| Fed up |
| 10.07.05 (8:32 am) |
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I'm fed up with Tblog. It's always down, the service sucks and I'm moving on. Most of the time you'll find me on Flickr, and sometimes on Blogger. BerlinBear said it best, ready his parting shot! |
| 5 Comments |
| Camera Update |
| 09.16.05 (5:58 am) |
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Well, after work I get home and on my front door there is a delivary notice from UPS that they have tried and failed to deliver a package which requires a signature for delivery. I hopped on the computer and looked up the tracking number on the UPS web site and sure enough it is from Florida where the company is located after their move from New York. I left a note for the UPS driver that there would be someone home after 3:00 PM today, signed the back of the notice and gave him instructions where to leave the package if he would accept my signing the delivary notice. We will see. So much for my order sitting on their shipping dock and arriving on Tuesday next week! Now I trust them even less!! |
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| ARGGGGGGGG!!!!!! | ||||
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cranky 
| Pumping New Orleans |
| 09.06.05 (5:47 pm) |
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The company I work for is talked about in this NPR piece about the horrible situation in New Orleans. Pumps to Expel Remaining New Orleans Water
All Things Considered, September 6, 2005 · Breaches in three levees and retaining walls caused most of the flooding in New Orleans. At the 17th Street Canal, flood waters are finally under control and pumps are channeling water out of the city. |
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| Listening to music at work |
| 08.31.05 (4:48 pm) |
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I've become bored with the typical music stations we have in my area. Beside I work in the middle of an all concrete building and my radio reception is horrible! I've taken to listening to the "radio" over the internet to solve my boredom and lack of reception. I use iTunes player for my music (MP3s and CDs) and thought I'd try the radio selections it offered. I was blown away with the huge selection of all kinds of music.  Lately I've been listening to Virgin Radio out of the UK. I've included a link at the Logo and in the righthand column for you. Try it you might really like it!! |
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| 1951 was a very good year | ||
| 08.26.05 (11:36 am) | ||
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Oh I couldn't help myself I HAD to do this one after Alms said she stole it from jerneedog! Guess I'd better get Googling this date and get more stuff!!
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| Children of War |
| 08.21.05 (5:15 pm) |
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Tonight I sit here wondering what I’m doing sitting here working on this computer, listening to my music with the TV on in the other room. How is it that I deserve to be full of dinner living in this wonderful house, happy comfortable and safe when so many in the world live a life of horror, want, and malnourishment? You see I’ve just finished watching the NBC Dateline program on the children of But even the poverty and illiteracy that I saw in 1974 is nothing compared to the horrors children in I know I can not save the world or stop any of the appalling things people do to other people each and every day on this earth. But it does make me think of other ways of helping the less fortunate in this world. Janine and I have talked about perhaps joining the Peace Corps again after we retire or volunteer for the Red Cross or other organizations that need help. I donate to the Heifer Project because it is one way in which I know I can make a difference in someone’s life somewhere in the world. I encourage you to do the same, or perhaps donate to one of the agencies on the Dateline page. If you do nothing else and did not see the program on this Sunday night at least go to the link I have above to the Dateline program and read about this horrible situation. |
| 6 Comments |
| OK a real post! |
| 08.17.05 (5:47 am) |
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Really things have been going just great the last month or so! Summer has come and is slowly going away. My daughter has attended summer camp for the last time, and my son is still doing just fine on his new meds. I have a normal life, and have had a great time getting to know the real boy that had been hidden for so long by the terrible illness of Bipolar Disorder. Gone is the anger, the oppositional behavior, the awful and violent destruction of property. He and his mother are getting along for the first time in YEARS! She actually enjoys having him over her house and they take the dog for a walk, go swimming and have dinners together! "J" and I are getting along wonderfully! Ever so much in love and enjoying our time together! We think alike and enjoy so much of the same kids of activities and food. We've attended concerts together, and even seena few plays. Last weekend we went to see a live performance of HAIR! I'd seen it maybe 30 years ago in Chicago (yes, in my hippy days) and loved it. Seeing it again now was a real trip (Goovy man)! We had seats right next to the stage, no one in between us and the actors! It was so much fun listening to the music again and hearing the old anti war slogens, really a trip down memory lane! Yes, we did have perfect seats for the nude scene (all of 30 sec.) for all you dirty minded people! We still have no plans on when we are getting married, but are just enjoying our time together. We are talking about the things which matter to us and how we see our lives together. You know, who is going to do what job, if and how we share our money, what kind of house we want to buy, and where, all the basic stuff! I'm having such fun with the photography and have packed my Flickr site with more photos. I'm learning all about Photoshop ver. 7 not the new CS but hey, its more than I've ever had as far as photo manipulation software. I'm still riding my bike to work nearly everyday now that gas is $2.80 /gal. And I'm enjoying the ride, it takes me 45 min. to get to work, I get a shower and get dressed and I'm ready for my day! It is great!! I'll be getting my bike equiped with lights both front and back so I can ride better and safer in the early morning half light, now that the sun is coming up later and later every day as we approach fall! |
