02 September 2008

What A Way To End Summer!

First off, I want to take a minute to apologize for not being on top of posting the last few days. It has been chaotic in my world. Not bad chaotic, but chaotic. Likely, that is all you will ever hear on the subject, but I apologize. Likewise, I might miss a day this week, and if I DO happen to miss a day in the next day or two, I would like to take the opportunity to apologize in advance. I will make no further apologies and, again, will likely make no mention of the issue(s) surrounding my absence. Thank you for your understanding and continued reading.
I have one thing to say about this weekend: What a way to "officially end summer!" It was gorgeous in Cleveland this weekend. Mid-eighties all weekend, and three days to boot! Saturday was just a lot of getting things done around the house, and I had a wedding to attend with the wife Saturday night. Why do I mention that? I'm proud, there I said it. I ate well, for being at a wedding and having hoards of food and libations at my disposal. I had a couple of Vodka Tonics, and a small bit of cake for dessert. Again, I was happy with that, and netted a flat zero for weight gain. OH! I did work out Saturday.
Sunday I got a hand from Thom at Spin figuring why the tire on my wife's 2008 Specialized Crossroads keeps blowing out. Especially since it has been in storage almost since she, er, I got it for her. I think we figured it out. A burr on the spoke poking through the rim strip. By the way, the Crossroads is for sale. She put about eight miles on it, and I've put less than two. If you're interested send me an email via the contact me in the upper right hand sidebar and we can chat about it. Digressing and returning to my weekend. I finished off Sunday evening by getting my intervals in, and taking a few extra miles before it got too dark to be out on the road. Note: I still need to get lights.
Monday was the BOMB! I woke up, had a great breakfast to start. Jumped on the road bike and took off for a Labor Day ride with Don, from Spin. If I've never mentioned it before, I'm a dork over Don's bike. It's a bare naked Ti Serotta Fierté, and I just love the old school bar tape on it! We got in about sixteen miles by my computer. It looked kind of like this: Minimum elevation 696, maximum 1112, 535 ascent, 538 descent. I tacked on a few more myself to bring it up to the twenty-five mile mark. It was an excellent ride. Again, mid-eighties, sun out, almost no cars on the road, leisurely pace (average fourteen MPH), and I felt good. How could you feel anything but good with views like this: Seriously, I mean, its majestic. By the way; yes we were high enough and the trees were low enough that we were looking over the tops of hundreds, and likely thousands, year old trees that are, the Lord only knows, how high. I cleaned all the hills, legs felt good, breathing felt good. It was just a great day. The kind that has me daydreaming of the same ride in the fall with the leaves on the ground, hopefully not wet leaves though. I spent the afternoon swimming, and than came home an did my magic on the grill. Oh, and I did have a couple of those, Sierra Nevada 2008 Summerfest Lager's, just a suggestion to Sierra Nevada; if you would like to consider sending me some beer or gear for the mentions, I would happily take it and become your shill.
Well, that brings me to now. Now I sit here watching news, typing this, and reflecting. Reflecting on how, with Labor Day being the unofficial end of summer, I could handle this if it's the unofficial end of summer.

1 comment:

Dee said...

What a shame that your wife has not bonded with the crossroads. I rode a hybrid for a year that was a size small 'cast off' from my husband. I put serious kms on it, but when I got a ws road bike my life changed forever, I am smitten. I hope she finds her own way into cycling. Good on you for trying to share your passion.