Day 220 ¾ – (AD 1,125 ¾) – 0.0 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Not On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Soccer practice and mini, I mean mini game this morning. Grandpa decided to shelve the pedaling on his Schwinn 170.

At supper last night –

Grandpa – “CK, what happens to chickens when I order chicken wings?”
Grandson, 3 going on 4 – (without missing a beat) - “Wheelchairs.”

Soapbox –

Tennessee, Arkansas, North Carolina, Mississippi, the Tea Party, et al, what the hell is happening?

I just read a thought provoking article by Jonathan Merritt in The Atlantic “Religious-Liberty Laws That Have No Meaning”, (April 28, 2016)

“As conservative Christians decline as a share of the population, some feel the need to codify their religious beliefs into law as a last line of defense—this measure seems to be part of that phenomenon… All of this begs a looming question: Why would social conservatives fight so hard to enact legislation to “solve” non-existent problems? The answer seems to be “fear.” For conservatives—and particularly the Christians among them—the last decade has been marked by a wave of withering defeats. Christian ideals are less culturally dominant than they once were, a growing number of people are bailing on institutional religion, and most Americans believe even the “attempt to convert others” to your faith is extremist behavior. ”

And of course most of the self-proclaimed “do-gooders” are reacting out of fear.

“Fear is a primal and powerful motivator, but conservatives should ask themselves whether the way they are addressing their fear is the best way forward. States that have chosen to enact religious-liberty laws have faced corporate boycotts, tourist backlash, and event cancellations. Perhaps worst of all, conservatives’ efforts may end up creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. By using religion to promote what many Americans consider to be bigotry, they are inciting the very kind of resistance to religion they fear is inevitable. Their religious-freedom fights often earn them nothing—but may cost them everything.”

Food for thought.

And speaking of food, it’s time to make a couple of new loaves of No-Knead Bread. Stay tuned to find out what concoction I do mix up.

Wings update - We think we've captured the essence of our monster butterfly’s body. And no, it is not naturally correct, but then bloody hell we're looking for that crossover between natural and abstract without being either.

Wings - JS AB - Monster Butterfly body added.

Check out Quilts SB for our latest updates on Andy's and my work and designs. (http://quiltsb.blogspot.com/)

This is my 1,224th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 92,232 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 220 ½ – (AD 1,125 ½) – 0.0 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Not On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Grandpa duties supersede today. Grandson #1, (and believe me that both grandsons are #1s), performed this morning with his class on stage in a medley of American songs and choruses.

Today no pedaling on my Schwinn 170.

And today we received an advance copy of Quilters Newsletter, the June/July 2016 issue. Yep Andy and I are in it. It should be on the store shelves shortly. Updates to Quilts SB coming soon.

Also didn't have time update Jim's Gotta Eat, but good news in that stream; early morning blood sugar count dropped by 10 points.

This is my 1,223rd post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 92,173 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 220 – (AD 1,125) – 22.5 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – 3.4% Remaining On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning, 22.5 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals – 24,063.9 miles; 38,727.2 kilometers. 3.4% of the total distance remaining.

Google Maps has me pinpointed at 6, Dunaújváros, 2400 Hungary.

Soapbox –

I do think that one of the candidates and one of the former candidates should succinctly celebrate his Latin heritage.

I truly wish that Charles Addams had been around to capture the merriment of the announcement and moment. And the preparation and well-thought out planning that must have gone into the proclamation.  Hurrah, hurrah, a running mate.  Whither thouest be a candidate or not, to be or not to be, what a hell of a question?

This is my 1,222nd post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 92,075 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 219 – (AD 1,124) – 22.3 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – 24,041.4 Miles On My Schwinn Fitness Cycles

Good Day,

I just want to blow my horn once again. In 1,124 days I have pedaled over 24,000 miles; exactly 24,041.4 miles; 38,691.0 kilometers. I have done this on two Schwinn Fitness cycles, the 150 and the 170. I began on December 2, 2012 and in order to complete my mileage goal I have just 43 pedaling days remaining.

On the virtual part of my journey Google Maps has me located at 61, Cece, 7013 Hungary. I am heading in an easterly direction. I have 63,8 miles remaining to get to my next destination and goal point.

This time the spam request is from someone whose email penned name is cn_ezram from Yahoo in Japan alias “Mr. Michael, one of the branch managers of foreign remittances at his Bank”. Mr. Michael is in need of my assistance to somehow move an excess of $7.5 million US. Okay, okay how does some bank have a flush number of $7.5 million, that’s 7.5 with the addition of 5 zeros, sitting in “a suspense account without a beneficiary”? And Mr. Michael has the cojones to invite me to assist and share 50/50 of any profit to be made in the investment of said “suspense account” funds without any risk. All I have to do is to be party to a bank-to-bank transfer to my “nominated bank account anywhere you (I) feel safer.”

