Hey Ray!

My Grandson has something to communicate to you:



Such a cute kid.

New Wheel

We wanted to get a new rear wheel for the Xtracycle this winter, so here it is. Its a Shimano Alfine hub (internally-geared 8-speed) laced up to a Salsa Delgado rim. The Xtracycle accommodates a disc brake, which is why we decided to go with the Alfine hub. Hiawatha Cyclery in South Minneapolis did the work, they did the Xtracycle conversion for us in early 2008. The wheel looks sweet! Can't wait to take out the Xtracycle and fill it with beer, wine, dog food and see how this wheel rolls... and stops.

The picture below is Yooper-Jim of Hiawatha Cyclery lacing up a wheel with one of his students at his wheel building class.

Springsteen Tickets

The Boss is coming to Saint Paul. I thought that I'd look into tickets. It was cool to see him on TV during the half-time show, and it would be cool to see him live. So - I went to ticketmaster and looked for the best available. The results...

WARNING : LIMITED or OBSTRUCTED view seating !
Seating is BEHIND the stage !

2 Full price tickets: US$95.00 x 2
Convenience Charge: US$11.15 x 2
Building Facility Charge: US$2.00 x 2

Total: $216.30 for an obstructed view.

Nope, not doing it. We can go see Lucinda Williams (again) for about $60 for two tickets, or an Indy-Folk group like Brianna Lane or Kaiser-Cartel for about 10% of what it costs to see the boss.