Sunday, December 31, 2023

12-31-2023 Ride

Getting ready for my ride, I went out to the garage and saw that my front tire was flat, after having changed out the inner tube on the previous day.  Rats!  Put another patched tube on and had difficulty setting the tire into the bead, but I finally got it to go.  Then I headed through the neighborhood, taking Capilla Rd route and up to RB Rd.  Over to Dove Canyon Rd, taking it down to Carmel Valley Rd.  I was measured on the two little climbs here, not really sure why.  Then I rode down to Camino del Sur and used it to get to the 56 bike path.  Down to El Camino Real, again not really pushing the pace.  Then took Carmel Valley Rd to the coast highway and headed toward Torrey Pines.  I stopped before the inside route climb and took a picture and some video, then started up.  On the first steep section, I saw a rider ahead of me and tried to catch up.  It was Jed (of course), so we rode to the top kinda together.  He was riding slowly, on the 9th of his 12 planned loops.  I decided to ride the rest of the way with him, so I ended up doing 4 loops and feeling okay.  The climb on the last loop was a little more difficult, I could feel it more in my lower back.  But I kept my pace down from its maximum, and that helped.  He finished and went to his car in the parking lot, while I kept going north on the coast highway to get back to Carmel Valley Rd.  Retraced my route back to the 56 bike path and up to Carmel Valley Rd, where I turned left and took it to Camino del Sur.  Was slow on that last little climb but otherwise felt okay.  On the return home, I felt a little undernourished and had tired legs, so no speed records on this day.  Back to RB Rd and then down to W Bernardo Dr, where I took it down to Aguamiel Rd and then up to Aguacate Way, climbing to the cul-de-sac and then up Creciente Way to drop down to Azucar Way.  I wanted to be over 4000' of elevation gain, so I rode back up Azucar Way to Duenda Rd and then up to Aguamiel Rd.  That did it, so I cruised home from there.  Felt good on this ride, legs held out, not a high average pace but a good ride to finish up a successful year.  For the year, my calculations showed that I rode 5353 miles and climbed 300,000'.  Most miles in a year for me.  In the late afternoon, we went over to the Landreth's house to have drinks and dinner, along with after-dinner games.  The food was good and the conversation was fun.  The after-dinner games weren't so fun.  Ann seemed really out of it, not so able to focus or come up with answers in a "what would you do?" questions game.  It was unnerving for me and somewhat upsetting.

Avg speed = 15.2 mph. Total mileage = 52.1 mi
Avg power = 146 W. Weighted avg power = 184 W
Total elevation gain = 4010'
Avg heartrate = 133 bpm

I also finished reading the book Quantum Supremacy, about quantum computing, by Michio Kaku.  It was more focused on potential areas where quantum computing could be utilized than about how quantum computers work, which was rather disappointing.  I also started The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates, and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend, by Rob Copeland.  Don't know much about this guy, and it will be interesting to see how deeply the author goes into Dalio's investing strategies.
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2023 Event Log

