Day 137 – (AD 360) – Jim's Trek Part II – The Sequel – 22.0 Miles – More on My Schwinn 150

Good day,

And I had errands to run today, those that caused me just to shift some of my priorities. But I did get my cycling on my Schwinn 150 done. I cycled another 22.0 miles and I burned 660 calories. The rewards that I am definitely relishing, due to this crazy cycle and Trek thing, are the ones that assuredly compliment me on the way that I am now looking. Most definitely, Thank You. And right now my eyes are so dilated that I am just watching my screens encompassed in a haze and fog.

My location this morning was on the US-380 E east of Decatur, Texas and headed toward N County Line Road. I have now got 7,198.3 miles physically under my legs. Not bad for an almost old dude just shy of one week of beginning my 63rd year on this earth.

And I keep hearing ads on the radio for Pajamagram. When the announcer states that anyone can get Christmas pajamas for the whole finally including the cat and dog, I can only shake my head in disbelief. And yes I found the website. But it is the poor dog and cat. And yes I know that the models are paid for their time and hairspray, but just who in the hell buys Christmas pajamas for the whole family including the dog and cat? I am at a loss trying to get my head around whether we have we really come to this?

It is almost, not quite, but almost as bad as the Santa repartee that exited of the mouth of the Fox channel’s Megyn Kelly. Are we actually employing people to further dumb down the inhabitants on this planet?

Okay my blood pressure is down now. Actually I can actually say that I am glad that I have become obsessed with my cycling…for now, and after 360 days. And I was privy to hear a clip of a discussion and interview with Dr. Joel Fuhrman. (JK, good name.) Guess what I am doing is what he does proselytize.

My viewing pleasure this morning was a wee bit screwed up. That is, my Netflix connection on my Chromecast wasn’t working. So I actually watched the next episode of The 4400 on my iPad. It worked.

 

+ 

Our Blumish Two and our Tampa Lightning quilts are mailed and on their way to the West Palm Beach and the World Quilt Show – Florida V. Work on our BW 1950 quilt has begun and it is amazing at the sizes of the pieces. All five bands of our new Vanderbilt afghan have been finished. Three have been edged.

Be healthy and enjoy,

Jim

Day 134 – (AD 357) – Jim's Trek Part II – The Sequel – 22.0 Miles – Yes, Still Texas on My Schwinn 150

Good day,

And I cycled 22.0 miles this morning on my Schwinn 150. I am now burning an average of about 634 calories each and every time I cycle. Since I began my exercise I have lost about 7.6 pounds. Not much, but it is the changes to my body mass and the reduction of my waist that are just amazing. I have lost 11 ½” on my waist and the new 34” shorts that I recently bought now need to be taken in.

Today I cycled, virtually, through the City of Graham in north central Texas. The population is about 9,000. From my location on US-380 E I am somewhere northeast of Graham and I am headed towards Jacksboro.

I am beginning to truly wonder about the brainwaves and neo-inspired meteorological coverage by our local media. Currently at just about Noon in Tampa, with all my windows open and barefoot, the temperature is 79.6° F. The humidity is 68% and there is a 12% change of precipitation. If you ask me, that is the almost perfect weather, just the way that I would like to live for the rest of my days. So where does our “esteemed” media have the audacity to throw out the headlines this morning, “Cold front will bring slight heat relief to Tampa”? What relief? Cold is cold. It ain’t relief if I have to put any socks on. I think the weather people should stick to studying the weather and let someone else write their text.

Today I completed the 12th week and all the tasks of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. Bingo… and I am ready to move on to my next writing adventure.

All five bands have been finished for our new afghan Vanderbilt. Now begins the edging of each. The third color has been chosen. The design is in process.  Check back to Afghans SB for progress.

Work on another new quilt wall hanging design started. It is to be created by a combination of 0.8" squares and triangles with a third side equal to 1.13". Okay I am crazy but Andy took my design and calculations and then came back with an amazing sample. Small stitches and open pressing. Now we have to sort the fabrics.  See details at Quilts SB.

Began the 3rd season of The 4400. I think I have figured out a couple of reasons why the producers stopped the series. Lost was one of the competitive series aired by ABC just about the same time in 2004. It is just a ratings’ game. And since I have never seen Lost, guess what might be my next cycling viewing companion.

Enjoy and be healthy,

Jim

Day 96 – (AD 319) – Jim’s Trek Part II – The Sequel – 21.9 Miles – Now Over 6,300 Miles On My Schwinn 150

Good Day,

This morning’s 21.9 miles on my Schwinn 150 helped me to top the 6,300 mark – 6,302.8 miles. Yesterday I said that I might take a day off but I didn't and I now know that this morning cycling has been an ingrained habit because I actually got up earlier than normal just to complete my miles. I now have about 924 miles to my next Interlake address goal point.

I am currently located, on my virtual Trek, heading southeast on highways AZ-260 E/AZ-87 S. I am just at a crossing of the East Verde River. The “B” marker below is my other me.

