2nd period. 10am 7th grade science class, Berkeley, California
Topic: Sex Ed and STDs.
After the showing of a film on STDs and their prevention, a young man (let's call him Cole), raises his hand and the following exchange occurs with his teacher, Ms. James.
Cole: "Ms James, did you know that Ms. Krasnow is getting married this weekend? Ms. James: "Why yes, I did." Cole: "Don't you think you should lend her this movie before her wedding night?"
Gotta love those 7th graders...always looking out for me.
After playing follow the leader with Mike and Gianni for just short of 80 miles today, there was no energy left for wedding planning. I was nearly comatose, but Mike insisted that we'd sleep better if we made one last to-do list for this final week. So over carb-o-licious spicy noodles, we created the very last list. Now we're left with the "To Do" part of the "To Do List."
In the meantime, we headed out to the movies. When given the choice, I'm a "Sex in the City" type of movie gal, but that choice was not to be had this evening. Indiana Jones wasn't a choice either as it was sold out for the zillion hours following the 7:15 showing which we had hoped to see. So, we opted for Iron Man. These comic-book remakes are ones which Mike usually sees without me. But I have to say, this is one of the best movies I've seen in a long, long time. Try it...you'll like it...
Weekend #2 of pre-wedding racing-moritorium began with a fabulous Fruitstand ride with me, Mike, Gianni and our friend Scott, a non-racing dad who is a killer climber. 70 miles and several margaritas later, I finished doing the table seatings for dinner at our reception. And with THAT friendly task out of the way, I curled into bed with The New Yorker. Once I'd finished perusing the cartoons and critique of American Idol, I settled into the deeper content of this article.
Apparently, there is an experimental therapy tecnique for soldiers returning from Iraq with post-tramautic stress. They are put in a virtual reality which forces them to relive their most terrifying moments over and over again. Its purpose is to help train their brains to disassociate emotion with these events so that over time, although they will remain memories for them, they will lose their painful emotional reactions.
Scroll ahead several hours when I am now in deep REM sleep. I had a reoccuring dream all night that I was undergoing this same virtual reality therapy to help me disassociate emotion from the wedding. I was being forced to cry all day long, over and over again, and have nevous butterflies for weeks on end in the hopes of not being a crying wreck the day of the wedding. I know, being emotional is a GOOD thing on your wedding day, but this was my dream (nightmare?). I woke up this morning and laughed with Mike about the whole thing.
Since I was a little girl, I have dreamt about getting married to Pachelbel's Cannon. But as my own wedding draws near, I have been nervous that there's too much emotional attachment for me and that I will cry my eyes out from the first notes.
So, after hearing of my nightmares last night, Mike offered the perfect solution: listen to Pachelbel's Cannon over and over again, while doing intervals, so that when I hear it on my wedding day, I can enjoy it, but not have as strong of an emotional reaction.
If you see me out riding this week, here's a sneak, peak of what I've got playing on my Ipod: (Be sure to watch long enough for the dancing to begin).
Why does the heatwave bring out the helmet-less climbers? All day today, up every hill, there were tons of cyclists with their damn helmets clipped onto their stem. That must be a pretty sweet stem to want to protect it with your helmet. If you're hot, take off your jersey. You'll look like a tool, but at least your noggin is safe. I should bike with this poster in a front basket or something to prove that wearing a helmet is hott (yes, the 2 T type of hot).
Newsflash...I now fit into my wedding dress again. Actually, I'm not sure I ever didn't fit into it, but we needed 3 friends to get the buttons closed as they have a large shank. I'm replacing the large shanks with smaller shanks on Monday. Good thing we're only talking buttons here or this post could get dirty.
Ok, enough of the shank-speak.
I just learned that there was a crash in the Bs at the track on Tuesday. Had we gone (which we actually considered doing, even though the wedding race-moritorium was signed in chocolate), there's a good chance we both woud have been racing in the Bs. Me for a 3rd race for fitness and Mike as his real race For everyone who laughed at my strict racing moritorium, I am now here to say I WAS RIGHT...the 4 week pre-wedding racing moritorium was a brilliant idea. BUT, we are heading there next Friday the 23rd to drink beer and heckle. Can't wait.
I have learned at the track that readership of this blog is much greater than the comments imply.
In math-speak: R>C
So, for all you commentless readers, we're organizing long group rides both days this weekend since we can't race Kern, or track, or Modesto, or anything, for that matter. If you promise not to crash into either of us, we'd love to have you for a 4 hour jaunt from Cole Coffee in Oakland, leaving 9:30 on Sat. and another one at 10:30 on Sunday. Shoot us an email or leave a comment here so we know to wait for you. We'll do Diablo Saturday if this heatwave goes away.
After getting my weight lower than normal for San Dimas (no ice cream for 3 weeks prior...gasp), I have gained a few pounds over the last few weeks. It didn't really matter to me. Superweek is my next racing focus and the poundage doesn't matter as much there. And I like ice cream more than hill climbing anyway.
I then figured I'd better try my wedding dress on again as my final fitting was just before San Dimas and it was already crazy tight in the bodice. After her hot win at Cat's Hill, I figured if anyone could get those damn buttons to button it would be Eaken. So, we closed ourselves into the guest room and took a looksie at the dress.
