I had a blog post written, and I deleted it. It didn’t say anything I haven’t said before. This pandemic is hard. That’s it. It’s hard regardless of who you are and where you live. And staying angry about people who can’t follow recommendations or refuse to get the vaccine is wasted energy.

Instead here’s what’s happening these days:

• Marc is recovering well from the bike/car accident. He’s back on the trainer and back at work. And yes, he’s taking it easy. A big thank you for calling, emailing, texting, and messaging – we really appreciate it.
• The Ottawa Women’s Cycling Club is booming – last count we have 82 members. This is so fantastic and I can’t wait until we can organize rides and get people riding together in small groups.
• The Ottawa Women’s Cycling Network is close to reaching 1,000 members! I never imagined this happening. It’s a real treat to read the posts and see people helping, encouraging, and sharing.
• I’ve been swimming – and not in the pool. Not going to lie – that water is cold! But it’s not so bad. In fact it’s exhilarating. And quite addictive. It really is different swimming in cold water, it feels like a totally different sport.
• I miss the pool and swim practices with the Nepean Masters Swim Club. Up until a few weeks ago, I was swimming four days a week and I was finally making some progress. Fingers crossed the pools reopen soon, I still have so much to learn.
• April has been a pretty stellar month for cycling. I’m trying to hold back and not do any long rides yet. I’ve learned the hard way that 100+ km days in April results in cycling burn-out by July.
• I’ve finished all of the Inspector Gamache books and I’m patiently waiting for the next book. I’m not a mystery reader but this series written by Louise Penny has been just what I needed. I started reading this series in 2016 and it became my go-to when I need a total escape.
• I finished watching Formula 1 Drive to Survive season 3. Dang, this is a fascinating program. I know nothing about Formula One racing but this series is something else. Now, I’m waiting for season three of Sunderland ‘Til I Die.
• I borrowed an idea from Austin Kleon and I’ve started a daily log journal. Every day I write a few sentences about the day. It can be whatever I want – my mood, something good, a recap of the day, really whatever I feel like jotting down. I like the freedom of this type of journaling – it takes less than a minute to do, there are no rules, and I’m not trying to write something profound.

And well, that’s about it. Life is really just rolling along and for this I’m thankful.

I miss family and friends. I miss the freedom of spontaneity. I miss restaurants. I miss concerts and museums and art. But I’m also so very lucky and fortunate to miss these things – so many people are missing a whole lot more.

(Obligatory photos since every blog needs a photo or two to help improve the click-rate…. These two photos might suggest a slow building pattern.)