Colds, Cookies and No CoMotion

Didn't realize how long it had been since I have blogged. I guess that's partly because we have not been riding.
The last time Jerry and I rode was the World AIDS Day Ride sponsored by the Positive Pedalers. I did the media for the event and we had a great turnout of TV and radio. But I have to say I didn't like this year's route. It was stop sign after stop sign so the ride took much longer than anticipated. It's only a 31 mile ride (for the 31 years of the pandemic) but our average speed was less than 10 mph. I was also starting to get a cold so it made the ride even less fun.

The cold kind of inched up on me and didn't really blossom until the middle of the following week, and then it took hold and didn't want to let go. So no riding the following weekend. As I started to get better, it was Jerry's turn. He is finally getting over it; at least that is what it sounds like on the phone. He has been away all week and was supposed to return tonight but his trip has been extended by another day.

But since I recovered I have spent a good amount of time in the kitchen. I made my annual batch of peppermint bark, which I sell as a fundraiser for my AIDS Lifecycle ride. I made around 12 pounds this year. After the peppermint bark came the endless parade of cookies.

I started with my standard: biscotti. This year I made spicy nut, which is my favorite, followed by cranberry pistachio. Bowing to Jerry, then came toffee bars, which are his favorite. I love making those because I can't eat them. They have chocolate in them, which gives me a migraine. Chocolate may be my favorite ingredient for just that reason. I can enjoy the baking without worry about gaining weight.

And speaking of gaining weight, I'm closing in on a new holiday record. Since October I've gained close to 10 pounds. No kidding. January will see a lot of popcorn and soup.

But, in the meantime, I'm not going to worry about it. I also made a three-ginger cookie. The recipe called for fresh, ground and crystallized ginger. They were good, though I expected more of a zing with that combo. May up the fresh ginger a tad the next time I make them. I finished the baking season with brown butter shortbread topped with fleur de sel. Just from reading the recipe I knew I'd enjoy them, and I was not disappointed.

The neighbors in my cul de sac each got bags of goodies but I still have far too many sweets left in the house. I will come up with more ways of getting rid of them: I did manage to snag the FedEx guys and gave them some goodies; I'll keep an eye out for the mail carrier.

With Jerry being away most of the last two weeks the holiday season has been less than jolly, and in reality, I'm looking forward to it being over. We have some great travel plans in line for winter, and while I don't want to wish my life away, the sooner this year is over, the happier I will be.

Fairfax, the Petalon and Three Wheels

Nothing much really to report on the food scene. I made a very nice polenta, tomato sauce and mozzarella casserole the other night. No big deal, but good and lots of leftovers.

But more on the cycling front.
What cyclist doesn't want to be out there, pretending to be Levi or George... riding like the wind down the middle of a road, leading the Pelaton? Well, me for one. I'm happy stoking the tandem, making good time, but riding politely and safely.

Maybe it's from all of my AIDS Lifecycle training. Jerry and I stop at stop signs and red lights. We signal; we call out "on your left," and if there is a car coming and someone shouts out "Car Back," we get out of the road.

Yesterday we rode out to Fairfax, which involves climbing Camino Alto and riding down Shady Lane, home of 1,000 stop signs. First, while riding over Camino Alto, we were passed my a passel of FKV-- Full Kit Vermin, as we like to call them. A bunch of guys and gals all kitted out, riding like they were in the aforementioned Tour de France. Three across and really not giving a hoot about anything else. They passed us closely without letting us know they were coming. And they rode down the middle of the road. When I heard a car coming I shouted out "Car back," to let them know. Most of the cyclists heeded the call and moved over. One guy, though, figured he needed to take the lane. After all, he was going at least 7mph up the hill. Or maybe 8. Who knows. But he wasn't giving an inch.

Why do I care so much? Because it makes it bad for the rest of us. I was so hoping there was a patrol car on Shady Lane yesterday to catch these cyclists running stop signs. Cars almost seem shocked when Jerry and I stop. But we are a vehicle on the road. And we want to be able to keep riding on the road. And we want more bike lanes. And we want to be treated respectfully.

