A whole weekend at home!

What a treat it is to not have anywhere to be, or have to load up, pack up and drive somewhere for two whole days. Oddly, I found myself putting in about 8 hours of "homework", but the beauty of it, if you can call it that is that it was home--home sweet home, work! I really love being home! Mike and I spent the last 2 weeks driving, riding, and talking bikes and fancy Italian bicycle clothing all up and down the California borders. We experienced rain, snow, record heat (as in 90 degrees in San Diego)and unexplored, unfamilar roads to ride---along with the familiar ones. I have written and erased about 4 sentences as each time I write about the trip, it sounds too fun. And it was work.

As much as I LOVE having Mike along for the trips, it is always a bit stressful trying to figure out when and where MT is going to get a few hours off to go for a ride. Heaven's knows, he deserves it. So do I. And we always ride every day at home. So why not on these trips? But I have learned that if I can see a few more shops and forego a ride, I will appreciate the effort later. So a few times, he gets to ride from one location or another---or he will go and ride 100 miles while I slave away at the Campagnolo booth at the Gran Fondo in San Diego. The gist, is that while these trips sound like all fun and no work---they really are work. And the beauty is that I still love my work. But it's work. (did you get that? in my wordy sentences?) And Mike has decided that he likes staying home when I leave on the trips for the most part.

The Scrapper of course, enjoyed some R&R with her Grandparents in California. She had such a good time, that after one day, she decided she would rather stay home and be spoiled with Gramma & Papa then join her crazy parents traveling to bike shops.

I am home for a whole week! (Next week is the Pacific Northwest) And it is beautiful here in the mountains. One of the best things of not being home and not being able to ride everyday, was that my leg has finally healed enough to RUN! Forced downtown is not always a bad thing! I ran outside in the hills all weekend. The mountains are all dusted in snow (they were brown when we left), and the thinner mountain air is so clean and crisp. I love where I live.

So, finally rested, I can prepare for the next trip to Seattle and Portland, before the big events in Oakland and Palo Alto at the end of March. And you want to hear some amazing news---it is almost 5 years ago that my Mom had her surgery. She will have to go back on chemo in May---but her spirits are up, her energy is strong, and she has enough courage to face whatever they've thrown her way thus far. Thanks for asking how she is. And for all the extra prayers.

Happy Sunday!