I’m on a roll dude.

So, like 10 days ago I knocked another off my bucket list. I would have blogged about it sooner but I was too busy having probably one of the most precious experiences of my life {for the past 20 days} which I will be blogging about as soon as my tears dry up.

Ya’ll remember my list? Well, back on August 2, I was able to knock #88. To ride a mechanical bull for 8 seconds. I totally rode one for 14 seconds actually. 

Ya, while at first I was impressed with myself I quickly learned that 14 seconds ain't nothing. I was with some 13 year old boys and one of them stayed on for  

48 seconds. 

I about died. This kid cracked me up. His face was pure determination. His head slammed into the bull with every movement. His fingers were practically ripped off. He was in so much visible pain with every second on that bull but he would not give up. This kid is a rock. And he is one of my newest heroes. I met him through the precious experience I was able to have that I somewhat mentioned above. I will, as I said, go into that story much more when I don't feel like I will just sit here and sob when I try.

Chuck Norris thinks I'm incredible.

Yep, you read that right. The real live Chuck Norris. 

See:

I can do hard things. That’s what I kept telling myself. Saturday.

Last Saturday {May 7, 2011 for the record keeping of my life} I accomplished something I secretly was not sure I would be able to do.

I finished a 40 mile bike ride.

Now, before you scoff at the length of that race, those of you who are biking majesty’s yourselves, I have a few things you should know.

I only started biking 2 seasons ago and I don't ride at all during the winter, {I'm kind of a wimp in the cold.} So 40 miles is good  for a beginner like me.

Side note: The first summer I had my bike I did 15 miles. Thought I was a hero. Last summer the longest ride I did was 25 miles. {That was also a race I didn’t think I would finish but I did.}

So this summer going to 40 is pretty good for me.

This year because the weather had been so crummy I only took my bike out twice before the big day. Once for a 12 mile ride and the other for a 15 mile ride. I did the 15 mile ride on Thursday and then the 40 mile ride on Saturday so I honestly didn’t train for this baby at all.

I was doing great for the first 30 miles or so, despite the 3 mile hill that took me over an hour to climb. {Oh, and just so you know, the whole entire hill plus a good 60% of the rest of the ride was done against some pretty strong head wind making momentum absolutely impossible.}  

Rest Stop #1

Like I said, the first 30 miles I was doing and feeling pretty good. The last 10 miles though? Hands down the most difficult thing I have ever physically done in my life. My body was pretty done. My elbows and neck were killing me. {I probably don't have the best posture on a bike, or ever for that matter} The blisters on my hands were oh so very real. The sun was burning my arms, legs and face. And let’s not even talk about what was happening with my derriere.

I had to dig deep. But I finished. I realize it’s a small step towards my goal of completing a century {100 miles} but it’s a step none the less. Now I know my minimum is no longer 25 but 40.

I think I am going to register for a 62 mile in September. Wish me luck. I will train better for this one.

At the starting line. Little did we know...

Crossing the finish line some 4 hours {give or take} later.

Oh so proudly displaying our medals. We were shot. I mean Shot. Those smiles are fake. Except that they are smiles of relief so I guess they are not entire impostors. 

See, I told you Chuck Norris thinks I’m incredible.

"All I know is Memphis lives in me."

“There’s a town where I call home. Where all the streets are paved with soul.” –Huey Calhoun

 

Very rarely will a piece of artwork bring me to tears. This weekend alone, Memphis brought me to tears, twice.

I have a deep love for music. Possibly an even deeper love for musicals. Something about the music, the dancing, the raw talent, the entire production of a well done musical just speaks to me. Cheesy as it sounds, I have unique experiences when I watch musicals. It is some kind of spiritual. 

 I first saw Memphis about a year ago on Broadway. It was the twelfth show I’d seen on Broadway and it instantly became one of my favorites. There are only 3 shows that I can say that about. I found out that they had done a recording of a live performance of the original cast {whom I had already seen and fell in love with} and were showing that performance it in movie theatres this weekend only. I instantly bought some tickets. I went to it and instantly fell in love with the show again. I was so moved that I did start to cry in Huey’s final number: “Memphis Lives in Me” My poor date probably thought I was a little bit crazy. {I was not sobbing, just want to clear that up.}

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see it just one more time this weekend so I went the following day. I again was brought to tears with the brilliance that is Chad Kimball. I do not think I have ever believed a performance in my life as strongly as I believed his performance. You could just see it in his eyes. Memphis, Felicia, the music truly did live in his soul. Chad’s soul, not just Huey’s.  