Sometimes I feel I'm the Andy Rooney of cycling. First it was helmets; now it's road etiquette. What will I complain about next?

But instead of complaining, I want to talk about my new toy. As most of my friends know, I crashed on my single a couple of years back, and I've been really afraid to ride, except the back of the tandem. So last weekend, Jerry and I went and looked at a used TerraTrike-- a tadpole recumbent. It fit me fine and I liked riding it. So Jerry went to the bank to get money and I went home to get a helmet. Fortunately, the guy selling it was less than a mile from home, so I rode it home. It was fun, and it definitely will give my quads a good workout.

I bought a lock and a cyclometer, so look out San Rafael Trader Joe's, here I come!

Mill Valley, Helmets and Ice Cream

I have a thing about helmets. Or, I should say, wearing a helmet properly. It stems from the crash I had a couple of years ago. I don't remember what happened before I work up at Marin General. I know I wasn't going very fast, but I sustained a pretty serious injury. Aside from a concussion, I had a very nasty gash above my eyebrow, and damaged the fourth cranial nerve, which left me seeing double. I had to wear prism glasses for six months.

If my helmet had been on properly I may have avoided all of my injuries. But the strap was loose and it was sitting too far back on my head. Thus the gash, and a more serious head injury than I would have sustained.

To this day, I am afraid to ride my single bike. I'm slowly working on it and hope to get back on the single. At some point. But not quite yet. I'm happy on the back of the tandem.

Today was the AIDS Lifecycle Kickoff ride. Jerry and I opted to do the shorter Mill Valley ride. We had ridden Tiburon Loop twice in a row recently, plus we wanted to sleep a little later.

During warm ups I was a bit horrified at what I saw. Helmets, many helmets worn improperly. I even had Russ, one of the Cycle Reps adjust the helmet of a Training Ride Leader. These people are supposed to be our role models and I saw at least three of them with their helmets not adjusted properly.

I saw a couple of young kids wearing helmets, but their straps were either not fasted or WAY too loose.

Maybe I'm a little obsessive about this, but I can't help but think of what happened to me, and how it changed my life for the not better. And I know not all that many people read my blog, but if you do, and if you are a cyclist, please please please make sure your helmet is forward and secure.
Okay. I'm done now.

The ride today was quite pleasant. I opted for shorts and I was perfectly comfortable. Jerry and I usually do the kick off ride as our annual ride across the Golden Gate Bridge. We hate riding across the Golden Gate Bridge. Too many tourists on rental bikes, tight turns and crowded sidewalks. We usually pick up rides north of the bridge, but since today was a "special" occasion, we opted to start in the city with everyone. And since we needed a couple of things at Sports Basement, which was where the ride started, we figured we'd brave the bridge.

The other things we braved were the hills that lead to the north side of the bridge. By picking up rides further north in Sausalito, we avoid those hills. But they really were not as bad as I expected today. We were slow, but we spun right up them. My new knee is behaving well and as long as I don't stress it too hard, I'm fine.

On the way to Mill Valley a rider ahead of us got a flat, and he was not prepared. I'm guessing he was a newbie, so Jerry and I stopped and Jerry gave the guy a lesson in tube changing 101. Jerry's a good teacher and the guy was a quick study, and the tube was changed and pumped up in no time. Then we made our way to Mill Valley, hung out a little while and headed back to Sports Basement.

Sports Basement had lunch for us accompanied by an assortments of sodas and beers. I snagged a fizzy lemonade and was a happy girl.

We arrived back home still kind of hungry, but managed to last until 5 before we made chicken blts. While I don't eat beef, pork has recently started playing a larger part in my diet. The bacon was uncured, so we avoided nitrates, and it was applewood smoked. And it was good.

