Quilting:

I have several pet peeves about advertising and unfortunately "Quilter Blogs" or I guess it's www.allquilting.biz/quilt-blogs/ now has started doing it.  I HATE moving/animated advertisements of all kinds.  I don't want them splashed across a page or following me as I scroll down the screen.  The second worst kind of ads are the flashing ones especially if they are colored. The last thing I need as I have epilepsy is flashing ads.

I have no problem with stationary ads as long as they are relevant to the blog.  Why do perfectly good sites start doing stupid things like stalking ads following you down as you read?


Cycling:

The asthma inhaler is AMAZING!!!!  There is a difference between out of shape breathing and exercised induced asthma.  If you feel like you are still dying despite all you've done for your exercise, ask a doc about it.  My self-esteem has soared knowing that I'm not a pathetic loser on a bike.  This year is for having FUN and going fast.

YES!!!  I made 20 miles yesterday on the bike trail!!!  10 miles up and 10 miles back and no gasping, dying or wanting to puke.  The last 6 miles were killers as I was fighting the wind but my air supply was going strong.  No wonder people love cycling.  I'm a little sore but it's the good kind.  I took today off and may do some walking tomorrow to let my muscles heal.

My LBS let me borrow some new to me tires to try out, Bontrager XR1 racers and they are amazing on the crushed limestone/dirt trail.  The problem is they are 100 dollars a set.  Errr....Maybe.

Bike tires are completely perplexing to me.  I get that different treads help the bike do more on the surface they are on, but that's about it.  I'm guessing it's like finding the right needle for the job except there are no explanations of the different treads for newbies.  Yeah...I'll take that set..

My bike mechanic has left me for a job in Colorado.  He's fixed my tires, adjusted everything on a bike, listened to me whine about how I suck, ordered everything I wanted with ease and put up with all my pestering questions.  I wish him the best and he will be sorely missed.

I get the idea of copyrights as it protects everyone in the business industry.  What I don't get is how far it goes for a consumer.  At what point does it become insanity for us as consumers or small business owners?  Between some stupid tote bag, Provo Craft and computer software, Pinterest and all the crazy rules on fabric and patterns, do we as consumers have rights and legal protections?

Here's how I see it:

 If you make your copyrights so exclusionary the consumer is lost in how to use your product, don't be upset when you go broke as no one dares to buy it.
 

If you can't keep up with technology, don't get mad when you get passed up by it from competition.


If I have to label anything I have with every Tom, Dick and Harry's name on it, you are out of your mind.


Even if you as a business are lawfully right in a business dispute, it doesn't mean your consumers see it that way.  Bad PR is a death sentence that most businesses never recover from.  There is nothing wrong with lawfully protecting what is yours, but there will be a backlash and a loss of consumers depending on how the situation was handled.


If I like an item and "pin" it, I shouldn't live in fear that I've violated the rules.  Be pleased that I liked your item enough to put it up on my wall as I'm beyond picky.  The "pin" goes back to the owner anyway.  If you don't want your items "pinned" I think it's your responsibility to put that on your site.


I do believe in giving credit where it's due and I do believe in following the laws.  I'm just tired of having to deal with it everywhere I go.

If it's not my knee, it's my hip when I exercise.  I'm beginning to think any form of athletics is beyond my abilities.  I don't even want to be truly athletic, just enough to keep from having a heart attack or from giving the health insurance industry all my money.  I'd like my demise to be either painless or I go out in style that is instantaneous.  Falling over dead from a long term medical condition isn't allowed and I will carry a sign at the Pearly Gates in protest if it happens.

Of course my hip/back goes out on a Sunday afternoon while innocently turning to talk to my husband.  This time the pain goes down my hamstrings around the lower back and waist.  This is new.  I also felt something in the back move.  By the evening, I'm dying of pain.  Every movement has me almost crying.  I refuse to give the ER any of my money, take a couple of Vicodin and wait for the morning.  The ER is just going to give me pain meds, charge me a fortune and send me home.  

On Monday, I see the regular doc to make sure the muscles are okay and head over the chiropractor.  I told him what had happened and wondered if the bike ride the other day had been the culprit.  He said it hadn't and that I'd already rotated the hip beforehand.  This time the sacrum had rotated inward behind the hip which is why the pain was in a different location.  A couple of quick pushes and immediately all the pain is gone.  Go figure.

Both docs said not to quit cycling or walking, but I'm tired of my left hip rotating and if my sacrum is joining in on the fun, I'm doomed.  Stupid SI joints.


 

Exercised Induced Asthma?

I've been slowly working on my hand appliqué.  I'd put a picture up, but you wouldn't know the difference from the last picture.  It's slow going and I hate inside "v"s.  It's killing me and my short attention span isn't helping.


BTW, Bandit is doing amazing.  He's back to being hyper and into everything he can find.


Cycling


I went for a walk the other day around the track and realized my knee was hurting after a mile.  I hadn't really felt up to getting on a bike lately but it's been to nice to not do something.  I went to the doc today and the first thing he asked is if it was bike related.  LOL.  

I've stretched a ligament on the side of the knee.  It's nothing serious as I have full range of motion and nothing is out of place.

The last time I got on a bike I was so exhausted and asked the doc about it.  I wondered if I had exercised induced asthma since it doesn't get any better during the ride and I'm about ready to give up and sell my bikes.  It's not worth the gasping and if I'm really that out of shape, I need something less stressful.


He wrote a script for an inhaler and sent me on my way.  About 10 minutes before leaving for a ride, I took a couple of puffs and got ready to ride my bike.


I got started up the hill and realized I was doing good.  No coughing or gasping.  I made it to the main highway and was still doing good.  I turned left and went down the highway.  Whatever they put in that stuff is amazing.  I made it 6 miles without feeling sick, nauseated, dizzy or wanting to die of exhaustion.  I wasn't choking on my water as I drank either and made it home in one piece.  I was breathing hard..but normal hard.  It was amazing!


For the first time since riding a bike I could work on gearing, cadence (how fast you pedal) and relaxing my feet.  Yes, I dig my toes in and hold on for dear life when I ride.  I really need cycling shoes but I can't work with them without falling over yet.


And my energy level has improved!  I'm not walking around the house wishing for a nap.  Hopefully this is the answer to my exhaustion and I can enjoy being outside on a bike.

Bandit And Back Basting

Turns out Bandit has an UTI.  He kept throwing up yesterday and I took him in today.  Vet said his bladder was the size of a grapefruit.  I feel like a terrible mommy for not knowing something was wrong.  That explains why I found cat urine all over my cycling clothing last week.  Who knows how long he's been using them for a litter box.

He got a shot and actually seems to be doing a lot better.

I got more of my "Red December" blocks worked on today.  I cut out around the pieces of the first block and have been basting the third block.  It's been nice to just sit and do handwork.  Sigh.  Blogger won't let me play nice with the first photo.  Buttons seems to be a camera hog.

Getting the second block fabric cut out for hand appliqué:

I had really hoped to ride my bike today, but the wind has been blowing really strong for the past few days so no luck.

Ahhh..the joys of daylight lasting longer.  I started feeling so much better the past few days and it's been really nice.  I'm tired of being cranky and whiny.  It also helped that I dumped the "My Tweets" quilt into the basement for now.  I LOVE the pattern.  I just finally had to admit to myself that I've hated making it.

That has given me time to work on another project, the "Red December" appliqué quilt.  I had already decided to back baste the quilt and had traced out the design on four pieces of fabric.  I just hadn't back basted the other three panels.  I figured it wouldn't take very long to back baste three other panels until I started.  It's taken me a day and a half to get one done.  My fingers are so sore they burn.  I'll have to do the other two next week.

Cycling:


I got my bike out the other day and went for a ride with my son.  I get about 3/4 of a mile out and I start gasping for air.  I finally get enough to keep going and about five minutes later while going through the gravel roads, I'm dying for air again.  I had to do this two more times and finally gave up on the hill.  I ended up walking up, still having to stop for air.  Even my son was worried.

Now I know I haven't ridden miles over the winter, but we went a total of about 4 miles and it nearly killed me.

I went out on my own the other day on the same route and was having the same problem.  My heart rate seems okay, my legs are sore but aren't burning, but I'm out of air.  I did go farther pushing myself to just deal with it and kept going for two more miles.

Only things I can come up with is a) I'm far more out of shape than I think or b) I might have exercised induced asthma.  I spent last summer doing the same thing.  Just dying for air, stopping to rest, go farther, gasp for air and keep going.  Anything over about 10 mph was enough to leave by the side of the road for a few minutes while I could get air.

The other thing I don't get about cycling is how can you burn yourself out so fast energy wise.  I can walk a few miles and be fine.  A few miles on a bike and I'm wiped.

Next pay day I figure I'd better see a doc about exercised induced asthma.