Mad Macedonian

All This Trouble For a HOT DOG?

Where to begin?

Growing up in SoCal there are a number of Fast Food Chains, and a few one-shots, that are close to a religion for natives.
Wienerschnitzel is one of them.

I fled the state for Houston in 2012 so, after 7 yrs...when I learned there was one just recently opened in New Caney....
One problem...It was in New Caney...and I don't drive...and Houston Metro only has a Park & Ride route to Kingwood.

I ride a bike, though! And it is only 11 1/2 miles from the lot to get my fix!

Hello, everyone! The Mad Houstonian, here!

Anyone out there? SOMEONE saw one of my old recipe posts, recently, and left a comment to thank me for it, hee, hee!

This week I was on vacation. I HAD planned a trip to Austin for a day of walking, but the adventure fell through when Flixbus cancelled their bus for that morning.

That left this idea.

Wednesday morning, bright and early, from SW Houston, I headed downtown, to a street corner bus stop near the Transit Center, to catch the bus to the boonies.

The Park & Ride Lot, in the Kingwood part of the far flung city of Houston, to the north, is in a commnity of high-end homes, condos and apts, along narrow, busy streets with lots and lots of trees, and some walking/biking trails tossed in for good measure.

Pedaling along 2 lane roadsI soon found myself outside of Houston City limits, about to head out Old Hwy 59 ( aka Loop 494 ) toward the rural towns of Porter & New Caney.

At this gas station, a few blocks from the nearly parallel 59 Frwy, I found myself chatting with the grizzled old man working there whose co-worker took this pic for me. 

It turned out that he once owned a home in Pomona, where I grew up, a long time ago.

Small world.

I had encountered a spandex-clad lady on a bike who was having second thoughts about these narrow, heavily trafficed, roads, since there was little in the way of sidewalks along some stretches before getting to this point.

She asked if she could follow me, until I turned, and I said sure....but her courage gave out after just a few blocks and she turned back without a word. I have no idea if she ever made it to where she was going.

I was wearing one of my 3 Feet Please shirts and it was a good thing, too! Narrow roads with motorists barely able to move more to my left, even if they had been so inclined...and few were.

At least there was no honking, or yelling out car windows,the whole day.

So, leaving the gas station behind I set out.

Lots of undeveloped land.

Lots of trees...even groves of them!

With a railroad track often hidden to my right.

Lots of narrower than narrow paved roads heading off,God knows where, into this, on either side of the road.

Small businesses, schools, churches, etc, along the highway, with trailer parks, and homes glimpsed down the side roads, and USPS trucks venturing down those roads.

I encountered construction workers along one stretch and, stopping to ask one if I was headed in the right direction for my turn, I discovered another guy with ties to the Inland Empire!

Small world.  

I soon found myself pedalling through Porter, near its border with New Caney, and passing a small private cemetery.

White Oak Cemetery, next to a small bayou and the railroad track, was founded in 1905.

A Google Search found plenty of genealogist and Find a Grave activity, but no official website for the place.

It was founded in 1905 and you must have ancestors planted here in order for you to also get a spot when the time comes.

There were flowers on some graves and there were also American Flags on a number of them, too, and what appeared to be a recent burial, as well.

I continued on my way.

Opt For Optimism Challenge DAY 20: A Message From a Houston Walking Dude & The Cycling Dude

 

Today marks Day 20 of Frost's 30 Day Optimism Challenge. You can play catch up by starting with my intro to this series and following the "next" link from there.

Today Frost asks participants to "Spend As Much Time As You Can Outside Today".

Where to begin with this?

If you are unable to do any other of the Optimism Challenges at least do THIS ONE!

As Frost explains it...

"Physical activity is a proven way to increase happiness and decrease stress. So get out there and enjoy yourself."

  I am 58 years old and do not drive.

I have numerous aches and pains in my hips, legs and feet and plan on my 1st physical in 2 years, next month, to see just what shape this body is in...but I am an avid walker (Longest walk? In recent times 9 miles) and recreational cyclist (Longest ride 66 miles).

