Biking

    Coming down a hill that hits a sharp corner on your very old bike, and finding you have no brakes does two things to you.  One, it makes you value your life, as you know it.  Two, it makes you shop for a new bike.  For my birthday I chose a new bike.  I figured it was worth buying a really nice one, since you only buy 1 or two bikes in your whole life time.  I shopped around and finally chose a nice Trek hybrid.  I kept going up in the line for features that I thought were enough, but not too much for me.  This bike would be my last one. 
    I started really enjoying riding, and kept increasing how far and how long I would ride, 6 miles, 10, 12, and then 20.  My girlfriend invited me to join a group that rides around Stoney Creek, and after a few times riding with them, she announced to me, you are going to buy a used road bike from one of our members.  I tried it, thinking, I can't buy another bike within one year, but I really really liked it, so I did.  The first time we went out, it was like I had wings.  We rode 3 laps around Stoney and did 30 miles, and everyone else had to be done for the day, and I was begging them to go one more with me. 
    In the fall I joined them for a ride up north.  We did 40 miles around Mission Peninsula, and 70 around Leelanau the next day.  The hills that I climbed were unbelievable, and i would never have thought I could do something so challenging, without the push of my group, and my 'new' rode bike.

Spring

    Warm air is finally here along with rain and wind, but no more snow is in sight.  Crocus are blooming with bursts of yellow and purple and blue, giving me hope that life is beginning anew.  Even though parts of life end, spring always encourages me that new life begins every year, and it can be the same for me.  No matter how hard it gets, there is hope for the future.  Sometimes all it takes is a good nights rest.  Other times healing and renewal take weeks.
     For me it has been two years.  Two years of healing, and it is not done yet.  Two years of struggling, physical therapy, emotional highs and lows, lots of tears and pain.  Friends and family have thankfully been a great support, but I want to be well and whole again.  Able to walk with no pain, run a race, and ride into the sunset.  But I have hope, as spring is in the air, and new life is bursting forth. 
 

My generation

  When I was growing up we got this really exciting video game that connected to our tv, color of course, it was mom and dad who had black and white.  You could actually play ping pong on your tv, with these little paddle lines that went up and down.  Next they created this cool game called asteroids, we must have played for at least a half an hour at a time, if mom let us, that is if our homework was done. 
    Today with my kids, they have 3d video games, online games for the computer where they play with and talk to people from around the world.   They play for hours on end, and prefer it to going outside to just play baseball or frisbee or tackle football.  It has stunted the current generations social maturity, by isolating them to their rooms, playing with virtual friends, who they never really meet.  Is technology of this nature really advancing our society, or harming it.  Only time will tell, but I for one, think too much of anything is not good for you.

Greyhound bus disaster

    If you ever decide to travel by Greyhound bus system, beware!  My daughter set out to take a trip up to Saulte St. Marie this weekend, and it was unsuccessful due to the inefficiencies of the company and outdated system.  Apparently when you book a trip online, some tickets may be printed on line, while others cannot for some strange reason.  Hers was one of them.  The rule is then that you must pick up your ticket at the station you are traveling from.  Some stations have automated kiosks, not in her case either. 
    She was traveling from two stations, and read that you must pick up your tickets from the station you are traveling from.  The first station was Southfield and that went fine.   The bus took her to Flint, where she had a two hour layover until the next bus would ferry her up north.  However the ticketing station is closed on Sundays, and she could not get her ticket.   Something, we never expected, but apparently you need to look and make sure they are open when you will be traveling, if you, like my daughter, could not print your tickets online. 
    We contacted the Southfield station and they said that she could have picked up both tickets in their office.  I asked if I could pick up her ticket, and then I would drive it up to Flint so she could be on her way.  The answer was yes, if I could get there in 10 minutes, as the man was about to take his lunch from 2 until 3:15.  Lunch hours which are not posted on line.  He would not wait for me, but I was free to come at 3:15.  Her bus was leaving Flint at 3:20, so that obviously would not work.  The other option was for her to wait and see if the bus driver would accept her reservation number that she had printed out from on line.  She waited and waited and waited with the company of few homeless men who kept harassing her, while they stayed warm in the station.  The bus driver said no.  So we drove up to Flint and picked her up.
    Now comes the refund policy.  You must write to their Dallas office and wait for a reply.  She wrote a letter that I am sure involved much emotion at this point, and rebooked a trip for the next day.  Today is her trip.  I can only hope all goes well today, now that we know their rules.

How do you experience writing in a digital context?

