Pain in the Ass -- or, Why My Butt Hurts

I didn't mean for it to work out this way.

But my last car is kaput, and I can't find one to rent until tomorrow, so after doing the run/walk thing with the boys to the bus stop (3.2 miles), I got on the bike and -- encourage by a no-doubt malfunctioning scale that showed a body fat percentage of only 15.5 percent -- rode into the nearest town to get mail, Diet Coke and do some banking.

It wasn't too bad. I get just a little bit further up the Hill O' Shame every time, and I feel like I'm getting a much better handle on the bike's gears. Plus, I've figured out the purpose of the handlebar mirror is -- lets me know the color of the vehicle that's going to kill me.

I did everything and was back home a little after 10a. Then I realized I had to go to a town south of here for a few things. Aaargh. So I got back on the bike around 1130 and rode through some wonderfully smelling hemlock-and-fir forests, down a back road at 35 mph, past a really pretty lake, and rolled into town to do my business.

Came back at 225p, just in the nick of time for a 230p conference call with John's teachers (they apparently adore him) and settled down to do some work. I'll be plugging away late tonight. With a sore butt. All told, I'd guesstimate I biked 30 miles today, much of it up some wicked steep hills. Thank God for Aeron chairs. I need to get the bumper sticker: They'll get my Aeron when they pry it from my cold, dead ass.

The stepdaughter is coming home tomorrow after being discharged from the Air Force. I'll have to drive into New York to pick her up. Sigh. She wanted to stay enlisted, but they weren't too happy with her. So now she's thinking about the Army or Marines. She can reenlist with them (a) if she gets a waiver, which seems quite possible given the need for people there and (b) within 93 days.

We've had two afternoon downpours -- thunder, lightning and pretty heavy rains for about 30 minutes -- in the last two days. There may be hope yet for the gardens. I covered the seedlings and seeds with hay, so I don't think they'll wash away.

And I'll have a car tomorrow, so I can pick up corn for the ducks and turkeys. They pretty much hoover all the feed I put out for the baby chicks. I'd kill them for it, but they made a peace offering of three eggs today. So that's a half-dozen eggs in three days from five female ducks, one of which is too old to lay.

Another bonus: Got my name mentioned in a big book. Page 103. It doesn't come out until June 17, but is already ranked 5,644 on Amazon. Hooray for me.

Now if I can just get all the way up the Hill O' Shame ...