Jim's Trek V, my exercise journey now on my Schwinn 170 from Tampa to parts unknown...

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Day 45 – (AD 950) – 21.8 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – 20,000 Miles On My Schwinn 170


Good Day,


This morning I pedaled 21.8 miles on my Schwinn 170. And today I surpassed 20,000 miles on my Schwinn Fitness Cycles.



December 2, 2012 to and including September 30, 2015, pedaling in 950 days. My totals: 20,005.4 miles; 32,195.6 kilometers.

I have completes 80.3% of my overall goal. Damn.



That was the real part and now for the virtual part. I am now located on N-340a just to the west of Almeria, Spain in the neighborhood of Castell del Rey.



I celebrate. Period.

This is my 1,018th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this morning, 77,475 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Day 44 – (AD 949) – 22.5 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Dripping Wet On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Well this morning I cycled another 22.5 miles on my Schwinn 170. I’m still hacking and spluttering but I figured I had better pedal just to help all the congestion loosen up…and it sort of worked. My grand totals are 19,983.6 miles; 32,160.5 kilometers. Only 19.7% of my overall goal left to complete.



I am located at Calle Fragata, Ejido, Almería, Spain. Looks like a very quiet and clean resort town.

The humidity is so great here this morning in Tampa that I am feeling extremely claustrophobic in my own home. I just took a squeegee to the windows; feeling much, much better. Funny, I’m only claustrophobic when there are windows in a room that I know that I should be able to look out. Put me in a closed room without any windows, no temporary insanity.

Back in June the Daily Star in the UK reported that a 22-year old woman, in Georgia, “woman allegedly stole 131 pairs of knickers” from Walmart. She was arrested but then went on to her Facebook page to apparently threaten, albeit electronically bully, anyone from mentioning or tagging the incident. “But I will say this one time, the next person to do it – will hear me say this again, only I won’t be so nice about it.

And does one expect to hide behind a byte, a megabyte, a gigabyte, or a terabyte… Something immediately comes to mind “Do the crime, do the time…” physically, mentally and most definitely infinitely electronically.  Oh yeah, guess she'll be back for another 11 dozen at the end of October.

This is my 1,017th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this morning, 77,439 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Monday, September 28, 2015

Day 43 - (AD 948) - 23.3 Miles - Jim's Trek Part IV - Still Congested On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I pedaled on my Schwinn 170 for 23.3 miles. Totals – 19,961.1 miles; 32,124.3 kilometers. Almost, almost.



This morning I am back on the road, actually N-340a, at 18770 Albuñol, Granada in Spain. According to Google Maps I am headed in a northeast direction

What would we do today without our dial-tones, our rings, our chirps, our fancy 5-note classical piece entrance? Have we become so, so narcissistic, and telecommunication-dependent that we, each one of us, feels that we are that important. And then it becomes even more ridiculous when there are a land-land, a cell-phone line, maybe two cell-lines in a home, a number attached to an iPad or a PC...


Do you jump every time your landline or your cell phones screams at you?  Do you jump every time the identical sound chimes in the same room, when someone has chosen the same ringing alert?  Do you interrupt your human conversation to answer the damn phone. Hell what happened to peace and quiet?

And do you complain that you are getting too, too many unsolicited calls?  Who made you that important?  Who decided that you have to only communicate electronically?  Aren't we the creators of our own infirmity concerning electronic media?

Enough of my screeching.  I'm not answering my bloody phone if I DO NOT NEED to.  Period. Exclamation mark! 


No-Knead Loaf #38 out of the oven. Ingredients – ½ cup Sourdough Starter; 3 cups Bread Flour; 1 teaspoon Salt; just over 1 ½ cups of Water. That’s it. I did write earlier that I attempted to cycle when there were no food cooking odors in the house, but now, the house smells like a bakery. And so I decided that I can work the baking of my No-Knead Bread while I am on my cycle. Hell yes, I take a quick pause to change temperature on the oven and take the bread out. Don’t want to burn the house down…Schwinn or no Schwinn.

This is my 1,016th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this morning, 77,389 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Day 42 – (AD 947) – 22.3 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – 9th Destination and Goal Point On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I pedaled 22.3 miles on my Schwinn 170. My totals – 19,937.8 miles; 32.086.8 kilometers.



Today I am located at 11 Calle Falúa, Spain. I have now reached my 9th destination and goal point in my Jim’s Trek Part IV.



Still monitoring my diabetes, sans meds, and recorded this morning’s fasting count at 108.

Last night for supper I made, (thanks BH), Omelet Muffins and couple of slices of Sourdough bread.   Omelet Muffins - Egg, Ham, Onion, Spinach, Oil, Salt, Pepper, Milk, Baking Powder, Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheeses.


