Snippets

Posted on by lindsay
[1] On Monday, some tremendous asshole person in the parking lot of my office opened their car door into mine and left scuffs and red paint. I love my car and try to keep it pristine, so this was very upsetting. By Tuesday, attempts to locate the perpetrator had failed and I whined to a friend by email, saying that it had made me cranky for the past two days. He replied, "Somewhere in Africa, a child is without food..." [2] When I got home from work today, I asked the dogs, "Ready to go outside?" But then I stopped for a moment to put my groceries away and when I turned around to the open door of the refrigerator, Scout was trying to find a way to climb in. I guess when you are blind and it is winter, an open door through which cold air is coming seems like ...continue reading.

Epilogue

Posted on by lindsay
I used to read Dooce regularly, but in the last few years, that dwindled to only an occasional visit. On that visit the other night, I learned that Dooce and her husband recently separated. This was shocking; from what I remembered of her life, she was married to her best friend, her soul mate, her rock. And that may all still be true, but to the two people living that life, it wasn't enough to make sharing each day better than living them apart. Seven months ago, some things in my life changed significantly. They had already been shifting and breaking for months, maybe even a year or two prior, but that marked a turning point. I thought the change would be for the better, that everything would work out, that time and space would heal old wounds and lead to a joyous renewal of the good feelings of the past. That ...continue reading.

Things That Go Bump In The Road

Posted on by lindsay
I am coming down with a cold. This is a minor inconvenience, really, but as a cyclist in the throes of winter training, it is also derailing and frustrating. I wanted to (okay, that's a lie, perhaps 'felt the need to' is more fitting) go to the gym today to stay on schedule, but as the day progressed and my symptoms worsened, I settled for having an ice cream bar, two lattes, and a large serving of pumpkin seeds. [Side story: At my parents' house last night, my father was eating home-roasted pumpkin seeds out of a bag of more pumpkin seeds than I have ever seen. He explained that he collected the neighbors' old pumpkins and gutted them to get the seeds. The pumpkins, not the neighbors. He boasted that he still had several more pumpkins to carve so we could have even more seeds. Other subjects we covered ...continue reading.

The Beginning of The End

Posted on by lindsay
It is 11:06am and in one hour, I will leave my hotel in Boston to ride my bike downtown for my final race of the season. My hands are shaking as I write this, partially from pre-race nerves and partially because I cannot believe I am here, at the end of this incredible season. When I began racing back in March, I was riding my Seven cross bike with slick tires and planning to do a few road races as training for my first season as a pro cross country mountain bike racer. Now I am a road racer. I have the bike, the team, the clothes, the scars, and most of all, the heart of a road racer. A more thorough recap of this year will have to wait until after this race, since I'm in no state of mind to remember details clearly. Right now, it's all a ...continue reading.

The Name ‘Deadlift’ May Have Been A Hint

Posted on by lindsay
Bobby rented the movie “Eat Pray Love” for me the other day, and when I saw it on the kitchen counter, I cringed. When the movie was released, I vowed never to see it. The book was excellent (except for the parts about god); not only were Elizabeth Gilbert’s travels fascinating, but I liked her writing style and her internal struggles and unsettled nature were highly relatable. Translating the book into a movie, however, resulted in a nauseating tale of an upper class white American woman escaping from her tortured existence by traveling for a year and cherrypicking other cultures while living off a magical pot of cash. I put on the movie out of obligation, fell asleep before Julia Roberts even made it to Italy, and woke up so annoyed that I froze my laptop in my haste to eject the disc. The point is that I can recognize ...continue reading.

Celebrating Two Six

Posted on by lindsay
Dinner with the family at Oyamel, followed by a drive through DC that somehow also included an accidental trip to Dulles Airport... ...after which there were drinks in Arlington with friends, insufficient sleep and a hangover (gasp! the sin!), and brunch with lovely friends who brought a perfectly handcrafted gift.... ...then a visit to the in-laws and a stop at my parents' house, where I was spoiled rotten and fed cupcakes... ...followed by a drive to a favorite spot out west, where a (finally) wise decision was made to heed the angry no trespassing signs... ...and instead to go out for sushi, and then home to eat way too much candy corn (which equates to, like, five pieces). The last moment of the day was an unexpected text message that was appreciated more than the sender will know. It was an excellent weekend, thanks to my husband, Mom and Pops, Jen ...continue reading.