And Mr. Michael, via Yahoo Japan, has the mitigating gall to include some Dow Jones indices and stock numbers of some unknown and unidentified institution. And Mr. Michael has the audacity to indicate that his material, broken English and economics mathematics, is copyright in the year of some lord 2016 by MarketWatch, Inc.

And now I will settle down, make and have a cup of Crio Bru – Ghana.

Andy's and Jim's Wings update. The majority of the wing scales have been added on all 3 panels. Trying something in our design to create a 2D/3D look, if that makes sense. Now we progress to the work on the body of our monster Butterfly. We're almost there in our thoughts for both the quilting and the binding.

Wings - JS AB - In progress.

Hope to have written up our new Parity quilt at Quilts SB (http://quiltsb.blogspot.com/) today.

Parity - JS AB - Completed

Parity has been donated and will be available at the 2016 Equality Florida St Pete Gala, May 7th.

This is my 1,221st post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 91,968 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 218 – (AD 1,123) – 23.0 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – “HUGH” Sum On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today I pedaled another 23.0 miles on my Schwinn 170. And this morning my odometer passed the 24,000-mile mark. To date I have now pedaled Schwinn Fitness cycles a total of 24,019.1 miles; 38,655.1 kilometers. Just think 24,000 miles. Bloody hell!

I am located at a point in the road at Unnamed Rd, Fürged, 7087 Hungary. Now heading northwest, sort-of.  And I feel like breaking out in an Hungarian rendition of "Oklahoma". And of course I had to find the 2002 Hungarian Formation Dancers performing to the soundtrack of "Oklahoma".



And the spammers are out this morning. I try not read my incoming emails while I cycle but I couldn’t help it this time.

This time, the email was from a Samia Jamal – email address martinkonvalink at gmail, Palestinian, 19 years old with a younger sister Leila, 17 who was shot in back. Leila, then Laila, is in desperate need as parents have both been shot and murdered. Can guarantee a “HUGH” sum of money and other valuables that dead father had left with a security company…but cannot access because of his (Samia’s) age. And there is a modicum of begging and pleading and a “Please” with a capital “P”.

Guess I am not too, too empathetic this morning… And he Samia or Martin can wait all they want.

And why, oh way does the NRA keep calling my landline?

Spent the morning finishing up my communities quarterly newsletter. Volunteers are great, but… at least I do not get paid for my work, and or thoughts. Nor do I do well with volunteers who think that they can lord over or cleopatranize me.  (New word for me.)

Just catching up with some other paperwork and things. That’s it. Just me being boring as hell.

This is my 1,220th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 91,857 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 217 – (AD 1,122) – 22.6 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today I pedaled another 22.6 miles on my Schwinn 170. I have now reached a total of 23,996.1 miles; 38,618.1 kilometers.

Google Maps has me headed in a northeasterly direction. I am now located at 61, Nagykónyi, 7092 Hungary. If this journey continues, I now have 87.0 more miles to go to get to my next destination and goal point.

Soapbox –

The battle lines with the same sandbox are being drawn. “Ted Cruz, John Kasich join forces to stop Donald Trump”, Dan Berman, Phil Mattingly and David Mark, CNN, April 25, 2016

“Collusion is often illegal in many other industries and yet these two Washington insiders have had to revert to collusion in order to stay alive. They are mathematically dead and this act show, as puppets of donors and special interests, how truly weak they and their campaigns are.”


And I wonder how many of Donald Trump’s staff members are cringing? We can only dream that this were actually a true statement of voice.

“Sarah Palin: “America doesn’t need a Price, this isn’t England… Let Americans play music. Support American musicians like the Rolling Stones and the Beatles.”

This is so, so Palinesque.

Progress on our new Wings is coming on like a "Butterfly from hell", so-to-speak. And here is a fair vantage of all 3 panels of the triptych.

WINGS - JS AB - Progress

As all three panels will be separate and we're working on a distinct but complimentary fabric to use as binding. Also our work on the quilting design is in progress. We're thinking of a design that does not muddle the overall visual effect.

Andy and Jim invite you to check out our work at Quilts SB blog athttp://quiltsb.blogspot.com/ and to like our Quilts SB Facebook page -https://www.facebook.com/QuiltsbySB/

My lunch today - Have an old fashioned NYC type sandwich: Thick cut bakery rye with caraway seeds, (actually I think I just made the Bauernbrot), unsalted butter, thin sliced onion, thin sliced tomato and, of course, kippers!

This is my 1,219th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 91,783 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 216 – (AD 1,121) – 23.7 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Back On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today I pedaled 23.7 miles on my Schwinn 170. My totals – 23,973.5 miles; 38,581.7 kilometers.

