Mood:  chillin'

Well, I seriously doubt I'll be switching back to a Brooks Pro saddle after all.  It seems that bicycle saddles, like tires, have greatly increased in price since the late 1980s.  A new Brooks would run me well over $100.  Even a used Brooks on eBay costs over $60 with shipping.  Then I'd have to break the darn thing in (ugh!)  Last time I broke in a Brooks it took me a long road race (in the rain), a century and LOTS of miles after that.  Anyway, I figure an "Italian stallion" like Ciocc needs an Italian saddle, so I guess I'll stick with my ol' Selle Italia Turbo.  Besides, I just spent the money I would have spent on a Brooks on new tires for Ciocc - got a deal online from the Yellow Jersey in Madison, Wisconsin on three Servizio Corsa sew-ups for only $50 (regularly $19.95 each).  Seems they have 'em made in bulk to their own specs by a factory in Thailand.  I ended up spending $67 on the tires, some rim cement and shipping - same price as one new Continental Sprinter.  I can live with the saddle I have but I HAD to have new tires (my poor-old Contis are currently blow-outs waiting to happen).

Enough about bicycles  . . . its beer time.

Mood:  lyrical

My Continental Sprinters are shot . . . at least my rear tire is.  The casing is starting to bulge in a few places.  Guess they didn't hold up as well as I thought.

But . . .
Hear me now
Oh thou bleak and unbearable world,
Thou art base and debauched as can be;
And a knight with his banners all bravely unfurled
Now hurls down his gauntlet to thee!
I am I, Don Quixote,
The lord of La Mancha,
My destiny calls and I go,
And the wild winds of fortune
Will carry me onward,
Oh whithersoever they blow.
Whithersoever they blow,
Onward to glory I go!

I'll get new tires  . . . and the 'Ciocc Cat' will ride again!

The Miracle Lite Beer Diet

I LOST 15 POUNDS IN JUST 30 DAYS ON THE MIRACLE LITE BEER DIET!

How many ads have you seen floating around the web for so-called "miracle diets" or other weight loss products that promise unbelievable weight loss in just a few days?  I recently saw a link here on LiveStrong that went so far as to loudly proclaim that "dieting doesn't work".  WHO WRITES THIS CRAP? 

Scientific fact: The human body needs so many calories a day to maintain a certain weight.  If you consume fewer calories than needed, you'll gradually lose weight.  You can accelerate the weight loss by increasing your amount of physical activity so that you burn more calories, or further reduce your caloric intake.  Its simple math kids!

As for my "MIRACLE LITE BEER DIET" - yes, it really does work.  Lite beer is very low in fat and carbs and is a good source of B-complex vitamins.  It even contains a small amount of protein (albeit very small).  Consumed before dinner, the liquid "fills you up" so that you feel full before you start eating and the alcohol helps suppress your appetite.  However, lite beer still contains calories (about 104 cals per 12 oz) so it needs to be counted like anything else.

(Dirty little secret - I didn't lose 15 pounds in 30 days just because of the lite beer - but because I watched what I ate, counted my calories and didn't sit around on my butt all day 'slacking on the net'!)