I really enjoy watching Bluey with my kids, and it deserves its reputation as a beloved show. But oh my, does it ever set a really high bar for being an actively engaged parent. Bandit and Chili get tired sometimes as parents, but nothing bad ever happens to them. Life doesn’t ever really kick that family, and that’s just fine, because it’s still primarily a show for kids. When you’re a kid you are mostly oblivious to the hard things in life.
I think Bluey is great because it shows how to really play with your kids. But it’s okay to just want to take a break sometimes and do your own thing, or just take a nap.
Sometimes we do things that are hard, and we even pay for that privilege. I’m about to bike 62 miles in Hastings, MI for the Barry Roubaix. It’s gravel, it’s hilly, and there’s a pretty good wind out of the west making it feel like it’s in the low 30’s.
Best I can tell I’m paying to do this because it’s satisfying to prove that I can do hard things. I also really like riding my bike, so that makes it pretty awesome in that aspect. I think sometimes it’s worth having a challenging goal to achieve. Bonus points for also getting to play outside.
I’ve accepted that I need to set goals for myself throughout the year to achieve what I want. Spending money on events related to said goals is very effective. If I sign up for a race, I will train for it. Even if I stand no chance at being competitive with anyone but myself from past years. The immovable date on the calendar forces me to stick to a training schedule. I tend not to quit, cancel reservations, or get refunds as an easy out. I just train and focus on the date.
This proves that deadlines work for me, as long as they have real meaning and real consequences. I will skip arbitrary deadlines with no consequences every single time, because I’d rather be doing something else. I will always bike for the sheer joy of cycling, but having a race scheduled forces me to go farther and faster.
After a cold and rainy week that felt like early March instead of April, we finally got a day of blue skies and warmer weather here in Chicago. On the weekend that means the return of long bike rides. Spending a Saturday morning heading all the way up Sheridan Road to Fort Sheridan is one of the simple delights of living in Chicago. You get lake views the entire way up, and on mornings like this the views are spectacular. It’s easy to forget you are in the Midwest when you essentially have ocean views.
Hopefully we’re finally out the cold weather and into 6 months of perfect cycling weather.