As you can see, my transfer over to Wordpress was successful.  This may seem like a small feat to some but let me tell you, I am not the most technically-savvy gal around so anything I pull off technologically is a major accomplishment.  Please be patient as I am still under construction.

Today, I rode my bike for the first time in too many years.  It kicked my butt! I loved it.  Hey, I'm not the stereotypical, bionic trainer and I'm not ashamed to admit it.  Besides, you know I like to keep it real.  I experienced a little bit of knee pain and tightness in my quads while riding.  I stretched my quads several times during the ride-even did so while in motion (leave a coment if you're wondering how I did it) and it helped.  Once home, I applied ice and elevated my legs. 

I've been experiencing knee pain for the last few days but there was a period of time when I suffered from knee pain on a regular basis.  It wan't until I became a personal trainer that I figured out why.  Initially, the pain stemmed from an imbalance in the musculature around my knee cap (patella). Simply speaking, my adductors (inner thighs) were weak and my abductors (outer thighs) were tight.  Moreover, my hamstrings were weak too.  So, I followed a program that entailed lots of stretching, especially my abductors and I performed exercises to strengthen my adductors, hamstrings and quads. Within short order, my knee pain went away.  I've continued to incorporate these exercises into my training regimen and I am certain that the knee pain that I've been feeling for the past few days is the result of another factor.

I have flat feet. They're cute and all but they're as flat as flat can be.  In case you are wondering what that has to do with knee pain, read on. 

The biomechanical function of your feet will have an impact on your muscles and joints.  For instance, flat feet can cause knee pain, achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis and even shin splints.  I will dedicate the next few blogs to each of these ailments so be sure to come back.  In order to treat this condition, I was prescribed orthotics.  And this is where Chesna's been slacking off.

It's time to have my orthotics refurbished because they're worn out.  I've been doing lots of cardiovascular exercise lately on worn-out orthodics.  As a result, I've been noticing the tell-tale signs while engaging in other activities that are seemingly unrelated. So, with that said, I'm going to send them in for refurbishing and while I'm at it, I'll order an alternate pair for future use.  And just to play it safe, I will reassess my bicycle seat to make sure it is at the proper height.

The point of today's blog is to give you some insight on the importance of a well-rounded training regimen and to encourage you to pay special attention to your feet.

Peace & blessings.

It's somewhat comforting to know that even after not exercising in too many years to mention that the human body is still able to respond with a fair amount of ability and endurance. I had wondered if I might well keel over with a heart attack at the first encounter with real exertion, but surprise, it didn't happen (not yet anyway).

The bicycle is actually a workout machine ideally suited for me. I find walking and running boring, the scenery just moves by much too slow, and running gives the body and joints a real pounding. A bicycle though is low impact and maintaining a steady pace of let's say 15mph or so I find I get a good lower body as well as cardio workout. My goal was to work at reducing my blood pressure and cholesterol but I find that there are also other benefits too. It seems to be a natural appetite suppressant, and the feeling of a cool shower after a two hour ride on a warm summer day is not to be missed.

My bicycle as you may have noticed is not the traditional diamond frame bike but rather is an under-seat steering recumbent. Tagging along with a friend who was in the market for a bike initially found me also test riding some new traditional bikes, a Cannondale to be precise. Great bike I am sure, my friend thought so and bought one. But I found myself hunched over, weight on my arms and hands and looking at the front wheel and the road beneath it. Stress on the back, neck, arms and hands. And did I mention the torture device that passes for a seat these days? No thanks. Fortunately I remembered a friend of mine from years back who had pieced together his own recumbent bicycle from old bikes he had and just how comfortable that bicycle was. After a search on google and a several hour drive to a recumbent dealer, I had my bike. Why we don't see more of these on the road I can't fathom. Especially given the reaction I get from the folks who see this thing in action, "cool bike", "Where did you get it?", "Is it hard to ride?", and so on. There are all kinds of recumbent bicycles too; touring, racing, you name it. I highly recommend them.

