in which I write about stuff
yesterday: downtown to meet the Oly Express bus, and part of the way back.? (I took the bus up the steep bit.)
really, given the endless transit mishaps I ran into yesterday — it only got worse! — I probably should’ve just taken the bike north.? would’ve been less stressful.
to Thriftway, twice; also from my house to downtown to work from B&B.
I’m really feeling the lack of a long bike ride today. Yesterday I took two longish rides, and Sunday I rode for 2 1/2 hours: 13 miles on the Western-Chehalis trail, plus the ride to get out there. (I wimped out when I hit surface streets coming back, and took the bus home.)
As it is, the afternoon blahs seem to hit more severely when I haven’t had my exercise. But I’m being particularly consious of my mental states, and trying to use the tools that my new therapist has given me.
In a perfect world, I’d have enough time in my day-to-day that I could go for a ride once or twice a day, every day. In this world, I’m still thinking about renting a bike locker at the transit center nearest my vanpool meeting point, now that the weather is more mellow.
The bike shop called yesterday; they got in a rack that fits my townie, and I went to take a look, but decided not to get that one. I’m going to hold out for silver, which should be in sometime next month. The black just didn’t strike the right note, and I can certainly hold out for a few weeks longer, since I’ve already owned the bike nearly a year without one.
I’m still hoping to get my new design done for reboot, but I’m not really holding my breath, not right now.
I’ve really appreciated all the good thoughts everybody has left here, or sent by email. (Elizabeth, thanks for emailing C. That was really sweet.) In moments of greater clarity, that keeps me thinking that I’m not a total social recluse/freak. Just shy, I guess.
Also, I had a strange/interesting conversation with an uncle I haven’t seen in many years, which I’m mulling over writing about…thinking aloud vs. not being too public and all that.
I’m dance-y happy….
yesterday, C was at the bike shop around the corner from our house and spotted a bike he thought I might like.
I’ll back that up for a second by admitting that I’ve never learned how to ride a bike. the year after I got my first bike was the year Dad died…and I already had kinda sketchy balance. C, on the other hand, is an avid mountain biker, bicycles all over town too. we’ve gone bike shopping for me before, but I was just too freaked out by the sense of being way the hell up there to be comfortable enough to spend the money.
but C saw this bike, and did a little online research, and when I got off of work yesterday, we walked over to take a look.
it was pretty — low cushy seat, shiny silver body — and comfortable, sitting there, and the bike shop guys were friendly, so I decided to try it out….
took off down the street, and just went. I rode the damn thing around the block, with a couple of freak-out stops, but with a sense of comfort and ease that I’ve never had with a bike before. not when I was 8, not when I was 25. I got back to the bike shop and asked, “so, how much for a helmet?”
🙂
last night, we rode down to the library. again, some freak-out moments…there’s a lot of crazy hills between us and the library…but I did it. afterwards, I was foolish giddy.
today I had a vacation day, but spent most of it doing stuff away from home. however…this evening I’ve taken 2 bike rides around the neighborhood. suffice it to say that I am very happy I finally got a bike, and oddly enough, happy I waited until C discovered this one.