Apologies are in order (long)

I have to apologize to newbatdis for laying into him for going on a 7 hour ride with only 2 bottles of gatorade. I went out today on a course where I wasn't familiar. In my haste I left my aero bottle at home, but still had 2 bottles with about 300 calories each, one bottle with about 150 calories, a handful of gels and a cliffbar. I knew we were stopping at a store at the half way point so I figured this was enough for half of the ride.
The ride started out well, it was cool and overcast with no headwind. The ride was flat at first with some slight downhills, then more downhills and more downhills (should have realized a problem with this course from the beginning). We ended up going 15 miles to where my tri club was meeting for it's 40 mile Saturday ride. We met the group just before they left and I didn't think to drink anything while we were waiting to start. We joined the fast guys in the group and I had little opportunity to drink because of the quick pace and lack of traffic lights, but again it was cool and I didn't need to drink.
By the time we got to the store, I had only drank about 3/4 of one bottle (about 200 calories). Because I had so much left I didn't buy anything else to drink. I finished the bottle, ate one clifshot and took a bite of my cliffbar. Once we got going I found it hard to keep the pace of the group. At the turnoff, my buddies were waiting for me. I must not have looked to good because they wanted me to lead. Since we were riding at my pace I got to drink a little more and I started to get my second wind. Then my freind said we were going to go up what the Postal Team nicknamed "Cardiac Hill". I actually felt good and dropped one of my freinds. By the top of the hill I was feeling really good, then the headwinds started. I grabbed one bottle and it was almost empty I grabbed another bottle and I could no longer handle the warm Accelerade. Then it hit me, I'm in trouble. I felt very tired and weak and said we needed to find a store, luckily for me there was a store about a half a mile ahead. I went in got some cold water and a Pepsi. I started drinking like there was no tomorrow, but I was still thirsty and it was just sitting in my stomach like a brick. Crap! I was dehydrated. So we took it easy, but all those downhills quickly turned into uphills and I had to crawl all the way back. I had nothing in the tank.
When I got home I checked out the calorie calculator and realized I was 2800 calories short of what I needed.
It has been about 4 hours since we finished, and I still feel like crap. I have learned my lesson!
So from here on I will take my own advice, no matter how easy the ride is.
Drink and eat!!!