Well, I may not be in Iowa but I am making the best of the slowly, but thankfully, improving situation.
On both days this weekend I accomplished my assigned task before the rain arrived in East Atlanta. It appears that most of the metro area was spared the rain, but the hood got hit twice, and pretty hard as well.
Saturday
The original plan was to ride my bike on both days this weekend. However, this required motivation to get the bike ready on Friday night; that motivation never manifested.
I arose on Saturday morning and treated myself to watching Le Tour on my iPad. You know, now that I am not in Iowa the $20 I spent to watch the tour on my iPad seems like a great investment. After the day’s stage was over I started milling about. At one point I saw a weather forecast calling for rain in the afternoon; this motivated my to get out and do my yard work.
I mowed the lawns and pulled out the weedwhacker for the first time in forever, trying to make my yard look a little nicer for the new neighbors, who were also out doing some yard work. My labor was complete a few hours later and I jumped into the shower for a much-needed cleaning.
Around 5pm the wind kicked up and skies opened, dumping rain on East Atlanta.
For the rest of the evening I basically killed time.
At one point while reading Twitter I read about this documentary on Netflix called The Search For General Tso. You know that I have a love for Chinese food, even the Americanized type, so I just had to watch this. I found the documentary interesting as it ping-ponged between China and the US, all the while uncovering the origins of General Tso’s Chicken, as well as Chop Suey, and Cashew Chicken.
Another Saturday night at home (Gee, I wonder why I never go out any more? I wonder what it’d be like to go out on a date again.) listening to WABE‘s “Jazz Classics” show before falling asleep.
Sunday
Because I had readied the bike on Saturday I was clear to launch my first ride in exactly three weeks on Sunday morning. At first I hemmed and hawed about going out for a ride, but then I convinced myself that it had to happen and I was on the road by 7:45am.
Three weeks out of the saddle has ruined whatever aerobic stamina I built up riding in April, May, and June. The ride started out great, I even passed a gruppeto of riders along College in Decatur. However, after a little more than ten miles I was huffing and puffing.
I never intended yesterday’s ride to go around Stone Mountain because I was keenly aware of my limitations and didn’t want to do more than I should on my first ride back. So, as I arrived near Stone Mountain village I made a hairpin left and worked my way back home.
If I had been feeling a little more inspired I would have stopped near the small patch of corn stalks I saw near Avondale Estates and taken a selfie. No one would be fooled in to believing that this photo was taken in Iowa, but I would have found it humorous.
Nearing East Atlanta I had two choices:
- Ride directly home and record whatever mileage I’d ridden
- Extend my ride to get in thirty miles
I chose the former because I wasn’t feeling all that grand, and I recalled that every time I’ve artificially extended a ride to gain extra miles recently I’ve flatted and really didn’t want that to happen again.
I finished my ride recording a little more than 28 miles.
Fewer than two hours later the skies opened up with rain again.
The rest of my Sunday was spent laying about, and going out to REI and Lowe’s before stopping at a Mexican restaurant for a late-lunch.
One of the items purchased at REI was a Garmin “out front extender arm” for a Garmin Edge bike computer — like the one that is scheduled to arrive from Amazon today. Happy early Birthday to me! I had the dickens of the time finding this item, which I was told was in stock by REI’s website, in the store. I searched every shelf in the cycling department as well as the case that held all of the Garmin computers. I even enlisted the help of an REI employee to no avail. Just as I was about to check out I decided to swing by the Garmin equipment near the camping section, but before arriving there I stopped at the fitness band displays. Lo and behold, this bicycle-only component was misplaced with the Fitbits and such. I walked back to the employee and told her that I’d found the mysterious item in the wrong section of the store and then checked out.
All in all the weekend was pretty good, even if it was spend much further south than I wanted it to be.
Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]
Let’s see.. first let me apologize for not contacting you about riding yesterday. I decided to get it out of the way early, but apparently not as early as you! I managed 36 hot miles, and ran out of gas so bad I stopped at the store in downtown Luthersville (yes, 3 downhill miles from home!). I knew I didn’t have anything “electrolyte” to drink at home and was already starting to cramp.
Friday, we met the tree man from across the street and he will be taking us on later this week! Stay tuned.
Saturday, we went to a horse inspection. Purebreds are held to a certain standard and a friend with a Trakehner was having it inspected south of Eufala. Interesting and educational- at least for me.
And except for the ride yesterday, we did a few chores and Debbie got back on her horse for the first time since the fall!! Go honey.
-FP
No worries Steve. When I didn’t hear from you by the end of Saturday I assumed that you had something else going on. While I certainly enjoy riding with others I have no problem going solo — and given my current lack of aerobics this is actually a good thing.
You’ve got to get back on that horse! 🙂 Go Debbie!
And I am confused about why today is not a rest day for Le Tour. I always thought rest days were Mondays.
I as well, but I think it was just how the stages rolled out. I also recall a rule change that stated you could only have a rset day after 8 stages, so maybe they read that as every 8.
Hi from a bar in Fonda, IA. [pop 600] It’s about 70 & rainy, but hopefully it is almost done.
Huge difference from yesterday, hot & Humid & hilly. Free wifi at the bar, so this phone works. These small towns are overloaded, they aren’t used to 25,000 people trying to log on.
How is the motorhome? It looked like it might still need some work.
Yes, it needs tons of work, but it runs & hails our stuff