Today was orientation day for AIDS Lifecycle, aka Day Zero. A safety film to be watched tent assignment to be gotten, and two jerseys to be picked up. One is a Positive Pedaler Supporter jersey, the other is, what I like to call, the $5000 jersey. It is the incentive award for raising $5000 and Jerry and I both got them.
All of the running from table to table, signing forms, putting numbers on the bike, was not too arduous. We were done by about 1 pm.
We headed back home, detouring onto Irving for a turkey burger and fries and a little coffee shop on Irving near 9th. Was okay-- not great, but we're spoiled by Comfort Food Cafe.
Now is back to making sure we have packed everything we need and to see if it will all actually fit into our suitcases.
The ride starts tomorrow. I am so excited.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
White's Hill and Lingonberries
Today was the last "official" ride before THE ride, though Jerry and I will probably do a little cycling this week.
Though a much shorter ride, what a contrast from Friday's ride. It never felt as if the parking brake was on and we sailed up and down White's and Nicasio Hills. Definitely helped get my confidence back.
For a potluck at Julie's afterwards, she had asked me to bake Bob Katz a birthday cake, to which I readily agreed. I read recipe after recipe online and in my cookbooks, looking for a chocolate cake, but I decided to go with something a little different, and, in my mind, more interesting. I did a lingonberry spice cake, and since it needed to be frosted (it being a birthday cake, after all), I whipped up a thin coffee buttercream. I know how good the cake is on its own, and I didn't want a heavy icing.
I thought, all in all, it was pretty successful, but I'm not sure others felt that way. There were gooey storebought desserts that seemed to be what everyone went for-- thick chocolate cake, carrot cake with perfect God knows what icing. Perhaps I should have made something more traditional, but I'm happy with the way the cake turned out, and I'll leave it at that.
We have only a few more days to get everything ready for our ride. But after today's ride, despite it's brevity, I feel much more prepared.
Though a much shorter ride, what a contrast from Friday's ride. It never felt as if the parking brake was on and we sailed up and down White's and Nicasio Hills. Definitely helped get my confidence back.
For a potluck at Julie's afterwards, she had asked me to bake Bob Katz a birthday cake, to which I readily agreed. I read recipe after recipe online and in my cookbooks, looking for a chocolate cake, but I decided to go with something a little different, and, in my mind, more interesting. I did a lingonberry spice cake, and since it needed to be frosted (it being a birthday cake, after all), I whipped up a thin coffee buttercream. I know how good the cake is on its own, and I didn't want a heavy icing.
I thought, all in all, it was pretty successful, but I'm not sure others felt that way. There were gooey storebought desserts that seemed to be what everyone went for-- thick chocolate cake, carrot cake with perfect God knows what icing. Perhaps I should have made something more traditional, but I'm happy with the way the cake turned out, and I'll leave it at that.
We have only a few more days to get everything ready for our ride. But after today's ride, despite it's brevity, I feel much more prepared.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Where did it go?
Our strength, that is. We did a 76-mile ride yesterday, and you'd have thought we had never ridden that far before. Truth is, we haven't ridden that far in a long time, and it showed. And we felt it. The last 20 miles, it felt like the parking brake on the bike was on. It was a struggle. We are never the fastest kids on the block, but yesterday we were really dragging. But I do have to note that some of the riders got in only five minutes before we did. But they weren't struggling, and we certainly were. We cobbled together a dinner of protein and carbs and were in bed at 9:30.
We were planning on riding today, but it's actually showery and cold, so instead we may go down to the south bay and look at tandems.
We were planning on riding today, but it's actually showery and cold, so instead we may go down to the south bay and look at tandems.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Back in the Saddle
Jerry finally felt well enough to ride today, so we loaded up the tandem and did an 18 mile ride around Paradise Loop. It felt good. It gave me a lot more confidence with the ride coming up so soon. As the week progresses, we'll do a couple more rides that will have some major climbs to let us know that we are, indeed, ready for Carback Mountain and Quadbuster.
Woo hoo!!
Woo hoo!!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
No Riding; Not much Eating
Jerry has yet another cold, so we are not riding today. We had planned to do a training ride to Petaluma, but Jerry is really still too sick. Then we thought we'd do a short ride on our own, but Jerry is back in bed, too wrung out from his cold to do even a short ride before the day heats up.
And what heat we've been having! It promises to climb past 90 again today, just as it has the last couple of days. Not bike riding weather.
On Thursday evening, to escape the heat, we headed to the movies and had popcorn for dinner. We saw Redbelt-- a David Mamet film. It was in the usual suspend disbelief Mamet style, and we liked it.
Last night I heated up leftover Jon Pon chicken that I had pulled out of the freezer. Still delicious, but in the heat, we ate less of it than we would have. I made a big decaf iced coffee for an after-dinner treat.
So Jerry is resting, I'm typing and we will see what the rest of the weekend brings.
And what heat we've been having! It promises to climb past 90 again today, just as it has the last couple of days. Not bike riding weather.
On Thursday evening, to escape the heat, we headed to the movies and had popcorn for dinner. We saw Redbelt-- a David Mamet film. It was in the usual suspend disbelief Mamet style, and we liked it.
