SpokEasy

September 2021

Closeout

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It\’s the closeout to my vacation. In essence, I have only tomorrow left. Saturday I have to get back into my usual salvage store/long ride routine. Monday, it\’s back to the salt mines. I need to do some more cooking; and I\’m planning a Hoppin\’ John variation. The main reason for that is, I have to use up the celery! I have some canned kidney beans that I can use, so I won\’t have to cook beans; and the rice is cooking right now. Today\’s ride was under threat of rain. The forecast said, 70% chance of showers; and in fact it was mostly overcast. I\’m glad it didn\’t rain; but the sky has stayed mostly gray today. When I rode out to get Chinese take-out for lunch, I used a pannier so I could bring along the poncho. The trunk would have been pretty cramped with a take-out box and that poncho in it! When I was out on the road bike, I didn\’t try any \”hard stuff\”. I did that yesterday, and such hard efforts are not for every day. On top of that, my Garmin\’s Recovery Check screen read, \”Fair\”. Most of the time it says, \”Good\”. That was an indication that I needed to ease up today! My vacation is approaching closeout; and so is Cycle September. Today is the final day, and I wish I could put in a few more miles; but I\’m not sure it\’s wise for me to do another ride now. Remember that \”Fair\” recovery! Besides, rain is still likely. I guess I\’ll stay home and keep dry.

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Heartthrob

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I\’m no heartthrob; but sometimes my efforts on the bicycle make my heart throb. Today I worked at pushing for a higher speed, one minute at a time. Those intervals got my heart rate into the max; and that didn\’t happen much before Ida. I don\’t think I was going faster today than I was back then; so I can only conclude that I\’m not back into shape yet. On the other hand, occasionally pushing your heart rate into the red for a short time is an important aspect of cyclist training. If you\’ve got a big event looming, you need to be ready for intense efforts in case the big day throws prolonged headwinds at you. The weather today isn\’t very cooperative. The forecast predicted a high chance of rain; and in fact we already had some showers. I got the first drops on the way home from the supermarket. I was relieved that this sprinkle didn\’t last long. Then I had to decide whether to go out on the road bike right away; or wait until later. There were still plenty of clouds, but it seemed to be clearing; so I decided to ride. As I was homeward bound, the clouds moved in again; and with a mile still to go, it began to rain. Fortunately it didn\’t pour; but I was glad to get home, because the forecast includes T-storms as well as showers. As I\’ve said so often, getting caught in a lightning storm makes me very nervous! Tomorrow\’s forecast is similar; so I might have to resign myself to getting soaked. Some heartthrob I\’ll be then, huh?

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Waiting

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I\’m always waiting for something, it seems. Is life a waiting game? This morning I had to go for a COVID test. Luckily I didn\’t have to wait long for that; but afterwards I walked to the bank. I had a small check to cash; and a pile of change that I also wanted to \”cash in\”. I got there around 8:30; and the bank doesn\’t open until 9:00. There\’s a small supermarket two blocks from the bank; so I hiked over there and got an onion and a few lemons. And, sad to say, a candy bar! After that I went back to the bank; and still had to stand around a good 15 minutes before they opened. Back home, I checked the weather forecast. It predicted an 80% chance of showers this afternoon. By that time the sky was mostly overcast; but four hours later I was still waiting for it to rain. I did a short, easy ride this morning; but I wasn\’t sure I wanted to go for another ride. In mid-afternoon was 79 degrees, which isn\’t terribly hot for us; but there was a T-storm at the airport. The South wind, I figured, was pushing it away from here; but I couldn\’t be sure. I don\’t enjoy getting caught in the rain; and even less do I like getting caught in a lightning storm! So I stayed home, and did some work in the kitchen. In between watching YouTubes, I made a garbage soup; and in the process I got rid of a few cans. In a sense that was spinning my wheels; because I started collecting stuff for the next garbage soup!

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Like a Mouse?

