Transition

I reinstalled my new Ubuntu 8.10 server and got mysql working properly now, so if you go to http://alziraphale.net/ you'll see my blog as it resides on my own server. Unless that server is off, which probably means I'm asleep or not at home...

Anyway, it'll all get sorted out soon enough and when it does I'll put another post here officially closing this blog and directing everyone to the new site. I've really got to work out how to redecorate the new one, though, it looks cod-ordinary at the moment.

Ooh, I rode to work every day this week, too, and passed my thousandth kilometre on my bike yesterday!

Laptop

Today I installed Ubuntu 8.10 on the laptop my uncle gave me last week. It's great, but I've managed to strip the head of the screw on the RAM compartment lid, so instead of putting the 2Gb I bought in I'm stuck with the 512Mb that's in there. I'll work out how to get in and change it eventually.

My first impression of Intrepid Ibex (8.10's code name) is that it's more polished than 8.04 (the Hardy Heron) was. It's only an incremental upgrade, but some of the little changes to the installer and stuff made it even easier than last time.

I had dinner with Donna tonight, Meags and I went and cooked her dinner and played with the kids and chatted. It was nice to spend some time and take some pressure off.

Tomorrow's the Sydney to Wollongong bike ride but I'm not participating. Partly because I have to lead sunday school, partly because the weather forecast's bad, but mostly because I couldn't be bothered riding my bike in my own backyard. I'd rather be in Adelaide with Jonathan doing the first "Amy's Ride" in South Australia.

Today's the first of Movember, and although I'm supposed to be clean shaven to start I've elected to keep the couple of weeks' growth that's there (otherwise I wouldn't get anything worthwhile grown in the month). I've got a couple of sponsors, which is nice. I'm really pleased that Beyond Blue is being helped by it, because a mate of mine is depression's bitch at the moment and I'd love for anyone suffering like that to have good help available.

I got my result for Intro to Old Testament (last semester's subject), which until now has been a "Grade Pending" due to the disastrous end to last semester. The good news is it's another distinction, but I don't have my final essay back and I'd like to know what the comments on it were. I've emailed the lecturer and hopefully will get some more feedback. I've enrolled for next year's subjects, too. First semester will see me at uni on Thursday nights doing Pastoral Care, and second semester will involve taking Mondays off work to study Intro to Hebrew and Greek 2 (my first 200-level subject). I'm pretty excited to be going back. I actually wish classes started next week!

Good holiday

What a good holiday that was. A one-day trip down to Melbourne, stopping to visit my sister's grave in Benalla. A marvellous 30km warm-up ride before the 100km ride last Sunday. The 100km ride was knocked off with relative ease. I didn't really get saddle-sore, but around the 70km mark I ran out of fuel and had to have a breather while I waited for the last energy-gel hit to kick in. Once it did I was good, and got over the line OK.

At about Brighton I had the chain come off and the jolt from it tore one screw out of my cleat, but I quickly had the chain back on and took my shoe apart and then reassembled it and it was OK. At the finish Smorrie decided to move for a sprint even after we'd agreed not to (I might have been speeding up too...). We were behind a group of four riders spread across the road to finish at the same time. Smorrie went left to get around them so I called "Passing right!" and they moved left to let me by, which cut Smorrie off and saw me sail across the line ahead of him, leaving him to explain to his son Ben why 'Uncle Al' had beaten him. I did explain to Ben that if his dad had ridden the way he could have all day and not waited around a bit then he'd have easily beaten me, but all Ben seems to care about is the line.

Dinner that night with everyone at the Calabrian was excellent, then on Monday I headed off to Rhys' place at Mt Martha for two nights. It was great catching up with him and Kate (and little Liam), doing a spot of work on their bikes and playing a lot of PS2 (The Force Unleashed).

