When I say “gimp” I am not referring to how I feel due to the laundry list of health issues I have that include: shit hearing in one ear, tendonitis in my right elbow, worsening arthritis in my left thumb joint, edema in my legs, degenerative arthritis in my lower back, a history of DVTs in my legs, plantar fasciitis in my left heel, ongoing depression, and 50+ pounds of weight gain.
I’m of course referring to being the Shop Gimp.
I’ve never been a great writer, but enjoy writing; thus, the continued publication of this blog. Sorry?
However, in the past couple of months, my posts have become more subpar than usual. One of the major factors has been the appearance of Lola (the dog) in my life. I love her, but she’s a puppy and puppies need near constant attention lest ye have your living room shat upon and chewed to bits. Every week she gets a little better, but finding moments of peace to sit down and write can be difficult when home alone.
It’s been so long since I’ve had time to post anything here, I think I forgot how to write.
The week. It was here; it was busy; it’s gone.
The time between rides these days is vast. Horrible spring weather, a super busy soccer schedule for B, time at the bike shop, and a scorching case of don’t give a shit have all played a part in my lack of saddle time.
A rain filled week of fall-like weather combined with work at the shop and a LOT of travel for B’s soccer meant that there was only one ride had all of last week; a quick 22.5 mile ride on Saturday morning.
Puppy madness continues into its second week, and Lola (the dog) is a black and white tour de force. Biting everything she can get her teeth on, pestering Jake (the dog) every chance she gets and is being a real shit disturber. In other words, she’s a puppy.
After I hit publish on my last post, I was anxious to get outside to ride again. Sadly, after I looked at everything that needed to be done around the house—and elsewhere—before we went to pick up our new bulldog puppy late Friday afternoon, I reconsidered and slipped into a world void of riding and littered with chew toys and puppy prep.
With tired legs and a belly full of a shit breakfast (it was so tasteless and bad, I’m ashamed of myself), I headed out for a short ride on Thursday morning before attending to real life duties in the afternoon followed by a trip to the Mind Bender.
Most medications include some lawyerish words that say something about “take as prescribed.” I can see that, despite being back to riding outside, my cycling has taken on a bit of a “ride as wanted” air. There is nothing at all wrong with that, but I must learn to accept the pitfalls (weight gain, increased pant size, lack of fitness, etc.) that come with such a slack attitude. Thankfully I wanted to ride on Tuesday, because despite the crisp, not all that spring-like air, the 25 miles ride in the sun was just what I needed, and nature rewarded me.
