No. 44

So I'm a year older today.

Sigh.

Went out Tuesday afternoon and biked down to the lake. Played absolute merry hell getting used to the new Mercier. It's got a Shimano twist-and-shift on it -- bit confusing after the very simple mountain bike gear shift. So I didn't make great time to the lake.

Swam about 0.75 miles, until it started raining, then headed back. It's going to take me a while to get used to the new gear shift, I think.

Took Wednesday off and just worked, worked, worked. Got a lot done, for what that's worth. Eh.

Nice birthday presents today -- a kayak rack for the top of the car, a bike rack for the back. Also a very snazzy Rice Krispies jersey. I come from the school that says if you're going to wear Spandex, it should be as loud and obnoxious as possible.

I wonder if they make a "Ricky Bobby" jersey from "Talladega Nights?"

I wonder if Wonder Bread sponsors slow triathletes ...

Outrages, we got outrages. This nuclear sting is scary. Another superb journalist, Doug Marlette, dies in a car crash. And anyone who's ever seen a field of bluebonnets had to feel badly that Lady Bird Johnson died yesterday. And, of course, the whole Iraq fiasco:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Iraqi government has not yet fully met any of 18 goals for political, military and economic reform, the Bush administration said Thursday in an interim report certain to inflame debate in Congress over growing calls for a U.S. troop withdrawal.

In an assessment required by Congress, the administration accused Syria of fostering a network that supplies as many as 50 to 80 suicide bombers per month for al-Qaida in Iraq. It also said Iran continues to fund extremist groups.

The report said that despite progress on some fronts by the government of Nouri al-Maliki, "the security situation in Iraq remains complex and extremely challenging," the "economic picture is uneven" and political reconciliation is lagging.

But if Google Trends is to be trusted, we care much more about someone named Liz Hernandez, a Los Angeles hip-hop personality who is someone named Kevin Federline's girlfriend.

Damn. I just turned 44, but I think my brain odometer rolled over to 94.