After the sandwich I swung into my evening routine of ice cream. It is not a good evening routine, and when this container is gone, I really should refrain from buying more. But two of my passions are coffee and ice cream, and I really don't want to give up either. And tonight, I had both. First, a cup of coffee with my sandwich, and then Breyer's vanilla with King Arthur espresso powder sprinkled on top.

Jerry and I say we could either get a Calfee $20,000 tandem or each lose ten pounds. If I keep buying ice cream I will never lose weight, and the Calfee tandem is a wee bit out of our price range.

It may be time for me to make a return visit to Weight Watchers. But I'll wait until I'm finished this container of Breyers.

Tiburon Loop and eggs over easy with a side of Hank

Jerry and I were back on the tandem today, this time, to ride around Tiburon Loop. It's a really beautiful ride with a lot of rollers. There is one significant climb near the beginning of the ride, and I felt that I was ready for Camino Alto.
We were, in fact, more than ready. We went up Camino Alto a little faster than usual, and it felt just fine. The rest of the ride was delightful, cruising through sun and shade until we got to downtown Tiburon, where we decided it was time for lunch.

There are a couple of places where cyclists usually congregate for snacks or lunch, and we chose neither. Instead, we went to a small place where I usually get a cappucino to go when we are on group rides. This time, though, we checked in for brunch. Jerry had a quesadilla, and I had eggs over easy, sourdough toast and lots of coffee. After brunch, we got back on the tandem to finish the ride.

Riding is a great time to think, and mostly, my mind was filled with thoughts of Hank. Hank was a short, squat tabby that had, as Jerry put it, sneaked in the back door of our emotions six years ago. A rescue group had posted on Craigslist that a foster home was needed immediately for a cat at the Berkeley Animal Shelter who was due to be put down the next day. We had recently lost two cats in rapid succession-- one being my soulmate,Fernando, and another who arrived ill and left us far too soon. So I thought, what the heck; I can save this cat's life until he finds a permanent home.

I went over to Berkeley and the cat they called "Big Guy" climbed into my lap and just kind of stared at me. He was cute and pretty compliant. A worker at the shelter told me that he had some medical problems-- chronic upper respiratory conditions and he had had to have a tooth pulled. He had just been neutered as well. He had been found wandering the streets of Emeryville and he looked pretty much like a street cat. His ears were shredded and he had a couple of scars. But he sure didn't act like a street cat, at least not at that moment.

Jerry had his doubts about bringing another cat into the house so soon, but then he met the cat I named Hank. We initially thought we should isolate him so he could get used to the house as well as used to Jamie, our geriatric calico. But he'd have none of it. He was ready to join the family, so we followed his lead.

I will never forget that first evening. I was sitting on the couch,eating a bowl of beans and rice and he was acting very interested. I thought, okay, I'll show him. I gave him a piece of broccoli. He ate it. So then, I gave him a black bean, and he ate that as well. The street cat in him did show itself, particularly when Jerry and I were having dinner. Hank loved chicken and he would try to bat it out of our hands or off our fork.

Hank came with one more health problem: he had squamous cell carcinoma on his nose, probably from his time living outdoors. It was then that we figured he was pretty much unadoptable and he was going to be part of our family. He had surgery, he was put on pills for his wheezing and itchiness, and that was that.

We have no idea how old Hank was when he came to live with us. Our vet estimated 10, but that's an easy number. He mostly cuddled, ate and slept. He was an incredibly good sleeper and spent all night in our bed with his head on one of our pillows, stretched out between us. When we weren't home, Jerry and I played the game, Where do you think Hank is sleeping now?

When we went out of town, our neighbor Vicki would come over to feed Jamie and Hank, and she absolutely fell in love with Hank. Unfortunately, Jamie, although 19, still has the heart of a feral and doesn't let too many people get close to her. She would come out to say hi to Vicki, but that was about it. On the other hand, Hank would plop himself on the couch with her, and they'd watch Judge Judy together. Vicki told me it was his favorite show.

