The Retirement Thread

[classic33]

Too technical for me is that. All I know is that my phone would not let me in.

Technical?
At the bottom of the page, if you have anything on ignore.

Click/press it and it should show, if you've hit ignore by accident

 

[ColinJ]

If I feel good in the morning I will set off to ride 100 km. Not so good, maybe just 50?

I slept quite well, and the weather was nice, so I did my 103 km (64 mile) 'flat' Devon route. Ok, it had 1,010+m (3,300+ ft) of ascent but that is pretty flat for a Devon (or Yorkshire!) metric century. My longest ride since mid-November!

Can’t stand milk chocolate Dark chocolate every time. You shouldn’t be surprised as I love Marmite.

You need to try...


BOVRIL CHOCOLATE!

(One of my sister's old advertising posters.)

Even when I used to eat meat, I would NOT have fancied that!

 

[classic33]

I slept quite well, and the weather was nice, so I did my 103 km (64 mile) 'flat' Devon route. Ok, it had 1,010+m (3,300+ ft) of ascent but that is pretty flat for a Devon (or Yorkshire!) metric century. My longest ride since mid-November!

You need to try...

BOVRIL CHOCOLATE!

View attachment 645688
(One of my sister's old advertising posters.)

Even when I used to eat meat, I would NOT have fancied that!

Where can we get hold of the chocolate in question?

How're you feeling after your longest ride, not counting the train, in over six months.

 

[ColinJ]

Oh, I saw the sweetest thing out on my ride today...

I was cycling up a quiet lane above Budleigh Salterton to take me to the fantastic cycle path to Exmouth. A family of four emerged and cycled down the gentle slope towards me. The couple led the way. An 8-year old boy followed. Bringing up the rear was a 5-year old girl. Her face was glistening slightly from the effort of riding, and her cheeks were red from exertion, exposure to the sunshine, and with excitement. She appeared to be in total ecstasy from the wonder of the family ride. I reckon she was thinking something like this:

"Mummy and daddy are going ahead to make sure that we are safe. My lovely big brother is just in front of me. And I...



... I am riding the bestest pink bike in the world EVER!!!!"

 

[ColinJ]

Where can we get hold of the chocolate in question?

Watch where I head and go in the opposite direction!

How're you feeling after your longest ride, not counting the train, in over six months.

I feel pretty good, actually. Those sharp little hills round Todmorden in a 52/19 gear seem to have kept me ticking over.

The saddle was starting to make my bum feel a bit uncomfortable by the time I got to Exeter but I had expected it to happen 2 or 3 hours sooner in the ride.

My neck and back are stiff and sore but they were even before I set off, so that is no surprise. I must start doing remedial exercises and stretches when I get home to Yorkshire. I have got books showing what to do. I just never get round to it!

I am pretty unfit though. I took 6 hours to do the ride. I am sure that @PaulSB could have done it in 4.

 

[PaulSB]

Watch where I head and go in the opposite direction!

I feel pretty good, actually. Those sharp little hills round Todmorden in a 52/19 gear seem to have kept me ticking over.

The saddle was starting to make my bum feel a bit uncomfortable by the time I got to Exeter but I had expected it to happen 2 or 3 hours sooner in the ride.

My neck and back are stiff and sore but they were even before I set off, so that is no surprise. I must start doing remedial exercises and stretches when I get home to Yorkshire. I have got books showing what to do. I just never get round to it!

I am pretty unfit though. I took 6 hours to do the ride. I am sure that @PaulSB could have done it in 4.

The point is you enjoyed it.

 

[Mo1959]

Usually Saturday crap on the tv so I switched to ITV3 and watched an old Lewis and a Midsomer Murders. I see we have a new series of Silent Witness starting on Monday though so I usually enjoy that.

 

[ColinJ]

The point is you enjoyed it.

Basically true, but I am like you in that I have an idea of what I want to do and I am well short of that level.

TBH, I don't know how much is down to not trying hard enough (often enough!) and how much is due to the damage done to my body by clots 10 years ago. I have been a lot fitter in the years in between so it probably more that I need to get stuck in.

Losing some weight would definitely help and I have no excuse for not doing that. 7 or 8 kgs less to lug uphill would be good.

 

[PaulSB]

I've wondered how people tell when infrequently watered plants need 'topping up". I misted the leaves a couple of times a week and perhaps watered it about once per month or so. I'd feel the soil around the plant and it felt dry so I thought it might need water. Is there a probe of some description that goes into the soil, or is it experience and intuition?

I would say it's experience and intuition and this is difficult to pass on. My background is in commercial growing and sales which is very different from looking after a houseplant. However.......

Compost is full of pores and these need to contain a balance of water and oxygen. The trick is to get the balance right between pores holding moisture and those holding air. Fill all the pores with water and the roots drown through lack of oxygen.

It's easy to add water and impossible to remove it. Therefore always under water as once a compost is soaked drying it out is very difficult.

I check our houseplants once a week and do this by picking the pot up and pushing a finger about a knuckle depth in to the compost. If the compost feels dry, that is you really cannot feel dampness, or the pot feels light it is time to water.

Always water from the bottom up. Stand the pots in water and allow the compost to absorb the water. Watering from the top until water runs out of the pot bottom fills every empty space in the compost with water meaning the pot is holding the maximum amount of water it can which is close to overwatered. Look at it this way, water till water is draining through the bottom of the pot and clearly all pores are full = no room for oxygen!!!!

If a plant is too big to stand in the sink or bowl water with a measured amount. Start with 500ml and build from there. You'll soon learn how much water an individual plant needs.

Water can always be added but not removed!

Watering is a very real skill which on a nursery comes from years of experience.

 

[PaulSB]

Basically true, but I am like you in that I have an idea of what I want to do and I am well short of that level.

TBH, I don't know how much is down to not trying hard enough (often enough!) and how much is due to the damage done to my body by clots 10 years ago. I have been a lot fitter in the years in between so it probably more that I need to get stuck in.

Losing some weight would definitely help and I have no excuse for not doing that. 7 or 8 kgs less to lug uphill would be good.

Geeez you lot will get bored with me. In recent months I've begun to recognise I can no longer push my body as I once could. November to March I worked very hard. January to March I became more and more frustrated and depressed at my "performance" or perceived lack of it. Reached a point when I simply stopped riding as I was utterly depressed by what I was seeing as failure. I even considered selling my bikes. I decided to wait for a day when I wanted to ride and that took five weeks to arrive. Only ride when you want to, don't push it chasing a level it may no longer possible to achieve.

On the weight thing I would suggest calorie counting. I knew I was gaining weight and that was adversely influencing my mood and I believed was impacting my cycling.

I've been counting since April 16th. I eat 1550 calories per day unless I'm riding when I up it by 5-600. I've lost 2.3kg in 35 days and have to shift another 1.8 to hit my target.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I've wondered how people tell when infrequently watered plants need 'topping up". I misted the leaves a couple of times a week and perhaps watered it about once per month or so. I'd feel the soil around the plant and it felt dry so I thought it might need water. Is there a probe of some description that goes into the soil, or is it experience and intuition?

Recently I've been using watering bulbs similar to these.

Amazon product ASIN B091Y1GF4WView: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fangehong-Automatic-Watering-Waterers-Houseplant/dp/B091Y1GF4W/ref=sr_1_24?keywords=Watering+Bulb&qid=1653168539&sr=8-24

 

[ColinJ]

On the weight thing I would suggest calorie counting. I knew I was gaining weight and that was adversely influencing my mood and I believed was impacting my cycling.

I know that it suits many people but it is not for me.

I prefer intermittent fasting. I have been doing it once a week (-ish) over the winter and that kept my weight stable when otherwise it would have gone up due to lack of cycling. Another fasting day a week and I would be losing weight.

The main culprit for my weight staying too high though is midnight snacks. I have been munching oatcakes or nuts and raisins most nights. I don't need to eat at that time, it is pure indulgence.

 

[PaulSB]

Recently I've been using watering bulbs similar to these.

Amazon product ASIN B091Y1GF4WView: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fangehong-Automatic-Watering-Waterers-Houseplant/dp/B091Y1GF4W/ref=sr_1_24?keywords=Watering+Bulb&qid=1653168539&sr=8-24

Those are a great idea. A measured amount of water being delivered into the centre of the compost is spot on. It has the same effect as standing pots in water and letting it be drawn up through the compost.

@Tenkaykev when watering orchids these should be flooded and then allowed to drain. The compost used for orchids is extremely coarse and this the only way to get it to retain some moisture.

Last point is do water from the top occasionally to stop the top third of the pot drying out completely. Use a measured amount, start with 500ml and progress from there.

 

[PaulSB]

I know that it suits many people but it is not for me.

I prefer intermittent fasting. I have been doing it once a week (-ish) over the winter and that kept my weight stable when otherwise it would have gone up due to lack of cycling. Another fasting day a week and I would be losing weight.

The main culprit for my weight staying too high though is midnight snacks. I have been munching oatcakes or nuts and raisins most nights. I don't need to eat at that time, it is pure indulgence.

I understand this but fasting stresses the body which is not necessarily a good thing. The body reacts to this stress by storing every calorie it can grab, it stores those calories as fat. What calorie counting does for me is help to address portion control and snacking. As I see the day's calories mounting up I'm more able to control what I eat. We often have scone, biscuits, crumpets etc. with a brew. Having to enter 267 calories for a single scone makes one think - I often had two!! It really helps to reduce snacking. 100g mixed nuts is 670 calories, one oatcake 40 calories! Having to admit this works for me.

Or boiled eggs and sourdough toast for breakfast - two slices of toast is 400 calories. My usual breakfast of Wheat biscuits, banana, milk and spoonful of yoghurt is 280 calories.

 

[ColinJ]

Aargh... What unearthly time is this!

My guest bedroom here is a converted office at the back of the property and it has a cat flap in the door to the back yard. One of the damn moggies was headbutting the closed flap until I let him through. To avoid that I would have to leave the flap and other door open all night and then I would be pestered by the 2 cats, and the dog, plus woken up by anybody else in the house getting up before me.

I think the cat has now woken them upstairs because I can hear footsteps in my sisters room above me. She gets woken one way or the other. Either the cats nut her door or they climb onto the roof over the back yard and headbutt her window instead. I am definitely NOT a cat person!

Anyway... I want another 4 hours sleep. TTFN!