Yet another beautiful Fall day. Work went smoothe - even the emails to schedule job interviews for next week. The job market up here in the DC area seems definately more promising than what I experienced while living in Richmond. I've done my time at the current job - and the three strike policy I have about a job is enforceable. Time to move on. Zero regrets - I will leave on good terms.

I cannot beleive that it's the end of September already. Unsure why time flies the way it does. Maybe it's just my fast pace schedule.

Lately, I get up at 7:00am, do my morning business (prepared the night before - I'm not a morning person), shower, shave, dress, grab some fruit for breakfast, throw a few things in my work bag, grab sunglasses, cell phone, wallet, watch, fetch some coffee (set up the night before), grab my bike work out bag on the way to the car, load car, wipe dew off windows and then sit in traffic for an hour for the 17 miles it takes me to get to work. Then I'm at work from 8:45am until whenever the work is done - fortunately - only about 5:30pm+. If there's not a heavy deadline or an issue of a project that cannot wait until the next day, I go and change into my bike clothes - then teeter down to my car in my bike cleats, take out bike, assemble front tire, check tires, grease chain, align cyclometer, check that I have all my crap for the road - hydration bladder, extra water, blinker on, pump & extra tube in hydration pack, sunglasses, put other bags into car, lock car, put on helmet, bike gloves, stretch, put keys, wallet and cell phone in seat pack...then I'm finally off.

I've got it all down to a quick art. Then I bike for 2 hours. I must be a creature of habit, even if alternating directions each evening - one night, Sterling to East Fall Church and back, the next night Sterling to Hamilton. To this day, even after hundereds of bike rides and thousands of miles on these training rides - I still cannot decide which is a better ride.

After I get back to my car after the ride each night, I repack it all in, change bike shoes to my sandles, squeegee the sweat off my helmet, regrease the chain, take tire off - load bike into car. I'm usually totally relaxed at this point - ready for the less-than-traffic-commute home. Drive home @ 8pm is usually light traffic. So I get home in about 25 minutes, change bike clothes into something comfortable for the night - loose shorts, t-shirt - then make/have dinner. Usually domestic stuff to do - wash bike clothes in woolite, drip dry, fetch the bike clothes from the previous night, re-pack all bike stuff, clean/degrease bike, put out clothes for the next day. I spend most work week evenings working on my various writing, art projects and persuits (lately, job persuits). I'll chat for a few friends and do email for an hour or two - and time to write these blog entries. I then head to bed at around 1am, and fall asleep to the tv on.

After typing this, I find that my simple routine is kinda ... sad, merosely pathetic. I will enroll in a few advanced cooking classes this Fall to give my live a little more diversity - and a chance to meet more people. My social skills need to be honed.

Although I have to admit - the 2 solid hours of therapy on my bike daily is more than worth it. It may be selfish, but I have zero regrets. I am in great shape, I have met many people - great club experience, sense of comraderie. I have enjoyed the flora and fauna of being outside daily, and have many (probably mundane) stories to tell. I am proud of myself that I have been consitent in my training, and have finished three full Centuries (100+ mile bike rides).

Met up with the Reston Bike Club tonight for our thursday training ride - wow...must be Fall...the crowd dwindled - just a handful of us. But it was a sweet 42 miler - lotta quick sprints and drafting - have to do it quick, it's getting dark...

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