You'll have to show me this trick. It may come in handy when I do my x-country trip.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zen
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You'll have to show me this trick. It may come in handy when I do my x-country trip.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zen
This is a very cool* write-up on the storm that ended the heat wave on Sunday:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/cap...ook_at_su.html
*Well, I guess it's only very cool if you're a weather geek like I am. ;)
I remember one or two summers ago we had a severe storm pass through, and it was a bow echo. There was enough wind damage from that storm to make me remember: if the meteorologist says the words "bow echo," head for cover now, seriously like right this minute.
I've read that some of the wind gusts from this storm were higher than those from Hurricane Isabel.
Well, with the storm that just blew through, I'm hearing about 40-50 trees are down in my neighborhood and there are intermittent power outages. I was going to go to the gym tonight, but I just got an email that it's closed due to the power being out there, too. This is the Shirlington/Fairlington area of Arlington, for those in NoVa.
I'm really glad I had them take down the big shady but diseased tree behind my building.
We've got another severe thunderstorm warning in effect right now. I heard there were tornado warnings in some parts of the area from the first storm. I hope no one was hurt.
I was out riding my bike last night and got caught in the rain briefly, but thankfully it was not nearly this severe and there wasn't even any thunder or lightning.
This has been a crazy weather year...I wish it would calm down.
I haven't gotten any of those storm that you guys have had in the DC area. Not even the storms that went through Frederick.
Must be something about the mountains.
I didn't get any storms today :( A splattering of rain only.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zen
Nonsense, I distinctly remember you telling me that you only live 8 miles from me and that ridge in between us had no effect on the weather between us.
Thanks for the peach, btw! I found it when I got home today. How long's it been on my door?
I took a cab home from Metro yesterday because it looked so ominous and I could see the lightning flashing and I didn't want to walk the two blocks from the bus stop to my house in pouring rain and lightning (been there...done that, and it's NO fun!). But it never rained much more than a trickle. Didn't even wet the roads under the tree canopy. :mad: I then drove up to my appointment in Burtonsville (about 6 miles north of my house, which is about 8 miles north of the D.C. line), and they had JUST gotten a soaking, but that was it. I missed all storms on all sides. :rolleyes: I think yesterday's stayed in D.C. proper and points south. Fine by me. In our third-world neighborhood, we lose power if someone sneezes by a transformer, so I was just fine with no bad storms in my 'hood.Quote:
Originally Posted by Catriona
Quote:
Originally Posted by 7rider
I'm in NE so I missed it all.
7, have you bought a generator yet?
Not yet. Still investigating options/prices.Quote:
Originally Posted by divingbiker
Someone on my neighborhood listserv posted this as entertainment ideas for when the power goes out - yet again:
http://www.shadow-puppets.com/shadow-puppet-0.html
Alexandria is still under a state of emergency. The GW parkway was closed in both directions during yesterday's p.m. rush because of trees down.
A guy who owns a company that does lots of home remodeling work in my 'hood sent his guys out with chain saws, and between them and the work the county has been doing, the streets of my neighborhood are now lined with pieces of trees. I hope that means the county is sending a truck to collect it all. Otherwise we'll be back to having people fighting over parking spaces like they did after the blizzards.
However I did have electricity last night. It had gone out after the storm but was back on before I got home.
BTW I saw on the news this morning that a woman in Cumberland was hit by a tree while riding her bike and was killed. I do think about that kind of thing when I get caught in a storm -- the other night it started to rain while I was out riding and I seriously wondered what would happen if I just went and stood on a stranger's front porch for shelter. Fortunately it was just a shower, with no severe weather.
DH one time took shelter from a storm while on a bike ride in a church's doorway (no one was there at the time!). He later found out that the storm had blown a roof off a nearby building! :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by ny biker
I tend to not commute by bike when NWS is calling for storms with "severe and damaging winds" or "dangerous lightning." There are a few places to seek shelter on my ride home...but frankly, it's not worth it to me.
Exactly. Neither one of us had rain.Quote:
Originally Posted by Catriona
Since Wednesday. It came from the farm stand at Rite-Aid on Baughman's Lane.Quote:
Originally Posted by Catriona
My windows are closed & locked and the ac is on :)
The shopping cart nazi drove me to use my air conditioning. I pushed my shopping cart to the side instead of putting it in an appropriate spot at the grocery store today, so some guy followed me home in his black suv... Informed me I'd left my cart in the wrong spot, and asked if I wanted to go back and put it away. I said"hrmm. Nope" and he said "Okay, well, I'll be back later" I went into the house and locked the door - and heard a thud from outside. I went out later and found like a 2 inch round nut on the grass next to the house - so I guess he threw it at the house.
I'm assuming noone's stupid enough to actually come back to escalate a shopping cart issue, but then I wouldn't have thought anyone would have followed me home to throw metal things at my house - so I decided to lock up more than usual.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Catriona
Wow. This guy needs to get a life.
(My boss at my first job out of college was a paraplegic, and he would always push the cart with his feet to return it to the store (this was before they had places in the parking lot to put the carts). Ever since, for 30+ years, I've always put my cart away. I figured if he could do it, so could I. Turns out that habit might save my life someday!)
Agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by divingbiker
But I think I would've been on the line to 9-1-1 before you could say "Loser."
Plus, I have had more dents and dings in my car from people too lazy to return a cart to the store or even the corral, who just let carts loose. Pet peeve of mine. :mad:
My jeep is 13 years old and has one small dent in it.
From someone elses shopping cart :mad:
Yep. All of it.
Still, Cat said she pushed it off "to the side." I don't know what that meant. I've been known to leave a cart up against the wall rather than take it all the way back into the store (and waste AC opening and closing the doors), so long as (1) the cart isn't going to roll away and (2) it leaves enough room for wheelchair access.
