January 2026 - SpokEasy

Gelid!!

1 Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

GELID!! 🧊 🥶 Today it is gelid; and I do mean COLD!! At 9:30 am, the temperature stood just at freezing; and the wind chill factor was a bone-biting 19 degrees. Gusts are still as strong as 40 mph. I’d better wait at least until tomorrow to go for a ride. Even indoors, it’s chilly; although fortunately not gelid. Some of the bubble wrap is peeling off of the window panes, and that lets cold air in. This place doesn’t seem to be very well insulated, either. I don’t even have the comfort of observing a snow scene through the window; it’s quite sunny. Indoors 🏡 Since I expect to be indoors for hours — possibly all day — I figured I’d get some work done in the kitchen. I started by chopping a whole head of garlic to freeze; and I did the same with a red bell pepper. I can’t use up an entire head of garlic before the buds start to dry and shrivel; and bell pepper doesn’t keep very long in the fridge. Cooking? Maybe later. These gelid days make me feel lethargic. I’m too lazy to bake; but using the oven would warm up this place. If only my hybrid’s rear wheel could fit into the trainer! I could “ride” indoors; and let my legs have some action. It might wake me up a bit, too. 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.” 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Wait Til Sunday

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Wait Til Sunday 🕰️ It looks like I’ll have to wait til Sunday to ride again. Tomorrow will be sunny, but frigid — wind gusts up to 40 mph, with a high temperature of 37 degrees! I’ll want to stay home and huddle in front of the heater; and let the wind blow. Tomorrow night will be colder than tonight; so even I wait til Sunday for more miles, I’ll still have to bundle up. Tropics in January? 🌀 It seems like the tropics in January when the predicted wind gusts are tropical-storm force; or close to it. Barring the rare calm day, any time I go for a ride, I’ve got a headwind part of the time. Sure, working against the wind is a good way to develop strength; but pushing against 40 mph gusts is a bit much for me! I’m not sure I could make any headway at all. I suppose some riders will still be out there, and I respect their hardiness; but I haven’t got the guts to emulate them. So I’ll wait til Sunday, at least; and enjoy some hot chocolate in the meantime. 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.” 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Big Blow Coming

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Big Blow Coming 🌬️ There’s a BIG blow coming! This morning the wind was calm; and despite a temperature just below freezing, it was actually quite pleasant for riding. It won’t last, though. I was checking the forecast again; and there’s a big blow coming. Tomorrow night the wind will start to pick up; and Saturday we can expect gusts up to 40 mph! I won’t want to be riding a bicycle in such conditions Then, Saturday night, we’ll get a hard freeze. Combine that with the predicted gusts; and the chill factor won’t be much above zero degrees! Ride While I Can 🚴‍♀️ With a forecast like that, I naturally think that I must ride while I can. Today I rode to the salvage store; tomorrow I’ll just put in some miles. Day after tomorrow? I probably won’t want to poke my nose outdoors! This morning I noticed heavy frost on some roofs — a rare sight for us — but stopping to take pics would have meant getting caught by a train. I didn’t want to take off my gloves, anyway; it was too cold for that. Yesterday I did some hard efforts, so my legs are a little tired today. But I need to ride while I can. 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.” 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Cold Yet Again

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Cold Yet Again 🧊 It’s going to get cold yet again. The predicted low temperature for Saturday night is 25 degrees! I’m glad I don’t have to try to survive in a tent in such weather. It’s hard enough here inside an apartment without central climate control. When it gets cold yet again, it’s hard to get myself to go riding. Today I didn’t go out until half-past noon, when it was 40-some degrees. Last night it was in the 30s again; and when that happens, it feels cold in here. I can easily think it’s colder outdoors than it actually is. I’m glad I can get forecasts several days in advance. It lets me plan my riding; including errands. I don’t think I’ll want to ride Saturday: a high temperature of 38 degrees; and the chill factor below freezing. I intend to ride to the salvage store tomorrow. There’s supposed to be areas of frost in the morning; and I hope that doesn’t mean slick roads. Salvage Store 🥫 🍫 The salvage store is one of my favorite places; and a good way to try new foods at low cost. I look for new ride foods to experiment with; and occasionally I even find protein powder! Saturday is the usual day for a salvage store run; but on Saturday it’s going to be cold yet again. The wind will be from the North; which means (as usual!) a headwind on the way home from the store. And 15-20 mph, too, on top of temperatures not much above freezing. My nose wouldn’t like it, that’s for sure! 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.” 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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All for Nothing?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Outdoors / CAL

