Bike Adventure

As busy as things have been with the school groups coming in, I decided I wanted an adventure on my only day off this week.  So after church (and a load of laundry) I stuffed the bike into the back of my car and headed to the nearest trails.

I started out on the intermediate trail called "Gator Trail".  When the opportunity to switch over to the advanced trail came up I was like o.O

The advanced can't be too hard, can it?  I mean, copperheads aren't much more dangerous than gators, right?

So I read the warning and gave it a shot.

Needless to say, the sign was not adequate warning for the trail.  What the sign should have said was, "Turn around you idiot!  You don't really want to jump your bike off of our dirt ramps and careen uncontrollably downhill screaming like a little girl!  Lest we forget the times you will ride off the trail and hit trees.  Yes, go back now."

But once you commit to the trail, there is no going back.  They are one way trails because your bike can barely fit between the trees as is.  It started off fine, the occasional tree root/log to jump (the key is to stand when you land or else you will wish you had much better shocks than you do...), also the hills weren't too bad.  But about 10 mins into this trail I found that the downhills were getting a lot more down-y and the uphills were taking much more energy.  After one particular downhill that ended in a curb (and subsequently in me running off the trail) I started using the breaks more frequently.  UNTIL they crapped out.  Apparently my breaks were not ready for the insanity of the vertical descent that I thought impossible this side of Everest.

The problem with the descent is not so much the careening towards oblivion as much as it is the uphill on the other side.  I used to run 10k races and I have to say that mountain biking for an hour is the hardest exercise I have ever done.  I had to stop a few times to sip water, murder mosquitoes  and hold back the urge to puke.  The exercise was that intense   The funniest part was when I was ready to be done, and I saw the exit to the "Gator Trail" acting as a beacon at the bottom of a hill (cue angelic chorus!).  Too bad the breaks didn't work and I ended up passing right by it to endure another 20 mins on "Copperhead Trail".  :-P

Believe it or not, I had a lot of fun.  I will most likely return to this park (but perhaps not the same trail...haha)   I will most definitely look my breaks over before then as well.

Thoughts and Ramblings

So...if you get the time.  I think it would be good to give this blog a read:  http://storylineblog.com/2013/04/16/when-you-feel-behind/

It is a good one for just figuring that it's okay to not feel like you are excelling.  When I think of me, I think about my fear of commitment.  I think of how I somehow managed to sign another one year teaching contract in order to avoid committing to a long term project. (1)  And I think of how I want whatever God has planned for me next, to be a less than 2 year commitment.

But, with all this awesome commitment avoidance, I lose the opportunity for career advancement, for forming lasting friendships, and for truly feeling at home.  It's as if for the sake of adventure I sacrifice familiarity.  And that can be a very lonely place.

Anyway, when I stumbled upon the above blog, it kinda reminded me to be more confident in myself.  I don't need to compare myself to others, nor do I need to worry about what others necessarily think of me.  In theory, God is the only one I really need to please. (2)  And most importantly the article pointed out that we are all on the same team.  So we should start acting like it (in the words of Kid President).

Thanks folks for listening to my rambling.  I love the support that I get through your thoughts and prayers.  We have a busy next couple weeks, i.e. six school groups coming in over a two week span in addition to curriculum overhaul, and the general facility maintenance  (3)  

One one last note.  I joined in the ministry Common Threads yesterday.  The women of the church sewed 70 pillow cases to donate to hospice.  I loved getting to work with a sewing machine again...especially for a good cause.  A good Singer Machine is like a power tool for women.  :-P

(1) Which is odd because the definitive statement that I declared often in University was that I would most surely never ever be a teacher....haha

(2)  Though I like to make mommy and daddy happy too.  Cuz...you know...I love them and all...

(3)  We just released our two Red Eared Sliders into the wild and spent the entire day cleaning the tank...which involved some heavy lifting and lots of smelly stuff.  Whew...I am so exhausted I don't even think I can paint tonight.

Like an Arrow

My old Co-Teacher would repeat the same phrase to me time and time again the weeks leading up to my leaving Korea.  He would say, "Time flies like an Arrow."  Having tried archery a few time with my father, I get the expression.  You take a lot of time to aim that arrow...seemingly holding your breath, lining it up, then as soon as you loose it...."TWAP!" it's already in the target.  And you are like O.o!

That's how the last few weeks have been.  With Alesha counting down days to the wedding, it's easy to see the time fly "like and arrow".  One day she says, "100 days till the wedding..." Then yesterday shes say, "86"...And my thought is, where did those 14 days go?  That's two weeks that I can barely account for!

I know for sure that I bought a car in that time. I know for sure that I flew a plane.  I know for sure that I dog-sat again.  I know for sure that I planted strawberries and cilantro.  I know for sure that I am finally learning to rest, to be fully present in the moment, and to be content.  And I know that these last few days have been difficult for me.  I am trying to remember my boundaries, and I am trying to speak confidence over myself.  The devil sometimes tries to sneak into your mind and lie to you about who you are.  But, I am having none of that nonsense.

As time flies, I need to still focus on what I have in the now.  It's so easy to look forward to what can be, and miss what I have here.  But what I have here is so great!  Let's always enjoy the present.

So without further ado:  I know that people want photos so, here you go!  I hope you like them!  :-) 

Car named Abundance (Because God provides abundantly)

Probably the nicest thing I have ever owned.

I got me an Impala!

It's hard to pilot, you have a lot to think about!

Not a bad lesson at all...might try again someday.

The plane I flew!

My Strawberries!