SpokEasy

June 2020

Tardy Turtle

BACK ISSUES /

Tardy Turtle is the latest addition to my list of variations on Hoppin\’ John. I used black beans, aka turtle beans, for this. Black beans are one of my favorite legumes. They actually seem to have a slightly sweet flavor; maybe that\’s why! I began the prep work day before yesterday. I cooked a big pot of brown rice; put what I\’d need for the Tardy Turtle in one container; and portioned out the rest for other uses. Then I put the dry black beans to soak overnight. Yesterday morning, before I went out on the road bike, I drained the soaked beans and put them in the freezer. Later I chopped the cheese; celery; onion; and bell pepper. The can of diced tomatoes needed to be drained, too. Today I cooked the beans with the celery. Then all I needed to do was drain the beans; and assemble the final dish. Naturally I had to sample it, but a good deal of it has gone into the freezer. The cooking had to wait until after lunch. This morning I wanted to ride to the salvage store before it got too hot. And of all things, guess what I saw on the way there? A turtle! It was crawling across the bike path. It was a big one, too; I\’d estimate that its carapace was about a foot long. I got a look at the turtle\’s head as I rolled by, and saw a patch of dusky orange. Therefore I suppose it was a type of slider; perhaps a pond slider? Or maybe a red-eared slider? Turtles are not known for speediness. The one I saw this morning sure wasn\’t in any hurry. If it had been on its way to school, it would have been one Tardy Turtle.

Tardy Turtle Read More »

Enophile Heaven?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Enophile Heaven? This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” Moldova sounds like enophile heaven. In fact, Moldova is best known for its fine wines. This tour of Chisinau will let you visit the Cricova Underground Wine Cellar. That’s great for wine lovers; but how is Moldova for bicycle touring? With or without wine-tasting? You might want to try a small-group tour of Chisinau, the capital city. Or a whole-day tour of Old Orhei. And, perhaps the ultimate opportunity for cycling enthusiasts who happen to be enophiles as well: would you ever have dreamed that you could RIDE YOUR BIKE through a wine cellar? Although a poor nation, Moldova has much to offer visitors. And, once again, it’s enophile heaven. 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 Pomp and Circumstance January 4, 2024 I Bee’d Lucky January 3, 2024 Sunblock Day January 2, 2024 2024! January 1, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

Enophile Heaven? Read More »

Conjoined Twins?

BACK ISSUES /

I never thought of conjoined twins in the sense of bicycles. Then, a week or so ago, I chanced across something about Henry Ford\’s quadricycle. It used bicycle wheels! This was the first gas-powered vehicle invented by Mr. Ford. He sold his first \”quad\” for $200, which seems incredibly cheap by our standards. This, however, was is 1896. In today\’s money, that would be over $6K. You could buy a really good road bike for that price, and forget about gasoline. Or two people could buy one $3K bike each, and they could find a way to join them side-by-side; and then they could ride together — they\’d be \”conjoined twins\”. Something I\’d like to know is: if Henry Ford could have foreseen the impact that the internal combustion engine would have on the world, would he have worked so hard to develop it? I know that trucking gets the merchandise that we take for granted to the stores, so we need trucks. We need emergency vehicles; an ambulance can mean the difference between life and death for someone who is injured or very ill. Unfortunately the use of private vehicles has had severe effects on the environment, and the USA is not alone in this. There\’s also the negative impact that overuse of private vehicles has on health. All those exhaust fumes can cause serious problems for people who have respiratory issues. The obesity crisis has been blamed, at least in part, on cars. You might even say that the internal combustion engine has birthed the \”conjoined twins\” of the environmental crisis, and the health crisis!

