Get to Work

That's what I should be doing instead of blogging, but once you start you want to blog about everything.
I just got back from a very invigorating bike ride. Even though I only went a little over 4 miles, it was quite breezy and cool and I feel like I got a good workout. Despite it being windy, Russell Barber's blog about his endeavor to bike across the United States and back again motivated me to get out and ride.
Now I am going downstairs to vacuum and scrub the family room so I can paint the floor tomorrow and get our new futon and chair moved down. I figured we should start getting it ready for when the kids come home for Christmas. And yes, we just got the shower unclogged last night so it's up and working. Christmas will be here before you know it!

A Cool Ride

It was only 46 degrees out this morning but virtually no wind so I decided I would take a bike ride. It was invigorateing! Not much traffic on a Sunday morning and everything was so peaceful. It's just amazing how fast the trees are turning colors. I do hope we will get an Indian Summer in October or it could be a very cool fall. It is fun to get the sweatshirts out though and snuggle up with a good book. I am going to pick apples today. Even though we haven't gotten a hard frost yet, so many of the good apples are falling to the ground. I want to get them off before they all fall or the birds get to them. Not many apples this year but they are bigger than last year for which I am grateful. Hopefully I'll get some applesauce made this year. Thank you Lord for all your blessings!

Good to be home!

When I got back from my bike ride this morning I went out to check on my garden. I can't believe how everything has grown in a week! I even had a cucumber big enough to pick and lettuce also. I'm getting lots of green tomatoes and even the sqaush is starting to get little balls of squash on the vines. I had one little red strawberry which I ate, even though it was very tiny because otherwise the birds are always getting them.

I love to travel but sometimes it's nice to get back to your old routine again.

What a Great Summer!

I have to say I can't remember such a perfect summer in a long time. Last summer was a little on the cool side, didn't really get 80 degree weather until September. But this summer is great! And the good thing is that it is encouraging me to ride my bike (which I didn't do at all last summer). This morning there was very little breeze so I decided I couldn't pass up a ride. I realize now why I enjoyed my rides so much before...the thrill of exceeding the speed limit of 25, if only for a brief moment. The satisfaction of making the climb with gears to spare...And just feeling great after 10 miles and wanting more...more beautiful bike paths like in Minnesota. Enjoying the bird songs and the beauty all around me are amazing perks. God is good and I am so glad He gives me good health and an amazing body so I can enjoy His great outdoors.

Back in the saddle again

Well, I did it! Got back on my bike after almost 2 years. A couple years ago I got this urge to try some once in a lifetime thing, which was to ride in the CANDISC (cycling around North Dakota in Sacajawea country). The ride ended up in Medora and I thought it would be a most beautiful ride. Well, beautiful maybe but it was the hills I didn't consider. So needless to say it was a very grueling and painful experience for me. I made it to Medora but did not go the return route. I got on my bike a couple times that fall but last summer could not force myself to get back on. But this morning I pumped up the tires and dusted her off and took to the bike path. I only went about 6.5 miles but my hands are still a bit shakey as I am writing this and my legs are quivery. As you can tell, I am very out of shape but I will continue to ride from time to time and try and regain the joy I used to feel when I was biking. ( I did a biking journal during my training in the summer of 2008)

The CANDISC

We left on Sat., August 2, for Fort Stevenson State Park by Garrison. After we registered we set up camp and waited for supper which was a taco feed. After supper the "Guitar Guys" sang some 70's music which I enjoyed.

