I needed to run to the store for a few things. Nothing major, but just a few necessities and some more soup. So I started making a list, and assembling coupons in my purse, matching everything up. And that's when it hit me. I really had grown up to become my Mother...
When I was young, I was my Mothers shadow. Almost a mini-me of her. I watched everything she did, asked her endless questions, and filed it all away in my head.
We were not poor growing up. But my Mom, a daughter of depression era parents, was always on top of coupons. She had a filing system for her coupons, both at home and in her wallet. Coupons where sorted by type, product, expiration date and more. And she kept track of them. Whenever it was time to go to the store, she had this almost ritual of making a list, then checking what she had coupons for, and when we got to there, we'd set off in an orderly fashion to collect everything on the list.
So then I'm finally read to check out, and I've got my reusable bags ready, my coupons ready, and I'm waiting for the front self checkout register to open up. One behind it opened and "Little Grey" noticed me waiting and she said you know this one is open. ["Little Grey" isn't actually her name, but she looks so much like the actress who play's Grey on "Grey's Anatomy" that I call her that.] So I smiled and said thanks, but the one by her console was about to open and I was waiting for that because I had a stack of coupons. She said not to worry that she didn't mind walking the few feet. I smiled and said I had A LOT of coupons.
An the whole time I couldn't help but think of my Mom.
So I scanned everything in, totaled it up, hit pay now and it asked if I had any coupons and I just couldn't help but laugh. Before coupons the total was $45 and change. After all the coupons had been subtracted and the ordered totaled again $28 and some change. That's $17 dollars I kept in my pocket on stuff I was going to buy anyway. $17 dollars of basically free stuff because I kept coupons handy and used them. $17 dollars my Mom saved me by answering the endless stream of questions coming out of her special little girl.
I know I didn't say anything on Mother's day, but I honestly don't need a special day to force me to remember and honor my Mom. Because I live that way. Most of who I am, what I do, and why I do it is, in effect, a living Memorial to my Mom. And though she's not been corporeally focused in a long, long time, not a day goes by that I don't think of her. And how much I've grown up to be just like her. Thanks Mom, I miss you!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Cadence finally makes sense . . .
I am not now, nor have I ever been the most technical rider on the planet. Frankly I've spent more on riding in the last two months than in my entire life up until April combined and multiplied by a factor of 100. Up until now, Cadence was one of those things that other people worried about who were racing or whatever.
Recently it just clicked in my head. The light bulb went on!
Obviously, I'm still getting to know Serenity. She's still in the break in period, and because she's a brand new, never before ridden ride, and of a type I've never had before I'm still learning. Or re-learning, things I knew, things I never really thought about.
Like the difference between spinning or grinding.
In some of my early rides with Serenity I was making better speed up some hills and it seemed like my legs were having an easier time of it. Recently the same hills seemed like I'd lost ground, going up them slower, pushing my legs harder, getting less cardio out of the hills than I was. Couldn't make sense of it, why where they harder now than when I first started riding again. Which is when it hit me. Cadence.
I'd been reading some articles on the subject, and my recent issues just clicked finally. Some of those earlier rides where done with the middle chainring because using the larger one kept causing the chain to come off. I've long since had that issue fixed, so I've gone back to powering through the hills. Just pushing my legs to make it, using only the rear gears to get there. 21 available gears and I'm only using 7? Well that's just silly no? So yeah, I've not changed, the gears I was using changed.
So when on the morrow I'm taking that hill, I'll remember to downshift.
From a technical standpoint as I'm starting to understand it, I'll get better use of my muscles, less build up of lactic acid, faster recovery and it will be better for my whole body. In my floating around the net reading, and learning, I've found even Lance Armstrong has radically changed his riding and training style to favor "spinning" over "grinding." Or simply put using a lower, easier gear to do the same job done.
Recently it just clicked in my head. The light bulb went on!
Obviously, I'm still getting to know Serenity. She's still in the break in period, and because she's a brand new, never before ridden ride, and of a type I've never had before I'm still learning. Or re-learning, things I knew, things I never really thought about.
Like the difference between spinning or grinding.
In some of my early rides with Serenity I was making better speed up some hills and it seemed like my legs were having an easier time of it. Recently the same hills seemed like I'd lost ground, going up them slower, pushing my legs harder, getting less cardio out of the hills than I was. Couldn't make sense of it, why where they harder now than when I first started riding again. Which is when it hit me. Cadence.
I'd been reading some articles on the subject, and my recent issues just clicked finally. Some of those earlier rides where done with the middle chainring because using the larger one kept causing the chain to come off. I've long since had that issue fixed, so I've gone back to powering through the hills. Just pushing my legs to make it, using only the rear gears to get there. 21 available gears and I'm only using 7? Well that's just silly no? So yeah, I've not changed, the gears I was using changed.
So when on the morrow I'm taking that hill, I'll remember to downshift.
From a technical standpoint as I'm starting to understand it, I'll get better use of my muscles, less build up of lactic acid, faster recovery and it will be better for my whole body. In my floating around the net reading, and learning, I've found even Lance Armstrong has radically changed his riding and training style to favor "spinning" over "grinding." Or simply put using a lower, easier gear to do the same job done.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Share The Road . . .
. . .not just in May because it's National Bike Month in the US (Who knew?) but all year long. And the doesn't just mean with cyclists either. Bikers (Motorcycles) and Pedestrians have a right to be there as do joggers and cars.
I've been reading articles about the subject as I'm about to head out and start riding on the roads too. Well as soon as my helmet and gloves get here Thursday I will. It's something I've always been careful about, then again I'm very careful when in the car in general. Which I suppose is why I've managed to avoid getting tickets for so many years. Then again I'm the brunt of jokes because I'm told I drive like the proverbial little old lady from Pasadena. I think it has as much to do with not wanting to being in a rush, as it does with obeying the law. I'm allergic to rushing. Really, I'll break out in a rash.
