Commutism

Each new leap in technology enables us to become more and more productive. We can now work on our tans while simultaneously surfing the Internet, responding to emails, and running a fortune 500 company. Amazing. No, mind you, we cannot do all those things well and simultaneously. How many fortune 500 CEOs really spend weeks on the beach. I don't know either, but it's definitely not many. And who likes getting sunscreen smudged emails, and the iPad tan is really hideous.

So why not take a moment, and relax. Sip a delicious cup of coffee in a mug, not a to go cup. Savor your food from a plate, not a styrofoam tray. Read a book, not a blog. Sip a wine and try to discern it's flavors. Do something, anything, with the intention of doing it slowly and really, really enjoying it.

Why the Luddite ranting? Because I am a Luddite on an iPad getting a horrible iPad tan. No, because I am a cyclist. I had a conversation last night about bikers. And cars. So, where are you going in such a dang hurry that you cannot slow down enough to NOT RUN OVER A CYCLIST. I know, "Two cars and a cyclist cannot both fit on that road at the same time.". Excellent argument Mre. Overeager car driver. Nearly irrefutable.

However, time progresses at relatively the same pace from day to day. So plan ahead.

Observe: our prime time TV shows will not begin until 8pm. It was like that yesterday and will be the same tomorrow. So, if it takes 27 minutes to get home from work, and Real Desperate Housewives of the Jersey Shore begins at 8pm, then you have to leave work at 6:45 in order to drive those 27 minutes, stop at the store and microwave your lean cuisine healthy choice three cheese manicotti and pop open your diet soda all in time to get your ample and spreading backside into the couch by 8pm. Unless you get stuck behind a cyclist and then have to wait for another car to go by before you can pass. The solution is clear. Pass the cyclist on a blind curve.

NO. There are other options. You could, in no particular order, microwave your lean cuisine for 3 minutes and 12 seconds, leave work at 6:44:42, miss the first 18 seconds of reality TV (but then you won't know who the special guest cowriter was for that particular episode), you could just skip the first 18 seconds of the recap of the last episode which you watched last week and still have TiVOed, or you could stop being such jerk and do something about your expanding backside and the overall waste of space that you have become and go ride your own bike. I know, it is really, really important what you do at work, which is to collate reports written by someone else about the financial situation and the general feeling on wall street. And, when no one reads them, at least they will be collated in a damn fine fashion.

So, just slow down, stop scaring cyclists, and enjoy those 18 seconds of your life that you will never get back. You weren't really going to do anything with them anyway. Its a dangerous world out there.





BE CAREFUL!

Time managementism and prison food

Have you ever had one of those days? Yeah, one of those days...

It just seems like there is a vast conspiracy against me. Not that people are working to bring me down, but that they are not working to bring me up. Apathy, incompetence, idle chatter and the like have, so to speak, put me in a funk. I have also done my part, you know, given them something to talk about. But, THEY did their part, which was the largest part... Really, just a scheduling glitch. It was a glitch. It was a problem. They kind of admitted it... Then did nothing about it.

Whew. Some venting, a little catharsis.

My time has become really, really short lately. I feel like I'm living fifteen hour days. I am staying busy, accomplishing nothing, and constantly short on time.... More venting. Of course, a lot of that is my fault. I have been cycling... A lot. This month is only 5 days old and my cycling is just a shade over 120 miles. That can eat up some time.

Today was a good ride. The wind was straight in my face the whole time... Which is weird for an out and back ride. Occasionally on a very long ride the wind changes direction, but today was not that long.

But, for you ambulatory non ambi-turners...


So, with my time being short, my cooking has changed a little. Here is my recipe for:

SHORT TIME PRISON NACHO SOUP
a handful of Tortilla chips... In a small bowl
A tablespoon of tomato sauce or salsa
Some chili sauce, hot sauce, chili powder... Or other things
Water... Just a little over the tortillas. Don't drown them.
Grated cheese on the top

Then microwave it for roughly a minute. Awesome.

Okay, no picture, but this soup is actually really good. It is a great way to deal with the last little bit of tortilla chips in the bottom of the bag.

