Live to Ride (part 2)...

Ride to Shop.  We don't always stop to eat when we're out riding.  More on this in a bit.

I'm not the only one going to a doctor: Rufus had his annual check-up today.  A rabies shot and a general look-over is on the agenda.  Ruf does not like being hauled around in his carrier.  Joan put it in the living room yesterday, with the door off... he went right in.  But this morning, she carried Rufus on her lap and we put him in the carrier once we got to the vet's office.

We had to wait for a few minutes (nothing like my last couple of medical check-up appointments) and visited with other people in the waiting area.  Two girls had a two year old cat that reminded us of Smoke, our first cat; and roughly half the size of Rufus.

Speaking of "the size of Rufus," we were anxious to see how much he weighs.  Appearances and lifting the furry boy suggest that he has grown since his visit at this time last year.  When the vet tech put him on the scale... 16.8 pounds.  Yep, he has grown; just over 10% since last year.  Dr Julie asked what we are feeding him and agreed that he is not being over-fed (he gets the same amount of food as Izzy did when she weighed 8 pounds)... "Maybe you will have to get him more exercise."  Which brings to mind the old saying: You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make a cat exercise.  He does enjoy his naps.

We stopped at Bed, Bath, and Beyond when we were in Harlingen yesterday... they are closing that store and had very little inventory left.  It was a good excuse to ride the scoots to Brownsville this afternoon...

We were looking for a carbonator for our Soda Stream; this trip was for naught - sounds like Soda Stream is going to be eliminating the large size carbonator that we use.  We like to make our own caffeine-free diet soda and diet tonic.  Those aren't always easy to find at the grocery store, plus it eliminates putting more plastic bottles in the trash.  That may change.

It is a windy day here, and we had wind at 18 gusting to 27, mostly as a cross wind, both ways.  But, it was an outing... and any reason to ride is a good reason.

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Speaking of riding: this morning on Facebook, this was the FB Memory...

From 5 years ago - big surprise: we were out on the scoots.  We no longer have the Honda PCXes; our current scoots are more highway-capable.  One thing I have noticed since making that change: people rarely come up to us in parking lots to comment about "how fun those look."  Even though Joan's Xmax is a stronger performer than my Vespa, I do get the occasional Vespa-related comment or question... generally along the lines of "Is that a real Vespa?"  ;-)  People seem to know that a Vespa is a scooter; I don't think they know what to make of the Xmax.

Graduated...

I just got back from my "morning ride" that I had to do in the early afternoon, thanks to a morning doctor's appointment. I usually try to get two rides a day in: morning and before sunset. There is a difference in who is out and about at any given time of day. Mornings, it is a lot of dog walkers, and the occasional walkers or bike riders. I rode by two couples standing in the street, talking... as I rode by, I heard the guy say, "That is the dumbest thing I've ever seen." Not directed at me, but definitely about my bike. I responded with, "Have you looked in the mirror lately?" The other three people thought it was funny.  ;-)

About that doctor's appointment: my last visit to the office of the guy that did my hip.  All the follow-up appointments have been with his "assistants."  This visit was pretty much a waste of time.  A lady came to get me to take X-rays.  She asked, "How are you doing with the new hip?"

I said, "No problems.  I walk, I ride a bike, I exercise - I'm doing what I'm supposed to do."

She said, "Well, if you aren't having any issues, we can skip the X-rays."  Not a problem for me.

More waiting.  They showed us to an examination room where we waited some more.  When the assistant finally came in, she asked, "So, how are you doing with your hip?"

Seems familiar.  After a very short discussion that also included my response above, she said, "The doctor likes us to follow up.  While you will continue to heal and get better, if you are good with it, this will be your last follow-up.  You are officially graduated."

Works for me.  On the bright side, we went out for a late breakfast afterwards.  Graduated... for what that hip cost, it could have funded a 4 year education at a good college.  Thank goodness for Medicare.

And now I can take on the rest of my day.