 I lived most of my life in Ca., In LA County, The Inland Empire, and the OC.

 I walked, biked used the extensive Mass Transit System to explore 5 counties, from Ventura to San Diego, Santa Monica to San Bernardino & Riverside.

 I have been writing about my walking and cycling activities on my blogs since 2002.

 

 

I am a recreational cyclist, commuter and safe cycling advocate, a poet, storyteller and journalist of sorts, who has even, a decade ago, given a couple of talks on bike commuting.

I wrote this in 2016:

I want to do my first Century (Maybe even a Double!) someday.

I want to get away...on a good bike.

One I can trust to get me where I want to go.

Pannier, lights, odometer and all.

Explore places, stop a lot just to take photos.

Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at joints no-one but the locals have ever heard of.

Take the time to observe my surroundings and admire the view.

I want to make memories to share through my writing and camera.

I want to feel alive!

 

I bought a new bike, last Spring, a 2017 version of the same bike I rode for 15 years, beginning in 1998.

I call him "Slowpoke 1". You can explore The Cycling Dude (2003-10) and my adventures since 2010, in an archive on this blog, at your leisure, and comments are always welcome.

ALMOST A STATISTIC: Keegan's Bayou Trail at Braeswood

 On May 8th, I was among a small number of Houston cyclists who took time out from their day to let city leaders know how concerned we are about conditions for cyclists in the region.

As I also touched upon in the piece I wrote, about the Die-In, pedestrians also have their concerns.

NATIONAL BIKE MONTH: Houston Cyclists Begin With a Message

I am a recreational and commuting cyclist, a walker, and a user of Houston Metro Transit.

When you do not drive a car you learn to use and enjoy other options.

The next day, on my ride to work, I went out the 59 frontage road, from near Beechnut to Bissonnet and saw a cyclist, too impatient to use the crosswalk, zig and zag between cars waiting for the light to change to cross Bissonnet...lucky for him the lights stayed red.

As I headed east on Braeswood I arrived at the Keegan's Bayou Trail crossing, at Braeswood, a few blocks before Gessner. The trail heads briefly east, behind a shopping center, connecting with the Brays Bayou Trail heading east.

As I stand with my bike (same spot as seen in this photo), waiting for motorists to stop, I find myself waiting, and waiting, until a Precinct 5 Constable stops in the outside lane.

Cool, you say, now you can cross, at least to the center....

Not so fast...just as I step out into the crosswalk the car behind the cop whips into the inside lane, coming to a quick stop as they finally notice me, as I quickly back up onto the sidewalk.

I had a nice chat with the officer, in the lot behind the nearby precinct, a few minutes later, to thank him for stopping and hear him tell of an incident he once responded to, further east, where the Brays Bayou Trail crosses Braeswood, where a cyclist was hurt at that crossing with its own issues.

I was inspired to come back the next day, with my new camera, to take a closer look around....I have used this crossing many times in my 5+ years in Houston, and never really had  a problem, as most of the time I was lucky to not have to deal with traffic....after this I have serious concerns.

A trail user, walking or biking north on the trail, approaching Braeswood, sees a stop sign telling them it would not be wise to just enter the roadway.

A trail user, walking or biking south on the trail, approaching Braeswood, sees a stop sign telling them it would not be wise to just enter the roadway.

When I looked at this spot using Google Street View, the other day, I was confronted with a young cyclist, pedaling across, heading north, with a pair of cars closely approaching at full speed.

Someone was not seeing the sign....and, as I noticed for the first time, it wasn't just the cyclist.

 

Motorists heading eastbound, approaching the bayou, initially see a yellow bike sign and a flashing yellow caution light.

 

Motorists then see a green bike route sign and a stop sign at the crossing.

 

 

Motorists heading westbound, approaching the bayou, after a lighted intersection, 1st see a yellow bike sign and a flashing yellow caution light.

 

Motorists then see a green bike route sign and a stop sign at the crossing....and a Houston Metro Bus Stop.