I rejoined Jonathan in the city on Wednesday and we went for a 40km pootle, that took us as long as the ATB ride had on Sunday. From Parkville across to North Melbourne, down to Docklands and around the shed, along Southbank then out along the Yarra trail, up to Collingwood and beyond; then across, back to Parkville (via a nice bakery in Carlton). That was followed by dinner in St Kilda which was great. Thursday we went for a drive down to Le Knicks, a cycling apparel store (where I bought my bib-knicks from). After a look around there we got fish and chips in South Melbourne and ate them next to Albert Lake. Then I went for a wander around the city, with the requisite trip to Haigh's. Thursday night I made my way across to Fitzroy and found a nice Vietnamese restaurant on Brunswick St, then it was home to pack before Friday's trip home.

On Friday we had breakfast in Fitzroy then went via Benalla again to Yarrawonga to see my uncle, Tony, who owns the pub there. I hadn't seen him for years, and it was really nice to catch up. He's generous to a fault, which was evidenced when he gave me a practically new laptop because he doesn't use it. It's one of the most expensive gifts I've ever been given, and I was speechless apart from "thankyou".

Friday night we ended up in Wagga Wagga and had Indian for tea with Nan & Granddad. They're both well and in high spirits, in the middle of selling their house so they can move back to Victoria (Benalla again) into a little aged-care village type thing. Granddad's 80 and Nan's getting there, so I shouldn't be surprised, but he's remarkably on-the-ball for 80. It was great to see them both.

We came home yesterday, Meagan picking me up from the freeway and bringing me back so Jonathan could go straight through to Sydney. It's good to be home, and I'm actually looking forward to going to work tomorrow! That's all for now, I'll wait until more happens and then I'll write more :-)

Longest ride yet

So today I did my longest ride so far. The previous record was Amy's Ride in January, 70km, but today I did 77km. I was very happy, having not been on the bike for a fortnight. I think I'll be all right for next weekend's 100km ride now.

I went with Smorrie to the Sea Cliff Bridge and back, and then alone from here to Dapto and back. I was just really enjoying being out on my bike, and would have liked to have kept riding all day (but saddle soreness was setting in, and my left quad kept trying to cramp for the last 600m or so). Still, it was a beautiful day and great to be out.

Feeling much better

Thanks for asking :-)

I'm still not 100%, but I'm no longer below 70% as I would've rated myself until today. I returned to "work" (it was a training day in Sydney), but will be back in the office tomorrow.

I gave my room a much-needed clean up, finding all sorts of important church mail ahead of Thursday's church council meeting, and when I finally got around to removing the box my Haigh's order came in last weekend I was delighted to find bonus chocolate; I'd forgotten about the four 'peppermint truffle' bars I'd ordered. Fantastic!

I'm hoping to utilise daylight saving tomorrow afternoon and ride after work instead of in the freezing, freezing morning (which I think has kept making me sick). I can breathe out now with much less wheeze than there has been, so I think my inhaler is doing its job. I've got to keep taking it until next Monday and then I've got a follow-up appointment with the doctor, who will hopefully give me the all-clear to attempt a 100km ride...

My voice is still screwy, but the shortness of breath and lethargy (surely related) have left me. I'm back, baby!

Whatever doesn't kill me...

...obviously just annoys me. I've been sick all bloody winter, and this week's no exception. I was feeling a bit crap at the end of last week (cough) but struggled manfully to do my Dapto ride on Friday morning and on Sunday an over-50km, around Lake Illawarra effort.

Sunday night my cough was very bloody annoying, and on Monday morning I had such a coughing fit that I threw up. I went to work, and everything was going fine until 12:30pm when I was discovered asleep at my desk by Danielle and sent home because "You look terrible, and your cough is a worry - make sure you see your doctor because it might be bronchitis!"

I saw my doctor on Tuesday and he advised me that I have a form of asthma brought on by my recent flu, so I'm on an inhaler for that and some antibiotics for whatever's in my chest. I'm also on antibiotics for sinusitis, because the pressure in my head's been all wrong lately too (blocked nose, ears won't pop, etc).

