Well, maybe not what some expect. But for no good reason I am interested in this bike. Not sure why I want this, but it is a good price and looks to be a nice bike. For now my road bike is fine, but for some reason I'm interested in a new one. For the record, the bike is the allant
The Soho is also interesting. It is about twice the price, but has a belt drive system and internal gear hub on the rear.
So today I had some time during the kids naps to play with my bike. Noticed I had two teeth broken on the front middle gear. All the other gears were starting to show a little bit of wear. I lubed it and tuned the derailleurs. Not very good at it yet, it took me some time and I'm not sure if I even improved anything.
But back to the trek bike. Looks nice right? I think a lot of the temptation is fenders. I looked and asked around and it seems my bike won't fit any fenders. I'm not even sure if I need fenders. I don't really plan to ride in the rain. I also like the idea of having a rack on the back, but again I don't know if I would even use it. I think the only valid desire for it is a more comfortable ride.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Still learning
Eternal Perspective
This is what I've been looking at this week for DFL. Matthew 6:33 is the memory verse, but you need the verses before it to understand what "these things" are. Luke 6:20-24 I believe is the passage we are looking at. I think this has really helped me to endure the difficulty of getting a driver's license. I think without studying this so recently I would have been annoyed by the tag agency server crashing when I try to renew my license.
Bike Care
I do not maintain my bike properly. I need to invest in some cleaner/lubricant for my bike and be better about it. Probably should do something for my car too, it is more expensive though.
Bike clothing
I'm still trying to figure out why my arms get so hot and sweaty. my hands get cold, but that is fixed with heavy gloves, my torso has the wind to cool it off, but my arms just sit there being hot. Maybe I just need to not wear the long sleeve under the jacket. I think this stuff will be worked out over time.
Marriage
I can do better. It sounds better in my head. Let me try rephrasing that... "I can do more for my marriage." That sounds better right? My marriage is great, but it can still be improved. I think a lot of that requires the eternal perspective. I need to focus on what really counts. Let the little things go, but also do little things that help. Maybe a better way to say that is to deny myself. Luke 9:23-24
Blogging
Somewhat fun, but hard to fit into the schedule. I think doing themes is a good motivation to make posts, but just doing random things like this is harder. Hopefully I can pick a theme soon and get in a good routine. I like blogging because it provides an opportunity to think things out and reflect.
Time
So much time, yet it is so easily lost. Lost may not be the best word. Maybe wasted. Time is so easily wasted.
This is what I've been looking at this week for DFL. Matthew 6:33 is the memory verse, but you need the verses before it to understand what "these things" are. Luke 6:20-24 I believe is the passage we are looking at. I think this has really helped me to endure the difficulty of getting a driver's license. I think without studying this so recently I would have been annoyed by the tag agency server crashing when I try to renew my license.
Bike Care
I do not maintain my bike properly. I need to invest in some cleaner/lubricant for my bike and be better about it. Probably should do something for my car too, it is more expensive though.
Bike clothing
I'm still trying to figure out why my arms get so hot and sweaty. my hands get cold, but that is fixed with heavy gloves, my torso has the wind to cool it off, but my arms just sit there being hot. Maybe I just need to not wear the long sleeve under the jacket. I think this stuff will be worked out over time.
Marriage
I can do better. It sounds better in my head. Let me try rephrasing that... "I can do more for my marriage." That sounds better right? My marriage is great, but it can still be improved. I think a lot of that requires the eternal perspective. I need to focus on what really counts. Let the little things go, but also do little things that help. Maybe a better way to say that is to deny myself. Luke 9:23-24
Blogging
Somewhat fun, but hard to fit into the schedule. I think doing themes is a good motivation to make posts, but just doing random things like this is harder. Hopefully I can pick a theme soon and get in a good routine. I like blogging because it provides an opportunity to think things out and reflect.
Time
So much time, yet it is so easily lost. Lost may not be the best word. Maybe wasted. Time is so easily wasted.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Fun turned to necessity
Well, I've started racking up the miles on my bike. Then yesterday it turns out I don't have a choice. I learned that you don't get a 1 month grace period for your drivers license. Mine expired in January. So I had to go to the department of public safety to get a certificate that allows me to renew my license. This simply required my old license and my birth certificate. Fortunately we had the birth certificate.
