Got the Garmin “back”

Whereas, I didn’t take it out of my pocket so … it went through at least one wash cycle (Housemate gleaned it when moving my clothes to dryer but … the FIRST load I had noticed pocket explosion so … might have been in there for both of them).

Housemate stuck it in rice. Now, THE INTERNET says that’s no longer “the thing to do,” so I took it out & put it in my pocket thinking I’d at least keep it warm and find the hottest computer I could at work ;P (I could have tried to put it near the door latch which if I set to “stay open” gets quite warm, I suppose BUT co-worker who does the 3D printing put the thing in a ziplok bag with dessicant. So! That was Monday, and today before the lunch ride I took it out and … yes it seems to be unscathed!

Tomorrow: (or tonight if I find focus) use phone to download the route as a club member for Saturday’s ride which is out at lake of the woods.

Monday night I got passed by roadie who said “Nice setup!” –> I had the “drape the doorway with long strings of LED lights” dangled still in their clumps around my crate, GO RAINBOWS.

Today I was *almost* on time (yesterday erm, no, not even close but 9:00 a math teacher has office hours there and nobody was there).

Ridin’ the tank

I feel like I’m workin’ harder…. but I’m getting there as fast. I’m hoping when I get back on the red bike that it flies 😉 There was a bit of a tailwind and I keep having to *relax* my head… I shall try to adjust the helmet… 408 mileson the month, 3805 on the year 😉 So many fun houses for sale in my neighborhood.

Wednesday!

Outta the driveway 7:12 and YES, at the computer 8:02. North headwind for that half a mile; little bit of East tailwind but not much. My “shawl” was admired Tuesday by the people at Eden assisted living in the parking lot — the poncho I inherited from Father Tom. (I don’t think it’s handmade or anything but it’s brightly colored and very Central American and does not interfere with the bike.) Today I wore a jacket b/c it was colder — but tomorrow I might wear both.
I hollered hello at the lady on the Trek Transport — because that’s what I”m riding!!! I see the bike at Common Ground Food Coop fairly often but usually I”m on the red bike and we’re not both riding… I got a hello back but not as if recognizing the bike.Goin’ round that way meant YES I am at 401 miles on the month. It’s still a LOT of miles to go (1204) to 5000 … 12.1 miles/day average will do it.

More little stuff at work making it clear that the admins … do not recognize what we do including the prez who was our director and part of the team that put our support system together, then … dismantled it and has made it clear that our mission from then is no longer valued (which is, in a nutshell: making *success* more accessible to learners that need support, not just access; not “right to fail,” when people end up enrolled in courses they don’t have the preparation to succeed in…)

FOUND a rear blinkie that I hadn’t even pulled the “strip to let the battery connect” from that came with the Schwinn headlights. Sturdier than the four dollar blinkies from Ace Hardware. I still really really really want to figure out soldering and making all those LED light strings work again. LOL it’s time to retire!

telepathy

#bikeTooter
So, when the rain “acauth me”
I was “already wet might as well keep going” but brain said “actually it’s really windy and pouring and people can’t see, and people who love you would want you to stop,” so… a whole mile from work I turned (OK it also helped there was a gap in traffic to do the left thing) into the strip mall … hung out under the awning… it slowed a little. Still thundery.
Dude. Texas Roadhouse is Right There.
Crossed the parking lot with squishy shoes and– they have shelter with benches. Scooted bike in, locked it, went inside. BUSY on Tuesday ?!? “Is there a seat at the bar?” Yes.
I am greeted by student from 2010 🙂 They’re married & have written books 😛 They’re dining; if I want a ride they have a CRV. 🙂
I get a beer and they give me bread. Halfway through beer it’s clear enough 😉 I finish it and tootle home.
This a.m. “bike to work day” is POSTPONED b/c rain but I pedal in anyway b/c it’s just drizzle. Brought dry pants in bookstore bag to swap out 🙂 267 Sept. Miles. 3664 on the year. (Goal: 5000).
Co-worker said she passed me and thought: It’s windy! people can’t see!
SOunds like telepathy to me 😛

got wet

I tried to duck out early but … the one guy there needed to know how to print so … 3 extra minutes. I could see the oncoming from the parking lot… and if it had been ALL WEST might have been okay but it caught up while I was goin’ south on Country Fair. Pouring, windy, lightning… so I ducked in to the strip mall and then ducked over tou Outback Steakhouse which had a line but there was a seat at the bar.
SO yea, that was an expensive beer but still cheaper than insurance or gasoline or repairs for a car thing. Oh, and a student from 15 years ago who’s graduated and written books and stuff … was there and offered me a ride home if I needed it. Now, even a CR-V it might have been a challenge with THE BIG BIKE and… welp, if I knew I had to get to the Bike/Pd meeting that was canceled for lack of quorum, mebbe I’d have grabbed hte bus. Based on today … I will, I reckon. YES wanting to get to 5000 miles in 2026 had a lot to do with ducking out at 5:50 and not hopping the bus. And i”m at 259 for the month, 3656 on the year, but… Thanksgiving in November might be zero zip nada miles for a week. Beginning of month I could average 13.5/day and get there.
So! I have bread from Steakhouse in my bag; the barkeep gave me the spiel about the restaurant but it’s a chain, people, no local beers on tap. Yea, I should have done the short beer b/c the rains paused before I was halfway done 😉 No, the folks were not aware of the weather outside. There were LOTS OF TVS and for a while, no cable. Then… ALL THE THINGS, six or seven TVS, all the noise and music, including the Cubs and … yea, TV was fun hto’ I left before they started playing. Radio is nice but … oh, the gambling ads …
Tomorrow’s bike tow ork day and yea, I put in for half an hour leave.Time to do the done for the day things 🙂

Charge!

