My friend Jessica recently lent me this zine, Doris #24.

It was written by one excellent zinemaker named Cindy, and in this issue she covers elements of social engagement and creating change. She discusses how important it is to be self-actualized, because, really, how can you be effective at anything if you don't know and take care of yourself?


She provides wonderful perspectives, like this:

"...and I learned to love quiet. A winding road that no one drives down, and how unexpected things happen when you ask questions and pay attention."



She also poses questions that you can't help but apply to yourself, like in this tidbit:

"My ancient philosopher friend said -- it is the role of the youth in revolutionary movements to be on the front lines, both in body and in spirit. To demand ways of thinking that we haven't thought up yet. It is the role of older people in revolutionary movements to build institutions that will nurture revolutionary ideas and practice, through good times and bad, to hold on to our history and to teach.

Maybe this is true and maybe it isn't, but I am older now, and thinking -- What am I going to build?"



Wow, it's great, you know, if you're into that kind of thing.

If you're interested it's $2 and available at places like Microcosm, or you could just send the cash and a nice note to Cindy at PO Box 1734, Asheville NC 28802. I bet she'd like that.

This is my nest, er... desk with all the fixin's for zine production. Pen, paper, scissors, glue, tape, sketchbook, coffee, and even a dollar for zine purchasing. I've got three zines in the works with a deadline of the Portland Zine Symposium in August.

I'm also reprinting my old Daily Comics to take to PDX.

Sometimes I think the condition of my desk is just a manifestation of the condition of the workings of my brain. Go figure.

This be me & Steve at last week's Bike to Work hoo-ha at New Pioneer. We were pretty excited about the veggie burgers.

Thanks, Patti Z., for the pic!

We're going to Portland!! By train, even!

Steve & I decided we don't like planes for many reasons (wasteful, uncomfortable, at times scary), so we put our money on Amtrak. We'll end up spending a whole week on the train from Mt. Pleasant, IA to PDX and back, but sometimes you just gotta slow down a bit, right? We still get to spend two weeks in Portland, and I'm pretty excited to watch the landscape change as we snake along to the west coast.

Mt. Pleasant is about 50 miles from Iowa City -- a perfect distance to get a ride in before boarding the train.

(We're coming to get you, Ira!!)

More mail art! Made in, you guessed it... Emporia, KS. Steve had a 200-mile gravel road race last Saturday, so I just tooled around on my townie while he was slobbering over washed out B roads. After 14 hours he won the darn thing. He, of course, has provided his own account of the event.

Gratuitous picture of Ritchie 'cause it's been awhile. I like that he matches the woodwork.

Here's a story from Patti Z. that involves an incident at Iowa City's pancake breakfast:

On a bright sunny Monday morning, Alex and I headed down to College Green Park to partake in the Bike to Work Week breakfast. After talking with folks, I headed over to fill out a slip for the drawing. As I leaned over the box, I heard a popping sound and voices going "OOOOhhhhhh" I felt something sticky running down my arm. People rushed over with towels and sounds of more exclamation.


Apparently the guy behind me was putting maple syrup on his pancakes and he missed. Or maybe, somehow the lid malfunctioned and the maple syrup landed all over me instead of on his plate. On my brand new Life is Good shirt. (the one I'd been thinking that I shouldn't really wear to work because it would get all dirty). I had maple syrup from elbow to knee, front and back, pants and shirt. It missed the holes in my shoes. One sticky mess.

Anyway - everyone was wiping me down (useless with dry paper towels, that only stuck to the mess). They offered me a new shirt. A day glow green Bike to Work shirt - only size larges were left though. One guy offered to have all the tall guys stand in a circle to guard me while I changed clothes.


The helpers were all great. I saw the photographer and said “I think this earns me a photograph don’t you?” He promptly agreed. I teased them and said "That's the last time I'll ever bike to work." Not true of course, since I bike almost daily. Today is actually my day off work anyway.


I had my two pancakes (without syrup, thank you) and we started to head back home to wash out the sticky mess. As we rode off, the mayor said "Watch out for those flies."


patti zwick

More outgoing mail...

I just stumbled upon this gem in the world of mail art. Pod Post actively seeks with a scientific finger to refine those organic conditions which will improve the firmness of character.*

Or maybe not. At right is a component of some of my own mail art. I'm two minutes from wrapping it up, addressing it, and taking it to my trusty P.O.



*I've been reading a book about stereotyping and phrenology.

I have to say that both Bike to Work breakfasts were successful. A lot of people turned out to both locations, and we got lots of happy feedback.

Regardless, I'm realizing that it's time I come to grips with the fact that I am an introvert. Bicycle advocacy is important to me, but being involved in such people-oriented activities is taxing on me. Don't get me wrong... I love people. I really do. I just don't need to put myself in this kind of situation in which I need to be "on" and outgoing. I can help in other ways.

Here are pics from the IC breakfast:






Steve Rudin flapped the jacks.














The masses were hungry.










Sebastian isn't a morning person.












I got to hang with Bonkosi & John.










Gpickle drove his SUV.

Gitcher flapjacks here!

Er, well, no, not here, but at tomorrow's Bike to Work breakfast at College Green Park.

Last week I heard somebody say about bicycles, "I can't ride that. It doesn't have a motor!" Gpickle, ever mindful, replied, "You are the motor."

This is gpickle's SUV.

I'm sending the Marco Polo's fork to Ira, 'cause I'm gettin' me one of them racks . Yippee!! My Puch Marco Polo is my workhorse, my truck, my brother-in-arms. While it's getting fitted for a rack, I'm going to be riding a hefty Schwinn World Traveler step-thru (it's not a "Ladies" bike, okay?).

I'll add some pictures later that actually pertain to this post. This pic is one I took somewhere outside of Guayaquil, Ecuador some years ago.

Goodness me, how time does pass.

The details of my busyness are fairly mundane, so I'd rather share a dream I had recently. I was hanging out with my friend Ira Ryan and my sweetie gpickle, and Kent Peterson was there, too! We were talking about long distance events like the TransIowa, RAID, STP, PBP, and the like. Everybody had stories to tell but me, mostly because I'm too bashful to ride in organized events. Kent turned to me and asked, "So, what kind of events do you do, Cody?" I replied, "Oh, no. I roll solo." The whole time Kent had a towel draped over his shoulder. When he heard my response he laughed and firmly planted the towel on my shoulder. I beamed with pride as I was now the towel-holder, a title bestowed upon me by the admirable Mr. Peterson, no less.

Of course, this makes very little sense in a whole lot of ways. Although I ain't no rando, I think randonneuring is all about "rolling solo." You'll find no dopers in rando events, because that would be like cheating at Solitaire.

The towel feels kinda Douglas Adams to me, which explains why it was such a prize, but it makes me wonder why my subconscious thinks I'm a frood who knows where her towel is. Maybe it's telling me to satisfy my curiosity.