It's all in our head and the MRI is proof:)

Cousan'o's Steak House

       People might think MS is all in our head, and if this frog could talk I'm sure he'd agree, because in fact it is.  I spend a lot of time chasing down MS symptoms and trying hard to fight off disability, but it makes the chase more productive if I have a clue what's actually going on with my brain.

     That's why I find it extremely helpful to attend programs like this one at Cousano's Steak House.  My mom seems to enjoy going with me to these programs as well.  It's a nice evening together and I appreciate the fact that she wants to get a better understanding of what I'm going through. 

        This program last week was sponsored by a drug rep, and a Neurologist did the presentation.  A lot of people dread all of the MRS, but I actually love them.  How many people can show proof they actually have a brain:)

     And of course, I also love seeing one of my favorite friends, Janet Mohrmann who is an MS ambassador for the drug therapy I happen to be on.  Her smile is like a great big hug.

                     

     And as if the program isn't interesting enough, Janet's story will make the trip out well worth it:)

        It's true MS can be a frustrating disease and I may never understand it completely, but with all the awesome friends I've made because of it, one thing's for sure... I'll never go through it alone:)

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

Wouldn't a pink car just make sense?!

     As I've mentioned before; the car I drive has never been a top priority.  My first car took every one of my hard earned dollars; nine hundred to be exact.  It was a light blue, used "73" Nova with a manual transmission; and in this case "three on the tree":)  I only wanted four wheels and nothing else mattered.  

     Sure, as a young teen I can remember thinking someday when I have money to spare I would love to have a  fancy, shinny red sports car.  But it was more of a dream than anything.

     Then as I started having children, the only purpose of my car was to cart them all over town; so a mini van only made sense.  But I never wanted anything flashy; usually silver or forest green, because after all, I was a mom.

     As the years went by I had totally forgotten about my dreams from my youth, and anyone who knows me knows my two big obsessions in life (besides my kids) have been pink and frogs.  Being surrounded by them is very comforting.

     When my car of ten years eventually bit the dust I realized I no longer needed a "mom car"; I was finally at a point where it was completely my choice what I got.  All I needed was something to fit my bike.

     And trust me, if I could have found one in pink, I would have chosen that in a heartbeat.  But that wasn't an option.  Over the years I had become so used to silver that it soon became my uniform.  It was a nice subtle color; not loud or flashy. 

       I Asked Alex to make sure they had the SUV I had chosen, in the color "Meteor Gray", and I would pick it up the next day.  

     But at the last minute I was reminded of my long lost dream and I walked in and told Alex "I changed my mind; I want red!"  He smiled and said "good choice!"  

        After all... red is a shade of pink:)

     And as you can see; my bike fits perfectly!

    But lets not forget the frogs!

       I don't for a second regret my spontaneous choice.  Of course, I still believe that it doesn't matter what car I drive or what color it is.  A car is only a vessel to get me from point A to point B...

       But I've learned that once in a while it's nice to live life a little crazy:)

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

Finding the right car is all relative...

     So now that I was forced to get a new car, I strapped on my body armor and prepared to face the ruthless car salespeople.  

     But I did my homework; I had gotten many tips and opinions on what to look for and how to go about finding the best car for my needs.  I knew it needed to fit my bike but my kids are all grown so I no longer need a mini van or "mom car".  However, I had spent the last two decades with a vehicle that could hold a million kids and all of their gear, and now that my taxi services are no longer needed, it was time to find a "me" car.

     If I wanted small but still needed to cart my bike it would have to be a crossover SUV, but there are a million of them out there.  I didn't need anything fancy. All I wanted to do was slither in, without drawing attention and ask for a grey one and be on my way.  After all grey is a nice safe color and it doesn't draw a lot of attention.  

      After a few suggestions I had finally narrowed down the three SUVs that seemed to fit the bill.  But that meant going to three car dealerships and facing three pushy salespeople trying to convince me they had my perfect car.  

     But I studied the three and knew they were all equally comparable, so if I really liked the first one I could just ask them to wrap it up and leave.

     I realized I had to actually go inside to buy a car and as soon as I did, the nicest young man was right there to assist me (you know your getting old when you start saying "young man",ha).

     But Alex wasn't like the typical salesman I had feared.  He let me ask a million questions and tried to answer every one of them.  Ironically, after some random chit chat we discovered that we're cousins by marriage; a couple times removed.  Small world!  Now I knew I was in good hands:)

        We found the perfect crossover SUV, and we even put my bike in it:)  He told me he had a road bike as well as a mountain bike and both of them fit in this car.  You know what this means... of course I had to try to recruit him to join my Bike To The Bay team next year, and I think I may have him hooked:)

    At this point I had my mind made up on the car that felt like it would be perfect for me, though I  just had to compare one more car dealership so people wouldn't think I was totally crazy for not shopping; and so I did.

