The Loogie Incident

I'll admit I was debating riding in this morning because of the forecasted wind of gusts up to 50 mph. Then I came to my senses and said to myself that it will take more than 50 mph gusts of wind to make me not bike in. Am I a man or a mouse? Neither, because I'm a woman, which is so much better anyway.

Bipolar weather as usual

Remember when you were a kid and learned how to bike and your parent or whoever it was helping you as you started out on two wheels was pushing while simultaneously holding you steady? All you had to do was pedal of sorts, but it was like having an engine propelling you forward. This morning I had a feeling of deja vu as I biked up the hill across I-90 towards Bellevue College, when a tailwind pushed me up the hill and all I had to do was turn the pedals. It was awesome!

Cherry blossoms!

You know all those times of "if only" or "I should have"? When someone's actions or statement takes you so off guard that you end up standing there like a moron and your usual quick wit has left you stranded like Tom Hanks on a desert island. But after, oh! After! Moments later when the person who insulted you has long left, your head is filled with ideas of what you should have said. The perfect comeback of all times. But all that's left are you and that perfect comeback - the moment has passed and history looks back at you - the loser.

Well, I had one of those moments this morning and I as I'm writing I can't decide whether I should be proud or ashamed. Probably a little bit of both. But oh, did it feel great!

Man, do I hope I'm in the right here, or karma will have a field day with me at some point.

Here's what happened. I was biking along, minding my own business, when the car next to me starts drifting into the bike lane. The only thing I can do to prevent getting knocked over is to stop, which takes a while given the speed I'm biking at. Turns out the asshat was stopping in the bike lane to let off her hopeful at Sammamish High. The reason I know it's a "her" will be clear later.

Great place to stop

The thing that pissed me off/scared me, was that the driver turned into the bike lane while I was right next to her. Not in her blind spot. I was like this looming shadow right next to the car. So not only did she take the bike lane, she stops in it and her offspring who clearly didn't land far from the asshat tree, opens the door right in front of me. It's like they tried taking me out twice.

So I had to wait for that whole spectacle, and eventually she starts driving again. But she gets a red light, and I get a bright idea.


Great place for payback

Still pissed off from the two near assassinations, I pull up right next to her car, then cough up a big loogie, turn my head, and spit right at her passenger side window. This, she notices. Ok, so my aim isn't that great and I partially miss, but the bulk of it hits its target. She rolls down her window, yells at me for spitting at her car, and I calmly respond, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." Then smile sheepishly. Then go on to say, "I guess it's one of those mornings..." The light turns green, and she has no choice but to drive. I let her get a good head start. Just in case she actually wants to take me out intentionally this time.

The rest of the ride in was uneventful.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!!

You guys rock!



Since my plea for help on raising funds for diabetes yesterday, you guys have helped me raise $81! That is nothing short of amazeballs! Thank you specifically to +Jessica Lucas and +Tim Moffatt. Is it coinsidence that the two of you share last names with two of the coolest people in the world - George Lucas and Steven Moffat? I think NOT. Jessica stalked me a little yesterday, but the good kind of stalking, the kind of stalking that helps the world.

I still need help reaching my goal of $200 (or more) so anything you can do will help - even if it's a dollar. I will not accept kittens, puppies, or food. Just money. American dollars. Again, you can donate here.

To thank you, I'm giving you this:



Granted, he's not on my list but he's not exactly hideous and I probably wouldn't turn him down should he throw himself on me. Just saying. I wouldn't stalk him or anything, nor name any bike of mine after him, but I bet he looks sexy-sad and that's hard to turn down.

Sexy-sad = sad puppy eyes + rockin' body + great hair

The commute in today was great! I finally outbiked my arch nemesis! Yeay! I encountered him at 164th and Newport as he came huffing and puffing up Newport as I came down the 164th hill. Our eyes met and IT WAS ON. I reached the three way stop first, zoomed left on Newport and kept a steady but not super fast pace up the rest of Newport, down 153rd, left on 38th, got lucky with the light at 150th, didn't even have to shift up the small incline by Chevron, and didn't see him again as I turned right at 152nd Pl and he continued down towards Factoria.

In other words, it wasn't much of a race. But it kinda was, and I won. Suck on that, arch nemesis!

