Writing is done, now on to editing ...

Well I've finished writing the "Linux Smart Homes for Dummies" (ISBN:0764598236) chapters that will be published (I have 2 more that will be available via my Linux HA web site. There is another Author; Terry Collings of Muhlenberg College (thanks Terry). He completed at least 4 of chapters. Terry may have done more or there may have been others who helped and I wish to thank them all. I'm a very slow writer or as my friend likes to say; "A prolific writer of technical mumbo jumbo just not an author". Thanks "D"!

Now that the chapters are done it's time to edit them. I can't believe the number of its/it's or there/they're/their errors there are. I'm usually pretty good about that. I'm also surprised at how vague my descriptions can be. Good editors can catch these and post questions to point you in the right direction. I really have to thank the Editors for finding the vague sections and providing good questions. I've learned a lot in the process.

And finally, Spring has sprung and I am again on the bike putting on miles. I've been having trouble with my breathing since November. I went to a doctor and he gave me strong medicine (nasty side effects) but it hasn't helped. It kept me off the bike during the Winter (Nov - Feb). While I normally don't do Centuries (100 miles) during the Winter I do like to keep my mileage up. The medicine made that impossible. I think the doctor was too quick to medicate me. I'll be going to another doctor as soon as I can get a good referral. Now that I'm back on the bike most of the problems I had since taking the medicine have gone away. In the last 3 weeks I've gone from riding 40 miles a week to 150 miles a week. I just did a Century with an average of 16.7 mph. The week before I couldn't complete a 70 mile ride. I ran out of steam at mile 65 and limped back home with an average of 16.1 mph for the day. My wife says my cycling relaxes me, I don't know how to relax. What my cycling does is calm me down. I go from trying to do 12 things at once to one thing at a time. As my fellow riders have found out. I'm not permitted to have any caffeinated products on a long ride, especially Double Jolt Cola. They found out that I'm not the one who pays for it the most (imagine getting a speed boost of 2 -3 mph over 100 miles).