Yesterday, the weather was beautiful here. It was fifty degrees, so I didn't even need to put on a pair of longjohns. I went out and got on my bike and it started right up. I have a tiny battery and since the apartment I live in is on the fourth floor, it is not possible for me to run a trickle charger.
What I end up doing instead is to carry a car charger strapped to my sissy bar. It's not a great answer, but I enjoy riding in cold weather and don't enjoy being stranded since I ride solo so much.
I didn't get very far out of town, but really enjoyed just leaning back and cruising. The sun was warm and I enjoyed just the feeling of the sun on my face.
The day before had ended up sucking royally and I didn't feel well enough to roll out of bed sooner. Boy did I regret that as soon as I walked outside.
Five hours south, that is all I have to get is five hours south and I can ride and ride and ride without it being cold. It's warm enough down in Cinci to ride today. Hmm, maybe I should work my way down right after next Friday when I can enjoy being free for a week or so.
Happy trails, Marty
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Riders On Adventure: Women on Motorcycles
Riders On Adventure: Women on Motorcycles
I enjoyed this post. It is a good one. There are many serious riders who ride their own, but sometimes they are not so easy to find, at least when I am looking for someone to ride with.
I'll comment more tonight, but right now, I am going to go to breakfast, then to wally world to buy a seat pad, LOL
I spent some more time reading the Riders On Adventure Blog;
KW shoots some awesome pics, wish I had that kind of talent LOL, but what I like the best is that she really rides. I talk to a lot of people who have bikes but don't ride a whole lot. I would like to meet her. She sounds like fun, so KW, if you make it to Michigan this year or next look me up. If I start to read that we are in the same area, maybe there will be a drink waiting for you.
There are a lot of people who read my blog that like to live vicariously through me, well--if you want a bigger adventure, read KW's blog Riders on Adventure also.
Happy Trails,
Marty
I enjoyed this post. It is a good one. There are many serious riders who ride their own, but sometimes they are not so easy to find, at least when I am looking for someone to ride with.
I'll comment more tonight, but right now, I am going to go to breakfast, then to wally world to buy a seat pad, LOL
I spent some more time reading the Riders On Adventure Blog;
KW shoots some awesome pics, wish I had that kind of talent LOL, but what I like the best is that she really rides. I talk to a lot of people who have bikes but don't ride a whole lot. I would like to meet her. She sounds like fun, so KW, if you make it to Michigan this year or next look me up. If I start to read that we are in the same area, maybe there will be a drink waiting for you.
There are a lot of people who read my blog that like to live vicariously through me, well--if you want a bigger adventure, read KW's blog Riders on Adventure also.
Happy Trails,
Marty
Motorcycle Camping
I went over to this website today Her Motorcycle. I googled motorcycle camping and it came up. I have after all devoured all of the stuff on froggi donnas site, which is Women Who Ride made the backrest and the electric vest and now the neck cooler (thank you so much donna). To find how to do that stuff go here and scroll down past the list of campgrounds.
First, let me say that I really enjoy the her motorcycle book list of books by and for women bikers. I will read all of them in say, the next couple of weeks. Love to read, love to bike. This is the book that I have lined up to read, American Borders right after I read the book by Cindy Soldotna Life is Like a Line. met Cindy last night, it was just awesome.
Back to the her motorcycle camping page. Frankly the camping page scares me. I would have frozen a couple of times with this advice. It can turn cold unexpectedly. Almost everywhere it can turn cold unexpectedly and I travel SOLO which means that the cold is compounded.
There is nothing about how to choose a tent, except by links of descriptions, no warnings that sleeping bags often don't warm you at the minimum degrees that it's supposed to work at, and it seems that women sleep colder than men and there for will freeze more. And more often.
There's nothing about how using a good pad under a sleeping bag isn't always about comfort, but about preserving body warmth, etc.
And the camping cooking gear is mostly car stuff.
Having put those 18,000 miles on my bike camping last year, I would have never made it more than a weekend or two with that equipment. I would have been darn uncomfortable.
Take a pad to sleep on, they are lightweight, but improve the quality of one's trip immensely.
And I may buy a volcano stove, but it would mean carrying along a bag of charcoal or wood so I would probably have to take my trailer.
If you want to cook, and be gone longer than a weekend, consider a backpacking stove and lightweight utensils. They don't have to be expensive, they do need to be compact. When traveling one-up, I often forego the niceties and eat out of my cook kit. I don't want to pack a lot of plates, bowls and mugs, although the new eating stuff that folds flat, well maybe it straightens flat seems to wear well. I have been personally conducting a test since I first saw it in Cheyenne, Wyoming last year. (insert sheepish girly, gotta have gear, grin, here)
I will say that another site by a woman biker, way cool. I choose to spend my design time elsewhere, like on my website for my first passion, but plan on enjoying my life fully this summer and may ask Boo to do a website for women bikers. She's a really great grandaughter and is old enough to run a website.
Enjoy her website, it has some good stuff, especially for beginners.
Marty
First, let me say that I really enjoy the her motorcycle book list of books by and for women bikers. I will read all of them in say, the next couple of weeks. Love to read, love to bike. This is the book that I have lined up to read, American Borders right after I read the book by Cindy Soldotna Life is Like a Line. met Cindy last night, it was just awesome.
Back to the her motorcycle camping page. Frankly the camping page scares me. I would have frozen a couple of times with this advice. It can turn cold unexpectedly. Almost everywhere it can turn cold unexpectedly and I travel SOLO which means that the cold is compounded.
