CAL, Author at SpokEasy - Page 104 of 130

Inflexible

Inflexible! I’m getting inflexible. Since my hand surgery, I haven’t even been doing my off-bike flexibility exercises; and it’s catching up with me. If I stoop to pick up something, my leg muscles ache. They also hurt when I stand up after a spell of sitting cross-legged on the floor. Obviously it’s high time I resumed those exercises! Today I had occupational therapy; and my hand doesn’t need any more work today. I guess I overworked it for the previous day or two; because it had cramps in it when I woke this morning. A setback is something I do not need; so I need to take it easy for the rest of the day. But it’s a nuisance to have to type one-handed; and cooking is tricky when I can’t use one hand well. I hope I get out to use a WattBike® later today; but now I’m awaiting a shipment from WholeFoods. It includes perishables, so I don’t want it to arrive while I’m away; and then sit outdoors for an hour or more. It’s 75 degrees out there! It’ll be great when I can ride to the store again. Call me inflexible if you like; but I’d far rather ride to the store to get my groceries, than order online. I need the exercise; and I’m sure it’s cheaper than online purchasing. I hope it won’t be long before I’m back on the bike. The therapist says my recovery is right on schedule; so that’s good news. I just wish I could speed it up!

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Brook No Time Out

BACK ISSUES, equipment / CAL

Brook No Time Out? If you’ll brook no time out of the saddle, perhaps the Brooks England B17 Saddle is just what you need! This saddle, made in England, has been around for more than a century; so it must be good. Its leather covering breaks in with regular use; and molds itself to fit your unique contours. I knew only one person who used a Brooks; and he said he liked it. This saddle comes in various sizes and colors; and a leather-care kit is included. Two-year warranty against manufacture/materials defects. Weighs 1.98 lbs. $97.99 The Brooks B17 Short Honey is designed for women riders. Leather cover molds over time to fit you. Like the Brooks England B17 shown above, it’s been on the market for more than 100 years. Two-year warranty against manufacturer/materials defects. Weighs 2.1 lbs. Product of England. $94.88 To keep your Brooks saddle in top condition, this saddle dressing is great. It keeps the leather soft and pliable; and ready for your next ride. You’ll brook no time out of the saddle! $19.75

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Lobo

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Lobo? It’s easy to think “lobo” — aka wolf — today. We were under a wind advisory all morning; and that brings to mind the line: “I’ll huff; and I’ll puff; and I’ll blow your house down!” We were lucky here; but folks in other areas were less fortunate. They got hurricane-force winds; hail; and even tornadoes! Our afternoon temperatures have been climbing into the 80s; but it’s down to 57 tonight. That’s more seasonable! I had to be out in the wind today, because I had an occupational therapy session. On the way there, I found yet another item left over from the parades: a fuzzy die. It was maybe 2 1/2 inches per side; and quite soft and squeezable. I brought it with me, because I thought the OT might be able to use it for clients (as in gripping exercises). But first it has to dry; it was rather damp. The OT says I’m doing very well; and she told me, as long as I used mostly my right hand, I ought to do all right changing my bed’s sheets. So I tried it; and it went well. I’m not sure whether I’m ready to use my washing machine yet; but do I want to try it! Not today, though. My hand needs a rest; and in fact, it feels rather numb. I guess that means I’m not quite ready to climb aboard a bicycle.☹️ Our local lobo seems to be easing up; and maybe I’ll go out later and get Chinese food. Just now it’s lunch-hour rush time; and I’d rather wait for things to calm down.

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Picnic Time

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Picnic Time! It sure feel like picnic time around here. March has barely begun; yet we’re getting afternoon temperatures in the 80s! If it’s picnic time for you, this Carhartt Lunch Cooler is a handy item to have. It’s insulated to keep lunch or a six-pack cool; and the top compartment can hold smaller items (how about M&Ms for dessert?) The zip-shut front compartment holds utensils and napkins. I don’t know that I’d want to eat al fresco this afternoon, though. There’s a chance of T-storms; and it’s already drizzling on and off. The wind isn’t very strong at the moment; but starting at 9 pm there’s a wind advisory. It’s in effect until noon tomorrow. I’ll have a breezy walk to my occupational therapy appointment! Getting back to the lunch cooler, I used a similar item to carry my lunch to work for years. It could just fit into a pannier; with room to stuff in a poncho if rain were predicted. This cooler is good to take along when grocery shopping on hot days; I can keep things like yogurt and hummus from getting too warm on the way home. Incidentally, I’m getting anxious to make a trip to the salvage store. But I’d better be careful about stocking up on canned goods, lest salvage store woes catch up to me again.

