Thread Drift

[Nanci]

I am at traffic school right now. Did you know you can pay the citation on line? Cool. Four more hours...

I had a great ride today.

[Nanci]

During Traffic School so far I have bought three cycling books: French Revolutions, 23 Days In July, and The Rider. I looked at two Pantani books, but couldn't pick.

I'm getting tired of sitting here...

[Nanci]

What kind of dog, Snap? I've always had relatively small breeds- pugs, frenchies (gag), coonhounds. English and American Cocker Spaniels. Dachshunds. A rottie.

[Lise]

Today was to be the big day I was going to finally swim in my wetsuit. I waited until later afternoon, hoping to miss the biggest crowds at the beach. I knew I'd be, well, noticed, putting on a full wetsuit and entering the water amidst the bikini'd babes, but, so it goes. I put on my tri-shorts and a bra I can swim in. Practiced putting on the wetsuit at home. Sweaty, but fine. Packed up the whole kit 'n' kaboodle. Changed the Serfas tri seat out for my regular Serfas saddle, because my girly bits just couldn't take it anymore! Proud of myself for changing my own saddle.

Rode the Bianchi 6 miles down to the beach where I can swim 1/2 mile along the sea wall. Spread out my towel, pulled out my wetsuit, and heard, "Hey! You can't go in the water!" Ignoring this, as I figured it was addressed to anyone BUT me, I put my first foot in the wetsuit. "Hey! You with the wetsuit! You can't go in the water!" Huh?

I turned around, and a guy lying on his towel sits up and says, "You can't go in the water." "Why?" I reply. "E. Coli. Red flag.", he says, pointing to the, indeed, red flag flying from the lifeguard's chair. Crap.

Packed the whole thing back up and rode 6 miles back home with a wetsuit strapped to my back. Sheesh.

Now I get to learn how to check for water pollution levels and figure that into when I can swim in the lake with the wetsuit! I may just swim train in pools and swim once or twice in the lake with the wetsuit prior to the tri. MWBR.

[Brina]

Lise, that is the thing I hate the most about living in Chicago. I grew up on the ocean and I can remember only a handful of times we couldn't swim. Here it is like at least once per week. It really freaks me out when Chicago closes the water, but Evanston is open. um, hello, same lake. The day that really pissed me off, I got a babysitter one day when the boys were little just cause my sanity and their safety was at stake (kidding on their safety, but you get my meaning). I got all ready to go for a swim, rode my bike to the beach and it was closed cause the waves were too big. I thought my head was going to explode. I used to live for big wave days.

[Nanci]

Poopy is right!!

I have to take a break and make dinner. Veg and grilled steak.

Working OT tomorrow. Want the Zero X. Wore my Terry Euro Halter again today. Undecided. Love the pattern. The fabric is kind of heavy. I never use those pockets in the back, and discovered after about an hour I had it tucked down my shorts...I want more breeze, I guess.

I want another Sugoi Bella top with the daisy on it- the red one!!

http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=17606

I'm so amazed that I was hesitant about buying the black/blue one, and now it's my favorite!

[KnottedYet]

My friend and I swam in open water this morning. We're both doing the Danskin (total newbies who are just hoping to finish) in August. We did 2/3 the distance we'll need. Last time we did 1/2. We're working up to that half mile.

I use a wetsuit, cuz I suck as a swimmer. She's just in her bra top and tri shorts.

This time went MUCH better than last time. I didn't have to rest nearly as often.

While we were at the beach we saw a homeless dude sleeping and then playing guitar (later he swam, too, in his undies) and an older woman in her 60's or 70's going nekkid as she changed from her clothes to her swimsuit.

Nobody batted an eye. Hey, it's Seattle...

[Lise]

KN, you will most certainly finish. And probably not last. Then you'll be hooked! It is quite a feeling.

Brina--I know what you mean. How can they close some beaches, but not others? The current's flowing away from my beach? One year the Accenture tri almost became a duathlon when they thought they'd have to close Madison harbor for pollution. Jeez. I had been thinking I might do Accenture next year...but that swim sux!

I want that Zero X, too. There is no way I'm riding on the Serfas tri saddle anymore. I may call LBS tomorrow and see if they'll order it for me. I can take the Serfas back in when the Terry arrives.

Now I'm going to try to ride my bike (the Larkspur, not the Bianchi) in a skirt to a bar. (No, TD'rs, this is not a new dating strategy! ) One of the nurses at work got very, very sick, and has been hospitalized for nearly a month. They're having a fundraiser for her in a neighborhood where one can only dream of finding a parking place. So, inspired by the girl on the T9 cover, I'm off!

[DrBee]

Lise - that's major poopy! You were so excited, too! There will be another day...MWBR...

Nanci - gee, did you learn a lot at traffic school? Sounds like it was quite productive. I love the tank with the blue flower (from the pic). Super cute!

I ordered some new tubes. Watched the Tour looking at all of those nicely inflated tires. I could barely look at my bike when I walked through the garage. I soooo wanted to ride this morning! Tubes should be in by end of the week. I leave next Mon.for St. Johns, so hopefully I can get a good ride in before then. I did NOT order them from Performance. Last time (you might recall my endless whining) it took forever for them to show up (almost 2 weeks).

