Grumps can suck it, it's Friday!

[NFazzio]

People of Panera is it necessary to take up a 4 person booth/table to sit by yourself while using your laptop? Count 6 doing just that. During the lunch rush. I'm just a grump though.

[NYCfixie]

People of Panera is it necessary to take up a 4 person booth/table to sit by yourself while using your laptop? Count 6 doing just that. During the lunch rush. I'm just a grump though.

Wrong thread but do what I always do.....just sit down with them and when they ask why tell them the truth.

[ldamelio]

Birthday today - 56. Not a big deal in and of itself, but an opportunity to reflect. I'm a lucky SOB. Perfect wife, three grown kids who have turned out to be damn fine human beings. Career has been exhausting but I feel like I've done some good for the world - now have the opportunity to either wind it down or take it in new challenging directions (big decision in the next several months). Cycling has been a big part of my life and accounts for most of my good physical health and a big chunk of my equanimity. It's given me friends and memories for a lifetime with much more to come.

And.............. Cross is coming !!!!!!

[EightySixer]

I haven't been able to understand, maybe because it's a trait of every man, maybe because I am so set in my ways and stubborn, irrelevant really whatever it may be. I have been having a hard time understanding why she felt such a disconnect when I had felt nothing of the sort. She had mentioned to herself out loud as a reminder, to re-read a book titled "The 5 Languages of Love." Suffice to say as I found myself yesterday at Chapter 5, completely undone on my lunch break with an understanding now about how people experience, feel and receive love differently. I had been completely missing the point, unbeknownst to me she had been dying inside wanting undivided attention and affection while I am there fiddling about with whatever senseless object, completely oblivious. I felt so small, yesterday afternoon.

The evening drew near, I haven't been able to eat, haven't been able to focus and haven't been able to sleep for weeks now and have been taking OTC sleep supplements just to get a few hours of sedated rest. Maybe an hour after I took the medicine, I am drowsy but not tired, a normal state for me at the moment. She has locked herself out of the house, and she called me. I devised a quick little plan, alert now, and grabbed my road bike to make the five mile trip over there at near midnight. I have no headlight, just blinkers, busy three lane highway and the sky opens up. None of this mattered. I arrive in the midst of a total Rule No. 9, walk into the laundry room completely soaking wet where she sits Indian style on the floor in front of me. Near immediately after she glances up at me she just begins to weep, head down in her hands. I put my arms around her, kneeling on the floor behind her and didn't say a word for nearly ten minutes. It was not about locking herself out of the house, her demeanor had nothing to do with that and everything to do with me, with us. Gently, I was able to whisper "It's okay" a few times to her, helping her regain her composure and her breath before I went to the task of pulling my tools out of my backpack. A few taps on the end of the screwdriver and removed hinge pins, followed by a solid tug with my channel locks and just like that the door is opened. I held her weak sobbing body for another hour, knowing still this had nothing to do with the situation at hand but everything to do with the previous few weeks and possibly months for her, and for I.

This morning I have a deep sense of gratitude, that I was able to be there completely with her, alive and aware. As painful as the process sometimes is, there is beauty within process. She did so much more for me last night than I could have ever done for her.

"For a seed to achieve it's greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, it's insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn't understand growth, it would look like complete destruction."

[Chad]

Fishing trip with the buddies starts it T - 8 hours and counting...

[vertical_doug]

Saab

How is your mandarin coming along?

Chinese Airlines Wave Wads of Cash to Lure Foreign Pilots - Bloomberg

as another perk, you will be able to post some bitch'in photos in ride logs.

[Nierman]

Sitting at MCI with a nasty front delaying my night flight to Denver... But if all goes well, my buddy is picking me up and we'll do some FT Collins mtbing and beer for a few days.

[Saab2000]

Saab

How is your mandarin coming along?

Chinese Airlines Wave Wads of Cash to Lure Foreign Pilots - Bloomberg

as another perk, you will be able to post some bitch'in photos in ride logs.

They'd have to pay me a LOT of money. And I mean a ton of money, to do this.

I have some professional acquaintances who have taken jobs in this part of the world. Almost without exception the thought is, "Do it for a few years, take the money and run". Same with the ME3 airlines.

If I were offered a left seat on an international widebody aircraft I might entertain it. But I might not either. I'd have to look at it but right now I'm not totally dissatisfied with flying souped up, 50-year old Boeing 737s.

[Nierman]

They'd have to pay me a LOT of money. And I mean a ton of money, to do this.

I have some professional acquaintances who have taken jobs in this part of the world. Almost without exception the thought is, "Do it for a few years, take the money and run". Same with the ME3 airlines.

If I were offered a left seat on an international widebody aircraft I might entertain it. But I might not either. I'd have to look at it but right now I'm not totally dissatisfied with flying souped up, 50-year old Boeing 737s.

Can you drop one of them down here at MCI within a couple hours and get me to DEN? I'll post pics of you in the weekly ride report. My plane is waiting out the storms in St Louis right now and not scheduled to pick me up until midnight-ish. Might be sleeping here tonight.

[maunahaole]

Old college pal and his family are in town this week en route to Maui. Met for dinner last night, we will do some beer, pupus, and sunset at the elks 616 tonight. Nice to see old friends.

[Tom]

How did I not ride once this week, bluebird mornings, WFH three of them? Hell if I know. Leaving early to do a little one tonight on the hills west of town and tomorrow and Sunday going long. Not 160 like last Friday but long enough. And I'm making a kickass peach, blueberry and cardamom galette because it's stone fruit time and nobody needs an excuse to eat pie.

[jdp211]

Had surgery this morning. I'm in one piece again!

[roseyscot]

Registered for the first cx race of the season #cxinaugustisbananas

[bigbill]

I had an epiphany after my ride yesterday. On that ride I was uncomfortable pretty much the whole time, knees were sore, hips hurt, and I just couldn't get in any rhythm. This morning I checked the saddle angle. It's hard to compare between bikes because the Serotta has a sloping top tube. Anyway, I changed the angle (Thomson post) to match the BLE, raising the rear and lowering the nose. I was one with the bike today until a thunderstorm snuck up and completely soaked me. A tiny bit mattered so much.

I'm an engineer, I analyze stuff, about once a week I'll roll out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to write something down. When I bike commuted, my bike leaned up against a white board in my office. I'd write all kinds of random thoughts that occurred to me on the ride in. It's what I do.

[dashDustin]

a little late here, but it's a Monday.

got the oldest to the ENT and audiologist a couple weeks ago, and got him setup for a fitting with hearing aids.

his dad wasn't overly thrilled that we had taken the reins, but...you know...shit or get off the pot. the audiologist made some recommendations for brands and types, and the one that The Dad wanted wasn't one of them. so that made him grumpy, but whatever. our next appointment is coming up, and that is when he'll get fit. the end of summer kind of threw things off a bit, as the boys and their dad went on a 7 day road trip, looking at LDS points of interest.

[davids]

Hello DC! I'll finally see my kid's apartment in an hour or so.

[mnoble485]

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I grumped last Thursday about working Saturday. I'm here to say mea culpa. My job pays me well and I enjoy doing it most of the time. Last Saturday was paving day and I am so thankful that I only had to be present and that this is not my job. Big props to those that do.

Mike

[Chad]

Day off to attend my daughters softball games.

Tomorrow duck season opens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hidayanra]

Tomorrow rabbit season opens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

indeed - I'm excited about that too.


Leaving for 2 days solo backpacking in the lava fields off the PCT - it has cooled off enough that it seems reasonable to try.

[nrs5000]

I dropped my saddle and moved it back a bit and I feel like a new man on the bike.