diddlee

After facing the scale today at the wellness center, I see that I am very overweight. I really need to lose about 40 lbs. At 2 lbs a week, 20 weeks from now, the date will be 7 days after New Year's. So once again, I'll have to brave the season of eating. Perhaps I will do better than that with plenty of exercise. Today is the first night of 140 that I must be determined. I have a goal in mind. With Randy planning a AT hike in May of next year, I'd like to be in tip top shape. And with whatever cycling we do, fitness is only a plus.

Despite not having adequate conditioning, Bev and I rode another Katy ride. This time we rode West to East. It took all day Saturday to make the drive to Missouri. Then most of another day to ride the shuttle to Clinton. Then Monday we began our cross state ride with two days of about 40 miles each and high's in the 80's. One day even had a pleasant breeze with cloudy skies. Then the long day from Boonville to Mokane really was hot with heat indices of 104 and a really tiring day. The fourth day wasn't a lot better with 50 miles of hot mostly open trail and two flats. But we made it. My behind was a mass of abraded pain. It was a lot to deal with. But with determination, we made it to the end of 50 miles. That night our campsite would be be pummeled with storms. I went to get the van which led to the now infamous skunk story. Typical of our vacations I'd say. Then with rain on the increase, we left for home. But 2 hours down the road, it was sunny so we zigged toward ...

Tomorrow we will begin to say farewell to our Uncle Jerry. It has been a particular kind of grief over his loss. It is the passing of a generation. The last of my Mother's brothers. So much memory gone. It all passes so much sooner than you want it to. He was a funny, loving person who will be missed by many, many friends and family.

Gladly today is the end of deer season. Perhaps shortly the woods will be quiet again. Perhaps the folks in 4 wheel drives will stop butchering the roads. The Forest Service can't line all the roads with rock to prevent this kind of foolishness. I see that the scope I bought for David needs the parallax adjusted. I'll try to get it right tonight so we can use it for target practice tomorrow. Good luck.

Although the rain has gone away for now, it has been cold mornings. While some might find low to mid 40's to be tolerable for a bike ride, I prefer it to be a little warmer. So I've been running or hiking instead. Today Paul and I did a little 4 mile turn with his dog Sasha.

I took the boys out to see the comet. I don't think they were able to master the binoculars to see it but Bev, Sara, and I did. Add Comet Lovejoy to our list of comet observations. (Picture borrowed from Internet) I didn't get the chance to use my camera on this one. (But we got a second chance. I ordered binoculars astronomy and we were able to set them up on a tripod and both boys saw the comet. Just a big fuzzy blob in the heavens that won't be back around for 8,000 years.)

This morning was another rainy morning. Overnight showers moved into the state with sleet and snow flurries in northern Alabama. None for us though. But it was chilly. I did a 5k run this morning. I felt good and would have like to have gone further. Maybe tomorrow I can go out to the trail and put in a longer run.