I think I was Pretty Close to Being Arrested

It may be unknown to some of you, but I have the ability to be a smart ass. On Christmas Eve, I think my mouth almost got me arrested.

Bike Boy didn't get his Christmas shopping done, so I stupidly agree to take him to X-Mart. Off he goes shopping on his own, I wander around the store for awhile. I'm hungry... really hungry, so I decided to get some food at the McX fast food joint in the store. I rarely eat this type of food but I'm really, really, REALLY hungry.

It was crowded, with lots of people waiting for their food. I just placed my order when a guy starts talking to me. It's not just chatting type conversation...he's hitting on me. Even the EYE ROLL didn't stop him. He continues to go on about my eyes, smile, this and that, blah, blah, blah.

As I hand the girl cashier my money, he tells me his name is Steven and informs me he is not a weirdo (hmm, why does he feel the need to tell me that?). My response is "I'm not worried, I carry a gun."

Now that seems to me like a smart ass but fairly harmless comment. Sadly, I didn't realize the teenage cashier wasn't really listening to Steven's comments but she heard my comment LOUD AND CLEAR. And of course, I happened to say it while she had the money drawer open.

Suddenly the cashier hits the deck. Down on the ground she goes, hiding under the open cash drawer. Hmm, I think, that's kind of weird. I watch her for a bit, then I lean over the counter and asked her if I can have my change. She peeks up at me, then she looks around, realizing there is no gun waving around, no one else on the floor, no screams of panic or demands for money. She starts picking up my change, which she dropped when she went down. She gets up, sort of sweating and wild-eyed, hands me my money and food and wishes me a good day.

During all of this, Steven has disappeared.

I sit down and eat the goo. My brain starts to wake up from the starvation coma and I realize this girl thought I was robbing them. I'm probably lucky I didn't have a SWAT team with loaded guns drawn, sneaking up on me while I was eating.

Bike Boy then found me, I told him what happened. His comment: Sheesh, Mom, the guy was probably just trying to be nice (Image it in a tone of voice that says "your soo old, Steven was doing you a FAVOR by hitting on you")

At home, I tell my dad what happened. His comment: "You sure don't know how to take a complement....and you're lucky you didn't get arrested."

I think he's right.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, boys. Look quick. It may be gone tomorrow.

And if I find any of you peeking in my bike shop window after this, just remember that I have a gun and know how to use it. ;)

*****TOO LATE! YA SNOOZE, YA LOOSE*********************
see previous post if you don't get this. And I suggest NOT to do a Google image search for "fat legs". It's not pretty. Just don't. I may have to delete this photo...i find it disturbing.

***************New Photo**************************

This one will work, I couldn't handle the last one.

Tagged Redux

Today's ride: 14 degrees, lower body overdressed. Goggles on! I have today off work so I had a daylight noon-time ride rather than my 5:30 a.m morning rides in the darkness. It's been about 15 below 0 the last week or so, so I have been doing my morning rides on the Zing on the trainer. I took my dog K.C, he felt young and frisky but was smiley and glad to be back inside with all his balls. I almost wiped out riding through a little gully that had some really slick ice under the snow. I was able to catch myself before going down. I need to let a little more air out of my tires, I think the studs will grip better at a lower pressure.

I have been tagged by Biking Brady and Karen: Traveling With/Against the Wind: 5-7 Random Things about me.

1) I never saw fireworks in the dark (except on TV) until I was in my late 20's. Growing up here in Alaska - the Land of the Midnight Sun, it's 24 hrs of daylight during the summer, 4th of July fireworks in full daylight is rather underwhelming.
The 1st time I saw fireworks in the dark was here in Palmer, during the Colony Christmas celebration. Let my tell you, fireworks in the summer in Alaska is a waste of time and money. Save them for Christmas and New Year. Now I am a fireworks fan - as long as it's dark outside.