Questions and concerns filled my head as I spent time here that day and more came to mind as I prepared this post.

NATIONAL BIKE MONTH: Houston Cyclists Begin With a Message

  May is National Bike Month.

It is a month full of fun rides and education, online and public events, citizen activism and govt. promises.

While Bike to Work Week is a big deal, there is also a more solemn side to things...

Rides of Silence.

I rode in both events while living in SoCal, and rode in both last year here in Houston.

Houston has a growing network of hike and bike trails, along bayous, through parks, and neighborhoods, a growing B-Cycle network, and even a lengthy green-paved route in downtown just for cyclists, sending a message to motorists to share the road.

There are bike clubs and bike activism organizations.

Despite this the streets of Houston, Harris County, and surrounding areas are far from safe for cyclists.

This has been brought home, in recent weeks, by the tragic deaths of local cyclists, in encounters with vehicles large and small, in neighborhoods as diverse as Rice U, the East Side and, today, NW Houston.

Not all streets are wide, not all have sidewalks, not all have paved bike lanes and not all that do have been re-painted anytime in recent memory.

Oh, and pedestrians have their own concerns...Why I am Scared, Houston Won't Let Me, Hell on Cyclists and Pedestrians.

Despite this Houston has a positive reputation for cyclists because of various monthly and annual bike rides, among them Critical Mass, Tour de Houston, Bike Around the Bay, and the MS150 from Houston to Austin, as well as smaller rides going on any day of the week across the region.

Today was a day for concerned citizens who bike to let their voices be heard, and their presence felt, in a small, but clear and powerful way

The Cycling Dude Has a New Ride! Introducing Slowpoke 1

A long time ago, in a decade far away, on city streets, mountain roads, park and river routes, a man in his 30's discovered the joys of recreational cycling and photography, eventually rediscovering a talent for creative and journalistic writing as he entered his 40's.

His youngest sister was to blame for the former, encouraging him to do more than commute to and from work on the streets of Pomona, Ca. and see the world around him from someplace other than a seat on a bus.

A new computer and new found friends online were responsible for the latter.

The man soon found himself riding paved roads and trails around and in Bonelli Park and Puddingstone Reservoir, then challenging himself on the winding 4  mile Turnbull Canyon Road between Whittier and Hacienda Heights, as well as the 11 1/2 miles of Carbon Canyon Rd., from Chino Hills to Brea, and taking San Dimas Canyon Rd. up to Golden Hills Rd. and across to Esperanza Dr., just so he could coast down that very steep road to Baseline at 30-35 mph.

All this was on a Mountain Bike.

Then, in 1998, he discovered Hybrid bikes, the smoother, faster, more comfortable alternative, in between the MB and more expensive racing bikes.

He eventually named her Cleopatra, but in the meantime they went on rides together, alone, or on various annual group rides, even almost getting arrested during a group ride that went wrong at the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles.

When he took up blogging, in 2001, his cycling activism and writing skills led him to begin what was one of the first bike blogs on the internet.

(NOTE: the rest of this essay has links to other works, from my days in SoCal, to more recent times in H-Town. I encourage those interested to explore at your leisure, share, and even comment, especially on the safe cycling and CM themed entries. Comments don't appear immediately, but are approved as soon as I am able.)

The Cycling Dude, though little known, was proud to have been one of the BEST bike blogs in the USA, and the world from Jan. 2003 -Aug. 2010, with a few later, unexpected, additions, and was familiar to a small, but passionate, collection of cyclists around the world, for the journalism, poetry, humor, travelogues, photography and more of its writer.

His writing made friends, influenced the birth of numerous new bike blogs, led to a pair of speaking engagements on bike commuting (REI and the century+ old Riverside Cycling Club), being quoted in a book, praised by The Daily Peloton, and pissed off more than a few people, from a parent of a cyclist killed on the road, to the founder of Critical Mass (2 years of writing on the subject, from 2003-2005, culminated in a series of correspondences with him, and with a collection of well known activists and journalists (the whole archive)).

