Tag Archives: Alabama

365 Day Photo Challenge 161/365 “Tough Day”

09 Tuesday Jun 2015

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It’s been a long day today.  I had to get up early this morning to 1) make sure my girls got off to work and 2) get my wife to the eye hospital to have Cataract surgery done. Getting my girls off was one thing but getting my wife to her appointment was another.  The smallest thing makes her nervous, so much so that it makes her sick to her stomach.  It’s like dealing with a five year old.  She also has a very low tolerance for pain.  A paper cut will cause her to scream for pain meds.

It was an early night for the girls.  They got home, ate the supper I prepared because the wife couldn’t do it and took their showers and went to bed.  They are currently working at a local water park and they have to stand up all day helping people on the water slides.  I’m hoping it’s making them a little more responsible.  It’s good for them. It was also an early night for the wife.  It was a very stressful day for her.

After the supper dishes were cleaned up and put away I was planning on going on a bike ride but mother nature had other plans. A couple of thunderstorms showed up and I don’t ride when it’s lightning.  Tomorrow means that I’ll be back at work catching up on what wasn’t done today while I wasn’t there.  Just one day closer to retirement is what I keep reminding myself.  Have I said lately how much I hate my job?

Hoping to get a ride in tomorrow to relieve some of this stress that’s building up inside me.  Twenty five miles should give me a good start.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 159/365 “Observations While Cycling”

07 Sunday Jun 2015

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I absolutely love riding through my community.  I guess the first thing that pops in my mind is the different aromas that I smell as I’m riding from street to street.  The best aroma is the smell of someone cooking out on their grill.  There is always someone cooking but the best days are Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.

The smell of freshly cut grass also comes to mind.  During the spring and summer months there is always someone with their lawnmower out.  There is also the sound of weedeaters, trimmers and gas blowers that resonate through the neighborhoods that often accompany the smell of freshly cut grass.

There is also the unpleasant smell of a dead animal carcass.  Our area is consumed with opossums and raccoons, and for some reason always want to see what’s on the other side of the road.  In most cases they don’t seem to make it without getting run over.  In fact, there was something that got ran over a few days ago. Didn’t recognize the form.  It wasn’t an opossum nor was it a raccoon and I don’t believe it to be a dog and it was too big for it to be a cat.  With temperatures reaching into the 90’s this week I’m sure this will cause a horrific odor in days to come.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 158/365 “Close Call”

06 Saturday Jun 2015

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I woke up after a very restless night.  I’ve never heard so many loud mufflers in my life. At 1:30 am, a loud motorcycle took off from our parking lot and I heard him hit the interstate and hammer down until he faded off in the distance.  The AC unit worked but the compressor made a loud noise when ever it called for cooling.  The hotel I stayed at allowed pets so as you may have guess it, loud dogs barking all night long. So, when I woke up at 5 am I was not in the mood to ride 41 miles.

After eating breakfast, loading all my gear in my truck, loading the bike on the bike rack I headed off to the church where over 300 bikes were ready to take off.  At 7 am all the century riders took off while the other riders took off at 7:15am.  We started off slow.  Slower than I wanted too.  I was in the back of about 50 cyclist and the average speed was about 11 mph.  The roads were fairly flat and I was ready to move along.

After about five miles or so the riders thinned out enough to where I could start passing some of the slower riders and get up to cruising speed.  There was a older gentleman that wore an army jersey that I was able to keep up with for several miles.  Then the first big hill that’s when I lost the lead riders.  I soon found another couple that I started riding with and we played leapfrog for several miles.  I’d pass them on the down hill and they would pass me on the up hill.  That is until the accident.

At mile 12.9 an oncoming car crossed over the double yellow line as the female cyclist that I had been leapfrogging for the past five miles or so, was starting to pass me on the uphill.  I saw the car approaching and was really paying attention to it more than I was the young cyclist that was passing me.  The car was way over the line, so much so that when I felt the initial hit I thought that the car had hit me.  The young lady cyclist saw the car too.  Whether or not the cyclist panicked or she actually thought she was about to be hit, she swerved into me and her right pedal went into my rear tire causing me to flip off the bike.  This whole time I thought the car had hit me.  I didn’t know that she had anything to do with it until the dust settled.  The only thing I knew I was eating grass with this lady on top of me.

After the accident, we both layed motionless for a few minutes.  Each of us scared to move thinking of all the broken bones we would find.  She made the first move by slowly making her way off of me just as her husband came running up to check on her.  He was about thirty feet behind and saw everything.  I was still laying on the ground when the husband offered his hand to help me up.  It wasn’t until then I started putting things together.  I still wasn’t for sure if anyone got hit by the car, which by the way never stopped.

I got up and asked if she was okay and she looked rough.  Her right arm was bleeding and she had some road rash on one of her legs.  I looked over to where our bikes were and knew right away that there would be damage.  It didn’t look good.  Both of our bikes were white while mine has red bar tape, hers had white.  I saw a section that contained the handlebar that had white bar tape but it was too small for it to be the complete bike.  Some how her bike broke into two pieces.  I was scared to look at mine after seeing hers but mine only suffered two broken spokes on the back wheel.  Needless to say we were out of the ride.  I waved down the support vehicle, loaded up both bikes and headed back to the start line.

