How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Actually I didn't take a summer vacation, but given school is starting here in a few days, it sounded like a good title.

First off there was rowing. Our rowing season is broken into two parts - sprint racing in the summer and Head racing in the fall. This year we entered two sprint races. The first was the Occoquan Masters Sprint (OMS) held on our home water of the Occoquan Reservoir. It's hosted by the Occoquan Boat Club, also known as OBC. One of the highlights of this season is that Daughter#1 is coaching our Competitive Women. Here she gives final instructions to her "A" Boat before they head off to the start line.

They got a Silver Medal in their race. Nice job ladies.

I raced in an "8" and a Quad. We didn't medal. Here we are taking the "8" down to be launched.

Down to the dock.

Pushing off. I'm in 2 seat.

After OMS, there was Diamond States. That was an away regatta so there was boats to unrig.

And to strap down unto the trailer.

And boats to load onto the trailer.

It was a full trailer in the end.

Once the trailer arrived onsite in Middleton, DE, the boats had to be rigged and readied for racing.

And the racing begins being piped along to the finish like. I hurt my knee getting our mixed "8" out of the water and back to our trailer. I could hardly walk so I didn't managed to get any more pictures.

I also attended a Washington Nationals game vs the NY Mets. Daughter#1's husband is a Mets fan so it's the game we picked to go to. We got there early so we could look around the park. This is a view from the Red Porch in center field before the game

I was there with these guys - Ann, Daughter#1 and her Husband Matt shown here in the Red Porch.

We had some decent seats behind home plate from which we got to see the Nats win in the bottom of the ninth. Exciting ending.

We also have a National's farm team right down the road from us. Less then 5 miles actually. It's their High "A" club - the Potomac Nationals. The Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg showed up for a rehab start recovering from Tommy John surgery. The stadium, such as it is (it has to be the worst "A" stadium in existence) holds 6,200. Almost 9,000 showed up to watch him pitch 3 innings. He didn't disappoint. He struck out 5 and gave up only two weak infield hits. What struck me about him is how big he is. He was easily the biggest player there. After Stephen left, The PNats held on to win. So nice finish all the way around.


There has also been some biking along the W&OD Trail and the bike trail along Rt 123, but no camera so no picture on those outings.

How have you spent your summer?

Rowing, Biking and Eating - It's What We Do

Another weekend same as the last. Lots of rowing and a morning bike ride. Friday was a day off and I was at the boathouse and out on the water by 8:15. It wasn't hot yet, but very humid. I rowed up past Ryan's Dam and turned around at the 5 1/2 mile mark from the boathouse. As i turned to return to the boathouse, I noticed two scullers coming toward me (from even further up river). On a weekday, its not that common to see others out rowing. It's even rarer to see rowers that far up river. Most turn at Fountainhead Park or at Ryan's Dam. They turned out to be two women I know. Both have previously been members of my sweep rowing club, which is where I originally know them from. Both have given up sweep rowing for sculling. We chatted for a few minutes before they continued on. I was in the middle of taking a water break and let them go. After several minutes i decided to see if I could catch up with them. They had about a 1/2 mile lead and i was never able to quite catch up with them. After about a mile, I was fairly close to them as we approached Ryan's Dam, but I slowly ran out of gas and they pulled away. Just goes to show that I need to work on my endurance. After the row, I was just soaking wet and just beat. I rowed a total of 11 miles and it felt like it. After driving home and showering, i felt a lot better. After lunch Ann and I went and did some shopping at Target and then just relaxed the rest of the day. On Fridays we usual just go out for pizza. It's the end of the week and Ann really isn't in the mood to cook. Frankly I enjoy going out to eat so it works for me too. However now that The Son is gainfully employed again and not subsisting solely on Raisin Brand, decided we shoot eat something a bit healthier then a three topping pizza. Our local Giant had ground turkey on sale this past week so I decided we would have grilled turkey burgers. To the ground turkey I added Worcester Sauce, some onion, red bell pepper and formed into patties. They came out pretty well and combined with a salad healthy as well.

Saturday consisted of rowing practice in the morning. We're concentrating on our catches and not mossing water at the catch and our ratio. Things are slowly starting to come together. We only had 9 guys and only 1 coxswain for the practice and we took out a 4+ and a Quad. Ten minutes into the practice, one of the guys in the Quad felt something go in his back and had to be swapped out. Once that happened we proceeded with the practice. Drills and slow stroke rates up to Ryan's Dam. We were rowing at 12 and 14 strokes per minute, which is incredibly slow. Hurt your back slow. I was in the 4+ and surprisingly the set of the boat was fairly good. We had a tendency to tip to port right at the catch so we need to get that corrected. After arriving at the Dam (which really isn't a Dam anymore, its been torn down for years, but parts of it on the Prince William side of the Occoquan still remain as a landmark), we took a water break , spun the boats and headed back. We leaped frogged with the Quad on the way back although still at low stroke rates to work on our ratio and rush. The rates varied based on the Coach;s whim but they were in the 16 to 18 strokes per minute area. We were able to move the 4+ well even at the low rate and it was fun leap frogging with the Quad. Keeps practice interesting. After practice, I came home showered and started in with lunch. I fired up the grill and cooked some hot dogs for Ann and I (Nathan's - great hot dog) and another turkey burger for The Son. After lunch it was off for the weekly grocery shopping. Dinner that night was grilled steaks. The grill definitely got a work out over the weekend. Speaking of the grill, I'm still pretty old school using a Weber that requires charcoal versus a gas grill. I just haven't been impressed with the gas grills I've owned in the past.

Sunday I schedule a bike ride since I had gone rowing the previous three days. I wasn't sure what condition the trail would be in as we had very heavy storms roll through the area overnight. The parking lot I use was only about half full when i arrived, which I thought was great but strange as it fills up quickly. I usually get one of the last spots even though I'm there right around 8:00 in the morning. From the Rt 28 lot, I headed east toward Vienna figuring to get in a 25 mile ride. It's a 12.5 mile ride to Vienna. As i started out, I noticed that traffic heading west was heavier then normal and moving very fast. Turns out the Reston Bike Club was holding a bike race on Sunday morning. I'm glad I was going against the grain so to speak and didn't get caught up in all that traffic. After my ride, The Son cam to the house and made some scrambled eggs and sausage with some onions and red pepper thrown in, which turned out rather tasty. For dinner, Ann turn some Boston Butt Pork Roast into some great tasting BBQ. We do love to eat. Overall I'd give the weekend and "A".

A Rowing and Biking Weekend

This past weekend was all about having fun in the mornings and obsessing about what to eat for the rest of the time. Friday was a work from home day so I had to wait until my lunch hour to run over to Sandy Run for a quick row. It was pretty hot and very humid. I just rowed up to Fountainhead Park and back for seven miles. Its about all I had time for. After making the turn around at Fountainhead, I saw two firetrucks using their water cannons on the Prince William side. I'm not exactly sure what they were doing - training maybe? But it made for quite a show seeing the large arcs of water. We stuck to our usual Friday night routine and had pizza for dinner.