There is nothing about how to choose a tent, except by links of descriptions, no warnings that sleeping bags often don't warm you at the minimum degrees that it's supposed to work at, and it seems that women sleep colder than men and there for will freeze more. And more often.
There's nothing about how using a good pad under a sleeping bag isn't always about comfort, but about preserving body warmth, etc.
And the camping cooking gear is mostly car stuff.
Having put those 18,000 miles on my bike camping last year, I would have never made it more than a weekend or two with that equipment. I would have been darn uncomfortable.
Take a pad to sleep on, they are lightweight, but improve the quality of one's trip immensely.
And I may buy a volcano stove, but it would mean carrying along a bag of charcoal or wood so I would probably have to take my trailer.
If you want to cook, and be gone longer than a weekend, consider a backpacking stove and lightweight utensils. They don't have to be expensive, they do need to be compact. When traveling one-up, I often forego the niceties and eat out of my cook kit. I don't want to pack a lot of plates, bowls and mugs, although the new eating stuff that folds flat, well maybe it straightens flat seems to wear well. I have been personally conducting a test since I first saw it in Cheyenne, Wyoming last year. (insert sheepish girly, gotta have gear, grin, here)
I will say that another site by a woman biker, way cool. I choose to spend my design time elsewhere, like on my website for my first passion, but plan on enjoying my life fully this summer and may ask Boo to do a website for women bikers. She's a really great grandaughter and is old enough to run a website.
Enjoy her website, it has some good stuff, especially for beginners.
Marty
Sunday, March 23, 2008
So, I went to BN to order the Book EZ66 and the map set
It's Easter Sunday here in Michigan. Easter came early this year so it's still cold as a witch's tit-I did tell you that while I was in Germany i got to go see the mountain that saying came from, right? So it's OK if I use it.
Matt came over and helped me put the bag racks and the new Sissy Bars on my Vulcan. It didn't take too long, but was much easier with four hands. He's just turned 14 and instruction has begun. Why don't you start it up, let it warm up and then back it out for me. I'd like to get a couple of rides in with him. He needs to take a MSF Course first, if Berta doesn't throw a fit. Hopefully she isn't following my blog, LOL.
Then I went to BN to order the damn book and they said, we can't order it for you, you need to get it yourself. Grrr. Here I am trying to hand them money and they say no. What's up with that?
I need to transfer money and order parts either later on today or tomorrow. I have decided to order different turn signals and to replace many of the parts that were damaged in the slide. Trying to decide just what I want to do is tough. It's going to get another 18,000 miles this year and that will bring it up to around 36,000 total, so I need to think about whether I want to keep it for 2009. First I make one decision and then I make another decision.
I plan on doing the ALCAN in 2009 and was thinking of getting a dual sport to do that. My 500 rides a little low. And it may be a little tired by then, since I am not the best at doing all the maintenance that it should get. I keep hoping that a knight or knightess in shining armour will show up and do all that shit.
OTOH, it's hell on people here right now and there will be some good deals on bikes. The unemployment rate doesn't show all of the people who are still looking and people need to sell. Many are priced more than I will pay, but some may come down. If I had a huge chunk of change, I would be more than happy to pay more, but right now, I don't have all that hanging together.
I am looking at an 800 or a 900, but do really like the 500. My oldest grandbaby is now taller than I am though and such a small bike is tough on him leg wise and butt wise. What will I do when he grows another foot this year, offer to cut out a couple of inches?
Today I cut material into six inch squares. It felt good to be able to do that. I hadn't been able to get connected with myself enough to get into crafting, at all. I am going to cut three or four pairs of jeans up to make gym/laundry bags. When I get back on the 5th or 6th of April, I want to make six or seven shopping bags and boot that material out of the door.
I am actually trying to cut down on the craft stuff in my house, but decided that part of the problem was that I just couldn't get started, so today I started. When I get back, I am going to put some stuff up for sale on Ebay and then upgrade some of my camping equipment. I need another decent pad to go under the sleeping bags, a fold flat bowl, some better helmets and a couple of pairs of new bike gloves. The kids seem to eat the goggles and the gloves, LOL.
I need to figure out how many miles are in the perimeter ride so I can start to jockey the time.
Love to ride.
Tomorrow I am staying home during the day and cleaning up the rest of the way. Then tomorrow night I am going to buy a desk that will be a good fit for me work wise. Sometime I should probably consider buying some furniture other than that, like a couch or chair to sit in and a mattress or bed might be nice, but so far, I am happy, just want a better desk to go in the living room. I am going to fire up the Toshiba and buy a big screen for it to hook up to so I can enjoy my work and have dual documents on the screen at the same time.
Then tomorrow I am going to meet a new friend at BN.
Happy Trails; Ride Safe,
Marty
Matt came over and helped me put the bag racks and the new Sissy Bars on my Vulcan. It didn't take too long, but was much easier with four hands. He's just turned 14 and instruction has begun. Why don't you start it up, let it warm up and then back it out for me. I'd like to get a couple of rides in with him. He needs to take a MSF Course first, if Berta doesn't throw a fit. Hopefully she isn't following my blog, LOL.
Then I went to BN to order the damn book and they said, we can't order it for you, you need to get it yourself. Grrr. Here I am trying to hand them money and they say no. What's up with that?
