September 25 update

Today was a pretty typical Sunday.  I got up and had my usual pre-ride meal.  This included a homemade scone, banana and milk with instant breakfast.  Then I was off to ride.  On my way back I had to ride over a railroad crossing.  This crossing was closed last week end while it was rebuilt.  I am not sure why it had to be rebuilt as it was fine before.  In fact it is rougher now than it was before they “repaired” it.  It is also another example of stupidity.  The repair is now so rough it was necessary to put up a sign warning drivers.  The problem is the sign was placed so drivers will see it only after they have crossed the tracks.  You can just see it in the first picture just next to the right set of railroad lights.

 

I think if they keep the sign there they should change it to read something like “Sorry about that”

When I got home I had my second breakfast.  This one included pancakes and bacon.  Then it was time for a shower and then off to church.  After church we ran a quick errnd and then came home to eat lunch.  After lunch we watched a television show we had recorded.  I was tired and had trouble keeping my eyes open so we both took naps.  After that we had supper and then took Candi for a walk.  As we normally do on Sunday we walked to a nearby grocery store and bought a doughnut.  On Sunday night, they cost only 25 cents each.  The selection can be limited but Elizabeth found a good one.  I stay outside with Candi.  When we got home I had a cup of tea dna shared the doughnut with Candi.  It is now time to call it a day.

What a waste!!

Today was a pretty typical Saturday.  I got up early and did some early morning stuff.  Actually I got up a little later than normal so I did not do as much as I would have liked.  Around 6 I got ready to ride.  I ate a homemade scone, it was delicious, a banana and drank a glass of milk with some strawberry Carnation instant breakfast in it.  Then I was off to ride.  I rode about 35 miles.  My route took me through the University of Houston Clear Lake campus.  I have ridden here many many times but today I noticed this pole at the crosswalk.  If you click on the picture you can see a larger image.

 

It says to press the button for cross warning device.  To understand why this struck me you need to see a bigger picture.

You will notice, there are no lights.  In fact I pushed the button  and nothing happen.  No lights, no bells, nothing.  So why did the university waste money to install these devices?  Maybe the job is not done and something will be added later.

When I got home I had a bowl of cereal.  Then I was off to get a haircut.  I went back to a place called Roosters.  I got my last haircut there and really liked it.  In fact Elizabeth made an appointment for me.  I am not sure why they take appointments as they seem to mean little.  The barber I made the appointment with had another at the same time.  Luckily they was another barber available so I did not have to wait.

After I got home I got Elizabeth and we ran a couple of errands.  When we got home it was lunch time.  Actually lunch is not the right word.  On weekends I have my bigger meal at lunch.  I had a steak and baked potato.  Yum it was very good.  After lunch I cleaned the kitchen and then we both laid down for a nap.  I slept better than Elizabeth as there were a number of planes flying out of Ellington Field.

For supper I had a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup and some cheese and crackers.  A bit before sunset we took Candi for a walk.  Then we watched an episode of Hart to Hart for a DVD.  Now it is a bit after 9.  After I finish this I will do be ready to call it a day.
 

Hope you had a good Saturday

Inappropriate

Yesterday as Elizabeth and I were running errands I saw a bumper sticker that I thought was very inappropriate.  The sticker was actually on the vehicle rear window and it said “Save the Planet”.  While I completely agree with the message, what made it inappropriate was it was stuck to the rear window of a HUMMER!  Come on buddie if you really want to save the planet start by driving a vehicle that gets gas mileage in the double digits

Labor Day

First of all I hope you all are having or had a great Labor Day.

It was a very nice day here.  As normal I got up early and did my morning thing.  That included having my pre-ride breakfast of a bagel with cream cheese, a banana and milk with instant breakfast.  Yesterday was basically the same but I also had to take my once per month Actonel.  The steroids I have been taking have a nasty side effect of thinning bones.  In any event after eating I was off for a ride.  The past three days have been very windy.  The winds blow 20 to 30 miles per hour from the north.  Even over night they have been howling.  The past couple of days I have started my ride going north.  That gives me a tail wind returning home.  My routes in that direction are limited so I decided to go a different route and different direction today. 

When I got home I had my other breakfast of a bowl of Cream of Rice. 

There is one very nice thing about a north wind, it is dry.  Typically our wind is from the south.  That means it blows in off the Gulf of Mexico and brings a lot of humidity.  However, when the wind is from the north it is blowing in from the plains and is dry.  Right now, almost 1 PM, the humidity is 37% and the dew point is 55F.  The bulb temperature is 84F.  That is very nice.  If the wind was from the south the dew point would be in the 70s which is very sticky.  With the nice weather I decided I would do some outside work.  First I had to work on my bike.  The rear brake was not working correctly.  It would not fully release after use.  This would cause the brake to drag and increase the work it took to ride.  At first I tried cleaning and lubricating the cables.  That did not fix the problem and I thought I may have to replace the brake.  When I removed it I discovered it just needed cleaning and an adjustment.  That done, it works fine.  I do not have a bike stand so I just use my bike rack.

 

That allows me to use the trunk cover as a work bench.

 

Then I decide to vacuum the inside of the car and clean the windows.  The other day driving to work I had to drive east looking directly into the rising sun.  I learned my windows really needed to be cleaned.  So I did that.  I could not wash the car itself as we are under water ration due to the drought. 

 

After that I came inside and took a shower and got ready for lunch.  Elizabeth made a delicious fall meal.  I really do not think of meals as seasonal but she said pork roast, sweet potatoes and beets is a fall meal.  I also had homemade biscuits with homemade spiced apple pear butter.  It was all very good.  Elizabeth works so hard on meals.  I am so grateful for all she does to help me stay healthy.  We did have one unpleasant surprise.  I was drinking some vitamin water as it is good to replenish electrolytes.  Elizabeth was looking at the label and this particular flavor had caffeine in it.  I try to avoid caffeine as some studies say it contributes to inflammation.

This afternoon I plan to take it easy.  Maybe read a bit and take a nap.

Missed opportunity

I know different parts of the county are dealing with different weather conditions.  Here we are still dealing with hot drought.  Tropical storm Lee was another missed opportunity.  We had our fingers crossed but it decided to go east of here. 

Other than that things are pretty much routine here.  Friday I got up and rode my bike 30 miles.  I target to be home around 9 so my rides get shorter as sunrise gets later.  Sunrise here is now right at 7AM.  After breakfast and a shower we were off to run normal Friday erramds.  This week that also included taking Candi to the groomer.  Back home for lunch and a nap.  In the evening I went to a meetig and after that we stopped at church for First Friday quiet time.

On Sunday Father suggest we fast on Friday.  We decided rather than fasting from food we would fast from TV so Friday was a quiet day at home.

Right now it is a little past 6AM and I an off for a ride.