Biking...blogging...
...and other stuff.
I went out today for a the first "long" bike ride of the year...by long I mean 12-13 miles over hill and dale. My lungs are not yet up to extended journeys through the hills of Fairbanks and this was quite enough thank you. I am, alas, mortal. The final hill coming home always kicks me in the ass. It just does. A quarter mile of 10-15% grade rutted dirt road. Bees, wind blown dandelions and small children on trikes flew by me on the last ascent. (alright, not the kids...) The point is..I was Slow. I did make it though. Yeah me. A blow against the inner couch-potato has been struck.
Life goes on...I blog infrequently (seems my desire to write is of a binge and purge nature...with long periods of quiescence) and wonder (a little) if anyone cares.
Our Luke (dog of some age) lost his fight with cancer...It was both a sadness and relief to bid him adieu -as he was in sharp decline at the end. His ashes sit below the bed where he so often crawled to sleep.
Fred (the other dog) seems to be doing well despite the loss of his favorite chew-toy (Luke). There are moments when he appears to search. Who can know his furry little mind? Well..there was one instance where his thoughts were clear to us. I *chuckle* cut my own hair a few weeks back.
Fed up with not being able to "walk in" to a salon and just get a friggin' hair cut in this town...I took matters into my own hands. I looked at the shaggy mop on my head (well on the way to the "sad old rocker" do) and selected the appropriate trim blade for my cutter. Yep. I buzzed it. After trimming the loose ends and cleaning up I ventured downstairs to receive the royal "thumbs up/down" from my wife. The wife liked. The daughter stood dumb-founded. The dog took one look and yowled his fool head off. "Who the hell was this guy!!!???" "Stranger -Danger!" ...it went on for some time. We have since made nice.
I think often of my mother. Her health is brittle. She has no problem sharing her thoughts of mortality with me...but as of yet, I am not ready to agree with her. I tell her she will do well if she does this, that or another thing and she graciously accepts my advice. It is a dance we do whenever I call to check on her. I am not in denial. I know full well the next bad illness might do it. I just cannot so easily let her in on my concerns. However, to think she doesn't know me well enough to realize this discredits her. So. An illusion we both live with.
My wife is troubled by her decisions to pursue her dreams...They are not coming easily. I tell her time will show the path and all of the little obstacles will fade in the distance as she moves along. Day to-day concerns wear at my good wishes though...and often I am at a loss as to how to be of help. My own faults make leading by example an inconstant pursuit and words are not substantive enough to squelch all fears.
Sometimes all you can do is just hold someones hand.
She will have the distinction of making a "secret lab" before I do...and therefore rises far above me in the annuals of geek-dom. I bow to her. *grin*
I went out today for a the first "long" bike ride of the year...by long I mean 12-13 miles over hill and dale. My lungs are not yet up to extended journeys through the hills of Fairbanks and this was quite enough thank you. I am, alas, mortal. The final hill coming home always kicks me in the ass. It just does. A quarter mile of 10-15% grade rutted dirt road. Bees, wind blown dandelions and small children on trikes flew by me on the last ascent. (alright, not the kids...) The point is..I was Slow. I did make it though. Yeah me. A blow against the inner couch-potato has been struck.
Life goes on...I blog infrequently (seems my desire to write is of a binge and purge nature...with long periods of quiescence) and wonder (a little) if anyone cares.
Our Luke (dog of some age) lost his fight with cancer...It was both a sadness and relief to bid him adieu -as he was in sharp decline at the end. His ashes sit below the bed where he so often crawled to sleep.
Fred (the other dog) seems to be doing well despite the loss of his favorite chew-toy (Luke). There are moments when he appears to search. Who can know his furry little mind? Well..there was one instance where his thoughts were clear to us. I *chuckle* cut my own hair a few weeks back.
Fed up with not being able to "walk in" to a salon and just get a friggin' hair cut in this town...I took matters into my own hands. I looked at the shaggy mop on my head (well on the way to the "sad old rocker" do) and selected the appropriate trim blade for my cutter. Yep. I buzzed it. After trimming the loose ends and cleaning up I ventured downstairs to receive the royal "thumbs up/down" from my wife. The wife liked. The daughter stood dumb-founded. The dog took one look and yowled his fool head off. "Who the hell was this guy!!!???" "Stranger -Danger!" ...it went on for some time. We have since made nice.
I think often of my mother. Her health is brittle. She has no problem sharing her thoughts of mortality with me...but as of yet, I am not ready to agree with her. I tell her she will do well if she does this, that or another thing and she graciously accepts my advice. It is a dance we do whenever I call to check on her. I am not in denial. I know full well the next bad illness might do it. I just cannot so easily let her in on my concerns. However, to think she doesn't know me well enough to realize this discredits her. So. An illusion we both live with.
My wife is troubled by her decisions to pursue her dreams...They are not coming easily. I tell her time will show the path and all of the little obstacles will fade in the distance as she moves along. Day to-day concerns wear at my good wishes though...and often I am at a loss as to how to be of help. My own faults make leading by example an inconstant pursuit and words are not substantive enough to squelch all fears.
Sometimes all you can do is just hold someones hand.
She will have the distinction of making a "secret lab" before I do...and therefore rises far above me in the annuals of geek-dom. I bow to her. *grin*