serviceguy
Well-Known Member
In for the truck built...is it going to be a fully furnished interior? I was just listening on the radio the other day a couple in Italy has started this as a business and they seem to be doing very well...
Mountain, Cross and Shuffleboard Nats
- Thread starter pixychick
- Start date
Art does not plan to set up his truck like an RV. He may do a few upper storage cabinets, but wants to keep space available for hauling stuff. The club version comes pretty sparse, so before he even gets to cabinets or speakers, he needs to insulate the walls and frame out the inside.
My back is doing much better. Yay! .... I have ridden my bike the last 3 days. I still do not know if was related to the statin or just a coincidence. I plan to to continue to see the chiropractor with follow up treatments. Right now, I am feeling pretty good, and am happy that the back is better and I can walk, ride and move about. One thing that the back problem has brought to my attention is that I need to do more core strength work. I have already added more of that to my morning stretching. It is kind of weird, but the back issue seems to have weakened so many connecting muscles.
As for the cardiologist, I have a stress test with dye scheduled for next week. He wants to make sure blood is flowing through my heart ( no blockages ) while exerting. So, I should know more next week.
Another nice day:
As for the cardiologist, I have a stress test with dye scheduled for next week. He wants to make sure blood is flowing through my heart ( no blockages ) while exerting. So, I should know more next week.
Another nice day:
I finally got my heart testing done and my heart appears to be in good shape with no blockages in blood flow. Being that my cholesterol is not supper high, the cardiologist is giving me four or five months to try and get my numbers in range with natural supplementation. If that does not work, I will then try another medication. Soooo, I am cleared to leave for Arizona.
In the meantime, Riding this fall has been fantastic. I have been enjoying riding through the fluffy leaves this week. One day I nearly had my front tire wash out on leaves, and had that split second "oh shit" moment when I thought I was going down, but caught it, resulting in a juvenile nervous giggle. Most non bikers would think that I am a retard for admitting that, but I am pretty sure most mountain bikers totally get where I am coming from. I am sure I do not need to preach here, but mountain biking makes me feel alive and young. I am feeling grateful to still have enough health to ride my bike and enjoy the woods.
Art is still plugging away at up fitting his new van. Insulation, sound proofing, walls and carpet are all installed. Cabinets, trim and tie down strips/hooks should be done in a day or two. I have been trying to get him out for some rides, but when he gets into these projects, he tends to totally immerse himself. Anyway, we are looking at two more weeks before we head out on our trip across the country. It is looking like we have enough time to get in a few more good rides on the wonderful local trails.
In the meantime, Riding this fall has been fantastic. I have been enjoying riding through the fluffy leaves this week. One day I nearly had my front tire wash out on leaves, and had that split second "oh shit" moment when I thought I was going down, but caught it, resulting in a juvenile nervous giggle. Most non bikers would think that I am a retard for admitting that, but I am pretty sure most mountain bikers totally get where I am coming from. I am sure I do not need to preach here, but mountain biking makes me feel alive and young. I am feeling grateful to still have enough health to ride my bike and enjoy the woods.
Art is still plugging away at up fitting his new van. Insulation, sound proofing, walls and carpet are all installed. Cabinets, trim and tie down strips/hooks should be done in a day or two. I have been trying to get him out for some rides, but when he gets into these projects, he tends to totally immerse himself. Anyway, we are looking at two more weeks before we head out on our trip across the country. It is looking like we have enough time to get in a few more good rides on the wonderful local trails.
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I did a bit of research and carefully chose citrus bergamot as my cholesterol helping herb. I am very disappointed to report that once again, it had side affects ( brain fog, sore muscles, trouble sleeping ). So only 5 days on that and I am off it now. It has taken 2 days to clear enough to feel reasonable. I will see how my legs feel next time I ride. This has been very discouraging. It may have been too high a dose, so I can try a lower dose and maybe taking later in the day, but I am not too confident that it will work. I plan to wait a few weeks before I try again. I am still taking the DHA and fish oil and they have NO side affects. I actually feel great on them. They really help with achy joints and mental sharpness. There is a chance that the DHA alone may get me in range, especially if I feel good enough to up my exercise and stay away from sugar. I have not had sweets in 4-5 weeks, however I still drink wine or beer a few times a week. I really like wine. That would be 😕to give up.
I have added more strength training in with the core workout that I started a few weeks ago. I am hoping to stick with it all winter because every time I try something new for my cholesterol, it effects my legs and my back. I am just feeling like I need to get on top of this before I fall apart and get old.
Art got the upper cabinets in the truck and is installing under cabinet lighting today. He probably has enough done for us to be ready to use the truck for our trip. We still have quite a bit of organizing to do in the garage before we can get my car and the fig tree inside, but we still have a week. I am starting to feel like we are getting closer to being ready, and the good news is that we should have time for a few good rides this week.
All my christmas cactus are budding and ready for Arizona.
I have added more strength training in with the core workout that I started a few weeks ago. I am hoping to stick with it all winter because every time I try something new for my cholesterol, it effects my legs and my back. I am just feeling like I need to get on top of this before I fall apart and get old.
Art got the upper cabinets in the truck and is installing under cabinet lighting today. He probably has enough done for us to be ready to use the truck for our trip. We still have quite a bit of organizing to do in the garage before we can get my car and the fig tree inside, but we still have a week. I am starting to feel like we are getting closer to being ready, and the good news is that we should have time for a few good rides this week.
All my christmas cactus are budding and ready for Arizona.
The van is ready for the trip and we used it to drive bikes out to Port Jervis yesterday. It was nice to get out to Port Jervis and what a nice day it was. I wish I was feeling better, but still have some lingering foggy head going on. I made the most of it to enjoy the ride.
I have included some of Art's pictures of how he brought down water to the Alligator in 5 gal buckets with lids in his trailer. Then we poured into a watering can to wet down the powdery dirt. With no rain in 5-6 weeks, the upper stuff that was watered twice is holding up fine. Some of the bottom stuff is powder as it did not get water. All that may need to be touched up next year.
I have included some of Art's pictures of how he brought down water to the Alligator in 5 gal buckets with lids in his trailer. Then we poured into a watering can to wet down the powdery dirt. With no rain in 5-6 weeks, the upper stuff that was watered twice is holding up fine. Some of the bottom stuff is powder as it did not get water. All that may need to be touched up next year.
We left on Monday and the four day drive in the new truck went well. We had great weather and very little traffic. I messed up in St Louis with navigating, but it only cost us 5 or 10 minutes. When we arrived, the house and yard were in pretty good shape. Generally speaking, heavier monsoon years have much more yard weeding and rodent/pest clean up. This past summer was extra hot but not as much rain. That being said, I killed 4 black widows yesterday that were living under our outdoor table.
After a week off the bike, I finally got out to ride. It felt good to get my legs moving and to look around and see the open sky and big mountains. The change of scenery and terrain is always so appreciated. The trails that we rode today seemed to be in good shape. High temps were close to 80 when we arrived. Today topped out at 56 degrees, which is cooler than average, but still pretty nice.
My citrus trees are loaded with fruit. This is the most Clementines and Meyer lemons I have ever had. I will be picking for several months. While we are unpacked and have done a quick house clean up, we still have to weed out the gardens and clean up much more. I certainly do not mind outdoor clean up in 60 degrees and sunshine. Feels good to be back.
After a week off the bike, I finally got out to ride. It felt good to get my legs moving and to look around and see the open sky and big mountains. The change of scenery and terrain is always so appreciated. The trails that we rode today seemed to be in good shape. High temps were close to 80 when we arrived. Today topped out at 56 degrees, which is cooler than average, but still pretty nice.
My citrus trees are loaded with fruit. This is the most Clementines and Meyer lemons I have ever had. I will be picking for several months. While we are unpacked and have done a quick house clean up, we still have to weed out the gardens and clean up much more. I certainly do not mind outdoor clean up in 60 degrees and sunshine. Feels good to be back.
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It's been a busy week. We had a water main leak, so there was some drama and concrete slab cutting. Thanks to the help of a plumber, all things under control now. One bush and one rat lost. Weather has been fantastic. We cleaned and painted our fountain and our resident coopers hawk is at the fountain multiple times a day. Art saw a bobcat in the driveway as well.
Pie is made and Turkey is in the oven. Feeling thankful. Happy Thanksgiving to all my MTBNJ friends!
Pie is made and Turkey is in the oven. Feeling thankful. Happy Thanksgiving to all my MTBNJ friends!
serviceguy
Well-Known Member
Late Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!
First, watch your backs as I believe you're being followed by a T-Rex...
Second, the look in that mouse eyes scares the heck out of me even though it's caught in a trap and possibly already dead...
A few days after Thanksgiving our water main broke again. While frustrating, it did get fixed again and under warranty, so I really can not complain. I am hoping it holds. Art did not bother filling in or putting concrete back. We may just leave it for now.
The weather has been fantastic! I have been riding every other day and the last two days have been a bit longer and more strenuous. I have ridden different trails every time and not done a repeat yet. Art and I have been trying to mix it up more with our rides. We have some semi local travels on a wish list. We may try to hit a few this year. We will see what kind of winter it is. A mild winter will open up more north riding sooner.
Home projects are caught up enough for me to take a few siestas while the temps allow. A good nap after a ride can be a real treat when it involves sunshine in winter. I am hoping those will continue for a while. Once temps go up in spring, naps go indoors, so nice to take advantage now.
Our local bobcat came to the fountain for a drink while we were having lunch outside. They are so cool! Still not much rain out here, so the fountain attracts wild life.
The weather has been fantastic! I have been riding every other day and the last two days have been a bit longer and more strenuous. I have ridden different trails every time and not done a repeat yet. Art and I have been trying to mix it up more with our rides. We have some semi local travels on a wish list. We may try to hit a few this year. We will see what kind of winter it is. A mild winter will open up more north riding sooner.
Home projects are caught up enough for me to take a few siestas while the temps allow. A good nap after a ride can be a real treat when it involves sunshine in winter. I am hoping those will continue for a while. Once temps go up in spring, naps go indoors, so nice to take advantage now.
Our local bobcat came to the fountain for a drink while we were having lunch outside. They are so cool! Still not much rain out here, so the fountain attracts wild life.
The last two days of riding were at Starr Pass section of Tucson Mountain Park. Both different loops and trails, and about as close to riding at Ringwood as Tucson gets. While there were some flow sections, most of that area is rocky with chunk, step ups and small drops. It was really fun and I enjoyed some new challenges. Many of the trails at Starr have been built in the last eight years, some of which Art and I helped build. My favorite one is "Shamwell". We did not help build that one, but it is super cool. It is a climbing tech trail that is very doable and gets harder at the top. Call me crazy, but I find that type of riding motivating. I am glad to finally get on that trail again. I made almost everything. There is one exposed, steep crack that I have never attempted. It is over my comfort zone and I lifted my bike up that. They were two great days on the bike.
Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday week so far. I have friends visiting this week, so there have been lots of laughs and activities. An eight mile rugged hike yesterday has left us all wiped out and sore. Today we are resting and catching up on other stuff. The weather has been great. Temps came back down to average, so long sleeves at times. I am feeling blessed to be around good friends and to be embraced by the warm Arizona sun. I hope to get back on the bike tomorrow.
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Zack 54
Well-Known Member
Both my friends left a few days ago. Art and I ended up riding and doing a big hike 8 of the 9 days they were here. We were both so wiped out that we took two days off after they left. We got back onto the bikes today, and to be honest, I became lethargic after the first hour. Perhaps I need a mental break as well. Weather has been great, but we really need rain! It looks like it may cool down next week and I am ok with that.
Not the usual, but this year I am starting the new year very close to my ideal weight. I have tried several times to drop a few pounds over the last few years and have not had much luck. Recently I got there just adding more protein to my diet. It was more about getting my LDL and triglycerides down and not actually a weight thing. I also added a core strength workout after my back went out in October. I never expected to go down a pants size, but now that I am here, it is a nice way to start off 2025. I am hoping bloodwork will go well next month too. I have not done any strength training other than core and push ups in the last two weeks. I have been waiting for a cold or rainy day and that does not seem to be happening, so I may need to take a day and just do it anyway. My 90 year old mom went to the gym on New Years day and it made me feel a bit lame for not working out. Perhaps this week I will make it happen.
Not the usual, but this year I am starting the new year very close to my ideal weight. I have tried several times to drop a few pounds over the last few years and have not had much luck. Recently I got there just adding more protein to my diet. It was more about getting my LDL and triglycerides down and not actually a weight thing. I also added a core strength workout after my back went out in October. I never expected to go down a pants size, but now that I am here, it is a nice way to start off 2025. I am hoping bloodwork will go well next month too. I have not done any strength training other than core and push ups in the last two weeks. I have been waiting for a cold or rainy day and that does not seem to be happening, so I may need to take a day and just do it anyway. My 90 year old mom went to the gym on New Years day and it made me feel a bit lame for not working out. Perhaps this week I will make it happen.
huffster
Well-Known Member
This made me chuckle!
Our water main leak finally dried out. Instead of Art trying to patch in concrete on an already cracked slab, he just cut it open with a clean straight line. Our thinking was to keep it open in case it leaks again and to make a garden area. Art had to purchase a monster saw for the job. It was fairly affordable and while very specific, it did a really good job and may come in handy in the future.
It finally cooled off out here to where temps are more average. I saw a bunch of bundled up bikers, Art included, on our ride today. I also passed a lady on an e-bike with a sleeveless top, so I guess being cold or hot is personal. As for me, I thought it was perfect today. It was even cloudy which made for some nice pictures with dark skies. In Tuscon there is a saying: "What a lovely cloudy day". I was feeling that today.
It finally cooled off out here to where temps are more average. I saw a bunch of bundled up bikers, Art included, on our ride today. I also passed a lady on an e-bike with a sleeveless top, so I guess being cold or hot is personal. As for me, I thought it was perfect today. It was even cloudy which made for some nice pictures with dark skies. In Tuscon there is a saying: "What a lovely cloudy day". I was feeling that today.
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Cooler weather has arrived. We had close to a week of freezing temps over night. Freezing night temps mean covering plants with frost cloth and bringing in hummingbird feeders at night. It never got crazy cold and got back into 50's most days. It did rain for a few hours as well, not a real lot, but better than nothing. We took an extra day off the bike and did another hike. It was a nice change of pace on a cool day.
Today we finally got up on Ridgeline Trail in the Tortolitas, which is across the valley to the west from where we live, and semi local. It was real nice up there. I was not sure how I would feel today, but I felt pretty good. The climbing on that ride can wipe me out, but so far, I feel good. Nice to feel like I have my health and can do rides like this.
Today we finally got up on Ridgeline Trail in the Tortolitas, which is across the valley to the west from where we live, and semi local. It was real nice up there. I was not sure how I would feel today, but I felt pretty good. The climbing on that ride can wipe me out, but so far, I feel good. Nice to feel like I have my health and can do rides like this.
Temps have been staying slightly cooler, but no super cold or night freezing over the last week. High winds have been making some days feel cooler, but still pretty nice for riding in the middle of the day. We have been riding down town several days a week because we ride with friends from the other side of town and meeting near town is close to half way between us. It is also a tad warmer than both our home trails because of elevation.
We picked all our lemons last week. Two bags went to our neighbor for making lemon wine and I still have a full basket for lemonade and cooking. Our clementines are finally sweet and in full picking mode. They are fantastic! I am sooo enjoying them. This is by far our strongest harvest to date. I went out and purchased a pomegranate tree to plant in our yard as well. Pomegranates have become a daily add in to my diet. I use them in salads and guacamole. Removing the seeds is not too bad if you accept the fact that your hands will turn black and you need to wear an apron or shop coat. My hands are a mess until I get back to NY because of the dry climate and all the nasty prickers in everything you touch. I am constantly picking up cactus particles in the house. We have nick names for them like "grenades" and " sputniks". This is all part of rural life in the desert.
We picked all our lemons last week. Two bags went to our neighbor for making lemon wine and I still have a full basket for lemonade and cooking. Our clementines are finally sweet and in full picking mode. They are fantastic! I am sooo enjoying them. This is by far our strongest harvest to date. I went out and purchased a pomegranate tree to plant in our yard as well. Pomegranates have become a daily add in to my diet. I use them in salads and guacamole. Removing the seeds is not too bad if you accept the fact that your hands will turn black and you need to wear an apron or shop coat. My hands are a mess until I get back to NY because of the dry climate and all the nasty prickers in everything you touch. I am constantly picking up cactus particles in the house. We have nick names for them like "grenades" and " sputniks". This is all part of rural life in the desert.
Red Mosquito
Formerly RLB the Scrapple Boy
Looks awesome, thanks for sharing pics. Every time I see stuff like this it makes me want to get my butt out west to ride. Some day…
Is mid-30s the typical low temp for this time of year?
Is mid-30s the typical low temp for this time of year?