AG: Snacks
 

On 5/9/2016 10:37 PM, Joy Beeson wrote:

Just looked up "pierogi" on Wikipedia.

Ah, sounds like you've lived a life of sad deprivation!


--
- Frank Krygowski

AG: Snacks: part two
 

I got the idea for this post when I bought a box of apple-raisin
pastry crisps, and thought that they might be good with cream cheese
the way I used to eat BelVita crackers.

BelVita was a tasty "breakfast biscuit" -- might still be, for all I
know -- that was really a very dry, brittle cracker. Dry isn't good
along the road, and when you're hungry and don't have a plate to hold
under your chin, a cracker that sprays crumbs in all directions isn't
satisfying. So I spread the flat side of a biscuit with a little
cream cheese, pressed the flat side of another biscuit onto the cream
cheese, and put the sandwich into a snack bag. By lunch time, it had
sogged up just right: still crunchy, but no longer hard and brittle,
and extra butterfat is always welcome.

One reminiscence led to another: I used to stuff pitted dates with
almonds: just the right combination of sugar and fat to fuel a bike
ride. Any nut would do, but almonds were easiest to get inside the
dates. This led to an experiment: dried apricots also have a pocket
that can be filled with nuts. Pity I no longer need the calories.

I'll bet pitted prunes could also be stuffed, but I think I like them
better straight.

How many years has it been since I could buy little Stanley prunes
fresh from the tree every fall? Those were very good, and almost as
concentrated as dried prunes. I marked my trail with plum pits in
those days.

--
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/
The above message is a Usenet post.
I don't recall having given anyone permission to use it on a Web site.

AG: Cleaning bottles
 

18 May 2016

I washed two bike bottles today. I usually just rinse the bottle and
run water through the valve each time I fill it, but with the bad back
and the sprained arm, the bottles sat around long enough to develop a
decidedly off flavor. Well, one did -- I didn't taste the other one.

I didn't think boiling water would be good for the plastic, so I put
dishwater in the bottles, shook them well, squirted some of the water
through the valves, and set the bottles aside until the other dishes
were done. Then I emptied them, poured a little bleach in one, put my
finger on the valve and shook it, squirted the bleach through the
valve into the other bottle, shook it, and squirted the bleach onto a
plastic cutting board. (The board had already had quite a lot of very
hot water run over it while I rinsed the dishes, but the germ-hiding
scratches on plastic cutting boards can always use a little extra
sanitizing.

Then I let the bleach work on the bottles while I scrubbed the cutting
board and a stained white skillet, then rinsed the bottles and their
lids and valves thoroughly with hot tap water.

And when I emptied the drainer a few hours later, I put the bottles
into the freezer. I don't think I'll be using them any time soon.

But I just stood up, put my hands on the desk, and transferred a great
deal of my weight to my arms and it didn't hurt. Holding my arm in
one unalterable position on the flatfoot *does* hurt. But there's
still getting on and getting off, and the possibility of needing to
take evasive action.

At least I can still walk as far as I want to.


21 May 2016

Rode the Fuji to the fairgrounds today, carrying the bottle that
didn't go green. The bleached bottles are still in the freezer.


--
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/
The above message is a Usenet post.
I don't recall having given anyone permission to use it on a Web site.

AG: Cleaning bottles
 

On Sun, 22 May 2016 00:40:52 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:


18 May 2016

I washed two bike bottles today. I usually just rinse the bottle and
run water through the valve each time I fill it, but with the bad back
and the sprained arm, the bottles sat around long enough to develop a
decidedly off flavor. Well, one did -- I didn't taste the other one.

At my house if I set the empty bottles near the sink they turn up
later clean and stacked with the other "bike bottles" :-)

I didn't think boiling water would be good for the plastic, so I put
dishwater in the bottles, shook them well, squirted some of the water
through the valves, and set the bottles aside until the other dishes
were done. Then I emptied them, poured a little bleach in one, put my
finger on the valve and shook it, squirted the bleach through the
valve into the other bottle, shook it, and squirted the bleach onto a
plastic cutting board. (The board had already had quite a lot of very
hot water run over it while I rinsed the dishes, but the germ-hiding
scratches on plastic cutting boards can always use a little extra
sanitizing.

Then I let the bleach work on the bottles while I scrubbed the cutting
board and a stained white skillet, then rinsed the bottles and their
lids and valves thoroughly with hot tap water.

And when I emptied the drainer a few hours later, I put the bottles
into the freezer. I don't think I'll be using them any time soon.

Why in the freezer? I wash them and let them dry and stick them on the
shelf?

But I just stood up, put my hands on the desk, and transferred a great
deal of my weight to my arms and it didn't hurt. Holding my arm in
one unalterable position on the flatfoot *does* hurt. But there's
still getting on and getting off, and the possibility of needing to
take evasive action.

At least I can still walk as far as I want to.


21 May 2016

Rode the Fuji to the fairgrounds today, carrying the bottle that
didn't go green. The bleached bottles are still in the freezer.

--
cheers,

John B.

AG: Cleaning bottles
 

On Sun, 22 May 2016 14:08:09 +0700, John B.
wrote:

Why in the freezer? I wash them and let them dry and stick them on the
shelf?

I wasn't 100% sure they were completely dry.

When I put a bottle away for the winter, I air it for several hours,
then put a paper towel in the mouth to keep dust out and leave the cap
ajar. That was before tethered caps went out of style.

I'm down to three, plus one I plan to take back to Goodwill as soon as
I can ride that far. It has a flip-up cap to cover the valve, which I
thought a very good idea -- until I realized that the valve has to be
closed for the cap to close, and it's the now-usual "pry it up with a
clam knife" valve, so it's no use for taking a drink without getting
off the bike.

My newest bottle *can* be opened without tools, but not without using
both hands.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/

AG: Cleaning bottles
 

On Mon, 23 May 2016 00:35:12 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:

On Sun, 22 May 2016 14:08:09 +0700, John B.
wrote:

Why in the freezer? I wash them and let them dry and stick them on the
shelf?

I wasn't 100% sure they were completely dry.

When I put a bottle away for the winter, I air it for several hours,
then put a paper towel in the mouth to keep dust out and leave the cap
ajar. That was before tethered caps went out of style.

I (we :-) treat them just like other drinking utensils. Wash, dry in
"drainer" stick 'em on the shelf. If they were there long enough to
gather dust just rinse them off before filling.

I'm down to three, plus one I plan to take back to Goodwill as soon as
I can ride that far. It has a flip-up cap to cover the valve, which I
thought a very good idea -- until I realized that the valve has to be
closed for the cap to close, and it's the now-usual "pry it up with a
clam knife" valve, so it's no use for taking a drink without getting
off the bike.

I've always used regular old bike bottles. I see them for sale with
magic covers to keep the dirt out and all that but I've never been
enticed into buying one. I do carry a small :good morning" towel in a
back pocket though and if a bottle looks really cruddy I do wipe it
off before drinking.

My newest bottle *can* be opened without tools, but not without using
both hands.

Well, you might have to grip a bottle between your knees but I'd think
that one way or the other a person could get most any "bottle" open if
he/she was thirsty enough :-)
--
cheers,

John B.

