Blog the Travelogue

I've noticed that when I ride my bicycle daily for even 5 miles that I have much less sugar cravings. Last week I only rode one day and I ended up eating sugar all day long, all week long. Strange. I have heard atheletes say that if you have a sugar craving just go walk for 15 minutes and the craving will go away. Although being anecdotal, there must be some level of truth here. I know when you exercise your brain eventually secretes "feel good" neurochemicals. In fact, these are the chemical on which all addicts are addicted. Concaine, for instance, is just a catalyst. This is why people can get addicted to sex, food, or roller coasters. They're literaly stewing in their juices.

Do any of you who ride a lot find this to be true? That during an extended down time that you feel, uummm, your bodt craving for something? For me, satisfying that need for adventure is crucial. It has to he done at least 3 to 5 times a week. Don't worry I'm not about to slip back into the old life, folks. I'm just attuned to my body.

This Christmas was great! For some people the holiday season is a very painful time. The has been true for me. However, this Christmas was different. I spent Christams Eve with friends and Christmas Day at my ma ma's house. To clarify, I call my mother ma and my grandmother ma ma.

I fried my first turkey this weekend! I kept remembering all the negative publicity about deep fat frying turkeys around Thanksgiving. The press noted such things as people burning their houses down and such. Anyway, it turned out they did not have enough oil. My aunt must not understand proportions. She had a 6 gallon deep fat frying turkey thingy but only one gallon of oil. Duh!! So, we drove all around Birmingham to find enough cooking to to fry the turkey. Needless to say the only places open for busines were the Quikie Mart type places and they only sold cooking oil in small quantities. Don't you hate it when people try to be cheap and in the end they end up spening more money thna they would have if they have hadn't been so cheap in the first place. AHGGGG!!!

We were supposed to eat dinner at 4 p.m. We didn't start frying until 3:30 or so and it took 45 minutes to cook. However, it turned out quite well. It was well seasoned, well done but not dry.

Willie Nelson recorded a classic with that song. Anyway, I'm on the road again. My knee seems to be working fine. However, my rear end is irritable though. I haven't eaten much fiber. That's usually the culprit but not this time. I'm convinced that recumbent cycling is really the only way to go. DoomSled hasten!!!!

I've been waiting to order the crossmember and seat tubes from Greenspeed for a while. I now have more time on my hands. So building DoomSled should go much faster. The thing is that I want to save on shipping. Everytime I order from Greenspeed I have to pay U.S. Custom's duties and over seas shipping rates. So, it only makes since to buy everything I need at one time rather than one pop at a time. The greatest cost will be the kingpins, front wheel hubs/brakes.

To save cost I could just go ahead and use the front gearing off my mountain bike and then upgrade later. That would save about close to 200 bucks or so. My front derailluer is XT level and the rest is Deore level components. Wellgo clipless pedals. This combinations has worked well for me. The problem is that it's geared for a 26 inch wheel. Greenspeed plans call for 20 inch rear wheel. That will be plenty of gear for uphills but I wonder will that be enough gear for straight and level rides. More gear calculations to do!!! As of now, I really don't pedal downhill because I'd rather save that energy to get up the next hill. I think I'll go this route. It'll take time to recondition my legs to ride in a reclined position anyway.

Last week I lost one of the lids. When I got home one day last week I put the BoD on the back of my truck. One lid wasn't on securely and it flew off while driving. I hope no one go hurt. Anyway, I'm sitting here about to order a new lid from U.S. Plastics. The funny thing is that the lid is only two bucks. However, the shipping is six bucks!!! Six bucks, man!! Why pay more for the shipping than the cost of the item? That's just all kinds of stupid. The advantage is that the lid is completely water proof. Huh, problems, problems.

Okay, here's the deal. I went out for a 10 mile ride on Saturday. I rode a little over 4 miles, then stopped at some friend's house. I stayed way too long and had to hitch a ride home because it was dark. I don't like riding at night. Anyway, I woke up Sunday morning to head to church and I noticed my right knee was hurting. I knew that I wasn't pushing too hard on Saturday. I usually gear down and just "spin." I'm not trying to win an Iron Man race. Spinning in an easy gear is far safer than putting the thing in high gear and killing your knees. However, I couldn't figure out why my knee was in pain. I retraced my route and it hit me. It was the downtown hill. There is only one hill in town that kicks my but. My mountainbike only has a 19 inch low gear. That's pretty standard for that generation of mountainbike but considering my weight, the grade of the hill, and that the Buckets of Doom decided to come along for the ride, that 19 inch gear was too high. I need more like a 14 inch gear or so. I think that's where I pushed it too hard. I'll have to keep this in mind for the DoomSled.

