I almost regret riding today. It's been extremely hot and humid (yes, and hazy) for the last few days, and today was the worst so far. Still, I felt the pull and there's just no use resisting it. If I try to stay in my office, I don't actually do anything except daydream about riding.

Since we had plans tonight, I had to leave a little bit earlier than I wanted to, and the result was a long ride in hot weather with a stomach still full of the pasta I ate for lunch. Yuck.

This ride was my slowest in awhile. I felt pretty good, but I didn't want to push it too hard (with all the food in my stomach), and the air is so THICK with humidity that I almost felt like I was trying to breathe under water. It's good training to ride on a day like this -- it helps build endurance -- but it's not much fun.

Stats: 33.35 miles (53.69 km) in 111' 14" for an average speed of 17.98 mph (28.96 kph).

Immediately after my ride and a quick shower, Corinne and I had to rush out the door for dinner with my grandparent's at their Summer apartment in Westerly (they live in Florida the rest of the year).

We had a great time! Gramma showed us some of the amazing porcelain she's painting (tea cups and saucers and plaques), and then Grampa sat down with us and told stories (that's what he does best) while she finished up dinner.

Dinner started with an excellent New England-style seafood chowder, followed by steak, baby carrots, and twice baked potatoes. Dessert was a Wilbraham Special: brownie, ice cream, and hot fudge. MMMMMmmmmmmmm!

After dinner we chatted about the family... covering everybody from the current crop of babies growing up in NH and CT, to my generation (including my much younger cousins growing up in FL), my Dad's generation and his brothers and sister, and then all the way back to Grampa's grandfather who was born in 1820!

Can you believe that? Three generations spanning 182 years (and counting). Amazing.

Like I said, we had a great time. Corinne gushed about what a great cook Gramma is -- I guess nobody told her, so she found on the *right* way -- and now she wants her recipes. That sounds to me like a fantastic idea. :-)