Saturday I had rowing practice in the morning. The boathouse was a lot quieter than usual as the Women's side was up in Camden competing in US Rowing's Masters Nationals. Our Lightweight 4+ took a 1st place so congratulations to them. I beleive it's the first national Gold medal our club has earned. As for us, after our warm up, we did a Challenge piece, i.e., up the racecourse, did a 180 degree turn and finished back at Sandy Run. The turn went well, but you could feel the power slowly go after we made the turn. We picked it back up as we started a sprint over the last 500 meters, but it shows me that we are in no kind of shape yet for head race season. Although we were also missing two of our strongest rowers so I'm sure that contributed to the feeling of the boat slowing down. On a positive note, the boat is running much smoother these days. The check in the boat is way down especially at the higher stroke rates where we were having a problem. The run is also getting better. It was a gorgeous day to be out on the water. When we launched, the temperature was in the high 60s, no wind, the water was so flat and the sun just coming up over the trees. It definitely made you want to be out on the water. To top it off, there was coffee and donuts waiting for us back at the boathouse when we were done. Not that I'm a coffee drinker, but donuts are always welcome. After the row, Ann went and got us subs for lunch and then had a long discussion concerning the menu for this week. I think like most families, we find ourselves falling into a rut for dinner - having the same things again and again. Some want change, but can't suggest alternative and others don't. We finally managed to hammer out a menu and from that a grocery list. The Son and I left to do the grocery shopping. The grocery store we use most often if currently undergoing a renovation and they have moved everything around. It's a mess and everyone walks around in a daze unable to locate anything. We finally finished up the shopping and The Son headed back to his condo with his loot and I headed back to the house. The Son is actually working again (thank God), but doesn't get his first paycheck until Thursday so we have been supplying him with some food staples. He was back for dinner. We bbqed boneless country pork ribs (are they still ribs is they don't have actual rib bones?) and they were good. We do love some ribs.

Sunday I was up early (6:00 AM) to go for a bike ride. The forecast called for a hot and humid day (welcome to Washington in August) and I wanted to get started before it got too hot. I had already loaded my bike, helmet and bike shoes into the car the night before. I had also taken the laundry down so it was ready to be started as soon as I got up. I was out the door just after 7. I had planned to go a bit further then my usual 20 mile ride to Leesburg, so I headed east from Dulles, rather then west. I rode to Vienna and back, which was 25 miles and then continued past the parking lot for another 2.5 miles and then back to add another 5 miles for a total for 30 for the day. I went early enough that it was a comfortable ride - not hot at all. A lot of people had the same idea as me as the trail was pretty crowded in spots. Mostly with joggers more so then bikers. About 5 miles into the ride my left knee started to really hurt and I thought I would have to call short the ride, but after a few miles the pain went away. Not exactly sure what was up with that. Maybe it just needed some time to loosen up. I love riding on the W&OD Trail. It's scenic and best of all, no cars/trucks so it's safe. The only problem I have with it is the mix of people who use the trail. The trail is used by bikers of varying experience and ages, in-line skaters, joggers and walkers. When you have 4 or 5 fast bikers in tandem coming up from behind on two people walking side by side strolling along with their dogs with traffic coming from the other direction, it creates a situation ripe for disaster. I've only seen a few accidents, but you have to be vigilant and pay attention. Just outside Vienna, I was trailing a dad out with his two small sons. They were under 10 and on small bikes. Obviously they were much slower then most of the bike traffic and for the most part they weren't creating a problem as long as you took the time to pass when clear. A biker coming from the opposite direction yelled at the dad to "keep his kids under control". I thought it the guy was being a bit of a jerk. I didn't see where the kids were creating a problem, but it's the kind of thinking you run into. Although I say the trail was crowded and it was in spots, when you're traveling a stretch of trail that covers 15 miles, there was much of that time where I was utterly alone and I could enjoy the silence and the beauty of the trail. I got home just after 11:30 and The Son came over and cooked a brunch for us, which was appreciated. After eating we settled in to watch the Nationals play. Ann and I fell asleep during the games, but naps are fine on a Sunday. Ann, for dinner, prepared a rotisserie chicken (set it and forget it!), which was moist and delicious. So went my weekend.

Last Weekend

It's a bit late for a weekend recap seeing that another weekend is almost upon us and frankly I've probably forgotten most of what I did over the weekend. Will this deter me? No. So lets get right to it.

Friday was a day off so that made it good almost from the start. I got up, although not nearly as early as I should have to get in a row. I'm not exactly sure why, but my legs just felt lifeless. Dead and sore. It could have been from the rowing practice the night before and they hadn't enough time to recover. Whatever it was it made rowing a somewhat gruelling experience. It was more of forcing myself to complete the row. I did a total of 11 miles so there was a lot of forcing to do. Parts went well, but on the most part it was a grind. After my row I came home and paid bills (it was payday) and then ran to Target for some shopping. I have a hard time getting out of Target for less then $100. I lazed around for most of the afternoon. Had pizza for dinner and went to bed.

Saturday I was up at 6:00 to get to practice. We're doing a lot more drill work then in previous years and it seems to be working, although we are a stubborn group and set in our ways. We're also doing longer pieces gearing up for Head Race season, which starts in earnest in Mid-September. After practice, our fitness rowers provided breakfast for the club. I sampled a lot of everything including pancakes, donuts, scrambled egg casserole, a bagel and a few glasses of OJ. After practice it was home to get cleaned up. I beat Ann into coming up with a shopping list and once completed, I did the grocery shopping. Always a highlight of my week. Not. Saturday evening, The Son and I planned to catch a baseball game at the local minor league park just down the road a piece from us. The Nationals, while having a horrible parent club, have signed some promising talent and we thought it a good idea to go see the youngsters. The Potomac Nationals were tied for first with Wilmington, whom the Nationals just happen to be playing that night. I had put off buying tickets on line because (1) Ann was on the fence about going; and (2) tickets are always easy to get with the exception of the 4th of July, which always sells out. As it turns out, Ann decided not to go so it was just The Son and I. I tried going on line about 2 hours before game time and buying tickets, but they had already stopped selling tickets on line for the game. No problem we would just buy them at the park and off we went. It turns out it was Scout night at the stadium. Scouts of all kinds could watch the game and then camp out in the outfield over night. Sounded like fun for the kids. As we approached the ticket booths I noticed that they had signs posted that all box and reserved seating was sold out and only general admissions were left. Now I've sat in the general admission seats before and in this stadium they are a nightmare. There are no aisles for getting up and down from your seats so you have to walk around and between people already seated. Kids are running around like demons and overall not that great of an experience. We decided to bag the game and try another time. Live and learn - buy tickets earlier. Since we had counted on eating hot dogs at the game for dinner, we stopped on the way home at a Ruby Tuesday's for dinner. After dinner we went home and watched the parent club beat the Marlins on TV.