His poetry was praised by many, including a writer of one very famous song he parodied (Alan Merrill), and his extensive resource page was useful to many.

When he retired his bike blog he continued his bike blogging on his personal blog, and moved his resources there as well.

It was not a decision taken lightly, but one based on the reality that few knew of his blog, read his work, shared it, or left comments and he did not have the knowledge, time, connections and resources to try and build upon what he had.

In November 2014 he took Cleopatra for one last ride as they said their final good-byes.

After a brief fling with a cheap Schwinn, from the Walmart where he worked, from April to July 2015, and a lonesome Summer, he was donated a refurbished 1991 Specialized Crossroads by a Houston cyclist who got wind of his situation when he discovered his bike blogging.

While he never gave it a name, the pair got along reasonably well, mostly commuting to and from where he worked.

Their one moment of fame came when Monica Russo of the Metro Transit Press Office asked for an interview for their Rep My Route series of videos in April 2017:

Houston Metro and Me: The Cycling Dude's 1st Houston Interview

The most recent entries on this blog, by The Cycling Dude, were about the Ride of Silence, and the Bike to Work Day Ride, in May 2017.

As 2018 got under way he realized that, due to various financial windfalls, from a donation by family, and work bonuses to a huge tax refund, opportunities to move forward were open to him and so a decision was made in February and he parted ways with the old, valiant Crossroads, finally on its last legs as a travelling companion...

Bike To Work Day Houston 2017

Recently I joined Mayor Turner and dozens of my fellow Houston cyclists on National Bike to Work Day, Friday, May 19, 2017, for a fun, Celebratory Bike Ride in and around Downtown Houston.

We explored existing bikeways including parts of the city’s famous off-street trail network and the recent extension of Houstons first two-way separated bike lane known as the green mile!

As long time readers know I am a life-long bike rider and bike commuter.

I began riding my bike to work in the 1980's when I worked at a bookstore in Pomona, Ca. and later, in the late 90's, when I worked at the Claremont, then Ontario, stores.

When I moved Orange County I often rode my bike from Santa Ana to Huntington Beach, then to Long Beach, and back, when I worked for Verizon Wireless from 2004-2010.

I gave 2 talks about Bike Commuting, when I still was writing my Cycling Dude Blog:

May 15th, 2008 - REI Huntington Beach

February 18th, 2009 - Riverside Bicycle Club (The oldest club west of the Miss. River, it is now 125 yrs. young!)

May is National Bike Month and National Bike To Work Day events are part of the celebration, as is the Ride of Silence which I had already taken part in a couple of days earlier.

Established in 1956, National Bike Month is a chance for cyclists to showcase the many benefits of bicycling, share their personal stories and favorite routes — and encourage more folks to get out of their cars and into the saddle of a bicycle.

Bike To Work Day is a way for city govt. officials and agencies, businesses, bike clubs and organizations, and individuals to show pride in, and to promote, bike commuting as an alternative to being stuck in traffic on the streets and freeways of our nations communities.

Ride of Silence 2017: Houston

Tonight we number many, around the world, but ride as one.
Honoring those killed on the road, friends, mothers, fathers, sisters, sons,
Even people we do not know.
With helmets on heads and solemn looks on our faces,
We ride in silence, cautious and slow.
Young and old, male and female,
All races and economic backgrounds,
Riding expensive bikes and cheap, new bikes and old,
With Bike Cops as safety escorts and traffic managers.
Dark sunglasses hide tears for many,
Remembering those held dear.
We ride to make motorists aware,
The road is there for all to share.
To those not with us or by our side,
May God be with you on your final ride.

Kiril Kundurazieff -- The Cycling Dude

With humble thanks to Mike Murgas, writer of the original poem, for the inspiration.

On the evening of May 17th, I joined my fellow Houston cyclists in the 15 edition of a worldwide phenomenon known as the Ride of Silence.

I first rode on the ride in May 2007, in Irvine, Ca. and shared the experience and resource links on 2 blog posts on my old bike blog, The Cycling Dude.

