Wednesday Night Weary Boys

This week's Wednesday Nite Ride was epic. In fact, there were dual Wednesday Nite Rides. "The Overnite Ride to Work Merit Badge (Zeigle Scout) Ride", and the "Fuck It, We're Riding To Get Drunk Ride". Rather than meeting at the usual spot, at the usual time, the ride(s) started from the highly fortified Brauer-Power HQ. Paul Linden dropped by CRC with his Xtra-bike and we rode across town to BPHQ on the Midtown Greenway trail with a 12'er of Budweiser riding shotgun. Tire tracks in the snow led us to Brauer's backyard. Several modern-day Daniel Boones were gathered, making last minute adjustments to gear & provision, passing bottles of Bell's HopSlam around the circle.
Four or five Pugsleys, and various 29'ers were loaded with camping equipment. These guys looked serious about earning their Zeigle Scout Merit Badges. Geno rolled up on a Bianchi San Jose, towing Hannah in a Burley trailer, with the Butcher and Scott LaRock not far behind.

After several how-do-you-do's and much guffawing, this hulking mass of a ride shoved off into the alley. The eight overnighters turned left to begin their ride down to the river bottoms in Bloomingtonburgh. Meanwhile Zitox, Scotty, Paul Linden, & I turned right and rode into the inky black abyss, riding along the creek to the bandshell where a solo bike track led us to believe that maybe someone (Boede?) had shown up at the usual spot at the usual time. We drank and smoked and rode down the trail to the dropout at the corner of Calhoun Parkway and from there it was to Ft. Clayton on Lake of the Isles Island. We drank much canned beer and then had the obligatory race across the ice rink. Zitox and Scott pulled away, I rode steady on the Cross-Check while Paul went dowwwn on the XtraCycle. Zitox talked smack to the victory, and Scott went dowwwn. Paul recovered and motored across but tells me today that he lost his mini-mini U-lock so keep yer' eyes peeled. Hopped off the lake and rode some ripper alleys, onward thru the fog to the descent of traffick DETH, shooting the gap across the Hennepin and Lyndale underpass, before enjoying a reprieve at the Bench. Paul split from there, but the remaining 3 stooges absconded thru downtown to Lee's Liquor Bar to see the Weary Boys from Austin, TX. Country twang and a fiddle player who looked a bit like Charles Manson and played like helter skelter, too! A damn good ending to a damn good night. Next week's ride is going to the Art Shanty Project on Medicine Lake, featuring TeaBag Dale's Karaoke Shanty. Do not miss it!