SpokEasy

SpokEasy

Food

Not Waiting to Spring

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food, Outdoors /

Not Waiting to Spring ⚡️ I’m definitely not waiting to spring today. I feel tired and sleepy; and I’m not sure coffee bars would help. Especially as I’ve never liked coffee! It’s chilly, in the mid-50s; and overcast. That alone has me not waiting to spring! If I weren’t tired, I’d go for a ride now anyway, and skip tomorrow; because tomorrow there’s supposed to be more wind. I’m sure you all know by now how I feel about wind! But after all, I’m trying to get back into my pre-accident riding schedule; and Mondays were typically my off-bike day. Maybe I’ll go for a walk later, though.   Food! 🍫 🥘 🧑🏼‍🍳 It’s Carnival Time; and that sounds like street food. There’s food everywhere in New Orleans; but if I were at a parade, I wouldn’t want to try to eat while trying to manage myself in the crowds. I’d rather enjoy my food peacefully, at home. Or practice eating on the bike; a skill necessary for long-distance aspirants. I hope it’s not long before I can get back to that; and putting in 20-milers several times per week (along with shorter rides) is a step in the right direction. TODAY’S FEATURED PRODUCT Mastering Mountain Bike Skills NEW!! Ambrosia Planta 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

Not Waiting to Spring Read More »

Carnival Feast

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food, Outdoors, Training /

Carnival Feast 🥪 I decided to have my Carnival feast today — or part of it. Next Tuesday is Mardi Gras; and I figure that any eatery that’s open will be mobbed. That’s not exactly my cup of tea. So I went to a shop that’s just a few minutes’ walk away; and got a sandwich. Those sandwiches are enormous — a foot long — and come with a serving of rosemary roasted potatoes. That’s at least two meals; more often three or even four. I’ll need to do a twenty-miler tomorrow to compensate for this Carnival feast, even though I ate only one-quarter of the sandwich (along with the potatoes). Today I did a short and easy ride, under 9 miles. I don’t think I’m quite ready to do 20 miles every day. Short and Easy 😴 Short and easy is important after a long ride, especially when you’ve been away from long rides for several months. Soon, though, 20-mile rides will become the norm again; and I’ll be glad of that.  I want to get in another such ride tomorrow, because I’ll continue my Carnival feast: another piece of the sandwich; and I’m very tempted to get some ice cream, too!  Calorie-burning isn’t the only reason to get in some long miles tomorrow. Sunday’s weather doesn’t look so great for outdoor activity; and Saturday I want to ride to the salvage store. That’ll be a short and easy ride!   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

Carnival Feast Read More »

Another Cold Blast!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food, Outdoors /

Another Cold Blast! 🥶 We’re expecting another cold blast. To be exact, it’s due Sunday night. Rain is possible before midnight; and with a low temperature of 28 degrees, I suppose snow is possible. Who can say for sure what another cold blast will bring? Some parts of the country could get hit hard, with prolonged power outages possible. That doesn’t sound at all fun. If it were me, I would have to eat cold canned food; and I wouldn’t want to dress for a ride. I’d have to get out of my wraps to do so! Several days with no electricity would be miserable in here. I believe the water heater is gas; but otherwise everything in this place is electric. I couldn’t even heat water to make hot chocolate! Thank goodness I have hand warmers; and some plushy wraps to bundle up in. And even if I can’t heat anything, I do have ample food. Bundle Up 🧥 I didn’t need to bundle up today; the afternoon temperature rose to about 70! The expression “bundle up”, though, makes me think of Pigs in Blankets. Or Mr. Pork Chop. I never got around to trying Mr. Pork Chop; but if I do RAGBRAI again, I hope I can. But that might have to wait until next year. I still don’t have a road bike; but I hope I get one soon. The orthopedic surgeon says my elbow is fully healed; but before getting on a road bike again, I want to do some arm-strengthening! 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

Another Cold Blast! Read More »

