On Tuesday and Wednesday we're running tests on hardware that I have some history with. We struggle through both days with vibration laboratory issues and paperwork issues. And we finally finish one axis of testing late on Wednesday. Since the test has not gone well I'm at work until almost 8 on Tuesday night and near 6 on Wednesday night. At least on Wednesday night I'm able to get home and repeat Monday's weights workout with no shoulder pain. And, of course, ice on the shoulder afterwards even if there is no pain.
Thursday is a long day at work. Period. I get to my office at 6:15 am and try to take care of my regular work activities. I am called over to the laboratory before 9 am and we spend the rest of the day struggling through the test. It is not until 9 pm that we have declared victory and I start riding home on the motorcycle. By now it is raining and I get moderately wet on the way home. But I just take my time getting home because I am mentally tired and I relax a bit before crawling into bed.
On Friday I get up and go walking for 40 minutes before getting cleaned up and going to work. Today we sail through the tests and I am leaving work by 1 pm because I have plenty of hours in and, in fact, am not paid for this Friday of effort. When I get home I run a few errands including getting a new book at the library that I just have the feeling "is going to change my life". When I return home I mow and trim the lawn and then relax. Person Ti_Ca has cooked some surry vegetables and I am finally able to eat them (because I have been away so much). The curry vegetables are incredible and I text Person Ti_Ca that he will have to cook this dish for Karl when his visits us next month. There is a First Fridays today but I am just plain beat so I relax around the house. I know that Saturday will be a tough day at work as the team is trying to make up schedule.
There is no work on Saturday because of a delay, so I mill around the house before going out cycling. I didn't sleep well on Friday night and I wake up with a slight fever, but it feels good to cycle again. It seems like it has been a long time since I;ve been on a bicycle but it has only been five days. The mountain bicycle ride to the end of the ocean trail plus some extra is good and I feel strong even if I have a slight fever. When I get home I get a shower and do some cleaning of the house and I soak my feet and I watch some of the Olympics. Today is a slow day to try and kill off the fever and get ready for a long week of work (possibly starting on Sunday). I watch some speed skating and some cross country skiing and I love how the cross country ski racers cross the finish line (of whatever distance they are going) and collapse to the snow in pain and recovery. It is an inspiration to me.
It is difficult to get out of bed on Sunday, but I manage to make it and get on the bicycle. I ride up to the Whittier Narrows dam with some difficulty and meet up with Derrick. We start riding south and eventually pass and pick up some hangers-onners. I've just been riding along and Derrick mentions that we have people riding along. Later a rider who has sucked wheel the (almost) the entire way down the Los Angeles river tries a sprint to get ahead. I rally my reserves after the fever and catch up to him and he allows (or doesn't allow) me to pass as we get to the mouth of the Los Angeles river. Derrick has fallen off just a bit but when we re-connect he tells me that I was going 26 mph into a headwind. I'm a bit shocked by this speed, but I just am amazed at how much speed is in this bicycle and that I am able to go along with it. After the ride I am a vegetable today. I see an email saying that there is no work today and we will start to test on Monday morning. I watch more of the Olympics and really do nothing today.
Monday is a very long day. I start at my regular office near 6:15 am and then get over to the vibration lab before noon. We end up struggling through a long day and I don't leave the lab until almost 9 pm. I take my time getting home because I am tired and then I help Person Ti_Ca with homework until I cannot see straight anymore.
I sleep in by 45 minutes on Tuesday morning and ride in misty/foggy conditions to work. Today we speed through our tests to complete this test program and I don't even have to stay late. I ride on home and lubricate the chain of the Yamaha YZF-R1 and then get in a workout with the weights. I increase the weights a bit again but not as much as I probably should have just because I haven't lifted since last Wednesday. Today Person Ti_Ca gets the news that his transfer request from a community college to Cal State University in Long Beach has been accepted.
