Adventures of a(n Unemployed) Litigatrix

Oops… looks like I didn’t update my blog last week.  Sorry guys.  Truthfully, I have an excuse.  I wasn’t lounging about by my (non-existent) pool, drinking (calorie filled) pina coladas, and (okay maybe a little) napping all day.  In fact, this week I actually took the opportunity to get hardcore about my job search.  I sent out a bunch of resumes.  On the writing side, I’ve had a million story ideas and I’m trying to put them all into words these days.  So its been a busy week.  But fear not, I’m back…for now.

Thursday, August 13th – Bike Polo

(c) Alaina Morgan, 2009

So lets start with Thursday.  Its not really part of the weekend, but in some parts active bar hopping does start on Thursday nights so I suppose its an honorary weekend day. 

I met my friend Marci in Chinatown (and as an aside, why is it that EVERY time you get out of the subway at Grand Street and Broome Street it just smells like something crawled into a corner and died?  I just don’t understand it) to go see my very first game of hardcourt (or urban) bike polo.  Hardcourt bike polo you say?  What the hell is that?  Well, its actually pretty cool.  There are two teams each with three players.  Each player has a beat up bike with short handlebars, and a homemade mallet consisting of a ski-pole stuffed into some kind of open ended tubing.  The goal is to get a street hockey ball through the “goals” – really traffic cones – on either side of the court.  Protective headwear is optional.  Rules are minimal.  

Pile-up. (c) Alaina Morgan, 2009.

The game is rowdy, with a hefty scent of testosterone (or man-sweat, whatever you want to call it) in the air, but it was good natured.  Body-to-body, mallet-to-mallet, and bike-crashing into-bike contact are both expected and welcomed.

It was really kind of cool.  Especially since I heard that even though it only street messengers used to play urban bike polo, now, all kinds of cyclists are getting into the sport.  That includes long distance touring cyclists like yours truly.  Hm.. will you see me out on the bike polo court?  Perhaps, but frankly I think my shins are a little weak to get wonked with a homemade bike mallet, and I like my trusty steed way too much.

Saturday, August 15th – Why it is a Poor Idea to Ride in the Mountains After Not Sleeping

Bear Mountain. (c) Alaina Morgan, 2009.

I have ridden my bike with a hangover before, and that is why I have never done it since.  On a 90 degree day it causes jelly legs, dehydration, dizziness, and skin tingling about 10 miles into a hilly ride.  I did it once on a ride with my friends Sharon and Robin last year and I learned my lesson.  Lots of sleep and water for me before a ride, especially a hilly one.

After cycling for three years, you’d think I would know better, but apparently not sleeping at all, whether or not one has imbibed any liquor apparently has the same exact effects.  As Sharon wisely pointed out yesterday, I might as well have just gone out and had fun since the net effect is apparently exactly the same.  

Anyway, I planned to go on a ride with my old cycling team up to Bear Mountain.  I’ve never done that ride before, but its supposed to be beautiful, but very very hilly (more on that later).  Our plan was to ride our bikes up to Garrison or Cold Spring, NY.

Enormous Hill. (c) Alaina Morgan, 2009.

When I got out of bed (note I didn’t say “woke up”), I had qualms about going.  My heart rate was a little erratic and I was a bit dehydrated, but my major concern was that Sharon was going to make fun of me for not showing up, so I felt like I had to go.  So I got on my bike, and before I even got over the bridge to meet everyone I already felt terrible.  My legs weren’t cooperating, it was already incredibly hot and humid, and I took it as a bad sign that by the time I got the approximately 9 miles from my house to the bike shop I had already drank one entire bottle of Cytomax. 

So we rode on, and I was just so far behind.  I just couldn’t keep up.  My friend Joe stayed back with me for the first 20 miles, until we met our teammates at the Runcible Spoon Bakery in Nyack, NY (which by the way, is constantly recommended by various cycling magazines as “the place to go” in Nyack, but frankly, I think it is completely overplayed.  It takes a million hours to use the bathroom there, and the only benefit is that they have their free water outside in Gatorade jugs so that you don’t have to bother them for it behind the counter).  

Anyway, I should have turned back at 20 miles.  Had I frankly understood how hilly the next 20 miles were, I probably would have gone sprinting back home the way I came.  But no, because I am an idiot I thought to myself, “well, I can go the 20 miles back home, or I can just keep riding for 20 miles and take the train back…what’s the difference really.”  Well the difference was that I basically felt like dying at several points throughout the day after that 20 mile mark.  Just to put this in perspective.  I just did a triathlon with a moderately hilly bike course, and I felt like I rocked it, I have done four century rides, two of which were in Lake Tahoe (and included a 8 mile long and steady climb).

View of the Hudson from Garrison. (c) Alaina Morgan, 2009.

Anyway, the moral of the story is — don’t get on your bike to a place with limited bail out points, especially if said place is in the mountains, if you have gotten zero sleep.  The end.

Sunday, August 16th – Horse Polo

Colts Neck Polo. (c) Alaina Morgan, 2009.

I suppose this weekend has been a sport filled one for me, because on Sunday Kelly and I went to see the Colts Neck Polo game, in none other than Colts Neck, NJ.  Here’s where the title of this blog entry — Polo vs. Polo becomes evident.  I went to Bike Polo on Thursday and Horse Polo on Sunday.

I really never knew that there was even polo in Monmouth County, but apparently there are five teams in New Jersey.  This weekend Colts Neck played Tinicum Park, and unfortunately lost.  Tinicum is allegedly rated higher so I suppose its not a surprise, but one likes to see ones “team” win.  At any rate, I think Kelly and I were good sports considering that it was 95 degrees outside, and we were ill prepared.  Apparently people tailgate for these things and bring drinks and chairs and what have you. Here’s a tip – do not try to go searching for a beach chair in rural New Jersey minutes before your polo match starts because you will not find one.  Anyway, we have found a new favorite sport, which I will add to joining the circus, playing bike polo, cycling, and training for triathlons.