On Wednesday I wake up with about a 0.6 degree fever. Is it because everyone at work is sick, because I've been pumping lots of weights lately and wore myself out, because of the weather changing to fall weather, because I've shared drinks with people, or because I was out so late on Friday night? Regardless I get in another heavy session with the weights on Wednesday after work before taking a long walk to the ATM and to the grocery store. The neighbor catches me and points out that the city has put some white paint on my front lawn where the palm tree stump exists. A full 6 months after they cut the palm tree down they are finally getting ready to take the stump out. I hope.
On Wednesday night I have trouble sleeping again and get up and surf the Internet and watch television for a couple of hours before I might get back to sleep.
On Thursday the fever is down to about 0.3 degrees above normal. After having breakfast I get out for the loop ride. These weekday rides are nice because there is very little cycle, skate, and foot traffic to impede my progress. It's a good ride and I'm tired when I finish. Later I drop off old speakers and a stereo receiver at Goodwill, pick up community magazines, and visit my dentist. I have the sore spots in my mouth that I sometimes get when I'm stressed and burning the candle at both ends and I want to show her what they look like. She decides that it is not viral, but might be trauma or a yeast infection. But we both agree that it will just run it's course and be gone soon. But I wanted her to see what it looks like and to examine it. (And she uses a on me. I start laughing when she tells me the name of the tool and I can't stop laughing. So she just uses the cavitron bobcat on me as I laugh and try to hold still.) When I get home I relax for a bit before taking some Kava root extract to help with sleep and pump some iron. This workout is very heavy with an extra set per bodypart. Thus I have an incredible pump when finished.
On Friday it takes me some time to regain consciousness after the deep sleep. But I have no fever anymore. I get out for a morning bicycle ride and fight the gusty wind throughout. Though it is a Friday and there shouldn't be much traffic, I get run off the bicycle trail onto some grass when a gardener in an electric cart in downtown Long Beach runs me off the trail. When I visit my acupuncturist I ask her to help me with stress and my immune system. So now she's putting needles in new places again, but I feel better afterwards. (Note that my back and shoulders and neck feel better after just a few acupuncture treatments than they ever did with many chiropractor visits.) Late on Friday I talk with Person T_U and we both agree to go out on Saturday night.
Saturday sees a dry qualifying session for the Chinese Grand Prix. But there is raine xpected for Sunday's race. After the qualifying I get out for an enjoyable bicycle ride down to the aquarium and back. For a while I cycle with an older guy riding his recumbent bicycle. He fills me in on the gossip: The african american cyclist on the recumbent that I rode with once and wave to all of the time helped this guy build his own recumbent. And the guy that I used to always see riding a mountain bicycle, but taking smoking breaks, died of a heart attack about 6 months ago after missing a coronary bypass operation follow up appointment.
Near 10 pm Person T_U comes over and I drive up to West Hollywood to go to a club. We try to get into one club but the line is long and immobile. Thus we head for a second club. As we're crossing the street to get to the club Person Ki_K yells my name and comes rushing over - he's headed for the same club. I thought that Person Ki_K had already moved to San Frnacisco, but he's moving next week. Thus we get into the club and run into quite a few acquaintances. One of the gogo dancers is the same one who insisted on pinching my cheeks and shoulders back in July, so I just keep my distance but he does keep smiling at me and motioning for me to do something, though I don't understand what he wants me to do. Instead I motion for him to direct his attention to the cutest jpop girl standing next to me that I've been having a little conversation with. But now he's the one who doesn't understand what I want. Near 2:25 am Person T_U and I head for Long Beach and we arrive near 3 am.
On Sunday I watch the wet but drying Grand Prix of China and am excited to see that three drivers will fight out the world championship at the final race of the season in two weeks from Brazil. After Person T_U calls and cancels on a hike, I get out for the aquarium ride again. It's a good ride in the bright sunshine but I don't run into anyone to gossip with. After cycling and cleaning up the roses I find myself waking up about an hour later in a prone position. Did I pass out or fall asleep? I don't know, but I slowly get up, clean myself off, and try to regain consciousness.
