Gorgeous day. Too bad I almost spoiled it by oversleeping. Got the boys to school on time, but ran behind almost all day for a bunch of reasons. Anyway, the snow is melting quickly. Seems faster than usual, but at this rate, it'll all be gone next week.
The stepdaughter needed a ride to town to catch a bus to New York; her last weekend of fun before basic training. So instead of running after I dropped the boys off, I came right home. Ack. She wasn't anywhere near ready, missing her bus. So I went for a hill run around the house. Ouch. Whine. Hurt.
Everyone had their maple buckets hanging, though, which was nice. I'm a big fan of homemade maple, as long as it doesn't involve a kitchen that's perpetually sticky. Which means I'm a big fan of homemade maple, as long as it's not boiled down in my house. And at 40 gallons of sap per 1 gallon of maple syrup, that's a lot of stickiness.
Eventually got the stepdaughter to the bus station, ran by the grocery, and then down to Main Street to drop our mountain bike off at the shop for its annual tuneup. Tim, the owner, gave me some advice on the kind of bike I need to be looking at. Mountain bikes get uncomfortable pretty quickly, but then again, so does sleeping under a bridge after paying several hundred for a new one. But I suspect I'll have to break down sooner or later.
Anyway, Tim said there used to be a triathlon from town all the way to our little mountain. The company that sponsored it pulled out quite some time ago, but it involved a river swim, then a bike ride past our house to the mountain, finished with a mountain run. Tim said it was so hilly that grown triathletes wept during the run.
Hmmmmm. Anyway, I picked up a new helmet and pair of gloves. Ran by the eye doctor's on the way out to set an April appointment for John (needs new glasses or contacts).
Came back to the house, ate a quick lunch, put a marinated brisket in the crockpot, and did some of the day job. Ran out to the gym mid-afternoon for a 13.2-mile bike ride and a 3/4-mile swim. For whatever reason, the gym was crowded. Sigh. And they're going to be repainting the pool, so it'll be closed for two weeks. Double sigh.
TGIF.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Procrastination and Outrage
I ran downstairs this morning to get my clean running, biking and swimming clothes from the dryer.
Except they weren't in the dryer. They were still in the washer.
Duh.
Still managed to catch the bus a few miles down the road, and started busting my butt so I could get off a couple hours early tonight for a quick workout.
Didn't quite work out that way. I went to the gym around 3p, but Lisa needed the car around 4:30p, so I just biked. I'll wrap up tomorrow (I hope) and take Saturday as a rest day.
Outrages, we got outrages:
'Income Gap is Widening, Study Shows,' New York Times
'Circuit City Cuts 3,400 'Overpaid' Workers,' Washington Post
And here's the money quote from the last link:
"I'm ticked off that they can just come at you from one day to another, no warning, and oh, you're gone," he said. "I dedicated seven years to them. Loyalty gets you nothing."
'These Kids Never Say 'Yech,' ' New York Times
and here's Gawker's take on it:
'These Kids Make Us Say 'Yech'
Funny stuff.
Had one of those nice little grace moments on the way back from the gym. Saw John walking down the drivway as I was driving up. Asked him where he was going.
"Nothing to do inside," he grumped. "Going for a walk."
Which is kind of neat. He's got game consoles, a high-speed internet connection, satellite television, a room full of books ... and he's out enjoying one of the first sunny, warm days of spring.
(Of course, he walked to the town library. But he didn't stay long).
Except they weren't in the dryer. They were still in the washer.
Duh.
Still managed to catch the bus a few miles down the road, and started busting my butt so I could get off a couple hours early tonight for a quick workout.
Didn't quite work out that way. I went to the gym around 3p, but Lisa needed the car around 4:30p, so I just biked. I'll wrap up tomorrow (I hope) and take Saturday as a rest day.
Outrages, we got outrages:
'Income Gap is Widening, Study Shows,' New York Times
'Circuit City Cuts 3,400 'Overpaid' Workers,' Washington Post
And here's the money quote from the last link:
"I'm ticked off that they can just come at you from one day to another, no warning, and oh, you're gone," he said. "I dedicated seven years to them. Loyalty gets you nothing."
