Earth keeps on spinnin'

We are in like Flynn. Owen and I are renting an adorable cottage in Old Southeast. Smack between the ghetto and the fancy houses... hence the affordable rent. We have a HUGE backyard that I hope to fill with my friends sometime soon (the puppies already adore it), as well as several tire swings and a clothesline as I love my freshly hung laundry. Things between us are tense, as we're dealing with condensing our life from a 3 bedroom house to a one bedroom cottage. I'm not home as much as I used to be, considering how much I'm on my bike and all the new friends that I've made. He rushed the move because of his parents and because of that I wasn't able to pull my own weight with some of the tasks (previous engagements and whatnot). It put some strain on us, but we've been through worse. At this stage in the game it's nice to have enough self-confidence, self-sufficience, and self-worth to not freak out at every argument. If my world comes crashing down, I know I'm fully capable of picking it up and putting it back together again. I get by with a little help from my friends...

I've been riding my bike at least 3 times a week at 10+ miles per ride, which was the goal that I had set for myself. Yay for accomplishments! Pam and I had a casual ride to Gulfport on Thursday and a speedy north loop on Friday. On Sunday Britt joined us for the Skirts long ride out to Seminole. The ride was a breeze and the pace was wonderful. We even caught the boys coming back from their trail ride (the conversation was akin to a middle school dance. Lots of "uhh" and "uhmmm", boys on one side, girls on the other, et cetera). Not to mention that the weather is perfect for cycling. Having a nice refreshing jump in the Tinnen's pool post-ride didn't hurt either! We even snuck in a little playground action on the way back.

We're at it again this Sunday, and hopefully we'll get past Seminole this time. Goal is to be able to make it to my parents house in Port Richey and back before the end of the year. I think we've got it in us. I've improved a lot over the past month, and there are several girls that inspire me to jump on my bike and beat the shit out of myself each and every day. Don't know what I'd do without them.