I've been sort of neglecting my bike riding this summer. Certainly compared to last summer. While I was tempted to go for another row, I decided it was time to get back on my bike.. It was suppose to get really hot, like close to 100 degrees hot, so I wanted to get out early. I was out of bed at 6:00, got the laundry started, loaded my bike in the car and left for the W&OD Trail. I was parking the car around 8:15 and I was lucky to find a parking spot. Apparently everyone had the same idea that I did. I rode out to Leesburg and after taking a break decided to continue on for a little longer and get in 25 miles. As I got into downtown Leesburg, there were police and race marshalls on the streets that cross the trail stopping traffic for a race. It turned out that the Leesburg YMCA 10K/20K Race was underway. I probably wouldn't had ridden into Leesburg if I had known the race was going on, but once there I just went on. Heading west. I was going against the runners so it wasn't a problem. In fact having people on the streets to stop traffic was actually kind of nice. After I turned around though I was in the middle of the runner, which I'm sure they appreciated having a biker in their midst. I managed not to hit anyone and vica versa. I ended up riding 25 miles and it felt good getting back on the bike. I'm planning a ride with Daughter#2 sometime soon in the very near future. The rest of the day was spent relaxing around the house and grilling some steaks for dinner. Not a bad day at all.

Tales From the Trail - Day 4

On Day 4 (Wednesday), the intrepid band of bikers completed the 185 miles from Georgetown to Cumberland, MD along the C&O Canal Trail. The final leg to Cumberland was the longest leg to date at 63 miles. It was also not without its problems. The first real ones since they started off on Sunday. One of the riders (not daughter#2) got three flats. One in the back tire and two in the front tire. They managed to patch them up enough to finish the ride. The girl in question, however, did discover she had the wrong size tubes for her tires so they couldn't replace the tubes. In addition, the final 15 minutes on the trail, as they were coming into Cumberland, it started to rain soaking them all. Before going to their hotel, they stopped at a bike shop to replace the patched tubes. The rain had lowered the outside temperature to the 60s and inside the air conditioned bike shop it felt even colder to the soaking wet bikers. Hot showers all around were in order once they reached the hotel.


However beginning their trip on Day 4 from Hancock, MD, one of the first sites was an old cement works.




They also biked through Little Orleans, the last easy access to the trail by car until Cumberland due to the mountainous terrain. This is Bill's Bar in Little Orleans, which apparently has burned down.





At Mile marker 155 is the Paw Paw tunnel. They rode through it rather then dismounting and walking through it (as recommended). Daughter#2 said it was cold and dark.



This section of the rail has a lot of abandoned track, most from the Western Maryland Railroad. This trestle bridge is a Mile Marker 156.



Just a view of the canal and trail around Mile Marker 166. That's Lock #69 in the foreground.

This bench and tree is at about Mile Marker 178. I put it on for The Son in Law who deals with trees all the time as part of his job. The plaque next to the bench reads: This tree is the most outstanding Swamp White Oak specimen known in the State of Maryland. It is listed as a Maryland State record in the Maryland Big Tree Champion program. In 1991, the tree was 16 feet, 2 inches in circumference 4 feet above the ground. The tree was 82 feet high with a spread of 84 feet.

As they got closer to Cumberland, the signs of civilization begin to appear - at Mile Marker 182, a sewage treatment plant.

The very last Mile Marker at Cumberland.

The very end of the C&O Canal Trail is at the Cumberland Visitor Center. This statue is outside the Visitor Center.

Congratulations to Daughter#2 and the girls with her for finishing the trail. Halfway done. Day 5 starts The Great Allegheny Passage.

Tales From the Trail - Day 3

Day 3 (Tuesday) found our group of riders traveling from Shepherdstown,WVA (Mile Marker 72) to Hancock MD (Mile Marker 124), a distance of forty (40) miles. Again the weather gods smiled on them with a sunny day and temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s. This leg saw the first minor cracks in the group. One rider had a funny noise coming from her bike and another is experiencing a sore knee. Luckily Hancock has a bike shop for the first problem and a pharmacy for the second. The girl with the problematic knee will test it out on the ride from Hancock to the end of the C&O Canal Trail today to see if it will hold out or force her to drop out.

During the ride on Day 3 the group passed Barrons Store and Museum. This is the country store from which Ann and I rescued Daughter#2 and a friend who were riding the C&O Trail from Cumberland to Georgetown before thunderstorms drowned them out back in May. The couple who own the store gave them shelter (the store was technically closed) and gave them some tea to warm them up until we could get there. You can read about it here. I hope they stopped to say hello.

Along the canal at various places are feeder dams for the locks. That is WVA on the far bank and the building actually houses a working electric generator. As a reminder, these pictures (and most of the facts) come from the Virtual Tour of the C&O Canal Trail at McMullens.org.

As beautiful as the Trail is, it has been ravaged by storms over the years, which have taken their toll. This is what greets travels at Mile Marker 86.

The Trail here has been completely washed away. I don't believe there are any plans to try and restore it. Travelers are rerouted via a detour around this section.

After returning to the Trail, the group got to see this old Mill complete with a paddle wheel. It's known as McMahon's Mill.

A common companion to the C&O Canal are various railroads. Once a upon a time the Canal and railroads were competitors. The railroads were the overall winner, but along the trail are remnants of abandon tracks and bridges. This bridge was used to raise the tracks over the canal. It was replaced with the truss bridge in the background, which is still in use.

The group did not pull off the trail for lunch as they had the day before in Harper's Ferry. Instead they brought along lunch and ate on the Trail, which according to Daughter#2 consisted of bagel and hummus. Doesn't sound all that great for lunch but they also had some power bars and what not to sustain them. Another view of the Trail somewhere between Mile Marker 100 and 106. What a way to spend a day.

According to Daughter#2, the highlight of this leg was visiting Fort Frederick (Mile Marker 112). Built in 1756, its original purpose was to protect the area and settlers during the French and Indian War. The Fort has been restored to its original appearance and future plans call for re building the Officer Quarters. The barracks are already rebuilt and often staffed by re-enacters. I assume that's primarily on weekends and holidays. Daughter#2 didn't mention seeing any.

After Fort Frederick, our weary band of bikers arrived in Hancock, MD. Daughter#2's biggest complaint so far is getting off the Trail. Every exit requires a steep climb on already exhausted legs. Hancock does have a bike shop that I assume caters mostly to Trail riders.

The Group had marked out the Hancock Town Tavern as a possible eating place for diner, but I forgot to ask Daughter#2 if it fact they ate there. Their resting place was Americas Best Value Inn in Hancock. It did not rate high on her list.