AG: Cleaning bottles
 

On Mon, 23 May 2016 13:18:08 +0700, John B.
wrote:

Well, you might have to grip a bottle between your knees but I'd think
that one way or the other a person could get most any "bottle" open if
he/she was thirsty enough :-)

The back of my pocket knife fills in for a clam knife in case of need.

What I usually do is to pry up the valve on one bottle before leaving
the house, and when it's time to switch to the back-up bottle, I swap
caps.

The non-tethered caps are really annoying when I want to pour the
contents of one bottle into another. One bottle in each hand, one cap
in my teeth, and the other cap . . . I'm pretty sure I have a third
hand tucked away somewhere, but it's useful only when adjusting brake
cables.

I noticed the last time I passed the Trailhouse that the bottles in
the window don't have the same decorations as the bottle I'm now
using. I should check to see whether they are better bottles.

The two National-Guard bottles (garage sale) are still in the freezer.
It looks as though it will be quite warm before I can stay out all
day; perhaps I should freeze some tea in them.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/

AG: Cleaning bottles
 

On Tue, 24 May 2016 00:31:46 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:

On Mon, 23 May 2016 13:18:08 +0700, John B.
wrote:

Well, you might have to grip a bottle between your knees but I'd think
that one way or the other a person could get most any "bottle" open if
he/she was thirsty enough :-)

The back of my pocket knife fills in for a clam knife in case of need.

You need a clam knife to drink out of a bike bottle? :-)

What I usually do is to pry up the valve on one bottle before leaving
the house, and when it's time to switch to the back-up bottle, I swap
caps.

The non-tethered caps are really annoying when I want to pour the
contents of one bottle into another. One bottle in each hand, one cap
in my teeth, and the other cap . . . I'm pretty sure I have a third
hand tucked away somewhere, but it's useful only when adjusting brake
cables.


Naw, take one top off and throw it on the ground - you got to wash the
bottle anyway. Hold the other top in your teeth and pour. Put the full
bottle in the bottle cage, pick up the top from the ground and away
you go :-)

I noticed the last time I passed the Trailhouse that the bottles in
the window don't have the same decorations as the bottle I'm now
using. I should check to see whether they are better bottles.

My experience is that all bike bottles are about the same, except for
the decoration and most of them will leak :-)

The two National-Guard bottles (garage sale) are still in the freezer.
It looks as though it will be quite warm before I can stay out all
day; perhaps I should freeze some tea in them.

It is HOT in Thailand so if it is a two bottle day I fill the bottles
and put one in the fridge and the second in the freezer. (drink from
the fridge bottle first)

It works for about the first half of the day then they both get hot.

Since almost every filling station I pass has a 7-11, or similar shop,
attached I have been thinking about carrying some drink mix in my
pocket and stopping at a 7-11 for a bottle of cold water and mix my
on, on the run, as it were. Warm drink when you are all hot and sweaty
is not very palatable.
--
cheers,

John B.

AG: Squirrel!
 

24 May 2016

Today I'm planning to ride farther than I can walk for the first time
since the Good Friday incident.

(Actually, the damage was done on the preceding Monday, and I didn't
have enough sense to lie around and let it heal. Come Friday, my
roommate made an emergency appointment with my doctor, and a six-day
course of corticosteroids fixed the arthritis right up -- but the arm
I sprained trying to get out of bed just won't heal.)

Getting ready to ride requires that I refurbish the newspaper sleeve
that the squirrels got at. I was much amused to see that they had
chewed a hole in the newspaper sleeve and had been trying mightily to
drag out -- a zip-lock sandwich bag of fold-lock sandwich bags.

If you ride long enough to buy food along the way, you need a supply
of plastic bags so that you can save some of it for later. (And never
order your sub toasted: it's such a shame to let it get cold that you
are going to founder.)

I used to go to a farm store in Altamont and buy one-quart freezer-box
liners, but that changed from a six-mile ride to an eight-hundred mile
ride.

(Four of us actually did that ride once, back when U-Val was the only
functioning sunscreen, and you had to re-apply it at every stop. I
got chalky rings around my ankles where the U-Val had migrated down
through my sweat.) (But we flew back.)

Then I bought quart-size Baggies at Avila's Mexican Supermarket, but
Avila burned down. So the nearest I can find to a one-pint no-zipper
bag is the fold-top sandwich bag. Well, most of the time it's big
enough, and one can use two bags for oversized items. (I also carry
twist-ties; they come with my gallon-size bags and I use clothespins
instead, so I have plenty.)

The squirrels had better luck when they tried to pull my snack bag of
condiments through a hole in the newspaper sleeve -- there was a tub
of margarine in the corner of the bag they got outside the sleeve. The
squirrels must not like margarine any more than I do; they ate only
half of it. Or it might be that it's not the season when animals are
desperate for fat to burn for heat.

If you sometimes lunch at grocery stores, you need to carry a snack
bag into which you drop any single-serve packets of seasoning that
aren't eaten with the snack they came with. An envelope of Mayo is
particularly useful. I don't like Mayo much, but there are times when
a little grease is very welcome.

(Is "snack bag" a world-wide term? It's the marketing name of a
zipper bag as wide as a sandwich bag, but only half as high.)

Evening: I didn't buy anything to put condiments on; I lunched on a
"fruit-and-grain bar" (fig newton made outta blueberry jam) and bought
a pint of whole milk at Dollar General.

I felt a twinge in my shoulder when I dismounted while squeezing the
brake after the ride, but otherwise the only thing that hurt was
signaling a left turn -- which I do only twice on this route.

Aaaand . . . I just got up and put my new newspaper sleeve into the
soda fridge. The squirrels haven't figured out how to open the fridge
yet. I hope they don't know that that is were we keep the raw
peanuts.

--
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/
The above message is a Usenet post.
I don't recall having given anyone permission to use it on a Web site.

AG: Squirrel!
 

On Sun, 29 May 2016 00:02:14 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:


24 May 2016

Today I'm planning to ride farther than I can walk for the first time
since the Good Friday incident.

(Actually, the damage was done on the preceding Monday, and I didn't
have enough sense to lie around and let it heal. Come Friday, my
roommate made an emergency appointment with my doctor, and a six-day
course of corticosteroids fixed the arthritis right up -- but the arm
I sprained trying to get out of bed just won't heal.)

Getting ready to ride requires that I refurbish the newspaper sleeve
that the squirrels got at. I was much amused to see that they had
chewed a hole in the newspaper sleeve and had been trying mightily to
drag out -- a zip-lock sandwich bag of fold-lock sandwich bags.

What is a "Newspaper sleeve"? It sounds like some sort of paper bag?



If you ride long enough to buy food along the way, you need a supply
of plastic bags so that you can save some of it for later. (And never
order your sub toasted: it's such a shame to let it get cold that you
are going to founder.)

I used to go to a farm store in Altamont and buy one-quart freezer-box
liners, but that changed from a six-mile ride to an eight-hundred mile
ride.

(Four of us actually did that ride once, back when U-Val was the only
functioning sunscreen, and you had to re-apply it at every stop. I
got chalky rings around my ankles where the U-Val had migrated down
through my sweat.) (But we flew back.)

Then I bought quart-size Baggies at Avila's Mexican Supermarket, but
Avila burned down. So the nearest I can find to a one-pint no-zipper
bag is the fold-top sandwich bag. Well, most of the time it's big
enough, and one can use two bags for oversized items. (I also carry
twist-ties; they come with my gallon-size bags and I use clothespins
instead, so I have plenty.)