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| New Post - for Alms! |
| 08.15.05 (6:25 pm) |
| Nothing much happening! Same old, same old! |
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| I'm Wearing my Geek Badge! | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Kids say the Darnedest Things |
| 08.04.05 (11:32 am) |
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I have not posted a good joke in a while so enjoy! I've also expanded my pictures in Flickr, so go take a look, feel free to comment! NUDITY I was driving with my three young children one warm summer evening when a Woman in the convertible ahead of us stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As I was reeling from the shock, I heard my 5-year-old shout from the back seat, "Mom! That lady isn't wearing a seat belt!" HONESTY My son Zachary, 4, came screaming out of the bathroom to tell me he'd dropped his toothbrush in the toilet. So I fished it out and threw it in the garbage. Zachary stood there thinking for a moment, then ran to my bathroom and came out with my toothbrush. He held it up and said with a charming little smile, "We better throw this one out too then, 'cause it fell in the toilet a few days ago." OPINIONS On the first day of school, a first-grader handed his teacher a note from his mother. The note read, "The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parents." KETCHUP A woman was trying hard to get the ketchup to come out of the jar. During her struggle the phone rang so she asked her 4-year-old daughter to answer the phone. "It's the minister, Mommy," the child said to her mother. Then she added , "Mommy can't come to the phone to talk to you right now. She's hitting the bottle." MORE NUDITY A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, "What's the matter haven't you ever seen a little boy before?" ELDERLY While working for an organization that delivers lunches to elderly shut-ins, I used to take my 4- year-old daughter on my afternoon rounds. The various appliances of old age, particularly the canes, walkers and wheelchairs, unfailingly intrigued her. One day I found her staring at a pair of false teeth soaking in a glass. As I braced myself for the inevitable barrage of questions, she merely turned and whispered, "The tooth fairy will never believe this!" DRESS- UP A little girl was watching her parents dress for a party. When she saw her dad donning his tuxedo, she warned, "Daddy, you shouldn't wear that suit." "And why not, darling?" "You know that it always gives you a headache the next morning." DEATH While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, our minister heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently, his 5-year-old son and his playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling that proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton batting, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased. The minister's son was chosen to say the appropriate prayer s and with sonorous dignity intoned his version of what he thought his Father always said: "Glory be unto the Faaaather, and unto the Sonnn ... and into the hole he gooooes." SCHOOL A little girl had just finished her first week of school. "I'm just wasting my time," she said to her mother. "I can't read, I can't write and they won't let me talk!" BIBLE A little boy opened the big family bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible. He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between the pages. "Mama, look what I found", the boy called out." What have you got there, dear?" With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, "I think it's Adam's underwear!" |
| 4 Comments |
| Riding my bike to work | ||
| 08.02.05 (2:44 am) | ||
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It is that time of year that makes me really happy, summer, it is warm the sun shines and I can ride my bike outdoors. The kids are not going to school now, or involved in any activities or working so it leave me a bit freer to ride more often than at other times. I've already competed in the Senior Olympics and have not really tried riding with the "Big Boys" of the Sunday morning ride this year, I'm just enjoying my time with" J" too much to want to leave her on Sunday morning to ride with a bunch of guys I only barely know. However, now I'm riding my bike to and from work, an 11 mile (one way) trip. I love the mornings, the cooler morning air, the newly rising sun and seeing animals that you don't usually see during the heat of the day. Riding in to work is very stimulating really gets my day going, but coming home in traffic is more nerve racking, but I still enjoy it all! Yes, the place I work has showers, and I do shower before work, and after for that fact too when I get home. I can’t help myself I do ride at a good speed and get a great workout. If you were raised in the 60s and 70s you remember Carole King, I know I do, she really spoke to my young soul and my developing mind and spirit. Well, if you have not heard she is now 62 and still singing! She has a new 2 CD set out called “The Living Room Tour”. If you have listened to her in the past and still love her music I suggest getting the new CD, it is really a special treat!