Shares closed yesterday at $19.23, up 31 cents, or 2 percent.
A long, long, long time ago, when I was in graduate business school, we used to have an analytical phrase for that sort of reaction. The technical term was, "No shit?"
This would be an outrage, but it's not. It's satire, but barely. Here's the source:'These Kids Never Say 'Yech,' ' New York Times
and here's Gawker's take on it:
'These Kids Make Us Say 'Yech'
Funny stuff.
Had one of those nice little grace moments on the way back from the gym. Saw John walking down the drivway as I was driving up. Asked him where he was going.
"Nothing to do inside," he grumped. "Going for a walk."
Which is kind of neat. He's got game consoles, a high-speed internet connection, satellite television, a room full of books ... and he's out enjoying one of the first sunny, warm days of spring.
(Of course, he walked to the town library. But he didn't stay long).
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Something Must Be Off
Got up a little late this morning, but still made it to the bus stop with a few seconds to spare. My run felt a little choppy, but I made 4.2 miles, checked the Garmin, and had my first pleasant suprise of the day: I was doing 8:50 miles.
It's not exactly a world-beater of a run -- considering that seven years ago, I was routinely doing 7:50 miles -- but it's a hell of an improvement over the 9:45 miles I was doing last year.
Drove to the gym and stocked up on magazines (this week's New Yorker, so-so; Sports Illustrated, eh; Cooking Light, awesome). Strapped on the heart monitor, jumped on the bike and set the program for "Fat Burn" mode.
Because I am, after all, fat.
Also wussed on the rate, setting it at 110. Theoretically, I'm supposed to be going around 140-150, but (a) I thought I'd do a long-ish ride, and (b) I don't trust that monitor.
After an hour, I figured out I really don't trust that machine. It showed 21.7 miles, which pretty much shatters my routine 12 miles in an hour.
I don't think I'm moving so slowly that I'm going 12 mph. But I also don't think I'm shooting along at 21.7 mph. Considering Lance Armstrong's fastest Tour de France average speed was 25.5 mph in 1999. Yeah, I know, that includes a lot of hills, and the flatter time trials usually run about 31 mph. But still ...
Reality check. Time to get the old bike fixed and hit some hills.
Not a great diet day. I'll do a sprint tri tomorrow.
It's not exactly a world-beater of a run -- considering that seven years ago, I was routinely doing 7:50 miles -- but it's a hell of an improvement over the 9:45 miles I was doing last year.
Drove to the gym and stocked up on magazines (this week's New Yorker, so-so; Sports Illustrated, eh; Cooking Light, awesome). Strapped on the heart monitor, jumped on the bike and set the program for "Fat Burn" mode.
Because I am, after all, fat.
Also wussed on the rate, setting it at 110. Theoretically, I'm supposed to be going around 140-150, but (a) I thought I'd do a long-ish ride, and (b) I don't trust that monitor.
After an hour, I figured out I really don't trust that machine. It showed 21.7 miles, which pretty much shatters my routine 12 miles in an hour.
I don't think I'm moving so slowly that I'm going 12 mph. But I also don't think I'm shooting along at 21.7 mph. Considering Lance Armstrong's fastest Tour de France average speed was 25.5 mph in 1999. Yeah, I know, that includes a lot of hills, and the flatter time trials usually run about 31 mph. But still ...
Reality check. Time to get the old bike fixed and hit some hills.
Not a great diet day. I'll do a sprint tri tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Signs of the Season
No out-of-state license plates this morning. Another sign of spring.
The boys were awake early this morning, so we made the bus in plenty of time. Had a talk with John -- one day after shelling out nearly $300 for a new pair of glasses for Will, it turns out he'd lost his pair of glasses, too. Good news is he wants contacts. I'm trying to work out a deal with him to get a haircut, but I don't think he'll bite on that one.
I'd woken up feeling fat this morning. And technically speaking, I am still fat. My BMI is 25.1, just a hair overweight. Argh.
