BIKE-- Why I Love It

So, I know I have only been biking since the beginning of May, but I have done it A LOT in these past two months. This healthy behavior of exercise is something I have done in fits and starts over the years, it has usually hurt, and I never saw much improvement. Motivation was nearly non-existent. That has changed. Here is why I enjoy biking so much.

1-- It is social. This is a big one. I have gone riding by myself, but mostly my rides have been with friends. Almost immediately I formed a gang, christened us the Land Sharks, and there has been no stopping us since. The conversations we have on our rides have deepened our friendships, which is a wonderful thing.

2-- We have great trails. In the Spokane area there are miles and miles of paved trails through the most beautiful scenery! The Fish Lake trailhead is 5 minutes from my house, so it is very convenient, which is a bonus!

3-- Wildlife! So far I have seen, in no particular order, the following: Squirrel, chipmunk, marmot, deer, rabbit, turtle, bald eagle, sheep, alpaca, horse and snake. That is practically the entire animal kingdom! Most of them do not want to pose for pictures, so far only the turtle has been cooperative.

4-- I am starting to see the physical benefits. I take the stairs at work much more easily than I used to, and my clothes are fitting differently. Yes, this can also be attributed to my losing 30 pounds, but I believe my legs are stronger than before, and that sure helps. I have had the urge to do additional exercise to tone my upper body and core. I haven't done it yet, but having the urge is a good change.

So for me, the key is to do what you love, and I love to ride my bike!  When the seasons change and winter comes, I may have to join a gym.  Who knows, I may end up loving that too!

A Little Bit of Everything

Hello, handful of readers! I have been a busy girl in the last couple of weeks. Here is what I have been up to:

EAT-- Well, Leo's high school graduation was a week ago. It was great, I am a proud mom!

So my ex, Leo's dad Dana came up for several days, and it seems like all we did was go out to eat! I went to more restaurants in four days than I do in four months! And although I tried to make good choices, I did not always.

For the record, I only ate two of the six abelskivers I got with my breakfast. In the end, there were just too many points eaten, and that showed up at my weigh-in yesterday in the form of 1.6 pounds. I am glad that not every week is like last week, and I am not stressing about gaining. Life comes as it comes, and this weight loss journey is for life, so I am living it and moving on.

KNIT-- In between all this eating, I have been knitting a bit as well. I made this hat for myself for this coming winter.

Loved the pattern, and it was a fun and fast knit. I love knitting hats, they are a knitter's form of instant gratification! I am also working on two baby dresses and a pair of slippers. The dresses are for this little girl:



My great-grandniece Tianna! She is a couple of weeks old now and I can't wait to meet her when I go to California in August. She is so going to rock these cute little dresses I am knitting! Okay, moving on.

BIKE-- The Land Sharks have been having fun!

Look, they even named a beer after us! I have been trying to ride my bike as often as possible, but we have had a lot of rain the past couple of weeks. I made up for it by going on a 13 mile ride yesterday. I joined my friends on the Centennial Trail by the Spokane Valley Mall, and rode all the way out to the Liberty Lake farmer's market! The trail goes along the river, and it was a beautiful and at times challenging ride.

We are so lucky in Spokane to have bike trails through such great natural beauty, it makes me happy! There is talk of riding the Route of the Hiawatha, and the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes. I can't wait!

So in summary, my life is great! I love my friends and I love summer! Everyone go out there and have some fun!

Closet Shopping

I started Weight Watchers in February. Now it is June and so far I have lost 26 pounds. Also, now that it is June, Leo's high school graduation is in a week! So this morning I went into my closet to try and put together an outfit to wear to it. I found a pair of black pants that are a size smaller that fit okay enough to wear, and the top I wore to my company's holiday party in December now fits and looks better and will be fine to wear.
So while I was in there trying on stuff I looked around and found some tops that I wore I don't know how long ago, and they fit! I now have 2 or 3 more choices in work clothes! Then I looked up and saw two tee shirts, both never worn. The first one was a Plant and Page 1995 tour shirt, size XL. It was the largest size they had and I really wanted it so I bought it even though it was too small for me. It has been sitting in my closet for 17 years. It is still too small, but I held it up and said to it, next summer I will wear you. There is another shirt I got from my best friend in Maine. It is black with planets and comets and stars on it. I love this shirt. It is a size large. I have had it at least 20 or more years. I held it up and admired it and envisioned myself wearing it while riding my bike. And for the first time, I looked at those shirts and instead of seeing my past, I saw my future. I cannot tell you how that felt.

See you next summer!