Coronado Bike Ride

So, today was the bike ride, and we had the best time. It turned out to be a 30+ mile bike ride, and we loved every minute of it. (Okay, maybe we didn't love the last 7 miles along the strand against the head wind.)

It was a great day, and we are all excited about heading out again. Riding is definitely better when you do it with friends. (And of course, any bike ride is better when it ends at The Little Club, where our friendly bartender Jan was making the world's greatest Bloody Mary's.)

A crazy week...

This has surely been a crazy political week, and it isn't over, yet.

• The sad, grim milestone of 2000 Americans dead in Iraq
• Harriet Miers, the "best we could find" for the Supreme Court, has withdrawn her nomination
• Tom Delay, Bill Frist, Karl Rove, Libby Lewis and other conservative Republicans are all under investigation

I am not sure what went wrong in the Republican spin machine, but they have certainly lost their way. And if there is any sense of karma and justice in this world, they will continue to implode until there is nothing left but dust. Wishing for that is hardly my finest action, but my frustration with so-called Christians who know nothing but lying, cheating, plundering and stealing is almost more than I can bear.

Lord, protect me from your followers. And someone, somewhere, help me resist the urge to stand on a rooftop and shout, "you're all going to get what is coming to you, you sons of bitches."

When a crime isn't a crime...

(This blog is about me, not politics. But sometimes what is happening is so inane, so insidious, and so blatantly stupid that I have to make mention of it.)

Question #1

When is perjury and obstruction of justice a bad thing?

Answer #1

When a Democratic President does it to cover up consensual sex.

Question #2

When is perjury and obstruction of justice “no big deal”?

Answer #2

When a Republican administration does it to cover up the treasonous act of outing a covert CIA operative.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/10/24/122929/29

Unexpected Gifts

I’m stunned. I went to my office staff meeting expecting to hear updates on policies, financials, and other items of note. That happened, yes, but the meeting ended with my boss handing me a check for $2,695. The money is a donation made by my co-workers and clients to help my Mom recover from Hurricane Rita. (She lost her house in the storm, but she and her husband made it through physically unharmed.) I can’t explain how moved I am by this check. It will make such an incredible difference for my Mom.

So how does this fit into this blog? Part of maturity is understanding when you need help. Another part of maturity is having faith in your friends to be there when you need them. Today, I am reminded of both of these things. I am fortunate, indeed, to work for a company and with co-workers who support me as more than an employee, but as a person, too.

Website up and running

My husband, Ric, has a great website at www.woofsd.com, and he made a page for me to keep track of my walking, running, and cycling events. It is www.woofsd.com/GoRedGo.html.

Who knew a 5k could be so addicting?

Well, I’m hooked. The 5k in Chicago was a lot of fun, and I felt great after finishing. So I have now scheduled myself for two more – the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k on Nov 6^th and the Shelter Island 5k on Nov 13^th. The week after that, I am attempting a half-marathon in Austin, Texas. Yes, I do believe I have the running bug.

In Chicago, my first official 5k

My best friend, Brenda, signed us up for the Pumpkins in the Park 5k, through the Lincoln Park district. I had no idea we were running until we wandered up to the park, but I am really glad I did it. For me, it wasn't about the finishing time. It was just about finishing. (Thanks, Bren!)

And so it begins...

In an uncharacteristically subtle beginning, my blog begins. Forty is fifteen months away, and now is the time to start thinking about who I want to be when I get there.

What do I mean? How about:

• mentally
• emotionally
• physically
• spiritually

Wish me luck.