Thank You Malcolm Bump

This weekend is the Malcolm Bump Debate Tournament. This is a premiere event in HS debate and the primary fund-raiser for the school's forsensics teams (debate and speech). Parents are essential to the operations of the tournament. We take care of feeding the kids and the judges as well as arranging for housing the students with families in the district on Friday night. We will bring home 5 or 6 HS debaters, throw them in the basement, allow them to play video games all night if they want, and feed them milk and donuts in the morning before returning them to the HS on Saturday morning. DH and I are also going to be judging Public Forum (one of 3 debate events at the tournament).

When my son joined the debate team, I didn’t realize what I was getting into. In addition to the typical parental duties (driving here and there to drop off and pick up, donations of food and money to team activities), debate mommies and daddies have to judge at tournaments. If a team is sending X number of debaters to a tournament, then they have to provide X/3 number of judges. If your kid wants to go to lots of tournaments, then you have to go to lots of tournaments too. My son has learned more from being a member of the debate team than he has from sitting in HS classes for 3+ years. And I have learned a great deal, too. Most of my education has had math and science at its foundation. There was very little thinking involved. There was an occasional English class with a few required papers, but most of the time I was required to memorize large quantities of facts for a short period of time. Shovel in, spit out, repeat. Now, as a judge, I listen to these incredibly bright students debate topics as diverse as foreign policy, the death penalty, and domestic violence. Certainly my analytical skills have been of value, but I have no doubt that judging has forced me to sharpen my critical thinking skills. Now I look for opportunities to enhance these skills and to engage my son in lively conversations. I find myself actually reading and pondering the Op-Ed page and looking for opinion pieces online to read on the train. I listen to NPR’s podcast of On the Media. I have discovered the right side of my brain! So thank you Malcolm Bump.

Not on Page One

The only thing on page one is the election. Here's a smapling of what you might be missing.

HOUSTON-- Likening themselves to prisoners at Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo Bay, a dozen inmates on death row in Texas have staged hunger strikes over the last month to protest what they call abusive conditions, including 23 hours a day of isolation in their cells.

LAGUNA BEACH -- Instead of being known for lovely mountain views and salt-kissed breezes, the city becomes associated with the facts that Tessa is sad that her boyfriend would not talk to her at a barbecue and that Cami racked up a $4,000 shopping bill.

Three years after MTV set up shop here to chronicle the lives and travails of wealthy Laguna Beach High School seniors, whose concerns appear to center chiefly on sexual encounters and fashion accessories, some residents are saying enough is enough.

MANHATTAN -- A federal judge refused yesterday to bar Christie’s in New York from auctioning a painting by Picasso that a German banker’s heir says was sold under duress in Nazi Germany. The judge, Jed S. Rakoff of United States District Court in Manhattan, dismissed a lawsuit by Julius H. Schoeps, an heir of the painting’s original owner who claimed that he was the rightful owner and that the auction should not take place.

The painting, “The Absinthe Drinker,” also known as “Portrait of Angel Fernández de Soto,” is scheduled to be sold today at Christie’s fall auction of Modern and Impressionist art, and Christie’s has estimated that it will sell for $40 million to $60 million.

MISSISSIPPI -- Samuel H. Bowers Jr., the imperial wizard of a Ku Klux Klan faction who was found guilty in 1998 in the firebombing murder of a Mississippi shopkeeper 32 years earlier, died yesterday in a prison hospital in Parchman, Miss.

In my own little corner of the universe, my DH had a colonoscopy today. That's what you get when you turn 50. I had a session with my personal trainer. I am anticipating that I won't be able to lift a pencil tomorrow. I also took an awesome endurance spinning class. And I made black bean soup. Lunch is packed for tomorrow. None of this was on the first page either. You read it here first.

Headphones and Mental Health

I updated my iPod, stuck it in my backpack and set off on my day's adventures. When I got on the train, I could not find my headphones. I have 2 pair-- one for my backpack and one for my gym bag. They are essentially the same. I cannot imagine where my backpack headphones could have gone. Losing my headphones creates anxiety because I find it difficult to find a pair that fit and stay in my ears. Those ear bud thingies just don't work-- they fall out! Other headphones have proven to be uncomfortable after more than 5 minutes. The pair that I have been using have a band that goes over the top of your head, you know, the old-fashioned kind. This is slightly problematic in the cooler weather when I wear them over or under a hat. Not a big problem, but when I got off the train, I went to Best Buy and bought headphones that clip behind your ears. I am being very adventurous! Change does not come easy to me. It would have been much easier to buy the same old headphones and not have to worry about looking like a total dork when I try to secure them in my ears. I am embracing risk ($15 worth) by purchasing these headphones. If these work out they will become my gym bag headphones so I can wear them with a hat and my old fashioned over the head headphones will become my backpack headphones.
I warned you about the blathering and babbling. I considered writing something about tomorrow's election and the state of America, but there are so many people that can do that far better than I can. But how many people are out there blogging about the issues effecting our mental health on a daily basis? Now that I think about it, probably more than are blogging about tomorrow's election.

