dear august, i hate to see you go...

august was another memorable month with some noteworthy transitions. i think the best way to present these events would be to countdown the minutes until it is officially SEPTEMBER.

10 - days that i got to spend at home in massachusetts with my parents and two younger sisters

9 - is the score i give to the cafeteria food here at John Carroll (it puts the menu @ PC to shame)

8 - the number of Olympic gold medals that Michael Phelps won this month in Bejing

7 - new Cleveland JVs and i've already been able to be a supportive fJV to them

6 - ty percent chance that veronica will move back to cleveland before the winter solstice

5 - different & oftentimes frustrating ways of getting around (rapid, RTA, walk, bike, carpool)

4 - month anniversary for Gisella and I (she is pretty special)

3 - lovely young women (allison, brigid & veronica) whom i had to say farewell to after living in intentional community and serving with them in Cleveland for the past eleven months

2 - places at once (still trying to balance my time spent in west & east cleveland)

1 - more day until graduate classes begin...

even though i loved you* (august), i welcome you** (september) with open arms...

to bike or not to bike?

that really is the only question for cyclists, isn't it? i mean there are plenty of tasks that need to be completed and plenty of people to "catch up" with, but does anything compare to the possibility of being selected to pedal "from sea to shining sea" in the name of habitat for humanity? i may be exaggerating the awesomeness of such a prospect (of course, there are better ways to spend one's time especially with regards to family and friends and lovers), which is why i need your help. this is the first official poll that i have ever posted on my blog (and believe me when i say that it is only the beginning) and i hope you will share your thoughts. so here it is?

should i spend the next 7.5 months fund raising/training (which includes collecting at least $4,000 and biking an average of 40-75 miles per week) and then an additional 2.5 months on the actual bike & build (assisting at various Habitat for Humanity sites) journey from providence to san francisco?

reply with a...

(1) if you think this is a great idea and should be pursued, if all other factors have been considered.

(2) if you think this is a good idea, but would encourage me to consider other options of achieving a similar experience without the physical, financial and emotional costs

(3) if you think this is not a good idea, but would suggest that i think and pray about this prospect a little bit more

(4) if you think this is a terrible idea and would suggest that i discontinue any/all preparations for this trip immediately

thanks everyone. for more information about this bike ride go to www.bikeandbuild.org

until next time, remember to wear your helmets and check your brakes...

unrecognizable

up and at 'em! one of the saddest things is when you realize that you no longer recognize something (or someone for that matter) that you once knew so well. i do not know if this is a phenomenon that you have ever experienced, but it is one that i am familiar with oh so well. in fact, just the other day i was driving along route 106 and discovered that a large section of vegetation had been wiped out, so that a local bank company could construct a castle-like structure as their headquarters. some of my favorite stores from when i was younger-- dorothy lou's bakery, roche bros., even my own neighborhood--appear foreign to me. granted i am getting older and my sight is not as stable as it once was; regardless, i have an issue with these childhood gems being plucked from my life. i want to experience all these wonders like i did when i was eleven and seven--except i can't! i must cope with the reality of this discovery and react accordingly. so far, my reaction has been one of grand disgust and abhorrence, but just like almost everything else, give it time and all will be well. i'm not sure if i will ever recover from my most recent findings, but one thing is for certain, "the more things change the more they stay the same" (i'm sorry but i cannot give credit to the author of those wise words, because i do not know his or her name and therefore must plead ignorance). it's good (no, it's great) to be blogging again...

n.b. today is 08.08.08 (i just love numbers)