Creature of Habit Tour

 Some people I know like to mix it up but me, as long as I'm riding and exercising, I'm good riding the same places often. Passed by a construction 🚧 worker out on the road. He shouted, HEY YOU HAVE BEER IN YOUR POCKETS. I told him yeah, I bought this jersey in honor of my family because I'm probably the only one who isn't a Drunk Bastard. 😁😆

Powered by what? Oh yeah,  mashed potatoes and gravy last night like elementary school.  😋 Then coffee ☕️ at the mall with my Honey. 

I was having a good time texting a cycling friend who sent a message saying   wow you're smart. 😄 Yeah I know. 😁

A little late with dinner tonight. Gina had an appointment with the doc after her physical last week. So we hit up Sizzler late tonight and missed the mall coffee time. 🤣 But the steak was really good tonight, a soup and small salad for me. Same meal but a trip to the salad bar for Gina. I avoid the salad bar myself choosing soup because the salad bar has too much junk to choose from. I do get an itty bitty salad after my soup too, thanks to our friends at Sizzler. 😄

38 Emerald Necklace with Sandra

 38 miles, nearly 1000 ft of gain around the Emerald Necklace course with Sandra. Then a little more to the base of the Azusa mtts. I've been showing Sandra some of the cycling tactics I know. Plus working on ride etiquette, ride tactics and tips to help her cycling. Only problem is that she has a great ability to recover on the bike. Figure she does 75 miles solo on her bike rides. So giving her some tips, she's been learning and when she recovers, she starts killing me. 😫

Like today, she wasn't feeling well at the start of the ride but by the end of my ride, I said I was going to do a little more then she said, let's go! 😄 So she ended up leading me up to the the base of the Azusa mtts.

One of those people that you start explaining and showing them cycling tips and tricks, then they start using them and killing you. 😆😄😆....and to think she wasn't feeling good at the start of the ride. 😳

But honestly, us people in our mid 60s need to keep moving. Exercise is key I think so we're DOING IT! No excuses! 👍

The video on Youtube

Peck Rd heading North

Bad azz lady. Saw her zig zagging a bit on the Dam Climb. 1/3 mile topping out at 11%. I looked at her bike as we crossed paths and she was not using a motor. So doing this climb on a heavier MTB type bike, awesome!

Just a cool sky, and guy ha ha ha!

Rio Hondo at the Peck Rd Conservation Park area where the trail crosses from one side to the other. I don't think we'll cross here ha ha ha!

Above City of Hope 210 underpass.

Sandra looking like a pro here. Been working on her ride etiquette and ride skills.  Cycling position and awareness type stuff that will make her an excellent rider.

Buddha! On our last ride here, Sandra shouted BUDDHA. I barely got a glimpse of him that time so this time I stopped to get him on video. Near the Peck RD park.

Over the weekend, got lazy. So, a nice weekend with Gina.  Sunday at the Brea mall. That place is busy ha ha ha.  Plus lunch at the Steak Coral.  Hadn't been there in a while and was pretty good.  Croutons are the best, condiments bar for the baked potato 🥔 is good too. But I'd say Sizzler petite steak still has the edge. 

No Ride Weekend but Good Health Stats

 Yeah buddy! Again no medication, just eating better and exercise. I survived the holidays. My A1C over the holiday 3 month period, my number continues to drop towards my ideal goal. Doc wants me at 7 but I'm at 8 but still dropping. Now that the holidays are over, it can only get better. Proud of myself, no medication and all healthy eating with a little cheating here and there. 😄 Not to mention all my labs are good, well within the limits. Especially the creatinine level that represents the kidneys. 

Supposed to be between 7 and 13 but I'm like 7.2. which is good, low is better meaning good kidney function. So Saturday celebration with my Honey. Little BBQ sandwich and coleslaw at Joanne's in Ontario. 😋 The candy shop in the background is for pic props only. 😁

OK, so no ride Sunday seeing I'm going to ride with Sandra on Monday.  Not to mention,  I don't mind skipping my ride today for other reasons.  Sometimes people want to cause issues then want favors.  So I'm skipping my ride to make sure there those favors don't happen.  Sorry,  no can do, we have plans. 😄

I do post some pics as the first on a post because it comes up on my post list using the first pic. So I use one that will make it easier to search if I need to view it in the future.  So,  I'm not posting them twice because I'm old and senile. 🤣