Last night I heated up leftover Jon Pon chicken that I had pulled out of the freezer. Still delicious, but in the heat, we ate less of it than we would have. I made a big decaf iced coffee for an after-dinner treat.
So Jerry is resting, I'm typing and we will see what the rest of the weekend brings.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Happy Birthday, Titanium Knee!
I went to my orthopedist today for my two-year knee replacement check up. And once again, he was blown away by my flex and strength. And even better news-- my right knee, which he once thought might need replacing, right about now, is good for maybe forever, thanks to cycling.
Jerry and I haven't been on the tandem for two weeks, but we'll get out this Thursday and then for a long ride on Saturday. I do believe we will then be ready for THE RIDE.
I sent out another appeal for donations today, and they are coming in, bringing great relief and hope that I will meet my goal.
With all the troubles in the world it's hard to ask people to help with this one cause, but until there is no more HIV and AIDS, it's what I need to focus on.
Jerry and I haven't been on the tandem for two weeks, but we'll get out this Thursday and then for a long ride on Saturday. I do believe we will then be ready for THE RIDE.
I sent out another appeal for donations today, and they are coming in, bringing great relief and hope that I will meet my goal.
With all the troubles in the world it's hard to ask people to help with this one cause, but until there is no more HIV and AIDS, it's what I need to focus on.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Cooking for those who Ride to Eat
This weekend was the Jon Pon Memorial Ride, a two-day ride sponsored by the Positive Pedalers. Jerry and I rode it last year, but this year we, along with friend Carey, took on new roles-- we cooked dinner and breakfast for close to 150 riders and roadies.
We worked out of Cassini Ranch in Duncan's Mills. We had some difficulty with the facility and some of the staff, but I don't want to dwell on that. I thank Wilfredo Ortiz, who was in charge of the event for the Pos Peds, for getting everything smoothed out.
What I will dwell on is the wonderful food we produced and despite the hard work, what a good time we had.
Carey was a demon at the grill, preparing around 100 pounds of chicken breast, along with a fabulous sauce of white wine, chicken broth, lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and mushrooms. Along with that we had roasted potatoes, a Greek pasta salad and a green salad. Before dinner we set out trays of crudite and dip and hummus and pita.
Dessert was oatmeal cake and brownies baked by Robin Abramson, who couldn't be there but baked for the group anyway. That's the kind of folks these are.
Breakfast was a variation on a quiche with diced ham and assorted veggies, croissant, mountains of fruit, orange juice and crumb cake. Gabo, one of the riders and an amazing person, works at Peets, and he got five pounds of Espresso Forte coffee donated. We cranked out pot after pot of the delicious brew.
Jerry seemed to be in at least two places at any given time-- staffing the serving line, cutting up fruit, washing a never-ending pile of serving trays and extremely difficult to clean pots. He was the dish bitch of the weekend, for sure.
We had leftovers of everything, which is how I like it to be. While some things had more left over than I would have liked, it's always hard to tell how hungry bike riders would be, and I didn't want one person to not get enough of anything he or she wanted.
We also had some money from the budget leftover. Not sure how much at this point because Jerry is still figuring out the bottom line, but whatever it is, it will go to AIDS Lifecycle.
As I said to Wilfedo, there are a hell of a lot of easier ways to make money, so rather than even looking at this in that light, I wanted to take whatever money was left over and put it back into San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
We worked out of Cassini Ranch in Duncan's Mills. We had some difficulty with the facility and some of the staff, but I don't want to dwell on that. I thank Wilfredo Ortiz, who was in charge of the event for the Pos Peds, for getting everything smoothed out.
What I will dwell on is the wonderful food we produced and despite the hard work, what a good time we had.
Carey was a demon at the grill, preparing around 100 pounds of chicken breast, along with a fabulous sauce of white wine, chicken broth, lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and mushrooms. Along with that we had roasted potatoes, a Greek pasta salad and a green salad. Before dinner we set out trays of crudite and dip and hummus and pita.
Dessert was oatmeal cake and brownies baked by Robin Abramson, who couldn't be there but baked for the group anyway. That's the kind of folks these are.
Breakfast was a variation on a quiche with diced ham and assorted veggies, croissant, mountains of fruit, orange juice and crumb cake. Gabo, one of the riders and an amazing person, works at Peets, and he got five pounds of Espresso Forte coffee donated. We cranked out pot after pot of the delicious brew.
Jerry seemed to be in at least two places at any given time-- staffing the serving line, cutting up fruit, washing a never-ending pile of serving trays and extremely difficult to clean pots. He was the dish bitch of the weekend, for sure.
We had leftovers of everything, which is how I like it to be. While some things had more left over than I would have liked, it's always hard to tell how hungry bike riders would be, and I didn't want one person to not get enough of anything he or she wanted.
We also had some money from the budget leftover. Not sure how much at this point because Jerry is still figuring out the bottom line, but whatever it is, it will go to AIDS Lifecycle.
As I said to Wilfedo, there are a hell of a lot of easier ways to make money, so rather than even looking at this in that light, I wanted to take whatever money was left over and put it back into San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
