Day 368: Homedale, Idaho

It seems that if I'm planning on making an official cross country trip I need to start at one coast and go to the other. Being that I'm in Idaho, I guess it makes sense to start at the west coast.

My mom and I were talking on the phone yesterday, laughing about me probably having to do some multi-tasking. For as many miles and hours that I'll need to ride, I'll have to be doing something else at the same time. Something like biking and sewing.

While I didn't bike and sew at the same time today, I did bike and fold a couple loads of laundry. I don't think my husband was all too pleased that he had to hand me the items. I just couldn't figure out how to take things out of the basket, fold/hang them and return them to the basket, all while trying to balance the basket on my lap. That multi-tasking - and plenty of miles - wore me out so much today that as soon as I came upstairs I took a nap. I was darn tired!

But thanks to multi-tasking like that, in two days I've covered 33 miles so far. I was only planning on biking 11 miles to get myself to Homedale, Idaho but it seems I overshot it. So no story on Homedale, just a pic I took on my way to work the other day.

Next stop, a roadside attraction outside of Juntura, Oregon some 80 miles down the road from Homedale. Might be a while for me to get there. Or, if I can figure a way to sew and ride, maybe not.

Year Two Begins

Thanks to all who stopped by yesterday as I finished up Year One. It sure was nice hearing nice comments from the nice people out there!

Now it's on to Year Two.

With another year comes another goal. A huge goal. A goal bordering on unattainable. An I can't believe I'm aiming this high kind of goal.

It started with an inspirational story I saw about a guy named Steve. I don't know Steve but I read his story here. Steve joined an "Everest Challenge" where participants climb enough stairs to equal the distance up Mt. Everest. He was the first participant to reach the "summit", climbing up to 440 floors in a day. But that's not the most inspiring part. Steve did this while a patient in the hospital, not long after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.

So it got me thinking. I can't do stairs, but I can do the exercise bike.

What if someone like me - someone who is looking for a lofty goal and needs to find a focus, someone who loves to travel but needs to stay close to home because of health reasons, someone who certainly could use some exercise and doesn't mind the exercise bike - rode that exercise bike mile after mile?

And what if those miles added up? Added up to equal a cross country trip?

So, here we go. I'm heading out on my exercise bike with specific towns, cities, and destinations in mind. I'm only traveling to places I've been before and I'm only "riding" on roads I've driven before.

I hope you join me as I head out on the year-long trip. You'll get to learn about this great country as I make my stops. Being that I've been to all 50 states, the possibilities are tremendous. Just check out the map of everywhere I've traveled!

Day 366 of 365/366

Today is it.

One year.

I have no words for how I feel about today, but I need to say thank you. Thank you for your support, advice, and words of encouragement. Thank you for caring, for reading, for commenting. Thank you for being part of my life for the last year. I wouldn't be in the land of the living instead of the land of existing without this blog and without the people who read it.

And if you've been here a while you know about my love of Peeps. I just couldn't resist buying something I found at the store for my special treat for today.

But an even bigger treat would be hearing from you today. Please leave me a comment - I really would love to hear who is out there!

Day 365 of 365

It should be the end. But thanks to good ole Leap Year Day, my days are off. To make it a full year, I'm going to have to go to 366.

So no celebrating today.

Just a regular schedule with my regular things. A to-do list that keeps growing.

Gotta get that sewing room put back together. Still have to get those computer cords tucked away in the den. Carpets still haven't all been shampooed and my kitchen and bathrooms are lacking their shine.

But that to-do list will have to wait.  I spent yesterday with my daughter and mom and spent the night.  We awoke to snow, snow, and more snow.  And it's still snowing.  So I am parked at my daughter's apartment with no internet access, dictating my blog over the phone to my mom.  It only seems right that Day 365 wound up being a family affair.

Until I can get home and post a snow picture (done!) this one will have to do.  An investigation outside yesterday shows that the icky kale wasn't the only thing to survive the winter.

 See everyone tomorrow for Day 366!!

Day 364 of 365

An amazing thing happened yesterday. Something that might appear commonplace to everyone else was big for me.

I took a shower in the morning.

For all the years and years I worked, I always took my showers in the morning. Then when I hurt my back at work I spiraled into the pain-filled life. Then the arthritis got worse, the knee had to be replaced, and both shoulders had to be repaired. For all that time - over two and a half years now - the pain and stiffness consumed my mornings. It was debilitating enough that I couldn't get myself showered. I resigned myself to only showering in the late morning when the joints warmed up or in the evening before bed.

But not yesterday. I got myself in that shower. For the first time since 2009 my body let me take a shower in the morning.

I wanted to jump for joy. I wanted to laugh. I want to cry. I wanted to run around the house saying I took a shower out loud. I did none of those things. I kept it inside. I went to work, knowing that I had accomplished something I never thought I would ever get to do again.

It's amazing how I took life for granted. I didn't know how good I had it before I got hurt. Taking a shower in the morning. Such an inconsequential thing to most made my day.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to do it again today. After sitting in meetings for nine straight hours yesterday, my body isn't happy. But that's okay. I got yesterday.

And today I got a picture of something that, unfortunately, survived winter. Hubby's kale.

Ick.