Mambo Taxi

OK, I wrote an entire post in my head, biking home, but some time between coming in the door and sitting down at the laptop, it's gone poof.

Rough brush-strokes:

Guy walking with his wife, passing me stopped at a light: "It's a bit fresh for shorts this morning, eh?" What a turn of phrase. He was about 65, maybe 70. Smile in his voice. I said yup, so I was discovering, but it certainly got the blood going. It turns out it's 3C. Not so bad when I was moving... it only snowed a bit while I was actually on the bike, and a bit more snow when I was indoors. But it didn't stick.

I'm in shorts because I wanted ease of motion, because I went to try out a Pilates studio uptown. It was an hour of guided exercises, tough but not too tough; a fun instructor, and a small class. I'm tempted to sign up for the weekly classes, since they seem flexible (haha) and I know it will help my back and shoulder (and stomach and legs and...)

I will also try our gym's pilates class, though the massage therapist I see (at the gym) suggested I should try a "real" pilates studio, not her own workplace, which makes a fairly strong statement.

This afternoon I'm taking a load of dead electronics to the University (locals; free electronics dropoff for recycling today, at East Campus Hall) and maybe making chicken soup. Hm, I think with matzo balls. (wow I'm hungry).

Last night, my cousin Arlene arrived, and I made us roast chicken with pesto. We stayed up talking a bit late (late considering she's here for a conference near Pearson airport, and she was out the door this morning at 7:40.) She's staying one more night, which means she will just miss seeing melted_snowball, who is coming back from Chicago Sunday mid-day. I hope tonight she'll be back from her conference early enough that I can take her to a ceilli tonight.

My brain seems full of pokey things. Things I should poke at and things that want to poke me back. Like, the web demo I'm doing next week for profs, which is full of wildcards in terms of what feedback they will have. Like the fact that my home mac still has networking problems but I'm not convinced I should replace it with a (brand new, very fast, lighter-weight, pretty) model [1]. Like, dancing on the edge of not over-committing for everything. And concern for friends who are in rough spots. And yet through it, feeling more or less centered; feeling connected like I should be, and sort of being present with the low-level anxiety, knowing that it will work out, s'ok, really.

Something else that will work out well: time for some lunch!

[1] This year's new 13" macbook pro is a bit faster than my work iMac, which is much faster than my home laptop, which has felt fully sufficient for my needs, aside from occasional worries about whether it is slowly dying.

This morning, I woke from a dream that I had been lying in bed unable to sleep for hours and it was 5am and I was exhausted. Then I woke up at 8am, convinced it had been a dream, with no basis for assuming so, especially since I still felt exhausted. Bleh.

Then at 8:50, my pants vibrated to remind me of something on my calendar. I meant to catch a talk at the University at 9:00. I made it to the talk at 9:03, including paying for parking. Go me. ...Then I reset google calendar to send me reminders 20 minutes ahead instead of 10 minutes. (which would've given me enough time to bike instead of driving!)

I've biked to work three days this week, which is as positive a development as you'd think. The weather is LOVELY. Having my back in good enough shape to bike in is also LOVELY. The back's not in great condition, but it's OK. I need to work on strengthening my core muscles; my body's in much worse shape than I think it should be.

In fact, last night with elbie_at_trig and thingo I made a Bold Assertion: a year from now, I'll be in good enough shape to go climbing at the campus bouldering wall. And not feel like I'm messing up my arms, or shoulder, or lower back, or hip, or.. yeah. So, LJ, you're my witness. Next March!

I'm also loving that I have my taxes finished- and the US returns are in the mail. I don't owe anything to the IRS, and I'm owed a nice little refund from CRA, which I hope to have in my account in less than two weeks. My tax preparer came by my office at the University to have me sign the forms. Such service!

All of these good things aside, I've been feeling bleh today. I blame that overactive dream. *shakes fist at dream*

My bike's odometer showed 600km as of mid-morning, on a bright and beautiful bike to the Quaker Meetinghouse through Victoria Park. 400km in the last 41 days feels like a lot, given I was in California for a week.

1112km for the season, hoping for another 300 to match last year's.

Odometer: 10200 km. (712 km so far this season; low compared with last year, which was 1000km for the season by September 23rd, ending last season 1390 by Nov 11).

Oh, to post or to go to sleep. I will take the wiser choice, since I should be rested before getting on the road tomorrow. My plans: leaving around 9:30, stopping for lunch in Kingston, and getting to my parents' place before 3.

But on the other hand: I seem to have a backlog of 9 things I've meant to review from the last few weeks.

Guess you'll have to wait!

Thanks for all the well-wishes for smooth driving. It will go fine, I'm sure; just a bit long.

On that note, G'night. :)

[ps- bike odometer rolled over this evening, 200km.]