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| My Senior Olympics Race Report - Saturday |
| 07.21.05 (11:29 am) |
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Now the 10 K race on Saturday! Dawn broke gray, and drizzly, not a great day in my book. I’d rather bike in the heat and full sun as race in the rain/fog and gloom. The weather affects my mood to a great extent when I race. However, I’m competitive and pull out of it once the real task is at hand. But I did give serious thought to bagging it when I got up. I had the same breakfast as yesterday: oatmeal, and coffee. I drove to the race site and it drizzled the whole way. I got butterflies again as I got closer. I knew the race was going to include the guys as Friday, and would be competitive, if only I’d known! When I finally got to the meeting place the drizzle had stopped and people were getting their bikes off their cars. I went inside to get my race number and talked to several people in the room. The humidity was oppressive when I finally walked out with the sun just trying to peak out of the clouds. I got on my bike and headed out on the road for the course by the least hilly route possible, and peddled slowly. There was some water on the roads but not too bad, but the high humidity was making things damp and sticky. And the temps were getting into the mid and upper 80s even at 9:00 AM When I got to the race start it was only about 5 min. till the start of the race. I had nearly a 40 min. wait as the start order was the same as Friday, oldest women first the oldest men. I talked to several of the guys I’d met yesterday and found out there were 8 signed up for Saturday’s race, only about ½ of what we had yesterday. There were fewer women, only 6 and one new entrant, she looked like she was in my age group, ah, and easy gold for her! As I looked around at the bikes everyone was riding I noticed that everyone has a top notch bike, Carbon fiber Treks, Titanium Lightspeeds, Greg Lemond racing bikes and a Quintna Roo time trial bike, even the women in the 80+ category were riding high end machine!! Sure sign everyone here was a competitor at heart! As my time approached I took a couple if rides to keep my legs and lungs warmed up and in race condition. When you stopped however, the sweat just poured off of you it was so humid! Everyone was complaining of the heat, humidity, and mosquitoes standing near acres and acres of over our head field corn. Well, my turn is next. When my turn came I pulled my bike up to the line and had the man standing there hold my bike by the underside of the seat. I mounted and clipped in my pedals and waited for the count down. 15, 14, 13, 12 … 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Start! I stood up and pushed down hard standing getting myself up to speed. As I settled in I got my cadence up while up shifting to a comfortable pace and pressure on my pedals. I got my speed at a constant 22 mph and I sped down a nicely paved fairly flat road. I tried to keep my breathing under control today, after losing control yesterday. It is a fine balance between too much exertion and too little, so I wanted to breath hard, but not gasp for air. This was a part of the same course I’d ridden the day before only with one more turn. The first turn came nearly 2 miles into the course. I drifted toward the center yellow line, lined up the corner and took a look both ways on the road. The course is “open” meaning there IS traffic, but there are course marshals to direct traffic and we bike riders. Still I’m in the habit of looking for my self. Clear! I chose my line and hit the corner at 23 mph, round it and find myself over the yellow line near the far edge of the road, shit overshot and therefore lost a few fractions of a second, awwww, still pretty good at 23 mph. The road here is flat too, so I pushed off down the road trying to keep my breathing controlled, my legs while working hard were not hurting. I see the 5K point, ah, good half way there. Then I heard this sound on my left side, a familiar “plastic/composite” sound, Oh Frick, another rider, with a solid disk wheel! I know that sound! Shit, he started one minute behind me and is passing me!! I’d been eying the guy in front of me too with the thought I was going to pass him, and had closed within perhaps 200 yards. But this guy comes flying past me, he is going to catch the other guy in front of me too! Soon that dreaded hill appeared ahead, I remembered yesterday and how I was going to attack it today. As I approached I monitored my legs for effort. When I could tell I was beginning to bog down slightly I sprung out to the saddle and continued to climb in a standing position. My speed didn’t drop as much, it was more work, but I was not losing time. Soon my legs began to scream, so I finished the last few yards seated. As soon as I sat down I then heard a car approaching from behind, passing wide, good, and then a large dump truck rumbled past too. Oh shit the corner is coming up! As I watch in front of me a situation unfolds. My minute man (the guy who started one minute in front of me) was going to get trapped between the car and the truck, before the corner! Poor guy, that will slow him down!! Ah ha, easier for me to catch him!! Well, he gets through after a bit of a slow down but the dump truck doesn’t turn the corner right in front to me!! I scream GO, GO, GO!!!! ……………… Fucker