DAY 1:
During the night we had a deluge and high winds and everyone had wet tents and sleeping bags by morning. So the start of my first day was in the rain. Thankfully the wind had gone down and it was just a nice gentle rain. But my windbreaker wasn't waterproof so I was getting pretty wet. About every 10-15 miles they had a rest stop set up with porta-potties and water and sometimes different groups from the surrounding towns would sell muffins, cookies, trail mix, gatorade and other goodies for us to buy. The sun came out around 11 am. but I was still a little soggy by the time I got to Beulah, our next stop over. I rode with my new bike seat the first day and even though I had not front pressure, my "sit bones" were getting quite sore by the end of 67 miles. There were a lot more hills than I expected, my legs and knees were pretty tired and sore by the time I got there. It was a nice fairly cool ride in the morning because of the rain and clouds and after the sun came out I think it got up to 78 degrees. Curt got me a cheeseburger and Georgia Mud Fudge Blizzard after I got to camp. I left camp around 7:30 am and got to Beulah around 2 pm.CDT. For supper they had fresh fried walleye caught at a fishing derby on Lake Sakakawea. It was delicious! They had a gospel group called "Undivided" for the evening entertainment that was very good.

DAY 2:

Woke up feeling great! No aches or pains from the previous day :) The morning was cool and cloudy with a few sprinkes but made for great riding. To start out of Beulah was a mile long hill. Most of the day was one climb after another but they were nice and gradual inclines for the most part. In Glen Ulin the rest stop had an Hawaiian theme and they gave us each a lei, lip balm and a fan. The food was always good at all the stops but you had to make sure you took a lot of money along. It was only 47 miles to Hebron so I got there by 11:30 am. There was a big grassy area behind the Luthern church that they had marked out like a monopoly board to mark the camping spots. We camped on Conneticut Ave. After showering at the school gym we spent the rest of the day walking around Hebron and took in a movie "The Incredible Hulk". It was a very well kept old theatre.

DAY 3:

It was suppose to be sunny and hot so I got an early start while it was cool. It was a fairly steady climb to start but by Richardton there was a nice 10 miles or so that were fairly flat. A man from Bemiji, rode along side me for a while which helped to pass the time when you have someone to talk to. For the most part of the ride I usually ride alone. The last 30 miles of the ride this day were difficult. I was using my old seat both yesterday and today and had a lot of front pressure pain even though I was trying to take frequent stops and stand up a few seconds at a time to take the pressure off, but nothing was helping. I had a pity party and asked myself why I was doing this to myself because this was not enjoyable. And the plan started formulating in my head that I might not finish the ride. I arrived at Belfield at 12:30 pm. It had taken me 6 hours to go 60 miles. But I made it! Curt and I went swimming at the public pool after we made a trip to Dickenson to buy him a swimsuit and I bought a new outfit. You see I had packed for biking, not thinking that after you bike, you shower and need clean clothes to put on. So far I just wore the clothes that I had on the first day. Knowing that we would be spending the next day in Medora I wanted something clean to wear.

DAY 4:

Today was only a 19 mile ride into Medora so I was not to worried about getting an early start. I stopped at the Painted Canyon Overlook on the way there to take some pictures and then on to the Medora Campground. It is a really nice campground with nice showers and a laundry. After I got there we drove through the National Park. Many of the bikers rode the 36 mile loop but I know I would never have made the hills. They are steep and curvy! I really admired the ones that could do it! Then we cleaned up and headed into Medora and spent the day going into every shop there was and the Harold Schafer Heritage Center, he was the one primarly responsible for restoring Medora to what it is today and for building the amphitheater where the musical is performed. That night 3oo of the CANDISC bikers attended the musical and most of us wore our orange CANDISC T-shirts, so we were very visible as a group. They always put on a great show!

I decided that day that I wanted to go to Lincoln to see Angela before she left for Mexico. I made it to the Badlands, 190 miles. Further than I ever thought possible a year ago. Maybe next year I'll take another go at it, maybe not. Who knows! But it was a great experience and one that I am glad I had. The Lord watched over me and I didn't have any breakdowns, flat tires or injuries and He even sent a few meadowlarks to cheer me on!

