Writing Class

I started a writing class at the U through their Lifelong Learning program. The second week we read the first group of would-be authors' writings. It was quite an eye-opener. One woman wrote about coming out as a Lesbian and how it meant she had to leave her church. Another wrote about her mother dying of cancer, only she did it in the first person, as if she were her mother and was telling her daughter that she was quitting chemotherapy. A third wrote about his alcoholic father and how he physically abused his mother, him and his sister. I read those and thought "wow, I'm just here to learn to write a little better fiction. Maybe I'm over my head." Last night the pieces were more fiction and much lighter in tone. This week I have to submit something I've been working on. I just about have it finished, but it is quite different from what others have written. We'll see.

UDOT Sets Bicycle Priority

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is holding a series of public meetings around Utah beginning today and continuining through late October. The purpose of the meetings is to gain public input for UDOT's study of corridors throughout the state to prioritize bicycle improvements. Tonight's meeting will be in Park City. Meetings are scheduled in Orem, Vernal, Logan, Ogden, Price, Richfield, Manti, Salt Lake City (on October 13 at 5:00 p.m. in the City Library, 210 East 400 South), Moab, Blanding and ending in St. George on October 22. Anyone interested in the future of cycling in Utah should attend. Those anti-cyclists will surely be present to voice their opposition to sharing the road.

Coincidentally (or not) today Salt Lake mayor Ralph Becker held a press conference to announce details of a "Shared Lane Marking" system for Salt Lake City roads. This is due to the increasing number of cyclists on city streets.

Bicycle Commuting Article

The September issue of Catalyst is on the newsstands and online. You can view my article here:

http://www.catalystmagazine.net/

Click on the link "Read the latest issue of Catalyst magazine online" and look for "The Well Tempered Bicycle Commuter".

The second installment of my article will be on its way to the editor shortly. Hopefully in a month or so we will have a link to that article.

For those of you who haven't considered commuting by bike, think about how much you could help traffic congestion, do your part to save energy, get a little exercise and meet some great people.