Showing posts with label Helena. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Helena. Show all posts

Friday, July 22, 2011

An Update & Prelim Bucket Listing...

Good news to share with the update which is surprising considering it’s been a couple of weeks since my last update. I was on vacation last week and was basically away from the blogsphere of the world. I got on the scale this morning and was really amazed. I’m down (drum roll, please!) a total of 22 lbs. as of this morning. Yeah!!



BUT I will admit that yesterday I DID work out what would be considered by some as being excessive. I woke up very early and decided to go for a 3 mile speed walk/run at my local favorite park. Then, I biked into work with a backpack of gear that weigh at least 15 lbs. After work, I biked over to the start of my normal Thursday evening Bike & Brew ride. I thankfully was able to stow my backpack in another bike club member’s car while I rode the 23 mile ride. I ended up having to change a flat tire with 2 miles left on the ride. Not fun at all! Then, I claimed my backpack and biked for home. I totaled 34 miles on the bike for the day.

Last night, I watched the 2007 movie The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Sometimes, I admit I find it amusing that a movie with two older male actors has created somewhat of a phenomenon. Bucket Lists have sprouted everywhere and have become a common theme in quite a few of people’s lives. Then, here is me Ms. List and I don’t have a bucket list.

Part of the reason I always thought was that I don’t want to have a life that’s planned out with goals and things to do. I like having an open-ness to life and feel that life is an adventure. Some of my best remembered moments have been totally unplanned; me just going along for the ride. Sometimes it has been rather hairy but overall it’s been very fulfilling. I’ve done quite a few things that have been on other people’s bucket list. I done half marathons, tri's, indoor skydiving, all kinds of cycling, and various other things.  To sound a bit like a Nike commercial but quite often I just do it and quite often its not planned through as well as it could have been.  For example, the Slow Salty Dog Tri that I did two years ago with only about 2 months worth of training.  OUCH!


But I’m thinking as of late that I could maybe open myself up to doing part of a list. Part of it has been my recent trip to Helena, MT. It has opened my eyes up a bit. There are places I would love to explore a little more if I had the time and there are experiences that I wouldn’t mind having.


Off the top of my head, I have always wanted to see a Cirque Du Soleil show in Vegas but I look at the ticket price and question myself. I also have always thought it would be a wonderful experience to bike the road that goes around Crater Lake. They are not big things and if I really sat down I’m sure I could come up with some more. Maybe I’ll think about this for a little while and come up with my own bucket list. I might even share it.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Vacation & One Helena of a Ride...

I've been off in Big Sky Country  of Montana this last week.  The main purpose of the trip up there was the Helena 100 Bike ride but I went up a day earlier and did a bit of site seeing of the Helena area.  Here's some photos from my trip... First we took the Helena Train tour.  Julia, a fellow cycling club member, also came up from Salt Lake early to do some site seeing.


Julia & I on a Helena mini train tour.
 


One of several older mansions that are in Helena.  At one time, Helena had the highest per capita Millionaires.





Another mansion that was along the train ride's route.

Rode the train through Helena Scenic downtown.


Outdoor cafes with leaning bikes were a common scene.
I took a drive later on that day out to 2 of the lakes outside Helena; a mear ten mile scenic drive in the car.



Then Saturday came and it was riding time!  A BEAUTIFUL ride along the upper Missouri River.
Janet, Patty, Jay,& I-- No, I didn't get the memo about the jersey choice!