Multitasking

It's Sunday, which usually means mega-multitasking. Watching football, cooking, blogging, laundry, talking on the telephone. I went out this morning, ran a couple of miles, stopped at the supermarket and now I'm ready to spend the afternoon getting stuff done. DH and son #2 are at the football game and son #1 is working. So it's just me.

I went down to the track and ran 2 miles with my orthotics. I was supposed to wait at least a week, but I'm feeling more comfortable with them and I know how they feel doing everything else except running, so I feel confident that I will be able to judge if they are helping or not. So far, so good! I felt good while I was running and I had virtually no pain in either my big toe or my knee. Now I will see if my knee gets stiff or not. I held it to 2 miles even though I would have liked to keep going. After all, today is the NYC marathon. It's a beautiful day (perfect for the marathon) and it felt good to be outdoors. I'm glad I avoided the convenience of running indoors.

Tomorrow I work late, so no gym. I need the day off, I am pretty sore from the last few days. Back at the gym on Tuesday. The Winter Preseason is going well.

Winter Preseason Week 1

Today I was out shopping with my son and we decided to have some "refreshments." That's an inside joke in our family-- it's secret code for a trip to Coldstone Creamery. We both had dark chocolate peppermint ice cream. I mixed in Oreos and he chose Heath Bars. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed every spoonful of it, but I have decided that Coldstone Creamery's ice cream is just not that good. The mix-ins are fun and definitely add to final ice cream experience, but if Coldstone had to sell their ice cream in the supermarket or just piled onto a cone without the mix-ins, I think they would go down in smoke.

A dish of ice cream is definitely not part of the Winter Preseason plan, so it won't be happening again anytime soon. It was a weak moment, but I did enjoy the opportunity to sit down with my son for a few minutes and chat. I went to the gym this morning. I took a 75 min body sculpting class that puts alot of emphasis on core, then I took a 45 min strength spin class. So I guess I will "break even." I don't plan on using exercise as justification for eating ice cream. That will only result in lack of progress and frustration. Getting back to the gym feels good and I'm a little bit sore in lots of places. That's probably because I've been mixing it up-- arc trainer, spinning, UBWO, LBWO, walking, stretching. So week 1 of the Winter Preseason has been fairly successful. Not perfect, but definitely a step in the right direction. I'm thinking about running tomorrow with my experimental orthotics. If its another beautiful day, then outdoors. Nice and slow, on the track.

Rhythm

I feel like I'm getting back my rhythm. The food is improving; still have room for improvement, but definitely better. Last night I went to the gym for a spin class. I haven't taken a spin class since a rainy day a couple of months ago. It felt great to get a good sweat going and watch my heart rate climb as I climbed. Today I work a half day so the gym bag is in my car. I'm not sure what activities I will pursue this weekend. There is a club D+ ride tomorrow morning and that's a possibility. I am assuming the ride will go regardless of the temperature, which will probably be mid 30s in the morning. I wouldn't mind a hike on Sunday, if I could interest anyone else. If all goes according to plan, I will have 4 consecutive days of fitness, and once those endorphins start circulating through my brain (and the crappy food stops circulating thru my gut), it's much easier to stay with the program. A body in motion tends to stay in motion. And so, my WPD is going well! There was a slice of pizza on Wed, but recovered with a good homecooked dinner. All the Halloween candy has been banished.

Bookcrossing.com

I finished reading Committed: Confessions of a Fantasy Football Junkie. I have actually learned enough about football to enjoy this book. I laughed at the appropriate times, I knew enough about the players and their positions to understand the trades, and I appreciated the strategy and knowledge necessary to play this "game" well. I don't think I'm about to quit my job so I have the time needed to win the fantasy football Superbowl. I don't even think I am going to draft a team in a fantasy football league. But I am proud that I read and enjoyed 2 books about football in the last month.