A quick good-bye

I know I have not blogged for a whole 4 days or so but I thought I would quickly let you know what I have been up to before I embark on my momentous bike-a-thon.
I didn't do much biking this week, took a couple 10 mile jounts around the dam to keep up my hill climbing skills and to get used to my new seat. The more I ride, the better I like it.
Yesterday was the start of the culture festival here and I was excited when I saw they were having Irish singers and dancers! We went last night and it was great! Mike Moloney and the Green Fields of America sang and played and they were terrific! I am sure that they have probably been on NPR on the Shamrock and Thistle. Niall O'Leary and Caitlin McNeill were the dancers. Unfortunately, Caitlin sprained her ankle on one of her dances so didn't dance the rest of the night.
So now we are off to Fort Stevenson State Park. Keep me in your prayers and hope for 70 degree weather with a light breeze and very little humidity. I know it's a lot to ask but one can always hope. :)

Biking Journal 45

I just have to face the fact that biking is never going to be a painless experience for me. I just returned from a 26 mile ride to Buchanan with my new seat. Trying to make adjustments as I rode to get the perfect position for a comfortable ride but it didn't happen. I have just exchanged front pressure for back pressure. If I ride where it is most comfortable, I feel like I am falling off the seat and it makes my legs and arms work a lot harder, but if I sit back farther I sit right on the "sit bones" and it becomes very uncomfortable after a short time. But I did ride the first 13 miles without stopping which I could never do with my last seat so I guess that is a little improvement. I am a bit discouraged but pain or no I will be riding in the CANDISC a week from today!

Biking Journal 44 (The New Seat)

The instructions on the package for the new bike seat said that it might take a little tweeking before you get the seat adjusted right, and they weren't lying. I have put my seat down, tipped it forward, back, put the seat back up and I think I am going to get it right soon. Craig was right about using your arms more to help balance but I think it is going to be alright. I rode out to the cabin today because Curt went out to mow. Thank goodness he had to stop for gas before he left because when I started out I didn't know what was wrong with the bike. I was working so hard to peddle, it felt like the brake was on or something. I was riding into a head wind, but it was never that hard before and I didn't think the new seat would make that much difference. So I stopped and noticed that the tire had been rubbing on the frame and was setting crooked. Somehow when we put the tire back on we must not have everything quite right. But Curt came along and got it fixed for me and I went on my merry way. I have to say it is a big relief not to have the front pressure but the way I had the seat adjusted I was riding on my seat bones which isn't all that comfortable either but I realized if I moved up a little farther on the seat it was a whole lot more comfortable so I'm going to try moving the seat back farther so I can sit more forward on the seat and see how that works.

After I got out to the cabin and Curt got done mowing we went for a nice swim in the lake. It was much clearer today and no scum! The water was a little chilly because the outside temp was only 75 but it was fun anyway.

Biking 101

Thursday, I went to Fargo by myself and instead of taking the whole bike with me I only took the seat. It had a 30 day return garrantee if you didn't love it. And I really wanted to love it because it had good reviews but it really wasn't any better than my old seat as far as the pressure on the front. Craig at Paramount Sports didn't really have much more to recommend and I said what I really need is a seat without a nose on it. And we are wandering over to the wall of seats and there it was! A seat without a nose! I picked it up and said, "They actually make one!". Craig however was not as excited as I was. He tried to talk me out of it, saying that you really have to use your arms for balance because the nose part of the seat is what helps you keep your balance on the bike. But I'll tell you at this point I'm ready to try anything. After all the CANDISC is only a little over a week away.
I also bought some new tubes and a new tire for the bike. But when I got home I tried the old tube that Curt had patched and the old tire but the patch didn't hold so we just put on a new tube and tire. And Craig was so great a Paramount Sports, I had made the comment that what I really should have had was a course in Biking 101 because I don't even know how to change my own tire and so he showed my how and then had me demonstrate back and when I got home I actually put the new tube and tire on myself. Now I just have to learn how to get the back tire on and off with all the derailer and stuff. All I know is that you get your hands really greasy.

