Dreams . . .

Posted on by Kim W.

Today’s writing prompt is to free write for 15 minutes about 3 songs that are significant to you.  The biggest stressor about this is that you cannot edit, go back, change things or whatever.  What!!!!!  This really bothers the grammar/punctuation/spelling nazi side of me.  but anyway I digress.

It is interesting that the quote from today’s email was this:

Jorge Luis Borges said: “Writing is nothing more than a guided dream.” So, what are you waiting for? Get writing. Fifteen minutes. Go. And then, do it again tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after.”

And two of my life songs are about dreams!

Dream on by Aerosmith

Dreams I’ll never see by Molly Hatchet

The third one is Happy by Pharrell Williams

Sense a theme from the universe here?

I’ve apparently always loved songs about Dreams although I don’t consciously feel I have any.

I’m  a plodder, plodding through each task of each day, trying to dogood, be kind, be the best I can be, but I don’t have any extravagant dreams like of being an astronaut or a princess or flying to the moon or traveling the world.

I’,m pretty content just rocking along, for the most part, barring things like drama, traffic, spilled wine, and other first world problems.

I like the idea of developing a writing habit.  If i could wirte for 15 minutes a day that would be a good thing.  I always think, what would I write about and something always come to mind.

Last time I blogged I went on and on about my foot injury and how if affected my biking.  This time I want to write about the biking itself and how it affects me.  And it does relate to dreams, I promise!

Last night I got to hang out at a potluck dinner with the bike group.  I love this little group of people, and if it were not for biking I probably would have never met them.  At first I didn’t think we had any thing in common but biking.  But after almost 3 years together I have realized a few things.

First cyclists are a very laid back group.

But also adventurous.  Always talking about new places to go, things they’ve seen, trips theyve taken, food we’ve eaten or want to eat.  Food is a big part of our group!

We ride to eat.

I have missed the carmardarie  of this group while i have been recuperating from this injury.  And I almost didn’t go last night because I felt like a 3rd wheel (pun intended) since I hadn’t been riding.

I am so glad I went.  I was warmly welcomed and hugged and loved and talked to.  What more could you ask for.

I don’t think my path would have crossed with this group if it were not for cycling, but I am so glad it didd.

It’s mostly couples but a few singles, from all walks of life, some retired, some not, some with kids at home, some with grown kids.  Some Southerners, some from the North.  We don’t talk, religion or politics, and we are very respectful of our respective football allegiances, which most of us feel VERY strongly about.  Everyone is polite and kind and tolerant of each others strengths , weaknesses and differences.

After all, we are  just a small representation of our country, and really what our society should be more about these days.

I love the Slow Bikers!!!  Very strong sense of community here and love for our communities and our area and all that there is to do here.  Some of us were born here, some of us transplanted here but we all love it just the same.

So back to dreams.  One of my dream’s would be for the world to interact much like the Slow Bikers do.  food, fun, fellowship, fitness.  Respect for each other and our differences.  Always looking for the next ride, adventure, trip,.  Loving the feel of fresh air in our faces and the sense of belonging you feel with your surrounds when you ride.  Smells, good and bad, sounds, good and bad, sights, mostly good.  Grilling vs. road kill.  Birds vs. chainsaws.  Views of the trees, buildings, water, cars, houses,  Everytime we ride, even when we ride the same routes, I experiences something different.

 

Until I retire and can travel about and do all the things I’ve dreamed of, I can have similar experiences right here at home with the Slow Bikers!!  and I am so thankful!

And I realized I really didn’t talk about the songs, which is probably what I was supposed to do.  LOL

 

Enter my brain . . . at your own risk!

Posted on by Kim W.
Today’s Writing 101 Prompt was to do a stream of consciousness writing exercise for 20 minutes.  I did clean up some typos but otherwise, it is what it is! Don’t judge!
Mondays can be both positive and negative.
Negative because you wake up after a long weekend and say, Ugh, another week of work.
Positive because you feel like it is the start of a brand new week.  It’s all fresh and new.  New Beginning. Another week of planning for the weekend.

Started my rehab challenge today, to recover from foot injury and get back to biking on a regular basis.

God I have missed it so much. I didn’t realize how necessary riding a bike was to my existence until I could not do it.
The physical activity.
The social aspect.
The sheer joy of riding with the wind blowing through your hair and feeling like a kid again.
About the only time as an adult I feel like a kid.  The rest of the time I am dragging myself through life’s responsibilities.  Laundry, dirty dishes, house work, bills, blah, blah, blah.  Don’t be in a hurry to grow up, kids, but if you do, ride a bike!
On a bike none of that mess can keep up with me.
I can outride it and leave it all far far behind!
I am supposed to write for 20 minutes.  20 minutes is a very long time.  I’ve written for 4 minutes and it seems like forever.  LOL
Like the Flylady says, accomplish things 15 minutes at a time.  You think it is not enough time to do anything but it certainly is.
And you think it is going to take you HOURS to unload that dish washer or fold those clothes when in reality it takes about 5 minutes. 
That is not the case here! This writing exercise is taking forever!
This week will be the week of organization and rehab.  Allison is gone to camp for a week.  The house will stay neat, hopefully.  It has looked like a bomb went off since I have spent 30 days incapacitated due to my foot injury.
It’s amazing what a difference 30 days makes.  On May 1, I had just finished a 30 day bike challenge.  Was riding my bike every day and feeling good.  Had gotten over the pinched nerve that had plagued me and ready to get back to all my regular activity again.  Was planning to continue the 30 day challenge into May, so I went riding on the evening of May 1.  One of the few times I have ever ridden alone, because my riding partner went to see Nick Saban instead!  I really wished I had gone to see Nick Saban.  Because instead of screaming, ROLL TIDE ROLL, I wrecked on my bike, got tangled up in a sign and a small drop off and over I went on the Specialized.  On the way down, I heard the POP that would change my life for the next 30-60 days.
Several really nice people ran over to help me and I couldn’t put weight on the foot.  I was so embarrassed.  I felt sick and dazed although I didn’t hit my head.  THANK God I wore my helmet that day, because I don’t always wear it, even though I should.
I had to call the teenager to come pick up her crippled aging mother off the side of the road to take me to the E.R.  Where after 2.5 hours of waiting, I was told I had an avulsion fracture of the talus bone, top of the foot, in my right ankle.  Was put in a soft cast and placed on crutches and sent out the door with orders to see an ortho.  This was my GOOD Foot.
 
