Drink of the Day - Duck Fart!!

This is a layered shot drink, so you need a shot glass. Its a good cold weather drink, warms you up quickly! This is a drink unique to Alaska, check out the story at this link
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/7321378p-7233339c.html


Fill shot glass 1/3rd full of Kahlua

Next, use a spoon, touch it to the inside edge of the glass and carefully poor Baileys or other Irish Cream on top of the Kahlua

using the same technique, top with Crown Royal

you should now have 3 nice layers in the shot glass

now drink in one gulp - Another sweet drink but a good one!!

IF YOU HAVE A FAVORITE DRINK, PLEASE PUT SHARE IT IN THE COMMENTS!! I might try your drink and give you a review here on my blog!!

Custom built bike for 7'6" Yao Ming 

I'm a WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!

I'M A WINNER!!! I was the 1st person to guess what an 80 tooth chain ring was used for. VELOTRON trainer. It was a tough one, could not have done it without the hints. Im a contest freak, I once went amost 2 years without ever buying coffee because I kept winning this radio coffee contest. The only reason I don't win now is my work hours changed so I can't play anymore! My 1st guess was a custom built bike for basketball player Yao Ming. At 7'6", you think a bigger chainring would be needed but I guess he would actually only need longer cranks. check out http://www.cyclelicio.us/ THANKS Richard!!

I had a GREAT dream last night. Still makes me smile. If only dreams could be reality...

It's COLD outside, been around 24 below 0 F. Too cold to be outside for long. Just last week it was 33 degrees warmer at 9 above.

I've started running and working out again. I am starting all over basically since it has been soo long. I have lost all my endurance and a lot of strength. I'm starting out running 2 min/walking 2 min for total of 30 minutes. I want to faster this year so I've also increased the speed a bit. Got to teach my legs to move faster. I don't think I will be doing as many 5k races this summer. I think my shoulder is going to put me out of commission for any harder training and I also will probably be on one of my bikes more. I really enjoy my road bike, I like just getting on and going FAST (fast is a subjective topic, fast to me may not be fast to you but we are talking about ME at the moment!) Also, I really have never ridden with anyone so I don't have anything to compare myself with. Back to the subject. I like getting on my road bike and just riding at a good steady pace and long. I pick a bike path that doesn't have too many driveways or roads to cross over so I can just ride and not stop to look for traffic. This means I have to go to a different town to ride. No places like that here in my little town. It also means I head into a weird part of the area, strange people. I always let someone know where I'm riding and carry my cell phone, but it's still sort of creepy sometimes. Last time I rode through this area, there was a guy walking in the woods along the path with a big black sweatjacket and big hood pulled over his head. I went past him as fast as I could. Then I started hearing gunshots. Don't know if it was this person or from somewhere else in the woods but it just is not normal.

Wining

Kicking back with a glass of Merlot, don't feel like whippin up a cocktail tonight.

Damn shoulder hurts more than it did before seeing the Dr. Maybe it is from him having me lay on my back, him pushing down hard on the top of my shoulder while pulling up on my elbow. As weird as it sounds, it actually felt better in that position but I'm paying for it now.

-5 degrees today, too dark to ride by the time I got home, too dangerous also because the people who live down the road just WILL NOT STOP at the STOP SIGN, blast through it at 40 miles per hr. Makes me mad........I otta SMACK them.

Here's a pic of my ride yesterday. Was looking over summer pics, warm weather will be nice but I'm not REALLY complaining...

AIR HOLES

Had a good ride today. Temp was about 5 degrees F. Had some fresh snow that was hard to ride in so I went on the road. Bought a new shell at REI - Switchback. Waterproof, Windproof, breathable, pit zips, and on sale. Got it for $120 off reg price, woohoo! Just the shell, already have stuff to wear under it. So this is what I wore today:
Switchback shell
Sporthill soft shell
Mountain Hardwear long sleeve top
long sleeve tech top

Sporthill XC pants
generic longjohn type base
cycling short
heavy generic wool socks
hiking boots

balaclava, helmet, Novara windproof cycling gloves.

