Happy Fourth of July Week!
Since posting about being stuck in a funk, I've cycled over 200 miles, written several thousands of words of new material, and practiced yoga several times. I even made orange-cranberry scones and iced coffee to last me all of last week, so each morning I had a treat after taking Ado on a walk. All of this doing what I love to do has felt so good.
I have to wonder why I fall into a funk and not want to do these things. They truly do make me happy. When I pull into the drive after forty sweaty miles, nothing can keep the smile off my face. Especially when I look at the stats on my Garmin and realize I'd kept a 15 mph pace, even given having to go slower while on the trail and making my way through the city streets. The same happiness fills me when I see four or five pages filled up with words, all single-spaced. The satisfaction that comes with completing these things I love feels great. It seems like I should never want to go a day without engaging in one or more of these activities.
Yet there are times when days go by with me not taking part in any of them. And I don't understand why this is. The knowing I'm wasting valuable time, time I'll never get back, makes me sink even further into the funk. It's a vicious cycle.
A few days ago I finally replaced the back tire of my commuter. It's been out of commission for a month simply because I was too lazy to put the back tire in place after changing out the old tube. In a matter of seconds, the tire was on and fully pumped up. I checked the brakes and chain, clipped on my pannier, and cycled out to the farm where I buy my eggs. It's a 25-mile round trip journey, but the day was beautiful. I knew I was doing exactly what I should be doing at that particular moment.
My first month of being car-free has come to an end. I'm not regretting my decision, and Angel Baby has been a real trooper about having to walk or ride a bike where he wants to go. Each of us is figuring out the quickest and safest routes to the store, to work, and wherever else we need to get to. A couple of days have been incredibly hot, but we deal with it by taking a towel with us or an extra shirt. I know when the weather gets cooler then colder we might have to make some changes, but until then, we'll just sweat.
On Wednesday, the kids joined me for a July 4th lunch. Chicken salad sandwiches, potato salad, and macaroni salad. Lots of salads. Ice cream finished the meal, and afterward, we sat and talked for several hours. That evening, Lovely Beautiful Daughter and I went to the nursing home to help some residents get settled outside to watch the fireworks. Other than the nasty cut I caused myself -- slicing my index finger while cleaning up -- the day was perfect.
Today, I got up early, cycled up around one lake then over to the other then back home. Forty miles. Straight into a nice wind for a little more than half. The wind pushing me home once I turned back south. When I saw I'd averaged 15 mph I was a bit surprised. But then, that's what the wind at your back will do for you! And because I couldn't get enough cycling into the wind, I rode out to work to drop off my contract for the coming school year. That ten miles round trip gave me fifty miles for the day. Not a bad way to end the week!
I have to wonder why I fall into a funk and not want to do these things. They truly do make me happy. When I pull into the drive after forty sweaty miles, nothing can keep the smile off my face. Especially when I look at the stats on my Garmin and realize I'd kept a 15 mph pace, even given having to go slower while on the trail and making my way through the city streets. The same happiness fills me when I see four or five pages filled up with words, all single-spaced. The satisfaction that comes with completing these things I love feels great. It seems like I should never want to go a day without engaging in one or more of these activities.
Yet there are times when days go by with me not taking part in any of them. And I don't understand why this is. The knowing I'm wasting valuable time, time I'll never get back, makes me sink even further into the funk. It's a vicious cycle.
A few days ago I finally replaced the back tire of my commuter. It's been out of commission for a month simply because I was too lazy to put the back tire in place after changing out the old tube. In a matter of seconds, the tire was on and fully pumped up. I checked the brakes and chain, clipped on my pannier, and cycled out to the farm where I buy my eggs. It's a 25-mile round trip journey, but the day was beautiful. I knew I was doing exactly what I should be doing at that particular moment.
My first month of being car-free has come to an end. I'm not regretting my decision, and Angel Baby has been a real trooper about having to walk or ride a bike where he wants to go. Each of us is figuring out the quickest and safest routes to the store, to work, and wherever else we need to get to. A couple of days have been incredibly hot, but we deal with it by taking a towel with us or an extra shirt. I know when the weather gets cooler then colder we might have to make some changes, but until then, we'll just sweat.
On Wednesday, the kids joined me for a July 4th lunch. Chicken salad sandwiches, potato salad, and macaroni salad. Lots of salads. Ice cream finished the meal, and afterward, we sat and talked for several hours. That evening, Lovely Beautiful Daughter and I went to the nursing home to help some residents get settled outside to watch the fireworks. Other than the nasty cut I caused myself -- slicing my index finger while cleaning up -- the day was perfect.
Today, I got up early, cycled up around one lake then over to the other then back home. Forty miles. Straight into a nice wind for a little more than half. The wind pushing me home once I turned back south. When I saw I'd averaged 15 mph I was a bit surprised. But then, that's what the wind at your back will do for you! And because I couldn't get enough cycling into the wind, I rode out to work to drop off my contract for the coming school year. That ten miles round trip gave me fifty miles for the day. Not a bad way to end the week!
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