I don’t get some people

 Food & Wine, Life, Off Topic  2 Responses »
Mar 312007
 

The internet has been a great innovation. It has enabled people from around the world to easily keep in touch, sharing ideas and information on just about anything. You don’t have to know where anyone lives, or even their name to be able to communicate. Every day it brings the world closer together, and maybe some day it will lead to the elimination of conflict. Ok, so I’m a dreamer!

Through my blog, I have been able to keep a diary of my experiences dealing with living with a terminal illness (MCL), and convey those experiences to people in places, I never dreamed possible. Looking at the stats from my blog, I discovered people all over Europe, South America, even India and Croatia have viewed my blog. I just find that truly amazing.

But I digress.

Recently I envisioned starting a wine and food blog, among the members of the wine club I belong (SAWG), where we could all share our experiences about wines we’ve tasted, restaurants we’ve eaten at, wine and food events in the area, or just about anything relating to food and wine.

I envisioned everyone in the group contributing to the blog, and everyone benefiting and learning from the experiences of each other. I never intended it to be “my blog”.

So to get started, I enlisted three individuals, who I thought were the most knowledgeable people in the group, to gage their response, before trying to recruit the rest of the group. I even wrote a few posts of my own to get it started.

All three of the individuals signed up, but only one (who so happened to be the driving force behind SAWG) has posted so far. But getting that person to post was like pulling teeth. She claimed she didn’t have time to do this, couldn’t figure out how this whole thing worked, and on and on.

Then after all that complaining, she informed me she started her own blog for her own personal use, but would still post to the blog I initiated. Admittedly she made a half hearted attempt at it, but wasn’t able to figure out how to post, on the blog I started, but somehow was able to figure out how to post on hers. [Maybe someone could explain that one to me?]

So after about two weeks, with things not going like I had hoped, I decided to send an email to everyone in the group, plus a few other names I got off one of that persons mass e-mailings, knowing they were wine enthusiasts, in an attempt to drum up more support for my idea.

That did not go over well with that person, who sent me the following email:

Why are you sending out a mass e-mail to people you do not know or have never met ? There are 12 people on your forward list that you do not know. Frankly I really resent and take offense that you would mass forward your blog info to people on my e-mail list.

How does she know I don’t know them, and frankly what’s the big deal? It’s a stinkin’ email, which can easily be deleted. And besides, if they’re wine and/or culinary enthusiasts, live in the area, and are willing to participate in a blog about wine and food, WHO CARES? I don’t have to know some one to value their opinions.

I was pissed. I thought her outburst was completely uncalled for, and a tremendous over reaction to nothing. Gimme a break.

If it is as I expect, a matter of control, she can have control. There doesn’t seem to be much interest in my idea anywaze. Two people did express interest, but for some reason (I have my suspicions) still haven’t registered for the blog.

So I’ve given up on the idea. I don’t need the aggravation.

I’m going for a ride on my new bike.

 Posted by at 5:36 am

The new bike has arrived!

 Cycling  2 Responses »
Mar 302007
 

I took it out for about a 30 mile shake down ride this morning, and up a few hills to see how it performed.

My first impressions are, the bike is beautiful, and it rides pretty good. The tires weren’t the highest quality tires available, so that may have contributed some to a sense of sluggishness I felt. Of course that could also be from the fact I don’t think I’ve fully recovered from Sundays ride. I didn’t feel that good on Wednesday either, come to think of it.

I did feel a little stretched out, when riding on the brake hoods, which I attribute to the handlebars being about 1/4″ (6 mm) wider than my other two bikes. 1/4″ isn’t very much, but it was noticeable.

I may decide to switch to 42 cm carbon fiber bars, or rotate the handlebars up slightly, which seems to be all the rage lately. Even the pros are doing that. It may screw up my positioning some, when I’m in the drops, so I am a little hesitant.

In the mean time, I’m going to ride this set up for another couple of rides before changing anything, and see how things go.

And for those who have to know, the bike weighs in at 16.5 pounds, about 3 pounds lighter than my other bike.

 Posted by at 12:00 pm

So what else can go wrong?

 Cycling, Life  7 Responses »
Mar 272007
 

In the immortal words of Gilda Radner’s father,

it’s always something. If it’s not one thing, it’s another

Just when I thought for sure I would have my new bike today, there was a problem with the assembly of the bike.

The hole for the brake, in the fork, appears to have been drilled incorrectly, not allowing sufficient threads for the nut to attach to the brake bolt, and hold the brake onto the fork. At least it wasn’t drilled correctly for a Campy Chorus brake.

It’s just a good thing I didn’t take it home last week, and try to assemble it myself. I really would have been frustrated, thinking I was doing something wrong.

Oh well, there’s still a chance I’ll have the bike on Thursday, but it might not be till next week.