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\”Nibble, nibble, like a mouse\” said the witch in Hansel and Gretel. That\’s how I eat when on a long bicycle ride. I eat a bite here; and a bite there. I tend to nibble like a mouse even when not on the bike; and of course it makes a big difference what I eat. Carrot sticks with hummus are far better for me than, for example, M&Ms. Plain almonds make a better snack than potato chips; and so on. For the last two months I\’ve been way off my diet. I think I was suffering from meal-planning burnout; and then along came Hurricane Ida! As a result, I was away from home for about three weeks; and had other things on my mind besides meal planning. Last Tuesday evening I got back here; and I\’m still shaky about my eating patterns. But I\’m getting back into recording what I eat; and making notes of calorie and carb content. I also need to keep fat and cholesterol in mind; and I really didn\’t need to get bologna today! Tuna is probably better for me; and it wouldn\’t have cost anything, because I already have plenty of it. But I wanted bologna; and I got it. On the Bike If I\’m going to nibble like a mouse on the bike, what shall I eat? For some time, my major on-bike foods have been FitCrunch bars and Met-Rx bars. For several months I found plenty of FitCrunch bars in the grab-bag bins at the salvage store. The last few visits, unfortunately, there have been few or none of them; so it looks like cheap on-bike food is fading into the past. A while back the salvage store had Gatorade Whey bars by the box; and I can get some bars at the drug store. Unfortunately they cost a lot more when I buy them that way! I\’m eager for the salvage store to open up again. Their web site didn\’t indicate a closure due to the hurricane; but when I went there last Saturday, they were closed. One of the workers there said the store will re-open on October 1. I hope so! I\’ve got quite a list of things I want to look for. It\’s going to be quite a week. I\’m still waiting to hear when I\’ll have my lights back (I hope nobody was tampering with the fuse box!); and tomorrow I have to go for a COVID test. I\’m running out of carrots; and I could use some other vegetables, too. Especially if I want to nibble like a mouse!

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Step One

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Today was Step One towards that hoped-for century ride; but it was a rather small step. I rode only 21.10 miles! It\’s to be expected, I suppose. After all, I went for three weeks with minimal \”leg work\”; and it will take time for me to regain my fitness. In addition, while I was away from home I did very little off-bike work; and I have to get back into that as well. At least I had nice weather for my ride. The temperature was just right, and the sky was clear. The wind was irksome on the way home; but that\’s nothing new. I made an extra stop to eat a GU-Gel; and several miles later I stopped again to watch a ship go by. Last night was Step One towards off-bike work, with some core exercises. I did fewer reps than usual, because I haven\’t done enough of them for a long time. There, too, I have to work my way back. After this morning\’s ride, I finally got around to replacing the filter in my water purifier. The water in my Camel-Bak tasted weird; and it isn\’t as though that Camel-Bak sat around full of water for a week. I filled it up just before I rode! That made me decide to stop procrastinating, and replace that filter. I\’ve also taken Step One (and Two; and Three) towards replenishing my stash of cook-to-freeze food. I even invented a new one: North of the Border! Before I cook anything else, I need to get more onions; and maybe a bell pepper, too. Next Sunday maybe I\’ll shoot for 30 miles; but before then Cycle September will be over. Hurricanes wreak havoc in many ways; and this is one of them.

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Atphfety Kids Bike Helmet

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Lightweight and comfortable, the Atphfety Kids Bike Helmet protects your little one\’s head while he or she enjoys cycling; whether on a balance bike; a child\’s tricycle; or a youth bicycle. High-impact shell, with removable, washable lining; and 14 vents to help keep the head cool. Can be used for other sports, too! Ages 3-7. Available in blue, red, or rose. As I don\’t have children, I can\’t speak with authority on kids\’ helmets; but I do know that they\’re a good idea. In fact, a helmet is a good idea for anybody of any age who wants to get around by pedal power. Maybe you can start with the Atphfety Kids Bike Helmet; and progress to the Giro!

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I Prefer a Hurricane

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I prefer a hurricane to some things. How would it be to live within range of a volcano? With tropical storms, we now have a lot of advance warning. Usually there\’s time to get braced for the storm; and to get out of the way if necessary. Volcanoes are different. Some \”fire mountains\” are closely monitored; such as Krakataoa; or Mount Vesuvius. Apparently scientists are improving their ability to predict both earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. But progress, it seems, is slow. I used to think it would be interesting to see a volcanic eruption from a safe distance; but what\’s a \”safe distance\” from a raging volcano? I\’m glad to stay as far away as possible; and even then, how do you know how far is enough? A volcano that\’s been inactive for many years can suddenly erupt. If I have to choose, I prefer a hurricane! Sam I Am? A hurricane, naturally, can cause major disruption. When I left town ahead of Ida, I though it was a precaution; and that I would return home in a few days. I was gone for several weeks! My apartment suffered no apparent structural damage; but I\’ve still got only half my electrical circuits. I\’m lucky to have a gas stove, or I\’d be living entirely off of canned food. But being at home on vacation means that I can cook stuff to freeze for after I\’m back at work; and that lets me use up some of my large stock of cans. Speaking of cans, I rode to the salvage store this morning. The store\’s web site didn\’t indicate that the business was shut down because of Ida; but it is. There wasn\’t even a sign at the store\’s entrance stating when they\’ll be open again. I had to ask one of the workers there; and the store re-opens October 1. Meanwhile, Hurricane Sam has developed. Sam\’s current path is WNW; and if he doesn\’t deviate from that path, we might be in big trouble. Of course we all hope he goes somewhere else! Maybe there\’s a café out there where Sam can get green eggs and ham; and maybe that delay would give him time to lose some steam. Do I prefer a hurricane to green eggs and ham? I\’m not sure. I never was a big fan of eggs. I like ham pretty well; but I don\’t go out of my way to get it. I hope I won\’t have to go out of my way to avoid Sam!

