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I Love Tailwinds

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

I Love Tailwinds! I love tailwinds! What cyclist doesn’t? During yesterday’s ride, I got a good breeze behind me on the way home; and for four or five seconds was cruising at 20+ mph! For me, that’s very fast. That’s why I love tailwinds. Today was different. I rode to the salvage store; and the wind was pesky. Tomorrow looks like more of the same; and I’d better ride early in the day. The afternoon heat index might reach 111 degrees! That’s when I’m glad to be indoors, with the air conditioner running; and an icy cola to drink. Gosh, I’m getting soft. I grew up in this hot, humid climate with no A/C; and now I’d be hard-pressed to do without it. My distance this morning was extended by a few miles. Almost two miles into the ride to the salvage store, I remembered that I didn’t have my wallet with me; and I had to go back home to fetch it. What a nuisance that was! In addition, if I had been one minute later, I would have had to wait for a freight train! I was glad that I beat it to the crossing; but I didn’t escape the blast from its horn. Talk about LOUD!!  Back home I ate an early lunch; then after another short errand I could get to editing my website. It still needs a lot of work. In fact, I don’t think it will ever end. If I’ve learned only one thing about keeping a website, it’s that a website is a work in progress. Creating a menu bar, aka nav bar, isn’t complicated in itself; but when I have to create new pages to link to the menu it gets very time-consuming! After several hours of such intense mental focus, I feel like a zombie. I wish there were some kind of tailwind that could speed up the process; but there isn’t. I hope I’ll get a tailwind at least part of the time during tomorrow’s ride. Then I’ll have an energy boost for further editing work when I get home.    

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Pickle Power

BACK ISSUES, Food /

Pickle Power Turn to pickle power on a hot day! Today our heat index reached 105; and similar conditions are forecast for tomorrow. I’m glad I didn’t have to ride in that heat, but if you can’t avoid it; and feel too sweated-out as a result; Pickle Ice can replenish some of those lost electrolytes. It can help you to cool off, too.  I’ve had dill pickle juice during Tours de Cure; and after an hour’s riding in the heat, it sure tastes good! That’s pickle power for you! Of course, pickle juice isn’t everybody’s thing. If you want electrolyte replenishment, Skratch Labs makes a hydration mix; and some people like Gatorade. I myself go for Nuun or Propel. I hope I can get out early tomorrow, and put in some miles before the heat gets bad. I have a late-morning appointment, though; and that might be tough. I’m debating whether to ride; or to walk. Whichever method I use, pickle power ought to be great afterwards!  

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Powder Power

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Powder Power! Powder Power is what you get with Propel Powder Packets. These are easy to carry in a jersey pocket or top-tube pouch; and provide electrolytes plus vitamins. They’re also sugar-free! Just pour the contents of a packet into 16.9 oz of water; mix; and you’re good to go. This variety pack includes three flavors: Black Cherry; Watermelon; and Grape. Five boxes of 10 packets each. $19.99 It’s been a while since I’ve had these. I found them at the salvage store a time or two; but lately all I can find are pre-mixed bottles of the drink. Yesterday I found Black Cherry and Kiwi Strawberry. But Propel Powder Packets are easier to pack along than a even a tube of electrolyte drink tablets. As for an actual bottle full of liquid added to my Camel-Bak … a few packets of powder are far preferable. Let’s hear it for Powder Power!

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GU Time

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GU Time It was GU Time during this morning’s ride. Usually I don’t need to stop for a gel during a weekday ride; but this morning I began to feel like I needed the energy boost. Not that I did a very long ride; only 12.5 miles. I did , however, include some 30-second efforts at riding 15 mph or more. I guess that did it.  My stomach wasn’t growling; and in fact, I didn’t feel hungry. But I started to feel really tired; and I had some five miles to go before I got home. Better to stop a minute to eat a “goo” than to keep going, and then bonk — and have a miserable time getting home as a result. In fact, that’s why I carry a few gels at all times. You never know when GU Time might strike; and I’m glad I was able to whip up a smoothie in a hurry once I got home. Last night I mixed up skim milk with protein powder; and all I needed to do was pour it into the blender; add 3/4 cup of frozen blueberries; and blend it. Now that I have a blender, maybe I’ll get more onto smoothies. I’m sure there are many combinations; and however delicious chocolate-blueberry is, I won’t want it for every drink!

