Bill and Cathy McArthur Spring/Summer/Fall 2009: 16
Monday, August 24, Cathy went to the gym. Bill ran for 6.5 miles:
Cathy went for a 4 mile walk. Bill ended up walking 5 miles by joining Cathy at Joe's house. After lunch, we drove to Conus Sports in Wildwood to get a new pair of aerobics shoes for Cathy and a pair of grips for Bill's kayak paddle. We grilled burgers for dinner.
Tuesday, Cathy went to the gym and Bill went out for a 37 mile bike ride:
While riding up Beach Avenue in Cape May, Bill kicked a sandal when his chain came off. Some small kids on the sidewalk were fascinated by Bill limping back on one sandal to pick up the other and fix his chain. After lunch, Bill put the hatch cover back on his kayak and check the accuracy of the compass (low by 5 degrees). Bill ordered a new bike rack for the hitches on the XTerra and the RV and a new tail light for the XTerra. Later in the afternoon, we went to the hospital, via Starbucks, to visit Jim Sosna. Jim's daughter Leah joined us after we'd been there for a while. We had leftovers for dinner.
Wednesday Bill got up at 4:50 AM, expecting to go out on an early kayak paddle. The SW wind was blowing hard and the Bay was filled with whitecaps, so Bill decided to run instead. He went out at 7:15 AM and ran for 10K:
Bill was back home before Cathy left for the gym. Bill did some computer work and then got ready for a day of fishing. At 10:00 AM, Bill walked over to neighbor Tom's and loaded his stuff in Tom's truck. The SW wind was still blowing hard when the pair got to the Harborview Marina, but when the boat got out to the ocean, conditions were very good. They went out to the Cape May Reef and caught a mixed bag of bluefish, croakers, short flounders, and sea robins. It was beautiful on the water. Cathy had gone for a 10 mile bike ride in the afternoon. Bill was back home at 5:00 PM and talked with Jim Sosna, who was in the hospital for at least another night. Then Bill talked with Son Bill. As he talked, Bill watered the flowers. He also put the new bike rack into the shed. He took a quick shower and then he and Cathy picked up neighbors Jim and Fran Lewis at 6:00 PM. The four went to dinner at the Ice House in Wildwood. Our friend Paula waited on us and provided us with friendly service as she delivered good food. Bill viewed "Max Payne" when we got home. The movie had lots of violence and weird cinematography, but didn't make too much sense.
Thursday Bill got up before 5:00 AM again. The weather forecast looked good, so Bill launched a bit before 7:00 AM for a paddle around the island:
Bill was a tad late on the tide and suffered on the ocean leg due to a stiff NE wind turning the current against him. He headed for the base of the inlet jetty to escape from the wind. Then he worked his way up the jetty to the boiling mouth of the inlet. He powered through the confused water and finally got to the more favorable water in the harbor. When Bill came out of the canal, he had to face a head wind the final 3 miles back home. It took him 5.5 hours without a stop. He was pretty beat when he landed. Cathy had gone to the gym while he was gone. Bill had a refreshing outdoor shower and then ate lunch with Cathy. Bill chilled out for the afternoon, but Cathy took a 4 mile walk. We grilled chicken and veggies for dinner. We viewed "America's Sweethearts", a tolerable chick-flick.
Friday was a rainy day. Cathy went to the gym. Bill kept looking at the weather radar, hoping for a break in the rain. After Cathy came home from an early 8:00 AM class at the gym, we tried to fit in a bike ride to the West Cape May bridge. We heard thunder when near the canal and stopped by Margaret Lloyd's house to check the weather radar. We hoped that we could make it home, but only made it as far as Harpoon Henry's before the deluge began. Luckily, Bill had $38 in his bike bag, so we ate lunch while waited for a break in the rain. A severe T-storm came through while we were eating. After about an hour, we took advantage of a brief break in the rain and hurriedly rode home. Just after arriving at home, the rain began again and continued all afternoon and night. Bill paid the online bills and caught up on his computer journal. We had a hearty pasta meal and watched a lousy movie on dvr.
Saturday threatened rain most of the day, but no rain fell until overnight. Cathy went to the gym. Bill simply tried to rest his body for the day. He worked on trying to investigate trail races in Georgia and Pennsylvania. Also, Bill did some research for a meeting on Sunday afternoon with a swimmer who wants to swim around Cape Island in September. During late morning, Bill went to ACME to buy a few items. After lunch, we both drove to a health food store in Rio Grande to buy Quinoa. We were also looking for dates but couldn't find any to buy. We stopped at Starbucks before returning home. Cathy went out for an afternoon walk. We went to dinner at Lucky Bones.
Sunday started at 5:00 AM for Bill as he arose to prepare for the Stone Harbor Lions 10K. He saw a squall heading across the mouth of the Bay and noted that the originally scheduled paddle across the Bay wouldn't have happened on this day. Bill downed a quart of Cytomax and ate a Gu pack before he left at 6:45 AM. The roads were somewhat wet, but the weather cleared nicely for the race. Bill really enjoyed the 10K run and ran a decent pace:
Bill finished 200 out of 333. There was one 71 year old who finished before Bill in the category "runners aged 69 or over." Cathy went out for a 6 mile walk while Bill was heading home via Starbucks. The day turned very nice with light wind. Bill completed the Sunday Times puzzle after lunch. At 3:00 PM, Jason Malec, a 28 year old who plans to swim the 15.4 miles around Cape Island on September 13, arrived for a planning session. Joe and Maria Link also joined the group. We sat on the deck and went over the details for the swim, accompanied by 2 or 3 kayaks. We plan to launch at 6:20 AM on that Sunday and finish at about 2:30 PM. After the meeting, Cathy and Bill enjoyed a tortellini dinner. We viewed a lousy movie, "Smart People", during and after dinner. The highlight of the evening was a beautiful sunset and its aftermath.
Bill and Cathy
