Going “shoeless” did not work so well…

It’s been a “hectic” week

Squeezing “rides in the trenches” during this streak of “COW droppings” bad weather has been tough!

Pulling an “all nighter” (my favorite way to study in college) to clean house before the “Mrs.” arrived home Tuesday morning, from her three week visit to Sao Paulo, Brazil to see our first grand-daughter, is still issuing its payback pain.

Planning, soliciting, and running to meetings to strategizing my impromptu CFalls to Sandusky “road trip”…that is circling in a holding pattern until our weather breaks…still requires more “focusing” effort to finalize the details.

And spinning, crafting, dicing, and re-writing the “EPIC Post” that I started last Wednesday has…while trying to keep blog activity rolling...been consuming and numbing.  Maybe this blogging stuff is not for me!

...

It is no wonder, that after completing my ‘Chuck Harris” post last night at 7:00pm, while struggling through “nodding off” while typing syndrome, I headed up stairs to sit on the couch to relax and watch a little TV.

Four hours later, at 11:00 pm, with the TV and all the lights off, I woke up from a “Rip Van Winkle slumber”.  My first step, when rising from the couch, was a misstep.

All I heard was “crunch”.  And immediately thought…that is not a good sound.

I took the remains of the “crunch” to the kitchen table, said a quick prayer that maybe I could have special “Chuck Harris” powers, and heard nothing…about how to fix this.

So, before heading out the door at 12:30 pm Thursday afternoon, to fly down “Portgage Trail” in order to hook up with the ROMEOs as they departed the Valley, basking in the “first cool sunshine of the week”, I popped in my contacts, which correct my near-sightedness, for the first time in months.

I knew the ROMEOs would be headed to Panera’s in Hudson for an afternoon snack, so I did not even worry about not being able to read a lunch menu.  If I had to do any menu reading, I was just going to apply the “shoeless” Joe Jackson plan...I thought of Sunday…and order what ever those around me were ordering!

When we got there, I ordered my decaf cup of coffee and a whole wheat bagel without a “visual sight” issue.  But then my blackberry buzzed that a “text message” had arrived.  Usually, when I get a text message, it has some “time sensitive issue” I need to attend to.

I pulled out my plastic baggy, that holds the blackberry, from the left rear back pocket of my riding jersey, removed the phone and said, “Holy COW droppings!”  I could not see the screen…no matter how far away I held the phone...with my “riding contacts in”.

I’ll check that text message later.  

After pulling into my garage post ride, I figured that this was a good as time as any to hit CVS for some $10 reading glasses, since I still had my contacts in.  So, I got back on bike and headed west for 3 blocks.

Once inside the store, I found the reading glass section.  It seemed as if they were having a sale with all glasses priced at around $2.  Of course, when I picked out the first pair to try on, I realized the $2 sale as actually the +2.00 Magnification label (darn…they were still ten bucks). So here is the pair I picked out:

After eating dinner, I headed down stairs to the basement office and worked on finalizing the last portion of the “EPIC Post”.  I suppose one of the reasons it seems to be taking me so long is the fact that I am “ranting” a bit more than I want to be.  And, there are a few complex relationships to move through…so readers know where I am coming from. (Check back tomorrow for the last part of the EPIC "rant".)

Here is a better "shot" of me working in the basement with the newly acquired reading glasses.  Get use to them, I am going to have them bring them along on most rides to read the menu, to check out my phone, or to make any minute mechanical adjustment to my bike. 

The good news about now wearing contacts is that I can get a “spiffy pair” of sunglasses so that I can look more racer-esque.  So, on my way home from my evening commute, I stopped by another CVS to see what they had on hand.

Thanks Stow CVS customer service rep Mellissa for helping me pick these out and taking my picture.

What do you think, are they “keepers?”

May your Friday be a good one.  I know for me, I can not recall having bad weather on this day...ever.  This year could be the exception.

More to follow...

RIDE SAFE!