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Short
Stories |
Restaurants |
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October
and November 2007 |
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Walking takes
longer... than any other known form of locomotion except crawling. Thus
it stretches time and prolongs life. Life is already too short to waste
on speed. ~Edward
Abbey,~ |
November 30, 2007 I would say by now that you all are tired
of hearing how fantastic the ride was and maybe you are even taking wagers
when it is going to sour. It wasn’t today, at least not this morning. It was chilly and I caved in and put on
the mask. I imagine that I look like some retarded ninja peddling along. There
might even be school children who see me who think, “I want to be a retarded
ninja on a bike too!” Probably not but this is the things I come up with. Graphic details to follow: There is a detail about riding in the
cold that I’m not sure I will ever get used to. That is, the nose seems to up
the amount of mucus it produces. My nose becomes the A)
Let it
freeze to you face B)
Make Snot
Rockets (A snot rocket is created by closing one nostril and forcing air out
the other) Now this excessive mucus goes away once
the ride ends so I assume it is an Immune/Defense mechanism. I wonder
sometime how much can the nose possible create. I am guessing this is why you
should drink lots of water. I breathe better the rest of the day, and
I haven’t been ill, only when I ride in the cold does this happen. Hope nobody was eating when they were
reading this! |
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I, who
cannot stay in my chamber for a single day without acquiring some rust, and when
sometimes I have stolen forth for a walk at the eleventh hour of four o'clock
in the afternoon, too late to redeem the day, when the shades of night were
already beginning to be mingled with the daylight, have felt as if I had
committed some sin to be atoned for. ~Henry David Thoreau~ |
November 29, 2007 AM I didn’t get around to writing about
yesterday evening’s commute. I stopped along the way to take pictures of the
traffic that I was glad not to be a part of (I’ll have to upload those
later). Along the route, my dad ran interference
at an intersection by clicking on his hazards and pulling slowly through
(Makes life easier). Today I wanted to cover an equation that
is relevant: Women:
BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7
x age in years ) Basically, the Basal Metabolic Rate is
the number of calories needed to sustain your current weight if you did
nothing but lie in bed all day. This is significant because this is the base
line for which on needs to work with. Not fulfilling this amount could prove
fatal. I don’t wish to get into the science of
this because it has already been written. Google the term and see what you
come up with. Once you get that concept figured out, the evolution of thought
should take you to the next step. Rather than working through the above equation,
I am sure you’ll have not trouble finding a BMR Calculator. This is a good point of reference for
anyone wishing to lose weight. Note:
Most food labels are based on a 2000 calorie diet. |
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Don't let
people drive you crazy when you know it's in walking distance ~Unknown~ |
November 28, 2007 AM Despite the cold, this morning’s ride was
invigorating! Traffic seemed lighter than normal and I didn’t encounter any
of the impatient ones! I checked the weather before leaving and it was
recorded at 31 Degrees. My intensions were to start earlier and ride
the Greenway, However; if I leave before 7 AM it is still completely dark
outside. I am going to have to do a test run on a weekend before I commit to
earlier days during an actual commute. Riding in the dark is such added risk. Not that I haven’t done so before, but
that’s just it: riding in the dark isn’t much fun. Even with the lights that
I have installed, seeing object enough in advance is tough because the lights
just are as good as you would expect them to be. One day at a time! |
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You live
longer once you realize that any time spent being unhappy ~Ruth E. Renkl~ |
November 27, 2007 Until the time changes back to longer
days, it is impossible to ride on Tuesday. The new routine is to Ride Monday,
Wednesday and Friday. Tuesday A.M. I get up and hit the Gym. Thursday, I am
considering the Gym after work. Scheduled classes at the YMCA just don’t
work with my schedule at all (unless I do 8:30 A.M. Saturday). Slim Shady didn’t arrive this morning
until I was leaving so I missed out on the show. I wonder if he actually
works out or if he just looks in the mirror for a really long time? Today is the first opportunity that I
have had to get a weigh in since last Friday. I had gained some weight Friday
but have now it a new milestone. I am teetering between 197 and 198. I FEEL
GREAT! I have evolved the routine into more than
a ride now. I am including Yoga everyday. Complimenting both is calisthenics.