All for Nothing? 🫙 You know how sometimes your concerns turn out to be all for nothing? It’s so annoying, and can result in wasted time; especially when you learn that it’s been a false alarm. Early this afternoon the temperature finally rose to the low 40s; and the wind almost died down. I decided to go ride some laps around the park. During the second lap; my bicycle suddenly began to feel weird. I seemed hard to steer; especially when I rode one-handed to grab a sip of water. Had the headset gone loose? I cut the ride short so I could roll the bike over to the shop — and it was all for nothing. False Alarm 🧯 A loose headset actually seemed unlikely, as it was just tightened very recently. But when you’re riding, you don’t want your steering to fail. I finished my ride by walking the bike for the final half-mile. If the steering had gone wonky, I didn’t want to ride next to possible street traffic. After I got out of my cycling clothes, I rolled the bike over to the shop. As it turned out, both the headset and the wheels were fine. Have my arms gone wonky? I’m glad the bicycle is OK. I want to run errands over the next few days, before the next Arctic blast arrives. Late this week, low temperature will drop back down to the mid-20s. How nice if that forecast were a false alarm! 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.” 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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It’s COLD Out There!

BACK ISSUES, Outdoors / CAL

It’s COLD Out There! 🥶 🧊 It’s COLD out there; by our standards, freakishly so. As of late morning, the air temperature had barely risen up to freezing. The chill factor is about 18 degrees. Despite my need for exercise, I don’t want to go outdoors! We didn’t get any snow, although it was overcast last night. Snow would be a bit of compensation for this deep freeze; especially if I could go for a troika ride. But how many troikas are there around here? And who really wants to go for a streetcar ride today if they don’t have to? You’d turn into an icicle while waiting for a car to arrive. As I said, it’s COLD out there! Icicle 🥶 I don’t want to turn into an icicle! Hand warmers inside my gloves help; but they can’t keep my feet warm. Even with thermal socks, my feet feel like ice. Even so, I’m glad this isn’t De Smet in the Winter of 1880-1881. That must have been horrific. Back then, electric heaters were undreamed of; so were dry batteries; tap lights; and indoor plumbing with hot water. The wind chills we’re getting are described as “dangerous”; and they’ll persist until the middle of the day tomorrow. Maybe then I can go for a bicycle ride; meanwhile, maybe I’ll bundle up and go for a walk. I’ll just have to be prepared to feel like an icicle by the time I’m back 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.” 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Watershed

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Watershed 💧 I had a watershed moment this morning. I decided to go out and ride a few laps around the local park. About half a mile from home, I got a good view of the sky towards the West; and I didn’t like the looks of it at all! It looked dark and stormy; and I was well aware of the forecast for rain. Those clouds appeared to be moving fast; and I changed my mind about riding. I turned for home. Before I could get there, the wind picked up; and it began to rain. Once back indoors, I checked the weather site again; and discovered that the temperature had dropped from 67 to 49! 🥶 Speaking of watershed, the jacket I was wearing didn’t seem to shed water very well! I watched a very interesting video about survival techniques of the medieval period. With a deep freeze set to attack, I found the “Grubenhäuser” idea very appealing! Grubenhäuser 🏡 Grubenhäuser means, dug houses, that are half underground. The idea is appealing; but in this climate a half-underground house — like a straw bale house — is, I think, impractical. The climate is too humid. The ground is too wet as well. My mother was from Missouri; and I recall her telling of chatting with a neighbor that she had when she was first down here. This neighbor said, around here, you stamp your foot; and you dig a well! Therefore I don’t think that a Grubenhaus would work very well. Maybe in Missouri; but here in Swampeast Louisiana, no. Besides, can you put windows in a Grubenhaus? It doesn’t look like it; and I need to see some daylight. 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.” 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Chewing My Fingernails

