SpokEasy

September 2020

Tinkering

BACK ISSUES /

Tinkering doesn\’t have to involve hammer and chisel, and it doesn\’t require a tool shed. Day before yesterday I got to tinkering again — in the kitchen. I had piled up some dozen boxes of various brands of mac n cheese. I need to start using it up, and that\’s rather a predicament. I\’m working at limiting carb intake to 150-200 grams per day; and macaroni is high-carb! I don\’t want to throw away all that mac n cheese. Is there a way around it? Most definitely, yes! I\’ll refer to the salvage store again. Some months ago, I was shopping there and found a 14.75 oz can of wild-caught salmon; and for less than $3.00! I got the idea for this new dish from a book of mine. It suggested stretching boxed mac n cheese by adding a can of drained tuna, and a half-cup of peas. I\’ve done that often enough, and the results are quite good. Why not use salmon, since I had it on hand? I used the entire can; drained and flaked. The instructions on the box of macaroni said, use 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine; I used one tablespoon of olive oil. And 1/4 cup plain yogurt instead of 3 tablespoons of milk. Today I had fresh rosemary. It seems to be the go-to garnish for grilled salmon; and I assure you, dried rosemary from the spice rack can\’t compare to its fresh counterpart! I also finally used the last of some scallion tops. Simply prepare the mac n cheese per directions on the box; and mix in the rest of the stuff. Yield: ~4 1/4 cups. Per 1/4 cup: 129 calories/13 grams carbs. Oh, by the way, if I may say so myself: SamMac, as I call it, is really macaroni!

Tinkering Read More »

The Northern Plains

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

The Northern Plains 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.” Let’s head for the Northern Plains! Sparely populated North Dakota, aka the Peace Garden State, seems to have ample room for cyclists. The state maintains a number of trails; both off-road and paved. Mongoose Malus Fat Tire MTB Is mountain biking your thing? MTB trails vary widely in length. The Hillman Trail in Icelandic State Park is three-quarters of a mile long; the Maah Daah Hey trail system totals 144 miles. Each of the MDH’s nine segments has its own unique character. It looks to me like MDH would make a complete vacation; take a day or two to explore each part. The trail system includes eleven campgrounds. Maybe pack along a tent, and stay on the trail until you’ve ridden all of it? Tommaso Sentiero For we roadies who prefer to ride on paved surfaces, there are four parks offering such trails. All are short, ranging from 2.1 miles to 13 miles. Missouri Valley Millennium Legacy Trail leads to interesting historical, cultural, and recreational points along the Missouri River. I think I’d enjoy that one. It would be great to have a look at the USA’s longest river. The Cavlandic Trail is 13 miles out-and-back. It connects the city of Cavalier to Icelandic State Park. Perhaps you could enjoy the park, then pedal to Cavalier for dinner? North Dakota has some of the most varied weather in the United States. June through August is the best time for outdoor activities. Winters can get very cold; well below zero degrees Fahrenheit. Too cold for me! On second thought, I think I might do well to avoid the Northern Plains. 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 Afternoon Ride? December 11, 2023 Think Ten Times! December 9, 2023 Going Farther Afield December 8, 2023 Mini-Ride! December 7, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

The Northern Plains Read More »

Battle Weary

BACK ISSUES /

This battle weary knight has lots of company. We who live on and near the Gulf are SO TIRED of hurricanes! Laura and Sally spared New Orleans, but now there\’s a tropical storm off the coast of central Mexico; and guess which way it\’s headed at the moment? In our direction. So we still can\’t really relax. My ride plans for the weekend are rather nebulous. The hybrid is still in the shop, and I don\’t suppose I\’ll have it back before next Tuesday. Things might not be so great for the road bike, either. Rain if forecast for all weekend! I certainly feel battle weary for always having to watch the forecasts. How hot/cold? Rain, or no? Wind? Back to the hybrid. Grocery shopping is tricky without my sturdy cargo-carrier, especially for more fragile items such as bananas. They don\’t do very well in a backpack that bounces and jolts around with my every step, and they fare even worse carried in my arms. Last night I placed an online order with Whole Foods, so I don\’t need to worry about food shopping until next week. I have another battle on my hands, too. I need to start using up some of the stuff from the salvage store before I run out of room for myself. As I now have pre-diabetes, I invent ways of using the high-carb items so that I won\’t exceed my daily carb limit of 150-100 grams. For example, I think we\’re familiar with boxed mac n cheese. I have some 12 boxes of it on hand. I got out the 14.75 oz can of salmon that I found at the salvage store (under $3.00!), and made SamMac; to wit, salmon and macaroni. That\’s really, well, macaroni!

