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Tuesday

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25
Jan 22

Full speed once again

There’s a window near my office … not my office, mind you … that affords you this view.

That was this evening as I was on my way to the studio, which was after I’d recorded video for someone, which was surrounded by doing social media for others, and after I’d given a tour for someone, and that’s just how the week is going. Happy to do it; wondering when I can get my work in. Mostly worrying what important thing I’ve inadvertently neglected, or outright forgotten.

But, hey, when that’s your worry, life is pretty good, right? Give yourself some grace and all that.

He said, at the end of an 11-hour day.

Tomorrow will be 10-or-more hours long.

I decided it was time to start adding a bit of time back into the bike ride. The route I’ve been doing lately takes 45 minutes. If I could make it take 44 minutes I’d hit my goals there, which I’ve rambled on about here recently. Only I don’t know where to pull in those last few seconds. It’s a fun mental challenge: when to do what. I’m eyeballing it, shooting from the hip and playing it by ear. It sounds anatomical, but is in no way scientific.

So I found a flat route and added a 15 minute easy ride at the end of my bigger effort. Ahhh, London, where it feels like you’re going slow at 19.

On the end of that little course the Zwift designers added a little sprint segment. There’s a little green light on the ground telling you you’re entering a sprint, and there’s a banner in the distance. Just before that light a bunch of other rides sped right by me, and so I decided to chase them. And then I decided to catch them and pass them. My cool down ride ended with a 34 mph sprint.

Which wasn’t the point, but in the rare moments when you can feel like a sprinter, take the moment to feel like a sprinter.

(I am not a sprinter.)

On subsequent rides I’ll start putting a few extra minutes here and there. Very progressive, hardly scientific.

Phoebe is the appropriate amount of impressed.

And since we are a day late on the weekly check in with the kitties, we can show you our progress with Poseidon and brushes. It is a work in progress.

Note the blur. He, too, is moving fast.

He also likes my toothbrush. He jumps up on the vanity, stands on his back feet and tries to grab it away from me. I recently replaced one that had an all plastic handle with a toothbrush that has a rubberized grip. He is less impressed by that. It’s the plastic, of course. He can’t get enough of the stuff, and we’re constantly on heightened alert to keep it from him. I like to imagine, though, that he’s taking a keen interest in hygiene beyond his regular self-grooming.

The daily duds: I sometimes put this here in the hopes of somehow avoid embarrassing scheme repeats — so far so good. But, today … Auburn is the top-ranked basketball team in the country and they’re playing tonight, so we’re flying the orange and blue.

You can’t see it, but on the bottom of the tie there’s the ol’ interlocking AU.

Basketball school.

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18
Jan 22

To the four-day week

The best part about a three-day weekend is that it also means a four day work week. Good thing, too. Given how things have started today, this week will feel like it will last eight days.

To sum up: At least Tuesday is done. Twenty-five percent of the work week behind me. Just 175 percent left to go.

Phoebe knows how I feel.

She had a nice opportunity for a suntan this weekend, and she enjoyed the early morning rays in the living room.

Poseidon, we might have mentioned, has recently discovered the joys of the space heater. And I mean this spoiled cat has really discovered space heaters.

To be fair, I put the blanket on the ground for him. Not so much that he’d have a blanket, but because he’s guaranteed to lay on it, and that might, hopefully, help him make the connection between the tall white thing and the hot air blowing out of it.

He is, as you might imagine, appreciative.

And a few quick scenes from indoor bike riding. Here’s that volcano I’ve been riding up and around and through.

I think I might have done all I can do on that course. I’d like to find another minute somewhere on the route. Two rides ago I took about 30 seconds off my bet time up the volcano. Which means that, on this last ride, I really had to push to get a few seconds off my next PR. But I did. And on this last ride I had my best time to, and up, the volcano. I worked so hard that I was 20 seconds off my pace for my best descent down the volcano. I was so tired I slowed down on the downhill part! But even if I can put those things together, I’d still be looking for 40 more seconds, somewhere. So, now, I’m making mind bets. If I could just somehow go a little harder for five extra seconds every mile …

And I’ll try that after I let my legs rest for a day or two. That always seems to serve me well.

There’s another mountain in the background of that same course. This digital mountain, as you can tell, causes digital weather.

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11
Jan 22

Always fun? Always fun

I had a meeting today. I was late to that meeting. I was late to that meeting because I had another meeting. It was a meeting about a meeting that will happen later.

All of that actually happened.

Also, the following sentence fell out of my mouth.

“I’m just doing some fact checking, because that’s always fun.”

It’s the lot of an editor. You have to look into things like phone numbers and hyperlinks and dates and times. There is something gratifying about it. The writer got this right, and good for him or her! And, you hope, that when someone edits you, they’ll also take the time to make sure you’ve gotten it right.

(Bring it home with something funny here. — Editor)

Anywhoodles (That’s not what I meant — You know whoodles) it wasn’t that I was editing, or fact-checking. The weird part wasn’t that I pronounced it fun as a sort of truth-in-sarcasm aside. Why did I have to add the word always?

It isn’t always fun.

You know what else isn’t always fun? (Rhetorical questions? — Editor)

No, that joke.