While we are on the topic of books, I have been spending lots of time at Bookcrossing.com. If you are not familiar with this website, it is a community of people who love to read and share books. You have to join, but it is free. Books are registered and given a unique ID number. Then they are sometimes "released in the wild," with the hope that someone will find it, read it, and log onto bookcrossing.com and make an entry about that book before giving it to someone else to read. And some books are advertised as available on the website, and then bookrings are set up, with the books traveling from one person to another over months or even years. Each person that reads the book makes an entry about the book, and you can follow these books on their journeys. So if you join a bookring, you have to be willing to spend a couple of dollars to mail the book on to the next person in the ring. I suppose you could just reserve the book at your local library and not pay postage, but then you don't get to follow the book from reader to reader. There's just something really inviting and enticing about finding a book in your mailbox that has been sent to you by someone who loves books as much as you do. Many of them arrive with postcards and bookmarks from all over the world. I have mailed a few books overseas, and they take so long to get there, that its a wonderful surprise when they do arrive because usually the person receiving it has forgotten that it is on its way. Over the last 2 years that I have been "hanging out" at bookcrossing, my bookshelves have become much more dynamic! Books come and go, not at an overwhelming pace, but enough that I have never felt that I have nothing interesting to read. And I have read some really wonderful books that I never would have picked up if not for Bookcrossing.

I have joined lots of bookrings. Here are a few books that I have finished and sent on to the next bookcrosser:
Galileo's Daughter by David Sobel
Flu by Gina Kolata
Possession by A S Byatt
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Sijie Dai

And here are some bookrings that I have joined and I'm waiting for my turn:
Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
Driving Mr. Albert by Michael Paterniti
A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian by Marina Lewycka
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang
March by Geraldine Brooks
If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things by Jon McGregor

Experimental Orthotics

I have not purchased experimental orthotics, rather I have purchased orthotics as part of an experimental treatment plan to see if my right foot is messing up my right knee. I picked them up yesterday evening and now I have to "break them in" by wearing them for an hour more each day. Although my right big toe was immediately singing happy songs, my arches were getting a little grumpy by the time I got home and took them off. I guess they are going to take some getting used to. I have been told not to run in them for another week or two, until I am comfortable just hanging out with them. I plan to take them grocery shopping tomorrow and to bookclub on Friday. Can't wait! As an added bonus, I was given the plaster casts of my feet to take home and love and cherish. There is a possibility that I will need them if I need to have another pair of orthotics made so I guess I have to keep them. There must be something creative I can do with them other than shove them in my closet. Maybe I will take them with me the next time I go shoe shopping, mess with the salespeople's heads. Make up some story about new prosthetic feet. Maybe I should just make a mobile with a wire hanger.

I took the subway to and from the doctor's office. That's subway as in NYC on Halloween going down to Greenwich Village for the big parade. It was very entertaining just being on the subway! I have never gone down to see the parade (aka freak show).

WPD3 was a good one. I did eat a little bag of peanut M&Ms and a little KitKat, but at least I'm eating the right things at mealtime. I am getting back on track.

NaBloPoMo

I'm in. I'm not sure I can pull this off, but I'm going to try.
I do a good deal of professional writing, and the "urge" to write something (meaningful) usually comes in waves. As the wave swells, I find that I start writing more blather and babble either in a written journal or in this blog. Then the chattering slows down as I focus on whatever it is I start writing. I'm starting to feel the wave, so get ready for some blathering and babbling.

WPD2 went well. I work late on Mondays so I didn't get to the gym, but I brought lunch from home, and didn't indulge in any little "treats."