No Snow!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food, Training /

No Snow! ☀️ Despite the forecast, we got no snow. None that I saw, at any rate. I got up at about 5:00 am, and went to look out the back door. There was no sign of the white powder; and I went back to bed. It’s been sunny all day; but cold. For the most part, I stayed indoors. If the trainer I own could take the rear wheel of my hybrid, I would do some some indoor pedaling. I feel sluggish from sitting around so much! Tomorrow it will still be cold; but still no snow. I think I’ll ride later in the day, after it warms up a little. And I’m thinking of more cooking experiments! Cooking Experiments 🥘 I’ve watched several videos about cooking during hard times. It’s given me some ideas — maybe, next time I buy a bundle of celery, I ought to cook a broth from the leaves to save for soup base.  The video presents some “desperation dishes” (as I tend to think of it) that actually sound pretty good; or, at least, they sound interesting. Cold spaghetti sandwiches; peanut butter and onion soup; boiled custard sipped warm. Some of the dishes mentioned remind me of things that my mother used to cook. I tend to do cooking experiments in fits and starts. I can prepare only so much food before I run out of storage space in the freezer; and I have only so many containers. I just did some cooking over the last week; so I’ll have to wait before gearing up for another stint in the kitchen. Meanwhile I need to get out there and do some riding. There’ll be no snow; so I don’t have to worry about slippery roads. 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

No Snow! Read More »

Is Weather a Woman?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food, Outdoors /

Is Weather a Woman? 👩 Is weather a woman? It seems like it sometimes; it’s fickle! Yesterday the forecast still showed the possibility of snow showers tonight; this morning, it doesn’t. Is the forecast a woman, too? At any rate, one site does indicate possible rain/snow showers; and one doesn’t! Either way, it’s supposed to get cold. I haven’t decided whether or not I’ll ride tomorrow. Combine a temperature below 40 degrees with wind gusts up to 20 mph, and you’ve got a nasty chill factor. Chill Factor 🥶 If the chill factor keeps me indoors tomorrow, it might be a good time to try some new recipes; except that my freezer is already full!  I went for a short ride this afternoon. It was overcast; there was a drop of rain here and there; and the wind seemed to be getting stronger. It made me think of the chill factor! I rode three laps around the park; and might have done a fourth if not for the appearance of four kids on some kind of power bicycles. Those kids were riding rather wildly; and I decided to get out of the park. In fact, I rather hope park security caught up with them and made them settle down. I think they needed to chill out! 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

Is Weather a Woman? Read More »

Ordinary Athlete

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food, Outdoors /

Ordinary Athlete 🧑🏼‍🍳   For the ordinary athlete, The Everyday Athlete Cookbook is great. You don’t have to be an elite athlete to enjoy good food! The Everyday Athlete Cookbook includes recipes for pre- and post-ride meals; plus nutritious snacks. These recipes are easy to prepare; and you’ll find information on preparing plant-based and dairy-free foods. Your kitchen can become a lab! Now that I’m cooking again, I’m experimenting with foods — such as different combinations of legumes. Cooking Again 🥘 It’s a relief to be cooking again, rather than buying microwave meals. Some of them are actually quite tasty; but they’re rather expensive. Cooking again means washing pots again; but I’m not throwing away the packaging that comes with pre-prepared foods. It’s also good to be riding again. Today, though, I waited until afternoon. The wind was pretty strong today; and that makes it feel colder. It was also from a direction that made me feel like I had a headwind most of the time. That gets pretty frustrating; but on the other hand, riding against the wind is useful for building strength! 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

Ordinary Athlete Read More »

Touched by the Frost?

BACK ISSUES, Food, Outdoors /

Touched by the Frost? 🥶 Have I been touched by the frost? It’s hard to say; although the weather got much cooler last night, it wasn’t quite cold enough for frost. Even if the temperature dropped low enough, the wind was too strong for any frost to form. But the cold seemed to affect me: my elbow was achy during physical therapy this morning. After therapy, I had to go for a follow-up with the oral surgeon. By the time I finished that appointment, it was getting towards noon. Then I needed to head for the bank; New Year’s is coming up; and I might need a bit of extra cash. After that, I got a fancy sandwich for my “New Year’s dinner”. But no chicken today. No Chicken! 🐓 I decided on a sandwich with no chicken; and no, not  because my brain was touched by the frost. There’s a saying that you shouldn’t eat chicken for New Year’s, or you’ll fo backwards in the coming year. You’re supposed to eat pork, so you’ll go forwards. That odd superstition stems from the different ways in which chickens and pigs search for food. A chicken scratches backwards; but a pig roots forwards. A popular January 1 dish around here is ham hocks cooked in blackeye peas. I’d better get in some riding tomorrow. I let it go again today; I wasn’t home from all my appointments and errands until at least noon; and the wind was still strong enough to dissuade me. And, after that huge lunch, my stomach felt too full for vigorous exercise! 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

