Get Your Grump on Thursdays - Was (What's chapping my @ss today?)

Went for a long ride in the mountains and the flies found me at the base of the climb. Couldn't go fast enough to drop them so kept swatting (the climb is a out an hour). All was liveable when the rear flatted. They swarmed as I tried pit-stop to no avail. Dozens were landing and trying to draw blood as I shuffled in circles in cycling shoes pulling a tubular and remounting a spare. Multiple swats killed three at a time and about 20-30 were killed before i was off and running. Started downhill for a 1/4 me to lose the swarm before turning around. Of course this flat was 7/8ths of the way up and meant I had to drag the rear brake at the top and hold back on the descent.

That's funny. You were the domestique to a swarm of flies. Then you doubled as their feed bag.

17, 18, 19, 20. Sorry.

All the judgemental shit that got posted about the girl who wrote a piece about her life for her job.

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Originally Posted by mjbabcock

Went for a long ride in the mountains and the flies found me at the base of the climb. Couldn't go fast enough to drop them so kept swatting (the climb is a out an hour).

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The other day I was chased by a horsefly that I swear was the size of a hummingbird. The hill was way, way too steep to drop him, so I was wondering the whole time where he was going to land. Happily, the climb's only about 3 minutes long.

Yeah I know its wednesday, and I have assumed the position......

which is what my (early) rant is about, taking one from a Company who's products I dearly like.... yes you Campagnolio.

So have now taken delivery of an EPS ready frame and am thinking just need the upgrade kit and Bob's yer Aunties-live-in-lover.... but wait....no...

To my knowldege no EPS groupset or upgrade kit includes the bottom bracket guide $16 to ensure the wires are not rubbed by the BB axle, nor the frame grommets to seal the wires in the frame holes @ $4 a pop. then there is the magnetic cable insertion tool $70 to help with wiring installation and then there is the $40 dollar connector tool that you have to have if you want to disconnect any of the components from the wiring loom.

I feel I have been well and truly rogered.......

But hah I managed without the magnetic wiring tool by using cunning and stealth, used a magnet from a cycle computer and a gear cable that I modified the nipple and hey presto...
So up yours Valentino!

I feel better now....

Sorry I couldn't wait.....Dropping as we speak.....

Returned home from a month-long trip. Tree out front was struck by lightening sometime in the last week and I'm guessing the house was too since roughly $3K worth of electrical goods no longer work (router, a TV, appleTVs, airport Express', DVD players, camera system).

On the plus side - the tree didn't split and break our roof, but a large part of it is cracked with dead leaves. It was supposed to be taken out before we left, but we pushed it back until we returned. That's a lesson for procrastination. I'll do 10 pushups for throwing a "plus" there.

I ate my first piece of Watermelon for dessert last evening. Within a half hour of consuming the stupid fruit, I get a rheumatoid athritis flare up, my hands are still hurting this morning. Add another food to the growing list that I cannot eat. I do a little reserrach and melons are considered an inflammatory food. Fawk me....

I am grateful to have a variety of nice routes for my commute. One of them that I enjoy includes an older wooden bridge on a less traveled road (Merriam Street for those that know Weston), about 20 feet long over the commuter rail track. They've decided to rebuild the bridge and so the route is completely impassible...for 2 months! Why is it acceptable for construction projects to be so fucking slow in this country? There is no reason it needs to take 2 months to fix that bridge.

Audi Q5 drivers seem to be giving the Prius drivers a run for their money in the stupid department lately. Seriously people, why do you need to make a 10 point turn, blocking traffic and bike commuters, instead of going 100 yards up the road into the rotary to turn around like all the other drivers do?

I'm doing (oof) push-ups while I write this (oof) but this morning the temperature was 60 degrees (oof) and it is August effing 15th (oof) - time to go outside!

I don't normally 'grump,' not here at least, but I just got out of an open enrollment meeting at work, and two things have me livid:

1) 24 hours to make our decisions. Really?
2) If I were to stay on the same medical plan that I'm on (and it's a Family plan), my costs would increase $156 -- going from $202 to $358 per pay period. Really? FFS!

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Originally Posted by Matthew Strongin

I just read this this morning over some coffee: My two husbands - Salon.com

Sure you don't want to give it a shot?

Pushing up in 3, 2, 1...

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OK, this "polyamorous" thing has got me polygrumpy.

Why does wanting to fuck new people need some kind of official name, like it's some unique thing you're born with? I'd love to hear John Doe secretary-banger explain the concept of polyamorousism to Mrs. Doe.

PANCREATITIS!!!! I developed this miserable disease about a week and a half ago. I'm fucking miserable. First week cleare liquid diet. This week including scrambled eggs and fruit smoothies. Super weak and tired. 70% of pancreatitis is from excessive alcohol consumption, but I don't drink a f'n sip EVER.

Broken wrist. 3 weeks from the break and it still hurts. Daily, I'm shocked at how limited I am by this damn broken wrist in a hard cast.

dunno what's in my sweat that does it, but my cycling caps develop a distinctive funk about 2 months after laundering. guess I need to wash them more often. also, the foam in the heel cup in my favorite mtb shoes is starting to come out in chunks.

I think I broke my toe last night...
Attachment 57663

I'm taking my wife to see Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z tomorrow.

(this may be a grump in disguise and tomorrow on F-Yeah it's Friday, I'll say "I get to see JT and JZ tonight!", but deep down I know I'd lose some serious cred). :(

Got my tonsils out and I can't drink anything cold. The only think I can get down is coffee and mashed potatoes and gravy from KFC. This has been the case for a week. I might be able to market this as some new age diet. Steady diet of coffee combined with scabs all over the back of my throat makes for some great morning breath. I don't know how my wife resists my charms lately.

Going in for surgery for a bone graft and a plate on my non-union clavicle. I ask the doc: "What's the general success rate here?".

"I don't know. Not close to 100%"

"So, balpark, like 20%, 80%"

"I don't have the numbers, but better than 50%".

...

I understand being afraid of "you said xx% and mine didn't heal..." arguments/lawsuits/etc. but dammit. I just want to be informed and know what to expect. That isn't really too much to ask, is it?

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Originally Posted by velobran

I'm taking my wife to see Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z tomorrow.

(this may be a grump in disguise and tomorrow on F-Yeah it's Friday, I'll say "I get to see JT and JZ tonight!", but deep down I know I'd lose some serious cred). :(

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Actually putting your wife's needs ahead of yours increases your credibility. we all need to do things to balance out our riding time.

had fun taking the 3 year old canoeing this past weekend. now have poison ivy on both forearms and my thighs from lifting grandpa's old canoe out of the woods. ITCH ITCH ITCH