Stranded in Iowa

the guy and I finishing up our 204 mile weekend ride in June.

So, tomorrow I leave for RAGBRAI. It is a bike ride (about 450 miles) across the great state of Iowa in one week. I assume it will involve a lot of sweet corn, pie, meat on a stick, beer, drunken cyclists, feedlot smells, very hilly roads, heat, high humidity levels and a chronically sore ass. Because I'm obviously insane, I'm looking forward to it.

Here are some Midwestern wild flowers for you.

I will be back when it's all over to report - hopefully, with fun pics and wonderful stories...And pie. Lots and lots of pie.

See ya real soon!

I'd Still Own the Film Rights and Be Working on the Sequel

Here are the remnants of a stone building.

While I was reading that book Shadow Tag last week, I realized that Louise Erdrich was the first author I ever saw read in person before. Then I started thinking about all of the readings/speeches I've been to and decided to make a list - kind of like those things on Facebook where people list all the concerts they've been to, but WAY nerdier. Ready?

Fiction:

Louise Erdrich
Maya Angelou (twice)
Denis Johnson
Dan Chaon
Dave Eggers
Tom Barbash
Ethan Canin
Lorrie Moore
Michael Cunningham (Pulitzer winner)
TC Boyle
Lan Samantha Chang
Marilynne Robinson (Pulitzer winner)
John Irving (twice)
Michael Chabon (Pulitzer winner)
Paul Harding (Pulitzer winner)
Colm Toibin
Toni Cade Bambara

Poets:

Derek Walcott
John Ashbery

Non-Fiction/Speakers:

Ralph Nader
Walter Mondale
Jesse Jackson
Angela Davis
Noam Chomsky

I'm sure there are a few that I've forgotten, but I think I've caught most of them there. I sorely regret missing Kurt Vonnegut read the million times or so he was on campus and I'd still really love to see Joy Williams and Toni Morrison at some point if they ever come here, that is. Looking at these lists, I do feel pretty damn lucky to live in a community so rich in literature.

Joey Never Met a Bike That He Didn't Wanna Ride.

Maybe I'll just get a new orange cat to keep Archie in line.

So, I couldn't have asked for a better birthday. Really. It was that good. This will be mostly a photo post, detailing the loveliness.

Friday morning, Coadster took The Guy and I out for breakfast before they both went to work. I got home, putzed around the house, went running, mowed the lawn, packed, ran errands and read my book - The Help, for a bit.

The Guy got home from work and we packed up and took off for Galena. We got there around 8. Since we were both exhausted, we decided to just eat at the Irish hotel - where we were staying and take it easy. The food was okay there, nothing too exceptional, but not bad.

The Guy tasting different kinds of balsamic vinegar.

We woke up the next morning and watched a bit of the Tour de France. They were at the mountain stage. I have so much more of an appreciation for how badly that hurts, after trying to race a bicycle up big hills. Those men are beasts.

We went to downtown Galena after that. We walked around, checked out stores, climbed stairs, had lunch, made a reservation for dinner and then headed back to the hotel to get ready for our first bike ride.

We rode out along the countryside of Galena and it was gorgeous. At one point, we discovered this cute little country store type place in an old train station. We stopped to drink a beer and meet the owner and talk to some of the locals there. It was great. We took off from there, scaled some more hills, got a little lost, found our way back home and then got ready for dinner at the hotel.

We ate at an Italian restaurant that everyone suggested and it was very nice. Then we took a little stroll along the river under the almost full moon. Stinky called from camp and told us she loved us. What a perfect way to end my birthday.

On Sunday, we went out earlier for a bike ride, since it was so hot. We rode much the same loop as the day before, but we started out by the falls and then back out to it to end again.

The hills were pretty tough, but they never seem to look as bad in pictures. It still makes me laugh that people think Iowa or near Iowa is flat.

When we finished our route, we were hot, sweaty and tired. We went back to the downtown area for one last walk around and a later lunch before we headed back to Iowa City.

We made it back to our air conditionless home and unpacked, took care of a few things, then ordered a pizza and settled in to watch Jaws. The perfect end to a wonderful weekend.

Have a Drink, Have a Drive. Go Out and See What You Can Find.

So, I turn 46 on Saturday. As I've said many times before - I'm not one of those people who freaks out on my birthday or gets depressed about getting older....Yet.