Anyway, rushing not withstanding, it's as much about respect as it is about safety, and does have to do with rushing as well as law. And not just with cyclists. Bike riders are every bit as much in danger as cyclists and for the same reasons. People who drive cars think they OWN the road. In fact KTAR-FM guest host on an Arizona radio station said:
"The roads were made for cars. And bicyclists share the road, but sometimes they think they own the road."
The historical reality is that roads as we know them today started out because of wait for it... Cyclists! Back before cars even existed dirt roads were fine for horse drawn vehicles. Riding bikes however on dirt roads, especially in the rain? Not such a good plan. Cobblestones gave way to asphalt and or concrete. Mind you it wasn't the only reason, but it was one of the reasons, and cars didn't even exist yet. It started in Europe long, long before here.
And the irony? Horses don't like cyclists! Why? Because they dart in and out, don't follow the rules, have no respect for horses... Sound familiar?
So not only is the claim roads were created for cars ignorant, it's also historically inaccurate.
So we have that.
There is also the fact that trucks have no respect for cars, and so on. Folks claim size matters, and it an age old problem, and it's not just limited to cars and two wheelers. Respect is in great demand and amazingly short supply, and the supply is getting shorter.
And the law, doesn't really care. As a cyclist I can be arrested for DWI on a bike and it will carry the same impact on my license as if I was driving a car. And of course don't even get me started on big rigs. We all have to follow the same laws.
So let's ALL share the roads. Drive defensively, consider everyone as you do regardless of what you drive. And please keep in mind if your big rigs hits one of our "four wheelers" airbags aren't going to save us. If your driving a four wheel vehicles, please keep in mind we don't have airbags to say the very least.
So everyone be more careful, more respectful of anyone you share the roads with.
I've been reading articles about the subject as I'm about to head out and start riding on the roads too. Well as soon as my helmet and gloves get here Thursday I will. It's something I've always been careful about, then again I'm very careful when in the car in general. Which I suppose is why I've managed to avoid getting tickets for so many years. Then again I'm the brunt of jokes because I'm told I drive like the proverbial little old lady from Pasadena. I think it has as much to do with not wanting to being in a rush, as it does with obeying the law. I'm allergic to rushing. Really, I'll break out in a rash.
Anyway, rushing not withstanding, it's as much about respect as it is about safety, and does have to do with rushing as well as law. And not just with cyclists. Bike riders are every bit as much in danger as cyclists and for the same reasons. People who drive cars think they OWN the road. In fact KTAR-FM guest host on an Arizona radio station said:
"The roads were made for cars. And bicyclists share the road, but sometimes they think they own the road."
The historical reality is that roads as we know them today started out because of wait for it... Cyclists! Back before cars even existed dirt roads were fine for horse drawn vehicles. Riding bikes however on dirt roads, especially in the rain? Not such a good plan. Cobblestones gave way to asphalt and or concrete. Mind you it wasn't the only reason, but it was one of the reasons, and cars didn't even exist yet. It started in Europe long, long before here.
And the irony? Horses don't like cyclists! Why? Because they dart in and out, don't follow the rules, have no respect for horses... Sound familiar?
So not only is the claim roads were created for cars ignorant, it's also historically inaccurate.
So we have that.
There is also the fact that trucks have no respect for cars, and so on. Folks claim size matters, and it an age old problem, and it's not just limited to cars and two wheelers. Respect is in great demand and amazingly short supply, and the supply is getting shorter.
And the law, doesn't really care. As a cyclist I can be arrested for DWI on a bike and it will carry the same impact on my license as if I was driving a car. And of course don't even get me started on big rigs. We all have to follow the same laws.
So let's ALL share the roads. Drive defensively, consider everyone as you do regardless of what you drive. And please keep in mind if your big rigs hits one of our "four wheelers" airbags aren't going to save us. If your driving a four wheel vehicles, please keep in mind we don't have airbags to say the very least.
So everyone be more careful, more respectful of anyone you share the roads with.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Okay, now that was interesting...
Yesterday the rain stopped just long enough for the pavement to dry and I kinda flipped. I knew if I put Serenity on the Jumper and made my way to the park it would start raining again. Not wanting to take a chance, I took a different kind of chance. I took to the surface streets. Something I wasn't planning on doing for a while yet despite the fact that I used to ride on the road all the time. I was also not planning on it until I'd gotten a helmet.
But after four days I really needed a ride. At first I was going to ride in circles in the parking lot where I live. But going in circles wasn't much fun. Five circles and I flipped out. I couldn't take it, I NEEDED to ride. A block from my house was a nice quiet neighborhood area that I'd looked at as a possible place for some quick rides in the future. Now was as good a time as any. So I went over there. The route I'd mapped was a mile of very quiet blocks. Five laps later, the rain started to fall again and I took off for the house.
It was still very cold, and as I started out my hands and feet were freezing, but I needed to ride and knew once I got going I'd heat up. Sure enough the cold start didn't last long and soon I was flying and in the zone. The huffing, puffing, heavy breathing, heart pounding, body complaining quickly melted away to that "Ahhhhhh, Oh YES! I so needed this!!!" Feeling that keeps me going back. The cold wind in my hair, on my skin, became a welcome friend once again, the legs and my whole body settled into the rhythm and was rewarded once again with that thrumming of the tires as we fly across the terrain. Sweet, blessed, freedom and release. No longer a rider on a machine, but a great, beautiful, bird in flight, lofing on thermals, swooping, diving, flying and pumping into climbs to catch the next thermal. Serenity became and extension of me, and I of her.