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Slot Machine

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Slot Machine? The slot machine can be bad news. I, for one, intend to leave the thing alone. But sometimes the routes we ride can turn into a slot machine. Be aware of any grooves in the road parallel to your direction of travel. If you catch your front wheel in such a groove, you can go down. Or even go endo! You might not be applying the front brake; but the result can be the same. One of the places where we need to be careful is a railroad crossing; especially if the pavement surrounding the rails has become worn. It’s amazing how quickly that wear can occur, too.  Sometimes slots involve old and battered road surfaces. They might form along the painted lines on the road; or a slot could mean a pothole. The only thing to do about slots is to keep your guard up. Keep your front wheel clear of them! If possible, cross railroad tracks, or any slot, as near to perpendicular as possible. Rough surfaces — including potholes — and road debris (broken glass, etc.) are why I use tire liners. They go a long way in preventing flats; but are no help against the “slot machine”.

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Bargains

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Bargains Who doesn’t love bargains? We all want to get more for our money, and preferably more stuff for less money; and I’m no exception. That’s why I keep going to the salvage store! Today the grab-bag bins were better stocked than they were last week. I found three FitCrunch bars! The catch is that I filled the rest of the bag with junky stuff that I ought not eat: candy bars and cookies. I got 18 items into a $3.00 grab bag; but I have to wonder whether having tempting food around home is really “getting my money’s worth”. I was glad that I took the trailer, because I doubt that the panniers would have had room for the all the stuff that I got! I found a half-gallon jug of white vinegar (useful for cleaning); and I found a half-gallon carton of coconut-almond milk. Those two items alone took up quite a lot of space. I had brought the cooler, too; so the trailer was necessary, anyway. Now that it’s June, I naturally have hurricane preparation on my mind; and that includes setting aside a good stock of non-perishable foods. For some strange reason, I want pudding snack packs included in my “hurricane food”; and I got two packs of it today. Other bargains that I found this morning include yogurt and pickles. I was tempted to grab a 12-pack of rolls of paper towels, but wasn’t sure they’d fit in the trailer with everything else. Then came the ride home. Luckily the wind wasn’t against me as much as it was on the way to the store. That’s unusual, but I’m always glad when it happens. We cyclists love tailwinds as much as shoppers love bargains!

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Magic Carpet

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Magic Carpet? Magic carpet sounds like something out of the Arabian Nights; or maybe some super-duper rug cleaning product.    I decided to get a small rug for my rocking chair, so the rockers don’t wear the wood floor. I also saw that my bicycles needed something to keep their tires from leaving scuff marks; and ordered area rugs for them, too. I’ve seen cartoons that show a magic carpet flying through the air, all by itself; but it might be fun to have a bicycle-powered flying rug. It probably would provide a smoother ride than a number of the streets around here; and I’d still get my exercise. There’s a catch, though: is a headwind worse riding a bicycle on the ground; or pedaling a rug through the sky? I might never know; but it’s fun to think about it. Today’s ride to the salvage store was as usual; but I was delayed leaving home for a bit when I had to deal with a most unusual intruder. I’m not sure how that snake got in here; but yesterday they installed a new storm door. Maybe it sneaked in during the work. It already feels like Summer; and at 3:45 pm it was 92 degrees! The humidity level was at 38%; and that’s low for us. It helps keep the heat from feeling so sweltering. This morning I skipped riding out to see the full moon. I’ve been tired, what with moving and all; and I don’t have a magic carpet to ride on!