01-06-2023    King Cake celebration at work, late-night improve show with Emily at National Comedy Theater
01-07-2023    Travel to Irvine for a visit with Pat, then back home
01-09-2023    LEP R&D get-together at Miguel's Cocina, with Raia and others joining
01-12-2023    Travel to Joshua Tree NP to go camping
01-14-2023    Travel home from Joshua Tree NP
01-22-2023    Travel to New Orleans
01-23-2023    Visit to Cafe du Monde, walking tour of The French Quarter, Bourbon St at night
01-24-2023    Visit to Mardi Gras float museum
01-25-2023    Self-guided tour of Garden District, blues bar visit in the evening
01-26-2023    Cycling around New Orleans City Park
01-27-2023    Visit to Whitney Plantation, Bourbon St at night
01-28-2023    Visit to Free People of Color Museum
01-29-2023    Travel home from New Orleans
02-01-2023    Application appointment for TSA Pre-Check
02-10-2023    Travel to Palm Springs for the weekend
02-11-2023    Tour de Palm Springs Century
02-12-2023    Travel home from Palm Springs
02-18-2023    Attended Patio Playhouse performance, Unknown
03-05-2023    Attended Rady Shell 2023 performance unveiling, first time seeing Gregory Page, who appeared with special guests Jason Mraz and Chaska Potter
03-06-2023    Bought Orucase bike traveling case from their office down in Clairemont
03-10-2010    Attended Circus Vargas with Ann in the Escondido Mall parking lot
03-14-2023    Beer at Karl Strauss with Avi, Evgeny, Blair, and James
03-16-2023    Lunch with the Three Amigos, no Dennis, at Oggi's
03-18-2023    Hike at Dixon Lake and Daley Ranch with the church hiking group
03-19-2023    Attended Mike Bell's memorial in Yorba Linda, saw Jeff and Pam Jetter, talked to Carol Hemminger and Laura Bell as well, drove by our old house at 1875 Peeler St in Corona
03-23-2023    Travel to Houston to visit family
03-24-2023    Bought and installed a new thermostat for Mom, shopped for new microwave ovens and bought one
03-25-2023    First ride with Mark in a very long time, in a group led by Bruce Gilbert
03-26-2023    Travel home from Houston
04-12-2023    Retirement party for some HP folks, including Terry Mattoon, Clayton Holstun, and Glenn Haddick
04-19-2023    Lunch at Red Robin with Earl
04-20-2023    Ann's gall bladder attack starts, she's hospitalized at Scripps Green Hospital
04-21-2023    Ann's hospitalization continues
04-22-2023    Ann's hospitalization continues, 10x up inside Torrey Pines route
04-23-2023    Ann's hospitalization continues
04-24-2023    Ann's hospitalization continues, has her gall bladder removed
04-25-2023    Ann's hospitalization continues
04-26-2023    Ann's hospitalization continues
04-27-2023    Ann's hospitalization continues
04-28-2023    Ann released from the hospital
05-03-2023    Hot sauce challenge at work
05-05-2023    Lunch with John at Mama Cella's
05-06-2023    Palomar South Grade ride with Biskleta from Harrah's and going up to Boucher Lookout
05-18-2023    Travel with Mariya and Emilio to Israel for final HP Indigo business trip
05-20-2023    Ride with Zvika Cohen and his cycling group, lunch at Hans Sternbach Winery with Michel and Dafna, saw Limpy by our old apartment
05-23-2025    My farewell party with HP Indigo friends and colleagues at Kadma Winery
05-26-2023    Attended Jesus Christ Superstar with Emily at Moonlight Amphitheatre
05-27-2023    Helped John move some of Vivian's stuff to his house, lunch afterwards at Stir Fresh
05-28-2023    Tested positive for COVID
06-02-2023    First ride after COVID
06-07-2023    Street in front of the house repaved, finally
06-10-2023    Audrey's last ride with us before she moved to the Bay Area, up to Double Peak, Bisikleta farewell party afterwards at Andy's house
06-11-2023    Free museum day at Balboa Park with Ann, visited Museum of Photographic Arts and the Fleet Science Center
06-16-2023    Concert with Ann at Rady Shell to see John Legend
06-18-2023    Father's Day dinner at Emily and Caleb's apartment
06-24-2023    Travel up to Irvine to visit Pat, went for a bike ride and had lunch with Ann
06-25-2023    Bike ride with Pat in the morning, then travel home from Irvine
06-27-2023    Walk at Lake Miramar with Emily and Ann, then dinner at the Himalayan Grill
06-30-2023    Attended Del Mar Fair with Ann
07-06-2023    Lunch with Jerry Chen at Viktor's Kafe
07-07-2023    Four Amigos lunch with John, Ross, and Dennis at Charm Thai Kitchen
07-09-2023    Bike ride and lunch in Mission Bay with Ann
07-11-2023    Dinner with Ann, Earl, and Kay at Cenote Grill
07-12-2023    Happy Hour at On the Border with Emily
07-14-2023    Visited San Diego Zoo for Big Cats tour with Ann, Emily, and Caleb in the morning, had lunch in Hillcrest
07-18-2023    Hike after work with Emily by RB Community Park
07-21-2023    Dinner with Ann, Johnnie, and Mike at Domenic's or H Brothers
07-22-2023    Drive with Ann up to Orange County to see Jason Mraz with Kay and Earl, Celisse was the opening act
07-23-2023    Attended some kind of show in Liberty Station with Ann
07-27-2023    Farewell lunch with Dan and Kyle at Grub Burger Bar, met some current and ex-Indigo folks - Pedro, Guangjin, Julio Lopez, Paul Templin, Jerry Chen, Blair - at The Cork & Craft in the early evening
07-28-2023    Farewell party at work
07-30-2023    Saw Emilio Lopez-Yanez conduct the San Diego Symphony at Rady Shell with Ann, Emily, and Caleb, Ann and I hung out with him and his fiancee after the concert
07-31-2023    Last day working at HP
08-01-2023    First day of retirement, rode down to Encinitas and met Ann there for breakfast at Potato Shack Cafe
08-02-2023    Rented a Jeep Grand Cherokee from Avis and drove up to Whitney Portal to camp overnight and meet Charlie, Ryan, Connor, and Hussein for the Mt Whitney hike
08-03-2023    Hike up at Horseshoe Meadows with the guys to acclimatize to higher altitudes, got a little sleep before getting up to start the hike, drove to jumping-off point and met Connor's friend Sam
08-04-2023    Started Mt Whitney hike around 12:12, finished around 6:15, had dinner with my fellow hikers at The Grill, a burger restaurant in Lone Pine
08-05-2023    Drive home from Lone Pine, dropped rental car off
08-06-2023    Saw Britain's Finest at Lake Poway Park with Ann
08-07-2023    Saw a morning movie, - Mission Impossible, Dead Reckoning, Part 1 - with Ann
08-08-2023    Hike all the way around Lake Miramar with Emily
08-09-2023    Visited San Diego Archeological Society Museum in the San Pasqual Valley with Ann, heard about Elizabeth Garrett's terrible car accident
08-11-2023    Went down to Canyon store in Encinitas and ordered my new bike, had lunch with Ann at a Mexican restaurant in Carlsbad, saw Cassie B at the Carmel Mountain Ranch shopping center
08-13-2023    Attended CityFest in Hillcrest with Ann, had dinner at a Mediterranean place
08-14-2023    Lunch with Julio Lopez at Tandoori Express
08-15-2023    New Canyon bike arrived, assembled it, went to Moonlight Beach to watch the sunset with Ann
08-16-2023    Inaugural ride on my Canyon Aeroad, dinner at a Thai food restaurant with Ann and Emily
08-18-2023    Dinner with Ann at Park Social, then we visited the San Diego Natural History Museum for special evening hours with cocktails and snacks on the rooftop
08-19-2023    Helped John and Vivian with painting her condo
08-22-2023    First true, sustained run in a long time, a little over 5k, got Mexican food in Chula Vista, then saw Bastille, Nile Rodgers & Chic, and Duran Duran in concert at North Island Credit Union Amphitheater
08-23-2023    Lunch with John Godden at Charm Thai Kitchen, hike in the evening with Emily down by the park
08-24-2023    Drove down to Imperial Beach to rent a Sea Doo for the day, riding all around the San Diego Bay, famous ride in the late afternoon with Gideon
08-27-2023    Saw a musical version of 9 to 5 at Kit Carson Park with Ann
08-28-2023    First simulated sprint triathlon, in the neighborhood
09-02-2023    Gideon's 2023 Ride for a Cause
09-03-2023    Visited with Rob and Isabelle at their new condo by the high school
09-04-2023    2023 Tour de Labor with John and Dave
09-05-2023    First day of camping trip to see Pat in Wyoming, stayed at Duck Creek Campground in Utah
09-06-2023    Travel to Deer Creek State Park, stopping in Provo at a soda shop on the way
09-07-2023    Travel to see Pat at his place near Jackson, WY, lunch in Elkhorn on the way
09-08-2023    Visited Grand Teton NP with Ann and Pat, walked to Jenny Lake, stopped at Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center, walked by Mormon Row
09-09-2023    Drive back to Grand Teton NP and ride with Pat through the park, including by Jenny Lake and up to the top of Signal Mountain, drinks at a brewery in Jackson with Ann and Pat, dinner at a dude ranch in Turpin Meadows
09-10-2023    Drive through Grand Teton NP to Yellowstone NP, saw Visitor Center, Biscuit Basin, Midway Geyser Basin, Grand Prismatic Spring, Lower Geyser Basin and the Fountain Paint Pots (walked around that loop), Firehole Canyon Drive and the Firehole Falls, drinks with Pat at Yellowstone Inn, saw Old Faithful erupt, stayed at Yellowstone Lodge Cabins
09-11-2023    Saw Old Faithful erupt again, visited Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone Grand Canyon, Lower Falls viewpoint, West Thumb trail loop, stayed at Pat's place
09-12-2023    Drive to Mustang Ridge Campground
09-13-2023    Drive across Flaming Ridge Dam, stopped at Dinosaur National Monument Visitor Center, through Colorado and back into Utah, stayed at Koa Holiday Campground in Moab
09-14-2023    Visited Arches NP, stopped at Park Avenue Viewpoint, Balanced Rock, Windows turnoff (North and South Arch and Turret Arch), Double Arch, Sandy Arch, got my phone wet in the pool
09-15-2023    Visited Arches NP, saw Delicate Arch from a distant viewpoint, Broken Arch, Devil's Garden area, Tunnel Arch, Pine Tree Arch, Landscape Arch, beginning of car troubles   
09-16-2023    Moved our stuff to a deluxe cabin, hung around the campground
09-17-2023    Rented a car at the Moab airport and drove to Canyonlands NP, visited Island of the Sky area, including Mesa Arch, Grand View, Upheaval Dome
09-18-2023    Resolution of car troubles, travel to Las Vegas, stayed at the Excalibur, walked down the Strip in the evening with daiquiris
09-19-2023    Travel home from Las Vegas, end of big camping trip
09-20-2023    Hike with Ann and Emily on the trails by the park
09-23-2023    Saw Brian Regan at Harrah's Rincon, had killer margaritas before the show
09-24-2023    Saw Saturday Night Fever at Moonlight Amphitheatre with Ann
09-26-2023    Bought secondhand dryer at America Freight, lunch at The Red Sea
09-27-2023    Celebrated Blair's birthday with his family and friends at Mom's Pizza
09-28-2023    Visited the Museum of Man in Balboa Park with Ann
10-04-2023    Lunch with Three Amigos, no Dennis, at Stir Fresh, saw Sting in concert at SDSU Amphitheatre with Ann
10-05-2023    Travel to Portland
10-06-2023    Visited Washington Park, including Hoyt Arboretum, Rose Garden, Lewis and Clark Memorial, ice cream at Salt & Straw, went to Halloween comedy show at Siren Theater
10-07-2023    Visited Waterside Park, including open air market, rented bikes and rode along the river on both banks
10-08-2023    Breakfast at Stepping Stone Cafe, walked through Forest Park to the Stone House, took bus to Pearl District and visited Powell's Books, slushies at Pink Bunny, went to pinball/video arcade, walked through Chinatown
10-09-2023    Visited Peculiarium, walked along 23rd Ave to see Paxton Gate (oddities shop), lunch at Burmese restaurant with robot servers, attended music jam in Pearl District in the evening
10-10-2023    Travel home from Portland
10-11-2023    Attended an interview with Barbara Kingsolver at USD with Ann, Kay, and Ruth Cameron
10-13-2023    Saw Nickel Creek in concert at Rady Shell with Ann, Kay, and Earl, had dinner at Urban Thai beforehand
10-16-2023    Camping in Palomar Mountain SP, ride up East Grade of Palomar from Lake Henshaw to campsite
10-17-2023    Hike in Palomar Mountain SP on Lower Doane Valley Trail, Weir Trail, and Lower French Valley Trail, rode from campsite up to Palomar Observatory and met Ann there, visited museum there
10-18-2023    Travel home from Palomar Mountain SP
10-20-2023    Start of Havasupai trip, travel to Peach Springs
10-21-2023    Travel to Havasupai parking lot, hike down into and along the canyon leading to Supai Village
10-22-2023    Hike to Havasu Falls, Mooney Falls, and Beaver Falls (got in the water here), then back, had fry bread at the café
10-23-2023    Hike to 50 Foot Falls (got in the water here, under falls), Navajo Falls (climbed in water over by falls here), Havasu Falls (swam in the water here with Charlie and Connor)
10-24-2023   Hike from Supai Village back to Havasupai parking lot, drive home from there, stopping in Las Vegas to let Connor off at the airport
10-25-2023    Watched Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One with Ann at movie theater
10-27-2023    Hike at Torrey Pines SP, progressive dinner with Johnnie and Mike, at Los Panchos, Ali Baba, and Esco Gelato
10-28-2023    Birthday celebration for Jed at his place in Oceanside
10-29-2023    Jan Baer-Hurd's car trouble at San Dieguito UMC, brunch with her, Bev Couty, Emily, and Ann
10-30-2023    Fire on Battle Mountain
10-31-2023    Drive to South Carlsbad SB for camping trip, "emergency" trip to Walmart for new air mattress
11-01-2023    Little ocean swim in spring suit, dealing with breaking waves
11-02-2023    Drive home from South Carlsbad SB, hike with Emily on trails by park in early evening
11-04-2023    Watched SDSU-USU football game with John at Snapdragon Stadium
11-05-2023    Belated birthday dinner for Ann at Emily and Caleb's apartment
11-06-2023    Lunch with Dave at Cocina del Charro
11-08-2023    Travel with Ann to Houston to visit family
11-09-2023    Staying with Kathy, along with Ann and Laura, rode to Waller and back, lunch with Laura
11-10-2023    Staying with Kathy, rode generally north and back, dinner with Kathy, Heather, Laura, Ben, Melody, and the twins at Lupe Tortilla Restaurant
11-11-2023    Ride with Mark, starting and ending at George Bush Park, traveled from Kathy's house to Mom's house with Ann and Laura
11-12-2023    Mom's 90th birthday celebration at the lake house, with all of Mark's family, most of Ben's family, Ross, Ann, Laura, and Pat Raines
11-13-2023    Lunch with Mom and Ann to celebrate her actual 90th birthday
11-14-2023    Travel with Ann home from Houston
11-15-2023    Coffee and donuts with John and Brooke
11-16-2023    Met Ann in Del Mar and walked by the beach around sunset, saw green flash, dinner at Bangkok Bay
11-17-2023    Said goodbye to my Univega bike
11-22-2023    Laura in town for Thanksgiving
11-23-2024    Thanksgiving dinner with Ann, Emily, Caleb, and Laura
11-24-2023    Visited the Midway Museum with Laura
11-26-2023    Pizza dinner with Ann and Laura at Emily and Caleb's, talked about Demon Copperhead
11-27-2023    Went to downtown San Diego library to hear Temple Grandin speak
11-28-2023    Removal of cancerous skin lesion at Mark Vierra's office
11-29-2023    Lunch with the Three Amigos (no Ross) in Temecula
11-30-2023    Met Blair at Karl Strauss for beer and conversation
12-01-2023    Ride up in San Clemente area with Charlie and Pat, lunch with them, Ann, and Leslie at Sonny's in San Clemente
12-02-2023    Celebrated Fritz's 38th birthday at Marco's Pizza with other Bisikleta riders, went to December Nights with Ann, saw Switchfoot perform twice
12-08-2023    Saw Tibetan monk sand art exhibit at CCAE
12-09-2023    Dinner and conversation with David and Christine at a Mexican food restaurant in Carlsbad, where they were visiting, then saw the Nerd Comedy show with them
12-12-2023    Saw Dream Scenario in the movie theater with Ann
12-13-2023    Walked around the La Jolla tide pools at low tide with Ann, watched the sunset
12-14-2023    Dinner with Jim and Marsha Van der Spek and Philip and Tricia Howerzyl at Bellamy's in Escondido
12-15-2023    Annual physical exam with Timothy Strouse
12-16-2023    Bisikleta holiday party at Jed's house in Oceanside
12-17-2023    Wine and conversation with Johnnie and Michael at Altipiano Winery
12-18-2023    Dinner at Best Pizza & Brew with Ann, Rob, and Isabelle
12-19-2023    Volunteer orientation with Diana Erazo at Palomar Pomerado Hospital
12-20-2023    Pat came down for a visit and a bike ride, went to Orfila Winery with him and Ann, dinner with them at Bud's Cajun/Creole restaurant
12-23-2023    Laura down for a visit
12-24-2023    Christmas shopping with Laura in Fashion Valley and 4S Ranch, lunch with her at Taste of Thai
12-25-2023    Christmas dinner with Ann, Emily, Caleb, and Laura
12-27-2023    Lunch with Earl at Lourdes Mexican Restaurant
12-28-2023    Palomar Pomerado ED orientation with Margie Wiens
12-29-2023    Hike with Ann in Mission Trails Regional Park, dinner in El Cajon, saw Big Bad Voodoo Daddy in concert at Sycuan Casino
12-31-2023    New Year's Eve dinner/celebration with Ann, Johnnie, and Michael at their house
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Saturday, December 30, 2023

