1722 MPG

That’s the miles per gallon equivalent my dad’s electric bike gets, based on the EPA’s conversion calculation. Of course, the battery won’t actually last long enough to go that far on a charge, but that’s what the numbers say.

My dad built this bike this spring, basically from nothing. He put together all the components based on his research and it runs like a dream. It’s a blast to ride too. He used a relatively small motor, so the speed will max out at 20 mph, which is plenty for a bicycle and right where he wanted it (although it would be sweet to have it faster). After you hold the throttle where you want it for a number of seconds the cruise control kicks in and you’re really rollin’. He mainly uses this bike for running errands and really loves it.

The only thing he’s not sure about is the frame it’s on. He’s not all that comfortable on the mountain bike frame so he’s thinking of swapping all the components over to a classic 3 speed which would give him an upright riding position. I think it’s a great idea and would look really cool on that kind of frame. Maybe someday I’ll build one of these, but I need to build a fixie first. This is a really cool bike.

Lawrence Pt. 2: Jazzhaus

Guys, let me tell you about this band I like; they’re called Midnight Success. I don’t just like them because my friend Gus plays for them, nor because I’ve known some of the other members since high school. No, I like this band because they create good music. On top of that, they put on a good show live; lots of singing, and even a little choreographed dancing.

So anyway, a while back Gus told me they would be playing in Lawrence, so of course I wanted to take the short drive over for the show. I would have gone alone, but I asked my best friend Scott if he wanted to come with me. He didn’t disappoint and was eager to go. We both went to college there and I hadn’t been back to Lawrence in a while, so we went early and grabbed some dinner on Mass Street, and then met a few more friends who still live in Lawrence at the Jazzhaus for the show.

We were both a little nervous about going to the Jazzhaus, because last time we were there, we got thrown out for trying to burn the building down. Don't worry, it wasn't as intense as it sounds and there was no malice behind it, and there was no actual act of trying to burn the building down; just a concert flyer that somehow caught fire at our table. It was also over five years ago, so we weren't actually nervous, but we did have a good laugh about that time.

There were three bands playing that night. I don’t remember the order off the top of my head, but one of the bands sucked pretty bad; lead singer had no energy and really put the place to sleep. The other was pretty good, if I remember right. Midnight Success was great. I definitely want to see them again if I’m ever in Wichita for a show, or if they ever make it back to Lawrence or even to Kansas City.

Lawrence Pt. 1: Jefferson's

A while back, my friend Gus told me his band would be playing in Lawrence, Kansas, which is just a short drive up the highway from where I live. Of course I had to make the trip to see his show; I had only seen his band play once before and really wanted to check them out again. On top of that, I went to college in Lawrence, and it had been a couple of years since I had been back, on account of me living in California and all for a while. So I got my friend Scott, who also went to school at KU, and we headed off one Thursday evening.

We went pretty early so we could grab some food down on Mass Street, and look around a little before the show. I picked a little place called Jefferson’s, known for their buffalo wings and pretty waitresses (at least that’s what I knew them for). Oh how things have changed. Their buffalo sauce was good, but in the years since school I have found better; much better (yeah, I’m talking to you The Peanut). As for the waitresses, they weren’t anything to write home about; they used to have the cutest ladies working there! Oh well, it was still fun hanging out there with Scott, sort of like old times (I don’t think in the four years we went there he and I ever actually ate there together).

After dinner we made our way over to the Jazzhaus. Check back tomorrow for part two of this gripping tale!