December 31, 2007
"Happy New Year"
This has been my best year in a long, long time. I am grateful for every aspect of my life and find it amazing that no matter how dark
an existance you are a part of, it can be turned around.
Do you know how that happens? Not by waiting around to find a winning lottery ticket, and waiting for a miracle to happen. We make our own miracles, but don't forget it is certainly alright to enlist your friends and family for assistance. Just be willing to do the work and look to them for encouragement.
My suggestion for a great new year would be to make a list of all the great things that happed during the year. It doesn't even matter if you were directly affected just focus, focus, focus on the positive. You don't have to sit down and make a list of all the work you have to do about bad habits etc. They very rarely get accomplished and then we end up feeling remorse for not accomplishing all the unrealistic goals. Promise yourself to take baby steps and just do the best you can...one day at a time.It's a lot easier to stay on track and feel good about yourself at the end of the day.
Happy New Year to you all, I wish you the best of everything and the best you can be. Love you Molly.
Come Ride With Me.
December 28, 2007
"The Possibilities Are Endless"
Well, here we are in my neighborhood JAX Bicycle Shop to look at all the possibilities of a new bike for my sister Alaine. Mike Whetham, the General Manager was so nice to take the time to personally help us. We discussed my sisters riding abilities and restrictions and he made several suggestions that would fit in with her lifestyle. 
Alaine is pictured here on the "Lime" and this would be her first choice, that is until we saw the "Pure" Low Step, another new design that is perfect for a casual ride application. The point I am making here is that there is a bike out there in the Trek line, to fit everyone; all body types and all ages. Stop by a Trek dealer when you are out and about and take a look.
I want one of those "Pure" bikes to peddle over to the coffee shop on. Well, that would be my fourth bike, but I really have my eye on a pime Road bike to entice me to my all time goal of a Metric Centuy ride that Coach Mary has been talking to me about. I might as well raise the bar right now because what could be more fabulous than to see a 60 year old woman progress to that level in one year.
Come Ride With Me
December 27, 2007
"The Santa Ana Winds"
My sister and I completed another bicycle ride together. We also experienced another first, the effect of the Santa Ana winds. Keep in mind that we completed 5 miles, and because my sister is having major back surgery next week, we decided to turn around before she hit a wall. It was then that the winds came upon us; probably about 25 to 30 mph. Well, after we had exhasuted all the gears, we would get off the bike, walked, got back on the bikes then rode for a while. This pattern went on for the better part of a mile before we were able to complete the ride sitting down, if you will. Next time we need to schedule the wind for the first half of the ride and keep the easy stuff for the return ride.
All in all I think Alaine and the Barbie Bike made a great team, both troupers. On the way home, in my new "silver" vehicle (see pciture) we stopped by JAX Bicycle shop to discuss a new ride for my sister, as soon as she recovers from her surgery.
Come Ride With Me.
December 26, 2007
Tandem - Where is this going?
M
y bicycle "Guru" Bruce has MANY bicycles, all of which he has created a safe harbor for, in his living room. I know exactly what you are thinking, and I am so glad you feel the same way as I do, I have nothing against a preview of a new bicycle in my home, but as far as part of the decor, I am not there yet. This may be a pivotal issue in our friendship. I don't mind animals (domesticated of course) in the house but I am not ready to maneuver around bicycles in my small, efficient environment so this remains as the "Elephant in the Room". Now, the next issue is that Bruce owns a tandem bicycle, and wants me to try it. Oh my gosh, I cannot believe all these scary opportunities that continue to come my way. I guess it's good to be scared, because it means I must be afraid that I have something to loose. There was a time when I didn't care if I lost everything. Anyway, now that I am open to new experiences, you might see me on a tandem.
Here is what he is telling me, it's about the experience. The tandem is about a relationship, two people working together as a partnership. No one is left behind and both riders are caring for each other. So where is this going? Can anyone share their tandem experience with me? Is this really what the ride is about or is there something else developing? This one has me confused and I need to discuss the issue more
Come Ride With Me
December 25, 2007
"Happy Holidays"
I think we all might as well take a deep breath, sigh of relief, or sip of wine. The time is upon us and so we might as well relax and enjoy the day. There will be children laughing, children crying. Boxes and wrapping paper everywhere. The kitchen will probably be a mess but the house will smell wonderful, even if you are opting for a pine room deodorizer. I hope it was all good for you. It's up at 4:30 a.m. tomorrow for me to return back to work and my normal schedule.