And then it was all so easy, so rewarding. and I lost myself to the blending. I warmed right up, my breathing slowing to blend in with the pace of my legs, my blood coursing through me, my energy flowing and melding with the joy of flying, the power gained from the work. And I was gone, frustrations, fears, anxiety, depression, life for the moment behind me and receding like earth dropping away from a ship finally free of atmo and into the embrace of space. For a moment I was firmly in that moment, fully present, soaking up everything as I flew through it. The smells of the grass, the life around me, the trees, birds and all the life reaching out to me and I to it. The neighborhood dogs, who barked once and I said hi part of them, part of me, touching for just a moment and they god catch up in the flow. Chase in an instant became a taste of freedom for them as they switched from pursuit to running with me, their gate changed and settled into that free, comfortable loping dogs will do when happy and free to run. Aggressive chase energy melted away to them enjoying the experience and running with me. And for just a moment they were free and flying to!
Words do not justice to the experience make, but at least I can with these typed characters help guide you dear reader to a hint of the feelings and sensations.
Yes, I know better than to ride surface streets with out a helmet, but I needed that so badly. I needed out of my water logged cage for some time in the sky. Or as my friend Laura calls it rideitation! Mindfulness, being fully present in that moment of flight, stretching into the next, everything left behind me for a while. One lap melted into the next, and the next, and the overwhelming joy I was awash in spreading out and around me.
And then, after five laps of a mile each, the first drops reached me and it was time to stop. I set course for home and punched it. Made it back to my building before the sky really opened up on me only to be met by my down stairs neighbor:
"Wow, I saw you go flying out of here and thought to myself 'Where is she going so fast?' So when I saw you come coasting back in figured I'd come up briefly and chat. I thought you said you weren't brave enough for the streets yet? That it would be years? Are you okay? What happened? You'd said you wouldn't even think of it without a helmet?"
"Four days of rain is what happened! I rode a couple circles in the parking lot, saw dry pavement and just lost my mind for a moment, I really needed to fly! I needed to spend some time flying."
"Well that's what it looked like as you flew out of here. You looked like a bird flying by my window so fast!"
So we chatted briefly before going our separate ways and as I took Serenity up the stairs and down the hall it struck me.
Holy Hannah I rode on the streets!!!
For a moment, more really, I was whole, complete, not afraid, not the discarded wretch of a woman Earl had life by the side of the road, but a woman in the saddle and flying again like I used to do before Earl came along. I wasn't the scared, disaster of a woman in recovery by was once again strong, confident, careful, graceful, wonderful and almost whole again! I connected with a part of me I'd thought lost to me forever. Another step toward progress and recovery found on a cold, wet, dark day in a small quiet neighborhood in Ohio!
Back in a time before Earl, before I knew anything, before I had access to parks and trails all I had were the streets around me. And I flew then too. I covered miles, cities, even states on my bike. It was all I had. A beat up old Ten Speed, the clothes on my back and miles and miles of roads to explore. It was freedom, escape, release, and moments of peace away from my Father and his madness. I was strong, confident, careful, graceful, wonderful and whole. I knew nothing about the years of terror and pain that lay before me, and I was free from the horrors of my life then. I was in my sky flying!
So today, now that was interesting, and completely unexpected.
"I'm moving on..." -- Rascal Flats
But after four days I really needed a ride. At first I was going to ride in circles in the parking lot where I live. But going in circles wasn't much fun. Five circles and I flipped out. I couldn't take it, I NEEDED to ride. A block from my house was a nice quiet neighborhood area that I'd looked at as a possible place for some quick rides in the future. Now was as good a time as any. So I went over there. The route I'd mapped was a mile of very quiet blocks. Five laps later, the rain started to fall again and I took off for the house.
It was still very cold, and as I started out my hands and feet were freezing, but I needed to ride and knew once I got going I'd heat up. Sure enough the cold start didn't last long and soon I was flying and in the zone. The huffing, puffing, heavy breathing, heart pounding, body complaining quickly melted away to that "Ahhhhhh, Oh YES! I so needed this!!!" Feeling that keeps me going back. The cold wind in my hair, on my skin, became a welcome friend once again, the legs and my whole body settled into the rhythm and was rewarded once again with that thrumming of the tires as we fly across the terrain. Sweet, blessed, freedom and release. No longer a rider on a machine, but a great, beautiful, bird in flight, lofing on thermals, swooping, diving, flying and pumping into climbs to catch the next thermal. Serenity became and extension of me, and I of her.
And then it was all so easy, so rewarding. and I lost myself to the blending. I warmed right up, my breathing slowing to blend in with the pace of my legs, my blood coursing through me, my energy flowing and melding with the joy of flying, the power gained from the work. And I was gone, frustrations, fears, anxiety, depression, life for the moment behind me and receding like earth dropping away from a ship finally free of atmo and into the embrace of space. For a moment I was firmly in that moment, fully present, soaking up everything as I flew through it. The smells of the grass, the life around me, the trees, birds and all the life reaching out to me and I to it. The neighborhood dogs, who barked once and I said hi part of them, part of me, touching for just a moment and they god catch up in the flow. Chase in an instant became a taste of freedom for them as they switched from pursuit to running with me, their gate changed and settled into that free, comfortable loping dogs will do when happy and free to run. Aggressive chase energy melted away to them enjoying the experience and running with me. And for just a moment they were free and flying to!
Words do not justice to the experience make, but at least I can with these typed characters help guide you dear reader to a hint of the feelings and sensations.
Yes, I know better than to ride surface streets with out a helmet, but I needed that so badly. I needed out of my water logged cage for some time in the sky. Or as my friend Laura calls it rideitation! Mindfulness, being fully present in that moment of flight, stretching into the next, everything left behind me for a while. One lap melted into the next, and the next, and the overwhelming joy I was awash in spreading out and around me.
