A little movement

Today the Cider Press CAME! And everything changed. Moods brighten with joy and smiles aplenty! Although the living room is a holy mess now. For some dumb reason no one has explained to us, we now have to keep all our bikes inside our apartment. So our living room is fully 50% bikes. The other 75% is now cider press assembly. Plus, the pieces being stained are piled in the trailer in the parking lot. We were really really NOT meant to live in an apartment.

And Huck taught Alternative High School English today.

And I went for a jog. I've jogged some in the past, about a mile for 1-2 months for the last two years. But now I have real jogging shoes to do it in, not some donated pair that made my feet hurt. They say that a purchase of shoes can change your life. I wouldn't say it was the shoes that started this, but the baseball cap I donned this summer and haven't removed since. I've never worn a cap before. I've been in straw hats since about 5th grade. But now that I have my Sol Duc hot springs cap, I can't imagine wearing anything else. Me, in a straw hat? NEVER! That's how I feel. I'll probably be back in one next summer, but for now I feel capable and sturdy in my cap. And then I bought the running shoes. I balked at the price and then the styles: white with gleaming blue streaks. They were comfy, but so very very white. When the exasperated sales lady discovered, much to her amusement I think, that I was shopping for running shoes to run just one mile, she found me a muted green trail/road cross running shoe. She told me that once I was more concerned with the performance of my shoes than the appearance, then to come back for real running shoes. I felt like such a shallow tart. But I could NOT wear those glowing white rocket ships on my already big feet. I wouldn't go running at all if that's what I had. And so, with such a big purchase, I was obligated to run today. I made my 1/2 mile goal without much of a problem.

Why running? you may ask. And I'm glad you did. This summer, I did a 50 mile women's bike ride out of Leavenworth. I was used to riding 20 miles in a day, to work and back, but that was separated by 4-8 hours of sitting at a desk. And that is why I did not know until this summer that I don't actually get warmed up until 20 miles. The next 30 miles that day were in some zone where my body moved with ease and everything felt good, even with 108*F, and even as I went up a long sun-baked hill. (see the very dorky picture of me?) And so that caused me to wonder if maybe I could run longer than a mile. We shall see. Anyway, it can't hurt (or maybe it can), and can only help my mood and relieve my sense of stagnation.