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Chewing My Fingernails 💅🏻 I’m chewing my fingernails, so to speak. The weather outlook is enough to make anybody nervous. As well as I’ve been able to learn, we won’t get the snow and freezing rain here; but we will get very cold temperatures. That makes me worry about possible power outages: my stove is electric; and without electricity, I can’t even heat water! At 3:30 pm, it was raining rather hard; twenty minutes later, I began to hear thunder. Further rain is possible tonight and tomorrow morning; and maybe T-storms. For that matter, I heard some very odd-sounding thunder! I’m glad I don’t have to march in a parade; or even have plans to attend one. I’d be chewing my fingernails about how to keep dry! Keep Dry 🌵 I can’t keep dry and go riding, though! Early this afternoon I did a short ride, while I still could. Tomorrow morning I might not want to go out, either on the bike or on foot! The forecast (again!) is for showers and T-storms; and from mid-morning the temperature will fall from the upper 60s to the upper 40s. The prelude, I suppose you could say. During tomorrow night, the temperature will drop like a stone. I hope I do get some exercise; but I’m not counting on it. If I do, I might be very disappointed; but I do want to keep dry. Wet means being colder! 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.” 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Alerts!

BACK ISSUES, Outdoors / CAL

Alerts! 📢 Alerts are going out far and wide! Even we in New Orleans are under an extreme cold warning; and that’s phenomenal for us. The real cold is about 48 hours away, but alerts need to go out early; people need time to get prepared. I had planned to ride to Walmart tomorrow; but then I saw something in the online news about a Walmart store packed with shoppers trying to stock up. That’s made me change my mind! I don’t need anything from the store that can’t wait; so why try to fight the mobs? I have yet to witness panicking folks fighting each other over scarce items; and I don’t want to see it. Even less do I want to get caught up in it. That’s why I keep a good stock of non-perishable food on hand. If a hurricane or horrific cold snap is on the way, I’m all set. All Set ☺️ I’m trying to get all set when it comes to keeping warm indoors. I don’t have central climate control; and both heat and cooling can be a problem. I can’t put hand warmers against the windowpanes; but I saw something about using bubble wrap to insulate windows. So I’m trying it. In addition, I think I’ll leave the window unit in the living room running Sunday night. Normally I turn it off at night; but I’ll need some warm air in there! I hope we don’t lose power; and maybe we’re all set, because it looks there won’t be sleet or freezing rain. As of now, that is; but forecasts have a way of changing! 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.” 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Off Schedule

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Off Schedule 📅 I’m off schedule. It’s been happening for several weeks: the weather outlook isn’t good; I have an appointment to keep, etc. It can make it tricky to remember what day it is! Today I went off schedule again, and rode to the salvage store. Usually I go there on Saturday; but I want to visit Walmart this Saturday.That is, if the weather hasn’t already become too nasty; but it looks like the main chances for rain are after noon that day. So maybe I’ll be OK. Cloudy or Not? ☁️ The sky can’t seem to decide whether to be cloudy, or not. For hours, the sun has been dodging in and out. It’s in the mid-60s; but the breeze feels cold. And Sunday night, it’s supposed to get REALLY cold! Below freezing! Such weather is more than off schedule for New Orleans; it’s freakish to the nth degree! Especially as we had a major cold snap only last Winter. I suspect I’ll be missing a few days of cycling. If it’s icy, I know won’t go out; especially not on two wheels. Whether it’s cloudy or not, if we’ve had sleet or freezing rain; and if the temperatures stay very cold; it won’t melt. I’ve got to do some prepping for the Arctic blast — get water ready in a (clean) plastic trash can so I can still “flush” if the water goes out; insulate windows, and so on. What a nuisance! 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.” 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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