Dudelsack 

Yesterday- worked. Working on a major job transition. Lots of stress. Went to bed feeling rattled.

Today- slept in. Planned on waking up at six this AM and catching a 7:30 group ride, but used forgetting where I put my bike shoes as an excuse to go back to sleep. Heading out for a leisurely hot mid morning ride, then 4th celebration at my daughter's, then early to bed so I can wake up early and go to work tomorrow.

chasm54

Lol

DnvrFox

We got you beat by a long ways!!

cranky old dude

Was up out of bed at 03:28 a.m. I beat the alarm by two minutes...it's always a good day when I don't get rousted out of bed by that confounded alarm clock!!

I managed to pack my breakfast and lunch and still be on the bike and heading into work by 04:00 a.m. It was a glorious cloudless morning. The cityscape was brightly illuminated by the full moon, which by the way was helping to make task of spotting and conferring all the roaming little darlings a bit easier for the police. There were plenty of both camps out there last night!

I'll play in the chemical refinery from 05:00 a.m. until 17:30 (5:30 p.m.).

The good weather is supposed to last all day so I'll just wander home from work...no clue how far that ride will be yet.

We're having Hot Dogs (porkers...the white ones, it's a regional thing) for dinner. She promised to make up some deviled eggs and there is jello and reddi-wip in the fridge.

I'll visit with my bride until she starts getting a bit sleepy and then I'll watch a little T.V.with the cat on my lap, as always.

Then it's nighty-night time!

So let's see....rode my bike, made some money, ate three meals, and spent time with my Honey. What a great day!!

berner

I've been retired for a few years now and some would say I stopped working well before that (a vicious rumor, really). Today was the Bristol 4th of July parade which is the oldest one in the country. There is no actual point when the parade began but commemoration of the occasion began in 1785 with a procession in the town to a church. Over the years it has grown, especially for a small town, into a large procession with marching bands from all over the country.

People like tradition and old stuff around here. Nothing is remotely as old as can be seen in daily use in other parts of the world but there is much that goes back to the beginning of the nation and is held in high esteem, as it should be.

There are old fire trucks in lovingly polished, what else, fire engine red. I even saw an ancient pumper, originally horse drawn, from 1836, beautifully restored. There is even a bare handed baseball league that I assume is the way the game was once played.

There is the Rhode Island Train of Artillery, incorporated in 1776, the Cranston Rifles and Kentish Patriots, also from the same period and all in period costume and sporting muskets backed up by brass cannon. There are fife and drum corps, correctly attired and looking for all the world as if heading off to war. There are always some dudes in kilts, often several groups, playing bagpipes and sporting elaborate costumes. It is interesting to me that in these and similar groups I'm seeing people of all colors and this also is at it should be. We are inclusive in America and in my opinion that's the best thing about us.

There was a navy frigate anchored just outside the harbor in deeper water and they were offering tours of the ship and had their contingent as part of the parade. I must say, navy summer whites sure look sharp, a fine recruiting ploy.

There was a square rigged vessel of 100 feet or so moored at a pier in town. Not a full rigged ship but still pretty big. They are based in Nova Scotia and take round the world voyages teaching ancient skills of seamanship, rope work, and navigation. It used to be it was boys that ran away to sea but I noticed some girls as part of the crew. The meaning of the saying, "knowing the ropes" becomes clear looking at the maze of rigging necessary to operate such a vessel. The crew needs to know what each rope does and where to find it in the dark and aloft on swaying masts.

It was and is a fine day - I even got a short bike ride in - one lap around the state park for 7 total miles.

rubic

I am off today, as it should be. It is the 4th of July!! Not to worry, my on-call guy is at the ready. To make up for not working today, I took off the rest of the week.

Oh yeah, paid holiday today. Also, paid time off for the rest of the week. Well, shaving cream, union contracts are good for certain things, no?

JanMM

Still working as an RN but have been away from nursing units/patient care for several years. My M-F, 8-5 job means that today is a Holiday/Paid Time Off.

Texasplumr

A paid holiday today. Slept in till 7:00 then went for a ride with my wife. Came home and watched "Revolution" on the History Channel. I love to study history and this was a good documentary.

Barrettscv 

Paid Holiday today. 58 miles completed before 11:30am.

missjean

Yesterday worked at the bike shop, helping customers & cleaning bikes. Made dinner and baked a pie for the 4th.

Today, wanted to get a morning ride in, but it was pouring rain, so I loafed around for a couple of hours, packed some jewelry orders for mailing tomorrow, then put a new computer on my road bike. By the time that was done the rain had stopped so I rode up & down the driveway to check that it was working correctly. (I hit 16 mph in the driveway!) then it was off to my sister's place for tons of food, drink, pool & yardgames - which my brother always, always wins.

miss kenton

I am in an unusual spot. I worked my last days at my two part-time jobs last week and begin my new full-time position next week. I am off this week! Yippee!

My husband took a couple of days off, so yesterday, we spent the day down the shore-- spent some time on the beach lounging under an umbrella with our toes in the sand, drinking icy rum punch my husband had made, reading my "New Yorker" magazine while he read a novel. We frolicked in the ocean, (the first time I've been in the ocean in years, let alone frolicked). We had a slice at the best pizza place on the NJ boardwalk, strolled the boards and bought salt water taffy. Then we went for a delicious seafood dinner before heading home. It was a great day and one of the benefits of being an empty nester.

Today, I watched the TdF, and went for a bike ride. We cruised through five neighboring towns in search of some 4th of July activities, but I suppose we missed them because of our late start (after TdF) and the 96 degree temperatures! I guess everyone just wanted to home to their pools! C'est la vie! It was a fun ride, nevertheless. Our regular stop is somewhere for iced coffee. It never tasted so refreshing than it did today in this heat!

