WAR XLV - Check out my giant deck

Well, spring has sprung. The cold damp of winter has finally passed, and most importantly we have reached daylight savings time. Spring - it's here. Ah, spring, in Austin. The flowers are blooming, there is some sort of festival every weekend and a young boys thoughts turn to his deck.

Yep, if the weather is good, you need a nice chunk of wood to sit on in the out of doors while you drink your frosties.

So, this week's ride will focus on a few of Austin's finer wooden decks.

MEET: 4/7 - 6pm Crown & Anchor for burgers
Ride leaves at 7pm SHARP!
We will hit: Able's, Little Woody's (campus)

Bring a light, lock, a friend and some tweezers for splinter pickin'

Rumor has it the fearless leader may return from exile! THE MAP

WAR - XLIV - Where?

This ride was hosted by Eric Crowder. All I know is I didn't show up, but some of my homebrew went missing. At least the thieves got rained on.

WAR XLIII - Maggie

The stork brought something to me this week that may prohibit me from leading tomorrow night's WAR. However, rain, shine, or baby, the WAR must go on.

Dr. Crowder will be leading the ride tonight.

Here is the ride itinerary in his own words. Creative Writing was apparently not a required class in Medical School.


Itinerary:

Meet at Uncle Billy's. 6:00p, leave 7:00p 3/10/10

Ride bikes.

Mean Eyed Cat for some honky tonkin' with Damon Bramblett.

Ride bikes.

Barton Springs Saloon.

WAR XLII - Great White North - 2/24

Seriously? Snow. In Austin. In late February. Like you, I am sick and tired of being wet and cold. I know, I was just complaining about being hot and dry a few months ago. But, you know...freedom of speech and all.

There is only one way to confront these endless cold fronts. Act like Bill Paxton and drive right into the eye of the storm. I can't believe that I just made a reference to Twister. I'm so, so sorry.

Grab your coat and pedal north. That's right. This we week head NORTH. And by north I mean North-Central Austin.

We will start out at the Pour House - 6701 Burnet Road. Meet for dinner at 6, ride leaves at 7.

We will hit: The Pour House, Ginny's Little Longhorn, Billy's, Lala's and The Poodle Dog.

Bundle up and hope for spring.




THE MAP

WAR - XLII - President's Ride

WAR XLII - 2/10 - 7pm

It’s that time of year again, kids. Time to celebrate that special holiday you never really look forward to. No, I’m not talking about the one where you get in trouble for making dinner reservations too late and pay triple the going price for roses. I’m talking President’s Day.

You don’t get the day off work, you don’t get presents and you are honoring some guy that, statistically speaking, 50% of the country hates. You know what this holiday needs? Beer.

Let’s honor our past presidents by hitting some of Austin oldest bars. We will hit Scholtz’s Beer Garten – which is not only our oldest bar, but the oldest business in Austin. (Well, except for THAT oldest profession.) We’ll visit the Cedar Door, which has operated continuously since 1975, although in many different locations – and they didn’t move the business – they moved the whole freakin’ bar. You will see the Cloak Room, which, I think might have been built the same year as the Capitol. Finally, we will end up at the Crown & Anchor, okay, it’s not that old, but it is that awesome.

I know it is supposed to be cold, but I have planned a short route. You’ll have a beer in your hand before your junk shrivels up.


MEET: Torchy’s Tacos (yum) – 28th and Guad – 6:15pm. Ride leaves at 7pm SHARP!
Bring a light, lock, space heater-trailer and a friend.

The Map

WAR XXXXI - Pac Man Fever

Now that Swine Flu seems to have officially passed us by, it is time to discuss an illness that has plagued me since I was old enough to hold a quarter.

Pac-Man Fever.

Seriously, when you think of your childhood, the old stand up video games were really a part of our lives. Yet, so many lifetime goals go unfulfilled.


What WAS at the end of Zaxxon?
How many quarters DID it take to beat Dragon's Lair?
How many levels were there in Guantlet?
Did ANYONE beat the high jump in Track and Field?
What the fuck WAS Q-Bert?
How do you get away from the bees in 720?

It took a hell of a lot of quarters, but friends, I'm telling you. You COULD turn into a boat in Spy Hunter. I seen it with my own eyes.

So, Wednesday, 1/27, we search for answers, riders. We are going to see out the old video games and beat them - WHILE drinking beer.

MEET: Rounder's Pizza at 6pm if you want dinner (they also have a few sweet games). Ride leaves at 7pm sharp.

We will hit:
Shangra'la - Old school games there
Betsy's Bar - Last time I was there you could play Atari AND Intellivision (speaking of, was there an end to Pitfall?)
Kung Fu Saloon - A new joint that claims to specialize in old school greatness

UPDATE: The good peeps at Kung Fu Saloon have extended us a drink special. Just for WAR riders. God, I hope they have the video game Kung Fu. Or at least Double dragon.

Bring a lock, a helmet, a friend and a sack of quarters. And watch out for Rooney.

THE MAP

WAR XXXX - I'm not 40

WAR XXXX - 1/13 - Departs 7pm

The Big Four Oh. The WAR is officially middle aged. It’s getting hard to see the crankset over the WAR’s beer gut. The WAR no longer has any business wearing spandex. The bad-ass music trailer has been replaced with a kid-toter.


The WAR might be middle aged. Hell, we might be as well, but that doesn’t mean we have to surrender to the suburban middle ages. We will continue to be the people our parents warned us about until we are the people we are warning OUR kids about.
So, in the theme of NOT being middle-aged (or at least not acting like it)…meet at Cuatro’s in West Campus. (1004 West 24th Street). Meet at 6ish if you want dinner – they have great tacos for the cheap. Being in the campus area, they are bound to have a good beer special as well.


We will hit Uncle Billy’s for Bike Night, Club DeVille and The Crown and Anchor. Ride leave Cuatro’s promptly at 7pm. Bring a light, lock and a friend.

THE MAP