Conjoined Twins? Read More »

Not the Season

BACK ISSUES /

Not the season?! Since when does chocolate go out of season? My appetite for chocolate certainly knows no season, but there comes a time every Spring when ride food with a chocolate coating is impractical. I think we all know how that goes. Sunshine or not, when the temperature starts to rise much above 70 degrees, chocolate starts to get very soft; and then, to melt. Whether you\’ve cut your bars into pieces ahead of time, or unwrap the whole bar when you want it, you can have quite a mess on your hands — literally. It can be hard to lick those brown smears off your fingers while rolling. From there, your handlebars could wind up sticky. Now that the weather is hot, I\’ll have to resign myself to avoiding the stuff of cacao. At least, while I\’m on the bike. So much for chocolate. What about cycling? Is it ever not the season for that? Not around here. Snow and ice are rare. In fact, we don\’t often get weather cold enough for them. That doesn\’t mean that I don\’t get cold while out on a ride. My feet and hands especially get cold. My head, too. What would I do if I lived where months of snow were the usual? Learn to ride in it, for one. I might have to get a \”fat bike\”. Number two, set up the trainer; or learn to ride on rollers. I could keep a modicum of fitness going by working out indoors while I waited until I could ride outdoors again. And loving the ride? That, like my love of chocolate, knows no season.

Not the Season Read More »

No Bars Barred?

BACK ISSUES /

No bars barred when it comes to my web site\’s Shop, it seems. When I visit the salvage store, I nearly always make a beeline for the make-your-own-grab-bag bins as soon as I get in the door. When I went there last Friday, my grab-bag finds included two FitCrunch bars; one Birthday Cake, and one Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Naturally I pounced on them as soon as I spied them. New ride food, and more new stuff for my Shop. Yesterday was a great time to work on anything in my web site; Tropical Storm Cristobal made outdoor activity of any kind unwise at best. Beginning Saturday, in fact, I tried to get as much web-site work done as I could, in anticipation of a possible power outage. Saturday I was working on some other new products in the Shop; yesterday I worked on the FitCrunch items. So what if my inventory already includes a number of different bars? I always have room for more. No bars barred!

No Bars Barred? Read More »

Uncertainties

BACK ISSUES /

Oh, the uncertainties of these times! When will this pandemic finally have run its course? Will we ever get back to normal life? That is to say, life as it was pre-COVID-19? This afternoon I had a virtual meeting with my immediate supervisor at work. It sounds like we\’ll be starting a phased return to part-time on-site work between mid-July and mid-August; and continue work-from-home for the rest of the time. But there are still many uncertainties. We\’re talking about a college campus here. What about the Fall semester, when the students would normally return? What services will return to campus first? How soon will staff be back on-site? How about visitors from off-campus who wish to attend lectures and concerts? And much more. As to masks and social distancing, I\’m accustomed to wearing filter masks because of my sensitivities. Nowadays, when I go about and see most other people wearing masks, I feel like I\’ve started a trend! As if the pandemic weren\’t causing enough uncertainties, it\’s now hurricane season. Anyone living on or near any coast k nows the possibility of a storm taking aim on the area. A direct strike from a hurricane is often a disaster enough on its own. Combine it with a pandemic, and that\’s one heckuva double-whammy. As to a possible hurricane, I guess I\’d better hit the salvage store a few more times; and buy a few jugs of drinking water. I would rather have all those supplies and not need them; than to be forced to rush to the store when a storm watch has already been announced. And the uncertainties? Just wait and see how the cat will jump, I suppose.

Uncertainties Read More »

Dumka?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Dumka? This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” The dumka is what I’m apt to think of first when Ukraine is mentioned, thanks to Dvorak. Or, I think of pysanky. Those eggs are works of art! Perhaps they inspired Fabergé? Did you ever consider a bicycle tour through Ukraine? Here is one cyclist’s account of a solo tour through Ukraine and Romania: the good times and the tough moments. I think it’s wise to include the not-so-fun aspects of any bicycle tour; there are bound to be some difficulties! Much of Ukraine is steppe; but some parts are mountainous. Bring on the mountain bike!  Crimea is one of the most popular areas for foreign bicycle tourists visiting Ukraine. There are abundant trails for mountain-biking, horseback riding, and other outdoor activities. Maybe a two-wheeled tour of Kiev? This the capital city of Ukraine offers a number of cycling opportunities. Bike rentals are available, too. Here we go again: some do’s and thou-shalt-nots of Ukrainian etiquette. In some cultures it seems to be expected that you’ll imbibe. How do you handle that if you can’t tolerate alcohol? I’d rather stick to the cycling paths; and maybe learn to dance the dumka.