I swear, if they weren't in their team kit I'd think they were prison camp survivors.  Michael Boogerd looks especially cadaverous.

http://www.timmkoelln.com/the_peloton/

Props to DC

That being said, I feel that I must inform you that I'm NOT a party girl. If you dangle a good movie and a comfortable pair of pajamas (preferably some of Mel's because she has the best PJs and I like to steal them) in front of me on a Saturday night, chances are I will eagerly comply. However, once and a great while I will knock that DVD out of your hand, scoff and walk away (and put on my Saturday's best).

Anyway, on my vacation, I appropriately go into party mode. I have high expectations and anticipate a fair amount of drinking (dare I say Patron?? Gasp!), bar hopping, 4:00/5:00 am bed time, hangovers, etc. I have high expectations, I don't necessarily go to great lengths to make sure my expectations are met because as you may or may not have read on Day 1, I threw in the towel to my exhaustion.

Unfortunately, my ultimate NY experience fantasy would not come to fruition on this particular trip (Reality, you bitch) but I write that without any regret because I was able to experience something else that I would put on the list of Ultimate New York Experiences...

It was actually a good thing that we didn't stay out late drinking the night before because I probably wouldn't have enjoyed the bike ride as much. We did however (the nerds that we are) stay up late and watch that movie Charley Bartlett.

I woke up in Kristin's adorable two bedroom brick stone apartment on her comfortable bed by the window and through my sleepy eyes reached for the curtain to peer outside her window to a clear sky over Harlem and the Chrysler building off in the distance. New York is so beautiful in the morning. I did this every morning I was there. One morning I left it open and fell back asleep so that I could see it when I woke up again, but a while later Kristin shut it--oops, sorry Kristin. I forgot most people prefer to sleep without the morning sun hitting their face. I think I am among the few who can sleep with their blinds wide open (I know, it's weird).

Kristin and I got ready and headed off to the bike rental place. At this point, I still had no idea what to expect. We rented our $5.99 an hour bikes and rode a couple blocks up to Park Avenue. All I can really say is that it was an amazing experience to ride down a main street that is normally filled with traffic and feel so tiny in comparison to the beautiful architecture of Park Avenue. The weather was perfect and the feeling of perpetual bliss among the other bike riders, skateboarders, rollerbladers, walkers and runners was contagious. I must have said "amazing" and "awesome" at least 50 times. Count me in if they do this in LA. They absolutely should and the best part is that I'm sure it's a different experience in every city (I think this idea was originally done in Bogota, Colombia or Paris, France... not sure. Anyone care to elaborate for me?)

I was on that street a few days later crossing the cross walk before I realized that was the same street we rode our bikes down. It was monumentally different. The once eerily peaceful street became chaotic and crowded.

After this we did a little bit of window shopping with our sweaty helmet hair and later returned to Kristin's to await Tiff's arrival. Tiff was full of energy once she got there or so she thought. I knew better having experienced the NY high the day before. The NY high is when you're so overwhelmed with excitement to be in NY that all tiredness is forgotten. As with any stimulant, your high only lasts for so long before you experience the inevitable debilitating crash. We did come to find out that Tiff's high was also thanks to meeting a guy at the airport (juicy details for Day 4).

I put on my Saturday night's best because I was fully aware that this was pretty much my last night to party in NY. The night started off great! We were giggling endlessly on the subway due to some photograph mishaps and other such things, we went to another cool vegetarian restaurant and then made our way to a bar and ordered some Chimay. All was well.

Then something happened. The mood shifted. The giggling ceased. Tiff's NY high predictably expired (as mine did about the same time the night before), Kristin was tired from the bike ride, her friend that we were supposed to meet up with had just informed her that she wasn't going to meet up with us after all and they were nursing their beers as I ordered a second. I failed to notice all of the telltale signs at the time, because as you know, alcohol impairs your judgment.

Kristin and Tiff decided to leave after I finished my drink and I was thinking alright! Where are we going next?! Then when we got to the subway, I was thinking cool! We have to take the subway to the next place?! Wherever we're going it must be awesome.

