ruts -can't live without em

“You can be addicted to a certain kind of sadness”

“When something goes right

   Well it’s apt to confuse me

   It’s such an unusual sight

   Oh I can’t get used to something so right”

Couple of song quotes for youns there.From songs by Gotye, well Gotye (featuring Kimbra) if ye must be pedantic about it, and Paul Simon. And pray why am I quoting these? I have these (kind of) and Marni to thank for making me realise something about me. My rut is a comfort zone.

Yes if things are generally not messed up or generally bad- I think something is wrong and it doesn’t feel right.

A couple of three examples. Much that I love cycling I have no great speed. Longevity-yes. I could cycle all day if my life depended on it-but cross the line first in a race? No chance. I was taking part in a quadathlon. Now this was a town council run relay race with 4 clubs in the town :- canoeing,running,cycling and swimming (in that order).The teams were chosen as a draw,so that there would be no superteam. In my team we had a very good canoeist, a good runner, me and a swimmer. Now when it was my turn to start my bit,we had a very good lead-I could not figure out why nobody was passing me.I only realised my lead when I was just over half way on the return leg and I met the first cyclist. My team actually won-no prize just my photo in paper holding a free t-shirt(that all entrants got) The t-shirt just had the 4 events,did not mention it was a relay race-so I had great fun misleading some gullible women into thinking I did all 4 events. Incidentally the next time i did the race things were back to normal and i was only 3rd off and 2 cyclists passed me.The third time doing the race it was a very wet and miserable day and i was so peeved i forgot my number and called out the wrong one when i arrived at the pool. I just grabbed my free t shirt, threw my bike in my car and made my gettaway and showered at home.

I was taking part in a cycling race 6 laps over a pretty hilly route. It was handicapped, and me being the weakest that night I was off first.This was my 3^rd time on this course and I had only just sussed out the knack of handling the route. Normally the other riders would catch me half way round the 3^rd lap and lap me on my 5^th . But this time I was half way round the 4^th lap and they had not passed me and I thought something had gone wrong and the race was cancelled. They caught me just as I went into the 5^th lap. After the race one of the guys in the scratch group came over to me and gave me a big pat on the back. He was confused why they did not get me at the usual spot, and thought I had dropped out, and said that he was really surprised when he saw me up ahead when he did-I told him I thought THEY had dropped out and I was on my own.

Now in that race I was doing pretty good.I was getting stronger (believe you me the hill was a toughie) AND I had learned how to be strategic (or something).But like I said,rather than think that I stood a chance of doing well-even win. It just did not feel right and I breathed a sigh of relief when the main bunch passed me.

At work my boss was giving me a very good annual report-I asked him to tone it down a bit as I did not fell comfortable with so much praise.

Ruts can get too comfortable. So comfortable you can’t live without them.Someone in a tv show said that if you don’t expect anything good to happen you are never disappointed. Home Simpson said  "Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is: never try."

Henry Ford or somebody else –who’s name escapes me said that whether you think that you can or or whether you think you  cannot do something you are right.

SO to cut a long and un-understandable  story short. I have sussed out probable flight times.Someone has suggested a different end to my holiday-I can easily (I think )add on a couple or three days to the itinerary. And anyway I could have a new comedy routine if it does go bad.

So it looks like the usa trip is definitely on. Unless of course that is, if Connie sends me an email to say that I stole her heart too and that she is coming back to Ireland to meet up the same time I am heading out there. But then-how in the name of cody jarrett’s mother could I handle some so good as that?

answers please-usa visit in jeporday

One or two or three  of you know I am in the process of planning a trip the the u s of a in May/June. Now the planned cities are Washington D C  and Philadelphia-not necessarily  in that order .

Now to say that I can be contrary is an understatement. In fact in the dictionary the definition of this word is Gerard Carton.

Much that this will be a big adventure I am going out of my way to find an excuse out of this. The only one that makes any sense is that I don’t like the idea of being airborne for that long a time. In  saying that, on my holiday last year I bussed it from Derry to Cork.Admittedly there was a 2 hour gap in Galway-and someone who flew from America that morning arrived in Cork an hour or two before me.But the bus is different-it is one the ground and I can see the scenery changing. One of the silly excuses is that my brother needs a loan to buy a car-now if I lent him the money that would mean I could not really afford the holiday-well actually I could,but I would convince myself that I couldn’t. Another reason is that a woman at work said that I was brave doing such a journey on my own, and not that is playing on my mind.Another is that if I can’t fly from Shannon instead of Dublin I’m not going.But I AM visiting travel agents to see what i can get and on saturday i will have a serious long chat will local travel agent.

Now to be honest I would much rather be hiking/cycling in Ireland.And I actually can afford the usa trip and do at least one cyling trip in the Burren (where I want to hike as well)

So someone please convince why I should go to amerrykay ? Another woman at work is egging me on to do the trip with the “you’ll be dead a long time” reason. And another woman who does not usually appreciate my warped humour laughed and gave me a “y’know you’re the sort of person who would do that” look when I told my scheme if I get a day in new york.

Remember the famous connie who’s picture I put up on another blog? I googled her shop –so I know the address. I was going to stand outside the shop –wait until she turns to look out the window –I would wait 2 seconds and then I would turn and walk away. Now that would really freak her out-serves her right for stealing my heart.

So like I said I would be much happier cycling/hiking in Ireland drinking ales that I like,munching crips that I love and hearing music that I adore, and   ( well most of the time) cycling on the left side of the road.

So would somebody please convince me why I should go to America? please?