12-30-2023 Ride/Walk

This day started off strangely.  The weather forecast said rain but maybe not until later in the morning, so I rode over to the 4S Target, taking the route through the neighborhood and the longer route through the 4S Ranch neighborhood (up by the water tower).  I got there and met up with Jamil and Rob, and a little bit later Jed showed up.  While we were getting ready, it started to sprinkle, but we decided to ride anyway.  Down Camino del Sur, and the more we rode the harder the rain got.  Jamil and I raced up the CdS bump and, when we got to the turn onto San Dieguito Rd, we decided to call it quits.  The others agreed, so we rode back, taking the Paseo del Sur route to mix it up a little bit.  I pushed hard on the gradual climb up Paseo del Sur.  Took a video of the four of us, thoroughly wet, at the end of the ride, then I rode home (Jamil offered to drive me home, but I was really soaked and didn't want to ruin his car).  I rode up to Camino San Bernardo and then over to RB Rd, and from there home through the neighborhood.  Was completely drenched by the time I got home, even my booties were wet and my shoes and socks soaked through.

Avg speed = 15.2 mph. Total mileage = 17.3 mi
Avg power = 144 W. Weighted avg power = 190 W
Total elevation gain = 1180'
Avg heartrate = 129 bpm

Later, I cleaned up the area around where the bikes are stored, creating more space and organizing things somewhat, including printing out copies of the Bisikleta "award" certificates, framing them, and hanging them up in the garage.  I also went for a walk in the afternoon, about 45 min, and was fortunate enough to get home right before it started raining again.  Was a little chilly during the walk, I should have brought a jacket.
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Friday, December 29, 2023

12-29-2023 Swim/Walk/Hike

Went over to the WWC in the morning for a swim, got there and in the pool around 9:00.  Fewer people there, and for much of the second half of my swim I had the pool to myself.  Swam for 3000 yds following standard protocol for first 2000 then repeating the first 1000 a second time.  Arms were feeling it in the last segment, I finished in about 1:04.  Hung around the house the rest of the morning, not doing much other than talking to Mark about what's going on with Mom and Ross.  Then in the afternoon I went for a walk for about 45 min.  To avoid traffic, Ann and I went down to El Cajon early for the concert and did a hike for a little less than an hour at Mission Trails Regional Park.  We hiked the visitor's center loop with a couple of short spurs off the loop, and it was decent, not super scenic but relatively easy.  I talked to Ben during the hike and stayed both connected and in agreement with him.  This is a good thing, it's been a while since he and I had a "normal conversation" relationship.  We went to dinner at a Syrian restaurant in El Cajon, it was okay, Ann really like the shawarma and the rice, my soup was a little thin, but I've been dealing with a TMJ inflammation on my left side, so perhaps it was a good choice.  We walked through a spice store and then went to a bar/restaurant to hear a band play classic rock.  The singers weren't so great, but the guitar player was good for this kind of band.  Then we drove to Sycuan Casino to see Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, a gift from me to Ann for Christmas.  They were fun, and our seats were fantastic, third row center.  Their music is quite familiar, and they played all the hits.  The soloists were absolutely fantastic.  Was a good concert.
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Thursday, December 28, 2023