"Where are we going?!" I asked, expecting an exciting answer of the New York kind.

"Home," one of them replied, I can't even remember who said it. All I can remember was my drunken disappointment, because really, who wants to be drunk on the subway?! Especially when you're friends are sober?! Don't drink when you're friends are sober. Don't do it. Look for the signs (i.e. beer nursing, mood shifts etc)! What a waste of a buzz.

I wasn't upset at them or anything like that (I heart those two). I just sort of realized that this would not be a party vacation. It would be an AMAZING vacation none-the-less just not a party one. Oh, well. We went home, watched Kristin's tivo-ed programs while Tiff and I chatted with the same person on ichat. Poor Brandon. All of sudden he was bombarded with texts from Tiff and me requesting his AIM Screen name and then we were both trying to ichat with him at the same time. When he wasn't chatting with me I would hear Tiff's keyboard clicking away and then I got mad and felt ignored (even though I wasn't being ignored, again, side effects of alcohol) so I exited ichat only to get on later when Tiff was off and finish my chat with Brandon. I couldn't compete with the chatterbox queen (no one can. Many have tried and failed miserably. I dare you. Go ahead, but remember I warned you). I went to bed winning the Chimay induced competition in my head.

So here I am months later...a bit more fit and sixty pounds lighter.  Unfortunately, the plantar faciitis has flared up making walking really uncomfortable.  The bike has my name on it.  I did, after all, make a very bold trip with Moriah through our neighborhood.  It was my first time off the street!  Very exciting stuff...  Armed with the confidence of not breaking any bones on the last bike experience, I headed to the nearest trail system.  By the way, Fayetteville has an amazing trail system!   On a trail right in the middle of town I rode confidently and not a little amazed that I was actually riding.  The vegetation was refreshing..,.it felt like I was out in the middle of nowhere.  The sounds of the cicada mixed with the wet fragrance of the heavy overgrowth swirled around me.  Thirty minutes of riding and I was so inspired, I almost looped the trail twice.  Maybe next time.

Speaking of first times...here's a couple of experiences that will make any parent smile (or faint!).  When I picked up my teens from a youth function recently the first thing my daughter did after hopping in the car was reach over and TURN DOWN the radio volume.  (Love good music, love it loud)  I stared at her quizzically, knowing she loves loud music as much as I do.  "Mom, I want to talk to you!"  Whoa.  Ask yourself...when is the last time your teenager turned down YOUR music so they could talk to you??? 

Surprisingly, a similar situation occurred tonight as I was typing this very post.  My oldest son sat across the room and stared expectantly.  Ahem.  Yes?  "I want to tell you about my day at school."  What?  Do you need money?  No.  At this point, it became apparent that he was waiting for me to close the laptop and maintain eye contact.  So I did.  His brief monologue quickly digressed into a political discussion.  Sigh.  How have I birthed a human less conservative than I?  In any case, after the discussion (including various name calling and sarcastic remarks), he reported that I had progressed in the realm of debate, having actually survived the incident without....um, incident.  I can only hope that his little sister, present and questioning during the so-called debate, was not tainted by the unmitigated endorsement of (shriek!) moderate views.  Oh, help.  But, God bless him, he's 16 and wanted to talk.  "Get off your computer mom, I want to talk.''  Write it down.

   In my ever present quest for attempting a stab at staying fit and healthy I am working on two things with my bike riding, 1) to ride 4 to 5 times a week and 2) to try and increase my distance each time. My record so far is 27 miles, broken down with half in a morning ride and half in an evening ride. Today 17 miles seemed fairly easy and without trouble. Along the way I snapped this picture of the confluence. The confluence is where the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers meet together. For you geography buffs that happens in Binghamton NY. It was a beautiful day with a cooling breeze, perfect for a ride. The occasional headwind only increased an already fine work out.

I think I am beginning to understand the mental as well as physical benefits of riding and exercise in general. It is almost a "high" after a good strenuous workout. Could that have something to do with the release of endorphins or something or am I just reading into that?

