#117 – I want to ride my bicycle

First you get out of shape

You drive everywhere. Parking is easy and free. You concentrate on the new job, settling down, making friends. You eat out, you drink out, and you take out. And if you are like me, the first thing you stop making time for is physical activity. Never a big fan, there’s no surprise here.

You gain weight.

Now you are much less motivated to move, and it’s harder.

So you park even closer, you take the elevator, you move less. You go out meeting new colleagues. You work hard, not out. You don’t cook.

Food is good, drinks are even better… but the pounds you collect and accumulate are not.

And then you decide to take action. Literally.

Hiking is great

Endorphins or not, my body feels the difference. Out and about, huffing and puffing climbing up a hill, whining all the way up.

And looking forward for the next opportunity.

It was a hike to Pacifica – thank you K. and N. – that reminded me how much I love, enjoy, live better with fresh air.

Then it was a month with Lizzi (#110- A dog in one hand, a doggie bag in the other) and more hiking.

Hiking destinations are all around me. It’s finding the partner/s to hike with that is hard… which is in fact one of the drivers to the CL effort.

And I’m ashamed to say that I have no hiking planned for this weekend. Yet, there’s biking… first thing tomorrow morning.

I want to ride by bicycle

More than two years ago, while working on my MBA, Melanie gave me her unused bicycle. Embarrassingly, the bicycle was stolen before I even got to ride them once. Parked in front of my Cambridge apartment, I saw it disappear, piece by piece. First the rear wheel was gone, than the seat… within a week or so, while I was working on this paper or another PowerPoint assignment the only piece left was the frame. And the guilt.

This time it’s different. I keep the bike in the car. The legal owner of the bike can see how well protected it is. And I use it. Figured that I already rode it about 40 Miles. Laugh at me, feel free to tease. But I ride. A little, yet I do.

Collector’s Item

Hard to believe, yet I am learning that my bike is a collector’s item.

Since I got it, I keep collecting additional items. From one week to another, the list grows.

First, it was the helmet, than the gloves. After suffering pain in the body part that one uses for sitting, I added a woman’s seat to my growing collection of biking items . As a kid, I rode bike everywhere, and never heard of a man seat vs. a woman’s. Now I have one.

Bottle holder came next. And then it was time for a tune up. “On-the-house” said the nice guy at the bike shop.

Coming back from today’s (Sunday, 9/16) ride, my car is now decorated wit the latest addition – bike carrier. [Thank you Govind and Itamar!!!] According to the drawing, I can fit up to 3 bikes. I’m not sure. Tested it with 2 bikes, and all went well… until I dropped off the bikes safely and went for my grocery shopping. Forgetting that the rear door now has a “growth”, I closed the door, smashing the “carrier”, frame and all, on my head. The carrier is well and still attached. As for me? I think that after a shower, my head would appreciate cold towel and some rest.

“What’s next” you ask? Chain protector. Got tired of the grease stains on my riding pants…

Photo Credits:

http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/mfl/lowres/mfln615l.jpg

http://www.cbil.upenn.edu/~ggchen/photo/hiking_west/hiking.JPG

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/mw/bt/6/graphics/bt06_06p.gif http://img.products.howstuffworks.com/cctool/PrdImg/images/pr/177X150/00/01/d7/42/b9/30884537.JPG

#116 – Welcome to NJ (II)

The first to greet you upon your arrival to NJ

Upon landing, each of us has to face reality. K is going to talk to the TSA guys, hunting down her laptop, while I, knowing my luggage is not waiting for me, have to file a missing luggage report.

No luggage, no laptop in NJ. Luggage is in Denver, Laptop held by TSA in San Jose. Now all we have to do is pick up the rental car and hit the road.

Key in switch and off we go. Looking for shortcuts, I let Telenav guide us. Big mistake. Why on earth would a “smart” navigation program (read: Telenav) tell us to get off the highway, make a U-turn, and get back on?! Bits me… The U-turn did not turn out all that well, and the thump I’ve heard left me with some concerns.

Surely, when I let the stirring wheel loose, it was pulling the car to the right. Inspecting the car from the outside showed a flat front right tire.

Great.

On an Island between two streets

I pulled over to an “island” between two streets, and we started calling; Budget on one mobile, AAA on the other. Both companies are SLOOOOOOOOOW to respond. First w ned to agree on our current location. Once we do, both companies inform us that we are in a “bad area”. True, we can’t see any “Ashkenazim”, but who cares. 20 minutes of negotiations later, we are embarrassed when the Budget rep asks “did you call AAA for help too?” Apparently, both Budget and AAA use the same towing company, of which their dispatch caught on to us. “90 minutes maximum wait” we are told.

The island we are parked @ is the parking lot of the BBQ

Chicken Queen. Having airport/airplane food for 11 hours, we are ready for some serious junk food. Observing the busy movement to the joint the whole time we were negotiating was good enough reason to check it out. Now it’s our turn. Fat time. Forget the yogurt and veggies I ate on the flight. This is high cholesterol, high fat and heart-attack generating food. K. and I walk in looking out [of place]. I envy all the guys who walk in knowing exactly what they want, without a glimpse @ the menu posted about the counter. We, to the contrary, have lots of questions. We end up ordering fried chicken, fries and coleslaw. And in case that wasn’t enough, K. adds a sugar-trap pie to our lunch. “Drinks?” asks the guy behind the counter. “Water” is my answer. K however, is asking “do you have anything diet?” Confusion is written all over the guy’s face. “You know, with less sugar, or with sugar substitute; a diet drink.”

“No, we don’t have any” is the amused answer. I can’t help laughing. “It’s not for diet” K is saying defensively, “I like the taste”. Shortly thereafter we added biscuits to the calories list. Fresh from the oven, melting in the mouth, materializing on the waist.

To cut a long lunch short, by the time we food is gone, and fingers are licked, tire is replaced. K even negotiated, with no extra charge, a replacement car to be delivered to the hotel in the following morning. Good!

@ The hotel, sans luggage (mine), sans laptop (K’s), drinks seem in place. First, we vent, bitch and complain, than we drink. TK, who’d taken a direct flight, got to the hotel hustle-free and well-rested, is treating us. I fight with the airline to deliver my luggage before bedtime; K had given up on getting her computer in Jersey, and DG, who finally joined us, packed 2 laptops, a whole set of cables, but no change of cloth… Did I hear anyone saying geek?

Dinner was good- Thank you T. We feel ready for tomorrow’s work challenges, and as I drift to sleep, sans toothbrush/paste, I say a little pray for my luggage to arrive before I leave.

Lights out.

 

 

Photos credits:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Flat_tire.jpg

http://www.eatfoo.com/files/images/20060703_-_fried_chicken/IMG_6221.jpg

http://www.kfc.com/menu/images/sides_biscuits.jpg

http://edibletulip.typepad.com/edible_tulip/images/spicy_coleslaw.jpg

http://www.travelwithachallenge.com/Images/Travel_Article_Library/Lost_Luggage/Winged_Suitcase.gif