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Rererun

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Rererun It feels like a rererun, aka re-rerun, every time June 1 rolls around. To be precise, it’s the beginning of hurricane season! Now we’re in for six months of anxiously watching the tropics; and hoping we’re spared this year. I’m not sure where I’d go if I decided to relocate; but I know I wouldn’t mind being out of the immediate reach of hurricanes. I put aside some of my store of canned goods, in case I’m caught short if a storm threatens; and I want to get some protein bars.  I also want to start buying gallon jugs of drinking water. A big concern for me is what I’ll do if an evacuation is called. It won’t be easy to get out of this city on a bicycle; not even on an e-bike! I’m glad to be in a lower-story unit, because I’m sheltered from the worst of the sun; but I hope I’m out of reach of street flooding! That, at least, was never a concern in my old neighborhood. But in a hurricane, there might be enough rain to let water get in here, anyway. Speaking of rererun, that’s what my daily rides sometimes feel like. I have a great path at hand; but using the same one all the time can seem tedious. It’s a great place to ride because there’s minimal motor traffic — a patrol vehicle now and then; and some mini-industries with access roads that cross the levee. The big problem is wind.  Up there a rider is totally exposed; and I nearly always have a headwind on the way home. That’s a rererun that gets VERY tiresome!

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Memory Lane

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Memory Lane Memorial Day sounds like Memory Lane. Today we honor those lost while serving our Country in the armed forces. Memory Lane also sounds like remembering epic rides, such as my first century. How long ago that was! I can hardly believe it’s more than eleven years since that day. Naturally, I included an account of that ride in this website; but the editing program I was using gave me trouble with the text length. I had to cut out huge chunks of the text; and one of these days I must go back and see whether my current editor will let me expand on it. If, that is, I can find the complete log. Seems to me it’s around here somewhere. My road bike is in the shop, so I had to content myself with a short ride on the hybrid today. I made a detour to the closest supermarket on the way home to buy a cucumber. After I locked up the bike, I suddenly remembered that I had no money with me; and had to  head home instead. Once there, I boiled an egg and toasted some bread. I got a pot of brown rice going; and chopped up some kale leaves, onion, and garlic. These went into another pot with canned black beans for a stew. Cooking can seem like a walk down Memory Lane, as I think of all the culinary experiments I’ve done over the years!      

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Settling in with BBH

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Settling In with BBH I’m settling in with BBH. If I’ve got a “housekeeper‘s bible”, this is it. The first week, though, I was busy unpacking; and deciding where to put everything. I didn’t really feel like I was settling in, with BBH or without it; nor did I feel like cleaning! There was too much to do at one time; there were boxes of stuff everywhere; and my head was spinning. It took a week for things to start falling into place. I was interested in non-toxic cleaning even before my sensitivities got so bad. To me commercially available cleaners just plain stink; and their fumes are suffocating. Most things in BBH are easy to find; and inexpensive.  BBH was written by an author who developed severe multiple chemical sensitivity; and had to find substitutes to standard cleaners such as chlorine bleach. This book discusses housekeeping; skin (i.e. facial) care; whole body care; gardening/pets/pest control; and house care/hobbies. Sometimes I wish I had my own home so I could try milk paint! $18.35 This past week, my brother was in town for some kind of convention; and he stayed here nights. That threw off my schedule. My front door is deadbolt-only; and of course he couldn’t get in our out unless I were here with the key. That meant going riding later than usual; and somehow that upset the rest of the day. On top of that, I was getting to bed too late. He headed back home late Friday afternoon; and now things can settle down. BBH, shown above, came in handy yesterday. The basin in my bathroom looks like marble. I’m not sure it’s genuine marble; but I checked this book for hints on marble-surface care. It was a good thing I did! It says marble scratches easily; and recommends using chalk powder. I don’t have any; so I mixed up some baking soda soft scrubber. I used that and a soft cloth to clean the basin. Next I’ll try club soda on the fixtures.  See? I’m settling in with BBH.

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