The intern is back. Sigh, but I armed myself with plenty of this:

As a bonus it helps release stubborn pet hair

Should be a good day.

Diabetes Isn't Bringing Sexy Back

I'm having trouble raising money for my Tour de Cure bike ride and it got me pondering why that is. A friend of mine did a run for cancer not long ago and she had no problems meeting her fundraising goal.

Diabetes versus cancer. Yeah, not as sexy. I don't know if this is due to successful propaganda from the media or if it's a personal problem, but diabetes just isn't as sexy as cancer.

To quote Amy Winehouse - "no, no, no!"
In this case, cancer wins the sexy

Diabetes isn't pink or sexy. It doesn't involve boobs or football players or cute t-shirts or catch phrases. Diabetes is about being grateful that you or your loved one wakes up in the morning. It's about the 3 am blood sugar checks, the low blood sugars, the needles. It's the smell of insulin on your hands after changing a pump site or filling a syringe. It's the depressing feeling that you're a pin cushion.

And this is pat of the problem when it comes to raising both money and awareness for diabetes. I'll admit that my knee jerk thought when I hear diabetes is fat people - people who should take better care of themselves but don't. I think lazy and that they have themselves to blame. In contrast, cancer is pink, it's sexy, it's strong people who didn't deserve the diagnosis. This isn't right, and I know it.

While weight clearly is a factor, both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles in the cause of type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery.

2013 data

Diabetes is an expensive disease. An American Diabetes Association study found that in 2012, diagnosed diabetes cost the nation an estimated $245 billion, including direct medical expenses and the cost of reduced productivity. The number is up $43 billion (adjusted for inflation) from 2007, the last time the ADA crunched the numbers - a result of the growing number of people with diabetes. According to this study, people with diabetes spend an average of 2.3 times the amount people without diabetes spend each year on their health. That works out to an average of $13,700 a year per person, about $7,900 of which is directly attributed to diabetes.

With its increasing prevalence and high cost of treatment, diabetes places an enormous demand on the economic resources of the U.S. Approximately 20% of the nation’s health care dollars go to treating people with diabetes. Annual per capita medical spending for people with diabetes is more than two times that for those without diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 90% to 95% of diabetes cases, has been found to be preventable through lifestyle or pharmacological interventions. The high cost associated with diabetes suggests that reducing incidence through prevention might lower lifetime medical spending and alleviate some of the future economic burden of treating diabetes.

Make it rain!

Your donation will help fund research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; deliver services to hundreds of communities; provide objective and credible information; and give voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes.

So - again, please donate to the American Diabetes Association by sponsoring my participation in Tour de Cure. You can donate here. 

Ps! I'll bike no matter what, because I'm a sucker for any good century.

What A Difference A Day Makes

While cold, this morning's ride in was nothing short of terrific. I even heard birds chirping. Usually a sound that annoys me but today it added to the wonder. Don't worry, I haven't gone all Polyanna on the world, but I am acknowledging a perfect moment in time. I have far too much rage in me to spin everything in a positive way.

My emotions this morning

The only thing subtracting from my ride was the asshat fellow bike commuter who - surprise! - surfaced as the rain paused for a while. Per usual he zoomed passed me with about a foot's clearance. As a measure of how perfect the morning was, I didn't take up chase to punch him off his bike. Had his bike been a nicer bike, maybe, but being the clunker it is I lacked motivation to exert the excess energy.

On a random note; why do people assume Pepsi is an acceptable substitute to Coke? I would rather accept urine before I accept Pepsi as a replacement for anything. Pepsi tastes like ass. Don't ask me how I know. But it really does. And while there might be a time and a place for its taste twin, there is absolutely no reason to have a meal with a side of ass. No.



Phew! That was a close one! I almost became cheerful for a moment there. Emergency avoided.

But judging by the weather, I suspect someone heard me complaining the other day and wants me to keep biking. Or most likely, it's a big, fat coincidence. Whatever it is, I'll take it!

Tour de Cure 2016

On May 22nd I am biking 100 miles to help end diabetes. By supporting me, you will help the American Diabetes Association provide community-based education programs, protect the rights of people with diabetes and fund critical research for a cure.

Please donate!