Biking Journal 43 (The Flat Tire)

I have to say I was not real motivated to go for a bike ride today, even though it's 82 degrees with barely a breeze, but I knew I should so I checked the tire pressure and headed out going east. I had only gone about a mile and a half when I started to hear a faint noise and I thought I had maybe picked up a weed or something that was stuck in the spokes but then I heard a flump, flump and looked back and sure enough the back tire was flat. Thankfully, I had only gone 1.8 miles so it wasn't too bad a walk back into town. I could have tried to fix it since I do have a patch kit and CO2 inflater in my pack but I figured I could walk back faster than I could fix the tire (if I could have even done it!) But I got my exercise none the less and am headed for the shower.

Biking Journal 42

Well, I just returned from a very enjoyable 30.72 mile ride. The day was sunny, 80 degrees, with a north wind @ 9-12 mph. It only took me 2 hr. 11 minutes, and that is including 4 water breaks. I rode up to Buchannan and then took the rode going east. It is a beautiful rolling stretch of road with little traffic. Then it hooks up with Hwy. 20 which brings me home. Other than having problems with my bottom going numb it was great!

Biking Journal 41

Friday morning was taken up by paying bills and buying groceries but finally by 11:30 a.m. I was ready to head out to the lake to spend the rest of the day with Mom and Cindy. My leg had healed amazingly fast. The healing power that God built into our bodies always boggles my mind! Anyway, I rode 17.3 miles out to the cabin expecting to go swimming only to find that the thick scum had come back after the rain. So we spent some time weeding and planting wildflower seeds and then had some snacks and lemonade. We worked on making some more butterflies out of plastic bottles and prayed that the scum would move out so we could go swimming. Finally we bit the bullet and went in anyway. The further out we went the less green it was but green none the less. But the water was just the perfect temperature and we enjoyed ourselves in spite of the algae. I made sure I washed and dried off well because my biggest fear was getting swimmer's itch. Something I pray I never get again. Then I rode back to town with Cindy and had to say our good-byes. It was great being able to spent time with my sister!

Biking Journal 40

Yesterday, July 14, I rode out to the lake like I said I would. It was 89 degrees and only a 10 mph breeze from the SW so it pushed me all the way. I did feel a little dehydrated when I got there even though I had stopped along the way to drink water. Curt had driven out there and picked me up on the gravel. We went out on the boat and Cindy and I rode on the tube and then I tried to ski but after the 4th try, I got a really bad cramp in my left calf and so that ended my attempts at skiing. Even today my leg is very sore so I used that as an excuse not to ride out to the cabin today, that and that I am very tired. This is my eighth night of work and I just feel wiped out. I did go out to the cabin and was going to go swimming because it was beautiful and the water was so still but it looked like split-pea soup with a thick layer of slime on top. We couldn't bring ourselves to jump in. We even went over to the public access and even though it wasn't as green we decided not to go in. I helped Cindy and Mom work on a jigsaw puzzle and we ate supper and now I am at home getting ready to go to work. Tomorrow we are having our Ladies Day Out. I'll blog about it later.

Biking Journal 39

This afternoon, Curt and I went to the 4 o'clock matinee and saw "Hancock". It was pretty good but some of the language bothered me and I didn't think it was real appropriate for some of the smaller kids or older ones for that matter. Anyway, I decided to go for a bike ride after I got home since I've slacked off for the last couple days. But since it was getting late and I had to work tonight I only went 11.4 miles. I really need to find some new exciting places to bike because I am getting tired of my same old routes. Cindy is here this week and her and Mom will be spending the whole week out at the cabin so I suppose I will be making all my rides out there this week. Have to get to work now.

Biking Journal 38

81 degrees with 68% humidity and a breeze at 12 mph. I rode on the bike paths around the dam to get my 10 miles in because there were some dark clouds coming in from the west and I didn't want to get caught out in a thunderstorm somewhere. It was an uneventful but good ride and I think I am learning some tricks to keep me riding more comfortably. Right now I am dripping with sweat and trying not to get the keyboard wet, so into the shower I go!

