This is SO MUCH nicer!
Friday, May 3, 2013
Reno Almost Finished!
Here's what it looks like at this point. This afternoon the glass company will come so we can get the measurements for the shower door and the glass panel that will go in that small rectangle above the wall.
This is SO MUCH nicer!
This is SO MUCH nicer!
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Every Day In May - Day 2
Short and sweet today. Only 5 miles round trip, to and from the high school to invigilate IB Testing. (International Baccalaureate).
See in my neighbor's yard:
See in my neighbor's yard:
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Every Day in May - Day 1
Nineteen miles at Pohick Bay and Mason Neck. Absolutely GORGEOUS weather.
Creepy little worms hanging down from the trees. I know, they're God's creatures too but they were all over our jackets. We even stopped for "de-worming" after we got out of the forested road area. Ick.
Here's a view of the bay. The coolest thing about this (besides the fact that I saw a Bald Eagle flying by) is that these views of the water are largely unchanged from when George Washington, George Mason, and Thomas Jefferson viewed them. I felt like I was walking the footsteps of history.
Creepy little worms hanging down from the trees. I know, they're God's creatures too but they were all over our jackets. We even stopped for "de-worming" after we got out of the forested road area. Ick.
Here's a view of the bay. The coolest thing about this (besides the fact that I saw a Bald Eagle flying by) is that these views of the water are largely unchanged from when George Washington, George Mason, and Thomas Jefferson viewed them. I felt like I was walking the footsteps of history.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
A Goal for May - Prep Day
Here it is, stated out loud and in public.
I'm going to try to ride EVERY DAY in May. Oh, that's a good slogan -- EVERY DAY IN MAY. Today I'm preparing by restocking all my "must haves" like bandaids, sun screen, bike tires, CO2 cartridge, etc.
I'll start with tomorrow riding with some of the Babes down at Pohick Park. I can't wait -- I've never ridden down there before. I'll be sure to take photos. It's a particularly pretty part of the Potomac River approach to Washington.
You can see it on the map this links to. It's south of Mount Vernon (GW's home) and south of Alexandria. You can see Mason Neck State Park near it -- that's where George Mason made his home, Gunston Hall. In the top of the photo you can see where 495 crosses from VA into MD at Alexandria. That's the beautifully renovated Woodrow Wilson (another Virginian) bridge on which Bald Eagles regularly nest. In fact, they had to work around a nesting pair while they were renovating. North of that gets you into the DC shoreline vista that you're all used to seeing.
You can see two places, Fort Hunt and Fort Washington on either side of the Potomac. They were part of the ring of forts that protected Washington from the rebels. When you see the entire ring, you realize how vulnerable Washington DC and the government was during the conflict. Virginia was in rebellion and Maryland was a slave state, especially in the area shown here. Lots of great history lessons and LOTS of great bike rides to see them!
I'm going to try to ride EVERY DAY in May. Oh, that's a good slogan -- EVERY DAY IN MAY. Today I'm preparing by restocking all my "must haves" like bandaids, sun screen, bike tires, CO2 cartridge, etc.
I'll start with tomorrow riding with some of the Babes down at Pohick Park. I can't wait -- I've never ridden down there before. I'll be sure to take photos. It's a particularly pretty part of the Potomac River approach to Washington.
You can see it on the map this links to. It's south of Mount Vernon (GW's home) and south of Alexandria. You can see Mason Neck State Park near it -- that's where George Mason made his home, Gunston Hall. In the top of the photo you can see where 495 crosses from VA into MD at Alexandria. That's the beautifully renovated Woodrow Wilson (another Virginian) bridge on which Bald Eagles regularly nest. In fact, they had to work around a nesting pair while they were renovating. North of that gets you into the DC shoreline vista that you're all used to seeing.
You can see two places, Fort Hunt and Fort Washington on either side of the Potomac. They were part of the ring of forts that protected Washington from the rebels. When you see the entire ring, you realize how vulnerable Washington DC and the government was during the conflict. Virginia was in rebellion and Maryland was a slave state, especially in the area shown here. Lots of great history lessons and LOTS of great bike rides to see them!
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Gorgeous Day on the Trail
Today my friend Lori and I rode in Paul's Ride for Life. It's a charity ride established by the widow of a cyclist who died in an accident while out riding several years ago. No one really knows what happened other than that something caused him to lose control and fly over the handlebars. He was wearing a helmet, but landed in such a way that his brain stem was impacted. He never regained consciousness and his family donated his organs. Thus, the ride is a fundraiser for Washington Regional Transplant Community.
It was a beautiful day, cool when we started at 8:30 but perfect as we finished at 10:30. We rode 25 miles. Some went 50 but I'm glad we stopped. I've not been able to get on the bike all week.
Oh, and on our way back from the turn-around point, we saw a Great Blue Heron fishing in a pond. Sweet!
The reason I couldn't ride is that we've had contractors at the house. We're finally doing the last of the 3 bathrooms! This is what we started with.
