SpokEasy

March 2020

Week Three

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As I enter week three of work-from-home, I am both ready for it to end; and wish I could keep it permanently. I want it to end because I miss the rides to and from work. At work I can easily get up and move around every 15-20 minutes; working from home has me parked on my rear far too much. I wish I could keep it because it would make flex time very easy. Let\’s say it\’s 5:15 am, and I\’m all set to go for a ride, but it\’s storming like crazy: torrential rain, strong wind, close lightning; the whole shebang. Under ordinary circumstances I\’d have to either skip riding; or go out and get soaked, not to mention the risk of getting struck by lightning. As long as I\’m working from home, I could clock in and work for several hours while I waited for the weather to settle down. Then I could clock out and go riding! My normal working day doesn\’t allow for that. Working from home means I don\’t have to pack a lunch. There are days when packing my bicycle trunk just to go to work makes me feel like I\’m preparing to go on safari. I don\’t need to wear a filter mask when I\’m working at home, and I\’m enjoying the respite from those pesky things. It\’s lucky I bought a supply of them well before COVID-19 became a household word. I donated some for medical workers, but I dare not give away too many. I\’ll need those masks when I go back to regular work, and for quite some time it might be impossible to buy them from any source. All this COVID-19 stay-at-home business makes me grateful that I\’ve never been a big socializer. Some people love and need a lot of company; they must be really feeling the isolation now. And for some, this is more than week three!  

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Going Hog Wild?

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I\’ve been going hog wild in the kitchen lately. Between prediabetes and being at home much more, I\’m eager to try out many an idea. Take the cauliflower potato cheddar mash on page 87 of the ADA Vegetarian Cookbook. The original recipe calls for russet potatoes; the so-called baking potatoes. I first made the recipe as given in the book. Then I began to experiment with it! My next effort was made with sweet potatoes. It\’s not bad. Last night I went at it again. My inspiration was a recipe I remember reading for something called colcannon. It was a sort of kale-potato mash. I don\’t have any kale on hand, but I did have two 10-oz packs of frozen spinach. So spinach it was. I put the spinach in a 2-quart pot over very low heat so it could thaw while I scrubbed and peeled the potatoes; red-skin potatoes in this case. I needed my 5-quart pot for the potatoes! While they were cooking, I squeezed the excess liquid (\”pot-likker\”) out of the spinach, and put the greens in a bowl. I saved the liquid to use in a soup or beanpot. I didn\’t want to discard the potato water, so I took the cooked potatoes out of the pot using a large, slotted spoon. I had to put that potato water somewhere, and the most practical vessel at hand was my 1-quart pot. So I had three pots to wash up! Anyway, I put the potatoes back into the 5-quart pot and used the back of the slotted spoon to mash them. In went a tablespoon of olive oil, plain yogurt, and some broccoli-cheese soup. Then I started mashing in the spinach. The result is quite good. Now, what shall I go hog wild with next?

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Pollen!

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The pollen is abundant today. I woke up with a very stuffy head, and I felt very tired. My legs had gotten some pretty hard work yesterday and the day before anyhow; so I did only a very short, very easy ride with the road bike. When I got back home, I looked up the pollen count online. Grass pollen is at a high level; and the oak trees are sending up great clouds of the stuff. Pollen seems to be bothering more than it used to, thus: I decided to go out on the hybrid to get a few things from Whole Foods. On the way home, I could feel something gritty stinging my eyes. It didn\’t help that, along the way, somebody was using a leaf blower. I had to ride through that cloud of dust! At the store, I found some organic beef hot dogs. I made hot dog tikka masala again, using tomato sauce and 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce; I need to finish it up. The result is OK, but not the best. No problem, though; I\’ll eat it up during the coming week. With my allergies acting up, it\’s just as well I\’m working from home for now. I\’m getting sniffly in addition to the stuffed-up head. But no sneezing; no coughing; no fever. So I take it, no COVID-19.

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Sauna!

