Best. Hump Day. Ever.

I'm back.

Thanks to my upstairs neighbor for opening up his wireless router while I wait for Comcast to get out here. (having a hard time writing - my fingers are still stiff from the ride...isn't it almost April? Dammit. Warm up already.)

Well, the bees ended up with the boy after all. I got the the burrito this time, and here I am, in my new place, with Jack, warming up and satisfied after a fun first Turin ride, very early in the season for me, after a MHD (mental health day) spent unpacking and grocery shopping.

The new digs and my living situation are astoundingly good, almost too good to be true. Knock on cyberspace - I hope the economic situation begins to improve soon. A layoff now would be catastrophic - like when Homer Simpson gets the job at the bowling alley and then starts having kids. So since nothing lasts forever, I'm going to make the most of this chapter of my life.

I woke up this morning at 5:15, and the thought of getting home at 8pm to the sight of all those unpacked boxes nearly made me cry. So I dialed up my boss right then and there and said, "I need a day to myself, to get my shit together. And get it together I did.

Even with his first two week days here in Independence Park spent largely alone during the day, Jack has died and gone to Doggie Heaven. And this morning must have been like getting to see the Hydrant himself. We spent almost an hour in the park, on the tennis courts with Luna and Pee Wee and the others. He showed me he could fetch, and get along with everyone. (I used to blame every chewed DVD and book on him back in Logan, but there's been nary a one when I've gotten home. Must've been that "other dog."




I called my dad, stepdad, brother, made a huge breakfast, unpacked every box, did three loads of laundry, listened to NPR all day and nearly finished the bike room. It's got a bit more work needed, after Jack decided to go "finger-painting" in there last night after Mark had just finished laying down the coat on the floor.

Oops.



Then it was time to get dressed for the Midweek Gem, the Turin ride. Took my new, generous upstairs neighbor with me. After a flat change (in four minutes, Randy! - still long enough for Daley and Smitty roll by and laugh) at Custer and Main - we were off on my first Turin ride of the year.

I have a power test at the Dugas lab, UIC, tomorrow so I was hoping to just get my prescribed three hours at pace in. The group broke up however just after Ravinia on Smitty's flat tire, and I rolled with a 2CCer and a guy a Mapei jersey after turning around at the Metra crossing in Highwood. The gates were down, and it was getting dark, so I just turned around. We all regrouped however at Green Bay when Smitty took a long hard pull, putting all of us at about 85% when Daley launched off the front as the road angles south. Have fun with that. I rejoined at the Scott turn and the same thing went down on Sheridan, into Keniworth.

So I am home, and am eating dinner. It's a stir fry concoction, with chow fun rice noodles, some mustard and soy, with peas, carrots, onion, and topped with salmon fillet and some Rooster sauce. I got a book on wok cooking years ago, and it's really made it easy to improvise with Asian cooking. As long as you have some basic ingredients and a little creativity, you ready to go.



It's time for bed. I really needed a day like this today...I feel normal again.