Cold Turkey

Got the official word from the doc: No more freaking blood clot in my leg. Woo Hoo! I do have a Baker's Cyst in my knee and still need to wear a compression sock on occasion, but I'll manage because of the following:

Things I Can Do Now That I'm Off Blood Thinners:

1. Breathe easy since I'm at less risk of massive bleeding if I "Fall Down Go Boom."
2. Take Advil.
3. Eat broccoli and spinach with impunity.
4. Drink alcohol and cranberry juice with similar impunity.
5. Ride my bike with... oh never mind, I've been doing that all along. :)
6. Take multivitamins again (including the stuff the eye doctor told me years ago I NEED to take)
7. Scratch out the "On Warfarin" line on my Road ID (or burn it and get a new one, it's kinda stinky)

I'll let you know when I come up with 8 through 10.

Photo Finish

Cool photo finish from today's Tour stage... If you consider center of gravity, Sagan (bottom) probably got his over the line first, and his helmet definitely beat Greipel's. Sagan is also moving faster as he crosses the line. It's the leading edge of the front tire that matters, though, and Greipel's textbook bike throw wins the day.

For my non-racing friends, the photo-finish camera is only looking through a thin vertical slit at the finish line itself, so the horizontal direction in the photo actually represents time. That's why the wheel spokes look so odd.  It's also why I say Sagan is moving faster... He spent less time (horizontal distance in photo) in view of the camera.

 

Crotchety

Happy to get a 50-mile ride in today, but three (three!) bike-related pet peeves reared their heads.

1. Cyclists wearing earphones.  Why do I bother calling "on your left"?  You're oblivious.  This is an epidemic that's going to get people killed (and it's illegal to boot).
2. Unfriendly riders.  Pull up next to a guy at a red light, say, "Morning!  How's it going?" and NOTHING in reply (and he's  not even wearing earphones).  I'm not looking for a riding partner, I'm just saying hi, dammit.  We're both riders fighting the elements and traffic.  How about an iota of solidarity?
3. Wheelsuckers who don't introduce themselves.  Look, all I ask is that you come up alongside, say, "Hi!  My name's Fred.  I'm really tired; do you mind if I sit on for a bit?" before engaging the tractor beam for miles.  That way, I know you're there, and I can say, "Fine, you can sit on, but I'm not going to point out hazards for you, so be careful."  If I'm riding by myself, it's because I want to, but I'm not going to hook you if I know you're there.

Guess I'm getting more crotchety in my old age.  Followup to #1: I even heard a rider groaning about a First World Problem today: "God, my iPhone is all messed up... It's been playing the same track for like an hour!  I can't take it anymore!"