Current River

At the beginning! I do believe that's where we went in on the left.

I want to ride my bicycle

Hiking Buddy got a bike for his b-day.  After squishing my misplaced jealousy down, I realized I have a bike too. We can ride bikes together.  YAY!

Hiking Buddy has been riding everyday since he got it.  He mentioned that initially he was a little wobbly.  I shrugged it off.

Then I remembered something.  I haven't ridden a bike since before I got Jake.  I actually thought about it and was like I don't think I've ridden that bike at all.  Depression can do that to you.

I was like...I'm old.  I'm going to get on the bike and then I'll fall.  And die of humiliation.  So I had this brilliant idea to ride it.  NOW.  I'm in my pjs with my tennis shoes on.  Yeah.  Doing this in the dark was the way to go.

Wobbly doesn't even cover it.  I forgot how to stop.  I have no idea how to use the grip shifts.

This is going to be interesting.  And frightening.

Canoe Trip

Hiking Buddy's B-Day was yesterday.  I had to work today and Hiking Buddy actually likes his family and wants to spend time with them.  So I arranged an early b-day present for him.  Hiking Buddy really likes canoeing, but taking Hiking Buddy's canoe out is rather difficult.  Hiking Buddy is tall and I'm short.  Getting his canoe on his Yukon is work.  I've also discovered that Yukons don't get good gas milage.  Yukons with canoes on them have even worse milage.  Then there's the other problem.  If Hiking Buddy and I go down a river, how are we supposed to get back to the Yukon?  He said something about paddling upstream....  That sounded like work...not fun.

So I had the brilliant idea of going on a float trip for his b-day.  He kept mentioning someplace called Eminence.  Needless to say, I got the hint.

I have to say, before I met Hiking Buddy, I was absolutely terrified of canoeing.  Previously, every time I had gone canoeing I ended up in the water.  Not on purpose either.  The last time I went on a float trip, I nearly died.  The canoe flipped over and I ended up with my legs pinned under a log.  I remember the water rushing over me and people yelling at me to get out from under the canoe...  <shudder>

Anyway.  I had been canoeing with Hiking Buddy and nothing bad had happened.  Other than no water in the lake.

So I get Hiking Buddy up and out of the house and we get to the canoe place in time.  I get the snacks and drinks out of the car and he's like do we need all that?  No...we can leave your food...  It all came with.  We get everything tied up in the canoe and off we go.  We make it about 20 feet and get stuck on a rock.  And I'm in the water.  And there goes the sunscreen.  And the Powerade.  Some nice guy helped Hiking Buddy unswamp the canoe.  I'm pretty useless.

Hiking Buddy then had an awesome idea.  I should be in the back.  Steering.  That lasted all of 15 feet. Probably because I have no idea what I'm doing.

So we are floating along.  We get stuck in a whirlpool.  We get turned around.  We find the sunscreen! The southern part of Missouri is in a drought.  The river, although spring fed, is really low.  So we are trying to find the deepest part without obstacles.  At one point we decide to go left.  I don't remember what happened next.  I was wet.  The sunscreen was floating away.  And the paddle.  We need the paddle.  I start chasing it.  The river's current is really strong and pushing me.  I lose my balance and fall in and end up swimming.  I get the paddle.  Now I have to get back to the canoe.  Except I can't manage it.  I was about to call for Hiking Buddy but then the life jacket floated by and I grabbed it and it was all okay.  I did spend the next 15 minutes shaking.  I don't know if it was from fear or the cold water....  We lost sunscreen and a bottle of propel.    I stuck my hand in pocket and realized that my little point and shoot camera is there instead of in the waterproof otter box.  The camera is a loss...

So we continue after a snack break.  I'm starting to get the hang of it.  Things really go better after we pass a spring that is putting lots of water into the river.  The river deepens and there seems to be less obstacles.  And I start having FUN!

It was totally awesome.  I'm trying to convince Hiking Buddy we should go again for my b-day.  I'm thinking we should tube and then go visit all the different springs.

GPS

My GPS was stolen out of my car.  I'm perplexed though because nothing else was taken.  Not the 2 camera lenses, the camera, the cell phone or the 6 CDs.  I'm glad nothing else was stolen,  it is just bizarre.

I'm more upset because Hiking Buddy gave me the GPS for my birthday.  His address was my first favorite.  Hiking Buddy and I went on a great many adventures with that GPS.

Lucky for me, I bought my dad a GPS with lifetime maps and traffic for Christmas.  He refuses to use it.  Guess who's using it now ;)

Not a good day

is in store when you wake up at 5 am in the middle of a panic attack.

Unreal

I was so happy on Monday morning.  I was going to blog about the canoe trip and all the fun I had over the weekend with Hiking Buddy.

Then Monday afternoon happened.  And everything came crashing down.

I feel like a total and complete failure.  I feel totally useless.

I look at job openings and I'm just like I don't have any of these skills.

I thought things were finally going to get better.

Things will never get better for me.

It's unreal.

Tyranny

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their consciences.” –C.S. Lewis”