Independence Day

No, I'm not confused. I don't think today is the 4th of July. I think, today is the day I've needed all summer long and all it took was a simple bicycle.

I've been in quite a little funk since we got home from Florida as many of you know. It all kind of came to a head this morning. I was just bogged down with the 'I must do's'. I must go to work, I must plan my food, I must shop for the food, I must cook the food, I must exercise, I must weed the gardens, I must mow the lawn, I must do the paperwork, and the list seems to go on forever. I have a list of things I need to accomplish this summer and I've done none of it. I feel like a 33 1/3 on 45 speed....ya, I know that dates me.

I get up in the morning and have my coffee and plan food yada yada. Sometimes I go to the gym in the morning too and that leaves time for nothing else. Poof, it's time to get ready for work. I have to drop the big man off as he goes in at 11 and I slide in at 12. Sucks. I dump him off and there's no time to do much of anything other than come home and get ready for work and head back there. Get home and really feel like doing nothing at all. That's not like me. I've always felt like getting things done.

I was pissing and moaning that I wished I had my bike from FL here as I could ride to work and save some of this driving back and forth and also some of my time. My gorgeous daughter in law tells me she has a bike in the shed and I am welcome to use it. Now that was a few weeks ago. I just didn't have the oomph to check it out. I woke up this morning and as I said, I was just ready for change. I decided not to plan any food, not to go to the gym, not to do anything at all. Den brought the bike out of the shed for me and I proceeded to air up the tires. Seemed fine. Took it for a little spin down the road. Didn't fall off, didn't blow the tires, things were groovy.

The book I've been waiting for was in at the library. I asked Den if he could pick it up on his way to the restaurant as I was going to ride my bike to work. He didn't have time. I got thinking (yes I know, dangerous!) that I had time since I didn't have to drive him, I'd just ride my bike to the library and get it myself. Off I went. I know it's silly, but I actually felt liberated! Got my book, came home and packed my piglet bag for the trip to work. I wear black jeans to work and I didn't want to bike in those. Tossed on my shorts and my sandals and my work shirt and the rest went into the piglet bag. I stopped at McDonald's for lunch on the way. Read my book outside while I ate. Just awesome! As I was flying down the road on my bike with the breeze in my face...I felt something. Independence. A silly bicycle loaned to me by my daughter in law snapped me out of the mood I've been in. I felt happy in the sunshine and the breeze. It felt good getting myself where I needed to go and not have anything else on my mind. Yep, I needed this.

I got out of work at 5, changed back into my shorts and sandals and rode home. Big guy was outside doing stuff. I informed him that we were going out to dinner as I just wasn't going to cook. I didn't come into the house and flop down with the laptop like usual. I paid some bills and did a few things in the house. It was so nice outside I just didn't want to be in here. I put on tennis shoes and started working outside. I vacuumed out the 5th wheel in case we ever get 2 days off together we can take it camping somewhere. I got the HUGE front garden all weeded. I got one of the side gardens all weeded. I actually did a few things on my 'to do' list all because I told myself I didn't have to do anything. Go figure.

I can't wait to ride 'my' bike to work again tomorrow. I know I'll get a few more things done as I just feel like doing it.

I may gain weight this week. No, make that I know I will. You know what? I just don't care. Thursday I'll make myself ease back into the 'I must do's'...but until then...

I'm flyin high!

:-)