The squirrels had better luck when they tried to pull my snack bag of
condiments through a hole in the newspaper sleeve -- there was a tub
of margarine in the corner of the bag they got outside the sleeve. The
squirrels must not like margarine any more than I do; they ate only
half of it. Or it might be that it's not the season when animals are
desperate for fat to burn for heat.

If you sometimes lunch at grocery stores, you need to carry a snack
bag into which you drop any single-serve packets of seasoning that
aren't eaten with the snack they came with. An envelope of Mayo is
particularly useful. I don't like Mayo much, but there are times when
a little grease is very welcome.

(Is "snack bag" a world-wide term? It's the marketing name of a
zipper bag as wide as a sandwich bag, but only half as high.)

Evening: I didn't buy anything to put condiments on; I lunched on a
"fruit-and-grain bar" (fig newton made outta blueberry jam) and bought
a pint of whole milk at Dollar General.

I felt a twinge in my shoulder when I dismounted while squeezing the
brake after the ride, but otherwise the only thing that hurt was
signaling a left turn -- which I do only twice on this route.

Aaaand . . . I just got up and put my new newspaper sleeve into the
soda fridge. The squirrels haven't figured out how to open the fridge
yet. I hope they don't know that that is were we keep the raw
peanuts.
--
cheers,

John B.

AG: Squirrel!
 

On Sun, 29 May 2016 14:17:11 +0700, John B.
wrote:

What is a "Newspaper sleeve"? It sounds like some sort of paper bag?

On rainy days, the paper boy delivers our paper in a long, narrow
plastic bag.

I've become accustomed to referring to plastic bags of this shape as
"sleeves", as in "we have twelve sleeves of paper cups". That meaning
of "sleeve" would be a good topic to post on alt.usage.english, but
that group has too much traffic already.

A newspaper sleeve makes a good bootie for riding in bitterly-cold
weather, but we've moved a few miles south of where we used to live,
so I no longer need shoe covers. I haven't shaken the habit of not
throwing them out, and I don't need many for snack organizers and map
covers, so I've collected a grocery bag full.

But now that I have given up wearing shoes, I might need the bread-bag
trick next winter. (The traditional shoe cover was a bread bag.) For
walking to the church on a slushy day a few years ago, I pulled
newspaper sleeves over my heavy socks, then held the bags in place
with black nylon knee socks, the cheap, thin kind that won't hold much
water. Then sandals over that. It kept my feet warmer than my snow
boots.

For cycling, one puts them on over the shoes -- and carries spares for
the trip back. Slot cleats cut a hole in the plastic in exactly the
right place; I don't know whether the trick would work with clipless
cleats.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/

AG: Squirrel!
 

On Sun, 29 May 2016 23:53:57 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:

On Sun, 29 May 2016 14:17:11 +0700, John B.
wrote:

What is a "Newspaper sleeve"? It sounds like some sort of paper bag?

On rainy days, the paper boy delivers our paper in a long, narrow
plastic bag.

O.K. I understand. Over here we have "umbrella bags, to store your wet
umbrella in when you enter a store. Perhaps a little longer though :-)

I've become accustomed to referring to plastic bags of this shape as
"sleeves", as in "we have twelve sleeves of paper cups". That meaning
of "sleeve" would be a good topic to post on alt.usage.english, but
that group has too much traffic already.

I see. I've always refereed to them as "tubes" of paper cups.

A newspaper sleeve makes a good bootie for riding in bitterly-cold
weather, but we've moved a few miles south of where we used to live,
so I no longer need shoe covers. I haven't shaken the habit of not
throwing them out, and I don't need many for snack organizers and map
covers, so I've collected a grocery bag full.

But now that I have given up wearing shoes, I might need the bread-bag
trick next winter. (The traditional shoe cover was a bread bag.) For
walking to the church on a slushy day a few years ago, I pulled
newspaper sleeves over my heavy socks, then held the bags in place
with black nylon knee socks, the cheap, thin kind that won't hold much
water. Then sandals over that. It kept my feet warmer than my snow
boots.

Give up wearing shoes? Goodness, it must get a bit nippy wading
through the snow back there. Christmas time, sleigh bells in the air
and yuletide by the fireside (and cold toes :-)

For cycling, one puts them on over the shoes -- and carries spares for
the trip back. Slot cleats cut a hole in the plastic in exactly the
right place; I don't know whether the trick would work with clipless
cleats.
--
cheers,

John B.

AG: Squirrel!
 

On Mon, 30 May 2016 13:17:37 +0700, John B.
wrote:

I see. I've always refereed to them as "tubes" of paper cups.

Pretty much the same idea. I wonder whether "sleeve" is unique to me
.. . . but I picked it up from a fellow who worked in the kitchen when
he was in college. Maybe I *will* post the topic in A.U.E.; it would
make a pleasant change from folks wasting their time (and my
post-skipping energy) responding to our resident troll.

I couldn't have said a "newspaper tube"; that's the open-ended box
bolted to a mailbox post or, in our case, the side of the house beside
the north door. Well, we call ours a "newspaper box" but I've seen
newspaper receptacles that I wouldn't hesitate to call "tubes".

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/

AG: Squirrel!
 

On Mon, 30 May 2016 13:17:37 +0700, John B.
wrote:

Give up wearing shoes?

To be more precise, I've given up trying to find shoes in my size.

I didn't find any adjustable-toe sandals at this spring's clearance,
but I have at least four pairs of sandals, so I should manage until
it's sandal-buying season again.

I should have taken a look at the men's shoes while I was in the shoe
stores. Seldom very many sandals in that department, though.

The Lace mailing list reported that Walmart had lace espadrilles, and
I'll be able to ride that far soon, but I imagine that they are
already gone.

Goodness, it must get a bit nippy wading
through the snow back there. Christmas time, sleigh bells in the air
and yuletide by the fireside (and cold toes :-)

I do have a pair of insulated hiking boots I bought in the sixties,
when we passed near R.E.I. on our way back from Hawaii. I said they
pinched, I was going to have to try on men's shoes, the clerk said
"wait" and went into the back room and brought out another pair of the
same brand, model, and size -- and this pair fit.

I wear them only once or twice per winter; the "ankle support" makes
steps awkward.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/

AG: Squirrel!
 

On Tue, 31 May 2016 21:10:08 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:

On Mon, 30 May 2016 13:17:37 +0700, John B.
wrote:

I see. I've always refereed to them as "tubes" of paper cups.

Pretty much the same idea. I wonder whether "sleeve" is unique to me
. . . but I picked it up from a fellow who worked in the kitchen when
he was in college. Maybe I *will* post the topic in A.U.E.; it would
make a pleasant change from folks wasting their time (and my
post-skipping energy) responding to our resident troll.

I couldn't have said a "newspaper tube"; that's the open-ended box
bolted to a mailbox post or, in our case, the side of the house beside
the north door. Well, we call ours a "newspaper box" but I've seen
newspaper receptacles that I wouldn't hesitate to call "tubes".

Well, one definition of "tube" is " small case into which an object
fits" so it seems to be a reasonable description :-)

We have those sections of "drain pipe" with a newspaper's name on them
here. As the Sunday paper is so large it won't fit in the "tube" I've
always wondered what the "paper boy" did then? Throw it over the fence
I suppose :-)
--
cheers,

John B.

