Scott Peck said once something to the effect that life is hard, and once you come to terms with that, life isn't so hard.

In contemporary vernacular, life sucks, so get over it.

Part of the problem is that I'd really like to be out cycling, but I'm sitting in my office doing admin work. I wish I could blame it on Obamacare, and I will. But it's not Obama's fault, really. I should have been doing this stuff yesterday but my chronic fatigue caught up with me.

Instead I'm eating left-over Halloween candy. Even when I finish up here, my life will continue to be a suckfest this weekend: we discovered bedbugs in three of our rooms, so we're having to clear the house so it can be nuked on Monday and my wife is losing it.

How did the critters gain access to our house? We're not sure, but two of my offspring have done inner city mission work this summer, including overnight stays, so we're guessing that was the source. No good deed goes unpunished, I suppose.

So, as we head into the Holiday Season, how would you see your current status vis a vis cycling? And will you be voting for Bristol on Monday?

Typo in poll question noted. So sue me.

W.L.
While never having to endure the hell that is bedbugs, one of the librarians I work with has. I feel for you, buddy. She nearly lost her mind getting rid of them, kept her shoes in the freezer, and became as obsessed with an online bedbug forum as many us are with this one. May the force and the exterminator be with you!

Not bad, could be better, but at least I don't go hog-wild over the dressing or go back for seconds anymore... My eating habits have changed so much that Thanksgiving dinner is no longer the binge-fest it used to be.

Probably doesn't help much, when dealing with bedbugs, to keep telling yourself that they don't spread disease. True but not comforting.

At least they're not bedspiders....................that probably doesn't help, either.

Hard to imagine arguing about pyrethrum (or whatever) vs. heat treatment with the same venom we reserve for steel vs. carbon fiber or wave vs. ignore around here.

We'll going with the heat treatment, which means by Monday evening anything we own of any value will either have warped, melted, or exploded.

I know bedbugs are no laughing matter, but my grandfather used to tell a funny story that I was just reminded of.
I'm sure that this is just urban legend, but here goes.
When he was a young man, early in the 20th century, he worked in a lumber camp. One of his co-workers was an obnoxious Brit who could never be impressed by the size of anything.
We got em bigger'n 'at over 'ome was his usual retort.
Story goes, one night they slipped a snapping turtle in his bed. He jumped out of bed faster than he got in, yelling, "what is that?" or words to that effect.
"It's a bedbug. Gottem bigger'n 'at over 'ome?"
With apologies to our British friends.

Fitness? I think I lost mine a few weeks ago. I do plan on going on a ride this afternoon and tomorrow, too.

I do some sort of physical activities daily, even if not bicycling.

Yesterday - did some resistance exercises and my PT then bicycled to the gym, swam 45 minutes.

Today - more heavier resistance exercises, then a fast 2 mile walk by the creek.

But, the weight is going up, so I need to change something. Perhaps I will get a scale that is inaccurate?

But, all-in=all - considering 5.5 weeks post major surgery, I think I am doing great.

If round is still considered a shape then I'm in great shape.

I've spent the last couple of months eating, eating, eating! I'm ready for the Holidays in that my silverware will be but a blurr to all casual observers. Those with a well trained eye may see an occasional flash of light reflecting off my fork, assuming I ever slow down enough to swallow!

The wonderful thing about riding a recumbent is that everyone expects me to be fat, so I can eat my way through winter if I've a mind to. The only down side to my situation that I've noticed is in commuting this winter season. I commute on a Trek Mtn. bike and it is getting a tad bit difficult to climb onto the thing!! Once I'm on it all is fine, but getting on board is a sight to behold for sure.

Oops, gotta go now....my bag of Famous Amos Chocolate Chip cookies is empty and I'm still hungry!

Oh, as for the bedbugs....I don't know anything about them (not yet anyway).

So what holiday? Is there another one coming up so I will be forced to take time off work? --Again

I'm still on a pace to reach my goal of 7,500 miles this year and, thanks to help from a terrible cold three weeks ago, I'm still at my target weight. I usually don't manage to keep it this late in the year, so all's well here.