I'm off work tomorrow and Monday. Tomorrow morning, The Guy and Coadster are all going out to breakfast together. Then they will both go to work and I will play and play. Well, I'll at least run and bike and probably mow the lawn and pack.

That's right. The Guy is taking me to Galena for the weekend. We're going to stay in the Irish hotel there and ride our bikes to a vineyard/winery and maybe kayak too. Yea! I'm so excited. I hope you all have a lovely weekend too.

Sun Come Up. It Was Blue and Gold.

Here is a planter made out of overalls. I'm not sure how I feel about that one plant hanging from the butt, though.

So, things are going great. I was going to try and run after work last night, but I was already getting rained on while riding my bike home. The Guy called me and said he had to work late, but would love to meet me downtown for dinner and a drink when he was done. Sweet! What a wonderful alternative to running 6 miles. Tonight it should be nice and sunny, so I'll probably plan on taking a nice bike ride out in the country.

Now, I will relate a couple of witticisms in my life as of late...

1) Co-worker: How can I be 52 years old and still getting a gigantic pimple?

Me: Don't you hate it when your zits and wrinkles have to compete for face time?

2) Last night I was on the phone with Stinky and Coadster was hovering and listening in.

Me: Your sister has been on kind of a bitchy tear tonight...

Coadster: No, I'm not. I'm being funny and honest.

I suppose it's all about perspectives....

Come On, Come On. Let's Go Again

This weekend was lovely. We went to Clear Lake and raced bikes and checked out the sights and sounds - the sounds were pretty disappointing, but everything else was nice. We also checked out all of the Buddy Holly/Ritchie Valens/Big Bopper stuff.

Here I am in doing my Vanna White at the memorial.

My race on Sunday went okay. I'm still not even close to being in the running, but I'm learning a lot and getting better and better. I stayed with the pack a lot longer and tried not to give up, after I got dropped. I even passed a couple of people toward the end. Of course, one of them had a flat, so she didn't really count...But at least I wasn't last.

Guys registering for the road race under the watchful eyes of Buddy, Ritchie and the Big Bopper.

The rest of this will be a photo essay of our weekend.

Very many Buddy Holly images in the interior of the Surf Ballroom.

A guy cleaning up the ballroom right before the road race.

Helter Skelter in the Summer Swelter

This is what I woke up to this morning. Damn Vandals.

Last night was lovely. The Guy was finishing up editing a labor law manual for a friend of his, so I spent most of the evening on the porch reading with Archie and a glass of wine. Exactly the relaxing evening I needed. The Guy finished at almost the exact same time Coadster got done with her night class. We all sat down and watched an Andy Griffith episode and then had a nice talk afterward.

Archie sitting guard over the bird feeder. His favorite post.

I woke up today to a nicely egged car. of course, I didn't have time to get it washed before work, so I guess that will be my first order of business this evening. My second order will be to make some beet salad and get things ready to grill sweet potato fries and salmon. Coadster loves salmon and even said she'd hang out and eat dinner with us tonight. Hurray!

Archie reaching out to harass Heidi. Just another night at our house.

Tomorrow morning, The Guy and I will wake up early and head to Clear Lake, Iowa. We will get to see the land where the music died and race bikes there. They have a Bikes, Blues and BBQ festival there every year and I think a lot of the music gets played at the Surf Ballroom (where Buddy Holly and Company performed right before they died).

I'm excited about the road race on Sunday - even if it is longer than I've ever raced before. It's a 42 mile jaunt. My legs are tired just thinking about it.

Coadster wrestling her foot away from Archie.

We will spend the night in Clear Lake and do one more day of racing before heading home on Sunday. As always, I'll let you all know how it goes...

Sometimes I Think It's a Shame When I Get Feelin' Better When I'm Feelin' No Pain

Here are some lovely lilies I grew.

So, reading that Louise Erdrich novel is really making me want to write some fiction again. Of course, I have to find the time. It seems like hours and whole days get swallowed up with people and things.

Last night, I thought I might have some time. I was tired and swam in the morning, so I decided not to run or ride my bike after work, and I thought I might be able to write later. Instead, I made Coadster's favorite dinner - cheese tortellini with pesto made with basil from my garden), then my friend G. came over and we had a nice talk on the porch, then I picked Coadster up from class and she was crying from a horrible migraine. I tried all of my tricks to ease her pain, she eventually threw-up and started feeling better, but it took a while. I feel so awful that my messed-up gene pool causes that for her too. Anyway, by that time, it was late and I was fried and had to go to bed. Maybe tonight.

