Author: Patrick O'Grady

After decades with his scabby little nose pressed to various grindstones of journalism, Patrick O'Grady came away with plenty of mental scar tissue, a good deal less hair to cover it, and an undiminished appreciation for three subsets of the craft: drawing cartoons, writing commentary, and composing headlines. All three are short, punchy attention-getters, the literary equivalent of yelling, "Hey, look at me!" before hanging a moon out the school-bus window, and thus own a natural appeal for an overgrown class clown with the attention span of a rat terrier raised on angel dust and bong water. And thanks to the Internet, the best thing to happen to journalism since the invention of movable type, he gets to do all three of them without having to go to work at a newspaper, where management has slowly devolved into a button-down mutant hybrid of the worst aspects of the Spanish Inquisition, the dental bits in "Marathon Man" and the DMV of your choice. He and his wife, the long-suffering Shannon, share an adobe hacienda in The Duck! City with their cat, Miss Mia Sopaipilla.

Where’s my gold watch?

~ Patrick O'Grady ~ 8 Comments
Bagged and tagged: the Salsa Journeyman Claris 650.

Yesterday I drew the May cartoon for Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.

Today I wrapped a video for Adventure Cyclist.

And now, as El Rancho Pendejo seems to be remarkably free of bikes needing review, it seems I don’t have any paying work to do for a month, when the next BRAIN ’toon is due.

That ain’t a job. That’s a hobby.

Shit. I think I’m retired.

Drip grind

~ Patrick O'Grady ~ 7 Comments
Welcome to the jungle.

Yesterday I rolled the dice and came up winners.

Come spring I dial the running back to once a week, usually Monday. But Monday was just too damn’ nice to pound ground, so I took Steelman Eurocross No. 1 out for a spin around the Elena Gallegos Open Space.

Don’t be gruel to a heart that’s true. (h/t the Checkered Demon
via S. Clay Wilson.)

Tuesday was a tossup. LIke Monday, it served up some prime cycling weather, but Wednesday’s forecast called for rain, and I hate a squishy trail. So I ran.

And a good thing too, because today is reminding me of my days slaving for an afternoon daily in Oregon, only without the mold, slugs, and bottomless drams of Jameson with Guinness backs.

I still get that 4 a.m. wakeup call, since Herself is an early riser. But at least I’m not the one who has to leave a warm, dry house to work. Give my umbrella to the Rain Dogs.

Think Rebecca, act locally

~ Patrick O'Grady ~ 11 Comments
Mary’s Place in Seattle accepts donations online. Your local shelter probably could use a hand, too.

I brought this up in comments on the previous post about Rebecca Twigg being homeless in Seattle, then thought I should drag it out front for anyone who isn’t rooting around that deeply in the digital weeds.

I dropped Charles Pelkey a note about Scott Greenstone’s story, and he spoke with Inga Thompson, and we’re all at something of a loss here.

Charles and Inga discussed a GoFundMe site that would support the shelter Rebecca’s associated with — Mary’s Place in Seattle, which will take donations online — and that may be one way forward, since Rebecca is unwilling to make a special case of herself, arguing that she is only one of many, many homeless people in the Land of the Free.

The only other thing I can think of that might have some value is to make donations to and/or do volunteer work for the homeless shelter(s) wherever you live, and do it in Rebecca’s name.

Then drop a note to Scott (sgreenstone@seattletimes.com), who is running Project Homeless for the Seattle Times, and he can spread the word that concerned people are taking action on Rebecca’s behalf.

Let me know if you’re doing anything and I’ll make mention of it. Here in the Duke City El Rancho Pendejo supports the Barrett Foundation Inc.