I am beginning to become ticked off with the topics of some news stories of recent press… and of course they are more enunciated as the speed of the electronic broadcast spreads. It is the news clips regarding some idiotically proclaimed and fundamentally professed religious persons not leaving tips for service rendered due to their perceived perceptions of the servers’ demeanor, deportment, gender, and race. Words are very hard for me at this point.  Not because I am perturbed with the clients’ belief, but because it would seem that those, the clients, receiving the service, that is, the food and wait service, are actually robbing and lying to individuals by accepting the service in the first place.

My iGoogle is shutting down in 4 days. Time to shave... and bacon all day.  Why?

Available through Amazon and if you live in Florida you better get it but “It remains unclear when the tax will be included on the Amazon website. That could be when dirt is first turned on either of the distribution centers that Amazon announced this week, or when the first package is ready to roll out the doors of either location.” Jacksonville Business Journal, October 24, 2013.

My video companion this morning on my cycling was the 2012 movie Morgan. Nice movie about a cyclist, now paraplegic, who wants to re-enter his competitive world by entering a race.

The top of our new An Unnamed Classic, without borders, has been completed. We have begun a new untitled one but you will have to wait to see details. The third band of our Vanderbilt afghan is half-way completed. Only four-and-a-half more bands plus borders to go in our design.

Be healthy and enjoy,

Jim

Day 94 – (AD 317) – Jim’s Trek Part II – The Sequel – 22.0 Miles – The General Crook Trail On My Schwinn 150

Good Day,

And this late morning I cycled 22.0 miles and I burned off another 661 calories on my Schwinn 150. I am now averaging just 630.5 calories every single day. Not bad for an hour and about 10 minutes.

My Trek now has me traveling on AZ-260 E, the General Crook Trail and just a bit after Fossil Creek Road. I am just south of West Clear Creek, Arizona. The landscape is certainly a dry one.

I wonder whether the next 2014 Florida gubernatorial election should prove somewhat interesting. I’m not particularly political but it would definitely cause this head to turn should the final two candidates for Governor be the current and somewhat unpopular, Rick Scott (Republican) and the former one Charlie Crist (now Democrat formerly Republican). Something sure to watch in the upcoming year.

And something caught my eye.  Well this small insignificant inhabitant of this planet called earth is certainly amazed at the BIG business and the quantity of items available for sale at The Catholic Company. But I am sort of confused at one specific statuette. It is priced at $199.95… Such a deal.  BUT it can also be bought at Walmart for a considerable lower price of $154.99. So we now have these two huge conglomerates offering the same item for sale at a considerable cost spread difference. I wonder if The Catholic Company will match Walmart’s price. And if there is any guilt the $45.04 can be placed into the offering plate.

But, I am somewhat befuddled… The statuette is a figure of a mythological creature, Santa Claus, kneeling to a reclining child, Jesus, while a somewhat large lamb looks on. And the explanation on The Catholic Company sales’ website is “…This kneeling Santa figurine represents the world and Heaven meeting face to face.” When was I taught that Santa Claus, aka Saint Nicholas, is a viable representation of me? How?

And another question - Which part is not a myth?

The blocks of An Unnamed Classic quilt have all been completed.  The arrangement of the blocks and the sashing is now being constructed.  Work on the third band of our Vanderbilt afghan continues.

Be healthy and enjoy,

Jim

Day 93 – (AD 316) – Jim’s Trek Part II – The Sequel – 22.0 Miles – The Other Rodeo Drive On My Schwinn 150

Good Day,

Today on my Schwinn 150 I cycled another 22.0 miles.

This morning I reached a point on  Camp Verde Bridgeport or AZ-260 E Highway. I am just about at Cottonwood-Verde Village. This is a retirement and bedroom community for Cottonwood, Arizona. About 70% of the residents are retired. Population is about 12,000. Enough said… (Yup, I'm there.) Just a different Rodeo Drive.

And today I began running errands just after I had cycled. I just got home and it is early evening. I'm going to be short.

Tonight I will be working on our Vanderbilt afghan. And we will be continuing the design and construction of An Unnamed Classic quilt.

Be healthy and enjoy,

Jim

Day 89 - (AD 312) - Jim's Trek Part II - The Sequel - 22.0 Miles - There Are Hills on My Schwinn 150

Good Day,

This morning I cycled 22.0 miles on my Schwinn 150… and yes this is not a recording. This is my morning Trek, Jim’s Trek.

I am now currently on my 312th day of my cycling journey and on the 89th day of my return from Seattle to Tampa. I am still amazed at myself that I have not become bored with this repeated event of my daily routine. In two months I will begin my 63rd year and I wonder how many miles I will have cycled and where I will be in my virtual journey.

Today I am located and headed in a northwesterly direction on AZ-89 N. I am at an intersection of AZ-89, Date Creek and Stanton Roads. It doesn't look like it rains much around here and I can definitely see that I will shortly be climbing upwards. I do believe that Weaver Peak is somewhere to the left of the road.

Last night I threw together a Shrimp and Egg Noodle Salad. I made the Salad of some ingredients I found in my freezer, refrigerator and pantry. It was so damn good that I had to have a second plate… not just a second helping, a second bloody plate. And my morning fasting blood sugar count jumped up 10 points to 101 mg/dL, my calculated A1c equals 5.08%.