AG: Squirrel!
 

On Tue, 31 May 2016 23:12:13 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:

On Mon, 30 May 2016 13:17:37 +0700, John B.
wrote:

Give up wearing shoes?

To be more precise, I've given up trying to find shoes in my size.

I didn't find any adjustable-toe sandals at this spring's clearance,
but I have at least four pairs of sandals, so I should manage until
it's sandal-buying season again.

Here I would guess that the majority wear some form of sandal, ranging
from rubber flip-flops to very elegant "shoes" that are essentially a
sole with a few tiny straps to hold the foot on top.

Flip-flops are, of course, considered down market apparel and worn
only by the "lowly" and of course by "tourists".

I should have taken a look at the men's shoes while I was in the shoe
stores. Seldom very many sandals in that department, though.

The Lace mailing list reported that Walmart had lace espadrilles, and
I'll be able to ride that far soon, but I imagine that they are
already gone.

Goodness, it must get a bit nippy wading
through the snow back there. Christmas time, sleigh bells in the air
and yuletide by the fireside (and cold toes :-)

I do have a pair of insulated hiking boots I bought in the sixties,
when we passed near R.E.I. on our way back from Hawaii. I said they
pinched, I was going to have to try on men's shoes, the clerk said
"wait" and went into the back room and brought out another pair of the
same brand, model, and size -- and this pair fit.

When I was in the Air Force I wore "brogans", ankle high work shoes,
and so did the WAF's (Women in the Air Force). Of course, most WAF's
were office workers or other jobs where a "dress" uniform was worn,
but occasionally you would see one in her "fatigues" clomping along
with her brogans so apparently sturdy work shoes are made for smaller
feet.

I wear them only once or twice per winter; the "ankle support" makes
steps awkward.
--
cheers,

John B.

AG: Seize the day, not the lane
 

When I was learning to manipulate vulgar fractions, I was taught that
if you have the same number in the numerator that you have in the
denominator, the two "cancel out" -- if you multiply by five and then
divide by five, it's the same as if you'd done nothing, so you might
as well do neither and save yourself the effort.

When I taught vulgar fractions, the students came in knowing that
"cancel" meant "add up to zero" and much confusion resulted -- not
least because I tried to switch to "divide out" and my long years of
saying "cancel" kept sneaking in.

So I drop in here from alt.usage.english to say: LANGUAGE MATTERS!!!!

Every time riding style comes up in discussion, the advocates of
sensible cycling are sure to say "take the lane" -- in the latest
kerfuffle, it's been escalated into "seize the lane".

A good rider does nothing of the sort. He doesn't seize the lane or
even take it. He simply rides where it's sensible to ride: sometimes
that's the right wheel track, sometimes it's the left wheel track,
sometimes it's straight down the middle, sometimes it's the next lane
over, sometimes it's on the shoulder.

And, of course, he always leaves himself room to dodge unexpected
obstacles, but I find that I have enough to say about lane position to
fill another post, and my buffer *is* scraping the barrel, so I'll
save that for another time.

Ob A.U.E.: does the metaphor "scrape the barrel" make sense to people
who have never seen a barrel? They were extinct when I was born, but
for the first twelve years, my library consisted of books Mom had
bought at estate sales, and I became familiar with a great many
out-of-date customs. (Though it wasn't until I re-read it as an adult
that I realized that the Bobbsey Twins were DRINKING water from a
(GAAACK) dug well.

--
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/
The above message is a Usenet post.
I don't recall having given anyone permission to use it on a Web site.

AG: Seize the day, not the lane
 

On Sun, 05 Jun 2016 01:08:15 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:


When I was learning to manipulate vulgar fractions, I was taught that
if you have the same number in the numerator that you have in the
denominator, the two "cancel out" -- if you multiply by five and then
divide by five, it's the same as if you'd done nothing, so you might
as well do neither and save yourself the effort.

When I taught vulgar fractions, the students came in knowing that
"cancel" meant "add up to zero" and much confusion resulted -- not
least because I tried to switch to "divide out" and my long years of
saying "cancel" kept sneaking in.

Vulgar: lacking refinement or cultivation or taste

Does one have "refined" mathematics too :-)

So I drop in here from alt.usage.english to say: LANGUAGE MATTERS!!!!

Every time riding style comes up in discussion, the advocates of
sensible cycling are sure to say "take the lane" -- in the latest
kerfuffle, it's been escalated into "seize the lane".

A good rider does nothing of the sort. He doesn't seize the lane or
even take it. He simply rides where it's sensible to ride: sometimes
that's the right wheel track, sometimes it's the left wheel track,
sometimes it's straight down the middle, sometimes it's the next lane
over, sometimes it's on the shoulder.

And, of course, he always leaves himself room to dodge unexpected
obstacles, but I find that I have enough to say about lane position to
fill another post, and my buffer *is* scraping the barrel, so I'll
save that for another time.

Ob A.U.E.: does the metaphor "scrape the barrel" make sense to people
who have never seen a barrel? They were extinct when I was born, but
for the first twelve years, my library consisted of books Mom had
bought at estate sales, and I became familiar with a great many
out-of-date customs. (Though it wasn't until I re-read it as an adult
that I realized that the Bobbsey Twins were DRINKING water from a
(GAAACK) dug well.

Yes, I think "barrel" is still used, at least in some instances
although "drum" seems to have replaced in certain instances. One has a
55 gallon drum of kerosene, for example, but one has a barrel of wine
or whiskey., and the standard for measuring crude oil is still the 42
gallon barrel.

drinking water :-) I was raised drinking water from a dug well.
And, I worked on renovating the Calvin Coolidge homestead one summer.
Cal was raised drinking water from a dug well that was piped into the
hose through a lead pipe :-)
--
cheers,

John B.

AG: Cleaning bottles
 

Bottles are popping out all over.

A few days after posting, I wanted to walk a mile on a hot day and
couldn't find my 250 ml water bottle[1], so I dove into my
assorted-container cupboard in search of a substitute. In plain
sight, in front of the box of small containers I was after, was a
water bottle I'd put away last fall. I moved it to the bottle holder
of my Trek Pure, and hope that I don't fill it any time soon. A
reasonable hope; my pedal-powered wheelchair is easy on the knees, but
stretching up to the high, one-position handlebars aggravates my
rotator cuff. Which took me a while to discover, and delayed the
healing.

Then a few days ago I got fed up with the all-synthetic gloves I wear
under warm gloves, threw them into the laundry closet to be washed and
put away for the summer, and went looking for my weight-lifting
gloves. (Cotton-back cycling gloves are sometimes available, but
don't come small enough for my dainty hands.) When I opened the
bike-accessories cupboard, there, front and center, were two black
bike bottles. Well one, identifiable by the bottle cage still
attached, is a walk-behind lawnmower bottle. I don't know how long
it's been since we got rid of the walk-behind. Those bottles will
need a thorough cleaning before they are put back into service, which
won't be soon because I tend to carry spare water in quart-size square
Rubbermaid bottles.

