My mom used to make us Brussels sprouts, and they were dreadful; bitter and mushy and generally horrid. But then Deb Short made them, and they were amazing. I’m not sure there was anything healthy about them, but I love Brussels sprouts to this day - made however (except the way mom used to make them). It always amazes me how opinions and tastes change and morph as you get older and gain experience.
I’m riding with Ragbrai this week. Our team of 40 is made of employees and friends and family of employees. We've been blessed in so many ways this week - weather, amazing hosts, laughter, music, new friends. So when I was younger (below fifty years of age) I used to think people who did this ride were crazy. Partying all night and drinking like fish and general hell raisers. I couldn’t have been more wrong. First when you are riding 50 to 105 miles a day - you don’t have the energy to party all night. Drinking? I literally drink anything, hop on my bike and it squirts out of my pores. And most of us are way too exhausted to raise any sort of hell, getting out of chair is hard this week.
2022 is a year of refining for me. Refining my space, my life, my outlook and my perspective. I told a couple of people who I am riding with that I would really like to quell my inner bike Karen.* My energy should be coming from grace and appreciation. 500 miles across Iowa gives a guy a chance to think about refining and refueling.
I’m feeling the love. I might even start hugging people.
*I tend to feel the need to vocalize how people should be correctly riding. It’s bicycle road rage. It’s not a pretty look.
