Thank Goodness For The Mountains

Ceremonial start.
Early attack by lower GC riders.
Breakaway gains huge time on peloton.
Non breakaway’s teams come to the front.
The breakaway is caught in the final kilometers.
Mass sprint finish.

Except for the two time trials, that is pretty much how the first half of this year’s Tour de France has gone, but tomorrow we separate the mere men from the supermen as the ride enters the Pyrenees. Who will emerge as the tour leader? Hard to say with all the big guns silenced,
Lance Armstrong – retired
Jan Ullrich – suspended for doping connections
Ivan Basso – suspended for doping connections
Alejandro Valverde- crashed, broken collar bone
Alexandre Vinokourov – team suspended for doping
Bobby Julich – crashed, broken wrist
Maybe it will one-hip Flyod Landis?

Donna and I went for a dusk ride on the tandem this evening. A little less than 10 miles, but we averaged 14-1/2 MPH, which is a few more MPH’s than we’ve been doing and coincidentally, about half the average speed of the peloton in today’s 105 mile stage from Bordeaux to Dax.

Started down, went up, back down, up again, down again, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 260

43,000 Names on the Wall

43,000 Names on the WallSince last Thursday a 1/2 scale version of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial has been set up in a park not to far from our house. The Wall That Heals travels around the country allowing folks who can’t or won’t make the trip to the actual memorial in Washington DC. Donna and I visited the actual Wall way back in the early 80’s when it had not been open for very long, so we thought it might be cool to see this version too. Because the traveling wall, like the original, is open 24 hours a day, we decided to wait until 10PM or so last night to visit, so we could take advantage of the cool night air. Plus there is something about the memorial that makes a visit in darkness more fitting.

I know, there are actually over 58,000 names engraved on the Wall, but 43,000 works better for me here because that is the amount of miles the Emperor has traveled in it’s lifetime. Passed through that mark on the way home from Augusta this morning.

We went over to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie at an early morning showing in a theater with stadium seating. I enjoyed it more than Donna did, but we still felt it was worth the time, money and effort to see it in an actual movie theater instead of waiting for the DVD. Not as much humor and not nearly as many quotable lines. There was a lot more action, some of it bordering on the unbelievable. I say bordering, because after all, if you can except that Davy Jones has the head of an octopus, one hand that is a lobster claw and his still beating heart is locked in a buried chest miles away on a dessert isle, how can three men carrying out a raging sword fight on a 25′ water wheel as it rolls down a hill be unbelievable?

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 256

Just Brian Being Brian

We went for another tandem ride this morning. We did the old Aiken Bicycle Club pre-meeting loop of out Rushton and back in Wright’s Mill, a nice 12 miler of smooth roads, little traffic and a nice variety of elevation changes.

The FRS were on TV last night on ESPN and this afternoon on FOX, so I’ve been glued to the TV so far this weekend. The announcers on ESPN are less annoying than the yutzes on FOX, but in both cases I would rather listen to the Red Sox radio guys call the game. The only problem is I can’t do it, the radio broadcast on MLB.com is about a pitch and a half behind the TV. I don’t know what the reason for the delay, it is not like it is the MTV Music Awards or the Super Bowl halftime show…

Part of today’s non play by play chat has concerned the fact that the American League’s top vote getter will not be appearing in the All Star game this coming Tuesday. Boston’s Manny Ramirez has begged off because of a right knee soreness. Tim McCarver felt that maybe even if he wasn’t going to play, he should at least make an appearance at the game. But Manny is going home to spend three days resting, this being attributed to “Many Being Manny.” This phrase is used quite often to explain his erratic or odd behavior both on and off the field. Because he is such a great hitter he gets cut a lot of slack. I thought, cool saying, it’d make a nice T-shirt, maybe I would add it to my CafePress shop, but somebody had beat me to it.

Well I paraphrased a Lance Armstrong T-shirt for myself by substituting Brian for Lance, why not do it for Manny? Look for a Brian Being Brian T-shirt on CafePress soon.

Started up, went down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 254

Looking Shaggy

As far back as I can remember Donna and I have been getting our hair cut every 4 weeks. At the last one each year we sit down with the stylist’s appointment book and mapped out our haircut schedule for the coming year.

The other day I asked Donna was it time for our haircut soon as I thought that mine was getting a little shaggy. She looked in her little calendar and said, “Nope, we aren’t due until July 25th.” “Wow, that is nearly three weeks way,” I said, “my hair is getting long enough that I might have to start carrying that comb again.” That’s when she looked backwards and realized we were supposed to go on June 27th. We had missed an appointment. That was 4 days after chemo #4, so she wasn’t exactly paying attention to those mundane details. Besides, it is not like she noticed needing a haircut, she balder than a new born.

Although, Donna’s head has been itching something fierce and we could swear that some places that were smooth a week ago, so maybe the hair is starting to make a comeback.

Finished With Phase Two

We had a “final” meet with the Hemo Oncologist this afternoon and got the pass off to the Radiation Oncology side of the building. Final is in quotes because there is a continuing relationship between Donna and Dr. Ergul because there will be quarterly blood testing for a year to be sure nothing pops up, then semi annually for the following 4 years while she is taking the hormone preventative medicine, Tamoxifen (AKA, Phase Three.)

First meeting with the radiation doc will be next Thursday which I guess he will outline Phase Two of Donna’s treatment, six weeks of 5 days a week of microwaving breast tissue. I’m sure there will be pretreatment tests of some sort before that can begin. As it is they won’t start treatments until at least 4 weeks after cessation of the chemo and this Friday will only be 2 weeks.

All in all for just 12 days post chemo Donna is doing pretty well. No more nausea, but she has some mouth sores that are limiting what tastes good. Her energy level is pretty good and she is wanting to start back working eight hour days, I talked her into waiting until next week before trying that.

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 251

Can We Go Back To Interleague Play?

The FRS were 16-2 against the National League East and now that interleague play has ended, they have lost the last 2 games to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays who are in last place in the American League East 14-1/2 games behind Boston. The only saving grace is the Yankees have lost the last 2 games against Cleveland, so they are still 4 games back.

Washed the car yesterday and I waxed it today. If it wasn’t for a last minute night-time drive for a Micky D’s Hot Fudge Sundae, the Emperor wouldn’t have left the driveway today.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 250

10 Miles

In honor of the 4th of July we rode 4 miles on the tandem, 2-1/2 times this morning. And as always in the summer, we did a dawn launch to avoid the heat of the day, plus it is always nice to be out on the roads when traffic is light too.

Another meandering thru subdivision ride, but I think we are getting ready to start extending the miles and routes into the surrounding countryside. Donna is getting stronger by the day and now the only hold up on doing slightly longer rides is our posteriors. Donna has been using the seat that came on the bike and because she has the softride beam as a shock absorber hasn’t really complained, but after today’s ride she asked about a different seat. Guess we will be going shopping…