At about 10:30 pm I had a bowl of Immunity Soup to help with the congestion.

Cloudy day here in Tampa. I think I’ll vegetate…and do laundry. How special.

This is my 1,015th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this morning, 77,341 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Day 41 – (AD 946) – 22.1 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Maybe Pedaling On My Schwinn 170 Will Help Clear Up This Congestion

Good Day,

This morning I pedaled 22.1 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals – 19,838.2 miles; 32,087.5 kilometers. And I have fallen below the 20.0% remaining mark; actually 19.9% of my overall distance is left.



And I said I wanted to get of the regular roads and highways. Well I got my wish this morning. I am definitely off the run of the mill highway. According to Google Maps my virtual location is 17 Calle Juan de Austria in Spain north of Alboran Sea.

Why or why, as I hack and harrumph with the exiting of this flu-thing, do phone solicitors feel, early on a Saturday morning, (and I mean real early on Saturday morning), that the they believe that their opening line, from the text they are reading, “This is not a sales call, but you have been chosen to included in our survey…” is going to get me to respond with any type of grace and finesse? Bloody hell, I do not respond, pleasantly to any phone solicitor, no matter from whatever part of the globe they are from…especially when they are asking me to respond to a damn survey about “the effect of home entertainment on children”.



Another bowl of Immunity Soup. Definitely makes me feel better. Here’s the link – Immunity Soup from 101Cookbooks.com .

I’m fed up with today’s news. Blah, blah, blah!

I did find something interesting on the Good News Network, an article by Terry Turner (September 25, 2015) – “First Airport for Drones Designed To Deliver Emergency Supplies in Africa”.  Good idea, and then I got to thinking that I’m sure Amazon has/must have thought this one through. And sure enough, following up The Wall Street Journal published, by Jack Nicas, July 28, 2015 – “Amazon describes how it wants delivery drones to fly”.   And so I will presume that Amazon will be dotting our global landscape with Drone-ports.



Just my thought, but I am bloody sure it is already in the planning stage.

This is my 1,014th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this morning, 77,300 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Friday, September 25, 2015

Day 40 ½ – (AD 945 ½) – 22.7 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Day of Rest, Not On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today I decided that after nine days of pedaling my Schwinn 170 my legs needed a day of rest. This will be, I think my 82nd day of rest since I began this crazy journey on December 2, 2012.



Loaf #37, this time sort-of No Knead bread. I did knead for 10 minutes between proofing. Tastes just like a sourdough bread, but not sure if it should and can rise some more. I’ve grown the yeast…must the all the dust in this house. (Yup, I read someplace that if a house is too, too clean the wild yeast doesn’t mass as well.)

Combating a flu-bug so I made a pot of Immunity Soup for Supper. Definitely makes me feel better. Here’s the link – Immunity Soup from 101Cookbooks.com .

This is my 1,013th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this morning, 77,237 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Day 40 – (AD 945) – 22.7 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Granada On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

The morning I pedaled 22.7 miles on my Schwinn 170. My totals – 19,893.4 miles; 32,015.4 kilometers.

And I made it to my next destination and goal point, Granada.

This was a must as my father and my paternal line have been traced from Grenada. Not Granada, Grenada. It took me a while to understand the difference between the two places, and the two spellings. Granada is in Spain. Grenada is the island country in the eastern Caribbean. Period.



I am now located at Camino de Ronda at the Rio Genil. I think I could move here…on a dime.

My next destination and goal point is about 108 miles, sort of to the south.

My early morning blood sugar registered in at 110 mg/dL.  It's 10 points above the recommended top of the normal level.  Got to do something.  I'm still not taking any meds but it looks like I've got to avoid the late-nite snacks like the half-bag of Greektown Gyro flavored Lays potato chips I had last night.

My #36 Loaf of No-Knead à la Sourdough is out of the oven. It looks like a connection to the plant-eating dinosaur recently found in Alaska. I know I forget to follow the advice of the author to knead the proofed loaf for 10 minutes. Something to do with the gluten needed work when there is wild versus domesticated yeast. Looks like I’ll be following that procedure with #37.

And it definitely has that sourdough taste.



This is my 1,012th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this morning, 77,192 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Day 39 – (AD 944) – 22.4 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Gotta Get Back on Track On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I pedaled 22.4 miles on my Schwinn 170. My totals – 19,870.7 miles; 31,978.9 kilometers. The real part, the boring part, the exercise.