12-28-2023 Walk/Swim

Went for an hourlong walk in the morning, then headed over to the WWC for a quick swim, 1500 yds freestyle without pads or snorkel.  Finished in about 31 min, which was a little slower than I would have liked.  Then I headed over to Palomar Medical Center in Poway for my Emergency Department volunteer training with Margie Wiens.  It's a relatively small department, I'm hoping it will be busy and I'll be able to find useful activities to keep me occupied.  I also got my badge and parking sticker.  In the afternoon, I worked in the backyard cleaning out weeds, lots to do still there!  On another note, I started putting the psoriasis cream on the scaly spot on my scalp, and it appears to be working well.  Still a little bit of scale there, but it is much less irritated.  Will keep it going for another few days to see how completely it can clear up.  Lots going on in Houston, most of it not good.  Mom has been particularly depressed around Christmas, and Ben's mix-up in communication about when he and his family were coming over didn't help.  It's not clear where the communication broke down, but she's not happy.  She also isn't ready to go through stuff in the house and get rid of the things we don't need anymore.  So I'll find some handyman things to do while I'm there in January.  Ross is also bent out of shape about recent communications, I don't know what that's about.  I'll let him cool down for a bit and try to check in next week.
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Wednesday, December 27, 2023

12-27-2023 Walk/Swim

Went for a walk for an hour in the morning and talked with Ann when I got home about Christmas.  She was upset about how it made the others feel, but my response was that I couldn't be authentic and happy during the gift opening.  We're in a better spot now after having talked.  Next year, will need to de-stress the holiday for her, she did too much shopping and cooking around the holiday and it was overall stressful.  And I'll need to help more with cooking and make the cooking/cleaning more communal with the kids.  Then I went for a swim, 2500 yds with standard protocol that included 20 lengths at the end freestyle and without snorkel.  Finished in about 52 min.  Later, I had lunch with Earl Guy at Lourdes Mexican Restaurant, I paid so it's his turn next time.  We talked about the future of religion (analogy to the future of libraries), and I introduced a topic for next time, AI and whether its development is ultimately "good" or "bad".  Bought some picture frames at the Escondido Thrift Store for the Bisikleta "awards" to put in the garage.  Then in the early evening, I met Emily at the house in Scripps Ranch where she is pet sitting, to walk the dogs (Odie and Jerry) and to open the presents that she and Caleb got me (all-weather cycling booties, beer/cheese tasting, and a bookmark with cross-stitch on it.  I also booked my travel to Houston in the fourth week of January and let the brothers know.  Finally, I started a library book on quantum computing:

Quantum Supremacy, eBookHow the Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything

by Kaku, Michio
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Tuesday, December 26, 2023

12-26-2023 Ride

Not a great day.  Ann was mad at me for checking out of the Christmas celebration after dinner.  It's going to be tense for a few days.  In the morning, I rode over to the parking lot by Marco's Pizza and met up with Rob and Gio for a chill mini-Bisikleta ride.  We headed down by the park and then up Pomerado Rd to Twin Peaks Rd, turning left there and riding up to Community Rd.  Took it over to Metate Ln and used that road to get to Pomerado Rd.  Up to Scripps-Poway Pkwy, taking this climb (the only significant one in the ride) up to Springbrook Dr, where we stopped for a short break before continuing down to Sabre Springs Pkwy.  Then it was over to the 56 bike path, which we took to Salmon River Rd, using it to get to Paseo Montalban and then to Black Mountain Rd.  Up to Carmel Valley Rd, where Rob turned right and headed back home (he had ridden to the starting point) while Gio and I turned left and rode down to Camino del Sur.  From here, it was the normal way back for me via RB Rd and W Bernardo Dr.  Gio and I chatted for a couple of minutes at the end, then I rode home.  No sustained effort on my part to go hard on this ride, although I did push myself a little bit on the Scripps-Poway climb and on the little stretch up to Carmel Valley Rd.

Avg speed = 15.7 mph. Total mileage = 32.3 mi
Avg power = 140 W. Weighted avg power = 168 W
Total elevation gain = 2090'
Avg heartrate = 124 bpm

Was pretty quiet the rest of the day.  I went for a walk in the afternoon for about 30 minutes, after finishing Nemesis Gate.  In this book, we get to learn more of the back stories of the crew of the Rocinante, as Amos goes back to Earth to learn more about the passing of his guardian Lydia and ends up getting Clarissa Mao out of prison as the Earth is devastated by directed meteor impacts.  Alex travels to Mars, where he hooks up with Bobbie Draper and eventually helps to rescue Naomi from OPA terrorists led by Marco Inaros, her old lover and the father of her son Filip. Meanwhile, Holden is on Tycho Station with Fred Johnson overseeing the repairs to his ship and foiling a plot to destroy it and the base.  Then I started Stephen King's Elevation, a fairly short novel.
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Monday, December 25, 2023

12-25-2023 Walk

A (not so very) merry Christmas.  Went for a walk in the morning before the others got up.  Not sure, but it seems that Ann is upset with me for some reason, she's been distant.  Later in the morning, Emily came over and we all decorated sugar cookies and had our book club discussion about The Hail Mary Project.  After Emily left, there was a lot of cooking (and kitchen cleaning) in the afternoon until she returned with Caleb around 4:00.  We opened our stockings before dinner, and it was, as usual for me, awkward.  I never feel like I get Ann the things she really wants, and my and her happiness seem somewhat artificial as we open our stockings.  So I wasn't in a great mood from that.  Talked at length to Ross on the phone, and he was feeling blue because of his job situation and a crappy Christmas morning that he and Mom had, when Ben showed up and Mom wasn't happy that he was late by two days.  I don't know the full details.  Then I gave Mom a quick call, and she was in a bad mood as well, which didn't help my mood.  Dinner was okay, Emily made cheese fondue, and it tasted good.  But after dinner I got saddled with cleaning up everybody's cooking mess, and it was not fun.  So I bowed out of opening the gifts under the tree and read upstairs instead.  This obviously made Ann upset, but I just could bring myself to sit in the room and smile while I was in the state I was in.  I'm sure there will be fallout from this.
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Sunday, December 24, 2023

12-24-2023 Ride

This was a nice day.  I went for a solo bike ride in the morning, heading down by the park and then up Pomerado Rd until I got onto the time trial route, then followed it home.  No interest in setting a fast pace, so it was nice to be out on the bike in the morning. 

