Back Home, Sort Of.

I did it!  I made it!  WEF 2012, Pin Oak and Spring Gathering are all in the books.  I dropped my helper off at the airport, packed up the camper and headed for Austin today.  I plan to be running the town lake trail first thing tomorrow morning and out on the bike anywhere I can later in the day.

I put the camper into a midtown park and plan to keep staying in it while I move out of my duplex.  I have a week to accomplish this and I will need to keep from falling into a funk.  I expect a firestorm of conflicted emotions once this begins.  I love that place but I calculated that I have spent $9000 in duplex related expenses since the last time I laid eyes on the place.  That money could have done a lot of good in other areas of my life or purchased a seriously sweet bicycle!!  Right now, I am in a place in my life where it just does not make sense to have a brick and mortar home.  That said, I am still determined to identify Austin with home.  It is going to be a little tough to keep from feeling rootless but I have accepted my current life circumstances and am willing to make some sacrifices for the sake of my future goals.

After that, I have a light one or two weeks in Tyler, followed by another two weeks split between Austin and Houston.  I am hoping that I can quickly begin to reap the rewards of a trimmed down lifestyle and keep my focus forward.

I went clothes shopping yesterday and found that I have dropped another size in jeans.  That left me feeling really good about my body and my weight right now.  It's not that I am at my goal but instead, I feel like I have made definitive forward progress.  In that respect, this winter was a resounding success.  I had a multitude of setbacks, from pneumonia to insomnia, and yet I have to look behind me to see where I was five months ago.

I think this week is going to be the start of working on building speed in the run.  I have been asking for this (sometimes politely and occasionally throwing a tantrum) for a while now.  DW has kept me firmly in check because he felt like the potential for injury was just too great.  Now, according to our last couple of conversations, he is more confident in my ability to handle it.  I am both thrilled and wary.  Past experience has taught me to watch what I wish for.

Regardless, a new chapter begins this week.  I am optimistic, but with a certain caution that comes with surviving an a$$ kicking... and the last five months have been a MOST PROFOUND a$$ kicking!!

Deep breath... BRING IT ON!