boomana

Booooo! I don't think I've even since you since late October/early November.

And they screwed up again by not having the hitch at 3PM ("the store is late"), though I specifically asked and was promised at 8AM. I was so stunned by the incompetency, I couldn't even be angry. So.....two weeks from now, I'll hopefully get the hitch I've already paid for, but the manager did promise me they wouldn't charge me labor, and that's more than half the cost of the whole thing. Really unbelievable! There are lots of UHauls around, but this is the only one near me that installs hitches.....though this one probably shouldn't since they can't get their act together.

So liking today's game, and glad the Wings showed up to play while still in Chicago. I do think the Hawks thought this round in the bag. This is a nice reminder that the Wings are still the Wings. I think this will now be a great series, whoever wins.

F-ing UHaul. Got there this morning, waited an hour, the hitch guy didn't come in, so I didn't get a ride in AND I have to go back at 3PM today and wait for another two hours. This has been going on for six weeks. Soooo pizzed.

^ Happens. Very cool about the local communities and Ride your Bike to Work Day. It was Try Not to Get Killed Day here. I went for an early morning short ride. I don't get spooked easy, but drivers were definitely not looking/caring/whatever this morning. I had on two front lights (bike and helmet) and two rear, and was still invisible. Went home after six miles.

Happy birthday to you!!!

That 3rd period was painful to watch, though you could see it already coming in the 2nd. Bah.

Dang, Parris! Brent, glad you're getting in some miles. How's your back with all this? Mike and John, I can't ride with you on Saturday. I really have to get that hitch put on my Saturn, especially since I've already paid for it, and they can't divot next Saturday. I'll be getting a short ride in while waiting the hour and a half for UHaul to hopefully get their act together this time. Is Sunday a possibility?

Nice, Brent! Mike, we're on for Saturday if you're up for a ride. John and I were thinking Palmetto to the Lake Ave. bridge and back. We can stop for breakfast if you want (I always want). I'm going to invite the woman I met on Saturday's ride also, though she works every other weekend, so I'm not sure she can join us.

Glad you're better, Nate. I'm feeling really good, which is still thrilling as it hasn't been all that long since I was only able to do a few miles without pain. I got 110 miles in this weekend, and upped my resistance on the Computrainer today (doing intervals twice a week), and probably could have raised it higher, but I'm still being careful. Only six weeks ago, I was basically only spinning.

Get out there, Dan! ^ Like. Be aware that there is a nine/ten month waiting list, then another six weeks/two months before the paint is done, so you can get in line any time you're ready, and have something to look forward to for about a year.

Well, I haven't been posting in this thread because I'll fully admit I didn't get into hockey, minus maybe three games, this season, and I keep falling asleep during the playoff games, though I've been trying. All I got to say is I'm glad the Wings got through the Ducks, and though the track record ain't good against Chicago at all the past couple years, it's the playoffs, and that changes everything.....go Wings!

^ Or any variation of the theme The way I figure it is if you take care of the things you're responsible for first, you get to buy what you want. I have a toy fund, which is separate from my other accounts. If there is money for what I want in there, I get to buy it; if there isn't enough money, I don't get to buy it. It keeps things simple.

Well, you know the motto around here, don't you?

Glad you're liking the Cannondale, pigmode. Brent, I don't mind riding in the rain as long as there is no lightening. I hate the first couple minutes, but after that, I just have fun, even if the rain is stinging my face. I wear prescription glasses, so I'm pretty blind once it starts raining, but that really doesn't bother me. I didn't have a car for a couple years when I moved down here from Manhattan, so I got used to riding in the rain, sometimes every day for weeks. Braking, when riding in heavy traffic while in heavy rain bothers me a little. I don't mind it when I'm alone, but I didn't like it yesterday when riding in a larger group. I'm just paranoid and don't trust others. What I find more annoying is cleaning all the wet, greasy sand hiding in all the nooks and crannies of my bike in rainy weather. I'm a bit ocd with it, but spent over a half hour, both yesterday and today, with pipe cleaners when the regular brushes and wash didn't do it perfectly So I was a bit unfair to John. I thought he was just whining and trying to get out of riding as far as I wanted, but turns out he was genuinely exhausted from lack of sleep, and hadn't put in many miles recently. He now wins the trooper award for completing 60 windy miles with me. Sorry John. It was, at least, a gorgeous day to ride.

John is a cranky wimp.

I say do it! So my ride was pretty much as predicted, but I still had fun and met some good people. It was the first year for the ride and only about 60 riders signed up, with only ten of us doing more than 30. I ended up riding with a small group of docs and nurses from Broward General Hospital that were raising money for Children's Diagnostic Center. None of us could read the freaking cue sheets. It was pretty funny. We got pounded by the wind and eventual rain of a fast storm that came through, ended up in really heavy traffic down by Broward General and so far off course, we called it a day around mile 52. Got met at the end by drag queens spraying us with lavender, which I have to say was a first for me. John and I are riding tomorrow morning, so hoping for better weather.

Found out today that I have to be in Wilton Manors in Ft. Lauderdale at 5:30 AM on Saturday for registration and mandatory safety training for this ride I committed to do on Saturday. That means I need to leave my house at 4:45. That's seriously early, even for me. Between the sucky course, the early time, and the fact that there are going to be people who need safety training prior to heading out has me really wishing I could come up with a good excuse to bow out gracefully, but I already made a promise to ride with someone on his first metric, so I'm in. Maybe a thunderstorm could be brewing.....just hoping.......

Happy birthday!!!!!!!!

Happy belated, purk. That cake looks wonderful!

What's going on with your foot, Nate?

I had one long chat at the beginning, then didn't have contact until he was ready to build the frame. I had two longish phone conversations with him during that period (a few days), mostly to make sure email communication was agreed upon. I didn't really have any questions or anything to say, so didn't need to pick his brain. Agreed!

Well, had a shorter ride than planned and plagued with flats, though fortunately not mine today. Had fun, though, and at least now have a riding partner that likes to start as early as I do (6:30). John, you remember Kat. Didn't you used to work with her? I found out that next weekend's charity ride isn't what I thought it would be. Apparently, they didn't get all the permits, so it's going to be a sucky course in downtown Ft. Lauderdale, with only a small section on A1A. They already cancelled the century option. I may just do 30 miles since I'm going to be stopping for traffic lights every couple minutes. Doing a metric on bad, busy roads doesn't sound like fun to me. Plus, we have to take a safety class before starting out, which is going to make it a later start than I'd like. Bah. Rode the Calfee today. I love this bike. I'd haven't put many miles on it (about 300), and hadn't given it a good cleaning since getting it. Just spent 45 minutes de-greasing and de-sanding the chain, and getting more sand out of every nook and cranny. It's nice and purdy now.

Parris, no, it's Bike It for Life, which is more or less a training ride for the Smart Ride in November, which is from Miami to Key West. With both rides, 100% of raised funds go to local direct AIDS/HIV agencies. Over the past years, too many riders for the Smart Ride didn't break out their bikes to train until late Summer, so folks decided to help motivate them to starting earlier. I know of at least five people for whom that plan has worked, and have been riding for at least two months. I ride with a team from the Pride Center in Ft. Lauderdale. It's a great group of guys, but not helping me get a date.