CliMitts (also knows as pogies, Moose Mitts) are what really kept my hand perfectly warm.

Got my bike light mounted and it's great. Even in daylight, people in cars just don't seem to "see" someone on a bike so every little bit helps.

Have to go back to work tomorrow, darn.

Waiting everyday for a call from Bike Guy to measure which frame will be for me, the medium or the large. The bike should be ready by end of February at the latest, which is when my shoulder surgery is. I hope to have it before the surgery so I wall get the chance to ride it a few times.

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DRINK OF THE DAY: APPLETINI

This isn't the best recipe for Appletini, I'm still trying to find a better one
1 part quality Vodka
1 part sour apple scnapps

I'm not so sure I like the sour apple. I may experiment with triple sec or sugar syrup.

Juliana

Chain Driven

Here is a picture of a Juliana. I think the color is correct, not sure. I will post picture of MY BIKE when it's done being built

Blown Shoulder

Had appointment with an orthopedic surgeon today, I have blown shoulder from a fall about 15 years ago. He was a bit suprised the way it pops and snaps. Alway have pain from it but is tolerable with Advil. The problem is after this many years, the damage is progressing, now my collar bone snaps and pops, like cracking knuckles and years of Advil isn't heathy. So time to schedule surgery to shave down the bones so they stop rubbing and to give the rotar cuff time to heal and strengthen the muscles that haven't been used correctly for over a decade. Dr says I should be able to return to light duty work after about 2 weeks, then 6 weeks before any real activity.
I'm a little bummed about that because my Juliana will be ready to ride in that time and I won't be able to use her until I'm healed. Ahh well, just motivation to get better faster I guess.

Was planning to ride today but too tired, too much drama last night that I DON'T need or WANT in my life. A boring, drama free life is a GOOD LIFE.

Components

Decided to add pictures today. Here's a pic of me getting ready for a ride and also what it looks like outside today!


My Juliana is in the process of being painted!!! Bike Guy says it should be here in a few weeks. Time to think about components. Hydraulic or mechanical brakes - of course BG (Bike Guy) recommends hydro. I tell him let me research it a bit. He's right, of course. I don't know why I tend to question his judgement, here I am, not even riding for 1 year yet and he's a former world record holder, professional rider and wrench. Who knows more??? I should just bow to him... but his 14 yr old sidekick would laugh at me of course, which is ok because I laugh back at him when he wipes out or breaks a tire lever. Sidekick is a good kid, I like him.

I think I will also go for the intergrated shifter/brakes. It feels a bit weird but BG says I will learn quickly and it will also get me ready for my NEW road bike, which I will need when I GROW UP and turn into a real roadie and leave the "hybrid" roadie behind.

My son has decided he wants a road bike now. I encourage him in this as much as I can because it's a GREAT way to burn off his energy and occupies his time so hopefully he will stay away from all the crap teenagers face today. His dad, however, is semi-supportive (we's divorced and he's only a semi-dad, par for the course) says he will only allow it if our son's grades improve. I'm totally with that but we would have to wait until the end of the school year (june) for final grades before he could get the bike and then however long it take after that to get it built, which I don't think would really be more than a couple of days. My son is an "in the moment" kid, stringing things out for 5 months does nothing for him. It's basically a NO to him. Can't seem to explain it all to him. It's not a NO, just a get your act together and then you will get it. It doesn't help that this "dad" told my son to just "get your GED and join the military". Who says something like that??? My son's grades went into the toilet after that, now the same guy is demanding he gets his grades up or no bike???? Sigh

I should get out and ride today, it's a beautiful day and we FINALLY got some snow!!
Everything is frosty, we had dense fog that froze, it's all ice crystals.

I found this on http://alaskabikeblog.blogspot.com/ bycicles and icicles bog and like it.

“Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think
it has done more to emancipate women
than anything else in the world.
I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman
ride by on a wheel. It gives woman a feeling of freedom
and self-reliance. It makes her feel as if
she were independent. The moment she takes
her seat she knows she can’t get into harm
unless she gets off her bicycle, and away
she goes, the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.”