It wouldn't button. Crap! I've got to lose those few pounds back and have another few ice cream free weeks.
So, I'm more aware of calories this month which brings me to this post. This is standardized testing week in the Berkeley schools, better known as Leave Every Poor Urban Child Behind.
I have a Costco-size bag of peanuts in my room so all my students can snack during the exams. Today, in less than 20 min., they consumed the entire bag. Hungry little buggers.
Catch this... 1 large bag of peanuts= 190 calories per serving 57 servings per bag Eaten in 20min. amongst 15 students.
1) How many calories were eaten per student? 2) How many calories were eaten per student per second?
10 bonus points: 3) What percentage of a 12-year-old's daily caloric intake was consumed during this 20min. period.
And this was AFTER I had already passed out muffins and milk to everyone for breakfast.
Last night at the track was our last racing for a few weeks. We're trying our best to honor a pact we made many months ago to take a break from racing for the month before the wedding. I say trying because nights like last night make it really tough.
It was the first Tuesday night points race of the season. For those of you who don't race the track, a 'points race' is a fixed distance race (30-60 laps) with intermediate sprints every 5 or 10 laps. Riders score points for crossing the line in the top 4 spots (5-3-2-1). The rider with the most points at the end of the race is the winner. Points races are fun, full of tactics and furious flurries of action. Did I mention we both had a great time last night.
There were about 50 racers at the track, a big turnout for a Tuesday night. There were enough women and juniors to warrant their own. This is great for the women but pushes the rest of us into the A or B race.
Ali, Beth, Sabine and Erica ripped it up in both the women's races. It was fun to watch all the strategy and gamesmanship going on.
I, on the other hand, chose to race with the A's...ouch!!! 'Why the A's?' you ask. Well, last week we had a similar turnout. I tried the first scratch race with the A's but pulled up just before the final sprint. I was in 5th or 6th down the last stretch but could tell I didn't have the surplus power to come around anyone so bailed out of the melee. It felt like it was getting late and we didn't want to stay to the end so I immediately jumped into the second B's race and ended up winning out of a 3 man break. So this week it seemed like I should race the A race and set a goal of staying in the race to the bitter end.
Race 1 - 40 laps (8 miles), sprints every 5, average speed was reported at 27 mph! (my top speed was just over 32) Late in the race I jumped for one of the sprints and gained 1 point. As I drifted to the back to recover I didn't pay enough attention to who was in front of me. A lap later the front of the pack hit the gas, a gap formed and I couldn't go around and close it...game over. I chased for a while but conceded the lap and jumped back in the next time the leaders came around.
Race 2 - 60 laps, sprints every 5, average speed 25.2 (again my max was abou 32). I didn't intend to ride all of the second race. I didn't expect to be able to hang the whole time and getting home a few minutes early was appealing. Before the second race Mark P pulled me aside and recommended I just focus on staying on the lead lap. 'Don't do any work, let the other motors do the chasing.' I took his advice and did my best to sit in and hang on. After the 3rd or 4th sprint 3 riders went 'up the road' leaving the rest of us to fight for the 4th place scraps. I managed to take a couple of the points near the end of the race and stayed with the main 'chase' pack to the end.
Good fun!!! We'll surely be back after the wedding.
When you've lived in Berkeley as long as I have, you are rarely surprised or even impressed by the little vignettes life offers on a daily basis. When I first started at Cal it was the Dot Man and the Bubble Lady. I still see the Bubble Lady once in a while. Then it was the naked guy (I guess he recently passed away). The other week a new character appeared...the skateboarding-clapping-dancing guy in pink Dolphin Shorts and knee high socks. It's hard to stand out in Berkeley so this guy claps really loud to make sure people notice him.
I frequently see atypical things while riding as well. Recently, you may remember my comments on the naked drummer practicing on Pinehurst. The turkeys population in the East Bay hills has exploded over the last few years and it's hard to ride these days without dodging a few turkeys along the way.
Well, they other day I had a new first sighting. I was climbing tunnel road and rounded a corner to meet a woman walking three llamas on leash. As I passed the human in the group made calming statements to the four legged beasts. One stopped to give me a once over and I did the same as I glided past. While I checked out his brown fuzziness and it examined my blue dotted self our eyes met and I'm pretty sure we shared a thought...'What are you lookin at Bozo?'
'What I've proposed is that the oil companies pay the gas tax instead of consumers and drivers this summer," Clinton said on ABC's This Week.
When asked to name an economist who supports her proposal, Clinton said, "I'm not going to put my lot in with economists. … We've got to get out of this mind-set where somehow elite opinion is always on the side of doing things that really disadvantage the vast majority of Americans."
So if I'm reading this correctly, we shouldn't trust the (educated) experts opinion because they're elitist and don't understand the average U.S. Citizen. Can we apply the same logic to Senator Clinton herself? She as a law degree from Yale after all.
This last Sunday I really enjoyed this Opinion piece in the Chronicle.
Today was my first visit to Cat's Hill. I went as a spectator. I'll blame my non-racing role on the rapidly filling Cat 4 fields but...I'm not sure I could handle all the suffering. I took the camera and caught some good suffer faces. You can see my current favorites here.
