A good day

I'm in a great mood, and so far everything is falling into place today. Well, not everything. The day started with Belly biting me on the nose. He can go from cuddle to chomp without pausing, and always while I'm lying in bed half asleep. That's just not a great way to become fully awake.

But since then, all has gone well. I picked the first ripe tomato, finally, probably setting a record for the latest first tomato since I've been gardening here. But there are others on the vines starting to show a little color now, too, and plenty of large green ones coming up behind them. And the first tomato of the season is always cause for joy.

I had a meeting at campaign headquarters, which is awkwardly located in an industrial part of town. Google Maps, doubtlessly misled by the presence of meaningless sharrows on the street, tried to route me and my bicycle down 1st, a very busy and cranky street. I've ridden it before and have no desire to do it again without some actual supportive infrastructure. So I thought I might have to bus or take a zipcar. But then I realized I could approach the building from a different angle, riding up over Beacon Hill (for those who know Seattle), and that proved to be a very sane and enjoyable route. Only a little climbing to get there, and a fair amount of downhill to leave me exhilarated as I arrived early for my meeting. Long, sometimes steep climbs on the way home, but then, home is where the shower is! My meeting went well, but mainly I'm just feeling incredibly satisfied with my ride.

Not the most flattering photo of Sandy, but that was my fault,
as the photographer. This was taken on Whidbey Island in
summer 2009. A different vacation home than our usual
cabin, and an adventure because we left the car behind and
took only our bikes on the ferry to the island. That was
definitely a trip that involved a lot of lists!

And then I dipped into more logistical preparations for this weekend's long ride to Vancouver, B.C. I'm nervous about the weather forecast for our hottest weekend of the year so far, but I'm getting pretty psyched about the ride itself. I haven't been out of town since Sandy died, let alone had anything resembling an adventure. And this — this feels like an adventure. Besides, it's an excuse to make lots of lists and plans, and I'm always up for that.

I'm not feeling so alone in the world right now. I'm feeling connected to many friends and family members and colleagues, but mainly I feel connected to Sandy. Sometimes I feel like she's actually here with me; other times, I'm aware that I'm carrying all the memories and experiences we shared. And that makes it easier to move out into the world and create new ones.