Saturday Morning Adventure

On Saturday morning, I had the brilliant idea to break out my bike for the first time in over a year. Don't ask me why a 92-degree morning seemed like the most opportune time for this adventure... logic was not a part of this decision! My tires were a bit squishy (some might have considered them flat) so I set out walking my bike down the road to the gas station next door for a quick air refill.

Unfortunately, when I arrived, I found the air machine to be out of order. (Well, someone had written "this machine sucks" with a Sharpie on a piece of duct tape, and after inserting my four quarters, I found out for myself why the machine did, in fact, "suck"!) So, I had the pleasure of riding my bike with the ever-flattening tires down to the gas station about a mile away, praying all the while that a) I would make it without popping a tire or bending a rim, and b) that the next gas station's air machine didn't "suck" quite as much as the first! I should have considered this start to my adventure to be a sign... but I was determined to make my adventure a success!


Luckily, after a bit of a harrowing start to my ride, I was able to pump up my tires, and set out for the beach! I had sort of forgotten to map out how long the ride would be, so I set out hoping for the best! (Later, I found out that my adventure was over 10 miles! Not far, I realize, but far for my not-used-to-bicycling legs!) I was psyched when I saw my first glimpses of ocean!

Love the sun glistening over the water!

It was absolutely beautiful, breezy and sunny down by the ocean. The path along the beach was full of early morning runners and bike riders, each enjoying their own personal Saturday morning adventures. I rode to the end of the beach (I'll admit it, not because I intended to, but because I forgot to bring a water bottle, so I decided to ride to the beach's water fountain!).

See, my bike and I really did make it down here!

The ride back was a little less easy-breezy than my ride to the beach - I think I discovered my comfortable limit somewhere around 9 miles or so... I remembered the true meaning of "saddle sore" right around mile 8, and then discovered an aching muscle just above my knee, that I never knew existed in all my miles of running. Ahh the wonders of cross-training!

Reason #1 why I love my apartment!

And then, because I felt like I earned it, I spent most of the rest of the day reading a book by the pool. Followed by a drive across town to my friend's house to... wait for it... lay by her pool with a drink! It was a really tough day!

Usually I spend my weekends either doing homework for grad school, or catching up on "work" work, or doing the usual combination of cleaning, bill paying, and grocery shopping - all totally necessary things and part of being a "grown-up" as I learned with dismay after graduating college. But sometimes, it is really nice just to spend a whole day doing things that I want to do. I can't wait for the next Saturday morning adventure to come!

How do you spend your time when you have a chance to do things that you truly want to do?