I guess the good and the bad thing about me, is that I love to fill my life up with adventures and projects and passions. Bad - because I can overwhelm myself and create self-imposed pressure when I don't always need another excuse to spaz. Good - because I rarely feel bored or even just ho-hum about my life. I've heard there's this thing out there called balance, but I haven't seen it much with my own eyes....

Saturday Made Sunday Feel Like It Would Never Come

Me taking a pic of someone taking a pic of me...Again. This was on our Saturday bike ride to Windham.

I had a great, long weekend. On Friday, I got off work early and took Coadster to the Quad Cities and then drove back home. The Guy and I ordered pizza and then watched Creature from the Black Lagoon. I hadn't seen that movie in forever. We were talking about how all the underwater shots must have been so fascinating to people when the movie first came out.

The Guy meeting Bry's girlfriend's kids before the fire works on Sunday night.

On Saturday we got up and did a few things before we met people for a 30 mile bike ride. It was a nice, slow ride and the weather was perfect. We got home and were exhausted. We showered, ate sushi and decided to take a nap around 7 pm. Of course, we never really woke up, until the next morning, so it turned into an awfully long nap.

On Sunday, we went on another bike ride. This time, to Solon. We went a little faster than the last one and then rode back. I decided to run my 4 1/2 mile route when we got home. Then I made pan seared scallops and steamed asparagus for dinner.

We headed downtown at 7 to meet our friends and their kids and watch the fireworks. The fireworks here were pretty damn impressive, I have to say. I had a migraine on and off all weekend and it was ON Sunday night, so I went home and went to bed after the fireworks were over.

Bry with his girlfriend's son - getting all silly.

On Monday, I know this will shock you all, but we went on another bike ride. This one was an easy, shorter one. We stopped at a Mexican restaurant to eat on the way home too.

We got home and I did a little cooking, a little cleaning, a little grocery shopping and a lot of reading on the screened-in porch. I'm reading Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich and I like it just fine.

So, I rode bikes, I ran, I ate good food, I read a great book, I got a sunburn and watched fireworks. I'd call that a pretty nice Fourth of July weekend.

A Million Miles, Our Vagabond Heels Clocked Up Beneath the Clouds

Archie and The Guy doing their core work-out in the morning.

Soooo, three days off this weekend...But that just means more time with Archie. Oh my!

Archie trying to get into Stinky's suitcase....

Stinky left for camp for the next month and I'm taking Coadster to the Quad Cities for the weekend. It will be the first time that The Guy and I have ever been without a surly teen in the home. Now, if we could only have stowed Archie off in Stinky's suitcase...

...Getting closer...

I'm not sure what all I'm doing over the weekend. I plan to run and ride bikes and get some work done in and outside of the house and who knows...Maybe I'll even start that painting I've been talking about for years...

Score! Too bad, Stinky didn't accidentally take him with her.

How about you all? Do you have plans for the weekend? Do you know of any good ways to get ride of undesirable pets? Will you find a considerable lack of surly teens in your life for the next couple of days?

There Is Still a Chance That They Will See

Coadster looking a little psycho with her boy.

The scene is our house on Sunday evening. The Guy and I are in the living room. The girls are in the kitchen with Coadster's boyfriend. They are bickering...As usual.

Coadster says something to Stinky that I can't make out. Then Stinky says, "Oh my god! She's psycho! How can you stand to date her?"

The Guy pipes up from the living room, "Hey, are you talking to me or Coadster's boyfriend?" (har har)

Stinky and one of her best friends at her friend's graduation last month.

IsThis Place at Your Command?

J. and I giving G. some support before, during and after her race.

So, hey...Yeah. I thought I might get all crazy and actually blog today. Weird.

This weekend was lovely again. I had four whole days of it, so that was great in and of itself. On Friday I ran and mowed and planted some gladiola bulbs. The Guy wanted to take me out for dinner...Because he's sweet and wonderful. Our friend J. wanted us to meet him for a drink and we usually don't go out much on Friday nights, but for him, we made an exception.

G after finishing her first 5K. Yea!

On Saturday morning, I got up and went with J. to see our friend G. in her first 5K ever. She was afraid she would stop and walk or not finish, but she ran the whole thing. I was so proud of her. The Guy couldn't make it, because he needed to do some bike training. So, after G. finished running, J. suggested we go find The Guy on his time trial bike. I knew the route he was taking, and that made the stalking that much easier.

