SpokEasy

June 2022

Brain Dead

BACK ISSUES /

Brain Dead I wish ideas were this easy to come by! I feel so terribly brain dead. Yesterday I couldn’t think of a blog topic; and today, all I can think of to write about is being — brain dead! I think it’s partly the heat. At 5:00 am, it was already about 80 degrees; and when I got off work, it was close to 90 degrees! Even with a bottle of water at hand, I got very heated up on the way home; and I was wearing shorts and a short sleeved blouse! I don’t leave the window units running when I’m away all day at work; and on a blazing sunny day, this place really heats up! Of course it takes a while for those units to really cool off the place; and until they do, I have to keep a piece of cardboard within reach, so I can fan myself. I’m getting very tired, too. The cat-sitting will continue for about 11 more days; and while it’s not difficult work, it takes time. That’s hard when I have so many other things I must do. It makes me feel especially frazzled in the morning, when I have to get to work. Tomorrow will be another scorcher; and this is only June! July and August are likely to be even worse; and September is hot, too. It has me dreaming of cooling cloths. I’m tempted to get some of these; but I fear I’d get spoiled for riding in the heat! I wonder whether Grand Tour riders use anything of the sort. The pics I’ve seen don’t look like it; and those riders surely need a bit of relief from the heat. I don’t want them to go brain dead from overheating!

Brain Dead Read More »

Super Commuter

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Super Commuter? I ride to work when I can; but some days I just have to skip it! I fear I’ll not become a super commuter. The Super Commuter badge is one of many that you can earn by participating in Love to Ride. To get it, you must ride to work 200 times in the year — I suppose that means the current calendar year. I’ve been slogging away at it; and I am now 38% there. That means I rode to work 76 times so far in 2022; and I have to ride to work 124 more times by the time the Christmas break comes. As well as I could count, there are 131 working days left. I did my best not to count days when I won’t be going to work: vacation; tomorrow’s ophthalmology appointment; and so on. That leaves little leeway for days when I can’t ride to work; and there are bound to be some such days. Sometimes the rain is simply too heavy; and/or there’s too much lightning overhead. The disruption of a hurricane is always possible; and if I need surgery on that bone spur, I’m likely to lose at least a few days. Thus I guess any dreams of earning the Super Commuter badge are as much fantasy as dreams of riding a unicycle. I’m not sure I could manage one of  these! I suppose that riding a unicycle is vastly different from riding a bicycle; but I bet it’s fun once you get the hang of it. After all, it took some doing for me to get going on two wheels; and now, I can’t imagine being unable to ride!

Super Commuter Read More »

Hit and Run

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Hit and Run? I hope I never end up in a wreck like this! Am I guilty of hit and run? Today I dropped my bottle of electrolyte drink; and my rear wheel ran right over it! Not that I ran; I was still about six or seven miles from home, and needed that drink. I had to stop; turn around; and ride back to pick it up. Weather certainly pulls a terrible hit and run sometimes, as in the case of tornadoes. I don’t know why I’m attracted to such videos; and I also have a thing about violent volcanic eruptions! Shipwrecks, too. Maybe it’s morbid curiosity; or maybe I like to breath a sigh of relief and think, thank goodness I wasn’t there! This morning I needed to go to Winn Dixie; and they recently changed their hours. They now don’t open until 7:00 am; and I didn’t get out on the road bike until around 8:45! I decided to make it short today — 29 miles — and it got quite hot before I got back home. The clouds towards the South and East were building up; and around 12:30 pm I began to hear the grumble of thunder. By 1:15 pm, it was right on top of me! The lights flickered; and both my window units kicked themselves from Low Cool to Fan. But the storm was moving fast; and in 15-20 minutes it seemed to have passed. Give Me a Hand! This coming Friday I see a hand specialist about that bone spur; and I hope we can take care of it soon. But if surgery is required, it’s better to wait until after June 20th. Until then I’m still caring for my friends’ cat; and a fresh surgical site on the hand doesn’t go well with scooping the litter box! I also hope any surgery will require minimal time off the bike. I guess I can set up the hybrid in the trainer prior to surgery. If I have to have hand surgery, maybe this will let me get a bit of exercise while I recuperate. After the “hit and run” on my hand, I might not be able to do much for at least a few days; and I lifting bicycles around is bound to be on the thou-shalt-not-do list!

Hit and Run Read More »

Steady Does It

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Steady Does It! Helpful for adult riders who need an assist with balance. Steady does it; especially when you’re on two wheels! If you’re an older beginning rider; and balance is a problem; the Stabilizer Wheel Kit can help. Unlike the adult trike that I once had, this assembly can fit through standard-width doorways. I have three steps up to my front door; and one time I struggled to wrestle that trike up the steps and to the door. Only then did I learn that the rear wheel assembly was a bit too wide to get in through the doorway! If you’d rather skip this stabilizer kit; but aren’t sure how to get going on a bicycle; this video might help. Whichever route you take as a beginner, don’t rush things. Steady does it! Remember the tortoise and the hare. At the time I began on two wheels, I was only vaguely aware of training wheels for grown-ups; and never used anything like it. Speaking of stability on the bicycle, my friend who gave me the trailer says she felt more unsteady while trying to pull it. If anything, I feel more stable when I’ve got the trailer. How’s that for weird? Steady does it, too, when I’m out for my long Sunday ride. I frequently voice my frustration that my pace doesn’t seem to be improving; but if I’m shooting for 40 miles and more, a slower, steady pace is better than taking off like a rocket; and then fizzling before I’m halfway through. Pulling back the effort might be better in this heat, anyway. It got into the high 80s today; and tomorrow will get hot, too. No matter what the calendar says, Summer is already here.