Nowhere near the handicap parking spaces and the front wheels were hooked - so it wasn't going to go careening into someone's car without being hit by a car. This was also one of those small shopping carts with the basket up top and on the bottom (less weight to start it careening around). and yes, I'd be a ton better of a person if I put that shopping cart away.
I have a ton of dings on my car, but they've been from people opening their doors and slamming them into the car. No shopping cart dings.
If someone tells me in a parking lot to put the cart away, sure I'll do it. If he'd honked at me in the parking lot, I'd have put it away. Or in the time it took to follow me, he could have just put the shopping cart away himself if he was that worried about its placement. If there's a precarious shopping cart when I'm in a parking lot that I'm worried about, I will push it to a safe spot without getting annoyed at random people.
But once you follow me home, throw metal things at my house, and add in an implied threat that you will be back later, that's basically inexcusable no matter how much of a pet peeve shopping carts are to someone.
I didn't realize others had cramps, too. I thought it was me being weird. I don't get cramps during a ride mainly because I limit my rides to 20 - 22 miles; I get cramps hours later. The cramping is so bad sometimes that my calves feel bruised the next day. Since I'm a newby to bike riding, I don't know what to do about it. I tried Guu but that made me sick; it's so icky. I take 1500 mg of CA every day so that isn't helping and magnesium gives me the runs. Any other ideas?
Potassium? Eat bananas? I use cliff shot bloks as electrolyte replacement.Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Rabbit
I don't know if every Target carries Shot Bloks, but a cycling friend stopped by my office today and gave me a pack of Strawberry Shot Bloks he picked up from Target for $1.25. This could be a special they're running, I'm not sure, but I'm going to Target after work to buy some Shot Bloks for future use.Quote:
Originally Posted by Catriona
i've een cliff bars before at target, but haven't looked for blocks... I've still got quite a stash to eat my way through, even though I'm mostly out of the caffeinated flavors.
Maybe try another form of magnesium. What did you have a problem with? Citrate? Carbonate isn't as bioavailable, but you might be able to deal with it better. Or one of the chelates, if that wasn't what gave you an issue.
I personally wouldn't be taking any calcium supplement without magnesium (or that high a dosage without zinc and copper as well), but that's just me...
Nunn tablets and Powerade.
It's also important to drink lots off the bike as well.
ahem! :p (sorry, I couldn't resist) ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Zen
I'm not sure I'm doing this reply stuff correctly. I clicked "post reply" to tell you all "thank you" for your suggestions but I'm not sure if I'm replying to the last message or all of you. Anyway, I hope you all get this and I thank you.
I have to take 15 mg Ca at my doctor's suggestion along with Vit D. I also take hydrochlorazide for high blood pressure which I found out this morning causes cramping. Bah! I hate getting old. I don't remember what kind of Magnesium I took but it surely cleansed out my system. I'm going to try the Shot Blocks and see my doctor about this hydro. . . crap.
Today I came across this type of electrolyte replacement. Looks quite promising to me and much less expensive than the Shot Bloks. Check it out:
http://new.eletewater.com/
Have you looked at the comparison chart on their website?
I need the hard stuff.
Plus I like watching the Nunn tabs fizz.
The whole propylene glycol/antifreeze in nunn tabs freaks me out and I can't drink them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zen
It does explain why you are so cold blooded, though ;)
Yes, I did check out the comparison chart (I like it. Kinda feel like I'm buying Progressive Insurance with the comparison chart.).Quote:
Originally Posted by Zen
Anyway, the Elete is all natural. That's a big selling point for me. A certain scientist that we know and love told me that Polyethylene Glycol found in Nuun is also in antifreeze. I think I'll pass on the antifreeze ...
Heh.
In the course of my lifetime that may be one of the least toxic substances I've ingested.
Next time we meet up I'll bring you a small jar of pickled garlic (over 9 yrs. old) and a quart of Prestone to wash it down. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Zen
Bring that Prestone in a mason jar and it'll be just like old times.
So, I'm going for a fitting for a new bike purchase today, which means I will probably be out test riding a new bike. And it's freaking 90 degrees out there today. Of course this will happen in mid-afternoon when the sun is high.
And then I will go back to work, all sweaty and disgusting.
I was supposed to do this on Tuesday, when the weather was beautiful, but had to reschedule due to another freakish allergic response involving big patches of red, itchy skin.
I hope the new bike is so fabulous that I don't notice the heat!!
p.s. I'm looking at a Madone 4.5. The goal is a better fit than my current (aluminum) bike, but I might as well upgrade to carbon while I'm at it.
I hope you enjoy the ride. I rode the 5.1 and I'm planning on getting the 5.5.Quote:
Originally Posted by ny biker
I couldn't believe how much I sweated in such a short time!! I wound up testing a 2010 4.7 that is on sale. Going back tomorrow for a longer ride to see if I can live with a compact double instead of a triple.
Predicted high tomorrow is "only" 86. It hit 99 today!!
Stupid me went for her first ride in like two months today. 45 miles. On my surly with its fat tires. Which officially is a bike I'm selling, because OWW. The fact that it has flame stickers and I picked every part and built it myself and all that nostalgia is no reason to keep a bike that just doesn't fit right for long rides.
But it was a fun ride. I forgot to take off my undies beneath my bike shorts 'cause I wasn't making good decisions today unfortunately, so OWWIES.
For the last 17 miles it felt like alien monsters were trying to rip their heads out of my calves.
That post is useless without pictures.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zen
*cough*
Did you want to see a pic of my OWWIES from wearing undies under my bike shorts? 'cause I gotta say, that's the first time I've had a female request pics of that part of me :)
don't flatter yourself.
i want to see the calves with the alien monsters.
crap. I just wasted a lot of time in front of a mirror with my camera then.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zen