Anyway, I ran my 5K, averaging 8:57 per mile. Jumped in the car, drove to the gym, and did a rather slow 13.2 mile bike ride. Read a decent organic gardening book and a heart monitor training guide. Some of the heart monitor ideas may finally be sinking in, but it's a slow, hard slog.
Because I am fat -- and the federal government should know fat quite well when it sees it -- I decided to do a quick half-mile in the pool. It was nice. A few people sat in the hot tub, but no one came near the churning, drowning fool on the far side of the pool.
Picked up my mail and had goodies galore -- an Amazon shipment with Handy Farm Devices and Storey's Basic Country Living. Hooray! Also had my grain mill from Lehman's. Hoorah! The grain mill is an impressive piece of work, all metal and heavy. Can't wait to clean the packing grease and try it out on some hard winter wheat berries. And I got my seeds from Burpee. Huzzah! Two types of corn, giant sunflowers, Brandywine tomatoes, onions, carrots, cilantro, sage and thyme. They'll send the potato seeds, strawberry and blueberry bushes separately.
Also got some triathlon porn: The TriSports.com annual catalog.
I'd better find some extra income quickly.
Went to the internet cafe and started an upload to work, but had to take a break and take Will's gym shorts up to his school. En route back, I stopped by a local smokehouse and picked up some good stuff: pepper bacon, summer venison and jalapeno cheese sausage, and local salsa. Can't wait to try any/all of it, but hoping I don't get carried away.
Spent much of the afternoon working like a Roman orchard slave, but got quite a bit done and now may stand slight chance of being caught up by week's end. Stuffed belle mer salmon and giant salad for dinner. Treated myself to 3oz of Monterey Jack cheese for dessert. An odd dietary day: Less than half from carbs, but still more protein than fat. Hmmmmmmmmmm. I'm guessing this is my cheap excuse to get into the bread again tomorrow.
Can't wait for the weekend. Must plant seeds, assemble chicken brooder, catch up on laundry and cleaning, grind wheat, bake bread, take bike into city for tuneup and run/bike/swim.
The boys were awake early this morning, so we made the bus in plenty of time. Had a talk with John -- one day after shelling out nearly $300 for a new pair of glasses for Will, it turns out he'd lost his pair of glasses, too. Good news is he wants contacts. I'm trying to work out a deal with him to get a haircut, but I don't think he'll bite on that one.
I'd woken up feeling fat this morning. And technically speaking, I am still fat. My BMI is 25.1, just a hair overweight. Argh.
Anyway, I ran my 5K, averaging 8:57 per mile. Jumped in the car, drove to the gym, and did a rather slow 13.2 mile bike ride. Read a decent organic gardening book and a heart monitor training guide. Some of the heart monitor ideas may finally be sinking in, but it's a slow, hard slog.
Because I am fat -- and the federal government should know fat quite well when it sees it -- I decided to do a quick half-mile in the pool. It was nice. A few people sat in the hot tub, but no one came near the churning, drowning fool on the far side of the pool.
Picked up my mail and had goodies galore -- an Amazon shipment with Handy Farm Devices and Storey's Basic Country Living. Hooray! Also had my grain mill from Lehman's. Hoorah! The grain mill is an impressive piece of work, all metal and heavy. Can't wait to clean the packing grease and try it out on some hard winter wheat berries. And I got my seeds from Burpee. Huzzah! Two types of corn, giant sunflowers, Brandywine tomatoes, onions, carrots, cilantro, sage and thyme. They'll send the potato seeds, strawberry and blueberry bushes separately.
Also got some triathlon porn: The TriSports.com annual catalog.
I'd better find some extra income quickly.
Went to the internet cafe and started an upload to work, but had to take a break and take Will's gym shorts up to his school. En route back, I stopped by a local smokehouse and picked up some good stuff: pepper bacon, summer venison and jalapeno cheese sausage, and local salsa. Can't wait to try any/all of it, but hoping I don't get carried away.
