Well…damn, that sucked…up and down 5 times last night and I’m feeling it right now…just damn worn out and I need to get on the indoor bike in 15 minutes to stay on schedule for the day…it’s grocery run day so I need to get out of here by 8:15….pretty darn sore today after riding into the wind yesterday and I sure hope the wind is lower today…it’s supposed to get up to 55 this afternoon but it was supposed to get that warm yesterday and never got near it…I think we may be through with winter but I just looked at the weather and it’s supposed to be down in the 30’s again next week and that sucks….haven’t had a problem with swelling in my legs since I stopped eating pretzels so I guess that was the cause of it…and my right foot is showing improvement with wearing the compression socks all the time…I did have to slather myself in pain killers last night and they seemed to have worked and I can use my right thumb again…not much to do today…just the grocery runs and then back on the bike…going to make another vegetarian meal today sine I need to use up the lettuce and celery before it spoils…more later….

Well…had a better day today with getting one ride in downstairs and then two cold rides outdoors into a 20+ mph wind on the way back on both rides…and I am feeling that right now with my right thigh and knee and the left side of my neck that is going to have to be treated tonight…it was supposed to get to almost 60 today but it never got out of the 40’s and my left ring finger turned white on the first ride and I’m not sure if it’s the cold or just that my hands go numb all the time even when it’s warm….I did go vegetarian for dinner tonight with just making half a head of broccoli in the steamer…and that’s only about 150 calories so I know I’m under normal with only having half a brat for lunch…have a lot of stuff to get at Meijers tomorrow sine they have the 7 items for a buck each…5 pounds of potatoes for a buck or some Lenders frozen bagels for a buck and laundry soap for buy one get one free…oh, and bacon wrapped pork tenderloin fillets for a buck each…so I’ll get a few of those….still have too much food in the freezer but do have a little room…time to read….

Well…slept okay last night with only getting up once when the storms rolled through about 2 am…and I didn’t crawl out of be until a little after 6 so I should be more rested than I feel right now…it’s still raining out there so it looks like two indoor rides this morning with the hope for one outside later…it’s going to be another one of those in between days for the outdoor rides…almost warm enough for shorts but close to gloves and thermasuit…I guess we’ll see…cutting out the salt from pretzels is still working to get the generalized swelling down and I haven’t had any problems with my legs being puffy so I’ll keep that up…still transitioning to outdoor riding and the new pain that comes with it…lots of muscle pain today and my right thumb hurts from shifting the bike…and my knees are hurting but that might just be the moving pain that happens all the time…I think one meal today is going to be vegetarian since I have a couple of huge heads of broccoli and a head of lettuce that needs to be used so that could be lunch..it’s a weird pairing but not a lot of calories so that may just work…not much to do today…just need to get on the bike soon to get the day started but I think I have time to finish the cup of coffee I poured….more later…

Well…it was a subdued day of reflection for me after the news of my brother’s health…but I did get three rides in for 33 miles today and that was a good place to think…it was a little cold out there for the first one outdoors and it had to be colder than the temps on the computer since I got back here with cold fingers…I did have some bad food for me today when I grilled some brats for lunch and then made some breaded chicken tenderloins and onion rings for dinner…but it wasn’t too bad since I only eat half a brat for each meal and that was with a small handful of chips…and only three tenderloins to go with the rings…normally don’t eat processed food but have had them in the freezer for a while and need to use them up….that’s about all for today…just worn out…

Well…slept okay last night but I still feel worn out and I guess that’s how I’m going to feel now…cutting back on the salt from the pretzels has had an effect and I’m starting to shed the retained water from it…my right foot is almost back to normal size and my hands are almost back to normal, too….it’s going to be a busy day today with trying to get three rides in, washing the car, and having to cook two meals today…going to grill some brats for lunch and make some chicken tenderloins with onion rings…and yes, I do know that is bad for me but I need to get some stuff out of the freezer….ad I need to cut up some carrots and celery for snacks…I do have some nice broccoli in the fridge that I need to steam but that will be for tomorrow but I’m not sure what goes with it…and I have a head of lettuce for salads so I have plenty of food for the week….have figured out that if I add some horseradish sauce to ranch dressing, it makes a good dip so I’m going to try that as a dressing for the salads…adds a nice little bite to the dressing….not much to do today…need to get moving here in 20 minutes and get on the bike but I need more coffee first….more later…

