T. S. Eliot wasn’t entirely wrong about April. Although I must admit April in the mid-Atlantic is decidedly less cruel than it is in New England or upstate New York where I spent my first 29 Aprils.
Reading
Chip Wars by Chris Miller. This book had been recommended by multiple friends. They were right. It’s pretty amazing. It’s the story of the semiconductor industry. Sounds boring, right? The technological aspects are fascinating, but the geopolitics of the chip industry are mind-blowing. Miller tells the story artfully from the very first transistor to the chips that power artificial intelligence.
Watching
The big watching event was the eclipse. We drove to my in-laws’ place in northern Indiana. From there, we drove back roads to Portland, Indiana near the Ohio state line. We were in the zone of totality. Our battle plan worked like a charm with considerable help from the weather gods.
Yeah, I watched the NCAA women’s final. but, for me, April is all about baseball. Nationals fans are a bit like Jim Carrey’s character in Dumb and Dumber: so you’re telling me there’s still a chance! For baseball fans, July is the cruelest month because by mid-summer your team’s flaws become undeniable. For now, the Nats are within a game of .500 and the young talent is starting to show real promise.
I rode to two baseball games at Nats Park. It was a bit chilly but I drank some beer. The games were fun. The ride was funner.
Riding
I took a week off for the first time in years and managed to ride 22 days for a total of 707.5 miles. For the most part, the weather was pretty good. I brought Big Nellie out of the basement and rode it 322.5 miles. Little Nellie chipped in 229 miles. The Mule contributed 156 miles. The Tank took the month off as I tried with fitful success to get rid of the nagging neck pain I’ve been dealing with for months.
I did two long rides of 53 and 52 miles on Big Nellie. The last one in near 90-degree heat.
I’m more than 300 miles below last year’s pace despite having an extra calendar day. I sit at 2,981 miles which projects to 9,017 miles for the year. I need to get my fanny in gear if I hope to make 10,000 miles. I expect to take several days off in May for a family event so 10K will be a challenge.
I spent a good deal of time doing tour prep. Of course, I keep thinking of things to add to my load, meaning I will be sending home a package after the first week like always. Yesterday I acquired a dog whistle, pepper spray, sunscreen, and a small can of shaving cream. Today, I set up my tent in the backyard. As usual, I forgot a few steps but even so the whole thing took only ten minutes. After that I compared my stock of spare tires to the ones on The Mule. I checked my records and the rear Schwalbe Marathon tire has 6,000 miles on it. I should get me another 1,000 miles or two before replacing it. The front tire, a Schwalbe Mondial, is in even better shape.
I also found a kit to overhaul my Top Peak Road Morph pump, a pump that has proven to be barely adequate over the years. It took forever to get the pump apart and when I did I dropped a tiny spring that went somewhere far far away. I also discovered that the replacement o-ring was the wrong size. Clearly, the bike gods were telling me to buy a new pump so I ordered a Lezyne high volume mini floor pump. Beth at Bikes at Vienna recommended Lezyne pumps. There is one video online that slams the design (if you’re not careful you can pull the valve out of the tire!) but it’s hard to imagine it can be any worse than my Road Morph. Time will tell.
I am down to two items yet to be acquired: a small bottle of Dr. Bronner’s castile soap (it always comes in handy) and a tiny metal valve adapter so that I can use a gas station air pump in a pinch. So tomorrow I will celebrate May Day by doing one last shopping trip.
Giving
This month I made my semi-annual donation to World Central Kitchen in the days after their team in Gaza was killed by the Israeli military.
I also made a donation to Warmshowers.org. If you donate now, you will be entered into a lottery for a new touring bike. Sounds good to me.
Finally, I gave blood this morning for the second time this year. They asked if I wanted to give a double red donation but, with a tour looming, I decided to go with a unit of whole blood.
A Few Spokes Shy of a Wheel 
I have confidence you will make 10,000. I encourage you to watch some of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Despite the Caps lackluster performance. In my opinion winning the cup is the hardest thing to do in sports. 82 games then the hard stuff begins. The most physical games all year. And after the 82 games, the winning team has to play 16-28 games above that. Some of the stories I have heard: players playing with a herniated disc in their back or with a broken jaw in three places. And after it’s all over you read about lots of players that need surgery they have put off. And then look at a baseball player out for weeks after fouling a ball off his foot. Zdeno Chara (6 foot 7 inches) for the Bruins retired a few years back. He just ran two marathons Boston and London in 6 days. He still lives in the North End of Boston. I’ll follow your travels eagerly
Thought of you today as I rode up the Mount Vernon Trail, on my way from my last overnight stop (Lake Ridge) to home, completing my Charlotte-to-Rockville DIY tour. You may get a mention in my journal entry for the day, so be warned.
I’ve been a fan of the Road/Mountain Morph pumps since they came out. Sorry your experience has been less than salutary.
Shaving cream…now, that’s a novel dog repellent.
Chip Wars was a really interesting look at the semiconductor industry. Since you liked it, I’m going to recommend one of the best reads I’ve had in the last year or so – Material World by Ed Conway. An examination and exposition on the fundamental materials of our age – Sand, Salt, Iron, Copper, Oil, and Lithium. I’ll bet you love it.
Thanks I’ll add it to the list
I am, as always, impressed by your thoroughness and organization!
Kirstin