Dangit

I finally had the mental resources to check the brevet schedule out here in Arizona.

The 300k is today. The 400k is the same weekend as the Desert Sprints Regatta.

So if I want to get in a brevet series this year, I'm going to have to do some traveling.

I'm not in brevet shape yet, physically or mentally, and I need to tune Froinlavin a bit, too.

A-quaxing we will go + annoying house projects

It seems my current fitness plan is simply to quax a lot.

Today:

1. Singh Farms again for more mulch. I even took a photo. Here's what it looks like to quax 2 coffee bags full of mulch. Somehow, things were better balanced this time or something, so the ride felt more smooth. People on the bike paths around Tempe Town Lake don't understand how to behave on shared-use paths.



2. Singh Farms didn't have any yard eggs, arghdarnit. But on the ride home, I saw signs up for the Clark Park Farmer's Market, so I headed over to see if they had any. One place did, but they were $5 for a HALF-dozen. I bought some anyway. A number of people were hanging out, enjoying a cover band playing some live music. Most of the booths were selling value-added products, but it seems like Clark Park is site of a number of good things, lately.

3. Then I was going to head down to Home Depot, but it occurred to me that my newly received credit card might need some sort of activation, so maybe I should get some cash. On my way up to the ATM, it occurred to me to stop at the Farmer Market to see if THEY had any yard eggs. They didn't, but I bought some other eggs there anyway, because I'd rather send as much money as possible in their direction over SproutFlour. When I paid for that purchase, I found that my new credit card did work, so I didn't have to go all the way up to the ATM. Not that it's all that far away, but I wanted to head in the other direction.

4. So then it was time to head to the Home Despot. Why there, you may ask, when I live within a reasonable distance of TWO Ace Hardwares? Simply because we struck out on drawer slides at the Aces. I may or may not have come home with a pothos plant, too. And some rebar and chicken wire so I can fence off the back patio, as I promised our neighbors in the front house.

5. After lunch, I headed down towards SproutFlower. I wanted to get there before the bagel shop closed at 2 pm, so I could ask whether I'd lost a handkerchief and gloves there the week prior. They had the gloves but not the handkerchief. That counts for something, at least!

6. Okay, home again from that, and then over to the feed store and back again so Emma won't starve. Thankfully Tempe Feed and Tack is basically right around the corner now.

7. Cat food accomplished, I had to go to Ace Hardware anyway to get some additional supplies for the drawer project.

I have no idea how many miles that was, but I was out and about for most of the day, and now I am kinda tired and sun-weary. Once I got home, I set to work on the kitchen drawer project. It was even more annoying than anticipated, but it finally works and is DONE. While I was at it, I used a long nail to FINALLY punch open the outflow valve on the junked water heater, and also fixed the rear gate latch (just needed the proper nuts and bolts). Campfire rule x 100 around here.

Meanwhile, Emma spectated from her chair: