New Year New Blogger Resolution

I am not one to make lofty resolutions, why set yourself up for disappointment? This year my goal is to keep you all updated on a more regular basis via my blog. My life has been such a journey last year, but that's all in the past. Upward and onward.
First thing on this years agenda....throw out all dressings on the refrigerator door with expiration dates before the year 2007. Baby steps.

Flash Forward

      Two years ago I headed down south to a sleepy little town called Apalachicola.  It is a quaint place in Florida's panhandle, that reminded me a lot of Oxford on the eastern shore of Maryland.  I was helping a friend move after a divorce, and I had a few wounds of my own that needed time and distance to heal.  During my month down there I meet a lot of people.  One was a gallery owner and we hit it off instantly.  Go figure... me and someone artistic becoming friends.  Well, her gallery manager is expecting, so I got a call.  How would I like to fill in at "The Green Door" during her maternity leave?   Let's think....YES!!!!
       The Green Door is an eclectic mix of gallery, furnishings and retail.  I will fit in perfectly.  Check out their website www.amysgreendoor.com.
        Before giving a definite answer  I had a few bases to cover.  Home being the most important.  I needed to talk it over with Tom.  After discussing the pros and cons, we agreed that our relationship could weather the time apart.  Tom really gets me.  He said, "Terry if I say no, I don't want you to go, I would be holding you back from something you really want to do.  If I say," yeah, go ahead" then I sound like I don't care". "I'm kind of in between a rock and a hard place".  In the end he let me make my own decision, and I can't tell you how much that meant to me. 
        Two weeks after making my decision to head south, I got a call from a gallery owner  in Annapolis, Liz Lind Editions, would I like to come work for her.  I worked the month of August for her, but alas the dye is cast.  I leave for Apalachicola Wednesday, September 5th, returning sometime in November.   It's a nice feeling... to be wanted.

One Man Down

After the day on the lake and arriving at our beautiful little casa I am a little hesitant to get on the bike for our "gentle rolling hill" bike, but I gear up and expect the worse.   It was actually the best ride of the trip.  It was about 7 miles to a great little coffee spot and then 7 miles back.  There were a few sharp turns and gravel roads, but all and all a very pleasant ride, for me anyway.  After coffee Tom and I headed back, because after a full day I like to try to grab a nap before dinner.  We made it back in no time and decided to sit by the pool and wait for the others.

                     About 10 minutes later Sandy come riding up on the back of  a motorcycle, and I am secretly envious that she has come up with such a great plan to avoid any further hills.  She gets off very slowly and we find out that she had a bad spill on the sharp turn where the loose gravel was.  Later we came to learn she broke 2 ribs.  Her husband Paul, who is an orthopedic surgeon, thought the best course of action would be not to go to a Central American hospital, they don't do much for broken ribs anyway.  Needless to say that was the end of  Sandy's riding, and again I am a little envious.

Great Little Cabanas

Another perk of these trip are the places we stay in.  They are always clean and unique in style.  After the day on Lake Arenal we are dropped at the edge of a path that leads us to our next little place in Paradise.   We each have our own little casa facing the lake.  Just sitting out on our veranda is worth the price of this whole trip.  The view is spectacular,  once again photos do not do justice.

Not Just A Bike Trip

   One of the nice things about these organized bike trips is they do all the planning.  It is not just ride from point A to B.  On day 3 they have planned a boat ride on Lake Arenal, but not before an uphill climb on the bike.  Nothing comes easy, after the climb up we need to walk down about 1/4 mile to where our boat awaits.  This is Sandy being assisted down the loose gravel road.  Once on the boat we are treated to a grilled lunch of chicken, baked potato, garden salad and flan for dessert.  It was a lovely setting and the food was delish.  Somehow food always taste better when you've worked for it.

Gentle Rolling Hills

        Before I continue on my whining spree I just need to give you my description of gentle rolling hills.  They are small or medium slopes in the road.  The kind that going down one hill takes you 3/4 of the way up the next hill.  If you every get on a 5 mile stretch of this kind of road it is a bikers dream, unless of course there is no shoulder and you are passed by semi's and RV's all day.  On day 2 we take a different direction up the same volcano. 
     Around mile 5 we stop at a local farmer's  that our guide knows personally.  I am now of the mind set, anything to get off the bike is okay by me. This is how you see our bikes arranged at such a stop.  My only hope is my bike is gone before the first climb.

 The fruit was delicious.  The papaya was so fresh, but I guess that's because it was right off the vine.  We drank coconut milk out of the shell.  Now for those of you who have never had coconut milk aside from in a pina colada, it is sweet.  Sickening sweet to be precise.
Our gracious host thought it best for each of us to have our own coconut.  I only took a small sip and gave a big "Yummy", Tom on the other hand drank like it was elixir of the gods.

    

Meet the Gang

       This is a very small group compared to the other bike trips I have been on.  That probably should have been my first clue.  From left to right we have Les, a landscaper from San Francisco, Sandy a devote J.A.P., me, I guess the high tops were a dead give away, Tom, no description necessary and Paul, an orthopedic surgeon and Sandy's husband.  
       Our first day, only 18 miles, starts at the base of the Arenal Volcano region.  Starting at the base of anything should have been my 2nd clue.
 

        .  Our first stop is Iguanaville, for obvious reasons.   Tourist are brought here by the bus loads to snap photo after photo of these prehistoric creatures.  I know this because this is my 3rd visit on 3 separate trips to this location, albeit never in a bus.  It really is amazing to see thousands of these beauty's just lounge on the tree branches.  It is not the stop for the reptile squeamish.
          After about 10 minute of oohing and awing we are off to start our first climb.  Did I mention this is only an 18 mile ride?  18 miles is something I can usually do before breakfast, not so much if it's all uphill.   By about mile 5 with an 8percent grade I am not happy.  Sandy is still on her bike, so I'm not stopping.  By mile 5.5 Sandy is walking her bike uphill and I am in granny gear (the lowest) barely moving.  Mile 7 Sandy calls it quits and I thank Baby Jesus that she has stopped.  I ride maybe another inch before I follow suit.  We get in the support van and proceed to tell each other all the things wrong with our bikes.  I drink a gallon of water and just hope that my face is not confused with a tomato to be used on anybodys lunch.  So much for gentle rolling hills.

Latest Bike Adventure

      One of the toughest parts about not keeping up with your blog is having to go back in your calendar to see what it is you've done.   That's right, I'm at the age where short term memory is shot.
So bear with me as I take you back in time, February 2012 to Costa Rica and my latest bike adventure.

         This is not my first trip to this part of Central America,  it is actually my 5th.  I always knew the bike company I travel with offered a bike trip through Cost Rica, but I also knew the terrain was very hilly with no shoulders and the drivers were all Indy 500 want-to-be's.  After reading the description in the brochure, rolling hills and a ranking of 201, I book it figuring we must be riding an entirely different part of the country.  I usually ride 301 tours, so this should be no problem.  This is also Tom's introduction to a biking vacation.  Oh boy, are we in for a surprise.

I'mmmm Baaaccckkk!

It has been so long since my last post (6 months), that the entire site has been revamped.  Now I pride myself on being someone who thrives on change, but when it come to techy things, not so much.  I am probably the only person alive that considers blogging "techy", but then again I still don't own a cell phone.   Not to worry... I will work my way threw the changes because my 3 followers have let me know that I have been missed.   It's gives me a fuzzy feeling to know there are those of you who are actually interested in what is going on in my life.  Thank you Sara, Rachel and Curtis.  So go fix yourself a beverage of choice, sit back and enjoy the ride, or curl up with great sleeping material.