And then, after five laps of a mile each, the first drops reached me and it was time to stop. I set course for home and punched it. Made it back to my building before the sky really opened up on me only to be met by my down stairs neighbor:
"Wow, I saw you go flying out of here and thought to myself 'Where is she going so fast?' So when I saw you come coasting back in figured I'd come up briefly and chat. I thought you said you weren't brave enough for the streets yet? That it would be years? Are you okay? What happened? You'd said you wouldn't even think of it without a helmet?"
"Four days of rain is what happened! I rode a couple circles in the parking lot, saw dry pavement and just lost my mind for a moment, I really needed to fly! I needed to spend some time flying."
"Well that's what it looked like as you flew out of here. You looked like a bird flying by my window so fast!"
So we chatted briefly before going our separate ways and as I took Serenity up the stairs and down the hall it struck me.
Holy Hannah I rode on the streets!!!
For a moment, more really, I was whole, complete, not afraid, not the discarded wretch of a woman Earl had life by the side of the road, but a woman in the saddle and flying again like I used to do before Earl came along. I wasn't the scared, disaster of a woman in recovery by was once again strong, confident, careful, graceful, wonderful and almost whole again! I connected with a part of me I'd thought lost to me forever. Another step toward progress and recovery found on a cold, wet, dark day in a small quiet neighborhood in Ohio!
Back in a time before Earl, before I knew anything, before I had access to parks and trails all I had were the streets around me. And I flew then too. I covered miles, cities, even states on my bike. It was all I had. A beat up old Ten Speed, the clothes on my back and miles and miles of roads to explore. It was freedom, escape, release, and moments of peace away from my Father and his madness. I was strong, confident, careful, graceful, wonderful and whole. I knew nothing about the years of terror and pain that lay before me, and I was free from the horrors of my life then. I was in my sky flying!
So today, now that was interesting, and completely unexpected.
"I'm moving on..." -- Rascal Flats
Monday, April 26, 2010
Yup, Plan B, works every time!
As of my last post the following conditions were in fact true. Jumper One was in need of additional repairs. Repairs that were going to be more than my typical monthly discretionary spending allowance. Which means of course waiting, because of the amount in question, at least two full months to get her repaired. I also need to procure at very least a helmet and an indoor training mount for Serenity.
The helmet for obvious reasons. So far I've been riding without a helmet and being extra super careful. But it's not wise, and having come up off a mount once, and landed on my head ...
(Go ahead, insert joke here, I'll wait...)
...I better than most people know how important a riding helmet can be. Many years ago, while out riding, on the roads mind you, I got hit by a truck. My bike of course was totally, it made it under the wheels of the truck. I somehow got launched into the air and came down on my head. I don't remember anything after that split second when I saw the truck and though: "Okay, this is NOT good." I woke up three hours later in the ER in pain. That's three hours I'll never get back, but the story from multiple sources says that I was awake and "functional" if in shock the whole time. Apparently the women who hit me was a bit upset and thought she'd killed me. Wasn't made any better by the fact that as the ambulance showed up I sat bolt upright quite suddenly, looked directly at here and with a perfect British accent calmly said "Madam it appears my brains are scattered about the payment, would you be so kind as to help me collect them and place them back into my skull? I would be ever so grateful." Needless to say that didn't go over well at all, she then had to be sedated and taken to the hospital as well.
Anyway, a head full of stitches, and a year of therapy for the soft tissue in my back to heal later, I was mostly okay...
So now of course I'm not going to temp fate a second time by riding on the road without adequate head cover. It's bad enough I've been riding in the park that way. Plus there is a cancer ride coming up in June I want to get ready for, and they won't even consider letting one ride without head cover. So, it's kinda a given that I MUST get one.
Which brings me back around to the point of this post in relation to the last one. I have only so much discretionary income to play with, but things I need to do sooner rather than later. And my growing frustration with not being able to ride more regularly. I need an indoor trainer, if for no other reason than when the weather turns to yuck, I'll be able to ride anyway. That's another big chunk of money I don't have right now. In fact, the helmet and trainer I've picked out alone are an entire months discretionary fund that I should be saving to finish my move. But I really, really need a trainer. It's been four days or so since I was last in the saddle and this is making me crazy. Today and tomorrow are also washouts because of rain. Wednesday the weather is going to clear up, I'll be able to ride for two days, and then it's back into thunderstorms and rain until Wednesday again at the earliest. It's not fair. I just want to state that up front. NOT FAIR!
This is also usually when the "plan" SG1 was running to get themselves out of trouble goes horribly wrong and it's time for plan B.
So they eventually figure something out, save the day and make it back thru the gate to home, safe and sound. At which point O'Neill invariably says: "Yup, Plan B, works every time!"
So last night as I was writing in my diary, I re-earned one of my nicknames, which of course for those of you who don't know is in fact Carter for a reason. I want and need to get the Jumper fixed because it's the only one I have, and driving it this way is asking for a ticket that I cannot afford. And it's still Spring, so the preponderance of rain is likely to continue into May and that's making my crazier.
So it's time to actually do something I keep finding reasons not to do. More than time. I have a sequestered savings account that I've been putting money into now and then. Little bit of my discretionary fund every month goes into it. It's there primarily to fund the rest of my move and as a rainy day/emergency fund. Yup, plan B!
Rain for a week straight is bad enough. Another week in the offing? Oh yeah, if this doesn't count as reason to break the seals on the rainy day fund I don't know what is. Emergency repairs on the Jumper? Yeah, so that covers BOTH the Rainy day and Emergency portions of our program campers. Reasons enough I think to dip into the fund and take a little out.
Yup, Plan B, works every time!
The helmet for obvious reasons. So far I've been riding without a helmet and being extra super careful. But it's not wise, and having come up off a mount once, and landed on my head ...
(Go ahead, insert joke here, I'll wait...)
...I better than most people know how important a riding helmet can be. Many years ago, while out riding, on the roads mind you, I got hit by a truck. My bike of course was totally, it made it under the wheels of the truck. I somehow got launched into the air and came down on my head. I don't remember anything after that split second when I saw the truck and though: "Okay, this is NOT good." I woke up three hours later in the ER in pain. That's three hours I'll never get back, but the story from multiple sources says that I was awake and "functional" if in shock the whole time. Apparently the women who hit me was a bit upset and thought she'd killed me. Wasn't made any better by the fact that as the ambulance showed up I sat bolt upright quite suddenly, looked directly at here and with a perfect British accent calmly said "Madam it appears my brains are scattered about the payment, would you be so kind as to help me collect them and place them back into my skull? I would be ever so grateful." Needless to say that didn't go over well at all, she then had to be sedated and taken to the hospital as well.
Anyway, a head full of stitches, and a year of therapy for the soft tissue in my back to heal later, I was mostly okay...
So now of course I'm not going to temp fate a second time by riding on the road without adequate head cover. It's bad enough I've been riding in the park that way. Plus there is a cancer ride coming up in June I want to get ready for, and they won't even consider letting one ride without head cover. So, it's kinda a given that I MUST get one.
Which brings me back around to the point of this post in relation to the last one. I have only so much discretionary income to play with, but things I need to do sooner rather than later. And my growing frustration with not being able to ride more regularly. I need an indoor trainer, if for no other reason than when the weather turns to yuck, I'll be able to ride anyway. That's another big chunk of money I don't have right now. In fact, the helmet and trainer I've picked out alone are an entire months discretionary fund that I should be saving to finish my move. But I really, really need a trainer. It's been four days or so since I was last in the saddle and this is making me crazy. Today and tomorrow are also washouts because of rain. Wednesday the weather is going to clear up, I'll be able to ride for two days, and then it's back into thunderstorms and rain until Wednesday again at the earliest. It's not fair. I just want to state that up front. NOT FAIR!
This is also usually when the "plan" SG1 was running to get themselves out of trouble goes horribly wrong and it's time for plan B.
O'Neill: "Carter I think it's time for plan B"
Carter: "Sir, we don't HAVE a plan B!"
O'Neill: "Well we've been in worse situations than this, we'll figure something out."
Carter: "Sir? Ah, no Sir, we haven't been in worse situations than this!"
O'Neill: "We'll figure something out, we always do. Or do I have to make that an order?"
Carter: "Yes Sir."
So they eventually figure something out, save the day and make it back thru the gate to home, safe and sound. At which point O'Neill invariably says: "Yup, Plan B, works every time!"
So last night as I was writing in my diary, I re-earned one of my nicknames, which of course for those of you who don't know is in fact Carter for a reason. I want and need to get the Jumper fixed because it's the only one I have, and driving it this way is asking for a ticket that I cannot afford. And it's still Spring, so the preponderance of rain is likely to continue into May and that's making my crazier.
So it's time to actually do something I keep finding reasons not to do. More than time. I have a sequestered savings account that I've been putting money into now and then. Little bit of my discretionary fund every month goes into it. It's there primarily to fund the rest of my move and as a rainy day/emergency fund. Yup, plan B!
Rain for a week straight is bad enough. Another week in the offing? Oh yeah, if this doesn't count as reason to break the seals on the rainy day fund I don't know what is. Emergency repairs on the Jumper? Yeah, so that covers BOTH the Rainy day and Emergency portions of our program campers. Reasons enough I think to dip into the fund and take a little out.
Yup, Plan B, works every time!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Decisions! Bah!!!
Mashing of teeth, pulling of hair, frustration sparks a confluence of anguish!
See here's the thing. Couldn't ride today. Not at all. Not even around the parking lot. It's cold, wet, raining, dark and otherwise yucky! And we're under a Tornado watch. But I want to ride. I need to ride. As it stands the earliest I'm going to get to ride is Wednesday!
So Jumper One needs another two hundred dollars of work. She's completely drivable and safe, but she sounds like a Patrol Boat. LOUD! The pipe from the cat to the muffler is broken. It's going to take me two months, maybe one if I really scrape, to get her repaired. In the meantime I'm going to be limited to when and where I can ride because without the back pressure (I think that's what it's called) of the muffler she's sucking down gas like an addict. Plus I don't want to risk someone having a bad day and deciding to give me a ticket for no muffler. So aside from short trips to the supermarket, or over to the park to ride, I'm not going to be driving her much. Which means I'm not going to get to ride as much as I'd like.
Before the winter I MUST get an indoor trainer. It's a mount that turns Serenity into an expensive indoor exercise bike. But it means all winter long I'll be able to keep riding. If I had one NOW, I'd be riding. Raining yucky days wouldn't stop me. Stick in a video and ride.
So here's the thing. Do I wait a bit longer, get a mount first, so that days like this won't keep me from riding? Or do I fix Jo first and have to wait a couple of extra months to get a trainer? Months when it will rain and I won't be able to ride.
See here's the thing. Couldn't ride today. Not at all. Not even around the parking lot. It's cold, wet, raining, dark and otherwise yucky! And we're under a Tornado watch. But I want to ride. I need to ride. As it stands the earliest I'm going to get to ride is Wednesday!
So Jumper One needs another two hundred dollars of work. She's completely drivable and safe, but she sounds like a Patrol Boat. LOUD! The pipe from the cat to the muffler is broken. It's going to take me two months, maybe one if I really scrape, to get her repaired. In the meantime I'm going to be limited to when and where I can ride because without the back pressure (I think that's what it's called) of the muffler she's sucking down gas like an addict. Plus I don't want to risk someone having a bad day and deciding to give me a ticket for no muffler. So aside from short trips to the supermarket, or over to the park to ride, I'm not going to be driving her much. Which means I'm not going to get to ride as much as I'd like.
