Against the wind....

Well, it was a busy weekend. Mark may require that I get his pre-approval before planning another like this one!

We were up and out early on Saturday for an 8:00 start of the 'Smokin Spokes' ride in Salado. It was COLD (45 degrees) & WINDY (25-30 sustained with gusts 45-50 mph) and let's just say that my spokes didn't 'smoke' during that ride. In fact, for a good bit of the ride I felt like I was standing still (or maybe even going backwards), especially as we pedalled the first five miles or so up a slight incline into a strong, frigid head-wind. The 15 mile route had a number of tough hills and the strong, bitter-cold wind made even the downhills a challenge.

But the ride-organizers, Salado volunteers & residents, and rural views more than compensated for the less-than-preferable weather. The organizer & beneficiary of the ride, the Salado fire department, was great! The route was well marked and traffic control could not have been better. The volunteers and Salado residents were friendly & courteous and very sympathetic to the obvious effort I was exerting (a nice lady even stopped to offer us a ride--guess I was going pretty slow...)

And as usual, the cyclists were terrific. My experience with charity bike rides in Central Texas is that the cyclists are always friendly & encouraging. If you cycle or know a cyclist, please extend my thanks to them. It is so nice to be included in these activities and to have my participation be so well-received.

As for time yesterday, let's just say that it took longer than I would have liked. No doubt, I would have done better on a less-blustery day, but one benefit of going slow is that I do enjoy the scenery. We saw lots of horses, goats, chickens, and dogs and many beautiful fields (Mark snapped a few pics--see slideshow to the right). And even though I was slow, I am happy to say that I did the whole ride under my own effort. Mark had to pedal pretty slowly and did plenty of waiting for me, but not once did he have to help push me up a hill. I got through the last few hills by reminding myself that once finished Mark would treat me to coffee & beignets at Roy T's (just off IH35 in Salado; if you haven't been there, it is worth a stop next time you're traveling through.)

Well, the fire department says they don't mind a 'slow-poke' so this ride is definitely on my calendar again for next year. If you like to cycle, I encourage you to consider this ride.

We were up and out early again on Sunday for the Capitol 10K. I was pretty proud of us for just getting out again after our effort on Saturday. I'm sure that 15 mile ride made today's Cap 10K a bit more difficult for both Mark and for me. Given the 15 miles yesterday and the bit of gear trouble I had today, I was glad to finish the course in under an hour. I was about 10 minutes slower than last year, but 55 minutes is still a respectable time and I'm actually very glad that I'm not currently still trying to get up that hill on Enfield :)

The race was well organized, the volunteers were friendly & helpful, and the weather was beautiful (a cold start, but much warmer overall than yesterday and with very little wind). Like the cyclists, the Austin running community is very friendly and encouraging; so thanks to all the runner's who shared their fun with 'wheelers' like me.

Another fun thing about today's Cap10K is that Andy, another handcyclist and Kristen & Suzanne, both using racing chairs, participated. There aren't very many weekend wheelchair athletes in Austin and it is always nice when we get a chance to see each other & ride together. The Cap10K affords a nice opportunity for us to do that. Mark, brother-in-law Alan, and friend Joe ran together as they have done many times. They all had fun and all finished the course in a reasonable time. We enjoyed visiting with them and with Mark's sister, Paula, over coffee after the run. (Yes, you're noticing a pattern here.)

I don't know if Mark & I will do the Cap10K again next year. Regardless, I am hoping that the Cap10K folks will reconsider the stringent wheelchair qualifying time requirement for next year's race. We wheelers need to be respectful of the Cap10K's challenge of organizing such a large event and of their need to have a safe course; I'm hoping the Cap10K organizers and the wheelers will work to some compromise that will allow more wheelers to participate while still promoting a event that is safe & fun for all participants.

Well, we capped off the weekend by taking Oscar for his regular mile walk--wouldn't want the boy to feel left out! We sure enjoyed the weekend's events, but we're going to head back to work tomorrow for some much-need rest. Thanks for reading!

A Bill of Note....

As most of you know, I am not very 'political'. I know very good, kind, caring folks on both sides of just about every issue. And though I have my opinions, I try really hard to remember that many people I respect very much hold views different from mine. Please keep that in mind as I tell you about a bill before the Texas House that I hope will pass.

