A Beanz Birthday (Sizzler Birthday Video)

                    63 today but still having fun! Breakfast at Millie's with Gina after sleeping in a bit.

The Sizzler video on YT

 First was breakfast at Millie's. Nice, can't complain about a place that has the $6.99 Senior special on the weekends. Of course Gina had to add bacon and couldn't wait long enough for me to take a picture of the bacon first. 4 strips, 2 MIA ha ha ha!

The waiters and waitresses watch me now that I told them I gave up desserts for my NY resolution. So this is the first time having a little individual pie since. Almost 6 months but the waitress heated it up a little much I guess cause it came out flat like a pancake ha ha ha. Still tasted mighty fine thoughQ

       Dinner at Sizzler after a visit to the mall, a trip to Rhino Records and a cruise through town.

Thought I'd try something a little different today, some ribs. Boy, I couldn't eat much so I skipped on the salad. Gina had the usual with a trip to the salad bar.

During out little trip to the mall, the people from the jewelry store came out and gave me a box of cookies for my b-day. That was very nice and from Mrs. Fields where we get coffee most nights and next to the jewelry store. All of them nice people!

The evening before, Gina insisted on taking me out to a nicer place. Went to Outback Steakhouse. I was actually disappointed. We paid $95 and Gina didn't even get a full meal, just a side soup and salad. I did get a carrot cake, hey it's my birthday and I was going to take advantage ha ha ha! But sadly, I think Sizzler is better for half the price.

Today she wanted to take me to The Northwoods Inn for steak and lobster. Sounded good but I told her I was worried that I would once again be disappointed. I dunno, something just told me to save some dough and go to Sizzler.

I must be getting old though. All day and last night, Gina had been asking me to pick something out for my gift. Anything she said, for the bike, for my videos, anything at all. I told her I think about another GoPro but so expensive now and the GP10 I bought a little over a year ago works great so no need for a front and rear mounted recorders. This one is great hand held so it allows me to aim back and ahead..

Bike stuff, heck I think my old bike is doing fine, just bought some shoes a few weeks ago, some jerseys, more earbuds, and really, can't think of anything I don't have that I want and really don't want for anything ha ha ha!

Oh well, the weekend isn't over yet though ha ha ha!

Aww, my Honey made sure my birthday weekend continued to the end. She kept insisting on getting me a gift though and old age I guess, I don't really yearn for anything. So we went to lunch at Los Jarritos, still great chile rellenos. 😋 Then walking around the Montclair Plaza, noticed this t-shirt shop. They have some cool stuff at Legend. The designs were different from anything I've seen. Gina twisted my arm to get an AC/DC shirt. Then a second. Honestly, I tried to fight it off but the designs are cool so I caved. Then at Penny's ran across an Ali the Greatest t-shirt and a Fender guitar. Pretty good prices at Penny's for t-shirts but more generic. Pretty cool stuff at Legend. More than just the common band designs and other stuff. My sweet Honey !

Did finish off the holiday birthday weekend at Sizzler.

This was Monday but on Sunday, we took a trip to Rhino Records in Montclair. Some good stuff. Genesis Greatest Hits for $4.99 used but perfect. Then saw a $2.99 special section but each on sale for $1. Perfect Robert Plant CD with Big Log and I'm in the Mood. Wow, crazy that it's that cheap but the clerk said because they don't sell, they go in the sale section. But heck, replacing CDs that I have so getting them cheap is nice.

But later at Wally World, ran across Audio Slave. Love that song Set It Off so hoping it will take in a YT video with no copyright issues. As well as ordering a Jefferson Starship Greatest CD on Ebay. Some cool songs, Jane, Laying it on the Line and a few other classics that I think are cool. So a food filled weekend, some cool t-shirts and some good music. I try to fight off Gina wanting to spend her money on me but I do get weak sometimes ha ha ha! Well, it is cheaper than a new GoPro or Garmin ha ha ha!

Just ordered a couple more jerseys as well. Just got the Classic in the mail so I ordered another 2 ha ha ha!

