How Old Are YOU?

El Jefe asked me this week if I felt 40. (I'm pretty sure this was supposed to be a prelude into a conversation about how my 16-year-old-boyish belching at work is inappropriate.) I said no, although I'm not sure if that's really true, because I don't really know what 40 is supposed to feel like. He got me thinking though, about what it is that keeps me feeling young. Right now, it's cyclocross racing because, really, who could feel old when they're riding their bike in circles in the dirt, jumping over stuff and running through sand. The only way it could get better would be if we could do it barefoot.

They even let us do fun stuff while the fast guys are racing, like hide money in beer cans to see if they try to pick it up while running up the hills. 

The answer to that is yes. It took awhile though to get someone to pull this one out of my hat.

The crowd tried to explain that I'd have better luck if I put the dollar somewhere else. I refused, saying, "If a guy is going to take a dollar out of my clothing, he has to at least look at my face." That's bullshit though. I just didn't want to admit that if I tried to put a dollar in my cleavage it would end up at my feet. (Sorry Pop- at least I did the respectable thing, even if it wasn't for the respectable reason.) 

That said, here's one of my favorite quotes. 

Youth is not a time of life, it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees. It is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigour of the emotions....Youth means predominance of courage over timidity, of adventure over the love of ease....We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul....You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hopes, as old as your despair.    B. Ullman

Just think how young we'd all feel if everyday we let go of just a little bit of doubt, despair or fear and replaced it with a little hope.....

It's About Time!

My pop sent me an email saying he'd read my whole blog. Well then, I guess I'd better get on with it and write some more.

A quick run down on the summer:

1- I brought truth to the "If you ain't first you're last" theme of my last post by managing to somehow spend the entire summer alternating between first place and nearly last place in my races. Funny thing I realized- first and last don't really feel all that different if you put it all on the line.

2- I finished out the summer in the "chalet" in the woods and then moved to the city. The dichotomy that became my racing season also seemed to transfer over to my life....

3- I actually had a job this time when I moved, which is a step up from the last three moves. I did, however, sell all my furniture again. Don't worry- I kept the giraffe. My new boss, aka El Jefe, found it quite amusing that I arrived with a 6 foot tall giraffe and no furniture.

4- I proved, yet again, why owning a mini-van is so practical. All I own, including 6 bikes, made it to MN in one trip. I've also proven that the mini-van works quite well for weeding out men who care way too much about what a girl drives......  Hmmmm, maybe my dad gave me this van for a reason.....

So- after almost exactly a year in one of my favorite places on earth, I'm on to the next new adventure. My high school English teacher once told me that if you were truly adaptable you could live anywhere. Life is what you make it - so here's to making it one big adventure in Minneapolis.

I'll keep you posted!