Swinging at the Curve Balls
See what happens when life throws curve balls at you? Well, they may not have been all that curvy, but they were enough the last couple of weeks to keep me from blogging. I've thought about blogging. I even opened up a new post at one point. I just couldn't bring myself to sit down and actually write. I guess that would be a strike. The same kind of thing was happening with my writing. I thought about story ideas. I opened up a story on several occasions with the intention of working on it. Three minutes later, after staring at the words on the page, I'd close the document. Strike two. Thankfully, now that the semester has begun, things are starting to fall into place and I don't feel nearly as discombobulated as I had been. I'll give myself a ball there. So the count stands at 2-1.
If the first week is any indication, my classes are going to be fun. I have some sharp students. Each class has its own personality, which changes things up nicely. If they were all the same, I'd be bored silly. The most amazing thing that's happened so far is all the students in one of my Comp I classes have shown up both times we've met. This has never been the case in all the years of my teaching. I truly, truly hope this continues all semester long. Ball two.
Because of the new school year beginning, the cycling is not happening. The time to just clip in and pedal for hours is no longer available. Now I'm having to fit an hour in here, an hour there. This along with my six mile commute helps alleviate the yearning to get out and go, but I still find myself longing for the days of three, four, sometimes five hours in the saddle. On the way to school yesterday, I thought I should just up and quit my job, pack my panniers, and head out West. I entertained the daydream all the way to campus, where I was smacked back to the reality of my life: kids, husband, dog. I truly do need this job. I can, however, dream about next summer and the possibilities for cycling adventures. Ball three. Full count.
On the upside, I have a century ride Sunday. I'm going to give the 124 mile option a shot. Just thinking about it now puts a smile on my face and makes the frustration of the last few weeks fade even more. Base hit.
If the first week is any indication, my classes are going to be fun. I have some sharp students. Each class has its own personality, which changes things up nicely. If they were all the same, I'd be bored silly. The most amazing thing that's happened so far is all the students in one of my Comp I classes have shown up both times we've met. This has never been the case in all the years of my teaching. I truly, truly hope this continues all semester long. Ball two.
Because of the new school year beginning, the cycling is not happening. The time to just clip in and pedal for hours is no longer available. Now I'm having to fit an hour in here, an hour there. This along with my six mile commute helps alleviate the yearning to get out and go, but I still find myself longing for the days of three, four, sometimes five hours in the saddle. On the way to school yesterday, I thought I should just up and quit my job, pack my panniers, and head out West. I entertained the daydream all the way to campus, where I was smacked back to the reality of my life: kids, husband, dog. I truly do need this job. I can, however, dream about next summer and the possibilities for cycling adventures. Ball three. Full count.
On the upside, I have a century ride Sunday. I'm going to give the 124 mile option a shot. Just thinking about it now puts a smile on my face and makes the frustration of the last few weeks fade even more. Base hit.
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