Thread Drift

[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.

[Nanci]

Maybe you should casually mention your lawyer friend who is advising you about a harrassment suit...

Would there be another job you could love just as much?

I'd hate to leave my job, but there are a million others.

[KnottedYet]

My concern is that no-one would hire me if I'm unable to get a good rec from the job I've had for 1 1/2 years. I think the therapist who asked me to do something about the aide would probably give me a good recommendation.

The clinic where I work now is one of the best, with a huge reputation. To be fired by them or "have" to leave would really suck.

I want to go to grad school next fall (2007). I need a full time job for another year at least, then I can either go to school full time or continue working and do school part time.

I'm seriously considering working in a shoe store (the one we send our patients to, if they'll hire me). Or working part time at a Starbucks to get health benefits and working part time somewhere else.

I need another margarita. Again.

[Nanci]

Well, if they were going to fire you, they wouldn't have a meeting about you.

I had to rip up more carpet today. Damn Peter Reid and his turkey neck!

Traffic School:

Many people don’t realize alcohol is a poisonous substance. The American Medical Association classifies it as a poisonous drug. Alcohol, in your body, kills everything it touches. It kills your brain cells, stomach lining, liver, heart and your kidneys. Everything it touches it destroys. A Brain Surgeon will tell you if you put brain cells and add a droplet of alcohol under a microscope, the alcohol devours the brain cell. It just eats it. That's what you are doing to body's organs each time you have a drink. Your brain cells and your nervous system are being affected by the alcohol.

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

Sounds like propaganda to me...

[Nanci]

26 minutes till the final exam...

I have to work at 6AM!!

[Nanci]

I got a new Polar Bottle today in the mail- pink. It's GORGEOUS!!! My SS is getting its twin. Last time I got the green one- and it was pretty- but nothing like the pink. I like these so much more than the old white ones. For once a manufacturer makes a _good_ change!!

19 minutes...

I am so tired.

This is my last night of BF-less vacation. No more sitting out on the patio till dark. No more whiling away the hours here.

The bike club picnic is next Saturday. I have to bring something real this time, not watermelon...

17 minutes.

The Rex Goliath is getting better.

I can't wait till my new cycling books get here!

And the new season of Reno 911!!

15 minutes.

This is a lot of torture for accidentally speeding. Too bad I didn't know the protocol of getting out of it if your BF or distant relative works there...

But I will next time!

Funny we haven't heard from MP today. Isn't she at the Death Something or other?

There aren't enough organized rides in Florida in the summer- it's all triathlons now.

13 minutes.

OHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! Fagalo ate out of my hand for the first time ever today!! Usually he's such a freak. I go out there with a big handful of slugs, and put them on the cookie sheet, then round Fagalo up and put him on the cookie sheet and try to set him down and put the lattice back on top of the pen before he takes off running. (As soon as he notices the slugs he's chowing down- but he's pretty shy.) So I caught a big grasshopper munching on my Mexican Petunias, and told him it was time to go visit Uncle Fagalo! I dig Fagalo out of his grass pile, where he is spending his afternoon sheltered from the heat, and he refuses to look, spins around, runs away, refuses to look- finally he turns and there is the grasshopper and he doesn't notice me holding it and CHOMP!! he's got it...Good turtle.

10 minutes.

[Nanci]

Done, passed, good night!!

[snapdragen]

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.

All the Pinot Grigio I've ever had has been really, really light. I had a really good one, but I forget the name, light, fruity....oh well. I like Rex Goliath Merlot or Cabernet, never tried any of their whites.

[Lise]

Nanci, you were doing traffic school on line? How cool! Glad you got through. Sorry you had to do it at all. I also was impressed that you "knew" that the rattler would curl up. You are finely tuned in to our animal friends.

Snap--your baby pup is so cute. Glad the meds are helping.

KN--hang in there. If you act like a professional, it will shine through. I'd say keep looking for something you'll like better, though. It sucks to be driven crazy by the personalities at work.

I miss MP. Looking forward to stories from the Death Ride, Death March, Death Star, what ever it was!

fish--everybody in your house well, aside from annoyed as heck with the tires? No more odd fevers?

