Countdown to Triathlon - 275 Days, 39.25 weeks to Race Day (See Installment 13 of "The Journey", 220 mile bike ride, below)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going."Source Unknown

As my dear daughter Leslie pointed out in her comment yesterday, it takes 21 day to develop a habit.  With me, it might take a little longer so I must keep motivated.  Yesterday I lifted over 30 boxes of papers, some dating back to the 1970's.  I can't believe that we've kept these paper so long and that we've moved them from several houses.  Bob never wanted to get rid of all those old financial papers.  I called our accountant and he said to only save up to seven years.  I have told that to Bob over the years and finally he has agreed that we can get rid of them.  We have a mobile shredding truck coming on Monday morning so I had to go through them all to be sure we weren't throwing away anything really impiortant,  such as the deed to our house, or some such thing.  It feels great to have the throw-aways all stacked up in the garage ready to be shredded.  The drawback is that my back is out of whack and I feel like I'm 105.  That will pass though.  I think we need to throw a "going away party".  Actually, we are going to a party tonight.  Just as in this weeks's installment of The Journey, see below, we are going to his former employer's Christmas party.  He's retired now, you know. In 2001 it was called a Christmas party and held in December.  Now they've changed it to a Holiday party and hold it in November.  It was getting increasingly hard to get people to the party in December because of so many December outside activities.

     Therefore, I'll take my wrecked up back and keep on keeping on!

The Journey - Installment Fourteen

Shortly after the Riverbank Festival, I began to think that I needed to have my own bike.  My husband Bob and I received a call from our son Hollen in Hawaii, where he and his wife resided.  They had visited us in July and Hollen had commented that the bike I had borrowed was not going to stand up to my ever-increasing use.  We had recently sold our old Volkswagen bus and had told our son we’d give him the money from the sale.   On the phone that night he informed me that he and his wife Morena had decided to have me keep the five hundred dollars to put toward a bicycle.  I thanked him, but told him we wouldn’t do that.  They were expecting their first child in December and I knew that the five hundred dollars would be needed for the baby.  He informed me that they had already discussed giving me the money and that if I sent a check for the Volkswagen, they wouldn’t cash it and would order me a bike. He said that I should just accept his offer and order the bike of my choice rather than take one that he picked out.   God again provided!  So many times He uses other people to bless us.

                 We attended my husband’s company Christmas party in December of that year.  While at the party, a young woman from one of the other branches of the bank introduced me to her date.  She proceeded to explain to him about my up-coming ride.  He asked me if I owned a bike frame which allows a person to attach their bicycle to it and turn it into a stationary bike.  I replied that I did not one.   He told me that he was cleaning out his garage and would greatly appreciate it if I would accept it as a gift. It was winter and I was finding it hard to ride outside because of the cold, fog or rain so that gift added to my training.  Another gift from God, via wonderful, giving people was provided to help me along the journey without my even asking for it.