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I went for a walk today

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The cool crisp morning air instantly shocked me into remembrance, mostly the absence of Woden.   This was my first walk without him and I miss him. I miss him every day. I soon teared up and began to cry. I gave into the sadness, the heartbreak of loss, and the memory of that traumatic experience. I walked our usual route that we took so many times before, letting my mind wander. My current neck injury prevented me from going for the run my body so desperately yearned for. Fear of re-injury was forcing me to walk at the pace Woden and I so often have shared. Physical pain along with the emotional pain of loss forced me to contemplate what was going on inside my head. I reflected on the rapidly ending derby season and the goals I set for myself. These thoughts brought on worries and fears of new endeavors such as climbing, which caused the current injury. I continued walking and just letting myself feel. I thought about myself. About one year ago or even six o
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But I want it now

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“Making room for second dinners?” Was Vera’s quip from her place among the pile of blankets and cats upon the love seat. “You know, roasted vegetables and ice cream.’ I responded It would seem like a simple enough exchange from two friends cooking together after some shopping, except that we hadn’t left the house all day. It had been a lazy Saturday morning in Sacramento and by dinner we had decided why leave the house at all.  Pizza was ordered. Veggies were chopped and roasted.  But we just didn’t have everything we needed. What to do if your out sick and still want fresh fruit and some ice cream.... Just a few weeks ago I was in Central America and in just a few weeks I will be back in central Alaska.  While a few thousand miles either way doesn’t seem like much, it is literally worlds apart. Yet here in northern California I didn’t have to go anywhere. Within the last few months I was in places that I would spend an entire day looking for just a pad lock and a sec
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Location: Sacramento, CA, USA
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With a heavy heart we say good by to our director of moral

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It is with a heavy heart that I say good bye to my best friend, and my director of moral support. Woden was an amazing dog who came into my life and brightened every day of it. He believed with all his heart that he was a person too and just couldn’t figure out why he didn’t get all the same privileges that rest of the people got.  He entered this world on February 9 th of 2012 and came home to live me with me in Alaska on April 14 th of 2012.  His first day in Alaska was spent with me on the gun range where he seemed drawn to the smell of all the instructors, despite a lot of very eager police recruits wanting to see him. He started out as the only dog of the house but came to share the space with his begrudging mentor Mop, the old man of the house who made sure to show Woden who was boss.    Woden ended up at his peak weighing the same 185 pounds as his father, Zack Sherman, and was always willing to play and wrestle.  Like his dad, he had a kna
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Parting ways

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12/19/16 Melchor de Mencos, Guatemala to Flores, Guatemala  182.2 kilometers ridden.  Aaron, Ed, and I awoke near 8:30 am. It had been an on-and-off night of sleep for me as the AC was pointing straight at me so the guys had it rather high to get them cooled off. I was cold enough to have to get up in the night to layer. I checked my laundry first thing but even with the heat it had not dried overnight on the line outside the door. We went for breakfast just a few doors up the road from the hotel. It was a small place but we were able to get Wi-Fi so it was an easy win. It was a basic breakfast of eggs scrambled with ham (the menu had said bacon), some fried beans and a side of tortillas. We all worked on our phones to get caught up on admin we couldn't do without Wi-Fi. These sorts of meals with all of us looking at our phones were starting to happen more after a week of travelling together. Following breakfast we all headed back to the room to pack. All of my
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It sure has been great Belize, but it's time to go

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12/18/16 San Ignacio, Belize to Melchor de Mencos, Guatemala. 19.6 kilometers ridden. I started out slowly getting ready before taking a final shower in the small bathroom by my room. The ability to get the water temperature to something other than arctic blast or surface of the sun seems to be getting worse each day. We went out for breakfast at a place called pops. It was the most western place I had been too in weeks. It had vinyl diner booths in a deep red color that would be at home in any greasy spoon in the US. I ate a bacon and cheese omelet with pancakes but paid more for it than I would have at a less Americanized  place. We went back to our hotel and Aaron, Ed, and I sat around exchanging digital files of our photos and videos so we each had copies of everyone’s media from Belize. It took a long time so as each of us finished we set off separately to be ready to leave. I was the last one out at past 12:30 but when I got up to Ed's hostel he and Aaron
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Expat TIG welders, Giant caves, and other adventures in Belize

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A muddy CB in front of the Rio Frio Cave complex 12/17/16 San Ignacio, Bel. 108.5 kilometers ridden. Morning started off with a trip up the street for the  cheap breakfast Christine had told me about, it was a breakfast burrito and a large lime juice for the equivalent of about $2.50 US. The burrito was basic but tasty and the lime juice was a refreshing start to the day. After the beating the rough road gave the little C90, I went on a walkabout with Ed and Aaron to go get the exhaust on Ninty fixed. It took most of the morning but we ended up getting some clues and finding a Canadian welder who had emigrated to Belize. He did a great job TIG welding the exhaust and it came out looking better than new.  Ed March giving a we wink while he gets the tip welded. Just the tip, just for a minute. We managed to get a little twisted up on the route before walking across the low wooden bridge that had carried us into town. Along the way we wandered through a mar
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Location: San Ignacio, Belize
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Waterfall skinny dipping and other slick adventures

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12/16/16 San Ignacio, Belize. 106.6 kilometers ridden. Woke up and got in a quick bit of relaxing before it was time to start getting ready to ride. Ed, Aaron, and I would be heading out to Big Rock Falls and 1000 Foot Falls on the bikes. I got most of the prep done and found out that Aaron had already eaten breakfast so I walked around to the bar and restaurant combo we had been drinking at the night before. I got an omelet with bacon, cheese and veggies and a side of "toast bread". The toast bread was more like fry bread and was very good. I went back to the hotel and Ed had arrived. We finished prepping the bikes but Ed and Aaron then want to go for a few things so we ended up at a smoothie shop where the guys grabbed wraps and I had a smoothie. Service took the usual forever I have come to expect in Belize but the smoothie was good. We went and geared up before setting off from the hotel Tropicool. The ride out was spectacular and full of both twi
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Location: San Ignacio, Belize
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