I did get the next round of squash and green beans planted in the garden, though. Went for a "swim" in our little backyard pool (15ft diameter x 4 ft deep..........AND - FishJr is really starting to swim! She has the arms going in addition to the legs now - she was swimming freestyle! A bunch of times! I couldn't believe my eyes!

Making stuffed peppers for dinner. They smell gooood!

[DrBee]

Have fun Lise and good luck with the skirt!

One other thing - I found some strange socks at Wallyworld today (grrrrrrrrr). They are by Danskin, are wicking (nothing weird yet I know), and they have arch support. It's a band that goes around the middle of your foot (ah - the arch - duh). I've been wearing them all day to test them out. I bought some with med/heavy cushioning for running. The ones I'm wearing today have light cushioning. When I have shoes on I can't feel the arch support, but they are comfy. When I just have them on around the house (no shoes) I feel it. It's odd. Ever seen anything like this??? Or am I just a dork? You don't have to answer that...

[Nanci]

Fishdr, I have an idea for you. Order a couple packs of the Park Tools patches. That way, when you blow your way through the next shipment of tubes, there will be backup.

Nanci

[snapdragen]

What kind of dog, Snap? I've always had relatively small breeds- pugs, frenchies (gag), coonhounds. English and American Cocker Spaniels. Dachshunds. A rottie.

She's a Pembroke Welsh Corgi - tri colored. Here she is, getting ready to charge across the yard like a mad dog.

[snapdragen]

Wow. I took a three hour nap today, and only woke up because Chloe wanted dinner....

Safeway has Wild Sockeye Salmon on sale this week. It is absolutely gorgeous, now I need to find the perfect recipe. It will be tomorrow's dinner.

[KnottedYet]

WARNING! YET ANOTHER KNOTTED WHINE! WHINE ALERT!


I think I'm gonna get fired. The subordinate (aide) I've posted about in "Dear So and So" has gotten out of control. I did talk to one of the owners of the clinic. The two owners and the aide had already planned a meeting about ME for next week. Owner #1 warned me that owner #2 and aide are "tight" (though aide bad mouths him behind his back so much that I had no idea). Owner #1 didn't want me to take it personally that there is going to be a meeting about me. I'm now invited to the meeting.

I get it. Aide complains about me obsessively to the staff (and makes comments to my patients). Aide is disrupting the function of the clinic with her obsession to the point that a therapist begs me to do something about her. So there will be a meeting about ME.

My fan club (mom, DPITA, etc) is telling me to start looking for another job, that even if I don't get fired or something at this meeting, that it's just not worth staying in that kind of environment.

I love where I work and the patients I work with. I like the staff, and even like the aide when she's not being a freak.

I think I need another margarita.

[Nanci]

I love margaritas. I am back at traffic school. I think I am on chapter 7 of 10. I am drinking HRM Rex Goliath Pinot Grigio. It's...ok...I don't get what the difference is between Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris. Some books say it is two different grapes, some say it's the same grape with a different treatment. All I know is I love Pinot Gris- maybe my favorite white, and Pinot Grigio is kind of bland.

Why do they care if it takes four hours or less??? I hate finishing the reading then sitting waiting for the clock to run down.

I had a little disagreement with the ride leader on today's ride. I feel weird about it. We were on a rural two lane highway, a group of eight, I was back about fourth. We were turning left. There was a bike lane. There were a couple oncoming cars, and no cars traveling the direction we were, which I could keep track of with my mirror. The ride leader stayed in the bike lane till coming even with the lane he was left turning into, stopping to let the oncoming cars pass, then continuing across, but did not cross the road we were turning onto in a pedestrian-style turn/crossing. I checked for traffic behind me, none, signaled my turn, moved into the traffic lane, still signalling my turn and slowing so the oncoming cars would pass and I wouldn't have to brake before I turned, still no cars behind me (never were any) and as the last car went past, it honked at me- and I made the turn and pulled over to the right shoulder where we stopped to regroup. Ride leader said I had turned incorrectly. I disagreed- I think cutting across a lane of traffic from the bike lane is very unsafe. A bike is suposed to behave like a vehicle- that's what the other traffic expects, and it makes you the most visible.

The Florida Dept of Transportation would seem to agree with me:

A left turn should not be made from a through bicycle lane. See "Method of turning at intersections" for detailed description of left- and right-turn requirements.

Left turn: A bicyclist intending to make a left turn is entitled to full use of the lane from which a driver may legally make a left turn.

Instead of making a left turn as a motorist does, a cyclist may proceed through the right-most portion of the intersection and turn as close to the curb or edge as practicable at the far side. Before proceeding in the new direction of travel, the bicyclist must comply with any official traffic control device.

*******************

We even talked about it at lunch- and I still think he's not making a left turn in the safest manner. He's all, well what if cars would have come up behind you, what if this, what if that, and I'm like, but I was watching in my mirror. I didn't get in the lane until the time was enough for the oncoming cars to clear the intersection and there was still no traffic behind me. If there had been, I would have made a different choice, but there wasn't.

It's bugging me.