Crazy Chinese people, had to have them correct the spelling ha ha ha! They did but placed the A after the I. So I notified them. They told me to keep the incorrect one then sent me one that was corrected. Oh well, I guess I can wear the incorrect one under a windbreaker on night rides. No way would I wear it where others could see it, they'd laugh their butts off ha ha ha!

Just came in the mail today, Tuesday. Just had my birthday so I guess I am getting more CLASSIC. 😁

Solo 63 Birthday Tour (video later)

 Solo 63 on the Santa Ana River Trail.  15.8 average speed.  Not bad for an old guy.  More later.  

This is what I look like after 63 miles.😄

Ran into Roccio and her Bo on the trail. Then they stopped by after the ride for a little chat. First time meeting her boyfriend, Scott. Really cool guy! They did 50 miles from the train station to Seal Beach. Bot of them pretty strong riders. I think Roccio is one of the stronger riders I met on the group rides a few years back. Lovely lady, always sweet and friendly. Scott seems like a really cool guy, good for her!

As far as me, heck it was hard to get out of bed. I slept really well though. I ate pasta the night before and brought along a little more nutrition today knowing it would be a longer ride, damn I'm getting old ha ha ha! I laugh every year, have for a few now. Back when we were 40, I had plenty of friends willing to tag along on a birthday ride. Mid 50's, into my 63rd year, not so many volunteers. Actually, not one ha ha ha! But that is cool because my personality is to propel myself on my own if I plan to say, I DID IT!!!

Maybe in the 40's, a group would be no problem but now getting older, I think 60's are something that one must prove on their own that they can do it. 

One big reward for me is that my health has been very well over the years. 11 years ago diagnosed as type 2 but refused meds and decided to exercise as I always have but adding in better nutrition. I hate to say diet as I am not on a diet, more about eating the right stuff. I guess it is working! My retinal eye scan was good a couple months back. Many diabetics have problems so I'm happy. Then having to go into the DMV passing the eye test with flying colors. Heck, I have been to the eye doctors a few times thinking I was going to need glasses but nope, not yet! 

So hey, getting old but still good health and working body parts. 

Funny thought, waking up feeling a little stiff, I told Gina that I hoped I could make it. She said, "oh, you could actually do 100 if you wanted." Yeah, I guess she is right but it's nice to know the wife has confidence in you ha ha ha! And the way I felt today, I actually felt like I could have done 100 no problem had I brought along a sandwich ha ha ha! 

I guess one of the things that makes me proud of myself being consistent this far into life is having experienced bike forum warriors.  Looking around the other day on Strava at groups that friends have joined,  I ran across one that stroke each other's egos. Only to come across profiles of those that considered themselves to be real hardcore cyclists for life finding their profiles filled with nothing more than a bunch of online yoga sessions.  Yeah dude,  you're a real hard-core cyclist. I consider myself a recreational cyclist riding for fun and exercise but c'mon dude, you guys are more like hard-core yoga boys. 😆😄😆 

Don't get me wrong,  not all cycling forum posters are fake ass cyclists. I do see 2 or 3 guys there that actually ride their bikes.  But for the most part,  it seems that certain forums are more like support groups trying to convince one another that it's OK to waste your health on booze and smoking while continuously whining about health issues and sharing info about their wives complaining about their booze consumption. 😄

Dudes, go ride your bikes!

                                                                    The youtube video

As I finished my rife, I was taking selfies when Pepito rode up. He said he wanted to take the pics for me. OK, seemed he has some experience. 

Pepito. He says he's a videographer and invites everyone to visit his TikTok. I don't have it and would have no idea how to use it but he says you can scan the image to get there. 

Ron, PinoyBentr on the forums. Sadly he said his health has not been to well lately. I would say he has to be at least 70, not sure. But he was a Bad Man on the bike. Riding up GMR on fixies and folding bikes. Super fast on a trike back in the day. I remember being with a group that broke up competing with one another. I was pushing as hard as I could just south of the Imperial bridge. I was doing 26 MPH and Ron was catching me on his trike. Glad I got there before he caught me, gave me a reason to slow down ha ha ha!