I need to transfer money and order parts either later on today or tomorrow. I have decided to order different turn signals and to replace many of the parts that were damaged in the slide. Trying to decide just what I want to do is tough. It's going to get another 18,000 miles this year and that will bring it up to around 36,000 total, so I need to think about whether I want to keep it for 2009. First I make one decision and then I make another decision.
I plan on doing the ALCAN in 2009 and was thinking of getting a dual sport to do that. My 500 rides a little low. And it may be a little tired by then, since I am not the best at doing all the maintenance that it should get. I keep hoping that a knight or knightess in shining armour will show up and do all that shit.
OTOH, it's hell on people here right now and there will be some good deals on bikes. The unemployment rate doesn't show all of the people who are still looking and people need to sell. Many are priced more than I will pay, but some may come down. If I had a huge chunk of change, I would be more than happy to pay more, but right now, I don't have all that hanging together.
I am looking at an 800 or a 900, but do really like the 500. My oldest grandbaby is now taller than I am though and such a small bike is tough on him leg wise and butt wise. What will I do when he grows another foot this year, offer to cut out a couple of inches?
Today I cut material into six inch squares. It felt good to be able to do that. I hadn't been able to get connected with myself enough to get into crafting, at all. I am going to cut three or four pairs of jeans up to make gym/laundry bags. When I get back on the 5th or 6th of April, I want to make six or seven shopping bags and boot that material out of the door.
I am actually trying to cut down on the craft stuff in my house, but decided that part of the problem was that I just couldn't get started, so today I started. When I get back, I am going to put some stuff up for sale on Ebay and then upgrade some of my camping equipment. I need another decent pad to go under the sleeping bags, a fold flat bowl, some better helmets and a couple of pairs of new bike gloves. The kids seem to eat the goggles and the gloves, LOL.
I need to figure out how many miles are in the perimeter ride so I can start to jockey the time.
Love to ride.
Tomorrow I am staying home during the day and cleaning up the rest of the way. Then tomorrow night I am going to buy a desk that will be a good fit for me work wise. Sometime I should probably consider buying some furniture other than that, like a couch or chair to sit in and a mattress or bed might be nice, but so far, I am happy, just want a better desk to go in the living room. I am going to fire up the Toshiba and buy a big screen for it to hook up to so I can enjoy my work and have dual documents on the screen at the same time.
Then tomorrow I am going to meet a new friend at BN.
Happy Trails; Ride Safe,
Marty
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Two Thousand Four Hundred and Forty Eight Miles
I got up this morning and went to breakfast at McDonalds. After reading for an hour or two ( a book about biking across the United States, well the pedal kind of a bike, LOL), I hopped on the bus and cruised on over to Wally World to pick up a new atlas.
Yep, now I really feel a road trip coming on. I tried not to feel it this strongly, but well, I failed. Roadtrips R Me.
It's actually a pretty short road trip from beginning to end. A couple of weeks, plus the time to return. Oh, and to hop up to Santa Barbara and sit on a mountainside for a day or two. So what I need will be three weeks of downtime.
Another interesting option would be to take the perimeter route home from there if I had enough time to hang things together. It's not like a perimeter ride is out of my way. I mean the Upper Peninsula isn't really out of the way, it's just a little bit north of here. I keep thinking about the perimeter ride. It's going to happen, I can feel both rides in my bones. And I'd love to visit both Washington and Oregon again.
I now have acquired the turn by turn directions for Route 66 and am trying to work out what my needs might be. I had thought seriously about not taking any cooking gear, but have decided to look at that twice. When one uses food as medication to treat any kind of an illness, one doesn't want to just decide to stop eating in a way that will help one feel well. Maybe if I gave up all my responsibilities.
Since I have gotten home and had a couple of days to recoup, I have gotten back to my eating and I feel much, much better. Of course that visit to my therapist helped a lot too. I came back home that day feeling well physically and mentally. So much so that I started cleaning my house up. It will be where I can write in a couple of days.
After I buy a desk. LOL I have no table and no place comfortable for me to write at. There is one that I like at Staples. I was shopping the other day.
Two hundred miles a day means that I could be finished with the route and the mountainside in two weeks. Then three or four days home; if I don't do the perimeter thing.
Guess I need to try to nail down the days to see if 200 mile days are going to give me the time to enjoy the trip like I want.
Yaaahoooo. gotta get a move on. Now all I have to do is figure out when to start the ride.
marty
Yep, now I really feel a road trip coming on. I tried not to feel it this strongly, but well, I failed. Roadtrips R Me.
It's actually a pretty short road trip from beginning to end. A couple of weeks, plus the time to return. Oh, and to hop up to Santa Barbara and sit on a mountainside for a day or two. So what I need will be three weeks of downtime.
Another interesting option would be to take the perimeter route home from there if I had enough time to hang things together. It's not like a perimeter ride is out of my way. I mean the Upper Peninsula isn't really out of the way, it's just a little bit north of here. I keep thinking about the perimeter ride. It's going to happen, I can feel both rides in my bones. And I'd love to visit both Washington and Oregon again.
I now have acquired the turn by turn directions for Route 66 and am trying to work out what my needs might be. I had thought seriously about not taking any cooking gear, but have decided to look at that twice. When one uses food as medication to treat any kind of an illness, one doesn't want to just decide to stop eating in a way that will help one feel well. Maybe if I gave up all my responsibilities.
Since I have gotten home and had a couple of days to recoup, I have gotten back to my eating and I feel much, much better. Of course that visit to my therapist helped a lot too. I came back home that day feeling well physically and mentally. So much so that I started cleaning my house up. It will be where I can write in a couple of days.