Most importantly is Nutrition. We are what we eat after all. For anyone interested, I will detail my
dietary regiment now. Realize first and foremost that I do not do with out
anything I want but instead think portions and moderation. When I have meat,
I tend to crowd it off the plate with Vegetables. At this point, beans are
primarily replacing meat as the primary protein. Without getting into a serious discussion
of nutritional science, I will summarize by saying this: Protein, Vegetable,
Fruit, Grains and Dairy. Now being that I am not a Dietitian, this
is something that I have to learn and develop as I go. Vitamins and Minerals
is something we all hear about everyday but who really understands them? Long
story short, I read a lot. Every free moment I get I try to learn something
new. But it seems that this concept is widely accepted as sufficient. Keeping in line with the Food Pyramid (http://www.mypyramid.gov/) I try to mix
these up and consider the daily requirements of each. The easiest way that I
have found to get this going with any kind of consistency is to plan meals in
advance. Rather than 3 meals a day, I have 5 or 6 small meals. Meal 1 (Breakfast): My research has
concluded that Breakfast should never be skipped. You should also try to eat
within the first 90 minutes of being awake. Protein
/ Dairy / Grain Meal 2: This is more of a snack than a
meal. Ideally, it is subsidizing Breakfast (Moderation). Fruit
/ Protein Meal 3 (Lunch): Usually my largest meal
and if I am going to actually eat meat, this is when I do so. This allows the
entire day to process the meat before sleeping. Protein
/ 2 to 3 Vegetables Meal 4: Like meal 2, this is more of a
snack. I prepare raw Fruit into a sealable bowl everyday. I occasionally will
keep Almonds, peanuts or pecans handy. 3
to 5 Fruits / Protein Meal 5 (Dinner/Supper): Protein is very important
here because I am reaching the end of a day of exercise and stretching. The
Protein needs to be usable and meat is slow to digest. Beans and Dairy prove
useful here. Protein/
2 to 3 Vegetables Meal 6: Cereal makes for a good low
calorie late evening snack. Grain
/ Dairy Now that you know what and how I am
eating, how about what I avoid: Alcohol: Much research concludes it to
hinder digestion. I am not a prude and will occasionally have a drink, but
again moderation is a factor here. Soda: has been my vice for years. Maybe
it was the caffeine, maybe taste, I don’t really know. I occasionally have a
Dr. Pepper but that is definitely the exception not the rule. I don’t do Diet
soda either. Don’t like the taste of it. Coffee: Never have cared for the stuff. Meat: is not removed but is definitely
reduced. Meat to me has become Processed Sugar and Sugary Snacks: Again,
Moderation. I ultimately avoid this stuff but Thanksgiving just passed
leaving a liar to say I do without. Fruit provides what sweet I need. Honey
also makes a good substitute. This has all become routine. I guess it
is no longer what we would call a ‘Diet’ but more of a lifestyle. Anyone who would like more detail or
ideas, feel free to ask. I also am open to any suggestions and/or correction
of any data that one might find misguided or inaccurate. I am compiling a
list of links to add to the site later. Somebody pass me the mashed potatoes! |
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Don't stop
yourself from enjoying the now because of an imagined tomorrow or a
remembered yesterday. Take a look at how you're stopping yourself from being
happy. It's all up to you, no buts (or because) about it. ~Marie T.
