I was invited to go on a bike ride with a couple of people, but I chickened and made excuses. This is the second time, so they just MAY stop asking me! My excuse was, I didn't want to drive the vehicle to Torrey Pines Glider Airport, which was the starting point of the ride. I kind of have been getting away from driving to riding places. It seems vaguely un-ecological to do drive a smog-mobile to go on a healthful bike ride. Of course, one avoids the sucky ride, in this case through Missing Valley, to the jumping-off point if one drives.

Anyway, I rode to nearly Del Mar, and even rode UP the Torrey Pines State Park road (and LIVED!). The waves were humongous, there was no beach, the waves were crashing right on the rocks next to the road. It was high tide, too. I shoulda brung the camera...

I found a dime at a stop light.

I also found an ENORMOUS (well, about two inches) nut, but it was too heavy to carry home. I left it near where I found it, near the bridge that goes from Rio Del Mission (or something like that) North to Rio Del Missione South.

I also also found an Incredible Hulk hackie-sack kind of thing, right on my own street! Left it on the picnic bench at Fashion Valley for the homeless lady to play with (more about that in the one-after-next paragraph).

The golf course had a thing going on so there was tons of vehicular traffic.

Took a break at Fashion Valley. Talked to a homeless-type lady. She wandered off to panhandle fifty cents to use a phone. True to form, I didn't even THINK of giving her the dime I had found earlier. Selfish lout!

A goodly portion of the way back starting near the In 'n Out I was playing leapfrog with two ladies on bikes. I got ahead, they went a different way, they took a break, I passed, they'd catch up. All the way up the Montezuma hill, then they turned off.

I felt pretty good the whole ride. Not weak or anything. Must be the four slices of pizza I had last night. Or was it five? Good thing I forgot to test last night! Of course I ate and hydrated during the ride. Two granola bars and an apple.

What do you think of the colors? Too much?

Weekly Mileage Totals:

Schwinn -- 53.89
Jamis -- 34.82

A very pretty sky this mornig on the way to work. There was a cute little contrail, but I'm not sure you can see it in the picture.

I noticed around xmas that my hip isn't hurting anymore, that is, as a result of the crash in Julyish. Coolness.

Rode the bike today to work.

I feel kinda cruddy all this week so far (except when on the bike). I was invited to go on a group ride at work, but I am busy making up excuses, these guys (and I mean that loosely!) are all 30 some years younger than I am, and competative marathon/triathalon people. Somewhat outa MY league!

Not much going on bicycle-wise this week.

Rode 10 on the Schwinn on MLK day, and commuted the other four on the Jamis.

Tomorrow I have to visit Dr. Mac, so I shall have to drive the vehicle. I guess I will have to make up for it next weekend!

Weekly Mileage Totals:

Schwinn -- 10.15
Jamis -- 40.52

If I was clever I would ride both bike the same distance and compare odometer readings, just to see....

Chilly ride to the dam and back today. And to think I was gonna forgo the jacket!

Wet spots in the road, no problemo. Did NOT go around the lake, instead dropped off book at the PL.

Saw a couple hawk-like birds riding a thermal near the west end of the Gillespie Field runway.

Weekly Mileage Totals:

Schiwnn -- 20.02
Jamis -- 50.14

Sunday it is. Did a loop around the lake today, including a little off-road dirt pathy-type riding. This was on the Jamis. Rode around the lake, then back again. Par usual, when I tried to shift into granny for the VERY steep path from the perimeter road up to street level, the fabulous SIS dumps the chain. So I walked it up the hill, shifted it, road back DOWN the hill path, then back UP the hill path, much to the amazement of various pedestrians.

Yesterday I rode about ten miles going to THREE different Postal Offices to find stamps. Finally got them in San Carlos. Went home and mailed some Xmas cards.

Also stopped by Performance, as I KNOW Myrick is going to ask me Monday if I did. Of course the seat post hasn't slipped all week. The guy suggested "dimpling" the post with a punch so it would have better bite in the clamp area. He asked about the "The Selector" t-shirt I was wearing. I told him about getting it at Soma a couple years or so ago. I was trying to tell him the other bands that were there, but of course senility struck. Now I remember: The Toasters, and Big Time Operator, I think was the third band.

Weekly Mileage Totals:

Schwinn -- Zilcho
Jamis -- 50 miles

My bicycle musings

So far this week just comuting forth and back to work, not even stretching it to five miles each way, just the basic 3.5. Almost got wacked by a young fellow in a, if you will excuse the expression, "riced-out" car. He apparently was not looking out for people wearing SCREAMINGLY BRIGHT FLOURESCENT YELLOW JACKETS riding bicycles in the parking lot of the cig. store. Jeesh!

As far as the seat steam, I think the ticket will be to spray it with lacquer (to increase the diameter?) several times. That seems to be the buzz on the web.

LINK O'THE WEEK: Alan's Wacked Out Virtual Bicycle Commute. No, not me, some guy in Phoenix, AZ.

I seem to have gained five pounds in the last couple weeks! Couldn't be all that fruit cake, right? Now C. and I weigh the same!

So much for the big New Year's Day Ride. I woke up at 8, decided it was too late to get started, ate the bran flakes for breakfast (in bed), and continued reading "I Am Alive and You Are Dead. A Journey into the Mind of Philip K. Dick", by Emmanuel Carrère. A truly wierd guy was the Dickster!

Anyway, I'm SURE it's gonna rain any second! Waiting....

LATER -- Decided around 1:30 to go on a Dam Ride. Very quiet out, car-wise, but a lot of people walking at Padre Dam and Lake Murray. River is up a little, but not that much. It was sunnyish when I started out, and then got cloudy as I progressed through Santee.

While grunting my way up Jackson Drive hill I figured out that although the YEAR may have ended Saturday, the WEEK ended today, so I adjusted the Weekly Mileage Totals in the previous post. Like anyone cares!