SuburbanCyclist Blog

admin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:57:15 +0000

Oktoberfest!!!!

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 23:17:55 +0000

Beer and jalapeno/turkey/cheddar/gorgonzola poppers

Poke lunch in Maui,

admin — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 22:45:09 +0000

Spicy octopus and kim chi ahi, washed down with Four

Grilled Hawaiian grass fed beef heart

admin — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 22:49:00 +0000

Mmmmmmmmm

Last day of RAGBRAI breakfast stop

admin — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 13:35:46 +0000

Quad cities beer trifecta

admin — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 00:04:12 +0000

On the way to the start of RAGBRAI we stopped off at the 3 quad cities breweries.

OMG!!

admin — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:45:00 +0000

Mid 2011

admin — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 03:27:23 +0000

I rode Cycle Zydeco back in April. As always its a great spring ride to get the legs in shape. After it was done I moved up to Mississippi to ride a couple days on the Natchez Trace. This year I started at Kosciusko and rode up to the cyclist campground at Witch Dance 74 miles north. The hotel next to the trace is very helpful and I was allowed to leave my car there for the over night stay. Plus I ended up staying an extra night with them due to a heavy storm.
The trees on the trace took a beating but not as bad as the tornados that hit Tuscaloosa earlier in the week.

Both cycling campgrounds are decent with Witch Dance having the benefit of a real restroom and running water. The preseason of riding was almost null due to bad weather. I was barely prepared for back-to-back 75 mile days. This was the first time using the Burly Nomad trailer to carry my gear.

It tracked very well but I did have a bit of weight in it. I think the problem I had was that this part of the trace is starting to get hilly. The south trace is fairly flat with an occasional hill but this part was failry constant. I’ll have to keep that in mind for the upcoming years.

Its mid July now and we are experiencing the typical 90 degree weather. I got my century ride done on July 2nd, on the limestone trail of the I&M Canal. It was a 95 degree day with severe humidity, just the way I like it. I don’t have much to tell, it went well, I kept hydrated and took my Hammer Endurolites every couple hours. I was able to get 100 miles done in 20 minutes less than last years ride.

I’ve only been on my bike once since then. Not that I couldnt handle riding, I’m not as psyched on getting more mileage this month. I signed up for RAGBRAI, a 450 miles across Iowa. So theres no hurry to get those miles before the big ride. Im riding with my friend Jim and hes ridden 5 years with Team Good Beer. They are self supported and are sponsored by a number of breweries. Seems like a perfect fit for me. I feel I am up for the cycling, (maybe not the hills) thought Im not looking forward to the camping in my one man tent out in the heat/rain.

Mokpo the cat RIP

admin — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 19:15:03 +0000

Mokpo, my 18 year old semi retarded cat finally met his match on March 17. He had been suffering from kidney failure but medication and a diet change really kept him going these last 2 years. He finally lost most of his appetite and ability to drink so he spent most of his last days sleeping. When he was up and around he appeared to be stiff and often just sat and stared at nothing. I had hoped that rehydrating him would keep him around but it appeared that he was also enemic and he was suffering. After the loss of Cohiba in the spring of 2009, Mokpo really changed. He was a cat that you would only see occasionally, and when he knew you were around, he rushed to hide under the bed. I knew he was still alive as when I put food in his bowl, his paw would come out from under the bed, grab the bowl and pull it under. After Cohibas departure, Mokpo often came out and wanted to be pet, even jumping on the bed for attention. It got better and he came down stairs so it made more sense to move him there and outside the bedroom. He made his home in the downstairs bathroom and would pick new spots to sleep in. Sometimes the couch, a chair, the dog bed, a coushion in the shower. Taking care of him became quite a chore. The early stages of the renal faiure were catching up and he would dehydrate easily. I tried a couple of times to do the hydration myself with the drip bag but he was difficult to get a needle into. So there were plenty of vet visits. He needed special food and medication, which he took too pretty well considering. I was with him all the way to the last breath. That was difficult since he was still functional but I knew that he was only going to get worse and he had a tough enough life already. He acted exactly as the vet said he would and it was all very easy. The first shot put him to sleep and I held him as he went under. The second shot took him out. He was a tough cat and I’ll miss him.

Bonaire

admin — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:51:33 +0000

11/10 Riding in Bonaire, rode out to Maiky’s Snack but they were not open yet, had a beer. Took off south to the east side of the island. Saw plenty of goats, burros, lizards, and flamingos. Hot day..took alot of photos with the new camera. Stopped back at Maiky’s Snack for goat blood and roast goat.