I just got back from my "morning ride" that I had to do in the early afternoon, thanks to a morning doctor's appointment.  I usually try to get two rides a day in: morning and before sunset.  There is a difference in who is out and about at any given time of day.  Mornings, it is a lot of dog walkers, and the occasional walkers or bike riders.  I rode by two couples standing in the street, talking... as I rode by, I heard the guy say, "That is the dumbest thing I've ever seen."  Not directed at me, but definitely about my bike.  I responded with, "Have you looked in the mirror lately?"  The other three people thought it was funny. 

I just got back from my "morning ride" that I had to do in the early afternoon, thanks to a morning doctor's appointment.  I usually try to get two rides a day in: morning and before sunset.  There is a difference in who is out and about at any given time of day.  Mornings, it is a lot of dog walkers, and the occasional walkers or bike riders.  I rode by two couples standing in the street, talking... as I rode by, I heard the guy say, "That is the dumbest thing I've ever seen."  Not directed at me, but definitely about my bike.  I responded with, "Have you looked in the mirror lately?"  The other three people thought it was funny. 

Live to Ride...

Ride to Eat.

I think that would make a good tattoo.  It certainly described our outing today.  No agenda, no schedule.  Last night, Joan said, "We should ride our scoots to Harlingen and have lunch at Texas Roadhouse."  She had me at "We should ride our scoots..."

This morning, when she asked me what I wanted to do today, I repeated her words from last night.  So, we have a plan.

We are having the kind of days I remember from our visits here, a couple decades ago.  Sunshine, mild temps (got to the low 70s today), light breeze, and low humidity.

We geared up to head out...

I did take one photo enroute.  Well, I thought I took one phone enroute.  Seems that the Canon G3x didn't cooperate, so I'll paint a mental image: us, scoots, a relatively traffic-free back road, the aroma when we pulled into the packed parking lot at Texas Roadhouse, ribs, steak.  I did take this photo to see if anyone could figure out where we were without the sign showing...

We stopped for gas on the way home.  Of course, Joan's Xmax outdid my Vespa in the miles per gallon race; 80 vs 71.  Lower than the last few fill-ups for both of us.  I don't remember hot-rodding it on our last outing.

Great ride home, and a break from riding less than a mile from home; yep, the bridge was out.  It's the weekend, and the bridge will open anytime on demand (as opposed to on the hour for recreational traffic on weekdays).

We sat out on the deck with Rufus before settling in for the evening.  My kinda day.  :-)

Five blasts...

If you are a boater, you should know what that sound signal means.  If you are a boater and you don't know what it means, you really need to take a Safe Boating class.  If you are a non-boater, I will tell you: five (or more) short, rapid blasts are used to signal danger or to signal that you do not understand or you disagree with the other boater's intentions.  Furthermore, if you are the recipient of those five blasts, it means you are ignorant, not paying attention, and an embarrassment to the boating population at large; or all of the above.  More on this in a bit.

It is a beautiful, but cool day.  The high today was 64º, light breeze, and abundant sunshine.  A bit cooler than average, but... really... a gorgeous day.  I proposed a plan: out on the boat, then out on the scoots.  Joan presented a counter-offer: go to the store, then the boat, and if time, the scoots.

So, after the store, Rufus got some outdoor time.  Then, I got the cover off the boat and prepped it.  I told Joan I had seen "6 tugs with barges in our turning basin" when out on the bike ride this morning.  I was looking forward to getting out there for a closer look.  Heading out...

Yep; that is more tugs than I've ever seen here at one time...

We weren't the only pontoon boat out there - this one had 15 people on board!

We cruised down the Port Isabel Channel, towards the Brownsville Ship Channel.  A pack of pelicans on the island there...

Our first view of a dolphin today...

Looking down the ship channel, you can see a ship in the distance, heading this way...

We are well out of the main part of the ship channel, so no issue being in the way of the ship.  Plus, there are dolphins in need of being watched!

Playing "heads & tails" - in that photo above, they are so close that Joan couldn't get them both in the frame.  More tails waving...

They were in front, behind, and all around the boat.  Joan took this one with me in the frame - I was handling the helm and looking at the action in front of the boat...

She was also laughing at the scene: mostly because I was missing the action that was right behind me.  Joan in the frame...

And so many great faces...

A shrimper going by...

Lots of "frisky" activity today - what I sometimes call "Prom Night for the dolphins"...