The Winter PreSeason Begins Today

I went to Buffalo on Thursday for a meeting. So this is how it all went down:
Checked into hotel, given a short letter informing me that due to overcrowded dorms at Buffalo State, 100 freshman are living in the hotel for the semester.
Thursday evening reception. Boxed wine. Mediocre food.
Thursday night freshman students wake me up at 1:30 am, resounding bass line causing my bed and teeth to vibrate.
Friday morning "continental breakfast." That's code for processed carbs-- bagels, danish, scones. Buffet lunch is OK (at least there was a big slad), afternoon snack with Halloween theme-- candied apples! big candy bars in addition to the usual cookies and soda.
Friday evening dinner reception-- wine being poured from bottles, salmon dinner is actually quite good. Either students are much quieter or I am very tired because I sleep through the night.
Saturday morning repeat of continental breakfast. Weather reports warn of very high winds in the afternoon, not realizing that high winds are already causing major problems at NYC airports. Flight to LaGuardia delayed 2.5 hours, need to get home to go to cousin's wedding Saturday night, mother is beginning to worry that I am not going to make it. Plane finally takes off, after pilot apologizes for stinky rear (that's the back of the plane, not his personal rear end) because truck that sucks out the toilets was not working. Make it to LaGuardia (very bumpy ride) without having to use the facilities, make it to the wedding, realize I would not have been missed if I didn't make it because there are 270 other people there, but glad I did because the food is outstanding. Cocktail hour features both quantity and quality of a wide selction of foods, decide to spend significant time and energy on obtaining food rather than wait for large dinner to follow. Wise decision, as the vegetarian selection of eggplant rollatini was the only one that was really crappy.
Return home at 3 am (1.5 hour trip), very happy that if we have to turn back the clocks, that this is the night. Wake up, contemplate whether I really need to eat again, decide I'm not hungry, and then the epiphany!
The past few days were just an extreme example of the way things having been going for the past 2 months. The processed carbs, the bumpy ride, sometimes getting it right, other times not being able to deal with limited choices. Changing the clocks today seems the perfect opportunity to mark the beginning of a new season and the realization that making it happen will require focus and commitment. The winter means less daylight hours, more time indoors, the temptation to overindulge through the holidays. I'm hoping to start getting it right now, build in the good habits now, let some momentum build and use it to get through the winter. So I am declaring the 54 days from now until the winter solstice as the Winter Preseason.
WPD1 (Winter preseason day 1): went to the gym, felt great to lift weights! Working on cleaning up the food.

"Me" Time Part II

I'm still listening to podcasts, but I'm also reading. In my backpack (yes I commute with a backpack not a briefcase) is a copy of Get Your Own Damn Beer, I'm Watching the Game--A Woman's Guide to Loving Pro Football by Holly Robinson Peete. You know how you can listen to TV shows in Spanish by hitting the SAP button.... well I think sports should also have an alternative broadcast, for men to watch these games with their wives and girlfriends, a SFD (Sports For Dummies) button. My husband and I could do this! at least for baseball and football. He would do the play by play, and I would explain the basic rules of the game. He would also answer all the questions I ask, and of course I would ask 1) all the questions that women are afraid to ask their husbands because they don't want to look stupid and 2) all the questions women don't know to ask but knowing the answers will add to their appreciation of the game. Since this is only a fantasy, if you want to appreciate football and bond with your man on Sunday afternoons in front of the TV, then this is the book for you. The author does a great job explaining the fundamentals as well as some of the more subtle concepts. Then she throws in a little psychology, includes the proper diagrams and mixes in some football stats. This book provides a painless entry point into the mysteries of football. Your man ill be SOOOOOOO impressed when you ask him how many times the quarterback has been sacked or who usually returns the kickoff. Now of course, you have the option of never learning anything about football and getting a manicure every Sunday afternoon from September through January. There's always the mall, too, or lunch with the girls…. All good options.

I was talking about books, wasn't I. I belong to a F2F bookclub. Five of us meet once a month at the cafe in Barnes and Noble and spend 10 minutes talking about the book and about an hour talking about everything else. I always have a tall decaf latte. My friends usually drink green tea. But I digress. This month's selection is My Antonia by Willa Cather. I definitely like reading classics as well as contemporary fiction, but it is only rarely that the bookclub chooses a classic. I am savoring the opportunity. Here is a list of our more recent selections:

Will in the World- Stephen Greenblatt
The Memory Keepers Daughter—Kim Edwards
A Thread of Grace – Mary Doria Russell
The Ha-Ha –Dave King
The History of Love – Nicole Krauss
Me Talk Pretty –David Sedaris
The Covenant--Naomi Ragen
The Plot Against America – Philip Roth
Shiksa Goddess-- Wendy Wasserstein

Winter is coming, which is an opportunity to curl up on the couch with a warm fuzzy blanket and a good book. Looking for something to read? My Top 3 Picks from Bookclub 2006 are A Thread of Grace, The History of Love, and The Plot Against America.

Hmmm, I wonder if we could include book reviews in our SFD broadcast. Nah, that’s a different fantasy.

Oh, my mom is visiting and last night I watched Dancing With the Stars with her. It was awful! and I like reality TV.

"Me" Time Part I

I commute into Manhattan, which offers me about 100 minutes of “me” time 4 days a week. I really do view it as “me” time. Once I get home, my time usually becomes everyone else’s time. But when I’m on the train, I can do what I want to do as long as it can be done on a train. Unfortunately the train does not have any treadmills or spinning classes. I don’t do anything unusual. Typically I select from the typical commuter activities—reading, writing, listening and watching. And occasionally conversing, but I usually don’t commute with anyone requiring more than a “hi how are you.” Even a few years ago, listening and watching were not as typical. Now the ubiquitous iPod and the becoming ubiquitous DVD player have changed that. Reading is probably my favored activity but my habits do change. During the past week I seem to be splitting my “me” time between reading and listening to podcasts.