This dude was at the coast today when I arrived. He is 74 years old. Had a pretty good chat about old bikes and bike envy, not having it like me ha ha ha! Crazy bike prices nowadays when my old bike works perfectly well. My Cannondale is a 1997 and his is a 2002 but seems we both still love our old bikes.

Not sure what the story is here but when I was at Green River taking a break, this kid started walking down the trail. His father was shouting his name saying bye and waving like a mad man trying to get his picture. I'm guessing some kind of a journey. Maybe he walked to a certain point where his father picked him up. I don't know but his father was rather excited.

Silly joggers taking selfies. 

A ghost bike on PCH.

Solo 35 & DMV 👀

 Solo 36 going up to Azusa Cyn saving energy for the weekend but freaking wind. On the way "down" doing 14 with a 150 heart rate. 🤪 86 degrees at the end of my ride according to the forecast, another guy said 92. My device says 90. But either way, the heat wasn't a factor. It was the wind. 🤣

Pretty cool, had to renew my DL but needing a test and thumb print so I actually had to go into the office.  Lady said, "wow you haven't been into the DMV in 20 years.  Well yeah, good record,  no tickets, no accidents,  but last time I had to renew was during covid so they just asked me to pay the fee online. 

But the best part is not needing glasses at 63. Being type 2 diabetic and not taking meds, my retinal eye scans were good.  So eating well and exercising has done me good.  I've had people tell me that at 50, I'll be blind as a bat. At 30, I'll be too tired to get out of bed.  Too old to exercise but here I am at 63 (on the 24th) and I'm still kicking and still no glasses. 😄

I will say the DMV is quite different.  Scan this do this online, text this......wow,  OK! 😄

The little 5 inch tripod I use to mount the cell into the cell holder snapped on me. A plastic screw broke off into the cell holder so I had to prop the cell holder and cam on a rock. Not all that bad ha ha ha! But I do know now not to tighten the tripod too much. Didn't think I had but now I know I better back off a little more. It's ok, I have about 5 extra little tripods ha ha ha!

                                          HR on the way down. Might as well be going up.🤣

Ok, so I did cheat a little bit over the weekend.  I was too lazy to get out of bed so I just hung out with Gina instead.  Sugarland candy store at the Montclair Plaza. Cool little store with lots of old candy, gum, jelly beans, chews, and stuff. Got a bag of taffy, various flavors. Candy apple, popcorn, spumoni, bomb pop, and other crazy flavors. Now to sit and enjoy some with my Honey. 😄

Gina has been working 10 hour shifts during the week and 8 on Saturdays. She finally got a full weekend off so I skipped my rides and ate candy 🍬.  Some creep little flavors that I had to try. Not  because I thought I would like them, because I figured they would gross me out ha ha ha! Buttered popcorn, extreme hot spicy. They were good, guess I'm just a gross guy ha ha ha!

Got this in the mail today from ebay. Snug fitting base layer. The several that I have are kind of flapping in the wind types. I saw this one figuring I would give it a try. I did get navy blue to match a couple of the new jerseys. 

After visiting Under Armor and the Nike outlet at the mall, not much in the way of affordable stuff. I have a couple Nikes that I bought a few years ago for $40 and not much different, if at all from the Wally World models I have. Russell I believe and a new George model that was $17. The George is pretty thick but still a little flappy into the wind along the sleeves. Not that it bothers me or I worry about speed, just figured I'd try a snugger fit. Actually looking for navy blue but found the snug one so why not?

Tried it on and it is snug. Good thing I went one size up after viewing the sizing chart. Snug for sure but long enough to cover my long torso. Unlike one that I recently bought at the Columbia store.  Nice color and like it but it's short. Just barely enough to cover my back down to the bike shorts and I refuse to be the plumber dude ha ha ha!

But this one seems cool. Just hope it isn't too snug to wear in the heat. But hopefully, the aerodynamics of it will increase the wheel speed  on the road. That's a joke for the weenies he he he.

Not bad for $17 considering the UA and Nike were $40 on sale.  BTW, this seller was fast. I ordered on Monday night about 7:30 and on my doorstep Wednesday afternoon.