MOVE!!!! Still he sits there, and there is nowhere for me to go, he is too big, I can’t pass on the right anyway, there are potholes in that part of the corner (I learned that yesterday). Finally he goes and I try and round the corner at a good speed, Shit 18 mph. I’m furious! I’m LIVID! I’m screaming obscenities at the top of my lungs as press hard to regain my speed, and also crest the hill after the corner. I settle down and get my rhythm again, crest the hill and fly down the other side. I pedal as I go down, trying to keep myself from blowing up with my breathing and hit a top speed of 31 mph! I’ve closed the gap between me and my minute man but he is pressing hard too and staying just ahead of me, maybe 100 yards. Bump I go over the bridge and head up the small hill just before the finish line and push hard into the line. Wow, so close but so far, I did not catch him but made up quite a bit of time on him anyway! The challenge of him being so close in front of me helped me I’m sure turn in a better time. My bike computer gave me a time of 17 min. and 30 sec., and average speed of 21.5 mph! Ah ha, I was right faster then yesterday, on a longer course on less!! Must have been the correct form climbing the hill of maybe the excitement of almost catching my minute man! Anyway I’m pretty happy, and pleased with my performance! I didn’t gasp for breath, and I pushed as hard as I could the whole way, I remembered to climb the hill standing and did it! Now if only that truck wouldn’t have been there………… I stuck around for the medals and too pictures of all the winners, except for one, the 50- 54 woman, see got up and down too quickly!! After the medals were handed out the posted the times on the building so we could all see them. In my group the 50 to 54 men’s category there was less then 3 min. between all 8 of us and less the one minute separated the top three medal winners! So very competitive!! They also announced that next year would be the National Qualifiers, and the racecourse would be this very course!! Yes!!!!! Great, Next your I’ll come back in even better shape and practice this course very often, and I’ll have it down pat! Watch out next year guys!! Thom’s motivated!! [url=]Here is a slideshow of the medal winners![/url] |
| 9 Comments |
| I owe Mom |
| 07.18.05 (7:23 am) |
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Well I know I owe everyone another race report, but I just HAD to post this one, as a parent I understand these all too well! 1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE. "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning." 2. My mother taught me RELIGION." You better pray that will come out of the carpet." 3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL." If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!" 4. My mother taught me LOGIC." Because I said so, that's why." 5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC." If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me." 6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT." Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident." 7. My mother taught me IRONY." Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about." 8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS." Shut your mouth and eat your supper." 9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM." Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!" 10. My mother taught me about STAMINA. "You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone." 11. My mother taught me about WEATHER." This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it." 12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY." If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!" 13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE." I brought you into this world, and I can take you out." 14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION." Stop acting like your father!" 15. My mother taught me about ENVY." There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do." 16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION." Just wait until we get home." 17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING." You are going to get it when you get home!" 18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE." If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck that way." 19. My mother taught me ESP." Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?" 20. My mother taught me HUMOR." When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me." 21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT." If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up." 22. My mother taught me GENETICS." You're just like your father." 23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS." Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?" 24. My mother taught me WISDOM." When you get to be my age, you'll understand." 25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE." One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you |
| 7 Comments |
| My Senior Olympics Race Report |
| 07.15.05 (5:52 pm) |
