Author: meisaj

Living in the Cleve

A new bike

meisajDaily Life

My goal is to save enough money to buy a new bike by the end of April.

I’m look at spending between $800 and $1000 on a bike.

That’s slightly less than I saved and spent on Hawaii last year.

I can’t imagine spending that much money on a bike, but I need a new bike, and if I get a new bike I’d like it to be an upgrade, not the same bike.  My current bike is up on the trainer right now, which is where I’d love to leave it.  When I bought the bike I have currently cost me somewhere around the $400 – $500 mark and I’ve had it for ten years.

TEN YEARS.  I don’t think I have much in my possession that I’ve had for ten years, much less used for ten years.  Considering the increasing mileage I’ve put on my bike in the last few years (and hope to keep  increasing) a new is probably required.

I’m debating what kind of bike to get too.  Either a true road bike, or a cyclocross bike.  A cyclocross bike would be ideal for the towpath trail that I’ve done my 50 mile bike rides on.  That trail consists of large portions of crushed gravel paths, which my bike handled surprisingly well this last year.

However a road bike, well, its what I’ve wanted for a while now.  They look amazing, would be fantastic for all of my other rides and it just feels amazing when I get cruising.  Rides through Cleveland, the suburbs, the metro parks, and all the way to work are paved roads that I love to see just how fast I can go.

So I’ve got some thinking to do, some saving to do, and some training to do between now and then.

For now I’ll keep looking at the bikes online and dreaming of the future.

 

 

Low Key Birthday

meisajDaily Life

I have been championing low key birthdays for a while now.

So I lived the low key birthday last night.  Came home from work around 6 pm, ordered some pizza, and put on the hockey game.  The hockey game lasted one minute.  I had to shut it off after Winnipeg scored 1 minute into the game.

Whirley Pop

So instead I watched Skyfall.  I’ve seen it before but it was entertaining enough to watch again (certainly more entertaining than the Sabres at that point).  A long bath and in bed by 11.  Not too bad.  Nice and low key.

 

My mom sent me a Whirley Pop Stovetop Popcorn maker for my birthday.  My popcorn making experience is now complete.

KLD

Oh, and Kenny Loggins Day was a success.  He played all day long and was acknowledged and enjoyed by all at work.  I’m not sure how many songs were played, but I even took requests.  That’s how successful Kenny Loggins Day was.  Two years running and it’s a tradition already.

 

Lastly… My boss got me a great card for my birthday.

 

BD Card

Homecoming / Kenny Loggins Day

meisajDaily Life

It’s my birthday.  34!!!!

Crazy.  Not really.   34 has been coming for a long time.  Ever since 33 really.

But aside from my birthday this a normal day.  Work.  Come Home.  Exercise probably.  Maybe, since its Tuesday, hang out with a friend and Vegan Mac n Cheese.  Maybe.

Sam has class till late, so we’ll see.  Maybe I’ll just watch the Sabres game.

Anyways, Sam and I drove home this weekend (well my home) to Queensbury.  We’ve been dating for over two years and she’s never seen my home town.  So we drove on out there for my father’s 65th birthday and a weekend surrounded by family.  Massive amounts of nephews and niece time.  It was great.

If it hadn’t been so cold I would have liked to show Sam some more of Queensbury.  She saw my parents house, my sister’s house, a few restaurants, and part of Saratoga.  There’s more to be seen there.  Hiking in the mountains, Lake George, the hunting camp, the Hudson River, small museums and art galleries in Glens Falls, small diners and locally owned restaurants, and some speciality shops.  Just lots of little things to do.  That’ll we’ll get to when it gets above freezing and we’re in Queensbury.

But its good to be home.  Angelo is loving having us back.  And it’s my birthday.  Wooo.  Time to go to work and celebrate “KENNY LOGGINS’ DAY!!”  It just so happens that Kenny Loggins Day fell on a weekend, and as a hardworking american I need to celebrate my holidays during the week to get the most out of them, so today is the observed celebration of Kenny Loggins Day.  It consists of only listening to Kenny Loggins and explaining his awesomeness to all who will listen.

Time to blast some Footloose.

Another Motivational Post

meisajDaily Life

Or is it another post about lack of motivation.  Its not that I don’t want to exercise.  I enjoy it when I do, and just need to force myself to exercise.

Instead, I came home and crawled in bed at 5 yesterday.  I half slept half read til 7, got out of bed, made some dinner, watched the Sabres lose, and was back in bed around 10:30.  Fast asleep by 11pm.

I don’t know if I would call them visions, maybe just longings.  I swear I’ve closed my eyes and pictured myself 25 miles away on the Tow Path.  25 miles out and turning around in the middle of nowhere for a 25 mile bike ride back.  It just seems ideal.

Last year I used a crazy stupid 50 mile bike ride to jump start my exercising in the Spring.  I was tired and exhausted and had trouble climbing the stairs back up to my apartment (bike on shoulder) afterwards.

But it worked.  I exercised all summer long after that.  I lost over 25 pounds and have kept it off, even without constant exercising.  That’s pretty good.  So when I have visions and longings for another long bike ride, I’m sure its my body telling me it wants get back in that shape.

I think I need winter to be over.

Strange but True…

meisajDaily Life

I throw the word ‘Viscosity‘ around in arguments with Sam all the time even though we both know I’m using it wrong.

I say arguments but its more discussions of scientific nature, and non-scientific nature.

It makes her smile and be frustrated at the same time.