Tag: persevere

Saving Money + Healthy Living

I’ve always been pretty active. My wife will tell you I can’t sit still, which isn’t far from the truth. I completed my first half-marathon this April. On Saturdays, I’m always working in the yard, on the house, or on the pop up camper. I started thinking and then talking to a few coworkers about commuting to the office on a bicycle.

When I was a kid, I biked every day to school. It was about four blocks of freedom. I knew every crack in the sidewalk that created a mini ramp and every curb that would jolt me through the bike frame. I’ve always loved bicycles. I searched online for several days and found a good road bike in good shape for a good price.

Last Saturday, I took a test ride from home to the office. I wanted to make sure I could do it, and I needed to know just how long the commute would be. It took me just over an hour – only 20 minutes longer than it takes to drive. I couldn’t wait for Monday.

Monday I made it to the office, and I felt great! It was a long, hot, sweaty ride, but I felt great that I did it. On the way home, my chain popped loose, but that was an easy fix. It delayed me only a minute or so, and I was back on the road.

Tuesday came around, and I had to stop by the jewelry store to pick up my wife’s ring that had been repaired. The store is only just off my route to work, so I biked again. As I left the store, I decided to take a shortcut through the local college campus. As I turned into the parking lot of campus, I couldn’t hit the curb head-on. This popped the tube in my back tire. Luckily, the first thing I did when I got my bike was to purchase a helmet and a repair kit for my tubes. A couple minutes later, I had a new tube installed, and I was once again back on the road.

Today I drove to the office since an early meeting would have had me waking up too early to make the trek via bicycle. It has also been a welcomed day of rest. Tomorrow I’ll be back on the bike.

Doing some math, I save almost $7 per day that I ride my bike. I also get a killer workout. I’m hoping to keep biking about three days a week. I want to the bike to pay for itself, then start saving for A/C for my truck. I get some savings, I get my workout, and I save on my carbon footprint. Hopefully I can keep it up for a while.

Give Up

Music is hard.

“The perishing is more likely, and will be a lot easier anyway.”  – Samwise Gamgee, “Lord of the Rings”

It’s easier to give up.  Chances are success will not be attained.  Why go after dreams in the first place?

I’ve always been a dreamer.  I used to sit in my room at night and play guitar, imagining I was playing (and sometimes singing) in front of thousands.  I never actually thought I would get to do that, but I didn’t care – I was dreaming.

As a dreamer, I’m not really sure what motivates the “non-dreamers.”  I’ve never met someone that labeled himself a non-dreamer, but I suppose they are out there.  What motivates him to wake up in the morning and get out of bed?

For music, it’s my dreams that motivate my practice.  I want to fulfill my dreams.  Maybe it’s a sense of duty for non-dreamers to practice.  That sounds like it would quickly lead to burn out.  That ain’t my style.

I was fortunate enough to have parents that supported pretty much any extracurricular activity I fancied.  Baseball and guitar were the two with which I stuck the longest.  Music longer than baseball.  I’m thankful for that support – showing up at every game, tee ball through senior year of high school; buying me my first guitar and lessons at age 8; allowing me to take over weekends and summer vacations with days at the ball park; chipping in to help me buy my Taylor in 8th grade; loving me all along the way.

It’s late and it’s time to head off to dreamland.  Luckily, I’m a dreamer.  Tonight looks to be filled with dreams of songs and stories, and I couldn’t be any more excited for what’s ahead.