This musical meant so much more to me this time seeing it than it did a year ago. I know it is because of the stage of my life I am in. I saw it in his eyes. It is the most powerful love story I have ever seen. I related to the music of his soul. I related to the unrequited love. There is just something about this particular story of unrequited love that speaks to me. There is no pain quite like unrequited love. Huey and I both get that.

Not only the love he has for her but for the music. I must have been born with different DNA than most people I know because music seems to speak to me deeper than anyone else I have ever met in my life. But I think Huey really has that in common with me. She gave up love for her career. He gave up love for the music. I am not sure that I would ever give up love for the music, but the mere fact that he did says something about the music in his soul.

Musicals are such a surreal part of my life. I find a passion that I was born to have.

The music lives in me too Huey. Memphis lives in me too.

Huckadoo.  

Small Moments...

Those of you in the blogging world must know about Syd from the Daybook. She has this feature that I think she invented called Awkward and Awesome Thursdays. Every Thursday she makes a list of all the awkward and awesome things that she has experienced over the past week and she invites all of her followers to do the same and they have a giant link party every week. I have always been interested in this but never really felt that awkward and awesome moments really fit so brilliantly into my blog. Well, a couple of days ago I started making a list of small moments I had been having over the past week, small ways that I enjoy life, small moments that I cherished, small moments that brought me peace, or joy or some kind of fulfillment. Then it hit me. I could do this every week and blog about it. I could even figure out some way to make my own button and have a link party {learning how to do this is a long ways away…I am still pretty unsure of how this fancy blogging stuff really works} I got excited about the fact that I could be the inventor of a button. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I would ever create a button. Anyways, until I get to that point in the blogging world, for now I am just going to make a list of my life’s small moments and post them weekly or so. Because, as I plan on creating a button to say;

"Enjoy the little things in life. For one day you might look back and realize they were the big things."

And looking for the little moments in our lives might just help us to become more optimistic, which inevitably leads to a more enriching life, which is what this blog is all about right?

So, until I get a cool button and link party how-to knowledge, if you would like to participate, just make a list of your life’s small moments and put a link to your blog post in the comment box. We can all be inspired by each other.

Here are the small moments I cherished this week: 

1. Listening to my 10 year old sister giggle at my jokes. It is the cutest little giggle you could imagine. I feel like a hero when she thinks I am funny.

2. Being able to cry in front of my friends and trusted mentors. It was just what I needed.

3. Open Arms. Specifically Steve Perry. After my tearful experience mentioned in #2, I did what I typically do when I am done crying. I listened to Open Arms about 30 times on repeat. There is just something about Steve’s voice and particularly in that song that comforts and calms me after I have been crying. It is always my go-to song for those crying moments. It was a surreal moment.

Steve, have I told you lately that I love you?

4. A good nap. I have not been able to sleep well for about 10 days now {not even for naps} due to my overactive brain stressing about things I mentioned in a previous post. I recently had a special experience with some good friends whom I greatly admire and as a result I was able to calm my mind and take a much needed nap yesterday that was refreshing to say the least. That was a precious small moment in my week.

5. Village Inn with 2 girls that I adore. We ordered the most random midnight snacks you could imagine and just sat for close to 2 hours gabbing. That was a small moment but it meant so much to me. Not to mention Josh the wonder waiter who was the funniest part of my night. Loved him.

6. My 1 year old niece who NEVER sits still, decided to sit on my lap to eat her bottle while I was babysitting her. It was the only time in the entire afternoon that she let me just chill with her. She is the cutest and yes I am prejudice. She is growing up so fast. I wonder what kind of a cousin she will be to my kiddos. The best one. I’m Certain. I will miss moments like that when she grows up.

Just look at that face.

Couldja Die?

7. Catching a fly ball when I played center field in my first softball game of the season. It was a great way to start out this season.

8. Bowling with buddies. It was the perfect night.

9. Going for a walk in the sunshine. The greatest tunes known to man blasting on my iPod. 

10. The fact that I get to play softball again tonight.

Small moments are all around. I have had a blast seeking them out this past week. You ought to try it. It makes life so interesting.  Link up your small moments in the comment box and keep looking for those small moments daily.