Moonlight ramble had me out until 3:30 AM

Hello:

Yesterday was certainly a non-stop day. I spent several hours and more than $5,000 at Lowes arranging to get a new roof for the house. Then I went to a wedding shower, a dinner party and finally the Moonlight Ramble. I've been riding for about 4 years now and have never seen anything like the 41st annual St Louis Moonlight Ramble. It was a complete circus. More than 10,000 riders. Many were wearing elaborate glow-in-the-dark costumes and riding homemade trick bikes. A lot of families turned out and there were tons of kids. What I saw way too much of though, were people without helmets. It is so easy to get seriously injured on a bike. If you don't care for your own safety, please make your children wear one. In my opinion the event was very dangerous. A lot of people didn't know standard bike etiquete (slow riders to the right, announcing that you are passing, etc). I saw more than one rider taken away in an ambluance. I didn't get home until 3:30 AM, which has made today slow paced. I often get up at 4 AM (I heard that gasp - it works for me).

One last cycling related note - I will be riding in my fourth MS150 bike ride this year. This extremely worthwhile event raises money and awareness to support medical research into Multiple Scelrosis and to provide valuable support services to the more than 400,000 sufferers of MS nationwide. I would really appreciate it if you would make a tax deductible pledge to support my ride. I'll be mentioning this event frequently, but please pledge and please pledge now.

The moon (which was almost full last night) may not be shining right now, but I've still managed to ramble through 2 paragraphs and I haven't even mentioned any of the topics that I had planned for today. I don't know if anyone is actually reading these postings, but I am finding it addicting to make them.

Today, I'd like to mention a Liguori Publications title that has actually been on the secular best sellers list (I think it was the New York Times, but don't quote me on that) and was a featured item on the QVC shopping network. Twelve Months of Monastery Soups by Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette. Not only do I own a copy of this cookbook, I frequently give it as a gift. The recipes are great and the historical quotes and illustrations inside make it a work of art that both my religious and secular friends seem to cherish. We actually have several cookbooks. I enjoy them all, but the soups book is my favorite (probably my favorite of everything we publish).

Well, I think this is more than enough for today. I haven't event started my personal errands. In upcoming posts I'll try to talk about my experiences with Google ads, more on the MS150, my fledgling attempts at writing, some articles on Pope Benedict XVI (maybe, I'm not certain that I want to go there), my love of Missouri Wineries and wine in general and whatever else crosses the shallow horizon of my attention span.

Peace,

P. Del Ricci