Well…there used to be five of the “DeVol boys” but in the next couple of weeks there will only be two of us left…my oldest brother is in hospice care and deteriorating rapidly so I have to start preparing myself for it…we’ve always had this special bond with being born on the same day 13 years apart and he used to call me his twin when he introduced me…he’s the one who got me started on riding a bike and I have two of his downstairs that I bought from him over the years….when I was on the downstairs bike yesterday, I got a weird feeling that something had changed…and it has…damn…

Well…damn, I’m sore this morning and I’m not sure of the reason for it…only did 30 miles yesterday and the wind wasn’t bad on the outside ride so I guess it’s just getting old so I should prepare myself for it to get worse….okay, that’s enough of that…had a good day yesterday but need to get moving soon to get two rides in before ManU plays City at 11:30…it’s a little disappointing that U is going to lose and it could be a bloodbath…they just haven’t looked good this season and I really think it’s time to change the manager….it’s going to be in the 60’s today and I am going to try to get outside on the bike twice to go with the inside ride that I need to do soon…I am getting bored with the leftovers I’ve been eating all week and just remembered I got a couple of crowns of broccoli at aldis that I need to have but will probably wait til tomorrow for that…going to grill some brats this aft that will last me a few days and I should work on the lawn a bit to get the holes filled and seeded before the rain that is coming in tomorrow but that needs to be done before the race comes on at 3…not much to do today…need to get on the bike in 15 minutes to get the day started but I sure don’t have the energy for it….more later…

Well…I think I may have figured out the swelling I have been having in my legs…this morning when I was riding the indoor bike, I looked down at my hands and they looked puffy, too, which was a little weird but it put the light bulb on over my head…I have had a taste for the little stick pretzels that aldis makes and have been eating a lot of them over the past couple of weeks…and it dawned on me that they have a lot of salt on them and that always makes me retain water like crazy…so no salt at all today and my hands are starting to look normal and I hope the same thing happens everywhere…just have to drink a lot of water over the next few days and watch…I did get an outdoor ride in along with two indoors for about 30 miles today…and it looks like I’ll reverse that tomorrow…do an indoor ride early and then an outdoor one in the morning and then one in the afternoon when it will be in the 60’s…glad I repaired my riding gloves yesterday…

Well…damn, how the heck can I be running late after getting out of bed a little after 6? But I am with having to get on the bike in 19 minutes and I haven’t even started the coffee yet…I did sleep okay last night with going to bed early from boredom so I got enough sleep but sure don’t feel like it right now…need to get two rides in before 10 when the F1 race comes on but I’m not sure why I watch that anymore with red bull winning every race….I’ll be able to get out on the outdoor bike as soon as the race is over and I really hope the wind is a little lighter today…I’ve done so much damage to my legs in the high wind that I had to put biofreeze on my right knee last night it hurt so much to walk…and that started on the big day Tuesday…I think I may need to manage how much I damage myself riding as I get older and I don’t like that one bit…just sitting here sore everywhere and remembering that there are times that you need to let the body heal and riding 30 miles every day doesn’t let that happen…oh, well…not much to do today…just races and rides and leftovers…have some breaded chicken tenderloins I got two weeks ago that I haven’t even opened and I am looking forward to that and some onion rings I got at the same time…and brats that I will grill probably Monday…who knows? More later…

Well…had a pretty good day today and got three rides in so the miles keep going…started the day with doing the first ride early…around 7 and then out to Menards for more dirt and another pair of the ski gloves for 3 bucks along with a pair of nitrile padded work gloves for working in the yard for 3 bucks…I tried the new gloves on the bike and I really like them…it was 44 degrees and my hands stayed toasty and now I have an extra pair for when I wear these out and for 3 bucks, you can’t beat it…and I have topsoil to fill some spots in the yard that need it and I’ll probably get that done Sunday when it’s going to be in the 60’s…I did keep the compression socks on when I rode both indoors and outdoors today and the swelling stayed down so I think I’ll do that again tomorrow…but now I need to wind down for the night…