SpokEasy

December 2023

Joyeux Noël!

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Joyeux Noël!  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.” Joyeux Noël! Welcome to Christmas in France! If I were to attend a Christmas (well, Christmas Eve) dinner there, I’d sure need a good, long bicycle ride afterwards. Especially with that huge number of desserts! Turkey stuffed with chestnuts sounds interesting; but I’d have to excuse myself from the wine. And remind me to save some room for a slice of that chocolate Yule log! In some parts of France, December 6 is the day for children to receive gifts; and some families wait for Epiphany, or January 6. I like that part about children receiving postcards from Père Noël. I bet I would have loved that when I was a kid.  As in Germany, there’s a lot more to Christmas in France — home Nativity scenes, for instance. There are Christmas markets in France, too. All in all, there are plenty of ways to celebrate!

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Fröhliche Weihnachten!

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Fröhliche Weihnachten! 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.” Fröhliche Weihnachten, as they say in Germany. Quite often I’ve wished that I could spend the Christmas season there. I think it would be fun to visit a Kristkindlmarkt; although I’d have to skip the Glühwein! And use hand warmers; the temperatures can easily be below freezing! I feel cold just thinking about it. Germany has some interesting Christmas customs. Children’s stockings are filled on December 6; and December 24 is the day for celebrating and gift-giving. I remember reading that, in Germany, December 25 is more about attending church, and visiting family and friends, than it is about presents. It’s interesting about Nutcrackers. I hadn’t heard that they protected the home; but come to think of it, that makes sense.  Oh, and the Christmas Tree! This is another custom from Germany. Queen Victoria is credited with introducing the custom to England; and now the Tree has spread all over the world. I was crazy about Christmas Trees when I was little; but I don’t have room to put one up. How about a ride on Christmas Day? Maybe with a Tommaso Imola Endurance model? To me, special days such as Xmas, Thanksgiving, and my birthday aren’t special without a good ride! Unfortunately my foot isn’t ready for hard riding yet! And with chocolate — whether hot or not — after I get home!

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Christmas Past

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Christmas Past 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.” You may be familiar with the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Past. It’s fun to go even farther back in time, such as to the Christmas past of Tudor days. They sure did some interesting things back then! But that was long before bicycles; and with no chance for an invigorating ride before Christmas dinner. If you’re going to travel with your bike before that Yuletide spin, an EVOC Bike Travel Bag protects your “ride” on the way. It can accommodate many types of bicycles; and protects with minimal weight. I would rather stick close to home during holiday season. Traveling is such a hassle then; and I’d rather not be far from home. But I remember many a ride of Christmas past. One time it was both cold and raining. One Christmas Day, I tried riding in the local park. Even at 6 am, the place was quite crowded with kids trying out their new bicycles. Naturally they were wavering all over the place! I didn’t want to hit any of them; and thus couldn’t get up a decent pace. I’m still working towards just being able to ride normally. It will be great when my foot will let me do that; and the Lapiplasty Limp is part of Christmas Past.

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Relearning

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Relearning 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.” I’ve got some relearning to do! Not that I’m going back to being a rank beginner; but after several weeks off the road bike, handling the water bottle seems rather awkward. Yes, today I finally tried a bit of riding on the road bike; and I’m certainly out of practice. It seemed hard to get my left foot clipped in once I had pushed off; and as already stated, it felt a bit tricky getting the water bottle back into its cage. The shoes that I wear for road biking aren’t lace-ups, like the model shown; they have velcro closures. I forgot to put bandaids over my scar; and the straps were irritating. I also forgot to put my feet in the road-shock-absorbing position when I rode over a bumpy railroad crossing. So I rode less than three miles; and I’ll wait a few days before I try the road bike again. I just wanted to see how it would go; and I can ride the hybrid tomorrow. Maybe try the road bike again for Christmas? What a gift it would be to be able to ride it again! Incidentally, that day is rushing in upon us.  I hope we’ve gotten all our shopping done: for the kids; for parents; and everybody else on that gift list. I think I’ve finished all my shopping, except for those last-minute little things that always crop up. But I seem to have forgotten some of the lyrics to Christmas carols. Time to do some relearning! 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 I Traverse Afar? December 18, 2023 I Envy Time December 17, 2023 Holiday Food December 16, 2023 Glad I’m Home December 15, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

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I Traverse Afar?