That reminds me of one of my favorite doctor jokes, involving a talented but ego-maniacal heart surgeon by the name of DeBakey. One Christmas he was rounding in the cardiac unit with just one lonely fellow. DeBakey *****ed and moaned about why it was just the two of them and where the hell was everybody else, anyway?

"Sir, they're just celebrating the birthday of another famous man", said the fellow.

Beg bugs - yuck, I sure hope they stay away from us. Luckily I have not been doing a lot of traveling so hopefully I have not picked any up. They are becoming a real problem every where.

My weight was doing real well as of last weekend, I went on a two day mountaineering course and ate/drank too much and have not seemed to recover. No riding this weekend as I continue to do damage to my kitchen, I need to make sure it is in working order by next Thursday otherwise there will be hell to pay.

Bedbugs. I know nothing about them, but I suspect my neighbor in New Orleans had a recipe for them. He was a native New Orleanean and cooked all sorts of critters so well that one would always ask for seconds. I think it was something in the New Orleans gene pool. His wife was no culinary slouch, either.

With regard to the approaching eating season, I'm in good shape on this year's mileage, and I consider fighting weight to be about 162 lbs. After today's ride, I was at 157 (at 6'2" I might actually qualify as roadie skinny), but please do not tell the better half. She maintains that I'm too skinny and look as if I had just escaped from a concentration camp. My mother always throws in with the wife on that one. Therefore, when I'm in LA I will throw caution to the wind and eat with wild abandon. This will please the maternal and spousal units, and I may get back up to fighting weight. Of course, I'll take Slick with me and, barring unforeseen events, will burn some of those calories.

I am ready for T-Day and Christmas. I am looking at getting another track bike.

Bugs are never good. This too shall pass.

Fixies are all the rage.

TWL, I saw a bagged house the other day, I doubt they'll have to go that far!

Since my sister and I are both empty nesting this year, we're going riding, weather permitting, and then to a restaurant. I never ate too much over the holidays, I just ate holiday meals for days and days and....

Brad

Surprising that the spammers offering viagra and oxycontin haven't started hawking DDT, too. Kills Bedbugs Fast!!!

We'll most likely do a chicken on the rotisserie, and a Tofurkey for the kids, and plenty of veggie side dishes, and a cranberry dressing I've been making since '85 that our kids crave & can be easily vegan-ized. Three out of 4 of us ride bikes, and if we can our daughter in the stoker's seat, we'll do a ride before we eat. When I taught Jazzercise we always had a "huff and puff before you stuff" class on T-Day. We'll do the cycling version.

Having got back home last night form a week in Cancun, I don't plan on weighing in until next week. I will really watch my food consumption this week and try to make some good choices on Thursday. As for riding condition, I've been riding 3 to 4 days/week since Nov 1st but not at a training level. While on vacation I even rode upright LifeCycles three times.

The resort we stayed in was immaculately clean. We are crossing our fingers on not picking up any "travelers". One of our sons is currently traveling in Italy and and staying in cheap hotels and hostels for 10 days. My wife advised him upon return to leave everything he took on vacation in his garage, to go into the house naked and take a shower and over the next few throw away anything and everything possible and to triple wash any clothing he's keeping in hot water. I'm wondering if she'll quarantine him from our house for a period of time?

Feeling a little itchy after a good night's rest, are you?

We're planning a turkey breast and a pair of drumsticks - minimal fat to deal with, and manageable leftovers. No big sides, probably just broccoli sauteed in olive oil and garlic. It's only two of us.

I actually lost weight last Thanksgiving (ate lots of lean, baked turkey and veggies and skipped the fried/fattening stuff). Will attempt to eat healthy again this year - biggest challenge is to not allow the beer consumption to get out of hand.

I couldn't care less about "Dancing with the Stars". Billy the Exterminator, which provides realistic depictions of Louisiana and its citizens, is my current favorite because of its intellectual appeal. I'm thinking about contacting the show's producers to see if I can get Billy down here to Prairieville to deal with the giant lizard living under my hot tub before it devours my chiwennie puppy.

I'd sure watch that episode.