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I got to the race course around I’ve got a few pictures of the crew, looked like quite a spread of ages from 50s to the 80s at least! However, as I’m unpacking my stuff and getting my bike off the car, I spy one of the guys I trained with in Spin class. This guy is an animal, a super athlete and quite a triathlete, wins his age group all the time. Legs of iron and a physique any guy of any age would envy! Oh crap, I guess the race is for second place in my age group. I thought he was younger than 50!!! I’m 53 so I’m one of the “young bucks” of this race and usually these age groups are quite loaded with people. I go to the office, get my race number and get a pre-race briefing while listening to the training for the course volunteers. As they give me my number I take a peek at the registration and there are 15 guys in my group, crap again! Nearly 40% of this whole race is in my age group, stiff competition! I’m #741 the 41st out of 50 racers in the entire race, nearly one of the last to start and my start time is Undaunted I go back get my bike and strike out for some warm up. There is only one corner in this race a 90 deg. turn, down hill and as I ride past it I see some pot holes near the apex of the curve. Ah, better take this curve once at several speeds in practice to see how I’ll need to take this corner during the race. After about 3 attempts I find a good line to approach the corner and make the turn without violating the yellow line in the middle of the road, and I can take it at 22 mph, no problem, great, a nearly full speed turn! I then ride up to the one hill on the course a log low affair that rises more steeply as you get near the crest. I practice this one too and find it will be the hardest test on the course. Having nearly an hour left I ride back to the meeting place and grab my drink and an energy bar and head back on the course to ride slowly back to the starting point. I pick up the draft of another rider (legal, because the race has not started) and ride to the start line with him. I’m nicely warmed up, and watch others as they take off on their races. I feel myself cooling down so I ride off again careful to come back just 3 min. before my start time. I’m sweating and my legs feel good, warm but not tired. It’s my turn on the start line. A volunteer hold the seat of my bike as I mount and click my shoes into the peddles. Many of us use cleated shoes which allow us to fasten our shoes into the peddles so more power is transmitted to the peddles and also so we can pull up as well as push on each peddle stroke. Another volunteer counts down 15 sec. ……. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 GO! I stand and push hard to get up to sped quickly, shift gears and sit down and shift again, rapidly gaining speed and flying along at about 22 mph. Only about 2 min. later here comes the hill, I opt to take it seated and downshift, but I have to downshift more as I climb. Instead of standing as was my plan for some reason I kept sitting and my speed slows far beyond what I wanted, 18, 15, 12 mph, crap, I’m crawling. As I crest the hill I’m nearly out of breath but push over and up shift to try and regain my speed. Soon I’m back up moving at 22 to 23 mph, but seriously out of breath. There is a slight downhill into the corner, so I ease off and find my line around the corner, rotate my peddles so my inner peddle is far away from the pavement, and sure enough round I go at 23 mph, perfect corner, missing the pot holes by a good distance. Now two more small rises in the road, a nice downhill and then flat for nearly 1.5 miles. I speed down the hill at nearly 28 mph, coasting because I’m fighting for breath, now it is time to peddle again. Oh the my breathing is very labored now, deep gasping breaths, full lungs full of air, every breath is hard. I keep up a strong cadence (revolutions per minute) with my feet, trying to keep the speed at 23 mph, but my breathing is too labored to continue, so I have to slow. Nearer to 20 mph now, and there is one more small rise after a narrow bridge, my lungs burn and so do my legs, I’m no longer looking at my speed but rather pushing myself to hold my leg speed and concentrate on the finish line. I’m not as going as fast as I once was but push on, then look again at my bike computer for the time, oh my already at 8:00 min. and still a long way to the finish line. My mind goes into overdrive, I’m making to take charge of my body, and my thinking goes something like this: Push, hard, don’t give up, leave it all on the course Thom! I drive to the finish line barely able to breath, legs hurting so bad I can hardly stand it! There it is
I stand a while and watch a few more guys come in then decide to slowly ride back to the meeting place and put my bike up and with of the results. I get back to the car and realize I’ve been so concentrated on the race. I did not take any pictures, so I grab my camera and walk back to the finish line. I took a few pictures and then took more at the meeting place. I sat around and waited for the post race meeting and medal presentation.
There is one guy in the 85 to 90 age group who raced and of course took a gold medal! He was the only one in that age group, and till had a decent time 12 min. and change! WOW a great time for an 85+ man !!! When the 50 to 54 age group was called sure enough the guy I figured would win did, with a time only :07 slower than the all time record state time for that age group. I was only :30 short to the third place winner. but the way the results were tallied there was no way to know how many guys were between he and I. All and all I was proud of my effort!! Now the 10 K race tomorrow!