But a few months ago, our normally stocky cat suddenly didn't look so beefy, so we took him to the vet. She was alarmed at his weight loss and ordered some tests, including an ultrasound. A mass was spotted on his pancreas and surgery was performed. It was a lot for that now little guy.

But he did survive the surgery and came home, with an unclear diagnosis. Maybe pancreatic cancer, and, after some more bloodwork, a definite diagnosis of pancreatic insufficiency. We mixed enzymes into his food but it burned his mouth so we got creative. I stuffed capsules with the enzyme and shoved them down his throat every time he ate, which was around five times a day. If he wanted to eat, we fed him as much as he wanted of high-quality canned food. You can imagine Jamie was in heaven over this, because we fed her at least a little every time we fed Hank,

But as Jamie got plumper, Hank continued to lose weight. For a while he maintained, but then his bones were so visible through his skin. He began eating less and less. Even baby food stopped tempting him, and we knew his time was limited.

We spent as much time as we could with him, and then we knew. We waited for Vicki to come home so she could say goodbye, and then we drove to the emergency vet. They had been so kind when it was time to say goodbye to Fernando, we felt comfortable with our decision to take him there. We wrapped him in a towel and drove the few minutes to the offices.

Just as they had been with Fernando, they were understanding. They put an IV in his back leg so we could continue to hold him. They administered a sedative, and then the medicine to make his heart stop.

They asked if we wanted to stay and hold him for a while but we said no. We knew he was gone and we had spent the days before saying goodbye. We told him how much we loved him and we understood he needed to leave us. We didn't like it, but we understood.

I know he had a wonderful life with us and he loved us very much. We saved him on that day six years ago, and he lived a comfortable happy life with us. I thought about all the things he did, and what we did to him over the past six years. The Santa Outfit, the shower cap. He took all of our "abuse" with good humor, though he wasn't above a bite if we tickled his belly. When we first got him Jerry would have to wear welding gloves to hold him when I trimmed his nails, but that soon gave way to an occasional yowl and the clippers did their job.

People have already asked if we will get another cat. Most likely we will, but not quite yet. We are going out of town next week for a vacation we almost cancelled to stay home with him. We cancelled a trip in August because we didn't want to leave him.

I'll continue to think about him, occasionally think I see him. What I'm waiting for is my first Hank dream. Then I know he is okay, wherever he is.

Pt, Reyes Station and Grilled Cherry Tomatoes

While my knee is not yet where I want it to be, riding last week really agreed with it, so Jerry and I decided it was time to ride again, maybe even a bit further.

I'm not ready for any long climbs, so we took the tandem up to Nicasio, thus avoiding climbing White's Hill. I remember my first time going up White's Hill. We had to stop at least once for me to catch my breath and gain my composure. While my quads are getting stronger every day, I didn't think they were up to that.

We headed out and rode around the reservoir. There are some short climbs and I handled them well. When we reached the turn to Pt. Reyes Station, I thought, why not? So we continued to ride. There are a couple of climbs and again, everything went well.

So at around 10 miles, we pulled into Pt. Reyes Station, took a little break and then got back on the tandem. I diluted my electrolyte drink and stuck the bottle in Jerry's back pocket. I am tired of using a Camelbak and am looking for ways to avoid it. The bottle cages on the tandem are hard for me to reach, so if Jerry's not wearing a jacket, his back pocket works just fine.

Right out of Pt. Reyes Station there is a climb, and my knee started talking to me-- not too loud, but I definitely felt some new twinges in new places. But I figured if I don't push a bit beyond my limits I'll never get anywhere, so I continued to push hard. Coasting down a stretch was a treat, and the next little climb seemed a bit easier.

So altogether, we rode around 20 miles at about 14 mph. Not bad for the second time out. Next weekend maybe we can conquer something a bit steeper and go for some more miles.

After getting home and showering, we headed to our usual haunt, Theresa and Johnny's Comfort Food Cafe. One of the specials was a scramble with roasted garlic, grilled cherry tomatoes, basil and parmesan. It was full of both grilled and raw cherry tomatoes and it was just what I wanted. I had fruit with it and ate a share of Jerry's french fries. After all, I DID ride.

