Well, Bike the Drive and E-Town trips last weekend took a lot out of me. Not sure if I completely recovered, but I was wiped by Men's League last night. So I'm guessing I haven't recovered. So that's what I'll try to do this weekend. Not so much biking. We are going to head out to the in-laws to use some power tools and try and make a planter box for the roof deck. Should be fun. Back to Men's League, I'm definitely slow, and the ground did seem harder than last time, and the mosquitoes were out in force, and the legs are sore and the feet hurt, but still pretty fun. Also, I'm not sure if I should be offering advice to the kids since pretty much all of them have never seen me play in my heyday and thus don't think I have any sort of respect or pull with them. But young players still play young, and play hasn't gotten any cleaner, but then again, it just might be the level I'm trying to play at. Anyway, I'll offer some stuff up here and there, no idea if they'll take any of it. I just started Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, all read on the iPhone.

Well, I thought it was going to be much colder than it actually was, and went with the Mountain Hardwear Transition Jacket instead of the vest. It might work out in my favor if it ends up being cold after Men's League tonight. Got some Superfeet for my cleats on the way home yesterday, along with checking for wine boxes at Sam's, and picked up a McDavid 441 Deluxe Calf Support from Sports Authority. The calf support was a little too tight, and I didn't realize it was neoprene, so it's going back. I'm just gonna go with the more expensive ones Tracy got. Might pick those up tomorrow. She made turkey chili for dinner last night, and we ended up watching Get Smart, which held up well to a repeat viewing. Also figured out a new way to attach the cable lock to the bike using Cable Cuffs.

Got some new bike locks yesterday, Abus Bordo 6000s. Just makes it easier to carry some sort of lock around all the time. Not as safe as the Kryptonite New York 3000 Lock we have, although Tracy lost hers, but much much easier to carry, especially since it fits in a case that attaches to the bottle cage. I still brought my cable lock with me, which was funny, because I don't have an attachment point on my new frame, and it fell off my bag and was run over by a semi this morning. Still works, without the plastic housing. Still loving my Mountain Hardwear Transition Vest which is absolutely perfect for biking right now. It's awesome. Leftovers for dinner last night. Finally watched the last episode of House. Was waiting for him to say he had a brain tumor. Tightened some stuff up on the bike. Still need to install fenders again. Not sure how I'm going to get the rear one to fit though.

Yeah, it's been a while, like 5 days. Whoops. Again. Friday night watched a bunch of How I Met Your Mother while eating Tracy's attempt at coconut chicken tenders. Not quite enough coconut flavor there. I think it needed some shredded coconut, probably toasted. Saturday Tracy worked, and I cleaned house. I did make the time to watch the pilot of Glee. On the basis of that one episode, it's on the top of my list for shows to watch this fall. It's awesome. I love it. Tracy's friend Susmita crashed for the night between April's bachelorette party Saturday and wedding shower on Sunday. So besides cleaning, I finally watched Semi-Pro on Saturday night, and hung out with my parents on Sunday. Did Bike the Drive on Sunday morning, which was fun, but tiring, followed by brunch at Nookies Tree. Ended up napping before the girls left. Monday had waffles with Tracy before she had to go to work again, and I biked up to E-Town to see Russell and Gavin and have lunch at Lucky Platter, which was awesome. And yes, we were those 2 guys with a baby. Wish we had a picture. Biked home and got caught in the rain, and stayed on the couch for the rest of the night. Lots of biking over the weekend. Probably did 2 full weeks worth of commuting in 2 days. But feels good.

Men's League is fun. And I'm still kinda an ultimate player. Still not a handler. I wonder if I'll ever get my step back. Or the ability to lay out. The ride back home was pretty tough, pretty windy. I'm also glad I threw my vest into the bag this morning, it came in handy. Cruising along was nice though, not really pushing it at all. Just enjoying the sights. And the couple places where the power was out. Odd. Bike works well, needs some grease in spots. Tempted to try out the mountain bike tomorrow, or some time this weekend. Interested to see how I am with a bigger range of gears.

Go from no working bikes to having 2 perfectly working bikes. Walked over to Lakeshore Bike with my rear wheel to get a spoke fixed, and they trued it too. Just walked up, gave the wheel over, then maybe 10 minutes later, all set. While it was worth the cost this first time, especially because I need to use it tomorrow, but not sure if it happens repeatedly that getting the tools and learning how to do it would be more cost effective in the long run. At some point I will. Would be nice to have a bench to put a truing stand on. Oh, Crank Brothers Speed Lever is absolutely awesome. So easy to take off and put on a tire. Amazing. So got Sprint back up and running. Sweet. Then finally put the new brake/shifters onto the mtb. Very easy. So now I've got 2 bikes. Still need the rack and baskets for the mtb though. So now I have no excuses for not biking. And now it's going to take a long time to finish up the Harry Potter books. Got some grub from Taco Burrito Palace for dinner tonight, mac & cheese & kielbasa last night. Ate up on the roof tonight, since it was so nice out. Men's League tomorrow night.

