I know that you are not supposed to be able to assign yourself a new nickname, but last night I think I earned the title of “Captain Caboose”. In an effort to be more self-effacing I agreed to ride a Monday night “recovery” ride with one of my coworkers. As he joked at one point in the ride as we waited to see if someone who dropped early could get back into our “no drop” ride, it’s called a “recovery” ride because someone has to backtrack to try and recover lost riders.
I held my own at first, bringing up the rear but not falling too far behind, even with one short, but steepish climb. And then we hit the 10% incline. I was easily twenty, if not thirty, pounds heavier than all of the other riders and quickly dropped off the back. I was broken.
The group graciously waited for me at the top.
As we reached the apex of another less-intensive climb and the pack waited on my sorry ass I exclaimed “if I drop, don’t come looking for me.” to which the leader said “Just let me know.” and I replied to her “I’m letting you know now.”
The group was supportive but I couldn’t help feel as if my fat, boat anchor ass ruined the night for everyone, even though I was given a congratulatory comment for lasting until the end.
To add insult to insult I had to ride with my coworker and another of the group riders back to the Perimeter Mall area — up hill. They were kind enough to wait on my some more, but I have to admit that by the time I reached my car had there been a cliff nearby I would have thrown my bike off of it.
Will I ride with the group again? Perhaps, but I seriously need to lower my weight and improve my power output in order to ride with them consistently. I refuse to be the one who brings down the whole.
By the time I arrived home an unpacked the M6 it was 9:30pm and I still had to shower and eat something for “dinner”. While eating I chatted with my mother on the phone, btw she’s once again shown me from where I get my stubbornness as well as my ability to live in conditions in which most people (Americans) would shake their heads in disbelief.
What’s Paulie Been Buying Recently?
I know that you all have interest in what I’m buying on the internets. Well, even if you don’t I’m going to tell you here.
Yesterday I received my new Pearl Izumi bike shorts in the mail. This was an eBay purchase so they might be “gray market” or perhaps “one-off” Pearl Izumi shorts, but hopefully not. They are new at least, because I cannot imagine buying used bike shorts. Eww.
On Sunday I placed an order with Amazon that should arrive next week. These days most of the things I’m buying from Amazon are digital, but this order consists of three physical products. I’ve order a new bike seat bag,…
Momentary pause: For someone whose constantly frustrated with and by cycling I sure am investing a lot of time, energy, and money into the hobby.
…a tea strainer (because I’ve recently purchased some loose-leaf tea and realized that I have no strainer), and a bag of HEGS clothespins
Did you know that you can appoint a charity to receive (pennies) money from many of your Amazon purchases? You can set up to which charity money is sent via “Amazon Smile”. I’ve picked the Goethe Zentrum Atlanta (for hopefully obvious reasons at this point) as my non-profit, so that they will get a buck or two most of my Amazon purchases. The only catch is that you have to start your buying session via “http://smile.azaon.com” instead of “http://www.amazon.com” once you’ve selected your charity. Every wee little bit helps, right?
What’s Up, Eh?
In happier news I’m thrilled that I get to see my long-time friend, and Canadian, Tamara today! She’s in her one-time town of Atlanta on vacation (and wisely not staying at the barely-human-inhabitable ITP Estate this time) for some undisclosed amount of time.
After German class tonight I will meet up with her for a beer or two. I hope that I get to see her a lot during her short stint ITP. I also plan to discuss a 2017 trip to Canada, perhaps involving cycling, train travel, or both.
Okay, time for me to get some work done. Have a great day friends!
Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]
Have your home conditions gotten THAT bad? I know you had plumbing issues, but you still have a working bathroom and kitchen, right? Lack of laundry facilities and/or dishwasher does not make a home deplorable in my book, as I have neither. 🙂
Have fun with your friend tonight! I think that’s one of my most favorite things about living in Atlanta: that people come here for vacation, or have wonderful stops and layovers so you can visit. That didn’t happen so much in Milwaukee, gateway to nowhere fast.
Not really *that* bad. 🙂 I do have bathrooms in which the toilet and shower work, though admittedly none of the sinks do at this time because of various plumbing maladies. In case you are wondering I shave and brush my teeth using the tub. I will have to hire someone to come out and give my A/C the once-over. I replaced the condenser and blower a few years ago but I think that my coolant line, which was not replaced, still leaks. Most Americans would refuse to live the way I do, but I’m stupid.
