Saturday, June 8, 2019

Battle to Indiana Dunes Bike Trip

We joined the Adventure Cycling Association and Out Our Front Door for a 2 day bike adventure from Chicago to the Indiana Dunes and back.

Day 1 Map: On Tour Brewing to Dunewood Campground


Erick checking in:



Pregame speech and instructions: 


Everyone is ready to go...


This is the starting group, lots of bike gear, different bikes and different people.  The group soon spread out and we didn't see most people until the campground (can you find any of my party??):


On the road!

Photo Credit: Glen Schneider

Best skyline in the world:


Photo Credit: Mark Madsen


We had some rest stops at various Chicago Park District structures:





RVs and wildlife along I-90 near Hammond, IN.


Jules on the Erie Lackawanna Trail (northwest Indiana):



Turtles on a log....


Part of the Erie Lackawanna Trail was set up for a triathlon honoring the military (I think).  The had about 1/2 mile of flags:

Photo Credit: Kate Kliner
Waiting for a train...


...with some cool machinery: 



Nice art work near Hammond, IN.


Cool hardware store.  I looked it up when I got home and it says it has been closed since 2009 (?)


78.36 miles on the day!


Day 2 Map: Dunewood Campground back to On Tour Brewing via a more industrial route:


I forget which bike path this was...but it was nice:


Day 2 took us through the gas plants and steel mills under the Skyway:


Erick and Andy posing by the beautiful scenery: 






Some of the group riding through the BP plant:


Photo Credit: Alex Shaffer


Back in Chicago, waiting for a drawbridge at 95th St.  Many sailboats were making their way to Lake Michigan for the summer. That is Andy and Erick waiting near the bridge. 



Back in the city: 



Day 2 mileage:


At the finish line (left to right: Andy, Erick, Jules, me):





Saturday, December 8, 2018

Hockey bag framed with hockey sticks

A Christmas present for my niece and nephews.  I took a few old hockey bags from my brother and a few of his old hockey sticks to make some wall hangings.

I cut these "swaths" out of old hockey bags. 


On the left is one of the swatchs stapled to plywood and stuffed with "Poly-fil."

The sticks that will become the frames. 

Poly-fil for pillow effect. 

The finished products. 


Muskegon Lumberjacks bag framed by game used Koho stick. 


Muskegon Lumberjacks bag framed by UIC #27 Titan stick

College of Dupage ("C.O.D") bag framed by UIC #27 Titan stick

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

F150 Improvements

I made some cheap "improvements" to my 2005 Ford F150.  

First - some real tree camo seat covers from a company called Wet Okole.  They are made from wetsuit material.  



Second, I decided to turn all the chrome on my truck black.  I used 6 coats of black Plasti-dip. 

Running boards before application... 


Halfway through... 


 Finished product...



Rear bumper and labels before application...


Halfway through... 


Finished product... 


Front bumper before application... 


Halfway through... 


Finished product (pictures did not turn out well) 


Labels before application...


Halfway through... 


finished product.