Always on turns me off!

OK call me crazy, call me irresponsible, call me late for dinner. Call me what ever you like for what I am about to say!
It is enough already with all the gizmos and gadgets. Computers, laptops, smart phones, PDAs, iPods, etc etc etc. All of these items rule so many lives. There are to many ways to never disconnect. Twitter, Yammer, MySpace, FaceBook, IM, BLOGs, Stammer, Slimmer, Glimmer, and Flim Flam. Now mind you, I realize that what I am saying is in direct contrast to what I am doing at this moment.
I BLOG, I tweet and I have a FaceBook. OK, I caved to peer pressure. The only reason I have those things is that I HAVE A LOT TO SAY!
Since I am small in stature, it is hard for me to find a venue where I can say whatever I want and not be walked away from.
However, when I am disconnected, I am disconnected.
I don't have a phone and I borrow a computer for all of this stuff.
Try it for a day...disconnect...talk to someone you love...go for a walk without headphones and listen to the ducks around you. You might be surprised.

I tweet therefore I yam.

Poor Little Piggies

I have been delayed in writing this post.
I need to express my opinion and opine porcine for a minute.
The pigs have gotten a bad rap.
The swine flu isn't their fault! They have it, they have the antibodies for it and it does them no harm aside from chills and fever for a few days. During this time, they aren't able to go to their pig jobs. That's ok. Swine aren't sick much so they have lots of sick time. They take it.
I have a problem with the fact that the pigs are getting blamed for the "Swine" flu in humans. Not their fault that humans don't have the antibodies. Not their fault that humans don't have sick time on the books. Most of their sick time gets used up snowboarding in the winter. (C'mon, you know who you are!) Not their fault that humans are complete germ-a-phobes and spent countless dollars trying to eradicate every germ that exists.
Stop trying to live in a germ free environment and a little thing like H1N1 isn't going to close schools and businesses costing everyone untold money!
That's all I have to say except please leave the little piggies alone!

Been Soooo Long!

Hi Friends and Foes,

It has been so long since I have seen any of you!
I decided it was time to get this caravan movin' again!
Some things going on for me...

...Ride Leader for G4 in the QCMDC again this year. Me and Hooter are reunited!
...Planning a trip to Napa/Calistoga/Yountville in June to ride bikes and eat and ride bikes and eat.
...RV for sale, want some?
...Prolly going to run for Board President since the current one has about run her course. Fingers crossed for me if you are of a mind!

More later! Good to be back!

Hate or Hope, you decide.

Hello Sports Fans!
Welcome to Election Season! It is gonna get down and dirty in the trenches, I can feel it in my feathers!

I was able to attend both of the conventions. I am not sure why they are called Political Parties because they aren't really a party at all. More of a mud slinging contest. Well, some more than others if you know what I mean.

I know, I know, you sit there and gasp "Oh Anabelle, how could you attend BOTH conventions?! What about your allegiance to good over evil?!" Let me 'splain. As a duck for all people, I need to be able to have a view of both sides of the coin. I need to be able to look at things from each perspective before I can weigh in and give my opinion.

I am ready to endorse a candidate. I have thought long and hard and did oodles of research on both offerings. My feathers were worn to a nub with all of the Googling I did. HEY I guess you could say I did oodles of googles! But I digress...

My vote is to be cast for Obama/Biden. These two guys are straight shooters and I truly believe that they want what is best for America. They actually seem to have a plan on how to end the war and help the economy. They have solid suggestions as to how to end our dependence on foreign oil.

The McCain/Palin ticket scares me. Think about it, if McCain should have an issue with health and not be able to lead......then we got Palin in the White house. Not gonna happen if I can help it. Don't get me wrong, John McCain served his country valiantly and is a decorated war hero. That doesn't mean I want him as my president. There is a war monger in the White house currently and look at the mess we are in because of him. This needs to change.

American can't afford another 4 years of Republican leadership. Look what the last 8 has cost.

This is my opinion and you are certainly entitled to yours.

That is all -- I am going to go and have a peanut butter and jelly sammich now.

The Olympic Games

Hello Lovlies!
I don't know about you but I am really feeling the exhaustion of these Olympics. I guess I should have trained more to be able to watch all of these Olympians competing for hours on end. I fear I am getting carpel tunnel syndrome due to the massive amounts of remote clicking I have been doing. We still have several days of intensive viewing to get through so let us try to stick to some rules that will make it easier on our bodies.

1. Watch your caloric intake. We musn't let ourselves get depleted. Bump up those complex carbs and stay away from the sugar. Michael Phelps eats 12,000 calories a day. We should be consuming at least that many too. Oh yeah, cake is a complex carb.
2. Dehydration will get you when you least expect it! There are only 3 things we should be drinking right now; water, water and water.
3. Battery check. A remote with batteries that are low can be a great cause of frustration and this will drain energy reserves you might need for yelling at the tv later on.
4. Get lots of rest. I know that the publicity we must all face can be overwhelming and it is tough to be "on" for the cameras. Keep this in mind and try to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night.
5. After the games are over, we may feel a bit depressed and let down. This is to be expected and is referred to as the Tour de France Syndrome. The only remedy is to get off your butt and go outside and play!
   

If we all try to pay attention to what our bodies are telling us we shall see this thing through to the closing ceremonies. Maybe there will be lip synching and fake fireworks there too!

Have a good day!

ABD

Heckuva long time!

Hello Lovelies!

Again I must apologize for I have been remiss in my posting duties. I would like to say that it will never happen again but I cannot for it might.

Right now I am deep into training for the QUALCOMM Million Dollar Challenge. I am one of the coaches and that is a hard job. Don't get me wrong, it is a lot of fun too! In fact, more fun than hard.

We do group training rides on Sundays -- yesterdays ride was from Solana Beach to San Clemente and back. 82 miles. It was just a nice jaunt after the hell-of-the-east the week before! My group did great and everyone was able to keep pace.

I tell you what, it is hard herding 10 people around San Diego and Orange Counties with nary a flat tire or mechanical breakdown! We caught a break when one of the women in my group got a goat head in her tire but DIDN'T get a flat! The other ride leader just cut it off and off we rode. I have to check with her to see if she got a flat later that day or today. Stay tuned.

The ride is in late October and until then it is ride, train, eat, sleep, train, eat, sleep, ride, eat, sleep...you get the picture.

Stay tuned for more hijinks from the road!

ABD

I'm a Soul Duck!

Hello Brothers and Sisters!

ABD here, checking in from the Big Apple. We arrived in the city that never sleeps on Thursday and since then we have logged more than 10 miles by foot. Of course, we are hooked up with the 7 Day Metro Pass and if you ever come here you gotta get one of these!

Today we went to the Museum Of Natural History in Central Park. It was wonderful and I was able to gaze upon Duck Billed Dinosaurs. It was a beautiful thing and several times I found I had to turn my head away to fend off the tears I shed when I felt the connection with my prehistoric brethren. Those guys were HUGE. No one would have ever messed with them!

After the museum we felt a bit peckish and decided to cross another gastronomic stop off our list. We hopped on the M10 heading towards Harlem. I had heard of Sylvias on the Food Network and since I am a lover of Soul Food, had to go there. On the bus, we were chatting with some women and they told us how to get to Sylvias; get off the M10 at 116th and then get on the 7 which would take us to the restaurant. Sounded good to us!

Another woman on the bus was on the phone and when she got off, we found out that she had called her friend to see where she went for soul food in Harlem. She told us to go to Amy Ruths and not Sylvias. If there is one thing I know, it is that one must ALWAYS take restaurant recommendations from locals so we got directions, jumped off the bus and headed to Amy Ruths.

As soon as we walked in, we KNEW we were in the right place. We were ushered upstairs to a crowded room and handed menus. We ordered our food; jerk chicken, collard greens, cheese grits, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, potato salad, corn, corn bread, lemonade and sweet tea.

Then we waited.

When our food arrived and we began eating, all of the conversation at the table stopped. All that could be heard was the banging of dishes, the clinking of silverware and the "want some of this" that goes with friends having good food together.

All I have to say to you is that if you are ever in Manhattan, get yourselves on the M10 and get yourselves to Amy Ruths. You will not be sorry. Bills down, the BEST collard greens I have ever had. My dining companions will agree with me on this one without arguing.

Oh yeah, we brought home some sweet potato pie and a slice of red velvet cake. The reviews are yet to come in on that as we are still stuffed from Amy Ruths.

Tomorrow we are going to the Soccer Fields at Red Hook in Brooklyn for some Latin street food. Then we are gonna go to the Brooklyn Flea.

More later, dear readers and I wish you were all here with me.

Yours on the East Coast, ABD