Just as I was about to head out this morning for my jaunt to the flea market, the phone rang. It has been a couple years since Marriott has invited me on a sales presentation. Apparently they decided I was a dead fish and no good for another sale (they were right) and got tired of throwing money at me. Well they called me last minute and I had 2 hours notice but they offered me $100. As I had nothing concrete to do and I'd be back out on the streets by 3pm, I graciously accepted.
When I got back I did as intended and headed out. Hot today...got to the mid 80s and beyond and I was sweating hard. After going in circles and constantly checking the map, I found that the reason I had so much trouble finding the flea market was that it was no longer there. That in itself does not shock me - Google maps is often in need of an update (I have since contributed that they are permenantly closed) but the web site for the flea market is very much up and running and looks great. From the looks of the property, they did not close recently but I just don't know.
So with no plan B to go to, I decided to head back. Instead of checking out Paramount's falafel (which I may still do), I checked out another place I had seen a couple times who's sign only says 'Halal Pizza'. Good to see that pizza was slaughtered in accordance with the Koran. I got a falafel- it was overpriced and undersized but tasted good. The heat really started to get to me, I made it back and was soaked and exhausted.
Last night I had an interesting cooking situation unfold. This year they installed two nice gas grills outside building 14 where I always stay. So I ran to Publix and got some bone in chicken thighs and asparagus and sweet potatoes. I got the spuds in the oven and went to grab the $2 jar of McCormick's BBQ seasoning I just bought and I realized I must have forgotten to throw it in my bag, leaving it at the register. Such is a problem when you bag your own stuff. So I went down to the bar and told them to give me as much salt and pepper as they dared. They just gave me a whole salt and pepper shaker which I promised to return.
So I headed back up and seasoned liberally still mad I did not have my BBQ rub. I headed downstairs to fire things up and it seems they kill the gas line after hours. I suspected that might happen. So I went back up and threw it all in the oven.
So after my seasoning and method of cooking was high jacked, I did not have high hopes. But I learned an important lesson: those chicken thighs tasted so good I was shocked. Perhaps it is an instance of set/setting and positive reinforcement. Or perhaps I have gotten too far away from that kind of thing to remember how good it could be. The black pepper actually tasted like black pepper....I did not have high hopes for preground resturant pepper that sat in a shaker for who knows how long, when I have a fancy grinder and expensive Indian peppercorns. But my god was it good! I did not get to bed until about 1am and slept until about 8am.
I had to write some long emails and I am so glad that we have webmail now and I have my laptop so I can handle attachements correctly and write a long and well worded email.
Since I got back from my ride I laid around a while then took a shower and of course had to head back out again. I only have 2 beers and I have been eating so responsibily that I was craving a frozen pizza or something terrible. So I went down to my old standby CVS one mile away. I made that walk so many times over the years and wished I had a bike. Less than 5 minutes on the bike and pleasant ride at that. 20 minutes at least via foot.
I got in there and the prices are just so bad and the beer selection stinks. I already drank 9 of the 10 Stellas in the fridge pack I bought on day #1 and I am sick of them: I need beer with flavor badly right now for some reason. I drank some Terrapin IPAs and now I am drinking some Goose Island IPAs (more on that below). I also have an old Visa gift card with $7.93 on it and I've been dying to use it up somehow. So I decided to hell with CVS and headed out, even though the last thing I wanted to do was ride all the way to Publix.
So instead I went down to Wawa. Wawa is an example of how much construction I've seen around here in the 15 years or so I've been coming down. Well they had a walk in cooler with tons of brews and did have GI IPAs as mentioned above. So I have only bought canned beer all week. It packs so much better in the bag. They did not have any pizzas so instead I had them make me a club sandwich at their cool touch screen deli. Both people in front of me paid in tons of change, lots of pennies. First up was a lady who bought just one chocolate donut and paid in seemingly hundreds of pennies. When I left she was sitting outside nibbling on it so slowly like it was the last donut in the world. Then was an old man who looked like the Iron Sheik or Bald Bull from Mike Tyson's Punch Out. He got a soup from the deli and paid in a combination of cash and lots of change. He just dumped a big pile of change on the counter and told the cashier his 'pockets were heavy' or something and made her figure it out. I guess I wasn't much better because I made her ring up the beer seperately, I think I got within $1.00 of my limit on the gift card with my sandwich and a bag of chips.
I got back and am about to crack beer #3. I only needed to bike 10 miles today to maintain my pace but I ended up at 15. So I am even further into the surplus, I am at 78.6 miles right now with 1 1/2 days left. So if I can cram in 10 miles on Friday night when I get back from Tampa I only need 12 miles Saturday. And I already have my ride planned with Raphael from ProCycle. So its nice to be ahead. It is also nice to have tomorrow off because for the first time in I don't know how long I just have the tiniest bit of soreness in my thighs from all the cycling. Nothing major and I know it will go away fast but I am a tiny bit mentally burned out too. Nice to take a day off.
Tomorrow is my trip to Tampa and kind of the beginning of the end. The rest of the week will go by fast now. Tomorrow will be a hectic bunch of traveling but I remember when the Sunrail did not exist. I would take link 50 all the way downtown then have to take another bus (link 40?) south to the Amtrak station. Now I can take 111 to the Sunrail on Sand Lake Rd and that is less than a mile from the station. I was reviewing transit times and found this pic from a post last year.
I need to confirm but it looks like this works out perfectly.
I have things laid out for tomorrow and I'll probably have to get up at about 6:30. Need to run down to get that coffee as soon as the bar opens. 7am? This year Amtrak didn't give me one of those weird scan tickets where it prints at the station - now I printed my own tickets in advance. Just was able to print my Bolts tickets yesterday - never cut it so close before.
Right now I am drinking my last Stell and eating a bag of Zapp's 'Hotter 'N Hot Jalepeno' chips and I must attest they are hot, and also have good pepper flavor. Very nice. I am wearing the last of my clean clothes minus one t-shirt I have left. My dirty clothes are rotting in a corner - will clean them Saturday.
I wanted to get some cold pack cheese and I got some pimento cheese. What is the deal with this stuff? It was like shredded cheddar cheese mixed with mayo and some pieces of red...something. Don't get me wrong, I ate it all. Speaking of which, Map My Tracks estimates I burned 5000 calories already Mon-Wed in just under 5 hours I sat on that bike and rode and rode and rode. I am like a furnace. Monday night I ate I don't know how much pasta with kale and sausage. A couple pounds I think.
Super excited to catch the Hawks vs. Flyers right now on NBCSN. I am still getting into 'hockey season' mode. It takes me a minute to get into gear and get excited and start checking the scores every morning and keeping up with everything.
Should have posted this on day#1. I am going to enjoy the game and make sure I am squared away for tomorrow morning.
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