In a way it was a blessing I had had a foot surgery several years ago, because I had an ortho already, and I didn’t have a big learning curve to learn to use the crutches this time.  And I remembered miraculously all the tricks I used the first time, so this second time wasn’t as bad as it could have been, although it was not fun by any means.
When you are the hunter gatherer and chief cook and bottle washer of the household, everything suffers when you are down to one good foot.  And it was my RIGHT foot, the DRIVING foot, which put a whole new spin on things. 
But after visits to the chiropractor, physical therapy a/k/a pain and torture and the massage therapist, I am out of the boot, off the crutches and working my way back to normalcy.
Still moving slow, but moving.  Started back riding my bike, the pink Townie, not the Specialized I wrecked on.  I add a minute each day and hope to get back to my old riding self soon.  I give it another month before I am back to where I was on May 1 but at least I see an end in sight!
Woo hooo 5 more minutes left to write.  Once I started complaining about the foot, the words just flowed from my brain to my fingers!
One thing I did do recently was go see my man crush Dave Matthews.  My BFF Anne-Marie drove my crippled ass to Birmingham to meet up with my sister.  With the help of a handicap permit, premier parking pass and a cane, I was able to crip my way to see my main man.  I was not the dancing machine I usually am, but I did manage a few stellar dance moves.  Ha Ha Ha! 
 
Good grief, I still have over 3 minutes.  I am running out of things to say, and I didn’t think I would ever say that.
I am looking forward to a better summer, and getting ready for my baby’s Senior Year.  Lots of exciting things coming up for our family and I am excited, and sad, for the changes to come.  Allison worked her butt off and made a really good score on the ACT, which will definitely help her chances of getting into the school of her choice, Auburn University, and hopefully pave the way for a stellar future for my big girl. 
In the meantime, the beach is calling my name and as soon as my foot gets strong enough to walk in the sand, I am there!  I need to get my toes in the sand, and do some serious wave watching!  It is past time.  Now the bathing suit thing might be an issue, but I’ll wear shorts and a t-shirt if I have to.  I am beyond worrying about that.
Hopefully as I get more active, I will drop the pounds I gained after the injury, when all I could do is sit in a chair and snack! 
15 seconds left so I’ll wrap this up with a Goodbye and thanks for reading!
 Kim

Rain is a good thing!

Posted on by Kim W.

We’re in the middle of a drought.

It is been dry, hot, humid and dusty for weeks now.

We’ve been suffocating under a wet blanket of heat.

The A/C is running non-stop and it’s still not cool, grass is dying, I’m spending a fortune watering plants that are going to die anyway, it’s too hot to cook or do anything constructive really, except swim, eat ice cream, and drink mojitos.

You know it’s bad when you are wishing, no, begging,  for rain.

This afternoon, as we were leaving to go swimming at a friend’s house, we had lots of rain.

Accompanied by thunder, lightning and power outages.

Swimming outing cancelled.  Food in crock pot ruined. All plans for the day had to be reconsidered.

Not quite what I had in mind when I wished for rain.

Once the power came back on, we had a great afternoon indoors: reading,  napping and hanging out, enjoying some much-needed downtime.

Something that’s hard to do when it’s sunny out, and you think you’ve got to go somewhere, or work in the yard.

It was nice to let go of some of the busyness and get some rest.

Walking outside after the rain stopped, everything smelled fresh and clean.  The grass was greener.  No need to water.  It was cooler. Things have a different feel to them after a rainstorm.

It’s the same thing when rain falls into our lives.  When we have those stormy days, when nothing goes right, and things seem dark, depressing and gloomy.

After the rain has passed and a new day dawns, things seem better.  Fresher, cleaner, different perspective.

Although, a rainy day ruined our plans, we had a different day, and it was just as good, although different.

I realized that, although inconvenient and painful at times, rain in our lives can be a good thing.

DO THEY HAVE COKES AND CANDY HERE?

Posted on by Kim W.

Well, I’ve done it.

Finally entered the world of blogging.

I’ve reached the point in my middle-aged life where those close to me are tired of listening to my ramblings and musings, so it’s time to share with the WORLD!

Who needs Tylenol PM or Ambien, right?

Just come on over here and get some cokes and candy.

A little explanation about the title:

My husband’s cousin, Dan, pilots single engine aircraft.  His wife, Carol,  accompanied him on some of his flights.

Anyone who has ever flown knows that the landing of a plane at an airport is one of the most tricky and difficult parts of flying.

It requires complete concentration.  There are all manner of gadgets to watch and details to monitor and checklists to check.

There’s not a lot of room for chit-chat.

As the story went, while Dan was trying to land their plane safely, Carol had other more important things on her mind.

Such as, were there any cokes and candy at this airport.

Very important stuff according to Carol.

Unfortunately, Dan didn’t see it that way.

So after Dan told us this story, “cokes and candy” became an euphemism for “I’m not paying any attention to the important things you are doing or thinking, but here’s what is important to me.”

And it has become the catchphrase for my marriage.

So, come on over and enjoy the treats!