You have Betty Davis Eyes but I have Lactic Acid Legs.

I took my road bike out yesterday. That was a mistake, well OK that's not true but it was an interesting indicator of where I'm at. First I took the bike from the basement (it's a really nice road bike and I don't rate it but like the toys in Toy Story I'm compelled to use it, to honor it in a sense - weird huh?).

So I replace the dead battery in the bike computer, pump up the tires, forget to oil the chain, suit up and head out. First I had to reacquaint myself with clipping into the thing - I'm giving thought to upgrading my pedals in hopes of making this easier. It's scary - I frequently can't position the pedal so that I can get the cleat in. This is not fun at a stop with traffic, or trying to cross a busy road - anyway if I can figure this out my actual enjoyment of sucking wind, dying on any upgrade, just getting through - biking for me in short - would rise dramatically. I also discover I can't unclip with my right leg (I don't know why) so I have to with my left which is harder for me to get back in the pedal.

So I kind of play chicken with stop signs which isn't exactly calming.

I'm out on Jerome laughing (well groaning is a truer word) at how the rises are kicking my legs ass. I was going to do 20mi but settle for 13mi on the first ride. It was a good workout but today I'm feeling it.

You may have Betty Davis Eyes but I have Lactic Acid Legs.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/175498852

So farang, what's your excuse?

I finished Vulture Peak Wednesday night, prompting a bizzarre 'book review' in Facebook:

I totally dig this weird Bangkok detective! Start at the beginning - Bangkok 8 - I simply must check this place out while I can still enjoy the temptation of serious decadence, which I'm certain to resist but must face ... naked, toasted and alone. Alone? Where's the trial in that? Maybe without family and friends in the Soi Cowboy but dressed, yeah even Bangkok probably has limits on nude farangs stumbling around their red light district battling temptation... zen like I must ponder the horrible temptations only I can face before ... yes I must think on this, one should not approach Bangkok lightly.

I don't know what it is with these books but I usually end up calling everyone a 'farang' for a week or so until the fit passes. Sonchai Jitpleecheep seems to reach deeply into my psyche.

On Wednesday the evil that is Bubbles had me do both spinning in the morning followed by a 12 noon exercise class that I had no idea I was doing because well I forgot to check but it's still her fault! My system was so shell shocked from almost two hours of exercise that I walked the monster that is Layla in the morning, trying to recuperate. Getting home on Thursday in the 90 degree heat I was offering my kids (who are well on the way to #occupyBillsBasement) $20 to mow the lawn. They declined putting another nail into capitalism's coffin and I found myself bagging the lawn and getting a really good workout (::rolls eyes::)! Honestly, I'm too old for this but I do need the cardio - groan - kill me, I'm talking like an old fogey now ("I need the cardio" - sheesh where did that come from?!).

Well off to another meeting - I'm trying to get Sonchai out of my head but I kind of like him there at the moment. The good doctor and I are encouraging each other in email to do some exercise daily and that's all I care to report on that.

Me love you longtime farang - FIVE DOLLAH!

sigh - hush Bangkok, no need to scare the natives.

The Boy with Self-Righteous Eyes...

I'm struggling with how I'm to motivate another when I can't motivate myself. I drug myself out of bed this morning, last night thunderstorms keeping me awake, forcing me to idly browse my Twitter feed at 3am and I'm groggy. I pretty much don't want to do this gig but I will because I'm certain I've misunderstood our agreement but I figure I have to log it. Hoping if I do it then you will too. Whatev.

So I have a 'hard eight' meeting and I'm already running late but I manage to get on the spinner and crank out 35mins of intervals. I'm listening to RedEye on my iPod but I'm figuring that you probably aren't - what do you listen to or are you reading some journal or book while working that elliptical? If it's hard I've found that music helps more than some podcast but I'm pretty hooked on RedEye at the moment.

After I pop off the bike I notice that I've forgotten to shave! YAY - rugged Bill or hungover Bill, depending on your world view, will have to get through the day. I have no time to go home and shave and honestly no one here will notice.

As I head into work I greet a coworker - he avoids the self-righteous brightness in my eyes (I've been exercising nigh on thirty minutes!) and I enjoy feeling that I have a leg up - until I read my email.

Don't you want to enjoy staring down someone with bright, self-righteous eyes too?

Doctor's Orders.

Appearing perpetually surprised, she stares at me with those wonderful, insightful, owlish eyes of hers. She's appraising me - her ability to sift through my whiny bullshit bordering on the uncanny. She's already had one of her minions put me through a series of weird tests at one point having me hoist a leg in the air while patting my head and rubbing my tummy.

My doctor (yet to be 'blog' named) is sitting on a wheeled stool looking up at me, having just finished typing in some book about what a wreck I am. I'm watching her mentally shift from diagnosis to treatment while I'm trying to paint a Rembrandt with my left foot (why is it harder to have my left foot raised? I'm both intrigued and humiliated by this shortcoming).

I had been spewing some idiosyncratic stream of consciousness babble since she entered the room with minion in tow. Yakking about the latest Sonchai Jitpleecheep detective novel I'm reading to how work has me in this diet program where I've managed to put on eight pounds since starting it.

She blinks and says, "We're going to start encouraging each other to exercise through email. Daily."

Dr.'s orders.

PS: I will attempt this - I am capable of boring the bejeezus out of anyone using email as my 'idiom.' but I'm behaving like, well any male I guess when it comes to commitment issues, like keeping this blog up to date, getting into the gym consistantly, etc. We'll see