Help I'm infected! My family is infected!

I have previously expressed disdain for "The O.C." Thinking it unworthy pap ala "Falcon Crest" or "Snots Landing" I haven't been drawn to watch it. One of my shallow, unsophisticated nieces (who will remain anonymous so as to protect her unsophistication, but whose name starts with a Brittany and ends with a Wilhelm) loaned a box DVD set of the show to Ailsa. Thus, I have been exposed. Strangely so far I find it not repulsive. I have never really liked Peter Gallagher before and wouldn't have chosen him to play a SoCal transplant from NYC who surfs every day before heading to his law office. I like him in the role alot. Also Benjamin McKenzie is somewhat mesmerizing with his Russell Crowe looks and his unobtrusive manner. And Mischa Barton is very watchable. I can't help but wonder if she could make the move to the big screen, not so sure. Still, so far the "class warfare" is quite overblown (Pittsburgh? Ew!), at least from my experience. Maybe to be more accurate the show should be called "The Newport."

Smelly Cat, What are they feeding you?

The addition of a new kitty to the household has our two older cats in a tizzy. Ruby and Maxine are about 13 years old and sisters/litter mates. We had some experience with trying to introduce a new female into this setup a couple of years ago. That's why we chose to get a male kitten. Ruby is old and fat and Maxine is as skinny as a rake and feeble. They don't really even like to tussle with each other anymore. Poor Dobby just wants so badly to join in cat games. At least he doesn't seem to be bothered when the grumpy older cats hiss at him and run off. He's only about two months old and all of 5 ounces at this point, about one sixth the size of the two older cats. He just keeps chasing them. Last night he was trying to engage Ruby and she was fleeing as best she could with her fat kitty utter swaying from side to side. She came into the master bedroom while we were watching TV and tried to obtain refuge on the nightstand. She failed miserably in attempting the jump. They are just so pathetic.

Go Dog Go! (In honor of Bastille day)

I had a great ride on my bike this morning, over to the 7th East/9th East artery and then south to the Park in Draper and back. I've done okay so far this year. It's a little hard to gauge since I've been riding half the time with the kids and Lenore on the tandem. Theoretically, we should be faster on the tandem. That is if the passenger,,, er stoker is putting out. So far Ailsa and Jensen haven't really been pulling their weight. But, I look back on when I was that age and I don't think I knew how to push myself physically either. They do seem to like it when we get going fast and put more effort into it then. But, if we aren't going fast enough they are just along for the ride.

Anyway, my best rides since I started paying attention last year have been in the 20-21 mph average range. So far this year I hadn't broken 20 mph average. I started riding later in the year. I'm probably carrying 10 more pounds than I need to be. I set out this morning to make 20 mph (see the workout log link on the left). If there is no wind the first half of this ride is always a little slower than the second half. It might be slightly uphill. If anything, it looks like it should be slightly downhill on the way out.

I'm not really a morning person. But, I've gotten up early enough times to know that it's usually the best time of the day in the hours just after sunrise and just before sunset. In the morning the air is calm and cool. There are fewer cars on the road. This route for the most part has very wide bike lanes on either side and is relatively flat. The flatness of the road and the lack of wind are essential for a big rider such as I am. Any hill or wind makes someone who is 6'4" 200 lbs pay dearly. It is very normal to see lots of riders using this street in the morning. Every once in a while I will pull alongside someone, strike up an acquaintance and ride together for a while.

This morning I just started out by stepping it up a notch. I stood in the pedals a little to accelerate a little faster and then also stayed down in the drops more, so as to present a smaller aerodynamic profile. It always takes a while for my heart rate to get up to speed. But, by 10 minutes into the ride it was over 160 and only dropped below that when I had to stop at a light. I didn't see it go any higher than 179 which is actually 7 points more than my theoretical maximum. But, I've gotten it up to 185 in the recent past. I tried to keep the pace going up the slight rise south of Fort Union. I was making a lot of lights green which is good.

Although my cyclocomputer doesn't count time when the wheels aren't turning it is still inefficient to have to stop and re-accelerate. Last year I did a test where I figured that at a 20 mph pace over one mile stopping and starting "costs" about 7 seconds. I started counting everytime I had to stop and giving myself a 7 second handicap so I could get a better idea of my real pace and effort. After a couple of months using this system I did another study and found that it worked out to be on average 5 seconds per mile of distance when I ride this route. So now I typically don't have to count stops, just factor in the handicap based on my mileage. Since I was making a lot of lights green I decided to count stops this morning so I could be more accurate than normal. I only had to stop nine times for a total handicap of a little over a minute.

I see lots of riders going north on the other side of the street. I see the girl who rollerblades every day to work or the gym. I pass some construction at 78th south. My time is 17 minutes at the 5 mile mark. As I near Dimple Dell creek and the Lone Peak Skate Park around the 20 minute mark, I'm starting to tire. I feel my pedal cadence is maybe too fast. So I try a higher gear. But, I'm still unable to maintain the speed I want. So, I allow myself to back off a notch for a short while. Maybe I should have had some breakfast instead of just a handful of vitamins and chondroitin for my knee.