Russell~ |
November 26, 2007 AM It is Monday again. Reading this means
you survived Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Hannah Montana’s visit With the downpour that was taking place
when I was leaving this morning, I elected to drive. This is always a
frustrating thing to me because like the rest of society, a car makes me feel
like I have to go faster than necessary. On the subject of cars: what is our fascination
with this machine? Why have we as a society become so dependent on it and how
has it become a fashion statement? Something I started noticing well before
The Daily Commute was that the SUV is a status symbol and for no practical
purpose. Every Soccer mom and college student has to have one to feel, well I
can imagine how it makes them feel because I can’t relate. Now we can blame the war in Using Hannah Montana as an example: There
is a limited number of seats in the Civic Auditorium
(x), therefore; that is the highest possible number available for tickets. If
the number of consumers desiring to buy tickets (y) exceeds number of seats
(x) then the price will increase to meet the number. If x and y are equal
then Supply meets demand and the market will stagnate creating an even cost. This simple concept is the reason why
there were Hannah Montana tickets going for 500 Bucks (the music industry is
in such a bad place with all the piracy aren’t they). Now that the refresher course is over,
let’s get back to SUV’s. I want to challenge everyone to take notice of the
SUV’s on the road. Now I realize that Jim-Bob of Jim-Bob Developers can
likely justify his because he is hauling a crew of men supplies, let’s ignore
those. The ones your attention should be drawn to are those that are being
driven by individuals. My results come up pretty much the same
every time. College age individuals drive a lot of SUVs. I also notice that
more women drive them more than men (I think because men a preprogrammed to
love a Truck). I am going to emphasize “Individuals” here because that is
what is out there: Individuals driving SUVs. The majority is not hauling kids
or a construction crew, they have one person inside. On average, 17 to 20 miles a gallon is
what one can expect in an SUV. If you drive one, I am very sorry for the fact
that decisions you’ve made are costing you so much money. If you don’t have
an SUV, realize the savings you are making. If you are driving a car, watch out for
SUVs. With all of the safety ratings and all that, seems that they always
fail to consider what an SUV will do to you sedan! I will watch out for you
all because the safety rating for a bicycle can’t be good. I hope I have planted the seed. This is a
pretty intense subject to try to continue in the short segments that I have
been writing. Economics is the subject here not
Environment. I will leave the Environmental aspect of this discussion to
others (I am a skeptic on Environmental Science anyway). |
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Manifest plainness, ~Tao Te Ching~ |
November 23, 2007 PM The ride home was warmer and some of the
turkey has worn of from the Thanksgiving Feast. Cyclist Be on the lookout for: an
older model TN Tags 800-DDL Driver was very threatening on AM Black Friday! Weather.com claimed 37
degrees. It seemed much colder to me. I had to get completely geared up:
Mask, toboggan, gloves. I don’t know if it was really that cold or if
Thanksgiving Day spoiled me. I do know this, riding after the Feast
was difficult. I felt lethargic and just couldn’t get going this morning. I
still made average time it just seemed like swimming against the current. The roads were clear this morning: I
guess everyone was already waiting at the doors of all their favorite
establishments waiting to get into the shopping madness. I hope everyone
makes it out of the mob safe. I will ride down Middlebrook
Pike in the freezing weather, but I wouldn’t be caught dead at the mall
today. For my ride home, the temperature is
supposed to be a warm 44 Degrees. I am looking forward to it. Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! |
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Sometimes
I go about pitying myself ~Unknown~ |
November 21, 2007 PM The ride home contended with this morning.
The temperature was better and I had a slight drizzle of rain. Though the sun
was near setting as I left work, it held out for me to make it home. The entire splendor, however; couldn’t
last untainted. Some anus in a Leaf Guard box truck was unhappy about sharing
the road. Unfortunately with the sunlight dim as it was, I didn’t get any
more information than that. If I had the truck number I would have had a talk
with the big man at Leaf Guard. We can only assume that this guy was merely a
bad apple in the barrel because I can’t imagine the general atmosphere at
Leaf Guard would be so negative. Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving.
After a little turkey, I think I will go for a ride. AM Today I reached a moment of clarity. For
3 months now, I have been competing with myself trying to get the commute
time down to 20 minutes. For me to actually make it here in 20
minutes, I would not only have to maintain 18 miles an hour, there would be
no room to stop. I won’t say that it is impossible to achieve this goal: My
best time was 26 minutes. The Problem, it is actually taking about
35 to 40 minute most days because I am taking the time to smell the
metaphorical roses. The moment of clarity is just that. Why
rush such a fantastic experience. Why not get up earlier and ride more.