Wednesday and Thursday are productive days at work as I try to catch up on my usual job that I was neglecting while covering the tests. I'm able to run some good analyses and contribute in meetings and our team comes to some conclusions regarding the entire hardware build, assembly, measurement, and flow. It feels good to contribute! After work on both days I lift weights on both days with another increase in weights on Thursday and it isn't enough. But I stick with the increase and hope for a good week of lifting next week. Whereas on Wednesday I did more work from home after the workout, on Thursday I trim the bush in the front yard. On both days I catch some of the Olympics speed skating and skiing. Since I have worked so many hours recently I will be taking Monday (President's day) off and I look forward to a four day weekend. As I ride home on Thursday I stop at a mall and but Godiva chocolates for Person Ti_Ca as well as some body gel/lotion.
I wait for Friday morning to warm up a bit and then start out on the mountain bicycle. I ride on down to the old yacht club and turn around and come home. Today I don't see many cyclists and my legs feel strong. Near 11am I ride the motorcycle up to meet with Person P_C for lunch. Today is his last day at his job before he tries to find a more challenging and rewarding job. We have a nice conversation during lunch. I rush on home. I wait for Person Ti_Ca and we go to downtown Long Beachto eat mediterranean food. I just have some veggie cous cous and take half home. After dinner I pick up a package at the post office, get to Radio Shack for some electrical connectors, and then go to get other supplies including a pink rose. I give Person Ti_Ca the pink rose along with Godiva chocolates and body gel/lotion. As Person Ti_Ca goes off to work I wash the motorcycle and relax. As I'm doing this I keep feeling shafted more and more. I've never believed much in valentine's day but I've given a flower, chocolates, and body gel/lotion and recived nothing. Nothing! Oh except maybe some dirty dishes to clean from the previous night and the trash to take out. It would not have taken much more than a (cheap) box of chocolates, but I've received nothing. And reasonable or not, I'm not feeling good at all.
I wait for Saturday morning to warm up and get out for another mountain bicycle ride of more than 2 hours. When I get home I take a shower and put a claybar to the motorcycle. Person Ti_Ca is going off to work so I am glad. I run a few errands and relax a bit and watch a bt of the Olympics. But I don't feel good at all. Just before Person Ti_Ca is to come home from work I go out in the garage and wax the motorcycle. I know he will only be home for a few minutes before he goes to meet his study partner, so I hang low because I don't have anything to say. The motorcycle is looking good now and just needs the rims waxed. For the remainder of Saturday evening I watch a bit more of the Olympics and figure out what to do to feel better.
I ride north on the Los Angeles river trail and pick up four riders. We trade times at the front though they tend to sprint ahead whenever I get to the front. So I end up just riding in the pack until I get to the dam. Since I've picked up these riders I get to the dam very quickly and have to wait for Person P_C and Derrick. We go south all the way back to the aquarium and take a break and then start riding back to the dam. I don't take my direct ride home and keep going to Hollydale park to get in some extra miles. After a shower I leave the house because Person Ti_Ca is having his family and friends over and I don't want to deal with the noise. I go to a coffeehouse and walk in and run into an ex from many years ago, Person D_V. We haven't seen each other for 8 years maybe, so we have a quick conversation before his friend shows up and they go have lunch. I relax reading, watching Thai pop videos, and checking out Olympics results. I've almost given up on trying to watch my favorite events because I have to sit through uninteresting events to see a few minutes of my events. During my time at the coffeehouse I take a few weird sitting and standing positions because I'm fighting leg cramps in both inner thigh muscles. This is the worst that the cramping has been so I vow to look into it and do something to alleviate the problem.
When I first wake up on President's day it is a clear day. As I wait around the house for the morning to warm up the fog starts rolling in. But I cannot wait any longer so I take the mountain bicycle to the end of the ocean trail and back. Today the fog clears up when I get near the ocean and then socks back in when I get closer to home - the opposite of what is expected. And today I just relax and don't push a big gear because it is a recovery ride to clear the muscles of lactic acid and reduce cramping. When I feel myself starting to push I take a deep breath and relax and just spin away. After the ride I take a quick shower and walk to the grocery store for supplies (to keep the legs moving) and get down on my hands and knees to wax the motorcycle rims. Today I have bought bananas from the store and the banasas plus a walk plus anti-inflammatory have probably reduced the leg cramping issue. Later Person Ti_Ca do homework and have a serious discussion about our relationship but I don't think that he is quite understanding the severity of the situation.