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Hand Up

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Hand Up? A hand up? Is that the right way of putting it? My left hand seems to be improving. I had occupational therapy today; and I have a new exercise. I put a rubber band around all my fingers, thumb included; and gently stretch the rubber band outwards. When I got home, I looked at my collection of rubber bands and found one that seems right. I do need to pay more attention to massaging the surgery scar. The OT says it’s “catching” a bit; and I need to fix that. I don’t have any commercial lotion; but I do have my home-made hand cream (à la BBH). I can use that. The trouble with it is that it’s quite oily. I had collected some “throws” along the way to occupational therapy sessions, including seven bouncy rubber balls. The were from a half-inch to one inch in diameter. I thought they might be helpful for OT; and my therapist says they are! That’s a lot better than throwing them away. Before I went home from occupational therapy, I made a detour to pedal on a WattBike®. Oddly, I seem to be able to pedal more strongly when I’ve already walked several miles during the day. Today I tried holding the handlebars with both hands. Hard gripping is still out; but it’s great to be able to use that left hand. The weather continues to be weird. It got up to at least 80 degrees today; and tomorrow we’ll have similar conditions. It’s been quite windy, too. Is that March “coming in like a lion”? It’s time to stop and give my poor extremity a rest. A hand up is fine; but one worn out isn’t so great.

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MET-Rx Variety

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Met-RX Variety MET-Rx Variety is the latest addition to the SpokEasy shop. This package lets you try three delicious flavors: Vanilla Caramel Churro; Super Cookie Crunch; and Crispy Apple Pie. Each bar packs in 30 or more grams of protein; and supplies zinc; vitamin A; and vitamin C. They make great ride food; and serve as a light meal, too! Total of one dozen bars. $44.99

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mask up y’all

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Mask Up Y’all! Mask up, y’all! Yes, I know. Mardi Gras is over; but as far as I know, the threat of COVID is not. I think it makes sense to continue using masks while out and about. I’m not alone in that thinking. Every day I still see people wearing masks; and I’m especially glad to have one when a little kid in the store is coughing all over the place! These face coverings are useful if you are sensitive to fragrances; tobacco smoke; and the many other fumes that are almost impossible to avoid. I keep several with me at all times. Sure, I get tired of wearing the things; and they feel rather smothery in hot weather. But that’s better than getting sick; or choking on “smelly stuff”. So mask up, y’all!

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double dip

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Double Dip? I did a sort of double dip for lunch today; although not with ice cream. After all, I ate ice cream yesterday! My appetite for refried beans was coming to the surface; and I didn’t have any in pop-top cans. So, on the way home from occupational therapy, I detoured to the drug store to see what I could find. The store had bean dip; and I got a can of that. It works well as a spread on bread; and I put some ranch dressing on top of it. The dressing didn’t quite make it double dip; but it was close enough. I hope I don’t have to regret going to the store. At the checkout, the customer ahead of me had a child in tow (about 3-4 years old, I guess); and the kid was coughing like crazy. The parent wasn’t covering up the kid’s cough, either; nor telling the child to do so. I was wearing a mask; but if I get a cold or worse in the next day or two, I’ll know why! It’s a good thing I have a supply of Vitamin C left from my hand surgery. I’m going to take extra for a few days, until I’m sure I didn’t catch a cold; and I’ll be so glad when I can ride again! Regular vigorous exercise seems to be good for my immune system!

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Confused

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Confused! Our weather seems very confused. It’s not yet the end of February; but yesterday afternoon I had to turn on the air conditioner! Yesterday in the morning I had occupational therapy; and that meant walking about a mile from streetcar stop to the clinic. Even at 8:00 am, it was already getting warm. On the upside, day before yesterday was Mardi Gras; and I was able to collect some “throws” without the hassle of noise and crowds. My hand is doing OK; but I think I need to back off a little. Apparently I did a bit too much for a few days, because the hand is a tad swollen. But oh, how hard it is to keep that hand out of action! Considering the unusual warmth, I’m surprised that T-storms aren’t in the forecast. This morning there was a dense fog advisory, though; and the forecast predicts a high of 82 degrees! A wearable AC would be useful; I could leave that window unit off and save on the power bill. This crazy weather has us all confused. How should I dress today? Is it going to turn cold again? When; and how much colder? I’ve heard people complain about this capricious weather often, saying you never know how to dress; and that it’s no wonder people get sick. I’m debating whether to go work on aWattBike® now; or wait for afternoon. I badly need the exercise; but at the moment I feel lazy.

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got wet boots

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Got Wet Boots? Got wet boots? This DX Boot Dryer might be exactly what you need. DX Boot Dryer can handle up to four items at a time; and dries them in an hour or two. Takes care of gloves and stocking caps, too! More than once, during rainy spells, I’ve wished I had one of these. When I get home with sopping wet shoes, the best I can do is stuff them with wadded newspaper; and change the paper every few hours. Even then, the shoes are still damp the next day. I remember my brother-in-law had one of these when he worked for USPS. He had a delivery route; and of course was out in all kinds of weather. So if you’ve got wet boots, this appliance can save you the discomfort of going out again in damp footwear.

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Author name: CAL