The shower in there was like a cave but the ceiling was higher than the ceiling in the sink area, so steam and everything would get trapped inside the shower creating mold issues. So we're doing the 3/4 wall with a glass panel from the wall to the ceiling, and adding a light in the shower, along with retiling with lighter tile and re-doing the floor. Adding a new vanity and mirror ... and painting.
On Thursday they were taking the old tile in the shower out and discovered that behind it was not backer board or drywall but CONCRETE, probably state of the art when the bathroom was built in 1967. They banged ALL DAY LONG and the parakeet screeched in sympathy. My blood pressure was through the roof!
But here's the mid-stage photo after they finished getting the concrete out. Yikes!
And now
We are getting there!
It was a beautiful day, cool when we started at 8:30 but perfect as we finished at 10:30. We rode 25 miles. Some went 50 but I'm glad we stopped. I've not been able to get on the bike all week.
Oh, and on our way back from the turn-around point, we saw a Great Blue Heron fishing in a pond. Sweet!
The reason I couldn't ride is that we've had contractors at the house. We're finally doing the last of the 3 bathrooms! This is what we started with.
The shower in there was like a cave but the ceiling was higher than the ceiling in the sink area, so steam and everything would get trapped inside the shower creating mold issues. So we're doing the 3/4 wall with a glass panel from the wall to the ceiling, and adding a light in the shower, along with retiling with lighter tile and re-doing the floor. Adding a new vanity and mirror ... and painting.
On Thursday they were taking the old tile in the shower out and discovered that behind it was not backer board or drywall but CONCRETE, probably state of the art when the bathroom was built in 1967. They banged ALL DAY LONG and the parakeet screeched in sympathy. My blood pressure was through the roof!
But here's the mid-stage photo after they finished getting the concrete out. Yikes!
We are getting there!
Monday, April 22, 2013
Quick Down and Back
My daughter will be finishing her first year of college next Monday and will be coming home for the summer. She had accumulated more than 1 carload's worth of STUFF to drag home, so she asked if I could bring her home this weekend, along with a load of stuff. I drove down on Friday and took her back yesterday afternoon.
It's a 2 hour drive each way through some of the most beautiful countryside Virginia has to offer (especially if you're staying on an interstate). Even the rainy weather is beautiful due to the Blue Ridge.
I generally love those times with her because she really talks. We get to discuss social dynamics, political stuff, moral stuff, and that completely engrossing topic, "WHY DO GUYS DO THAT?" We don't come up with a lot of answers, but we do have fun thinking about them.
This was our view on Friday heading east on I-66 right around Front Royal. I cropped it, but didn't do any other clean-up, so the ick you see is on my windshield. Oh well. It's Spring in Virginia. Pollen, bugs, raindrops. Normal stuff.
It's a 2 hour drive each way through some of the most beautiful countryside Virginia has to offer (especially if you're staying on an interstate). Even the rainy weather is beautiful due to the Blue Ridge.
I generally love those times with her because she really talks. We get to discuss social dynamics, political stuff, moral stuff, and that completely engrossing topic, "WHY DO GUYS DO THAT?" We don't come up with a lot of answers, but we do have fun thinking about them.
This was our view on Friday heading east on I-66 right around Front Royal. I cropped it, but didn't do any other clean-up, so the ick you see is on my windshield. Oh well. It's Spring in Virginia. Pollen, bugs, raindrops. Normal stuff.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Ugh the Photos
Went for a long ride yesterday that turned out longer than I had planned. On my way to meet the ladies I was riding with, the pedestrian/bike path across the toll road was blocked by construction. The detour was 2 miles. When I got to the next crossing point, there was utility construction but I decided to just go through it best I could. So instead of 3 miles to get to the starting point, it was 5 miles.
Then we started riding and talking and had such a good time that we were at Goose Creek, our turn around point, and realized we'd best head back. Ai-yi-yi. By the time I got home my odometer read 46.3 miles. I was whipped! It says I burned 2927 calories!
I hate having my photo taken, but I not only took this one but I'm posting it so at the end of the summer, if I keep riding, we all see an improvement in my shape. Hopefully. So here we are, with the lovely Luck Stone Quarry in Loudoun County as a back drop.
Today the weather has been rainy, and I had a dentist appointment over in Alexandria, so my backside is getting a rest from riding. Whew. But I saw a cool license plate on the way there.
Then we started riding and talking and had such a good time that we were at Goose Creek, our turn around point, and realized we'd best head back. Ai-yi-yi. By the time I got home my odometer read 46.3 miles. I was whipped! It says I burned 2927 calories!
I hate having my photo taken, but I not only took this one but I'm posting it so at the end of the summer, if I keep riding, we all see an improvement in my shape. Hopefully. So here we are, with the lovely Luck Stone Quarry in Loudoun County as a back drop.
Cathy, Lori, Me
Cathy made us stop twice, but I only got a photo once...she is now officially the snake whisperer of the Babes on Bikes.
That pavement feels really good to a snake belly -- sun-warmed. Unfortunately, they're at risk because they go perpendicular to the trail, and when they're as long as this one, it's tough to avoid them. He looks kind of kinked up, but once Cathy convinced him to move, he moved in that sinuous way they do with perfect curvature, so he's fine.
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