After I buy a desk. LOL I have no table and no place comfortable for me to write at. There is one that I like at Staples. I was shopping the other day.
Two hundred miles a day means that I could be finished with the route and the mountainside in two weeks. Then three or four days home; if I don't do the perimeter thing.
Guess I need to try to nail down the days to see if 200 mile days are going to give me the time to enjoy the trip like I want.
Yaaahoooo. gotta get a move on. Now all I have to do is figure out when to start the ride.
marty
My Schedule and Biking
I am trying to figure out how to do two things:
1. A lot of riding and
2. A lot of training
It's never had to be a choice before. For years I couldn't ride due to my medications setting my center of balance off, but having to choose now is really different.
I am thinking of two major rides, well, major in terms of miles to other people. I read a lot of blogs/miles that sound like, 14,000 miles in two years. That is about six months worth of riding if I am not working.
So, I have to be in St. Louis at the end of April and am thinking about doing a Route 66 ride off of that, either before or after. It would take me far enough South that I could camp. I can decide whether or not to take the trailer, but it should be an easy three week trip and would just need to throw on my tent and camping/ sleeping gear. And my cooking gear so I can wake up to hot tea in the mornings. Or I could do bottled iced and just get up and enjoy breakfast in some of the funky diners along the route.
There are a couple of hotels along the route that I want to use, but not a lot. I am just an outdoors camping type of person. I think it has become a lifestyle choice.
I started reading up on Route 66 last week again, read up on it last year and it looks like there are some better choices guidebook wise. There are some who consider it a Route 66 trip if you ride the interstate where it used to be. That is not me as I like the funky places that are still in use/have been restored.
The other thing I am thinking about is a perimeter tour off of the Orlando trip that I have to make in June. I have a NAMI Convention in Orlando that I need to attend, and would like to try a perimeter trip off of it, even if it would have to be in segments due to trainings. I have done mileage planning between Port Huron and Orlando (gosh, it really is handy being from a perimeter town, LOL).
Either or both would work out well and I have to decide what I want to do and get moving on it.
I have some bike repairs that need to happen since I got rear-ended in Battle Creek in January.
Today I am going to put the new sissy bar, bag rails and bags on my bike today. It's going to be a little over freezing around 2 this afternoon, so the weather is cooperating, yea! I ride anyway, but haven't gone outside yet today.
gotta go eat breakfast,
Enjoy life, it's for living, Marty
1. A lot of riding and
2. A lot of training
It's never had to be a choice before. For years I couldn't ride due to my medications setting my center of balance off, but having to choose now is really different.
I am thinking of two major rides, well, major in terms of miles to other people. I read a lot of blogs/miles that sound like, 14,000 miles in two years. That is about six months worth of riding if I am not working.
So, I have to be in St. Louis at the end of April and am thinking about doing a Route 66 ride off of that, either before or after. It would take me far enough South that I could camp. I can decide whether or not to take the trailer, but it should be an easy three week trip and would just need to throw on my tent and camping/ sleeping gear. And my cooking gear so I can wake up to hot tea in the mornings. Or I could do bottled iced and just get up and enjoy breakfast in some of the funky diners along the route.
There are a couple of hotels along the route that I want to use, but not a lot. I am just an outdoors camping type of person. I think it has become a lifestyle choice.
I started reading up on Route 66 last week again, read up on it last year and it looks like there are some better choices guidebook wise. There are some who consider it a Route 66 trip if you ride the interstate where it used to be. That is not me as I like the funky places that are still in use/have been restored.
The other thing I am thinking about is a perimeter tour off of the Orlando trip that I have to make in June. I have a NAMI Convention in Orlando that I need to attend, and would like to try a perimeter trip off of it, even if it would have to be in segments due to trainings. I have done mileage planning between Port Huron and Orlando (gosh, it really is handy being from a perimeter town, LOL).
Either or both would work out well and I have to decide what I want to do and get moving on it.
I have some bike repairs that need to happen since I got rear-ended in Battle Creek in January.
Today I am going to put the new sissy bar, bag rails and bags on my bike today. It's going to be a little over freezing around 2 this afternoon, so the weather is cooperating, yea! I ride anyway, but haven't gone outside yet today.
gotta go eat breakfast,
Enjoy life, it's for living, Marty
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Wanderlust
Wanderlust is filling my soul today. I really want to be out on the road traveling on my bike. So today, I started looking at just how long it would take to do a perimeter trip. I also started looking at how much it would cost.
I was doing OK until mom got out an atlas the other day. There could be great books in the room and I would prefer to read an atlas. And plan a trip. And so, what is life if one isn't planning a grand adventure?
So here are the first three days:
Day One: Port Huron to Algonac (36)to Port Clinton (146)to Cleveland (77)and on through to Geneva State Park(53) which is 312 miles.
Day Two: Geneva State Park to Dunkirk(109) to Youngstown(81) to Hamlin Beach State Park(60) which is 250 miles.
Day Three: Hamlin Beach State Park to Sacketts Harbor(151) to Massena (101) which is 252 miles. It will probably be a little bit shorter as the park is just before Massena. I will probably camp in Coles Creek State Park.
