Was a bit eerie how these two events, both of which I wanted to attend badly, seemed to seamlessly melt into one another today. Eeyore's Birthday technically ended at 6, while the ride started only minutes down the road at 6:30, Lamar hooking up Pease Park with the start of the ride at Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge. Eeyore's was wonderful. Amazingly, I think I kicked my heart out for about 4 hours total, in the midst of much merry-making all about, a massive lineup of virtually endless drumming the whole time. A "real" Eeyore was there for the kids & young-at-heart, many great & silly costumes all over, many beautiful, smiling hula-hoop girls all over the place, while I got to kick with my local hacky sack/footbag freestyle pro friends, and they thoroughly tore it up in spite of the heat. My speed-kicking went ok, in spite of my rookie shoes, not used to , and my overbearing, large cargo shorts. For a 48 year tradition, Eeyore's was amazingly non-commercial and actually highly community-oriented, as all of the vendors were locally based with many of them supporting numerous local good causes. Just a very cool event all-around. The memorial ghost ride for Andrew Runciman was very meaningful too. I happened to meet one person with New Orleans roots & another who I'd met in Shreveport while he was bike-touring from New Orleans, among other typically overly friendly Austinites. The ride was to remember Andrew Runciman, who was killed just this past week by an SUV driver who is still at large, and to post a white ghost bike at the spot of his passing, to remind us all of this unbearable tragedy, so that we all will hopefully learn to make sure this senselessness doesn't transpire again.. Andrew had been in town from Tennessee since about when I got here 7 months ago, a young guy, 24, a brilliant software/tech guy, who valued the power of getting involved wholeheartedly to make the world a better place. Local people who he worked with in Austin spoke, remembering him fondly, saying he'd want us to gracefully fight on. Unbeknownst to me, much of his family had come all the way down here to participate in the ghost bike dedication event. They were waiting for our ride to arrive at the site. His little sister spoke, joking about how he'd feel like the tribute t-shirt that she made, and was wearing, would've irritated him, so that's why she had it on. She finished by pleading for there to be better bike traffic safety in place, so that no one else had to lose their big brother for no good reason. It's simple...bikes should be respected & admired for the innumerable benefits that we all know improve society. The few who choose to travel by bike definitely should be able to operate under safe enough circumstances to keep them from being killed. In the meantime... Cyclists: I think in Austin, we can be lulled into thinking that all motorists here are considerate around bikes, and the vast majority really are. Surely though, we as cyclists should never give them an automatic benefit of the doubt while on the road. Motorists: At 1 ton-plus, the vehicle that you drive from 30 mph & beyond in the city limits is a potential deadly weapon to all you come across on the roads...other motorists, motorcyclists, bicyclists, pedestrians and so on. Please be very considerate & cautious, accordingly. If that SUV driver has any conscience whatsoever, it's surely being eaten alive for the rest of that person's life until they turn themselves in. By using common sense & courtesy, such a guilt-filled fate won't befall you.
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