Tomorrow they bike the last 63 miles of the C&O Canal Trail and finish up in Cumberland, MD. There they will pick up the Cumberland and Pittsburgh Trail - The Great Allegheny Passage.

Tales Fram The Trail - Day 2

Day 2 of the ride from Washington to Pittsburgh started with the group (Daughter#2 included) headed back to Whites Ferry to cross the Potomac and hook back up with the C&O Canal Trail. They found out from the hotel that they have a shuttle to the ferry so that saved them about 5 to 6 miles of biking, particularly along busy Rt 15. They had a great day for biking. Sunny and in the 70s. Little wind. Daughter#2 called in to let me know that they are averaging between 11 to 13 mph and stopping every 8 miles or so for breaks or if they come across a point of interest. To get a feel for the trail, I added this picture from mile marker 41 and includes Lock 27. I should add that all pictures are from the McMullen C&O Canal Virtual Tour. If you visit their site you can see many more pictures of the canal.

Further along is the Monocacy Aqueduct. It has 7 arches is just over 500 feet long and is one of 11 aqueducts along the canal.

Another view of the trail at the remains of the Noland's Ferry Bridge. I have to admit the trail is a lot flatter than I would have imagined and while not paved looks like an easy ride. It also looks like an incredibly beautiful ride.

The Potomac has relatively few bridge crossings considering it flows through a major metropolitan area. The only crossing up river from Washington until you reach Harper's Ferry is at Point of Rocks. This is the train station in the town.

Leaving Point of Rocks and passing Brunswick, MD, the C&O hooks up with the Appalachian Trail, which is kind of interesting in my opinion. Daughter#2's group stopped in Harper's Ferry for lunch. They dined at the Cannonball Deli. You can read a review of the deli here. A very positive review. As a number of the group are vegetarians, sometimes finding a suitable place can be a challenge. Luckily, considerable research had been done prior to their leaving so they had an idea where at least one vegetarian restaurant was available at each stopover (less one stopover, which will be discussed later in the week). The original idea was to do some sight seeing in Harper's Ferry, but after eating, they decided to save their strength and by pass the sightseeing. Below is the bridge crossing into Harper's Ferry.

Leaving Harper's Ferry, the group passed the Antietam Aqueduct, which crosses Antietam Creek. This Aqueduct though somewhat similar looking too, should not be confused with Burnside's Bridge, which is part of the Antietam Battlefield. This Aqueduct is downriver from the battlefield itself. They won't pass Sharpsburg and the battlefield until tomorrow.

Their stop at the end of Day 2 was Shepherdstown, WVA. This is the bridge into town.

Dinner was at the Blue Moon Cafe. Daughter#2 had some sort of salad with Bruschetta. Not my choice, but then I'm not vegetarian. So far the trip seems to be going well and well worth the time and effort.

Tales From the Trails Day 1

As I sit down and write Daughter#2 is on a ridiculously long bike ride with three companions. Daughter#2 is riding from Washington DC to Pittsburgh. A distance of 33o miles over seven days. They started off yesterday from Georgetown and will ride the C&O Canal Trail to Cumberland, MD. At Cumberland they will transfer to the Cumberland and Pittsburgh Trail that will take them on to Pittsburgh. Overall the route is known as The Great Allegheny Passage.

Day 1 was a 40 mile ride starting in Georgetown in DC to Leesburg, VA. This leg totals 40 miles. The day was overcast with temperatures in the high 60s to low 70s. There were widely scattered light showers. Now technically Leesburg is not on the C&O Canal, but they do need a place to sleep overnight and Leesburg was the choice. The highlights of this leg was riding by Great Falls.

In order to cross the Potomac to get from the C&O Canal Trail in MD to Leesburg in Virginia, they took Whites Ferry.

From the ferry it was about a 5 mile ride into Leesburg with a very short portion being on the W&OD Trail. They shared a room at the Comfort Inn Suites. I haven't gotten a report yet on where they went to eat for dinner. So far everyone has kept up, which I know was a concern for Daughter#2. We'll see how the rest of the trip goes in that regard.

Day 2 will have them riding from Leesburg to Sheperdstown, WVA with a mid day stop at Harper's Ferry, WVA. I'll get details on this leg and post about it tomorrow.

What Size Were Those Shorts?

On Friday I decided to go for a bike ride. I figured it would be a great way to start my day off from work. I had briefly considered going for a row in a single, but on Thursday night's practice, when I was in an 8, I saw that there was still a lot of debris (i.e., logs) in the water due to the heavy rain. It's not much fun when you have to turn around every other stroke to make sure you're not about to hit something in the water. Anyway I was running around getting ready for my bike ride - loading the bike, putting my helmet in the car, etc. I also was running around trying to find my bike shorts. I was pretty sure I had put them in the laundry last Sunday so I figured they would be on the ironing board in the laundry room where they were left to dry. I grabbed them and put them on. Odd, I thought, they sure feel tighter then the last time I wore them and they seemed somewhat shorter as well. I put this down due to being laundered and shrinking some in the wash. I figured they would stretch out. So off I went fat, dumb and happy. I drove out to the parking area on RT 28 adjacent to the W&OD Trail, unloaded my bike, put my bike shoes on, then my bike gloves and then my helmet and I off I went. All seemed well enough on my ride, especially after I remembered to buckle my helmet. I rode to Leesburg and back. 20 miles round trip. Back on the car I was sitting on the tail section of the minivan with the rear gate up and taking off my gloves. Something seemed amiss. Turns out I had put my gloves on backwards on the wrong hands so all the padding was on the back of my hands (and therefore providing no cushioning) instead of over my palms and heels of my hand. Dumb. After driving back home, I commented to Ann that I thought that my bike shorts had shrunk considerably in the wash. Now we do our laundry, for the most part, in cold water and we don't run the bike shorts through the dryer so they really shouldn't have shrunk at all. Ann asked to see them so I slipped them off and handed them to her. She, unlike me, read the label. They were Women's shorts, size small. In other words, they were her bike shorts. Geez no wonder they felt tight and short. I don't know what that says about me or about Ann that I could fit in her bike shorts and not realize that they were her bike shorts and not mine. Good for me, I think.