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I Traverse Afar? 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.” I traverse afar? 🎶 No, not like the Christmas carol. But this morning I rode almost seven miles! Longest ride since my bunion surgery! This morning I tried on my MTB shoe; and there wasn’t much discomfort. All the same, I rode the hybrid. I though I would take two laps around the park, then visit the grocery store; and the hybrid let me take along a pannier. Unfortunately, my foot began to flare up a bit about three-quarters of the way through lap #2. I decided it was better to go home; and not put in the extra mile that going to the grocery store entailed. I went home and lubed both bicycles’ chains; had some breakfast; and took public transit to the store. I don’t think I’m ready to walk that far just yet. At present, cycling is actually more comfortable for my foot than walking! Cycling doesn’t involve much, if any, flexing of the toes; and walking does. I think I’ll try a short spin on the road bike tomorrow, if the shoe feels OK. The weather will be clear again; but when I don’t go out until 8 o’clock, that’s a bit of a problem. This morning I kept getting the sun in my eyes! That’s a bigger problem this time of year, when the sun is lower in the sky; and sunglasses aren’t much help when said sun is shining straight into my face. On the other hand, it doesn’t feel as cold at 8:00 as it does at 5:00! That makes it easier to stay out; and maybe soon I can truly say that I traverse afar.

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I Envy Time

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I Envy Time 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.” I envy time — yes, I do. It goes by so fast; and if I could ride as swiftly as that, I’d be doing great! But for now, I  have to put such dreams on hold. My foot isn’t ready for much activity yet; so I’m still stuck with a lot of sitting around. When I can get back to regular cycling, cadence work will be helpful. I’ve experimented with attempting to hold a given speed; and with working to hold a certain cadence. Sometimes it seems that the latter is more helpful; maybe because speed is partially dependent on such factors as headwinds. I think it’s helpful to “mix it up” and not try to do things the exact same way all the time. The mental change of gears gives me a break. Training isn’t very useful if it becomes drudgery! As for time’s breakneck speed, Christmas is only a week from tomorrow! It always comes before I can brace myself for its arrival; and I hope I have everything ready.  I’ve found several YouTubes of German Christmas songs; and am thinking of what to do for my personal “Xmas dinner”.   I envy time its ability to fly; and I wish it would hasten to the point where my foot is ready and able to really go for a ride. After that, it may slow down a little! But the lack of exercise is irritating; and of course I want to burn off some calories! Especially with holiday goodies everywhere. 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 I Envy Time December 17, 2023 Holiday Food December 16, 2023 Glad I’m Home December 15, 2023 Getting Wild December 14, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Holiday Food

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Holiday Food 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.” It’s time to think about holiday food! Turkey; ham; baked sweet potatoes; cranberries; and, among many other things, chocolate! It seems odd to be talking about food other than ride food; but hey, it’s Christmas time. Speaking of ride, I hope I can get out for a short jaunt later today. Unfortunatey the wind is still pretty strong; and there’s the threat of rain. If I do ride, maybe Alter Eco Truffles are good for pre-ride fueling. Or maybe they’re better as a post-ride pick-me-up. What’s your favorite holiday food? It’s hard for me to choose a favorite. Naturally (and alas!) I love candy; but a dinner of turkey white meat with cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes is good, too. And maybe pumpkin pie for dessert! After that big dinner, I’d need a vigorous bicycle ride (Maybe on a Savadeck Phantom 2.0) to burn off some of those excess calories. Unfortunately I still have to keep rides short and easy because of my foot. This morning I got a lift to the salavage store, and was able to replenish my supply of goodies from the grab-bag bins (including a FitCrunch Bar). I forgot to look for cranberry sauce; but I laid in a supply of paper towels. It felt odd to not be riding there; and I hope I can be back at it before long. 

