71 days - It’s Just A Ride!

Getting in shape is not an easy task… too much beer, too many cigarettes, too little exercise… 54 years, lots of stress, extra weight, sitting on my ass every day.

So I got on the bike again… The Tour de France gets me jazzed about bike riding and it’s really a fun form of exercise. Even in the heat and humidity, I’m able to maintain an average of 9 miles an hour – I hope by the end of the summer to be up around 10.5 or 11 miles an hour… hey, maybe 12.

The important thing is that I get out and do it often enough. So far, so good. A little sore – in the shoulders especially. Also coughing up all the crap in my lungs.

Won’t be able to ride tonight because we have a Golden Eagle Band concert in Mo’town at Perkins. I really enjoy the band. I’m playing string bass, trying to keep up my skills. Don’t do that enough either! The band members are mostly older folks – my age or older – and some younger folks especially for the summer. We play a mix of big band, marches, pop and show tunes. It’s a hoot.

Went to get gas at 6 am this morning because I forgot to get it last night. Watered the vegetables – OMG the zucchini grew over night – and flowers.

Today is hat day at work. We’re going this “dog days of summer” thing every Wednesday – mostly to boost morale since there haven’t been any raises again this year. The first week was Hawaiian shirt day; last week was Patriotic shirt day. Thusly, today becomes hat day. Mike wore his fuzzy orange hat. I hope I can get a pic of it. I wore my Eagles bucket hat. Go Birds!!!

Emailed Dooner last night. Wonder how he’s doing…

72 Days

In double digits, the process began where all good things begin... in a bar, celebrating V's birthday.
Of course, we had been tossing around a trip to Italy for some time. I've been there twice, but it seems like I'll never get enough. Maybe someday, I'll live there for a while... who knows?
In any case, V said, "What the heck? We'll never have the money... I have a kid in college, one just graduated, 2 mortgages. Let's just charge it up and go... We'll pay all the debts when we're old."
S & J were planning anyway because they celebrate 25 years of wedded bliss. V & M also celebrate 25 years. V convinced S³ that we'd take care of him and somehow, there was agreement. Sure enough, we booked flights, and hotels, took a class in Italian and now, 72 days out, we're feeling mighty good.
So the first order of business.. get in shape!