Of course Becky knew right away, when I came back from lunch, that I didn’t get my bike. I don’t think it was so much the expression on my face, that led her to that conclusion, rather it was the fact that I barked at her a little, about another problem.

Fortunately she understands.  At least I hope she does. :)

Oh well, such is life. I’ve waited this long for the bike, I guess I can wait a little longer.

 Posted by at 12:34 pm

The worst nights sleep ever

 Life, My MCL  1 Response »
Mar 262007
 

The worst part about knowing you have a terminal illness, yet most of the time not feeling that sick, is you never really know when you’re not feeling great, whether it’s because of the illness or simply the fact that maybe you’re getting old.

Yesterday, I did by far, the toughest bike ride in over 3 years, managing to beat at least 5 other riders out of 20 up all the hills, but I paid for that effort afterwards. I was beat.

After taking a nice hot shower, and having some lunch, I plumped myself down in front of the television to watch the final round of the PGA golf tournament at Doral.

Admittedly, golf isn’t the most exciting sport to watch, but the networks do a pretty good job of keeping your interest, although I still managed to catch a few winks before watching what turned out to be a pretty exciting match at the end.

And I don’t think I moved from that spot, the rest of the day, except to go to the bathroom and eat dinner.

There was a time, at least I don’t think it was too long ago, when I could have gone out afterwards, and played 18 holes of golf without even breaking a sweat. But yesterday, I couldn’t even muster up enough energy to go hit balls at the driving range.

So when Edie suggested going to bed at 9 PM, instead of our usual 10 PM, I didn’t resist too much.

As it turned out, that probably wasn’t the best decision. I tossed and turned most of the night, not getting more then 10 minutes of sleep at a time, until about 3:50 AM, when I last remembered looking at the clock, before eventually waking up 40 minutes later, at the usual time of 4:30 AM, just in time to get ready for work.

Reluctantly I got up, which incidentally will be the last time I do that on a Monday again, and headed off to work, but I did have to stop for about a 30 minute nap, across from the Seabee shooting range, before driving the last 9 miles into work.

So was it because my MCL is progressing, or was it the combination of the hard ride, and the fact I’m getting old? Or maybe it’s a combination of both?

I’d prefer to think it’s the middle choice, but I decided to take a break from any exercise today, and hope for a better nights sleep tonight.

I’d hate to think I might not be able to enjoy my new bike, which I’m picking up tomorrow.

 Posted by at 6:26 pm

The soy controversy

 General Health  1 Response »
Mar 252007
 

I came across The Soy Controversy by Vreni Gurd which sheds some disturbing news on the consumption of soy and soy products

It looks like soy might be causing more harm than good.

There were a couple of things that were of particular note.

One was how many things come from soy where there is no indication that to be the case. The following are at least a partial list of some items

-Textured vegetable protein (TVP)
-Textured plant protein
-Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
-Vegetable protein concentrate
-Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
-Lecithin (usually from soy)
-Vegetable oil (usually from soy)
-Vegetable broth (usually from soy)
-Bouillon (usually from soy)
-Natural flavour (usually from soy)
-Mono-diglyceride(usually from soy)

and another was that Asians don’t eat as much soy as we (at least me) have been led to believe.  This from Myths & Truths About Soy by the Weston A Price Foundation

Average consumption of soy foods in Japan and China is 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) per day. Asians consume soy foods in small amounts as a condiment, and not as a replacement for animal foods.

You really need to read both posts, The Soy Controversy, and Myths & Truths About Soy in their entirety.

 Posted by at 12:47 pm

I’ve fallen off the wagon

 Life  1 Response »
Mar 232007
 

I know I said I swore off political blogs, but with all the hubbub over John Edwards decision to continue his campaign for the presidency of the US, despite his wife’s cancer relapse, I couldn’t resist checking a few of my favorite political blogs, to see what their take would be on that decision. Besides I thought it relevant to my blog.

Not surprisingly, there were no surprises.

The so called “compassionate conservatives” were all expressing their distaste with John Edwards decision to continue his campaign, calling him uncaring, pathetic etc.

Just who are all those people presuming to know what they would do in the same situation, and then passing judgement on their decision?

They have no idea what it is like to be in John and Elizabeth Edwards shoes. Nobody can possibly know what they will do in that same situation, until they are in those same shoes.

And you can’t put yourself in those shoes. You have to be put there.

Life doesn’t stop just because you receive a diagnosis of cancer, even for a second time. Life still goes on! He knows it, and his wife knows it also.

Like John Edwards said, they could go cower in a corner, but would that be living? Not in my book.

And did anyone ever think how that would make Elizabeth feel, if she was the cause of John giving up on his dream?

Right now, she is still in good health, and the cancer is treatable. She could live a very long and vibrant life.

It really is no one else’s business, especially when it is being used as political fodder in many cases.

And take that from someone who does know.

 Posted by at 9:38 am
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