Mill Valley and Felafel

Yesterday I had my first almost real bike ride since my knee replacement surgery. Hard to call it a real ride, because it was only seven miles, but at least it was a ride. Jerry and I set out from Mike's Bikes in Sausalito and rode to Mill Valley. It's mostly trail and very quiet flat streets. It was cloudy and a bit on the chilly side which probably made me pedal faster.

As usual, I was on the back of the tandem. I am still not even close to riding my single, though I am thinking about it. At an after-ride potluck last week I spoke to a rider to ask her about coaching me. She's an ALC training ride leader and my gut tells me she'd be a really good coach, helping me get over my fears as well as helping me focus on the road. While I will never be sure, I think the reason I crashed is because I got distracted and was not focusing on what was in front of me. Being a stoker on a tandem I don't actually see the road, so I'm usually looking off to the side or at the cyclometer. Not good habits for riding a half-bike.

But back to the ride. It was not very strenuous, but felt that for the first time out, I didn't want to overdo it. And my knee was a bit achy later in the day, so I think my instinct on that was good. Maybe a bit longer ride next weekend.

I was going to go to the gym today, but somehow the day got away from me. Jerry and I did go out to lunch at Trio, which is in a strip mall not far from where we live. It's really too bad this place is in the location it is: it deserved to be someplace better. The food is wonderful-- some of the usual stuff, but lots of middle-eastern dishes. I frequently get felafel, and Jerry had a lamb and beef burger. The guys that run the place are young and energetic, and I sincerely hope they can make it work.

No riding, some cooking

Three months post knee replacement and I'm still not riding except for a quick jaunt around the block on the tandem two weeks ago.

I am way behind on my rehab. First there was AIDS Lifecycle where I was a roadie. I was on my feet most of the day for a week, setting up and then serving lunches to riders. Immediately thereafter, I was headed to Oceanside CA to crew for Team4hivhope, a four-man relay team, three of whom are HIV+, competing in Race Across America. To read about our adventures go to our blog on thebody.com at: http://www.thebody.com/content/62386/race-across-america-team4hivhope-cycles-to-raise-a.html

I spent the week mostly sitting on my behind, driving or navigating one of our vehicles. I am proud to say our team came in fourth out of 32 four-person teams. At least two of the racers are planning to do it again next year. I am already working on getting sponsorships.

So now I am working very hard to get my quads strong and my legs in riding shape, and I'm almost there. Jerry and I will soon start on some short rides, but then we will be going to Balkan Music and Dance Camp back east in mid-August, but I am going to take my thera-band and bathing suit with me so I can keep up with my exercises.

I hope to ride in a fundraising ride for brain tumor research in October, and I want to be able to do that. I have known many people who have died from Gliablastoma Multiforme, and have a friend who has really beaten the odds by surviving more than five years. I want her to continue to live and thrive despite this always fatal diagnosis.

We're having a blissfully cool day today and I know how lucky we are. Most of the country is having sweltering temperatures. I'm going to take advantage of this lovely weather by doing some baking. I have a potluck to go to this weekend and my plan is to make a berry custard pie. It's an incredibly simple recipe, using eggs, yogurt, sugar and vanilla, and lots and lots of fruit. I've made this pie with apples, pears, plums and even bananas. I have some figs and I'm thinking of experimenting with a small fig custard pie to go along with the larger blueberry/strawberry pie.

I have done some cooking these past couple of weeks, as well. Nothing extraordinary, though did experiment with making a meat loaf out of ground turkey and chicken sausage. It was quite tasty, but a bit too firm. Next time I'll up the ratio of ground turkey to sausage and I think I'll be happier with the texture.

I've bought cherries with the plan of making a clafouti, but they have been so delicious I haven't wanted to use them for baking. Maybe the next batch.