     That's where I found that stereotypical salesman I was dreading.  He rambled on, explaining why his car was the best, and after he answered my first question with "It's simple math!" I knew I was done.

          So the next day I was right back where I began my hunt, and now that I knew what car I wanted, all I had to do was figure out what to do about my broken down old metal carcass; it had been sitting in the Tireman parking lot draining every last ounce of transmission fluid for the past three days.

     After agreeing on a modest trade in for this useless piece of junk Alex offered to go fill it with transmission fluid and drive it back.  I told him he was crazy, but I guess it runs in the family:)

                          
     I couldn't believe how well everything was falling into place; I picked out the perfect SUV to fit my budget and lifestyle, and my old car was finally no longer my problem.
                           
      Now all I had to do was make a commitment on what color to choose out of about ten options... UGH!  They sure do make things complicated...

     So my next step was to go home and ponder and ponder about what color I would get, and the commitment felt so permanent; I lived with my color choice of my last car ten years. But I knew somehow the answer would eventually come to me, and everything would make sense.

                                  


           I'm so fortunate to have so many people looking out for me, and as overwhelming as it seems to find, I have to say at the end of the day... finding the perfect car is all relative:)

Check back to find out what color I chose!

Have a great weekend!!

Christine:)

My car is nothing more than something to get me from point A to point B.

     I know I'm probably in the minority when I say I couldn't care less about the car I drive.  As long as it gets me from point A to point B, and fits my bike in the back, I'm as happy as a pig in mud.  

     My dreams never involve some fancy sports car, and the thought of shopping at the car dealership makes me absolutely crazy.  All of my cars have had a living will; I will never pull the plug until they take that last and final breath.

    However, my most recent car has been on life support for the last year and a half and I was dreading the day I would have to get out of my comfort zone and look for a new one. After all, it was a good ten years old and like me, it had many battle scars. It made it through my kids learning to drive, and then all of the bike grease from loading "Terry" (my bike) in and out a million times over.  

     But I didn't care, it was mine and it had character.  This car brought me many fond memories.  I'm sure when I get my next car I'll be more careful about the grease; but for now it was just fine. My plan was to drive this thing into the ground.

     But that day I dreaded most, finally happened; my worn out comfortable car would take it's last and final breath.  Out of nowhere, I discovered my car was spewing  out transmission fluid like a backyard lawn sprinkler.

     My brother knows everything about cars and I was certain he could put a band-aid on it and I would be back on the road.  He replaced some long black pipe and I though that was the fix.  

     Of course the next day as I was driving home the "hot engine" light went on and there was a loud continuous beep that sounded like a ticking time bomb, and then I began to smell transmission fluid. I was a little nervous... Oh, who am I kidding... I was freaked out, as I just kept praying I would make it home.  I finally made it and as I turned off the engine I noticed it was smoking like a chimney.  YIKES!!

     I tossed and turned all night, dreading the thought of getting a new one; one that would fit my bike and that I would be happy with for the next ten years. But maybe I could just put another band-aid on it...

     I called my buddy at tireman and he told me to bring it in, and once again I drove the whole way there in total anxiety, as that beep got louder and louder.

     The news I received wasn't good; he said he hates when bad things happen to good people; yep.. the transition was toast:(  

     After a few tears, I knew it was finally time for me to trade in my old security blanket. It might sound like bad news, but I began to realize that I had done exactly what I said I was going to do; I drove my car into the ground.  Truth be told... I sensed the transmission slipping for about a year and a half, but no mechanic could find it because it only did it on occasion; but never when I wanted it to.  I knew it was only a matter of time. The good news was, I got eighteen months more than I was supposed to:)

     So I was finally off to find that car.  I didn't need perfect; all I needed was one that wouldn't let me down. One that can carry me and my things when I need it the most; and I know it's out there:)

     Check back and you'll see... :)

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

                                     

Over the river and through the woods...

          "Over the river and through the woods", pretty much summed up our bike ride this past weekend, because we never knew from minute to minute whether we were in the  the big city or "hicksville".

     It started out on the east side of the Maumee river, in International Park, and from there our route took us on a wild goose chase (you'll see later...)

          The rays from the morning sun beating on the river painted quite an illumination of the Downtown Toledo skyline.  

