I Don't Like To Repeat Gossip...

...so you better listen real good the first time!

Morning weigh-in (Wednesday): 187#, 13% BF
Morning weigh-in (Thursday): 186#, 13% BF
Morning weigh-in (Friday): 182#, 10% BF

That was some sandwich! Like a pig in a python... I had dinner at Which Brew on Tuesday night, got the Reuben special, which turned out to be a triple-decker corned beef sandwich on thick slabs of rye. It was enormous, and almost beat me but I got it all down, plus the fries and two Anchor Steam Porters. I know who had the last laugh though, when I stepped on the scale Wednesday morning.

The Gossip: One reason I went down there Tuesday was that I missed the St Patrick's day festivities, and got an email (sent around midnight Saturday to everyone on the Virtual Pub mailing list), stating that there had been an incident that night, such behavior was unwelcome and would not be tolerated and oh my God I had to know more... I had to wait a few days but I got the scoop at dinner: apparently someone had locked the owner/bartender in the bathroom while she was cleaning it. (Think about it, this is how a robbery would start, and also even as a prank it should raise red flags in terms of hostility issues, and potential for even more abusive behavior down the pike.) I said as much before finding out who did it, then heard who it was and who egged him on -- I'm not mentioning any names but I think that the perpetrator was just drunk and stupid, but I think the instigator might very well be on a hostility trip, especially after I found out this was his second time instigating the exact same thing.

The March Chain Gang meeting was Wednesday night at Brian's house, probably one of the biggest we've ever had in terms of attendance; we probably had close to the entire club there. We had several crock pots of chili for our potluck dinner, but I made bean and tomato stew (lentils, chick peas & kidney beans, stewed tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, spinach etc) in my crock pot, which boiled over while I was at work -- gee, maybe it was too full -- and spilled all over the counter. I was so busy I couldn't really clean the counter until last night, and by then it was all nice and sticky. Good stew though, I've been eating it for a few days now.

That was some ride! Last night I rode with my friend Joe who lives in Bloomsbury, which is on my way home. I brought the road bike to work, and we rode from his house, just getting back before dark. Two hours or a little more, maybe 30 miles (or a little more). I was whooped when we were done, and filthy as a hog: neither of us wore tights, just shorts, and between the rain and the snowmelt on the roads, there was a lot of road-gritty spray all over our legs and faces. I was so tired after the ride I skipped the gym, came home (ate stew) and went to bed.

Tonight was the gym, also more stew, and tomorrow will be yoga in the morning. I'm staying in for the night, but may go out tomorrow.

Watersleep To Firewaking

Morning weigh-in: 183.5#, 13.5% BF

"The green cusp, dreaming fishes to young ram, watersleep to firewaking..." -- Thomas Pynchon

So it's the vernal equinox, when you can stand an egg on its end, or something like that. But now its springtime.

Yoga tonight, yoga last night; tomorrow is the Chain Gang meeting. Potluck dinner, I'm making bean and tomato stew in the crock pot, though I think quite a few are bringing chili.

More bad news: My friend Mike B (not my high school buddy, a neighbor and riding partner) hasn't been around much lately, and today he called to tell me why: he has cancer. I didn't ask what he had, and he said he's mainly been getting tests right now, no chemo or other treatment yet. Few years younger than me, wife, two kids. Oh man...

Non-Attachment

Morning weigh-in: 184.5#, 13% BF

(Posting might get a little more sporadic, our access to this kind of internet stuff is now blocked at work, even at lunchtime, so I can no longer do my midday updates.)

So, yes I rode Friday afternoon, went 11 miles in just under 3 hours, last 2-3 miles being on the road: I went down the bike path to the new boat launch, then backtracked to the old Glendon bridge, crossed the river and took the bike path to the falls, then came up through town, returning on Northampton. Good solid ride, lots of resistance when I was off the plowed parts. After that I walked down to Which Brew.

Saturday was the gym (no yoga: I planned ahead, stayed out late specifically because I expected things to be closed), errands, haircut etc, then went to my friend Joe's St Patty's Day party (photos here).

Sunday was snowshoeing in Jim Thorpe. Beautiful day, and the snow was pretty to look at, but it was not ideal for playing in, either on snowshoes (too soft, melting) or XC skis (one skier told me it was very sticky, which I'd expect with all that sun & warmth). Oh well, Doug said XC conditions were ideal along the canal on Saturday... (By the way I took photos of the ride up, and they're posted on flickr as well; the camera's batteries died before I could take any shots in the woods.)

I happened to look at that Cancer Kids photo pool again yesterday, and that little girl Mia was there in some new photos -- she has acute myeloid leukemia, and she's had a relapse. (Just for laughs, Google "myeloid leukemia", relapse and prognosis.) It's not anyone I know, or anyone who knows me, but all of a sudden it was like there was no more air in the room. I had trouble sleeping, I couldn't stop thinking about it.