I didn’t, so … didn’t record this a.m.’s ride. Oops, except when I turned it back on after charging it at work, it gave me credit for 3 miles that were as the crow flies to work. So, did creative cropping
When I got out west, the flags said I had a pretty ferocious tailwind. Of course, sans Garmin I don’t have good data. Good communication — toss down the left hand and driver proceeds through perpendicular without having to full stop… in parking lot driver backs *way* back as in “no, I’m not in a hurry, go on through…” but yes, they do pass more closely even if the left lane’s empty if I’m in the full parking lane on Church. (Not dangerously or anything.)

Singing tonight! Helmet is charged. I think taillight is, too. Pedals … will do 😉 Possible rain on the morrow. Now to get a few things done!

Saunter!

I rode the Trek b/c it’s time to be able to just go faster. It *may* be that the bike is older and slower, or it might just be me. I was goin’ 14 without working too hard on this one, though.

Also 🙂 it was warm but I had no troubles like last week. We did stop at Casey’s and I snagged tea… and I ATE a pretzel and some cheese and crackers. (Nope, I am not up for Big Breakfast that early.) Just 3 of us and going faster so we did the Duncan Road extension of the Tolono route and I was still back before 11;00.

I had considered (albeit briefly) takin’ the morning off but I think keeping this on the schedule is a good idea. Erm, no, I haen’t been paritcularly productive since getting back, tho’. Time to go to store (football game has started!) b/c I’m out off all kinds of thigns (cheese!!!! Frozen juice concentrate!!!)

I did a muckup, tho –> approved a frautulent “seeing my Garmin” and another “selling a mountain bike” message 😦 😦 😦 I didn’t stop to think ppl might assume it’s on our list so they’re our people and … they *do* know how to act like our people.

Hmmm. I *know* I took pics last week of Wild Card. They did’t get pushed to my “mighty text” app though. Will sniff that out after there’s food in the house 😉

Thursday ;)

Second Very Fast Commute in a row and no tailwind. Yesterday I got to sprint across Vine because the handcycle team was coming the other way (w// police car in general vicinity, prob’ly coincidence) but had to wait at Main & race. Today I had to do dead red at Illinios and Vine at the light (so much for that being less stressful than the four way stop at Washington), but timed the green at Race & Main so I got to Lincoln in under 9:10. (10:NN is typical). So! Met the Teal going under the RR tracks after first street 🙂
I’d left 12 after the hour so I wasn’t even hurrying, but I am feelin’ good. Figuring I’ll ride Saturday and promise to eat first 😛

That white cane was in pieces in the intersection.I wonder if it belonged to one of the regular money seekers at that intersection.

Explaining that bike commuting *isn’t* hard…. twice this week…. I realize that in my status as (snork) an ‘elder’ … I shall basically say “healthy habits are worth developing” as I proceed prayerfully along my way.

I ordered more masks including another 23 dollar washable one. It also looks like it might be rainin’ for my lunch time, BUT I should get extra miles to a meeting tonight and I FOUND MY STUFF this morning, including the front light that had been trying to crawl under the La-Z-Boy 🙂

Another aggressor

This time I’m on the Xtracycle — but it was turning from Country Fair to Bradly at 8:51, a quarter mile from campus, and the silve sedan EU50141 did like the guy last week and whipped around to my right. Difference was I had intended to go to the sidewalk so I wasn’t cutting to the left.
It is almost “serious provocation” enough to cross my threshold and bring in law enforcement especiallyt since yes, they turned to go onto campus. I even did an extra weave or two around the lots I traverse, but did not espy the vehicle. However, it’s etched and I shall find my “car window” markers and have them at the ready.

I did get in within a minute of 9:00 w/ 6/63 miles. A good month 🙂 Forecast is for HOT this week; no idea about storms.

Back to Xtra

No, I didn’t see any of yesterday’s culprits but yes, I got to work … in the building at 8:00. What with yesterday’s 35 miles, I wasn’t pushing. YESTERDAY I had to wait several minutes to get across Windsor at Fox: “Somehow you know summer’s over” (Michael Smith, Sister Clarissa earworm). There was another shooting … yea, in a Black neighborhood 😦 (I also haven’t found out how Garden Hills, another neighborhood w/ lots of minorities, fared w/ the recent deluges; they have done MAJOR work with a retention pond and other efforts to keep flooding down.)

So! started the day with 459 miles on the month. 500 miles a month is a LOT of miles when I don’t do long ones. The average necessary just doesn’t go down much 😛 But 1700 left to go to make 5000 for the year. BUT time to get focused on these finite days of life.