Just Write {3} :: Sometimes Real Life isn't as Romantic as Daydreams

Remember how excited I was to take a bike ride on the river bike trail this past weekend?  I imagined riding past lush river greenery, spotting some geese and maybe some quail, waving at other cyclists and families as they rode past, watching the rays of sunlight as they filtered through the trees and illuminated flecks of dust in the air as we rode along the sun-dotted shady path... what a romantic and picturesque day I had planned in my head...

REALITY CHECK.

First of all, it was 95 degrees in the middle of September when most of the foliage and grasses have dried to a papery straw color, so there was not a lot of greenery to absorb the heat so we absolutely baked in the sun.  Plus, there is much less shade than I remembered - the areas that did have a canopy of trees overhead were few and far between, but quite welcome when they appeared.  Because it was so hot, the river animals were hiding deep in the underbrush.  We did see one grey squirrel who just barely avoided my front tire when he darted out in front of me (OK, it wasn't THAT close, but he did startle me).  By the time we got home, I was torridly shaky and parched and had to go directly into a cold shower to cool off. I gulped water from the shower spray to ward off the heat stroke that was coming over me and could feel the heat pouring off me as the cold water was warmed by my body heat by the time it hit my feet.

And while we did see several cyclists and a few families along the trail, we also saw several groups of homeless people and druggies (doing drugs out in the open, so I'm not just labeling them randomly) and the skinny dogs that accompanied many of them.  Across the river we could see homeless camps set up under an overpass.  In a few places, the few green plants and bushes had been trampled flat by river people as they wore a path from the bike trail to the water's edge.  It was both sobering and saddening to see so many destitute and hopeless people along one 6 mile stretch of road.

Ultimately, we had a fantastic time at the brew fest - I truly enjoyed having some "adult" time with my hubby and we tasted some great craft beers, saw some good friends, enjoyed awesome cheeseburgers from one of the local gourmet food trucks, and had some good laughs.

But that 12 mile ride along the trail will stick with me for some time.  It made me thankful that I have a good job, a supportive family, and healthy living habits.  It reminded me not to take my way of life for granted, and to count my blessings every day.

*linking to just write*

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Just Write {2} :: Of Brew Fests and Bicycles

Ah, it's FRIDAY!  TGIF is an understatement.

Tomorrow the hubs and I are going to the California Brewer's Festival and I CAN'T WAIT! Nana is watching Lily, and Jim and I will ride our bikes down the beautiful river bike trail to the brew fest.

I have two main reasons that I am excited.

1. Craft Beer
I am a craft beer nerd, and I haven't been to a brew fest yet this year so I'm totally ready to geek out! We used to work or attend several (like 10 or more) brew fests and beer tasting events each year and I had my finger on the pulse of the beer market, but this is the first one of the year for me, so I'm chomping at the bit to see what new beers (and SEASONAL beers) are out there. This particular brew fest is my favorite because it's in a beautiful park and it is a token event instead of a drinking free-for-all. You are probably thinking I'm crazy, but the free-for-all events turn into a drunken mess of binge drinkers and that's not my style. I prefer to hang with the more discerning beer tasters who are there to actually savor their samples, not just to get hammered. I'm also looking forward to running into friends we've not seen in a while, which always seems to happen at this event.

2. Bike Ride
I am really looking forward to going on a bike-date with my husband. Don't get me wrong, I love taking family bike rides, but we all know how important it is to take time out to have dates with our significant others. Plus, after the crazy hills we rode during the bike trek last weekend, I'm looking forward to riding my road bike on level ground! The bike trail is lovely - it's right along the river, so the flora and fauna of nature are abundant.  Riding this trail exhilarates me and makes my flower child heart happy.

In conclusion, Beer + Bikes = Awesome. Period. End of story.

CHEERS!!! Have a great weekend!

* linking to just write*

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Just Write {1} :: The Inspiration

Today one of my fellow bloggers at SIMPLE wrote a post that she linked to another post called Just Write. Those two words immediately impacted me with their simplicity and directness...

Just.

Write.

Don't overthink. Don't plan. Don't worry about what people will think or if it will be interesting or if it will be controversial. Just write! As someone who both enjoys and loathes writing, this is some of the most inspirational advice I've gotten in a while. My blog frequently comes to a standstill because of writer's block, or because I don't have "time" to plan a blog post. I need to stop trying to come up with topics and ideas and JUST WRITE!

So here goes...

JUST WRITE {1}
Today I am working on a July 2012 photo book for my little one - I've been documenting her life in photo book form since she was born, and I am completely smitten with the idea.  They are a bit pricey and take time to put together, and sometimes I get behind by a few months, but they are fun to create and personalize and save me from having to bust out the tubs and buckets of scrapbooking supplies that I've tucked away in my office. {note to self: sell that crap already!}  I start each one with a little paragraph that serves as a snapshot of her development and our family time together.  I am glad to have these since my memory isn't the greatest anymore.

I'm very tired from the bike trek last weekend, but I'm recovering.  I need to just write about that experience.

When I get home, I plan to enjoy a Crispin cider.  Maybe tomorrow I'll just write about it...

So many things to just write about all of a sudden!

Cheers!

*linking to just write*

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