 

 

With this post, I wish to share images from my 1st Ride of Silence in Houston.

 

Houston Metro and Me: The Cycling Dude's 1st Houston Interview

Happy Wednesday, H-Town, How the heck are you?

During the 1st week of April I decided to toss my 2 cents in when I saw something on the Houston Metro Transit Facebook page encouraging people to share their experiences using mass transit in Houston.

I soon was corresponding with a rep from the FB page.

Here are the blog articles, w/photos, that I shared...

From Sept. 2013: The Cycling Dude Responds to Dug Begley on Bike Commuting in Houston

In response to the article “Helping Mass Transit, Bicycles Work Together” (Houston Chronicle Print Ed.), AKA "Bike-bus syncing an uphill climb, but getting there" online (9/10/13), by Dug Begley

May 2014: Houston Metro Admits It Sucks! Proposes Extensive Fix

 

I began this old piece this way... "My bike & I have been using the Houston transit system daily since I moved here in September 2012. To say that the difference between what I am learning to use here and what I grew up with, in southern California came as a shock would be an understatement."

Aug 2015: Houston Metro Re-Imagined Debuts Sunday: R U Ready?

This is how I began this piece....

After months of planning, build up and education...
After weeks of putting what I called "Guess What? You're SoooScrewed" signs at affected bus stops and leaving individual new route flyers on buses....
Let's Confuse the Hell Out of Everybody Week is finally here!
---------------

As I wrote in Aug 2014 in another post..."The streets and sidewalks of Houston have potholes, the transit system is an outdated mess trying to re-invent itself for a new century and the bike trail system is a creative work in progress...in other words, there is a long way to go to compete with what I left behind in SoCal."

 

So what did all this honesty get me?

 

Adapting Mini-Tripods to Use with a Cell Phone Camera

For years I used mini-tripods, a walking stick with camera attachments and my bicycle, depending on circumstances, to take the photos with my point and shoot cameras that I have become known for on my various blogs.

The past couple of years I have not had a walking stick and only my cell phone camera.

Until this month I didn't realize that monopod attachments, for cell phones, were available.

What made me interested in this was not just my finally getting a new Camera Monopod Walking Stick, to be debuted this month, but encouragement from friends to consider leaving the world of point and shoot cameras behind, see what my cell phone camera can do and eventually consider a major upgrade.

After exploring offerings on Amazon I bought a Vastar Universal Smartphone Tripod Adapter/Cell Phone Holder Adapter and I can already see the possibilities as I return one of my tripods to the handlebar of my bike.

A Bicyclist's Lament: Houston Edition

I have lived in Houston since Sept. 2012 and traveled the streets of the city by bike the whole time, though not nearly as extensively as I have hoped.

I have shared my bike rides and also shared my thoughts on cycling in Houston...

"Houston, you are a huge ol’ place, you cover a lot of ground. You started small, but now you have grown so big that motor vehicles compete to make the loudest sound.  It’s said you give bicyclists lots of space to ride around alongside bayous, large and small.

Multi-use trails do abound but I ask, is that all? Is that the only option for me to saddle up and pedal toward? Can I also safely share the road with motorists and trust my precious life on your many, varied, city streets?"

In Sept. 2013, In response to the article “Helping Mass Transit, Bicycles Work Together” (Houston Chronicle Print Ed.), AKA "Bike-bus syncing an uphill climb, but getting there", by Dug Begley,  I wrote an essay from the perspective of a life-long bicycle commuter and user of mass transit who has never driven a car.

The piece was never published by the paper and I have no idea if Begley ever read it.

The Cycling Dude Responds to Dug Begley on Bike Commuting in Houston

In May 2007 I went on a Ride of Silence in the OC, shared photos and shared a poem I wrote ( With sincere apologies to Francis Henry Maynard, Arlo Guthrie, and the short song The Streets of Laredo. )

This morning I decided to do a long overdue re-write in honor of my cycling life in Houston.