With only a 20% chance of rain predicted today’s plan was to cycle to work. That plan was destroyed when I pulled into my driveway and remembered that I left the key which opens the lock securing my bike to a pole was still inside my desk drawer at work. Do I get half-credit for the thought? Unfortunately I cannot ride tomorrow either because I need to meet up with my co-hare Cockpit after work to do some final planning for Sunday’s Black Sheep Hash.
My Night With The Drapers
Last night I did what many Americans did prior to the invention of the internet — I watched television. For some reason I was wide awake last night and manage to watch four, yes four, episodes of Mad Men getting me all the way through the end of Season Two.
I’m not sure these can be considered spoilers since Season Two ended two years ago, but if you are like me and are just catching up, you have been warned.
Season Two of Mad Men took some bizarre turns in plot. Don Draper going AWOL on Sterling-Cooper and spending time in California? Roger Sterling leaving his wife for a twenty-something secretary? The sale of Sterling-Cooper? Betty Draper becoming mean and self-righteous (with her riding friend) and then having an affair, including getting pregnant? Is it Don’s baby? Is it that other man’s baby?
Please don’t spoil anything from Season Three as I’m planning on starting to watch that tonight.
ITP Flickr Pic
I’m trying to be more creative with my photography, as well as to try and use the potential provided by the iPhone 4’s 5-megapixel camera.
One of the joys of Summer is a nice bowl of icy-cold Bing cherries.
A Day Of Procrastination Would Have Saved Me
Saved me about 10% to be exact.
Yesterday I had a rare patch of free time, so as I mentioned I went shopping for some new cycling shoes. I drove down to the I-85 / N. Druid Hills area and decided to check out REI before heading over to Performance Bike to see what they had in stock. As it turned out REI and Performance Bike both sold the same Shimano shoe that I was considering purchasing, for the same price. Since I am a REI member I decided to purchase the shoes there without even heading over to Performance Bike. It felt good to make a decision and act upon it.
Wouldn’t you know that when I arrived home there was a coupon from Performance Bike good for 10% the total of any purchase between now and August 1st. Dangen! So now I have to decide if it’s worth the $11 to return the shoes to REI and make the purchase at Performance Bike instead. Would you?
Funny thing about the Performance Bike mailer; the photo on the front is of a rider from that team with the brown and black-trim kits. Couldn’t they get a photo containing a person in a more colorful kit?
btw- If I decide to keep the shoes I need to install the SPD cleats I have, those which came with the pedals I bought and put on my mountain bike recently since none came with the shoes. Anyone have pointers on how to make sure that I attach the SPD cleats correctly?
First Bob Sheppard, Then George Steinbrenner, Which Yankee Is Next?
I was a kid growing up in New York when George Steinbrenner purchased the New York Yankees and quickly turned the team around to return them to World Series Champions. I liked those Yankees, though I have always been a Mets fan, even during their lean days of the mid/late 1970s. I was quite shocked to hear of George Steinbrenner’s death, even though he was eighty years old. I wonder what will happen to the Yankees without the ego which returned the franchise to prominence?
Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – confused
Current Music – listening to yesterday’s news about George Steinbrenner’s death
Website Of The Day – I wonder if Bastille Day NYC existed in the Mad Men days of the 1960s? I’d probably guess that it did not. Want to know more about today’s French holiday? Check Bastille Day.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – didn’t check
Pages Of 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die Read – 77
Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~7 miles, Wheel Mileage – 95.1 miles
Pushups – 0, Situps – 0
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 14 (14)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 13
Marta Rides To Work – 0
Bike Rides To Work – 0
July Goals
– Not to get sick for the entire month (still waiting to accomplish this)
– Not get fired from my job
– Ride my bicycle no fewer than 150 miles
– Get the Sharpened Stone, LLC moving further
– Complete at least one iPhone application
– Completely plan out my August/September Colorado trip
2010 Goals
– Reduce my weight to 185 pounds (starting weight was 198 pounds) [update: On July 1 I’ve sadly gained weight; I’m at 203 pounds]
– Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
– Earn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Sharpened Stone.
– Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
– Attend at least one professional photography workshop
– Enter no fewer than three photographic competitions / gallery showings
– Get the Black Sheep stats out of Excel and online
– Ride in no fewer than two 50 mile or 50K bike rides
– Complete my Taco Mac Passport requirement of 125 beers
The Unmeasurable
– Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
– Become a proficient programmer in PHP and CSS Objective-C
– Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem
Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]
My option, $11 isn’t worth the hassle. Does that include your rebate? If/when I decide to use the bike on a regular basis I will need new shoes, I have a pair but have determined they are just a tad too small for any long distance riding.
Since Jerry was hogging the tv to watch the Tour, I ended up streaming a Netfix movie…Up…god it was funny. I’m going to change Logan’s name to Dug, I don’t think Jerry is going to approve. I’ll just yell SQUIREL and distract him.
The $11 doesn’t include whatever kickback REI will give me via my dividend. I’ll probably swing by Performance soon, but probably will just put the shoe issue to rest.
I loved Up, but dammit did the makers of that film pull at my heart strings.
I just paid for a Map My Ride Bronze membership ($30 annually, but now their offering 20% off for the first year). It almost sounds if I’m starting to take this riding thing seriously again. 😉
Yep, I wasn’t expecting the whole ‘flashback’ bit at the beginning…I don’t want to cry when I’m watching cartoons!
Do you mean Map My Ride? (and if this was Facebook I would ‘like’ it)
Ha! Yes, I meant Map My Ride. Thanks. 🙂 (going to fix my comment now)
Oh, and if you are looking for me on Map My Ride my user account is “pnuesslein” (“paulie” was already taken)
I wouldn’t bother either returning the shoes unless you were going there anyway. but – if they were a differnt color or something….. that is a whole different story.
We went & saw Up last summer during a hot BRAG afternoon, it was way deeper than I was expecting as well. But – it does have the line that gets repeated way too often – I don’t like the cone of shame……..
I just bought some cherries that look a lot like your picture.
Did they talk about Cadel’s broken elbow on the tour coverage this morning?
At least now we knowwhy he was riding so poorly yesterday.
and – wish us luck – in 2 hours we will be talking to Cobb County variance committee people, trying to convince them to let us build 2 feet from the property line!
Good luck with the variance committee. Perhaps Allan should wear his fireman gear so that the committee knows their dealing with a Public Servant, and a pillar of the community. 🙂
They did talk about Cadel’s broken elbow. It completely explains his riding so poorly and crying at the end. Evans started today and is stating that it’s his intention to finish the tour even with the broken elbow.
Of course Allan will be wearing his uniform – he will work that aspect as much as he can!
BTW – does you new phone drop calls like they are talking about all over the news? Pretty crappy design flaw……
Good luck today Barb!!
Anyone have a suggestion for another Up’esque movie to watch while the Tour is still going on?
did you see Up in the Air – with George Clooney? That was cute.
I’m just watching the coverage now.. took today off to run some errands. A broken elbow would be a problem to ride with- no place to get comfortable.
An errand I’m doing today that I didn’t expect is taking my car to the body shop!! I was leaving my storage unit and pulling out onto Lawrenceville Hwy. from a little side street- I had a gap, but the guy in the lane didn’t see it that way- and I’ve already heard from the insurance company that they have contacted them and are claiming injuries- which as slow as we were all going is BS.
I should be at Georges tonight unless it’s an ugly rain…
-FP
Huh, I got interrupted before I posted this comment…
Huh, that last comment has exposed a bug in the stylesheet that I’m using for this site. Interesting…
For those still reading I am considering heading to George’s tonight for a beer, no running though. I was going to race home and get a short ride in, but have decided not to rush myself after a long lunch. Steve, here’s hope there is no rain tonight for you all.
And Steve, sorry to read about you accident.
VARIANCE GRANTED!!!! We can now go apply for the building permit & get this garage started!
Congrats, Barb!