Phyllis had an appointment to have her teeth cleaned at the dentist this morning. Carol and I dropped her off then went over to the Fairview Shopping Center for some reason or other. Since I had my new Sony NEX‑5 along we started fooling around with a few takes then after returning to get Phyllis with her shiny clean teeth the three of us drove over to Lake Los Carneros and walked and sat and visited (and Ashe used his new Sony some more). A very nice outing.
Note the sandwich on my bike bag and the oj in the top bottle holder 🙂
I left home around 8:30 on a beautiful warm morning for my usual Sunday loop out the bikeway to Goleta Beach, round the UCSB lagoons, thru I.V. and along the Deveroux cliffs to Coal Oil Point, then up Storke Road to the Starbucks in the Camino Real Marketplace.
Into Starbucks for a low fat turkey bacon and egg white muffin sandwich and an orange juice then back out on the bike and up to Cathedral Oaks for about 10 minutes when it was time to stop and eat my cooling sandwich and drink my oj with this amazing view.
Jeff, south for a day or two, and Tom on the porch for a nice visit
Jeff and Carey are down for the weekend so Jeff was able to drop by for a nice visit with Tom and I on the porch. The muskateers went over to Fresco for turkey burgers then back for more chatting before a viewing of today’s Tour de France stage.
The following day we met with Jeff’s father and wife for lunch at Brophy Brothers for lunch.
Phyllis enjoying her fries at the Los Olivos Wine Merchant
Phyllis, Carol, and Ashe drove up 101 and along the beautiful Alisal Road into Solvang for a little shopping before heading up Alamo Pintado to the small horse ranch. After a nice visit with the little horses we drove to Los Olivos where Phyllis and Ashe had the world’s best turkey burger and Phyllis thought the french fries were the best yet.
I rode down to the bird refuge and met Carla, then we rode down to Carpinteria for breakfast at Esau’s where we split a huevos rancheros. Many nice memories here when various groups of us would riding down on Saturday morning for breakfast and a nice visit.
This is the first egg I have eaten at Esau’s since I ate the “Two, Two, and Two” special on the morning of September 30th, 2006, then road back to Santa Barbara and had my heart attack. Nice to see they still offer the same special.
What a FUN evening. Friend Carol P. and I went down to the Soho Music Club here in S.B for the Monday night “Jazz Jam with Jeff Elliott”. A nice mix of nostalgia and the present, sitting around sipping a drink and listening to JAZZ. It was one of my favorite things to do “back in the day” with buddy Al and/or girl friend Heather; down to The Lighthouse or over to The Mann Hole. Wonderful memories!
Herbie Mann’s version of Summertime — a big favorite of mine
(Click on the Image to view the video)
This morning I walked down to Samsum, across from Cottage Hospital, for my annual cardiology treadmill stress test. I was sitting after the collection of the initial rest data awaiting getting on the treadmill with the goal of getting my heart rate to 85% of my age defined max of 155 beats per minute. So I popped up, grabbed my iPhone and recorded these little movies.
I was able to get my heart rate up to 144, 93% of max for my age. Up until today I was understanding that I could not get my heart rate that high because of the beta-blocker medication (Coreg) I take morning and night.
But anon, the beta-blocking stuff apparently just whacks off attempts by the ole pump to jump or spike above the max rate. Too weird as last year I went in for the same test and those technicians told me I could not get my heart rate up using the treadmill because of the beta-blockers so they gave me a shot of some nuclear stuff that dilated my veins and arteries AS IF I’d exercised.
The goal on the test was 85% of max to get good data so I was pleased to get it up to 93% after 13 minutes on the treadmill. That was certainly the hardest part of the test. The second hardest part was when they abruptly stopped the test at which time I am to immediately step off the treadmill and lay back on the table next to the treadmill for a second ultrasound. The technician starts taking ultrasound images while am am asked to hold my breath at several points! A real challenge immediately after the exercise as I’m gulping for air while being asked to “hold”.
Here is a map of the day’s ride, courtesy of my Garmin Zumo 660
When I left Santa Barbara at 1:15 p.m. the temperature was around 70 degrees. It climbed up to 80 as I crested San Marcos Pass and on to 90 when I stopped in Los Olivos for a chilled Sobe Citrus. It continued hot on up Foxen Canyon then dropped into the 60s as I went through Los Alamos and headed west on Highway 135. Dropping down Harris Grade into Lompoc brought the low for the day, 62 degress. Interesting to me it climbed back up 20 degrees, to 82, by the time I transitioned onto Highway 101 from Highway 1 and rode down through the Gaviota Gorge. Then bingo, again back into the 60s at the coast.
An interesting day in many ways but the day’s 28 degree spread obviously caught my attention.
I met friend Carla at the Audi dealership on Hitchcock at 8:20 and we rode out through UCSB and into Isla Vista for a stop at Starbucks. It was the most bicycle traffic I’ve seen at UCSB and in Isla Vista, very fun. After Carla’s coffee and my healthy Starbuck’s turkey-bacon/egg-white/wheat-muffin we rode out to Coal Oil Point then up to Best Buy where we browsed through their netbook and laptop computer offerings. Then it was back to the S.B. Audi dealer and on home for me.
I flew off to Denver on the 13th. Eric and the boys (Henry 8 and Eliot 6) picked me up at the airport. Kerri flew home on Friday evening from a trip to Boston and we all had a nice 5 days.
Friday Eric and I drove north to Boulder and had a great lunch at Lucile’s followed by a four mile hike in the nearby Flatirons. Saturday Henry, Eric and I went to a nearby skateboard park where Henry honed his skills. Afterward we three hiked to the top of the Castle Rock. That evening Kerri, Eric, and I went to a wonderful Italian restaurant in Castle Rock where we shared and much enjoyed 3 hors d’oeuvres, three main courses, two desserts, and a bottle and a half of wine, YUM. Sunday was more time at the skateboard park and generally hanging out.
Monday Eric and I drove south to explore the Air Force Academy campus then on to “Garden of the Gods” for a short hike. My last morning on Tuesday I got to witness Rex, Henry’s pet king snake, consume two small frozen mice. A little later Eliot, Eric, and I (all second sons) went out for a nice, mouseless, breakfast and chat before we dropped “El” at school, drove up to Boulder, then off to the airport where I got my plane ride home.
