Intervals

Susan purchased a couple interval timers last week and I decided to try mine out on my way home today. It's very easy to setup and use, so I set it for 10 intervals with 20 seconds on and 60 off thinking its a good starting point. Well after the 5th set I decided the time was just right because my legs felt like I just climbed the Union st. hill in Steilacoom. It was a great workout and I plan on doing it to and from work from now on. I don't recommend intervals training the day before a cross race unless finishing at the back of the pack is your goal. 

Princess Luna

The other night we noticed one of our cats "Princess Luna" had a kink at the base of her tail. We could see the base of her tail try to rise up, but the rest of it was limp. We were guessing she broke it somehow during the night falling off the stairs or some other part of our furniture she likes to climb on. So we made an appointment at Tacoma Cat Hospital where they received their initial check up two years ago. You would think taking a cat to the veterinarian office wouldn't be such a big deal, but both our cats don't like getting in the pet carrier and Princess Luna is the worst. She doesn't like to be held for any length of time and by "time" I mean no longer than a minute or two if your lucky and since she was injured made things worse. I got the carrier out of the shed and prepped it for a passenger. I asked Jaz to hold it while I picked up a slightly upset cat in my first attempt to an upload, but when she saw the carrier she started growling and flailing about so I thought it best to put her down and get something to protect my hands.

My first thought was to try the Ove Gloves but they proved inadequate because she clawed and scratched her way free. After the second attempt she changed from the sweet Luna we like to a Tasmanian Devil on steroids. In truth, she's ONE MEAN F...KING CAT! So out came the welding gloves and I was very happy they did the job. She was growling, screaming, scratching and biting like "her life" depended on it and I was holding on to her and keeping her away from my body like "my life" depended on it. Approaching what appears to be a rabid animal is one thing, but picking one up made me scared shit less.

Tools of the trade. 

Having her safely in the carrier and all my fingers still intact with little blood spilled we left for the Vet. When we arrived I had the movie Young Frankenstein on my mind and after stepping inside and announcing our presence I told the tech you may have to give her a Sedagive to calm her down. I chuckled a bit and proceeded to place her on the examination table.

The doctor wrote me a quote with the worst case scenario (amputate) and I did what all good pet owners do, agree to it and wait for a phone call after the examination. A couple hours later the phone rang and it was confirmed. A broken tail that needed to be removed or she'll face serious health issues later in life. The trip home was much better than the trip out and she appears to be recovering nicely. Now our little princess does the little wiggle wiggle wiggle with her stub and it's kind of cute. I'm sure one could think of several nicknames while looking at our little Bobcat, but just in case you're at a loss for words I'll lay some out for you. Stubby, Nub, Bobbie... feel free to send me a few more. But if you try to hold her, her nickname will be Shredder because that's exactly what she'll do to you. : )

Jasmine's 18th Birthday

Jasmine turned 18 yesterday and had a few friends over for her party. 

Happy Birthday Jasmine! 

Eighteen, Wow! I'm feeling so old right now. 

 Attack of the Silly String. Silly String is a great toy, game or ummm??? but it sticks around forever unless you clean it up after spraying it all over your friends. They were nice enough to break out the rakes and get most of it in the trash. Thank you!

Cake or Cupcake time! We all sang Happy Birthday to her, ate some of the Cupcakes Susan and Jaz made and topped it off with a little ice cream on the side. 

All the kids (young adults) kicked back around the fire pit for smores and idle chit chat.

"Chewy" before and after.

This is my first time going for the Goatee thing and Susan thought it would be a good idea to make the grey go away.

Walking the ummmm.... cat?

Since our cats are indoor pets, we decided to see what would happen if we got a leash for them. Charlie seems to be taken to it, but Luna isn't too fond of the idea.

Colorado shootings

I think we should go back in time and ask Judge Roy Bean how he would handle James Holmes.

Enough said.

Commuters point of view

A couple weeks ago a soldier on Post was taking pictures of riders leaving work. He asked me to stop for a moment and said he was doing a story on bicycle commuters and if I would like to be interviewed. I was all for it and the link below is the result. 

http://www.northwestmilitary.com/news/focus/2012/06/Sharing-road-safely-with-bicyclists-at-JBLM/

This is the information I gave him during the interview and via a Word doc. I'm sure there's plenty of more information to talk about but I was a little pressed for time. The bold print happened to me twice last week. Most people would probably say the drivers are uneducated about bicycle riders, but I'll stick with calling them STUPID. 

I asked my brother hank (another commuter) for info from his point of view and combined it with mine. I’m sure most commuters would agree with the statements and have additional stories or ideas to add as well.

I commute year round and I ride for fitness, money and to prep myself for other types of riding. Mountain bike, Cyclocross or road rides. There are times when driving is required. November, December and January bring the snow/ice and sometimes I have to run a few errands after work, so I’ll bring the truck in, but barring any injuries I’ll get on the bike and start cranking out the rpms. I don’t mind the rain so much, but the wind is a killer. If you spend the money on some good equipment it makes battling the environment a little easier.

Bicycle commuting is just like any other sport or hobby you’re interested in. It takes a pretty penny to get yourself set up but after that, it’s all about maintaining what you have and upgrading when you can. The most important step before buying a bike is to get fitted and then determine what kind of riding you plan on doing. Do some research and ask questions. I have a Cyclocross bike that I converted to a commuter. It’s lightweight, strong, very versatile and I highly recommend it if you plan on getting into the commuting world.

Our main concern during commutes is expecting drivers to not see us--most of them do--and being prepared to react accordingly. Bright and contrasting clothing and lights help but don't guarantee it.

As a bicyclist you have to be aware of your surroundings at all times and predict what drivers may do.

If drivers would try to put themselves in our position and anticipate what we might do, it would make sharing the road easier for them.  Better yet, get a bike, start riding and see firsthand the hazards we face.  It’ll change your driving habits after you’ve been on the road a while.

We follow the rules of the road so drivers know what to expect of us when they do see us. Use of hand signals is very beneficial, but I’ve seen drivers completely ignore my signals and cut me off. We’re always playing defense because we don’t have a metal shell around us for protection. 

I don’t like it when cars pull into the shoulder area at an intersection when they’re 3 cars back and expect the move to speed up their progress. It stops my forward motion and puts me at risk. Lack of blinkers can be a killer too. I may be on a bike but I’m also following the same rules as everyone else, so if I don’t see a blinker I’m expecting you to continue straight ahead. Not make a snap turn in front of me.  Be patient, watch out for us and please don’t throw things at us. We’re trying to get from point A to B just like you are.

When you pass a bike and then run into traffic a few miles down the road, please start glancing in your side view mirrors. An average rider can travel at 17 mph and cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

Not giving me enough space when they decide to pass or hanging back and creeping by me at a speed slightly faster than mine is very frustrating.  Make a good pass when you have the room to keep everyone safe. At times, I take the lane instead of hugging the curb because it helps to make me seen and it gives me more room. Some drivers get upset with it, but I’m willing to bet they’ve never been forced off the road and into a ditch either.  Scary situations will make you change your habits.

Note: Team Double Check is sponsoring the Labor Day Cyclocross race this year with MWR’s support. It’ll be held on September 3^rd on the ROTC training ground over on North Fort. More info to follow via MWR website.