Adventures of the Northwest

YOU GO GIRL! YOU'RE FOR REAL!

Well Wednesday was my 'Friday" of the week. I was blessed with getting a 5 day weekend from work. Awesome! Unfortunately, it was to start with my second race of the year and it got rained out. Jane and I decided to hang, have dinner together and she gave me a tour of the Borg. Sweet! It was a lot of fun to see where her work digs were and just sit, relax, talk and have dinner together.

The rest of the weekend was busy, slow, relaxing, fun, up and down all the way around.

Thursday: Planning on being lazy and doing errands. Around 11 am a college friend of mine - Curtis - called saying "guess who I just saw?". I replied - ahhhh not sure I want to know - which ex? LOL! He said nope, one of your co-workers. OH COOL! So he needed a buddy to go to the Mariner's game at 1:35 with him and wanted to know if I wanted to go. So I decided to go. I quickly got dressed, did a few errands and met him at the entrance shortly after 1:35. He was later than me because he choose to catch the bus instead of walk and they started closing the streets for the Mexican President. Game was cool but lame. We lost. :( I was stressed about getting back in time for either a) track workout or b) riding with Jane if it rained. Well the game went so quick I was home by 5 and didn't have to worry about it. The track workout was rained out but Jane and I went for a (dry) ride around 6:30. It was a good ride - we had a lot of fun and we stayed dry! I don't know how we've been lucky out with dry rides lately - but the sun is with us - or at least no rain clouds are with us.


Friday: Lazy day, did some errands including grocery shopping. It was nice. :)


Saturday: Did the Larry Kemp Memorial Ride for my team. That was a bit eye opening and depressing. I got to speak with his mother who unfortunately lost her son 2 years prior. She was there supporting our team, supporting the ride that was commemorating her son and being with us for support of bicycling - and safety. Jane and I then did some sprint drills afterwards! WOW! Those were really tough but we tried our hardest!!!! Then we sat with some teammates at Starbucks and howled with laughter and fun. Felt good. Then I drove down to Tacoma to help a friend move her husband out of her place. That was interesting. Her sister didn't think I could make her (my friend) work - but I did. :) Haa haa Then we had a grilled dinner which was really nice.

I then went to an auction with my sister and her husband. I scored on some awesome stuff including a bed set that is SWEET! 2 shams, a comforter and 2 new pillows for $20. They are sweet! Same ones (slightly different design at the bottom but the same) were on sale at Fred Meyer for $160 for 10 pieces. HELLO!??! I also got essentially a brand new coleman lantern, a camp stove, a 5'5" tent - yes I got to sleep diagonal in it and can put my gear in the corners but if it is only me - hell it will work, a cooler and some 'water bottles' for $12.50!!!! A couple more deals and I called it a night. :) It was awesome.

Sunday: Hung out with my sister. We had fun. I baked some gluten free sweet bread and ooey gooey chocolatey chewy brownies. YUM! Put together my camp stuff - so sweet! I feel liberated. NO more depending on frickin' men for the rest of my camping gear! I am frickin' independent now! HELL YEAH! It feels awesome. Sat with my sister and my mom (after she got done with work) and talked, had dinner and relaxed.

Monday: I went for a bike ride around UPS - in my full team kit. It was a lot of fun just cruising different territory on my bike. I did a bunch of laps in a particular neighborhood that I found pleasant and quiet. I slowly worked my way in my 1 hour workout to have about the last 20 minutes that I thought I'd just go around this one block park area that is a 'circle' right next to my mom's house. It was too funny. No more than 30 seconds being there and some kids started to yell at me. YOU GO GIRL! YOU GO GIRLFRIEND! YOU'RE FOR REAL!! I was just dying trying not to laugh but I couldn't help it. It was toooooo funny and cute. So then they started to race me. They kept going in circles on the sidewalk. Of course, I was holding back not wanting to kick their butts but giving them a challenge.

One boy said - I give up - I admit defeat! I said hey now that's not fair! You can't give up that easily! it was very cute. Another did about 6 laps with me when I finally said - one lap is about .10 of a mile so 10 laps is one mile. He's yellign to his friends - 10 times around is 1 mile! I'm going to do 1 mile! He did by golly! He was sooooo excited.

Then I talked to them for about 5 mins regarding bikes, bicycling, answered their questions and so on then went home. They asked about my pedals, talked to me about the accidents they had and their scars, their broken pedals and so on. One boy said his dad used to ride the hills of San Diego and he's done work on bikes for the last three years at his church. This boy was the oldest being about 12 or 13 maybe. The youngest was 5.

My mom said that was sweet and I should feel good about it as I probably encouraged them to exercise and who knows - maybe I touched their lives. You never know. It was very sweet though - very cute.... it was so hard not to chuckle but also wonder... where was I at that age? What would I have thought and/or wanted to do? I mean I grew up with Greg Lemond showing up in our area and bicycling up our bluffs. I was memorized but somehow it didn't sink in what an inspiration nor the deep desire I have now that I wish I had then to bicycle so much, so passionately, so hard and to love it so much! I wish I could turn back the clock!

Anyway... that's my story... you just never know who you may run into, what life you may affect and what your team kit will give you - a big smile and a great day of fun. :)

I then hung out with my mom for abit more and then headed up here to help with the track. It felt good to be out and laugh and have fun with friends. I needed that. I'm feeling a bit depressed. Yesterday I saw someone dinged my car door. I'm actually going to pay to get this one taken out. Owning a car for 1.5 months and making the first car payment and having a ding is making me QUITE sick to my stomach. I am NOT happy. :( I know it will happen... and won't pay to get the others out...but this one - on MY door... and so early.... it's sickening. :( Then, I was hit with the news this weekend that my mom is being forced to retire. It is a long story.... probably happen in January... but she'll be living a hard life now. It is hard... she sleeps all the time, she has a hard time getting around, doing things and doesn't want to work. They are forcing her to retire but she is really ready. She wants to be done and enjoy life more. She deserves it. I just wish I could give her more than I can. I just want her happy. I love her so much.

Overall, it was an inspiring weekend... a liberating weekend... a good weekend. I also kept in mind all those troops - including my grandpa - who have ever fought for our country.... *sigh* Memorial Day Weekend... filled with so many emotions.

posted by Seattlebiker @ 9:29 PM