Then this evening, while getting ready to roll out two and a half
hours before I normally wake up, I decided to freeze some tea in my
Sheriff Goshert bottle. (Don't ask me what that's about; I acquired
it at a garage sale, and didn't ask for provenance.) I've known all
along that it was in the fridge, but what I didn't know was that there
was half an inch of some sort of beverage and a bunch of tea leaves in
it. I hope they were tea leaves. I guess I didn't know that the last
warm day was the last one. One thorough cleaning later, it's in the
freezer, tipped on its side so the half-cup of tea won't break it when
it expands. I hope I remember to fill it and take it with me in the
groggy morning.


[1] The pocket-size water bottle was in the fridge in plain sight,
and now has a cup of water and a few sprigs of basil in it, ready for
my next sweaty walk.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/

AG: Cleaning bottles
 

On Wed, 08 Jun 2016 20:35:50 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:


Bottles are popping out all over.

A few days after posting, I wanted to walk a mile on a hot day and
couldn't find my 250 ml water bottle[1], so I dove into my
assorted-container cupboard in search of a substitute. In plain
sight, in front of the box of small containers I was after, was a
water bottle I'd put away last fall. I moved it to the bottle holder
of my Trek Pure, and hope that I don't fill it any time soon. A
reasonable hope; my pedal-powered wheelchair is easy on the knees, but
stretching up to the high, one-position handlebars aggravates my
rotator cuff. Which took me a while to discover, and delayed the
healing.

Then a few days ago I got fed up with the all-synthetic gloves I wear
under warm gloves, threw them into the laundry closet to be washed and
put away for the summer, and went looking for my weight-lifting
gloves. (Cotton-back cycling gloves are sometimes available, but
don't come small enough for my dainty hands.) When I opened the
bike-accessories cupboard, there, front and center, were two black
bike bottles. Well one, identifiable by the bottle cage still
attached, is a walk-behind lawnmower bottle. I don't know how long
it's been since we got rid of the walk-behind. Those bottles will
need a thorough cleaning before they are put back into service, which
won't be soon because I tend to carry spare water in quart-size square
Rubbermaid bottles.

Then this evening, while getting ready to roll out two and a half
hours before I normally wake up, I decided to freeze some tea in my
Sheriff Goshert bottle. (Don't ask me what that's about; I acquired
it at a garage sale, and didn't ask for provenance.) I've known all
along that it was in the fridge, but what I didn't know was that there
was half an inch of some sort of beverage and a bunch of tea leaves in
it. I hope they were tea leaves. I guess I didn't know that the last
warm day was the last one. One thorough cleaning later, it's in the
freezer, tipped on its side so the half-cup of tea won't break it when
it expands. I hope I remember to fill it and take it with me in the
groggy morning.


[1] The pocket-size water bottle was in the fridge in plain sight,
and now has a cup of water and a few sprigs of basil in it, ready for
my next sweaty walk.

I've been freezing a bottle of drink for a year or two now. In the
climate here a refrigerated bottle stays "cool", well less than
ambient temperature, for no longer than an hour while a frozen bottle
will go for maybe two hours, or perhaps a bit shorter time.

I tried one of those stainless thermos bottles but wasn't impressed,
and will next try to freeze one and see how it lasts.

When worse comes to worst nearly every filling station has a small
"7-11" type shop so chilled bottled water is nearly always available.

--
cheers,

John B.

AG: Cleaning bottles
 

On Tue, 24 May 2016 17:09:50 +0700, John B.
wrote:

Warm drink when you are all hot and sweaty
is not very palatable.

Last summer -- and again this summer if my arm heals, and it *finally*
appears to be doing so; I've gotten confident enough to print out a
map of Atwood -- I would insulate my left pannier with newspaper, and
carry my spare water chilled, frozen, and partly-frozen. (This also
cooled my lunch and any groceries I picked up along the way.)

When the bottles in the holders ran empty, I would pour about half a
cup into one of them from one of the spare bottles. This helped with
hydration because I was highly motivated to get it all down before it
got warm.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/

AG: Cleaning bottles
 

On Thu, 09 Jun 2016 23:44:05 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:

On Tue, 24 May 2016 17:09:50 +0700, John B.
wrote:

Warm drink when you are all hot and sweaty
is not very palatable.

Last summer -- and again this summer if my arm heals, and it *finally*
appears to be doing so; I've gotten confident enough to print out a
map of Atwood -- I would insulate my left pannier with newspaper, and
carry my spare water chilled, frozen, and partly-frozen. (This also
cooled my lunch and any groceries I picked up along the way.)

When the bottles in the holders ran empty, I would pour about half a
cup into one of them from one of the spare bottles. This helped with
hydration because I was highly motivated to get it all down before it
got warm.

That is what I planned to do with the stainless "thermos" bottle but
it didn't work too well. Of course the thermos cost me 150 baht which
is about US$4.20 so perhaps it isn't really top quality.
Sunday I'll try freezing the thermos and see how that works.

By the way, they have made "insulated" bike bottles. I bought one and
yes, they are slightly more effective at keeping stuff cold than the
usual bottle but only very slightly.
--
cheers,

John B.

AG: Drying without a towel
 

On a tour, on a dripping-hot day, one of the group passed up a chance
to take a shower just because he didn't have a towel.

You can dry yourself quite thoroughly with your washrag -- just start
at the top and keep wringing it out.

Wet hair doesn't squeegee well, but you can comb the water out. And
tangles are easier to get out if water is still draining through them.

--
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/
The above message is a Usenet post.
I don't recall having given anyone permission to use it on a Web site.

AG: Drying without a towel
 

On Sat, 11 Jun 2016 23:43:23 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:


On a tour, on a dripping-hot day, one of the group passed up a chance
to take a shower just because he didn't have a towel.

You can dry yourself quite thoroughly with your washrag -- just start
at the top and keep wringing it out.

Wet hair doesn't squeegee well, but you can comb the water out. And
tangles are easier to get out if water is still draining through them.

Japanese, traditionally carry one "towel" to the public bath house.
Small, perhaps, 12 x 28 inches, but probably actually a metric
dimension. They use the "towel" with soap and water to wash with, then
rinse the towel and wring as dry as possible. Hop into the hot tub and
soak for a while and then wipe the excess water off with the damp
towel. The resulting damp skin will keep you cool as you walk
homeward.

Thais who still live in the small villages will take, perhaps four or
five baths a day during the hot season.

( And, frankly, they consider foreigners who bath only once a day to
be, well, a bit dirty :-)
--
cheers,

John B.

AG: Drying without a towel
 

On Sun, 12 Jun 2016 15:17:50 +0700, John B.
wrote:

Thais who still live in the small villages will take, perhaps four or
five baths a day during the hot season.

One extra-hot summer when grad students were kept in a winter-only
dorm, I took a shower every time I entered or left the building. In
the old days, dorms had shared facilities that you didn't have to
clean yourself.

Facilities that one has to share with suite mates were a giant leap
backward -- Four of you sharing a single-occupancy room means a high
percentage of waiting for someone to finish a shower when you want to
use the toilet. And if your roommate is a slob, yuckers.

A suite of facilities meant to serve the whole floor meant that there
was *always* a vacant stall. When I washed my angora sweaters, I
could use half a dozen sinks. And somebody was *paid* to clean it.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/

AG: Drying without a towel
 

On Sun, 12 Jun 2016 23:33:39 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:

On Sun, 12 Jun 2016 15:17:50 +0700, John B.
wrote:

Thais who still live in the small villages will take, perhaps four or
five baths a day during the hot season.

