2013 Recap

Posted on by Lindsay
This retrospective post was supposed to have been written yesterday, the first day of the new year, but I was too busy wringing out my liver, collecting the car from where we'd left it the night before, and reflecting on how the first highlight of 2014 was a 2am tequila-sodden rendition of Moulin Rouge's "Elephant Love Medley" while my father-in-law drove Andrew and me home. Yes, I know all of the words by heart. Something important I learned in 9th grade has been forgotten to make room for this gem. So anyway, it's time to say goodbye to 2013. It went by fast, it was full of memorable moments, and it took my life in directions I never expected. Like Boise, ID or Tybee Island, GA or that emergency room an hour from team camp in Borrego Springs. There are too many high points to try to recall them all: moments ...continue reading.

An Unvarnished Life

Posted on by Lindsay
Somebody close to me questioned my choice to share some of my recent struggles here. This person couldn't understand why I'd want to broadcast this publicly and detract from what could otherwise be a nice image of a successful life. I was also asked if I'd thought about the impact on others in my life, if I'd considered that it might be uncomfortable for them to field questions or comments from concerned family members and friends. To be honest, I was terrified to open up about this to the world. What would it be like if everybody knew about this weakness? What would happen when I applied for a job or a spot on a team and the person evaluating me came across this part of my history? Would they think less of me? Would everybody think less of me? It took a lot of consideration. I wrote the initial ...continue reading.

On coming up for air

Posted on by Lindsay
Things have been better lately. You might think I'd have melted down over Thanksgiving, what with it being a holiday focused on food. Sure, there are themes of gratitude and family and sales on off-brand electronics, but all of these are commemorated with eating, which has the potential for disaster when you're a neurotic, anxiety-prone bulimic. (Side note: I LOATHE THAT WORD. It's right up there with "panties" and "Portugal" and "cockroach", the latter of which is so vile I can barely stand to see it in print.) To mitigate the urge to hugely overindulge on Thanksgiving itself, I made and snacked on extra versions of several of my favorite dishes in the preceding days, so when it came time for the big meal itself, I was less inclined to dive face first into all of the food. It was more like going to a strip club where half of ...continue reading.

This is how I came to be married

Posted on by Lindsay
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to find the love of my life. That's a thing, right? The perfect person with whom everything is natural, effortless, endlessly romantic? I jumped into marriage, chased after fairytales, made mistakes and selfish choices all in the name of finding true love and happiness. Then it came time to grow up. In looking back at my conduct in relationships, I saw the opposite of the famous verse: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." I had been impatient and selfish, arrogant and unkind, quick to anger and blame, slow to let go of wrongs. I realized that if I didn't change, no man would ever be the "right" guy. I'd ...continue reading.

An Update in Pictures

Posted on by Lindsay
[caption id="attachment_4639" align="alignnone" width="517"] Nobody cares about this except me, but my car hit 50,000 miles and I felt like it was a special moment. Not special enough to warrant pulling over for the photo, evidently, but still special.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4635" align="alignnone" width="491"] I joined my parents at the beach for a few [BICYCLE FREE!] days and decided one afternoon to walk to the Starbucks in a nearby town. Several HOURS of walking later, the old folks were going strong while I was lagging and limping and complaining down the beach. Apparently a career professional cycling prepares you for absolutely no other physical activity.[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="467"] My father generously held my bag on the walk back so I could get in the water. I got new bathing suits recently at my mother's insistence ("A sports bra and shorts are not swimming apparel!") and after she watched my first ...continue reading.

Dude! Something other than cycling!

Posted on by lindsay
While this blog might lead you to believe otherwise, once in a while I stop riding a bicycle. Some long overdue updates: The Dogs. To make a long story short, Scout got cancer, Scout got cured of cancer but brought home fleas, the fleas made me lose my mind for a little while, I got the furniture cleaned and banished the pets to the floor, and felt guilty for kicking Scout out of his armchair so I bought him a fancy bed. Then Kobe refused to get out of the bed, so I got another one and now both dogs have taken up permanent residence in the beds. As in, I have to physically peel Kobe out of the bed to get him to go outside. The good news is that Scout made it through the first November in three years without developing any serious health problems, which would be ...continue reading.