And I am located on A-92 Highway I think in Andulsia, Spain. I have pedaled 881.2 miles since I began my crazy Part IV Trek from Porto, Portugal. I believe that I am, virtually 21.4 miles west of my next destination and goal point.

Damn the bakery is in full swing. Loaf #35, No Knead Bread, seconds out of the oven; Basil and Parmesan Cheese. Just mixed up the first, Loaf #36 and set to proof; Sourdough White.  Follow up at Jim's Gotta Eat for the recipe and variations.

I just fixed myself a sandwich of a couple of slices of #35 with some White Cheddar cheese. Compared to Whole Foods around the corner I think I am saving about $4.00 a loaf of Artesian bread.


Question – Is it my imagination or are the Halloween candies earlier on the shelves this year? I wonder if there is a hedge funds manager operating the exponential return of an association and correlation between the candy companies and the diabetes drug producers? Someone must want to boost 3rd quarter numbers.

Just wondering that if researchers keep finding new species of our past, as the new plant-eating dinosaur recently discovered in Alaska, how is it that some rational scientist has not been able to explain the inane ramblings of the 9th Governor of the State?

So glad that we’ve had a couple of days of dry here; and I can only reference to this street. Third time this year that I’ve had to bleach and/or pressure-wash the pool deck. Red, brown, grey, and black mold seem to be the visible varieties. Most years I only have to do it once in 365 days. It’s been a wet season.



This is my 1,011th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this morning, 77,147 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Day 38 – (AD 943) – 22.3 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Late Afternoon On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This late, late afternoon I pedaled another 22.2 miles on my Schwinn 170. Grandpa was kid-sitting. What’s the term for a child older than three but younger than 12? That’s what I was doing. My totals today add up to 19,848.3 miles; 31,942.8 kilometers.



And I continue on my virtual journey. I am now located, headed north, somewhere on A-241; Google Map address 18300 Loja, Granada, Spain. All-things-being-equal and looking at the map I seem to be about 4 miles southwest of Loja.

Early morning blood sugar jumped up, due to late supper and my Ben & Jerry, to 109. Not an issue but I did learn some time ago that the later I eat the greater my blood sugar count the next morning.

And 10 days later another one in the GOP bed rolled over and fell out the bed. Walker, now gone. And there is 15 in the bed whereas soon there will be only one Republican candidate debate to listen and record.


When will any candidate be presenting where we want to be in 2016 and beyond?

No-Knead loaf #35 is in the bowl. This time Oregano Bread. Bread to the oven tomorrow morning. Think I may add some Parmesan Cheese. Also Day 5 of Sourdough Starter is halfway through. Am looking forward to these constructions.

We’ve been a bit quiet about the new quilts we’ve been working on. To date 4 new ones have been completed. A 5th is being quilted and there are 8 new ones in process and progress.

Why or why can't I effectively change my Apple passwords?

This is my 1,010th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this morning, 77,121 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)


Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 37 – (AD 942) – 22.7 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – North On MySchwinn 170


Good Day,

And this morning I cycled on my Schwinn 170 22.7 miles.

I am located at Casabermeja, Málaga. I reached my destination and goal point at Málaga, and then continued north.

And my blood sugar this morning dropped again to 95; that’s down 15 points. Home-made meals are definitely, even if they are leftovers, the better control. 

Grandpa's babysitting today.

This is my 1,009th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this morning, 77,085 Pageviews. 

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Day 36 – (AD 941) – 23.0 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Again On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I pedaled 23.0 miles on my Schwinn 170. And since December 2, 2012 I have pedaled and used my Schwinn Fitness cycles a total of 941 days. I am still clocking 81 days that I rested since I began. I have now recorded a total of 813.8 miles since the beginning of Part IV. My totals 19,803.3 miles; 31,870.4 kilometers.



I am now located at 10 Paseo del Pan Triste in Torremolinos, Spain. Looks like a beautiful day, both there and here in Tampa.

Question – Why are a number of the alleged candidates for the upcoming election of the President of the United States so, so unaware? From The Atlantic recent article by Sean McElwee “Why Non-Voters Matter” “…In low turnout elections, politicians are incentivized to cater to the interests of a small portion of the general public…” And is not the media, who is just searching for the “flash-in-the-pan” headlines, forcing skewed results as they single out the most unintelligent story pandering to the lack of aptitude of the mob. (I definitely miss the wit of George Carlin.)


Great meal for supper last night – Black Bean Stew; my early morning blood sugar dropped 7 points. I added chicken and potatoes, chorizo and bacon, celery and onions, of course black beans, paprika and chicken broth, and I had another helping.