Avg speed = 15.4 mph. Total mileage = 19.6 mi
Avg power = 133 W. Weighted avg power = 157 W
Total elevation gain = 1100'
Avg heartrate = 129 bpm

After I got home and showered, Laura and I went shopping, as she hadn't bought any Christmas presents for the family.  We drove down to Fashion Valley and picked some items up.  She was going to buy a perfume spray for Emily at Neiman-Marcus until she saw that it was $300.  We had a laugh about that one.  Went to a couple of cooking supply stores as well as Lush.  I got Ann a new candy thermometer (turns out she didn't need it, she got her old one to work).  Then we stopped at World Market in 4S Ranch, and she got some other items before we had lunch at the Thai food restaurant.  Ann and I set out the luminaria in the afternoon and went for a short walk around the block.  In the evening, we went to the 7:30 service at Hope UMC.  The music was decent, they had a nice brass ensemble, but the sermon was a little disjointed.
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Saturday, December 23, 2023

12-23-2023 Ride

Bisikleta ride in the morning.  Headed through the neighborhood and through the 4S Ranch neighborhood up to Ralphs Ranch Rd, turning there and riding down to Albert Ave.  I also rode up to the top of Four Gee Rd before meeting with the others.  On this ride, there were: Ray, Rob, Perse, Kamal, Maher, Jamil, Jed, Fritz, Nel, and Arnold.  .  Along the way, several other riders dropped in for a time, including Alex (he rode from Mira Mesa and met up with us at the end of the 56 bike path), Vic (same as Alex, I think), and Romeo.  We rode Camino del Sur over to the 56 bike path, and I pushed the pace up to Carmel Valley Rd, leaving the others behind (Jed wasn't too far behind).  Then it was down to El Camino Real and over Carmel Valley Rd to PCH, where we turned left and took the inside route up Torrey Pines.  I got out ahead of the others again and finished first, probably because Romeo wasn't there to outpace me.  Set a PR for the inside route of 9:29.  Gathered back up at the top, then it was downhill and up into Del Mar, staying on PCH until the little ride just after Cardiff.  We stopped at a 7-Eleven by Chesterfield Dr, then continued on (after another short restroom break) on San Elijo Ave to get to Manchester Ave, staying on it with a right turn, and over to Rancho Santa Fe Rd.  Jed and I were riding together in the front here.  We took a right and rode over to La Bajada/La Granada, climbing up into RSF.  Set a PR for this climb as well.  Again, I distanced the other riders on this climb, and we gathered back up at the top.  By this point, Kamal and Maher had already turned back.  We crossed Paseo Delicias to get to Via de Santa Fe and took it over to El Apajo and the climb up Three Witches.  I led out on this last climb and finished ahead of the others, although not as fast on my time as I thought it would be when I was riding up.  Arnold and Jed weren't too far behind, and the three of us rode back to the starting point more or less together, although I got out a little ahead of them near the end.  This was a really strong ride for me, maybe helped by not riding on Friday and having a short ride on Thursday.  I can feel my ability to keep pushing the pedals improving, maybe a combination of the increased number of miles I've been riding and perhaps the cardio benefits from swimming.  Legs still felt strong at the end, but I was definitely tired.

Avg speed = 17.5 mph (from GPX File Display). Total distance = 51.0 mi
Bisikleta route avg speed = 17.8 mph
Avg power = 164 W. Weighted avg power = 194 W
Total elevation gain = 3120'
Avg heartrate = 120 bpm
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Friday, December 22, 2023

12-22-2023 Swim/Walk

Headed over to the WWC for an early morning swim, psyched myself up to swim 3000 yds and finished in 1:02.  So there is a shot for me to be able to swim this distance in under an hour.  I was helped out by another swimmer who was swimming at around the same pace as me, so I tried to keep up with her and even get ahead at times.  Used the normal protocol for the first 80 lengths, then did 40 more lengths like the first half of the protocol.  Was pretty tired in the last 20 lengths with swim pads, and my shoulders were feeling it a little bit later in the day.  I replaced the other CR2032 battery in my gear shifting paddles, hoping it will solve the periodic problems I've been having with low battery indicators on my shifters.  Then in mid-afternoon I went for a longer walk down across the pedestrian bridge and to the fence by I-15 before retracing my steps.  Did some Python programming in my ongoing attempt to include a background map into my bike route analysis program, then it was a quiet evening at home.
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Thursday, December 21, 2023

12-21-2023 Walk/Swim/Ride

Went for a walk in the morning for a little over an hour, then headed over to the WWC for a swim, 2000 yds in 43 min.  I slowed down intentionally, not wanting to go too hard on this morning.  Pat came down around noon, and we went for a bike ride, since the rainy weather that was supposed to come through the area hadn't appeared.  We rode down by the park and over to Pomerado Rd, taking it up to RB Rd and then following the old time trial route.  Going at a good but not scorching pace, he had just had an injection of lubricating fluids in his knee and didn't want to push it.  We rode up Espola Rd to Poway Rd and started heading downhill when Pat hit something, he thought it was a piece of metal, that blew out his rear tire in a manner that wasn't easily repairable.  So I called Ann and she came to pick us up.

Avg speed = 15.3 mph. Total mileage = 10.5 mi
Avg power = 162 W. Weighted avg power = 187 W
Total elevation gain = 810'
Avg heartrate = 127 bpm

We hung out while we were waiting for her to show, then headed back home.  After showering, we drove over to Orfila and had a sampling of 4 wines.  Meh!  The conversation was good, as was the atmosphere, but the wines were nothing remarkable, certainly not for the price of the tasting.  We then drove down to Bud's in Kearny Mesa, following a recommendation from Charlie and Leslie about this restaurant.  Cajun/Creole cuisine, nothing vegetarian for the main course except the house salad, which was just okay.  Pat's dish was pretty good, according to him and Ann, but she didn't like her gumbo (not flavorful and served lukewarm).  But again, the conversation was good, so it was a nice evening.  We chatted for a while after we got home, then Pat left to drive back to Irvine.
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Wednesday, December 20, 2023

12-20-2023 Walk/Ride

Walk in the early morning, it had been a while since I walked in the dark for about a little less than an hour.  I was worried that the rain would come sooner than it actually did (it started in the evening, later than forecast), that's why I went out early.  Then it was a solo ride over to the Ted Williams Park n Ride, taking Azucar Way up to Duenda Rd, then over to Bernardo Heights Pkwy and up to Paseo Lucido.  Down Carmel Mountain Rd to Rancho Carmel Dr and then to meet John.  We rode back to the 56 bike path and took it up to the Salmon River Rd exit, riding over to Paseo Montalban and then to Black Mountain Rd.  Then it was up to Carmel Valley Rd, turning left there and riding down to Camino del Sur.  Rode back up to Four Gee Rd, turning left there and doing the reverse ride through the 4S Ranch neighborhood that goes up by the water tower.  Back to RB Rd, taking it through town and into Poway, at which point we followed the old time trial route back to our meet-up point.  I took most of the ride at fairly modest pace, not too fast on the climb up Espola Rd to Poway Rd.  We hit every single light riding down Poway Rd, so we made good elapsed time there.  On the ride back home, I followed the new time trial route.  Legs felt fine at the end, but I was tired from the early start to the day.  Weather held out splendidly, just about ideal riding conditions for the most part.

Avg speed = 15.5 mph. Total mileage = 43.5 mi
Avg power = 131 W. Weighted avg power = 157 W
Total elevation gain = 2700'
Avg heartrate = 125 bpm

Quiet rest of the day.  I did some cleaning, online Christmas shopping, reading, watched some TV while Ann went for an orthopedic consult for her right shoulder (and got a cortisone shot), then had hot pot with Emily.
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Tuesday, December 19, 2023

12-19-2023 Walk/Swim

Went for an hour-long walk in the morning around the neighborhood, then headed over to the WWC for a swim, 2500 yds in 51 min.  This was the fastest swim I think I have done, followed the standard protocol for the first 80 lengths, then did the last 20 lengths without snorkel or swim pads.  I feel like I am making progress, slowly but surely, in the evenness of my strokes and my ability to keep a slightly higher pace than before. Later in the morning, I rode my scooter over to the Poway Palomar Hospital for the volunteer onboarding.  I met Diana Erazo, who gave me a tour of the hospital, which appears kinda small, probably <100 beds all told.  They have closed down the birthing center, and the hospital seemed rather quiet while I was there.  I'm going to start volunteering in the Emergency Department on Wednesday afternoons, once she is able to find a trainer who can bring me up to speed.  Probably won't happen until sometime in January.

