11.10.2012

UPDATE


I’ve been jobless for more than 10 months. Thanks to the US Unemployment Insurance program, which I have paid into since I was 15 (36 years!), I have been receiving weekly paychecks this whole time. It’s a good thing, because jobs are hard to find. Never-the-less, I have faith I will find a good job before the money runs out. That’s my goal and as you know, setting and reaching goals is kind of “my thing”.

So what have I been up to since my last blog post?

I feel a little guilty because I haven’t written in six months. There are two reasons for my absence. First, I strive to keep my posts interesting, intriguing, positive, and thought-provoking. If I don’t have something to say that meets all those requirements I will usually say nothing. Second, I have been spending a lot of time outside and less time on my computer.

I read somewhere, years ago, that you should spend at least an hour every day outside. Something about nutrients you get from the sun and spiritual health that comes from the earth. I dunno about all that, but it does feel good to spend time outside, especially when the weather is nice.

Bicycling is still my favorite hobby. So far this year, I bought a used mountain bike on Craigslist, cleaned it, tuned it, adjusted it, and made several upgrades with new parts. Fun and easy stuff if you have any mechanical interest and a good assortment of metric tools. 

I rode this bike for about 3 months, then I donated it to a friend who wanted to buy her son a bike for his birthday but was having trouble finding a good used bike. It felt wonderful to help others and to know the bike I had cared for would be loved and ridden and enjoyed. Time to acquire another bike from Craigslist. I found a Schwinn I really liked at a good price and brought it home. I will probably keep this one forever. It just feels perfect for me.

At the beginning of this year, I couldn’t imagine riding my bike 10+ miles in one day. I mapped out some routes of 1 mile, 2 miles, and 4 miles. I really thought riding 4 miles one direction then back home would be the farthest I would travel on a bicycle. Wrong. As summer came and the weather warmed up, I found myself staying out longer and going farther and father on my bike.

To date, I have ridden more than 20 miles in a single trip and I now feel that 10 miles is a SHORT RIDE. Isn’t that interesting? Is there a lesson here? You tell me.

Now go take on the day!

Peace, out.

 
Check out
Duane’s YouTube Channel 

4 comments:

  1. 20 miles is awesome for sure Duane! I knew I guy a couple years ago who used to bike to work, which was 20 miles from his house, and back home again, every day. So yeah, that's 40 miles of biking each day on top of working -- crazy, right?? Although this post of yours makes it seem like maybe something I could actually work up to. Peace out!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Jessica,
      Wow, 40 miles on top of a full work day. No thanks! LOL I plan to ride my bike to work once I get a job, but only in nice weather and if it's not too far from home. Thanks for stopping by. :)

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  2. Duane, it's good to see you're back at it!
    I missed your videos on Youtube:)

    See ya round!
    PMZ

    (Trekon86)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey Trekon86,
    Thanks for stopping by. Yeah, I took a break from Youtube for awhile but I'm back. My focus has shifted from knives to bikes but a lot of people seem to like it.
    Stay sharp,
    Duane

    ReplyDelete