          Heading out to the trail we passed by the Willis B. Boyer, which is a striking ship to see.
                                               
          We could see the iconic silhouette of the newly renovated I-280 bridge off in the distance, and after a few obstacles we would soon be riding under it.
          As you can see, the expressways all through Toledo aren't the only places causing us grief in our travels...  The Riverside Trail which was where we would begin was also a big crazy mess.  But once we dragged our bikes across this muddy heap it would soon be smooth sailing again.

                                         
        After we were on the other side of the construction we spent a good part of our ride going over and under bridges.  Pictured below is the I-280 bridge.

     And next we would be riding over the Craig Street Bridge, and as I took this picture of downtown Toledo you'll notice my proof; I actually take these pictures while I'm riding... riding on a bridge, one handed while snapping pictures... I'm becoming a real "dare-devil":)

        This was where city met country...

     Remember, I told you we were going on a wild goose chase...:)

     So we were over the river, now we had to make our way through the woods, but grandmother's house was nowhere in sight...

     And the horse didn't have to worry about any snow either...

     So once again we were back under that highway... by this time I was beginning to feel like a troll... :)

                                      

                          But how cool is this view...

     And before long, we were finally in the home stretch, heading back to International park; where we started.

                                        

     I just loved this ride, with all of it's change of scenery, and just like real life, it might sometimes seem like a wild goose chase...

     But I'll take that occasional goose chase, because I know at the end of the day...the view can be pretty awesome!!

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

No swans in this creek; but I found Deer...

     As you know, I always like to mix my rides up a bit and go from "bike trails" to "parks with trails" just for a change of pace.  In this case we decided to go to Swan Creek Park because I remembered from the last time we rode there we had a lot of hills a curves, and I could get a better workout in a shorter distance.

    One thing I remember from the last time we went was that the paved part of the trail wasn't entirely completed, but I wasn't sure at what point we would have to turn around and take a different rout.

     Regardless of the intense workout, it was a very nice trail, but as you can see below, we didn't see a single swan  in this creek...

     But what we did find was that area where the pavement stopped and we would need to find another route. 

     There was a fork in the road, so we had to take a minute to figure out which trail would be the better choice, and as we stood there we saw this cute little friend peak her head out to greet us.

        She posed as I took her photo, and I think she was trying to figure out if we were friendly...

          We must have looked harmless enough, because it wasn't long before she blazed a trail for he baby to follow behind her.

        And she didn't even stop to talk to strangers; good idea:)

     It seems like every trail I go on lately happens to have my pink flowers... then again, maybe it's just the pink ones that jump out because I'm obsessed with that color:)

      I had definitely experienced a lot on this short ten mile ride, between the deer, the pink flowers and all those crazy hills...
                                       

     But One thing I've come to realize in life is... the effort it takes to climb those hills makes the ride back down all worth it:)

Have a great weekend:)

Christine!!

If I knew grand kids were this much fun I would have had them first!!

          I have many strategies to get through all of life's challenges. You know my bike and friends are some of the ways I keep positive.  But my kids and grandbabies put a smile on my face without even trying.  This cute little guy, Connor, can do no wrong in his grandma's eyes.

     Most women love to shop and also love to buy things. But all I need is time with those I love and I'll leave the shopping to all the others. 

     Now, I'm not saying money doesn't change hands; my cute little grandson William has me figured out.  Moms all know those silly little mechanical cars are a rip off at a buck a shot.  But William knows all it costs is a smile and Grandma melts.

                               

     But I don't think I'm the only one William has wrapped around his finger... Uncle Matt doesn't seem to mind hanging out with his little buddy either.
                                           

          And Connor loves when he gets to be up where all the action is...

        That one dollar turns into many by the end of the day, but we all know, you can't take it with you.

     I'm not gonna lie, I am still a girl, and it's DNA to want to check out the mall sometimes.  I will say, who ever invented these double strollers are a genius because we get to keep track of the little guys while we scope out the rest of the place. 

      And confession time... As we all know, when I'm on my bike I can go as fast as my legs can pedal, but put my feet on the ground and then start a conversation with me, and my crazy feet and brain have their own agenda.  So if I push the stroller it makes me focus and not walk right out of my feet. 

     My daughter loves the fact she can keep the boys contained, but she also knows about my strategy.  I'll never forget a while back when we were just walking and talking and I forgot to concentrate on my toes.  The first time I stubbed them, we just smiled, but the second time Emily said "Mom, if you do that one more time I'm taking William out of the stroller and putting you in it!"  We laughed, but you better believe I focused from then on:)

          Connor doesn't see the problem; after all, I walk better than he does:)

     I know I may not have these cute little faces at my finger tips forever, but you better believe I'll soak them up every chance I get:)

 Have a great day!!

Christine:)