One extra-hot summer when grad students were kept in a winter-only
dorm, I took a shower every time I entered or left the building. In
the old days, dorms had shared facilities that you didn't have to
clean yourself.

Multiple daily baths have been ,disparagingly, referred to as "Thai
Air Conditioning" :-)

Facilities that one has to share with suite mates were a giant leap
backward -- Four of you sharing a single-occupancy room means a high
percentage of waiting for someone to finish a shower when you want to
use the toilet. And if your roommate is a slob, yuckers.

A suite of facilities meant to serve the whole floor meant that there
was *always* a vacant stall. When I washed my angora sweaters, I
could use half a dozen sinks. And somebody was *paid* to clean it.

Having someone else to clean up is a nice thing.
--
cheers,

John B.

AG: Squirrel!
 

On Tue, 31 May 2016 21:10:08 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:

I wonder whether "sleeve" is unique to me
. . .

Nope. I rode to Walmart today, and happened to read the sign on their
bag-recycling bin: among the bags one could deposit there was
"newspaper sleeves".

--
Joy Beeson, U.S.A., mostly central Hoosier,
some Northern Indiana, Upstate New York, Florida, and Hawaii
joy beeson at comcast dot net http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/
The above message is a Usenet post.
I don't recall having given anyone permission to use it on a Web site.

AG: Squirrel!
 

On Fri, 17 Jun 2016 09:09:13 +0700, John B.
wrote:

Good Lord! What would one do if his/her discards on a certain day
weren't listed on the sign?

Put them in a different bin. The point of the sign was that Walmart
would recycle bags other than its own.

I cheerfully put all my bags, including occasional newspaper sleeves,
in the bin at Owen's. In the absence of a sign, I've no idea whether
I'm messing up their system. But I always see lots of bags that
aren't brown when I stuff mine in, so if foreign bags were a problem,
I think they'd put up a sign. They do have one that says "no trash".

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/

AG: Squirrel!
 

On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 19:49:12 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:

On Tue, 31 May 2016 21:10:08 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:

I wonder whether "sleeve" is unique to me
. . .

Nope. I rode to Walmart today, and happened to read the sign on their
bag-recycling bin: among the bags one could deposit there was
"newspaper sleeves".

Good Lord! What would one do if his/her discards on a certain day
weren't listed on the sign?
--
cheers,

John B.

AG: Squirrel!
 

On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 22:31:54 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:

On Fri, 17 Jun 2016 09:09:13 +0700, John B.
wrote:

Good Lord! What would one do if his/her discards on a certain day
weren't listed on the sign?

Put them in a different bin. The point of the sign was that Walmart
would recycle bags other than its own.

I cheerfully put all my bags, including occasional newspaper sleeves,
in the bin at Owen's. In the absence of a sign, I've no idea whether
I'm messing up their system. But I always see lots of bags that
aren't brown when I stuff mine in, so if foreign bags were a problem,
I think they'd put up a sign. They do have one that says "no trash".

Ah, Lotus Tesco, think "Thai Walmart", has an even simpler solution.
they offer a discount for those that don't require a plastic bag.
--
cheers,

John B.

AG: Squirrel!
 

On Fri, 17 Jun 2016 10:17:10 +0700, John B.
wrote:

Ah, Lotus Tesco, think "Thai Walmart", has an even simpler solution.
they offer a discount for those that don't require a plastic bag.

Marsh Supermarket gives you a nickel off for each bag you re-use, but
not if you want your stuff loose in the cart. Which I always do when
cycling; much easier to pack groceries into panniers if I don't have
to unpack them first. And my habit of using crumpled grocery bags as
packing material means that I always have plenty of bags when I need
to hang something off the side.

I found a trick for bungeeing a loaf of bread to the rack: put it in
a bag, tie the handles of the bag to the front of the rack, puncture
the bottom of the bag in two places while hooking bungee cords to the
back of the rack.

I've been shopping at Mash lately, more's the pity -- because of the
location, I rarely go there unless I'm on the way home from the
dentist. But after Thursday I won't need another followup until my
regular appointment in August.

At Kroger, I never use the self-service checkouts. The bag boy is
delighted when I say I don't want my groceries packed; the machine has
a nervous breakdown if you don't put each item scanned into a bag.
Putting it on the platform the bag rests on won't do.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/

AG: Squirrel!
 

On 6/17/2016 9:08 PM, Joy Beeson wrote:

I found a trick for bungeeing a loaf of bread to the rack: put it in
a bag, tie the handles of the bag to the front of the rack, puncture
the bottom of the bag in two places while hooking bungee cords to the
back of the rack.

Noted! Good idea! Thanks!

My problem is often judging exactly how much I can carry home on the
bike. Bread always gets loaded last, and not infrequently, it's got to
be lashed on top somehow. This will help.


--
- Frank Krygowski

AG: Squirrel!
 

On Fri, 17 Jun 2016 22:08:45 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:

On Fri, 17 Jun 2016 10:17:10 +0700, John B.
wrote:

Ah, Lotus Tesco, think "Thai Walmart", has an even simpler solution.
they offer a discount for those that don't require a plastic bag.

Marsh Supermarket gives you a nickel off for each bag you re-use, but
not if you want your stuff loose in the cart. Which I always do when
cycling; much easier to pack groceries into panniers if I don't have
to unpack them first. And my habit of using crumpled grocery bags as
packing material means that I always have plenty of bags when I need
to hang something off the side.

The Tesco Lotus stores seem to prefer cloth shopping bags, or at least
not used plastic bags. The other alternative is to put the items loose
in the shopping cart, which they allow.

In many shops here the plastic bag with the shop's name on it is only
available at the check out counter and seems to, in addition to
holding the goods, serve as evidence that you've paid for the stuff.


I found a trick for bungeeing a loaf of bread to the rack: put it in
a bag, tie the handles of the bag to the front of the rack, puncture
the bottom of the bag in two places while hooking bungee cords to the
back of the rack.

I've been shopping at Mash lately, more's the pity -- because of the
location, I rarely go there unless I'm on the way home from the
dentist. But after Thursday I won't need another followup until my
regular appointment in August.

At Kroger, I never use the self-service checkouts. The bag boy is
delighted when I say I don't want my groceries packed; the machine has
a nervous breakdown if you don't put each item scanned into a bag.
Putting it on the platform the bag rests on won't do.
--
cheers,

John B.

AG: GET OFF THE REPRODUCING ROAD!!!!
 

There's a lot to be said about how to choose which part of which lane
to operate your bicycle in -- but if you are not moving you don't
belong in ANY part of the road.

If you are stopped for a light or if you are waiting for traffic to
clear, of course you belong exactly where you want to be when you
resume moving. But if a tour group stops for a consultation, or if
you stop to read your map or fiddle with your equipment, PULL OFF THE
ROAD FIRST.

Ye cats, that should go without saying.


--
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/
The above message is a Usenet post.
I don't recall having given anyone permission to use it on a Web site.

AG: Today's Ride
 

Oops! I clicked "send" instead of "save for further editing". (Those
buttons are *way* too close together!) My first impulse was to save
this report for next week, but a post sent out all raw and unpolished
after being pounded out in one sitting probably requires an apology,
so this one will go out on schedule. Pout. I was *so* pleased to
have something to add to the buffer!