On the way back to the start line the young lady stated that her arm was hurting some and I think their plan was to go to the emergency room.  I have not heard any news so I’m hoping everything turned out okay.  I loaded my bike, drove 3.5 hours home, stopping at the cycle shop to drop my bike off and took a hot shower once home.

In a nut shell, this has been a non productive weekend thus far.  I drove four hours, 225 miles, paid $88 for a nights’ stay only to ride 12.5 miles.  But, It could’ve ended up a whole lot worse.

365 Day Photo Challenge 157/365 “Being Forgetful. Old Age or Not Paying Attention”

05 Friday Jun 2015

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What a day.  Last night I stayed up later than I wanted to so that I could make sure I had everything.  I packed all my cycle gear in one bag and I packed all my other stuff in another bag.  I made sure I had my meds, my cpap and my safety gear for while I’m riding.

I left work at the time I wanted too.  I knew I had to go the bank to deposit a check and I had realized I didn’t pack a cooler nor did I pack any water and I needed some snacks so that I wouldn’t wake up at 2am with a sugar crash but I needed to go to the bank first to have the cash to spend at the store.  What did I do?  I went to the store first.  I didn’t have the money to purchase everything I needed so I decided to go on to the bank and then stop closer to my destination before I stopped again.

About two hours in to my trip my mind starts wondering if I packed this or that.  I pulled over and did a physical check and realized that I didn’t pack any jeans.  I hate forgetting things so I decided to go ahead and plan on stopping at the next Wal-Mart that I come up to.  I bought a pair of jeans, some snacks, bottled water, a bag of ice and a cooler.  This is becoming more expensive than I want it too.

Twenty minutes from my destination I stopped at Wendy’s to get myself some supper.  I pulled into the drive through, ordered my meal and handed the lady at the window my debit card.  Another lady delivers my food and I drive off, without my debit card.  I got maybe 100 yards and realized what I had done and I turned around to retrieve my card.

Finally arrived at the hotel and got checked in.  I was ready to wind down.  I got everything unloaded and I went ahead and took the time to get everything ready for in the morning.  Once the ride is over there will be showers for everyone to get refreshed for the ride home so I’m going through everything and realize that I didn’t pack any underwear.  Really??  I had to go back out and go find another Wal-Mart.

I pull into the store, find what I need and head to the check out.  This place has 40 registers and only six working.  Everyone was complaining but that didn’t help.  Made it through the check out and out the door I went.  Guess what?  I couldn’t find my truck.  Seriously, I’m not making this up.  I’m pressing the panic button on the remote and listening but I’m not hearing anything.  Walking and pressing and hearing nothing for at least ten minutes and I’m beginning to think that maybe someone has stolen my truck.  I did eventually find my truck and made it back to the hotel.  The whole time driving back to the hotel I’m thinking why am I being so forgetful?  Am I just not paying attention? Or is my age finally catching up with me.  I’m really hoping that I’m done with today and I can turn this computer off and get some sleep and start tomorrow afresh and have everything I need.

Until Tomorrow

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 156/365 “All Packed”

04 Thursday Jun 2015

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Well almost.  I’ve still got a few things to load up including my bicycle.  Tomorrow I’ll be leaving work early and I’ll be traveling about three hours due south to Dothan to ride in a bicycle charity ride on Saturday.  They have several options including a 30 mile, 41 mile, a 69 and a 102 mile ride.  I’ve chosen to do the 41 mile loop.

Since Sunday of this week I have ridden everyday with the exception of Tuesday when I had to work.  Each day I have pushed myself to do at least 25 miles.  The roads around my house are not flat by no means but there not extremely hilly either.  When I get done my legs feel like they’ve had a good workout.

Tomorrow is my travel day and it’s going to be a rest day as well.  I will have a hotel room all to myself with no kids and no wife.  I already have my evening planned.  Nothing special just finishing up some emails, watching some television and going to bed at 10pm so I will be rested by 7am start time. I am really looking forward to some alone time.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 152/365 “Cycling at Night”

03 Wednesday Jun 2015

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I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re prepared with a headlight and a tail light, a reflector vest and a taste for bugs.  I got a late start tonight but I had to get my big loop in.  It was light when I started but before I got done I had to turn my headlight on.  It has four settings; low, medium, high and strobe.  It has 750 lumens when it’s on the highest setting.  When it starts getting dusk I turn the headlight on the strobe setting.  I can see fine but I want to make sure that others see me.  When I can see my shadow from the streetlights I turn the headlight on to high so that I can see everything else.

Most of the roads I travel have street lights but there are a few that it’s very dark even on the brightest moonlit night.  The tree cover is so thick that not even the moon beams can penetrate.  These roads I make sure I slow down and really pay attention. Rabbits and stray cats often jump out in front of me and threaten to cause an early dismount which I’m sure would not be a pretty site and may cause bodily damage.

