Lost in OK

So, with the demise of my Project 365 experiment, I’ve been looking for some creative outlets for which I can use this blog. I’ve always been an avid collector of music but over the last decade or so, it’s gotten a little out of control. I’ve somehow ended up with a music collection of some 18,000 tracks across a few thousand artists and albums. However, the sad fact is that there is a huge swath of this music I have never actually heard. A lot of it has been picked up as daily deal albums or because it was highly reviewed on emusic and stuck in the music library where it sits awaiting the day where it shows up on the random playlist. Well, when your library gets this big, the chances of stuff showing up on the random playlist start getting pretty small.

The Association of Central Oklahoma Governments is looking for a Transportation Planner for their bicycle, pedestrian and livability initiatives:

The Association of Central Oklahoma Governments, the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Oklahoma City Area Regional Transportation Study (OCARTS) area, seeks a highly motivated, skilled, self-starting professional to fill a key position within the Transportation & Planning Services (TPS) Division. This position requires excellent analytical, communication and problem‑solving abilities.

Under the general supervision of the Program Coordinator, the Transportation Planner will be responsible for the planning and implementation of regional bicycle, pedestrian and livability initiatives within Central Oklahoma. Other responsibilities include management of federal grants,

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Unfortunately, for the second time in my adult life, my house was broken into last night. I have to say that all-in-all, things are as good as could be possible in such circumstances. No one was home at the time, they were only in the house for an extremely short period of time, and of what they took, none of it had extreme monetary value.

That being said, there is truly something awful about being burglarized. In this case, the thieves took all of Grace’s jewelry boxes, which contained a few pieces of decently valuable jewelry, but also contained a large variety of keepsakes, photographs and memories. One of the boxes had actually been give to her by her daughter. And there in lies the truly dreadful thing taken by burglars. Not only do they violate that safe space that we think of as home, but they tend to take stuff that has little monetary worth but is completely priceless to the owner. They will end up callously throwing out things that the owner would give up so much to get back. And that makes them what can only best be described as scum.

Last weekend Grace, Gwen and I along with Gwen’s friend Alica took a whirlwind tour of my old stomping grounds in Chicago. We were only there for four days, so it was really a short time, but it was nice to see the place again and it was fun to act as a tour guide for Gwen and Alica on their first trip to the city of big shoulders.

A Blue and White GT Series 4 bicycle was stolen from a garage last night in Bethany near Lake Overholser.  Here is a detailed description of the bicycle.

Blue and White GT Series 4 with full Shimano 105 group set, Mavic Aksium Race wheels with light blue Michellin Kromion tires. white and silver Fizik Arione seat., black and silver Serfas seat bag with Blackburn light. 2 white Arundel bottle cages. White Cateye dual wireless computer, silver Shimano 105 clipless pedals. Blue bar tape.

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OSU cyclists are upset that the university has removed all bike lanes on campus:

Cyclists on campus are hoping to find a solution to the now non-existent bike lanes.

Oklahoma State University recently removed all bike lanes on campus in hopes of creating a more shared campus, according to an article in the O’Colly on Sept. 26.

Trevor Steward, president of the Oklahoma State University Cycling Club and off-campus SGA senator, said he plans to meet with a group of university faculty and staff later today to discuss some concerns that the OSU cycling community has about the removal. The meeting will include Lee Bird, OSU vice president for student affairs, university architect Nigel Jones, Mike Buchert, director of Long Range Facilities Planning, and others.

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Have you ever wondered what that crazy sculpture is called? Have you ever wanted to dazzle your friends with your intimate knowledge of our city’s rich history? Sign up for one of the Downtown OKC Bike Tours! It’s fun and it’s free.

Sign up today for your opportunity to get a unique perspective of our city’s history, art and architecture. Each tour is led by an expert guide who will reveal the people, places and stories that have made Oklahoma City rich with culture. As opposed to simply driving through downtown, bike tours give you a more in-depth look at neighborhoods and buildings. The casual atmosphere of the tours allows for more questions and interaction with the experts guiding the tours.

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Stillwater has formed a standing bicycle committee in an attempt to improve their bicycle friendliness:

Stillwater has taken another step toward becoming more cycle-friendly.

The Stillwater Bicycle Committee was officially established Wednesday night, following the tradition of other bike-friendly communities across the nation.

Jim Bruer, committee member and Oklahoma State University academic counselor, said this is a necessary step in promoting cycling in Stillwater.

“One of the main things you need to be approved (as a bike-friendly community) is to have a cycling committee like this,” Bruer said.

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There is a cycling instruction course taking place this weekend, September 29th, from 9 AM to 3 PM at the Metrolake Technology Centers in Oklahoma City.

From the course website:

Who should take this class: Any adult bicyclist, novice or experienced, will benefit from learning vehicular bicycling skills. Most adults are already automobile drivers. This course will help you apply your driving skills to driving your bicycle.

What you’ll learn: The principals of vehicular cycling. Increase your confidence by knowing that you are riding safely and legally.

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