How is that for clout? Tonight Gina and I went to Sizzler about 7 pm. The line was around the corner of the restaurant to the door. End of the line, our girl Angelina saw us then waved. Other dude Eli and Angelina started talking. Looking at them thinking they may be up to something. Then Eli approaches from the back exit door and waves us into the dining room. Angelina had a table reserved, sat us there then went up to order for us knowing our usual dish. I think we were about half way through our meals when we noticed the people that had been right in front of us in the line were finally being seated. Pretty cool getting preferential treatment and actually makes me feel a little naughty he he he!😄 Angelina saw the pics from the last two visits with Erica and Evelyn and said she wanted a pic with Gina too. ☺️

I survived. Wounded but still alive. 😫 Can you see the entry wound from there? The little mark above the band is a mole so don't pay attention to that one. One thing about Kaiser, they stay on top of you for sure. Wanting to stick me and pick me all the time. Even the pee-pee test was tough. But I guess it's a good thing to know what's going on and a retinal scan next week so I may be blind for a while too. 😆😄😆 Hope I recover before tomorrow so I can ride my bike. 🚲...if it don't 🌧 rain. If I can find the energy......I didn't. 🤣

Solo 30 & Memories

 Nice Turdy on Tuesday. 30 solo miles. Just a nice simple ride on San Gabe from Pico to Encanto Park and back. With a little water detour at Valley. 🤣 Funny that just about every time I ride my old bike 1997, someone comments on how nice of a bike it is. 👍

I'm always puzzled at why people ride the way that they do. Can't people just do their own rides? Today I was on top of the dam about ready to descend as I saw some dude below which would put him, 1/4 mile ahead maybe? I go down, reach the trail and he's way ahead but I'm on my way down, though a gentle descent, I'm happy because it is relief from heading North the entire time.

I see him far ahead and about 6 miles later, I'm catching up to him. I'm thinking that he isn't considering it a race as I just do my thing. But when I get about 50 yards back, I see him look back then go crazy on his pedals as if he doesn't want me to catch him. OK, he knows I'm coming and if he wants to hold me off, that's cool, I'm still doing my thing.

I can see he is doing everything possible to stay ahead, looking sloppy on the pedals wasting energy. I keep on then I end passing him. So now I'm thinking he was doing everything possible to stay ahead considering it a race, I guess. So now that I pass him, he wants to jump my wheel like we're friends? Was he my friend earlier trying to keep my back?

So I just sat up and slowed down forcing him to pass me. I slowed more and let him go ahead bout 40 yards so he can't consider it drafting or say that I drafted him the next time I pass him ha ha ha! But we approach the Valley Blvd underpass and it is flooded. FTR, Valley Blvd is a big busy road for the non locals. The underpass is flooded so I exit the trail up the ramp and dismount looking for an opening in busy traffic to cross safely, it takes a bit.

But I see the guy make his way through the water. I don't like to mess up my rim strip tape so I'd rather take the detour. I do and it takes me a while to get across as I see the guy make his way down the trail. I finally cross and the guy is nowhere in sight. But a mile or two down the trail, I see him again. Now it's somewhat windy and I see him slowing. So now, I keep a good effort hoping to pass him in his own game. I see him again working hard and looking back. Now that he sees me again, he's going to try to keep away. At this point, I know he's mine, now that he wants to play ha ha ha! I actually keep my distance then the last long windy stretch, I start humping pretty hard. Only about 1/2 mile left of trail so I hammer pretty hard and when I go by, I flew by making sure he couldn't hop on my wheel.

Sucker ha ha ha! I got to the little climb at the Pico golf course dam and made my way up. Lost him and never saw him again after than. Hmmm! I just think it's funny that guys don't just do their own rides and rather than be social hoping to ride together, they try to make a race out of it hoping to prove something I guess. Well, he wanted to play so I showed him a little fun and games on the trail ha ha ha!

Gina just came across this picture from about 1988. We had been together for about a year. Wow, we were so young ha ha ha!

My nice bike, 1997. Several times already, when I get to the golf course, passersby will say, "that's a nice bike!".  I explain that it's an old 1997 and most will say that they know and that is what makes it nice. Oh, thank you!

Test shot !

