miss l left foxy at jax’s house and this is what greeted me when i showed up to ride bikes.

A colleague saw the pictures of my duathlon on Instagram, and congratulated me. I demurred and told her about the bike, and was overheard by another colleague. It turns out this colleague’s wife is a cyclist, and had an old road bike she wasn’t using any longer. Long story short, I was able to purchase a great Cannondale for an absolute song. It’s 18 years old, but it’s been completely rebuilt, and looks beautiful.
Last week, during a minor break in the killing heat, Jax got out his road bike and we went for a spin together. Jax has done several triathlons, and in general, is a superior athlete. He picked a 14 mile out-and-back paved bike trail, which was blessedly quite flat and smooth, and he proceeded to push me pretty hard to keep up with him.
My duathlon mph was pretty shoddy, so Jax set a pace that was more aggressive than that. We determined that I could have taken about 10 minutes off my time if I’d been able to keep that pace. At this point, we were clipping along between 15 & 16 mph and I could barely hear him when he spoke to me. I kept abreast of him until we came up on others on the trail, at which point he would move in front so I could draft and catch my breath.
We reached our turnaround point, where the path ran between two small lakes. It was lovely, rather isolated, with the sun setting over the trees, and Jax apparently called back over his shoulder that he was stopping at the next bench. Unfortunately, drafting behind him as I was, I didn’t hear him. And, accustomed to my mountain bike, where the brakes are in a different position on the handlebars, when he slowed to a stop in front of me, my reaction time just wasn’t there.
I shifted to the left to avoid hitting him and lost control. I went down more or less on my right side, with my hand out in front of me. I felt the impact on the outside of my knee, hip, shoulder, and hand, but the crack of my helmeted head hitting the pavement was the stunner.
I lay there for awhile looking up into the sky, turning rose gold with sunset, and evaluating. Jax extricated me from my bike and I came to the conclusion that although my head hurt, and I was bleeding from several scrapes, nothing was broken. There was a rough moment when I thought I might throw up, but after a few moments I recovered enough to turn around and head back.
Seven miles with a bruised hand and blood running from various skin rips and tears isn’t fun, and I felt slow and sorry for myself for the first few minutes. Then, anxious at the impending dusk and the lack of streetlights along the path, Jax said, “You’re going SIX MILES AN HOUR. It’s going to be dark by the time we get back!” and I got mad and upped my pace. Although he raced ahead at 22-23 mph for a mile or two, I held steady at around 19 for the last few miles, and by the time we got back to the car, I was feeling the endorphin rush and more than a little impressed at my wounds, as well as the fact that I hadn’t cried.

We stopped at the local gas station for celebratory Slurpees and it was the best thing I’d ever tasted.

the water around frankfort is finally warming so that no one’s lips turn blue after swimming.

a few old beautiful things.

after cake and ice cream, we walked the breakwater to the lighthouse in the slanting glare of sunset.

miss l & jax descended the steep dune to swim in the waves fully dressed

of course, then they had to climb back up!

the beautiful glen lakes as seen from pierce stocking in the sleeping bear.

no idea what a chub is but the smokehouse in frankfort’s got them.

Happy 4th to all. xoxo

  
The two hours that Miss L and I spent manning a Girl Scout cookie booth this weekend seemed to swell and fill up THE ENTIRE WEEKEND. When we got home all we could do was nosh on turkey chili and talk about how much our feet hurt and then go to bed.

All too soon it was Monday and I was on a flight to Omaha. As usual, I ended up between someone who was too large for their seat and so had to take up half of mine (I don’t judge or hold a grudge; anyone who is tall or big-boned is ill-suited to the third world conditions of domestic air travel) and a sick person who did not bother to disguise the non-stop mucus clearing on her side of the armrest. Nor the fact that she was bored and blatantly ogling my Mah Jongg game.

But we landed safely and I made my way to my hotel. I actually really like Omaha. I am a Midwest girl and being in such a place is comforting. The space, the old architecture, the mellowness. Unfortunately the difference between EST and CST always creates a bit of havoc so I inadvertently scheduled a meeting at one of our facilities (an hour and a half away) for 8AM tomorrow.

First, though, before collapsing into am anonymous scratchy hotel chain bed, I ventured to Old Market for chow. Q had nearly strong-armed me toward a weird hipster bar, whilst making his measured restaurant recommendations, and in the face of my demurrals, at the last minute crossly gave me a lower-key secondary option. So I Ubered to Plank Seafood. Oysters are the specialty but I went with fish tacos (really nice). 