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| 10 Comments |
| Race Day! |
| 07.15.05 (4:37 am) |
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It's 7:30 AM and I'm up and had my breakfast, the bike is packed and I'm ready to drive to the race course. I drove the course last night and it is very flat, only a few small rises, a piece of cake! The race starts at 9:00 AM EDT, I have no idea how many competitors there are going to be or how long this is going to take. But when I have an idea of how things went, I'll call "J" let her know, post a few emails, and make a posting here letting everyone know how I think I did, or maybe even the final results. I'm feeling rested and excited to go, I'm READY!!! |
| 3 Comments |
| Getting Ready to race |
| 07.13.05 (1:07 pm) |
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The Michigan Senior Olympics is this week and my bicycle time trial is this Friday and Saturday. The 5K race is Friday and the 10K on Saturday. Last week while on vacation I took my bike so I could keep my training up, and feel prepared for the race. I’ve been riding 3 to 4 days a week usually 20 to 30 miles at a time, but had not practiced time trialing at all. So last week I had a great road picked out and set out to simulate a race. First en explanation is in order for those of you who do not know anything about bicycle racing. Time trialing is different from riding a bike for pleasure or to see the sights, even “fitness”, training or racing rides. A time trial is a race against the clock and the person with the fastest time wins. In road riding or racing riders ride in groups at a fast pace and draft behind each other just like the race car drivers in NASCAR. We cheat the wind and the person at the front of the paceline does most of the work. Each rider takes a short turn “on the front” and the whole group rides at a much faster pace than a lone rider. In time trialing it is just one person on his/her bike against the clock. Each rider is sent off to race usually at one-minute intervals and timed over a measured course. This is a very hard race to perform and usually calls for an all out effort every second of the ride. To make it even worse the distances in the races I’m entered in are for short distances, 5 and 10K (3.1 and 6.2 miles). In order to race effectively you must be at full effort within a second or two. However a full effort from a dead cold start is near impossible. Usually riders need to get in 5 to 10 miles before the legs even fully are warmed up and can give a full effort. Getting back to my race preparation then, I warmed up with a nice 5 mile ride into town. Then on the way back to the cottage I stopped and readied myself for a race. I mounted the bike and took off at a rapid cadence (turn over of my peddles) and got up to race speed quickly, near 22 mph. Holding this pace around curves in the road and up and down small hills in the road is difficult. I found out that by changing my position in the saddle of the bike I could actually push myself past the point where normally I’d have quit was a real pleasure. I could push and push myself watch my bike computer and keep up my pace for the whole 3 miles. Crossing my finish line I clocked a cool 21.9 mph, I was happy with both the effort I was able to sustain and also my speed. The next day my legs hurt, but it was a good hurt! Not so much I could not function but I was tired and a bit sore. I knew I’d given a great effort that previous day, which made me feel even better. But I put off riding then for a couple more days to let my muscles rest and rebuild. Then two days later I took my 33 mile ride, not as intense as my simulated race but there were some pretty good long hills which tested my still recovering legs. Now if I can get in just one more “maintenance” ride (not too hard not too easy) before Friday I’ll be all set. The forecast is calling for rain each day in the afternoon even on Friday, so I may or may not get a ride in before the race. I’ll be sure to post the results, good or bad this weekend! Which me luck! |
| 6 Comments |
| Vacation Recap |
| 07.12.05 (1:47 pm) |
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My week in Northern Michigan was very peaceful, quiet, and restful for the most part.
There were 4 of us in the small cabin, “J” and I, my daughter and her friend from middle school. The first couple of days were nice, warm, and sunny. We went swimming and sailing on Crystal lake, which is a really huge, lovely lake near Traverse City on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
On the Fourth of July it rained and thunder stormed in the morning and later it cleared off to a wet but overall nice afternoon. We went to the fireworks in the resort town of Frankfort that evening, they were an hour late and we were almost ready to leave when the fireworks started, so we stayed, and it was a wonderful display. Her daughter came up and stayed with us from Monday through the rest of the week, then her son and his 6 y.o. daughter come to stay with us too, staying at his dad's place on the same lake, but they visited us often. The rest of the week was sunny and we took walks, swam and sunned our selves on the beach, and did some reading. The teen aged girls were somewhat bored, didn't want to swim except for the first day, and had me drive them to Frankfort several times to see if they could find other teens to talk to and "hangout" with. One day I took “J” sailing when the wind was very strong While I’ve sailed for nearly 20 years I’ve sailed mostly alone and am not used to having passengers who do not sail on my boat. She did have a life jacket on and we were close to shore so she just swam/walked in as I sailed the boat to shore. I got in several good bike rides, one excellent training ride for next weeks race, and a nice long (35 mile) ride up the lakeshore. While I took my long bike ride they took canoes down the river for a 2 hours ride out to Lake Michigan. “J” and I went up to a local light house (Point Betsie) at sunset a couple of times to watch the sun go down, and make out on the beach a bit along with many other couples doing the same thing, and a bunch of old folk on their lawn chairs.