—Susan B. Anthony, interviewed by Nellie Bly
New York World, February 2, 1896

If Susan was alive today, I bet she'd be a damn tough mountain biker chick!

DRINK OF THE DAY: SLOW AND COMFORTABLE SCREW
Should have heard the comments I got from the locals at the bar in Whitter Alaska, a SMALL town, when I ordered this drink. I have a girlfriend who loves this drink but will NOT order it for herself, she always makes me order it for her

1 part Southern Comfort
3 parts Orange Juice
top with 1 part Sloe Gin

Serve on the rocks. Sweet drink, adjust portions to your liking.
town in Alaska

Chain Driven

Chain Driven

St. Augustine is blowing up today (volcano). No ash expected here, wind blowing it a different direction.

Bought a bike light today :)

May sell my road bike to a friend. Bike Guy says he will give me a loaner bike until my friend pays me off and I can get another one. He really is a nice guy.

Alone this week. Have been sick, am starting to feel better. I may go for a run/ride tomorrow. It's COLD outside, I will use my pogies for sure.

Going to make myself a Lemon Drop cocktail tonight, yep, I'm drinking alone....Hmmm. Just one.

Heres the recipe for Lemon Drop:

Lemon Drop

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Ingredients

2 oz. Vodka
1 oz. Triple Sec
fill Lemon Juice

Directions:
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Sugar Rim is optional, garnish with lemon twist.
Drink Type: Cocktail
Glass Type: Cocktail Glass


Enjoy!!!

Changed my title

This used to be Running from the Monster, and was started to vent about Multiple sclerosis: MS is a monster that follows me around. Sometimes it's a silent stalker, lurking in the background, sometimes it growls and sometimes it catches up to me and smacks me in the face. I'm tired of that and just want it to be fun, happy or anything else except that. I want it to be about good friends, good drinks, good music, good life. Dr. said my last 3 blood tests are indicating lupus also. NO way! NO,NO,NO. It's just too much sometimes and I just want to purge it from my life. If I ignore it, will it go away??

Where's my bike? I'm going for a ride........

Priorities

Merry Christmas and New Year! New bike on order, custom built Santa Cruz Juliana, don't want to mention the $ it will cost by the time it's all done. It will have the Magic Touch, makes everything feel good....MMM. Full suspension...I want that bike to take me to only imagined places. My family thinks I'm crazy. My mom is threatening an intervention, like they do with drug addicts. Hey, just think of it as a big, giant Prozac pill!!

Went riding at Hatcher's Pass on the ski trails, got stopped by a lot of people (actually only guys talked to me about my bike - am I a freak? A girl who wants to ride the mountains all year round??) Nokian studded tires, disk brakes, etc. It was HARD going up the slopes, but coming down was great! The trails were groomed and packed, so riding was pretty easy, no real soft spots. Beautiful day, fresh air, snow, nothing better except it would have been nice to have a riding buddy. Just can't find anyone in my world who will do it with me except a couple of 14 year old boys. I suspect they ride with me because I'm the only one who will TAKE them riding! As soon as they get their driver's licenses, I'm doomed, HA! I AM a freak, aren't I?

Just got a call from my DR. I had an MRI on my shoulder a few weeks ago, I almost FREAKED out in that stupid machine, not because of claustrophobia, but because I get vertigo and couldn't tell if I was laying flat or tipping over backwards. This is a side effect of the ear surgeries I had a few years ago and a head cold. ANYWAY, turns out I have an inpengment of the blakdufgourta eorhho thoweir or in English, partial tear of the tendon and boney impengment of the nerve. So I think this is basically a rotor cuff tear and start of bone spur?? Being referred to an orthopedic dr. for further evaluation. I have had this injury for 16 years now. So guess what the 1st thing I think of is?? If I have surgery, how long will it be before I can RIDE or RUN???

Priorities - I KNOW what is important and what's not!