Welcome to Wonderland

I told them readers would love this shot! Ha

I spend 2 days last week in Fruita for Trek Demo Days. It was pretty sweet, definitely a destination to go to ride. The day before we got there one of our trek reps was riding and fell and cracked the ball of his hip bone so I wasn't really sure what I'd be getting into. At the trailhead I turned to my roommate and said "I'm a little nervous, I don't want to crash." He replied, "you don't have to crash." Logic wins again. It was amusing because I did more riding in those 2 days than I have the past 3 months. It was a good nurturing environment to get back out there. I tried the Lush 29 which has larger sizing than the standard Lush and larger wheels. I definitely fit better on it than the Lush but still felt a little upright and didn't feel that it was aggressive enough but maybe that's because I wasn't being aggressive enough. I'm definitely still passive on descents but I don't think my mother is complaining. I also went on a road ride with the two Trek Demo Drivers, Josh and Erin and my roommate. I tried the new road bike the Domane which was a little bit more comfortable than the Madone line but still stiff and responsive. We only went about 90 minutes but I poked Erin's brain for a good portion on all things bikes and her job (she drives around the country teaching women to ride mountain bikes). I also got a flat which I'm glad it was only a flat because as it was happening I thought my front wheel had come lose and I was about to become roadkill. I tried 2 other mountain bikes, the Rumblefish Elite and the Superfly 100. I wasn't a fan of the Rumblefish, it seemed a little sluggish and I couldn't do a wheelie on it (which is a very important element in being able to show off to boys). The Superfly 100 is like the older brother to my bike and I didn't want to ride it because I didn't want to like it but boy oh boy did I. It was super light and super responsive and super fun. The only problem is that it's full suspension and I'm too young to be on one. I didn't crash the whole time I was there but I was climbing through a fence with barbed wire on it and my hips were sooo tight from riding my leg got stuck when I was halfway through and I jabbed it into one of the barbs, luckily someone was there to pick it off, otherwise I might have been stuck for a while. I got a nice cut and some bruising to go with it. If it's not one thing, it's another.

I got the best coffee of my life in St. Louis

I decided when I was in Fruita to go back and see my doctor. I just want to get checked out and make sure I'm still on the path to recovery. See the other day I was driving to work and missed my exit, because I couldn't remember where I needed to get off. I only drive that route almost everyday. I went to St. Louis for the weekend before Fruita and it was only when my mom called to let me know to check my debit card because there had been purchases made in Kansas and Missouri did I realize I forgot to tell her. I went to Redbox to rent a movie and forgot the movie. Now I know that these can all be chalked up to old age. The one that gets me though is I have a hard time remembering the past year. It's like I woke up thinking it was July 15, 2011 and have continued on from that date. I can't seem to get to 2012. It's like everything from July 15, 2011 to July 31, 2012 has been cut out and the time has been squished together. I do remember certain events especially when I read about them or someone mentions something but I can't place them on the time table without it feeling like it's in a dream. Wayne thinks I should just get more concussions that way I keep getting younger. I'm not expecting anything bad on the report just want to make sure it's relatively normal, maybe it's not a bad thing I forgot the past year. Ha 

Molly and Abe had a Halloween party on Friday night and they dressed up as the Red Queen and the Mad Hatter, so it was only fitting when they found a costume at the thrift store for 7 dollars for me to go as Alice. Molly and Abe go all out, it's actually really impressive and if you can make it to one of their parties you should definitely put it on your list of things to do before you die. All the big shots were there, Fred and Wilma; Mt. Dew; Breaking Amish; a Pumpkin; a Pirate; and a Gorilla (or one of the Beehlers, not Kathy or Heidi though). Saturday night my work was having a Halloween cruiser ride and the theme was Vikings (not the football team, although I did consider going as a Vikings Cheerleader). I decided it would be funny to go as a Viking Lego so spent on and off that day working on my costume but had a back up of an 80s prom queen outfit. I told one of my coworkers I wanted to be an 80s prom queen and he asked "for Halloween or just in life" I said both. I couldn't quite get the lego box to work and didn't want to half-ass it so decided to scratch it and rock the 80s so I did my hair but it just didn't feel right so I went as Alice again. I figured it was fitting because in the weeks leading up to Halloween I've been watching Alice in Wonderland and have found most days I feel like Alice. 

See in the movie the characters argue if it's "the right Alice" that has come to Wonderland, if she is after all the one that will fight the Jabberwocky. She goes through all these changes that causes discomfort and frustration she finds herself either too big or too small and struggles to maintain a normal size. She can't find logic or meaning in some of the situations she encounters and has do all these puzzles that prove to be rather meaningless or have no purpose. Most of the story takes place in Alice's dream where real world elements mix with her unconscious state. She faces pressures to conform to society's expectations but instead grows into a strong-willed, empowered heroine who decides her own fate. 

I think most 20-somethings can relate to Alice, here we are trying to figure out life and the curve balls it has thrown us which we might not ever know the logical reason for getting thrown them. Not to mention trying to figure out just what we want to do with our lives without succumbing to what we think others want us to be. I wrote down a list of all the careers I have ever thought of doing, even if just briefly and realize they only have one thing in common: Me. I'm not sure where that leads me but I'm not worried about it, since the accident I get a whole extra year of life. I also like the element of the dream state in Alice especially because it reminds me of the time when I was knocked out, minus the cat and queens, I haven't gotten quiet the same answers that Alice got...well at least not yet. So you can see why I thought it was fitting to be Alice both nights, well that and the bloomers were super comfy and when else can I get away with wearing them (except for next year when I'm Little Bo Peep).
 

One of the greatest pleasures of life is searching after one's own heart