Nice day at Encanto Park

FREE COFFEE!! ☕️ People at the coffee place told Gina it was "on the house " tonight. Said we're always good to them so tonight it's free. 😋 Had to try Pizza 🍕 Chalet again tonight. Pretty good and decent price for the 2 person special. 👌 Both times we've gone, they got free stuff. Tonight rolls with salami, pepperoni, and cheese rolls. Had to taste one. 😁

The free roll with salami, pepperoni, and cheese. Not bad for free, had to taste one.

Solo 40 Pico to Seal Beach &Cemeteries

 Solo 40 miles Pico Rivera to Seal Beach. Windy but felt good.16 average but Strava jacked me a tenth. 🤣 Ran into Sandra doing like 80 miles. She's nuts! 😆😄😆 

Always starting late. I have good intentions but something always in the way. Something to do or the bed ha ha ha! Gina did have a lunch to do with people in-laws so I had plenty of time to ride but most of all, getting a late start waiting for her to be on her way.

Heading to Seal Beach, I did see several riders heading back. So strange though, of all the riders I see now, about 80% on e bikes, or even motorcycles. I saw one man with his kid about 10 years old going by on e-bikes. I'm thinking, like wtf, make that kid do some exercise. Riding and e-bike not pedaling? Geeze!

Anyway, times are changing so much anyway, it's hard to consider the new generation of guys as men ha ha ha! I'm getting old but I look at most of these as young punks that I could still man handle even at my age. Almost like putting Burt Lancaster, Charleton Heston, or Chuck Connors up against Tom Cruise. Not even a match if you ask me unless Tom has a hammer and a rifle. But anyway!

Was a bit windy and had to push a bit on the way back but a good workout. Sadly I caught the back of my HR strap under the base layer I was wearing and didn't feel it so cruising down to the coast soft pedaling at 17 MPH, my HR was reading 180 something. I felt good and was thinking, what the heck? So I finally stopped to check and yup, don't usually do that or feel it but slipped by me today so my HR reading is whack for today's ride. At least my heart didn't explode ha ha ha!

Hadn't been that direction in a while it seems and I had been avoiding it because of the rain and threat of flooded underpasses. I was right. The dark ugly steep tunnel had a flooded sign to the side so I wasn't sure. Started to go down then sure enough, deep waters ahead.  I stopped and walked back up, oh well now I know!

Fridsy, What a day! 🤣Took Gina's car to the smog station today knowing the engine light is on looking to find the fix. The codes said it was an O2 sensor, $150 repair. Had 2 done a year ago but not the other side. So had it done then drove 5 miles and the check engine light came on again. The dude at the smog said it might and it did. So went back and the code said the second one was bad. There are 4 total. So the second one on this side was bad too so another $150. 🤣 Total of $300 for the freaking smog people.

Just think, for $300, I could have bought a new pair of cycling shoes. But oh well, not in a good mood but going to Sizzler, another pleasant visit with our buddy Evelyn. Good person and great server not leaving any stones unturned. Gotta love this gal, always great to the two of us. Had my petite steak and soup so I'm good now ha ha ha!

I must add, that Roku TV is pretty cool now that I see what it can do.  It's like having Netflix for us. We watched plenty of old TV shows on Netflix.  And I was considering the purchase of Leave it to Beaver CD collection for $120. 

The free Roku channel has the series for free, score! Pays for some of the TV right there.  Plus plenty of free movies so for us, it's like having Netflix for free. I was grumpy connecting it but I'm much better now ha ha ha. 

So Sunday,  took Gina to the cemeteries to take our dad's some flowers.  Her dad in Rose Hills.  Funny that it's a big beautiful cemetery but their maintenance sucks. Every time we go,  we have to clean off the head stone and clear off dead chopped grass and sticks. Cut and trim barely but no clean up. I mentioned before that we took shovels to dig out the stone so it was identifiable.  

Unlike my dad's at Riverside veterans.  Always clean and neatly trimmed and clean.  I was actually surprised that there were other flowers today.  Old ones from Christmas.  Seems someone ordered flowers and had a basket dropped off. Actually 2 baskets. I could tell they were left there on Christmas as most the other flowers around were also left since Christmas.  But good management allowed the flowers to remain that long. 

I did see a couple other arrangements falling apart and a basket tipped over. I can't help but clean them up a little bit and that basket tipped over? I did rearrange it so that it was balanced and would remain upright once again.  Your Welcome,  Victor.  😆😄😆

And because we only get out that way when we take flowers,  had to stop at a favorite restaurant. Who would have thought a Mexican restaurant would have the best French fries ever? 🍟 😁