The rest of the day, I spent cleaning the hell out of my house. The Guy went to the Quad Cities with his mom to pick his sister up from the airport. When they got back, we all went to Pagliais for pizza. It's her favorite place to go when she comes back home.

Catching up to The Guy on his time trial bike.

On Sunday we went to The Guy's family lunch thing. Both of The Guy's parents grew up on farms in small towns around the area. This thing was for his mom's side of the family. At one point The Guy asked me if his quirks all made sense after meeting his family, and I told him all families were crazy in their own special way. Before the lunch, The Guy drove me around where he grew up in Coralville and showed me his childhood home and a few other places. I loved it.

His family was just fine. They all seemed to have at least two little, yappy accessory dogs a piece. One of his aunts looked like she just stepped out of a 1968 cocktail party. She had those huge dark, Jackie O sunglasses and wore a wig and the first thing she said to me was, "Cats, dogs and old men love me...And I can't stand any of 'em." Awesome.

At one point at the end of the shindig, her wig fell off her head and her son quipped, "I thought one of the dogs dropped dead, but it's just her "hair"'.

The Guy was really good about introducing me to everyone and then his mom asked him how he was referring to me to the family. The Guy told her he was just calling me his landlady. His mom asked me if I ever felt like punching The Guy. Have I ever told you all how much I like The Guy's mom?

Anyway, my weekend turned out very, very well. I got a lot done, got to run and bike and meet some of The Guy's extended family.

You're Only Dancing On This Earth for a Short While

Here is our Friday dinner.

So, this weekend....Wasn't super wonderful. it wasn't bad or anything, it's just that for the last few months, I've had amazing weekend , after amazing weekend, after amazing weekend, and I've become a bit spoiled by all of it.

There were definitely wonderful parts to my weekend. On Friday night we grilled salmon and asparagus and I made foil packets of sweet potatoes and beets marinated in balsamic vinegar, garlic, rosemary and a little olive oil. We watched two Andy Griffith episodes, had a sweet little talk and decompressed from the week.

Here is a wacky dinner party shot.

On Saturday we had to get up pretty early because we had a race in a very small town called Bangor, Ia. It was my second race, and my first race was a little more informal than most, so this was really my first more official race. Originally, The Guy and I were going to go together, but he had to help his mom with something, so I went by myself. Of course, The Guy made me very easy to follow directions and printed out a map, so I could make my way to this tiny town.

I woke up around 3:30 am with a migraine. Great. I tried some biofeedback techniques that didn't touch it, and then took my meds. They knocked me out for about an hour, until I had to get up and go to the race. I made it to the race just fine, and registered and warmed up and talked to some of the women I was racing against. I think I've already said this, but the women's cycling community has been nothing but nice and welcoming of me - no matter how badly I suck.

I sucked the worst ever at this race. My meds are vasoconstrictors - which can decrease blood flow to certain areas of the body, and seem to make my arms and legs very weak. Not the best thing during a bike race. Needless to say, I got smoked. The course was lovely and it was a nice cloudy mild day for a ride. The Guy met me on his bike close to the end of the race and rode behind me as I finished. Very sweet of him.

I left before The Guy's race, because he had a while to wait for it, and I had to get home and get things ready for our dinner that night. My friend, K. her fiance, and G. were coming over for dinner.

The Guy got home and helped clean-up while I cooked. Our friends came over, we ate, we drank, we chatted and everyone went home by around 9. Perfect.

So, again. My weekend was fine, it just wasn't wonderful and amazing. I'm going to take it as a very good sign when wonderful and amazing is the norm and it's odd when things are just okay.

Modern Thought Can Get the Best of You

The Guy maniacally and simultaneously spanking the cats' asses.

It's beautiful here today. I went for a walk downtown on my lunch break and saw a very pregnant woman sitting on a bench. My first thought was, "Whew! I'm glad I don't have to do that again." Don't get me wrong. I'm glad I did it when I was younger, and I love my girls, but my tolerance for certain things seems to get so much lower the older I get.

I'm also glad I'm not as poor as I was back then, I'm glad I'm not in an abusive marriage, like I was back then, I'm glad I have more free time and I'm glad I have a hell of a lot more options than I did in my twenties. Of course, the cats are kind of annoying, but that's just a given, right?

