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1) Bike-less

I thought I’d be able to tell you that my sister and I woke up early this morning and went for a bike ride — but alas, that isn’t the case. I was able to put the bike rack on the trunk by myself last night, but when I lifted the bike itself onto the rack and strapped it on, it just didn’t feel sturdy enough to take on a 100 mile one-way drive. The bike didn’t move at all when it was put on the car for the first time, right after I bought it, and if I couldn’t duplicate that I felt like I shouldn’t take it on such a long trip. So I unhooked the straps, returned the bike to the basement, and put the rack back in the trunk.

2) After-Work Habits

I wasn’t feeling very well when I got home from work on Wednesday night. Mostly I felt mentally heavy, due to some stuff that’s been on my mind lately, and also not-quite-right physically. (It was a hot day; I felt a little light-headed on the walk home.) When I walked in the front door, I didn’t bother to change out of my work clothes — I went over to the couch, put a pillow under my head, stretched out, and turned on the TV (and it was a trashy E! reality show, no less).

A few minutes later, my roommate walked out of the bathroom and saw me lying there. This is an example of how rare it is for me to get home and veg on the couch — Jen immediately wanted to know if I was okay. She knows my normal routine is to get dressed in my running clothes, or to grab my computer, or at least start cleaning the dirty dishes I’ve brought home with me. Zan in front of the TV? Not so much. I assured her I would be okay shortly, and indeed, I watched the last half of the reality show and went on about my evening.

3) Whip It Up!

I signed up to participate in the Whip It Up challenge, hosted by RA and Nic, that starts next week. (It’s too late to sign up if you haven’t already done so, but feel free to follow along and participate on your own if you’d like!) This means I’ll be cooking/baking/preparing something at least once a week for eight weeks, and then blogging about it. As I’ve said in the past, I can cook, and I even enjoy doing so — but if it’s just me, I tend to grab a box of cereal and go on about my business. This is exactly the kind of challenge I need to inspire myself to get back in the kitchen.

4) Independence Day

My plans for today/tonight? I’m not quite sure yet. I’m sitting here in my mom’s living room at the moment, drinking coffee while she watches the Today Show. My sister Elissa’s 30th birthday is this weekend, so I’m sure we’ll be doing something to celebrate. I’ll most likely be driving back to Alexandria sometime tomorrow, though — if I wait until Sunday to leave, I fear I’ll be stuck in ultra-hellacious traffic.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!