May Cause Extended Discomfort

I love my bike. My sister Amy gave her to me almost two years ago. I named her Louise. She's yellow and black like a hornet and flies like one, too.

Since we've been together,  Louise and I have been through a 54-miler (Little Red Riding Hood ride — in 2009, when I was 4 months preggo with Jane), two sprint tri's last year (I did XTERRA, my third tri of the season, on my brother-in-law's mountain bike. I think Louise was jealous.), and a 42-miler two weekends ago (Goldilocks  ride). I'm pretty sure we've done more than 200 hundred miles over the past two years. But, I can't imagine doing a century with her all in one, er, sitting. At that point, I don't think Louise and I would be on speaking terms.

Before the Goldilocks ride began. We're smiling because our butts are not yet sore. (from left to right): Emily Hill, me, Camille Langston, Sari Olschewski

I was reminded of how much my lady parts don't like being glued to Louise's teeny little bike seat for more than 40 miles at once after I recovered from the Goldilocks ride. I know of women who can last for longer than that, though, and I'm in awe of them. How do they do 80-mile and 100-mile rides? Do they wear three to four pairs of bike shorts? I haven't notice excessive padding on these women. In fact, most of them are stick thin, which means they have bony butts. Ouch.

I would sob if I had to do more than 28 miles without a much needed, drawn out crotch break (which is what I've decided to call the rest stops on these long rides). So, what gives? If you've done more than a 50 mile ride at once, let me know the secret. If it involves getting a different bike, I won't tell Louise.

30 Strangers

Yesterday I took my spunky six-year-old to get photographed by a guy I've never met. Justin Hackworth is a photographer of some acclaim, I've come to find out...and he was kind enough to select me for his 30 Strangers project. Just like the project name, Justin takes photos of 30 people he's never met before. They are all mothers and daughters. Rather than pay for a sitting fee, they are asked to donate to a specific cause: The Center for Woman and Children in Crisis.

Miss A is my third daughter. I'm a third daughter. I thought it would be a nice way to spend an afternoon with her. She kept telling me she hoped it wasn't boring. I didn't think it would be, but I especially hoped that Justin was as genuine as his cause. I was not disappointed. When we arrived, we saw this.

Which made Miss A do this:

Here is what Justin did for us. This guy has talent. He's genuine to the core and definitely not boring. In fact, I think I'm going to have to stay in touch.

Public Service for Blind People

My six-year-old made an astute observation tonight as she was experimenting with the goofy glasses I got on a whim at a consignment store.  She said as her eyes squeezed shut, "I know why blind people can't see."

When asked why, she firmly stated, "They just need to open their eyes."

Derailed

Today I fell of the wagon...the workout wagon. I've been fighting a cold all week, but stubbornly getting up early and working out as hard as possible. Those germs got the better of me today and left me exhausted, listless, and with a voice like Kathleen Turner.

I'm sick. I can't work out. That makes me into a really cranky person. Just ask my family.

So, do I just succumb to the illness and sink into a stupor of malaise or do I fight it and make myself more sick.

I feel a stupor coming on.

Blogging: Today's Version of the Mixed Tape

For those of you asking, "What's a mixed tape?" I'll enlighten you. Back before there were iPods, there were these shiny plastic things called CD's that held music on them...and before that, everyone used plastic rectangles with black tape running from one spool to the next inside of them. Those things were called cassette tapes and, when they weren't melting on someone's dashboard, they were put inside something kind of like an iHome to play whatever you had previously recorded on them (sort of like a playlist on your iPod). Weird, right?

Recently I was cleaning out my basement and found a duffle bag full of mixed tapes I didn't have the heart to throw out. There were a few from high school friends and one or two from my sister, but most were from past boyfriends. They had titles like, Remember When, Missing You, Our Summer Songs, and Songs for a Girl Named Pam, and other cheesy lines like that. 
 
While reminiscing about that bygone trend of throwing a bunch of similar, mostly unrelated, songs onto a tape, I realized something. Blogging is a lot like making a mixed tape. We put our ramblings onto this thing called the internet in hopes that someone, somewhere will read them. Since I have a whopping 40+ "followers" of my blog, I'm sure this post will be read by maybe two people. Then, it will be archived in the internet duffle bag where all mediocre blog posts go. Much like a mixed tape. 

When we look back twenty years from now, we'll probably ask each other, "remember blogging?"

Here's one of the songs from my 80s mixed tape collection. I like the high-tech graphics in this video and the dog wearing sunglasses. I'm not sure what this girl is building either...a bomb? a double coffee pot? Feel free to pass it along or add it to your play list.

Baby Food, continued

Today I guest blogged at my friend Evonne Sell's blog all about baby food. I don't think moms should waste their money on opening a jar for their babies. There are so many reasons to make your own baby food. I'm not interested in feeding my baby something out of a can/jar/box because:

1. It's prepackaged and therefore, not fresh.
2. Have you tasted the stuff?
3. There are no spices.
4. Soon enough, your kids will be complaining about your cooking and you'll be tempted to take off a la Nacho Libre to find a better "duty," so you might as well give your baby healthy foods they enjoy.

Favorite Read-Aloud Children's Books

One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have a tattered paperback version of this book from my childhood. I would read this book and imagine I was the older sister, losing my tooth on the beach in Maine. It wasn't an outlandish fantasy — I grew up in Maine. I can almost taste the salty air and hear the loon laughing when I read this book to my children. I fell in love with this book as a child and I love it even more now that I have kids.


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The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book always makes me cry a little. But, in a good way. I'm convinced, that if more people read this book and were as generous as this tree, there would be a lot more happiness.

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Squids Will Be Squids by Jon Scieszka

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a hilarious book. The illustrations are intricately repulsive. You'll want to read it again after you put the kids to bed.

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The Diamond in the Window by Jane Langton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book when I was in grade school. It was fantastical and imaginative. It made such an impression on me that, to this day, I can still remember how fascinated I was while reading it. I want to read it again!

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