Waterton Weekend; Peacock

To make up for my lackluster weekend previously, I was determined to have an adventure last Monday, so that's what I did. Ryan and I went to Waterton Canyon, and it was worth every minute.

Waterton Canyon has an old gravel mining road running through it, a steady climb uphill, but the lowest grade you can have and still be called a hill -- that is, until near the top, where it cruelly bends into about a 40% incline that neither of us cared to tackle for very long. Absolutely gorgeous scenery and hardly anyone else on the trail.

There was some urgency to get to Waterton -- it's a popular spot, and sadly scheduled to be closed for two years in August to dredge the South Platte River of its unacceptably high silt content. Typical, just as I discover this great place, I lose it again.

Anyway, some photos. They all looked sort of blah, despite being of breathtaking vistas, so I touched them up a bit with Photoscape, a surprisingly feature-packed program that's totally free and that I highly recommend to everyone.

Gorgeous. The scenery, not Ryan

I made this look like a postcard from the 70's

Yeah, the photoshopping isn't TOO obvious (note: not photoshopped with Photoscape)

A little tilt-shift effect here. Strontia Springs Dam. Why isn't there bottled water named after this?

Some antiquing. Those little rock-like formations square in the middle (behind the actual rock) are bighorn sheep. You'll just have to take my word

I didn't think Ryan was THAT out of shape, but I apparently "kicked his ass." Despite constant pleading to ride alongside me, he would hang back, even on the downhill. I'm never sure if it's because I'm going too fast (though literally I went down in my highest gear, pedaling as leisurely as I could and still stay upright) or because he needs some quality alone time -- or he's checking out my ass, which seems unlikely.

I got this book, "Mountain Biking Denver and Boulder," which lists 49 rides of varying difficulty. I scouted out possibilities for us, with an eye towards the easiest for Ryan. Have to keep reminding myself it's better than going alone.

A note on the thorn-resistant tube (henceforth known as "Thorny") -- performed like a champ, although this wasn't exactly rough terrain. I didn't feel the slightest difference in weight at Waterton. Different story on my return to Cherry Creek pavement. On the uphill it felt like I was totally bogged down, requiring a colossal effort to keep moving. So much so I spent the whole ride fantasizing about my lightweight standard tubes, wondering if maybe I could go back to one if the only culprit was the bit of wire I found.

I returned home determined to switch, but then reflected on the luxury of still having a firm, fully inflated tire after a whole week and decided against it. The next day I went out again and it was a little easier, so I think I made the right choice.

Speaking of weight, I compared Rogue Leader to Ryan's (nameless, not as loved) bike -- he also has a Specialized, though a much later model. It confirmed my fear that I have the heaviest bike in Denver, made back when they used cast iron reinforced with lead. Even Ryan was surprised at how much heavier it was. Well, guess it's good for an upper body workout too.

~*~

I'm constantly looking for more alternatives in my diet. Cutting out the fat is a good thing, but sure takes a lot of pages out of the menu. I haven't had a chicken pot pie since the ER, so looked at the Banquet pies at the store. I figured there couldn't be that much fat in such tiny little packages. WRONG. 22 grams! (I try to keep myself to around 10 per meal) Ludicrous.

This is why it pisses me off when Republicans like Rush Limbaugh point to obesity among the poor as proof that they're hardly starving to death -- the cheapest food is the highest in fat and the worst for your health, creating a vicious circle of bad eating leading to obesity and other health problems you can't afford to see a doctor about (like $3000 ER visits for a gallstone attack). There's a reason Whole Foods has a slightly higher class clientele; healthy shit's EXPENSIVE. Surely Rush must have noticed this fact when he started dieting?

Anyway, I found a new item that seemed promising, Tai Pei frozen Chinese food. It comes in Chinese take-out sized containers, and only 2.5 grams of fat! I bought three varieties, and tried the first yesterday.

Well. What I didn't notice when I bought them was that they supposedly hold 2-1/2 servings. And once you open the box, it's only about half full. Who eats servings that small? Wee little China men with bird-like appetites, that's who. It's like a piece of chicken, a couple of ears of baby corn and two pea pods, a teaspoon of rice and you're done. Try not to gorge yourself.

It still adds up to only 6 grams of fat, but it seems like a really shifty way to pass yourself off as low fat. I mean, anything can be billed as "low fat" if eaten in small enough quantities. Delivery pizza (which I miss maybe the most of all) is low fat, as long as you only eat one or two bites. That won't really hold you over to your next meal, however.

~*~

Finally, a movie review. I'm cutting, which usually doesn't bode well for a movie.

( ::Peacock:: )

By contrast, I've watched this about 20 times and it still makes my heart stop.

I'm going to be a mess when these movies end. An absolute mess.

~*~

Last but not least, I took this pic of myself while testing a new photo app on my phone. I want it to be my author photo on my first book, though Tery says I look like those stupid greeting cards with dog faces using the fishbowl effect. Phooey.

I made it my default icon, replacing the one of Tery when she was drunk (because I was reminded of that fact every time I saw it).