Moving On

The original purpose behind The Fourteen Percent Ride has long since been fulfilled. So, I've decided that Mighty Proud will be the last posting. It just seems right.

But, don't worry. Or maybe you should. In any event, I plan to continue. I'll keep riding. And writing. Click here to come along in my new blog ~ The Long White Line. <-- check it out!

Thanks

As I've ridden for the last two years, I've picked up on the fact that Shirley, my darling wife, has been more worried about my safety than impressed with my "accomplishments." How do I know this? Well, when I'd come back and tell her, for example, that I'd hit 53.6 mph going down FO, she'd reply, "I don't want to hear it." Being the sensitive sort I figured out, after many such comments, that just maybe we were not on the same page here. But last week, she told me that she would "greatly reduce her focus on the 'fear for my safety' issue." We talked about the tour, looked at some maps, researched nutrition suggestions on the internet, and so on, just enjoying the idea of the ride. How nice is that? Thank you, Shirley!

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Girls' Night Out

I can control the weather, I have discovered. Plan a ride and a storm front will start to move through the area about 15 minutes beforehand. Happened yesterday. Happened today. This time, rain AND hail. As it started to hail, the engineers at work wandered into the passageway under the building-long skylight to look up and watch the fairly large hailstones bounce off of the glass. With stunts like that, you'd think the gene pool would be pretty much depleted, wouldn't you? But we are a hearty bunch and will be around for a long time!

After all of the weather excitement, it turned into another beautiful evening. There was a plan afoot so I hustled to squeeze in a 22.7 mile ride, down the river to Mohawk Valley Road, up to the ridge top, over to and down County K and home.

The plan? I had suggested that the girls go out. Shirley and our daughters. I would stay with the three grandsons. They would be bathed and in bed before the ladies left, of course. And so it was. I sat in the kitchen, writing on my laptop and following the Braves' game on ESPN Gamecast. Surrounded by electronics. Monitors all around - my computer and two video and one audio "e-sitters," watching and/or listening to three grandsons in three separate rooms on two different floors. If you can do this, thank an engineer.

Total ~ 1871.9 miles

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a grand plan to me! Go girls. And thank you, engineers.

Anonymous said...

Yes, you had babysitting made in the electronic shade, didn't you? Now aren't you glad us going out for Girls' Night Out didn't entail YOU feeding, bathing and putting all three of your grandsons to bed before monitoring them!? :)

Hilary said...

Pretty funny "engineer" jokes, dad :) Very cute. And yes, THANK YOU for the wonderful "girl's night out!"