I rode today with a friend who I met last year in church. He also has been through some things and is just now getting back into riding. I think we have spurred each other on. Dave (not his real name) is a character, his bike is almost 30 years old, he is currently riding in jeans and a dirty off white styrofoam helmet that looks like he cut it out of random packing material from a box. Not that there is anything wrong with that except it looks like there is a homeless person following me when we are out for a ride. I think he is waiting for the right time to buy a helmet, some bike shorts, a new T-Shirt and other bike related things. Oh and he is not in fact homeless, he has a good job but I think he might be a tad frugal.

The best scenario is when the chase is long and I can also keep them in sight the whole time.  It's a real buzzkill when they turn off of my route.  I don't think I ever push myself harder than I do during those chases.  They look back a couple of times, I get closer and eventually they know the game is up!

They are invariably gracious about it, barely acknowledging the catch.  I let up enough before then so I can get out a few kind words.  "Nice day, huh?"  "Could do without this headwind."  "Nice bike!"

The next challenge is to build a gap that they can't close too easily.  I also stick to my route.  It's a bush league move to pass them and then turn off so they can't (try to) chase you down.

The last time I was on the receiving end of a so-called chase was a couple of years ago.  I had nowhere near the fitness I have now, and this guy just dusted me.  I was nearing one of my regular "bergs" (a short but very steep climb) and was mentally preparing for it when WHAM!  Some guy in his late 40s with a moustache went right past me.  I was startled and tried to play it off with a guy nod and low-key "hey".

After the startled-ness wore off, I let it go.  He'd obviously been riding for a long time and I was quite the noob.  Since then, I've been the chaser instead of the chase-ee.

Until a couple weeks ago, that is.  I was at the tail end of a 2½ hour ride and turning off of a main road on to a secondary that takes me back to my neighborhood.

I'm westbound on 146A and he's eastbound.  We're both turning on to Main St.  He's a tad closer, so he goes first.  There's no traffic (luckily) so we both keep our momentum on to Main St.  Main Street starts with a slight downhill and then goes flat.  I get right up to about 10 feet behind his wheel and never any closer.  In a couple of minutes I can't even see him anymore.

I don't know if he was just 20 minutes in to his ride and was feeling fresh and fast, was a racer out for training, or whatever.  It was a little depressing; there are better ways to feel at the end of a ride, for sure.  I am determined, however, to not let this linger.  I have had the good end of this situation too many times perhaps and I'm a bit spoiled by always "winning" the chase.

All the more reason to think about dedicating a portion of my rides to actual training.  It's one thing to get a lot of miles in and burn a ton of calories; it's another to be able to go fast and hang with the more serious set.

That's a huge deal for me.

Today I thought about suggesting a shorter ride, but then I kept thinking,"Dara Torres, Dara Torres." So I told him he could choose the ride.

He said, "You're kidding, right?"

I love riding the tandem behind him. I love that he's in charge, and I don't have to make any decisions.

And now, YOU'RE thinking, "You're kidding, right?"

Nope, I'm not. I love that my only job is to pedal and be nice. I get to enjoy it all without thinking about shifting, starting, stopping and turning. I don't have the wear the nerd mirror on my helmet and call out for cars behind us. Once in a while I will say, "Ummmm, if you chose not to ride 26 miles an hour for a few minutes, that would be ok with me." But otherwise, I'm just along for the ride.

We have a nice loop behind our house, called the Tremont Loop. It goes through farm land and orchards and the halfway point is an old church with a lovely little cemetary. We pass tomatoes, sunflowers, almonds and walnuts. Horses, cows, goats and farm equipment graveyards. A few Victorians and one unfortunate castle-type estate. Putah Creek (twice) and mountains to the east and west. It ends by winding through UC Davis and my new favorite road next to the Mondavi Wine Insitute, Beau Vine Road.

We get to talk, and sometimes we don't.

Today I realized that one of the things I love about the tandem is that I can't look ahead. I can only see side- to-side. Or the shadows below me. But it's usually side-to-side or smack in the middle of Steve's back.

