It’s One Of My Favorite Days Of The Tour de France!
Today is team time trial day. I love team time trial day and am glad that it has returned to the Tour de France. I know that many people feel that the tour is all about the “individual” and that there should be no team event, but if that were the case then it should be illegal to have any teamwork such as domestiques who retrieve water bottles for the rest of his team.
Now if only Versus would put something better than hunting shows, “Fanarchy,” or prostate “medicine” informercials leading into le Tour…
Trying Something New In The Hood
Last night I met up with Maigh for dinner prior to our Atlanta Metblogs authors meeting.
Maigh had expressed a desire to eat a healthy meal (which we did, but must confess ruined by consuming alcohol afterward) so I put out the call out on the social networks for salad suggestions. Many replies followed, but she and I decided we should give Café Slush a chance. Since I had never eaten there before, I was quite excited to try it.
The food was great! Since I had a salad for lunch I decided not to have one to dinner and chose a club sandwich instead. Maigh did have a salad which looked great and she said that it was. The only drawback about Café Slush may be that they close at 7pm.
I’m Not A Loser: Good
Last night it started with a mild curiosity. “Where’s my blue iPod Nano?” Which whipped up into a major brain struggle. With the exception of the earbuds in Denver I’m not one who normally loses things.
The last time I had remembered actually seeing my iPod Nano was at US Customs when I took it out of my pocket along with my other possessions. The Nano, which is used mostly for exercising (read “it doesn’t get used much these days”) and traveling (because I can sync it with my laptop in order to add new podcasts), s not a vital part of my life but certainly nothing that I’d like to re-buy.
I played it all over in my head.
“I took it out of my pocket and put it into the gray bin.”
“Do I remember taking it out of the bin?”
“Did I accidentally put it into the seat pocket of the plane?”
“Could it possibly have been left behind?”
“Why don’t I remember putting it somewhere in my car?”
“Why can’t I remember?!?!”
This morning I dug deep into the center console of my car to find the blue iPod Nano where I had no doubt placed it upon my return home. I must have been so brain-dead from traveling that I forgot that I put it there.
ITP Flickr Pic
Another shot from my photostroll on Sunday morning.
This photo reminded me how much I struggle with Photoshop and that I need to breakdown and finally take a course in how to edit photos using it.
I’m Not A Loser: Bad
The weight is not going anywhere. I know that it will be a slow process and I am adjusting my eating habits to encourage weight loss. The good thing that I have going for me is that by virtue of the fact that I am laying a Black Sheep trail in two weeks I’ll have to do a lot of walking and reccying on order to figure out where the trail will go.
Naps Rock! Srsly
For some reason I woke up at 2:30am. For some reason I could not go back to sleep. I was wide awake as my first alarm rang at 5:00am. I was wide awake as my second alarm rang at 5:15am. And I was getting very tired as my third (and final) alarm rang at 5:30am. It was that time that a critical decision was made.
I made the decision to create a 6:15am alarm and take a risk at taking a thirty minute nap. And I did. And there was much rejoicing as I woke up from a powerful power nap.
I might be useful today after all.
Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – except for the pants I’m wearing being too snug because they were created for a person with a slightly smaller waist line (like I had when I purchased them), pretty okay.
Current Music – listening to NPR’s “All Songs Considered” podcast
Website Of The Day – Chalkbot will paint a message on France’s roads during the Tour. How odd is that? (or go to Wear Yellow)
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Morning Weigh-In – 202 pounds
Monthly
Foot Mileage – ~4 miles, Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 4 (4)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 6
Marta Rides – 0
July Goals
- Regain interest in my life
- Not get fired from my job
- Plan and lay a successful Black Sheep hash on July 19th
2009 Goals
- Reduce my weight to 190 pounds (today’s weight was 199.5 pounds)
- Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
- Earn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Jalapeño Beach SmugMug account I opened the other day.
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop
The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient programmer in Objective-C (iPhone development) and Ruby on Rails (Black Sheep web page concept)
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem
Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]
I can’t believe you didn’t mention Michael Jackson’s funeral is today, and that you will be watching it live…..
(seriously, a girl here brought her laptop, since we will get in trouble if we try to stream it on our computers)
I’m looking forward to the team time trial today too. I really hope that Columbia beats Astana, wouldn’t that be so awesome for George??!!!
Shhhh, people are not supposed to find out about my obsession with Wacko-Jacko.
I’m just hoping for a good TTT. So far it’s been interesting (no spoilers) since the route is tight and winds often.