Battle Weary Read More »

Pound for Pound?

BACK ISSUES /

Pound for pound? Weight is a concern for many people, both cyclist and non-cyclist. I know I\’d like to shed a few more of my half-kilos. I\’ve read often enough that muscles weighs more than fat. Probably most people have! Some argue that such a statement is nonsense; that 16 ounces is 16 ounces. And so it is. We know the ancient joke about feathers and lead, don\’t we? I call the \”muscle weighs more than fat\” statement overly simplistic rather than nonsensical. I think that what it really means is, per unit of volume (such as a cubic centimeter), muscle is heavier than fat. When I first read about how pro cyclists train for a racing season, I came across the term \”making weight\”. That puzzled me for a bit, because it sounded like gaining weight. After a while I figured out that it means \”making it to racing weight\”, whether the rider must lose or gain. It only goes to show that every little niche has its own vocabulary! Pound for pound, I certainly prefer muscle over fat. Muscle can help me to pedal my bicycle! Fat on my body is only excess baggage. Since I began counting carbs, I also pay more attention to how much I eat; whether it\’s carrots and hummus or rolled oats mixed with yogurt. I\’ve lost several more half-kilos; in fact, almost too easily. Maybe I need a few more calories. Just don\’t let me go hog-wild with the Talenti® again!

Pound for Pound? Read More »

What a Day

BACK ISSUES /

What a day today was! I was very tired this morning, and overslept. That meant no pre-work ride. I had to to work on-site this morning. My hybrid is still in the shop, and I had to walk. Walking seems so very slow these days! A mile isn\’t really all that far, but I felt like a snail. Monday my workplace closed at noon because of the weather threat. I had the option to work remotely, and took it. Unfortunately I automatically went into my work-from-home timing, which meant I clocked out for lunch about 11:20. When I checked my email after I clocked back in an hour later, I saw a new email message reminding us of the noon closure. That meant I had 45 minutes of time to make up. Doing make-up time is stressful; in fact, it wears me out. Good grief, what a day! Hurricane Sally finally made landfall. We\’re in the clear now. Several other states weren\’t so lucky. I do wonder, though, whether the wind we\’re getting is being generated by Sally. After I clocked out of work, I went for a short ride on the road bike. It was under nine miles, but it was very hard work. I still (!) haven\’t gotten my heart rates set for my new Garmin HR monitor, but I\’m quite sure that there were times when my HR was in the maximum range! I checked the local weather\’s 3-day history when I got back home. The wind was 17 mph, with gusts up to 23 mph! Luckily it looks like the wind will subside a bit overnight. I\’ll see how things are tomorrow morning.

What a Day Read More »

Get It Over With!

BACK ISSUES /

C\’mon, Sally! Let\’s get it over with! Decide where to make landfall and get ashore, so we can get it over with! We\’re all tired of gnawing on our fingernails while you keep us in suspense. Said suspense isn\’t so good for our heart rates, either. Hurricane Sally is still drifting NW, so it looks like New Orleans is still in the crosshairs. The forecasts for tropical storm conditions are no longer in effect here, but you never know. We can\’t let down our guard just yet. My workplace is closed today. That\’s fine with me. I slept a few hours later; I went to the drug store for #2032 batteries; and I could go about my carb-watching work in more leisurely fashion. I\’m getting weary of staying indoors, so after a while I think I\’ll set up the trainer and do some pedaling. Why don\’t I go ride outside if I\’m tired of sitting around inside? The wind is 20 mph, which is very strong for me. Chances of rain are 70%. I feel tired, besides. That happens often now. Is my reduced-carb diet to blame? The forecast shows plenty of rainy weather ahead, hurricane or no. I hope Saturday morning is OK. I need to go to the (non-salvage) store and buy veggies!

Get It Over With! Read More »

Lei’d Back Riding?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Lei’d Back Riding? 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.” Want some lei’d back riding? How about heading for the Aloha State? Yes, there are mountain bike tours; but as far as I’m concerned, lei’d back riding means — as usual — flat ground. It looks as if not all road bike tours in Hawaii are on flat ground, though. Here’s where an ebike might come in handy! The Kona Coffee Tours are great for the lover of “joe”.  The Hawiian Vanilla Co. tour might be for you if you love vanilla. If you want to mix it up a bit, there’s the Big Island Multi-Adventure Tour. In addition to cycling, you can paddle a kayak or an outrigger canoe; and you can go snorkeling or hiking. Hawaii has its share of mountainous areas; including, of course, volcanoes. The Multi-Adventure tour includes a view of Kilauea. The volcano erupted as recently as June 2023; but until I read the Wikipedia® article, I didn’t know that the lava flows had buried the black sand beach. If you don’t already live in Hawaii, of course there’s the problem of getting there; and transporting your bicycle if you prefer not to rent one. There are cases that allow you to put your bike in an airliner’s luggage hold. These reduce the chances that your bicycle will get damaged in transit. If I visited Hawaii, what would I want to see and do, aside from challenging my legs with some of those cycling tours? Visit Diamond Head, Oahu, maybe. Learn how to dance the hula? Or even learn how to make poi! Whatever you do in Hawaii, have a good, old, lei’d back time! 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