Btw- I may or may not make it to trivia on Thursday depending on Tamara’s itinerary.
Now you know how I feel when riding with you guys – I always feel like I’m holding everyone up.
The clothes pins we have cost a buck or 2 for a huge pack from probably Big Lots or some place like that. What is so special about those clothes pins?
Allan managed to step on a rusty nail yesterday, so he spent part of the evening at the urgent care getting a tetanus shot & some antibiotics. I decided I didn’t want to be around sick people, so I stayed home. (he said it was busy, and most of the people there didn’t seem to sick)
Have fun with Tamara!
They are plastic, have a bigger opening for clipping, a side hook for hanging things (like “Manssieres” aka “Bros”), and didn’t come in a mega-pack (I’ll only need six-twelve in total). Oh, and apparently they were featured on Australia’s “Shark Tank”.
Side note: to prove how much of a singleton I’ve been I had no idea how to spell “brassiere”
Ouch for Allan. I’ve done that in the past. The only shining light of my cycling accident in February 2011 is that I know when I last got a tetanus shot.
and – please don’t tell us about your plumbing problems – then just really start to worry about you. It won’t cost that much to fix at least 1 sink…….. seriously.
To be clear I am not looking for sympathy (re: my plumbing) I was just stating a fact. I will be addressing my plumbing issues this year. Stay tuned…
I know you aren’t looking for sympathy – we just want you to be able to brush your teeth like a normal person!
I had no clue when I got my last tetanus shot, so I got one at my physical this year. 🙂 Bring on the rusty nails!
Okay, those clothespins are pretty cool. And they make me want to have a clothesline out in the yard. Gosh, growing up there was nothing like the cool smell of line-dried sheets on your bed. Sure, they weren’t super soft. But that was part of the charm. Why don’t you yard people have clotheslines?
I got my last tetanus shot at a hash – probably 15 years ago – Sani brought a bunch & gave them to anyone that wanted one.
We don’t have a clothesline – because honestly- I never think about it.
(I’m actually shocked our yard didn’t have 1 when we bought the house)
I could rig one up on the deck. Maybe I’ll dry my sheets that way next time I do laundry.
My parents still use theirs all the time.
I’ve always thought that hashers should have up-to-date tetanus shots given all of the crap through which we traipse.
I could have a clothesline, but since I’m washing at the lavanderia still… 🙂
I’m actually pretty surprised hashers haven’t come across some flesh-eating bacteria in some of the swamps and crap we’ve run through!
Dang. I need to get out hashing again. 🙂
Already back from mowing Nicole’s pasture in trade for Rolex tickets! Plan on a ride later, then some packing before departure at oh-dark-30 tomorrow.
Yesterday was clean the bedroom carpet day! Amazing how 4 dogs can leave such a mess. The carpet looks better and smells MUCH better.
Today, hanging fans in the barn.
You did the right thing by letting the ride leader not to wait. And a recovery ride doesn’t mean recover lost riders, but recover from the weekends’ racing. Maybe you were making a joke…
-FP
Sorry Steve, I thought that I mentioned that he said that in jest, knowing that it’s a recovery ride for their much-faster-paced weekend rides. The leader said that she would keep the tail-end at 14mph but then confessed to me toward the end that she let it get faster. I didn’t blame her as 90% of the group was fine, and we managed to make some lights/turns that they would normally have not. My computer captured my entire 30-mile ride, so I’m not sure how fast the average was for the middle twenty.
Have fun on your trip.
Me too, Stacy. Sadly I marked the Black Sheep Sundays on my calendar and as of now am only not-previously-committed for about three Black Sheep hashes this Summer. I’ll either be traveling, or committed to Sunday rides, so I’m not too upset about this. 😉
Just looked up our hash stats -we may have to got o Black Sheep sunday- Allan is at 40 – he wants another mug. I’m at 83 – no jubilee down down for me.
We have a ways to go for Pine lake mugs – I have 65, he has 49, and for ATL he has 65. – I got my mug years & years ago.
If Tamara is still in town I will skip Black Sheep, if not I will most likely be in attendance.