Bits And Pieces

My bits and pieces are sore after my bike ride. When exactly does that benefit from "time in the saddle" kick in? (Clearly I am NOT there yet!) But that's not the whole reason for today's title. The true reason for the (lame) title is that I don't have an actual theme or even semi-cohesive plan for today's post. So...bullets of randomness it is!

• I forgot someone the other day when I was listing buddies on deck for upcoming competitions. I just realized today that Shirley Perly is racing this Saturday, too. She's doing the Derby! Go Shirley Go! (Derby Day was always a big deal in our house because my sister was one of those horsey types. First of May meant big hats and Mint Juleps. Mmmmmm. I love Mint Juleps. Wonder if they drink those when people run in Kentucky or if it's just for the horses. Note to self: ask Shirley.)
  
• Thank you Thea for my absolutely favorite new word: ironmongery! I am a word magpie. I hoard collect words, argue about them, mangle their pronunciations, use them incorrectly, polish them, and in general, love the bejeezus out of them. Bling is fun but IRONMONGERY is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay mo' better. Do you think I have to be especially or chiefly British to get to use it myself? If I do turn out to be UK enough (hey, Scottish, Welsh, English, and Irish ancestors - surely I pass!) and I also happen to get brave enough to say this marvelous word out loud, do I say it this way or this way? 'Cause dude, I don't think I can say it the second way without laughing.
  
• Did you see the estimates for this week's Powerball? (Slight digression to follow - I live with a Math Geek who is constantly pointing out what our mileage or training time is divisable by. We celebrate Pi Day. During the incredible saga of trying from 500 miles away to buy an affordable house with room for eight people and dogs, within walking distance to the schools we needed - Donna freaked out the world's most amazing realtor by commenting that the street address of a property we were looking at was divisible by 3, 6, AND 9. Robbie whipped her head around and asked in a panicky voice, "Is that a requirement? Or is that bad?" After we stopped laughing, we managed to reassure her that we'd live at 123 Sesame Street or even 666 Crowley Way if she could please just get us enough bedrooms zoned where we needed to be!) Anyhoo, 144 is one of Donna's favorite numbers to comment on ("It has a shitload of factors!" she said this morning) and it's got the whole dozen dozen thing going for it. Wouldn't it be fun to win a gross of millions of dollars?! Not only that sports fans - but the cash value is the 1/2 Iron mileage! (Bet y'all saw that part first, didn't you?) It's destiny! It's fate! Some triathlete needs to be the winner of that jackpot! I don't want to be a pusher or anything but go buy a ticket! (Here it is typed with subliminal backmasking - Ickybu A Goet. Or is that Pig Latin? No, Pig Latin would be more like - Ogay Ubay A Icketay, wouldn't it?) Ok fine, whatever. But if you're not going to buy your own ticket, would you root for me to win it? If I win, I promise to pay the entry fee for any triathlete I know who would join me doing this one. (But like, not until 2013 or something because I've already told you guys what a crock pot I am!)
  
• Still finangling the Garmin stuff. I've made progress but don't have a chart to post for you because a) I have a Mac and that makes the computer end of things a bit stranger (even though I got advice about this from Rainmaker) and b) I rode on the trainer so my elevation chart would look like this anyway "_______________________". Woo hoo! I do have heart rate stuff but I can't get it out of my Garmin and into my Mac (=Veronica.) Soon! Thanks for all the Garmin love comments. Fun times.
  

That's all the bits and pieces for now my friends. I think I've used up my quota of bullets and hyperlinks for the day. Happy training and tapering (and traveling!) to all y'all.