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SpokEasy

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No Bars Barred?

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No bars barred when it comes to my web site\’s Shop, it seems. When I visit the salvage store, I nearly always make a beeline for the make-your-own-grab-bag bins as soon as I get in the door. When I went there last Friday, my grab-bag finds included two FitCrunch bars; one Birthday Cake, and one Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Naturally I pounced on them as soon as I spied them. New ride food, and more new stuff for my Shop. Yesterday was a great time to work on anything in my web site; Tropical Storm Cristobal made outdoor activity of any kind unwise at best. Beginning Saturday, in fact, I tried to get as much web-site work done as I could, in anticipation of a possible power outage. Saturday I was working on some other new products in the Shop; yesterday I worked on the FitCrunch items. So what if my inventory already includes a number of different bars? I always have room for more. No bars barred!

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Uncertainties

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Oh, the uncertainties of these times! When will this pandemic finally have run its course? Will we ever get back to normal life? That is to say, life as it was pre-COVID-19? This afternoon I had a virtual meeting with my immediate supervisor at work. It sounds like we\’ll be starting a phased return to part-time on-site work between mid-July and mid-August; and continue work-from-home for the rest of the time. But there are still many uncertainties. We\’re talking about a college campus here. What about the Fall semester, when the students would normally return? What services will return to campus first? How soon will staff be back on-site? How about visitors from off-campus who wish to attend lectures and concerts? And much more. As to masks and social distancing, I\’m accustomed to wearing filter masks because of my sensitivities. Nowadays, when I go about and see most other people wearing masks, I feel like I\’ve started a trend! As if the pandemic weren\’t causing enough uncertainties, it\’s now hurricane season. Anyone living on or near any coast k nows the possibility of a storm taking aim on the area. A direct strike from a hurricane is often a disaster enough on its own. Combine it with a pandemic, and that\’s one heckuva double-whammy. As to a possible hurricane, I guess I\’d better hit the salvage store a few more times; and buy a few jugs of drinking water. I would rather have all those supplies and not need them; than to be forced to rush to the store when a storm watch has already been announced. And the uncertainties? Just wait and see how the cat will jump, I suppose.

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Dumka?

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Dumka? The dumka is what I’m apt to think of first when Ukraine is mentioned, thanks to Dvorak. Or, I think of pysanky. Those eggs are works of art! Perhaps they inspired Fabergé? Did you ever consider a bicycle tour through Ukraine? Here is one cyclist’s account of a solo tour through Ukraine and Romania: the good times and the tough moments. I think it’s wise to include the not-so-fun aspects of any bicycle tour; there are bound to be some difficulties! Much of Ukraine is steppe; but some parts are mountainous. Bring on the mountain bike!  Crimea is one of the most popular areas for foreign bicycle tourists visiting Ukraine. There are abundant trails for mountain-biking, horseback riding, and other outdoor activities. Maybe a two-wheeled tour of Kiev? This the capital city of Ukraine offers a number of cycling opportunities. Bike rentals are available, too. Here we go again: some do’s and thou-shalt-nots of Ukrainian etiquette. In some cultures it seems to be expected that you’ll imbibe. How do you handle that if you can’t tolerate alcohol? I’d rather stick to the cycling paths; and maybe learn to dance the dumka. All of the above, supposing that the war doesn’t make even getting into Ukraine impossible. 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 © 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 ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER

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Brothers All?

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Are these dishes brothers all? First it was Hoppin\’ John. Then Br\’er Joe and Leapin\’ Leo. And now it\’s Poppin\’ Pete! Brothers all? I would say, yes. BJ, LL, and Pops are all variants of Hoppin\’ John. If I may say so myself, they\’re all delicious. The slow-burning complex carbs in legumes and brown rice might make a great pre-stage breakfast during a Grand Tour. Or would all that fiber be better consumed for a post-stage supper? Yesterday morning I cooked the rice for this dish. In the evening, I chopped the veggies. It all sat in the fridge overnight. Today I cooked the pintos with the celery; and chopped the cheese and washed dishes while I waited for them. The beans done, it was assembly time. Stir the cheese into the hot beans. Add the veggies. Lastly add the rice. Ideally, the rice should still be hot; but trying to tend to cooking rice and boiling beans at the same time is a bit much. I think I was on my feet too long. After I finished the Pops, I made a soup from a lot of odds and ends. There was more dishwashing. I was feeling lightheaded before I was finished. Perhaps dehydration isn\’t restricted to outdoor activity. When I\’m so busy in the kitchen like that, maybe I don\’t drink enough water. After all, I don\’t want to have to go running to visit Mrs. Murphy when something on the stove needs close watching. Maybe I was getting dehydrated today. I\’d better not get dehydrated on the bike tomorrow.  

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Big Mouth

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A \”big mouth\” is generally seen as an undesirable trait. We don\’t take it as a compliment if somebody tells us, \”You and your big mouth!\” When doing a long ride, such as a century, we really need our mouths, no matter what their size. We have to keep the food supply coming if we want to keep rolling! This, unfortunately, can cause problems in the form of mouth and gum discomfort. The Complete Book of Long-Distance Cycling goes into this matter on page 192-193. One legendary long-distance rider covered the Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail in only 18 days. Afterwards, he commented that, \”The sorest thing was my mouth.\” Part of this problem could be a dry mouth. Another is foods high in acid (such as fruit pies), or sweet/sugary foods. (Here\’s looking at you, GU-Gel). I suspect that rice cakes that stick all over the teeth are another culprit. How can we keep this problem at bay? I suppose one thing that could help is not to gulp a sip of water right down. Swish it around your mouth a little before swallowing. Some riders doing multi-day tours will bring along a small bottle of mouthwash to use if needed. Regular oral hygiene, aka flossing and brushing, are of course important. So many products are on the market that I\’m not going to recommend any particular one. The choice is yours. Ask your dentist for advice if needed. As for all the stories, reports, and so on going around about the current COVID-19 crisis: we\’d be wise to keep the big mouth shut.