Yes I sort of got off the main highway. I am headed in a northeasterly direction and am located, virtually that is, at 6503, Baté, 7258 Hungary. I wonder if they have WiFi?

Countdown – 3.7% remaining…

And the Tampa weather is beautiful. Two more hours of cutting and trimming bamboo and shrub growth. Next a soak in the pool.

Soapbox –

And if we can say anything we want to say –

“It’s ‘Possible’ Hillary Clinton Could Be Better President than GOP Pick, Charles Koch Says”, ABCNews, April 23rd, Jonathan Karl and Alexander Mallin.

Question – If Bernie Sanders is an Independent, and Donald Trump really is not a Republican neither a Democrat would leave Hillary Clinton the Democrat and Ted Cruz the Republican, and could we possibly see an altered and 4-way election for the Office of President?

Following our Wings' progress we've begun the wing-work on the 1st panel of the triptych. We're also deciding on the fabric choice for the monster butterfly's body.

Andy and Jim invite you to check out our work at Quilts SB blog at http://quiltsb.blogspot.com/ and to like our Quilts SB Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/QuiltsbySB/

This is my 1,218th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 91,716 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 215 ½ – (AD 1,120 ½) – 0.0 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Day Of Rest, No Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today is my day of rest. I try to take a pedal-free day every 7th day. And as I only have 48 pedaling days remaining in my overall journey, on this 1,120 ½ day my mind is sort of itching to say to hell with the rest and get on my Schwinn 170 to hurry up and finish. But no, I will be a good host to my muscles. Just think, I only have about 8 weeks of pedaling left.

I’m thinking about a different sort of schedule once I complete my overall goal and know that I have to continue my cardio and exercise regime. I began this crazy Trek 1,238 days ago on the 2nd of December 2012.

I think I just screwed up SIRI. I was asking it a question and it got truncated. The truncated question it thought I asked was “What is 91,629 divided by Y?” SIRI took a fair bit of time trying to think and come up with an answer. When it finally did it linked me to some clothing site. Huh?

What I was trying to ask and calculate was 91,629 Pageviews by 1,216 posts. The average numbers of total daily Jim’s Trek pageviews works out to be 75.4. Not bad for this crazy and off-the-beaten track blog and trek. Hell I’m not making any money but the health benefits are not bad.

Soapbox –

Just wondering whether Jerry Springer, Montel Williams, Ricki Lake, Sally Jesse Raphael, Geraldo Rivera, Rosie O’Donnell, Jenny Jones and et al have signed up to emcee any of the upcoming Reality Presidential Debates?

Have we as an electorate become more obsessed with the visual and verbal display of the side-show than we are concerned of the individual candidates’ platforms?

Thanks LD for your suggestion – Bauernbrot. I have two loaves rising this morning. The No-Knead ingredients: Bread Flour, Rye Flower, Honey, Sourdough Starter, Yeast, Caraway Seeds Salt, and Water. And I am think about a new challenge. You’ll have to check back to either Jim’s Trek and/or Jim’s Gotta Eat to see this one unfold.

Work continues on placing the wing scales on our new triptych quilt Wings. This work in progress certainly is leading us to think and combine techniques. Follow updates at Quilts SB.

Wings - JS AB - 2016 - Progress update

This is my 1,217th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 91,629 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 215 – (AD 1,120) – 22.2 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Quietly On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today I cycled 22.2 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals stand at 23,949.8 miles; 38,543.5 kilometers.

I am located at Vasút utca 1, Kadarkút, 7530 Hungary.

This morning I realized that I only have 3.8% of my journey remaining. Damn!

This is my 1,216th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 91,552 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 214 – (AD 1,119) – 23.0 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Now In Hungary On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

A glorious day to greet the morning; one of my orchids blossoms.





Today I cycled 23.0 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals stand at 23,927.6 miles; 38,507.8 kilometers.

This morning I crossed the border from Croatia into Hungary.

I continued on. Google Maps has me located at 6809, Berzence, 7516 Hungary.

If my calculations are correct I have only 3.9% of my overall goal and 49 pedaling days remaining in this crazy Jim’s Trek that I began on December 2nd, 2012.

Soapbox –

I know, I know. I’m sort of jumping the gun. The primaries are not over but I do have a question.

If the two premier candidates vying for the Office of the President come down to Democratic Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump what type of campaign showdown are we in for? Can you imagine what the next 6 months are going to be like?

Check out the article at Syracuse.com – “NY political pros offer advice, warnings to 2016 presidential candidates”, Melinda Johnson, April 20, 2016.

Just think of all the new jobs that will be available to building our new walls…

Work continues on the three panels of our new triptych – Wings. This is an interesting piece beginning with the design and to where we have progressed to right now.

