Century #6 for 2010

Great pace, great weather, great people. That about sums up today's century. All in all, we had a total of 16 people in our group. We all left at different times, but we able to meet up in Dale, Ind. We even tried taking a group shot, but the lady from the area never saw an iPhone before and the end result was humorous...at best.

This century took us out to Santa Claus, Ind., the location of a pretty popular amusement park is located called Holiday World. Traffic was pretty hectic leading up to it and it didn't help that we had to go through a pretty hilly section of road. The cars were not overly happy. Oh, well.

The best part of the ride was having yet another "rookie" out for their first century. I've had the luck of having a newbie on my last three century ride. Fellow Bob's Gym Boot Camp classmate Cindy Taylor took on the challenge and KICKED ASS! Even more amazing is that she didn't do it with any clip pedal. Two words: Old...School.

At the end of the ride, both Cindy and I agreed to go to Boot Camp on Monday to rub our century in hr instructor's face and challenge her to come out for a century (considering all the grief she gives us). After we parted ways, I made a stop at the local Cold Stone Creamery for a smoothie and headed home.

Four more to go...

Arriving at 14,000 Miles at Lyrecrest

As I arrived at Lyrecrest (my workplace) on the morning of Wednesday, June 23, I eclipsed the 14,000 mile mark on my odomoeter. After not riding as much as originally planned over the weekend, I thought I could predict when I would hit my mark.

With some careful calculations and a little guessing, I figured I would be arriving at Lyrecrest. Unfortunately, I got to Lyrecrest one mile short. I realized that I had rounded up a few of my mileage runs and that my odometer is running on borrowed time until I get a new battery in it.

I did what any dedicated cyclist would do...ride laps around a short driveway/parking lot to get that last mile in. Now every Sinfonian will know that one lap is about 0.15 miles.

In writing this posting, I realized that posted almost exactly three months ago after I had eclipsed 12,000 miles (actually 12,200 miles).

Working the Yard...Still

I passed up a perfect day for a bike ride on Saturday to give some much needed attention to some projects outside. The goal was to get the garden expansion in the front yard done. Up to this point, I had dug the edging into the ground and pulled up the sod. I had planted three bushes, but that was a far as I got. The next step was to mulch the area.

For me, the biggest issue was getting the mulch here. I knew how much it would cost to purchase, but it's hard to tell how much to get. We've been doing some outdoor work at Lyrecrest and ordered a bunch of mulch and it looked like 2 cubic yards would be enough.

To avoid delivery fees (anywhere from $20-$45), I was able to borrow my neighbors pick-up, which (as I discovered) can hold 2 cubic yards of mulch perfectly. Awesome...no delivery fee! I drove back, got out the wheelbarrow and started hauling mulch back and forth.

About halfway through, I made an unfortunate realization. I was not going to have enough mulch. In fact, I was nowhere close. I tend to put a thick layer of mulch as I had read that it helps to choke of any weeds or grass that is still onthe ground. There was some grass that was starting to grow back from the leftover roots. I had read that three inches of mulch is preferred. I guess we'll see if it works.

I made a second trip to the store to get another load of mulch. Filled up the truck, drove back, and continued the routine. This second load got me to a point where I am about 3/4 done with the front. I'm going to have to make one last trip, but it will likely have to wait a week or two. I wasn't really budgeting for four cubic yards of mulch. Getting two more will need to wait for another paycheck.

In the meantime, I need to figure out how to move these big rolls of sod. It seemed like a good idea at the time...

"That Guy"

A few of my co-workers joined me for lunch at a local sandwich shop called The Granola Jar. I usually get a Corned Beef Reuben (no dressing) and a broccoli slaw concoction when we go there... and I did the same today.

After I paid for my order, I sat down but realized I forgot a straw. So I stood up and started walking over to the condiment area. Before I could get there, a gentleman sitting at the next table stopped me and we had the following exchange:

"You're him," he said. I give him a confusing look. "You're the guy."

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"You're 'goatee bike riding guy,'" he responds. Again, I'm a little confused.

"You ride your bike on Oak Hill Road. My kids and I see you every morning and they say "There goes 'goatee bike riding guy,'" he explains. "My kids created a comic strip about you and they call it 'Goatee Bike Riding Guy."

We talk a little longer about the fact that I ride in just about every type of weather and temperature and then I grab my straw and go back to eat my lunch.

Weird...but cool. So I guess that now makes me an icon in the Evansville area. I'll tell you one thing; if the "Goatee Bike Riding Guy" comic strip ever makes it big, make sure to send me my royalty check.

Working the Front Yard

When we moved into our house in August 2004, out front yard was comprised of a HUGE oak tree and a birch tree. We lived on a hill that ran the length of the house and nothing had really been done to make the front of the house look nice. It looked like there was a flower bed closer to the curb by the mailbox that had grown over with grass, but that was about it. Oh yeah...and a random rose bush by the mailbox.

Over time, I took up a couple of projects that make the yard look a little more appealing:
Added a couple of bushes close to the house

• Used retaining wall brinks to rebuild the flower bed by the curb
• Got more retaining wall bricks to create two levels up the hill. The first surrounded the tree (which has some nice stuff planted around it now) and the second will be used for a future walkway to the front door)
• At the bottom of the hill, I extended a brick wall towards the front of the house and got rid of a rock "garden" that ran along the side

Over time, I started realizing the amount of grass that wasn't growing even with watering and fertilizing. Basically, the oak tree is so big that it sucks up all the nutrients and water around it. Last summer, I started work to kill the grass in that area (naturally of course), by choking it our with grass clippings and leaves from the oak tree. I got a fair amount out, but not all of it.

The plan was to extend a garden out from the house and grow some nice shade plants. I already had a garden that ran the length of the house, but this would bring it out to just under the coverage of the tree.

I purchased 60 ft of edging and layed out the area that would be dug up. This took a little trial and error as I wanted to avid an awkward shape. Once that was in place the digging began.

I've been pretty lucky that its been dry recently. The sod comes right up, athough the grass root system is pretty thick in parts, which you wouldn't think if you look at the quality of the lawn. Because it's so dry, I am able to shake off decent chucks of the top soil that would normally clump together if it were wet.

I've been working on this on and off for about two weeks and I'm almost done. I have three plants in the area already that I had to dig around, but I hope to have everything done by today. I found a guy who deliver mulch for dirt cheap (pardon the pun). Next weekend, I may have a completed garden.