Finished Going Infinite, by Michael Lewis.  His feelings about SBF are somewhat conflicted.  I think he liked the guy and appreciated that he wasn't intentionally trying to take people's money, and he saw him as a genius in some ways.  But SBF's immaturity and inability to play by others' rules just didn't work when it came to running a huge business like the combination of FTX and Alameda Research.  Caroline Ellison comes across as somebody clearly unsuitable to lead any company, while the other business leaders were all young and naive, spending too much time assuming that SBF knew what he was doing.  I also started Nemesis Games, the next book in The Expanse series.
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Monday, December 18, 2023

12-18-2023 Swim/Ride

Went for a swim at the WWC when it opened, just me and Blaine at the beginning.  The sky was overcast, although the water seemed a little warmer than usual, easy to get used to.  2000 yds in 41 minutes, it felt like my fastest time at this distance, following the usual protocol.  Then Ann and I went shopping, to JoAnn's and to Aldi.  After we got back, I hung around the house for a while, then went for a bike ride in the early afternoon.  Through the neighborhood, taking the Capilla Rd route.  Then over to 4S Ranch neighborhood, taking the longer route up by the water tower.  Then I rode up to the top of Four Gee Rd and turned left onto Camino Santa Fe, riding it to its top, then downhill, which was sketchy.  Not too long after the downhill started, the pavement ended, so I stopped there and turned around to climb back up, over 15% grade, so I stood on the pedals in my lowest gear and got up.  At the top, my gears wouldn't shift, so I switched batteries around and got them working again.  Back down to Camino del Sur, turning right and riding over to Artesian Rd, turning right there as well.  I rode all the way down to the place where the road is covered with water (San Dieguito River), looks like it will be that way for some time.  Back along this road, there is a hiking trail that we should try sometime.  On the ride down, I was riding the brakes, the wind was swirling and the road condition was poor.  The ride back up was a slog, with sections of 10% grade.  But I didn't struggle that much, and it seemed shorter than I was expecting.  I rode it back to Camino del Sur and turned left toward home.  Stayed on Camino del Norte up to Camino San Bernardo, which I used to get over to RB Rd.  Then home the normal way via W Bernardo Dr.  It was ideal riding temperature, and I felt fine at the end.

Avg speed = 14.5 mph. Total mileage = 20.3 mi
Avg power = 133 W. Weighted avg power = 173 W
Total elevation gain = 1610'
Avg heartrate = 118 bpm

After I got home, I turned around and went Christmas shopping for Ann over in CMR.  Then in the evening we went to Best Pizza & Brew with Robert and Isabelle.  So, a full, good day all told.
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Sunday, December 17, 2023

12-17-2023 Walk/Ride

Went for an hour-long walk in the morning after sleeping in, then followed it up with a bike ride.  I had just a vague notion of where I was going to ride, heading through the neighborhood to Matinal Rd and then to W Bernardo Dr.  Over to RB Rd, where I followed the old time trial route up to Espola Rd and then to Poway Rd.  Weather was fairly warm by the time I started, which was nice.  I took the climb up to Poway Rd slowly.  Then I rode down to Community Rd, turning left there and taking it up to Kirkham Rd.  This was the longest climb of the day, a little over a mile and steep in some parts.  Then I took Kirkham Rd back to Scripps-Poway Pkwy to ride down to Pomerado Rd.  Over to Oak Knoll Rd, using it to get back to Poway Rd, and staying on the old time trial route from there for a while.  I wasn't consistently riding at high output, but I put in a good climb to get up Community Rd, and my ride on Ted Williams Pkwy wasn't bad.  Back home via Bernardo Center Dr off of RB Rd.  Finished the ride feeling fresh and refreshed.

Avg speed = 15.2 mph. Total mileage = 25.5 mi
Avg power = 137 W. Weighted avg power = 172 W
Total elevation gain = 1780'
Avg heartrate = 120 bpm

In the early afternoon, we met Johnnie and Michael at Altipiano Winery off Highland Valley Rd.  Ann and I had stopped at Barron's beforehand and gotten some stuff for lunch snacking.  The wines there were okay, and the atmosphere was casual.  We were the first ones to be seated, but it got more crowded as the afternoon wore on.  One of the owners, Peter, stopped by the table and shared a couple of stories with us, and Johnnie mentioned that his wife is Black and the winemaker, a not-so-common combination.  Looks like we may spend New Year's Eve with Johnnie and Michael down at La Jolla Shores, more planning to occur.
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Saturday, December 16, 2023

12-16-2023 Ride

Ride through the neighborhood in the morning over to the 4S Target, also riding through the 4S Ranch neighborhood all the way by the water tower and including the little climb up to the end of Four Gee Rd.  Lots of riders on this day, maybe because it was a shorter route.  On this ride, there were: Jed, Perse, Rob, Andy, Arnold, James, Nel, Kamal, Maher (Kamal's friend), Jamil, Gio, Rush, Edson, Jhonar, and Cam.  We headed down to San Dieguito Rd, I didn't try to catch Jamil and Kamal, who got out ahead of the others.  My intent was to set a decent pace but not try to push it too hard.  The ride was supposed to be a chill ride, and for the most part it was.  It was chilly at the house at the start but got warmer as my elevation increased.  Similar reduction in temperature as we dropped down into Fairbanks Ranch, where it was cold in the shade and at the bottom.  Over El Apajo to Calzada del Bosque, where we turned and took the short, sharp climb up to Linea del Cielo.  I led the others up the climb, keeping a steady cadence but not killing it, and pushing harder near the top.  Then we rode into RSF, got onto Paseo Delicias and then took El Tordo over to La Granada.  Out of town, then another short climb with some steepness before we descended toward Encinitas.  Took Rancho Santa Fe Rd up to the 7-Eleven at the corner there and had our extended break.  Then we continued on Manchester Ave to get over to El Camino Real, and around this point Romeo joined us for a short while.  Stayed on Manchester Ave, and around this point Jamil passed me in his aero drops, going really fast.  He is a force when he's in the drops.  I stayed on his wheel, and we all rode under the freeway and then took a short detour up the bike path on the west side of the freeway to a viewpoint, where we took another break and lots of pictures.  Then it was down the hill and up the hill on the bike path going south, eventually dropping onto Solana Hills Dr, which turns into San Rolofo Dr before it tees into Stevens Ave.  We turned left there, and it took us over to Via de la Valle just west of the freeway.  From there, it was the normal way back via El Camino Real, San Dieguito Rd, and Camino del Sur.  We had a short break (this group loves to take breaks!) at the gas station before the Three Witches climb, then we continued.  Around the second climb, the batteries in my derailleurs stopped working, and I was stuck in the very lowest gear.  It was frustrating seeing lots of folks pass me, I caught some of them on the third climb, and my gears started working again, enough for me to make it back to the starting point.  I caught the others on Camino del Sur, and Arnold and I rode out in front (Jed had gone ahead of us) back to the Target.  Felt strong throughout this ride, didn't feel like anybody could keep up with me when I went full gas, except for Romeo, who was only around for a short part of the ride.  Made it home taking the route down to W Bernardo Dr, I switched out the battery in my rear derailleur before I started home, and that seemed to work.

Avg speed = 15.9 mph. Total mileage = 42.4 mi
Avg power = 142 W. Weighted avg power = 177 W
Total elevation gain = 2580'
Avg heartrate = 126 bpm

In the late afternoon, Ann and I went to Jed's house in Oceanside for the Bisikleta holiday party.  We arrived at 4:15, the party was supposed to start at 4:00, but nobody else was there.  It turned out okay, because Jed needed to have two tables from Ikea assembled.  James and I did the assembly and had it done by the time more people were arriving.  It was a nice party, Ann talked to Dylene Gilb and learned more about her.  There were some party games, kinda fun to watch, and the gift exchange was a little entertaining, although I ended up with a lame gift.

I also started Michael Lewis' new book about Sam Bankman-Fried, Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon.  It's pretty good so far, not spending any time talking about crypto technology but getting deep into the head of SBF, who thinks fundamentally differently from us.  He sees humans as probability engines and doesn't understand why others don't see ourselves the same way.
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Friday, December 15, 2023

12-15-2023 Walk/Swim

Went for an hour-long walk in the morning, it was chilly but not as cold as previous days.  Then I swam for 2500 yds, following the normal protocol and doing 30/20/30/20 lengths.  I was slower, not sure why but perhaps in part because I kept losing track of how many lengths I had swum and probably added some additional ones.  Finished in about 57 min.  Later in the morning I had my annual physical with Dr Strouse.  All looked good, except my cholesterol and triglycerides were on the high side.  Looks like I'll have to cut out some of the dairy fats (less cheese and ice cream) and include more legumes in my diet.  I worked in the back yard in the afternoon, it was a nice day.  But there is a lot of work to do back there.  Need to get several of the beds weeded and ready for ground cloth before the winter rains.  I had thought about doing a short ride on this day, originally with Jhonar in the morning, but I feel like I am close enough to my annual mileage target goal, 5200 miles, that I should be able to make it fairly easily, assuming the weather holds out through the end of the year.
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Thursday, December 14, 2023

12-14-2023 Walk/Swim

Went for a walk in the morning, a little less than an hour, then Ann and I went to a breakfast at IHOP sponsored by Brett Everhart.  Saw Jan Horvath and Doug Jordan there, it was actually a nice time.  Ann was worried that she would have to sit and listen to Brett, but he was pretty chill during the breakfast and sitting a little away from us.  After lunch, I went to the WWC and swam for 2250 yds, normal protocol for the first 2000 and then freestyle without the snorkel for the last 10 lengths.  Done in about 50 minutes.  I felt somewhat weighed down by the big breakfast, and I swam the first half with my rash guard on to keep from getting sunburned.  That thing gets waterlogged quickly, and it slowed me down a little.  In the evening, we went out to dinner with Jim and Marsha Van der Spek and Philip and Tricia Howerzyl at Bellamy's in Escondido.  This restaurant is a little pretentious, the service was pretty good but the food (I had a pasta dish, the only vegetarian main course) was meh.

I started Andy Weir's Artemis.  I probably read it before, but so far it's not sounding very familiar.  This reads like a book that he wrote back in the past, not as technical as his other two books and a little more immature in its style.  Storyline involves a moon base, Artemis, and a young woman who is a porter there who gets involved in some big-time criminal activities, including murder and lots of subterfuge.  It's more of a chase novel than a mystery story.
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Wednesday, December 13, 2023

12-13-2023 Ride

Intention on this day was to do a longer ride at somewhat lower total level, so I rode through the neighborhood and over to Dove Canyon Rd, turning left there and taking it down to Carmel Valley Rd.  Right turn there, and I took it easy up to Black Mountain Rd, where I turned left.  Took it all the way to Kearny Villa Rd, again not going full gas on the gradual climb up to Mira Mesa Blvd.  Stayed on Kearny Villa Rd, riding past MCAS Miramar and turning right to stay on that road.  Down to Aero Dr, where I turned right and then right again onto Convoy St.  This section of road is not recommended for cyclists, no bike lane and lots of cars parked along the side of the road.  I took it to Clairemont Mesa Blvd, turned right there, and rode down almost to I-15, taking a U-turn to get back to Chesapeake Dr and then up to Ruffin Rd, which merged into Kearny Villa Rd.  On this stretch, I did okay, not as fast as the outbound section but decent.  I turned right onto Pomerado Rd and took it fairly easy up this gradual climb to the top, then rode Cypress Canyon Park Dr over to Angelique St and down to Springbrook Dr.  I love this downhill section, fast and gently curving.  Took it to Sabre Springs Pkwy and turned right there to get to Springhurst Dr and then to Poway Rd.  I was looking to extend the ride, so I went up to Midland Rd and turned left there to get over to Twin Peaks Rd.  Up to Espola Rd, turning left and taking that gradual uphill fairly slowly.  But I was also looking to try and finish with an average speed above 16 mph, so I put some effort in and then pushed harder on the downhill run back into RB.  Got to Pomerado Rd and turned right to get more miles in, and I tried to keep my speed up here as well.  Got to W Bernardo Dr and took it up to Nevoso Way to get over to Cabela Dr.  Still not on target for the distance I was trying to get, so I rode it up to Matinal Rd and then took Matinal Circle back to Azucar Way and home from there.  Ended up over 50 miles for the ride, but it took some doing.  This ride also put me over 5000 miles for the year, only the second time, I think, that I got over this milestone value.  Felt fine at the end, actually a little better than at times during the ride.

Avg speed = 16.2 mph. Total mileage = 50.3 mi
Avg power = 143 W. Weighted avg power = 166 W
Total elevation gain = 2670'
Avg heartrate = 133 bpm

In the afternoon, I sent in the documents to roll my Unocal pension over to Raymond James, hope it works as planned.  Then Ann and I drove down to La Jolla and found a spot to walk around the tide pools during a very low tide.  It was mildly interesting for a while, but I got bored and sat watching the ocean while she kept exploring.  When the sun set, there was a brief green flash just at the tip of the sun as it sank below the horizon.  We had sandwiches on a bench overlooking the ocean and then walked back to the car.  The drive home was a little rough, lots of traffic.  Better since Ann did the driving.
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Tuesday, December 12, 2023

12-12-2023 Walk/Swim

Went for a longer walk over to the WWC for my morning swim, where I swam 3000 yds in about 1:04.  20 lengths without swim snorkel with and without swim pads, then 30 lengths of same with swim snorkel.  Finished it off with 10 lengths each without swim snorkel but with and then without swim pads.  Shoulders were feeling it later in the day, but it was also kinda exhilarating.  Then I walked home from there.  Later, we went down to Mission Valley, got the Chevron document for my pension lump sum payment notarized, then went to see a very interesting Nicolas Cage movie, Dream Scenario, about a guy who starts showing up in people's dreams, first in a benign way then more actively, and finally, in threatening ways.  It was chilling at times and ultimately sad in how his life was upended by these events that were completely out of his control.  I went into the movie knowing nothing about it, and it was a rewarding experience.  Also, I'm almost done with Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir.  It's been a page-turner even the second time around, and I remember much of the general storyline as I'm reading it, but am still enjoying reliving the details and the plot.
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Monday, December 11, 2023

12-11-2023 Ride/Walk

Went for a swim in the morning, after having a blood draw in preparation for my annual physical with Dr. Strouse on Friday morning.  I swam 90 lengths, 30/10/30/20, and finished in 49 minutes.  Intended to swim 100 lengths (2500 yds) but I'm pretty sure I skipped 10 lengths along the way.  Did a fair amount of reading later in the morning, then went for a bike ride starting a little before 1:00.  My intention was to put more effort into this ride than previous rides, so I pushed the pace through the neighborhood and over to Camino del Sur.  Just past that turn I got a rear tire flat, which was frustrating.  Changed it fairly quickly, once I was able to get the tire unseated from the bead.  Manual pump to fill the tire, 225 pumps to get it to a rideable pressure.  Then I continued on, still trying to be consistently pressing on the pedals.  Over to San Dieguito Rd, taking this downhill and then across the flats.  Made pretty good time there, averaging over 20 mph.  To El Camino Real, where I turned left and rode up into Del Mar Heights.  Was slower on this climb than I would have liked, but I had a stronger finish than at the start.  The downhill was rough, the bike lane was in partial shadow and the road condition was terrible.  I kept it slow to avoid major potholes.  Rode over to the 56 bike path, and when I got on it I again tried to keep my pace high, mostly successfully.  Up to Carmel Valley Rd, turning left there and still trying to maintain a higher than usual speed.  I was slow on the little climb back up to Camino del Sur, where I turned left.  Rode up to Paseo del Sur, turning right there and riding through the Del Sur neighborhood back to Camino del Sur.  Right turn there, taking it up to 4S Ranch Pkwy and turning left there to get over to Great Clips to see if they sold discount cards (no).  Then back to RB Rd, and home the normal way following W Bernardo Dr.  I was disappointed in my average speed and my inability to keep up a high effort on the little climbing sections of the ride, but my power numbers were decent.

Avg speed = 17.3 mph. Total mileage = 33.0 mi
Avg power = 167 W. Weighted avg power = 188 W
Total elevation gain = 1810'
Avg heartrate = 133 bpm

Later in the afternoon, I went for a walk for a little over 30 minutes.
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Sunday, December 10, 2023

12-10-2023 Ride/Walk

Slow, easy time trial route ride with Jim.  First time riding with him in a while.  Liz and Krista are back in SD, staying at a family friend's house until the Garrett family house remodeling is finished, about two weeks estimated.  He showed me the mods to the master bedroom after the ride and after we had pumpkin pie smoothies.  They are really having a lot to deal with, huge emotions and psychological toll from the accident.

