@$#&%^*)(*(&^$@!!#T!!!!

...just a sampling of all the words I uttered when my back bike tire blew 23 miles into a 38 mile bike ride. Sh!t!

I assessed the situation:

I had about 15 miles left before home and about 10 miles left to get to town. 

It was 85 degrees.

I was on a not-very-busy stretch of country highway.

I had a spare tire and CO2 cartridge.

I also had my phone.

If someone comes by and tries to steal me, there will likely be no witnesses and I might actually have to run away...

The last article won. I called the fiance, asked him nicely to come pick me up, and then I challenged myself to get the tire fixed before he got to me.

I flipped the bike, took off the back tire (I have quick release tires), and got to work with my tools.

This is the bag I've carried on my crossbar for every bicycle ride since I blew a tire on the edge of town and had to walk 5 miles back to my apartment. This happened three years ago. It has gotten A LOT of use!

 Meet my supplies (reconstructed at home due to awful sunshine and impatience on the road). I always carry with me: my phone, a CO2 dispenser and CO2 cartridge, two tire levers, a spare tube, a Gu, and a mini granola bar.

If you've never used a CO2 cartridge before, they are pretty slick. They have a cartridge holding body and a dispenser that fits both standard (shraer) and presta valves. They can fill two tires full enough to get you going, and one tire to race-ready pressure. Pretty slick for such a small dude!

Despite my awesome tools, it was not a lot of fun.

Please do not be grossed out by my sweatiness!

I got the tube changed, the tire back on, and the whole thing back on the bike just when the fiance arrived. At this point, I could've sent him on his way and biked home, but I wimped out and took the ride in the car. Next time I'll feel brave enough to try to fix the tire before I call him (i.e. when I have FAILED to fix the tire or it blows out AGAIN after being fixed, then take a ride). But, I had something very important to do when I got home.

Eat Chicken!

(and roast peppers)

 Really, the fiance is the grillmaster. I know how to grill, but I'm lazy and prefer to just use good old George. But, you cannot roast peppers or eggplants to quite the right consistency on a Foreman, so whenever the fiance revs up the grill, I start asking for things.

I got to have both two whole HUGE roasted peppers and a slew of veggie kabobs.

Before: Eggplant wedges, yellow pepper, onion, cherry tomato, and yellow squash with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary. 

 Sizzle, sizzle!

And the chicken:

We bought a tray of chicken drumsticks when they were on sale for 88 cents a pound. I buy thighs and drumsticks like that and save them until I can either slow cook them or grill them. Then, the fiance marinated them for several hours and slow cooked/smoked them for 2 hours on the grill. InFREAKINGcredible. So good.

The fiance snarkily reminded me that if I become a vegan I will miss out on this. But that was before my eggplant finished smoking and I was heartily distracted by its gloriousness...

On the dinner plate: Two chicken drumsticks, 1/2 a roasted red pepper, and the veggies from two veggie kabobs all over a pile of cheesey grits.

Cheesy grits? You are wondering how that's healthy?

It's not.

Grits take 5 minutes on the stovetop, which makes them a perfect hot-day carbohydrate, and the meal was missing some fat. Plus, they were A-mazing. The best. I will be eating this again. Tomorrow.

My recipe: 0.5 cups grits in 2 cups of salted boiling water. When the grits become creamy, add in 1 oz shredded parmesan (about 1/2 c or 1/4 c of the packed stuff) and about a giant handful of cheddar or colby cheese. Add a pinch of garlic powder and maybe some salt to taste.


You really should try it. Especially when you're otherwise having a Sh!t day :)

Take care, blog friends! What adventures have you had recently?