My friend, Mikail, is appearing before the State House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee to testify IN FAVOR OF House Bill 849, aka the 'ADA Bill'. For those of you unfamiliar with the issue, Texas claims legal immunity from the American with Disabilities Act (ADA)--what's really mind-boggling to some of us with disabilities is that our current Attorney General, Greg Abbott supports the state's stance.

Mikail offered a good description of the proposed legislation that he kindly shared with me and those of you reading this. Thanks Mikail!

HB 849 – Guaranteeing that Texans have the basic civil right of freedom from discrimination by the State of Texas based on disability

Background
The greatest paradigm shifting achievement of 20th century America is the enactment of federal civil rights laws that codified the Declaration of Independence’s promise that all men are created equal.

The Americans with Disabilities Act is landmark federal civil rights legislation, signed into law by a Texas president, George H. W. Bush, in 1990, that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, public services, public accommodations, telecommunications, and other specific arenas. It mandates that “reasonable accommodations” be made for people with disabilities in all these areas and more.

A few states, including Texas, assert that the Eleventh Amendment of the United States Constitution grants all states sovereign immunity from suit under the ADA. Some federal courts have ruled that state governments are immune from suit while others have struck down state sovereign immunity in cases of disability discrimination. In each case, the rulings have been narrowly drawn. So people with disabilities who experience discrimination on the part of a state entity have very little recourse if those entities refuse to make reasonable accommodations for them.

Example 1: A professor at Texas Tech University became ill with a degenerative eye disease which left her visually impaired. She asked the administration to place high-contrast reflective tape on the edges of the stairs in her building so she could safely navigate to her office. Tech refused. She sued. They fired her. Years of litigation ensued.
Cost of a roll of reflective tape: about $40

Example 2: A student at A&M uses a wheelchair. He has a class in a large auditorium which is only accessible from the second floor, which means he is seated a long way from the whiteboard on which the professor writes class notes. The professor likes to use a pale green marker, which is impossible to read from far away. The student requests that the professor use a darker marker so he can see. The professor refuses.
Cost of a black dry-erase marker: about $1.50

What the bill does:

• Waives Texas’ immunity from lawsuit for the limited purpose of allowing people to sue governmental units in Texas for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Places limitations on the damages that may be awarded – a maximum of $250,000 per person and $500,000 per single occurrence.
• Provides people with disabilities the opportunity to pursue the reasonable accommodations guaranteed to them under the ADA.

What the bill does NOT do:

• Require a governmental unit to provide an individual with a disability with a personal or individually prescribed device (e.g., wheelchair, hearing aid), or with services of a personal nature such as assistance in eating or dressing.
• Require a governmental unit to make changes or adjustments to a program that would result in significant difficulties or expenses relative to the operation of the program
• Open the door for massive lawsuits that will bankrupt the state. The liability limits are built-in and are reasonable in size.

The bottom line: This is a civil rights bill.

Vacation Week, Part II

We celebrated our return home Wednesday with Rudy's barbeque for supper, followed by Immanuel Lutheran's weekly Lenten service. This is a lovely evening service with beautiful music; I'm glad there are two more we can attend before Holy Week.

We spent Thursday close to home and then enjoyed a visit with Mark's folks on Friday. (Oscar stayed home Friday and continued to recover from his trip to Canyon of the Eagles.) We dedicated Saturday to yard work. Mark mowed and I dug the grass out around our 3 rose bushes and laid out a flower bed by the front gate, which Mark edged nicely with bricks. Oscar spent his time hunting lizards--one of his favorite activities. I'd appreciate it if he'd keep the ones he snags to himself, but he is just so proud of himself that he can't help but share his catch with me.

Then we gave the larger pond a good cleaning. This is not the huge chore it is for folks with in-ground ponds, but is enough work anyway. It isn't the most pleasant task for us, but Oscar sure enjoys the Springtime scent of 'Eau de Swamp'! (He'd be much happier if I'd count his playing in the discarded pond water as a 'bath' instead of following it up by putting him in the tub for a good scrubbing--and one involving soap of all things!) The clean pond is always worth the effort, and I'm sure the fish will be happier, maybe healthier too. We will enjoy having a clearer pond again. We'll get to work on the smaller pond another day.

Today (Sunday), we had a good discussion in our Bible Study followed by another lovely worship service. This afternoon, Mark did grocery shopping and I caught up on laundry--sure signs that the vacation is drawing to a close and that we're preparing to return to work. I expect we'll find the early mornings just a bit more difficult this week!

Vacation Week, Part I

Taking a much-needed break from work this week, we spent a few days at 'Canyon of the Eagles' on Lake Buchanan. This is a great get-away only about an hour and a half northwest of Pflugerville. They allow pets, so Oscar was able to come along--he particularly enjoyed hunting for the armadillos. Of course, he never actually came that close to one, but I think he still experienced 'the thrill of the hunt!'

The wildlife were plentiful. We saw 3 Bald Eagles, 3 armadillos (and evidence of many more), 2 raccoons, and 1 jack rabbit. We also saw lots of birds: cardinal, titmouse, black capped vireo, golden cheek warbler, and one female painted bunting. Didn't see the male painted bunting, so I'm thinking we need to go back a little later in the year when more of them are around. (Click here if you want to see what they look like: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/paintedbunting/ )

A note about the Bald Eagles. We saw at least one from the front porch of the cabin. We saw the other two at their nest off of Hwy 29 near Llano. That's right, there is an eagle's nest right on the edge of the highway, and two of the eagles graced us with an appearance.

Given all the critters, Oscar's nose was on over-drive for most of the trip. Perhaps he was trying to give it a rest here:
We also hiked (I handcycled) the more accessible trails, so Oscar was pretty exhausted come evening. We've been home two days now and he still seems a bit tired. For those of you who are familiar with his barking, Oscar did remarkably well with the 'hush' command (or should I say, 'request')--I was pleasantly surprised given all the animal & bird activity AND the number of people around. (We inadvertently scheduled during Spring Break, so there were more people than we expected--but that was not a problem in the least. In fact the two little girls staying in the cabin next to ours made quick friends with Oscar!)

If you live in the area, we strongly recommend a visit to Canyon of the Eagles. You can check it out for yourself at http://www.canyonoftheeagles.com/

We're spending the rest of our vacation week close to home. I'll write more about that in the next post. Thanks for reading!

A Relaxing Weekend

Well, we could not have had a less-active weekend! We haven't done much to tell about. As usual, we enjoyed Sunday School & Church this morning. The class Mark & I lead finished the year's study of Luke and have started the Gospel according to John. The class is well-attended and we enjoy hearing the class members' thoughts & insights. The verse I liked the most from today's study is: 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. I like anything that reminds us that we aren't in this alone (no matter how little sense things make) and that Christ comes to us 'full of grace & truth.'

I'm sure I could think of something to write (that means, 'ramble on') about, but I won't. I'm off to straighten a closet & organize crochet thread (exciting, isn't it?)

Update on the Back 40 (feet, that is)!

Well, Mark's been busy lately.

Thanks to some friends from church, we are trying red potatoes this year. Mark also has planted grape tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, and squash--good eating is ahead! The carrots I planted and the herb garden are growing nicely, and I noticed new blooms on our blackberries (the only kind of blackberries you'll find here are the kind you eat.)

We're thankful for the much needed rain! It's a little colder than I would like, but I don't think it is cold enough to bother the plants. Oscar isn't too happy with the weather, but the plants look a little happier to me.

Spring Cycling!

Here we are in the middle of March already and it is time to get pedaling!

The Austin American Statesman required wheelers to 'qualify' for the Capitol 10K this year. After a few emails back & forth, they informed me that I do in fact qualify. I hope they'll reconsider the time limits so that more wheelers can participate in the future. I know they are trying to address safety concerns, but I think they can do that without excluding so many wheelchair participants!

I have my eye on a few rides/races this year--the 15 mile route of the 'Smokin' Spokes' bike ride in Salado, the Cap 10K run, Austin's Texas Round-Up 10K run or the Red Poppy bike ride in Georgetown, and the Armadillo Classic bike ride in Liberty Hill. Will post pictures after I handcycle these events.

Also got a new 'trainer' for my Freedom Ryder handcycle. I'm very excited about it and hope it will help me get some extra rides in on those days when I can't make time to get out on the road!

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