2) I like the dark Alaskan winters. Some people struggle with the cold and darkness: depression, fatigue, etc. Winter is the only time I see the stars and the Northern Lights. The setting moon is a spectacular sight - big orange or yellow ball setting behind the mountains is very beautiful. I love how the snow sparkles on the edges of my headlights as I drive. Playing outside on a dark, snowy, sparkly night, then warming up next to a fire or indoors with a hot toddy is the good life to me (after today's ride, Iced White Chocolate Mocha instead of hot toddy cuz it was like 1:30 pm, a tad early for a toddy)

3) I like my doctor. He told me beer is healthy in many ways and advised me to keep drinking it. He makes his own home-brew.

4) I swam in the Atlantic Ocean a few times when I lived a few months in Titusville Florida. The ocean tastes icky.

5) I don't play any musical instruments. I tried playing the flute as a kid but I would get dizzy so I quit.

6) My dream vacation is to go camping/hiking/biking/rock climbing/whatever in every National Park in the U.S. I would love to take a year off and just do this.

7) I have a couple of tattoos. When My mom found out, she immediately told me I was going to Hell. She has since granted me a pardon on the hell thing and decided that it doesn't mean I'm a cheap tramp bar bimbo. She still thinks I'm a rebel. I can live with that. I love my mom. I just hope she never finds out about the ****** piercings (joking).

Addendum to Yesterday's Post

My eyes hurt.

I can't see without glasses. I wear contact for active activities but don't see as well with them as I do with glasses.

Yesterday, I put in my contacts for my ride. I couldn't find my goggles and daylight was fading fast, so I grabbed my sunglasses and headed out. The sunglasses quickly fogged up, so I took them off and put them in my pocket.

My ride went great and was very pretty and enjoyable, see post below.

A few minutes after my ride, my eyes were feeling pretty irritated so I went to the bathroom to take out my contact...TRY to take out my contacts is more accurate.

They were stuck to my eyeballs. I hate it when that happens.

I finally got them peeled off and they were all shrivelled up. The they were sort of freeze-dried. I put them in the case with lots of fresh solution and we will see if they can be re-hydrated but I think they are goners.

Today, my eyes are red and irritated. This is the second time I have had them happened and this verified that contacts are susceptible to being freeze-dried while in the eye.

No more riding without goggles/glasses in cold weather.

*the weather banner says the winds are only at 12 mph. I don't know where that is, cuz at my house, it's in the high 50's + mph with the power flickering on and off.

The Cold is Back but Its Not Winter without SNOW!

This evening's ride. 15 degrees.

Frosty Sheep

Today, frosty field

The last patch of SNOW!

2 weeks ago

We have the cold back, but no snow. Everything is covered in thick frost but it doesn't replace SNOW! I took an evening ride around the hayfield, which are frozen solid, almost like riding pavement. Bumpy though, after awhile, my arms feel weird and tingly from the small, fast bumps, like running a jackhammer. Good ride though. Finished it off with a nice margarita!

Without snow, no snowmachine riding down to the river to cut down a Christmas tree unless we do it on the 4-wheeler. Which is do-able but being WINTER, I would like to go on the snowmachines.



Now that the temps have dipped down to normal, riding is again an experience in dressing in layers, temperature and moisture management. It's no problem when recreational riding but riding to work, which I have been comptemplating since the paths are snow-free. The Feds also made whoever blocked the road and bike path with boulders (which caused me to have to ride on the shoulder of the Parks Highway) because they were build with Federal funds, so I wouldn't have to ride on the shoulder of the Parks Hwy in the dark with crazy drivers going too fast on slick roads. But then it's different with sweat management in the winter. To stay warm enough, I layer on enough to work up a sweat which doesn't dissipate like in the summer. Then there is the balaclava hair. Oh whatever, those are just excuses. I'm just being a wimp.



I had a video of a ride I did last week but the camera again came loose and was swinging around, so it looks like I crashed and kept tumbling like in a washing machine. After a few minutes of watching it, I started feeling nauseated...motion sickness. Ugh. So that won't work. But Dan has pointed me in the right direction so I may have some clips to post later on.