What isn’t always fun is email. I used to love it so much, back when they were fun. Now it’s just spam and work. And that’s when the email is even working. Outlook was a bit glitchy today. That’s never fun.

And now I’m writing about email. (Yep, that’s always a sign. — Editor)

Anyway, that photo up there? That was what I could see from where that second meeting was held. At least I had a view for an hour.

Having a view? That’s always fun.

Indiana / Instagram / photo / Tuesday — Comments Off
4
Jan 22

Of color and cats

We are in an idyllic moment of January, I suppose. The skies are clear. It won’t last long, but you don’t expect it at all, so you’re grateful for the moment. I often lament that I can handle the cold, because I’ll stay inside for most of it, just give me some blue skies. There aren’t a lot of those here, this time of year. The first half of December was surprisingly variable, but we’re in it now. And we’re in it until April. This is why I’m posting the #IndianaSkyStudy series on Instagram. Happily, as you’ll see in a moment, these last two days have thrown us for a loop. Yesterday and today I saw the sun for the first time here in almost three weeks. And, sure, part of the reason for that might be that we were gone for the better part of two weeks. You’d be correct in pointing that out.

I’d also be correct in noting the general overcastness of things here during that time. And that I did see the sun and the blue skies in the five states I was in during that time. Furthermore, I’d point out that I chose my words carefully above. And also, my site — my rules.

So it’s just a colorful post all around today, OK?

First, here is a colorful photograph that I took in Connecticut over the holidays. It’s here because who doesn’t like berries that you can’t eat in December?

It was sitting on my phone. I wanted to use it. I wanted to delete it. This is the deal I made with myself. Upload it late, and then get it out of here.

Speaking of late to uploading things, we have to do the weekly check in with the cats. They are the SEO experts in our house and they were telling me earlier today that I’m behind on the most successful feature here.

They are also the meow experts in our house, and when they talk, you’ve really no choice but to listen.

Anyway, Phoebe loves cozy blanket days. And what’s not to love about this?

She is, just so you know, completely covered by one blanket, while relaxing on top of another blanket, which is sitting on the sofa. These cats have it pretty good.

We’ve been back from our holiday travels for almost a week now and, soon, she’s going to get over her lack of cuddle angst.

Phoebe is also a fibber. She got plenty of cuddles while we were gone. She’s just turned into a “Pet me? Pet me. Pet me! PET ME!” monster. And to think, when we first got these two misfits she wanted nothing to do with me.

Do you ever wander what a pet is thinking? You should stop doing that. Poseidon would tell you that down that path lies madness.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned it, but on a weekend morning The Yankee and I actually sit down and have breakfast at the little bar in our kitchen. After she’s made eggs and put the custom cover back on top of the stove, Poseidon jumps on top of it and rolls around soaking up the ambient warmth. He tries to get under the cover a lot, too, which is a fun, and then frustrating, and then fun, and then again frustrating exercise. But he stays there until my little plate is done. And he waits patiently there while I wash all the dishes. And then he finally gets his moment. I pull out some leftover napkin and rub his face with it. He loves it. Can’t get enough of it. And lately, he’s posed for pictures with the napkin.

Sure, cat’s are programmed for routine, and they’re observant. And it’s probably because we’re sitting at the kitchen island bar that he knows which day he gets to play the dirty face game. But I like to think he’s glancing at a calendar every once in a while, trying to remember, “Is this the morning I get the napkin? Do I have to wait until tomorrow?”

See? Never wonder what your pets are thinking. Because suddenly they have schedules and agendas and then your mind wanders and it suddenly gets complex.

Since I complained about the gray skies, and mentioned we’ve enjoyed two clear days, I figured I should show you proof. (I do go on about the gray a fair amount, after all.) So here’s the rare and surprising early January we’re enjoying. This was from yesterday evening.

And this was the brilliant view when I walked into our building on campus this morning.

And though I’ve been back in the office just two days, and classes don’t start until next week, I still managed to be there after hours today. But I did catch a glimpse of a sunset you don’t typically get here in January. (Or February or March.)

Tomorrow might be clear too! And it’s supposed to snow on Thursday. So we’ve got all that going for us, I guess.

adventures / friends / memories / photo / Tuesday — Comments Off
22
Dec 21

The memories park

This is the park where my lovely bride played as a child. She’d dangle in the trees off to the left of the frame. And she would swing on the ropes and the monkey bars that used to stand through those woods in the background. These days we walk on the paths and run on the track.

It’s also where, 13 years ago yesterday, we took our engagement photos. We just happened to find ourselves there again yesterday, but without the snow. Because, you see, we took our photos in 19.7 degree weather.

We tried to recreate a few of the photos. Only our faithful photographer — who shot our engagement in a Nor’easter and our wedding in the hottest heat wave of the summer — wasn’t there.

Here we are today.

And 13 years ago.

Once more, today.

And, again, in 2008.

For the record, that bench was still cold, this week.

Here’s a low stone wall and the woods of Connecticut. It couldn’t be any more authentic if you put a Joe Lieberman sign out there.

And last night we picked up a pizza and had dinner with The Yankee’s college diving coach. Dan is a lovely guy. Wonderful conversation, and the best tomato pie around, from Pepe’s Pizzeria.

And, perhaps the best part, we had plenty for leftovers.