Black Friday - TGIF 11/23/2012

Holy good gracious - it's been nearly a month. I'm so sorry, my neglected blog, I'll endeavor to improve my rambling proliferation as this year comes to a close. It's true what they say (whoever "they" are) ... the days and weeks go faster as you get older. I used to think the distance between the beginning of the school year (after Labor Day back when I was a wee little girl) to the Christmas break was nearly insurmountable but now it seems as though you blink an eye and you're seeing holiday sales and hearing Feliz Navidad replace the usual sleepy musac on the elevator. So, here we are with the turkey barely cold and a few lone slices of pumpkin roll left, knowing that entering any retail space is pretty much taking your life in your own hands. Seriously- have you seen those videos of Black Friday gone awry?

In the meantime, those of us prone to two-wheeled madness of our own have been enjoying chilly but relatively pleasant conditions (in other words, it could be worse) for long rides to reconnect with friends and bond with new and old teammates. I had the pleasure of attending my first-ever Haymarket ride last weekend. I didn't do the gravel-version but loved the paved route that a few of the girls put out as an option. I was thrilled to see 8-10 women - the majority of whom are new teammates! - pushing the pace and challenging each other on the hills, all in good fun. By the end of the ride we were pretty worn out and ready to replace our spent calories. I'm very proud to say that I didn't devour every bite in sight and managed to stay within reasonable limits, despite the array of choices provided by the fine folks at Wegmans. The ride was well worth the trip and I'll be doing it again - maybe I'll see you there?

Fast forward to yesterday - the holiday. Kelley and I spent about 4 hours chopping, dicing, baking and cooking with some assist from the boy who spent 45mins manning the grill after trying to stay out of the chaos in the kitchen. It's been a while since I've participating in cooking a full Thanksgiving dinner but it turned out awesome, if I do say so myself.

First, let me say that it was my intent to make this meal as paleo as possible. In addition, the boy and I made the executive decision not to do the full-on turkey thing, instead opting for some very convenient marinated turkey tenderloins that could be grilled. The one exception from the paleo theme was to make my first pumpkin roll of the season (with great assistance from Kelley). We then experimented with grilled sweet potatoes (in lieu of mashed) and a butternut squash stuffing that, in my opinion, stole the show. Seasoned, grilled brussel sprouts and zucchini squash served as our veggies and the grilled turkey tenderloins turned out perfectly. Add a glass or three of a nice Tempernillo and the good company of a couple friends and whaa-lah: as near as perfect a way to spend the day as I could think of. Big thank you to Kelley - couldn't have pulled that off without you!, to the boy and to (unnamed friend), who patiently waited after arriving in the midst of cooking with beer in hand. Hopefully it was worth the wait!

This morning we woke up at a decent hour (most of us ... not that I am calling anyone out ... Kelley) and puttered around the house knowing that it was only FRIDAY and we had 2 more vacation days and no real plans ahead of us. Then it was time - time for my inaugural ride on .... MY NEW CROSS BIKE!!!

The boy made some small adjustments to mimic my road set up as best as he could, I put some spd cleats on a new pair of mountain bike shoes and Kelley got her Redline ready to roll. We set out with no real intentions and wound up on the C&O Canal via the towpath in Georgetown. It was fun- bumpy but I had confidence with the thicker, knobby tires and never feared for my life or the life of others as we chatted and, somehow, gained speed at the same time. We weren't killing it by any means after the spirited ride and the 4hrs of cooking the day before, but we were moving ok. After me unnecessarily lecturing Kelley on the fact that I need to learn at my own pace and I don't do well when I am pushed into something (in other words, I have fear and don't like it), I asked her to show me how to dismount in the grassy field next to Key Bridge Marriott. A few random passers by got a fun show. In the end, though, I managed the move a few times .... it wasn't pretty, mind you, but I did manage to do it three times in a row before deciding to call it a day.
 

Not my finest moment but hey, at least I'm smiling!

Tomorrow is my first dirt ride. I'm sure I'll let you know how that works out. For now, Thanksgiving leftovers for recovery. It's not such a bad life.

Changing Tides - and I'm Not Talking about Sandy

It's been slow at work, as evidenced by my facebook-trolling this past week, so I have no excuse not to update my blog. Everyone can relax, though, as I'll be steering clear of anything that might be perceived as political, politically motivated or otherwise biased about the upcoming elections. Frankly, I'll just be happy when they're over so normal, adult-like discourse can resume.

Part of my recent blog-silence has been the sheer amount of change going on, and I don't just mean the weather. Biggest (and possibly best!) change is our move into a house - yes, a real house. Only a few blocks from where we were, right off the Clarendon Cup course.

No more whining about the 1br apt with a boy and a cat. No more whining "I could really use _______ but ... it's in STORAGE" (the boy is especially happy about this). Cassius the Cat is walking around with a lighter demeanor, hissing only once a day or so at the boy and generally thrilled about his access to the out-of-doors. When I don't like what the boy is watching on Netflix (Star Trek, again?), I can retire to a different room. The workout area in the basement is still in process but - WE HAVE A WORKOUT AREA IN THE BASEMENT! It's a beautiful thing.