Spent much of the afternoon working like a Roman orchard slave, but got quite a bit done and now may stand slight chance of being caught up by week's end. Stuffed belle mer salmon and giant salad for dinner. Treated myself to 3oz of Monterey Jack cheese for dessert. An odd dietary day: Less than half from carbs, but still more protein than fat. Hmmmmmmmmmm. I'm guessing this is my cheap excuse to get into the bread again tomorrow.
Can't wait for the weekend. Must plant seeds, assemble chicken brooder, catch up on laundry and cleaning, grind wheat, bake bread, take bike into city for tuneup and run/bike/swim.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Mud Season Redux
At least the sun is shining here. At my house, not so much.Because I'm trying to pretend real hard that no one will ever be able to figure out where I live and move here, mucking things up further, I've stripped the credit line off the picture. But it's a super photo that comes from a really great local magazine, and if you want the name, I'm glad to email it to you.
Mud Season
Woke up at the usual time and looked outside.
Mud. And plenty of it.
It's an annual phenomenon: A gorgeous summer with highs in the 70s and 80s, nights in the 50s and 60s. Like most summers, it lasts a long time.
Next, fall. The colors just explode. It's beyond gorgeous.
Winter, and snow, generally right around Christmas week. Then ass-biting cold, and more snow. Things get very quiet. Then a brief thaw, and more snow. Then a longer thaw.
Finally, spring. Rains, and more rains. And mud season.
I plopped my head back on the pillow and prevailed upon Lisa to take John to catch the bus. Gave Will a break, since he had an opthalmologists' appointment at 11a for new glasses.
And then I went back to sleep.
Woke up for good around 9a. I've been waking up vaguely stiff and a little sore every morning lately, but in a good way. Took a shower, then started a program running for some work at the day job. Figured it'd take about three or four hours. Took Will for his appointment. Took him to school, stopped by the guidance counselor's office to discuss John's sophomore schedule.
Stopped by the farm stand on the way home and grabbed a muffin, banana, new potatoes and a couple of limes. Should've invested in cooking apples (10-pound bags for $1/pound), but figured out that I'd need an apple peeler/corer ($19.95).
Got home, and the program was still running. Futzed around with some administrivia until 5:30p and figured it was likely to run another three hours. So I headed to the gym to atone for my miserable morning performance.
I swam a mile. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I was stoked. Haven't swum a mile in, hmmmmmmm, about 30 years. I'll cop to doing a sidestroke for the vast majority of it, and I was slow, and kind of suffering near the end, but hey! it was a mile!
Anyway, I am very pleased with myself.
Even if it is mud season.
Mud. And plenty of it.
It's an annual phenomenon: A gorgeous summer with highs in the 70s and 80s, nights in the 50s and 60s. Like most summers, it lasts a long time.
Next, fall. The colors just explode. It's beyond gorgeous.
Winter, and snow, generally right around Christmas week. Then ass-biting cold, and more snow. Things get very quiet. Then a brief thaw, and more snow. Then a longer thaw.
Finally, spring. Rains, and more rains. And mud season.
I plopped my head back on the pillow and prevailed upon Lisa to take John to catch the bus. Gave Will a break, since he had an opthalmologists' appointment at 11a for new glasses.
And then I went back to sleep.
Woke up for good around 9a. I've been waking up vaguely stiff and a little sore every morning lately, but in a good way. Took a shower, then started a program running for some work at the day job. Figured it'd take about three or four hours. Took Will for his appointment. Took him to school, stopped by the guidance counselor's office to discuss John's sophomore schedule.
Stopped by the farm stand on the way home and grabbed a muffin, banana, new potatoes and a couple of limes. Should've invested in cooking apples (10-pound bags for $1/pound), but figured out that I'd need an apple peeler/corer ($19.95).
Got home, and the program was still running. Futzed around with some administrivia until 5:30p and figured it was likely to run another three hours. So I headed to the gym to atone for my miserable morning performance.
I swam a mile. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I was stoked. Haven't swum a mile in, hmmmmmmm, about 30 years. I'll cop to doing a sidestroke for the vast majority of it, and I was slow, and kind of suffering near the end, but hey! it was a mile!
Anyway, I am very pleased with myself.
Even if it is mud season.
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