Dumka? Read More »

Brothers All?

BACK ISSUES /

Are these dishes brothers all? First it was Hoppin\’ John. Then Br\’er Joe and Leapin\’ Leo. And now it\’s Poppin\’ Pete! Brothers all? I would say, yes. BJ, LL, and Pops are all variants of Hoppin\’ John. If I may say so myself, they\’re all delicious. The slow-burning complex carbs in legumes and brown rice might make a great pre-stage breakfast during a Grand Tour. Or would all that fiber be better consumed for a post-stage supper? Yesterday morning I cooked the rice for this dish. In the evening, I chopped the veggies. It all sat in the fridge overnight. Today I cooked the pintos with the celery; and chopped the cheese and washed dishes while I waited for them. The beans done, it was assembly time. Stir the cheese into the hot beans. Add the veggies. Lastly add the rice. Ideally, the rice should still be hot; but trying to tend to cooking rice and boiling beans at the same time is a bit much. I think I was on my feet too long. After I finished the Pops, I made a soup from a lot of odds and ends. There was more dishwashing. I was feeling lightheaded before I was finished. Perhaps dehydration isn\’t restricted to outdoor activity. When I\’m so busy in the kitchen like that, maybe I don\’t drink enough water. After all, I don\’t want to have to go running to visit Mrs. Murphy when something on the stove needs close watching. Maybe I was getting dehydrated today. I\’d better not get dehydrated on the bike tomorrow.  

Brothers All? Read More »

Big Mouth

BACK ISSUES /

A \”big mouth\” is generally seen as an undesirable trait. We don\’t take it as a compliment if somebody tells us, \”You and your big mouth!\” When doing a long ride, such as a century, we really need our mouths, no matter what their size. We have to keep the food supply coming if we want to keep rolling! This, unfortunately, can cause problems in the form of mouth and gum discomfort. The Complete Book of Long-Distance Cycling goes into this matter on page 192-193. One legendary long-distance rider covered the Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail in only 18 days. Afterwards, he commented that, \”The sorest thing was my mouth.\” Part of this problem could be a dry mouth. Another is foods high in acid (such as fruit pies), or sweet/sugary foods. (Here\’s looking at you, GU-Gel). I suspect that rice cakes that stick all over the teeth are another culprit. How can we keep this problem at bay? I suppose one thing that could help is not to gulp a sip of water right down. Swish it around your mouth a little before swallowing. Some riders doing multi-day tours will bring along a small bottle of mouthwash to use if needed. Regular oral hygiene, aka flossing and brushing, are of course important. So many products are on the market that I\’m not going to recommend any particular one. The choice is yours. Ask your dentist for advice if needed. As for all the stories, reports, and so on going around about the current COVID-19 crisis: we\’d be wise to keep the big mouth shut.

Big Mouth Read More »

In a Pickle

BACK ISSUES /

Nobody likes being in a pickle. That\’s exactly where we might land, however, if we don\’t keep up with both hydration and electrolytes. Of course there are electrolyte drinks such as Zym. If you\’re tired of the norm, how about trying pickle juice shots? I tested them, and they\’re OK. In my opinion they don\’t taste good as the juice from a jar of real dill pickles; but at least the top can be twisted back on if I don\’t want the entire shot at once. The weather is really heating up; at least, it is here in New Orleans. For long rides in hot weather, electrolyte drinks and even dill pickle juice might not keep ahead of your body\’s sodium needs, especially if you happen to be a \”salty sweater\”. Some people do lose a lot of salt through perspiration. Salt tablets might be needed; ask your medical provider. Don\’t forget plain old H2O, of course. Fill up the Camel-Bak before a long ride. With too little water, you could really land in a pickle. A very expensive one called the emergency room. Another way to avoid landing in a pickle: even if you\’re all thumbs at the most minor of bicycle repairs, at least take a spare tube and basic tools with you. If your bike gets a flat, another rider might be quite willing to help; but you can help both yourself and that other rider by having a spare tube on hand. Despite our best efforts to the contrary, we do find ourselves in a pickle now and then. But I\’d rather eat pickles than get into one.      

In a Pickle Read More »