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Friday, June 13, 2025

June parade, and Grinch no more

Last weekend, I volunteered at a happy/sad event. Happy/sad because it was well attended fun meant to raise awareness after tragedy.

[Ollie's Bike Parade] is a charity organization that grew out of the death of 10-year-old Oliver Stratton. Ollie was killed after he was hit, while riding his bicycle, by a woman who was texting while driving. She received the maximum penalty of...drum roll... one year of work release. Talk about salt on a wound.

This was the second annual Ollie's Bike Parade. It was a beautiful day featuring lots of vendors, food trucks, lots of cute kids and their families, and yes, a cute and colorful bike parade around the CSU campus. The organization is about raising awareness and advocating for stiffer penalties for those who choose to text while driving.

And of course, there were somber reminders


Fifty-five ghost bikes representing 55 traffic related deaths of bicyclists in Colorado in 2024. Those children's bikes are the hardest to fathom. Sheesh, there was a tricycle among them!

Another large tent featured stories and mementos of several victims. It included pedestrians and motorcyclists as well. Ollie's ghost bike was in that tent.


Now, I've driven in the area where Ollie was hit. It's a residential area with wide streets, high visibility, and homes of young families. It's almost like one would have to go out of their way to collide with anything, let alone a person.

Yeah, don't text and drive. Please.
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Speaking of advocates, Grandboss is on my A-list now.

In the past, I've whined here about Grandboss. He's the biggest sufferer of Main Character Syndrome I think I've ever known. Woe to anyone who gets caught in one of his super boring stories about himself.

Apparently, I started working for him in June of 2021. I don't work as much in testing as I used to as I've gone more over to the tutoring side of things, but I'm still a "valued employee" of the testing center according to Greatgrandboss - my boss's boss's boss - Grandboss's boss.

Each month Greatgrandboss sends out emails to our organization, recognizing anyone with work anniversaries, so I made the June announcement... kinda.

Yeah, he totally misspelled my name. Both first AND last. He closed with:

"This group of employees brings so much positive energy in our spaces! We appreciate you and we’re glad you are here!"

So all of us in the testing center are having a good laugh at Greatgrandboss's blunder (because really, who makes a big deal about these anniversary emails?) when Grandboss chimes in on our team chat


Fully making fun of Greatgrandboss, but more importantly... he noticed.

Admittedly, my last name is often misread. 

My last name is Barker

Okay, be honest. What did you read?  Did you read Baker? Look again.

I've had this problem my whole married life.

Greatgrandboss went above and beyond, however, by mispelling my first name too! Yet, not only did Grandboss catch the error right away, he quickly informed Greatgrandboss about the mistake, and Greatgrandboss sent me a follow-up email, dripping with apology. 

Afterwards, I felt toward Grandboss like the grinch. You know the scene...



We'll see how many boring stories it takes to shrink my heart back, but I'm not holding my breath.


16 comments:

  1. Thanks for bringing Ollie's story. What a wretched thing. I went and read their website.

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    1. The strength of Ollie's family is very inspiring.

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  2. Your last name is obvious, not even remotely complex. I don[t even bother saying my last name anymore I just spell it right off the bat.

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    1. Thanks, I don't know why that first "R" is so often invisible.
      There were a total of four names in the anniversary announcement. Why send out the silly announcements if you won't proofread four fricken names?

      Delete
  3. This is very sad to read. Those little bikes. And I just don't really get what's so important about having the phone out when people drive.

    Funny about your last name. I get that with my first in that some want to put an e in there. No. No e!

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    1. Names are unique, and I always proofread and double check. So I'm surprised when others don't.
      All in all, the parade was a very positive event. The ghost bike display and memorial tent were true lump-in-throat.

      Delete
  4. First off, nice to be appreciated even if mispelled. I had a difficult last name and my first husband a common easy name so when i took his name i thought this was going to be easy peasy. But we had more issues with his name than mine. It was easy like Barker. Yes, I saw the R.😁

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  5. Tricky to have to appreciate Grandboss! My surname is Hinds often thought to be spelled heinz. Don't want to think about all those ghost bikes. Too tragic.

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    1. I'm kind of thankful for this turn of events that helps me appreciate Grandboss, since I have to deal with him on occasion!
      My maiden name (weird term) was simple, low maintenance. I miss it.

      Delete
  6. I'm retired from the Phoenix DA's Office and the number of Vehicular Homicides involving those who Text and Drive had some of the worst carnage and lightest sentences, more Deaths than other DUI's and yet they don't serve nearly the same amount of Time, which they should, for such reckless irresponsible behavior. Texting they're not even looking at the Road! I think anyone who causes injury or Death while Texting and Driving ought to get a 5 Year Minimum Sentence to send a strong Message.

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    1. Preach, Bohemian! Here, it counts as "distracted driving" which gets, as I mentioned, a max of one year. Tragic.
      In another recent case, a driver fell asleep at the wheel, killed a cyclist, and got 4 years for vehicular manslaughter. Why texting is different, I don't know.

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  7. I have a friend whose second husband was killed on his bicycle while riding on a wide sidewalk along a not-very-heavily-traveled road, by a woman texting. Every year they do a memorial ride. Now that I'm a bigger cyclist, I can't help but be more involved in these ideas. Cars really should be watching out more but I feel like they see pedestrians more than cyclists. Personally, I think it is easier to hop off the road as a runner than I do as a cyclist!

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    1. Sorry about your friend's husband. There are memorial rides out here too, to visit local newly installed ghost bikes. I don't know of any this year... so far.
      We really have to be on full alert. Many drivers just don't pay attention as they should. Yeah, much easier to bail while running than while cycling!

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  8. Anyone who likes dogs would see that R in your name! Bark, bark

    Pedestrians and cyclists-/we are like prey to the metal monsters and those who drive them.

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    Replies
    1. And I suck at baking too :)
      Be careful out there! Watch your back, your front, your sides...

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