Happy Holidays to all my friends, readers and Trek Sisters.
Come Ride With Me
December 20, 2007
The Best We Can Hope For
Today is December 20th and I was probably the only person that had to look at the calendar this morning to see the actual date. I have not been feeling well lately so I am trying to take it easy and stay organized. My sister is here and last night we sat down and drew up a schedule for the duration of the season. This helps so we don't worry about forgetting something or over scheduling one day to the next; most of our time is spent visiting. I am finishing up the cards today and they should arrive in time for the holidays.
Over the years our Christmas has evolved since we both lost our husbands. Last year we spent Christmas in the movie theater. One of my daughters spends every Christmas in Spain and my other daughter stays in town and has a bustling household with the activities of her two little boys. I decided a long time ago that I was not going to put any added pressure on my family, so our Christmas is about trying to schedule One meal together, no gift exchange and the presents are all about the children. It's become the "Best We Can Hope For". We all get through the holidays with one expectation that everyone is happy, less stressed, and satisfied that we spent part of this season doing something nice for at least one person less fortunate than we are. Don't think that just because your Holidays are simple, that they are less dynamic than your neighbor. It's how your heart feels at the end of the day.
Come Ride With Me
December 19, 2007
"My Favorite Super Hero" Part 2
If 
you haven't figured out my mystery party by now, here is a glimpse of what it was all about. The superheroes were all 5 years old. I decided against dressing up for this particular party because it was all about the children. Although they seem to delight in just about every whimsy, I felt that the day belonged to Jack, not Grand Marie showing up in a costume. This snapshot has so many children pictured, it's almost like a game of "Where's Waldo". Although he is hard to spot, you will remember Jack Bove from the story about "My Own Little Moat", where I took his picture sitting in the trunk of my car.
Fun was the order of the day in the beautiful California sunshine. We were at William Penn Park in Whittier California, a park that I remember using while attending Brownie Day Camp and where my daughter had wedding photos taken. Everyone was meeting up in there busy December schedules to celebrate an important five year milestone. Big brother William helped to keep the festivities going even though he was shy his first lost tooth. I rode my bike through this park many times and used the beautiful photo opportunities to take some of my pictures. It would probably take a year to visit all the local parks in your home town area. Make a point to do that as soon as your can. Not only are they beautiful treasures to pass along to future generations, they are peaceful places to visit when you need to get away but just have an hour or two to spare.
Come Ride With Me
December 18, 2007
"Where's The Treadmill"
If you look real close in this picture, you will find a treadmill, athletic shoes, an exercise ball, a medicine ball, weights and a hula hoop. The trouble is in order to use them this week I need to get through my stageing area (just a portion of it)
I hope when I get home tonight my sister has found some free time to wrap all this stuff for me. Otherwise, I will have to find another method to get in my cardio time scheduled for today. Oh well, I stick to my program pretty well the other 365 minus "12 days". so I am not going to worry about a thing except, getting the cards done, getting the packages off to UPS, baking those brownies everyone has requested at work, ordering the tamales, and the list goes on and on. Be good to yourself at this time of year. Try to find someone to help you, decide, what can wait until next year, call a few friends instead of mailing out a card, and learn to just let one single thing go.
Come Ride With Me
December 17, 2007
My Sunset Journal
I had this great idea about Journaling sometime back and thought it would be a great idea to start a sunset journal. The idea was to collect sunset pictures of my travels. Hopefully I could share these moments with someone special, be it a relative, old friend or someone that could fill an empty space in my heart. Well, I lost track of how many times I started this journal, but found a better way to manage the project. I didn't worry about writing a journal entry, I just parked the picuture on my computer and named it.
I'll will then share them with you, and tell you where they were taken; well not taken, but experienced. I continue to discover or re-discover the small details that are a part of my life. Remember how I suggested that you take the time to enjoy the moon and the stars, make time in your day to watch the sunset too. The simple things surrounding us are beautiful and free, so when you are out riding your bike, don't make it all about your performance, save some space in the experience for the earthly gifts that are placed before us every day. Today's sunset was saved in the city of Laguna Beach, California. If you don't want to miss the beautiful details in your life,
Come Ride With Me
December 12, 2007
"My Favorite Super Hero" Part 1
Dilemma Alert
I've been invited to a party on Sunday and the Host has requested that his guests dress for the occasion as their favorite super hero. Jeeze, I thought I was too old for this. "I mean, I'm all", I just slipped past Halloween without having to dress up, and so I thought I was off the hook for the next year. Are there any costume stores even open after October 31st? I'm up a creek here because I have not seen any of the Spiderman movies, I don't think Shrek qualifies, and to be perfectly honest, the last Superhero movie I can remember watching is Batman on Christmas 1967 at a drive-in movie; "Holy ---- Batman".
