Today was one of those days when the sky opens up and almost swallows you. It was bad news in an email about a wonderful person who is facing very tough medical procedures after having come through cancer surgery and horrendous chemo. But biking a lot helped. Kind of. Yesterday I biked to CCC and back. Today I biked to a hair cut, to a walk with Linda Vogt (which was wonderful), to CCC and back. On River Road in Milwaukie, a woman in a minivan came from the right, and looked to her right, kept rolling. I was coming from her left, slammed on my brakes and fishtailed. When she saw me, she just smiled, not realizing that she had almost struck me, that I was panicked. My fear squeezed tears out of me.
There were good things about the day, though. Walking with Linda Vogt along the Clackamas River was wonderful. She asked what turning 50 has meant to me, and I said that everything seems more precious (not in the cutesy, surgary type of way, but the sacred type of way). She said that’s how she felt about turning 60 and 61. I added that I’ve realized that I have to make my dreams come true because they aren’t just going to happen. Of course, I don’t need to make all those dreams happen in one summer like this one! Sheesh.
And then, riding home I set a new record for time (52 minutes), and I didn’t feel like I was pushing myself. Very cool. So, I’ve completed 35 rides. And on Saturday I leave for Cycle Oregon and will probably complete 15 rides during that time. I’ll also be out of internet range, and won’t check back until Sept. 18th.
Have a great week. Please take time to work against ministers promoting hatred, think of all the peace that has been achieved through collaboration, keep up the good fight for me, please. Love you like smooth pavement and a tail wind. -Kate