This morning I ride out the opposite direction from work to the Department of Public Safety. Wait 40minutes, spend 1minute to get the certificate, then head to work. On the way is a tag agency, so I swing by, but they don't open till 9 and it is 8:40. So instead of waiting I decide to head into work and just get the license at lunch. So now here I am. The tag agency is less than 2 miles from work, but also the wrong direction for lunch. It is somewhat exciting to not really need my car. But I did drive it illegally Monday through Wednesday. I just hope we continue to have nice weather so I can stay on my bike. That or I have to get some fenders for it, if that is even possible.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Perspective
So for DFL we are looking at having an eternal perspective. This is really interesting when looking at Luke 6:20-26. My first thought is how comfortable life is for me, and how that could work against me, but at the same time it isn't. It is about what we pursue. Matt 6 should go along with this. In Matt 6:33 we see that God will meet our needs if we seek Him.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Intimacy
Intimacy in a closeness sense, not sexual. The concept of intimacy within the church isn't something new, but the practice of it is. People don't open up enough, and I feel that is because there is a lack of contact. To open up to someone and truly know them you need to spend time with them. Our small church group meets twice a month. I think that this just isn't enough.
I meet with a group of guys for Friday lunch and that is better, yet I still have trouble getting deeper with them. We would rather talk of politics or scripture that we are working with.
What about within the family. The marriage creates a trust that should be a solid foundation for building an intimate relationship on. But if you don't spend time together you become more like roommates who see each other in passing. That is one reason Julie and I are trying to go to bed and wake up at the same time. Because that time together in the evening and morning is important. Our lives are full of distractions that can pull us away from each other, and we need to make decisions that can allow intimacy to grow.
What do you think? Am I completely off base? Can you relate to this?
I meet with a group of guys for Friday lunch and that is better, yet I still have trouble getting deeper with them. We would rather talk of politics or scripture that we are working with.
What about within the family. The marriage creates a trust that should be a solid foundation for building an intimate relationship on. But if you don't spend time together you become more like roommates who see each other in passing. That is one reason Julie and I are trying to go to bed and wake up at the same time. Because that time together in the evening and morning is important. Our lives are full of distractions that can pull us away from each other, and we need to make decisions that can allow intimacy to grow.
What do you think? Am I completely off base? Can you relate to this?
Monday, February 9, 2009
Morning not so routine
Still trying to figure out the morning schedule. Had my meeting this morning at 6:30 and we left around 7:35. So that timing worked out well. i showed up about 10min late though because my car battery was dead this morning. I left my lights on when I came home Friday, but I turned them off then, but I guess it was too late. I didn't think it would have been.
How much time do other people take in the mornings. Last week Julie and I agreed to get up together at 6:30, but that hasn't worked out very well for me. I haven't gotten much of my DFL homework done, so something needs to change. I think I'll have to go back to waking up before Julie. Not sure yet, but obviously I have to wake up earlier on Mondays for the meeting.
The issue we are working through is going to bed at the same time. But if I get up an hour earlier then we won't be going to bed at the same time, and we did this for a few days and it wasn't helping the relationship at all.
How much time do other people take in the mornings. Last week Julie and I agreed to get up together at 6:30, but that hasn't worked out very well for me. I haven't gotten much of my DFL homework done, so something needs to change. I think I'll have to go back to waking up before Julie. Not sure yet, but obviously I have to wake up earlier on Mondays for the meeting.
The issue we are working through is going to bed at the same time. But if I get up an hour earlier then we won't be going to bed at the same time, and we did this for a few days and it wasn't helping the relationship at all.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Time is short
So this morning Julie and I tried a different routine. I was driving to work today, so I had a few extra minutes to be home. We calculated that I need to wake up at about 6:30 to get to work on time whether biking or driving. Well, I'm not sure how this is going to work. David woke up with us for some reason. We just let him cry because he wasn't supposed to be awake yet. I just didn't have as much time as I was wanting, but it was nice to go to bed at a reasonable time with my wife and get up with my wife for a change.
But the real issue to be addressed is why I drove to work. Basically I need my car to go out to lunch on Thursday and Friday, but Thursday and Friday have nice warm mornings compared to today. So I drove today and will leave my car at work, and drive home Friday.
So, I need to figure out how to get faster on my bike so I can quickly go 2-3 miles to lunch, then back to work without taking time away from my lunch break. I'm thinking this may just require training. It could be that simple. I need to push myself to go faster, but how do I do that without arriving a mess? Currently the weather is good for biking at lunch, but it will get hot.
Whatever, I don't need to dwell on this very long, there are other things that I need to do.
But the real issue to be addressed is why I drove to work. Basically I need my car to go out to lunch on Thursday and Friday, but Thursday and Friday have nice warm mornings compared to today. So I drove today and will leave my car at work, and drive home Friday.
So, I need to figure out how to get faster on my bike so I can quickly go 2-3 miles to lunch, then back to work without taking time away from my lunch break. I'm thinking this may just require training. It could be that simple. I need to push myself to go faster, but how do I do that without arriving a mess? Currently the weather is good for biking at lunch, but it will get hot.