In my real life I never look sideways. I am a straight-ahead gal, and always have the end goal in sight, sometimes to the detriment of the experience itself. Sideways is a new view, and it can be much more interesting than the road in front of me, know what I mean?

I think riding the tandem is one of the nicest things we do. It makes Steve happy, it makes me strong...and it's kind of wonderful to not always be in charge. At least for a short time.

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During the dog days of summer, I really treasure the conditions of a pleasant morning.  I often think about how great the weather is at that moment compared to the afternoon ride time.  The afternoon will be typical: high 80s, humid and breezy.  However, as I walk across the parking garage, all I can think about is how great it would be to be out on the bike right now.  It's in the low 70s, a nearly calm wind with the air especially fresh.

I consider taking a day off during the week to get out and ride on a nice Summer morning - and therein lies the paradox.  I am NOT a morning person by any stretch.  On those rare occasions that I don't have to go to work on a weekday morning, I would either be sleeping or groggily bumping around my house at the time I would otherwise be walking across the parking garage.  Also, morning drivers aren't the same people they are in the afternoon.  The same routes I take at 5:30 PM I would never consider at 7:30 AM.

So, as I merrily stride towards the office door, I sigh as I am committed to the next 8 hours in front of a computer instead of behind the handlebars.  It's sooo inviting outside, but I know I'll never realize the dream.  Sort of like the roommate switch.

It is like her new bike has given her wings. She has named it Alex, it's pink.

She has even started calling on friends by herself. The two boys who are staying in the holiday cottage up the road have had a female caller for the last four afternoons in a row. They are much older than Bubble, but I am starting to see a trend happening here - she is seeking out the company of older children and adults.

She has needed her parents attention pretty much non-stop for the past five years and eleven months, never really being fussed about children her own age. Now this bike has given her the impetus to go and find some company other than her family. She loves the independence, so do I.

She took a couple of days to be able to push off safely from a standing position and stop at the other end without crashing into the verge and a couple more to be able to turn in a circle and ring the bell whilst cycling, but, judging from yesterday when we all rode along the river together over very bumpy ground, I would say she certainly is now a very competent rider indeed.

But those apron strings are not completely cut; although she has found a vehicle in which to go out and explore the world on her own with, for safety reasons she still loves to keep a piece of elastic tied to the mudguard, so to speak. And that's as it should be.

She has taken to the practice of wanting to be timed as she makes her journey down to the water font and back. And I am the one who has to do the timing, because I have a nice stopwatch feature on my new mobile phone. This is fine by me. We tend to do it when Squeak is having her nap, so I stay in the house and time her from the balcony. She must ring her bell when she gets back and I come out and shout her time down to her. This sets her off in a dance of delight every time. Then off she goes again after I have shouted, "READY, STEADY - GO!" at the top of my voice.

It's wonderful that she is out, but a little frustrating for me. I should sit and watch her whilst I time her, but I try to do the dishes or tidy up at the same time. I have resigned myself to the fact that now all my chores are going to be done in 47 second segments. When I hear her bell I am like a Pavlovian dog, throwing down the duster and rushing out onto the balcony to hit that stop button. I even managed to write a post here the other day with stopwatch in hand. The result was quite satisfactory, though it came out slightly disjointed.

Another reward in all this is seeing her eat and eat and eat. The new exercise is giving her an appetite of a child twice her size. We ate out last night at a restaurant in town and she wolfed down six huge chicken nuggets and three quarters of a pizza, 3 pieces of french bread and an ice cream souris. I have never, in five years and eleven months, ever seen her plate wiped totally clean.

