So a typical day here with my folks is we have breakfast together. A rather large breakfast because we sleep in late and it's closer to 10:30-11 when we finally do eat. The afternoon we (team 3/5s Mequi) hang at the park or pool with Ruby. In the evening we have another large-ish dinner and talk and watch a movie or read/journal. If I'm pooped out, me and Mason'll take a nap. I love napping. This'll end at 11:30pm. It's a great circadian vacation rhythm don't you think? In the mornings when everbody's still asleep I take Ruby on a 45 minute walk in the open space area near my folks' house.
Today is Tuesday. We finally went to the playground and it was just us there (then eventually another family showed up). Mason was playing on the playground and Maricel and I were playing catch with the Frisbee while Ruby looked on and sniffed a bunch. It was hot. At first I liked this heat novelty but with all novelty items it loses its charm just as quick. Now, it's downright oppressive; and the sad thing is this the coolest part of the North Texas summer. You should be around come August-September. Coupled with the humidity it's a miracle I lasted as long as I did (20 years on and off) when I used to live here. Walking to the park, I remembered there's a cemetery here within city limits. Long before Plano became a municipality two powerful philanthropic land barons ruled here: the Bowmans and the Haggards. Since they had a lot of land the city wanted, these two families and the city zoning peeps listened to their conditions should they fess up significant chunks o'land. One was the cemetery had to stay unmoved within city limits and another was the Haggards can have domesticated animals also inside city limits. It's pretty cool actually seeing this stuff in such a homogeneous community. I snapped a couple of pictures of the Indian Paint brush wildflowers thriving this time of year and the Bowman's cemetery plot (I tried to get fancy and B/W it).
Later that evening too I went and did the group ride in Richardson. For reasons unknown to me it's called the Popsicle ride. Damn. Again it was HOT! The speeds were pretty quick but the heat--92°F--and humidity--50%--did a number on my cardiovascular system and primary movers. Hung with the leaders until we got back to the main road (3.5 miles to go) and both legs were seeping with lactic acid, and, eventually they cramped. boo-hoo!!! Apparently lactic acid buffering suffers (my intensity was good) when it's superseded with homeostatic functions like temperature regulation. It was really difficult pedaling in that heat and humidity but it was a really fun, quality ride. The ironic thing is this is the year our kit did a funamental color change...to mostly black. Yes black with me sporting a black skid lid (that matches my bike nicely boy!) to boot. Hmmmm. So, I made some mental notes from this ride and they are:
1) It's stop light central out here so cranking up the wattage only to be shut down is like an interval workout. Next time, I'm sucking wheel until we get out to an uninterrupted stretch of road.
2) Conserve energy and bring a bottle of water to pour on myself and another one filled with electrolytes to drink.
3) Drink water like a teenage loser at an illegal rave who just took some homemade ecstasy from a swarthy individual with an overactive thyroid beforehand.
I talked with my Cajunous brother Brent today. I love that guy. What makes him lovable is his unconventional ways. He pursued his dream and became a fireman and was also quite the bike racer back in the day. Also his warped sense of humor just kills me. We played catch up on the phone today and when I inquired about his youngest brother, he replied, You know he's a functional mongoloid right (pc? no; hella funny? yup.)? Damn, I 'bout pissed me pantaloons after he said that. We're going to try and hook up sometime this week before we leave.
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