Feb 16 - bike geek ?

I just finished posting the last blog and had to start this one right away so that I don't forget a train of thought. After I posted that blog, I went back out to my bike and moved the 705 mount from the stem to the handlebars, taking off the mount for the battery operated LED light. I have something on order to take care of that ... that will put an extra mount bar just down or out front for things like this. The reason that I moved the mount is that I decided that I also want my cue sheet holder and it's setup (something that I made myself) to mount on the stem.

When I was gainfully employed I avoided the look of having cell phones etc. strapped to my hip. First off, I don't find things comfortable there. Secondly, well secondly is the same as firstly, I don't find it comfortable. As such, I didn't look as technologically equipped as other people, choosing instead to use my pockets ...

Now ... it's on my bike. Marda said that my lighting setup, looking at the pictures, was obscene. Well, obscene has a number of meanings and I'm not sure that it's the appropriate word, but it's sure "something" and "obscene" is as good a description as anything else! Now, with the 705 mounted on the handlebars, that extra mount on order, a top-tube bag on order -- it's looking positively geeky.

Sandy probably wonders why I spend -- or how could I spend -- so much time fiddling with my bike. Adjusting, cleaning, tinkering -- you'd think that it was an antique car or something.

I spend more time on my bike than I do in my car. It wasn't always so ... but it sure is now. It needs to a) be comfortable, b) work properly, c) be familiar. I want it to shift smoothly. I don't want rattles and strange sounds. By "familiar", I mean that it has to work without thinking about it. I need more spare parts and tools in my bike pack than I do in my car. Does that mean that it's less well-built ? No, but it does mean that it's more fragile !

Ok, enough of this. I'll go back to tinkering with my bike.

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When is the last time that you read the label on a bag of frozen peas ? Do you eat frozen peas ? I do -- well, not frozen, but it's a wholesome complement to a sandwich at lunch -- boil them, add something else like salad olives and jalapeños, some hot sauce ... mmmm.

Back to my question -- have you ever read the label ? Why would you read the label ? If it was a bag of mixed vegies I might read the label in the store in case the picture didn't already tell me what vegies are in the bag ... but a bag of frozen peas ?

Ok -- cut the suspense -- peas ... and salt. Why salt ? Do they think that adding salt will make these peas taste better and therefore we'll buy them (Publix brand) over another brand (Bird's Eye) that does not have salt ? I'm not worried about my sodium intake, but it just goes to show you that you cannot take anything for granted.

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Close of day -- I got out for a bike ride around 11:30 and fought my way north in a headwind that gusted well over 20mph, judging by how easy it was to come back, and the wind at my back even at high speeds. 2:46 going north, 2:05 coming south -- that pretty well tells the tale. Even without maps loaded it's fun playing with a new toy. The toy says that I burned 3605 calories. It would probably say more if I told it how much my bike really weighs -- it thinks that the bike weighs 18 pounds and I have not told it anything different. Did I really burn that many calories ? Who knows -- but I burned more calories than if I was sitting in front of this computer.

I did switch it to map at one point and of course it has US 1 in its memory, so it was following along with me. It determines its initial elevation, it seems, from the GPS readings and then judges elevation changes from there based on barometric pressure. At least that's my understanding. At one point in the ride it was saying that I'd climbed a cumulative 800 feet. Understand that is the accumulation of a lot of 1-2 foot slope although at one point it said that I was 35 ft over sea level (and that was not an overpass, by the way). Of course that would make it 40 feet higher that our house, which it thought was at -5 ft. Apparently it thought that I was below sea level much of the day. Elevation is not all that accurate in small gradations ! It will be more accurate where there is actual climbing involved.

It was great cycling weather, albeit just a little cool. I was able to wear my short sleeved jersey with a vest to break the wind. I'd started out with my light blue jacket but shed that, swapping for the vest that was in the rackpack. Weather is on my mind though -- I said in this morning's blog that the forecast temperature for Gainesville overnight Friday was going to be 33F ... they've now revised that to 30F. This is not going in the right direction !! They have revised the high to be higher though ... we'll just have to wait for it.

Sandy did her usual walk today and also went to Home Depot, looking at doors. I might get around to widening the master bath doorway and linen closet -- but can only do the former if we have a door. I went to HD on Sunday morning, looked at their stock and picked up some brochures. They carry -- or at least can order -- the same Jeldwen doors that we have up north. I'm going to put in a 30x80, and I did double check that the existing door is 80 inches tall. While I was at it I checked the guest bath and the bedroom doors, because at some point I'll replace them with solid 4 or 6 panel doors too, for a more contemporary look. Well ... the other bathroom door is 80 inches tall and the bedroom doors are 79 3/8. Go figure. Actually I probably know the reason -- the bedroom doors swing onto carpeted floors and they need the extra clearance. The bathroom doors swing onto tiled floors and don't. The other reason that they need extra clearance, actually a gap, is that the furnace only has a cold air return in the Great Room -- and if those doors are too close to the floor the air coming out of the vents in those rooms wouldn't have anywhere to go.

We had the Red Snapper for dinner, along with rice and Swiss Chard. The Snapper was great, the rice was rice, the Swiss Chard was tough. The Chard that they have down here is all big-leaves and quite tough. I'd prefer spinach ... actually I'd prefer the Swiss Chard that my Dad used to grow and my Mom would pick it when the leaves were small.

Tomorrow's plan has not been formulated yet. I'll finish this in the morning. Maybe then there will be a plan !

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It's morning again. There's still no plan other than what it's not -- it's not a biking day. You'll have to tune in tomorrow ...