So, had some time to work on the bikes today since Tracy worked the night shift. Got the headset working without any play, which was great, but again, while wiping the bike down, found a broken spoke on the rear wheel. Figures. I won't even try and fix this myself, at least this time, and I'll bring it to a bike shop tomorrow to hopefully get fixed. It's only one spoke, so hopefully I can get it done quickly. I do want to know how to do it myself, eventually. Would be good to know how. But that's more tools for trueing a wheel. Also started on the brake/shifter replacement on the mtb, but had some trouble with the grips. Apparently rubbing alcohol or water works wonders. Also went for a run after work today. That was rough. Last night had leftovers for dinner, watched Smallville and How I Met Your Mother, finished vacuuming, and sent the wrong size extra cleats back to Zappos. Also today looked into what I need to get the mtb into more of a hauler, baskets and stuff. More stuff to buy, but not needed, so it goes to the wish list.

So my right foot's been feeling weird, actually, just my toes. No idea, but looking at them it looks like my third toe is swollen, but it doesn't hurt, just feels funny, just different. Wonder when I did something, wonder what I did, and wonder if it's anything serious? I think it's been like this for a while, but only started acting up recently. Oh well. Weekend was pretty lazy. Got a haircut. Half vacuumed, cleaned a little. Went for a walk to enjoy the weather on Saturday when Tracy got back from work. Trying to figure out how to do soem woodworking projects without powertools or a large vehicle to transport wood back home. Checked out the REI on Halsted for the first time, didn't buy anything, but looked at the Raleigh bikes. Interesting. Didn't get around to fixing the bike, so took the El in this morning. The ulterior motive is to finish reading the Harry Potter books, but I'm almost done with the Goblet of Fire and have 3 more left. But I should have some bike time tomorrow night.

Well, I'm still an ultimate player. Good to know. Played pickup for Men's League last night. Those UIC Fields are as nice as I remember them, and the surrounding area is completely different from what it used to be. Amazing. Found out I got drafted like 2nd round, which was a mistake. I think if I had to put a number on it, I'm really 5 years removed from the game, summer league and tournaments in 2004. Mars in 2005 and Paganello in 2006 shouldn't really count, since I didn't do anything else besides those two. So yeah, I can throw as well as I ever did, which isn't all that well. I can still move ok, no lift on jumps, not completely out of position. Cleats work ok, but they might actually be a little too big, or I need to tighten them up a little. Riding home was probably a good idea, as a means of cool down. But definitely feeling sore today. But I don't think it's any worse than the first tourney/game of the year usually was for me, even back then. So yeah, I'm a little excited. Had some frozen pizza for dinner, watched the end of Grey's Anatomy (the twist Tracy picked up on pretty early, but wasn't sure, but made sense to me) and then the Facebook episode of My Boys to try and lighten the mood. I rode in today, and the bike needs a couple tweaks, and now I get to ride home in the rain. Should be fun without fenders.

It's good to be back on the bike again. Nice. Even if I didn't get around to putting handlebar tape back on yet. And that the rear fender doesn't fit anymore. Aside from that, it's awesome. Creaks a little, and I should probably grease some more stuff up, but yeah, bike fits better, feels better, and runs well. Smoother than I remember even. Next up is getting the mtb back up and running. I spent 3 hours last night putting it back together, mostly dealing with the shifter cable, until I finally figured it out. I think directions would have helped. So I didn't actually sit and watch TV on the couch with Tracy, and just had some leftovers for dinner. I packed up a bag this morning, with my new cleats New Balance MF890, and some old jerseys and shorts, and a frisbee. Crazy. No idea if we're even playing tonight. So odd to think this will be the first time playing ultimate since 2006 on the beach at Paganello. 3 years. Wow. Should be interesting.

Orders came in, so I should have all the stuff I need to put my bike back together. Good timing too. Hoping I don't screw up at all. Also realized I already have chain degreaser, which I can use as a general cleaner. I'm supposed to be in the Men's League for Chicago Ultimate, but I haven't heard anything about teams yet. But that's partially why I need to get the bike back together, so I can ride out to UIC tomorrow night. Oh, also ordered up some cleats from Zappos, and since I finagled a VIP account when they were giving them away one day, I got free overnight delivery. Got a couple, and if they don't fit, I'll just send 'em back. So Zappos will be my new shoestore of choice. Of course, as long as I know my size. This time, I'm trying out New Balance cleats because they're supposed to be wide. Wait and see. Dinner last night was good, but I think we've got an upper limit on our food appreciation. At and above a certain level, the food is just good, and we can't appreciate the difference. Which is a good thing to finally figure out. We also didn't stuff ourselves silly, which was nice. I did get a lot of odd looks at work for wearing a tie, which just means I'll be doing that more often. Which means I need to get more ties. And shirts that fit. Made it home in time to watch an episode of How I Met Your Mother, which was rather a disappointment from the previous episode. Hopefully I'll be able to get another run in tonight before bike reassembly.

