No Geese Today

Please Don't Feed the Animals
Please Don't Feed the Animals

I complained about the geese along the canal before. When I rode through there today, I noticed some new signs had been placed on the canal banks warning against feed the birds.

The birds must have left in protest, because I didn’t see one goose today and the path was clean and free of bird poop. In reality, I believe the hot weather has driven them further north in search of cooler conditions. Canada, you’re welcome to your geese!

It’s a great time, with the geese gone to walk the canal paths. With Old Home Week going on, there is supposed to be some activities going on in the Market Street area, although I saw no signs of them this morning/early afternoon, that doesn’t mean the won’t be there later. Continue Reading…

Pick for Old Home Week

Blues Traveler's John Popper

[dewplayer:http://gritzmacher.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/BluesTraveler-awesome.mp3|http://gritzmacher.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Blues-Traveler-intro.mp3|http://gritzmacher.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/BluesTraveler-fuckin-awesome.mp3]

Click above to hear sound clips courtesy Blues Traveler, Audio Archive, Adam Hudson

Last week’s shows were pretty much can’t miss. Hope you got out and attended those you wanted to. I had a great time at the Lockport Canal Concert again seeing my old friends Free Henry. I got there too late to hear Bearhunter, but talked with them at the merch booth and picked up a couple CDs. Automaton was a pleasant surprise and I hope to see more of them.

Anyway, here’s what’s on tap for this week:

Tuesday: Artpark (outdoor) George Thorogood & The Destroyers, 
                      Tom Hambridge & the Rattlesnakes
Wednesday: Gateway Harbor - Wide Right, Boogie Monsters
Wednesday: Artpark - John Browns Body, Little Mountain Band
Thursday: Lafayette Square - Robert Randolph & the Family Band
Friday: Lockport Canal Concert - Rik Emmett, Wanted by The FBI, 
            Friendly Fire
Friday: Gateway Harbor - Widow Maker (probably not the Dee Snider band!)
Saturday: Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor ($) - OAR, Citizen Cope
Saturday: Hard Rock NF - Lou Gramm, Free Henry, McCarthyism and eXit!
Sunday: Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor ($) - Slightly Stoopid, 
             Cypress Hill

Continue Reading…

Bandanas

BandanaBandanas are indespensible.

They’re a scarf, a hat, a personal cooling device, a neck protector in hot sun. They’re a washcloth, a towel, a cleaning rag. You can wear one by itself, or under another hat.

I used to think they were not cool. Something only a hick farmer would wear. (No farmers aren’t hicks, or not cool, either. That’s just the stereotype.) So I never had any.

But this year our robotics team used them as a fashion accessory to help make our team stand out and issued us each two, one red one and one blue one, to be used to show which alliance our team was currently on. If that doesn’t mean a thing to you, that’s okay, just know that I ended up with two of them after the competitions were over.

I started carrying one with me on my bike this summer. I perspire a lot and it’s been a hot, muggy summer so far. Having it handy to wipe the sweat out of my eyes has been indispensable. Recently, on a ride, my bandana got so soaked with sweat that I decided to rinse it out in the restroom at a park we stopped in. Not only did it feel great to wipe my face with the cool cloth, when I was done and had rinsed it again, I put it around my neck. Instant air-conditioning! The more I rode, the more it cooled me!

I’ve tried sweat bands before, but they are only so effective. Once they get soaked, rinsing them leaves them yukky and they loose their elasticity. Don’t rinse them out and after a while they are disgusting. Bandanas are much better than a terry sweat band. And you don’t need to buy wrist bands either. Just wrap a bandana twice around your arm and tie. Voi-la!

They’ve been so handy, I think I’ll pick up some more. I just hope someone doesn’t think I’m in a gang or something. What color should I get so that no one thinks I’m a Crip or a Blood?

And this week’s pick is…

Three Dog Night at the Lockport Canal Concert last week

Tuesday: Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Maria Aurigema (Artpark)
Wednesday: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (Artpark)
Thursday: Flaming Lips (Artpark Mainstage $)
Thursday: G. Love & Special Sauce with Rogue Wave (Lafayette Square)
Friday: Blues Traveller w/ Free Henry, Automaton, Bearhunter (Lockport Canal Concert)
Friday: Celtic Women (Artpark Mainstage $)
Saturday: Soul Asylum with The Incurables, DoDriver and A Potter’s Field (Hard Rock NF)

Continue Reading…

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