I’m not sure what prompted me to do so, but I decided to peruse the available public radio podcasts and I subscribed to a few. I also updated some podcasts that I haven’t been listening to and unsubscribed from a few that don’t fit my present mood or are no longer being podcasted. So what am I listening to?

WNYC On the Media-- A 1-hour show devoted to media criticism and analysis.

NPR Driveway Moments—Typically from 5-15 minutes in length, rather than turn the radio off, you stay in your car to hear the piece to the end. It's a Driveway Moment.

NPR Playback-- Each month, NPR Playback combs the NPR radio archives to connect past with present. Presently reconnecting with events from 1981.

NPR World Story of the Day-- Pick 1 story from the day’s broadcasts and presents it in about 5 minutes

WBEZ American Life-- this weekly radio show on topics that aren't really news, but topics that relate to everyone's life in some way.

WGBH Morning Stories—stories that stay with you all day long, usually under 15 minutes long, personal stories told by people in the community.

KCRW The Score-- Under 5 minutes, the poetry, the sociology, the philosophy of sports.

And my only music podcast, Coverville-- Focuses on cover songs; a new rendition of a previously recorded song. The show is produced and hosted by Brian Ibbott, in his home. About 35 minutes, usually 6 songs.

(As an aside, as I type this in MS Word, spellcheck doesn’t recognize the word podcast because it’s just too new a word!).

In the last 2 days I learned that judges writing decisions often quote songwriters, with Bob Dylan being the most frequently quoted; that oboe players have to “build” and carve the reeds that their instruments use, often on a daily basis; that when the Sony Walkman came into vogue in 1981, many people thought it was a ridiculous fad that wouldn’t last. I listened to a soldier’s comments on the morality of war and an opinion on what makes Terrell Owens a complete a$$hole. I learned about a book called Hungry Planet that I have placed on reserve at my local library and I listened to some cover songs that I never would have known are covers because I never heard the “original” versions. I was entertained, enlightened, educated and reminded. Hey, not bad. Too bad I had to come to work and act stupid (hehe just kidding!!).

Apparel and Gear

This weekend has brought beautiful crisp autumn days and a couple of wonderful bike rides. Saturday was the club's fall ride and picnic and lots of folks showed up. I went on the D ride which turned out to be a mistake. It was very slow! so about half of us broke away at about the halfway point and cranked it up a bit. Today only 3 of us showed up, so again we picked up the pace a bit. A 55-mile weekend has brought me close to an 800-mile season. I know there are lots of people who have rideen far more miles than that, but I think it's pretty damn good!

Yesterday morning it was in the high 40s when we headed out. I was a little cold when we got started but I warmed up very quickly and quite enjoyed the ride. It made me realize that with the proper clothes and gear, I can ride my bike through November. So last night I tried to figure out what I have and what I need to ride in the cool/cold weather. I have capri length padded tights, which were perfect this weekend, and I ordered another pair. I really want full-length tights, but every pair I have tried are too long. I bought the pair with the longest inseam, thinking that these "capris" will probably fit mini-me like full-length tights. I considered leg warmers, but I think I will be more comfortable in tights. I also used my toe covers yesterday. Someone asked me if they work, and I guess they must because my feet weren't at all cold and hers were.
I must admit that I am a gear head, and I love checking out catalogs and building wishlists.
Here are a few items I simply "must have" if I am going to keep cycling in the colder weather. Gloves of course, pink ones, and an ear warming headband to wear under my helmet. Should I stay with pink?
Having the right gear and apparel can really cost a bundle. I have definitely seen cyclists at both ends of the spectrum. Some invest thousands of dollars in a bicycle, and then spend a small fortune on shoes, jerseys, jackets, sunglasses and finding the right power bar. Then there are riders on 20+ year old bikes wearing old sneakers, older gym shorts, and the oldest T-shirt available. I'd like to think I fall someone in the middle (as I usually do). I plan to purchase a new bike before next season, and I consider padded shorts, wicking clothing and pedals/cleats as essentials. Staying warm is important too, hence the toe covers, gloves, and headband. Beyond that, this is what I do, I work hard at it, its done me good and I want to look good while I'm doing it. Spending money on cycling clothes makes me feel good and keeps me in the game. Now, where did I put that Terry catalog?

