On Tuesday I run into one of the Northrop Grumman vice presidents as we are both exiting the bathroom. We barely know each other from a couple of teleconferences that we've been in together. We start talking about the rain and the commute and when he asks me about riding the motorcycle and the recent accident, I respond with, "I'd rather ride fast and have fun and get some tickets and fall off every once in a while rather than ride like a sissy".
The vice president starts laughing but knows that I am crazy. And he just responds with, "Welcome to Tuesday. I'm glad to see you here."
During the morning on Tuesday Person M_C calls me from San Francisco and tells me that he is moving back to Orange County (as a result of...let's just say...The Incident). And somehow I get volunteered to help him drive back from SF to OC with a U-Haul truck. How did this happen?
On Tuesday I get a number of calls saying, "We heard that you were supporting our testing. We expect you to be out in Pico Rivera this afternoon to witness the tests". This is the first that I've heard that I am supposed to witness any testing. Couldn't they have given me a week or a day notice? I compromise by indicating that I will witness the test remotely and that they should send me the test data via pdf files to my home (if after 5 pm) or to work if before 5 pm.
When I get home on Tuesday night I have a great session with the weights. In fact, the session is so good that some of my fingers are tingling afterwards - indicating that the shoulder and back muscles are pumped enough to be squeezing the nerves. I guess that I am approaching the limit for this short cycle.
And then I finish the repair of the motorcycle with pieces that I got at the motorcycle dealer. When I am finished I start the motorcycle up and have a religious experience: The sound of Yamaha's YZF-R1 roaring back to life through the Akrapovic pipe sends shivers up and down my spine. I cannot wait to get back on the motorcycle on Wednesday morning.
On Wednesday morning I get up a bit early and don't go walking or running because I want to ride the motorcycle. In the first mile or two I make sure that things appear to be put together right. When I have the chance I have a microburst of speed up to 116 mph and all appears fine before I settle into a cruise speed of just over 90 mph. Until traffic builds and I have to slow down. When I get to work I note that there is the typical smell of warm or burning fiberglass from the repair and I note that I should get a spacer so that the fiberglass is farther away from the hot part of the engine. Life is good!
Wednesday after work I visit the dentist and, of course, I warn her of the Hepatitis B and the recent motorcycle accident. But she takes care of me and encourages me. I get out for a long walk and grocery shopping after work. After falling deep asleep near 10:30 pm I am woken by the mobile phone buzzing with a text message from Person C_T. I was dead asleep and now I am completely awake. After tossing and turning and reading for a while I still cannot sleep so I get up at 2:30 am on Thursday morning and watch television and surf the Internet. By 4 am I'm heading back for more sleep.
On Wednesday evening Person T_U and I talk about the 5k that he ran this past weekend in conjunction with the Long beach marathon. He starts the idea and pretty soon I've found an online training program for the both of us to be able to run at least the half marathon next year. It has been about 10 years since I ran half marathons so it will be good to gradually get back there. Person T_U likes the idea.
I stop at gas stations twice during Thursday to try to get the motorcycle tire presures right. I mess it up completely in the morning on the way to work and the bike feels absolutely horrible. I messed it up mainly because the nozzle at the morning gas station had a hard time reaching past the large diameter front disk brakes. I stop at three gas stations on the way home before I find a nozzle to my liking. We'll see how the bike feels on Friday morning.
On Thursday after work I try to drill every muscle with heavy weights and extra sets, but I'm a bit tired from lack of sleep. But I do my best and get in a good workout and feel the tingling in my fingers (as mentioned previously).
Friday is an unproductive day at Northrop Grumman and I get in a brief abdominal workout, a long walk, and mowing the lawn afterwards. Person C_T comes over and we watch a movie on the Independent Film Channel about a lady who tries to steal $2 million from her mobster husband and run off with the lesbian neighbor. It's enthralling to see if she/they can pull it off. And we start in on "Bridget Jones' Diary" but go to sleep partway through it.
On Saturday I get out for a wet bicycle ride. There's a drizzle in the air and the streets/paths near the ocean look like it has been raining and they are very wet. But I don't care because I've finally found a resonable mix of "Sanctuary" for my mp3 player that keeps me cranking along. I pass a number of people towards the ocean and I'm riding along and hear someone behind me saying something. This startles me a bit because I'm in my own little trance-inspired world. I look back and there is only one cyclist and I don't notice if he is talking to me or talking on a phone. But I keep cranking and notice that he has dropped off just as I take the turn off to circle the aquarium.
Person C_T and I have a nice breakfast before he leaves for work. I do the laundry, paint more trim, and take an hour nap near 3pm because I'm tired and I have a headache. I have a hard time getting started when I wake up and notice that I feel warm all over (though I don't take my temperature). During the remainder of the day I try to relax though I don't feel well. I debate back and forth about going out tonight though nobody has called. In the end I go to sleep a bit early, have trouble falling alseep, and don't sleep well.
Sunday is the start of the half marathon training. I get out for the 4 mile run early before I buy the newspaper and do some painting around the house. I feel better today, had no morning fever, and don't have a headache. Near noontime I also get out for the aquarium ride and I crank along to the trance music from my mp3 player. In the afternoon I watch the MotoGP race from Turkey, some of the CART race from Australia, and finish some touch-up painting. I believe that I am finished with everything that I am capable of doing and now I need to find professionals for the bathrooms, the kitchen, and the hardwood floors.