Oh no. Not Me. We Never Lost Control.

Me pointing out one of the places where a bird shit on me. Nice.

Neither The Guy or I consider ourselves all that very social, but lately, our calendar has seemed extremely full. Last Wednesday we had our race, on Thursday The Guy went to his mom's house. (although, I did get some alone time Thursday night and brought home cheese fries from the Hilltop, drank a few beers and watched North By Northwest. Perfect) On Friday we left for TOMRV and stayed with Bry at our friend Timmer's, rode with a ton of people and then shared a hotel room with Bry on Saturday night. When we got home on Sunday, we were met by our friend's D. and G. with food they had cooked for us and the next night was the Monday night ride. Whew! It was all wonderful and I'm not complaining at all, but I was really happy when I talked to The Guy about what his plans were for the week and he said, " I don't know. A few quiet nights at home sound wonderful...."

So, last night we got home, both did a couple of chores, had veggie pizza burgers and soup for dinner, then sat out on the screened-in porch and drank wine and talked. We even got in an Andy Griffith episode before bed. So, yeah. I love all the active, social stuff we do, but it all makes me appreciate our, quiet evenings at home that much more.

And You May Find Yourself In Another Part of the World

So, Tour of the Mississippi River Valley was amazing. It was beautiful and long and challenging and grueling at some points, but always fun and what a great ride - all 204 miles of it. When we woke up on Saturday morning, The Guy asked me if I was ready for an adventure. My answer to that was, "Always." And it was a crazy adventure.

We started riding from Bettendorf, Iowa at 7:22 in the morning. The forecast originally called for sunny and 75 degrees, but what we got was cloudy and misty and about 60 degrees. All the cyclists were terribly under dressed.

The first day was the hardest. It was 107 miles of crazy hills along and across the Mississippi River with a tough head wind for most of the day. We stopped at all the scheduled stops for bathroom, water and food breaks, and then finally stopped in Galena, Illinois for a real break where we ate a real meal and drank some cocktails. By that time, it was about 4 in the afternoon and we really needed it.

We finally crossed back over the Mississippi River to Dubuque, Ia. around 6 and reached our final stop of the day and most importantly, the buffet that came as part of our registration. At one point, The Guy asked me if I wanted to go down to the lounge at our hotel for a drink, but I was so tired, I couldn't get up and walk for one more second. Needless to say, I slept like a baby that night.

On Sunday, we only rode around 90 miles, but we were all still tired and sore from the day before. We rode a different route on the way back to Bettendorf. We got a glorious day of 75 degrees and sunny with very little wind.

We ran into these boys raking it in at their lemonade stand. Brilliant.

We found a great small town, Sunday brunch buffet in Preston, Iowa, with all the same kinds of homemade type food you'd find at an Iowa family reunion. We stuffed ourselves and couldn't drink much more than one beer when we went across the street to a bar.

We got separated from our friend Bry and when we hit another small town a few hours later, had to decide if we wanted to just ride the next hour and half and get it over, or stop and have a beer and rest and relax. We chose to stop and I was really glad we did. It was nice to talk to The Guy about how we felt about the ride and what on us was the sorest and meet some of the other cyclists who stopped there..

We made it back into Bettendorf, around 4'ish, and Bry was waiting for us with his camera in hand. He took a great pic of us riding into the parking lot hand in hand and I REALLY want a copy of that, but since he's a guy, he may never get it posted on FB. So, after 204 miles, about 50 bazillion hills, and top speeds of 40 mph, I would say we had one hell of an adventure. I'd do it again in a minute...Well, maybe after my legs heal a little, anyway.

They Deftly Maneuver and Muscle for Rank

Okay, so. I did my first bike race last night and it was fun and interesting. Here's me with my registration form in hand, looking like I'm heading to my first day in kindergarten.

Here I am signing the legal forms saying I won't sue in the event of death or dismemberment...Or whatever else. Gulp.

I rode hard. but not quite hard enough. In bike racing, once you get dropped from the pack, it's almost impossible to catch up again. So, I need to learn not to be so cautious or conserve my energy and stay with everyone as long as possible. Got it.

I really did love it, though. It's great to be out in the middle of nowhere, flying down hills and taking note of all the roadkill (there are a lot of dead snakes on Iowa roads this Summer, by the way). I also like challenging myself and seeing how strong I am (or not) and how fast I can go. Looks like I better start training for the next one now....