Before the winter I MUST get an indoor trainer. It's a mount that turns Serenity into an expensive indoor exercise bike. But it means all winter long I'll be able to keep riding. If I had one NOW, I'd be riding. Raining yucky days wouldn't stop me. Stick in a video and ride.
So here's the thing. Do I wait a bit longer, get a mount first, so that days like this won't keep me from riding? Or do I fix Jo first and have to wait a couple of extra months to get a trainer? Months when it will rain and I won't be able to ride.
Death is Irrelevant, Dying is futile...
Life:
The clutches of a thousand deaths behind me,
The momentary shock of ultimate silence,
The Majesty of light,
The Myth of Time.
I've died a thousand times if I've done it once,
And yet I've been too busy living to let it take me.
Death is silence, a pause, a timeless moment to reflect,
Death is a breath taken over morning coffee,
Death is fleeting and gone in the blink of an eye.
Dying takes time from living of a life full of wonder and light.
Acknowledge it and move on,
Back into the light of living.
Mindfulness is immortality in action.
Simply being in an eternity of light.
The clutches of a thousand deaths behind me,
The momentary shock of ultimate silence,
The Majesty of light,
The Myth of Time.
I've died a thousand times if I've done it once,
And yet I've been too busy living to let it take me.
Death is silence, a pause, a timeless moment to reflect,
Death is a breath taken over morning coffee,
Death is fleeting and gone in the blink of an eye.
Dying takes time from living of a life full of wonder and light.
Acknowledge it and move on,
Back into the light of living.
Mindfulness is immortality in action.
Simply being in an eternity of light.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Little Miami River Scenic Trail and Greenway.
So, not being content to simply ride in circles, and very much wishing to continue my process of healing and growing, I've been actively looking for other places to ride. I've even gone and ridden one such place, that I knew of from having traveled under it by water in Indiana. It was just over seven miles round trip, and with the exception of four tunnels they want you to walk through, and of course the powerplant, it's a lovely, scenic journey. I even took some pictures of it, they are available, power-plant, tunnels and all on my Flikr page in a set called Dearborne Trail Indiana. Tunnels and power-plant not withstanding, it's a glorious, peaceful, scenic ride along the Ohio River.
My investigations have turned up other interesting options as well. Miami White Water Forest for example. There's also a set of pictures from my brief field trip to explore at least part of that park, called Miami White Water Forest. I've since been there to ride the Shaker Trace Outer Trail, which while more of a challenge physically than Winton Woods, is utterly glorious in it's simple beauty and to be honest, reminds me so much of New England that I am way less homesick. Rolling hills, Wildlife, Wetlands and Bird Sanctuary space, the Miami White Water lake itself, Dry Fork Creek, working farmland, forested areas and abundant wildlife make this paved multiuse trail a real treasure for anyone, let alone a misplaced New England farm girl like me. Plenty of places to set up a small grill and have a BBQ and even trail access for Horseback riding make this a real gem in the Hamilton County Park system. And I get unlimited access to this park, Winton Woods, and all the rest for five dollars a year for a parking pass. Oh the horror! Five dollars? To park at the parks, all year long? Worth it at four times the price!
Finally that brings me to my point in this post. The Largest paved multiuse trail in the United States. The Little Miami River Scenic Trail and Greenway. End to end it is well over 70 miles long and connects the South Western most portion of the state of Ohio with the North Eastern most corner. It also connects to numerous East to west trails along the way. Miles and miles of terrain through all sorts of land it covers everything. Forests, Rivers, Farms, Cities and even takes one past Ohio's own version of Six Flags called Kings Island. Giant combination water park and amusement park.
Anyway, there exists a mountain of information about the trail online and where it goes, but precious little about where exactly one can park and how much it will cost. Blah, blah, blah details aplenty, but precious little in terms of facts about really important things, like where to put my car and how safe is it? So, like most things in my post Earl life I decided some controlled recon would be a good thing. Especially since there exists a map of the trail, trail heads, and distances between points, but no real talk of parking. So, I took a day to go exploring, looking for parking, determining threat and traffic levels and getting a feel for it before I think about taking Serenity over and committing myself to a ride.
Maps and such were no help really, because they don't really show were parking is. I knew of only one place for certain that I could park, but that wasn't primarily a parking spot for the trail but a golf course. My plan was to tell my magic phone to take me to the golf course and I'd snoop from there. Except my phone wasn't co-operating. At all. Nothing. GPS mapping totally not working. Start it up, it shut down. And again. Fine, I don't no steenking computers! I knew generally where I was going, turned on terrain seeking in the GPS in my head and went hunting for the river. Yes, I have a kind of a GPS in my head, pretty much always have. Plus it's got some of the extra features only the really complex kinds have, like terrain seeking. Which means I can follow ridge lines, navigate based on elevation and avoid, or find, high points. Kinda cool.
Found a wonderful little spot for meditation and a picnic over looking the Little Miami river valley called the Mariemont Concourse. It's beautiful, so I stopped, soaked up the sun and sights, took some pictures and confirmed I was heading in the right direction since I saw one of the train trestles crossing over the river down below me. Plus it made for a wonderful break in my day.
Once done from there, I went down into the valley heading for the river. and what should I find, right there at the junction of Newtown road and Route 50? Bass Island parking and trail head for the Little Miami River Scenic Trail! Woot, found one! More on that to follow!