Here's to my new stopwatch, older boys and the continued use of a (proverbial) piece of elastic.

well i actually rode my bike into work today, and well it was a fine ride this morning though i have some mechanical issues i need to work out. i think my bottom bracket is messing up, i got this weird hick-up when i pedal, at first i thought it was just a pedal sticking but now im not sure. 

anyways well on my ride home today i think i was pushing my body a little to much trying to make it home i was in my third gear pushing hard and trying to get some speed going, well the last quarter of the way home i feel the headache and the lightness, i say to myself ok you need to chill or your going to get heat stroke. well i feel it coming on stronger my breathing is getting shallow and i make it around the last corner which is about a mile from the apartment, and i realize that its hitting hard my head is hot and i stopped sweating at this point. 

i come into the apartment complex and i can barely get to the end of the complex, and what's even worse when i jump off my bike, i feel my heart beat in my head and my eyes feel like they are pulsating with my heart, and i start to see those awesome white spots. i put my head down on my seat and say to myself ohh man...

then i grab my bike and carry it up the stairs and walk inside and tell talia to grab chloe incase i fall over, at this point i feel the cold air hit my face and i see some more spots, i set my bike outside and talia is trying to talk to me as i walk around wearily, she asks are you ok? i say no, i strip and jump in the shower and sit down with cold water blasting over my body, she comes in asking did you get heat stroke, i say yep and then as i sit there i cant help but say wow that was intense and laugh out loud.

i sat in there for 10 minutes trying to cool down, my face even after sitting there for that time still was hot and warm to the touch. i haven't felt that sick since i was back in college, i rode my skateboard home in 115 degree heat.

i honestly thought it was like 105 today but i just saw the news it was 110... man it was kinda hot...

honestly it reminded me of how as Pima's we get told stories of the young men running to the ocean around the baja of mexico and how they would run so fast and hard that they would succumb to heat and exhaustion almost on the verge of death they would in this daze have visions when they reached the ocean they would collect shell and sand from the ocean, this was the trip that defined you as a man...

not that im that hard or that crazy or manly, and no i didn't see no vision's,

but man wow it was pretty intense...

So I sat around, staring at the blinking cursor on the blog box, trying to decide what to write about. Should I discuss my latest adventures as a reader for Dark Recesses Press magazine? Do I try to sound like a smart writer and discuss plot problems, characterization, work discipline, etc.? Or do I just make something up like usual?

More than likely, I was going to wait around until after Saturday and post the latest movies and forget the cool stuff I learned during Shark Week. (Did you know the great white shark can breach the water? Seriously. Flying as high as fourteen feet into the air. It's pretty cool. In fact, look at the picture.)

Then tonight I decided I needed to get out and do some exercise. Like most people nowadays, I could stand to lose a few pounds. And if I were serious, I really need to lose a few pounds. To give me more energy, look better, yada yada. (I eat too much ice cream. And I drink coca-cola like it's water.) So I finally did what I've been threatening to do for almost two months. I grabbed my husband's completely unused bike and went for a ride.

Of course, this was after I installed a handle-bar light, and a back wheel red flashy one. (The hubby insisted upon this. Like a light on the handle-bar is going to do anything but distract me, but hey, at least he cares, right?) So I get both lights screwed on, push on the tires a bit which are a bit low and then ask the hubby if I have to wear a helmet. (He tells me "Whatever you want, that is if what you want is your head broken into two gory pieces and splattered across the road." Sure. Whatever I want.)

To make a long hour short, the chain came off twice and had to be reset. I fell down/off three times. My shins are incredibly bruised and I'm achy all over. It took the third fall to knock some sense into me. I'm not ten anymore and can't ride a bike with low tire pressure. What'd that leave me with? Walking the bike the half-mile to a gas station and filling the tires. Or giving up.

Well, mama didn't raise no quitter!

So I got up, walked down the street and filled the tires. (I also picked up a bag of Tostitos. While it may not be so smart to actually go work out, pretty hard at that, and then go home to have nachos, but well.. I don't have a witty excuse for that. Sounded delicious at the time, though.)

That was only the beginning of hell. I tried to get a boost onto the bike, since it's still a little too big for me, on the curb at the station, and I fell off. Again. But I hopped on, smiling off the embarrassment; lo and behold, I stayed on! The tires still sunk quite a bit, so I can only assume the bike was crying at carrying me. But it didn't act up for another ten minutes. I rode it almost all the way home before the chain fell off again, but thankfully it was a quick fix.