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Glad I’m Home

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Glad I’m Home 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.” Right now I’m glad I’m home. The temperature is 65 degrees; and that’s comfortable for riding. There is, however a strong wind: 23 mph, with gusts up to 33 mph. That’s quite a lot to fight even when I’m not on top of the levee! Besides, my toe is acting up a bit today; so I’d better stay off the bike. Instead, I’m doing a bit of cleaning. BBH is a great reference for that; it’s full of non-toxic (and, usually, non-smelly) ways to clean almost anything. For example, do you need to clean the bathroom basin? Combine baking soda with liquid soap or detergent to create a mixture with a texture like that of creamy frosting. Use it to scrub basin; bathtub; or kitchen sink. Rinse well. If I had a garden, I’d be turning to BBH for non-toxic methods of pest control. If I had a house of my own, I think I’d like to try milk paint for the exterior — and make it myself! BBH tells how to do it. There’s even a recipe for home-made soap! This wind will continue through tomorrow, and perhaps Sunday, too. I’ve gotten a ride to the salvage store lined up; I don’t think my foot is ready for me to bicycle that round trip of 11 miles yet. Rain is quite possible tomorrow afternoon; and then I’m sure I’ll be glad I’m home! 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 Elementor #155961 December 15, 2023 Getting Wild December 14, 2023 Sooner or Later December 13, 2023 Quantum Leap December 12, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Getting Wild

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Getting Wild 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.” It’s getting wild out there. For December, it’s warm this afternoon; a balmy 63 degrees. But the wind has strengthened considerably since morning; and we’re under a wind advisory for the next 48 hours.   A windscreen on my bike might be helpful; but is the Thule Yepp Mini Windscreen big enough? Maybe the windscreen keeps the wind off of the rider; but does it help with fighting headwinds? Now I think about  it, I’m not so sure it does. And how does it affect steering? Apparently this windscreen doesn’t mount on the handlebars; so I guess steering is minimally affected. Maybe one of these days I’ll try one. Not soon, though. Even with sneakers that have ample room for my toes, my left foot is acting up a bit. It could be the weather. Rain is expected by the weekend; and I suppose that means that the barometer is dropping. I hope I can ride, though; even if only a little. But I must keep in mind that it’s getting wild. Wind 15-25 mph tomorrow; and gusts up to 40 mph! That’s enough to blow me right off the levee; and even in the park it will be rough. On second thought, it might be time to take a day off from riding.

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Sooner or Later

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Sooner or Later 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.” I guess every cycling enthusiast is bitten by the touring bug sooner or later. Certainly I’ve wished often enough that I could go a-rovin’ with a group of like-minded riders; and see something new while enjoying the ride. But where? While we’re talking about SOONER or later, maybe Oklahoma (the Sooner State) is as good a place as any.  Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area is great for MTB lovers, with its hairpin turns and steep hills. If you want something tamer, suited to all levels of riders, try out the Lake Hefner Trail. You can enjoy wildflowers along the way; or even go fishing. Be cautious, though; this route is heavily trafficked. Truth to tell, though, I’d be wary of riding across Oklahoma, especially during tornado season. Suppose a twister spins up when I’m in a wide-open area, with nowhere to take shelter? All I could do then is hope to find a ditch to crawl into! In said wide open areas, there ought to be ample opportunities for bird-watching. My father would have loved that. It’s interesting to see feathered fauna other than those that I have around home. OK, we’re off to OK, aka Oklahoma. What do I need to bring? What kind of bicycle? A touring bike makes sense, with a built-in rack for panniers. Will I need to bring a tent? Cooking gear? A sleeping bag? But let’s hold our horses. Even before I get around to equipment, how about the route? Oklahoma has a reputation for being very windy; can I choose a path that will let me have a tailwind much of the time? Speaking of wind, I hope I wouldn’t get assaulted by a tumbleweed! The climate in the State can vary; the eastern part tends to be humid; and the western part is likely to be more arid. I’ve got to be sure to bring that Camel-Bak; because sooner or later, I’ll get really thirsty! 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 Sooner or Later December 13, 2023 Quantum Leap December 12, 2023 Afternoon Ride? December 11, 2023 Think Ten Times! December 9, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

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