Ashes to Ashes

HA HA HA HA! I still check in the forums once in a while to see who is talking crap today. To my surprise, my name showed up a few times but references to my name were actually in humor this time. I enjoy some good ole humor! And yes, there are a ton of a hole cyclists in California! ;-) Add Scapr, I'm coming to KYA! Ha ha ha ha! 

16.7 miles at 16.1 average speed. Just wanting to get out to stretch the legs since I didn't have a chance to ride this past weekend. Had out of town company and with all the fire and ash, wasn't so sure I wanted to do a long ride. Been wearing a mask for the ash but it gets tough trying to breath. Especially when the going gets tough. Suffocate oneself ha ha!

Tonight, I just tried to hold a steady pace and actually felt pretty good. Strange, flat course but it is really hard in some spots. I think it seems flat but sections are 1 and 2 percent, just enough to slow you down but not enough to show any gain. Some spots an easy 17-19 but then others, I feel like I'm going good but look down and see 14. So I have been concentrating on trying to keep those areas up to a decent speed ha ha!

But the ash doesn't help none though I can not blame it because my average has been slow here way before that ha ha! The ash is crazy. I can no longer see it during the day but at night, with a light on, it is very visible, actually scary to think people are breathing it this junk. I actually thought about riding without a mask tonight seeing it has calmed down some, ashes flying onto my truck and all parked at home. But once I hit the road with the light, wow, I'll keep the mask! Well, unlike the virus, I'm hoping this surgical mask keeps ash out of my lungs. I may have plenty of fibers in my lungs from the inside of the mask, but it's better than ash, I hope! :-P

Scary thing is, I ride near the airport and train tracks there on Mission Blvd. I hear the planes take off every now and then so it can take you by surprise but after a couple of seconds, you remember the airport is only 1/8 of a mile away.

But last night I was really spooked! The train is even closer than the airport. So I was heading south away from the tracks. Didn't hear anything but then this loud horn almost blows out my eardrums. OK not really but it was pretty loud. I had this feeling that a big semi had just turned onto the road behind me blowing its horn. I looked back expecting to see headlights but nope, nothing. It was just the train but it sure sounded like that movie with Dennis Weaver, the crazy truck trying to run him off the road. Forgot the name of the movie. OK, looked it up, the move is called Duel.

There are semis loading and driving around as well as parking on the side as well. But I see maybe 6 or 7 per night so no big deal. I can see them well and make sure to keep my distance. If I am on a short stretch and see on coming behind me, I just kick butt to the next turn and get away. Most are slow after just loading and leaving a warehouse. Sometimes I will approach an intersection at the same time as a semi. I will wait and wave them on but most times, they end up waving me on so I know they see me. That is cool! But sometimes, we get there and I am not sure, so I just turn around and make a short backtrack of my course till the truck goes, then I resume. Better safe than sorry if one is not sure.

But last night, I was going around a bend in the road. A semi was entering the road from a drive way to the left side of the road. He had no way of knowing I was coming as it is a blind curve in the road. So I slowed a bit and let him enter. He was going slow so I saw an opening on the ride side and though I would never try, I was thinking to myself, somewhere out there, there is an idiot that would have tried to pass the guy on the right. Plenty of room but if for some reason he didn't see my 2 headlights, 2 red blinkies or the reflector on my ankle, had I tried to pass him on the right, there is always that chance that a blind semi driver could run your ass over ha ha! I thought about what it would be like to be one of those idiots. No matter how tempting, don't do it! Sooner or later, that stupid crap catches up to you. I had been trying to hold a steady pace on the ride but this messed up my step and maybe even my average speed for a few seconds. But who cares, I'd rather stay alive. I'm not one of those I'm going for it cause I have the right to the road idiots! I try to keep myself safe and alive. Screw the rights and macho BS!

So anyway, that is my story and I am sticking to it!

                                                            Ash is in the air baby!

I don't like wearing a mask, but I don't like lung cancer either!

Ash is present here, much more visible in the light or with a flash. I've been wanting to ride Baseline Claremont to Covina area but heck, this ash sucks and even thicker over there. I can wait!

Gina's new desk set up and ready to go. Been at her new job for nearly 3 months and loving it. Not as complicated a system as her last job of 22 years so this is a piece of cake for her. Her big boss called her in couple weeks back and said he is really happy that he hired her. Today, Tues, a customer called wanting to talk to the big boss. He told them Gina was a breath of fresh air to them, very efficient and sweet! :-) Yes she is!

I like the little metal mesh paper trays, pen holders etc. They gave her some shotty slots etc but we were at the big lots and wally world where we saw this stuff. So I suggested she buy her own stuff so her desk looks cool. Color stickies, paper clips etc was all my idea ha ha. The candy jar was her idea! :-P

Some people have asked about her new job so now you know. Doing really well, having fun, and digging the compliments. Most of all, making good money again! :-)