I really need some quick advice here because I would not want to disappoint my "Host". I am more of the Heroine being rescued type. I will be busy the next few days, racking my brain over this one so if anyone has any ideas, I would be very grateful. After I figure this one out,
Come Ride With Me
December 11, 2007
"My Holiday Soapbox"
Hi there,
The following is direct text sent to me this morning from the Lance Armstrong Foundation. I am sending this out to you all to read and give it some thought. "If you are anything like me, during the holidays you avoid the mall at all costs. This year, instead of fighting crowds, why not fight cancer?"
UNITE at LIVESTRONG.org.
Make an honorary memorial holiday donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) and give a truly meaningful gift of unity, strength and hope. Your gift will fight cancer and offer hope to the millions of people affected by the disease.
The LAF unites people through programs and experiences to empower cancer survivors to live life on their own terms and to raise awareness and funds for the fight against cancer. They focus on cancer prevention, access to screening and care, research and quality of life for cancer survivors.
Your honarary or memorial holiday donation to the LAF will provide direct support and education to help cancer survivors face the challenges and changes that come with cancer.
- $10.00 provides information packets to 16 cancer survivors to offer support, inspiration and hope
- $50,00 provides 36 people cancer survivorship information, worksheets to organize their fight against cancer and support inspiration and hope from other cancer survivors.
- $155 provides a cancer survivor one-on-one direct support through the LIVESTRONG Survivor Care program.
- $250.00 provides LIVESTRONG survivorship notebooks to 27 cancer survivors.
Gift recipients will be notified of your gift with a holiday card from the LAF. Make a donation to the Lance Armstrong foundation and give a gift that will make a real difference in the fight against cancer.
December 11, 2007
A Visitor From "Baton Rouge"
I am still here at the hotel. In no time at all, I bumped into a long time friend, Laurie Durnin. I have been communicating with Laurie and she has been reading my blog, so it was a perfect fit. Since her husband was involved in the sales meetings, she had some time available in her schedule to Ride With Me.
I really connect with Laurie and we share many interests and prospectives about life. She has participated in relay triathlons as a swimmer, ( I must find out more about that), as well as something else very important. She works for the state of Louisiana, and is very much involved with helping people rebuild their lives as a result of hurricane Katrina. 
We hardly had a quiet moment between us because there was so much to discuss.
So we met up and were on our way to Balboa Island where we hopped the ferry to take us across to the city, seashore, pier and boardwalk. We rode, walked, had coffee, dropped the chain from my bike; well actually I guess I did that, but she talked me through the repair and all in all, it was a great adventure. I have found a new safe place that I can return to on my own, or bring along more of my cycling friends. Actually, my sister will be returning soon for the holidays, and this might be a place where I can bring her to,
Come Ride With Me
December 9, 2007
"Once A Year" Visitors
I have been camped out at a hotel this week with only my computer to keep me warm. This is the time of year our business hosts all of our employees for a holiday party. At the same time, we conduct a winter sales meeting that brings in our reps, their spouses and partners from all over the United States. While my role is to keep all the activities humming, I am allowed some free time too. So, I packed up my bike which fit beautifully in the back of my vehicle (it's a beautiful thing not to have to juggle those bundgie cords) and brought it along.
While I must say the planning process for an event like this is quite extensive, it's always good to see the out of towners to catch up and socialize. I had a chance to connect with many people about my role and relationship with Trek and was surprised to hear how many people were riding bikes, with a pretty respectable showing for our Trek brand. A fact to note here is that these bike riders are, for the most part, people with children ready to leave the nest, in college or grandparents. I was thrilled to gather statistics of that nature and demographics. 
As I drove up to the hotel, I found they had bikes available for rent, and since my pit crew would be attending the event, it was a natural. So what would any red blooded Trek Sister do? I started asking our guests to,
Come Ride With Me
December 6, 2007
The Dogs of Santorini
Although this has nothing to do with bicycles, I am a big "Dog Lover" and thought this story was precious and worth repeating. My sister recently returned from Greece, and she was showing me these picutres at our annual Thanksgiving visit.