Lei’d Back Riding? Read More »

Bracing for Impact

BACK ISSUES /

We\’re all bracing for impact here. Sally, now a hurricane, is still making a beeline for us. Just now it doesn\’t seem that a hurricane is approaching. About 10:30 am the wind dropped; and the sun started coming in and out. That\’s actually typical when a tropical system is headed our way. The weather will seem quite nice, but those who have experienced hurricanes know that it\’s the calm before the storm. Indeed, conditions are likely to deteriorate by this evening. For my own preparations, I made enough ice cubes to fill up the ice cube bin in the freezer door. Then I refilled the ice cube trays again. I need to do all I can to keep that freezer cold as long as possible if — or, more likely, when — the power fails. I\’m trying to use up some bologna that I have. Ditto the vanilla yogurt. I don\’t want to have to throw away a lot of food. I can\’t use up all that I have in the fridge before tomorrow without eating far too much, so I hope the power doesn\’t go for at least 24 more hours. I\’m also bracing for impact by having secured my garbage and recycling bins to the fence. At lunch time I trotted over to the neighborhood Starbucks® and got a bag of chips. Why am I buying potato chips when I\’m watching the carbs? For one thing, I don\’t have to eat them right away. For another, I wanted to get in a little more outdoor activity before Sally forces me to stay indoors between tonight and possibly mid-Wednesday. In fact, I wound up getting double! I got home and discovered that the chips weren\’t in my bag, and had to go back to get them!

Bracing for Impact Read More »

Here Comes Another One

BACK ISSUES /

Here comes another one! New Orleans must brace for a hurricane again. Laura bypassed us, but now Tropical Storm Sally is moving through the Gulf; and it looks like she\’s aiming directly for us. Even worse, she\’s getting stronger, and moving slowly. A slow-moving hurricane is bad news, because the storm has more time to intensify. True, the residents in the area of probable landfall have more time to prepare; but it also keeps us gnawing on our fingernails longer! That\’s not my idea of fun. When Hurricane Laura struck southwestern Louisiana late last month, thousands of people from there came to New Orleans; and now, here comes another one! Those poor storm refugees. Out of the frying pan, into the fire! I\’m glad I went to the salvage store yesterday, and thus didn\’t need to make a frantic trip to the store today. A hurricane warning means a mobbed store, and the shelves are probably stripped bare by now! I have several jugs of drinking water, and plenty of canned goods. I\’m not too worried about batteries and flashlights. I know how to make a simple olive-oil lamp; and in a pinch I can do that. My plan last Friday was to take a break from riding today, and ride tomorrow. Sally\’s approach changed that! This morning I went out for a short ride on the road bike, and I don\’t know why I felt tired. Maybe it\’s the carb restriction? Weather permitting, I\’ll ride tomorrow morning. It won\’t be easy with a wind of 13-14 mph. If I can\’t go out, there\’s always the trainer. Not that I really enjoy it, but it\’s better than nothing.

Here Comes Another One Read More »

Trial

BACK ISSUES /

A trial, yes; and I hope it wasn\’t an error! Today, for the first time, I hitched the trailer to my road bike for the trek to the salvage store. The hybrid is in the shop, so it was that or skip going to the store. The road bike isn\’t fitted with a rack, which meant either 1) using the trailer; or 2) buying very little. I wanted to stock up on canned goods, so I used the trailer. Pedaling the road bike to pull that trailer feels very different from riding the hybrid while hauling the trailer. I hope this trial wasn\’t too much for poor \”Scottie\’s\” rear spindle! I guess I\’ll find out soon enough, and I hope I won\’t be sorry. That might or might not occur tomorrow. The weather outlook isn\’t so great right now. There are currently six tropical systems under surveillance! We could have tropical storm conditions by Monday night. I know we\’re in peak hurricane season, but six at once is a bit much. Have the tropics been taking steroids? Even if I can\’t ride tomorrow, I have plenty of \”homework\” to do. I need to work on my FEF lists, and I have my new book to read. Maybe I\’ll do some cooking, too. At any rate, I have plenty to keep me busy.

Trial Read More »