40 for 56

Today is my 56th birthday, and those great folks at AIDS Lifecycle threw me a party. A 40-mile ride, followed by a barbecue. And Jerry bought me a pair of ALC socks. And of course, he bought himself a pair, because as tandem riders, we love to wear matching outfits. It's so cute it's disgusting.
The ride left from Crissy Field, across the Golden Gate Bridge and then around the Tiburon Loop. Perhaps we are stronger, but in addition, the new tandem is really making riding easier. We climbed Camino Alto faster than we ever have, and the Sausalito Hill took less effort than ever.
The only down side of the ride was the trip back across the Golden Gate. By noon, the tourists on rent-a-bikes were out in full force, and the bridge was crowded and full of people who don't steer in straight lines, like to ride two and three abreast and love to stop and take each others photos. After too many close calls, Jerry and I have pretty well decided that rides that cross the bridge are not for us, and we will tag along on rides at Mike's Bikes in Sausalito. Maybe in January and February when there aren't so many tourists will consider it, but for right now, it just seems too dangerous.
Jerry requested a carbo load last night. I didn't have any spaghetti sauce in the freezer, so I decided to heat to Trader Joe's to get the ingredients for pizza. One of us usually makes the crust, but this time I bought ready-made pizza dough. That was my only mistake. The dough seemed way too springy and I couldn't get it to roll out. It kept shrinking back. I picked it up on my fists, I tried rolling but nothing worked. I finally spread it out the best I could, loaded on the toppings and baked it. I had sauteeed onions, garlic and chicken sausage. In addition, I drained diced canned tomatoes and spread them over the pizza sauce, then piled on raw mushroom slices, then the onions, garlic and sausage. I topped it with a hefty dose of mozzarella. Though not the most beautiful pizza in the world, it tasted pretty good, especially with a nice glass of zinfandel.
I also baked two trays of toffee bars yesterday, but I tried something new. Normally I bake the crust, then sprinkle the chocolate on top. I shove it back in the oven for a couple of minutes to melt the chocolate, spread it, then sprinkle chopped nuts on top. I pat the nuts down, getting chocolate all over my hands. For most, this is not a sacrifice, but I'm allergic to chocolate and have to resist licking my fingers after that chore. so this time, I tried something new. I chopped the nuts a little finer than usual and incorporated them into the dough. I still did sprinkle some on the chocolate but didn't press them in, figuring whatever adheres is just fine. I also left a small corner chocolateless. Without chocolate, the nuts and dough make a really delicious bar cookie. I just had a piece with an afternoon cappuccino.
Tonight we're going to the movies so we will have our favorite dinner-- popcorn and diet coke. Oh boy!