For you guys that missed out on gear ratios in 5th grade math here is a short primer on bicycle gearing. Have you ever noticed when you walk uphill that you use shorter steps. Likewise, when you walk downhill you use longer steps. On flat, level terrain you set a pace somewhere in between. It's pretty amazing that you do that instinctively. God designed our bodies so that we have basically an infinite number of gears. On a bicycle the easy gears are like the small steps, the hard gears are like the big step, and etc. Gears can be calculated in inches or rations. For me the inch unit of measure is easier. When I say a 19 inch gear that mean the gear combination is such that I am peddling the equivalent of a 19 inch wheel. Remember the old Penny Farthing bicycles? One big wheel in the front? Some of those thing have close to 6 foot diameter wheels. 6 feet equals 72 inches. So on my mountain bike the highest gear has 95 inches which is the equivalent of a 95 inch diameter wheel. What a fascinating modern era we live in!!!

Low temperatures 20s. Ouch! I think I'm
gonna ride! I've got some long johns, good mittens, plus head gear.
This ride should be be fun. It'll be fun because I'm funbun!!!

Cold weather riding is the hardest because the cold air makes it hard
to breath. But with the proper head gear you breath warm air with
your mouth. I've seen some atheletes on training rides this week. I
guess they're trying to stay in shape so that spring training wont be
so hard. Which would in turn mean they would stay more competitive
during the summer and fall.

My computer's water cooling system hasn't been working as well as it should. First, I built my computer myself and installed a water cooled system. It works the same way the cooling system in your car works. Only it is not under pressure.

The water is isolated from the electrics. So, it's perfectly safe. Also, Apple Computer's top of the line G5 uses a water based cooling system. The whole system is homemade except the water block which is made by Danger Den, which cools the processor. The radiator is a copper heater core from a car. The water pump is a pond pump which was also bought at Danger Den. I made the resevoir from an electric conduit box.

There in lines the problem. Over time the lid has cracked thus allows water to evaporate. When water level gets low enough the pump sucks air into the system. The problem with that is when air seeps into the system the cooling effectiveness declines. So I bought a new resevoir from Danger Den. It fits in a standard 5.25 inch slot so it should be more convienient to fill. Here is a photo: Bay Resevoir.

It's Christmas time!!! Time for warm fuzzy feelings, hot chocolate,
and crisp December air. Time to remember those God has placed in our
lives. Giving thanks for his wonderful provision and his gift of life
both temporal and eternal.

Money is low in our house but long gone are the days where I looked
for gifts on Christmas Day. My dad always said it's not Christmas Day
that's so special it's the time leading up to Christmas Day that make
it so wonderful. I want to make this a great Christmas. These last 2
years have been hard emotional and I must admit that I have not
enjoyed the Holiday Season due to certain circumstances. But now I
have a reason to celebrate: God. No matter who you are or what you
believe it is a blessing that we have this special season.

I think of watching It's a Wonderful Life, at least 10 renditions of
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. I'm actually reading all 3 of
Dickens' Christmas stories. The first of course is A Christmas Carol,
the second is Chimes, and the third is A Haunted Man, which is a
comedy.

I hope all of you have a great Christmas. Rest, relax, don't eat too much!!

Merry Christmas folks!!!

--funbun

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Today I got pulled over buy a cop. I was headed home for lunch and to finish an assignment I had for class. The weather was dreary. The road was wet and the clouds had shut out all hope of every seeing the sun again, at least until tomorrow. I was driving down the street when I saw the blue lights. I pulled over and she asked me to step out of the vehicle. I sat there wondering what did wrong. Thoughts of Rodney King came to mind. It was reminiscent of one of those COP shows on TV, "Whatcha gonna do when they come for you. Bad boys, bad boys. . ." I wasn't speeding, there's no doubt about that. However, I did not hesitate and I did she said. Suprisingly, she stayed in her car. I walked over to see woman roughly my own mothers age and she looked somewhat like would imagine Aunt Jemima's little sister only dressed in a blue uniform.

She asked, "Just tell me, why did you run that red light?" I stood there trying to figure out what she was talking about. "Take your hand out of your pocket."

"Yes, ma'm." I showed no disrespect but, honestly, I could not remember seeing any red lights.

"You were in the turning lane and my light was green for several seconds." Again I just stood there thinking and I realized my light was green but the turing lane was not. It wasn't red either.

I told her, "Ma'm I honestly don't remember seeing any red lights. Maybe my mind was on something else." She also said that I needed to drive more carefully. Fortunately, she let me go without even a warning.