Chaining up the bike today my thoughts were ‘It is a shame to stop now. I am
just getting warmed up!’ As you can tell by now, this morning was
a great ride. A new statistic: a complete stranger waved as he passed. I
think the VW Microbus he was driving may have been a factor but that doesn’t
matter. That was the general experience today.
All buzz, all the way. I do regret not having the camera today. I
actually saw a bus with a VW microbus welded to the top of it. From now on, a
camera is prerequisite to ride. Today my mother beeped a hello! |
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I thank
God for most this amazing ~EE
Cummings~ |
November 20, 2007 AM Because I am working late today, I
decided riding home in the dark wasn’t going to be too much fun. Not to be
lazy I went to the YMCA. I have mentioned some weirdness with the
Y before, like the shampoo man but today I met a very odd character. I am
going to call him Slim Shady because that is what he looked like. My total workout took about an hour. Slim
was there the whole time with his pants sagging and his little do rag on. The
odd thing about him was, 20 minutes in, he was still looking in the mirror. Starting into my next routine, he very
quickly and deliberately removed his T-shirt exposing his wife beater and I
was thinking “Now we are getting serious!” But I was wrong because for
another 10 minutes who looked in the mirror. I moved on to the other side of the Gym,
but as I walked away Rap music started blasting behind me. I looked back and
Slim was bustin’ a move! Those moves were the most
action we got out of Slim, because the only thing else he did was pick up a
couple of dumbbells and set them back down (Adjusting his Do rag in between
movements). So those of you unfamiliar with the set
up at the Y, the showers are stalled like public bathrooms. Each of the
stalls are about the size of a stand up shower you
might have in your home (roughly 4’ x 5’). Despite the luxury of this shower,
today a older man was standing in the walk way
getting all soaped up. I am not sure what that was all about but I thought it
odd enough to mention. So in this paradise we call earth one
must remember that it takes all sorts to make the world go round. One must
also take a moment and enjoy the humor offered by the Slim Shady’s of the world. One more thing, beware of the Naked Old
Man covered in soap, you never know what he might do next. |
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It is
easier to lead men to combat, stirring up their passion, than to restrain
them and direct them toward the patient labors of peace ~Andre Gide~ |
November 19, 2007 AM What a fantastic day to ride. This is one
of those days that I say “man this is the thing to do!” The weather was great
and some adjustments to the bike have helped. I replaced my previous tires with a different
type of tread. It is amazing the difference the new tread makes. I guess this
would be a good spot to have pictures (I will add some later). I think when I
wear these out I will go with a smooth road tread. I have also been tinkering with the shifter
and derailleur trying to get all the shifting smoother. I haven’t got it
perfect yet but it is on the way. Today I added a new article of clothing.
My sister has given me lime green Safety vest. Apparently it works well
because most people have changed lanes before they even come close to me
(Thanks Sis!) I said last week that I would so a road
report on So today, I encountered old lady who
really wanted me off the road. I was in the turning lane and she was in the
complete other lane but according to her I am a ‘Stupid Jerk!” As promised: She was driving a Gold Honda
Accord. I nearly forgot! Friday I went back and
added commentary for the ride home. Look at the Archives if you want to read
it too! I am going to try and do that every day as well. Road Report: If you live in the Sutherland Ave. area,
using the Greenway as far as Cumberland (leaving Tyson Park) and climb over
Cumberland, You save yourself a couple of miles. The down side to this route
is: You will be climbing all the way to Seventeenth St. Run a trial run
before you decide this is your route. Today’s weigh in: 201 Pounds. |
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It is not that I am so Smart, it is just that I stay
with the problem longer ~Albert Einstein~ |
November 16, 2007 PM So far I have only been covering the
morning Commute. I feel that I have been short changing you all because you
only hear half the Story. From now on I will try to fill you in on the rest
of the story. There are still some people out there
apparently who think it is cute to honk at the lone biker. I am going to
dedicate a section of this site to the @ss holes
and here is how it is going to work: You honk at me, I remember your license
plate and a description of you car and post it as a bicycle unfriendly
driver. Unfortunately, this only went threw my mind while I was extending a
middle finger. I did get a description: black Nissan x-terra with |