Two Wishes

September ended with a whimper. A combination of minor surgery and the Jewish holidays forced me to ''lay low'' for a solid week. Now I am finding it tough to get started again. A body at rest tends to stay at rest. Inertia is keeping me from accumulating any potential energy. I am planning on making my move on Thursday, and if the weather holds up, the weekend will have opportunities as well. The club's last event of the season, the fall ride and picnic is this Saturday and my brother and I plan to hike on Sunday.

But tonight we have tix for game 2 of the ALDS, Yanks v Tigers!! It really is October and as much as I love the fall, it is bittersweet. I try to focus on the positive aspects of the coming winter (and yes there are some positives), but there is no doubt I am a summer person. It is the approaching winter that tends to make me more introverted and solitary. This is not necessarily a bad thing. There is much to be said for happily spending time with yourself and enriching your mind and your spirit. Winter is the perfect excuse for immersing yourself in “media,” for reading books, watching movies, building playlists and editing all those digital photos. What I do miss is the long hours of daylight and the ease of spending time outdoors. Even though I do make the effort and I love snowshoeing and cross country skiing, it does take more effort, not to mention snow. As much as the snow and ice are hazardous and problematic, in my mind, if you are going to have winter, you might as well have the snow to enjoy. So I have 2 wishes for the fall—that the Yankees become World Champions and that the coming winter brings real snow!

Bike Respite

I did NOT ride my bike this weekend! That’s just the way it worked out. Yesterday I went hiking instead, which made me realize how tight my hamstrings are from riding, so a little “cross training” is a good thing. The Hudson River Valley Ramble features over 160 walking and hiking events over 2 weekends, stretching from Manhattan to Albany. Yesterday I hiked up Anthony’s Nose with 8 other hearty individuals. Anthony’s Nose is a steep, 900-foot mountain on the eastern bank of the Hudson River in the beautiful Hudson Highlands. The trail went up and down quite a bit, so that the total elevation gain is 2,000 feet over 3.7 miles. This was not a hike for wimps! The views over the highlands were spectacular and we watched the hawks soaring overhead. The descent was only a mile and therefore steep, and it did bother my knees a bit; nothing that a recovery day can’t fix. I was tired when I got home. I managed to finish some cooking I had planned and spent most of the afternoon watching the Seahawks humiliate the Giants.

I spent the last few days doing a lot of cooking. I’m not sure why, but the cabinets were flying open and the pots were barely washed before being pressed into service yet again. I did put a few dinners in the freezer and we enjoyed the leftovers at lunch. Here is a partial list of what came out of my kitchen:
Giant tray of baked ziti, pot roast from the crock pot, Morrocan roast vegetables, asian flavored halibut and vegetables, lemon rice pilaf, large pile of tangy chicken wings (excellent choice for watching football), and baked tofu with tangy chicken wing sauce.

I belong to an organic food coop and I pick up a basket full of fruits and vegetables every two weeks. A week into this cycle and most of the food was still in my refrigerator. Yesterday I was down to a few carrots, a cabbage, a cauliflower and a head of lettuce!

I had a good week, eating properly, burning calories and lifting weights. My weight has come back down closer to where it should be. The fitness challenge is entering the last week and I continue to be inspired by the 40+ miles per week people as well as the folks who have gone from zero miles to 6 miles per week! I don’ think I will do another challenge in October, but maybe in November. It will be interesting what people do as the weather cools off, daylight hours decrease, and the indoor season becomes a reality.

Golden Apple Perfection

Venue, the God of Outdoor Events, was smiling down upon the Westchester Cycle Club on Sunday and sent a perfect day for the Golden Apple and the 1,000+ participants. The 100 and 125 mile riders were able to start early with but a slight chill in the air, maybe with arm warmers. The 75 and 50 milers saw the sun breaking through as they set out on their journeys. The 25 milers had bright sunshine from start to finish. I rallied some slow C riders for the 50 mile ride, and it was great. They ride just a bit faster than me, enough to push me to quicken my pace and prove to me that I can ride faster than I think! Everyone was given a pair of Golden Apple 25th Anniversary socks when they checked in and there was still Ben & Jerry's ice cream available (in addition to a full lunch) when we were done. Volunteers were plentiful and the entire event was well managed. I'm sure the Club brought in the revenue they need to support its activities and to donate a chunk of money to charity as well. I'm sure Mike the Event Man slept well on Sunday night.