To Row Or Not To Row

This past weekend was to be all about rowing and nothing but rowing. My weekend schedule was something like this: Friday row a Quad with three people I've never rowed a Quad with before. Plus I would be in the bow seat and responsible for steering. This was to be a practice to get ready for a Sunday row/race. Saturday regular practice from 700 to 900 and then row with our adult rowing camp members from 930 to 1130. Row to Occoquan Forest picnic, demonstrate rowing and take interested residents for a row and then row back to boathouse. Start at 230 and return around 530. On Sunday race the Quad a distance of about 9 miles starting at 800. Finally host our final Learn to Row Day for my club from 100 to 300. Definitely a full weekend of rowing, which wasn't sitting too well with Ann. How did it turn out? Friday's practice in the Quad was cancelled due to heavy rain and high water levels on the Occoquan. The Saturday rows were held although there was much debris out on the water. As part of the final row with the adult camp rowers, which we call Raw Knucks, we held a mini regatta for them. Technically I didn't row but coxed one of the boats. My boat finished third on points out of a total of five boats. Not bad considering we had only one experienced rower in the boat while the others had at least two experienced rowers and others had even more. Everyone seemed happy with the regatta and about sixteen of them will join the club. So good for them and good for the club. The row to Occoquan Forest was cancelled due to the amount of debris in the water. We can't afford to damage any boats by hitting large logs floating on the reservoir. The same thing for the Sunday morning row/race. Too much debris and too much risk to the boats. These boats are fiberglass and thin fiberglass at that as they try to make them as light as possible and therefore easily damage and expensive to repair. Our final Learn to Row Day was held, but frankly I forgot about it (I hadn't plan to attend originally due to all the other rowing scheduled for the weekend) and didn't go. Apparently it was well attend with 43 people showing up. The main focus was for attracting rowers for the high school rowing camp we run in the summer, but some adults showed up as well. We'll see if any join up. So not so much rowing as planned.

Since I didn't row Sunday morning, I did go for a bike ride on the W&OD Trail. The weather this weekend was unbelievably nice and Sunday the best. Sunny and warm - perfect. I did the ride from Rt 28 out to Leesburg and back - 20 miles total. The trail was not very crowded, which was a bit of a surprise given how nice a day it was. The ride felt really good. Good speed throughout although I still suck at climbs. Hopefully that will come. I did the ride and was back at home by 1130. Just in time to shower and then run out for groceries and pick up some lunch (Italian Sub). The rest of the day was spent just lounging around out on the deck reading or napping. It doesn't get much better than that.

A Wet Weekend

If there was one word to describe the weekend it would be wet. It rained almost the entire weekend. That does cut down on the outside activities. It meant a lot of TV watching. Considering my faux Tivo was almost full maybe it was a good thing.

Friday was a day off and I was definitely looking forward to getting out on the water for a row. Before I leave the house I always check the temperature and most important, the wind speed. The temperature was mid 60 and the wind was around 5 mph. Both good for a row. I arrived at Sandy Run and the wind is blowing hard and the water is really choppy. More choppy then I care to row in. Its just not fun and if its not fun, why do it? There will be enough warm days with flat water where I can afford to wait. So disappointingly, I turned around and went home. By the time I got home, the wind at home had also picked up. So much so that my idea of doing a bike ride was put off too. Instead, Ann and I went to check out a pet spa and resort. I can't afford to go to a spa and resort, but apparently my dog can. Daughter#1's wedding is fast approaching and we need to board our dog, Rosie. Of course it always makes us feel guilty to have to board her. When we had two dogs, we would just leave them at home and have dog walkers come walk them a few times a day. Now that it's just Rosie, we didn't want to leave her alone all day while we are gone. So we drove out to the Old Towne Pet Resort. We got a tour of the facilities, including the pool - for the dogs. It was really quite impressive. We got to view all the various kennel alternatives, which come with a variety of walks and visits, etc We also checked out their doggy day care. We thought that might be good for her so she wouldn't be in a cage/room all day. They break them up by sizes with 50 lbs and below in one area and larger dogs off in another. The smaller dog day care had about 30 dogs running around. Now Rosie gets along with other dogs, but usually on a one on one basis. We weren't sure how she would do around so many and whether it would be too overwhelming for her at her age. She's 15 years old even though she looks a lot like a puppy. Our tour guide suggested we may want to bring her on on a Sunday when there are less dogs just to see how she does. That sounded good so we plan to do that before we head out to the wedding. We're also considering getting her a massage while she's there. Not that she's spoiled or anything.

Saturday I did managed to get out before the rain started and get in a bike ride. I skipped out on driving to the trail and just biked closed to home. It was a 17 mile trek just from the house to the end of Bacon Race Road and back. On the way home it started to sprinkle, but the rain held off until after I got home. Saturday we also settled in to watch the opening game of the Capitals-Pittsburgh hockey series. Unfortunately the Washington area is infested with a large number of transplanted Pittsburgh fans so for any local event involving Pittsburgh teams, they show up in droves and frankly they're pretty obnoxious. So it was sweet to see the Capitals win the opening game. Hopefully the Caps can send them home permanently.

Sunday it was rain all day long. By this point the rain was getting pretty old. No rowing regardless as George Mason was hosting the Mid-Atlantic Sprints and I'm not riding in the rain. Apparently that doesn't apply to crazy runners. Idiots. Anyway, I did laundry and did grocery shopping. I also dug out one of our Netflix movies that has been sitting around for a few weeks. It was The Day the Earth Stood Still. I loved the original and was eagerly looking forward to this remake. It was just ok. The little kid was just too precocious and with dreadlocks and all. Oh please. And the ending. What a crap ending. No getting the special phrase to the Robot as in the original. And the whole plague of bugs? Weak. Then its like, Oh I changed my mind, you eathlings can change and save your world. Bye. Its like they realized they were running long and need to cut the ending. Disappointing. If you want to see it, watch the original.

We're not suppose to dry out for another day or so. By then I'll have to start scrapping the mold off me.

Over Doing It

Ah the weekend. As usual the Washington area decided we've already had enough of spring and moved on to summer. Today will mark the third straight day the temperature will be in the 90s. Pretty amazing. As far as my activities, this weekend was a lot like last weekend. To recap:

Friday - It was a workday, but I did make it over to Sandy Run during my lunch break and worked in a quick row up to Fountainhead Park and back. It was an ok row, but my endurance is way down. I need to work on that. Friday evening The Son came over for pizza and we watched the Capitals play the Rangers. The Capitals scored early and often so it made for a fun time if you were a Caps fan. We're Rocking the Red here.

Saturday - My day for a bike ride since the high schools were on the Occoquan for a regatta making rowing impossible. Ann decided she's done with bike rides, at least for a while. Since I was on my own, I decided to up the miles from 20 to 25. I luckily got one of the last parking places available in the parking lot off RT 28 where I pick up the W&OD Trail. I headed east toward Herndon figuring I'd go 2 1/2 miles that way before turning around and riding to Leesburg. I started off about 9:40 and it was cool and not hot at all. Heading east, I missed the mile marker 21.5 and ended up at mile marker 21. So no problem, it would just be another mile. No sweat. I turned around and headed west. Have I mentioned that I love the new bike. It can get up and go.The ride to Leesburg was pretty uneventful and no near accidents this time. Heading back, I hooked up with a couple also heading east. They didn't seem to mind I was drafting off them so all was good. By the time I was returning to the car, it was in the 11:00 hour and the Trail was butt crowded. I know the Trail is open to all, but walking with those huge double strollers that take up almost half the trail just seems to be an accident waiting to happen. They are a pain to get around and it's one of the reasons I eventually lost the couple I was riding with around Smith Station. I'll also mention that the last few miles were tough on my butt. My bike seat is not built for comfort and i was feeling it. I had to stand up a lot more than I would have liked to give me some relief. I need to look into getting a new seat. Besides having a sore butt, my legs were not quite sore, but more stiff. I had to keep stretching them out on the ride home in the minivan. I also missed a turn on the ride home what with the daydreaming and ended up riding around western Fairfax County before getting back on track. After getting home and changing, Ann and I headed off to grocery shop and stock up for the week. We ended the afternoon watching the Nationals get pounded by the Mets. Blah. The Son came over again and we grilled some ribs. I had also made some baked beans to go with them. I'm not that handy in the kitchen, but I can make some tasty baked beans. After that heavy meal, all the three of us wanted to do was lay around. I ended up going to bed at 8:30. Pretty lame.

Sunday - Ann guilted me into going to early Mass instead of heady over to Sandy Run for an early morning row. By the time mass was over and I got changed and the laundry started, I didn't arrive at the Park until 9:30. When I pulled into the parking lot, there was a lot of cars filling the lot. Seeing as this was the first really nice weekend we've had, I figured everyone had turned out to take advantage of the nice weather. As it turned out, almost all the cars belonged to members of the George Mason Men's Crew Team who were having a Sunday morning practice. The crew team wasn't the only ones out on the water. There were plenty of fisherman and kayakers. Kayakers aren't usually a problem. They are pretty easy to spot and they're slow and tend to stay close to shore. The fishermen are another story. Some, although not all, seem more intent in rushing in their power boats from spot to spot rather than fishing. They are oblivious to their wakes or just don't care. I got waked twice before even getting off the dock. They also don't seem to see the need to let rowers know when they are moving across their path. As we rowers are moving with our back to our forward motion and yes, we look over our shoulders to check to make sure the way is clear from time to time, they still move across our path without telling us. The row itself was a bit hurting. I think a 7 mile row on Friday, followed by a 26 mile bike ride on Saturday and then another 7 mile row on Sunday may have Bern a row too far. My lower back screamed out as i started away from the dock and my legs were still stiff from the day before. My back eventually loosened up a bit, but it was still a slow row up and back to Fountainhead Park. I'm glad the weather was nice and hadn't really gotten hot yet. It was easy to track my path through the water as the water was covered in tree pollen. It was like God had sprinkled a light yellow powder across the water. After struggling through that row, and was putting the boat away, the George Mason Women's Crew showed up. It looked like they were having some sort of party. Good for them. Later that day, I had my own party to go to. the Occoquan Boat Club was having its annual membership meeting as well as celebrating their 30th anniversary. I dragged Ann along for a club paid Italian buffet. Both Ann and I are not great in making small talk with people we don't really know, but we ended up at a table with some nice women so all was well. The wine didn't hurt either. During the proceedings, one of the members transported the club's new lightweight Quad to the restaurant for a christening ceremony. They named the shell after the original founding member of the club, which I thought was a nice touch. He got to pour pure Occoquan reservoir water over the bow. I think half the club is salivating to take it out for a row. It looks really sweet. Black with gold lettering.

After dinner, we came home and just crashed in front of the TV. Another full weekend - tiring but fun.

A First Row and a Fun Weekend

Finally a spring weekend worthy of mention. It was warm and sunny on Friday and Saturday and at least warm, if cloudy, on Sunday. A perfect weekend for my various hobbies.

On Friday I finally got to go on my first row of the season. Friday morning dawned sunny, but cold so I had to wait for it to warm up. I left for Sandy Run around 10:00. The park had more activity then I expected at that time for a Friday, but it turned out to be a high school rowing team from Erie, PA practicing for Saturday's regatta. I signed out my single and got the oars and pushed off the dock. I'm always a little leery my first row of the season expecting to immediately flip the single. It didn't happen, thank goodness, and off I went. Actually rowing a single is a lot like riding a bike. There is a steep learning curve, but once you learn it, you never really forget it. I tried to keep the beginning to a nice leisurely pace so as to have some energy left for the return row once I turned around. I rowed up to Fountainhead Park and turned for home there. I actually felt pretty good for a first row. The single was moving really well and I wasn't having to go all out to get it to run. During the row back, I picked up the pace trying out short sprint pieces. It went well and I was tired at the end, but a good tired. The high school kids even help me dock at the end, which was nice of them and given the fact the wind had picked up considerably.

Saturday was the nicest of the weekend days. Highs in the upper 70s and sunny. A perfect day for the first ride on the W&OD Trail. It was nice enough that even Ann was up for a ride. Like Friday though, we went later in the morning then we would normally do just to give it a chance to warm up a bit. We arrived at the trial entrance near Dulles around 9:30 and the parking lot was filled. We parked along the drive (not really a parking space per se) and unloaded our bikes. About this time, a few cars left and I moved the car into a regular parking space. We headed out and the Trail, as you might expect, was being used by a lot of people. i wouldn't say crowded, but there was a lot of people out, some walking, some jogging, some rollerblading and the rest of us biking. I rode at a pretty slow pace so Ann wouldn't fall too far behind. After 3 miles, she was ready to call it a day, but I convinced her she could do it (we were doing a 20 mile ride), and after a short break we continued on. On the way out to Leesburg, we both came close to wiping out other riders. As I turned to look back to see where Ann was, a rider was almost abreast of me without letting me know. As I was looking over my left shoulder, my bike drifted left and I almost took him out. Best to let other riders know when you are overtaking them. For Ann, we were stopped behind a father and son waiting to cross a street with some fast moving traffic on it. When clear, the son (about 10) was having trouble getting started and the father motioned us around them. From the opposite direction, an obviously experienced but stupid rider shot across the road without (a) stopping as required and (b) without looking to see what was going on across the street. I was halfway across the street when the guy whizzed by me, Ann was just starting to move around the father/son and the other biker almost ran her down. Fortunately, no one was hurt in either incident. What I thought was strange was that neither rider even acknowledged what had happened, but rode away without saying anything. We did finish the ride although at a much slower pace than normal. I'm not sure if I'll get Ann back out on the trail even though she finished the 20 mile ride. As we exited the trail to get back to our car, we were met by employees of Jet Blue who were handing out bottles of water. A nice gesture I thought.

Sunday was all about my rowing club. We had to be at the boathouse at noon to watch a safety video. Our club requires it and actually I did learn some things from watching it. Next up at 1:00 was our Learn to Row Day. We had a good turnout. About 40 people showed up to learn about the club and take a turn at rowing. Hopefully many will chose to come row with us starting in late May. Then at 3:30 we had our general membership meeting. That went fairly well and didn't last too long. I had to present our budget and recap how we did for 2008, but no one had any tough questions so all was well.

It was definitely a fun weekend with lots of fun things. We grilled out on Saturday and just generally enjoyed the weekend. Hope yours was as fun as ours.

First Ride for 2009

Yesterday was one of those spring days that you live for. It was sunny and warm without being hot. The humidity was low so you didn't sweat standing in the sun. The warm sun just felt so good. The weather forecast had called for such a day so I had planned on hitting the Occoquan for my first row. However, Ann indicated that she wanted to go on a bike ride so I changed my plans and we decided to go for a ride on the W&OD Trail. Come the actual day, Ann backed out on the ride so I changed my plans again and planned to go for a row. I had originally dressed to bike so the change in plans necessitated a change from bike shorts to rowing shorts. I started grabbing everything I needed to go for a row. Usually as Spring rolls around, I manage to forget a thing or two until I'm use to the new routine. So I grabbed the keys to the boathouse, my seat pad, a bottle of water, cell phone, wallet and car keys. Right before I was to drive away it occurred to me that I might want to check the Internet to see if George Mason was hosting one of the two Regattas they run in the Spring. I sat down on the computer and checked in with Row 2K and lo and behold, the Occoquan Sprints was being held. Oops. No rowing for me. So it was back upstairs to change back into my bike gear. It was also getting to be late morning making the ride out to Dulles to get out on the Trail a no go. So I pumped up my tires and took out the Felt on a local ride. I did about 15 miles and it felt pretty good. I didn't have any real problems getting my feet in and out of the pedals although I did almost have an accident just waiting at a traffic light. I had my left foot out of the pedal with my right foot still clipped in. I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but the bike started leaning to the right and I felt it slowly move past the point of no return. By this time a car had pulled up behind me and I'm screaming inside my head "Get your foot out! Get your foot out!" I did mange to get my right foot out, but just barely. I'm sure the driver behind me thought I was a real spaze. Except for that incident, the ride was uneventful and enjoyable. Finishing up my legs did feel a bit sore and tight. I'm not sure if it's because I'm not in mid-summer shape yet or it's because I'm using different muscles as I pedal. Time will tell I suppose. After the ride, I had a a lunch of leftover beanie wienies (yum) and then went out on our deck to enjoy the sun. This weekend marked my switch over from the darker beers/ales to lighter beers, specifically Corona. It certainly hit the spot. Ann joined me for a bit, but she's the type that always has to be doing something. The idea of just sitting enjoying the warmth of the sun on your face is just foreign to her. Her loss. I certainly believe in the slacking off, especially on weekends.

For dinner, Ann whipped up a Thanksgiving type dinner with a turkey breast (it was suppose to be a whole turkey, but I grabbed the wrong thing at the grocery store), mashed potatoes, gravy, the whole deal. Between the big dinner, the bike ride, the sunning and the beer and the fact there was nothing on TV, I ended up going to bed by 9:00 and I was still tired this morning. I cut some major Zzzzs on the van this morning on the way to work. I expect more of the same on the ride home.

Friday was my day off, but didn't manage to do anything "fun". I paid bills and made a run to Target and watched some TV on the DVR as it was getting very close to being full.

Saturday was warm but very windy. Not counting gusts into the 30s, it blew steady at 17 ro 18 MPH. Not conducive to rowing or bike riding. I did go the grocery store for our weekly groceries. Not too exciting. For our evening I tuned in to watch the Final Four games. I was pleased to see Michigan State eliminate Connecticut. I can't really put my finger on it, but I just don't like Connecticut. Maybe it's all the hype they receive year after year. Not that it isn't deserved, but it gets old. So it was good to see them go. Go Spartans! The second game was over pretty quickly. Villanova was cold and UNC wasn't. I fell asleep before half time.

That was my weekend. What did you do for fun this weekend?

The Test Ride in Pictures

As mentioned in the last post, the weather finally got warm enough for me to try out my new bike. Ann and The Son were gracious enough to take some pictures and some video. The good news (or bad news depending on which side of the fence you are on), there were no wipe outs and I manged to lock into the pedals without too much difficulty. The even better news is I was able to get my feet out of the pedals before the bike came to a stop and I toppled over. In this picture I'm putting on new biking gloves given to me by Daughter#1 and The Fiance for Christmas. Not that I was planning a long ride where the cushioning in the gloves would come in handy, but to protect my hands should I not be able to negotiate the pedals. Luckily my hands and the gloves returned unscathed. Ignore the pasty white legs.In this video, my right foot is already locked into the pedal and ready to go. Our driveway has a slight downward slope to it allowing the bike to coast along while I got my left foot locked in. With digital cameras anyone can take video these days. If you listen just after leaving the driveway you can hear me successfully lock in my left foot and pedal away.



And I'm off for a short ride of about 3 or 4 miles. I returned without a scratch. Knock on wood that I'm that lucky next time.

Actually next time was just yesterday as the temperature hit the mid 70s. I took a quick spin during my lunch hour. Nice bike, but I think the seat needs to be raised a bit.

In non-bile news, it's three weeks until I can get back on the water. I can't wait.

Making the Dance and a Test Ride

It was a slow week, which equals no new blog entries. The most excitement was doing some bookkeeping for the Rowing Club so we could figure out a budget for next year. Fun times.

As documented in my last entry from this past Monday, we got about 8 inches of snow and the temperature never got out of the 20s. Yesterday, Sunday, a week later, the temperature hit 80 and the snow was long gone. We opened windows long closed for the winter. I debated long and hard about how to spend my day - go to erg class or go biking. Given that it's a new to me bike where I actually clip my feet into the pedals, something I've never tried before I've been a bit intimidated by the bike. Rather than get out on the bike trail miles from home, I decided that perhaps it would be prudent to practice riding the bike around the neighborhood and getting my feet in and out of the pedals without falling and doing a face plant on the asphalt. That being the case, I headed off to erg class to get my exercise. As erg classes go, It wasn't too bad and I got 10, 500 meters in. After class I came home and made Taylor Ham and egg sandwiches for Ann and I. At that point I decided it was time to break out the bike. I needed to put some air in the small tires that are on a road bike. I had to play around with a valve adapter for about 10 minutes before I could get the air pump locked on properly and fill the tires. After that I hopped on the bike and headed off. I'm happy to report that the bike rode like a dream (it's a Felt F75) and I was able to get my feet in and out of the pedals without losing my balance. It took some advance planning on my part to make sure that I had plenty of time to think about what I needed to do and then do it. I haven't come across an emergency stop yet so I'm not ready to say that I'm totally comfortable with it yet. I also found out that my legs didn't have much left in them after going to the erg class so I kept the test ride short, about 4 miles. I'm looking forward to more rides as the weather heats up.

Friday, my day off, I had a dentist appointment. No new news there, which is always good news. The rest of the day was spent getting the Rowing Club's books in order in preparation for a meeting of the Board on Saturday morning.