Then, feeling that dissatisfaction in my tumicular region, I asked the waiter for a dessert rec. It was between raspberry cobbler and Bananas Foster bread pudding. He made the call.

  
I don’t even like bananas all that much and this dessert was utter perfection.

I love Uber and on the way back to the hotel, I was picked up by my all-time fave (now) driver. He was a tatted, muscled young stud with a sleek BMW. I got in and he instantly confessed that it was only his second night driving. He’d signed up to be a driver while his partner was deployed- Air Force. He was a little lost and after a few minutes getting straight where I needed to be, he showed me a ring and said happily that he had proposed to his boyfriend and the wedding was set for September. Ahead, the bright lights of my hotel loomed and we beamed at each other in the rear view. 

“I wish you and your partner a lifetime of happiness!” I said, clambering out, full of camaraderie and bread pudding.

“Thanks Sara!” he said, and it made me feel like traveling is a very good thing indeed. 

And outside, it snowed teacup-sized flakes all day long. 

  
It’s been a disappointing few days here in suburban Elysia. I sat through a bewildering three and a half hour meeting on Friday. An entire hour consisted of my boss showing her old family photos and telling us all about her Uncle Mort and Aunt Connie. It was a baffling slide show. Yet it still wasn’t the weirdest- that honor is entirely reserved for that time in 2003 when the new automotive Vice President spent an hour playing and replaying a film of the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley. My organization has a rich tradition of weirdness.

  
We went to see Hail Caesar on Friday night and that was disappointing. I love the Coen brothers and it had great promise but again I call for greater exercise of editing.

There were other disappointments that I won’t go into; but I had a nice run this morning and my favorite band plays halftime at the Superb Owl tonight. And at this time next week my daughter, mother, and I will be far away from here, enjoying some sun and happiness in the Magic Kingdom. 

  
This morning the fields were white with frost but the weather report said ‘thunderstorms likely’ this afternoon. In February! In Michigan! Next thing it will rain frogs. 

I had the worst day of my week as far as what I had to do- presentations- and all I wanted to do was pull off and get lost on a country road and take pictures of barns and desolate landscapes, all the color of Andrew Wyeth paintings.

But I went along to work and had the joy of irony when one of the managers that I was co-presenting with gravely advised the room that it is strictly prohibited to use social media during work hours….after, I noticed, she’d spent the majority of my presentation distractedly scrolling through Facebook. Sigh. 

I wore a scratchy wool skirt all day and I was insufficiently caffeinated because I didn’t want to be jittery or have to go to the bathroom during my 1+ hour first presentation of the day. As a result, I went out into the ominously cloudy evening, with the beginnings of wind and the promised cold rain, with an itchy tummy and a mild headache. I couldn’t wait to get home into comfy Mrs Roper clothes. No shame in my game. 

Sometimes it’s nice when you get your hard day over with early in the week and then later that night there can be wine and bacon avocado pasta with  a very special friend. 

  
Just kidding- Fred doesn’t drink. 

But I might sneak him some bacon. 

  
Well, here it is the last day and last post for my January project. Thank you for riding this out with me and for displaying interest in the daily life of a divorced, employed, home owning, cat loving, sometimes running mom in Michigan. My posts were mostly written on my iPhone and posted pretty much immediately, without much editing or finessing, which I’m sure shows. And of course I didn’t hit the frequency I’d planned.

But I really enjoyed the exercise as it made me realize that even if I don’t think I have anything to write about, sometimes if I just start, I find that I actually do. I might do it again at some point- maybe in a warm weather month. 

Anyway I love you all and appreciate your presence here. It’s raining and unseasonably warm in Michigan today, so a good day for chili in the crockpot and playing a board game with Miss L (I dug Life out of the basement). I hope you and yours are well and I will talk to you (at you) soon. xo 

Good news everyone! You only have a few more days to deal with my January ramblings and incessant cat pictures. For today, however, let’s get this ramble started. 

It’s Friday here in SE Michigan and the boys started their day with a friendly wrestling match. I’m so relieved that these interactions no longer include hissing, screaming, bleeding, or urination. 

  
  
Sarge’s head got a bit squashed but he seemed generally okay with it. 

Then it was off to work with my Audible book “The Lake House” to keep me occupied on my 30+ minute drive. Have I mentioned that I LOVE Audible? I love having a book on my phone to listen to while I’m driving, working out, or doing housework or yard work. 