I have had such a strange evening. I rode to the fundraiser--and went to the wrong bar. There are two of them, it turns out. Got back on the bike, rode to the right one. Big upstairs room, about 10-15 of the nurses, one doc, some friends of the nurses. Hanging out, talking, and all of a sudden, there's a huge influx of young men. Turns out they're a bachelor party who decided to join us. Which means they each contributed $35 to the fundraiser, so come on in! But they are all over us. One young guy was flirting his head off with me. It was an interesting cultural experience. He had to be 20 years younger than me. Half drunk. Giving me his best pitch. (no, I was not at all interested) I was polite, amused, and eventually drifted away. Another one of his pals slid his hand across my butt and said, "How's it going?" Are you kidding me? What a hoot. I have not been in a bar, flirting with guys in their 20s for...oh, 23 years! They had the raffle at 9:30, and then I zipped out of there. As I was unlocking my bike, a bouncer came over to flirt with me! Suggested I come back in for a drink. Said he'd seen me riding up and just knew I was following him. I said, "You're right!", hopped on my bike, and rode off into the night. OK, this crocheted black top must go on some dates. It works. And why are we single women riding in bike shorts? A skirt is where it's at! (Actually, I had my tri shorts on under the skirt. And I think the top may have had more to do with it... )

Came home and opened an email from one of the online dating things I was doing for about 6 months. They have a new service. "Chemistry" something. For the heck of it, I filled out the multiple page questionaire, and submitted it. Who comes up as my BEST match based on this extensive analysis?!? The architect who dumped me back in April! The guy I really dug who just stopped returning my calls after 3 fairly passionate weeks. It was creepy to see his face and read why the computer thinks we're soooo compatible. Yikes. I shut my profile back down and turned the thing off! Between horn-dog twenty somethings and a guy who already rejected me...this dating thing is a trip and a half. I'd rather do one of Nanci's rides!

I believe this is more than enough excitement for one day. Tomorrow, a meeting in the morning, brunch with friends, a few hours of lovin' on my little niece, Maya, a NAP, and then I start a 24 hour call shift.

Nanci's BF gets home tomorrow... ...thread drift should slow down considerably!

PS: I thought that bit about demon rum was hilarious. Show me one person that would in any way touch. If you drink, you drink. If you drink a lot, you couldn't care less that it's killing you! Who did the fine state of Florida pay to come up with that one?

[salsabike]

Knotted---Do you have a rep, or ombudsman, or someone like that, who could go to the meeting with you?

Nanci--can't believe you can now do traffic school online. Brilliant! Some of your posts during traffic school sounded like the voluminous notes we used to write each other in high school ---bored out of our minds, rambling away. How we ever passed, I'll never know, since we spent most of the class time writing to each other.

Lise--my, what a weird night for you. Propped up with one hand (nice to get the compliments even if you wouldn't ever want to take them up on the offers), and swacked upside the head with the other (great to be matched with that guy again, huh? Gives you faith in their matching system...).

Glad you got that nap, Snap!

Spent all day packing up the contents of the first floor so that we can live in the basement for the next six months while the house is being expanded. Then they'll send us directly to debtors' prison so we probably won't even be able to live in the new house. Riding tomorrow. One week to STP.

[Lise]

Lise--my, what a weird night for you. Propped up with one hand (nice to get the compliments even if you wouldn't ever want to take them up on the offers), and swacked upside the head with the other (great to be matched with that guy again, huh? Gives you faith in their matching system...)....

Spent all day packing up the contents of the first floor so that we can live in the basement for the next six months while the house is being expanded. Then they'll send us directly to debtors' prison so we probably won't even be able to live in the new house. Riding tomorrow. One week to STP.

Salsa--the funny thing is, we did have great chemistry. *I* thought we had a lot of potential as a couple. He kissed me good morning one day as we left his place for work, exchanged some emails throught the day, and ... poof. Never heard from him again. After he didn't respond to two calm phone messages, I got the point. It hurt.