Allan’s brother Kevin went and actually rode it yesterday, he is working for a few days with some tour group that rides some of the stages before the actual tour gets there. He said it is a crazy tough time trial course. Stage 6 will be starting in Girona (where Kevin, Katrina & the boys live) – how cool is that!
The road condition looks less than perfect in spots as well.
I think to be able to ride the course and also having a stage start in your (current) home town are both very cool.
I’ve only eaten once at Slush but I really enjoyed the turkey sandwich. I thought I was going to die of hunger waiting for it but that was my own damn fault.
Can I give Jerry your number? He keeps wanting to talk about the Tour, really I couldn’t care less.
I woke up at 4 am, I tried really hard to get back to sleep, I gave up about 4:45, I just left early for my ride to get a few extra miles in, the weather was great. That morning workout is the only thing that gets me through days like this.
Sure, you can give him my number but I doubt I’ll give him the type of conversation he desires. For real cycle nuts he should talk to BWanA, Enema, Primer & Service, or Check My Bags. I’m not much with names and teams with riders.
Well I’m sure he would think anything is better than “uh, okay, uh who again?”
Speaking of nuts…did you hear who has signed up for a half Ironman?
Hint: he’s a founding member of the beer-muda triangle
Enema knows all the names, teams etc. – crazy that he doesn’t ride at all.
Come on Martha – better get on the bandwagon…… if it wasn’t for Allan, I wouldn’t know much, but I’ve learned over the years. And – some of the riders are pretty cute, that is a good enough reason to watch. There was the cutest blond Norwegian I spotted yesterday, can’t remember his name though. And – Tom Boonen (Belgium) is also fine looking.
LOL! Tour de France, the most prestigious cycling event in the world was just reduced to guys looking good in spandex.
Yes, there are some mighty fine looking men, I doubt that’s what Jerry wants to talk about. If we aren’t talking about how ‘ripped’ Jerry is, he isn’t listening.
I am going to take him with me to Enema’s on the 19th (sunday run). They should have plenty to discuss.
I’d heard rumor that someone had gotten his groove back.
I won’t be at Enema’s because it conflicts with that silly Black Sheep hash I volunteered to lay.
Hey, what’s this shit coming down from the sky???
Bob, don’t be silly…we are talking about guys that look REALLY good in spandex.
I would like to go to Augusta and watch but I think it is the same day as the Bull Mountain 1/2 Jerry and I are doing.
I’m planning on showing up at the Sunday Run and Black Sheep…then a birthday party after that …maybe I should take Monday off?
Oh, I’d definitely do both Sunday Run and Black Sheep if I weren’t laying the Black Sheep. The birthday party, that’s just out of the question.
Bob – Martha’s right, guys that look REALLY, REALLY good in spandex.
Martha – are you in shape for all that drinking next Sunday? Better take Monday off. I wish I could be there, but I’ll be in Colorado having “fun” with all of Allan’s relatives. At least we will have the FULL selection of New Belgium products to buy & drink.
I think I’ll have to go look up some pictures of some of the guys…. where’s Debbie, she needs to chime in on who’s the best looking in the tour.
Debbie hasn’t commented in a while. And, it’s been even longer since I’ve been invited down to the Moreland Day Spa for a day of riding, drinking, and dominoes. Was it something I said?
BTW – the Chalk Bot is about teh coolest thing ever.
I haven’t been invited to the JEFDSDR either……
Dang, I’m late today. To take the issues that need my attention in order: Fabian Cancellara is without a doubt the best looking rider in the TdF; Paulie c’mon down to the spa any time, we’ve even got a summer “light” menu that debuted this weekend so we won’t undermine your goal; Barb, you need to come down just as soon as your Skyline shipment comes in!! (Not a light menu day at the spa!)
Seriously when’s the Wilson? We need to do another Wilson weekend run/ride/drink/eat/dominos sleepover weekend.
… went and looked, it’s the weekend before Labor Day http://wilson100.org/. Who’s in?
Okay, I’m booked until the Black Sheep on the 19th, after that it’s game on.
I love the the Tour, so do millions of others. How do I get my gf, who herself is a succesful endurance athlete & budding cyclist and triathlete to understand the magnitude of this great sporting event – think of it as the Siper Bowl being played almost everyday for 3 weeks! Does she not get the chess match that goes on among and within teams(Astana: Lance & Contador)?
The first big mountain top finish is on Friday. She wants nothing to do with it?
Help me help her understand this sport.