It's always a little refreshing as you pass the creek in Sandy to feel the cooler air from the respiration of the trees there. I often notice the radiant heat (from the Sun shining on the left side of my body) when I pass the cooler air around the creek. I imagine a space body like the Shuttle or a Satellite being warmed on the one side by the Sun while the other side is -100 degrees. Past the Park now where the road definitely starts a slight decline into Draper. I pass some more construction after 106th South where they have laid some new asphalt and are working on a new strip mall. There is a large flagpole here, not enough wind to cause a furl. Still down in the drops as I maintain 25 mph over the RR tracks and check my time, 27 minutes. "Birds Fly" is the song in my earphone connected to the MP3 player. I pass into the older quiet neighborhood around the Draper Park where I have seen Richard Wenger walking his dog a couple of times recently. He used to live in our ward. I have waved and said "hi." But, I don't think he has figured out it is me.

I check my time again and then turn my computer to distance mode so I can make sure I get a full 10 miles before I turn around. Approaching the 12.5 mile mark I notice a cyclist stopped on the side of the road ahead. He is moving a large rock out of the bike lane. I pass him as he is getting back up to speed. He is riding a Softride Triathlon bike. I have seen him a couple of times on the other side of the road. He is young, maybe 15-20 younger than me, and very fit looking. At the next light we stop and exchange a few words. When the signal changes he accelerates away expecting to leave me completely behind. I grab onto his rear wheel for a ride. I manage to stay in his slipstream for maybe 2 miles at speeds around 27-29 mph. My heart rate goes to 179 and stays for some time. I finally lose contact with him. But, then catch him again at a light. Finally, he pulls away for good and I only have the goal of trying to reel him in again. Still, I am making good time. I get the lights green all the way through Fort Union and also at 6600 south. Fifty three minutes at the 18 mile mark. With my hands on the drops I stand on the pedals up the last little rise over Cottonwood Creek in Murray. I am very tired and winded. But, I know I made my goal because I am well under an hour's time.

Our Fourth

We did a family "ride bike" at about 9am on the Jordan River Parkway Trail. This is a very nice facility that runs from at least 33rd South down to about 85th South. Even at the time we went it was pretty well populated. Sometimes people don't realize that it's best to stop off the main trail. We did 12 miles. With the tandem pulling the trailer it is pretty long and makes for some interesting maneuvering at times. It was a great day for the fourth. The sky was clear and it didn't get too hot or too windy. We came home from the ride and made our own sausage biscuit and egg breakfast. We went to Leslie's about 3pm and went swimming. I mostly just laid on the inflatable mat. Laney was too chicken to do much in the water. I think we need to let her have her floaty suit back for some of the time. I had purchased a small $20 set of fireworks at Albertson's and at about 9:30pm, back at home, mostly in our pajamas we set them off. Laney was quite enthralled and thrilled with it all. We tried to set off several at a time and only mildly succeeded. The best was five Piccolo Petes at one time (Yes, they still call them that.) And there was much giggling and joviality. I think on the 24th of July we might try to do something imaginative with them.

Dissent and Diversity are Healthy?

I have heard it said many times lately that it is healthy, perhaps even preferable, to have opposing points of view, that uniformity of thought and belief is "bad." Rubbish! Does that mean you would allow devils into Heaven just so both side are represented? If something is wrong it is wrong. Period.

We are redefining everything. Eminent Domain, the Constitution, the Family, Religious Freedom, Free Speech and the effects can be seen everywhere for anyone with eyes to see.

Making copies for incidental non-commercial church or home use is permitted

Final Version of Hymn written for the Hillcrest Ward.

I should go out and honk the horn, It's Independence Day

Speaking of the Fourth of July...

I think the most fun I had at a family fireworks display was the day after we got married in 1986. We were all over at my sister Kim's house. Ed had bought a large assortment of fireworks. I'm not one for dragging things out. We set them all up in a big tightly packed group, lit off one and let the spark shower light the others. It was great fun.

When I was a kid, one of our backyard neighbors was a very large lot that had some greenhouses near us and beyond that there was some land that was au naturel. Of course in the summer around Fourth of July it was mostly tallish dried weeds. Being young pyrotechnically savvy boys we liked to buy "Piccolo Pete's" (a small firework that made a lot of noise). If you took some pliers to the end of the fuel mix and squeezed it good the thing would blow up at the end of its whistling. A couple of times we took these, removed the base, attached them to a stick and made bottle rockets out of them. Real bottle rockets and firecrackers were illegal. Once one of these flew into that neighboring lot into the dry weedy area. I think it was only by divine intervention and much earnest prayer that we didn't start a fire.

My first Fourth in Italy was not without some poignancy. Of course we had to work and of course the Italians had no idea it was Independence Day. At the end of our Day about 9:30pm the four of us Elders stood and sang the National Anthem, all verses (the last verse is the best). The neighbors must have thought we were nuts.

Laney's Scary Birthday Present