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It feels like a sauna bath out there. The temperature was 78 degrees at 8:30 am, and it\’s quite humid, too. And it\’s still March! I would have stayed in this afternoon; but I needed to make copies of something to get my tax work done. Kinko\’s is closed Sundays, which meant I had to get there today; take time off from work on Monday; or wait until next weekend. That last is a poor option; time is getting rather too short for it. I don\’t much care for taking vacation time, either; that\’s for a proper vacation, or a big emergency. As for going today, the place closes at 6 pm, and it was about 3:45 already. So off I went on the hybrid, in this hot, humid, and windy weather. I knew I\’d be out more that 15-20 minutes, which meant applying sunblock. I was feeling a bit hollow, so I ate the one Stroopwafel that I had left before setting out. I\’m glad there\’s still much less motor traffic than usual; that\’s always a big help. And that there wasn\’t a crowd in Kinko\’s. I was able to get in and out quite quickly. Perhaps the biggest \”glad\”: the wind was mostly behind me on the way back home! It\’s blowing from the South today. Perhaps the weather system in the Midwest is the cause. A low-pressure  pulls air towards it; isn\’t that right? I rode home through the park; and I have a question. How do I practice \”social distancing\” when two cyclists in front of me are going more slowly than I\’d like (and un-helmeted, too!); and the pedestrian side of the path has too many people in it to allow me to pass safely; AND I\’m downwind of anybody who\’s in front of me? Despite today\’s sauna bath, we could still get a cold front. I don\’t quite dare to pack away the electric heater until May.  

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Draw the Line

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Where does one draw the line? All that seems to be in the news of late is coronavirus. We hear the grim statistics about the death toll. We hear stay-at-home mandates. They say to immediately clean anything that you bring into your home. Do this, do that! It has me wondering where we should draw the line between sensible precautions and paranoia. It\’s impractical to sanitize any and every thing. Good grief, how does one sanitize an onion? Even constant hand-washing, etc. won\’t help much if you\’ve picked up the virus on your hair or clothes. Do we have to shower, wash our hair, and wash our clothes if we step outdoors for a minute? Must we all seal ourselves in sterile bubbles? I\’m experimenting with ordering groceries and other needs through amazon dot com. It strikes me as frightfully expensive. Salvage store prices have spoiled me, I guess. So, when that box from Amazon gets here, I\’m supposed to sterilize it before I dare to touch it? Even so, I\’m thinking I\’d better get my canned goods, rice, and other non-perishables via Amazon for the time being. For several weeks I\’ve had symptoms that I\’ve supposed are allergy; they\’re neither getting worse nor getting better.  But — what if they ARE coronavirus symptoms? (See what I mean about paranoia?) My visits to the salvage store are as much about the ride as getting groceries on the cheap. There\’s the thrill of the hunt, too: I never can be absolutely sure of what I\’ll find. But for now I guess I\’ll buy online, and go out for a ride-ride instead of going to the store.  

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Disruption

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Disruption of the usual routine is the name of the game now. Working from home certainly is a disruption. It makes the line between home and work too fuzzy. It\’s got me sitting too much. I need to find a way to stand part of the time while still getting my job done. There\’s confusion, too. Last I knew for sure, day before yesterday, it was still OK to go outdoors to exercise; just stay at least 6 feet away from anybody else. Then yesterday I read an online news article that seemed to say, everybody must self-quarantine! So which is it? Getting out on my road bike is helping me to keep my sanity. It\’s letting me get fresh air, and keeping me more or less fit. And, may I go to the grocery store this weekend? I\’m running out of apples! At the rate I\’m going, I\’ll soon be running out of brown rice, too. I had had some MRIs scheduled for this morning. I don\’t have a car, and with various forms of transit interrupted, I decided to cancel, and reschedule them later. In addition, it probably is wise to keep my distance from any medical premises at this time, unless it\’s a real emergency. There are far fewer cars than usual on the roads. Almost no airplanes flying over. It\’s almost eerie. But I sure like the quiet.    

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Coasting?

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Coasting? Coasting too much is generally frowned upon by “serious” cyclists. But if you want to “coast” all day, head for Maryland and the Seagull Century. On the 100-mile Assateague route, you’ll have a great view of the Atlantic Ocean; and you may see the Assateague wild ponies. Follow the white seagulls! Is 100 miles in one day too much for you? The 65-mile Princess Anne Metric route rolls through Somerset County; follow the yellow seagulls. Just don’t get confused and start following the yellow brick road! I’ve always heard that SGC is flat; but that it can be very windy. That’s not surprising for a coastal route. I hope that the routes are arranged according to prevailing winds, with the TAILwind on the second half of the ride. SGC does not provide bottled water; better bring the Camel-Bak! As always, wear a helmet. Bike mechanics are available at rest stops in case you need technical support. Are you looking for purely recreational cycling in Maryland? How about the GAP? This 159-mile rail trail between Cumberland and Pittsburgh is nearly flat; and beautiful as well. Or check out  “The Grand Old Ditch“. This is a good one for bird-watching. So head to The Old Line State for some cycling pleasure; but keep the coasting to a minimum. ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL Think Ten Times! December 9, 2023 Going Farther Afield December 8, 2023 Mini-Ride! December 7, 2023 I Still Can’t Ride! December 6, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Cabin Fever