I double checked to see if there are any two wheels only campgrounds along this section of the route and it doesn't look like it. Story of my life. LOL
Three years ago here, there was a lady who had a map that had the states they had traveled to in different colors. I asked the lady where she got it and she told me "Camping World". I said, those are cool, I should get one of those. She asked me if I had traveled much and I said yes, I have been in all of the lower 48. The woman got snooty with me and said if I hadn't slept in them, it didn't count. When I told her that I had slept in all of them except maybe Rhode Island because it was so little it didn't count (sorry Jim and Kathryn) she turned around and walked away from me. Guess it's a good thing that I didn't tell her that I had been to most of the lower 48 at least twice.
For a while, it got to where I didn't want to go on vacations. I didn't like cars, wanted my family to get the camper back so I could ride back there, etc. But then, I am one of the people who require alone time. Have to have it or I get depressed. I have to be able to get out and about.
Oh the things we will do---
Happy Trails, marty
I was doing OK until mom got out an atlas the other day. There could be great books in the room and I would prefer to read an atlas. And plan a trip. And so, what is life if one isn't planning a grand adventure?
So here are the first three days:
Day One: Port Huron to Algonac (36)to Port Clinton (146)to Cleveland (77)and on through to Geneva State Park(53) which is 312 miles.
Day Two: Geneva State Park to Dunkirk(109) to Youngstown(81) to Hamlin Beach State Park(60) which is 250 miles.
Day Three: Hamlin Beach State Park to Sacketts Harbor(151) to Massena (101) which is 252 miles. It will probably be a little bit shorter as the park is just before Massena. I will probably camp in Coles Creek State Park.
I double checked to see if there are any two wheels only campgrounds along this section of the route and it doesn't look like it. Story of my life. LOL
Three years ago here, there was a lady who had a map that had the states they had traveled to in different colors. I asked the lady where she got it and she told me "Camping World". I said, those are cool, I should get one of those. She asked me if I had traveled much and I said yes, I have been in all of the lower 48. The woman got snooty with me and said if I hadn't slept in them, it didn't count. When I told her that I had slept in all of them except maybe Rhode Island because it was so little it didn't count (sorry Jim and Kathryn) she turned around and walked away from me. Guess it's a good thing that I didn't tell her that I had been to most of the lower 48 at least twice.
For a while, it got to where I didn't want to go on vacations. I didn't like cars, wanted my family to get the camper back so I could ride back there, etc. But then, I am one of the people who require alone time. Have to have it or I get depressed. I have to be able to get out and about.
Oh the things we will do---
Happy Trails, marty
Monday, March 10, 2008
Adventures
I have been thinking a lot about life and adventures. I like having my life be an adventure or filled with adventure. Gretchen's right, I am so not a minivan person.
Being here makes me think about having life be an adventure.
I used to be on the outside of life. I would stand around and watch life happen. I would let it happen to me or around me and never enter into life or embrace life.
When I came to Texas this time, I started to try to view my relationship with my parents in a slightly different way. Instead of just having been born to them and all the baggage that seems to bring, decided to look at it from the direction that Louise Hay looks at it, that I chose my parents for what they could teach me.
It has caused a radical shift in our relationship for me. And once I have changed, the relationship has changed. It is better for me now. And it causes me to notice many things.
My parents often have life pass them by. Like they are not always involved or able to be involved. I watch people now, not just to watch life, but to see behaviours that I want to acquire or want to migrate more towards. It's very different for me.
My behaviours, watching life happen in many ways seem to come from my parents. And yet, I remember them being more fully involved than they are now, but then again, much of the involvement that I saw came from watching them in relation to my aunts, uncles and cousins. That is not the same thing.
They have friends from high school, which I don't have. They have friends from college or the army, which I don't have. Most of my friends have been acquired lately. I don't have friends from teh early years of my life.
At the same time, as I truly know, appearances can be deceiving. I have accomplished quite a few things, but I didn't feel a part of things. I still felt like I was watching from the outside, a little kid looking through the window of a candy store, or feeling that I wasn't engaged, that it wasn't really me.
Today, I sat in the sun and worked on my tan.
But it's time. It's time to pick up the mantle of leadership and be strong. Always an adventure. LOL
It's also time for my life to become an adventure again. I am planning a perimeter ride later this year. Hey, I gotta do what I gotta do. I'm going to meet people, find a riding partner and go for my dreams.
Happy trails,
Marty
Being here makes me think about having life be an adventure.
I used to be on the outside of life. I would stand around and watch life happen. I would let it happen to me or around me and never enter into life or embrace life.
When I came to Texas this time, I started to try to view my relationship with my parents in a slightly different way. Instead of just having been born to them and all the baggage that seems to bring, decided to look at it from the direction that Louise Hay looks at it, that I chose my parents for what they could teach me.
It has caused a radical shift in our relationship for me. And once I have changed, the relationship has changed. It is better for me now. And it causes me to notice many things.
My parents often have life pass them by. Like they are not always involved or able to be involved. I watch people now, not just to watch life, but to see behaviours that I want to acquire or want to migrate more towards. It's very different for me.
My behaviours, watching life happen in many ways seem to come from my parents. And yet, I remember them being more fully involved than they are now, but then again, much of the involvement that I saw came from watching them in relation to my aunts, uncles and cousins. That is not the same thing.
They have friends from high school, which I don't have. They have friends from college or the army, which I don't have. Most of my friends have been acquired lately. I don't have friends from teh early years of my life.
At the same time, as I truly know, appearances can be deceiving. I have accomplished quite a few things, but I didn't feel a part of things. I still felt like I was watching from the outside, a little kid looking through the window of a candy store, or feeling that I wasn't engaged, that it wasn't really me.