Oh, that ship is getting closer, and the dumbass at the helm of the shrimpboat is pulling out in front of the ship!  And, there's those 5 blasts mentioned above.  Some obviously pissed calls on the radio that the shrimper either ignored or didn't have his radio on.  Five more blasts.

The shrimper did get to the side of the channel - for the record, it takes some time and distance to slow the forward motion of a moving ship.

We continued down the ship channel, with a couple other shrimpers heading the same direction.

Getting into the jetties area (where the Brownsville Ship Channel opens to the Gulf), there was a lot of activity on the water...

Bay King (above) has a capacity crowd (elbow to elbow fishing);  Buccaneer (below), not so much...

That Pilot boat above does not refer to an airplane - the Pilot guides and advises the ship's crew as they enter or exit the Port of Brownsville via the ship channel.  The Pilot gets on the ship prior to it getting into the ship channel (that Pilot boat above pulls up alongside the ship while it is moving, and the Pilot climbs up onto the ship).  The opposite, when a ship departs the port: the Pilot is already onboard, and when the ship is into Gulf waters, the Pilot boat comes alongside the ship and the Pilot climbs down off the ship and onto that boat.  In the hierarchy of local captains, the Pilot is at the top of the list.

Speaking of the jetties, they are breakwaters that protect the entrance to the ship channel; huge rip/rap...

Looking over the jetties, and north along the shore of South Padre Island...

Out of the jetties area, we decided to make it an "island circle tour" and go around the rest of Long Island and through our swing-bridge.  There has been some discussion on the C-Dory owners group about a center console model - only a few were made.  Folks in the Pacific Northwest have little use for an open boat, and that is why cabin boats like the C-Dory are popular there.  They would really be surprised to see what many of our local folks use to fish the skinny water around here...

About half way to the swing-bridge, we could see a tug pushing three barges was going to get there ahead of us.  The tug driver called the swing-bridge for an opening... and got no answer.  He called 5 more times.  Finally, as the tug was at a "turn or push the barges ashore point," the bridge guy answered.  I knew we wouldn't make it there in time for this opening, so we slowed down to let the car traffic cross the bridge, and I called for another opening.  Three times.  No idea why the bridge tender isn't on the ball today.  On our way through, I did give him a heads-up that there are three more tugs pushing barges heading his way (we could see them when looking up the Intracoastal Waterway).

Once through the bridge, we took one more photo...

This is a small bit of an island where several pelicans with broken wings spend their days; Joan took this for our friend Scarlet (the Dolphin Whisperer) who is out of town right now, so she could see that "her" pelicans are doing OK.

Our boat outings are coming to a temporary end soon - we'll need to pull the boat, clean it, and prep it for storage before our next motorhome outing.  No fixed date for that, but in the meantime we'll enjoy each boating opportunity we get.

No, we didn't get any scooter riding in today - plenty to see out on the water.  :-)

A different kind of wrap...

After a doctor's appointment today, we took down the outdoor Christmas decorations.  Yep, that season is done.  That's not the wrap.

Neither is this: at the doctor's office, he put on the rubber gloves.  He checked out my junk, then stuck a finger up... well, you know.  When I've had this done in the past, the doctor always says, "Sorry for this..." before he starts.  This guy said "Sorry for that," after he was done.  I said, "No problem - that's the best date I've had in a while."  Apparently, he's heard that before, or left his sense of humor up my ass.

What?  Oversharing again?  It was a memorable part of my day.  No, I did not say, "Highlight."  Sometimes, it is the unusual that finds its way onto the page here.

I went for a bike (as in: bicycle ride) this afternoon.  You see different things in the afternoon than you do in the morning.  Mornings seem to be filled with people taking their dogs for a poop walk.  Late afternoon, it is just people out in their cars, trucks, and golf carts.  There was a woman today who got out of her car, wearing a snakeskin pair of capri pants and a tunic top.  It was a lot of snakeskin.  My mind went to a National Geographic show where it showed a python that ate a goat.  Whole.  And, as a doctor once told me: "Sorry about that..."