My cup of tea

This morning I had plans to go for a ride... It was 26 degrees when I woke up. So we decided a weather delay was in order. No riding unless it is above freezing. This is a big change from my 50-degree-rule of a year ago. The main reason I can make that change: Pearl Izumi soft shell gloves. It was still a cold, cold ride.
We started out with an espresso at a local coffee shoppe. It was not well made. That was a shame. But it was warm, caffeinated, and large. Awesome. Then we started the ride with a few hills that warmed us up quick. 20 miles and roughly an hour later I was back in my kitchen eating some steel cut oats. In case you haven't discovered the all purpose rice maker, it is amazing. Here are (not rice but) steal cut oats:
1 C steel cut oats
2.5 C water. Just estimate something a little over a 2:1 ratio
1 apple
Sprinkle with some cinnamon
Handful of raisins.
Put them into the rice maker, PROP OPEN THE LID (a butter knife laid across the top works well) and turn it on. It will be ready when you finish your ride.


An organic Pai Mu Tan white tea. I love this tea. It is a delicate, slightly sweet chinese white tea. It doesn't have the smokey or vegetable water flavors of some of the other green or white teas. I don't know quite how to describe. It is not a florid palate with hints of currants and blackberries and a tanniny finish. It is just a fine, exceptionally delicate cup of tea. It does not stand up well to other flavors so I generally drink it alone. And I never serve it to anyone who is going to put milk and sugar in it.


And, yes, that is my cup of tea.
And I'm ready for my next ride this afternoon!

Back to Skewlism mixed troglodytism

Whooo!!!! Back in skewl. Actually, I'm pretty excited to be back in skewl... tempered with a bit of I miss my summerism. Really. The stuff I'm supposed to be learning is actually kind of cool. Right now we are playing a fun game in class where our professors name a medication and tell what it does. For example, a selective alpha-1 antagonist. This puts me on the edge of my seat as I sit there and think, "Hmmm, what is an alpha-1 and what does it do?... and then what would happen if I made it mad." I can't help but feel that if I had only learned this last year, things would be easier now.

I'm also moving into a new place. On my lease it actually says that I, as the tenant, have a responsibility not to allow rock bands or musical instruments into my house. I think it is time for me to finally learn to play guitar...

On another note, the Ride for Jim jerseys are DONERS and have been sent off to our manufacturer. This means I can stop redesigning those things. I'm going to try to attach the final design to this, but I can't find a hammer so wish me luck.

Now that those are done, I get to the business of bilking friends and acquaintances for money. If you hate cancer enough to help fund a scholarship for cancer research, follow this link and empty your pockets... If you want to cycle 70 miles with me to show how much you hate cancer, go to rideforjim.org.

Hike and Bike-ism

I should have done a lot of things differently today. I was going to study, but instead I designed a cycling jersey. If I knew how to put up pictures, I’d show you what I came up with. One of those little side projects I try to always be involved with is the Ride for Jim. There are 5 riders crossing the country to raise money for cancer research. Then, for their final leg, we are organizing a group ride from Richmond to Yorktown. This year, we are making a jersey in order to get people to raise funds. We are recruiting sponsors, getting advertising out. It is very exciting. I put together a preliminary jersey… and I think it looks pretty good. (The sponsors on this mock up are from last year, and will change. Stay tuned.)

Feel free to comment on the Jersey.

The other thing I was going to try to do was go to bed early(er). That did not happen, thanks to an exciting Yankees Red Sox finish. The Sox came back behind a couple of home runs. And just as I was about to pack it in, A-Rod hits a two-run home run. Tie game. Then, another home run. Yankees win!!

I’m a little short on sleep after this weekend’s madness. A hike and bike. I ascended the priest— 3100 feet of vertical to the summit of this clerical peak. Then, a night in a tent followed by a 54 mile bike ride up to and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Getting to the parkway was brutal. Once on top, the ups and downs continued but it never got quite as steep. It was amazing. I kind of wanted to keep going… but I don’t know how much was left in my legs. Awesome.

Alright, I promise more, but the game is over and… sleep.