Making it "home"

You'd think that having Jeremy home on "vacation" for 6 weeks would make it easy for me to find blogging time. I can't seem to. For one thing, unpacking what the packing crew boxed and labeled, while seemingly simple, and surprisingly amusing, is not easy.

Bases drumps = drums with a silent p?

Baby stabs = baby changing table and swing...huh? Still don't get it.

Don't ask what we found in here. Eek.

Moving from a house where we crammed things in every corner possible to one where we even have attic and basement space requires some planning and storing and sorting and Goodwill-ing. But I'm not complaining.

Training-wise, I was set to do two-a-days for the whole six weeks, since this vacation from J working culminates with a half ironman the weekend before he starts at his new place. It hasn't been happening quite as planned. My lungs seem to be doing fine, but the muscles, not so much. We apparently live on the highest point in the city--- no no wait, one lot up from us, at the corner, is higher. This requires my bike rides to begin in the smallest gear from the start of the driveway. Coming home, especially running in from the west, is a brutal, endless hill.

There's so much exploring to do here. There are trails to ride and run, zoos to visit, woods with a creek and chiggers (who have found a new love --> me) to explore, real restaurants to eat at, baseball games to watch, the pool down the street to swim in, and cousins to play with.

Oh, and neighbors' weeds to pull.

I've been cooking my Heifer Intl CSA produce and learning that I love kohlrabi and fennel bulbs and rainbow chard, one cabbage head can feed a few families for days, I love lettuce even after eating my weight in it, and Hunter will still eat anything. There was very appropriately named series on Huffington Post called "WTF CSA?" that helped me find some recipes for those less common veggies (kohlrabi??) one might find in her weekly basket, and I recommend it for CSAers.

Since we have a new house, we've decided to do a few things with it, like add a screened porch, stain the deck, get plantation shutters, and put furniture in every room. I, of course, just had to make over an old buffet of my great aunt's immediately, and Jeremy is taking care of the rest, with Hunter's help, of course. 

So far, so good, in our new climate, state, city, neighborhood, and house. (p.s. those are not the new shutters in the front windows, but do you like them? It was that or sheets)

Solo

The move to Jackson started off great last weekend. I officially met Amanda and Alisha, and we rode with a group on the Natchez Trace Saturday morning. It was beautiful. Then Megan came to visit that afternoon. We picked up my wedding dress, and it's not too small, it zipped! We ate some good food and did a little shopping too. 

Monday morning was a work day. That's right, not even one day of vacation before new employment. I accepted a job helping out with a women's boot camp class that was set to meet at 5:30 am. I was to be there at 5. Being the first weekday after daylight savings, I hadn't set my car clock ahead an hour, so it read 3:53 on my way to work. I think just the sight of that clock made my eyelids 10 pounds heavier. I underdressed for observing an outdoor class in 50F weather, and came home afterward, teeth chattering and shaking. I thought that was a good enough excuse to get back in bed for a couple of hours. This was pretty much the routine for Wednesday and Friday mornings too, except that I changed that car clock. And dressed in 8 extra layers. It made a difference.

I started getting a little training in on Tuesday with a run on the yet unpaved pedestrian path that goes along the Trace. It's perfectly packed dirt, and mostly away from traffic, except for the backhoes and bulldozers that I had to dodge amid curious looks from the dozen workers that seemed to be on break. 

Wednesday was supposed to be warmer so I was ready for a bike ride. This would be my second ride in about 6 months on the Seduza, on which I will be racing next weekend. It's about time! (As a side note, I know road bikes are "more comfortable" than tri bikes, but I have to say that I'm SO comfortable on my QR.) So, thanks to mapmyride.com, I found a 26ish mile route that took me a little west of Ridgeland. This is my first time in years to have something other than a standard 40 hour a week, 9-6ish job (or something like that, depending on the day). Instead it's a couple hours early in the morning, then a few more hours between 2 and 8. Unfortunately, that eliminates the option of having training partners, including Jeremy. I'm working on this situation, but being the new girl, I'm seeing where things go first. 

Off on my solo ride, I found great spring weather with gorgeous flowering trees, some rolling hills, and nice rough roads. I felt right at home. I could've easily been out near Drummonds or Oakland (somewhere that I'm slightly lost). Until I got to the Spanish moss. I love Spanish moss, and it's something we don't have up "north" in Memphis, but it was all over Mobile, where I was born. I think that's why I like it so much. But yeah, I know, it is not good for the trees. 

While I was sightseeing, the traffic wasn't too bad out there, but there was a near head-on collision when a truck passed me on a blind hill. Nobody was going very fast, and thankfully the truck didn't pull back over on me. It seems to me that any transgressions against cyclists (me) occur because the drivers are genuinely ignorant, rather than malicious. I do prefer that, but wish somehow they could learn.

I had such a nice ride Wednesday that I decided to do it again on Thursday. Same loop, same direction. But the ipod was on a different part of the playlist, so it was like a whole new ride.  The crazy clunking in my bottom bracket? pedal? I didn't notice as much Thursday. I figured this was due to the volume of music. Maybe I should turn that down...

I tried to get in a couple of intervals on the bike, and then realized that I'd demonstrated a few too many lunges and jump squats during the week. This boot camp could be as good for my training as it could be bad for my sleeping habits! It'll help me keep that boo-tay that all the women used to ask me about (they asked how I kept it big, no kidding).

Finally today, Jeremy got off work early and wanted to go for a ride WITH ME! I had a riding buddy! I selected another route off mapmyride.com, which added on another 15 miles or so, another few lakes, more moss, and a couple of barking, loose dogs. I hadn't even missed the dogs until these came along. Luckily one was the size of a speed bump, and the big one was pretty friendly.   


It was awesome! It was sunny, I wore shorts and short sleeves, and it finally felt like spring. My tire didn't even flat until the last 3 miles before home, so I call that a good ride. Now I just have to get used to this different schedule, different city, and lots of alone time, while trying not to start talking to myself. At least I can pretend to be talking to the cats. I think I'll entertain myself with some crazy stuff, like riding my new bike course backwards or something.

This weekend it's back to Memphis for some bachelorette party fun with the girls, where I'll be anything but solo!