Biking Journal 37

This was a big day for me, I biked out to the cabin and even rode on the gravel, painted some trim on the cabin, which involved climbing up a ladder on uneven ground but Mom helped hold the ladder after we got it leveled with some pieces of cement. Then we watched "Girl Crazy" with Mikey Rooney and Judy Garland and then I rode back home. I left about 9:45 am and it is now 5:20 pm. It was windier that usual, 18 mph this morning and of course it was from the NW so I was riding into it going out but coming back it wasn't quite as breezy and it was behind me so I made better time. The new seat on my bike is still not giving me a pleasant riding experience so I am thinking of taking it back. I just don't know where to go from here. If anyone has some suggestions I'm all for them! I am going to take a bath and then a nap before I have to go to work.

Biking Journal 36

Sorry, I forgot to blog yesterday so this is 2 days in one. Anyway, yesterday after the kids left I went on the marathon ride to Buchanan and back. I forgot to look at the temp, but it was suppose to be around 90 degrees but there was a nice breeze so it didn't feel hot. It took me almost 2 hours because the wind was from the NW and I don't know how strong it was but I couldn't seem to maintain much more than 10 mph going there but coming back was definately faster. In fact, Curt thought I was taking so long he went out looking for me because he thought something must have happened to me, but we just missed each other so he ended up going all the way to Buchanan looking for me and I was already home. It was my first ride with my new seat and unfortunatly I did not find it to be very comfortable. But the saleman said to give it at least 100 mile trial, it has a 30 day trial so I can return if it doesn't work out.
Curt and I both had today off so we went down to Aberdeen to see his family. I took my bike along since they have some nice bike paths at Wiley Park. After we had lunch, Curt, Hannah and Tim drove to Wiley Park and I rode my bike there. After I circled the lake and the campground I rode to Storybook Land and found them and we spent some time feeding the goats and then Curt took them to the Twist Cone and I rode back to the house. Later we went and bought a bike rack for the car so we don't always have to try and get it in the back. It was quite warm today but the breeze was nice when I was riding so it didn't feel that hot.

Biking Journal 35

I biked out to the lake on the 4th of July and I was pretty consistant, it took me 58 minutes to go 16 miles. I was walking on the gravel when Curt came to my rescue. I guess they were sitting around and Amy said to Curt, "Maybe you should go rescue Mom from the gravel", and so he did. It was perfect timing. We had a great meal with hamburgers and hot dogs and all the fixin's and then I spent most of the afternoon playing with Cole and riding in the boat. Did some paddle boating with Cole and tubed with Amy. Kaila came out to the lake and spent the week-end with us, which was really nice getting to visit with her.
We came into town to see the fireworks at the fairgrounds. They were really good this year! It was a perfect 4th!

Biking Journal 34

Wow! I didn't realize it had been so long since I blogged. Amy, Tim and Marlin flew in on Wed. evening around 8:15 pm. And we had a nice visit while eating pizza before I had to go to work. When I got home from work Thurs. I began getting everything ready to take to the lake for the 4th. So I made potato salad, scotcheroos and a flag cake and got all the groceries packed up that I needed to take out to make taco salad. It all took longer than expected so it was 1 pm before I even had time to take a nap. I napped for about 45 minutes and then got up and when Curt came home we had errands to run and bills to pay. So by the time we got done it was already 4 pm. Tim and Marlin had gone out to the lake with Mom on Weds. night so they could get an early start on skiing. It was only 48 degrees Thurs AM but they were out there anyway. So Amy had stayed here at home and she left around 9 or 10 to go to the lake. My plan was to bike out there and so I did. And had a really great ride. It took me an hour to ride 16 miles. Everyone was out on the boat when I got there and when they came in right away they wanted me to go tubing. Tim and Amy bought a really nice 2 man tube to share with everyone. I didn't think I had my swimsuit out there but I did so I went on the tube with Amy and had a really good time. Of course I fell off twice but Amy stuck like glue. Then Amy went knee-boarding and did a 180 and a 360!! She is so amazing! I didn't know she knew how to knee-board so well.
And now I am heading out on my bike again to go to the lake. Brandon and Christine and the kids are coming out to eat at noon and the boat parade is at 2pm. So I must get going but thought I didn't want to get too far behind on the blogs