Monthly Archives: May 2013
“Classic” Wins.
A good 99 out of 100 television ads pass me by unnoticed, at least on any day without a Super Bowl. From time to time however comes one that bucks the trend. In this case a head-turning new car model teams up with a tuxedo-clad gentleman and one of my favorite singing voices of all time, altogether grabbing my attention just as intended. After all, anything “classic” wins with me– the nostalgist at heart– even as I remain unlikely to purchase the product at hand. Bottom line: I’m sold– but not– while delighted that the classic is back.
Into Cycling History.
Congratulations to my personal favorite Peter Sagan on a fantastic final stage win, alongside of course American Tejay van Garderen on his overall victory. With this the 2013 Amgen Tour of California rides into cycling history. Meanwhile, in Italy…
In My Own Backyard…
While more than two hundred make their way through Italy, a smaller number of the big boys are back in the Golden State for our own annual week of pro cycling competition– of course the Amgen Tour of California. From Santa Clarita through Ojai into Santa Barbara yesterday, it’s onward north today in this year’s first-time reverse of course direction. For as much as I love watching these guys hammer through Europe, it’s all the more exciting to see them in my own backyard, on the very roads my own bike knows all too well!
Peter Sagan takes Stage 3 in Santa Clarita.
Tyler Farrar wins Stage 4 in Santa Barbara.
“Oh, Mr. Hill…”
A Recommended Read
Through his humble and straightforward narrative style, I can hear her breathy voice calling his name, be it in amusement, annoyance, or a unique combination of the two. The deeply personal recounting of so many private yet fascinating moments yields a refreshing portrait of a woman subjected to so many portraits– in this case one without drama, sensation or agenda. Clint Hill takes us, his readers, on a one-on-one historical journey that only he can tell. And though “that day” came more than a decade before my birth, his frank and detailed words drew me in close enough to feel as if I were right there alongside him on November 22, 1963.
For all that’s been written about First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy over the past half century, only the U.S. Secret Service Agent assigned to her detail holds the otherwise unrecorded memories to write as he does. And Mr. Hill writes well in “Mrs. Kennedy and Me,” despite a few cases of grammatical usage that his proofreader apparently missed. She returns to life throughout these pages as calculating yet reasonable, demanding yet understanding, mischievous yet respectful– and the descriptors can easily go on. As her voice speaks through the pages, above all else I imagine her picking up a copy from beyond, glancing at it with a stunned yet captivated expression, and in disbelief that yet another entire book has been written about her, immediately calling out, “Oh, Mr. Hill…”
And They’re Off!
On the same day as the Kentucky Derby triggers the finest in large and colorful headwear while filling drinking establishments throughout the country, a second race in another country gets out the gate– one that lasts a little longer than two minutes. It’s May once again, meaning the Giro d’Italia is off and running! And with a Cavendish win to kick off stage one, it looks like the gears are well in place for a good show over the next three weeks. So begins the latest round of exciting competition in professional cycling!
Ryan R. Sanderson 