    Writing is a slightly different experience in digital context, as opposed to traditional pen and paper.  For one thing you must have access to technology with a connection and power.  Print media, you can take with you wherever you go, and do not have to rely on a battery or wifi.  These limitations are being narrowed however, as computers have evolved to convenient portable devices such as laptops, I-phones, and pads.  Internet connections are being made available on a wider basis all the time, in restaurants and public places. 
    One advantage the digital has is that you can change the font to a bigger size that is easier to read, important for those of us with challenged eyes.  Another advantage to digital writing is the editing capabilities.  You can save each version and continue working on them.  Spell check also makes it faster to write, as you can just let the words pour forth, and correct later.  It makes one wonder, how did they ever get by with pen and paper, or the now unproduced typewriter.

Narrative/Descriptive Post

    The lights went out and what was once a wonderfully amazing place to be in, suddenly became hauntingly quiet and eerie.  The back door creaked to a close with a banging sound that had such finality to it, would I be stuck in this foreboding place forever? 
    My grandfather lived in southern Illinois, in a small community, that did boast of having a Wal-Mart however.  The economy of the town was depressed though, and several people ended up destitute and poor.  So he decided to set up and run a rescue mission to reach out to those in need financially, emotionally, physically and spiritually.  In the old building by the railroad tracks, there was a part that was dedicated to housing the indigent and those that were too plain drunk go home for the night.
    The other part of the building was a store, where people dropped off their castoffs and unwanted items for resale, that helped to fund the mission.  It was in this dated old store that my traumatic experience took place.  I was visiting my grandfather and he took me to work that day and let me play in the store, and even get an ice cold coke out of the vending machine.  There was a particular toy that I was enjoying playing with, so I asked him , flashing him my cute look, if he would buy it for me, and he told me no.  I was devastated.  It only cost a quarter and I did not think that an exorbitant amount to spend on your favorite granddaughter.  So I sat there and played with it under the clothes shelf.  Until he closed the store without realizing that I was still in it.
    I ran to the back door and banged on it, hoping for some form of rescue.  It seemed to take a lifetime, until someone finally heard my cries and pleas for help, and unlocked the door that had imprisoned me.  In reality it was probably only 5 minutes, but little girls with big imaginations can picture lots of scary things in the dark of that old store engulfing them, until grandpa finally came to the rescue.

discovering a writing topic

Today we get to free write about anything that might lead to a topic to write about later.  Job related or otherwise.  I have had soo many jobs.  Starting with Baskin Robbins, an awesome job where we ate probably more than we sold.  Then at the hospital, as a unit secretary.  I worked at St. Johns, then Saratoga, then back to St. Johns.  I liked the job fine, and would go back to working in a hospital if it was neccesary.  But then I got my dream job as a photographer at Detroit Edison.  I was forced to quit after I got married, and later learned that it was a trend, that they did to women.  Illegal, immoral, unethical, and a lawsuit was brought forth, and won, by many women.  I wish I would have known, I would have gotten in.  I then worked as a color printer at a photolab.  Then assisant manager at another photo lab.  Then I had my first child and quit work.  I was welcome to come back and work part time at the first lab and did so when they needed extra help.  My second child was born, and I did not return to work until she was in school.  Then I did tupperware for a while, then the quilt shop.  That was fun.  Didn't make much money, until I started teaching classes.  But I learned so much and it was creative and fun.  Sometimes I wanted to become a quilt author and lecturer, and travel.  It would not have worked well with my husband though, he would not have been able to support that and deal with kids, because he self employed and worked so many hours.  Too many hours.  I could so have done that.  I am good with an audience, and public speaking.  I've been told many times how funny I am before and audience.  Maybe I should have been a comedian.  I do like to go out on the edge with things I say, and they get me in trouble.  But thats the fun of it!  And you can apologize later.  My mother always told me to be careful what I say, because you can never take it back, and that holds me back.  Maybe that's a good thing though.  I managed sewing stores for about 10 years, and now that field is gone. 
     Now I am trying to reinvent myself.  I have managed to get my associates degree, so that is a start.  Currently I am working on my bachelors.  I was very discouraged to learn that not many of my credits transfered to several colleges that I applied to.  But I found the program I want at Oakland University, so I am pressing forward anyway.  They did apply two of my classes towards theirs, upon my written request, sot that is slightly helpful.  My counselor there had advised me to do that.  But what I do not understand is why OCC does not lineup their course requirements for an associates to that of the likely colleges around here that students will transfer to.  Eastern also did not take that many classes as transfers towards my major.  It makes most of my associates classes feel like a waste of time.  But at least I did have to pay for them.  I am also looking for grants for my bachelors.  I need funding to continue.  If only I could see the future and know it will all work out, and I will obtain employement in the field I am seeking.  I do not want to waste time.