Work on band three of our new Vanderbilt afghan continues. As the design continues I have decided on three initial bands of the Caron color Lace. The quilting on our Longarm to our Tampa Kaleidoscope continues. We have started a new commissioned quilt and the chosen fabrics will make this new quilt sing.

I am still in Season Seven of The West Wing. The episodes are now highlighting the transitional period of the newly elected President. I can now understand the writing and developmental reasons for terminating the series at the end of this season. My choice for my next viewing companionship while I cycle? Any suggestions?

Be healthy and enjoy,

Jim

Day 65 - (AD 288) - Jim's Trek Part II - The Sequel - 21.0 Miles - Near Lancaster, CA on My Schwinn 150

Good Day,

I cycled 21.0 miles on my Schwinn 150 this morning. I have now completed 1,377.2 miles on my return journey from Seattle back to Tampa. To date the Part II of my total journey has increased to 24.4% of my total journey. And this morning I burned 657 calories, and I'm sure I'll eat them back on today.

I am headed in an easterly direction on CA-138 E, also known as W Avenue D. I'm just about to come on to the intersection at 60th Street W. I am northwest of the City of Lancaster which is within the Antelope Valley region and California's High Desert. The population of Lancaster is somewhere about 157 thousand.

One of Lancaster's claim to fame - One of the three musical roads in the world. An excerpt of Gioachino Rossini's William Tell Overture, tar and bumps. The other two are in Japan and maybe that is Part III.


I wonder... Just thinking that if it would sound like Chopsticks should a bicycle travel over the musical groves?

And of course I am still follow The West Wing as my video companion to my Schwinn 150 cycling. Did I mention that I watch a movie or video series without commercial break as I am cycling? This helps me to commit myself to a continuous stream of cycling without any audible or mental interuptions. It definitely works for me.

This morning's lesson from the annals of The West Wing: Should you want someone to shut up and if you want them to curtail their negative politicking, create a bogus award and present it to them in a quick and sweet ceremony; the Francis Scott Key Key Award. (Season 4, Episode 18, Privateers...)

And I did it again, but this time I caught my error without having created too much of the ensuing Vanderbilt afghan band. It is a simple process but I have to keep focused between the single and the double rows. The re-constructed band is now 23". (Each inner band of this original design is projected to be 50".)

The quilting to our Tampa Kaleidoscope is looking great.

Be healthy and enjoy,

Jim

Day 64 - (AD 287) - Jim's Trek Part II - The Sequel - 20.5 Miles - Cruising in California on My Schwinn 150

Good Day,

This morning I finished 20.5 miles on my Schwinn 150. The 5,600 mile mark has now been reached. My total miles as of this 287th day of cycling is 5,613.3. My next Interlake address goal is 209 miles away. I still have 2,677 miles to go to return home to Tampa, Florida. All-things-being-equal this Trek on my Schwinn 150 is turning into a short exercise and body changing jaunt of just about 8,300 miles, give or take...

Currently I am heading in a southeasterly direction on CA-138 E/270th St W/W Ave C-6/Lancaster Rd toward Pacific Crest Trail.  Google Maps' photo-cars have taken images at night.  The resulting photo on my notebook is not to bright.  I just lightened up the image to realize that I have to be wary and careful of on-coming 18-wheelers.

J&B's new plantation is filled with fruit-bearing papaya trees. Just made myself a papaya, banana/strawberry yogurt smoothie. Also tried my hand at a Sum Tom.

I do not think that I will, even though I am probably lying, ever eat at a fast food restaurant ever again... Follow this link...Fast Food Fancy.

I have decided to become a weather prognosticator. Today is Day Three and there are only 37 days and nights left to gather up the gopher wood here in Tampa. We've been having a H2Ocane without the winds, just the water, the thunder and lightning. Slight breeze though. I wonder if I can use the Cypress wood in the back yard?

While I'm on this stream of thought, my question is... when do those without any reasonable level of education or common sense always think that it is their God-given (or Allah-given) right to foist their segmented and biased learnings upon other persons and relatives? There has to be some inverse correlation between the levels of fanaticism and the degree of education. I think I'm going to have some shrimp for supper.

Politicians can be now and should be assimilated and likened to anything beyond the philosophy of Dr. Seuss. Ted Cruz, born Canadian and now American at 42 years, with baccalaureates plus from Princeton University, Harvard University, and Harvard Law School is now brilliantly presenting the credibilities of the constituents who elected him to the US Senate. Horton hops on Pop. Cruz in on Green Eggs and Ham and waste the citizens funds and time.

Well I finished the first band of my Vanderbilt afghan. A beautiful 8 ½" by 50". I then realized I had made two distinct errors, errors to my eyes. I unraveled 42" and continued again.Our quilting pattern, on our longarm, for the inner top of Tampa Kaleidoscope really looks slick. Don't forget to check out Afghans SB and Quilts SB for our progress and updates.

Be healthy and enjoy,

Jim