This morning I was out on my bike at 8am, trying to beat the predicted rainstorm. It was chilly, gusty, and cloudy–icky weather, but fortunately it didn’t rain until after I got back. (Life has some small blessings.) I did a two-hour ride, which was tough–especially after a four-hour, 48-mile ride yesterday. So I did almost 70 miles this weekend! Not bad, but definitely need to keep at it. 35 miles a day for two days isn’t bad, but it’s nothing like the 85 miles a day for 7 days that we’ll be doing on the Ride.
The worst part about training is having to be out on the road whether you feel like it or not. This morning I really didn’t feel like going out–a nice quiet day curled up with a book would have been more my cup of tea–but if I want to be ready for the ride, I have to train consistently. That sometimes means getting up at some ungodly hour, putting on your arm warmers, leg warmers, windbreaker vest, windbreaker jacket on top of the windbreaker vest, etc., and going out into the cold and possibly rainy weather. Ick.
Anyway, after a two-hour ride, I came back and went out with a friend to go look at furniture. We went hopping through four or five used-furniture stores, much of which was disappointing (either poor-quality or overpriced, sometimes both). But then, in the Los Altos Home Consignment store, I found a BEAUTIFUL dark cherry-finish table, solid wood, with six armchairs AND a dining-room hutch, at an affordable price! so I grabbed it. Then it was a couple hours of loading furniture in the rain, driving it up to San Francisco, and then unloading it in the rain. But the dining set is mine, mine, all MINE! and that part of my problem is solved. I’m ecstatic.
Then we went back to another used-furniture shop and bought a black leather loveseat for my friend, and dragged that back to his lair….
…so between the four hours of riding yesterday, two hours of riding today, and all the furniture-moving, I’m exhausted. My shoulders are like steel cables, too–I’m going to take a hot bath and maybe try massaging them with a tennis ball.
Tomorrow I am (hopefully) going off on a small art-supply shopping spree with two guys I’ve been dating. Both of them are artists (among many other things) and they’re going to help me get started in learning how to draw/paint…we may wind up doing modeling sessions for each other, which sounds like it would be really cool. I love having people draw, photograph, etc. me, and would love to have live models to draw/paint. (I’d actually love to draw/paint Patrick and Christo, but I have no delusions about my ability at the moment–if I can get something that looks like a human being (let alone a pair of very sexy guys), I’ll be happy.)
Not that I’ll have time for drawing/painting this week (I’m going to be fully occupied in moving), but maybe after I get the apartment in shape…I like Patrick and Christo a lot, it would be fun to spend time with them.
