July 2007 Archives

Life, for me, has always been about short term goals. Two months til the bike ride, or three weeks til class starts, ends, finals, etc. Well, I find myself at one of those rare moments in life when I don't have anything brewing on the horizon. Those rare moments are good for a day or two, it feels like life has become empty of stress... but life is also empty of things to do at that point.

Last week, I got back from riding Coast-to-Coast. It was enjoyable, about the same as all bike rides. There were points during the week when I really questioned what I was thinking, taking time off work to ride a bike, but not so much that I'm not tentatively thinking of going back, and not nearly as much as the last trip I took six or seven years ago.

Now that I'm back, I don't really have something 'next.' I'm sure I'll fix that in the next few weeks, but I'm also trying not to lose momentum on what's already going on. For instance, I've been working out quite steadily since last October, with my goal to lose X amount of weight by Myles' wedding. I met the goal and then decided I needed to train for Wisconsin, so I had plenty of incentive to work out in July... but now that Wisconsin is done, it's been a bit tough convincing myself to really prioritize the continuation of the workout. But, I'm pretty sure I'll keep it up, as I don't have a ton else to do.

I'd also like to make some real progress on my Harry Potter story. I know I've been saying that for seven months now without really making 'real' progress, but maybe I'll find the dedication again. In fact, I'm only one short half-chapter from getting Harry to school, a part of the story I've been looking forward to for some time.

Another candidate for 'next' is that I want to try umpiring some games at the Parks league. Eric told me about it, and It sounds enjoyable to spend your afternoons umping baseball games, and I could use the cash... or just another opportunity not to be spending cash. College, where I could go a week without spending any money, seems like a long time ago. I've almost always spent $10 by the time I get home from work... and that's before I decide to go to a movie/Cubs game, etc. And Cubs games are becoming increasingly difficult to avoid as the team is now playing really well.

Anyhow, that's what's going on in Byron land. Perhaps I'll post again soon... perhaps not.

Peace,
Byron

It's been a good (and busy) month since I've last posted. I have now moved into the Keep, and it is slowly becoming 'home,' although that is a long ways away.

The carpet is up, the tile in the kitchen is up, the pseudo counter/table has been removed, the walls painted, a shelf built, and the floor laid... that was a lot of work, but there's still a lot to do. The Murphy Bed is still in the process of being built (and consequently taking up all the space in my place). Simple things like removing the rest of the painters' tape still need to be accomplished, and the less than simple task of cutting all the quarter-round and installing that still lies ahead.

Meanwhile, Summer continues its full bore acceleration. Wyatt, Myles, and I returned from New York about six weeks ago, but it feels like it has been a year and a half. In that time, I've moved, done all that remodeling, finished my CPA, completed a chapter in my Harry Potter novel, and attended Myles' wedding last weekend. I also bought a bike on Tuesday and need to log a few good training rides before Coast-to-Coast Wisconsin starts.

The Bike It's a used 2003 Bianchi road bike that I bought from a guy on the northside. It's quite light (~ 17 lbs) and is colored silver and green. I rode it (~7.5 miles) home from the guy's house and am real excited about it. The thing I like the most is that it seems to accelerate well, and holds it's speed once you get going. Of course, the guy loosened the seat to adjust it for me when I test-rode it, and I ended up with a loose seat and a bolt that I can't get to move in order to adjust the seat. My plans for tonight are to adjust the seat, and take a fifteen to twenty mile ride down the lake front. Perhaps I'll report on my success, but perhaps not.

Last night was Independence day, and it was fun. Mom & Dad were hanging out with me in Chicago yesterday, so we went over to Keystone and enjoyed a barbecue, and then watched fireworks from the rooftop. Eric, Emily, Elenor, Jarrett, Nate, and Kelley were all there, and it was great to just hang out with them and enjoy some good conversation. Of course, the mosquitoes were there too and I got bit several times, including on the side of the knee, and on my belly. Those two bites really hurt, and I'm wondering if they were spider bites. Oh well. Life is tough. :)