On Monday I head for home after work, get in a good session with the weights, and pack for the red eye flight to Chicago (and Fort Wayne). I get on the flight to Chicago and stay awake until we've passed over the lights of Los Angeles. And then I'm out. The next thing I remember is hearing the pilot say that we are preparing for landing in Chicago. When I get to Chicago I note that there is a group of three women waiting for a flight who just won't shut up. They have been talking non-stop for the hour that I've waited for my connecting flight to Fort Wayne. When my flight is called I take my seat and now the three women take seats in the row in front of me and still have not let more than 10 seconds of silence pass between them before the golden silence is broken again. Since this is irritating me, when the flight attendant says that we can move around to different seats on the plane (since it is so empty) I take a seat near the back - telling my co-worker "I had to get away from those three women who have been talking non-stop for the last hour and fifteen minutes". He nods in understanding. But then, since this is a small plane, the pilot asks for volunteers to move from the front of the plane to the back in order to help with the balance of the plane. Guess who moves to the back near me! Yes, these three women are now again in the row ahead of me and, in reality, not 15 seconds of silence pass without someone saying something for the entire flight. As I'm getting off the plane my co-worker says, "It didn't work, did it?" I know what he's referring to and I just give him a disappointed look. Eventually I get to Fort Wayne and get an early check-in at the hotel and take a two hour nap. A shower refreshes me for the 1 pm Tuesday meeting.
The weather in Fort Wayne is changing from summer to fall. There are a few leaves changing color but the peak of the change will be in a couple of weeks. I get in one morning walk - otherwise the meetings run long and I don't get any workouts in.
The Thursday afternoon flight from Fort Wayne to Chicago is delayed a bit but finally gets off the ground. We're on final approach for landing into Chicago and we're withinfeet of the ground when the engines start coming up to full throttle and the plane starts lifting away from the tarmac. The pilot comes over the radio and says that we had to go around because another plane was slow getting out of the way and the spacing between us landing and the other plane would have been too close. The flight from Chicago to Los Angeles leaves at 5 pm Chicago time just as the sun is getting ready to set. Thus we follow the sunset all of the way to Los Angeles - a 3.5 hour sunset! The rest of the flight and drive home is uneventfull and I'm in my own bed a bit after 10 pm for good sleep.
I'm up at 5 am on Friday (somewhat still on east coast time) and lots of body parts hurt. Probably from sleeping on airplanes and in strange beds. I'm at work near 6 am and have a productive day until 1 pm when I leave to give one of the kids that I used to babysit a ride to Long Beach airport. When I return home I work on presentation charts before having dinner.
Though Person T_U has declined to go out this evening, I head for a club in West Hollywood. By the time that I arrive it is raining, so I don't bounce between clubs tonight. I just stay at the herd/clone club and enjoy the music. There are many many acquaintances present and they keep me entertained throughout the evening. When Person D_B is giving me a hug and introducing me to a friend ("Cute braces, by the way, for the friend of Person D_B."), Person D_X comes by. It turns out that Person D_B and Person D_X have known each other for a long time. And now, throughout the evening, Person D_X is friendlier with me than in the past. Did I get a recommendation from Person D_B, I wonder. At 2 am the club is closing, yet it is pouring rain. So everyone starts running or briskly walking for their cars. And, of course, tonight I found free parking on the street but it is farther away than usual - thus I get very wet as I rush for the car. During the drive home I see a number of people who have gone off th road and I realize that 70 mph or more during this drive is a bit fast. But I only discover that after hitting huge puddles of water and having to put in big steering corrections to keep the car pointed in the proper direction. But it's a fun drive and I'm hope a bit after 3 am on Saturday morning.
When I wake up on Saturday morning it is still wet and drizzly so I do the laundry and work on a few other little tasks around the house until about noon. I get out for the aquarium bibyle ride in the windy conditions. But there is no rain and I stay dry. Later I head to a former co-worker's house warming party in Irvine on the motorcycle and eventually get back home near 7:30 pm. I'm deciding whether to go out again tonight, but as I'm dropping in and out of consciousness before 9 pm, I let Person T_U that I need to sleep.
On Sunday I read the newspaper and do errands around the house before setting off on a mid morning bicycle ride. I head up the Los Angeles river in order to avoid the
On Monday I get in a great and heavy session with the weights for two bodyparts. After relaxing for a bit I call Person T_U to see what's going on. He gives me the bad news that Buster, his dog, has died at the age of 14. A tumor burst and caused all sorts of trouble. Person T_U is said and I only get a moment to try and console him before he takes another call. His expereince brings back the memories of Nopester leaving.