She must have thought I was in a big rush or something. She wasn't mean about it at all but just gave me words of caution. She did have a point. I know for a fact, and this is anecdotal evidence, that I am much more aware of my surroundings when I ride my bicycle in traffic than when I drive my truck. On my bicycle I have a 360 degree unobstructed view. When I get into my truck and drive I feel as though my height of awareness goes down. I am not as alert. In fact, when I drive I am not thinking about driving at all I am only thinking about where I am going and what I need to do. Traveling between points A and B are not really fun. On my bicycle traveling in the fun part. When I ride I am, at least 80% of the time thinking about riding and traffic, cadence and pace and endurance. I am looking in the rear view mirrors mounted on my helmet, keeping one eye behind and one eye ahead. Thinking of the safest way home.

In short, I love riding bicycles! I wish we lived in a more bicycle, pedestrian friendly world. Not that I hate cars riding my bicycle is just much more rewarding. I'm losing weight, hopefully preventing heart attacks, strokes and various kinds of cancers. I think the American people would greatly benefit from incorporating more manual labor into their daily lives.

I haven't ridden much in the past week or so because of bad weather. I just haven't got the nerve to ride in cold rain. However, I did buy a pair of mittens! They are really cool because they are the half glove half mitten type. Here is in a photo of a pair: Flip Over Mittens

Down here in 'bama it's been wet and unusually warm for this time of year. That happens every now and then. I hope this isn't a sign that this winter will be harsh.

The past 2.5 years has been the most painful/stressful time of my life. Things that, of course, won't be published on this blog. But those of you that know me personally understand exactly what I'm talking about. I will say that despite the pain and suffering, most of which result from my own mistakes I admit, that God has delivered me out of the deepest, darkest pit's of Hell you can imagine. Some people wonder if there is a Heaven or Hell. I can and will tell there is because I was there. In Hell, I mean.

Conquering an addiction is like climbing out of Hell. A place filled with darkness and shadow. A place much like Tolkien's Ring of Power in that you can grow to love and hate the thing that is both sustaining and depriving you of life. I digress. Needless to say that I have not sustained 2.5 years of sobriety without the help of others. Friends, family, brothers and sisters in Christ. I praise God for the sexual addiction 12 step groups here in town. My sponsor has been nothing less that supportive and helpful. The Elders of my church that have been understanding and compassionate and their desire to see me made whole has giving me hope. God has now brought me to a place where I can help others to sobriety. For you see, I am now co-leading on of these, as we call them, Freedom Groups.

I must say that above all there has been one family in particular that has given me a reason to hope and love and a reason to pursue God and all his glory to the fullest: the Bishops. I first came to Grace Church over 4 years ago. At the time I had dropped out of school and was at a real low point in my life. I had grow up as a sex addict since about 9 years old. Satan had his claws in me since about 4 or 5 though. So by the time I started coming to Grace Church my addiction had ripened to the point of harvest. Satan had a big harvest planed for me. However, God being merciful and ever so powerful and full of glory, provided a way out. I must say also that I attended the church for nearly 2 years before I started attention the 12 step groups. It took God working during those 2 year just to bring me to a point where he could address the addiction.

Anyway, the Bishops opened their home to me. 3 out of 4 Sunday afternoons I spent at the Bishops plus birthdays. All humans on earth should attend a Bishop birthday party. They are a sight and sound to behold!!! I would eat lunch, watch movies, and playing games. But the real reason I loved to come over was because there family was like the aroma of freshly bake cake. There was just something special about them that I could not figure out. One thing was truly clear: God's blessing was on this house. I had never in my life seen a good, loving, Christ centered, Holy Ghost lead family. Until I meet them I thought the family unit was a bad and evil thing that should have been avoided, in fact, abolished at all cost. This view stems from past pain regarding my own family. However, God showed me the way a family was supposed to work.

I realize there are no perfect family's but compared to what I came from, this was as perfect as you could get this side of Heaven. Each member of their family has ministered to me in ways that they may never know. Their first born child married a classmate of mine. It was amazing to see them even today dote on each other. They were never ashamed to publicly display their affection and love for each other. The second born son has grown into quite a remarkable man. The middle son is a expert video gamer and had the best joke timing on the planet. The second to last son is open direct and generally doesn't care what others think of him. At least that's the way he shows it on the outside. The youngest daughter is probably the best movie watching companion anyone could ask for. I guess it's just the way they all seem to get along. Even after arguments and disagreements. There is just an atmosphere of love that permeates the place from wall to wall.

It was just brought to my attention that I did not have "anonymous comments" set on my blog. I kept wondering why I had so many views but so few commnets. Anyway all that's fixed now. You can now post comments without having to register with blogger.

Anyone ever noticed that blogger looks a lot like bogger?