Runaway Train of Thought

I downed an entire can of Pringles after yesterday's long ride. Today that sounds disgusting, but after being in the extreme heat, 97% humidity, and full sun for four hours, my body was craving salt (Plus I was too baked to get anything else.). The 45 extra minutes we spent under the sun because of a mechanical problem didn't help. Cyclist who stopped and tried to help us fix my gears despite the fact that if you missed the ferry across the Mississippi River you would be riding 105 miles instead of 75: You have been Activated. Also Activated is your honesty: "I could take this shifter apart but I can't guarantee I could get it back together." Reminded me of the scene in Bottle Rocket when Dignan, Owen Wilson's character, says, "And I can't fix a car like this, because I don't have the tools! And even if I did have the tools I don't know if I could fix a car like this!"

On the topic of Pringles binging, FOA Diesel told me about the incredible display of obesity he witnessed in Branson, Missouri, last week. He and his wife played a game in which they sat on a bench and tried to spot people with proportional heights and weights. The sightings were as rare as a conscience in a McDonald's boardroom (rimshot, please). That story got me thinking about obesity in our country. What a tragic and sad epidemic that just keeps getting bigger. I actually have a great aunt who chose life in a wheelchair over doing her exercise program. Here's an excellent blog on obesity. (Note to self: Remain steadfast in never agreeing to go to Branson.)

Back to Pringles: I saw Wisconsin FOA Steve drink 15 beers over a single day in Montreal last month, but he won't touch a potato chip because he sells some type of filter used in chip-making factories and "has seen how they are made." That reminded me of my fourth-grade visit to the butcher's shop in Ye Olde Towne Connecticut and why I haven't eaten a hot dog since.

On the topic of hot dogs, at a recent family barbecue, my brother-in-law blurted out, "When you gonna drop the stupid swimming, biking, and running and start playing golf?!"

"Never."

"You're gonna be a lonely 70-year-old."

"I'm good with that."

That concludes today's episode of Runaway Train of Thought.