Biking

So - I got myself a new bike this past weekend and its great!

Back when I was in middle school I used to bike EVERYWHERE. I would ride my bike any day the weather was nice. It was probably one of the only things that I enjoyed doing by myself when I was that age. I wasn't much of an independent kid at that time, except when it came to riding my bike.

One day when I was fourteen, I headed out for a bike ride on an afternoon when the weather was pretty questionable. My dad told me he didn't think I should go because it looked like rain. Stubborn as I was, I went anyway. Unfortunately, the next my dad heard about me was a call from the police (or hospital?) I don't really know. He and my mom got the news that every parent wants: I got hit by a car and an ambulance was taking me to Missouri Baptist Hospital. Luckily, it was only a broken leg. I do believe that my life flashed before my eyes during the accident. It was a pretty trippy, yet in some ways unforgettable, experience. After a few months with a cast on my leg, though, I was fine.

Still, it took me a few years to get the courage to even ride a bike again. Once bitten, twice shy. I didn't ride much again during high school at all and I didn't even have a bike when I was in college.

Eventually, after law school, I got back into biking. And the past few weeks I've been thinking of getting a new bike. On Saturday, with George's encouragement and upon seeing the cool-ness of his new bike, I got myself a new one. The results have been awesome. I've been feeling really burnt out with running and its been great to get out, exercise, and revive an old past-time. Lucky for me, I life less than 1/2 mile from the W&OD trail so I biked to work today. I am looking forward to lots more biking this summer on the many great paths in the greater DC area. Whether its a quick trip out for ice cream, or a day trip to Leesburg, I'm ready to go solo or with company. Anyone wanna go for a ride? Give me a call!

Hooray - It's OVER!!!

Ok - so its not 100% over because I actually have class from 9-3pm tomorrow, but it sure feels like it now that my last paper is complete, printed and ready to be handed in. I can hardly wait to get a Margarita in my hand and relax with my honey and my friends.

It has been a hell of a semester. And not in the good way. I am vowing - for the benefit of myself and for my friends - NEVER to put myself through something like this again. I'm glad I made it through the 18 credits for my program this year so I can begin student-teaching/teaching this fall, but every aspect of my life has suffered as a result. I've been spread WAY too thin. My social life, my job, my love life, my hobbies have all had to take a back seat at some point. Hopefully, though, I am on the road to living life at the pace we all should live it: slowly and without hurry.

Thanks to all my pals who helped me survive the past 3 or so months - especially George who didn't know what he was getting himself into when we started dating! I love you guys. You add so many wonderful things to my life.

Repetition

I know this feeling will go away soon, but there's nothing that brings me down more than when my life becomes void of variety.

A Day in the Life of Lisa. I get on the metro. Doors are closing. Please stand clear of the doors. Nine stops. I get to work. My windowless flourescent office awaits me. I read seemingly identical pages - minute by minute. There is no ticking clock, but I can hear it loudly and slowly - very very slowly, slowly - in my head. I mark with the red flag. Then the green. Then with the blue. I want to scream. Then again with the red. At last 3 hours have gone by and it is time for lunch. I note the calories on my frozen meal. I microwave it and I eat my frozen meal. I count my pocket change to see if I have enough for a Diet Coke. I eat it while I check the weather forecast and the headlines. They are the same as they were the last time I checked - ten minutes ago. Back to work. Another 4 and 1/2 hours of the minutes slowly passing by as I look at seemingly identical pages. At last the work day ends. Three blocks to the metro, nine stops til home.

Hopefully I can put all of this behind me soon. I want my days to be filled with laughter and variety and the world and God. Not this lifeless, souless existence I have at my office. It is devoid of everything.

Without Esther, Tom, Steve, and Ian I would go completely mad in my flourescent world. Thank you for helping me through.

And thank you for George and my sister and Becca & Shelly and my other friends who help me live on "the outside." Without you, my 9-to-5 would wither me away like a wicked witch drenched in water.