Today, I sat in the sun and worked on my tan.
But it's time. It's time to pick up the mantle of leadership and be strong. Always an adventure. LOL
It's also time for my life to become an adventure again. I am planning a perimeter ride later this year. Hey, I gotta do what I gotta do. I'm going to meet people, find a riding partner and go for my dreams.
Happy trails,
Marty
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Four More Sleeps
Four more sleeps and I will be on my way to DC, then back to Michigan to see what I can do to get my bike back on the road.
I'm tired, just totally exhausted. Being without my own transportation does that to me. Just the thought of their being someone around 24/7 or the thought of my wanting to go somewhere just to eat a hot dog and relax. Or shop for two hours to buy a pair of sandals.
Or to go to an outdoor gear store just to drool all over the new equipment.
My shoulders still ache from being rear ended. Or, it could be from the stress. I miss my regimented eating out. A hot dog and sauerkraut from Sam's Club. Tea from Barnes and Noble.
There is a Hastings Bookstore here and I won't be able to go to it and savor it. I might be able to go to it, but not to just sit and enjoy it. It's more like a--what do you want to pick up? I don't shop to spend all kinds of money. I enjoy that hot dog and sauerkraut just as much as others enjoy five star dining.
And I don't have to clean my plate. I think that and what I like to eat is what I miss the most. It's kind of like being with my daughter at her house and she says, well, you can cook, make me chicken stir fry. But there is no wok. there is no sesame oil. So if I try to cook chicken stir fry I end up with greasy, off tasting chicken and vegetables.
Or it it's like, you can do this--just use the microwave. At home I seldom use the microwave anymore. I don't think microwaved food is healthy.
Tonight we went to IHOP. It's a great place to take someone who is addicted to wheat. It is kind of like taking an alcoholic on a tour of the wine country. I did at least make sure that i had some protein to help me not have the intense reaction that I have when I eat sugar and wheat in combination, but I have been here long enough that the addiction has kicked back in.
While I am in DC, I will start to get my life back under control. Stop eating breads for breakfast and eat eggs and meat, hopefully with some veggies. And I'll drink a lot of water to try to wash the stuff out of my system.
The heck of it is that I would love to live down here, but need some different space. OK, LOA that living space. grin.
Yes, that is what I am working on. LOL
Marty
I'm tired, just totally exhausted. Being without my own transportation does that to me. Just the thought of their being someone around 24/7 or the thought of my wanting to go somewhere just to eat a hot dog and relax. Or shop for two hours to buy a pair of sandals.
Or to go to an outdoor gear store just to drool all over the new equipment.
My shoulders still ache from being rear ended. Or, it could be from the stress. I miss my regimented eating out. A hot dog and sauerkraut from Sam's Club. Tea from Barnes and Noble.
There is a Hastings Bookstore here and I won't be able to go to it and savor it. I might be able to go to it, but not to just sit and enjoy it. It's more like a--what do you want to pick up? I don't shop to spend all kinds of money. I enjoy that hot dog and sauerkraut just as much as others enjoy five star dining.
And I don't have to clean my plate. I think that and what I like to eat is what I miss the most. It's kind of like being with my daughter at her house and she says, well, you can cook, make me chicken stir fry. But there is no wok. there is no sesame oil. So if I try to cook chicken stir fry I end up with greasy, off tasting chicken and vegetables.
Or it it's like, you can do this--just use the microwave. At home I seldom use the microwave anymore. I don't think microwaved food is healthy.
Tonight we went to IHOP. It's a great place to take someone who is addicted to wheat. It is kind of like taking an alcoholic on a tour of the wine country. I did at least make sure that i had some protein to help me not have the intense reaction that I have when I eat sugar and wheat in combination, but I have been here long enough that the addiction has kicked back in.
While I am in DC, I will start to get my life back under control. Stop eating breads for breakfast and eat eggs and meat, hopefully with some veggies. And I'll drink a lot of water to try to wash the stuff out of my system.
The heck of it is that I would love to live down here, but need some different space. OK, LOA that living space. grin.
Yes, that is what I am working on. LOL
Marty
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Parents and Eating LOL
I am still in Texas with my parents. We went to Jason's Deli for lunch. I ordered on of the broccoli spuds that I like so much. The potatoes are huge, absolutely massive, but unbelievable delicious. It's kind of hard on me when we go to Jason's Deli.
To give you an idea, at home I try to avoid eating much corn, wheat or dairy. Here, I end up eating things like cereal for breakfast. They like corn flakes, I really try to not do much corn. There are a lot of cereals I could eat, but I don't much enjoy rice or oat cereals so I choose to eat shredded wheat.
This means that I start my day off with two of the foods I try most to avoid. The reason that I avoid them is that I seem to move much slower and have less energy when I eat them. I actually like having protein for breakfast.
I like having a big breakfast, a big lunch and then a little supper. That works well for me. I am able to at the very least maintain the weight loss that I achieved a couple of years ago. I feel best eating a high protein, lots of vegies and some fruits diet.
It is totally opposite here. There are different desserts that are available at both lunch and dinner. I generally don't turn them down. If I did I would feel better. Vegies are seldom accompanied by enough protein for me to feel good enough to want to move much.
They want me to move more. I am eating foods that aren't good for me, it is a generally escalating situation. But this noon ticked me off.
My dad complained that I didn't clean my plate. He didn't care if I didn't need the food that was left on my plate. He didn't care if it would put more weight on me, he told me "if I ordered something, then I needed to eat it."