As the story goes, these beautiful dogs are all orphans on the Island of San Torini. No they are not sick or injured, quite the opposite. I think they are lying down because they are "full". They have made their way to the marketplace as if it was some sort of migration of the specis. Notice how well fed and beautiful ther are. They welcome the tourists, without ever begging for food or agressive jumping. They are clean and very sweet. The shop keepers feed them daily and they never leave the area. Leave the area, are you kdding, that shows you how smart they are too because they know they have a good thing going. 
So what's the message, there has always got to be a message of some sort. I guess it would be if you have good table manners, you will be invited to return, or better yet, invited to stay for the next meal.
Ok, so not every blog has to require deep thought, have a goal in mind, or require exercise. It's just a sweet story.
Come Ride With Me
December 5, 2007
The Long And Winding Road
One more thing out of the way and crossed off my list. I am so excited because I purchased a new vehicle this week; how do you like it? The salesman guaranteed that I could fit all the bikes inside without having to remove any wheels. Not being an engineer I find it fascinating that the tires on my bikes exceed the tire sizes on my new red bug. Thanks to my reader participation I took all the suggestions I received and designed my own prototype. No longer do I have to go home first and unpack the bikes, I can zip into Starbucks or Macy's and not worry about anyone tampering with my equipment. I thought about the color I wanted and even though "Red" is a Man Magnet, I felt the risk was worth the payoff. One more thing, it fits in my suitcase. It's so efficient, it's almost "Green" but it didn't come in that color.
So, I am ready for anything now and the possibilities are unlimited. If I want to take anyone along or if I plan a real long trip, I found that the pictured trailer is available to rent on a weekly basis. I'll post more real pictures next week.
Come Ride With Me.
December 4, 2007
Cambria & Harmony - Road Trip Part 4
This will be the last post about my trip up the California coast and I will begin to think about where I want to vist in the future.
Cambria and Harmony are two small towns along the way to Hearst Castle. I might add that Harmony has a population of 18, and we found only one shop open that day which featured hand made pottery; oh yes, and a small winery. Cambria on the other hand is a bustling community that is well know for artisans and crafters. I was reminded of the 1960's as we wandered from shop to shop because of the high quality craftmanship that came out of that era. Why would I like to return to Cambria? It is one of the most romantic places I have ever visited, with the exception of Hawaii. The common thread is that Cambria reminds me of Maui as it was many years ago.
There is a whole community of bicycle enthusiasts and it is a beautiful site to see these bird-like creatures sailing up the coastline on their bikes as though they were one with nature and the seagulls. I am not comfortable yet with this type of riding and choose to stay close to back roads and paths but now I can say I rode my bike in this notable area; one more thing to cross off my very long list.
Come Ride With Me
December 2, 2007
I Want To Be Just Like Barbara When I Grow Up
My Trek sister Susan often ends her e-mails to me by saying, "I want to be just like you when I grow up". I always liked the way that sounded and thought it was a great compliment. Thanksgiving weekend I met Barbara who is 92 years young. I am showing you a picture of one of Barbaras favorite things, Roses; her house is full of fresh cut roses in lovely keepsake vases.
Barbara walks to her gym every day to put in her time on the treadmill and she also walks to the store for fresh vegetables a few times a week. Living on her own she plays bridge, cribbage and prepares all her own meals. This young spirited lady has a stellar attitude about facing every new day by just jumping in there and tackling what she has to get done on her own. Although she no longer drives a car, she does shop with friends and still finds a visit to Costco worth the trip because her shopping buddies then divide the large parcels so everyone shares in the deals and bargains. I am anxious to tell more of her story. Maybe the one about flying the airplane, maybe about her college days at Oregon State or one of many more. She can be an inspiration to all of us so the next time I visit Barbara I will take a picture of her on the treadmill.
I am introducing you to Barbara because I want to be just like her when I grow up. Although her son visits her twice a month, in between those visits she does her own thing, lives her life, doesn't create drama around herself and is a great role model for women that function well into their 90's. Take care of yourselves ladies, if we are lucky enough to live into the 90's then we need to be prepared to be strong and self-sufficient like Barbara. Let's get started.
Come Ride With Me