This is my 1,008th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this morning, 77,057 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Day 35 – (AD 940) – 22.5 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – 77,000 Pageviews On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This late, late morning I pedaled 22.5 more miles on my Schwinn 170. Only about 220 more miles to hit the 20,000-mile mark. My totals stand now at 19,780.3 miles; 31,3833.4 kilometers.


In my virtual world I am now located at the Hotel VIME La Reserva de Marbella on Av. Yunquera in Málaga, Spain. My next two goals and destination points are about a total of 110 more miles to the northeast.

I’ve been extremely lazy about fixing meals these past couple of days…and it shows in the gradual upward creep of my early morning blood sugar counts. This morning I recorded up another 4 points to 117. Gotta get the number back down to the 90-100 range.
Wonder if there may be some sort of interconnections with my biorhythmic cycles? Don’t think I’m looking for something to blame. Just trying to focus. Hell yes, focus.

And today’s loaf of bread, #34, is Flax Seed and Rye Flour. My recipe – 2 cups White Bread flour, 1 cup Rye flour, ½ tsp Yeast, 1 ½ tsps Salt, 1 ½ tsps Sugar, 1 ½ cup Water, and ½ cup Flax Seeds. 



I’ve also started a new venture. I’m making my own sourdough starter; 1 cup White Whole Wheat Flour and 1 cup Water. Mix and stir, cover, and let sit for 24 hours. That’s Day 1.

Today’s Saint of the Day is St. Januarius. Well apart from having a name that is closer to a month eight months ago, how does one become the patron saint of blood banks and volcanic eruptions? And who does like intercession with a Pizzette di San Gennaro – Little Pizzas of St. Janarius?

This is my 1,007th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this morning, 77,000 Pageviews. Yup that’s 76 ½ pageviews daily.



I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Friday, September 18, 2015

Day 34 – (AD 939) – 21.6 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – On My Schwinn 170, Then Errands

Good Day,

This morning I cycled 21.6 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals – 19,757.8 miles; 31,797.2 kilometers.

Today my virtual route included tolls along the Autovía del Mediterráneo, from San Roque in Cádiz to Estepona in Málaga in Spain.



And this post is short. Period. Gotta work on bringing my early blood sugar count down a wee bit.

This is my 1,006th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this morning, 76,963 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Day 33 – (AD 938) – 22.4 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

And life goes on. Today I cycled 22.4 miles on my Schwinn 170. My totals - 19,736.2 miles; 31,762.4 kilometers.

This morning I reached my destination and goal point at Gibraltar.



Continuing on, I am current located, headed north, at Autovía del Mediterráneo.



I still have 20.7% of my total goal to pedal.

Well I'm working on my 69,999th this afternoon... "Your brain produces about 70,000 thoughts a day", per the article in today's Las Vegas Review-Journal.

This is my 1,005th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this morning, 76,887 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Day 32 ½ – (AD 937 ½) – 0.0 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Great News – Grandson Arrived This Morning

Good Day,

No time to pedal, cycle or travel my virtual journey today. This morning at 8:01 am Grandson #2 arrived. Yeah. Fantastic.

Mother and Father and Brother all doing fine…

Grandpa trying to figure out how to set up a mini exercise bike for the kid.


This is my 1,004th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this morning, 76,834 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Day 32 – (AD 937) – 23.5 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Still Waiting On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I really struggled pedaling on my Schwinn 170. I had to cycle in two parts, cause I just lost all my momentum and stamina at 13.2 miles. I rested for about 10 minutes and then I continued and completed another 10.3 miles. My total for today 23.5 miles. Overall – 19,713.8 miles; 31,726.3 kilometers.



I am still headed in a southerly direction. I am now located at, according to Google maps, A-405, 11360 San Roque, Cádiz, Spain. I will more than likely take tomorrow off.

Fasting blood sugar dropped this morning to 96. Last night’s supper was Indian Chickpea Curry - Chana Masala - Vegan Vegetarian Recipe

Loaf #33 (Yeah I’m half-way to a habit), is Rye and Bread flours with Caraway Seeds. Guess my version of Rye Bread. And the slices, a Salami and Asiago Cheese with Red Onion and Dijon Mustard sandwich, were out of this world. I think I like this habit.


Question – Does anyone really understand what is happening to this world these days? Floods; fires; refugees; strikes; sealed borders; indiscriminate shooting; Syria; South China Sea; North Korea; avalanche; conservative group launches $1 million anti-Trump ad campaign; Rowan County; change of government; school bus overturns… What the hell?

Oh yeah, EKG this afternoon, sort of normal with some funky lines over the chart. This is my 1,003rd post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this morning, 76,789 Pageviews.

Countdown – 19 hours.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim