Countdown to Triathlon – 152 Days, 21.71 weeks to Race Day (See Installment 75 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - "Dingbat" - One definition is: A weird thing, person or situation, a person considered stupid or foolish

For you younger readers, Archie Bunker was the leading character In one of the most successful sitcoms in history.  The show was about a bigoted, loading dock worker, his wife Edith, daughter Gloria and son-in-law Mike.  Mike was Polish and Archie aways called him "meat head"or Pollock.   The show ushered in a new era in our television broadcasting because Archie never shied away from controversial or socially relevant subject matters.  There wasn't a race of people or nationality that he didn't make fun or insult.  He was always bemoaning the fact the world wasn't the same anymore.  Hence, those were the days.  The show can still be seen today on cable or satellite TV and Bob and I have watched it recently.

Lyrics to "Those Were the Days"
from the TV show of the 70's
All in the Family, starring Carroll O'Connor
and Jean Stapleton

"Boy, the way Glen Miller played.
Songs that made the Hit Parade.
Guys like us, we had it made.
Those were the days!
Didn't need no welfare state.
Everybody pulled his weight
Gee, our old LaSalle (a car) ran great.
Those were the days!
And you knew where you were then!
Girls were girls and men were men.
Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again.
People seemed to be content.
Fifty dollars paid the rent.
Freaks were in a circus tent.
Those were the days!
Take a little Sunday spin, go to watch the Dodgers win.
Have yourself a dandy day that cost you under a fin (five dollar bill).
Hair was short and skirts were long.
Kate Smith really sold a song.
I don't know just what went wrong! Those Were the Days!"

Why did I mention this show?  Archie always called Edith a dingbat and I called myself that in the story below.  After typing that word, it just reminded me of the show and I can still hear them sitting at the piano and singing the above song.  Edith would play and sing in a very screechy voice and off key with Archie singing along.

The Journey - Installment Seventy-Five

         On Thursday, when they arrived at our home, Lisa’s husband loaded my bike and travel bag into their pickup truck.  Someone was with him in the passenger seat.  From where I stood near the driver’s side, I didn’t think that person was Lisa and I assumed it was their daughter.  She had long, flowing hair worn down around her shoulders and looked so young.  I remember wondering where Lisa was and that maybe I hadn’t noticed her getting out of the truck. I did a complete 360 degree turn on the driveway.  When I didn't see her, a hopeful  thought flitted through my mind that maybe her husband had dropped her off somewhere nearby, at a store perhaps, and was going to pick her up on the way out. But that didn't seem plausible.  I had an ache in my heart and a stabbing feeling in my stomach.  That old feeling of insecurity raised its ugly head again thinking that perhaps she had changed her mind and wasn’t going to ride with me after all.  We had to have a huge laugh over that because as soon as she spoke I realized that the person with the long, flowing hair was Lisa.  I hadn't recognized her.  I felt very foolish at that point. I'm sure Lisa wondered why in the world I didn't know it was her. I had spent a lot of time with her when we were Tupperware Managers, years ago and should have been able to realize who she was .  But when we had last met a couple of weeks before, she was wearing a baseball cap, she had biking pants on and her hair was in a ponytail. What a dingbat I can be. Just call me Edith Bunker.  With great relief I got into their pickup truck for our trip to Sacramento. All was now right with the world! We drove to the hotel and Lisa’s husband dropped us off because he wasn’t able to come along with us on the journey.  My husband Bob was to meet me there later that evening.  Bob had decided that he would come to the ride and ride along in his pickup truck as support.