Crewing for Riders

I'm not blogging that much these days, or at all, for that matter. At least not at this site. I have become very involved with a Race Across America Team-- Team4HIvHope. The team is a four-man relay team, three of whom are HIV Positive. They want to bring awareness, education, and, of course, hope. Hope for a cure, but awareness that with the right treatment, anything is possible, even racing in a cycling event that spans the United States.

The race begins June 18, but prep has been going on for much longer. The four riders have been training incredibly hard and the crew chief, Sandra, has been doing an amazing amount of organizing. It will take a crew of 12 and three vehicles, including an RV, to keep the team rolling down the road 24 hours a day.

My prep has been involved with getting volunteers to produce our website, writing and distributing press releases and updating a twitter page.

So for now, I probably will not be posting much here. But we will have a team blog on the website: The Body, and our twitter name is, you guessed it--@team4hivhope. We also have a Facebook page and would love it if you'd follow us.

AIDS Lifecycle is only two weeks away and I plan to let as many ALCers know about our team. Because we are not a nonprofit, we can't raise funds, so most of the race expenses are being paid for by two of the racers. It is their dream and they are willing to forgo a lot to make this happen.

I'd love it if you'd follow our progress on our website: www.team4hivhope.com or through Facebook or Twitter.

Sidelined and hot and sour soup

I don't think I realized how long it had been since I blogged. The last couple of months have been a long slog of dealing with the death of both of Jerry's parents and my own ordeal of having knee replacement.

I had my right knee replaced a little over a week ago and by all accounts, I am doing great. I wish I could convince myself of that. Having knee replacement, or perhaps any surgery, may very well be akin to having a baby. I had the left replaced five years ago and all I can remember is being a superstar-- walking unaided out of the hospital after four days and not taking any heavy-duty pain medication. I forgot all the difficulty which I surely had. I'm once again walking unaided, but I don't remember being in this much pain. Narcotics do not agree with me so I'm toughing it out with Tylenol and Celebrex. I am five years older, but I'm in better shape than I was five years ago. So, we'll see.

I am not doing any cooking, but Jerry is the king of opening packages and take-out. We've had several nights of Tasty-Bite Indian food, and memorable take-out Chinese. The hot and sour soup from our local Chinese place really is wonderful. Just the right combination of heat and pungency. Lots of various mushrooms floating around and strips of tofu. To me, when my stomach is a little off kilter, it is the perfect comfort food. Even better than macaroni and cheese with a crisp crust. Though I do love really good mac and cheese. A week before the surgery Jerry and I went to the City to look at a used Audi TT-- my latest obsession, and we followed that with a trip to Luna Park. Their mac and cheese with broccoli is damn good, though I would have liked a little more crunch. When I'm up to it, I'm going to make some in a shallow pan so there will be lots of top. I'll get out my creme brulee torch and make sure it's perfect.

Being on the couch with the laptop has left me time to work on my latest project. I am crewing for a Race Across America (RAAM) team. It is a four-man relay team with three HIV positive members. Team4HIVHope is a testament to what the right treatment for HIV can do. I have been sending out press releases about them, and my friends Victoria Magbilang and Aaron Calhoun put together a kick-ass website for the team. Check it out: www.team4hivhope.com

Because I can't train for AIDS Lifecycle I am going to be a roadie this year. I am part of the lunch crew. Long days and lots of work, but I couldn't imagine a year without ALC. I love that I will get to see all the riders as they stop by for yet another turkey sandwich. Lunch is by far the most boring meal of the day, but not one to skip, so I'll get to see all my friends. Jerry will be riding his half-bike, and I'm excited that he will get to ride with the big boys. He is a fast and skilled rider, and I know this will be fun for him.

Monday I get the staples out of the knee and I can't wait to be able to get into a swimming pool, though that will not likely be for a bit after that. The wound has to be totally healed before I can submerge it. But the water really is a friend to healing. I will be able to do more exercises and get my stamina up. And taking a shower without wrapping my leg in plastic will be a joy as well.