Wings - JS AB - In progress; Panels 2 and 3

Follow our progress at Quilts SB.

This is my 1,215th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 91,435 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 213 – (AD 1,118) – 22.6 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Thinking On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today I pedaled 22.6 miles on my Schwinn 170. And this morning I passed the 23,904.5 miles mark. My totals are: 23,904.6 miles; 38,470.8 kilometers.

My virtual location is at D2, 48000, Koprivnica, Croatia. I now have 169 mores miles to reach my next destination and goal point.

So the MOSI’s Board of Directors has voted to recommend that the Museum of Science and Industry move from the outer banks of the nether woods of Hillsborough County to downtown Tampa. “MOSI to move from USF area to downtown”, Creative Loafing by Kate Bradshaw, April 19, 2016.

MOSI, Fowler Avenue, Tampa

“Also unclear are how big the facility would be, what kind of exhibits it would feature and when exactly the move would take place.

But the study does project a 34 percent increase in attendance should the move go forward.”

One would think that a major decision like this would have at least some iota of answers reported to these issues.

MOSI is moving from across the street from USF to near where it “would put the museum in close quarters with the USF Morsani College of Medicine and USF Heart Institute, both of which are slated for that part of town…” Huh?

But hell this is Tampa; I lived here a number of years, at least 3 ½ decades. This is the same type of decision that has happened time and time again. The politicians definitely like to spin wheels. And oh yeah the Economic Feasibility of Relocating MOSI to Downtown Tampa is only 171 pages long.

Soapbox -

Am I missing something? Are these primaries that the two major American parties are currently conducting in part just polls?  Are they polls to see and figure out which way the electorate winds are blowing?  Could there not be a much more better method?

And I have another question - Why bother?  The amount of money spent in campaigning and political folderol appears to be one hell of a lot of waste in which the media and the possible carpetbaggers are lining their pockets could be spent in some other better and more constructive manner.

This just seems like a glorified poll process...

This is my 1,214th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 91,371 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 212 – (AD 1,117) – 22.3 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Continuing Still On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today I cycled 23.5 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals are now at 23,882.0 miles; 38,434.4 kilometers.
Countdown – 51 pedaling days remaining, and I have completed 1,116. Who’d have thought that I actually would keep to this crazy Trek? I am 95.9% complete.

This morning I veered to the northeast and I am now headed to my next destination. I am current located, virtually, at D41 61, 48265, Veliki Raven, Croatia. If you enter that location into Google Maps you may get a hint to where I’m headed, for the short run.

I wonder if this presentation from ChainReactionCycles.com “What happens during One hour of riding your bicycle?” could be transposed to riding a stationary fitness cycle? I would gander a possible “Yes it can” except for one thing. I do not get a chance to “Wave at fellow cyclists” or “smile at passers-by”.

It seems to me that I sort of go through almost similar sensations as I pedal my Schwinn Fitness cycles for 72 minutes.

Currently working on the fabric choices for the wing scales of our monster butterfly on our new triptych quilts Wings.

Andy's and my three quilts - Betwixt and Between; Cosmo's Moon 2.5 and Apollo 1, The Beginning; - have been selected to travel in the Fly Me to the Moon Collection. Check with Quilts SB at http://quiltsb.blogspot.com/ .

This is my 1,213th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 91,131 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 211 – (AD 1,116) – 22.3 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Zagreb On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I pedaled another 22.3 miles on my Schwinn 170.

I decided at Zagreb to veer to the east and I am now headed in a northeast direction. I am located at D3, 10363, Belovar, Croatia. The village of Belovar has been recorded with a population of about 330.

My next destination is about 204 miles away. And overall I have 4.2% of my total mileage goal remaining on my 1,116th day of pedaling.

Today’s bread is a variation of the No-Knead procedure; 2 loaves – 1 Raisin White Whole Wheat Sourdough and 1 White Sourdough. Check out Jim’s Gotta Eat - http://jimsgottaeat.com/ .

This is my 1,212th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 91,131 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 210 – (AD 1,115) – 23.5 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Croatia On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Yesterday was my day of resting, a Grandson #1's mini-soccer game, and baking.

This morning I cycled 23.5 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals – 23,836.2 miles; 38,360.7 kilometers.

I’m located at D30, 10415, Novo Čiče, Croatia. Tomorrow I will have to decide whether I will be heading in a northwest or a northeast direction. Maybe I’ll flip a coin.

Today is Christening Day for Grandson #2. Celebration.

That’s all…

Check out the Dough-henge at Jim’s Gotta Eat - http://jimsgottaeat.com/ for the creation of the next 4 No-Knead loaves.

This is my 1,211th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 91,131 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address - jsmith58@gmail.com.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim