Hot & Muggy & Buggy

 GPS Track ~ Works Now and Then

The Usual Big Box run, minus the Missouri Hot Sun.  Most of the time....
I had to pick up a prescription for today's ride, and against all odds the sky was slightly overcast and slightly cooler.  Greatly appreciated of course.
My diabetic feet were complaining more than usual today but riding and pedaling is easier than standing and walking, and us guys can only sit around and loaf for just so long before guilt drives us into action.
Big Box stores are wonderful, except when they aren't.
I arrived safe and sound at about 12:55 PM and after masking up and showing up at the renowned pharmacy, I found a sizable line a-waiting fruitlessly in front of several windows totally shuttered.  Several of us examined the "Pharmacy Hours" sign and saw the stated 12:00 - 1:00 noon lunch time.  No staggered lunch hour for the several workers, it must be a law that they all have to eat at the same time.
Obviously, customers should just wander the aisles and buy other stuff while waiting.
Of course the stated 1:00 PM lunch time was just a guesstimate.  My feet were complaining, of course, so I sat on an unoccupied cardboard box of something.
At the 20 minute mark, more or less, the windows finally opened and we all lined up again to gain attention. 

Dodging Traffic

Tuesday's GPS Tracked Route

 I don't get away with skipping exercise.....
Yesterday we needed some necessities from the Big Box enterprise on the north end of town.  Jacque had a sewing lesson going and a bushel of green beans awaiting her canning efforts, so it was a good excuse to get off my butt and take the Catrike for a ride.
We're undergoing a heat wave, with a few violent showers recently that cooled things down a tad.  Sunday's Shower Photo:

                                When it Rained, it POURED-  and sideways

 However, Tuesday was bright and sunny (!) so I was motivated to ride in the morning instead of late afternoon.
Temperatures weren't too terrible, with a little breeze, and as usual, getting out and working up a sweat pedaling huff-puff improved my mood and helped clear some of the fog out of my skull.  I WAS disappointed to notice that I was a bit slower than usual, and just have to blame it on not riding every day.
Locals have taken to greeting me with "HEY!!  How 'bout a RIDE?" when I pass them on the street.  One of these times I'm going to take them up on the request...
It was close to noonish when I rounded the bend to the intersection of Highway 95 and McDonalds.  I had to wait several minutes for a long line of cars to clear the roadway before I could make my own entry on 95 and cross the overpass leading to Big Box Store.  After several cars went by, a kind motorist slowed and waved me into the intersection, which was totally unexpected but mightily appreciated.
Arrived at Big Box safe and sound.  I didn't have too much trouble finding the items on my list, in spite of their recent habit of moving stuff around every few days - evidently in hopes we lackless shoppers will wander around more and spend a little more money on stuff we weren't looking for.
My sunny attitude was adjusted for the worse when I saddled up and started crossing the lot toward the exit.  A dreaded SUV crossed directly in front of me, forcing an abrupt stop.  The driver either totally ignored me or failed to glance a few feet ahead to see if anyone might be in his path.  "Female Driver", I grumped to myself, but it was just an old duffer just like me.  BAH
Got home safe and sound anyway.  Thank God for brakes.  Even if "I" have to use mine.

Ride Started: 10:27 AM           Ride Ended:  11:44 AM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0   Ending Battery Voltage:  12.9
Lowest Temp: 75 F Highest Temp: 78 F
Beginning Blood Glucose:  169   Ending BG:  97
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  5.22
Overall Average Speed      Moving Avg       Max Speed
  4.2 MPH                              6.9 MPH            20.8 MPH
Total Trip(s) Time                Moving Time      Stopped Time
 1 hour 15  minutes               45 minutes          30 minutes

Babe in the Woods

 Today's GPS Travel Tracking

 Well, slow progress continues on the New Sewing Room, which I often use for an excuse for not whizzing slowly around town  more often on my Catrike .

Sundays are a welcome day off, and especially so yesterday since we were both a tad tired out.  We realized again that Jacque had a prescription waiting for her at our local Big Box Store, and I volunteered to use that for an excuse to actually get out on the trike again this morning.
It had cooled off quite a bit from last week's Upper 90's and humidity to match, and my scheme was to take off early this morning before it got too hot.
As usual, I distracted myself and took off much later than "planned".  One distraction was the mild cloud cover - making it even cooler than normal, fooling my brain (what's left of it) into thinking I had plenty of time to take a cooler ride.
Cloud cover DID protect me somewhat all the way to the Big Box, and I didn't even apply sunscreen.  (Yeah, I know, cloudy days are NOT protection from sun cooking the skin)

There was a middle aged fellow there at the Box's bike rack working on his bike, but he ignored me as I spoke a greeting when I walked past him to the Store Door.  When I came out to leave, he was still there, putzing away with something on his bike.  He was struggling with some sort of hardware, so I spoke again to him, saying I had tools on board the Catrike that he could use if needed.
This time he responded in friendly fashion and I dug out some of my wrenches to help him out. 
Turns out he had just now purchased this bike - Big Box Style - and had found it difficult to ride and was trying to install a gel-cushion seat and a cargo bracket on it. 
It also turned out he had almost NO experience riding bikes of any style.
He appeared to be between 50-60 years of age.  He was a homeless dude.  He walked from place to place and saw cyclists and thought to himself "That looks easy, I think I'll buy a bike!"

He had purchased a mountain bike a couple weeks ago and awkwardly ridden it 60 miles and - having never ridden before - decided he needed to trade it in on a "normal" bike.  Here he was, trying to rig up a brand new bike, with no experience riding or maintaining, and no real tools on hand.
I wound up spending almost 45 minutes or so handing him tools and trying to help him install the new seat and cargo bracket, and helping him adjust the seat to a comfortable riding height.  He had ridden 60 miles fitfully on the mountain bike and still had trouble balancing while pedaling, and even asked me if I thought they made training wheels for adult bikes.  I assured him that training wheels were a waste of time and money, based on my limited experience with them 60+ years ago.
We finally got his seat at a comfortable height and angle, and I tried to encourage him to keep up with the learning process and not give up.  I told him the world needed more cyclists and that it would eventually be well worth the effort to keep it up.
Thankful that my Cousin Darel had let me learn to ride HIS bicycle at age 5 when we visited his folks' ranch near Hereford TX about 1952, I rode home without balance issues on my three-wheeler.....

Ride Started: 9:34 AM           Ride Ended:  11:35 AM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0   Ending Battery Voltage:  12.7
Lowest Temp: 71 F Highest Temp: 82 F
Beginning Blood Glucose:  199   Ending BG: 87
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:  5.18
Overall Average Speed      Moving Avg       Max Speed
  3.3 MPH                              7.5 MPH            19.2 MPH
Total Trip(s) Time                Moving Time      Stopped Time
 1 hour 35  minutes               41 minutes          53 minutes