As fascinating as the intricacies of the coagulation cascade and the distinguishing features of the different types of anemias, leukemias, and lymphomas are, I find my mind wandering, my legs searching for any excuse to do anything but sit, and my browser mysteriously switching to Facebook or Pinterest for an unexpected “study break.” For me, this time usually comes on Friday afternoon.
#isitnarcissisticofmetoquotemyself? #probably #sorrynotsorry 😛
Sometimes I just get too busy living life to remember to blog. Which maybe isn’t a bad thing. Except then I feel (selfishly) guilty because if I don’t write about what’s going on in my life I just won’t remember all of the important, awesome things and feelings in the future. So here’s the first in a series of posts that is a sad attempt at recapping the last month or so of my life…mostly for my own benefit (and with retroactive dating of blog posts for organizational purposes). 🙂
The affordable housing cause will always be one near and dear to my heart. I mean, I did devote an entire summer and eight months prior to that preparing to and actually biking across the country to it. And yes, as easily as that rolls off the tongue, I’ve learned to selectively either a) censor that part of my life, or b) say it so quickly and nonchalantly that as I continue on with the relevant story requiring the “biking across the country” backstory the person I’m talking to might barely hear it and juuuuust miss it.
Save for making donations on behalf of riders to Bike & Build, buying some furniture from the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in my hometown of Columbia, Maryland (which I highly recommend checking out in your city if you’re in the market for some cheap, used furniture!), and a solitary day with Habitat for Humanity of the Capital District helping Schoharie County homeowners in the aftermath of the devastating floods in 2012, I haven’t been too active in the AH network. I’ve always struggled (and have a strong feeling will continue to struggle) with trying to figure out where and how to direct my attention, time, and money when there are so many people and causes that are in need of help, but when a former Bike & Build SC2SC13 alum, Alicia, reached out to me about the revival of Habitat of the Capital District’s Tour de Habitat last spring, I knew I wanted to participate.
Alicia, the Community Outreach Manager at Habitat of the CD, and I bumped into each other on my birthday last year at the Lion’s Park section of the Mohawk-Hudson Bike Path. I was with three friends on a birthday bike ride (because really, what is a birthday without some bikes?!) and I could spot that B&B jersey from a mile away. We did the awkward yet standard “OMGYOUDIDBIKEANDBUILDWANNARIDEBIKES” exchange but never actually rode together.
Me and Alicia after the 50 mile ride!
The Tour de Habitat used to be an annual event, but it took a hiatus after 2011. Through Alicia’s hard work, the event came back with a vengeance this year offering rides ranging from 10 to 100 miles and raising over $10,100 for Habitat of the CD! I had an awesome time on the 50 mile ride throughout the Capital District (pretty cool that we were riding right in the areas that our fundraising would directly impact) and was thoroughly impressed with how well the course was marked the entire way. (I lost my cue sheet at mile 10, so, yeah…). I am trying to be better about doing things I want to do even if I can’t find a friend who will join me, and I even made a new biker friend, Sarah, and had a great time chatting with her and her family and friends at the after party at Druther’s post-ride.
The day was perfect, and I look forward to participating in future Tour de Habitats! With the success of this inaugural-ish event, I know it will only get bigger and bigger in years to come.
Sarah and me at the post-ride after party at Druther’s!
Meghan'sMind 