La Vida Fresca

As you all are aware, today was Monday. I think that says enough. I don’t think I’ll work out today because a) I woke up way too late to go this morning and b) I’m too tired now and I just want a restful, relaxing evening.

Lunch was great though. It almost made up for the Monday business. I created a Reuben-inspired wrap with turkey pastrami, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and light thousand island all rolled up inside a whole grain wrap.

I baked the wrap with the meat and cheese on it in the toaster oven until it got hot then I added the other stuff (meant to warm the sauerkraut in the microwave but forgot) and attempted to roll it up.

Served with a side of celery swimming in wing sauce. Who needs chicken when celery delivers the hot sauce just as well? It was just like eating at the local chain sports pub only without the grease and football (fine by me!).

Breakfast was a mediocre Green Monster and buttered Kashi waffle. I don’t know what was wrong with it but my mix must have been off somewhere. I even used the Chocolate Green SuperFood which is my favorite of the Amazing Grass products so far.

Also today:  some afternoon cantaloupe and more Back to Nature crackers.

Dinner was about a cup of whole wheat rotini with a half pound of Italian mixed vegetables and spaghetti sauce, sprinkled with Parmesan and some semi-sweet chocolate chips for dessert (not shown).

That is all for today. Good night!

So between the beach and biking, we opted for the bike ride and stayed local today.

We are such a good team. I did my usual routine bumbling around the house looking for my shoes, petting the dog, and spilling my coffee, and when I stepped outside, the truck was running, bikes were loaded, and the hydration packs were filled and ready to go. That’s teamwork right there. I wouldn’t have even known where to start looking for the packs. I think Mr. Gear waves a magic gear wand and these things just materialize.

The truck took a bit of a beating getting there because the road had washed out in parts since we’ve had all of this rain and the potholes were hard to see with the combination of dappled sunlight and tree shadows. After going 30 mph and hitting a few big holes, the poor old truck was a little shaken. We just told it to suck it up and hoped the tires would still be inflated when we got back from our ride.

We were far from being the only ones out there. Lots of people were enjoying the holiday on the trails. Parked near us was this mobile bike service truck/trailer, Doctor Bike.

Seeing my poor dirty bike staring longingly at it, I started to feel a twinge of guilt and did what any bad parent would do. I said, “You’re not going to the doctor this week. I don’t want to spend the money so shut up your whining. You’re starting to sound like the truck.” Ha ha.

It was 93 degrees today and something like a thousand percent humidity (durr … it is the Fourth of July) and we chose to go for a bike ride instead of the beach. Sometimes we are not so smart. Just the same, it was a good fun ride and we had a blast as usual.

We passed this memorial on the trail. I don’t know if this person had an accident there or what, but the sight was a little sobering. There were photos, some personal items, a bike chain, and gear.

We rode for about an hour total on our aluminum steeds and spent another half hour at this cool spot we came across that was like a little tiny Grand Canyon combined with planet Mars if Mars was hot and had water. Pretty cool. Unfortunately my camera battery died at that point so you don’t get to see the grimy “after” photos. The mud was thick and glorious (but not so good for biking or walking on) and I’m glad I didn’t wear my running shoes today. It was a great place and I definitely want to go back with the SLR for some good photos.

We didn’t get started until about 11 a.m. but I wasn’t hungry at all until that point and knew I didn’t want to eat beforehand anyway. Actually, my “breakfast” is typically about 10:30 or 11. I wasn’t hungry at all during the ride either, obviously, because of the weather. But as soon as I got back in the air conditioning I was ravenous. I got home, showered, and made a humongous salad with lettuce, warmed seasoned pinto beans, frozen corn, Jack’s Special brand salsa (good stuff), shredded cheese, half an alligator pear, and my “sour cream” (drained nonfat plain yogurt).  Yum. I also made Kevin a gigantic chef salad that I think must have weighed 10 pounds.

Yes, I ate this out of a pie plate. Somehow our regular bowls didn’t seem quite big enough for me today.

I forgot to buy jalapenos at the store, but my good friend Texas Pete saved the day.

And then there were cherries.

Now I am getting a little hungry again and I’m trying to decide between ice cream or a nap …