Standing at the Trailhead of Winter

Yesterday I drove Angel Baby's car to work. This morning I rode my bike to Uptown, went to Starbucks for my usual Thursday treat, then hopped on the bus to work. I have most definitely come to prefer the bus or my bike, and even though it would be much easier -- I'm not even sure easier is the right word; convenient?  --  to take Angel Baby to work then drive on over to campus, I'd much rather wait five minutes at the bus stop, feeling the cool November breeze touch my cheeks take a seat near the back of the bus look out the window, watch the last of red maple leaves skitter along the sidewalk relax, ten minutes of meditation or reading a chapter of the book I'm into, music whispering from earbuds. The idea of driving being easier, more convenient, and time-saving than riding my bike or taking the bus really isn't true in my case. Driving the Jeep is fun. No doubt. But I simply don't want the stress of driving. I want to be chauffeured around. ...

I finally swallowed my fear of the scale and weighed in this morning. I mean, if I'm going to see if this intermittent fasting actually works (which I already believe it does given the last three weeks of fasting and how my clothes are fitting), I want to see some actual numerical proof. The last time I weighed in was just over a year ago, at the end of the Pacific coast ride, after thirty-two days of cycling sixty-five miles a day, burning anywhere from 2500 to 4000 calories a day. That kind of daily exercise is a sure way to lose weight. But I'm not doing anything near that level of activity, so I've been a bit apprehensive about getting on the scale. A year ago, I was at 144 pounds. This morning the scale said 145 pounds. Whew. Not bad. The year with the kids did put some extra pounds on my frame. Lovely Beautiful Daughter is all about hearty meals, especially during the colder months. She would fix pastas, potatoes, and all kinds of other starchy, carbohydrates rich m...

An important lesson I've learned about grocery shopping -- I spend nearly five times more money on food when I have a car to carry my groceries home for me. Seriously. Five times! Panniers can only carry so much, so I have to be very careful about what I buy. And since I don't want to have to make more than two or three trips to the store during the week, I plan out my meals and buy just the items to prepare what I've planned. A car makes it possible to buy much more. A ridiculous amount that sets me up for spending way more than I want,. A lot of the food then sits in the fridge or on the counter and spoils. And all my meal planning flies right out the window.  So, while it was nice of Lovely Beautiful Daughter to loan me her car for a few hours, I think I'll stick with using the bike and panniers for grocery shopping. I about fainted when I saw the total for my groceries (and granted $40 of the total went to the new 3 quart pot I had to buy since I bur...

I've become very aware of two things since I've gone carfree and have been riding my bike to get groceries, to sit outside the coffeehouse, well, everywhere. One: 99% of establishments do not have a place where I can put my bike and lock it. I've used benches, sign posts, lamp posts, a shelving unit loaded with annuals, and anything else that will deter someone from trying to take my lovely, new ride. Two: the number of people who park but don't turn off their car while they are inside the store or wherever it may be where they have to exit their car is maddening. I simply do not understand the mindset of leaving a car running while one is in the store (and no, there is no one in the car waiting for the person who went into the store). A few other cycling observations: I need to invest in good grocery panniers. I have a couple of panniers now, but they're not specifically for groceries and sag when I load them.   I need a good raincoat. So far I've n...

The smaller apartment works perfectly for me. Each moment I'm here, working or reading or watching something on Netflix, is a moment I feel content. A few years ago I would have never considered myself an apartment kind of person, but for now, it suits me and my needs. My desire to go small, to reduce the amount of stuff in my life, to focus more on experiences rather than having things -- these are all happening.  The simplicity of it all -- less space to have to clean, each piece of furniture serving a purpose instead of just sitting gathering dust and taking up an area -- makes me wonder why anyone would want big. At what point did big become a thing? I know it's always been a thing with the mansions and castles of the rich through the years, but seriously. Big seems overwhelming. Big seems unnecessary. Big seems cold. Give me manageable. Give me purpose. Give me warmth. My carfree life so far is working out. I've not really had any need to go anywhere the days...