The other wrap.  I like to listen to podcasts overnight.  Well, not so much "listen to" as it is white noise to sleep to.  Over the years, I have tried earbuds, but several years ago, Joan bought me an Acoustical Sheep.  No, it is not a lamb playing a guitar... it is a headband with bluetooth speakers.  They say they are for sleeping and/or exercising.  They last all night on a charge.  Unfortunately, the wires connecting the bluetooth controller to the charger fitting are so thin that they last exactly 13 months... on an item with a 12 month warranty.  They aren't cheap, and I have now gone through my third set.

As with all things electronic, cheap Chinese alternatives now abound.  Joan ordered me a headband with bluetooth speakers in it for about 1/5 the price that I have been paying for the others.  And, Amazon delivers them to my mailbox in two days.

It's a look...

The headband is a bit wider than the previous ones I've had.  May be a bit warm.  We'll see how it plays out, but the price was right.

That's a wrap...

Almost.  We planned to put away Christmas decorations today, indoors and out.

I got a bicycle ride in this morning, and shortly after that the "diminishing chance of rain" resulted in a light drizzle.  It lasted until mid-afternoon... that means the outdoor lights get a one-day reprieve.  We don't want to put them away damp.

So, the indoor decorations and the tree were on the afternoon agenda.  I have to admit, I was kinda sad to see the tree go into its 11 month hibernation - it really is pretty; in my mind, the best looking tree we've had.  Other Christmas stuff finds its way around the house, from potholders and hand towels to a chain pull on the ceiling fan; stockings to a hand-made (by my hands and a router) "Happy Holidays" wooden sign.  Christmas cats: photos of our cats over the years in their Santa hats.  It seems like every year, one item gets missed... a family tradition.  ;-)

Putting the tree away took the longest.  The lights stay on it, but all the ornaments have to be put in boxes or wrapped in tissue or bubble wrap.  Then, disassembling the tree.  It even fit back in its box.  The living room looks bigger, but less festive.

Sunny and windy is the forecast for tomorrow - pretty much what it was when we put up the outdoor lights and wreath.  That should let them get good and dry before they go into their storage bins.

I am calling this holiday season officially done.  Well, once tomorrow's work is complete.  Then it is time to move back into scooting and boating season.

:-)

A fresh start...

It is the start of another year.

After getting myself good and woke (young people think they invented that word to mean standing up against injustice - it still means the past tense of wake to me), I hoped to get in a bike ride this morning.  Mother Nature had other plans... I got in about a mile and half of riding before the sprinkles started.  And not the good kind of sprinkles, like on your ice cream.  Not wanted to get soaked, I headed for home.

It isn't a pounding rain - more of what I call "nuisance rain"... it's enough to keep me from going out on the scoot or the boat, but not enough to give us some reasonable accumulation.

It has the makings of a lazy day.  Joan made us a nice breakfast; I cleaned up and made some music.  When I sat down with my computer, the question of "What are your guitar plans for this new year?" came up on the carbon fiber guitar sub-forum...

Well, I have 55 years of guitar playing in, so I guess I showed all those people who said, "He'll never stay with it." Of course, they were all older than me, so... you know.

Considering all that time, I really should be better than what I am, so I guess I'll just plug along, continuing to excel at being a mediocre player. It's getting to the point that I may no longer be able to get by on my looks. I may learn a new chord, but I'm not making that a New Year's resolution so I don't set myself up for disappointment.

I did sell two guitars recently, but have no GAS at this time; no plan to replace. It may be foolhardy to put that in writing.

Happy New Year!

I have been exercising and doing what I can to keep improving with the new hip.  Continuing that is a goal (not a resolution) for this new year.  I also plan on helping to eliminate all the Christmas goodies we still have on hand;  I'm helpful that way.

One other hope: to be able to rest like Rufus...

That boy knows how to relax.  Joan calls him my shadow.  He sat in the chair with me this morning.  Waited by the door when I went for a bike ride.  Provided "security" for me while I was cleaning up (he guards the bathroom door so no one can get me while I'm vulnerable), then came into the music room when I pulled a guitar off the wall.  He's back in his chair now... it was my chair when I was first recuperating, but these days he sits in it more than I do.  I don't think that chair is going to fit in the motorhome (I already have my head into our next travels).