2 Years of Marriage in the bag. Yay! Both of us aren't into the cards or the giftgiving, so that works out well, but we're totally in to the celebrating with good food so we're headed to David Burke Primehouse for dinner tonight. As for the weekend, tried out F. O'Mahony's, which was ok. Odd that majority of the customers were women at the time, odd at least for an English pub. Saturday went north to Deer Park looking for the garden centers and nurseries that we passed on the way out to see my dad a couple weeks ago. Our new favorite place: Knupper's Nursery and Landscaping. Also checked out the mall up there, the erehwon. Ended up having dinner in Shaumburg at Moe's Crab Shack, which used to be Joe's Crab Shack. Again just ok. Not quite as good as I remember Joe's had been. Sunday while Tracy worked I took the Metra out to see my parents, and of course my mom made a nice spread, but an easy (for her) spread. Helped push the riding lawnmower out of the mud in the backyard, shot some hoops. Brought some food back as well, and made it in time to see the in-laws who had come over for dinner and grilling.

Still haven't gotten around to putting the bike together. I should get around to that. Otherwise, I've moved on to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Good stuff when you know the whole story. Went for another run last night. I think I've figured out a path to get a 5K in. And even just after 2 runs I'm noticing a difference, so that's good. Tracy whipped up spaghetti for dinner, and leftovers. Watched Grey's Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory, and My Boys, which was odd because it was about crazy Chicago winter weather, and it's spring outside the window, so there was a little disconnect. I think there's some gardening shopping going on tomorrow, and headed out on the train to Woodstock on Sunday for Mother's Day and to see my dad as well. And to set up their bluetooth headsets. And any other sort of computer support too.

Went for a run Tuesday night. That was rough. Not as bad as I thought, but still rough. Plan on keeping up with it somewhat. Hopefully. Don't want to drop off in training before Muddy Buddy like last year. Got to be ready. Tracy made chicken salad for dinner, and had leftovers for lunch yesterday. Watched Bones, Private Practice, and How I Met Your Mother. Last night got the headset tools, so started putting the Sprint back together. I really should name the bike something. Anyway, I need to redo the shifter cable, but I've only got one cable kit and I was hoping to save that for the mtb. I do have a new derailleur cable kit coming though, so maybe I'll just wait a little bit longer to get the bike back together and commuting. Also means I can keep reading the Harry Potter series. I also haven't gotten degreaser yet, so I didn't clean the parts before reassembling the bike. Maybe I should do that too.

Walking home from the Addison Red Line stop, and I hear a "Eric Abando" from a voice from the past. It's John Groden, going to the Cubs game with some coworkers. Awesome. Haven't seen that guy in forever, like 7 or 8 years, and even then, the last time I saw him we just ran into each other in front of the Flat Top Grill on North Ave. So, quick catchup, and he had to go, but would be nice to sit down with him again. One of those guys I look up to. I was actually on my way to the old place to see if I still had my cleats, which I don't. Called my mom to make plans for the weekend and asked her to check around to see if I had sent my cleats out to run around in the open fields in Woodstock. Hoping that's true so I don't have to buy new cleats to try and play a sport I'm not sure I can still play. Anyway, finally watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall over a dinner eggplant omelette and rice. Good movie, and it's growing on me. Thinking I should take up some form of running again.

Well, I'm somewhat officially signed up for Chicago Ultimate Men's League. Somewhat because there's a draft, but I think this means I'll be playing ultimate soon. Which means I need to find out if I still own cleats or not. Which is actually very funny. Also a little scary. Maybe I should touch a frisbee or go out for a run sometime between now and then. Maybe. Recapping the weekend: Friday night walked over to where April was having a birthday party, ended up having dinner at Papacito's Mexican Grille because the wait at Las Tablas was an hour, then headed over early to the Grand River thinking we'd be calling an early night because of my eye appointment on Saturday morning. But that wasn't the case, as we stayed out pretty late, and Tracy now has her own Murtaugh List. Saturday my eyes checked out and we did some shopping afterwards, spending way too long at REI and checking out Arhaus as well as CVS and Autozone. Grilled chicken and veggies for dinner, and watched the Bulls lose. Sunday, thanks to Tracy, put my old pedals back onto the mtb and went out for a ride, hitting up some garden shops. More grilling for dinner, and watched the Dollhouse. That's some good stuff. Still having some issues with the Airport Express whole house audio system. Trying some things though.

Apparently I can just use a large flathead screwdriver or a copper pipe with 4 cuts as a tool to remove headset cups and a bolt with washers to press the headset for install. I may just do that since the tools I ordered won't ship till next week. But I'll probably just wait, which means more El riding, which is good and bad. Good because I do more reading (almost done with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) and bad because I'm not riding, oh, and maybe because of the swine, err, H1N1 flu that's going around. Oh well. I'm definitely jealous of the riders I see now. Got some more plastic drawer storage units from the old place and put them in the garage and filled them up with bike stuff. It's not really organized all that well, but if I can't ride might as well do something bike related. Skipped dinner last night, had a late lunch. Watched the overtimes of the Bulls - Celtics Game 6 last night. Good stuff there. Got April's birthday party to go to tonight, eye appointment and some shopping tomorrow.