You just gotta do what works for you!

May 27, 2019 - June 2, 2019

Monday (4) - On a picture perfect Vermont morning, Jax and I hiked Swoops and Newbie.  He was pretty wiped out Monday morning and as I'm typing this (Monday night) he has had his dinner and is completely crashed out in his chair, camping coma.

Waiting for me to say "GO" so he can thunder down the hill.

Tuesday (0) - I was sooooo out of it when I got up, and adding to that having to go take the Field Visual test AGAIN.  Gabby set the test up wrong.  OMG.  I could barely keep my eyes open and my brain didn't want to register all the flashes.  Fortunately I passed and passed the right test.  So we are done with that for another year.  This all has to do with one of the medications I am on for Lupus and what it does to my eyes.  In the event you were curious.

More Vermont Goodness

Rolling into work after 10 and then heading to the gym is bad form.  It probably would have been good for me to at least take a 30 minute walk. 

This is Hobo, my cousin's dog, may he rest in peace.
I love this picture of him.
Hobo The story of a Brewster County Alpha Male

Fun dinner out with a friend moving to MA in the next week.  I won't see her as much, but as luck will have it she'll be at Ascutney the same time we will!

Wednesday (5 +1) -  Hills with Ro back on the agenda.  I was still dragging and a little concerned I wasn't going to be able to keep up.  I totally dogged the steep hill and warned Ro, she was happy to take a break.  It was fun to catch up and I barely caught my breath for the whole hill workout.

Ohhhhh this was good!

A slow meander turned into a quick hike with Jax when we got caught in the rain.  He's still recovering from camping.

Thursday (2 + 8) - I got on the elliptical to talk to Mikey.  I know that thing is not good for my hip, but I like talking to Mikey.  I went slow and we talked each others ears off, guess it's been a while and we had some catching up to do?  He gets what I'm going through and that helps a lot.  Some butt and gut and arms and I was done.

Looking for that cat.
He had just come racing by.
Of course not attached to me Jax didn't move.
I don't get it.

Met up with Charlotte to bike Haley Farm and Bluff Point.  I was glad to not go to Bradford Preserve and Woody Hill.  I forgot how much I like the trails there and while the trails at Bluff criss cross over each other to an annoying degree you CANNOT see one trail from the other so it makes it fun to meander here and there.  I was so zonked I couldn't even ride 0.12 miles to get to 9.  Two hours on the bike is pretty much my max point right now, especially after working all day. 

I'm getting less timid and navigating rock gardens on the bike instead of walking the bike.  A couple painful falls and a few more scratches on Barney (oh yeah and me too!), that all makes it fun, in a weird way, being able to be just a bit less timid from one ride to the next.  Plus the forest is so beautiful now with everything coming to life.

Met some women with SECT NEMBA, they have a FB group and post ladies rides and do skills clinics locally, so I'll be joining those when I can.  We camp a lot in the summer so they may be few and far between.  But one clinic is better than no clinic, and I know my bike is capable of handling what scares me, it is simply learning how to navigate it over rocks, rock walls, and logs.

The new breaks Dave put on Barney were fantastic.  No more dragging, I could keep up a lot better not being slowed down by sticky breaks!

Friday (3 + 2) - Ro and I walked the Beach Loop and I ran in the last 1/10th of a mile with Mikey and the guys, I had a head start of 2/10 of a mile but they still beat me to the gate!  HA! 

Lady Slippers don't smell all that great.
Twigs smell better, just ask Jax.

I stopped at Mystic Cycle to get a new clamp for Barney's seat post, the quick release is well slipping and I have to pull up the seat 1/2 way through the ride.  The guy says, 'Um did ya try tightening the hell out of the bolt?"  God I am such a doofus sometimes.  Well that worked but since I ordered a new collar I'll pay for it and probably put it on.  I want the seat to stay in place.

Jax and I went to Grills to get eaten alive by mosquitoes and hike.  We were both bumply lumply from all the bites and I was mad at him and he was mad at me.  I now have bug spray in the car.  We have also resolved our issue from the beginning of the hike.

Saturday (3 + 2) - The morning of the Ladies MTB Skills Clinic my friend Jess was putting on at Longo Open Space in Glastonbury CT.  It was a solid hour away but I wanted to go so I did.  The clinic consisted of positioning on the bike, the down hill attack position and the uphill attack position, then cornering, and then cornering and going through a small space, then weaving up down hill and up hill through cones.

I'm not too bad about positioning on the bike.  I do really suck at getting my ass off the seat, mostly because that wrecks havoc on my knees, which sound like they are eating potato chips when I go up and downstairs, but somethings are easier to do and have more control out of the saddle.  Anyhoodles, cornering is something I do suck at and Jess explained the dynamics and demonstrated and wow I turn left far better than I turn right.  The going through narrow spaces and weaving are things I need more work on, but I get a bit more how to work through my issues with those things.  Part of it is that Barney is a 'mid-fat' mountain bike not as nimble as a traditional mountain bike.  BUT the 29+ tires are comfy to ride on I'll learn to compensate.  Maybe someday I'll go back to a traditional mountain bike, or maybe not.

Sunday (3) - Lazy day, Dave was off to his Nieces graduation and Jax and I hung out and napped and did chores.  We ventured off to Wahaneeta for a hike and then ventured into Woody Hill to extend the hike, it was fun, well all but the bridges.  He does not care for them, preferring to romp through the water and the mud.  Knock yourself out pal, enjoy!

The bridge is to the left and the old stream crossing to the right.
Jax went right, then across, then lost sight of me and came back through the stream.
Saw me on the bridge and walked in the stream next to the bridge.

Reading:

An Anonymous Girl
by: Greer Hendricks

Status:  Finished

Wow, psychological thriller for sure.  If you like a mystery that twists around, this is a good one.

Hamilton
by: Lin-Manuel Miranda

Status:  In progress

This is about the creation of the Broadway version of Chernow's Hamilton.  Its keeping my attention.  Probably not something I'll ever see.  The process of putting together a musical and the influences on this particular show is interesting.

Knitting:

Finished the melon socks, one is a bit longer than the other.  I need to count rows and not just measure before turning the heel.  I have enough for a pair of short socks so I'll work on that.  I'm really enjoying one sock on one circular, the problem really is with making the socks identical.  I knew that would be an issue.

How is it June already?

Sincerely,
Beth, looking forward to more mountain biking in VT!