and thousands of words. Yes, it was that beautiful, even on the rainy days. Yes, I did imagine riding shoulder to shoulder with the pro peloton, when in France these things happen. I didn't actually get to ride shoulder to shoulder with the pros, but I did see the end of the Tour of Picardie. I did ride next to and behind the pros as they were heading back to the buses. Je t'aime, France, merci