Touched by the Frost? Read More »

Propel

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food /

Propel🫸 Good grief, I’m not even up to riding ten miles; and already I need Propel (or another electrolyte drink) on the bike. This, despite cool weather! Of course I brought along a bottle of water; but something about riding outdoors makes me get thirsty faster than indoor pedaling. Maybe I breathe through my mouth more? Whatever it is, I need something to help propel me forward. Yesterday I rode just short of seven miles; and today I added a lap. The total was well over 8 miles. It made my legs a bit tired; so I don’t think I’m ready for a trip to the salvage store quite yet. I’ll stay at 8-9 miles for a few days before extending the distance.  I’m not sure I’ll be doing Christmas riding; it depends on how I feel after the oral surgery. Doing Christmas 🎄 I’ve been doing Christmas since yesterday. Christmas dinner, I mean. Yesterday I got Chinese take-out for lunch; and today I had some eggnog (without booze). I was happy to find one-pint bottles of eggnog in the store. Today I drank about 1/2 cup of it; I’ll have another 1/2 cup tomorrow; and I froze the rest. Tomorrow? Maybe cranberry sauce and frozen blueberries. I’m trying to control my sweet tooth, though. That’s not so easy, because doing Christmas typically means a plethora of sweets! I’d better do some pedaling over the next three days, so I can burn off some of those excess calories! I won’t be riding Tuesday; and I might not be ready for it Wednesday. I’ll have to wait and see; it might be several days post-surgery before I can propel myself down the path again.  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

Propel Read More »

Deep Freeze?

BACK ISSUES, Food, Outdoors /

Deep Freeze? 🥶 The deep freeze wasn’t quite what I expected. It did get cold enough to freeze; but it didn’t stay that cold for more than a few hours. The wind was strong, though; and the covers I put on the outdoor plants got blown off. I found ways to keep busy indoors: I finished the Tardy Turtle; and I did some cleaning. My left arm is still rather ornery, though; and I have to be careful not to over-strain it. My activities need to be done in start-stop mode. It’s a good thing I don’t have a deep freeze indoors; because I might not be able to keep active enough to stay warm. Stay Warm 🌤️ To be honest, it’s really quite easy for me to stay warm. I’m not living in a claim shanty on the frontier in the Dakotas; and the climate I’ve always known doesn’t even get down to freezing very often. It’s rare for it to stay so cold for more than a day or two. Snow is an even greater rarity; and I’d expect a visit from a UFO before I’d expect a blizzard. But YouTubes about the 1880/1881 Winter in DeSmet, Dakota Territory, are food for thought. How would I fare if we had a power outage that lasted seven months? And I couldn’t go out to get more food? How would I find a way to cook rice, and dried beans? Do I have enough canned food to last more than two weeks? And even with all that, likely I can stay warm, barring a freak change in climate. Come to think of it, one thing is sure: I don’t really know what a deep freeze is! 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

Deep Freeze? Read More »

Coming along in Stages

BACK ISSUES, Food, Outdoors /

Coming along in Stages 🧩  My current cooking project is  coming along in stages. That’s how I usually manage any Hoppin’ John variation; and currently I’m working on Tardy Turtle. Last night I sorted and rinsed the dry black beans; then put them to soak overnight. This morning I drained the beans; and put them in the freezer until tomorrow. This afternoon I cooked the brown rice; and put it the fridge until assembly time tomorrow. I still have to chop the celery; but I think I’ll do that tomorrow. I don’t plan to go anywhere! It’s going to be cold; and I won’t want to go out. I won’t like to stay indoors all day; but if I don’t have to go anywhere, I might as well stay where I can keep warm. It makes me think, what if I lived in a claim shanty and had to keep a fire going? What If? 🔥 And what if I had to burn hay (~19:23)? Not merely to  to keep warm, but to keep from freezing to death? Would I have survived that long Winter? I don’t think I want to find out! I’m sure spoiled by modern indoor heating and hand warmers. So tomorrow I’ll stay close to the heater; and keep the Tardy Turtle coming along in stages. As I said, I need to chop the celery; and I have to get the red bell pepper out of the freezer. It will need to thaw out; just as I would if I went out into the big chill. 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

Coming along in Stages Read More »