Great Weekend!

Every now and then I get a glimpse into what normal people's lives are like. I now understand why everyone gets so excited about Saturdays and Sundays; you can actually have a lot of fun if you're not spending those days at a desk with your hands manacled to a keyboard.

I'm not sure what went wrong within our management ranks, but somebody goofed up and authorized me to take the weekend off. Though puzzled and suspicious, I decided to go with it—so I actually made some plans to do stuff. It's an odd sensation to experience freedom and a budding sense of self-direction, but I decided to take the reins of this challenge, and see where it would take me.

Step one was accepting Kim's invitation to ride bikes up to CityView. Though I had failed to finish it in an earlier attempt, I figured that riding with a buddy would provide the navigation and motivation to keep me on track to make it. I met up with him on the trail at 5:45am, and was surprised that it was already completely light outside.

We went up the Highgrade side (a LONG climb), stopped for a Gatorade at the schoolhouse, and then cruised through CityView and down Turkey Creek. We took turns drafting (though I'm not sure how much advantage you get when the hill is so steep you're only doing about 3mph), and we pushed each other to keep a good pace. It was a gorgeous morning, and the only scary parts were being passed by Canyonero trucks and seeing deer lurking in the bushes. (You never know when those little buggers will leap out in front of you when you're flying down the hill at 40mph!)

It was a fabulous ride. I even felt so good at the bottom of the canyon that I tacked on a few extra miles, bringing my distance to 48 miles total -- the longest ride I've done in quite some time. I wasn't much good for anything else the rest of the day, but what a grand way to start the morning.

Actually, the rest of the day was pretty good, too. Despite an ever-more-frequent BSOD problem on my computer, I actually got a bit of editing done on a veteran's interview, paid my bills, and balanced my checkbook. Since the BSOD was happening at least once an hour, I got into the habit of saving my files after every keystroke. Hey, it takes a lot longer to get anything done, but at least you don't lose anything when Windows commits repeated seppuku.

Sunday was a good day, too. It started with a homemade egg sandwich with syrup (thanks for the idea, Ronald McDonald!), and segued neatly into an invigorating trail run. Since I'm still cautious about my shin splint recovery, I vowed to minimize footfall impact and was willing to walk whenever it made sense. I was prepared to spend 3 hours or more doing the seven-mile loop, but completed it in less than two. I was very pleased, and as far as I can tell, no worse for the wear.

Later in the day, I took Tanner to Chipotle for dinner, and then soundly whupped his hide in a tennis match. I try to let him think he's almost as good as me, but it's simply impossible to completely supress my dominance. I know that it's inevitable for children to eventually surpass their parents...but I also know how intimidating it must be to have a father as totally awesome as I am. I probably have another 20 or 30 years of superiority before he beats me in anything (other than running, which doesn't really count because his legs are longer).

And that reminds me: I wonder what sorts of fabulous things he's thinking about doing for me on Father's Day next weekend? I'm sure he's given it a ton of thought and has made all sorts of detailed arrangements. Well...I'm pretty sure.

Anyway, this entire weekend was a real treat, and I'm looking forward to having another one some day. Keep your fingers crossed in the hopes that my bosses will once again forget to chain me to the desk at close of business on Friday. I appreciate the support, and would love the opportunity to tell you all about the fabulous gifts and loving attention I receive from my son next Sunday. Stay tuned, and enjoy the rest of your week!