Avg speed = 14.5 mph. Total mileage = 17.6 mi
Avg power = 124 W. Weighted avg power = 142 W
Total elevation gain = 1030'
Avg heartrate = 106 bpm

In the afternoon I went for a walk, heading through the gap under the freeway overpass to the east of W Bernardo Dr.  I also walked to the top of a trail off the road, no obvious continuation of the trail after it got to the top of a hill.  Walked for a little more than an hour all told.
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Saturday, December 9, 2023

12-09-2023 Ride

Bisikleta ride, where I drove over to the meet-up spot with two bikes, one to lend to Chris Ye, who was riding with us along with Audrey, down visiting friends in SD from where she lives now in Menlo Park.  It was windy on this day, more on that later.  On this ride, we had a larger group than in recent times.  At the start, there were: Rob, Perse, Ray, Arnold, Jed, Fritz, Eric, Audrey, Chris, Gideon, Jhonar, Nel, Sassan, and Aaron.  We headed down Camino del Sur to San Dieguito Rd, taking it to El Apajo.  I was near the front up to that point, then I hung back and served as the sweeper for the rest of the ride, taking it easy near the back.  We turned onto Calzada del Bosque and rode over to Los Arboles, turning right there and taking it up to Via de Alba, where we turned right again.  Then a left onto La Gracia, and the gradual climb into RSF.  La Flecha to Avenida de Acacias, then a right turn onto Paseo Delicias, which we took up to Via de la Valle and Stud Loop.  I again was riding near the back, and it's a lot easier when you aren't going full gas.  Back to El Montevideo, taking it to Via de Fortuna, where we turned right and got over to El Camino del Norte.  Then it was down to Rancho Santa Fe Rd, where we did the little climb and descent to Olivenhain Rd, turning left there.  At the turn onto RSF Rd, Jhonar and Gideon broke off and headed back.  We stayed on Olivenhain Rd through the light at El Camino Real, taking the gradual climb up to Quail Gardens Dr, where we turned right and rode down to Saxony Rd, turning right there and using it to get to La Costa Ave.  A left turn there and over to the coast, stopping at the usual 7-Eleven for a break.  Sassan and Perse had missed a turn, but they realized it and met us there.  From there, it was the usual way back south, and in Solana Beach, Eric had a flat, so I stopped along with others to help him fix it.  Jed's front tire also had a slow leak that wasn't sealing, so we put some air in it as well.  We decided to shorten the route by heading back on Via de la Valle, and it was the normal way back to the starting point from there, including a short break at the gas station before the Three Witches climb, where we put more air in Jed's tire.  I was slow on the climb, staying with the others near the back but feeling fine.  Once we got back to Camino del Sur, we were riding into a swirling headwind, and it made the last section a little more tiring and dicey, with some gusts causing me to feel it in my wheels wobbling.  Everybody got back okay, and it was a nice ride overall, not fast for me but enjoyable.  Audrey is getting married next October, and she recently qualified for the Half Ironman world championships in New Zealand next December.  Pretty exciting stuff!

Avg speed = 15.3 mph. Total mileage = 43.2 mi
Avg power = 123 W. Weighted avg power = 152 W
Total elevation gain = 2370'
Avg heartrate = 116 bpm

When I got home, Ann and Emily were baking and decorating Christmas cookies, after having decorated the Christmas tree, which Ann and I had bought on Friday.  Later in the afternoon, we drove down to Carlsbad to see Christine and David Thompson, who were staying at an AirBnB there.  We watched the sunset and then walked into the village (about mile) to have dinner at a Mexican food restaurant right across from the Starbuck's.  Food was fine.  We then walked over to see a Nerd Comedy show, which was mildly funny; the headline act was an insult comic, and he was pretty brutal with some of the audience members.  The nerd comedy bit at the end was probably the funniest thing, mostly because of the audience members who got up on stage and were willing to be silly.
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Friday, December 8, 2023

12-08-2023 Swim/Walk

Went for a swim in the morning at the WWC, 2000 yds using the normal protocol in 41 minutes.  There were times when I felt like I was in rhythm even without the swim snorkel.  Ann and I went in the morning over to the California Center for the Arts in Escondido to see a sand drawing being created by some monks from Tibet.  It was quite intricate, and I found it pleasant to sit there and watch the monk work patiently on the details of the drawing.  On the following day, it was scheduled to be complete, at which time, they brushed it off and went on their way!  We went to Home Depot and got a Christmas tree and some minor household items (wall plates for lights, some peg board posts).  Then it was a quiet day as I worked on my old bike to get it ready for Chris Ye to ride on Saturday morning.  Also had a front tire flat on my new bike that I patched and repaired.  Ann and I went for a longer walk in the late afternoon, it was a nice pace.  Maybe we can do that more often together.
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Thursday, December 7, 2023

12-07-2023 Walk/Swim/Ride

Went for an early morning walk of about an hour, then to the WWC for a swim, 2250 yds in 48 min.  Last 250 yds were freestyle with no snorkel.  Ann went to the beach with Kay and Christine Thompson, who was visiting from Reno.  So I took a casual ride over to the Escondido library to pick up The Hail Mary Project, by Andy Weir, which is Emily's pick for this month's family book club.  I've read this book before but didn't remember much of it until I started reading it again, and it's coming back to me now.  It's about a PhD school teacher who ends up on a space ship to Tau Ceti in an attempt to save the human race from the effects that an alien lifeform, the Astrophage, is having on reducing the power output of the sun.  It's a page-turner even the second time around.  The ride I did took me over the freeway and to BVP, following the old route to yoga at church and including the little cuts through the neighborhood near Ash St to get to Grand Ave.  After I got the book at the library, I rode back to Grand Ave and then over to Centre City Pkwy.  Down to Citracado Ave and then Escondido Blvd down to the bike trail in Kit Carson Park, which I took all the way to the entrance by the ballfields.  Then I took BVP until cutting over to take the bike path to the pedestrian bridge across Lake Hodges, and home the normal way from there.  No big effort on this ride, just didn't feel the energy for it, and I was carrying some weight in my backpack.

Avg speed = 14.8 mph. Total mileage = 18.4 mi
Avg power = 127 W. Weighted avg power = 153 W
Total elevation gain = 810'
Avg heartrate = 117 bpm
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Wednesday, December 6, 2023

12-06-2023 Ride

Solo ride over to the Sabre Springs Transit Center, taking Aguamiel Rd to Duenda Rd and then Bernardo Center Dr to Bernardo Heights Pkwy.  Up to Paseo Lucido, then Carmel Mountain Rd to Rancho Carmel Dr.  I got there a few minutes before John showed up, then we rode over to the 56 bike path and took it down to El Camino Real.  Weather was cool but not too cold at the start.  By the time we got to Carmel Valley Rd, I had taken off my headband.  We had to wait through three cycles at that light, until the cars moved up and triggered the turn signal.  Over to PCH, then left to ride down to the beach and up the inside route of Torrey Pines.  I took it slow throughout this ride, was also dealing with a rear brake pad that was intermittently rubbing.  Up to the top, where we regrouped, then went down the outside route.  John got ahead of me, but I caught up with him on the way back to Carmel Valley Rd.  We retraced our route back to the meet-up point, and John started to run out of gas on the little climb up to Black Mountain Rd.  But we were almost done.  Then I rode back home the same way, except that I rode to Azucar Way and then up Cresciente Way to Aguacate Way to loop around in an unsuccessful attempt to get to 3000' of elevation gain.  Later on, I was able to loosen the bolts on my rear disc brake and reset its position for the disc to be more centered between the pads.

Avg speed = 14.5 mph. Total mileage = 43.5 mi
Avg power = 136 W. Weighted avg power = 162 W
Total elevation gain = 2960'
Avg heartrate = 125 bpm

Ann bought the plane tickets for our trip to Europe in March/April.
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