Oh For The Love Of Coffee And Fresh Bread

With it being sooo hot this summer, I have opted out of drinking sooo much coffee. My one to two cups a day at home has passed. I did not experience a headache as I thought that I did if I missed out on a coffee. So all those times I linked those two things together it probably should have been linked to the pressure in the air changing. I still drink coffee, but instead of 1-3 coffees a day it is about that amount in a week. I just really enjoy the flavour of this tasty black liquid at it's freshest might I add. No old coffee here please :). So I'm guessing that during the winter months I love to have my coffee and then I can easily do without aside from the occasional craving. What goes great with coffee, well lots of things, but I'm going with something that can be had whenever...bread.

I really like bread as it is so versatile and can be used for any meal you chose. I just had a sandwich on really fresh bread. So fresh, that when you bite it the bread is cut looking from your teeth marks. I love it when it does this, it is sooo soft that there is no effort to tear the bread and it just seems to make the goodies inside taste that much better.

So there you have it two of my favourite things :)...there are many more of course.

I did it!

I made it up a hill today! It was a tough go, I stood up for a minute too to keep going, though I'm still wobbly when standing. Oh and my gears are frustrating me...is there a reason why they decide to take 15 minutes or longer to do the last click onto the right gear? It seldom makes the switch all at once...is this normal? This might be why the last bike rarely had it's gears changed.

10K!

I am very grateful for friends who take time out for me in their very busy schedule. Today I went biking with two people who have become friends over the last 6 years...Charlie McCordic who was my faculty adviser and his lovely wife. I love these two as though they are family. So we biked a beautiful trail today, which was quite the treat to my hilly neighbourhood. While riding along, the husband noted that my knees were coming up to my ears and that my seat should be adjusted. I assumed it was perfect all along. So we stopped and he re-adjusted it for me. He stated that there would be less strain on my knees with having my seat higher and he was right. I was getting tired after just five minutes and then my seat was adjusted. So 1K later once my seat was adjusted we kept going, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. I honestly didn't think that it was that long, but was. At this point we figured out what we wanted to do. We could bike back and then go for lunch somewhere or we ladies could keep going and he would go back to the car and drive on up to the restaurant that was around the 10K mark. So we did the latter, it certainly didn't seem like it was 10K, it was the perfect day to go for a ride like this. It was much cooler than it had been in probably over a month! However, I now realize and see the benefit of a few key things to have for my new bike and will work on doing these things. A new seat is going to be top priority as the seat that bikes come with are not made for comfort lol. Then repair kits and air pumps will be important to get as well to help with the maintenance of keeping my bike in good shape and continuously ride able.

Solution, Solutions, Solution

It has been an incredible journey over the last two months plus some. If you have missed it I took a giant leap of faith back in May and quit my job due to certain circumstances that I could no longer tolerate after nearly two years of working there. I had no job to fall back on, but had been looking. I had full peace and confidence through that initial step, but that wavered once more of my faith was put to the test. I didn't understand why God would give me such a peace about leaving a secure job (though it paid poorly), but take sooo long in supplying a job. I was unemployed for a full month which obviously means I had no income for that period of time. No groceries were affordable during this time. However God did do some amazing things and blessed me greatly.

Some special people (who are unknown to me as to who gave it), gave me monetary gifts and gift cards to make life that much easier and in doing so, made me feel very loved. This happened on four different occasions. Plus over my birthday weekend my parents blessed me with a new bike and some groceries. The new bike was something that I wanted for a while, but it will also save me some money in the long run with saving on some bus rides. Friends spoiled me with a picnic in the park where we played some card games, then later Croquet and a pizza dinner and leftover cake from the picnic with ice cream. Actually during this time I have really had a great time hanging out with a lot of different people and truly loved every minute of it.

