Independence Day

 

On July 4th, I declared my Independence from fat (okay, totally kidding) and did an 80-mile bike ride.  While that may seem like a feat, I am honestly upset that it wasn't 100.  That is my goal.  A century.  By the end of the summer.

 

There were sweet rewards along the way and at the end.

 

 

 

548.  That my legs were strong enough to push 80 miles
549.  That my willpower did not give out on me
550.  That I knew my final destination well enough to get around to where I needed to go
551.  Getting back in time to have dinner with my family
552.  Steak on the grill with just enough seasonings
553.  Plenty of stops for bathrooms and drinking fountains

554.  Protein bars
555. The money to pay for my delicious meal
556.  "I love Tim Horton's"--the words I uttered to the cashier


557.  A slight reprieve from a long bike ride
558.  Doing this alone=time to think and pray
559.  My friend, who just completed her first Ironman Sat., offering to go with me
560.  My newfound cyclist friend almost being right...I did mostly stay dry
561.  The entire trip being on a trailway
562.  No flat tires
563.  The time to actually have done this
564.  The invention of clip pedals and cycling shoes

 

Followed by a wonderful steak dinner with the family and a dry fireworks show (565).  (P.S.  Did you know the quality ones have blues in them, because that is a hard color to replicate in fire?  We had a quality fireworks show (566)...I think.  Do the upside down smiley faces count?)

 The sky cleared off to make an amazing and gorgeous night (567).

 

 

 

568.  Chinese lanterns while we were waiting on the show

569.  Getting a good seat and getting out of lot quickly to avoid traffic

570.  Having a little anonymity in the community

571.  Not having PTSD triggered by the fireworks

572.  The Magic Jacket of Inspiration

573.  The ability to still do cartwheels

574.  My mom claiming she didn't know us, but then sitting next to us anyway

575.  The freedom that I have to live in a country that has rules and laws that are most abided by (I know this sounds naïve...I was drinking out of a disappearing Civil Liberties mug on July 4...it is just better than some nations)

576.  The people who have sacrificed life, limbs, and their own freedom for mine

577.  The fact that our nation, in general, has began to revere veterans in a much better way than we have previously.

578.  Our founding father's vision

579.  That there were people who were brave enough to set foot on a boat and travel to an unknown land

580.  That at least a few settlers survived those first few, harsh winters

581.  Pocahontas and the other Native Americans who had shown mercy and compassion on us

582.  The Boston Tea Party

583.  The American Revolution

584.  The Emancipation Proclamation

585.  That the north won the war (I am from Indiana and will always believe this)

586.  The abolition of segregation (I just finished reading The Help and have a lot of thoughts on this...for a later date.)

587.  That I have learned to be culturally sensitive as a way to combat the heinous ways races have treated one another in this country

588.  The freedom to practice whatever religion I choose (I just finished reading A Thousand Splendid Suns today and have lots of other thoughts on this and the many other things on this list)

589.  That I am able to go out without the company of a man (see #584)

590.  That I can have a job without the fear of being beaten (against see #584)

591.  That I don't have to be in an arranged marriage, to rely off someone else for my survival (588), or put up with someone hurting me (589)  (again, see #584)

592.  That my own ancestors migrated here generations ago so that I can be born in the richest country in the world.

 

I went home and packed for vacation, but still have so much stress.  Do I pack the clothes I like or not like?  Do I worry about extra shoes?  If the airline loses my bag again, will I have backup clothes?  Will I be upset if this suitcase is lost?  Oh, First World problems.  How you baffle me.