I am still quite overweight and this man wants me to eat myself into oblivion. It really pisses me off. It's just what I don't need to have happen.
Gotta go, they just came home.
I'm leaving on Thursday,
Happy Trails,
Marty
To give you an idea, at home I try to avoid eating much corn, wheat or dairy. Here, I end up eating things like cereal for breakfast. They like corn flakes, I really try to not do much corn. There are a lot of cereals I could eat, but I don't much enjoy rice or oat cereals so I choose to eat shredded wheat.
This means that I start my day off with two of the foods I try most to avoid. The reason that I avoid them is that I seem to move much slower and have less energy when I eat them. I actually like having protein for breakfast.
I like having a big breakfast, a big lunch and then a little supper. That works well for me. I am able to at the very least maintain the weight loss that I achieved a couple of years ago. I feel best eating a high protein, lots of vegies and some fruits diet.
It is totally opposite here. There are different desserts that are available at both lunch and dinner. I generally don't turn them down. If I did I would feel better. Vegies are seldom accompanied by enough protein for me to feel good enough to want to move much.
They want me to move more. I am eating foods that aren't good for me, it is a generally escalating situation. But this noon ticked me off.
My dad complained that I didn't clean my plate. He didn't care if I didn't need the food that was left on my plate. He didn't care if it would put more weight on me, he told me "if I ordered something, then I needed to eat it."
I am still quite overweight and this man wants me to eat myself into oblivion. It really pisses me off. It's just what I don't need to have happen.
Gotta go, they just came home.
I'm leaving on Thursday,
Happy Trails,
Marty
Monday, March 3, 2008
Windy but hot
Today the wind gusts were up to 44 mph, but it was so warm I didn't really care.
I got up, ate breakfast, picked teh rest of the grapefruit off the tree to eat for the rest of the time that I am here and then spent some time with my dad.
I fixed lunch. Why that is important is that I need more protein at lunch than I usually get when I eat with my parents. And now, hours later I am still feeling good enough to work on my website some more later.
Since I am on vacation, I am not doing much. I am doing some reading, a little writing, a little learning, and a lot of puzzling.
When I was getting ready to come here, I was relaxing by reading a couple of books by Louise Hay. She talked about how she feels that we pick our parents according to what we need to experience in our lives to fulfill the reason we became a physical being. That really seemed to adjust my attitude towards them. It is/was no longer something that happened to me, but something that I chose. For some people that wouldn't work, but for me it works well.
It's been an interesting adjustment for me. I'm more respectful now as I realize that I have gotten a lot from my relationship with them. At times to me it was unwanted things that I got, but this new way of thinking helps me to see that all things do work together when we are working to create the life that we want.
Tomorrow I am going to go over to the swimming pool to lay around. I want to meet more and different people and that is one way I feel would be a good way to do it. Because of the heat here, I don't always go out and about in the sun.
But as Denni kept reminding me for a year or two, if we keep doing what we always have, we'll keep getting what we've already gotten. Interestingly enough, that is really true regarding recovery, but seldom was it helpful to me when those words were being used.
DeColores, Marty
I got up, ate breakfast, picked teh rest of the grapefruit off the tree to eat for the rest of the time that I am here and then spent some time with my dad.
I fixed lunch. Why that is important is that I need more protein at lunch than I usually get when I eat with my parents. And now, hours later I am still feeling good enough to work on my website some more later.
Since I am on vacation, I am not doing much. I am doing some reading, a little writing, a little learning, and a lot of puzzling.
When I was getting ready to come here, I was relaxing by reading a couple of books by Louise Hay. She talked about how she feels that we pick our parents according to what we need to experience in our lives to fulfill the reason we became a physical being. That really seemed to adjust my attitude towards them. It is/was no longer something that happened to me, but something that I chose. For some people that wouldn't work, but for me it works well.
It's been an interesting adjustment for me. I'm more respectful now as I realize that I have gotten a lot from my relationship with them. At times to me it was unwanted things that I got, but this new way of thinking helps me to see that all things do work together when we are working to create the life that we want.
Tomorrow I am going to go over to the swimming pool to lay around. I want to meet more and different people and that is one way I feel would be a good way to do it. Because of the heat here, I don't always go out and about in the sun.
But as Denni kept reminding me for a year or two, if we keep doing what we always have, we'll keep getting what we've already gotten. Interestingly enough, that is really true regarding recovery, but seldom was it helpful to me when those words were being used.
DeColores, Marty
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Sub Domains
Today I was working on migrating my financial website into my regular website. What I need to learn about seems to be subdomains.
I am one of those self-taught non-geeks. What I guess that I need to be is one of those self-taught geeks. How does one make the transition from being a non-geek to a geek? Is it even possible? At this time I am one person that has serious doubts.
It's never a really good day when I can't make the websites happen well. I wish my dad was more comfortable with my using a computer. Then I could work on things during the day. My dad is slightly computer-phobic. grin, grin, grin
Overall, today was a good day. I slept as it was around 90* in my parents trailer. My parents don't believe in comfort. There is no place to stretch out and be comfortable, imho. Because of knee pain, I like to actually use something that means that I can keep my knees up. I find that it really helps.
Well, when I visit my parents in Texas, you either sit up or you can lay on a bunk. The bunk area is hot. At night, I sleep on what can best be described as a shelf. It's actually a bench seat and well, this year I am wider than it is. I have to sit up to turn over, so I don't get a lot of great quality sleep. The padding is, well, at home I often sleep on the floor so its about the same. LOL
But somehow the same is less comfortable? I really don't understand how that can be, but it seems to be true.