My investigations have turned up other interesting options as well. Miami White Water Forest for example. There's also a set of pictures from my brief field trip to explore at least part of that park, called Miami White Water Forest. I've since been there to ride the Shaker Trace Outer Trail, which while more of a challenge physically than Winton Woods, is utterly glorious in it's simple beauty and to be honest, reminds me so much of New England that I am way less homesick. Rolling hills, Wildlife, Wetlands and Bird Sanctuary space, the Miami White Water lake itself, Dry Fork Creek, working farmland, forested areas and abundant wildlife make this paved multiuse trail a real treasure for anyone, let alone a misplaced New England farm girl like me. Plenty of places to set up a small grill and have a BBQ and even trail access for Horseback riding make this a real gem in the Hamilton County Park system. And I get unlimited access to this park, Winton Woods, and all the rest for five dollars a year for a parking pass. Oh the horror! Five dollars? To park at the parks, all year long? Worth it at four times the price!
Finally that brings me to my point in this post. The Largest paved multiuse trail in the United States. The Little Miami River Scenic Trail and Greenway. End to end it is well over 70 miles long and connects the South Western most portion of the state of Ohio with the North Eastern most corner. It also connects to numerous East to west trails along the way. Miles and miles of terrain through all sorts of land it covers everything. Forests, Rivers, Farms, Cities and even takes one past Ohio's own version of Six Flags called Kings Island. Giant combination water park and amusement park.
Anyway, there exists a mountain of information about the trail online and where it goes, but precious little about where exactly one can park and how much it will cost. Blah, blah, blah details aplenty, but precious little in terms of facts about really important things, like where to put my car and how safe is it? So, like most things in my post Earl life I decided some controlled recon would be a good thing. Especially since there exists a map of the trail, trail heads, and distances between points, but no real talk of parking. So, I took a day to go exploring, looking for parking, determining threat and traffic levels and getting a feel for it before I think about taking Serenity over and committing myself to a ride.
Maps and such were no help really, because they don't really show were parking is. I knew of only one place for certain that I could park, but that wasn't primarily a parking spot for the trail but a golf course. My plan was to tell my magic phone to take me to the golf course and I'd snoop from there. Except my phone wasn't co-operating. At all. Nothing. GPS mapping totally not working. Start it up, it shut down. And again. Fine, I don't no steenking computers! I knew generally where I was going, turned on terrain seeking in the GPS in my head and went hunting for the river. Yes, I have a kind of a GPS in my head, pretty much always have. Plus it's got some of the extra features only the really complex kinds have, like terrain seeking. Which means I can follow ridge lines, navigate based on elevation and avoid, or find, high points. Kinda cool.
Found a wonderful little spot for meditation and a picnic over looking the Little Miami river valley called the Mariemont Concourse. It's beautiful, so I stopped, soaked up the sun and sights, took some pictures and confirmed I was heading in the right direction since I saw one of the train trestles crossing over the river down below me. Plus it made for a wonderful break in my day.
Once done from there, I went down into the valley heading for the river. and what should I find, right there at the junction of Newtown road and Route 50? Bass Island parking and trail head for the Little Miami River Scenic Trail! Woot, found one! More on that to follow!
Bass Island Trailhead and Parking.
So here we come to my first success in my day of exploring and looking for trailheads. Being that it's a full recon, it of course means pictures and, oh the horror, talking to complete strangers. By clicking on the photo, you can get to the set of images I took while at Bass Island. Hopefully you'll enjoy, you can even click on MAP to see where in the world the pictures were taken.
So I park, get out of the Jumper elated with my success at finding an actual trailhead with dedicated parking and began my mission of standard recon. You know, Meet and greet with the locals, establish possible threats and determine available resources and costs associated with this gate address. Yes, I know, too much Stargate and Firefly for me. I mean a car named Jumper One, and a bike named Serenity going on standard recon?
Well, look at it this way. In both of those shows we have people going to new places and exploring right? In Firefly it's Serenity and her crew taking jobs, which involves meeting new folks, doing stuff with them staying out of trouble and getting things done. In Stargate it's also other planets, in Star trek, going back to the 60s it was ships and transporters, but it was all the same basic concept.
For me, in my post Earl life, the entire world is a strange and alien place filled with danger, threats, aliens,and possible places to explore and benefit from. Be it Geocaching or Cycling, it's getting out, doing and oh dear, interacting with possibly dangerous Aliens who might try to harm me. Cache Addresses actually follow a naming convention similar to gate addresses, and otherwise, places have names. In fact, I have no doubt that there are caches in the area of the trail, so this could have a "P" designation in Geocaching.com.
In fact, there are indeed caches right here, like GC17TCW which if I'd thought about it, I'd have hit while I was here. D'oh! Well I was hyper focused and as nervous as a long tail cat in a room full of rockin chairs. The joys of PTSD I guess. Picture Colonel Carter in full gear, P90 exploring a new place, and well that was pretty much me. GC17TCW wasn't on the mission list, so I didn't look. Since I'll be back there, I'll do it then.
Worse, far worse than the finding caches was the meet and great with the locals part of the mission. No P90, no Zat, no M9, no one covering my six. The parking lot was full of cars with bike racks on it, this bode well for mission success. In fact as I was standing there looking around, a minivan pulled in with bikes strapped to it! Ah, LOCALS! I watched as they got out of the van and set about taking down the bikes. Screwed up my courage, swallowed my sheer terror at what I was about to do and quietly approached and simply said:
Me (smiling): "Excuse me, would you mind if I asked you a question?"
Him (also smiling): "Yes Ma'am? Oh, I mean, no Ma'am I don't mind if you ask, how can I help you?"
Me (smiling more): "I read about this trail online and I came out looking for places to park and get a feel for the place. Do you ride here often?"
Him: "Well I think you have the parking aspect handled since you're here, the trail itself, yeah we ride here regularly. Been doing it for a while. It can be very busy at times, so there can be traffic, but otherwise it's a wonderful place to ride."
Me: "Do you always ride together, or is it safe for a woman alone?"