DH returned from his XY vacation late late Friday night. Although he had a great time with his buddies and his mule, he did suffer from altitude sickness. He never really acclimated and wasn't able to do some of the hiking. One day he took a 3 hour nap in the meadow while the other guys hiked up to 12,000 feet. Doesn't sound too unpleasant to me! He was still feeling crappy on Saturday and when he took his bike out, he just couldn't do it. His heart rate was very low because his red blood cells were all pumped up, but his breathing was wacky. So he didn't ride on Sunday. I did pick up his socks for him. He is feeling better and is planning to workout today.

I am updating the Fitness Challenge after week 2 and except for me, the other participants are fairly consistent. 40 milers for the 1st week did 40 miles in the 2nd week, and 6 milers for the first week did 6 miles in the 2nd week. My mileage dropped from 31 to 17. Last week was not a good week for working out. Hoping this week will be better. One person dropped out after seeing the totals from the 1st week. It was too demoralizing to compare herself to the top contenders. That's exactly what I did not want to happen and why everyone has an alias (a fitness challenge spirit name). Oh well. Some people have commented that they are defintiely out there a little longer because of the challenge and that's what it's all about!

Pass Interference

Waiting for the bus from Giants Stadium to Arena parking lot, slightly drunk man steps in front of me. Pass Interference. Penalty: He has to move halfway to the back of the line.

Leaving Giants Stadium, 3 lanes merge into 1 to get on the NJ Turnpike. Dirtbag driving Suburban cuts me off. Pass Interference. Penalty: He has to return halfway to the stadium parking lot. Throw in a personal foul for driving that gas guzzling monster, and he has to go all the way back to the stadium parking lot.

Driving home, son #1 changes radio station, son #2 calls pass interference. Penalty: son #1 loses control of the radio for half of remaining time in the car.

Monday morning, son #1 gets to sleep an hour later than son #2 because he doesn't have a first period class and can drive to school. Pass Interference. Penalty: son #1 has to drive son #2 to Cold Stone Creamery. Seems reasonable to me.

Commuting into NYC, man stands in front of me on train platform as train approaches. Pass Interference. Penalty: He has to return halfway to his car in the parking lot and miss the train. Ha!

Coffee break, deli across the street, purchasing refreshments for myself and a colleague. Deli worker ignores me requiring supervisory deli worker to tell him to help me and then gives me only 1 little jelly package for my colleague's pumpernickel bagel. Guess what deli worker, that's PASS INTERFERENCE. Penalty: forfeit half of the grape jelly packages and pumpernickel bagels in the deli.

As you can see, I am a ruthless referee, handing out penalties whenever I feel like it, just like NFL referees. And I don't have to wear a stupid zebra striped shirt either!

Penis Envy, $4000 on eBay, Flapper Pillowcase Dress, Phitness Phreak, INvalidation, HS Reading List

DH has gone on an all-boy vacation with a bunch of his buddies. He flew out to Reno and then drove to Bishop CA where he will get on a horse and ride into the high Sierras for 5 days. DH does not know anything about riding a horse, so hopefully all that will be required is that he remain upright and the horse will know more than he does. I know there are also mules involved. Oh, and guides. That's a good thing. Hopefully the guides will know how to do things like set up tents and cook and kill snakes. Now, I must admit that I am jealous. I would have gone on this trip without thinking twice, if I could. Oh well, another disadvantage of not having a penis.

Since DH is out of town, I get to drive to Giants Stadium tomorrow evening for the opening game of the football season-- Eli v. Peyton. I don't mind going to the game, although I probably would have given my ticket to a friend of son #2 and watched the game from the comfort of my living room. I just hate driving to Giants Stadium especially for a night game. I tried to talk the kids into agreeing to sell the tickets on eBay. I am told that these tickets are selling for over $1000 each, and we have 4 of them. They didn't even respond to my suggestion. So drive I will, to cheer for Eli and the Giants. Son #2 said I can wear his Tiki jersey.

Last night son #1 went to a Great Gatsby party at a very nice catering venue. One of his friends had neither a bat mitzvah nor a sweet sixteen, and her mom agreed to throw this big shindig for 60 of her closest friends. Good food, DJ, photographer, the whole shabang! Once again, I am jealous. I would love to make a flapper dress out of a pillowcase and go to a Great Gatsby party. And at my age, there would be drinking in addition to the good food and DJ, which would defintiely lend itself to many Kodak moments.

I am preparing the first update for the Fitness Challenge and boy, the competition is much tougher than I thought it would be! From September 1-7, I had 31 miles. I thought I would have an early lead which would fade over the next few weeks. Well, Phitness Phreak had 42 miles and 26.2 or Bust (who is obviously training for the NYC marathon) had 30 miles. Several participants had 25ish miles. A couple of people commented that they were defintiely motivated to do a little more because of the Challenge, and that is definitely what this is about. I hope no one is discouraged when they see how many miles some people have logged.