Saturday started off with the Board meeting. I do have to say, the President has some tasty goodies for us. The meeting was long, but we did approve a budget and we were able to hold the line on our membership fees and keep them the same as last year. Hopefully that will meet the needs of our membership during these tough economic times. After the meeting I did the grocery shopping. Always a fun time. I wanted to get that out of the way before the big event of the day, which to us was the final of the Big South Basketball Tournament. The Son's school (Radford) was in the final and playing for a berth in the NCAA Tournament. We missed the first 5 minutes or so as the game before, which was totally meaningless, ran long. It was probably just as well as VMI jumped out 13-0 before Radford scored their first basket. In the end, Radford won going away although not without a few nail biting moments as VMI kept it close throughout. So The Son is very excited about his school going to the Dance although they will probably be a 16 seed and draw Connecticut or UNC in the first round.

All in all, the weekend seemed to fly by and here it is Monday again and I'm back at work. I need longer weekends. I am excited though about having Daylight Savings Time. I need more sunlight in the evening and not so much in the morning seeing I'm at my desk by 630 AM. Morning sunlight doesn't benefit me a lot. One benny this week - my boss is on travel all week.

An Official Red Ryder, Carbine Action, Two-Hundred Shot Range Model Air Rifle!

Well not exactly, but I do feel like Ralphie in "A Christmas Story" and how he feels about his very special Christmas present. To quote Ralphie: (it was) The greatest Christmas gift I had ever received, or would ever receive. I felt like that this Christmas as my family presented me with this:
A Felt F75 Road Bike complete with bike shoes.

While Santa delivered it, it was up to Daughter#2 to make the arrangements and her poor husband was dealt the hand of putting it together. To both and Santa (Ann) I can only say "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you". I had been coveting this bike for about two years now and I can't wait to give it a spin. I have to admit though I am a bit intimidated about the clip in shoes. I've never ridden with them before and I'm sure there are a few falls in my future until getting my feet in and out of the pedals becomes automatic. Daughter#2 is dropping by tomorrow and we're hoping to get in a short ride. I'm looking forward to it.

Friday Ride

Daughter#2 drove up from Harrisonburg Thursday night to see and old high school friend that was back in town and stayed Thursday night with us. She brought her bike so we could take a ride on Friday. Friday was cold and we waited to lunchtime hoping it would get onto the 60s as promised. By 11:00 it was still in the upper 40s so we bit the bullet and bundled up for our ride. We wanted to stay close to home so we decided to go on the bike trail that runs along Rt 123. We parked the car in Lorton and rode up to Fairfax, a distance of about 11 miles ad had lunch at Noodles and Company. Ann drove up to Noddles (slacker!) to join us. Lunch really hit the spot although eating a bowl of Japanese Pan Noodles with hot sauce and then riding back to Lorton may not have been the greatest of choices. Daughter#2 right before we headed off on our ride:


With Daughter#2 visiting, it seemed the perfect opportunity to see how the latest batch of home brew turned out. Its British Pale Ale and it turned out quite tasty if I do say so myself. Daughter#2 liked it and wanted to take some home, but we both forgot to pack her some when the time came for her to drive home. I'll hold a few bottles for her and the Son In Law until the next time we see them. Next up I want to try some Scottish Ale.

How I Really Spent My Weekend

Ah the planned bachelor weekend. No wife, no kids let the hi jinks and partying begin. Ha! Lets review how I really spent my weekend.

Rowing - I did attend my rowing practice on Saturday morning. We took out three 4+s and rowed down to the race course and took turns racing each other around the Occoquan Challenge course (mostly the 180 degree turn). I felt like crap after the practice. I don't know if it was from lack of sleep or dehydration or both. I never did go out in a single over the long weekend.

Biking - I did go for a bike ride, but I did not go to the W&OD Trail and do a 50 mile ride. That ride would have taken me about 5 hours to complete and with travel time I would have been gone almost 7 hours. My old dog's bladder won't hold out for that long. Instead I did a local ride through the neighborhood and out to Bacon Race Road and the Prince William Parkway bike path. Overall it turned into a 25 mile ride that I finished in 2 hours. I rode about 5 of those miles on the parkway and they about killed me. Those miles came toward the end of my ride as I was looking to add a few more miles to my ride. There is a good reason I've avoided riding the Parkway even though it's the most convenient bike path for me. It has killer hills. After riding 20 miles already, they feel even bigger and steeper. It will be a while before I try that again.

Football Game - I didn't go to the game. After rowing practice I felt like crap (see above). My morning coke and lunch didn't make me feel much better so I decided just to stay home. I watched bits of the VA Tech-ECU game in between napping. I did watch most of the Maryland-Delaware game before napping again until 10:00 PM. I got up and ate dinner and went back to sleep until 8:00 AM.

Ball Game - Nope.

Movie - Nope.

TV - I did watch some TV. Parts of a few football games, including VA Tech-ECU, MD-Delaware, Alabama-Clemson and Tenn-UCLA.

Beer - I did make a batch of Pale Ale on Sunday. It is sitting downstairs. Alas it looks dead as a doornail. Not fermenting at all. I think the yeast I use wasn't any good. What a waste of good beer. I shall try again however.

Sleep - I did sleep a lot and loved it.

Ann and Daughter#2 returned Sunday evening. We couldn't agree on where to go for dinner so we stayed in and ate whatever we could dig up. Monday was spent running errands and taking naps. Wonderful.

Bachelor Weekend

This will be a bachelor weekend for me. Ann and Daughter#2 left early this morning to visit Daughter#1 in Connecticut to have a girl weekend and do some wedding planning. Its been a long, long time since I've been alone for a weekend. The question is how to spend it. Some of the choices are:

Rowing - This is sort of a given. Besides practice Saturday morning, I can go out in a single, which is something I haven't done in a while now.

Biking - Again not that surprising. This was suppose to be the weekend we would ride the entire 45 miles of the W&OD Trail like we did last year. Alas, The Son opted out to go to Atlantic City and Daughter#2 is headed to Connecticut. Ann, who is our pick up and drop off driver, is with her. I really do want to do the ride again, but it is not to be. Unless someone out there is interested in being a drop off and pick up person for me. A free lunch is in for you and a friend, if you'd like. I've decided trying a modified ride would have to do. I would ride to Purcellvile and back from Rt 28. That would be 42 miles. I could ride an additional 8 miles toward Vienna and back to round up to 50. A trip to Old Dominion brew Pub would be in order after that.

Football Game - I do have tickets to the Maryland vs. Delaware football game. I'm not sure how crazy I am about going to the game by myself plus I'd have to find someone to take care of the dog. It's a 3:45 start too, which would put me home late (yes I'm old).

Baseball Game - The Nationals are home this weekend and their new ball park is terrific. The downside is that they are terrible although they just did sweep the Dodgers.

Movie - Always a choice especially when it's raining out. I can't say that anything really excites me right now. Any recommendations?

TV - College football does start this Saturday. Who Hoo!

Feel free to to help me figure out on what I should do.