Him: "Well I've never seen or heard of problems, but my girlfriend can probably answer that better than I can. She got me riding here."
Her: "I've never had a problem and I often come here by myself. The trail is pretty much always busy with plenty of people walking or cycling and I've never been bothered. So you should be fine here. I've been up as far as Loveland, and that's more than ten miles one way. Rode up to there from here, had a nice lunch and then come back, it makes a nice day. It's pretty much all uphill getting there, but then you can pretty much fly back because it's all downhill. Not really hard hills, because this all used to be train tracks. I've met other riders, stopped and chitchatted now and then and every one is friendly and non-threatening. You should be fine. I'm not the only woman that rides here solo, so you should fit right in. Between here and Loveland there are plenty of other parking areas and bathrooms along the way so that's never a problem either."
So I thanked them and let them get on with riding and started taking pictures. I spoke to a few other women who were coming back from rides and not one said she'd ever had a problem or felt uncomfortable riding alone. One had in fact just come back from past Loveland and said she's always riding there because it is peaceful and quiet.
Because this is in my home county, and part of the county park system, I can safely park here as much as I want, as long as I want. I spend the five dollars every year and get a parking sticker that's good all year! The parks are patrolled so I don't have to worry as much about the Jumper getting a ticket or towed because I have the sticker in my window. This is great news! With plenty of day light left, I figured I could explore further. Following the terrain was a success so far, but a sign indicated that additional parking was available at the nearby Little Miami Golf Course. That was going to be my next stop!
So I park, get out of the Jumper elated with my success at finding an actual trailhead with dedicated parking and began my mission of standard recon. You know, Meet and greet with the locals, establish possible threats and determine available resources and costs associated with this gate address. Yes, I know, too much Stargate and Firefly for me. I mean a car named Jumper One, and a bike named Serenity going on standard recon?
Well, look at it this way. In both of those shows we have people going to new places and exploring right? In Firefly it's Serenity and her crew taking jobs, which involves meeting new folks, doing stuff with them staying out of trouble and getting things done. In Stargate it's also other planets, in Star trek, going back to the 60s it was ships and transporters, but it was all the same basic concept.
For me, in my post Earl life, the entire world is a strange and alien place filled with danger, threats, aliens,and possible places to explore and benefit from. Be it Geocaching or Cycling, it's getting out, doing and oh dear, interacting with possibly dangerous Aliens who might try to harm me. Cache Addresses actually follow a naming convention similar to gate addresses, and otherwise, places have names. In fact, I have no doubt that there are caches in the area of the trail, so this could have a "P" designation in Geocaching.com.
In fact, there are indeed caches right here, like GC17TCW which if I'd thought about it, I'd have hit while I was here. D'oh! Well I was hyper focused and as nervous as a long tail cat in a room full of rockin chairs. The joys of PTSD I guess. Picture Colonel Carter in full gear, P90 exploring a new place, and well that was pretty much me. GC17TCW wasn't on the mission list, so I didn't look. Since I'll be back there, I'll do it then.
Worse, far worse than the finding caches was the meet and great with the locals part of the mission. No P90, no Zat, no M9, no one covering my six. The parking lot was full of cars with bike racks on it, this bode well for mission success. In fact as I was standing there looking around, a minivan pulled in with bikes strapped to it! Ah, LOCALS! I watched as they got out of the van and set about taking down the bikes. Screwed up my courage, swallowed my sheer terror at what I was about to do and quietly approached and simply said:
Me (smiling): "Excuse me, would you mind if I asked you a question?"
Him (also smiling): "Yes Ma'am? Oh, I mean, no Ma'am I don't mind if you ask, how can I help you?"
Me (smiling more): "I read about this trail online and I came out looking for places to park and get a feel for the place. Do you ride here often?"
Him: "Well I think you have the parking aspect handled since you're here, the trail itself, yeah we ride here regularly. Been doing it for a while. It can be very busy at times, so there can be traffic, but otherwise it's a wonderful place to ride."
Me: "Do you always ride together, or is it safe for a woman alone?"
Him: "Well I've never seen or heard of problems, but my girlfriend can probably answer that better than I can. She got me riding here."
Her: "I've never had a problem and I often come here by myself. The trail is pretty much always busy with plenty of people walking or cycling and I've never been bothered. So you should be fine here. I've been up as far as Loveland, and that's more than ten miles one way. Rode up to there from here, had a nice lunch and then come back, it makes a nice day. It's pretty much all uphill getting there, but then you can pretty much fly back because it's all downhill. Not really hard hills, because this all used to be train tracks. I've met other riders, stopped and chitchatted now and then and every one is friendly and non-threatening. You should be fine. I'm not the only woman that rides here solo, so you should fit right in. Between here and Loveland there are plenty of other parking areas and bathrooms along the way so that's never a problem either."
So I thanked them and let them get on with riding and started taking pictures. I spoke to a few other women who were coming back from rides and not one said she'd ever had a problem or felt uncomfortable riding alone. One had in fact just come back from past Loveland and said she's always riding there because it is peaceful and quiet.
Because this is in my home county, and part of the county park system, I can safely park here as much as I want, as long as I want. I spend the five dollars every year and get a parking sticker that's good all year! The parks are patrolled so I don't have to worry as much about the Jumper getting a ticket or towed because I have the sticker in my window. This is great news! With plenty of day light left, I figured I could explore further. Following the terrain was a success so far, but a sign indicated that additional parking was available at the nearby Little Miami Golf Course. That was going to be my next stop!
Mariemount Concourse
Over looking the Little Miami River Valley at the edge of a sharp drop, we have the peaceful and lovely Mariemount Concourse. It's quiet, peaceful, serene and off the beaten path. This is one of a number of pictures in this set you can browse. Next Up, my experiences at Bass Island Parking and Trailhead!
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