The Family Sideways: Weekend report.

Weekend report. 3/27/2006 08:31:00 AM

We did LOTS this weekend. We took it easy on Friday night as we were waking up early to head out on a ride (me) run (Dana) on Saturday morning bright and early. So, Saturday morning we woke up bright and early (apparently I can't write until I've had THREE cups of coffee... one sec).

Aah, that's better...

Before I get to Saturday, I must insist you read Dana's post about what transpired on Friday. OK. Now that you've read that.. Shortly after she got home we went to the Cingular office and got her a new SIM card, and popped that in my phone so she has another one to lose one to use for work. I won an eBay auction for a cheapo Nokia that should hopefully not take too long to get here, so we can get back up to 100% cell-phone-wise. Then we went to a pub for dinner. If this place was closer to where we live, smoke-free, and if we had found it earlier, it would be "The Bar". Unfortunately, we didn't discover it until the hurricane, as it was one of the few places open, but they didn't have any food then (they were sold out), so we left vowing to come back. Well, it took six months, but we made it back. And they had great fish and chips (the right way - with peas). It's very cozy, not too loud, and they have a great beer selection... Anyway.. Back to the weekend.

Where were we? Ah, yes. Bright and Early. So we got up and headed out to Chappell Hill, a quiet little town about an hour from us (if you speed like a Texan), and I hopped on the bike as Dana took to the shoulder for a 17-mile run. (I was on a 40-mile ride). The cars were, as usual, very considerate, with one exception - some redneck teenage punk who buzzed me twice while shouting something out the window. But as long as people don't THROW things, I could care less. What the freak probably doesn't understand is that if he's going 55 and I'm going 20, I can't hear what he's saying anyway. But it sounded like he said "Why doesn't daddy love me?". OK, it didn't sound like that at all, but I'm allowed to take some creative license.

If I had my really cool google-maps cycling thingie built, I would be able to illustrate that I finished this ride 15 minutes faster than the last time I did it (two weeks ago), and that my average was 3mph faster than last time... but I don't have it built yet, so you can't see it. But you can take my word for it. Basically, it just wasn't windy this time around. And it wasn't as hot, either. But I'm pretty happy with getting such a hilly route done at 16.5 mph (average). And I just felt GREAT on the second 20. I think it's probably time to up my milage on the long rides (and just in time for a 66-miler next weekend). Unfortunately, it was a little chilly for most of the ride, so my arm warmers prevented me from enhancing my already-emerging cycling tan. But we've got plenty of time for that before Steamboat.

After the ride, D and I hopped in the car and headed home for showers, then out to lunch (I... forget where...). We went for pizza that night and chilled at home, then woke up Sunday to get ready for D's soccer game at 11. You haven't heard much about her soccer this year since she hurt her hamstring and has been avoiding it to prevent further injury, but she was feeling good (if tired) after her 17-miler and decided to go for it.

So we headed out (I remembered a chair this time*) and she got through the first half and took herself out. A one-on-one sprint down the line aggravated her hammy again and she didn't want to risk further injury.

We headed back home and to our typical Sunday lunch haunt, where my girlfriend the waitress Pam was happy to see us (we were out of town last weekend). Ate, came home, and then...

Yes, there's more. We hopped on our bikes and headed to the Bayou City Art Festival (pictures), where we walked around for a couple hours and saw some good (and some not so good) and some fantastic art and photography. And they had beer (which was good). Rode home, hopped in the shower, and CRASHED. I fought to stay awake while watching cycling and Dana totally crashed, then we headed out for sushi, came home, and collapsed into heaps on the bed.

Needless to say, we were pretty worn out. But we both realized that this would have constituted a mild activity weekend in Steamboat and that we have to get used to getting this much exercize (there are worse things, to be sure). And we had a blast.

*UPDATE: I didn't remember the chair, to be accurate. Dana did, but it was FOR me.. so...

UPDATED AGAIN: added links to this photographer and this one from the festival on Sunday.

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