17 June 2016

There are only three posts in the buffer, not one of them can be
finished in time to post on Sunday, and one of them probably will
*never* be finished. So I'll post a report on tomorrow's Tour
d'Warsaw. I do hope the report turns out boring.

Since the prediction is "hot and dry", I've insulated a pannier with
newspapers for the ride. Now I'm in full summer kit: long-sleeved
linen jersey, linen knickers, thin socks, mesh-back gloves, and a
linen do-rag instead of a scarf. I've put a pint of water in the
fridge, and I've checked the supply of ice cubes. I plan to fill a
quart Rubbermaid bottle with ice, then pour chilled water over it.


Unicode U + 2042


18 June 2016

Sunscreen: I paid particular attention to the outside edges of my
calves, because that is where I got red streaks when I could ride all
day.

Over at tech, there's an impassioned warning against wearing sandals
on a bike. I've been strongly opposed to exposed toes anywhere near
pedals ever since I stuck my little foot into the spokes of my
tricycle while riding back and forth on the porch, and got a blood
blister. A blood blister *really* grosses out a small child.

But I gave up that prejudice this spring, when I figured out that my
oxfords were not only responsible for my corns, they were the cause of
the sore spot that develops on the ball of my foot.

Since I plan to wear sandals for the entire trip, I chose "thin" socks
that I suspect of being too thick to fit inside the Duegis. The back
half of the cuff is twice as wide as the rest, and the extension is a
bit thicker than the rest of the cuff. It said "tab back" on the
package, if I recall correctly, so there must be some sort of purpose
for that. It does make it slightly easier to pull on the sock.

I was pleased to see that the toe straps of my sandals cover most of
the knitted-in advertisement. It says "Ballston", "Since 1918", and
"Built to wear". I think they were meant for running shoes. (I buy
any wool -- or even part-wool -- sock I see.)


Unicode U + 2042


There was an event of interest on the way out of the village.

I was in the section of Park Avenue that has parking on both sides,
riding in the center of my lane, when I saw a car in my rear-view
mirror. A long stretch of empty parking spaces lay ahead, and I moved
into it to let him by. He was driving more slowly than is usual for
that street, and continued to slow. Riding as slowly as I could, I
passed behind a pedestrian waiting for a chance to cross and stopped
behind a parked car. The overtaking car stopped to allow the
pedestrian to cross, then just sat there. I turned my head to see
what the hold-up was, and the car immediately started moving.

Duh! Up until then, I hadn't emitted the faintest clue that I knew he
was there!



It's just as well that I forgot to put my bottle of tea into my
cooler; this turned out to be a very short ride. I did plan to come
back by way of the boardwalk to put in an extra mile, but I got on
Fort Wayne street to cross SR 15 and absent-mindedly followed it all
the way to Owen's. I realized it about halfway there, but wasn't
sufficiently dedicated to extra miles to turn around and go back.

I went to the Farmer's Market hoping to buy a small piece of beeswax,
and didn't think to bring a pill pouch to put it in. I dropped it and
got it dirty.

--
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/
The above message is a Usenet post.
I don't recall having given anyone permission to use it on a Web site.

AG: Today's Ride
 

On Sat, 18 Jun 2016 23:39:13 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:

Oops! I clicked "send" instead of "save for further editing". (Those
buttons are *way* too close together!) My first impulse was to save
this report for next week, but a post sent out all raw and unpolished
after being pounded out in one sitting probably requires an apology,
so this one will go out on schedule. Pout. I was *so* pleased to
have something to add to the buffer!

What is this "buffer" you frequently refer to? I understand "buffer"
but how does it relate to posts. I envision a block of memory
somewhere that has to be filled before the mail can be sent, but I
don't recall ever seeing a mail system that worked that way.


17 June 2016

There are only three posts in the buffer, not one of them can be
finished in time to post on Sunday, and one of them probably will
*never* be finished. So I'll post a report on tomorrow's Tour
d'Warsaw. I do hope the report turns out boring.

Since the prediction is "hot and dry", I've insulated a pannier with
newspapers for the ride. Now I'm in full summer kit: long-sleeved
linen jersey, linen knickers, thin socks, mesh-back gloves, and a
linen do-rag instead of a scarf. I've put a pint of water in the
fridge, and I've checked the supply of ice cubes. I plan to fill a
quart Rubbermaid bottle with ice, then pour chilled water over it.


Unicode U + 2042


18 June 2016

Sunscreen: I paid particular attention to the outside edges of my
calves, because that is where I got red streaks when I could ride all
day.

Over at tech, there's an impassioned warning against wearing sandals
on a bike. I've been strongly opposed to exposed toes anywhere near
pedals ever since I stuck my little foot into the spokes of my
tricycle while riding back and forth on the porch, and got a blood
blister. A blood blister *really* grosses out a small child.

But I gave up that prejudice this spring, when I figured out that my
oxfords were not only responsible for my corns, they were the cause of
the sore spot that develops on the ball of my foot.


I live in a country where most of the people wear sandals, at least
part of the time, and I wear them all the time when I am in Phuket. I
see people wearing sandals riding bicycles all the time and I do
myself. My neighbor's kids ride barefoot.

I imagine that some people have pinched a toe but they probably regard
it much like cutting a finger in the kitchen, "I'll be more careful
the next time I'm slicing beets".

Since I plan to wear sandals for the entire trip, I chose "thin" socks
that I suspect of being too thick to fit inside the Duegis. The back
half of the cuff is twice as wide as the rest, and the extension is a
bit thicker than the rest of the cuff. It said "tab back" on the
package, if I recall correctly, so there must be some sort of purpose
for that. It does make it slightly easier to pull on the sock.

I was pleased to see that the toe straps of my sandals cover most of
the knitted-in advertisement. It says "Ballston", "Since 1918", and
"Built to wear". I think they were meant for running shoes. (I buy
any wool -- or even part-wool -- sock I see.)

Unicode U + 2042


There was an event of interest on the way out of the village.

I was in the section of Park Avenue that has parking on both sides,
riding in the center of my lane, when I saw a car in my rear-view
mirror. A long stretch of empty parking spaces lay ahead, and I moved
into it to let him by. He was driving more slowly than is usual for
that street, and continued to slow. Riding as slowly as I could, I
passed behind a pedestrian waiting for a chance to cross and stopped
behind a parked car. The overtaking car stopped to allow the
pedestrian to cross, then just sat there. I turned my head to see
what the hold-up was, and the car immediately started moving.

Duh! Up until then, I hadn't emitted the faintest clue that I knew he
was there!



It's just as well that I forgot to put my bottle of tea into my
cooler; this turned out to be a very short ride. I did plan to come
back by way of the boardwalk to put in an extra mile, but I got on
Fort Wayne street to cross SR 15 and absent-mindedly followed it all
the way to Owen's. I realized it about halfway there, but wasn't
sufficiently dedicated to extra miles to turn around and go back.

I went to the Farmer's Market hoping to buy a small piece of beeswax,
and didn't think to bring a pill pouch to put it in. I dropped it and
got it dirty.
--
cheers,

John B.

AG: Squirrel!
 

On Sat, 18 Jun 2016 10:43:57 +0700, John B.
wrote:

In many shops here the plastic bag with the shop's name on it is only
available at the check out counter and seems to, in addition to
holding the goods, serve as evidence that you've paid for the stuff.

