Memory Lane

Today was AWESOME!
I have not been on a long bike ride in quite a while, due to knee injuries and then surgery, and today I rode 21 miles in a road rally.
It was the Tour de Peppermint. Held in South Lake, Texas.
I had done some growing up in that area in last of 8th grade and then through High School in Keller, Texas.

One of the things that I noted was how MUCH every thing has grown. The roads, for the most part, were much improved. The other thing was that the community had grown to a huge degree. What I remembered as being back roads and twisty hilly things were now populated with overly huge and expensive houses.

I think the best thing was the chance to remember riding my powder blue Schwinn Continental on those roads. Yes I had a car, too...and I did drive a lot on the roads there (including my first day of my Drivers Liscense and my subsequent wreck ... all on my 16th birthday) ...but the best times were walking, running, or riding my bike. It was a beautifully tree filled area with lots of fields and farms and sparse population. The bike rides were tedious at first...lots of hills and I was in NO condition to be driving them. At that time I was already leading a life of alcohol abuse (little known to my family) and some prescription medication misuse. LOTS of illnesses and emotional torture I was placing in my life even then.
The times that I chose to go walking or sitting in trees or riding my bike were times I was just feeling a different world around me.

Today during the ride, I found myself looking at those times. It held some fun in it...and lost feelings...and I even remembered MORE of the good times I had then I ever thought of as possible for me to think on. Early in the ride I ended up blowing a tire tube and Antje didn't hear me yell at her. This is when we got seperated. It was interesting at how I was analyzing riding positions of the bodies around me and how the sun was dancing through the clouds. Nice high sparse clouds. Like cotton sheet wisps that were becomming thread-bare and fading from view.... cool morning and bright.
I had seen my friend Chris at the start up ...Chris, Mike, and Brad
were signed up to ride the 100K. Antje and I were in the 20 Mile. The Guys were riding at a nice fast pace I guess... we all start at the same place, but there are turn offs for the different rides.
It took me about 10 minutes longer than Antje to do the ride. (Remember I blew a tire tube!) I finished in about 1 hour and 30 minutes. I haven't had the time or REAL desire to prepare for the ride so I was cold going into it.
I am VERY pleased at my ride and I didn't really want it to end yet.

I think that the opportunity that I was seperated from Antje allowed me to remember that I DID have a good time in Keller...not all bad. I am recalicent to remeber that I never felt like I 'fit in' while in Keller. I have rarely gone back.

Today was a revelation that I did fit in and that I did have some fun and laughter there...along with the chance for silence and doing my own thing like riding bikes.

I really love my life today.
Never been happier.

Is it possible to be happier?

We shall see what next developes with my life.

Tomorrow I am taking my roomie Sharon bike riding on some trails near here...off road :)

Whee!

Kisses to all tonight.
I am tired and need sleep.
If you don't believe me ...look at how I wrote this :)

Circe