Saturday we went to the art and craft fair in Beulah and looked around for several hours, had lunch and then we (my daughter, her friend and I) packed up and left for home about 4 hours away. After several very long stretches of roadwork later our trip stretched into 5 hours and we were glad to be home. My son “B” has done very well all week with his mom, a far cry from months and years past. These new meds are really working for us, Yipeeee! |
| 8 Comments |
| Vacation Time |
| 07.02.05 (7:38 am) |
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Happy Fourth of July weekend everyone! I'll be gone all next week on vacation. "J" has rented a cabin in Northern Michigan and my daughter (witha friend of course) and I are going with her all next week. We expect to do lots of boating, and just relaxing on the beach. No phone, no computers, no TV. We do have electricity and gas for cooking, flush toilets (indoors) but that is about it for "modern" conviences. I'm taking my bike (3 actually) so I'll keep up my training for the Senior Olympics on July 15 and 16. So far training has gone well, and I'm happy with my progress. I'm not as fast as I know I can be but I've been averaging 21+ MPH for my trial rides, I know I can do better. I'd like to be averaging closer to 23+ mph for a 3 mile ride by race day. It is less hot here in Michigan now, than in the last 2 weeks so I'll be able to step up the intensity of my training. Take care have a safe and happy Holiday! |
| 12 Comments |
| More of "I have my life back!" |
| 06.28.05 (8:41 am) |
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Things are continuing the same way now that my ex and I have "officially" switched the kids for the week. He and his mom have had a real wonderful time together (first time in YEARS) they have been going to his Grandma's who lives on a lake and swimming in the afternoon, then playing cards with Grandma and mom for hours! He has not given her one bit of trouble or backtalk, even about taking his meds. She is very happy with how things are going. My kids are both teenagers and this is time normally when this kids get independent and challenge parents anyway so we are going to expect some challenges/disruptions/ba d behavior from them. The nice thing is we now can tell the real difference between the disorder and the kid more clearly! One more thing. We had an appointment with the tdoc the other day. I was first and explained the huge change we'd seen and she was encouraged. I did tell her I thought there was come cognitive dulling with this combo, and he had a "drugged" look. She laughed (good hearted, not in a derogatory way) You know she says this is most likely one of the first times you've seen him in a calm state and your so used to him in an agitated state you've forgotten how he is supposed to look, he's most likely showing you his "normal" face! to which after I thought about it, I laughed too! She then took him for a 1/2 hour, and when they came out she did this wide eyed look at me (behind him so he could not see) and gave me the OK sign with her fingers! Then told me how he'd learned to play backgammon and after the third game beat her time after time! The obvious message was "NO cognitive dulling here"!!!!! |
| 4 Comments |
| I've gotten my life back - for now at least! |
| 06.28.05 (6:59 am) |
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Folks, its been 3 full weeks now that my son has been on his new meds, Lithium and Abilify. He has been like a totally different child! "Normal", funny, easy to get along with and very compliant with my wishes (takes his meds no questions asked) and he obeys his mother too, and really gets along with her! OMG, it has been so very peaceful all the time I could really get used to this!! He seems to be much more self aware. He told me he has stopped getting mad so easy and he likes that! He also realizes that his teasing of the cats was way over board and it was not right, he is going to treat them better from now on, just pet them. Like this all came out of the blue, no prompting from me! I told him too that I really felt this mew meds were working for him. We've not fought I've not had to get mad and we've not gotten into any fights over things. I praised him for doing such a good job, and he was proud of it!! Then this morning I hear things rattling around in the kitchen about 5:30 AM, so I get up to see what is going on, here he is making breakfast for both of us!! Bacon, hash browns with scrambled eggs with ham and cheese! He pours me a cup of coffee and tells me to sit down and have breakfast!! Then he talks to me about his plans for the day of going to the library and getting some books to start and doing more reading instead of playing his X-Box all the time!! OMG, knock me over with a feather!! Wahoooo! I've gone through enough med changes to know this may be temporary, but I'll take it while it lasts!! |
| 6 Comments |
| I'll try this - Five More things |
| 06.24.05 (12:03 pm) |