There are some advantages to riding at night.  One is that there is hardly any traffic.  Most of the roads I travel are located in subdivisions.  Once I make these subdivisions I can probably count the amount on cars I see on the road on one hand.  Getting there is the problem. Later in the evening even the traffic on the busy roads are diminished.

Another advantage is it’s a lot cooler riding at night.  The sun has gone down and the temperature drops.  I’m not having to wipe the sweat away from my forehead near as often when I ride at night.  There is nothing I hate worse than sweat getting on my glasses.  I can’t stand that.

There are a couple more disadvantages but one that sticks out more is that it seems that the bugs come out at night.  I bet I spit out 15 bugs that managed to get inside my mouth.

Tonight was a good ride.  I got over 25 miles in.  The only thing that I didn’t like about tonight’s ride is the amount of dogs that were out unleashed.  On one road I counted six dogs that came out and chased me.  The bad part about this was that this was a dead end road and that meant that once I got to the end I had to turn around and go through them again.  I’m not sure who got more exercise, me trying to outrun the dogs or the dogs trying to catch me.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 151/365 “Gremlin at 4 o’clock”

02 Tuesday Jun 2015

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It never fails when I have plans, that gremlin shows it’s ugly head and causes trouble and it’s always at 4pm.  My work day begins at 7:30 am and ends at 4:15 pm.  I stay busy throughout the day doing preventive maintenance, too hot/too cold calls, some plumbing issues and general everyday maintenance issues.  In a company that houses some 3,000 employees, most everyone knows the hours that we work but they always wait until 4 pm to call and tell us that they have an emergency that needs to be taken care of right away.

A few months ago I got the call at 4pm which stated that the person had water dripping from the ceiling.  I get to the call and of course there’s water dripping from the ceiling.  I asked the guy who made the call how long had it been leaking. I almost lost it when he told me that it had been leaking since before 10 am that morning.  Why did you wait until 4pm to make the call to maintenance and he told me that he knew that we left at 4pm and he decided that he’d better call before we left.

Most of the 4pm calls are not calls that only last a few minutes and your done.  Oh no, these calls can last from 3 hours to 10 hours to several days.  The one I got today involved water under the floor in our computer room.  Never a good thing to have water underneath a raised floor.  Once we found out where the water was coming from it took us several hours just to vacuum all the water up.  Needless to say that I did not get to ride any today.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 150/365 “Day 1”

01 Monday Jun 2015

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Day 1 is in the books with 26 miles down. With storm clouds overhead and the sound of thunder off in the distance I was certain I would be soaked before the ride was complete. Fortunately, the ride was completed with the storm going around me.

I got an early start today because my wife had a eye doctor appointment so she wasn’t home to have supper ready when I got home.  She’s a school teacher and she’s out for the summer.

I rode 25 miles yesterday and 26 miles today.  I just hope my legs can keep up.  My plans are to ride the same loop I did today except tomorrow and Friday.  Tomorrow I’m going to a state park and riding a 24 mile loop and Friday I will be traveling to Dothan, Alabama to ride in a 41 mile ride on Saturday.

“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 149/365 “The Great Cycle Challenge”

31 Sunday May 2015

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Tomorrow, June 1st, will be the start of my 500 mile challenge.  With an average of a little less than 17 miles a day, it will indeed be a challenge.  I do average more than 16 miles every time I go riding but I don’t go riding every day.  I also would like to make my goal of $1000 but I think I would make the 500 miles before I make the $1000.

Today was a good day.  I was able to get a 25 mile ride in.  It started out sunshine, then rain then sunshine again.  Typical Alabama weather. With tomorrow being 60% chance of rain I think we will get a decent amount.  We shall see.

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“Life Goes On!”

365 Day Photo Challenge 148/365 “Feeling Old”

30 Saturday May 2015

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I did another shoot with the Achievers League today.  It was hot but the occasional breeze gave us some relief. We had somewhat of a different crowd this week.  Some showed up that had other plans last week while others stayed home because of other plans that came up at the last minute.  Regardless, everyone had a wonderful time.

The gentleman pictured here is with his daughter.  I’m not sure what her disability is but it was obvious that she needed help and her dad was more than happy to oblige.  He showed her how to hold the bat as I’m sure he did a hundred other times she went up to bat. She took a couple of swings as the ball went past her before she finally nailed it and the ball flew over the third base line.  “Fair Ball” the announcer said as she and her dad took off running the plates.  I wished everyone felt as good as she did as she made it to home plate.  The look on her face was priceless.

As she made her way to home plate from third, I had a flashback when I could remember watching her dad run the plates in high school.  He and I went to the same school from the 7th to the 12th.  I would never have guessed that he would have had kids especially one with disabilities.  Same with me.  I would have never guessed that I would be married for 23 years and have one kid in college and two that will be seniors next year in high school.  Made me feel real old.

My wife and I took my girls to a nearby state park after the ball game and I took some senior pictures of my girls.  It was an emotional day seeing them wear my son’s cap and gown for the pictures.  Where has the time gone?  It doesn’t feel like they should be this old.  Again, I feel old.