Full schedule

I didn't really write much about the weekend because not a lot happened. I got up and it was sunny at 6:30 and when I got out of the shower it was dark and cloudy, then it rained, then it was sunny, then it rained, then it was sunny again. This pattern seemed to repeat itself all day. We did go down to Benton to for a family dinner of BBQ and celebrate Father's Day. It was good to see everyone. We laughed a lot and ate a lot!

Sunday, we got up and made it to early service at 8 and I was a little smarter this time. I had 3 cups of coffee before I went and was awake the whole time! Then Brain made coffee for our class and I had another so I was buzzing by the time I left church. Terri made a great lunch with the veggies I had picked up at our hospital farmer's market. It was great to have a meal with just us for a change. Everyone's schedules are so crazy these days that it's impossible to get a meal with just the 4 of us. Don't get me wrong, I love the kid’s dates, but something about just the family really has a special meaning.

Well I decided to go ride Sunday afternoon. Nice puffy clouds and blue sky. Off I ride from the house and cut through the neighborhoods and as I top the hill at Remount Road I'm looking at dark clouds and barely able to see the skyline of Little Rock. I decide to turn around and head the opposite direction and work on the hills of Batesville Pike and ride out toward Cabot. The clouds are heading off to the side and not directly toward me.

I pass a HUGE pile of catfish that have been gutted on the side of the road. Serious, I bet there were at least 20 big fish. Nasty!

I fly down the hills and cruise along enjoying the ride. As I top the next hill I turn to see exactly what I was running from. The clouds have come after me! I turn around and the only thing I can do is ride straight into it in order to get home. The wind picks up which I hear later was gusting at 20mph. I'm climbing a hill that's tough even without the wind. I'm standing and pushing with everything I have and begging my metal games not to let me think I need to go to the granny gears. Push man...push!

I make it to the top and I have three choices of streets to turn on to get home. One is fast but it makes me ride on Hwy 107 for several blocks. Not a good idea for Sunday afternoon. The next is around the airport and drop down the hill and back through a couple of neighborhoods. I choose that route and just as I turned the bottom fell out! Huge raindrops pelted my helmet like a hammer. I had to stop right quick and drop my hearing aid into my baggie to keep it dry and I start laughing because as I'm doing this there is a guy that is mowing his lawn and I guess he is bound and determined to get finished so he is running across his yard mowing as fast as he can. I know it's dangerous but it was a hoot to watch. I ride on and I see a truck slowly riding behind me. Crud, I get tense because if I slip and go down i just hope he can stop. He's not that close but close enough. A second or two later he pulls beside me and it's one of my advertising vendors. I yell howdy and let him know I'm fine and almost home. He pulls ahead and then into his drive a few blocks away. Ok, it's raining cats and flying monkeys and there are creeks in the road now. I putt along hoping I make it to the house without sliding my butt across the pavement. I make it. Everything soaked to the bone.

Several of the club riders repeated the Lollipop ride out west and sounds like a great ride but a very challenging one. It was tough the first time. This time added a bit more heat and humidity. There was talk of some over heating but nothing serious. Yep, that's summer in Arkansas.

Terri leaves today for Hot Springs for their annual convention the rest of the week. She made a menu and it's on the front of the fridge. She told me under no circumstances can Emmy and I eat out every meal. What the means to me is that Emmy and I will go out but have to order giant dishes of food so we can bring the leftovers home. Sometimes we actually cook. I said sometimes. HA!

I'll ride earlier after work and meet the club and ride with them a little then head home. Tomorrow night I'll be helping with the Burn's Park Summer series bike races. Thursday night I should be riding again with the crew. Oh, am I supposed to fine time to mow the lawn too? I always tell everyone, "I'm letting it reseed itself." It's really true because this summer I've let it produce seed heads and that does seem to help. The lawn looks pretty good and thick this year.

Ok, lunch is over...back to work. More later.