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In a Pickle

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Nobody likes being in a pickle. That\’s exactly where we might land, however, if we don\’t keep up with both hydration and electrolytes. Of course there are electrolyte drinks such as Zym. If you\’re tired of the norm, how about trying pickle juice shots? I tested them, and they\’re OK. In my opinion they don\’t taste good as the juice from a jar of real dill pickles; but at least the top can be twisted back on if I don\’t want the entire shot at once. The weather is really heating up; at least, it is here in New Orleans. For long rides in hot weather, electrolyte drinks and even dill pickle juice might not keep ahead of your body\’s sodium needs, especially if you happen to be a \”salty sweater\”. Some people do lose a lot of salt through perspiration. Salt tablets might be needed; ask your medical provider. Don\’t forget plain old H2O, of course. Fill up the Camel-Bak before a long ride. With too little water, you could really land in a pickle. A very expensive one called the emergency room. Another way to avoid landing in a pickle: even if you\’re all thumbs at the most minor of bicycle repairs, at least take a spare tube and basic tools with you. If your bike gets a flat, another rider might be quite willing to help; but you can help both yourself and that other rider by having a spare tube on hand. Despite our best efforts to the contrary, we do find ourselves in a pickle now and then. But I\’d rather eat pickles than get into one.      

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I Feel Gypped

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I feel gypped this morning. And disgruntled, like the fellow shown here. Last night, the forecast was for T-storms this morning. Rats, I thought. That doesn\’t sound good for my ride. Rain is one thing; lightning is something else again. When I got up today, it was overcast; but not raining, and I didn\’t hear any thunder. I decided to ride, but in the park. Then I wouldn\’t be too far from home if things did get bad. I was a little short of the park when I saw a faint flash of light. Then I heard a grumble of distant thunder. Great, I thought. I hope that keeps its distance. I started my first circuit of the park. As I rode around, there were several more flashes of light; brighter than the first. The thunder was a little closer. I decided it was the better part of wisdom to head for home. As it turned out, I could have stayed out longer! It didn\’t start to rain until I\’d been home a half-hour or so. So far, the lightning hasn\’t gotten close. I might have gotten soaking wet, but I can survive that. There have been other times when I feel cheated, too. Sometimes the forecast is for bad conditions, so I don\’t ride; and then nothing happens. The upside to that is that I have some time to do things at home. Even so, when it happens, I feel gypped.

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Bad Brakes

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Bad brakes can lead to bad breaks, right? Like broken arms or legs or collarbones, when  bad brakes can\’t stop you in time. I sure don\’t want to  join the \”bad break club\”. Lately it seemed to me that the hybrid\’s brakes hadn\’t been catching very well. Then, yesterday, I had to run a quick errand over lunch time. I got caught in the rain, and those brake pads did almost nothing! That was scary. Relying on putting a foot down to help myself stop is rather hard on my knee, and a busted knee won\’t help me train for Tour de Cure. I thought I would have to take the bike in to the shop for new brake pads. Then I remembered something. Rim brakes don\’t work as well if they\’re dirty and gritty. Add wetness, and dirt and grit are made, if anything, worse. It had been quite a while since I had cleaned the hybrid\’s wheel rims. So I hooked the bike into the trainer… Why the trainer? If I don\’t do that, turning the back wheel is rather a problem. I don\’t have a bicycle repair stand; but fastening the hybrid\’s rear wheel into the trainer lets the bike stay up without the kickstand. Then I can turn the wheel freely as I clean the rims. After I finished tending to those rims, I unhooked the bike from the trainer. I tested  the brakes by rolling the bicycle a few feet and then grabbing the brake levers. The brakes worked MUCH better! If cleanliness is next to godliness, clean wheel rims are next to safety.

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Weather Watch IV

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Weather Watch IV! I hope this will be the last, too. Tropical Storm Cristobal seems to be largely past us, although further rainfall is almost certain. The wind is still quite strong, too. If there was heavy rain overnight, I didn\’t hear it. Since work-from-home began, I\’m sleeping better. Not that I\’m complaining about that. I need it; and have needed it for many years. Guess I\’ll have to set up the trainer later. There\’s no point in starting right now, because at 8:00 I have to start work. Incidentally, although I do very little ironing, I have an ironing board. It isn\’t bad keyboard-height-wise as a working surface! It looks like I\’ll be able to go for a ride tomorrow morning. =) Weather Watch IV will be over. After two days of inactivity, I\’ll just have to restrain myself from any force work. I don\’t need to replace weather watches with watching the clock in the ER while icing a busted knee!  

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Weather Watch III

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Weather Watch III finds me relieved that I had resigned myself to not riding today. It\’s raining. According to two weather sites I checked, the wind is from the Northeast, 21-27 mph. Riding against that would be a terrible struggle. Add rain, and I\’d hardly be able to see. A tropical storm warning isn\’t the only weather alert in effect. We\’ve got a flood warning as well. Heavy rain is expected, and many streets in this city are prone to easy flooding. I\’ve been fortunate; the street where I live hasn\’t flooded once in all the years I\’ve been here. Car owners who must park their vehicles on the street are worried about their cars getting flooded. Normally, parking on the neutral ground is a no-no; but at times like this that rule is relaxed. The neutral ground is a little bit higher than the street on either side. At least I don\’t have a car, so I needn\’t worry about that. My bicycles are safe indoors. If I get too antsy from lack of physical activity, I can always hook a bicycle into the trainer and pedal for a while. I can read, or listen to music on my iPod. So maybe Weather Watch III isn\’t all bad.

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