I met with my old friend MC Granola yesterday. I don’t see him very often anymore as he works in a different office but he is still one of my faves, with his gentle and calm aura and patchouli aroma mixed with true hip hop slang. He brought me a pastry from Zingerman’s, an Ann Arbor classic, carefully wrapped and stowed and I ate it last night whilst watching Anthony Bourdain. I savored every crumb and felt glad to have friends. 

I know I complain about Widget Central and frequently feel sorry for myself that I have to work full time outside of the home. But I’ve always done it and now that I’m divorced, I likely always will, and truthfully, I have been blessed beyond measure to have landed in this crazy, odd, funny and perplexing organization. It’s allowed me to travel to countries like Japan and work in Australia. I’ve made amazing friends and been able to support myself and my daughter and our home and pets and our car. I walk in in the morning and am greeted with smiles and someone handing me the red lifesavers out of their candy dish because they know I dig through to find them. I work hard but get everything I put into it back out and I am really glad to have this faux family and this job. So there, that’s my daily gratitude. And I can say all that knowing that it’s Friday and it’s a girls’ weekend with Miss L and I don’t have to work again until Monday morning. 🙂  

And because it’s Friday, and because I had to go fetch my new glasses from my optometrist in Ypsilanti at lunch, and because I very rarely go out for lunch (I’m usually working out, then crouched in my office eating leftovers or a Lean Cuisine and being laughed at by my metrosexual colleague for stealing my daughter’s pear cups in organic 100% juice) I made a pit stop at Dom’s Bakery. 

  
It’s another classic, and my running buddy and I used to make regular pilgrimages there for their frosted cookies. I used to bring one home for Miss L on Friday evenings. Since he left Widget Central, I haven’t been back; but today I was. I think Miss L will be pleased. 

I had to hit the ground running this morning which meant I could only linger in bed with the furfaces for a few pleasant moments to wake up. They were upset because Sarge’s midnight rampage against a hanging cable TV cord got them both ejected from the bedroom with extreme prejudice. However, they forgave me when Emmett could crawl back up onto his beloved Sherpa blanket and Sarge could watch the days forecast on the Weather Channel (he really does seem to be watching TV at times.)

When I went downstairs to fetch something, I saw tangible evidence of their wrath.

  
I have to apologize as I would normally never post a photo of my toilet on my blog, but the little pathetic drowned catnip mouse in its depths cried out for recognition and justice. COME ON boys.

Then of course because I HAD to get to work on time, I ended up stuck in traffic. But at least I was behind a wine truck with a sense of humor. 

  
I mused that a morning spent sitting by the side of the road, munching cheese and crackers and swilling spilled wine might not be such a bad way to waste the morning. 

But widgets called, and I rose to answer that call, and that is 27.

It never fails that I have a few very organized and upbeat and positive days and then I just have an off one for no real reason except that life, my friends, is a marathon and not a sprint. 

Every morning, I come into the office and fire up my computer and start making my To-Do list in my favorite daily planner. It has a page for every day and is big enough for my lists and any notes from meetings I attend. Mornings are my most productive time and I strive to get the thorny, difficult items crossed off in the AM and save mindless, administrative or easy tasks for the afternoon. 

Some days, though, I get nothing crossed off yet still feel enormously busy and I retire to the workout room at lunch feeling like the guy who spent his life rolling a rock uphill only to have it roll back down every night. And I weigh myself and see that I’ve actually GAINED weight and hey, Fuck You Bob Harper. And I haven’t had time for a hair appointment and my greys are clearly visible and I catch sight of someone I like’s ex-significant other and she is much cuter and happier than I feel and isn’t that just like being in high school all over again? Maybe I am not so spiritually developed after all if I can be made depressed by such shallow things about myself. And my former boss, whom I always admired for being so elegantly low-key and classy and understated pulls into the parking lot driving a gaudy luxury car and I feel so judgmental and disappointed that he might actually just be a Shirt after all. But if I judge him for his car, am I any different than someone who BUYS a gaudy car hoping to be judged by it? I don’t really think I should keep mining the depths of my emotional shortcomings.

The only way I know how to cope with such days is by thinking that the air smelled very mild and springlike this morning, and soon there will be muddy runs. I have a book waiting for me on the reserve shelf at the library. There are more new X-Files episodes, even if Mulder is more morose than usual and is he wearing a man girdle? It’s Taco Tuesday with Miss L. My friend at work sent me a book recommendation. And I’m not a Detroit Lion and I don’t live in Flint where they are paying for poisoned water. Life is annoying but it’s all about perspective and I got some of that. 

workout room buddy’s awesome shirt. Detroit sports fans will get it.