Whatever, I don't need to dwell on this very long, there are other things that I need to do.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
15 minutes makes a big difference
So I started meeting with Andy from church on Monday mornings as part of DFL. So I decided to wake up at 6 instead of 6:15. Monday was pretty rushed because we met at Starbuck's but we are thinking of meeting at IHOP instead so we can enjoy breakfast and not have to rush through it at home.
Well, today I get up with the plan of biking to work. Look at the weather forecast, it is already above freezing. Last night it was forcasted to be 26 degrees. So I was very happy to see it 8 degrees higher. I prepared everything last night so I wouldn't make a lot of noise and wake others up. That helped, because David woke up coughing at 6:05. I really think that extra 15minutes this morning helped make my morning calmer and more enjoyable. I was able to have my morning quiet time, eat breakfast, prepare my lunch and feed David. Things went pretty well. But now in order to get 8 hours of sleep I need to be asleep by 10pm. That is going to be pretty hard.
Now to leave you with this week's memory verse.
Luke 14:26
"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple."
Luke 14:26
Well, today I get up with the plan of biking to work. Look at the weather forecast, it is already above freezing. Last night it was forcasted to be 26 degrees. So I was very happy to see it 8 degrees higher. I prepared everything last night so I wouldn't make a lot of noise and wake others up. That helped, because David woke up coughing at 6:05. I really think that extra 15minutes this morning helped make my morning calmer and more enjoyable. I was able to have my morning quiet time, eat breakfast, prepare my lunch and feed David. Things went pretty well. But now in order to get 8 hours of sleep I need to be asleep by 10pm. That is going to be pretty hard.
Now to leave you with this week's memory verse.
Luke 14:26
"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple."
Luke 14:26
Monday, February 2, 2009
New Week, New Month; Now What?
As I was lying in bed last night I was thinking how I'm not doing very well on some of the goals I had for this year. I'm not reading the books I was wanting to get read. I wasn't exercising as planned. Things just got busy when DFL started.
I'm thinking I need to readdress my goals and get motivated again. I haven't talked to my wife about it yet, but I think just briefly going over them at the beginning of the week and at the beginning of the month may really help us get done what we want. Unfortunately this sounds more like a business meeting. You meet ever so often to address what you have gotten done, what you are doing, and what needs to be done. So I hate to say it, but it sounds like meetings are a good thing. We all know they are when they provide lunch, but maybe they have a benefit besides the free food.
So I should talk with my wife so we can go over our objectives and decide how to achieve our goals for this year. Maybe we can make shorter goals and even create a reward system based on achieveing those goals.
Some goals I would like to do:
QT everyday but Monday - started meeting with a guy early Monday morning
Workout twice per week
Read 5 minute theologian 5 times/week.
Finish "Basics of Bible Interpretation" this month
Not too sure how to handle rewards. It would be funny to reward junk food for working out though. So I could use some help here. How do you guys motivate yourself? How would you reward yourself for some of this stuff?
My thinking is a structure like this:
If I meet GoalA for the entire Month then I get to enjoy RewardA at the beginning of the next month.
Is there a better structure? I though about doing based on a week, but that seemed way too short sited. But my thinking was also good rewards, if I dumbed down the reward then I could do that on a weekly basis.
Please leave some ideas in the comments.
I'm thinking I need to readdress my goals and get motivated again. I haven't talked to my wife about it yet, but I think just briefly going over them at the beginning of the week and at the beginning of the month may really help us get done what we want. Unfortunately this sounds more like a business meeting. You meet ever so often to address what you have gotten done, what you are doing, and what needs to be done. So I hate to say it, but it sounds like meetings are a good thing. We all know they are when they provide lunch, but maybe they have a benefit besides the free food.
So I should talk with my wife so we can go over our objectives and decide how to achieve our goals for this year. Maybe we can make shorter goals and even create a reward system based on achieveing those goals.
Some goals I would like to do:
QT everyday but Monday - started meeting with a guy early Monday morning
Workout twice per week
Read 5 minute theologian 5 times/week.
Finish "Basics of Bible Interpretation" this month
Not too sure how to handle rewards. It would be funny to reward junk food for working out though. So I could use some help here. How do you guys motivate yourself? How would you reward yourself for some of this stuff?
My thinking is a structure like this:
If I meet GoalA for the entire Month then I get to enjoy RewardA at the beginning of the next month.
Is there a better structure? I though about doing based on a week, but that seemed way too short sited. But my thinking was also good rewards, if I dumbed down the reward then I could do that on a weekly basis.
Please leave some ideas in the comments.
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