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Riding Dry

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I was riding dry, you might say, when I was using my sister\’s exercise bike. I sure missed Chamois Butt\’r! It\’s amazing what a difference Chamois Butt\’r makes; and when I don\’t have it, \”riding dry\” takes on a new meaning. If I have to choose between no Chamois Butt\’r and no water, however, \”CB\” has to go. Irritated skin is preferable to collapsing from dehydration any day. I get thirsty faster on a real bicycle than I did on the exercise bike. I suppose several factors are involved: I\’m probably working harder; and I\’m breathing through my mouth much more. I also am outdoors, and in the sunshine; and I\’m working against the wind. It\’s very different from pedaling indoors; but all the same, I prefer riding outdoors. I can tell that I\’m not ready for a 50-mile ride on Sunday. Just now, 12-14 miles seems pretty hard! Maybe I\’ll shoot for 25 miles; but the century that I was hoping to do must wait until I can work my way back into condition. The temperature was about 67 when I went out at 9 am. I decided I could do without leg warmers; but for a pre-dawn ride, I would have wanted them. I might have wanted full-fingered gloves and a skull cap as well! The forecast for Sunday says, a low temperature of 64; and a high of 84. Wind 5-10 mph; and from the NE, wouldn\’t you know. That means I\’ll have a headwind on the way home; and working against the wind means I\’ll need more water. I better not try to do without the Camel-Bak! Otherwise I\’ll be riding dry.

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Mad Dog?

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Am I a mad dog? It seems like it. Today I didn’t get out on the road bike until noon; and it made me think of the old saying, “Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun.” I’m not an Englishman; so I suppose that makes me a mad dog. Today it’s much cooler than it has been. When I went out to ride, it was about 73 degrees; and bright and clear. It seems odd to be starting a ride at noon; but soon enough I’ll be riding in the dark again. For now I’m not bothering about “training”. It’s enough to be riding again; and I need a few weeks to work back up to the hard stuff. Today my legs felt the effort of riding more than they did yesterday; so maybe I’m more out of condition than I though I was! I’m glad I’m on vacation. This morning I slept until 9:15; and then I headed to Whole Foods. When I was at the supermarket yesterday, I forgot to get frozen blueberries; and I LOVE frozen blueberries! I also got a half-dozen eggs; yogurt; bread; and sunblock. Always sunblock! When I got that stuff home, I had a bit of lunch; and then went out on the road bike. The wind wasn’t as strong as it was yesterday; and I went a few miles farther before I turned for home. I got thirsty faster than I did on the exercise bike. Probably that’s because I tend to breathe through my mouth when I’m riding a bicycle. I still wasn’t finished with riding. I had a couple of errands to run; and now I have to get cooking. When I’m busy in the kitchen, I’m glad I don’t have a pet underfoot!

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Chores

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Chores sure pile up when you\’re away from home; not that I do much housecleaning, anyhow. After a major weather event, and a consequent prolonged power outage, there are a few extra chores on hand. That is, I had to clean out almost everything I had in both fridge and freezer; and then clean the appliance itself. For some reason I couldn\’t sleep last night; and I decided to take care of that task then. It was better than tossing and turning, and it meant I could get to the supermarket earlier today. I had to be careful not to start for the store too early, though. After Ida, there was an 8:00 pm to 6:00 am curfew in effect for a while. I believe it\’s been lifted; but I\’m not entirely sure about it. Back to the fridge. I heard that the electricity was off for four days; and I figured it was better to discard all the cheese. Hard cheeses are supposed to be OK after a power outage of four hours; but four days is another story. Maybe the mustard and ketchup were all right; but why take chances? Pickles and olives? They might be OK. Maybe all that thinking about food is why I started to get hungry at about 1:00 am. Around 2 o\’clock I decided to eat something; and then plan what to cook for freezing. It didn\’t take long to decide that; and then I checked my shopping list: carrots, green onions, and so on. As usual, I had to fight the temptation to add ice cream to the list! Bicycle Tasks My list of chores should include lubing the bicycles\’ chains. After all, those bicycles sat unused for three weeks; and they probably need more attention than pumped-up tires. But I didn\’t want to mess around with chain lube while I was still dressed for bed; and they say you shouldn\’t lube a chain and ride immediately afterwards. The oil needs time to \”sink in\”. I have to pump up the tires on the trailer, too; and Saturday I want to head for the salvage store. Naturally I want to replace the stuff I had to discard; and I always like to see what the store will have. My list of chores includes paying some bills that arrived while I was away; and I must schedule a COVID test in the next week or so. I have to put away the stuff that\’s in my suitcase; and there will be dishes to wash, etc. It never ends.

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