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10 years ago: Dealing with 2 young kids (5 and 3) Deciding to leave a job that I’d held for 19 years for one with better pay. 5 years ago: Dealing with being laid off work after being employed for only 5 years at a large company. Becoming a Mr. Mom, and working around the house. 1 year ago: Discovering the single life and apartment living after my divorce the year before. Yesterday: Sweating my ass off on a long bike ride in nearly 90 deg. weather getting ready for the Senior Olympics. Today: Working on finishing the project at work which is due on July 1., basking in my recent engagement to my fiancée. 5 Snacks I Enjoy: 1) Ice Cream 2) Chocolate 3) Homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies 4) Strawberry Shortcake 5) Cheese Cake 5 Songs I Know All The Words To: (but only if I am listening to them at the time.) 1) Gold dust Woman – Fleetwood Mac 2) Find the Cost of Freedom – Crosby Still and Nash 3) Restless – Alison Krauss 4) Terms – Sarah McLachlan 5) White Flag - Dido 5 Things I Would Do With $100,000,000: 1) Pay off my debts 2) Buy a second home in a tropical location 3) Buy a home so my fiancée and I can live together 4) Travel round the world 5) Donate to Heifer International and other Charitable Organizations 5 Locations I’d Like to Run Away To: 1) Netherlands 2) Aruba 3) Hawaii 4) Korea 5) Florida Keys 5 Bad Habits I Have: 1) Too predictable 2) Let the dishes go too long 3) Procrastinate 4) Spend too much time on Tblog 5) Don’t eat right 5 Things I like Doing: 1) Making dinner for my fiancée 2) Riding/racing my bicycle 3) Traveling 4) Photography 5) Sailing 5 Things I Would Never Wear: 1) Ear ring(s) 2) Body Piercing 3) Tattoo(s) 4) Cowboy boots 5) Wing tip shoes 5 T.V. Shows/Networks I Like: 1) CSI 2) CNN Headline News – Robin and Company 3) Food Channel 4) Discovery Channel 5) OLN – Tour de France 5 Movies I Like: 1) LOTR 2) Star Wars (all 6 of them) 3) Men of Honor 4) Samurai 5) The Aviator 5 Famous People I'd like to Meet: 1) Lance Armstrong 2) Eddy Merckx 3) Colin Powel 4) Nicole Kidman 5) Donald Trump 5 Biggest Joys at the Moment: 1) My fiancée 2) Friends 3) My kids 4) My house 5) Starting a new job position after nearly 30 years in QA. 5 Favorite Toys: 1) Digital Camera 2) Computer 3) Cell phone (w/ web access) 4) CD Player 5) DVD player |
| 10 Comments |
| Five things I miss from my childhood |
| 06.22.05 (6:56 pm) |
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I've been tagged so here goes: Here is the list I was tagged from: LoriSchuster BilllyRyan MerMaid TrekGuy Basild Anastacia IckyDane 1. Spending a week at my grandparent’s home during the summers. Every summer when I was a kid my Grandparents would invite each grandchild to spend a week at their home to be with grandma and grandpa. Only one child at a time was allowed for several reasons actually. One was that my grandparents really didn’t want to take care of more than one at a time, no fighting with siblings this way. And it gave them time to focus on just one child and make the child feel special, and spoil them a bit too! 2. Feeling un-pressured, very loved, and secure all the time by someone else older and more responsible, my parents. My childhood was a very happy one in which I was allowed to be a child, run, play, goof off (mostly during the summer), just be a kid! There were no constant activities, or pressure to become an adult, and few distractions other than the TV and an occasional movie. 3. Having an imagination, and being able to be lost/consumed in it and all it’s pleasures and freedom. While I still have an imagination, it is no longer as vivid or do I use it as frequently as I did when I was a child. I miss that, and try as I may I can’t recreate that feeling/freedom or ability to get lost in world of my own making! I think so many adults have lost this ability. Oh a few still have it, the ability to get lost in that imaginary world. Poets, artists, writers, but sadly for many of us this is lost never to be regained! 4. Spending time in the woods/creeks/fields near my home discovering the wonders of nature and the outdoors. Oh don’t get me wrong, I still love the outdoors and I’m outside all the time, but it was that sense of discovery and wonder looking into a stream for the first time seeing the creatures, the stones and sand, the plants and discovering that world for the very first time, a time that will never come again. 5. Riding in my dad’s '67 Rambler station wagon traveling to the east coast and then the west coast with my parents and brothers. We did a lot of traveling in that old station wagon. My dad built a car top carrier and put all our camping gear in there and drove us around this country of ours and showed us the sights! We saw the mountains, the oceans, the big cities on both coasts that we’d only seen in magazines and on TV. What a wonderful machine it was to take us all those places!! I'm going to pass on picking 5 more!! Sorry I'm just bailing on this one!! |
| 2 Comments |
| Off to Houston |
| 06.20.05 (2:51 am) |
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Good freinds, this week I'm off to Houston to do some training for a group of the salesmen and women in our Houston office. I'll be gone early today, Monday, and will return home on Wednesday late. I'm not sure if the hotel has Internet connections as I did not make the reservations. otherwise the hotel would, for sure. But the company decided that since there were going to be nearly 20 people giving presentations from all over the world they'd rather have us all in one hotel and to coordinate the arrangements themselves. I know I've been tagged to do a childhood meme, and I've already got ideas for that, as well as some of you to link to, but that is going to have to wait. Talk to all of you when I get back, or sooner if conditions allow. |
| 14 Comments |
| What's your Expression number | ||
| 06.16.05 (3:25 pm) | ||
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Got this from Alms, so I thought I'd try!! Got to say seems hokey but you know most of it fits!!
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| 4 Comments | ||