Anyway, today seems to be a wasted day. The website isn't working out well. The brains are fried. I hate it when I have unproductive days. Today seems like one of those. Maybe that is why I don't do vacations well?
We did eat out at Olive Garden though. I enjoy Tuscan food.
Gotta go, Mom will be up in four hours and I sleep in the living room. LOl
I am one of those self-taught non-geeks. What I guess that I need to be is one of those self-taught geeks. How does one make the transition from being a non-geek to a geek? Is it even possible? At this time I am one person that has serious doubts.
It's never a really good day when I can't make the websites happen well. I wish my dad was more comfortable with my using a computer. Then I could work on things during the day. My dad is slightly computer-phobic. grin, grin, grin
Overall, today was a good day. I slept as it was around 90* in my parents trailer. My parents don't believe in comfort. There is no place to stretch out and be comfortable, imho. Because of knee pain, I like to actually use something that means that I can keep my knees up. I find that it really helps.
Well, when I visit my parents in Texas, you either sit up or you can lay on a bunk. The bunk area is hot. At night, I sleep on what can best be described as a shelf. It's actually a bench seat and well, this year I am wider than it is. I have to sit up to turn over, so I don't get a lot of great quality sleep. The padding is, well, at home I often sleep on the floor so its about the same. LOL
But somehow the same is less comfortable? I really don't understand how that can be, but it seems to be true.
Anyway, today seems to be a wasted day. The website isn't working out well. The brains are fried. I hate it when I have unproductive days. Today seems like one of those. Maybe that is why I don't do vacations well?
We did eat out at Olive Garden though. I enjoy Tuscan food.
Gotta go, Mom will be up in four hours and I sleep in the living room. LOl
Saturday, March 1, 2008
So, What happened to February?
It seems like it was just yesterday. LOL
I am currently in the Rio Grande Valley area in the Southern part of Texas. I decided to ride the train down here. It was a little cold and wet and well, being rear-ended just sort of took the starch out of me. I remember laying on the pavement thinking, damn, maybe it is time to buy a mini-van and I am so not a mini-van type of person.
The train was nice, except that the last leg was by bus. I didn't really mind that except the bus had no heat, absolutely none. It was 44* out and the driver kept going faster which of course made the wind chill even worse. Just in case you want to know what the bus company was that froze me out it's Valley Transit. I am sure that none of you will want to ride them either.
I see on their site that they are looking for both mechanics and drivers. Now I can drive a bus, but there is no way I want to drive one that doesn't work any better than the one I rode in did.
There's a hatha yoga class on Wednesdays here, but it is for an hour and a half. There's no way I would be able to move for the next three or four days. I really wanted to try the yoga, but that time length just scares the crap out of me. All these people here can out exercise me. That is so sad.
I was looking for tours that might have an opening when I got the list of classes also. It doesn't look like there is a tour that I will be able to go on, that I want to go on. There is a tour of a ranch that includes how things work and an actual branding. Wow, I can pay money to smell the flesh of calves burn. How exciting and how, how, ya know the exact words are just escaping me right now.
I have been teaching my mom a little about how to operate her computer. She could turn it off and on, but not much more other than email. Today we were working on drag and drop. The way I help people learn that is to first get them on the game of solitare and then to try to move them on to freecell. My mom is intelligent. She was not only picking up what to do with a mouse, but also the concepts of freecell.
Gotta go get some sleep. I want to get up and listen to Renaissance Unity via the web tomorrow and I have to be up and out of mom and dads way so they can get to church.
Enjoy your day, Marty
I am currently in the Rio Grande Valley area in the Southern part of Texas. I decided to ride the train down here. It was a little cold and wet and well, being rear-ended just sort of took the starch out of me. I remember laying on the pavement thinking, damn, maybe it is time to buy a mini-van and I am so not a mini-van type of person.
The train was nice, except that the last leg was by bus. I didn't really mind that except the bus had no heat, absolutely none. It was 44* out and the driver kept going faster which of course made the wind chill even worse. Just in case you want to know what the bus company was that froze me out it's Valley Transit. I am sure that none of you will want to ride them either.
I see on their site that they are looking for both mechanics and drivers. Now I can drive a bus, but there is no way I want to drive one that doesn't work any better than the one I rode in did.
There's a hatha yoga class on Wednesdays here, but it is for an hour and a half. There's no way I would be able to move for the next three or four days. I really wanted to try the yoga, but that time length just scares the crap out of me. All these people here can out exercise me. That is so sad.
I was looking for tours that might have an opening when I got the list of classes also. It doesn't look like there is a tour that I will be able to go on, that I want to go on. There is a tour of a ranch that includes how things work and an actual branding. Wow, I can pay money to smell the flesh of calves burn. How exciting and how, how, ya know the exact words are just escaping me right now.
I have been teaching my mom a little about how to operate her computer. She could turn it off and on, but not much more other than email. Today we were working on drag and drop. The way I help people learn that is to first get them on the game of solitare and then to try to move them on to freecell. My mom is intelligent. She was not only picking up what to do with a mouse, but also the concepts of freecell.
Gotta go get some sleep. I want to get up and listen to Renaissance Unity via the web tomorrow and I have to be up and out of mom and dads way so they can get to church.
Enjoy your day, Marty
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