I gather a bit of momentum on Tuesday and Wednesday at work. But then it comes crashing down. I finish up the reports for the test that we just ran at NASA's JPL and I also make progress on updating models. But then I'm stuck because other people owe me information and because the lady who has a vendetta has struck again - actually being told over the telecon by NASA officials "Don't be rude". I'm glad that there were many people on the telecon to hear what is going on.
I have a good day on Thursday until the middle of the afternoon when I start thinking about the long week off and how few working days I have left in my career. I take my time getting home because the worst possible scenario would be an accident before a weeks vacation. I have a good session with the weights and set about repairing a garden hose before relaxing for the evening.
I'm up a few minutes after 6 am and at an appropriate time I start north on the Los Angeles river. I meet up with Derrick at the Whittier Narrows dam and we continue north into the nature reserve and eventually end at the base of the Santa Fe dam. I've fought a headiwnd the entire way to the dam, so now I get to reap the rewards. We head south and barely pedaling we're at 22 mph. When we get back to the Whittier Narrows dam I twist Derrick's arm to come with me down the San Gabriel river trail for a while and turn around when he needs to. Along the way we pick up a husband and wife team who suck our wheels the entire way and don't stop talking. Like last week with the guy blasting his stereo - we're stuck with listening to the conversation. Eventually Derrick turns around and that gives me an axcuse to stop for a couple minutes and take a break and let the talkers continue on. And eventually I make it back home for about 55 miles. After a shower Person Ti_Ca is cued up to go get new phones because "I don't want to hear how your phone is so slow" that I've been saying. So we go get new phones and, in theory before the first real bill comes, we get new phones without the monthly payment going up at all. But I've come to know that whenever you change a phone or the details of your plan, there are weird things that happen on the bill that have to be corrected.
Monday starts with a 45 minute run/walk. My left calf is showing signs of hurting near the end of the run so I ice it after I get cleaned up with a shower. I log in to work from home and put in four hours of work to get the team ready for another upcoming test that I will probably miss due to vacation. I drive to my dentist and have a good checkup and she mentions to me the self-massage with a tennis ball for the calf. I've been self-massaging with a tennis ball for sciatic nerve discomfort and sometimes for shoulder issues. So when I get home I'm quickly down on the floor working on the left calf. I manage to get out and have a good workout with the weights and then rush through a quick leaf raking effort under the big tree in the backyard. I like to rake a bit each week rather than one big dump near the end of December. After a shower I relax with the football game and another Kings' road game and a bit more calf self-massage.
I start the Wednesday before Thanksgiving with a one hour walk - wanting to rest the legs from cycling and not aggravate the calf from running. I check in with work and make a bit of progress, but nothing signficant. Person Ti_Ca and I go get a smog check for his car. In the old days they would put a probe into the exhaust of every single car and read the actual production of emissions with a sensor. Now they just hookup to the internal computer and decide if the car passes or not. Now I can fully understand how Volkwagen was able to cheat the system - there is no direct measurement of car emissions. Afterwards I lift weights and fix the rain gutters and then help Person Ti_Ca with homework. The afternoon is a bit slow as I wait for the Kings' game from the east coast. THe Kings eventually lose in a shootout and end the road trip with exactly half of the points available.
I get out on the mountain bicycle on Saturday morning. The legs feel strong and its a good ride though it is wet down near the ocean. When I get home I wipe the bike down again before putting it away. After I mow the lawn I get a warm shower and start errands. The bank, a haircut, recycling cans, finding my anti-jetlag pal Kava Kava, returning library books, and some grocery shopping are the accomplished errands. I than just relax and watch a couple of movies that are on a free preview of Cinemax (for DirecTV). There is talk of going out clubbing, but I decide to stay home, stay warm, and sleep. I don't want to get sick just before the long trip.
I get a last minute text from Derrick on Sunday morning indicating that his house has a burst water pipe and he won't be riding today. I start north on the Los Angeles river and pick up two riders. We ride to the dam and they drop off the back. I continue across to the San Gabriel and crank down and quit at Del Amo for about 40 miles. After a shower I watch the final F1 race of the year from Abu Dhabi. It's sort of boring today. But immediately afterwards I start getting racing withdrawls since there are no more F1 or MotoGP races until March. It's a slow day and I get down for a nap at one point and then just watch football. It's time to go back to work.