Speaking of fitness, I went for a club bike ride this morning. It was absolutely beautiful-- blue skies, temp in the mid 70s, just perfect. We rode past Club Fit, one of the biggest gyms/fitness clubs in the area. The parking lot was packed! I could visualize all those people riding stationary bikes and running on treadmills. How could they even think of being indoors on a day like today? I'm sure there's a myriad of reasons and explanations but they are ALL INVALID.

Today I was helping son #2 write an essay about Jon Krakauer's book Into the Wild. That really piqued my interest and now I have to read the book. So that's what I'm gonna do!

Potential Energy

Every Labor Day weekend the bike club books a block of rooms at a small motel in Red Hook and rides the backroads of Dutchess county. On Sunday, I drove up with another club member, just for the day. It was a damp drizzly morning, and while many decided to wait until noon and take a shorter ride, 5 of us set out in the morning, knowing the weather was going to improve. It ended up being a fabulous ride, probably one of my favorites this season. We stopped at a beautiful farmer's market in Rhinebeck and bought fruit, cheese, bread and muffins for lunch. Then we rode to the Staatsburgh Mansion, and picnicked right on the banks of the Hudson. We continued to ride beautiful backcountry roads, past apple orchards, horse farms and corn fields. Our last stop was at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, home of the Fischer Performing Arts Center, which was designed by Frank Gehry. What a sight to behold! I'm so glad we rode the extra few miles to see it. The last few miles we rode were under a deep blue sky with a smattering of high clouds. Our ride was 44 miles. Of course there were hills, but nothing too dramatic, and I seemed to match the speed and pace of these women very well (there was 1 husband, but he slowed down to ride with us). The only disappointment was discovering that Red Hook does not have a Dunkin Donuts. I got over it.

I have already "banked" 27 miles in the September Challenge. Riding 84 miles over the weekend certainly gave me a major league head start. Everyone in the challenge has to have an "alias" which reflects their fitness challenge spirit. That way no one has to be embarrassed when I post weekly mileage updates if they are in last place. l have thought about it (hmmm.... Black Trek, no that doesn't reflect any spirit... Vergence Ranges, no that's too easy..... Hills for Breakfast, getting closer, at least that has attitude) and finally decided I will be Potential Energy. That's what you have when you get to the top of a hill. It's about fighting gravity which is trying to keep you down. When you climb the hill and fly downhill, you forfeit all your potential energy and you have to climb the next hill. There is always another hill, but there is always a reward when you get to the top! Everyone can find their potential energy if they are willing to fight against whatever is pulling them down. So what do you think-- Potential Energy exudes spirituality, right?

The Millbrook Ride

Many years ago, (uh, about 20), my brother and I would ride from our parent's home in Hopewell Jct to Millbrook. It was always a favorite bike ride, really beautiful, challenging, and most of it on quiet back roads. When DH became my DH, he would ride with us, too. Yesterday, DH and I both took the day off and we decided to take the bikes up to Hopewell Jct. and ride to Millbrook. We even found the original route directions in my brother's handwriting. I knew there was a couple of really big climbs on this ride, but DH kept assuring me that the hills would be smaller than I remember them. Not. I'm grateful they didn't get bigger but they certainly didn't get smaller. This was a very challenging ride for me, 40 miles round trip. I felt like my legs were toast when we got to Millbrook. Luckily the ride out is more difficult than the return trip, but we still had to go over Chestnut Ridge. You know you are in trouble when you turn onto "Overlook Road." DH stuck with me, even though I ride much slower than him. He was wearing his heart rate monitor which beeps whenever he is not "in his zone" (kind of annoying but the monitor is broken and he can't turn the beep off). Everytime he pulled up alongside me, his heart rate monitor was beeping because his heart rate was way below the zone. Riding my speed for 40 miles, his average heart rate was 108. Holy cow the man is fit! Well, this ride was still a major success. It was as beautiful as I remember it, Millbrook is a funky little town, great for a lunchbreak, and although it wasn't a beautiful sunny day, the cooler cloudy weather was a nice change from the summer heat. We saw a soaring eagle and got to visit with some cousins. When we got home, I fell asleep on the couch watching the Yankee game. Today is the perfect recovery day, as the remnants of Ernesto churn up the coast. Tomorrow I shall ride again! The September Monthly Mileage Challenge began yesterday, and 40 miles converts to 10 miles in the challenge. Not a bad way to start the month!