When I was last at Walmart, I bought a glue stick and said "no bag;
I'll put it in my pocket", and the clerk verified that I'd taken the
receipt.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/

AG: Today's Ride
 

On Sun, 19 Jun 2016 16:03:12 +0700, John B.
wrote:

What is this "buffer" you frequently refer to? I understand "buffer"
but how does it relate to posts. I envision a block of memory
somewhere that has to be filled before the mail can be sent, but I
don't recall ever seeing a mail system that worked that way.

It's a writer's term. When writing a series of works, each of which
is supposed to be published on a particular day, it's a *lot* more
comfortable to work ahead than to pound something out at ten minutes
to deadline.

I didn't start posting until I had about three months of buffer --
then winter closed in, and I stopped adding new posts to the buffer,
and by spring it was gone. But I sometimes get two ideas in one ride,
and often take more than one ride a week, so up until this week the
column has continued.

I probably won't have time to write anything this week, because this
coming Saturday is the Day of Caring, when I teach embroidery to
children -- or, in some cases, mount a piece of cloth on which a baby
has scribbled with Sharpie markers under a parent's supervision. Hence
the purchase of beeswax at the farmers' market -- I suspected that my
spare piece was too big to carry in an Altoids box. I was pleased to
hear a child spontaneously say that the wax I bought was cute! (It's
shaped like a robot.)

On the same ride, I tried and failed to buy an eighth of a yard of
happyface-yellow broadcloth. All the yellows were subtle, one way or
another. So today I bleached a couple of scraps of taxicab-orange
linen, having noted that the jersey made from it got yellower with
exposure to the sun. And while typing this, awk scrickle, my packet
of floss-for-children doesn't include black. And there is no black in
the stash. I put my darkest skein of navy blue into the
embroidery-gig packet in case I can't stop at Lowery's on my way to
the dentist on Thursday.

"Embroidery floss" is like "German silver" or "shank's pony": it's a
type of loosely-spun cotton originally intended to be a cheap
substitute for silk floss. It's so poor at that that few people know
why it's called "floss", but quite good for decorating things that
don't have to stand up to wear.

On the ride before that ride, I had another awk-scrickle moment in
Walmart when I saw a display of glue sticks. There are no glue sticks
in the drawer under the sewing machine, and I suspect that I've thrown
them away.

After buying a glue stick, I read my check list!

--
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/
The above message is a Usenet post.
I don't recall having given anyone permission to use it on a Web site.

AG: Today's Ride
 

On Sun, 19 Jun 2016 23:50:06 -0300, Joy Beeson
wrote:

On Sun, 19 Jun 2016 16:03:12 +0700, John B.
wrote:

What is this "buffer" you frequently refer to? I understand "buffer"
but how does it relate to posts. I envision a block of memory
somewhere that has to be filled before the mail can be sent, but I
don't recall ever seeing a mail system that worked that way.

It's a writer's term. When writing a series of works, each of which
is supposed to be published on a particular day, it's a *lot* more
comfortable to work ahead than to pound something out at ten minutes
to deadline.

For a year or so I wrote a weekly column for the technical section of
the local newspaper and was forever getting e-mails from my sub-editor
saying things like "where's your story for the week". Every once in a
while I would get all virtuous and knock out several weeks writing and
than of course I'd loaf until I got another frantic "Where's your
column?" missive.

I didn't start posting until I had about three months of buffer --
then winter closed in, and I stopped adding new posts to the buffer,
and by spring it was gone. But I sometimes get two ideas in one ride,
and often take more than one ride a week, so up until this week the
column has continued.

I though that Winter was when everyone stayed home and knitted socks?
At least it was in up-state New Hampshire when I was a lad.

I probably won't have time to write anything this week, because this
coming Saturday is the Day of Caring, when I teach embroidery to
children -- or, in some cases, mount a piece of cloth on which a baby
has scribbled with Sharpie markers under a parent's supervision. Hence
the purchase of beeswax at the farmers' market -- I suspected that my
spare piece was too big to carry in an Altoids box. I was pleased to
hear a child spontaneously say that the wax I bought was cute! (It's
shaped like a robot.)

When I was a kid embroidered "samplers" I think they called them, were
pretty common. Sort of "God Bless Out Happy Home" sort of things
framed and hung on the wall. But I suppose that is another lost art.

My wife makes most of her own clothes... mainly as a hobby, I guess
you'd call it. Occasionally someone at a party will ask her "Oh, where
did you get that dress?" When she replies, "I made it." people sort of
bug their eyes out as say things like "OH MY Goodness. You can sew?"
as though she just invented gravity. I find it sort of amusing as my
mother (I think she enjoyed it too) sewed. I think that all our wool
"winter" shirts were hand made.

On the same ride, I tried and failed to buy an eighth of a yard of
happyface-yellow broadcloth. All the yellows were subtle, one way or
another. So today I bleached a couple of scraps of taxicab-orange
linen, having noted that the jersey made from it got yellower with
exposure to the sun. And while typing this, awk scrickle, my packet
of floss-for-children doesn't include black. And there is no black in
the stash. I put my darkest skein of navy blue into the
embroidery-gig packet in case I can't stop at Lowery's on my way to
the dentist on Thursday.

Can you buy an eighth of a yard of fabric? Here fabric is sold by the
yard or meters only. Which confuses me no end as it also comes in at
least two standard widths :-) So, if you take this material it is two
meters and that one is three :-)

"Embroidery floss" is like "German silver" or "shank's pony": it's a
type of loosely-spun cotton originally intended to be a cheap
substitute for silk floss. It's so poor at that that few people know
why it's called "floss", but quite good for decorating things that
don't have to stand up to wear.

On the ride before that ride, I had another awk-scrickle moment in
Walmart when I saw a display of glue sticks. There are no glue sticks
in the drawer under the sewing machine, and I suspect that I've thrown
them away.

After buying a glue stick, I read my check list!

I make up "shopping lists". I keep a clip board and when I think of
something I write it down. It is surprising, one will think, "Oh I
better buy one of those" and if you don't write it down immediately
then next time you come back from the store you will remember it. Just
as you carry the bags in the front door :-)
--
cheers,

John B.

AG: Today's Ride
 

On 6/20/2016 2:48 AM, John B. wrote:
On Sun, 19 Jun 2016 23:50:06 -0300, Joy Beeson wrote:

After buying a glue stick, I read my check list!

I make up "shopping lists". I keep a clip board and when I think of
something I write it down. It is surprising, one will think, "Oh I
better buy one of those" and if you don't write it down immediately
then next time you come back from the store you will remember it. Just
as you carry the bags in the front door :-)

I'm a list addict, but these days I tend to put them in an app in my
smartphone. I have lists for shopping, a general "to do" list, a more
specific "to do for the house" list, a list of books to read, another of
movies that have been recommended, etc.

The benefit of the phone app is, I suppose, I can efficiently lose all
of them at once.

But regarding biking, one thing I haven't solved is the "fix or improve
this thing on the bike" list. Whether it's a front derailleur
adjustment, a slight rattle in a fender, a crooked bag mount or
whatever, I can resolve to fix it as soon as I'm home. But when I take
the bike into the basement, the memory is immediately gone. Until the
next ride, of course.


--
- Frank Krygowski