I realized something on my nocturnal bike ride. It was frightening. I haven't ridden a bike that wasn't attached to the ground in 9 years. I kept expecting the bike to crumble beneath me and, after I'd fallen, stand up and mock me for being so stupid as to get on a bike. (I read way too much Calvin & Hobbes as a child.)

And I can't steer a bike to save my life anymore. I was weaving and wobbling all over the sidewalk. (Pedestrians, be warned. Late nights are mine now or you could be in danger.)

Despite the grave fear of another fall, I enjoyed riding the bike. Feeling the wind in my hair. I just wish I could've pulled the ol' no-hands-mama trick I used to. But I'm not that brave.

The adrenaline's worn off now and I'm just about ready for bed.

The Next Morning

I almost fell asleep at the laptop last night, so I just set it down without finishing the blog. So here's a picture to make you smile. It quite adequately describes my adventures with the bike last night.

I love Calvin and Hobbes. For some fun, check out this quiz to determine how much Calvin and how much Hobbes you're composed of. Here's my results.

Your result for The Calvin Or Hobbes Test...

Mostly Calvin

You are 80% Calvin and 20% Hobbes

Take The Calvin Or Hobbes Test at HelloQuizzy

the end

Well, almost.

I can't resist posting one more picture. This really was me as a child.

I've started looking for a job, but there is not much I can do and there's nothing out there.  The only jobs I'm seeing listed are either CNA or teaching related.  There is no way I could do any type of nursing or dealing with sick people in any way (I don't want to catch whatever they have and I can't deal with blood).  Teaching is something I've thought of in the past, but I don't have the education that is needed and I can't stand up in front of people and talk.  Blugh. 

I finally took my (new) bike out for a ride today.  After bringing Harry to work I drove over to the bike path.  I rode from the water treatment plant to one of the parking areas in Lincoln.  I'm not sure on the distance.  I'll guess and say it was two miles back and forth.  I will go back to ride it again.  It's also nice for walking.  It will be pretty in the fall when all the leaves are changing colours.  Missie and Nicki, if you haven't been over there, I think you'd both like it.  It wasn't too busy, but I was there around three o'clock in the afternoon.  I can imagine that it's busier on the weekend.  Man I am so out of shape!  My spirit was wanting to go farther, but the body was not.  I'm feeling it in my knees and thighs.  I even did yoga yesterday.  I got to get back to it.  I need to find a yoga class somewhere.  I get bored with dvds after awhile. 

Oh yeah, I should be getting this in about a week (maybe less)....

They are going fast!  I hope the size I ordered will fit.  I think it will.  I've been wanting to buy this shirt for months, but it's been out of stock.  I managed to order it yesterday.  The bags I'd like are out of stock again.  Those will be hard to get.  I like that they offer a non-wool fiber shirt.  :) 

Well, I should go start supper.

Let me just say, I am down to 4 weeks and 5 days until the big move. I was planning on going to pick up boxes today, but it rained over night, and the boxes I wanted were left out on the curb. Soggy boxes aren't very good for packing in. But I have a lot of stuff that I am planning on moving that could be packed away.

I have all my new bike parts in except for my new handlebars, and those haven't even shipped yet. I am going to be getting nervous soon if those don't ship. Cause once they ship, they still have to get out here, and then I need to drag everything into the bike shop and have it all assembled. I would do it myself, but I don't know what I'm doing, and I don't have any tools or a work stand. At this point, I don't want to take the chance of doing more harm than good. I figure it should cost me about the same either way, perhaps slightly more if I do it myself as I am certain I would have to replace something that I broke along the way.

Anyhow, that's about it for now. Hopefully I will have something more exciting to write about in the coming days.

So far we have had no big stacks. We took our first big ride out as a family around our local regatta centre - an almost perfectly flat 5KM off road loop. Daughter no 2 was heard complaining that her legs no longer worked along the back straight while Daughter no 1 was bemoaning the fact that we couldn't do it again. I was just being a proud mother.

There are not many moments as a parent when you are sure that you are doing the right thing. This, I feel is one of them. Love your bike!

A WELL EARNED BREAK!