I was one badass bitch on the bike this morning; must've been equinox energy. Drove to the trailhead 'cause I thought I had only 20 miles in me ... but at Eagle I was feeling so good I just kept going and did 30 after all.
I've never ridden with my iPod before. I know it's dangerous, but damn! it was fun. I usually prefer the quiet crunch of my wheels on crushed limestone, the breeze and birdsong as soundtrack, but this morning I was singing to the wilderness at the top of my lungs. On shuffle, no less (though I skipped anything that wasn't hard and fast).
Windy on the way back -- gusts to 30 mph! -- but I sliced through it like butter. Great ride. Though I missed an overseas call that I might've heard if not for the iPod, and that was a bummer.
The trail is lovely, summer's greens turning to fall's orange-yellow-browns. Wisht I'd brought my camera.
This afternoon I added some pansies and mums to the front steps. We'll see if they take.
Currently reading:
"The Middle of Everywhere: The World's Refugees Come to Our Town" by Mary Pipher
Recommended by the lovely volunteer coordinator at the People's Health Center, a low-income clinic that serves Lincoln's many refugee populations. Lincoln is one of the top 10 refugee sites in the United States. Bosnians, Vietnamese, Iraqis, Sudanese, Kurds all have substantial burgeoning populations here. Pipher gives detailed insight into the multiple ways newcomers are overwhelmed by their new home. Never mind being dropped into a dingy apartment in a strange city where you can't understand the language. Imagine all that plus not knowing such social norms as daily bathing, what a toothbrush is, not knowing even how to turn on a light or a faucet. Just for starters.
Unfortunately, I don't think that volunteer position is going to work out. I need to find work where I'll have actual contact with people, instead of just filing paperwork. Trying to get the Nebraska AIDS Project to return my calls ... but this book has me wondering about what Pipher calls "cultural brokers" ... who help individual families learn to acclimate to their new society. I wonder if that'd qualify for my Peace Corps work?
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2 comments:
I am proud you didn't let the wind intimidate you.
WL
It doesn't *intimidate* me ... I just don't *enjoy* myself when riding against the wind. But this was a crosswind on the tail end of a long ride, and I was already pretty pumped up and feeling good. That's all.
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