Ranger Dan

I spent the day at work. Nine more hours and I get to go home (24 hr shift). No overtime and no paid holiday, but as long at it stays quiet I can take a nap on the job and get paid for it. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a ride in tomorrow morning after I get off, before it gets too hot (forecast high in the mid-90s with high humidity). Happy Independence Day!

volosong

I'm on salary, so work when it is necessary. Had to approve my instrument command upload to the satellite twice, early morning and mid-day. Didn't take long and I was still able to get in a nice ride.

NOS88

Let's see, this morning I've been responding to numerous emails about new Department of Public Welfare regulations that change the way services are delivered for community based frail elderly and people with disabilities. I spent an additional hour trying to figure out how to import PowerPoint narration into Adobe Presenter for upload to our LMS while keeping the file size small enough that we don't exceed the max for this course. Next, I scheduled a meeting with our auditor so we can close out the fiscal year. This afternoon, I'm working on a curriculum for senior problem gamblers and I'm updating the syllabus for a course called Social Deviance, Social Pathology, Relevant Social Policy, and Sociological Interventions. Finally, if I can get to it I'll be laying out the start of a storyboard for an online course on social systems innovation and change at the organizational, community and societal levels.

I should be done in time to start a 15 to 20 mile ride around 6:00 pm...after the heat starts to dissipate a bit.

qcpmsame 

This morning I am getting my July calender sorted out and planning my meetings that are mandatory and which are chaff. Listening/watching to the TdF on the EuroSport live feed while I work. Mainly thinking about riding when I get home. Visiting relatives all over the office this morning, headed out to the beach for the day. Sand in the clothes and sunburn, yippeeeee. Better they than me. Gulf is absolutely flat with no surf. Safer for the kids but sucks for old surfers, like me. Not going, wouldn't be the prudent thing to do, not gonna go there.

Bill

cyclinfool

Spent the 4th working on an outdoor project with a friend, wrenched my back something fierce - in severe pain. Getting old is hell.
Luckily I have the rest of the week off, I had several fun projects lined up and a few rides as well but now it's just moving slowly and sitting around waiting for things to loosen back up.

I should be OK by Monday when I go back to work. Then another long stretch before my next vacation in August. My job is spent mostly between my desk and my Lab these days, a few meetings and moderate travel. Taking it easy is easy.

Dudelsack 

fify

I'm sorry, that really wasn't funny.

k7baixo

Up at 0415, on the bike by 0430 for an hour ride. It really was a beautiful morning in the desert. Yesterday's rain and 20 degree temp drop set the stage for a cooler than usual ride. The moon was almost full so there was a certain magic to the morning.

Unfortunately, it ended too soon and as I went into our garage, I was reminded that it's monsoon season - when I stopped, the sweat was simply rolling off of me!

I was at work by 0645 - many people are taking today and Friday as bridge days so it'll be a little slower at work. I have more than enough to keep occupied after I finish my "bikeforum-instead-of-a-cigarette" break.

I'll be out of here by 1500 and we have only one stop to make on the way home. Once there, we'll take care of our household duties, enjoy dinner, maybe a glass of wine and watch today's TdF recording.

Life is good -we're beyond blessed. My wife lost her job in Jan and finding it tough going but beyond that, we're as happy as we can be and her stress at not having a j-o-b is about 95% self-induced. She's worked fulltime since she was 14 and has no intentions of slowing down.

jimmuller 

Our band played for the 4th celebration in Concord, MA, so no riding. Until... Our neighbors had asked if we wanted to join them to see the fireworks at a park in the next town over. When the time came to walk over to the park they had already walked themselves out and suggested we ride bikes instead. So I dragged the tandem (with lights!) out of the basement and we rode the 1.9 miles over to the fireworks. The hardest part was working through the traffic jam on the return home!



So we ended up riding after all.

Wogster

Let's see, my work is part time, our holiday was Monday, we work until done, started about 8:30, finished at 12:30, it was hot and humid, wife suggested spending the afternoon at the beach, no riding today.....

fietsbob

@ 64.75 years .. I'm part time too, half day Friday and all day Saturday..

Dudelsack 

How many people were clever enough to take Thursday and Friday off? I wasn't one of them. To the Salt Mines!

daleb116

I was! So far it has involved riding, cooling down and rehydrating, then repeat.

Road Fan

I took today off. Last night was Iyengar Yoga class, this summer especially in a non-airconditioned room (the program is run by our local schools as part of Adult Education) - teacher pushed us all hard because people eat too much on the Fourth, don't they? Dehydration stage 1?

Went out at 7 am to meet a bud for a bike ride riding my Terraferma, got on the road together at 8:45, 85 degrees. Rode 30 miles with some breaks, drinking not enough water (2 large bottles was not enough!). Heart rate up to 160 toward the end, possible heat stress? Still we maintained about 14.2 mph average and I had no other discomforts other than needing to further fine-tune the saddle.. Went home to cool, chill, rest, rehydrate, eat, and ... well get on BF! I'm finally hungry. Tonight I foresee installing a bike computer on the bike.

qcpmsame 

I ended up sleeping in until 0500, it was lightning when my eyes opened at 0400 so a bagged the early riding plans and went in to the office. Only 2 of us there what with the thunderstorms we had until 1200-1330 depending on where you were in the county. Listened/watched to the Eurosport TdF feed while I worked on piddling things and got ready for a pre-bid conference on Monday. Gave up at 1100 and drove home through the flooded streets. Finally rode at 1745.

Bill