After a month of not working, and having several interviews I was finally called and offered a job at Solutions - Your Organized Living Store for a part time position. I am no fool and knew I needed something, anything. I have always liked this store from the moment I walked into it for the first time. It is clean, organized, and has things for sale in there that you cannot find in most places. They have solutions to almost any problem and if they don't have it, the associates will come up with something to help you solve it or direct you to where you can find your solution. They even have custom closest designs and custom shelving units that you can put together yourself. Nothing is too complicated to put together yourself.

Well God was at work while I was at Solutions. This past Tuesday while I was playing volleyball I got a text message, and email from my old assistant manager. She indicated that circumstances changed and she wanted to know if I would like to come back. I didn't think about it too long, as I knew that it would be different this time, but yet that I know the work well. So after about an hour of discussing things with the old assistant I decided to go for it. I talked to my current manager the next day at work and she seemed very understanding.

So I can say that things changed in a quick 24 hour period. I fully believe that God provided a solution at Solutions, until a solution could be made. All glory is due him and again it has been shown that he will provide and that he is watching all things and working out all things for those that love Him.

A Bumpy Ride

So yesterday I came up with a wonderful idea, to ride my bike to a local park in the morning and have a picnic breakfast and devotional time. It was wonderful for the most part. The journey there and back required me to ride along a main road, which is fine when the road is nice and smooth and free of debris. However, there were sooo many potholes and things on the side of the road it makes one want to ride along the bumpy sidewalk instead. I'm sure I'll feel that particular ride tomorrow, but I plan to make that same trip tomorrow to do it all again. I did not make it up the entire hill that I had to climb on the way back likely because of the heat, I was just too hot and exhausted to even try harder to make it to the top. Hopefully by leaving earlier tomorrow morning I will be able to attempt that hill once more and make it up, and continue to do so from them on.

Second and third Adventure

So in attempt to ride my new bike every day, I went out the second day. It was a much shorter ride than I planned due to the fact that I'm not used to a tiny little seat under the bottom. So needless to say my bottom was a bit tender haha. So it was much shorter due to that and the battle with hills is still an issue. I came back home a different way and I guess the hill is a bit steeper as I had to get off and walked the bike up the hill. This also happened today as well. I wanted to ride my bike to volleyball, but had to walk the bike up one hill entirely, but the hill to the church was 3/4 of the way up before I couldn't do it anymore. On the way home I managed to barely make it up the one hill I had to go up, but did it nonetheless. I might ride it to church tomorrow night or at least go for a ride before going to church for the prayer meeting.

Bike Tales #1

So my parents (Mom and Step dad) came up to go out for dinner this Saturday(yesterday). At first I was supposed to meet them at the restaurant of choice, but then they called me and told me to go home. They were running a bit late as they had to turn around, plus they had fridge stuff for me. So I took the bus half way home and walked the other half. My parents got to my house before I did, but I was just down the street. So they came and met me in front of my house gave me hugs and my mom told me to read the card "right now". So I was obedient for a change ;-p and read it there lol. Inside the card was a key and I looked at it for a solid minute before figuring out what it was. Then I said "Biiicycllle?" My Mom wasn't expecting that I don't think. So then they opened up the back of the van and there laid a bike! A brand new bike. Along with a helmet and lock...however, they also got another necessity covered and I didn't see it until in the house...or just outside (can't remember, I was so excited) a horn that sounds like what you would hear from a clown.

This surely made me smile and I will keep it. I'm sure many heads will turn and be surprised to see an adult behind them lol.

Today I took the bike out for a drive. I have not ridden a bike in over ten years and I live in a very hilly section of town! This is hard for someone starting all over again, but none the less it was fun that is until I hurt myself lol. I decided to fiddle with the gears a bit, but they do not move smoothly and I guess I forgot that part. My foot slid and the back of my heel is all gouged up already. I will have to work on that and my steadiness...I was weaving all over the place and was not steady enough to try standing to pedal just yet. I know I will get there though so I'm not worried. Since it is July 1st I think I'll aim to start riding everyday even if it is only for 15 minutes and work my way up. Eventually riding to work come August (save on a bus pass), then hitting the trails on my days off in August.

More bike tales to come I'm sure :)