Of course, with moving into an older house (we're renting), there are going to be issues. Like the no-heat issue during that cold snap earlier this month. Pretty sure that was the tipping point when the boy got a vicious head-cold and, despite (or because of?) his best efforts, passed it on to me. Or the no-hot-water issue last week when the pilot light kept going out - a new hot water tank was quickly installed but me-no-like cold showers. But, we have gorgeous wood floors, lots of windows, no bikes in the living room and two  - count them - two bathrooms! All in all, we're both thrilled to be out of that apartment. And, despite the fact that I moved TWICE IN ONE YEAR, I'm happy to be settling in to a more comfortable space. BIG thanks to Kelley, who sacrificed a weekend to help us move. Don't think we're not on to your ulterior motive to secure a room in the house - but we still appreciate your help.

Other changes: I've been working through P90x again, just for a little cross training and a change in routine. Coach Chris assures me that the hard work on the bike is coming - and I'll be ready for it! I've also been doing Yoga at least 2x a week. A few more weeks of this and you'll be calling me Gumby. But not to my face, because I've got some new-found muscles to kick your scrawny cyclist butt. Thanks to Georgetown Yoga for a few awesome sessions with Alex! 

I've been fairly good with switching my diet around to be more Paleo. I didn't take a baseline number to compare to, but I do feel lighter and more energetic -when I'm not suffering from germs propagated by the boy. The proof will be in the (non-dairy) pudding, as they say.

I was talking to some "normal" (ie. non-cyclists, not overly athletic and prone to pastries and birthday cakes) people at work. They were absolutely incredulous that I would be "so" strict on my diet in order to prepare now for events that are months down the road. It's their mission in life to catch me noshing on a pastry or M&Ms or birthday cake. This is the same way I've been treated in prior workplaces - it's like I'm the resident freak-show and they're determined to make me "normal".

And ... last but not least ... I've decided to step down as president and member of Team Me for the 2013 season. Don't feel bad, it's not you, it's me. Thanks to friends and loved ones for patience, support and encouragement this past year as I tip-toed back into the peloton. Big - HUGE - thanks to Haymarket Bicycles, thank you for the support and the pumpkin-skinsuit. For 2013, I'll be flying new colors as I throw my hat in the ring with a fantastic race team - Thank you, Evolution Cycling, for the opportunity to represent. 

It's the Politics, Stupid!

I first started paying attention to elections, debates and policies about 10 years ago. I know, I probably should have been more aware earlier in life but, hey, I'm just being honest. At that time, I was amazed at the machinations of campaigns, wowed by the orations and offended by the attack ads. I suppose not much has changed, except that I'm more amazed at the audacity and wowed by the outright extremism that I see - not only in the candidates but also in their supporters.

A week or so ago, there was an article in the Wall Street Journal about the dip in the national unemployment indicator. This indicator is often referenced as a bellweather, if you will, on our economy. The article - written by Jack Welch - questioned both the timing and the validity of the number - but not just this month's number ....he questions the process and oversight of the number overall. I felt they were valid questions that required some discussion, so I posted the article on LinkedIn and Facebook. Heck, if nothing else, it at least gets us THINKING about the numbers that supposedly reflect our country's economic status.

The posting on Facebook was relatively uneventful, with a couple of comments but no real discussion. The posting on LinkedIn, however, garnered some discussion until one gentleman decided to politicize the comment thread, attacking me, the author of the article, accusing the group (VA Society of CPA's - can we get any more innocuous?) of becoming right-wing etc. I tried to diffuse the gentleman, despite his attacks, by bringing him back to the real questions to be answered but was told, in no uncertain terms, that I can not post any article during an election period without it having a political motive. Seriously. About 5 other people posted thoughtful replies until he started attacking them, as well. Finally, I got a message from the group moderator that the entire comment string/posting was being removed.

The group moderators were very cool - they called to let me know that it wasn't anything I did or the article that I posted - it was the political vitriol and personal attacks that caused the removal. They encouraged me to re-post the article to start a new thread (I thanked them but said I'd save us all the trouble). They also noted that they contacted the poster that caused the issues to let him know that his contributions were unwelcome - they didn't exactly say it that way but that's how it came across. I appreciated their time and the effort they made to ensure that I knew the reasons behind the decision and that it was through no fault of my own.

The thing that really gets me, though, is that this guy essentially "won" - the article link was removed and the discussion was poisoned by his attacks and rants prior to removal. Is everyone really that extreme, that sensitive that we can't have a reasonable discussion - or even debate - about REAL issues without bringing politics into it to the degree of poisoning the discussion and, more importantly, missing the entire point?

The unemployment % is misleading, if not flat-out wrong - it doesn't include those that have given up on looking for work, those that are under-employed, or those that respond to the week-long phone census that they're babysitting a few hours a week for enough cash to give their kid lunch money. There is human error in the system and built in assumptions regarding missing data or misinterpreted data. This is not new, not under the Obama administration, not under the W administration, nor any prior administration. Yes, the fact that the unemployment number went significantly down the month before the presidential election is suspect - but the bigger questions I asked were about the ongoing accuracy (or lackthereof) of this very important number. Who is overseeing the process? What exactly IS the process and is there a margin of error built in? Who is ensuring accuracy of the data? Why isn't this transparent to the public?

Is it true that I will have to wait until after Nov 6th to have a rational, adult-like discussion without political epithets? Or will it be possible even then?

I guess it really is all about politics. What a sad statement on society in these extreme times.