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I got cabin fever today! I skipped the lunchtime ride to the store, because there were dishes waiting to be washed; and I didn\’t want to leave them for the evening. Thus once I got back from my morning ride on the road bike, I hardly poked my nose outdoors all day. Add to that working from home, which has me sitting almost immobile for hours at a time. It\’s hard to keep myself from slumping in a position that\’s hard on the back of my neck. It\’s also difficult to keep myself from hyperextending my right wrist. I seemed to get much tireder that I did on the days when I did make a lunchtime run to get a soda. Staying indoors so much becomes quite oppressive. By the time I clocked out for the day, I just wanted to get out. I decided to ride the hybrid over to the drug store; not that I really needed to get anything, but I needed to get moving. Right inside the store entrance was a display of T-paper. I decided to get some while I could (yeah, I know — panic buying!) I got a soda to put away for tomorrow, and some ice cream. Talenti is rather expensive, but I love those reusable containers! As I commented to the people behind me in the checkout line, the worst part about this coronavirus business is not knowing how long it will last. I suspect that I have more days of cabin fever in store.

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Another Day

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Another day, but more, I hope, than another dollar. A single buck can\’t buy enough food to fill your hollow tooth, as my mother used to say. The day didn\’t get off to the best start. My alarm clock didn\’t go off, so I missed riding. Once a week I take a medication that must be taken on an empty stomach; and nothing to eat for at least half an hour. I was already hungry, and why ride on an empty tank and risk bonking? I went to work in the kitchen instead: I cleaned up two pounds of carrots. I chopped onions, garlic, yellow squash, and canned tomatoes; and cooked them in a big pot. Later I added a package of chopped spinach. That\’s my pasta sauce. Then it was time to pull out the work laptop and get busy. I still feel all thumbs with that laptop. It has a smaller screen than the desktop model I use at work. It\’s a different model from my own personal laptop. Working from home has me sitting entirely too much. At lunch time I\’m only too glad to ride the hybrid to the drug store, whether I really need anything there or not. I just want to get outdoors and MOVE! Another drawback to being home all day is the extra dishwashing that results. With prediabetes hanging over my head, I\’m working at better eating habits. That means more meal preparation; no simply grabbing a candy bar or a pack of Combos. It\’s a relief when the work day ends. I resist looking at that work laptop once I\’ve clocked out at 4:30 pm. After all, as Scarlett O\’Hara always said, tomorrow is another day.

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Jailbird?

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I feel like a jailbird — sort of. The mayor of my home city issued a stay-at-home mandate sometime yesterday. The list of essential reasons to leave home does not include \”exercise\”, which did not please me at all. Yet some were saying it WAS all right to go cycling. It had me thinking, Oh, this @#&* coronavirus! I sent emails to various family and friends, voicing my chagrin with this situation. Shortly, one of them emailed back a link to a news article that I hadn\’t yet seen. It said that yes, it was OK to go outdoors to exercise; just practice social distancing. After replying with my thanks, I lost no time getting out on the road bike. It\’s such a huge relief knowing that it isn\’t taboo. We don\’t know how long this mandate will be in effect, which makes it all the harder. Even convicts know how long they\’ll be locked up! I\’m sure that concerns over it is what led to panic buying. It\’s natural to worry that you might run out of things under such circumstances. Everyone wanted to get all that they could, while they could. An obvious example is T-paper. Another is non-perishable foods. Yet another that I didn\’t think of for a while: grooming needs such as soap and toothpaste. Fortunately I already had enough on hand to last a while; I was at a supermarket yesterday, and Ivory soap was sold out. So were most other bar soaps. I was considering doing Tour de Cure, scheduled for November 21. That might well be out of the question now; it depends on how long this lasts. Even if TdC does end up getting cancelled, it\’s good to know that I don\’t have to be a complete jailbird.    

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