Odd note about those matching services--one of them matched me with myself. You may be interested to learn that I am only 67% compatible with myself!

Good luck on the renovations. Hope you're out of prison long enough to at least walk around the completed place. Seriously, though, I believe that nowadays they prefer you work to pay them back, so you may just be on a home-prison-ankle bracelet-debtor thing, and will get to enjoy it!

KN, have you talked to a lawyer? I seem to have missed that detail. Is the Human Resouces person at the clinic helpful? They are supposed to be somewhat neutral, and should have information about your rights as an employee. Best wishes with it. L.

[Nanci]

I _was_ a major note-writer in HS!! I'm at work now- OT!! More bike stuff! A nice hotel room for the August brevet!!

(Do you think I overuse these:!!!!)?

[KnottedYet]

No lawyer, no HR. It's just a small privately owned clinic with 10 employees.

I drank too many margaritas last night. Now I have a hang over and I really need to go for a bike ride.

Left my sexy poly-whosit new water bottle in my friend's car yesterday. Darn. I'll have to use my old one today. If I decide I can ride with this hangover.

grrrrrrr stupid stupid hangover stupid sabotaged my own stupid ride!!!!!

[salsabike]

[QUOTE=Lise]Salsa--the funny thing is, we did have great chemistry. *I* thought we had a lot of potential as a couple. He kissed me good morning one day as we left his place for work, exchanged some emails throught the day, and ... poof. Never heard from him again. After he didn't respond to two calm phone messages, I got the point. It hurt.

Odd note about those matching services--one of them matched me with myself. You may be interested to learn that I am only 67% compatible with myself!

Lise--God, was that the same guy you had in mind when you did today's post on medical results? Urg. What a s***head. WHY do some of them do that sort of thing? It's SO painful. Creep.

Hoho--those matching services are interesting. The occupational therapist I share an office with did that whole thing last year, so every week I'd hear stories. It's probably a good sign that you're only 67% compatible with yourself. You wouldn't want to be totally like yourself; you'd get bored...(I mean, huh? How weird...). Take heart, though--the first part of last night makes it pretty clear you have a big fan base. Even if Nanci is totally torturing you about Peter Reid.

Nanci---your long note during the last of traffic school (19 minutes left...I want my new cycling books...18 minutes left...I'm so bored...etc.) was a classic HS note. I kept a representative sample of our HS notes and found them yesterday while we were packing up stuff. They are still funny as hell and sound just like your note ("I want to meet a thousand guys this summer...LUNCH it even looks nice in print...I can't wait for the bell to ring; this class is SO boring...are you going out with Mike tonight?" etc., etc.).

MP--glad you had a good time, even though it was weird to have to sit it out--and glad your trainees all did well!

To both MP and Knotted--you guys WILL get through this.

Any World Cup watchers? Wasn't that an interesting game? Wow.

PS FishJr sounds great!

PPS Snap, I believe I have relieved you of your insomnia by adopting it for my own. I had it last night and got to ride 60 miles on the tandem today on four hours of sleep. Did fine, actually, till I got home and became a total zonker babe. Having hard time keeping eyelids up.

[kelownagirl]

OK, I know I'm new around here so no one really missed me or even noticed I was gone for 10 days... ha, ha But man, you guys have been chatty! I am going to have to be online all night to catch up with everything.

I couldn't wait to get home today so I could go for a ride around the neighbourhood on my new road bike tonight. My little guy was home so I stuck him in front of the TV and hoped for the best I think I'm getting the hang of the clipless pedals but I suck as going fast downhill so far. I end up riding my brakes on the hoods the whole way down and my hands and forearms ache by the time I reach the bottom. I did better when I was in the drops but I wasn't able to go from the one to the other once I was going downhill. What a klutz... On the other hand, I was AWESOME going _up_ the big sucky hill by my house. I never went under 12 km/h, even on the part that I usually only do 7 km/h. I am going to LOVE this bike.

OK, are we allowed to talk about bikes on this Thread Drift thread? Hee hee, oh well... if not, too bad.

barb, off to read the archives... see you in 3-4 hours....