Steady Does It Read More »

Frazzled Friday

BACK ISSUES, Outdoors /

Frazzled Friday Some days it all seems like too much! It sure was Frazzled Friday today! First, I started my ride a little late. Normally that doesn’t matter, but I’m still looking after my friends’ cat; and I needed to allow myself time for that. After I got home from my ride; changed my clothes; packed everything for work; and went to feed the kitty, I was already rather worn out. When I got back home from taking care of the cat, I rode to work; and didn’t notice that I was wearing my reflective vest inside-out! It isn’t any too reflective that way; and it shows how frazzled I was. Let yourself be seen! It was hard to keep my mind focused today. Mental concentration takes a lot of physical energy; and by Friday I only want the weekend to begin, anyway. Part of my mind is now always busy with plans for retirement; and naturally I’m eager for R-Day! But I’m also a little scared, because I’m heading into the great unknown. Towards quitting time, I looked out the window; and the sky was quite black. When I finally got outside, it was thundering; and I decided to take the short route home, in case it began to rain. The short route means I have to ride alongside traffic; and that was frazzled Friday all over again! I felt a few raindrops; but apparently the storm was moving away from here. As of 5:50 pm, it hadn’t rained yet. Too Late When I finally got the chance to check my email, I found two messages with Special Weather Statements regarding strong T-storms. It was too late. By then the notices had expired; but even when I have my laptop up and running, such messages usually arrive a good half-hour after they were posted. That wouldn’t do me much good if there were a tornado warning! I think the thunder scared the poor kitty. When I went to feed him, he was nowhere to be seen; and normally he’s right at the door. I guess it’s frazzled Friday for him, too. After a minute or two he appeared; and incidentally, I think he’s getting very, very lonesome. This seemed like a very long week. Today especially felt endless; and I hope the time doesn’t continue to drag like this for the rest of the year!

Frazzled Friday Read More »

in the swing

Uncategorized /

In the Swing The Street Strider really lets you get in the swing of it! When I see someone using one, the user typically sways back and forth a lot; and I’m not sure whether that’s normal operation; or an indication of a lack of core strength! It’s like a workout on the elliptical machine; but outdoors. So far I haven’t tried a Street Strider, and I certainly don’t have the space to store one; so I think I’ll skip buying one. I don’t have a loose $1400 lying around, anyhow. But they do look like fun. I’m getting in the swing of hurricane planning. There’s already a system out there that could attain tropical storm strength; and if it does, its name will be Alex. So far, we don’t have to worry about it here; but Florida could be in for some heavy rain. I need to email some friends in case I need to evacuate; and this is one of the few times when I wish I had a car. I can’t simply pick up and run; and besides, if I had to carry everything, I couldn’t take much with me. Several days’ worth of canned food is pretty heavy; and that’s before adding in a jug or two of drinking water. Add to that a change or two of clothing, bathroom tissue, etc. I might as well stay put! Plan for the worst, and hope for the best, as the old saying goes. I hope for the best — i.e. no rain — tomorrow morning. I had to come home at noon today for something; and about 1:30 pm it began to thunder. I was glad to be home!

in the swing Read More »

already

Uncategorized /

Already! May is gone already; and it seems like 2022 just began! It’s the final day of Bike Month; and tomorrow begins hurricane season — already! Yesterday there were concerns that Agatha might get into the Gulf; but now it seems the storm is rapidly losing strength. I’m glad to hear it! But there’s an area of weather already in the Caribbean that they’re watching. It looks like it will stay away from us; but Florida might have heavy rain by the weekend. Our forecast looks like there won’t be too much rain through this coming weekend; and that’s good. I don’t enjoy riding in the rain, especially when there’s the risk of lightning! Today I decided to skip the road bike; and only rode to work. I know; Bike Month isn’t over just yet. But I take a medication once a week that must be taken on an empty stomach; and I’m not supposed to eat for at least half an hour afterwards; preferably a full hour. I could tell that I’d get too hungry if I tried to go for a ride; and no cyclist wants to bonk! Incidentally, that’s why I always carry some “goos” with me; and now and then I do need to stop and eat one. Even when I eat a pre-ride snack, it’s not unusual for me to get hungry before I’m back home.   May, Bike Month, is over; but I still hope I can get my Love to Ride Super Commuter badge. It requires riding to work 200 days in the calendar year; and I’m only 36% there. I have to ride to work 128 more times this year; and that’s a lot of commuting!

already Read More »