like a bear

I tend to hibernate in the wintertime, it seems. I've done absolutely nothing particularly exciting or interesting since late November (Galway trip). Now the weather is warming up but I can't really go out into it much because of my knees...

OH WELL.

I'm working full days for the whole month of March. This will effectively double my salary for that month, plus two weeks' extra pay for full days in February. I am going to save all the extra, plus a certain percentage of the regular salary for as long as my job lasts. Then I will be all set to travel, unemployed and free, for June, July, and August. If I can I want to do a nice, long bicycle tour in July or August. Like, three weeks, doing roughly the perimeter of Ireland. Nice, slow pace, stopping frequently, lots of pictures, detours, COUNTRYSIDE. I've been in Dublin, hardly leaving it, for seven months now. I love Dublin--Dublin is my city now--but daaaaaaang I love the countryside here, and have only gotten glimpses of it thus far.

But if I'm gonna get out into that countryside I need my knees to be in perfect condition. So I'm gonna focus on that for the next month. That and cleaning up my diet and not being so goddamn lazy anymore.

Also on the to-do list is a weekend trip to London if I ever get another three-day weekend from work (flying in on Ryanair, no luggage, stay in a hostel), a ferry trip and short cycling holiday around Holyhead in Wales, and a cycle to Belfast in June (100 miles split over two days).

I also want to visit other places in the UK. I mean, I should spend a little time in Scotland, while I'm so close, and I want to visit Cardiff, and maybe like Oxford or something equally pretentious. We'll see.

If my knees don't improve, well, I'll rent a damn car. But I hope it doesn't come to that.

--

In other news. Here are three pictures chosen somewhat at random from my archives for those of you who still follow this blog.

[picture of some statues on the north Dublin quays -- depicting the starving would-be immigrants during the famine who didn't make it]

[picture of some graffiti on the north quays of Dublin -- the bat signal sporting a smiley face]

[picture from Dunleary I think, just a panoramic shot of the sea with a little village nestled on the right-hand side]

life and musings on it

I'm really upset right now because my knees are very sore. So sore I had to go see both a bike fit guy and a physiotherapist. Physio says I have to lay off serious biking till my problem is solved... But, biking, like, saved my life from depression and angst. So I'm upset that I have to lay off when all I want to do is be out on the bike and not worrying about anything.

Basically the knees are sore because I have a muscle imbalance from I guess improper pedalling? bike fit guy gave me insoles for fallen arches and adjusted the cleats on my clipless pedals, telling me to use them more. They do keep my knees straighter but I'm clumsy as F*** and fall over in stopped traffic periodically when I go to lean on the unclipped foot but end up falling over on the side that is still clipped in. So it kinda scares me. I guess I just need more practice. Or should I just always unclip both feet when coming to a stop? (I'm asking in case Travis or any cyclists read this blog)

As far as life goes... I feel like I am stuck in a rut of just going to work then coming home and futzing about on the internet before sleeping. Or going out to have a few drinks with Ethiopian boyfriend while he plays pool. Or I guess going to see a movie with him. It's nice and I like it (and him), but I did come to Ireland to see, like, Ireland... ( heyhey by the way MUPPETSISSOMUCHNOSTALGIA<3<3<3 )

thing is, I do have plans for travelling more. I'm saving up. Supposedly. My job will end at the end of May, then I will have June, July, and August of unemployment and freedom to do whatever I want to do with the funds I have left before I go home. I get paid a ridiculously awesome amount and for the next few weeks I'll be working full days instead of half days so I'll be banking even more. I'm, like, a professional, you guys. When did that happen? I just have to stop spending so much money at the bike shop and I'll be golden.

I was supposed to buy a new camera today, but I forgot so I never even left the house. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow or monday. idk. I still need to sort thru all the pictures that I've taken since I got here so i can post 'em 'n' shit.

also, I am addicted to watching episodes of Whose Line is it Anyway on Youtube which is distressing because I'm on a limited data plan and am probably going to exceed it this month. (firstworldproblems??)

sorry this blog entry is kinda ADD. I thought it would be better than posting nothing at all. if you want more info on anything I put in here, comment and I'll write more about it.

pax.

reason for lack of posts

sorry, folks who actually read this blog. Right now I'm on bed-rest with some kind of flu. It took the wind outta me really suddenly... one day i had a mild fever, 99-point-something, bad enough to make me actually buy a thermometer... I left work a little early and took the bus that day instead of cycling. the next day it was 101.8, then 102.5 ... I did go doctor, he gave me antibiotics to prevent pneumonia, because apparently this infection often settles in the chest. today is my first fever-free day. so that was five days of fever and misery from that.

the worst thing, though, in my opinion, is that my mouth is full of ulcers, one of the worst being right on the underside of my tongue (it's like an amalgamation of five different ones) which makes eating and drinking painful, so i'm really hungry but not really able to eat. of course from the fever I wasn't eating due to nausea and fatigue. so now I'm definitely starved and dehydrated which is preventing recovery.

i did make chicken soup and am making more right now (from scratch, not that hard, just boil a chicken for 3 hours and then separate the bones and skin from the meat). eating things like mashed bananas. i can't chew is the problem.

I've been kinda hibernating for the winter activity - wise... I screwed up my right knee somehow so i haven't even been on the bike very much either. i just have had this massive headache for like a week so i can't think or see straight.

suffice to say this blog isn't gonna die so easily. just be on hiatus for a while maybe while i heal up.


peace