I haven't been back to work, and I just spoke to Serge who said "Tomorrow's not booked up much, just rest and get right for Tuesday". He is truly a great boss, because it saved me from potentially falling asleep again at work tomorrow. Every day this week I've succumbed to a tiredness that's crept over me and found myself waking up much later. Even today after my bike was serviced I woke up in the passenger seat of my car with Meags at the wheel telling me I'd been out for at least a few minutes. I'm so glad the service still got done, and so thankful she was able to come to Sydney to drive.

So now I've got another four days of nothing ahead of me. I want to ride my bike, but I won't, because I know I won't get better. From here, though, with some sort of infection in me, I don't think Around the Bay is going to be very easy.

I want to ride my bicycle...

After the nightmare that was Friday morning's ride, Saturday and yesterday turned out OK in the saddle. On Saturday I went for a 26km ride with Meagan (who'd borrowed Kerryn's bike to see if she still liked riding when the riding wasn't in Denmark). We got as far as the Towradgi beach café before having a break then returning home. I surprised myself by riding up Therry St and not feeling dead at the top, as I'd expected to after Friday's debacle. I decided to push myself a bit further and so rode to Donna's place to have dinner and watch the football. Panorama Drive was a challenge, but I got there after a short drink break a bit over halfway up.

Yesterday after church Meagan decided to buy a bike, so we went to the shop we'd looked in on Thursday night and she bought a Giant OCR2W on which she plans to shop, commute and compete in a (some) triathlon(s).

Smorrie and I went for a ride, with me foolishly suggesting that we try Mt Keira. He's got lower gearing on his bike and is 40 kilos lighter than I am, and I expressed my displeasure with him as I struggled uphill. I had a rest near Yates Ave, then near the water tanks, then just before the demonstration school, then at the fire station, then at the archery range, then at the hairpin bend above the archery range. According to Google Earth, we got to an elevation of about 280 metres, well above anything we'll face in Around the Bay. We turned around just before the Scout camp, and coming back down there was great speed and very little pedalling to be had. My speedo showed me a new record of 67.6km/h before I braked fearing death. Smorrie had no such qualms and I'm sure he exceeded 70km/h. Now that I know I can ride over halfway up I'm keen to make it to the summit. I'll have to take my camera when I attempt it so that if I make it I can take a triumphant photo from the top.

Last night Meags and I rode to church and back, which was a nice slow end to a good weekend's cycling. I'm having a day off the bike today, my sore legs are very persuasive. :-)

I spoke too soon

In my earlier post I said there was no sign of the capsicums or cucumbers, but they've come up today! Here, as promised, are the photos...

Beetroot!
Cucumber!
Carrot!
Tomato!
And finally, what appears to be the imminent sprouting of the first capsicum plant!
Edit: that was actually the imminent sprouting of the second cucumber plant. Still no capsicums.

In other news I went for my first ride in 17 days this morning, 32km with Smorrie and his work colleague Colee, who (it turns out) is a dedicated cyclist. I was acutely aware of my legs feeling very heavy and when I got my heart rate up a bit my breathing was ragged because of my throat. Still, I got there in the end. Colee was telling me at one stage that for every week you have off your exercise you lose four weeks of fitness. Shit!

More growings

No more photos at the moment, but since that last post more lettuce has come up, as well as the first tomato plant, the first carrots, a few beetroots and more snow peas. No sign yet of the capsicums or cucumbers.

It's alive!

Lettuce!
Snow Peas!
Things are growing in my garden, and I wouldn't have believed someone if they'd told me how ridiculously happy it would make me. It's such a small, tiny thing at the moment, but the mere fact that I can look at the soil mix and see these tiny sprouts coming out of where I put seeds a bit over a week ago brings a gleeful smile to my face. It remains to be seen how many plants make it to maturity, but the little bit of green that's there now makes it seem worthwhile already. :-)

I collected Meagan from the airport this morning, and I'm very tired now. I'm even getting a lift to trivia instead of driving. The more sensible thing to do might be to stay home from trivia and go to sleep, but I'm fairly confident that this'll pay off*

I'll post more garden news as things start to grow!

*statement should not be interpreted as confidence.