Bright and Early - Well getting moving first thing in the morning is quite helpful. I was up at 0600 (that's 6AM), now if I could only do that on a regular basis. In a week or so I won't have much choice, going back to work will force me to be up by 0530. I enjoyed a quick but scenic bike ride this morning to the small town of Coburg, population 969, so the sign says as you enter into town. The scenery was beautiful, but the traffic really sucks, riding on a main road between Eugene and Coburg, it was rush hour, and the cars and big trucks just zoomed by. Sometimes I feel like cars are betting as to how close they can get to me on my bike without actually knocking me over. I mean most cars will guide out to the middle of the road and around a cyclist, but then there are those who just plain and simply swerve right towards me and my bike. I try not to take it personally, I give people the benefit of the doubt, perhaps they were just changing the radio station or picking something up off of the floor, maybe they are staring at my wide butt up on that bicycle seat in amazement, I'm not sure what it is, but I sure wish the cars would stay in their lane, and I will stay in mine. I kind of like my wide butt and the legs attached to it, so I'd like to leave them in tact, I don't think tire tread marks across my legs will look very good up on stage in a swimsuit. Well did I get off on a tangent? I was talking about the town of Coburg, population 969. It's a small and I do suppose historic town in someway, with lots of antique shops, a pizza parlor/video store and really, really nice and modern looking fire station that seemed kind of out of place. I knew my ride would be short as Coburg is only about 7 miles outside of Eugene, so I road through town to add a few miles. The next town beyond is Harrisburg, (12 miles more), I didn't ride all the way in to Harrisburg, because I knew I had too much to do today, but I did turn around and on my way back stopped for a Chai Tea at a cute little coffee shop in Coburg. I really needed because apparently it wasn't even 50 degrees this morning and I was feeling it, my hands were frozen. So the day is off to a good start, it is going on 10:00 and I feel as if I have accomplished something. Now it is down to the business of putting the house together and getting ready for tonight's auction.

Lack of Inspiration - I'm overwhelmed by all of the tasks that I need and should do. When this happens and it is often I usually wind up not doing anything. I haven't worked out in about 4 days. I have been in my new home for about 5 months, I have company coming on Saturday and I still have boxes that need to be moved out of the living room, (in my defense my mom just moved in with us 1 month ago and this created more mess after our move). I want to get into my back yard and get digging and planting done, I've got a garage sale to plan, so that hopefully when winter comes the garage will be empty and I can actually use the garage for what it is meant....PARKING. I have some volunteer work that I am doing and have a task to do for an auction that I am helping with on Thursday. I promised Ian that we would ride our bikes to his new school, so that he could plan out his daily route, the bird cage needs cleaning the cats boxes need cleaning. There is more, but here is the kicker.... I am on vacation! So I have plenty of time to get these things accomplished, I'm experiencing a "Lack of Mo", motivation that is. It's that whole procrastination thing that I am so good at, waiting until the last minute. I keep telling myself that I am going to get out of bed early and go workout, but each morning of my "vacation", I seem to wake up a little later. And so here I sit, "playing" on my computer, before I know it the day will be half gone and I will have gotten nothing accomplished. What should I do first? I'm out of Redbull, I've had two cups of coffee, but it just doesn't satisfy me the way Redbull does, just one can it is all that I need. OK here it is I will get my workout clothes on, Ian just woke up, I am going to try to convince him to go on a bike ride, to the store for a Redbull, then to his new school, then up to campus to do the work for the auction.....that will be a good start, we'll see what happens from there.

A Bullbog Birthday - So what do you get a Bulldog for her birthday?..... Anything she wants. Today is Blanche Belle Reve DuBois' 2nd birthday .
Blanche was born in Birmingham, Alabama and she has become the second child that I wanted to have, so yes, she is spoiled. So today we went all out for her birthday. Big brother Ian baked a dog bone shaped cake for her complete with icing. After cutting off ever so small slices for those humans brave enough to try the cake we set it on the ground for Blanche to dig into. There is one problem with Blanche, she does not know when to quit so she ate the whole thing.
Having been born in Alabama you would think that Blanche's favorite phrase would be "Roll-Tide", but Blanche comes from the linage of the Georgia Bulldogs, so she prefers "Go Dawgs", that was until we moved home to Oregon, we are now in the process of re-training Blanche so that she barks, when she hears "GO DUCKS". To help here with her training, we have had to out-fit her with the proper attire, and so today she recieved her University of Oregon leash and her official U of O game day T-shirt. She is one good looking dog.


It is about 9PM Blanche seems to be slightly immobile now, lying on the floor like a stuffed pig. I sure do hope that the birthday cake doesn't decide to make it's way through her little body long about midnight or later, waking me from my slumber.....hhhhmmm maybe letting her eat all of that cake wasn't such a good idea. Oh well it was fun to watch.


You can check out Blanche's web-page here - http://www.dogster.com/?211885

So after the long bike ride I took the next day off. Today my inspiration is the kids. I haven't run in a little over a week so I am heading to Hayward Field to do some sprints around the track. I told my son that he could come with me if he wanted, it is time to shake out some of those summer time, too many video games, too much TV, and late nights cobwebs in preparation for school. He said he wanted to, so it is time to get him up and going. He's got 10 minutes before I start making noise and ratteling him out of bed, which gives me enough tie to grab my morning Red Bull and get dressed.

Ian joined me for a run around historic Hayward Field and boy was I proud of him. Not only did he run a pretty fast mile with me, in between laps we ran the stairs and did a few push-ups and crunches. Who knows maybe I have a budding track star on my hands. But already the 11 year old sounds like an old man, he's complaining about his knee hurting. It wasn't the hard workout that I needed, but it was well worth it, to be able to spend time doing something I love with Ian.

Whew, well I am worn out, but glad that I finally made it out the door, I feel better about myself, not such a slug. I finished up with 35 miles today on my bicycle, and at my turn around point met a couple of friends pictured here. Wednesday I am giving myself the day off!

Intestinal fortitude? Stick-to-it-tiveness? Tenacity? What is the word I am looking for? Motivation? That's a good one. Motivation or the LACK of motivation. Procrastination an excellent word. I procrastinate, that is why I am sitting here at this desk typing instead of out exercising. The funny thing is there is nothing standing in my way. I've got my workout clothes on; everyone in the house is still asleep, I don't even have to work today. I got up at 0600 hours for the sole purpose of going for long bike ride, here I am 1 1/2 hours later and I haven't stepped foot outside. I've popped my Hydroxy-Cut, now I'm sipping on a Red Bull, pretty soon if I don't get going I'll be bouncing off the walls. So what is my motivation for exercising? You would think it would be easy, I love the results! I have lost 20 in about 5 months, I look great and feel great, but why do I find it so hard to keep going? When I have a goal in sight a beauty pageant, a marathon, whatever, I will work my butt off to reach that goal and then after it is over......I lay off from my diet and working out and wind up back where I started. It is very maddening. I get so frustrated with myself, I need a kick in the butt, but there is no one to push me but my self. So.... I'm pushing myself away from the computer, right out the door. It's time to face the bike.